> The Arrogance of Man
>  by Johng117
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the dead of night, there was nothing but destruction. The night sky was darkened by the clouds, hiding the stars and the moon. The fields were scorched, the ancient temples were destroyed. Fires raged, the orange light and black smoke brought about hellish scenery to the valley. Large animals laid lifeless on the ground, their bodies crushed and mutilated. The sounds of massive booming can be heard in the distance. Small surviving creatures scurried to safety, avoiding the forces that have brought about this mayhem. Buildings made of stone had fallen into rubble, with the lifeless bodies of human beings buried beneath them. Other human corpses laid in the dirt, crushed just like everything else. The carnage was a tragic sight, as men, women and children lied face down, spread out as if they were attempting to flee. More loud booms sounded in the distance, thunder clapped in the air as lightning flashed across the sky. Rain fell from the ominous clouds above, drenching the fallen buildings, the fires and the dead that littered the Earth.
In the distance, seagulls flew over towards an enormous figure. The figure was a long, multi-limed, insect-like beast. It had an armored back, and was curled on its side, with its legs limp. The creature laid motionless on the ground, with its backside scorched, as smoke rose from its back. Under its belly were chunks of it missing, as if another massive beast had taken a bite out of it. The birds pecked at the wounds, indulging themselves in this bountiful feast. As the birds fed off of the beast, an ear piercing shriek echoed in the valley. The birds scattered, startled from the loud sound. The screech died down to a low trumpeting moan. Down below on the ground, a young woman with pointed ears searched frantically. She was covered in bruises and dirt; her face had a scar from the chaos that had recently occurred. She ran across the fields, attempting to flee from her destroyed village, passing the bodies of the unfortunate souls. The woman ran, and ran, hearing the mighty booms. After each boom, she felt the ground shake. It felt like an earthquake, except it kept going, and was concentrated in one area. The woman looked back, seeing a gigantic silhouetted beast walking and causing the earth to rumble beneath its weight. A long tail swung through the dark smoke that concealed the creature. Lightning flashed above, slightly revealing a bipedal reptilian monster for a brief second. The woman gasped as she saw the terrifying sight, turning her head back forward and began to sprint. The woman's foot made contact with a solid object, causing her to trip and fall onto her belly. The woman groaned in pain as she attempted to stand. As the woman puts weight on her right foot, she cried out in pain and fell back onto the ground. She realized that she had twisted her ankle. The woman's heart began to race, her breathing became shallow. She slowly turned and saw the bipedal beast walking away, its mighty footsteps still shaking the Earth. The woman saw the mighty creature rear its head into the sky, opening its jaws and letting out an ear-piercing screech.

> Chapter 1: The Beast (Revised)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Somewhere in the Pacific, Classified Excavation site, 54 years before the return of Nightmare Moon...


It was a summer day on a once beautiful island in the Pacific Ocean. The trees were nothing but ash, the soil was glassed and contaminated with lethal radioactivity. On this island were soldiers clad in radiation suits, standing guard outside of an excavation site. In their hands they carried rifles that could fire lethal magical projectiles, their fingers itching to pull the trigger and shoot down anybody that tried any funny business. Inside of the excavation site were paleontologists, all wearing radiation suits. These people arrived days after a nuclear bomb test by the Griffon Kingdom was conducted miles from the island. 

The Island was mostly intact but the heat and the force from the blast damaged the surface and made a large crater that extended almost off of the shoreline. The blast cleared away the trees and blew tons of dust; it caused tremors under the island and revealed the tomb of a massive creature underground. The exposed part of the fossil was part of the creature's enormous head and three rows of maple leaf-like-shaped dorsal fins that were like pointed rocks sticking out of the tomb. The creature had a snout that was somewhat of a box shape with rows of small but sharp teeth. Just by looking at the head it was evident that it was a fearsome predator besides its size.
In a tent located meters away from the fossil stood an Elf male in a radiation suit, breathing his filtered air as he observed what was presented to him.

"This is what your team found on the fossil?" The Elf asked in disbelief as he leaned down to the microscope.

"Yes, we found it leaking out from a cracked rib" replied an Earth bound woman as she documented her find. "As you can see, the blood cells are well preserved and there appears to be an undiscovered cell within the creature's blood. A few minutes ago, these cells appeared to be restoring the blood cells. We believe them to be some kind of healing factor for the creature when it was still alive. At this rate, these cells are doomed to remain in this state."

The Elf moved away from the microscope and took a look at the blood sample on the slide. The Elf then raised his right hand, which gave off a blue aura. 

'I see...' the Elf put his hand back down.

"Gather the rest of the samples from the fossil and keep them quarantined back at the lab. I want them locked up in a room with radiation," said the Elf walking toward the exit of the tent.
The Earth bound looked up from her notes quizzically. "With radiation? What for?"

"I scanned the cells; they apparently need nuclear radiation to keep them alive." The Elf left the tent, leaving the Earth bound alone in the room. The Elf walked a few feet outside of the tent, looking upon the dead behemoth.

'I wonder what I can learn from you, big fella,' the man thought to himself.






Location: classified


A dark room, filled with over a dozen scientists, waiting patiently for their orientation on a government project. Suddenly, a Valkyrie woman, who appeared to be in her mid-40s, walked toward the front of the room in front of a projection screen and looked at the occupants of the room. The woman waited patiently for some of the scientists to realize that the orientation was beginning. The room was silent and all the eyes were on the woman as she cleared her throat and greeted the scientists.

"Thank you all for waiting patiently. You have all been chosen to work on a top secret project for the United Nations." The woman paced the room as she explained the project. "As you may know during the last few hundred years, there has been an anomaly within the gene pool of Earth bound humans. For some unexplained reason, a minor portion of the Earth bound population lacks the magical ability of being more in touch with the plants and animals. They lack a cutie mark, and lack the same physical strength of the average Earth bound. As far as we know, there hasn't been anything like this in other humans such as Elves and Valkyries." The woman signaled to the back of the room to turn on the projector. A bright, stream of light shot across the dark room and projected an image of an illustration of a dragon-like skeleton that stood erect on the screen. Gasps were heard from some of the scientists, along with whispers like, 'what in Celestia's good name is that?' and 'I've never seen anything like it'. The creature illustrated stood on two large legs with two stumped feet, slightly hunched with its short arms nearly the length to reach its own waist. The creature had a small, almost box shaped skull with rows of small yet sharp teeth, a long neck running down to a long tail. On the back of the creature were maple-leaf shaped dorsal fins that ran down to the tail.

"M.U.T.O, Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organism." The woman turned to the scientists. "This creature was discovered underground on an island that was a site for nuclear tests in the pacific," the woman explained. 

The scientists gave the woman their full attention, curious to learn more. The woman smiled, knowing that she had their attention.
"You are not here to study the creature; you're here for something greater." The scientists looked to each other in confusion. What in the world could be greater than studying a giant-wingless dragon?

"You will be replicating the MUTO's regenerative abilities into the genetic code of non-magical Earth bound humans." The room was filled with murmurs of amazement, concern, and excitement.
"We discovered that the MUTO had blood preserved within its fossil in the ribs, along with a new type of cell that has been responsible for preserving the creature's blood cells. You will learn more what we know about the MUTO's DNA and you will create a mutagen from that DNA to introduce to Non-magical Earth bound DNA." The projector switched to a video of the new cell as it repaired blood cells and fought off bacteria
"With the mutagen, we will be able to help people regrow their lost limbs, cure them of diseases, and help non-magical Earth bounds become stronger, opening the door for more opportunities for them in society!" The scientists were becoming more drawn in to the project; they were excited by the idea and the opportunity to make history.
The woman then puts on a serious face, her mood suddenly changing.
"However, if anyone leaks any information about what you've learned here, that person will suffer dire consequences," the woman said sternly.
"Understood ma'm," the scientists acknowledged uneasily. It doesn't take a genius to know to keep your mouth shut about classified information and projects.
"Good," The woman smiled, her tone becoming lighter. "Now let’s get started."





Neighpon, 45 years later...


In the Far East, off the coast of the Haysia mainland we find the country Neighpon. The land of the rising sun. A man with his arms crossed is standing in a dojo, along with a child standing a few feet from him. The man stood at 6 ft 6 in, his hair was a charcoal grey with spiked tips at the top. He had a growing beard on his face, bright yellow eyes and a strong jaw line. The man's bore muscles that gave him an intimidating figure.

The boy bore the same features as the man, except he had a bit of a rounder face and shorter hair. The man had a serious blank look on his face as he and the little boy locked eyes. 

“Now my son, we begin your training,” the man said to the boy.

"But dad, I don't want to learn to fight!" the little boy whined. The man sighed heavily, 

"Junior, we're doing this so I can teach you how to defend yourself."

"But didn't mom always used to say that fighting was wrong?" Junior countered.

"She said that picking fights was wrong. Yes, it is senseless to fight for no reason. But there is no wrong in defending yourself, son. I promised myself and your dear mother that I would take care of you and teach you, but I won't always be around. I want to make sure that you learn to fight your own battles Junior," Junior's father explained.

"Yes, father." Junior bowed, feeling his heart ache from the reminder of the day he lost his mother.

The man sighed; it hasn't been easy adjusting to the loss of his wife and the mother of his son. The man was determined to raise his son the best that he could be. So the father and son spent hours of the day, practicing techniques of fighting. Junior spent the next few weeks training with his father, sweat pouring down his body and drawing in quick breathes as he punched a practice dummy.

"Excellent, one of the keys to victory against your opponent involves unrelenting force. Keep attacking your opponent, don't give him an inch!" Junior's father held the dummy in place as he gave his son pointers. Junior continued to punch the dummy in the gut.

"Good. Now let's take a lunch break, son. I'll give you more tips as we eat." said the man. Junior and his father made their way out of the dojo, heading toward the kitchen. As they sat down at the table eating their lunch, a voice called out to them.

"Excuse me! Is this the Takeshi residence?" Junior's father looked outside the window and saw a young Valkyrie with white wings, holding a scroll.

"Yes, what is your business?" Junior's father questioned, making his way to the door.

"I have a letter for someone named Takeshi Gojira. Is that your name, sir?" The Valkyrie asked.

"That's right, please bring it here," Gojira requested. The Valkyrie handed the scroll to Gojira, who then thanked him as the Valkyrie flew away. Gojira then noticed the seal of the scroll; it had the insignia of a stylized sun. Gojira cracked a small smile, recognizing the seal. He proceeded to open the scroll, reading the letter.

Dear Gojira, it's been quite a while since we have last seen each other, old friend. I hope that things are going well for you. Anyway, I write to you to inform you that I will be visiting Neighpon in November for a meeting with the emperor about a project that the head of magical research is working on. I'll be in Neighpon for a week before the meeting begins. I was hoping that you and I could do some catching up; I hope to see you soon!  Sincerely, your friend Celestia.

Gojira thought back to the day that he first met Princess Celestia many years ago.

"Who wrote to you, dad?" Junior asked as he stuffed his mouth with beef.

"An old friend of mine. Celestia, the princess of Equestria." Junior immediately stopped chewing, trying to process the information that his father just told him.

"You’re friends with a princess?! That's so cool!" Jr. exclaimed. Gojira chuckled at his son's shock.

"I met her way before you were born. At the time, I was assigned to be her guide and guardian when she came to help our nation settle diplomatic relations with the Griffon Kingdom. Some of her guards obviously didn't take too kindly about the fact that I was mostly around her at times. They had little reason to trust me, especially due to the situation at the time. After some time, she started to warm up to me as someone other than one that's following orders to prevent a potential assassination. Celestia expressed her fascination about our country; she began telling me about Equestria. Just hearing her talk about it with such fondness got me wanting to visit there sometime. We ended up becoming friends during the rest of the time that she was here." Gojira recalled their time together fondly; she was one of the few people that had actually offered her friendship to him. He rarely made any friends.

"Wow, she sounds really nice. I want to meet her someday!" Junior said as rested his chin on his hand.

"Well, she told me that she would be here in November and that she wanted to see me again. I'll introduce you to her." Gojira smiled as he saw his son's face brightened up.

"I would love that!" Junior exclaimed.

There was a sudden knock on the door. Gojira turned his head, noticing a figure standing in the door way. Gojira made his way to the door to see who it could be. Junior continued to eat his lunch, hearing distant dialogue between his father and another male voice. Junior couldn't make out the conversation, but he didn't pay it any mind. Junior suddenly heard a crashing noise in the other room. Junior quickly got out of his seat and ran out of the kitchen to see what caused the commotion. Junior noticed two men in a black coats unconscious on the floor, his father noticing him.

"Junior, get back!" Gojira turned and noticed a few other men rushing toward the house. The man found himself fighting these men as they tried ganging up on him. Gojira continued to fight off his opponents with brutal attacks ranging from slamming the attackers into walls, breaking their arms and kicking them square in the gut. Gojira was suddenly hit from behind by a magical bolt, he yelled out in agony. He groaned in pain as he tried to stand on his feet, he was then hit by another magical bolt, this one knocking him back to the ground. An Elf with a black mask made his way into the house. The Elf turned his attention toward Junior, chuckling darkly to himself. Junior began to panic; the Elf then disappeared in a flash and reappeared behind Junior. Gojira heard his son cried out to him as the Elf grabbed him. Gojira's eyes narrowed as he tried to stand back up.

"GET AWAY FROM MY SON YOU BASTARD!" Gojira shouted in fury.

Gojira was then struck in the back of his head by a large and muscular Earth bound, knocking him unconscious. Junior cried out to his dad, the Elf with a mask waved his hand in front of Junior's eyes, the magical aura causing him to fall asleep.






Canterlot, Equestria. Twelve years later...


Junior sat at a desk in a large bedroom, writing in a journal. Junior had grown from a six-year old boy into a teenager. His hair had grown longer, giving it spiked tips at the top, and Junior’s jaw line was slightly more exposed, his face losing its roundness. Junior grew to be 6 foot 2 in height; his physique had gained more muscle over the last few years. Junior's eyes were scowling as wrote in his journal, his yellow irises brightening in the sunlight.  As Junior continued to write his personal thoughts down, there was a knock at his door.

"One second!" Junior called out. Junior placed his journal in his desk's drawer. Junior got up from his seat and walked toward his door. As Junior opened the door, his eyes met with a woman in her early 30s, clad in golden armor. The guard stood at 6 foot 1, her hair was light blonde, and her eyes were a bright blue. The guard was a Valkyrie, her wings were colored red.

"Her royal highness requests your presence at her chambers," the guard informed.

"Oh?" Junior's eye brows rose, his deeper tone filled with worry.

"Relax kid, you’re not in trouble," the guard chuckled as she nudged Junior's shoulder, "C'mon, it’s rude to keep a girl waiting."

"R-right." Jr. stepped out of his room and followed the guard. The pair trailed down the castle hall, passing a few guards and maids, a couple of maids going stiff as they saw Junior walking down the halls. Junior noticed this and mentally sighed.

"How's life treating you, Goji? Still getting into fights?" The guard turned her head towards Junior as they walked.

"Life's ok, and no, I haven't been getting into fights lately. Well, at least not since the last time that I did when I put those three guys in the hospital," Junior replied nonchalantly.

“Yeah, I remember that," The guard laughed, "I don't know how you manage in these fights kiddo, but you're like a powerhouse!"

"Thanks, Blaire. Although, it's not like I wanted to. I was just defending myself, Celestia was real upset that day." Junior said somberly. Blaire noticed Junior’s tone; she stopped walking and turned to Junior, giving him a sympathetic smile.

"Hey, now, it’s not like she was angry at you for fighting back. She was just worried," said Blaire reassuringly.  Junior frowned as the two continued down the castle halls.

"Goji, have you ever thought of joining the royal guard?" asked Blaire.

"Join the royal guard? No, not really. I'm not even sure what I want to do with my life," Junior replied.

"Well if you don't have any luck figuring it out, you should consider joining. You got the right stuff."

"Thanks, Blaire. I'll think about it," Junior's mood lighting up a bit.

Junior had always liked Blaire; he met her one time when he was first living in Canterlot after his father passed away. Celestia took him in and became Junior's legal guardian. Blaire was a recruit back then, she sometimes saw Junior around the castle alone. Blaire learned about Junior's loss and that he was going through a lot of depression from Princess Celestia. Blaire pitied the little boy; she hated seeing children upset, and she even knew that Celestia needed help raising Junior. So Blaire ended up becoming a sister figure for Junior. This helped Junior to slightly get out of his depression, but there was still something else that bothered him. Blaire wish that Junior would tell her, as she had taken a liking to the kid. She made herself to be like a big sister to Junior and she ended up seeing him as the little brother that she never had. Blaire and Junior had arrived at the Princess's living quarters, Blaire knocked on the door.

"Come in," said a voice with a motherly tone.

Blaire opened the door and walked in the room, with Junior trailing behind her. The room had light blue walls, a lavender floor. A cushion pillow in the middle of the room on top of a large purple mat meant to be laid on, all were placed a safe distance from the fire place. Sitting on a bed near the balcony was a woman. This woman was the ruler of all of Equestria, Princess Celestia. Celestia turned her attention toward the Junior and Blaire, giving them both a warm smile.

"Thank you Sergeant, you are dismissed," said Celestia.

"Of course your majesty," Blaire bowed, "see you later Goji!"

"Bye," Junior called out.

Celestia rose from her seat and made her way toward Junior. Celestia stood at a height of 7 feet; her hair was long and multicolored in cool and light color tones of blues, greens, and pinks. Her beautiful hair flowed majestically caused from the powerful magic that she possessed. Celestia was an Avatar, a human with both the wings of a Valkyrie and the magic of an Elf. Celestia had violet eyes, pale skin, and her wings were a grayish-white. Celestia wore a golden crown upon her head with a purple gem in the center; she wore a white dress that exposed her shoulders, golden slippers, and a necklace with a stylized sun that represented her cutie mark.  Celestia appeared to be in her early 30s, but was actually over a thousand years old.

"You wanted to see me?" asked Junior.

"Yes, I wanted to discuss something with you, dear," replied Celestia as she motioned Junior to sit on the mat.
Junior obliged and sat down, Celestia taking a seat next to him.

"As you know, I'll be in Ponyville for this year's Summer Sun Celebration."

"Oh yeah, that's right..." Junior recalled watching Celestia raising the sun during these events in Canterlot. It was an amazing sight to see, and a demonstration of Celestia's power.

"So what about it?" asked Junior. He wondered why Celestia would bring this up. Unless...

"Junior, I would like for you to come to Ponyville for this year's Summer Sun Celebration," said Celestia.

'Yep, there it is.' Junior thought to himself.

"I...I don't know," Junior struggled to make an excuse. "I mean, I don't mind staying here and missing the celebration. Really, it's not a big deal." said Junior as he turned his head away from Celestia.

"Junior, I want you to come with me. You don't socialize with others and you've started to keep yourself cooped up in your living chambers these days." Celestia placed her hand on Junior's cheek, bringing his face to meet back with hers. Celestia’s face was expressing a look that comforted Junior.

"Junior, your father wouldn't want this for you, dwelling on the past. It saddens me to see you alone; I want you to try to make some friends in Ponyville." Celestia ran her hand on Junior's charcoal grey hair. Junior looked away sighing.

"Alright, I'll go."

Celestia's face broke into a smile, she then embraced Junior. Junior was slightly embarrassed with the affection, but he wasn't upset about it. It felt nice for a loved one to show their affection to him. Celestia then broke their hug to speak to Junior directly.

"I'll have a ticket ready for you to get to Ponyville later. I'll also have a guard escort you while you're there," said Celestia.

"That's not necessary Celestia, I can learn my way around." Junior waved his hand dismissively
.
"Junior..."

"Come on, please? I'm not a little kid anymore. The guards have better things to do instead of babysitting, don't they? Besides, if people saw a royal guard hovering over my shoulder, it might attract someone who'd pretend to be my friend." Junior despised people trying to get on the good side of other due to having riches or being related to someone with a big title like Celestia.

"Well...alright, just be careful." Celestia reluctantly agreed.

"Of course." Junior smiled.





Junior returned to his chambers, taking a seat back at his desk. Junior brought back out his journal and continued to write his last thoughts. Junior thought back to Celestia's words and stopped writing. The teen leaned back in his chair, lost in his thoughts.

'Dad, Mom, I miss you both so much. I don't know what to do, I'm grateful that Celestia took me in, but I've been forced to lie to her for years. Ever since that day, I've feared for how my future will turn out, and I just live a lie. It's killing me inside! I can't stand lying to her face!  The woman that you were friends with and the one that went out of her way to take me in. I'm lost here without you.'

Jr. placed his hand over his eyes, memories of that day, the night he was hurt, the time that he and his father spent hiding, and that dark and fateful night that he lost his father.  Junior fought his tears, sealing his pain up.

'But it’s the best thing to do right? I can't tell her the truth about me, not Blaire, not Celestia, not anybody. It's my burden to bear, nobody else's.'  Junior removed his hand from his face, finishing his last thought in his journal.



Meanwhile...


A golden chariot flew in the sky, being pulled by two Pegasi covered in golden armor. One of Celestia's royal guards was seated in the front, keeping the Pegasi on course. A young Elf girl in a scholar uniform sat in the back of the chariot, her arms hanging over the edge, and a displeased expression on her face. Next to her was a young dragon named Spike. Spike was about 4 foot 9 in height; his scales were a light mulberry, his chin to the end of his underside tail a light spring bluish grey. Spike's spikes were green and his reptilian eyes were pistachio. Spike held a letter in his hand, reading off from the message.

"My dear Twilight, there is more to a young person's life than studying. So I am sending you to supervise preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration in this year's location: Ponyville. I also have an even more essential task for you to complete," Spike sat closer to the Elf girl, "make some friends!"

The Elf slumped her head down after hearing the last part of the letter sent by Celestia.

"Look on the bright side Twilight. The princess arranged for you to stay in a library! Doesn't that make you happy?" Spike asked, attempting to lighten up Twilight's mood.

"Yes," Twilight shot up, "Yes it does, you know why? Because I'm right. I'll supervise the preparations as fast as I can, then get to the library to find some proof on Nightmare Moon's return."

"Then, when will you make friends like the princess said?" Spike asked, concerned about where this was going.

"She said to check on preparations, I am her student and I'll do my royal duty. But the fate of Equestria does not rest on me making friends." Twilight countered.

The chariot had made its way to the town Ponyville, touching down safely to ground. The Pegasi whinnied after stopping the cart, kicking their forelegs in the air. Twilight and Spike got off the chariot, thanking the guard and giving scratches to the two Pegasi's ears.

"Maybe the people in Ponyville have interesting things to talk about!" Spike stated as pink-haired Earth bound girl walked down the road of the town, with a smile on her face. She then noticed Twilight and Spike, stopping in front them.

"C'mon Twilight, just try," insisted Spike. Twilight stood, unsure how to strike a simple conversation. She started with a greeting.

"Uh...hello?"

The pink-haired girl shot into the air a few feet, her eyes wide, gasping loudly. In a second, she was gone, passing over Twilight and Spike. The two were dumbfounded by the situation.

"Well that was interesting alright," said Twilight sarcastically.
Spike sighed; the pair continued their way down the road.






A few hours later...



Junior was leaving the train station, a map of Ponyville in his hand. Junior continued to walk as he read the map. He found a few spots that he could hang out at until the Summer Sun Celebration began. As Junior passed by a few people, they gave him uneasy stares. Junior noticed but he did his best to ignore them. Junior was bumped into a Valkyrie with hair that was a light grayish opal hair with a pink bow; her eyes were light grayish raspberry and light Persian blue wings. The girl stumbled a bit and turned to see who she ran into. She gasped as she saw Junior, who towered over her about a couple feet. The Valkyrie was visibly trembling, intimidated by Junior's appearance, as he looked like a thug or a delinquent.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to bump into you!" The girl spoke with a bit of a slightly slurred accent.

"Why are yo-" Junior began until he was interrupted.

"Please don't hurt me! I'll do anything!" The girl braced herself, her arms raised over her head and her eyes tightly shut.
Junior was stumped; he had a few similar situations like this before, especially with girls. Junior looked at his surroundings and noticed people were staring. Some had fearful expressions for the poor unfortunate soul, some had disgusted looks on their faces at how shameful this young man was toward that girl, a few others looked like they were ready to intervene and try to fight. Junior saw how bad the situation looked, he would have to try to approach this delicately or else all hell would break loose.

'Damn.' Junior thought to himself.

"It’s no big deal. Really, it’s fine," said Junior, trying to put on a friendly smile.

The Valkyrie started to relax a bit. Junior saw this and knew that just a little more he could out of here without putting a few people in the hospital.

"Look, it was an honest mistake. Let's just forget about it and go about our business," said Junior.

The girl seemed to completely relax as she put her arms down and looked up to Junior.
"Flitter!" called a slightly deeper, feminine voice.

The girl who apparently named Flitter turned her attention from Junior and toward another girl in the direction that she was originally running toward. The girl was also a Valkyrie, she had the same colored wings but slightly darker, her hair was spiky and was a pale cerulean with white highlights. She was flying toward Flitter and Junior.

"Cloudchaser!" called back Flitter as she waved her hand.

'Time for me to take my leave!' Junior thought to himself urgently as he quickly walked passed Flitter.
Junior noticed that some people that were watching went about their business while some kept an uneasy eye on him and went back to what they were doing. A couple made gestures as warnings toward Junior as saying: 'I got my eye on you pal' or 'you better not cause trouble'. Junior finally moved out of the area, he noticed that he was sweating.

"Jeez, how in the hell am I supposed to make friends like Celestia said when crap like this happens?" asked Junior irritably.

Junior was then knocked off of his feet by a pink blur. Junior groaned as he lay on the floor on his back.

"Owwwiee~," said a high, feminine voice.

Junior got up on his feet and saw what, or who ran into him. It was a pink-haired Earth bound girl with hair that looked like cotton candy. She wore a pink shirt with two blue balloons and one yellow balloon on her chest, representing her cutie mark. The girl wore hot pink shorts with baby-blue shoes and yellow socks. She was on her behind, rubbing her forehead.

"Here, let me give you hand." Junior reached his hand for the girl.

The pink haired girl stopped rubbing her forehead, looking to see who the voice belonged to. Her eyes followed up Junior's legs, covered in black jeans, all the way to his chest covered in a dark grey sweater and to his face. The pink-haired girl stared at Junior for few seconds.

"It’s going to be a party for three new people..." muttered the pink haired girl.

"I'm sorry what was that?" asked Junior.

The pink-haired girl suddenly shot up in the air and moved past Junior at incredible speed. Junior stood there trying to process what just happened. Junior furrowed his eye brows, coming to his conclusion.

"Figures." scoffed Junior.






A few more hours later...


Junior wondered the town, the sun was setting. People seemed to be out of the streets, everything was quiet. Junior spent the day exploring the town along with eating at a restaurant to satisfy his hunger. Junior walked through the town to find his way to the Town Hall, but then he suddenly heard a faint sound. Junior stopped walking; he turned around to search for the source. It sounded like someone was whispering to him, but he didn't see anyone around.

"You're just like us; you're a lot different from the rest." The whisper was feminine, it sounded so close, but no one was near him. The voice was also speaking Junior's native tongue. It sounded as if it was all in his head. Was he going crazy?

"Who's there?" called out Junior in Neighponese, figuring that it may be the best way to respond.

"You'll find out soon enough Takeshi-kun."

"Wait, how the hell do you know my last name?!" Junior demanded.

The voice did not respond. Junior was left in silence, pondering what was going on. Junior turned to continue his way to the Town Hall; he then noticed a pink blur speeding towards him. Junior groaned in irritation. He was then grabbed and dragged across Ponyville all the way to a large tree that was made into a house. Junior was dropped to the ground, he grunted as he got up.

"What are you doing?!" Junior yelled.

"Throwing you a ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ party!" It was the same pink haired girl from earlier.

"Wait, what?" asked Junior quizzically, his left eyebrow rose.

"When I saw you today, I realized that you weren't living in Ponyville because I know everyone's face in town and I have never met someone with a face as scary as yours-" The pink haired girl was talking so fast that Junior had a hard time keeping up with her.

"Wait, what you just said about my f-" Junior was cut off.

"Anyway, my name is Pinkie Pie! What's yours?"

"Um...Gojira. Gojira Takeshi." Junior replied.

"Nice to meet you, Goji!"

"It's Gojira." Junior stated, annoyed by Pinkie Pie calling him by his nickname. 

'Only Blaire and others close to me can call me that.'

"Anyway, I gotta see if everybody is having a good time. Go ahead and enjoy yourself!" Pinkie disappeared in a blink of an eye.

'What a day,' Junior mentally sighed.

Junior began to notice shelves of books around the room. People dancing, enjoying snacks, loud music, the usual things folks do at a party.

'A library in a freaking tree? Yeah, that's a good idea.' Junior thought sarcastically, thinking of reasons that could go wrong.

Junior made his way toward a table in the kitchen, sitting by himself. People in the library were giving him uneasy stares and curious glances. Junior was getting irritated, but he restrained himself to avoid causing a scene. Junior noticed a familiar Valkyrie looking his way. Flitter made her way passed the crowd of people that were enjoying themselves.

'Oh crap, she's coming this way!' Junior pretended to not notice her approach; he hoped that he wouldn't run into her again.

"Hi there." greeted Flitter, standing at Junior's right.

"Oh, hello." Junior greeted back.

"You left before I got to say goodbye," said Flitter.

"Oh, r-right. Sorry, I just got uncomfortable with all the stares from people. I didn't mean to be rude." Junior apologized.

"No, don't worry about it," Flitter giggled. "I overreacted when I was apologizing, sorry about that."

"It's totally fine, trust me." Junior waved his hand dismissively.

There was an awkward silence between the two. Junior looked down at his hands on the table to avoid eye contact. Flitter rubbed her arm, looking around to think of what else to say.

"Soooo, where are you from?" asked Flitter.

"Wha-Oh I'm from Canterlot," replied Junior, making eye contact again with Flitter.

"Wow really? That's so cool!" Flitter's tone filled with genuine interest.

"It's ok; I'm not a big fan of cities, too crowded, too many large buildings obscuring the view."

"Really? Hmm. Well, I guess that's one of the consequences from living in the city," laughed Flitter.

"Tell me about it." Junior smiled. 'Alright, this is going well. Man this the first time that I held a conversation this long with someone who wasn't Celestia or Blaire.'

"Anyway, my name is Flitter. What's yours?"

"Gojira. Gojira Takeshi."





After a few hours went by, the party ended and everyone was making their way to the town hall for the sunrise. Earth bounds, Valkyries and Elves stood in the crowd while a few Valkyries were airborne. Twilight and Spike were standing looking to the balcony that Celestia was to come from. Just then, Pinkie Pie rushed toward Twilight and Spike.

"Isn't this exciting? Are you excited because I'm excited! I've been so excited, well except for the time when I saw you walking into town and me-” Pinkie gasped deeply, “but I mean really, who can top that? Well at least other than that new guy with the spiky grey hair came to town a few hours after you did?"

'I feel sorry for that poor soul who ran into you.' Twilight thought to herself.

The trumpets blared, and a Valkyrie girl that wore a long dark yellow sweater, with butter yellow wings, pink long hair and moderate cyan eyes, was orchestrating birds to whistle a tune. Junior was standing next to Flitter, hearing the tune.

"Wow, she's good," said Junior. Flitter nodded in response.

"That's Fluttershy, the town's animal caretaker." said Flitter.

From behind the curtain, a middle aged Earth bound woman came from behind the curtain, a light shining on her.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, as Mayor of Ponyville, it is my great honor to announce the beginning of the Summer Sun Celebration!" The Mayor joyfully announced. The crowd erupted into cheers. 

"In just a few moments, our town will witness the magic of the sunrise and celebrate this longest day of the year!"

Twilight tuned out the mayor and looked to the moon outside of the window. A shadow of the side of a woman's face could be seen on the moon’s surface, it was known as the lady in the moon. Around the moon, four bright stars descended closely to the moon. In a flash of light, the image on the moon disappeared. Twilight grew nervous, knowing what happened; she then focused her attention back to the mayor. 

The mayor began to name off traits of the princess for her introduction. The crowd growing excited, Flitter was shaking with excitement, Gojira smiled at how much people loved the princess. He couldn't blame them.

"-Princess Celestia!" The mayor moved away. An Elf with a styled, indigo hair and a white button up shirt and brown skirt grabbed the rope to the curtains and pulled it.

The curtains opened and revealed nobody, the crowd gasped; Junior's heart skipped a beat.

'What the hell?' Junior thought to himself, now getting anxious.

"This can't be good," said Twilight.

"Remain calm everybody, there must be a reasonable explanation." The mayor attempting to calm the crowd.

'There better be a damn good one too!' Junior thought to himself angrily.

"She's gone!" said the Elf with the indigo hair.

The crowd gasped. Flitter was muttering to herself about the situation. Junior was starting to worry a lot now. He heard Pinkie give a surprised scream; he looked up at the balcony and noticed a sparkling, blue mist rise from the balcony. The mist separated from the center, revealing a tall Avatar woman.

Light Persian blue colored armor covered her breast, arms, legs and her dark cornflower blue dress. She wore a helmet upon her head with what looked to be a pointed end at the front like a horn. Her large wings matched the color of her dress, appearing like a crow's wings. Her skin was pale like the moon. Her eyes appeared like a cat's, a cyan color with a moderate violet eye shadow. Her hair flowed and appeared to be like the mist she appeared from. The crowd gasped in fear. Flitter hung onto Junior's arm and trembled, while Junior stood his ground giving this mysterious woman a death stare.

"Oh my beloved subjects, it's been so long since I've seen your precocious, little, sun-loving faces." said the mystery woman, her pointed teeth revealed.

"What did you do with our princess?!" demanded a rainbow haired Valkyrie girl with cyan wings.
The Valkyrie attempted to charge toward the Avatar but her legs were grabbed by a blonde Earth-bound with a large Stetson hat with freckles on her cheeks. The mysterious woman gave an evil chuckle.

"What? Am I not royal enough for you? Don't you know who I am?"

Pinkie Pie spoke up from the crowd, guessing silly names. Junior was too furious to even care what they were.

"Does my crown no longer count now that I have been imprisoned for a thousand years?" The Mysterious woman moved near Fluttershy, who cowered in her presence. 

"Did you not recall the legend? Did you not see the signs?" The mysterious woman asked as she used her misty hair to lift the indigo haired Elf's chin.

"I did," shouted Twilight, "and I know who you are! You're the lady in the moon, Nightmare Moon!"

The crowd gasped, recognizing the name that Twilight called the Avatar by. Junior recalled the legend, but he never thought it was real. It was like the legend in Neighpon that his father told him when he was younger. The legend of Gojira, the mighty dragon of the sea. It was the same name that his father was named after by his father.

"Well, Well, Well, somebody remembers me. Then you also know why I'm here." Nightmare Moon assumed.

"You're here to...to-" Twilight hesitated to finish her sentence. Instead she gulped. Nightmare Moon chuckled darkly.

"Remember this day my little humans, for it was your last. From this moment forth, the night will last forever!" Nightmare Moon laughed maniacally, her hair growing and swirling above her as lighting flashed and thunder boomed. Suddenly, a metal trash can flew toward Nightmare Moon, nearly hitting her. Junior was standing in his own personal space where people once stood, people in the building had shocked expressions on their faces along with Flitter, she feared for Junior's life.

"Damn it, I missed her!" cursed Junior as he snapped his finger.

"You dare attempt to strike me boy?!" Nightmare Moon shouted angrily as she pointed her finger toward Junior, the tip glowing.

"Ah hell" Junior's shoulders slumped.

A bolt of lightning fired from Nightmare Moon's finger and struck Junior in the chest. Junior yelled in pain as he was shot across the room outside of the door of the Town Hall.

"Gojira!!" Flitter screamed.

Nightmare Moon briefly had a look of sadness at her action; she may have killed that poor boy. Her expression quickly changed back to an angry look.

"Seize her! She knows where the Princess is!" shouted the Mayor.

Celestia's royal Valkyrie guards flew toward Nightmare Moon in an attempt to apprehend her.

"Stand back you fools!" shouted Nightmare Moon, as she used her magic to throw the guards all over the room.
Nightmare Moon then disappeared in a mist, flowing out of the Town Hall. The citizens of Ponyville screamed and scattered all around the room. The rainbow-haired Valkyrie broke free from the blonde Earth bound that grabbed her and pursued the mist.

"COME BACK HERE!" demanded the rainbow haired girl. She lost the Avatar.

"Night time forever?" the rainbow haired girl sighed. She noticed that Twilight and Spike were running out of the Town Hall.
"Where is she going?" the rainbow-haired girl wondered. She then remembered that Nightmare Moon shot lightning at some guy that threw a trash can at her. She descended to the ground, searching the area. He was nowhere in sight, he was gone.

"Where did that guy go?"





Junior staggered as he made his way through the town. He breathed heavily, as sweat poured down his face. Junior placed a hand against a wall to support himself. His chest was scorched from the bolt of lightning. The wound began to give off a mist, the wound healing itself. Junior watched his flesh regenerate back to perfect condition. Junior sighed, relieved of his pain.

'That's better. If I had stayed, people would've freaked out at the fact I can regenerate my wounds. They'd certainly suspect something.' Junior thought to himself. 

'Now, time to find Nightmare Moon. She went into that forest.  I'll do whatever it takes to get Celestia back.'

Junior's irises in his eyes grew in size, his pupils shrunk. His eyes were that of an angry predator, determined to devour and destroy all in his way. Junior growled like a large beast as he moved from the wall and ran toward the dark forest.
> Chapter 2: The Elements of Harmony
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 2

In the evening, the air was cold and calm. The stars hung in the sky as the moon castes its light down on the dark forest. Junior jogged through the dark forest, pacing his breaths. It's been a while since he last entered the forest, he was still in a blind fury. Junior stopped as he realized that he was running without a lead on his pursuit. Junior kneels on his right knee, focusing on his senses. He listened to the sounds of the forest and analyzed the smells. He heard the sounds of birds chirping, the wind moving through the leaves of the trees. Junior was lost in the sounds of the forest. He felt at peace, it had everything that he wanted for the last couple of years of his life. Solitude, one of the few things that helped him feel secure. If he could describe his perfect world, it would be one where he would be free and alone. 
Junior's ears were suddenly assaulted with screams, snapping him out of his blissful state. Junior searched for the source of the screams, he then heard the sound of rocks rumbling, like a landslide. Junior broke out into a sprint as soon as he found the source of the sounds. As Junior was nearing his destination, he heard another scream. Junior then picked up his pace, shoving bushes and other plants out of his path. Junior made his way into a clearing in the forest, a tall cliff to his left. Junior noticed two Valkyrie's, one of them that he recognized as Fluttershy, carrying the Elf girl, who knew about Nightmare Moon, down to the ground. Junior also noticed that Pinkie Pie was there along with the Elf that had the indigo hair and the blonde Earth bound with the Stetson hat. Junior saw this as an opportunity to get some answers, and maybe find Nightmare Moon. Junior stepped out farther from his position, making his way toward the six girls. That was when Pinkie turned around, her face breaking into a smile.
"Hi Goji!" Waved Pinkie.
"It's Gojira!" Junior raised his voice, annoyed.
"Wait, Pinkie who is that?" asked the Elf that was carried by the Valkyries, who was dressed in what Junior recognized as a school uniform back in canterlot.
"Never mind that darling, wasn't he the one that threw the trash can at Nightmare?" The indigo haired girl questioned, her speech filled with an accent that Junior would compare to some people back in Canterlot.
"Hey yeah! She also shot him with her magic!" Exclaimed a rainbow haired Valkyrie, her eyes the color Rosemary. She wore blue jeans and a cyan shirt that matched her wings, an image of a cloud with a rainbow lightning bolt on her chest.
The rainbow haired Valkyrie suddenly shot toward Junior, flapping her wings to keep her in one space. Junior stopped in his tracks, his eyes were locked with the girl who proceeded to hover toward him. Her eyes were that of accusing someone that did something wrong.
"Quite a coincidence running into you here if you ask me." Rainbow said suspiciously.
"Yeah? What of it?" Junior asked, clearly annoyed. He didn't have time for this.
"How is it that you managed to walk away just fine from that attack? You'd either be dead or in the hospital." The Valkyrie continued her approach.
"Um...Rainbow Dash," Fluttershy timidly called out.
"What are you implying?" Junior scowled at Rainbow, standing his ground.
"I'm implying that your in cahoots with Nightmare Moon!" Accused Rainbow, now close to Junior's face.
"I'm not in cahoots with anybody, and I'd appreciate it if you would get out of my face." Junior's voice low, keeping his anger under control.
"Oh yeah? What are you gonna do if don't tough guy?"
just then, Rainbow was yanked away from Junior by the blonde wearing the Stetson. Rainbow struggled, shouting that she could take him. Junior had his doubts about that.
"I'm mighty sorry about Rainbow here sugar cube." Said the blonde as she shoved Rainbow Dash behind her.
'Sugar cube? great, more nicknames.'
"But really, how are you still standing after that?" asked the blonde.
'Shoot, gotta think of an excuse!' Junior tried to think as many excuses as fast as he can. "I...I was wearing a chest guard. I was practicing martial arts this afternoon!" Junior kept a straight face, hoping that they would buy it. the blonde eyed Junior suspiciously.
"If you say so partner. Anyway, name is Applejack, pleasure to make your acquaintance." Applejack extended her hand.
"Gojira Takeshi, just call me Gojira" Junior looked toward Pinkie, making sure she got the hint. Apparently she didn't as she just smiled and waved.
Junior extended his hand to shake Applejack's. Applejack grabbed Junior's hand with both of her hands, shaking furiously. Junior had a little trouble getting his hand to stop shaking after she let go, but was able to stop on his own.
"One hell of a handshake you've got."
"Thank you" Applejack smiled.
"Rarity, pleased to meet you darling," greeted the indigo haired Elf.
'Darling?' Junior shrugged off his thought, "Hello."
Junior noticed that Fluttershy was hiding her face behind her long pink hair.
"I...I'm-" Fluttershy's voice becoming a whisper.
"Nice to meet you Fluttershy." Junior smiled, finding the girl's timidness to be cute.
Fluttershy turned her to Junior with a surprised look on her face.
"Wait, you heard her?" Asked Rainbow.
"Yeah, I have good hearing," said Junior nonchalantly. Even though he actually learned her name from Flitter, it wasn't a total lie.
"Whatever, I'm Rainbow Dash! The fastest flier of all of Equestria!" Rainbow proudly hovered above ground.
'Ah, she's one of those kind of people. The boastful type.' Junior thought humorously to himself. "Nice to meet you."
"I'm Pinkie Pie!"
"I know, you introduced yourself to me hours ago." Junior reminded.
"I know that, I just wanted to be a part of introductions!" Pinkie smiled.
Junior noticed the school girl was making her way toward him. This was the moment Junior noticed her height. She was the shortest out of all of the girls. He felt like he would crush her if he were to lie on her, she stood at least 5 feet. Rainbow stood at 5 foot 4 , Applejack was 5 foot 8,  Rarity was 5 foot 7, Pinkie was 5 foot 5, and Fluttershy stood at 5 foot 6. Twilight was then standing a couple of feet in front of Junior.
"My name is Twilight Sparkle." Twilight extended her hand after she introduced herself.
Junior extended his hand, having a firm grip on her hand as they shook. Her hand was quite soft compared to Applejack's.
"It's a pleasure. I recall you saying that you knew who Nightmare Moon was. Do you have any idea where she is? Where she might have Princess Celestia?" Junior questioned.
"No, I have no idea where either of them are. We came out to the Everfree forest to find the Elements of Harmony." Twilight explained.
"Elements of Harmony? What are those?"
"They are six artifacts that were used a thousand years ago to banish Nightmare to the moon. They may be our only hope to stop at stopping her." Twilight looked down, the tips of her pointed ears slightly descended back.
"Well, we better find them." Junior walked past Twilight, a determined look on his face.
"Wait! This is going to be dangerous, you should go back to the town and let us handle this." called Twilight, attempting to stop Junior.
"I don't think so sister, only a coward backs down." Junior continued ahead.
"Are you crazy! Don't try to play the hero here, you'll only get yourself killed!" Shouted Twilight.
Junior stopped in his tracks. Silence, only the sound of birds and the wind could be heard. The girls grew uneasy, waiting for a response.
"I'm not doing this to be a hero Twilight." said Junior, breaking the silence, his back still facing the girls as he spoke loud enough for them to hear him.
"I'm doing this because I want to repay the princess for what she did for me." Junior turned, facing Twilight, his face filled with a serious expression.
"What did she do?" Twilight asked curiously.
"Tell you what, you let me tag along, we stop Nightmare Moon, we find the princess, and I'll tell you." Junior once again extended his hand, "Deal?"
Twilight was unsure, they had to find the elements as soon as possible. It was bad enough that the others were tagging along, the last thing she wanted was to involve another person in this dangerous task. On the other hand, he might be useful. Plus, what Junior said got Twilight curious, she felt the need to know. Twilight looked to the others, all shrugged in response. Twilight sighed as she made her way to Junior's position. Twilight gripped Junior's hand.
"Deal." Twilight sighed, giving in.
"Excellent," Junior released his grip. "Let's get moving, I want to get some payback from Nightmare."
Twilight took the lead with Junior following in pursuit.
"Sheesh, what a hard case." Rainbow whispered.
"Rainbow!" Hissed Applejack.
"What?"
"He might hear you!" Applejack whispered as shot Rainbow look.
"I wonder what he would've done if Dashie didn't move." Pinkie wondered.
"Hmm, something that a brute would do if you ask me. Fluttershy, what do you think?" Rarity asked.
"Me? W-well...I rather not say."
Junior overheard the other five girls, but he decided to pay them no mind.



The group of seven continued on through the forest. Rainbow Dash was just retelling the moment where she and Fluttershy saved Twilight.
"Yes Rainbow I was there, and I'm very grateful. But we gotta-" Twilight was cut off by a large lion with the wings of a bat and the tail of a scorpion, stepping in the group's path.
Twilight gasped. "A Manticore!" The beast roared.
"We gotta get passed him!" Twilight shouted.
The Manticore lunges at Rarity, swiping at her but misses. Rarity kicks the beast in his face.
"Take that you ruffian!" Rarity shouted.
The Manticore roared in rage in Rarity's face, causing her hair fuzz up from the force of the roar.
"My hair!" Cried Rarity.
The Manticore growled at Rarity, causing her yelp and to retreat. Junior rushed toward the beast, socking it square in the gut. The creature roared in pain, it swiped at Junior. Junior side-stepped to his left to avoid the paw. Junior then elbowed the creature's head, causing it to stagger. Junior made his toward the Manticore, when suddenly the creature used it's scorpion tail to impale Junior. Junior caught the tail before it could reach him, struggling to keep the beast's tail from breaking out of his grasp. Applejack then jumped on the back of the Manticore, riding it like a rodeo. Junior retreated from the creature to recover. Applejack was then knocked off of the Manticore.
"All your's partner." Applejack said casually as she flew past Rainbow Dash.
"I'm on it!" Saluted Rainbow.
"Wait!" Fluttershy called out to Rainbow.
Rainbow Dash flew around the Maticore at high speeds, creating a trail of a rainbow behind her. The Manticore smacked Rainbow away with it's scorpion tail.
"Rainbow!" Twilight cried.
Rainbow crashed into the dirt, groaning in pain. Junior helped Rainbow on her feet, then six of the seven teens charged toward the Manticore. Before they could clash, Fluttershy stepped between their path.
"Wait!!" Fluttershy shouted. Everyone including the Manticore stopped. Fluttershy made her way toward the Manticore, the beast growled at her as he slightly raised his paw.
"It's ok." Fluttershy soothed, as she rubbed the Manticore's paw. The Manticore then showed Fluttershy his paw, a thorn was stuck in it.
"Oh you poor little baby."
"Little?" Rainbow asked quizzically.
"Now this might hurt for just a second." Fluttershy pulled the thorn from the Manticore's paw. The creature roared in pain, taking her in his grasp.
"FLUTTERSHY!" The others exclaimed.
The Manticore licked Fluttershy, causing her to giggle and to baby the creature with her words. The others took the opportunity to walk passed the Manticore safely. Junior had no idea that he was holding his breath, exhaling in relief realizing that Fluttershy was fine. He was amazed at for such a timid girl, she was brave with ferocious animals. She didn't even attempt to attack it, she showed kindness to it. Junior wasn't always shown kindness by anyone other than Celestia and Blaire, he didn't complain. He never expected people to show him any, he just hoped they didn't bother him. The group continued their journey, missing the thorn transform into a blue mist and fleeing the scene.



The group continued their walk in the forest, Rarity had just started complaining about how gross the forest was to her and that her eyes needed a rest. They were suddenly walking toward a darker part of the forest, the trees blocking the moon's light. The group stumbled and bumped into each other as they tried to find their way through the forest.
"Oh wait, I think I stepped in something," said Applejack as she attempted to see the contents under her boot. Fluttershy suddenly screamed in terror.
"Its just mud." Applejack then noticed a large tree, with what looked like sharp wooden teeth.
Applejack yelped, the group noticed that there were more monstrous looking trees. The girls screamed in terror, Junior cupped his ears. Pinkie began laughing, making faces at the trees.
"Pinkie what are you doing?! Run!" Shouted Twilight.
"From trees?" asked Junior.
"Oh girls, don't you see? When I was a little girl and the sun was going dooooown-" Pinkie began to sing
"Wha?" Junior rose an eyebrow.

One Pinkie song later...

Junior found the girls all in a fit of laughter. Junior's eye twitched, trying to process what happened.
"Is this a normal thing that people do? Breaking out into song every now and then?" Junior asked himself. 'Then again, I'm in no position here to say what isn't normal.'


 
Junior lagged behind the group, as they all laughed and giggled. He was lost in thought, if...no when they found Celestia, what's next? Is he gonna go back to Canterlot and just lock himself back in his room? What kind of life is that? He didn't know, he did plan on leaving Canterlot to start his own life. But where would he go? Junior was tempted to just stay in this forest for the rest of his life. He'd wouldn't have to worry about other people. The forest seemed to have everything that he'd need. Junior sighed, he then noticed the girls were in the middle of talking to a giant purple sea serpent. Junior just stopped, thinking this might take awhile. He looked up at the night sky, looking at the stars above. Despite the night being made to last forever, there was no doubt that it looked lovely.  Junior must have stared longer then he thought, he heard Twilight calling his name.
"Gojira, come on! We can cross the river!" Twilight called, standing on the serpents back with a few of the others.
"Coming." Junior decided to walk across the shallow water instead, feeling the cool water reach his shins.
"You alright man?" Asked Rainbow Dash.
"Yeah I'm fine. Why do you ask?"
"Well for one, you could have walked on the serpent's back to get across." Rainbow stated.
"Oh, yeah I wasn't paying attention." Junior's voice was devoid of emotion.
"Are you sure you're alright darling?" Asked Rarity, her face showing concern.
"Yes, I'm fine. Wait, what happened to your hair?" junior asked, noticing Rarity's long hair was shorter.
"Oh, I cut it and gave it to the serpent. Poor dear lost part of his mustache." Explained Rarity.
"That's very generous of you," said Junior.
"Why, thank you." Rarity smiled.
The group continued on their way to find the Elements. They made it to where an old ruin lied not too far ahead. Twilight joyfully announced that they found the location of the Elements. Twilight broke off into a sprint, eager to reach the Elements of Harmony.
"Twilight, wait for us!" Applejack called, as the rest of the group followed in pursuit.
"We're almost there!" Twilight suddenly noticed that she was near the edge of a cliff, the bridge was down. Twilight attempted to keep herself from falling over the edge, flapping her arms in attempt to use the force to send herself back. Twilight suddenly felt someone grab her hand. She was yanked by a strong force  and was pulled away from the cliff. Twilight's face landed against a sweater, feeling herself locked in a tight embrace. Twilight calmed her breathing, her adrenaline settling down. She looked to see her rescuer, she noticed the figure was larger then she was. Twilight craned her neck back and saw that Junior was slightly panting, holding her tightly a few feet away from the cliff. Twilight blushed as she realized her head was resting on a guy's chest. Junior released his hold on Twilight, oblivious to her reddening cheeks.
"Are you alright?" Junior asked, his tone filled with concern.
"Y-yes, I'm fine. Thank you." Stuttered Twilight, looking away.
"Your welcome," said Junior relieved. 'That was close.' 
"What's with you and falling off cliffs today?" Rainbow asked.
Twilight looked down in embarrassment at the comment. The rest of the group had caught up to Twilight, Rainbow and Junior, finding the bridge down. Fog clouded the ground below the cliff.
"Now what?" Asked Pinkie in hopelessness.
"Duh." Rainbow responded, wiggling her wings and taking off.
"Oh yeah."
Rainbow flew down below the fog, flying back up with the front bride in her grip. Junior watched as Rainbow made her way to the other side of the cliff. That was when he heard the voice from earlier again.
"Takeshi-kun" The voice spoke softly.
Junior flinched, searching the forest with his eyes to avoid the girls seeing him make a fuss.
"Did any of you hear something?" Asked Junior.
"Nope."
"Nah"
"um...no"
"Nothing at all"
"No, why? Is there something out there?" Twilight asked concerned.
"No. It must of just been my imagination" Junior replied, dropping the subject. "Rainbow's been gone for awhile hasn't she?"
"Yeah your right." Twilight said, her tone uneasy. "Rainbow! What's taking so long?" Twilight called.
Rainbow was seen standing with three Valkyries with long blue hair, and dark purple and black jumpsuits.
"Oh no." Twilight realized what was causing her delay. "Rainbow!" One of the Valkyries noticed Twilight, suddenly the fog began to cover the bridge's path, obscuring their view.
"Don't listen to them!" Twilight called out.
Junior wasn't liking this one bit. They were too close to fail now! There had to be something that could be done. Something that could get Rainbow to stick with them. Just then, Rainbow flew back toward the group. She had secured the bridge.The girls cheered, Junior smiled at how loyal this girl was.
"See? I never leave my friends hanging." Rainbow flew to the other side as the group made their way to the other side.
'So that's what friends do? They stick by you? Wow, I've been missing out.' Junior continued on, walking behind the group.
The group arrived inside of the ruins, witnessing stoned orbs sitting on a stand. The group was in awe of the artifacts.
"Come on Twilight, isn't this what you've been waiting for?" Asked Applejack.
"The Elements of Harmony, we found them!"
Junior watched as Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash brought the Elements down. He was getting anxious at watching these delicate looking stones carried to the hard floor. Twilight herself was feeling the same.
"There is only five!" exclaimed Pinkie.
"Where's the sixth Element?" Rainbow questioned.
"The book said, 'when the five are present, a spark will cause the sixth element to be revealed'." Twilight explained.
"What in the hay is that supposed to mean?" asked Applejack.
"I'm not sure but I have an idea. Stand back, I don't know what will happen." Twilight kneels to the ground in front the elements, closing her eyes, a light brilliant raspberry colored aura engulfing her hands.
"Come on now y'all, she needs to concentrate," whispered Applejack.
The group made their way outside of the room toward the door. Junior was the last to leave, but before he could reach the door, he felt a chill run up his spine. Something was wrong. Junior heard Twilight yelp, he turned and saw that the Elements were pulled into a familiar blue mist.
"Twilight!" Junior shouted as he raced toward Twilight and the Elements. As Junior got closer to Twilight, she leaps toward the vortex, Junior followed in suit. Both of them and the Elements vanished into thin air.



Twilight coughed, covered in smoke. She heard another voice coughing with her. Twilight turned her head around and saw Gojira was rising to his feet. Twilight was surprised to him with her.
"Gojira?" Twilight asked, as she rose to her feet.
"Thought that you'd need some help. Turns out that I was right." Junior looked past Twilight.
Twilight followed Gojira's line of sight, she gasped as she saw Nightmare Moon, standing at the far end of the room. The Elements of Harmony were in her possession Nightmare chuckled darkly, lightning flashed around her. Twilight prepared to charge toward the dark Avatar, until she felt a firm grip on her right shoulder. Twilight turned and saw that Gojira was staring at Nightmare, with a menacing glint in his eye. Twilight felt uncomfortable seeing that look, she grew more concerned about what he was thinking.
"You get to the Elements, she's mine." Said Gojira.
'What?!' Twilight was about to verbally protest , but then Gojira released her shoulder and walked in front of her. Gojira stared at Nightmare, not saying a word.
"Your kidding. You're kidding right?" Nightmare raised her eyebrow, not amused by Gojira's challenge. Gojira responded by popping his knuckles, causing Twilight to flinch at the sound. Junior took a stance, his eyes locked with Nightmare's.
"I never joke about a fight. I'm taking you down." Declared Gojira. 
"So be it. I'll teach you a lesson that you'll never forget boy!" Nightmare and Gojira charged towards each other, Gojira giving a fierce war cry.
"Gojira, no!" cried Twilight.
Gojira and Nightmare collided, Gojira wrapped his arms around Nightmare's waist, carrying her toward the end of the room. Nightmare grunted, as she began to punch Gojira in his face, attempting to get him to release his grip. Gojira merely grunted, shrugging off the pain, he then slammed Nightmare against the wall. Nightmare cried out in pain, feeling the force in her back. Nightmare shoved Gojira back, using her height to her advantage against him by kneeing him repeatedly in his jaw. Gojira caught her knee before she could strike him again, then he flung her to the the left side of the room, away from the elements. Nightmare slammed against the wall, falling to the ground. Nightmare glared at Junior, growling. Twilight was too amazed to move, an Earth born was taking an Avatar head on and he was able stand against her! 
"Stop gawking, go now! I'm buying you some time here!" Gojira shouted as he rushed toward Nightmare.
Twilight snapped out of her daze and ran toward the Elements, taking advantage of the distraction. However, Twilight couldn't help but look at the battle. Gojira dodged Nightmare's punches and kicks, countering with his own attacks. Nightmare growled as she vanished from Gojira's sight. She reappeared behind Gojira. Gojira quickly turned and hopped backwards to put distance between himself and Nightmare. Nightmare shot her right arm forward, magic bolts were fired from her hand. Gojira ducked to avoid a couple of the bolts. Nightmare continued firing her magic at Gojira. Gojira side stepped, running to the side to avoid the barrage of bolts. Junior hid behind a destroyed pillar, taking cover from Nightmare's magic, the bolts chipped away the stoned pillar. Twilight couldn't see Gojira, but then she saw him pop back up from behind the debris, a large stone in his hand.
"Eat this!" Gojira threw the stone at Nightmare, causing her to aim at the incoming object. The stone shattered into a thousand pieces. Nightmare shielded her eyes with her arm to avoid getting the debris in her vision. Gojira hid back behind the Pillar, coming back up with a larger stone in his hand. Gojira sprinted toward Nightmare, his eyes filled with fury. Nightmare removed her arm and saw that Gojira was running toward her, she shot her arm forward again, firing another magic bolt. Gojira raised the stone that he was holding in front of him, using it to catch the bolt. The stone shattered, Gojira was left defenseless from her magic. However it was too late for that, he picked up his speed and then tackled Nightmare. 
"GET OFF OF ME WHELP!!" Nightmare screamed in rage as she punched Junior across his face, attempting to get him off.
"Not until you surrender!" Junior shrugged off the punches, his cheeks were bruised as he returned some of his punches.
Nightmare's hand began to glow, she then used her glowing hand to punch Gojira, the force caused him to fly off of her. Gojira skidded across the room, rolling to a stop. Gojira got back onto his feet, his breathing heavy, his eyes filled with rage. Gojira growled as he charged back toward Nightmare. Gojira was risking his life for the Princess, he was risking his life for her to get the Elements. He went out of his way to help save her from falling off another cliff, and when she was about to take Nightmare on, he took her place willingly. Twilight concentrated on bringing the sixth Element, but then she heard Gojira yell in agony. Twilight turned and gasped as she saw that Nightmare had planted her foot on Gojira's chest, she was smiling like a mad woman as Gojira struggled to lift her armor covered foot off his chest. Gojira began to cough up blood, getting it on her foot. Gojira gasped for air, he looked like he was speaking to Nightmare, Twilight couldn't make it out.
"Come on, just one spark!" Twilight said to herself urgently. Twilight used her magic, causing the elements to light up. Nightmare disappeared into mist and appeared in front of Twilight. Twilight was blown away by the backlash of her magic that was transferred into the Elements. The Elements gave off magical sparks, connecting to each other and surrounding Nightmare beneath her.
"No! No!" Nightmare furiously denied her defeat.
The Elements suddenly stopped sparking. Twilight gasped.
"But, where's the sixth Element?!" Twilight exclaimed.
Nightmare laughed maniacally. She raised her foot and stomped where she stood, The force destroyed the Elements of Harmony. Twilight sat, stunned at what transpired.
"You little fool, thinking you could defeat me! You will never see your princess or your sun. The night will last forever!" Nightmare proceeded to laugh maniacally. 
Twilight felt her hopes crushed into dust. The Elements were their last chance at saving Equestria. Without them, they couldn't stop her. Nightmare Moon had won.
Twilight then heard the voices of the other girls calling her.



Pain. That's what Junior felt. His chest had collapsed when Nightmare stomped on him, he had difficulty breathing. He couldn't move, he felt weak. He noticed that Nightmare had destroyed the Elements of Harmony. Junior closed his eyes in despair, they lost. He had lost. Junior was holding up well with his battle with Nightmare. He was close to keeping her down, but he hesitated. He didn't know what happened, but he knew what he saw when he got a closer look at Nightmare's face. He felt sick inside at what he saw, he felt worse about what he was about to do. He felt like an animal for even being close to doing it. Junior heard muffled voices, he was in so much pain that he couldn't hear what was going on. Junior felt his eyes assaulted by a bright light, his eye lids were unable to shield him from the intense rays. Junior rolled onto his belly, attempting to stand. Instead, Junior's arms gave in to the pain and his weight, causing him to flop back on the floor and black out.
It must of not been that long since Junior had passed out. He heard his being name called, Junior stirred as he fought to wake up. He inhaled deeply, forcing his eyes open, he then rolled back over onto his back. Junior's vision was blurred, he couldn't see a thing. He was only able to make out a lavender form, with a sapphire blue top. Junior felt something shaking him, and his name being called repeatedly. The voice sounded distraught, as if someone was afraid that he was dying. Junior's vision came into focus, he saw the ceiling of the room that they were in, that was when he noticed Twilight kneeling next him wearing a golden tiara. Twilight had tears streaming down her face, she smiled as she saw Junior looked her way. Junior rose into a sitting position, Twilight immediately wrapped Junior into a tight hug, as she sobbed into his shoulder. Junior noticed that the others were in the room with them, all looking relieved. Junior felt that Twilight was still crying, he wrapped his arm behind her and patted her back.
Twilight managed to stop crying. Twilight released Junior, as she sniffled and wiped the tears from her cheeks. She gave Junior a warm smile, Junior returned the smiled. Junior placed one of his hands on his knee and the other on the ground, using the whatever strength that he had to stand.
"No! Don't stand, your hurt!" Twilight attempted to keep Junior from pushing himself.
"I'm fine. I...I almost got it." Junior was now kneeling on one knee, taking deep breaths. Applejack rushed to Junior's left side, about to help him stand.
"Here partner, let me give you a hand," said Applejack.
"I said I'm fine!" Shouted Junior, the girls flinched at his tone. Rainbow shot Junior a dirty look, Junior ignored this and managed to stand back on his feet.
"Gojira, she was just trying to help you," said Twilight.
"Thanks, but I don't need it." Junior stretched, grunting as he popped his joints.
Twilight stared at Junior in disbelief, she crossed her arms and looked away, "Jerk." She scoffed.
Junior rolled his eyes, "I've been called worse. I'm getting some air outside." Junior walked off, the girls staring at him from behind.
"I can't believe him." muttered Twilight.

Junior knew that they would think that he came off as harsh when he refused Applejack's help. He could have done it in a different way but she may have insisted. He hated getting help from others, he wanted to be the one that could stand on his own. If he couldn't do that, than he would be weak.  Junior was near the corner down the hall until he heard a familiar voice that echoed in the room. Junior's heart skipped a beat as he recognized the motherly tone. Junior turned and saw a bright orb descending down near the girls.
"Is it really-?" Junior asked himself. Celestia appeared in a flash of light, spreading her great white wings displaying her glory.
The girls bowed in the sun princess's presence. Twilight gasped happily.
"Princess Celestia!" Twilight ran toward Celestia, being wrapped into a tight hug.
"Twilight Sparkle, my faithful student!" Celestia joyfully hugged the short girl. "I knew you could do it."
"You told me it was an old fairy tale." said Twilight, confused by Celestia's last words.
"I told you that you needed to make some friends, nothing more," Celestia explained. "I saw the signs of Nightmare Moon's return, and I knew it was you who had the magic inside to defeat her. But you could not unleash it until you could let true friendship into your heart. Now if only another will as well." Celestia turned toward a small Avatar girl who lied on the floor. She wore a grayish phthalo blue dress, her wings matched the color of her dress and she wore a small light cornflower blue crown upon her head. Her hair was a very light Azure. Around her were pieces of armor that were worn by Nightmare.
"Princess Luna." Celestia made her way toward the small Avatar. The girl gasped as she saw Celestia approaching. "It has been many years since I have seen you like this." Celestia kneeled by Luna, who looked away from her.
"It's time for us to put our differences behind us. We were meant to rule together my sister."
"Sister?" Twilight and Rainbow asked in Unison.
"Her sister? Oh my god." Junior started to hyperventilate. He closed his eyes, trying to calm his breathing. He couldn't think about this right now.
"Will you accept my friendship?" Asked Celestia. Everyone in the room was extremely quiet, waiting for Luna's response.
Luna stood and wrapped her sister into a tight hug as tears ran down her cheeks. "I'm sorry! I missed you so much big sister!"
Celestia returned her sister's hug, tears beginning to run down her cheeks as well. "I missed you too."
Junior sighed, feeling happy for Celestia. Yet he felt empty inside. Junior turned back around and was making his way back to the hall. Junior was about to round the corner again until he heard Celestia's voice.
"Junior?" Junior stopped in his tracks.
"Junior, where are you going?" Asked Celestia. Luna, Twilight and the others looked to Celestia in confusion, then looked back at Junior who was still frozen in his tracks.
"Wait, wait. Did she call you 'Junior'?" Asked Rainbow, confused.
"I...I thought you'd want some time alone with your sister. Your family." Junior started walking again, but he felt a light force holding him on his right shoulder. Junior looked at his shoulder and saw that it was covered in a golden aura.
"But not all of my family is here with me." Celestia smiled. Junior was at a lost for words. It touched him to hear her say those words.
Junior turned back around and walked toward the sun princess, Celestia opened her arms and embraced Junior. Junior felt her warmth take hold of him, taking in the affection that he haven't had since he lost his mother.
Pinkie began to sob, tears flowing uncontrollably out of her eyes. Pinkie suddenly stopped, "Hey, you know what this calls for?".



Junior found himself back in Ponyville. The citizens were celebrating the return of Celestia and her younger sister Luna. People were happy to see the return of their princess, things had went back to normal. Junior then remembered something, he still had something to tell Celestia. Junior had heard the sudden cheers of people in town, something he must of missed. No matter, that wasn't important. He would have to wait a little longer before he would tell her. Junior sat down at a bench, looking down at the ground, waiting for the crowd to clear up. Junior noticed a figure approaching his peripheral vision, he turned his and saw Luna standing next to him, a sad expression on her face.
"We are sorry for harming you Gojira, we were wrong for our actions." Luna looked away.
'Why is she-? Oh, she must be using the royal we' Junior stood and looked toward the Avatar. "We all make mistakes," said Junior. 'However, some have made mistakes that had completely wronged me. I can never forgive them.'
Junior noticed that Celestia was having a conversation with Twilight, the rest of the crowd had dispersed.
"Excuse me, there's something I have to talk to Celestia about." Junior walked off, making his way toward Celestia.
As Junior was getting closer, Celestia noticed Junior. Junior waited patiently for Twilight to finish, she noticed Junior standing there waiting.
"Oh, did you want to speak with the princess?" Asked Twilight.
"Yeah, I won't be long." Junior approached Celestia, motioning her to follow him. Celestia followed Junior a few feet away from Twilight. "Celestia, you have been there for me ever since I was a little kid. I am grateful of that, I'm grateful that my dad had met someone like you."
Celestia smiled at Junior's words, but wondered what he was getting at.
"Celestia, I want to move out of Canterlot." Celestia's eyes widened in surprise.
"Deary, are you sure?" Asked Celestia. Junior nodded in response.
"The city isn't a place for me. I want to find something for myself, I think I can do it here in this town." said Junior.
"Oh...well, you are old enough to make your own decisions. I guess I just forgotten that even you had to grow up sometime." Celestia's voice began to break, tears were welling up in her eyes.
Junior frowned as he hugged Celestia. "I'll always remember what you did for me. I want you to know that you have been the closest thing that I had to a mother, and that I love you."
"I love you too, son." Celestia hugged Junior tightly, wishing that he was still the little boy that she knew.




Canterlot. A few hours later...

Junior began packing his things from his now former room. His clothes, toothbrush, books, and his personal journal. Junior walked out of the room, holding his bags. As Junior walked out of the door, he noticed Blaire walking down the hall.
"Hey Goji." Greeted Blaire.
"Hi, what's up?"
"I'm here to escort you to Ponyville." Informed Blaire, a sad smile on her face.
"Oh." Junior noticed this, feeling upset to see her face like this.
"So your leaving me kid? Your big sis?" Asked Blaire.
"I'm sorry. I just think I might find my calling there, whatever it is. I really hate to leave you and Celestia behind." Junior looked down.
"Well, we better get going," said Blaire.
"Yeah, lets go," replied Junior. Junior followed Blaire down the hall, looking around the rooms. His mind went back to the day he first came to Canterlot. Junior never smiled, his eyes were devoid of all emotion. All he did was breathe and live, unfeeling. He felt that he would never be happy again, no hope in his life. Junior looked to Blaire, her sight facing forward.
"Blaire, do you remember the day we met?" asked Junior. Blaire turned her head to Junior.
"How could I have forgotten? You were cutest little guy that I had ever saw!" cooed Blaire. Junior's face turned red in embarrassment.
"S-shut up!" stuttered Junior. Blaire giggled at Junior's blushing.
"Aw don't be like that! Anyway, why do you ask?"
Junior sighed looking forward, "Well, I wanna know something."
"Hm?"
"Why did you do it? Why did you approach me that day? I mean, I'm not ungrateful that you did, but why did you do it?" Asked Junior.
"Why? Why not? Goji, I saw you hanging around the castle a dozen times. Out of all of those times, not once did I see a smile on your face. When I think of children, I picture them with big bright and contagious smiles on their faces! Filled with life and joy, not a care in the world! But when I saw you, I didn't see that." Blaire looked down, recalling the past.
"What I saw was a lonely little boy, a boy who looked like he just lost something so dear to him. You looked dead inside, and it scared me to see someone as young as you were like that. When I asked the Princess about you, she told me about how you lost your Mother and Father and that you didn't have any living relatives there for you. I felt so terrible hearing that, I could even tell that the Princess hated telling me, like she wished that wasn't the truth." Blaire and Junior continued on, nearing the exit of the castle.
"When I was growing up, I pretty much had all that I needed. A nice home, some friends, and even my parents. I realized that I had taken all of that for granted when I found out about you. There I was, daughter of a noble family and training to be a royal guard. I had my life handed to me on a silver plate. Then I saw you, someone who had lost everything that he had. It broke my heart seeing you like that." Blaire felt her eyes water, she quickly turned her head as she wiped the tears from her eyes.
"I...I then thought you needed somebody to talk to, I decided to be that somebody," said Blaire.
Junior walked as he looked down, recalling the moment he met her. That was when Junior remembered something else.
"But you would've been a better guard than you are now. You could have been one of the Elite if it wasn't for me in your way!" Blaire stopped walking when she heard Junior spoke those words. She immediately glared at him, causing him to recoil from her.
"Do you think I care about that? Do you really think that I should have just left you alone even when I saw that you were clearly suffering?!" Blaire stomped toward Junior, her tone was sharp. She grabbed him by his sweater, bringing him slightly down to her height.
"I did it because I wanted to! So what if I didn't focus on getting better? Who cares about that? Seeing your face brighten up during your childhood was the thing that mattered the most to me. You became the little brother that I never had Goji, don't you see that? Why do you feel that you don't deserve to be treated with kindness?" Tears ran down Blaire's face. She wrapped Junior into a tight hug as she sobbed. Junior felt terrible, why did he ask such a stupid question like that? It should have been obvious why she did it. Maybe it was because he felt like he didn't deserve kindness, refusing help was one thing, but this was another. Junior wrapped his arms around Blaire, trying to comfort her.
"I'm sorry Blaire, I just..." Junior couldn't finish his sentence. He didn't know what to say to make up for this.
"Goji..." Blaire sniffled, "I know something else is bothering you. Something that you aren't telling me or the Princess. Please, just tell me what is it?"
"I..." Junior couldn't tell her. He just couldn't risk it, it wasn't worth it. But, maybe he could, but not now. "...I'm not ready to talk about it. But when I am, I'll tell you."
"Promise?" asked Blaire.
"I promise," said Junior. Blaire smiled as she began to hug Junior even harder.




Ponyville, 8:30 P.M.

Junior and Blaire had made their way into an empty house that had four rooms, a living room, a bedroom, a bathroom and a kitchen. The house was near the fields, where a large bell tower stood and a few houses along with a cottage. Near these homes was the edge of the Everfree forest. Junior set his bags down, looking at his new home.
"Yep, this will do it," said Junior.
"Nice and roomy Goji." Smiled Blaire.
"Well, I guess this is it." Junior smiled weakly.
Blaire walked up to Junior and wrapped him in a hug. She was shaking as she hid her face from Junior. Junior felt like breaking down, but he couldn't bring himself to do it.
"Don't talk like that you big dummy. It's not like you're going away forever," Said Blaire, struggling to keep her voice from breaking.
"No, its not." Junior chuckled, as he returned Blaire's hug. 
"Come back and visit us sometime, OK?" Blaire pulled away, her eyes watery.
"I will." said Junior.

Blaire had left Junior alone in his new home. Junior began to unpack his things, placing his clothes in their proper places in his drawer. Junior sat at the kitchen table, writing in his journal.

Journal Entry #59.

The legend of Nightmare had turned out to be true. She escaped her imprisonment in the moon at this year's Sun Summer Celebration. Celestia had went missing, Nightmare threatened to leave Equestria in eternal night. I didn't like that, not one bit. So I decided to pursue the dark Avatar, willing to crush her to get Celestia back. I found myself in a dark forest known as the Everfree, feared by the locals, but interesting to me. This forest may seem unnatural to the humans of Ponyville, but I felt more of a connection to it. I felt at peace, a feeling that I have long since forgotten. I don't know if it was the way it functioned without the aid of magic, or the fearsome beasts that inhabited it. But it was as if I was welcomed there, something that I may not be if people were to learn about me. I ran into six girls who were searching for the Elements of Harmony, artifacts that were used a thousand years ago to defeat Nightmare Moon. The names of these girls don't matter, I may not be running into them again. Anyway, I tagged along to find the Elements to stop Nightmare. We eventually made it to the old castle of Celestia, finding the Elements. One of the girls who knew about the Elements was about to take on Nightmare Moon on her own when she appeared again. I stepped in, she didn't stand a chance against her, plus I wanted to get back at Nightmare for striking me with a magic lightning bolt, nearly compromising my secret. It also hurt like hell, but it could have been worse. I fought Nightmare, delivering blows to her while she returned some. I didn't back down, dad always said that to back down from a battle meant to die at the hands of your enemy. However, as I was delivering stronger blows, I saw something. Something in her face, her eyes, that scared me. It was a blur, but I saw her face turning from a wicked looking woman, to a young woman in despair. I realized that my fist was going to deliver a blow to her skull, the image caused me to hesitate. She took advantage of that, striking me in the stomach. She was attempting to finish me, but I kept struggling. I refused to die there, not when everything was going to be like this. Nightmare was defeated by the Elements of Harmony, they are now worn by the six girls, as necklaces with gems shaped as their cutie marks. Celestia had returned, she knew about Nightmare's return. Nightmare was Celestia's younger sister. I felt worst hearing that, I was fighting her sister. I was even close to killing her! I think it's getting worse, my strength may have increased with my senses, but I've become more aggressive when in stressful situations like this. I fortunately haven't transformed but this is just as bad. It's hard for me to not react strongly when threatened. My god, what have I become?
Now, I am living in the town of Ponyville. I have been hearing a feminine voice. She knows that I speak Neighponese, she even knew my last name. I don't know what's going on. I just have to wait and see.
	
> Chapter 3: Outcast
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 3

It has been a of couple of weeks since junior had moved into Ponyville. He spent most of his time settling in his new home. Purchasing furniture, dishes and other house hold items with the bits that Celestia provided him with. Junior hated having to receive money from Celestia. But since it was gonna take a awhile to finish settling in before he could find work, he decided to suck it up. Junior sat in the kitchen of his home, a plate filled with scrambled eggs and salmon. Junior loved meat, especially sea food. It was a pain to eat meat back in Canterlot since the majority of humans ate fruits and vegetables. Apparently the People of Equestria had a more vegetarian life style, he had to find his own meat. Junior sat as he ate his lunch, tasting the rich flavors. Junior heard a loud thump at his door, he flinched at the sudden sound. Junior sighed as he wiped his mouth and left his seat. Junior made his way to the door and opened and saw a blonde Valkyrie with grey wings, wearing a brown shorts and a white button up shirt. She had a brown satchel hanging from her shoulder. She stood rubbing her head, opening her eyes. Her eyes were golden, that seemed to be crossed. The Valkyrie chuckled nervously as she saw Junior standing in the doorway.
"Oh, hey Derpy." Greeted Junior.
"Oh, h-hi! I uh, I just dropped by to deliver a letter to you." Derpy reached into her satchel and fished for the letter. Derpy pulled her hand out and handed Junior a white envelope. Junior took the envelope from Derpy looking to see who it was from.
"Tha-" Junior noticed that Derpy had disappeared from his patio. Junior sighed and went back into his house, sitting back at the table to finish his lunch. He noticed that the letter was sent from Canterlot, the stylized sun of Celestia's cutie mark was marked on it.
Junior opened the seal and began to read the letter. Junior ate as he read, reading through the content. What he read next nearly had him choke on his food, he re-read that last sentence.
"Oh no, she didn't," said Junior with dread. Junior kept reading on, his dread increasing each sentence. "Oh, god no."
Junior read on, his heart racing when he reached the last sentence.
"No..." Junior looked down to the foot of the letter. What he found was a golden ticket tapped to the paper.
"No!!" Junior's head slumped down to his chest, he grumbled in frustration. Junior lifted his head back up, sighing.
'Jeez, I really don't want to go to the Gala.' Junior placed the letter down and continued to eat.
After Junior finished his lunch, he placed his dishes in the sink to wash them. After he finished, he made his way out of the door. The sun was shining brightly in the sky, the summer heat assaulted Junior's skin, causing him to grunt in irritation from the sudden change in temperature. Junior locked his door, making his way down the road into town. Junior searched the town for help wanted signs, he felt today was as good as any to find work. Junior found a building with a help wanted sign, Junior looked up to find the name of the establishment. 
"Quills and sofas," Junior read aloud. "Well, its nothing special but its something to consider."
Junior walked into the establishment, what he saw wasn't that much of a surprise. The store had nothing to sell but quills and sofas. Junior searched the room for the clerk, he noticed a man in uniform, speaking to a small dragon in a purple sweater. 
'That must be him' Junior thought to himself. He made his way toward the man, passing a couple of other people in the shop along the way. Junior heard them whispering to each other when they saw him come in. The man noticed Junior making his way toward him and turned his attention to him.
"How may I help you?" Asked the clerk.
"I couldn't help but notice that you had a 'help wanted' sign outside. I wanted to see if I could get hired for some work." Replied Junior. After saying that, Junior swore he noticed a slight displeased look on the Clerk's face but quickly changed that.
"Oh, sorry I just hired someone that came in a few minutes ago." The clerk puts on a sad smile.
'Liar, I can tell just by looking into your eyes.' Junior thought to himself, "Oh? Well that's unfortunate. I'll just have to keep looking, thank you." Junior turned away from the clerk, making his way outside.
Junior spent the next hour searching the town for work. They either truthfully weren't hiring or came up with an excuse to not hire him. One of them was honest with him, telling him that he wasn't gonna hire a troublemaker that picks fights. To be fair, that guy hit Junior first the that day, it was self defense. But people thought that the scary looking new guy in town likes to fight. That already built a negative reputation for Junior and he hasn't even been here for a month. Junior was frustrated, he stood outside of Town Hall, holding up a list of places that he had left that he could visit to get a job. Junior was too busy looking for the closest establishment that he failed to notice someone approaching him.
"Hey, aren't you guy that got shot by Nightmare Moon's magic?" asked a young male voice. Junior flinched at hearing that, turning too see who spoke. He couldn't find anyone.
"I'm down here dude," said the young voice. Junior looked down and saw the same dragon that was talking to the clerk, holding quills and scrolls in his arms.
"Oh, sorry." Junior chuckled, "And to answer your question, yes that was me." Junior really wanted to avoid discussing that incident.
"Oh wow! I kept hearing about that from people and I heard from Twilight that you helped defeated Nightmare Moon!" The young dragon said excitedly.
"Oh, w-well I didn't really do that much." Junior scratched the back of his head. 'Wait, he knows Twilight?'
"Twilight said that you took Nightmare on in an epic fight! How can you say that you didn't do much?" asked the dragon.
"Oh...yeah, I don't like to brag," said Junior. the dragon chuckled in response.
"How did you survive that attack from Nightmare anyway?" asked the dragon.
'What was that excuse? What was it? Oh that's right!' Junior remembered his lie that he told Applejack. "I was wearing a chest guard under my sweater. I was practicing martial arts earlier that day."
"Wow! You used martial arts on Nightmare?! That is awesome!" the dragon's excitement caused Junior to crack a small smile, his mood lighting up a bit.
"Thanks kid, what is your name?" asked Junior.
"My name is Spike." The dragon extended his hand, but as he did this, he dropped the quills and scrolls that he was holding. Spike groaned as he kneels to gather them back in his grasp.
"Here, let me help you with those." Junior knelt down, gathering some of the scrolls.
"Thanks a lot!" said Spike.
"No problem, say why don't I help you take these to wherever your going?"
"I appreciate that! Along the way, can you tell me a little more about yourself? Like where you learned martial arts?" asked Spike.
Junior contemplated this, nobody has asked him to talk about himself before. However, there were some things that he didn't feel comfortable sharing. But since this little dragon showed genuine interest, he thought he could tell him a few things about himself. Anything to help him forget about his predicament.
"Sure, I can do that."
"Awesome! What was your name again?" asked Spike.
"Gojira."



Junior and Spike were making their way through town. Both holding scrolls and quills. Spike was listening to Junior as he spoke.
"So you learned what you know from your dad?" asked Spike in awe.
"Yeah, he would always tell me that I had to learn to fight my own battles. I trained with him for weeks, learning his techniques, his strategies, and the most important key that he had at winning a fight." Explained Junior
"What was that?" Spike's eyes wide, giving his full attention to Junior.
"Use both intelligence and strength to defeat your opponent, be smart about your attacks and then overwhelm them with force," said Junior.
"Wow! I gotta remember that!," said Spike excitedly. Junior looked to Spike in concern.
"Spike, I hope you don't take what I'm saying as knowledge to try to pick fights." Junior didn't think Spike would be that kind of kid, but you couldn't be too careful.
"I use what I learned from my dad to defend myself. I fight only when someone attacks me first." Explained Junior.
"What about the other day? I heard you picked a fight with someone?"
"I didn't, he hit me first. I bumped into him in town, I apologized and tried to go about my business, but he got in my face trying to provoking me. He then threw a punch that I didn't even see coming. People just assumed that it was me that started it." Junior said in serious tone. "Later, his friends tried to gain up on me in fight. I think that's what made it worst."
"Oh, sorry." Spike looked away, ashamed to have believed something without actually being there to see it.
Junior sighed. "Look, don't worry about it. Besides, I'm use to this kind of stuff."
"What do yo- Oh hey, we're here!" Spike stopped looking toward a familiar tree.
"The library?" asked Junior. Spike made his way to the door.
"Yeah! I live here with Twilight. Come on in" Spike opened the door with his free claw, walking inside. Junior hesitated, he hadn't interacted with Twilight or the others since before he moved into Ponyville. 
Junior hoped that she wouldn't  mind too much him dropping by, due to him rudely denying help that night.
Junior followed Spike into the library. Junior observed his surroundings. Shelves were carved in the walls of the tree, filled with tons of books. In the center of the room was a head of an equine carved from wood. The library was a lot roomier compared to how it was when Pinkie threw a party. It was nice and quiet, just like how a library should be. He still wouldn't dare coming in here during a storm. Spike walked over to a podium where Twilight stood reading.
"Hey Twilight, I'm back. I also brought someone over along the way." announced Spike, placing the scrolls near the carved equine head.
"Oh, welcome back Spike!" Twilight turned away from her book, "Who did you...?"
"Hey." Greeted Junior, placing the scrolls and quills that he had with Spike's pile.
"Oh, hi Gojira! I haven't seen you around," said Twilight, a warm smile on her face.
"I've been busy settling in. Also, I don't socialize much."
"Oh. Well, what have you been up to today?" asked Twilight, closing her book and making her way to Spike and Junior.
"I've been looking for a job. No luck so far," Junior sighed, his frustration returning.
"I'm sorry to hear that." Twilight looked away, and then looked back to Junior. "um...if you want, I can help you."
"No. That isn't necessary." replied Junior.
"Gojira..."
"I said 'no' Twilight." Junior interrupted.
"Come on, you sound like you could really use it! I just want to help." said Twilight.
"I..." Junior was about to respond but considered his options. 
He could either wander around aimlessly and likely get shot down every time he walks into an establishment to work, he could continue to mooch off of Celestia's money and never do anything for himself, or he could let Twilight help him. He didn't like the idea of leeching off of Celestia so that was definitely out. The first one did seem better than asking for help but he might not even get anywhere with his reputation. Junior really didn't want to bother Twilight, but he had no other choice. Junior sighed, his shoulders slumped.
"I...guess its fine. I mean, if you aren't too busy that is." Junior looked away, placing his hands in his pockets.
"Great! We better get started." Twilight passed by Junior, walking to the door. Junior sighed, trailing behind. Spike rose his brow in confusion about Junior's reluctance. He decided to tag along, he was curious to find out a bit more about Junior anyway.

The trio made their way through town. Twilight was looking through Junior's list, she was surprised at how much he went through.
"They all turned you down?" Twilight asked in disbelief.
"Yep." Junior scowled. Twilight turned to Junior as they continued walking.
"Did they tell you why? Were you rude to them or something?"
"No. They all either told me that they already hired someone, or that they forgot to take the sign down. I knew at least most of them were lying.  One person at least told me directly why he didn't want to hire me." said Junior.
"What reason did he have?" asked Twilight.
"He assumed that I like to start fights due to how I got into a fight with someone a few days ago," replied Junior. Twilight looked to Junior, she remembered hearing about that.
"Gojira...are you...having trouble fitting in?" asked Twilight.
Junior didn't respond. He just kept walking, he wanted to avoid this topic. 
"It's OK. You can tell me." Twilight looked up to Junior, seeing his eyes devoid of emotion.
"I'm not hurting anyone am I?" asked Junior.
"No, but-"
"Then what does it matter?" Junior kept looking forward, avoiding eye contact with Twilight.
"Gojira, don't you want people to like you? Not be afraid of you?" asked Twilight her voice filled with concern.
"Being liked is grossly overrated. As long as people don't bother me, then I'm fine." replied Gojira. Twilight looked to him in disbelief after hearing his words. What drives someone to be like this? To not care about how they stand in society among others. Twilight felt her heart sink, she pitied Junior. He may not have shown it, but she felt that he was hurting inside.
"Gojira..." Spike spoke up, his tone soft. "For whatever its worth...I like you."
"Nani?" asked Junior, he stopped walking and turned to face Spike. Twilight looked to Junior in confusion.
"Uh...huh?" asked Spike.
"Oh...I'm sorry." Junior cleared his throat.  "What did you say?"
"I said that I liked you. You're a cool guy! You know martial arts, and you choose to use it only when you're in trouble. You went out of your way to help me get those supplies back to the library. And you stuck with Twilight to fight Nightmare Moon and helped save Equestria! You can't be all that bad as people say you are." Spike smiled.
Junior looked to spike. He let those words sink in. He was just praised him for restraining himself from using what he had learned from his father and to only use it when it was necessary. He was even grateful for his assistance.
"I bet your dad is proud!" said Spike. Junior went stiff after hearing that last sentence.
"Yeah....he is. Thanks Spike," Junior smiled to the little drake.
Twilight looked to Junior in concern as she saw his face after he turned back around. He looked bothered by something. Twilight felt it was best to not pry into it. The trio continued down into town. They spent the next hour attempting to find somewhere Junior to be hired. He was turned down every time. They found themselves sitting in the middle of town, glum expressions on their faces. Twilight sighed as she looked at the list. Nothing was left. Junior stood and began to walk away.
"Gojira, where are you going?" asked Twilight.
"Home." replied Junior.
"Dude we can't give up yet!" exclaimed Spike.
"Wait, I know where we can go!" Twilight stood. Junior turned, raising a brow. Twilight ran to Junior, grabbing his arm.
"Come on, We're going to go see Applejack!" Twilight tugged at Junior's arm, forcing him to walk with her.
"Applejack? But-"
"No buts mister!" Twilight was now walking faster, pulling Junior in tow. Spike stood and jogged over to them.

The trio had made their way into an orchard. The orchard was filled with many tall trees that bore luscious red and green apples that hung from the branches. They made their way down the path and arrived at a large red barn and a grey wooden house. Leaving the house was Applejack, carrying empty baskets. Twilight called out to her, causing Applejack to turn her attention down the path where Junior, Spike and Twilight were coming from.
"Howdy Twilight!" Applejack greeted, placing the baskets down. "What brings ya'll here?"
"Well, Goj-" Twilight was cut off when Junior placed his hand on her shoulder. She looked up to him in confusion.
"Applejack, I wanted to know if you would be willing to allow me to work for you on your farm." Gojira approached her.
"Uh..." Applejack was about to respond, then Junior stopped a few feet away from her. Junior bowed before her.
"I searched everywhere in town for a job. I was turned down at every establishment that was hiring." Junior continued on. Applejack looked to Twilight and Spike in confusion, who shrugged in response.
"I respectfully ask that you allow me to work for you. You don't even have to pay me until you feel like it." said Junior, rising back up to face Applejack.
"Please?" Junior said with a soft expression.
Applejack looked deep into Junior's yellow eyes. He sounded and looked sincere about asking for her help. She wanted to have a little fun with this. Applejack chuckled as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"So, Mr. tough guy here needs this farm girl's help? He didn't seem to need it nor wanted it after Nightmare Moon put him in a hurt." Said Applejack. Junior looked away from Applejack, fearing that she might not help him after all.
"If I recall, you said, 'I don't need it'. So tell me partner, are you willing to work hard? Are you willing to accept help in this workplace when it is offered?" Applejack eyed Junior, now close to Junior's face. Junior struggled to answer, he didn't think he would be forced to accept help when working here. He thought he would just do chores on his own. He really needed a job if he wanted to support himself. Junior swallowed his pride and answered.
"Yes ma'm," said Junior.
Applejack smiled in response. "Then consider yourself hired partner! Welcome to Sweet Apple Acres." She lightly tapped Junior in his shoulder.
"Thank you, I'll do my best," said Junior.
"Let's get started!" Applejack picked up one of the baskets and handed it to Junior, taking off to the orchard.
Junior turned to Twilight and Spike who had grins on their faces. Junior approached Twilight and Spike, a small smile on his face.
"Thank you, I appreciate your help."
"No problem Gojira. You better get going, AJ is waiting." Twilight smiled.
"Right, later you two." Junior walked away, making his to Applejack.
"Bye!" Twilight and Spike called in unison.

Junior was watching Applejack make her way to one of the trees in the Orchard. She stretched arms and legs, grunting as her joints popped. Junior blushed as he saw her stretching her legs, and how her shorts exposed her luscious thighs. Junior looked away, fearing that the farm girl would catch him staring and fire him before he even started working. Applejack then took a stance, a determined look on her face. She then shot her leg forward at the tree. The tree shook from the force, causing the apples to fall into the baskets.
"All I need you to do is to kick these trees and to gather the apples into the baskets. Think you can handle that partner?" asked Applejack.
"Yes I can." Junior responded.
"Let's see it then." Applejack pointed to the tree behind Junior. Junior turned and observed the tree.
Junior placed a couple of baskets around the tree. He then positioned himself near the tree to prepare his kick.
'OK, I just need enough force to cause the apples to fall. Don't kick too hard.' Junior then kicked the tree, causing all of the apples to fall.
"You seem to have it down. I'll leave you to this part of the Orchard, call me if you need anything."
"Got it." Gojira proceeded to move on to other trees in the Orchard. He spent the next few hours kicking the trees, causing the apples to drop from them.
Junior spent a couple of hours kicking the trees. He gathered the baskets that were filled with apples and took them to the barn. Junior placed the apples down and made his back into the orchard. As he walking back, he heard a familiar voice.
"Takishi-kun." The voice called. Junior looked at his surroundings, trying to find the source.
"Where are you? Show yourself!" Junior called out.
"In time, but now you must know something." Replied the voice.
"In time? Don't give me that! Why do keep speaking to me? What do you want from me?!" Demanded Junior.
"I'm not your enemy. I am warning you of an incoming threat. There are others like you hiding here in Equestria. Some of us only wish to survive in this world, others seek nothing but to destroy." Explained the voice.
"Others? What do you mean? How do you know about me? Please, if you're going to keep invading my life, tell me your name!" Junior called, wanting to make sense of this entire thing.
"My name, is Yasu Mosura. And I am like you, a Transmutation." The voice replied, in a calm and soft voice.
Junior's heart skipped. His eyes widened in shock. He knew that mutations were appearing around the world, but he always thought that he was the only one in Equestria. He was wrong, boy was he wrong. Now, there were some that sought to destroy. Junior's breathing quickened, trying to process what this would mean for him.
"W-what?" asked Junior.
"We will meet in person soon Takeshi-kun, may peace be with you." The voice faded.
Junior stood still. He wondered what his future would be. Whatever it was, it was even bleaker then before. Junior heard Applejack running through the orchard. She called his name, causing him to turn to face her.
"You alright partner? I heard you shouting in some speak that I couldn't understand." panted Applejack.
"Oh. Y-yeah, I'm fine. Sorry, I stubbed my toe on a rock, I was cursing in Neighponese." Lied Junior.
Applejack looked to Junior suspiciously. "If you say so..."
Junior sighed, "I'll just get back to work. Sorry about that." Junior proceeded to gather the rest of the baskets and walked back to the barn. Applejack watched Junior in worry, she followed him, carrying some baskets of her own.

"Thanks partner, come back on Tuesday at 8." said Applejack, handing Junior a bag a bits.
Junior stared at the bag. He held the bag back out to Applejack.
"I-I can't accept this, I just started." said Junior.
"Just take it, you earned it." Applejack waved her hand dismissively.
"you sure?"
"I'm positive." Applejack smiled.
Junior looked back at the bag and back to Applejack. He place it in his pocket.
"Thank you." said Junior.
"No problem. One more thing Sugarcube." said Applejack.
"Yes?" asked Junior, ignoring the 'Sugarcube'.
"If you're having problems, you should talk to somebody about it. There's no shame in asking for help, I learned that the hard way." Applejack chuckled, remembering her stubbornness during Applebuck season.
Junior looked up to the setting sun, seeing the beauty of the horizon. "I'll keep that in mind. See ya."
Junior walked off to the path, heading back home. Applejack watched Junior, seeing him slowly make his down the path. She sighed, heading back inside her home. Junior continued down the path, thinking back to his childhood.


Location: Classified. 12 years ago...

Junior was all by himself, strapped to a bed in a cold room that was lit by a bright light that shone above him. Junior was frightened, he didn't know where he was. Where was his dad? He wanted to go home and forget about this. Junior heard a door open, along with foot steps that were making his way toward him. Junior saw a man who's face was obscured by his shadow caused by the lighting.
"Why am I here? Where's my dad!" Shouted Junior.
"Your father is fine. His operation is finished, he's resting now." The man replied.
"Operation? What do you want with us?!" Junior demanded.
The man paced around the boy. "You are here in the name of science. You and your father have descended from a bloodline of non magical Earth bounds, this leaves you disadvantage in common work for Earth bounds such as taking care of crops. You have to work harder to become strong, you are weak."
Junior felt offended by the man's words. However, he was too curious to interrupt him.
"We are here to fix that. We will introduce a mutagen to your DNA that will allow you to grow stronger, faster, and allow you to resist all diseases." The man stopped pacing and looked toward the boy.
"We may even be able to make you into gods," the man pointed toward a screen that displayed a sketch of a skeleton of a fearsome wingless dragon. "With the help of his blood." 
Junior was breathing heavily. These people were going to experiment on him! What if he doesn't survive? What if he died painfully? Well, if that was the case, he would hopefully see his dear mother again. Junior began to cry, he was afraid. He wished his dad was with him.
"Don't be afraid, it will all be over soon." The man placed a mask over Junior's face, who struggled to get it off. Junior's adrenaline decreased after inhaling the gas, his eyes were heavy. Junior stopped struggling, and drifted off to sleep.

Junior later woke up. He found himself sealed in a small room, filled with only a bed and a toilet. Junior rose out of bed, he felt sore all over his body. He looked at his arms, he gasped. His arms were covered in stitched scars that ran all the way up to the back of his hands. Junior looked at his chest, he quickly took off the white shirt that he was wearing. What he saw made him sick, he had more stitched scars on his chest. Junior yelled in fear, he ran toward the end of the room. He slammed his fist on the door repeatedly.
"Let me out!! I want to go home!" Junior dropped to his knees, he leaned his head against the door. He wept, scared that these people had cut him. He wanted his father with him, he didn't know what to do. Junior went back to his bed and buried his head into his pillow, crying. He prayed to whoever was listening to save him from this nightmare.


Ponyville, Equestria. Present day...

Junior sat alone on his bed as he looked at his arms. the scars were gone, almost as if they were never there. But he still remembered the horror that he felt when he had them. Those bastards, they cut him! He was just a little boy and they took him and his father away and used them for their little experiment. They are responsible for what happened. It was them who damned him to a fate worst than death! Because of them, he was a freak. Junior removed his clothes, dressing into his pajamas and lied down on his bed. He reached for his lamp, switching off the power. He recalled what Twilight said to him earlier, '...don't you want people to like you? Not be afraid of you?' 
"What does it matter? They would be afraid of me anyway." After that last thought,  Junior drifted off to sleep.
> Chapter 4: Transmutants and a New Friend
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a dark night, Junior found himself running through a wasteland filled with nothing but stone. His heart beating at a rapid pace, his pulse racing as he searched his surroundings. Junior heard a deep, loud, and low moan in the air. The moan sounded terrifying, it sent chills down his spine. Junior searched frantically for the source of the sound, he then noticed dark clouds surrounding the night sky, covering the stars and moon. Lightning flashed across the cloudy sky, thunder booming after the strikes. From the clouds, a bright, blue light shone from the clouds. Junior squinted toward the light, trying to find its source. Suddenly, a massive tornado, that appeared to be made of something that almost resembled blue flames, crashed down into the Earth miles from Junior's position. He shielded his eyes from the sudden intense light in the darkness. He lowered his arm down, after his eyes adjusted to the light. The flaming tornado dispersed, leaving smoke behind to shroud the center. Junior continued to observe the smoke, he didn't dare take his eyes off of it. Suddenly, a loud growl caused the Earth beneath Junior's feet to rumble. From the smoke, He saw what looked like dark, sharp stones moving through the air. Junior's heart nearly stopped as he saw what appeared to be a giant , reptilian head moving through the smoke. Junior desperately wanted to run away from what was hidden in the smoke. However, his legs wouldn't obey him.
The giant creature turned its head toward Junior, growling as it's powerful legs carried it toward him. Each step the beast took caused the Earth beneath it to shake. The smoke followed the creature, keeping the rest of its body hidden from Junior's sight. His heart began to beat faster as the creature got closer. The creature suddenly stopped walking, the air was quiet, Junior could only hear the pounding of his heart. Suddenly, a glow came from behind the colossal creature, a whirring sound could be heard. The creature's arms moved through the smoke, both arms were pulled back to its sides as it puffed its chest out. The creature opened its mouth, a light blue glow can be seen in the back of its throat, illuminating the rest of its head.
"Oh my God..." Junior's eyes widened in horror as he got a clearer look at the creature's face.
Out from the monster's mouth, came a stream of a bright, light blue flame. The flames shot down toward the ground where Junior stood. The flames consumed Junior, causing him to yell in agony as he felt the intense heat pierce his body. His flesh burned, his bones churned, all of his strength left him. Junior collapsed onto the ground, as nothing but a charred corpse. However, Junior continued to move. His breaths were raspy, his body was in excruciating pain. Junior managed to look above him, he saw the creature standing over him. The creature lifted its massive foot, then brought it down on Junior's charred form.

Junior shot up from his bed, breathing heavily. He was sweating from head to toe, his heart pounded against his chest. Junior quickly looked at his arms, then used his hands to feel his chest and face. He was OK, it was all just a nightmare. Junior's head slumped down, trying to calm himself down. Junior climbed out of his bed and made his into his bathroom. Junior placed a bath towel on a rack, he turned the knob to the shower, putting it on warm. Junior stripped out of his pajamas and stepped into the warm running water, he took deep breaths, and long exhales. He continued this process several times as he scrubbed his body with soap. After Junior finished washing his body and hair, he shuts off the water and takes his towel and began to dry himself off. Junior wrapped the towel around his waist, then walked over to the sink and began to brush his teeth. Junior noticed something strange about the fogged mirror, his barely visible reflection seemed off. Junior placed his hand over the mirror, wiping away the fog. What Junior saw caused him drop his toothbrush in the sink and to back away from the mirror. He saw the face of a familiar reptilian beast covered in charcoal grey scales, it had small yellow eyes, a box shaped snout and sharp teeth that were exposed by its overbite. The creature bared it teeth, it looked angry, like it was going to burst out from behind the mirror and devour Junior. Junior quickly dove for the sink, splashing water onto his face. Junior cleared the water from his eyes and looked  back at his reflection.  The creature was gone, only Junior's own reflection was there.
"I must be losing my mind." Junior placed his hand over his face.

Junior got dress, wearing a tan shirt and grey jeans, he then made his way outside of his house. Junior stood, glad to see the day. Junior sat down at the patio of his house, slumping his head down. He couldn't get that dream out of his head. It didn't help that he was just hallucinating that same damn thing from his dream. The creature looked too familiar to him. It was just a terrible reminder. Junior heard foot steps approaching him.
"Um...excuse me?" said a timid, feminine voice.
Junior slowly lifted his head up. It was Fluttershy, she was in a butter yellow t-shirt, wearing teal skinny jeans.  she had a worried look on her face.
"Oh, hi Fluttershy." greeted Junior.
"H-hi. A-are you alright? you don't look very well."
"I'm fine. I just had a rough night." Sighed Junior.
"What happened? I mean, if you don't mind me asking." Fluttershy hid her face behind her long hair.
"Had a nightmare. It's still bugging me."
'What was it about?" Fluttershy asked curiously.
"Well..." Junior stopped, he wasn't sure if it was good idea to share this with someone as timid as this girl. "...I probably shouldn't say, you might end up having the nightmare if I were to tell you about it."
"Oh...OK," said Fluttershy softly. Junior and Fluttershy stayed in an awkward silence.
"So...what are you up to?" asked Junior.
"Oh...um, right now I was just taking papa duck and mama duck and their ducklings to the pond." Fluttershy stepped to the side, gesturing toward the fowl family. "I need to get them through Ponyville safely."
"Would it be...alright if I tagged along? You know, maybe help?" Asked Junior. Anything to get his mind off of his dream.
"R-really?" asked Fluttershy in disbelief. Junior nodded in response.
"We're neighbors after all." Junior gestured toward a small cottage that was a mile down the road away.
"Oh. O-Ok, sure." Smiled Fluttershy.

Junior found himself at the back of the line of ducks, behind the father duck. People that were passing by looked at him strangely. They weren't expecting a thug to be helping a sweet girl like Fluttershy walk cute little ducks. Junior was getting annoyed by the stares but kept himself composed. Fluttershy was walking backwards, talking the mother duck through the town. Fluttershy suddenly bumped into another girl. The girl wore a brown sweater, with a feathered collar along with blue jeans. She had wings like an eagle and a tail of a lion. Her hair was white with grey tips and her irises were golden. The girl stood at least 5 foot 8, having a few inches over Fluttershy.
"Hey!" The girl shouted.
"Oh, please excuse me," said Fluttershy, looking up toward the girl.
"Watch where your going Dweeb!" shouted the girl.
"I-I'm sorry. I-" Fluttershy stuttered, backing away from the girl.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" The girl mocked Fluttershy, "Why don't you watch where your going?!"
Fluttershy was backing up even more, the ducks flew away as she was backed up near them. Bystanders that were nearby were witnessing the entire thing.
"I-I..." Fluttershy stuttered, suddenly a taller figure stepped in between her and the girl.
"Leave. Her. Alone." Junior glared at the girl, who returned the glare.
"And who are you chump? Her boyfriend?" chuckled the girl. People that were nearby looked toward Fluttershy, seeking an answer. Fluttershy had a bright blush, she hid her face behind her hair.
"I'm her neighbor. And I don't like the way you're treating her. She apologized to you and was courteous about this, yet you started acting like a total bitch and got in her face!" said Junior angrily. Fluttershy flinched at his swearing.
The eagle winged girl's eye twitched, "What...did you just call me?" her voice low.
"Did I stutter? I called you a bi-" Junior was punched in his gut, he grunted in pain, the wind being knocked out of him. He then felt the girl's tail wrap around his throat, she then flung him toward a row of tables.
Fluttershy gasped, cupping her mouth with her hands. She then turned back to the girl, her eyes wide with fear. The girl took a deep breath, and roared in Fluttershy's face like a lioness. Fluttershy began to have tears well up in her eyes. She sobbed, running away from the girl, flapping her wings and took off into the air. Junior groaned, pushing a table off of his chest. He looked up and saw that Fluttershy was gone, and the eagle-winged girl had began to fly away.
"Damn Garuda, I ought to tear her tail off and shove it down her throat!" Junior whispered to himself.
"Goji!" called a familiar, high-pitched voice.
"Ah hell." said Junior. He turned and noticed Pinkie Pie running toward him.
"Are you OK?" asked Pinkie, as she grabbed Junior's hand and pulled him up to his feet. Junior had trouble standing , but quickly regained his balance.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just fine." Junior replied, glaring at the staring crowd. The crowd saw his glare and quickly dispersed. Pinkie noticed his glare.
"Hey, what's wrong Goji?" asked Pinkie.
"Whats wrong? These assholes clearly saw that Fluttershy was being bullied. Yet, I was the only who had the guts to stand up for her? Unbelievable! Sure, people want to shoot me ugly looks every time I walk into town and some have enough balls to pick a fight but when a sweet girl like Fluttershy is in need of help, they just stand and stare! My problem is that people are spineless cowards!" Junior was breathing heavily, angry at the whole town. Junior suddenly felt himself wrapped by something tight, he quickly forgot about his anger. He looked down and saw Pinkie had him in a tight hug.
"W-what are you doing?" asked Junior quizzically.
"I'm hugging you silly! You were really really mad, so I thought a hug would make you feel better. Is it working?" asked Pinkie.
"Uh...kinda." Junior admitted. Pinkie released him, a large smile on her face.
"Good!" replied Pinkie.
Junior turned and saw Fluttershy flying in the distance. Junior sighed, wishing he could of done more. How did that Griffon caught him off guard like that? She flung him like nothing. He even felt more pain from the collision then he thought he would have. What was happening to him? Wait, why did he care for Fluttershy that much? He didn't have any relationship with her, they were just neighbors. Could it be? Did he...?
"Goji..." called Pinkie. Junior turned around, facing Pinkie, "Could you go find and bring Fluttershy to Sugarcube Corner for me? Tell her that I have a plan to fix this problem with Gilda."
"Gilda? The Griffon?" Asked Junior. Pinkie quickly nodded in response.
"What are you going to do?"
"This calls for desperate measures, Pinkie Pie style!" said Pinkie, her face filled with determination. She then took off in the other direction.
"God help us," said Junior to himself. Junior then took off, heading toward the direction that Fluttershy flew off to.

Junior jogged through the town, searching for Fluttershy. As he made his way passed the buildings, he saw a  familiar pink-haired figure sitting alone on a bench. Her face was buried into her knees. Junior slowed his pace, walking toward the weeping Valkyrie. As he got closer, he could hear her sobbing. It was a heartbreaking sight. Junior sat down on the bench, next to Fluttershy. She gasped as she found out that she wasn't alone. She looked toward her right, and saw Junior looking toward the sky. Fluttershy sniffled, wiping the tears from her cheeks.
"W-what are you doing here?" asked Fluttershy.
"I was just about to ask you the same question." Junior responded nonchalantly. Fluttershy looked away, wiping her eyes again.
"Was I really the one in the wrong?" asked Fluttershy.
"What?" Junior turned his head toward Fluttershy, a confused expression plastered on his face.
"Wasn't it my fault? I wasn't paying attention when I bumped into her." Fluttershy looked down at the ground, her eyes welling up with tears again.
"It was an accident, you didn't see her behind you."
"But it was my fault! It was also my fault that you got hurt!" Fluttershy's voice began to break, her tears trailing down her cheeks again.
Junior sighed, he remembered what Pinkie did earlier and what she told him. Junior then scooted over to the crying girl, and wrapped his arm around her into a firm hug. Fluttershy gasped in surprise. She looked up to Junior, who was looking away.
"I heard that hugs can help make you feel better." said Junior, still avoiding eye contact. Fluttershy sniffled as she leaned her head into Junior's shoulder. The two sat on the bench together for a minute in silence.
"Gojira?" asked Fluttershy.
"Yeah?"
"Have you ever been bullied before? Or made fun of?" asked Fluttershy. Junior thought of an answer, it couldn't hurt to tell her.
"I have." Junior replied, "It was back when I was a little kid, I was living in Canterlot at the time, I had a really thick accent whenever I spoke in Equish. The other kids would make fun of me, insult me, telling me that I should go back to my country. It wasn't easy getting over that."  Fluttershy listened intently to Junior's story.
"After that, I kept practicing at speaking Equish, I lost my thick accent. However, when I turned thirteen I grew more compared to other children. Instead of throwing insults, they were scared of me.  This later led to me getting into fights with bad crowds. I remember coming back home after my first fight, Celestia was freaking out." Junior chuckled. Fluttershy didn't share his amusement, instead she found the whole story very sad. She felt like crying again.
"Despite all of that, I didn't give up. Whenever someone would shoot me a dirty look, or call me names, I didn't take them all to heart. I didn't care what they thought of me, they meant nothing to me. They weren't my friends, they weren't family, they were nobody." Said Junior, releasing Fluttershy from his embrace.
"I've been wondering, how did you come to know the Princess?" asked Fluttershy.
"She was an old friend of my Father before he died." said Junior. Fluttershy lightly gasped in response.
"H-how? I mean, if you don't mind me asking."
Junior sighed, thinking back to the day. He remembered it so vividly
"He died of an illness. Shortly after he passed, Celestia was in Neighpon. After she found out that I was his son, she took me in and raised me," replied Junior.
"Did he die peacefully?" asked Fluttershy.
"Yeah...he went peacefully," replied Junior. He then felt Fluttershy wrap her arms around him tightly, he looked down and saw that she was looking at him with tears in her eyes.
"Hey, I was the one that was supposed to make you feel better." Junior lightly chuckled.
"*sniff* I just thought I'd return your kindness by showing you mine." Fluttershy smiled sadly. Junior looked away with a light blush on his face.
"You don't have to show me any," said Junior.
"You're right, I don't. But I want to." replied Fluttershy, her voice slightly louder. Junior looked back at her, seeing the sincerity in her kind eyes. He found himself lost in them, such peace radiating off of them.
"Thanks." said Junior, snapping out of his dazed state. He then stood back up.
"Come on, Pinkie Pie wanted me to take you to Sugarcube Corner. She said that she knew a way to fix the problem with that Griffon." said Junior, holding his hand out. Fluttershy extended her arm, grabbing Junior's hand. Junior gently pulled her up from the bench. The two made their way back to the town.
"Gojira, do you have any friends?" asked Fluttershy.
"No, can't say that I do." Junior replied.
"W-well, would you mind i-if...I was your friend?" asked Fluttershy. Junior stopped, looking back toward Fluttershy.
"You...want to be my friend?" Junior was caught off guard by her question. Never in a thousand years did he think that someone as timid as she was would offer someone like him her friendship.
"I-if you don't mind that is." stuttered Fluttershy.
"But...why me?" asked Junior. He was denying her words, no way was she serious about this.
"Well, you stood up for me to that Griffon. You cared enough to go out of your way to comfort me. Someone like you, I'd be willing to accept as a friend." Fluttershy smiled. Junior was at a loss for words. Did she really mean it? Did she really see him as a friend. He realized why he cared enough about Fluttershy to find her, he saw a potential friend in her. He never went off to look for friends, he stopped caring to have any a long time ago. But here was Fluttershy, offering her friendship to him.
"I'd like that." Junior smiled.
"Great! Oh...um, would it be OK if I called you Goji too sometime?" Fluttershy asked timidly. Junior couldn't say no to that face.
"Sure..." replied Junior, embarrassed. Fluttershy squeed in response.



"You're throwing her a party?!" asked Junior bewildered.
"Yep!" Pinkie replied.
"B-but...Why?! I thought you said that you had a plan to deal with the problem?"
"This is the plan silly!" Pinkie smiled. Junior groaned in response, he then noticed Fluttershy was making her way toward Pinkie.
"um...Pinkie, about this party for Gilda. Um, do you think its a good idea? I mean-" asked Fluttershy.
"Don't worry your pretty little head about mean ol' Gilda. Your auntie Pinkie Pie has got it taken care of!" replied Pinkie as she patted Fluttershy's head, then bounced off.
"I'm a year older than you..." said Fluttershy. Junior stood and sighed, this couldn't go well.
"Remember if she gives you trouble, I got your back." said Junior. Fluttershy looked to Junior, an unsure expression on her face.
"Relax, she caught me off guard last time. She won't pull something like that with me again," Reassured Junior.
"OK..." replied Fluttershy. Fluttershy gasped as she saw that Gilda had already arrived. She quivered as she backed away, Junior placed his hands on her shoulders.
"It's alright, it's alright, I'm right here with you." said Junior. He saw that she struggled to keep a brave face on.
"O-OK, I'll do my best!" replied Fluttershy.

Junior sat alone as he listened to Fluttershy orchestrating her birds to sing a tune. It was soothing for him to hear the tweets of birds. Fluttershy had managed be able to stand around Gilda a bit without suffering a panic attack, she ended up having the birds sing at the party. That seemed to have completely took her mind off of the situation. Pinkie Pie came rolling in a large cake.
"Cake time everybody!" announced Pinkie.
"Hey, can I blow out the candles?" asked Spike.
"Why don't we let Gilda blow out the candles Spike. She is the guest of honor after all." replied Twilight. Gilda suddenly shoved Spike out of the way.
"Exactly!" said Gilda. Junior glared at her from across the room.
'Watch it, your ass is treading on thin ice sister.' Junior thought to himself. Junior suddenly felt himself getting dizzy. His vision began to blur. Junior tried to stand, but stumbled, he landed on his hands and knees before he could face plant onto the hard floor. Junior slowly stood, attempting to get his balance. When he was confident that he was able to keep his balance, he carefully made his way to the door. He walked outside, attempting to get fresh air. Junior walked to the side of the pastry building, his dizziness getting worst. He then collapsed onto his belly, lacking the strength to stand.
'What's wrong with me? I never felt like this before, I feel...weak.' Junior placed his hands beneath him, using whatever strength that he had to lift himself off the ground. Junior crawled to the wall of the building, resting his back against it. He sat there for several minutes, waiting to regain his strength. Junior had no idea what was causing this. 
When Junior felt his strength return and his head stopped spinning, he stood back up. As he was about to head back inside, he noticed a newspaper in a trash bin. He saw heading that was titled, "Mutation apprehended in Manehattan, more on the loose". Junior quickly went for the newspaper, getting a closer look. This had his curiosity, he decided to head back inside. Before he could make it to the door, Gilda stormed out of Sugarcube Corner, she looked angry. Gilda then took off into the air, leaving the area.
"What the hell?" Junior walked back inside of the building, hoping to figure out what had happened. He heard the murmurs of people inside of the building, he then heard Rainbow Dash speak up.
"I'm sorry everybody for bringing Gilda here. I didn't know how rude she was. And Pinkie Pie, I'm really sorry she ruined that awesome party you put on for her."
"Hey, if you want to hang out with party poopers, that's your business." replied Pinkie jokingly. Junior made his way inside, walking back to where he was sitting.
"I rather hang out with you. No hard feelings?" asked Rainbow as she held out her hand.
"No hard feelings" Pinkie reached for Rainbow's hand. Both felt a buzzing sensation as they shook. Everyone except Junior laughed at the scene as Rainbow and Pinkie revealed that they both were wearing hand buzers. Junior sat alone at a table, unfolding the newspaper to find the article that had his curiosity. He began to read to article.

On the 19th of July this year, over a dozen Transmutations attacked the city of Manehattan. The mutants attacked and killed any human that they could find. local law enforcement that attempted to intervened lost their lives to these mutations. The organization known as MONARCH sent its troops into the city to stop the small mutant invasion. After a long battle, MONARCH succeeded in driving the mutants away. The death toll is still unknown, but is definitely high. One of the mutants were apprehended. It was confirmed by the mutant named Kamacurus that the attack was planned by his group of Transmutant terrorists. MONARCH urges all citizens of Equestria to report any mutant activity that they find and to report it to local authorities as soon as possible. It has also been announced that a decision on what to do to prevent further lose of human life will be made soon. The mutant threat has gone on for far too long, may these abominations be purged from our world. 

Junior felt himself grow very uncomfortable as he finished the article. There really were more mutants other than him in Equestria, there was even a group of terrorists going around killing innocent people. But where did these other mutants come from? They had to have had their genetics manipulated the same way his was. But who was responsible for this? And why? Junior's peripheral vision caught a figure approaching him toward the table that he sat at. Junior turned and saw that Twilight was making her toward him.
"Hey there, how's work at AJ's?" asked Twilight.
"Oh, its fine. Been a good three weeks." Junior lowered the newspaper.
"That's good to hear!" smiled Twilight, she then noticed the article's title on the paper.
"What are you reading?" asked Twilight curiously.
"This article, apparently there was an attack in Manehattan." said Junior. Twilight gasped in response, she quickly sat next to Junior and looked over his arm.
"May I see that?" asked Twilight urgently.
"uh, sure. Here you go." said Junior, handing the newspaper over to Twilight. Twilight took the newspaper, her eyes scanned through the article, her face contorting into that of disgust. Junior noticed that Fluttershy and Rarity were making their way over to Twilight and himself.
"Twilight? What's the wrong darling?" asked Rarity. 
"Ugh, this article. Manehattan was attacked and a lot of humans were killed by mutants a few days ago." answered Twilight. Rarity and Fluttershy gasped in response. Fluttershy looked to be on the verge of tears.
"How barbaric! Were they caught?" asked Rarity. Twilight shook her head in response.
"No, only one of them was caught. The rest of them escaped." Twilight sighed. Junior then saw that Applejack, Pinkie and Rainbow were heading their way. Junior felt himself growing more uncomfortable.
"Hey, what's going on?" asked Rainbow.
"A group of those mutant monsters were in Manehattan a few days ago and killing innocent people." answered Rarity. Junior sat silently, his uneasiness rising when Rarity used the word monster.
"What?! Those freaks were in Manehattan?!" asked a bewildered Rainbow.
"They were killing people?!" Applejack asked in a shocked tone.
"That's terrible!" shouted Pinkie. Junior fiddled with his fingers, looking down toward the floor.
"Grr! Why do those things have to be around? If you ask me, they need to go!" said Rainbow.
"Here, here. Those vermin should be stamped right out!" agreed Rarity. Junior felt himself slightly sweating at their words.
"I have family in Manehattan, I hope those things hadn't harmed a hair on any of them." said Applejack worriedly.
"Don't worry AJ, i'm sure they're fine." reassured Twilight.
"W-what else does the article say?" asked Fluttershy.
"It's being decided on what to do about the whole situation. MONARCH has it's troops still stationed in Manehattan." answered Twilight.
"I can't believe those monsters. Its a disgusting waste of human life, I hope they can figure this out." sighed Twilight.
"Hey Goji, your awfully quiet over there." said Rainbow. Junior shot his head back up, facing Rainbow.
"Huh? oh...yeah, I'm usually this quiet." replied Junior nervously.
"Uh huh. What do you think of the whole thing? About those monsters killing people in Manehattan?" asked Rainbow. The others focused their attention on Junior, curious to hear his opinion. Junior felt more uneasy.
"I...I think it's a tragedy that this happened. It's also an atrocity committed by this group that should have them severely punished." answered Junior, "But, I'm trying not to put all mutants in the same category as that group."
"Why not? They aren't natural, and they've been attacking humans for years now!" said Rainbow, crossing her arms.
"Why? Because I don't know if all of them are like that. Some of them just might be afraid about what people think about them and choose to hide." replied Junior, hating that he was forced to participate in this conversation.
"Pfft! Please." scoffed Rainbow. Junior clenched his fist in anger.
"You know Rainbow, sometimes there are things in this world that we don't know. I just think its wise to keep an open mind about certain things." said Junior calmly as he stood and walked passed the girls.  Junior stepped outside of Sugarcube Corner, sighing as looked up to the sky. Just as he was afraid of, mutants really didn't have a positive place in the world. They were doomed to persecution for something that they have no control over and seen as all the same because of the actions of one group of Mutants. He wasn't sure if Mosura's words about some mutants seeking only to survive were true, but he hoped that it was. He wanted to know that  he wasn't the only one that still held on tight onto what was left of his humanity. Mosura just might be the one that still held onto her humanity. Junior suddenly heard foot steps coming up from behind him.
"Gojira?" Twilight's voice called out. Junior turned his head, seeing that Twilight was walking toward him.
"Hey, are you OK?" asked Twilight, as she stood behind Junior. Junior turned his head back forward, away from Twilight.
"I'm fine." replied Junior, walking away. Twilight frowned, she then trailed behind Junior.
"You didn't seem fine back inside. What's wrong?" asked Twilight. Junior internally groaned.
"Nothing is wrong Twilight. Go back to your friends, they're gonna wonder where you've been." Junior kept walking, hoping that Twilight would drop the subject.
"Did what we said really get to you?" asked Twilight
'More than you know' Junior thought to himself, "A little bit."
"Gojira, we're just nervous about the whole thing. You know that they've been terrorizing humans for the last 8 years," said Twilight. Junior stopped walking,  turning around with a mad look on his face.
"And that gives you all the right to label them all as monsters? Have you ever thought that maybe some of them joined that group because they felt that they had no other choice? Because they knew that the world would never accept them?" Twilight flinched at Junior's harsh tone.
"I'm not trying to justifying their actions, I just think its unfair of you to assume that all of them are bad!" said Junior angrily. Twilight responded by looking down at the ground, a look of shame on her face as the end of her pointed ears descended down. Junior felt bad, he may have been a little too unfair to her himself.
"Look, I don't blame you for being afraid. I guess I'm letting my personal feelings get to me." sighed Junior.
"What do you mean?" asked Twilight.
"I...kinda relate to mutants. How they are judged." answered Junior. "I believe some mutants are not like the ones that kill out of malicious intent. I think some are victims of judgement that others had  based on the actions of mutants that they aren't affiliated with." Twilight stood and listened quietly.
"I relate to them because others judged me back in Canterlot. Of course I can't say that I had it as bad as mutants, but I know what it's like to be judged. I know that I look and come off like some good for nothing thug, I've gotten into fights that way. It's not something that I can change." Junior looked away, a small frown on his face.
"Yeah, Fluttershy was telling me about that a few minutes ago," said Twilight. "She also told me how you stood up for her to Gilda."
"She did?" asked Junior as he turned his head. Twilight smiled as she nodded.
"I think its sweet that you did. I'm happy that you two became friends. Who knows, maybe there are some mutants that are just trying to live in peace as you say. I'm actually ashamed that I assumed that all of them were bad." Twilight looked away. Junior slightly smiled, he turned around and placed his hand on her shoulder. Twilight looked up to Junior in confusion.
"It's good to know that your willing to consider the other possibilities Twilight." smiled Junior. 'Maybe, things aren't as hopeless for us after all'
"S-sure, no problem." Twilight stuttered as she looked away embarrassed. Junior removed his hand, turned back around and walked away.
"Hey wait! Your still leaving?" asked Twilight.
"Yeah, I have some stuff that I need to do. See ya Twilight." Junior waved.
"Gojira wait!" called Twilight. Junior stopped, turning back around.
"Yes?"
"Um...why don't you come by to the library sometime?" asked Twilight, her hands behind her back.
"Really?" asked Junior. First time someone had invited him to visit.
"Of course! I-I mean, as long as you aren't busy. I'd like to get to know you more as a friend."
"Me? A friend?" asked Junior.
"Yes! We aren't exactly strangers anymore. Besides, a friend of Fluttershy's a friend of mine." Twilight smiled. Junior felt himself crack a small smile.
"Um...sure. That sounds good. I'll see you when I have time. see ya Twilight."
"see you!" Twilight waved. Junior continued on. Despite the damper that the girls put on his day on their opinions on all mutants, Twilight managed to brighten it back up. He was still hurt from hearing those words, even though they weren't knowingly directed toward him. The conversation went well between he and Twilight about their disagreement. He was happy that Fluttershy had good things to say to Twilight about him. He was fortunate to have had a friend in her.

Twilight made her way back inside Sugarcube Corner, her friends waiting for her.
"Where's Goji?" asked  Pinkie.
"He went back home," replied Twilight. Fluttershy looked out the window, concerned.
"Is...is he alright?" asked Fluttershy.
"Right now, I think so. A minute ago he wasn't too happy about what we were saying about mutants."
"Geez, what's his deal? He's such a grump!" said Rainbow.
"He just thinks its unfair that we automatically assume that all of them are bad Dash. Who knows, he just might be right about some being good." Twilight reasoned.
"I'll believe that when I see it." replied Rainbow. Meanwhile, Pinkie was sitting in wonder.
"Pinkie, is something on your mind?" asked Rarity.
"If Goji is grumpy all the time, then I'll have to find a way to turn that frown upside down! Ooh, I know! I'll throw him a party!" declared Pinkie.
"Yeah right, he'd probably hurl you across town." joked Rainbow.
"How can you say that about him?" asked Fluttershy in shock.
"Relax Flutters, I'm just kidding!"
"Besides, he doesn't seem the type that enjoys social gatherings." Interjected Rarity.
"I got it! I'll throw him a birthday party!" shouted Pinkie excitedly.
"Uh...sugarcube, do you even know when his birthday is?" asked Applejack, a brow raised.
"Nope, but I'll find out!" 



Canterlot
In the throne room sat Princess Celestia on her throne. By her side was her little sister, Princess Luna. Luna had grown to be six foot four, her magic had restored her to how she was with full power  before her banishment. Her hair flowed like her elder sister's, sparkles could be seen in her now sapphire blue hair, appearing like the night sky. Her wings had darkened to a dark blue. A necklace was around her neck, dipicting a crescent moon that represented her cutie mark. She stood by her sister, listening to a man in black uniform.
"MONARCH only wishes to protect the cities within Equestria your highness. You and your sister are especially valuable targets for these Transmutant terrorists here in Canterlot." Reasoned the man.
"What you are proposing is something that I am not comfortable with. You want to have soldiers stationed in the cities of Equestria, but you have intentions of immediate termination of any Transmutant that your soldiers come across. I understand the danger that these terrorists group pose against humans, but I fear for the lives of innocents." argued Celestia.
"Your highness, I assure you that our methods are efficient and necessary to eliminate any mutant threat toward humans. You don't need to worry for the well-being of your subjects with our presence."
"It is not just about my subjects, it's about Transmutants that aren't affiliated with that group."said Celestia, feeling slight frustration.
"With all due respect, we can't take any chances with any of them. If one shows up, we are forced to put them down. If you recall, the mistake at letting the first mutant, codenamed: Alpha, to remain alive you would not object to this. Do you remember what happened? He destroyed an entire facility in the East, ending the lives of scientists working there." The man argued. 
"Why must you speak of them as if they are not human?" Demanded Celestia. 
"Because they aren't! They are abominations that have turned to attacking innocents. What good have they done? None, they are a threat to not just humans, but all other sapient life forms in our world as well." The throne room was silent. Luna had no knowledge about what was going on. Mutants? What did she missed when she was banished?Celestia sighed.
"I know that I can't change how you feel about them. I do care for the safety of my subjects, therefore I will accept Monarch's presence but under a few conditions." said Celestia. The man stood silently, patiently waiting to hear Celestia's conditions.
"You will not harass my subjects when stationed here, you will inform me of any information that concerns myself and my subjects,  and you will spare the lives of any Transmutant that willingly surrenders." Celestia locked eyes with the man, showing that she was serious about this. The man dared not question these conditions, they seemed reasonable enough. Yet, he hated the idea of sparing any of those freaks.
"Very well, I will inform my superiors and we will honor your terms." bowed the man.
"Thank you."

Luna sat across from Celestia in the dining hall for dinner. Celestia sat, exhaling deeply. She lifted her hand up, placing her hand on her forehead. Luna looked on to her elder sister in worry.
"Sister, art thou alright?" asked Luna.
"I'm fine dear sister, I'm just stressed from today." replied Celestia.
"Sister, we are curious. What was it that man was speaking of? What are Tansmutants?" asked Luna. Celestia placed her hand onto the table, her eyes closed in thought.
"They haven't been known for very long. However, in the short time that we learned of their existence, they were known to have attacked other races around the world. They were mostly known to be appearing in the far East." Explained Celestia. Luna sat and listened, trying hard to not interrupt.
"They are a new form of humans that originated from non magical Earth bounds, with unique abilities that gives them greater strength, speed, and senses. However, they have an ability where they are able to morph their bodies into animal-like beings with human traits." Luna's eyes widened at this.
"Wait sister, thou art saying they were Earth bound humans? What is responsible for their change?" asked Luna, her interest peaking.
"That my sister, is a greater mystery about them. The mutants were discovered to have manipulated genes that contained traits that were foreign to their genetics. We do not know who is responsible for these mutants, but we do know who were responsible for the first two." explained Celestia.
"Who? And who are these first two mutants?" asked Luna.
"It was an organization that was attempting to create something that was meant to heal people of their wounds and diseases. I am not sure of who exactly these first two mutants were, but only that they were called, Alpha and Lucky Dragon." answered Celestia.
'Lucky Dragon?  Quite a peculiar name.' Thought Luna. "What happened to them?"
"Alpha and Lucky Dragon were said to have escaped from where they were held. Later on, Alpha returned and wrecked havoc on the facility and ended the lives of the scientists inside that same facility. The organization was shut down when it was discovered to be using human test subjects. MONARCH was then formed to counter Alpha and Lucky Dragon, they spent months hunting them down. Alpha was said to be found at certain points, they attempted to destroy him, but he would always manage to get away. Eventually, they finally killed him. And as for Lucky Dragon, he was never found. He is assumed to be dead or hiding to this very day. For what ever reason, their identities were never revealed." sighed Celestia.
"Do thou think'st  that he is still alive?" asked Luna.
"I sincerely hope so." Celestia stood up from her seat, looking out the window, toward the night sky. "If he is, I hope that he was able to make a new life for himself, so that he may live in peace." 




Ponyville
Junior sat at a desk in his room, sketching in his journal. He was illustrating the image of the beast that has haunted his dreams. He didn't sketch the full body, it was mainly the head, a tail and the spikes that stood out from behind it. The creature was drawn to be covered in a smoke cloud, hiding the rest of its body. Junior was writing about the creature from his dreams, he felt that his illustration was necessary.  Junior suddenly heard a knock at his door, snapping him out of his drawing. It was late, who could be here at this hour? Junior made his way to the door. He placed his hand on the knob, twisting it and slowly pulled the door open. He saw a feminine figure cloaked in a black hood, she stood at 5 foot 7 compared to himself.
"Uh...can I help you?" asked Junior, unnerved by this visitor.
"Takeshi-Kun." the figure spoke in a familiar voice. Junior gasped as he backed away from the figure. He fell back, struggling to get back up.
"You! What are you doing here?!"
The figure removed her hood, revealing a pale, young woman's face. Her eyes were a bright, light blue. She had short white hair, with several strands hanging between her eyes. 
"Please don't be alarmed, I mean you no harm!" The young woman held her hands out, motioning Junior to remain calm.
"Mosura, it really is you. Why are you here?" asked Junior, standing and calming his breaths.
"Its time that you met the other transmutations that I told you about," answered Mosura. Junior looked to her in surprise.
"Come with me." Mosura turned and made her way outside of Junior's home.
"Wait! How can I trust you?" Demanded Junior. Mosura slowly turned around and looked deeply into Junior's eyes. They were beautiful, they were the eyes of a gentle individual.  They even rivaled Fluttershy's eyes. They seemed to softly glow in the moon's light.
"I have no proof to offer you that'll earn your trust. All I have is my word. But you have to know, you aren't the only one here." said Mosura, her tone soft and gentle. Junior internally argued with himself. What if this was a trap? She could be leading him on to be captured by MONARCH. What if she wasn't? What if she really wanted him to meet these other mutants. He had to make a decision. Worst case scenario, he's in trouble when he goes with her and he's forced to make a mess.
"OK. I'll take your word for it. I better not catch you doing any funny business." Junior warned. Mosura smiled in response.
"Of course, lets go."

Junior found himself wondering in the Everfree forest behind Mosura. Their walk was silent, only the sounds of birds and the wind could be heard. The pair walked passed large bushes, crossed streams, and near the old castle of the royal sisters.
"How much further?" asked Junior, breaking the silence.
"Not long Takeshi-kun, we're almost there." answered Mosura. Junior sighed in response, he really hated missing sleep.
The pair came across a small house that was built into the entrance of a cave. It appeared to be abandoned, the wood was old, slightly rotting. The bricks that held the the structure up was chipped.  There was only a dim light on in the house.  The pair made their way into the house, inside were a couple of old couches, worn out. A large table with a few chairs, a counter, a refrigerator, and a stove. The house was dark, there was a faintly lit hall at the end of the house.
"This way." said Mosura. Junior followed her toward the faintly lit hall, feeling uneasy about following a stranger into a dark room.
As the two made their way through the doorway, Junior noticed that it wasn't anything that he expected. The hall turned out to be a metal bridge that descended down the cave. The bridge extended about 25 feet away, a few lights lighting the way that hung from the cave ceiling. Beneath the bridge was a twenty foot drop with shallow water flowing down the narrow cave hall. The two walked down the bridge, the sound of water flowing below echoed in the cave. The pair heard the sounds of grunting, and shouts. As they made it to the end of the bridge, Junior found himself staring around a great chamber. Above them were stalactites that hung from the cave ceiling. In the center was a hole that allowed the Moon's light to shine down to the bottom. The chamber was lit by lamps and flood lights that were placed in different corners above and below. On the right to Junior were seven separate holes in the cave walls that appeared to have a bed in each one along with curtains that must be used to have privacy. Junior assumed that these must of have been rooms that they slept in.
The pair continued on to the right. As they kept walking, Junior continued to observe his surroundings. There was a lower level below them, where a metal walkway platform stood above a pool of water. Junior saw that the water appeared to flow from a dark hole that he assumed led back below the bridge based on it being below from whence they entered. The pair continued to hear grunts and brief shouts, like a fight was going on. They made their way over to a metal stairway that led down to the lower level. As they walked down the bridge, Junior noticed a dark, large hole beneath the living quarters, and a brightly lit hole where the sounds were coming from. The pair walked over the platform, their steps causing the metal to clang. As they made their way into the lit hole, Junior saw the source of the sounds.
Inside the hole was what appeared to be a Dojo with dummies lining the walls, mats were on the ground, covering a platform that was built over the rocky floor. There were two Earthbound males sparing with each other. One of them stood about five foot nine, his hair was crimson, it was slightly spiked. He was wearing a crimson kimono. His eyes were a bright green. His body was smaller then his opponent's, his build was a medium tone. He had a cocky look on his expression as he dodged his opponent's attacks.
"That all you got?" asked the crimson haired boy, his voice less deep than Junior's. His opponent snorted, charging toward him.
The other Earth bound was a larger build compared to the crimson haired boy. He stood at six feet, and wore a brown kimono. His hair was incredibly spiky, and was a a grayish brown color. His eyes were a light brown, they burned with determination. The Earth bound gave a shout as he charged toward his cocky opponent, throwing multiple punches. The crimson haired Earth bound dodged every single one. The crimson Earth bound then slid under his opponent and slapped him in the back of the head. The taller Earthbound grunted in irritation, he quickly spun around and swiped at the crimson haired Earth bound. The crimson haired Earthbound side stepped away from the swipe, chuckling.
"Grr! Cut that out!" shouted the larger Earth bound, his voice deeper then the crimson haired Earth bound. The two fighters got into a stance, staring each other down. Just when they were about to charge, Mosura interrupted them.
"Yame!" shouted Mosura, causing the two fighters to turn their heads toward her and Junior.
"Hey Mosura, who's that with you?" asked the crimson haired Earth bound.
"Boys, this is Takeshi Gojira. He is a transmutant that is living in Ponyville." Mosura stepped aside, introducing Junior.
"Um...hey?" He waved.
"Really? Nice to meet you man! The name is Shou Rodan. Feel free to call me by my first name, Rodan." The crimson haired Earth bound stepped forward and extended his arm. Junior stuck out his arm shook hands with him. The other Earth bound stepped forward and repeated Rodan's action.
"Riku Angirasu. A pleasure to meet you." Angirasu lightly smiled. Junior shook Angirasu's hand.
"Likewise Riku-san." replied Junior. Thinking it was best to refer to him by his last name for respect. He should probably start doing the same for Mosura, they both seem to be more use to Neighponese customs. Rodan at least seems to have not really care.
"Takeshi-kun, please take a seat over here." Mosura led Junior into the dojo, she then sat on her knees. Junior sat facing her, sitting cross legged. Rodan and Angirasu stood, watching the two quietly.
"I totally would've won dude." Rodan whispered as he leaned over to Angirasu.
"Oh, shut up." chuckled Angirasu as he slugged Rodan in the shoulder.

Mosura removed her cloak from her body, revealing a orange kimono that she wore. She folded the cloak neatly and placed it beside her.
"Takeshi-kun, we are just like you. Earth bound humans that were changed by mankind's foolishness at playing God. Because of that, we are forced to hide from the world to survive." explained Mosura.
"Mo...sorry. Yasu-san, I have to know something. How did you know that I was a transmutant? How were you able to speak to me without being around for me to see you?" asked Junior.
"All transmutants have a unique ability that they can use when in their human form. For example, I was able to learn about your mutation because I was able to sense you. Transmutants have an ability to sense each other through smell, you had the smell of light traces of radiation. I was able to speak to you without being near because I have a unique ability that allows me to communicate with others through their mind. My psychic ability also allows me to hear the inner thoughts and memories of others." Answered Mosura.
"You can read minds?" Junior wasn't exactly comfortable with that. That must mean she knew more about his origins then he realized.
"Only when I choose to." smiled Mosura. "But, I did learn much about you from reading through your memories. I apologize for invading your painful memories." Mosura bowed her head.
"I see..." Junior was lost in thought. But now there was another question that he wanted answered.
"How did the three of you become Transmutants? The organization that changed me was shut down years ago."
"Well, after the organization was shut down, MONARCH was formed and took  the data for Project: Transcendence. Project: Transcendence was what you were apart of. Your genetics, like ours, were mutated with a mutagen that was made from the DNA of ancient beasts that cease to exist today. MONARCH repeated the same mistake that the organization responsible for your mutation made, by kidnapping us along with many others." explained Mosura. Junior was dumbfounded. Why would MONARCH create more mutants? How foolish were they to create more?
"Wait, MONARCH is responsible for the appearance of other mutants? Nobody but you guys knew about this?" asked Junior. Mosura sadly nodded her head. Junior felt himself getting angry.
"Why? Why did they do it?" asked Junior, his voice low. Mosura avoided his gaze, looking down at her hands.
"Yasu-san, I have to know. Why were you all mutated?" Junior asked, desperate to hear the answer.
"...We were mutated to kill you when you were older." Mosura admitted. Junior clenched his fists. They were mutated, because they were meant to be used as weapons. MONARCH was aware that he was still alive, and they were preparing for the day that he would reappear.
"How were able to escape?"
"One of MONARCH's earliest experiments at that time went out of control. It wrecked havoc in the facility that had us contained. We all managed to escape. Most of us stayed together in a group, and some of us left on our own." Explained Mosura. Junior groaned, as he placed his hand over his face.
"I can't freaking believe this! All this time, I thought that MONARCH was actually trying to protect people. But really, those two faced bastards were just trying to cover up their accidents!" Junior slammed his fist onto the ground.
"Takeshi-kun, please remain calm!" pleaded Mosura.
"Calm?! How can I be calm?!" Junior suddenly stood to his feet, his eyes filled with anger.
"Do you realize what this means?! MONARCH is responsible for everything! The new mutations, the mutant terrorists, the death of innocents, and even the destruction of all of our lives!" Junior paced around the Dojo, breathing heavily.
"I had everything! A home, a loving family. It was bad enough that my mother passed away when I was five, and when my dad and I were taken from our home and locked up to become lab experiments. But nothing was as bad as when I found how much exactly that I had changed! I was terrified, I was alone in a tight room with no hope!" Angirasu and Rodan looked to Junior in pity as he ranted.
"I began to feel unbearable pain in my body. My dad and I were nothing but freaks! Monsters! We were forced to hide from everyone, when we escaped. But that wasn't enough, those sons of bitches decided to take my father away from me! The one person that I had left who mattered to me!" Junior punched the cave wall, causing large pieces of stone to fall to the ground. He was taking deep breaths, feeling his eyes well up with tears.
"When I was raised by a dear friend of my father's, I was forced to lie to her everyday. I have no one to turn to about this, people hate the things that they don't understand. Especially if it scares them." Junior's voice was low, devoid of hope.
"Now, MONARCH has repeated the cycle. They chose to ruin your lives just like mine was." Junior fell down to his knees.
"How dare you tell me to calm down. You should be angry yourself at how they have wronged you." Junior felt hands gently placed on his shoulders.
"In all honesty Takeshi-kun, it upsets me to know that I'll never have my old life back. But I let go of my anger years ago. I chose to forgive those that have wronged me. Even though I won't be able to see my old home, friends and family, I made new friends through all of this." Mosura stood with Junior, gesturing toward Angirasu and Rodan.
"I even grew to call them my new family," said Mosura. Junior couldn't comprehend that someone like Mosura could exist. She had a gentle heart, she admitted at on point being angry but managed to let it go. She even forgave the ones that made her the outcast that she was today. Something that he couldn't see himself doing.
"I wish it didn't have to be this way." sighed Junior.
"We do too Takeshi-kun." replied Mosura, a look of understanding on her face. "Just know that you are not alone anymore."
> Chapter 5 (Revised)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sounds of drills rotating, saws buzzing, and the hammering of metal against metal can be heard. A great workshop, filled with people walking about with parts and tools in their hands. Throughout the room, there was an assembly of weapons being constructed. Rifles were put together; a glowing orb was placed in the center of each rifle. The side of the rifles lit up, informing the workers that the weapons were armed. Blades were being forged from hot metal, the heat burning in the air and the hot blades glowed. As the blades were finished, they were hung from a rack. A group of Elves in safety attire took their positions in front of the blades. Their hands glowed intensely; they shot their hands forward in synchronicity, hitting the blades and making them glow from the enchantment and then died down. The blades were taken off of the rack and were put together with their own handle. The swords were then sheathed and stored away, waiting to be delivered to their future wielders.
Away from the weapons assembly line, there is the forging of armors going on. Helmets, chest plates, and shoulder plates were being made. The armors are much different compared to any other armor that has been worn by warriors of the other nations. Their colors ranged from midnight black, silver, gold, and crimson red. The armors were made in different ways, some shaped to look more like muscled humans, some were bulky for larger build humans, and others were average sized for common infantry. Outside the facility, hundreds of men and women were doing training exercises ranging from jogging, flying in laps, push-ups, hand to hand combat, and lethal and non-lethal magic practices.
"So, did you hear about the higher ups decision?" asked a black haired Valkyrie male.
"About taking Transmutants alive in Equestria if they surrendered?" asked a green haired Earth bound woman. The Valkyrie nodded
"I did. It's a bunch of bull spit if ya ask me." said a yellow haired elf male.
"Why's that?" asked the Valkyrie.
"Why the hell are we gonna treat these freaks like common crooks? We're soldiers, not cops!"
"It's not that big of a deal. Besides, it’s an opportunity to introduce ethical methods for stopping Transmutants." argued the green haired woman.
"Ethical? Give me a break Shiragami! We're stopping monsters, not people." retorted the Elf.
"Like it or not, we have to." stated the Valkyrie. The Elf groaned in response. Just then, a beeping sound could be heard from the wrists of the soldiers. They all looked to their wrists at a digital device that was strapped to them.
"Come on, the C.O. said that we're being deployed." said the Valkyrie.
Los Pegasus, Equestria
Shiragami sat silently with a rifle in her grip, and a enchanted sword secured on her back.  She was  inside of an airship, clad in armor that covered her chest and back. A red rose was painted on her chest piece. She wore black tactical pants and a vest under her armor. Pads rested on her shoulders and her forearms. She wore black boots and pads on her knees. Her helmet covered most of her head, but exposed her lips, and had a blue visor covering her green eyes. Shiragami looked at her comrades. The Valkyrie was clad in armor that covered his form and resembled the human anatomy, dual enchanted swords mounted onto his back. He wore a helmet that was just a thin red visor with a metal face plate. The Elf was clad in light armor, a helmet that exposed his face, a lighter chest piece, black tactical pants, and a rifle resting next him. Standing near the door was a grey haired Earth bound woman with less armor, only a chest piece protecting her body. She had one enchanted sword hanging from her hip, and a rifle in her grip. Her red eyes were looking on towards the door, waiting for the airship to finish descending. The metal airship rumbled as it descended toward the ground, a green light shining in the room that the squad found themselves in.
"It's go time people, let’s move out!" commanded the grey haired woman.
"Yes ma'am!" The other soldiers responded. The squad ran out of the medium sized airship to stand in a field outside of the city of Los Pegasus. They made their down to the city, where the glow of magic could be seen and the sound of shouts could be heard. An ominous black cloud of smoke sailed across the night sky. The squad had made their way into the city; people were running in their direction, screaming in panic. The soldiers passed the civilians, rounding into the corner that they ran from. The sounds of gun fire could be heard in the distance as the shouts grew louder.
A young Earth bound man with jet black hair shouted in rage as he ran towards a group of soldiers with a short golden katana in his grip. The area was a street filled with abandoned chariots, rubble from buildings, and fire that burned flammable fluids from one of the local shops.
"Kill that son of bitch!!" Shouted a large Earth clad in bulky armor, raising a rifle and firing in blue magic bolts in semi shots. The black haired Earth bound swung his katana, deflecting each magic projectile that came his way. The other soldiers began firing their rifles, forcing the black haired Earth bound to continue swinging his katana while rolling and jumping off of abandoned chariots. The Earth bound jumped off of a taxi chariot that was the closest to the larger Earth bound soldier, his katana raised above his head. He shouted as he came down, swinging the blade down on the rifle, slicing it in half. The black haired Earth bound snarled as he  thrusts his blade into the large soldier, fatally wounding him.
The mutant proceeded to swing his weapon at the other soldiers around him, decapitating, dismembering and impaling them without mercy.His blade, and his body was drenched in their blood. The mutant panted, his eyes filled with rage and hatred.
Shiragami and her squad had made their way toward the source of the chaos. She felt sick as she witnessed the corpses of other MONARCH soldiers lying on the ground. Their bodies were covered in their own blood and their eyes were open and lifeless. She swore that some of them had fear plastered on their faces before they died. As Shiragami and her group made their way closer to the scene, they saw their target. The mutant with jet black hair, walking away from a burning a chariot, and holding an Elf woman gagging as she struggled to pry his hand from her throat. The soldiers armed with rifles took aim. Shiragami's heads up display in her helmet scanned the mutant. Information about him appeared on her visor.
"Battra, release the civilian now! Cooperate and we will spare your life!" shouted the squad leader. The Transmutant named Battra chuckled darkly.
"Spare me? I don't think you’re in any position to order me around." Battra rose the woman to her feet, looking deeply into her fearful eyes.
"Please, don't kill me! I-I have a family!" begged the woman, her eyes welling up with tears. Battra frowned.
"The feeling is mutual, I had family too. But your so called protectors took them away from me!" Battra tightened his grip and flicked his wrist, snapping the woman's neck. The woman's body slumped in Battra's grip. Battra then cast the woman's corpse to the side.
"Open fire!" The squad leader commanded. The soldiers pulled the triggers of their rifles, magic projectiles bursting from the muzzles. Battra ran, dodging the projectiles with super human speed. The magic bolts penetrated the concrete, metal and the asphalt of the area. Battra ran away from the area, making his way into an alley. The soldiers followed him, letting their weapons to cool down. They walked in a formation, guarding each other's flanks. The sounds of an agonized yell could be heard, as well as the sound of popping bones echoing in the dark alley.
"Oh damn, he's changing!" shouted Shiragami. Suddenly a loud roar was heard. The soldiers pointed their rifles above themselves, seeing a black, winged figure dive bombing toward them. The soldiers jumped out of the way, avoiding the figure. Shiragami stood back up, pointing her rifle toward it, but gasped at what she saw. It was a tall, humanoid insect. It stood to be eight feet tall; its exoskeleton was black, and bulky. The eyes of the creature were a bright, glowing red. The insect had golden horns ticking out from its head, and a spiky backside for its thorax. The creature had four large arms, with sharp claws. The creature's mouth opened sideways, like insects normally do. However, the most terrifying feature of this creature was its wings. They were large, almost resembling a combination of the wings of a bath and a moth. Great red marks were on these wings, appearing almost like red fire.
"Vengeance will be mine!" shouted the black moth, its voice deep and similar to what an insect would sound like if it could speak.
The creature leaped at the Elf soldier, biting off his head. The Elf's decapitated body twitched before collapsing onto the ground as a bloody fountain. The Valkyrie shouted in rage, taking flight, and drawing his enchanted sword. He sliced at the backside of the creature. The insect screeched in pain, yellowish green blood oozing out of its back.
"Damn you!" shouted the insect.
"You had your chance Battra, now we do it the hard way!" shouted the squad leader, drawing her sword out. Shiragami followed her C.O.'s lead, drawing her sword out as well. Battra snarled at the soldiers, spreading his large wings and taking flight into the air. The Valkyrie took flight as well, speeding toward the mutation. As the Valkyrie was about to swing his swords, Battra's wings and horns sparked, his eyes glowed purple. The Valkyrie didn't have enough time to react, as purple beams came out from Battra's eyes and blasted the Valkyrie from the air. The Valkyrie yelled in pain as he crashed back toward the ground. Battra descended back down to the Earth, landing onto the ground. Battra then charged toward Shiragami and the squad leader, swinging his claws at the women. The two dodged these attacks, both thrusting their swords toward Battra. The blades impaled the mutation's thorax, causing him to shriek in agony. Battra, used his free hand to throw Shiragami away from him. Battra used his other three hands to grasp the squad leader. The insect lifted her up, swinging her against the building wall repeatedly. The squad leader cried out in pain every time her body met with the wall. Battra then lifts the squad leader above his head, two of his hands holding her by her waist and his other two arms holding her by her arms.
"Ever plucked the wings off of a fly?" asked Battra. Shiragami looked up and gasped, seeing her C.O. in trouble.
"You...want me to beg?" panted the squad leader.
"I honestly don't care whether you do or not. You're still going to die like the others." Battra pulled with tremendous strength, dismembering the squad leader. She screamed in agony, her cries being heard throughout the area. Battra threw the squad leader onto the ground in front of his insect feet. Battra then rose his foot, and brought it down onto the skull of the squad leader. Brain matter, skull fragments and blood splattered onto the ground.
"Noooo!" Shiragmi cried out in despair. Battra lifted his foot out of the brain matter, wiping his foot by dragging it across the ground.
"It didn't have to be this way. We all could be home with our families or friends. You have your superiors to blame for all of this." Battra said solemnly.
"What are you talking about?" demanded Shiragami, struggling to get back on her feet. Battra approached her, his heavy steps echoed in the alley. Battra reached for the blades that impaled him, quickly yanking them out. He grunted, with blood oozing out of his thorax.
"You fool! Are you blind?! MONARCH has been using you to cover up their dirty secrets. They are responsible for our creation." Battra dropped one of the swords, the other still in his grip.
"Liar! We are protecting different races in the world from monsters like you!" shouted Shiragami.
"Humans are all responsible for the monsters. I will stop at nothing until MONARCH and all humans are dead." Battra stepped in front of Shiragami, kicking her over onto her back. He raised the enchanted sword above his head.
"Goodbye, human." Shiragami's eyes widened in horror as she saw the blade hovering above her. Battra then brought the sword down onto her gut, the blade piercing through her and into the ground. Shiragami grunted, twitching from the pain. The blade kept her from moving. Shiragami reached for the handle of the sword, her breaths becoming raspy. She felt herself growing weak and her eyes grew heavy. She wanted to sleep, but she knew that she would never wake up again if she did. Battra flapped his wings, taking off into the air and away from Shiragami's sight. Shiragami's vision darkened, her hands slacked their grip on the sword's handle, falling to her sides. Shiragami's moaned in a raspy voice, as she struggled to hold onto dear life. Then, her eyes closed and her head slumped to the side on the ground. Drawing another breath, she deeply exhaled, not drawing another




Ponyville

Twilight was alone in the library, reading a book that sat on a podium. Her eyes scanned over the contents, studying for new spells. Specifically, healing spells. Twilight felt that it was necessary to learn these kinds of spells, especially due to how Rainbow Dash tends to injure herself when attempting to perform a new trick. That girl is stubborn; knock her down and she gets back up. An admirable trait, if she knew when it was a good time to be careful. Twilight continued reading, learning the hand gestures and the amount of magical energy needed to make it work.
Twilight was eager to try this spell out, but she needed an injured individual to heal to make sure that she had it down. She didn't like the idea of having someone injure his or herself for this, nor did she fancy self-injury. Twilight stood, tapping her chin. How could she test this spell? Twilight groaned in irritation, due to a lack of test subjects. Suddenly, Twilight heard the sound of the door opening. She turned her head away from the book and looked towards the door. Junior stood in the doorway, making his way into the library, closing the door.
"Hey there!" Junior waved as a small smile appeared on his face. Twilight beamed at him, stepping away from the podium and making her way to Junior.
"Hi! What brings you here?" Twilight asked curiously.
"Just thought I'd take you up on your offer today," said Junior.
"Oh right! Sure, I'm not that busy right now." Twilight noticed Junior's left hand was bandaged up, with a blood stain on the back of his hand.
"Hey, what happened to your hand?" Twilight asked in a concerned tone. Junior looked at his hand, his mind drifting to the past.
Junior was visiting Mosura and the other two transmutants earlier that morning. He thought it would be nice to give them some food since they didn't seem to leave their lair very often. Mosura tried to decline his offer, but he insisted that they took it. Mosura gave in and accepted the bag of fruits and frozen fish meats that he brought. Fortunately, the refrigerator in the actual house that hid the lair was still functional. Junior had made his way through the Everfree to get back to Ponyville. Unfortunately, he was delayed when he came across a manticore. The two had a short battle, ending with Junior punching the beast's teeth out. Junior ended up cutting his hand from the razor sharp teeth; he thought it was no problem. For some reason, his scratches weren't regenerating. Junior tried not to worry about it. He ended up wrapping his hand in a bandage to stop the bleeding.
Junior's mind came back to the present. He thought of a convincing lie to fool her. He didn't want to worry her, plus he had to keep the lair a secret.
"I cut myself when trying to fix something in my house." Junior lied, putting on his best poker face. Twilight walked up to Junior, taking his injured hand into hers. An idea crossed her mind.
"Something wrong?" asked Junior, a brow raised. Twilight looked up to him, a twinkle in her eye.
"Why don't I heal you?"
"Huh?"
"I'm an Elf, so my magic has many uses! I can use it to heal your hand. What do you say?" Twilight stared into Junior's eyes, an eager expression on her face. Junior didn't have to think too long about this.
"Sure, I'd appreciate that." Junior simply said, smiling as Twilight had a bright contagious smile on her face from his answer. He didn't see any harm in it, besides he wasn't regenerating anyway for some reason.
Twilight brought his hand closer to her and unwrapped the bandage. Twilight hissed as she saw the cuts; they looked like they stung, but then a thought crossed her mind.
"Did you remember to wash it?" asked Twilight. Junior nodded in response.
"Good, we wouldn't want this to get infected." said Twilight.
'An infection is something that doesn't concern me anymore.' Junior thought to himself. He never got sick again since his mutation. He had an amazing immune system.
Twilight gently placed her right hand over the back of Junior's hand. She then closed her eyes, concentrating as a light raspberry colored aura engulfed her hands. Junior felt warmth over his hand from the magic. It was a soothing feeling, especially over his stinging cuts. Twilight reopened her eyes; she then gently slid her right hand over Junior's hand. The cuts glowed white, then shrunk into thin lines until they were gone. Twilight released Junior's hand, taking a step back. Junior looked at his hand, the cuts were gone. His flesh had completely healed. He flexed his hand, getting a feel for it.
"Thanks Twilight, you’re a natural!" Junior continued to look at his hand, failing to notice the blush on Twilight's face.
"I always like to help a friend." said Twilight, playing with her hair. 'Plus, you gave me the opportunity to try out that spell.'
Spike poured hot tea into three separate cups, placing them onto a tray. He carefully picked up the tray, walking over toward a table where Junior and Twilight sat. The two thanked the young drake as he handed them their cups. Twilight lightly blew at the hot liquid, and then took a small sip. Junior copied this action, feeling the warm liquid flow down to his belly, relaxing his body.
"This is some good tea Spike." Junior complimented.
"Thanks G-man!"
"G-man?" asked Junior with an amused expression.
"Yeah, I mean if that's cool with you." said Spike.
"Sure." Junior chuckled. Spike took a seat near Twilight, blowing the tea in his cup.
"Gojira, you said that you knew Princess Celestia. I remember her calling you family. How did you come to know her?" asked Twilight. Junior placed his cup down, clearing his throat.
"Well, it began back in Neighpon. My father was a soldier for the empire before I was born. He met Celestia when she came to Neighpon to help settle diplomatic relations between the Empire and the Griffon kingdom. He was assigned to be her guardian and guide while she was there to prevent any attempt at assassination. You know how it is when powerful individuals end up in foreign countries." Twilight nodded in response.
"Anyway, they became friends during that time. I remember him telling me that she was going to visit Neighpon, he even told me that he was going to introduce me to her when she arrived." Junior stared off to the ceiling, a look of nostalgia on his face. His face suddenly darkened into a frown.
"Gojira?" Twilight called.
"I was fortunate that she was coming to Neighpon when she was. I wouldn't be alive today if she wasn't." Junior spoke, his voice lacking emotion.
"What do you mean?"
"Later on, my dad...he ended up getting sick. It was serious, so his body couldn't fight it off. He...passed away shortly before Celestia arrived." Junior leaned forward in his seat, placing his hand over eyes. Twilight frowned, she thought something was wrong with him but she never thought that it was this bad.
"He was the only family that I had left. My mother died when I was five, I can't even remember her face." Junior clenched his fist, clenching his fist as he fought his tears. He had too much pride to break down in front of Twilight and Spike. Junior suddenly felt a hand placed on his fist. He moved his hand from his face and turned to his left, seeing Twilight standing next to him with a frown on her face. Twilight pulls Junior into a hug.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up old wounds." Twilight whispered. Junior really felt like breaking down now, but he kept himself composed.
"It's OK. I guess things kinda worked out in the end."



"Where do you think you're going mister?" asked Mosura, her tone strict as her arms were crossed over her chest. Rodan was stiff, he wore a crimson T-shirt and brown jeans, a crimson cap on his head.
"Um...to the town." Rodan answered nervously, looking back to Mosura. A disapproving look was plastered on her face.
"Oh come on! It sucks to stay cooped up down here all day!" Rodan complained. Mosura sighed in response.
"Fine. Ask Angirasu if he would like to accompany you outside."
"Don't you wanna come? Get some fresh air?" asked Rodan.
"No thank you, just be careful out there." Mosura said worriedly. Rodan chuckled as he rolled his eyes.
"Yes mom." Rodan joked. He took off to Angirasu's living quarters that were next door to his. Mosura sighed, but lightly smiled. Rodan may have not been that younger then Angirasu, but he was like the youngest brother out of all of them. She would worry every time Rodan would leave the lair and move up to the surface. Fortunately, he hadn't gotten into much trouble during their first few years in Equestria. It was dangerous for Transmutants to be among other humans, especially if they were careless. Mosura spent most of her time below and only went as far out into the forest. She rarely ventured near or into the town, with the exception of finding Takeshi and bringing him to the lair all of those days ago. Mosura went back to her living quarters, a small bed lying in the corner, a drawer where a few casual clothes laid in. A small lamp sat next to her bed on a small counter that held a picture frame. Mosura walked over to her bed, picking up the frame. A photo of herself when she was a little girl, she stood next to a boy that was her own age with Jet black hair and red eyes. Mosura clutched the picture frame tightly against her chest, her heart aching with sorrow.
"So, what are we doing out here?" asked Angirasu. He wore a brown coat and blue jeans. He looked around the town uncomfortably, as if he were expecting the town to ambush him.
"We're going to the library." Rodan answered.
"Really? I never took you for a reader."
"Hey, I read! Just not all the time. And only certain kinds of books, like adventure." Rodan looked back, offended by Angirasu's assumption.
"My bad." Angirasu held his hands up defensively.
"Besides, I heard that the new librarian that has been running the place for a couple months was a cutie." Rodan grinned. Angirasu face palmed in response.
"You know what Mosura said about-"
"I know, I know. But it never hurts to see a girl right?" asked Rodan. Angirasu sighed, a sad smile on his face.
"I guess not."
"That’s enough about me, Twilight. What can you tell me about yourself?" Junior hadn't been talking about himself for very long. There was not much that he could talk about.
"Oh, well I was born and raised in Canterlot. I always had this desire to learn, especially magic. I spent most of my time studying basic magic, hoping to learn all that I could. Later, my parents got me an interview to attend the school for gifted Elves. After displaying my magic in an...accidental overpowered spell, the Princess made me her personal student." Twilight thought back to her past fondly, a smile plastered on her face. Junior listened closely; Twilight's past helped him take his mind off of his past.
"I ended up spending most of my years, focused on my studies. I never actually interacted with other kids that were my age. I'm starting to regret it now that I think about it." Twilight frowned, looking down at her cup.
"Well, at least you have friends now who care about you. Besides, you’re still young. What are you like, seventeen or something?"
"Actually, I recently turned eighteen back in July." Twilight corrected, taking another sip of her tea.
"Oh. Close enough." Junior replied, taking a sip out of his tea.
"How old are you?" Twilight asked curiously.
"Eighteen, I'll be nineteen in December." Junior simply answered.
"December..." Twilight fished for a specific day. Junior looked to her with a raised brow.
"The eleventh." Junior answered, slight caution in his voice.
"OK, just checking!" Twilight smiled, taking another sip of her tea.
OK... Junior thought to himself.
There was a knock at the library door. Spike got up from his seat, walking back toward the main room of the library. He opened the door and saw two male Earth bounds standing at the door. They were both tall, especially the one with the really spiky hair.
"This is the cute librarian that you were talking about?" Angirasu whispered in a humored tone. Rodan glared at him in response.
"No! I mean, I hope not." Rodan hissed.
"Can I help you guys?" asked the small purple dragon.
"Yes! We um, we came to borrow a book!" Rodan answered.
"Yeah, except that's not the entire reason that we came." Angirasu muttered in Neighponese.
"You hush!" Rodan glared back at Angirasu, his irritation forcing him to speak in their native language.
"Uh...you wanted a book?" the small dragon asked, hoping to get their attention. Rodan turned his head back toward the dragon, a smile on his face.
"Yeah man! You guys got anything on Daring Doo?" asked Rodan.
"Yeah! We have all of the current volumes right now!" Spike gestured the two to walk into the library. Anguirus looked around the library. He was in awe of the design, and the organization of the books. However, one question was on his mind.
"A freaking tree made into a library?"
"I know right?" chuckled Rodan. Rodan noticed a short Elf girl stepping out of the kitchen, she was wearing a lavender sweater and a purple skirt with pink knee high socks.
"Hello~" Rodan muttered as he lightly grinned. From behind the Elf, a familiar face came into view.
"Gojira?!" Rodan exclaimed, his jaw dropping.
"Takeshi-san?" Angirasu's brows raised in surprise. Junior's eyes widened in shock as he saw the other two transmutants.
"Rodan? Riku-san? What are you two doing here?" asked Junior. Twilight looked up to Junior in confusion.
"You know these two?"
"Kind of." Junior answered simply. Twilight shrugged in response. Spike came out of the back room, a book in his hand.
"Here you go." Spike handed the book to Rodan, who took the book while still staring at Junior in shock.
"Thank you. C'mon Rodan." Angirasu patted the slack jawed mutant on his shoulder. Rodan shook his head furiously, putting a neutral expression on his face.
"Uh...yeah. Thanks a lot!" Rodan turned around and took off to the door. The room was suddenly quiet. The trio stood in the library in an awkward silence.
"Who wants lunch?" asked Twilight.
"I do!" said Spike.
"I'm OK with that." answered Junior.



Junior sat at home resting on his sofa. It was an enjoyable morning/noon. He got to know Twilight a little more and she learned a few things about him. He was glad that for someone who lived in Canterlot, she wasn't like the snooty or self-absorbed kind of person. He admired her intelligence, quite a blessing to have. Not bad for his first visit. Junior suddenly heard rapid knocks at his door. He groaned in irritation due to his peaceful rest being rudely interrupted. He made his way to his door, opening it to see Rodan and Angirasu.
"Oh. Hey guys." Junior greeted.
"Why didn't you tell me?!" demanded Rodan. Junior recoiled from the sudden tone.
"Huh??" Junior titled his head, clueless at what Rodan meant.
"Why didn't you tell me that you knew the cute librarian?!" Rodan grabbed Junior by his sweater, shaking him furiously.
"Twilight? Why-gah-does-oof- that-ma- will you cut that out?!" Junior grabbed Rodan's hands, pried them off of his sweater, then grabbed his arm and placed his other hand on Rodan's chest and flipped him onto his couch. Rodan grunted as he landed comfortably on the sofa. Junior panted, turning his attention to Angirasu.
"What the hell is his problem?" asked Junior.
"Romeo here, tried to score with that librarian." Angirasu sighed. Junior chuckled in response.
"Yeah, I don't think you’re her type Rodan."
"Ha!" responded Rodan, getting off of the sofa.
"Is that why you came here?" asked Junior.
"Well sort of. But actually, I wanted to see if you could help me get Angirasu to lighten up when in town." Rodan replied.
"Lighten up?"
"Yeah, he and Mosura are extremely paranoid! They act like the whole town is gonna light some torches and grab some pitchforks."
"To be fair, I've been that paranoid for years myself." Junior reasoned.
"See? Told ya that we weren't the only ones to feel that way" said Angirasu. Rodan chuckled in response.
"Hey, you know any other babes that you can introduce us to? That may help him get over his paranoia and meet a cute girl." Junior raised a brow; he turned his attention to Angirasu, who simply shrugged.
"I don't think that's a good idea." Junior said simply. Rodan groaned in response.
"Why not?"
"Oh gee I don't know. Maybe it has something to do with us being a trio of freaks that no girl would ever like?" Junior deadpanned with a sarcastic tone. Angirasu nodded in agreement.
"Don't remind me..." Rodan sighed.
"Speaking of freaks," Angirasu spoke, grabbing Junior's and Rodan's attention. "I heard that a Transmutant attacked Los Pegasus a few days ago."
"Wait, what?!" Junior exclaimed. Angirasu crossed his arms, closing his eyes in thought.
"Lately, Transmutants have been appearing in Equestria for some reason. At first, they were scattered individually or in groups around the world. Now, some are deciding to show up in nearby cities in this country and are attacking."
"Hmm." Junior looked down in worry. These attacks seemed to be getting closer. He worried that these Transmutants would end up in Ponyville and wreak havoc in the town. He couldn't let that happen. He especially didn't count on MONARCH to be around to help.
"Takeshi-san," Junior turned his attention back to Angirasu. "Why don't you visit the lair sometime? You're welcome anytime. Besides, you look like you could use some exercise."
"Are you saying that I'm fat?" Junior asked in an offended tone. Angirasu put his hands in front of himself defensively.
"No not all! You just looked tired when you tossed Rodan onto your sofa." Angirasu said with sweat beads on his fore head. Junior thought back to that. He also thought that he had been feeling exhausted lately. Maybe he wasn't getting enough exercise when working at Applejack's.
"Yeah. Sounds good. I'll drop by whenever I have time." replied Junior, a light smile on his face.
"Cool. C'mon Ro, we're going home." Angirasu made his back to the door, exiting out of the house. Rodan was about to step out the house, but turned back to Junior.
"You know, there's no shame in us liking girls Gojira." said Rodan, in a serious tone.
"No. But would they like us back if they knew the truth?" asked Junior. Rodan smirked, turning back around and exiting the house.
"We'll see." Rodan called out. Junior closed the door to his house. He made his way back to the sofa, taking a seat. Junior sat in thought, was this worth it? Was it a good thing that he was opening up to Twilight and Fluttershy and becoming their friend? Or was he setting himself up for more pain and suffering? Junior sighed, walking to his bedroom. He sat on his bed, taking his journal in his hand and began to write in it. That didn't matter right now. He was going to keep doing what he was doing. As long as he didn't reveal himself, he didn't have to worry about the pain.




Location: classified, POV: Gojira Senior, twelve years ago...

In a dimly lit room, sat Gojira, who was restrained by shackles that forced his hands behind his back. These shackles held his hands together with a magical energy that kept him restrained. He sat silently, his eyes closed and his breathing was heavy. He felt pain coursing through his body. His senses were overwhelmed with different smells, sounds and sensitivity on his nerves. It was an awful experience to be assaulted with these enhanced sensations all at once. He kept his eyes closed to at least have one sense from being added to the experience. Gojira sat in anger, he was confined in this room and was separated from his child. He feared what had become of him. He then overheard a conversation.
"Did you hear about the kid that they had locked up?" asked a male voice outside of the room. Gojira's ears perked at this. It was a good thing that he knew Equish.
"Yeah." Replied a second male voice.
"You think he's gonna make it?" asked the first male voice. Gojira gasped at this, opening his eyes in shock but was assaulted by the dim lights. He grunted as his increased eyesight added to the slight pain. He kept his eyes open, hoping that his eyes would adjust to the lighting.
"If he doesn't, then he was a wasted test subject. If he couldn't make it through the injection procedure, then that may mean that the mutagen fails to work in children." replied the second male voice. Gojira growled in anger as he heard his son being talked about as if he were an animal and not a human being.
"What's the status on Alpha?" asked the first male.
"Currently, he's displaying an increase in his senses. We were forced to confine him into this room with dimly lit lights to help him adjust and learn to control his senses." replied the second male.
"He's not gonna be happy if he finds out that his kid might be dying." Gojira felt his blood run cold hearing this. His heart was beating rapidly.
"He might already know. These walls aren't that thick to prevent him from hearing us, plus his hearing increased." Gojira stood to his feet. His eyes glared at the metal door. Gojira ran toward the metal door and slammed his body against it. He heard the men gasp from the sudden sound. Gojira repeatedly slammed his body against the door, attempting to break it down. He knew it was impossible, but he had to get to his son.
"Hey, knock it off in there!" shouted the second male.
"Let me out! Let me see my son!!" Gojira shouted, still slamming his body against the door.
"Turn on the gas!" commanded the second male. Suddenly, the room filled with white mist. Gojira stepped away from the door, searching his surroundings. He inhaled the gas, feeling it affecting his body. He fell down to his knees, glaring at the door before falling onto the ground unconscious.
> Chapter 6: Tough Guy
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Junior was sweating; he wore a charcoal grey training kimono. His eyes locked with Angirasu, who wore his brown training kimono. The two mutants circled each other, waiting for the other to strike first. Junior's breaths were paced, his eyes focusing on Angirasu's movement. Angirasu repeated this action. Mosura stood by and observed the two. Feeling the intense atmosphere between the two, both fighters suddenly stopped moving, they stared, their muscles tensing as they prepared to strike. Both of the mutants gave a war cry, charging toward each other. Junior threw a punch toward Angirasu, who blocked the attack and punched Junior at his rib. Junior grunted and then kneed Angirasu in his gut. Angirasu staggered back, attempting to recover from the attack. He then ran toward Junior, throwing two punches at his gut. Angirasu then punched Junior in his face, causing him to stagger back a bit. Junior was then kicked in his chest, the force sending him onto his back. Junior hopped back up to his feet, seeing that the spiky haired mutant was charging back toward him. Angirasu threw a right punch, but his arm was stopped by Junior's left. Junior then forced Angirasu's arm to be locked with his, having his forearm immobilize Angirasu's elbow. Junior reared his right arm back, and uppercuts Angirasu in the jaw. The punch sent Angirasu into the air, landing hard onto the matted floor. Angirasu grunted in frustration, getting back onto his feet and running back toward Junior. Junior punched Angirasu in his face, quickly followed by a knee to the chest. Angirasu quickly recovered and threw a right punch, Junior countered with a left. The two mutants repeated this with vice-versa punches. Junior then punched Angirasu in the gut, knocking the wind out of him, and then kicked him a couple of feet away. Angirasu gasped for air, trying to start back up his breathing. He coughed furiously, until he managed to catch his breath. He panted, still lying on the ground. He was bruised all over his face, he felt sore all over his body, the most pain that he ever felt in training. Angirasu heard footsteps approach him; Junior was standing next to him with his hand extended toward him. Angirasu took Junior's hand, using it to help himself stand back up. His legs felt wobbly, as if he was going to collapse under his own weight.
"Sorry about that. I may have gone a little overboard." Junior apologized as he helped Angirasu walk over to Mosura.
"Nah, you can't get stronger unless you get a few bruises." chuckled Angirasu.
"You're the first one to stand and fight me the longest. I'm impressed." praised Junior.
"Thanks, but I still lost." sighed Angirasu.
"Yeah, but you earned my respect in combat." Junior smiled. Angirasu smiled back, he then felt Mosura grabbed his other arm and placed it over her shoulders. She helped Junior sit Angirasu down comfortably on the ground. Angirasu sighed in relief, taking the weight of his legs.
"We're done for today, Takeshi-kun. Next week, your opponent will be me." Junior rose a brow in response to Mosura's challenge. He spent a week training with the other transmutants in the lair whenever he got off working for Applejack. He even had the opportunity for combat training with those that were almost as strong as he was. Rodan was the first, he didn't last as long since Junior figured out his pattern at dodging and attacking. His greater size and strength allowed him to end the match quickly. Angirasu mainly just went for the attack, not really planning it out. He just threw punches and kicks whenever he thought was necessary. This worked for a short amount of time, but it was also his weakness. Whenever Junior knocked Angirasu down, he would get back up to keep going. Although he found it futile to fight that way, he admired Angirasu's courage to come back up. Mosura was different story, he never took her as a fighter. She looked just like a pacifist, no way someone like her would hurt a fly. If she did, how strong was she compared to him?
"Don't underestimate me, you just might regret it." Mosura closed her eyes, smiling as she tilted her head. Junior felt himself uncomfortable at how disturbing it was to see a nice seeming young woman threaten him in a polite tone.
"Um...got it. I'll see you guys then."
It was a late morning, Junior was back in his sweater and jeans making his way out of the Everfree forest. He had light bruises on his face. His body was taking longer to heal itself; he was at least getting good exercise. As Junior made it out of the Everfree, he caught a familiar scent. Junior took deep whiffs of the scent, his lungs burning from the smell. Junior's eyes widened. It was smoke. Junior looked around frantically, searching for any clouds in the sky. He noticed an ominous dark cloud of smoke above, he traced the smoke all the way to a faraway mountain. Junior also noticed at how much the smoke had spread into the air and was heading for Ponyville. At this rate, the environment in the area will...
"Oh hell no!" Junior felt a primal urge inside of him. His home would suffer from the smoke, the air would be toxic. He growled like a territorial beast, and broke off into a sprint, making his way to the mountain.



Junior stood alone glaring to the top of the mountain. The dark cloud of smoke came from the top. There was no way for a fire could be the source of this situation; it had to be something else. Junior suddenly heard a loud, monstrous sound. Junior tensed at the sudden sound, but managed to recompose himself.
'So, it’s a dragon?' Junior made his way up the hill that led to base of the mountain. As he reached the mountain's base, he looked at his hands. He clenched them both, veins slightly exposed beneath his skin. Junior hopped onto the wall of the mountain, digging his fingers into the stone. He climbed and climbed and climbed, grunting every time he smashed his hands into the stone. The sounds of the beast echoed from the mountain, causing the mountain to rumble.
"Shut up!" shouted Junior as he continued to climb. Junior noticed that there was a part of the mountain that he could have traveled without having to climb vertically up. Junior was so lost in anger about the smoke that he missed the easy way up. He felt his eye twitch.
"MOTHER F-!!"

Meanwhile at the bottom of the hill near the base of the mountain...

"Did ya'll hear something?" asked Applejack, looking around the area.
"Twilight said that it was the snoring dragon AJ." replied Rainbow Dash, flapping her wings as she hovered above ground.
"No not that. I thought I heard an angry feller yelling." Applejack stuck her pinkie in her ear, attempting to clear it out.
"Hey, isn't that Goji up there?" Pinkie pointed up toward a small figure that seemed to be sliding down the mountain. Distant shouts can be heard from that same direction. Rainbow squinted her eyes, attempting to have her eyes focus on the figure.
"Hey, that is him!" exclaimed Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy stuck her head out from behind the other five girls at hearing the sighting of another one of her friends.
"What in Equestria is he doing up there?" asked Rarity with an amused tone.
"I guess it’s for the same reason we are going up." answered Twilight. She placed a map into her backpack. "Come on, let’s go meet him!"
The girls continued up the hill, Junior's voice becoming more coherent.
"Goddamn dragon! I spend a week working my ass off in training and to pay for food and I come out and find this scaly son of bitch polluting my home?! I don't think so! Gojira don't play that sh-" Junior's voice echoed above, being heard by the six girls.
"My goodness! Such language!" Rarity exclaimed, a hand over her cheek.
"Wow. He sounds mad!" Rainbow laughed. Fluttershy was covering her ears, blocking out Junior's swearing. Twilight and Applejack looked to each other, then looked back at Junior as he descended from the mountain.
"I'm not taking it this time! I am going to climb down this stupid mountain, take the less vertical route, climb again and take that dragon's tail and ram it up his-" Junior slid down to the base of the mountain, and hopped off. Before he could finish his thought, he turned around and saw the faces of six familiar girls. Junior quickly forgot about his rage, his shoulders slumping down.
"Oh. H-how long were you there?" Junior stuttered, beads of sweat forming on his face.
"A couple of minutes." Pinkie answered. There was an awkward silence. Only the sounds of the wind can be heard.
"Rough week?" asked Rainbow Dash, stifling her laughter.
"Don't ask." Junior deadpanned.



Junior found himself traveling with Twilight and the others up the mountain. He was still in a sour mood from the whole thing and from being caught raging like a madman. Rarity was talking about dragons and how they prized jewels, which they apparently used to build their nests. She had the crazy idea of convincing the dragon to let her part with some of his gems. Ha! Yeah right. Pinkie got into deepening her voice like a dragon, joking around about it offering Rarity a diamond. Junior honestly couldn't find anything funny about it. He just scowled as he lagged behind the group.
"Fluttershy, you're the expert on creatures. What do you think the dragon will be like?" Twilight asked. Junior mentally groaned.
'I have a few guesses.' Junior thought to himself.
"Fluttershy?" Twilight called out, noticing that the timid girl had not answered.
"Hey! What are you waiting for? An invitation?" Rainbow called out, the timid girl coward behind the bushes down below.
"Ooh! I think I have one in my bag!" Pinkie pulled out a card, the sound of confetti bursting startling Rainbow and Rarity. Junior face palmed.



Things were not going well. Fluttershy was too afraid to fly up to where the rest of the group was. Applejack volunteered to take her around the mountain. Junior sat in boredom as he watched Pinkie beat Rarity at tic-tac-toe for the thirty-fifth time in a row. Twilight paced around, waiting for Applejack and Fluttershy to arrive while Rainbow hovered in a pacing motion above. The grunts of Applejack could be heard. The group turned their attention to the source of the sound, finding Applejack dragging a petrified Fluttershy.
"Made...it." Applejack panted, falling down to her knees.
Junior sighed, standing up and walking over to the pair. He took a knee and gently tapped Fluttershy on the shoulder, causing her to move her eyes to make contact with his.
"Come on. We still got a long way to go."
Junior was carrying Fluttershy over his shoulder. She squirmed in place, forcing him to keep a tighter hold on her. He couldn't figure why she was acting so terrified for. He offered to help Applejack to get her to move up the mountain, but she proved too difficult to push up. Junior didn't like the idea of pushing her, especially with his strength, so he decided to carry her.
"Please put me down Goji!" Fluttershy begged, as she desperately tried to free herself from the Earth bound's hold. Junior tried not to give in, but this being Fluttershy and her pleas were making it harder for him.
"We have to keep moving Shy. If I put you down, we won't be able to get to the top on time." Junior replied. He frowned after he heard Fluttershy make a pitiful whimper. Junior stopped as he noticed that there was a cliff, on the other side was a ledge that led further up the mountain. Twilight, Rarity, Rainbow, Pinkie, and Applejack hopped over to the other side one at a time. Junior was going to have to put her down for the moment. He gently placed Fluttershy back on the ground onto her feet and pointed toward the others, informing her where they needed to go. Junior readied himself and hopped over toward the ledge, landing safely. Fluttershy gulped as she stared over the cliff, at the long drop below. Nothing but a river and the fields could be seen, along with rocks that stuck from the base of the mountain.
"Your turn, Fluttershy." said Twilight. Fluttershy held onto the mountain wall, averting her gaze from the cliff.
"But, it’s so...wide!" Junior frowned at this. Maybe he should have jumped with her after all.
"Come on Fluttershy, we should be much farther along by now." Twilight said urgently.
"You could just leap on over." Applejack suggested. Fluttershy looked back over the cliff.
"I-" A loud snore from the dragon echoed into the air. The pink haired Valkyrie panicked, clutching her head as she sat on her knees, her eyes shut tightly.
"I don't know." Fluttershy said simply, trembling in fear. Junior was about to say something, but was interrupted by Pinkie.
"There's nothing to be afraid of! It's just a hop and a jump!" Pinkie hopped over toward Fluttershy's ledge.
"See?" Pinkie smiled. "It's not very far, just move your little rump-"
"Oh god, not again." Junior face palmed.
"Yes, humans are annoying when they sing aren't they?" A male voice echoed in Junior's mind. Junior's blood ran cold, he searched his surroundings. No one but himself and the other girls were around.
"Oh right, you can't respond. Yeah, we wouldn't want you to sound crazy would we? Just speak to me through your thoughts." said the voice. Junior calmed himself, taking the stranger's suggestion.
'Who are you?' thought Junior, attempting to communicate with the voice.
"My name is not important. But I am a Transmutation like you, Gojira. And I have something important to tell you." replied the voice. Junior was so focused on the voice that he lost his attention toward the girls.
'What is it?' Junior asked cautiously. He didn't like that this guy didn't give him his name, but demanding it wouldn't get him anywhere.
"I know why you have been feeling weak these past couple of months." said the voice. Junior's eyes widened. How did he know about that? Suddenly, Junior felt the sleeve of his sweater tugged. Junior looked down to Twilight, a look of concern on her face.
"Hey, are you OK?" asked Twilight. Junior looked to her in confusion.
"Yeah I'm fine. Why?"
"You didn't respond when we called you." Twilight gestured toward the others, who were actually already ahead of him. Pinkie waved as he turned his attention toward them.
"Oh. Sorry, I've just been tired lately." Junior rubbed the back of his head. Twilight sighed in response.
"When we're through, you go straight home mister and get some rest!" Twilight commanded. Junior raised a brow, but decided it was best to comply then argue.
"OK."



The group walked down a path, where the lined the mountain walls on their right. A few small trees rested on the stones on the left, where there was also an edge that one could fall over.
"Let's keep it down. According to the map, we're entering an avalanche zone. The smallest peep can cause a huge rock slide." Twilight whispered to the group. Junior mentally groaned.
'I wish I could fly' Junior thought to himself.
"A-av-ava-?" Fluttershy stuttered in a nervous tone. Twilight immediately shushed her, silencing her. The group silently carried on, only the sounds of their steps could be heard. Rainbow Dash flew below a tree branch, causing it to rustle and a small leaf to slowly descend to the ground. Fluttershy cautiously walked, her shoulders tensed up. The fallen leaf descended down, just above Fluttershy. The leaf gently landed behind her neck.
"AVALA-!" Fluttershy screamed, but was quickly silenced by Applejack who placed her hand over her mouth. Fluttershy's cut off scream echoed. The group stood silently, anxious about what may have just been unfolded. As the echoes died down, the group sighed in relief. Suddenly, a loud rumble could be heard. The ground beneath their feet trembled; tiny rocks fell down the walls of the mountain… then large stones began to rain down upon them.
"AVALANCHE" The group screamed in unison. The rocks crashed onto the ground, nearly hitting the group. They all ran and panicked, attempting to avoid the stones. Rainbow flew past the stones, using her speed and agility to avoid being crushed. Junior saw Twilight running by herself, a large boulder nearing her. His adrenaline shot, he attempted to reach but was hit by a stone the size of his head. The stone shattered on his back, causing him to stagger. He saw that Applejack had already saved Twilight from certain death. He sighed in relief, but gasped as he noticed large stones heading his way. He glared at the incoming threat, his muscles tensing. His pupils shrunk and his irises grew. Junior reared his fist back, and punched the closest stone. The stone shattered from the force, but he felt a slight stinging sensation in his hand. His strength was dwindling. Junior was suddenly hit by several more stones, causing him to grunt and shout in pain. He fell onto his knees, using his arms to shield his head and neck and hiding his head beneath his chest. The stones were getting smaller as they hit him, then he felt dirt sliding between his legs. He attempted to stand but was quickly buried; only his hand was exposed.



"Everybody OK?" Applejack called out.
"Thanks to you I am." Twilight hugged the blonde Earth bound, thankful for being saved. Fluttershy popped out of a pile of dirt, frowning at the catastrophe that she caused. Pinkie bounced joyfully, while Rarity shook her body in attempt to get the dirt off of her body and clothes. The dirt became nothing but a cloud of dust, passing over to Pinkie Pie.
"Woo hoo! Let's do it again!" Pinkie said in exhilaration.
"This is why a girl always packs extra accessories!" Rarity reached into her pink backpack, pulling out a pink scarf and wrapped it around her neck.
"Oh please tell me that I brought the tiara that goes with this."
"Uh I think we got bigger problems then making sure our hair bows match our shoes!" Rainbow said in annoyance, pointing toward a mountain of debris that blocked their path. The girls looked on in disappointment.
"Sorry." Fluttershy frowned.
"Aw, no big whoop sugar cube." said Applejack with a reassuring smile.
"Yeah, we'll just have to..." Twilight sighed "climb over."
Rainbow Dash suddenly remembered something. They were missing a person.
"Hey, what happened to Gojira?" The rest of the group tensed, they hadn't seen him since the rock slide. Fluttershy felt her heart skip. What if Gojira...
"Gojira!" called Fluttershy, quickly getting to her feet and running back from where they came. Twilight followed her in pursuit along with the others. They called his name repeatedly, hoping to hear him call back.
Fluttershy searched frantically, drawing quick breaths. When her eyes came across a medium sized pile of dirt and stone, her heart broke at the sight that she saw. A masculine hand was sticking out at the top of the pile of dirt. It was limp, with no sign of life. She burst into a sprint, her eyes welling up with tears. Fluttershy grabbed the hand, trying to pull Gojira out. She grunted in frustration as she failed to pull him out, and instead dug at the dirt as quickly as she could. Applejack and Rainbow followed Fluttershy to the mound, shocked to see the hand lifelessly sticking out of the dirt. They both made their way at different sides of the mound, helping Fluttershy to dig Junior out. When Twilight caught up, she gasped as she saw the lifeless hand. Her breaths grew shallow.
"No..." Twilight whispered to herself, denying the sight that was before her eyes. She broke off into a sprint, along with Rarity and Pinkie. Soon, all six of the girls were at the mound, moving away stones and digging at the dirt quickly. Many thoughts ran through their minds. These thoughts were, 'oh no, what if he's dead?!', 'we have to get him out!', 'I can't believe that this is happening!'. 'I won't be able to throw him a party ever again!', 'Don't you die on us you jerk!'. But the most tragic thought of all was, 'It was my fault! He might be dead because of me! I'm a horrible friend!'
After twenty seconds of digging, the girls managed to reach Junior's head. His eyes were closed, and his head was limp in the dirt. They kept digging, unearthing him up to his chest. Applejack got behind Junior, sticking her hands under his arms and lifted him with all of her might. Rainbow flew and grabbed Junior's left hand and pulled while Rarity pulled his right hand. They strained to get him unstuck from the dirt, but succeeded as he slid out. They dragged him away from the dirt mound, gently laying him on his back. Twilight ran to his side and quickly got on to her knees next to Junior and unzipped his torn sweater. She lied her head down on his chest, listening for a breath of air. She then quickly lifted her head off his chest, a look of dread on her face.
"He's not breathing!" The girls gasped in response.
"What do we do?!" Pinkie cried. Fluttershy's eyes began to run with tears. She was Gojira's first friend, and she killed him.
"I know a way. Give me some room now!" Twilight commanded. The rest of the girls complied; Rarity took Fluttershy by her shoulders and walked her away from Twilight and the unresponsive Gojira. Twilight rolled up her sleeves, lifting Junior's chin slightly with one hand and pressed onto his forehead with the other, tilting his head back gently. She then pinched Junior's nose shut, while the heel of her hand was still on his forehead and her other hand still under his chin. After inhaling, Twilight then locked lips with Junior, maintaining an air-tight seal with her mouth and his. She gave a breath that lasted a second, while still maintaining the seal. Junior's chest rose from the breath of air. Twilight took a second breath and repeated the action. She then placed the palm of her hand on Junior's chest, the other hand on top of the first hand and pushed downward hard and fast onto his chest. She repeated this action several times, grunting after every push.
Applejack looked on worriedly toward the sight. This had gone all wrong. She never imagined that someone seemingly as strong as Junior was would be facing the last moments of his life like this. Rainbow stared, mentally berating Junior for letting himself get buried. She clenched her fists at the sight. Sure, she wasn't all of that fond of him but she didn't want him to die let alone see it happen. Pinkie's hair had deflated, as she sat and stared helplessly as Twilight continued to push down onto his chest. Pinkie felt her eyes water as she sniffed at the sight. Rarity held a weeping Fluttershy, as she stared at Twilight attempting to save the life of a friend. She wasn't concerned about the dirt that covered Gojira, or the ripped sweater that he wore, she was too focused on whether or not he would make it. Twilight continued to give air to Junior, and pressing down on his chest.
'I'm not going to give up on you Gojira, so don't you give up!' Twilight was about to give more air to Junior when suddenly, he started coughing furiously. Junior sat up, coughing up dust from his lungs. Junior leaned over to his right, coughing up mucus onto the ground. Junior tried calming his breaths, but he realized that they were coming short. He needed as much oxygen as he could get. He wheezed, and continued to cough up mucus. Applejack quickly dug into her backpack, pulling out a canteen filled with water. She handed him the canteen, which he took and began consuming the cool refreshing liquid. Junior sighed; his breaths were still a little wheezy.
"Thanks..." Junior said in a raspy voice, a weak smile on his face.
"Anytime, partner." Applejack said softly, relieved to see Junior breathing and alive. The rest all sighed in relief.
"You gave us quite the scare, darling." said Rarity, placing her hand over her chest. Pinkie's hair puffed back up, a large smile was plastered on her face.
"I know! It was super duper scary to see you not breathing after we dug you out!" Pinkie bounced with joy. Rainbow smiled at Junior.
"You're a fighter man. I'm impressed. And...I'm sort of..." Rainbow crossed her arms, looking away as she mumbled the last part of the sentence.
"What was that?" asked Junior.
"I said that I'm..." Rainbow mumbled again, Junior had a wild guess at what she was saying. But he wanted to hear her say it.
"Didn't quite catch that."
"I said that I'm glad that you’re OK!" Rainbow shouted, flaring her wings. Junior lightly chuckled, breaking into another coughing fit. Twilight patted his back.
"Thanks, I didn't think you cared." said Junior. Rainbow huffed as she crossed her arms and looked away. Twilight wrapped her arms around Junior affectionately and nuzzled his cheek, making him feel embarrassed.
"Good thing Twi knew CPR." said Applejack, a grin on her face. Twilight blushed furiously and quickly released Junior.
'CP...?' Junior had formed a light blush on his face as well when his mind registered what he was just told. He noticed that he could taste something foreign in his mouth. That means that he tasted Twilight's breath! Junior cleared his throat.
"Thanks Twilight, you're a true friend."
"Oh! Um...n-no problem!" Twilight smiled. She turned as she noticed movement in her peripheral vision. Fluttershy was making her way toward Junior with tears streaming down her face. She dropped to her knees and wrapped Junior into a tight hug, sobbing as she held him.
"I'm so, so, so sorry! I didn't mean for any of this to happen!" Fluttershy's sobbed into Junior's shoulder. He felt his shirt absorb her tears, drenching his skin. He frowned as he gently rubbed her back.
"I'm not mad at you. The important thing is that everything turned out fine."
"B-but..." Fluttershy looked to Junior, her eyes puffy from the tears.
"What's done is done. Nothing can be changed." Junior said simply. Fluttershy backed away, wiping the tears from her cheeks. Junior attempted to stand, but his legs were wobbly, causing him to lose balance. Applejack reacted quickly enough to catch him, sitting him back down.
"Easy there, you're in no shape to travel." informed Applejack. Junior shook his head in response.
"No...I can *cough* keep going." Junior attempted to stand again, but his legs failed to even lift him off of the ground.
"Gojira Takeshi the 2nd, you are in no condition move!" Twilight scolded. Junior continued to try to stand but failed.
"I can do it! I just need-"
"No! You need to stop this now! You are too stubborn to know when to ask for help or when to stop for your own well-being!" Twilight yelled at Junior, causing him to glare at her.
"I can take care of myself Twilight." Junior retorted. Rainbow groaned in annoyance.
"There you go again with the tough guy act." said Rainbow as she crossed her arms.
"Tough guy act? I'm not acting like a tough guy!" Junior argued, glaring at the rainbow haired Valkyrie.
"You totally are! You did the same thing back in the Everfree forest! I see you in town and you getting into fights with punks and how it’s alienated you among other people. I even see how you try to put up an image of yourself as someone who doesn't care what others think but in reality, I'm willing to bet that you do!"
"You don't know a damn thing about me! What I do or what I think should be none of your concern!" Junior felt himself getting angry. He tried to compose himself, but he was already lashing out.
"So we just let ya take everything on your own, even if it hurts you?" asked Applejack, a hand on her hip as she demanded an answer.
"Yes! Because the conflicts that I face are mine alone!"
"Even if those conflicts are life threatening ? Do you have a death wish or something?" demanded Rainbow Dash as she got in Junior's face. That was it, Junior wasn't going to take it anymore.
"So what if I do Rainbow Dash?" Junior suddenly rose to his feet, causing Rainbow to recoil away from him. She took a stance with her fists up, daring Junior to come at her.
"Am I hurting you? Am I hurting Rarity? What about Pinkie? Applejack? Or what about Fluttershy or Twilight? It doesn't matter to me what becomes of me in this life anymore! We all gotta go sometime right?!" Junior's voice echoed. The area was suddenly dead quiet. Rainbow's expression completely changed; she looked as if she was just slapped in the face. Applejack had the same look. Fluttershy, Pinkie and Rarity stared at Junior with wide eyes. Twilight placed her hand over her chest, a look of sympathy on her face. Junior realized what he just said, in front of all of them.
'Smooth' Junior thought to himself.
"What?" Rainbow asked softly as she relaxed her muscles, slowly putting her fists down.
"Nothing. Just forget about it." Junior looked down to the ground, avoiding eye contact. Twilight reached out to Junior.
"Gojira, we didn't-"
"Forget everything I said!" Twilight recoiled from his tone. Junior sighed, calming himself down.
"Look, just go on without me. I'll wait here." Twilight frowned, turning around to the dirt mountain that blocked their path.
"Gojira, I want to have a talk with you at the library when we're through here." Twilight walked off to the dirt mountain.
"Fine," said Junior. One by one, the rest of the girls followed Twilight, taking final glances at him. Fluttershy lagged behind, staring back at Junior with a look of sadness. Junior noticed that she was still there in his peripheral vision.
"Go on ahead without me, Shy. Equestria needs you more than it needs me."
"I'm sorry that you feel the way you do, Goji. Is there anything that I can do? Anything that we can do?" asked Fluttershy. Junior sighed, looking up toward the sky.
"I wish I knew Shy. I wish I knew."



Junior sat alone for a couple of minutes. He managed to get his breathing back to normal, but his body still ached from the rock slide. He wished that he hadn't had that conversation. He wished that he never came along for this quest. He wished that he knew how to keep his cool. But most of all, he wish that he could live in peace. His life has been nothing but torture. He had an unkind existence where he was fated to be lonely and destined to be hated. Hell, he wondered if that was why he was born. The past was the past. The present is stagnant. There was no future. Nothing but pain and despair awaited him. All because he was made into the freak that he was today.
"It can't be helped." A familiar voice said, coming from the side of Junior. He quickly turned his head, seeing a figure in a black hood.
"You." Junior said simply.
"Yes, me." The figure was now approaching Junior in a steady pace.
"You said that you knew why I was weak. Why?" asked Junior, not caring to be concerned about potentially being in danger by this stranger.
"It is because you are dying." The figure answered. Normally, Junior would be worried. But right now, he just couldn't bring himself to care.
"Really? Why's that?"
"The creatures that our DNA were crossed with relied on an energy source as part of their food. It helped them to stay nourished for such large beasts, and supported their strength and size. We inherited that trait, but we have less need to consume this energy for ourselves as often as they did. Mainly when we use our abilities often, it takes us at least a year to actually need to consume more of this energy. You have spent most of your life in hiding for so long that you were able to conserve your own energy. But since you've been using it more now, you have been starving yourself. Your body grows weak, you tire and you lack the same physical durability that you normally have. This also leads to the aggression with those humans a while ago other then you bottling up your obvious misery." The figure explained. Junior bitterly chuckled.
"Freaking mind readers. So, what is this energy source?"
"Nuclear radiation." The figure replied. Junior raised a brow in response.
"Yes, there may have been radiation that was abundant in the world at one point that supported these large beasts."
"Ugh. Damn MONARCH!" groaned Junior.
"Yes, damn them all indeed. Gojira, I have a proposition for you."
"I'm all ears." replied Junior. The hooded figure dug into his pocket and fished out a green, glowing gem in hand.
"In my hand, is an enchanted gem that is used to store a certain amount of radiation. If you accept this, you can have the radiation and become strong enough to find more radiation with me and have an opportunity to rescue one of our own from MONARCH." Junior's ears perked up. He eyed the gem, able to sense the radiation that was trapped inside. But, he thought back to what the others had said. Did he have to face everything on his own? Or was he as stubborn as they said? If he refused his offer, he wouldn't live long enough to figure it out anyway.
"I'll help you."
"Good. Meet me in Los Pegasus at the docks tomorrow afternoon. We're going back to Neighpon."



Junior sat at a table in front of Twilight in the library. They sat in silence, Junior couldn't make eye contact with her. He felt shameful just being in her presence for the way he acted.
"Gojira, I just want to know what's wrong. I can't help you if you don't ask for my help." said Twilight, placing her hand over Junior's. He slightly tensed at her touch, but settled down.
"Nothing is wrong." Twilight looked at Junior in frustration.
"Something is bothering you."
"Nothing is bothering me, Twilight!" Junior tried desperately to avoid confronting the issue.
"Liar! I know that something is bothering you! How dare you look me in the eye and lie to my face!?" Twilight released Junior's hand and stood from her seat. Her hand suddenly glowed along with Junior's seat. His seat quickly pulled back from the table with him on it, his heart jumped from the sudden movement. As Junior stood from the seat, he felt Twilight tackle him to the ground. He looked deeply into her violet eyes, they burned with anger. She had her hands were placed down on his shoulders, her knees held her up from behind as her body stood over Junior's.
"Why? Why do you refuse to let others help you?!" Twilight shouted. Junior laid silently, a surprised look on his face. One minute he was sitting down, next thing he knew he was on his back with the angry librarian over him.
"You big jerk! You have people around who care about you. Don't you see that?!" Twilight's eyes began to well up with tears as she berated him. Junior felt his heart tugged at, he never meant to make her cry. Twilight removed herself from Junior, sitting on the floor facing away from him. She clutched her knees as she wept.
"Friends are supposed to look out for each other. Are we even friends?!" Twilight sobbed. She wanted Junior to understand where she was coming from. It unfair not just to her, but to the others as well. Junior frowned as he sat up; clenching his fist as he mentally scolded himself. He remembered the day that he left Canterlot when he made Blaire cry. He hated himself for doing that, and here he was doing it again.
"I'm sorry Twilight. It isn't fair to you that I've been keeping these things to myself. I...I just thought that I was doing something right. I thought that it was right to deal with my own problems, alone like always." said Junior. Twilight lightly sobbed, listening to Junior as he spoke.
"I didn't mean to hurt you. I just thought that I was making it easier on others." Twilight wiped her cheeks, turning around slowly to see Junior looking down at the ground sadly.
"I just want to be able to be there for you. I felt like that our friendship had no meaning to you. The thought of that hurt me." replied Twilight with a sniffle. Junior sighed.
"It does. I guess I'm just a dummy when it comes to having friends huh?" Junior lightly chuckled. Twilight had a light giggle in response.
"Kind of." The two sat in silence. Twilight scooted closer to Junior, looking into his yellow eyes.
"Did you mean what you said earlier? When Rainbow asked if you had a death wish?" Junior remained silent. Trying to figure out why he would say such a thing.
"I thought I did, but now I think I'm just afraid."
"Afraid of what?" asked Twilight. Junior's mind flashed to an image of the charcoal grey dragon's face from his dream.
"I'm afraid of losing everything that I had gained living here. I'm afraid of losing you and Fluttershy, the only ones who have offered their friendship to me." Junior looked down on the floor, feeling relief from getting things off of his chest. He just wish that he could get more of his chest.
"You don't have to worry about that. We're here for you Gojira, we care about you, along with the others." Twilight gave Junior a warm smile. He smiled in return.
"Thanks." said Junior.
"I still think that your kind of big jerk." said Twilight.
"Yeah,  you may be right shorty." Junior teased. Twilight looked at Junior with an offended look.
"H-hey, I am not that short!" Twilight huffed, as she hit Junior's shoulder. Junior lightly chuckled.
"I'm sorry, I was just messing with you. You make up for it with your intelligence." Twilight looked away from Junior, embarrassed at her outburst.
"There's something that I need to let you know Twi." said Junior. Twilight returned her attention back to Junior, a curious look on her face.
"Yes?"
"I'll be heading off to Neighpon tomorrow for a week. There's...something that I need to take care of." said Junior, his tone hesitant at the last sentence.
"Oh. Well, just be safe OK?" Twilight said worriedly. Junior wrapped Twilight into a tight embrace. She blushed at how he was the one showing her affection. She smiled and returned the hug.
"I will."



Junior found himself on a ship sailing to Neighpon next to the hooded figure. His sweater was repaired by Rarity yesterday, who generously offered to sew it up. She did a good job and he felt bad about not paying her, but she insisted. The two waited for over a day on the ship. They were nearing mainland. The hooded figure was going over the plan.
"First, we're going to one of the nearby nuclear plants. From there, we can consume enough radiation to last us a good amount of time. Then, we will head off to the Vault, a prison that was built to hold Transmutants. Not many have been captured, but we're looking for one specifically."
"OK. I got it." Junior replied, analyzing the plan in his head. The hooded figure smiled.
"Good."




Somewhere in Neighpon...

The two mutants were walking in a dark forest, trudging through mud and leaves. The weather had grown to be rainy. The rain dropped from the dark clouds that hid the night sky, and soaked them from their heads to their shoulders. Junior was forced to wear his hood in order to keep his head from getting soak The hooded figure stopped Junior by holding his hand up. He searched the area, looking for any unwelcome company. It was all clear. They continued on, finding two large nuclear cooling towers in the middle of an empty field. The two sprinted toward the structure, hopping over the fence and blending in with the night. Junior and the hooded figure made their way inside of the facility, the sound of generators sounding and the smell of radiation in the air. For humans, it was hazardous. But to a transmutant, it was delicious.
"OK. This is where it gets tricky. We need to partially transform in order to consume a lot of the radiation." The hooded figure took off his black sweater and shirt, revealing the face of a young man with red eyes and jet black hair. The upper body of the mutant began to shift, his bones morphing beneath his flesh. He grunted, trying to fight the excruciating pain. Then, insect-like wings sprung from his back, the markings on his wings appeared like flames. His wings began to illuminate, the light coursing to the veins of the mutant. He inhaled deeply, exhaling as someone would when consuming good food. Junior removed his sweater and shirt, not wanting to rip his favorite sweater that Rarity just repaired for him. Junior concentrated and he felt his muscles and nerves hurt. His bones were shifting in place, causing him to grunt. His breathing became shallow, as he felt a sharp pain along his spine. Dark grey, short maple leaf-like, bony dorsal fins ripped through the flesh of his back. Junior hissed in pain. His neck sprouted small gills, and an armored crest forming in the center of his chest. Junior felt his dorsal fins absorbing the radiation into his body. He sighed, feeling his body regaining its full strength. The radiation helped him clear his head of stress. After a couple of minutes, they finished consuming their needed radiation. Their bodies' morphed back into their original human forms. They both put their shirts and sweaters back on.
"Now, we head for the vault." said the hooded figure.
> Chapter 7: The Vault
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was beautiful morning in Ponyville. The sun was shining brightly in the sky; the air was cool from the coming fall weather. The Valkyries soared in the air, the wind blowing through their hair. The sound of chirping birds can be heard. Fluttershy is humming to herself as she feeds her animal friends. They smiled in her presence and felt secure. There was no other human around that was a better caretaker than her. Fluttershy had finished feeding the animals and was making her way down the road. She continued to hum, taking in the fresh air and the morning sun. Suddenly, she heard a loud banging on a door. She stopped, her peaceful mood interrupted. Fluttershy turned and saw that she wasn't far from Junior's home. In front of the door, there were two Earth bounds standing on his porch. A crimson haired Earth bound was banging his hand on the door.
"Hey Gojira, open up!" called the crimson haired Earth bound. Fluttershy's ears perked up at how he called his name. Was he a friend of Goji's?
"Takeshi-san! You in there man?" the larger Earth bound called, his hair was incredibly spiky when compared to the crimson haired Earth bound. Fluttershy was now curious about their reasons wanting to meet with Gojira. She slowly approached the two, taking quiet and timid steps.
As the Valkyrie was several feet away, she hesitated to take another step. How could she keep going? She was just too shy to approach them! Fluttershy was about to leave until the larger Earth bound quickly turned around. Fluttershy gave a startled yelp at the sudden movement. The larger Earth bound visibly flinched in response to her yelp.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." apologized the large Earth bound. The crimson haired Earth bound turned around as well, his eyes widening at the sight of Fluttershy. Fluttershy didn't speak; she instead hid her face behind her hair. Angirasu had small frown. Did he do something wrong?
"Hey, no need to be afraid." said the crimson haired Earth bound. Fluttershy analyzed the two Earth bounds. The crimson haired one seemed friendly. However, the larger Earth bound frightened her. He had a round muscle tone, and was taller than she was. His spiky hair looked scary to her. She whimpered as she looked away from the larger Earth bound making him sigh in response. The crimson haired Earth bound noticed this and hatched an idea to get her to warm up to him.
"I know he might look a little scary, but you don't need to worry about him. He’s actually friendly for such a big dude!" The crimson haired Earth bound reassured. Fluttershy cautiously looked back to the larger Earth bound, making eye contact with him. The larger Earth bound then puts on a friendly smile, trying to appear less intimidating. Fluttershy moved her hair out of her face, getting a better look at the Earth bound. A small smile formed on her face, he didn't look as scary as she thought after all.
"My name is Angirasu Riku. It’s nice to meet you." greeted the larger Earth bound.
"And I'm Rodan Shou." the crimson haired Earth bound introduced himself.
"I-I'm Flutter..." Fluttershy mumbled the last half of her name, shyly looking away.
"Could you repeat that?" asked Angirasu. Fluttershy steeled herself, hoping to say her name clearly.
"My name is Fluttershy!" She quickly said. Angirasu had a small smile on his face at how cute that was.
"That's a nice name, very fitting if you don't mind me saying." complimented Angirasu. Fluttershy smiled i response, placing her hands behind her back.
"T-thank you."
Rodan looked at Angirasu, a small smile forming on his face. He suddenly remembered what they were here for. He turned back around and knocked on the door again.
"Gojira, open the door!" called Rodan. Fluttershy looked at Rodan in wonder.
"Do you...know Goji?" Rodan was about to knock on the door again but immediately stopped as he heard that sentence. He turned back around with a surprised look on his face.
"Do you know him?" asked Rodan in disbelief. He then felt Angirasu lightly slapping him in the back of the head. Rodan looked at him in annoyance.
"What?"
"She asked you first." replied Angirasu.
"Oh no, it’s alright! Yes, I do know him. He's my friend and neighbor." said Fluttershy, pointing to her cottage that was down the road.
"Oh. Well to answer your question, yes we do know him. He's...hmm let’s see. Not friend, we aren't that close. We just train with him for martial arts." replied Rodan. He couldn't get over at how cute this girl was. He especially couldn't keep his eyes on her. Her eyes, her hair and her timidness just made her so damn cute! It was nearly impossible for him to look at her without getting flustered.
"Have you seen him? We wanted to see if he was up for training today." said Angirasu. Fluttershy thought back to a couple of days ago. Goji had told her that he was going back to Neighpon.
"You missed him a couple of days ago. He said that he was going back to Neighpon for a while, but he didn't give a specific reason. He just said that he had to take care of something." Angirasu and Rodan's eyes widened, they both looked at each other with worried expressions on their faces. Fluttershy felt herself getting worried herself.
"I-is there something wrong?" asked Fluttershy. Rodan looked back at Fluttershy, his worried expression gone from his face and replaced with a reassuring smile.
"Oh no! There's nothing wrong. It's just that he was supposed to have a match with a friend of ours for training. We were just worried that he wouldn't make it back on time." said Rodan. Fluttershy sighed in relief.
"Oh, thank goodness." Angirasu looked at Fluttershy with a frown.
"Well, since he isn't here I guess we'll be going. Thank you." said Angirasu as he bowed. Fluttershy had a confused look on her face from the action but quickly realized why it was committed.
"Oh. It was no problem." Fluttershy smiled. "Oh, but there’s one more thing! If you don't mind that is."
"Yeah?"
"Would you two look after Goji sometime? He's very a dear friend to us, and we worry about him sometimes." Fluttershy suddenly frowned, looking down on the ground. "Especially now."
'Us?' Rodan thought to himself.
'Oh no...' Angirasu thought with dread.
Angirasu looked to Rodan, who nodded in response. Angirasu looked back to Fluttershy, a reassuring smile on his face.
"Of course. You've seem to have grown fond of him."
"Oh yes! He may look like a meanie, but deep down he has a kind heart." smiled Fluttershy.
"That's good. He's fortunate to have a friend in you. Good-bye." Angirasu walked past her, his face contorting back into a frown when he was out of her sight. Rodan followed in suit.
"Bye!"



"This isn't good." said Angirasu. Rodan looked to him in understanding as they jogged through the Everfree forest.
"I know. MONARCH has one of their bases there." replied Rodan.
"Along with the Vault." sighed Angirasu.
"We have to tell Mosura!" Rodan said urgently. Angirasu nodded in response. The two continued to jog toward the cave, walking through the house and running toward the hall. They continued down the metal walk-way and stood searching the lair. They found Mosura sitting on the center of the platform down below. Her eyes were closed, her posture up and her breathing was calm.
"Damn, she's meditating!" whispered Angirasu. Rodan kept walking, making his way to the metal stairway. Angirasu grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.
"What are you doing?" Angirasu demanded. Rodan turned and pried Angirasu's hand off of his collar.
"This is important. Gojira may be in trouble!" Rodan hissed.
"What?!" The two tensed as they slowly turned their heads, focusing on a now shocked Mosura. She stood up from the platform, crouching down and leaped up to the upper level in between the two.
"What do you mean, 'Gojira may be in trouble'?" demanded Mosura. Rodan gulped and was about to answer before being interrupted by Angirasu.
"Takeshi-san's neighbor said that he went off to Neighpon a couple of days ago. She said that he didn't give a specific reason why." said Angirasu. Mosura's eyes widened, filled with dread. Then her eyes hardened to a serious look.
"I'm bringing him back." said Mosura.
"Mosura..." Rodan was about to protest but was cut off.
"He's one of us, Rodan! I couldn't forgive myself knowing that he was out there if anything were to happen to him." Mosura frowned. Angirasu looked down, contemplating if he should say more. He had to tell her, it could get ugly if they didn't think about confronting the issue with Takeshi.
"There's something else Mosu." Mosura looked back at Angirasu, waiting to hear an answer.




Somewhere in Neighpon...

It was late afternoon. The sun was setting down, the sky had gone from blue to orange. Junior was sitting, waiting for the darkness to set in. He felt himself growing nervous. Was it wise to break into the Vault to free a transmutant? What if they were caught? What would become of them? Would MONARCH lock them up too or would they just kill them? He didn't want to find out. It was best just not to get caught. Junior began to wonder who this person was that he was helping. Who was this Transmutant that they were rescuing? Junior looked back up to the sky, nightfall was already here. It looks like he was about to find out.
Junior and the hooded figure made their way across the land, climbing rocky hills, running through thick jungles. The pair was nearing a clearing, witnessing a metal building that was built within the side of a small mountain. Junior watched in awe at the lights that shone brightly over the facility. There were large fences surrounding the perimeter, along with watch towers that stood in the front at the entrance. The facility extended about for about a couple of miles, a faint glowing dome surrounded the entire facility. Junior gulped at the sight. How in the hell were they going to get inside?
"Don't worry about the sight. We go around the corner, I'll partially disrupt the magic barrier with my energy and we’ll run through." reassured the hooded figure. Junior looked at him incredulously.
"What if they see us?!" demanded Junior. The hooded figure waved his hand dismissively.
"Please, that will not be a problem. I will use my abilities to cloud the minds of the guards of our presence. Humans are weak minded compared with our kind."
"How can you do that?" asked Junior.
"My psychic abilities allow me to not only read their minds, but to share memories and to manipulate what they see and hear. If we were to run into them, they wouldn't know that we were there. However, my abilities are limited. I have to concentrate and we can't make physical contact with them or any objects that may alert them to our presence." explained the hooded figure. Junior nodded in understanding.
"Let's get going than." Junior and the hooded jugged around the area, making their way to the side of facility away from the main entrance. As they were making their way closer to their destination, they quietly walked through toward the side of the barbed fence that stood at 18 feet. The magical dome extended just a few feet behind the fence. The hooded figure and Junior both leaped over the tall fence; Junior nearly failed to make it over, a small tear on the lower back of his pant leg at his calf formed from the barbs. Junior landed, turning around to inspect the tear. It didn't look too bad, but he had to stop tearing his clothes.
Junior and the hooded figure quietly walked through the yard passing guards clad in armor and armed with rifles. Junior looked at the guards, amazed at how they went past them unnoticed. Psychic powers come in handy! Junior and the hooded figure sneaked behind a guard that was making his way into the facility. They trailed him into the building, separating from him as they tailed another guard making his way down what appeared to be a large platform. The facility was vast, filled with guards roaming around, metal walls and lights that shone brightly. The guard that Junior and the hooded figure were following stopped on top of the platform along with several other guards. One of the guards reached for a panel that stood on the platform, pressing on a button. A loud mechanical whirring can be heard as the platform began to descend below. Junior nearly lost his balance but quickly composed himself. The platform descended further down, deep into a wide, dark shaft that was lit by small lights. They were now heading into the belly of the beast.




Location Declassified. Somewhere in Neighpon, POV: Gojira Sr., 12 years ago...

Pain. Excruciating pain is what he could feel. Gojira's breathing was shallow, his muscles and nerves ached. He never felt so much pain in his life. It has been four days since he was confined in this room. Gojira's shackles kept him restrained; he felt his anger running wild. He hasn't heard anything about his little boy and that worried him. If those bastards let him die, they were going to pay. He swore to his late wife on her death bed that he was going to be there for their son for as long as either of them lived. He was not going to forsake his son. Gojira suddenly heard banging on the door. He managed to get used to his increased hearing, his eyes were used to lights, and his nose was still sensitive but not as much as before. His body had successfully adapted to these changes, but he was still suffering from this new pain. What was happening to him?
"Hey! Good news for you pal. Your kid is doing fine. His body ended up accepting the mutagen." replied a male voice. Gojira sighed in relief.
"However, the higher ups want to separate you two." Gojira's blood ran cold.
"W-what?" asked Gojira.
"They're relocating the kid to another facility when it’s finished. They want to have more room and staff to study his DNA so they can replicate it along with yours." said the male voice. Gojira growled like an angry beast. His irises grew and his pupils shrunk. Gojira stood up to his feet, making his way to the door.
"You are not taking away my son." Gojira said calmly. The man behind the door laughed.
"You don't have a say in the matter. Sit your ass back down." Gojira growled again, feeling his muscles tense as he attempted to free his arms that were bounded behind his back. He groaned as he struggled to free his arms. His veins popped from his neck and arms.
"What in Tartarus are you doing in there?" demanded the male voice. Gojira gave a mighty shout, the magic that held his hands burst into sparks. Gojira looked at his wrists, grabbing the metal cuffs that were placed on him. He tore them off of both of his hands, one at a time. The cuffs clanged as they hit the floor. Gojira breathed heavily, making his back to the door. He raised both of his fists, slamming them both onto the metal door.
"Sweet Celestia!" shouted the male voice. Gojira continued to slam his fists against the door, causing dents with each hit.
"You. Will. Not." Gojira was causing more dents on the door, partially causing it to reveal a crack of light above the door way.
"Hey, get the guards down here!" shouted the male voice. The door was nearly knocked off of its bolted hinges. Fist-shaped dents were sticking out from the other side.
"Take. MY SON AWAY FROM ME!!" Gojira's enraged voice became deep and powerful, sounding like a mighty beast. Gojira slammed his fists against the door one final time, causing it to fly off of its hinges and collide against a wall. Gojira slowly stepped out of the room, his eyes scanning where he was. He was currently in a hall that went down to his left to an unknown location. Gojira looked to his right and saw a man in a lab coat running away. Gojira looked at his hands; they were not injured from knocking down that door. This wasn't the result of adrenaline, but something else. Gojira followed the man that ran away down the left. His eyes were still the same; a beastly growl could be heard from his throat. Gojira roamed the hall, finding several men in black clothing armed with rifles. They aimed their weapons at him, their fingers on the trigger waiting for the order to fire.
"Open fire!" shouted one of the guards. The guards fired their weapons, magic bolts whizzed through the air. Gojira's eyes widened at the incoming threat. Too late, the magic bolts penetrated Gojira's chest, causing him to jerk every time he was shot. Gojira fell onto his back; his chest sizzled from the wounds of the magic barrage.
"Control, Hostile eliminated. Alpha is dead. I repeat, Alpha is dead." one of the guards said, speaking to a radio that was pinned to his uniform.
"Hey! He's still moving!" exclaimed one of the guards. Gojira groaned as he slowly stood back to his feet. His shirt was torn by the magic bolts that burned into his flesh. Gojira's charred bolt wounds gave off a mist, as they slowly sealed up.
"That son of a bitch is healing!" shouted another one of the guards. Gojira glared at the guards. Suddenly, he broke into a sprint and gave a war cry.
"Take him down!"




Neighpon. Present day...

Junior and the hooded figure found themselves down below the facility. They silently walked down a hall; words marked the walls with arrows pointing toward where they were going. They succeeded in evading the detection of any of the guards, so now they needed to find this transmutant and spring him or her loose. As they went down the hall, they came across a great metal door, shaped like the ones that would find at a bank in cities.
"Now I know why they call it 'the vault'" said Junior uneasily. The hooded figure nodded in response.
"The humans store us and lock us up in here, like the assets at a bank." The hooded figure said solemnly.
"How do we get in?" asked Junior.
"I know the code." The hooded figure walked up to a panel that was on the wall near the vault. He pressed some of the buttons that were on the panel. There was a beep as the light on the panel glowed green. The great door creaked, slowly opening inward.
Slowly, a great room was revealed. Large cells with transparent fields being what stood between the prisoners and freedom. The hooded figure walked into the vault, Junior slowly trailing behind. It was true that there weren't that many people here. There were several levels above, empty cells were what could be found. The ground level had a dozen people there. The group was mostly men and a few women locked in these cells. One of the prisoners paced around his cell, glaring at the pair that was walking around his cell.
Junior heard a woman weeping. He slowly turned his head and what he saw broke his heart. A young woman, with grayish-brown hair and red highlights, was crying. She had her head buried in her knees as she wept. She then lifted her head when she heard footsteps. Her eyes widened at the sight of two people walking into the vault without uniform. She quickly stood from her bed and ran to the field. She placed her hands on the field, causing it to ripple with her touch. There was a look of hope on her face.
"Please, let us out of here! I have to get back to my husband, I'm pregnant!" The woman begged. Junior couldn't stop looking at her. He felt like crying for this woman. MONARCH locked these mutants up. Some may have been dangerous, but this woman may have just been locked away out of fear. Wait…she was pregnant?!
"Oh god..." Junior whispered to himself.
"Gojira! I found him." called the hooded figure. Junior looked in the direction of the hooded figure, and then looked back to the woman. Her bright orange eyes pleaded to him. Junior clenched his fist, quickly turning away.
"I'm sorry." Junior managed to say. He quickly made his way over to the hooded figure. Junior looked through the cell, a tall male with a bulky muscle tone. He stood at 7 foot 4. He was bald, and his back had what appeared to be two burgundy crab-like legs sticking out from his back. His flesh was covered in crustacean shelled armor that covered his shoulders, his thighs, and his forearms. The figure slowly turned around, revealing bright, yellow ominous eyes. The man had three large fingers on both hands with sharp claws. His feet were stumpy with claws on his three toes. His chest was covered in the same crustacean armor with a strange bony center. He was not like any other Transmutant that Junior has ever seen.
"We're rescuing him?!" Junior asked in disbelief. The hooded figure nodded.
"He was the leader of my group when I was younger. He taught me how to survive in this cruel world. He was later captured a few years back, and I've been planning to free him ever since." replied the hooded figure.
"What happened to the rest of your group?" asked Junior.
"Most of them are dead. Only a few of us remain." replied the hooded figure. Junior looked down on the ground, feeling pity for the hooded figure.
"You." said a gruff voice. Junior jumped, startled by the new voice. He looked back to the cell, seeing the Transmutant looking at him. Junior's head looked around for a couple of seconds. He then looked back to the mutant in the cell; he slightly tilted his head as he pointed to himself. Junior mouthed the word 'Me?' as the mutant nodded in response.
"You look familiar, child." said the mutant. Junior raised a brow in confusion.
"I do?"
"Yes." the Mutant said with a slight hiss. Junior felt himself growing uneasy in this mutant's presence.
"I...can't say that the feeling is mutual." replied Junior. Who was this guy? For some reason, Junior felt like that he should remember him. But, why couldn't he?
"Hmm. It may have just been my imagination. What is your name young one?" asked the mutant.
"Gojira Takeshi the 2nd." answered Junior. The mutant had a small, unnerving smile, revealing sharp teeth.
"It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. My name is Destoroyah." Junior nodded in response.
"I'll remember that."
"I'm sure that you will, young one." replied Destoroyah. The hooded figure moved closer toward the cell, placing his hand over the field. The field sparked, before dissipating. Destoroyah stepped out of the cell, the ground thudding with every step that he took.
"Battra, release these Transmutants from their cells." commanded Destoroyah. The hooded figure, whose name was Battra, widened his eyes.
"But-" Battra was about to protest but was silenced with a glare from Destoroyah.
"We don't leave our people behind. If we remain divided, we will surely perish at the hands of humanity." said Destoroyah. Battra sighed in response.
"Understood." Battra made his way toward the cells, disrupting the magical fields that kept the mutants confined. The men and women stepped out of the cells, looking toward Destoroyah.
"Brothers and sisters, today you will be free. For years we have suffered injustices from the hands of these humans. They experimented on us, they cut us, and they took us away from our homes and families! But today, we can leave this prison! All thanks to my student and this brave young Transmutant, Gojira Takeshi!" The small crowd cheered for the two Transmutants. Junior placed his hands behind his back, embarrassed from the praise. Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed outside of the vault. Junior turned around, his eyes widened in surprise at the sight of a familiar woman.
"Yasu-san?" asked Junior. Mosura looked into the vault, her face turned to dread.
"Oh...Oh Takeshi-kun. What have they gotten you into?" Mosura said in despair.
"What are yo-" Junior was suddenly interrupted by Battra.
"Hello sister." said Battra as he stood next to Junior. Junior looked to Battra in surprise.
"Sister?!"
"Hello Battra. It's been years." replied Mosura, her tone soft. Battra chuckled in response.
"Indeed. What are doing here?"
"I came here for Takeshi-kun. I do not want any trouble. Just let me take him home with me and we go our separate ways." replied Mosura. Junior looked at Mosura in confusion. What the heck was going on here?
"Home? You have no home sister. Not as long as these humans are in power." laughed Battra. Mosura had a look of sadness on her face.
"Brother, I missed you. Please come back with me. We can start over!" Mosura pleaded. Battra shook his head.
"Start over to what? As prey for the humans? I can't do that. You should come back with me! We can take care of each other." Battra then gestured to the other mutants.
"Together, we can survive!"
"By killing innocent humans?!" demanded Mosura. Junior's blood went cold, he whipped his head back toward Battra.
"What? What the hell did she just say?!" Junior shouted. Battra sighed in response.
"Innocent? It was because of humans that we are outcasts. It is the humans who scorn us, who hunt us, who destroy us! There are no innocents, Mosura! You are just blind to the truth!"
"Battra, remember what father had taught us. Think of what he and mother would say about this!" cried Mosura. Battra scoffed in response.
"This is beyond our parents! I am doing this to avenge them, and every mutation that has been wronged by these human scums!" Battra ranted, his eyes filled with rage.
"Brother, you must have mercy on them." Mosura's eyes watered.
"Mercy? Did they show our parents mercy?! They didn't! Don't bother with them, sister. They have never accepted us, why should now be any different?" Battra looked on in anger. Junior was still in shock at hearing what Mosura said. Battra had been killing innocent humans? Junior glared at Battra.
"You never told me that you were associated with terrorists!" yelled Junior. Battra returned the glare.
"Terrorists? Humans are the real terrorists! You have no idea what they've been doing to us. You see that young woman right there?" Battra pointed at the woman with dark brown hair with red highlights.
"Yeah?"
"She's a month pregnant. They had her locked in this facility because she was a mutant. Do you know what happened to the last mutant that was with child and MONARCH found out? They killed her! They killed her and her unborn child!" The brown haired mutant gasped as she clutched her belly. Her breathing grew shallow as she trembled. Her bright orange eyes were filled with dread. Junior's face contorted into shock, he quickly forgot about his anger at Battra. He felt his anger rising toward MONARCH. How could they do that?
"That doesn't give you the right to commit genocide on all humans. If you want to blame anyone, blame MONARCH!" shouted Junior. Battra was offended by Junior's words.
"They started killing us first. It does give me the right! We are at war with them for our survival! Only the strong can survive in this world. Now, whose side are you on? Your people the Transmutants, or the humans who will eventually hate you and seek only your destruction?" Battra stared deeply into Junior's eyes. Junior contemplated his options. He did have the risk of being discovered at one point. MONARCH would find and kill him. His friends would forsake him because of what he is. On the other hand, he would only allow the destruction of the innocent, which included his friends, Celestia and Blaire. His wellbeing wasn't worth the loss of their lives. Junior glared at Battra, rearing his fist back and punching him square in the face. Battra shouted as he flew across the room.
"I choose my friends!" shouted Junior as he ran toward Mosura. She ran away from the vault, looking back to see if Junior was still following her. Junior was just a few feet behind her. Just then, the sounds of heavy footsteps could be heard. Destoroyah had emerged from the vault and was sprinting toward the two. Mosura found a lever that was covered by a glass container. She smashed the glass and quickly pulled the switch. An alarm blared, a great metal door descended from the ceiling. Junior gasped at the descending door, he slid on his back in attempt to make it past the door. He succeeded, turning to see the door shut before Destoroyah could make it through. The mutant pounded on the door from the other side, roaring in rage.
"That won't keep hold him for long. We have to go now!" said Mosura urgently.




Location: Neighpon. POV: Gojira Sr. 12 years ago...

Gojira panted. His wounds were regenerating from the magic bolts that struck his body. The bodies of guards lied on the floor, lifeless. Gojira walked down the hall, searching for where his son was being held. He came across a door that stood in his way. Gojira grunted, punching the metal door. He knocked it down with relative ease. He has been searching for a few minutes, along with encountering guards along the way. Gojira found himself in a small room, a green haired Earth bound woman wearing a lab coat was hiding behind a desk. Gojira glared at the woman, making his way over to her. He flipped the desk over with one hand. The woman yelped, as she looked up to Gojira in fear.
"Where is he?" Gojira grabbed the woman by her lab coat, causing her cry out in fear.
"Where is my son?!" demanded Gojira. The woman was trembling in his grip.
"Watashi wa Equish o hanasu koto wa arimasen!" the woman cried out. Gojira groaned.
"Where is my son?!" Gojira shouted in Neighponese.
"H-he's nearby. I'll take you to him, just don't hurt me please!" Gojira released the woman.
"Get moving! Don't even think about running away."
Gojira stood behind the green haired woman, his hand firmly gripped on her shoulder. The woman's heart pounded heavily in her chest. They were nearing a metal door. Gojira gestured the woman to stay where she was, she nodded in response. Gojira pounded his fists on the door, knocking it down. He slowly walked inside, seeing his precious child sitting in the corner alone.
"Junior?" Gojira called softly. His son gasped, looking toward the source of the voice. He quickly stood and ran toward his father. He wrapped his arms around him, tears falling from his face. Gojira couldn't help but let tears run down his face as well. His son was alive. He wanted to remain like this forever, but they had to escape. Gojira stepped out of the vault with his son in his arms.
"Where's the exit?" asked Gojira. The woman went on ahead of Gojira, gesturing him to follow her. Gojira jogged after her. As they went down the hall, they were near a large door. The woman punched in the code for the door. The door slowly opened, revealing a large room, the exit just ahead. As the woman stepped out, she was suddenly shot by several magical bolts.
"No!!" Gojira cried out to the woman. He had no intention of harming her, but he ended up getting her killed in the end. More magical bolts continued to barrage her, causing her to drop to the floor. Gojira felt rage building up inside. Junior felt great stress over him. Why was his father yelling out in despair? Suddenly, both experienced excruciating pain in their bodies. Gojira placed Junior on the ground, clutching his sides. Junior began to cry as laid on his back.
"Dad, it hurts!"
"I-I know. I'm hurting too." Gojira grunted, feeling his bones and muscles shift and grow beneath his flesh. His teeth began to loosen and fall out of his mouth. Razor sharp teeth grew from his gums, replacing his old teeth. His bones popped and his muscles stretched. An intense pain came from Gojira's spine as sharp, bony, Mapple-leaf shaped dorsal plates tore through his flesh. Three rows of these plates grew from the back of the Earth bound along with his son, who was wailing in pain. Their flesh began to change, from soft skin of mammals to rough, charcoal grey crocodile-like skin. Gojira shouted in agony as he felt his skull change shape. A tail grew from the Earth bounds, with more dorsal plates growing out. Gills began to sprout from their necks, closing against their now broad necks as they finished sprouting. Gojira's size grew and grew, until he stopped growing. A beastly growl came from his throat, he looked down at his hands, they were covered in rough scales and at the tips of his fingers were black claws. Gojira looked to where he placed his son, witnessing a semi-humanoid dragon-like beast laying on its side as it panted. Gojira turned his head back toward the exit where the green haired woman perished. A dozen more guards had their weapons lowered as they stood slack-jawed at him. Gojira had one thought on his mind.
"You did this." Gojira spoke in a deep, growling, monstrous voice. The men gasped as they raised their weapons back at Gojira, trembling in his presence. Gojira stood to his feet; they have changed to be wide and stumpy, with claws sticking at the end of his toes. The size of the mutation caused the ground to thud with every heavy step that he took. Gojira took a breath and opened his squared shaped mouth, revealing small sharp teeth.
"SKRRREEEEOOOONNNK!!"




Neighpon. Present day...

"Alert! The Vault has been breached, the Transmutations are escaping!" shouted a woman over the intercom. Guards were arming themselves with weapons ranging from rifles to enchanted swords. They jogged toward the shaft that whirred from the sound of the rising platform, cocking their guns and aiming at it. They waited, remaining vigilant for the coming threat. The platform rose up to the floor, but no one was on it. The soldiers relaxed their muscles. Suddenly, a guard felt an invisible force knock him off of his feet. He grunted as he landed on the floor. A dozen more guards were knocked off of their feet as well.
"Keep running!" shouted Mosura as she and Junior continued to shove the guards out of their path. She was focusing her psychic abilities to cloud the humans' minds from their presence. There were too many humans to deal with her psychic powers and she was losing her concentration, so she suggested that they ran toward the exit. Suddenly, the platform on which they came from was knocked out of the shaft. Out from the shaft came over a dozen Transmutations, all charging toward the guards.
"Open fire!" shouted one of the guards. They fired their rifles all at once, hitting a few of the mutants but they continued their course. The mutants began to leap, roll, and duck from the magic bolts. Destoroyah roared as he came crashing down on a group of guards. He landed on a couple of them, crushing them under his weight. The guards that got away from being crushed began to fire on the mutant. Destoroyah roared as he grabbed one of dead guards by his leg and charged toward the humans. He swung the corpse of the guard at the others, using him as weapon. He beat the guards that attacked him with the corpse mercilessly. One of the mutants swiped two of the rifles from dead guards, aiming them at any human that he could find. He unleashed a barrage of magical bolts onto anyone that got in his way. Battra was nearly stabbed by a guard with his enchanted sword. He dodged the strike, then grabbed the guards arm and slammed his fist on the guard's elbow, snapping it. The guard cried out in agony as Battra snatched the sword from his grip. Battra swung the sword at the guard, cutting him down. The guards were dropping dead like flies, as the battle was becoming more brutal. Mosura looked back at the carnage and her heart broke at the sight. These humans were killed without mercy. They may have wronged them, but she didn't want vengeance. She just wanted to coexist with them. Her eyes welled up with tears as she stopped in front of the exit. Junior stopped by her side and looked back at the ongoing carnage. Battra had finished slaying a group of guards, looking back toward the exit as he glared at Junior and Mosura.
"You had potential! You could have been the one to help deliver our kind from the oppression of the humans! The next time that we meet, we will be enemies. I will not hesitate to kill you Gojira Takeshi." said Battra, as he pointed a bloody blade in Junior's direction. Junior glared back at the mutant. Battra then focused his eyes on Mosura, a look of despair was on her face.
"That includes you, my dear sister." said Battra, his tone filled with spite. Mosura's eyes began to run with tears, she then turned around and broke off into a sprint. Junior turned and followed her. As the pair made it out of the facility and nearing the fence to exit the perimeter, Junior heard Mosura sobbing as she continued to run. Junior pitied Mosura, as he knew that she deeply loved her brother. He couldn't imagine losing a family member to a darkness that they felt was the right path. Siblings turned against each other based on their different desires and ideas. This was too familiar for him. He feared that this conflict wouldn't have a positive resolution between the two.



The facility collapsed under into a pile of rubble, traces of smoke filled the air. The bodies of the guards were buried under the debris, only the formerly imprisoned mutants stood victorious. They watched as the fires burned, taking satisfaction from the sight. Destoroyah smiled maniacally at the sight, this was just the beginning.
"Battra." Battra turned his attention toward the larger mutant. "I know that she's your sister, but I trust that you will not allow that to interfere with our goal?" asked Destoroyah.
"It will not. My sister is foolish and weak. She chose to abandon the people that would accept her and chose to live among those that will never accept us. She tainted the minds of those two younger Transmutants and took them with her as well." replied Battra, his tone cold. Destoroyah nodded in response.
"That boy had much power in him. I could sense it. He will still suffer the same fate as the humans." Destoroyah turned, focusing his sight at the night sky.
"Besides, he and I have unfinished business." Destoroyah chuckled darkly.




Ponyville, Equestria. Three days later...

Twilight was walking into town with Spike. A bright smile was on her face. Today, she was headed over to Sugarcube corner to hang out with her friends. The sun was high in the sky, signaling for the noon. A few clouds were in the sky, Valkyries soared in the sky. Twilight passed a few people, greeting them with a friendly smile on her face. Today was good day! Twilight and Spike made their into Sugarcube corner, the smell of sweats in the air. She searched the shop, looking for her friends. She caught the sight of Pinkie Pie waving, a big bright smile on her face.  She was sitting at a table that was near the window, along with Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rarity. Rainbow Dash was late, however. Twilight and Spike made their way over toward the table.
"Hi, girls!" Twilight greeted, pulling a chair a she sat down.
"Hey." Spike greeted casually, pulling a chair of his own. He was nearly about to sit next to Rarity, but hesitated. He instead sat next to Applejack.
"Howdy Twilight! Howdy Spike!" greeted Applejack.
"Hello." Fluttershy greeted quietly.
"Good Afternoon Twilight! Hello Spikey wikey~" Rarity waved. Spike rubbed the back of his head, chuckling to himself with his face flushed.
"Hiya, you two!" Pinkie greeted.
"How are things going with you all?" Twilight asked curiously. Applejack sighed in exhaustion.
"It's been a tough week. I've been working hard. It feels great to rest!" Applejack stretched her arms over her head, sighing in relief after releasing the tension.
"For me, things are going fabulous! I've nearly finished a dress that I think that you girls will absolutely love!" Rarity exclaimed.
"I'll be looking forward to it!" Twilight smiled.
"I've been doing super-duper! I've got a few parties planned out for the next couple of weeks! I hope you all can make it." Pinkie bounced in her seat joyfully.
"It would be a sin for me to miss a Pinkie party" replied Applejack. The rest agreed with nods and dialogue that grew to be too incoherent to bystanders.
"How are you, Fluttershy?" asked Twilight.
"Oh. Um...I've been well." replied Fluttershy.
"Anything new happened this week? Interesting?" asked Twilight, unsatisfied by her response.
"Well, I did meet a couple of boys a few days back." replied Fluttershy. The rest of the group looked at Fluttershy with slack jawed expressions. Fluttershy raised a brow.
"W-what?" Fluttershy asked timidly.
"My, my, is our Fluttershy going out to look for a bit of romance?" Rarity smiled, a teasing tone in her voice. Fluttershy blushed in response.
"N-no! It wasn't like that!" exclaimed Fluttershy, beads of sweat forming on her forehead.
"Really now?"
"Really! They were just looking for Goji!" explained Fluttershy.
"What did they want with Gojira?" asked Applejack.
"They said that he was supposed to have some kind of match with their friend. They said that he's been training with them in martial arts."
"That would explain why he would come to work tired. Learning all of those funny looking fighting moves, no wonder that feller would nearly pass out on the farm a few times." said Applejack.
"Did I hear something about someone training in martial arts?" asked a tomboyish voice. The girls and Spike turned their attention and found Rainbow Dash making her way toward the table.
"Oh, hey Rainbow!" greeted Twilight. "How are you?"
"Meh. I'm good. Nothing new on my life. So, how are you?" asked Rainbow. The rest of the group responded with positives.
"Anyway, who were you talking about? Who's training in martial arts?" asked Rainbow, an eager expression on her face. She always enjoyed different forms of sports. Martial arts may have been more than sport, but she always found it really cool.
"Gojira. Apparently he's been training with some people that we don't know about." replied Twilight. Rainbow's expression changed.
"Oh...him." Rainbow sighed. The group looked to each other and back at Rainbow.
"Still bothered by that day, Sugarcube?" asked Applejack. Rainbow scoffed.
"Yeah right!" Applejack raised a brow at Rainbow, unconvinced by her answer. Rainbow sighed.
"OK, OK, maybe a little." Rainbow admitted. Twilight placed a hand on her shoulder.
"It's alright. He's...just not use to accepting help from others. I had a talk with him before he left. He should come around." reassured Twilight.
"It's just...how the hay does someone go on to think like he does? I shouldn't have pressed on him like that." Rainbow sighed.
"No, it was necessary. He had to know that there was no shame in accepting help. I'm sure that he'll do fine." said Twilight. Then a conversation of was heard. The words that were spoken were foreign. Nobody in the group could understand their meaning. They turned their attention toward the source of the voices. Two Earth bounds were sighted. Fluttershy recognized them as Angirasu and Rodan.
"I'm worried. I thought that she would be back by now." said Angirasu, conversing with Rodan in Neighponese. Rodan sighed in response as he and Angirasu searched for a table.
"I'm worried too man. But she wanted us to stay here. Just have faith in her." reassured Rodan. Angirasu sighed in response.
"I know, I know. I can't help it, we aren't exactly welcome back at home." replied Angirasu.
"Angirasu? Rodan?" asked a familiar, timid voice. Angirasu's and Rodan's heads turned toward the direction of the voice. They found five girls and a small purple dragon sitting at a table. A sixth girl with rainbow hair and cyan wings.
"Oh, hello Fluttershy." Angirasu casually greeted.
"What's up?" smiled Rodan.
"Hold up, you know these guys?" asked Rainbow.
"They were looking for Goji a few days ago." replied Fluttershy.
"What for?" asked Rainbow suspiciously.
"He was supposed to have a sparring match with our friend," answered Angirasu.
"Yeah? Where is this friend of yours?" asked Rainbow.
"She's...not here right now. She had something to take care."
"She?" asked a surprised Twilight. Angirasu nodded in response.
"Oh my, I hope he doesn't hurt her." said Rarity. Angirasu and Rodan looked to each other for a brief second, and then started snickering.
"What?" asked Rarity.
"Yeah, she's a lot tougher then you may think. I'm more worried about Junior getting his ass kicked." replied Rodan. Fluttershy had a concerned expression. She hoped this match wouldn't end with someone needing medical attention.
"Well, I wouldn't say that. He seems to be able to hold his own against an opponent. I think he can give Mosu a run for her money." argued Angirasu.
"We'll see." said Rodan.
"Soooo...are you guys friends of his or something?" asked Rainbow Dash.
"Not really. We just train with him." answered Rodan.
"What? You don't like him or something?" asked Rainbow curiously.
"It's not that we don't like him. We just haven't gotten to know him well enough." answered Angirasu. "But…he does seem like a good guy."
"Who are you, by the way?" asked Rodan, eyeing the Rainbow haired Valkyrie.
"Um...Rainbow Dash."
"Rainbow eh? You’re a fast flyer?" asked Rodan. Rainbow's ears perked at this.
"Only the fastest in all of Equestria!" Rainbow said proudly. Rodan grinned.
"Really now? I'd like to see that sometime." replied Rodan.
"Maybe if you show me a few moves in martial arts sometime, I can show you." said Rainbow. Rodan looked to Angirasu, who had an uncertain look on his face. He shrugged in response.
"Sure!" responded Rodan.
"Cool! What was your name again?" asked Rainbow.
"Rodan."
"Nice to meet you, dude." Rainbow had her fist out, Rodan responded with a fist pound.



Twilight and Spike were walking home. Angirasu and Rodan hadn't stayed long at Sugarcube Corner. They were just looking for a place to sit until their order came in and took off. They both seem like good guys, so Twilight was happy that Junior was at least meeting other people that did not have negative outcomes. As Twilight and Spike were passing a newspaper box, an article caught Spike's eye. He stopped, and approached the mailbox. He read the article title on the front page, and what he read caused him to worry.
"Twilight!" Spike called in urgency. Twilight stopped walking, turning her head in toward the purple dragon. She jogged over to the young drake with a look of concern on her face.
"What's wrong Spike?" asked Twilight. Spike merely pointed toward the newspaper box. Twilight saw the article title, causing her to gasp. She reached for her bag of bits from her pocket, pulling out three bits and inserted them into a slot. The box clicked, Twilight then turned a little knob and pulled out one of the newspapers. She then skimmed the article, her face contorting to dread.
"Spike, we need to write to the princess!" said Twilight.



Dear Princess Celestia, I have news that worries me. I have just read in the local newspaper that Neighpon experienced an attack by Transmutants a few days ago. Gojira traveled back to Neighpon for some reason before the attack. I fear for his safety and am unsure of how he is doing. MONARCH announced that they were going to stop travel in and out of the country until they could settle everything. Is there anything that can be done to get him back home or to at least check on him?
Sincerely, your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle.
Celestia placed the letter down, a look of dread on her face. She quickly stood up and paced around her throne room. Her heart was racing with anxiety. Why didn't Junior tell her that he was leaving to Neighpon? Why did he leave? There wasn't anything that she could do. MONARCH would not allow her or her guards to travel into Neighpon and they certainly wouldn't let them leave. She then remembered her sister. Celestia turned to one of her guards.
"Please, tell Princess Luna that I must see her. It is urgent!" said Celestia. The guard saluted, taking off out of the throne room. Celestia walked back up to her throne, sitting on her seat.
"Oh Junior, please be safe." Celestia placed her hand over her face, trying to calm herself down.




Neighpon. 10:45 PM...

It was a peaceful night. The sky was dark, with only the stars and moon being the source of light. The air was cold, chilling to the bone. Junior rested against a tree trunk, his arm wrapped around Mosura as she was sound asleep on his shoulder. She snuggled up against him, sighing as she felt the heat radiating from Junior's body. Junior had a light blush on his face. He hadn't expected this outcome while they were in Neighpon. They had been traveling around, avoiding confrontation with the other mutants that rampaged into different towns. It was too risky for them to settle down in any of the towns. So, they had to hide out in the forests for a while until MONARCH allowed Neighpon's borders to open. It hadn't been as cold the last couple of nights, but now was a different story. Mosura only wore shorts, a shirt and a thin sweater when she came. Junior offered to keep her warm. She at first gave a confused glance; Junior explained that he meant to give her his sweater. She agreed to this and was now wearing Junior's charcoal grey sweater, her smaller frame covered by it. She was still a little cold as the temperatures continued to drop. Junior hesitantly told her that it was alright to lie close to him. He explained that his mutation allowed him to generate more heat in his body than average humans. Mosura didn't buy this and he had to get close to her in order to convince her. She nearly punched his lights out until she felt his heat and ended up falling asleep shortly after that.
Junior lay on a tree, taking in the beauty of the night sky. He always loved seeing the night. It was filled with much wonder, how the stars would make up images in their formations. There were a lot of them tonight. But, Junior felt sad as he looked up at the night sky. He remembered that he would always talk to the heavens when he was first living in Canterlot, hoping that his parents would answer. They never did. He knew it was pointless to talk to the stars, as he would never receive a reply. But, it gave him something to speak to and helped him sleep. He just wanted something to talk with about his problems. Now, he no longer spoke to them, he instead listened to the night. After all that's happened, he felt trapped, small and insignificant. Looking at the night sky, he felt smaller and even more insignificant.
It’s upsetting, feeling like you have no place in the world. Feeling that you have no purpose, but moving forward for the sake of finding it. Junior sighed, feeling his eyes grow heavy. He took one last look at the night sky, and then closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep.



Junior stood alone in a dark jungle. The sounds of birds and small animals could be heard throughout the jungle. The trees reached high into the sky, vines hung from the branches. Grass and dirt was all that surrounded Junior on the ground. Stones were scattered around the area. The air was cold and fog appeared with every breath that Junior took. The stars in the night sky shone brightly, without a cloud in the sky. There were a lot more stars right now then he remembered from a while ago. He walked through the dark forest, hoping to find a way out. He then heard a familiar sound. It was a high pitched screech that followed by a low trumpeting moan. However, something was different about this sound. The screech sounded a lot higher than the one from his dream. The moan sounded a little higher as well. He felt himself tensing, he remembered this, the giant beast that appeared from fire and burned him to a crisp. His breathing grew shallow, as he frantically searched his surroundings. The birds took off from the branches, the sounds of their flapping wings echoed in the night. Junior heard the sound again, causing him to quickly turn to the source. He saw a large dark figure that stood at least thirty feet above the ground. Whatever it was, it couldn't have been human. Junior saw the mysterious creature walk pass the large trees, the ground shaking from every step that it took. A long tail whipped about, dragging against the Earth. The mysterious creature stopped, laying itself down on the ground. Its head looked up at the night sky, letting out the familiar sound that Junior had been hearing. The creature continued its call for a minute, before its calls died down to being quiet. The creature laid its head down on the ground, taking soft breaths. Junior observed the creature in curiosity. What was it? It almost looked and sounded like the monster that was from his dream. But, this one seemed different. Why was it calling out to the sky? Why did it...sound sad when it was finished with its calling? Junior noticed a bright light shining from behind him. He quickly turned around, finding a bright white orb descending toward him. The orb flashed brightly, blinding Junior from its intense light. Junior raised his arm over his face, shutting them tightly. As he reopened his eyes, he slowly lowered his arms. Before him, stood a female Avatar with Sapphire blue flowing hair that sparkled like the night sky. Her wings were dark blue, she wore a necklace that appeared like a crescent moon, and a light cornflower blue crown on her head. Her dress was a dark blue that went down to her shins, revealing her light azure heels. Her eyes were a familiar color to him, cyan with light sapphire blue eye shadow. Junior's mind registered this woman to the only other Avatar that he could think of.
"Luna?" asked Junior. The Avatar smiled in response.
"Hello, Gojira." Luna greeted in a kind tone.
"Wow. This dream just got weirder."
"Tis is a dream, but we are real." Junior looked at the princess of night quizzically.
"How?"
"We have the power to enter the dreams of others. This power is used to vanquish the nightmares that plague our subjects and to give them advice for things that trouble them." explained Luna.
"But, you look different. You look slightly older. I-I mean, not old! I meant that you looked to be in your late teens the last time we met. Now, you look like a young woman in her early 20s." Junior said frantically, hoping that he didn't offend her. Luna had a light blush on her face.
"Ye...think that we look youthful?" asked Luna, her eyes wide, searching Junior's eyes for an answer.
"Um...Y-yeah! I mean, you look great!" Junior stuttered, embarrassed. Boy, was it hard to compliment a pretty woman directly. Luna giggled like a school girl at the compliment, but immediately composed herself.
"Gojira, are thou alright? We were told that thou were in Neighpon, and that Transmutants were attacking." asked Luna, a worried tone in her voice.
"I'm fine. I am nowhere near any towns. I'm resting in a forest." reassured Junior, thinking it would be wise not to mention Mosura. Luna sighed in relief.
"Good. My sister and fare Twilight were worried. Twilight Sparkle was the first one to find out from the local newspaper." said Luna.
"Well, I don't think that I'll be coming home this weekend. Let them know that I am fine and that I'll be looking for somewhere to stay until MONARCH opens back up the borders." said Junior.
"We will." Luna then looked around, observing the scene before her. She then noticed the dark, large beast that slept behind the trees.
"What in the name of the moon?" asked Luna. She then looked back to Junior.
"Gojira, is there...something that is bothering thou?" asked Luna.
"No. Why?" Junior lied, hoping that she would buy it.
"The area in this dream…it feels...lonesome." said Luna, a frown on her face.
"Nah. I like it. It gives me a peaceful solitude." said Junior, waving his hand dismissively.
"Peaceful?" asked Luna. Junior nodded in response.
"I feel free when I'm alone. I feel like nothing can bother me. That's the kind of peace that I am allowed." said Junior, looking up at the stars.
"Allowed? What does thou mean?" asked Luna. Junior sighed in response.
"Nothing. Don't worry about it." Junior smiled. Luna had a frown on her face.
"Gojira, if something is bothering thou-" Junior cuts her off.
"Luna, if there was something bothering me, I would tell you." Luna sighed in response.
"Very well. We will stop prying."
"Thank you. Oh, and Luna?" Junior called.
"Yes?"
"Make sure that Twilight knows that I'm fine. I'd hate to make her worry again."
> Chapter 8: Home, Sweet Home
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


MONARCH Mech headquarters. Location: Classified

"What?" asked an Earth bound man wearing a lab coat. He stood in an office with an Elf male in black uniform.
"You heard what I said. We need it now." replied the Elf.
"Look, I understand that the recent attack in Neighpon has stirred up problems. But it isn't ready!" said the Earth bound. The Elf sighed in response, standing from his desk.
"I don't care what you have to do. You already have the A.I. program ready from his DNA. You just need to put the damn thing together. Use his bones as a skeletal framework to build it if you have to! It needs to be ready now!"
"What about the other two projects?" asked the Earth bound.
"You let me worry about them. Project: Rose is nearly complete. We have already gotten approval to use one of our soldiers that were killed in action back in Los Pegasus." The Elf replied in annoyance.
"Wait, if you’re using a dead test subject then what is the point?"
"We managed to save her brain before it died. Since she was a non-magical Earth bound, it will allow us to cross her DNA with Alpha's to regenerate her body. She is the only one qualified among our ranks." replied the Elf. The Earthbound was about to leave it at that, but he had to ask. He may not have gotten an answer.
"Who is the test subject?" asked the Earth bound. The Elf stood in silence.
"Pvt. Erika Shiragami." answered the Elf. The Earth bound stood in silence, taking in the information.
"Is Genshiro Ok with doing this?"
"He said, 'anything to bring my daughter back'." replied the Elf.




Neighpon...

Junior and Mosura stood, beholding a sight that brought memories back to Junior. They stood in front of an old, large house, covered in plants and decaying wood. The windows were broken, the door was gone, and the roof had a few holes in it. They were near a forest that extended back down to an abandoned village. Junior was back. He was home. Junior slowly walked up to the porch of the abandoned house, stepping onto the dirty concrete. He walked through the door less door frame, observing his surroundings. The inside of the house still had the destroyed glass and wood from when he and his father were kidnapped. The walls were losing their paint; bugs infested the holes, plants stuck to the ceiling. He continued on to the kitchen. The stove was rusted; the table had a piece of wood that had fallen from the roof on it. The tiles in the kitchen were chipped, covered in dirt and mud. Junior continued on down the hall, turning toward a room.
Mosura looked in silence, trailing behind Junior. She then noticed another room that was open. Curious, she continued down toward the room and discovered that it was a dojo. She walked inside, seeing the wooded floor decaying from the years it was abandoned. The clouded sunlight shone through the windows, giving the dojo an even more gloomy appearance. Kendo swords lined the walls on racks, along with actual katanas. Mosura then noticed something that she didn't expect. It was a stand, holding charcoal grey samurai armor. A metal silver helmet with a metal nape guard stood at the top of the stand, with a face mask shaped like a snarling dragon. The chest piece was metal, with tassels that hung under the chest piece. The torso armor was covering the stand from the front with shoulder armor and sleeve armor that hung from the sides with grey hand guards. Thigh guards hung from the waist, along with greaves at where the shins would be for the wearer. She stood in awe at the armor. Whose home was this? Then she remembered that she separated from Junior. She took one last look at the armor, and then turned back toward where she came in. Mosura found a door opened down the hall, she made her way toward it. As she stood in the doorway, she found Junior sitting on a small dirty bed, staring a picture frame. He had tears running down his face.
"Takeshi-kun?" Mosura called softly. Junior jumped at her voice, quickly wiping away his tears.
"Yeah?" asked Junior. Mosura frowned, walking over to Junior and sitting on the bed next to him. She saw a photo of an Earth bound family. A little boy with charcoal grey hair, a man with the same colored hair and a woman with black, long hair. As she stared at the boy and the man, and how much they resembled each other, she connected the dots.
"This is you and your family?" Junior nodded in response.
"I've almost forgotten my father's face. I just realized how much that I looked like him." Junior placed a finger over the woman in the photo.
"I thought I'd never remember her face again." said Junior, placing his hand over his face as tears began to run once again. Mosura scooted closer to Junior, wrapping her arms around him in a warm embrace. This must have truly been hard for him. She felt his pain, having everything that you have known and loved taken away from you. Then, coming back years later to find it as nothing but ruin.
"Yasu-san" Junior managed to say.
"Yes?"
"What happened between you and your brother before we met?" asked Junior. Mosura sighed sadly, thinking back to her past.
"We were twins that were raised at a temple that had been owned by my family for generations. We would always play together, and look after one another. We were more than just brother and sister, we were best friends. It wasn't until when we were nine years old, that MONARCH sent a group of men to our home. They killed our parents when they were trying to protect us. They even said that they had no use for the adults when they would just cause problems over the children."
Junior felt his anger build up. They really did kill them did they? And for what reason? Because the last time that they kidnapped a boy and his father for their experiments, it didn't go well. Junior continued to listen.
"After that...well, I suppose you know the process for introducing the mutagen?" asked Mosura. Junior nodded in response.
"Anyway, my brother and I were locked in separate cells that were heavily armored and secured. Over the course of five years, I began to learn to control what my abilities could do. I was only able to read minds at the time, but I was able to communicate with my brother. That gave us both the comfort we needed. That enormous Transmutant that you saw a while ago was the one that went out of control and led all of the Transmutants that MONARCH had been making to escape. He was actually the first one out of all of us. I'm not even sure when exactly was he mutated. They did something to him, which caused him to appear less human. After we escaped, we tried living back in Neighpon. We were staying together with a few other Transmutants, hoping to start a new life. However, a few of our members ended up attacking innocent people. This later led to people learning about our existence, which led to them wanting us gone. MONARCH stepped in as a savior to the humans, sending its soldiers after us. While the others in our group fought back, I hid with my brother, Angirasu and Rodan. This started more conflict between humans and mutants from around the world." Mosura stood from the bed, picking up a small figurine of a dragon.
"They wanted us gone; they called us freaks, monsters, demons, abominations, and other terrible things. My brother grew to be angry. His anger grew to hatred. That hatred led to him to despise not just MONARCH, but all humans. I couldn't stand being with the group as they killed innocent people, so I decided to leave and convinced Rodan and Angirasu to leave with me. I couldn't let them corrupt those two, especially at their younger age. My brother, I tried convincing him to leave with me. But he was filled with so much hate, that he refused to go. He said, 'I have to remain with our people'. I was confused at his words. But then I realized what he meant. He didn't mean the Neighponese, not even humans in general. He meant, the Transmutants." Mosura placed the figure down and looked back to Junior, her eyes welling up with tears.
"He felt so dehumanized, that he chose to give up at trying to be human!" cried Mosura.
"But, are we not human?" asked Junior, his tone soft. Mosura shook her head furiously in response.
"We may not be the same as we were before, but I want to at least feel like that I still am! Even if I have to lie about it and have no form of relationship with other normal humans! Isn't that what you've been doing all of this time when you were hiding?!" demanded Mosura. Junior flinched at her tone.
"Yeah but-"
"But nothing! Takeshi-kun, I don't think you realize what you’re getting yourself into." said Mosura.
"What do you mean?"
"Angirasu told me...he told me how you have gotten close to a girl. Your neighbor." said Mosura.
"What about her?"
"Takeshi, I don't think it’s a good idea for you to get involved with her, or with the others!" Junior's eyes widened in surprise at her words.
"My brother wants you dead! He knows where you live! He will do whatever it takes to draw you out and kill you! Even if he has to threaten those you have gotten close to." said Mosura, her eyes filled with despair.
"I won't let that happen." Junior responded.
"What? Are you going to fight my brother? You will only risk exposing yourself to everyone by doing that! What will they think of you when they learn the truth? They may no longer accept you because of that."
"So, what? Am I supposed to just leave them without an explanation? How can you suggest that?!" demanded Junior.
"Because the same thing happened to me!" shouted Mosura. She turned away from Junior, calming herself down.
"I had made friends before I came to Ponyville and moved to the Everfree. I thought that they wouldn't care if they knew I was a mutant. But I was wrong; they were actually terrified when I showed them. I was forced to move again with Angirasu and Rodan." Mosura turned back around, facing Junior. He had a look of sympathy on his face.
"Takeshi-kun, I just don't want you to go through the same thing that I went through." Junior looked down to the ground. He thought back to how the girls feared Transmutants. But, he also thought back to Twilight, how she considered the possibility of good in some mutants.
"I get what you mean. I am grateful that you’re looking out for me. But, I can't do that. I've spent most of my life living in fear. I think that they are the ones who may understand." said Junior. Mosura sighed sadly.
"Takeshi-kun, don't put too much faith in that. Humans hate and fear the things that they can't understand. They are no different." Junior simply sighed in response.




Ponyville, Equestria. One month later...

Junior and Mosura were walking away from the train station, with large suit cases in two. Junior took a deep breath, sighing in relief.
"It’s good to be back." said Junior.
"Indeed." Mosura replied happily. Then she grimaced. "I could really use a shower."
"Same here. Come on, you can use mine." said Junior. Mosura looked up to Junior, a disapproving look on her face.
"What? I got to get this stuff home. Besides, think of it as my way of saying thanks for lugging this crap back." said Junior.
"Fine, but you better not try anything funny mister." said Mosura, a glare in her eye.
"Ouch. I'm hurt that you would assume that I would do something like that." replied Junior, a hand over his chest with a false look of hurt on his. "OK, let’s just get to my place and I promise not to commit any shameless acts."
"Hmm. Alright, I'll trust you." said Mosura.
"Then let's get going" replied Junior. The pair towed the suit cases, making their way through town.
Junior and Mosura made their way outside of the town, heading down a path toward a house. Junior dug into his pocket, fishing for his key. After he felt the cold metal, he pulled it out of his pocket and continued down to the house. He and Mosura stepped onto the porch; he placed the key into the keyhole, turning it till he heard a rewarding click. Junior turned the door's knob, pushing it open. The inside of the house was welcoming; everything was just as he left it. Semi-clean and neat. He forgot to clean up the living room before he left. A couple of books were left on the floor, a shirt was left on his sofa, and a small pile of letters was left right on a small table.
"Sorry, I was in a rush before I left." sighed Junior.
"It’s not that bad." said Mosura. She made her way pass Junior, sitting the suit case up. She looked around the living room, searching for something.
"Um...may I use your shower now?" asked Mosura. Junior nodded in response, he made his way down the hall, opening a closet that was filled with laundry baskets and folded bath towels. He grabbed one of the towels and handed it to Mosura. He then ran to his bedroom, coming out with one of his t-shirts and handed it to her as well.
"The shower is down the hall at the right. Wear this while I wash your shirt." said Junior, pointing down the hall.
"Thank you." Mosura smiled, making her way down the hall. Junior looked back to the living room.
"Might as well tidy up." Junior spent a couple of minutes picking up the living room. He placed his books away, sorting his mail and tossing that shirt in the laundry basket. He made his way into the kitchen, coming back out with a trash bag in his grip. He made his way outside of the house, walking toward his dumpster. After he tossed out the trash, he made his way back to his house. He heard his name called.
"Goji!" called a young feminine voice. It was voice for Junior's sore ears. He turned, finding Fluttershy running toward him. She had a cute, bright smile on her face. The sun shined over her, giving her the appearance of an angel. Junior smiled, happy to see a dear friend. He then realized that she had her arms out, and she was getting closer. This was no good. He didn't get to...
"Fluttershy, no!" shouted Junior, backing up to his door. Fluttershy stopped a few feet away, a hurt expression on her face. Junior mentally kicked himself.
"Didn't you miss me?" asked Fluttershy, a frown on her face.
"Of course I did!" Junior said frantically. "It’s just that I didn't get to take a shower yet. I didn't want to hug you while I stunk. I'm sorry if I made it seem like I wasn't happy to see you."
"Oh, it’s alright. If you are really uncomfortable with a hug now, I can wait." smiled Fluttershy.
"Thanks." said Junior.
"Did...did they hurt you Goji?" asked Fluttershy. Junior looked to her with a puzzled expression, and then realized what she meant.
"The Transmutants? No, I wasn't anywhere near them." reassured Junior. Fluttershy sighed in relief.
"That's good. I'd hate it if those meanies did anything to you. But, where did you stay?"
"Actually, I went to the only place that I could think of. Home." said Junior.
"Home?"
"Home. Where I was raised by my parents for the time that they had." replied Junior.
"It must have been hard."
"It was. But, I at least brought some things back that survived over the years." Junior reached into his sweater pocket, pulling out a photo of him and his parents. Fluttershy gently reached for the photo, looking at it with wide eyes. She smiled sadly at the photo.
"It’s a beautiful photo. You were so cute." said Fluttershy. Junior rubbed the back of his head, looking away in embarrassment.
"Thanks." Fluttershy handed Junior back the old photo, which he placed back in his pocket.
"How were things while I was away?" asked Junior.
"Things...kind of have gotten hectic for a while." replied Fluttershy.
"Was it as serious as the time an Ursa wondered into town?" asked Junior worriedly. Fluttershy shook her head.
"No, but we did think that a woman named Zecora, who has been living in the Everfree, was evil and that she was going to gobble up little Applebloom. But we learned that she was actually nice and we got the rest of the town to warm up to her. And we had a problem with Parasprites recently. Pinkie managed to get them away from Ponyville" explained Fluttershy
"Ugh. Cute but annoying insects." spat Junior. "Well, it’s good that everything turned out fine in the end."
The door creaked, as it opened behind Junior. He went stiff, realizing that Mosura had finished with her shower.
"Oh, there you are!" said Mosura. "Thank you for letting me use your shower and shirt Takeshi-kun."
"W-what?" stuttered Fluttershy, seeing a young woman with white hair that was wet, a towel was resting on her shoulders as she wore a tan T-shirt that went down to her waist. Mosura's eyes widened in surprise, seeing the pink haired Valkyrie completely misunderstand the situation.
'Oh crap.' Junior thought with dread.
"Fluttershy, let me explain." Junior said, beads of sweat forming on his face.
"Oh no, I don't think an explanation is needed." said Fluttershy, crossing her arms with a look of disapproval on her face.
"N-no! I swear it isn't what you think!" said Junior frantically. Mosura smiled at the pink haired Valkyrie.
"Oh! So you're Takeshi-kun's friend!" Mosura stepped from behind Junior, getting closer to Fluttershy.
"Um...yes."
"I am Mosura. I train with Takeshi-kun for martial arts." Mosura bowed her head. Mosura looked to Junior, who motioned for her to bow. He repeated Mosura's action.
"I...I'm Fluttershy."
"Fluttershy-chan, there seems to be a misunderstanding. I had gotten dirty from training. My shower was not working at home, so I went off to find someone to repair it. That's when I ran into Takeshi. I asked him if I could use his shower, which he agreed to." smiled Mosura. Fluttershy looked to her, unsure about the story. She then looked to Junior. She didn't see any shame in his eyes, as committing something indecent. Fluttershy smiled at him.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to assume such things." Fluttershy apologized. Junior sighed in relief.
"Its fine." said Junior. He then felt a slight itch at the back of his head. No, more like in his head.
'You’re welcome. She seems like a nice girl.' Mosura's voice echoed in his mind.
'She is. Thank you. How did you get to me in Neighpon in a short amount of time?' Junior thought, asking Mosura.
'I flew. Let's leave it at that for now.'
"Well, I'm off. Thanks again Takeshi-kun. I'll see you tomorrow for our match!" said Mosura, leaving Junior and Fluttershy alone.
"Oh. Right..." sighed Junior.
"I'm sorry, I have to get going too." said Fluttershy.
"Oh. That's OK. I'll see you around." replied Junior.
"Welcome home, Goji." smiled Fluttershy, causing Junior to feel warm inside.
"It’s good to be home."



"You. Did. What?!" Mosura demanded, glaring at Rodan. He was sweating profusely.
"I...kind of took on showing someone my moves." said Rodan.
"Why would you do that?! This ‘someone’ has no business learning our arts!" scolded Mosura.
"I'm sorry! I just thought it wouldn't hurt to show her a few moves. I swear I haven't corrupted what you taught us!"
"Ugh. I'm gone for a month and this happens while I'm away." Mosura grabbed the bridge of her nose in irritation. She then glared at Angirasu. "And where the heck were you when this happened?"
"I...was present when he made the deal with her." Angirasu shamefully admitted.
"Why didn't you stop him?"
"It was in a public area. I didn't want to cause a scene with him over it. He has only been showing her what he knows. He hasn't told or showed her the lair." explained Angirasu. Mosura sighed in response.
"Rodan, are you certain about doing this?" asked Mosura.
"Um...yes?"
"Very well. I'll allow you to continue showing her what you have learned. Just remember what I taught you, about it being more than fighting." sighed Mosura.
"I will."
"Just...just don't let her know the truth. OK?" Mosura, placed her hands over the crimson haired Earth bound's shoulders. Her eyes filled with worry.
"I'll take it to my grave." said Rodan. Mosura nodded in approval.
"I'm going to rest. I have a match tomorrow." said Mosura, making her way to her chambers.
"Can I bring Rainbow to watch?" asked Rodan. Mosura groaned in response.
"Fine! But we can't have the match here."




The next day...

It was early noon. The sun was high in the air; a few clouds covered the sky. The air had gotten colder; the wind blew against the grass and trees. The birds flew with the wind, using it to push them across the town. Mosura sat on a bench, next to Angirasu at the park. She was wearing an orange training kimono. Angirasu sat with two large bottles of water. He sat uneasily next to Mosura, seeing a displeased expression on her face as she looked at Rodan in front of her.
"When you asked me if you could bring someone to watch, I didn't think that you meant six others as well." said Mosura. She then stood from the bench and grabbed Rodan by the collar, piercing his soul with her eyes.
"Give me a reason why I shouldn't have you fight Takeshi-kun first to embarrass you in front of these girls." said Mosura. Rodan nervously laughed in response.
"Um...because you are very kind and merciful woman who never takes part in revenge? Because it’s better to fight Gojira while he is at his best instead of having him fight me? He'd just be wasting energy. Also, I had no idea that she was going to invite her friends."
"Any other reason?" asked Mosura.
"Um...because you love me like a brother?" Mosura closed her eyes in response, smiling to herself. She then released Rodan.
"Fine. But you're cleaning the dojo after this."
"Yes ma’am..." sighed Rodan. He then made his over to Junior, with Angirasu following him. Junior was wearing his charcoal grey training kimono, with Rarity trying to straighten it. Fluttershy sat with a medical kit, a worried expression on her face. Applejack, Spike and Pinkie sat with a bucket of popcorn. Twilight was making her over to Junior and Rarity.
"I must say, you are quite fit! Just look at these nicely toned muscles. Don't you think so, Twilight?" asked Rarity. Twilight went stiff. She saw the strong muscles on Junior's arms, and how his pectorals could be slightly seen under his kimono. Twilight had a light blush on her face. She mentally slapped herself.
"Yes." agreed Twilight, awkwardly.
"Thank you." said Junior, feeling Rarity use her magic to tug around his kimono.
"What's your secret, darling?"
"Get plenty of exercise to the point where the muscles that you are working on get tired, eat protein, eat healthy, and have rest days." answered Junior. 'Also, get mutated by some assholes at childhood with the use of an ancient dragon's DNA.'
"Where do you get your protein?" Twilight asked curiously.
"Um...from fish." Twilight's eyes widened, she quickly looked back to Fluttershy. The Valkyrie shyly waved to her and Junior in response. She then turned back to Junior.
"Don't let Fluttershy know." said Twilight. Junior nodded in understanding.
"Yeah, I forget that Equestrians tend to be vegetarians. Especially animal caretakers like Shy." Junior then noticed that Rodan and Angirasu were making their way toward him. Rodan walked up to Junior, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Good luck. You'll need it." said Rodan, making his way over to Rainbow Dash, who sat on a bench. Angirasu walked up to Junior, handing him a bottle of water.
"Just do what you have been doing. Don't be afraid to fight her cause she's a girl." said Angirasu. Junior nodded in response.
"Give it all you've got." Angirasu took off, finding a seat next to Applejack and Pinkie Pie. Junior sighed, feeling himself grow nervous.
"Are you sure you want to go through with this? You should be resting after your trip." said Twilight. She was unsure about the whole thing. It didn't help that she heard that their matches were rough. She was concerned that someone would be seriously injured.
"I can do this. We've been putting this off for too long. Besides, I want to see how strong she is." replied Junior, his focused on Mosura. She made her way to the center of the park, a serious look on her face. Rarity finished adjusting Junior's kimono, a satisfied smile on her face.
"A warrior's apparel must always properly fitted." said Rarity.
"Thanks, but there's no point to go that far if it’s going to become undone during a battle." replied Junior.
"Oh hush, dear. Now go out there and meet your opponent!" Rarity pointed toward Mosura. Junior sighed in response. He walked pass Rarity and Twilight, making his way toward Mosura.
"And fight fair, she's a lady!" shouted Rarity. Junior groaned.
"OK, I get it!" Junior called. He stood a couple of feet from Mosura, locking eyes with her.
"I hope that you are ready Takeshi-kun." said Mosura. She and Junior bowed and got into a fighting stance.
"I Am." replied Junior, tensing his muscles. The two kept their eyes locked, pacing their breaths. The wind blew in their air; leaves fell from the trees and passed in between them. The area was quiet; the audience stared at the coming battle in anticipation. Surely this would end quickly. Junior had height and mass over Mosura. Twilight felt her heart racing at the tense atmosphere. She gulped, waiting to see the match begin. Angirasu stood from his seat, making his way near the combatants. He took a deep breath of air, waiting a couple of seconds in silence.
"HAJIME!" shouted Angirasu at the top of his lungs. The girls were startled by his voice.
Junior dashed toward Mosura, who kept her stance. As Junior reared his fist, he swung it swiftly toward the shorter girl, who side stepped to his left. Junior noticed that he missed, then immediately dropped to his hands and right knee, swept his left leg under Mosura. Mosura did a back flip away, avoiding the sweep. Junior raised a brow toward his opponent, who motioned her hand, telling Junior to come at her. Junior chuckled to himself. He stood up, dashing back toward Mosura, who slid under him, and kicked him in his back. The kick sent Junior stumbling forward. He quickly turned and found Mosura charging toward him. She leapt onto Junior, wrapping her legs around his neck. Junior grunted in response, feeling the smaller mutant swing her weight, forcing him down. He felt himself flipped onto his back. Junior looked up to Mosura, who had an unimpressed look plastered on her face. Junior hopped back onto feet, getting into a defensive stance. Mosura charged toward Junior, assaulting him with punches and kicks. Junior used his arms to block every attack; he then grabbed Mosura's incoming leg. She gasped in surprise, then felt Junior grab her leg with his other hand and was thrown. Mosura skidded across the ground, grunting as she stood back up.
Twilight felt herself wanting to intervene. She was about to stand, but felt Applejack grab her by her shoulder.
"Simmer down Twi. She seems to have done this a million times." reassured Applejack. Twilight looked back to the fight, seeing Mosura punching Junior in his chest, followed by a kick to the head. Junior fell over onto his side from the force of the kick, with Mosura leaping onto his chest, hopping up and down a couple of times. Junior grunted in pain every time that she landed on his chest. Twilight cringed at the battle. She noticed that Fluttershy was keeping herself in place, but could tell that she wanted to run out to that battle and to put a stop to it. Twilight looked back to Applejack, sighing in defeat. She remained seated and continued to watch the battle.
Junior rolled away from Mosura, sweeping his leg to cause her to fall on her back. She got back up, rushing toward Junior who was standing and kneeing him in his jaw.
"Ergh!" Junior grunted in pain, staggering back. Mosura sprinted toward Junior, hopping over Junior and latching herself onto his back. She wrapped her arms around Junior's head, with her legs wrapped tightly around his chest. Junior wobbled, attempting to keep his balance. He realized that Mosura had him in a sleeper hold. He swung his body erratically, attempting to get the smaller mutant off of him. He rocked himself furiously, feeling Mosura was having a hard time keeping her hold on him. Junior then pried her hands off his head, throwing her off of his body. Mosura yelped as she was thrown hard onto the ground. Junior attempted to catch his breath, taking in deep breaths to get the air back in his starved lungs. He then felt Mosura knee him in the gut, causing him to drop on to his knees and vomit. The girls and Spike clutched their stomachs in response to the attack, feeling themselves gag from witnessing the bodily fluid exit Junior's mouth. Rainbow and Rodan merely cheered in excitement. Angirasu shot them both a disapproving glare, which immediately silenced them.
"Why are you holding back?" asked Mosura. Junior growled in response, spitting what little vomit that he had left in his mouth. He charged toward Mosura, throwing multiple punches, which were all blocked by Mosura. After he threw his next punch, Mosura caught it, and stepped closer to Junior, preventing him to throw another punch.
"Stop trying to hit me and just hit me!" Mosura stepped back, using her strength to force Junior closer to her, quickly turned her back toward him and used his momentum to bounce him off of her back. Junior landed on his back, panting. He slowly stood back up, closing his eyes and taking deep breaths. He opened his eyes and glared at Mosura.
"Alright. Time to get serious." Junior then charged toward Mosura, she jumped into the air, nearly making her way over Junior but was caught by Junior. She felt herself thrown toward a tree. Mosura caught a branch, swinging herself onto the branch. She saw Junior making his way toward the tree, then gasped as she saw him punching the base of it, causing it to wobble. She dropped from the branch, swinging from it and used the momentum kick him away from the tree. She landed his chest, punching him in his face. Junior shook off the pain, and then grabbed Mosura by her hands. Mosura strained as she felt Junior pushing on her arms. She was forced to her feet, with Junior's hands still locked with hers. Junior used his strength, forcing Mosura onto her knees. She grunted as she felt her arms begin to hurt from his overwhelming strength. Junior glared at the smaller mutant, he then thrusts his arms forward, knocking Mosura onto her back. Junior laid his arm onto Mosura's gut, then as she was swung her fist at his face, he quickly caught her arm with his free hand and forced it onto her chest. Mosura panted, feeling Junior's weight crushing her. She then had a small smile on her face.
"Congratulations. I yield." said Mosura. Junior returned his smile.
"Yame!" shouted Angirasu. He made his way toward the combatants. Junior stood and helped Mosura back onto her feet.
"This match is over. Takeshi Gojira is the victor!" announced Angirasu. The girls and Spike cheered at the announcement. Fluttershy went nuts, cheering at the top of her lungs, hopping in joy. Rodan stood slack-jawed, and then recomposed himself. He shrugged in response to what he had just witnessed. The two combatants stood facing each other, both bowing. Mosura suddenly had a sly grin on her face; she suddenly dashed toward Junior, sweeping him with her leg. Junior landed on his side, a dazed look on his face. The crowd gasped in response. Junior was about to stand back up, but felt Mosura sit on his back.
"The hell was that?" asked Junior. Mosura got closer to Junior's face, a cute smile on her face.
"That was a lesson. Never let yourself be distracted when your opponent is nearby." The two were silent for a minute. Mosura began to giggle to herself, this caused Junior to lightly chuckle. Mosura's giggling escalated into laughter, which caused Junior to start laughing with her. Angirasu began chuckling to himself. Rodan was in the audience was cracking up, receiving strange looks by the others. Mosura stood up with Junior, both still laughing. Twilight sighed in relief; it was all just a joke for the victor. Twilight began to giggle as well, followed by the rest to start laughing. This was truly an unexpected outcome.



Junior and Twilight were making their way to the library. Junior had changed back into his casual clothes; his sweater washed and cleaned of its stench from being in Neighpon. The day was in the late noon, the sun was descending from the sky. The air was dropping to cooler temperatures. As the pair made it to the library, they entered inside. Twilight led Junior to the book shelves, her eyes scanning for the desired book. Twilight raised her hand; a raspberry colored aura engulfed her hand and one of the books on the shelf as it levitated toward her. She looked at the cover, smiling at the title. She turned and handed Junior the book.
"Here you go. A book on Echolocation!" said Twilight.
"Thank you Twi." smiled Junior, taking the book in his hand.
"No problem. I'm curious though, why did you want to borrow this book?" asked Twilight. Junior thought back to earlier.




30 minutes ago...

"Takeshi-kun, it’s time that we moved on to helping you focus on your abnormal abilities." said Mosura. Junior looked to her in confusion.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that we are going to help you learn to control the abilities that you have inherited from your mutation. You were mutated with an ancient dragon, if I remember correctly." Junior nodded in response.
"Dragons tend to be predators, so we need to help you practice abilities that you may have inherited without transforming." informed Mosura. Junior sat in thought.
"Well, from what I remember from the diagram that was shown to me, it didn't have any wings. I did become a better swimmer after the process and I can grow gills if I were to partially transform." said Junior. Rodan raised a brow.
"Gills? I thought you said that you were mutated with a dragon, not with a fish." said Rodan.
"From what I hear, dragons are diverse. Some have wings, some don't, and some even live in the sea. So, that means I was mutated with a dragon that lived an amphibious life style." guessed Junior.
"Can sea dragons breathe fire? Can you?" asked Angirasu curiously.
"I don't think so. My father told me that he once saw a sea dragon spit boiling hot water at bandits. I guess that’s a trait they have instead, compared to other dragons.
"Wait! I think I know what we can work on!" Mosura exclaimed.
"What?" asked all three of the male mutants in unison.
"If you were mutated from an enormous aquatic creature, then that may mean you can echolocate!"
"Echo what now?" asked Rodan, puzzled by the term. Junior sighed.
"Echolocation. It’s a biological sonar that animals use by emitting calls in their environment and use the echoes of said calls to help them locate and identify objects. They mainly use this for navigation and hunting." explained Junior. He noticed that the others were giving him incredulous stares.
"What? I may look like a thug but I’m not an idiot. I paid attention in school!"
"Whoa. We seemed to have touched an old wound." said Angirasu. Mosura and Rodan nodded in agreement.
"I swear, I always had to put up with that crap for years! I busted my ass to graduate high school, and I still had those jerk offs think that I don't know Equish, history or science! Sure, I'm not advanced in the subjects and I kind of suck at math, but I tried! Hell, even one of the teachers said that I was an exceptionally good writer! It’s not that hard when you attend class with a bunch of snooty, rich, spoiled brats!" Junior ranted, his veins in his head popping from the side of his head.
"Ok, Ok, settle down there buddy." Rodan said nervously.
"And don't get me started on the girls that attended that school!"
"Takeshi-kun!" shouted Mosura. Junior snapped out of his ranting. He then calmed himself down.
"Sorry about that." apologized Junior.
"Anyway, your friends with the librarian correct?" asked Mosura.
"Yeah."
"Good, I need you to borrow a book on Echolocation. We're going to study that, and see if you can pull it off!"




Present...

Junior's mind came back to the present. He had to think of a lie. Ugh, again with the lies?
"I've always been fascinated by how some animals can navigate and hunt with this method. I thought it'd be fun to learn more." said Junior. Twilight smiled in response.
"I never knew you that had a fascination with nature."
"I do actually. It’s amazing how these creatures use the tools that they were born with and how they use them in the world that they live in." said Junior. What he said wasn't actually a lie. He kind of did like animals, as long as they weren't attacking him.
"If you're interested, feel free to drop by any time for books on zoology. We've got a lot on that!"
"I'll do that. Thank you." Junior turned to leave, but was stopped.
"Oh, um...Gojira?" called Twilight. Junior turned around, facing the scholar.
"Yeah?"
"Um....Do you have any plans next week?" asked Twilight, twiddling her fingers. Junior thought about it, he was probably going to just practice this echolocation and a few other abilities that humans shouldn't have. Nothing else seemed to be in the way.
"I don't think so. Why?"
"W-well, I was wondering if..." Twilight had her arms at her sides; her hands were locked together as she shyly looked away. "I was wondering if you would...like to come with me and the others to the Nightmare Night festival?"
"Oh?"
"Um...it’s fine if you don't want to come! I understand that you hate crowds. I just thought it'd be nice to do something fun together." said Twilight, her pointy ears descending back. Junior thought about it. It couldn't hurt to spend time with them.
"Sounds good." said Junior. Twilight's ears perked up at this.
"Really?" asked Twilight, her eyes wide. Junior nodded in response.
"Yes!" Twilight hugged Junior in joy. She then realized what she was doing. Twilight immediately released Junior and turned away from him, attempting to hide her blush.
"Sorry, I got a little carried away."
"N-no! It’s fine. I don't mind at all." said Junior, trying to not sound disappointed. Twilight smiled warmly at Junior.
"Do you have a costume for Nightmare Night?" asked Twilight.
"No, but I can figure something out."
"Feel free to invite your friends that you train with." said Twilight.
"I'll have to see if they're up for it. I'll see you later." said Junior, as he made his way out the door.
"See you later!" said Twilight, as she saw Junior out the door. As he was walking out the library, Twilight slowly closed the door, taking one last look at the Earth bound. She shut the door, leaning her back against it. She had felt her heart racing every time that she was with him lately. What was this feeling? Could it be?
"Oh my goodness." Twilight giggled to herself. Perhaps it was what it was. She didn't feel this way about him at first. He always just seemed like a jerk. No way did she think that she would have ever taken that kind of a liking to Gojira. But, as she spent more time with him, she realized that there was more to him than she thought. He may have been a bit of a punk to others, but, to her and to those who knew him well, he was sweet. He may have had a bit of a temper and a stubborn streak, but he wasn't cruel. He wasn't the one that would hurt others, not intentionally at least. She was happy that she managed to convince him to open up more, but she still felt that he was still bothered by something. Whatever it was, she would be there to help him. Because, that's what friends are for.



Junior found himself walking in the Everfree forest. His mind was lost in thought. There had been some hard times while he was in Ponyville, but there were times where Twilight and Fluttershy were there for him. He couldn't comprehend what has happened to him. They were the ones who opened the door to the dark room that he was locked in, shining light into the emptiness. They were the best friends that he could ever have. He was grateful to have met them. He was grateful that others were around that cared about him. He was even grateful that he met others that were like him. He was looking forward to the festival. As Junior was nearing the house that hid the lair, Angirasu stepped out of the house, waving to him. Junior waved back. Suddenly, an ear piercing screech assaulted his ears.
"Gah!!" Junior dropped to his knees, covering his ears. The book fell out of his grip, landing on the grass in front of him.
"Takeshi-san!" Angirasu sprinted over to Junior. Junior was breathing heavily, his eyes wide as the screeching continued in his ears. He heard a young masculine voice.
"My love! Where are you?" The voice echoed in his mind, along with the screech. Junior was panting, still clutching his head. Another screech assaulted his ears. Junior cried out in pain, clutching his head.
"I'm here! Where are you? I'm near the coast of Neighpon." a familiar feminine voice echoed in his mind along with the second screech.
"I'm in the Griffon kingdom. Is our child safe?" asked the male voice. Junior kept covering his ears, fighting the screech that caused him pain.
"Yes! But...I can't revert back to my human form. I...I think we're having more than one."
"Shut up." said Junior quietly, the pain taking its toll.
"Takeshi-kun, what's wrong?" Mosura asked urgently.
"Angirasu, what happened?!" asked Rodan.
"I don't know! He just started freaking out when he got here."
"Oh, my God! Hold on, I'll be over there as soon as possible. Don't leave!" said the male voice. The screech was still assaulting Junior's ears.
"Shut up! Shut up! Shut your goddamn mouths! Get out of my head!!" shouted Junior. He stood up to his feet, running toward a tree and slammed his head against the bark. He grunted every time he collided against the tree. The voices had stopped, along with the screeches. Junior panted, he turned around and found the shocked faces of Angirasu and Rodan. Mosura had a very worried expression, almost terrified. Junior continued to pant, feeling the wood chips that splintered his forehead. He took a few steps before he collapsed on the ground, passing out.



Junior awoke, finding himself in a dimly lit stoned room. He was lying on a bed, a blanket covering him. He noticed a curtain was slightly opened at the end of the stony room, revealing a faint light in the distance. Junior looked at his surroundings; nothing was in the room except the bed, a small counter next to the bed and a small lamp on it. He took the blanket of his body, finding that his sweater was off. He noticed that his sweater was neatly folded at the foot of the bed. He rose out of the bed and grabbed his sweater, putting it on. He made his way past the curtain, discovering that he was in the lair. Mosura was sitting outside of the chamber that he was in, reading the book that he had borrowed from Twilight.
"Mosura?" called Junior, in a drowsy voice. Mosura gasped, quickly turning around to find Junior awake. She placed the book down and stood up.
"Takeshi-kun! Are you alright?" asked Mosura, her tone filled with worry.
"Yeah...I think so." replied Junior.
"What happened to you?"
"I...I don't know. I was walking back to the lair, and then I suddenly heard this loud screech." said Junior. Mosura looked to him in confusion.
"What? But, we didn't hear anything."
"I'm telling you, I heard it! I even began to hear voices during the screeches!"
"Voices? What were they saying?" asked Mosura.
"They sounded like they were looking for each other. It was a man and a woman's voice. I think the woman was pregnant." Junior explained.
"I see."
"That's not all. The woman said that she couldn't return to her human form. Her voice even sounded familiar to me. I think they were Transmutants." said Junior. Mosura's eyes widened.
"Could they have been psychics?" asked Junior.
"No, I don't think so. You said that these voices came during the screeches correct? If that's the case, than you may have been hearing another form of communication." explained Mosura.
"The male did say that he was in the Griffon nation and the female was in Neighpon. How far can you be to communicate with your psychic ability?" asked Junior.
"My telepathic range is at least a hundred feet. If they were communicating from that far and you were able to hear it, they definitely may have been using a different way to communicate." Mosura picked up the book that she was reading, showing it to Junior. "And I think I know what."
> Chapter 9: Nightmare Night
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Location: Classified. MONARCH Delta Base.

It was dark. There was faint lighting in the room. The room was a sanitary lab, with electronics running and surgical tools that were placed neatly away. The lab was cold, lonely, and one middle-aged, Neighponese man stood in the room with a large cylindrical tank in front of him. The tank was filled with a clear liquid, wires were hooked at the base, faint lighting was inside of the tank. The tank had a young woman with long, green hair floating within. She was wearing a white skintight suit, with small tubes in her fore arms, and a mask covering her mouth and nose, providing her with air. Her long hair floated all around her in the liquid, the muffled sound of air flowing into her could be heard outside. A plaque was bolted at the base of the tank. On the plaque was the word Rose, engraved on it.
"My sweet, sweet Erika." said the old man solemnly. Footsteps sounded from behind the old man.
"Genshiro, is the test subject ready?" asked a female Earth bound in black uniform. The old man turned to face the woman.
"Yes, her wounds have healed. We just need to restart her heart before we can cancel the spell on her brain." replied Genshiro. The woman nodded in approval.
"Good, we'll need her back on the field." said the woman. Genshiro sighed in response.
"Yes..."
"Don't worry, she may technically be a Transmutant now, but she is a soldier for MONARCH. Unlike the ones that we have to fight, she is on our side." reassured the woman.
'Yes, but we were the ones responsible for their creation. But you don't know that.' Genshiro thought solemnly.
The tank was drained of its liquid, the lifeless body of Erika leaned against the glass. The tank was opened from the front, steam hissing out from the tank. Two men came in with a bed, rolling it toward the tank. They set the bed near the tank, making their way towards Erika's body. The men carried her body over to the bed, gently laying her down. They rolled the bed out of the dark room, moving it down towards a sterilized room. The room was filled with medical equipment and a large heart monitor. The two men rolled the lifeless woman into the center of the room, stepping away from the bed. An Elf wearing scrubs came in, seeing the patient ready.
"Please leave while I work on reviving her." said the Elf. The two men nodded, making their way out of the room. The Elf stepped closer to Erika, raising a hand over her head. A red aura engulfed his hand; he placed his hand on her head, closing his eyes. His mind was flooded with memories from Erika. Everything from her childhood to the time of her death was entering into his head. He searched her mind, looking for the desired memory. After a few seconds of searching, he had found it. A black moth-like creature spoke to her, telling her information that has been classified to the lower ranks of MONARCH. The truth about the origins of these Transmutants. They couldn't have Erika back knowing what she learned as it could endanger the organization. The Elf concentrated on that memory, erasing it from her mind.
"There, now we can bring her back." said the Elf. He raised his other hand, covered in the same red aura. He had experience in forbidden magic, which was why MONARCH recruited him into their organization. This particular spell is considered an abomination among Elves and was strictly forbidden in ancient times. But, the Elf had his sources on where he learned this ancient spell. The Elf waved his hands in motion, the light from the aura dancing with his rhythm. The Elf then stopped waving his hands, then held out his right palm. Suddenly, a small bright flash of light shone over his palm. The Elf flinched at the light, but refocused his vision shortly after. Over his palm was a small white orb that floated with an ethereal glow. The Elf smiled to himself under his face mask. He made his way over to Erika's lifeless body, looking back at the small orb. He held the orb out toward Erika's head, the orb changing into a glowing, white mist. The mist then flowed into the nostrils of Erika. The Elf raised his left hand over Erika's chest, his hand sparking with electricity. The electricity shot from the palm of his hand, striking Erika in the chest. Erika's body twitched from the volts that coursed through her nerves. The Elf then raised his right hand over the head of Erika, his magic shooting toward her forehead. A ring appeared on her crown, dispersing into sparks as he closed his right hand. The electricity then ceased to emit from the Elf's hand, causing Erika's body to remain motionless. The Elf watched the body as it remained motionless; he made his way over to the heart monitor, paying close attention to the monitor. He waited patiently as the monitor gave off the long beep and displayed a flat line. He waited a couple of more seconds, before the long beep stopped, a small beep sounded as a spike appeared. Success, her heart had started back up. The Elf made his way over to Erika, seeing the young woman shift weekly. She suddenly shot up, gasping deeply with her eyes wide. She coughed furiously as her long starved lungs consumed oxygen. Her coughing settled down, she panted as she slowly searched her surroundings. Erika's eyes gradually changed in color from an emerald green to a bright yellow. She noticed the Elf that stood next to her and nearly fell out of bed due to being startled by him. She calmed her breathing, trying to find her voice.
"Wh-where am I?" asked Erika.
"Back in the world of the living, Private." answered the Elf.




Ponyville, Equestria. 11:30 AM...

Junior sat on the grass in Everfree, a blindfold covering his eyes. His breaths were calm, his muscles were relaxed and his mind was cleared. He was completely silent, with only the sounds of small birds in the air. Junior opened his mouth slightly, letting out a low, beastly growl. His eyes may not have seen, but the sounds bounced off of the trees, painting silhouette pictures in his mind. He recognized them as the trees and bushes that stood five feet away. Anything beyond that point was just a dark void. Junior began to pick up the volume in his growls, his mind drawing up further images. Junior stood to his feet, still growling. He slowly walked forward, searching his surroundings. His ears picked up the echoes; his mind painting the direction where his eyes would be looking. Junior would chuckle to himself if it wouldn't cause him to go blind again. He continued his growls, patrolling the forest. Junior continued on in search of his target. Junior began to make a loud moan with his throat, increasing his mental radar. He continued forward, searching the ground for his target. He noticed a small form lying on the ground, no bigger than the palm of his hand. He gently reached for the small form; the form suddenly moved from his reach. Junior attempted to reach for it again, but the small figure began to move further, still on the move. Junior smiled to himself, and then continued to walk faster as he raised his voice into a louder moan. The echoes revealed the small figure moving through the ground. Junior's mind painted images of tree-like objects in his way. He dodged them with ease as he began to sprint toward the small figure. Junior noticed a boulder in his path; he hopped over it and continued to pursue the object. As he got closer to the figure, he dove for it, catching it in his hands. Junior panted, his ears missing the sounds that painted the images. Junior removed the blindfold, beholding what he had caught. It was a small, stuff mouse toy for cats. A long string was attached to the end, leading all of the way toward a familiar female mutant.
"10 seconds; that’s your best time yet!" exclaimed Mosura.
"Thank you." smiled Junior. He stood back up to his feet, dusting himself off. He noticed Rodan dropping from a tree branch.
"Dude, it never gets old to watch you chase a stuffed mouse like a house cat!" laughed Rodan.
"Shut up!" Junior said irritably. Mosura lightly giggled at the comment.
"Come on you two, let’s get back to the lair." said Mosura.
"Yeah, I could go for the hot springs right about now. I'm beat." sighed Rodan. Junior looked at him in confusion.
"Hot springs?"
"Oh yeah, they're deeper in the Everfree. We spend time over there to relax sometimes and to consume the energy from there." explained Rodan. Junior gave him another confused look.
"Energy? Don't you need nuclear radiation to nourish yourselves?" asked Junior. Mosura's ears perked at this and turned to Junior.
"Well, we aren't dependent on that radiation like you are. We use the hotsprings' geothermal energy. The heat energy from within the Earth is transferred up to hot springs, lava and geysers. We bathe in the hot springs to consume this energy. I believe that nuclear energy is something that certain mutants mostly depend on based on the species that they were mutated with." explained Mosura. Junior smacked his forehead at this.
"Jeez! Battra dragged my ass across the world to get nuclear radiation to survive but I could have gained something over here!" spat Junior. Rodan looked to him with a surprised expression.
"Wait, you didn't know that you needed some kind of energy to sustain yourself?" asked Rodan. Junior looked at him incredulously.
"Why the hell would I know that?! I never knew that much about Transmutants or myself until I met you guys!"
"Good point." said Rodan, sheepishly.
"Why don't you join us Takeshi-kun? It may be a pleasant experience for you." suggested Mosura. Junior thought about it. A hot spring did sound nice.
"Yeah, let’s do that."



Junior, Angirasu, Mosura, and Rodan made their way through the forest. Towels rested on their shoulders and bags with a change of clothes. They continued on down the forest, steam was in the air. The group made their way past the trees, finding a large pool of water. Rocks lined the shore, steam rose from the clear water. Tree branches and leaves shaded the area. The water flowed down to a smaller pool of water, with stones making up the corners. The group placed their towels on a pile of rocks, and placed their bags near their towels as they made their way toward the large pool of water. The three male Transmutants wore swimming trunks, while Mosura wore an orange one piece swimming suit. The group stepped into the water, feeling the heat. Junior sighed in relaxation as he went deeper into the water, reaching up to his belly. Being inside of the water was like being wrapped into a warm blanket in winter. It was satisfying to feel the heat consume his body, as the cold weather pierced the air.
"Enjoying yourself?" asked Mosura, a smile on her face. Junior merely nodded in response as he sank lower into the water.
"Just feel that energy course through you! Best part is that you don't actually need to transform one bit to get it. Thank you pores!" exclaimed Rodan. Angirasu leaned back, allowing the water to carry him on his back. After several minutes of relaxing in the hot spring, Junior thought of a way to better experience this warm water. He stood as he began to grunt in pain. Mosura heard Junior; she faced toward him in worry.
"Hey, are you alright?" asked Mosura.
"Y-yeah. I'm just...Grh!" Junior's neck began to sprout five rows of small gill flaps. They were matching Junior's skin tone, flapping slightly. Mosura recoiled at the sight.
"Oh my gosh!" exlaimed Mosura. Angirasu's widened in surprise, Rodan's face contorted into disgust.
"Sorry, I just wanted to practice using these some more. I hardly ever use them." said Junior. Junior exhaled as he lowered himself down to the water, his gills flapping open as his neck made contact with the water. Junior dove beneath the surface, swimming past Mosura. Junior moves toward the center of the pool, getting into a sitting position at the bottom of the hot spring. His gills took in the warm water, delivering oxygen and the geothermal energy into his blood. He closed his eyes as he felt his energy slowly build. It wasn't necessary for him to consume energy now, nor was it as fast as consuming nuclear radiation. However, it didn't hurt just to build it up now.
After thirty minutes, Junior emerged from the water, his gills closing against his neck. Junior took a breath, taking oxygen into his lungs. He noticed that the others were sitting and waiting on the shore. They had their towels over them as they sat dry.
"Took you long enough." said Rodan.
"My bad, I kinda dozed off and found myself lost in the warmth." apologized Junior.
"It’s alright. I have to admit, it was fascinating to see you remain underwater for so long and still be able to breathe." said Mosura.
"It's actually pretty relaxing to be underwater." replied Junior. "Oh, I've been meaning to ask you guys something!"
"Yeah?" the three other mutants asked in unison.
"You guys wanna join me and the others for the Nightmare moon festival this weekend?"
"Others?" asked Angirasu curiously.
"Yeah. You know, Twilight, Fluttershy, Rainbow?"
"I'm down with that! I've been meaning to hang out with RD." Rodan grinned. Angirasu contemplated.
"Well, I guess it couldn't hurt." answered Angirasu.
"I...think I'll pass." answered Mosura. The three male mutants looked to her in confusion.
"Why?" asked Rodan.
"I don't...I'm not sure if I'm comfortable with being around with other people." sighed Mosura. Junior frowned at this, fully understanding what she means.
"Yasu-san, you don't have to worry about that. We'll be by your side." reassured Junior.
"Yeah! Especially us, we're family." said Rodan. Mosura looked to both, about to protest. She then felt a comforting hand placed on her shoulder. She turned and saw Angirasu, a light smile on his face.
"I'm a little uncomfortable too. But, this might be good for us." said Angirasu. Mosura looked down toward the ground, thinking of any way to refuse. On the other hand, they said that they would be with her. She didn't have to worry about being alone.
"OK, I'll go." Mosura sighed in defeat. "But, I won't be wearing a costume!"
"That's fine. I just wanted you to come out and enjoy yourself." smiled Junior.




A few hours later...

In the vast orchard on the Apple farm, Junior was carrying two baskets of apples over back to the barn. He felt refreshed after that trip to the hot springs. He was relaxed, taking in the fresh air and the heat from the sun. It was one of those days that felt great, as if nothing bad could happen.  He hoped the whole day could be like that. As Junior placed the baskets on the ground, he found Applejack making her way over to him.
"Goji! I got a favor to ask!" called Applejack.
"Sure, what's up?" asked Junior. He had recently moved on from just knocking down and gathering apples to many other kinds of chores. It was a good thing as he was afraid that he would've gotten bored and lost his mind if he kept doing the same routine over and over again.
"I need to pick up my little sister from school. Would ya mind feeding the critters on the farm?" asked Applejack. Junior nodded in response.
"No problem. I can handle it." Applejack smiled at his answer.
"Glad that I can count on ya! I'll see ya soon." said Applejack, turning and making her way down the path off of the farm.
"Anything for a friend." Junior said to himself. There was a bit of a problem for him when it came to interacting with the others. At first, he definitely didn't acknowledge them as his friends, just Twilight and Fluttershy. However, he kind of had taken a liking to the others. Sure, he found Pinkie annoying at times but she sometimes caused him to crack a smile when she wasn't looking. At least he hoped that she wasn't. She was an odd girl, which was impressive considering that the statement came from a guy that can shape shift into a monster. Pinkie had an aura around her that prevented anyone from hating her. In the case of Rarity, he didn’t spend a lot of time with her, but he admired her creativity. She was a drama queen, but she at least wasn't a snooty, stuck up bitch like the girls that he met in Canterlot. He wasn’t a fan of Rainbow’s boasting, yet he found her loyalty towards her friends made up for that defect. He envied her goal to reach her dream of becoming a Wonderbolt. Dreams frightened Junior because he had no chance to fulfill them. For him, they were what they were, just dreams. He found that statement to be a pretty pathetic thought. Junior was at times uneasy to be around Applejack. She could tell if somebody was lying just by looking at them. He hadn't lied to her lately, but he was afraid that he would. This wouldn't be so bad if she would be able to handle one particular truth. He liked her tendency to work hard and to do as much as she could on her own.  Her honesty was something that people could appreciate in an individual. Junior was unsure if the girls even considered themselves friends with him, which made it hard to admit to them that he saw them as friends.
Junior carried a sack of food, dropping the pellets onto the ground for the chickens. The birds crowded as they pecked at their food, clucking noisily. Junior then moved on to find Applejack's pet dog, or 'companion' as she likes to put it.
"Winona, come here girl!" called Junior. He whistled for the Fido as he poured kibble into a bowl. He then heard excited yipping from around the barn. From around the barn, he saw a little, brown and white furred collie. She turned her head facing Junior, and then looked down at the bowl that sat next to his feet. She continued to yip excitedly as she ran toward the bowl. Junior stepped away from the bowl as Winona scarfed down her food. Junior left the dog, picking up a stack of hay and carried it over his shoulder. He made his way over toward a fence, walking over toward a small orange Earth pony with a blonde mane and tail. The pony's ears flickered at the sound of Junior's footsteps, turning its face to reveal big green eyes and white little freckles on its muzzle.
"Hey girl, got something for you." said Junior as he set the stack of hay down. The orange mare trotted over to Junior with what appeared to be a little smile on her muzzle. Junior pulled out a few straws of the hay, holding it out for the pony. The pony trotted closer, raising her head to reach the straws. Junior had to kneel next to the pony, since she was only at least three feet tall. The pony took the straws in her mouth, graciously chewing. Junior raised his hand and scratched behind the ears of the little pony, she leaned her head down as she felt pleasure from her ears being scratched. As Junior finished feeding the pony he stood and was about the leave.
However, he heard a loud sound. Junior searched his surroundings, looking for the source of the sound. He couldn't find it anywhere. He then looked toward the orange pony, whose ears were folded back as she looked up at the sky while backing up in fear. He wondered what could cause the pony to worry so much Junior followed the pony's gaze, finding a figure in the sky with what appeared to be insect-like wings. He couldn't tell for sure since the sun was in his eyes. Suddenly, the figure was diving down toward him.
"HOLY SH-!" Junior rolled out of the way, avoiding the collision with the figure. The figure touched down to the Earth, with dust rising in the air. The pony whinnied in terror as she stood on her back hooves and kicked her front hooves. Junior got back up to his feet, and squinted his eyes to make out the figure. Out from the dust, came a Mantis-like creature that stood about seven feet tall. The creature was a forest green with big yellow eyes, four arms with the upper two on the thorax. Two of the upper arms were that of any other praying mantis with the hook like appendage with spikes at the bottom. The two lower arms were human-like in build and with four appendages, but covered in the exoskeleton. The creature was slender, standing on two legs that went backwards beneath the thighs. Long wings flapped closed from the abdomen of the mantis. The creature clicked its mandibles at Junior. That was when Junior noticed a familiar smell being emitted from the insect.
"A Transmutant." Junior glared at the mantis getting into a fighting stance. The mantis screeched at Junior, raising its hooked arms in the air and displaying its wings, attempting to intimidate Junior.
"Just shut up and fight me!" shouted Junior as he charged toward the mantis. The mantis then lowered its wings and charged toward Junior as well. Both mutants clashed against each other, with Junior forcing the mantis back with his strength. The mutant raised its hooked arm, bringing it down towards Junior. He noticed this incoming attack and quickly shoved the creature as hard as he could. The creature staggered back as Junior sprinted toward the beast, sliding under it and kicking it on its back. The insect then raised its legs and kicked Junior in the chest. He was sent flying over the fence, crashing into a nearby barrel. Junior grunted as he stood up from the broken wood. The creature looked at Junior for a brief second before stomping over toward the little orange pony. Saliva dripped from the Mantis's mandibles, allowing Junior to draw the closest conclusion.
"Oh no you don't!" shouted Junior, getting back onto his feet, picking up an axe. Junior leaped into the air, bringing the axe down on the creatures armored back. The mantis screeched in pain as it felt the axe puncture through the back of its exoskeleton. The mantis turned and used its lower arm to back hand Junior away. Junior was knocked onto the ground, a bruise forming on his face. As the Mantis turned, it felt a strong force hit its leg. The creature fell over, feeling intense pain in its leg. It looked up and saw that the pony had just lowered its back legs and turned facing it.
"I'll devour you!" the Mantis screeched angrily in a high pitched male voice. The mantis felt something grab his legs. He turned and noticed Junior had an intense glare in his eye. Junior turned and threw the mantis over toward a nearby tree. Junior turned back to the little pony that was panting.
"Thanks for the help." Junior smiled. He suddenly heard a loud buzzing sound. He turned and saw that the mantis was flying away. Junior sighed in relief, knowing that the creature had fled. He looked back at the pony, and then pats her head. He made way back over toward the fence, hopping over it.  
"Hey Gojira, we're- W-what happened?!" shouted a familiar voice. Junior turned and saw Applejack running over toward him. He then noticed how a few barrels were smashed and felt his bruise ache as he flexed the muscles in his cheek. It must have been noticeable if she was freaking out. A little girl that he remembered was her little sister was trailing close behind.
"Hey." Junior said casually.
"Hey? Is that all ya have to say is 'hey'?! Are you alright?!" asked Applejack in worry.
"Someone was trespassing and was attempting to steal the pony. I had to rough him up a bit." explained Junior. It may have been irresponsible of him to not tell her the whole story. But, he couldn't risk causing a panic. He was going to have to tell the other Transmutants about this incident.
"Applebloom, get inside." commanded Applejack. Applebloom looked up to her elder sister with a disappointed look.
"Come on sis-" Applejack cuts her off.
"Now, Applebloom!" said Applejack sternly. Applebloom sighed, making her way over to the house.
"Ya still didn't answer my last question." said Applejack, looking back to Junior. She got closer and had her hand near where his bruise had formed "I mean, just look at your face!"
"It's just a bruise." Junior pulled away from Applejack. She glared at him.
"I just want to see if you're fine!"
"I'm fine! Besides, he hits like a bitch." said Junior. He then felt Applejack grab his ear, pulling him closer to her.
"Ow ow ow!"
"None of that language on my farm, ya hear?" said Applejack.
"OK, OK I'm sorry! Please let go!" Applejack releases his ear, a sly smile on her face. Junior rubbed his ear red turned ear in annoyance.
"Come on, let’s go get ya some ice." said Applejack. Junior sighed in response.
"Alright."
Junior walked out of Applejack's home with an ice pack over his cheek. Applejack was trailing behind him.
"Thanks Applejack. I'll see ya." said Junior as he turned.
"You're welcome sugarcube. Thanks for chasing off that trespasser. It's good to have a reliable friend." Applejack smiled. Junior tried to fight himself from cracking smile, but he couldn't.
"Good to know."




A Few days later...

"OK boys, come out and let me see how you look!" called Mosura. She was sitting on the sofa in Junior's home. She was wearing a thin orange sweater with a white shirt underneath. She wore blue skinny jeans and white tennis shoes. Mosura had said that she wasn't dressing up for the festival, and here she was. Mosura heard multiple footsteps from the hall. She turned and saw Junior, Rodan and Angirasu walking out. Junior and Angirasu were dressed in their training kimonos, but wore a hakamas that covered their legs. They wore Montsuki Haori jackets over their kimonos. Rodan was wearing a brick red kimono, with a mask that covered his mouth and a hood that hid his crimson hair. He wore baggy brick red pants that matched his kimono. All three of the mutants struck a pose, with Junior and Rodan drawing out plastic katanas. Junior had his prop hanging by his side; Angirasu stood tall and crossed his arms, while Rodan stood in a crouching position with his prop in an attacking stance. All three mutants had serious expressions on their faces. Mosura sat in silence as she stared at them. She nearly bursts into hysterical laughter; she instead placed her hands over her mouth. Her cheeks turned bright red from containing her laughter.
"I told you that she would laugh!" said Junior as he smacked Rodan in the back of his head.
"Come on, didn't you feel like a badass a bit?" asked Rodan as he rubbed the back of his head.
"Oh sure, cause being dressed in what we're using as Nightmare Night costumes with plastic weapons and striking these poses would be considered badass." Angirasu answered sarcastically. Mosura lets out a couple of giggles, before she managed to compose herself. She clears her throat, clearing her mind of what she saw.
"I'm sorry, I just couldn't take you boys seriously with plastic weapons and getting into those poses." said Mosura. Junior sighed in response.
"Let's just go get Fluttershy. I told her that we were going to drop by to pick her up."



It was evening, the stars were out and the moon was full. The air was cold; a few clouds were in the skies above. The town square was filled with booths and decorations of cat-like eyes with cyan irises stood on spires. There were also cut outs of a side-view of Nightmare Moon, a horn sticking out of the forehead as her helmet did. Decorative plastic skulls and jack-o-lanterns sat around the area. People dressed in different costumes danced, played the games, and socialized with each other. A stage was built, with people playing instruments for the festival. The people danced to the music that filled the air. The atmosphere was quite festive. Junior stood next to Fluttershy and the other three Transmutants,as they searched for Twilight and Spike. Fluttershy was dressed as a black cat. She wore a black one piece dress that went to her thighs; a headband with cat ears was upon her hair. Her legs were covered in black nylon tights, matching her dress. She wore black heals and a black belt that had a tail at the end. The tip of her nose was painted black like a cat's nose and black lines across her cheeks that appeared as whiskers. In truth, the girl looked absolutely adorable. Just looking at her could leave people blushing.
"Oh my..." said Fluttershy in a nervous tone.
"Don't worry Shy, I don't think anyone is going to scare you." said Junior, attempting to comfort his friend. Fluttershy looked to him in an unsure expression.
"Tell you what, if someone tries to scare you, I'll protect you." said Junior in a kind tone. Fluttershy smiled at this.
"Thank you Goji." said Fluttershy. She noticed movement in her peripheral vision. Fluttershy turned and saw Twilight, Spike, Rarity and Pinkie Pie. She waved to them, making her way over to them. Junior was about to move until he heard Rodan let out a light chuckle.
"What?" asked Junior.
"Oh, nothing. I just think you have a way with women." said Rodan with a sly smile.
"N-no, it isn't like that!" said Junior, a light blush on his face.
"Relax, I'm just teasing dude. You're so uptight!" laughed Rodan. Junior grumbled to himself.
"Alright boys, remember to remain vigilant tonight." said Mosura, grabbing the attention of the three male mutants. "Since a Transmutant found its way into Ponyville, we have to keep an eye out just in case it comes back. If you smell one, do not act suspicious. We have to keep this quiet to avoid causing a panic and provoking it to attack."
"Got it." said Junior, the other two nodded in response. The four Transmutants made their way over to Fluttershy and the others. As they got closer, Twilight waved to them and was followed by Rarity, Pinkie and Spike. Twilight was dressed as a witch with a black tattered dress. A big pointy hat sat on her head, and purple lipstick on her lips. She wore lavender striped stockings and black heels. Rarity was dressed as a vampiress; she wore a black dress that went down all the way to her shins. She wore a cape that had a red underside, and a black backside. When Rarity smiled, her red lips revealed that she was wearing fake fangs. Her ocean blue eyes were now red, likely from the use of eye contacts. Pinkie was dressed as a great white shark, her head poking out of the open mouth of the shark. Her arms were covered by sleeves that were shaped as pectoral fins and a tail fin ran down to her lower back. She actually looked childish in that, but it was just Pinkie being Pinkie. Spike was dressed as a mummy, wrapped in white cloth. Well, at least it looked like cloth.
"Hey Guys, glad that you all could make it!" said Twilight.
"Wouldn't miss it." replied Junior, a warm smile on his face.
"Thank Takeshi-kun for being kind enough to invite us." said Mosura. Rodan searched the crowd, then turned to Twilight.
"Hey, where's Dash?" asked Rodan.
"Oh, she'll be here soon." answered Twilight. Rodan nodded in response. He suddenly felt someone tap his shoulder. He turned and saw a young feminine face with a skull painted on her face. Rodan yelped as he saw the face at such close proximity. He recoiled from the girl, and then noticed the rainbow hair. The girl burst into a fit of laughter, her scratchy voice confirming her identity. The others began to laugh at the scare.
"Oh, it’s just you Dash." said Rodan. A hand placed over his chest as he exhaled. He lightly chuckled at the prank himself.
"Hahaha! Man, I got you good!" laughed Rainbow Dash. She wore a black spandex, full body suit that had an image of a skeleton. She wore gloves and shoes that had the image of bony hands and feet. Her face was painted black and white, creating an image of a skull.
"You sure did. That's some good make up by the way." complimented Rodan. Rainbow puffed her chest out boastfully.
"Yeah, I spent a good hour on this. So, you're dressed as a ninja? That's pretty cool!"
"Thank you, you're costume is cool too." replied Rodan. Junior was looking at the scene in surprise. He wondered at what point had Rodan gotten friendly with Rainbow. Well, it couldn't have been that much of a surprise.



The group wondered the town square, enjoying the festivities that were offered. Rodan and Rainbow Dash had taken off to pull pranks on people during the night. Mosura was in the process of scolding him for thinking of doing so. But alas, he slipped from right under her nose. So, it was just the other four element bearers and the three other Transmutants. Angirasu walked over toward the high striker. A muscled Earth bound man had just slammed a heavy mallet on the pallet, raising the object to hit ring the bell. People that were observing applauded him for his feat. Angirasu smirked to himself as he picked up the mallet with ease. The others watched Angirasu in anticipation, waiting to see how strong exactly he was. Junior had an unsure expression on his face as he watched the Transmutant raise the mallet over his head. He then brought the mallet down on the pad, causing the object to skyrocket toward the bell. The bell was knocked off of the high striker, falling to the ground. Angirasu began to sweat.
"Ah crap." muttered Angirasu. He was suddenly met with loud cheers from the people that were around. He was startled by the sudden outcry, thinking that he was about to be attacked. He then calmed himself as he noticed that they weren't charging toward him and saw that the others were cheering. Angirasu sighed in relief and smiled at the crowd. He then felt someone grab his ear, he yelped in pain as he felt himself pulled to his left. He saw that Mosura was glaring at him.
"I hope you plan to help them fix that." said Mosura.
"Y-yes!" Angirasu managed to say through his pain.
"My, she's like his mother." Rarity giggled.
"More like his big sister." said Spike. "I know the feeling."
"And what do you mean by that?" glared Twilight. Spike went stiff at her sharp tone.
"N-nothing!"
"Don't sweat it, Twilight. It's an older sibling's job to get on their younger siblings about things. I should know." said Junior. Fluttershy looked to him curiously.
"I didn't know you had siblings." said Fluttershy. Junior shook his head.
"No, not biologically. I met someone in Canterlot when I was younger who became a sister figure to me. Her name is Blaire, she's one of Celestia's royal guard." replied Junior.
"You most certainly have an interesting background, Gojira." smiled Rarity. Junior nodded to her.
'You have no idea.' Junior thought to himself.
"What did she scold you about?" asked Spike.
"Well, you know the same stuff that Twilight may scold you for. Things like manners, respect, honesty, etc." replied Junior.
"She sounds like a very well-mannered lady." mused Rarity.
"Well, she is a noble. That's to be expected. Fortunately, she isn't snooty like most people in Canterlot." said Junior. He then sighed. Twilight looked to him with a comforting smile.
"You miss her don't you?" asked Twilight.
"I miss both of them. I haven't been able to make time to see them." said Junior. Then he remembered that he had a ticket to the Grand Galloping Gala. His mind then went sour. He was going to have to suck it up and use that as his excuse to see them.
"Did Celestia happen to give you a ticket to the Gala? Since you were taken in by her?" ask Twilight curiously. Junior groaned in annoyance in response.
"Yes..."
"Oh. Well, what's...oh never mind. I think know why." Twilight said sheepishly.
"I'll just have to suck it up and go. Besides, I never cared to socialize with the guests." said Junior. Rarity ears perked up.
"Oh darling, you simply must allow me to make you're attire for the Gala!" exclaimed Rarity.
"You don't need to trouble yourself. I may have something at home." Junior politely declined. Rarity looked at him with sad eyes.
"Pretty please." Rarity pouted. Junior's words were caught in his throat as he saw her face in a cute pout. It was not fair that she pulled this on him.
"Fine." Junior sighed as he looked away in embarrassment. Rarity clasped her hands together in joy.
"Excellent! I'll see you tomorrow to take your measurements."
"OK." said Junior in defeat. 'I think I've been letting these girls sucker me into a lot of stuff lately. I better be careful.'



A group of kids wondered the dimly lit streets alone and all dressed in costumes as zombies, ghosts, vampires, and witches. They had been going from door to door to, getting candy from residents. They chanted, 'Nightmare Night! What a fright! Give us something sweet to bite!' at every door. Their bags were filled to the brim with all sorts of candy ranging from lollipops, chocolate bars, sour drops, and liquorices. The children wondered down the road, searching for the next house.
"So, what did you guys get? I got five pieces of candy!" said a little Valkyrie girl dressed as a witch.
"I got a chocolate bar!" said an Earth bound girl in a white sheet with eye holes cut out from the front.
"I got a bit!" exclaimed an Elf boy dressed as a zombie. An Earth bound boy with a white sheet over him with multiple eye holes all around reached into his bag.
"I got a rock." said the boy dejectedly, pulling out a palm sized rock from his bag.
"Don't worry bro, I'll split my candy with you." said the girl in the white sheet. The children continued on down the road, looking for the nearest house. Suddenly, they heard a metal clang against the ground. The children yelped, searching for the source. They saw a trash can that was tipped over on its side. The sound of footsteps could be heard from all around them. The children huddled together, fearful expressions on their faces. They noticed a dark figure zipping over the rooftops above their heads. The sounds of dreadful moans can be heard in the air. As if the dead had risen from their graves. Suddenly, a low growling sound can be heard. The children began to have shallow breathing, they were sweating profusely and their heart rates shot up. They heard quick footsteps running toward them. They barely saw a figure moving past them, disappearing in the darkness. The sounds metal being scratched on can be heard. The children began to whimper at the sounds. A maniacal laugh can be heard from the shadows. The children heard a whoosh from behind, and something landing behind them. The children went stiff, turning slowly. What they saw made their stomachs turn. A skeleton with its eyes still its sockets stood before them. The skeleton raised its arms in the air and stepped closer to the children.
"RAAAAAH!!" screamed the skeleton in a scratchy voice. The children screamed in terror, turning and running away from the reanimated skeleton. As the children fled, the skeleton busted into a fit of laughter. Another voice erupted from the darkness, laughing with the skeleton. Rodan appeared out of the darkness, removing his mask.
"Nice one Rainbow!" exclaimed Rodan, high fiving the skeleton with long Rainbow hair.
"Thanks. You did pretty good yourself. You sure can make some creepy growls and move fast on the ground." praised Rainbow. Rodan grinned in response.
"Thank you, I have a knack with quickness." said Rodan. He then smiled smugly to himself. 'You should see me in the air.'
"Come on dude, let’s go scare some more people!" said Rainbow, taking off in the air.
"Right behind RD!" called Rodan. He ran across the road, hopping onto the roof of one of the small buildings. He then began to sprint off after Rainbow Dash as she flew in the direction of the full moon.
The pair spent their time pranking and scaring anyone that they could find from couples, children, and lone individuals. They hid in the darkness, creating ominous sounds and using the atmosphere to their advantage. Rodan and Rainbow sat next to each other on the roof of one of the buildings in town, looking up at the night sky.
"This has got to be the most fun that I had in years." Rodan sighed happily. He turned his head toward Rainbow "And it’s all thanks to you."
"Yeah? Me too. You're a pretty cool guy to hang out with." Rainbow looked to him with a grin. Rodan had a light blush on his face.
"Thanks." The two sat in silence, looking up at the night sky. Rodan felt his heart race just by being around the Valkyrie. He admired her courage and determination. She was someone who knew how to have fun, and wasn't the kind of athlete that was crazy with their physical looks. She was more proud of her athletic skills instead. She did boast, but he wasn't one to judge. He had a habit at being overconfident, which also caused him to lose early with Takeshi, and he was a bit of a joker. He enjoyed teaching her what he knew. Rainbow displayed herself as a quick learner. He ended up hanging out with her more while he was training her, which he enjoyed a lot, especially since he never had an actual friend before. He was glad to have met her, he knew that this feeling would have serious consequences. Rodan sighed to himself, a disappointed expression on his face. Rainbow saw this and had a look of concern on her face.
"Hey, you OK?" asked Rainbow.
"Huh? Oh, nothing. I was just thinking." answered Rodan.
"About what? Come on dude, don't get all sulky on me now." said Rainbow as she nudged Rodan in the shoulder.
"Well, you ever wish that you could change something in your past?" asked Rodan.
"Me? Well, maybe a few things. I kinda wish that I never got kicked out of flight school." Rainbow admitted. Rodan looked to her in surprise.
"No way! You?! You're the best flyer that I have ever seen!" said Rodan in shock. Rainbow sighed in response.
"Yeah, but I wasn't kicked out based on either being bad or too good at flying. I was kicked out because I broke some of their rules and was napping a lot during school. I was actually a lot lazier back then than I am today." explained Rainbow. She then sighed.
"Oh. That's too bad." said Rodan. He noticed how Rainbow brought her knees up and placed her chin on them, a demoralized expression on her face.
"Sometimes, I wonder if I'll ever become a Wonderbolt." Rodan looked down, kicking himself mentally for having her bring the subject up.
"You may have been kicked out of flight school, but you can still be a Wonderbolt." said Rodan, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You just have to apply yourself to be good enough! Study how they move and how you can improve yourself."
"You...really think that I can?" asked Rainbow.  She turned her head and noticed that Rodan was closer. He placed his other hand firmly on her left shoulder, bringing her to face him. She didn't fight him, she instead looked deeply into his bright green eyes.
"No, I believe you can." Rodan said softly, with sincerity in his eyes. Rainbow's words were caught in her throat as she heard him say that. She always was confident in herself. However, there were times when she worried that she would fail. She wasn't as good as Applejack when it came to detecting liars, but she didn't see any lies in his eyes. He actually believed in her. This made her regain her confidence. She in fact, found herself lost in his gaze. Rodan too was lost in her eyes. He found Rainbow to be attractive, along with her personality, but he also loved her eyes. They were beautiful whenever they burned with determination, which he saw when he was teaching her his moves. Especially when they were wide as they were now. Their hearts beat rapidly in their chests. Rainbows palms began to sweat. Her cheeks reddened along with Rodan's. Rodan lightly gulped, feeling his heart racing much faster. His heart nearly stopped as Rainbow slowly began to lean closer to him. Suddenly, a sly smile formed on her face as she reached for the back of Rodan's head. He didn't have enough time to realize what was going on until he felt his hood tugged at. Rainbow yanked on the hood from the back and pulled it over his head, covering his entire face. Rainbow laughed lightly to herself and backed away from Rodan as he struggled to keep his balance from the force and pulled his hood off.
"Come on dude, let's go find AJ." said Rainbow Dash. Rodan sat stunned for a minute but snapped out of his state.
"Y-yeah. Let's go." He stuttered as he got up and followed Rainbow off of the building. He failed to notice Rainbow's smile as she blushed to herself.



Junior sat across from Spike on a large table. Spike was eating a caramel covered apple while Junior was eating a chocolate bar that was labeled as a Snicker. He tasted the milky chocolate, caramel and nuts. These combined made such a flavor that he couldn't resist! He wasn't much of a fan of candy, but this was his favorite. Twilight came over toward the table with a caramel apple, sitting next to Junior on his right. Rarity sat next to Spike with a paper cup of punch in her hand along with Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie. Mosura made her way over toward the group and sat on the table on Junior's left. She sighed in exhaustion.
"Tired?" asked Junior.
"Kind of." Mosura sighed.
"Where's Angirasu?" asked Spike as he looked around the area.
"He saw that your friend Applejack needed help with supervising the children with apple bobbing. So, he volunteered to help her." explained Mosura.
"Is that a good idea? I mean, he does have intimidating features. Gojira had the same problem with Applejack's little sister when he first started working for her. Oh, no offense darling." said Rarity.
"None taken." replied Junior. He took another bite of his snickers, savoring the taste.
"Don't worry; I made sure that they warmed up to him before I left. He seems to be great with kids." smiled Mosura.
"Awww. I bet he would make a great father." said Fluttershy. Junior went a little stiff at that comment. It wasn't that he didn't like it. He thought it would be an honor to receive a comment like that, especially from someone like Fluttershy. It was just that deep down, he knew that Angirasu wouldn't be able to experience that. He was a Transmutant! Junior didn't know if they were capable of reproducing with humans or if they could tolerate the burden of asking their children face that ostracism due to their genes. He remembered the Transmutant that was pregnant and wondered how would the children survive? Junior immediately stopped thinking about this. He couldn't let this put a damper on his night with friends.

Junior stood in front of a stand. The stand was filled with glass bottles that were tacked on each other. He held a baseball in his hand, as he shifted it in his palm. He stared at the bottles with determination. He analyzed the bottles, trying to determine where would be the best place to knock them all down. After he finished his analysis, he raised his arm, rearing it back. He calculated how much strength to use and where to throw it. Junior threw the ball toward the bottles, knocking them all down. Rarity, Mosura and Twilight applauded the Earth bound.
"Nice pitching!" praised the man that was running the stand. "Pick your prize."
"I'll take that one." said Junior as he pointed up to a medium sized plush lavender unicorn that sat on a shelf. It had violet eyes and a sapphire blue mane and tail. The man took the plushie and handed it to Junior.
"Here ya go pal." said the man.
"Thanks." said Junior . He turned and went over to Twilight and handed over the plush unicorn to her. That was then he noticed how much it reminded him of her, minus the cute highlights in her hair.
"For me?" asked Twilight in surprise. Junior smiled and nodded to her response. She then wrapped Junior into a warm hug.
"Thank you. It's very sweet of you." said Twilight. A light blush formed on Junior's cheeks.
"Y-yeah. You're welcome." said Junior as he looked away from Twilight's face. His heart pounded heavily in his chest. Rarity looked at the two with a smile. Oh, she knew what was up. They just made it obvious for her. Mosura looked to Junior with a worried expression. She herself knew what was being forged between the two. She was sensing strong emotions from both. Twilight's was stronger. This confirmed her suspicion.
'No...I was afraid that this would happen'



Fluttershy and Spike were passing by people in costumes and were making their way over toward where people were apple bobbing. They saw Applejack dressed as a zombie with her face painted green and her clothes ragged. Fake blood was painted on her lips and her clothes. She and Angirasu were supervising the children, making sure that they weren't horse playing around the area. Applejack noticed Fluttershy and Spike approaching.
"Howdy Spike! Howdy Flutter!" called Applejack. Angirasu's ears perked at the sound of Fluttershy's name and turned and saw her approaching.
"Hi Applejack. Hi Angirasu." Fluttershy waved.
"Hello." Angirasu smiled. He then noticed a pink and grey blur run toward him. He recoiled in surprise as he saw Pinkie a couple of feet near him.
"Hiya Angie!" said Pinkie with a bright smile. Angirasu's eye twitched at the sudden nickname.
"Wait, 'Angie'??" Angirasu asked dumbfounded.
"Yep! Do you like the nickname that I gave you?" asked Pinkie, a twinkle in her eye.
"Uh...I don't know." responded Angirasu.
"Oh! Where's the line for apple bobbing?" asked Pinkie excitedly.
"Well, the last person just finished. Go ahead." answered Angirasu. Pinkie dove for the large tub, dunking her head in the water. The tub bubbled as she searched for the apples.
"Nice costumes you three." complimented Applejack. Fluttershy blushed in embarrassment.
"Thank you." said Fluttershy quietly. She noticed that Angirasu was looking around with searching eyes, as if something was wrong.
"Angirasu?" called Fluttershy.
'That smell...where is that little-' Angirasu's train of thought was interrupted.
"Boo!" jumped Rodan and Rainbow from behind a barrel. Angirasu yelped in surprise and jumped at the scare. He calmed himself as he saw the two laughing. He then glared at them in annoyance.
"Good God you two, don't do that!"
"Lighten up bro. It's Nightmare Night!" said Rodan.
"Look what you did to Fluttershy!" said Angirasu as he pointed to the Valkyrie. She had fainted and was caught by Spike, who was struggling to hold her up.
"Oh, Oops. Sorry about that." said Rodan. He and Rainbow grinned sheepishly.
"A little help here!" called Spike as he struggled to hold Fluttershy up. Angirasu made his way over to Fluttershy and picked her up bridal style. He noticed her starting to come back around. She opened her eyes and made contact with Angirasu's.
"Um...would you mind walking me home?" asked Fluttershy. Angirasu looked back to Applejack.
"Go ahead sugar cube, I can handle it from here." reassured Applejack. Angirasu nodded to her.
"OK, let's get you home. I think I'm gonna turn in myself." said Angirasu. He then looked to Rodan. "Tell Mosu that I'll be at home."
"OK. Sorry Fluttershy for scaring you." apologized Rodan.
"Yeah, sorry Flutters." Rainbow apologized as well. Fluttershy gave them both a warm smile.
"It's OK. No hard feelings. I was planning to leave early anyway."



Angirasu and Fluttershy walked side by side down the road in the dark night alone. The stars and moon illuminated their path. The sounds of crickets chirping were in the air along with the lights of fire flies. It was a cool and lovely night. They were nearing the area where Junior had stayed.
"I'm sorry about Rodan. He tends to pull jokes a little too far sometimes." apologized Angirasu.
"Oh, it’s alright. But, can I ask you something?" asked Fluttershy.
"Sure."
"How close exactly are you to Rodan and Mosura?" asked Fluttershy, curiously.
"We're pretty close. They're like my brother and sister." answered Angirasu. Fluttershy looked to him in wonder.
"How did you three meet?" Angirasu contemplated his answer. He couldn't tell her the whole story.
"We...we're all orphans." answered Angirasu. Fluttershy had a sad expression on her face just by hearing the word 'orphan'. "Mosura was the one who helped us to leave Neighpon during the first few years that Transmutants were known. Her kind and warm, loving personality drew us to her. She gave us the same kind of affection that you could receive from family. We would have to be crazy to not stick with her."
"How come I never saw you or the others in Ponyville until Gojira came to town?" asked Fluttershy curiously. The pair was getting closer to her home.
"We only moved in a few years ago. We also didn't interact with people during that time. We...weren't comfortable being around other people. We did face prejudice from other settlements along the way. We were afraid that Ponyville wouldn't be any different. So we just stayed home, only leaving to find food and work."
"You know, you're not so different from Goji." said Fluttershy. Angirasu looked to her with a brow raised.
"How so?"
"He lost his family and had his share of facing prejudice too, and he spent most of his life with no one but with the princess." explained Fluttershy. "Oh. Um...did he tell you about that?"
"Yeah, he did. He was lucky that she took him in." sighed Angirasu. He then was lost in his own thought. ‘But, I fear that she will turn on him if she knew his secret.'
"Well, we're here." said Fluttershy. The pair stood in front of a path that led up to a cottage, with fences built behind it, bird houses in the trees and the leafy top of the cottage itself. A river ran beneath a bridge that stood at an arch and led to a small pond.
"Alright, have a safe and good night Fluttershy." said Angirasu as he turned and left. Fluttershy turned to find Angirasu leaving. She went after him and wrapped him into a hug.
"Thank you for walking me home. I felt safe with you around." said Fluttershy. Angirasu had a surprised expression. He slowly reached down to her, but hesitated. He then slowly wrapped his arms around her, returning her hug. This was the first time that a girl ever gave him a hug. He was afraid to return it, but swallowed that fear and did so.
"You're welcome."
	
> Chapter 10: At the Gala
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was early morning, the sunlight shone little light on the land. The sun beamed little spring heat. The air was filled with a rippling sound; black smoke rising in the air. A small village laid in ruin. Homes had crumbled or were engulfed in flames. A lone figure stood alone among the destruction. This figure was covered in scars, slowly healing. His coat was torn; his chest was covered in bloody gashes. The man's face was bruised, and his dark blue hair was covered in rubble. His jeans were slightly torn at the leg, but were still in condition to be worn. The man stood, watching the flames consume the homes. The lifeless bodies of over a dozen villagers laid in a row with sheets covering them. The figure watched as people wept for the loss of their homes and their loved ones. A woman keened while her husband comforted her, as the two were with a smaller body that was completely covered by a sheet. It was a painful sight to behold and he knew that things couldn't go on like this. He couldn't remain idle as Transmutants attacked the innocent. They were the reason why he had received his wounds. He decided to stand up for these humans. The Transmutants that attacked weren't as strong, but their numbers gave him trouble. It was bad enough that a Transmutant like Destoroyah was leading a group of terrorists for his so called, 'fight for survival'. Now, some Transmutants, such as the Mantis group, have gone on to become pests that raided towns for their food. None of this was helping human and mutant relations.
As the man was about to leave, a ragged Earth bound woman approached him. She was covered in dirt and a few scars. She had a nervous look on her face as she slowly approached him. The man merely kept his face neutral, allowing the woman to approach him.
"A-are you one of them?" asked the woman fearfully, intimidated by the man's larger build. The man nodded to her.
"I am. But, I'm not affiliated with the ones that were here. I'm on my own." the man answered. The woman had a puzzled expression.
"But...why would you help us?" asked the woman.
"Because if I didn't, then who would?" the man asked. The woman stepped closer the man. She then felt someone yank her from behind. She grunted and noticed that a familiar man to her had pulled her away from the stranger.
"You stay away from my sister, you... you damned freak!"
"Brother, please! He drove them away! He saved us!" the woman shoved away her brother, glaring at him disapprovingly.
"Don't be stupid! He's one of them. They can't be trusted!" the replied as he glared at the stranger. The stranger didn't glare back, he didn't even think of defending himself.
"Get out of here you monster!" shouted an Elf woman. A few other people turned their attention toward the stranger, shooting him angry looks.
"This happened because of you!" another man shouted. Soon, the gathered crowd began to shoot insults, and blame onto the stranger. The stranger took it all in, not retaliating. It wouldn't have gotten him anywhere. The woman that approached attempted to calm the crowd and to defend him. They didn't hear her, as they were too busy condemning the stranger.
"Alright...I'll leave. I'm sorry for all of your loses." the man said under the crowds. He turned and proceeded to leave the village, though his ears still picking up the condemnation that the people were giving him. His heart was heavy, but he continued on. There was something that made him a little happy. That woman who approached him; she didn't see him as the rest. Even though she was the only one who thought differently, it gave him hope. He may just be able to earn their trust. He just had to show them that he wasn't what they saw him as. A wise creature once told him, 'you're actions define who you are'. However, he couldn't do it alone. He was going to have to find others that wanted what he wanted.
"Hey wait!" called a familiar feminine voice. The man stopped and turned to find the woman that approached jogging his way. She stopped and began to pant.
"What...*huff*....what's your name?" asked the woman, attempting to catch her breath. The man looked to her in surprise, not expecting for her to come by and to ask his name. He lightly smiled.
"Goro." answered the man.
"Well, Goro. Thank you, for driving them away from our village. I'm sorry that the others treated you harshly." frowned the woman.
"No problem. I didn't do it and expected to receive any type of gratitude."
"I'll spread the word about you. I'll tell others that there's a Transmutant out there who stood up for humans!" declared the woman.
"Thank you. And good luck to you." said Goro.




Ponyville, Equestria

"Ah!" Pinkie screamed in delight as she bounced on a trampoline.
"I! Can't! Believe! The Grand! Galloping! Gala! Is! Tonight!" squealed Pinkie, every word came after each bounce. Twilight sat on the grass, reading a book outside of Rarity's boutique. An annoyed look was on her face.
"Pinkie, please stop shouting. I'm trying to concentrate!" said Twilight. Pinkie continued to bounce. Just then, Rarity stepped outside of her boutique, finding Pinkie bouncing in the early spring heat.
"Pinkie Pie! Stop that right now. It's time for you to prepare for the Gala and I refuse to let you put on your new dress if you’re all sweaty." said Rarity in a scolding tone. Pinkie stopped bouncing in midair, screeching to a halt to the surface of the trampoline. She hopped off of the trampoline next to Spike, observing Twilight reading her book. Pinkie stared in confusion.
"What's Twilight doing?" asked Pinkie in a whisper.
"She's got an awesome magic spell she's been working on for the Gala." Spike whispered back.
"Where are the others? It's getting late." complained Rarity, following their whispered tones.
"Hold your horses girl, we're here." called Applejack as she, Rainbow, Fluttershy and Junior trailed behind. Twilight closed her book, smiling in satisfaction.
"Perfect. I'm ready!" said Twilight.
"For what?" asked Rainbow in an eager tone.
"Alright, Spike." called Twilight. Spike came by with a luscious red apple in claws. He placed the apple on the grass in front of Twilight.
"An apple! Are we having pie?" asked Pinkie excitedly. Spike hushed her in response.
"Watch!" Twilight stood next to the fruit, her hands being engulfed by her magical aura. The apple began to glow, its shape morphing and growing. Suddenly, the apple changed into a huge apple. It was changed into a carriage with a wooden door on the side, and golden wheels that held it up. The group gave off words of awe at the feat performed by the scholar.
"Thanks. But that's just the start!" said Twilight. She then turned to Fluttershy. "Fluttershy, did you bring your friends?"
"Yes." answered Fluttershy as four white mice poked their heads out of her long hair. "Will they be safe, Twilight?"
"You have my word." reassured Twilight. She then shuts her eyes as her hands were once again engulfed by the raspberry aura. The mice began to glow and suddenly disappeared in a poof. They then reappeared as four white horses.
"Ta-da~!" sang Twilight. The rest of the group had mixed reactions about the horse turned mice. The transformed rodents’ appearance resembled ordinary horses. However, they still had their mice front teeth, their whiskers and their violet rodent eyes.
'Gross...' Junior thought to himself.
"Neat, huh? And don't worry, they'll be mice by midnight!" said Twilight. Just then, a white cat with a purple bow on its head and a collar with a diamond in the center leaped in the air. The cat's claws were exposed and its teeth were bared as it descended toward the horses.
"Opalessence, no!" cried Fluttershy. The cat named Opal landed on the rump of one of the horses, piercing it with her claws. The horse whinnied in pain and fright along with the other three and bucked the cat off of its rump. The horses galloped away from the area, seeking to get away from the feline.
"Wait! Come back!" called Twilight. "Those horses were supposed to pull our carriage. How will we get to the Gala?"
"Whatever shall we do?" cried Rarity, a hand over head as she stood dramatically. She then shot Twilight an amused look.



It was evening. The moon was high in the sky, a few clouds were above and the wind blew softly. The night sky was filled with many stars, twinkling in the distance. Junior sat with Spike at the driver seat of the carriage. He wore a black tuxedo, with a tie and black khakis. His hair was combed back, giving it a neater appearance. Rarity and Twilight kept pestering him to do so. Despite his reluctance, he ended up doing it anyway. Spike sat next to him, wearing a tuxedo with a red bow tie. He held the rein that was attached to two Earth pony stallions, which were generously loaned to them due to Rarity’s charm.
"This is going to be great Gojira! I can't wait till we get back to our home town." exclaimed Spike. Junior sighed in response.
"Yeah...I guess." Spike looked to him in confusion.
"Hey, what's wrong? I thought that you liked hanging out with us." said Spike. Junior shook his head.
"I do. But that's not the problem." answered Junior.
"Then what is? Aren't you excited to be back in Canterlot?"
"Kind of, but only because I get to see Celestia and Blaire. I just..." Junior stopped. He didn't want to ruin their experience. He knew how awful and boring the Gala could be. But, he hoped that his friends would have fun at least.
"Nevermind. I guess I'm just worried that I won't see Blaire." said Junior.
"Hey, don't sweat it! I'm sure you'll see her. Hey, we're almost there!" exclaimed Spike as they were nearing the castle. Junior felt his heart pound against his chest. He never thought that he would feel nervous to return to the castle. The carriage pulled up down the road, where many people gathered outside in formal attire. Spike parked the carriage near the path, hopping off of his seat and opening the door to the carriage. He bowed, courteously allowing the girls to exit the carriage. That was when Spike beheld the sight of them. They radiated in their dresses.
Twilight wore a blue dress with cyan stars that decorated the bottom. She wore a head band with a star on it, and cyan elbow length gloves.  Applejack wore a dress that resembled more of a farmer look. It was brown and leathery at the top half, a plastic and flat red apple decorated her collar. Her dress at the bottom was an emerald green, running down to her shins. Her boots were the same shade of green and leathery. Her blonde hair was made into a braided ponytail, reaching down to her shoulder. She still wore a Stetson hat, but this one was decorated with a couple of red apples and markings that made it look formal to wear. Pinkie was dressed in a somewhat frilly dress decorated with images of candies. Her dress was pink at the lower part but the upper part was colored baby blue with white stripes. Pinkie wore a little white hat on her head with a pink bow. Junior honestly thought that she looked kind of cute and that the dress was very fitting for her personality. Rarity was wearing a cloak over her shoulders that wrapped around her. Her dress came in different shades of pink, yellow, and purple. The bottom half of the dress was frilly and decorated with purple, pink, yellow and white jewels.   It had stripes of yellow and pink running through a magenta surface and ending in a purple color. The upper half of the dress was simpler as it consisted of a frilly pink dress-shirt with purple cuffs and purple collar.  Rarity wore two gold earrings and one amethyst earring, a gold necklace with an amethyst center, and a tiara with amethyst and purple jewels to catch the attention of the people Rainbow wore a cyan colored dress that hung from one shoulder and went down to her knees, revealing her golden slippers with straps that wrapped up to her shins. Over the lower part of her dress was a piece that went further down, with rainbows that matched her hair. She wore a necklace that was shaped as purple grapes and a long golden leaf-like piece that hung on the side of her head from a headband. The tip of Rainbow's hair was wrapped into a beret, leaving a small tail at the end. Fluttershy's dress was jade. A large butterfly decorated the center above her chest, the color matching her moderate cyan eyes. Small berets of flower heads decorated her hair, along with another butterfly that was clipped on the side of her rose colored hair. Her dress gave her the look of a guardian of nature as her gloves wrapped her hand up to her forearms, with decorative vines wrapping up further up her arms.
"You look...amazing!" said Spike as he gazed upon the girls. Junior couldn't help but gaze at them himself. He was in full agreement with the young drake. The girls stared off to the castle in excitement.
"I can't believe that we're finally here! With all that we've imagined, the reality of this night will sure to make this the best night ever!" declared Twilight.
"At the Gala" sang Twilight. A few other people sang after her.
"Oh boy..." sighed Junior. Spike looked up to him in confusion.
"What's up?"
"Another musical number, that's what's up." answered Junior sourly.
"You don't sing?" asked Spike, curiously. Fluttershy was singing about becoming friends with the animals in the Canterlot gardens.
"Hell no." deadpanned Junior. He then looked down to Spike in confusion. "Don't you find it strange that people just tend to break out into song at certain times?"
"Not really. People do it all the time." answered Spike nonchalantly. Applejack begins to sing in the background. Junior was too focused on his conversation to pay attention.
"...Seriously?" asked Junior. Spike nodded.
"You didn't know that?"
"No... I... Was I supposed to?" Junior asked worriedly. Spike shrugged.
"I don't know. Why don't you know about this?"
"I mostly kept to myself for most of my life. I never been out a whole lot." answered Junior.
"Wow. Dude, you gotta get out more often." said Spike in concern.
"Tell me about it." said Junior. The two watched as the girls and people continued to sing away. Spike then had a mischievous smile.
"Tell me that you at least know that Princess Celestia can raise the Sun." joked Spike. Junior rolled his eyes in response.
"Ha! Ha! Very funny."



"I can't believe they ditched us!" Spike shouted in disbelief. He sat on the ground of the castle entrance with his cheek resting on his claw. He had a dejected expression on his face. Junior walked up to him patted him on his back.
"Don't let it get to you kid. We can still hang out." said Junior. Spike looked back at the Earth bound and smiled.
"Come on, let's go see if we can find Blaire. I'll introduce you to her." said Junior as he walked into the castle. Spike stood up to his feet, following Junior's lead.
The two roamed the castle halls, looking for any nearby guards. As the two were searching, Junior began to have a feeling of nostalgia over him. Roaming these halls reminded him of his days living there back when he would spend his days alone, in fear and anger. It was fortunate that he was sheltered by the benevolent princess. However, he wished that his father could have been around with him. As Junior was lost in his thoughts, he nearly failed to notice an Earth bound guard in golden armor walking in his path down the right hall. Junior immediately stopped himself, before colliding with the guard.
"Sorry about that sir." apologized Junior. The guard looked to him with a stern expression.
"What are you doing in these halls kid?" said the guard. His expression softened as he got a closer look at Junior. "Oh, good evening to you, Gojira."
"Oh, good evening."
"I didn't know that you would come to the Gala. Sargent Blaire always said that you hated coming to these parties." laughed the guard. Junior chuckled with him.
"Yeah. I actually came with some friends. I thought it'd be a good excuse to see the princess and Blaire." answered Junior.
"So you made friends? Blaire will be thrilled to hear that you're here and made yourself some friends." smiled the guard. He then noticed the drake next to Junior. "So, you made friends with the Princess's personal student?"
"That's right. I actually wanted to introduce Spike to her. Do you know where she is?" asked Junior.
"Of course. She's off duty right now, so I'll escort you to her." smiled the guard.
"Thank you. I appreciate it."



The trio made their way outside of the castle. They followed the guard down to the barracks, searching for Blaire. The guard placed his hand on the knob of the barrack door, twisting it and pushing it open. Inside, there were rows of beds that lined the room. The room was almost empty. Only a few guards were inside, conversing with each other. The trio traveled down the room, searching for Junior’s acquaintance. That was when Junior noticed a familiar blonde colored hair and red feathered wings.
"Blaire!" Junior called out. The mystery person in a grey T-shirt and sweat pants jumped at the call of her name. She quickly turned and gasped at the sight of Junior. She got off of bed and ran toward Junior. She wrapped him into a tight hug, tears of joy running down her face.
"Goji! Oh, I missed you so much!" cried Blaire. Junior returned his sister figure's hug, trying to fight his own tears.
"I missed you too, sis." said Junior. Blaire pulled away from him, wiping the tears out of her eyes.
"What took you so long to visit?" asked Blaire. Junior looked down shamefully.
"I'm sorry. I hadn't been able to make time to visit." said Junior. Blaire smiled at him, giving him a kiss on his cheek.
"That doesn't matter. What matters is that you're here." Blaire noticed Spike standing next to the guard, who had a light smile on his face at witnessing the reunion.
"Who's this little guy? He's so darn cute!" cooed Blaire as she knelt down in front of Spike. She rubbed Spike's cheeks, causing him to blush in embarrassment.
"I-I'm Spike." stuttered the young dragon.
"She's actually the Princess's personal student's assistant." said the guard that escorted Junior and Spike.
"Oh, well that explains why there's a little dragon in Canterlot. I had no idea about this." said Blaire.
"Well, I must be off. It was a pleasure meeting you personally, Gojira." said the guard. Junior nodded to him.
"Thank you, sir. I appreciate your help." The guard smiled in response, making his way out of the barracks.
"Hey Goji, why don't we all take a walk?" suggested Blaire. Junior looked to Spike, he nodded to him. Junior looked back to Blaire, smiling.
"Sounds good."



Junior, Blaire and Spike walked in silence. The trio was walking in the statue gardens of Canterlot. No one was around, just the three of them. They passed the historic statues of all of Equestria's history, which depicted the heroes and villains of Equestria. The statues made Junior recall the days of his past. Sometimes, he would wonder the garden when he felt sad as a little boy. He came to be alone, looking up to the stoned figures that were depicted. He grew to admire the heroes and their history.
"So, how have you been adjusting to Ponyville?" asked Blaire.
"It was rough at first. But now, I think I've adjusted just fine." answered Junior, truthfully. She smiled at this.
"So, have you made any friends?"
"I have." answered Junior. He thought back to the girls, along with Spike, Mosura, Rodan and Angirasu. As time went on, he grew to call them his friends. They even began to do the same for him. In fact, Angirasu and Mosura stopped referring to him on a last name bases. They now just refer to him as 'Gojira'. He had done the same with them, referring to them at their first names.
"That's good." said Blaire. The trio had stopped walking. Blaire looked to him with a sly smile. "Any girlfriends yet?"
"Um...that depends on what you mean by 'girlfriends'." said Junior, a light blush on his face. Spike laughed at his embarrassment.
"Come on bro! I’m talking about a lover. Or do you have girls that are just friends with you?" said Blaire in a teasing tone.
"No, I haven't formed that kind of relationship. But, I did make friends with a few girls." admitted Junior.
"Oh yeah? How many?" asked Blaire, getting close Junior.
"Oh, a few." said Junior, beads of sweat on his forehead.
"A few? How much is a few?" Blaire deadpanned. Spike stifled his laughter.
"7 girls, OK?!" Junior admitted in embarrassment. Blaire placed her hands over her cheeks, a look of surprise on her face.
"7?! Ooh, you lady killer!" teased Blaire. Junior crossed his arms and looked away.
"Shut up." Blaire giggled to herself. She then looked up to the sky.
"I'm glad that you're doing better, Goji." said Blaire. She then looked to him with a smile.
"Do you remember my daughter?" asked Blaire. Junior nodded, a small smile on face.
"Little Cynthia. I haven't seen her since she was four."
"Well, what do you think of being an uncle?" asked Blaire. Junior looked to her in confusion.
"An uncle?"
"She's was shy when she was younger. But now, she isn't as shy anymore. I think it'd be nice if you could fill the role as another one of her family members." said Blaire. Junior looked to her in surprise.
"You...want me to be an uncle to Cynthia?" asked Junior in disbelief. She nodded to him. "Is your husband OK with that?"
"Of course! He thought it'd be good for her to have an uncle. My husband doesn't have any siblings, and you’re the closest thing that I have to a brother." said Blaire.
"I...I would be honored." smiled Junior.
"Great! Well, I have to get home now. I'll see you later Goji." said Blaire as she wrapped Junior into a hug. Junior returned her hug.
"I'll see you Blaire." said Junior. Blaire broke the hug and made her way out of the statue garden. She then looked to Spike and waved.
"Bye spike~" Spike chuckled embarrassingly.
"Bye!" Spike and Junior were left alone by themselves in the garden. The sound of crickets was the only sound in the air.
"Wow, she seems like an awesome sister." said Spike.
"Yeah, she is." said Junior. He looked around the garden, his memories running wild. That was when he noticed a tall statue in the corner.
"Hey Goji, You know that doughnut shop that's nearby? How about we head down there and wait for the others?" suggested Spike.
"Huh? Oh, yeah that sounds good." answered Junior, distracted by the statue.
"You OK?"
"Yeah. Go ahead without me. I'll be joining you later." said Junior as he continued to gaze at the statue.
"OK...I'll see ya there then." Spike slowly began to leave. He took one last look at Junior, and then sighed.
Junior was all alone in the garden. No one else was around but him and a few statues. To Junior, none of those statues mattered to him at the moment. It was the one in front of him that mattered; the one from his earliest days in Canterlot. The statue was a tall, lanky human-like creature. He stood at 7 foot 5, on top of a pedestal. He wore a suit and khakis; his left forearm was like an eagle's claw, but appearing to be built like a human's arm and hand. His right forearm was a lion's paw, yet also bearing the resemblance of a human's hand. His right leg was reptilian-like, with large claws at the end, and his left leg was a goat's. These limbs and appendages were like they were taken from anthropomorphic beasts. A long reptilian tail wrapped around the pedestal downward in a spiral way. The man's face had bony cheeks; one of his canines on his upper jaw was long and pointed. The man's hair was scruffy, a pointy beard on the tip of his chin and bushy eyebrows. The man had wings on his back; the left wing was a bat's and the right wing was like a bird's. The man had pointed ears and horns. However, his right horn resembled a goat's and the left one resembled a dear's antler. The man stood on the pedestal, with his lion paw over his chest, and his eagle claw extended out to his left. He looked as if he were laughing. Junior recalled this statue very well. The human-like creature did appear odd, but he often wondered what it was. Obviously, he learned that it represented disharmony.
"Hey Discord, it's me, Gojira." greeted Junior, sitting in front of the statue. The cold, dead stone did not respond. "It's been awhile since I've seen you."
"You know, you were always my favorite statue in the gardens. I look at you; see how you're much different from the others. I wondered if people hated you because you were different?" asked Junior. He waited silently, looking at the face of the statue.
"I'm right, am I? Well, I guess that's why you have the legend of causing chaos and disharmony. You find it as the only thing that would bring you joy in this world." sighed Junior. He looked down sadly at the ground.
"Can I tell you a secret? It’s something that I have never told a soul about. Not even Celestia knows." The statue remained still and silent.
"I'm not any more normal than you are. You may be the most natural one out of both of us. I'm the real freak here, not you." said Junior. He plucked the grass out of the ground as he spoke.
"I was taken away from my home along with my father. Some humans changed us into...monsters. I'm one of those Transmutants that you may have heard about from people who pass by." Junior solemnly admitted. He looked back at the statue with sadness.
"I never experienced prejudice like you might have or the others have. But, when I hear the things that people say about us, it just makes me lose hope. I'm afraid to even to tell Celestia!" said Junior as he stood.
"What have I done wrong? What has my father done wrong? What has any of us done wrong to deserve this?!" shouted Junior, his voice breaking. Junior's breathing grew shallow.
"My dad found out that the people who changed us were making another. He didn't like that. Not. One. Bit." said Junior, his voice low as he scowled at the ground.
"He set out to find the facility, and destroyed it. Along with most of the humans that were working there. Except for the new Transmutant that he could have prevented from being created." said Junior, his voice filled with spite.
"I can't remember its face, only that it looked evil, like a demon. Those eyes. Oh, God those horrible eyes." said Junior. His mind flashing briefly to his memory of those two ominous yellow eyes.
"That thing escaped. He repaid my father's rescue by taking his life! That bastard did it in front of me!" cried Junior. His eyes were burning with the great rage that was only calmed for a short while.
"I shouldn't say this, but I think my father made the right decision at killing those humans." Junior growled. He turned and began to pace around. "Because of them, there are more of us out there! Those humans had no regard for our lives. They were animals!" said Junior. His eyes were beginning to water. He stopped and then looked up to the statue.
"And he slaughtered them like animals. I hate them! And I hope that they all rot in Hell, Tartarus or whatever you prefer to call it!" shouted Junior. Junior's nostrils were flaring as he breathed heavily through his nose. The statue stood in silence. Only the sound of the night breeze, Junior's breathing and the crickets can be heard.
"Mark my words, Discord. When I find the Transmutant that took my father away from me, I am going to make him suffer." said Junior, He turned away from the statue and began to walk away.
"Just as he made me suffer." said Junior to himself. The Transmutant continued down the path, making his way out of the gardens. The statue stood alone.
"What a fascinating boy." said an echoed male voice. It began to chuckle darkly.



Junior was walking alone along Canterlot. He had completely forgotten that he had to meet Spike at the doughnut shop, so he decided to keep wondering town for a bit. He wasn't in the mood to be around people right now. He thought that talking to a statue that he treated like an imaginary friend as a kid would help him feel a little better, but it had the opposite effect. He wasn't expecting the night to be all exciting to begin with as he hated the Gala and Canterlot. So far, his meeting with Blaire was the only high point of the evening. He wanted to see Celestia, but he doubted that he would be in a better mood by then. Blaire and Celestia were the only reason why he even bothered coming to the Gala. As Junior was walking down the road, he felt that someone was following him. He heard footsteps from behind, over a dozen feet behind him.
'Let's see if you're dumb enough to try it.' Junior thought to himself. He found an alley across the road. He began to make his way down there, hearing the stalker following his pace. As he continued on, he heard a few other steps following him. Junior smirked to himself. He continued deeper into the alley, before he met with a wall.
"End of the line asshole." said a smug, male voice. A few other males chuckled as they approached Junior from behind. Junior slowly turned around, a neutral look on his face. He noticed that one of them had a wooden bat, another had brass knuckles and the leading guy held up a knife.
"Now, give us all that you got. If you do, maybe we'll only break a couple of bones." said the guy with a knife.
"Guys, trust me when I say this. You don't want to mess with me." warned Junior. The guy that wore the brass knuckles approached Junior. He reared his fist back and slugged Junior across the cheek. Junior staggered a bit. The Earth bound packed a punch, but not good enough. A light bruise formed on Junior's cheek. His eyes were closed as he inhaled deeply. He then lets out a sharp exhale, opening his eyes and shooting the Earth bound a menacing glare.
"I warned you. Now, you've just pissed me off." said Junior, calmly. He then reared his fist back and punched the Earth bound in his jaw. The Earth bound cried out in agony as his jaw had cracked from the punch. Junior then grabbed him and lifted him over his head, throwing him against the wall. Junior then charged at the Earth bound that had the knife. The Earth bound swung the knife at him, attempting to scare him away. Junior merely grabbed the knife by its blade, yanking it out his hand. He then kneed the Earth bound is his gut, knocking the wind out of him. He collapsed onto his back, struggling to breathe. The Valkyrie with the bat yelled in anger as he flew toward the Transmutant. He swung the bat at Junior across the face. Junior staggered a bit, and then felt something loose and tasted iron in his mouth. He spat on the ground, and out came a couple of his back maulers and some blood. He glared at the Valkyrie as he was about to swing again. Junior dodged the swing, then swept him with his leg. The Valkyrie fell over, dropping his bat on the ground. He then got back onto his feet and threw a punch at Junior. Junior caught the fist with his hand with ease. He squeezed the Valkyrie's fist, cracking the bones in his hand. The man began to cry out as he felt the Transmutant crushing his fist. Junior kept his glare on him, twisting his arm slowly and forced the Valkyrie onto his knees. Junior then reared his free hand back, balling it into a fist. He swung his fist against the Valkyrie's face, knocking him to the ground. The Valkyrie gave a groan before he passed out.
"Hmph. Pathetic." snorted Junior in disgust. He then reached his finger into his mouth, feeling where his teeth were knocked out. He felt that his maulers were in the process of being replaced. He then looked to his hand that caught the knife by its blade. His palm had fully healed itself, leaving behind a blood stain. It was another benefit to the mutation.



"What happened?!" cried Celesita. Junior had recently arrived at the doughnut shop that Spike was talking about. His maulers had fully grown back, but his bruises were still visible on his face. He wished that the bruises could have faded sooner. He was greeted with Twilight and the others, all of them looking ragged. They must have had a rough night too. Unfortunately, Celestia was here as well.
"I...was in the process of getting mugged." Junior admitted. She gasped, making way over to him. She grabbed him by his cheeks and was looking him over.
"What did they do to you? Where are they?!" demanded Celestia. Junior pulled himself away from her.
"I'm fine! I just got punched a few times. They're unconscious in the alley downtown. I let a couple of guards nearby know before I came." said Junior. Celestia huffed.
"Why were you down there?" asked Celestia. Twilight and the others were watching awkwardly.
"I just felt like taking a walk. Why are you freaking out about this? This isn't the first time that I've been in a fight."
"Why shouldn't I-" Celestia stopped herself. She remembered that her subjects were present. She didn't want to argue with Junior here. She motioned him to step outside with her. He trailed behind her.
"You...think he's in trouble?" asked Spike, worriedly.
"I hope not." answered Twilight. She hadn't seen Junior with bruises like that since... She couldn't remember when the last time that he had bruises was. He had spent the past few months spending time with them. He rarely got into fights during that time. Now, he comes back to their home town and he's attacked. She was actually shocked to see him like that when he walked in.
Junior and Celestia stood a few feet outside of the doughnut shop. He sighed as he listened to her beginning to lecture him.
"Junior, it's just that I worry about you. I haven't seen you since you left to live in Ponyville!" said Celestia. Junior groaned in response.
"I know that you do! But Celestia, I'm not a little kid anymore! I'm 19 now!" retorted Junior. Celestia looked at him in irritation.
"So, just because you're nearing adult hood, it’s not good for me to worry about you?" asked Celestia.
"I didn't say that! I just wish you would have a little more faith in me!" answered Junior. His tone filled with frustration.
"I do! I just..."
"I've gotten into worst fights! I've been breathing it for years! I can take any asshole on the street!"
"Watch your language, young man!" scolded Celestia.
"You're not mother!" yelled Junior. After saying that sentence, he just realized what he had just said. He noticed that Celestia stood in front of him. She looked like that she was just told that she lost a family member. Her face had then changed to a look of hurt. Junior felt his heart sank.
"I...I didn't mean that." said Junior. He desperately wanted to take it back. Never in his life has he ever disrespected Celestia. He'd felt that he would be disrespecting his father as well if he ever did. He couldn't stand to look at her face like this.
"...No, I'm not. But, I began to wish that I was. I worry because I love you. I was even afraid that you would die when you went to Neighpon last year." said Celestia with a monotone voice. Junior felt that he was dying inside just hearing her speak in that tone.
"I guess that's why you left Canterlot, right? Or maybe even Equestria? Because I wasn't good enough to be like your real mother?" asked Celestia.
"No! No, Celestia that wasn't-" Junior stopped as he noticed Celestia's eyes began to water. She quickly turned away from him.
"Excuse me. I have to leave." said Celestia, struggling to keep her voice from breaking. She began to walk away from the doughnut shop. Junior reached out for her, but did not call out to her. His words remained inside of him.  He then heard the door to the shop open as he stared as Celestia walked away.
"Gojira? Is everything OK?" asked Twilight. Junior didn't respond as he slowly lowered his arm.
"Twilight, I'm gonna take the train home." said Junior. Twilight looked to him with a puzzled expression.
"Why? What happened?"
"I'm sorry. I don't want to talk about it." answered Junior. He then broke off into a sprint.
"Wait! Gojira, come back!"



Junior had arrived late at home. He undressed himself out of his formal attire, slipping into his pajamas. He made his way over to the living room, dimly lit by the ceiling light. He sat on the sofa, a completely blank look on his face. His eyes were dead, his breathing was calm. He sat in silence, thinking back to earlier. He then immediately stood up and flipped over his small table. He then gave off an angry yell as he ran over to the wall, punching a hole into it with ease. He was breathing heavily as he picked up a lamp and threw against the wall, shattering into pieces.
"I'm so stupid!" shouted Junior. He then looked at a mirror that lied on the ground. He glared at the reflection.
"You made her cry, you worthless son of a bitch! You broke the heart of the woman that took you in, who fed you, who loved you! You're not a human being, you're goddamned monster!" Junior then picked up the mirror and glared at his reflection.
"You don't deserve to live, you ungrateful bastard! You should have let that thing killed you like it did with your father! Hell, you should tell MONARCH that you're still alive and let them cap your ass!" shouted Junior. He then threw the mirror against the wall, causing it to crack. Junior breathed heavily, dropping to his knees. He slammed his fist on the ground, shattering the wood.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Please, forgive me, Celestia. Father. Mother." whispered Junior.
"Gojira." called a deep, and dark voice. It echoed in the air. Junior gasped as he heard the voice. He quickly stood and turned, searching for the source of the demonic voice.
"Who's there?! Show yourself!" shouted Junior. He felt a burning sensation in his body. Junior yelled in pain, feeling the heat within. He stumbled as he tried to walk.
"Gojira...I'm coming for you." said the voice. Junior burst through the door to his bathroom. He fell to his sink, his breathing shallow and his head running with sweat.
"What's happening to me?" asked Junior. He trembled as he recalled the pain. He was frightened.
"My darling boy. My Gojira." called the voice. From Junior's mirror, appeared a shadowed figure hidden in smoke. Red eyes glowed from the smoke. Junior's eyes widened at the sight as he backed away from his mirror. "Don't be afraid."
The figure spoke, the smoke cleared from the body of the figure. Smoke came from its mouth as it spoke. The figure's face was revealed to be the dragon that haunted his dreams. But, this time it was different. The dragon seemed to be a darker grey. Its body looked more menacing. Its scales were much more rough and spiked along its cheeks, brows, head and neck. Its teeth were sharper and its red eyes lacked pupils. The arms were covered in rougher scales and the shoulders were covered in little spikes. The chest still had the armored crest.
"Warriors aren't supposed to fear...power." said the dragon as it rose a brow. Junior suddenly felt intense pain burning into his soul. He wailed in agony. He fell to his knees, still crying out to the heavens. The dragon laughed maniacally at the young Transmutant's pain.
"Your evolution continues..."
> Chapter 11: Discord pt.1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was early noon. The spring heat bathed the citizens of Ponyville in its warmth. The sky was clear; the birds chirped a soothing tune. The flowers bloomed, and the spring wind moved gently across the town. In the Golden Oaks library, Twilight is sitting alone on her bed. She was busy studying for new spells, soaking in the information from the spell book in her hands.  As she was reading, she couldn't help but let herself get distracted. It had been just a day since that night. Celestia had left for some reason. Why would she leave so soon? Weren't things going well when they were spending time together? There was also something else bothering her. Twilight set the book down into her lap, looking toward her dresser. She looked over the pictures of herself with Spike when he was just a baby and she was seven. She smiled at the photo. She then saw a photo of herself with her entire family. She went on to find the photo that she had taken with her friends. As she continued on, she came to one of the last pictures that she had taken. It was a photo of Junior and her standing next to each other. They smiled as they both had an arm wrapped around each other.
"I'm glad that you liked the birthday party that we threw you." Twilight said to herself. She then frowned as she recalled the night before. Twilight got up from her bed, setting her book down. She was worried about him.
"I gotta go see him." said Twilight aloud. She then went over to the end of her bed, slipped on her shoes and made her way out of her bedroom. As she made her way down the stairs, she noticed that Spike was sitting with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in his hand.
"Spike, look after the library for me please? I'm off to check on Gojira." called Twilight. Spiked stopped himself before he could take a bite.
"OK. Let me know how he is when you get back." said Spike worriedly. Twilight nodded and smiled.
"Of course."



Twilight had been walking for several minutes, making her way over to Junior's home. She noticed that that the day was lovely. The sun shone brightly, and the smell of flowers was in the air. She saw butterflies pass by, finding a patch of flowers to land on.
"Gosh, I love spring." sighed Twilight happily. Twilight found herself on the path that she desired. She walked along the path, catching Junior's home in the distance. She quickened her pace, feeling the need to be there for her friend. She was getting closer; she began to ponder what she would do when she got there. How will she bring up the issue? Should she bring it up? Maybe, she should just spend time with him. Hopefully, help him take his mind off of whatever was troubling him last night. That way, he just might open up to her about it. Twilight had made her way onto the porch of the house. She stepped up to the door and gently knocked on the door.
"Gojira?" called Twilight. She waited for ten seconds, not receiving a reply. She knocked harder this time.
"Gojira! It's me, Twilight!" called Twilight, raising her voice. She waited ten more seconds. She was about to knock again, but thought that she should wait longer. She waited for a couple of minutes, but she was beginning to get anxious so she knocked rapidly this time.
"Gojira! Please, open the door! I want to talk to you!" shouted Twilight. He wasn't answering. She was beginning to worry. She knew it would be useless, but she placed her hand on the door knob and twisted it. To her surprise, it was unlocked. She opened the door slowly, her head slowly getting inside of the house. As she stepped in, she gasped at what she saw. His living room was a mess. His table was flipped, pieces of a lamp were scattered on the ground, and there was a hole was in the wall. She slowly walked in, searching her surroundings.
'Did he do this?' thought Twilight. She began to walk down the hall of his home, searching one of the rooms. She found an empty bed, the blankets were neatly made. Almost as if no one had fallen asleep on it. She felt herself growing nervous. Where was he? Twilight turned and noticed that the door to another room down the hall was cracked open. She made her way over to the door. She pushed the door open, revealing the bathroom. As she was about to step in, something caught her eye on the ground. Her eyes focused on the ground. She nearly had a heart attack at what she saw.
"Oh gosh!" cried Twilight. She had found the one she was looking for. Junior was on the floor, lying on his side unconscious. Twilight dropped to her knees and began to shake Junior.
"Hey, wake up! Gojira, please, please wake up!" cried Twilight. Her heart was racing. What happened to him? Why was he unconscious? He wasn't dead, was he?! Twilight feared this thought. She grabbed his hand and placed three of her fingers on his wrist. She waited, before she felt something.
"Oh good, you're OK." said Twilight, relieved to feel a pulse. She then resumed shaking Junior.
"Hey, wake up!" Junior began to stir. He lightly groaned as he began to shift on the ground. He slowly opened his eyes, drowsily staring into Twilight's. He then began to sit himself up.
"Twilight? What are you doing here?" asked Junior, his voice groggy.
"I came to check on you. Good thing that I did." answered Twilight. She then leaned closer to him. "What happened to you?"
"I..." Junior was about to answer. All he remembered was that he was in agony. There was something else, something terrifying. He couldn't remember it quite well. "I don't know. I don't think I'm feeling well."
"Come on, let's get you to your living room. I'll make us some tea." said Twilight. She stood and reached for Junior's hand. Junior gently took her hand; she then pulled him up to his feet.



Mosura was alone in the lair. She sat cross legged with her eyes closed on the platform, above the pool of water that flowed in and out of the cave. She felt the warm sun beaming down on her in the cold cave.  She took light and calm breaths. Her mind was not focused on the world around her. She thought of peace, joy, and love. As she sat, she felt her peace interrupted. Her blissful state was changed. Her mind flashed to fear, sadness, anger, and hatred. Mosura tried to force these feelings out of her, but she couldn't. She grunted as she struggled to find peace. That was when she realized that these were not her emotions. They belonged to someone else.
Mosura found herself in a wasteland. There was no one around. There was only a dark, clouded sky. The ground beneath her was a street that was cracked. That was when she noticed what was around her. Tall buildings lied in ruins. Some stood tall, some leaned on the one next to them, and others were nothing but rubble. Abandoned carriages and chariots were scattered on the streets. The city was lit by the light from fires that raged on the buildings and the streets. The city was desolate, with nothing but destruction.
"whose mind am I in?" asked Mosura incredulously. She felt the ground beneath her shake. The sounds of something enormous impacting the ground can be heard. Mosura nearly lost her balance as she felt the Earth shake more. She saw a massive beast covered in dark smoke; it stood over 300 feet tall, lumbering through the buildings, pushing through them with ease. The monster lets out a deep and ghostly screech into the heavens. Red eyes glowed from its head and jagged dorsal plates ran down its back. The creature stops walking, slowly turning its head toward Mosura's position. Mosura felt her heart skip as the beast looked in her direction. It bared its teeth and snarled at her, slowly turning and began to approach her.
"He doesn't need you. One day, I will make him greater..." said the creature in a deep and powerful voice. Mosura gasped as she heard the monster speak.
"W-who are you?! And what are you talking about?!" demanded Mosura. The creature merely chuckled.
"I am become death, the destroyer of worlds." said the creature. As the beast had gotten closer, Mosura clenched her eyes shut. As she held them closed, she stopped hearing the creature approaching. Mosura slowly opened her eyes, finding herself sitting back at the lair. She felt her heart beat fast, her forehead dripping with sweat. She attempted to calm herself. Her breathing was shallow. She couldn't figure out what she had experienced. Was she really inside someone's mind and witnessed something that has been forged in their psyche? Whose mind was it?
"What did it mean by, 'He doesn't need me'? Who was it talking about?"



Junior sat on his sofa with Twilight. Both were drinking warm tea that she had made. Twilight looked to him in worry. He had a look in his eyes that she didn't like. He looked like he had lost the life in them. She felt like that she was looking at an empty shell of her friend. Junior sets his cup of tea down on the table which he had set back up. While Twilight was making them tea, he began to clean up the mess that he had made. Unfortunately, he couldn't do anything about the wall at the moment.
"Thank you, Twilight." said Junior. Twilight nearly jumped at his voice. He had been quiet the whole time since they left the bathroom.
"Oh, no problem!" smiled Twilight. Junior reclined on the sofa, staring off to the wall.
"Gojira?" called Twilight.
"Yeah?"
"Do you...want to talk? About yesterday?" asked Twilight. Junior remained silent. Twilight scooted closer to him, taking his hand into hers. Junior flinched, but he turned to face Twilight.
"You can tell me anything. We're friends right?" asked Twilight, a sad smile on her face. Junior stayed silent. He then slowly nodded.
"We are. OK, I'll tell you." answered Junior. He spent the next couple of minutes of explaining the event that occurred last night.
"And that's why she left." said Junior. Feeling shameful at the story he had told. Twilight looked to him sadly.
"I see..."
"Never in my life have I used that on her. She really was a mother to me. I would rather die than hurting her like that." said Junior. Twilight didn't like hearing that last part, but she understood why he said it. If anything, it told her how much Celestia meant to him
"Why did you say it then?" asked Twilight. Junior sighed in response.
"I don't know. I guess... I guess I was just angry. Not at her." answered Junior. Junior couldn't tell her the complete reason for his mood. He had to talk about a minor source of his anger. "Maybe it had to do with me coming back to after getting mugged. I guess I just didn't like Celestia worrying so much about me."
"Why not?" asked Twilight.
"She's a princess. She doesn't have time to worry about someone like me. I was thankful that she spent some time with me when I was younger, but I hate that she can't focus on her own life." answered junior.
"Goji..."
"I don't know. Maybe I'm just overreacting. I just don't want her to worry so much." sighed Junior. He sat silently in the room with Twilight.
"I wish I could tell her the truth." whispered Junior. Twilight's ears perked as she heard him whisper.
"What was that?"
"I said that 'I wish I knew how to make it up to her'." lied Junior.
"Oh. Well, you could start by apologizing to her." replied Twilight. "Speak to her in person; apologize with all of your heart. Don't fake it. Tell her why you said those things to her. Don't try to butter her up, that's not the way to apologize."
"Got it. Anything else?" asked Junior. Twilight then looked deeply into his eyes. Their eyes locked, she was determined to make sure that he got it.
"Tell her that you love her." said Twilight. Junior felt his burden lightened. It was thanks to her that he could find the courage to face Celestia. One of the things that he liked about Twilight was that she would always want to help a friend.
"What would I have done without you?" smiled Junior.
"Based on how you were when we first met, you wouldn't have faced the problem." joked Twilight. Junior lightly chuckled.
"Thanks Twilight."
"Anytime." said Twilight. She then stood from the sofa. "Why don't we hang out today? We can have lunch."
"I'd like that. I'll get dressed."




Location: classified MONARCH Base Delta

In a great room, there was Erika. She stood alone wearing a black suit that covered her from her shoulders to her toes. The MONARCH insignia on her chest. Her back, on the other hand, was exposed. Erika remained still, waiting. At the end of the room, the sounds of heavy steps can be heard. Out from a large door, came a large machine. It was built to resemble a standing man. It stood at eight feet tall, with heavy armor built on it. A blue visor glowed on its head. The machine had two large blades attached to its forearms. The machine began to slowly approach her, stopping 15 feet away from her.
"Combat simulation activated." echoed a feminine monotone voice. The mech took a stance, rearing its arms in front. Erika got into a stance as well, balling her hands into fists.
"Begin." said the monotone voice. The mech sprinted toward Erika, its metal feet clanking against the floor. Erika charged as well, sliding under the mech. She turned and found that the mech had turned as well. It swung its fist toward her. Erika side-stepped to the left, grabbing the arm and pulled on it. The mech stumbled forward, then raised its other fist and swung at Erika. She rolls away from the punch as it approached, it connected against the ground and left a dent on the metal floor. Erkia backed away from the mech as it faced her. She stared at it with a calm expression. The mech raised its arms into the air, the blades on its forearms extended out, reflecting the light onto the walls. The mech placed its arms together, rubbing the blades together, causing sparks. It then charged at Erika, swinging its blades at her. She ducked and hopped over the incoming blades. Erkia leaped toward the mech, punching it in the head. The mech staggered, its visor cracked. Its chest opened up, out came two cannons. The cannons shot blue bolts of magic toward the soldier, hitting her on impact. Erika cried out in pain as she felt the bolts pierced through her skin. She dropped to her knees, breathing heavily. She looked to her wounds as they sizzled from the heat. They began to seal themselves shut. Erika stood back up and charged toward the mech. She dodged the next barrage of bolts, making her way toward the chest. She grabbed the cannon's muzzle, yanking it out of the mech, causing it to spark. She then swung the cannon at the mech's head. The mech then swiped its arm at Erika, its blade making contact with her. Erika cried out in agony as she felt her left arm sliced off. Her dismembered arm flew as blood stained the ground, landing a few feet away.
Erika held her wound, gritting her teeth. She noticed that the mech was approaching her, preparing for another strike. Erkia ran from the mech, her blood dripping from her wound. She then felt something going on the area where her arm was dismembered. She looked toward the wound and noticed that her blood was changing its red color to green. Out of the stub came her arm, growing like a plant-like appendage. She gasped at the sight, finding it disturbing. It appeared like an arm made of a plant with a sharp clawed hand. She then looked toward the mech, an idea forming in her mind. She turned and made her back toward the mech. She leaped at the mech and swung her clawed hand at the head. As she landed, the mech's head fell apart. It then fell onto its knees and collapsed onto the ground. Erika panted, she then looked to her new arm. It slowly began to shift, changing from a green plant looking arm to a familiar pale human arm. She sighed in relief. She turned noticed that her old arm was still there. She approached it with a frown on her face.
"What am I gonna do with this then?" Erika asked herself. She reached for the arm, picking it up in disgust. Suddenly, the arm began to morph into a green liquid. It phased into her exposed. She nearly yelped as it transpired. She looked at her arm, and noticed that something was different about it. Her veins were slightly exposed beneath her skin. The disturbing thing about them was that they were green.  She sighed sadly. The sound of metal clanking against the ground echoed in the room. Erika jumped at the sound. She quickly turned and found three other mechs taking a stance. She sighed in disappointment.
"Well, let's see what else I can do." said Erkia. She then began to sprint at the mechs. The trio charged at the new Transmutant. She gave a war cry as her arm changed back into a clawed appendage. She slashed at the abdomen of one of the mechs. It sparked and dropped to its knees. Erkia ran past it, nearly slashed by one of the mech's blades. Erika turned and felt pain in her right arm. She dropped to one of her knees, grunting as her right arm began to shift. Her arm morphed into a plant arm with a serrated blade at the end. The blade was peculiar as, Instead of a steel blade, it was made of bone. She stood back up and charged at one of the mechs. It raised its arm at her, swinging down its blade. Erika raised her arm, blocking the blade. The mech towered over her, its cogs and parts working to overpower her. Erika slightly struggled from the machine's strength, she looked toward her blade in worry. She feared that a bony blade wouldn't be able to withstand a mech using its steel blade on it. Her fears were put to rest as she realized that the bone was holding strong. She strained as her muscles stretched, her adrenaline shooting through her. She began to force the mech back, then shoved it way. The mech stumbled back; Erika sprinted toward the mech and leaped towardit. She gave a cry as she brought her blade down on her opponent, slashing it in half. The mech sparked, as wires and circuits separated from the strike. Bits of metal parts clattered onto the floor.
The mech that she had first slashed in the abdomen stood back to its feet. The unscathed mech stood by its side, both stretched their right arms forward. Their arms began to shift in shape, parts and gears shifting into cannons. Erika gasped as she recognized the weapons.
'Damn, rockets!' thought Erika. The mech's cannons flashed, firing small missiles. They streaked across the air, leaving behind smoke as they were propelled toward Erika. She raised her arms over her face as the rockets impacted the ground in front of her. The rockets exploded in front of her, fires, shrapnel and smoke rising where she stood.
The mech's lowered their arms, their visors glowing. The black smoke surrounded where the Transmutant stood. One of the mech's stepped forward, its blade drawn. Suddenly, green tendrils shot out of the smoke. They wrapped themselves around the mech. The machine struggled as it tried to free itself from the tendrils. The tendrils lifted the mech in the air, slamming it repeatedly on the ground. They then threw the mech toward the other, knocking them both to the floor. Out from the smoke, leaped Erika, whose body was in bad condition. She was covered in burns, her suit was torn and singed, her arms and thighs were revealed, her backside of her suit was torn, with tendrils sticking out. Her breathing was shallow as she glared at the mechs. Erika was slowly walking toward them. Her back sprouted two vines, but at the end of them were roses with mouths. Theses mouths were filled with sharp teeth, with fluid dripping out from them. The mouthed roses screeched and hissed at the mechs, as they bared their teeth. The vines shot forward toward the mechs, wrapping around them and biting on their heads. The tendrils held the mechs as the mouths gnawed at them. After the visors of the mechs lights died, their bodies slumped. Erika panted, her burns were beginning to heal, her tendrils and vines released the mechs and shrank bank into her body. Erika sighed as she looked at hands.
"I really am one of them now." said Erika, dejectedly. Ironic, as her job was to stop Transmutants that were attacking. She and her squad were destroyed by one Transmutant and she's brought back to be one of them.
"Combat simulation completed." said the monotone voice. Another large door opened, revealing a sight that lifted her spirits. Erika made her way over toward the door.
"Very good. You have been maturing fast in your mutation." said Genshiro. Erika smiled to him.
"Thank you, father. I'm still not used to this...change." sighed Erika. Genshiro frowned.
"I know, Erika. Please try to bear with it." said Genshiro. Erika nodded to him.
"Understood."



Erika sat on a chair. An Earth bound man was looking her over. His face was neutral as he analyzed her arm. He then placed her arm down and began to scribble down on a clipboard.
"You seem to have a much faster healing factor compared to the Alpha's." said the Earth bound.
"I noticed. Why did my arm grow back as a plant?" asked Erika.
"Well, we actually combined your DNA with both Alpha's and a Rose that we discovered recently." answered the Earth bound. Erika looked to him in confusion.
"A rose? Why a rose?"
"This wasn't an ordinary rose. It was like a fly trap. We discovered a living fossil of it, the last of its kind. It contained acids and poisons that it used against prey. The rose would wrap its prey in vines and would drag it away and would dissolve it with its acids. After that, it would devour the smaller pieces of the prey. It grew to be pretty big for a rose, almost four feet tall." answered the Earth bound. Erika cringed in response.
"So, I have the DNA of a dragon and a killer rose mixed with me?" asked Erika. The Earth bounded nodded in response.
'You just may be the ultimate hybrid so far.' thought the Earth bound. He then placed his clip board down.
"Another thing. Unlike other Transmutants and the Alpha, we've learned that you are able gain energy from solar radiation. Of course, this is due to your DNA mixed with that of a rose. You can use geothermal radiation, nuclear, and solar radiation to help you gain energy. But, we want you to remain as close as possible instead of looking for these other two sources. So, you'll have to remain on base to 'photosynthesis'." said the Earth bound. Erika sighed.
"I guess that's better than searching."




Somewhere in Equestria...

The land was filled with tall trees. A small mountain lied ahead among these trees and a small village. However, these trees were dead. Not a leaf was on them. The grass was gone, and nothing but dirt was on the ground. The area was burnt by a forest fire long ago. The village was abandoned, and was in no better shape than the forest. In a dark cave in the small mountain, there was chatter going on. The cave was cold and dark, with only the sun bringing little light.
"We need food." hissed a forest green colored, Mantis-like creature. He stood among a five other Mantis-like beasts, all were sitting on stones inside the cave. They were all different shades of green. A few of them were bright red in color. The other Mantis-like creatures nodded and conversed amongst themselves in agreement. One of the red mantises stood among the others.
"Kamacuras, MONARCH is making it difficult for our scouts to search for suitable settlements to raid. The last raid on Los Pegasus has led to that." said the red Mantis, speaking in an insect-like feminine voice. One of the lighter green Mantis's stood as well.
"She's right. A few of our group members have also encountered another Transmutant that drove them away. MONARCH isn't the only thing that we have to worry about." said the light green Mantis, speaking in a deep, insect male voice.
"I am well aware of that. However, we can't succumb to MONARCH and a couple Transmutants." said Kamacuras. One of the other green mantises stood as the other two previous mantises sat back down.
"What about the meadow that's miles from here? Aren't wild cattle grazing out there?" asked a mantis, speaking in a younger male voice. Kamacuras clicked his mandibles in frustration.
"Yes, but Kumonga and her group have made that land their territory. We are no match for spiders." sighed Kamacuras. One of the green mantises leaned over to a red mantis that sat next to him.
"I've always hated spiders. Pretty damn ironic that we've became insects." whispered the green mantis in a male voice. The red mantis clicked her mandibles as she shuddered.
"Tell me about it." whispered the red mantis back.
"May I make a suggestion?" asked another forest green mantis. Kamacuras nodded in approval.
"I suggest that we attack a smaller settlement here in Equestria. MONARCH has no presence there. I have been there before." said the mantis. One of the male mantis's laughed.
"I recall you limping back here. Something about another young Transmutant and a little pony kicking your ass." said the male. The forest green mantis flared its wings and hissed in anger.
"I told you, he was stronger than he looked! And that pony was an Earth pony! She kicked me in the leg when I wasn't looking!" shouted the mantis. He then turned to Kamacuras. "Kamacuras, allow me to take a team to kill that boy! I suspect that he is hiding out there. With him out of the way, we can raid the town and take their livestock and crops for ourselves!"
"Boy? What did he look like? There wasn't that many young male Earth bounds mutated all of those years ago to still be called, 'boy'." asked Kamacuras.
"He was Neighponese. He also had charcoal grey hair. That's all that I can remember." answered the mantis. Kamacuras stood and pondered.
"Yes... I believe I know who you are speaking of. I've seen him with one of Destoroyah's group members when I was locked in the Vault." said Kamacuras. "I don't want have to merge our group with Destoroyah's just for the sake of food. At least not yet." he then looked toward the other forest green mantis.
"Very well Kickback, I will allow you to take five of our members with you. They should be enough to gather food for our group and to handle that Transmutant if you happen to run into him. Do not attack him, unless he attacks you. Do not let the humans see you. I want this settlement to last us." commanded Kamacuras. The other mantis bowed in response.
"Yes, sir." said Kickback. He then made his way out of the cave, opening his wings. His wings flapped rapidly, causing a loud motor-like sound in the wind. He took off out of the cave, flying down to small crudely built village. In the village were a few Earth bound humans and a dozen other mantises. He landed in the center of the village, making his way over to the humans, searching for his desired team.
"You, you and you three!" called Kickback, pointing to his desired team. A young neighponese woman with red eyes, wearing a hood over her head; three mantises, and a round muscled tan skinned man with brown hair. They looked to Kickback in confusion.
"Prepare to leave, we're going to Ponyville." commanded Kickback. The young woman stepped up to him.
"What the hell for?" asked the woman.
"We need food or else we'll starve out here." said Kickback as he gestured to a deserted forest region. Nothing but dead trees stood, no signs of birds or animals around. The woman turned back to him.
"So, we're gonna raid that town?" she asked curiously. Kickback nodded.
"Hai. However, we need to make the town last. We're just going to take some of their livestock, their fruits and vegetables. Hopefully we can leave before the humans can suspect that it’s us." Kickback then turned and glared at the three other mantises. It was hard to tell if you weren't like the mantises, but they were able to tell just fine.
"I want you to remain out of sight in the forest when we arrive. I rather we not let our presence known and disappoint Kamacuras." commanded Kickback. They nervously nodded in understanding.
"Good. Let's ride!" shouted Kickback. He flapped open his wings and began to flap them rapidly. Dust was blown around him. He crouched and leaped as his wings carried him into the air. The two Earth bounds made their way to a separate mantis, hopped on their back. The mantis's flapped their wings, crouching and leaped into the air. The Transmutants took off into the afternoon sun, disappearing in the distance.




Ponyville, Equestria. Two weeks later...

"What the hell is going on here?" asked Junior incredulously. He stood with Rodan, Mosura and Angirasu at his side. All stared mouth agape as they stood in the orchard of Sweat Apple acres. They were witnessing something disturbing. Something that was unnatural. In fact, not even people breaking out into song seemed to compare to what they were seeing. Bunnies were running around with long, giraffe-like legs, cotton candied clouds floated above, chocolate rain, giant apples on the trees, popcorn everywhere. Junior's eye was twitching as he took in the scene. He began twitch around his body. Rodan looked to him in concern.
"You OK ,man?" asked Rodan. Angirasu and Mosura looked to Junior as well, disturbed by Junior's behavior.
"Nature has an order..." whispered Junior. Angirasu raised a brow.
"Huh??" Angirasu cocked his head. Junior twitched again.
"But what is it that brings order?" asked Junior in a whisper. Mosura had a worried look on her face.
"Gojira, you're starting to scare us." said Mosura. Junior began to chuckle like a maniac.
"Hey, Angirasu?" asked Junior in a casual tone.
"Um...yeah?" asked Angirasu. Junior placed his hands on his shoulders, putting on a smile.
"We're best friends, right?" asked Junior. He then turned and grabbed Mosura by her shoulder with his left arm and pulled her closer to him and then pulled Rodan closer with his right arm.
"Aren't we all best friends here?" asked Junior. The three other Transmutants all looked to each other uncomfortably.
"Yes?" they answered in unison. Junior nodded, still holding his smile.
"Best friends do things for each other. Because that's what they do, right?" asked Junior in a cheerful tone. Rodan gulped.
"Sure dude, that's what friends are for." said Rodan. Mosura and Angirasu quickly nodded in agreement.
"I'm glad to hear you say that. I have a favor that I'd like for you to do for me." said Junior.
"What's that?" asked Mosura, nervously. Junior's face lost his smile and turned serious.
"I want you guys to kill me." answered Junior in a serious tone. The three other Transmutants' eyes widened and they pulled away from him.
"What?!" they cried in unison. Junior shrugged.
"I'd ask one of the girls to do it, but I don't think they'd like that." said Junior. Mosura glared at him.
"And you think that we would?!" demanded Mosura.
"Dude, I know things are freaky right now but come on!" shouted Rodan.
"I think that you may be overreacting Goji." said Angirasu.
"Please? I'll let you guys take all of my possessions when I'm gone!" cried Junior. Mosura grabbed him by his shoulders and shook him.
"Shut up, that isn't funny! Get a hold of yourself because we aren't doing it!" shouted Mosura.
"What am I seeing here? There's no order here. Nothing is natural about what's going on here. Its more unnatural than we are. Hehehe." Junior began to chuckle as his eye twitched.
"Uh oh, I think he finally broke. Just when he started accepting that people breaking out into song is natural." said Rodan. Junior then dropped to his knees and sighed.
"I'm sorry, I nearly lost it there." apologized Junior. Angirasu patted him on the back.
"We all almost did at one point. Come on, let’s go find out what's going on." said Angirasu. Junior nodded as he stood up to his feet. The Transmutants jogged further onto the Apple family’s property. They found Twilight and the other five girls getting rained on by the chocolate rain. Fluttershy was attempting to tame the animals from devouring the enormous apples, Rainbow was stuck to the cotton candy clouds, Pinkie was gorging herself on popcorn and chocolate rain. Rarity was standing, not being much help under her rain coat and umbrella, and Applejack was buried in popcorn, a look of despair on her face as the unnatural phenomenon was occurring on her farm.
"Oh..." complained Junior. He then noticed Twilight and Spike were walking by as she levitated a book with her magic. She was scanning the book and smiled in satisfaction.
"Don't worry everyone! I've learned a new spell that'll fix everything." announced Twilight. Junior's heart leaped with joy at her words. Twilight took a stance and raised her arms in the air. Her hands were engulfed in the raspberry aura. She shot her hands forward, and out came a lavender beam that shot toward the chaos that threatened to drive Junior insane. A bright flash of light blinded everyone in the area. As their eyes recovered from the blindness, they saw that nothing has change. Twilight had a look of shock and despair on her face.
"My fail safe spell...failed!" cried Twilight. She then looked to Spike. "What do we do?!"
"Uh...give up?" asked Spike. Twilight shot him a disapproving glare.
"Oh no." said Junior. He then slumped his head down.




Canterlot, Equestria. A couple hours later...

Junior was jogging alongside Mosura and the Element Bearers in Canterlot's castle courtyard. After containing the madness on Applejack's farm, the girls were summoned by Celestia for some reason. Naturally, Junior thought it would be best if he came along too. Besides, he still had to apologize to Celestia. Although, now wasn't the best time. Mosura had tagged along. Junior tried to convince her to stay with the Angirasu and Rodan. However, she was still upset that he asked them to kill him. She thought it would be best to make sure that he didn't have any more thoughts and to keep him from actually attempting it. Oh, for what he had witnessed and the things that he wasn't used to that was ordinary to common folks, he was close to attempt it. Thank God for friends to help you regain your rational thoughts. He was glad that the girls hadn't witnessed that entire scene. Twilight, Rainbow and Applejack may have chewed him out if they did. Poor Fluttershy may have burst into tears.
The group burst through the large doors into the castle foyer. Inside, they found Celestia pacing around on the stair case anxiously.
"Princess Celestia! We came as fast as we could!" called Twilight. The group had jogged into the throne room, screeching to a halt at the bottom of the stairs.
"Thank you, Twilight. Thank you all." greeted Celestia in a grave tone. She then noticed Junior among them. She lightly frowned. "Thank you, Junior." The Transmutant nodded, a small frown on his face as he looked down at the ground, too ashamed to be in her presence.
"Is this about the weather? And the animals’ weird behavior? What's happening out there?! Why isn't my magic working?! Is there-" Twilight was babbling questions before Celestia could answer. The princess raised her hand, silencing Twilight.
"Follow me." said Celestia. The group had followed Celestia through the castle. They were currently walking down a hall where stained glass windows lined the walls.
"I've called you all here for a matter of great importance. It seems an old foe of mine, someone I thought I defeated long ago, has returned." said Celestia gravely. Junior was walking near Fluttershy and Mosura, his attention focused on the Avatar's story. He caught Fluttershy stalling and wandering off to the side in his peripheral vision. He stopped and turned, finding Fluttershy staring at the ground. She then slowly looked up, beholding a stained glass window of a figure that was familiar to Junior.
"His name is Discord" said Celestia. Fluttershy yelped as she saw the depiction of the man beast on the stained glass. She then hid behind Junior. Junior was dumbfounded at what he had heard and saw.
'Wait, Discord is free?' thought Junior. He then felt an itch in the back of his head.
'Who's Discord?' asked Mosura. Her voice echoed in Junior's head as she telepathically spoke to him.
"Discord is the mischievous spirit of disharmony." said Celestia. Junior then looked to Mosura, raising a brow.
'That answer your question?' thought Junior. Mosura huffed in response.
"Before my sister and I stoned him, he ruled Equestria in an eternal state of unrest and unhappiness." said Celestia. The group looked upon a stained glass that depicted Discord using an Elf, a Valkyrie and an Earthbound as marionettes. The humans were in a state of despair. Honestly, it made Junior feel a little uneasy to see that.
"Luna and I saw how miserable life was for the  Earthbounds, Valkyries, and Elves alike! So, after discovering the Elements of Harmony, we combined our powers and rose up against him! Turning him to stone." said Celestia, her voice filled with triumph. Junior saw a stained glass that depicted Celestia and Luna flying around Discord as he was in stone.
"Alright Princess!" cheered Rainbow. The group continued down further with Celestia as she continued to tell her tale.
"I thought the spell we cast would keep him contained forever. However, since Luna and I are no longer connected to the Elements, the spell has been broken." said Celestia. Twilight looked to her with a puzzled expression.
"'No longer connected'?" asked Twilight. The group had stopped at the end of the hall, where a large dome shape was over them. A large door stood in place in front of them.
"This is Canterlot tower, which is where the Elements are kept inside. Since all of you recovered them, I need you to wield the Elements of Harmony once again and stop Discord! Or he will thrust all of Equestria into eternal chaos!" said Celestia in urgency.
"But why us? Why don't you-" Twilight was interrupted by Pinkie.
"Hey look! We're famous!" said Pinkie as she pointed to a stained glass with the girls wielding the elements, defeating Nightmare moon.
"You six have shown the full potential of the Elements. By harnessing the magic of your friendship to beat a mighty foe." said Celestia. She lowered herself closer to Twilight, focusing on her.
"Although Luna and I once wielded the Elements, it is you who now control their power. And it is you who must defeat Discord!" said Celestia, displaying her wings. Her tone gave the group the idea of the gravity of the entire situation. The girls all looked to each other in worry, concern, and uncertainty. But, Twilight stepped forward with a determined look.
"Princess, you can count on-" Pinkie stepped up and raised her hand.
"Hold on a second!" cried Pinkie. She then stared into Twilight's eyes. "Eternal chaos comes with chocolate rain you guys. Chocolate rain!" Junior and Mosura responded by face palming.
"Don't listen to her princess. We'd be honor to use the Elements of Harmony again." said Twilight. Celestia nodded, stepping up to the door. She stuck out her index finger and stuck it inside of a hole in the door. An aura engulfed her finger and shot into the door, causing it to glow as it slowly opened. A bright flash blinded the group, they regained their vision and beheld a case covered in gems.
"Ooh~ You can keep the elements. I'll take that case!" said Rarity. Junior mentally groaned.
'Well, fancy cases aside, that door was bitchin.' thought Junior.
"-I have full confidence that you will be able to defeat Discord, with these." said Celestia as she levitated the case forward. As she opened the case, there was nothing inside. The entire group gasped in shock. Celestia was shocked herself, suddenly dropping the case. Everyone was silent, staring at the case slack-jawed.
"Oh, well. if anyone need me, I'll be outside in the chocolate puddles with a giant straw!" said Pinkie, taking off from the group. Junior's eye began to twitch.
"Oh, hell no!"



"The elements, they're gone!" exclaimed Twilight. The group surrounded the empty case that lay on the ground. Celestia was pacing around the room.
"That chamber is protected by a powerful spell that only I can break. This doesn't make sense!" said Celestia. Junior was able to sense how tense she was from the mystery. He was beginning to feel anxious at what would happen next. Just then, the halls echoed with maniacal laughter.
"Make sense? Ooh, what fun is there in making sense?" asked a male voice. The humans and Transmutants searched for the source of the voice. Junior tensed his muscles, preparing for any fight.
"Discord. Show yourself!" shouted Celestia. A chuckle escaped from the voice, echoing in the halls.
"Did you miss me, Celestia?" asked the voice. The group searched for the voice. A flash appeared over on the stained glass that depicted Discord with the human marionettes. The image of Discord began to move.
"I missed you" said the voice. The image of Discord was speaking, making eye contact with Celestia. The image of Discord flew from the glass, appearing on the other glass that depicted the girls and the Elements of Harmony.
"But you wouldn't know that would you? Because I don't turn people into stone!" sneered Discord.
"Enough! What have you done with the Elements of Harmony?!" demanded Celestia. Her wings flared as the tone of her voice turned sharp.
"Oh, I just borrowed them for a teensy little while." answered Discord. He snapped his lion claws, causing the image of the Elements of Harmony to vanish.
"You'll never get away with this, Discord!" said Celestia. A glare focused on the man-beast. Discord sat on the pedastool that held the elements in boredom as he looked for dirt on his claws.
"Oh, I remember how grim you can be Celestia. It's really quite boring." said Discord. Junior felt himself growing irritated at the spirit of disharmony, wanting to shut him up.
"Hey! Nobody insults the princess!" shouted Rainbow. She flew toward the stained glass window. Discord snapped his claws and disappeared. Rainbow rammed into the stained glass. She moaned as her eyes rolled in a dazed state. Discord reappeared in a larger form of himself back on the stained glass.
"You must be Rainbow Dash! Famed for her loyalty, the Element of Harmony you represent." said Discord.
"That's right! I'll always be loyal to the princess!" declared Rainbow. Discord disappeared in a flash.
"We'll see..." said Discord. His voice echoed in the halls.
"I can't believe we're wasting our time talking to a tacky window." said Rarity. Discord reappeared in the stained glass window behind her.
"The beautiful Rarity! Representing the Element of Generosity, if I'm not mistaken."
"So ya know who we are. Big deal!" said Applejack in annoyed tone.
"Oh, I know much more than that. Honest Applejack." replied Discord. He had grown in size within the stained glass window.
"You seem to know our strengths too." said Twilight as she glared at the spirit of disharmony. Discord disappeared, reappearing on the first stained glass window that he was on.
"Yes, Twilight Sparkle. And yours is the most powerful and elusive Element. Magic." replied Discord. "Fluttershy's is kindness and Pinkie Pie's is a most favorite of mine! Laughter."
Pinkie was holding her hand up to her mouth, as she was holding in a laugh.
"Pinkie!" called Twilight. Pinkie suddenly bursts into full blow laughter.
"He's standing on your *hihi* -head!" laughed Pinkie. Discord was standing on the image of Twilight's, depicted in the stained glass, head. He chuckled as he thrusted his arms forward and back and walked in place on the image of Twilight's head. Twilight silenced Pinkie with a disapproving glare. Junior had enough of this.
"Hey asshole, you done playing games?" asked Junior. Discord's ears perked at the sound of his voice. He turned and faced Junior, a grin on his face.
"Oh, if it isn't the son of a samurai. Gojira Takeshi the second!"
"Hey, how did you know that?" asked Rainbow.
"Actually, he told me about that years ago in the statue gardens." said Discord. Junior's eyes widened.
"You were able to listen to me?" asked Junior in a surprised tone.
"Everything that you told me since we've met. Including that one thing that you told me the last time that you visited me." answered Discord. Junior's heart nearly stopped at hearing that. He knew damn well what he was talking about. He had a fearful expression on his face that went unnoticed by the others.
"Don't worry, it's our little secret." whispered Discord. He then turned to face Celestia with a disapproving look.
"You really ought to be there more for this boy. He's not well." said Discord. Junior growled.
"Shut up! It's not her fault! It's mine!" shouted Junior. Discord looked to him in amusement.
"Come now my dear boy. We both know that's a lie. You know who you truly blame." said Discord. Twilight looked to Junior in confusion.
"Gojira, what does he mean by that?" asked Twilight. Mosura was standing by, growing anxious.
"You couldn't talk to Celestia about certain things. Which is why you made me your imaginary friend." said Discord. Celestia looked to Junior in surprise.
"What?" asked Celestia. Junior didn't respond, he kept listening to Discord. He had stopped glaring at him.
"You felt that you were wronged all of those years ago. I've always wondered who or what had wronged you, but I learned from you over time." said Discord. Fluttershy looked to Junior in worry.
"Goji?" called Fluttershy.
"Why do you hesitate to be who you truly are if you weren't happy with who you presented yourself as?" asked Discord. Mosura's ears perked at this. She began to sense a mix of negative emotions building nearby.
"Discord, leave him alone." said Celestia. She was glaring at him with intensity. Junior kept staring, listening as he clenched his fist.
"When you were younger, you asked me, if there was a purpose for you in the world? If you could do great things that you and your parents could be proud of." Discord then locked with Junior's with intensity.
"My answer to you is that, you have no purpose in this world. You're doomed to an existence where the world around you will grow to despise you just like it did with me." Discord's voice can be heard, but his mouth wasn't moving. His voice echoed in Junior's mind. No one else could hear him. Junior stopped clenching his fist, his emotion dwindling.
"What should I do?" asked Junior aloud. He was speaking in his native tongue, hoping no one else would understand. Celestia looked to Junior in wonder. What was it that Junior hasn't told her? Discord grinned.
"That's up to you." said Discord. Mosura stepped closer to Junior, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"I don't believe I am familiar with you." said Discord. Mosura turned and glared at him.
"I rather we not become familiar with each other." said Mosura. Discord grinned at her.
"Oh? Well, I don't suppose that you have a...special relationship with young Gojira here. Would you?" asked Discord. A light blush formed on Mosura's cheeks. Twilight's ears perked at this and looked to hear the answer the Transmutant's answer. She wore a hopeful face that what he asked wasn't true.
"No. We're just friends." answered Mosura, keeping her tone calm. Discord rose a brow.
"Really now?"
"Yes, really. He's more like a little brother to me." said Mosura. Junior wasn't listening to the conversation. He had completely shut everyone out.
"Aw, isn't that sweet?" asked Discord in a mocking tone. Mosura sends a harsher glare at him. "You wouldn't happen to have some of the same worries that he does would you?"
"I-" Mosura's words were caught in her throat. She was shocked at the possibility of Discord's knowledge of her true self. The female Transmutant wondered how he could have known.
"Stop stalling, Discord! What have you done with the Elements of Harmony?!" demanded Celestia, her patience running thin. Junior had stopped listening. He was lost in thought. Discord had listened to what he had told him. He may have had no choice, but he actually remembered everything. The Transmutant mentally questioned Discord's reasoning for mentioning this and pondered what was his angle. Junior had vowed Vengeance to the one who had killed his father. But, he wondered if it was worth it, or if it was a lost cause that would lead to his own demise. Discord was right in his assumption that there was no purpose for him in this world. Junior began to move, slowly walking down the hall. The girls and Celestia were too busy listening to Discord to notice Junior’s absence. Mosura turned and saw that he was leaving, so she began to trail after him.
Junior sat down in the statue gardens. He was alone, sitting in front of the pedestal that once held Discord. Junior sighed. He heard light footsteps in the grass coming from behind.
"Gojira?" called Mosura. Junior didn't respond. Mosura came closer, sitting next to him. She had a concerned look on his face.
"What's the point?" asked Junior.
"Of what?"
"Of everything. Maybe he's right." said Junior.
"You mean Discord?" asked Mosura. Junior shook his head.
"No, your brother."
"My brother?" asked Mosura.
"He said that the humans would never accept us. Why am I trying to be something that I'm not anymore?" asked Junior. He plucked the grass in front of him. "Discord knew my secret. I was that close to being found out."
"Gojira, who do you think you are?" asked Mosura. Junior sighed.
"I don't know. But whoever I used to be is dead. He died since the day that I was reduced to the freak that I am today." said Junior solemnly. Mosura took his hand, holding it tenderly in her grip.
"Your blood does not determine who you are. Your actions are what defines you as an individual." said Mosura. She placed her hand on Junior's cheek and brought it to face her.
"I don't believe that the boy that you were is dead. I believe that he is still alive and is growing into a man." said Mosura. Junior looked away, sadness filling his eyes. Mosura's ears perked at the sound of footsteps. She released Junior and found Celestia coming around the corner of a bush.
"I believe that there's someone who wants to see you." smiled Mosura. She stood and reached for Junior's hand, he took it and stood up to his feet. He saw that Celestia was making her way towards them.
"I'll give you some time alone with her." whispered Mosura. She walked away and bowed in respect to Celestia. Celestia repeated her bow, familiar with Neighponese customs. Mosura then made her way out of sight.
"How are you feeling, Junior?" asked Celestia, her tone motherly and soft.
"I'm fine." answered Junior.
"Oh. Alright than." answered Celestia as she looked away. Junior stood up, looking at the ground as he clenched his fist.
'What the hell are you doing?' thought Junior. He looked back up to Celestia.
"No, I'm not alright." said Junior. Celestia returned her gaze back to Junior in surprise. Junior walked up to her and took her hands in his.
"Celestia, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I disrespected you. I'm sorry that I've hurt you. I'm sorry for not telling you that I was going to Neighpon. And I'm sorry that I told you that you weren't my mother." apologized Junior. He looked into her eyes, pouring his thoughts and feelings to her.
"I never meant to hurt or worry you. I was angry when I said that. I was angry that I couldn't be here enough to see you and when I did, all I did was worry you again." said Junior. He felt his eyes beginning to sting.
"I hated how all I did was worrying you. I left Canterlot because I wanted to do something with myself so your worries could be put to rest. I didn't leave because you failed at being a mother to me." said Junior. Celestia's eyes were beginning to soften much more than before.
"You never failed me. Don't believe what Discord said about not being there enough for me. I was the one who failed you. You saw me as son, and I failed at being a better son to you." said Junior, his voice breaking. Celestia's eyes watered, her lip quivered.
"I love you, mom. I'll always will." said Junior. Celestia's tears streamed down her pale cheeks. She pulled her hands away from Junior and wrapped him into a tight embrace. She sobbed as she held him tightly. Junior returned his hug, tears streamed down his face as well.
"Oh, Junior. My dear child!" sobbed Celestia.
Mosura peaked from behind a bush. She was watching the entire scene. She hid herself back behind the bush, sitting on the grass. She sniffed as she wiped a tear from her cheek. A small smile was on her face.
"Don't let them tell you who you are. You know who are." said Mosura. The scene was beautiful, and it touched her heart to see him happy. He deserved it.



"Are you certain that you don't want to wait for Twilight and the others?" asked Celestia. Junior nodded in response.
"Yeah. They're strong girls. I bet they can handle it without me." said Junior. The train blew a loud whistle, causing him to turn around.
"All aboard for Ponyville!" shouted the train attendant. Junior turned back to Celestia.
"Sorry, our ride is here. I'll see you soon when we celebrate Discord's defeat!" said Junior, confidently. Celestia nodded to him.
"He will be stopped. Take care. It was a pleasure meeting you, Mosura." smiled Celstia. Mosura bowed in respect.
"It was an honor meeting you, your highness." said Mosura humbly. The two Transmutants made their way to the train boarding it. Junior appeared out of a window, waving to Celestia as the train began to accelerate. Celestia returned her wave, all the way until she was out of sight. Junior sighed as he sat back in his seat. He couldn't wait to get back home. He rather not tangle with this villain, especially since he knew way too much. Junior laid back in his seat.
"Can you wake me when get back?" asked Junior.
"Of course. Get some rest." said Mosura. Junior sighed as he laid his head back, closing his eyes. He began to breathe calmly, waiting for the sleep to take him.




1 hour later...

"Gojira, wake up!" called a voice. Junior gasped, shooting up fully alert. He turned and found Mosura with an anxious look on her face.
"I smell foreign Transmutants!" said Mosura, urgently in Neighponese. She didn't want to alert the passengers that were unboarding the train
"Where?!" asked Junior.
"I don't know, but we have to find them now!"
> Chapter 12: Discord pt.2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Junior and Mosura were running through the town, searching for the source of Transmutants. They ran past many citizens of Ponyville, using their senses to detect them. They continued all the way through the town, finding themselves outside. The two began to sprint, making their way over toward the forest.
"We need to hurry! It's coming from the forest. They might find the lair!" cried Mosura.
"Got it!" shouted Junior. The two dashed into the forest, passing trees, bushes and small animals. Birds were startled by their speed, taking off from the trees. They made their way deeper, lowering their speed to a jog. Mosura took the lead. She suddenly gasped, skidding to a halt, and grabbing Junior. She pulled him behind a tree, panting.
"What's wrong?" asked Junior. Mosura shushed him, and then pointed to the other side. Junior leaned from the tree, peaking to where she pointed. Junior's eyes widened at what he saw. He saw three mantis-like creatures walking through the forest. One of them was a shade of green that he recognized.
"I think that's one of the Transmutants that attacked a few months ago." whispered Junior. A thought crossed his mind. ‘What were they doing here in the first place?’
"OK, we have to make our move now. There's a dairy farm nearby with cattle. Grab what you can and take off back home. A few of them should have been sedated by now." said the forest green mantis. The other three mantises nodded in agreement.
"What are you going to do?" asked one of the mantises.
"I'm going to find that young Transmutant that interfered with my job last time and slice open his throat." growled the forest green mantis. Mosura lightly gasped as she heard what he had said. Junior jumped at her gasp, quickly turning and covered her mouth with his hand.
"What was that?" asked one of the mantises. Junior breathed lightly as he held Mosura close, hoping that they would ignore her gasp. The forest green mantis's antennae began twitch.
"That son of a bitch is here!" shouted the forest green mantis. He dashed toward the tree, slamming his body against it. Mosura yelped as Junior took her and leaped away from the tree as it fell onto the ground. He sets her down, glaring at the mantis.
"You're going to pay, boy!" snarled the mantis. He raised his hooked appendages in the air, screeching as he charged toward Junior and Mosura. They both rolled away from the mantis. Junior then tackled the mantis onto his side, sending punches into his face. The mantis screeched as it punched Junior back with his humanoid hands. Mosura was about to help Junior but saw the three mantises heading her way. She looked back to Junior in worry.
"Go get Angirasu and Rodan!" shouted Junior, sending another punch toward the mantis.
"But-"
"Go now, dammit!" shouted Junior. He was then grabbed by the mantis and was thrown off across the forest. Mosura looked toward the charging mantises and back to Junior. She groaned in frustration as she charged at them, sliding under the one closest to her. She began to sprint from the area, a fearful expression on her face.
'Why? Why did I abandon him?!' thought Mosura in anger. Her friend was in danger, and she was leaving him to fight alone. No, she couldn't think like that. Mantises are dangerous when in greater numbers. They needed the Rodan and Angirasu. She began to pick up her speed, hopping over stones and passing trees. She was almost home; she prayed that they were in the lair.



"Gah!' cried Junior as he was kicked in his chest. He flew across the forest, slamming against a tree. He coughed as he impacted the tree with great force. An ordinary human would probably have a broken spine from that. He fell onto the ground on his knees, panting. He noticed that the forest green Mantis was charging towards him, his hooked hand raised, ready to strike. The mantis swung his hooked appendage; Junior rolled away, the appendage was caught in the tree. Junior quickly stood and round house kicked the mantis in his head. He cried out in pain as he came unstuck from the tree, falling onto his side. Junior charged toward the mantis but was grabbed by his leg by one of the other mantises. The mantis screeched as it slammed Junior on the ground multiple times, like a sledge hammer on concrete. Junior grunted everytime that he was slammed on the ground. The mantis dropped Junior on the ground and grabbed him by his neck. Junior gasped for air as he felt the mantis choking him. The mantis opened it mandibles, screeching in Junior's face. Saliva splashed over his face.
"Get out of my face, you ugly, nasty ass, mother f-" Junior was then thrown over the tree lines, soaring across the area. He landed hard on the ground, rolling across the grass. Junior groaned as he began to stand up. The same mantis that threw him was flying toward him. Junior glared at the beast.
"Show me what you got!" shouted Junior. The mantis was getting closer. Junior suddenly leaped in the air, over the mantis. He grabbed the antennae of the Transmutant, pulling its head back. Junior landed on its back, pulling on its antennae harder. The insect screeched in pain, flying higher above the tree line. Junior kept pulling on the antennae with increasing force. He was then out of the forest, nearing the school house of Ponyville. Junior yanked harder, pulling off the antennae of the mantis. The maintis shrieked; its senses lost. The Transmutant stopped flapping its wings, spinning out of control. Junior lost his grip to the mantis, falling off. He fell to the ground, rolling to a skidding halt. The mantis crashed into the earth, skidding and kicking up dirt. The Transmutant slumped in the ground, its wing twitching. Junior stood in exhaustion, slowly walking toward the Transmutant. He looked into the bright yellow eyes, they stared back at him.
"You're strong, kid." said the mantis weekly. He then began to chuckle. "But, you won't be enough to handle the rest of my group at once."
"We’ll see about that." retorted Junior. He then heard a door opened, he looked and saw a woman with light grayish rose hair with light cerise stripes. She wore a moderate cerise blouse and a brown knee length skirt. She gasped at the sight.
"What is going on out here?!" cried the woman. Junior's blood went cold. School was still in session for the children. That meant that Applebloom was nearby the fight!
"Miss Cheerilee, get the children as far away from here as possible!" commanded Junior. He suddenly felt a force connect with his cheek. He was punched by the mantis that he had downed, falling onto his hands and knees. The mantis stood back up and kicked Junior under his gut, knocking him over onto his back. The mantis turned and glared at the woman. He leaped toward her, causing her to yelp in terror.
"If I were you, I'd do what he says." said the mantis. He towered over Cheerilee, clicking his mandibles. Cheerilee fearfully backed away from the mantis, heading back inside. After a few seconds, she came out with the children walking in a line. The children gasped as they saw the mantis, who sent menacing glares at them. Some of the children were already screaming while a few were trying to stay calm but shook in the mantis's presence. The mantis turned, finding his allies flying towards his position. He then looked toward Junior, who was attempting to stand. The mantis walked over to him and stomped on his back. Junior fell back onto his belly, yelling in pain.
"Stay down. My boss wants to settle a score with you." chuckled the mantis. He then kneeled next to Junior, grabbing his head. He lifted his bruised and scratched face to meet his.
"Did you really think that you could have won against all of us? You're weak, just like the child that you are!" Junior glared at the mantis.
"You think I'm afraid of you guys? This isn't the first time that death stared me in the face." said Junior. He then spits a blob of blood on the ground in front of him.
"What are you going to do with him?" asked Cheerilee. Her eyes were filled with fear. The mantis looked back at her, clicking his mandibles in amusement.
"It's not me that's going to be doing anything." answered the mantis. Suddenly, three other mantises landed on the earth, making their way over to Junior. The mantis released Junior's head, stepping away from him.
"There you are!" said the forest green mantis. He grabbed Junior by his neck, raising him in the air. Junior tried to pry his hands off of his neck, but couldn't as he felt himself being deprived of oxygen.
"No! Leave him alone!" cried Applebloom. She attempted to run out to stop the Transmutants but was grabbed by two other girls.
"Don't go out there!" cried a little pale skinned Elf girl with Grayish mulberry hair with pale, light grayish rose streaks.
"Let me go, Sweetie Belle!"
"She's right! He's already done for!" said a tan skinned Valkryie girl, with small, light brilliant gamboge colored wings. Her hair was moderate cerise.
"Don't ya dare say that, Scootaloo!" glared Applebloom. She then saw Junior struggling to breathe. He looked to her with weak eyes.
"Tell. Applejack. Won't. Come. To. Work. Tomorrow." said Junior. He was slammed onto the ground, gasping for air and groaning in pain. He then looked back to Applebloom, she had tears forming in her eyes.
"Tell her that she and the others have been awesome friends. Be good kid." Junior weakly smiled. Applebloom began to sob. The forest green mantis glared at Cheerilee in annoyance.
"Get out of here with those brats or you will all be next!" threatened the mantis. Junior's eyes shifted over toward the mantis, glaring at him with intensity. Cheerilee began to herd the children away from the school yard, looking back to Junior in despair. She turned back around and continued to herd the children away.
"Before you die, you should know the name of your killer." The mantis stepped on Junior's head. He then slowly rose his insect foot high above his skull.
"My name is Kickback. It was fun killing you." said the mantis. Junior closed his eyes, accepting his fate. His life flashed before his very eyes: His family, his mutation, and his days in Canterlot; meeting Twilight and the others; becoming their friend; meeting Mosura, Rodan, and Angirasu. All those memories made him realize how miserable they would feel if he were to abandon them.  Junior's eyes shot open, his pupils shrunk and his irises widened into a beastly look. He quickly stood up and tackled Kickback. He opened his mouth, revealing razor sharp teeth. Junior bit into the mantis's neck, puncturing his exoskeleton.
"Get him off! Get him off!" cried Kickback. Junior began to chomp on Kickback's neck, getting his blood in his mouth. He suddenly felt himself yanked and thrown across the school yard. He landed on his feet, glaring intensely at the mantises. Kickback stood, clutching his neck as it bled.
"I'm gonna get you for that!" shouted Kickback. Junior growled like a beast, crouching down as his fingers began to grow black claws. He wasn't going to transform completely, he only needed something to help him fight without revealing his Transmutant nature to any passing witnesses. As he prepared to strike, the sky had suddenly darkened. The Transmutants searched the sky in confusion.
"Where's the sun?" asked one of the mantises. They kept looking around in confusion. Junior's claws retracted.
"Celestia, what are you doing?" whispered Junior. After a few seconds, the sky had lit back up with the sun back in the air. The Transmutants all looked to each other in confusion. Junior's eyes suddenly widened.
"Uh...I know we're fighting to the death and all, but do you guys see what I see?" asked Junior. He pointed past them. The mantises turned, jumping at the sight. In the distance, the town of Ponyville was in...chaos. There were buildings that floated in the air. Pigs were flying in the sky, cotton candied clouds rained chocolate milk, and the land was checkered in light colors. Soon, everything around the Transmutants had changed. The ground was checkered, the school house began to float in the air, and chocolate rain began to pour on them. Kickback turned to one of his allies.
"You, go to the dairy farm and wait for one of us to arrive to grab one of the cows!" commanded Kickback. The antennae-less mantis nodded and took off in the air, flying away from the area.
"Why are you taking Ponyville's cattle?" demanded Junior. Kickback turned back to him.
"For food. MONARCH has forced us away from most human settlements in the nation, standing guard. We can't survive where we live because it’s barren wasteland. The only territory with food is in control of a rival group." answered Kickback. He then clicked his mandibles in frustration. "This settlement is one of the last ones that has yet to be touched by MONARCH and that has what we need!"
"Look, if food is all that you guys need than we can work this out." reasoned Junior. He never thought that this battle would escalate to this, but here it was. He never was that much of a diplomat; he usually just fights and asks questions later. Well, now is the time to step out of his comfort zone. Kickback laughed in amusement.
"And what, pray tell, did you have in mind?" asked Kickback. The sky suddenly darkened again, the moon replacing the sun in the sky. The Transmutants groaned in irritation.
"Well, I can't let you guys take the cattle since they are needed. However, I could let you fish in the ponds for food." said Junior. Kickback glared at Junior, anger fueling his blood.
"There are too many of us to be sustained by just fish! We need larger portions of food to feed our group!" shouted Kickback. Junior groaned in frustration.
"Well...why not attack your rivals and take their territory?" asked Junior. He then shivered in disgust. 'I can't believe I suggested something like that.'
"They're too strong for us. Would you rather we perish?!" demanded Kickback. Junior glared at Kickback, taking offense to his words.
"I'm just trying to keep things from going out of control here! You already revealed the fact that Transmutants are in Ponyville. Now none of us are going to be safe near this town when MONARCH finds out!" shouted Junior. The sun suddenly rose back into the sky, replacing the night sky and moon. Kickback stomped toward Junior, hissing. Junior growled at him, his throat producing a rumbling sound. Suddenly, a thundering roar sounded in the air. The Transmutants stopped in their tracks, searching for the source of the roar. They began to hear a high pitched sound in the air, and the sound of something whooshing over them. A gust of wind blew over the Transmutants. They searched frantically around the area. Out of nowhere, a large brick red figure swooped down, sweeping up on one of Kickback's cronies. The mantis screeched as it was carried away by a flying beast. The beast slammed down on the ground with the mantis, dragging him on the earth. The beast released the mantis and soared back into the sky.
"What in the hell?" asked Junior, incredulously. The flying beast flew back over toward the other Transmutants, landing on the ground.
The beast stood at 8 feet tall, on two legs. The creature was brick red in color; it was reptilian but almost looked like a featherless bird combined with a serpent with bat-like wings. The wing span was twelve feet wide and the wings had claws on them. The beast had a long grey beak, with a crest that extended to the back of its head and in-between two smaller crests on both sides of its head. The beast had razor sharp teeth in its beak, with a tan colored armored chest. The creature stood slightly hunched over and its neck raised, its wings reaching the ground, supporting its posture. Bright green eyes were on the beast, with nostrils flaring on the beak. The chest appeared to be built like a human's, and the legs appeared almost the same but with clawed feet that were capable of grabbing. Spikes ran along its neck down to its back. The creature lifted its arms off of the ground, displaying its wings on two feet in a erect posture and gave off a thundering roar at the mantises.
"Fall back!"  commanded Kickback. He and his allies took off in the air, heading over toward Ponyville. Junior cursed under his breath. He then noticed the bird-like reptile walking towards him; its claws were being used to help it walk.
"Hey, you better not try it!" warned Junior. That was when he caught a familiar scent coming from it. The creature stopped, with an amused look on its long beak.
"Dude, it’s me!" laughed the creature in a somewhat deep male voice. It sounded familiar to him.
"Rodan?!" asked Junior in surprise.
"You guessed it, bro!"
"Why did you transform? You'll give yourself away!" exclaimed Junior. Rodan shook his head.
"Not as long as I don't speak with people that I know. I know that my voice isn't that unrecognizable in this form. Besides, Mosura said that we had to get to you as quickly as possible. So, I transformed." explained Rodan. He then crouched down. "Hop on! I gotta regroup you with Angirasu."
"I don't know..." said Junior. He eyed him uncomfortably. Rodan rolled his eyes.
"What? You afraid of heights?"
"No. I just don't trust you flying." deadpanned Junior. Rodan recoiled back, offended by Junior's assumption.
"Excuse me pal, but I'm the best flyer around!"
"Yeah, I heard that one before from Rainbow." muttered Junior.
"I heard that!" said Rodan. He and Junior suddenly heard the sound of wings beating in the wind. They turned and saw that the mantis that Rodan had dragged was back on his feet. He then took off into the air, flying away.
"Where's that chump going?" asked Rodan.
"He's gonna help steal one of the cows." answered Junior.



Junior was jogging with Angirasu through the Everfree forest. Angirasu carried a spiked kanabo, a club that was made of iron with spikes at the thick heavy end of the weapon and slender handle. The weapon was as long as his forearm, capable of being held one handed by the average warrior. Angirasu carried it with ease. Junior walked at his side, a katana sheathed as it hung by a strap on his back. The two were searching for the Transmutants that fled when Rodan arrived.
"Hey, will our weapons actually hurt these Transmutants?" asked Junior. Transmutants were much more durable than he had thought. It was natural for him to feel wary of using weapons that would be useless.
"Yeah, a Transmutation that changes into a mantis isn't as durable against steel blades and iron clubs. MONARCH enchants their swords to be able to penetrate Transmutants with tougher armor." answered Angirasu. He then sheathed his weapon onto his back, picking up his speed. "You know, it’s a good thing that you spent time practicing at wielding a katana. It’s dangerous to an inexperienced user."
"Yeah. I think I've gotten better. Mosura says that I need more work. Besides, it's not like I'd suffer permanent damage." Junior picked up the pace as well, both making their way out of the forest. The two had made their way near the town, finding the town turned up on its ear. Junior had to recompose himself before losing it again. He had stopped running, taking deep breaths. Angirasu, making his way back over to him.
"Are you OK?" asked Angirasu. Junior nodded.
"Sorry, I'm fine now. Let's keep-" Junior stopped as he noticed a familiar Valkyrie flying in the air.
"Fluttershy! Down here!" called Junior. He was looking forward to see his friend; the kindest girl that he had have ever met. Fluttershy descended toward him, shooting him a mean look.
"Shy? What's up? Why are you grey?" asked Junior. Fluttershy lost her mean look, turning into a mischievous smile. She slowly walked up to Junior, still holding her smile. Junior felt himself growing uncomfortable. Why was she smiling like that?
"Hey, there. What happened? Did you wander off to cry back at Canterlot? Does Mommy Celestia have to make you feel all better?" cooed Fluttershy. Junior raised a brow in confusion. Angirasu's eyes widened in surprise, as he realized that the Valkyrie in front of him was not the same girl that he had met.
"'Shy, why are you-" Junior was interrupted by Fluttershy, as she huffed in annoyance.
"God, you're so pathetic!" said Fluttershy. She then looked at him with unkind eyes. What has happened to those beautiful and kind eyes that he once saw? "You know, I think that when you acted tough, you were more of a man then you are now."
"What?" asked Junior. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Shy, why are acting like this? Where's Twilight?"
"Hmph! Wouldn't you like to know." said Fluttershy, crossing her arms. Junior placed his hands on her shoulders, looking into her eyes.
"I do want to know. Please, tell me." begged Junior. Fluttershy glared at him.
"Get your hands off of me, you pervert!" shouted Fluttershy. She raised her hand and slapped him across his face. Junior stood, stunned. He reached for his cheek, feeling the slight sting. It didn't hurt as much as his heart did.
"Wait, 'pervert'?!" asked Junior, incredulously
"If you feel like touching girls, why don't you go back to Mosura and see if she'll let you climb in the shower with her this time!" shouted Junior. Angirasu looked to Junior with wide eyes. Junior noticed his stare.
"No. She needed to use my shower when we got back to Neighpon. I swear to you that I've never done anything indecent! Ask her yourself!" said Junior. Angirasu nodded to him.
"I believe you." replied Angirasu.
"Ugh! I can't believe that I actually liked you enough to be your friend!" said Fluttershy. Junior looked back at her, his heart aching with more pain. "You're nothing but a big, stupid, perverted, pathetic, loser! I hate you, Gojira!"
"Shy... you don't mean that." said Junior. His heart was falling apart in his chest. It eroded from all of the cruelty that came from his first friend.
"I do mean it. And don't call me Shy! We aren't friends anymore." Fluttershy took off into the air, flying away. Junior stood, staring at her as she took off.
"Shy...come back. Please." Junior said weakly. Angirasu walked up to Junior.
"Gojira?" called Angirasu. Junior turned around, a serious expression on his face.
"I need to find Twilight." said Junior. Angirasu looked to him in surprise.
"But the Transmutants-"
"-Can wait. They're just looking for food. I have to find out what happened to my other friends." said Junior. He then broke into a sprint.
Junior sprinted down the town, searching every corner. He passed under floating buildings, moving past the oddities that infected the town. He rounded a corner, finding who he was looking for. Twilight was walking down to the Golden Oaks Library, a dejected look on her face. Her clothes and skin were grey, just like Fluttershy was. She wore her Element of Harmony upon her head. He sprinted toward her, calling her name. Twilight turned, facing him with an upset look. Junior stopped, standing a few feet in front of her.
"Twilight, what happened?" asked Junior. Twilight glared at him.
"What happened? My friends all turned into the biggest jerks that I have ever met!" shouted Twilight. Junior recoiled from her tone and glare. "We couldn't beat Discord and the Elements are useless. They're nothing but garbage!"
"Twilight, you can't give up. Especially not on your friends. This isn't like you!" argued Junior. Twilight huffed.
"I don't have friends anymore. What's the point of trying if they're just going to stab you in the back?!" Junior felt himself losing her.
'Please, not her too.' thought Junior in despair. "Twilight..." Twilight then stepped closer to him, grabbing him by his sweater and brought him down closer to her.
"Where were you?! Why did you leave us when you could have helped?! I thought that we were friends!" demanded Twilight. Junior's eyes widened in shock. Was it really his fault that they were divided? Could he have made a difference in defeating Discord?
"I...I thought that you were capable of doing it on your own. I thought that you girls didn't need my help this time." answered Junior. Twilight's eyes began to water.
"Well, we did! You big jerk!" shouted Twilight. She began to beat her fist against his chest. Junior didn't stop her. His heart had completely broken as he looked at the consequences of abandoning his friends.
"Twilight, I'm-" Junior was cut off.
"I don't want to hear it!" shouted Twilight. She then shoved Junior away. She turned, walking away with tears running down her face. She then turned her head back, a hateful glare in her eye. "Some friend that you were."
"No..." said Junior. He dropped to his knees as he watched Twilight enter her home. He heard footsteps approaching, along with panting.
"Gojira! What happened?" asked Angirasu. He panted, trying to regain his breath from chasing after Junior. Junior remained silent. The sun disappeared, replaced by the moon.
"I failed them Angirasu. I failed them." said Junior, his tone devoid of emotion. "I wasn't there to help them. I thought that they could do it without me. I was wrong."
"Gojira, don't blame yourself." said Angirasu. Junior turned and glared at him.
"Why the hell not?! They couldn't beat Discord! I could have been there to help! What did I do? I went home. I abandoned them! They're friendship...our friendship is dead because of me!" shouted Junior. He then slammed his fist on the ground, sending huge cracks into the checkered ground. He breathed heavily.
"I can't...I can't blame anyone else. It was my fault. Equestria is doomed." said Junior. Angirasu looked to his friend in pity. He looked down at the ground before an idea formed in his head.
"Gojira, the Transmutants can wait." said Angirasu. Junior still remained on the ground, not moving. "How about you and I go and take on that sad excuse of a Chimera?"
"What?" asked Junior. He turned to face Angirasu, who had a smile on his face.
"You might not be able to heal your friendship with them, but you still have a few friends left. Let's take care of the one who is truly responsible for this asylum." said Angirasu. He reached his hand out. Junior stared at it for a second. He then formed a determined smile. He took Angirasu's hand, being pulled back up.
"Yeah. Let's go kick his ass." said Junior. Angirasu nodded in agreement.



Angirasu and Junior sprinted across the town. They leaped off of buildings, running through alleys and running up walls. They then leaped off of a roof, soaring into the air and landing onto the town square building that floated upside down in the center of town. The two wondered around on top of the underside of the roof, searching for their target.
"Where is that son of a bitch?" snarled Junior. Angirasu searched the area, finding buffaloes in tutus doing ballet, bunnies with giraffe legs, and...
"There he is!" called Angirasu. Junior went over to his position, finding Discord sitting on a tall, black and red throne with a skull appearance with deer antlers at the top. The throne sat on a checkered hill, facing away from them. Junior growled in anger.
"Watch my back. I'm gonna finish him quick." said Junior as he unsheathed his katana. The curved, steel blade reflected the sun's light as he pulled it out.
"You sure you want to do that?" asked Angirasu. Junior looked to him with a serious expression. "If you take his life, there's no way you can give it back. Are you absolutely sure that you want to kill him?"
"I do. He will pay." said Junior. Angirasu nodded in understanding.
"Got it." said Angirasu. He leaped off of the building, landing on another building that was still planted on the ground. Junior got into a crouching position, readying his blade to strike. He then leaped off of the building, diving toward the back of Discord. He wanted to give a shout as he descended, but that would cause him to lose the element of surprise. As Junior was nearing the hill, he aimed his blade over his head in a stabbing position. He dropped down toward the throne, thrusting his blade forward into the back of the throne. His durability and landing at a high velocity caused the hill on top around him to crack. Junior panted, in the same position as his blade punctured through the throne. Junior yanked his katana out of throne. To his shock, the blade was dry. No blood was on it!
"What?" whispered Junior. He suddenly heard the sound of Discord teleporting behind him. He turns, finding Discord standing behind him with a look of amusement.
"I knew that you were filled with anger and hatred, but I never knew that you had the spine to kill." said Discord. Junior growled at him, swinging his blade at him. Discord's lower body disconnected from his upper body, the blade passing in between the gap. His torso reconnected to his lower body. Discord waved his lion claw disapprovingly.
"Uh uh uh! It's not nice to kill." said Discord, his tone as a scolding parent to a young child. This only made Junior madder at him.
"It's not nice to play with the lives of others either!" retorted Junior. He swung his katana again, Discord phased through it this time. Junior began to continuously swing his blade, slashing and stabbing. Discord teleported, ducked, and hopped over the attacks. Junior growled in rage. Discord shot his finger forward, sending a blast of magic at his chest.
"Gah!!" Junior flew off of the hill, crashing back onto the ground. He reached for his chest, feeling it burn. He looked down at his chest, discovering third degree burns. He stood up to his feet, his breaths heavy as he glared at the spirit of chaos. Discord sat back on his throne, waving his finger. Angirasu yelled as he was flung off of the building that he was on, and crashed toward Junior. Both grunted as they had collided, falling onto the ground in pain.
"I would love to see you make a fool of yourself as you try to kill me but I have another idea in mind." said Discord. He snapped his eagle claw, revealing two of the mantis Transmutants sealed in bubbles. Junior and Angirasu stood, looking in confusion.
"A fight to the death between your group and the mantises! Also, a little handicap." said Discord. He snapped his claw again, Junior and Angirasu flashing for a brief second. They didn't feel any different, but they knew something changed within them.
"I disabled your ability to transform. You will fight these Transmutants with only your weapons and the enhanced strength and senses that you gained in human form." said Discord. He snapped his claws again, a small gong appearing in his hand. He grabbed a gong mallet, holding near the mini gong.
"Get ready boys. Fight!" shouted Discord. He slammed the mallet against the gong, causing it to echo out in the town. The bubble popped, freeing the mantises. All the Transmutants looked toward the spirit of chaos in anger.
"What?" asked Discord, shrugging.
"We aren't going to fight for your amusement!" shouted Junior. He then pointed his katana at him. "I'm gonna come up there and slice your head clean off!"
"Yeah! And when he's done with you, I'm gonna kill that boy!" shouted Kickback. He then glared at Junior, he returned his glare. Discord laughed maniacally on his throne.
"I overheard that your group needed food to survive. Kickback was it?"
"What's it to you?" asked Kickback, turning back to face Discord.
"I am the spirit of Chaos. My magic is greater than any other in the world. If you teach young Gojira a lesson, I shall award you and your group. Enough food and a special place in the new world! In my new kingdom!" said Discord. His voice was very persuasive. Kickback stared at Discord.
"How can I trust you?" asked Kickback, suspiciously. Discord merely chuckled.
"Because we freaks have to stick together. Right?" Discord smiled, sitting back on his throne. Kickback turned toward his ally. He stared back, nodding to him.
"We can finally have place in this world." whispered Kickback. He then turned and glared at Junior. "When I'm done with you, we don't have to worry about when our next meal will come. We will finally have a home!"
"Damn you, Discord!" shouted Junior. Kickback screeched, lunging at him. Junior and Angirasu rolled out of the way, avoiding Kickback. Kickback screeched, charging toward Junior with his left hooked appendage raised. He slammed down his arm as Junior swung his katana, slicing off the right forearm. Kickback wailed in agony as his dismembered arm flew in the air from the strike; green liquid stained the checkered ground. The dismembered arm fell on the ground, twitching. Kickback screeched, slashing at Junior with his left hooked appendage. Junior caught his hook with his katana, his blade locking with the serrated hook. Kickback pushed his weight on Junior, forcing him to strain as he struggled to keep the appendage at bay.
Angirasu swung his kanabo at the other mantis, striking him in the head. The mantis fell over on his side from the strength of the smaller Transmutant's swing and the iron club. The mantis raised its leg and kicked Angirasu, knocking him six feet away. Angirasu rolled across the ground, hopping back onto his feet. The mantis charged back toward him, Angirasu yelled as he charged toward the Mantis. He began to beat the mantis with his weapon, swinging it at his arms, shoulders and backside. The mantis bit Angirasu in his shoulder, causing him to cry out in pain. Discord sat on his throne, chuckling as he watched the battle unfold.



Rodan soared in the sky with a humanoid moth-like creature flying behind him. He dived towards the ground, landing outside of a small farm. The moth-like creature landed right next to him.
The moth-creature stood at seven feet tall. It was covered in white fuzz all around its body. A round fuzzy head with big blue eyes sat on its thorax. Long white, fluffy antennae sat on its head. The fuzz on the moth had orange patterns on the top back of its head, running all the way down to its backside of its abdomen. The head’s mouth opened sideways on its face. Its thorax was strong and feminine; underneath its thorax was not covered in fuzz but with an armored exoskeleton belly. It stood on two brown insect legs, with white fuzz covering down to its calves near its ankles. The moth had four insect arms with claws, and white fuzz that went from its wrist to its forearms. Its wings on its back were large, yellow markings running on both of its fore wings, and with a black background. A red and orange spot was decorated near the tip of the hind wings, veins could be seen on the insect wings. The hind wings were yellow-orange, with black markings at the bottom and a red and orange spot near the top end of the hind wings. An abdomen hung from the moth, covered in fuzz on the top side and armored underside. A sharp stinger stuck out from the end of the moth's abdomen. The moth creature folded its wings behind its back and looked over toward Rodan.
"This is the place?" asked the moth in a feminine voice. Its voice was slightly high in pitch. Rodan nodded to the moth.
"Yeah, Gojira said that mantises were targeting a dairy farm. This is the one that the two of them flew off to." answered Rodan. The moth looked down to the ground, then over toward the town in worry.
"We shouldn't have left them to go after them." sighed the moth.
"Don't worry about them, Mosura. They're tough." reassured Rodan. He then began to walk over toward the farm. "Let's just get these pests out of here."
Mosura and Rodan traveled over toward the dairy farm. They snuck passed cows that were outside. They heard the moos of startled cows. They picked up their pace, finding two mantises in the farm. They were dragging an unconscious cow away from its pent. They clicked they're mandibles.
"I'm starving! Why can't we just kill one of the ones that are awake and eat it? I don't mind raw beef." complained one of the mantises. The other groaned in annoyance.
"We don't have time! We need to at least get one of them back home. The whole town has gone insane!" The mantises continued to drag the cow, making their way near the exit. They stopped when they noticed Rodan and Mosura standing in the exit. The mantises screeched, displaying their wings in attempt to intimidate. They released the cow and charged toward the pair. One of the mantises charged toward Rodan, tackling him. Rodan roared as he clawed at the mantis. The mantis screeched as he swung his hooked appendage at Rodan, cutting him in his shoulder. Rodan screeched in pain, snapping his beak at the mantis in attempt to bite him.
Mosura leaped in the air, using her wings to keep herself airborne. Her antennae began to glow, and a multicolored beam of energy was shot toward the other mantis. It leaped away from the attack, the beam burning the ground. The mantis screeched and leaped in the air, its wings flapping as it propelled toward Mosura. He tackled Mosura, knocking her out of the air and pinning her onto the ground. The mantis raised its hooked appendage, bringing it down toward Mosura. She caught the appendage with two of her upper arms, keeping the appendage just inches from her head. She grunted as she forced the mantis's arm away. She punched the mantis in face, causing him to stagger back. Mosura charged, slashing his belly with her claws. The mantis roared in anger, charging toward Mosura and wrapped his arms around her. He rammed her and himself toward the farm wall, bursting through. The cows mooed in terror at the battle of the Transmutants. Mosura was thrown away toward the ceiling, bursting through. She landed on top of the roof, groaning in pain. Her bright blue eyes caught sight of the Mantis flying outside of the farm, taking off away from the area. She turned and saw that the mantis that had engaged Rodan in combat was fleeing as well.
"Where are they going?" asked Rodan.
"I don't know. Come on, we need to follow them!" said Mosura, urgently. She unfolded her wings, flapping them as she took off into the wind. Rodan followed her leave, roaring as he took off quickly into the air.




40 minutes later...

Twilight and the rest of the element bearers were jogging in the woods outside of Ponyville. They had regained their original color in their clothes and bodies. They were making their way past trees, jogging as fast as they could. Fluttershy wore a dejected look on her face.
"I can't believe I said those awful things to him!" cried Fluttershy. She had tears running down her face. After Twilight had regained her senses from Discord's tricks, she had restored the rest of her friends. Memories of herself being cold to Junior flooded back to her. Twilight frowned. She herself had been unkind to Junior.
"Wh-what if he never forgives me? What if he hates me?!" Fluttershy thought with dread. She began to sob. "I don't want him to hate me!"
"Fluttershy, for as long as I've known Goji, I've learned that he couldn't possibly hate ya." reassured Applejack. Fluttershy sniffled. "If we explain to him what happened, I'm sure he'll understand."
"Yeah! If he doesn't, I'll pound him for ya!" said Rainbow Dash, slamming her fist into her palm.
"No, don't do that!" exclaimed Fluttershy. Rainbow sighed in response.
"Fine."
The group continued to jog. Rarity noticed that Twilight looked upset about something.
"Twilight, dear, are you alright?" asked Rarity. Twilight stopped jogging. Rarity stopped, along with the others. Twilight was looking down at the ground.
"Why did I blame him?" asked Twilight. She looked back up to Rarity. "It wasn't his fault, yet I blamed him for not joining us!"
"Why didn't he join us?" asked Rainbow.
"He had faith that we could do it on our own." answered Twilight. She looked down and gritted her teeth in anger. "I wish I could take what I said back."
"Twilight, you can't worry about that right now." said Rarity. She took Twilight's hand, holding it as she gave her a comforting look. "We must stop Discord. If we don't then you'll never be able to apologize." Twilight looked back up to Rarity. She began feel her spirits lift. She gave her a determined smile.
"Then let's go." said Twilight. The girls began to continue on, Ponyville in its chaotic state was in the distance. Suddenly, they heard a screech in the air. They stopped, searching for the source. A thundering roar pierced the air along with the screech.
"What in the world is that?" asked Applejack, unnerved by the sounds. Fluttershy gulped, cowering behind Rainbow Dash. The girls searched for the sounds, their hearts pounding in their chest. They began to grow nervous. Suddenly, they heard the sound of something crashing into the ground behind them. The girls all yelped, quickly turning to find something that made their blood run cold. A praying mantis-like creature was lying on the ground, attempting to stand. Fluttershy began to whimper as it stood on its two legs, towering over them. It clicked its mandibles in anger, turning its head towards the sky. It turned back around, finding the girls in a petrified state.
"What are you humans looking at?" hissed the mantis. The girls stiffened as the mantis spoke. "Never seen a Transmutant before?"
"A what?!" exclaimed Twilight. She and the others began to back away in fear. The mantis chuckled.
"I guess not." the mantis began to slowly approach the girls. They continued to back away. Rainbow suddenly stands in front of her friends.
"Get lost freak! Nobody messes with my friends!" said Rainbow, putting on a brave face. She raises her fist in a fighting position, glaring at the mantis. The mantis laughed.
"What are you gonna do, little girl? You're just a feeble Valkyrie." said the mantis. An idea formed in his head. "I wonder if my opponent will hesitate if I have a hostage."
"Don't you try it, pal!" warned Rainbow. The mantis continued his pace. Then, the same thundering roar could be heard. The mantis's antennae began to twitch. He quickly turned his head, with the girls following his line of sight. A large brick red winged serpent with bat-like wings and long beak swooped down toward the mantis. It tackled the mantis over toward a nearby tree. The mantis screeched as he swung his hooked appendage. The winged reptile caught the appendage with its beak. The mantis shrieked as the sharp teeth punctured his arm. The reptile yanked on the arm, tearing it off. The mantis yelled in agony. The girls gagged as they saw the dismembered arm in the reptile's mouth. They prayed that it wouldn't eat it.
"You son of a bitch! I'll kill you!" cursed the mantis. The reptile roared as it spat the arm out of its mouth. It began to peck at the mantis mercilessly, the mantis screeched as his body was assaulted by the strong beak and sharp teeth. The girls took the opportunity to run for it. They began to sprint, trying to block out the mantis's agonized cries. They continued on, reaching the outside of the woods. Suddenly, another screech sounded in the air. Another mantis crashed on the ground in their path. Fluttershy quickly covered her eyes and crouched on the ground, trembling in fear. Applejack yelped as she caught sight of another insect like creature landing on the ground.  The moth folded its wings, turning to find the girls in its sight.
"Now there's giant butterfly?! How many Transmutants are here?!" asked Rainbow. Fluttershy's ears perked up. She removed her hands from her eyes and saw a white fluffy humanoid insect.
"Um...actually, I think that's a moth." corrected Fluttershy.
"Who cares?! It’s a Transmutant!" shouted Rainbow. The moth refocused its attention on the mantis as it began to stand.
"After this sweetheart, why don't you and I grab some dinner." said the mantis, its antennae were missing. The moth creature recoiled at this. It then scoffed in disgust in a feminine voice.
"That's a girl?" asked Pinkie quizzically. Fluttershy stared at the moth Transmutant in awe.
"She's beautiful." muttered Fluttershy. The girls all looked to her in confusion. Fluttershy went stiff at their stares, sweating a bit.
"Wh-what? She is!" said Fluttershy.
'That's the sweetest thing any human has ever said about me in this form.' thought Mosura. She'd be blushing if she weren't an insect. Mosura then shook off the thought and charged toward the mantis. Mosura gave a loud screech as she tackled the mantis, punching him multiple times with her four arms. The mantis grabbed her head and shoved her off of him. Mosura staggered back as the mantis stood back up. The mantis swung his hooked appendage at Mosura. She ducked under the appendage and grabbed the arm. She held it tightly as she rounded behind him, forcing his arm backwards. She then kicked him in the hip, forcing the mantis to fall on the ground. The mantis screeched as Mosura used her upper arms to put the mantis in a head lock. Her lower arms were still holding the appendage in place. Mosura noticed that the girls were running past them as she held onto the mantis. She then refocused her attention on the mantis, holding on tighter. The mantis continued to struggle, attempting to pry Mosura off. The mantis then began to lose consciousness, slumping down in Mosura's grip. The mantis moaned as it passed out. Mosura gently lowered the mantis onto the ground. She saw that Fluttershy was looking back at her with wide eyes. They were wide with amazement. Mosura avoided her gaze, and caught Rodan emerging from the woods nearby. He had a few scratches on him, and yellow liquid that stained his skin. Fluttershy gasped as she saw him approaching. She immediately turned and followed her friends into the town. Mosura looked toward Rodan.
"Is he..." Mosura couldn't bring herself to finish. Rodan nodded to her in response. Mosura sighed.
"I see."
"I had no other choice. He was near the girls, I couldn't let him-" Rodan tried to justify his action. He didn't want his sister to think less of him.
"No. No, I understand." said Mosura. She then sighed as she looked down at the unconscious mantis. "I just wish that it didn't have to come down to that."



Angirasu and Junior stood next to each other, panting. They both had scratches and bruises on their bodies, they were sweating all around. Junior's sweater had tears, his face drenched in sweat and green blood. The mantises stood with cuts and beaten figures. They looked to be in pain, especially Kickback with one of his appendages sliced off. However, they looked like that they still had energy to fight. Junior felt himself growing weak. It wasn't right, as he only feels that way whenever he has taken a heavy beating. However, he hadn't taken that much damage from the two mantises. The only other explanation would be...
"Did you drain us of our energy?" demanded Junior. He glared at Discord. Discord has a mischievous smile.
"Maybe~"
"Why?! That doesn't make any sense if you wanted us to fight to the death!" shouted Junior. Angirasu's eyes widened. He had come to the same conclusion.
"I'm not supposed to make sense! Besides, it didn't really matter to me if you won or not." said Discord. Junior groaned in frustration.
"Asshole!" yelled Junior.
"Douche bag!" shouted Angirasu.
"Name calling? Very mature." chuckled Discord. Junior and Angirasu growled in irritation. The two mantises charged at them. Junior and Angirasu side stepped, tripping their attackers with a kick. The mantises fell to the ground on their bellies. Junior thrusts his katana towards Kickback, but was kicked by him. He flew several feet away. Angirasu slammed his kanabo on the other mantis's head, the head crushed by the club. Angirasu lifted the kanabo off of his head, finding it drenched in yellow liquid. The mantis's head was cracked open, lying dead on the ground. It twitched as it laid face down. Angirasu was then tackled by Kickback and was beaten mercilessly by all of his fists.  Angirasu grunted as he felt each punch connect to his face. Junior got back up and charged toward the mantis, slashing at its back. Kickback screeched in pain, getting off of Angirasu as he lunged at Junior. Junior swung his katana again, dismembering one of Kickback's human-like arms. Kickback landed on his belly, missing Junior. He then lied on the ground unconscious. Junior panted, his sweat dripping from his forehead. His battle was intense. He looked at his cuts and saw that they weren't healing. It seemed that he was right about Discord draining them of their energy. If Discord kept going, he and Angirasu wouldn't be able to survive. He then heard Discord clapping.
"Excellent! What a wonderful battle! I must admit, I am a tad disappointed that you don't have it in you to finish him." said Discord. Junior glared at him.
"Oh, trust me when I say that 'I do'. I'm just tired." retorted Junior. He then kneeled as he helped Angirasu up to his feet.
"Oh, well. As winners, you two get front row seats as I remake the world in my image!" declared Discord. He laughed maniacally as he raised his glowing lion paw. Junior and Angirasu began to glow as well. They were chained up with heavy chain links, forcing them on their knees. They struggled to stand, but their strengths had left them.
"Don't worry, you'll have a place in my new world as long as you pledge your loyalty to me." said Discord.
"Never!" said Junior, defiantly. Discord frowned.
"That's a shame. I was kind of hoping that you would. Oh, well." said Discord.
Discord laughed maniacally on his throne as pies rained from skies. The dark skies were covered in the cotton candied clouds. Buffaloes passed by in tutus, bunnies with giraffe legs stampeded across the road. This was the world that they were forced to live in. Junior slumped his head in defeat. Discord made a glass cup appear and held it under a cotton candied cloud as it rained chocolate milk. The glass filled with the chocolate milk, preparing to drink.
"Chaos is a wonderful, wonderful thing!" said Discord. He raised the glass, gulping down the milk.
"Not as wonderful as friendship!" said a familiar voice. Discord stopped drinking, turning to find Twilight and the other element bearers standing proudly with their Elements of Harmony. Junior quickly raised his head, discovering his friends. They seemed to have been in color again. Junior cracked a smile. It was sight that made him happy to see.
"Ugh. This again?" asked Discord. He chugged the rest of his chocolate milk, then tossed the glass behind him. It exploded as it impacted the ground.
"That's right! You couldn't break apart our friendship for long!' said Applejack. Discord raised his lion paw, his claw glowing.
"Oh, Applejack! Don't lie to me." said Discord. Applejack's Element of Harmony began to glow. She felt the necklace tugged at. She attempted to resist the magic but was lifted off of her feet toward Discord.
"I'm the one who made you a liar." said Discord. He then raised his eagle claw, it glowed as did the rest of the girls', excluding Twilight, necklaces.  The girls, sans Twilight, were tugged towards Discord and were lifted off of their feet as they were brought up close to him. Junior growled as he and Angirasu tried to stand and free themselves from their chains.
"Do you ever learn?" asked Discord. Twilight gritted her teeth as she waved her arms in the air. Her hands were engulfed in her magical aura. She disappeared in a flash, and then reappeared in thin air among her friends. She then created a magic bubble that surrounded herself and her friends. They floated back down to the ground. It popped, allowing them to drop back to the ground. Junior grinned in approval.
"I'll tell you what we learned Discord. We've learned that friendship isn't always easy. But there's no doubt that it's worth fighting for!" said Twilight. Discord then got in Twilight's face, his face contorted in disgust.
"Eugh. Gag! Fine, go ahead! Try and use your little Elements of Harmony. Just make it quick!" Discord disappeared from them in a flash, reappearing on his throne.
"I'm missing some excellent chaos here!" said Discord.
"Alright ladies, let's show him what friendship can do!" said Twilight.
"Wait, wait!" cried Pinkie. She was under a cotton candied cloud with her tongue catching the chocolate milk rain. Junior groaned in annoyance.
"Goddamit, Pinkie!" shouted Junior. Pinkie sighed, satisfied by the chocolate rain. She then hopped back with her friends, growling. The girl's elements began to glow, firing apparitions of their cutie marks from their necklaces, nearly hitting Discord.
"Hm. What's this?" asked Discord in surprise. The elements continued to fire these apparitions past Discord. The girls began to glow. Discord's eyes widened as he came to a realization.
"No." said Discord. Junior smirked. Twilight and her friends opened their eyes, revealing white glowing orbs. A rainbow beam shot above the girls, curving down toward Discord.
"Noooooo!!" cried Discord. He was engulfed by the rainbow, his lower body turning into stone. His body twisted and turned as he tried to escape, but each section would solidify in a petrified state. Soon, he was covered completely in stone.
The rainbow extended at both ends of Ponyville. It then divided into two, falling oppositely of each other. They created a transparent dome over the town, causing it glow brightly. After a few seconds, the town was left in sparkles. These sparkles dissipated, revealing Ponyville to be restored in its original state. The girls descended back toward the ground, smiling as they found Discord imprisoned in stone once again. The stoned Discord fell over on its side on the ground. Junior smirked, as he stood with Angirasu as they chains that bounded them had disappeared. They watched as the girls cheered in celebration at the defeat of Discord.
"Balance has been restored my friend." said Junior. Angirasu smiled, nodding in agreement.
"All thanks to them." said Angirasu. He then sheathed his kanabo, sighing in exhaustion. "I need to hit the hot springs. Like, right now."
"Me too." sighed Junior. He then looked over to the girls. "That's the first time that I have actually seen them use that power. It's beautiful."
Junior notices the stoned Spirit of Chaos lying on the ground. He walks over to it with a frown on his face. He looked up to this statue. It was honestly the only friend that he ever had. He felt that he could relate to Discord despite him being lifeless. He was wrong. Honestly, he pitied him. He could have turned himself around and start over in a new era. But he didn't.
"Sayonara, Discord." said Junior.
"I guess things are back to normal?" asked Angirasu. Junior shook his head.
"No. I think Ponyville now knows that Transmutants are present here. Our future is filled with even more uncertainty." said Junior, gravely. He then noticed Fluttershy flying toward him. He didn't have enough time to react. He suddenly dropped his katana, catching Fluttershy in his arms. She wrapped her arms around him tightly, sobbing. Junior rubbed her back, trying to comfort her.
"I'm so sorry Goji! I didn't mean those awful things that I said to you! I swear, you aren't weak, you're not a pervert, you're not stupid and you're one of the best friends that I ever had!" sobbed Fluttershy. Her tears ran all the way down her cheeks, drenching Junior's shoulder. He held her tightly, fighting off his tears. He didn't want to cry, not in front of them.
"It's OK. I forgive you. I'm just glad that you still want to be my friend." said Junior, softly. Fluttershy continued to sob. Angirasu stood by with a light smile. Junior was making up with her. He then noticed Twilight making her way over to them. Her eyes were watery. Junior had noticed that she was approaching them.
"Gojira, I-" Twilight didn't get a chance to finish. Junior grabs Twilight and pulls her into a hug. She yelped as she was yanked close to his chest next to Fluttershy.
"You don't have to say it. I've already forgiven you too. I'm sorry for leaving you and the girls behind." said Junior. He looks into her eyes with a sad smile. Twilight's lips quivered at those words. She leaned her head into his chest, smiling as tears continued to flow. She lightly sobbed. Angirasu made his way over to the other girls, watching the scene with them with light smile. He then heard a small sniffle. He turned his head and saw that Rainbow's eyes were watery. She caught Angirasu staring and then glared at him.
"Wh-what?!"
"Nothing. I just didn't expect you to start crying." said Angirasu, nonchalantly.
"I'm not crying! I...I just have something in my eye!" said Rainbow, defensively.
"Yeah? Rodan used that excuse on me a few times when we were younger." chuckled Angirasu. He then looked to Rainbow with a smile.
"No shame in crying, Rainbow. I hear people are stronger if they show their emotions." Rainbow stared at him. Then she looked away, crossing her arms.
"This scene is just too sappy for me." muttered Rainbow. Angirasu shook his head in amusement. He then noticed movement in his peripheral vision. He saw that Kickback was standing, breathing heavily with one hooked appendage and one human-like arm left.
"Gojira!" called Angirasu. He pointed toward the left of Junior. Junior went stiff, quickly turning his head to find Kickback. His eyes were wide with shock. He quickly ushered Twilight and Fluttershy away from him.
"Get back!" said Junior, urgently. He then crouched and picked up the katana that he had dropped. Kickback screeched as he lunged toward Junior.
"Gojira!" cried Twilight. Junior raised his katana, catching Kickback's hooked appendage before it could reach him.
"I'll kill you! I'll decapitate your head and bring it to Kamacuras as a trophy!" shouted Kickback. Twilight's eyes widened at the name. She remembered that it was from the Transmutant that MONARCH had captured last year. Not just that, this Transmutant was going to kill her friend!
"I don't think so!" said Junior in defiance. He kicked Kickback in the gut, causing him to stagger back. Kickback screeched as he charged toward him to strike. Out of nowhere, Rodan tackled Kickback on the ground in his beastly form. He roared as he clawed at Kickback. Kickback screeched, biting at Rodan's neck. Rodan screeched in pain as he felt the mandibles pierce through his skin. Then a white moth-like creature landed on the opposite side of Rodan. It dashed toward the struggling Transmutants, grabbing Kickback by his head. Kickback screeched as he felt himself grabbed by another foe. Junior stared in awe as he realized the possible identidy of the new Transmutant.
The girls stared in terror as the beasts fought. Rarity held onto Angirasu's arm, terrified out of her wits. Twilight's eyes were wide as she saw the Transmutants beat the one with missing limbs.
Rodan roared as he grabbed the lower half of Kickback, yanking hard. Mosura kept her hold on Kickback's neck, pulling back as well. Mosura realized what Rodan was attempting to do. She didn't want them to see this. She had to act fast.
'Not here!' thought Mosura, using her telepathic abilities to send a message to Rodan. Rodan stopped pulling, his eye shifting over toward the terrified girls. He released Kickback, allowing Mosura to yank on Kickback as he struggled in her grip. He screeched as he clawed at Mosura's arm. She hissed in pain as her upper right arm was clawed at. Kickback then elbows Mosura in her gut, causing her to release him and fall to her knees. Kickback turned and prepared to strike her with his hooked appendage. He was suddenly grabbed by Rodan by his clawed feet. Rodan flapped his wings as he carried Kickback away from Mosura. He flew farther in the distance, diving with him out of sight.
After a few seconds, an ear piercing screech sounded in the distance. The girls all jumped at the sound. Rarity buried her head into Angirasu's arm, trying to block out the horrific sound. The screech died down. There was silence, with only the sound of breathing being heard. Fluttershy was attempting to recompose herself. She then noticed that the moth Transmutant was still on her knees, holding her arm. Fluttershy gasped as she saw a yellowish liquid drip from the moth. She began to make her way over toward the Transmutant, but she was grabbed by someone.
"Whoa, Whoa! What the heck do you think you're doing?!" demanded Rainbow. She was holding Fluttershy's arm, preventing her from moving any further.
"She's hurt!" answered Fluttershy.
"Fluttershy, stay away from that beast!" shouted Rarity, still holding onto Angirasu's arm. Angirasu flinched as the word 'beast' was used to refer to Mosura.
"Don't go near that thing!" cried Pinkie. The moth turned her head, facing the group. The girls all went stiff at her stare. Rainbow then shot a glare at the moth.
"Go away you freak! Or else we'll have our friends with the samurai weapons take you on!" threatened Rainbow. Junior and Angirasu both went stiff at the threat.
"Yeah! Beat it ya varmint!" shouted Applejack. Pinkie nodded in agreement. Twilight remained silent, staring in the eyes of the moth.
"Wait, don't we get a say in the matter?!" asked Junior. All of the girls excluding Twilight and Fluttershy glared at him.
"No!" they said unison. Junior glared back.
"Too bad, we're not doing." said Junior. He then looks to Angirasu, who nods to him in approval. He then turns to gaze at the moth. She was looking down at the ground, clutching her arm. Junior sighed, taking a few steps forward. He suddenly feels someone grab the sleeve of his sweater. He turns to find Twilight staring up at him with worry in her eyes. He looks back at the moth. If it was who he thought it was, then...
'Mosura, thank you. But, you have to go now. Fly away as far as you can!' thought Junior. He hoped that she had heard his thought. The moth unfolded her wings, flapping them. She took off into the wind, flying over the buildings. The group stared as the moth disappeared in the distance. Junior looks down on the ground, a frown on his face.
'I'm sorry, Mosura.' thought Junior, solemnly. He then suddenly collapsed onto his knees, breathing heavily.
"Gojira!" cried Twilight. She went over to his side, looking him over. He was covered in bruises and cuts.
"Angirasu! Darling, what's wrong?!" cried Rarity. Twilight turned and noticed that Angirasu was on his knees as well, his breathing shallow. His face was in a worse condition than Junior's. Applejack made her way over to Angirasu and Rarity; she crouched and placed his arm over her shoulders.
"We gotta get these boys to a hospital!" said Applejack. Rainbow quickly went over to Junior's side, crouching next to him and placed his arm over her shoulders. Twilight felt her heart racing as she wondered about the severity of Gojira and Angirasu’s condition.
"Equestria to Twilight! A little help here!" called Rainbow. Twilight snapped out of her thoughts. She saw that Rainbow was struggling to hold Junior on her own. Twilight rushes over to Junior’ side, placing his left arm over her shoulders, and attempting to carry him to the hospital. She began to slightly struggle under his weight, as the man was heavy.
"Jeez! What does he eat?!" asked Rainbow
"Meat." said Twilight. Rainbow looked to her with a raised brow. Twilight stiffened at what she just revealed. She turns and finds Fluttershy standing with wide eyes.
"Um...That's not important right now! Let's just get them to a hospital!"




1 hour later...

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" cried Mosura. She sat on a couch inside of the house that was built in the cave that led to her lair. Rodan sat next to her, rubbing her fore arm with a cloth. She and Rodan had reverted back to their human forms.
"I know it stings. Just try to bear with it." said Rodan. He continued to rub the alcohol-damped cloth over her wound. She hissed in pain as the cloth went over her wound. She had three small gashes that ran across her forearm. Rodan wore a frown as he cleaned her wounds.
"I'm sorry about this. I shouldn't have let go." apologized Rodan.
"Don't worry about it. You panicked." said Mosura. She hissed as her wounds continued to sting.
"I can't believe I was about to..." Rodan stopped. He didn't want to finish. "In front of them."
"You don't regret killing them?" asked Mosura. Rodan stopped, sitting in silence.
"Honestly, I don't." answered Rodan. He then places the towel down, grabbing a bandage. "I mean, I didn't enjoy it. But I don't feel bad about it either. All I cared about was their safety. And those Mantises were endangering their safety."
"I see." said Mosura. She then watched Rodan as he wrapped the bandage around her forearm.
"Was it right that we let him escape?" asked Mosura. Rodan looked to her in confusion. He then recalled who she was talking about.
"I don't know."
> Chapter 13: Battra's Fall
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Neighpon

The sun was setting. The sky was orange and growing darker. On the ground, an abandoned village laid in ruins. The bodies of dead men and women dressed in MONARCH's military apparel lied on the ground. Rifles were scattered all along the road and mechanical figures lied on the ground, their bodies sparked with electricity. The air was filled with smoke that tainted the air with its toxins. Among the destruction, a soldier was crawling on the ground. His face was covered in scars and his Valkyrie wings were missing, bloody stumps were present upon his back. His breathing was labored as he tried to escape death's clutches.
The soldier couldn’t believe that a mission to stop a Transmutant attack ended up in a massacre. Some of the Transmutants effortlessly killed his team without transforming despite the fact that they were outnumbered and outgunned.  He suddenly understood why MONARCH invested in the Neighponese for their magic research and robotics. They knew that those things wouldn't go out without a fight.
The man continued to crawl away from the destruction. He hardly made any distance. He couldn't feel his legs, and his blood was draining out of his body from his open wounds. He was suddenly stepped on by a heavy weight. The men cried in agony as what was left of his wings were pressed against his back.
"You call yourself a warrior? You're a disgrace!" spat Destoroyah. The man groaned beneath his stumped foot. Destoroyah grinned as he put more weight on the soldier. A satisfying crack met his ears and the soldier wailed in agony.
"I love to hear the sound of bones cracking. It gives me satisfaction to hear my enemies’ suffering." chuckled Destoroyah. He lifts his foot off of the soldier and picks him up by his neck. The Transmutant raised the soldier to meet his face. His yellow eyes sent fear into the soldier as he stared into them.
"Since you lived this long, I think it’s fitting that you receive an honorable death." said Destoroyah. He then opens his mouth, and out from his throat comes a second, smaller mouth that was attached to a fleshy appendage. Sharp teeth were attached to the mouth and were positioned in a way to puncture a victim. The man cries in terror as the horrific mouth chomped at him, saliva dripping from the sharp teeth. Destoroyah turns the man's head and dives for his exposed neck. The mouth bit into his neck and pierced his flesh. The man began to writhe as Destoroyah began to produce a foreign substance into the Valkyrie's body. He removes his mouth from the Valkyrie's neck, leaving a large punctured wound. Destoroyah drops the soldier to the ground as he chokes and began to foam at his mouth. The foam turned from white to pink and slightly red. The soldier slumped over dead as the foam left flowed out of his mouth. Destoroyah chuckles darkly at the dead human. It was satisfying to see him die without oxygen. He turns to leave corpse alone, making his way through the town.
Today was one of those days that Destoroyah spent reminiscing his memories. Killing humans was one of the only few things that brought pleasure in this world anymore. Of course, it wasn't always like that. Killing for the sake of killing was a rare thing for him in the past. He had once killed for other reasons. As Destoroyah made his way through the town, he stopped. He found his apprentice, Battra wielding a katana. Battra favored that weapon in combat when he wasn't transformed. Battra walked past the fallen humans that littered the streets, wiping the blade with a towel.
"Had fun?" asked Destoroyah. Battra shook his head.
"I don't do this for fun, Sensei. I do it for justice." answered Battra. Destoroyah gives him a knowing nod, then turns to look up at the sky.
"How I yearn to watch MONARCH burn for what they did." said Destoroyah. Battra stood in silence as he watched the sky darken. Battra sighed as he thought far back into the past. His past before the day his life was ruined.




Neighpon. 12 years ago...

It was a bright and sunny day. The summer breeze shot across the land. The birds chirped along the green grasslands. The sky was clear of clouds, revealing the beautiful blue sky. A temple sat in the woods, with trees shading most of the area from the hot sun. Statues of serpent-like dragons sat on pedestals around the area. A larger statue sat in the center on the temple grounds. This statue had the appearance of a dog combined with a lion. Its ears were floppy, and a mane covered its neck and head. The stoned creature was in a sitting position, with its head lowered down and its eyes wide open and sharp claws on its paws. Its tail lay behind it.
"Tag! You're it!" exclaimed a brunette, nine year old Neighponese girl. She wore a brown kimono, her eyes were bright blue and her brown hair was short. She laughed as she ran away from a boy with jet black hair, red eyes and a dark grey kimono. The boy chased her around temple ground, laughing in excitement. The girl giggles as she outran the boy, hiding behind one of the statues. She panted as she crouched behind the dragon statue. She suddenly felt something touch the back of her neck, causing her to yelp in surprise. She quickly turned to find the boy grinning at her.
"Tagged you back, sis!" said the boy. The girl puffed her cheek out in disappointment.
"Children! Come inside, it’s time to eat!" called a feminine voice. The children smiled as they heard the call of the woman. They both raced each other over to a small house that was next to the temple grounds. They both stopped running as they made it the house, panting. A woman with long, jet black hair and blue eyes is setting a table. A man with brown hair and red eyes sat at the table while reading a newspaper. The children made their way into the room, taking their seats near the man. The boy with Jet black hair looked at the newspaper and saw the heading that read: "Man-made Monster killed. Lucky Dragon is still on the loose". The boy had heard the rumors at school that a monster made by scientists had returned and killed the scientists. The thought that the monster was gone now had put him at ease. However, he learned that there were actually two of them. Now, only one was left.
"Honey, put that paper down! It’s time to eat." scolded the woman. The man immediately places the paper down and titters at the disapproving glare that the woman sent him. The woman then notices that the children were seated at the table.
"Battra. Mosura. Did you two remember to wash up?" asked the woman. The children sighed.
"No." they answered in unison.
"That won't do. Go wash up now." said the woman as she pointed out of the room.
"Yes, mom." said the children as they got out of their seat. The children spent their time in the bathroom, washing their hands thoroughly. After they were finished, they made their way back to the dining room and found that their mother had set the large platter of different foods on the table. The children sat next to their parents, eager to eat. They all clasped their hands together and bowed their eyes and closed their eyes.
"I humbly receive." the family said in unison.




Later that night...

Mosura and Battra lied in their own bed. They wore their pajamas and were tucked in bed. Their parents walked into the bedroom, giving their children smiles.
"Ready for a story?" asked the father. The children nodded eagerly. He sat down on a chair, clearing his throat. He thought of a story to tell them, then he remembered one that he was told when he was a child.
"I will tell you the legend of one of the mightiest creatures to have ever lived.” said the father. His children were eagerly waiting to hear the story.
"Legend says that there was once a time where man was threatened by a terrifying creature! It was an enormous dragon that had golden scales and three heads! It had red eyes that glowed in the darkness, horns that stuck from the back of its head and teeth that were sharp enough to pierce through steel. It lacked arms but had great wings that allowed it to soar in the sky!" said the father. The children listened in awe as they heard the descriptions of this beast.
"The dragon would spread death and destruction across the land, leaving it scorched and desolate." said the father. The mother sat on the bed with her son, running her hand through his hair as he listened to the story.
"The people were helpless against the dragon. All hope seemed to be lost. One day, a group of humans traveled the land to seek help. They traveled through the desolate lands, and the dangerous wilderness where they came across many creatures. They met with dangerous creatures that were feared among the locals. They asked for their help. The creatures would either refuse or would try to eat them. Some creatures even cowered as they heard about the three headed dragon." said the father. Mosura frowned as she heard the story since the people had little hope to survive.
"One day, the group of friends met a Shisa. They begged the Shisa to help them and to vanquish the dragon. The Shisa saw how they were in need of help. So, he told them of a creature powerful enough to defeat the dragon. The humans were given hope. They asked the Shisa for the name of such mighty creature. The Shisa answered, 'The king of all monsters. Gojira.'" said the father. Mosura's face brightened as she heard the name of the creature.
"The Shisa told them that they couldn't possibly reach Gojira, since he was asleep at the bottom of the sea. The friends felt their hopes crushed at hearing that. But, the Shisa said the way to awaken him was to speak to the Guardian of Peace. He said that she would be the one to awaken him and to convince him to fight. So, the humans journeyed further along the land to a small island.  There they met the natives of the island. They asked them if they could see the Guardian of Peace. The natives took them to two priestesses. They told them that they would speak to the Guardian of Peace for them. The people were overjoyed at the news and immediately went home to tell them the news." said the father. Mosura adjusted herself in her bed as she continued to listen to the story. Battra listened in as he wondered what sort of creature was Gojira.
"When they returned home, they told their friends and family that the dragon would be defeated. The next day after they had returned home, the two priestesses from the island arrived. They were shocked to see them at their home and asked why they had come. The priestesses apologized and told them that Gojira would not fight the dragon." said the father. The children gasped as they heard that. Mosura felt herself growing sad as the villagers’ last hope was gone.
"The people who traveled to the island were devastated. They asked, 'Why will he not fight for us?' The two priestess answered, 'He doesn't care about what happens to the people. He just wants to be left alone and sleep.' They then told them that the Guardian of Peace was still trying to convince Gojira, but if he doesn't, then she will for she cares for the people. One day, the dragon had arrived at their village and wreaked havoc on everything in sight, making the villagers lose their hope. Suddenly, a great creature descended from the sky, said to look like a moth. The two priestesses told them that Guardian of Peace had arrived to fight." said the father. As he told the epic tale, Mosura frowned because Gojira still refused to help. This made her feel very upset that he didn't care about them and would rather sleep.
"The two giants fought. The Guardian at first seemed to have the edge, but she was beginning to falter. The people felt their hope lost and the two priestesses wept for the guardian as she suffered against the dragon." The children felt themselves growing depressed at the story.
"Then, a loud mighty roar echoed. Out from the ocean near the village, a giant wave splashed onto the land. The people were terrified on the cause of such an event. Suddendly, another dragon came out of the water. It stood upright like a man on two strong legs. It roared at the three-headed dragon in defiance.The two priestesses then cried out, 'Gojira has come to fight!'" Mosura's heart leaped with joy.
"Gojira and the Guardian of Peace joined together and fought the three headed dragon. After a long battle, they defeated it. Gojira gave a mighty roar of victory, in declaration as king. After the battle, Gojira returned back to the sea and the priestesses and the Guardian returned to their home on the island. The people rejoiced at the defeat of the dragon and began to celebrate. The friends that traveled were thankful to the Gojira and the Guardian for saving them from the dragon." Mosura and Battra wore smiles as they heard the ending of the story.
"That is the legend of Gojira. The king of the monsters." said the father.
"That was an amazing story, dad." said Mosura. He smiled and leaned over to kiss her on her forehead. He then does the same for Battra.
"I'm glad you two enjoyed it. Get some sleep." said the father. The mother gave her children kisses, wishing them goodnight with the children doing the same.
"Love you!" said the children in unison.
"We love you both, too." said the parents. They then turned off the light and closed the door. The two children laid their heads against their pillows, drifting off to sleep.
The children awoke late at night. Sounds of yelling and screaming were coming outside of their bedroom. They immediately got out of bed and ran out of their room. They found their father fighting a couple of men in dark suits. Their mother was beating a man with a bat. The children grew frightened before they were suddenly grabbed by a masked figure in a red magical aura. They cried out for their parents.Their father struggled as he tried to fight off the men while their mother chased after the man in the mask, raising her bat to strike him. Then, a magical bolt pierced her in her heart, causing her to immediately drop to her knees. Tears fell from her eyes as she limply reached for her children before she dropped to the ground. The children screamed as they saw their mother die in front of their eyes.
Their father was stabbed by one of the men. He dropped to his knees as the knife was driven in his chest. He stared helplessly as his children wept at the sight of their dead mother. The masked figure that held the children by a magical force was holding a pistol, capable of firing lethal magic bolts. He then points the gun at him. Their father lets one last tear drop as he sat on his knees and the masked figure pulled the trigger, shooting the father in his head. The children continued to scream as they saw their father die. The masked figure places the gun back into his holster and waves his free hand over the faces of the children, forcing them to sleep.
"Candidates acquired. Requesting Evac back to base." said the masked figure as he held a walkie talkie.




Today...

Battra sprinted through the empty village, his katana in his grip. He dashed past destroyed buildings and corpses that lied on the streets. He found death everywhere he looked, but he knew that the humans brought it upon themselves by starting the war with the Transmutants. Battra dashed through the area, sliding behind a corner. He heard the sound of chatter among MONARCH soldiers. He readied his katana, preparing to strike.
"I will kill every last one of you." whispered Battra. He then turns away from the corner and sprints toward the soldiers. He decapitates the closest soldier, which causes the other soldiers to turn.  They were startled by the Transmutant, yet they raised their rifles at him. Battra slashed the soldiers, cutting them down one at a time. He grabs one of the soldiers and uses him as a shield against the last two who fired their rifles. Battra yells as he tosses him at the soldiers and then dives in for the kill.




12 years ago...

Battra sat alone in a steel box cell. His body was covered in stitches and his eyes glared at the ground. He stands and begins to slam his fists against the wall.
"Where is my sister?!" demanded Battra. He continued to slam his small fists against the steel wall. He then felt a jolt of electricity shock his body, causing him cry out as he dropped to ground.
"Stay away from the walls!" shouted a man on the intercom. Battra wept as he lied on the ground.
"Why? Why did you have to kill our parents?" asked Battra. He stood back up and made his way back to his bed, lying down. He wondered how long he was trapped in that cell, as he felt like he had spent years locked in that room. Eventually, he was told his parents were killed to avoid conflict, as making the parents test subjects along with the children was dangerous. The man who told him that information said so indifferently that Battra felt hatred towards the man.
Battra rose from his bed, hearing a sliding noise. He turned and saw a pair of grey eyes staring at him.
"I brought you some dinner" said a feminine voice. A tray filled with a sandwich, mashed potatoes, peas and a plastic cup of water was slid through a slot on the lower half of the steel door. Battra glared at the pair of eyes and turned away on his bed.
"I'm not hungry." spat Battra. The woman frowned as she saw the boy turn away.
"But you have to eat something." said the woman. Battra turned with a hateful glare.
"Go away! I don't want any of your food!"shouted Battra. The woman sighed.
"Is that little brat still refusing to eat?" asked a man behind the door.
"He is."
"Move, I'll force feed him if I have to." said the man.
"No! Are you crazy?! He's just a little boy!" shouted the woman.
"I'll bite you if you come near me!" said Battra. The man inhaled sharply.
"Why you little-"
"Please, go away. He's upset." said the woman.
"Oh boo hoo! We all get upset! This little street rat should be grateful that we picked him and his sister off of the streets." spat the man. Battra laughed.
"Is that what they told you?" muttered Battra. He then heard the footsteps of the man leaving. He still sat on the bed, sighing sadly.
"Your sister will be in the cell next to yours." said the woman. Battra turned as he heard that.
"What?" asked Battra. The woman smiled warmly behind the door.
"Yes. She's recovering out of surgery as we speak. They want to place her near you."
"Why are you people doing this to us?" asked Battra.
"We want to make you and many others into warriors." said the woman.
"Warriors?"
"Yes. You will one day find and destroy the monster that MONARCH called Lucky Dragon." explained the woman.
"One of the monsters that were made by those scientists?" asked Battra curiously.
"That's right."
"You'd send kids to do that?!" demanded Battra.
"Of course not! We actually have a few adults ready. One of them actually killed the other one before." said the woman. Battra sighed in relief.
"What are you going to do with us when Lucky Dragon is gone?" asked Battra.
"The plan is to hopefully keep you all around as soldiers either for Neighpon, Equestria, or the Griffon Kingdom. The higher ups are still deciding on that." explained the woman. Battra sat with his head down.
"Hey, you're at least better off here instead of being without a home in the streets. Poor thing."
'Except I had a home, you idiot.' thought Battra. The woman's eyes left the slot, her footsteps echoing. Battra placed his face in his hands. His stomach began to grumble. He then turns and finds the tray still there. The food just looked too appetizing to resist. Battra walks over to the slot, picking up the tray and sat down on his bed.



Weeks went by and Battra's scars from the surgery were beginning to fade. In fact, they almost seemed to be disappearing. The scientists told him something about quicker healing. Also, the replacement of flesh one cell at a time seems to be making them disappear quicker. Battra felt his body having occasional pains. His body ached and his head was assaulted by terrible headaches. The woman that brought him food informed one of the doctors about his headaches. They looked him over, but couldn't find anything wrong with him. There was something about an abnormal amount of brain activity, but they didn't seem concerned about it. Battra hated that the scientists treated him as a lab rat rather than help him with his headaches. Battra groaned as his head was pounding, but then he began to hear voices. He gasped as he turned to find the source. Voices echoed all around him, idle words as if they were speaking to themselves. Battra clutched his head as the voices continued.
"Stop! Stop talking!" shouted Battra. He rose to his feet and began to slam his fist against the wall. He was met with an electric shock as his hand made contact with the door. He cried in agony as he felt the volts traveling through him.
"How many times do I have to tell? Stop hitting the Goddamn door!" shouted the man over the intercom. Battra stood back up, continuing to slam his fist against the door. He was met with volts of electricity every time that he hit the door. He didn't care about the pain as long as he had something to distract him from the voices. The door suddenly opened with a couple of men in armored suits. They shoved the boy to the ground and began to beat him with batons. Battra cried as he was assaulted by these men.
"Make the voices stop! Make them stop!" cried Battra. From behind the men came two other men in dark uniform.
"What the hell are you doing?!" demanded one of the men. He spoke in a language that Battra didn't understand. Was that...Equish or something? They immediately stopped.
"Disciplining this little brat!" retorted one of the men. He had red hair and was an Earthbound. Battra recognized him as the man that threatened to force feed him.
"Discipline? Kenpachi, you're beating him with batons!" shouted one of the other men.
"Hey, you can't be soft on him just because he's a kid! If you go easy on him, he'll be like the older ones!"
"But some of them are docile and hardly even start trouble. You're just going to make him turn out like the others!" retorted one of the armor-less men.
"What is going on here?!" demanded a voice with authority. They all went stiff. They turned and found an older man.
"Sir! These two were beating one of the test subjects!" said one of the armor-less men.
"They're doing their job to bring order with troublemakers." said the older man.
"Yes, but they are beating one of the children!" exclaimed the man. The older man raised a brow. He made his closer to the cell, finding a sight that shocked him. Battra lied on the ground, clutching his head and his body bruised as he cried. He glared at the two men that stood with the batons.
"You two. Go to my office now!" barked the older man. He led them out of the cell, disappearing through the metal facility. The two men that were left then went over to the boy, attempting to help him up.
"Get off of me!" shouted Battra. He then cried out in pain as the voices in his head began to grow louder.
"Go get a doctor!" said one of the men.



Psychic abilities. Whoopty frickin doo! Battra has gained the ability to hear the thoughts of other people, but he couldn't control it. The voices sometimes came and left, giving him periods of time that gave him relief and annoyance. He was tossing and turning in his bed as he continued to hear the voices echo in his mind. He then shot up, scowling.
"I can't sleep like this!" exclaimed Battra. An idea formed in his head. He sat cross legged on his bed, shuts his eyes and began to inhale through his nose and exhaled out of his mouth. He listened to the thoughts. He heard and felt the emotions that were behind them. He continued to listen, and then tried to focus his thoughts. He heard a familiar voice.
"I'm so scared. I want to see my brother!" cried Mosura's voice. Battra's eyes shot open. He leaned against the wall next to his bed, attempting to listen. His senses were overwhelming and nearly unbearable during the first week. He managed to get them under control, and he noticed that his hearing seemed to be better. He listened, hoping to hear a sound, but the walls were too thick. Battra frowned as he laid back down on his bed, a tear trailing down his cheek.  Although Mosura was in a cell that was next to his, he hadn't been able to see her. They never let him out unless it was for a checkup, which came once a week. He was also sometimes abused by some of the guards, particularly Kenpachi, when he would act up in these cells.



Battra sat in white room on a desk. His wrists were shackled and were held by a magical force. His arms were bounded to his desk. He sat next to Mosura, who was in the same situation as he was. He looks to her and gives her a warm smile, which she returns. This was the first time that he was able to see her since they were locked up in this place. They sat with a few other children. A couple of the children were younger than them. A boy with crimson hair and another boy with brown hair sat in seats near Mosura. The rest of the children seemed to be a little older than them. A white board was in front of them. The children sat and were watched by guards outside of the room, peaking through the room. An Earthbound woman stood at the front of the room dressed in a coat and a skirt. She smiled warmly at the children.
"Good morning class."
"Good morning" said the children in unison. Battra remained silent.
"MONARCH has been kind enough to allow you all to continue your education. So, I am your teacher, Ms. Nakada." said the woman. Some of the children groaned in frustration as they heard that.
"School in prison? Jeez!" muttered the crimson haired boy. All of the children wore name tags on their grey t-shirts. His nametag revealed his name, Shou Rodan.
"Mr. Shou, is there something that you would like to share with the class?" asked Nakada. Rodan sighed in response.
"No, ma'am."
"Good! Now class, we will get started on learning Equish!" said Nakada.




Today...

"Nakada..." said Battra. He stood among dead soldiers as he stared at a window. Behind the window was an Equish text book. It stood among other school textbooks on a shelf. This was one of the few things that brought memories to him about the time when he was locked in that prison. Receiving an education for math, history, Neighponese and equish at least allowed him to leave his cell during those days. He even got to see his sister and got to interact with the children. A kind of recess was given to the children where they were free to roam a larger room for exercise outside of their cells. Guards would always keep a watchful eye on them. The room wasn't as bad as the one that the adult prisoners resided in. They were locked in a smaller room and had guns pointed straight at them. He recalled the days learning Equish. He wasn't very good at it when they first started. Mosura had gotten down quicker than he did. She was kind enough to keep teaching him during recess. Nakada, the teacher, was an intriguing human. She was one of the few people that treated them as people rather than lab experiments or animals like the guards would. He didn’t care for her when he first met her, but she began to grow on him. Nakada was there to help him along with his sister whenever he struggled. He felt that he bonded with the woman.
"Out of all the humans that worked for MONARCH, I hated you the least." said Battra. He then looks down at the ground solemnly. Things seemed to go wrong one day in his past.




7 years ago...

"The children have seemed to have gone through a transformation as well." said a male Elf in a lab coat. The older man in uniform sighed.
"Here I thought that Alpha and Lucky Dragon were just random accidents. It seems that no matter who we use, they will all develop these kinds of traits. I'm surprised it took this long." said the older man.
"We have the children sedated right now. They reverted back to their human forms. However, we will have to put them in stronger cells."
"I see." said the older man.
"There is one other thing. The boy that's DNA was spliced with that horned Moth's DNA."
"Battra? What about him?"
"He seems to be acting up more. In fact, he went berserk in his cell when he transformed. I think that maybe it’s time that we move him over with the adults." suggested the elf. The older man looked at him incredulously.
"Look, I know that he's been a handful lately. But we can't just move him with the adults! He's an early teenager for Faust’s sake!"
"He'll still receive his education, but he's going to be separated from the other kids. He's too strong to be kept in these cells and I think he's learning how to control his abilities. It's for the safety of everyone here, sir."
"Very well." sighed the older man.



Battra sat in anger in this new cell. It was a bit larger, but was also more fortified and was enchanted to shock him even if he just makes contact with the wall. At least his previous cell remotely shocked him. He wondered what kind of alterations MONARCH has done to him. One minute he was resting and all of the sudden he wakes up in agony and changes into a monster His body shifted into some kind of half human and half caterpillar monster. In rage, he slammed himself against his cell and nearly got out until they used narcoleptic gases on him. He awoke and found himself in a new cell. He has been trapped for week and only recently he was given permission to get out for some yard time. A loud alarm blared for a brief second. The door to his cell slowly began to rise, revealing light. He slowly began to walk out; he noticed a face that just made him want to throw up.
"Get moving, freak." spat Kenpachi. Battra glared at him as he continued to walk. He made his way down a hall, a magical field appeared behind. He turns, finding it shiny as it sealed him inside. He turned back around and traveled deeper in the room. He found himself in a large room that was lit by bright lights. Inspecting his surroundings, he saw adults roaming the room. Battra saw a group of men and a couple of women holding cards. He noticed a few of them were playing basketball. A lot of the men were tall and muscular. He was actually intimidated by them. Battra made his way over to a wall and sat against it, feeling his anger boil. He then notices a man with light blue hair approach.
"What's a kid doing here with the adults?!" asked the man incredulously. Battra shot him a glare.
"They decided to lock me up with adults."  spat Battra.
"Damn. MONARCH has no shame." said the man as he rubbed the back of his head. He then made his way past him over to a small group of people. Battra stared at the man as he spoke with them. Obviously, telling them that there's a punk kid here. Battra suddenly heard a clicking sound. He turns and what he saw nearly gave him a heart attack. Before him was a mantis-like creature that glared at him.
"What are you doing here, kid?" asked the mantis. Battra backed away in fear.
"Th-they moved me with the adults!" exclaimed Battra. He was then grabbed by the throat by the mantis and was raised in the air against the wall.
"I don't like kids. And I sure as hell don't like it when they don't speak properly to their elders!" snarled the mantis. Battra felt the creature choke him. He closed his eyes as he felt them water with tears.
"L-let go!" begged Battra. He then felt a surge of adrenaline course through him. He opened his eyes, as they glowed brightly. Out from his eyes, came a purple beam that struck the mantis. His head was engulfed in the ray, disintegrating. The mantis fell over dead, dropping Battra. He coughed as he tried to regain his breath. Suddenly, everyone was staring at him with wide eyes. A couple of other mantises came rushing over. They stopped and found the one that was decapitated.
"You killed him!" exclaimed one of the mantises.
"No! No, it was an accident! i swear it!" cried Battra. He didn't mean for this to happen. He wanted to stay out of trouble. He didn't even know that he could do that!
"That was my brother, you little bastard! I'm gonna kill you!" shouted one of the mantises. He then began to charge at Battra. Battra got up to his feet and began to run for his life. He then began to feel pain coursing through his body. He cried in agony as his body began to shift and bones were beginning to reform. He dropped to his stomach, his head sprouting a large golden horn and his body being covered in an armored exoskeleton. His lower body extended into a catterpillar-like tail with many feet under his body. His body grew and his eyes turned into big red, ominous insect eyes. His upper body extended and became erect and appeared like a monstrous human half with short human-like arms and sharp claws. His mouth was sideways with sharp teeth. He turned was tackled by the mantis. The mantis towered over him while Battra was merely a little over six feet tall. The mantis struck at him mercilessly. Suddendly, Battra felt his anger explode, as he was sick of the abuse he was getting put through.
"Leave me alone!!" roared Battra in a deep voice. He then began to slam his body against the mantis. The two engaged in combat, roaring and screeching as they tried to end each other. Battra bit onto the neck of the mantis, mauling him.
"Dear Faust!" exclaimed a woman. The man with blue stared as the boy turned caterpillar savagely fought one of the mantises. He realized that the boy was moved with the adults for being too strong to be kept in the kids’ cell. A figure in the shadows watched the fight, intrigued by the young Transmutant.
Battra knocks the mantis to the ground, and then impales him with his horn. The mantis slumps over dead as Battra removed his horn from his abdomen. Battra roared at the other two mantises, daring them to attack him. The two mantises both leapt at him shrieking. The figure in the dark steps out of the shadows and then charges towards the mantises. He rams into them both, slamming them against the wall. They screeched at him, but their heads were grabbed by his large three fingered hands. The figure crushes their heads in his palms, leaving a yellow liquid mess. He drops them, and then looks toward a larger group of the mantises that were up to at least thirty in number.
"If you are wise, you will back off." said the man. They all turned away, slowly making their way to the far end of the room. The figure turns to face Battra as he remained still. The man stood at seven feet tall, his body was covered in crustacean like armor. His hands were large but only had three fingers on each hand with claws. His feet were wide with three toes and large claws. His chest had a crest in the center and his shoulders had sharp and small spikes. His face was humanoid, but he had sharp teeth and yellow eyes. He turns to face all of the people that were in the room.
"If anyone here dares to mess with this young Transmutant here," the man points toward Battra as he remained still, staring at him. "I will kill you. And trust me, I will make you suffer!" shouted the man. The Transmutants in the room slowly began to back off. Suddenly, a group of guards in armor entered the room with a dozen mechs. All of the Transmutants immediately got on the ground with their hands of their heads.
"Destoroyah, lay down on the ground!" shouted an Elf guard. The crustacean armored man glared at him as he slowly got on the ground with his hands over his head. The Elf guards made their way over to Battra and fired lightning at him with their magic. He roared in pain, squirming in place and then collapsed on the ground.



Battra sat with shackles wrapped around his neck and wrists. These were specially designed to prevent him from transforming and drain his body of energy. He felt tired and weak, but then he heard heavy footsteps approaching him. He turned and found the man that had killed those mantises.
"Calm down. I won't kill you." said Destoroyah.
"I'm having a hard time believing that." retorted Battra. Destoroyah chuckled, revealing his sharp teeth. Battra felt unnerved by his appearance.
"I don't blame you, child." said Destoroyah. The two sat in silence.
"Why did you kill them?" asked Battra.
"Would you rather I not?" asked Destoroyah. Battra shrugged.
"I don't have a problem with it. They were assholes! I just want to know why you did it and stood up for me."
"Would your parents appreciate you using that language?" asked Destoroyah. Battra looked down sadly.
"They're dead."
"Oh. I'm sorry." apologized Destoroyah.
"It's not your fault. It's MONARCH's. They were the ones who killed them." spat Battra. Destoroyah had a light smile. Someone who held this much spite for MONARCH would make an excellent ally in these walls.
"Yes. They are scum." replied Destoroyah. "To answer your question, I saw that you have potential."
"Potential?" asked Battra, quizzically.
"Yes. I saw that you fought with much ferocity and refused to back down. You're a merciless fighter."
"I was just trying to protect myself." said Battra.
"And a damn good job you did at that." smiled Destoroyah. He then turns to face the child. "I can teach you more. I can teach you how to better defend yourself."
"You could?"
"I will. But, one day you will have to help me." said Destoroyah. Battra looks to him quizzically.
"How?"
"MONARCH has made progress to influence on how we are able to transform. These shackles drain us of energy. Without that energy, we are weak and vulnerable. They even found out that we can die if we are drained of all of our energy for a certain period of time." explained Destoroyah. Battra looks at his shackles fearfully when he realized how deadly they could be.
"Don't worry. They only drain enough to prevent us from transforming." reassured Destoroyah. He then stands to his feet and extends his hand to Battra. "When the time comes, and whatever opportunity reveals itself, you will help set us free. What do you say, child?"
"I..." Battra pondered this. He knew that he was not going to last here on his own. He likely was not on a good terms with those Mantises and he didn't count on these other Transmutants to defend him. Battra gives him a serious expression and takes Destoroyah's hand. "I accept."



A few months had gone by in the adult cell block. Kenpachi would find times to provoke Battra along with his friends, much to Battra’s ire. Battra threw punches in the air along with a series of kicks. He was sweating as he fought in an invisible opponent. Destoroyah stood by and watched as the young Transmutant trained. He smiled at the warrior that was being molded before him. Destoroyah had experience in martial arts that were used to kill. It involved attacking your opponent mercilessly with offensive attacks and to have a mindset that sees your opponent as an animal that must be killed, not as a human being. Battra continued his fighting, giving shouts at every few strike. He then stops, panting.
"Get some rest, Battra. We're done for today." said Destoroyah. Battra turns and bows to him.
"Hai, Sensei."
Destoroyah and Battra made their way over toward another group of Transmutants. One of them had an orange mohawk and yellow eyes. He stood to be six foot four with round muscles.
"This man right here is named Titano." said Destoroyah, pointing to the man. He then points to the man next to him. He was a bald man with red eyes. His shoulders were broad and his muscles were larger than the man with the Mohawk and stood at six foot three.
"He's Ebirah." Destoroyah then points to another man with yellow eyes and messy scruffy green hair. His teeth were crooked and his muscles build were like the average Earthbound's. He stood at five foot nine.
"This man is Gaira." said Destoroyah. Titano raises a brow.
"Who's the kid?" asked Titano. Battra bows to the men.
"My name is Battra." answered Battra.
"I'm teaching Battra my ways in combat. He has developing quickly." said Destoroyah with pride. Gaira looks to him with deadpan stare.
"So...what reason does he have to learn your moves?"
"He will be part of our group." answered Destoroyah. Battra looks to him in surprise.
"Great..." muttered Ebirah.
"I have no problem with it. If you're OK with it, then who am I to go against it?" shrugged Titano. Gaira turns away and begins to sit down with a pack of cards.
The Transmutants, including Battra, were sitting in a circle with cards in their hands. They sat in silence. There hasn't been a word said. Only the occasional, 'Do you have any aces?' Battra wanted to stir a bit of conversation.
"Sensei, can I ask you something?"
"What is it?" asked Destoroyah.
"Why is it that those Transmutants never change back?" asked Battra, pointing toward the Mantises. Destoroyah sighed.
"They can't. MONARCH tried using an experimental drug that they thought would rid us of the ability to transform. The Mantises were chosen to be guinea pigs since they are weaker than most of us in their form. They are stuck like that." said Destoroyah. Battra frowned when he heard that MONARCH continued to experiment on the prisoners despite having already corrupted their DNA.
"I even suffered the same fate." said Destoroyah. Battra looks to him, now understanding why Destoroyah looked less human.
"Why did they choose you? And why do you look more human than they do?" asked Battra.
"They thought that maybe the Mantises were just mishaps with the drug. They even tried to modify it to make sure it would work. I don't know the science behind it but I'm guessing that the modified drug only changed most of my physical body. They considered me the perfect specimen for the experiment." explained Destoroyah. He stared at the ceiling, recalling the past.
"They did?"
"Yes. I was actually one of the first few to be made into a Transmutant, a few years ago. But, I wasn't able to participate in the drug therapy that continued to change me on my own free will." said Destoroyah. He then taps the side of his head.
"They cast a powerful spell on my mind and a majority of the others. We are forced to obey these humans." said Destoroyah, solemnly. Battra frowned. He thought that he had it rough here, but there were others that had it worse than him. "Only a few Elves have control over us. There are always two of them close by."
"That's terrible." said Battra. Titano groans.
"I can't take it anymore! I'm going to go insane if I to stay in this place any longer!"
"I know. I hate these damn guards too. Treating us like animals." said Ebira. Gaira shook his head.
"No. We're treated as less than animals." said Gaira.
"Do these humans give you any trouble?" asked Destoroyah, looking toward Battra.
"They do. Especially that bastard Kenpachi. I just want to break his bones and make him beg for mercy." spat Battra. His tone was filled with hate. Gaira smiled.
"I think I'm starting to like this kid."
"Kenpachi is the worst!" said Titano. All of the Transmutants in the group nodded in response.
"Let's keep playing. Your turn, kid." said Ebirah.
"OK. Gaira, I'm looking for kings." said Battra.
"Go fish." said Gaira.
"Damn." sighed Battra. He then went for the pile of cards and drew one.




Today...

Battra walked along side Destoroyah, Titano and Gaira. They walked through the desolate town and made their way through dead soldiers. They were regrouping with the rest of their team. They came across and found Ebirah and a few other Transmutants standing next to a man in uniform on his knees. They stopped in front of the man, looking at him as head was slumped down.
"What's this?" asked Destoroyah. Ebirah gave him a grin.
"This commanding officer here knows something that may interest you." said Ebirah. He then kicks the man onto his belly, causing to grunt as he lied in the dirt. Destoroyah kneeled next to him.
"So, are you going to talk?" asked Destoroyah. The man looks up to him and spits at him in his face. Destoroyah glared at him, wiping the spit off of his face.
"Go to hell!" shouted the man. Destoroyah stood up to his feet.
"Sorry. Something slipped out of his comrades that got us curious. Something that MONARCH kept from the lower personnel. I've been trying to get it out of his mouth. No luck." apologized Ebirah.
"As much as I would like to kill you, human. I am curious to know what my colleague heard." said Destoroyah. He then looks to Battra, who gave him a nod of understanding. He walks up to the soldier and grabs his head. He closes his eyes, searching through his memories.
"He knows about a...a few weapons that MONARCH has been creating. Two of them are bio weapons. The other is a new mech." said Battra. The man struggled under his grip. Battra held his head still so he could clearly read the man's mind.
"Bio weapons? Like a virus?" asked Titano.
"No. Living weapons. Transmutants. One of them is finished. Project: Rose." said Battra. The Transmutants all looked to each other. They couldn’t believe MONARCH’s idiocy of making other Transmutants to hunt them.
"Rose is...no." said Battra.
"What's wrong?" asked Destoroyah. Battra opened his eyes in shock.
"No! That's impossible! She should be dead! I killed her!" exclaimed Battra.
"Who?" asked Ebirah. Battra suddenly grabbed the man by his collar and raised him in the air.
"You brought that soldier back from the dead, didn't you?!" demanded Battra. The Transmutants eyes widened in shock. The man chuckled in response.
"You're not afraid of ghosts, are you?" asked the man. Battra sent him a glare. Then he smiled.
"No. I just think you made a grave mistake. You brought a soldier back to life, one who served MONARCH. You then combined her DNA with the Alpha's and a plant and made her into a new Transmutant. She might not know, but she will turn on you when she recalls the truth." said Battra. His eyes began to glow; the man felt his head beginning to ache. He groaned.
"I have everything that he knows. It’s not much but it gives us a little more information about the weapons." said Battra. Destoroyah nodded in approval.
"Kill him."




7 years ago...

'How are you doing, Battra?' Mosura's voice echoed in Battra's mind. He lied in his bed at night. Battra had learned to control his psychic abilities and could now speak to his sister with his thoughts. She had gained the same ability as he did. He wondered what type of DNA was given to him and his sister that caused them to develop such powers.
'I'm fine. I'm just tired. I'm upset.' answered Battra, solemnly.
'I'm sorry to hear that.'
'It's fine. At least I made some friends on this side.' said Battra.
'That's great!' said Mosura with joy.
'Yeah. I just wish you were here with me, sis. I miss you.' replied Battra.
'I miss you too. At least we can hear each other's voices.' said Mosura, hoping to brighten up Battra's mood.
'Yeah. Sister, can you promise me something?' asked Battra.
'Anything!' replied Mosura.
'Promise that you will stand by me. Promise that we will stay together if we ever get out of here.'
'I promise. We only have each other left. I'd be happy to stand by you.' said Mosura. Battra lets a tear of joy trail down his cheek. He sniffs and wipes the tear.
'Thank you. I love you Mosura. Goodnight.' said Battra.
'Goodnight, Battra. I love you too.'




Later that night...

Battra lied asleep in his cell. He was in a deep and blissful state. His dreams allowed him to escape this dreadful place. His sleep was rudely interrupted as he felt something cold splash his body. He yelped as he shot out of bed, drenched in cold water. He looked and saw that his cell was open. A few guards were standing in the doorway.
"Kenpachi? What gives?!" demanded Battra. Kenpachi chuckled at him, raising a baton. It then began to light up with electricity surrounding it.
"I never liked you, brat. I especially can't stand to look at your face, you little abomination." Battra gritted his teeth, offended by the label that he had given him.
"Abomination? You guys were the ones that did this to me in the first place!" exclaimed Battra.
"Shut up!" said Kenpachi. He stepped in the cell and swung the baton against him, sending high volts of electricity into him.  Battra yelled in pain, twitching as the electricity shocked him. A couple of the guards stepped in and began to beat him with their own batons.
"Stop! Stop it you bastards!" shouted Battra. A normal human would have passed out and maybe even died from this attack. Battra's abnormal durability allowed him to withstand this abuse.
"Let's just kill this little bastard! MONARCH has enough of these freaks." said one of the guards. Battra yelled as the men all put their batons at him at once. The volts of electricity coursed through him, combining together. He felt agonizing pain, but he also wanted the guards dead. Battra glared at them, then grabbed one of the batons and pulled on it. The baton was stolen out of one of the men's grip and was wielded by Battra. Battra swung the baton at one of the other guards that were shocking him. The guard yelled as he fell back, writhing on the ground. Battra then swung the baton at Kenpachi, pushing him away and making him fall on the ground. Battra stood to his feet, and then glared at an Elf guard that stood in the doorway. Battra gave war cry as he charged toward him.
"Stop." said the Elf. Battra suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. He began to breathe heavil when he realized that he couldn't move. The elf smiled.
"Good thing they brought me along." said the Elf.
"You’re one of the Elves that have control over our minds." glared Battra.
"That's right." the Elf raised his hand, a golden aura formed over his hand. Battra was thrown against the wall, stuck. The elf began to chuckle.
"It’s against the rules to assault a guard let alone three. I'll have to punish you." The elf slowly closed his hand. Battra began to yell in agony as he felt his body being crushed. His breathing became shallow as he glared at the Elf. An idea formed in his head. He then began to chuckle darkly.
"What's so funny?" asked the Elf.
"Do you think you can keep us here? Do you think that we will bow to your will? You humans are idiots!" spat Battra. The Elf glared back at him. He suddenly felt his head ache. His concentration broke. He yells in agony as he dropped to his knees. Battra was released from his magical grip, dropping to the ground. He groaned as he felt his body ache. The Elf noticed that he was walking toward him.
"Stop!" commanded the Elf. Battra stops for a moment. He then smiled wickedly. The man cried in pain again, his concentration thrown off again.
"You might have control over my body, but I have control over your entire mind." said Battra. The Elf clutched his head.
"My head...it feels like it’s being nailed by a hammer!" exclaimed the Elf. Battra laughed at his pain.
"I've been getting better at using my powers. I even learned that I can do a lot more than just read minds." Battra eyes began to glow red in the dark as he stared at the Elf.
"Now, you die." said Battra. A sick sounding squish was heard in the cell. The Elf's eyes were wide open, and then blood began to trail out of his sockets. He drops dead on the ground. Battra stared at the corpse, smiling. He then made his way to the corpse and plucked a ring that held five odd looking keys from him. They appeared to be rectangle in shape and were of different colors. They were blue, red, green, yellow, and black. He then made his way out of his cell and down the halls, searching the prison doors. He found a large door armored with a green mark. He peaked through the window, finding Ebirah lying down in his bed. He smiled as he found a familiar ally. He fished for the green key, and then found a slot. He sticks the key into the slot, causing it to let a short beep. The cell door slowly began to raise, dim lights shining in. Ebirah stirred in bed, turning with groggy eyes.
"Ebirah, it’s me." whispered Battra. Ebirah quickly rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.
"Battra?!" asked Ebirah.
"Shhh! Quiet, I escaped out of my cell. Come on, we're getting the hell out of here."
"You little bastard!" Battra went stiff as he heard a familiar voice. He turns and finds Kenpachi holding a baton that sparked with electricity. The other few guards that he knocked unconscious were with him as well. "Get back in your cell!"
"Just a minute ago, you were trying to kill me. Now you want to contain me?" asked Battra. Kenpachi then charges at him. Battra grinned as the rest of the guards came at him. They suddenly stopped, groaning in pain. Kenpachi was on his knees as blood began to trail out of his eye sockets.
"Hurts, doesn’t it?" asked Battra. Ebirah walks out of his cell, surprised to find the guards on their knees.
"Here, go free the others on our block. We're all getting out of here tonight." said Battra as he tossed Ebirah the keys.
"Alert! A small number of Transmutant experiments have escaped from their cells! All units to the cell block!" commanded a male voice on the intercom.
"Uh-oh!" exclaimed Ebirah. He then made his way down to the other cell doors, fishing for the right keys.
"You might think that we won't escape, but we will." said Battra as he taunted Kenpachi. A squish sound echoed in the area, with all of the guards except Kenpachi dropping dead. "I'm going to teach you a lesson, Kenpachi."
Battra made his way over to Kenpachi and began to savagely beat him. Kenpachi cried out in pain after every powerful punch. His eye was swollen and his teeth were knocked out of his mouth. His nose was bleeding and his face was bruised. Battra continued to beat him with a smile on his face.
"How do you like it?! How does it feel to be beaten?! It hurts, right?!" Battra then grabbed the baton, not turning the power on. He swung it against Kenpachi, beating him with hard metal. Battra gave one last swing at Kenpachi, knocking him to the ground. He then walks over to him and turns the power on. He sticks the baton against the neck of the guard, sending volts of electricity. Kenpachi began to twitch from the volts, his face began to smoke and his flesh started to burn as Battra held the baton against him. Battra removed the baton from Kenpachi's neck, his face sizzled in burns.
"Jigoku ni kirainahito o yasumaseru." cursed Battra. He then turns and finds Destoroyah smiling to him in approval. Titano had wide eyes and Gaira looked to him with a look of awe. Ebirah had mixed emotions of surpise, awe, and fear
"Just as I have said, ‘you have potential’." said Destoroyah. Battra grinned. Destoroyah then walked over to him and looked at the shackles that bounded him and drained his energy.
"We need to get these shackles off." said Destoroyah.




Today...

"So, how was it that you were able to get the shackles off? Why did they assume that Destoroyah was the one that escaped first if it was actually Battra?" asked a female Transmutant.
"Battra killed the only ones that knew that he was the one who escaped first. Destoroyah was the one leading the escape, so they figured that he went insane and his mind rejected their commands. Battra actually kept this belief going when he disrupted their spells with his power. About the shackles, Destoroyah had to use one of his crab-looking arms that sticks out of his back to break them." answered Gaira. He sat inside of a room with Ebirah and other Transmutants who listened to the story.
"Couldn't he have used those to begin with back at the MONARCH base?" asked a Transmutant male.
"No. His body hadn't been able to produce them since his energy was weak. He actually feeds on a different source that gives him energy." said Gaira.
"What is it?" asked the female Transmutant.
"I don't know. He said that he was drawn to some kind of chemical reaction that had the ability to destroy oxygen. It was discovered by someone named Serizawa years ago before they first mutated Destoroyah. Destoroyah found a device that was designed by Serizawa and sealed himself in a tank. That was where they tested it safely." said Gaira. He recalled the device’s power. It was terrifying.
"That device destroyed anything that was around it. It killed fish and disintegrated their skin till they were nothing but bone. Destoroyah emerged from the water unharmed. He said he felt powerful and that the device was what gave him power." said Gaira. The Transmutants sat worriedly as they heard about the device.
"So, what happened next?" asked another male Transmutant.
"Well, the device that he used could only be used once, like a bomb. Serizawa escaped before Destoroyah could reach him. We worried that Destoroyah wouldn't be able to survive now that the secrets to his only source of energy was gone. But, as the years went by, he never aged or got weaker."
"How's that possible?!" exclaimed a female Transmutant.
"We don't know. Destoroyah thinks that maybe, the drug that they experimented on him gave him the ability to produce this chemical reaction within his own body, sustaining himself. They starved him of his energy source the most out of all of us." said Gaira.
"Can you confirm that he can do that?"
"Well, Destoroyah has unique abilities that relate closely to that chemical reaction when it comes to liquefying organics. He used them regularly at first, even though using our abilities actually drains us faster. I can’t say for sure, but his abilities and endurance are almost limitless." answered Ebirah. He then turns to find Destoroyah alone, sitting on a pile of rubble. "He's a walking holocaust."
> Chapter 14
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the dark of the night, clouds covered the sky. Darkness engulfed the ground below. Rain water fell from the sky as thunder boomed in the air. Lightning lit up the darkness. The antennae-less mantis flew across the land, the rain drenching him. As he flew, he struggled to keep a steady flight. His body ached and his wings were tired. He wanted to stop and rest, but he couldn't. He had to tell Kamacuras of his group’s failure. The mantis continued his flight, searching the ground for the destroyed settlement. After an hour of searching, all hope seemed lost. Then, a bolt of lightning from the clouds struck the mantis, sending volts of electrons into his body. The mantis shrieked in agony, his exoskeleton was burned by the electricity. The mantis stopped beating his wings, dropping from the sky. The mantis fell, the wind beating against his body as he neared the ground. He was met with the leaf-less tree tops, landing on them with tremendous force. They broke his fall, and gave in as he landed. The branches fell under his weight and collision, breaking as he fell down to the earth. The mantis was on the ground, motionless. His wing suddenly twitched as he laid on the ground. He felt himself grabbed, then dragged away by an unknown figure. As the mantis pondered who could be pulling him away, he felt himself being turned over. His eyes met with a red mantis. His spirits were lifted when he realized that he returned home.
"What happened? Where is Kickback and the others?!" asked the red mantis urgently in a feminine voice. The antennae-less mantis coughed as he struggled to speak.
"De-dead. They were killed by four other Transmutants. I...I don't know what happened to Megaguirus and Mukade." answered the antennae-less mantis. His breathing was shallow, his vision was going blurry.
"We failed you all. I'm sorry." said the mantis solemnly. His grip loosened on the red mantis's shoulder, his arm fell back to his side. Then his head slumped in the dirt, his breathing stopped. The red mantis lowered her head, grieving for her fallen comrades. She stood up and made her way toward a dark village.




MONARCH Delta base. The next day...

In a bright room, there were dozens of chairs that sat in rows. Men and women of different races and nationalities of the known world filled these seats. At the front of the room was a podium that stood in front of the seats, and a large screen sat on the wall behind it.
Erika sat among several other soldiers, wearing black shirts and grey jeans. Erika felt herself eyed by some of the other soldiers that sat with her. She had been receiving stares since that day she was brought back as a Transmutant. She sighed softly to herself, her mood gloomy. She had hoped that her comrades wouldn't see her any different. She was wrong. A lot of them would whisper about her behind her back. Some would give her uneasy stares. Others would just leave when she entered the same room as them. Today, none of them had a choice to leave. They were due to debriefing for something important. She was once a member among these men and women. Now, she was an outcast.
A middle aged man in uniform made his way over toward a podium, with a clipboard in his hand.
"Attention!" shouted an officer in the back. The soldiers all stood at attention, with their hands behind their backs. The man in uniform stood behind the podium, placing the clipboard on it.
"At ease." said the man. The soldiers relaxed their stance and returned to their seats. The man cleared his throat. "Thank you for being present here today. Now, we can begin."
"We have recently been informed that four Transmutant mantises were discovered in Equestrian territory. They were said to be attacking a couple of residents in a small town." informed the man. The screen lit up, with an image depicting an old image of a brick red winged serpent. "Another Transmutant with descriptions that fit this image was said to have engaged these mantises. It is likely that their fight was a dispute over territory."
"Princess Celestia has granted MONARCH permission to set up a small base outside of the settlement. We will send you all to this base. Your mission will be to remain unknown to the rest of the settlement, and prepared to engage any sighted Transmutants that reveals itself." said the man. "Also, her royal highness still wants us to spare the lives of any Transmutant that surrenders." Most of the soldiers groaned in annoyance. They became silent as one of the officers shot them glare. The screen then displayed an image of two humanoid mechs. They both had blue visors and blades attached to their arms.
"We will be assigning these two combat mechs to assist you. Along with the first of a new generation of soldiers." the man then gestured toward Erika, who was sitting in the front row. Erika stiffened as eyes began to focus on her. "Please step up here, private."
"Y-Yes sir!" stuttered Erika. She rose from her seat, making her way next to the man. She began to sweat, her heart was racing.
"I know of the rumors that have been circling around about one of our units is a Transmutant. I am telling you that those rumors are true." said the man. The soldiers began to murmur among themselves. Erika felt herself becoming more alienated amongst her comrades. "Now, I understand how most of you feel about Transmutants. Private Shiragmi has been a soldier that has always followed her duties, just like you. In combat, her injuries were severe; she became the perfect candidate for our project. All I ask is that you put your feelings aside when it comes to working with this soldier. After all, she fights for the same cause that we do."
'I feel like I'm gonna die.' thought Erika.




Miles away from Equestria...

The sun was beaming down on the ocean. Birds flew in the air. White, puffy clouds drifted across the sky. It was a bright afternoon. In the sky was a great ship that sailed across the sky. The ship was carried by a large black balloon, a propeller attached to the back that spun at high speed. The ship was covered in metal plating; the deck was empty with the exception of one person.
Erika stood alone on the deck of the airship near the edge. She wore a sage suit that covered her up from her chest and down to her ankles. Light armor was attached to the suit and covered her breasts, stomach, forearms and thighs. An emblem of a red rose painted on her left breast.  Boots covered her feet up to her calves, along with knee pads. A helmet sat on her head with a yellow visor covering her eyes. This was a suit meant only for her that was designed for free movement. It was decided that she wouldn't need heavy apparel to protect her. 'She is much more durable now. She can do well without it,' those scientists said. Erika sighed to herself as she sat. She began to hear footsteps approaching from behind her.
"Mind if I join you?" asks a middle-aged Earth bound man in a military suit covered by a chest plate and khakis for his lower body. Erika stiffens as she quickly turns. She recognizes the man as her commanding officer for this mission. She immediately stands at attention.
"Of course not, sir!" said Erika.
"At ease, private. I just felt like getting away from the others. A bit of a rowdy bunch." said the man, jokingly. Erika relaxed herself, watching as the C.O. made his way next to her. She turns back around at the edge of the deck and stares off into the wild of Equestria. They watched as they passed mountains and clouds.
"It's a beautiful day today." said the man. Erika nodded in response.
"Lovely, sir." she responds awkwardly. The two remained silent for several seconds.
"What brings you up here, private?" asked the man.
"No special reason. I'm just...not ready to be around other soldiers for the mission." answers Erika. She began to stare off at the sky, uneasy.
"I can tell that you're tense, soldier. Don't worry about what the others think about your...abilities." said the man. Erika looks to him. "You just keep being yourself."
"Permission to speak freely, captain?" asked Erika.
"Granted."
"What is it about me that you feel the need to check on me? I mean, I am one of them now." Erika saw how the man looked to her with a surprised expression.
"To be honest, I don't really care whether you're a Transmutant or not. What matters to me is that you're on our side. If the higher ups can trust you back on the field, that's good enough for me." answered the captain. Erika wasn't expecting that kind of answer. She wanted to know something else though.
"How do you feel about Transmutants in general?" asked Erika. The captain sighs in response.
"I think that they are a tragic race. They weren't born as Transmutants. They were made by someone. They became too strong, too different from others, so the people don't accept them. That is their greatest tragedy." answered the captain. "It's odd that someone that thinks that way about them would be a commanding officer for MONARCH, right?"
"Sort of, sir."
"Well, I'm hoping that there's a way to change what people think. I don't know how, but I hope that I can help. I am at least thankful that the Princess of this country is kind enough to want us to spare them if they surrendered." smiled the captain. Erika smiles back.
"Well, I'm off soldier. Good talk." said the captain. As he began to take off, he immediately stops himself.
"If you need anything, just ask me." said the captain.
"Yes, sir. Thank you." smiled Erika. The captain made his over toward the quarter deck, leaving Erika alone. She sighed in relief. She then turned back toward the edge of the deck, looking back at the blue sky.
"At least, I know that I have someone who trusts me." said Erika to herself. She began to feel a tingle in her palm. Erika looks to her hand; it began to sprout a tiny little stem with a leaf. She frowned as she stared at her hand. She began to feel less of a human just by looking at it. As she reached to pluck at the stem, it began to wiggle at the top. She immediately stopped herself, finding that the tip of the stem seemed to be splitting. She lightly gasped at what she saw. A beautiful red rose revealed itself to her, just before she was going to remove it before it grew. She stared at the rose in awe, mesmerized by its beauty. She suddenly felt the rose sealing itself shut again, and then shrinking back down into her palm. It tingled as it shrunk down to become one with her body again. This wasn't like those plant arms and weapons that she was capable of growing. Those were tools of death. To her, that rose was a symbol of life.
"Wow..." whispered Erika in awe.



The sun was high in the sky; the sky was filled with smoke and fire. Screams filled the air. In Ponyville, homes and buildings were collapsed on the ground and trees were engulfed in flames. Junior stood among the destruction, looking on in shock. Junior's vision caught sight of a figure flying overhead in the distance. He dashed toward the town, passed people that screamed in panic. They scattered the streets, tripping over each other and other objects. They shoved and pushed, trying to get away from something. Junior caught sight of a rose-haired Valkyrie hiding among the crowd. Junior pushed through the crowd; they dispersed as he made his way through him, disappearing from the area. Junior made his way over to Fluttershy as she sat on the ground with her face buried in her face.
"Shy?" called Junior, softly. The girl flinched at his voice. He began to slowly reach out to her, when she suddenly looked up to him with tears and a large a scar on her cheek. Junior recoiled in shock.
"Pl-please don't hurt me!" whimpered Fluttershy.
"Hurt you? Fluttershy it’s me! Why would-" Junior was about to finish when he was suddenly knocked away. He grunted as he turned around in a fighting stance. His muscles stiffened as he got a better look at his assailant. It was Rainbow Dash, her clothes were ragged and her hair a mess. She was giving him an intense glare.
"Rainbow, what are you doing?" asked Junior. Rainbow puts her fists up.
"Stay away from her, you freak!" shouted Rainbow. Junior's eyes widened.
‘She knows.’ Junior thought with dread.
Rainbow flaps her wings and takes off toward Junior. She tackles him and causes him to stagger back with her holding onto her. Junior grunts as he grabs her by her shoulders. Rainbow begins to struggle begins to knee him in his gut.
"Let go of me!" shouted Rainbow.
"Rainbow, stop! Why are you attacking me?!" demanded Junior. He then felt something wrap around his neck. He gagged as he was pulled away from Rainbow and dragged along the ground. He looks up to find Applejack glaring at him with rope in her grip.
"I knew that ya'll were hiding something. I never thought that it would be that you were a monster!"
"Appleajack, it’s not what you think!" shouted Junior. He felt the rope tighten around his neck, strangling him. He grabs the rope that was around his neck and stands to his feet. He felt the rope wrapping tighter. He pulls on both sides of the rope with all of his strength, tearing it from his neck. He inhaled deeply, coughing as he tried to catch his breath. Applejack drops to her hands, turns and kicks both of her legs back in Junior's gut. The strength in her legs caused him to fall on his back, wheezing. He slowly rises to his feet, and then is struck by a baseball bat. Junior grunts as he felt the bat connect with his back. He turns and is sprayed in the face by confetti and his face is hit by a rubber ball. He wipes his face, finding Rarity standing with a bat in her grip. Pinkie Pie stood next to her and was armed with a cannon. Both of them were covered in scratches and their clothes were ragged and torn.
"You too?!" asked Junior incredulously. Rarity shot him a glare and charged toward him with the bat. She gave a cry as she swung the bat at him. Junior dodged her swing, and then grabs the bat. Rarity elbows him, causing the Transmutant to release the bat. She then slides under him and swings the bat at the back of his head. He drops to his knees as the bat shattered against his skull. Pinkie fired her party cannon, another ball slamming against Junior's face at high velocity. Junior shakes the pain off and stands back up to his feet and breaks off into a sprint.
"Don't let him get away!" shouted Rainbow, her voice echoing in the air. Junior picked up his speed, rounding corners in the town and passing through establishments. He made his way over toward a water fountain that was devoid of people. He panted, his head running with sweat, his heart was racing and his pulse was rising. He searched frantically, praying that he was alone. He then felt his back burn, causing him to cry out in pain. He turned, finding an individual that made his heart nearly stop. Twilight was standing next to the fountain, glaring at him. Her arms were forward as they gave off a pink smoke. Her clothes were also ragged as the others were. Her cheek had a scratch and she was covered in dirt.
"Twilight, why are you doing this?!" asked Junior, his voice filled with despair. Twilight fired a bolt of magic from her hands, striking him in his chest. Junior dropped to his knees as he felt the magic burn his chest.
"You've brought this on yourself!" shouted Twilight. She began to slowly approach Junior with her hands raised and her hands lit by her raspberry colored aura.
"I don't understand! What happened?!" cried Junior. Twilight glared at him, gritting her teeth.
“What happened? You happened!" shouted Twilight. She then pointed to the destruction. "You were the one that did this!"
"No! No, I would never-" Junior was about to finish but heard something drop behind him. He went stiff, slowly turning his head. Celestia stood behind him, glaring at him. A sword was drawn, she held by her side.
"You monster. After all that I have done for you, this is how you repay me?! You attack my subjects?!" demanded Celestia. Junior's heart pounded relentlessly in his chest.
"No...No! No!" shouted Junior. Celestia raised her sword in the air, bringing down toward Junior in an impaling position. He caught the blade with his hands, his skin safe from the sharp edges. He struggled as he kept the sword from piercing his throat. Celestia grunted as she used her height against Junior, pushing down on her sword. Junior fell onto his back, straining to keep the blade away from him. He hissed as his hands were forced onto the edges of the blade, causing him to bleed. The two used all of their strength to push the sword. Junior's back and his resistance to Celestia's strength caused the ground beneath him to crack. Junior felt a burning sensation in his belly. He wanted to clutch his stomach but if he did, he would surely die. Celestia pushed harder, causing him to strain as he tried to keep the blade back. The ground began to crack more. Junior then felt something rising in his stomach.
"Why are you hesitating?” asked a deep and dark voice. Junior's eyes widened. He heard the voice before. The dragon!
"She will abandon you." whispered raspy voices.
"She will destroy you. She will be afraid of you. You must kill her before she kills you first." said the voice of the dark dragon.
"You will be dead to her." The whispering voices continued and started to repeat the previous sentence. Junior tried blocking the voices out of his head, but it was futile.
"She will not love you."
"She will destroy you. She is afraid of you." Junior shuts his eyes tightly, desperately wanting to block out these words. He was struggling to keep the blade away.
"She will hate you." The voices were beginning to grow louder.
"She will be dead to you" The voices had stopped whispering, they were will filled with spite.
" Celestia… She will be your enemy!" the voices shouted.
“Fight! Fight for your survival, Gojira!” shouted the dragon’s voice.
Junior opened his eyes, revealing orbs of blue light. He opened his mouth, spewing forth blue flames toward Celestia. She screamed in agony as she was engulfed in the flames. She recoiled back, with Junior standing to his feet with his flames still engulfing her. He continued to step toward her as the powerful flames pushed Celestia toward the wall of a building, forcing her against it. She continued to scream as the flames continued to burn her. Junior closes his mouth, stopping the flames. Celestia was against the wall, her hair was singed, her clothes were fused to her skin, and her flesh was dark and charred. She was wheezing as she struggled to stand. She then drops to her knees and collapses on to the ground. Junior was panting as he glared at the charred figure. His eyes then stopped glowing, returning to their normal state. They widen in realization at his actions. He sprints over toward the body and dropping to his knees. He lifts the charred figure toward himself and shakes her.
"No! No, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to do this! Celestia, please don't die!" cried Junior. Her head slumped back in his hold, revealing her lifeless eyes. Junior trembled as he held the lifeless sun princess.
"No..." whispered Junior. He then catches movement in his peripheral vision. He finds Twilight and the others with their Elements of Harmony. They began to levitate above the ground and their eyes beginning to glow. He then noticed men and women in MONARCH military attire and weapons and Celestia's royal guards preparing for battle. His heart broke as he saw Blaire among the guards.
"They will destroy you. They are afraid of you. They will hate you. They’re dead to you." The voices continue in Junior's mind. He felt his entire body burning; his sweater had burst into flames, turning to ash. His body was glowing, with flaming red marks appearing on his skin. The marks had a bright light that pulsed and glowed. His skin began to burn and give off steam. He groaned in pain as the heat was beginning to take its toll. His heart was pounding hard in his chest, slowing down and on fire.
"They will all be your enemy!!" shouted the voices. Junior gave a shout as his body glowed a bright hellish red, then combusting into a fiery explosion, engulfing all of Ponyville. The explosion continued on, spreading toward the Everfree and Canterlot. A mushroom cloud was forming from this hellish explosion, reaching towards the heavens. Junior sat in the center of the explosion as it continued to engulf the land as his face ran with tears that evaporated in the heat. He saw a figure stepping toward him from the flames. Twilight was unfazed by the fire, undamaged. She grabbed Junior by the shoulders, revealing a worried look in her eyes.
"Wake up!" cried Twilight. Junior's eyes widened in response. Twilight suddenly burst into ash, dropping to the ground. Junior cried out in sorrow to the heavens as everything was engulfed in flames.



"His heart rate just sky rocketed! If this goes on, he's going to go into cardiac arrest!" said an Earthbound woman urgently. She was nurse wearing a cap with a red cross and a light grey button up shirt and skirt. Her eyes were a brilliant sapphire blue and her light amaranth gray hair was tied into a bun. She quickly stepped out of the room looking down the hall. She called for a few doctors that were down the hall. Twilight's heart raced as she watched Junior toss and turn in the bed while sweat poured down his face. The heart monitor was beeping fast and the readings were spiked. She couldn't stand seeing him like this. Twilight went over to his side and grabbed his shoulders shook.
"Wake up! Gojira, please wake up!" screamed Twilight. Junior stopped tossing and turning. His eyes suddenly shot open, bloodshot. He yelled as he rose out of his bed. He grabbed Twilight by her shoulders and pinned her down to his bed. He growled as he held her down. Twilight looked up to him with fear in her eyes as he glared at her.
"Hey, let go of her!" shouted the nurse. She tried to pry Junior off of Twilight, but failed.
"Gojira, it’s me! Twilight! You're hurting me!" cried Twilight. Junior stopped, his eyes losing their glared. His breathing was beginning to settle down. The heart monitor was slowing its beeps. Junior's hands released her shoulders and he stood up from her with the nurse holding his shoulders. The three were panting; Twilight clutched her shoulder as she stared at him with worry in his eyes. Junior looked at his hands as they shook; his entire body began to tremble.
"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-" Junior dropped to his knees and fell on his hands. Twilight gasped as she saw him drop to the cold ground. She kneeled next to him and the nurse tried to get him off of the ground.
"Oh god, why do they keep haunting me?" whispered Junior. Twilight ears perked as she and the nurse helped him off of the floor. They got him back into the bed, sighing in relief. Junior laid his head back down on the pillow, covering himself with the blanket as he stared off toward the ceiling.
"Are you hurt?" asked the nurse.
"I’m just sore. I'll be fine. Thank you Nurse Redheart." said Twilight. Junior frowned as he stared off into the ceiling.
"I'm sorry." said Junior. Twilight turned toward him with a sad look on her face.
"That's good. Listen, I need to check on how the other patient is doing. Keep an eye on him for me, please." said Redheart.
"Of course." replied Twilight. Redheart made her way toward the door, leaving the room and shutting the door behind her. Twilight looked over to Junior as he continued to look up toward the ceiling. She pulled a chair and sat next to him by his side.
"How are you?" asked Twilight.
"Weak. Tired. I feel like crap." answered Junior. Twilight leaned closer, about to place a hand over his head. Junior immediately pulled away from her with a terrified expression. Twilight brought her hand back in surprise.
"Hey, what's wrong?" asked Twilight, worriedly. Junior didn't answer. He instead looked away.
"Wait, are you afraid of me?" asked Twilight. Junior remained silent.
"Gojira, you don't have to be afraid. I'm your friend!" said Twilight. Junior remained silent.
'But for how much longer?' thought Junior, solemnly. He then looks toward her and saw her worried expression.
"I know. I just had a terrible nightmare, that's all." answered Junior.
"What was it about?" asked Twilight. Junior's spine went cold. He couldn't tell her. He didn't answer.
"Gojira, I'm worried about you! You almost had a heart attack in your sleep!" cried Twilight. Junior's eyes widened in shock as he attempted to rise up from the bed.
"I...What?!"
"You could have died! It had something to do with that nightmare! Please, talk to me about it!" cried Twilight. Tears threatened to stream from her eyes. "Please, don't shut me out this time."
"I...I..." Junior was at war with his decisions: He could come clean and tell her the entire dream; he could refuse to tell her; he could lie; or he could tell only one part of the dream. Still, he considered each option. He didn’t want to break her heart by refusing to talk. He was tired of lying to her and the others. He’d rather not tell her his entire dream,but she’d think that something was wrong with his head and treat him differently. He opted to tell her the part of the dream that got him without going into too much detail.
"In my nightmare, you...you died." admitted Junior. Twilight's eyes widened in surprise. Junior lowered his head down as he recalled the last part of his nightmare.
"I can't stand the thought of that. I can't..." Junior couldn't finish as he clenched his fist. He then felt Twilight place her hand over his fist.
"Hey, hey. It was just a nightmare. It's not real." reassured Twilight. Junior placed his other hand on Twilight's, firmly holding it. A light blush formed on her cheeks along with Junior's.
"I just...I care so much about you. It kills me inside just even having a nightmare like that." said Junior.
"Yo-you do?" asked Twilight, her blush brightening. Junior nodded in response.
"I do. You mean a lot to me. It made me angry that Discord made you forget what friendship was to you. I couldn't stand that you were giving up. You aren't the type of person that gives up on anyone." replied Junior. He then looks over to her with a sad smile. "Hell, you didn't even give up on me."
"I'm glad that, out of all of the few people that I could have been friends with, it was you who first accepted me into the group." said Junior. Twilight felt her heart beating fast in her chest.
"Wow. I...I never knew that you felt that way about me." said Twilight. Junior sighed in response.
"Sometimes, I wonder what I did to deserve your friendship. Because I don't."
"Huh?" Twilight tilted her head in confusion.
"Who am I to be your friend? I'm just some sorry non magical Earthbound from Neighpon with no family or real goals." chuckled Junior, his tone was filled with self-loathing.
"Hey, don't-" Twilight was going to scold him but Junior continued.
"I even started shutting others out and became a jerk after my dad died. How pathetic is that? I can't even get over the fact that both of them are gone! He'd be ashamed of me if he was here!" Junior suddenly began to cough furiously. Twilight patted his back as he coughed. She then places her hand on his forehead.
"Oh my gosh, you're burning up!" said Twilight. She then places her hands on his shoulders and gently pushes him back.
"You need to get more rest." said Twilight. She then places the blanket over him and gives him a warm smile. Junior sighs as he laid his head back.
"Gojira." calls Twilight. Junior's eyes focused on Twilight, locking with hers. "I want you to know that I think your dad would be happy to know that you made friends who love you. I think he'd want you to move past what bothers you and focus on the present."
"I guess." said Junior. He then felt his eyes growing heavy. He hated that he already felt himself growing tired. "How's Angirasu?"
"He's fine. I think that he's already awake." answered Twilight.
"That's good." said Junior. He then felt his eyes growing heavy, he yawned as he laid his head against the pillow. He then began to drift off to sleep. Twilight smiled humorously at how fast he fell asleep.
"Sweet dreams, Gojira." whispered Twilight. She sat for a few minutes, watching Junior as he slept. He looked so peaceful when he was asleep. When he was awake, he wore an expression that always looked mad or sometimes sad. Twilight scooted closer to him, looking at her surroundings to see if anybody else was present. She gently placed her hand on his head, feeling his spiky hair. She lightly giggled at the feeling on her palm. Her heart began to beat fast against her chest. Her breathing was short and her face was flushed. She slowly leaned closer to his face, her heart racing and her cheeks reddening. She began to hear his calm breathing, increasing her blush. She leaned her head closer and then she immediately stops herself.
'What the hay am I doing?!' thought Twilight. She then suddenly gives him a quick peck on his forehead then recoils back. She then sighs as her heart began to settle down.
"I saw that~" said a feminine voice. Twilight went stiff and turned her head toward the doorway. Rarity was standing with the door open with a sly smile on her face.
"I-I uh..." stuttered Twilight. Rarity lightly giggled at Twilight's embarrassment.
"I've noticed that you have seemed to have taken quite a shine to Mr. Takeshi here." mused Rarity. Twilight looked away in embarrassment.
"When did you notice it?" asked Twilight.
"No, I actually figured it out back at the Nightmare Night festival." said Rarity. She then looked at her with an amused expression. "You made it obvious."
"You won't tell anyone about this will you?" asked Twilight, worriedly.
"My lips are sealed." said Rarity. She then looks at Twilight with a serious expression. "Darling, if you want to take your relationship with him to the next level, I suggest you make an effort at it."
"I don't know. I mean, I would really like that, but..."
"You don't want to risk rejection and ruin what you already have?" asked Rarity. Twilight nodded in response.
"I had a few crushes on guys before, but I never had the guts to try to approach them." said Twilight. She then looks down dejectedly. "Guys just don't seem to be interested in eggheads that use big words."
"Oh, pish posh darling! I doubt that Gojira is that kind of person. He may be a brute and could use a bit of anger management, but he doesn't seem intimidated by someone with a higher IQ than his. Besides, he treats you with such care. Come along, let's have some lunch and we'll talk." said Rarity.
"Sure." sighed Twilight.



Rodan was walking through the town with a knapsack hanging at his side. He hummed to himself as he walked through the town, making his way over toward the hospital. As he walked, he found the large building in the distance with a sign depicting a white cross. He grinned, and then began to sprint toward the building. He slowed down his pace as he neared the doors. He entered inside, making his way over the counter. He found an Earthbound woman sitting on a chair behind the desk. She smiles as she saw Rodan.
"Can I help you?" asked the woman.
"Yeah, I'm here to see a couple of patients by the name, Angirasu Riku and Gojira Takeshi. May I see them?" asked Rodan.
"Unfortunately, Mr. Takeshi is resting right now. He had a bit of an episode earlier with another visitor."
"Oh? Is he alright?" asked Rodan in concern.
"He's fine; he just has a fever right now. The hospital wants to keep him in a little longer."
"Oh. Well, can I see Angirasu?" asked Rodan.
Certainly, he's in room A38!" said the woman. Rodan smiled in response.
"Thanks!" Rodan made his way down the hall his expression turned serious. 'Gojira has a fever? That's not good.'



"Hey bro! How are you doing?" asked Rodan. He was inside of the room where Angirasu laid in bed. He lightly smiled at the crimson haired boy.
"Hey. I kinda feel like crap right now." replied Angirasu. Rodan chuckled in response.
"Yeah, sorry about that. When Dash told me that you guys were in the hospital, I thought something was off. So, I brought these as a precaution." Rodan reached into his knapsack and pulled out a bottle of water. Angirasu raised a brow in confusion. Rodan tosses the bottle to him, which Angirasu nearly dropped.
"It's warm. Wait, is this...?"
"Yep! Water from the hot springs! I don't know if it'll work if you drink it from a water bottle but this seemed like a good opportunity to find out." smiled Rodan. Angirasu placed his hand on the cap and twisted it off. He took a sip of the warm liquid, feeling it travel through his body. He began to chug the water down, taking in as much as he could. He sighed, wiping his lips from the water droplets.
"I think we can. But it was only a little." said Angirasu.
"What happened, man? How did you two end up here?" asked Rodan, curiously. Angirasu groaned in response.
"That asshole, Discord. He sucked away most of our energy and we were forced to fight the mantises." explained Angirasu.
"That would explain it. Well, that should keep you alive and help you recover a bit until you can leave." said Rodan.
"Did you see Gojira yet?" asked Angirasu. Rodan shook his head.
"No, they said that he was resting." said Rodan. He then looks to him with a serious expression. "He has a fever."
"Wait, what?! That's not good!" exclaimed Angirasu.
"I think he had less energy than you did when you were admitted here. He's gonna need more spring water if he's gonna fight off that fever. If not, then his mutated immune system will give up and well... Sayonara, Gojira." said Rodan grimly.
"How much did you bring?" asked Angirasu. Rodan looked in his knapsack.
"I brought four. Two bottles for each of you. You already had one of the four." answered Rodan.
"Give him the other three. He's gonna need them more than me." said Angirasu.
"But how am I gonna get in? They might not let me!"
"Use what Mosura taught you! You know be ninja-like! This is a good opportunity to use your stealth."



Junior lied in bed with a thermometer in his mouth, his body sweating. He had just woken up from his sleep, and felt terrible. His body was burning and he was also shivering. Headaches assaulted him and his muscles ached. He was even dehydrated.
"Water." called Junior. Nurse Redheart walked over to him and pulled the thermometer from his mouth.
"Yep, you definitely aren't going anywhere, mister." said Redheart. She then caught Junior smiling at her. She raised a brow at him.
"Am I hallucinating or is the pretty nurse actually a beautiful angel?" asked Junior. Redheart's cheeks flushed.
"I think that you may be just hallucinating, Mr. Takeshi." said Redheart. Junior lightly chuckled in response.
"You could have fooled me, nurse. I'm seeing lights around you." said Junior. Redheart smiled in response.
"I'll go get you some water." she then took off out of the room, leaving Junior by himself. He sighed as his illness continued to torture him.
"I think I'm gonna die." said Junior. He has never gotten sick before, but he felt that was because Discord drained him of his energy. That must mean that enough was gone for his immune system to be weak to protect him and now it was trying to fight off the fever. Without energy, he wasn't going to make it. He suddenly heard a creak to his left. He turned his head and saw Rodan with a knapsack and climbing down the window.
"Oh, hey. You're just in time to see me off to the next life." said Junior. Rodan sighed in response.
"Dude, don't go all emo on me now. You may be able to get away with that with the girls, but not with me. Your ass is going to survive!" said Rodan. He then reached into his knapsack and pulled out three water bottles.
"But, the nurse is already bringing me water." said Junior. Rodan glared at him. He then opened one of the water bottles and held it toward his face.
"I had to scale the building without being seen just to find you. Now shut up and drink the damn spring water." said Rodan. Junior's eyes widened as he mentioned the spring water.
"Ah to hell with it! I'm too damn thirsty to wait anyway!" He snatched the water bottle and began to chug it down. He felt the water beginning to slightly rehydrate him and the geothermal energy from the hotspring water being absorbed into his blood. He panted after he finished the bottle.
"Damn dude, you were thirsty." said Rodan.
"I still am! Please give me the rest!" Rodan handed Junior the other two water bottles. He opened them both and began to chug one of them down. After he finished that one, he chugged the other one down. He sighed in relief.
"How are you feeling?" asked Rodan.
"A little better. I'm still a bit thirsty and I still feel sick. I think I got some energy from the water at least."
"Good. That should keep your immune system going until I can bring more for you guys." said Rodan. The door suddenly opens revealing Redheart with a bottle of water in her hand. She then looks disapprovingly at Rodan, who tittered at her gaze.
"Excuse me sir, but you will have to leave. No visitors for the patient right now." said the Redheart as she crossed her arms.
"Oh, yeah! Sorry, I just heard that my friend was in the hospital and I just had to see how he was. He's helpless without me." said Rodan.
"Am not!" glared Junior.
"You hush, young man!" glared Rodan. Junior raised a brow.
"Dude, I'm a year older than you!" retorted Junior. Rodan quickly placed the water bottles in his knapsack, and then walked over toward the nurse.
"You are a very lovely lady? You have a boyfriend?" asked Rodan.
"Um...no." answered Redheart. She had a light blush on her face, but her expression was showed that she wasn't interested.
"Oh? Well I think you would make an awesome girlfriend. Anyway, please take care of my friend." said Rodan. He then made his way outside of the room and walked down the hall.
'Gojira, you lucky bastard.' thought Rodan.



Battra walked the halls of a large room. The walls were metallic and the room was cold and dark. A few other figures trailed behind him in the shadows. Battra and his followers made their way into a dimly lit room where several others stood. At the end of the room was Destoroyah, sitting on a pile of rubble with his eyes shut. Battra continued on with the figures behind him. After he reached the space in front of Destoroyah, he got on his right knee and bowed before him.
"Sensei, Kamacuras is here to see you." said Battra. Destoroyah opened his eyes, revealing the ominous glow of yellow. Behind Battra were a couple of mantises and three members of Destoroyah's group. He watches the pair of mantises and raises a brow.
"What brings you here to my domain?" asked Destoroyah. Kamacurasu kneels before Destoroyah and bows.
"Our group is starving. We can't support ourselves off of the land and we have lost our best warriors. I come here before you to ask for your help." said Kamacuras. Destoroyah smirked in response.
"My group has no time to help feed yours. We are soldiers, not scavengers." said Destoroyah.
"Please, I'm begging you! MONARCH has taken control over most settlements of Equestria!" said Kamacuras. A shadowed figure stepped next to Destoroyah and glared at the Kamacuras.
"Lower your tone when you speak to Lord Destoroyah!" said the figure.
"Calm down. Our guest is just distressed." said Destoroyah. The figure folded his arms in response. Destoroyah then refocuses his attention on Kamacuras. "There is a way where we can help each other."
"Anything! We're desperate!" cried Kamacuras. Destoroyah grinned in response, revealing his razor sharp teeth.
"You will pledge your allegiance to my group, and we will become one. If you accept my terms, then you and your members will assist us in our war and we will shelter and feed you." said Destoroyah. Kamacuras's wings flapped for a brief second in surprise. He then looks over to the mantis that was with him.
"We don't need to be in a war. We already have to worry about MONARCH and their superior technology!" exclaimed the mantis. Destoroyah glared at the mantis.
"You are already in this war whether you want to or not. You're just not fighting. If you do nothing, MONARCH will eventually find you and eliminate you all." said Destoroyah. He then stands from his seat on the rubble. He then walks over toward Kamacuras, having a few inches over him. "Think of your group. Think of their survival."
"Yes. Their survival." said Kamacuras. He then bows his head, contemplating. He then lifts back up and looks to Destoroyah. "We will fight along with you."
"Excellent." smiled Destoroyah. He then extends his arm and shakes Kamacuras's humanoid hand.
"Thank you. We will leave and return with the rest of our group." said Kamacuras. He and the other mantis were escorted by two figures out of the room. Battra remained silent, he then turned to Destoroyah. The larger Transmutant noticed his gaze.
"Is something wrong?" asked Destoroyah.
"He told me that the Transmutants that he sent to gather food were killed by a few other Transmutants." said Battra. Destoroyah raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
"Before he died, one of his men said that they were stopped by a charcoal grey haired young male and three other young ones." said Battra, his brows furrowed.
"Gojira..." chuckled Destoroyah. He then walks back to the rubble and takes a seat. "You know where he is hiding, correct?"
"Hai. He and my sister are cowering in Equestria.  They are in a small settlement outside of Canterlot." replied Battra. Destoroyah smiled darkly.
"No doubt that MONARCH will have its forces stationed near the town." said Destoroyah. He then sighs as he placed his hand over his head. "That boy has already made his decision. But, I'm going to give him one more chance."
"What do you mean?"
"We will show him that the humans will never accept him. We will break him and crush his spirit." said Destoroyah.
"When will we begin?" asked Battra. Destoroyah grinned.
"Patience, my student. We will act soon."




Ponyville, Equestria. The next day...

In the woods, the sun scarcely breached the leaves. Only small fractions of sunlight made it through. The sun shone brightly in the sky, with few clouds in the sky.
"We're on our own." said a young woman Neighponese Earthbound woman. She stood at 5 foot 7, with a dark purple hoodie sweater. Her red eyes glared at the town ahead. She wore black boots and purple leggings. Her hair was short and was colored dark purple with gold highlights. She stood as a tan Earthbound man that appeared in his 30s sat in the dirt. He wore a tank top and jeans. The woman turned to the man who remained silent.
"Well?" asked the woman. The man looked to her with a raised brow.
"Well what? It's not like we can do anything about it." replied the man in a deep voice. The woman groaned in response.
"Mukade, you're useless!"
"Hey, I'm just a bruiser. You're the queen of buzzing parasites that feeds off of everyone's energy! We're scavengers, not planners!" glared Mukade. The woman glared back. She then huffed and stomped off.
"Megaguirus, where are you going?" asked Mukade.
"Shut up! I'm going off to explore the town." said the woman. Mukade shook his head in annoyance.
"Women." muttered Mukade. He then stood and made his way over toward one of the fallen trees. He began to chip away at the wood and piling it up as logs. "Better make a shelter while there's daylight."
Megaguirus stomped across town with an angry look. She comes all the way to this little town to help gather food for their group. Then, they get themselves killed and now she was confused as to what would happen to her remaining allies. She kept walking, and then a pleasant scent assaulted her nose. She stopped, and then began to sniff the air. She smelled energy from a Transmutant. However, the smell wasn't anything like the others. It was faint, meaning that the Transmutant had to be low on energy. She sighed in disappointment. This could have been potentially someone who could have helped. The woman continued on through the town, exploring the settlement.



Junior lied in bed with Rodan, Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Fluttershy sitting at his side. He sniffed as mucus ran out of his nose. Fluttershy handed him a box of tissues.
"Thanks shy." said Junior as he took the tissue. He then began to blow into it.
"Wow, did those Transmutants get you sick or something?" asked Rainbow.
"I don't think so. Angirasu isn't sick. I might have eaten something that gave me a virus." lied Junior. Well, it wasn't a total lie. He might have rushed eating his breakfast when it wasn't finished cooking when Rodan told him that something odd was going on at the Apple Orchard before the whole Discord incident. In hindsight, that's a dumbass decision on its own. But, Junior wasn't worried about getting sick from eating fish that wasn't done cooking. Hell, he's done it before since he was mutated and he turned out fine. Sure the fish wasn't as good when it was raw but he didn't get sick.
"How's the hospital food?" asked Rodan. Junior groaned.
"It's garbage. I'm tempted to eat my pillow instead." said Junior. Applejack chuckled in response.
"Well, next time I visit, I'll sneak ya some of Granny's apple pie." winked Applejack. Junior smiled in response.
"Thank you."
"Um...Goji?" called Fluttershy. Junior turned to her. She was fidgeting in her seat. “Do you really eat meat?"
"Um...Yeah?" answered Junior. He then noticed Fluttershy slight frown.
"Hey now, you have to understand that eating meat is pretty much hardwired into me. I was born and raised in Neighpon. An island where fish is a major commodity for us." said Junior. He then gives her a reassuring smile. "I promise not to eat your animals."
"I-I wasn't thinking that!" exclaimed Fluttershy. Applejack then eyed her.
"Liar." said Applejack. Fluttershy slumped her head in shame.
"Don't worry about it, Shy. I prefer fish from the Everfree." said Junior. The girls all looked at him in surprise.
"What?"
"Why would you go there for fish?" asked Rainbow, incredulously.
"Because...salmon is really good? Plus, there aren’t any places that serve it here."
"I hope that ya at least bring something to protect yourself from them Manticores and Timberwolves." said Applejack. Junior shrugged in response.
"Meh. I think I made it clear who is king of the forest." said Junior. Rainbow crossed her arms with a smirk on her face.
"Yeah? How so?"
"Sorry, that's a family secret." said Junior. Rainbow groaned in annoyance. Rodan opened his knapsack and gave Junior a water bottle. Junior removed the cap and began to drink the warm liquid. Rainbow then looked at him curiously.
"Hey, Goji, what kind of girls do you like?" asked Rainbow. Junior's eyes widened in shock when he heard that question. He then choked on the water and began to cough furiously. Fluttershy gasped in shock and began to pat him on his back. Rodan cringed as he heard that question. It felt bad knowing that the chances of getting a girl were impossible due to being a freak that everyone hates. Applejack was stifling her laughter while Rainbow held no such reservation.
"Oops, sorry dude."
"Wh-what does that matter?" stuttered Junior after he settled down.
"Just a question." replied Rainbow. Junior sighed in response.
"Well, I like nice girls. Ones that like to be friendly and whom actually like someone for who they are. Not because they look nice or have money." answered Junior. He then thought back. "Actually, I never gave it a whole lot of thought until I got older. I guess I just spent so much time in a place where girls were either snooty or afraid of me that I just didn't care to have a relationship."
"Did you ever have a crush on a girl?" asked Rodan, curiously. Junior thought back again.
"Once. It was a long time ago in Canterlot. She was a student at Celestia's School for Gifted Elves." answered Junior. Applejack's curiosity peaked.
"What was her name?" asked Applejack.
"It was...Ah, I can't remember. Sun something. I remember that she was an Elf and had long hair that was red with yellow stripes." said Junior. He then sighed in disappointment. "Unfortunately, she disappeared one day. I never actually hung out with her. I saw her around with Celestia and met her in person a couple of times."
"That sucks dude." said Rainbow. Applejack then nudged her shoulder and shot her a glare.
"You're telling me?" asked Junior. He then sighed as he looked up at the ceiling. Fluttershy frowned as she saw Junior's disappointed look. "I'm not mad about it. Besides, she was a little too old for me anyways. For some reason, the other Elves never really liked her. She might have been mean. I guess she may not have been the right girl anyway."
"I think it’s nice that you'd rather meet a girl that likes you for who you are." smiled Fluttershy. Rainbow then had a sly grin.
"Care to be that nice girl, Flutters?" asked Rainbow. Fluttershy blushed furiously.
"Oh...um...I uh..." Fluttershy stumbled on her words. She looked to Junior who remained with his head on the pillow, his expression not changing.
"I...I like you Goji. I really do. I...I even had a crush on you for a while." admitted Fluttershy, a bright blush on her face. Junior rose out of bed, a surprised look on his face.
"You did?" asked Junior. He...he wasn't expecting her to ever have that kind of liking towards him.
"Wait, 'Had'? What changed?" asked Rainbow. Fluttershy twiddled her fingers.
"We-well, I thought Goji wasn't interested in me, so I gave up. Then, I kinda took a liking to Angirasu. He has a big heart and is gentle and courageous. I also kind of like guys that are good with children." giggled Fluttershy with a blush. She then noticed that Junior was looking down at his hands.
“Th-that’s not to say that you don’t have those qualities! In fact, some of those were why I-“stuttered Fluttershy.
“No, I get it. You said it yourself, I didn’t seem interested.” said Junior. Fluttershy frowned.
"This...doesn't change our friendship does it?" asked Fluttershy, worriedly. Junior gave her a sad smile.
"Of course not. I just feel bad for not realizing that you liked me that way." said Junior. He then sighed.
"Yep, you're a mighty bit clueless, partner." said Applejack.
"Oh. Well, if you did, what would you have said?" asked Fluttershy. Junior thought for a moment.
"I don't know. I might have returned those feelings." answered Junior. Fluttershy had a light smile. Junior then looked to her with a serious expression. "But Shy, I don't think that I'm the right person for you. You deserve better than me."
"But...why would you think that?" asked Fluttershy. She began to see sadness in his eyes.
"I'm just...not." said Junior. Fluttershy frowned in response.
"I...I think I understand. But, promise me something, Goji." Junior then looks back at Fluttershy who stared at him with intense eyes. "Promise me that you won't let it keep you from loving someone."
"Shy..."
"No! Promise me, Goji!" said Fluttershy. Junior recoiled at her sharp tone. He then sighed in response.
"I promise." said Junior. Fluttershy gave him a bright smile.
> Chapter 15
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Two weeks later...

It was early afternoon in Ponyville. The sky was cloudless, the sun was hot, and the air was cooling. Junior, Rodan and Angirasu stood in the Everfree forest alone. They wore their training kimonos, all staring each other down. They immediately got into a fighting stance, locking eyes with one another. The air was quiet, with only the sounds of birds, the wind moving through the leaves, and the breathing of the Transmutants. Suddenly, they all dashed toward each other. Rodan leaped and kicked both Junior and Angirasu in their chest. Both fell back, grunting in pain. Junior growled as he stood up back up, slamming his fist on the ground. He then charges toward Rodan, sending punches toward the smaller Transmutant. Rodan dodged every single punch, and then roundhouse kicked Junior in the head. Junior staggered back from the kick, while Angirasu grabbed Rodan and tossed him over toward a tree. Rodan collides with the tree, and then climbs up it as Angirasu reared his fist and hurled a punch. His punch missed, sending a hole in the tree.
"Too slow!" said Rodan, with a cocky grin. As Angirasu was about to leap onto the tree, he was punched by Junior. He staggers back and charges back at him. The two engaged in a series of punches and kicks, grunting after every strike. Junior sends an uppercut toward Angirasu, sending him five feet away. Junior then turns and glares at Rodan. Rodan chuckles as he leaps off of the tree and lands on Angirasu's chest. He then broke off into a sprint with Junior in pursuit. Rodan runs over to another tree and runs up along it. He then leaps back off of the tree, over Junior. Rodan's leg was suddenly caught by Junior and was swung toward the ground. Junior then picks Rodan off of the floor and tosses him at Angirasu as he was charging toward them. Angirasu slides, avoiding collision with Rodan. He then gets back on his feet and sprints toward Junior. He knees him in the gut and tackles him to the ground. He assaults Junior with punches to his face, while Junior raises his arms to block the punches. Rodan then wraps his arm around Angirasu's neck, putting him in a sleeper hold. Angirasu staggered back as he tried to pry the crimson haired boy off. Junior stands to his feet and then tackles both of the Transmutants, all falling to the ground.




5 minutes later...

Junior, Angirasu and Rodan all laid scattered on the ground, panting. Rodan then looks over to the other two, still panting.
"So, who was supposed to clean the dojo tomorrow again?" asked Rodan.
"You were. You went down first." answered Angirasu. Rodan moaned in disappointment.
"This blows." said Rodan. Junior sighed in response.
"I'll help you if you help me dust and clean the weapons and my dad's armor in the armory." said Junior. Rodan then looks to him in a questioning manner.
"I don't see why you didn't just leave his armor at your house." said Rodan.
"If I did, someone would have seen it and question where I got it from. I would have to fess up on how I was able to bring it back alone. I never told anyone that Mosura came to Neighpon with me." said Junior.
"Good point." replied Rodan, slumping his head back on the grass. Suddenly, high pitched screams echoed in the forest. The three Transmutants immediately shot up, searching their surroundings.
"The hell was that?" asked Rodan.
"I think that was Applebloom!" exclaimed Junior. He immediately stands and breaks off into a sprint, deeper in the forest. Angirasu and Rodan stood and followed Junior. The trio ran, passing many trees and bushes. They began to pick up a grotesque smell as they continued on. The screams were beginning to grow louder. The three of them made their way past a bush finding three young girls that Junior recognized to be Applebloom and her friends, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. The girls were surrounded by a pack of wolf-like creatures made out of wood and leaves with glowing green eyes. They stood at the same height as the girls
"Timberwolves." scowled Junior. He then looked to both Angirasu and Rodan. "I read that these things can easily be stopped but will combine if killed at once. I strike first. You two strike the other two while they are focused on me."
"Roger that." grinned Rodan.
"Let’s do it." said Angirasu. Junior nodded to them. He turns and faced the wooden creatures as they snarled at the girls. They were backed up to a tree, huddled in fear. Junior growls as he dashed toward the closest Timberwolf. Out of his peripheral vision, he notices something hurdling toward him. It was a fourth Timberwolf! The wooden creature barked as it lunged at Junior, tackling him to the ground. The wolf snapped its wooden mouth and teeth at him, attempting to maul the Transmutant. Junior grunted and yelled in anger as he shoved the wolf off of him. The creature bared its wooden teeth and snarled at him as it paced around for an attack. The other three Timberwolves turned their attention toward Junior, and then began growling at him. They made their way over to him, barking at him as they dared him to make a move. Junior eyed each wolf, watching their movement.
"New plan guys. Attack!" shouted Junior. One of the wolves lunged at him, but was met with Junior's fist. The wooden beast's head shattered into tiny bits of wood. His hand was covered in green sticky sap. Angirasu and Rodan dashed out from hiding engaging one Timberwolf each. Angirasu caught one of the Timberwolves and wrapped his arm around its neck. It snapped at him, kicked its paws and whined as it tried to free itself. Angirasu jerked his arm in a quick motion and snapped the wooden monster's neck, causing it to shatter into wooden bits in his grip. Rodan dodges one of the Timberwolves as it lunged at him. He hopped on its back and forced it to the ground. Rodan then grabbed the upper and lower jaw of the creature's mouth and snapped them in half. The last standing Timberwolf was smaller than the rest. It backed up barking at the three Transmutants. Junior turns and sends a glare that stared into the Timberwolf's soul. It immediately stops barking and cowers back with its ears drooping back. Junior stood to his feet and takes a few steps closer to the Timberwolf with his glare intensifying. He bares his teeth at it, and then lets out a loud yell that scared the girls out their wits. The Timberwolf whines as it breaks off into a sprint away from the Transmutant. Junior sighed in relief. He finds the girls staring at him with wide eyes, filled with awe. He was going to speak to them when he suddenly remembered something.
"Come on, we need to leave now!" said Junior, urgently.
"Wait, why?" asked Scootaloo with a raised brow. Junior immediately picks up Applebloom and holds her by his side.
"Hey! Put me down!" demanded Applebloom.
"No time to explain!" said Junior. Rodan runs and picks Sweetie Belle up and puts her on his back. Angirasu picks up Scootaloo and holds her by his side and then notices that the dead Timberwolves were beginning to glow.
"We gotta go!" shouted Angirasu. The three carried the girls away from the area, their ears assaulted with protests. A mighty roar echoed in the forest, immediately silencing the girls. They turned their heads and found a massive Timberwolf standing among the trees. It gave a long roar into the sky, sending chills down their spines.
"Never mind, keep running!" said Sweetie Belle, urgently.




Later...

"What were you three doing in the Everfree?" demanded Junior. He stood with his arms crossed and a look of disapproval on his face. He stood in front of Sweetie Belle, Applebloom and Scootaloo. They sat on the grass looking down at the ground in shame. Scootaloo then looks up to him with curiosity.
"What were you three doing in the forest?" asked Scootaloo. Junior's brow twitched in annoyance.
"You don't get to ask questions. I'm the only one who gets to interrogate anyone here." said Junior.
"OK, OK. We were just trying to find a way that we could earn our Cutie marks." admitted Sweetie Belle. Junior raised a brow.
"In the Everfree?" asked Junior, quizzically.
"We were trying to see if we could earn Cutie marks by being exotic bug catchers." said Applebloom. Rodan and Angirasu sat and watch Junior play the role as a scolding adult. He seemed to be doing a good job at it.
"What's with you girls trying to find your Cutie marks together like it’s a mission?" asked Rodan.
"Because..." Applebloom answered, she and the other two took a deep breath. "We're the Cutie Mark Crusaders!" The girls said in unison with high volume.
"The what now?" asked Rodan as he dug into his ear, clearing it of its disorientation.
"It’s a club that they formed to get their Cutie marks. Applejack was telling me about that the other day." answered Junior as he pinched the bridge of his nose. Angirasu looked to the girls curiously.
"So, you kids haven't gotten your Cutie marks yet?" asked Angirasu.
"No." the girls said in unison, dejectedly. Rodan rolled his eyes.
"What's the big deal? I hear you're not supposed to force it."
"We're the only ones in school that doesn't have one!" complained Sweetie Belle.
"So? What is it with kids and their obsession to earn Cutie marks so early? I never understood that." said Junior. The girls looked at him with shocked expressions, as if he had just spoken of heresy.
"Whoa! Whoa! You just hold on a second, bub!" glared Scootaloo. Junior smirked in response. Angirasu sighed.
"Don't mind, Goji. If it makes you girls feel better, he doesn't have a Cutie mark either." said Angirasu. The girls all looked at him with surprised expressions, and then looked to Junior with sympathy.
"Nope! I don’t care about not having a mark." said Junior as he rolled up his shirt's right sleeve, exposing a bare shoulder.
"But, how can you not have one?! You're so old!" asked an appalled Scootaloo. She was then nudged by Sweetie Belle, who sent her a disapproving glare. Junior's brow twitched in offense. Rodan was laughing at Junior's flustered state.
"That's a rude thing to say." scolded Sweetie Belle.
"Yeah, don't make it sound like I'm 60 years old!" said Junior. Rodan was still laughing. Junior shot him a glare, shutting the crimson haired boy up.
"Gojira, how come ya still don't have a Cutie mark?" asked Applebloom. Junior sighed as he took a seat in the grass.
"Well, the thing is that it has nothing to do with me not finding my special talent." said Junior. The girls sat closer, eager to hear his explanation. "The fact of the matter is that I will never have a Cutie Mark."
"What?!" exclaimed the girls. Junior nodded.
"Yep. It’s beyond my control girls." Junior said nonchalantly.
"How come?" asked Applebloom.
"Well, the root of what you girls would consider a great dilemma is traced far back into my ancestry." said Junior. Scootaloo sighed in response.
"Oh great, another person's long story." said Scootaloo. Junior raised a brow curiously at what the young Valkyrie meant.
"Don't listen to her. Please continue with your story, Mr. Takeshi." said Sweetie Belle. Junior smiled at the girl's courtesy.
"Thank you. Just call me Gojira though." said Junior. He then cleared his throat. "Anyway, my bloodline is linked to a tribe of ancient Earthbounds that lacked the ability that most Earthbounds commonly have. Like, being able to have magic to help plants grow, better interaction with animals, and lacking the same amount of strength that the average Earthbound has, etc."
"But, you seem to interact just fine with Winona and our pony back at the farm." said Applebloom.
"You're also really strong! Rarity once said that you fought Nightmare Moon and a Manticore!" interjected Sweetie Belle.
"Don't forget those Praying Mantis monster things!" grinned Scootaloo.
"Well, the thing about those things is that I had to try harder to get Winona and your pony to warm up to me. Winona didn't like me at the first few days, but I think I grew on her." answered Junior. He was gonna have to lie again for the other things. "Also, I actually had to work harder than most Earthbounds to get as strong as I am now. Manticores are just animals and are vulnerable. Nightmare Moon, I guess I just got lucky."
"Angirasu actually had to help Goji to fight those mantises." interjected Rodan.
"Wow, really?!" exclaimed Scootaloo. Angirasu went stiff.
"Um...Yeah! I mean, those guys were actually not very strong. They seemed to be more dangerous in a group." answered Angirasu. The girls made 'oh' sounds in awe.
"So, you can't ever have a Cutie mark because your ancestry doesn't have Earthbound magic?" asked Sweetie. Junior nodded in approval.
"That's right."
"That's so lame!" said Scootaloo in an exasperated tone.
"Oh, come on. It's not so bad." said Junior. An idea then formed in his head. "You know, Rodan and Angirasu here don't have Cutie marks either."
"They don't?!" exclaimed the girls.
"Nope." the two other Transmutants answered in unison, rolling up their sleeves and exposing their bare shoulders. Angirasu had a scar over it from when he was bitten by one of the mantises.
"Funny how you never noticed. People usually have some of their clothes marked with a depiction of their Cutie marks. Some people don't care to show them off of their skin since they are located on your shoulder. We never had clothes that depicted a Cutie mark." said Junior. He then gestures toward the Transmutants. "We aren't ashamed to lack a Cutie mark. We don't let that deter us from enjoying our days. We may never have a Cutie mark for as long as we live, but you girls are fortunate to be able to. Just have patience."
"Wise words. Are you sure you aren't 60 years old?" asked Rodan. The girls giggled.
"Shut up! You don't have to be that old to have some wisdom." said Junior. He then looks at the girls who sat contemplating his words.
"Can we at least keep our club together and still search for our Cutie marks?" asked Scootaloo. Junior face palmed in response.
"Did you not hear what I just said?!" asked Junior, incredulously.
"Yeah, but it’s exciting that we can search for ways to earn them!" replied Sweetie Belle.
"That's what nearly got you girls eaten in the first place." deadpanned Rodan.
"Speaking of which, I still need to let your sisters know what you two were up to. I'll have to tell your parents though Scootaloo, since I don't know if you have any older siblings." said Junior. The girls all had slack jawed expressions.
"Aw, come on!" complained Scootaloo.
"Don't tell them, Goji!" begged Applebloom.
"Yeah! My sister will flip if she found out that I was in the Everfree forest!" said Sweetie Belle. Junior stood to his feet with his eyes shut.
"Sorry girls. You have to take responsibility for your actions." said Junior. He then felt a hand placed on his shoulder. He turned and found Angirasu looking to him with a smile.
"Come on, cut them a break." said Angirasu.
"Yeah, G! Don't be a snitch. You got into trouble when you were younger too!" said Rodan. Junior sent him a glare.
"I got into fights. I didn't try to go into dangerous places for a silly reason such as trying to get a Cutie mark. Don't compare what I went through to what they did." said Junior,
"I'm sure that they learned their lesson. It wouldn't hurt just to let them off the hook this one time." reasoned Angirasu. Junior groaned in frustration. He then notices the girls were all staring up at him with big puppy dog eyes. His eye twitched as he saw them plead to him. He sighs in defeat.
"Fine. But just this once!" said Junior. The girls cheered in response. Angirasu patted him on the back in approval.
"You're too soft on children." deadpanned Junior. Angirasu chuckled.
"Hey, they're just kids." retorted Angirasu.



"I can smell it. This Transmutant's energy just smells appetizing." sighed Megaguirus. Mukade was busy sitting down and tying a couple of dead, skinned squirrels to a stick. A fire pit that he had made was burning with fire.
"Down girl." said Mukade. Megaguirus glares at him.
"I am not a dog!"
"Just keep yourself under control. By the way, we're having squirrels for lunch." said Mukade as he finished tying the rodents to the stick. Megaguirus sighed as she sat down.
"I hate this." pouted Megaguirus.
"At least we have food to eat." replied Mukade, growing annoyed.
"Yeah, but we have to live and sleep out here in the cold! At least we had old houses to live in back at the camp!" yelled Megaguirus.
"It’s not that bad. You're being dramatic." replied Mukade. He placed the stick of squirrels over the pit. Megaguirus huffed in response. She stood as she continued to smell the scent of the Transmutant. The scent was just too desirable to resist. She hadn't been able to consume energy in months and unlike other Transmutants, her body burns energy much quicker than others.
"I'm going to take a walk." said Megaguirus as she began to walk away. Mukade turns to find her leaving.
"Remember to keep your scent masked. Those Transmutants could be lurking." reminded Mukade.
"I know. I know."




Later...

Junior sat in the Golden Oaks library with Twilight. Both were looking over a pile of books that sat on the ground. They all ranged from novels to science books and horror stories. Twilight looked to him curiously.
"Soooo are these for you?" asked Twilight.
"No, Rodan wanted me pick him up another novel on Daring Do and a few horror stories. He said that he wanted to see if he could make up his own scary stories." answered Junior. He then picks up a science textbook on medicines. "Mosura wanted to look up some stuff on medical science."
"What about Angirasu?" asked Twilight.
"He said that he didn't really care for a book. But, he did say that he would think about it." said Junior. He then finds a cover that catches his eye. He picks up the book with a raised brow. The cover depicted two pale hands holding a red apple. "What is this about?"
"Don't read that. It’s an awful book." said Twilight. She shivered as she recalled the awful thing that the writer called literature.
"I'll take your word on it." said Junior as he puts the book down.
"Well, if Mosura wants to look up a few things on medicine, then I have a few books that she may like! I'll be right back." Twilight stood to her feet and left the main room of the library. Junior watched as Twilight walked away, lightly smiling.
'She's short, smart, and cute. I just want to take that little nerd in my arms and squeeze her.' thought Junior. He then mentally slaps himself.
"Whoa, where did that come from?" muttered Junior with a light blush. It's been a few days since Junior was released from the hospital. He fought off his fever and was able to return home. He later bathed in the hot springs for hours to regain his lost energy, which he enthusiastically enjoyed.  Junior also started to noticed something that eluded his mind before.  He was spending a little more time with Twilight lately. At first, they spent time hanging out to eat or to talk. Junior had even taken up the time to help her with organizing her library. She had such a complex way of organizing books that it was difficult to assist her, though he didn't mind as he liked spending time with her. During their conversations, he saw how she enjoyed showing off her knowledge. He knew that she was smart, but he never realized just how vast her intelligence was. The best part about it was how she wasn't condescending when it came to her intelligence, something that earned his admiration. She has treated him with respect and was shown to be understanding towards him, especially for his mistakes. Lately, he's felt his heart race as he was around her. It was a feeling that he thought was long since extinguished. The feeling frightened him as he came to a realization.
'No. No. It's probably just heart burn or something. There's no way...' thought Junior, trying to rationalize whey he was feeling the way he was. Deep down, he knew what he was feeling.
Junior sighed to himself. He suddenly heard the bell ring as the door to the entrance opened. He turned and found a young Haysian woman in a hooded sweater walk in. She looked around the library with a confused look on her face. She then looks and finds Junior sitting, a small smile on her face.
"Hey there!" said the woman. Junior stood up to his feet, giving a casual wave.
"Hello." greeted Junior. The woman walks in, searching her surroundings.
"...a tree as a library?" asked the woman. She then lightly laughs. "Doesn't seem very safe."
"The owner has her ways of making this place safe." said Junior. He then began to notice a scent emitting from the woman. It wasn't gross or anything. It was actually kinda nice.
"So, what's your name, handsome?" asked the woman as she fluttered her eyelashes. Junior went stiff, a light blush forming on his cheeks.
"Um...Gojira." answered Junior. The girl steps closer to him, looking him over. "And you are..."
"Megaguirus. Pleasure to meet you." said the woman. The close proximity increased the intake of her scent. Junior felt his head feeling a little light.
"Likewise." answered Junior. His heart beats were slowing down. 'Whoa. What the heck is happening?'
"You know, you look like a very strong guy. Do you work out?" asked Megaguirus as she began to run her hand on his shoulders. Junior felt that he should be stopping her, but he didn't. His motor skills were feeling a little slow.
"Sometimes." answered Junior. Megaguirus grinned as she saw the state that Junior was in.
"What are you being so shy for?" asked Megaguirus as she got closer to Junior.
"Shy? I-I'm not being shy!" retorted Junior.
"Oh? Well, than I guess you wouldn't mind giving me a tour around town. I'm kinda new and I would appreciate it if you -a big, strong man- can be my escort." said Megaguirus. She grabs Junior's arm and wraps her left arm around Junior's back. She brings him close to her face with her hand firmly pressed on his back. Junior was blushing furiously due to being he was too close to the woman and taking in her alluring scent.
"E-escort??" stuttered Junior.
"Mmhmm." winked Megaguirus. They two stood like this for several seconds. Junior shook his head as he tried to awaken himself from his dazed state.
"Sorry. I'm actually busy." said Junior. Megaguirus pouted.
"Oh come on! I promise I'll make it worth your while~" Megaguirus sang seductively. Junior's eyes widened.
"Worth my while?" asked Junior as he tried to pull away.
"Yes. You ever been with a woman?" asked Megagurius. Junior's eyes nearly bulged out as he heard her whisper into his ear. He had to draw the line. He tried to move away from this woman.
"Excuse me, I may look it, but I'm not that kind of guy." said Junior, shooting her a disapproving look. ’Geez, never thought I'd say that.'
"Are you sure?" asked Megaguirus. Suddenly, the two heard a feminine 'ahem'. Junior went stiff; he turned his head and found Twilight standing with a few books in her grip. Beads of sweat formed on his head as he saw the disapproving glare that she was giving them.
"Tw-Twilight, this isn't what you think!" said Junior as he pried Megaguirus off of him. Twilight sighed as she walked over to the pile books and set them on the floor next to the pile.
"May I help you?" asked Twilight. Megaguirus smiled in response.
"Oh, no! I just came by to take a look at the library. Now that I've seen it, I'll be on my way!" said Megaguirus. She made her way to the door, opening it. She then turns and winks at Junior, giving him a flirty smile.
"See ya around, Gojira~" Junior sent her a disapproving glare. She then steps out and closes the door, leaving Junior alone with Twilight. He slowly turns to find Twilight looking at him with disapproving eyes.
"What?" shrugged Junior. Twilight huffed in response.
"So, you're into those kind of girls?" asked Twilight.
"No! Absolutely not!" exclaimed Junior. Twilight crossed her arms as she looked away from him. This was no good.
"You seem to be since you let her throw herself all over you!" spat Twilight. Junior groaned in frustration.
"Twi, come on! She caught me off guard! It's not like I knew she was going to come onto me." retorted Junior. "Besides, other girls normally would be too afraid to approach me let alone want to flirt with me. I didn't know how to react!"
'I wasn't afraid to approach you...' thought Twilight, glumly. It annoyed her that he seemed to have forgotten their first meeting and how she treated him as a normal person. Twilight's face slightly softened. However, she refused to make eye contact with him.
"Twilight, why are so upset about this?" asked Junior. Twilight turns her head back to him and glares at him.
"Why? Because I-!" Twilight immediately stops herself. A bright blush appeared on her face.
"Because what?" asked Junior with a raised brow, completely oblivious to her state.
'Ugh! You clueless jerk!' thought Twilight. She then sighs in response. She didn't want him to know of her affection like this. "Because I think that you should be a little more resistant to girls that throw themselves over you like that."
"Oh. Yeah, I see what you mean. I'm sorry." apologized Junior. Twilight's face softened, she lost her glare.
"I...I guess I may have been a little too hard on you about it." said Twilight.
"So, are we cool?" asked Junior. Twilight smiles as she levitated the books that she brought out back into her grip.
"Yes." answered Twilight. She hands Junior the books, who took them with care. She sighed as she saw the mess of books.
"I'll help you reorganize." offered Junior.
"Thank you, I appreciate it!' grinned Twilight. Junior loved seeing that cute grin that she wore.
"Anything for a friend." said Junior as he placed the books back down and began to pick up the other books. Twilight lost her grin, replaced by a dejected look.
'Yeah...just friends. Our current status.' thought Twilight, sadly. She then thought back to what Rarity had said to her before.
'-if you want your relationship with him to go to the next level, I suggest that you make an effort at it.' Rarity's voice echoed in her mind. Twilight sighed as she thought back to those words.
'This isn't good enough! I have to make sure that he gets the hint! But how?'




MONARCH Delta base. Mech Testing Facility (MTF)
.
The Mech Testing Facility or MTF was a large building. Inside was a large metal walled room with concrete ground that was filled with stone pillars, obstacles, and metal walls with monstrous, black silhouettes painted on them with white targets on them. A window was on one of the walls, leading into a room filled with a small number of people and computers.
"What is the status on Kiryu?" asked a man in uniform.
"Kiryu is nearly ready, sir. We're in the middle of testing its motor skills and targeting system." answered an Elf man in a lab coat.
"Good. Hopefully we won't need it before its ready." answered the man. He stared through the window and witnessed MONARCH's latest mech in motion.
It stood at a height of thirteen foot tall on two large legs. It was covered in silver armor that gave it a large yet sleek look. Its optics were hidden behind glass that gave the mech glowing yellow eyes. Its mouth was boxed and a red light ran along down its snout. Rectangular teeth sat in its mouth and a pointed crest sat on its head. The arms of the mech were armored and had exposed parts in its armor where black wiring held it together. Its chest appeared like pectorals but had tiny gaps along it, allowing the chest to open up. The thighs of the mech are covered in thick plating and a plate for its knees. Wide feet supported the mech's stance, much like the Transmutant that it was based on. The back of the mech had three rows metal maple leaf shaped dorsal plates that ran all the way down its back and to its tail.  The mech stood erect, with its long tail extending down on the ground. The tail was covered in plating with gaps that exposed the wiring that allowed fluid movement.
Kiryu walked over toward a stone pillar that stood in the room. It stared at it, its eyes flashing for a brief second.
"Target has been locked on. Preparing to fire." said an Earthbound as he sat at a computer. The mech stood in the room, motionless.
"Target destroyed." said the Earthbound. The man in uniform raised a brow.
"What? No guns?"
"I said that we were testing motion and targeting. We hadn't installed the weapons yet. That was just a simulation." said the Elf. He then looks to the Earthbound. "OK, let’s have it lock onto multiple targets while in motion."
"Got it. Setting targets now."  said the Earthbound. In the simulation room, four poles extended out of the ground with metal circular plates attached. The poles circled around Kiryu on rails. The mech turned its head, scanning the poles and plates.
"Targets have been successfully painted. Preparing to fire." said the Earthbound. After a few seconds later, the poles stopped and shrunk down. "Targets eliminated."
"Now comes the fun part." said the Elf. He then looks toward an Earthbound woman who sat at a control console. "Manuel control on. Have Kiryu attack the stone pillars in the room."
The mech began to stomp over toward the closest pillar. It then reared its fist and punched the pillar, sending chunks of it to the ground. It then swung its other fist and began to punch the pillar repeatedly, causing it to collapse. Kiryu then charged toward the other pillar, slamming against it and causing it to collapse in to pieces.  The mech ran over toward a third pillar and swung its tail at the lower half of it. Kiryu continued to slam its tail against the pillar, causing it to crumble. After the pillar had fallen, Kiryu stopped.
"Damn." said the man in uniform in awe.
"And we're just getting started." grinned the Elf.




MONARCH base. several miles outside of  Ponyville, Equestria...

The base was large. It was built into the ground and was made of steal. Outside was a fence with two crow’s nest towers in the front and two in the back. The halls of the base were illuminated by small lights on the ceiling. Inside of a large room, was the female living quarters of MONARCH's soldiers. Gender segregation of the living quarters was required for every base. The room was filled with several rows of beds. A young Elf woman sat on one of the beds. Her hair was long and was colored crimson with yellow stripes. She had moderate cyan eyes that stared at her bare pale hands. She wore a black t-shirt that depicted a shimmering sun in the center and baggy, grey sweat pants that hugged her legs. She clenched her hands as she sat.
"Private Shimmer." called a male voice. The Elf jumps at the sound of the voice. She turns and finds a man with a scar over his eye in black uniform. "Your presence is needed in the debriefing room."
"Understood, sir." replied the Elf.
Shimmer made her way down the halls of the military base. Her footsteps echoed in the narrow halls as she walked. She turned and found a metal door that led to her destination. She turns the knob on the door and slowly opens it. Inside she sees ten other people sitting in metal folding chairs. A man in the front of the room looks toward her. Shimmer walks in and closes the door behind her as she made her way over to an empty seat.
"Now that we're all here, we may begin." said the man. "You all have been selected to move among the locals in this settlement. You will be watching out for any Transmutant activity and will tell us ahead of time. You will regroup to capture any Transmutant that you discover. MONARCH has chosen you all specifically for this mission because you're the best of the best. If a Transmutant continues to resist, you are allowed to terminate it."
"Sir!" the soldiers said in unison.
"Remember, if an incident such as an invasion were to occur, you are permitted to radio the base for reinforcements. You will be provided with civilian clothing to blend in the locals along with a few weapons to engage any Transmutant. Dismissed."



"Where have you been?" asked Mukade. He was eating a cooked squirrel. Megaguirus was walking over to their campsite.
"At the library." replied Megaguirus. She sits down as Mukade hands her the stick with the last cooked squirrel. She takes the stick and begins to remove the squirrel from it.
"Really? You seem to have an unusual scent on you." said Mukade, suspiciously. Megaguirus gives him a deadpan stare.
"Of course I do. I used my pheromones to mask my Transmutant scent." said Megaguirus.
"That's not what I'm talking about." said Mukade.
"Then what are you talking about?"
"You have a foreign scent on you. You went off to find one of the Transmutants didn't you?" asked Mukade. Megaguirus glared at him.
"So what if I have?!"
"Do you know how dumb and risky that is?! You can't just try and go around taking energy from other Transmutants! You'll be found out and our presence will be known!" scolded Mukade.
"You're being ridiculous! I was gonna kill him after I was through! He didn't suspect a thing. Besides, I didn't get the chance to even drain an ounce. Stupid librarian caught me before I could lead him outside. She might have been his girlfriend or something." said Megaguirus.
"Geez. You always have to seduce them to get what you want." sighed Mukade. Megaguirus huffs in response.
"Well, it works! He was just too uptight to even let his urges drive him."
"As if that's a bad thing." muttered Mukade. "Look, I still have some gems that contain nuclear radiation. You can use most of our rations if you’re that worried."
"I...really?" asked Megaguirus in disbelief.
"Yes. Just please shut up and stop trying to steal energy from the Transmutants around here." sighed Mukade. Megaguirus stares at him as he continued to eat. She gives him a warm smile.
"Thank you." said Megaguirus. Mukade looks to her and looks away.
"No problem, Meg."




Later that night...

Shimmer stood alone in front of the mirror. She had relocated to an apartment that was reserved for her, courtesy of MONARCH. She was ordered to stay here until her mission was done. Her house was small, just somewhere in the town. Her home was filled with a sofa, a kitchen nearby, a couple of bedrooms and bathroom just down the hall. She stood in her bedroom, on her bed laid hand guns and a sheathed enchanted sword. A radio box sat on her dresser, inactive. She wore a light crimson shirt that depicted her Cutie mark, the shimmering sun. A black leather jacket was over her shirt. She wore an orange skirt with light amber and a bright purple stripe and black boots that reached her calves. She looked herself in front of the mirror.
"Hmm. I guess this outfit is alright." said Shimmer. She then proceeded to undress herself, and replaced her clothes with a long sleeved purple pajama shirt and pants. She put her guns and sword away and then neatly folded her clothes and placed them in their respected drawers. She walked over to her closet and hung her leather jacket. As she was about to leave her closet, she noticed the MONARCH apparel that she wore for combat. She sighed as she stared at it.
"How did it all come down to this?" asked Shimmer. She closed her closet door and made her way over to the light switch, turning off the lights. She made her way over to her bed and slipped under the covers, laying her head against the soft pillow and waited to drift off to sleep.
Shimmer found herself in darkness. She searched frantically for light. She stood in a small circle of light that allowed her to see. Nothing was in sight of this abyss.
"He-hello?" called Shimmer, her voice echoing in the darkness.
"Sunset~" called a feminine voice. This voice sounded dark, demonic. It echoed in the darkness. Shimmer shuddered as she heard the voice. She felt something touch her shoulder. She yelps as she turns around. No one was behind her.
"Who's there?!" demanded Shimmer. The mysterious voice lets out a maniacal laugh, echoing in the darkness.
"Sunset, do you want to play? I know I do." said the voice.  Moderate cyan eyes with black sclera appeared in the darkness. The eyes got closer, a figure stepping into the light. It was female creature with brilliant crimson skin. Her teeth were sharp as she grinned at Sunset Shimmer. She stood at her height, with hair that resembled fire. On her back were bat-like crimson wings. The demon wore a ragged dress and stood on bare feet. Her hands had sharp claws. The demon stepped closer to the Elf, who backed in fear.
"No! Stay away from me!" cried Sunset. The demon grinned and grabs Sunset's hair.
"Ah!!" cried Sunset as her hair was pulled by the demon.
"Don't be like that, Sunny. I just want to hang out with you." pouted the demon. Sunset's eyes began to run with tears.
"No! Please, just leave me alone!" begged Sunset.
"Why not? Aren't you lonely?" asked the demon.
"No!" cried Sunset.
"LIAR!!" screamed the demon. The demon began to pull on Sunset's hair, causing the girl to cry out in pain. She then grabs her shoulder, causing Sunset's skin to smoke.
"Stop! Stop, it burns!" begged Sunset. The demon began to laugh maniacally. She then grabs Sunset's neck and lifts her into the air. A large flame appeared behind Sunset, bringing more light in the darkness. Sunset began to scream in terror as she felt the heat on her back.
"See ya!" said the demon. She then throws Sunset into the flame. She wailed in agony as the fire engulfed her entire body.
Sunset shot out of bed panting. Her head was drenched in sweat and her eyes were wide with fear. Her heart was pounding against her chest. She searches her surroundings, finding that she was back in her apartment. Outside of her window, the sky was dark. She sighed in relief, realizing that she only experienced a nightmare. She wipes the sweat from her forehead, laying her head back down on her pillow.
"It’s not fair. I only meant the best intentions." muttered Sunset.




Canterlot Equestria. 7 years ago...

In a large room were rows of chairs that elevated upward from the front row, to the back. Large windows allowed the bright sun to shine light into the room. Three Elves sat in the 2nd row of seats with clipboards and feather pens in their hands.
"Now Sunset Shimmer...for your final test you shall need to awe us. Give us the best you've got." said an Elf man. "We're looking forward if you can top your 'synchronized dancing cats' piece from last semester. That was a dazzler!" said an Elf woman with glasses.
"As Princess Celestia's own pupil, we expect big things today!" exclaimed another Elf woman. In the front of the room, stood Sunset Shimmer wearing a confident smile.
"Well, you'll certainly see that." said Sunset. She walks over toward a flower pot that sat on a table, her finger was engulfed in her magical aura as well as the soil. She began to whistle a tune as she stepped away from the pot. The Elves in the seats looked on in interest.
"Oh! Looks like she will be going to do a growth spell...Classic! But is it enough?" whispered the Elf man to his colleagues.
"Let's hope it turns out better than Juniper Berry's attempt." said the Elf woman with glasses.
"Gah! Get off of me!" cried a young Elf male in the room. He held a small tree that had a monstrous mouth. It was attempting to snap at him. Sunset stopped in tracks and shuts her eyes. She inhales deepy and exhales. She suddenly turns and shoots her finger forward, pointing toward the flower pot. A beam fired from her finger, engulfing the flower pit. A large plant began to sprout from the flower pot, steadily growing by the seconds. It then grew to be too large for the flower pot that it caused it shatter. It continued to grow, bursting through the roof. It grew to so large that it hung outside of the building and an appendage wrapped around a tower nearby. The Elves that witnessed her feat stared at the giant plant in awe, with the room that they were in was destroyed and had carried them outside.
"Bravo! Wonderful!" cheered the Elf that held the snapping tree. The Elves that were observing Sunset for her exam were cheering and praised her. Sunset smiled as she was praised.
"Thank you, thank you! It was nothing!"




The next day...

In Canterlot, it was the afternoon. Teenagers roamed the school grounds, leaving their last class for the day. Everyone was excited to get started on their weekend. Sunset Shimmer sat on the school grounds of Celestia's School for Gifted Elves. She wore a white button up, long sleeved shirt and a light, brilliant amber colored sleeveless sweater that depicted her Cutie mark over her left breast. Her lower body wore an orange skirt with black thigh highs and brown shoes. She sat on the grass, reading a book on new spells that she was assigned to study. She heard a few giggles out of the corner of her ear, which caused her to stop reading, turning to find a group of Elf girls sitting together at a bench giggling and conversing. Sunset was going to return to read, but hesitated. She places a book mark in her book and closes it. She stands up and makes her way over to the girls.
'Don't be nervous. Just act natural!' thought Sunset. A determined smile formed on her face. She steps over toward the girls, who stopped talking and giggling and look her way. Sunset went stiff.
"Um...Hi! I uh...I was wondering if I could join you girls." said Sunset. The girls gave her looks of disapproval and disgust.
"Yeah right! As if we'd want to hang out with you!" spat one of the girls.
“You’re just trying to hang out with us to make yourself look better in front of everyone, aren’t you? You think you’re better than us just because you’re the Princess’ pupil?” asked another girl.
"Get lost, teacher's pet!" shouted another one of the girls.
"Yeah, you skank!" said a third girl. Sunset's eyes began to water as she quickly turned and walked away. She continued on, picking her pace up into a sprint. Tears trailed down the girl's cheeks as she ran, sobs escaping her throat. She made her through the campus, passing through other students and a few staff members. Sunset ran all the way outside of the school and dashed all the way to the castle grounds. She passed several guards who looked to her in surprise. She ran through the halls of Canterlot and made her way to a door. She opens it and enters the room and slams it behind her.




Later...

Sunset lied on a bed inside of the room that she entered. She was living in one of Canterlot Castle's living chambers. Her room was filled with a desk and a red lamp. Her room had a book shelf that was filled with all sorts of textbooks on magic, math, Equish, and science. She lied in bed, tears were streaming down her face and dejected look on her face. A knock came from her door.
"Sunset Shimmer? Deary, please open up." called a motherly voice from behind the door. Sunset sniffled as she wiped away her tears. She raises her hand as it was engulfed in a light, brilliant opal aura. The door handle was engulfed in the same colored aura, and then came a clicking sound. The door was opened.
"Sunset? Are you alright?" asked the voice. From behind the door peaked the head of Celestia. Sunset merely sniffled in response. Celestia frowned as she stepped into the room.
"My faithful student, what's wrong?" asked Celestia.
"I just can't seem to make any friends. I tried again and the girls said..." Sunset's lips quivered. She slams her face into her pillow. "Why can't I do it?! Why don't they like me?!"
"Sunset..." frowned Celestia. She places a comforting hand on Sunset's shoulder.
"No matter what I do or say, I can't seem to get them to like me." said Sunset." said Sunset, dejectedly. Celestia sighs, and then notices a mirror out of the corner of her eye.
"Sunset, step over here with me dear." said Celestia. She stands with Sunset and walks over toward a large mirror that sat on a dresser. "Look into this mirror and tell me what see?"
"A beautiful girl that has nothing but power and potential, including a lack of friends." sighed Sunset. Celestia places a hand over her shoulder.
“Well, I see a compassionate and sincere young lady.” said Celestia. She then turns Sunset to face her.
"Sunset, you are an intelligent and gifted young girl. Do not worry about what other people think about you. You just have to let them see your good qualities. Just keep being who you are and give it time, and I promise you that you will make friends." reassured Celestia. Sunset gives her a small smile. Celestia pulls her into a hug. "I am here for you."
"Thank you." said Sunset.




Later that night...

Sunset sat on her bed with a look of anger on her face. She couldn’t understand her inability to make friends. She never did anything wrong to upset the other students and, although she started on good terms with some of the students at first, could only watch as they started to distance themselves from her. She was a prodigy in the subjects in school and especially magic. She never actually attended school to learn magic. The school was actually meant to teach both Magic and things like math, science, Equish, and history. Celestia was the one who taught her personally when it came to using magic. Attending the school was meant for her to learn the school subjects and to practice her magic. In fact, her use of magic for the entrance exam was what intrigued Celestia to take her under her wing as her student. She was glad that her hard work was worth notice as Sunset adored Celestia. They grew to have a greater bond than just teacher and student, almost like family.
However, the other students seemed to ostracize her after that. She didn't notice it at first, but some of the other students would avoid her. As she performed magic feats flawlessly, the students would be intimidated by her. Her skills and talent would make them jealous of her. When Celestia took her as her personal student, the ostracism intensified.
She wished she could be loved, not hated. She wished that she was more like her mentor. Celestia had so much power and everybody in Equestria loved her! They didn't hate her because she had powerful magic. She was a princess and was beloved by all.
"That's it!" exclaimed Sunset in joy. A determined smile formed on her face. "If they won't like me as a student, then maybe they will like me as a princess! No, they will love me!"
Sunset Shimmer peaked out of her room. She looked both sides of the hall and noticed that no one was in sight. She slowly creeps out of her room and gently shuts her door. She sneaks all the way through the halls of the castle in the dark, then pass the guards and the castle staff, and finally to a stony section of the castle. There were multiple doors that led to different rooms of the castle. She makes her way into a door that was labeled, 'Equestrian Archives. Permission for entry required.'
Sunset peaks her head in, finding an Earthbound woman asleep behind a desk. She smirked as she quietly entered the room. She slowly walked through the old room, finding many book shelves that were dusty and covered in spider webs.
"You'd think this place would be better guarded." Sunset whispers to herself. She scans the spines of the books, finding very interesting titles. She begins to magically levitate the books out of the shelves and piling them onto the ground in a corner. She proceeded to look through the book shelves and scanned the names for better leads. Her eyes came across one shelf.
"Dark magic." said Sunset. She was about to reach for one of the books but hesitated, slightly pulling her hand back. Then her eyes scowled. "Now is not the time to hesitate."
Sunset spent the next hour reading through the books that she had selected. She scanned through them for the information that she desired. She sighs in frustration as she closes the book and places it with a pile filled with several books that she had gone over.
"No luck so far, but a few of these spells and the information might come in handy..." Sunset Shimmer notices a spine title that intrigued her interest.
"Transformation spells. This should be good." smiled Sunset. She opens it and begins to scan through it. She read about spells that had the ability to change humans into different creatures and creatures into different creatures or humans! She moved through the book, finding a few spells where humans were able to change their race from Earthbounds, to Elves or any other race or vice versa.
"Come on, I know you have something about Avatars." said Sunset.
"What exactly are you trying to find about Avatars?" asked a feminine voice, sternly. Sunset went stiff as she heard the voice. She whips her head around and finds Celestia standing with two Valkyrie guards in golden armor. She was looking at her with disapproving eyes.
"P-princess! I-I can explain!" stuttered Sunset.
"What are you doing in here Sunset Shimmer?" asked Celestia. She began to step closer with the guards flanking her. "You did not get permission to access the archives."
"I know your highness. I just-" Sunset was beginning to sweat. Celestia stops as she noticed the titles of the books that lied around her. Books titled, 'The First Humans', 'Mysterious Relics of the East', 'Equestria's Princesses', 'Enhancement Spells', 'Lost Civilizations', 'Legendary Beings', and one that made her blood run cold. The book that Sunset had in her hands that was titled, 'Transformation Spells'.
"What...What are you doing reading these? Some of these books are from the Dark Magic section. You know that you are off-limits to Dark magic! It is dangerous!" scolded Celestia. Sunset immediately stands to her feet with a distraught face.
"I only chose for a couple. I didn't choose any that would hurt anybody! I just wanted to find a way to make myself an Avatar!" cried Sunset. Celestia sends her a disapproving glare.
"I thought that you wanted friends. We talked about how you were trying to be compassionate to others even if they didn't like you. And here I find you venturing into the archives for power." said Celestia. Sunset shakes her head furiously.
"No! I only did it for the best intentions!" cried Sunset.
"The worst things in the world were always made with the best intentions." said Celestia. She then levitates the book that Sunset held toward herself. "You can't comprehend the forces that you and many others have toyed with. Becoming an Avatar is something that is earned. You can't force it."
"I only did it because I thought that I would be loved by others like you are if I were princess. You have no idea what it's like to be rejected by others because of your talents!" said Sunset. She drops to her knees and gives her pleading eyes. "Please, make me an Avatar. A princess!"
"I cannot, Sunset Shimmer. It's like I said, being an Avatar is something that you earn. You have not earned the right. I have tried to teach you everything that you need to know, but you've turned from it when you tried to use power as a way to be loved." said Celestia. She then closes her eyes and turns away. "For disobeying me, for betraying my trust, I am removing you from the position of my pupil; your studies end here. You are welcome to stay in Canterlot, but you are no longer welcome in the castle."
"No! No, please don't!" begged Sunset in a distraught voice.
"My guards will escort you out." said Celestia. The guards walked over to Sunset and stood her up to her feet. They walked her out of the archives, with Celestia flanking them.
"This is the biggest mistake you'll make in your entire life." spat Sunset. Celestia stood behind and sighed. She looked toward a tapestry that hung on the wall of the room. It depicted an image of a pink haired Avatar near a sun firing magic at another Avatar with sapphire blue hair. The Avatar with sapphire blue hair was being forced toward the moon in the image.
"One of many." said Celestia, solemnly.




Today...

It was noon. Sunset Shimmer walked the streets in Ponyville in the outfit that she tried on the previous night. She felt the eyes of some of the resident men gawking at her. She restrained herself from making a scene when it came to them staring at her. She rounded the corner of a building and, while searching her surroundings, dug into her jacket's pocket. She pulled out clear plastic bag and began to unseal it. Then, she gently reached in and her finger was engulfed in her moderate cyan aura. A tiny object glowed as it was levitated out of the bag. The object is levitated to the upper corner of the building, the Elf placing it on the wall. She then pulls out a small pad and pressed on the screen. The screen displayed the top of her head and the road. She smiled in satisfaction as she placed the pad back in her pocket and the bag in her other pocket.
"Five down. Just five more to go." said Sunset. She began to walk away from the area and made her way down the road. She suddenly bumped into a larger figure. She staggered back with a look of annoyance. She was about to make an outburst until she remembered to calm herself. She looks up and finds a charcoal haired and yellow eyed Earthbound male. He wore a sweater that matched his hair.
"Please, excuse me." said Sunset in a polite tone.
"It's fine. I uh..." the Earthbound stared at her with wide eyes. She raises a brow at him as he stood in shock.
"OK...I'll just be going now." Sunset then walks passed the petrified Earthbound, continuing far ahead. 'That was odd. Hmm. Why do I feel like I've seen that guy before?'
The Earthbound turns to find the Elf disappearing from his sight. A slack jawed expression was on his face.
"No way." said Junior.
> Chapter 16: The Date
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was early noon in Ponyville. The soldiers that were stationed at the MONARCH base were busy running their training ops and drills. Soldiers practiced hand to hand combat with each other, some fired at monster shaped targets, and some even practiced their magic. Erika inhaled sharply as she stood in the training field. She exhaled as she locked eyes with a group of Elves.  The Elves got into a fighting stance as they focused on Erika. They were silent as they stared at her, the wind blowing into the grass being the only sound in the area.
Erika dashed toward the group of Elves at high speed, nearly reaching them. The elves all suddenly vanished out of her sight. Erika stops, hearing the sound of them reappearing in random places. She immediately turns and kicks an Elf that threw a punch at her. He grunts as he falls to the ground. Erika catches the glow of magic in her peripheral vision; she shoots her right arm forward, causing it to morph into tendrils that shot toward a female Elf. She yelped as her arms were suddenly wrapped in the tendrils and was yanked off of her feet. Erika swung her over towards another Elf, knocking him down with the woman that she grabbed. Erika's tendrils released the female Elf and morphed them back into her human arm.
"Damn it!" cursed one of the Elves. He ran toward Erika, sending a barrage of punches and kicks. Erika blocked the attacks, waiting for her opponent to tire. Before the Elf could tire, Erika felt her back burn. She cried out in pain as her shoulder was struck by a magic bolt. She turns and finds the rest of the elves with their hands engulfed in colorful auras. She tensed as she saw the magic bolts fly from their hands. Erika raises her arms in front of her face, morphing into large and thick bushes. The magic bolts bombarded the bushes, burning the leaves and branches bit by bit. Erika grunted as her back began to sprout four rose headed vines while she held her bushy shield against the Elves. The vines screeched as they emerged from her back side, piercing through the back of her shirt. They shot toward the Elves, who were too busy chipping away at Erika's defenses. The Elves yelped as the vines wrapped themselves around them. The rose heads hissed at them as they bonded the elves together.
"N-nice roses!" said one of the elves nervously. One of the other elves glared at Erika as she used her arm to wrap a tendril around the last Elf that was attempting to hit her.
"Hey, these things better not eat us!" shouted the Elf as one of the roses got closer to her face. She reeled her head back in fear as the rose hissed. Erika turns around with a nervous smile.
"No, not at all! They're just trying to display dominance." said Erika. One of the roses snapped at another one of the Elves.
"Hey! No biting!" scolded a larger Elf. The rose hissed at him in response. The Elf looks to Erika in annoyance. "Can you let us go now? This one doesn't like me."
"Sorry!" said Erika. The rose headed vines unwrapped themselves off of the Elves, slowly retracting themselves back into Erika's back. She then releases the Elf that she had wrapped in tendrils and morphed them back into a human arm.
"Gross." said one of the Elves. The female Elf gasped and immediately punched him in the shoulder. Erika did her best to not take the comment to heart. She gave a light laugh in response.
"Yeah I'll have to admit, it is actually disturbing." said Erika.
"Does it hurt?" asked one of the Elves. Erika shook her head.
"No. Actually, it kind of tingles when they morph." admitted Erika. Suddenly, a beeping sound came from her watch. Erika looks to her watch and her eyes widened in surprise. "I got to go. The C.O. just called me in."
"Alright, thanks again for the practice." said the female Elf. Erika gave her a smile and took off. The female Elf immediately turns back to the Elf that she previously hit with a glare. "Try to be a little more sensitive, asshole!"
"What? We were all thinking it!" retorted the Elf. The woman huffed in response.
"Sure, it wasn't pleasant to see, but it’s not like she can help it!"
"I don't see why we need one of those freaks in our ranks." scoffed the male Elf. the larger elf sighed in response.
"MONARCH must not have confidence in its own military if they are relying on a Transmutant to be in the fight."



Twilight sat alone in the library with a newspaper in her hand. She had been reading through it for the latest news.  She had spent the previous day worrying about not having a friendship report ready for Celestia, which led to an entire day of her acting chaotic by enchanting her old doll, which in turn made a lot of people to obsess over it, in an attempt to find someone to help so that she may be able to learn something about friendship. Celestia wasn't too happy about that when she found out, but her friends had vouched for her to have the princess reconsider punishing her.
"What's this?" questioned Twilight. She came across an article about MONARCH. This was interesting, as articles about MONARCH are rarely written unless there was an attack. She read through the article, reading about a new weapon that MONARCH planned to reveal to the known world.
"A new mech? Fascinating!" said Twilight. She had always liked MONARCH for its breakthroughs in technology. They didn't show everything to the known world, but people have seen what they had. They had armor that made Equestria's obsolete. Although she didn't agree with violence, weapons were an advancement that they had made when the Transmutants attacked.  However, MONARCH kept its technology to itself, which was something that most nations didn't agree with since they feel that the technology should be shared with the rest of the world. Twilight didn't mind that, however, since the technology that they were after were weapons. She hoped that MONARCH wouldn't abuse this technology.
Twilight recalled the images of MONARCH's first mechs when she was in her early teens. They were clunky and ran on steam at first; they rarely did any damage against Transmutants. As time went on, MONARCH began improving on these mechs when working with Neighpon's top magic researchers and engineers. Now, the mechs were much sleeker and had a more fluid movement. They were actually capable of standing up against Transmutants.  Nonetheless, Twilight felt disturbed about how much of the scientific progress was focused on military weapons and was worried on how it would affect Equestria.
"Enough about that." said Twilight as she folded the newspaper. She made her way over to the outside of her door. She felt the bright sun assault her skin, bathing her in its warmth. She smiled happily as she stepped outside.



Junior lied alone on his sofa, his eyes closed. He had returned from working at Applejack's early. She had offered that he had lunch, but he politely declined her offer and returned to his home.  Junior's breathing was calm, as his chest rose up and down as he slept. Although it was noon, he enjoyed taking naps. Junior's brow twitched as he slept, with a light smile on his face.
"I'm glad that you managed to calm down after that fiasco. I thought that you were going to have a heart attack." said Junior. He sat with Twilight in the Golden Oaks library alone.  Twilight had a light blush on her face.
"Thank you." said Twilight.
"You know, I'm glad that we met. You're a great friend." said Junior. Twilight smiles at him.
"Me too." said Twilight. She then looks to him with a flirting smile. "You know, we can be more."
"Wh-what do you mean?" asked Junior, his smile wiped from his face. Twilight suddenly scooted toward him and placed her hands on his face. She stared into his eyes with her beautiful violet eyes. Junior felt himself blushing as he found himself lost into them.
"Oh, I think you know what I mean." said Twilight. She pushes him to the ground and then gets on top of him with her hands on his shoulders and her knees holding her up above him. She then begins to lean into him.
"Gojira!" shouted Twilight. Junior raised a brow as he saw her shout, but Mosura's voice came out of her mouth.
Junior shot up from his couch, swiveling his head from side to side. He heard knocking on his door. He sighed as he realized that he was just dreaming. As memories of the dream came rushing back, he broke into a bright blush. He suddenly heard frantic knocking on his door.
"Gojira! I know that you're in there! Get up!" called Mosura. Junior sighed in response as he got off of his sofa. He makes his way over toward the door and opens it, finding a worried Mosura.
"We need to talk." said Mosura.
"Um...sure, come right in." said Junior. Mosura steps in, making her way to the sofa as Junior closed the door. Mosura sits down as Junior takes a seat in a chair.
"What's up, Mosu?" asked Junior.
"A lot. MONARCH has a base several miles outside of Ponyville." said Mosura. Junior's eyes widened but he kept himself calm.
"We-well, that's to be expected. There were Mantises here a few weeks back." said Junior.
"There is also the scent of another Transmutant." said Mosura.
"OK. That's definitely not good."
"Yes. But, something about this scent is odd. It smells like a plant, mixed with a scent that's almost similar to yours." said Mosura. Junior's eyes widened.
"That's impossible. There's no other Transmutant with the DNA of the creature that I'm crossed with. Only my dad and I shared the same DNA and he's dead!"
"I know. It doesn't make sense. I smelled this Transmutant coming from the base. I believe it’s new and MONARCH had finally gotten their first super soldier." said Mosura. Junior growled.
"They never stop." said Junior.
"I don't think this Transmutant is very experienced in its enhanced senses. Otherwise it would likely be looking for us and MONARCH would be all over us by now. We just need to avoid it as much as possible." said Mosura. Junior sighed in relief.
"Was there anything else that you wanted to drop on me?"
"Yes. It's about Rodan." said Mosura. Junior raised a brow.
"Rodan? What about him?"
"I...I think something happened with him. He's fine physically, but it’s something else. I was afraid that this would happen with him." said Mosura as she bit her thumb. Junior looks to her with his full attention.
"What's wrong?"
"I...I think he's...I think he's in love with one of the girls." said Mosura. She then looks to Junior with a fearful expression. "I think he's in love with Rainbow Dash!"
"Oh. Is that all?" asked Junior. Mosura looks to him incredulously.
"What?! ‘Is that all’?! Is that all you have to say?!" asked Mosura in a shocked tone. Junior shrugged at her nervously. "Gojira, you know why I am acting this way!"
"Yes! Yes, I get it! It's just that I think that you might be overreacting about him having a crush on Rainbow."
"No! Gojira, he can't fall in love with these girls! Especially her out of all of them! She would never accept him!" said Mosura with dread. Her breathing became shallow. "Sh-she would hate him. She would reject him if she ever knew the truth!"
"Mosura, calm down!" said Junior as he saw Mosura beginning to hyperventilate.
"Oh god. She'll break his heart!" said Mosura. She was then pulled into an embrace by Junior. He held her tightly has ran his hand into her hair.
"Don't...don't think like that." said Junior. He held Mosura tightly as her breathing began to calm down. She wrapped her arms around him as she leaned her head into his shoulder.
"I'm afraid for him, Gojira. I just...I just want to protect him. I don't want to fail him."
"Shhh. It's OK. Everything is fine. She won't know the truth. None of them will." said Junior as he stared off into the wall with uncertainty filling his eyes. He suddenly feels Mosura push herself away from him.
"You! You're doing the same as he is!" said Mosura.
"What?"
"Gojira, I've seen how you've looked at her!" said Mosura in a distraught voice.
"Who?!" asked Junior in exasperation.
"I'm talking about Twilight Sparkle!"
"What does she have to do with me?" demanded Junior.
"Everything! Gojira, you have feelings for her!" accused Mosura. Junior recoiled with a bewildered expression.
"What?! No! No, I like her and all but-"
"Don't you dare lie to me! You can lie to them about things all you want but I can to tell that you're lying!" yelled Mosura.
"No! No, it’s not true!" shouted Junior. Mosura's eyes widened as she stared at him.
"Oh my god." said Mosura. Junior calmed himself.
"What?'
"You...you're lying to yourself. I can feel that deep down, you hold feelings for her." said Mosura, her eyes wide.
"No." said Junior.
"You're telling yourself that you don't have feelings for her to help you get through the days around her. You know that you can't possibly be with her but you pretend that you don't like her that way."
"Stop it." said Junior as he closed his eyes.
"You're afraid of her rejecting you as well. You're worried that she won't see you as nothing but a monster. So, you pretend that those feelings don't exist so it hurts less if she were to find out about you."
"Shut up, Mosura." said Junior.
"It's not her that you are most afraid of. You're afraid of-"
"Shut the hell up!" shouted Junior. Mosura flinched at his tone. Junior sent her a harsh glare. "Why? Why do you feel the need to tell me something that I already know?"
"I'm sorry! I just got so-"
"You're right, though. I do have feelings for her." confessed Junior. He stands to his feet and turns away from her. He looks to the back of his hand. His hand grew charcoal grey scales and black claws. "I want to tell her. I want to tell her that I'm not like her. I want to tell her that I'm a Transmutant. I also want to tell her how I how feel about her. But I can't. Despite her nature, deep down I'm afraid that she wouldn't understand."
"Gojira..."
"We're just freaks. We're an accident." said Junior as he stared at his reptilian hand. He then clenches it into a fist. "There are different kinds of us. The ones like us who hide and wait to take our secret to our graves. Others like Destoroyah and Battra that wage war against those that changed us and the innocent who had nothing to do with it. There is even the one that MONARCH recently made. We're a bomb that's waiting to go off that will ruin the lives of others."
"That is why we keep ourselves hidden! We aren't supposed to form relationships with humans if we care that much for their safety! I am only doing it now because we know better than to let people know our secret!" said Mosura. Junior nodded in response.
"I know. It's just killing me inside to keep it a secret. I can't be honest about anything anymore." said Junior.
"Mosura, let Rodan know how you're feeling about this. Tell him to be careful and that you're worried that he'll do something he'll regret." said Junior as his hand changed back to its original state. Mosura looks to him with sympathy.
"What about you?" asked Mosura in a soft tone. Junior deeply sighs.
"You two and Angirasu have been together from the beginning. I've learned to get over my petty feelings along with a few other things without so much trouble. I'll manage on my own." said Junior.
"Gojira, you don't have to do this on your own." said Mosura.
"Why not? Isn't it better if I took on this burden alone? I can't ask you to help carry mine when yours is likely heavier. You should worry about yourself for once." retorted Junior.
"That's not who I am! I worry about others because I care for them other than myself. Don't you care for other people?" asked Mosura.
"Some people. That's why I always try to do things on my own! It's why I always keep to myself! I care too much about the people that I love that I can't stand to bother them with my own issues." said Junior as he turned back to Mosura.
"That's not fair! You shut people out whenever things get hard and you try to play it off as if it’s just a minor issue! People care about you and you don't want to let them show you that because your pride is getting in the way!" scolded Mosura.
"What are you, my mother? You don't know the pressure that I'm under!"
"We're all under a lot of pressure! That's why we stick together in order to relieve each other of the pressure that's forcing us down!" retorted Mosura. Junior sighs as he looks up out the window of his home, finding the sight of birds flying across the sky.
"One day, MONARCH will find me. I'm as good as dead." said Junior.
"No! If that ever happens, we'll leave together!" said Mosura. Junior turns around with an angry look on his face.
"I am test subject: Lucky Dragon! They made you all to kill me remember?!" said Junior. Mosura's eyes widened as she recalled what she had told him. "Do you think that they'll let me live? They won't! Because they may think that I turned into a deranged psychopath as I got older! They might even think that you'll try to fight with me and kill you all too! I can't stick with you guys if they find us!"
"Gojira, please. Let us help you if that ever happens."
"No, Mosura. We can't change how they think. I guess I'm just destined to die." said Junior. Mosura grits her teeth in anger. She steps up to Junior and slaps him across his face.
"Don't talk like that!" berated Mosura. Junior hissed as he felt the stinging hand print that she had left on his cheek. "Gojira, don't give up hope on yourself. That's what happened to my brother. He gave up hope and became the man that he is today!"
"I say that he had the right idea about hope. Maybe we're just fooling ourselves, Mosura. Maybe there is no hope for us." said Junior in a monotone voice. Mosura gasped as she heard him say those words. She then gives him a glare and walks past him towards the door.
"Hope is all that we have left, Gojira. I suggest you reflect on it and yourself." Mosura opens the door and steps out of the house, closing the door. Junior stood alone in his home. He sat on his sofa and placed his head into his hands.




	Meanwhile...

Erika stood in front of her commanding officer as he sorted documents on his desk. He gives her a light smile as she waited patiently.
"Thank you for coming in, Private." said the C.O. Erika stood at attention.
"Of course, sir." said Erika.
"Now, I have called you in here for a special reason. My orders come from the higher ups." said the C.O. Erika relaxed her stance. "MONARCH wants you to be part of the undercover units for the remainder of this mission."
"They do? What for?" asked Erika. She was surprised to hear that MONARCH wanted her to be part of the undercover units in Ponyville.
"They felt that you would be more useful in the town instead of being far from it in case unwanted visitors drop by." said the C.O. Erika gives a nod of understanding.
"I see." answered Erika. "When do I leave?"
"Right now. You'll be provided with civilian clothing and weapons, you will be living with one of MONARCH's greatest sorcerer units." said the C.O. He gives a smile. "Good luck out there, soldier."
"Thank you, sir."




	Later...

Erika stood outside of an apartment building in Ponyville with a large bag hanging over her shoulder. She looks to the map and the address that she was looking for. She smiles in satisfaction as she realized that she had reached her destination. She walks up to the door, taking in a deep breath and exhaling. She nervously reaches for the door and knocks on the door.
"One second!" called a voice. Erika waited patiently as she heard footsteps approach from behind the door. She heard the sound of a lock clicking and the removal of a chain. The door slowly opens to reveal the face of a young Elf woman with red hair and yellow stripes. Erika gives her a nervous smile.
"Um...hi! I uh...the day is certainly sunny today!" said Erika. The young woman gives her a cold stare. Erika felt herself growing uncomfortable. The young woman suddenly smiles.
"Yes! It's a great season for roses!" said the Elf. Erika sighs in relief. Sunset gives her an amused smile. "Come on in roomy."
Erika slowly made her way into the apartment as Sunset stepped aside. She noticed the how small the apartment was, yet it was roomy. She saw a sofa that lied in the living room and a small kitchen. Sunset closes the door behind her.
"I tell you, those code words are ridiculous. I am Private Sunset Shimmer. It’s a pleasure to meet MONARCH's first super soldier." said Sunset, extending her hand out. Erika smiles shyly, for it had been awhile since she met such a friendly person, especially among MONARCH's ranks.
"Private Erika Shiragami.  It’s nice to meet you." said Erika. She searches the living room in curiosity. "Where can I put my stuff?"
"There's a second bedroom down the hall on the right. That one is yours." answered Sunset. "Take some time to settle in. Later, we can take a tour around town while on patrol."
"Thank you." smiled Erika. She makes her way over toward the bedroom and sets down her bag on the bed. She unzips it and pulls out her combat suit and gloves. She then pulls out a few sets of civilian clothes and sets them on the bed. She smiles in satisfaction as she looked at the clothes that she was provided with. She picks up a spring dress and wore a smile as she looked it over.



Sunset Shimmer and Erika walked the streets of Ponyville. Erika wore a green spring dress, with the straps over her shoulders. Her heels plopped on the ground with every step that she took. Her hair was down, flowing with the wind, and had a red rose head was attached to the side. A couple of men passed them, whistling at them. Sunset scoffed in disgust while Erika blushed in embarrassment.
"I hate walking around if guys are just going to gawk at us." said Sunset.
"It's not so bad. I mean, I find it kind of flattering." said Erika. Sunset sighed in response.
"I just rather guys tell me straight off that he finds me attractive. Don't whistle at me." said Sunset. She then looks to her watch as they walked. It was 3:30 PM. "Well, our patrol is almost over and we still haven't found one of the Transmutants. It's too bad that you can't figure out their scent to smell them."
"Smell them?" asked Erika quizzically.
"Yeah, Transmutants have enhanced senses of smell and can even differentiate the scents between humans and Transmutants." said Sunset.
"How did you know that?"
"I actually helped study them when I first joined MONARCH. We never knew that they could do that until we had some locked in the Vault. There are still some things that we don't know about them." said Sunset. Erika had a look of awe.
"What else can you tell me about Transmutants? It might come in handy for us."
"I can't tell you much, since some stuff was classified to even me." said Sunset as they continued walking. Erika then began to wonder.
"Why did you move from doing research to becoming a soldier?" asked Erika. Sunset then looks to the sky as birds passed by in the air.
"I thought that I would be more useful with my magic in the field than in a lab. I already helped with a few scientific breakthroughs, so I thought I would be more helpful as a trained soldier." said Sunset. She also sighed as she placed her hand over her eyes. "I was also a little too traumatized to work in a lab after an accident."
"Accident? What happened?" asked Erika in concern.
"I'm sorry. I may be a soldier with the same rank as you, but I have to keep that classified." apologized Sunset. Erika gives her a knowing nod.
"I understand, Shimmer." said Erika. The two undercover soldiers made their way over to a bench and took a seat. They stared off at the town as people went about their day without a care in the world.
"You know what I miss about being human?" asked Erika.
"What's that?" asked Sunset.
"I miss being able to feel comfortable about being among other humans. Now, my own comrades see me as a freak." sighed Erika. Sunset looks to her with a frown.
"You know, maybe if you were to continue saving people from an attack, they might change their opinion about you." said Sunset. Erika places her chin on her hand as she slumped down.
"Yeah, maybe." said Erika. The two sat as they watched the town go about its business as if nothing was wrong.




Neighpon. 3:30 Am.

Destoroyah sat on the rubble in his lair as a small group of Transmutants gathered. Among them were, Battra, Ebirah, a man with cobalt hair that stood at five foot nine, and two mantises. They all stood, waiting to hear Destoroyah speak.
"Gentlemen, today is the day that we move out. We are going to invade a small settlement in Equestria." said Destoroyah. He stands from the rubble and stepped up to the Transmutants. "You have been chosen to join me on this mission based on your skills."
"Battra, you were chosen because you know the town well and you know where Gojira is hiding. You are also my 2nd in command and your skills and psychic abilities are valuable for this mission." said Destoroyah. Battra nodded to him. Destoroyah looks to the cobalt-haired man. "Shinomura, you were chosen because your abilities are similar to mine and we will need your resilience."
"I am honored to fight alongside you, my lord." said Shinomura. Destoroyah looks to Ebirah.
"You along with others have been by my side from the beginning. Your strength is needed." said Destoroyah. Ebirah gave him a smile. Destoroyah then turns to find the two mantises. "You two are coming since you are familiar with two Transmutants from your former group that may still be alive. We will rescue them and bring them home after the attack."
"Thank you." said one of the mantises. Destoroyah begins to walk out of the room, down the hall. The rest of the Transmutants trailed behind him. As they were leaving, several more Transmutants stepped out and saw them departing. As Destoroyah and his team stepped outside, they were met with the rest of their group. They all stood and watched the warriors preparing to depart. Gaira stepped from out of the crowd.
"All hail, Lord Destoroyah!" shouted Gaira.
"All hail. Lord Destoroyah!" the other Transmutants said in unison. Destoroyah smiled.
"Brothers and sisters, we are off to invade a settlement in Equestria. Some of us may not return, but we fight to rescue two lost allies and hopefully recruit a new one." said Destoroyah. As the crowd began to murmur, he raised a hand. "Fear not, for we will return. Titano, you are in charge as we are away."
"Understood. Good luck old friend." said Titano.
Destoroyah stepped in front, and then began to strain. Suddenly, his back sprouted two large, demonic, crimson bat-like wings. Ebirah hopped on the back of one of the Mantises as his wings began to beat. Battra hopped on the back of the other Mantis. Shinomura strained as his back sprouted his own pair of wings. They were large, wide and black, unlike Destoroyah's wings. They all took off into the dark sky, flying over the land of Neighpon.




The next day...

Junior sat alone with a frown outside of his home. He sighed as he watched sun beginning to set. It was late in the afternoon. Nightfall would be approaching in a few hours. Junior began to think back to what Mosura had said. He wondered about what would he do if MONARCH were to find him and how would Twilight react if she were to find out the truth. Junior was afraid to know how the scholar would see him if she knew the truth. Junior noticed Fluttershy making her way over to him.
"Gojira? Is there something wrong?" asked Fluttershy.
"Kind of. I had an argument with Mosura, that's all." said Junior. Fluttershy gasped.
"Oh my goodness! I hope it wasn't serious!"
"Nah. We just had a bit of a disagreement." sighed Junior. Fluttershy steps over to him and takes a seat next to him.
"Do you want to talk about it?" asked Fluttershy.
"No, thank you. I just need to reflect on myself and how I think." said Junior.
"OK." said Fluttershy. The two sat in silence. Junior felt the need to ask his friend a question.
"Fluttershy, do you see Rodan hang out with Rainbow?" asked Junior. Fluttershy nodded.
"Oh, yes! Those two get along so well!" said Fluttershy.
"Uh huh. Do you ever think that maybe Rodan might like her...a lot?" asked Junior. Fluttershy taps her chin in a thinking manner.
"I'm not sure. I wouldn't be surprised if he did. I think Rainbow seems to like him. I sometimes catch her blushing when they are near each other." giggled Fluttershy. Junior lightly frowned. He wished that he could share her reaction, but he knew that it was nothing to find joy out of.
"That's nice. I guess she really likes him, huh?" asked Junior. Fluttershy notices his frown.
"Goji?"
"Sorry. I just kind of envy him." said Junior. Fluttershy places a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Don't you have a crush on anybody?" asked Fluttershy. Junior looks away in hesitation. He then looks at her with a light blush.
"I do." said Junior. Fluttershy smiled in delight.
"Really? Who? Who is it? Tell me, please?" asked Fluttershy, a wide smile was plastered on her face as she desired to learn the name of the one Gojira had a crush on. Junior gulped.
"I-it's...it's Twilight." confessed Junior. Fluttershy gasped as she placed her hands on her cheeks with a bright smile.
"You have a crush on Twilight?" asked Fluttershy. Junior looked away in embarrassment.
"It's...no big deal. It's just a crush, right?" asked Junior.
"Goji, you shouldn't just write this off as nothing! This is good that you like someone! You even like a girl who likes you for who you are!" said Fluttershy with joy.
"Yeah, but I'm nothing special. I doubt I stand a chance with her." said Junior as he rubbed the back of his head.
"I don't think Twilight is that kind of person." said Fluttershy.
"Right. But what should I do?" asked Junior.
"Why not spend time together? A date!" suggested Fluttershy. Junior recoiled.
"A d-da-date?! But I-I uh- I never been on a date before!" stuttered Junior with a blush. Fluttershy smiled at his embarrassment.
"That's so adorable! I don't think I've ever seen you get so embarrassed before!" said Fluttershy. She then takes Junior's hand and stands with him. "Come on, we're going to Applejack! If you want to that is."
"I-I uh..." Junior contemplated his next action. Junior was unsure about confessing to Twilight out of fear for rejection, but he also yearned to spend time with her as his special somebody. An opportunity has presented itself to him and there was chance that he could find love, so he decided to take it. He then gave her a smile. "Sure. Why not?"



Junior found himself standing next to Fluttershy at the Apple farm. Applejack was sitting on a fence, contemplating.
"So, you like Twilight?" asked Applejack. Junior nodded in response in embarrassment. Applejack gave him a grin.
"Well, I never thought ya would be smitten with our little Twilight." said Applejack.
'Yeah, me either.' thought Junior. He places his hands in his pocket in embarrassment. Applejack hops off of the fence and walks up to the Transmutant.
"So, what do ya plan to do partner?" asked Applejack. Junior sighed in response.
"That's the thing, I don't know. I'm incredibly new to stuff like this and...I don't know if it’s good." said Junior.
"Goji, you have feelings for her! It's nothing bad. It's a beautiful thing!" said Fluttershy.
"I guess. I'm just worried." replied Junior, downcast.
"Oh, don't worry Sugarcube. If you want, I can give you advice about it." offered Applejack. Junior looks to her with a light smile.
"What do you have in mind?" asked Junior. Applejack puts an arm around him and wore a grin.
"Why not do something together? Ya know, take her on a date." suggested Applejack. Junior blushes in embarrassment as he heard the farm girl mention taking Twilight on a date. Just the thought of taking her on a date makes him feel anxious. What would they do together?
"Like what? What do people usually do on a date?" asked Junior. Fluttershy shrugs in response. Applejack sighed as she shook her head in amusement.
"You're hopeless. Why not take her out to see a movie or something? Just the two of ya’ll. Spend some time in the park together or something." said Applejack. Junior rubbed his chin as he thought of the suggestions. He found them to be promising.
"Yeah, that does sound right. I wonder..." Junior hesitated, his face turned to worry. "...what if she says no?"
"You'll never know until ya ask, Sugarcube." said Applejack.



Junior stood outside of the Golden Oaks Library alone. His heart was racing and his palms were sweaty. He deeply inhales and exhales sharply as he stared at the door. He places his hand and door knob and opens the door. He peaks his head through and found Spike dusting the book shelves. Junior walks in, with the bell ringing. Spike turns and grins as he found Junior walking in.
"Hey Gojira!" greeted Spike. Junior waved.
"Hi Spike. Say, is Twilight in right now?" asked Junior.
"Yeah, she just came home. I'll go get her." said Spike. Junior nodded. As Spike ran up the stairs, Junior found himself thinking to himself.
'Is this right? Should I be doing this? I know why I shouldn't, but I can't help it.' thought Junior. He felt himself very conflicted about asking Twilight out, for he feared that he would regret it. It wasn't fear of being turned down; it was fear of opening a door to a future relationship with her but still be lying to her. He knew that one day he would have to reveal the truth about his mutation. He hoped that perhaps, she would understand him and his mutation. Junior heard the footsteps of Twilight and Spike descending down the stairs. He turns and found Twilight ahead of Spike.
"Hi, Gojira! What brings you here?" asked Twilight. Junior gulps as he struggled to speak.
"Hi. Will you go out with me?" asked Junior. He mentally slaps himself as he realized that he had just blurted out the question instead of building up to it. Twilight's eyes widened in surprise and Spike's jaw dropped.
"Uh..." Twilight's words were caught in her throat. She stared at him with eyes as wide as dinner plates.
"I'm sorry! I-I shouldn't have asked. I'll just go now!" apologized Junior, immediately regretting his decision. He turns away and makes his way over toward the door.
"No, no wait!" cried Twilight. Junior immediately stops himself and turns to find Twilight with a blush on her cheeks. She gave a warm smile as she played with her hair. "I-I...I would love to."
"You would?" asked Junior in disbelief. Twilight nodded to him.
"Holy Guacamole!" exclaimed Spike. Junior rubbed the back of his head shyly.
"H-how does a movie sound?" asked Junior.
"Sounds nice!" said Twilight, grinning from ear to ear.
"So...when are you available?" asked Junior. Twilight puts a finger to her lip as she thought, humming in thought.
"How about at 6:30?"
"Alright! I uh...I'll see you then." said Junior, backing away toward the door. He bumps into it, chuckling in embarrassment as he remembered that the door was shut. Twilight lightly giggled.
"See you." said Twilight with a wave. Junior made his way outside of the library, shutting the door behind himself. He pumps his fist in the air in triumph.
"Yes!" whispered Junior.




Later that night...

Junior sighed as he stood in front of the mirror. He wore a grey t-shirt with blue jeans. He wondered how he should dress for his date and wondered if he was dressed properly. He hoped that Twilight would have been fine with the way that he was dressed. He made his way over toward his bag of bits and placed them in his pocket. He spent the next thirty minutes making his way down to the Golden Oaks Library, his heart racing as he got closer.
"OK, just keep calm. You can do this." said Junior. His heart was racing as the library came into view. As he made his way to Twilight's porch, he gulped and knocked on the door. He heard footsteps approaching the door. It opens, revealing a radiant Twilight Sparkle. She wore short sleeved pink shirt with a thin lavender sweater, a black skirt and black pantyhose with wedged shoes. Her hair was combed and straight, not a loose end in sight. Twilight locked her hands together with her arms in front of herself as she shyly looked away.
"So...what do you think?" asked Twilight. Junior smiled at her shyness.
"You look great, Twilight." complimented Junior. Twilight blushes in response; she looks to him with a smile.
"Shall we get going?" asked Twilight. Junior extends his hand out to her with a smile.
"I rather not keep a girl waiting." said Junior.



Junior and Twilight walked side by side down the road in Ponyville. The starry night sky twinkled above their heads, the cold breeze brushed against them. The streets were lit by lamps that hung on poles and the lights of the small wooden buildings. They passed by the citizens of Ponyville, both receiving quick quizzical stares. Junior paid them no mind, he was just happy to be able to spend time with Twilight. The petite girl walked closer to him with a light smile on her face. As they walked, Junior noticed something about her.
"Say, did you get a little taller by any chance?" asked Junior. Twilight looks to him in surprise as he brought up the question.
"Yeah! I'm actually five foot three now! With my shoes off of course." smiled Twilight.
"That's nice. Don't grow too fast now, I'll miss you being shorter than me." joked Junior. Twilight rolled her eyes and lightly slapped Junior's arm. He lightly chuckled in response. She then smiled lightly to herself with a blush.
The pair made their way through the town, nearing their destination. The two stopped at a large building with a man sitting behind a glass window inside of a booth. The pair looked toward the movie posters, searching for the film that interested them. Junior looked over the posters, pondering what films Twilight would be interested in. He hoped that the both of them could agree on one. There were a few horror movies out, but he didn't want to put Twilight through with it.
"Let's see...what kinds of films are you interested in seeing?" asked Twilight. Junior shrugged.
"Not sure. I heard some of these were good. What kind of films are you comfortable with seeing?" asked Junior. Twilight looks toward the posters, finding images that depicted an exaggeratedly large shark rising toward the surface toward a human woman in the ocean. She cringed as she thought of the film, knowing full well that it wouldn't be pretty. She turns and finds a poster with silhouettes of humans standing side by side, appearing ragged clothing and missing limbs. As she saw them depicted in an unbalanced stance and their bloody appearance, she gulped uncomfortably as she he recognized what they were supposed to be.
"Well...there are certainly a lot of horror movies out." said Twilight. Junior frowned.
"If you want...we could do something else." offered Junior. Twilight quickly turns to him waving her hand dismissively.
"No! No, its fine! One of these might be actually good!" said Twilight. Junior looks to her with an unsure expression.
"Twilight, I don't want to force you to watch these movies if you’re afraid." said Junior.
"No, let's just choose one! I've been kind of curious to watch them anyway." said Twilight with a smile. She then gasps as she saw another poster. She went pale at the sight of it. Junior looked to her in worry.
"J-just as long as w-we don't watch tha-that one!" stuttered Twilight as she pointed toward the poster. Junior turns to find her pointing at a poster that depicted an image of a snake wrapping itself around a skeleton, with its fangs bared. Junior turns back to Twilight, finding her biting her thumb.
"I...I guess you must be really afraid of snakes." said Junior. Twilight nodded in response. Junior gave her a warm smile.
"Well, what horror movie do you think will give you less nightmares?" asked Junior. Twilight looked at the movie posters, pondering her decision.
"Well, I'm terrified of zombie movies so that's out. The one with the shark might be less scary. But, I feel like I'll be scarred for life and will never want to go to the beach ever again due to gaining a phobia of sharks." said Twilight. She then notices another poster, her interest intrigued.
"What about that one?" asked Twilight as she pointed toward another movie poster.
"Humanoids from the Deep?" asked Junior. Twilight nodded in response.
"Yeah! I heard the creatures and costumes were well designed! It also looks kind of interesting." said Twilight. Junior shrugs in response.
"Well, since you seem more comfortable with it, I'm all for it." replied Junior. He then walks over toward the box office and fishes for his bag of bits. He requested two tickets for the film, trading his bits for them. As he walked back over to Twilight, he noticed that she wore a frown.
"Hey, you didn't have to pay for me." said Twilight. Junior shook his head.
"It's no trouble. Besides, I don't think it's fair to make you pay. Especially since I was the one that asked you out." said Junior with a wink. Twilight lightly giggled.
"OK. Thank you."




A couple of hours later…

"Well...that certainly was...something?" asked Twilight.
"That movie was awful. What the hell were they thinking?!" said Junior. He and Twilight were walking outside of the movie theater side by side. Some people had traumatized expressions, while a few others were disappointed.
"Yeah...I think it was a little too much as well." said Twilight, cringing as she recalled the film.
"That's an understatement. I mean, fish people molesting women? What kind of effed up crap is that?!" said Junior. He then groaned in frustration.
"I even hated that damn ending!" growled Junior. "There's so much wrong with that film that I...it just makes me physically angry! Also, making me pretty damn depressed." said Junior, frowning as they continued to walk away from the theater. Twilight looks to him in concern.
"How come? I mean, it obviously was ludicrous as a film, but what is it exactly that bothers you personally?" asked Twilight. Junior sighs in response.
"Well, it's just that..." Junior mentally groaned as he realized that he had to not answer the question directly. "It's just the idea of creatures being experimented on and being reduced to genetic mutant freaks upsets me. Even though those creatures were savage, I felt kinda sorry for them. They didn't have a choice in the matter, mankind turned them into monsters. They were also hardwired to be able to continue their species but the only way they could was by raping women. If anyone is to blame for all of this, it's the human scientists that manipulated their genes." spat Junior, his eyes scowling at the ground. He then stops and sits on a nearby bench with Twilight sitting next to him.
"That movie reminded you of the Transmutants didn't it?" asked Twilight. Junior nodded in response.
"I felt like the movie was just...trying to paint Transmutants in a worse light. That movie was just an allegory for humans seeing Transmutants as savage and mindless genetic freaks that deserve to be killed. It's just not fair." said Junior. Twilight scooted closer to Junior, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Remember those two Transmutants that we saw from before? That giant moth and that dragon-like bird? They didn't seem like those amphibious rapist creatures from that film." said Twilight. Junior turns to her to find her smiling. "I'll admit that they were frightening to see, but I don't think they were like the rest of the Transmutants that we were hearing about."
"You..." Junior couldn't bring himself to finish. He had once recalled Twilight and the others calling Transmutants monsters. He wondered if...
"Didn't you once say that the Transmutants that attacked Manehattan were monsters?" asked Junior. Twilight nodded in response.
"Yes, I did. But, a monster is someone that kills or terrorizes others for their own malicious intent, not because they are different from everyone else." said Twilight. Junior began to feel his spirits lift. Twilight had come to her own conclusion after she had seen Transmutants for herself. She had come to a conclusion that Trnasmutants that acted like Destoroyah and Battra were monsters. She had witnessed Rodan and Mosura in their forms and, despite her fear for their appearances, she didn't judge them the way that the others had.  Junior gave her a warm smile.
"You sure know how to cheer a guy up." said Junior. Twilight grinned in response.
Junior then looks to his wrist at his watch. The night was still young, and the movie wasn't very long. He wondered if Twilight was up for spending more time with him. "Well, it’s still early. Want to do something else?"
"Sure! Why don't we head back to the library?"
"OK. But why?" asked Junior. Twilight then points up the night sky, the stars twinkling far above in the darkness.
"Tonight's a beautiful night. I thought it'd be nice if you and I could star gaze. We can lie down outside, with some hot coffee and watch the night sky." said Twilight, hesitantly. "I mean...if that's too boring...I understand."
"No! No, of course not! I don't mind at all!" said Junior, frantically. He relaxes himself after he noticed that Twilight had recoiled from his scene.
"Twilight...I...I don't know what people are supposed to do on a date. I have never even been on one before." confessed Junior. He sighs as they stood up and began to walk. "I feel like I blew it when we saw that movie. I'm sorry."
"You don't need to be sorry. I actually had fun seeing that movie with you. Even if I did closed my eyes during most of the showing. You didn't force me to see it, I was the one that said that I was okay with it." said Twilight, giving him a comforting smile. Junior smiled back.
"I haven't been on a date before either. I'm actually unsure about what people do on a date myself." admitted Twilight. Junior looks to her in surprise.
"Guys never asked you out?" asked Junior. Twilight shook her head in response.
"No. I guess boys aren't interested in nerds." sighed Twilight. She had a slight dejected look on her face.
"Twilight..." called Junior. Twilight turns her head to meet with Junior's eyes. "To hell with them."
"Wha-" Twilight recoiled in surprise.
"To hell with all of them. They missed an opportunity to hang out with an amazing girl." said Junior. Twilight felt her cheeks flushed hot in the cold night.
"You...think I'm amazing?"
"I do. You're smart, you're funny, you have a heart of a true friend, and...well you're the only person other than Blaire and Celestia that ever treated me like a normal person in years." said Junior. Twilight lightly gasped.
"So you do remember!" said Twilight in excitement, her face beamed with joy.
"I do. You actually surprised me when you approached me and introduced yourself as if I was an everyday person." said Junior.
"That's because you are." said Twilight with a light smile. Junior smiled, but as he played that sentence in his head, his heart ached.
'No, I'm not. I wish that I was.' Junior thought. He then shakes off the thought.
"So...stargazing right? I like the sound of that." said Junior. Twilight squeed in delight. She takes Junior's hand and rushes back to the library with him.



Junior and Twilight walked outside in a field. Twilight carried two containers filled with coffee. Junior carried two blankets as he trailed behind Twilight. She stops and gestures to the spot. Junior set's the blankets down and unfolds the largest one. He sets it on the cold grass, with himself and Twilight taking a seat next to each other. She hands him one of the containers, which he took gratefully. The two sat alone in the dark of the night under the stars. The chirping of crickets met their ears and the cold air chilled them. Junior takes the other blanket and unfolds it, placing it on Twilight's back.
"But...what about you? Aren't you cold?" asked Twilight, worried for Junior.
"Not really." answered Junior nonchalantly.
"'Not really'?! You're not even wearing your sweater!"
"I'm fine, Twilight. Besides, I got coffee." reassured Junior before taking a sip. Twilight sighed in response.
"First you take on an Avatar, you get buried in stone, and then you fight Transmutants. I wonder what that body of yours is made of." laughed Twilight. Junior shared her laugh.
"Yeah, ever since I came to this town, weird stuff has been happening." said Junior. The two sat in silence. Twilight wore a worried expression.
"Hey, are you still getting into fights?" asked Twilight. Junior looked to her in surprise.
"Actually, I don't think that I have in quite a while. I never noticed it at first until you brought it up."
"Oh, well that's good." smiled Twilight.
The pair continued to stare up at the night sky together for a couple of hours. They had finished drinking their coffee and watched the beauty of the night sky. Twilight noticed that the air was getting colder. She scoots closer to Junior and wraps the blanket on both of them. Junior looks to her in surprise as he noticed that she was so close that she was making physical contact with him. She blushes as she sat next to him.
"You'll catch a cold if you don't stay warm." said Twilight. Junior felt his heart race.
"Thank you."
Several more minutes went by of silence, both basking in each other's warmth from the cold. Twilight sighed as she leaned her head against Junior, feeling the warm heat radiate from his body. Junior caught the smell of her head as she leaned against him. She had the smell of a certain shampoo along with her own unique human scent. He liked the smell, for he thought it was pleasant. His heightened sense of smell allowed him to recognize certain smells; this scent was one that he didn't want to forget. It was the scent of the girl that he had fallen for.
"You know, I always preferred the night to the day." said Junior. Twilight's ears perked.
"Really? How come?"
"Well, when I look at the stars...I can't explain it...but I feel calm when I gaze at the night sky. The stars and the moon casting their light down on me while feeling the cool air against my skin. I also love the way that the constellations depict images that tell the stories of the past. It's beautiful." said Junior. Twilight lightly giggled.
"I think Princess Luna would like to hear that." said Twilight. Junior smiled in response.
"I bet. Did I ever tell you about the origin of my name? " asked Junior curiously. Twilight shook her head.
"Well, obviously I was named after my father. He was named by his father after one of Neighpon's oldest legends." said Junior. Twilight looked to him with curiosity.
"I don't know much about Neighpon. Could you tell me about this legend?" asked Twilight, her interest peaking.
"My father was actually named after a legendary creature. Legend says that there were once giant creatures that ruled the sea, land and air." said Junior.
"Like an Ursa Major?" asked Twilight.
"Not really. These creatures weren't like constellation giants. They were compared to being the very forces of nature itself. One of them was the most fearsome and strongest of all. Its name was Gojira, the king of the monsters. Or Daikaiju, as giant monsters were called in the legends." said Junior.
"What sort of monster was he?" asked Twilight. Junior thought back to the stories that his father had told him.
"My father said that my family -the Takeshi clan- had passed the story down for generations, describing Gojira as a giant sea dragon." answered Junior. Twilight tried to paint an image of the creature in her head, failing miserably.
"Did they give any other details?"
"Well, the legend says that it stood on two feet like a human on land with dark scales." said Junior, failing to formulate a full description.
"Kind of vague." said Twilight.
"Yeah, but legends on make believe creatures never really mattered to me." said Junior. Twilight looked to him in surprise.
"You don't believe it’s true?" asked Twilight.
"Not really. I mean, if these kinds of creatures existed than where are they now? How can god-like beasts just suddenly disappear?" asked Junior. Twilight nodded in response.
"That's a good point." replied Twilight. She then stretches her arms out. Junior looks to her curiously.
"I never asked you, what was your childhood like in Canterlot? I already know that you were taken under Celestia's wing as her pupil, but what else is there?" asked Junior.
"Well, after I passed my entrance exam and was accepted into Celestia's school, I ended up having to move away from my home with my parents." said Twilight.
"How old were you?" asked Junior.
"I was seven years old." answered Twilight. Junior frowned.
"That must have been hard for you." said Junior.
"It was. I didn't see my parents often as the years went by but I did manage to receive letters from them. I also saw my brother quite a bit before he became the captain of the royal guards." said Twilight. Junior's eyes widened in surprise.
"Wait, your brother is Captain Shining Armor?!" asked Junior with a slack-jawed expression.
"Yep." answered Twilight.
"You and you're family must be proud." said Junior with a smile. She nodded.
"We are! Both of us did everything together when we were younger. He was actually the only person that I ever accepted as a friend before I came to Ponyville to learn the importance of friendship." said Twilight, recalling her childhood fondly. She then wore a dejected expression on her face. "I just wish we could see each other more. Ever since I moved, I had been seeing him less and less."
"I'm sure he misses you too. I know the feeling." said Junior.
"So...what was your life like in Canterlot? Tell me something positive about it."
"Positive?" asked Junior. He then looked up in thought. "Well, when I first started living with Celestia, she always tried her best to raise me. I can tell that she was upset that my dad died, but she was more upset about me being an orphan. I sometimes had nightmares at night, forcing me to stay up late. One time, Celestia was checking on me and caught me crying my eyes out just in time after I woke up."
"What were the nightmares about?" asked Twilight. Junior thought back to his past, his nightmare flashing to glowing yellow eyes in his mind.
"It's a blur, but it was something that frightened me." said Junior, not wanting to go into detail. Twilight nodded in understanding.
"So what happened next?" asked Twilight.
"Well, she did the only thing that she thought she could do. She lied in bed with me, doing her best to comfort me." said Junior, his face filled with happiness as he thought back to those few nights.
"She would hum to me as she put me back to sleep. It was like...I had gained a new mother." said Junior. He then thought back to his days growing up.
"I remember a girl that was older than me living in the castle before I met Blaire. She was Celestia's adoptive niece I think. I remember how she would always try to get close to me. As if to get me to open up." said Junior. Twilight looked to him curiously.
"So what happened?"
"I always tried to avoid her. I wasn't in the mood to have people around me. I was still upset that my dad died." said Junior. He then sighs, his face filled with regret. "I think I may have hurt her feelings."
"Did you ever try to make it up with her?" asked Twilight. Junior shook his head.
"No. I kept to myself most of the time and I hadn't seen her around in the last four years. Maybe once in a while but I would pass her without saying a word. Hell, we never exchanged words with each other when we all ate in the dining room." answered Junior. His face contorts into annoyance. "I never liked Blueblood. That uppity prick!"
"So, do you plan to see her any time soon?" asked Twilight.
"I don't know. I think she might dislike me after I turned out the way I did during my teen years." said Junior. He sighs. "Nobody did."
"Surely Celestia and Blaire still did?" asked Twilight. Junior nodded in response.
"Thankfully. Celestia grew to be a little overprotective of me. Blaire would give me encouragement and would show me that sisterly affection. We hung out whenever she was off duty." said Junior. He then sighs as he placed his chin on his hand. “Family. That was something that I thought I would never have again. My dad never told me why or how, but we were the last of our clan. My mother passed away, then my father. Now, I’m all that’s left of the Takeshi clan.” Twilight frowned as she kept hearing about Junior's dad. She lightly sniffled, causing Junior to flinch at the unexpected sound. He turned to find her wiping her eyes.
"I'm sorry. It's just so sad. I was separated from my parents at a young age because I wanted to pursue my studies in magic. In your case, you didn't have a say in the matter. You lost your mother, then when he was all that you had left, you lost your father in a predicament that was beyond your control!" cried Twilight. She lightly sobbed as she recalled the tragic story that Junior had told her before. Junior pulled her closer to himself as she leaned her head against his shoulder. “Yo-you’re all alone! You have no other relatives left!”
"At least we both had someone close to us to give us comfort and support while growing up. That’s something that we have in common." said Junior, his heart aching. He yearned to his parents again. He would do anything to see their faces and to hear their voices. He wanted to tell them that he loved and missed them. He wanted them give him guidance that he desperately needed. His soul was being torn asunder by the monster within.
'I'm sorry dad. If I hadn't left you alone...' Junior gritted his teeth, unable to finish his thought.
“Twilight, it does hurt me to know that I have no living family members left. But, I’m not alone anymore. I have you, Celestia, Blaire and the others.” said Junior with a small smile. Twilight lightly sniffed in response. She then looks up to him with curious eyes.
"Gojira, what were your parents like?" asked Twilight. Junior tensed at the question. "You don't have to talk about it. I was just curious."
"My parents...well I only remember a few things about them. They never lived long enough for me to learn more about them." answered Junior. Twilight frowned as she heard that.
"I'm sorry."
"I do remember that Mom and Dad were opposites. Dad said that he was one of the last few samurai; he often got angry, never apologized to his enemies, never backed down, was rough by nature, and didn't have friends. He liked to keep to himself. I think I inherited some of those traits." chuckled Junior. He then thought back to his mother. "Mom...she was definitely his opposite. She was a common villager and more gentle; she was calm, kind, loving, and Dad even said that she had a lot of friends. I often wondered how she fell in love with someone that was much different from her."
"Maybe she saw something in him that she liked." suggested Twilight.
"I just wish I knew what it was." sighed Junior. Twilight reaches for Junior's hand under the blanket and holds it firmly.
"I think you'll figure it out one day." said Twilight, reassuringly. Junior reaches into his pocket and pulls out a photo of himself and his family. It was actually a copied version from the original. He wanted to make sure he had a spare.
"These are my parents." said Junior. Twilight leans over him and looks to the photo with a smile.
"She's beautiful." said Twilight as she saw the black haired woman smiling in the photograph. She then notices Junior's father.
"Wow, you look a lot like him!" said Twilight with an amused smile. Junior chuckled.
"Yeah, I've been told that before."
"You're handsome like him too." said Twilight, going stiff as she realized the words slipped out of her mouth.
"You...you really think so?" Junior asked in a surprised tone. Twilight nodded in embarrassment. Junior smiled with a blush.
"Thanks." said Junior. Twilight lets out a yawn as she leaned against Junior. Her eyes were growing heavy.
"It's getting late, Twilight. Come on, I'll walk you home." said Junior, standing to his feet.



Junior walked through the town in the dark night. He carried a drowsy Twilight on his back as she wore the blankets on her back. The small container that once held coffee was tucked into her sweater's pocket. Twilight leaned her head against Junior's shoulder with her arms wrapped around his neck. The coffee had made her drowsy after she had consumed it, rendering her unable to walk on her own. Junior kindly offered to carry her, which she gratefully accepted. She had enjoyed the date that she went on with Junior. Granted, she wasn't that much of a fan of horror, especially zombie horror films, but she was happy that she was able to spend time with Junior. She was even happy that they were beginning to become closer and hoped that they would take it further.
"We're here." announced Junior. Twilight opened her eyes, feeling her eye lids being forced back to a close. She mumbled in response.
"Ah. I'll...I'll just take you to your room." said Junior.
Twilight had felt herself carried up the stairs of the library, hearing the sound of her bedroom door creaking open. Junior flipped a light switch on, brightening up the room. He walks up the steps that led up to Twilight's bed; he then gently lowers her down. Twilight drowsily releases his neck and stands on the floor. She then turns while lazily removing her sweater. She suddenly drops face first onto her bed, letting out a relaxed sigh. Junior turned and found the girl passed out on her bed. He smiled, finding the scene cute. He walks over to the foot of the bed where Twilight lied. As he stared at her sleeping form, he felt his heart racing. He shakes his head as he tried to recompose himself. He then sits at the foot of the bed, taking her leg and gently pulled it over to himself on to his lap. His heart accelerated and his face flushed as he felt her nylon encased leg on his hands. He reaches for her shoe and carefully removes it from her foot, setting it gently on the ground. Twilight slightly shifts on the bed, her foot grazing along his thigh. Junior gulped nervously before he took her other leg and removed the shoe from her foot as well. He then removes her legs from his lap, his heart settling down.
'Control yourself, Gojira.' thought Junior, taking in a deep breath and slowly exhaling. He then walks over to the side of Twilight's bed and gently lifts her up and pulls back the covers on the bed. When he was satisfied with how far back he pulled the covers, he sets Twilight back down, underneath the covers and pulls them back up to her shoulders. Twilight opened her eyes with a smile on her face as she stared into Junior's eyes.
"I had fun." said Twilight, her eyes twinkled as they reflected the moon's light. Junior blushed as he stared into her violet eyes. He then clears his throat as he looked away.
"Yeah...I did too." said Junior. He suddenly felt Twilight plant a kiss on his cheek. She laid her head back on her pillow with her cheeks hot from her blush. Junior looked to her in surprise.
"We should do it again sometime. I mean...if you want to." said Twilight.
"I like the sound of that." smiled Junior. He then gently rubs the top of Twilight's head affectionately, his fingers running through the locks of her hair. Twilight smiled happily as she felt his gentle touch. He then stands up and makes his way toward the steps.
"Goodnight Twilight." called Junior, making his way toward the door.
"Goodnight Gojira." said Twilight, letting out a yawn. Junior opens her bedroom door, switching off the lights and quietly shuts the door closed. Junior sighed happily to himself as his heart raced. He couldn't hide his feelings anymore. He was in love with Twilight Sparkle.
	
> Chapter 17: What's Done in Darkness, Shall Come to Light
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Ponyville, Equestria

It was morning in Ponyville. The sky was clear with only few clouds in the sky. The sun shone brightly down onto the residents and everything that reached. The birds flew and landed in their respected nests as they fed their hatchlings. Valkyries soared while the Elves and Earthbounds walked around town.
In the distance on the mountains, stood six figures. One figure towered over all the others. The larger figure smiled as he stared down to the town.
"The time has come, Gojira." said Destoroyah. He then looks to Battra and Shinomura. "You two will lead the first strike. Take out the closest units that are patrolling the town."
"Hai, Sensei." said Battra. Shinomura nodded in response. They both hopped off of the ledge of the mountain and began to sprint down toward the base. Destoroyah points to the two mantises.
"You two, go and find the Transmutants that were stranded out here and tell them to be ready for a battle." commanded Destoroyah.
"Understood." one of the mantises said in response. They then leaped off of the mountain and began to flap their wings. They took off toward the settlement, turning toward the woods that were outside of the settlement.
"Destoroyah, why do you have an interest in this Gojira?" asked Ebirah.
"I’m interested in him for several reasons. First, he comes from a bloodline of warriors from Neighpon. I can see that fighting is in his blood. His father was known throughout the land as the greatest warrior out of all of them. I want to take him as an ally so that he may help us in the war. I want to shape him as I did with Battra." said Destoroyah. Ebirah looks to him curiously.
"If he doesn't join, what will you do?"
"If he doesn't, he will know the true meaning of suffering. He will die by my hand." answered Destoroyah. He then looks to him with a neutral expression. "I will even take the ones that he loves away…just as I did long before."



Junior sat alone in his home looking through his journal. He never realized at how much he had written these past few years. He had a total of one hundred entries. The first few were about his past and his worries and fears. Lately, the entries focused about his life in Ponyville and the events regarding the Transmutants he befriended. Occasionally, some entries he wrote were about his darkest nightmares. Junior sighed as he stared at the sketch of the dragon that haunted his dreams. He turned to a blank page and pulled out his pencil. He began to write.

Journal Entry #101


Yesterday, I went on my first date. I'll admit that I was actually pretty nervous at first, but I managed to calm down. It was with Twilight Sparkle. You know, I never thought that I would grow to like her as much as I do today. If you recall, I wrote that their names didn't matter since I doubt that I would ever see her or the others around again. I have never been so glad to be wrong. I was never liked by others back in Canterlot. Discord was the closest thing that I could call a friend despite him being seen by me as an imaginary friend. These girls have made me feel like somebody who mattered. They made me feel human. Of course, I have been keeping this secret from them for over a year now and it’s been eating me away ever since. Luna sometimes catches my dreams and tries to help me, but I keep refusing. I'm glad that she hasn't caught on about why I am having these dreams. You know, it’s funny. Just a few years ago, I would have given everything to live in a world where I could be alone. But now, I don't think I can live without company. Someday, they will have to know the truth, especially Twilight. I am afraid though. My time in Ponyville has been like a wonderful dream, one that I had yearned for my entire life. I don't ever want it to end.

Junior places his pencil down and picks up a photo, smiling as he stared at it. The picture depicted himself with Twilight, the other girls, Spike, Mosura, Angirasu, and Rodan. He sticks the picture on the bottom of the page, and then gently closes the journal. On the front of the journal, there is writing that says, 'My history'. Junior sets the journal on his table and begins to feel his heart beating quick. He felt the need to tell them the truth about his origins. He would at least  keep the other Transmutants a secret, just in case it back fired on him. He made his way over toward his door and was surprised to find Fluttershy standing at his door. She yelped as she saw him as she held her fist up against the door.
"Oh. Hi Fluttershy." greeted Junior with a warm smile. Fluttershy She smiled back.
"Hi, Goji! I wanted to see if you would like to spend time with me and the others today. I already asked Rodan and Angirasu and they said that they were okay with it." said Fluttershy. Junior nodded to her in response.
"Sure! I've got nothing to do today." Junior went back into his home and took his sweater and slipped it on. He then steps out of the house, leaving his journal alone on the small table in his living room. He fishes for his house key and locks his door.
Junior and Fluttershy walked side by side down the road. They felt the cool air from the spring blow through them. Fluttershy's long hair flowed in the wind, covering her face. She lets out a giggle as her hair made contact with Junior's nose, causing him to jerk from the sudden tickle.
"I'm sorry." apologized Fluttershy. Junior waves his hands dismissively.
"Don't worry about it.” said Junior. As the two continued on down the road, Fluttershy wore a coy smile.
"So...how was your date?" asked Fluttershy. Junior chuckled nervously.
"I...I think it went well. She said that she had fun." said Junior.
"That's nice! What did you two do together?" asked Fluttershy.
"Well...since we were both completely inexperienced in dating, we went to see a movie and went star gazing." said Junior, his face flushed as recalled their night together.
"That sounds wonderful." said Fluttershy. Junior nodded in response. He was suddenly overcome with anxiety. He couldn't keep up the secrets anymore. He had to be honest about himself. He wanted to move forward with his relationship with Twilight. Junior thought that Fluttershy deserved to know first, since she was the one that might be the most accepting. He suddenly stops, with a worried expression plastered on his face. Fluttershy stops walking and looks to Junior curiously.
"Goji? What's wrong?" asked Fluttershy worriedly as she saw Junior's expression. Junior looks to her with uncertain eyes, filled with anxiety. Fluttershy frowned as she saw his eyes and wondered why he was suddenly behaving this way.
"Shy...there's something that I have to tell you." said Junior, his tone filled with nervousness. Fluttershy walks closer to him with a comforting smile.
"It's alright. You can tell me." said Fluttershy.
"Shy, there's something about me that I never told you. Celestia doesn't even know." said Junior, his tone serious. Fluttershy looked to him with an unnerved expression as he spoke.
"Yes?" said Fluttershy. Junior takes a deep and sharply exhaled.
"I'm not like you or the others. I'm actually a-" Junior was suddenly interrupted by the sound of distant screams. They both turned and saw a cloud of smoke building up in the distance of Ponyville. Fluttershy gasped as she the dark clouds rising. Junior felt his muscles stiffened and then he recognized multiple scents. A couple of them were too familiar to him.
"Oh no..." Junior said with dread.



"Rahhh!!" Battra gave a mighty shout as he cut down a human in civilian clothing that held an enchanted sword. He dashed through the area with his katana in his grip. He leaped onto a roof of a building and searched for more of MONARCH's undercover units. They were to be eliminated first if they wanted to buy themselves some time from MONARCH's army. He heard the screams of people as they saw the dead human and began to panic. A building was on fire behind him as he ran along another building's roof. He continued on and saw that Shinomura was sprinting across another roof. The cobalt haired man drops off the roof and began to attack another one of MONARCH's undercover soldiers, cries of agony heard in the distance. It was easy for them tell which of these humans were actually MONARCH soldiers by scanning their thoughts. After locating them, he sends the directions and their face to Shinomura via telepathy. Battra stopped running, taking in the scenery. He smiled wickedly to himself. He catches a familiar scent, and then turns his head. He finds two Elf girls and small dragon. One of girls had indigo hair. The other girl was shorter and had navy blue hair with pink and violet highlights that streaked from her bangs to the end of her hair. The dragon wore a purple sweater and jeans. They all stood alone as they looked around the area in confusion and worry.
"That girl, she's been around him." said Battra to himself. He scans her through her memory, completely unknown to her. Battra saw her past and learned something that he found intriguing. "So, she's fallen for a monster. We'll see if that will last when she finds out about the real Gojira." chuckled Battra. He then turns around and continues on his mission.



"This is Private Sunset Shimmer! I am requesting backup from base. Our undercover units are being slaughtered out here! We may be under attack!" said Sunset, urgently. She sat in her apartment building clad in light armor that had red marks on the shoulder and chest. She wore armored boots and her hair was tied into a bun. She sat in her bedroom in front of the desk that held the radio.
"Copy that, Private. Prepare for combat and engage the enemy. Private Shiragami is authorized to use her abilities in combat. Keep an eye her." ordered a male voice over the radio.
"Understood! Over and out." said Sunset. She places the mike down and makes her way over toward her bed. She picks up two pistols and places them on her holsters that hung on her hips. She then grabs her enchanted sword and sheathed it. She walks out of her bedroom with a rifle in her hand and finds Erika with hair tied in a bun as well. She was busy zipping up her suit. She then places her finger-less gloves on her hands and picks up her helmet and places it on her head. A rifle hung on her back as she turned to face Sunset.
"You were given permission to use your abilities. Do not make them regret it." said Sunset as she gave Erika a serious expression. Erika nodded in response.
"Let's go save lives." said Erika. Sunset gives her a determined smile and places her helmet on her head. A red visor hid her eyes.



Angirasu, Rodan, Rainbow, Pinkie and Applejack ran through the town in urgency. They had originally met up together at Sugarcube corner, but were forced to leave when they heard the sound of an attack going on. They saw people running away in the opposite direction of where they were going.
"Should we really be running toward the danger?!" asked Rodan as he ran next to Applejack.
"Nope! But we have to find Twi and the others!" said Applejack. Rainbow Dash flew above them, searching the area around them as they ran.
"I hope that they're fine." said Rainbow as her wings beat in the wind. Pinkie wore a worried expression as she ran. She then caught sight of something that made her stop dead in her tracks. Angirasu saw her sudden halt and stopped as well. He jogged over to Pinkie as she stared blankly away.
"Pinkie, we have to go!" said Angirasu in urgency. Her hair suddenly deflated from its cotton candied appearance to a depressing looking hair that was left down as tears were beginning to run down her face. Angirasu recoiled in surprise as he saw the girl’s unexpected depression. He looked to where she was looking and frowned as he saw a woman lying in the street. He slowly made his way over to the woman, his heart aching. He kneels next to her and lifts her slightly. Angirasu sighed as he saw the open lifeless eyes. He heard Pinkie bursting into a sob as he stared into the eyes of the woman. He raises his hand over her forehead and brings it down, closing her eye lids. He then heard the approach of footsteps behind him.
"Is she...?" asked Rainbow. Angirasu solemnly nodded.
"She's gone."
"Dammit!" cursed Rainbow as she slammed her fist on the ground.
"I-I was gonna throw her a party! I-It was her birthday tomorrow!" sobbed Pinkie. Applejack took off her hat and held it against her chest, wearing a solemn expression. Rodan gave Pinkie a comforting hug as she cried her eyes out. He wore an angry expression as he suddenly caught the scent of a Transmutant.
A sudden screeching roar pierced the sky, causing everyone to go stiff as echoed.
"Ebirah." said Rodan. Applejack looks to him in confusion.
"Come again?"
"Nothing. We need to go. I don't like the sound of that thing." said Rodan.
"B-but what about..." Pinkie muttered. Rodan places his hands on her shoulders, piercing her eyes with a serious expression.
"We can't do anything for her. She's in a better place now. I think that she would want you to be safe so you could keep putting a smile on everyone's face." said Rodan. Pinkie sniffled in response, wiping the tears away. Angirasu lifts up the dead woman carried her body over toward the side of the road. He gently lied her down on the ground, putting her hands on her chest. He turns to find Rainbow gritting her teeth as tears streamed down her face. Angirasu recalled that he told her that there was no shame in crying. He wished that it wasn't tragedy that she was crying for.




Meanwhile...

Megaguirus stood by and watched the chaos beside a mantis and Mukade. She then looked toward the mantis.
"He wants us to attack?" asked Megaguirus.
"Yes. We have to keep MONARCH at bay while Destoroyah looks for one of the Transmutants that's living here." said the mantis. Megaguirus smiles in response.
"Well, let's get started. I'm ready for some action."




Later...

Twilight, Rarity and Spike ran through the town. Everything was out of control. People ran through the streets and screamed about Transmutants attacking. The trio panicked as they tried to find their friends.
"Come on! We have to find the others!" said Twilight. They continued to run through the town. Suddenly, a flying figure was sighted overhead. A large mantis landed on the roof of one of the buildings, screeching toward the heavens.
"Back, back, back!" said Twilight, urgently. They turned and continued running. They suddenly found two armored figures with rifles in their grips.
"Get down!" shouted one of the figures. The trio immediately dropped to the ground and heard the sound of their weapons firing. The mantis on the roof screeched as it was bombarded by the magic bolts. It then takes off into the air and flies toward the woman in the lighter armor and suit. She drops her rifle and holds her arms out. The mantis slams into her, causing her to grunt as her feet skidded across the ground while holding onto the mantis.
"Shiragami!" called the other female soldier.
"I got him! Get those civilians out of here!" shouted Erika. Sunset looks to Twilight, Spike and Rarity. She reaches for Twilight with her hand out.
"Let's get you all out of here!" said Sunset. Twilight nodded as she took her hand. She was stood up to her feet while Spike and Rarity began to stand. The group then broke off into a sprint, with Spike looking back to the lone soldier. He watched in awe as the soldier fought the mantis on her own with nothing but her hands. She sent punches and kicks, dodging every attack. Spike turned his head back and continued to run, wishing the soldier luck in her battle.
"What is going on?!" asked Rarity.
"It’s an attack! Transmutant terrorists have decided to show their ugly faces on this settlement. This doesn't make any sense though. They never attack a settlement when they know a base is around!" said Sunset as she led them through the town. She stops by a wall with her rifle, peaking over a corner.
"They must be looking for something." said Sunset. Twilight looks to her curiously.
"Like what?" asked Twilight.
"I don't know." answered Sunset. She then gestures them to follow her and took off across the road. The girls and drake followed her, hearing the distant sound of screams. They suddenly saw a massive figure flying in the skies and gasped as they saw it land on a distant roof of the building. It had demonic bat-like wings and crustacean-like armor and released a shrieking roar as its wings displayed its fearsome appearance. It then dropped off of the building and used its powerful fists to tossed tables and benches.
"Destoroyah." muttered Sunset. She then catches the girls and drake staring in terror at the Transmutant. "Come on! That one is the worst out of all of them!"



Erika panted as she stood above the body of the mantis. The Transmutant didn't put up that much of a fight. But, she was still not used to her body. She turns to hear crashing sounds. An ear piercing shriek echoed in the distance. She moves away from the corpse and begins to sprint toward the source. As she ran, she found a massive dragonfly-like beast. It stood at six foot four feet tall, with a violet exoskeleton with gold spiky tips. Big red eyes sat on its head, which had three golden crests that ran across its skull. The creature's exoskeleton was spiky and sleek. The mouth had sharp teeth with two yellow mandibles attached. The dragonfly had two long fore wings and two shorter hind wings. The wings were purple and were spiked on the limb. Red veins appeared on the wings. The creature stood on four legs, with two humanoid arms. Two other arms were attached to the dragon-fly-like creature with large crab-like claws. A long abdomen was attached to the insect, with a yellow stinger at the tip and two small claws that were capable of grabbing. Red orbs ran down under the creature's armored abdomen. The creature shrieked into the heavens as its stinger was covered in blood. It began to attack MONARCH soldiers that had reached the town.
"Die!" said the dragon-fly in a screeching feminine voice. She bites and assaults them with her claws. Erika runs toward the dragonfly creature as her right hand morphs into a bony blade. She gives a war cry as she rushed toward the dragonfly. The dragonfly catches sight of her and opens her claw and catches the blade.
"I'm Megaguirus, nice to meet MONARCH's official Transmutant soldier." said the dragonfly. Megaguirus then impales Erika with her stinger, causing her gasp in pain. She stares at her stomach as the stinger dug into her belly. Erika felt her energy being drained as the orbs on Megaguirus's abdomen began to light up.
"You're energy smells almost like his. It's delicious." chuckled Megaguirus. Erika dropped to her knees as her energy was drained; she stared into the red insect eyes of Megaguirus.
"His? What do you mean?" asked Erika.
"Sorry, that's a question that'll have to remain unanswered." said Megaguirus. She then uses her claws to clip off Erika's arms. She wailed in agony as her arms were dismembered.
'Not again!' thought Erika. Megaguirus kicks her in the chest, knocking the soldier to the ground. The dragonfly's wings began to beat in the air, flapping at high speeds. She then takes off into the air in a blink of an eye. Erika lied on the ground panting. She heard footsteps jogging over to her and felt herself lifted up.
"Get a medic!" said a MONARCH soldier.
"No! No, just put me in the sun and leave me. I can heal myself." said Erika. The soldier gives her a bewildered expression.
"You can't-"
"I am Private Erika Shiragmi! MONARCH's first Transmutant soldier and I have the ability to regenerate!" shouted Erika. She began to pant as she felt her head growing light. "I need sunlight. Please put me in the sun's light and go stop those Transmutants."
"Got it." said the soldier. He and another soldier dragged Erika away from the shade and moved her to the sun and gently laid her down.
"Thank you." said Erika. She closes her eyes and felt the rays of the sun rain on her body. She took in the solar radiation, slowly feeling herself being rejuvenated.
"Let's move out." said the soldier. He took off with a group of five others. Erika felt her arms slowly regrowing as plant-like arms.
"I have to get back into the fight." said Erika.



Junior held Fluttershy's hand as they ran through the town, searching for their friends. Junior's anxiety had increased. His worst fear had finally come to pass. Transmutants had decided to invade Ponyville. He tried to get Fluttershy to find shelter, but she refused. He knew that she wanted to get away and find safety, but her determination to find her friends was much greater. They ran through the town, finding debris from houses and buildings along the ground.
'Where are you guys?' thought Junior. He then found Mosura in the distance, running towards them.
"Shy! It's Mosura!" said Junior. The pair made their way over to her and stopped. Fluttershy was panting as they stopped.
"Gojira, where's Angirasu and Rodan?!" asked Mosura.
"I don't know! We were just looking for them and the others!" replied Junior. He then hears the sounds of gunfire going on and the screeching roar of a Transmutant. Fluttershy held onto his arm tightly in fear.
"Mosura, we might not have a choice." said Junior.
"Gojira...are you certain? Do you really want to?" asked Mosura in disbelief. "What if..."
"I don't care! Things are out of control here and we need to-" Junior was interrupted by the sound of something crashing. The trio turns and finds a crustacean armored figure standing on the roof of a building. Fluttershy gasped as she stared at the large humanoid creature. Mosura began to hyperventilate as the figure dropped down to the ground, his feet causing it to crack around him.
"It's been quite a long while since we've last seen each other, Gojira Takeshi the 2nd." said Destoroyah. Junior glares at the larger Transmutant.
"Not long enough." retorted Junior.
"W-who is that? How does he know your name?" asked Fluttershy. Destoroyah catches her hiding behind Junior. She gasps as she hid head out of his sight.
"Well aren't you precious?" cooed Destoroyah.
"You stay the hell away from her!" shouted Junior, taking a defensive stance in front of Fluttershy. Destoroyah slowly made his way toward the trio.
"I'm not here for her. I'm here for you Gojira." said Destoroyah. Junior's eyes widened in surprise.
"Me? What for?" demanded Junior.
"Gojira, I want you to come with me. You have the spirit of a fighter. I want you to join us." said Destoroyah. Mosura steps up in front of Junior.
"Don't you dare corrupt him! Not like you did with my brother!"
"I didn't corrupt him. He chose to stand by me. It was his decision to make and he chose me! I will do the same with Takeshi as I please!" glared Destoroyah.
"B-brother?? Mosura, you have a brother?" asked Fluttershy. Mosura's words were caught in her throat. Fluttershy hadn't figured out what was going on yet, but she discovered that Mosura had a brother. She gritted her teeth as she hesitated to tell her.
"No more secrets, Mosura. It's time that they knew of your true self." said Destoroyah. He then looks to Junior.
"Aren't you tired of all the pain and suffering between humans and Transmutants? Don't you hate that a war is raging on between our races?" asked Destoroyah. Junior looks down in sorrow.
"I do. I just want it all to end. I just want to live in peace." said Junior.
"If you join me, we can end this war together! You have great power that can end this war in our favor!" said Destoroyah, glorifying the power that Junior doubted that he had.
"What about the humans?!" demanded Junior. Destoroyah laughed darkly.
"What about them? Gojira, humans are weak, foolish and violent creatures. They lie, cheat, and steal. They fight, harm, and discriminate creatures that are different from them without a second thought. They even discriminate themselves! We will put them in their place." said Destoroyah. Junior felt Fluttershy tremble as she held onto him behind his back.
"So, what? You'll kill and oppress them? You're no better than they are, you hypocrite!" said Junior, feeling his anger rise.
"You can have a place among us Gojira. You'll be accepted by us." said Destoroyah. Fluttershy moves from behind Junior and steps in front of him.
"He already has a place among people! He has wonderful friends that love him and accept him for who he is!" said Fluttershy, struggling to be assertive against the Transmutant that towered over her. Junior immediately grabbed her shoulders and pulled her back. Destoroyah glares at her, but a thought had reached his mind. He chuckles darkly.
"She doesn't know, does she?" asked Destoroyah. Junior went stiff. He planned to tell Fluttershy his secret, but he feared that she was going to find out this way.
"There's no way a wretched human would accept you if they knew the real you." laughed Destoroyah.
"Mosura, take Fluttershy and run." commanded Junior. Mosura looks to him shock.
"No! I'm not leaving you with him!" said Mosura. Fluttershy grabs Junior's arm and looks to him with a distraught expression.
"I'm not leaving either! You're my friend! Friends don't leave friends behind!" cried Fluttershy. Junior felt his eyes watered as he stared into her eyes.
"Shy, I need you to go. Find Twilight and the others and get to safety." said Junior. He wraps Fluttershy into a tight hug, feeling her tremble in his embrace. "Just go...I'll be fine."
"Don't lie to me!" cried Fluttershy. Junior looks down solemnly.
"It's too late for that." said Junior. He then releases her and turns back toward Destoroyah, who waited for him. Mosura takes Fluttershy's hand and began to walk her away from the two male Transmutants.
"Goji!" cried Fluttershy.
"Just shut up and go away!" said Junior, fighting off his tears. Fluttershy felt her heart broke as her friend had told her to leave. She knew why he wanted her to leave, but she still couldn't stand the fact that he was pushing her away. She sobbed as she and Mosura continued away from the area.
"What is your decision, Gojira Takeshi?" asked Destoroyah. Junior sighs heavily.
"All my life, I feared the day where I would be ostracized from society. To be seen as nothing but a monster. I even began to hate my own existence because of that." said Junior.
"So, will join me?" asked Destoroyah. Junior sends him a glare.
"Not a chance in hell. I may despise MONARCH like you and would rather see them burn, but I won't help you kill innocent humans because of the decisions of MONARCH." said Junior as he got into a fighting stance. The two stood in silence as the distant screams of people and the roars of a few Transmutants echoed in the air. The area around them was filled with destruction of property and shattered windows. A lamppost lied on the ground, the lantern shattered. Destoroyah shook his head in disappointment.
"You had potential. But, you made your decision." said Destoroyah as he popped his neck and knuckles. He turns away from Junior, his face plastered with a wicked grin. He suddenly turns and leaps high into the air, giving a war cry as he suddenly dropped down toward the ground. Junior hops back, avoiding Destoroyah as he crashed back on to the earth with a mighty stomp that cracked the ground. As Junior landed, Destoroyah slammed his fists into the ground, lifting up a large chunk of rock. He grunts as he tossed the boulder toward Junior. The younger Transmutant reared his fist back and sent it toward the chunk, shattering it into pieces. As the debris parted in the air, he met with Destoroyah as he charged toward Junior. He didn't have enough time to react until Destoroyah sent his fist toward his face, knocking him off of his feet and toward the side of a small house. Junior landed on his back through the house, covered in planks of wood. He stood as Destoroyah stomped over toward him. Junior stood up and rushed toward Destoroyah, picking up a plank of wood. He gave a yell as he swung the plank of wood across Destoroyah's face, causing him to slightly stagger. After the third swing, the plank of wood shattered on his face. Destoroyah then grabbed Junior's neck with his three fingered hand and threw him through the other wall of the house. Junior collides with the ground outside and began to roll, coming to a short stop. He lets out a beastly growl as Destoroyah charged toward him. Junior stands up to his feet and sends punches and kicks toward Destoroyah, who managed to block his attacks As Destoroyah sent a kick toward Junior, he was countered with punch to his face. He grunts, and then he was assaulted by Junior's barrage of powerful punches in his exposed belly. Destoroyah drops to his knees as the wind was knocked out of him. Junior grabs his shoulder and pulls on it, forcing Destoroyah's head to face him. Junior sends a jab to his face, causing a yellowish liquid to fly out of his mouth. Junior then delivers a round house kick to the back of his head, knocking Destoroyah to the floor. As he was about to stomp on his head, he was suddenly knocked off his feet by Destoroyah's arm. As Junior fell to the ground on his belly, he looks up to find Destoroyah standing up and then rushing toward him, kneeing him in the jaw. Junior fell onto his back, crying out in pain.
"Not bad, kid. But, you still have a long way to go." said Destoroyah. He was suddenly shot by a bolt of magic. He growls, turning to find a young woman in a suit with light armor that covered her around her body. Her helmet was missing and her emerald green hair was tied in a bun. She held a large rifle in her grip as she glared at him.
"Step away from the civilian, Destoroyah." commanded Erika. Destoroyah chuckled in response. He then charges toward her with his fist raised. Erika suddenly throws the rifle toward the ground and charges toward him as well. She leaps into the air, performing a kick onto his chest. Destoroyah was knocked off of his feet and onto his back as Erika bounced off of him. She flips and then lands perfectly onto her feet, raising her fists in an offensive stance. Destoroyah stands with a bewildered expression plastered on his face.
"You..."
"I am Erika Shiragmi. I am MONARCH's Transmutant super soldier." said Erika. Destoroyah chuckles darkly as he stood up. Junior slowly stood to his feet, staggering backwards toward the wall of a building.
"I've been dying to meet you." said Destoroyah.
"Really now?" asked Erika.
"Yes. You're better off away from MONARCH. They're just using you."
"Using me to stop monsters like you." retorted Erika. She then charges toward Destoroyah; the larger Transmutant sends multiple punches toward Erika, which she side stepped away from each time. She then catches Destoroyah’s right fist and uses her strength to pull him and flips him over toward the ground, sending him to flop on the ground. Destoroyah roared as he grabbed Erika's wrist and tossed her over toward a house while on his back. She cries out as she slams against the house, through the window. She hisses in pain as glass stuck out of her shoulder. Erika stands up to her feet and finds Destoroyah grabbing her by her neck. She struggled in his grip as his hand crushed her neck. Destoroyah then began to slam on the floor of the house, causing the wood underneath to leave an imprint of her body. He repeats this process several times, with Erika crying out in pain. As Destoroyah drops her to the ground, he raises his foot above her head.
"Send the soldiers that we have killed my regards." said Destoroyah. Erika gasped as she saw his wide foot hovering over her skull. She brings her hands up and catches the foot clawed before it landed on her head. She grunts as she struggled to keep his foot up. Destoroyah snarls as his muscles in his leg tensed and tried to force the soldier down. The two struggled for several seconds, until Destoroyah was struck by a block of concrete. He grunts in pain, his muscles in his leg loosening their tension. Erika forces his foot away from her head and sweeps Destoroyah's remaining leg, causing him to fall over. Erika quickly stands to her feet and punches him in his face with tremendous force as he looked toward her. He dropped his head to the ground unconscious. Erika panted; she then laid her eyes upon her rescuer. Junior stood panting as he glared at Destoroyah.
"Thank you." said Erika, her eyes wide in surprise. Junior looks to her with a hard stare.
"I didn't do it for you. I just don't like him." said Junior. Erika raised a brow at him at his words due to the hostility he projected on her. Junior suddenly felt something pierce him from behind. He gasped as he felt cold steel in his back and an agonizing sharpness. Junior suddenly drops to his knees, his breathing shallow and his eyes wide. The blade was yanked out of his back, allowing him to fall freely on his belly. Erika watched in despair as he landed face first on the floor of the house. Her eyes trailed up to the one who attacked him, finding a face that she despised. Battra stood with a bloody katana in his grip, smiling.
"You son of a bitch!!" screamed Erika. She then runs toward Battra giving an enraged cry. Battra raised his katana blade, cutting her in her belly. She growled as she held her gut, sending her fist toward him and knocking him outside of the house. Erika gasped as she saw Destoroyah rising to his feet with a glare. She then drops next to Junior and carries him over her shoulder. She ran with him outside of the house and leaps onto the roof of a building. She continued to run away from the Transmutants as fast as she could.
"Damn! I almost had him!" cursed Battra. Destoroyah stands next to him with a neutral expression.
"New plan. Find his friends and kill them all. I want him to suffer." said Destoroyah.
"I think I know which ones to find first." smiled Battra.



Twilight, Sunset, Rarity and Spike ran through the town. They had recently spotted a lobster-like Transmutant that was attacking a group of soldiers. Sunset desperately wanted to join the fight, but she knew that her top priority was the safety of the civilians. As they stopped, taking a quick rest, Twilight caught sight of Fluttershy and Mosura. Her heart leaped with joy as she saw two of her friends safe and sound. She ran over toward them but stopped as she saw tears streaming down Fluttershy's face.
"Fluttershy, Mosura..."
"Twilight, where are Angirasu and Rodan?" asked Mosura in urgency. Sunset's ears perked up at one of the names.
'Rodan? As in...' Sunset's thoughts were interrupted as Twilight began to speak.
"I-I don't know. We were looking for them but we ran into one of MONARCH's soldiers." said Twilight. Mosura went stiff as she noticed a young woman wearing a helmet that depicted the MONARCH insignia.
"Where's Gojira?" asked Twilight. Fluttershy sniffled as tears kept running down her face.
"H-he stayed behind! There was a Transmutant that we ran into and he knew him! I-I don't understand how he knew him but Goji told us to leave to find you and he stayed behind!" sobbed Fluttershy. Twilight's eyes widened in shock.
"He what?! That crazy idiot!" said Twilight as her heart raced. Her eyes with filled with anxiety and her tone with dread. She then realized that Fluttershy said that the Transmutant knew Junior and wondered about how such a connection was possible.
"Twilight!" called a familiar feminine voice. Twilight's heart did another leap of joy as she recognized the voice as Applejack's. She and the others turned to find Pinkie, Rainbow, Rodan, Applejack, and Angirasu heading towards them. She, Rarity, Fluttershy and Spike all ran toward the other element bearers and joined in a group hug. Rodan and Angirasu ran past them and found Mosura running towards them. They brought her into a hug, happy to see their sister figure safe and sound.
"Where's Gojira?" asked Angirasu. Mosura looked to him with dread.
"He's with Destoroyah!" said Mosura. The two male Transmutants gasped in response.
"We need to find him!" said Rodan.
"I know Rodan! But we-"
"Rodan Shou?" asked Sunset. The Transmutants went stiff and turned to find her. Rodan gulped in response as he recognized the MONARCH insignia on her helmet.
"Um...yeah?"
"So it’s you." said Sunset. She then suddenly raises her rifle toward him, causing him to recoil in shock. Mosura cupped her hands on her mouth and Angirasu glared at the soldier.
"Hey, hey! Let's not be so hasty here!" exclaimed Rodan.
"Shut up! Hands on your head and get on the ground!" commanded Sunset. Rodan was beginning to sweat.
"I guess the jig is up?" asked Rodan in a nervous tone.
"You bet." smiled Sunset. The girls and drake heard Sunset's loud tone. Rainbow gasped as she saw that Sunset was pointing a weapon at him. She then steps in front of Sunset's line of sight. She flared her wings while giving her a hard glare.
"What the hay do you think you’re doing?!" demanded Rainbow. "You're supposed to be shooting monsters not people!"
"Get out of the way!" commanded Sunset. She then raises her hand and engulfs Rainbow in her moderate cyan magical aura, forcing her out of her line of sight.
"Rodan Shou, A.K.A. Thunderbird, by orders of MONARCH, you are under arrest!" said Sunset as she pointed her rifle at Rodan. Angirasu steps in front Rodan in a defensive stance.
"He's not going anywhere." said Angirasu. Sunset sent him a glare.
"Wait, why are ya arresting him? What did he do?" demanded Applejack. As Sunset was about to answer, she was interrupted.
"Shimmer!" called Erika. Sunset keeps her rifle raised and turns her head toward the direction the voice came from. She saw Erika running along the roof of a building carrying someone over her shoulder. She suddenly leaps off of the building and runs over toward the group. Erika looks to her with a distressed expression.
"This civilian needs medical attention!" said Erika in urgency. She gently lays him on the ground on his back. Twilight and the others gasped as they saw Junior's face. He was bruised, his eyes were shut and his breathing was shallow. Blood trailed from the right side of his fore head.
"Gojira!" cried his friends. Mosura stared in despair as she saw the blood stain on the belly of his sweater. Erika unzipped his sweater and ripped open his shirt, revealing his gaping wound. The girls gasped as they saw the wound. Twilight and Fluttershy were on the verge of tears as they stared at his damaged body.
"What happened to him?!" demanded Twilight.
"I found him being attacked by one of the Transmutants. I fought him off but he was stabbed by another one named Battra." explained Erika. Mosura's blood went cold as she heard the name of Junior’s assailant. She clenched her fists in anger and gritted her teeth.
"Shiragami, take this rifle and point it at that crimson haired boy. I'll handle this." commanded Sunset. She began to recognize the face of Junior from the other day. She found it ironic that they met again like this. Erika takes the rifle and looks toward Rodan as he stood with his hands behind his head with an uncertain expression.
"But...he's a civilian." said Erika. Sunset then raises her hands over Junior's wound as they were engulfed in an aura.
"No, he isn't. That's one of the ones that MONARCH had received reports on in Ponyville a few weeks back. MONARCH gave us his name, identification, and his codename, Thunderbird." said Sunset. She lowered her hands toward Junior's gaping wound as an aura covered the wound. Erika looks to him with an unsure expression, which Rodan responded with a shrug. Erika hesitantly raises her rifle toward Rodan with Angirasu still in front of him. Angirasu hardened his glare.
"Put. That gun. Down." commanded Angirasu.
"I have my orders. Please stand aside civilian." said Erika.
"No." said Angirasu. Pinkie yelled in frustration, startling everyone.
"What the hay is going on here?!" demanded Pinkie. She then walks up to Erika. "Why are you arresting Rodan?! You're supposed to be protecting people from those monsters! Last time that I check, he wasn't one of them!"
The rest of the girls all verbally agreed, outraged by the soldiers.
"You obviously haven't checked well enough." said Sunset. The wounds on Junior were beginning to close. She suddenly stops, the wound hardly closed. She stands and glares at Angirasu.
"You know, you are really starting to get on my nerves. So, I'll just come out and say it. You're friend is a Transmutant and an enemy to humans. Our job is to arrest or exterminate them." Sunset said coldly. Everyone stood in dead silence. Only the sound of the wind blowing through the air could be heard. Suddenly, a burst of laughter broke the silence. Rainbow was laughing hysterically as she held onto her gut. Tears from her laughing were coming from her eyes.
"Oh! Oh, that's a good one! Rodan, a Transmutant? That's a hoot!" said Rainbow.
"Yeah, that's a pretty wild accusation that ya have there, partner." said Applejack with an amused smile.
"What in the wide world would make you lead up to such a conclusion?" asked Rarity.
"Ro, I don't know what you did to get MONARCH on your butt, but it's obviously not that!" laughed Rainbow. Rodan looks down to the ground in sadness. Twilight noticed his dejected look, her mind trying to process what could have caused this.
"Rodan?" called Twilight. Rodan looks to them with sadness.
"Actually...I uh..." Rodan knew what to say, but he couldn't bring the words out of his mouth. Rainbow began to settle down her laughter, looking to him with a smile.
"What?" asked Rainbow.
"Rainbow Dash, I have a confession to make." said Rodan. Rainbow raised a brow along with the others. She then began to laugh nervously at his serious tone.
"Dude, come one. You're starting to creep me out with that tone." said Rainbow. Mosura frowned as she looked down at the ground.
'It's happening all over again.' thought Mosura in despair.
"Rainbow, 12 years ago, I changed." said Rodan.
"Changed? What do you mean you changed?" asked Rainbow, quizzically. Rodan grits his teeth.
"Rainbow, I'm sorry! I-I only kept it hidden because I was afraid! You don't know what it's like to be considered a freak!" said Rodan in a distraught voice.
"Wh-what are you saying? What are you trying to tell me?!" demanded Rainbow. Twilight's eyes widened as she came to her conclusion.
"No way." said Twilight. Suddenly a loud roar echoed above them. Erika looked up and saw Battra in his monstrous form dropping down to the ground. She glared at the Transmutant, pointing her rifle in his direction and firing. Rodan took the opportunity to leave and rushed toward a nearby building and corner. Angirasu followed him in pursuit while Mosura ran toward Junior. Sunset cursed under breath as her hands were engulfed in her aura.
"Get him out of here!" said Sunset as she ran toward Battra. Mosura takes Junior's arm and found Applejack taking his other arm. The two then began to drag Junior away to safety. The girls and drake stared in terror as Battra roared at Erika and Sunset. The super soldier ran toward Battra as she continued to fire her weapon. She then leaps over him; the magic bolts barraged his black exoskeleton. Sunset teleported on a roof of a building and fired a magic beam at him. Battra shrieked as the beam burned him and forced him toward a building. Twilight stared in awe at how Sunset was able to hold her own against a Transmutant with magic. She saw how she raised shields, preventing debris from hitting her, and teleporting to another spot quickly and starting back in attacking with magic bolts. Despite her interest in Sunset’s magic, Twilight shifted her attention back to Junior as he was dragged. She shoots her arms forward and engulfed him in her raspberry aura. She used her magic to help carry him away, settling far enough from the battle with the rest of her friends. After they set him down, Twilight kneels next to him and prepared a healing spell.
"Good thing that I've been practicing." said Twilight. As she was about to perform her spell, she noticed something bizarre. Junior's wound was slowly closing on its own. She stopped her spell, staring in shock. The rest of the girls -excluding Mosura- and drake stared with slack jawed expressions. Mosura frowned as she knew Junior's secret was compromised.
"That...that's impossible!" cried Twilight. She stared as the wound gave a slight mist as it sealed itself shut, not leaving a trace of ever existing.
"Well I'll be..." said Applejack, her eyes wide with dinner plates. Fluttershy stared at his healed gut with mixed emotions ranging from amazement, confusion, and fear. Rarity was relieved to see that the nasty wound was gone, but unnerved by how it had healed on its own. Her mind raced as she tried to come up with logical explanations for it.
"Maybe...maybe it was the type of spell that she using! Yes, to allow the wound to heal slowly but faster than normal with little traces of magic!" suggested Rarity. However, she didn't feel convinced about her own theory.
"What the hay is going on here?" asked Rainbow as she stared at his healed wound in shock. Spike didn't know how to feel about the situation. He wasn't expecting for something as this to occur, despite his relief that Gojira was fine.
"Where's Rodan?" asked Pinkie, taking her eyes away from Junior. She was relieved about how he had healed fully but confused about how it happened. Rainbow's ears perked as she heard his name mentioned. She turns his head toward where he and Angirasu had fled.
"I think I know where. That punk still owes me an explanation." said Rainbow with a hard glare. As she began to walk, she felt someone grab her wrist. She found Junior having a firm grip on her with a serious expression.
"Keep an open mind." said Junior. Rainbow looks to him in surprise.
"Dude, what's going on with what we just saw?! You just healed on your own!" demanded Rainbow. Junior stands to his feet slowly, with Twilight trying to convince him to stay down. He raises his hand, signaling that he was fine. Twilight hesitantly leaves him be.
"It's complicated." said Junior. Rainbow gritted her teeth in anger and then stands closer to Junior, glaring at him.
"Wanna fill me in on the big secret that you've likely been hiding?" asked Rainbow. Junior sighed in response, looking around himself to find his friends looking to him in worry and in a way that desired an answer.
"Dash, I'm about to let everyone in on a secret." said Junior. He gently presses on her shoulder, forcing her out of his way. He then began to walk toward the battle. Mosura stands and realized what Junior was planning.
"Gojira!" called Mosura. Junior didn't listen, he kept walking. Suddenly, Destoroyah dropped from the sky with large demonic wings. He gave a war cry as he joined Battra in battle against the two soldiers.
"We need back up!" said Sunset in urgency over her earpiece.
"We're almost there, Private! Just hang in there!" said a voice over the earpiece. Erika had morphed her hands into claws and began to attack Destoroyah with them, slashing his body and causing a yellow liquid to spray from his wounds. He cried out in agony and roared in rage as he fought Erika. Junior then took off his sweater and dropped it to the ground and then his torn shirt. He stops and looks back to his friends who stared with fearful expressions for his safety. Junior saw Twilight's face, and it was sight that made him hate the decision that he was thinking.
'I never meant for any of you to find out like this.' thought Junior solemnly. Then, another figure dropped to the ground. It was a cobalt haired man that wielded a katana. Junior stops, glaring at the Transmutant that opposed him.
"Move or die." commanded Junior, his tone filled with anger. Twilight's ears perked as she heard him spoke those words.
"My name is Shinomura." said the cobalt haired man. He then charges toward Junior with a war cry. Junior's pupils shrunk and irises increased in size as the Transmutant approached. As the Transmutant swung his blade, Junior raised his left hand and caught the blade in his hand. The girls and drake all gasped as they saw that the blade did not slice his hand in half. Shinomura gave him a smile as he saw Junior's palm covered in a reptile-like skin that held the steel blade.
"Do I look like I give a shit?" asked Junior in a cold tone.
"Impressive." praised Shinomura. Junior suddenly yanked on the blade, forcing Shinomura to stagger forward and was met with a right hook to the jaw. He falls over onto the ground, groaning in pain. Junior held onto the katana by the blade he began to stomp on Shinomura. He repeated this process several times and then kicked him in the face. Shinomura grunted as he staggered up to his feet. Junior drops the blade and grabs Shinomura by the neck. Shinomura gasped for air as he felt the oxygen starved from his lungs. Junior gave him a hateful glare as he tightened his grip.
"I am sick and tired of all of you. You blame every single innocent human for your misfortune instead of the ones responsible." said Junior with contempt. He then began to punch Shinomura in the face. The girls watched fearfully as they saw the glare in Junior's eyes and how violently he attacked Shinomura. Fluttershy cupped her mouth with her hands, shocked to see such a dark and cruel side to Junior.
"Humans are weak?" asked Junior as he sent another punch.
"They discriminate and kill creatures that are different from them without a second thought?" asked Junior, sending another punch toward Shinomura. The girls cringed after every punch that he sent.
"What about you? Aren't you doing the same thing?" asked Junior. He then picks up Shinomura and throws him on the ground.
"Maybe you're just as weak, if not weaker." said Junior. He then picks up the katana from the ground, raising it in the air. The girls gasped as they saw him preparing to bring his right hand down.
"You'd kill me for them?" demanded Shinomura.
"I'd kill you all." said Junior. Before he could bring the katana down, he felt a force hold his hand in place. He looked to his hand and found that it was engulfed in a raspberry colored aura. He turns to find a distraught Twilight looking to him with pleading eyes.
"Please....please don't." begged Twilight. Junior's eyes softened as he saw Twilight's eyes run with tears. She slowly began to walk toward him with her magic holding his arm back.
"Gojira, I'm begging you. Don't kill him." pleaded Twilight. Junior felt his eyes water from looking at her. His grip on the katana was loosening.
"Twilight..."
"Please stop it! You're scaring us! You're scaring me!" cried Twilight. Junior felt his heart ached as he heard those words. He saw his friends looking at him with frightened expressions. Mosura looked to him with sadness.
'Listen to her.' said Mosura, her voice echoing in his mind. Junior nodded in response.
"I'm sorry. I was just..."
"Fool." said Shinomura. He suddenly pounced on Junior and sunk his teeth into his neck. Junior cried out in agony as he dropped the katana and dropped to his knees. Twilight screamed as she saw Junior's neck mauled by the Transmutant. She raised her hand and fired a bolt of magic at his face, forcing him off of him. He snarled and then pounces on Twilight, his teeth covered in Junior's blood as he bared them at her. Twilight lets out a terrified scream as she saw Shinomura's eyes glowing and his teeth about to sink into her flesh. He was suddenly kicked off of her by Applejack. Mosura ran over toward the Transmutant and tackles him to the ground and began to send multiple punches his face.
"You. Will. Not. Hurt them!!" shouted Mosura. Junior slowly stands to his feet, holding his hand against his neck. He glared at the Transmutant that had bit him.
"I'm definitely going to kill you now." said Junior. Nobody gave a verbal protest, not even Twilight. She yelped as she saw Erika and Sunset flung over toward them. Erika's arm was missing and slowly regenerating and Sunset's helmet was gone, her armor dented. The two panted as they lied on the ground.
"Where's that damn back up?" asked Sunset. Junior turns to find Sunset, his eyes widening in surprise.
"This day just keeps getting better." Junior said sarcastically. He then notices Battra flying above them, he drops down to ground, knocking away Junior and Mosura. He then turns to find Twilight, letting out a chuckle. Junior gasped as he saw Battra grab Twilight, her screams pierced his ears. He felt a protective urge overcome him, his rage boiling.
"Twilight!" cried the girls and drake.
Battra held her up by her arms close to his face. Twilight whimpered as she stared into his large, red insect eyes.
"No!" cried Junior. Battra chuckled in amusement.
"Don't tell me you've gotten this attached to her. I remember how you hated being around people."
"Brother, put her down." said Mosura, standing to her feet. Her stare was cold.
"Brother?!" the girls and drake exclaimed in shock.
"Mosura, have you ever plucked the wings off of a fly before?" asked Battra. Junior's eyes widened along with Erika's.
"Battra, please come back to me!" cried Mosura.
"Don't you dare hurt her you son of a bitch!" shouted Junior. Erika's arm shifted into tendrils, she then shot her arm forward with the tendrils wrapping around Battra's arms, squeezing tightly. He roared in pain, releasing Twilight. She scrambled back toward her friends, while Junior ran toward him punched him in his face. Battra's eyes glowed, firing a beam toward his chest. Junior cried out in agony as the beam burned his flesh, knocking him down to the ground. Mosura was about to intervene but was grabbed by her head by Destoroyah's large hand. He throws her toward the wall of a building. He then walks over toward Erika and stomps on her arm, causing her to cry out and release her hold on Battra. He drops, panting. Twilight cried out to Junior as he lied motionless on the ground. Destoroyah lifts him by his head and points toward the girls.
"Pay close attention. This is the day where you killed your loved ones." said Destoroyah. Battra began to stomp over toward the girls as the backed away fearfully. Junior looked on in despair, trying to stand to his feet and fight.
"No!" cried Junior. He watched as his friends were backed up to building corner with Battra closer to them. He shuts his eyes tightly in rage. He couldn't let them die for his mistakes. His decision to assist Battra endangered his friends and he was not going to let them get hurt. He began to growl and groan in pain as his body began to shift and grow. His bones increased in size and shifted in place and shape. His soft mammalian flesh became rough, scaly and strong. His teeth fell out of his mouth, replaced by sharp fangs and his face morphing in shape. He cries out in agony as the transformation continues. Destoroyah backs away from him in surprise, but grins as he saw his back beginning to sprout three rows of maple-leaf shaped dorsal plates. Battra stopped approaching the girls, finding Junior in the process of changing. The girls and drake watched in shock and fear as they saw Junior's body morph before their very eyes. His pants tore as a large tail sprung from his backside, dropping to the ground. His muscles increased in mass and density, his face changed to a box shaped muzzle and a flat head. His feet became wide and clawed as his scales covered every part of him. Five flaps of gills sprouted from both sides of his neck and closed against him, allowing him to breathe through his lungs. As Junior panted in a deep and beastly breath, he slowly looked toward Battra with a snarl. Twilight and the others gasped as they saw his small monstrous eyes glaring. They felt that he was looking at them. Junior opened his mouth, exposing his sharp teeth and large tongue.
"SKRRREEEEOOOONNNK!!" Junior roared, causing the girls and drake to cup their ears from the ear piercing sound. Junior stands to his feet and back hands Destoroyah away. Twilight grew fearful at Junior's new appearance. He looked like wingless dragon-like creature. Junior stood upright yet slightly hunched with a large build and a height of thirteen feet; a crest covered his chest in a manner resembling humanoid pectorals. Battra roared as he charged toward Junior, flapping his wings to take off into the air. Junior roared as he caught Battra, swinging him around the area and slamming him against the ground. Twilight stared as the realization dawned on her.
"No. No that can't be." muttered Twilight in disbelief as she stared at the battle. Shinomura had risen to his feet, his body undergoing changes as well. He cried in agony as his body changed to a dragon-like creature with a long body, with blue scales and a long tail. He sprouted large black wings and had three eyes on both sides of his head. His eyes glowed and his mouth opened as he roared. The girls stared in terror as it transformed. Fluttershy dropped to her knees as she saw Junior fighting Battra and now Shinomura at the same time.
'He said that he had to tell me something. He said that wasn't like us.' thought Fluttershy, her mind wrapping around everything that she was seeing. She watched as Junior bellowed in pain as he was attacked by both Battra and Shinomura. He towered over both of them, but their size allowed them to move quickly around him. Shinomura wrapped his body around Junior's waist and began to sink his wide mouth into his shoulder. Battra fired his beams at Junior, scorching his chest. Fluttershy felt herself overcome with despair. Then a large, crimson lobster-like creature burst through a building on Junior's right. The girls jumped as they saw the Transmutant stand on six large human-like legs. It stood semi-erect with a large chest built like a human's and a lobster head attached to a hunched back torso. A large tail swayed behind it. The creature's right claw was larger than its left claw. The eleven foot tall creature screeched as it tried to get Rodan and Angirasu off of its body.
"Get off!" shouted the lobster in a shrieking voice. Its red eyes swiveled around. Destoroyah stood to his feet, snarling as he saw the battle. He then noticed Mosura groaning in pain.
Rodan and Angirasu were flung off of the lobster's back. Rodan landed on the roof of a building while Angirasu landed on the ground. Fluttershy rushes over to Angirasu, trying to help him stand to his feet. Rainbow flew over toward Rodan on the roof, shocked to see him making an agonized groan as he stood on his hands and knees. He looks to her with a pained expression.
"I'm sorry." said Rodan, his voice slightly deeper. A tear trailed down his cheek.
"No...it's not true!" said Rainbow, denying the sight that she was witnessing. Rodan cried out in agony as his neck stretched out and his bones and body shifting. His body grew in size, his arms increasing in length and his clothes tearing from his increased mass. She stared as his face shifted into a bird-like appearance with three horned crests protruding from the back of his head. A beak began to grow from his face and sharp teeth began to grow. His arms sprouted a thick membrane that was hung from his arms. His skin became reptilian and changed to the color of brick red. Rainbow gasped as she recognized him as the winged dragon-like bird from before. Rodan roared as his chest and belly became armored and spiked before he leaped off of the roof of the building, leaving a shocked Rainbow Dash alone.
Rodan rammed into Battra, carrying him by the shoulders and dragging him away from Junior. Mosura groaned as Erika stood back to her feet and rushed over toward her side. That was when she noticed the Mosura's body was changing as well. Her eyes were growing and became insect-like. Her body grew and her skin began to sprout tiny white and orange hairs. Her skull became round and her mouth began to shift into an insect's mouth. White fluffy antennae sprouted from her head and two extra arms sprouted through her. They were insect-like and were covered in fluff at her fore arms. Her body was covered in a brown exoskeleton and her back sprouted two large wings. Fluttershy gasped as she began to recognize Mosura as the moth Transmutant from before. Mosura stands as her thorax tore through her clothing and her abdomen hanging from behind. She screeches as she took off into the air toward Ebirah.
The girls stared in shock at seeing their friends change into monstrous creatures. They looked toward Angirasu as he lied down on the ground next to Fluttershy. He began to groan in agony as well, causing them more shock. He slams his fist into the ground as Fluttershy backed away from him fearfully. His body grew in size and his bones shifted around. His face grew into a long and drawn out muzzle and sprouted a single horn above his nose. Two large serrated fangs protruded from the upper jaw of his mouth as sharp teeth grew. He tore through his clothes as his back grew a large carapace that was studded with long and sharp spikes all over it. His skin became rough and reptilian and changed to a brownish-grey. He looks to her with a pained expression as the top of his head sprouted multiple horns. It pained him see Fluttershy stare at him with fear. His forelimbs were large and were longer than his hind limbs. His hands grew to be large and almost stubby with large claws. His feet were wide and had large claws. He stood up to his feet, about ten feet tall, as his tail had grown to be a length greater than his body. The tail was covered in spikes with a large club-like bone structure covered in spikes. Angirasu roared into the heavens as he joined his fellow Transmutants in the fight, dropping to his hands and running on all fours. He stops in front of Ebirah as he tried to attack Mosura while she flapped her wings, keeping herself airborne. Angirasu swung his clubbed tail against Ebirah, knocking him to the ground. Junior bit into Shinomura's neck as he tried to pry him off of him.
The girls stared as they watched the battle of Transmutants. Erika runs toward Destoroyah, slashing at him with her clawed hands, causing him to roar in rage. Suddenly, a large group of soldiers arrived at the scene, staring in shock at the Transmutants fighting each other.
"What is going on here?!" asked one of the soldiers.
"Doesn't matter! Open fire!" commanded one of the soldiers. They began to fire their guns at all of the Transmutants. Junior bellowed as a magic bolt struck him in one of his gills. As Battra attempted to lunge at the soldiers, Rodan pounced on him and began to peck on him as he himself was struck by the magic bolts.
"Retreat!" commanded Destoroyah. He sprouts his demonic wings and takes to the air toward the soldiers. As they fired at him, he rammed into the soldiers, knocking them to the ground. As he took off to the sky, Battra slashed as Rodan's chest and kicks him off. He then flies towards  Mosura as she fought Ebirah. He then knocks her out of the way, causing her to cry out as Ebirah rams his body against her as she fell toward him. She falls to the ground in pain with Angirasu stepping in front of her, roaring at the lobster. Ebirah turned and began to run away from the battle as the soldiers continued to fire at him. Angirasu nuzzles Mosura, attempting to get her to stand. Rodan leaps at Shinomura as he was latched onto Junior, using his clawed feet to scratch at his body. Shinomura releases Junior and begins to flap his wings, fleeing from the scene. Junior roared, enraged as his enemies fled. He turns to find Erika running toward the soldiers waving her hands.
"Hold your fire!" said Erika. Sunset walks by her and grabs her by her shoulder.
"If you want to stay on MONARCH's good side, I suggest you keep quiet." whispered Sunset. Junior roared as the soldiers kept their rifles aimed on him.
"Look at the size of that one!" exclaimed one of the soldiers. Sunset turns to find Junior snarling at them along with Rodan and Angirasu. Mosura panted as she tried to stand.
"By orders of MONARCH, we have a right to terminate you all." said Sunset. Fluttershy gasped as she heard them say that. She had stopped seeing them as savage creatures when they had stopped fighting. However, Junior still appeared as if he was ready for a fight the most. The rest of the girls and drake stared in silence, not saying a word.
"Bring it on." said Rodan. Angirasu flared his nostrils as he crouched lower on all fours.
"But, due to circumstances, we have to bring you in alive. That is if you surrender willingly of course." said Sunset. Junior's eyes widened in surprise, his eyes becoming calm.
"What?" asked Junior in a deep voice. Twilight nearly jumped as she heard him talk. Hearing his voice was foreign yet familiar. His eyes had lost that savage look and reverted back to how they originally were. They held intelligence and uncertainty. She even began to see his face in her mind as she heard his voice.
"Instead of killing you like dogs in the street, we will arrest you and lock you all away in the Vault." said Sunset. She then raises a rifle toward Junior.
"What's your decision?" asked Sunset. She wondered how this had escalated to a standoff between soldiers and freaks. It didn't matter to her, since there needed to be a resolution to this conflict. Junior looks to Mosura, who still panted on the ground. He looks to Rodan who looks to him with unsure eyes. He then looks to Angirasu.
"I'm all for whatever you want." said Angirasu in a deep voice. Junior nodded in response. He turns his head and found the girls staring at him with terrified expressions. Watching Twilight staring at him with fearful eyes broke his heart. He wanted to cry as she looked to him with eyes that saw nothing but a monster. He turns away and looks down to Sunset.
"We surrender." said Junior. Sunset nods in satisfaction.
"We need to drain them of their energy." said a commanding officer. A few of the soldiers ran off and made their way toward the Transmutants, pulling out shackles from their pouches.
"Gonna need you freaks to change back." said one of the soldiers. Rodan glared at him.
"Watch it tiny." said Rodan.
"Sir?" the commanding officer held his finger to his earpiece as he listened to a transmission.
"Kill him. He's too dangerous to be kept alive. That is a direct order from the higher ups of MONARCH." said a male voice over the earpiece.
"Understood." said the commanding officer. He then turns to Sunset.
"Change of plans." whispered the commanding officer. He then waits to find Rodan and Angirasu shifting back into their human forms with a blanket covering their nudity. Mosura was about to change back but listened in.
"What do you mean?" whispered Sunset back.
"We're not taking the bigger one. MONARCH wants him dead. Have Shiragami prepared in case it doesn't end quickly." said the commanding officer.
As Junior slowly began to shift back into human form, he wrapped the blanket around himself, a dejected look on his face. Erika tried to give him a reassuring smile, which he scowled at instead.
"Leave me alone." said Junior. She sighed in response, and then noticed that the girls and drake were staring in curiosity but also uneasiness. She then notices Sunset walking towards her. As she got closer, she heard Sunset whisper into her ear.
"Watch my back." said Sunset. Erika raised a brow at what she meant. As Rodan and Angirasu were locked in shackles, they slowly felt their energy being drained. Mosura watched as Sunset walked passed Junior then gasped as she saw her pull out a gun from her holster.
'Gojira, behind you!' Mosura cried out urgently via telepathically. Junior's eyes widened, he quickly turns to find Sunset pulling out a gun and pointing it at his skull. He quickly grabs her arm and throws her to the ground, causing everyone to jump at the sudden act.
"I surrender and you were going to kill me?! You bitch!" shouted Junior. Erika jumps toward Junior, tackling him to the ground. She then raises her hand above him as they began to morph into sharp claws. She looks to him with a solemn expression.
"Forgive me." said Erika. Junior growled as he sends a punch toward her rib, causing her to cry out and fall over from the force of his powerful punch.
"Shoot him!" said Sunset as she laid the ground in pain. The soldiers all raised their rifles toward him as they prepared to fire. They suddenly all dropped to the ground unconscious. Junior raised a brow; he then stared at Mosura with her antennae wiggling in place.
"Clever girl." said Junior. He then rushes toward Rodan and Angirasu and breaks off their shackles one at a time.
"So much for surrendering!" complained Rodan. Junior looks to him with a serious expression.
"To hell with surrendering. We're leaving." said Junior. He then looks toward Mosura.
"Cover our trails just like you did in Neighpon." He then looks toward the girls who stared in shock. He then looks to see Twilight, turning away immediately to avoid looking at her expression. It was too painful for him to look at them anymore.
"Understood." said Mosura. Her antennae began to wiggle, sending telepathic waves towards the minds to Sunset, Spike and the girls. Their minds were clouded, erasing their sights on the Transmutants.
"Hey, where did they go?!" asked Pinkie. They all searched their surroundings for them. Junior then looks to Erika with a glare. He knew that she could see him as she stared at him from the ground.
"If MONARCH comes after us, we will defend ourselves and people will die. And I'm not talking about civilians; I'm talking about anyone associated with MONARCH. I can't speak for my friends, but I won't hesitate to kill any of you if you come after us!" threatened Junior. Erika lied down and stared at him in shock as the outcasts turned and began to run away. Mosura took off into the air and flew close them. Erika lowers her head down in sorrow. She wanted to help relations with Transmutants and humans. But, that seemed to be just a fantasy. They were never going to be accepted.




Later...

Junior sat alone on the platform above the water inside of the lair. They had fled the town and retreated deep into the Everfree forest. The light above was darkening to an orange color that bathed Junior in its warmth. He wore some spare clothes that Angirasu had given him to wear. A white T-shirt and blue jeans. He sat as his head faced down and his fists clenched. His secret was revealed and his friends feared him, they most likely hated him now. Junior felt worse as his fellow Transmutants were forced to reveal themselves. He blamed himself for dragging them into the situation they were currently in. It was just a matter of time before Celestia would find out and disown him. Junior stood up and walks over toward the cave wall with his breathing heavy and his eyes filled with rage. He began to punch the rocky walls as hard as he could, sending chunks of stone to the ground and dust to fly in the air. He grunts every time, his breathing quick and his mind clouded. His strength had left him from his battle, his durability weakened. The skin on his fists began to scrap as he continued punching the wall. He then stops breathing heavily as he dropped to his knees. His thoughts then focused on Twilight’s fearful face. Junior then lets out an enraged and sorrowful yell that echoed in the cave.
"Why?! What have I done to deserve this?! What did they do to share my fate?!" shouted Junior. He slams his fist into the ground in rage. He was finally at his breaking point. His spirit was crushed and his hopes and dreams were just ancient history.
"I'm all alone now." said Junior. As he sat, he suddenly felt someone wrap him into an embrace from behind him.
"You're not alone. I'm with you Gojira." said Mosura. She then wraps her arms around Junior tighter as tears flowed from her eyes. She had witnessed his rage and sorrow; the sight had broken her heart. Junior had never faced this kind of prejudice before. It seemed that returning to his loneliness in such a tragic way had broken him. She could feel that he was afraid of being lonely again. Mosura leans her head against Junior as she held him tightly.
"It's OK to be sad. I understand how you feel to have the ones you called friends to be afraid of you. Just know that we're here for you. We want you to be a part of our family." said Mosura. Junior's lips quivered as he shut his eyes tightly.
"I was always told that the world would despise me. I should have known. I...I thought that they would be different." said Junior. He then opens his eyes, they were filled with spite.
"I was wrong. They're just like all the rest." said Junior. Mosura squeezed tighter, gently rubbing Junior's head.
"It's human nature to be afraid of the things that they can't understand." said Mosura.
"What do we do now?" asked Junior.
"We remain hidden away from MONARCH. I think we may soon need to leave the lair behind in the Everfree to take refuge somewhere else. At least until things start to settle down." answered Mosura, still rubbing Junior's head. Junior sighed sadly in response.
"That may be best." replied Junior. "I guess that's it then, we go from residents of Ponyville to fugitives."
"Unfortunately." said Mosura. Junior gritted his teeth.
"Blaire, Celestia. What will they say? What will they think when they find out that I'm a monster?" asked Junior.
"We're not monsters. We're just people who are different and unique compared to the others. The sooner you accept that, the sooner you that will learn to adapt to a happier life. Try not to worry about them." said Mosura.
"I don't think it's going to be that easy." replied Junior. Mosura sighed sadly.
"It never is."
"How are the others?" asked Junior.
"Rodan is not taking it very well himself. Angirasu...he's silent. I think he had feelings for Fluttershy." said Mosura solemnly.
"I blame myself for this. They shouldn't have to go through this." said Junior.
"No, don't blame yourself. They just...were tired of feeling like freaks." said Mosura. Junior slowly stood to his feet and walks toward the man-made stairway in the lair. Mosura slowly follows him up the stairs, finding herself led to the outside of the cave and onto the porch of the house. She and Junior stood side by side on the porch, looking toward the afternoon sky. The Everfree was filled with silence and its plant life was dreary in the darkening day. Junior sighed solemnly as he stared at the sky. Mosura slowly reaches for his hand, taking it in her own. Junior turns to her to find her giving him a comforting smile. He firmly holds her hand and focuses his attention back at the sunset, taking a deep breath, not knowing what his future holds now.
	
> Chapter 18: Fruitless Pursuit
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The day was setting in the land of Equestria. MONARCH soldiers had been patrolling the town for the last four hours since the attack. Some buildings of the town were nothing but broken wood that piled over a foundation. Silence filled the place as the soldiers kept their rifles held, searching the corners of the town. People hid in their homes with their friends and family. Two large mechs stomped around the area, their blue visors glowing brightly as they scanned the area. Sunset sat on a bench with a bandaged covering her forehead. She wore an angry expression as she sat next to Erika.
"I almost had him! He knew I was going to kill him!" said Sunset in agitation.
"I thought we were supposed to arrest them if they surrendered. Why were we given the order to kill him?" asked Erika.
"I don't know. All I know is that the higher ups wanted him gone." said Sunset. She then groaned in frustration.
"I looked like an amateur! It should have been easy just to take him down, now they all got away!" shouted Sunset. Erika sighed in response. Suddenly, the sound of beeping came from Sunset's wrist watch. She looks to it and sighs.
"Come on. They want us to report back to base." said Sunset.




Meanwhile...

Princess Celestia sat on her throne in the coming evening. Her mood was calm as she felt the cool air beginning to bathe her as she lowered the sun. Celestia smiled as she saw her younger sister raise the moon into the sky. It was good to have her home and to rule by her side. Only herself and a couple of guards were present in the throne room. As she sat, the doors suddenly burst open. One of her royal guards was rushing into the throne room.
"Your highness! I bring news from Ponyville!" said the guard urgently. Celestia suddenly sat up straight in her seat, an attentive look on her face.
"Yes?" asked Celestia. The guard took off his helmet with a solemn expression.
"Ponyville was attacked hours ago." said the guard. Celestia gasped in response.
"Were there any casualties?!" asked Celestia urgently.
"At least over a couple dozen citizens perished." said the guard. Celestia stared with wide eyes. She lowered her head down in sadness at the news of her subjects being killed.
"Who was responsible?" asked Celestia in a monotone voice.
"MONARCH reported that a small group of Transmutants invaded the town." answered the guard. Celestia's eyes shot up in alarm.
'Junior and Twilight!' Celestia thought with dread. She stood up to her feet and began to descend down from her throne.
"I must check on my subjects, my pupil and my son! Tell Princess Luna that I am off to Ponyville!“ commanded Celestia. The guard saluted in response. Celestia made her way out of the throne room, quickly walking down the halls. She made her way out to a balcony, her eyes gazing out to the night sky that covered the land. She then unfurled her great feathered wings, spreading them like a majestic bird, and took off into the wind. As she flew off of the balcony of the castle, she raised her hands in the air. They were engulfed in a sparkling gold aura.
'Please be safe.' thought Celestia. She then suddenly vanished in a bright flash of light, disappearing into the night.



Celestia soared in the air over the Everfree forest. She was closer to Junior's home, so she decided to check on him first. Her wings beat against the wind as she slowed down to a descent. As she gracefully landed onto the grass, she searched her surroundings. The area was quiet, no one was in sight. She remembered the address that Junior had given her and felt her heart jump when she had located a house that sat alone. She rushed over toward the house, praying that Junior was safe inside. She reached the porch, knocking urgently against the door.
"Junior! It's me, Celestia!" called Celestia. She waited patiently for a few seconds. She didn't see any light coming from the windows of the house. She didn't hear him approaching the door. She began to grow anxious and knocked on the door for a second time.
"Junior! Son, please open the door!" cried Celestia. After a couple of seconds, she shuts her eyes and teleports inside of the house. The dark room is lit up by her magic, quickly disappearing into darkness. She raises her hand as it glowed in the darkness and searched for a light switch. After she had spotted the switch on the wall near the door, she quickly flips it, causing the room to suddenly brighten. She called Junior throughout the house, her fears and worries growing. She burst through his bedroom, finding a neat bed and a few opened drawers that had missing clothes. She slowly walked inside of the room, searching for any clue that she could find. She then found three picture frames that sat on a counter. She lightly gasped as she recognized the man and little boy in the photo. She saw her old friend, Gojira and Junior sitting next to each other with a woman, which she presumed to be Junior’s mother.
Celestia then noticed the two other photos. They were knocked over; one depicted Junior standing with Twilight and her friends. He looked happy in the photo. The other was of her and Junior standing beside each other when he was in his mid-teens. She walks out of the room and back into the living room. Before she rushed out to the door, something caught her eye. A journal sat alone on the table in front of the sofa. She levitates it toward itself, finding the text, 'My History'. Curious, she opened the journal to the first page. The writing was neat, but with few spelling errors. She saw the text, 'Entry 1' above the written paragraph. She began to read silently to herself, Junior's voice echoing in her mind as she read the entry.

'Life is filled with many things. There is beauty in it, there is danger, and there is the ugly. What is it that makes the ugly things ugly? Is it the way that they look? Is it their actions? Is it their ideas? Or is it because everyone else seems to call it ugly and it turns out ugly? That is one of many questions that I have been asking myself.  The world is facing a new race known as the Transmutants. People fear and hate them. I often wondered why they have suddenly appeared. Hearing about them and their abilities allowed me to make some startling links. My name is Gojira Takeshi the 2nd. Son of Gojira Takeshi the First of the Takeshi clan in Neighpon. This is the story where my life had changed forever. This is the story where I have been forced to live my life as a dishonest perversion of nature.'

"What?" asked Celestia aloud. She wondered what Junior meant by the last sentence as he rarely talked the way he did on the diary. She spent the next minute reading through the first entry of the journal. She read about Junior's early life from what he remembered. She felt her heart warmed from reading the joy and the love that he had his parents. However, as she continued reading on how his father taught him how to use his fighting skills, she suddenly felt herself growing uneasy as she read on. Junior wrote that men had broken into their home and kidnapped them. She read that he and his father were locked in cages after they were cut open and were exposed to a mutagen into their body. She felt herself grow upset as she read on.
"Junior, why didn't you tell me about this?" asked Celestia in a distraught voice. As she read on, she felt herself growing disturbed at the next lines. Junior described himself being in excruciating pain as if his body was breaking itself and reassembling into a different form.

'-After that, our bodies changed into something that wasn't human. We were forced to flee from the facility and hide from the humans. Unfortunately we were seen and that caused a riot. This led to MONARCH being formed after they found out that the organization had created genetic mutations and caused a panic among the locals in Neighpon. They decided to hunt us like animals.'

"Wh-what?" Celestia's blood went cold as she read about MONARCH. She couldn’t believe that her adoptive son was tied to that organization.

'The organzation took away our names and gave us new ones. My father was called, Alpha; he was the first Transmutant. I was called, Lucky Dragon, because I nearly perished in the surgery and my genes were mutated with the same kind of dragon that my father was. This is my deepest and darkest secret. We were the first Transmutants and we certainly were not the last.'

Celestia stood with the book in grip with wide eyes after she finished the journal entry. Her breathing was shallow and her body trembled. Her grip loosened on the journal, causing it to fall out of her hands and crash onto the ground.
"No..." whispered Celestia. All this time, she was told by Junior that Gojira died from an illness. He told her that he was searching for help but he unexpectedly came across her in a nearby village. She saw him crying alone in the streets with no one else to turn to. She introduced herself to him, which caused him to look at her with wide and hopeful eyes. Gojira had told him about her and that made her realize that the boy was the son of her friend.  Celestia was surprised that Gojira had a son but she could see the resemblance between those two. He even wore a medallion that depicted the Takeshi clan symbol. She had decided to take him in and raise him as her if he were her own. The happiness she felt that day strongly contrasted with her unease when she read about her son’s past as one of the first two Transmutants.
"Oh...oh..." Celestia dropped to her knees, her eyes welling up with tears. She had just read something that no one should ever go through. Reading this journal entry, she was able to tell that Junior was filled with pain and suffering. She could hear his devastated voice in her head as he had revealed the truth about himself in writing.
"Oh, Junior! I didn't know! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" cried Celestia. She sat as she wept. She then gasped as she recalled why she had arrived. She had to find her son, her love for him still strong despite the revelation that he was a Transmutant. She took the journal and quickly stood up to her feet and rushes out of the door.
"Junior! Junior, where are you?!" called Celestia. Her voice echoed in the air as she called for adoptive son. She continued calling for him as tears streamed down her face. After no response, she drops to her knees.
"Junior!!" Celestia cried out to the heavens. She then began to sob, her tears falling onto the grass. She assumed that he had run away and hid from the world after the attack and couldn’t help but despaired at having failed her son and her deceased friend.



In the dark of the night, the Everfree was shrouded in darkness. Junior, Mosura, Rodan, and Angirasu were able to see clearly in dark. They tread through the forest together, not saying a word. They all carried a traveling back pack with the supplies they needed to survive. They had decided to leave the lair together for it was no longer safe for them to remain with MONARCH after them. Rodan wore a pained and dejected expression as he carried his bag.
"You were right, Goji. No girl would ever accept us if they knew about our real selves. I wish that I listened to you." said Rodan solemnly. Junior looks to him in sympathy.
"Hey, I was the one who messed up too. I ended up falling for Twilight and actually went on a date with her. Next day, she rejects me." said Junior. Rodan looks to him in pity.
"That's rough, buddy." said Rodan. Junior sighs in response.
"It's worse than that." replied Junior. Angirasu remained silent as he walked, closing his eyes painfully.
"I've never gave up. I always stood up to a challenge even when the odds were against me. Now, I feel like giving up at trusting humans." said Angirasu. Mosura frowns in response.
"We can't give up on trusting an entire race. We have to take certain chances like we have in Ponyville. We just have to be careful on what we tell them because of who we are." said Mosura.
"I guess." replied Angirasu. Junior sighs solemnly. His ears suddenly perked at a distant voice calling out 'Junior'. He quickly stops and turns. The rest of the Transmutants stopped and turned as well to find Junior searching the area.
"What's wrong?" asked Rodan.
"I...I thought I heard someone calling me." said Junior. The other Transmutants listened carefully, not hearing anything other than the sound of the crickets and small critters in the forest.
"I don't hear anything." said Mosura. The other two Transmutants nodded in agreement.  Junior then sighs in response.
"Never mind. It must have been my imagination. Let's keep going."




The next day...

It was a beautiful afternoon in the town of Ponyville. MONARCH had its soldiers still searching the town in secret as the citizens began to rebuild their destroyed homes and establishments. They had met Princess Celestia and were happy to see her after the devastation. People talked about what they saw and some claimed that a few of the residents of their town were Transmutants. They mostly believed that they were spies for the terrorists, which led to the attack.
In the outskirts of the town, Fluttershy was carrying a sack of feed for her chickens. She dug her hand into the sack and proceeded to feed the animals. She had been stuck on her chores all morning, hoping to get rid of the past event out of her mind. She kept recalling the images of Junior transforming and his shocking reveal as a Transmutant, along with Angirasu and the others. She was terrified to see them suddenly change into terrifying beasts, but was also filled with mixed emotions of fear and devastation. Junior was something that was capable of wiping out an entire town, yet she couldn’t help but recall the times that she had spent with him before that. He was late teenager that was temperamental and antisocial but with kindness in his heart. When she was bullied by Gilda, Junior stood up for her. He went out of his way to comfort her and to help her stay brave. He treated her with care and gentleness. That was one of the things why she had crush on him in the first place.
Fluttershy made her way back into her cottage, sitting on the sofa with a dejected look. Her emotions were conflicting with each other. Her instincts told her that she should just forget about Junior and move on while her heart told her to look past what she saw and to help him. She sighed sadly as she lied down on her sofa. Suddenly, her animals approached her with worried expressions. A raccoon crawled beside her, chattering to her.
"Oh, it's just that the other day...I learn that some of my friends turned out to be Transmutants. I was so scared when I saw them turn into such ferocious creatures. Especially since three of them looked like dragons." said Fluttershy, trembling as she recalled their appearance. The raccoon continued chattering in a questioning manner.
"Why am I afraid? Well...it's just that Transmutants have always been so cruel to people. They attack and kill them with no good reason." answered Fluttershy. The raccoon began chattering again.
"No...no they aren't like them. Goji and the others aren't like those Transmutants. They are good people." said Fluttershy with a sigh. She then suddenly gasped. "That's right, they aren't like them!"
A small group of birds flew over to Fluttershy, grabbing locks of her rose hair and began to pull on them, forcing Fluttershy to sit upright. The raccoon started chattering again.
"Yes. Goji has been so good to me and the others. We always had spent great times together! He accepted us as his friends and we accepted him too!" said Fluttershy with a smile. Her smile then turned into a frown.
"But, we rejected him when we found out about him. I-" Fluttershy's eyes began to well up with tears. "I rejected him! I'm a terrible friend!"
The animals all looked to Fluttershy in sadness as she wept. One of the mice began to squeak.
"What should I do?! How can I ever make up for how I reacted to him?!" cried Fluttershy. A white bunny hopped over to her and began to pat Fluttershy's leg in comfort. The bunny then places a paw on his chin in thought. He then hops off toward the door and began to thump his foot on the wooden floor. Fluttershy looks to find the rabbit pointing toward the door. Fluttershy makes her way over toward the door, opening it, allowing the rabbit to hop down out of the house and make his way toward the road.
"Angel, wait!" called Fluttershy as she followed the bunny. Angel stops on the road and points over to a house that sat a mile away. Fluttershy's eyes widened.
"You think I should try to make it up to him by talking with him?" asked Fluttershy. Angel nodded in response, tapping his foot while pointing toward the house. Fluttershy eyes the house in uncertainty before her eyes harden in determination.
"You're right! Goji is my friend and I will do whatever it takes to earn his forgiveness!" said Fluttershy. She then rushes down the road toward the house. As she reached the house, she nervously gulped as she stepped up to the porch. She gently knocks against the door.
"Goji? It's me, Fluttershy!" called Fluttershy. She waited patiently for a response. No answer. She knocks again, calling for Junior louder. She began to grow upset as time went on without a response. She felt that Junior was ignoring her.
"Goji, please! I'm sorry! I'm not afraid anymore! I just want to see you again!" cried Fluttershy. She suddenly heard a whoosh in the air above her. She looks up to find a rainbow streak across the sky, doing barrel rolls, flips, and turns. She saw the cyan wings and rainbow colored hair of one of her best friends. Fluttershy began to pursue Rainbow as she practiced her flying skills.



Twilight paced around the library in nervousness. Just the other day, she had witnessed something terrible. Her home was under attack by Transmutants. She and the others had avoided the attack as much as possible. She had never been as terrified as she was before in her life. She was especially terrified of the Transmutant that was called, Destoroyah. She stopped pacing as she thought back to the large black moth that had grabbed her. She shuts her eyes tightly as she thought back to its large red eyes and how close she was to death. She waited for Celestia to arrive to her home. She was worried about what she wanted to see her about. She suddenly heard a knock at her door, causing her to gasp. She turns and slowly makes her way over toward the door. She opens it to find Princess Celestia standing on the porch with a satchel hanging over her shoulder.
"Princess!" cried Twilight. Celestia gives a warm smile.
"Hello, my faithful student." Celestia steps into the library, taking Twilight into a warm embrace.
"It's good to see you. But what was it that you wanted to see me about?" asked Twilight. The two broke the hug, with Celestia looking to her with a worried expression.
"It's about Junior." said Celestia. Twilight's eyes widened at the mention of him. "Do you know where he could be?"
"No. No, the last time that we saw him was yesterday when the Transmutants attacked Ponyville." answered Twilight. She then looks away hesitantly. "Princess, he's...he's one of them. He's a Transmutant."
"I know..." sighed Celestia. Twilight looked to her in surprise.
"Wait, you knew?! Why did you keep this from us? Why from me?!" demanded Twilight. She gasped as she realized that she had raised her voice to her mentor. "I'm...I'm sorry, Princess. I didn't mean to raise my voice at you."
"It's alright my student. But, I never knew about this until last night." said Celestia. She reaches into the satchel, pulling out a journal. Twilight eyed it confusedly. "This was Junior's. I found it sitting in his house when I went to check on him. He was nowhere to be seen."
"This was his?" asked Twilight. She then gently reaches for the journal, opening it up to the first page. She skimmed through it, finding the text drawing her in. As she read on, she began to read about how Junior and his father were taken from their home. She gasped as she heard read on about how they were experimented on and were confined to cells, separated from each other.
"Junior had written everything about the days before I had met him. He had even written about his father's death." said Celestia. Twilight looks up to her in surprise.
"They were the first Transmutants." said Twilight. Celestia nodded solemnly.
"Yes. All of these years, I thought that Gojira had passed away because of an illness. Junior lied about it." said Celestia. Twilight continued reading on through toward the next entry.
"I remember reading that Alpha killed the scientists at a facility. Why would Junior's father do that?" asked Twilight. Celestia thought back to what she had read.
"Junior wrote that his father had discovered that the same facility that changed them was creating another Transmutant. His father was a soldier of a strict empire. He has always been the type to deliver punishment to his enemies at extreme measures. He wrote that he attempted to free the Transmutant but was forced to fight his way in and out. I don't agree with his action of killing those scientists, but I understand why." said Celestia. Twilight looks to her, giving her mentor her full attention.
"He wanted to make sure that the knowledge to create more Transmutants would disappear when he destroyed those who were involved and freed what he hoped would be the last Transmutant."
"But...how was it that more were able to appear?" asked Twilight.
"I don't know. I'm hoping to discover it by reading the journal. I have yet to make it all of the way through." answered Celestia. Twilight read through the journal. Junior's voice echoed in her mind as she read the text.

'I was angry when I found out that my dad had went off to the same facility that changed us. I was even angrier when I found out that he had killed the people that were there to rescue this new Transmutant. I ended up leaving our safe haven deeper in the woods of Neighpon. After some time to cool off, I began to forgive my dad. I was only mad because he taught me to only fight when it was to defend myself and I felt that he betrayed when he went against those principles. But, I realized that he was fighting to protect another person from sharing the fate that we were cursed with. He always fought to protect himself, but he also fought to protect others in his nation to bring balance in times of chaos before I was born. In a way, he was still holding up that legacy. He was protecting everyone from becoming a genetic freak like we were and keeping balance by eliminating those that were responsible. Before I could make my way back to our camp, I came across the Transmutant that he had rescued. He told me that he and my father were looking for me. I told him that I was coming back to the camp and that everything was fine now. Unfortunately, he had other plans in mind. He suddenly began to change before my very eyes. He grew to be a lot bigger than I was, especially my dad. I can't fully describe him, but he changed into something that I can only compare to as a demon.  I don't know why, but he attempted to kill me. Dad ended up finding me as I ran for my life and found the Transmutant that betrayed his trust. He changed as well, with the two engaging in a fight. I hid as I watched him fight against the demon. Even when in his monstrous form, my father was still shorter compared to the demon. He was also unable to hold his ground against him. My father had taken a devastating attack that ended up crippling him. He turns to me with eyes that made me wished that I had never been angry at him. It was the eyes of a father that was seeing his child for the last time. He told me to run for my life. So, I did. As I ran away, I heard the cry of agony from my father. By that time, I knew that he was gone after his cries died down. MONARCH began to mobilize its troops into the forest. I evaded from their sight as they found my Father dead and the Transmutant that killed him.'

Twilight eyes watered as she read through the entry. His father never died of an illness. He was killed by a Transmutant that he had saved
"I...I knew that he was always unhappy. But I never thought that he was hurting this much." said Twilight with a sniffle.
"Twilight, I know that this has been a lot for you to take in. I need you to make a decision." said Celestia as she turned Twilight to face her. "I need you to decide whether you will look past what you saw and still accept Junior for he is, or to move on with your life without him."
"I- What?!" exclaimed Twilight.
"You heard me correctly. You have to decide. I know that what you saw frightened you, but think back to Junior. Was he really the monster that he appeared to be?" asked Celestia. Twilight looks down as she thought about the question. It was true that she was frightened of Junior when she saw him in that form but she also thought back to all their times together. Although it was rough at first, they forged a bond through friendship. She thought back to how he was rough in nature, but he held a kind side hidden inside.Twilight thought back to Junior's offense to how she and her friends had called Transmutants monsters, and to the film that they had seen. All those subtle hints made her realize that he felt trapped in a world that would never accept him because of the other Transmutants. He was afraid to be around others because he was already an outsider to common folks. He feared of becoming an outsider of an entire race that he once called his own. He wasn't a monster, he was a lost soul. Twilight looks up to Celestia with a serious face.
"No, he wasn't. He is my friend!" said Twilight. Celestia gave her a smile, her heart filled with relief.
"So, what will you do my student?
"I'm going to find him. I'm going to tell him that I'm sorry and that I accept him with all of my heart! I will bring him back home!" said Twilight with a determined smile.



"OK, just another loop!" Rainbow said as she flew at high speeds. She had successfully pulled off her loop after performing a corkscrew for ten seconds. She was slightly disoriented but shook it off. Rainbow had spent the day practicing her flying skills in the skies over Ponyville. Suddenly, Rodan and his grin appeared in her mind. She gasped as she nearly lost control of her flight. She rises up higher into the sky, ramming into a large puffy cloud. She groans in frustration, her practice interrupted. She hadn't realized that she was extremely exhausted as she sat on the clouds. Her breathing was heavy and her body drenched in sweat. Her wings were worn out from the constant flapping. Without anything to distract her, she began recalling the previous day of the attack. She was secretly terrified as she witnessed her home getting attacked and her friends threatened. Then, the biggest slap to the face that life could give her was the revelation that Rodan and the others were the monsters that she feared.
"That...that jerk!" shouted Rainbow. She then punches the fluffy cloud that she rested on, forcing a hole through. She growls in anger as her fist made contact with only a puffy form instead of a completely solid object. She had to vent out her anger and take her mind off of the whole thing. She then takes off into the air, flying at high speed. As flew, she began to take sharp turns and loops. Rainbow streaks were left behind from her high speed. As Rainbow gritted her teeth, she suddenly felt something in her wing that made her blood run cold. A sharp pain struck her left wing, causing her muscles in her wing to go stiff.
"Cramp!" cried Rainbow as she fell out of the sky. She screamed as she free fell from the air, she gasped as she saw a stack of hay just a quick turn away from her descending direction. She forced her momentum and her good wing to drive herself toward the tack of hay, crashing into it. She panted; her adrenaline slowly began to lower and her heart beats slowed. She then slump her head back into the hay, sighing in relief.
"Rainbow Dash!" cried Fluttershy. Rainbow quickly shot up from the stack of hay, turning to find Fluttershy sprinting over to her. She had a worried look on her face.
"Are you OK? I just saw you falling from the sky!" said Fluttershy. Rainbow lightly laughed in response.
"I'm fine. My wing is just cramping." said Rainbow, standing out of the hay. Her left wing was locked in place. Fluttershy walks over to her and takes her hand, helping the rainbow haired Valkyrie out of the stack of hay. She looks to Rainbow in concern.
"You shouldn't push yourself too hard, Rainbow." said Fluttershy. Rainbow rubs the back of her head in embarrassment.
"You're right. Sorry Shy." apologized Rainbow. She then noticed Fluttershy wearing a dejected expression. Rainbow raised a brow.
"Hey, what’s up?" asked Rainbow. Fluttershy nodded in response.
"I'm trying to talk to Goji." said Fluttershy. Rainbow's eyes widened in shock.
"Why are you trying to talk to him?!" demanded Rainbow harshly. Fluttershy recoiled from her tone.
"I-I just want to see him again. He's our friend!" answered Fluttershy in a nervous tone.
"Our friend?! He's not our friend, he's a monster!" retorted Rainbow. Fluttershy gasped in shock.
"He's not a monster!" said Fluttershy with a disapproving look.
"Shy, how can you defend him? He's been pretending to be one of us this whole time! He could have killed us at any time! He could have been responsible for the invasion!" said Rainbow.
"How can you say that about him?! He may not have been like us, but he still had the same thoughts and feelings like we do! He had never hurt us!" retorted Fluttershy, her glare increasing. Rainbow stood her ground against her, nonetheless.
"Are you kidding me?! He's-"
"No! That's not fair that you are basing your bigoted assumptions on him because of a group of cruel Transmutants that hurts the innocent!" said Fluttershy. Rainbow was about to retort but stopped herself. Fluttershy looks to her in sadness.
"If he was really like them, he would have sided with them when one of them gave him the chance to." said Fluttershy. Rainbow looks to her in surprise.
"What?" asked Rainbow.
"One of them offered him a place among them. He promised him that he would have a place with the Transmutants that were attacking the town. They promised to accept him if he were to attackinnocent people with them. If he had accepted that deal, he wouldn't have been hurt and forced to fight them in the first place." said Fluttershy. Rainbow looks down in thought.
"Rainbow, do you hate Rodan now?" asked Fluttershy. Rainbow stiffens at the question.
"I...I don't know." answered Rainbow. Fluttershy frowned.
"Remember when you said that you wouldn't believe that some Transmutants were good until you actually saw them? Weren't Goji, Rodan, Angirasu and Mosura enough proof for that?" asked Fluttershy. Rainbow looks away.
"I do remember. But...I just...I can't accept the fact that he kept it a secret." said Rainbow.
"He was afraid. Wouldn't you have done the same if you were in his position?" asked Fluttershy. Rainbow nodded to her.
"I would. I...I guess Gojira was right. I've just been so afraid whenever I hear about them and how they would attack people. I would always hear and read about them just terrorizing people that I ended up seeing them all as being evil. That thought even took over when I saw Gojira and the others change." said Rainbow solemnly. She then thought back to how Rodan apologized to her that last moment while he was still in human form.
"I don't hate Rodan. I hate myself for looking at him like he was just a monster."  said Rainbow. Fluttershy gives her a light smile.
"Help me talk to Goji and I'll help you find Rodan." said Fluttershy. Rainbow then looks away.
"Wh-what makes you think that I want to find him?" stuttered Rainbow. Fluttershy giggled as she rolled her eyes.
"I know that you do. I've seen how you'd blush when you’re close to him." replied Fluttershy. She then looks to her with teasing smile. "You want him to be your special somebody, don't you?"
"I-I... No! I don't..." Rainbow blushed furiously. Fluttershy raised a brow at her, holding her smile. "Maybe! Don't tell anyone!"
"OK." said Fluttershy, making a zipping motion of her lips. Rainbow sighed in response.
"You said that he wasn't answering when went to his house?" asked Rainbow. Fluttershy nodded in response. "OK, let's go check out his place again. I'll drag his butt out if that's what it takes!"



Pinkie sat alone in her bedroom all alone in Sugarcube corner. She wore a glum expression as she sat on her bed. She sighed heavily as she slumped back on the bed. A small infant alligator with large, expressionless, violet eyes was in the room with her. It scurried along the floor, opening its long jaws, revealing a toothless mouth. The alligator gummed a balloon that sat on the floor, causing it to contract and stretch in its mouth. Pinkie turned her head and found her pet alligator releasing the balloon from its mouth. She stands up from her bed and takes the alligator into her hands and holds it up over her head as she lied down.
"Things have gone terrible, Gummy! We were supposed to have a super duper fun day yesterday and it was ruined by those monsters! They hurt and killed so many people!" cried Pinkie as she held her alligator. Gummy responded by a quick blink, his eyes unfocused on her. She then sighs.
"I even found out that Goji and the others were those big scary Transmutant things! I can't believe it!" said Pinkie. Gummy continued with his blank stare, then lets out a squeak from his throat.
"I don't know. He just seemed like a normal person. I always thought that he was just grumpy and needed to smile. We all have to smile, right?" asked Pinkie. Gummy didn't respond. Pinkie thought back to when she first met Junior. She recalled how he was very antisocial and had a mean attitude to match it. She didn't care about that; she wanted to make him smile.
"He had a nice smile. I wished that I could have made him smile more." sighed Pinkie. She then thought back to how Junior had changed. "I sometimes thought that Goji had a scary face when he was mad, but it was scarier when he...changed."
Pinkie suddenly heard a knock on her door. She shot up from her bed and gently placed Gummy on the floor. As she made her way toward her door, she heard a familiar voice.
"Pinkie! It's me, Twilight!" called Twilight. Pinkie grinned, eager to see her friend after the tragic day that they were forced to experience. She rushes toward the door and finds Twilight standing.
"Hiya Twilight! What brings you here?" asked Pinkie, joyfully. Twilight takes a deep breath and exhales.
"Pinkie, I need your help." said Twilight.
"Okiee dokiee lokiee! What do you need?" asked Pinkie. Twilight fidgets as she stood.
"I... I need help looking for Gojira." said Twilight. Pinkie's eyes widened in surprise.
"You... you are?"
"That's right. I thought about it, and well... I don't care about him being a Transmutant." said Twilight. She then rubs her arm as she looked away. "Like you and the others, he's a very dear friend to me. I can't stand the thought of him disappearing."
"Really? You're not scared?" asked Pinkie quizzically. Twilight shook her head.
"Not anymore. I'm ashamed that I couldn't look past what I saw. It must have broken his heart to see..." Twilight's lips quivered as her eyes watered. She quickly wipes her eyes and takes a deep breath. "I want to bring back home. Pinkie, will you help me?"
Pinkie contemplated her response. Despite what she saw, she remembered that Junior had a certain soft side to him to his overall rough exterior. She was able to learn about this when Gilda came to Ponyville. She remembered how Junior stood up for Fluttershy, despite the fact that he hardly knew her. He showed actual concern for her and that rewarded him a friendship with Fluttershy. That later led to him being able to open up more to others.
There was also the fact that Twilight wanted to find him. Twilight still valued their friendship and was currently asking her to join her on a quest to find Junior and bring him home. Pinkie gave her a bright smile as she gave a quick salute.
"I'll go wherever you go!" said Pinkie. Twilight gave her a grin as she heard Pinkie's acceptance.
"Great! Now all we need to do is see if Rarity will join!" announced Twilight.



In the apple orchard of the Apple farm, the sun was beaming down its rays on the green leaves of the trees. The light reflected off of the luscious apples as they hung from the trees. Applejack sent a kick toward a tree, causing all of the apples to fall into the basket. She sighed as she wiped beads of sweat off of her forehead.
"Golly, it sure was easier when..." Applejack stopped herself as her mind flashed back to Junior's face. Junior’s grumpy or solemn expression that she would catch him wearing was imbedded in her mind. She sighed again as she thought back to when he first asked her to allow him to work for her. She still found it amusing that he rejected her help the first time that they met and later came back asking for her help. She found him to be the tough guy that always tried to conceal his feelings. She always hated that about him.
"That boy was as stubborn as a mule." said Applejack as she walked over to another tree. She then sent a kick toward it, knocking the apples down. She began to think back on how they were able to work together to get the chores down on the farm. She admired his endurance and his strong will. Of course, even he had his limits. She recalled how when they were trying to get a dragon to leave a mountain before it's smog polluted the air in Equestria. She remembered how he had a general disregard for his own well-being.
"All this time... he was actually one of them. That kinda makes sense now that I think about it." said Applejack. She remembered how he was unusually strong, for a non-magical Earthbound and for someone with a bit of a smaller build compared to her older brother. He was able to endure hours of hard work, except for those couple of weeks before he disappeared in Neighpon. She still can’t comprehend the fact that he was a Transmutant. He didn't seem like the others and actually seemed to be as much human as she was, which deeply unnerved her. She was one of many that scorned Transmutants because of their abilities and appearance. Yet, Junior had showed her that Transmutants were individuals as well, acting on how they feel like when Junior had risked his life twice to protect her sister and the other CMC from the Mantis Transmutants and the Timberwolves. Junior had actually slipped out that they were chased by Timberwolves and that he had saved them on time along with Angirasu and Rodan. She wasn't happy with Applebloom being in the Everfree, but she saw how true of a friend that he was. She was thankful for that. He could have lost his life in either situation but he acted anyway.
"Goji, I have no idea what to think anymore. You just challenged this farm girl's perspective on a few things." Applejack chuckled to herself. She then sighed as she gazed at the blue sky. After that, she kicked another tree for a final time, she smiled in satisfaction.
"All done." said Applejack. She then makes her way down to her home on the farm, finding a little old woman with white hair, sitting on a rocking chair on the porch.
"Granny, I'm through with today's chores. I need to run into town to take care of something. I might be gone for quite a while." said Applejack.
"Alright, deary. Run along and take care of what you need to do. We'll see ya later." said Granny Smith. Applejack smiled in response and waved to her as she took off of the farm.  As she ran past the orchard, she noticed Rainbow and Fluttershy flying down to where she was. Applejack immediately stops and waves to them.
"Howdy. What are ya'll doing here?" asked Applejack. Fluttershy and Rainbow land after the question was asked.
"Do you know where Goji might be?" asked Fluttershy.
"Goji? You're looking for him?" asked Applejack, quizzically.
"Yeah, Flutters wanted to talk to him but he must have run away from home." answered Rainbow.
"I probably would have done the same after what happened" sighed Applejack.
"Um... Can you help us?" asked Fluttershy. Applejack looked away in thought. She honestly was frightened of Transmutants. However, none of that mattered when it came to her friends, especially when it came to a friend like Junior.
"Ah heck, who am I to let ya'll go about it on your own? Let's get going!" said Applejack with a determined smile.
"You don't mind about... you know?" asked Fluttershy. Applejack shook her head.
"Nope. I'm just gonna put him in a hurt for not showing up for work today." winked Applejack. Fluttershy grew a large smile. The trio then took off from the Apple farm and made their way through the town.



"You're serious? You're absolutely serious about this?" asked an appalled Rarity. She stood inside of her shop, the Carousel Boutique, as Twilight and Pinkie Pie stood together with pleading eyes.
"Yes! Please, we have to find him! We want to bring him home!" said Twilight. Rarity was conflicted with her decisions. Here she was, resuming her life after that dreadful day with the Transmutant invasion, and now two of her best friends were asking her to help them find one of them.
"Twilight, darling, I don't think it's wise to go looking for him. I mean, surely you saw how he was..." Rarity searched for the right words to describe Junior in the form that he revealed.
"Scary? Big? Mean? Super-duper strong?" guessed Pinkie quickly. Twilight then gives her a deadpan stare at Pinkie. Rarity laughed nervously.
"Um... How about, all of the above?" suggested Rarity. Twilight sighs in response.
"Rarity, I know that what we saw wasn't something that we were prepared for. We weren't prepared to deal with the fact that someone close to us would be something with a distasteful reputation. Gojira isn't like the others! He's our friend! I can't just abandon him!" cried Twilight. Rarity sighed in response.
"What of your feelings for him?" asked Rarity. Twilight's eyes widened in surprise.
"My...feelings? What does-"
"Darling, no one would just go through all of this trouble unless they had that strong of connection with him. Have your feelings changed?" asked Rarity with a hard stare. Twilight was shot down in silence. She thought more of how she enjoyed Junior's company. She enjoyed the time that she spent with him, their conversayiond, and the way that he was open to her.
"My feelings were challenged at first, but they are still the same. Rarity, I don't care if he's a Transmutant. I...I love him!" declared Twilight, her stomach filled with butterflies as she heard herself say those very words.
"I see..." Rarity pondered her decision. She could just refuse and resume with her life. The problem was that she still saw Junior as a friend. However, Rarity felt her trust in him challenged. Then again, she recalled how Junior had saved her sister and the other Cutie Mark Crusaders.
"Very well. I shall accompany you on this quest. But, I'm only doing this because you are my friend. I don't know if I can trust Gojira right now." said Rarity. Twilight nodded in understanding.
"That's all that I ask. Thank you, Rarity." said Twilight.
"Let's go find Applejack and the others!" said Pinkie. The two Elves nodded to her and made their way out of the shop.




30 minutes later

Twilight, and the rest of the Element bearers all stood side by side, staring into the entrance of the Everfree forest. They stood nervously as they stared into the forest as the path led straight to the dangerous forest. Winona barked as she pointed her snout toward the entrance of the forest. Applejack held Junior's torn sweater in her grip as she stared into the forest.
"That feller is gutsy to be running off into there." said Applejack.
"He doesn't have to be. He can probably take anything on in there without a problem." replied Rainbow. Twilight took a deep breath and exhaled.
"OK. Stay together, and let's hope that we can find him soon." said Twilight. Fluttershy wore a determined expression as she stared into the forest. Applejack popped her knuckles and stretched her arms. Pinkie bounced in excitement. Rarity sighed in concern as she stared into the forest, hoping that their quest was worth the risk. Rainbow crouched as she stretched her legs. The girls all burst into a quick jog into the forest with Winona taking the lead. They spent the next several minutes running along the path. The trees had blocked the sun's light, casting a great shade over them. As they jogged, they began to slow down their movement and started to look around. The forest was desolate with only the sound of small critters and birds filling the air.
"Ugh. Why did he have to hide here?" complained Rarity. Rainbow and Applejack rolled their eyes in response. As they walked they were met with the sound of growling. The girls went stiff as they heard the sound. Their muscles locked as their eyes swiveled in their sockets, attempting to find the source.
"I don't like the sound of that." said Applejack. Fluttershy's eyes caught sight of a goat running across the path that they were walking on. The goat trips, bleating as it struggled to stand.
"Oh no! Mr. Goat, are you alright?" cried Fluttershy as she began to walk toward the goat. The goat gave a panicked bleat as it looked where it was running from.
"Wait, Fluttershy! We have to stay together!" called Twilight as she followed Fluttershy. As Fluttershy was several feet away, the goat was suddenly tackled by a larger form. It gave a high pitched bark as it bared its sharp fangs at the goat. The creature was a quadruped and had a cat-like upper body covered in navy blue fur and green eyes with a reptilian lower body. Long and sharp spikes ran along its back. The reptilian lower body and tail were covered in purple scales with a green underbelly. Fluttershy gasped as she recognized the creature.
"No! Mr. Chupacabra, please don't!" cried Fluttershy. The creature had sunken its sharp fangs into the goat's neck, feeding off of its fluid. Fluttershy cried out in despair as she saw the bleating goat dying before her eyes. As she tried to get closer to the creature, it released the goat and leaped toward Fluttershy. She stopped as the Chupacabra bared its teeth, hissing at her. Fluttershy cowered at the creatures glare as its teeth dripped with blood. Twilight had trouble getting over the sickening sight but recovered on time to see the creature's angry face. Rainbow was about to intervene before Twilight stopped her with a hand placed in front of her.
"Don't! You're just going to provoke him more!" said Twilight.
"We can't just leave her!" exclaimed Rainbow. Fluttershy gulped nervously as she slowly backed way. The Chupacabra's fur erected and its ears folded against its head as it continued to hiss at her.
"It's OK, Rainbow. I...I shouldn't have tried to interfere with him. I had forgotten that Chupacabra's feel threatened if someone else comes near them and their food." said Fluttershy. She held her hands in front of herself as she tried to regain her composure. She scolded herself for acting carelessly as she was used to feeding animals including ones that were capable of eating meat such as bears.
The Chupacabra began to settle down as Fluttershy backed further away, its fur losing its erect appearance. The creature still kept its sights on the girls as it laid next to its kill.
"Now what do we do?" asked Rarity, gagging as she saw the Chupacabra sinking its teeth back into the goat. Twilight gagged herself, averting her gaze as her stomach turned.
"We're going to have to go around him." said Twilight.



The element bearers continued their journey in the Everfree for the next thirty minutes. They soon found themeselves in a swampy region, with bodies of water to the side of the path. The sound of frogs croaking can be heard in the area. Winona sniffed the road as she led the girls through the forest. The girls felt anxious as they continued walking.
"So, how far exactly do you think he could be hiding?" asked Rainbow.
"I don't know. He shouldn't be too far. After all, I suspect that Mosura and the others were living out here," said Twilight.
"What makes you say that?" asked Pinkie, curiously.
"Well, think about it. We have never seen where they lived. Rainbow had even taken a few lessons from Rodan but I recall her telling me that he never invited her to train at his house. In fact, none of them invited us. They must not have been living in town and tried to keep their home a secret." said Twilight. Fluttershy's face brightened up at the theory. If it were true, they might run into Angirasu and the others as well. She wanted to apologize to him as much as she did to Gojira. As the girls continued on, Twilight noticed a disgusting stench.
"What the hay is that awful smell?" asked Twilight as she pinched her nose. The rest of the girls began to smell the stench and gagged, all trying to block out the smell. They continued walking and began to hear the sound of loud buzzing.
"Are those... flies? Ew!" said Rarity in disgust as she thought of the unclean insects.
"Yep. And there are a lot of them." said Applejack. Winona rushed through the forest with the girls trailing close by. They then stopped, finding large forms lying in the grass. They went pale as they saw a few dead Manticores scattered around the area. They were the source of the grotesque smell, the stench of death. Twilight hesitantly walks over to one of the carcasses, observing it. Flies were in the process of laying their eggs into the open wounds of Manticore, causing Twilight to nearly vomit. She noticed large claw marks on the Manticore, along with a bite mark on its neck. She then noticed how another Manticore had claw marks but appeared to have been killed by a large stone. Pieces of a stone that littered around its skull gave her the reason to make such a conclusion. The other two Manticores had claw and bite marks all over their bodies.
"Wh-what could have done this?" asked an appalled Twilight. She then noticed multiple shoe prints that were scattered all over the ground.
"It looks like there was a struggle." said Applejack as she crouched next to the prints. Rainbow’s eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the tracks.
"You mean...humans did this?" asked Rainbow. Applejack shook her head.
"Last time I checked, humans don't have claws and sharp teeth." deadpanned Applejack. She then began to closely observe one of the shoe prints. Winona made her way to one of the foot prints, taking quick sniffs. She then began to bark excitedly. "That must be the bottom of Gojira's shoe! He must be with the others!"
"Oh my. That means they did all of this." said Rarity as she stared grimly at the sight of dead Manticores. Fluttershy frowned as she stared at the Manticores.
"They must have been attacked. Come on, we might be getting close!" said Twilight. Rarity reaches out for Twilight.
"Um... is that really a good idea? I mean, you've seen what they did." said Rarity. Twilight huffs in response.
"What? You think they did this to be malicious?" demanded Twilight.
"Not at all! I just don't think it's wise to keep going after seeing what they are capable of." said Rarity in defense.
"Rarity, what does it matter that they did this? Of course it's not pretty and is most certainly nothing to be praised, but they were likely forced into this!" argued Twilight with a glare.
"Calm down ya'll. We won't get anywhere if we just stand around arguing. Let's-" Applejack was suddenly interrupted by the sounds of large footsteps and the slight splash of water. They turned to find an angry humanoid creature with grey skin and large and body with a pot belly that hung. It wore ragged clothes. The creature was bald and had pointed ears with goat horns on his head. It had yellow teeth with two long fangs on its lower jaw. It had the face of a gorilla and yellow eyes. The creature's feet were webbed like a duck's. Its fingers bore tiger-like claws. The creature's large hands were balled into a fist as it stood at seven feet tall. The creature flared its nostrils from its large nose. Twilight's shoulders slumped as she stared at the humanoid.
"Uh oh." said Twilight.
"What are you doing in my swamp?!" demanded the creature. He spoke in a male, Trottish accent. The girls and dog recoiled.
"Um... we were just passing through Mr. Ogre. We're looking for some friends that might have come by. Have you seen any other humans by any chance?" asked Twilight nervously.
"Aye. They were attacked by Manticores. I guess those oversized cats didn't last very long." said the ogre as looked to the carcasses.
"Where did they go?" asked Rarity.
"I don't know." answered the ogre. Rainbow glared at him.
"Don't know or won't tell?" demanded Rainbow. The ogre glared at Rainbow as he pointed a large finger at her.
"Hey, you kids better get off of my swamp or else I'm gonna-"
"Oh! Oh!" Pinkie waved her hand furiously. "You'll grind our bones for your bread?"
"Don't give him ideas!" scolded Rainbow. The ogre chuckled in response.
"Actually, that would be a giant." the ogre then slowly approached them. The girls backed up nervously. "Now, ogres - oh, they're much worse. They'll make a suit from your freshly peeled skin!"
"Ew!" exclaimed Rarity. The ogre continued his approach.
"They'll shave your liver, squeeze the jelly from your eyes!" the girls stared at him with wide eyes. The ogre then stopped his approach and rubs his chin. "Actually, it's quite good on toast."
"We're dead." said Rainbow. She then looks to Twilight with a deadpanned expression. "We're gonna get eaten by this guy."
"Um...Mr. Ogre, would you mind letting us pass?" asked Fluttershy timidly. The ogre gives her a blank stare.
"ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRGH!!!" the Ogre gave a great roar at the element bearers, causing them to scream in terror. Their screams and the Ogre's roar echoed in the swamp, scaring away birds that were nearby. The ogre stops roaring, wiping his lips as the girls kept screaming. Their screams began to die down as they realized that the ogre had stopped roaring. Winona was the ground whimpering as she hid herself behind Applejack's legs. The ogre leans closer to them with a smile.
"This is the part where you run away." whispered the ogre. The girls nodded frantically, then bursting into a sprint. The ogre laughed as he saw them run as fast they could, finding their skittish nature and expressions to be amusing.
"And stay out!" shouted the ogre.
"We're sorry!" cried Fluttershy.



"Man, that guy was a jerk!" said Rainbow as she hovered above the ground. The element bearers panted as they slowly walked through the forest. They had sprinted through the area that they ended up tiring themselves out.
"He was such an uncouth beast! Treating young ladies such as us in such a distasteful manner!" said an outraged Rarity. Pinkie shrugged in response.
"I kinda liked him. Besides, his swamp looked really, really cool! No wonder why he doesn't like visitors! He doesn't want anybody to mess it up!" said Pinkie.
"Or maybe it was because he was a monster." said Rainbow. Fluttershy gave her a disapproving glare.
"Be nice. It's not his fault that he looks different from us. A monster wouldn't have let us gone free!" said Fluttershy. Rainbow waved her hands defensively.
"Hey, he said that he was going to eat us!" argued Rainbow.
"Actually, he just said that ogres wear our skin as suits and they squeeze the juices from our eye balls. He never said that he was gonna eat us." deadpanned Applejack.
"Ugh! Stop, I just stopped thinking about it!" gagged Rarity.
"Girls! We have to move on!" said Twilight as she continued walking. Winona sniffed the ground as they continued into the Everfree. As they walked, Rarity and Pinkie were behind the group. Rarity suddenly felt something brush against her back. She looks toward Pinkie, finding her hop with a smile on her face.
"Was that you?" questioned Rarity. Pinkie stopped bouncing as she gave Rarity a quizzical expression.
"Was what me?" asked Pinkie.
"Did you touch my back?" asked Rarity with an annoyed expression.
"No." answered Pinkie. Rarity looked at her suspiciously then refocused her attention in the front the group.  She suddenly felt something brush against the back of her neck, causing her to quickly turn. Nothing was there.
"Pinkie Pie, this is not funny. Stop brushing against me like that! It's creeping me out!" said Rarity as she glared at Pinkie.
"But I didn't-"
"Really? Then who else could it beeeee?!!" Rarity screamed as vines suddenly wrapped around her waist and legs, lifting her off of the ground. Pinkie gasped as she saw a large tree beginning to shake. The side of the tree suddenly revealed green illuminating eyes that folded opened from the bark like an eyelid. The upper part of the tree, just below the branches, began to split open, revealing a gaping mouth with serrated wood. The tree gave an ominous moan as its vines brought Rarity close. Rarity lets out an ear piercing scream as she squirmed in place, attempting to free herself from the monster's grasp. Twilight and the others turned and were shocked to find a tree about to devour their friend. Twilight shot her arms forward, her hands engulfed in an aura and firing a beam toward the vines of that restrained Rarity.
As the vines were burned, Rarity fell to ground with a yelp. Applejack rushes back and catches her before she could hit the ground. The tree roared in anger as it glared at Twilight. Its branches suddenly began to move, being used to swing at the girls. They were brushed away and knocked to the ground. Rainbow took off into the air as she flew toward the tree monster. Her leg was suddenly caught by something, forcing her to crash to the ground. She grunts in frustration as she turned her head behind her to find the culprit that stopped her. Vines had wrapped around her leg, being traced back to another tree in the area. She gasped as she saw eyes on this tree as well. She felt herself being dragged by the tree, causing her heart to race as she clawed at the dirt to prevent herself from being pulled into the tree's gaping mouth. Her nails clawed into the dirt as she was pulled closer to the tree.
"Help!" cried Rainbow. Fluttershy turns to find Rainbow in a dire predicament. She dives for Rainbow's hands, attempting to pull her back. She grunted as she pulled Rainbow. The tree began to pull harder, forcing Fluttershy to be dragged along the earth with Rainbow's hands in her grip. The tree moaned as sap began to leak out of its mouth. Fluttershy flapped her wings as hard as she could to force herself and Rainbow away from the man eating tree. A third tree began to shake and revealed glowing eyes. Pinkie searched her surroundings as she tried to think of a way to stop the tree that was about to eat Rainbow Dash. She gasped in excitement as she came up with an idea. Pinkie suddenly scoops up a pile of dirt and rushes toward Rainbow and Fluttershy. She then tosses the dirt into the eyes of the tree, causing it to roar in pain as it released Rainbow. Fluttershy fell backwards with Rainbow in her embrace as the tree began to rub its vines against its eyes.
"Good thinking, Pinks!" said Rainbow as she panted. Pinkie smiled proudly in response. They suddenly heard the scream of Twilight. They turn to find her entire body wrapped in the vines of one of the other three trees. It held her up as it began to lower her into its gaping mouth. Twilight struggled as she tried to free her herself.
"Put her down!" shouted Applejack as she sprinted toward the tree and sent a powerful kick to the base of it. The tree groaned as it attempted to swipe at the farm girl. Applejack rolled out of the branches reach, the dirt staining her skin and clothes. Rainbow flies toward the vines that held Twilight, grabbing them and sinking her teeth into them as she pulled them apart. Twilight continued her struggle, freeing one of her hands on time as she spot vines heading for Fluttershy. She shot her hand toward the vine, firing a burst of magic that incinerates the vines. She then makes a quick hand gesture close to herself; she disappears in a flash and reappears on the ground. Rainbow releases the vines and flies back to her friends. They all stood close as they saw the trees glaring at them. Winona barked at the trees as they prepared to strike. Applejack runs back to her dog, picking her up and rejoining her friends.
"Time to go!" said Twilight as she made quick hand gestures, an aura engulfing herself and her friends. They disappeared before the vines could reach them. The trees roared in fury as they saw the girls reappear further away, running to where the trees could not possibly reach them.




Later...

The girls sat on the ground, resting as they waited to continue their quest. They had spent the last few hours trying to avoid wild creatures, large insects and other dangers of the forest. The girls had made no progress at finding Junior and the others. The trails were random and would lead to either more trouble or dead ends.
"Five more minutes girls. Then, we're back on the road." announced Twilight. The rest of the girls sighed in response. Rarity began to question if their quest was worth it.
"Twilight, I've been thinking... Perhaps we should...head back home." said Rarity, hesitantly. Twilight looks to her in surprise.
"Wait, what?" asked Twilight. Rarity sighed in response.
"Darling, we can't keep this up all day. It's going to get dark soon and I would rather not be here when it does."
"We... we can't! We're so close! I can feel it!" said Twilight. She couldn't believe her ears. Rarity was in the process of giving up on finding Junior.
"Twilight, it's not that I don’t want to help you. I really do! It's just that...well; maybe Gojira just doesn't want to be found. Not even by us." said Rarity. Twilight stared at her blankly. Her heart grew heavy.
"Sugarcube..." Applejack interjected, grabbing Twilight's attention. "I have to agree with Rarity. You know how Gojira is. He's not one to be easily convinced when he's in a bad mood."
"But we can't just give up yet!" cried Twilight. "He's our friend!"
"I know, Twi. But Goji's long gone. Winona can't even get a clear path on his trail." said Applejack as she petted Winona, who lied on the ground. Fluttershy frowned in disappointment.
"We'll find him! He just needs to know that we're looking for him!" said Pinkie. Rainbow gives her a deadpan stare.
"And how are we going to let him know?" asked Rainbow. Pinkie suddenly pulls out a bullhorn. The other girls all began to panic. Applejack rushes toward Pinkie and snatches the bullhorn out of her grip.
"Are you out of your mind?! You'll just draw attention to us!" scolded Applejack.
"Yeah, smooth idea Pinkie Pie!" said Rainbow sarcastically with her arms crossed. Pinkie huffed in response.
"I don't see you coming up with anything!" retorted Pinkie.
"I could probably come up with an idea that won't end up getting us all eaten!" said Rainbow as she flared her wings.
"Like how you charged into the cave and made the dragon mad a year back?" asked Applejack. Rainbow looked to her in offense.
"That was different!"
"How in the hay was that different? You kicked him!" argued Applejack.
"OK, I screwed up. I admit that! I did it because I thought it would make a point that we didn't want him there!"
"Do you think Gojira would have done that?" demanded Applejack.
"I'm pretty sure he would have! He at least knows when to get physical!" retorted Rainbow.
"That's what got the people of Ponyville to dislike him in the first place! He behaved like a barbarian. It was always a fight with him!" interjected Rarity. Fluttershy gasped in shock at Rarity's words.
"He only fought to defend himself! He never picked a fight!" said Fluttershy with a disapproving look. Rarity scoffed in response.
"Darling, violence is never the answer to resolve conflict!"
"He had a rough childhood growing up and had trouble fitting in. It's not his fault that he has trouble with peaceful conflict resolutions!" argued Twilight.
"He was living in Canterlot with the Princess! How could he have had a rough childhood?" asked Rarity.
"Goji always said that people discriminated him because he was from another country. I don't think living in a big fancy castle would solve his problems." said Pinkie. Twilight nodded in agreement.
"Rarity, he isn't naturally the way he is. He was experimented on when he was as a little boy! Think of the trauma that a child could have after going through that!" said Twilight. Fluttershy gasped. Pinkie, Applejack, Rainbow and Rarity's eyes widened in shock.
"He...he was experimented on when he was a little boy?" asked Rarity in disbelief. Twilight nodded solemnly.
"He wrote a journal detailing what he could remember. They cut him Rarity." Said Twilight, her voice distraught. "They took him from his home and they cut him. They locked him up and separated him from his father. Can you imagine how frightened he was?"
"I...I had no idea." said Rarity as she looked down at the ground. She then grits her teeth, "Darling, I'm just worried for you. I'm worried that he'll hurt you. I don't think that I can trust him after finding out that he's been keeping something like this a secret. What if there's more that he's not telling us?"
"He would never hurt me or any of us. If there's more that we don't know, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it." said Twilight with a comforting smile. Rarity nodded to her in reluctance. The girls suddenly heard a thundering roar in the air. They all went stiff as a second roar that was similar to the first roar echoed. Twilight's blood ran cold as she recognized the roars.
"Dragons." said Twilight. Fluttershy whimpered in response as she heard the name of the dreadful creatures. The girls all stood to their feet, searching the area. Winona growled as her animal senses picked up the beasts. Suddenly, a large form crashed into trees that caused all of the girls to yelp. Fluttershy began to hyperventilate as she saw the serpent-like head of a green dragon with a row of large spikes running down its body. The creature growled in anger as it raised itself from the dirt. Its enormous size towered over the girls, causing them to cower under it. Winona whined as she backed away. The dragon spread its large wings, roaring in rage. Further down the area, another dragon was charging toward the green dragon. This dragon had yellow scales with red spikes running down its back. Twilight's eyes widened in realization as she saw the yellow dragon charge.
"Get back!" shouted Twilight. The girls all began to run away from the green dragon as it prepared itself against the incoming yellow dragon. The yellow monster leaped toward the green dragon, tackling it to the ground. The dragons roared as they clawed at each other and bit into each other. The yellow dragon swung its claws at the green dragon, missing its head and nearly crushing Applejack. The yellow dragon was suddenly head butted and was forced off of the green dragon. The two dragons then slammed their bodies into each other, both glaring with blood lusting eyes.
"This is my territory!" shouted the green dragon in a deep and mighty voice. He then began to slam his body against the yellow dragon, causing it to fall over and began to claw at its belly. The dragon shrieked in agony as its scales were penetrated. The girls all watched the fight in fear as the mighty creatures fought savagely. The yellow dragon opened its mighty jaws, spewing forth flames from within its belly. The flames engulfed the green dragon, causing him to grunt in frustration. The flames had no effect on him. The flames suddenly made their way toward the girls, forcing them to duck for cover. Their bodies felt the intense heat that passed over them.  The girls stand back up to find the green dragon biting into the neck of the yellow dragon, jerking his head in place. The girls hid away from the sight as they heard a sickening crack. The sound of something large hitting the earth met their ears. They slowly turned to find the yellow dragon lying dead on the ground with the green dragon's fore leg resting on the head. The green dragon displayed his great wings, roaring in victory as flames spewed from his mouth. The girls panted as they saw the fight had ended, unable to take anymore adrenaline. The dragon stops roaring, slowly turning to find the girls staring at him. The girls suddenly broke off into a sprint with Winona away from the area. The dragon snorted in response, uninterested in harassing the nosy humans.



The girls walked in silence. No one had said a word since the encounter with the dragons. They had agreed to return home after all. They were disappointed that their quest was in vain and was completely hopeless. They couldn't find Junior's trail and there was just too many dangers in the Everfree to take on. Fluttershy held her arm as she tried to calm herself from the encounter with the dragons. She was disappointed that she wouldn't be able to speak to Junior. Twilight was angry and devastated that she had failed to bring Junior back home just like she declared she would in front of Celestia. Rainbow wore a solemn expression, wishing that she could start the last day with Rodan over. Pinkie frowned as she thought of how she would never see Junior smile again. She yearned to see that one last time. Applejack felt that she could never repay Junior for rescuing her sister and for being a hard worker that helped her whenever she needed it. He was actually a friend to her and now she may never be able to properly thank him for that. Rarity hated that she couldn't help Twilight complete her quest. She wished that she had the will to go on but she knew that their journey was growing more dangerous every hour.
The girls had made it out of the forest, still silent. They all stopped and looked to each other with glum expressions. Twilight took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
"I just want to thank you all. Thank you for risking your lives to help me find him. I just wish that our quest could have been successful. I'm sorry." apologized Twilight with her head lowered. Applejack placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"I was happy to lend a hand. I wish we could have found him too." said Applejack. Twilight frowned in response. Applejack began to walk away from the group with Winona trailing behind.
"I'll let ya'll know if I ever see him or at least one of the others come back." said Applejack as she walked away.
"Thank you. Good-bye." said Twilight. The rest of the girls all bid Applejack farewell as she made her way back to her home. Rainbow took off into the air.
"I gotta go too. I'll see you girls later." said Rainbow. She then took off into the air, flying off to her home as she were a dejected expression. Fluttershy began to walk away with a solemn expression. She stops and turns to look at Twilight.
"He'll come back. I know he will." said Fluttershy.
"I hope that you're right." replied Twilight with a frown. Fluttershy then slowly began to walk away, a few tears streaming down her face. Pinkie wraps Rarity and Twilight in a tight hug.
“I’ll be sure to throw them a ‘welcome back home' party.” Pinkie said softly. Twilight and Rarity returned the hug. Pinkie then broke the hug and made her way back home. Twilight and Rarity stood alone near the entrance of the Everfree forest. The sun was setting and the sky was growing darker.
"I'm sorry that we couldn't find him, Twilight." said Rarity.
"Thanks for coming along Rarity." said Twilight. As she began to walk way, she felt Rarity grab her arm.
"Darling, will you be alright?" asked Rarity in concern. Twilight sighed.
"I don't know. I just don't know."




Later...

Twilight had returned home to the library. The sun had been replaced by the moon. As she walked into the library, she found Spike rushing in.
"Twilight! Did you find Gojira?" asked Spike, hopeful. Twilight remained silent. She merely shook her head.
"Oh." said Spike, his hopes crushed. Twilight walked passed him with a blank stare.
"Twilight? Do you...want something to eat?" asked Spike in concern. Twilight had slowly made her way up to the stairs that led to her bedroom.
"No thank you, Spike. I'm going to bed." said Twilight in a monotone voice.
"Alright. Goodnight." said Spike.
"Goodnight." Twilight had reached her bedroom door and entered the room, closing the door behind her. She had spent her time undressing and had dressed into her pajamas. A lavender, long sleeved pajama shirt and pants. She lied herself down onto her bed as the moon cast its light down into her window. She stared blankly as she lied down. Junior was gone now. He had fled to somewhere that was likely far away. He wasn't in the Everfree as she hoped that he would be, and he was nowhere to be seen. She had hoped that she could find him and apologize to him. She hoped that she could bring him home and show that she accepted him. She had failed to do so. Now, her friend was gone.
"It's all my fault." said Twilight. She then clenched her fists as she lied down. She blamed herself for forcing him to leave. He probably would have stayed if she hadn't reacted to him so strongly. He must hate her now. He must despise her because she saw him differently in such a negative light. She had told him that monsters were people that hurt others out of malicious intent and that she thought there could have been good Transmutants. Her words were hypocritical when she briefly saw him as a monster that day. How could she forget that it was her friend? He was the person that she had fallen for! Twilight began to lightly weep as she clutched her shoulders. She wanted to take it back. She wanted to see him again so she can take it all back. But, it was too late.
Twilight then noticed something sitting just off of the corner of her bed on the wooden platform. She gently reaches for it and found it to be the lavender unicorn stuffed animal that Junior had given to her. It was something that she had always cherished ever since he had given it to her. She held it tightly to her chest as she cried.
"I'm sorry, Gojira. Please, forgive me!"




MONARCH base. Several miles outside of Ponyville. Earlier that day...

Sunset and Erika stood at attention at the front of the desk of the commanding officer. This was not the one that Erika had grown fond of; rather it was the one that gave the order to kill Lucky Dragon. The man wore a steely gaze. Erika and Sunset grew nervous under his stare.
"As you know, the higher ups aren't pleased that the Transmutants have escaped. They are especially not happy that Lucky Dragon is still alive." said the Commander.
"It was my fault, sir. I wasn't quick enough to carry the order." said Sunset, regrettably taking the blame.
"No, it was my fault. I was supposed to be the one to finish him if Pvt. Shimmer was incapacitated. I hesitated." said Erika. She couldn't let Sunset take the blame all on her own. She did hesitate when it came to killing the one named Gojira. He was so young, unlike the other Transmutants. They were mostly in their late 20s or in their mid 30s. She was disturbed how ones like Battra may have possibly been trained to be a murderer at a younger age. She knew that she wasn't any older than she was. He was actually younger by a year. Lucky Dragon and the two other male Transmutants looked to be in their late teens.
"Hmm. It's good to know that you two are taking responsibility. But, I didn't call you two in here to scold you." said the commander. Erika and Sunset looked to each other in confusion.
"I called you here because you two are being relocated for a different mission. You will be assigned to a mission where your skills will actually be useful."
"What sort of mission?" asked Sunset.
"Our Elves have scanned through you memories and have taken the images of the four Transmutants that were supposed to surrender in their human form. We are going to release their identities to the public and hope that someone will inform us that they have been spotted." said the commander. He then reaches in his desk and pulls out a cigar. The commander takes a lighter and holds the flame toward the cigar.
"That's where you two come in. You're going to hunt these four, and any other Transmutant that you may find and bring them in. But, Lucky Dragon will be terminated." said the commander.
"Um...sir, why is it that MONARCH wants Lucky Dragon dead? Why not let him surrender and lock him in the vault with the others?" asked Erika, nervously.
"The higher ups have deemed him too dangerous to be contained. He's on the kill list along with Destoroyah and Alpha, the most dangerous Transmutants alive. Well, at least one of them was alive." chuckled the commander. Erika gulped uncomfortably. She couldn't bring herself to kill a Transmutant if they have willingly surrendered. But, she had orders to follow. Besides, Lucky Dragon may be too dangerous to be kept around. He did threaten her directly before he had escaped.
"I understand sir." said Erika. The commander nodded in approval.
"Good. You ladies ship out starting next week. Get some rest." said the commander. Erika and Sunset saluted, then turned and made their way out of the office. The pair walked down the metal halls in silence. Sunset noticed Erika's troubled expression.
"Hey, are you OK?" asked Sunset in concern. Erika sighed solemnly.
"I don't know. I just don't feel right about this." said Erika.
"What's there to not feel right about? We're just going to catch those four Transmutants. It's not like we're going to invade a nest of Transmutant spiders." said Sunset.
"I don't feel right about killing Lucky Dragon. What did he do wrong that warrants for him to be killed?"
"Shiragami, don't go back on your orders. We are doing this to protect people!" argued Sunset.
"So, we're just going to kill him because he was one of the first three Transmutants?" demanded Erika. Sunset sighed in response.
"Shiragami, Lucky Dragon and the Alpha shared the dragon's DNA that they were mutated with. That same DNA runs through you veins along with the Alpha's. They are too unpredictable and powerful to contain." said Sunset. "Remember, Alpha is the reason that you can regenerate. His healing factor and his thick hide made him nearly invincible. Lucky Dragon is young and has likely gone insane over the years. If anything, we're putting him out of his misery."
"I just..."
"Shiragami, this might be what you need. If you go through with this, you may be accepted by the other soldiers and may earn back some trust." said Sunset, hoping that would convince her comrade. Erika sighed in defeat.
"Alright. I''ll follow through with my orders."
"Good." said Sunset. She then places a hand on her shoulder. "I need you. I won't be able to take them on alone."
"I've got your back." smiled Erika. Sunset smiled back. As they walked Sunset began to think of this. She never really cared for Transmutants. She didn't have a personal hatred for them as most people do. However, she did see them as a threat. She knew that by fighting these Transmutants, she would be praised for her heroism and bravery to fight. Her magic would be admired, her courage unmatched and her skills formidable. Being praised and loved as a war hero wasn't like being an Avatar princess to be loved. However, she would still be loved none the less. The death of Lucky Dragon by her hands may just be what that will guarantee that. Celestia will see how she was wrong to throw out someone like her. Her comrades will respect her. That's what she wants out of all of this. With that thought, she smiled to herself, eager for the hunt to begin.
> Chapter 19: Exile
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was early morning. The sun barely came out of the horizon with the stars still visible in the dimly lit sky. The air was cool and the sky was clear of clouds. The area was filled with a great plain of grass. Junior walked alongside Rodan, Mosura and Angirasu. They had just awoken from their sleep as they carried their traveling backpacks. Rodan lets out a yawn as he walked.
"Why did we have to wake up so early?" asked Rodan. Mosura sighed in response.
"Because we can't spare the time. We don't know if MONARCH is on our trail. We need to put as much distance as we can."
"This is crap!" said Rodan in exasperation.
"Stop bitching and walk." said Junior. Rodan gave him a cold stare.
"Someone's in a foul mood." said Rodan.
"I'm not a morning person. I would appreciate it if you didn't complain right now." said Junior. Rodan nodded.
"Fine." sighed Rodan. Angirasu looked to Mosura curiously.
"So, where are we headed again?" asked Angirasu. Mosura reaches into her sweater's pocket and pulls out a map. She points to an image that depicted a small town outside of Ponyville.
"We're going to Appaloosa. It's a small settlement in a desert region. We don't have to worry about drawing too much attention to ourselves." answered Mosura.
"A desert? Great." said Junior in disappointment.
"Don't worry, Gojira. We might not stay very long. Just make sure you stay hydrated. I know how aquatic Transmutants can get easily thirsty when in a hotter climate." said Mosura with a comforting smile. The group had spent the next hour traveling through the area; the sun started to raise higher, bringing more light into the land. Junior's heart still ached from the memory of when Twilight and the others had discovered his secret and developed sleeping problems for the past two nights. He couldn't stop thinking of Twilight. He knew it would hurt if she rejected him, but he never realized just how much it would actually hurt. Junior sighed, he wished he could go back to sleep.  He needed to move on from his old life as a new one awaited him.




Four hours later...

Junior and company had been walking across the land in a steady pace. They had reached the grassless region of the area, all exhausted. The sun's rays were beaming down on their backs, increasing the heat. They began to sweat from the heat, Junior was panting as he took a swig of water from a canteen. The Transmutants were following the train tracks that Mosura had found on the map to lead up to their destination.
"Oh god, I wish there were trees here." complained Junior.
"Ditto." said Anirasu. Rodan sighed as his mind wondered.
"You know what sounds good? A nice, cold and sweet ice cream sundae!" said Rodan. Junior, Mosura and Angirasu all moaned in misery. "The taste of frozen milk with chocolate syrup and sprinkles! Oh, and some cherries on that bad boy!"
"Rodan, no more. Please!" begged Mosura.
"Strawberries, blue berries, bananas, and waffle bits. Oh! And some brownies!"
"You're evil!" said Angirasu with a glare. Junior's eyes began to twitch. He desperately wanted consume something cold.
"You know I could go for? The thirst quencher itself, ice water!" said Rodan with an expression of dreaming. Junior's mind snapped.
"Rodan! As god as my witness, I will kill you if you don't shut up!" shouted Junior. Rodan groaned in response.
"Dude, I can't help it!" said Rodan.
"I don't give a damn! Knock it off!" retorted Junior. He then looks to Mosura with an annoyed expression. "Mosu, how much further?"
"I don't know. Several more miles? It's faster on train." answered Mosura. Junior sighed in aggravation.
"This is bullsh-" Junior was interrupted by the sudden sound of a train whistle. The group stops and turns to find a train heading their way. Junior grinned as he stopped off of the tracks, crouching to the ground. Mosura looks to him curiously, but immediately caught on. She backs off of the tracks and follows Junior's lead. Angirasu and Rodan looked to each other and shrugged in response. They followed their friends' lead and prepared themselves. As the train got closer, they tensed their muscles. The train engine suddenly passes them, with a dozen cars in tow. The Transmutants all leaped onto the roof of the cars being carried on the train. They crouched as they tried to keep their stance steady. Mosura looks to Junior with a smile.
"Good thinking!" said Mosura. Junior smiled proudly.
"Thanks. Now we can get some rest." said Junior.
"Woo! Who needs tickets when you can just hitch a ride on the roof?" asked Rodan as he pumped his fist into the air. The train traveled through the desert area, taking the young Transmutants to their destination.




Later...

The train had made its way toward a small settlement. The town was comprised of over a dozen small buildings made of entirely of wood. There were a few shops, but there were mostly houses. The town was filled with Earthbound humans dressed in jeans, shirts, vests, and boots. Some of the women wore dresses that reached below their knees and sunbonnets. As the train came to a stop, Junior and his fellow Transmutants hopped off of the train, quickly hiding from the passengers and anyone else. They quickly walked away from the train, finding themselves in the town. They searched their surroundings, finding the town to be small and quiet with a low population. Junior smiled in satisfaction.
"It's hot, but this is nice. Doesn't seem like much goes on here." said Junior.
"Dude, you're so boring." deadpanned Rodan. Junior shrugs in response.
"Hey, I like peace and quiet. That's hard for me to come by."
"Anyway, let's get going. I'm friggin' thirsty!" said Rodan as he began to walk into town. As they walked, they were met with curious glances from the locals. Junior tried to keep himself calm under their glances. Mosura noticed his anxious expression.
"It's alright. They're just curious to see strangers carrying traveling supplies." said Mosura in a soft tone. Junior nodded in response. As they continued on, they searched the establishments. Junior's eyes widened in shock at the building in front of him.
"Who in the hell would build a salt bar? This is a desert! The point is to stay hydrated, not consume stuff to make you dehydrated!" said Junior incredulously. He then searches the area with a scowl. "Where do they get water?"
"Looks like in there." said Angirasu as he pointed to a sign on the establishment. Mosura smiles in amusement.
"Well, at least they also serve water for customers. That's convenient." said Mosura. Junior scowled at the building.
"I still think it's stupid." The group made their way into the bar, pushing aside the doors. The establishment was filled several men and women as they conversed and enjoyed the salt. Some even ate food that was salted. A few had turned and gave them curious glances. Soon, the rest of the locals began to stare at them. Junior felt his anxiety returning.
"Yo, what's up?" greeted Rodan with a friendly smile. The locals returned the smile with their own.
"Howdy!" the locals all greeted in a southern accent. Junior relaxed; he led his friends over to the bar keeper with a sigh. A man behind the table makes his way closer to them.
"Hello strangers. What can I get ya'll? Care for some salt? Some salted fries?" asked the bartender.
'Hell to the no!' Junior thought in annoyance. He refused to consume any salt after spending hours being bathed under the scorching sun.
"Actually, we would like some water." said Mosura with a smile.
"I would like some of those fries with that." said Rodan as he raised his hand. The bartender nodded in response.
"Coming right up!" said the bartender. He then makes his way over to a door and inside of a kitchen. Junior sighed as he and the others set their bags down. Mosura removed her thin sweater that she had wrapped around her waist, setting it on her lap. They suddenly heard the approaching steps from behind. Junior turned to find a man giving him a friendly smile.
"So, where ya'll folks from?" asked the man.
"Ponyville." answered Junior. A young woman with red hair and that wore a black stetson hat approached as well with another man with a mustache.
"What brings ya'll here to Appleloosa?" asked the woman curiously. Junior remained silent.
"We've actually moved out of Ponyville. We're traveling to find a new place to live." answered Mosura.
"Really? How come?" asked the mustached man.
"We...felt that it wasn't the right place for us. You know how it is. You gotta move on to find something better." answered Angirasu.
'Yeah, unless you were forced to leave something great behind.' thought Junior, bitterly. The bartender had made his way back from the kitchen.
"Your fries should be done soon, sonny. Have some water while ya'll wait." said the bartender. He then reaches for a glass cup and held it under a nozzle. He pulls a lever, dispensing water into the cup. He slides the cup down to Rodan, who catches it and immediately began to consume it. The bartender continued this process repeatedly until he had given Junior his glass of water. Junior chugged the water down, sighing as he placed the cup down. He stared into the empty glass, finding a sight that startled him. It was Twilight's face. He saw the scholar's face for a brief second with that cute grin that he loved to see. He looks down solemnly.
"Hey, why the long face partner?" asked the woman in the Stetson. Junior shot up immediately to find the woman staring at him.
"It's nothing. I'm just tired." answered Junior in a monotone voice. The woman was a little unnerved by his tone and expressionless eyes.
"Doesn't look like its nothing." retorted the woman.
"Trust me, it’s nothing." said Junior. He then looks to the bartender. "May I have a refill?"
"Sure, kid." said the bartender as he took Junior's glass. The woman takes a seat next to Junior.
"I know that look. That's the look of a man that had his heart broken." said the woman. Junior scoffed in response.
"Maybe. What's it to you? It's not like it affects you in anyway."
"No, but it would affect those close to you to see you going through such a hard time." replied the woman. Junior sighed.
"I'll adapt." Junior said coldly. The woman frowned in response. Mosura places a hand on his shoulder.  The bartender places the refilled cup on the table; he then made his way back into the kitchen. Rodan takes a sip of his water, uncomfortable with Junior's response.




Later...

The four Transmutants walked through the town. Rodan held a small cardboard tray filled with french fries. He then holds out the tray to his friends.
"You guys want some?" asked Rodan.
"Ehh... Sure, why not?" Angirasu reached for the tray, taking a fry and placing it in his mouth. The two began to eat the fries as they walked. Mosura looked to Junior, finding a dejected expression on his face.
"Are you alright?" asked Mosura in concern. Junior nodded in response.
"It just hurts a little. I'll be fine." said Junior. Mosura frowned as she heard his response. She was able to see through his words.
"No, it hurts more than you are telling me." retorted Mosura. Junior sighed in frustration.
"Mosu, I would really rather not talk about it. Let's just find some place to stay. Please?"
"Al-alright." replied Mosura. The group made their way over toward a large building in the town. They made their way inside, finding a man behind a desk. Mosura walks up to the desk as she wore a kind smile on her face.
"Hello! We were checking to see if you had any rooms available." said Mosura. The man nodded in response. He takes out a book and began to look through it.
"Yep! We actually have two rooms available." said the man. Mosura nodded in satisfaction.
"Great! We'll take one of them." said Mosura. The man chuckled in amusement.
"Now hold on little lady. These rooms have only two beds each. Two of ya'll are gonna have to book together in one room."
"Oh. Um..." Mosura stopped herself before she made a decision. She wore an uncertain expression on her face. She gestures to the other Transmutants into a huddle. The all close in with their arms placed on each other's shoulders in a circle.
"What's up?" asked Rodan.
"What do you boys think? Are you comfortable with being split into two groups for the night?" asked Mosura in an unsure voice.
"I don't see a problem with it. MONARCH doesn't know that we're here, so it should be fine." whispered Angirasu.
"Besides, if those assholes were to show up, it would be a big mistake on their part." Junior whispered in a tone filled with spite. Mosura nodded uncomfortably as she wondered what Junior meant.
"OK. So, who will be paired with who?" asked Mosura.
"Why not me and Angirasu pair up while you and Junior pair up in one room?" suggested Rodan.
"Uh... I uh..." Mosura stuttered in response. Junior shrugged in response.
"As long as she's fine with it." said Junior. Mosura slowly nodded in response.
"Alright, then there's no issue." Angirasu said nonchalantly. The group broke off the huddle; Mosura turned her attention back to the owner of the inn.
"We'll take the rooms. How much?" asked Mosura.
"For both rooms, that'll be 25 bits." replied the owner. Junior fished into his pocket and pulled out a large bag, the sound of metal jingling could be heard. He reaches in and began to count in his head the bits as he handed them to owner. The owner smiled in approval as he counted the bits. He stands up and hands the Transmutants two keys with a tag chained to each of them.
"Room numbers are on the door and key. Hope that you folks enjoy your stay." said the owner.
"Thank you!" said Mosura. The Transmutants made their way down the hall of the inn, looking at the numbers labeled on the doors. Rodan and Angirasu stop as they inspected their key.
"Our room is here!" said Angirasu.
"OK, ours is just over here." replied Mosura. As she and Junior stopped at a door with a label that matched their key, Mosura unlocks the door and opens it. As the door slowly opened, her and Junior's face flushed a bright red. The room had only one bed. It was bed for couples. They stared in shock at the room that they were forced to stay in. Rodan makes his way over to the pair and peaks inside of the room.
"Wow. Well, this is awkward. Have fun!" said Rodan with a chuckle. Junior and Mosura sent him a glare, causing him to nervously laugh. "Just kidding."




Later that night...

Junior sat on the bed with a blank stare as he looked to the wooden floor. He wore a white shirt and grey pajama pants. The moon's light had covered the land as the night had cast its darkness. The sound of crickets chirped outside of the window, unable to be heard by the Transmutants. Mosura emerged from a small bathroom as she wore a towel on her head. She wore a long sleeved shirt and short pajama bottoms. Her eyes searched nervously as she sat on the left side of the bed. Junior remained silent, not paying the girl any mind.
"So, ready for bed?" asked Mosura. Junior nodded in response.
"Yeah, I think I'm gonna turn in early." said Junior as he lied himself on the bed, removing the covers from underneath his body. Mosura reluctantly gets under the covers with Junior as the two lied down on the large bed. Mosura reached for the lamp, switching it off and allowing the darkness to seep in. The pair lied down in silence.
"The bed's nice." said Mosura awkwardly.
"Yeah, comfy." responded Junior in a monotone voice. Mosura blushed furiously as she lied down next to Junior. Although she didn't held romantic feelings for him, she still felt embarrassed at sharing a bed with a boy. She shifted uncomfortably in place.
"Mosu, I can tell that you're uncomfortable. I promise that I want do anything." said Junior.
"What?! I didn't- Wait, how did you know that I'm not comfortable?" asked Mosura in embarrassment.
"Well for one, you just admitted it to me." answered Junior. Mosura huffed in response. "Plus, I can smell the anxiety radiating off of you."
"Oh. Sorry, it's just that I haven't...been in a bed with another guy before." said Mosura.
"That's understandable. I can't say that I'm completely comfortable with it either." replied Junior. The two lied in silence for a couple of minutes.
"Goji?" called Mosura.
"What?"
"What was it like to fall in love?" asked Mosura. Junior looked to her in surprise.
"Where is this coming from?" asked Junior. Mosura looked away with crimson cheeks.
"I'm curious. I just never had the opportunity to do so." answered Mosura. Junior sighed in response.
"I can't put it into words. But, I would say that it feels like the universe just stops. It feels like you have the power to stop the flow of time just to be able to be with that special someone. You feel as though you are unbound by the world. You feel the need to shower that person with strong affection. It's exciting, yet frightening.  You worry about whether the person will like you back or not." answered Junior.
"That sounds wonderful." said Mosura. Junior sighed in response.
"Yeah, well, it's one of the biggest mistakes that I have ever made." said Junior. He turns on his side, facing away from Mosura. He closes his eyes, his heart aching. Mosura looks to him in sadness. She then lays her head back, looking up to the ceiling as she waited for the sleep to take her.



It was the afternoon. Junior stood alone as he stared off into the area. He was standing in a deserted region of the desert. The mountains stood tall and proud, the clouds began to shroud the sky in darkness. Junior stared up at the sky as he watched the remaining blue sky disappear. He sighs as he stared up at the sky. He turns and began to walk. Lizards scurried past his feet and dove into small bushes. He suddenly heard the scream of Mosura in the area. Junior gasped as the scream startled him out of his stroll. He began to run through the area, passing stones and cacti. As he ran, he heard the shouts of Rodan and Angirasu. They were calling his name. They were calling for his help.
"I'm coming!" cried Junior. He began to pick up the pace, the stones rising from the ground. He stops and finds them engulfed in fire. They suddenly whizzed toward him, striking him all over his body. He cried out in pain as these fiery stones bombarded him. He continued to run, desperately trying to reach his friends. He found himself confronted with a feminine figure in MONARCH apparel. The figure removed her helmet, revealing the face of an Elf that Junior had learned to despise.
"You again." growled Junior. The girl smiled at him in response. She raises her hand forward, firing a beam at his chest. Junior cries out as the beam shot him ten feet away, leaving a scorching mark on his chest. He rises to his feet with a furious expression on his face. He loses his expression as he realized the Sunset was nowhere to be found. Junior walked around the area as he searched his surroundings. His foot made contact with something, prompting him to look down. His blood ran cold at the sight. Angirasu and Rodan lied limp on the ground. Their faces and bodies were bruised and covered in scars. He drops down, shaking them.
"Hey! Guys, get up!" called Junior, his adrenaline running. Angirasu looks to him weakly. As he reached for Junior's hand, his head suddenly slumped as his eyes rolled back. Junior's breathing grew shallow.
"No! Angirasu, don't quit on me! Rodan, get up! Guys!" cried Junior. He suddenly heard the scream of Mosura echoing again. Junior immediately stands to his feet.
"Mosura! Mosu, where are you?!" called Junior. He began to run through the area, searching all around him. He suddenly found Mosura standing alone. He quickly began to make his way toward her. "Mosu! Mosura, are you-"
Mosura suddenly fell backwards, causing Junior to lunge for her. He catches her, finding her eyes lifeless. His breathing grew heavy as he stared into her lifeless eyes. His heart filled with despair and rage. He turns to find Destoroyah and Battra standing a few feet from him. Junior sent them a glare.
"You did this to her!" shouted Junior. Battra shook his head.
"No. It was them." said Battra as he pointed behind Junior. He turns his head to find Sunset, Erika and a few other MONARCH soldiers standing behind him. Mosura suddenly vanished out of Junior's hold. He began to panic as he desperately searched for her.
"I told you, young Takeshi. The humans are our enemy." said Destoroyah. Junior turns his head back to the Transmutants. "They will stop at nothing until they have destroyed every single one of us. Is that what you want?"
"They will all turn on you and will destroy you and your friends. It's just a matter of time." said Battra.
"No! No, I can protect them!" shouted Junior. Battra sent him a harsh glare.
"You can't protect them! They will die because of you! You refused to fight these humans because you were afraid of losing your human friends from that pathetic little town. They rejected you! Now there's nothing to hold you back! What do you have to lose?!" demanded Battra.
"This isn't my war! Leave us out of it!" retorted Junior.
"Whether you like it or not, this is your war." said Destoroyah. He then points to the sun above. "The princess of the sun may be supporting MONARCH's efforts to eliminate you. All humans will soon bring us to our knees. But it doesn't have to be that way."
"No! No, just leave me alone!" shouted Junior as he cupped his ears.
"You can't escape your fate. You have two destinies. You can either just lie down and die, or you can stand up and fight all who threaten you." said Destoroyah as he walked up to Junior. He then places a hand on his head as he stared into his eyes. "Forget about the human girl. She could never love a monster."
"No. I-"
"Stay away!" cried a familiar voice. Junior turns and finds Twilight sitting on the ground with a fearful expression. Junior's eyes widened.
"Twilight?" called Junior as he slowly approached Twilight. She began to crawl backwards, her feet kicking up dirt.
"Stay back! Don't you come near me, you monster!" shouted Twilight. Junior stopped his approach as he fought his tears.
"Twi, why? Why are you afraid of me? Did our time together mean anything to you?" asked Junior.
"Not when it turns out that you were one of them!" retorted Twilight in a harsh tone.
"I thought you said that a monster was someone that terrorized or killed others!" retorted Junior in anger.
"You terrorized me and my friends when you turned into that thing!"
"Twilight, I did what I had to. I did it to protect you and the others! I did it for you!" shouted Junior.
"I don't want your help! I want you to leave me alone!" said Twilight. Junior growled in anger as he turned away. He suddenly felt a cold cylinder placed on the side of his head. His eyes move to look at his right, finding Sunset with a gun pointed against his head.
"You heard her. Go away." said Sunset. She suddenly pulled the trigger, the sound of a magic burst erupting from the muzzle.



Junior shot up out of bed, his body covered in sweat. His heart raced and pounded hard against his chest. Junior panted as he sat in bed. He looked and found the moon the moon still in the dark sky. He looked over to a clock that sat next to his side of the bed.
"3 AM." Junior said to himself. He turned to his side and found Mosura sleeping peacefully on her side of the bed. He sighed in relief, happy to see her well. He then lied back down in bed with a sigh as he turned back on his side. He was unsure on how he was going to continue his days. He knew that he had to find a new place to call home, but he also had to protect his friends. MONARCH was their biggest threat, but he couldn't risk a fight against them. Junior gritted his teeth in frustration as he lied down. He suddenly felt something wrap around his body. He went stiff in surprise.
"Brother..." muttered Mosura. Junior carefully turned and found Mosura hugging him tightly. He then noticed tears running down her closed eyes.
"Come back, brother. I love you." muttered Mosura. Junior frowned at the sight. The poor girl missed her twin brother so dearly that she was having dreams. Junior wished that he could fix his own problems and the problems of his friends, but he knew that reality wasn't kind enough to allow that. Junior turns and takes Mosura into his embrace. He gently caressed her head as tears ran down her face. She then wrapped her arms around Junior tighter as she lightly sobbed in her sleep.




Later that afternoon...

Rodan walked through the town alone. He had told his fellow Transmutants that he wanted to explore the area more. He had actually spent more time looking at the country girls that lived in this settlement. He had found a lot of girls to be attractive, but he felt empty as he saw them. He couldn't explain it, but it was as though a void was made into his soul.
"I'd kill to be like you guys again." sighed Rodan. He thought back to Rainbow and their time together. All of the days where they had hung out and had joked around. She wasn't like most girls that he had met. Rainbow was a girl that he could relate to more in terms of excitement, hopes, and dreams. Unfortunately, it all ended when she learned the truth about him. He felt like a fool for hoping that he could be able to lead a normal life and for thinking that that she would still see him as a friend if she found out about his status as a Transmutant. Despite all of that, he couldn't bring himself to hate her for rejecting him.
"Well, I guess life goes on." said Rodan with a sigh. As he walked, something caught his eye. He immediately stopped and turned to face the wall of a building. His eyes widened at what he saw. He dashes toward the building and tears a poster from the wall. His eyes were filled with dread.
"I gotta find the others!" exclaimed Rodan. He immediately ran out of the area and reached the Inn that he and his group were residing. He burst through the door and rushed down the hall, where he immediately began to knock on the door. The door opens to reveal a fully dressed Mosura. Rodan immediately forces himself into the room with Mosura in tow.
"Rodan, what's gotten into you?" demanded Mosura.
"This!" said Rodan as he handed her the poster. Mosura's eyes widened in shock. It was poster that depicted the faces of herself, Rodan, Angirasu and Junior. It was a 'wanted' poster that was made by MONARCH. It requested citizens to report the fugitives if they were to spot them.  
"Where did you find this?!"
"In town by the local jail! Mosu, we need to go now!" said Rodan urgently. Mosura nodded in agreement.



The four Transmutants all carried their bags as they quickly made their way through the town. Rodan wore a cap over his head that obscured his face. Mosura wore her hood from her thin sweater while Angirasu avoided eye contact with anyone around. Junior wore a black sweater with his hood over his head. As they walked, they both passed by a few of the locals who paid them no mind. The Transmutants wore uneasy expressions as they continued to move on. They searched the area in hopes to that no one will recognize them immediately. Mosura gasped as she caught sight of a couple of soldiers holding up a poster to one of the locals. The man shrugged in response, then proceeded about his business. She searches the area in hopes that they can find a way to escape. She notices the train near the station preparing to leave. Mosura led the way to the train, attempting to make herself and the others look less conspicuous. As they made their way to the train, a couple of locals gave them suspicious glances. Junior cursed under his breath, fearing the worst. They were getting closer to the train, nearing their escape. Suddenly, a shrill voice called out.
"They're over there!" cried a feminine voice. Junior turns to find a woman pointing toward himself and his friends. The two soldiers broke off into a sprint into their direction. Junior ushered his fellow Transmutants to the train as he followed them. Then, the train began to move. Junior's eyes widened as he heard the whistle blow, signaling the train's departure.
"Run for it!" shouted Mosura. She and the rest of the Transmutants ran to the train as it began to pick up speed. Rodan and Angirasu leaped onto the train, followed by Mosura and Gojira. They set their bags down on the roof of the train as it began to pick up speed. Junior turned and found several more soldiers making their way to the station. They aimed their rifles in their direction, firing magic bolts toward the Transmutants. Junior quickly locked Mosura into an embrace and turned his back on their line of fire. Angirasu and Rodan ducked and hid their heads from the incoming bolts. Junior grunted in pain as the bolts connected with his back.
"Gojira!" cried Mosura. Junior held her tightly as she tried to pry herself off of him.
"Let go! You're getting hurt!" demanded Mosura.
"Shut up and stay in cover! I'll just end up healing later!" retorted Junior. He turns his head to peak at his enemies, finding that a group of four Valkyrie soldiers were flying toward them. He saw a flash appear several feet away. From the flash, appeared a feminine figure in a suit of MONARCH armor with a shimmering sun depicted on her breast plate. Junior glared at the figure as he recognized the insignia.
"You." spat Junior as he released Mosura. Sunset made her way toward them as she pulled out a sword that sparkled with magic.
"Thought that you could get away that easily? I'll show what happens when you cross Sunset Shimmer!" said Sunset. Rodan's eyes widened in surprise as he stood up.
"Hey, wasn't Sun or something the name of the girl that you knew back in Canterlot?" whispered Rodan.
"That is her. But this isn't what I would call a happy reunion." Junior whispered back. The Valkyries suddenly landed behind Sunset, drawing out swords of their own. Junior charged toward the group of soldiers.
"Gojira, wait!" cried Mosura. Sunset gave a war cry as she charged toward Junior. She swung her blade at him, missing as he ducked under it. She then shot her hand forward, sending a magic bolt into Junior's chest. He yelled in pain as he felt the magic burn his skin. Sunset swings her sword at Junior again, but her arm is caught by the Transmutant. He yanks the sword out of her grip and throws her over toward one of the Valkyries, knocking him down to the ground.
Rodan, Mosura and Angirasu stood to their feet and joined Junior, engaging the Valkyries in the fight. Junior clashed swords with one of the Valkyrie's, using his strength in his swings to overwhelm his opponent. He then knocks the sword out of the Valkyrie's hand and kicks him off of the train, causing him to roll along the dirt as the train left him behind
Angirasu charged toward one of the remaining three Valkyries, tackling him on to his back on the moving train. He began to beat the soldier mercilessly as he sat on top of his chest. As he was beating the soldier, he failed to notice one of the other two Valkyries sneaking for a strike. As the soldier raised his sword, Rodan kicks the weapon out of his hand. The soldier engaged Rodan in combat as he sent quick kicks toward the Transmutant. Rodan ducked the first kick and then side stepped away from the second kick. Rodan then blocked the third kick with his arm, giving the soldier a grin. He then delivers a right hook towards the soldier’s face, forcing him off of the train. Angirasu stands off of the soldier that he was punching without pause and throws him off of the train as well. He then turns to Rodan, who was giving him a smug smile. Angirasu sighed in response.
"Thanks for watching my back." said Angirasu. Rodan raises his fist toward Angirasu, who obliged him with his own fist. Both men met their fists with a fist bump.
"No problem!" said Rodan. He then notices that Mosura and Sunset had engaged in a fight of their own.
"Sweet! Cat fight!" said Rodan in excitement. Angirasu face-palmed in response.
Mosura and Sunset sent punches and kicks to each other at swift speeds. Sunset attempted to trip Mosura with a leg sweep but the Transmutant hopped over the Elf in a frontal somersault. As Mosura landed, she sent a kick to Sunset's gut as she stood back up, making her grunt as she staggered backwards. She then growled as she charged toward Mosura with her hands engulfed in her magical aura. Sunset sent quick jabs at Mosura, missing her each time as the Transmutant side stepped her attacks. Mosura catches Sunset's wrists and drops onto her back, placing her feet onto Sunset's stomach. Mosura grunts as she rolled back and kicked her legs as hard as she could, forcing Sunset into the air. She cried out as she was sent to the other cart that was further down the train. Sunset stands to her feet and finds Junior fighting with the last Valkyrie soldier with two swords. She runs toward the fight, desperate to assist her comrade. She fires a magic bolt toward Junior, which he deflected with one of the swords. The Valkyrie took the opportunity to strike at Junior, his blade grazing Junior's left arm. He snarled as he crouched and jabbed his right sword at the Valkyrie, impaling him in his stomach. Sunset's eyes widened as she saw how Junior stared down the Valkyrie as he dropped to his knees and dropped the sword in his grip.
Mosura turned as gasped as she saw Junior holding a sword that impaled the soldier. She saw the hateful glare in his eyes as he stared at the soldier. Junior pulled the sword out of the soldier's stomach and kicks him off of the train. He then turns to find Sunset charging at him. She gave a fierce war cry as she charged at Junior. The Transmutant charged as well, raising his two swords as he got closer to the soldier. Before he could reach her, Sunset was suddenly blown away by an unseen force. Junior stopped as he saw Sunset scream as she flew off of the train, falling to the desert ground and rolling to a stop. Junior panted, his adrenaline settling down. He turns to find Mosura with her arm raised forward as she trembled. Junior places the swords down, and then grabs the third sword that was left behind the soldier that he had stabbed. As he approached her, he noticed that she was sending him a glare.
"Why? Why did you do it?!" demanded Mosura. Junior recoiled at her sharp tone.
"Do what?" asked Junior. Mosura stomped over to him as she grit her teeth.
"Don't play dumb with me! You killed that soldier!" said Mosura. Junior glared back. Angirasu and Rodan watched uneasily at the two. They were actually shocked to see Junior kill a human being. However, Angirasu began to have little doubts of Junior not having the spine to take a life ever since the incident with Discord. He was surprised to see Junior actually take a human life.
"So what? He wasn't going to stop until he killed me. So I killed him before he could get the chance." said Junior. Mosura grabbed him by his sweater, her glare increasing.
"You killed him out of hatred!" yelled Mosura. Junior pried her hands off of his sweater.
"Yeah, cause I hated the sight of him! Just him being near us reminded me how he could have taken your life!" retorted Junior. He then looks to Rodan and Angirasu. "He could have killed any of you! I wasn't going to let that happen!"
"He could have had a family!" said Mosura. Junior glared at her.
"Don't you dare try to guilt trip me by bringing that up!!" shouted Junior. Mosura and the others recoiled from his tone."We had family too! They took them away from us! All I did was take the life of a soldier in self-defense! It's not like I killed his family!"
"Guys! Calm down!" said Angirasu as he stepped in between Junior and Mosura. Junior backed away as he tried to calm his breathing. Mosura still looked at him in disapproval. Angirasu then turns to Mosura.
"Mosu, I understand that you're not happy that Junior killed that soldier. But, he has a point." said Angirasu. Mosura looked to him with a bewildered expression.
"Are you kidding me?!" demanded Mosura.
"Look, those soldiers were obviously out for blood. Gojira did what he felt was necessary." reasoned Angirasu. Mosura began to stutter.
"B-but- He- That isn't right! If we kill them, then we're no better than they are!" argued Mosura.
"At least we didn't kidnap kids and kill their parents. Hell, at least we don't even terrorize and kill civilians like other Transmutants." said Rodan. Mosura looked to him in shock.
"You're siding with them?!" asked an appalled Mosura. Rodan waved his hands in front of himself defensively.
"Hey, I'm just being real here! I'll kill a man too if he's trying to kill me!" said Rodan. Junior sighed in shame.
"Mosu, I'm sorry. I just-" Junior stopped as he sat down. The wind blew against his face as the train traveled at high speed. "I had a nightmare last night. It was about you and the others getting killed."
"Say what now?" asked Rodan. Angirasu turned as he listened to Junior. Mosura lost her glare. Junior placed his hand on his face as he shuddered.
"You guys were dead. MONARCH killed you. When I saw these soldiers attempting to catch and kill us, I was afraid. Not for me, but for you guys." said Junior. Mosura relaxed her muscles as she stared at Junior's state. He was filled with such worry and fear that it had gotten the best of him. She slowly made her way over to him and took a seat in front of him.
"Mosu, I have just lost too much too soon. I lost my home, most of my friends, my identity, my adoptive mother and sister-figure. I even lost the girl that I fell for." said Junior. He then looks to her in sadness. "When you have little left, you do whatever it takes to protect those that matter the most to you now. Was I wrong for killing him if it was for your sake?"
"Goji..." Mosura reached for Junior's shoulders and held them firmly. "I just don't want things to get worse for us. I'm as scared as you are."
"I can't lose you guys. You're all that I have left in this world." said Junior in a distraught voice. Mosura frowned in response. She wrapped Junior into a comforting hug.
"You won't. I promise you." said Mosura. Rodan and Angirasu watched with light smiles on their faces. They then turned to the setting sun.
"How are you holding up? You know, right after..." Rodan didn't finish his question. Angirasu looked at him briefly before turning back to the horizon.
"I don't know. I really miss her company." replied Angirasu, solemnly. Rodan sighed.
"Yeah, me too. Rainbow was something special." said Rodan. Angirasu lightly nudges Rodan in the shoulder.
"I didn't take you as one to get all chummy with her." teased Angirasu. Rodan rolled his eyes.
"At least I had the guts to talk to a girl. You were shy around Flutters!" retorted Rodan.
"Yeah. It really bummed me out to see her afraid of me." said Angirasu. Rodan placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Well, I heard that she liked you a lot. I doubt that Rainbow liked me that way before the whole incident at Ponyville happened." said Rodan. Angirasu looked to her in surprise.
"She...did?" asked an appalled Angirasu. Rodan nodded in response.
"Yep. You might not feel like it, but a girl like Fluttershy liking you may be the best thing yet." said Rodan.
"I just wished she didn't care about what I am." sighed Angirasu.
"Don't we all?" asked Rodan. The two Transmutants sat down near their bags on the moving train. These two young Transmutants watched the sky, their hearts aching but still holding the will to continue on in life.



Sunset stood to her feet, panting. Her body was bruised and her muscles ached. She turned around and found a few of the Valkyries that joined her were regrouping. Sunset takes a step over to them, hissing in pain. She drops to her knee, panting.
"Come on, suck it up!" said Sunset as she attempted to stand. She continued walking and found the soldier that she had witnessed being stabbed. Sunset dropped to her knees as her hands were engulfed in an aura. The soldier placed his hands on her arm, shaking his head as blood drenched his armor.
"No. I'm... I'm tired." said the soldier. Sunset looked to him with a bewildered expression.
"No! No, I can help you! We can get that Transmutant for payback!" said Sunset.
"I don't want payback. I don't want any part of this war anymore. It's senseless." said the soldier. He then reaches for his neck and yanks out chained dog tags. He gives them to Sunset, his breathing labored. "I'm not angry with him. I saw something tragic in his eyes."
"Tragic? Like what?" asked Sunset. The man's breathing grew shallower, his eyes grew heavy.
"He's..." the soldier spoke in a raspy voice, but his head slumped back into the dirt. His eyes closed as he drew his last breath. Sunset clenched her fist in anger as she stared at her fallen comrade. She stands to her feet with his dog tags in her grip. She turns to find the train leaving in the distance.
"I'll get you, Lucky Dragon. I'll hunt you down to the ends of the Earth and I will destroy you!" shouted Sunset. Her enraged voice echoed in the air.




Miles outside of Mustangia, Equestria...

The sky was covered in darkness. The clouds were barely visible in the night sky and the moon is only a crescent. The air was filled with the sound of crickets and the sound of gun fire. A figure dashed through a dark forest that was outside of Mustangia, a small town. He panted as he sprinted through the woods. He stopped for a brief moment, his red eyes searching the area as his breaths were quickly drawn. He stood to be 5 foot 4 and his hair was brick red. His red eyes searched the area, finding lights flashing around. He shuts them immediately, the brightness blinding him. He suddenly heard the sound of clicking noise. He immediately dropped to the ground, avoiding the magic bolts that illuminated the part of the forest before they impacted the trees.
"Get that freak!" commanded a male voice. The figure stood back to his feet, groaning in frustration.
"Why are you guys after me?! I didn't do anything wrong!" shouted the figure.
"If that's the case, then why are you running away?" demanded a MONARCH soldier.
"Because you ass hats are shooting at me!" retorted the figure.
"You smart-ass son of a-" One of the MONARCH soldiers pointed his rifle at the figure, firing at him. The figure cursed as he dropped back to cover. As three soldiers continued their attack, one of them was knocked out of the way against a tree by another figure. The two remaining soldiers turned and began to fire at this new figure but were immediately disarmed. The new figure then knocked the soldiers unconscious. It turns around and began to approach the short Transmutant, offering a hand to the Transmutant. The Transmutant took the figure's hand and stood up to his feet.
"You're pretty skilled at evading my friend. But you shouldn't be out here alone. We Transmutants are no longer safe near human settlements." said the taller man.
"Thanks. So, you're a Transmutant too? What's your name?" asked the short Transmutant.
"My name is Goro. What is your name?" asked the Transmutant.
"Call me Baragon." the shorter Transmutant said with a smile. Goro nodded in satisfaction.
"It’s a pleasure to meet you. Do you have any place to stay?" asked Goro. Baragon shook his head.
"Nah, those pricks just ran me out of town when word got out that I was a Transmutant." said Baragon in a bitter tone. Goro nodded in understanding.
"Come with me. I'll take you to my group. You'll be safe with us." said Goro. Baragon looked to him uncomfortably.
"Wait, you're not like those Transmutants that form groups so that they can attack human settlements are you? If so, I don't want anything to do with you guys!" said Baragon with a glare.
"Not at all. We're just a small group just trying to get by. We even dedicate ourselves with helping a few in need." said Goro with a smile.
"If you say so." said Baragon in reluctance. Goro then turned and began to walk, leading Baragon to his safe haven.
"You guys got cider?" asked Baragon.
"We get some every once in a while." answered Goro. Baragon grinned in response.
"Nice. I haven't been able to have any in months." said Baragon. The two Transmutants traveled through the forest and out to an empty plain. Miles away were large stone pillars that stood high and proud. The stars twinkled above them and the moon stood above the top of the highest pillar. Baragon whistled in awe.
"Glad you like it. Our place is just the smallest pillar over there." said Goro. With that said, the two Transmutants continued on. Goro smiled in satisfaction. Another Transmutant helped and another member added to his group. He hoped that Baragon would be willing to do what he would ask of him.
	
> Chapter 20: Destiny
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The day was fading. Nightfall approaches in the land of Equestria. The train that had left Appaloosa hours ago had come to a stop inside of a mountain. The mountain was covered in brick red stone that formed the top and base of the mountain. As the train hissed and settled, the people began to pile off of the train onto the station's platform. The area was bustling with people trying to reach their destinations. Junior, Mosura, Rodan and Angirasu hopped off of the train's roof. They crouched as they sneaked away from the train. Junior and Mosura wore their hoods as Angirasu concealed his face with his coat, while Rodan kept his cap on. The group made their way toward the platform, eyeing the area uneasily. The cave of the mountain was enormous, with stalactites hung far above, and was lit by gems that sat in lanterns, giving off an orange yellow glow around the cave. Junior and the others continued on, with Mosura looking over the map.

"OK, according to the map, we're in Morks Deep. We should keep moving-" Mosura's thoughts were interrupted as she felt someone bump into her. She gasped as she dropped the map.

"Shoot!" cried Mosura as she scrambled to catch the map that glided over the wind current. It was lost in the sea of people passing by. Junior, Rodan and Angirasu both rushed to help Mosura to catch the map, all failing miserably as they bumped into other people. Junior bumps into a young woman but immediately catches her before she could hit the ground. Junior pulled her back up, raising a brow as she stared at him with a bright blush and nervous smile.

"Sorry." apologized Junior as he released her and made his way back to help Mosura and the others.

"Wait! Come back, handsome!" cried the young woman. She then puffed her cheek out in disappointment and gave a huff. Junior lightly blushed as he heard the woman call out to him, but he shook the thought off. He found Mosura searching the ground around her, her eyes filled with anxiety.

"I can't believe I dropped the map!" cried Mosura as she searched frantically.

"We'll find it! We just-" Junior was about to finish until he saw a small crowd gathered away from the train. He noticed that a line of street performers were entertaining the group of people. But, Junior saw something that made his eyes widen in horror.

"Oh, hell no." said Junior. Mosura stood up and looked to where he was looking. She nearly had a heart attack as she saw what had caused Junior’s distress. It was the map, flying over one of the performers. A fire breather, to be precise. The fire breather held a torch in the air as he faced it with his cheeks puffed out.

"No!!" cried Junior and Mosura. Too late, the fire breather released flammable fluid from his mouth and spewed the flames from the torch into the air. The map was caught in the flames, turning into ash. Mosura's jaw dropped as she saw the map burn before her very eyes and turn into ash. Her shoulders slumped and she dropped to her knees with her head cast downwards. She moaned in disappointment while Junior sighed as he patted Mosura on her back.

"What have I done?" moped Mosura

"It wasn't your fault. Come on, we'll figure this out." reassured Junior. They suddenly heard Rodan and Angirasu rushing over to them.

"What happened?!" asked Rodan in worried tone.

"We lost the map." answered Junior. Rodan groaned in disappointment.

"How?!"

"Fire breather burned it." admitted Mosura, shamefully. Angirasu frowned.

"So, now what?" asked Angirasu. Junior held out his hand to Mosura, which she took and stood up as he gently pulled her up.

"We're gonna have to buy a new map." said Junior. He turns to Angirasu and Rodan. "You two, gather up some water bottles from any street vendors in this cave. Feel free to grab some snacks if you want any. Mosu and I will search for anyone selling maps."

"Got it." said Angirasu as he and Rodan took off into the crowd. Junior turns to Mosura, giving her nod. The two made their way through the crowd as they searched the area. The sound of people bustling filled their ears and them making their way over to an exit where the moon's light shined in. Junior caught the scent of horses, betting that they were used to transport people to nearby towns. As they continued looking, Junior nearly bumps into a middle-aged Elf woman.

"I'm sorry ma'm" apologized Junior. The woman stared at him with analyzing eyes. She wore a grey and white dress with purple eye-shadow and hooped earrings. Her left hand had a ring with a red gem on her index finger. She circled around Junior in curiosity. Mosura turns to check if Junior was nearby, but was shocked to discover him stuck with a woman. She cautiously made her way over to them.

"How peculiar. You have a torrent of emotions swirling inside of you." said the woman in an accent that Junior linked to be common among people from Trottingham. Junior stood uneasily, but he noticed that her bare right shoulder, which was the only area uncovered by her dress, had a Cutie Mark that depicted a crystal ball with an eye at the center.

"Riiiiight. What makes you so sure of that?" asked Junior. The woman smiled coyly.

"Surely you are aware of me? I am the greatest fortune teller throughout the land! For a price, I can tell you your future." said the woman. Junior gave her a deadpan stare.

"Lady, I have no interest in fortune tellers. As if I want to spend my money on someone who will con me by telling me what I want to hear instead of what will actually happen. Take that phony baloney crap out of here." said Junior as he walked away. She suddenly takes his hand, causing him to quickly pull away from her. His fist was raised in a defensive stance, causing a few heads to turn.

"Ah. Just as I thought. Someone who is forced to look over his shoulder for his own safety. He would even strike a woman." said the woman. Junior caught the stares of a few people and immediately puts his fists down. He stands back to relaxed stance with a nervous smile.

"No. Only when my life is threatened by a woman, that's when I think it's justified." said Junior. Some people nervously looked away as they continued their business. Junior sent a glare to the woman.

"Do not be upset. I have something to tell you that may interest you. Something in your future." said the woman. Junior gave her a scoff.

"My future? I already know my future. I'm living it!" retorted Junior. The woman lightly laughed in response.

"Oh no, my dear boy! Greater forces are telling me to read you your future." said the woman. Junior gave her a raised brow.

"Greater forces?" asked Junior. The woman nodded in response. Junior heard his name being called. He turns to find Mosura making her way over to him.

"Is everything alright?" asked Mosura. She then notices the woman. "Who is she?"

"A fortune teller. She's trying to con me out of my money for some bullshit." said Junior, annoyed at the woman's gaze.

"I assure you, this is something that you must hear." said the woman. Mosura looks to her curiously. "In fact, I will read you your fortune with no charge!"

"Wait, why the hell would you do that?" demanded Junior. Mosura's eyes widened in surprise.

"I have a feeling that whatever is in your fortune may be absolutely important. Especially if these forces are asking me to do so." replied the woman with a smile. Mosura looks to Junior with a smile.

"Why don't you go on ahead? She did offer to do it for free!" said Mosura. Junior looks to her with a deadpanned expression.

"Are you kidding?" asked Junior. Mosura giggled as she slapped Junior's arm.

"Nope! Go on ahead! It might be fun!" said Mosura. Junior was about to protest but Mosura held up a hand to him.

"Ah! I will handle the map hunt, Goji.  Just see what she has to say."

"Fine." sighed Junior. He then turns to the woman. "So, what is it that you want to tell me?"

"Not here. Come, we will stop at my camp just on the side of this mountain." said the woman. Junior nodded in response. He then followed the woman.

"We'll meet back at the train station platform!" called Mosura.

"Got it!" Junior called back. He then sighed, wondering what the fortune teller had in store for him.





Junior had spent the next ten minutes walking with the woman. She hummed to herself as she led Junior to the outside around the base of the mountain. He was able to make out a small carriage out just a mile away. They continued to walk, making strides to reach their destination. She led Junior next to a fire pit that was built near the carriage. A horse lied down, resting in the night. She gestured him to take a seat, which he reluctantly did. He sat on the cool rock as the fortune teller made her way inside of her carriage. Junior began to toss pebbles that littered the ground, bored and tired. He then noticed the woman come out with a small jar in her hand as she stood in front of the fire pit. She makes her way over to Junior, reaching out for him.

"Let me see your hand." commanded the woman. Junior reluctantly gave her hand with a sigh. She takes his hand began to run her palm over it. She began to murmur to herself.

"Ah, yes. A boy born and partially raised in the East. Neighpon." said the woman. Junior gave her an offended look.

"You're not just saying that because I happen to be of Neighponese descent are you? Because there are some people of that Ethnic background that are actually born in Equestria or any other nation." said Junior. The woman gave him a blank stare.

"Am I wrong?" asked the woman. Junior was about to respond, but he stopped. He looked away with a scowl.

"No. You just had a lucky guess." said Junior, bitterly. The woman lightly laughed in response. She began to continue to run her hand along Junior's.

"Hmm. A boy that has lost both of his parents at a young age. You were filled with much devastation that you began to shut others out. Including the Princess of our fair nation that had adopted you." said the woman. Junior's eyes widened in surprise. He then immediately wipes the look away.

"That's pretty nuts coming from a fake psychic." said Junior.

"Oh, I assure Gojira Takeshi the 2nd. I am not a fake." said the woman. Junior's blood went cold.

"Wait...how in the hell do you know my name?!" demanded Junior as he pulled away from the woman.

"I learned who you are by making physical contact. I was given the gift to tell the future of all that I meet. Be they human, Diamond Dog, Dragon, Changeling and Transmutant. You are actually the first Transmutant that I have ever came across." said the woman. Junior backed away from her.

"What? You're gonna turn me in now? Use your fake fortune telling to try and scare me and to trick me into being captured? Is MONARCH offering a reward or something now?" demanded Junior. The woman shook her head.

"I already told you, my abilities are as real as the world around us. I have no interest in MONARCH's ways. They have caused chaos among the known world." said the woman. She then takes Junior's hand again as she closed her eyes.

"I see that you have always been ostracized from the other children as you were growing up. You began to reject yourself and those around you except for the princess. Oh, but her niece seemed to have taken a liking to you." said the woman. Junior's eyes widened. "Why did you avoid her, someone who was your cousin?"

"I...I wasn't in the mood to be around others. I had just lost my dad then! Besides, Cadence ended up hating me as I got older. We weren't even related! We were both adopted. She was just there way before I was." spat Junior. The woman opened her eyes and raised a brow.

"Did she? Or are you saying that because you think she did like the others  and began to dislike you?" questioned the woman. Junior scoffed in response.

"Well, she definitely hates me now. Along with Celestia and Blaire." said Junior solemnly. The woman sympathized with the young Transmutant, able to sense his pain.

"Your sister-figure." said the woman.

"I'm beginning to have my doubts on my theory on you being a fake." said Junior with a deadpan stare.

"My dear boy, you have grown to be a troubled individual. You lack the confidence to be able to stand with others since you have always had trouble. But, you have finally found a group of individuals who showed you kindness and love. Something that was denied to you as a boy by others." said the woman. Junior gave her his full attention, not saying a word.

"One of them was very special to you. A girl that had touched your heart. Someone who made you feel human again. An Elf girl with great magic inside of her from the city of Canterlot." said the woman.

"How do you know all of this?" questioned Junior in awe. The woman smiled.

"As I said, I can tell, read and feel your thoughts and feelings. I can feel that you are in pain. Terrible, terrible pain. She rejected you when she found out." said the woman. Junior nodded solemnly. He then looks to her with curious eyes.

"What about my future? You said that there was something that might have been important."

"Of course." The fortune teller stood to her feet with the jar. She opens the lid and sticks her hand inside. She pulls out a small pile of something that appeared like dust. She tosses the contents into the fire pit, causing the flames to burst higher. Junior jumped in surprise.

"Jeez!" exclaimed Junior. He then began to notice something strange about the fire. As the flames danced, Junior swore that he could make out images. The flames suddenly shot into the air, forming into a great flaming serpent. Junior gasped as it circled around him, sticking its fiery pitch forked tongue at him. The creature had red eyes and horns on its head. On the top of its skull was a large antler. The creature had a bit of a box shaped head and sharp teeth. It roared and gave sounds of what sounded like a cackle and a high chittery sound.

"What is this?!" demanded Junior. 

"Gojira, your future is filled with rough battles ahead. You will be facing threats from every corner from both human and Transmutant. They will threaten the balance of this world. This creature is an apparition of one of those threats. A foe that dates further back in time. It will rise again." said the woman. Junior turns to her in confusion.

"Balance of the world? Wait, what do you mean by 'further back in time'?" asked Junior.

"You'll learn one day in your future. You are not yet ready." said the woman. Junior noticed the flaming serpent head splitting into three heads, all roaring at him. As they lunged at him, Junior hid his face behind his arm, feeling the heat pass over him. He lowers his arm, finding the serpent heads to be gone, with only the fire pit back to normal. Junior breathed heavily, trying to calm himself. He turns to find the woman giving him a neutral expression.

"What do I do?" asked Junior. The woman responded by placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Live." said the woman. Junior sighed in response.

"That doesn't give me much to work with."

"It is all that I can tell you." replied the fortune teller. She then makes her way back to her chariot, leaving Junior alone with the fire pit. "Take care."

"Yeah...sure." said Junior with a sigh. He made his way away from the camp, taking one last look. He turns back, unnerved by what he had witnessed. As he made his way back to the mountain entrance, thinking back to what he had saw.

Junior felt his mind assaulted by the images of the flaming apparitions, wondering if he should trust this fortune teller. He wondered if it was a hoax or if the fortune teller was just trying to get inside of his head for some dastardly purpose. Junior shook the thoughts off, continuing on back to the station. As he made his way back to mountain after several minutes of walking, he found the area less crowded. He made his way through the small crowds over to the train station platform, finding his friends standing and waiting. Mosura notices him coming and waves to him. Junior waves back, making his way over to her and the others.

"Hey there! So, how did it go?" asked Mosura. Junior went stiff at the question.

"Fine. Just fine." said Junior. Mosura raised a brow at him.

"If you say so." Mosura said in an unsure voice. Junior sighed in exhaustion.

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

"Well, we bought a new map! But there's a problem." said Mosura.

"Yes?"

"Well, just further south would be Saddle Arabia. It’s another desert…but it comes with with a nearby sea!" said Mosura. Junior raised a brow.

"So what's the problem?" asked Junior quizzically

"Well, there's a port that lets boats sail across the Great Inland Sea. However, they are checking people before they can get on a boat just further down the cave. They might recognize us from the posters that MONARCH has on us and may turn us in." said Mosura. Junior places a hand on his chin in thought. He then looks to Mosura curiously.

"Is there a way to get to Saddle Arabia by land?" asked Junior. Mosura nodded as she handed the map to Junior.

"If we travel outside of the mountain cave, we can go East and travel through the Badlands to Saddle Arabia." said Mosura.

"Wait, the Badlands? As in, Changeling territory?" asked Rodan.

"Is that a good idea?" asked Angirasu. Junior shrugged in response.

"Hey, we don't have much choice. We can't risk being seen. Besides, Changelings will know better if they try to mess with us." said Junior. Mosura nodded.

"OK, so we'll set up camp for tonight and make our way into the Badlands first thing in the morning." said Mosura.

"Yes Ma'm." said Rodan with a smile. Angirasu and Junior nodded in agreement. The group made their way through the cave, outside into the wilderness. As they found a spot further enough from any human contact, they set up their sleeping bags and prepared to sleep. Junior stared up to the night sky in worry. He worried about his own future and if he would be able to be happy again. With that last thought, he closed his eyes, waiting for the sleep to take over.
	
> Chapter 21: Far from Home
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sun was high in the sky. The land was covered in stone as far as the eye can see. Junior, Mosura, Rodan and Angirasu traveled through the deserted region of Equestria. The air was just as hot back in Appleloosa, much to the Transmutants' dismay. They continued on over the brick red hills of the land. Rodan wiped his forehead, looking up to the sky.
"Oh great. The vultures are circling above us." said Rodan. The other three Transmutants looked up toward the sky, finding a flock of large birds with long necks flying in a circle above them. Junior sighed in annoyance. Mosura gulped uncomfortably at the thought of her bones being picked at for food. Angirasu wore a deadpanned expression.
"Oh, Nature and the ecosystem. Yeah, that shit isn't cute." said Angirasu. The others nodded in agreement.  Rodan then cupped his hands together over his mouth.
"Beat it you stupid birds! We're not dying!" shouted Rodan. The vultures continued to circle around them, watching them from high above.
"If I had a rock, I would throw it at them." said Junior.
"Here's one!" said Angirasu as he picked up a rock that was the size of his hand. Junior takes it in his hand with a smile. As he prepared to throw it, he felt the piercing glare of Mosura. He slowly turns to find her looking at him in disapproval with her arms crossed. Junior chuckles nervously as he dropped the rock.
"I'm kidding." said Junior. Mosura takes the map out of her pocket that she had rolled up and walks up to Junior. She raises her hand over his head and lightly brings the rolled up map down on his head.
"Bad boy." said Mosura. She then turns away, looking back to their destination. Junior sighs in response, embarrassed for being scolded as a child. Rodan and Angirasu lightly chuckled in response.
"Oh, shut up!" said Junior with a glare. The group continued on their way through the area, with the vultures still overhead. As they continued on, they came across a grand cliff. They stopped, awed by the sight before them. It was a valley that had a couple great mountains inside along with a vast plain of land. They observed and found the area to be empty with no one in sight.
"No changelings. So far so good." said Rodan with a smile.
"Alright boys, let's get down to the valley. There should be a path if we keep going east that will lead to Saddle Arabia." said Mosura. The four Transmutants all leaped off of the cliff, landing onto the slant mountain that made up the walls. They crouched as they slid down the slant, rocky wall, their feet causing stones and dust to depart from the wall. They began running, sliding and hopping as they attempted to keep their balance and speed steady to reach the ground. Rodan leaps into the air and lands on a boulder, causing it to roll.
"Oh crap!" exclaimed Rodan. He was forced to run along the boulder as it rolled down the hill. Mosura gasped as she saw Rodan's predicament.
"Jump!" cried Mosura. Rodan began to panic as he tried to stay on the boulder.
"Okay, crushed under rocks or fall to my death. Decisions, decisions!" Rodan pondered sarcastically as he rolled on the boulder. Junior groaned in frustration.
"Rodan would you just fly already?!" shouted Junior. He began to slide and broke off into a sprint along the wall, attempting to reach Rodan. Junior tripped along the valley wall, forcing him to stumble and to lose his balance. He began to roll down the wall, forcing Mosura into a panic. She looks to Angirasu who was sliding on his back with his back pack allowing him to slide.
"Go help Rodan!" shouted Mosura. Angirasu nodded in response and thrust his body forward, forcing himself back onto his feet. He ran down the stoned wall, leaping off of stones and getting closer to Rodan. The group was getting closer to the ground, forcing Angirasu to make a decision. He leaps a final time, making his way toward Rodan.
"Heads up!" called Angirasu. Rodan turns his head, his face contorting to a panicked look.
"Wait, wait, wait!!" Rodan was tackled by Angirasu, both rolling down the hill.
"Son of a biiiiiiiiitch!!" cursed Rodan as he and Angirasu tumbled down to the bottom.
"Goji!" cried Mosura as she leaped toward Junior. He was still rolling as he held his arms over his head and his hands protecting his neck in a fetal position. Mosura catches Junior, holding him tightly as they tumbled down to the base of the valley wall. Junior pulls Mosura into his embrace as they neared the ground. The two crashed into the Earth with Junior's back touching down first. They rolled along the ground, coming to a stop after several feet. Junior lied on his back with Mosura laying her head against his chest, both breathing heavily. Mosura painfully raises her head to face Junior, finding him bruised and cut.
"What a rush." Junior managed to say. Mosura leaned her head back on Junior's chest with an amused smile. She was thankful that he wasn't seriously injured.
"Indeed." replied Mosura. Junior sighed as he lied his head back down.
"Guys? Can we rest? I don't think I can keep going right now after that." said Rodan in the distance as he lied on his back. Angirasu lied on his belly with his face buried in the dirt. Mosura lightly giggled.
"Yes. We can take a break right now." said Mosura. Junior yawned as he removed his back pack, placing it on the ground next to himself. Mosura did the same and leaned her head against Junior's shoulder.
"Really?" asked Junior with an amused smile.
"Yep. You're going to be my pillow, mister." said Mosura as she snuggled against his shoulder. Junior shook his head.
"Whatever." Junior lied down, watching the blue sky above as the clouds passed by. The air actually felt cooler on the place they were sleeping at. After a couple of minutes, Junior felt his eyes growing heavy. He struggled to keep them open, forcing him to fall asleep. Mosura turns to find him calmly breathing. She smiled as she stared at him.
'He's so cute when he falls asleep like that. He's like a big cat.' Mosura thought to herself. She then turns back to the sky, watching the sky as well. She yawned as she felt the sleep threatening to take over her as well. She felt her eyes grow heavy, her eyelids dropping down as she tried to keep them open. She then finally gave in, allowing the sleep to take her.




2 hours later...

"Wake up!" shouted Rodan. Junior's eyes shot open and he rose up with Mosura next to him. They both turned and found Rodan staring at them with a raised brow.
"Wait...were you napping on him?" asked Rodan. Mosura cleared her throat as she gave Rodan a neutral stare.
"Yes." replied Mosura. Rodan looked to Junior, who shrugged at him in response.
"Hey, she earned it for helping me safely tuck and roll down the mountain." said Junior. Rodan nodded to him slowly.
"OK. Anyway, look!" Rodan exclaimed as he gestured to the area around them. Junior's eyes widened as he realized that the entire area was shrouded in fog. The air was cold and obscured light and anything within range of sight. They stood up to their feet as they picked up their backpacks. Angirasu searched the area as he sniffed the air. He grunted in frustration.
"Nothing. How are we gonna make it through this?" asked Angirasu. Mosura took out the map and began to look it over.
"Well, since we had just came from the west, we should keep going east until we catch a path that's marked here." said Mosura. She then turns 170 degrees, facing away from the mountain wall, looking up ahead. "This way!"
The Transmutants stuck close together as they continued on with their journey. Junior eyed the fog anxiously, hoping that it wouldn't last very long. He feared that they would get lost. As they walked, Junior began to sniff the air, clutching his nose.
"Man, that's cold!" exclaimed Junior as rubbed his nose. The fog chilled his sinuses.
"Hey, do you guys wanna hear my ideas for a horror story?" asked Rodan. Angirasu looked to him with a deadpan stare.
"Is now the best time?" asked Angirasu. Mosura looked to Rodan with a smile.
"Well, now seems alright. Let's hear it!"
"OK. Well, the concept of the story is about a tall and lanky man in the woods. He wears a suit and doesn't have a face! He also has tentacles coming out of his back and-"
"Tentacles? I hope you're not going where I think you're going." said Junior with an unsure expression. Rodan punches him in the shoulder with a glare.
"Get your mind out of the gutter. Anyway, he stalks, abducts and traumatizes people!" said Rodan.
"Meh. It would never work." said Angirasu. Rodan gave him a glare.
"How about this? A guy with a pale and disfigured face; he's missing his eyelids and he cut a smile on his face and-"
"Crap." interrupted Junior. Rodan sighed in response.
"A family restaurant that's haunted and the animatronic animals are possessed by the souls of children?" asked Rodan in an unsure voice.
"That sounds interesting." said Mosura. She then wore a worried expression. "But, do they have to be children?"
"Forget it!" said Rodan in exasperation, upset that his ideas were not acceptable. As they continued walking, they began to hear a voice.
"Gojira..." called a feminine voice. Junior stopped dead in his tracks, his muscles stiff. His heart raced with anxiety and his eyes wide. Mosura, Rodan and Angirasu stopped as well, recognizing the voice.
"Was that...who I think it was?" asked an appalled Angirasu. Junior's breathing was shallow as his palms began to sweat.
"No. No, it can't be." said Junior.
"Gojira." the voice called again. Junior slowly turns, finding someone that made his heart nearly stop.
"Twilight?" asked Junior in a shocked tone. Before him was Twilight Sparkle. She was standing several feet away from him, alone. She wore a kind smile, something that he wasn't expecting to see.
"That's right. I came looking for you!" said Twilight as she slowly approached Junior. He felt his heart tugged at.
"But...why?"
"I missed you!" said Twilight as she got closer. Mosura, Rodan and Angirasu all stared in shock to see Twilight.
"Angirasu!" cried another feminine voice. This one was soft and timid. Angirasu turned and found Fluttershy running toward him. She jumps, wrapping her arms around him. Angirasu nearly lost his balance, unable to get over his shock.
"Fluttershy?" Angirasu saw the Valkyrie look up to him with kind eyes. She gave a bright smile as she stared into his eyes. Mosura was having a hard time believing what she was seeing.
"Rodan!" called a tomboyish voice. Rodan's muscles went stiff. He turned and found Rainbow Dash descending from the air towards him. He stared with worried eyes. Rainbow gave him a grin.
"Missed me?" asked Rainbow. Rodan was at a loss for words. He couldn't describe how much he missed Rainbow, despite being gone for only a few days.
"I-I...Yeah! What are you doing here?!" asked Rodan incredulously as he approached Rainbow. She greeted him with a quick hug and a pat the back.
"I couldn't leave my homie hanging!" replied Rainbow. Rodan gave her a light smile.
"It's awesome to see you." said Rodan as wrapped Rainbow into a tight hug. She laughed nervously as she tried to break out of the hug.
"Hey now...let's not get all mushy here." said Rainbow. Rodan hugged her tighter as tears threatened to burst. Rainbow smiled as she returned Rodan's hug. Mosura stared in shock at how these girls had found them. But, as she watched how the male Transmutants were happy with the girls from Ponyville, she dared not interfere. She smiled as she watched Junior wrap Twilight into a hug.
"Mosura." called a male voice. Mosura gasped as she recognized the voice. Her muscles went stiff and her heart racing.
"Mosura, I'm here." said the voice. Mosura turned and found a young man with jet-black hair and red eyes standing before her. Her hands cupped over her mouth as she saw the warm smile that greeted her.
"Oh my gosh! Battra?" asked Mosura. Battra nodded to her as he held out his arms.
"I'm here, sister." said Battra. Mosura's eyes ran with tears as she saw the welcoming arms of her twin brother. She ran up to him and was taken into his embrace. She sobbed into his shoulder as she held him. She couldn't comprehend why her brother was here, but she didn't care. She was happy to have her brother back.
Junior held Twilight into his arms, pulling slightly away from her. She gave him a wink as she stared into his eyes. Junior was filled with so many emotions that he couldn't contain himself.
"I can't believe that you're here." said Junior. Twilight grinned in response.
"I can't believe that I managed to find you." said Twilight. Junior smiled as he ruffled her hair.
"It's good to see you, shorty." said Junior as he touched foreheads with Twilight. She lightly laughed.
"I find it hot when you call me shorty." said Twilight. Junior's eyes widened as his mind registered what she had just said. He slightly pulled his head back away from Twilight with a puzzled expression.
"I-I beg your pardon?" asked Junior. Twilight gave him a confused expression.
"I...I said that I find it hot when you call me shorty." said Twilight hesitantly. Junior began to process those words as something seemed off about the way she spoke. She was never that blunt when it came to her attraction towards him. The way she said it almost sounded seductive.
"I... You..." Junior failed to formulate a sentence. Twilight took Junior's face into her hands as she stared at him with seductive eyes. Junior pulled away from Twilight.
"No. No, you're not Twilight." said Junior as he glared the Elf. Twilight backed away slightly with a confused expression.
"What do you mean? Of course I am!" said Twilight with a laugh. Junior immediately turned and noticed Rainbow, Fluttershy and Battra with his friends. His eyes widened in realization as he saw the affection that they were sharing. Junior turns back to Twilight with a harsh glare.
"You're changelings!" shouted Junior. He immediately rushed toward Angirasu and shoved Fluttershy off of him, causing her to stumble back.
"What are you-" Angirasu was about to protest as he noticed Mosura hugging Battra.
"What in the hell?!" exclaimed Angirasu. He was shocked to see Battra given that he tried to kill them all in their last meeting.
"They're changelings! Rodan, Mosu, get away from them!" shouted Junior. Mosura turned to find Gojira staring at her with urgency. She turned back to Battra as he chuckled darkly. He pushed Mosura off of him, knocking her to the ground. She gasped as she saw Battra engulfed in green flames, rising above him and changing his physical appearance. Battra appeared as a humanoid insect that stood to be six feet tall with a sea greenish black carapace. Its eyes were an arctic blue and insect-like. It had sharp teeth and fangs with a horn sticking out of its head. The creature had four claws and four arms. The two lower arms were actually smaller and shorter than the upper arms. The creature stood on two legs with two claws. The forearms and legs were covered in holes. The creature bore transparent insect wings on its back. Light armor covered the creature's chest and lower body. Its belly was exposed under the armor. The changeling chuckled as it stared at Mosura with a smile.
"Your love for your brother is delicious." said the changeling in a raspy, male voice. Mosura felt her heart filled with pain as she realized that the changeling. The girls that stood by were suddenly engulfed in flames as well. Rodan gasped as he saw Rainbow change into a more slender changeling with a feminine body and greenish-blue hair that ran down to the insect's shoulders. She wore lighter armor and bore holes where her belly should be.
Twilight and Fluttershy changed as well, appearing as the same Changeling. Junior looked down in despair. He knew that Twilight and the others coming to find them and accepting them was just too good to be true. He felt himself growing angry.
"Why? Why did you trick us? Those were people that were dear to us." Junior looked to the female changeling that was posing as Twilight with a glare. "Have you no shame in toying with the emotions of others?!"
"Shame? We did it because we need food. Love is what keeps us alive." retorted the changeling in a scratchy feminine voice. She then pulls out a sword. "Now that you found out, you're going to have to die."  Junior flared his nostrils.
"You bitch. I'm gonna kill you all for this!" shouted Junior as he lunged toward the changeling, who rolled out of the way. Mosura turned and began to fight the changeling that posed as her brother. The Transmutants fought the changelings as they dodged the incoming blades and punches. Rodan kicked a female changeling in her gut, sending the changeling several feet away. Angirasu's shoulder was slashed as one of the other females wrapped her legs around his waist and held onto him. Angirasu growled as he grabbed her hand and threw her towards the ground. As he was about to stomp on her chest, Mosura collided with him. The two fell to the ground as the male changeling chuckled darkly while his horn gave off a green glow. The downed female Changeling rose to her feet as she glared at the Transmutants. Mosura panted as she held her side as it gave off smoke. Her sweater had a hole burned into it, exposing a burned wound. Junior turned and gasped as he saw the two changelings charging a magical attack in their horns.
"Don't turn your back on me!" shouted the female changeling that posed as Twilight. She lunged at Junior with her blade in a stabbing position. As she descended upon Junior, he immediately turns and catches the blade with his bare hand. The Changeling's eyes widened as the world slowed down around her. She watched as Junior sent a menacing glare toward her and held her blade tightly in his grip. She saw how he was unfazed by the razor sharp edges digging into his palm as blood stained the steel. Junior yanks on the blade and sent a powerful punch into the Changelings gut, barely missing the small holes. She cried out as she was sent into the air by the force. As she landed back onto the ground, she struggled to breathe. Her eyes were wide as they ran with tears while she tried to draw breath. Junior turned away from the Changeling and hurled the sword towards the male Changeling. The weapon spun as it whizzed through the air. The blade then connected with the Changeling's gut. His eyes widened as his breathing grew shallow. The magical aura died down from his horn as he stumbled backwards. Junior charges toward the Changeling, slamming his hand against the handle, shoving the blade deeper. The Changeling drops to the ground. Junior turned to face the female Changeling, who proceeded to back away from him. Junior growled like a beast as he stared the Changeling down. She then ran over to the female Changeling that struggled to breathe, helping her to her feet. Rodan was about to send a powerful kick to the third Changeling that he was occupied with but she took off into the air. He cursed under his breath as the Changeling flew over him. She then flew toward the other two female changelings and assisted them in escaping from the Transmutants. They took off far away from the area, leaving the four Transmutants alone.
Junior flared his nostrils as he stood and watched the Changelings escape. He grunted, not interested in pursuing them. He turns to find Mosura sitting on her rear with Angirasu looking her burns over. Mosura hissed as Angirasu placed a wet cloth over her burn mark. Junior flinched as he saw the pain that she was in. Mosura noticed his worry and gave him a reassuring smile.
"It's alright. I'll be fine." said Mosura. Junior gave a hesitant nod. He turns to the dying Changeling with a glare. He made his way over to him, grabbing the handle of the sword. He then yanks it out, causing the Changeling to groan in agony. Junior watched as the Changeling's life slipped away and his eyes began to close.
"One less enemy to worry about." Junior muttered to himself. He then turns the Changeling over, taking the sheath from his back side. Junior held it to himself, observing it. He then looks at the sword in his grip. The blade was shaped like a kitchen knife, but with a longer blade. The handle was curved with a small chain holding it in the back. The blade was black like the darkness of the night sky. Junior lightly swung the blade, causing the yellowish liquid that stained the blade to splatter on the ground. He then carefully placed the sword in its sheath, and proceeded to attach the sheathed sword onto his traveling back pack. Junior turns to the rest of his friends, who sat on the ground.
"Hey, how did you know that they were Changelings?" asked Angirasu.
"Twilight hates it when I call her 'shorty'. I thought something was off when she said that she found it hot when I call her that." answered Junior as he stretched his arm. "I was even able to confirm my theory when I noticed that Battra was here."
"Yeah...that makes sense." responded Angirasu. Mosura then lets out a dejected sigh. Junior frowned as he saw Mosura's mood. He decided to drop the subject.
"Let's move out." said Junior. The others nodded in agreement, all standing to their feet and going for their travel bags. The fog suddenly began to dissipate in the area, revealing their location. Mosura pointed toward the map that she held.
"We're still on course. We just need to keep going so that we may end up on the path." said Mosura. Junior nodded in response, turning to lead the way. Mosura watched Junior worriedly as he moved. She was able to sense such anger and sadness radiating within him every passing day. So, the Transmutants then made their way down into the Badlands, unaware of being watched.




Meanwhile...

The area was desolate and was filled with ominous mountains. No living creature prowled these lands. On a dark mountain sat a castle. The castle was tall and dark. Its stones appeared worn out from the centuries and its Gothic design added to its ominous appearance. The castle was filled with rubble and fallen stones. Although it appeared to be falling apart on the inside, it was structurally sound. Green slime appeared on the walls of the castle as it was filled with small green orbs. These orbs bore tiny worm-like forms that were in a fetal position.
A tall and lanky figure made its way over toward the eggs. The figure stood to be 7 foot 2 with a sea greenish black carapace. The figure appeared feminine and had the sharp claws. She was a tall Changeling with a tall and crooked horn upon her head. A small crown with bluish orbs sat on her head and long hair. She had large eyes like most Changelings, but they bore green irises and cat-like pupils. Holes decorated her forearms and her legs and large insect wings were folded against her back. The Changeling's mouth was filled with sharp teeth and fangs. She wore a ragged, short dress. The Changeling watched the larvae as they squirmed in their eggs. She lightly smiled to herself but turned her attention when she heard the large doors in the room open. A shorter, armored Changeling walked into the room, taking a bow.
"Queen Chrysalis, the generals are awaiting you for the meeting." said the Changeling. The female named Chrysalis gave her subject a smile.
"Excellent, my child. I shall be joining them momentarily." replied Chrysalis. The Changeling bowed before he made his way outside of the room, closing the doors behind him. Chrysalis turned back to the eggs.
"Soon my children, we shall have food that will sustain us for years to come." said Chrysalis. She then turns to a green orb that sat on a pedestal as it showed an image of one of her subjects being slain by a charcoal-gray haired male Earthbound.
"Oh, my dear boy, you were merely an appetizer. I am planning for the main course. Soon, Equestria's love will belong to us!" declared Chrysalis, breaking into a maniacal laugh.




Canterlot, Equestria...

The sun rose to a high afternoon. The birds flocked over the city, perching themselves on the roof of the castle. Canterlot's citizens were bustling about for their busy day. The sounds of people can be heard for miles within the city walls. Horses pulled chariots around the city, taking citizens to their desired destinations. Within the castle, Celestia sat upon her throne. She wore a solemn expression as she sat alone. Her mind was stuck on Junior's disappearance. She had received news from her student, Twilight, that she couldn't find Junior anywhere. 
"Oh, Junior." Celestia said to herself. She suddenly heard the footsteps of someone approaching. She shot up, finding one of her guards approaching. Celestia took a deep breath as she prepared to speak with the guard. The guard bowed to Celestia, removing her helmet and revealing blonde hair.
"Thank you for coming, Sergeant Blaire." greeted Celestia, warmly. Blaire rose up to her feet as she faced the sun princess. Her expression turned serious.
"Your highness, please tell me that it’s not true. Tell me that he's safe in Ponyville and that the rumors are a lie!" cried Blaire. Celestia frowned as she saw the distress of her subject.
"I'm afraid that the rumors are true. He's a Transmutant." replied Celestia. Blaire stared at her with wide eyes. She tried to keep herself composed but this information was too much for her to take. She dropped to her knees and broke down. She gritted her teeth as she stared at the floor.
"Sergeant..." Celestia stood up from her throne and made her way to meet the Valkyrie.
"Princess...I have to know." interrupted Blaire. Celestia stopped in tracks, halfway down the steps that lead up to her throne. Blaire looks to her with blood shot eyes.
"What will you do? Are you going to let MONARCH do whatever they want to him?" demanded Blaire. Celestia's eyes widened in shock at Blaire's accusation.
"I-"
"He's your son! Your Highness, you can't possibly leave him to die!" cried Blaire. Celestia felt her heart race with anxiety as she heard the about the possibility of her son dying.
"Don't say such things!" shouted Celestia. Blaire silenced herself, startled by Celestia's distressed tone. The princess tried to recompose herself. She took calming breaths before redirecting her attention back to the guard.
"He is my son. I love him too much to just leave him alone. I will do anything to make sure that he returns home safely. I just don't know where to find him." said Celestia as she descended down the stairs. Blaire looked away in shame.
My apologies, Princess Celestia. Please forgive my outburst and assumption." said Blaire as she bowed. She suddenly felt Celestia place a hand on her shoulder and another hand under her chin. Her head gently rose up to meet Celestia's kind gaze.
"You are forgiven. I'm just relieved to know that he has others that still care about him." said Celestia with a smile. Blaire smiled back. The princess released the guard and led Blaire through the throne room.
"Your majesty, how are we going to find him?" asked Blaire.
"Princess Luna has offered to enter his dreams by nightfall. She may be able to speak with him and convince him to return home. I just hope that he is willing to listen." said Celestia with a worried expression. She knew how stubborn Junior could be. After all that's happened, it may be harder for him to place his trust in her sister and herself.
"I never took Princess Luna to be willing to help a Transmutant. Even if it is Goji." said Blaire. Celestia nodded in response.
"My sister has been living among us for a short period of time. She is still adjusting to the modern age. She has mixed feelings about Transmutants, but she has grown to be a bit fond of Junior." Celestia said with a smile. Blaire shared her smile.
"He is a likable kid when you look past his rough exterior." said Blaire. "But what about Prince Blueblood and Princess Mi Amore Cadenza? I'm sure that they must have some thought about this since they actually grew up with Goji."
"I have yet to tell Cadence. My nephew however, found out through the wanted posters that MONARCH has just set up here in Canterlot. He has already expressed his displeasure of once living under the same roof with him." Celestia wore a solemn expression. Blaire shared her mood. The two made their way over to a balcony, looking on over to the city of Canterlot. People walked along the road, horses pulled chariots and the road was bustling. Blaire then noticed a few people crowding over a small area, looking at a poster. Her eyes widened as she saw Junior's face along with three other humans depicted.
"I must do everything within my power to bring Junior home. I will never forgive myself if I don't try." said Celestia as she stared off into the land of her nation. Blaire looks to her hesitantly.
"What would MONARCH say about that?" asked Blaire. Celestia furrowed her brows.
"MONARCH kept the identities of the first Transmutants a secret. After discovering the truth that they were trying to kill Lucky Dragon when he was just a child, I don't care what they have to say. They are not taking my son away from me." said Celestia. Blaire smiled at Celestia's words. A mother's child's well-being is more important than her own. Blaire was familiar with that, being a mother herself. The two stared off into the land in silence, hoping that Junior was safe.




Somewhere outside of the Badlands...

The sun was setting into the horizon. The stars began to become visible in the sky as the moon began to rise. Its light was cast upon the land as the air grew colder and the nocturnal creatures began to stir. The area was a passage in between a tall mountain range that ran across the land for miles. The snow piled the tips of these mountains, while the bottom was as dry as a bone. Junior, Mosura, Rodan and Angirasu had traveled for hours throughout the Badland. As they continued walking, Junior's mind was focused on the safety of his friends. Their journey had rough bumps, but things seem to have settled down for the moment. Junior eyed the area, tensed.
"Dude, chill out. We haven't run into trouble for hours!" said Rodan in amusement. Junior kept eyeing the area.
"That's what worries me." replied Junior. Mosura takes out her map and began to read it over as the Transmutants continued on with their journey.
"We should be in Saddle Arabian territory in just a couple more miles." said Mosura. Angirasu looked to Mosura as a thought crossed his mind.
"I've been wondering, what are we gonna do now that we left the easiest access to energy back in the Everfree? We'll die if we're starved of it for too long." said Angirasu in a worried tone. Junior's eyes widened.
"Damn, I never thought of that." said Junior.
"It's alright. Saddle Arabia is one of the few places on this continent that actually has a nuclear power plant. They've been using it for a new energy source." reassured Mosura. The three male Transmutants settled down after hearing this. As the group continued on, they arrived at a clearing away from the mountains. The stars were visible in the night sky; the Transmutants noticed that they were standing on a plateau that connected to the mountains that they passed. As they looked on ahead, they found civilization just over a dozen miles away. Just below the plateau, it appeared to be a village with stone buildings that were scattered across the land. Further along was a large structure that was surrounded by walls. Towers stood high with round orbs and spires on the top. The Transmutants were awed by the sight. Rodan whistled as he stared at the kingdom.
"Damn." said Rodan. Mosura turned as she noticed a spot near the base of the mountain, away from the path that they were on.
"We can camp up here for the night." said Mosura as she pointed toward the spot. They made their way over to the area, placing their bags down. They yearned to drop onto the ground and sleep the night away. However, they had to set up camp first before they could get comfortable.
The Transmutants spent the next fifteen minutes unpacking some of their necessary items, ranging from sleeping bags to food. Mosura helped Junior set up a camp fire as Angirasu and Rodan organized their items. Junior clashed small stones together, causing sparks to fly off. After several tries, he finally managed to ignite the wood. He smiled in satisfaction as the flames grew. Mosura sighed happily as she placed her hands over the fire, feeling the warmth on her palms. The air had grown to be chilly as the nightfall came; she was relieved that they would have warmth. Rodan reached into his traveling backpack and pulls out a plastic bag filled with marshmallows and graham crackers.
"Aang, you got the chocolate?" asked Rodan. Angirasu pulled out a small bag and opened it. As he reached in, he pulled out a couple of water bottles until he found the desired items.
"Right here." answered Angirasu as he pulled out perfectly preserved chocolate bars. Rodan grinned in excitement.
After the Transmutants had finished setting up their sleeping bags and lanterns, they sat in a circle around the fire. They all held sticks with marshmallows impaled on their tips. They sat in silence as they waited for their marshmallows to puff up. They removed the marshmallows from the fire and proceeded to sandwich them in between graham crackers with chocolate bits. They sat as they ate their smores, tasting the milky chocolate and sticky marshmallows.
"This is awesome." said Rodan with a muffle as he chewed. Mosura looked to him in disapproval. She then swallowed the bite that she had taken before speaking.
"Don't talk with your mouth full. It's rude." said Mosura. Rodan rolled his eyes in response. Junior remained in silence as he ate. After he had finished his smore, he sighed. He lied on his back, looking up to the stars. Mosura noticed his dejected expression as he stared at the stars.
"Do you want to talk about it?" asked Mosura. Junior shrugged.
"What's there to talk about? We have no home, no identity, no rights; we have nothing." replied Junior. Mosura frowned in response.
"Hey, Goji?" called Rodan.
"What's up?" answered Junior.
"You ever wonder why this happened to us? I mean the mutation, not us being forced away from Ponyville." Junior sighed as he thought about Rodan's question. He continued to watch the stars as they danced in the sky.
"I've been wondering about that for years. Before I was changed, they said that they wanted to use the dragon's DNA and my genes to improve non-magical Earthbounds. They said that we could become Gods." said Junior. Mosura and the others listened as Junior talked about his thoughts on the matter.
"Some gods we turned out to be. They didn't turn us into gods, they turned us into freaks." said Junior bitterly.
"What do you think makes someone a God?" asked Angirasu. Junior shrugged.
"Infinite knowledge? Power beyond our comprehension? Immortality? The hell if I know. Whatever it is, it sure isn't what I am." answered Junior. He then sat up, staring into the flames.
"Don't Avatars count as Gods?" asked Rodan. Junior shook his head.
"No. That's a common misconception for people. Avatars are just humans with powerful magic. Some people honor them and see them as Gods because of their longevity and power, especially Equestrians. They may live for...who knows for how long, but they aren't immortal if you can kill them." explained Junior. Mosura analyzed the information that she had received.
"How did you come to that conclusion?" asked Mosura.
"I was close to killing Luna when she was Nightmare Moon." answered Junior. He then stares at the moon in the sky. He then frowned. "I will never forget that look of despair on her face."
"Gojira?" called Mosura. Junior shook his head.
"Forget it. It's all in the past now." Junior then stood to his feet and made his way over to his sleeping bag. He removed his sweater and slipped under the covers, lying his head down on his pillow. He thought back to Luna when he first met her after she was cleansed by the Elements of Harmony. She was ashamed to be around her subjects after what she had become, but Celestia still accepted her. That was the most touching thing that he had ever witnessed in his life. That was almost enough for him to want to go back to Canterlot and see Celestia and Blaire. However, the thought of them rejecting him because of his nature as a Transmutant was too much for him. With that last thought, Junior waited for the sleep to take him away from this harsh reality.



"Gojira..." a deep and monstrous voice echoed in the air. Junior ran like the wind as he tried to escape. He was surrounded by ruins of tall buildings with destruction being everywhere that he looked. The desolate city burned as the sky was painted in a hellish light. Thunder crashed and lighting flashed in the air above. The sound of mighty footsteps echoed in the city and the sound of buildings crashing into the ground was heard for miles.
"Why are you running away from me? You know you can't escape." the voice boomed as a giant figure slammed itself against buildings. Junior continued to run as he heard the footsteps growing closer. He knew that he had to escape this monster.
Junior stopped as he found debris falling from the sky. He braces himself as it began to rain down upon him. He was suddenly buried by the debris, trapping him under. From the shadows and clouds of smoke, the dragon from his dreams appeared. He stood tall as his spiked brows furrowed, looking down at the rubble that buried Junior. His glowing red eyes pierced the darkness as he stared. His lips curled in such a human-like manner that one could tell that he was smiling. As the dragon raised his foot over the rubble and prepared to bring it down, he sensed something. He places his foot down, turning his head away from Junior as he tried to free himself from the rubble.
"A foreigner. She does not belong here." said the dragon with a scowl. He then turns, taking giant steps away from the street that Junior was on. Junior took the opportunity to free himself, limping away from the area. He watched as the dragon continued to stomp away. He decided to run away while questioning what caused the dragon to leave.  However, before he could round the corner, he found Celestia standing before him. Junior gasped as he backed away from the sun princess. She wore a hateful glare as she flared her wings.
"Celestia, wait!" Junior held his hand out to her. The princess flapped her wings, propelling herself toward Junior. She collides with him, causing them both to roll along the street. Celestia sat on his belly as she began to send punches toward Junior. He cried out to her as she beat him mercilessly. He growled as he caught her fist, she then sent her other fist which he also caught. Junior thrusts his arms forward, forcing Celestia off of him. He stood to his feet, flaring his nostrils as Celestia's hands gave off of golden aura.
"I don't want to fight you." said Junior. Celestia glared as her hands glowed brighter.
"You have no choice." retorted Celestia. Junior clenched his eyes shut in despair. He then opens them back up, staring at her with a glare.
"Fine. Reject me like all the others did. I don't need you. I've been fine even when you couldn't be there for me!" answered Junior. The two charged toward each other and caused a loud collision after clashing with each other.




Meanwhile...

In the dark sky over the ruined city, a figure soared in the air. The figure flapped her wings as she descended down onto a building. The figure landed, her wings folding back behind her back. The figure was the princess of the night, Luna. Her hair flowed majestically as it sparkled. She looked on in shock at the realm that she was in. She was sure that she had found the dream of Gojira Takeshi the 2nd, but she was not expecting this. She has visited many dreams in her days, but never has she witnessed something as terrible as this.
The land was desolate, filled with nothing but destruction. Fires raged and buildings fell apart. Lightning flashed overhead and thunder continued to boom. This was a world of nothing but destruction, with no hope of rebuilding. Luna was preparing to take off into the air until she heard enormous footsteps. She stopped, turning to find something that made her blood run cold. She backed away as a great shadow was cast over her.
"What?" Luna gasped. A mighty dragon with red eyes approached the building, smoke covering part of its body. The dragon growled as it glared at Luna. She glared back at the creature, taking off into the air. Her hands were engulfed in bright white lights. She raised her hands over her head and her eyes became glowing white orbs.
"Thou art the nightmare that haunts sir Gojira on this night? Be gone!" commanded Luna, her voice echoed as she spoke. The light shined over the area, forcing the dragon to clench its eyes in pain. It bellowed in pain as it jerked its head away. Luna kept the light on the creature, attempting to purge the creature from Junior's dream. As the light died down, she gasped in shock as she realized that the dragon was still there.
"How is this possible?! My magic's light purges all nightmares!" cried Luna. The dragon blinked its eyes several times and turned back to Luna as she hovered over the building. It sent a menacing glare.
"I'm more than just a nightmare, my dear." the dragon said in powerful voice. He then gave a ghostly roar at Luna, causing her to cup her ears from the ear piercing sound. The dragon then rammed into the building, causing it to fall apart and immediately collapse under its own weight. The dragon slightly crouched, bending its large knees. It then hopped, opening its jaws. Luna gasped as the enormous jaws were heading towards her. She suddenly found herself inside of the creature's mouth. She immediately used her magic to teleport herself out of the creature's mouth before he could snap his jaws. She vanished as the dragon's jaws clamped shut, which caused him to roar in anger as he realized that she had escaped. It turns its head, searching the city for the moon princess.
"Come on out, human. You don't belong in this world."said the dragon. He suddenly felt a tingling sensation on his neck. He turns, finding Luna firing bolts at him. She continued to send the bolts, grunting as they had no effect. The dragon then uses his large arm to swipe at Luna. She flapped her wings as she avoided the dragon's claws. The dragon lurched forward, snapping his jaws at Luna. She continued to fly, attempting to avoid this creature. She turns, her hands engulfed in a bright aura. She fired a beam from her hands that crashed into the dragon's snout, causing him to growl in irritation. He then roared as he chased Luna across the city, knocking buildings over along the way.



Junior was covered in burns and bruises as he stared at Celestia. She wore bruises and her dress was ragged from their battle. The two circled each other as they waited for the other to strike. They charged toward each other. Celestia swung her aura engulfed fists toward Junior, which he dodged. Junior sent a quick kick to her sides, which she blocked and sent her hand forward, firing a magic bolt into his chest. Junior was forced onto his back as the beam pierced his flesh. He crashed into the ground, his breathing shallow. He stared up into the dark sky, Celestia came into view.
"Raising you was the biggest mistake that I have ever made." said Celestia in a cold tone. Junior breathed as he stared into Celestia's eyes. His heart ached as the hateful look that she gave was directed towards him. She stomped on his chest, causing him to cry out in pain. She then grabbed his hair and yanked on it, forcing his head up. She moved her head closer to Junior as she held her glare.
"You always embarrassed me whenever you got into fights. I couldn't take my eye off of you for a second without hearing about you starting trouble." said Celestia.
"I...I never started any fights. You know that!" said Junior. Celestia then wrapped her hands around Junior's throat, strangling him. He gasped for air as his throat was squeezed by Celestia's strength.
"P-pl-please...mom...stop." begged Junior as he felt his lungs starved of oxygen.
"You are not my son." said Celestia in a cold tone. Suddenly, a bright light shone over the pair. Celestia released Junior, screaming in agony. Junior watched as Celestia screamed, her body disintegrating into mist. Her screams died down into an echo, leaving Junior alone. He coughed furiously as oxygen raced back into his lungs. He lied down on the ground as the light shone over the desolate city. His breathing was beginning to settle down as the light died down. Junior sat up with a blank stare.  He placed his face into his hands as the distant roar of the dragon echoed. He paid him no mind. Junior felt despair overcome him as he thought back to Celestia's words.



Luna panted as she stood on a tall building. The dragon was far away from her, allowing her to have a brief resting period. She had a mission to accomplish.
"Gojira, where could thou be?" Luna said to herself. She suddenly heard a loud rumbling noise. She looked up to the sky and noticed the realm around her was beginning to morph. She gritted her teeth in anger.
"He awakens. I am too late!" Luna said in frustration. She turns and finds the dragon ramming himself into the building, causing Luna to lose her balance. She yelped as the building tipped over, causing her to fall off the roof. She immediately spreads her wings, the wind catching her feathers and causing her to slow down her descent. She immediately shoots up into the air, avoiding the dragon as it roared at her. She flies further up to the sky with a look of regret.
'I will return, Gojira.' thought Luna. She then shuts her eyes, vanishing into the air, leaving the dream world behind.
Luna's eyes shot open. She found herself lying down in a large bed. Luna sat up from her bed, looking towards her door. She sighed at the thought of telling her sister about her failure. Luna stood up from her bed and made her way over to her door. She knew that the moon needed to be lowered so that her sister can raise the sun in just an hour. This was a time as any to let her sister know. She prayed that she would be able to make contact with Junior before it was too late. 
	
> Chapter 22: Beauties from the Deep
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sun hung high in the sky. Its scorching rays were cast upon the kingdom of Saddle Arabia. Earthbound men and women wore cloaks. Certain women covered their heads with hijabs while some men wore turbans or caps. The village streets were filled with people making way to their destinations. A man with large belly made his way through the town. As a father and husband, he had a responsibility to provide for his family. As he continued through the town, he made his way to the outskirts. He continued on down the sandy plain, his face dripped with sweat from the scorching sun. He later arrived to an area where several other men roamed about with nets in their grip. They saw the man approaching and greeted him.
"You're here!" shouted one of the younger men.
"Of course. I have to work too, you know." replied the man. He made his way over and began to help the men unfurl the nets. The men separated into three groups and boarded the sail boats. From there, they forced the boats off of the shore and into the Great Inland Sea. The men waited as their boats sailed further out into the sea.
"I'm surprised that you decided to come. Especially after the rumors of fishermen disappearing out into sea." said one of the young men. The large bellied man rolled his eyes in response.
"Bah! Those boys are probably just skipping out of work. Might as well, more money for us." grinned the large bellied man. The boats separated from each other, prowling their own area for fishing. The large man helped dip the fishing net into the water, feeling the weight increasing. Sometime later, they pulled the net out along with a group of fish. The fish squirmed and wiggled as they attempted to free themselves back into the sea. The men brought the fish back into the boat and set them aside as they continued to flap themselves against the wood. Suddenly, the fishermen heard something.
"Do you hear that?” asked one of the young men. The larger man searched the area, finding nothing around them in the middle of the Inland Sea. He then began to hear a sound as well.
"Yes. What is that?" asked another one of the young men. They continued to listen, hearing what sounded like a soothing tune.
"Is that...a woman singing? In the middle of the sea?" asked the large man. The young men continued to search, eager to find the owner of such a beautiful voice.
"Aaaaah~ Aaaaaah~" the woman's voice grew louder. The sound of something emerging from the water can be heard. The men turned and found a beautiful young woman with long red hair. Her head and a part of chest could be seen. The men stared, mesmerized by the woman's voice as she vocalized. They felt themselves forgetting about their job to fish. It did not matter to them as long as they could continue to listen to the lovely woman sing.
"Oooooh~ Oooooh~" a second voice can be heard. Next to the red haired woman was a second woman with black hair. She had eyes like the sea and her voice was much softer than the red haired woman's. The men listened to the voices of the women as they sang harmoniously. Next, two more women emerged from the water. The men's ears picked up the voices of the women as they sang to the crew. The fishermen walked closer to the edge of the boat. The black haired woman swam closer to one of the younger men with seductive eyes as she continued to sing. As the man leaned over the boat, the woman took his face into her hands. She then brought his face closer to his and locked lips with him. The two kissed passionately as the three other women enticed the men to join them. As the men got closer, the three other women did as well. The black haired woman suddenly yanked on the man, pulling him into the water. But the other men paid no mind to this. The larger man could not resist the women and desired to get closer, but he realized that something was off. Thoughts of his family and his duty as a fisherman made him realize that the women were distracting him and his crew. He shook his head, refocusing his mind, and then shook the other two men. That was when he noticed that one of them was missing.
"Hey, where is-" the man is interrupted as the red haired woman dove under the water. The man searched the water as the two remaining women began to circle the boat while singing. The man watched as women’s movement caused a small whirlpool that made the boat slightly spin. He gasped as he saw the women's eyes turn red. Suddenly, the red haired woman burst out of the sea, revealing her lower body to be covered in a fish tail covered in green scales. Her chest was covered in shells, making a bikini bra. Her mouth was wide open as she gave a screech, exposing sharp fangs. The sides of her head had fish fins below her ears and at the back sides of her lower jaw. Her forearms had short fins sticking out and gills were exposed at the side of her neck. The fish-woman held her hands out, tackling the large man off of the boat and into the water. The two remaining women stopped circling the boat and sprung out of the water. Both women bore the same fish tails that the red haired woman had. The fish-women tackled the remaining men and bit into their necks, causing them to wail in agony. The women then dragged the men back into the water, leaving the sail boat alone in the middle of The Great Inland Sea.




Later that day...

Junior and Angirasu roamed the village outside of the palace. They were sweating from the heat, so they ditched their sweater and coat back at their camp and decided to take a look around. They didn’t find any posters of their faces on them on the road, so they felt relief that they could pass through the town inconspicuously. Still, they decided to remain vigilant. The pair continued to walk and passed a couple of guards, who had large swords with curves. Junior tensed as one of them looked his way. As they continued walking, Junior heard a commanding voice.
"Stop!" Junior and Angirasu stopped dead in their tracks, going stiff. They slowly turned and found one of the guards approaching them.
"I haven't seen either of you around here before." the guard spoke with an accent. "Where are you from?"
"Neighpon." Angirasu answered calmly. "We're from Neighpon."
"Really now? What brings you here to our country?" questioned the man suspiciously. Junior cleared his throat.
"We're just visiting. It gets kind of old just being on an island surrounded by an ocean. We thought traveling would be nice so that we could see the other nations." answered Junior. The guard nodded.
"Very well. Please, enjoy your stay. One other thing, stay out of trouble. The Sultan has low tolerance for trouble makers."  warned the guard.
"Yes sir." Junior and Angirasu responded in unison. The guard then took off with the rest of his fellow guards. Junior and Angirasu sighed in relief. They then went on their way through the village. They saw performers in one area: men stepping on fiery coal; body builders flexing their muscles; beautiful women dancing; and a man sticking a sword down his throat. Junior's eyes widened at the sight of the man and the sword and the man on coal.
"Oh, god!" exclaimed Junior. Angirasu shared his reaction.
"These guys are good!" said Angirasu. The pair spent the next hour watching the performers. They watched as a man played a flute, causing a cobra to emerge out of the basket as it swooned to the melody. Junior and Angirasu watched the spectacle with several other people, entertained by the sight.
"Man, I would love to see Shy doing this. That is if I wasn't worried about her getting bit by a poisonous snake." chuckled Junior. Angirasu sighed.
"Yeah..." said Angirasu. Junior mentally kicked himself for bringing Fluttershy up. He felt that he must have put a damper on their day.
"Sorry about that, man." apologized Junior. Angirasu waved his hand dismissively.
"Nah. Don't worry about it." said Angirasu. He then twiddled his thumbs as they sat with the group of people. "So...do you think that I would have had a chance with Fluttershy? I mean, if I weren't a...you know?"
"Hey, if Twilight said yes to me when I asked her out, I think you might have had a chance with Shy." said Junior with a smile. Angirasu chuckled in response.
"Ah, don't say that to make me feel good about myself." said Angirasu.
"No way. I'm serious about that. She even told me that she liked you!" said Junior. Angirasu smiled to himself.
"That's nice to hear." said Angirasu. Junior patted him on the shoulder.
"Don't worry about it. You might end up finding yourself a girl that shares what you have." said Junior in reassurance.
"That'd be nice. I wouldn't have to worry about her rejecting me based on that specific detail. She would have the same problem." replied Angirasu. Junior smiled, proud to have cheered up his friend.
"Come on. I hear that there's a market that sells fish. We can get some for dinner tonight." said Junior as he stood up. Angirasu nodded to him.
"Let's go." said Angirasu. The two Transmutants made their way through the village and proceeded to head down to the market. As they arrived, they began to search the place. They found men selling jewels, fruits, vegetables and meat. They eyed the food in longing as their main diet consisted of veggie sandwiches which, while good, didn’t satisfy a carnivore like Junior. As they continued on, they came across a stand that was filled with fish. They rushed over to the stand, finding a man decapitating the head of one of the fish.
"Hey, you speak Equish?" asked Junior. The man turned to face them with a smile.
"Of course! I took some classes as a boy to learn the language." answered the man. Junior smiled in response.
"Great. How much is your fish?" asked Junior.
"Ah, that would be fourteen coins per pound!" said the man. Junior fished for his bag of bits, but then a thought crossed his mind.
"Will you accept Equestrian bits?" Junior asked hesitantly. The man sighed in disappointment.
"I'm afraid not. Their currency is no good out here. I'm sorry."
"Can we work something out?" asked Angirasu. The man raised a brow in response.
"What did you have in mind?" asked the man.
"Well, we could work to earn a small portion of food. We'll be willing to do whatever you need to be done." offered Angirasu. The man rubbed his chin in thought.
"That does sound fair. How badly do you need food?" asked the man.
"As in, 'we will starve to death if we don't get something to eat', bad. We're traveling and we will need food to sustain us on our journey." answered Junior. The man nodded in understanding.
"Well, young men like you can help me with something. Over the past couple of weeks, we have had trouble getting men to fish in The Great Inland Sea. If you go down there tonight, our men will take you aboard their boats so that you can help catch fish. After you are finished, they will allow you take the largest one." said the man.  Junior and Angirasu pondered the decision. They silently discussed it together.
"What do you think? Should we?" asked Junior.
"Yes. But I have to wonder why they are having trouble getting men to fish in that sea." answered Angirasu. Junior shrugged in response.
"It's probably nothing to worry about." said Junior.
"I don't know..." Angirasu said uneasily.
"This might be the only opportunity we have. Come on, think of it as community service." said Junior. Angirasu gave him a deadpanned stare.
"You have to work without making a profit for it to be community service." retorted Angirasu.
"We're not making a profit. We're just earning food." said Junior. Angirasu sighed.
"OK, let's roll with it." the two Transmutants broke their huddle and looked towards the man.
"You got yourself a deal." said Junior. The man smiled in response.
"Excellent! I'll let the men fishing tonight that you boys will be joining them. May I have your names?"
"Gojira Takeshi and Angirasu Riku." answered Junior.



Later that afternoon, the sun was beginning to set. Nightfall would be approaching sooner than Junior and Angirasu originally anticipated. They stood back at their campsite where Mosura and Rodan sat.
"You're going fishing?" asked Mosura. Junior and Angirasu nodded in response.
"That's right. We made a deal with one of the retailers in the market that he would hook us up with a job. He even said that we would be paid with the largest fish that we catch." answered Junior. Rodan shook his head.
"You should've asked to work for money." said Rodan.
"I didn't because we might not even be here for very long. We're just trying to get something other than smores and veggie sandwiches to eat." retorted Junior. Rodan frowned in response.
"But...I like smores." said Rodan in a childish voice. Junior rolled his eyes.
"Goji, we might not have to move out of Saddle Arabian territory until it is necessary. After this, I would appreciate it if the three of you would get a paying job. This sounds like a good one to start." said Mosura. Rodan groaned in response.
"Aw man. Work? How come you get to stay at camp?" asked Rodan. Mosura gave him an annoyed look.
"One, someone needs to stay and hold the fort down. Two, Saddle Arabia has kingdoms that limit the rights to female citizens. This isn't the kingdom that allows women to have equal rights." said Mosura. Rodan sighed.
"Fine. I see your point."
Junior and Angirasu found the sun to be setting much further as their conversation went on.
"We gotta get going. Mosu, we'll see if they will hire to pay us money if things go well. Rodan, just enjoy the one night that you have left to be lazy. We're going to be busy from now on." said Angirasu. Rodan grumbled in response. Mosura nodded to them as the two Transmutants took off back to the village.
"Be careful boys!" called Mosura. Junior turned around and gave her a thumbs-up. The two male Transmutants proceeded on, prepared for work.



The sky was covered in darkness. The stars and moon shone brightly in the sky. The sea was calm, with the stellar lights reflecting off of the water. Junior and Angirasu sat on a sail boat that was miles away from the shore. They were accompanied by three other men on the vessel. Junior and Angirasu helped prepare the net for their catch.
"We appreciate the help that you boys are lending. Otherwise, we would be out here all night." said one of the men. Junior nodded to him.
"It's no problem. Thanks for the opportunity." said Junior.
"I hope you boys can swim. Wouldn't want you drowning if one of you were to fall overboard." joked one of the other men. Junior and Angirasu gave each other an amused expression.
"I don't think that will be a problem." said Junior. He was confident in his swimming abilities. He wasn't sure how good Angirasu was at swimming, but he at least knew that he could swim. That was enough to put him at ease.
"So, why is it that you guys are having trouble getting men to fish?" asked Angirasu. The men went silent. No one said a word, causing an awkward silence between the humans and Transmutants.
"Well, there are rumors that men have been vanishing out in sea. For the last couple of weeks, there have been fishermen disappearing." said one of the men. Junior and Angirasu listened intently, curious to hear the explanation.
"No one has seen them?" asked Junior.
"No. In fact, we just lost a group some time ago." said the man. Junior and Angirasu eyed each other uncomfortably. 
"So...any idea what could have happened?" asked Angirasu.
"Some say that a demon roams our sea, taking the sailors and dragging them to the lower depths of the ocean." said another one of the men.
"Demons, eh? Well, I'm not sure about that, but something dragging them under does sound plausible." said Junior. He began to wonder what would be able to drag down men under the sea, leaving no witnesses.
"What kind of sharks roam the sea here?" asked Junior.
"Whale Sharks are common. There is also a Great White, occasionally." answered of the men. Junior began to analyze the answer.
"A Whale Shark can get pretty big and knock this boat over, but they're filter feeding animals so they couldn't have eaten the men. A Great White attack is also possible, but I think someone would have noticed sharks attacking the fishermen." said Junior to himself. He then sighed as he looked up at the night sky.
"Whatever is responsible, it must be big." said Junior. Angirasu gave Junior a deadpanned stare.
“Still think it was a good idea not to ask beforehand?” asked Angirasu. Junior’s brow twitched in annoyance.
“Oh, don’t start with me!” retorted Junior.
“Hey, I’m just sayin’.”said Angirasu as he raised his hands defensively.
"Well, it’s not likely that we'll run into trouble. Let's get these nets down and get to fishing." said one of the men. So, they spent the next several minutes setting the net inside, pulling it back up and bringing in their catch. Large fish wiggled and squirmed as they attempted to breathe in a waterless environment. Junior and Angirasu's combined strength allowed the fishermen to pull the fish filled nets with ease. After an hour, the boat was filled with several large fish, making the humans and Transmutants smile in accomplishment.
"Excellent work. Let's head back to shore." said one of the older men. They all brought the net back into the boat, setting it neatly aside as they turned the sail. As the sail turned, the boat made a course towards the shore. Junior watched the calm sea, feeling at peace as the moon shone brightly over the sky. It created such a beautiful image that Junior had never seen in Ponyville or Canterlot. Junior thought back to his nightmare from the previous night, the one that showed Celestia disowning him. Fortunately, his thoughts were interrupted when a sound caught his ear. He shot up, searching the area as he heard a tune. Angirasu turned, his ears picking up the sound as well.
"Do you guys hear that?" asked Junior. The men stopped and remained silent as they listened to the air.
"Hear what?" asked the older man. Junior raised a brow in confusion.
"You don't hear that? It sounds like someone is singing." said Junior.
"Yeah, I hear it too." said Angirasu. The men looked to each other in confusion.
'Odd. We must be hearing them because of heightened sense of hearing. The singer must be too far.' thought Junior. Suddenly, the singing voice began to grow louder in his ears. The men perked up as their hearing picked up the sound.
"Now I hear it." said one man. The rest all murmured in agreement. Junior searched the area, wondering where the source was. The singing voice grew louder.
"Aaaaaaah~ Aaaaaaaah~ Aaaaaaaah~" a female voice vocalized in such a soft tone that it gave Junior a strange feeling. Something felt right about the sound and voice. His nerves were relaxed and his heart rate was calm. He looked over to Angirasu, who seemed to have had a slightly similar effect, except that he was dazed. Junior then noticed the other men, seeing them in a more severe state then Angirasu. Junior then heard the sound of something breaching the surface of the water. Junior turned and found a beautiful black haired woman in the water. She had eyes that were blue like the ocean and hair that reached below her shoulders and floated majestically on the surface of the water.
"Aaaaaaah~ Aaaaaaah~ Fisherman, Fisherman of the sea. How hard your work must be~ You drop your nets, praying that your catch won't flee~" The woman began to sing to Junior. Normally, he would be annoyed at the songs that people tended to break into, but he couldn't help but listen to her song. Her voice was calm, gentle, and so welcoming that it made him feel as though she was connecting with him. Junior sat and listened as the woman continued to sing. He suddenly heard the sound of the surface of the water being breached many times, along with the arrival of more women. They began a harmonious vocalization as the black haired woman took the lead.
"Fisherman, fisherman, you work hard so that you may feed~ But for how long will it be until you've earned the rest you need?~" the black haired woman sang as the rest of the women followed along in a harmonized sync. Angirasu stared into the eyes of one of the women as she swam closer to him. She ran her soft, pale hand under his chin. Angirasu looked with half-opened eyes. Junior stared uneasily as he saw Angirasu moving closer to the woman. Angirasu suddenly shook his head slightly, clenching his eyes shut. As he looked away from the woman, his breathing increased. He backed away, sitting down next to Junior.
"I...I don't feel right." said Angirasu. "I can't control myself."
"I can't say that I have the same feeling. Their singing is pleasant but...something isn't right." said Junior as he watched the men get closer to the women. He then felt a hand tenderly graze his bare arm, causing him to quickly turn to find the black haired woman dangerously close to him.
"Allow us to take the lead, to help you rest just below the sea.~" the women sang. The black haired woman's eyes suddenly turned to a glowing red. Junior's eyes widened in shock as he saw the glowing eyes and heard the last verse.
"Aw hell." said Junior with a frown. The woman wrapped her arms around Junior's neck, pulling down as she attempted to drag him off of the boat. Junior's hands caught the edge of the boat, causing it to rock as the woman continued to yank on him. She grunted as she tried to yank harder on Junior. The Transmutant pushed on the boat's edge, forcing himself up and pulling the woman out of the water. He gasped as he saw the fish tail that replaced the woman's lower half of her body. He saw the small scales that decorated her shoulders and sides, along with the gills that were on her neck and the fins behind her jaw. The woman hissed at Junior as she bared her teeth at him, revealing sharp fangs. Junior pried the hands of the fish-woman off of his neck and threw her back into the sea. The rest of the men jumped out of their dazed state as they saw Junior toss the woman into the water. Suddenly, all of the women began to hiss and screech, revealing fangs and red eyes. The women dove underwater, revealing their fish tails. The men began to panic as Junior and Angirasu glared at the water as they searched it for the creatures. Junior spotted a few harpoons on the boat. He immediately dove for one and handed it to Angirasu. He then takes another and tossed it to one of the men.
"Arm yourselves!" commanded Junior. The man caught the harpoon and searched the rippled water as the sound of dolphin-like screeches was heard from beneath. Junior picked up one of the few remaining harpoons. Suddenly, a fish-woman burst out of the water and bit into the neck of one of the men, tackling him out of the boat and into the sea. The men began to panic as the creatures burst close next to the boat, as they attempted to grab the men. One of the men was grabbed by his arm, being pulled by one of the women. Angirasu immediately rushed towards him and kicked the woman in her face, causing her to flop back into the water. Junior felt his senses take over, allowing him to see and hear the movements of their foes. He felt something approaching from behind and found a blonde haired fish-woman hurling towards him. Junior thrusted his harpoon and caught the creature in her gut and made her cry out in agony as she felt herself impaled by the weapon. Junior raised the harpoon over himself with the creature attached to it and thrust it behind him, forcing the woman to slide off of his harpoon and into the water. The humans and Transmutants fought for their lives as they began to hit and stab every one of these hybrids that dared to attack. Junior suddenly felt himself grabbed by two of the women. He turned and found them hissing as they yanked on him. Junior dropped the harpoon in his grip and fell over board and into the sea.
"Gojira!!" cried Angirasu as he witnessed his friend dragged under. He was then grabbed by another one of the women, but he sent an elbow against her head, knocking her back into the water. Another one of the men was dragged underwater, leaving only Angirasu and one of the remaining Saddle Arabians. They stuck close together as they fought any incoming creature.
Beneath the surface, Junior was dragged by two of the hybrid women deep into the sea. He held his breath as he was dragged deeper and deeper. He knew that if he didn't act, he would drown. Junior strained as his neck began to sprout gills. After they sprouted, he released the air that he was holding in his mouth and proceeded to breathe through his gills. Junior yanked on the arm of one of the women and sunk his teeth into it. She gave a wail in agony as Junior's teeth bit into her limb. Her blood began to flow out of her wound and taint a small area of the water. Junior spun as he released himself from their grip, sending a glare. The hybrids stared in shock as they saw that Junior was no longer holding his breath.
"You idiot! You'll just die of drowning!" laughed one of the fish-women. Junior turned his head, exposing his neck and began to point at it. The hybrids both stared in shock at how this Earthbound had gills.
"That's impossible! What are you?!" demanded one of the fish-women. Junior glared at them.
"Something that you just pissed off." Junior spoke in a muffled voice with bubbles floating out of his mouth. He then began to strain under the water, his breathing through his gills increased. His muscles ached and morphed. His bones grew and shifted and changed shape. The hybrid women stared in horror as they saw Junior's human body morph into a beast. His tail sprouted and his body increased in size. His back sprouted his dorsal plates and his head changed shape into its flat self and his face changed into a box shaped snout. Junior's irises grew in size, leaving any trace of white nearly gone. His pupils dilated as he glared at the fish-women. His lip curled and his brows furrowed. His teeth were bared and his nostrils flared as Junior’s transformation was completed. He then released a bellow that echoed in the sea and was slightly muffled by the immense pressure of the water. Junior leaned himself forward, his tail swished from side to side along with his body like a crocodile as he swam towards the fish-women. He opened his mighty jaws and scared them out of their wits. He chased them under the sea like a shark chasing its prey.
Junior roared as he caught up to one of the fish-women. He then clamped his jaws on the tail, causing her to screech in agony. Junior jerked his head in place multiple times, shaking the hybrid. The whiplash was too much for the fish-woman, causing her to pass out. Her tail fin was suddenly torn by the quick jerking movements and Junior's sharp teeth. Blood filled the area as Junior glared at the remaining fish-woman. He began to pursue her through the sea. The pair swam up towards the surface of the water. The fish-woman flipped her tail as fast as she could; she burst out of the water at several feet into the air. As she looked down, her eyes widened in horror as she saw Junior breach out of the water below her with his mouth wide open. She screamed as she fell back down towards Junior while he was still approaching upwards from his burst. Junior then clamped his jaws down on her abdomen side-ways, catching her in the air.
The other fish-women watched this new beast -that was much larger than they were- as it caught one of their own in its mouth. Angirasu stared as Junior burst out of the water like a predator to its prey. The man that was left gave a terrified yell as he saw this new creature. Junior crashed back below the sea as his jaws crushed the fish-woman. She screamed under water as she tried to free herself from Junior's mouth. She began beat her fist against his muzzle, but she only pissed Junior off. He began to shake his head furiously with the hybrid in his mouth. After several shakes, he released her, allowing her unconscious form to float under water. Junior swam pass the hybrid, his dorsal plates reaching the surface. Angirasu nearly panicked as he saw the dorsal plates, as he almost thought that they belonged to multiple sharks. However, he recognized the bony, maple leaf shaped plates that belonged to Junior. Angiarsu was unnerved at how unmercifully Junior attacked these creatures, especially as he witnessed the ruthless fish-women panicking as they saw that Junior was heading towards them. They dove beneath the sea, swimming as fast they could from Junior. The Transmutant, however, continued with his pursuit until he was sure that they were gone.
Angirasu watched as Junior's dorsal plates sunk beneath the surface of the water. He sighed in relief as the fish-women appeared to be nowhere else. One of the few remaining men breathed heavily at what had just transpired.
"What was that thing?" asked the man. Angirasu shrugged in response.
"Whatever it was, it got rid of those fish-women for us." said Angirasu. He then turns to find the fish still intact along with the sail. "Let's turn this boat around. We got some bad news to deliver."
"Sorry about your friend." said the man in pity. Angirasu gave a fake dejected sigh.
"He was always on the move." said Angirasu. So, the boat continued its sail towards land. The death of the men on this fishing job would not be forgotten, as they were able to figure what was responsible for the disappearance of the fishermen.



Junior continued to swim through the Great Inland Sea. The fish-women were getting further away from him. Junior was allowing them to escape, as he only intended to make sure that they would leave the area. Junior stopped swimming, staring as the creatures gave dolphin-like squeaks and screeches while they swam further away. Junior turned his head up to the surface of the sea, finding the moon still high in the sky. His clothes were torn from his transformation and he didn't like the idea of walking outside in his human form naked. He couldn't risk Saddle Arabia discovering his presence and alerting MONARCH. So, Junior swam to the floor of the sea. He found a spot on the ground next to a rock buried in sand. He lied down on his belly, sand being kicked up from his collision. Junior placed his arms in front, putting them together as he leaned his head down on them. Junior took in water, allowing his gills to take in oxygen and deliver it to his blood. He observed the dark ocean blue around him and appreciated the view. With that last sight, Junior closed his eyes, letting the sleep take hold of him.



Junior found himself in a great forest filled with tall trees. The cloudless sky was lit by the bright sun. Junior felt the warmth of the sun bathing him. He inhaled deeply, taking in the fresh air. As he walked through the forest, he found a river filled with fish that migrated through. The sounds of birds reached his ears. Junior sat down on the green grass, smiling as he sat in this peaceful environment. Everything was balanced and tranquil, feeling him with such serenity. The Transmutant didn't have a care in the world. Junior lied on his back, looking up to the sky. He took calm breaths, his belly rising and descending from each breath. He suddenly heard the sound of light footsteps approaching him. Junior immediately shot up, turning to the source of the sound.
His eyes met with a sight that made his heart nearly stop. Before him, stood a Neighponese woman dressed in a pure white kimono. She stood to be five foot eight. Her hair was long and black, her skin was pale and her eyes were grayish-blue. Junior trembled in her presence. His heart was heavy as he and the woman locked eyes. Junior slowly stood up to his feet, fully facing the woman.
"Mom?" called Junior. The woman merely smiled to him. She held out her arms to Junior with a kind smile. Junior felt his eyes water as the woman offered him a welcoming hug. He immediately ran over to her and prepared to wrap her into a tight embrace. However, as he reached her and threw his arms around her, she disappeared. Junior gasped as he realized that his mother was gone. He gritted his teeth in anger, dropping to his knees and slamming his fist onto the ground. Tears streamed down his face as he stared at the grass.
"It's not fair. Why did you have to go?" muttered Junior.
"Sir Gojira!" cried a familiar voice. Junior jumped at the sudden call. He turned and found Luna approaching him from the forest. He then wore an uneasy expression.
"Princess Luna? Is that you? I mean, are you the real Princess Luna?" asked Junior. The princess of the moon gave him a warm smile.
"Yes. It is I!" said Luna. Junior stood by uneasily. He wondered why she was here. He had a sudden thought of her coming here to kill him in the dream world, somehow causing an effect on him in the real world.
"What do you want?" asked Junior. Luna stepped closer to Junior and took his hands into her own. Junior recoiled from her and pulled his hands away, causing Luna to raise a brow.
"Stay back." Junior commanded, trying to keep a calm voice.
"What is wrong? I only came to talk." said Luna. She wondered why Junior reacted so strongly.
"No, you can't fool me! She sent you here to kill me didn't she?!" demanded Junior. Luna recoiled at Junior's tone.
"I-"
"Don't lie to me! She hates me doesn't she?!" Junior's eyes burned with rage. The area around them was suddenly ignited in fire. Luna gasped as she saw the once beautiful forest suddenly change into a forest of fire. Trees fell and turned to ash all around them. Junior's eyes glared at her, glowing an eerie light blue.
"Gojira, calm yourself!" cried Luna. Junior began to stalk closer to her as he held his glare. Suddenly, he spotted a figure in the distance behind Luna. It was his mother again, standing out like an angel in a hellish scene. However, instead of the same kind smile that he first saw, she had a look of despair. She sat on her knees among the burning forest, weeping. Junior's eyes softened as he saw his crying mother, causing them to lose their glow. The flames were suddenly extinguished, leaving behind charred trees and an ash covered ground. Luna watched in surprise as Junior dropped on his knees with a pained expression. She then turned and followed his gaze. Luna saw a woman in a white kimono weeping further away. The woman suddenly vanished into ash. Luna heard a light sob escape from Junior's mouth. She turned found him looking down with his fist buried under the ash.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Junior managed to say under his breath. Luna frowned, taking pity on the Transmutant. Luna took light steps toward Junior, sitting on her knees in front of him. She placed her hands on his cheeks and then held his face up to meet her own.
"Please, let us talk." Luna spoke softly with eyes that showed her desire to help. Junior felt himself compelled to reject her help, but another side was telling him to accept it. He then sniffed as he looked away.
"Fine, we'll talk." said Junior. Luna gave him a light smile as she released his cheeks. The two stood and began to walk away from the burnt area of the forest. Junior looked back, hoping to see his mother one last time. He sighed as he saw that she was absent, and then continued on with Luna. The two came across an area of the forest that was still green and filled with life. Luna smiled at the scenery around them. She then noticed Junior taking a seat on a bare patch of grass. She followed his lead and took a seat next to him.
"So...what was it that you wanted to talk about?" asked Junior.
"My sister wanted to know if thou were well. She wants you to come back." answered Luna. Junior shook his head.
"No. That can't be true." said Junior. Luna frowned.
"Gojira, come back to Canterlot. Just tell me where to find you and we'll-"
"How can I trust you?! In case you haven't recalled, I'm a fugitive that's wanted to be killed on sight!" retorted Junior.
"What we are telling you is true! She knows about what you are, but she still loves you!" said Luna. She then grabs Junior's shoulders with pleading eyes. "Please, we can help you! My sister was devastated when she discovered that you had fled Ponyville!"
"She...she was?" asked Junior in disbelief.
"She weeps herself to sleep! She is trying everything that she can to bring thou back and to keep thou safe from MONARCH. Please, do not put my sister through the devastation of losing a family member" pleaded Luna. Junior took in the Avatar's words. Celestia was aware of him being a Transmutant, yet she still accepted him and Luna was begging him to return home for her sister.  He was shocked by this discovery and was tempted to return, but one somber thought reminded him of his position.
"I... I want to come back. I would turn back from where I am and travel all of the way back to Canterlot. But I can't" said Junior, solemnly.
"Why?" asked Luna.
"MONARCH is searching for me and Equestria is too dangerous for me to live in anymore. They'll kill me!"
"My sister had set terms with MONARCH before they had occupied our nation. If you willingly surrendered to them, we can vouch for you to allow you to remain in Equestria." suggested Luna. Junior sighed in frustration.
"They did give us that choice, but they tried to kill me anyway!" Junior said in anger. The face of Sunset Shimmer appearing in his mind added fire to his anger. Luna's eyes widened.
"They...they violated one of the terms?!" demanded Luna as she got close to Junior's face. The Transmutant looked away nervously.
"Yeah?" answered Junior in an unsure tone. Luna backed away, processing what she had been told. She wasn't all too familiar with MONARCH and its ways, but she did know that Celestia was weary of their methods and their excessive use of force.
"My sister must know of this. It may prove useful." said Luna. Junior raised a brow in response. She then turned back to Junior.
"Wait, thou said 'us' a minute ago. Are thou alone?" Luna asked curiously. Junior felt no reason to lie. Luna has convinced him that she was here to help.
"No. There are three other Transmutants with me. Celestia met one of them. She's a Neighponese girl with short, white hair." answered Junior. His eyes widened as he recalled his friends.
"Princess Luna, there's another reason why I can't return to Equestria. I would be putting my friends in danger of being captured if I were to bring them. I won't abandon them either." said Junior. Luna was about to protest but was interrupted.
"No! They're the only friends that I have left! And I'll never forgive myself if I ever leave them." said Junior with a hard stare. Luna was downcast at not being able to convince the Transmutant to return home. Junior turned and looked towards the sky.
"Princess, as long as MONARCH is in my way, I can never return home. I don't want to drag Celestia down with my problem." said Junior. He then turned back to Luna with a sad smile. "But, thanks for telling me how she felt about me. I only wish she could have told me face to face."
"Gojira..." Luna scooted closer to Junior, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "We will make sure that it's safe for you to return to Equestria."
"Thanks, Princess." said Junior. Luna gave him a slightly annoyed expression.
"Please, call us... me... Luna." said Luna as she struggled to speak to Junior with modern linguistics. He gave her an amused smile.
"Alright, Luna." said Junior. A small grin appeared on Luna's face, but she immediately wiped it away. She cleared her throat with her head held high to appear regal.
"Much better." said Luna. Junior shook his head in amusement at how the princess tried to hide her joy. The world around them began to rumble. The pair looked up to the sky and saw how it began to morph and light was beginning to shine through. Luna immediately stood to her feet and unfurled her wings.
"Thou waketh! I must leave!" said Luna in urgency. She then took off into the air, leaving Junior on the ground below. Junior stood to his feet and held a hand over his eyes as he tried to catch one last glimpse at the Diarch.
"Take care, sir Gojira!" Luna's voice echoed from above. Junior's eyes were assaulted by a bright flash, leaving him blind.



Junior's eyes shot open. His vision was slightly blurred from just waking up. The Transmutant blinked his reptilian eyes several times to refocus his vision. Junior's mind began to recollect from yesterday's past events. He recalled the fish-women that had attacked him and Angirasu during the night. Junior then noticed his surroundings and saw different sorts of fish that swam around the area. He then noticed a crab walking on a rock that was nearby and the light that shone above. The sky appeared to be rippling as the sunlight reflected off of it. He then noticed the charcoal grey scales that covered his arms.
'Oh, that's right.' thought Junior, recalling that he had fallen asleep in the ocean. He then felt his stomach growling. Junior gave a low bellow as he used his arms to push himself off of the ocean floor. He swayed his tail and his body from side to side, propelling himself through the sea. Junior's eyes looked up to the surface. The sky was barely lit, still leaving a little bit of darkness. Junior realized that he had awoken early in the morning. His stomach began to growl again, causing him to lightly growl. He then noticed a group of fish traveling together. Junior curled his lip into a slight smile. He began to swim lower in the sea, finding the fish to be startled by his approach. They immediately broke off their formation and began to flee. Junior picked up his speed, chasing the closest fish. He stretched his neck as he began to get closer to the fish. He then opened his jaws and clamped down on the fish, engulfing half of it in his mouth. Junior began to chomp on the fish as his sharp teeth tore through the scales and swallowed the fish whole. Junior was still not satisfied, so he decided to pursue the fishes and devoured as many as he could catch.
Junior spent the next several minutes feeding on whatever fish was nearby. He was still hungry, as his larger mass forced him to eat more than he was used to. Junior then decided to head back to shore until he felt the back of his mind tingling. He stopped swimming, his head swiveling around.
'Mosura?' Junior thought to himself. He waited for a response.
'Gojira! Are you alright?!' Mosura's voice echoed in his mind. She sounded distressed. Junior began to worry if he was the cause.
'I'm fine. I was chasing after some creatures that attacked me and Angirasu.' thought Junior. He then began to search the sea around himself. 'Where are you?'
Suddenly, Junior saw a figure with great wings flapping above the surface of the sea. Junior swam up to the surface. His head breached the surface to find Mosura in her moth-like form. She flapped her wings majestically above the waters. Junior raised his head and smiled.
"Found you." said Junior. Mosura lightly giggled as she descended towards Junior.
"Thank goodness that you're alright. Let's go home." said Mosura. Junior nodded to her in response.
"Lead the way." said Junior. Mosura then turned and began to fly off across the sea. Junior then dove his head under water; his dorsal plates were exposed above the surface. The two traveled across the sea, on their way towards land.
After a couple of hours, the sun had risen higher in the sky. Junior and Mosura had finally reached the shore. They were greeted by Angirasu and Rodan, who stood with blankets in their grip. Mosura landed on the beach sand, folding her wings behind her back. She turned to find Junior stomping out of shore-line as the waves passed his feet. His tail swayed as he walked and his feet left large foot prints in the wet sand. Mosura was slightly intimidated by Junior's larger build and height. Junior then found Angirasu tossing a blanket to him, which he caught in his hand. Mosura took the blanket that Rodan had and wrapped it over shoulders. Her body began to morph and shrink down. First, her eyes shrunk and changed back to being human and her body lost its insect anatomy in favor of a feminine human figure. Her wings and her two extra arms were absorbed into her body and her exoskeleton and fuzz were replaced with her pale mammalian skin.
Junior's body shrunk as well, his body build shrinking and his skull changing shape. His tail and dorsal plates were absorbed back into his body. He began to wrap himself in his blanket and covered his nudity as the rough scales had changed back into soft mammalian flesh. Junior craned his neck as his gills disappeared, his bones gave a popping sound. He sighed in relief as the pain that he felt had subsided.
"So, how'd it go?" asked Angirasu. Junior raised a brow.
"The chase? Ah, I let them go. I made sure that I chased them far away. I was too tired to bother coming back to land and decided to sleep." explained Junior.
"How'd that work out?" asked Rodan. Junior smiled.
"It was nice. Makes me want to sleep under water more often."  answered Junior. He then turned to Angirasu.
"Well, what happened while I was gone?" asked Junior. Angirasu cleared his throat.
"Well, we got our largest fish for dinner. I tried asking if they would hire and pay me at least since the guy that was with me now thinks you’re dead. They looked at me like I was crazy after volunteering." said Angirasu. He then sighed. "Now they have fewer men to fish after finding out that Sirens have been responsible for the disappearances of the fishermen."
"Sirens?" asked Junior. Mosura tugged at Junior's blanket in attempt to get his attention.
"Sirens are creatures that have bodies with the upper-half of a woman and the lower half of a fish. They are dangerous, having the ability to kill sailors by causing them to be under a spell and to lose concentration at maintaining their ship as they sing to them. Some even pull men overboard and drown them." said Mosura. Junior looked to her in surprise.
"How did you know that?"
"I actually read about them back in..." Mosura was about to finish but hesitated. She didn't want to bring up painful memories for Junior. He gave her a nod of understanding.
"I get it.” said Junior. Mosura frowned as she sensed the slight heart ache coming from Junior. He then sighed.
"Well, what's strange is that when one of the Sirens was singing to me...I didn't really feel like I was under a spell." said Junior.
"I did. Well, half-way. I felt fine at first but then I began to lose control of myself. I felt like I couldn't resist them." said Angirasu. Junior then thought back to the night. He did feel something, but it wasn't like how Angirasu described it.
"I...I did feel something. It wasn't lust or anything like that. I felt calm. I felt like I was connecting with them. Their voices sounded so welcoming. I can't explain it." said Junior. Rodan then groaned.
"Dude, don't tell me that you're already on the rebound and that you're falling in love with killer fish-women!" Rodan said in exasperation. Junior gave him a dead panned stare.
"No, I don't think that's it." said Junior. Angirasu cleared his throat, grabbing Junior's attention.
"Bottom line, they asked me to come back this afternoon and to bring anyone that I know if I could and they would pay us. They're really desperate to keep their fishing business going." said Angirasu. Junior then pondered the situation. It would be no problem for Angirasu to find anyone to join him as Rodan was supposed to work anyway. However, Junior had to lay low since he is thought to be dead. He couldn't risk being seen by anyone that knew he was there that night. There was also the Sirens, as their antics made the job that his friends would be taking riskier than before. If Angirasu wasn't immune to the spell of the Sirens, then he didn't count on Rodan being immune either, which filled Junior with worry. 
"I don't know about this. You and Gojira almost didn't make it last night. What if the Sirens come back?" asked Mosura in worry. She dreaded the thought of Rodan and Angirasu being dragged to the bottom of the sea, never to be seen again.
"Wait, we might not have to worry about that!" said Junior. The other three Transmutants looked to Junior curiously. "I may not be able to be in the boat helping you fish, but I can hide in the sea while you guys are working. That way I can chase off the Sirens if they come by since I'm immune to their spell!"
"Hey, yeah! I'd feel a lot safer if you were below scaring the crap out of them!" said Rodan in approval.
"That is a great idea." smiled Angirasu. Mosura wore an unsure expression.
“Alright. But Goji...please don't kill them. We don't know what that may bring about in the future. We can't risk more conflict." said Mosura. Junior sighed in response.
"I can't promise that. I have to guarantee the safety of Angirasu and Rodan, no matter what." said Junior. Mosura frowned in response.
"Very well." said Mosura. Junior placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Mosu, you can't keep this up. I don't want to put the scenario on you, but one day you will be forced to take a life." said Junior. Mosura looked away as she heard those words.  Rodan clapped his hands together, then began to rub them together to divert away from the subject.
"Say, how about we head back? You two need to get some clothes on." said Rodan with a chuckle. Mosura blushed in response. She then nodded furiously.
"Yes, let's go!" said Mosura. The Transmutants then left the beach, taking off towards the plateau that held their camp.
	
> Chapter 23: A Day in Town
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Under The Great Inland Sea, light shone down and lit up the ocean floor brightly. The water was cold and the fish roamed the sea together. Eels hid in piles of rocks as they waited for any prey that would swim too close. Kelp forests flowed majestically in the sea. Things were peaceful in these waters. But, that peace was disturbed as a large figure swam nearby. The fish immediately began to swim away, crabs hid in their shells and eels hid in their rocks. They were startled by Junior as he swam in his dragon-like form. His gills flapped every time that he breathed in. His eyes searched the area as he prowled about the sea. He then suddenly decided to hide in the forest of kelp as his nose picked up a familiar scent.
Junior's eyes carefully scanned the sea as the kelp shrouded him. He was lying at the bottom, his rough scales and dorsal plates gave the illusion of jagged rocks. Junior furrowed his brows as he spotted his target. A group of five colorful Sirens prowled the sea. He recognized the black haired woman among them. Junior has been at this mission for two weeks. He would spend the days scaring off any Siren that would come near the boats that fished in the Great Inland Sea. The first week, the Sirens had not returned. But, they began to start appearing more now. They must be really desperate for killing these men. Junior slowly swam out of the forest of kelp. He began to approach the sirens from behind as quietly as he could. He stalked them like a shark, slowly picking up speed. As he got closer, one of the Sirens glanced behind herself. She then gave a terrified scream as she pointed at Junior. The rest of the Sirens looked back and their eyes widened in horror at Junior. The Transmutant began to pick up speed as he bellowed at them. The Sirens began to swim faster, splitting up. Junior chased after the black haired Siren, growling at her as she swam for life. Junior gave a muffled roar as he pursued the Siren. She then began to take sharp turns and performed corkscrew spins as she tried to out swim Junior. The Transmutant was too large to be able to make turns as fast as she did, but his tail and body was strong enough to allow him to swim faster. He continued to chase her, getting closer to her tail. Suddenly, he felt something latch onto his neck. Junior growled in agitation as one of the Sirens had latched herself onto him. The Siren held a bony sawfish's snout that was wrapped to a wooden handle. She then began to saw at Junior's neck. He growled in irritation as he felt the pointed bone rub against his scales. Junior began to shake his head as he tried to get the Siren off of himself. The Siren then noticed the gills on Junior's neck. She swung the sharp bone at one of the flaps, causing Junior's eyes to widen. He screeched in pain as he convulsed, forcing the Siren off of him. He clutched his gill flap as it bled and left a small cloud of blood in the water. He turned and glared at the Siren, who stared at him fearfully. Junior then released his neck and then grabbed the Siren. She screamed as Junior dragged her down to the ocean floor. Junior reared his arm back and threw the Siren to the bottom of the ocean floor. She tucked and rolled as she tried to slow her descent. She rolled along the sand and then slightly floated above the floor. She gasped as she saw Junior approaching. The Siren turned away and began to swim. But, she then realized that she was close to a large rock. She turned and found Junior already too close for her to make a break for it. She then backed up to the rock wall, sitting on her tail as she held her hands over her face and clenched her eyes and teeth. Junior slowed his approach, stopping a couple of feet in front of the Siren as she coward before him.
"P-p-please don't kill me! I don't want to die!" begged the Siren. Junior growled at her as she continued to avoid his gaze. He suddenly stopped as he heard the girl breaking into a sob. His eyes lost their glare and instead widened in surprise. The Siren placed her hands over eyes as she continued to give a pitiful sob. Junior couldn't see any tears since they were under water, but that doesn't stop the Siren from crying. Junior groaned.
‘You have got to be freaking kidding me.' thought Junior. He couldn't stand the sight or sound of girls crying. He began to back away from the girl, keeping a neutral expression.
"Stop crying." Junior said in a deep voice. The girl gasped as she heard Junior spoke. She cautiously removed her hands from her eyes and slightly peaked.
"D-did you just...speak Equish?" questioned the girl.
"Yes." replied Junior. She looked on in surprise as she saw his jaws open and close as he spoke.
"I-I...I never knew dragons could talk like we do." said the Siren. Junior began to notice how young she looked. She appeared to be in her mid-teens.
"They do. But I'm not exactly a dragon. I'm a Transmutant." said Junior. The girl tilted her head in confusion.
"Trans...mutant? What's that?" asked the Siren. Junior looked to her in surprise.
"You don't know?" Junior then shook his head. He then sent a glare back to the Siren. "Never mind. I better not catch you or your friends coming near these boats ever again."
"W-wait. You're not going to eat me?" asked the Siren. Junior snorted in response.
"Hell no. I don't eat humans, even if they are half-fish." said Junior. He then sent his snout closer to the girl, who backed up to the rock again. His muzzle was close to her face as his eyes locked with hers.
"I will not hesitate to kill any of you evil creatures if I catch you attacking these humans again." said Junior in a cold tone. The girl gave him an offended look.
"Wha- We're not evil! We're just-" the Siren was interrupted as Junior bared his teeth at her, silencing her.
"Beat it, kid! You bother me!" said Junior in a harsh tone. The Siren immediately swam away from Junior. He chuckled in response, feeling accomplished. Mosura will be happy to know that he didn't have to hurt any of them today.




Later...

"So, you made her cry?" asked Mosura. Junior nodded in response as he ate a loaf of bread. Junior and Mosura sat together alone at their camp. Mosura sat on her knees as she listened to the story of Junior's morning.
"Yep. She just burst into tears and sobbed. Well, she would have burst into tears that I could see if we weren't underwater." said Junior nonchalantly. He then took another bite of his bread. Mosura sighed in response.
"You're so mean." said Mosura. Junior gave her an offended look.
"No I'm not! I mean...not on purpose! I can be nice, thank you!" said Junior. Mosura giggled at Junior's flustered state. He looked away in embarrassment.
"It's...not like I killed or seriously hurt her or something. I actually let her go when she started crying." said Junior.
"Aaaw~" said Mosura with a smile. Junior's brow twitched in annoyance.
"What?" asked Junior.
"Did her crying make you feel bad? You're so sensitive!" cooed Mosura. Junior scoffed in response.
"Am not!" retorted Junior. Mosura laughed.
"You are so! I remember when you promised to protect Fluttershy back on Nightmare night. That was so sweet of you!" said Mosura. Junior looked away.
"Don't...make such a big deal out of it. That's what friends do, right?" asked Junior. Mosura nodded in response.
"Yeah, but I feel like that you're insecure about your masculinity." teased Mosura. Junior rolled his eyes.
"But still, it's nice to know that you have that side to you." said Mosura. Junior nodded in response. The two continued to sit as they watched the environment around them. The sun was high in the sky, shining over the mountains and dunes. The lizards scurried along the dirt. A mouse hid inside of a burrow and the sound of chirping insects can be heard.
"I guess the desert isn't so bad. I mean, I wouldn't want to live in it forever but it does have its own ecosystem where creatures can thrive. It also has its moments of scenery." said Junior. Mosura nodded in agreement.
"Yes, the world is a beautiful and diverse place." said Mosura. She then looked over towards the village and the kingdom outside of their camp.
"Hey, Goji? Would you mind being my escort into town?" asked Mosura. Junior looked to her curiously.
"What for?" asked Junior.
"Well, I can't go into town alone since it's against the law for women to travel without a man. Plus, we don't hang out enough. I think it'd be nice to spend time together when we aren't running or fighting for our lives." Mosura said with an amused smile. Junior responded with a chuckle.
"Well, when you put it like that I guess sightseeing would be fun." said Junior. Mosura smiled brightly in response. The two stood up to their feet.
"I'll just leave a note for Angirasu and Rodan that we're going to be gone." said Mosura. She then gasped, remembering something important. She immediately rushed over to a bag that sat on the ground and began to dig through it. She mumbled to herself as she looked through the items.
"Aha! Here it is!" Mosura pulled out an orange abaya. Junior raised a brow. Mosura turns back to him and began to usher him away.
"Hey! What are you doing?" asked Junior as Mosura ushered him from the camp.
"I need to change! I'll meet you at the bottom of the plateau!" said Mosura. Junior sighed as he proceeded to walk away.
"Alright, alright, I get it." Junior left the camp and traveled just below the plateau. He waited several minutes with his arms crossed as he looked around the sandy environment. He then heard footsteps approaching from behind. He turned and found Mosura adorning the orange abaya. It's brightness stood out the most, bringing out Mosura's fit figure. She wore a white hood that hid her hair and head, revealing her face. The abaya hugged her body and held a long gown that reached her toes. Mosura did a quick twirl with a bright smile.
"Well, what do you think?" asked Mosura. Junior wore a puzzled expression.
"Wait, when did you have time to get that?" asked Junior.
"I asked Angirasu to find one my size. Poor guy was embarrassed to be the only man in the shop without a woman with him." said Mosura. She then gave Junior an annoyed expression.
"Hey, you didn't answer my question!"
"Oh! Um...It's *ahem* nice." said Junior, avoiding eye contact. Mosura wore a coy smile as she got closer to the flushing man.
"Oh? Are you sure that you don't want to give me a full compliment?" asked Mosura. She then pressed her index finger into Junior's cheek.
"Um...It's pretty. But, it hides most of you. I think a kimono would look better on you." said Junior with a blush. Mosura smiled at him.
"You think so?" asked Mosura. Junior nodded to her. Mosura giggled.
"You're so fun to embarrass." said Mosura. Junior looked away with a scowl. Mosura then took Junior's arm with her own and began to walk with him towards the village
"Thanks for the compliment." said Mosura.
"You're welcome." replied Junior.




Meanwhile in Canterlot, Equestria...

Summer was approaching. Citizens were looking forward towards the upcoming Summer Sun celebration. This year, it was to be held in Mustangia. The humans of Canterlot went about their daily lives. Celestia sat on her throne with a couple of guards, an Elf woman and an Earthbound man in black uniform. Celestia held a hard stare towards the man.
"No. Out of the question." said Celestia. The man held a neutral expression.
"I don't think you understand. We are dealing with a dangerous Transmutant. Lucky Dragon is one of the worst." said the man. Celestia hardened her stare.
"You will not station anymore soldiers in my nation. You also will not pursue Lucky Dragon, I will handle him." said Celestia.
"You?  You're not qualified to handle a Transmutant." mocked the man. The guards glared at the man, infuriated. Celestia shook her head.
"I won't handle him with violence. I will handle him peacefully. Something that your organization does not seem to want to do." said Celestia. She then looks to the man with a glare. 
"Why is it that a few of my subjects have claimed that when Lucky Dragon and three other Transmutants surrendered, one of your soldiers attempted to kill him?" demanded Celestia. The man's eyes widened.
"I..." the man couldn't answer. This was serious. Celestia stood from her throne and slowly descended down from it.
"I had set up terms for MONARCH to allow them to occupy Equestrian territory. They were very specific terms. One of them, you broke. You were supposed to spare any Transmutant that willingly surrendered!" said Celestia, her tone rising. The man gulped in response.
"Years ago, when MONARCH had turned into an international organization dedicated in serving and protecting, nations gathered and passed laws to limit MONARCH's power, especially during the rise of Transmutant terrorists. MONARCH is not allowed to racial profile the citizens of whatever nation they were in. MONARCH will answer to the leader of whatever nation that they are occupying and they are to be outside of any civilian settlements." Celestia stalked closer to the man in uniform, her eyes cold and hard. The man nervously stood by as the Avatar approached him.
"MONARCH has violated a major term that I have set. You were going to kill an innocent that surrendered willingly. Never have I heard MONARCH abuse its power and do anything as dishonorable as this. You even neglected to mention that Lucky Dragon was a child!" said Celestia, her tone infuriated.
"Yes, he was a child. We only intended to eliminate Alpha. We were going to spare the boy. But that's changed now that he has grown. He's displayed symptoms of psychosis." said the man. Celestia's eyes hardened her glare.
"I have raised him since he was just a little boy. He may have suffered from depression, but he never displayed a psychotic episode." said Celestia, her voice low. The man's eyes widened in shock.
"You knew. All this time, you had him?!" demanded the man. The guards rose their spears at the man. He immediately calmed himself. Celestia held her glare.
"I only found out recently that he was a Transmutant. I did take him in and raise him as if he were my own. And I am glad that I did." said Celestia. She then turned around and made her way towards her throne. "MONARCH's services will no longer be needed. I want all of your forces out of my country."
"You can't do this!" said the man. Celestia turned back to him.
"The law says, 'if MONARCH were to violate the terms set by a nation's ruler, they will no longer have a right to be within said nation. The ruler may remove MONARCH's influence. If MONARCH refuses to pull out of a nation, they will face persecution.' You would be wise not to violate Equestria's sovereignty, for there will be dire consequences." said Celestia. The man held a hard stare at the Diarch.
"He's clouding your judgment, your majesty. If you remove us from your nation, you run the risk of being defenseless against the Transmutants." warned the man. Although he rather not have MONARCH in a fire pit roasting in front of several other nations allied with Equestria, he had to convince her to allow them to remain in Equestrian territory.
"We can stand on our own without you. Leave." commanded Celestia. The man turned and made his way towards the exit of the throne room.
"Princess, unless you have Lucky Dragon in your presence, he is not safe from us. We have orders to eliminate him, no matter what. We will find him." said the man as he continued moving towards the exit. Celestia sat on her throne, glaring towards the man.
"Not if I find him first." said Celestia. The man stopped, looking towards Celestia with a smirk.
"Hmph. 'If' you find him." with that, the man turned back and left. Celestia sighed. This was only the beginning. With MONARCH leaving, people may begin to question her motives. Her guards will need to be prepared in case of these attacks were to continue in Equestria. The elf woman that was in the room stood by nervously.
"Princess, how will you find him without any leads?" questioned the woman. Celestia looked over to her.
"We have to welcome Transmutants into our kingdom. Doing so may encourage Junior to return." answered Celestia. The woman looked to her in shock.
"Pardon me, Princess. Is that really a wise decision? We can't possibly trust every single Transmutant and let them come in willy nilly!" said the woman. Celestia gave her an amused smile.
"No, but we can find some that may be trustworthy." said Celestia. The woman gave her a raised brow.
"Trustworthy?" asked the woman. Celestia nodded.
"There have been rumors of a group of vigilantes with superior physical abilities that has recently appeared in Equestria. They have been said to help the innocent in need and in danger." said Celestia.
"I have never heard of them. Where are they?" asked the woman.
"Somewhere near Mustangia. My cousin lives there and came to visit a couple of weeks ago and said that he saw a man and some woman fight off a group of seven to ten diamond dogs by themselves. Those creatures were part of a clan that has been harassing anyone that strayed far from the town." said one of the guards. He then went stiff as he caught Celestia giving him a stare. He mentally scolded himself for breaking his silence and discipline. Celestia gave him a smile and looked back towards the woman.
"Exactly! I suspect that this group may be a small group of Transmutants! Their physical abilities and feats are beyond what an ordinary Earthbound can perform! They even leave a symbol behind everywhere they visit!" said Celestia. She then raises her hand as it was engulfed in a golden aura and levitates a quill and parchment. She dips the quill into a small jar of ink and began to scribble something down on the parchment. The woman watched curiously, wondering what sort of symbol these alleged Transmutants would leave. Celestia then sets the quill down and levitates the parchment down. The woman eyed the symbol with a raised eyebrow. It was a set of characters that she recognized to be from one of the Eastern nations.
保護者
"What does it mean?" asked the woman. Celestia smiled in response.
"It comes from the Neighponese language. It says, 'Hogo-sha'. Which translates to, 'Guardian'.” answered Celestia. The woman continued to stare at the characters. She was awed by how much meaning can these characters hold and their stylistic appearance. Her eyes then widened in surprise.
"I had no idea that you knew Neighponese, your highness." said the woman. Celestia smiled as she lied back on her throne.
"Well, when you make a friend in another country, you might get curious and would want to learn more about their language and culture." said Celestia as she fondly recalled the days that she had spent with Junior's father. She then shook her head, remembering to get back on topic.
"I want to give these Transmutants an opportunity to be able to show my subjects that there is more to them than they realize. I plan to invite them to this coming Summer Sun Celebration." said Celestia.
"But how will you find them? Surely they are smart enough to avoid humans even if they do protect them lest they risk MONARCH finding them." said the woman, not feeling confident in the benevolent Diarchy's plan.
"We will have to find a way to encourage them that I welcome them. We can have some specialists observe Mustangia and interview the citizens on this group. If we can get word out that there is a group of Transmutants risking their lives to protect people, then people might want to give them the chance to prove themselves. Thus, helping the Transmutants to grow more comfortable." said Celestia.
"And, we may also be able to get young Takeshi to return." said the woman. Celestia smiled at how fast one of her staff had caught on.
"Indeed. I will even have my sister visit him in his dreams again for an invite to this year's Summer Sun Celebration."




Meanwhile back in Saddle Arabia...

Junior and Mosura stood close by as they walked through the village. As usual, it was bustling with its busy day. The sun's heat bathed the citizens and Transmutants. Junior sighed as he wiped his brow. He then looks to Mosura.
"Hey, aren't you hot in that?" asked Junior.
"A little. But the fabric on this allows a nice breeze to flow in. Plus, I changed into shorts and a t-shirt before I put this on." answered Mosura.
"Fascinating." said Junior. The pair continued to walk into the village. They found street performers doing their usual routine. They had decided to sit and watch as a man walked on needles, much to their horror. They questioned the sanity of the man and if he even felt pain. They watched a man play music as a small monkey danced. Mosura's eyes stared at the primate with large eyes that twinkled at the sight of the creature. She even pulled out a coin and held it out to the monkey, who took it gratefully. The pair had later left the area, continuing on.
"That monkey was so adorable!" cried Mosura.
"Meh. I guess." said Junior. Mosura gave him a raised brow.
"You don't like monkeys?" asked Mosura.
"More like primates in general. I'm not a fan of animals that fling their poop around." said Junior in disgust. "But, I guess I would prefer to be around monkeys instead of apes."
"Yeah, the poo flinging is a downside to them. But, I still think they're cute animals." said Mosura. The two continued to walk and came across a restaurant.
"Let's stop here and eat." said Mosura.
"Sounds good." The pair made their way into the building, feeling the cool air wash over them. Junior and Mosura sighed as they felt the cold air. The restaurant was small, filled with only a few people. The stone walls were perfectly carved, creating a large room where tables lied. The pair was led by a man to one of the tables. After they had arrived at their provided table, they sat and began to look over the menu for their meal.


	

Later...

Junior and Mosura sat across from each other. Their plates were filled with food that had nearly been cleaned of food. Only few bits of their meals remained. The two sat as they laughed.
"OK, so Rodan had this 'brilliant' idea to try and come up with this new sauce made from stuff such as ketchup, hot sauce, fish oil and a few other stuff that I can't remember; It comes out as this goopy brown gunk that gave off a disgusting stench." said Mosura as she calmed herself. Junior held a grin with light chuckles escaping his throat.
"Gross! So what happened?"
"Get this, he looks to me and Angirasu and asks, 'So, who wants to try some?' We both looked at him with our jaws dropped at how nonchalant he was about it. So I say to him, 'Are you kidding me? That stuff smells like something died!' Rodan then gets offended and responds, 'Fine! More for me!' Then dinner time came around." Mosura said as began to giggle. Junior kept his laugh in.
"Oh...Pfft! Oh, no." said Junior.
"So, we sat in the kitchen and began to eat with laundry pins on our noses as Rodan began to put that awful stuff on his food. He takes a bite, and I swear that I saw him nearly burst into tears after he took that bite. Then, he swallows it!" said Mosura. Junior gagged at the thought of somebody consuming something hazardous as this 'sauce'.
"So, the next hour he ended up getting sick from food poisoning. I was actually surprised that he got sick with him being...you know. But I guess that it was something that absolutely did not agree with his stomach." said Mosura as she took a bite out of a tomato slice that sat on her plate.
"My god, I can actually see him doing something like that. He even had weird horror story ideas. It's no surprise that he would come up with a horrible sauce." said Junior with a chuckle.
"Well, he doesn't make the wisest decisions with his ideas, but I encourage him since I like that he has creativity. I just need to make sure that he doesn't try something like that incident years ago when we were first in the Everfree." said Mosura. Junior took a bite out of his beef steak, taking slow chews as he thought back to Ponyville. He hadn't thought of it since last week. He was happy to know that Celestia still accepted him and that Luna was kind enough to help him deliver a couple of messages to her. But, he still couldn't shake the disappointment that his Ponyville friends rejected him. He swallowed his food and then sighed.
"I miss that forest." said Junior. Mosura nodded in agreement.
"Me too." said Mosura. The two sat in silence for several seconds. They then continued to finish their meal.



Junior and Mosura walked through the village. The sun was high in the afternoon. It was the afternoon and the streets were less busy. The pair walked over towards an area with few people.  Mosura looked to Junior with questioning eyes.
"Goji, do you hate yourself?" asked Mosura. Junior looks to her briefly and then looks away.
"Don't bother lying. I just found my answer." said Mosura. Junior sighed. She then looks to him with a frown. "Why are you always so hard on yourself?" 
"I don't know. I guess...I just feel like that I am just destined to fail. I mean, I look at my dad and he always seemed like a winner. He was a great warrior! Here I am as a wanted fugitive. How can I amount to that?"
"Goji, you can't compare yourself to your father. You're an individual; you make your own decisions and claim your own victories. Look, you will have times where you will fail, but you must rise above that! Don't live in your father's shadow!" said Mosura. Junior looks up to the sky as he processed her words.
"Do you think... MONARCH is evil?" asked Junior. Mosura's eyes widened in surprise. But, she began to understand what he meant.
"You mean, do I think the soldiers are evil or anyone associated with them?" asked Mosura. Junior nodded.
"I don't think that they are evil. At least, not all of them. They're people just like us. I do think that the organization is corrupt." said Mosura.
"Right." said Junior with a sigh. The pair stopped and sat and watched the crowds beginning to lessen. The two sat in silence as they watched the streets grow less crowded and the area began to grow quieter.
"Mosu, I want to thank you." said Junior. Mosura looks to him curiously.
"For what?"
"For being there for me when I was lost. I don't think I would be able to handle being the only Transmutant with no other that I could trust. I don't regret meeting you and the others." answered Junior. Mosura smiled to him.
"Well, we Transmutants have to stick together!" said Mosura. Junior looks to her with his own smile.
"No, friends have to stick together." said Junior. Mosura lightly giggled in response.
"Of course."
	
> Chapter 24
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Mustangia, Equestria...

The day was clear in the sky above the land. The heat was steadily rising, leaving citizens to adorn their summer apparel, ranging from short sleeved shirts, shorts, sunglasses, etc. It was a peaceful day, but not everyone enjoyed it. Baragon sat outside of a cave that rested in one of the tall, rocky mountains outside of the town. He wore dark sun glasses as he sat with his arms crossed over his chest on a large stone. His ears picked up the sound of footsteps of someone approaching him from the cave.
"There you are! I've been looking for you!" said a cheerful feminine voice. Baragon turned to find a 6 feet tall woman with long jade hair. Baragon grumbled to himself upon hearing the woman, which caused her to raise her brow at him.
"What's wrong? You seem like you're in a bad mood."
"Oh? I didn't realize!" Baragon said sarcastically. The woman recoiled at his tone, but then cleared her throat.
"Well, I was looking for you so that I can tell you that it’s our turn today to go shopping in the town."
"Fine. I guess it's better than sitting on my butt all day." sighed Baragon. The woman smiled in response. The pair took off away from the mountain and into the vast plain of desert rock. The two walked in silence, which made the woman nervous.  She fiddled with her thumbs, hoping to strike a conversation.
"So...what's been eating you lately?" asked the woman. Baragon sighed.
"Manda, you ever wonder why we're here?" asked Baragon. Manda hummed in thought.
"Well, that's one of life's greatest mysteries. Why are we here? I mean what purpose in life do we all have in this world? What does anything-" asked Manda. Baragon merely looked at her with a raised brow.
"What? No, I meant why are we out here, looking out for these humans." interrupted Baragon with a deadpanned stare. Manda blushed and tittered in embarrassment.
"Ooooh. Yeah...never mind." muttered Manda. Baragon shook his head.
"Anyway, why are we doing this?" asked Baragon.
"Well, to protect the humans of course." answered Manda.
"No, no, I know that. But, what I'm getting at is why should we be protecting these ingrates if they're just going to turn on us?  A lot of people already hate us and don't want anything to do with us. There was a town that ran me out and sent MONARCH after me."
"I used to feel the same way, but Goro once protected villagers from an attack of mantises. Even though most of the people scorned him, at least one of them tried to stand up for him. After hearing that, I realized that people can accept us. We just need to show them that we're on their side." argued Manda.
"Yeah? How's that going so far?" asked Baragon.
"We're making progress." said Manda.
"Hmph. I bet." said Baragon with a scoff. The pair continued on to the town. Baragon places a hat over his head, hoping to conceal his identity.
"Why do you insist on wearing those sunglasses every day? Even when it’s partially cloudy?" asked Manda.
"Because my eyes are sensitive to the sunlight. I'm partially blind during the day but I can see a lot better in the dark." answered Baragon. Manda frowned in response.
"I'm sorry to hear that. Today's nice."
"Nah, it's alright. The day time is overrated anyway." chuckled Baragon. Manda began to survey the town. Everything seemed normal. People were going about their business. Children played, couples sat together, and friends chatted. However, she felt that something was off about the town. Her ears picked up idle conversations.
"Did you hear about Princess Celestia banning MONARCH from Equestrian soil?" asked a man among the locals.
"Yeah. I hate to say anything negative about her but I think she's lost it.” said another man.
"What are we going to do if those awful Transmutants comeback?!" asked a panicked woman.
"I'm more worried about those Diamond Dogs. There are more of them than there are Transmutants." said the first man.
Manda decided to move away from the crowd, not wanting to listen to the direction that the conversation was headed. She did find it curious as to why would the Princess of Equestria would suddenly ban MONARCH, an organization capable of taking on an army of ruthless Transmutants. Manda and Baragon continued through the town, heading into one of the stores. Baragon kept himself from making eye contact with any of the locals while Manda merely gave friendly smiles to whoever they came across. Despite her being less human, her politeness was something that she couldn't possibly stop. The two began to search the store for whatever necessities that they needed.
"Did you hear about that couple that was attacked by Diamond Dogs the other day?" asked a woman. Manda's ears perked up again.
"I did! I even heard how they were saved by some guy and a lady!" said another woman. Manda slightly turned her head, and then lightly tapped Baragon's shoulder. The shorter Transmutant turned and began to listen in on the conversation,
"Yeah but get this!  They might have been those vigilantes that have been appearing here lately!" said the first woman.
"That's amazing! Ever since those Diamond Dogs showed up, I've been afraid to leave town to visit my family. Now we have people standing up to them!" the second woman said with glee. Manda smiled to herself as she heard the women conversed.
"You know, I've been hearing rumors that these two might actually be Transmutants." whispered the first women.
"No way!" laughed the other woman.
"No, think about it! Who in the world can stand up to a dozen Diamond Dogs and come out with barely a scratch? The couple said that they moved like no other Earthbounds that they have ever seen. They were incredibly strong and fast!"
"But why would Transmutants want to help us? What are they getting out of it?" asked the second woman. The first woman shrugged.
"They probably don't get anything out of this. For all we know, they're just doing it because they want to."
"But aren't they the bad guys?'
"After hearing about this, I'm beginning to have my doubts on at least these ones." said the first woman. Manda's smile grew as she heard those last few words. Goro was the one who suggested that they should start helping people, even when it might expose them for what they were. She was hesitant at first, but Goro helped her realize that hiding all of the time and doing nothing would not help things get better. This woman voiced an unpopular opinion to her friend, so odds are there were other people who shared her point of view.



The sun was high in the sky, signaling noon. The area was filled with noise and clamoring. The sound of a train whistle pierced the air and echoed inside of the mountain of Mocks Deep. People walked through the cave, stopping at vendors and shops to acquire the items that they need or want. Sunset and Erika walked through the cave in their civilian clothing. They were once searching for the wanted Transmutants from Ponyville just a couple of days ago. While they were there, they had no luck in finding Lucky Dragon, but a team of soldiers stationed in that town did find a lone Transmutant. Unfortunately, they reported that they were knocked unconscious by someone with incredible strength. This led to the conclusion that the Transmutant was not alone. Sunset and Erika had been assisting in the MONARCH base set up in Mustangia, suspecting that Lucky Dragon was in close proximity to the base. Their search has been unsuccessful, especially when there were Diamond Dogs attacking outside of the town.
MONARCH has been wrapped up in finding Transmutants and combating the Diamond Dogs, but their attempts of finishing the mission were unsuccessful. Now, there was something else that had set the young Elf into a sour mood.
"I can't believe this! MONARCH is pulling out of Equestria!" said Sunset, her face red with anger. Erika nodded in agreement.
"Neither can I. It's very peculiar that we're suddenly being ordered to pull out." said Erika. The two continued on through the cave and finally made it outside. The sun assaulted their eyes, causing them to squint them. Their eyes had met with the sight of boats near the docks. From there, they saw a great metal ship that was among several smaller civilian ships. A cylinder sat on the top of the ship with the MONARCH insignia painted across it. The ship had large cannons on its sides and small circular windows across it. Civilians eyed the warship uneasily.  Sunset sighed dejectedly as she and Erika walked along a metal boardwalk that led up the side of the ship. They stepped on board as they entered through a great door. A man in uniform then walks up to the two.
"I.D." said the man. Erika and Sunset reached into their pockets and both pulled out a card that depicted their own faces. It depicted their rank and serial numbers along with their call signs.  The man nodded in approval.
"Alright, you both check out." the man then leaves the two and heads away from the two. He continues on through the narrow halls of the ship that were lit up by lights. After several turns and ascensions through stairs, he made his way toward the bridge of the ship. The bridge was filled with a few other people. The captain stood among them and watched the sea.
"That's the last of them captain." said the man who had just entered the bridge.
"Good. Set a course for Zebrabwe." commanded the captain.
The ship's engine began to propel the ship away from the docks and further out into the Great Inland Sea. The warship sailed across the waters, the sun reflecting off of its metal plating. The ship turned right, making its way out of Equestrian territory.



Sunset sat alone on a small table. She was inside of the battleship's mess hall, where several dozen other soldiers waited in line to gain their meal or who were searching for a seat. The room was large and had metal walls along with tables that were scattered in rows. The ceiling was covered in lights that lit up the mess hall. Sunset sat as she ate her meal, which comprised of peas, mash potatoes and a slice of bread. She and all of the soldiers wore grey shirts and black jeans. The clothes were often worn by the soldiers when off duty. The other soldiers began to take seats at tables that were away from Sunset's and started conversing amongst themselves. However, Sunset noticed the glances of a couple of other soldiers that were directed towards her. She assumed that they were gossiping about her since they kept turning back and speaking amongst each other in quieter voices. Erika sighed as she continued to eat.
"Mind if I sit here?" asked a familiar voice. Sunset turns to find Erika standing with a tray of food as she had a smile plastered on her face.
"Go ahead." answered Sunset. Erika made her way towards a chair that was across from Sunset, taking a seat and preparing to eat. The two young women sat in silence as they ate. Sunset then noticed the food that Erika had on her tray. It was filled with green beans and baby carrot sticks. A small pile of rice sat on the tray along with slices of meat.
"So... you like meat?" Sunset asked awkwardly. Erika nodded to her.
"Yep."
"What kind of meat is it?" asked Sunset. As a vegetarian, she never paid mind to the different kinds of meat that people of other cultures had feasted on. She felt that now would be a good excuse to find out a little bit about it.
"It's beef. Want some?" offered Erika with a smile. Sunset waved her hand with a nervous smile.
"Uh... no, thank you. I don't think I'm comfortable yet with trying meat, having a heritage where vegetarians are the norm." declined Sunset. Erika shrugged in response.
"Suit yourself." said Erika. She then took a bite of one of the slices of beef, tasting the juicy and spiced flavor that danced on her taste buds.  Sunset went back to eating her meal, but a thought kept nagging at the back of her mind. She wondered why MONARCH was suddenly pulling its forces out of Equestria, especially her and Shiragami. After all, it was their job to hunt down and eliminate Lucky Dragon. The thought of this merely frustrated Sunset Shimmer. Her ears suddenly picked up the sound of approaching footsteps. She turned to find a couple of other soldiers approaching their table with trays in their hands. One of them was an Earthbound man and the other was a Valkyrie woman.
"Mind if we sit here?" asked the Valkyrie.
"Go ahead." Sunset and Erika said in unison. Erika looked to Sunset with an amused smile. Sunset merely looked away in embarrassment. The two other soldiers sat at the table.
"Man, it's crazy how MONARCH is suddenly banned from Equestria, it was just a few weeks after the appearance of Lucky Dragon in Ponyville." said the Earthbound man as he took a bite out of an apple. Sunset's eyes widened as her mind fully registered the word, 'banned'.
"Wait, did you just say 'banned'?" asked Sunset, trying to keep her tone calm. The man looked to her curiously.
"Oh, you didn't hear? Apparently, Princess Celestia recently banned MONARCH from Equestrian soil. That’s the reason why MONARCH is ordering us to pull out and to relocate further south of the continent. "
"Wait, why would she do that? She's willing to sacrifice the guaranteed safety of her subjects by banning us?" asked Erika in shock.
"I honestly have no idea what she's thinking. I guess she isn't too thrilled that we let Lucky Dragon and those other Transmutants get away, especially after that attack on Ponyville. I guess she must think we're incompetent and can't guarantee their safety. A lot of good men and women died that day from soldiers to civilians." the Earthbound said with a sigh. The Valkyrie stared at her cup of water, not taking a sip.
"What am I going to do?" whispered the Valkyrie. The Transmutant and Earthbound curiously looked towards the Valkyrie, who trembled in her seat.
"I have family in one of the towns that are more vulnerable to an attack. I can't return home to protect them from those monsters. None of us can go back!" the Valkyrie said as she gritted her teeth, her voice distraught. Erika placed a comforting hand on the Valkyrie's shoulder. Sunset sat with a scowl and her fist clenched.
'Damn you, Celestia. Not only have you wronged me again, but also the ones who sacrificed their lives to protect the people you rule over. I will never forgive you for this. This is the second biggest mistake that you'll ever make in your entire life!' Sunset thought with spite. Her hatred to the Diarch had not settled in the last several years. In fact, it increased after the news of her outrageous decision to ban MONARCH from Equestria.



The day was setting as the soldiers decided to rest after their long day. The massive warship sailed across the ocean, the wind blowing into the faces of those still on deck. An Elf man was mopping the deck with several others. Sweat drenched their faces as they worked to get the deck spotless. The Elf held the mop over the bucket and squeezed the head of the mop, releasing the dirty water inside. He sighed in exhaustion. As a MONARCH staff member, he had the job of cleaning the ships, which wasn’t respected by a lot of people, but it provided him with good pay for him and his family.
"I heard that the Princess of Equestria banned MONARCH from setting foot there ever again." said one of the workers.
"That's crazy! Who in their right mind would do something like that?!" exclaimed another worker.
"Yeah, I feel sorry for the citizens. Poor bastards won't last long when those Transmutant terrorists come back." said another worker. He slapped the mop across the deck, working his way over the stains.
"Why do you think she would do something like that?" asked the first worker.
"It could be anything. She is trying to run a peaceful nation, which she's done a pretty good job without going to war with other nations in the last one thousand years. That is until the Transmutants started showing up in Equestria." said one of the workers.
"I'm all for peace and all, but there's a time where you need to suck it up and fight back. It makes me glad that I'm not living in Equestria anymore. I haven't noticed that Princess Celestia has just been coddling us with this idealism of a peaceful utopia." The men all murmured in agreement. As they continued on with their work, a group of soldiers walked past the deck, conversing amongst themselves.
"Why would she ban MONARCH from Equestria?" asked one of the soldiers.
"I heard that some of our comrades broke one of the terms set by the Princess. The one about not killing a Transmutant that surrendered willingly." answered one of the soldiers.
"I heard it was Lucky Dragon that surrendered. A C.O. in Ponyville gave the order to take him out." said one of the other soldiers. These soldiers continued on into the halls of the battleship.
"Swell, now that bastard is going to get away." spat a soldier. They continued on through the halls, making their way into the mess hall, where other soldiers waited in line. A lot of soldiers were discussing their surprise about MONARCH being banned from Equestria. It was such an unexpected turn and worrisome subject for a large number.
"Jeez. So much for being close to home during this war." said one of the soldiers in the group. He then sighed in frustration. "I feel like a dick for some reason now that the princess banned us. I joined MONARCH so I can protect my home from Destoroyah and his group."
"I know how you feel. I can't believe she would make a bold decision like this. I have no doubt that she's strong, but she can't be everywhere at once if an attack were to occur. She wouldn't even get the news on time." said another soldier. A large number of Equestrian soldiers felt worry for their home. They were also worried for the benevolent ruler of their nation. Although they worked to protect other nations that agreed to allow MONARCH's occupation, they had a stronger desire to protect Equestria. They hoped that their enemy would be defeated soon, so that they may return home to their families and friends.



"Bah! The Equestrian princess is a fool if she thinks that she can handle these Transmutants without us." said a woman with grey eagle wings and a white tail. She sat at a large table in a small room where a few other men and women sat with her. They all bore eagle wings and lion tails as well. The Griffons tend to hang out with other members of their race when off duty, feeling a more sense of community in this military of diverse races and cultures. There is yet to be Diamond Dogs or whatever other sapient creature that MONARCH would be more willing to trust in their ranks. This is due to how other creatures such as the Changelings are creatures ruled over by individuals that strive for conquest or are not willing to assist humans.
"Agreed. Just one can take out one hundred of her guards in 3 minutes." chuckled one of the male Griffons.
"Be respectful to our Equestrian neighbors. Her decision is most questionable, but she must have good reason." said an older male Griffon, his brown hair greying and his face slightly wrinkled with his age.
"Maybe, but still..."
"As long as I can still get a paycheck, I don't care." said a female Griffon. The elder gave her a look of disapproval.
"There is more to life than money, young one."
"Like what?" asked the Griffon in a challenging voice.
"Honor." the elder answered.
"Honor? Honor isn't going to pay for my college loans! I'll be living in poverty after I am relieved of duty unless I can come up with the money to pay my loans off. I have little to show from my time in school too!" spat the Griffon woman.
"Perhaps you should choose MONARCH as a permanent career like I did. It pays well." suggested a burly Griffon man as he took a swig of an alcoholic beverage. The female Griffon looked to him with a glare.
"That's easy for an ex bounty hunter who's profession is killing, but I want a career that doesn't involve me always looking at death in the eye!"
"Tell me, do you even know what you want to do?" asked the burly Griffon. The woman was about to respond, but failed to formulate an answer.
"Hmm. Did you blindly go to college without thinking about what you wanted for your future?" asked the Elder Griffon.
"Yes..." answered the woman. The elder nodded in understanding.
"I see. Well, I suggest you make plans on what you want to do with your life before you are allowed to leave MONARCH. That way, you may be able to prepare to try again with your education." said the elder. The woman lowered her head in shame. She lived a careless life when she was young and her parents would always scold her for her lack of foresight and ambition. She felt foolish for not heeding their words and regretted not heeding to their advice.




MONARCH Alpha Base. Location: Classified...

The area was vast and flat. The sky was covered in darkness from the evening. Clouds hung in the sky, bringing rain water down. In the middle of this vast and flat land was the Alpha base. The headquarters and command post for all of MONARCH. It was a great fortress made of steel and iron.  Large turrets formed a perimeter around the base, and barbed wire fences surrounded the facility behind the turrets. Large metal vehicles moved without horses pulling them. They were boxed shaped and each one had a long cannon that stuck out, facing forward from the top. Their wheels were covered in treads that allowed these vehicles to run over the muddy ground.  Large mechs with turrets that replaced their arms and mechs with large blades and shoulders that held rockets surveyed the area. Their red and blue visors and optics glowed in the dark night.
Inside of a smaller building near the base was filled with great walls and vast amounts of workers. The engineers were working on the vehicles and mechs that were to be used in combat. The sound of hammers beating and the saws buzzing echoed in the depot. Smog filled the air over the base, being expelled out of twin pipes.
The barracks for MONARCH's sources were located behind the main base, where the soldiers were resting in the night. Inside of the main base were several dozen soldiers that roamed the halls. The dark halls were cold, covered in the cold steel. Inside of a large room was an older man with slant eyes, standing in a black uniform. He had several stars pinned to his shoulders on his uniform. He stood among several other men in uniform with a serious expression. Everyone was silent under this man of command.
"This is a problem. Lucky Dragon is too much of a threat to be left alive. His power is a hazard to non-Transmutants." said the general. The other men murmured in agreement. The general began to slowly walk around the room; the eyes of the other men followed him. His commanding tone unnerved the other men.
"After years of him being presumed dead, he has popped back on radar. We were close to finally ending the threat. Unfortunately, that was prevented when Princess Celestia of Equestria had restricted our presence." said the general. He stopped walking and looked towards men with a hard stare.
"As you know, the higher ups are not pleased about this. In fact, one of them is here." said the general. The men all murmured amongst themselves in surprise. The general looks to the military police officers that stood near the large metal door. He nods to them, signaling them to open the door. From behind the doors, was an elder male Elf. His hair was grey and his face covered in wrinkles. He wore a black suit and khakis that clashed with his pale skin. His eyes were red as rubies. The man walks into the room with a neutral expression.
"Attention!" shouted the general. The men in the room immediately stood at attention in silence. The general saluted the elderly man.
"At ease." said the elderly man in a slightly rasped voice. The men in the room relaxed, taking a seat.
"I am Director Onyx. I am here on behalf of the high command of MONARCH. I am to confirm what the general has told you. We are extremely displeased with your failure to eliminate Lucky Dragon. Even if it was one commanding officer not a part of this base that gives an order to eliminate him, all of MONARCH's military units can be stereotyped by the actions of one that has broken a term set by the rulers of the nation we had served." said the elder man. He began to circle around the men in the room, making his way to the general.
"Equestria was an important asset for our expansion. It held the most brilliant minds on magic, who would have assisted in crushing Destoroyah and his band of freaks." said Onyx with a look of disapproval. The general kept himself composed before the Elf.
"But, I suppose that it was wishful thinking that we could remain in Equestria for as long as we planned. Celestia was actually reluctant of our presence at first." said Onyx as he turned away with a sigh. The general felt his heart race as, despite the Elf’s seemingly weak body, he could feel the power radiating from the Elf when he got too close to the general. His muscles relaxed as the Elf began to walk away.
"Lucky Dragon is safe in Equestria, for now. But I won't count on it to last. MONARCH will find a way to draw him out. And when he is exposed, we will be ready. After him, Destoroyah is next." said Onyx in a low tone.  He made his way over to the door, but then he turned back to look at the general.
"Thank you for your service. I do hope that next time that I return, it will not be because of something such as the incident in Equestria." said Onyx.
"Of course, sir." said the general. Onyx smiled in response. He then turned and made his way outside of the room. He met with two men in black armor, with rifles in their hands. The MONARCH insignia was painted white on their helmets with red visors that hid their eyes. The guards escorted Onyx through the base, making their way outside.
They were walking on a road that led to a field where many airships sat.  Among these airships was a massive airship. It rested on the ground, with steel plating protecting the balloon, which depicted the MONARCH insignia. The balloon carried a large rectangular Gondola that extended nearly to the front and back of the balloon. Cannons sat on both sides of the Gondola. On the sides of the airship were four massive propellers. Four smaller propellers were behind the gondola in order to move the airship forward. Onyx and his guards entered the airship, where several staff members awaited them along with several soldiers.
"Get to your stations, we are leaving." commanded Onyx. The men all immediately went to their stations, preparing the ship for takeoff. Workers in the engine room wore gas masks and protective gear, shoveling pounds of coal into several furnaces. The heat bathed them, causing the men to sweat profusely.
Soldiers went to their barracks, waiting for the ship to take off. In the cockpit area, several men and women went off to computer consoles, checking the statuses of the propellers and the weapons. Onyx made his way over to a chair in the cockpit area. One man made his way to a metal wheel that sat close to the frontal windows. He locked his hands on the wheel, waiting for his orders.
"The Typhoon is ready sir." announced a woman on a computer console. Onyx takes a seat in the chair, his arms on the arm rest.
"Take off." commanded Onyx. The ship began to rumble, its propellers began to spin. The large blades began to beat against the wind, slowly picking up speed. The airship gave a loud sound as the propellers moved at high speeds, blowing dust all around it. The ship suddenly began to slowly rise above the ground, ascending higher and higher. After reaching a few hundred feet above the ground, the ship began to fly forward into the rainy night. Thunder roared in the night, lightning flashed across the sky.
"Set up the magic barrier." commanded Onyx. A man moved across his console and grabbed a microphone.
"Set up the magical barrier. We're heading near a lightning storm." the man spoke over an intercom. After a minute, the men and women in the cockpit saw the glow of magic encasing the ship. The light began to gently pulse in the night. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck the top of the airship, but was reflected by the barrier. Onyx smiled. He then stood to his feet and made his way to the exit of the cockpit.
"Keep this ship on course. I have matters that need my attention." Onyx made his way through the Gondola, entering into a room that was secluded from the others. He looked back, to make sure that he was alone. He then slid the door to the side and stepped into a dark room. It was empty with only a few lights lighting it up. Onyx slid the door shut and locked it. He turned back and made his way to the center of the room. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small crystal. He set the crystal down in the center and pointed a finger at it. A red magic beam shot and connected with the crystal, causing it to glow. The crystal suddenly brought up apparitions of several other men. They were a mix of Earthbounds, Elves and Valkyries. Onyx stepped back a bit from the crystal.
"I am returning from Alpha base. I have discussed my displeasure with their failure and the loss of occupying Equestria." informed Onyx.
"Those useless fools. They can't even honor one simple term set by a peace loving Princess." spat one of the Earthbounds.
"Yes, but Lucky Dragon is a threat that needs to be dealt with. If he is anything like the Alpha, he will cause a great death toll with his destructive power." said an Elf.
"Project Kiryu is nearly complete. Project Rose is proving useful, given Shiragami's daughter fighting prowess and her compatibility with Private Shimmer.  When we draw Lucky Dragon out, the combined might of Kiryu and Rose will obliterate him." said a Valkyrie. An Elf looks to Onyx in curiosity.
"Does Private Sunset Shimmer know about..." the Elf does not finish, hoping that Onyx would get the hint at what he meant.
"No. She still does not know. She has yet to realize it, but she is stronger than she thinks." said Onyx. The men nodded to Onyx in response.
"Very well, Director Onyx. We must make sure that the lower ranks are still ignorant to our plans. We can't afford a rebellion among our ranks." said an Earthbound.  The men all murmured in agreement.
"Honestly, we’re wasting money just to make sure that we kill these damned failed experiments." complained a Valkyrie. Onyx chuckled in response.
"Oh my colleagues, after we're through, money will no longer be an issue." Onyx said darkly. The man all laughed in amusement.
"To a new era! An era where our will be done!" said an Elf.
"Hear! Hear!" said an Earthbound. The rest of the men gave verbal agreements. After that, the apparitions faded away. Onyx lowered himself and picked up the crystal and placed back into his pocket. He then smiled to himself.
"It is all falling into place." said Onyx. He then made his way towards the door, sliding it open and then exited the room. A nefarious scheme brewed in his mind for the future.
	
> Chapter 25: Guardians of Mustangia
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Below the Earth, miles outside of Mustangia, Equestria...

Just beneath the surface of the Earth, there were many tunnels. These tunnels intersected and lead to many different chambers, forming a great labyrinth. From inside of one of these tunnels came a beast that ran on all fours. It panted as its lungs took in the little oxygen that these small tunnels provided.  The creature made its way into a great chamber, carved out by architectural diggers. Walls were carved out of the earth, the ground was flat and filled with dirt that got into the beast's claws. Torches lined the walls, lighting up the chamber.
The creature itself stood to be five foot eight. Its body was slightly hunched over; its forelegs were long and large, reaching to the ground. Its large paws had sharp claws that dug into the dirt; its hind legs were shorter than its fore legs, holding the creature's posture. The creature had canine origins, with black and brown fur covering its entire body. The dog appeared to be a Rottweiler with a semi anthropomorphic body. Its tail was large but unlike any other dog's tail. At the end were little protrusions that appeared to be spikes. A grey vest with gems in its pockets was adorned by the dog and a black spiked collar was strapped to its neck. The dog's lower jaw was longer than its upper jaw, giving it an under bite where its sharp fangs were protruding from below the jaw. Its black nose sniffed the air as it searched for its destination. The dog prowled through the chamber, hearing the sound of digging. The dog's paws treaded through the dirt, stepping over small stones that lied buried in the dirt. The dog came across a dozen other dogs digging in the Earth. Their paws clawed the dirt, forcing it behind them into piles. The dogs sniffed their holes, in search of their desired treasures. The dogs themselves were a mix of burly and thin breeds. Some were large and muscular with their cheeks hanging from their snouts and their eyes hidden by their drooping brows, others hand an average build, and some dogs were small. Despite their physical differences, these creatures were family, a clan that stuck and worked together as one. The Rottweiler continued on through the chamber, finding a tunnel that led to a smaller chamber. He rushed into the tunnel and made it to the chamber, finding a dog that sat on a wooden chair that stood tall. Gems decorated it, the lights from the torches reflected the stones and reflected onto the walls.
The dog that sat on this throne was a Boxer. His brown fur was greying along with his snout. His brows drooped down slightly and were wrinkled. The dog was still in a healthy physical shape, but his age was catching up with him. The elder dog's ears perked up as he saw the appearance of the Rottweiler. He smiled at this young Diamond Dog, graced by his presence. The Rottweiler kneeled and bowed to this elder in respect.
"Copper, what brings you here?" asked the elder in a deep tone. The Rottweiler raised his head to face the elder.
"News from surface, pack leader. The human soldiers known as MONARCH has fled the town above." informed Copper, his voice raspy and low. The elder tilted his head in confusion.
"Why have they suddenly fled?" asked the elder.
"Rumors among the humans claim that the Princess of Equestria has banned them from the country." answered Copper. The elder smiled to himself, making the sound of a dog grunting.
"This is good. Very good indeed. With those pesky soldiers out of the way, we can finally pillage the town for its gems!" said the elder. Copper's ears lowered, his yellow eyes looking down to his paws.
"Pack leader, perhaps we should leave the humans be. After all, our tunnels are bountiful of gems. We don't need theirs." said Copper, hesitant in defying the pack leader.
"Oh, but we do. Collecting gems is our way of life." said the elder.
"But there has to be more to our lives than continuously collecting gems until we die! Why do we need to cause the humans trouble just for our pointless work?" asked Copper. The elder growled, baring his teeth. Copper lowered his body and his ears folded back as he let out a small whine.
"Don't question the way that our fathers and their fathers lived! We will pillage the humans tomorrow night!" commanded the elder. Copper lowered his head.
"Yes, pack leader."



Copper treaded through a tunnel alone. His paws pattered against the dirt as he traveled through the tunnel. He was dejected, his ears folded back and his head lowered. His eyes gave a sad appearance. Copper was in his prime years, a young adult. He was raised and taught to traverse through the tunnels and great chambers. He was taught to search and dig for all sorts of gems that was within their territory. He was taught to honor and to stand with his pack members of the clan. Yet, he felt empty. He never questioned his way of life before until he laid eyes upon the surface dwellers. The humans lived in happiness, working to provide for themselves and each other. He hid and listened to their goals, hopes and dreams. Copper realized how his way of life paled in comparison to theirs. As far as he could tell, his life was meaningless.
Copper sighed as he continued out of the tunnel. He came across a chamber that was not as large as the mining ones, but large enough to house at least six diamond dogs. The chamber was decorated by rocky walls that divided it to have different rooms. His ears picked up the sound of yipping. From behind a corner of a wall came rushing a smaller and pudgy Rottweiler Diamond Dog. Its eyes were large and its tongue hung out. The pup rushed over towards Copper, who kneeled to the youngster.
"Hi Daddy!" greeted the pup in a high voice. Copper nuzzled the pup affectionately. He then heard the sound of more yipping heading towards him. He looked up to find three more puppies rushing towards him. They all tackled him, pressing their paws against him with their tails wagging. Copper laughed as his nuzzled his pups, but eventually stood up.
"Where is your mother?" asked Copper. He then heard the steps coming from one of the stony rooms. He finds a Rottweiler with a smaller build compared to his. She stood at five foot seven, her fur dirty and her eyes green. A black collar decorated in gems was worn on her neck. She smiled as she spotted Copper. The female made her way over to Copper, nuzzling him with affection.
"Welcome home, husband." said the female as she gave Copper a kiss. The male smiled to her.
"It's good to be home, Crystal." said Copper. The family made their way into one of the rooms, where bowls lied on the ground. These bowls were filled with meat, bones still intact. Next to each bowl were bowls of water for each dog. The room itself held a brick furnace that had hot coal sitting inside.
"You're just in time for Turkey Thursday." said Crystal with a smile. Copper grinned in response. The family sat, eating their meals with gusto. Copper and Crystal sat on their rears and held the turkey meat in their paws. The children straight away fed on all fours, munching and tearing through the meat.  After the family had finished their meals, the pups lied on the ground, gnawing on the turkey bones. Copper took the empty bowls and placed them inside of a small rocky pool filled with water. He began to scrub the bowls with a sponge and soap. Crystal made her way over to him and began to pile more bowls inside of the pool.
"You caught a delicious meal, my dear." praised Copper.
"Thank you. It wasn't easy to catch." said Crystal with a smile. After an hour, the pups lied scattered on the ground. Their eyes were closed and their breathing soft. Copper and Crystal picked up and carried their pups and took them to a small room. This room was filled with rubber toys and small rubber balls. In the middle of the room was a small bed. The parents gently placed the pups on the bed, nuzzling them and leaving them to sleep blissfully. Crystal and Copper made their way through the chamber into another room just next to the pups'.  The two made their way over to a larger bed, lying down next to each other. Copper gave a solemn sigh as he looked up to the rocky ceiling.
"What's wrong?" asked Crystal.
"The elder has ordered us to pillage the humans above in the town nearby. With MONARCH out of the way, he now wants to take their gems." said Copper. He then shook his head. "We don't need their gems when we have plenty down here. What reason do we have to even gain more? We don't do anything with them."
"Copper, you can't go against the elder. We have children that we must raise." said Crystal.
"Our children will grow up to live meaningless lives! They will just be forced to mine for gems without any purpose!" said Copper in anger. He then growls in frustration. "I can't let our pups grow up to continue what we are doing."
"Copper, ever since you ventured close to human settlements, you've been restless." said Crystal.
"Yes, because I can't rest knowing that the surface dwellers have goals and dreams. Isn't that something you want other than living below here to collect gems that just piles up with no use?" asked Copper. Crystal pondered his words. She never had questioned the way of life of Diamond Dogs. She was completely content with all that she had and what she had gained. She had a loving husband and four beautiful puppies. She was happy with what they have in their lives that she never paid any mind to what the purpose of collecting gems served.
"I...I don't know. I just want us to live happily. I want our children to grow and to provide for their fellow pack members. To be caring." answered Crystal.
"I do too. But I can't stand that our clan is attacking innocent humans for their gems. I can't even stand that we're going to pillage their town." said Copper.
"Then what will you do?" asked Crystal. Copper sighed solemnly.
"I wish I knew."



The sun rose high in the sky. The citizens were awake, cheerful on this day. It was nearing the weekend, a time where most people enjoyed. In the rocky lair of the Transmutants sat Baragon with a bottle of cider in hand. He took a swig, gulping the contents down. He then heard the voice of a woman in the cave.
"It's Friday! Friday! Gotta get down on Friday!~ Everybody's looking forward to the-" Manda emerged from a chamber inside of the rocky cave, singing to herself. Baragon sighed in annoyance.
"Manda, knock it off!" said Baragon. Manda immediately silenced herself.
"What? I'm celebrating for the coming weekend." said Manda with a shrug.
"We don't even do anything that makes the weekend special. Also, that song sucks." said Baragon. Manda crossed her arms and looked away.
"Party pooper!" scoffed Manda. Baragon rolled his eyes, taking another swig of his cider. He wiped his lip with his arm, searching the cave.
"Is Goro awake?" asked Baragon. He then heard the sound of footsteps approaching. The pair turned and found Goro rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.
"I am now." chuckled Goro. He then makes his way next to Baragon, taking a seat. "You two are noisy."
"Sorry." Manda and Baragon apologized in unison. Goro waved his hand dismissively.
"Don't worry about it. I can't sleep all day anyway." said Goro. Baragon laughed in response. Manda's face suddenly brightened up into a smile.
"Oh! Did you hear that Princess Celestia was hosting this year's Summer Sun Celebration here in Mustangia?" asked Manda. Goro responded with his own smile.
"I have. It'd be nice to see royalty up close. Heck, meeting royalty sounds nice." said Goro. Baragon shrugged in response.
"Meh. She's probably some pompous bitch like a lot of these royals." said Baragon. Manda's eyes widened and her mouth agape.
"Baragon!" said an appalled Manda.
"What?" asked Baragon with a glare. She sighed in response as she shook her head.
"I believe you might be mistaken. I hear she's the kindest ruler of all the land." said Goro. Manda clasped her hands together, her eyes wandering above as she thought of the princess.
"They say her hair flows and that the colors are radiant like the sun itself! Her beauty contradicts her age!" said Manda. Baragon raised a brow in response.
"How old is she?"
"At least over a thousand years old." answered Manda. Baragon remained silent. He then stifled his laughter.
"Bull crap! No way she's that old!" said Baragon.
"I'm serious! They have records of her being in power for the past millennium! She's an Avatar, so she's able to have a greater longevity than normal humans!" retorted Manda. Baragon laughed, loudly. Manda frowned and turned her head away with her cheek puffed out.
"Alright....huff...I'm sorry. I just couldn't picture a princess living for a thousand years and still looking good." said Baragon as he settled down. Goro shook his head in amusement. Then, a thought crossed his mind.
"Say, do you two want to be there when the event starts?" asked Goro. Manda turned back and her eyes sparkled and her lips curled into a grin.
"You mean it?!" asked Manda. Goro smiled at the younger woman's eagerness.
"Sure. With MONARCH gone, it should be safer for us." said Goro. Manda squealed in delight. Baragon took another swig of his cider.
"I don't know. I rather not ruin the event for everyone when people recognize me. You two can go ahead." said Baragon. Manda frowned in response. She then took his hands into her own with pleading eyes.
"Come on! Please?" Baragon stared at Manda's pleading eyes in annoyance. Still, he felt touched that she was trying to convince him to have a good time. 
"I'll think about it." said Baragon. Manda smiled in response, wrapping him into a tight hug. Baragon grunted in response, feeling his body being crushed.
You're. Crushing. Hrgh! Me!" said Baragon in pain. Manda immediately released him and laughed nervously.
"Sorry!" apologized Manda. She then stood up to her feet and made her way to the exit of the cave. Goro looked to her curiously.
"Manda, where are you going?" asked Goro.
"I want to see if there are any nice clothes in the markets!" answered Manda.
"But the Summer Sun Celebration isn't until June. You still have two months!" said Goro.
"Yeah, and we barely make any money to buy food!" said Baragon.
"I know. I just want to see the clothes that they have." said Manda with a smile. She then waved to them and made her way outside. Goro smiled.
"She has such high spirits. Especially for someone facing what we are facing." said Goro. Baragon nodded in agreement.
"Yep. Her hugs hurt though." said Baragon as he popped his neck. Goro grinned at him, nudging him in the shoulder.
"Don't tell me you're falling for her." teased Goro. Baragon rolled his eyes.
"No. I'm happy being single." retorted Baragon. He then took another drink of his cider. He sighed after he swallowed the contents. "But, I hope that if she ever finds a guy, he'll treat her right."




Later that night...

Outside of the town Mustangia, the area was empty. The sound of the breeze and chirping crickets were the only signs of life in town. The night sky was clear with the stars and moon in the sky. Suddenly, the ground began to give way.  A head of a Diamond Dog appeared out of a hole. Its head was covered by a metal helmet and its eyes hidden. The Diamond Dog rose out of the hole, revealing his burly body. A metal breastplate covered his torso and a spear was in his grip. The Diamond Dog turned to find other similarly armed members of his pack emerging from holes around the area. There were others dogs that did not wear or bear such items, so they merely had sacks strapped to their shoulders. The dogs ranged from hundreds, all filling out a large space. The dogs all grunted as they prepared to act.
Among these dogs was Copper. He held a sack that was meant to gather any gems that he could get his hands on. He felt his stomach turning at the thought of terrorizing innocent humans for the sake of stones that serve no purpose for them but to sit in a chamber. Still, he had a job to do and that was to stay loyal to his pack, for loyalty was the greatest virtue of a Diamond Dog’s way of life. He then heard the howl of one of the leading soldiers. That was the sing for them to strike. The rest of the Diamond Dogs, including Copper, gave a howl into the night. The Diamond Dogs then dropped onto all fours, dashing towards the town ahead. 



Goro stood outside of the cave, alone in the night. He watched as the stars twinkled in the sky. He then caught sight of a shooting star across the sky. He sighed.
"I have so many wishes that I couldn't possibly choose one." said Goro with a sad smile. He looked over towards the town in the distance. It sat peacefully, its lights radiating from afar. He began to think back to the first time that he ever stood up for humans when they were threatened. Although most of them repaid him with scorn, one repaid him with genuine gratitude. That was something that he was not expecting. He often wondered how that young woman was doing. He hoped that she was safe and sound in her village. 
"Hey, old timer. How's it hanging?" Goro turned around and found Baragon approaching with two bottles of soda in his hands. Goro gave him a deadpanned stare.
"I'm only 35. I'm not that old...yet." retorted Goro. Baragon chuckled in response. He then hands Goro the bottle, who took it in his grip. Baragon took a seat on a stone, taking a sip of his soda.
"So, you really think it's a good idea to show up at the Summer Sun Celebration? I mean, I rather not get obliterated by an Avatar." said Baragon in a joking manner.
"Of course. We don't do much other than stop the occasional Diamond Dog attack. I don't think the princess is as violent happy as you think she is." said Goro as he twisted off the cap to his soda bottle, the sound of hissing reached his ears.
"Yeah. But tell me, do you think it’s worth sticking up for these guys? I mean, we don't get anything out of it." said Baragon. Goro took a sip of his soda before speaking.
"No, we don't get anything materialistic such as money. However, we can earn the trust of the humans and the possibility of living normal lives like we did so long ago." argued Goro. He then looked to Baragon with a smile. "That, my friend, is the most valuable thing a Transmutant can have right now."
"Always optimistic. I'm just glad MONARCH is long gone." said Baragon with a smile. Suddenly, the sound of howls pierced their ears. They looked towards the wild outside. Nothing was in sight. Baragon's eyes squinted as he tried to see the forms that traveled in the distance. His eyes widened in shock.
"Goro, look!" said Baragon in urgency as he pointed to the distance. Goro followed Baragon's finger, his eyes widened in horror. He slowly stood to his feet, staring at the sight. An army of Diamond Dogs heading towards Mustangia. Their numbers ranged to be at least hundreds of Diamond Dogs.
"Oh my god." said Goro. He then turned to Baragon.
"Go get Manda! The humans are in danger!" commanded Goro. Baragon nodded in response. He rushed back into the cave, searching frantically.
"Manda! Manda, get out here!" called Baragon. The sound of feet hitting the dirt can be heard. Manda emerged from a chamber with a worried expression.
"What?! What, is it?!" asked Manda.
"Come on! We got a problem!" said Baragon with a serious expression.



In the town of Mustangia, people walked the streets in the evening. Couples strolled along the sidewalks, families headed for their homes for the night, and others merely worked in their stores. The night was quiet and peaceful in this town. Suddenly, the citizens heard the sound of a distant howl. They stopped in their tracks, searching the area as they began to hear multiple howls in the air.
"Coyotes?"  a man asked his friend. His friend merely shrugged in response.
"I don't know, but it does sound like some kind of..." He was going to finish his sentence into his stomach turned as he thought of the source. He merely gulped. "Dog."
The sounds of howls grew louder and more numerous. The citizens began to grow anxious and fearful. Some began to rush out of the open streets, hoping to find refuge away from the coming trouble. Suddenly, the sound of screams was heard in the distance, which were followed by multiple sounds of barking. The citizens in the area caught sight of something that sent a chill to their spines. They spotted dozens of Diamond Dogs rounding the street corner, clad in armor and armed with spears and clubs. The humans suddenly began to panic as the numbers of the Diamond Dogs grew. The humans scattered, attempting to flee from the beasts, but their efforts were futile, as the humans were tackled by Diamond Dogs. The beasts snarled at them as they bared their teeth at them at the pinned humans down. Some humans tried to force the dogs off, but were met with bites and attacks. Others merely yielded, whimpering under the larger and burlier Diamond Dogs.
Throughout the town, Diamond Dogs broke into houses and establishments. From inside, they held the humans at spear point and raided their houses for gems. Most humans immediately cowered before these creatures and allowed them to do as they wished. Some attempted to fight back but were immediately taken down with ease by the large numbers of Diamond Dogs. The sounds of shouts, barking, screams filled the night along with the sound of property damage. One Earthbound woman ran through an empty lot, with no other person around. Her breaths were quick and her eyes wide in fear. She searched frantically for an escape, but heard the sounds of screams and barks behind her. She dared not look back at the chaos happening behind her, but found herself running into an alley between small buildings in the area.  She immediately turned, hearing the sound of paws pattering against the ground finding nothing behind her. She started to search her surroundings as her breaths were drawn quickly and her palms sweating. The sound of a dog grunting reached her ears, causing her to whimper as she searched all around her. Her rear bumped into a trash can, knocking it over and causing a loud crashing sound. Startled by the sound, she yelped, causing her to continuously back away. Her ears suddenly picked up the sound of growling. She slowly turned and found green eyes glaring at her from the shadows. The alley was too dark for her to see how large this creature was, but she dared not challenge it. She fearfully backed away and caught sight of a shadowed figure dropping to the ground close to her, splashing water from a puddle near her feet. She cried out as she backed away deeper into the alley. Her eyes caught sight of two crouching figures approaching.
"Give us your gems." demanded the largest Diamond Dog in the shadows.
"I-I-I don't have any!" cried the woman. The Diamond Dog snorted as he got closer to the woman.
"Then what's that around your neck?" questioned the Diamond Dog. The woman immediately clutched the necklace that had a sapphire imbedded in it. Her face turned to dread.
"No! Please, anything but this!" cried the woman as she backed away from the dogs. They stalked closer to her, forcing her against a wall. She gasped as she realized that she had been corned.
"Give it to me!" demanded the Diamond Dog. The woman shut her eyes tightly and cowered by the wall, holding the necklace close to herself.
"Please, don't take this necklace away from me! It's very dear to me! It belonged to my grandmother!" pleaded the woman, her voice breaking. The dogs merely growled at her, growing closer.  The woman dropped to her knees, hiding her face away from the Diamond Dogs. Suddenly, she heard the sound of a whistle coming from above. Her eyes shot open and she quickly looked up above. A shadowed figure stood on the roof of one of the buildings.
"Hey, is there room for one more?" asked the figure in a feminine voice. The figure immediately dropped from the roof, landing in front of the woman. The figure had long jade hair with red eyes. She was tall compared to the woman on the ground; her body adorned a long sleeved shirt and jeans. 
"Come at me, dogs!" said Manda in a challenging voice. She immediately rushed over toward the largest Diamond Dog, crouching and sending a fist into the jaw of the creature in an uppercut attack. The dog grunted as he was forced a few feet in the air. Manda immediately grabbed his leg and swung the Diamond Dog into two of the closes Diamond Dogs with ease. The dogs yipped as their pack member collided with them. The rest of the dogs leaped towards Manda, their teeth bared. The Transmutant picked up the lid of a fallen trash can and throws it towards the closest Diamond Dog. The lid smacked the creature in the snout, causing him to whine and stop his attack on Manda. She then side stepped from the last two incoming Diamond Dogs. After their landing, she rushed towards them and sent a right hook to the smaller Diamond Dog, knocking him to the ground and then a roundhouse kick to the last Diamond Dog, forcing him against the wall. Manda popped her knuckles and stretched her arms with a confident smile on her face. She turned and found the woman that was under attack staring at her in awe.
"Are you hurt?" asked Manda. The woman was still shock due to Manda’s fighting prowess. She then noticed the larger Diamond Dog that threatened her rising to his paws with an angry look on his face. He raised a club over his head, prepared to bring it down on Manda.
"Behind you!" cried the woman. Manda immediately turned around to find the Diamond Dog about to bring the club down on her skull. Manda merely smiled and rushed towards the Diamond Dog and leaped at him. She then spread her arms and legs out, and then wrapped them around the Diamond Dog's body. Her body squeezed the creature tightly, her muscles contracting as the Diamond Dog struggled. The sound of bones cracking was heard as the Diamond Dog groaned in agony. He then dropped to the ground, unconscious with Manda still holding onto him. She then released him and stood to her feet, dusting shredded fur off of her clothes.
"I call that one, 'the anaconda squeeze'." said Manda as she looked towards the woman with a smile. She merely stared at her with her mouth agape. Manda walked over to her and held out her hand.
"Come on! It's not safe to be out here alone." said Manda. The woman slowly took the Transmutant's hand, being pulled to her feet.
"Who are you?" asked the woman.
"Manda, pleasure to meet you."



The sound of bodies being assaulted was heard in the streets. Grunting, shouts, and dog yelps and whines were heard in the nearly empty part of town.
"Come on you filthy mongrels!!" Baragon shouted to the top of his lungs. He was running away from a few Diamond Dogs, most stood about his size and a few that were taller. The man carried a club that he had stolen from one of the Diamond Dogs. He stopped and turned to face his coming opponents. He swung the club with all of his might towards the first coming Diamond Dog, knocking the teeth out of his mouth. He then kicked a smaller Diamond in the face, knocking him to ground. Baragon then rushed towards a taller Diamond Dog and slams the club down on his hind paw. The dog gave a high pitched whine, dropping on his rear, which allowed Baragon to swing against the dog's gut, knocking the wind out of him. The dog then slumped over on his side, trying to catch his breath. 
"Is this all you got? How do you guys expect to beat me?" asked Baragon. He suddenly heard the sounds of growling all around him. He turned and found over a dozen Diamond Dogs surrounding him. 
"Oh. Good answer." said Baragon in a nervous tone. The dogs then stalked closer to him, baring their teeth while snarling. Baragon's eyes deadpanned.
"Well, I'm boned." said Baragon. He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a bottle of cider and a cloth. The dogs eyed him curiously as he removed the cap from the bottle and substituted it with the cloth. Baragon then pulled out a lighter and ignited the cloth. 
"I hate to do this to you, my sweet cider. But, when in doubt, burn shit up." said Baragon with a wicked smile. He then reared his arm back, aiming for the closest group of Diamond Dogs.
"Ruh Roh." said one of the Diamond Dogs among the group that Baragon stared at. Baragon then threw the bottle towards the group, causing it to shatter on the ground and to splash its contents on the dogs. The liquid then immediately ignites and catches fire on the dogs. They all wailed in agony as their fur was signed off and then parts of their skin burned. Baragon took the opportunity to flee.
"See ya!" shouted Baragon as he ran. The dogs attempted to help their pack members to extinguish the flames, but they failed. Some of the dogs began to chase after Baragon, all barking furiously at him. Baragon began to pick up his speed, sweating profusely.
"Oh crap! Oh crap! Oh crap!" said Baragon in panic. He turned around the corners of the streets and ducked behind a large bush. The dogs ran past the bush, still barking as they continued on through the area. Baragon smirked to himself as he rose from the bush.
"Dumb dogs." chuckled Baragon. He then heard the sound of distant screams. He turns and finds that more dogs were heading into one direction. He sighed as he figured that they were heading for the screams.
"I guess I better go help." sighed Baragon. He then sprinted after the dogs, reluctantly playing the hero.



Things have gone wrong on this peaceful night. Just one moment ago, people sat in this expensive restaurant, feasting on its expensive meals. People were well dressed for such an evening, as they met for business meetings, celebrations, or a date. It was going well until those Diamond Dogs had broken into the restaurant, terrorizing everyone. Their foul odor stung the noses of the humans as they sat and waited for a Diamond Dog to come around with a sack to collect their gems. These people were reluctant, but immediately changed their tune as one man was assaulted for not letting his wife give up her ring. The Diamond Dogs clawed at the furniture and decorations that held these stones within. The people waited for these creatures to pick this establishment clean of gems and to leave them be.
The Diamond Dogs snorted as they scavenged the area. Some were even distracted by the enticing food and began to eat. Few people looked on in disgust as the dogs scarfed the food down. A larger Diamond Dog walked over to the dogs and began to flip some of the tables, startling the dogs and humans. He glared at the Diamond Dogs that were distracted.
"Get back to work!" commanded the large Dog. The dogs grunted in response. The larger Diamond Dog turned as his ears picked up the sound of a howl. The rest of the dogs raised their ears as they began to listen to the howl.
"Who could be strong enough to-" The Diamond Dog's thoughts were interrupted as the sound of something crashing was heard. He immediately whips his head around, finding a Diamond Dog skidding along the floor. The other Diamond Dogs made their way over to him, looking him over. He was covered in bruises and scars all over his body. A few of his teeth were missing and his body was limp.
"Is he dead?" asked one of the Diamond Dogs in a high raspy voice.
"No. But you all will be if you don't leave." said a male voice. The dogs all swiveled their heads around, searching for the owner. They then found Goro standing outside of the door, with a few claw marks on him. The larger Diamond Dog snorted.
"How will a puny human like you kill us? We outnumber you!" shouted the Diamond Dog. People began to look on in worry, fearing for the man's life.
"First, I wouldn't call humans puny. They are strong in ways and areas that you may not be. Second, a human isn't the correct term to describe me anymore." said Goro. He then began to walk into the restaurant. "Finally, your numbers mean nothing against me."
"Crush him!" commanded the larger Diamond Dog. The Diamond Dogs charged towards Goro. The Transmutant picked up a podium and then swung it against the first Diamond Dog that came near him. He then sent a powerful kick into one of the Diamond Dogs, shattering his ribs, and slammed the podium down on another Diamond Dog, causing it to shatter against its body. Goro then runs and begins to send powerful punches towards the Diamond Dogs that came closest to him. One of the dogs latched onto his arm and sunk his teeth into his arm. Goro shouted in pain, then swung his arm against a wall, forcing the Diamond Dog to let go.
The people watched as Goro continued to fight relentlessly against the Diamond Dogs, showing no signs of exhaustion or giving up.  Some began to cheer Goro on as he took down three Diamond Dogs at once in five seconds. He was then struck by a club, causing people to gasp as he was beaten. Goro, however, retaliated by jumping and rearing his legs back. The Transmutant then thrust his legs forward and kicked the Diamond Dog in his chest; the sound of bones cracking was heard. People cringed as they heard the bone shattering sounds coming from the battle. Goro continued on, making his ways towards the larger Diamond Dog. Goro was suddenly struck by a spear, impaling him in his back. A few women screamed in terror as they saw him stumble from the attack, blood trailing down the wooden shaft of the spear. Fortunately, the weapon failed to land a fatal blow and was only barely sticking into his back. Goro groaned as he dropped to his knees, reaching for the spear and crying out in pain as he yanked it out of his back. The crimson bodily fluid stained the white table cloths near him and the carpet floor. Goro turned and threw the spear towards the Diamond Dog that had impaled him. The dog yipped as he was nearly impaled by his own weapon. Goro turned and met the fist of a large Diamond Dog, dropping him into the ground. The Diamond began to slam his fists down on Goro, mercilessly beating him with the use of his massive forelegs. The dog suddenly felt something strike him against his back. He immediately turned to find a young Earthbound woman standing behind him with a cello in her grip. She stood to be 5 foot 9, her hair was long and dark grey. Her eyes were a grayish mulberry. She wore a grey suit with a white button up shirt underneath along with a pink bowtie. A pink music note was sewed in her collar of her suit. Her skirt was a darker shade of grey, reaching to her knees.
"You shouldn't have done that." growled the Diamond Dog. The woman fearfully backed away as he began to stalk closer to her. The Diamond Dog was suddenly hit by a plate that was thrown by another human. It shattered against him, fueling his anger. He barked at the man that threw the plate him and prepared to lunge at him. He was suddenly being struck by a barrage of plates and glasses by the humans. His skin was cut by the glass that struck him, causing him to yelp in pain. Goro immediately shot up, revealing razor sharp teeth in his mouth. He sinks the teeth into the foreleg of the dog, growling as he mauled the flesh. The dog howled in pain as Goro continued to bite harder. People stared in shock as the Transmutant rose to his feet and began to beat the dog with his mouth still latched onto the foreleg. Goro released the dog's foreleg and then slammed both of his fists on the Diamond Dog's head, knocking him unconscious on the ground. Goro panted as he stood over the unconscious figure of the dog. He noticed the shocked and fearful faces of the humans. He then raised his arm and wiped the blood that stained his lips. He turned and made his way to the exit of the restaurant, nothing but silence filled the air. He suddenly found Manda rushing over to him with a woman following her.
"Goro!" called Manda in joy. The male Transmutant gave her a smile.
"Good to see you're still well." said Goro. He then heard the continuous howls of the dogs, heading closer to their direction. Goro tensed his muscles in preparation. He then looks towards the woman.
"Get inside now. We'll handle this." commanded Goro.
"But, what can-" the woman was interrupted as Manda began to usher her into the restaurant. She then stepped back outside and immediately closed the door to the restaurant. Manda stood next to Goro with a serious expression.
"Hey!" called a familiar voice. The two Transmutants turned and found Baragon rushing over to them. He began to pant.
"Just in time. Baragon, I hate to ask you this, but we need to make one final stand. That means we have to give it all that we've got." said Goro. Baragon's shoulders slumped as he realized what he meant.
"I don't know. I don't like this." said Baragon. Manda placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"We have to protect these people, because no one else will." said Manda. Baragon sighed in response.
"Fine, but these punks owe us." said Baragon as he got into a crouching position. He began to strain, his body morphing and bones shifting. He grew large ears and his lost his hair. A large horn grew out of his forehead and his arms grew into large forelegs. Large sharp claws grew, digging into the dirt. A short tail grew, covered in rough scales that trailed all along his back and tail his entire body began to grow in size, his clothes tore and his skin grew more rough and bumpy. His teeth sharpened in his box shaped head. His flesh turned to a slight pinkish tint mixed with his brick red body. His eyes were small, red and slightly glazed. Baragon appeared as a wingless dragon that stood on four legs, being the size of six foot ten. Baragon roared as he challenged the approaching Diamond Dogs.
Manda dropped to the ground, straining in agony as her body began to stretch and increase in size. Her hair began to fall, being replaced by jade scales that began to run along her body. Her head morphed and became longer and more reptilian. The pupils in her red eyes turned into catlike slits, her body increased in length and her limbs slightly shortened. Her clothes ripped as her body and bones shifted to resemble that of a serpent's. Her upper jaw began to sprout sharp teeth that hung out from her mouth. She sprouted spiked spines along her back, but the midsection of her serpent back sprouted eel-like dorsal fins. The end of her tail was covered in the same kind of fin flap that belonged to aquatic creatures. Her head sprouted four horns and two antlers.  Her side of her body sprouted shark-like gills. Her arms reached the ground, with webbed claws from both fore and hind legs. Manda hissed and roared as her body had finished its transformation as a water serpent dragon, standing on her legs to be seven foot three with a large body. Her pitch forked tongue hung out of her mouth as she hissed.
Goro's body began to grow and shift in shape. His head changed into a longer head, becoming reptilian with an overbite that exposed sharp teeth. His eyes were small, his neck increasing slightly in length. His arms shortened but had slight bulk to them. His arms had three claws. His legs increased in mass, his feet became wider and stumped. His mammalian skin became scaly and changed to the color of light blue. He slightly hunched over, his head still raised. He grew a tail that dropped to the ground and swayed. The tail was large and long, capable of crushing and killing a human with a swing. Goro stood to be thirteen feet tall as a wingless dragon with short arms. He gave a mighty roar as the Diamond Dogs had arrived, forcing them to stop dead in their tracks. The looked on in shock at these new creatures that were before them. A few people from inside of the restaurant peaked from the door and windows, staring with wide eyes.
"They're Transmutants!" exclaimed a man from within the restaurant. A few people began to panic from within the restaurant; others merely watched the beasts staring the Diamond Dogs down.
"There's a lot of them." Baragon said in a gruff voice. Manda hissed.
"Let's kick some butt." said Manda as her head swayed in excitement. Goro stomped on the ground and gave a mighty roar. He then broke off into a charge towards the Diamond Dogs, his clawed feet digging into the ground and making footprints into the stone. Manda scurried along the ground, her body swaying as she picked up speed. Baragon growled as he charged on all fours, his forepaws digging into the ground. The Diamond Dogs began to panic and raised whatever weapon that they had while some took off away from the coming battle.
Baragon rammed into a group of Diamond Dogs, thrusting his horn towards them. He then began to slam his paws against the dogs, forcing them to the ground and began to bite them. Manda wrapped herself around several Diamond Dogs and began to contract her muscles, crushing the dogs. Any free dog that attempted to strike her in the head was met with a snap from her jaws and sharp teeth. Goro stomped over the Diamond Dogs, using his mass to overpower them. He used his large jaws to lift up a dog and began to shake his head furiously. He then released the dog and stomped on his body. Goro roared as the dogs beat their clubs against him. He retaliated with a swing of his massive tail, knocking many away. He roared as he challenged the remaining Diamond Dogs. The Transmutants continued their assault, their war cries echoed in the night.



The battle had ended and only a few Diamond Dogs remained. Most were either unconscious or dead. Those that were still standing began to flee. Goro, Manda and Baragon stood among the fallen in silence. Baragon snorted as he shook his body.
"I thought they would never give up." said Baragon. Goro nodded in response. He then noticed a clear patch of ground nearby.
"Baragon, go over there and mark that patch of ground with the characters, 'Hogo-sha'." commanded Goro. Baragon nodded in response and went to the bare patch of land, where he began to carefully claw into the dirt, slowly forming the characters. Manda sighed solemnly.
"I feel bad for killing them. Especially since they were dogs." said Manda. Goro nudged her with his head in comfort.
"We do what we must to protect the innocent." said Goro. Baragon was finishing up the characters, and then he noticed a human peaking her head from out of a window of a building. She immediately hid herself when Baragon looked her way. He shook his head and then went back to finishing the character. After he was satisfied, he began to walk away from it, missing the woman looking back outside. Her eyes widened as she saw the characters, recognizing them.
"It's them." She whispered to herself. The three Transmutants began to walk away from the area, failing to notice the humans watching them leave the battlegrounds and the characters that they have been leaving for weeks. The Transmutants continued on through the town in a steady stroll, the sound of their footsteps being the only sound in the night. Baragon then noticed a Rottweiler-like Diamond Dog struggling to stand. Baragon bared his teeth and growled, charging towards the dog. He then pounced on him, snarling.
"Mercy!" begged the dog. Baragon continued to growl. The sound of Goro approaching can be heard.
"Perhaps we'll be more willing to grant it if you are willing to cooperate with us." offered Goro. The dog nodded frantically.
"I will! I'll do anything! Just spare me! I have pups!" begged the Rottweiler. Manda's eyes widened. She turned to face Goro with pleading eyes, who merely nodded.
"Very well. We will take you with us and you will answer our questions. But, what is your name?" asked Goro.
"Copper. My name is Copper." answered the Diamond Dog.
	
> Chapter 26
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Mustangia, Equestria...

It was the aftermath of the attack of the Diamond Dogs. The day was pleasant; the sun showered its light on all it reached. People were busy repairing the property damage that was done by the dogs. Some people wore casts, bandages, or used crutches. Despite a few injuries, no human was killed during this attack. On the other hand, the bodies of Diamond Dogs that were killed were moved and were buried outside of the town. The surviving Diamond Dogs were hospitalized and locked up for their crimes. People talked about the past night's events, describing it as terrifying and shocking due to the appearance of Transmutants that were willing to stop the Diamond Dog attack.
Blaire stood among the damaged town, looking on at how these people had managed to stand right back up after such a terrible event. She then looked down towards the Neighponese characters that were engraved in the ground. She then looked at a sheet of paper that depicted the image that these so called, 'vigilantes' have been leaving and found them to be a perfect match.  The townspeople claimed that the vigilantes were Transmutants, thus confirming Celestia's theory. Her mission was to talk with the people and ask their opinion about the Transmutant and their impact they had on saving the village.  Additionally, she needed to interrogate the Diamond Dogs about the attack.  She then looked towards a crew of men and women that wore suits and held note pads or a camera.
"Well, get to documenting. The Princess wants as many facts as she can get about these vigilantes and the Transmutants." ordered Blaire. The men and women nodded to her and immediately began to work, ranging from going up to the locals and asking questions to taking photos of the town and the Neighponese characters engraved into the ground. Blaire looked out to the distance with a hopeful look.
"Just hang in there Goji. We'll make sure that enough people will welcome you home." Blaire said to herself.



"Where is the Diamond Dog colony?!" Baragon shouted as he slapped Copper across his face. The Diamond Dog yipped as the Transmutant's hand connected with his cheek.
"Slapping me isn't going to encourage me to tell you!" Copper shouted back. Baragon responded with another slap to the face, causing Copper to growl in anger. Baragon was suddenly grabbed by Manda, who pulled him away from the Diamond Dog.
"What are you doing?!" demanded Manda. Baragon pried himself away from the woman.
"What? I'm interrogating him!" answered Baragon with a shrug.
"He already said that he would cooperate! You don't need to hit him!" scolded Manda with a glare. Baragon sighed in annoyance as he turned away from Manda. The woman rolled her eyes.
"Look, go eat. I'll take care of him." said Manda. Baragon turned and made his way deeper into the cave.
"Ah, I never get to be the bad cop." scoffed Baragon. Manda shook her head, then turned back to Copper, who was rubbing his cheek. Manda took a seat next to the Diamond Dog with a kind smile on her face.
"I'm sorry about that. He tends to be a bit extreme." apologized Manda. Copper sighed in annoyance as he stopped rubbing his cheek.
"Is this how you treat all of your prisoners?" asked Copper.
"Well, you're actually the first. I didn't think Baragon would get like this." said Manda. She then heard the sound of growling coming from the Diamond Dog, but when she looked his way and found that he wasn't displaying any form of threat. He actually wore a neutral expression. Manda then wore a smile.
"If you're hungry, I can bring you some breakfast." offered Manda.
"Well, I certainly can't do it myself." replied Copper as he looked down to himself. His body was bound by rope that wrapped around him tightly. Manda frowned.
"Sorry. Goro wanted to make sure that you wouldn't escape as we slept. But, I'm sure that he'll let you go if you help us stop these Diamond Dog attacks." said Manda in reassurance. She then stood to her feet and made her way deeper into the cave. "I'll bring you some food!"
"OK." Copper said in a low tone. He looked down to the ground with a sigh, his ears folded back. The previous night was something that he was not proud of. Although it made him happy that no humans were killed, he was sadden by the loss of his pack members. Now here he was, at the mercy of these strange shape shifting humans. They took on an army with ease, taking down the Diamond Dogs quickly. Copper only hoped that he could return to his family, not wanting any part of this incident.
Manda returned with a plate of scrambled eggs in hand. She took a seat close to the Diamond Dog and stuck a fork into the food and held it out to the dog's snout. The dog sniffed the food on the fork and then reluctantly took a bite. His taste buds tingled from the taste of the meal, causing his mouth to salivate for more. He immediately swallowed and wagged his tail. Manda smiled as she saw the tail wag happily and proceeded to gather more of the food onto the fork. She spent the next minute feeding the Diamond Dog, wearing a giddy smile. After Copper had finished his meal, he noticed the odd smile that Manda was giving him.
"What?" Copper asked uneasily. Manda blushed in embarrassment as she realized that she was staring.
"Sorry! It's just that... I like dogs. As companions, I mean!" said Manda with a nervous smile, hoping that she didn’t offend Copper. The dog gave her a nod in understanding. Manda placed the empty plate by her side, putting on a serious expression.
"So tell me, why did the Diamond Dogs attacked the town last night?" questioned Manda. Copper sighed solemnly.
"Only for one reason. For the humans' gems." answered Copper.
"But you guys live underground! Couldn't you have just remained there to collect the ones imbedded in the earth instead of attacking innocent people?!" demanded Manda. Copper's ears folded back in shame.
"I wish we could have. But our pack leader, he's obsessed with this pointless cause to collect gems. After the human soldiers with the powerful weapons had left, he wanted us to pillage the humans." said Copper. Manda raised a brow.
"Pointless cause? What is your cause and why does it involve collecting gems?" asked Manda, curiously.
"Our ancestors once collected gems many centuries ago. The reason for that has been lost over the years. Since then, Diamond Dogs have been continuing what our ancestors have been doing. That may not even have as much relevance for us today as it was for them. We just leave the gems to pile up in the cave" explained Copper. Manda readjusted herself in her sitting position.
"So, your kind is just collecting gems with no reason?" asked Manda. Copper nodded to her.
"That's right. Few of us question our way of life. The majority of our pack does not even acknowledge it. Our pack leader dares not even question our ways, he is set on what he calls, 'tradition.'" Copper said bitterly. He then looked to Manda with sad eyes.
"I never wanted our pack to attack the humans. I even tried to reason with him! But he shunned my words!" cried Copper. Manda wore a frown as she saw the sadness and regret in the dog’s eyes
"Copper, maybe we can help each other." said Manda. The dog's ears perked up, fully attentive to the Transmutant.
"If we can somehow get the pack leader to change his thoughts, perhaps we can stop this." said Manda. Copper shook his head.
"He's incredibly stubborn. He won't listen to humans or pack members below him, especially if it has to do with this subject. The only way that we might be able to stop him is to either kill him or to have a duel to become pack leader." said Copper. Manda coughed into her balled up hand as she looked away uncomfortably.
"Yeah... I think the second option sounds better. I rather not kill anymore dogs." said Manda. She then looked to Copper with a look of regret. "I'm sorry about that."
"You are forgiven. Thank you for sparing me. I can return to my family because of you." said Copper. Manda waved her hand dismissively.
"Oh, no! You should mostly thank Goro since he pretty much calls all of the shots." said Manda with a smile. Copper smiled back.
"Perhaps I should, the next time that I see him."



Blaire strolled through the wrecked areas of Mustangia. Her golden armor shined in the sunlight. A man with a note pad walked at her side through the town, searching for any witnesses. They have found a couple so far. Both subjects gave negative thoughts about the 'horrific creatures' that arrived with the Diamond Dogs. Still, this was not enough to deter Blaire from her mission. She vowed to find any soul that saw these Transmutants differently than the rest. The pair noticed a young woman carrying an encased cello on her back. She was walking along with a few other men and women that carried instruments as well.
"Jackpot." said Blaire. She then rushed over to the group with the man following close behind. Blaire called out to the musicians, grabbing their attention.
"Excuse me! I'd like to have a word with you all." called Blaire. The musicians looked at her nervously, worried that they may have done something wrong. Blaire stopped just a few feet away from the group with a friendly smile.
"I'm here to assist in interviews going on that have been ordered by Princess Celestia. I'd like to ask you all a few questions, concerning last night's events." explained Blaire. The musicians were relieved to know that they were not in trouble, but were puzzled as to what exactly this guard wanted to know. 
"First, I'd like to know what happened last night. Obviously Diamond Dogs attacked, but what was going on that drove them off?" asked Blaire. The man readied his pen with his notebook in hand. One of the male musicians cleared his throat.
"We were actually hired to play at a restaurant that's nearby.  When we heard the howls of the Diamond Dogs, people began to panic. It had gotten worse when they broke into the restaurant and began to rob us." said the man. Blaire listened intently to this man's story. The man with a note pad scribbled down his words quickly, documenting carefully.
"After they were gathering whatever gems that they could find, the Diamond Dogs were talking about someone attacking their forces. Suddenly, this Earthbound man came and began to fight the Diamond Dogs by himself!" said the woman with the cello, speaking with an accent common among people from Trottingham. Blaire's brow rose.
"By himself?" asked Blaire.
"Yes! He fought bravely all on his own with strength and endurance that I have never seen! There was also..." the woman went pale as she recalled something that made her stomach turn.
"What?" asked Blaire. The woman with the cello didn't answer; her skin went paler from the memory.
"One of the dogs stabbed him with a spear. He removed it on his own and was still able to fight. But the most disturbing thing of all was that he grew razor sharp teeth!" said another woman in a shrill voice.
"No, that wasn't the most disturbing thing. The real one was that two other Earthbounds met with him. They then...changed." said one of the men.
"They were Transmutants." said the woman with the cello. She clutched her shoulders as she recalled the carnage that the Transmutants had caused toward the invaders. She was watching from behind one of the windows. She wished that she hadn't seen such brutal violence. She could still hear the cries of the dogs and the roars of the beasts.
"I see. So, what happened?" asked Blaire.
"They killed most of the Diamond Dogs. After none of them were standing, they left." answered the man. Blaire gave a thoughtful hum.
"So, they didn't attack any of the humans?" asked Blaire.
"No. Which I found strange, since these beasts are nothing but savages." spat the man. Blaire restrained herself from retorting. Just hearing hateful words towards Transmutants in general bothered her. She thought that Junior must have had something to do with it. She thought if he was one of the monsters that people hated, perhaps others like him still had humanity left in them. She couldn't stand hearing people lumping him in with those that are rightfully called monsters.
"Right. Well, people have been claiming that one of them has left a mark in the road before they left. People recognized it from being placed around near Mustangia whenever trouble was suddenly stopped. The incident where a carriage carrying gems was in the process of being robbed by Diamond Dogs would be an example." said Blaire as she held out a photo to them. The group analyzed the image, finding a carriage with Neighponese characters engraved into the wood.
"We never heard of this. We're only here temporarily for a job until the owners of the restaurant can find a permanent band." said the man. The woman with the cello eyed the photo curiously.
"What does it mean?" she asked. Blaire took the photo back.
"It means, 'Guardian'." answered Blaire. The woman stared curiously at the guard in curiosity.
"You said that someone has been leaving these characters everywhere that they have resolved conflict?" asked the woman. Blaire nodded.
"That's correct. People recognized the characters that have been left over in the past several weeks with the mark left by one of the Transmutants as a match. Therefore, the vigilantes that have been protecting the people were actually Transmutants." answered Blaire. The band looked at her in shock and surprise. Some of them were filled with a mix of confusion, suspicion, and awe.
"That can't be." said one of the men.
"Or maybe that it can be." said Blaire. She then turned away and began to walk away.
"Thank you for your cooperation. Princess Celestia will appreciate this." said Blaire. The band stared at the guard in silence. The man with the note pad began to follow the guard. The band members slowly turned and began to walk to their desired destination. Nonetheless, the woman looked back to the guard one last time, her mind drifting back to the previous night. She remembered how the man suffered just to protect them from the Diamond Dogs. She even recalled how she stepped in to help him as the larger Diamond Dog attacked him mercilessly. She had grown fearful of the man as she saw his teeth and how he mauled at the Diamond Dog. The fear increased when he had revealed himself to be a Transmutant, fighting again and leaving the humans be after the battle.
"A Transmutant protecting humans..." the woman whispered to herself.
"Octavia! Come along or we'll be late!" called another woman from the band. Octavia jumped as her thoughts were interrupted. She then turned and began to rush over to the rest of the band members.
'Curious.' thought Octavia as she caught up with the others. She wondered if what the guard had told them was true. If so, it would be pleasant to know that the people in Mustangia are under the protection of strong individuals.



Manda stood among Baragon and Goro inside of the cave. They all listened to her speak about what she had learned from Copper, specifically that the attack was caused by the command of a closed-minded pack leader.
"So... we kill the pack leader and hope that they elect a better one that will stop attacking the humans?" asked Baragon.
"No! Absolutely not!" said an appalled Manda.
"Well, then how are we going to stop this? What is the second option? Cause who in the hell is gonna stand up for what they believe in? That dog that we have tied up is a lost cause!" said Baragon.
"Perhaps we can fix that." said Goro thoughtfully. Baragon and Manda looked towards the larger Transmutant curiously. "From what I hear, he speaks from the heart to help his kind. He desires to improve their way of living and was willing to speak out against his clan leader."
"What are you suggesting?" asked Baragon. Goro looked to them with a serious expression.
"We help him become the new pack leader." said Goro. Baragon stared at Goro from several seconds before cracking a small smirk.
"Can he even fight? He gave up easily when I pinned him down." said Baragon.
"Well, anyone would if they were part of an army that was defeated easily by creatures and have one of them standing over them with its teeth bared." said Goro with a deadpanned stare. He then looked down the cave, finding Copper with his head lowered. The Transmutant made his way over to the Diamond Dog, catching his attention.
"Can you fight?" asked Goro. Copper raised a brow at him.
"Um...yes. But I'm not very strong." answered Copper.
"How strong is your pack leader?" asked Goro. Copper's ears folded back.
"Stronger than I am. Wait...why?" asked Copper in suspicion.
"Copper, I want you to challenge your pack leader for the title to lead your clan." answered Goro with a neutral expression, Copper's eyes widened.
"I can't! I will be exiled if I lose!" cried Copper.
"Copper, we want to help you and your clan. It not only benefits us to guarantee the safety of the humans, but it also helps your clan expand its way of life. Isn't that what you wanted?" asked Goro. Copper nodded.
"It is. But I am risking exile. I can't leave my family behind!" said Copper as he gritted his teeth. Goro's hands grew sharp claws. He used his claws to tear the rope that bonded the Diamond Dog. Copper looked to him in confusion.
"I know it's selfish of me to ask you to do this. I won't force you to do this, but remember that there will be more pain and violence between us unless someone stands up to stop it." said Goro. He then turned away and began to walk deeper into the cave.
"If you change your mind, please drop by. We will train you for the duel." said Goro. Copper stands to his paws, slowly making his way out of the cave. He takes one last look at the Transmutants. Goro and Baragon sat speaking to each other. Manda merely looked to Copper with a frown.  The Diamond Dog reluctantly turned back and ran out of the cave, rushing away from the stones that built the rocky mountain in the middle of the deserted region. After an hour of traveling through the region, searching for his desired destination, he found an area where multiple holes lied. He leapt inside, dropping down to a tunnel. Copper spent the next several minutes traveling through the tunnels, reaching a chamber where many other Diamond Dogs were working.
Copper had returned to his colony. One of the pack members noticed Copper and called out to him, drawing the attention of many other members of their pack. His fellow pack members rushed to meet him. They greeted him with joy and relief to see another one of their pack members to return safely. Copper was happy to see them again, but he remembered that there were many lost or dead. The previous night was a tragic turn of events for the Diamond Dogs.
Among the small crowd, Copper found his beloved mate rushing over to him. The two embraced each other, nuzzling as tears of joy ran down their faces. Crystal was relieved that her husband was safe and well, for both her and their children. Copper noticed the pack leader standing far from the crowd, staring with a neutral expression. The pack leader merely turned away and made his way back into his chamber where his throne lied. Copper's ears folded back, recalling Goro's words.
'-there will be more pain and violence between us unless someone stands up to stop it.' the voice of the Transmutant echoed in Copper's mind, haunting him.



Copper was in his family chambers with his pups. He played with the youngsters as they scurried around with happy yips. He had spent the rest of the day with his family. Crystal watched happily as her husband played with their children, feeling that their family would continue to be complete. She was frightened to hear that three dragon-like creatures that attacked the Diamond Dogs during the town raid. It increased as she heard that a lot of their pack members were killed in battle. Thankfully, those fears were put to rest as he returned home. However, she noticed that the male Rottweiler was distress. Crystal couldn't tell exactly what it was, but he seemed to be worried or restless. She thought that a talk with him would be a way to help him relieve some of that tension that he felt.
The time for the pups to rest would be coming soon. Crystal and Copper ushered the pups to their room, setting them onto their bed. The pups protested but those protests were silenced as they yawned. The pups lied on their bed, still trying to fight the sleep, but failed. The pups eventually fell sound asleep. The parents smiled, leaving their children alone.
After the two Diamond Dogs cleaned their chamber, they sat together. Copper's mind was still plagued with his conversation with Goro. Despite their losses, the pack leader may want to retaliate with a vengeance or perhaps force them to try and collect their gems again. That was something that he couldn't risk, for he knew that the Transmutants would not hesitate to fight back. Killing the pack leader was out of the question, as it was a dishonorable act.
"Copper? What's wrong?" asked Crystal as she noticed Copper's solemn expression. The male dog merely shook his head.
"It's nothing. I'm just tired." answered Copper. Crystal frowned.
"Dear, something is bothering you. You seemed stressed ever since you returned." said Crystal. Copper sighed.
"It's just that I'm worried if the pack leader will have us retaliate. We can't stand against those creatures!" cried Copper. Crystal hugged her husband in comfort.
"Don't worry, I'm sure that he is wise enough not to." reassured Crystal as she nuzzled Copper's ear. The male dog frowned.
'I fear that he isn't.' thought Copper. Copper felt that there was no other way. New leadership may be the only thing that might save his clan.




The next day...

As the sun rose to the sky, Blaire strolled through the town. Her mission has proved to be successful. A large number of people were familiar with the vigilantes that have been appearing near around Mustangia.  Opinions on the Transmutant vigilantes have been split. While most people were startled by this revelation, some were outraged. Some thought that they could be planning an attack while others thought of the Transmutants as being heroes from saving their town. There were also those that disapproved of their violent actions, mainly from parents that had children catching glimpses of the battle. Others were pure pacifists that felt that the murder of the Diamond Dogs was a worse act than the pillaging done by the dogs themselves.
Blaire shook her head in disgust. She understood where the parents were coming from but she couldn't get over her annoyance from the others. Those Transmutants killed to protect them and they are scorned for what they felt was necessary to stop the attack.
"Honestly, they need a reality check." said Blaire as she continued to walk. She then came across another guard that was patrolling the town. Due to the incident and MONARCH's absence, Celestia has ordered royal guards to be stationed in the smaller settlements to watch over them. They were fortunate that the Transmutant terrorists were gone, but they still had to be careful. The Diamond Dog clan nearby was just an unfortunate turn.
"Hey, Sergeant!" called the younger male guard. Blaire smiled as she met up with the guard.
"Hey there Private Stone." greeted Blaire. She then looks around the area. "So, how's the patrol doing?"
"Well, things seem quiet on my end. Those mangy mutts have yet to show their slobbering mugs." chuckled Stone. Blaire nodded in approval.
"That's good to hear. Listen, I need you to take this to one of our messengers. It's a letter to the Princess about the interviews on the citizens." said Blaire as she pulled out a white envelope. Stone took the envelope and gave a quick salute.
"You got it, Sarge!" said Stone. The Earthbound turns and rushes down the road, leaving a smiling Blaire behind.
"Ah, I remembered when I had that much enthusiasm. Pretty soon he'll be wishing that he can rest more." chuckled Blaire. As Blaire walked through the town, she began recount the numbers of people with positive opinions about the Transmutants. Some were initially dumbfounded and weary, but began to wonder why they would risk their own lives for them. She even remembered that a teenage said to her that, 'we should have these guys protect us from those other Transmutants'. Blaire was amused by the youth's quick thought but also found it to be an interesting one. It would prove useful to have powerful allies to stand against powerful enemies. Still, she thought it would be best to spread the word of these heroes rather than try to draft them to be guards. 
"Well, we'll never know if such a dream can come to pass if we don't work at it." Blaire said to herself. She then stopped as she noticed a young woman strolling town with a boy that looked to be in his grade school age. She watched as they walked together, laughing as the woman gave the boy a noogie.
"Come on squirt, we're almost home!" said the young woman. The boy laughed.
"Alright, sis!" said the boy. The two raced each other down the road, leaving Blaire to watch them leave. She felt her heart heavy as she watched the siblings disappear. She sighed as she turned back and continued on. She reached under her breast plate and pulled out a folded photo. After unfolding it, she found an image of herself from when she was in her early 20s. Her younger self was hugging a little Neighponese boy with charcoal grey hair and yellow eyes. She smiled at the photo, feeling nostalgic.
"Oh, Goji. Where are you?" Blaire asked with a sigh.




Meanwhile in Saddle Arabia...

"This is not going to work." said Junior as he stared into a medium sized tank filled with ocean water and eels. His ears picked up the sound of crackling coming from the eels, making him feel uneasy.
"No, it'll work!" said Rodan as he slipped on safety gloves and picked up a hooked rod with a rubber handle. Angirasu stood by watching with a deadpan expression.
"If by work you mean, 'sting like a bitch', then sure! This will definitely work!" said Angirasu with sarcasm in his voice. Rodan chuckled as he lowered the rod into the large tank.
"Where did you even get these things anyway?" asked Junior with a puzzled expression.
"Some guy wanted to get rid of them since his aquarium was going out of business. I told him that I'd take them off of his hands so he gave them to me," said Rodan as he raised the rod with an eel hanging from it. "Angirasu helped me carry it out."
"I can't believe I'm doing this. Why did I agree to do this? Why did I agree to get wrapped into one of your crazy schemes?" asked Junior as he face palmed. Rodan began to approach Junior cautiously.
"Because you're more tolerant to pain and you can regenerate. Now hold still and grab it when I tell you to." said Rodan as he held the rod closer to Junior. Junior gulped as the fish came closer.
"Alright, go for it! By the way, did you know that electric eels aren't real eels? They're actually Knifefish!" said Rodan. Junior's brow twitched in annoyance as he reached for the eel that was apparently not an eel at all.
"Is that really releva- AH!" Junior's hands locked with the fish as its volts of biological electricity traveled through his body. The electric shocks were painful, steadily increasing as he held onto the creature.
"Let it go!" shouted Angirasu.
"No, keep holding on! My theeeooorrry!!" shouted Rodan as Junior convulsed with the fish in his grip.
"T-t-t-t-t-to h-h-h-h-h-h-heeeellll wi-wi-with yo--yo-you're the-the-the-theory!!!" shouted Junior, his voice distorted as the electricity pulsed through him. He immediately releases the eel, leaving it in the burning hot sand. Rodan groaned in disappointment. He reached for the squirming eel and held it tightly with gloved hands. He then tossed it back into the tank. Junior was panting as his hands, covered in stings and blisters, gave off smoke. Junior shot Rodan a glare.
"Happy now? You jackass!" spat Junior.
"Whoa, those look bad." said Rodan with wide eyes.
"Oh really? I hadn't realized with the goddamn electrified animal squirming in my hands!" shouted Junior.
"I'd hate to bring this up when you’re in pain but did it work?" asked Angirasu. Junior sighed in irritation.
"I don't know. My hands hurt, I feel like killing Rodan by throwing these things at him, but I can't tell if I got any energy from them." said Junior as he held his hands up stiffly. He hissed in pain as a breeze reached his wounds.
"Hey, wha- Oh my God!" cried Mosura. The three male Transmutants went stiff as they heard the woman's distressed voice. They saw her rushing over to Junior, grabbing his forearms and bringing his hands close to her. She then noticed the tank filled with the electric eels.
"Were you idiots playing with these animals?!" demanded Mosura. Junior hissed in pain.
"Ack! Easy! Also, no!" answered Junior.
"Oh yeah? Then how did this happen?" asked Mosura with deadpan stare as she held up Junior's hands. Junior remained silent. Mosura kept her stare.
"Well?" asked Mosura.
"I don't know whether to lie to you or to tell you the truth." responded Junior with a neutral expression. Mosura sighed in exasperation as she gripped the bridge of her nose.
"Just tell me the truth." said Mosura.
"Fine. Rodan got these electric eels from some guy that owned an aquarium that went out of business. He offered to take them off of his hands and came up with a theory of us being able to harness electricity for energy. I was the guinea pig." said Junior.
"You dirty rat!!" shouted Rodan as he held the hooked rod in the air. Mosura turned and shot him a glare, silencing him. She turned back to Junior with a look of disapproval.
"Why would you do this?" asked Mosura.
"Honestly, my curiosity got the best out of me. It was actually mostly because Rodan would have done it himself if I hadn't stepped in." said Junior.
"Hey!" said Rodan with an offended look. Angirasu punches him in the shoulder.
"Shut up, dumbass." said Angirasu with a deadpan stare. Rodan growled in annoyance. Angirasu merely chuckled in amusement. Mosura deeply inhaled, and sharply exhaled, attempting to remain calm. She then noticed Junior's hands being wrapped in his charcoal grey reptilian skin. He flexed them and sighed as he felt relief from the pain. Mosura then put on a forced smile.
"Since you can now use your hands, I want you boys to take these animals and dump them into the ocean where they belong." said Mosura in a kind tone. Junior sighed in response.
"Fine. Come on guys." said Junior as he made his way over to the tank. "Rodan, put the lid on this thing for crap sakes."
"Got it." said Rodan as he picked up the rectangular shaped top and forced it on the top of the tank. The three Transmutants each took a side of the tank and hoisted it up, carefully walking away from their camp. Mosura watched as they walked further away. She shook her head in annoyance.
"Boys." said Mosura. She then turned back towards the kingdom that was below the plateau, wondering how much longer until they would be safe from their enemies. Mosura decided to avoid the topic for the moment. Now was the time for peace, along with the occasional shenanigans that her friends got into.



The three Transmutants found themselves at the shore of the Great Inland Sea. The crystal blue water brought such beauty to it as the waves splashed on the shore. They raised the tank over their heads; steadily breathing as they slightly bent their knees and slowly came back up.
"1" counted Junior.
"2" counted Angirasu.
"3!!' shouted all three Transmutants as they shot up and pushed their arms forward. The tank flew several feet away from them and into the water. The tank sunk with the lid floating up to the top.
"I'm sorry about what happened, Goji." apologized Rodan. Junior sighed in response.
"Just...don't do something crazy like this again. We're lucky that we're stronger than humans." said Junior. The pair turned away and began to walk away, unaware of a girl watching them from a distance. She dove under the water, making her way deeper into the sea. Her fish tail propelled her through the water. She made her way deeper into the sea, passing underwater rocks, kelp, sea creatures and coral. From there, she found many other Sirens swimming about. Some sang together in a quire as others listened to their melody, some swam together, laughing as they raced. One of the sirens sang with a small group of dolphins, the aquatic mammals squeaked in delight. The Siren that was spying on the Transmutants continued on through the area, attempting to reach her destination. She then came across an underwater cave and swam inside. The Siren found a middle aged Siren that sat on a stone in front of a glass mirror. Her hair was long and brunette with greying streaks, flowing majestically in the water. Her grey eyes looked herself over as she looked over her pale complexion. Her skin was slightly wrinkled from age. The woman noticed the younger Siren approaching from the reflection and turned around.
"Ah, Lynn! What brings you here, my dear?" asked the woman.
"Hello, Sarila. I've just returned from my foraging." said the young Siren as she held out a sack filled with plants that she had been collected outside of her home. Sarila wore a worried expression.
"You didn't swim into that dragon that has been interfering with our work again, have you, darling?" asked Sarila. Lynn shook her head.
"No, not today. Besides, I could take that big jerk!" said Lynn in confidence. Sarila shook her head in amusement.
"That's not what you said when you and your older sisters swam into him a few days back." mused Sarila. Lynn blushed in embarrassment. She then gave a huff as she crossed her arms and looked away.
"Oh, come now, dearie. It's fine to be afraid of such a creature." said Sarila as she ruffled Lynn's hair. She then looked outside of the cave and watched her fellow Sirens as they interacted with the world around them peacefully. "But, the creature is causing problems for us. Our clan will not be able to survive with him in the way."
"Cousin, what can we do? Those fishermen are the only choices that we have! But that dragon is threatening our lives!" cried Lynn. Sarila nodded in response.
"Yes, most unusual for a dragon to defend human beings." said Sarila. Her clan has been facing trouble that proved too much for them, even with their spells. The human sailors were needed for their survival, but they lost access to them
"We're going to have to do something that I had hoped we never would have to do." said Sarila. Lynn looked up to curiously at what she meant. Her eyes then widened in horror.
"You...you don't mean..." Lynn couldn't finish her thought.
"I do. Lynn, where are Adagio and her friends?" asked Sarila.



Junior, Angirasu and Rodan spent the next few minutes walking back to their camp. Junior had reverted his hands back to their mammalian flesh. He then felt a burning sensation in his belly. Junior stopped walking, clutching his stomach. Angirasu and Rodan turned back to face him when they noticed that he had stopped.
"Gojira?" called Angirasu. Junior panted as he lightly groaned.
"You alright, buddy? Do you need to have an appointment with the doctor’s office?" asked Rodan in a worried tone.
"I don't...huff....I don't think so. My stomach just burns like hell." answered Junior, still clutching his stomach. He then began to slowly walk. Angirasu rushed over to him.
"Need any help?" asked Angirasu. Junior shook his head.
"No. I- grr! I can do it on my own." answered Junior. The trio continued on through the sand, nearing their camp. Junior's stomach was beginning to take its toll. He was grunting and panting as he walked; the sharp and fiery pain assaulted him without mercy. The trio then arrived at their camp, Mosura was coming up to greet them. She noticed Junior's state, causing her to worry.
"What's wrong?" asked Mosura.
"Gojira is suffering from stomach pains." answered Angirasu.
"I need to lay down." said Junior. Mosura rushed over to one of their newly bought tents, unzipping it and holding the entrance open. Junior painfully crawls inside, lying his head down on the pillow and covering himself in his blanket. His body grew hot and cold, temperatures fluctuating at random heights. He began sweating as his breathing grew shallow. Mosura sat on her knees next to him in worry.
"Angirasu, go see if we have anything for stomach aches." said Mosura. She then looks to Rodan. "Bring me a thermometer."
"Got it." the two Transmutants said in unison. Mosura turned back to Junior, finding his condition worrisome. She gently ran her hand over his forehead, slightly calming him down. Junior clutched his stomach as he shut his eyes tightly.
"Oh! Oh, man that hurts!" said Junior under his breath. Angirasu arrived with a small box filled with tablets.
"Here, these might help." said Angirasu. Mosura takes the box and pours a couple into her hand. She then held them up to Junior, who took them and popped them into his mouth. He chewed the tablets and swallowed them. Rodan arrived with the thermometer, handing it to Mosura.
"I need to take your temperature." said Mosura. Junior opened his mouth, taking the thermometer into his mouth. After a minute, Mosura removed the thermometer from his mouth, her eyes widening in shock.
"Oh my gosh! Your temperature is high! This is beyond the limits of a human with a fever!" said an appalled Mosura.
"But, I don't feel sick. My stomach just...burns." said Junior as he continued to clutch his stomach. Mosura wore a worried expression.
"Oh dear, oh dear." Mosura muttered to herself. Junior reached for Mosura's hand and held it tightly. She turned to find him struggling to hold a smile.
"Don't worry. I...I think I'll be fine." reassured Junior. Mosura rubbed Junior's hand gently, hoping to comfort the hurting man.
"I want to be close, just in case. All right?"
"All right." said Junior.
The two remained in the tent for the next hour. Junior's stomach had slightly settled down, but it still ached a bit. The odd thing for Junior was that it felt like his stomach was being relocated, as if it was shifting in place. The burning sensation did occur within his abdomen, but not directly in his stomach. Junior had fallen asleep with Mosura still awake by his side. She watched as Junior's face crinkled while he tossed and turned in his sleep. Mosura's heart raced with anxiety as she watched Junior. She wondered as to what could be causing him such physical pain. Mosura knew that she and the others had no need to replenish their energy at the moment, yet it puzzled her as to how Junior got sick with his immune system running at near full capacity.
Mosura reached for a wet towel and placed it on Junior's forehead. His breathing grew calm and his face lost its crinkling as he felt a small patch of coolness on his burning body.




Meanwhile...

Just below the Inland Sea, there were three Sirens in their late teens, nearing their early twenties, swimming out in the open water. Among them was a Siren with curly and puffed hair that was a luminous, vivid orange with brilliant yellow streaks. Her hair flowed in the water as she turned her head and locked eyes with a pair of dolphins. Her eyes were brilliant raspberry and her skin was pale. Beneath her human body was a golden fish tail. Her scales sparkled in the sunlight, dazzling the dolphins that she sang to.
The second Siren was slightly shorter and a bit thinner than the first, but wore a more scowling expression as she swam down and sat on the rocks on the sea floor. Her scowling eyes were the color of moderate mulberry, her purple hair was made into two long pigtails, brilliant aquamarine streaks running along them and her bangs. Her fish tail was covered in purple scales. She crossed her arms as she watched her companion sing to the dolphins, boredom overcoming her.
The third Siren was the shortest out of all of them. She was swimming about, away from her companions and looking over the small sea creatures that she shared the sea with. Her moderate raspberry eyes watched a small family of seahorses swimming near the sea floor. Her hair was a light arctic blue in color with Persian blue stripes that ran from her v shaped bangs, down to her long ponytail. Her Caribbean blue colored tail swayed gently as she kept herself in place in the water. She wore a bright smile as she watched the small creatures swim in a line from largest to smallest.
As the golden tailed Siren sang to the dolphins, they swam around her in swift movements with twists and turns as if they were doing an aquatic dance. The Siren's voice died down, signaling the end of her singing. The dolphins squeaked in joy, doing quick somersaults. The Siren smiled as she ran her hand along the underside of the dolphins. She laughed as the dolphins nuzzled her with their bottled noses. The purple tailed Siren rolled her eyes as she slumped on her rock. The Caribbean blue tailed Siren heared the sound of her companion laughing, turning to find dolphins circling her.
"Hey, Adagio! Let me pet me one!" whined the Siren. The golden tailed Siren tried to settle down her laughs but her human half was tickled unmercifully.
"You- Hehehee! You don't need to ask- Haha! Me! Just call- Aaah!" Adagio's face turned red from laughing hard. The purple tailed Siren sighed.
"Sonata, just go over there and talk to one." said the Siren, her voice was low and slightly monotone. She spoke in bored disposition.
"Whatever you say, Ariee!" said Sonata, her voice was high and joyful. She then immediately swam over to the dolphins and Adagio.
"It's Aria," sighed the purple tailed Siren in annoyance.
"What? It's a nickname! Don't you like it?" asked Sonata as she rubbed the belly of one of the dolphins.
"I hate nicknames." retorted Aria. Adagio sighed as she patted one of the dolphins on its head.
"Well, IIIII love them!" said Sonata with a pout.
"Call me when I give a whale's blubber." said Aria as she raised herself off of the rock. 
"Honestly, these two just give me a headache." said Adagio as she rubbed the dolphin beneath its lower jaw. Her voice carried a slightly deep feminine tone to it. 
"I don't know why I hang out with them. I've been wondering that for the last few years." shrugged Adagio. She then released the dolphin. "We need to get back home. We'll see you around, OK?" 
The dolphin replied to Adagio with happy squeaks and quick nods. It then turns around and takes off with the golden tailed Siren waving it farewell. The dolphin that was being petted by Sonata removed itself from her space and proceeded to follow the already departing dolphin.
"Aw!" Sonata pouted in disappointment.
"Can we go now? I'm freaking bored." Aria swam to her companions with a scowl. Adagio rolled her eyes.
"Yes. Let's go." responded Adagio. The trio continued on through the sea, reaching the stones that they recognized as the first signs of nearing their home. Sonata swam closer to Adagio.
"Hey Dagi, how long do you think until Sarila comes up with a plan to get rid of the mean ol' dragon?" asked Sonata.
"I don't know. But honestly, that thing is causing more problems for us than we already have." said Adagio with a sigh.
"I don't see what the big deal is. I heard that it wasn't that big. Maybe larger than a Great White, but small enough that it should be able to be taken down by magic." said Aria with a shrug.
"OK, first of all, that's big enough to be considered a threat! Second of all, dragons have some kind of immunity to magic. We never faced a situation with a sea dragon where we could see if Siren magic could affect it," said Adagio. She wore a slightly worried expression that went unnoticed by her companions. Their clan has faced problems such as the neighboring humans picking their territory of fish that they fed on. There was also the sea dragon that had showed up weeks before. That monster had hurt her fellow Sirens and was protecting the boats that carried the fishermen, something which filled Adagio with rage. 
"Adagio!" called a younger feminine voice. The golden tailed Siren jumped as her thoughts were interrupted. She found a smaller Siren swimming towards her. She had slightly tanned skin along with long and grey hair that flowed with the ocean. Her eyes were baby blue and her fish tail was covered in sky blue scales. The younger Siren rushed over towards the trio, panting as her gills flapped taking in oxygen from the water.
"Lynn?  What's wrong?" asked Adagio. Lynn looked to the older Siren in urgency.
"Come with me. My cousin wants to see you and your friends!" said Lynn. Adagio and her companions looked to each other in confusion. They then followed their younger clan member, picking up speed. As they reached Sarila's cave, they slowly swam inside.
"Cousin! I've returned with them!" called Lynn. From deep within the cave, emerged Sarila with a warm smile.
"Good afternoon, Adagio Dazzle, Aria Blaze, and Sonata Dusk." greeted the Siren. Adagio and Aria bowed in respect. Sonata merely waved with a goofy smile. Aria grabbed her by the shoulder and brought her down to a bow.
"Ow." said Sonata under her breath as she rubbed her shoulder while remaining in her position. The three Sirens raised themselves up.
"You wished to see us, Matriarch Sarila?" asked Adagio. Sarila waved her hand dismissively
"No need for formalities, my dear! I'm not like my husband, may he rest in peace." said Sarila as she swam closer to the trio. Her face turned serious and grave.
"I have called you all here for a matter of great importance. It involves our situation." said Sarila. The trio remained silent. Sonata was staring off into space with her head slightly tilted. Sarila raised a brow.
"Sonata? Dear, are you listening?" called Sarila. Sonata remained silent. Aria pinched her in her neck, causing the girl to yelp.
"Huh? Wha-? Oh! Sorry, I was day dreaming," apologized Sonata with a titter. Adagio face palmed while Aria smacked her lips in annoyance.
"Please, pay attention. Anyway, since we have lost access to the fishermen, we face danger. The dragon shows no intention of being reasoned with and has vowed to kill any Siren that comes near its territory." informed Sarila.
"Jerk." said Sonata as she crossed her arms.
"So, that leaves to only one option… one that I hoped that we didn't have to resort to. We will have to bring humans here from the surface." said Sarila. Adagio's eyes widened in shock at the plan; no Siren in the tribe has been on land for centuries. Sarila swam over to a large chest and stuck a golden key inside, the sound of a lock clicking. She then opened the chest, reaching inside for its contents inside and then swam back to the trio. In her hands were three red gems, each with a golden ring attached to it and a string inside of the ring. The trio's eyes widened as the gems glowed.
"These pendants will amplify your magic abilities to entice a large number of humans of both genders. I need you three to wear these and journey to the surface and bring at least a hundred humans here." explained Sarila. Adagio reached for one of the pendants, slowly taking it into her hands. The light shined with beauty. She looked to Sarila in confusion.
"Why us?" asked Adagio.
"Because you three are the greatest singers of our tribe. We need your talents amplified in order to entice as many humans as possible. Your people are counting on you, Adagio." said Sarila in a serious tone. Sonata reached for the pendent and held it up, looking it over in curiosity. Aria took the last pendant and looked at it with a raised brow.
"So, it's gotten that bad?" asked Aria. Sarila nodded gravely.
"It has." answered Sarila. Adagio held the string and slips it around her neck. The pendant glowed brightly, dying down to appearing as an ordinary gem. Adagio looked to their tribe leader with a determined expression.
"I accept this responsibility!" said Adagio. Sonata shrugged and slipped on the pendant.
"Well, if Dagi is going then so am I! Besides, this necklace is pretty!" said Sonata as she admired the pendant. Aria sighed in response.
"Sure, why not? At least it gives me something to do." said Aria with a slight smile. Sarila nodded in approval.
"Thank you, girls. You are doing your tribe a great service." said Sarila. Adagio led her companions out of the cave, making their way to their homes. Lynn hesitantly approached her elder cousin.
"Sarila, is this right? I mean, how do we know that it will leave us alone? All of those lives would have been wasted for nothing." said Lynn in worry. Sarila placed a hand on her shoulder.
"It will work. I know that this is wrong, but we have no other choice. I must protect our tribe or we all face death. Just have faith." said Sarila. Lynn wore a frown, feeling sick to her stomach. Her mind thought back to the dragon that was going to kill her.
'He called us evil. What if he's right? What if we are evil and we're just fooling ourselves?' thought Lynn, her heart heavy.




Meanwhile...

The day was nearly setting. The ocean was darkening from the lack of sunlight. Adagio, Sonata and Aria waited below the surface of the water near the beach. They looked up to the surface as the waves crashed onto the shore. 
"So, we're really going to do this?" asked Aria with a deadpan stare.
"Yep. You're not getting cold fins are you?" asked Adagio in a teasing tone. Aria shot her a glare.
"As if!" retorted Aria.
"I wonder if human food is good." said Sonata, her face filled with excitement. A new world meant new flavors of food that she might enjoy.
"Sonata, we're not going to the surface to eat. The fate of our home and tribe is in our hands!" said Adagio with a look of disproval.
"Besides, their food is probably awful." said Aria.
"What do you know about good or bad human food?" asked Sonata as she got into Aria's face, poking her in the shoulder. Aria gave her a look of annoyance and pushed Sonata away.
"More than you." retorted Aria.
"Do not!" said Sonata as she flicked Aria's nose.
"Do too." retorted Aria as she pulled on Sonata's ear fin. She yelped in pain.
"Will you two shut up? Also, neither of you know the difference between good or bad human food. Hell, I'm not even interested in those filthy mammals!" said Adagio, her tone filled with spite. Sonata rubbed her arm uncomfortably.
"Well, you don't have to be a bit of a racist about it," said Sonata.
"Don't! Just don't! You know why I'm like this!" said Adagio in anger. Sonata waved her hands defensively.
"OK, OK! I'm sorry!" apologized Sonata. Aria sighed in annoyance.
"Are we gonna stay out here all night or are we going to move on?" asked Aria. Adagio turned back to the surface.
"Yes, let's move." said Adagio. Waves splashed against their heads as they swam to the shore. The sun was setting further as the moon began to rise. Nightfall was finally approaching; the hot air was steadily turning cool along with the dry sand. The Sirens had finally reached the shore, but were no longer able to swim. They ended up on their bellies as the waves ran under them, grunting as they continued on damp land.
"Our ancestors went onto land like this?! If you ask me, those guys were idiots!" said Aria as she struggled to crawl. Her tail flapped against the muddy sand as she continued on. Sonata was panting as she clawed at the mud.
"Well, nobody asked you! But, I will admit that it doesn't make sense that Sarila would want us to take this quest on land when we are incapable of walking," said Adagio as she crawled further, the mud getting caught in her wet hair.
"Eeeeeww!! This is gonna take forever to get out!" whined Sonata as she flapped her tail on the muddy shore in a tantrum. The trio had finally made it to the dry area of the sand, the waves barely missing them as they splashed onto shore. The Sirens panted as they lied on their bellies.
"Now what?" asked Aria. Adagio moaned in exhaustion. Suddenly, she felt a tingling sensation on her body. She looked back at her tail and noticed that it was engulfed in a golden aura. She yelped in surprise as the aura encased all over her body, startling Sonata and Aria.
"What the hell?!" exclaimed Aria. She then noticed that her body was being engulfed in an aura as well. She yelped along with Sonata as their bodies began to glow brightly. After a small flash, the light that encased their bodies began to die down. The girls all gasped, their eyes widened in horror.
"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!" The girls shrieked in terror, their voices echoing in the night.
	
> Chapter 27
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saddle Arabia was covered in a blanket of cold air. Although it was a relief for the locals for the scorching sun to set and to leave their home, the cold was also a problem. Temperatures dropped rapidly in the dark environment, which was dangerous to many travelers. 
Junior lied down in one of the three tents that he and his friends had managed to get their hands on. His breathing was calm and his eyes were half way open. His body was cool and his stomach had stopped burning, though his abdomen still ached. His ears picked up the sound of someone entering the tent. He turned and found Mosura entering, but she immediately stopped in tracks.
"Oh! I'm sorry, did I wake you?" whispered Mosura with an apologetic expression. Junior laid his head back.
"Nah. I was already awake." replied Junior as he stretched his arms, letting out a small yawn. Mosura made her way closer to Junior, sitting on her rear next to his side.
"How are you feeling?" asked Mosura.
"My belly still aches but it's not as bad as it was a few hours ago." answered Junior as he placed a hand on his stomach.  Mosura sat herself down on the pillow next to Junior, blue and yellow eyes locking with each other.
"So, how have you been holding up with...you know." said Mosura, hesitant to bring up the subject. It's been a while since she had brought up about their former human friends in Ponyville. She has yet to see Junior react negatively, but she thought it would be best to try to get him to be more open about his feelings. Junior sighed as he looked away.
"Well, I guess I'm not as upset as I was. I mean, I'm still disappointed about them rejecting us. But, I guess it’s childish to expect them to automatically accept us after they learned the truth." said Junior with a solemn expression. Mosura gave him a frown.
"Do you still have feelings for her? Do you miss her?" asked Mosura. Junior nodded.
"I miss them all, but her especially. I still hold strong feelings, but I feel like letting them go." answered Junior. He then looked back to Mosura.
"Is that the right thing to do? Should I just forget about her and move on with my life?" asked Junior. Mosura looked away, unsure how to answer.
"Goji, I wish that I could give you a straightforward answer, but I can't. I never had anyone to teach me about these kinds of feelings. But, I don't think that you should forget about her." said Mosura as she faced Junior again. "I think you should keep her in your memory to remind you of your humanity."
"My humanity?" asked Junior. Mosura nodded in confirmation.
"Yes. When Destoroyah attacked, I saw how you were filled with so much rage and hatred that you spoke...not like yourself. When you were going to kill him, I felt an animalistic mindset threatening to take over. When Twilight pled to you not to kill that Transmutant, I felt that you were keeping a strong hold against that animalistic thought." said Mosura, her tone was grim. Junior raised a brow.
"But, we're not all animals. Besides, dragons are actually intelligent reptiles." said Junior.
"Yes, that is true. But, I believe that whenever certain Transmutants are under a lot of stress, they may react violently and irrationally. Since our blood is crossed with those of creatures, I think our human minds may be taking in the nonhuman blood and reacting to certain animal instincts. We all have instincts, but the nonhuman ones can be dangerous to the innocent if we don't remind ourselves of our humanity," said Mosura. She then looked away in embarrassment with a small laugh. "Then again, I could be just coming up with some ludicrous theory with no real evidence."
"Well, it is kind of interesting. I do stress a lot in some instances where I end up lashing out unintentionally. That could just be me, though." said Junior. He then thought back to his earlier years when his body was still trying to adjust to its change on a genetic level.
"I remember that I would always sniff the heck out of certain plants when I was young. There was even that one time where my skin was incredibly sensitive to touch. I went nuts at feeling all of the soft surfaces in my room. My old bed never felt so comfortable." said Junior nostalgically, causing Mosura to giggle.
"Hey, did I ever tell you that I use to be a brunette?" asked Mosura. Junior looked to her in surprise.
"Really? So, did you bleach your hair white or something?" asked Junior in curiosity. Mosura shook her head in response.
"No, this is natural. You see, when I was in my early teens, I ended up being forced into my other form. I was a moth larva at the time.  One day, I got this urge to just eat anything that I could find. I began eating all of the plants within my line of sight and ended up seeking shelter with Rodan and Angirasu in a cave. From there, I had this instinct that took over and convinced me to spin myself in a cocoon. So, I ended up doing so without even realizing it and the next thing I knew, I was resting inside for a couple of weeks." said Mosura. Junior fascinatedly listened to her story.
"So, I emerged from the cocoon as the moth that you have seen me change into before.  Right after I had dried my wings and changed back into my human form, my hair had turned white." explained Mosura as she held onto a lock of hair. Junior stared at it, mesmerized at how at one point, her hair had color. He wondered how she would look today if it were still the same from long before.
"Well, that might be some evidence for your theory. I mean, you felt instinct take over and drove you into a metamorphosis." said Junior.
"Maybe. I kind of miss my old hair though." said Mosura.
"Well, your new hair goes good with your eyes." complimented Junior. Mosura wore a light blush and smiled.
"Aw. Thanks!' said Mosura. Junior smiled back. Mosura suddenly reached for his head and began to run her hand over his hair.
"Hmm. Speaking of which, your hair seems to be getting too long. I'll have to trim it a bit tomorrow." said Mosura. Junior chuckled in response. Suddenly, the two heard three high pitched screams echoing into the night. They both jumped up, startled by the sound.
"That can't be good!" said Junior as he immediately dove for his shoes on the side of the tent. He quickly puts them on as Mosura began to slip on her own shoes as well. The two immediately emerged out of the tent, Junior grunted as a sharp pain assaulted his abdomen. Mosura went over to his side as he bent down slightly, her hands ready to catch him if he were to fall.
"Gojira, don't push yourself!" said Mosura.
"No. No, I'm fine. I just moved too fast. I can keep going." said Junior with a serious expression. Mosura nods to him, hesitant to let him move on. Angirasu and Rodan emerge from the two separate tents, searching frantically.
"Who?! What?! Where?!" exclaimed Rodan as he searched for the sound of the screams.
"It came from beach!" said Junior as he pointed below the plateau.
"Wow. Are you getting better at locating sounds?" asked Angirasu. Junior nodded.
"I've been practicing underwater." answered Junior as he and Mosura slipped on their sweaters. "Come on! They might need our help!"



"Oh my God! What happened to our fins?!" cried Sonata as she stared at a pair of pale human legs that replaced her Caribbean blue water scaled fish tail. Her toes suddenly wiggled uncontrollably as she began to hyperventilate. The three Sirens had all lost their fish tails, gills, and fins, which were replaced by human legs. Aria stared at her own pair of legs in shock and slightly trembled.
"Huh. I guess this explains how our ancestors were able to travel on land. I guess they weren't as dumb as I thought." said Aria with a nervous laugh. She then looked over her calves and feet, disturbed by their appearance. "This just feels so wrong."
"What kind of sick joke is this?" asked Adagio. She felt around her body, finding the fins on her forearms to be missing and reaches for the sides of her head, the fish fins behind her ears were gone. She then felt her neck, finding that her gills were gone as well. She looked at her legs with wide eyes, her eye twitching.
"We've been turned into one of those...those damned land walkers!" cried Adagio. She then turned back to the sea. She then rolled and attempts to crawl back into the sea.
"Please, don't let this permanent! Our home!" cried Adagio as she attempted to crawl back to the wave splashed shore. Suddenly, her pendant began to shine brightly, blinding her.
"Adagio! Please remain calm!" called a voice from the pendant. The Siren gasped as she recognized the voice.
"Sarila?!"
"Yes! Please listen to me.  Our people have the magical ability that allows us to switch our fish tails for the legs of a human. This is only permanent until you bathe into a large body of water." said the voice of Sarila. Adagio felt herself calm down a bit after learning that she wasn't forever doomed to live on land.
"Right now, I need you three to focus on your mission. You must draw energy from the humans in order for the pendants to fully work. Sing to them and draw in as much energy as you can from them. You will also need to learn how to blend in with these humans, starting with learning how to walk." said Sarila.
"But, how will we blend in?!" asked Adagio.
"You must learn how to interact with humans and their way of life. This is all that I can tell you. The fate of our tribe rests with you three." said Sarila, the pendent fading.
"Sarila, wait!" called Adagio as she gripped the pendant. She panted as she got no response, her head lowering. She then placed her hands on the sand, attempting to force herself up, but her legs felt wobbly as she struggled to keep her balance.
"Dagi, what are you doing?" asked Sonata. Adagio grunted as she struggled to keep both legs still as she stood. She then managed to stand in an erect stance, her legs shaking.
"Learning how to walk." answered Adagio. She then looked at the other two former Sirens with a glare. "Well, we aren't going to succeed in our mission if we don't learn how. Get up!"
The two other Sirens both struggled stand their feet. Sonata immediately fell on her back as she nearly managed to stand. Aria fell back on her hands and knees as she attempted to raise herself up. Adagio looked down at her feet and the sand that she stood on. She took a deep breath before taking one step. She felt the world around her spin as she stumbled. She continued this process a couple of more times with the left foot and then with the right. Suddenly, she stumbled and fell onto her belly with a yelp.
"Oof! This is hopeless! How do humans do it?!" demanded Adagio as she slammed her fist into the sand. Suddenly, her wet body caught a breeze, causing her to shiver. The rest of the Sirens shivered as well, their naked bodies chilled by the breeze. Adagio realized if they remained on the surface like this, they would freeze to death before they could even start their mission.



Junior, Rodan, Angirasu and Mosura rushed through the sand below the plateau. Their feet kicking up sand as they ran as fast as their legs could carry them. Rodan picked up his speed, passing his friends up.
"I'll take the lead! You guys try to keep up!" said Rodan as he broke off into a sprint.
"Get moving then!" said Junior as he attempted to catch up. Mosura began to pass him up as she began to sprint. Junior groaned in annoyance as Angirasu slightly passed him.
"All I got going for me is muscle." said Junior with a twitching brow. Rodan spotted three figures in the distance near the shore. He picked up his speed, finding them falling over into the sand. He slowed himself down as he got closer.
"Hey! Are you alright?! We heard you-" Rodan's voice trailed off as his eyes adjusted to the night. He found three young women with soaked hair that stuck to their skin, all lying on their bellies in the sand. His eyes widened as he saw something that made his face burn hot from his blush and caused his words to get caught in his throat.
"Uh! I-I- uh!" Rodan stuttered, his mind incapable of formulating a thought. His blush increased as the young women shifted and faced him.
"Rodan! What's-" Mosura had arrived with Angirasu and Junior not far behind. Her voice trailed off as she noticed the young women. Her eyes widened as she saw their naked bodies. She noticed Rodan's eyes staring at them. She immediately dove for his eyes and cupped her hands over them.
"Don't look, you pervert!" cried Mosura as she pulled Rodan back.
I didn't mean to, I swear!" said Rodan as he fell on his back, hiding his face away from the young women. Junior and Angirasu had arrived next to Mosura.
"What's this about a perve-oh my god!" said Angirasu as he covered his eyes with a blush forming on his cheeks. Junior noticed at what he was staring at and gasped. He immediately turned around with a blush reaching his face. Mosura bit her thumb as she saw that all three of the male Transmutants were here along with three naked young women on the beach.  The situation was almost like some kind of sick comedy. She turned to the girl with the ponytail and removed her sweater.
"What happened here?! Are you three alright?" asked Mosura in worry as she helped the girl with the ponytail onto her rear, placing the sweater over her muddy shoulders. Sonata shrunk back nervously from the Transmutant. Mosura gave her a friendly smile.
"It’s alright. We're here to help you." said Mosura as she took Sonata's hands, helping her stand. Mosura then noticed that she wore shells strapped to her chest. Her brow raised in confusion.
'Why would they wear only one thing that covered them? And why clams?' thought Mosura. She then shrugged the thought off and released Sonata's hands. The Siren wobbled and fell forward, wrapping her arms tightly around Mosura.
"Oh! Are you alright?" asked Mosura as she raised Sonata off. The girl shook her head.
"We can't walk." said Sonata in a small tone. Aria and Adagio sighed in response. Mosura raised a brow.
"Why not?"
"Umm... we uh..." Adagio struggled to come up with a lie. She played with several lies in her mind that she hopped would fool them.
"We have cramps from swimming all day!" lied Adagio.
"Oh. But, where are your bottoms?" asked Mosura in curiosity. The three male Transmutants went stiff as they heard Mosura brought the subject up, keeping their eyes averted away from the girls. Aria raised a brow.
"Our what?" asked Aria.
"You know, your swim bottoms. Don't tell me you all went skinny dipping at this time!" said an appalled Mosura. Adagio's mind raced. She heard rumors about human women wearing some sort of fabric at their waistline for swimming. The way the woman reacted told Adagio that they were acting out of the norm, potentially blowing their cover.
"Of course we wore bottoms! My friend here is just freezing terribly that she can't think straight. We lost them to the waves!" lied Adagio with a nervous smile. Aria sent her a glare.
"Oh, well that's unfortunate." said Mosura. She then turned to Junior and Angirasu, wearing a thoughtful look.
"Angirasu, Gojira, lend me your sweater and coat." commanded Mosura. Junior and Angirasu wasted no time as they quickly removed the apparel that Mosura desired. They quickly handed them to Mosura, not facing her. She took them and walked Sonata over to Angirasu. Sonata tripped and wrapped her arms around Angirasu's back, causing him to flinch.
"Help her stand up." said Mosura as she walked over to Aria and Adagio. Angirasu slowly looked down to Sonata, who stood to be five foot six. The girl shrunk back fearfully at his appearance. The Transmutant's hair reminded her of a sea urchin.
Mosura made her way over to Aria and placed Angirasu's coat over her shoulders. She then zipped it up for her, causing her to look it over curiously. Mosura then made her way over to Adagio and placed Junior's sweater over her shoulders, zipping it up. Adagio felt warmth reaching her upper body, but her lower half was freezing in the cold.
"Rodan, Goji, you two are going to help these two back to camp." said Mosura. Junior and Rodan turned around with slack jawed expressions.
"You can't be serious!" said Junior.
"Yeah! I don't know what you're planning, but I don't feel right about this!" said Rodan as he waved his hands frantically. Mosura gave him an appalled look.
"I don't know what you're thinking but I'm sure it's not what you think!" said Mosura. She then looked to Junior with a look of disapproval. "Don't turn your back on these girls. They are in need!"
"Mosu, I-" Junior was about to protest but then noticed the shivering form of Adagio. He saw how her long hair was drenched and how it hung and stuck to her shoulders. Honestly, it was a sad sight for him to see, even if he did distrust her. 
"Alright, come on Ro." said Junior. Rodan sighed.
"Well, at least it'd be less weird now that they're wearing something." said Rodan. He then made his way over to Aria, helping her stand to her feet. She stood to be five foot seven. Aria gave him an odd glance as he took her hand. She then pulled away.
"At least buy me some dinner first!" said Aria. Rodan rolled his eyes with a scoff.
"Don't flatter yourself." retorted Rodan. He then held his hand back out to her with a deadpanned gaze. Aria sighed in annoyance as she took his hand and carefully began to walk with him, though her steps were stiff and wobbly.
Junior made his way over to Adagio, holding his hand out. Adagio reached for it but hesitates, unnerved by this human before her. She then placed her hand on his, feeling his rough palm. She stood up to her feet, wobbling in place. Adagio then fell against Junior’s chest, then quickly backed away, almost causing her to fall backwards. Junior immediately grabbed her arm and gently pulled her back up. She stood to be five foot eight compared to him. Junior sighed as he realized that they would be outside all night if she couldn't walk. The Transmutant lowered himself and pressed his left hand against her back and swept her up from her feet with his right hand, holding her bridal style. The Siren gasped as she felt herself carried in such a manner.
"Put me down!" demanded Adagio as she grabbed Junior's cheek, yanking on it.
"Ow! What?! You can't walk, so I thought carrying you would be easier!" said Junior. Adagio released his cheek and sent him a glare.
"Next time, ask for my permission!" said Adagio. Junior grunted in annoyance.
"Whatever you say, sister." said Junior. Mosura wore a vague smile.
'Oh. These two might get along just fine.' thought Mosura.



Junior, Angirasu and Rodan waited outside of the tents. They sat together in front of the fire pit, taking in its warmth. The three listened to the struggling voices of the new girls attempting to put clothes on. Rodan's face was red and hot.
"I have seen things that I thought that I was ready for. My mind was apparently not yet ready to handle the sight, so it turned against me by causing me to be still as stone." said Rodan in a monotone voice. Junior and Angirasu remained silent. Junior then turned to face Rodan.
"How would you know if you were ready? You barely even hung out with a girl that you didn't see as a sister." Junior said as he gave Rodan a deadpanned stare.
"An overconfident bastard you are." said Angirasu as he stared at Rodan with an unimpressed expression.
"You guys looked too and didn't fare any better than me." spat Rodan.
"Of course not! How often do you see women's bodies that made you think that you could handle seeing these three?!" asked Junior with a glare.
"Umm... enough?" said Rodan.
"You're full of crap. Don't try to be cool by claiming that you've seen women's bodies’ before." snorted Angirasu. Suddenly, the sound of someone exiting the tent reached their ears. Junior immediately shushed his friends, wanting to end such a conversation. They turned and found Mosura emerging with damp and mud covered towels.
"Well, I lent them some of my clothes. Goji, I had to give Adagio one of your shirts since I didn't have any that fits her." informed Mosura as she placed the dirty towels in a bag. Junior sighed in response.
"Well, what's up with them?" asked Junior.
"These girls said that they are traveling and have lost their things to someone. They have nowhere to go." said Mosura.
"Did you ever think to maybe, do a little..." Rodan looked at the tent behind her. He then put his hand by his cheek. "...mind reading?"
"I don't see the need to. They're upset that they can't return home. They seem pretty trustworthy." said Mosura. Junior sighed in response.
"With our situation, no one is trustworthy." said Junior. Mosura placed her hands on her hips with a look of disapproval.
"Like it or not, we're helping these girls until they can get off of their feet!" said Mosura in Neighponese. Junior made his way closer to her, lowering himself slightly to her level.
"Mosu, it's a bad idea. We can barely even support ourselves out here!" said Junior, reverting back to his native tongue. Mosura sighed in response.
"Look, just trust me with this. OK?" asked Mosura. Junior contemplated his decision. He felt something off about those girls. They seemed, out of the ordinary for some reason. But, Mosura was set on helping them. He hoped that this would be worth it.
"Fine, we'll do it your way." said Junior. He then looked at the tent.
"So, are they all booking in one tent?" asked Junior. Mosura nodded in response. He then made his back into his tent. "Fine."
"So much for having my own tent tonight." complained Rodan. Angirasu sighed in response.
"Agreed."




The next morning...

The sun was rising over Saddle Arabia. People began to stir from their sleep and began to rise out of their beds. The streets were soon filled with many people that made their way to work or wherever their presence was needed. Junior lied down in his tent next to Mosura, both in a blissful sleep. The morning sun was beginning to quickly heat up the air and sand, causing the Transmutants to stir. Junior drowsily raised himself, sitting as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Junior's eyelids were heavy, shutting and forcing Junior to lie back down. Junior was nearly falling back to sleep after a minute. Suddenly, the sound of screaming caused Junior and Mosura to shoot up.
"Hot! Hot!" cried Sonata. Junior drowsily took his shoes and puts them on. As he emerged from the tent, he found Sonata sitting back in her tent, rubbing her feet as her eyes watered. Adagio and Aria both looked at her in annoyance with half open eyes from their tent. Aria buried her face in her pillow, attempting to go back to sleep.
"Are you alright?" Junior asked in between yawns.
"No! My- uh..." Sonata searched for the word that described the things connected to her new limbs.
"Your feet?" asked a drowsy Junior.
"Yeah! My feet burn like crazy! That's what I meant!" said Sonata with a nervous smile.
"Well, that's what happens when you try to go barefoot when it's hot." responded Junior with a sigh. He then noticed Angirasu and Rodan emerging from the third tent.
"What's with all the noise?" asked Rodan with an annoyed expression.
"Sonata burned her feet in the hot sand." answered Junior as he stretched his body. He hissed in pain as he felt his abdomen ache. He then noticed Mosura emerging from the tent.
"Rodan, do you and Angirasu have work today?" asked Mosura.
"No, but we do tomorrow. Why?" asked Rodan.
"Because Goji and I are going into the market today to buy some clothes for our guests. I need you two to keep them company." answered Mosura. Rodan shrugged in response. He then made his way back into his tent.
"I need you to watch over them. Get up!" said Mosura.
"No way in hell am I losing sleep just to babysit three grown ass girls! Besides, they seem content with remaining in their tent and they can't even go anywhere." said Rodan from within his tent. Mosura then noticed that Adagio and Aria were fast asleep with Sonata lying down with a bored expression.
"Aang, look after them please?" asked Mosura.
"No problem." said Angirasu as he sat on a folding chair with an attached shade flap over his head. Mosura then reentered the tent, the sound of shuffling was heard from inside. Junior stared off into the clear sky. The Transmutants had gotten introductions out of the way during the previous night. Junior recalled how Sonata was courteous enough to thank them for taking her and her friends into their camp. However, he was displeased with how Aria gave a half-assed thank you while Adagio did not give thanks at all. She was actually cold towards them.
'Great, they're probably those kinds of girls.' thought Junior with a scowl. Memories of vain high school girls flooded back to him. He only hoped that those girls would not be with him and his friends for long. Junior suddenly heard the sound of Mosura emerging from the tent. He found her wearing her abaya.
"Ready to go?" asked Mosura. Junior nodded, trailing behind Mosura. Angirasu watched as Mosura and Junior departed from their camp. He reached for a medium sized cooler and pulled out a cold water bottle. He noticed Sonata staring at him with wide eyes. The Transmutant raised a brow in response. Sonata licked her lips as she continued to stare with longing. Angirasu's mind registered the reason for her staring. He then looked to his water bottle and then looked back to her.
"Thirsty?" asked Angirasu. Sonata nodded to him. Angirasu held out the water bottle and handed it to her. Sonata gleefully takes it from him and removed the cap. She began to chug the refreshing liquid down.
'Wow. She really was thirsty.' thought Angirasu. He then reached back into the cooler, pulling out another water bottle. Sonata sighed as she finished consuming the water.
"So, did you have a good night's sleep?" asked Angirasu.
"Yep! It was like a sleepover! I hadn't had one with Dagi and Ariee in years!" said Sonata, feeling nostalgic. Angirasu gave her a small smile.
"Well, I'm glad that at least one of us had a good night's sleep." said Angirasu as her rubbed his sore neck. The tent that he was forced to share with Rodan was not large enough for him to sleep in with another person inside.
"Right." said Sonata as she rubbed her arm. The two remained in an awkward silence.
"So, what do you guys do for fun when you're bored and not busy?" asked Sonata. Angirasu shrugged.
"Whatever we can do at the time. We sometimes hangout in the village just below this plateau." said Angirasu.
"Hey, do you think you could show us around?!" asked Sonata with hopeful eyes.
"Well...sure why not? I have nothing better to do. But, we'll have to go over some rules when your friends wake up.” At this, Sonata smiled with glee, causing Angirasu to crack a small smile.




Mustangia, Equestria...

The houses, stores, and small buildings of the town that suffered from the Diamond Dog attack were nearly repaired. People continued on about their business and their days. A few guards remained vigilant away from open areas and crowds, watching the town that they were ordered to protect. A few people discussed the news about the vigilante Transmutants.
"So, they all suddenly began to change into large creatures that looked like dragons! The Transmutants then charged towards the army of Diamond Dogs and took them all on like they were nothing!" said a young man as he did quick fighting gestures. A couple of his friends were listening to the story with interest. They were busy hiding from the Diamond Dogs when this battle occurred.
"The battle lasted for... ah I can't remember! I was so wrapped up in it that I didn't count how long it took, but it felt like it ended fast!" said the young man.
"That sounds nuts! So, where did they go?" asked another man.
"I don't know. Some people say that they saw them run off into the desert." said the first man with a shrug.
"You really think these Transmutants are heroes?" asked a young woman.
"They could be!" said another young woman with excitement. The group continued to speak about the subject, interested in these potential heroes. From above a rooftop hid Manda. Her ears picked up the conversations of the citizens. The news about them had spread like wild fire. She heard negative comments about her and the Transmutants, ranging from distrust and questioning of their action to kill the Diamond Dogs. The comments about killing the Diamond Dogs made her feel worse about the night. But, the positive comments about her and her friends put her at ease. There seemed to be a good growing number of positive thoughts. Manda gasped and immediately hid herself as an armored Valkyrie looked her way. She lied on the ground with her breaths calm. Manda slowly peaked over the roof, finding that the Valkyrie was missing. Her eyes widened.
"Where did-"
"Hi there." said a feminine voice. Manda yelped, quickly turning around to find the Valkyrie standing behind her. The guard stood with her arms crossed over her breast plate with a neutral expression. Manda gulped nervously.
"He-hello." greeted Manda. The Valkyrie leaned in closer to Manda in curiosity, causing the Transmutant to shrink back.
"Tell me, what are you doing up here, civilian?" questioned the guard.
"Um... I like the view up here!" said Manda with a nervous smile. The guard cast her a suspicious glance.
"Uh huh. Well, I have to ask you to leave this rooftop. The guards are vigil and might get the wrong idea of a human watching the town from a rooftop. You know, with news of three new Transmutants showing up." said the guard. Manda tittered in response.
"Right. A pretty dumb thing to do. Sorry," apologized Manda. The guard shrugged in response.
"Meh. The royal guard is just wary of them because we know that we don't stand a chance against them. But hey, if rumors of these ones being the good guys are true, then that could lead to some changes. Changes that could be for the better for all of us." said the guard. She then looks to Manda with a smile. "Don't you think?"
"I... yes! Oh, yes! Absolutely!" agreed Manda, hoping that her agreement didn't sound too forced. Although she genuinely agreed with this guard, she was in a position that filled her with anxiety. Manda then made her way over to the side of the roof and dropped down to the bottom. The guard rushed over to the edge with wide eyes. Manda dusted herself off as she stepped off of an abandoned mattress. She then gave the guard a thumb up.
"I'm good. I already planned for coming down!" said Manda. She then turned and made her way through the alley, quickly rounding the corner as she tried to avoid eye contact. She didn't know how many people saw her face from the previous night, but she couldn't take risk.
"Hmm. She is an odd one." said the guard. She then noticed a small grocery bag that was left on the roof. It was filled with a gallon of milk and orange juice.
"Uh-oh! This must be hers." said the guard as she reached for the grocery bag. She then flapped her wings and took off into the air. Her eyes searched the crowds in the town, hoping to find the woman. After a minute of searching, she founds a head covered in jade hair rushing through the crowd. The guard wore a puzzled expression.
"Where is she going in such a hurry?" the guard asked herself. She then took off through the air, flying away from the crowds and also out of the jade haired woman's sight. After a minute of trailing her, Manda turned to an area that led outside of the town. The guard's brow raised in curiosity.
"How far does she live?" the guard asked. She then noticed that she was running to the deserted region, specifically into a formation of tall, stone pillars. The guard picked up her speed and descended herself near the ground. After following Manda through the region, they came across the pillars. The guard landed on the ground, walking to catch up to the woman. Her eyes widened in surprise as she entered a cave.
'Who in the heck would want to live all the way out here?' thought the guard. She then stopped approaching, her mind recalling one of the rumors from the locals. She recalled how the Transmutants fled through where she had just followed the woman, causing her to wonder if the Transmutants were inside the cave. 
'Nah! That's crazy!' thought the guard in amusement. She then dropped the thought and strolled up to the cave. Her ears picked up the sound of bickering.
"I'm sorry! One of the guards startled me and I forgot the milk and orange juice!" cried Manda from within the cave.
"Why were you eavesdropping on their conversations?! It's not gonna matter just because a few humans changed their opinions about us!" spat a male voice.
"You don't know that! I know that our actions will show more people that we're different from the other Transmutants!" said Manda. The guard stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes widening.
'Uuuuhh... did she just associate themselves with Transmutants?' thought the guard. She was beginning to have second thoughts on doubting her theory.
"Baragon, some people compare us to super heroes like in the comic books! Super heroes! I don't think you realize how significant this is!"
"So a few kids compared us to Saddle Rager and whatever super hero with a freak genetic condition. Personally, I don’t find it flattering! This is real life! We're not super heroes, we're just-" the one called Baragon was interrupted by another voice.
"Look, this conversation can wait. We have a visitor." said a man with a deeper voice. The guard went stiff.
'He doesn't mean me, does he?' thought the guard with dread. She waited, motionless. Suddenly, she saw the head of Manda peeking out from the side of the cave. The guard flinched in response. Manda's eyes widened as she hid back in the cave, looking toward her friends.
"Do you think she knows?" whispered Manda. Goro nodded.
"She knows." said Goro. He then stepped out of the cave, finding the guard standing as stiff as a board.
"May we help you?" asked Goro. The guard snapped out of her dazed state and looks to the grocery bag.
"Um...one of you left a grocery bag on the roof. I came to return it." said the guard. Manda peaked her head out and rushed over to the guard.
"Oh, thank you! That was almost fifteen bits down the drain!" said Manda as she took the bag. The guard nodded to her lamely. She then noticed Goro's gaze. She grew uncomfortable, intimidated by his build.
"Care to join us for lunch? It'd be an honor to have a royal guard as a guest." said Goro with a welcoming smile. The guard stood still, not daring to move.
"Uhhh..." the guard's training had not prepared her for this.
'Oh man, what to do when a potential enemy invites you into his creepy lair for lunch? Do I attack? Do I flee? Ah! This sucks!' thought the guard with her heart racing. She suddenly put on a forced smile.
"Sure! Sounds nice!" said the guard. She then mentally scolded herself for making such a decision.
"Come on in." said Goro as he turned and led the guard into the cave. The guard looked towards the town one last time, hesitantly stepping in the cave. She felt the cold air from the dark cave, the sound of water dripping reached her ears. She noticed a shorter man with sunglasses casting a weary glance towards her. The guard continued on into the cave, meeting with Goro and Manda. She hoped that she would make it out alive.




Later...

The guard sat at a wooden table with the three Transmutants with a salad sandwich in her hand. Her helmet was off, revealing her short blue hair. She took small bites out of her sandwich with the other Transmutants eating their meals as well. The guard swallowed her food, clearing her throat.
"So...you guys are Transmutants?" asked the guard. Goro nodded in response.
"That's right. We have been living out here for a couple of months now, surviving on what we can find and with the money that we are able to make." said Goro as he took another bite of his sandwich.
"Hmm. I was expecting you guys to be more...monstrous." the guard said hesitantly. Baragon pulled out a newspaper, turning the page to a photo with three dragon-like creatures roaring as they fought Diamond Dogs. The photo appeared to have been taken from a roof top.
"You mean like this?" asked Baragon with a harsh tone. The guard nodded.
"Yeah...like that." the guard answered, shrinking back from Baragon’s glare.
"Ms. uh..." Manda was about to call the guard by name, but recalled how it was not given to her.
"Call me Sapphire." said the guard.
"Sapphire. We do tend to look like the creatures that people have seen, but it's more of a transformation, not a permanent appearance." said Manda.
"So...like werewolves?" asked Sapphire.
"No, those are fictional. Also, we can change at any time. We don't need a full moon. God knows how much of a pain in the ass that would be." said Baragon as he continued to read through the newspaper.
"Also, I'm pretty sure being impaled by silver will just kill about anybody." said Manda with a laugh. Sapphire shared a small laugh. The rest remained silent for a minute.
"So, what do you plan on doing?" asked Goro. Sapphire looked to him with a raised brow.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, what will you do now that you have discovered our lair? Will you tell the princess of our location? Or will you arrest us on your own?" asked Goro.
"I uh... I wasn't expecting to run into a small group of Transmutants that people consider as either heroes or violent monsters. I don't think that I could possibly arrest you on my own. We were ordered to report to the princess if we were to ever locate any of you." answered Sapphire.
"Great. Now we gotta move!" spat Baragon.
"Actually, the princess has something else in mind." interjected Sapphire, grabbing the attention of the Transmutants.
"Princess Celestia has yet to announce this to the public, but she wants to try and establish better relations between Equestrians and Transmutants. Specifically, Transmutants like you guys." said Sapphire. Goro's eyes widened in surprise at the news.
"She does?" asked Goro. Sapphire nodded.
"That's right. With MONARCH gone, there's no one else strong enough to protect Equestria's citizens from Transmutant attacks. The princesses are strong, but they can't be in multiple places at once." explained Sapphire. Manda looked to Goro, waiting to hear his thoughts.
"I see. So, she's hoping that she can establish a relationship with Transmutants to protect her citizens? Why did she ban MONARCH from Equestria?" asked Goro.
"It's not just that. It's the Equestrian way to offer a hand of friendship to others. None of the other Transmutants seem too keen about that, but she's hoping that you guys would be the exception." said Sapphire. She then rubbed the back of her head. "There are also rumors of her adopted son being a Transmutant. If that's the case, then this is mostly for his safety since MONARCH violated the term of sparing Transmutants that surrender willingly."
"Where is he?" asked Manda, curiously.
"We don't know. He ran away." answered Sapphire. Baragon scoffed in response.
"Can you blame him? You humans have been treating us all like shit for the past twelve and a half years." said Baragon. Manda sent him a glare and kicked his leg from her end of the table.
"Ow! What?!" asked Baragon. Manda looked away with a look of innocence to her face. Sapphire looked down with a frown.
"Sapphire, you do what you must. We will remain here and continue what we have been doing." said Goro. Sapphire looked up to respond but a voice echoed in the cave.
"Goro!" called the voice. The Transmutants faced the exit in surprise. The guard raised a brow, wondering who else could be familiar with these isolated vigilantes.
"That's Copper!" cried Manda as she immediately stood from her seat and ran through the cave. The rest of the Transmutants and Sapphire stood up and followed her. Sapphire's eyes widened as she spotted a Diamond Dog standing in the entrance. She gritted her teeth and reached for the sword that hung from her waist. She charged towards the Diamond Dog, giving a war cry. Copper's eyes widened as the Valkyrie approached. Manda suddenly stood in front of the dog with her arms spread out.
"No! No! He's with us!" said Manda frantically. The guard stopped, casting Manda an appalled expression.
"But...he's a Diamond Dog! They attacked Mustangia!" said Sapphire as she pointed at Copper, his ears folding back.
"Yes! But he was only doing what he was told! He regrets what happened and wants to set things right!" said Manda, ready to defend the Diamond Dog. The guard casted an uneasy glance at the Diamond Dog and to Manda's pleading eyes. She then reluctantly lowered her sword. Goro stepped forward, nearing Copper.
"What brings you here?" asked Goro. Copper calmed himself and then looked at Goro with a serious expression.
"I changed my mind. I want you to train me so that I may become strong enough to defeat my pack leader." said Copper.




Meanwhile in Saddle Arabia...

The Sirens stood outside in front of the four Transmutants, wearing their new apparel. Adagio wore a gold abaya with her pendant hanging from her neck. Her curly hair was covered by the hood that she wore and her feet were covered in sandals. Aria wore a purple abaya while Sonata wore a light arctic blue abaya. The Sirens looked themselves over with raised eyebrows. Sonata, however, admired the clothing.
"Oooh! This is nice!" said Sonata.
"Yeah, those do look nice. Nice shopping, you two!" said Rodan as he patted Junior on the shoulder.
"Oh ho ho! Don’t give both of us credit. Goji gave me unhelpful answers when I asked him which ones would look nice on them." said Mosura with a deadpan stare directed towards Junior.
"Because we were shopping for clothes. We didn't need to find the prettiest looking clothes that we could find." said Junior, his tone filled with annoyance. Angirasu shook his head in amusement.
"Anyway, you girls wanted to check out the village?" asked Mosura. Sonata nodded furiously with a look of excitement. Aria looked to Adagio with a shrug.
"Yes.  Sonata is one for sightseeing, and we always need to keep an eye on her." answered Adagio. She then mentally sighed. 'I honestly couldn’t care less about your human civilization.'
"Alright, then! But first, there are a few rules that we need to go by for when we're in the village." said Mosura. Arias sighed in disappointment.
"Greeeeaaat." said Aria. Adagio merely nudged her with her elbow, sending her a silencing glare.
"Rule number one, Saddle Arabia is strict with its rules. One of which is that no woman is allowed to travel alone without a male escort. Remain close to either one of these boys to avoid getting into trouble with authorities." said Mosura. Adagio's eyes widened at the revelation of the humans segregating their females. Never in her life has she heard of Sirens doing this to members of the opposite gender.
"Rule number two, do not challenge the authorities, you will regret it. Rule number three, keep your abaya's on. Everyone got this?" asked Mosura with a smile. Sonata nodded. Adagio's eyes were wide while giving a hesitant nod. Aria remained silent.
"2 out of 3. Good enough!" said Mosura. She then turned to the male Transmutants with a half threatening smile.
"Please keep an eye on them as we're in town." said Mosura.
"Got it." said the male Transmutants in unison. Sonata quickly made her way over to Angirasu. She took his arm with a bright smile on her face. Angirasu nervously chuckled as she held onto him. Adagio made her way over to Junior and Mosura with a neutral expression. Aria made her way over to Rodan with a bored face.
"We don't need to hold hands again, do we?" asked Aria. Rodan gave her a flirty smile.
"Only if you want to." said Rodan. Aria scoffed in disgust. Rodan lost his smile and turned away with a scowl. "Never mind, then."
The Transmutants and Sirens walked as a group, heading towards the village below. However, the Sirens stumbled a bit as they walked. Sonata tripped and fell forward with a yelp. Suddenly, she was caught by Angirasu by her shoulders. Angirasu gently stood the Siren back onto her feet. She stared at him with wide eyes, her face turning red.
"Are you three still having trouble walking?" asked Angirasu in concern.
"A-a little." stuttered Sonata. The Transmutant gave her a reassuring smile.
"Well, I'm sure that your legs will get better soon enough." said Angirasu. Sonata nodded with a smile. Her heart raced as she held onto Angirasu's arm for support.
'He's kind of cute now that I got a better look at him.' thought Sonata as she snuck a glance at Angirasu. His spiked hair was blown by the wind. Aria and Adagio noticed Sonata's dopey smile, both raised a brow.
'What's that idiot smiling about?' thought Aria.
'Is she? No, way! That's ludicrous!' thought Adagio in amusement.



The Transmutants and Sirens wondered the streets together. The Sirens looked at their surroundings, finding many humans roaming about as they worked or enjoyed their day. The Sirens found a tank filled with lobsters at a stand. Sonata watched the lobsters with a small smile. Suddenly, one of the lobsters were plucked from the tank, causing Sonata to tear her eyes away from the tank and toward the lobster held by a Saddle Arabian man using tongs. The man held the lobster over a pot filled with boiling water. He dropped the lobster head first into the pot. Suddenly, a high pitched screech reached the ears of the Sirens, causing their eyes to widen in horror.
"By God!" said an appalled Adagio. The man merely looked at the Sirens with a raised brow.
"What?" asked the man in his native tongue. Junior and the other Transmutants made their way over to the Sirens.
"What's wrong?" asked Junior in confusion.
"How could you cook that poor lobster while it was still alive?!" demanded Adagio with a glare. The man waved his hands defensively.
"I don't know what's going on! Please leave!" said the man fearfully. Junior placed a hand on Adagio's shoulder, attempting to pull her back.
"Hey, knock it off. I think you're scaring him." said Junior, noticing the odd stares that they were receiving.
"He was screaming in agony! Oh, you're a horrible man!" said Sonata, her eyes welling up with tears.
"Not cool, dude! I get how some people like seafood but come on! At least put the poor bastard out of his misery." said Aria with a glare. The man backed away fearfully.
"I don't want any trouble! Leave before I call the guards!" said the man as he pointed his tongs at them. Mosura's eyes widened in alarm. She quickly moved the Sirens away from the stand.
"I am so sorry! My friends, they're upset because you boiled the lobster alive." said Mosura, speaking the same language as the man.
"Oh. But, that is how I always do it. Isn't it fresher to boil them alive?" asked the man.
"Actually, I heard that the meat is better if you boil them humanely. Try to have them sleep by rubbing their heads between their eyes or put them in the freezer before boiling them. Besides, you might put animal rights supporters at ease." whispered Mosura with a wink. The man hummed in thought.
"Well, if what you say is true, I can avoid something like this from happening again. Thank you miss!" said the man with a smile.
"You're very welcome!" said Mosura. She then turned away and ushered away the Sirens and Transmutants. People began to return to their business and ignored the group. Adagio sent a glare towards the man that ran the stand.
"Filthy human." muttered Adagio. Junior's ears perked up as he heard her voice.
"What was that?" asked Junior. Adagio went stiff.
"Uh...nothing." said Adagio as she faced forward. Junior raised a brow at her.
'Aaaaalright then.' thought Junior as he faced forward. The group continued on through the village in silence.
"Hey Mosu, you seem to be getting good at speaking their language." said Angirasu with a smile.
"I'm OK. I still need to work on my pronunciations and accent. But, this book has been pretty helpful!" said Mosura as she held up a blue dictionary. She then opened the book and began to scan through it. Her eyes scowled in annoyance.
"Shoot. I thought I had that one down." said Mosura as she closed the dictionary. Junior gave her a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry. You're a quick learner." complimented Junior. Rodan sighed in annoyance.
"Yeah. I can't even say any of the words in that book. It comes out as gibberish." said Rodan. Aria eyed the book curiously. Her mind contemplated whether if it was worth her time to consider it.
"Mind if I take a look at that book?" asked Aria.
"Sure!" Here you go!" said Mosura as she handed the dictionary to Aria. Rodan's eyes scanned the area with a bored expression. He then noticed a building with lights built into the roof and an image depicting a microphone on a poster. He smiled as he heard music coming from inside.
"Mosu, that wouldn't happen to be a Karaoke bar, would it?" asked Rodan. Mosura turned to find Rodan pointing at the establishment.
"It is! Hey, why don't we all go inside and sing a few songs and cool off?" suggested Mosura. Rodan nodded eagerly. The Sirens' ears perked at the mention of singing. Angirasu shrugged in response.
"I suppose. Just don't ask me to sing." chuckled Angirasu. Junior sighed.
"Great. Don't we hear enough singing from people breaking into song?" asked Junior with a deadpanned stare. Mosura frowned in disappointment.
"Aw, don't be like that. It'll be fun!" said Mosura. Junior rolled his eyes in response. Adagio pushed Junior aside with an eager expression on her face.
"A place where people gather to sing you say?" asked Adagio. Mosura nodded as Junior sent the Siren a look of annoyance.
"That's right! You girls interested?" asked Mosura.
"Well, we do sing from time to time." said Aria, her tone filled with pride.
"Helloooo! We sing like all the time! It's why Sarila wanted us to come here in the first place!" said Sonata. Aria's eyes widened at Sonata's slip of the tongue.
"Who?" asked Mosura. Adagio sent Sonata a glare and made a cutting motion with her hand near neck.
"Wh-what did I say?" asked Sonata with a shrug.
"Wait, who's Sarila?" asked Junior. Adagio thought up of a lie nervously.
"Uh...she's a friend of ours! Sonata meant to say that our friend wanted us to come to this country for a chance for our talents to be recognized!" answered Adagio.
"Ohhhh, yeah! Th-What she said I meant to say. That's what I meant. To say." said Sonata with a grin. Aria scoffed in response.
'Idiot.' thought Aria. Rodan and Angirasu looked to each other with raised brows. Junior looked to Mosura with a wary glance,
'Goji, you're being dramatic.' thought Mosura, her thoughts traveling to Junior's mind. He sent her a deadpanned stare in response. Mosura turned back to the group with a smile.
"Well, let’s make sure that those talents will be recognized!" said Mosura. She then led the group over to the Karaoke bar.



"You're at your best, when the going gets rough! You've been put to the test, but it's never enough! You got the touch! You got the power! Yeah! You got the touch! You got the power! Touch!~" Rodan became silent as he finished the song. The sound of the guitar, bass and drums slowly died down from the speakers. The audience applauded him for his performance. Junior and Angirasu sat with the Sirens in the back of the Karaoke bar with a soda in his hand. Junior wore a scowl as he took a sip. Mosura sat next to him and slapped him in the back.
"What's with scowl? Aren't you enjoying yourself?" asked Mosura.
"It's too damn crowded." said Junior as he looked on at the numerous people that filled up the karaoke bar. Mosura shook her head.
"You have to learn to get used to being around crowds, Goji." said Mosura. Junior sighed in response. He then noticed Rodan making his way over to the group.
"What did you guys think?" asked Rodan.
"You did pretty good." said Angirasu with a smile. Mosura nodded in agreement. Junior took another sip of his soda.
"Those were some inspiring lyrics." said Junior. Aria rolled her eyes.
"Meh. Not bad for an amateur." said Aria. Rodan's brow twitched in offense.
"Ooooh! No she didn't!" said Sonata with a grin. Adagio wore an amused smile.
"Oh, yes she did." said Adagio, hoping to antagonize the Transmutant. Rodan chuckled in offense.
"OK! Let's see you rock the house, sister!" said Rodan. Aria grinned at the challenge.
"You're on."
Aria made her way over to the stage, taking the mic into her hand. Her eyes looked on at the strange machine that held records behind a glass box. She looked over the labels, finding titles of many different kinds of songs. She frowned as she realized that she was unfamiliar with most of the songs. In fact, she didn't know a single human song. Her eyes then caught sight of a title that rang a bell to her memory.
'Hmm. what are the lyrics?' thought Aria. She noticed a button that was labeled, 'press to preview lyrics'. Aria pressed the button, allowing the screen at her left to display an overview of the lyrics. She began to scan through them. Aria smiled as she confirmed her suspicion. She then noticed a small text above that read, 'requires two additional singers'.
'Damn. Wait, there are two other singers that knows this song!' thought Aria. She then looks over to Adagio and Sonata as they waited with the Transmutants.
"Hey! I need you two to help me out here!" called Aria. Adagio raised a brow and then looked over to Sonata. The airheaded girl shrugged in response. The two made their way over to the stage with Aria, whispering amongst themselves.
"Remember that old record player from the surface that had the song still intact?" whispered Aria.
"Yeah, we hid it in a cave where it isn't flooded. Why?" asked Adagio.
"They have that same song here. But, I need your help to one up that punk." answered Aria. Adagio rubbed her chin.
"Well, if we're going to succeed in our mission, we will need to drain the energy from these humans in order to prepare our pendants for a larger scale spell." said Adagio. Sonata smiled with glee.
"We're singing that song?!" asked Sonata.
"Yep. Here's how we do it." answered Adagio as she gathered her fellow Sirens into a huddle.
Junior watched the Sirens converse amongst themselves. He felt an odd aura radiating off of them, mostly from Adagio. To him, she seemed like a bit odd, as if she was hiding something. Junior was familiar with that, being someone who had kept a dark secret for over twelve years.
"I'll be back. I gotta use the bathroom." said Angirasu as he stood up from the table and made his way over to the restroom. Rodan waited impatiently for the Sirens to sing, wanting to see if they were as good as they claimed. Junior looked towards Mosura, who eagerly waited to hear the voices of the girls. He lightly tapped her on the shoulder, causing her to face him curiously.
"We need to talk." said Junior. Mosura raised a brow in response. Junior stood up to his feet and gestured for her to follow him. The pair made their way outside of the Karaoke bar, standing outside.
"What's wrong?" asked Mosura.
"Mosu, don't you think that these girls seem a little...off?" asked Junior.
"Huh? What do you mean?" asked Mosura, oblivious to what Junior had meant.
"Mosu, why did they act so strange when Sonata mentioned their friend?" asked Junior.
"Well...I don't know. Maybe they're embarrassed to talk about their friends." guessed Mosura. She then placed a hand under her chin. "But, it did seem odd at how secretive they were about their purpose here."
"Also, who in the hell would come out here to Saddle Arabia to have your singing talents recognized?! This doesn't seem like the place where you want to start!" said Junior with a deadpanned stare. He then began to think of something else that had been bothering him since last night.
"Mosu, they stink." said Junior. Mosura raised a brow and then sent him a glare.
"Be nice! Besides, I helped them wash up a bit before we left." said Mosura.
"No, I mean they have a different kind of stench. Mosura, they smell like fish!" said Junior.
"Well, they have been swimming in the sea." said Mosura.
"Yeah, but from what I've learned as a predator based Transmutant, fish can have different kinds of scents. They smell like ...I can't remember but I feel like it's something not good." said Junior. Mosura gave him a deadpanned expression.
"You're uncomfortable with them because they came to Saddle Arabia to hopefully start a career in singing and because they have the scent of a kind of fish that you can't remember?" deadpanned Mosura. She then gave him an incredulous look. "Gojira, that is the most irrational thing that I have ever heard come out of your mouth!"
"Remember when they were freaking out about the lobster?" asked Junior.
"So what? They were upset because that man cooked it inhumanely!" retorted Mosura.
"Mosu, I heard Adagio mutter something that I have never heard another human being mutter." said Junior in a serious tone. Mosura raised a brow.
"What did-" Mosura was about to finish her question until the sound of glass shattering can be heard. The two yelped in surprise, turning to find a table lying on the side walk with shattered glass scattered around it. The glass had come from the Karaoke bar's window.
"What in the..?" Mosura looked into the establishment in confusion. Her eyes widened as she saw people fighting amongst themselves inside. They shouted in their native tongue as they attacked one another.
"What the heck?!" said Junior and Mosura in unison. The pair immediately rushed into the establishment. Junior pulled Mosura to his side and raised his arm in a defensive position, blocking an incoming wooden chair. The chair shattered against his arm.
"I'll kick your ass!" shouted Rodan. Junior's and Mosura's eyes widened as they heard his voice. They turned and found Rodan fighting four other men at once, sending kick jabs and kicks. He then performed a roundhouse kick against one of the men, knocking him onto a table.
"You want some of this?! You better check yourselves before you wreck yourselves! I'm from the Everfree forest, bitch!" shouted Rodan as began to beat a larger man. Junior turned and found Angirasu rushing from the other side of the establishment with a frantic look on his face.
"What the hell is going on here?!" asked Angirasu.
"You tell us!" said Junior with a shrug. He then felt arms put him in a head lock. He looked up to find a Saddle Arabian woman with her arms locked around his neck and head. Junior immediately grabbed her by her arms and pried her arms off of himself. He then turned and picked the woman up and tossed her over to a sofa that lied in the middle of the room. She landed comfortably, bouncing on the cushion.
"I uh...I wasn't expecting this to happen." said Aria with wide eyes as she stared at the chaos with the other two Sirens.
"Did they hate our singing?" asked Sonata. Adagio was about to answer until she noticed her pendant beginning to illuminate. She then noticed green mist radiating off of the Saddle Arabians, making their way over to the three Sirens. The mist was absorbed into their pendants.
"These pendants...they need negative emotions to fuel them!" said Adagio in realization. Aria and Sonata raised a brow in response.
"Don't you see? That song was based on such negativity and was mixed with our spell. Our singing affected the humans with negativity and has caused them to fight amongst themselves! Our pendants are absorbing that negative energy!" said Adagio.
"Just like how we hypnotized men to fall for us with certain lyrics." said Aria, catching on.  She then looked at her pendant. She felt the energy fueling her as well. She deeply inhaled and sharply exhaled, her eyes flashed green. Suddenly, one of the men was heading toward the Sirens with a chair in his grip. He gave a yell as he raised the chair over his head. Their eyes widened as it was about to be brought down on them. Suddenly, Angirasu tackled the man, knocking the chair out of his grip.
"Have you lost your mind?!" demanded Angirasu. He was suddenly hit in the back by a glass bottle. The bottle shattered against his back and drenched him in an alcoholic beverage. Angirasu elbowed the man that had assaulted him with the bottle, knocking the wind out of him. Angirasu stood up to his feet and rushed over to the Sirens. He then took Sonata's hand and began to walk her away from the chaos. Mosura and Junior rushed over to Aria and Adagio and guided them through the fighting crowd. Junior punched a man that held a bottle, causing him to fall to the ground. He then pulled Adagio away as a woman slammed a chair in her direction. The Siren kicked the woman in the face, knocking her to the ground.
"Nice kick!" said Junior. Adagio smiled in response.
"Nice punch." said Adagio. The pair continued through the crowd. Mosura sent her hand forward against a man's gut, pushing him towards a table. Aria picked up a chair and hurled it towards a couple of men that rushed towards her. Sonata found a man rushing over to her with a shattered bottle in his grip. Her eyes widened in horror as she saw the sharp ends. As the man thrust his arm, Sonata shielded her eyes and gritted her teeth. Angirasu stepped in front of her, catching the bottle against his shoulder. He grunted in pain but then sent an uppercut towards the man. Sonata opened her eyes and gasped as she saw Angirasu's bleeding shoulder. Angirasu took her hand and immediately began to rush through the crowd with the other Transmutants and Sirens. After they had reached the exit, Angirasu noticed how Rodan was still fighting.
"Get some!" shouted Rodan as took down three men in three seconds. Angirasu rushed over to Rodan and grabbed him by his shoulder.
"Hey tiger, we need to go!" shouted Angirasu. Rodan sent him a glare.
"Oh you want some too?!" demanded Rodan. He then sent a punch towards Angirasu. By reflex, Angirasu countered his punch and then elbowed the shorter Transmutant in the gut. Rodan dropped to his knees as the wind was knocked out of him. Angirasu then picked him up and rushed out of the establishment with him, wondering what would drive Rodan to suddenly attack him.
"Hey! We need to split!" said Junior in urgency. Angirasu noticed a group of guards rushing down the street.
"Shoot!" said Angirasu. The group then made their way out of the area. They passed several people, hoping to avoid any guards. Junior turned back and saw that the guards had entered the establishment. He was relieved to see that none of them was pursuing them. After a minute of fleeing, they stopped to rest.
"Wh-what the hell was that about?" asked Junior as he panted. Angirasu sighed as he lied Rodan down on the ground, who groaned in pain.
"No clue. I was washing my hands in the bathroom when suddenly I heard shouting and the sound of a brawl." answered Angirasu. He then removed his coat and rolled up his short sleeved shirt. He hissed as the wind hit his wound. Sonata gasped as she saw the small shards of glass that stuck out of his bleeding shoulder.
"Oh no! Are you alright?!" asked Mosura as she noticed the wound.
"Ah. I'll live." said Angirasu as he pulled out a shard, slightly hissing in pain. He continued to do this, causing Sonata to flinch every time.
"Damn, you're tougher than you look." said Aria in an impressed tone.
"Pain is just weakness leaving the body." said Angirasu as he continued to pick at the glass. Junior then looked towards Adagio.
"Since you three were out on stage, do you know why everyone suddenly lost their marbles?" asked Junior.
"Marbles? I didn't see any marbles." said Sonata with a shrug. Aria slapped her hand against Sonata's bangs, causing it to be messy and for her hood to fly off.
"It's a figure of speech, you dummy." said Aria. Sonata puffed her cheek out in annoyance as she tried to fix her bangs. Adagio sighed.
"We don't know. We were just singing and then people just began to fight." answered Adagio. Junior looked down in thought. He then noticed Rodan beginning to rise as he clutched his gut.
"Oooooww." moaned Rodan.
"Hey, why did you attack me when I told you that we had to go?" demanded Angirasu. Junior's and Mosura's eyes widened in shock.
"He attacked you?!" asked Mosura. Rodan turned to Angirasu in confusion.
"Huh? I-I don't remember attacking you." said Rodan.
"How can you not remember attacking me? You clearly recognized me!" said Angirasu. Rodan rubbed his head groggily.
"Dude, lower your voice. I got like a massive headache right now. Also, I can't remember anything. I blacked out after a while when the girls started singing." said Rodan. Angirasu raised a brow in confusion. Rodan then noticed Angirasu's bleeding shoulder.
"What happened there?" asked Rodan.
"Some guy stabbed me with a broken bottle." answered Angirasu.
"Man, you're just getting scars left and right lately." said Rodan in pity. Mosura turned and notice the sun setting.
"Look, it's been a hectic day. Why don't we all head back home?" suggested Mosura. Junior nodded.
"Sounds good." said Junior. Rodan painfully stood up to his feet and looked over to Aria.
"Well, you showed me. You really are good at singing." complimented Rodan with a grin. Aria smiled proudly. Angirasu stood to his feet and placed his coat over his good shoulder. He then felt someone take his hand. He found Sonata looking up to him with a sad smile and her hand firmly gripping his.
"Thanks for saving us from those people. You're my hero." said Sonata. Angirasu smiled in embarrassment. He rubbed the back of his head shyly.
"Heh. First time that I've been called that." chuckled Angirasu. Rodan gave Angirasu a sly smile. Angirasu raised a brow at him in confusion.




Later that night...

The Transmutants and Sirens sat together around the camp fire. They all feasted on sandwiches in the cold night. Sonata sat next to Angirasu with a blush on her face. Junior stared at the photo of himself and his family from when he was a child. He lightly smiled at the photo as he stared at the face of his parents.
'One day, I know we'll be together again.' thought Junior. He then noticed the curious stare that Adagio was giving him. Junior cleared his throat as he slowly placed the photo back into his pocket. Mosura went over the language dictionary with Aria, helping her with translating and pronouncing the words. Aria stumbled on the words, but eventually managed to pronounce them properly after playing with them in her tongue. Sonata scooted closet to Angirasu, leaning her head against his good shoulder, causing the Transmutant raised a brow.
'Hmm. She's quite affectionate.' thought Angirasu, oblivious to Sonata's reddening cheeks. Rodan shook his head in amusement at Angirasu's naivety. Adagio scooted closer to Junior with a cup of water in her grip.
"So, what brought you guys to live out here?" asked Adagio. Junior went stiff at her question. Heartache returned as his mind recollected the memories of the attack on Ponyville.
"Certain incidents forced us to move out of our old home. We're living out here until we either find a new place to live permanently or until things settle down at home." answered Junior.
"Didn't you have friends or family back at your old home?" asked Adagio. Junior sighed.
"I had friends back there. Now, these guys are all that I have left. Not that I'm complaining." replied Junior. He then looked up to the stars. "But, I have family who are back at home. I just want to wait until it’s right to return." said Junior. The Transmutants looked to Junior in confusion.
"Return? What do you mean?" asked Mosura. Junior remembered that he hadn't told Mosura.
"Oh yeah, I'll tell you guys about it later." said Junior. Adagio raised a brow at Junior’s secrecy. Junior sent a stick over to the fire pit and moved the wood around, allowing the flames to spread.
"So...what happened with those old friends?" asked Adagio. Junior was about to answer but hesitated.
"I'll...tell you about it some other time." said Junior. Adagio noticed the slight sad expression that he wore. She wondered how someone who looked so tough and had more of a negative attitude than her own could show sadness. She nodded to him in response.
	
> Chapter 28
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Ponyville, Equestria

The noon had arrived over the town. The buildings that were ruined from the Transmutant attack have been restored. Few people were yet to finish mourning those who perished during the attack. A few guards watched over the town with vigil eyes among rooftops and streets. People continued on with their daily lives in the town, but there were some that were worried about Celestia's decision to ban MONARCH from Equestria.  All they could do was attempt to move on with their lives and hope for the best. 
At the Golden Oaks Library, a woman searched through the library with Twilight Sparkle by her side.  The woman scanned through the spines of the books, searching for the title of the book that she desired. She hummed in wonder as she continued to search. Her face suddenly brightened up into a smile as she found the book.
"Ah! Here it is!" said the woman as she took the book from the shelf. She then handed the book to Twilight.
"Alright! Please come with me and we'll check this out." said Twilight. The petite Elf led the woman over to a podium. Twilight levitated a quill with her magic and began to write down the title of the book being checked out and the name of the customer. The woman handed a few bits to Twilight as payment to borrow the book. Twilight then handed her the book as she took the bits.
"Enjoy!" said Twilight. The woman gave her a smile and began to make her way to the door. She suddenly stopped herself.
"Hey, what do you think of the princess's decision to ban MONARCH from Equestria?" asked the woman. Twilight rubbed her arm uncomfortably.
"Well...I will admit at how extreme it seems, especially after what happened a few weeks back. But, I trust her. I know that she has a plan up her sleeve." answered Twilight.
"That's reassuring to hear. Thanks again Ms. Sparkle!" said the woman as she left the library. Twilight sighed as the woman left. The scholar made her way over to a chest hidden in another room. She then took out a small key and pressed it inside of the keyhole. With a turn, she unlocked the chest and opened it to deposit the bits inside 
'It's been awhile. I wonder if he's doing OK.' thought Twilight. She has had trouble adjusting to the disappearance of Junior after the attack. She suffered from depression of possibly never seeing the man that grew so close to her heart. The thought of him hating her just broke her heart, but she managed to pull through her depression before it got worse. She hoped that Junior would eventually return to her side, which was a growing possibility now that MONARCH was banned from Equestria. Still, Celestia had informed her that Luna had visited the Transmutant in his dreams. Apparently, Junior was afraid of returning due to the risk of Mosura and the others being captured. She admired how he was willing to make sacrifices for his friends, but she hated that the sacrifice involved him not returning home.
"Twilight?" called Spike. Twilight snapped out of her dazed state and turned to find the drake approaching her with a few books in his hands.
"Oh, yes Spike?"
"How are you feeling? You know after..." Spike didn't finish. Twilight sighed solemnly.
"Well, I'm doing better." answered Twilight.
"That's good. Hey, the princess sent you a letter. She wanted to know if you would like to help a couple of the guards pack some of Gojira's stuff so that they could store it in Canterlot Castle." said Spike. Twilight looked over to him in surprise.
"Oh. Yeah, that does make sense since no one is living there anymore." said Twilight. She then cleared her throat. "Spike, take a letter."



Twilight and Spike made their way through the outskirts of Ponyville. They had just closed the library and were on their way to the former house of Gojira Takeshi the 2nd. As they continued on, they spotted a figure flying at the speed of a bullet with rainbow streaks trailing behind. Twilight and Spike waved at the figure as it turned and made its way towards them. The figure landed, revealing itself to be Rainbow Dash.
"Hey, Rainbow!" greeted Twilight. Spike waved to the Element of Loyalty.
"Hey, what's up, you two!" greeted Rainbow Dash.
"We were on our way to Gojira's house to help pack some of his stuff and send them back to Canterlot." answered Twilight. Rainbow raised a brow in surprise.
"Why are they taking his stuff?" asked Rainbow with a quizzical expression.
"Princess Celestia wants to make sure that he will still have his possessions if he returns." said Twilight.
"Oh. We-well, I'm sure that he'll come back!" said Rainbow with her fist pumped. Twilight gave her a small smile.
"I hope so. Come on Spike." said Twilight as she looked down towards her adopted kid brother. Spike followed the Element of Magic down the path, nearing Junior's old house. Rainbow looked down and hesitantly looked over to Twilight.
"Hey, mind if I tag along?" asked Rainbow. Twilight stopped and turned to Rainbow in surprise.
"Really?" asked Twilight.
"Well, yeah. I mean, it's not like I hated the guy. He was kinda cool, honestly." said Rainbow as she rubbed the back of her head. Twilight gave her a bright smile.
"Well, let's get going!" said Twilight. Rainbow smiled back and made her way over to the pair. So, they continued on to the house, finding a couple of guards carrying boxes and taking them to a chariot where Valkyries waited patiently. Twilight noticed the ink writing on the boxes. They were labeled as clothes. One of the guards recognized the petite Elf.
"Ah! Miss Sparkle, glad that you could join us." greeted the guard. Twilight gave a kind smile.
"Thank you. I hope you don't mind that I brought a couple of friends to help." said Twilight.
"Not at all. We need all the help that we can get." replied the guard. The trio made their way into the house, finding it to be nearly empty aside from the furniture. They made their way deeper into the house, finding the bedroom with the drawers open. Inside, they found the room still neat aside from the few spider webs that clung to the walls.
"Wow. It's kinda roomy in here." said Spike as he looked over the room.
"Well, let's get started with helping them pack his clothes." said Twilight. Rainbow and Spike nodded. The trio began to sift through his clothes and organized them together. Rainbow Dash made her way out of the house and towards the chariot with a box in her hand. She then noticed a familiar rose haired Valkyrie approaching.
"Rainbow Dash? What's going on?" asked Fluttershy.
"Oh, hey Flutters! I'm just helping Twi and Spike pack some of Gojira's stuff so the princess can hold onto it in case he comes back." answered Rainbow.
"Oh. Um...mind if I help?" asked Fluttershy.
"Sure, if you want." said Rainbow with a shrug. Fluttershy's face brightened up into a smile.



"I must say Applejack, you really must go to the spa more often. A lady deserves a chance to relax and to be pampered every once in a while." said Rarity. She walked beside the blonde Earthbound and the hyperactive pink haired Earthbound down the path to Fluttershy's cottage. Applejack sighed in annoyance.
"Rarity, I can't just spend money on the spa as much as you do. I need to save up in case any of our equipment on the farm falls apart." said Applejack.
"Darling, I treated you this time, didn't I?" asked Rarity.
"Yes, and I appreciate that. But I have other methods of relaxing after a hard day of work. Methods that don't cost me bit!" said Applejack with a smile.
"Hmm. You have to show me sometime." said Rarity as she thought of what the farm girl could possibly do for relaxation without paying for a massage.
"Eh. You probably wouldn't like it." said Applejack. Rarity gave her a hard stare.
"Try me." said Rarity in a firm tone. Applejack snickered in amusement.
"Alright. How does lying in the mud with the hogs sound?" asked Applejack. Rarity's face contorted into disgust.
"Ew! How can that be relaxing?!" asked Rarity in a dramatic tone. Applejack shrugged in amusement.
"Hey, if it’s still wet and mushy, it feels nice on the skin. The hogs like it too." said Applejack.
"I should drop by and join you! Mud is pretty fun!" said Pinkie. Applejack gave her an amused smile. The girls suddenly stopped as they found guards packing boxes outside of Junior's home. Spike made his way outside of the house and over to a chariot and placed the box inside, sighing he stretched his arm.
"Spike? What's going on?" asked Applejack. The drake jumped at the sudden call of his name and turned to find the rest of the Element bearers. Rarity eyed the abandoned home warily as her mind wondered back to the owner of the house.
"We're helping the guards pack up Gojira's stuff." answered Spike as he gestured to the small amounts of boxes inside. "Princess Celestia wants to hold onto them until he decides to come back to Equestria."
"Really?! He's gonna come back?!" asked Pinkie in excitement as she got close to Spike's face. Spike backed away.
"I said, 'until he decides to come back to Equestria'. I never said that he was coming back for sure!" said Spike.
"Oh." said Pinkie as her excitement turned to a look of dejection. Spike frowned in response for destroying that bright smile. It pained him to have been the one to have crushed her spirit.
"Anyway, I gotta get back to work. Twi and the others are here, too." said Spike. Applejack looked at the house in disappointment. She had no luck of sighting Junior or the others since they first tried to look for them in the Everfree. However, she did hear news of Transmutant vigilantes saving Mustangia from an army of Diamond Dogs. She thought that perhaps it was a lead on their friends. Nonetheless, as she saw the picture of the Transmutants in their beast form newspaper article, her hopes were crushed. None of the Transmutants were any of the ones that they knew. Still, it did put her at ease that there were at least other Transmutants like Junior and the others that fought to protect innocent people, especially now that the only force capable of a war against the Transmutant terrorists were banned from Equestria. 
"Hey Spike, mind I help? I've been meaning to check on Twi." said Applejack. Spike nodded to her.
"Come on in!" said Spike as he led the Earthbound into the house. Pinkie hopped as she pursued the two as well. Rarity was left alone outside staring at the house. Her mind flashed to the beasts that she had thought were her friends. The razor sharp teeth flashed into her mind, the sound of roars and wails played tricks on her mind as if she were actually hearing the sounds. She clutched her arm as she stared at the house, her anxiety rising. She then recalled Junior's animalistic eyes that pierced her soul. Rarity reluctantly made her way inside of the house. It was the first time that she had ever set foot into his home. She thought someone of his nature would leave a messy house. Yet, she was surprised to have seen the neatness, aside from the boxes that were stacked. Rarity noticed Fluttershy sitting on a sofa with a sad smile on her face.
"Fluttershy?" called Rarity. The Valkyrie lightly gasped as her name was called. She turned to find the Elf staring at her curiously.
"Oh, Rarity! I-I was just..." Fluttershy didn't finish her sentence. She instead held up a round object made up of vines, wood and little plastic butterflies resting on the vines. In the center was a picture of herself and Junior sitting together in the park.
"I made this for him for his birthday. I found it hanging on the wall in his kitchen." said Fluttershy as she placed the picture frame back onto the table. Rarity sat next to her and continued to stare at the photo. She wondered how this young man could have turned out to be such a monstrous beast.
"Do you think that the princess will let me hold onto it?" asked Fluttershy.
"I...I'm not sure. Why don't you place it somewhere it won't be boxed and ask Twilight?" suggested Rarity. Fluttershy nodded with a smile. She then made her way out of the living room in search of Twilight. Rarity noticed a glare of light reach her eyes. She flinched and turned to find a silver object hidden in a small book shelf. She slowly made her way over to it and found the object to be resting on one of the books. She reached for it, feeling the cold metal touch her palm. She held the object closely, finding a strap connected to it.
"A medallion." said Rarity to herself. She began to look it over, finding a sphere with a spiraling center held by four clawed appendages. The claws reminded her of a dragon's claw. Curious, she turned the medallion over, finding Neighponese characters engraved in the back. They appeared to have formed a sentence, but she couldn’t read the language. Rarity placed the medallion into her breast pocket, hoping to find out the meaning of those words later.
Rarity made her way into the hallway of Junior's home, finding her friends inside of his bedroom. She walked inside and found them carefully placing possessions into boxes. Rarity noticed a set of picture frames resting on the desk. One of them held a young boy with a man that she had nearly mistaken to be Junior until she noticed the facial hairs on his chin. Her heart jumped as she noticed a beautiful woman with long black hair with grayish-blue eyes. She picked up the photo frame and stared at the picture.
"Pretty, ain't she?" asked Applejack. Rarity flinched as she heard Applejack talk from behind her shoulder. She turned and found Applejack holding a box filled with folded blankets.
"Um...yes. Are these his parents?" asked Rarity.
"Yep. And that little tyke is the big man himself." said Applejack as she pointed at the little boy. Rarity saw the innocent eyes of the boy.
'How could these eyes turn into something so horrific?' thought Rarity. She felt bad for having such a thought. But she still couldn't shake the terrifying image of the beast that she had seen Junior turn into. Still, she thought it was nice to see such a picture where he was younger, especially due to how cute he looked at that age.
She then noticed Twilight sitting on a barren bed. Her eyes were pink and hot with the beginning of tears. Rarity slowly made her way over to the petite Elf and saw the photo that she was staring at. Behind a cracked picture frame was an image of Junior in a group photo with herself and the rest of the Element bearers and Spike. This was before Mosura and the others began to open up to them. Rarity wore a frown as she heard Twilight lightly sob while clutching the picture against her chest. Rarity pulled her into a comforting hug and gently rubbed Twilight's head.
"H-he hates me. I know it!" said Twilight in between sobs.
"Oh, Twilight." said Rarity as she continued to comfort her friend. The others noticed the sobs and frowned. They wished that there was some way that Twilight could find comfort again.
'Gojira, if you ever show your face back here again, you better straighten things out with Twilight.' thought Rarity with her teeth gritted. Although she had a lack of trust of Junior and the others, she couldn't stand seeing Twilight in her current state. She was willing to put her distrust aside if it meant the possibility of Twilight being able to either move on or to patch things up in order for her to be happy again.




Later...

The Main six and drake stood outside of the abandoned house and faced the chariot filled with boxes. The guards boarded the chariot.
"Thank you for your help." said one of the guards.
"Not a problem! Have a safe trip back to Canterlot!" said Twilight as she waved to the guards. The rest of the Element bearers gave their farewells to the guards as the pegasi took off. Fluttershy held onto the picture frame that she had made for Junior closely.  Rainbow stretched as she gave a yawn.
"Welp, I'm gonna go home and take a nap. I'll see you guys later." said Rainbow. She then took off into the air, leaving the area.
"Goji had a nice house. Felt really homey!" said Pinkie as she walked with the rest of the Element bearers and drake. "I wish he invited us over."
"I guess he liked to have his space." said Applejack with her hands behind her head. Rarity's eyes widened as she remembered that she still had the medallion. She reached into her breast pocket and pulled it out.
"Twilight, I found this hidden in Gojira's bookshelf. I wasn't sure what to do with it so I held onto it for you." said Rarity as she held out the medallion to the librarian. She took the medallion and curiously looked it over. The rest all looked at the medallion curiously.
"Hey, are those dragon claws?" asked Spike, his interest peaking.
"I think so. But there's something engraved back here. I can't read Neighponese though." said Twilight. Her eyes twinkled as she suddenly thought of a way to translate the words.
"Wait, I've been learning a spell to translate words on paper!" said Twilight. She then searched herself for a pen but found Spike holding one out to her. She took it and brought a notebook that she kept in her skirt pocket. Using her magic, she levitated the medallion and caused the pen to magically write words down onto the notebook. They watched the pen write words on its own, as if a ghost was writing to them in attempt to contact them from the dead. The pen had finished writing and then dropped to the ground. Twilight levitated the medallion to herself along with the notebook. She cleared her throat as she began to read.
"It says, Cast off thy fear. Turn and face thy enemy. Never give an inch. If thou retreat, thou shall age. Be afraid, thou shall die. Face thy enemy and roar like the mighty dragon, Godzilla." read Twilight. She processed the words that she had read. They sound as if they were written to motivate warriors to never surrender and to face an enemy with valor. The words reminded her of Junior's personality, but she raised a brow as she thought of the last few words.
"Wait...Godzilla? What is that?" asked Twilight in confusion.
"I don't know, but if that medallion is telling people to roar like Godzilla, then it might be an awesome dragon!" said Spike. Pinkie had a thoughtful look.
"But how does someone roar like him? What does he sound like?" wondered Pinkie.
"Pinkie, I believe it's not being literal about roaring." said Rarity in amusement. She was quite disturbed at how Junior held onto a medallion that talked about violence. But, she began to wonder what would drive someone to fight as a warrior. 
"Hmm. I think Godzilla must be a mistranslation. Gojira once told me that his family passed down a legend about a sea dragon for generations. I think it might be referring to the dragon that he was named after and that it was mistranslated or something." guessed Twilight. She sighed in disappointment. "I need to decode this language even further"
"Well, the medallion was inspiring." interjected Fluttershy. Applejack shrugged in response.
"Well, what are ya gonna do with the medallion? The guards are long gone." asked Applejack.
"I'll hold onto it. I can give it to the Princess the next time that I see her." said Twilight as she stared at the silver medallion. She dared not to lose something that was the remaining object of Junior's lineage.




Okinawa, Neighpon

The evening sky hung over the islands that Surrounded Neighpon. The sky was lit by fire that was ignited by battle. The sound of gun fire pierced the air along with cries of agony and roars of rage. A small town on the island was under siege by a group of Transmutants. Great avian creatures and Mantises soared in the sky, dive bombing on MONARCH soldiers. The soldiers hid for cover and began to aim their rifles at the incoming Transmutants. Magic bolts shot from the muzzles and whizzed through the air, piercing the Transmutants. The mantises and birds pressed on, crashing down onto their enemies and screeching at any that they had missed. Magic bolt wounds sizzled off of their bodies as they charged at the soldiers. Birds began to unmercifully peck at the soldiers, puncturing their bodies and armor. One Elf woman ran through the chaos with a terrified expression. She screamed as a lifeless Mantis crashed down in front of her. She scrambled away and attempted to find safety. One of the soldiers called to her but was abruptly grabbed by one of the birds and carried away.
The woman searched frantically as she tried to find a safe haven. Suddenly, a bird dropped behind her, giving a horrible squawk as it flared its feathers and stretched its neck. The woman fell onto her rear as it stalked closer to her and prepared to snap its beak onto her head. Unexpectedly, a bolt of magic struck the Transmutant in its eyes, causing it to wail in agony. The woman quickly turned to find a figure clad in bulky grey armor that covered the figure from head to toe. The figure's helmet appeared like a samurai's but with modernized with technology. The helmet had a blue visor running in a horizontal line and the mouth area was covered by a metal plate. The figure stood to be six foot four, and had a MONARCH insignia painted onto the left side of the figure's chest piece, which resembled the pectorals of a built man.
The Transmutant turned and charged towards the armored man, displaying its feathered wings as it squawked. The man began to fire his rifle again as he backed away. The bird lunged at the figure, its sharp talons nearing the warrior. The warrior dropped his rifle and reached for his backside and pulled out a katana. He then swung the sword overhead, catching the bird's leg. Blood sprayed from the dismembered limb, staining the broken concrete and shattered houses. The bird screeched as it fell on its side, bleeding profusely from its wound. The armored figure rushed over towards the bird, bringing his blade down on the bird's head and silencing its cries. The armored figure turned and looked over to the cowering woman. Her breathing was shallow and her kimono was stained in blood. She trembled before this ruthless warrior. The figure rushed over to her and stood her up to her feet.
"Let's get you to safety." said the armored figure in a deep male voice. The woman snapped out of her state and frantically nodded to him. The pair traveled through the battlefield as MONARCH soldiers gave their lives to drive off the Transmutants that plagued this land. One soldier was beating a Mantis with his bare hands, his armor drenched in a yellowish liquid.
"Not so tough are you?!" shouted the soldier as he continued to beat the Mantis. The woman spotted a man bringing down a blade on a Mantis, allowing it to die.
"May you finally rest." said the man as he bowed his head. The woman wondered why this soldier was paying his respects to such a horrible creature. She abruptly spotted Condors overhead and her heart raced with anxiety as one of them descended down towards them. The armored figure that was guiding her released her hand and began to charge past her.
"Wait!" cried the woman. Suddenly, the figure pulled out his katana and his backside began to light up. Small jets ignited from behind, thrusting the soldier over to a building wall. The soldier planted his feet onto the wall and quickly turned to face the incoming bird. He then jumped off of the wall and the thrusters on his back ignited once again, allowing him to gain velocity. The soldier gave a war cry as he swung his sword onto the wing of the Transmutant. It squawked in agony from the wound and crashed onto the ground. The armored soldier dropped from sixteen feet from the air once again ignited his thrusters. He safely descended towards the ground, swinging his blade down on the fallen Transmutant. The woman stared in awe at the feat performed by this samurai. She then immediately rushed towards the soldier. She followed him through the path of destruction that was filled with fallen civilians, Transmutants and soldiers. She was led over to a bunker that was built into the ground where soldiers stood guard.
"Quick! Go inside and you'll be safe!" said the armored figure. The woman turned to find the soldier's armor covered in scratches and slight dents, most likely result from a few years of fighting.
"Thank you, warrior." said the woman. The soldier merely gave the woman a thumb up, much to her amusement. She was then led into the bunker, where great metal doors began to close. She turned one last time to find the soldier departing. She silently wished this noble warrior luck in battle and the ones that he will be forced to fight in. The mighty doors closed, locking her and several dozen others inside of a dimly lit bunker.



The armored man stood among his comrades, looking on at the former battlefield. The fight lasted about an hour before the Transmutants decided to retreat. They were attempting to rob this village of its resources, something that the man could not accept. He sighed from under his helmet. He reached for it and slowly twisted it, allowing the sound of a hissing air to escape and enabling him to remove his helmet, revealing a Neighponese man's face. He was in his mid-twenties; his brown eyes solemnly stared out to the destruction that lied before him. A scar ran down over his face on the left side from his brow down to his upper cheek, along with another one that made a cross on his right cheek and a small one that was slightly on the left side of his chin. His eye was safe from the attack that had scarred him. A small scar on his cheek was left on his chin. His short hair blew in the wind along with his bangs.
"We would have lost a lot more men without you, Sergeant Yoshi." said one of the soldiers.
"It wasn't just me who minimized the casualties. We all did, as a team." responded the armored man. One of the female soldiers nudged Yoshi against his armored shoulder.
"You're always so modest, Sarge!" chuckled the woman. Normally, she wouldn't be so informal with her superiors, but Yoshi allowed informality with his squad.
"Come on. It's time to head back to base." said Yoshi.



Yoshi treaded through the metal base that was established miles outside of any village in Okinawa. He wore his casual clothing when off duty instead of his heavy armor. The armor was designed by Neighpon's brightest minds and with the use of MONARCH's advanced technology and resources. The suit was inspired by the design of the samurai and was capable of taking more damage than the ordinary suit of armor.  Additionally, it was equipped with motion sensors, a visor with a zooming option, and other features that enhanced the wearer's physical abilities. The built-in thruster pack allowed Yoshi to gain a boost of air and allowed him to stand up against the Transmutants. Some questioned as to why they had given the armor to someone of a lower rank such as a sergeant, but they were unaware that Yoshi was brought up and trained to be able to control this armor. He passed a few younger men in the halls, causing their heads to turn.
"No way! Dude, that's Sergeant Hayato Yoshi!" whispered one of the young recruits.
"No crap! Man, he's taller than the posters make him look!" said the other recruit. Hayato Yoshi had a vague smile on his face. The story of him becoming a rising war hero was used to motivate and inspire soldiers and recruits. Still, he only wished that MONARCH would spend more time planning different approaches in the war instead of head-on assaults. They were getting nowhere to find the heart of these Transmutant terrorists and didn’t have the money or the time to mass produce the armor and train the soldiers into using it. Only he and a few others were capable of wearing combat armor.
Yoshi made his way down the halls and into the debriefing room. He waited inside with a dozen other soldiers. A man behind a podium cleared his throat.
"As you know, the recent attack is causing locals to grow more anxious. So, MONARCH will be sending you and several others near an ancient temple. Rumors of a creature roaming outside have caused sparking restlessness." informed the older man. The rest of the soldiers continued to listen in on the debriefing. The man went on about MONARCH’s suspicions about the creature being a Transmutant hiding in the mountains. Yoshi sighed as he listened to the rest of the debriefing.




The next day...

Yoshi found himself among a dozen other soldiers searching the wilderness. The land was filled with hills and mountains. They treaded through the vast forests with their rifles raised. Yoshi's eyes watched his surroundings and occasionally switched over to the digital motion tracker displayed on his HUD. He found himself among his squad of four and the two other squads. One of the two other squads was stationed from overseas and consisted of Equestrian men and women. A few of the soldiers were unfamiliar with the Equestrian language, but Yoshi’s language skills limited the language barrier.
"Man, this thing couldn't have been spotted near that nice beach. It had to be a forest!" complained one of male Equestrian soldiers.
"You lack appreciation for the beauty of nature." said another Earthbound man from his squad. Yoshi smiled under his helmet.
"Yes, this is one of the most beautiful forests on this island." said Yoshi.
"Yeah, easy for you to say. A guy dressed in a shit tone of armor doesn't need to worry about mosquito bites." retorted the man as he slapped his neck, killing a mosquito. Yoshi rolled his eyes. They continued on, the sound of monkeys could be heard along with bird calls. The group made their way into a clearing, finding an old and abandoned temple built into the side of a small mountain. They stared in awe at the temple with its ancient Eastern architectural design. The soldiers continued on, climbing the steps of that led up to the temple. The stones were covered in vines, grass and moss.
"So, why are we checking out the temple?" asked one of Yoshi's men.
"Since we haven't had any luck finding them outside, we might as well and see if we could find it here." answered Yoshi. One of the Equestrian men gave a look of annoyance.
"Hey, mind speaking Equish for the rest of us to understand?" asked the man. He was suddenly elbowed by an Elf woman who sent him a glare.
"Shut up! That's Hayato Yoshi! He's a war hero!" whispered the Elf.
"I apologize, comrade. Some of my squad members don't understand Equish. He's just wondering why we're checking out the temple." said Hayato. The soldiers continued up the stone stairs, reaching the inside of the great temple. Inside, they found cobblestone shattered and littered all around. Vines hung from the ceiling and grass grew from the cracks on the ground. A small ray of light shined through the broken ceiling, a stone moss-covered Shisa statue lied on the corners of the main room of the temple. 
"Damn, looks like no one's been home for centuries." said a woman in Yoshi's squad.
"Well, let's find that bastard and take him out." said one of the other soldiers. They began to divide into groups and began to scan the area. Yoshi's helmet gave off small rays of light from the sides as he searched the darker areas. He found rotting wood on the ground and the rats scurrying away. He continued on, but something caught his eye. He motioned for his squad mates to stop, and then kneeled down. The soldiers watched curiously as Yoshi observed the ground. He found a trail of three clawed foot prints. They appeared to have belonged to some kind of reptile, yet the prints appeared to also resemble that of a feline's.
"These tracks are fresh. I believe that we may be getting closer to our Transmutant." said Yoshi. He then cocked his rifle, scanning the area. "Fan out."
"Yes sir." said his squad mates in unison. They began to spread out, searching every nook and corner that was around them. One of the female soldiers in his group detected motion in her peripheral vision. She immediately turned her head and found one of the Shisa statues sitting in the shadows. She sighed in relief, shaking her head in disappointment and turned away to continue her search. Unbeknownst to her, the alleged shadowed statue blinked, its eyes glowing like red rubies. The Shisa began to tread quietly through the shadows on all fours, moving through the temple.
Yoshi continued to an area where his eyes were assaulted by a bright glare. His visor immediately adjusted to a shadier outlook, protecting his sight. Before him were several broken statues and piles of gold and treasure beyond his wildest dreams. He stared in awe at all of the gems and gold that littered the ground and wondered how no one has come to claim them.
'Can't worry about that now. Best to leave it alone.' thought Yoshi. He suddenly caught sight of his motion tracker blinking red. It was approaching from behind. Yoshi turned and raised his rifle, finding no one behind him. He continued to point his rifle all around himself, confused as to where the unknown entity could have gone. It was still on his motion tracker, but was nowhere to be seen. He then noticed the red arrow that was pointing upward above the red blip, causing his eyes to widen in realization.
'It's above me!' thought Hayato in alarm. He pointed his rifle up but was immediately tackled by a large form. He fell on his back with a grunt, dropping his weapon. His visor showed the face of lion with large ears and red eyes staring into his eyes. The creature growled at Yoshi, but he sent a punch towards the creature, causing it to yelp in pain. Yoshi then sent a kick towards the lion, which forced it off of him and made it stumble back, revealing its entire body. Yoshi's eyes widened at the sight of the animal. Its body was larger compared to average lions, but its ears were big, pointed, and floppy like a dog's. Its eyes were red and its forehead bore a golden crest with a green gem embedded in it. Its mane covered its head and went down to its shoulders. The creature had humanoid forelegs that resembled arms and were covered in brown scales. The creature's paws had three claws that matched the tracks that Yoshi had discovered. A long and scaly tail hung from the creature with a furry tip that gave way to its feline appearance. The hind legs of the lion-like beast were slightly anthropomorphic as well, but built in a way that allowed the creature to stand on fours with hind paws that matched its forepaws. The chest of the creature appeared to be covered in scales as well but bore slight human pectorals hidden in the fur. Parts of the creature’s body appeared to be bald mammalian skin on the side of its biceps, thighs and face. The creature's face appeared as a mix of a dog's and lion's, with a set of sharp teeth, and a little brown nose that was flaring its nostrils as the lion stared Yoshi down.
"A Shisa..." said Hayato under his breath. The creature's ears rose as it heard approaching footsteps. The Shisa turned to found the other soldiers approaching.
"Oh shit! Transmutant sighted!" cried one of the Equestrian soldiers. He then raised his rifle and began to fire at the Shisa. The creature roared in pain as the bolts of magic struck it in the neck. It then began to dash away from the gunfire as more soldiers began to fire at the creature.
"No! Hold your fire!!" cried Yoshi as he stood to his feet. His commands were unheeded as the sound of gunfire was louder than his voice. The Shisa roared as it leaped onto the walls, its claws dug into the stone and vines as he evaded the bolts and hid on a balcony above. The Shisa then dropped down and swung his tail, stripping the soldiers that shot at him.
"Take that freak down!" shouted a woman.
"Hold your fire, dammit!! That is an order!" shouted Yoshi as he pointed his rifle towards the woman. The Shisa's eyes widened in surprise as it saw the soldier pointing a weapon at one of his own.
"What the hell are you pointing that gun at me for?! Shoot him!" said the woman. The Shisa growled.
"Why do you attack me humans? What have I done wrong to deserve this treatment?" asked the Shisa in a deep voice. Yoshi’s eyes widened as he heard the Shisa spoke.
"How about you being one of those monsters that we've been trying to stop for years now?!" said the woman as she pointed her rifle at the Shisa. Suddenly, her rifle was pulled out of her hand by a magical force. She turned and found one of Yoshi’s soldiers with her hands raised as it was engulfed by a blue aura.
"That creature is no monster. He is a guardian." said the woman. Soon, the rest of the Neighponese soldiers arrived at the scene, gasping as they laid eyes upon the great Shisa. They all dropped their weapons and kneeled before the creature. The Equestrian soldiers stared in confusion at the soldiers. The Elf woman that had taken the rifle knelt before the Shisa along with Yoshi. The Shisa purred in response as it relaxed its muscles.
"We are honored to be in your presence, noble guardian." said Yoshi. The Shisa wore a small smile.
"It is my honor to protect and to be among you, humans." said the Shisa as he lowered his head in respect.
"Uh...would someone explain what the hell is going on here?" asked one of the Equestrian soldiers.
"Please forgive these soldiers, guardian. They are ignorant of their actions, for they are from one of the western nations." said one of the Neighponese female soldiers. The Equestrians looked to her in offense.
"All is forgiven. But, what brings you to my temple?" asked the Shisa. Yoshi raised himself to his feet.
"We were given the order to search for an enemy that was believed to have been sighted here. I believe they may have mistaken you for that enemy." said Yoshi. The Shisa hummed in thought.
"Yes, the Transmutants." said the Shisa. The Neighponese soldiers, who understood English, eyes all widened in surprise.
"You know of them?" asked Hayato. The Shisa nodded.
"Yes. I have lived for many millennia. I have seen this nation go through many changes and the battles that it had faced. I have even seen the rise of the first Transmutants." said the Shisa.
"You got a name, lion dog thingy?" asked one of the Equestrian women. Yoshi sent her a glare from under his helmet.
"I am a Shisa. My name is Caesar." answered the Shisa, ignoring the way the woman phrased her description. He stood up on his hind legs in an erect stance. The humans looked on with wide eyes as Caesar stood on two legs. He stood to be eleven foot five.
"That's a big lion." muttered one of the Equestrians.
"Humans of MONARCH, there is something that you must all know." said the Caesar. A few of the Equish speaking soldiers whispered to the non-Equish speaking soldiers, translating Caesar's words.
"MONARCH is a corrupt and evil organization." said the Caesar. The Neighponese soldiers all looked to each other in confusion
"Hey, that's a pretty wild accusation that you're throwing, bub!" spat one of the Equestrian men.
"What I tell you is the truth. Please, come with me." said Caesar as he dropped on all fours and began to walk deeper into the temple. The soldiers reluctantly followed close behind. Yoshi was curious to know more.
"Guardian, how can MONARCH be evil? We dedicate ourselves to protect and serve the humans of the known world!" said Hayato. Caesar grunted in response.
"Yes, but there are things that you have been kept in the dark about, human." said Caesar. He led the soldiers over into a large room where stone painting decorated the walls. The images depicted creatures of many shapes and sizes. One was a moth-like creature with beautiful patterns on its wings. It flew majestically in the heavens with a symbol above its head. The symbol was a cross with curved lines on each side, forming parts of a circle and squiggly lines, giving the appearance of the sun. Another painting showed a mighty dragon-like creature that looked like a cross of a crocodile head, an armadillo, and a porcupine standing on four legs among mountains. A third painting showed a red dragon-like bird soaring through the heavens. A fourth painting showed a large wingless dragon resting in a sphere of flames. The dragon took center of the cave wall as the other creatures took the sides.
"What is this?" asked one of the Equestrians. Yoshi and the Neighponese soldiers stared in awe at the paintings.
"These are the paintings by the ancient humans who once visited this temple. Here, they painted images to honor the great guardians of Earth." answered Caesar. He then pointed towards the dragon-bird.
"This is the guardian of the sky. His wings were great and caused winds stronger than hurricanes." said Caesar. He then gestured to the armadillo-like dragon.
"This is the guardian of the ground. He wasn't the strongest out of the four, but he was strong willed and courageous. He represented the strength of the mighty stones that form the ground that we walk on and the stones that form the base of the mountain." said Caesar. He then points to the moth.
"This is the guardian of peace. She was worshipped as a goddess among the natives of Infant Island. She was loving and kind and valued all life. She fought to protect life and peace, even if it meant taking a life." said Caesar. He then gestured to the center dragon in the cave.
"This...this is the mightiest of all of them. His strength was unmatched. His will was strong, his fury was great and his flames burned like the very fires of Hell itself. This is Gojira, the guardian of the sea and the king of all Kaiju." said Caesar. The Neighponese stared in awe at the images but feared the image of Gojira.
"But...Gojira and the Guardian of Peace are just a legend! Guardian, are you saying that the legends of Kaiju are true?!" asked Yoshi. The Equestrian listened on in confusion.
"Yes. Gojira and the other Kaiju were worshipped as gods by the natives that were neighboring their territory on isolated islands." said Caesar. He then looked on gravely towards the image of the flaming dragon.
"The guardian of the ground was the god of courage. The guardian of the sky was the god of swiftness. The guardian of peace was the goddess of love and peace. Gojira...he was the god of rage and punishment. He was the only one to have received a name by the natives that lived near his territory." said Caesar. The Neighponese stared in wonder at how the Shisa spoke of them as if he were familiar with them.
"Caesar, why do you talk about them as if you knew them?" asked one of the Equestrians. Caesar turned to face them.
"Weren't you listening? I have lived for many millennia. I did knew them, for I am a Kaiju guardian as well." said Caesar with a raised brow.
"Oh. Sorry, I wasn't listening. I was too busy admiring the paintings and the temple itself." chuckled the Equestrian. Caesar shook his head.
"Wait, you're one of the Kaiju guardians?!" exclaimed Yoshi. Caesar nodded in confirmation.
"I know. I am not gigantic like the Kaiju that I described. This isn't my true form." said Caesar. One of the Equestrian soldiers gulped nervously.
"Wh-what do you mean by that??" asked one of the soldiers. Caesar chuckled in response.
"In due time, you shall know." said Caesar. He then cleared his throat.
"Anyway, the guardians were once ordinary giants. They were a common member of their species that thrived on Earth when it was much younger. The Kaiju ruled the world as the stones that balanced the scale of the planet. But, something terrible happened." said Caesar as he pointed above towards a ceiling. The soldiers all looked up to the ceiling and found a painting of a great stone covered in fire.
"A comet fell from the stars, crashing onto the Earth and caused a cataclysm. Many creatures perished. The Kaiju, however, survived." said Caesar. He then sighed. "But, they were unable to continue to live. An energy source that we fed on sustained us and our size grew to be less and less on the surface of the world. It nourished us besides the creatures and other Kaiju that we fed on."
"What sort of energy?" asked Hayato. Caesar clawed at the dirt, creating a symbol of a radioactive emblem.
"You humans have been using it as your own power source for your technology." said Caesar. The soldiers stared in shock.
"Radiation?!" exclaimed a woman.
"Hai. The disaster caused this energy to dissipate from the surface. As the land changed, the volcanoes were spewing the natural energy that came from the planet's core less and less. Some volcanoes were even destroyed. The Kaiju slowly killed each other for the other's energy and food. Soon, we began to decline in population. Gojira hibernated far beneath the ocean where he could draw the Earth's energy. Other surviving Kaiju and myself burrowed deeply into the ground for the same purpose." said Caesar.
"That's awful!" said a Neighponese woman. Caesar sighed.
"Yes. But we were able to live on, even if our kinds had died off. We eventually awoken eons later, finding the world restored into a newborn and yet familiar world. It wasn't as hot as it was in our time, but the sun was still warm." said Caesar as he recalled the era he had come from with nostalgia. He then refocused back to his story
"But, we learned that the world had new life forms that we had never seen before." said Caesar. He then looked to humans with a smile. "Humans, for example."
"Man, those guys most of been scared out of their wits." said an Equestrian man.
"They were. I never harmed them. I was actually intrigued by your kind. You were such a fascinating race that worked together. You were resourceful. For creatures so small, you seemed strong." said Caesar.
"Charmer." teased one of the women. Caesar lightly laughed.
"Anyway, I remained near the beach where I had emerged. I tried to find happiness in this new world. One day, I spotted a group of humans walking down the beach, trembling. They brought me the meat of their livestock and the crops." said Caesar.
"They offered you a sacrifice?" asked Yoshi in amusement.
"Yes. As soon as they left it, they immediately ran away. I didn't know what to think of it at first, but decided to take the offering anyway. This continued on for a while, as every week they would try to offer me treasure and other objects to appease me. I had no concept of what they were doing and I had no idea that they saw me as a god. I eventually got annoyed and decided to explore the land more." said Caesar. His face turned dark.
"One day, I heard the terrified screams of humans in the distance. I found another Kaiju trampling through their village without a care. I don't know what possessed me to do so, but I fought the Kaiju and killed him." said Caesar. He then looked back to Mosura's painting.
"I just couldn't stand the cries of their suffering. I wanted to put them at ease. A calm voice whispered to me, telling me to protect them. So I did. Eventually, I met her."
"The Guardian of Peace?"
"Yes. She had come from Infant Island, living there in hibernation. The natives worshipped her and honored her as a protector. She told me that she had found comfort in the humans. I was awed by how she spoke of the way she lived happily by protecting them and that their love was enough recompense for her." said Caesar.
"You guys were really smart to comprehend that kind of stuff?" asked a soldier.
"We may not be human, but many living creatures have emotion. We are no exception. We may not have understood you humans, but we began to as we continued to live among you." said Caesar.
"We became a group of guardians for the humans. Gojira was the last one to join us, but he was uncaring towards the humans. He fought mostly for his territory." said Caesar.
"Typical dragons. Such dicks." said a soldier.
"Yes, but he was a good friend. The poor creature had lost his mate during the cataclysm. His kind were prideful and stubborn and would often prefer to live in solitude unless they were with their mates and raising the hatchlings that had found their way back to them." said Caesar. Yoshi was curious to know how Gojira's kind lived, but felt that it was a lesson that would have to wait.
"So, what do they have to do with MONARCH?" asked Yoshi.
"Oh! Right, sorry. You see, I am the last of the Kaiju. Gojira and the others perished after a great battle with their enemies. Gojira just gave up living after the battle." said Caesar.
"Why?" asked a Neighponese woman.
"He had found a lost hatchling that belonged to a member of his kind. He raised the young Kaiju as his own. Before the battle, his son was killed by one of the parasitic Kaiju that was a threat to Gojira's kind." said Caesar. 
"Gojira fought to avenge his child. Although he defeated his enemies, his heart was heavy with despair. He starved himself of food and the life sustaining energy and died." said Caesar. A small sniffle came from a Neighponese woman. She noticed the stares that her comrades were giving her.
"Sorry. It's just so sad." said the woman as she wiped her eyes. Another soldier patted her shoulder in comfort.
"I eventually found out that my kind actually lived on. The Shisa found refuge and continued to repopulate. However, they weren't giants as they were distant relatives that descended from the Shisa Kaiju that became the guardians of old Neighpon. They lacked the longevity and size of a Kaiju, but they were still Shisa inside. Magic fueled them for power instead of radiation." said Caesar. He then looked on grimly.
"Then, the humans found the grave of Gojira." said Caesar. The humans looked on in confusion. "They took his blood and used it to create the first two Transmutants."
"Wait, the Alpha's and Lucky Dragon's DNA were crossed with Gojira?!" exclaimed Yoshi.
"Yes. As I lived among the humans, I have gained visions of humans changing into creatures that looked like Gojira. Wise friends of mine had told me of these visions of a future where the world will face a time of hate and fear." said Caesar.
"The one responsible for the next wave of Transmutants was none other than MONARCH itself." said Caesar. The soldiers stared with wide eyes.
"No. No, w-we... You're lying!" shouted an Equestrian soldier.
"That's crazy! Why would MONARCH create more Transmutants?!" demanded a Neighponese soldier. The rest of the soldiers gave verbal outrage toward the Shisa's accusation.
"I have nothing to gain by lying to you, humans! The men who founded MONARCH have been deceiving you all! They were the ones who had loyal servants who knew of their true agenda to kidnap over a hundred humans and corrupted their DNA with the blood of the fallen Kaiju! Every time you see a Transmutant change, you are looking at an image of the Kaiju!" said Caesar, his voice raised over them.
"What proof do you have, Guardian?!" demanded Yoshi. Caesar looked to Yoshi with a hard stare.
"Proof? Very well. All of you remove your helmets." commanded Caesar.
"Our helmets? Why would-"
"NOW!!" shouted Caesar, his voice turned into a lion roar. The soldiers immediately removed their helmets with frantic expressions.
"Good. Now, remain still." said Caesar as he turned and reached for something behind him. Yoshi stared in suspicion. Caesar then turned back around and held in his paws five large moth-like creatures. They were fuzzy with colored eyes from blues to green and orange. Their patterns were orange, pink, blue, and green. The moths chirped as their antennae twitched.
"The heck are those?!" exclaimed a soldier.
"These are the fairies. They are divine creatures that were made in the Guardian of Peace's image. Don't worry, they're friendly." said Caesar. He then held them close to himself.
"Now little ones, show the humans what I have seen. Show them the truth." said Caesar. The fairies flapped their wings and chirped; sparkles appeared on their wings. They flew in a circle, the sparkles falling down onto the soldiers. Yoshi felt his eyes grow heavy and attempted to keep them open. He blinked briefly, but what he saw made his heart jump. He found himself staring into a cold room where surgical tools lied. He then heard the sound of someone hyperventilating. He turned and found a young girl with brunette hair tied to a bed. Her blue eyes searched in panic. Two men made their way over to her and placed a gas mask onto her face, forcing her to sleep. Yoshi attempted to stop the men, but his hands phased through them. He gasped in shock at the unexpected event, but still tried to stop them or call out to them, but they didn't respond. He then saw the man take a scalpel and held it up to the light.
He watched as the man dragged the scalpel against the young girl's skin. His eyes widened as they made an incision on her arms and stuck needles into her. His stomach turned as he watched them cut her. He then noticed the red-orange liquid coursing through the needles and into her body. They continued to cut her at her sides, boosting her with a chemical that he was unfamiliar with.
"Oh my God." said Yoshi in despair as he watched the men continue their work. The vision suddenly shifted to her sitting in a corner weeping. Her arms were covered in scars and bandages. Yoshi wanted to take this child into his arms.  He wanted to comfort her and take her away from her awful situation. He then noticed something that made his eyes widen in horror. On the ground was the MONARCH insignia. He backed away as he hyperventilated.
"No! No it can't be!!" said Yoshi. He suddenly phased through the cell cage, finding guards clad in MONARCH armor and attire. They were armed with weapons that only MONARCH had access to. His eyes were wide and his breathing was quickening. He was sweating profusely.
"Oh, God. No! No, this can't be true! Please tell me it's not true!" cried Yoshi. He hadn't seen anything that nailed Caesar's claim to be true, but he was beginning to believe him. The vision suddenly shifted to finding a boy with jet black hair being beaten with batons by MONARCH guards. The boy cried as he was beaten, making Yoshi feel anger in his heart.
"Leave him alone!" shouted Yoshi. The vision kept shifting, changing to a room where adult humans roamed in what appeared to be a prison yard. Guns were pointed at them by the guards. He recognized the Mantis Transmutants sitting in a corner alone. He even saw some of the Transmutants fighting amongst themselves. The fighters were shocked by magic and cattle prods.
"I can't believe MONARCH is trying to turn these freaks into soldiers." said a guard. Yoshi quickly turned to find a couple of guards conversing.
"I know. Mutating these sorry bastards and making them into weapons? They better be able to stand up to Lucky Dragon when he shows up again." said another guard.
"No..." Yoshi had just heard the truth come from the mouth of a guard for MONARCH. Wherever he was, the facility must have been a secret if no one on his squad knew about it. The revelation that MONARCH created the Transmutants filled his heart with shame and despair.



Caesar spent the next couple of minutes watching the humans have visions of the past. The fairies continued to fly above them as some of the soldiers gave verbal cries of outrage, despair, and shock. A man was cursing like a sailor as he dropped to his knees, slamming his fists on the ground. 
"They were just children! How could they have done this?!" shouted the man. A woman was screaming as she clutched her head and lied on the ground in a fetal position. Her eyes ran with tears as she trembled.
"Oh god! W-who have I been working for?!" cried the woman. Caesar lowered his head in sadness. He had hoped that it wouldn't have come to this, but he felt that it was necessary that they learned the truth. The people continued to have visions of men, women and children being cut and injected by the mutagen. They saw memories of men in black killing the parents of the children that they had kidnapped. The knowledge that the organization they were working for committed such atrocious crimes under a façade of benevolence filled the soldiers with self-conflict.  They began to see images of current events, such as Erika Shiragami’s death and resurrection as a Transmutant. A deep and darker purpose of MONARCH was revealed to them all, causing their blood to run cold. Suddenly, the images stopped and the soldiers were free from the horrific images and found themselves back in the temple. The fairies landed and perched themselves on stones. The soldiers attempted to calm their breaths and stand up. Yoshi was panting, his eyes stung with tears upon witnessing how the organization he was working for could commit such atrocities to their fellow humans. 
A woman wept as she leaned against the wall. Her tears still ran as she cried into her hands in sympathy for all the torments that were inflicted on the kidnapped children. Her cries continued until a chirping sound caught her attention. She spotted a blue fairy standing a few inches at her side, looking up to her. She was startled by the large insect, but as she continued to stare, she felt comfort. Its eyes calmed her and its antennae twitched slightly in a way as if it was trying to speak to her. The soldier slowly reached for the moth, which tilted its head as her hand came closer. The soldier gulped as she sniffled, her hand was getting closer as the fairy lowered itself, allowing the soldier's hand to run over its fuzzy back.  She lightly smiled as she continued to pet it. The fairy then came closer and began to rub its head against the soldier's thigh, giving a purr.
"Hm. Thanks little guy." said the soldier with a sniff. The fairy chirped in response, allowing the soldier to give a light giggle. Yoshi stood with his head lowered and his eyes hard.
"Now, you know the truth. Human, if MONARCH is not stopped, more pain and suffering will occur. People must know of MONARCH's actions. The soldiers must know that the higher command is corrupt and that they have been deceiving them." said Caesar. Yoshi nodded in agreement.
"Yes. We have been deceived into thinking that we were heroes. We may have been protecting the innocent, but we were tools for a darker purpose. No more!" said Yoshi. He then turned to face his comrades.
"I will not stand for this! MONARCH’s leadership is an enemy far worse than Destoroyah! We know the truth! We must be the ones to spread it and to bring these corrupt leaders to justice!" said Hayato. One of his squad members wore a look of alarm.
"But how?! Who will believe us?!" asked the soldier.
"I shall help you spread the truth, my friends. With the help of the fairies, we can slowly build up a team of people willing to put an end to this madness." said Caesar as he gestured to the fairies. The moths flapped their wings, giving chirping sounds of excitement.
"Brothers, sisters, will you stand with me so that we may put an end to these corrupt men so that we may redeem ourselves and prevent more lives from being destroyed?" asked Yoshi. A couple of squad members immediately stepped forward.
"I'm with you to the end, Sarge!" said the soldier.
"Me too!" said another soldier. Soon, other soldiers began to step forward, pledging their allegiance. The woman that was once crying stood to her feet with the fairy perched on her shoulder, giving a quick salute to the man. 
"No, I am no longer a Sergeant. As of now, I relinquish my title as of MONARCH soldier." said Yoshi as he pulled out a knife and began to scratch at the painted MONARCH symbol on his chest piece.
	
> Chapter 29
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The day was fading over the nation of Neighpon. The Empire had faced dark times when the civil war for power occurred centuries ago. The oppression of the Samurai by the corrupt Emperor caused pain and sorrow until a few samurai and their clans banded together with the Griffons to liberate their home. After the war, tensions were high for decades between the Griffon Kingdom and the Neighponese Empire, causing Equestria to act as an intermediary to settle peace between the two lands.  Now, however, a new darkness plagued the Neighponese people and the new Emperor.
The sound of men crying out in agony was heard in the coming evening. Men in MONARCH armor fought against three Transmutants that remained in their human forms. Battra led Shinomura and Ebirah into battle against over a dozen men and women holding rifles. The soldiers fired their guns as civilians dressed in modern clothing ran past them, screaming in terror. The Transmutants dodged the incoming bolts and took cover behind anything that they could find. Battra peaked over a carriage but immediately ducked down as a bolt came his way.
"Damn." cursed Battra as he remained in cover. He then pulled out a katana and took calm breaths.
"Ebirah, Shinomura, charge and take them out on my mark!" commanded Battra. Ebirah and Shinomura nodded in confirmation. Battra closed his eyes as he cleared his mind of the battle around himself. Everything moved slower compared to him and he heard every sound that reached his ears. He then opened his eyes and immediately hopped over the carriage, eyes aglow as he was airborne. As Battra dropped back onto the street, he shot his arms forward. Suddenly, the soldiers were thrown off of their feet by an invisible force.
"Go!" shouted Battra as he dashed towards the nearest soldiers. As they attempted to stand, he swung his sword and cut down five soldiers in three seconds. Ebirah moved forward and snatched a rifle from one of the soldiers and slammed it against him. Shinomura sent quick jabs into the throats of any close soldier. He then grabbed a Valkyrie soldier by her wing and snapped it with the flick of his wrist. The woman cried out in pain and was met with a powerful punch to her gut. Shinomura was suddenly tackled by three other soldiers. He growled in anger as he began to squirm from under them. Ebirah came and knocked the soldiers off of him and then sent a powerful punch against one of the soldiers’ chest. He then stomped the one lying on the ground in his back, crushing his spine. Shinomura stood up to his feet and then snapped the neck of the last soldier.
"I'll take out any strugglers! Go and gather as many of the ammo magazines as you can!" commanded Battra.
"Got it!" said Ebirah. He and Shinomura rushed towards the fallen soldiers and began to take apart their rifles and took their magazines. The magazines were rectangular and glowed brightly. Battra made his way deeper into the town. It was small, but it was more modern compared to certain settlements in Neighpon. Battra continued to search the streets for any soldier that he could find. His eyes burned with hate as he searched the streets. His ears picked up the sound of a rifle cocking. Battra turned and threw his katana. The flying sword impaled a MONARCH soldier in his exposed neck, causing him to drop to the ground.
"Think I wouldn't catch you? Think again asshole." said Battra as he held his hand out forward. The soldier's body began to twitch as the katana was pulled out of his body by the telekinetic abilities of the Transmutant and flew back into his grip. Battra turned and continued to search the deserted town. His ears picked up the sound of footsteps. The Transmutant turned and spotted two figures disappearing into an alley. He walked through the street in pursuit of the figures.
"I know you're on the rooftop." said Battra as he turned and held his hand out. An Elf soldier was levitated into the air, she yelped in surprise. Battra shook his head in disapproval.
"You should have ran when you had the chance, MONARCH scum." said Battra. He then motioned his hand down over to another building, causing the soldier to scream as she was hurled into the building at high speed.  Battra sighed as he continued to move on towards the alley where the figures had disappeared into. He drew his sword as he spotted them backed into a corner. Battra chuckled darkly.
"I thought you would at least still have some fight in you. Now you'll just die like dogs in the-" Battra was interrupted as one of the figures charged towards him with an item in his grip. Battra's reflexes kicked in as he suddenly sent a round house kick towards the figure. The figure cried out in pain in a young male voice as he landed on the ground. Battra flared his nostrils in annoyance as he began to stalk closer to the human. Suddenly, he noticed that the human was not wearing any MONARCH apparel. In fact, he wore civilian clothing. His eyes were wide as he saw at what he had thought was an enchanted sword was actually a pipe lying at his side. The figure groaned in pain and revealed the bruised face of a young teenage male. Battra felt his muscles go slightly stiff at the sight. But he hardened his glare and raised his katana.
"Onii-chan!" cried a female voice. Battra's eyes widened as a pre-teenage girl ran over to the fallen boy. Her eyes ran with tears as she held her brother tightly. The boy sent a glare towards the Transmutant, who merely stared with wide eyes. Battra's grip on his katana loosened.
"Please, leave my brother alone!" pleaded the girl as she sobbed. The boy pried the girl off of himself, which she responded with a gasp. He stood to his feet and picked up the pipe and held it like a sword. Battra stared at the boy and inwardly questioned the rationality that ran through the boy's mind to challenge someone that could easily crush him with prejudice.
"Get out of here while you still can, Toru." said the teenage boy. Battra raised a brow.
"Shinji, no! Mister, please let us go!" pleaded the girl on her knees with tears running down her cheeks. Battra had grown to hate the humans in his years of being rejected by them and for what their hubris at tampering with nature had cursed him. But, his heart was tugged at by the pleading of this child.
"Why are you challenging me, human?" asked Battra with a tone of superiority. "You're outmatched. I am stronger than you and I will be the one who emerges in victory."
"I don't care about that! You can kill as many soldiers as you want. But I'll be damned if I stand by and let you hurt my sister! I will fight any of you Transmutants as long as it guarantees my sister's wellbeing!" shouted the boy in defiance. Battra's eyes widened at his response; he found the boy’s foolish yet admirable desire to protect his sister from a superior enemy to be surprising. Battra sensed great fear inside of the boy, it was even obvious in his slight trembling, but the boy kept himself together for the sake of his family.
Battra felt himself relating to the boy. He could relate as to protecting a sibling against the enemy, even if it went taking their lives and risking their own life. The boy reminded Battra of himself.  He hesitated with his actions, as he had never killed children before and wasn’t planning on starting any time soon. Battra lowered his katana.
"I see..." said Battra. He then heard the sound of footsteps approaching.
"Battra, we have all of the magazines packed up." said Shinomura as he approached the black haired Transmutant. He then noticed the humans.
"What are you doing? Aren't you going to kill them?" asked Shinomura. The girl whimpered as she heard those words while the boy tightened his grip on the pipe. Battra placed his katana back into its sheath and hung it back onto his back.
"No." said Battra. Shinomura scoffed in response.
"Then I'll do it if you don't feel like it." said Shinomura as he approached the children. Battra immediately placed a firm hand on his shoulder with a hard stare.
"No. There is no point in killing children." said Battra. Shinomura sent him a glare.
"No point? We decline their numbers by eliminating them!" said Shinomura. Battra tightened his grip on Shinomura's shoulder.
"Do not go against my orders, Shinomura. We are leaving." said Battra in a stern voice.
"What's going on here?" asked Ebirah as he arrived into the alley with a large sack over his shoulder.
"Battra is getting cold feet about killing these humans." said Shinomura. Battra's eyes sent a glare towards him. He then grabbed the Transmutant and threw him against the wall. The girl yelped in fear as Battra began to beat the Transmutant.
"I'll show you cold feet you insubordinate-" Battra continued to beat the Transmutant. Ebirah immediately ran over to the two and grabbed Battra.
"Hey! Hey! Calm down!" said Ebirah as Battra struggled in his grip. Shinomura stood to his feet with his nose bleeding and his face bruised.
"You bastard!" said Shinomura. He then began to stalk over towards the red-eyed Transmutant with a glare.
"Hey! Don't antagonize a superior, you idiot!" said Ebirah with a glare.
"My superior?! He has hesitated to kill these children! Should we all start sparing humans as well in this war?!" demanded Shinomura. Battra pried himself out of Ebirah's hold and made his way over to the cobalt haired Transmutant. "I refuse to be under someone that can't even take their lives!"
"Listen you little shit!  Whether you like it or not, you will listen to me and do as I say! I refuse to take their lives because we only came here for the magazines and to kill the soldiers! These children are not on our list of killing!" said Battra as he and Shinomura stared each other down.
"Shinomura, back down." said Ebirah. Shinomura sent him an incredulous look.
"Are you fu-"
"No I am not. Battra is right, we got what we need. Come on, unless you want Lord Destoroyah to know that your disobeying the orders of his right hand man." said Ebirah with a hard stare. Shinomura sighed in resignation.
"Fine." said Shinomura. He then sent a glare towards Battra. "This isn't over."
"Don't push it." warned Battra. The cobalt haired Transmutant made his way out of the alley. Battra sighed in exhaustion.
"I swear, he's always trying to undermine me. The son of a bitch wants my job, I know it." said Battra, Ebirah chuckled in response.
"He's too impulsive. Besides, I'd rather you be second in command than him." said Ebirah. Battra smiled in appreciation.
"Thanks, I needed to hear that. It's a thankless job honestly." said Battra. He then noticed the humans staring at them with uneasy expressions. For a brief second, he thought he saw Mosura's face on the girl's. He immediately turned.
"If you value your lives, you will stay out of the streets and away from MONARCH" warned Battra. He made his way out of the alley with Ebirah taking a quick glance at the children. He then proceeded to follow the black haired Transmutant. The sound of sobbing from the girl caused Battra to lightly frown. He immediately wiped his frown away and turned it into a scowl.
'What the hell is wrong with me? I have no reason to pity those humans.' thought Battra.



Battra remained seated outside of an abandoned facility in the middle of the forest. The metal building was rusted and covered in dents and plant life.  The vines wrapped themselves around the building and a large fallen tree lied on top of the roof of the facility. Wires hung outside along with the destroyed watchtowers. Battra recalled that the place was once a facility that was focused on the genetic research of the Transmutants. Due to the failure of containing a few of their experiments and Transmutants, the staff suffered dearly for it. Battra continued to sit outside as the moon hung high in the sky. After the attack on Ponyville, he has felt a little restless. It was the second time that he had seen his sister again in years. Due to his enmity towards her, he attempted to make it the last time they would meet. Unfortunately, that could not come to past due to the interference of Takeshi, whom Battra bowed to destroy. Battra sighed as his mind was plagued with the children from earlier. He wondered why they had caused him to hesitate as they were the children of his enemies. 
'To protect his sister...' thought Battra. Yes, that was something that he hadn't done in years. Battra heard the footsteps of someone approaching. He found Ebirah walking out of the facility, where the doors lied scattered onto the ground.
"Hey, kid." said Ebirah as he sat next to Battra.
"Please refrain from calling me that. I'm not a child anymore." said Battra in annoyance. Ebirah chuckled in response.
"Sorry." said Ebirah. The two sat in an uneasy silence in the night. The cool air blew against them, sending chills. Battra felt himself growing anxious.
"So, did you want to talk about something?" asked Battra.
"Nah. I just wanted to check on you and see how you were doing. You kinda lost it earlier." said Ebirah.
"Can you blame me? Shinomura is just so damn aggravating. Someone needed to give him a reality check to show him who's in charge." said Battra with a scowl. Ebirah frowned.
"Battra, about sparing those humans..." said Ebirah. Battra groaned in frustration.
"Yes! I know it isn't something that we would normally do, but they were wasting our time! We had to leave as soon as possible." said Battra, defensively. Ebirah shook his head.
"No, that's not what I meant." said Ebirah. Battra raised a brow. "I think it's good that you did."
"Good? But...aren't I a disgrace to the other revolutionaries by doing that?" asked Battra.
"Battra, you fight to guarantee the survival of Transmutants. We kill the soldiers to protect ourselves. Well, at least most of us do. Some of us just have a grudge against all humans." said Ebirah as he glanced at Battra. "But, I'll be honest with you. I like being a part of this community and I'm glad that I have formed some friendships with others and you."
"But?" asked Battra. Ebirah sighed.
"I have no problem killing these soldiers. Honestly, some of them can rot in hell for all I care. But, when it comes to civilians, I can't bring myself to do it like you and a few others." said Ebirah. Battra looked down.
"Battra, I don't want you to think that I am looking down on you for doing so. I understand why you do it, but I can't bring myself to take their lives. Not again." said Ebirah solemnly. Battra looked to Ebirah in confusion.
"Back in Ponyville, I was alone fighting several soldiers. I was so caught up in battle that I ended up striking a young woman. She was sent flying across the street. I heard the sickening crack of her bones as I hit her. I found her lifeless eyes staring up into the sky. She haunts me to this very day." said Ebirah as he placed his face into his palm.
"But, you were fighting to save members of our kind. You do what you have to do!" said Battra, trying to justify Ebirah's actions. As he continued to try, it just sounded like selfishness trying to keep his friend to feel well about himself even when the average person would question it. After all, Battra has been justifying his actions for the last several years.
"Maybe. But, sometimes, I wonder if this is a war worth fighting." said Ebirah as he stood to his feet. "We're outnumbered and outgunned. We may be stronger than humans, but we are at war with an entire race. A race we were once a part of. Do you think our story will have a happy ending?" asked Ebirah. Battra stood to his feet, struggling to give an answer.
"Ebirah, our unity is what will allow us to win. MONARCH isn't exclusively Transmutant exterminators, they are also guns for hire.  Humans are not united.  They are divided over the most trivial of things! That is our advantage over them!" argued Battra.
"They have wars with each other and MONARCH may be one that helps the nation that claims to be the force of good, but they can unite against a common threat." said Ebirah. He then looked towards Battra.
"Battra, why do you hate your sister?" asked Ebirah. Battra's eyes widened in surprise.
"Wh-what does that have to do with anything?" asked Battra.
"It was just a simple question. I remember when we met and began to hang around with you more. I remember how you would speak fondly of her. She was the world to you." said Ebirah. Battra looked down with a scowl.
"She 'was' the world to me. She's dead to me now." spat Battra. Ebirah frowned. He realized how these years really had changed him. He grew to be unloving to his own sister.
"Why?" asked Ebirah. Battra scoffed.
"Why?! She's a traitor! She left and took Angirasu and Rodan to live in Equestria among the humans! She let herself get stepped on by their prejudice! She protects them when they will only reject her!" seethed Battra. He then stood up to his feet with his red eyes burned with anger.
"Battra, I think there's more to what you are telling me." said Ebirah.
"There isn't any more! She's just as bad as the humans!" said Battra.
"You don't mean that." said Ebirah. Battra sent him a glare.
"What do you know about what I mean?!" demanded Battra. Ebirah kept a neutral expression.
"Because I know you. I know why you're angry. You don't hate her. At least not for that reason." said Ebirah. Battra turned away with a growl.
"I do hate her! I hate her more than anything in the world!" said Battra as he gritted his teeth. Ebirah sighed in response.
"Alright. I apologize for this, my friend. But, think about our conversation." said Ebirah. He then turned away and made his way back into the facility. Battra clenched his fist tightly, but then loosed his muscles. His shoulders slumped down and his head lowered. He sighed.
"I do hate her. I hate her because...she..."




The next day...

Megaguirus leaned against Mukade's back with a bored expression on her face. Her arms were crossed and her legs were splayed about on the tiled ground. Mukade merely tampered with an old gadget that he had found lying around. Megaguirus sighed in exasperation.
"I'm so bored!" said Megaguirus. Mukade sighed in response.
"Well, go do something productive." said Mukade in annoyance. Megaguirus raised herself off of Mukade and looked curiously at the device in his hand.
"Whatcha doin'?" asked Megaguirus.
"I found this old data pad lying around. I'm trying to see if I can fix it up." said Mukade. Megaguirus snorted in response.
"Don't you need to be like, a nerd or something to fix that?" asked Megaguirus.
"Ah! Intellectual. Please be respectful to them. If you have knowledge on how to work on some of MONARCH's electronic devices, then it’s easy to fix them." said Mukade. He began to use a thin metal screw drive against the computer chip inside of the backside of the device.
"Where did you learn to do that?" asked Megaguirus.
"I didn't. I'm just messing with this in hopes that I can fix it since I don't know a damn thing from computers or any other kind of electronic device." said Mukade.
"Eh?! Some genius you are!" said Megaguirus with an appalled expression.
"Hey, I never claimed to be a genius. I'm just trying my hand at other things." said Mukade. Megaguirus gave him a deadpanned stare. Suddenly, her ears picked up the sound of footsteps. She turned and her face brightened up as she found Battra walking down the halls with his hands in his jacket's pockets.
"Well, you have fun with that. I'm gonna go mess with Battra." said Megaguirus as she stood to her feet and ran after the man. Mukade rolled his eyes in response.
Battra continued on through the halls of the facility where dents, rust, dirt and vines greeted him at every turn. It was quiet and dark. The lack of lighting and moist air allowed fungus to sprout from the cracks of the ground. Battra suddenly heard the sound of footsteps approaching from behind.
"Hey! Batts, wait up!" called Megaguirus. Battra turned around and found her rushing towards him. 
"Hey...you got anything that we could do today? I'm getting kinda bored." said Megaguirus.
"No, not yet. But, I'm going to check on Hok and his wife." said Battra. Megaguirus face brightened.
"Oh yeah? Mind if I tag along?" asked Megaguirus. Battra wore an uneasy expression.
"Uh...I don't know." said Battra as he looked away. Megaguirus pouted in response.
"Aw come on! Don't be mean!" said Megaguirus as she placed her hands on her hips. Battra blushed in embarrassment as the woman got closer to him and batted her eyelashes at him.
"Fine. Just keep your voice down, alright?" asked Battra. Megaguirus grinned in response.
"You got it, boss!" said Megaguirus as she gave a mock salute. Battra turned and lead the woman down the halls. They made their way out to an open room where several Transmutants worked to store food and supplies away. A few waved and greeted the pair as they walked. Battra greeted them in return as Megaguirus gave a wave with a flirty wink to a few of the men. One of the men chuckled.
"Man, I'd hit that." said a man as he nudged his friend. His friend nodded in agreement. They then heard a feminine voice cleared her throat. The men turned and shrunk nervously when they found a few women looking at them with glares. 
"Get back to work, you perverts!" commanded a woman. The men lowered their heads in shame. Another man snickered to himself as he lowered a box. He then felt one of the women gazing at him.
"So, you think she's more attractive than me?" asked the woman. The man turned and held his hands up defensively.
"Hey, I just greeted Battra. Besides, you're the most beautiful woman and the only one for me." said the man. The woman felt her face flush and began to giggle like a school girl.
"Oh, babe!" said the woman. She then made her way over to the man, wrapped her arms behind his back, and gave him a kiss. The sounds of smooching made a few people to roll their eyes or smile at the scene. Suddenly, the couple was interrupted by the sound of a large crate dropping to the ground. They turned and found Titano looking at both of them with an annoyed expression.
"Hey, you two are on the clock. Make out when you're through here." commanded Titano. The couple immediately released each other.
"Yes sir!" the couple answered in unison. Titano made his way through the area and continued to help move the supplies. Another woman came up by his side.
"Come on, don't you think you're being a little too hard on them?" asked the woman.
"I just want to make sure they don't get in trouble with Destoroyah or any other of our members of a higher rank. You know how the boss hates it when we slack off." said Titano as he moved a box. The woman gave an amused smile.
"Well, thanks for looking out for us." thanked the woman.
"No prob." said Titano.
Battra and Megaguirus strolled through the facility where they passed Mantises that hung from the ceilings and that devoured the vines and tree branches above.
"Blegh! I hate bark!" spat one of the mantises. Kamacuras crawled up along the wall and began to bite on the vines.
"Just keep munching away at them! We need to trim these tree branches so they don't fall on anybody." said Kamacuras as bit into the vines. Battra shook his head in amusement. The mantises not only worked as soldiers, but also as gardeners. Battra and Megaguirus made their way into a new hall. They walked and found themselves at a large, metal door. Battra began to type a combination in on the panel that was built into the wall. The door creaked, slowly rising with the sound of the gears that turned inside. The pair walked inside of the room as the door had opened.
"Hok? Are you in here?" called Battra. His red eyes scanned the dark room that was filled with dirt, torn wires and foliage that had sunken through the roof. It was a miracle that some of the power still worked inside of the facility. Battra and Megaguirus continued on. The woman suddenly took Battra's arm and walked closer to his side.
"W-wh-what are you doing?" stuttered Battra.
"Mmm. Nothing. It's just so dark and empty in here that I rather be close to you." said Megaguirus innocently. Battra's brow twitched in annoyance.
"You're a Transmutant. We can see in the dark." said Battra. Megaguirus held on tighter, looking up to Battra with seductive eyes.
"What's this? Are you embarrassed?" teased Megaguirus. Battra sent her a glare.
"No." answered Battra. Megaguirus raised her brow with a smile.
"You're face says otherwise." said Megaguirus. She then pinned the man against the wall, a blush appearing on her face as well. Her breath was shallow as their eyes locked. Battra began to sweat and felt his heart beat as he stared nervously at her while she leaned in close to him with her eyes half open. 
"What are you doing?" asked Battra in a nervous tone. Megaguirus leaned in closer to his ear.
"You're just so hot. I want you." whispered Megaguirus in a seductive tone. Battra's eyes widened and his blush increased.
"Huh?!" asked Battra. Megaguirus smiled in amusement and then released the male Transmutant.
"Just kidding. Sorry, I just wanted to see how you would react." said Megaguirus with a shrug. Battra glared at her.
"That was not funny!" said Battra. This woman had toyed with his male hormones as it were game. He was miffed that she didn’t get the concept of keeping sexual acts sacred.
"For me it was." said Megaguirus. She then looked to Battra with a light smile.
"But, I wasn't lying when I thought you were hot. You are good looking guy." said Megaguirus with a wink. Battra turned away in embarrassment.
"Man, I hadn't seen a reaction this priceless since I messed with that one Transmutant back in Ponyville!" chuckled Megaguirus. Battra's brow rose.
"You mean, Gojira Takeshi?" asked Battra.
"Yeah that's the one! Man, he was so embarrassed! It was even funnier when his girlfriend walked in!" laughed Megaguirus. She then thought back to his reaction. 'He was kinda cute too. He had that rugged kind of handsomeness to him.'
"Ah. You're referring to the Elf girl. Well, Gojira never had any intimate relationships of that caliber, which would be why he reacted so strongly. The girl was hardly his girlfriend. They were just friends." said Battra.
"Heh. What are you? His stalker?" asked Megaguirus.
"In a way. I was actually observing him during his earlier days living in Ponyville. I sensed a great power inside of him along with that burning hate for the ones that had changed him. I learned a lot from scanning his memories and mind. He's prideful and stubborn." said Battra.
"You should totally start your own fortune teller business!" suggested Megaguirus. Battra sighed in annoyance.
"Just because I can read minds doesn't mean I can predict the future. Well, at least not on a cosmic or spiritual scale. I can only predict someone's next move if I choose to." said Battra. Megaguirus shrugged in response.
"Oh well." Megaguirus's ears picked up the sound of footsteps approaching. A man that was slightly older than Battra appeared. His eyes were red-orange and his hair was grey with white streaks. He stood to be five foot seven, an inch shorter than Battra.
"Good day, Battra and Megaguirus." Hok greeted with a smile. He was young Equestrian man that was abducted by MONARCH years ago. Such a tragic turn of events for a teenager that has now grown to be an adult in his early twenties.
"I suppose." replied Battra as Megaguirus casually waved. Hok shook his head.
"You have to lighten up my friend. It's not good if all you do is stress. Enjoy the miracles in life!" said Hok. Battra sighed.
"Forgive me if I don't share your optimism. Life hardly offers me any miracles." said Battra. Megaguirus scoffed in response.
"Dude, you're such a downer sometimes ya know?" Megaguirus slapped Battra against the shoulder in a playful manner. Battra rolled his eyes.
"Right. Speaking of miracles of life, how's your wife and the babies?" asked Battra.
"She's doing well. She's lying down and watching over the eggs." said Hok. Battra nodded in approval.
"That's good." This was the first time that the Transmutants were passing their genes on towards the next generation. Battra only wished that the world was safer for them to live in.
"Well, Destoroyah wanted me to check on you. So, I'll be sure to let him know that you're both doing well." said Battra. As he turned to leave, Hok called his name. Battra turned back to the man, wondering what he had to say.
"Would you...like to see them?" asked Hok. Battra's eyes widened in surprise.
"I...I don't know. Would it be alright?" asked Battra in hesitation. Hok nodded to him.
"Sure! Come on Meg, you can come to." said Hok as he turned and began to lead Battra. Megaguirus went stiff at the invitation.
"I uh...O-OK. Thanks." said Megaguirus with a nervous smile. The trio made their way deeper into the room, passing destroyed computers and broken glass. Battra found himself looking at the ruins. Memories of this place flooded back to him. The facility contained Transmutants because it was the same one that brought about the rest of the Transmutants after Alpha and Lucky Dragon. He recalled how he, Destoroyah and several others returned five years after their escape and eliminated anyone within. Ironically, what was once their prison had now become their home.
Battra suddenly spotted an orange light through a door in the room. He, Megaguirus and Hok continued on, entering the room and found a young woman with red high lights in her hair lying down on an old mattress on the cold ground. She was wrapped in blankets. She noticed the visitors and sent a smile.
"Battra, it's good to see you." greeted the woman. Battra bowed in respect.
"Likewise, Abra." said Battra. Abra noticed Megaguirus standing beside Battra. She then made a forced smile.
"Ah. Megaguirus, it's good to see you too." said Abra. Megaguirus rubbed the back of her head nervously.
"Hey. Good to be here." said Megaguirus. Battra then noticed the source of the light. The source of the light consisted of seven orbs that were within a slimed, organic substance that was wrapped around a large machine at the base. Inside of the orbs were small figures, one in each orb. Hok led Battra and Megaguirus closer to allow them to have a better look. Megaguirus stared with wide eyes as she held onto her sweater.
The pods contained human infants. They all floated in a fetal position inside of the pods. Battra and Megaguirus stared in awe at the beauty of life at such an early and innocent stage. They both couldn't remember the last time that they saw a baby. Suddenly, one of the infants squirmed and kicked, causing Battra to flinch. The sudden movement of Battra startled Megaguirus and caused her heart to jump. Hok chuckled in amusement at their startled state. He then noticed Battra's worried expression.
"Relax, she just kicked. She's fine." reassured Hok. Battra began to relax.
"O-of course." stuttered Battra. He felt silly for reacting so strongly at a baby's sudden movements. Megaguirus's light chuckle made him feel worse. He began to realize how different his life was from a normal one. Just the flinch of a premature baby raised concern due to his ignorance on how a Transmutant infant will develop compared to a normal human. Abra sighed in disappointment.
"I wish I could have had children normally. I've always wanted to feel the kick of my baby while I still had him or her in the womb." said Abria. Megaguirus twiddled her thumbs.
"Well, at least you don't have to worry about holding all seven babies. God knows that would be painful to deliver." chuckled Megaguirus.
"Right." Abra said in a low tone. Megaguirus rubbed her arm and looked away and cleared her throat. Battra raised a brow at their exchange.
"Well, I have to congratulate you and your wife. They will grow into wonderful children." said Battra with a smile.
"Thank you. Man, we're going to have to change a lot of diapers." chuckled Hok. Battra shared his amusement.
"Well, if you'd like some help with gathering some necessities, I can take a team to find them." offered Battra.
"I couldn't possibly trouble you with errands that I should be doing. I mean, you're busy fighting battles and you're Destoroyah's second in command." said Hok.
"Nonsense. I can honestly use a break from the battlefield. I don't mind helping one of our own." said Battra with a dismissive wave. Hok gave a smile but then his face turned serious. He motioned Battra to follow him. The two male Transmutants walked further from the two women, who remained in an awkward silence.
"Battra, I'm worried about this generator that my wife had laid her eggs around. This thing has not been maintained in years and is continuously giving off radiation." said Hok as he stared at his children. Battra thought about what could worry him so much and then recalled that the facility mostly ran on radioactive generators. He then noticed the caution sign for radiation that was covered in slime on the generator.
"Battra, I'm afraid to remove the eggs if this machine shuts down or runs out of radiation. My wife claimed that she felt something inside of her take over to lay the eggs near something radioactive. What if my children need to consume this radiation more than we do?" asked Ho in dread. "Our babies will die if this machine shuts down.
Battra felt himself consumed by worry. MONARCH was not the only threat to the babies. There was the threat of not being able to provide them with the energy that they needed to be nourished. Battra calmed himself and gave Hok a hard stare.
"I'll make sure that we are prepared if that happens." said Battra. Hok nodded to him.
"Thank you."
Battra turned and faced Megaguirus, who stood and looked at him curiously.
"Come on. Let's leave them alone." said Battra as he made his way towards the exit. Megaguirus followed Battra quickly with a nervous expression. Hok noticed the scowl that Abra held.
"Honey, what's wrong?" asked Hok.
"I can't believe you invited that tramp inside." said Abra. Hok sighed in response.
"Dear, I was just being polite. Although she does fool around, I believe that she is genuinely a good person inside." said Hok. Abra sighed in response.
"One could only hope." said Abra. Hok smiled in amusement. He made his way over to his wide in bed and lied beside her. The couple watched their children as they continued to take in the radiation for nourishment.
"Have you thought of any names yet?" asked Abra.
"A few." said Hok with a smile. He then planted a kiss on his wife's cheek before the two cuddled in the warm blanket.



Battra and Megaguirus continued on through the facility alone in silence. Battra was busy planning on a contingency plan in case the generators were to shut down. Megaguirus had her hands behind her back.
"Hey, Battra." called Megaguirus. Battra snapped out of his thoughts and turned to face the woman.
"Why are you going out of your way to help them?" asked Megaguirus.
"Why? Well, it's as I said. I want an excuse to get out of fighting for a while and I am always willing to lend one of our own a hand." answered Battra. Megaguirus hummed in thought.
"I see." said Megaguirus. Battra felt the need to bring up a certain topic that he wanted to address.
"Tell me, why were you so nervous when we were inside?" asked Battra. Megaguirus went stiff at the question.
"Oh! Uh...you see..." Megaguirus rubbed the back of her head nervously. "Abra...she doesn't really like me."
"Oh?"
"Yeah. I once ended up flirting with Hok a week ago just for the fun of it. Next thing I know, Abra comes out of nowhere and starts screaming at me. I was honestly terrified.  I wouldn't have flirted with Hok if I knew he was married. That's where I draw the line." admitted Megaguirus. She then sighed. "Battra, I know I come off as a skank by flirting with men the way I do. I don't fault you for thinking that way."
"Then why do it? Why go overboard with how you flirt if it's just for fun? That's sexual harassment." said Battra. Megaguirus looked towards the ceiling.
"I don't know. It's just my way of dealing with stress." said Megaguirus. Battra felt that it was part of the reason as to why she would be behaving in such a way. Still, he felt that there was something else to it that she wasn't telling him. He wanted to scan through her thoughts but thought it was wrong to invade her privacy. Therefore, he was surprised that she was opening up. He thought of her as a carefree individual that didn't seemed bothered by the situation that was going on with them. Perhaps, his initial opinion about Megaguirus was erroneous as even she was someone who had worries.
"Heh! Listen to me getting all mushy here. So lame." muttered Megaguirus. Battra frowned in response.
"Hey, do you want to be a part of my team to gather supplies for the babies?" asked Battra. Megaguirus had a slight blush.
"R-really? You want my help?" asked Megaguirus. Battra nodded in response.
"Yes. I heard you get bored, so I thought this would be something that could give you something to do." said Battra. He then gave her a smile. "I have also seen that you're pretty fast and light on your feet during our exercises." said Battra. Megaguirus held a mischievous grin as she raised her leg, revealing her boot-covered foot.
"Oh? You've been staring at my feet?" asked Megaguirus in a flirtatious tone. Battra began to wear a vague smile as a bead of sweat formed on the side of his head. Megaguirus moved closer and placed her leg on his shoulder, causing the man to stiffen and blush furiously.
"Want a closer look?" asked Megaguirus. Battra grabbed her leg and removed it from his shoulder.
"No, I'm good." said Battra. He then sighed in annoyance as Megaguirus gave him a wink. "Way to ruin the moment."
"Sorry, couldn't resist." said Megaguirus. She then patted Battra on his shoulder.
"I think I'll take you up on your offer, handsome." said Megaguirus. She then began to walk away, her hips swayed with every step. Battra shook his head and tore his eyes away from her sensuous figure.
"I need to be more careful around that woman." Battra said to himself. He then made his way over towards another hall, disappearing from Megaguirus's sight. The woman had turned and watched the man leave. She lightly smiled to herself as she turned back around, humming to herself as her chest filled with butterflies. 




Later that night...

Destoroyah sat on his throne of rubble. The moon's light was shining down in the middle of the room while he was shrouded in darkness. In the room with him were Shinomura, Gaira, Titano and Ebirah. The four loyalists sat in the dark in a circle with cards in their hands. Ebirah turned and looked back to Destoroyah.
"Hey, wanna join in?" asked Ebirah. Destoroyah shook his head in response.
"No, thank you." declined Destoroyah. Titano frowned.
"Are you sure? Come on, just for old time's sake!" said Titano.
"Not tonight." said Destoroyah. The other four Transmutants sighed in response. Titano often wondered how becoming a leader of an entire group would just render that one person into a workaholic. Things haven't been the same, especially as their group began to expand. Suddenly, the Transmutants heard the sounds of footsteps. They turned and found Battra walking into the room. Gaira gave him a smile.
"Hey, Battra! Care to join in just like old times?" asked Gaira. Battra gave him a smile, nostalgia filling his eyes. But he then remembered his purpose for coming here.
"Sorry, not tonight. There's something important that I need to discuss with our leader." replied Battra.
"Fine. But you owe us a game." said Titano. Battra nodded to him. He then approached Destoroyah. He stood in the moon's light and bowed.
"What is it that you wanted to discuss, my student?" asked Destoroyah as he sat up straight.
"I wished to inform you that Hok's wife and children are doing well." said Battra. Destoroyah nodded in approval.
"Also, I wish to form a team led by me to gather necessities such as diapers, baby food, etc." said Battra, Destoroyah's brow raised.
"You want to lead this team? Battra, you're skills are needed in battle. The magazines that we have taken from the weapons of MONARCH still need to be gathered for the gems inside. Their enchanted abilities are what allow us to store radiation into them for ourselves." said Destoroyah.
"I understand. But, there are others that are qualified to do so. It's not like we're breaking into a prison. Besides, I have already promised Hok that I would do so." argued Battra. Destoroyah sighed.
"Very well. Since it is only that, I suppose I can let you slide just this once." said Destoroyah.
"I have a few people in mind to join me. Megaguirus, Mukade, and a few other Transmutants who are not warriors." said Battra.
"Alright. You may start as soon as possible." said Destoroyah. He then noticed Battra's uneasy expression. "Was there something else you wished to tell me?"
"Yes, Sensei. Hok has brought a concern in regards of the generator. He worries that it may shut down and cut off the radiation that the babies have been feeding on. We have nowhere else to put the eggs. Hok is even reluctant to move them." explained Battra.
"Fine. We will have to double our task at taking these gems from the weapons of MONARCH. We will continue to discuss this later." said Destoroyah. Battra bowed in response.
"Thank you, Sensei." said Battra. He then turned and made his way out of the room and down the hall. Shinomura glared at the Transmutant behind his back.
"Lord Destoroyah, what reason do we have to waste our time on caring for infants?" asked Shinomura. The remaining Transmutants all turned and focused their attention on the man.
"Reason? I'm pretty sure it's obvious why we would need to do so." retorted Ebirah with a deadpanned stare.
"They are a liability! You expect us to babysit while MONARCH is looking for our lair?!" demanded Shinomura as he glared at Ebirah.
"But these are babies that we're talking about! We can't just let them die when we can do something about it!" said Ebirah. Titano placed his cards down.
"I'm kind of split on the decision. On one hand, you make a valid point on the infants being more than what we are used to. It could be a bit of a distraction with what we're doing to find supplies that we need for them." said Titano. He then rubbed the back of his neck. "On the other hand, we might give our members a bad impression if we don't do anything."
"Honestly, I don't care. Whatever you guys want to do, go for it." said Gaira. Ebirah gave him a look of disapproval.
"Real helpful of you."
"Hey, they're not my babies." retorted Gaira. Destoroyah sighed in response.
"After listening to the options, I've decided to go along with Battra's plan. He has offered to take Transmutants who are not warriors. There is no need to worry about losing our muscle advantage. I would hate to lose any of our loyalists, anyway." said Destoroyah. He then looked up to the moon's light.
"If all else fails, the babies will die. No one can fault us since it was beyond our control. We just need Battra to stay alive." said Destoroyah.
"Just Battra? Are we not expecting the others?" asked Ebirah.
"I'm not. Some of these Transmutants do nothing but sit on their asses anyway. I have no tolerance for Transmutants not acting. If something were to go wrong, this could root out the weak in our midst." said Destoroyah. Ebirah looked down.
"How will Battra react if members were to die while in his care?" asked Ebirah. Destoroyah looked to him with a cold stare.
"We tell him what he needs to hear.  'They were weak. They were only going to drag us down with their lack of fighting spirit'." answered Destoroyah. Ebirah gritted his teeth. Ever since the group increased in number, Destoroyah no longer spoke of standing together as one. Destoroyah only spoke of unity among the other Transmutants. Something had changed in Destoroyah during the years. He had grown more ruthless and the thought of how far Destoroyah will go frightened him. He wasn't the man he knew all of those years ago.
	
> Chapter 30
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Calm breaths were drawn. Hands were waved into the air as an aura engulfed them and sparkled in the air. Sunset stood as she slowly waved her hands in the air, allowing her magic to course through her fingertips. Such power that she was blessed with was once used to perform feats that caused plants to grow to an enormous size at an alarming rate. Magic that she once unsuccessfully used to earn the admiration of her peers. Instead, she was now a soldier that used her magic to fight. Not an ideal plan that she had, but it worked out for her in the end. All she needed was to defeat the toughest Transmutants alive.
Sunset Shimmer opened her eyes as they hardened at her opponents. Three other Elves stood before her with their hands engulfed in their magical auras. Sunset smiled in determination. She then vanished out of thin air, and reappeared behind one of the Elves. She sent quick punches and then vanished before the soldier could strike her. Sunset reappeared behind another Elf and engaged her in a fist fight. The two women sent jabs and kicks to each other. Sunset was struck in her side, causing her to grunt in frustration. She then sent an aura engulfed hand towards the other woman and sent her flying a few feet away. Sunset turned and found another Elf had sent his hands forward with a blue beam of magic that was headed towards her. Sunset projected a magical shield in front of herself, which blocked the beam. She then shot her hands forward and caused the shield to fly towards the Elf and slam against him. He grunted in pain and fell back as the shield shattered against his body. Sunset was then struck by a bolt of magic, causing her to cry out in pain as she fell back. She turned and glared at the first Elf that she had attacked as he began to charge towards her. Sunset rolled away from the incoming bolts of magic and then teleported out of harm’s way. Sunset then reappeared behind the Elf and delivered three bolts to his back, paralyzing him. Sunset's eyes widened as she spotted the two other Elves pointing their hands in her direction from both sides. She then smiled in amusement as their hands began to glow.
'Just gotta time it right.' thought Sunset. Her eyes watched the woman's hands carefully and she listened to the man's magic charge. After she heard the sound of the man casting a spell and saw the woman fire a bolt, Sunset's hands lit up. Suddenly, she vanished just before any of the bolts could collide with her and the soldiers were both struck by each other's magic. Both of them fell back from the impact, sending them into paralysis. Sunset reappeared on the left side of the field away from the fallen soldiers. She smiled in accomplishment.
"Oh yeah. I'm definitely going to take out any enemy that's thrown my way!" said Sunset. Although she was infuriated with Celestia's decision to ban MONARCH, she had found time to brush up on her skills in combat. However, she was frustrated because she was not quick enough at reacting to certain attacks. She scolded herself for not trying harder.
"Do you still need us? I don't think we have any chance at beating you." said one of the Elves.
"Nope. You guys won't be needed. I think I'm satisfied with my results." said Sunset. She then thought negatively about her results in the back of her mind. Her timing really irked her.
"Good." sighed another Elf. Sunset then popped her knuckles as she made her way out of the field as her comrades stood to their feet. The Elf woman sent her a glare while she wasn't looking.
"Damn, she's pretty good." said a male Elf.
"Hmph. If you ask me, that bitch is cocky." spat the woman.
"Yeah I'll be honest. She sometimes has this aura around her that gives me the impression that she thinks she's superior or something." said another man.
"Or it could be that you're insecure about being beaten by someone of a lower rank than you." said the first man with a chuckle.



Sunset lied down in her dorm on a small bed. The base that she and Erika were stationed at in Zebrabwe was much smaller compared to the other bases that she had been to. This one was mainly to house the soldiers and a few mechs. But, it had the numbers of soldiers needed to deal with a threat other than Transmutants. Sunset sighed as she turned on her bed and looked at the poster that hung on her wall. The poster depicted several figures in advanced armor that made them appear almost like machines. Among them stood a man with his helmet off and held at his side. The helmet appeared like a samurai's, the armor had a few eastern warrior influences as well. The MONARCH insignia was displayed proudly on his chest piece. The man in the poster stared at her with a neutral expression. A battle hardened warrior that has stared death in its lifeless eyes and came out on top as the winner and acted as the face of MONARCH. Hayato Yoshi was the kind of person that Sunset strived to be. A hero loved by all and hailed for courage and victories. She smiled at the poster as she continued to stare at the man.
'Man, what I'd give to meet you.' thought Sunset. Such a warrior of his caliber had risen to be a war hero before she had joined. Ever since she heard about him and his heroic acts, she idolized him as her hero. He was someone to look up to and fight for. In other words, he was the hero that people needed. Sunset hopped that one day that she could fight alongside him and be the hero just like he was. She had confidence that she could stand with him as an equal if not better. Her power was strong and her fighting skills were above most soldiers with the same rank.
"Hail the conquering hero." said Sunset as she ran her hand over the poster.
"Knock! Knock!" called Erika as she knocked on the metal wall to the dorm. Sunset yelped, startled by the sudden arrival of her comrade. Sunset immediately pulled her hand away from the poster with a light blush forming on her cheek.
"Oh! Hey!" said Sunset, nervously. Erika raised a brow.
"You alright? You seem a little anxious."
"I'm fine! Just fine." said Sunset as she cleared her throat. Erika shrugged in response as she made her way over to the other bed on the other side of the room. She then noticed the poster.
"Oh, cool! You have one of those limited edition posters from a couple of years back?" asked Erika.
"Huh? Oh! Uh...yeah! I won it in a lottery back when I was a recruit." said Sunset as she looked at the poster. Erika made her way closer to Sunset's bed and sat down on it.
"Wow, you're so lucky! I wonder what it's like to see these guys in action." said Erika in wonder. Sunset nodded in response.
"Yeah. I once heard they took on ten Transmutants at once." said Sunset as she admired the man in the poster. Erika noticed Sunset's gaze at the helmetless soldier. She then grew a coy smile.
"Does a certain somebody have a crush on the war hero?" asked Erika in a teasing tone. Sunset went stiff and began to blush furiously.
"Wh- I- I uh...No! No, I just admire him!" said Sunset frantically. Erika rolled her eyes.
"Suuuure you do." said Erika. Sunset sighed in annoyance.
"Sure, he's kind of handsome but I'm not crushing on him. I just admire him and his skills. I...I kinda look up to him." admitted Sunset.
"Wow. I never you knew actually had a role model, Shimmer." said Erika in surprise.
"Well, don't we all? I mean, that's what motivates us to become better right?" asked Sunset.
"Yeah, role models are good. As long as they don't set you up on a path of self-destruction or something like that." said Erika, casually.
"Wow. That's kind of dark coming from you." said Sunset, slightly unnerved at how nonchalant her comrade was about having false role models.
"Sorry, I've been getting stir crazy lately and restless. I need to burn my energy." said Erika as she made her way back to her own bed. Sunset lied back down with a sigh.
"I still can't believe that we were banned from Equestria. We almost had Lucky Dragon! I know we were close!" said Sunset in frustration. Her eyes glared at the ceiling as her mind wondered to Celestia's face.
"Hey, hey. It's not a big deal." said Erika, attempting to calm her comrade. Sunset looked at her with an appalled expression.
"Not a big deal?! He was our one way ticket to getting the respect that we deserved!" said Sunset. Erika's eyes slightly widened.
"Wait, wait. So, you didn't have a problem with killing him because you thought it would earn you respect?" asked Erika, her tone filled with disbelief. Sunset's eyes looked away in realization at what she just said. Her cheeks were hot in shame.
"No. No, th-that's not what I..." Sunset tried to take back the words that she had just said. But, it was already too late to retract her words. Erika stared at her in disbelief.  It was disturbing to her, but realized that Sunset was different than what she originally thought.
"Shimmer, that's someone's life that you are talking about! It may be our job at taking them, but how could you just disregard it like he was an insect?" asked Erika. Sunset, clenched her hand into a fist.
"It's not like that." said Sunset, her tone was soft.
"But you were worried about a social status! You weren't worried if Lucky Dragon would hurt anyone or possibly himself!" said Erika, her tone rising. Sunset flinched at her tone. She felt like being back in her teen years when Celestia scolded her for venturing into the Equestrian Archives. Sunset turned to face Erika with a glare.
"Hurt himself? He's a monster! You want me to sympathize with...that thing?!" demanded Sunset. Erika's eyes widened at what Sunset had said and felt heartache fill her chest. Sunset saw Lucky Dragon as an unsympathetic monster. Erika had seen malice in Transmutants that she had previously survived encounters with. However, Lucky Dragon was different, as he showed fear and confusion. Sunset looked at her in confusion as she saw Erika's face made a dejected expression. Sunset tore her eyes away as she realized the cause of Erika's mood.
"A monster? What about me? Is that how you see me?" demanded Erika as her glaring yellow eyes pierced into Sunset's soul.
"N-no! No, I didn't mean you! You're different from the other Transmutants!" exclaimed Sunset. Erika stood up to her feet and made her way out of the dorm.
"Excuse me, I need to get some fresh air." spat Erika. Her eyes glistened with the beginnings of tears. Sunset hopped out of bed and rushed over to the exit of their dorm. She stood in the doorway and reached out to Erika. But, she couldn't find her voice. Sunset slowly pulled her hand back to herself with a frown. She gritted her teeth as stomped back into her dorm. She slammed her fist against the wall.
"Damn it!" Sunset cursed as she grabbed the sides of her head. She slammed her face into her pillow and gave a muffled scream. Her heart raced with frustration and anger. She had forgotten about Erika being a Transmutant during their argument. With that, she had used a derogatory term that some of her comrades used to dehumanize Erika. Sunset realized that she was insensitive with her choice of words let alone the subject. Sunset didn’t deny that she mostly aimed for taking Lucky Dragon's life for a gain that she wanted for years. But, Sunset felt sick to her stomach with that thought. She didn't know what was right from wrong when it came to interacting with other people like she has with Erika. She didn't even know what to do when it came to making up for what she said. She wondered how wounds made by words could be healed. Sunset had no idea because no one ever tried to heal her wounds given to her by the ostracism of her peers.
'Wait...what was it that Celestia did to comfort me?' thought Sunset. She hated the idea of looking back on that particular time in her past to help her with the present. But, she had little choice if she wanted to ease the tensions now created with her comrade. Sunset raised herself out of her bed and looked towards a bag. She began to dig through it in search of the item that she desired. Her face bore a small smile as she pulled out the item.



Erika sat outside of the base in the grass. Her yellow eyes stared down at the ground as she clutched her knees as the sun rained down its rays upon her. She was saddened with this turn of events. Not much has gotten better with her being a Transmutant. Sunset Shimmer was the first one who treated her like any ordinary individual. She was a breath of fresh air compared to the suffocation of not being trusted by her comrades and the loneliness that she felt. Those words stung her like a freshly made wound that has yet to be treated. A monster. That was all that she and the other Transmutants were to them. Sunset Shimmer was no exception.
"I wish that I was never brought back." said Erika as she rested her face into her knees, trembling from the growing storm of despair within her heart. Erika watched the grass as it was blown by the wind and how the trees rustled. The field was vast and the base was far from any settlement and animal habitat. Lucky Dragon could have been the answer to changing that along with Destoroyah. Still, she was disgusted with the thought of killing Lucky Dragon for glory and fame. There was no honor in it to kill a miserable being for such a reason. Erika looked at her hand as little vines wrapped around her hands.
"Maybe, I was just too hopeful to think that we could have been friends." said Erika to herself. Her hands absorbed the vines back into her skin. "We're just too different."
Erika stood up to her feet and looked back at the base. She sighed dejectedly as she made her way back inside. Her eyes looked down at her feet as she walked into the steel base. The sound of her footsteps echoed in the halls, which only amplified a sense of loneliness. Erika continued to walk but abruptly stopped as she nearly bumped into someone as she rounded the corner. Her eyes widened in surprise as she spotted Sunset. Erika looked away with a scowl.
"Oh. Wasn't expecting to run into you so soon." said Erika, her tone was harsh and cold. Sunset visibly flinched. She rubbed her arm as she avoided eye contact with the soldier lest she wanted to be found face down in her own blood.
"Shiragami... listen I uh..." Sunset tried to put her feelings into words but it proved much too difficult. It was worse than the time she had taken her first test back in school in her old life.
"I... I don't know how to put this. I know that what I said was messed up and... I know that I hurt your feelings about what I said." said Sunset. Erika's ears perked as she heard Sunset spoke in a soft tone that carried careful treading, as if she were trying to mend the pain. She slowly turned to face Sunset and found her rubbing her arm as she looked away. She appeared to be struggling to speak.
"I've never been in a situation where I had said hurtful things to someone as close as you are to me. In fact, I never even had any friends. I never had any to get into fights with or to apologize to. I'm not very good at apologizing." said Sunset. Sunset turned to face Erika as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a mirror.
"Shiragami, what do you see?" asked Sunset. Erika raised a brow in confusion. She then took the mirror and began to look at it.
"Um...myself?" asked Erika. Sunset shook her head.
"No. I meant, what do you see inside yourself?" asked Sunset. Erika frowned as she continued to stare into the mirror. Her once emerald green eyes had completely changed into a foreign color. Yellow. She hadn't realized it until she looked at herself.
"A freak of nature." said Erika as she handed Sunset back the mirror and made her way past her. Sunset gritted her teeth and clenched her fist. She hated hearing Erika talk about herself in such a way. The Elf immediately turned and grabbed the Transmutant and pulled her back. Erika yelped as she was forced to face Sunset again. Her shoulders were held tightly by the Elf.
"That's not what I see! I see a beautiful and strong woman. I see a woman filled with courage who continues to fight for the people who shun her because they can't see past her outer shell. I see a woman who still has humanity in her!" Sunset's stare locked with Erika's eyes, causing her breath to be caught in her throat. Such sincerity in her tone was beginning to cause the storm inside of her to pass on.
"Shiragami...I'm sorry about what I said. I didn't mean to hurt you. I do want to find Lucky Dragon for praise." said Sunset as she released Erika.
"But why? Why is it important to take his life away for glory? If he is crazy as MONARCH claims, why take the mission to raise your standing?" asked Erika. Sunset sighed as she leaned against the metal wall.
"Because...he's my only hope at giving me what I always wanted. I want to be respected for my skills. I want admiration! I want to be loved!" said Sunset. She removed herself from the wall and made her way closer to Erika.
"I have spent years trying to improve myself upon magic! I studied everything there was to know about magic! I worked hard under my teacher to become better! And what happens? I'm hated because I can perform certain feats that took them weeks to accomplish!" said Sunset in anger. She slammed her fist against the wall, causing Erika to flinch.
"I tried to make friends when I was younger! I thought they would like me because of my talents! I thought they would admire my intelligence! Nobody ever wanted to get close to me! Nobody asked me to hang out or to have lunch with them!" shouted Sunset. Her eyes burned with anger, her breathing was heavy as she seethed. The white core of anger was erupting from within her from all of the years of being ostracized by the other students.
"Shimmer!" cried Erika. It was hurtful to watch the Elf lash out on the wall and to hear the distraught tone. She could feel the loneliness, anger and sadness in her. This was not the kind of person that she had originally seen in her comrade.
"When I had the opportunity to fix the problem, my teacher told me that I was selfish! She banned me from her castle and she removed me from the position as her pupil! I hate that bitch! I hate her!!" screamed Sunset. She was about to slam her fist against the wall one final time. But she stopped as Erika immediately latched onto her. Sunset tried to force Erika off of her back as she thrashed erratically. She drew quick breaths as her adrenaline raced. Erika's strength overpowered her as she held on tighter as she was careful not to crush the Elf. Sunset's breathing slowed down, but she still sounded distress. Her eyes watered as she began to slump back into Erika's grip.
"I-I-I... I just want them to see me as someone that's worth their time. I want them to accept me." muttered Sunset. Erika gently lowered herself and Sunset against the wall as she gently stroked Sunset's head.
"I have all of this power and no one seems to care. That's why I joined MONARCH. I thought they could have given me the opportunity to be the heroine." said Sunset. Erika sighed.
"Shimmer, I'm sorry about what happened to you. It's a terrible thing for anyone to experience. But, I think you've got it all wrong." said Erika. Sunset turned to face her in confusion.
"Wha-what do you mean?" asked Sunset.
"Well, you want to be loved and admired. You want acceptance. I totally get that! I want to be accepted too. But you're going about it all wrong." said Erika. She then released Sunset and sat beside her.
"You can't just earn these things by showing off your power and intelligence. I know it's great to have such talents but you have to sometimes be careful with them. The way you speak and the way you think. I'm sorry to say but you come off as arrogant." said Erika. Sunset winced as she heard those last words. Arrogance was not a pretty label.
"You really think I'm arrogant?" asked Sunset with a frown.
"Sorry, but I kind of do. What do you think could have been the cause of ostracism back when you were younger?"
"Well, I guess I might have shown off a bit of too much power when I was passing an exam. I ended up growing an entire plant to sprout to be enormous that it wrapped itself around what remained of the building it burst out of." said Sunset as she thought back to her past. Erika's eyes widened.
"Wow! It- Uh! Never mind, let's stay on topic!" said Erika. Sunset nodded in response.
"I did tend to show a lot of power when it came to projects. I think I might have intimidated some of my other classmates." said Sunset as she rubbed her arms. She remembered how they would be passive aggressive about wanting to partner up with her for a group project. She then turned to Erika with a frown. "I only did it because I wanted to show them how good I was at magic! I wanted to give it my all when it came to assignments of both magic and other standard studies!"
"You have to show humility when it comes to this stuff. It's OK to be talented, but if you show it off, you could send the wrong kind of impression. People can get jealous sometimes and can get the wrong idea if you don't show modesty." said Erika. Sunset sighed.
"How could anyone make friends? People make it look so easy!" Sunset said in exasperation. Erika pointed at her chest.
"Don't try to awe them with your talents. Present yourself as an equal to them. That's how you can make a friend. It requires a mutual trust and caring between individuals." said Erika. Sunset sighed as she leaned against the wall. Erika placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Sunset Shimmer, I forgive you." said Erika. Sunset looked to her in surprise.
"B-but... I said such awful things! I was insensitive about you being a Transmutant! How could you forgive me just like that?!" asked Sunset with an appalled expression. Erika gave her a small smile.
"I know. I was hurt about what you said and I don't agree with your reason for killing Lucky Dragon. But...it touched me that you cared enough to apologize to me. You were sincere and you showed genuine concern! No one other than my father has done that for me ever since I was changed into a Transmutant." said Erika. Sunset's lip slightly quivered. "Shimmer, did you really mean what you said about me? Do you think I'm courageous?"
"I do! I could never hold my own if I were your shoes! I barely even held on in school! I wish I could be as strong as you." said Sunset. Erika smiled.
"Well, even I get discouraged. I hear people whisper behind my back about me. I sometimes wish that...they leave me alone. I already lived my life. Now I have to continue fighting a war that I should be allowed to rest from." said Erika solemnly. Sunset frowned.
"Shiragami, if you'll allow me, I'll continue to fight by your side!" said Sunset. She then held a face of determination. Erika looked to her in surprise by the sudden upbeat tone in Sunset's voice. "I swear that I will help you if you ever need anything, even if we're not on the battlefield!"
"Shimmer..." said Erika with wide eyes. Her heart was touched by the kindness that this woman was showing her. She couldn't remember how long it was since someone last stood up for her. Ever since the deaths of her former squad, she had felt alone. She had grown to trust them and now she was forced to fight alone with no one to turn to for advice. The commanding officer that offered to help her when she was in need was far from where she was. He was relocated somewhere else after MONARCH was banned. But, here was her comrade offering to help her.
"Does...does this mean you want to be...friends?" asked Erika with hopeful eyes. Sunset reeled back in surprise. Her breaths were shallow and her stomach was filled with butterflies.
"F-friends? You...you really want to be my friend?" asked Sunset in disbelief. Erika nodded.
"I would like to. I feel like that I can trust you. You're the only person who hasn't shunned me ever since I was changed." said Erika with a smile. Sunset hid her face as a small sob nearly escaped from her mouth. Erika gasped.
"Hey, what's wrong?!" asked Erika, frantically. Sunset calmed herself and cleared her throat.
"It's nothing. Sorry." answered Sunset. She then turned to Erika with a smile.
"I...I would be honored to be your friend." said Sunset. Erika smiled brightly in response. Her heart leaped with joy at the offer, but Sunset’s performed acrobatic feats from the amount of happiness that she felt from the offer of friendship. Sunset immediately dove for Erika and wrapped her into a tight hug.
"Oh!" yelped Erika with a chuckle. Sunset immediately released her and rubbed the back her neck awkwardly.
"Uh...sorry. That was out of line of me." said Sunset.
"Hey, no worries! I'll allow a hug from a friend." said Erika. Sunset gave her a smile in return.
"Thanks, Erika."




The next day...

The alarm blared throughout the base. Red lights flashed around the halls and the siren echoed in the air. Soldiers scrambled to the armory and gathered their weapons. Soldiers were wearing their armor that designated their specific class. The support members of every squad began to gather the ammunition and explosives that they were in charge of holding onto to give to their squad. The soldiers all began to march out of the armory and made their way outside into the field.  Outside of the base, we find the MONARCH duo that had recently formed a friendship. Sunset and Erika wore their armor as they carried their weapons. They were ordered to take the lead on the incoming threat as a few snipers were ordered to follow them for the mission. The two ran through the jungle of Zebrabwe and passed many trees with vines that hung from above. The monkeys that hid in the trees called out into the morning. As the two ran, they frightened off any small critters that scurried on the ground and hid behind a large tree, both lightly panting. Sunset slowly peaked over the tree and found an open area on the other side of a river. In the lake, they found several men in small boats bearing weapons. These weapons were neither spears nor swords, but MONARCH's weaponry. Sunset's eyes widened as she reached for her helmet's side and pressed against it.
"This is Private Shimmer. I have sights on the targets." said Sunset. The radio crackled slightly after she had finished speaking.
"This is Control. Private, what do you see?" asked a man over the helmet's radio.
"It's as the C.O. said, control. They have our weapons." answered Sunset.
"Damn. Private, we need you and Shiragami to take those pirates out. Make sure you leave at least one of them alive. We need to know how many of our weapons they have before they can figure out how to produce more." ordered the man over the radio.
"Understood, sir. Over and out." said Sunset. She deeply inhaled as she held her rifle tightly. She then looked to Erika. "Ready?"
"You bet." said Erika as she held out a sniper rifle. Sunset nodded to her in approval. She then dashed over to another tree and hid behind it.
"Snipers are in position." announced a woman over the radio. Sunset placed her hand on her helmet again.
"Paint your targets. Leave only a couple alive." said Sunset.
"Um...which ones?" asked the woman. Sunset reached into her pack and pulled out a pair of binoculars. She spotted a couple of older men among the boats. They appeared to be shouting orders as the boats sailed.
"Spare the older men. Take out the younger ones. I have a feeling we might get some useful info out of them." said Sunset.
"Copy that." said the woman. Erika pulled on the latch connected onto her rifle and began to look through the scope. She began to aim over the head of one of the younger men. She felt uneasy about killing humans, but she remembered how these were dangerous men that have pillaged and raped innocent people. Their possession of MONARCH's weapons made them more dangerous. Erika inhaled deeply as she took aim at her target. She then pulled the trigger and the rifle gave a high sound as it fired a bolt of magic. The bolt was fired at high velocity, traveling through the air and whizzing through the man's skull, causing him to immediately drop dead in the boat. The men were startled as he had suddenly fell over and fell into the lake. They began to panic while searching for the assassin and firing their weapons in random directions. Erika immediately hid behind her tree before a bolt could hit her. Sunset's binoculars were shot of her hand, causing her to panic. She immediately dropped onto her belly and held her hands over her helmet. Suddenly, more bolts of magic began to fly towards the men in the boats. One by one, they dropped dead from the shots to their heads. Soon, only a few shots were being fired. The older men were still alive and were firing their guns as they continued to panic. Sunset sighed in annoyance.
"Hey Erika, think you can shut them up?" asked Sunset over the radio.
"You got it!" said Erika. She then morphed her forearms into tendrils. She leaped from behind the trees and shot her hands forward. The tendrils extended and knocked the rifles out of the hands of the pirates. They gasped and stared in terror as Erika came closer and waved her tendrils into the air. Before they could leap out of their boats and into the water, Erika shot her vines forward and caught them. The tendrils entangled them and pulled them from the lake and onto shore. The men began to shout in panic. Erika then threw them down on the ground and wrapped her tendrils up to their mouths, silencing them.
"Got 'em." announced Erika with a smile. Sunset came out of cover and made her way over towards the trio.
"Good work! Now, all we need to do is have those guns picked up and interrogate these sorry bastards." said Sunset. She then kneeled next to the man with a threatening expression.
"Hey, we've been called here to deal with a pirate problem that the good people of Zebrabwe have been dealing with lately. Now, they called us here because you guys apparently grew to be a bigger problem than they originally thought you were." said Sunset. She then gestured towards the pistol on her holster.
"Apparently, you and your band of pirates have gotten their hands on our weaponry. Now, I find that odd since MONARCH doesn't like to share its toys with other countries. Can you blame them? We'd probably just end up killing each other in more ways than we already do." said Sunset as she picked up her pistol and twirled it in her grip. The men watched her fearfully as she pointed the gun at them. 
"Now...if you want to live, you better start talking." said Sunset in a threatening tone. She then placed her hand on the trigger as she held the gun up to the man's forehead. The man began to shout incoherently as the vines muffled his words. Erika looked to Sunset in worry. Sunset nodded to her and Erika slowly removed the vine from the man's mouth.
"I'll talk! I'll talk!" said the man frantically. His speech carried a thick accent. The other man glared at him and began to give muffled shouts.
"Alright, get to talking. Who gave you our weapons?" demanded Sunset with a glare.
"Nobody! I swear to you! We found them at an abandoned base off of the coast!" said the man frantically. Sunset gave him a suspicious glance.
"No one, huh? Let me see if your story checks out." said Sunset. She then placed her hand on the side of her helmet. "Control, I need you to run a fact check for me."
"Of course, Private. What is it that you need?" asked the man over the radio.
"I need to know if there are any abandoned bases off of the coast from here." answered Sunset.
"One moment." said the man. Sunset waited a minute as silenced filled the radio. Then, she heard the sound of a microphone muffling.
"There is a base on the coast that was hidden. Apparently the base was attacked by dragons many years back." said the man over the radio. Sunset wore a deadpanned expression.
"And no one thought to clean up after the attack?" asked Sunset.
"We were worried about an incident between two warring nations at the time. Besides, dragons are tough to take out. Magic projectile weapons are nearly useless against them." said the man with a slight nervous tone. Sunset sighed in response.
"Right. Well, we're going to bring these guys back for further questioning. Over and Out." said Sunset as she removed her hand from her helmet. She then glared at the man before her.
"You're going to tell us where your friends are hiding out. We are going to get our weapons back." said Sunset in a low tone.




A few hours later...

The trip had been slow. Nearly a dozen soldiers were piled into a boat that roamed through a river. It was large enough to hold them all and was made of metal with the MONARCH insignia painted on the side. The engine purred as it propelled over the surface of the lake. They laid low in the boat as the darkening sky shrouded them. The sound of crickets chirping was heard throughout the area as the trees were illuminated by the dozens of fireflies. It created a wonderful sight in the jungle as stars matched the illuminating insects. However, the beauty could not be enjoyed by the soldiers for multiple reasons.
"Man, it's freaking crowded." complained a soldier. Another soldier slapped herself against her neck.
"Damn mosquitos." cursed the woman as she removed her hand brushed at her neck. The soldiers were growing anxious at the coming mission. They were informed of the location of the pirates that had gotten a hold of their weaponry and were ordered to infiltrate their hideout and eliminate them. The government of Zebrabwe mostly wanted their elimination to prevent the further loss of life of the people that remained in a traditional life style opposed to a modern one. The pirates had even grown to become a larger problem with the interference of trade between nations.
Erika sat next to Sunset Shimmer as they waited for their transport to stop. She held her rifle close to herself and slightly glanced at Sunset. The Elf noticed her glance and gave a slightly annoyed expression.
"You've been staring at me like that for the past hour." deadpanned Sunset. Erika quickly looked away.
"N-no I haven't!" said Erika.
"You have so!" retorted Sunset. She then sighed in response. "What's wrong?"
"You weren't actually going to kill that guy were you?" asked Erika. Sunset snorted in response.
"No. I was just trying to scare him so he could tell us what we needed to know." said Sunset. Erika gave her a look of weariness.
"I don't know... you seemed pretty serious."
"I watched a lot of movies where the cops did the bad cop, good cop thing." said Sunset with a shrug. She sighed with nostalgia. "Man, good times."
"Oh. Sorry." Erika apologized sheepishly.
The boat continued on down the river at a slow pace. The soldiers were anxiously waiting for a sound or a crackle from the radio. The anticipation for a dangerous battle where men bore the weapons as they did made them uneasy. They were normally capable of taking care of human enemies because they used weapons that MONARCH hardly relied on. Suddenly, the crackling sound of the radio reached their ears.
"Alright, Team 1 is in position. We have eyes on the pirates' hideout." said a man over the radio. A woman in the boat reached for her helmet's side.
"Copy that. Team 2 is nearing the waypoint." said the woman.
"Stay on your toes soldiers. These pirates are packing a lot of firepower." said a man over the radio.
"Great. Just great. We're boned, man!" said a younger man as he trembled with fear. His hands were sweating and his eyes were wide.
"Hey! Man up, soldier!" said the woman as she grabbed the soldier by his shoulders. "You have a job to do! If you so much as bitch out, I will put my boot down on your throat! Is that understood?!"
'Yikes.' thought Sunset and Erika as they flinched at the woman's tone and threat. The man nodded frantically. The woman released her and made her way to the center of the boat.
"Alright, listen up! I get how everyone is on edge about fighting pirates that have a pile of firearms. But remember, you have been trained to use these weapons! These are just a bunch of cowardly scavengers that have taken toys beyond their age limit!" said the woman as she looked to all of the soldiers under her command. "Battles are fought with weapons but they are won by men and women!  We will make them regret that they decided to rob MONARCH!"
"Let’s go!" chanted the soldiers. The woman smiled.
"That's what I like to hear."
The boat continued down the river and made its way over towards the shoreline. The soldiers immediately took off from the boat and onto land. They cocked their weapons and steeled their muscles in preparation for battle.
"Alright, let's lock and load people!" said the woman. The soldiers all took off from the boat and treaded through the dark forests. The sound of their boots squishing in the mud was heard along with the sound of leaves being stepped on. Erika and Sunset ran close by to each other, prepared for the fight. The soldiers stopped near a clearing and hid behind the trees and boulders that littered the area. Beyond the clearing were rows of houses made of shoddily carved wood and metal sheets that made up the roofs. Lights illuminated from the windows in the distance. Men armed with guns stood by the houses and roamed the area like hawks in search of prey.
"Team 2 is in position. We're ready." whispered the C.O. as she spoke into the radio.
"Copy that. Our snipers are in position and are ready to strike first. Have your team attack from their rear when I tell you. One other thing, keep an eye out for hostages." ordered the C.O. of Team 1.
"Roger that." said the Team 2 C.O. Silence filled the air. The incoherent dialogue between the nearest soldiers reached their ears. They spoke in their native language and their voices were quiet due to the distance. Sunset hardened her stare as her heart began to race. This was her first time at fighting humans in her service to MONARCH. She was unsure how to feel about this. Suddenly, her ears picked up the sounds of shouting, knocking her out of her train of thought. Men were shouting in their native tongue and the sounds of gunfire filled the night along with the flashes of light from the weapons. After waiting a minute, more pirates rushed out of their homes and ran through their neighborhood. The sound of shouting and gunfire escalated.
"Team 2, take out these pirates from the rear!" ordered the C.O. of Team 1.
"You heard the man. Let's move out!" shouted the Team 2 commanding officer. The soldiers all ran out of their hiding spots and dashed down towards the settlement. Erika and Sunset took the lead. Erika's speed took her to one of the nearest houses in ten seconds. Sunset merely teleported from her location and reappeared behind a house's wall. She took quick breaths as she peaked over the corner. Erika made her through the rows of houses as she crouched. Her yellow eyes scanned the night like a predator searching for prey. She spotted a straggler moving out of one of the houses. Erika placed her rifle on her backside, allowing the magnetic plate to stick the weapon to her. She then dashed towards the pirate and lunged on his back. She immediately grabbed his neck and head and quickly made a swift motion and twisted his neck. The sound of bones snapping reached her ears, signaling the successful assassination. Erika immediately lowered the pirate and dragged him out of sight into a bush. She then took her rifle and made her way over towards the house that the pirate had exited out of. She immediately burst through the room with her rifle pointed at whatever target that she could find. Her eyes widened and her spine felt a chill running through her body. She slowly lowered her rifle and dropped to her knees as Sunset burst into the room.
"Erika, what are you-" Sunset's eyes widened in horror at the sight that she beheld. Her heart was wrenched at from staring at such a grotesque and tragic sight.
"Oh...." muttered Sunset as her breaths grew shallow. Two male soldiers, a Earthbound and Valkyrie, made their way into the house from behind Sunset. 
"Hey, you ladies are missing out! We-" the man stopped as he and his friend had noticed them staring at something. They couldn't see because their backs obscured their view.
"What? You two found some of MONARCH's weapons?" asked the Earthbound. The Valkyrie tapped his shoulder. The Earthbound looked over to him and noticed the angry expression on his face as he stared where the two women were staring. The Earthbound raised a brow in confusion and began to feel anxious. He made his way over to his side to look past the women's backs and paled at the sight of corpses that littered the ground. Dead men, women and children lied down with bags over their heads that have been singed from magic bolt shots. Erika's eyes glistened with tears as she reached for one of the lifeless children that lied closest to her, but she pulled her hand back, knowing that her hopes with futile. The child was gone along with the other people in this house. Sunset clenched her fist as she stared down at the ground with tears that threatened to fall. Her breathing grew heavy.
"These must be some of the people from one of the native tribes that were kidnapped. I guess MONARCH was too late when it came to finding and rescuing them." said the Valkyrie in a low tone. Sunset felt her anger beginning to boil.
"How could anyone do something like this? I expect this from Destoroyah and his group, but this...I could never see a human doing this!" said Sunset. Erika trembled as she sat on her knees and clawed at the wooden floor.
"Evil has nothing to do with race. Even humans can be just as bad as the so called, 'Transmutant Revolutionaries'. We tend to forget that." said the Earthbound. Erika stood up to her feet.
"Those..." said Erika as she picked up her rifle, her voice was like hot steel that burned with outrage. Sunset felt herself growing worried for her friend.
"Erika?" called Sunset.
"Those savages! I am going to kill every last one of them!" said Erika in a low tone. She then turned and quickly made her way through the doorway and began to sprint into the battlefield.
"I'm with her." said the Earthbound. He then made his way outside and chased after the Transmutant. Sunset then made her way outside with the Valkyrie in pursuit. Erika ran through the neighborhood with her rifle tightly held in her grip. She found four pirates rushing through as the sound of gun fire echoed in the air. Erika raised her rifle and shot multiple times at the men, forcing them down with several bolt wounds. Erika continued on and began to leap onto house roofs. She stomped onto the metal sheet and caused the roof to collapse. As she dropped in, she was suddenly surrounded by six men armed with guns. Erika threw her rifle towards the nearest pirate and sent a kick towards the man behind her. The sound of bones shattering can be heard. She then quickly sent a jab towards the neck of another pirate and then swept the leg of another one that nearly butted her in the skull with the back of his rifle. Erika did a series of kicks, punches, and side steps to take down the pirates in six seconds. The last remaining man fired his rifle at her and shot her in the shoulder. Erika grunted in pain and picked up the shotgun left by one of the pirates and fired. The buckshot of magic orbs scattered and pierced the upper body of the pirate, forcing him off of his feet and into the wall. Despite killing her opponents, Erika refused to feel any satisfaction until all the pirates were killed.  
Sunset teleported out of the line of fire of a pirate that was firing a mounted machine gun on the roof of a house. She reappeared closer to the house and under his line of sight. Sunset then immediately ran back as she pointed her rifle at the soldier and fired. The bolt collided with his skull and knocked him off of his feet. Sunset sighed in relief as the man with the big gun had been eliminated. She heard the angry cries of Erika along with the shouts and agonizing cries of the pirates, causing her to turn and follow the cries. 
Soldiers stood together as they hid behind trees from incoming bolts. One tree was being constantly bombarded by the pirates using light machine guns. The tree wouldn't last much longer as soon as the bolts continued to chip away at it. Bark flew off of the tree and burned from the hot bolts. A soldier was caught by a rifle bolt as he attempted to find cover.
"Medic!" cried the wounded soldier as his comrades dragged him off to safety.
"Get the heavy artillery!" ordered an Elf man with a rifle in his grip. Suddenly, two soldiers came out of cover with a large device carried over one of their shoulders with a long, large barrel. The other soldier stuck a projectile into the front of the device and patted the soldier on the back. He then stepped away from him and covered his head as he crouched. The soldier with the launcher fired a rocket that was propelled through the air and was headed towards the incoming pirates. The rocket crashed in front of them and blew them away. A few were killed instantly while others lost their limbs.
"Move up!" ordered the Elf. The soldiers gave a war cry as they charged out of cover and began to fire upon the next wave of pirates. There were at least over a hundred of them, but MONARCH was willing to take them all. Many MONARCH soldiers were shot dead by the pirates, while the other surviving soldiers took out some of the pirates. The sound of explosions filled the air as soldiers and pirates tossed explosives at one another. Bodies were blown into the air and cries of pain and anguish filled this night. 
Erika had abandoned her rifle and was now using her abilities to punish the pirates. Her clawed hands slashed at any pirate that shot at her and the snapping rose headed vines hissed as they lunged at any pirate that tried to sneak from behind. The roses bit into the bodies of the pirates, leaving severe mauled wounds. Erika leapt high into the air as a grenade flew towards her. She then kicked it while in midair and sent the grenade crashing down towards three pirates. They were engulfed in the explosion as Erika landed.
"Raaaaaaaahhh!!!" Erika screamed as she clutched her head and dropped to her knees. Her head was throbbing and her muscles ached. Flashes filled her mind of something that was unfamiliar to her. A conversation between a certain black moth and herself. She remembered the last moments of her life as human being, but she did not recall what the conversation was about. She wondered why she could not hear the words that left his mouth. Erika continued to cry out in pain as her body began to morph. She stared at her hands as they turned completely green like a plant and began to change shape. Her body tore through her suit and her helmet had fallen off as she thrashed around. Sunset had arrived and gasped at the sight.
"Erika!!" cried Sunset.
"Gah!" shouted Erika as her body continued to change. Her belly began to glow and her neck began to sprout rose petals and her face grew paler. Her head was nearly hidden behind the growing rose pedals that surrounded her neck and went up to her head. Her body grew to be seven foot five in height as she grew clawed hands. Her spine was exposed from her backside as her mammalian flesh was turned into the composition of plants. Her spine bore a row of familiar dorsal plates from a certain Transmutant that she was crossed with. Her breasts and lower region of her body was covered in a patch of green loose plants that made a top and a bottom skirt. Her mouth then sprouted sharp teeth. Sunset stared fearfully as she gave a wail. Erika's body was covered in vines, her shoulders sprouted small boney spikes, and her backside sprouted two more of the rose headed vines. Her belly gave a glow of an exposed area that appeared to be pulsing with light. Erika panted as she kneeled down on the ground. Sunset slowly approached her with caution. Erika turned to find a shattered mirror, but her eyes widened in horror at the creature that was before her. She reached up to her face, finding it to be pale as the dead with no blood giving it color. Her eyes lacked pupils and were merely orbs illuminated by the moonlight. Her spine was exposed and her flesh was covered in plants and vines. Her belly glowed and pulsed. 
Erika turned to find Sunset approaching. The Elf gasped as she saw the pale face of her friend. Her hair was still in a bun and her entire neck and head was surrounded by petals. The Elf nearly did not recognize the humanoid plant with the face of a woman.
"Erika?" called Sunset, hoping that only a physical change was done to the one she had called friend. Erika immediately stood to her bare, clawed feet and ran away.
"Erika!" cried Sunset as she pursued the Transmutant.
"Stay away from me!" begged Erika. She continued to run through the neighborhood of the pirates’ hideout as the battle had gone on. She would never abandon a mission to fight, but now she couldn't. If her comrades didn't accept her then, they definitely wouldn't now. Erika was so lost in her fear and despair that she had failed to notice that she had wandered into the battlefield. Some of the pirates gave terrified cries as they laid eyes upon her and the eyes that pierced their souls. Erika hid her face away from them. They suddenly turned and began firing their weapons upon her. She cried in pain as the bolts continued to rain on her as a dozen of the fifty remaining pirates attacked. Her plant hide was burned and began to leak a yellow liquid. She then glared at the pirates and began to fight back. She swung her clawed hands and cut the pirates down in seconds. Her vines strangled them as she continued to disarm and eliminate her foes.
"Oh crap! What the hell is that?!" exclaimed one of the soldiers as he pointed from behind a rock. The closest soldiers followed his finger and found a humanoid plant woman decimating the pirates closest to her.
"Whatever it is, it better not come over here!" exclaimed a woman as she continued to fire at the pirates. One of the male soldiers recognized the pale face of the creature.
'Oh my god. Is that Shiragami?!' thought the man. He knew about her being a Transmutant. He never really minded her but he never took the time to get to know her. All he knew was the physical feats that she was capable of. It appears that MONARCH scientists failed to mention that she could transform. He silently prayed that the woman was still sane after this was over.
Other soldiers began to notice this and began to panic and started shouting about a Transmutant.
"Just keep fighting! It's not bothering us, so we'll deal with it later!" ordered the commanding officer.
Erika was suddenly blown away by a grenade that had fallen near her. Her legs were blown off into ash as she landed. She cried in pain and misery. Soon, a few of the pirates pointed their weapons at her.
"I'll see you in Hell, abomination." said one of the pirates in a thick accent. Suddenly, the men were struck by a beam of magic. They cried in agony as they dropped to the ground. Sunset panted as her hands gave off smoke from her attack.
"Sorry, she's going to be late." said Sunset. Erika turned her head looked at her in shock. Sunset gave her a small smile as she approached her. Erika tried to scramble away from her, but her pain was too much. She whimpered as she tried to crawl away. Soon, the last of the pirates were defeated by the remaining MONARCH soldiers. The battle had ended. Sunset made her way over to Erika as she crawled away.
"Erika, stop!" cried Sunset. Erika didn't listen. She merely continued to strive for an escape.
'I-I have to get far away from here!' thought Erika frantically. She suddenly felt her body wrapped by an invisible force. She gasped as she was levitated over to a wall of one of the houses. She was set up against the wall on her rear. She shielded her face from Sunset's gaze.
"Don't look at me! I'm a freak!" cried Erika. Sunset merely walked closer to the Transmutant. She knelt down before her and gently took her hands. Erika tried to keep her arms in place as Sunset tried to move them away, but she was filled with so much pain that it was too much for her to put up a fight. Sunset moved her arms away to find Erika clenching her eyes shut.
"Erika, look at me." ordered Sunset. Erika trembled in her presence. She feared that Sunset was just toying with her so she could shut her down and reject her friendship now that she had seen this form. Erika hesitantly opened her eyes, expecting to find a look of contempt or disgust on Sunset's face. Instead, she had a look of sympathy. Sunset leaned in and pulled Erika into an embrace, causing the Transmutant to gasp in surprise. Sunset held her tighter.
"No...you're not. You're my friend and I promised you that I would help you if you ever needed my help." whispered Sunset. Erika felt her eyes water. "And I intend to keep that promise."
Erika lightly sobbed into Sunset's shoulder. The rose vines had shrunken back into her back. Her tears flowed down her pale cheeks. Sunset fought her own tears as she continued to hold Erika. Behind them, a few soldiers approached with their rifles raised. They cautiously approached the two with their fingers on the trigger.
"Stand down." ordered the commanding officer of Team 1. The soldiers turned with bewildered expressions.
"But-"
"I ordered you to stand down. You're pointing your weapons at our allies. Team killing is punishable by being stuck in front of a firing squad." warned the Elf. The soldiers reluctantly lowered their weapons. The Elf looked onto the two women that sat on the ground with a small smile.
'Good to know that she's still sane. It'd be a shame to lose a valiant ally.' thought the Elf as he looked on at Erika as she held Sunset with a small smile.




Later that night...

Erika sat down in her dorm room alone. Her body had reverted back to its original state. She wore her standard shirt and sweatpants as she sat on her bed and as she clutched her knees. She recalled the aftermath of the battle. The weapons were in the process of being gathered. Plans for visiting the abandoned base were made to make sure that nothing else was nothing left to be stolen from MONARCH. 
Erika clutched her knees tighter as she recalled the wary stares of her comrades. More whispers reached her ears. Such terrible things that she heard. A freak. A monster. No positives. Now that they have seen what she had turned into, now any chance of gaining trust from the others were gone. She then heard the sound of footsteps approaching. She looked up and found Sunset walking in with a sigh. She sat on her bed.
"Man, what a day." said Sunset. She then noticed Erika's dejected expression.
"Now they'll never accept me." said Erika. Sunset frowned. In a way, she and Erika had something in common. It was terrifying to see Erika change. But, after she saw her face, she still saw the humanity that hid behind her eyes.
"Don't worry. One day, they will learn to. But until then, just know that I accept you." said Sunset with a reassuring smile. Erika tore her eyes from her knees and looked to Sunset. A small smile appeared on her face.
"Thank you, Sunset Shimmer."
	
> Chapter 31: To Forgive
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Saddle Arabia...

The day was growing hotter as spring was nearing its end. It was the first day of May. The four Transmutants have been in hiding for over a month since the attack on Ponyville, but it felt like a decade to them.  Then, they took in the Sirens a few days ago, both groups unaware of each other's inhuman traits. Junior silently walked through the sand before stopping at a deserted area. He was just a mile outside of the camping grounds with the sword that he had taken from the Changeling that he had killed. He reached for his back and unsheathed the sword; the ebony blade reflected the light from the sun. Junior took a deep breath and slowly swung the sword. His eyes were shut as he concentrated on the air around him. His senses scanned every smell and every sound. He stepped from side to side as he tried to work on his form with the sword. Then, he opened his eyes with a small smile and began to make quick swinging motions with the sword in his grip. His arm moved quickly through the air as the blade sliced through the invisible opponent. Junior performed 180 swings as he walked along the sand, the sound of the blade whizzing through the air could be heard. Unexpectedly, his abdomen was filled with excruciating pain. Junior cried out in pain as he released the sword and dropped onto one knee as he clutched his side.
"Damn, it still hurts." said Junior with a sigh. He then stood up and placed his sword back into its sheath behind his back. He then turned and made his way back to the camp as the pain began to settle.  Still, he was worried because, as a fugitive on the run, he would be hampered with his physical feats if his abdomen kept hurting. As Junior made his way back to camp, he found Mosura and Adagio in t-shirts and shorts, sitting on foldable chairs as they drank from water bottles. Junior planted himself on one of the remaining chairs in the camp with a sigh. He placed the sheathed sword next to himself as he pulled the overhead flap of the chair over to shade himself from the sun.
"This sucks." said Junior with a groan.
"Goji, don't push yourself. You might make it worse." warned Mosura.
"But I can't just lie around and do nothing. I'll go soft." said Junior as he pulled on the skin of his arm. Adagio took a sip of her water bottle with uninterested eyes.
"So, where are the others?" asked Junior.
"Oh, they went out into the village for another day of sightseeing. Since they got the day off, they thought it would be fun." said Mosura. Junior nodded.
"Yeah, that seems to be what we do now. It's nice." said Junior as he reached into the cooler and pulled out a cold water bottle. He then noticed Adagio staring off blankly with a scowl.
"Why didn't you go with them?" asked Junior in curiosity. Adagio sent him a glare.
"What? Am I bothering you?" asked Adagio with irritation creeping into her tone.
"Hey, chill out. I was just curious as to why you wouldn't want to spend time with your friends." said Junior with a glare of his own.
"None of you damn business!" retorted Adagio. Junior's brow twitched.
"Why you little-" Junior was nearly about to rise out of his seat but thought better against it. He instead took a deep breath and calmly exhaled. He cringed at the thought of his mother turning in her grave if he were to strike a woman just as his shoulder devil tempted him to do.
"Fine, whatever." said Junior as he turned away from the Siren. Adagio cast a curious glance at him. She had gotten into arguments before with this man, but never had he yield as quickly as he did just now. Usually, it took Mosura and the other two Sirens to calm them both down. Adagio found his pessimistic attitude and his tough guy act as an annoyance.  However, there was something about him that didn't have her hate his entire being. 
"Well, I'm going to see if the laundry is dry." asked Mosura. She then made her way away from camp and over down to the other side where a set of wood lined up with string wrapped around them. Mosura smiled as she spotted that the clothes that hung from the pins seemed nearly dry.
Junior and Adagio remained in an awkward silence. The Transmutant still felt suspicious about her and her friends. Fortunately for the Sirens, Mosura continued to brush off his worries as paranoia. He just couldn't get over that the girls’ scent was unexpectedly familiar to him. 
"So, what exactly brought you out here?" asked Junior in a casual tone. Adagio gave him a look of annoyance.
"Umm...I'm pretty sure that I told you." answered Adagio. Junior cleared his throat.
"Right, right. Remind me again why." said Junior, making Adagio sigh in response.
"We're out here to start a singing career. Since we're pretty good at it, we thought coming out here could get us started." replied Adagio. Junior nodded in response after he had taken a sip of water.
"Kind of a waste of time for you to come to this country for a career in singing." chuckled Junior. Adagio gave him a glare.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I meant nothing by it." said Junior as he raised his hand. "I merely meant that coming out here for a singing career is pointless since this country segregates the hell out of women. I doubt they'd want to help you three make a career." said Junior. Adagio held her glare and turned away. After a few more seconds of silence, Junior began to think of more questions that he thought would be subtle enough to get vital info out of Adagio.
"So, where are you three from?" asked Junior. Adagio immediately turned to face Junior with a quizzical expression.
"Pardon?" asked Adagio. Junior felt a smirk threatening to show, but he kept a neutral expression.
"I asked where you were from." answered Junior.
"R-right. Um..." Adagio tried to think up of a place to use as a former residence. Unfortunately, she hadn't taken the time to learn about the nations or cities of the surface world.
"We're from up north." said Adagio. Junior raised a brow at the vague location.
"North, eh?" asked Junior. Adagio shuttered at Junior's persistence at interrogating her.
"Did I stutter?" asked Adagio. Junior shook his head.
"No, but you seem rather uncomfortable with these questions." said Junior. Adagio chuckled with irritation creeping into her voice. Junior tried to keep himself from sharing a chuckle. 
"Of course I am. You're just shooting a bunch of questions at me like it's your business." said Adagio in annoyance. She then gave him another glare.
"You know, it's not attractive to nosey yourself into someone else's business. No wonder you don't have a girlfriend." said Adagio with a smirk. Junior sent her a sharp glare.
"Bitch." scoffed Junior. Adagio's eyes widened. Her face flushed from anger.
"What did you just call me?!" demanded Adagio as she stood up to her feet. She then stomped over to Junior through the sand.
"You heard me. I called you a bitch, you bitch." said Junior as he returned the glare. He then stood up to his feet as Adagio came closer to him as she seethed.
"You are such an asshole!" said Adagio as she stood a few feet in front of him. Her face burned hot with anger. Junior stood his ground against her. He felt adrenaline threatening to reach him.
"Why? Cause I'm asking simple questions that shouldn't be so hard to answer?" demanded Junior.
"No, because your pestering me about my personal life! What is your deal?!"
"I don't trust you, that's what!" retorted Junior.
"Oh sure! Use that as an excuse to disrespect a girl like the barbarian that you are! I feel sorry for your mother." spat Adagio. Junior's heart skipped a beat. His eyes slightly widened.
'Don't you dare go there.' thought Junior in anger. Adagio laughed mockingly.
"Actually, I think she's the reason why you are acting this way." said Adagio with a shrug. Junior's emotions began to run rampant as she continued to speak.
'Shut up. Just shut up.' thought Junior as he clenched his fist.
"That whore obviously did a poor job at raising you. She probably didn't even take the time to raise you at all." mocked Adagio. Junior's mind suddenly snapped. He felt a torrent of rage swirl inside of him. His eyes hardened and his muscles tensed. With a flare of his nostrils, he reared his arm back and opened his hand. He swung his arm towards the Siren. His mind went blank as his rage had clouded it in a storm. It felt like an eternity before his hand could reach the Siren. As he regained his senses, his eyes widened. His hand hadn't connected with Adagio's cheek. Instead, she had blocked his slap with her own arm. Her eyes burned with rage.
"You just dug yourself a grave." said Adagio in a low tone. She shoved his arm aside and sent a punch into Junior's gut. The pain of his abdomen was connected with the pain given by the surprisingly strong punch that she had given. He staggered back as he clutched his stomach as he tried to catch his breath. Adagio gave an angry cry as she tackled Junior to the sand. She began to send punches at his face as she sat on his chest. She even began to claw at his face with her nails. Junior growled as he shoved the Siren off of his chest. As he rose to his feet, he was met with another punch to his face. He then growled in anger as he began to fight back. He sent quick jabs at her stomach with enough force to incapacitate her without causing serious injuries. The Siren grunted as she clutched her stomach and nearly fell to her knees. She then took quick breaths and then began to charge back towards the Transmutant. Junior's eyes widened in shock at her physical resistance. Adagio sent a kick towards Junior's chest and sent a right hook against his face. His face was beginning to bruise from her attacks. Junior backhanded her away, causing her to yelp. As she landed on the ground, she began to breathe heavily as she lied on the ground. She then turned to face Junior with a hateful glare as a bruise formed over her right cheek.
"I am going to kick your ass!" growled Adagio as she stood to her feet and charged towards Junior. The Transmutant broke off into a charge as well, nearing the Siren that had angered him so. Suddenly, a figure suddenly came in between him and the Siren. Junior felt a strong kick against his chest, knocking him back a couple of feet. He crashed into the sand with a grunt as he breathed heavily. Adagio was immediately put into a headlock by the figure. Junior raised himself and found Mosura restraining Adagio. She wore an angry look on her face.
"What the hell do you two think you're doing?!" demanded Mosura. Junior flinched at her tone and how her glaring eyes pierced into him.
"Mosu, I-"
"What is wrong with you?! I thought I’d never see the day where you would hit a girl as you have right now!" shouted Mosura. She was appalled at the fight that she had witnessed and the way that Junior had backhanded Adagio. "This isn't something the Gojira that I know would do. You should be ashamed of yourself!"
"Let me go! I still need to-" Adagio struggled under Mosura's strength.
"And you! What were you doing antagonizing him like that?!" demanded Mosura as she roughly shook Adagio. The Siren looked to her with an appalled expression.
"Are you kidding?! Look at what he did!" said Adagio as she pointed to her cheek.
"Yes. But he wouldn't have if you didn't anger him. Neither of you are guilt free!" said Mosura. She then pulled Adagio aside and looked to Junior in disapproval.
"Go take a walk and cool off!" said Mosura as she led the Siren away. Junior sent her a harsh glare. He then stood up to his feet.
"Fine!" said Junior as he turned and walked away from the camp. He seethed as he walked through the sand under the scorching sun.
"This is such bullshit!!" shouted Junior as he continued to walk away. Mosura slightly turned to find Junior's figure shrinking in the distance as he continued to walk. She turned with a heavy sigh and a shake of her head.
"Adagio, take a seat in the tent. I'll get you some ice." said Mosura in a tired tone. Adagio silently made her way into the tent with a scowl plastered on her face. She sat down at the far end and picked up a small mirror. She began to stare at the reflection of her bruised face and slowly reached for her cheek, but hissed as it stung from her touch. She immediately pulled her hand away and stared at the bruise that began to swell. She turned as she heard Mosura enter the tent.
"Here you go." said Mosura as she handed the ice pack to Adagio. The Siren took the pack and placed it over her cheek.
"Thanks." said Adagio in a low tone. Mosura frowned as she looked down.
"I'm...I'm sorry about Gojira. He normally physically restrains himself when it comes to arguments." apologized Mosura.
"Not your fault. He's a jerk." said Adagio as she held the icepack to her cheek. "Actually, I'd say he's psychotic."
"No. He just needs to learn how to control his emotions." said Mosura. Adagio looked over to her curiously.
"Say, why do you hang out with someone like him? Is he like your boyfriend or something?" asked Adagio. Mosura's cheeks brightened up from her blush as she looked away.
"No. We're just friends." said Mosura in embarrassment.
"He'd probably abuse you from the way he acts." scoffed Adagio. Mosura gave her a look of disapproval.
"Hey, he may not be a prince in shining armor, but he isn't all that bad." said Mosura. Adagio looked to her in disbelief.
"Not that bad? He's such a barbarian! I don't think I have ever met a guy with that kind of attitude or who fights as a recreational activity!" retorted Adagio.
"Adagio, there's more to him than you think. I overheard your argument. He was in the wrong as much you were. But what you said about his mother was uncalled for." said Mosura in disapproval. She then looked away with a solemn expression. "His mother passed away when he was a little boy."
"What?" asked Adagio with wide eyes as her heart skipped a beat at the realization. "I...I had no idea."
"I know. Listen, I'll talk to him later when he's calmed down. Just cut him a bit of a break, alright?" asked Mosura. Adagio nodded to her slowly. Mosura stood up from her spot and made her outside. Adagio sighed as she placed her hand over eyes. In the heat of her argument with Junior, she felt the need to get him to shut up. Though, now that she looked back on it, it was wrong of her to bring family into a heated argument. She felt worse now that the revelation of Junior's mother demise. Adagio then removed her hand from her eyes and lied down on her back as she placed the ice pack back on her cheek.




Meanwhile...

Angirasu, Rodan, Sonata and Aria walked through the streets of the village near the kingdom. The sun bathed them in its light and the small breeze did little to relieve them of the scorching heat. Angirasu sighed as he wiped sweat away from his brow.
"Man, how could these guys stand the heat out here?" wondered Angirasu. Rodan was busy looking around the area to pay attention.
"I wonder how the guys out here can tell the pretty girls from the ugly girls. It's hard to tell when most of them are completely covered except for the eyes." said Rodan as he spotted a couple of women with beautiful eyes. Angirasu shook his head while Aria rolled her eyes.
"Is that really important?" asked Aria. Rodan shrugged in response.
"Hey, I'm just curious. What if you take one of these girls  home one night and all that you have seen were pretty eyes and when you remove that hood and mask, you got yourself a tragedy?" asked Rodan.
"What kind of tragedy?" asked Sonata.
"You know, what if she has like a really big and gross mole with hair coming out on her cheek or something? What if her teeth are missing?" asked Rodan. Sonata's face contorted into disgust.
"Yeeeaaah, that would be pretty bad." said Sonata. Rodan gave her a smile.
"But, at least you don't have to worry about those things. You are one of the prettiest girls that I have ever seen." said Rodan and he flirtatiously bounced his eyebrows. Sonata placed her hands on her cheeks and looked away with a grin plastered on her face.
"Hihi! You think so?" asked Sonata as her cheeks glowed from her blush. Angirasu sighed in annoyance.
"There he goes again." said Angirasu as he shook his head.
"Oh for crap sakes." said Aria as she watched Sonata giggle to herself. Rodan turned to face her with a smile.
"You jealous, babe?" asked Rodan. Aria grabbed Rodan by the collar of his shirt and brought his face close to hers. Her eyes held a hard stare as she locked eyes with him.
"Keep dreaming. Also, don't call me babe." spat Aria. Rodan chuckled in amusement.
"Ooh. Feisty aren't we? I like that in a woman." said Rodan. Aria scoffed as she shoved Rodan away. The Transmutant chuckled as he stumbled back. Aria turned and continued walking. Rodan stood to his feet as he dusted himself off.
"Why do you need to keep flirting with her? You know how she hates it." said Angirasu.
"Hey, I just like to compliment the ladies." said Rodan. Angirasu sighed.
"I wonder how you have yet to be beaten to a pulp by a girl that have flirted with." said Angirasu with a deadpanned stare. Rodan flexed his muscles.
"Cause the ladies can't resist me!" said Rodan, confidently. Angirasu shook his head as he and Sonata continued on to catch up with Aria. Rodan stopped flexing and proceeded to follow the group. Sonata watched the people around her and how they interacted with each other. She wanted to know how to interact with humans just like a normal human being. But, she mostly wanted to know how to interact with Angirasu. She snuck a glance at him as he stared off ahead with a neutral expression. Sonata quickly looked away. Out of the corner of her eyes, she spotted a man and a woman. They appeared to be a talkative couple. Suddenly, the man flirtatiously slapped his hand against the woman's rear, causing her to yelp and then to giggle in response. Sonata raised a brow at this interaction.
'It must be some kind of friendly high five. But on the butt.' thought Sonata. She then looked to Angirasu and then slowly began to fall behind him. She then looked to her hand and then to Angirasu's rear. She then swung her arm and slapped her hand against Angirasu's rear. Smack! Angirasu yelped in surprise and jumped as he felt the hard slap. Everyone in the group all stopped and looked to Angirasu. Rodan's eyes were wide as he stared at Sonata. He then began to stifle his laughter. Angirasu turned and looked to Sonata in confusion. Sonata looked at him innocently.
"Um...sup guy?" asked Sonata with a smile.
"Um....fine?" responded Angirasu as he rubbed his behind. Aria looked at Sonata incredulously. Sonata then walked past Angirasu as she hummed to herself. Angirasu followed her with a puzzled expression on his face. Aria turned as she began to whisper to Sonata while Rodan walked up to Angirasu and stood at his side with a look of amusement.
"Did she just slap your ass?" asked Rodan.
"I...I think so." answered Angirasu. He then looked down in thought. "I don't understand. Why would she do something like that? It kinda hurt."
"Dude, you seriously don't know?" asked Rodan in a surprised tone. He was denying the idea that Angirasu could be so naive. Angirasu looked to him as he tilted his head.
"Do you know?" asked Angirasu. Rodan snickered in response.
"Wow. You're more clueless than Goji." said Rodan. Angirasu gave him a look of annoyance.
"Hey, how about telling me what you know?"
"Don't worry about it. You'll be fine." said Rodan in reassurance as he patted Angirasu on the shoulder. He then rushed over to the girls and led them down the street while Angirasu was left alone and confused.
"But I am worried!" said Angirasu. He then looked down, feeling concerned. 'Did I make her mad or something?'



Junior sat at the edge of the plateau. He sat cross legged near the edge as he looked down at the village. The sun was high in the sky during the noon. He had slightly calmed down a bit, but he was still angry at Adagio for insulting his mother. Junior could tolerate being insulted, but he couldn’t stand anybody insulting his family.  He sighed in frustration as he leaned his head into his hand as he slumped forward.
"I can kick the ass of any one who pisses me off.  I can heal from a stab wound.  I can probably kill a man with one good punch, but I can't interrogate someone without trying to kill the one that I'm interrogating." said Junior. He then thought back to his actions after Adagio had ignited the ball of rage that threatened to scorch his entire being. He attacked a girl while unprovoked. Technically she did provoke him, but Junior usually attacked when he was attacked first.  He actually began to feel bad for attacking her now that he began to calm down.  
"God, what would Celestia say if she were to find out?" muttered Junior as he ran his hand through his hair. He then thought back to Mosura's reaction, which made him feel worse. Junior sighed as he looked up to the sky to find crows soaring in the air.
"I wonder how the guys are doing with the other two girls." said Junior to himself. He took out the picture of himself and his parents. He stared into the face of his mother. Her kind eyes stared into him, filling him with sadness.
"Junior, I need to go out to buy some herbs. Could you check on your mother for me?" The voice of Junior's father echoed into his mind as he thought back to his past.




Neighpon. 13 years ago...

The morning sun hung in the sky over Neighpon. The sky was clouded during this winter. Snow would soon be falling upon the island. Junior walked through the halls of his home on the cold wooden floor. His footsteps echoed in the halls as he took light steps. Junior wore a light grey sweater to keep himself warm from the winter air that plagued their home. He turned down the hall and found a door that was shut. Junior made his way over to the door and slowly opened it to peak his head inside. He found a woman lying in bed in the bedroom of his parents. Junior opened the door and slowly made his way inside.
"Mom?" called Junior in a soft tone. The woman stirred as she heard the voice of her son. She drowsily looked over to Junior. Her face then brightened into a smile.
"Hi, baby." said the woman in a soft tone. Junior slowly walked over to her side with a small smile on his face. The woman ran her hand through his hair.
"Where's daddy?" asked the woman.
"He went out to buy some...herbs or something. He wanted me to check on you while he was gone." answered Junior. The woman gave him a small smile.
"Oh, he really doesn't have to in this weather. I told him that I would be fine." said Junior's mother. She then broke into a coughing fit. She turned away from Junior and coughed into her arm. Junior wore a worried expression.
"Mommy, how come you're so sick?" asked Junior. His mother cleared her throat as she lied her head down.
"It happens Junior. We all get sick sometime. It's just a cold." said the mother. Junior lied his head down bedside her as he looked into his mother's eyes.
"Did dad ever get sick too?" asked Junior. His mother lightly giggled.
"Of course he had. I just said that we all get sick sometimes." said the mother. She then scooted away from Junior and patted the bed side that she had made room for. "Come lay down with me. I'm so tired."
Junior obliged as he climbed into bed with his mother. She took the blanket and placed it over the little boy and herself. Both were wrapped in its warmth from the cold. Junior scooted closer to his mother as she ran her hand over his head. Junior leaned his head against her as he felt her hand gently caress him. He yawned as he snuggled up next to her.
"Every day, you look like your father. I'm blessed to have him as a husband and you as my son." whispered the mother. She kissed Junior on her fore head as she wrapped him into a hug. Junior looked away in sadness.
"Mom, I'm sorry that I was fighting at school. I didn't mean to make you upset." said Junior.
"I was only upset because I was afraid for you." said his mother.
"But...dad fights, doesn't he?" asked Junior as he looked to his mother.
"Yes, he once did. But that was a long time ago. He fought to protect, not to hurt others." explained his mother. "It's wrong to fight if it's to hurt people that have just made you angry with words."
"But...the other boys said mean things. They were talking about you." muttered Junior. His mother frowned as Junior wore a dejected expression.
"I know it's hard to not fight when people make you angry. Your father still has a bit of trouble with that." said the mother. She then giggled in amusement. "I always had to check him when we were first together. Kinda like how I do with you."
"Hehe. Dad got in trouble?" asked Junior. His mother nodded to him.
"He did. But, he tries to resolve certain problems without fighting." answered Junior's mother. "Junior, anybody can just fight when it comes to solving a problem. But, that's only a short-term solution."
"Short-term...solution? What's that mean?" asked Junior, curiously.
"It means a problem that is dealt with but only for a short amount of time." answered Junior's mother. She then raised herself out of bed and looked towards the window. "Fighting won't always solve problems Junior. Sometimes, it takes more than that. It takes peaceful actions."
"Like what?" asked Junior. His mother turned to face him with a smile.
"Forgiveness." His mother answered. Junior cocked his head in confusion.
"What's that?" asked Junior.
"It's when someone does something that hurts you, but you don't hold onto what happened. You don't actually approve of that person's actions, but you decide to move on from it." answered Junior's mother. The boy looked down in thought.
"But, what if someone does something that makes it hard to forgive? What if I don't feel like forgiving the people that make me mad?" asked Junior. His mother ran a comforting hand on his head.
"Son, forgiveness is not a feeling. It is a choice that you make. You can choose to not forgive someone, but you'll end up hurting yourself just by holding onto the weight that has made you sad or angry." Junior looked to his mother as she said those words. His mother turned to find an old picture sitting on a shelf with her and her husband during their wedding. Both were wearing traditional kimonos. "You're not forgiving someone for their sakes; you're doing it for yours. You'll be free when you choose to forgive."
"Mom, does dad forgive?" asked Junior. His mother sighed solemnly.
"Rarely, he does. I wished that he would more often." answered the mother. Junior looked down at the blanket around him. Junior then placed a determined smile on his face.
"OK! I'll try to forgive people that make me mad or sad more often!" said Junior. His mother gave him a smile.
"That's good. Maybe your father will learn a few things from you."
"Maybe!" said Junior. The sound of the door opening reached their ears. Both mother and son turned to find the father walking into the room. Gojira Senior wore a small smile as he entered.
"Miwa, did he wake you up?" asked Senior. Junior's mother waved her hand dismissively.
"No. I was having a hard time sleeping anyway." answered Miwa. Senior made his way over to the bed and lied down with his family.
"Well, I got you some herbs. Hopefully, they will help you get well soon." said Senior. Miwa gave him a frown.
"Oh, I'm sorry that I haven't been able to take care of dinner. Now I have you working harder while I lie down in bed sick." apologized Miwa.
"Don't worry. I am honored to provide for my beautiful and loving wife." said Senior. Miwa blushed as she smiled at him. Senior looked over to his son with a smile.
"Son, when you get older and get married, you treat your wife like a princess. Because she may have to put up with you when you mess up." said Senior jokingly. Junior stuck his tongue out in disgust.
"Gross! I'll never get married!" said Junior as he crossed his arms. Senior and Miwa shared a laugh.
"Well, one day you might change your mind and might want to." said Senior as he looked to Miwa with a small. She returned his smile with her own. Junior moved away from the bed and walked out of the room.
"I don't think so." said Junior with a chuckle. He then left the room, leaving Senior and Miwa alone. Miwa shook her head in amusement. She then began to break into another cough.
"Oh, are you getting worse?" asked Senior as he placed his hand over her forehead.
"No...no I'm fine." said Miwa reassuringly. Senior frowned.
"I think we should take you to a doctor." said Junior.
"Gojira, you worry too much. I'll be fine." said Miwa. Senior looked down with worry filling his eyes.
"If you say so."




Present day...

Junior stared at the photo with a frown. His mind replayed the day in his head repeatedly. He remembered the talk that he had with his mother. Though, a few things were missing from his memory, he still recalled much
"Forgiveness." said Junior aloud as he looked to his mother's face. He then sighed solemnly as he placed the picture back into his pocket. "I guess I am an asshole."
The Transmutant remained silent as he stared off into the village. His eyes wondered along the area.
"Sorry mom."




Meanwhile...

Angirasu, Rodan, Sonata and Aria continued to roam through the village. Angirasu noticed that Sonata was scanning the area in fascination. He then noticed a vendor serving ice cream further down the road. An idea formed in his mind.
"Anyone care for some ice cream?" asked Angirasu.
"Oh, hell yes!" said Rodan with a grin. Aria and Sonata looked to each other in confusion. Never had the heard of something called ice cream. But, Sonata's curiousness began to increase.
"Sure!" said Sonata. Aria gave her a raised brow. She then leaned in to Sonata's ear.
"We don't even know what that is." whispered Aria.
"Who cares? If they like it, then it must be good! Besides, I wanna try more human food!" Sonata whispered back. The group had made their over to the vendor. Angirasu had decided to order for Sonata and Aria since they were indecisive. Sonata had actually asked Angirasu to suggest a flavor for her. After paying for their orders, the group made their way over to a stone bench where a few other people were as well with their own ice cream.  Angirasu and Sonata sat next to each other.  Angirasu had a cup filled with vanilla ice cream while Sonata held a cone of strawberry ice cream.  Rodan sat with a spoon and a cardboard tray with a banana split in his hands.  Aria sat with a chocolate ice cream cone in her hand and eyed it uncomfortably.  She slowly sent a finger to the frozen dessert and pulled away as she felt the cold pierce her finger tip. Rodan looked to her with a raised brow.
"What's wrong? You don't like chocolate ice cream?" asked Rodan.
"It's just...I never had ice cream.  Or chocolate for that matter." answered Aria as she eyed the dessert uncomfortably.  She then looked to Rodan, hesitantly. "Is it good?"
"Words cannot describe the glorious taste of ice cream." said Rodan as he took a bite of his banana split. He moaned as he tasted the sweet dessert. Aria looked back to her ice cream cone with a wary glance.
"It'll melt if you don't eat it. Just have a lick." said Rodan. Aria gulped nervously as she slowly brought the cone close to her face. Then, she slightly stuck her tongue out and took a small lick at the ice cream. She then smacked her lips as she analyzed the taste.
"Hmm. Not bad." said Aria with a surprised expression. She then felt eyes staring at her. She turned to find Rodan staring at her with a small blush on his face.
"What?" asked Aria in annoyance.
"That was the cutest thing that I have ever seen." said Rodan. Aria recoiled from him, breaking into a blush.
"Sh-shut up!" said Aria in embarrassment. She then turned away with a scowl as she continued to lick her ice cream, less timidly. Rodan stifled his laughter at how he managed to get this woman to blush. He then went back to eating his banana split. Sonata was about to take a lick at her ice cream until she spotted a couple sitting together. She began to analyze them as the woman began to hold her ice cream to her boyfriend. The man leaned down to take a lick of her ice cream, causing the woman to giggle. Sonata looked down to her strawberry ice cream as an idea formed in her mind. She thought she could get closer to Angirasu if she were to act more romantic with him.
"Hey, Angirasu.  Do you want a taste?" asked Sonata as she held out her ice cream cone to the Transmutant.  Angirasu turned to answer but his face was struck by the cold desert.  He jerked back with a gasp as his heart jumped at the sudden cold that struck him in the blistering heat. Sonata gasped in response and pulled her ice cream back as she placed a hand over her mouth.
"I'm so sorry!" cried Sonata as she reached for a napkin and dove for Angirasu. She began to frantically wipe the napkin across his face. But her frantic movements merely caused discomfort to his face as his skin was stretched and forced from all directions. Angirasu nearly dropped his ice cream as he used his hand to stop Sonata's hand.
"It's...it's alright. Just please stop ‘cause my face is starting to hurt." said Angirasu with a nervous expression. Sonata turned away with a frown as she looked down at the ground. Angirasu began to feel unnerved at how her mood had suddenly deteriorated, especially when he noticed the looks of disproval that Rodan and Aria were giving him. He looked away to avoid their stares and then saw Sonata's sad expression as she timidly began to lick her ice cream, making him sigh in response.
"Hey, Sonata." called Angirasu. The Siren slightly turned to face Angirasu, who wore a warm smile. He then pulled out a small plastic spoon that he had gotten back from the vendor.
"Want a taste?" asked Angirasu. Sonata looked to him surprise as he held out the spoon to her in one hand and the ice cream cone in his other hand. Sonata took the spoon with a smile and stuck it inside the ice cream and scooped a small piece of vanilla. She then brought the spoon into her mouth, giving a short and small moan. She then gave Angirasu a small smile.
"Thank you."
"No problem. I'm sorry if I made you feel bad." said Angirasu. Sonata nodded to him.
"It's OK. I'm sorry I hit your butt earlier." apologized Sonata. Angirasu tilted his head in confusion.
"Yeah, why did you do that? Did I make you mad earlier?" asked Angirasu. Sonata gave him an appalled expression.
"No! No, I thought that was what people did to each other when they were friends!" said Sonata frantically.
"Friends?" asked Angirasu in surprise.  Angirasu thought that it would be nice if she actually considered him a friend, but he was fearful of having humans as friends again unless he wanted to relive the attack on Ponyville. Sonata nodded her head.
"Where did you hear that's what people did?" asked Aria in confusion. Sonata rubbed the back of her head.
"Well, I didn't actually hear it from anyone. I saw a guy slap this lady's butt earlier as a friendly way. I thought that's what friends did like a high five or something over here. I think I slapped Angirasu too hard." answered Sonata. Angirasu tilted his hand in confusion and wondered why a man would hit a woman in her rear. Rodan was meanwhile laughing to himself.
"No, that's not why he slapped her butt!" laughed Rodan. Sonata, Aria and Angirasu all looked to him in confusion, much to Rodan’s surprise. "No way. Don't tell me that all three of you don't understand the purpose of a man doing that?"
"I don't know because I didn't go out much back in Ponyville. You're more savvy with how people interact with each other." answered Angirasu. Rodan sighed as he shook his head.
"You're so innocent Aang. I hope you at least know about the birds and bees." said Rodan. Angirasu blushed in embarrassment as he looked away.
"Of course I do! I'm just not familiar with a double entendre like you are!" spat Angirasu.
"Oh, what? You think you’re better than me because I can comprehend a double entendre like, 'Hey girl, are you ready to-'"  Rodan was about to finish the sentence before Angirasu interrupted him.
"OOOOK! No need to demonstrate! I already know that one!" said Angirasu. Sonata tilted her head in confusion.
"Wait, what was he going to say?" asked Sonata. Angirasu went stiff at the question.
"Don't worry about it!" said Angirasu with a nervous laugh. Sonata shrugged in response. Angirasu sighed in relief. 'I must protect her innocence. It's already too late for me.'
"So, what does it mean when a guy hits a girl in her ass like how Sonata witnessed?" asked Aria. Rodan cleared his throat.
"Well, it’s a form of flirting. But it's more related to..." Rodan went onto to educate the clueless individuals that needed his wisdom in the way of actions not approved by every single person. Angirasu, Sonata and Aria all blushed in embarrassment as Rodan continued to explain what the action meant. Sonata lowered her head in shame.
"Oh...I really don't go out much, huh?" asked Angirasu as he analyzed the information that he had received. Aria looked to Rodan with a glare.
"I hope you don't slap me on the ass!" spat Aria. Rodan raised his hands up defensively.
"Hey, I don't do that! I just flirt with my words! I know which ones are OK and which ones are not OK!" said Rodan defensively. Aria sighed in response.
"Good. Let's keep it that way." said Aria.
"So, you like it when I flirt with you?" asked Rodan.
"Of course not! It's totally annoying!" retorted Aria. Rodan chuckled in response.
"Better than sexual harassment." said Rodan. Aria sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Well, that's true." said Aria as went back to licking her ice cream. Rodan then suddenly had a thought. It was something that he wanted to do. He then stood up from the bench and rushed over to the vendor. Angirasu and the two Sirens watched Rodan in wonder. Rodan returned with small plastic bags in his hands filled with odd contents.
"What are those?" asked Aria.
"Sprinkles, chocolate syrup, berries, and chocolate bits." said Rodan as he held them out. "You guys want any on your ice cream?" asked Rodan.
"Ooh! Can I have the chocolate syrup?" asked Sonata.  Rodan nodded as he handed her the bag.  Angirasu offered to help her open the tiny bag for the Siren and began to squeeze it onto her ice cream.  Aria eyed the contents in confusion and shrugged in response.
"Any recommendations?" asked Aria.
"You can put some chocolate bits into the chocolate ice cream." suggested Rodan.
"Isn't that redundant?" asked Aria with a deadpanned stare.
"Kinda. But who cares?" asked Rodan. Aria sighed in response.
"Alright, let me see them."




Later that night...

Junior was making his way over back to the camp. Mosura had recently scolded him for attacking Adagio earlier during the day. He didn't try to defend his actions since he realized that he wasn't justified for attacking her. He sighed as he made his way over to one of the chairs that sat around the fire pit. Junior picked up a couple of stones that he had been using to ignite flames onto the wood. He checked the fire pit and noticed that there was nothing to burn. Junior sighed in response as he stood back up to his feet.
"I guess I should go gather some stuff to burn." said Junior in annoyance. He then began to walk away from the camp.
"Hey." called Adagio. Junior stopped and turned to find Adagio standing outside of a tent with a neutral expression. Junior held a neutral expression as well.
"Hey." greeted Junior. There was then an awkward silence.
"So...what are you doing?" asked Adagio. Junior cleared his throat.
"Um...I was just about to go get some stuff for the fire." answered Junior.
"Right. Say, mind if I tag along and help?" asked Adagio. Junior looked to her in surprise. Adagio never offered to help, let alone him.
"Uh...I guess it's fine. Come on, it'll get cold soon." said Junior as he turned around. Adagio took a deep breath and sighed in relief. She then trailed behind the Transmutant into the night. She followed him out from the plateau and onto the vast land where multiple plants lied on the stoned and sandy ground. There were a few plants capable of lasting in a fire pit, mainly bushes. Junior pulled out his sword and swung it to the base of the bush. As it fell over, he made his way over to the bush and began to drag away from the stump. Adagio began to gather the sticks that she was able to find.  Junior then noticed a small, dead tree lying down on the ground.
"Hold on, there's something better than these." said Junior as he ran over to the tree.  Adagio watched as he began to swing his sword at the thin wood of the dead tree.  She watched as the blade chopped at the branches.
"Man, Changelings made a sword that's more convenient than an axe!" said Junior. Given the sword's shape and its durable composition, it allowed a chopping motion. Later, the pair walked back to camp in silence with wood in their grip.  As they reached the camp, they set the pieces of wood down into the pit. Junior crouched next to the pit and picked up the stones that he had left.
"Gojira." called Adagio. Junior stopped as she called his name and looked to the Siren. She rubbed her arm as she looked away.
"What?" asked Junior. Adagio sighed.
"I...I want to apologize about earlier. Especially for what I said about your mother." said Adagio. She then looked down shamefully. "I'm sorry."
"Oh." said Junior, a look of surprise was plastered on his face. He didn't believe it at first, but he recognized the sincerity in her eyes and her tone. 
"Well, yeah that was kind of a dick move for you to pull." said Junior. Adagio's shoulders slumped as she lowered her head further. She clenched her hands. Junior frowned as he saw her slightly tremble and then noticed the bruise on her cheek. He sighed.
"But...I shouldn't have reacted so violently. It was wrong of me to force my way into your business in the first place. I'm sorry for all of that," apologized Junior. Adagio looked to Junior as he went back to clashing the stones together. She saw the frown that he wore and noticed that his bruises and scratches seemed to have faded.
"Can you forgive me?" asked Adagio. Junior thought back to what his mother had told him before she had died. He then looked to her with a small smile.
"Sure, I forgive you." said Junior. With that, he felt the anger that he held toward the Siren lift its weight off of his shoulders. He recognized this as the feeling of moving on. Adagio sent a smile back to him as well.
"And I forgive you as well." said Adagio. Junior clashed the stones once again, causing the sparks to ignite the wood. The fire then began to build up as its warmth embraced the two. Junior sighed as he sat himself down on the chair. He then noticed Adagio approaching him from the other side of the pit.  She walked around the pit and sat on an empty chair that was next to Junior.  The two remained silent as they watched the flames.
"Remember when you asked me about why we were out here?" asked Junior.
"Of course." answered Adagio.
"Well, care to hear my story?" asked Junior. Adagio nodded.
"I like stories." answered Adagio. Junior lightly chuckled.
"Well, you might not like this one." replied Junior. He then leaned back into his chair. "You see, I was once living in Equestria. I was raised by a close friend of my father's for years. One day, I moved out to live in Ponyville. I spent most of my time alone without a friend. In fact, I did that my entire life."
"But...weren't you lonely?" asked Adagio.
"Honestly, I kinda was. I normally said that I didn't care to have any friends, especially when people would ostracize me from being from Neighpon. My accent and my ethnic background were things that other kids would make fun of." said Junior. Adagio frowned as she heard of Junior's past. She was familiar with ostracism and prejudice of another ethnic group. Sirens did that with certain clans that they disliked. She had a bit of a prejudice towards humans herself, but that was different.  She felt that her reasons of prejudice towards humans were justified.
"Anyway, while I was in Ponyville, I made two friends. Both were girls that had tried to get me to be more open with other people. I didn't think I needed more friends. But, that thought began to change as I got to know their friends. We had disagreements and arguments before. Sometimes, I was the one in the wrong. But, the two girls looked past that and helped me along with a couple of others. They were something else." said Junior.
"Was one of them your girlfriend?" asked Adagio, curiously. Junior chuckled in embarrassment.
"No. But I did like one of them. Anyway, I met Mosura and the guys as well during this time. We eventually became friends, but I think we had more of an understanding of each other." said Junior. He sighed solemnly. "One day, that all changed."
"What happened?"
"Well, there were some...guys that were attacking people. My friends were threatened with death. So, Mosura, the guys, and I fought these guys without mercy. I was even going to kill one of them." said Junior. Adagio's eyes widened. He nodded. "Yeah, I know. You can say that it's barbaric, but I don't care. If it's barbaric to protect your friends, then I'll gladly accept the title."
"So, what happened?"
"The guys escaped. I didn't kill the guy that I found. But, my friends were afraid of me for trying to take his life. Mosura and the others weren't accepted either because they refused to stop me. So, I made my decision to leave to avoid the ostracism." answered Junior as he stuck a stick into the fire. He moved the wood around with the stick to allow the flames to spread. "Mosura and the others joined me and we all left to live out here."
"But why would they leave? They still had a home, didn't they?" asked Adagio. Junior sighed.
"Yeah, but I guess they were worried about me and wanted to come." said Junior. Adagio looked down. She knew that it was hard to lose friends. 
"Since you told me your reason for being out here, I guess it's only fair that I tell you more about why we're here." said Adagio. "You see...I haven't been completely honest with you. We aren't exactly out here for a singing career. We came out here for our friend, Sarila."
"For what?" asked Junior.
"You see, she owes a mobster a lot of money from when she borrowed it to pay off some debts. Later, he came to her and started demand his money back. Unfortunately, Sarila didn't make enough to pay off what she borrowed. This later led to the mobster and his gang to terrorize all of her friends and family. So, she asked for our help to raise money." said Adagio. She sighed as leaned forward. "We weren't supposed to come out here, but we ended up not having a choice when we lost our stuff and tickets to get to home."
"You know, if I were in your shoes, I'd stand up to them. You ever thought of standing up to the mobsters?" asked Junior. Adagio looked at him incredulously. She hadn't anticipated the question and tried to think up a reason to keep her twisted truth a float.
"But, we can't possibly stand up to them! We don't know what they are capable of!" argued Adagio.
"Some people are fueled by the fear of others, but if you stand up to them, they are powerless. Something my father used to say." said Junior. Adagio stared at him in wonder. She wondered if she and her people were dealing with the situation incorrectly. A threat did loom over not only on Sarila, but also the entire clan of Sirens.  She was afraid of this threat, but she began to ponder if standing up to it was the true solution
'What if...our mission will only be a temporary solution?' thought Adagio, feeling sick to her stomach. She then leaned back into her chair with a frown.
"I guess you're pretty scared, huh?" asked Junior. Adagio lazily looked over to him.
"What was your first clue?" asked Adagio. Junior chuckled in response.
"Well, since we're cool now, I suppose I could back you and your friend up if you decide to stand up to them." said Junior. Adagio looked to him in surprise.
"You...you would?" asked Adagio. Junior nodded to her.
"Just tell me when, and I'll tag along and drop them." said Junior with a smile. Adagio lightly smiled as she looked away.
"Thanks. I'll think about it." said Adagio. Junior nodded to her and went back to shuffling the wood in the flames with his stick. Adagio snuck a glance at Junior and frowned.
'But, I think you'd only get yourself killed with what we're up against.' thought Adagio. She then heard footsteps approaching. Mosura made her way out of one of the tents with a smile on her face.
"Good to see that you two made up." said Mosura. Junior smiled back.
"Yeah." said Junior. He then noticed Angirasu, Rodan, Sonata and Aria approaching. Rodan sat himself down on a chair and sighed in exhaustion. Sonata sat next to Angirasu while Aria sat next to Rodan.  Aria then noticed the bruise on Adagio's cheek.
"What happened there?" asked Aria as she gestured to her own cheek. Adagio shrunk back as she avoided eye contact.
"Oh...just a bit of an accident. Nothing to worry about." said Adagio. Aria raised a brow at her.
"If you say so." replied Aria. Rodan looked to Junior in confusion.
"Where did you get those scratches?" asked Rodan. Junior cleared his throat as he rubbed his forehead.
"Um...a cat scratched me." answered Junior. The rest of the Transmutants and Sirens all shrugged in response. Rodan reached into a bag and pulled out marshmallows, gram crackers and chocolate bars. Mosura looked to the two in confusion as to why they would lie about the origins of their minor wounds. She then noticed Junior wink at Adagio. Mosura slightly smiled.
'I see.' thought Mosura.




Okinawa, Neighpon...

Hayato Yoshi walked through the base that he was stationed at. It has been a few days after the truth of MONARCH was revealed. Although he vowed to rebel against the organization, he needed to be smart about it. So, he kept in contact with the soldiers that he had been present during the mission. For the moment, they would all pose as MONARCH's loyal pawns. Yoshi made his way over to a room where no one was around. Inside was a set of computers that were connected to the walls. The consoles were lit by lights and the screens were dark. Yoshi made his way to the closest computer console and began to activate it. As he waited for the system to boot up, he fished for a flash drive that was hidden in his pocket and stuck it to a slot. He placed a finger into his ear to his COM earpiece.
"I'm on one of the computers and I'm in the process of turning it on. Where are you Sparkplug?" whispered Yoshi.
"On my way, boss. I needed to get my laptop." said a man over the COM. Yoshi took deep breaths as he waited for the computer to turn on. He then heard the sound of the door opening. He turned and found a thin and tall Equestrian Earthbound with a laptop in his grip.
"About time." said Yoshi with a sigh of relief. The man scoffed in response.
"Hey, I needed to sneak past a few C.O.s to get here." retorted Sparkplug. He then sat down on a chair close to Yoshi's occupied computer console and placed his laptop on his lap. He then pulled out a cord and connected one end to the laptop and the other end to the computer console.
"OK, we're going to have to make this quick or else MONARCH will be on our ass." said Sparkplug.  He then began to tap rapidly at the keys on his laptop as he began to enter the system of MONARCH. He worked through the information that was hidden inside and the protocols of the organization. He then stopped at a coded area that caught his attention.
"There we are." smiled Sparkplug. He then began to access the area in the system. "Get that flash drive inside. We're going to download a ton of MONARCH's dirty secrets."
"On it." said Yoshi. The two waited as the files were downloaded.
"Boss, you better wrap it up! We got some staff nearing the area." warned a woman on the COM. Yoshi cursed under his breath.
"Try to stall them! We need more time to download the files!" said Hayato. He then rushed over to Sparkplug. "How much longer, Spark?"
"Almost. Just need a few more seconds." said Sparkplug as he continued to type. Yoshi continued to tap his foot anxiously as he turned to the door. His ears listened for a sound that would signal the compromise of their mission.
"Almost done. Just a couple of more files." said Sparkplug.
"Sir, you better hurry up! They'll be there in ten seconds!" warned the woman over the COM. Yoshi cursed under his breath again. He then watched as the screen on the computer console began to flash as information was downloaded into the flash drive. The screen suddenly flashed a text that read, 'Download Complete'.
"OK, we're good! Get the flash drive and shut the computer down!" said Sparkplug as he closed his laptop and unplugged the cord that connected his device with the larger device. Yoshi removed the drive and placed it in his pocket. He then rushed to the computer console and began to shut it down. After that was accomplished, both rebels made their way out of the room and closed the door. They both casually walked down the hall, finding a few men in uniform walking past them. The staff members made their way into the room to their jobs. Yoshi sighed in relief.
"You think they'll suspect anything?" asked Yoshi.
"They might later find out that a device had been accessing certain files. But if we hurry, we can expose MONARCH's high command. But we might not have time to broadcast the truth to multiple bases at once like we hoped. We're going to have to start locally." said Sparkplug. Yoshi sighed in disappointment.
"Damn."
"Yep. Has the C.O. asked about the so called, 'Trasnsmutant'?" asked Sparkplug.
"Yeah. He wanted to know if we've killed him. I told him that we lost him." said Yoshi. Sparkplug looked to him in confusion as they continued to walk.
"Why didn't you just say we killed Caesar instead?" asked Sparkplug.
"Because the C.O. would be expecting a body for confirmation. Also, if a Transmutant is on the loose, this may allow us an excuse to leave the base and to meet with the Shisa." answered Yoshi. Sparkplug nodded in understanding.
"Good idea."
The two soldiers continued on into the base. They later found themselves in the barracks where the soldiers were housed. The two split up and made their way inside. Yoshi passed a few soldiers that were present when Caesar had revealed himself. He gave them nods as he passed them and received nods in return while they went back to their game of cards.
Meanwhile, in the women's barracks, a Neighponese woman walked alone as she removed her COM ear piece and placed it into her pocket. She sighed as she lied down on her bed while other soldiers that were off duty conversed amongst themselves. She then noticed one of the Equestrian women that had met Caesar approach her.
"So, what's the plan?" asked the Equestrian.
"First, we need to figure out a way to show the others the truth. The files that we downloaded should be enough to convince them that we're working for monsters." answered the Neighponese woman.
"But wouldn't MONARCH have booby trapped the files or something?" asked the Equestrian.
"Yes, but Sparkplug is well experienced with computers. He knows his way in and out of the system. He's even learned how to extract the files safely. We just need to hope that MONARCH isn't quick to figure out that unauthorized personnel have been snooping around the files." replied the Neighponese woman.
"Man, we're seriously going to do this?" asked the Equestrian.
"Yes. Because we must stop the head command of this organization while we still can." answered the Neighponese soldier as she placed her arms behind her head. "Our comrades have to know the truth."



An older man on the base in uniform stood in his office. It had been a few days since the order to kill the alleged Transmutant in the mountains had been given. Apparently there was no luck in killing it. Hayato Yoshi claimed that they found the creature but managed to escape capture.  However, he felt some sort of tension coming from the soldiers that had been assigned to the mission, which he found suspicious. The commanding officer made his way over to a door and opened it. Behind the door was another room that was dark. He entered it and pulled out a small crystal, which he placed in the center on a metal disk that radiated with magic. The gem shot a beam of light as it began to glow. The gem projected an image of Onyx with his back turned.
"Director Onyx." called the man. The Elf turned to face the voice. He noticed the man that spoke to him.
"Ah. Good day Colonel." greeted Onyx. The Colonel nodded in response.
"Sir, I have contacted you to inform you of the status of the mission. The Shisa has yet to be found by Sgt. Hayato Yoshi and his team." informed the Colonel.
"Hmm. Unfortunate. Caesar first destroyed our research facility of our experiments and now he's trying to turn our own men against us." replied Onyx.
"Yes. But sir, what if the creature has already told them?" asked the Colonel.
"Look, do not worry about that. Just keep an eye on the soldiers that were assigned to that mission. We can't risk them discovering our involvement in the creation of the Transmutants and our plans. If they already know, have one of my agents that’s stationed there to kill them. But tell him that he must be discreet about it." commanded Onyx.
"Understood, Director." answered the Elf. Onyx nodded in approval.
"Your loyalty is doing us a great service. You shall be rewarded when this is over." said Onyx. Then, his holographic image faded. The crystal stopped glowing, becoming nothing but a clear stone. The Colonel picked up the crystal and placed it back into his pocket. He turned to leave the private room. As he returned to the main office, he sat at his desk.
"I swear, if I were leading this organization, I'd order the extermination of all of these beasts." spat the Colonel. The Shisa posed a problem to their organization. Certain Shisa were known to have some sort of ability where they gain visions of the past or future. The attack of Caesar allowed the Colonel to hypothesize that he knew about MONARCH's dirty secret. There was more to these creatures than they knew, so it was dangerous to pursue him recklessly.  So, they needed the best soldier to exterminate him. But, there was no luck so far. Or perhaps there was information being upheld from the commanding officer.
"I have no proof to accuse them of such. So I'll just have to watch." sighed the Colonel.
	
> Chapter 32: May They Rest in Peace
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a late night over in Neighpon. The land was shrouded in darkness as the nocturnal creatures roamed about with their nightly lives. The temple of Caesar sat alone on the mountains in the still night. The Shisa sat outside of the temple as he gazed out into the stars. His past came back to him as he gazed up to the stars. A common Kaiju among others during the early Earth. His era was much different compared to the Era of Man, but the stars were the few things that remained to be recognizable. He sighed as he lowered his head. Caesar stood onto all fours and proceeded to walk back into the temple. The Shisa made his way all the way back into the cave where he had revealed the truth to the humans who had come to his home before. Caesar past a few of the fairy moths that remained perched on stones and treasure in the cave.
"Caesar?" called a small voice. The voice was a tiny echo that reached the Shisa's mind. The Shisa stopped and turned to face a pink patterned fairy moth that remained perched on a chest.
"Yes, little one?" answered Caesar.
"Are you upset?" asked the fairy.
"A little. It's just that I'm feeling a little homesick." answered Caesar. The fairy crawled off of the chest and then onto the ground.
"Don't worry. Soon, the Guardians will return." said the fairy reassuringly.
"But with how the world is now, I fear that they will be prevented from rising again. The world will be doomed without them to correct what has been done." said Caesar.
"Yes. That is why we must allow MONARCH to divide itself. Only then will they have the chance to reawaken." replied the fairy. Caesar shook his head.
"I do not see why they couldn't be brought back to the world of the living. The purpose of Kaiju was here in this life. When one side of life faltered, another side corrected it. Nothing on the planet could control us. We were a part of the Earth and it was ours to protect." said Caesar. He then folded his ears. "We failed to continue that role. Now those who have inherited the Earth are threatened with self-destruction."
"The time of Kaiju is over. It was an unfortunate event that destroyed most of them, but they won't truly be gone. They have been brought back, but not in the way that you hoped." said the fairy. She then fluttered up to the Shisa and stared into his eyes.
"Just continue to play your part while we play ours." said the fairy. Caesar nodded to her. He then looked towards the painting of the legendary Kaiju, Gojira.
"I only wish that he were here." said Caesar solemnly.




Meanwhile in Ponyville, Equestria...

The late afternoon hung over Ponyville. The guards of Equestria still occupied the town, vigil as they can be. Twilight was walking down the street with a book held in her grip. She normally took a book out to read whenever she needed to be on the go as well to study. Twilight then noticed a small crowd gathering and raised a brow as she heard the people conversing amongst themselves. As she made her way through the crowd, she peaked over through the gaps between the people. Apparently they were looking at a newspaper; an article had peaked their interest. Twilight decided that may have been about a sport or perhaps another article on celebrity couple's divorce, so she left the crowd in disappointment.
The Elf made it back to the Golden Oaks Library. As she shut the door, she noticed Spike rushing over to her.
"Twilight! Check this out!" said Spike as he held out a newspaper and pointed to one of the articles. Twilight placed the book that she held down on and took the newspaper from the drake. Her eyes began to scan through the article. Slowly, her interest began to peak.
"Wait...this is about the Summer Sun Celebration." said Twilight. She then continued to read through the article and gasped in surprise. "It says that Princess Celestia will be introducing special guests to the ceremony."
"Any idea who that could be?" asked Spike. Twilight shrugged.
"I don't know. But I wonder why she would be doing this when we could be looking for Gojira." said Twilight in disappointment. She thought the search for the Transmutant was more important than a celebration, but also understood that Celestia had other duties to fulfill. Still, she only hoped that Celestia still had her sights on finding Junior.




Mustangia, Equestria...

In the lair of the vigilante Transmutants, only Goro remained. He sat at the wooden table with a parchment in his hand. His eyes scanned through the letter that he had received from Sapphire earlier. As far as he knew, Sapphire had yet to tell the other guards about their presence. But, she certainly told someone, as he received a letter that was directed towards him. As Goro continued reading, a small smile was plastered on his face. He was so drawn into the letter that he failed to notice Manda and Baragon enter the chamber of the cave that held the 'kitchen'. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the curious stares of Manda and Baragon.
"Is that what I think that is?" asked Baragon. Goro nodded.
"Yes. It's a letter." answered Goro.
"But who would send us a letter? Who even knows that we're here other than Sapphire?" asked Manda. Goro handed her the letter with a smile.
"Princess Celestia." answered Goro. Manda looked to him surprise while Baragon looked to him in worry. Manda immediately began to read through the letter.

'Dear Transmutants of Mustangia, it has come to my attention that you have been hiding out in Equestria as MONARCH occupied my beloved country. I have been hearing rumors of vigilantes protecting my subjects from the nearby Diamond Dog clan that has been terrorizing my subjects. Little did I know that they were you, a small group of Transmutants. I would like to express my thanks to you all for protecting my subjects, especially from the massive-scale attack. If not for you, I fear things may have made a turn for the worst. The guard who has delivered this letter to you will be sworn to secrecy about you and your location. But, I would like to help you by establishing a relationship with my kingdom and your group. Too much disdain, distrust and prejudice exists between humans and Transmutants. I wish to change that by showing my subjects that Transmutants are capable of good, just as you have demonstrated for protecting Mustangia. I hereby invite you all as my special guests for this year's Summer Sun Celebration. I hope that you will consider this invitation and my offer, so that we may become good friends.
Sincerely, Celestia.'

Manda stared at the parchment with wide eyes. She slightly trembled as she held the paper. She slowly looked to Goro.
"Sh-she wants us to be her special guests at the Summer Sun Celebration?" asked Manda. Goro nodded to her.
"She does." answered Goro. Manda dropped the parchment and squealed in delight. She immediately dove for Baragon and wrapped into a tight hug. She lifted him off of the ground and spun around as she laughed with joy. Baragon struggled to get out of her crushing embrace, but failed.
"Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!" said Manda excitedly. She then set Baragon back onto his feet and stared into his eyes hidden by his sunglasses. She immediately dove for his cheek gave him a smooch. Manda laughed with glee as she rushed over to Goro and wrapped him into a tight hug. Baragon rubbed his cheek in embarrassment as he watched Manda give a crushing hug to Goro.
"We're...not actually gonna go are we?" asked Baragon. Manda stopped hugging Goro and looked at him incredulously.
"We are. In fact, I wrote a letter to the princess as a reply and gave it to Sapphire to deliver earlier." said Goro. Baragon sighed in disappointment and looked at Goro incredulously.
"Wait, you replied to her without even asking us if we were OK with it?!" asked Baragon. Goro sighed in response.
"Yes. Baragon look-"
"Why do we need her acceptance? Why do we even need the acceptance of them?" demanded Baragon.
"Baragon, this isn't about acceptance. We're just going to play as special guests for the Princess." said Goro. Baragon glared at him.
"Bullshit! All she wants to do is expose us for what we are!" countered Baragon.
"Only to help us show the country that we're not monsters." retorted Goro. Manda walked closer to Baragon with a frown.
"Baragon please, why don't you want to consider the possibility that people can accept us?" asked Manda, her tone filled with hurt. Baragon looked down and clenched his fist.
"Why would they? Destoroyah gave us a bad name and we're the ones paying for it. Who needs their acceptance when we have each other?" asked Baragon. He turned and slowly began to walk away. Manda reached out for him, but could not find the strength to call him. She lowered her head in sadness as she wanted to help him, but it seemed that the discrimination against Transmutants was breaking his spirit.




Later that night...

Baragon sat outside without his sunglasses on in the night. His vision was clear as if he were looking into the day. His sensitive eyes did not strain on this night. Baragon sighed as he looked down at the ground. The thought of the Princess inviting them to be guests for the event sounded nice, but it was just too good to be true. The humans never considered offering a hand in friendship to him. He refused to believe that the princess was any different. Still, Sapphire’s revelation about Celestia's adopted son being a Transmutant plagued his mind with doubts, especially since he couldn’t confirm if the guard was lying.
"Baragon?" called Manda. The man turned to find Manda standing outside of the cave in her pajamas. She wore a long sleeved shirt with pant bottoms.
"Oh, hey Manda." said Baragon in a soft tone. The woman made her way over to his side and sat next him. She held her knees close to herself as she looked at Baragon.
"Can we talk?" asked Manda.
"We talk all the time." said Baragon jokingly. Manda lightly chuckled.
"No, I'm serious. I just want to talk about the invitation." said Manda. Baragon went silent and looked down. Manda scooted closer to him.
"Baragon, I know you’re afraid. I am too." said Manda.
"Then why are we risking our safety by indulging the Princess? What if she's lying about having an adopted Transmutant son? What if that's just a rouse to get us to fall into a trap?" asked Baragon.
"Because if it means the chance of living like normal people again, we should take it. That's another reason why we've been protecting people in the first place." answered Manda. She then wrapped an arm around Baragon and brought him into a hug. This time, she restrained her strength.
"Please come with us, Baragon. At least be polite by accepting the invitation."
"I...I guess I will. But I want something from her." said Baragon. Manda looked to him curiously. Baragon gave her a serious expression.
"I want a discount on cider to compensate for my troubles." said Baragon. Manda stared at him blankly. Then she began to burst into laughter. Baragon lightly laughed to himself as well. As the two calmed down, Baragon sighed. "But seriously, I want at least confirmation that she had an adopted son as a Transmutant. I want to see if that woman is actually heartbroken that he's gone. If so, then I'll begin to reconsider my thoughts."
"We'll see if we can get her to talk about it." said Manda with a smile as she leaned against Baragon. The man wore a scowl.
"Hey, I'm not your pillow or something." said Baragon. Manda lightly chuckled as she took her weight off of him.
"Sorry. Come on, let's go to bed. We need to get ready for the Summer Sun Celebration next month." said Manda as she stood to her feet. She and Baragon both made their way back into the cave for the night. 




Saddle Arabia, The next day...

Rodan and Aria were in the village during this week. The two walked side by side through the town. Aria wore a bored expression on her face as the pair continued on. Rodan was looking through a small list that he had made earlier. He muttered to himself as he read off of the list.
"So, why am I helping you with the shopping?" asked Aria.
"I wanted to try and cook some dinner instead of eating sandwiches again. Mosura is busy to be my interpreter, so I need your help since you've been learning." said Rodan. Aria looked to him curiously.
"What'd you have mind?" asked Aria. Rodan grinned to himself.
"Tacos." said Rodan. Aria raised a brow.
"The hell is a taco?" asked Aria. Rodan gave her an appalled look.
"You don't know what a taco is?!" asked Rodan. Aria shrunk back as he got into her face.
"Nooooo..." answered Aria.
"You poor soul." said Rodan. Aria gave him a look of annoyance.
"Dude, what's the big deal?" asked Aria.
"It's just that you don't know what you've been missing. I can make a mean taco!" said Rodan with a confident grin.
"Well, what do we need to get?" asked Aria. Rodan looked back to the list.
"Well, we'll need some beef, lettuce, tomatoes, and a few other stuff." said Rodan. Aria looked to him curiously.
"Do you have enough money for those?" asked Aria. She hadn't heard of the ingredients that Rodan had named off before either, but she rather not risk seeming out of the ordinary due to ignorance of certain foods.
"Oh yeah, absolutely!" said Rodan. The pair made their way over the market where other people began their shopping. They looked through the market and found a few of the desired ingredients. Flat bread, wrapped raw meat, tomato, cheese, and lettuce. Rodan and Aria made their way over to the stands and began their purchase. Fortunately, the vendors seemed to have known a bit of Equish. Rodan felt a little sorry for dragging Aria out with him, but she wasn't going to have a chance of communicating with the locals in another language. The pair made their way over to a man running the vendor that held blocks of cheese wrapped in foil to get the final ingredient.
"Heya! We'd like to see what kind of cheese you got." said Rodan. The man looked to him with a puzzled expression.
"What?" asked the man in his native tongue. Rodan cursed under his breath as he realized that the man did not speak Equish. He then turned to Aria. He found her scanning through the language dictionary that Mosura had let her borrowed.
"Now's a good time to put what you learned to the test." said Rodan. Aria nodded to him as she closed the dictionary. She then cleared her throat.
"Um... What kind of cheese do you have?" asked Aria in Arabic.
"I only have Cheddar today." answered the man. Aria nodded in response as she mentally translated what the vendor had said.
"He only has cheddar." said Aria as she looked to Rodan. He nodded in approval.
"Cool, that'll do." said Rodan. Aria turned back to the vendor.
"How much?" asked Aria.
"Five pieces of silver." answered the man.
"Five pieces." said Aria as she turned to face Rodan. The Transmutant reached into his pocket and gave the vendor his remaining silver coins. The man handed Rodan the block of cheese.
"Pleasure doing business with you." said the vendor.
"Likewise. Please have a shitty day, fat cow." said Aria with a smile. The man's eye twitched in offense. His face turned red in anger.
"What did you just say to me, woman?!" demanded the man. Aria recoiled in surprise.
"What?" asked Aria in confusion with a shrug.
"Guards!" shouted the vendor. Two men armed with swords turned and made their way over to the stand. Rodan stood by nervously.
"Uh...Aria, what did you do?" asked Rodan.
"I don't know! He just got mad for some reason!" answered Aria in worry.
"Arrest this woman for her disrespect!" yelled the vendor. The guard looked to Rodan with a hard stare. Rodan raised his hands defensively.
"Whoa! Whoa! What's all the hub bub, bub?" asked Rodan in a nervous tone. The guard glared at Aria.
"You are under arrest." said the guard. Aria's eyes widened in shock.
"What? Why?!" asked Aria.
"What's wrong?" asked Rodan worriedly.
"They're going to arrest me!" said Aria as she pulled out the language dictionary. She began to frantically scan through it. She then accidently dropped the book. She muttered to herself as she tried to recall words.
"Um....I did not mean to be so...ruuude. I have grasshoppers taped to my back." said Aria. The guards looked to each other in confusion.
"Uhh...I am so hungry. I need love." said Aria. The guards began to grow more confused, almost unnerved.
"I think this woman is crazy." whispered the second guard to the first.
"Please let me have you!" pleaded Aria. The guards backed up in shock.
"Wha-?"
"I am just a visiting for sex!" said Aria. The guards looked to her in shock. The vendor gasped loudly. He then pointed to the Siren.
"Whore! Filthy whore!" shouted the vendor.
"Crazy filthy whore is more like it. Seize her!" said the main guard. The second guard approached Aria as he drew his sword. Aria's eyes widened.
"Oh come on!" said Aria in exasperation. Suddenly, Rodan stepped in front of her. He faced the closest guard and sent a powerful punch into his gut. The guard dropped to his knees and heaved for air. Rodan then found the other guard unsheathing his sword. Aria opened her eyes and gasped as the guard swung his sword at Rodan. The Transmutant merely ducked the blade and grabbed the guards arm. He then yanked on his arm and pulled the guard over to him and sent a punch to his face. The guard fell to the ground unconscious. Rodan turned to find Aria staring at him with wide eyes. He immediately took her hand began to run with her.
"Time to go!" said Rodan as he and the Siren ran out of the market. The two held the bags of the ingredients that they had gotten as they ran. They heard shouts coming from behind them. Aria turned to find several guards chasing after them.
"We got company!" said Aria urgently.
"Yeah, I can hear them!" retorted Rodan. He the lead Aria over to a street corner and turned down an alley. They shoved any person that got in their way, but found themselves caught at a dead end. Aria turned to find the guards turning over to their alley.
"Now what?" asked Aria with a glare. Rodan looked frantically around the area. He then noticed a lower edge of the stone building on his right.
"Up there!" said Rodan as he pointed to the ledge. The two rushed over to the wall of the building. Rodan placed his hands together and slightly crouched with his arms lowered. "Come on, I'll boost you!"
Aria nodded in response. She then placed her hands firmly on his shoulders and stepped on Rodan's hands. She felt herself lifted up into the air while she placed her other foot on Rodan's shoulder as she reached for the ledge. Aria stepped off of Rodan as she climbed up to the roof, before turning around and reaching her hand out for him.
"No, step back from the ledge!" said Rodan. Aria reluctantly complied as she moved away from the ledge. Rodan turned and ran over to the other wall. His feet carried him up the wall for a few steps. He then turned and wall jumped to the ledge. He caught the ledge as he made it to the other side and quickly climbed over the ledge and onto the roof. The shouts of the guards grew louder.
"Let's go!" said Rodan as he led Aria over the roofs. The pair spent the next few minutes fleeing the scene. They were forced to hide and make multiple turns as the guards threatened to box them in. This was all done as the two struggled to hold onto the ingredients that they had shopped for dinner. Rodan looked down from a roof and found a horse hooked to a chariot that was carrying hay.
"Aria, we're gonna have to jump!" said Rodan. Aria turned behind herself and found the guards searching for them. Some even began to try to climb the roofs for a better search. She then looked down to the hay stack and how high the building was. It wasn't as high as she thought.
"I'm cool with that!" said Aria. She then took Rodan's hand and then jumped off of the ledge and landed in the haystack. The horse whinnied as it was startled by the sudden drop. As Aria stuck her head out of the haystack, Rodan immediately pulled her back in. She turned with a glare in her eye.
"What are you-"
"Shh! Stay low!" whispered Rodan as he lied still in the hay. Aria was about to question him but then heard the voices of the guards. They began shouting as they searched for them. Aria's eyes caught sight of one of the guards from a small opening spot in the hay. Her heart raced as he turned to their direction with a suspicious glance. She gulped as the guard approached. She heard Rodan take light breaths behind her as if to try to remain as still as possible. Aria began to follow his lead. As the guard came closer, he unsheathed his sword as he prepared to stick it in the hay stack; Aria's eyes widened in horror as he came closer. Suddenly, the guard turned as more shouting came. He looked back to the haystack but then placed his sword back in its sheath. He then turned and rushed away from the haystack. Aria sighed in relief as she leaned her head back against Rodan's shoulder.
"That was close." whispered Aria. Rodan lightly chuckled.
"Don't tell me you were scared." whispered back Rodan. Aria scoffed in response.
"And you weren't?" demanded Aria.
"Well, yeah a little." admitted Rodan. He then sighed in relief.
"Well, thanks for that. It was pretty brave of you to stand up to those guards." said Aria with a smile.
"No prob. Besides, Adagio might have killed me if she found out I had let you get arrested." said Rodan with a shudder. Aria smiled in amusement.
"Yeah, she probably would have." said Aria. The two suddenly felt the chariot begin to move. Aria peaked out from the open space in their hiding place and noticed that the chariot was leaving the area.
"Well, we need to lay low for a while until we're sure that we're far enough from the guards." said Rodan. He then shifted himself a bit. "Might as well get comfortable."
"You better not try anything." warned Aria. Rodan shook his head in disappointment.
"Ye have little trust." said Rodan. Aria sighed.
"It's gonna be a long ride." said Aria.




One hour later...

Rodan and Aria walked calmly in the desert outside of the village. They had recently ditched their hiding place and snuck through the town with their groceries. The Transmutant chuckled in amusement.
"Man, how cool was that? We outsmarted the guards and escaped unscathed!" said Rodan.
"Yep, thanks to your quick thinking." said Aria. Rodan held a proud smile.
"You flatter me." said Rodan. Aria rolled her eyes as she realized that she may have boosted his ego. As the two continued walking, Aria felt a question that nagged her to ask the Transmutant.
"Say, where did you learn to fight like that?" asked Aria.
"I learned from Mosura." answered Rodan, casually.
"Really? She doesn't seem like a fighter." said Aria in surprise.
"Heh. You'd be surprise. She's tougher than she looks. She took martial arts classes from one of her family members back in Neighpon." said Rodan. "Of course, that was years ago. When she had to leave, she ended up taking more classes when we got to Equestria."
"Really now? So, she taught you what you know?" said Aria. She decided to not question about the nations. Rodan nodded.
"Yep. She knows a couple of styles that she taught Angirasu and I when we were younger. She sticks to her own style of fighting, though." said Rodan. The two continued on, nearing the camp. Aria was curious to learn more about this man.
"So, what was your life like?" asked Aria. She then scoffed in disgust. "Sorry, that sounded kinda weird. Never mind."
"No it's cool. I'd be happy to share a bit about myself." said Rodan with a smile. Aria turned to find his contagious smile. "Besides, it's not every day when someone asks me about my life story. But, you have to tell me a bit about you when I'm done."
"Why?" asked Aria. Rodan gave her a deadpanned stare.
"Well, come on. It's only fair, right? Besides, I'm curious." said Rodan.
"I guess, But remember, curiosity killed the catfish." said Aria with a humored smile. Rodan raised a brow in confusion.
"I think the saying is, 'curiosity killed the cat'." said Rodan. Aria's eyes widened at the realization. She had just used a saying that was strangely similar to the humans but also not correct for their case.
"R-right! Sorry, that's just how people used the saying where I'm from. Force of habit." said Aria with a nervous smile. Rodan looked away in thought.
"Hmm. Kinda weird, but not the weirdest thing that I've heard." said Rodan with a shrug.
"Soooo, about you..." said Aria, wanting to get Rodan back on topic.
"Oh right! Um..." Rodan knew that he couldn't risk telling her too much. So, he had to twist the truth a bit. "Well, I was born in Neighpon. Much like Goji and the others. My dad was a Valkyrie and mom was a non-magical Earthbound. I ended up inheriting more of my mom's traits like her hair color and her non-magical Earthbound genes."
"Non-magical?" asked Aria in confusion. She was familiar with how some of the humans had traits that depended on their magical abilities. It was taught to her and other young Sirens when growing up, but she never heard of non-magical Earthbounds.
"Yeah, that's a thing. Some people are just born without the magical abilities of the average human. They're mostly found in isolated inhabited islands in the East like Neighpon." said Rodan. "We're weaker than average Earthbounds and we have a harder time working certain jobs that a magical Earthbound can do with ease such as gardening, construction, and working with animals." said Rodan. "In fact, we're pretty much disadvantaged in society since it takes longer for us to build strength compared to magical Earthbounds. A lot of work that we can do requires physical endurance. Some of us are lucky to learn that we can practice to try to take up art, writing, or something."
"That sucks." said Aria. Rodan nodded in agreement.
"Yep. Anyway, my parents passed away and I ended up living on the streets." said Rodan. Aria's eyes widened at how nonchalantly he talked about being an orphan.
"That's...terrible. I...I actually thought you'd be more down about talking about that." said Aria. Rodan shrugged.
"I kinda still am, but not as much anymore. If I just kept staying in the past, I'd never get the chance to be happy again." said Rodan. He then sighed. "But, I'd like to see them again."
"Sorry to hear that." said Aria with a frown. She never realized that Rodan had to deal with that kind of burden. 
"Don't be. One good thing that came out of it was that I met Mosu and Aang." said Rodan, his mood brightening back up. "She wasn't much older than me or Angirasu, but she took us in as family. We all stuck together no matter what. We watched each other's backs and she made sure that we knew right from wrong."
"So, she was like you mom?" asked Aria. Rodan stopped as he looked up in thought. His face brightened into a smile as he began to chuckle.
"Kinda. But sister seems more appropriate." said Rodan. He then continued on with the walk. "So, we spent years together as one small family. Then we met Gojira, the man of steel."
"Heh. Why do you call him that? Is he as tough as he looks?" asked Aria. Rodan grinned.
"Nope! He's tougher!" said Rodan. The two neared the camp. "He's got the strength of a bear combined with a crocodile! His endurance is crazy scary, too! My secret to fighting is my speed. I don't mean to brag, but I'm so quick that you wouldn't see me coming."
"Really now? So you've beaten Gojira?" asked Aria. Rodan chuckled in embarrassment.
"Nah, actually he mopped the floor with me. Three times." said Rodan. Aria shook her head in amusement.
"Figures." said Aria. Rodan placed a hand over his chest in hurt.
"Oh! Shots fired." said Rodan.
"Give it a rest." retorted Aria. The two had made their way over to the camp. The day was in the late afternoon and no one else was around. The two began to sort out their groceries and prepared to cook the meal.
"So, we made some more friends along the way. But there was an accident that occurred that we ended up having to leave our old home and come out here." said Rodan. Aria gave him a deadpanned stare.
"What? Not gonna go into any more detail?"
"I...I kinda don't want to get into it. Sorry, it's just something that I'm still bummed out about." said Rodan with a light frown. Aria noticed his solemn expression. For some reason, it unnerved her. It felt off to see this eccentric young man to be more down about this compared to the loss of his parents.
"It was that bad?" asked Aria. Rodan nodded in response. Aria cleared her throat.
"Alright. Since you don't want to talk about it, I won't press you." said Aria as she crossed her arms with a shrug. Rodan gave her a small smile.
"Thanks for understanding." said Rodan. He then reached for the flat bread and began to set them on a tray as he started a fire in the fire pit.  Rodan made his way over to a grill grate that stood on four metal legs. He placed it over the fire and then laid a pan on it. Aria handed him meat that she unwrapped and the Transmutant placed it in the pan and pulled out a spatula. Aria spent her time cutting some of the vegetables over a tray and moved the sliced pieces into separate bowls. After the next few minutes, Rodan moved on to toast some of the flatbread.
"Well, it's not tortillas, but this comes close enough." said Rodan. Aria nodded in response, even though she had no idea about the difference between the two other than the names.
"I told you everything about me. Tell me about yourself." said Rodan. Aria sighed.
"Alright, alright. Well, I guess I always had a bit of a talent for singing ever since I was a little kid." said Aria. She knew that she couldn't tell Rodan about everything. She hoped that she could twist the truth enough for it to keep her true self a secret.
"A bit of a talent? That's a bit of an understatement." chuckled Rodan.
"Yeah well, I try not to brag. You could say that it runs in the family." said Aria.
"Tell me about it." said Rodan, his interest peaked. Aria rubbed the back of her head.
"Well, my parents were singers. But they weren't like famous for it or anything." said Aria.
"That's a shame. If you're really awesome at it, I bet your parents are, too." said Rodan.
"Thanks, but I don't really care for fame. Honestly, I'm looking for a bit of excitement in my life." said Aria. Rodan's interest peaked higher as he liked women that desired excitement. Aria placed the bowl filled with the sliced vegetables to the side of the tray. "I don't think a singing career will do me any favors. I'll just get bored of that."
"Have you ever done anything exciting at home?" asked Rodan.
"Rarely. There was hardly anything to do back home other than singing. That lessened the boredom a bit, but it wasn't enough. Things seemed more fun when I was kid when I first met Adagio and Sonata." said Aria. Rodan gave her a curious glance.
"You don't seem to be very good friends." said Rodan. Aria gave him a look of confusion.
"Huh? Why would you think that?" asked Aria.
"Oh! I didn't mean to be rude. It's just that...I don't know. You guys seem to argue a lot. You also seem kinda mean to Sonata sometimes." said Rodan as he began to flip the meat on the other side and began to season it.
"Well, that's kinda how we always interacted with each other." said Aria. "I mean, yeah sometimes I get annoyed with Sonata with her stupidity, but she's use to how I react to her. Adagio and I sometimes argue more than with Sonata, but only because that's what friends do. When one of us messes up, the others give her crap about it."
"Well, Sonata is a sweet girl. I noticed that she isn't that bright, but she seems cool. She reminds of me of a friend back at home. Cut her some slack." said Rodan. He began to mash the meat into smaller pieces with his spatula onto the pan. "But, I get the arguing. I sometimes have that with the guys and Mosu."
"You crushing on Sonata?" asked Aria with a raised brow. Rodan shook his head.
"Not really. I mean, she's cute and nice, but she's not my type of girl." said Rodan. Aria raised a brow in confusion. The way this man shamelessly flirted with women, there was no telling what his type was. Rodan then turned to face her. "But, I think Sonata's crushing on Angirasu."
"Wait, you think so, too?!" exclaimed Aria. Rodan nodded.
"Sure. It's so obvious. But Goji and Angirasu are too dense to even realize that a girl is crushing on them. In fact, there was this girl that liked Gojira and he was completely oblivious to it! She had to tell him that she did after she decided to move on from trying to confess to him!" said Rodan with a chuckle. He then looked to her with a smile. "Come on, didn't you know that Sonata liked Aang?"
"Well...I had my suspicions. But I wasn't sure." said Aria.
"Haven't you ever had a crush on a guy?" asked Rodan.
"No." answered Aria. Rodan tilted his head.
"Girls, then?" asked Rodan. Aria's eyes widened.
"Wha- No!" said Aria she raised her fist. Rodan raised his hands up defensively.
"Sorry! I was just asking. Some people are into that. I'm not one to judge." said Rodan with a nervous smile. Aria sighed.
"Look, I never had a crush on a guy because I never really hung out with guys other than my dad." said Aria in annoyance.
"Oh, so you're a daddy's girl?" said Rodan with a smile. Aria scoffed in offense.
"So what if I am?!" demanded Aria.
"I think it's cool." said Rodan with a smile. Aria looked to him in surprise.
"Yo-you do?" asked Aria.
"Yeah. Honestly, if I were to have kids and they turn out to be girls, I worry that they wouldn't like to spend time with me. If you hung out with your dad, then that's great!" said Rodan as he continued to mash the meat into pieces. The meat began to turn brown.
"Yeah. Dad was pretty cool." sighed Aria. Rodan heard the disappointed tone in her voice. His mind even registered the word, 'was'.
"Was?" asked Rodan.
"My old man died when I was fourteen." said Aria. She then looked down as she crossed her arms with a growing frown. "He was fishing out into sea one day. Next thing I hear, his boat was sunken to the bottom of the sea."
"Before he left, he told me that he was gonna take me with him next time. I was holding him to that. But, we never found him." said Aria. Her voice threatened to crack. She hid her face as she trembled. Her eyes stung.
"H-hey, you alright?" asked Rodan in concern. Aria took a deep breath and slowly released the air that she had taken in.
"Yeah...I'm good." said Aria softly. Rodan frowned as he watched the girl back down from showing her emotions.
"You know, I won't think less of you if you cry." said Rodan as he scooped the cook meat and placed them into a container.
"You think I care what you think?" demanded Aria with a glare. Rodan returned her glare with a hard stare.
"If you don't, then why are trying so hard to hide it?" asked Rodan. Aria went silent.
"I... Look, I just don't want people to think that I'm some weak crybaby! Do you know how frustrating it is to have people of the opposite sex avoid you because of your demeanor? Do you know how much it sucks to have the one closest to just leave you like that?!" demanded Aria. She stood to her feet with an angry expression. "I could never understand guys because they never gave me the chance to interact with them! It was because I was 'too boring' or I was 'I wasn't as good looking as the other girls'! I loved my dad and he helped me learn a bit about them other than their expectations of a woman, but now he's gone!"
"Aria..." Rodan watched the Siren as she began to fall apart. Her bottled-up emotions spurred uncontrollably from her frustration. Aria dropped to her knees as her eyes began to run with tears. She slammed her fist into the sand in anger.
"It's not fair! Why did he have to go?!" yelled Aria. She broke into a sob as she placed her hands onto the hot sand. Her tears fell from her cheeks and onto the sand. Aria suddenly felt herself wrapped into an embrace. She gasped as she realized that Rodan was holding her. The Transmutant stroked her head comfortingly as he held her.
"I guess me flirting with you didn't help, huh?" asked Rodan. Aria sniffed.
"It's just...it was weird. Sure I was annoyed by it, but it bothered me inside. I wasn't use to guys paying that much attention to me before. I know you don't actually mean it." said Aria in between hiccups as she tried to calm herself. 
"Well, that's not entirely true." replied Rodan. "You are pretty. It's just that you don't put yourself out there enough. I'm not telling you to change, because I kinda like how you are."
"Oh?" asked Siren, her heart skipped a beat.
"Aria, you know what I like about you?" asked Rodan as he released the Siren. Aria went stiff with a light blush threatening to creep onto her face.
"Wait! Wh-what's brought this all of the sudden?" asked Aria.
"Nothing really. I like how you remain strong enough to be who you are. Forget those guys back at your home. If life has taught me anything, a fantasy girl is what it is. A fantasy." said Rodan. He then helped Aria stand to her feet. "I learned that back in Ponyville. I once wanted to meet a girl who was a knockout. I wanted her to have nice hips, big eyes, and long, flowing hair."
"Wow. *sniff* Those are some high standards." said Aria. Rodan chuckled in response.
"Yeah, they were. But I wasn't being realistic. That was until I met her." said Rodan. He then sighed as looked to the clouds above. "She was a Valkyrie with long, rainbow hair. It was never combed, but it suited her personality. She had spunk and was competitive. She liked to joke around and she knew how to have fun."
"She sounds a bit like you." said Aria.
"In some ways, she was. I was drawn to that. She wasn't the most beautiful girl in town, but she was attractive. I liked her courage and determination. She was quite a woman." said Rodan. He then noticed the awkward glance that Aria was giving him. Rodan cleared his throat. "The point is that I wasn't even aiming for her type. I realized that I liked her a lot when I began to spend more time with her. The same can be for you."
"Me?" asked Aria.
"Sure! Just try to be more open and you might meet a guy you might like and he might like you!" said Rodan. Aria waved her hands frantically.
"Wait! I'm not even ready to be in a relationship!" said Aria with a blush.
"Well, than just start off as friends. Maybe Adagio and Sonata might know some guys." said Rodan with a shrug. "You're only young once."
"Yeah, I guess." said Aria with a sigh. The two began to move the bowls around and the flat bread. They had covered them up in foil and they began to remove the pan from the grill grate and they then moved the grill grate itself. Aria looked to Rodan as he began to pull out additional ingredients.
"Can't have tacos without hot sauce!" said Rodan. He held up a clear bottle filled with and orange liquid. Rodan began to serve himself a taco as he placed the beef, the vegetable slices and the grated cheese inside. He then began to pour the hot sauce into his taco. He then took a bite of the meal, savoring the taste. He moaned in delight as he tasted the food and swallowed it after he had finished chewing.
"We did good! Man, finally my own hot sauce is a success!" said Rodan as he held up the bottle triumphantly.
"Wait, you made it?" asked Aria in surprise.
"Yep! I've been trying it for years! It didn't work out so well the first time. But after several tries, I finally got it!" said Rodan. "Serve yourself a taco and try some! The others should be getting back soon!"
"Alright." said Aria. She proceeded to serve herself her food and took a paper plate. As she placed her taco over the plate, she nervously began to take a bite.
"Hmm. Wow you did a good job." praised Aria with her mouth filled with food. Rodan smiled proudly.
"Thanks. Hey, try this hot sauce and tell me what you think." said Rodan as he handed Aria the bottle. She took it in her hand and began to pour the liquid onto her food. She suddenly saw Rodan reach for a water bottle.
"You might need this. It's pretty spicy." said Rodan. Aria nodded. She then slowly took a bite of the taco. She felt the spiciness reach her taste buds. It had the taste of garlic with a bit of sweetness to it with the taste of peppers. Aria was not familiar with these tastes, but she liked them nonetheless. Still, her inexperience with spicy food cost her dearly as she immediately put down her taco, took the water bottle from Rodan, and chug the water down until the bottle was half empty. 
"OK. That was pretty good. The hot sauce is frightening, though." said Aria. Rodan chuckled in response. "Nice work on it. I never knew you were creative."
"Well, some of my ideas aren't that good, but I'm glad that this one turned out good." said Rodan with a grin, which made Aria smile in response. Although she was embarrassed for crying in front of him, she felt some weight lifted off of her shoulders. She even began to process their conversation about opening up to others. She hoped that her friends would support her through her endeavor to be more comfortable with others.




Meanwhile in Trotkyo, Neighpon...

On this early morning, things were quiet in this large city. Lights shone brightly from screens and signs. Neighponese characters appeared on screen for advertisements for new products. Neighpon's hot spot for Transmutant activity has led to tensions growing and the rise of civil unrest was inevitable. Battra walked among the locals with his black hood pulled over his head. His leather jacket with red markings was worn over his hoodie. The Transmutant searched the area as casually as possible. He then spotted a familiar purple haired woman. He began to stroll over to her.
"Hey." greeted Battra. The woman turned around to greet Battra.
"Hey there, handsome." winked Megaguirus.
"Cut it out. Where's Mukade and the other two?" questioned Battra. Megaguirus shrugged in response.
"Don't know. They were supposed to be here by now. I still don't see why we couldn't just leave together." said Megaguirus.
"Too dangerous. I rather not draw attention to ourselves by allowing MONARCH catching civilians emerging out of nowhere from an uninhabited forest." said Battra as he adjusted his leather jacket. Megaguirus then eyed the apparel. A smile formed on her face.
"That's a nice jacket. Where did you get it?" asked Megaguirus.
"I killed some bastard and took it from his corpse." answered Battra nonchalantly. Megaguirus's eyes widened. Battra cracked a smirk at her shocked expression.
"Gotcha. I didn't kill anybody for this. This is something that I stole yesterday." said Battra. Megaguirus gave him a sigh.
"Dude, don't wear the clothes of a man you have killed. That's just bad luck waiting to happen." said Megaguirus.
"Meh. If luck was what shaped our destinies, than it won't count for crap for MONARCH when we're done with them." said Battra.
"Hm. Wonder how long that'll be until we reach that point." wondered Megaguirus. Battra sighed.
"Yeah, me too."
The two waited the next couple of minutes for their companions. Megaguirus tapped her foot impatiently while Battra stood with his arms crossed over his chest. Megaguirus then noticed a trio approaching from a small crowd of people.
"Bout time!" said Megaguirus. Mukade walked past a few people along with two men trailing behind him.
"Sorry. We got lost." said Mukade.
"You. You got lost." said one of the men. Mukade sent him a glare.
"Look it doesn't matter. Next time, be quick when we are on a mission like this. I rather avoid being here for too long." said Battra in annoyance. He led the Transmutants through the city where people walked casually. It was as though there was not a care in the world. Small metal vehicles on four wheels were crossing the streets. At least a few dozen of these were being driven by citizens. The vehicles were a new invention that would one day replace the carriage. Battra scanned the area until he spotted an establishment. He motioned for the other Transmutants to follow him inside. As they made it in, they found the clerk helping a customer.
"Go find what we need. Megaguirus, with me." ordered Battra. The other men nodded and made their way down the aisle. Megaguirus stood next to Battra as casually as she could be.
"Must be nice being a second in command." said Megaguirus, hoping to strike a conversation. Battra wasn't worried about what she had said since he knew that no one else in the establishment knew Equish.
"It's alright. I'm not doing it for perks. I'm doing it because Destoroyah trusts me with this responsibility. But It's been stressful lately." said Battra with a sigh.
"Why's that?" asked Megaguirus.
"Well for one, Shinomura is such an ass. He's been challenging my authority. I think he's even trying to get a few others to challenge me. I don't know why Destoroyah chose that man out of all the other Transmutants to be one of the elite fighters. He sees Destoroyah as some kind of God and has a few screws loose." said Battra.
"Well, the way we have to address him, it almost seems that way. 'All hail Lord Destoroyah!'" said Megaguirus in a mock salute. Battra couldn't help crack a small smile. He was amused by the woman's perception of the whole thing of referring to his teacher as 'lord'. He did find it quite silly himself.
"Yeah, but I am sworn to loyalty to our leader. After all, no one else is stronger to lead us." said Battra.
"Weeeell, I think you might be qualified." said Megaguirus. Battra waved his hand dismissively.
"No way. I'm flattered but I'm not qualified for full command. I'm just a soldier." said Battra.
"Some soldier. Your ass is out here shopping for diapers and baby food!" said Megaguirus as she pointed to Mukade and the other two Transmutants. In their hands they carried boxes labeled as a brand of baby food and diapers.
"A favor for an ally. That's all it is." said Battra as he crossed his arms. Megaguirus rolled her eyes. The two made their way up to the clerk to check out the products.
"Oh. I see that someone is having a little bundle of joy." said the clerk with a smile as he eyed Megaguirus. She cleared her throat.
"Um...no, it's actually not for me. It's for a friend." said Megaguirus in embarrassment. One of the male Transmutants snorted in amusement.
"Yeah, some friend." said the Transmutant. Mukade elbowed the man in his side, causing him to yelp in pain. Battra made his way closer to the clerk.
"How much?" asked Battra. The clerk was about to answer, but was silenced as Battra raised his hand.
"Forget it. We're not gonna pay it." said Battra as his red eyes began to glow. Suddenly, the clerk felt himself growing light and fell onto the ground unconscious. Battra turned back to the Transmutants.
"Pick everything back up and let’s get going." ordered Battra.
"I knew your broke ass still didn't have cash." said Megaguirus with a sigh. Mukade chuckled in amusement.



Battra walked down the halls of the Transmutant Revolutionaries' lair. He had recently delivered the items that were requested by Hok and his wife. The past couple of days have been going well with stocking up on baby food and diapers, but it wouldn't be enough to care for all seven babies. Battra continued down the halls and found Destoroyah siting on his rubble throne. Inside of the room were Ebirah, Gaira, Shinomura, Titano, and Hok. 
"Hok? What brings you here?" asked Battra.
"My children." said Hok in a serious tone. Battra was unnerved at the tense atmosphere flowing into the room. Destoroyah rose to his feet.
"My student, we are here to discuss our contingency plan for the generator. You are just in time to join us." said Destoroyah. Battra nodded as he walked further into the room.
"Well, let's get started." said Battra.
“As you know, the magazines are vital to our group. Its enchanted gems, created by MONARCH scientists, are what allow us to store the radiation inside. We have been gathering as much magazines as possible from all sorts of fire arms that were designed to hold these gems." said Titano as he held up a glowing green gem. "We mainly stock up on these gems in case we are ever forced into a predicament to where we can't visit a nuclear source. Geothermal sources are heavily guarded now that MONARCH has caught on to our ability to harness a more natural source."
"Now, the infants may be more reliant on the energy that we consume. So, we will have to double our scavenging for magazines and we will have to accelerate our nuclear raid sooner. Meaning we have to do it this month." said Titano. Battra's eyes widened.
"This month?! But, how will we have enough time?!" asked Battra, incredulously.
"Simple. We just kick some more ass." said Gaira as he punched his palm. 
"That's right. This evening, a convoy with a few trucks holding weapons will be nearing the outskirts of the graveyard of the Takeshi clan." said Titano. Battra looked to him in surprise.
"As in...Gojira Takeshi?" asked Battra. Titano nodded.
"The very same. The graveyard of Neighpon's most legendary warriors." said Titano. Destoroyah grinned sinisterly to himself.
"So the plan is to take out the convoy, raid their weapons and ammo, bring them back here, and dismantle the mags for the gems." said Titano as he crushed the gem into his palm. The radiation stored inside flowed into his nostrils as he inhaled deeply.
"After we have gathered enough gems, we shall take a large team and travel to Saddle Arabia." said Destoroyah. Battra looked to him in confusion.
"Why there?"
"Because, Neighpon is growing too hot with our activity and has placed the nuclear plants here on lockdown. Saddle Arabia has no trace of MONARCH's presence. We must use that to our advantage and gather the radiation that will be stocked up for the babies." explained Destoroyah. He then began to walk past his loyalists and into the hall.
"If we all have an understanding of the mission, gather the soldiers. The time will be coming." commanded Destoroyah.
"Yes, Lord Destoroyah." said the loyalists in unison.
"Yes, Sensei." said Battra. He wore an uneasy expression. It wasn't concern for his own life, for he was in danger all the time. He mostly feared for Hok. If he was a part of this meeting, that meant that Hok was participating in this attack.
"Hok, stay close to me. Things get hairy when in battle with MONARCH." said Battra. Hok gave him an amused smile.
"Don't underestimate me. I know how to fight too, you know." said Hok with a smile. Battra nodded to him reluctantly. 




Meanwhile back in Saddle Arabia...

The sun had lowered much further back on this side of the planet. The continents on the other end of the world were enjoying the sunshine brought by Celestia while the continents on this side of the world were to enjoy the coming evening brought by Luna. Sonata sat next to Angirasu. Among them were the rest of the Transmutants and Sirens. They all feasted on the dinner that was prepared by Rodan and Aria. Sonata moaned as her taste buds danced from the taste of the meal that she was having. The others were enjoying their meals as well. Mosura looked to Rodan with a smile.
"I can't believe your work finally paid off!  I'm so proud of you!" said Mosura. Rodan smiled to himself.
"Yeah, this hot sauce is great, especially with these delicious tacos." said Junior.
"Should you be eating that since your stomach has been hurting?" asked Angirasu worriedly.
"Probably not, but I don't give a damn. Besides, it's my abdomen that hurts, not my gut." replied Junior as he took another bite of his taco. Sonata continued to eat her taco with gusto.
"Mmh! This is soooooo good!" said Sonata in between crunches. Angirasu nodded in agreement.
"So glad that I don't have to worry about puking my guts out." chuckled Angirasu.
"Haha! Very funny!" said Rodan sarcastically. He was about to take another bite of his taco, but noticed that Angirasu, Junior, Mosura, Adagio and Sonata were covered in dirt.
"Were you guys caught in a sandstorm or something?" asked Rodan.
"No. We were wandering around the market earlier and then a huge fight starts." answered Junior.
"Seriously? That's three times this month!" exclaimed Rodan. Mosura nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, it's quite peculiar that this village has been going crazy lately. It's like some kind of civil unrest is going on." said Mosura.
"Man, it was soooo scary!" said Sonata as she shivered from the memories. She then looked to Angirasu with a blush. "But Angirasu was so brave."
"Aw." said Angirasu with an embarrassed chuckle.
"Hey, and what about us? You think we were just pissing our pants while things went down?" demanded Junior. Adagio smirked in amusement.
"If I recall, you looked like you were beginning to panic in the midst of all the chaos." said Adagio. Junior sent her a glare.
"Hey, you weren't doing any better than I was. In fact, I was only starting to panic because that guy came at you with a knife!"
"Hmph. Good point." said Adagio with a shrug. She then gave Junior a smirk. "I didn't think you took a shine to me."
"Oh come on. Don't try to embarrass me. I get enough of that from Mosura." said Junior as he pointed a thumb at the female Transmutant.
"You're so uptight, you know?" Mosura crossed her arms with an amused smile.
"No, I'm not." said Junior with a chuckle.
"You kinda are, man." said Angirasu. Junior looked to him incredulously.
"Aang! Buddy, you too?! I expected this from Rodan, but not you!" said Junior. Angirasu shrugged.
"Hey, I'm just being honest because I'm you friend." said Angirasu.
"Alright, I'll remember that." said Junior with a smile. Adagio scooted closer to Junior with a smile.
"So, you were worried about me?" asked Adagio as she leaned near him as she pocked her finger into the center of his chest. Junior cleared his throat as he avoided eye contact.
"So what if I was?" asked Junior nervously. Adagio smirked in response.
"Just curious. I think it's sweet of you. And it earns you some points on being more attractive." said Adagio with a wink. Junior blushed lightly in embarrassment.
"I...think you've been around Rodan too much." muttered Junior. Adagio lightly laughed in amusement. Mosura was about to take another bite of her taco, but a thought crossed her mind.
"Hey Goji, what did you mean by returning home over a week back?" asked Mosura. Junior focused back to the Transmutant. All eyes were focused on him curiously.
"Well...it turns out that Celestia doesn't care about the...'incident'” said Junior. Mosura, Angirasu and Rodan caught on to what he meant. Adagio had the idea of what Junior was getting at, but failed to realize that it went deeper than what she was told.
"How do you know?" asked Rodan in surprise.
"Luna sent me a message that said Celestia wanted me to come home. I wanted to wait to tell you guys that Celestia invited us to this year's Summer Sun Celebration." said Junior with a smile.
"She...wants us to come?" asked Angirasu in disbelief. Junior nodded.
"That's right. Since I told Luna that I wasn't going to come back until things were settled at home, I also told her that I wasn't gonna leave you leave you guys out here in this desert. I guess they took care of some stuff and invited us as a welcome home kind of thing." said Junior. Mosura's eyes widened.
"So...you stayed with us when you had an opportunity to go home?" asked Mosura in a soft tone.
"Of course I did! If I were to abandon you guys to selfishly go back to Canterlot, then I'd be a total jack-ass!" said Junior.
"Wait, who's Celestia?" asked Aria.
"My adoptive mother." answered Junior. Sonata's eyes widened.
"So, you don't have any parents?" asked Sonata with quivering lips. Junior was about to answer but then noticed her expression that looked to be on the verge of breaking down.
"Um...no. But it's fine. The world kinda sucks at the moment so I don't have to worry about them living in this craptacular time. They're in a better place." said Junior. 
Adagio looked to Junior with a smile but frowned as memories of her purpose came flooding back. She stood up to her feet and made her way past the group. Junior looked to her in confusion.
"Adagio? Where are you going?" asked Junior.
"I just want to sit on the beach for a while. I'll be back later." replied Adagio, her frown increasing.




Later that night...

Adagio sat outside on the beach shore alone. She watched the waves splash onto the shore and recede back into the great sea. She sighed as she tossed a shell over into the waves. She clutched her knees as she stared into the sea and moon in longing. Her mission to steal the negative energy had been going fine but the fights that broke out made it more difficult. She even had to make sure that Junior and the others were far enough to avoid them getting caught in their spell. It was risky to be alone without the male escorts, but it was for the greater good. The energy needed was about complete.
"Adagio." called Sarila. Adagio gasped as she looked to her glowing pendant.
"Sarila!" cried Adagio.
"Adagio, listen to me. There isn't much time left!" said Sarila urgently. "He will be coming to feed! We haven't been able to gather any of them to fend him off! You and the others must hurry and begin the song!" said Sarila. Adagio felt her heart skip a beat.
"Sarila, there must be something else that we can do." said Adagio as she thought back to Junior's words of standing up to foes.
"No! He's too strong for us to resist! Our only option is to appease him!" said Sarila urgently. Adagio clutched her pendant as she trembled. If that was the case, than the one she began to see as a friend would perish. She wondered why she felt so reluctant to proceed with her mission ever since she developed a friendship with Junior.
"I...I understand Sarila." said Adagio.
"Adagio...I know it's hard. But there's nothing that we can do." said Sarila in a soft tone. Adagio nodded.
"Lead the humans that you capture under your to the beach where the fishermen deport from. He will be expecting you three there." said Sarila.
"Yes, ma'am." said Adagio. The glowing pendant died down. Adagio slammed her fist into the sand in anger. She couldn't understand why she was feeling so troubled. She wanted her people to survive, but the cost was the destruction of the lives of the humans that had taken her and her friends in. Adagio stared off into the distance of the sea.
"What if...I'm no better than the humans?" asked Adagio.
"Adagio?" called Junior. The Siren went stiff as she heard her name called. She found Junior in his black sweater approaching from behind. The young man took a seat next to her in the sand.
"Hey, what are you doing out here?" asked Junior.
"Nothing. I'm just...admiring the view." answered Adagio as she avoided eye contact with Junior. The Transmutant turned to look at the sea as it reflected the night sky. Adagio sighed.
"But...I guess the sea is stupid, huh? I mean, who cares about that?" asked Adagio in a bitter tone. Junior looked to her in confusion.
"Huh? Who said the sea was stupid?" asked Junior. Adagio glanced at him.
"That's what you think of it right? Too many dangerous creatures? It's a horrible place because you can't survive in it?" asked Adagio in a harsh tone.
"Whoa! Whoa! Slow down." said Junior. Adagio lowered her head to her knees. Her chin was held up by her knees.
"Adagio, I wanted to see how you were doing. But the sea seems to be making you upset." said Junior. Adagio looked to him with a glare.
"It's not the sea, it's the people! I have never heard anyone say anything good about the sea! I always hear, 'Oh it's dangerous!' 'Monsters will eat you if you go swimming in it!' I have never heard anyone say anything good about it!" said Adagio. She then turned away in frustration.
"I can't believe how hu- people...can just assume everything is bad about it."
"Adagio..." Junior watched Adagio sat with an angry expression on her face. He sighed. "Look, not everyone is keen about the sea. It's natural that some people fear it because of those things. But not everyone is like that."
"How do you know?" asked Adagio as she held a scowl.
"Well, because I think the sea is amazing." answered Junior. Adagio lightly gasped in response. She then turned to face Junior to find him gazing out into the sea.
"See how the moon compliments the waves and the water? The light reflects off of it very little but creates an amazing view. But when you go under, you find the dim lighting of the sea floor." said Junior as he thought back to the times he had been under the Great Inland Sea. "In the day, the light brightens up the water and creates this beautiful shade of blue. The fish swim in groups or alone. They're like birds. The white sand, the rocks, the plants, the creatures, they make the ocean a beautiful place. Sure there's danger, but that's the case with every ecosystem!"
"You..." Adagio wanted to speak but she was in too much shock. A human spoke fondly of the sea, her home. Her heart felt warm in her chest.
"The sea, or ocean, is feared because we haven't been able to explore it that much. There's so much that we don't know about. The ignorance of an unexplored place causes fear, but some are brave enough to overcome that for the discovery. If I could, I'd live in the Sea." said Junior with a smile. Adagio stared with wide eyes. A human declaring that he would live in the sea that her kind thrived in. She felt her eyes water, but she immediately wiped them and looked down.
"Gojira... are we friends?" asked Adagio. Junior looked at her and noticed her dejected expression.
"Sure. But, why are you so upset?" asked Junior in concern. Adagio leaned against his shoulder with a sad expression.
"I'm just afraid." answered Adagio. Junior raised a brow.
"Afraid of what?" asked Junior.
"I'm afraid for my friends. I have to help Sarila before it's too late." said Adagio took Junior's arm and held onto it. Junior blushed slightly from the physical contact. "Gojira, I want you and the others to listen to us sing tomorrow."
"OK. But...why tomorrow?" asked Junior in confusion. Adagio held him tightly as she gritted her teeth and held back her tears.
"I...I want myself and the girls to be at our best. We're going to try to and get back home to raise the money for our friend." said Adagio.
"Alright. But remember, you can count on me if you need help. I'm here for you." said Junior in reassurance. Adagio smiled lightly to herself as a tear trailed down her cheek.
"You're not so bad now that I've gotten to know you." said Adagio with a small chuckle. Junior chuckled as well.
"Yeah. Same to you." replied Junior as he wrapped Adagio with his left arm over her shoulder. Adagio smirked in response.
"Are you trying to get romantic with me?" asked Adagio. Junior immediately released her and placed his arm back to his side and slightly scooted away.
"No! I was just trying to comfort you!" said Junior. Adagio laughed. She then scooted back to Junior and took his arm and wrapped it over her shoulder.
"Get back here. It's cold out." said Adagio. Junior sighed.
'Why is it that the girls that I know now try to embarrass me when the ones back in school always tried to avoid me?' thought Junior. Adagio leaned against him as her eyes grew heavy.
'I won't let you get involved Gojira. You or your friends.' thought Adagio.




Neighpon...

The night had fallen over the Eastern Island. The silence of the night was broken with the sounds of crackling fire. Among a great field of road were box shaped armored vehicles with wheels that were painted black and had the MONARCH insignia on its doors. These vehicles had turrets attacked to their back, but they were in deplorable conditions as they were turned over, crushed, burning and dented with the corpses of MONARCH soldiers occupying them. One soldier hung dead over the turret that he was using before the jeep was crushed on the front. Over a dozen Transmutants roamed the area and began to take the weapons away from the dead soldiers and proceeded to take the magazines from the weapons and stored them in bags. There were four large trucks with cloth over the back sides of them. A couple of Transmutants were passing weapons over to the others, allowing them to dismantle the weapons. The trucks were escorted by jeeps and soldiers in order to guarantee the safe delivery of MONARCH's weapons to another base. Unfortunately, no one survived the raid except for the Transmutants.
Battra watched as the Transmutant Revolutionaries proceeded to gather the magazines. Hok popped his shoulder and his neck.
"Man, I almost wish that I transformed." said Hok.
"Yeah, but we don't even have any clothes that we could change into. I'm just happy that we were able to succeed without doing so. It might have drawn attention to us." said Battra. Hok sighed.
"It’s unfortunate how it's come to this." said Hok. He then turned to the stars. "I wonder how things would be if our situation was different. If we weren't mutated and forced to struggle for survival."
"One could only dream." replied Battra. He then searched the area. "Hmm. Destoroyah isn't here."
"I think I saw him going over there after the battle ended." said Hok as he pointed to the distance. Battra found a forested area. He began to make his way down there and off of the road. He passed through the amounts of trees that obscured his vision. He eventually found Destoroyah standing alone looking on to an open area.
"So many graves." said Destoroyah.
"Sensei?" called Battra.
"Come my student. Gaze upon the tombstones of legends." said Destoroyah. Battra reluctantly made his way over to Destoroyah's side. He found dozens of tombstones in rows. They all stood up tall in the concrete walkway that made the graveyard. Names of the Takeshi clan members were carved in Neighponese characters from top to bottom on the tombstones. Destoroyah led Battra through the graveyard. Small decaying statues of serpent-like dragons stood among the graveyard, bearing their teeth as if to ward off any desecrators. Destoroyah began to read the names to himself. Battra looked at the names and the year of birth and death. He noticed that as they had made their way down to the more recent looking tombstones and that they depicted the same year of death.  
"After Neighpon was relieved from the war with the Griffons, the Takeshi clan's men had grown to be more as a vigilante team of samurai rather than soldiers for the New Empire. The war had cost both countries many lives, but the samurai began to dwindle in number." said Destoroyah as he continued to lead Battra through the grave yard.
"The Takeshi clan and a few others formed a greater legacy compared to their days as loyal soldiers of the old Emperor. But before the war, they began to see the old Emperor as a foolish and cruel man. So, they dedicated themselves of serving the people by rebelling against the empire while assisting the invading Griffons." said Destoroyah. He then chuckled to himself.
"But through the decades, they began to fall. A rival clan fought for control of the land that the Takeshi clan defended. The two clans went to war with each other, ending in the death of both clans. Well...so most people thought." said Destoroyah. Battra listened to the story with interest.
"A few members survived and continued their duty to protect their land. Gojira the First was a teenager during the time after the clan feud, so he was raised to be a warrior alongside his elder cousins and uncles. His teacher and father was an older man named Ishiro 'Honda' Takeshi.." said Destoroyah with a sinister smile. "The remaining Takeshi clan returned to the Empire's ranks as soldiers, but eventually died off with only the young Gojira and Ishiro remaining. The man was growing older and was able to live long enough to his only son marry off to one of the villagers. A sign of hope that the clan and his lineage would survive."
"Sensei, what does this have to with anything?" asked Battra. Destoroyah stopped and pointed to a set of tombs. One was labled, 'Ishiro 'Honda' Takeshi' and the other was 'Miwa 'Tanaka' Takeshi'.
"These humans were the closest relatives to Gojira Takeshi the Second. His grandfather on his father's side, and his mother." said Destoroyah. "Meet these fallen humans, for we will be the ones reuniting them with their descendent in the future. The traitor to Transmutants."
"I've noticed that Gojira the first is not here." said Battra,
"MONARCH took his corpse away. I made sure that they had no trouble." said Destoroyah with a dark smile. Battra looked to him in confusion.
"What do you mean?" asked Battra. Destoroyah turned to him with a smile.
"Don't worry about it. It's hardly relevant today." said Destoroyah as he turned away and made his way to leave the grave yard. Battra watched as Destoroyah left. Battra began to step away from the tombstones but felt a chill reach him. He turned to find nothing behind him. Then out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a lone woman in white staring at him from afar. She wore a neutral expression as she stared at Battra with expressionless grayish-blue eyes. Her black hair flowed in the wind as her kimono gave an eerie glow. Battra rubbed his eyes and refocused them. He found the woman to be gone. 
"I must be seeing things." said Battra to himself. He then turned and made his way out of the grave yard. Unaware of a white mist flowing through the air.
	
> Chapter 33: Dazzling Pipers
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The scorching sun had risen once again over Saddle Arabia. It was a calm day, but Adagio was growing more anxious by the hour. She stood with Aria and Sonata alone just outside of the camp. She was hesitant to speak, but nonetheless she pressed on.
"You know we have to do this. There isn't much time." said Adagio in a low tone. Sonata wore a distressed expression.
"Dagi, we can't! These guys are our friends!" said Sonata.
"These guys aren't so bad. Isn't there anything else that we can do?" asked Aria in worry. Adagio sighed.
"We need the humans. He'll be expecting an offering and we don't have a lot of time." said Adagio.
"But...what about Angirasu and the others? Are we gonna let that monster eat them too?" asked Sonata. Aria gave Adagio a glare.
"Like how it ate our people? Like how it ate my father?!" demanded Aria. Adagio returned the glare.
"You think this is easy for me?! You think I don't care about them?!" demanded Adagio. Aria got into her face.
"You never liked humans in the first place! Why are they any different to you?"
"I don't know! Humans are so foolish and greedy! They have no respect for their lands or the other members of their kind!" said Adagio. She looked down angrily. "They taint the waters with their trash and oil. It's not even their home, it's ours. I thought they all despised our oceans and everything that lived in it."
"But then I heard Gojira talk about how beautiful our home was. He spoke of it kindly. He even said that he would live in it if he could!" said Adagio. She then looked up to them with a smile. "He showed me redeeming qualities in humans. I've learned that I've just been generalizing them all based on the actions a few. But we can't do anything else about our situation. The humans won't help us because they see us as monsters."
"So we're just going to feed him our friends?" asked Sonata with the beginnings of tears. Adagio gave her a hard stare.
"No, we are not. That's why I wanted you to meet me here. We're going to make sure that they don't become a part of this. We may have to sacrifice a lot for our own, but at least our friends will be safe." said Adagio. Aria sighed solemnly.
"What did you have in mind?" asked Aria.
"Here's what we're going to do." said Adagio as she brought her fellow Sirens close.




Later that afternoon...

The sun was setting over the land of Saddle Arabia. A small building sat alone in the village. It was abandoned and condemned. The stone walls were shattered on the outside, leaving small holes outside. Wood littered the area. A door was closed shut, made entirely out of wood. The inside was dark with tables turned over and shattered. A juke box was smashed into the ground. The door suddenly opened, allowing the orange light from the setting sun to seep. Inside stepped the Sirens and Transmutants. They walked inside of the abandoned building in silence. The Sirens grew nervous as they led the Transmutants inside.
"Man, what a dump!" said Rodan as he looked around the building. Mosura looked to the Sirens in confusion.
"Is this really where you want to practice?" asked Mosura.
"Yes. This place will do just fine." said Adagio. She turned to face the Transmutants with a forced smile.
"Say, why don't we practice individually? I'll sing to you and Gojira in the other room..." said Adagio as she pointed to Gojira and Mosura. She then pointed to Rodan and Angirasu. "Rodan can listen to Aria in the back, and Sonata can sing to Angirasu here."
"Umm...OK. But why not start with all three of you?" asked Rodan in confusion.
"Sorry, it's how we practice. We warm up separately and are critiqued individually before we practice together." explained Adagio. Mosura nodded.
"Hmm. That makes sense. Lead the way!" said Mosura. Adagio nodded as she lead Junior and Mosura out of the lobby. Adagio led them to a room and closed the door behind them, her expression turning serious.
Back in the lobby, Rodan was lead into the back by Aria. The Transmutant chuckled in amusement.
"Hopefully I'll be able to hear you sing for real this time." said Rodan in a joking manner. Aria laughed nervously as she led Rodan into the back as she closed the door. She leaned against the door with her eyes closed. Rodan noticed her action and saw how she visibly trembled.
"Hey, you alright?" asked Rodan. Aria looked to him with a solemn expression.
"I'm so sorry." said Aria as her eyes began to glow a hellish red.
Back in the lobby, Angirasu made his way over to one of the turned over chairs. He picked it up and set it back down, standing up. He then sat on the chair with an eager expression.
"I'm looking forward to hearing you sing." said Angirasu. Sonata rubbed her arm as she looked away. Angirasu looked to her in confusion.
"Sonata, what's wrong?" asked Angirasu. Sonata looked to him with tears running down her face. The Transmutant recoiled in surprise. Sonata rushed over to him and pulled him into a hug.
"Yo-yo-you're one of the b-best friends I could ever ha-ha-haaave!" cried Sonata in between sobs. Angirasu caressed her back in hopes to comfort the girl, but he could not figure out why Sonata is so terribly sad.
"Hey, why are you crying?" asked Angirasu. Sonata opened her eyes, revealing glowing red orbs.
"Because I will never be able to see you again after this." said Sonata. She then pushed herself off of Angirasu and raised her hands towards him. His eyes widened as he caught sight of her glowing eyes. Her hands gave off a red glow that suddenly gave forth a red mist of magic that quickly shot towards Angirasu. The mist wrapped around his body and solidified into red chains that restrained Angirasu's arms and body. He fell out of his chair and the chains were suddenly nailed into the wooden floor with large red nails. He struggled under the chains and looked to Sonata in disbelief.
"Those eyes..." said Angirasu as his mind raced. He remembered the hellish eyes that she had. They were the same kind of eyes of the murderous creatures that threatened the fishermen. "Sonata, why are you doing this?! What are you?!"
"I'm not like you." said Sonata. She turned as she heard the door opened from where Adagio had led Junior and Mosura. The two Transmutants that she had lead were levitated by an invisible force as the same red chains bounded them. They were struggling to free themselves.
"Adagio!!" shouted Junior angrily. Adagio wore a solemn expression as Junior and Mosura were lowered to the ground and their chains were nailed to the ground. Aria emerged from the back room with Rodan levitating in tow. He struggled erratically.
"Let me go, Aria!" demanded Rodan. He was lowered as well and nailed to ground like the others. They all struggled under the chains.
"Adagio, why are you girls doing this?!" demanded Mosura. Adagio faced her with a solemn expression as her glowing eyes remained.
"I'm sorry Mosura. We didn't want it to come down to this." apologized Adagio.
"Come down to what?" demanded Junior as he struggled.
"Gojira, what I told you about Sarila. It was only a twisted truth. We're not humans, we're Sirens." confessed Adagio. The Transmutants stared in shock. Junior's expression turned to outrage as his mind processed the information that was revealed to him and his fellow Transmutants.
"No...no that can't be!" said Rodan. He then looked to Aria, who avoided eye contact. "All of that stuff about you, your dad, was any of it true?!"
"Rodan, my dad wasn't a sailor. He was a Siren that hunted for fish to feed our clan. He died doing his job." said Aria. Rodan struggled under the chains.
"Your evil kind killed innocent men!" said Gojira. Adagio flinched as she heard the word, 'innocent' and 'evil'. She turned to face Gojira with a glare.
"They were hardly innocent! They killed innocent creatures that were our friends like the dolphins! They picked our sea for the fish, our food source!" said Adagio. Junior raised himself but the chains kept him on his knees as the links connected to the ground held him.
"So you killed the fishermen? Do you realize how hypocritical that is of you?!" demanded Junior.
"Gojira, we didn't kill them because of that! We did it because we had no other choice!" said Adagio with despair filling her eyes. She desperately wanted Junior to understand. "Our clan is threatened with death! We need the humans to feed a creature that's been threatening us for a decade! We chose the fishermen because they were the only ones closest to our territory and we felt no guilt about killing humans that made our situation worst!"
"We're not evil Gojira. We just want to live." muttered Adagio. Junior lowered his head as his rage began to build.
"What are you going to do?" asked Mosura. Sonata caught Angirasu staring at her with a frown. She looked away in shame.
"We're going to do what we came to the surface for." said Aria. She then turned and made her way to the exit of the building. She heard the chains rattling from Rodan.
"Aria, don't do this." pleaded Rodan. Aria stopped and clenched her fist. She continued on to the exit and left. Sonata turned to face Angirasu, her glowing eyes died down. She stared at him in despair.
"I liked you a lot. But you might not like me back when we're done." said Sonata as she turned and began to slowly walk away.
"Sonata..." called Angirasu weakly. Adagio sighed as she turned to join the other Sirens. She turned back to find Junior giving her a hateful glare. She turned back and began to make her way over to him. She removed the hood of her abaya and revealed her curly hair. She kneeled in front of him as he held his glare. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into an embrace. Junior's seethed to himself as she held him. His breathing was heavy.
"Gojira, I really do see you as a friend. This is why we led you here. So you can be safe from what's coming." whispered Adagio in a distraught voice.
"If that's true, than stop whatever you're about to do. Otherwise, take your goddamned hands off of me!" seethed Junior. His whispering tone was filled with anger and hate. He felt betrayed by this young woman who he had thought had grown to be his friend
"I'm...so sorry. There's no other way." said Adagio as she released Junior with her cheeks stained with tears. She turned and rushed over to the other Sirens and out of the abandoned building.
"Adagio!!" shouted Junior as he began to struggle under the chains. Mosura and the others attempted to free themselves as well. But it was futile to break the bonds of the Sirens' magical chains.
"I can't believe this! All this time they were one of them!" said Rodan as he tried to flex himself out of the chains. Angirasu groaned as he tried to force his arms through the chains.
"Sonata...why?" asked Angirasu. His heart ached at the thought of the sweet girl betraying him the way she had done.
"This is my fault. I put too much trust into them that I never considered to look through their memories. I'm sorry that I didn't believe you, Gojira." said Mosura solemnly. Junior grunted his he thrashed his body.
"Don't be! I was an idiot for not recognizing their scent as Sirens!" said Junior as he forced himself forward in attempt to free his chains from the ground. He growled in anger.
"That bitch played me!" yelled Gojira. He continued to move forward as the wood on the floor began to creak. The veins in his muscles began pop up and became exposed from under the skin of his neck, shoulders, arms and hands. He gave an angry yell as the chain links began to snap from his body. His abdomen began to burn from within. He strained as the heat and soreness pierced him, but his will to move on helped him to remain strong. Suddenly, the chain links that held him to the ground snapped, allowing him to stand. He roared as he flexed his muscles, causing the chains to spark as the magic that held him began to weaken and dissipate. Suddenly, the chains burst into sparks and disintegrated as they fell to the ground. Junior panted as he stood to his feet. He turned to find the other Transmutants to stare at him in awe.
"Don't stop, keep trying!" ordered Junior. The three began to return to struggling under the chains. Junior grabbed the chain links that stuck Mosura to the ground and crushed them into dust. He then grabbed the other chain links that restrained her body and caused them to shatter with his grip. It disintegrated as it scattered onto the ground. She sighed in relief as Junior helped her stand to her feet.  Angirasu managed to free himself from his chains and then helped Rodan free himself from his own. The Transmutants sighed in relief. Junior looked to the exit of the door.
"They'll pay for this." growled Junior. He then began to stomp towards the exit. He then slammed his body against the door, causing it to fly off of its hinges, and searched the area as he tried to figure where the Sirens had gone. He heard the sound of distant singing and found a distant glow miles away. Junior was about to charge over there, but was grabbed by his arm. He found Mosura holding him back.
"Wait! We don't even have a plan of attack!" said Mosura.
"To hell with that! They're up to something and I have a feeling it's going to be bad!" retorted Junior. Angirasu placed a hand on his shoulder with a serious expression.
"Gojira, she's right. If we go out there blindly, we'll fail. We need to make sure that we can resist their hypnotic voices." said Angirasu. Junior grunted in frustration. 
"Hey, I have an idea!" exclaimed Rodan. He then turned and ran over to one of the nearby buildings. The other Transmutants looked to each other in confusion but then shrugged as they followed Rodan into the building. As they made it inside, they found it to be empty.
"Where is everyone?" asked Mosura. Junior looked around, unable to find a customer or the owner of the establishment. Inside were cassette tapes, radios and headphones. He then noticed Rodan rushing back to them with headsets in his hand. He handed them to Angirasu and Mosura.
"These might block out their voices!" said Rodan as he handed them small cd players. "Just loop these songs and we should be good!"
"Hmm. As silly as it sounds, it might work." said Angirasu as he placed the headphones on. His ears covered by the large speakers. Mosura placed the earphones on as well with a determined smile.
"Since you're immune for whatever reason, you won't be needing any." said Rodan as he looked to Junior. He nodded in response.
"Then let's go get them." said Junior as he lead the Transmutants into battle.




Later that night...

Hundreds of people walked along the road. Their eyes stared blankly as they walked at a slow pace into the night. The sound of three young women singing could be heard. Leading the crowd were Adagio, Sonata and Aria. They sang as their pendants began to glow brightly. As they continued walking, more citizens of Saddle Arabia left their homes to join the crowd. All were enchanted by the singers, becoming mindless zombies following sound. The Sirens lead the humans all the way out to the beach to be delivered as an offering to the creature that plagued the Sirens. Their voices continued into the night, their pendants glowed brightly.
'I'm sorry Gojira. Please forgive me.' thought Adagio in despair as she continued to sing. Suddenly the waves began to splash onto the shoreline, startling the Sirens. They turned and found something enormous approaching from the distance. 
"Adagio!" shouted a familiar voice. The Sirens turned back found the Transmutants approaching from the crowd. The Sirens gasped as their eyes widened in horror.
"Wh-what are you doing here?! How did you escape?!" asked Sonata as she began to tremble.
"Doesn't matter. Sonata. Please, don't do this!" pleaded Angirasu.
"You idiots! Why didn't you just stay where we left you?!" cried Aria. Rodan shot her a glare.
"And let you pull some piper shit on these people? We can't do that!" said Rodan. Adagio noticed the headphones that hung at their necks. All except for Junior.
"Wait...that's how you weren't able to be hypnotized by us." said Adagio in shock. She then looked to Junior. "But...how in the world is it possible for you to resist our spell?"
"You tell me." said Junior with a glare. He then got into a fighting stance as well did the others.
"Gojira, please get out of here! You and the others will die if you don't!" pleaded Adagio.
"No! If what you said about a creature is what is driving you to do this, than I have to stop you! These humans have nothing to do with your conflict!" said Junior in defiance. He then charged over to the Siren. Adagio raised her hand and fired a red mist of magic towards Junior. He was blown off of his feet and into the sand.
"Gojira, I don't want to fight! Please, this creature will kill you if you don't leave!" said Adagio. The Transmutant stood to his feet seething.
"Why can't you just use your magic against it and kill it?" asked Junior.
"We tried that! It resulted in most of the men in our clan being killed! Gojira, this is a sea dragon we are dealing with! Dragons are nearly immune to all forms of magic!" said Adagio. She pointed to the incoming object that was gaining speed.
"He promised to spare us if we fed him the humans! He'll kill us if we don't! This isn't like the mobster story that I told you!" shouted Adagio. Junior looked down in frustration. His eyes began to soften. The more that Adagio brought up the death of her people and the more the situation turned grim, the more sympathy he was beginning to feel for her.
"Adagio, if you ever needed help, I promised that I'd tag along and help." said Junior softly. He then looked to her sadly. Adagio backed away with wide eyes.
"Don't do this. Let me help you instead." said Junior. He then turned to face the other Transmutants. Mosura's eyes widened as she read through his thoughts. She looked to the other two male Transmutants and gave them a knowing nod. Junior began to lead the Transmutants over to the Sirens, who back away fearfully.
"Stop!" said Adagio. She then gasped as Junior walked past her. She found Junior and the others standing at the shoreline of the beach, facing the coming danger.
"Angirasu, what are you doing?!" cried Sonata. The Transmutant remained silent as he glared at the oncoming threat. Rodan's shoulder was tugged at by Aria.
"Rodan, just get out of here!" pleaded Aria.
"Can't do that." Rodan said as he gave Aria a grin. The Siren stared at him incredulously.
"You think this is funny?!" demanded Aria.
"Nope! I just think this is gonna be one hell of a fight!" said Rodan. The Sirens' eyes widened in horror.
"Mosura, you're smart! Don't do this!" said Adagio. Mosura gave her a small smile.
"I want to protect my friends. Right now, I need my friends to get these people to safety." said Mosura.
"You can't face a dragon! Humans are just as weak against them as we are!" said Adagio. Junior snorted in amusement.
"Good thing we aren't exactly human." said Junior. He then walked closer to the shoreline and began to strain. His body slowly grew and morphed. His skin turned to scales and his pants and shirt tore. His tail swayed and his back sprouted dorsal plates. Junior slammed his fist onto the ground and roared into the night sky. The Sirens backed away fearfully as they witnessed the inhuman appearance of Junior.
"Oh my god." muttered Adagio. Suddenly, the rest of the Transmutants began to strain. Their bodies increased in size and height and their bodies grew animalistic features. Angirasu's back sprouted his spikes and his spiked and clubbed tail slammed against the sand. Rodan spread his arms out, revealing the membrane that formed and connected to his reptilian scaled side. Mosura's wings sprouted as did her antennae. The Transmutants had fully transformed into their beastly forms, standing tall over the Sirens. Junior turned to face Adagio, who flinched under her gaze.
"Save them." said Junior as he pointed towards the humans, who stared blankly and mindlessly. Adagio turned to face them and hesitantly back to Junior. The dragon Transmutant stomped through the sand and dove into the water. His tail swayed as it propelled him through. Mosura and Rodan took off into the air, giving their animalistic cries as they soared over the sea. Angirasu dropped onto all fours and dashed into the water. He began to kick hind and fore legs in a doggy paddle style. He successfully managed to stay afloat above the surface as he attempted to catch up to Junior and the others. The Sirens stared in shock as the Transmutants continued on.
"They weren't human." said Adagio with wide eyes. She then turned and found the people still in their mindless state. She turned to her fellow Sirens.
"Come on. The least we can do is getting these people out of here." said Adagio. Aria and Sonata nodded in agreement. Their eyes suddenly glowed brightly and the eyes of the people began to refocus. They all shook themselves and found themselves in a dazed state. They all questioned why they were outside, unaware of what was happening. Suddenly, people noticed a thrashing creature in the sea. They all gave panicked cries and began to flee as they saw the monstrous creature and its size. 



Rodan and Mosura soared ahead of Junior and Angirasu. Their eyes locked with the incoming creature. Its back appeared like a rocky grey shell drifting towards them. Rodan looked towards Mosura as he soared next to her.
"Hey, try that rainbow shit you shoot out of your head!" suggested Rodan. Mosura scoffed in response.
"It comes from my antennae, not my head!" retorted Mosura. Rodan rolled his eyes in response.
"Whatever! Just try it!" said Rodan. Mosura sighed. Her antennae began to glow brightly. Sparkling energy began to flow out of it and then shot forth a multi colored beam from her antennae. The beam lit up the night with its radiant colors and crashed onto the backside of the creature. The energy beam sparked, shocked and burned the back hide of the creature. Suddenly, the back of the creature convulsed and jerked under the water and revealed itself. A serpent like neck raised itself above the surface, revealing a heavily armored head of a dragon with a beak. Its small eyes were hidden and protected by armored cheeks and brows. The creature gave a thundering roar as it thrashed around. Its neck and belly were covered in softer scales. It flapped its limbs, revealing fins that flapped onto the surface of the water. Its armored tail was long and splashed against the surface of the water. It's small and sharp teeth were hidden behind its armored mouth, which could swallow a human whole. The creature was about as large as a blue whale.
"Man that's a big dragon!" exclaimed Rodan. He then flew down towards the thrashing dragon and opened his clawed feet. He then sent his claws into the face of the creature, but they were unable to penetrate the armor.
"Damn! It's too thick!" shouted Rodan. The dragon caught sight of him and snapped his jaws at the Transmutant.
"Oh crap!" exclaimed Rodan as he flapped his wings frantically. The dragon snapped at him again, missing Rodan as he flew in the air.
"Too slow, fish breath!" taunted Rodan. The dragon roared in anger, but the back of his head was suddenly struck by Mosura's energy beam. The dragon screeched in agony as he dove underneath. Mosura flapped her wings as she kept herself airborne in one spot.
"Shoot!" shouted Mosura as she searched the sea below. She began to fly higher in case the dragon decided to burst out of the water from beneath her and drag her under. She then noticed that the water where Junior and Angirasu were approaching was bubbling.
"Oh, no." said Mosura in dread. She flew over to their position as fast as she could. The dragon burst from the water where Junior and Angirasu were, failing to notice them.
"Oh, hell no!" shouted Junior as the dragon approached them. He and Angirasu were suddenly caught by the dragon's body. Angirasu grunted as he dug his claws into the dragon's armored hide and began to climb its back. Junior did the same and slowly crawled up the dragon's back.
"We have to stall this bastard!" said Junior as he climbed onto the dragons back. Angirasu panted as he finally made it onto the back of the dragon as well.
"What do you suggest?" asked Angirasu. Junior shrugged in response.
"Piss him off?" suggested Junior. Angirasu shrugged back.
"OK." said Angirasu nonchalantly. The two then looked down to the armored and jagged shell of the creature and began to slam their fists against it. Angirasu then began to swing his clubbed tail against the adjacent side of the rocky shell, small cracks beginning to form on the shell as his tail continued the attack. Junior clawed at the shell and left large scars, but they were merely scratches to the dragon. The dragon turned its head as it began to feel the irritating attacks and roared at Junior and Angirasu in anger.
"Well that pissed him off!" said Angirasu. The dragon then dove its head under water and took in gallons inside of its mouth. The creature raised its head out of the water. Steam flowed out of its nostrils as it flared them. Junior's eyes widened.
"Hey, Aang?" called Junior nervously.
"Yeah?" responded Angirasu.
"Remember when I said that my old man never saw a sea dragon spew fire and that they instead sprayed boiling hot water?" asked Junior.
"Yeah. Why do you- Oh shit." said Angirasu in realization. His shoulders slumped and he dropped onto all fours. The dragon opened its mouth as it turned to face the Transmutants. Junior nodded.
"Eeyup. We're fu-" Junior was about to finish his sentence, but the dragon had already sprayed a stream of boiling hot water towards the Transmutants. Angirasu immediately dove out of the way. Unfortunately, Junior was not quick enough and gallons of scorching hot water showered him, the jet stream forced him against the wall of the dragon's shell.
"SON OF A MOTHER FRACKING BITCH THAT'S HOT!!" shouted Junior. A normal human or creature may have perished from this projectile attack. Fortunately, Junior's scales were strong enough to keep him alive. He only slightly felt the burning heat on his scales, but his gills were unprotected. The dragon stopped spewing the boiling water and dove its entire body underneath while Junior sunk underneath limp. His eyes stared blankly as his gills weakly took in water. He suddenly jerked under water and swam up to the surface. His head breached the water and he inhaled deeply with his lungs. He coughed as the sudden switch and different intakes of oxygen messed with his breathing. He turned and found Angirasu floating next to him with a deadpanned stare.
"I'm beginning to think that maybe that wasn't such a good idea." said Angirasu. Junior scoffed in response and splashed at his friend’s face.
"At least you didn't get boiled alive!" retorted Junior. He hissed as he turned his neck. "Son of a bitch messed up my gills."
"Gojira, Angirasu!" cried Mosura. Junior and Angirasu turned and found their moth friend descend towards them. "Are you two alright?"
"Yeah. But Goji forgot that sea dragons can spray boiling hot water." said Angirasu. Junior sighed in annoyance.
"Hey, you forgot too since I told you! Besides, it was the heat of the moment that I haven't thought of it before it was too late!" said Junior defensively.
"Look! We need to focus boys! The dragon is getting closer to the shore!" said Mosura as she pointed ahead. Rodan suddenly whizzed past them at high speed.
"Move it, slowpokes!" shouted Rodan. Angirasu and Junior sighed as they both turned back towards the shore and began to swim after the dragon. Mosura flew ahead of them and slowly began to catch up to Rodan. The dragon was getting closer to the shore, where no humans were left.
"WHERE IS MY FOOD?!" shouted the sea dragon in a thundering and deep voice. He was suddenly struck by Mosura's beam. He turned and roared furiously at the moth. Rodan flew past him over his head.
"Not tonight, ugly! You can stand to miss a few meals, fatass!" taunted Rodan as he flew around the dragon. The beast roared as it snapped its jaws at Rodan while getting struck by Mosura's beam.
"Then I shall move onto land and feed!" shouted the dragon. He then turned away from the Transmutants and began to splash his way over to the shoreline. The dragon gave a mighty roar as it used its fins to flap along the sand. The fins forced the creature forward across the land.
"That's not good." said Rodan with dread. Mosura flew towards the dragon and continued to fire her beam down on the back of the neck of the dragon. The dragon screeched and turned to face the incoming moth. The dragon swung its tail and smacked Mosura. She cried out in pain as she was flung away and crashed into the sand. She moaned painfully as she attempted to stand, but she collapsed back onto the sand. Rodan landed beside her and shook her.
"Mosu! Mosu, are you alright?!" asked Rodan urgently. Mosura weakly turned to face Rodan.
"I can't stand. Rodan...I need you to stop that creature. I'll be fine." said Mosura softly. She lied her head down, her body ached.
"OK. Don't die on me, alright?" Rodan than turned and took off into the air. He began to chase after the dragon that slowly made his way to the village. Junior and Angirasu rushed over to Mosura as they made it to back onto shore.
"Mosu!" cried Junior.
"No, don't wait for me! Go help Rodan!" said Mosura.
"Mosu, we can't just leave you here!" said Angirasu.
"Go now, dammit!" yelled Mosura as she flared her wings. She groaned in pain and immediately folded them back.  She looked back to them with her expressionless insect eyes. "Please...save them."
"OK. Come on, Aang." said Junior as he turned and ran after the dragon. Angirasu turned to Mosura with a sad expression. But then he sighed in frustration and dropped to all fours and ran after Junior. Mosura sighed as she lied down.
"Please let them succeed." whimpered Mosura. She then heard footsteps approaching. She turned and found the Sirens staring at her worriedly. They all kneeled next to her; their hands glowed from their magic. Mosura began to slowly feel her pain beginning to fade.
"We're so sorry Mosura. We didn't want this to happen." apologized Adagio.



The dragon was getting near the village. Rodan flew circles around the creature. The dragon roared and then sprayed forth boiling hot water towards the Transmutant into the air. Rodan yelped as he dodged the stream of water that nearly hit him.
"Hey, you should probably get that checked out!" said Rodan. He then dove towards the dragon's neck and latched himself onto it. Rodan than thrust his head towards the eye of the dragon and pecked at it, causing the dragon to thrash and screech in agony. Rodan then bit into the eye and yanked it, flying away with his teeth still latched onto the eye and ripping it out from its socket. Rodan immediately spat out the eye in disgust.
"Gross! Sorry man, but that's pay back for what you did to my sister!" shouted Rodan. He then spotted Angirasu and Junior approaching from below. He flew down to them and landed.
"Just in time! He's blind in one eye!" said Rodan.
"Let's hope that'll make it easier." said Junior as he saw the dragon face them. Rodan turned and sighed.
"I would rather be fighting other Transmutants right now." moaned Rodan.
"Well, let's get back to the fight." said Angirasu as he pawed at the dirt. He then charged towards the dragon as it began to approach them with its bleeding eye socket. Junior followed him into battle as did Rodan. The bird-dragon Transmutant soared in the air and flew past the dragon and began to hop along his back. The sea dragon turned his head in attempt to snap at Rodan but was immediately struck in his exposed neck. He roared in pain as Angirasu pulled his spiked clubbed tail out of the soft scales, drenched in blood. The dragon slammed its neck down over Angirasu, who lunged away as he tucked his upper body into his lower half and brought his tail close to his body and rolled away from danger. The dragon missed Angirasu by just a spike. The dragon groaned in pain as it slowly raised itself. Angirasu came out of his ball state and then jumped backwards towards the dragon. His sharp spikes stabbed the exposed neck of the dragon.
"Gah! Damn you!!" cursed the dragon as he swung his neck, tossing Angirasu several feet away. The Transmutant slowly stood back onto all fours and shook his body to rid himself of disorientation. Junior roared as he jumped towards the dragon's still lowered head. He jumped eight feet into the air and brought his fists down on the snout of the dragon. The dragon was forced back down onto the sand. He then opened his mouth a sprayed more of his bodily reserves of boiling hot water. Junior was forced away from the dragon as the water burned his gills again. He screeched in pain as he convulsed on the ground on his back. His dorsal plates dug into the sand.
"Gojira, look out!" cried Angirasu. Junior turned and found the dragon with his mouth wide open. He then caught Junior with his jaws and began to bite down on his body. Junior cried out in pain as the teeth managed to puncture his armored scales. He then grabbed the jaws of the dragon and attempted to pry them back open. The dragon raised its head up and began to force its jaws down. Junior grunted as he tried to use his own strength against the dragon's large and mighty jaws. Suddenly the dragon forced its head back and clamped its jaws shut. Angirasu and Rodan stared in horror as they saw a small lump appear from the dragon's neck. The lump began to descend further down until it had disappeared. The dragon sighed in relief.
"That son of a bitch just swallowed him!" exclaimed Rodan. He then flew towards the dragon as he gave a thundering roar. The dragon turned to face the incoming bird-dragon and swiped him with his tail. Rodan cried out as he crashed close to the village. He skidded across the Earth and slammed against the wall of a building, causing the wall to crack. Rodan slumped down into the dirt in pain.
"Damn it!" Angirasu growled as he glared at the sea dragon. The creature chuckled darkly.
"I don't think I should eat you. If your friend wasn't easy going down, I doubt I'd fair well with a spiky prick like you." said the dragon. Angirasu flared his nostrils as he pawed at the sand.
"I won't back down that easily. I'll take you down, reach into your gut, and fish my friend out!" shouted Angirasu. He roared as he charged towards the dragon. As they two were about to clash, the sea dragon screeched in agony. He began to convulse and dropped to the ground.
"The pain! The pain!" cried the dragon. His stomach felt like it was being torn open. He then began to feel a foreign heat in his belly. He looked down to his gut and spotted an eerie glow coming from his stomach.
"What the-" Angirasu was about to finish but the dragon roared in agony. He began to convulse uncontrollably as his belly grew brighter. Suddenly, a large hole was created by a bright neon blue, flame-like substance that tore the stomach open. The stream of the substance began to burn the dragon's stomach. The dragon's remaining eye rolled back as he slumped back into the sand. The fire-like substance died down, becoming a blue mist that dissipated into the air. Angirasu stared at the hole with wide eyes as he spotted something emerging from the stomach. Junior stomped out of the stomach, covered in bile and blood. He spat onto the ground with a smile.
"Holy crap did you see that?! I think I just blew fire!" exclaimed Junior. Angirasu raised a brow at the sudden giddiness that came from his friend immediately after being ingested by a dragon that was the size of a whale.
"Are you alright?" asked Angirasu.
"I'm great! In fact, my abdomen stopped hurting! I think they were like physical pains on developing this ability because I could never spew fire before!" said Junior.
"I don't think that was fire." said Angirasu as he tilted his head. "It looked like a concentrated jet of hot gas or something."
"Well whatever it was, it was pretty damn cool!" said Junior. He then looked around the area in confusion. "Where's Rodan?"
"Oh crap, that's right!" exclaimed Angirasu. He turned and began to dash to where he had last seen Rodan land. He stopped and found Rodan struggling to remain standing. He dropped down to the ground in a dazed state. He spotted Angirasu and Junior with a blurry vision.
"Are...are we dead?" asked Rodan weakly. Angirasu gave him a smile.
"Far from it, bro." said Angirasu. Rodan turned to Junior. As his vision began to regain focus, he recoiled in disgust.
"Gross! You need a bath!" said Rodan.
"You should see the other guy." said Junior as he pointed to the dragon. Rodan craned his head and found the sea dragon lying in the sand motionless.
"So...we won?" asked Rodan.
"That's right. We won." said Junior with a smile.




Later that night...

The night grew calm after the appearance of Transmutants and a sea dragon. The monster's carcass remained close to the town, bleeding out onto the sand. Back at the Transmutant camp, Junior, Rodan, Angirasu all stood before the Sirens in their human forms. Junior's arms were crossed as he stared at the Sirens with a neutral expression. The Sirens sat on their knees and looked down in shame. Mosura sat down next to a tent with a worried expression on her face.
"We're sorry. What we did was terrible. We were afraid to face the creature because it was too powerful. We were even willing to sacrifice the lives of innocent people. We don't blame you for hating us and for not forgiving us." said Adagio. She clenched her fists as she gritted her teeth. "Just know that we're terribly sorry for everything."
"So, all of this was about trying to appease a dragon that threatened your clan? That's why you killed the fishermen in the first place?" asked Junior.
"That's correct." answered Adagio. Junior sighed as he rubbed his head.
"I'm not happy about what you girls were trying to do. In fact, I'm pretty pissed off." said Junior. The Sirens shrunk back in shame. "But to be fair, your clan was doing whatever it took to survive after exploring so many alternatives. You girls were doing this with the best intentions."
"Protecting your people. That's admirable." said Angirasu.
"Since no one was killed throughout all of this and the dragon was a bigger threat than we realized, I suppose we could let this go." said Junior with a sigh.
"Re-really?" asked Adagio with wide eyes. Junior nodded to her with a small smile.
"I did promise to back you up. Plus, we were keeping secrets from you too." said Junior.
"Yeah, you're the dragon that hurt some of our members." said Sonata with a frown. Junior rubbed the back of his head.
"Yeeeaaah. Sorry about that. I had to make sure your clan members didn't kill Rodan or Angirasu when they were out fishing." said Junior.
"What are you guys?" asked Aria.
"We're Transmutants. We're a race of humans that have the ability to transform into a specific kind of semi anthropomorphic creature. For instance, I can transform into a moth. Gojira changes into a sea dragon, Rodan a bird-like dragon, and Angirasu changes into a dragon that's like an armadillo." explained Mosura.
"Transmutants? Never heard of those." said Adagio. Junior's eyes widened in surprise.
"Hey...that's exactly what that young Siren said when I threatened her." said Junior. Adagio looked to him in disapproval.
"I don't appreciate you doing that by the way." said Adagio.
"Come on! Don't try to turn this on me!" said Junior in annoyance. "I didn't hurt her."
"No, but you scared her to death!" retorted Sonata.
"Like I said, couldn't let you Sirens kill Aang and Ro." said Junior.
"So wait, why haven't we heard of you guys before?" asked Aria in confusion. The Transmutants went silent.
"Because...we're a new race. We weren't always like this before. We were humans that were experimented on by scientists when we were young." said Mosura. She then gestured to Junior. "Gojira was one of the first out of all of us."
"That's...that's awful!" said Adagio. Junior sighed.
"It's worse than that. Because of our mutation, the humans rejected us. That's why we fled Ponyville. Our true selves were revealed and they turned on us. Even the friends that we had made there." said Junior. Adagio frowned as she heard this. 
"Well, MONARCH might be showing up by the time word gets out about a sea dragon fighting Transmutants." sighed Rodan. Sonata cocked her head in confusion.
"MONARCH?"
"Our enemies. These guys want to take us out." said Angirasu. Sonata stared at him worriedly.
"Thank you for helping us rid ourselves of that dragon. I'm sorry for what's happened to you. I wish we could do something to help." said Adagio. Junior placed a hand on her shoulder and looked to her with a smile.
"That won't be necessary. Just live peacefully, try to cut the fishermen a break." said Junior. Adagio nodded with a small smile.
"Well, we'll be off then." said Adagio as she and the other Sirens turned and began to walk away.
"Wait!" called Mosura. The Sirens turned to find Mosura reaching out to them. "Please, stay one more night. After all, what sort of friends would we be if we were to send you off late into the night?"
"You mean it?!" asked Sonata.
"You bet!" said Rodan.
"Come on, you need to rest." said Angirasu with a smile.
"We still have time for dinner." said Junior. The Sirens gave the Transmutants smiles.
"Sure." said Aria.
"Thank you." said Adagio. Her heart felt warm from the welcoming invite that the Transmutants had given them. Things had miraculously worked out in the end. This was a time in her life that she would cherish for all time.




Zebrabwe, two days later...

Sunset Shimmer and Erika sat together in the mess hall of the base that they were stationed at. The morning sun shone outside, the heat slowly began to build up. The two chatted amongst themselves. Both of their trays were filled with eggs, toast and orange juice for their breakfast. Erika however had a few slices of bacon on her tray as well.
"I can't believe how fast you move! Those guys could hardly hit you!" said Sunset as she took a bite out of her toast.
"It took me a while to get use to my physical feats since they were multiplied by a dozen. But I think I've gotten the hang of it." said Erika after she had finished taking a drink of her orange juice. She then scratched the side of her head as she looked away. "Maybe not entirely. I think I hit that guy so hard yesterday that I broke his ribs."
"Damn." shuttered Sunset. She then looked to Erika with a smile. "Well, at least you're getting better. Trial and error, right?"
"Right." smiled Erika. The two continued eating as the other soldiers conversed amongst themselves. Suddenly, their wrist watches began to beep. A few soldiers looked to their own, finding that theirs were not flashing as they beeped. They then turned and found Erika and Sunset looking to their own wrist watches.
"Shoot. So much for enjoying breakfast." complained Erika. She then began to quickly finish her bacon along with Sunset scarfing down her eggs. After swallowing their food, they went to chug down their orange juice. With a sigh, they placed their cups down and wiped their lips with napkins. They then quickly took their trays and cup over to a stand that was meant for staff to leave their trays and cups to be collected. The two soldiers rushed out of the mess hall with a few soldiers watching them.
"They do realize that they didn't have to go until after breakfast hours right?" asked an Earthbound soldier as he pointed to his wrist watch that was lit up. Text was displayed on the screen that informed him to report to the mission debriefing center after breakfast hours. A soldier next to him looked to him in surprise.
"Wow. They're deploying you too?" asked the soldier. The Earthbound nodded in confirmation.
"Yep." replied the Earthbound.




Later...

Sunset and Erika waited silently in a large room. One by one, soldiers were gathering inside and took their seats. Soon, the room was filled with dozens of soldiers that were called in for debriefing. Erika sighed in embarrassment.
"The debriefing hasn't even started yet. We could have taken the time to enjoy our breakfast." muttered Erika.
"Heh. Yeah." said Sunset in agreement. After another minute of waiting, all of the soldiers called in had arrived.
"Officer on deck!" shouted a soldier among the crowd. Soon, all of the soldiers all stood at attention, stiff as boards. A Valkyrie woman with greying hair and black uniform made her way inside of the room in silence. She made her way into the front the room.
"At ease, soldiers. Take your seats." said the commanding officer. The soldiers all relaxed and returned to their seats. The woman cleared her throat.
"You have all been called here to be deployed for a mission in Saddle Arabia." said the commanding officer. "Word is that the Sultan has requested our presence due to a recent incident. The citizens were threatened by a sea dragon that made it onto land and nearly wreaked havoc into the village."
"Fortunately, the creature perished due to a parasitic infection before it could reach the village. MONARCH has learned from the Saddle Arabians that smaller dragon-like creatures were sighted." said the commanding officer. The screen behind her lit up and displayed three young Neighponese men and a Neighponese woman. A charcoal grey haired man codenamed, Lucky Dragon. A crimson haired young man was codenamed, Thunderbird, and a spiky grayish-brown haired man codenamed, Club Tail.  Lastly, a white-haired woman codenamed Angel.  Erika's and Sunset's eyes widened in shock.
'It's him!' thought Sunset. She stared at the angry expression of Junior as his yellow eyes held a glare. Sunset hardened her eyes as she stared into his.
"With the descriptions of the creatures from the citizens, we managed to link them to the closest Transmutants that we believe to have been spotted." informed the commanding officer. Then, images of their beastly forms were displayed largely. The images of the Transmutants in their human forms were shrunk and moved next to the image of the beast that they transformed into. "You will all be deployed to hunt these Transmutants down. Whether you kill or apprehend Thunderbird, Angel and Club Tail is up to you. But the Director wants Lucky Dragon dead."
"Is everyone clear on that?" asked the commanding officer.
"Yes, Ma'am!" said the soldiers in unison. The commanding officer smiled in response.
"Good. You'll be deployed within the hour. Gather your things since you may be living on one of our warships for a while." said the commanding officer. An armored figure stepped out from behind the door frame that lead into the debriefing room. The commanding officer's eyes widened in surprise.
"Oh! Agent Ghidorah. We weren't expecting you." said the commanding officer in attempt to keep her voice calm. The soldiers all turned to the door way and spotted the figure. He stood to be seven foot five in height. His golden armor covered him from head to toe. The helmet was like a samurai's but with horn-like protrusions sticking out from the back of the helmet. The visor was a crimson red that glowed in the dark room. The chest piece depicted the MONARCH insignia. The shoulder pieces resembled traditional shoulder armor pieces but were made of stronger and lighter metal. This soldier stood in silence as he looked towards the screen that depicted the images of the Transmutants.
"No way. That's Ghidorah!" whispered Sunset. Erika looked to her in confusion.
"Who?" asked Erika.
"He's one of the elite soldiers that were given the privilege to wear the same kind of advanced armor that Hayato Yoshi wears! He's the strongest out of all of the Slayer class soldiers!" Sunset whispered back. She then looked to the soldier in awe at how his armor glistened in the darkness as his hellish visor glowed. He appeared as the very bane of all Transmutants that crossed paths with him.
"He's huge." muttered Erika, imitated by the soldier's larger build and greater height.
"Are these the targets?" asked Ghidorah in low and slightly rasped voice.
"Yes. Lucky Dragon is to be eliminated and the other three are to be apprehended or destroyed." informed the soldier. Ghidorah hummed to himself. The very presence of the armored man made her uneasy. "Will you be...joining us on this mission?"
"Yes. I do hope that you won't mind. The dear Director insisted that I joined the fight." said Ghidorah with a bow.
"Well, the more the merrier then!" said the commanding officer. Ghidorah grinned wickedly beneath his helmet.
"Indeed."




Meanwhile back in Saddle Arabia...

The sun was rising higher in the sky, making way for the afternoon. Junior waited on the shoreline to the Great Inland Sea along with the Mosura, Angirasu and Rodan. They stood in silence as they watched the waves splashed onto the shore. Suddenly, three figures emerged from the waters. Adagio, Sonata and Aria swam to shore with their fish tails instead of their human limbs. Adagio gave them a smile as she and the other Sirens crawled onto land. Junior, Rodan and Angirasu rushed over to them with towels in their grip and helped the Sirens away from shore. As they sat them down on the sand, they wrapped the towels around their bodies.
"They're right behind us." informed Adagio as she pointed to sea. Junior watched as two heads emerged from the waters. A middle aged woman stared warily at the Transmutants from the waters as did the younger girl that hid behind her.
"It's alright! These are the people that we were talking about!" said Adagio reassuringly. The two began to swim onto shore and began to crawl onto land. Mosura made her way over to the young girl that timidly crawled onto land. She handed her a towel.
"You may need this." said Mosura. The girl stared at the towel with an odd glance.
"Wh-what for?" asked the girl in a timid voice.
"Because when you dry off and lose that fish tail, you'll need to be covered up." answered Aria as she began to feel a tingling sensation on her lower half of her body. The three Sirens that had originally made it to land began to glow brightly, causing everyone to shield their eyes. After the light died down, the three male Transmutants turned away from the Sirens with light blushes on their faces. The Sirens had regained their human legs and slowly began to stand as they wrapped their towels around their waists. Mosura handed them dry t-shirts to cover their upper bodies. The girl stared in shock.
"What happened to your fish tails?!" exclaimed the young Siren.
"Be calm, Lynn. This is a natural ability that our people possess." informed the middle aged Siren as her lower half of her body began to glow. She wrapped her towel around herself as her fish tail had transformed into a pair of human legs. Lynn looked down to her own fish tail and began to feel the tingling change that was about to take place. Her eyes clenched shut as her tail began to glow brightly and change into a pair of human legs. Lynn began to hyperventilate as she felt the foreign limbs.
"Lynn, chill out! You'll live." said Aria with an amused smile. The young Siren attempted to calm herself as the middle-aged Siren began to reach over to her lap as she took the towel from the girl.
"Let's wrap you up dearie." said the Siren.
"Sarila, I...I don't understand the purpose of covering ourselves up! Unless it's to help me ignore these freaky limbs than fine!" said Lynn in a panicked voice.
"It's to cover your nudity, cousin. It is indecent for human men and women to be without clothes in public." said Sarila. She then slowly began to stand to her feet. Her legs felt weak and wobbly. "Oh my. It's been quite a long time since I've had these."
"Wait, you've been to the surface before?" asked Sonata in a surprised tone.
"I have. But that's a story for another time." said Sarila with a smile. She then slowly began to walk in attempt to get back into the groove of walking. Mosura made her way over to Lynn and helped her to stand. The Transmutant began teach Lynn on how to walk as she held her hands and slowly walked backwards with the Siren in tow. The Siren struggled and kept stumbling.
"So, you are the ones who watched over our dear clan members?" asked Sarila curiously as she tapped Junior on the shoulder.
"Are you covered? Because I'm not turning until you are." said Junior stiffly. Sarila lightly chuckled.
"Of course." said Sarila. The male Transmutants turned to face the Siren. She stood to be six feet tall, just two inches below Junior's height. "Now about my question."
"Yep. that's us." said Junior nonchalantly. He then sighed in annoyance. "That wasn't the only thing that we did."
"What do you mean?" asked Sarila. Junior turned and pointed behind himself as he stepped to the side away from the Siren's sight. Her eyes widened in shock as she spotted a large carcass lying in the distance. She slowly walked past him and stared at the dead beast in the distance.
"It can't be. How? You couldn't have been the ones that-" Sarila turned to face the Transmutants in shock.
"It wasn't easy. But I'm sure that Adagio and the others told you about four creatures taking this thing on." said Junior.
"Yes, they did. They mentioned humans sheltering them as well and I assumed those humans to be you. But how could you possibly have anything to do with either the four creatures or the death of this dragon?!" exclaimed Sarila. Lynn turned her head and her eyes widened as she spotted the carcass of the dragon.
"Because we were those creatures. We're not humans. We're Transmutants." answered Junior. Lynn turned to face Junior with her eyes widening even further.
"Did...did you just say 'Transmutants'?" asked Lynn. Junior turned to face her with a small smile.
"I did. Remember me? You bothered me, kid." said Junior in a humored tone. Lynn cocked her head in confusion. But as her mind processed Junior's last sentence and began to recognize the shade of yellow in his eyes, it came to her. She gasped loudly and hid behind Mosura.
"It's you!" exclaimed Lynn. Junior chuckled to himself as he raised his left hand. It was suddenly covered in charcoal grey scales as black claws sprouted from his fingertips.
"In the scales." said Junior. Lynn shrunk back even further as she began to whimper. Mosura gave him a look of disapproval.
"Goji, knock it off! You're scaring the poor girl!" scolded Mosura. Junior chuckled again as he placed his hand back to his side.
"Sorry, couldn't resist." said Junior. "Sorry about that day, kiddo. I was only looking out for my friends."
"I kinda find it hard to forgive you." muttered Lynn. Junior shrugged.
"I can't blame you." said Junior. He then turned to face Sarila who stared at his hands with wide eyes. He cleared his throat as he reverted his scales and claws back into mammalian skin and nails.
"I don't mind if you find us freaky. It's perfectly understandable since we aren't exactly natural beings." said Junior. Sarila slowly walked closer to him with wide eyes. She took his hand and began to stare at it. Junior felt himself growing uncomfortable as she began to run her palm on his hand.
"May I....feel the scales?" asked Sarila nervously.
"Um...sure." said Junior. The flesh on his hand slowly began to revert back into the crocodile-like reptilian scales. Sarila began to slowly turn his hand and began to look it over.  She began to run her hand over the scales.
"Amazing. They feel rough, yet they feel smooth." said Sarila. She looked to Junior in wonder. "Can you feel my hand?"
"Umm...yeah. They're soft." answered Junior in embarrassment.
"Bow Chicka Bow Wow~" sang Rodan with a grin. Junior sent him a glare.
"Shut up, Rodan!" said Junior with a blush on his face. Sarila looked to him in confusion. Then after she realized the cause of Junior's embarrassment, she laughed in amusement.
"I apologize for this. I was just so curious to feel the scales of a dragon. But they don't seem very strong." said Sarila.
"I'll have you know that steel blades and the teeth of saw fish have no effect on them." said Junior. Sarila smiled. She then bowed her head.
"I wish to apologize to you and your friends for our clan's actions. We only wished to-" Sarila was about to finish but Junior sighed in response.
"Come on. We've been over apologies for the actions of you clan and what you were going to do two days ago with Adagio and the others. All is forgiven and life goes on." said Junior. Sarila looked to him in surprise.
"But...I'm the Matriarch of our clan! I should apologize on behalf of my clan for this!" said Sarila.
"Well, we consider these girls as representatives of your clan." said Junior as he gestured to the Sirens. They looked to Junior with a smile. "So based on their apologies and explanation, we chose to forgive them. Meaning we have also forgiven the rest of the clan including the Matriarch herself."
"I...I don't know what to say." said Sarila softly.
"A thank you for killing that jerk for you guys would be nice." suggested Rodan. Sarila smiled to herself.
"Hmm. Well, I sincerely thank you for ridding us of that creature. So many lives had been claimed from both humans and Sirens that we had lost hope. But you four have saved us all. I thank you all." said Sarila. She then made her way closer to Junior and gave him a kiss on his forehead. Junior recoiled back with a bright blush forming on his cheek as he began to babble. Sarila made her way over to Rodan and planted a cheek on his forehead as well and made her way over to Angirasu and did the same to him.
"Hehe. So awesome." said Rodan to himself with a grin. Angirasu lowered his head as his blush brightened. Sonata crossed her arms as she puffed her cheek out in jealously. Mosura looked to Sarila in surprise at the form of gratitude that the males had received.
"Oh, you boys received a kiss from the Matriarch. That's a great honor in our clan." said Adagio teasingly. Junior's brow twitched in annoyance. Sarila looked to Mosura curiously as she noticed her staring.
"Would care for a peck on the forehead as well?" asked Sarila. Mosura waved her hands furiously with a nervous smile.
"Uh no! No, I'm good! Your gratitude is enough for me." said Mosura. Sarila turned to face the dead dragon that lied dead. Humans began to gather around it as they poked at it.
"Well, the worst is behind us. Come along Lynn, we must return home to tell our clan of the good news." said Sarila. Lynn nodded with an eager expression. She followed Sarila back into the sea but turned back to face Junior.
"Um...thanks for saving our home." said Lynn as she avoided eye contact with Junior. He smiled.
"No problem, kid." said Junior. After Lynn and Sarila departed into the sea, their bodies lit up. They had regained their fish tails and proceeded to swim away. Adagio turned to face Junior in worry.
"Gojira, you said that the humans that wanted you dead would be looking for you. What are you guys going to do?" asked Adagio. Junior looked to her with a smile.
"We do what we have to do to avoid capture. We run until we can find a place to live peacefully." said Junior. Adagio rubbed her arm as she looked away sadly.
"Will we...see you each other again?" asked Adagio. Junior nodded to her.
"I'm sure we will. Fate has a funny way at making those familiar with each other to cross paths again." said Junior in amusement. He then turned and pointed north of the Great Inland Sea. "I think we'll return to Equestria. Neighpon is no longer our home, but we might be able to find refuge from MONARCH in Equestrian territory. If you ever want to visit, just drop on by to Canterlot and tell the guards that you're friends of Gojira Takeshi the 2nd." said Junior. Adagio felt her eyes water as her mind kept replaying the thought of her friends leaving. She immediately wrapped Junior into a tight embrace and began to sob into his shoulder. Junior sighed as he held her.
"Come on. Why are you crying?" asked Junior. He couldn't stand it when girls cried, especially when he forged a bond with them.
"It's just...I can't stand the thought my friends being forced to look over their shoulders every day! We've been forced to live like that for years and now we're free from that! Now you four are forced to continue with what we no longer have to face!" sobbed Adagio. Sonata felt her eyes beginning to water as well. She hugged Angirasu tightly as she buried her face into his chest. Aria looked down sadly at the thought of her friends still threatened with death. Rodan placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile.
"That's true, but MONARCH is restricted from setting foot in Equestria. We'll be safer there then in any place in the world. I promise you that." said Junior. Adagio sniffed as she held onto Junior.
"Listen, MONARCH might not even get here until later. Why don't we hang out one last time before we leave?" suggested Mosura. Adagio nodded to her.
"I'd...I'd like that." said Adagio as she began to calm herself.
"We could sing to you tonight!" said Sonata with glee.
"But...wouldn't that just hypnotize us?" asked Rodan.
"Sirens can sing without their magic affecting humans. It's just that our kind is known for using magic in our voices for things like...you know." answered Aria.
"Wow. Learn something new every week!" said Rodan with a smile. Mosura looked to Junior with a smile.
"Goji, do you mind?" asked Mosura. Junior shrugged in response.
"Eh. Sure, why not?" said Junior with a light smile. "I kinda miss hearing people sing."




Later that night...

At the very center of the Great Inland Sea was a great warship. It was anchored to the sea floor as it remained in position. The ship gave off smoke from its engines. Soldiers gathered into smaller boats that were lowered onto the sea. The boats began to mobilize through the sea as it carried the soldiers. Turrets were built at the front and sides of the large boats that held up to six soldiers. They began to run to the shore that was near the tall mountains that divided Zebrabwe and Saddle Arabia. The soldiers came across a great nuclear power plant that sat at the edge of the shore.
"You think they might be hiding there?" asked one of the soldiers.
"Don't know. Only one way to find out." said another soldier. He turned to face the pilot that hung at the wheel behind. "Starboard to the shores! We're going to investigate." ordered the soldier.
Back onto the warship stood Ghidorah, Sunset Shimmer and Erika Shiragami. All three of them wore their armor and were armed with their weapons. The two women stood silently next to the armored man as he glared at the shoreline.
"So, MONARCH has kept you two paired up because you were compatible?" questioned Ghidorah.
"Um...Yes sir! We were originally meant to eliminate Lucky Dragon ourselves in Equestria. Unfortunately, MONARCH was restricted as you may have heard." Sunset answered nervously.
"Yes. The commanding officer chose not to be discrete with killing him, resulting in the loss of a valuable asset. I would have had that fool court martialed myself if I were in charge." said Ghidorah. Erika and Sunset gulped nervously. Ghidorah chuckled to himself. "I'm kidding. Try not to be too uptight young soldiers."
"Right. Very funny, sir." Erika laughed nervously. Ghidorah looked towards the shore ahead to the West.
"Since you two and a few others will be paired with me, I suggest we check the east." said Ghidorah. He then led the soldiers across the deck of the ship where a boat on an elevator awaited them. The three boarded the boat where three other soldiers were. The soldiers went stiff in the presence of Ghidorah.
"Agent Ghidorah! The transport is ready sir!" said an Earthbound soldier.
"Excellent. We're headed east. Get this boat moving." ordered Ghidorah as he, Erika and Sunset took a seat.
"Yes sir! And might I say how shiny your armor is looking today!" said the soldier. A female Valkyrie scoffed in disgust.
"Kissass." muttered the Valkyrie. Ghidorah did not respond the compliment. Instead, his mind was focus on the mission.
'Kill Lucky Dragon. Make him suffer and crush Destoroyah.' thought Ghidorah. The boat was lowered onto the sea. The engine revved up and the boat was propelled west in search of the fugitive Transmutants. Sunset looked to Erika with a smile.
"We do this for people. Not for glory and fame." said Sunset. Erika nodded to her in approval.



The Transmutant Four listened to the Dazzlings as they sang harmoniously into the night. Their voices filled Junior with a calm feeling in his soul and mind. It was the same feeling that he felt when he first heard the Sirens sing. This time however, it felt more peaceful.
"Aaaaah~ Aaaaaah~" the Sirens vocalized to the Transmutants. Angirasu listened with a small smile on his face. Mosura leaned against Junior's shoulder as she heard the beautiful melody. Rodan closed his eyes as he listened to the tones of the Sirens. It felt as though the world was at harmony with itself. This was a peace that Junior yearned for. More than the other Transmutants, he felt himself liking their singing the most. He felt a connection to them as they sang, which was stronger than the annoying random musical numbers that the Equestrians occasionally sang.  
'These tones, these melodies. Why do they feel so familiar?' thought Junior. He knew that he had rarely heard Sirens sing. But he felt like he had heard a melody like theirs before, as the Dazzlings ended their song. Their tones died down and the night returned to silence. The Transmutants applauded them for their performance.
"That was beautiful!" said Mosura. Junior nodded in agreement.
"It was." said Junior.
"You girls were awesome! I'd pay to see you at a concert!" said Rodan with a grin.
"Great work." said Angirasu with a smile. Sonata blushed at his praise as she twiddled her thumbs.
"We were happy to perform for our friends." said Adagio. She then sighed in disappointment. "I guess this is goodbye."
"Yeah. But I know we'll see each other again." said Junior. Adagio felt herself reassured by his words and smiled back. The Transmutants stood up to their feet and picked up their bags. Junior picked up his sheathed sword and held at his side. Suddenly, his ears picked up a sound, causing him to turn and search for the sound. He turned back to the sea and found an object approaching. He focused his eyes in attempt to see the distant object. Unexpectedly, a projectile was shot from it and was hurled towards them.
"Oh, shit!" exclaimed Junior. He ran over to the Sirens and pushed them out of the way. He was suddenly struck by a blue bolt of magic that forced him onto his back. Sonata cried out in fear as she saw his chest beginning to sizzle.
"Gojira!!" exclaimed the Sirens and Transmutants. Junior immediately stood back to his feet and spotted the boat approaching much closer.
"We got company!" shouted Junior. Mosura turned and spotted the boat. Her eyes widened as she spotted the insignia that was painted on the front of the rectangular boat.
"It's MONARCH!" exclaimed Mosura.
"Oh no." said Angirasu with wide eyes. Rodan turned to face the Sirens with a distressed expression.
"You three need to get the hell out of here now!" said Rodan. Suddenly, two flashes of light came from the boat and appeared in between the Transmutants and Sirens. From the flashes came Erika, Sunset and Ghidorah. Erika tackled Angirasu to the ground and began to furiously punch him. Sonata cried out to him as she watched him mercilessly assaulted. Sunset engaged Mosura in hand to hand combat. She began to fire quick magic bolts at the Transmutant, which were dodged every time.
"Missed me?" asked Sunset with a smile. Mosura sent her a glare as she got into a fighting stance.
"Hardly." retorted Mosura. The two charged towards each other and sent quick punches and kicks. Rodan kicked Erika off of Angirasu, sending her a few feet away. Rodan helped Angirasu stand to his feet and sent Erika a glare.
"Don't make it harder than it has to be." pleaded Erika.
"Sorry. I ain't going to the Vault." said Rodan defiantly. Angirasu nodded in agreement. Erika sighed.
"I must fulfill my duty." said Erika. She then charged towards the two while giving a war cry. The three engaged in combat. Erika slid under Angirasu and sent a strong kick into his back, knocking him forward. She then rolled away from a punch that was sent by Rodan and swept his leg. Rodan fell down onto the sand with a grunt. As Erika was about to stomp onto his chest, Angirasu rammed his body into her and drove her to the ground.
"Gah!" cried Junior as Ghidorah sent a powerful punch towards him. He flew several feet away and crashed into the sand. He spat sand out of his mouth and glared at the armored figure.
"Who are you?" demanded Junior.
"I am Ghidorah. The top agent of MONARCH." answered Ghidorah.
"Heh. I bet. I didn't think MONARCH would give anyone that kind of fancy looking armor." said Junior with a bitter smile as he stood to his feet. He then noticed how the man had over a foot of height over him.
"Oh there is more to my armor than looks, Gojira Takeshi the 2nd." said Ghidorah with a dark chuckle. Junior's eyes widened.
"Don't be surprised. MONARCH knows who you are." said Ghidorah. He then charged towards Junior and sent a jab towards him. The Transmutant side stepped away to the right and then side stepped to the left as Ghidorah sent a second punch. Junior then sent a round house kick against Ghidorah, causing him to stagger away. The soldier chuckled.
"Very good, boy." said Ghidorah as he pulled out a jagged katana. Junior growled as he unsheathed the Changeling sword that he wore on his back.
"Oh I can do sword fights too, asshole." said Junior. The two stared each other down as they began to circle each other. Both focused on each other and not the battles going on around them. The fighters stopped as the wind blew against them. Suddenly, both charged towards each other and clashed blades. Sparks flew as they struggled to overpower each other. Ghidorah stared Junior down from behind his helmet.
"Then show me what you can do, young Takeshi!" said Ghidorah in exhilaration. The two backed away from each other and repeatedly clashed blades. Sparks lit the small space around them as the sound of steel grazing against steel filled the air. Junior was forced back by Ghidorah as he continuously began to swing his sword against him. Junior stumbled back as the attacks grew more furious. The armored man sent a kick against Junior's chest, forcing him off of his feet and to roll backwards, stopping at his belly after two seconds of rolling. Junior groaned as he stood up to his feet. His eyes widened as Ghidorah approached him with high speeds. His backside was lit from his thruster pack that carried him. Ghidorah held his katana in a stabbing position. Junior immediately stood to his feet and then leapt over the oncoming soldier. Junior then grabbed the helmet covered head of the solider as he was airborne over him. Ghidorah grunted as his head was yanked on by the strength of the young Transmutant. His body was forced backwards and his vision of the world was turned upside down. Junior performed a somersault as he held Ghidorah and landed onto the sand with Ghidorah's head in his grip. He then gave a yell as his muscles worked against the thruster pack's jets and slammed Ghidorah onto the ground in front of himself with all of his might. The force of the impact caused a plume of sand to fly into the air. Ghidorah's thruster pack had shut down as he lied limp in the sand that dropped back down to bury most of his body. Only his helmet was exposed.
"I showed you what I can do. Did you see?" asked Junior as he tapped Ghidorah's helmet with a chuckle. He then noticed his friends having trouble with the remaining soldiers that were attacking his friends. Junior picked up his sword and dashed towards them.
"Hehe. Such a clever boy." Ghidorah chuckled to himself. He slowly began to raise himself out of the sand and watched the Transmutants fend off the soldiers.
"Shimmer!" shouted Junior. Sunset turned around from Mosura as the Transmutant stood by with a tense stance. Sunset's eyes widened as she spotted Junior dropping down towards her with a sword in his grip.
"Take this!" said Junior as he descended closer to Sunset. The Elf immediately rolled out of the way, the blade missed her by a hair as it chopped down onto the sand. Junior cursed as he realized that he missed. He turned and found three other soldiers disembarking the boat that they had arrived from. The soldiers began to fire their weapons at Junior. The magic bolts collided against his skin and shirt. His flesh suffered from burns that sizzled. A few bolts even managed to pierce through him. Junior growled in anger. Suddenly, the soldiers were caught in a red mist. Junior's eyes widened as he spotted Adagio with her eyes glowing red as she gritted her teeth. Her hands were engulfed in the sparkling red mist of her magic.
"Leave them alone!!" shouted Adagio. She then forced her hand forward and slammed the soldiers against the boat. Sunset cursed as she sent her hand in the Siren's direction. Her hand was engulfed in a magic aura that faintly glowed.
"No!" shouted Junior as he charged towards the Elf. Sunset immediately turned back to Junior and fired the bolt at him instead. Junior staggered a bit from the strike but proceeded with his charge.
'Damn! I still had that spell on stun!' thought Sunset in anger. Junior yelled as he brought the sword down onto the Elf. Sunset immediately raised her hands in front of herself and projected a half-dome shield in front of herself. The sword collided with the shield, causing it to ripple like a pebble in a pond. Junior growled angrily as he repeatedly began to slam his sword against the dome. His eyes burned with rage at how this woman had threatened to harm his friends. The shield suddenly sprung a small crack after several attempts to take it down. Junior growled angrily as he was about to bring the sword down again, but Sunset's hands abruptly glowed brightly. The half dome shield flashed as it drove towards Junior, forcing him onto his back.
"Freaking magic!" said Junior in annoyance. He stood to his feet and found Sunset charging towards him with both of her hands engulfed in her magic aura. Sunset teleported out of his sight and then reappeared behind him. She swept his leg with her a kick and then slammed both of her fists down on his chest. Junior groaned in pain as he felt the magical force impact him. A plume of sand was blown from all around them from the magic force. Sunset then levitated Junior into the air with her magic with a glare.
"You've been running long enough." said Sunset. Junior growled as he struggled to escape from the magical grasp. Suddenly, Sunset was pushed by an invisible force. She cried out at the unexpected force as she crashed along the sand. Junior dropped to his knees panting as he felt his throbbing chest. Mosura rushed to his side with a worried expression.
"How are you?" asked Mosura.
"I'm good." said Junior. They then noticed Erika fighting Angirasu and Rodan with ease. Her movements were too quick as she ducked and side stepped all of their attacks. She sent multiple jabs into Angirasu's chest and kicked her leg back towards Rodan into his gut as he attempted to attack her from behind. The crimson haired Transmutant fell onto his back as the wind was knocked out of him. Erika then sent a roundhouse kick towards Angirasu as he stood in a dazed state.
"Angirasu!" cried Sonata.
"That's it, I'm not sticking around anymore!" said Aria in anger. The two Sirens both raised their hands and began to restrain Erika before she could attack a barely standing Rodan. Erika gasped in surprise as she realized that her muscles were immobilized. Sonata turned as she noticed Sunset charging towards them. The Siren raised her other hand and stopped Sunset in her tracks. The Elf cursed as she attempted to unleash her magical attack. Adagio continued to hold the other three soldiers that were shooting at Junior. She turned to face Junior and Mosura.
"Get out of here while you still can!" said Adagio.
"What?! Adagio, we can't leave you! You three should be the ones that leave!" said Junior.
"They'll kill you if you don't escape while you still can! Please, get out of here!" begged Sonata.
"No! We...we can beat these guys." panted Angirasu as he stood to his feet.
"Yeah! This is our fight, not yours!" said Rodan. Aria looked to him with a glare.
"If anyone messes with our friends, it's as much as our fight as it is yours!" retorted Aria. She grunted as Erika began to struggle much further.
"Helping...Ergh! Transmutants is insane!" said one of the soldiers that were restrained by Adagio's magic. She gritted her teeth as she slammed that particular soldier against the boat.
"Shut up!" shouted Adagio. Junior made her way over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Adagio, don't risk your lives for us." said Junior sadly. Adagio looked to him with a small smile.
"Think of it as our way of showing our gratitude for what you did for us." said Adagio. She then looked to Mosura.
"Adagio..." said Mosura with a breaking tone.
"We owe you." said Adagio. She then looked to Junior with a grin. "Stay tough, Goji."
"Lucky Dragon! Don't you dare pull out of this fight!" said Sunset with a glare. Junior looked to Sunset with a glare of his own. He then looked back to Adagio.
"As soon as we're gone, get the hell out of here." whispered Junior. She nodded to him. Junior then looked back to his friends.
"Let's move guys!" said Junior as he broke off into a sprint. Mosura looked to Adagio sadly and then followed Junior. Rodan looked Aria who gave him a reassuring smile. He felt his eyes begin to water but he immediately shut his eyes.
"Good luck." said Rodan as he turned and began to follow Junior and Mosura. Angirasu looked to Sonata and back to his Transmutant friends hesitantly. Sonata gave him a nod.
"It's OK. We'll see each other again." said Sonata.
"But..." Angirasu wanted an excuse to stay. He couldn't allow the Sirens to sacrifice themselves against this threat. Sonata walked over to him and planted a kiss on his cheek. A blush formed on his face as Sonata gave him a sad smile.
"It's time that I played the hero. Or heroine in this case." laughed Sonata. Angirasu's frowned deepened.
"I won't forget you. Any of you. Thank you and please be safe." said Angirasu as he turned to join his friends. Sonata's head lowered in sadness as he departed. Sunset turned her head as she glared at Junior's back.
"Lucky Dragon! You coward!!" shouted Sunset. Junior's ears picked up Sunset's voice. His heart stung painfully at the word, 'coward'. That was how he felt for abandoning his new friends. He gritted his teeth as he and his fellow Transmutants disappeared into the village. The three Sirens stepped closely together as they kept their magical hold on the soldiers. They eyed them with glares, feeling anxious. They wanted to release and hop back into the sea and swim far away, but they remained still to prevent the soldiers from going after the Transmutants. Aria gasped as she spotted Ghidorah rising out of the sand. He slowly began to walk toward the Sirens in silence. He stopped as he looked to the soldiers that were trapped in their magic.
"I am disappointed in all of you." said Ghidorah as he shook his head. He sighed. "Rather unfortunate that the Transmutants escaped."
'Was he just lying there?!' thought Erika in annoyance. She hated how spoke to them. As if he were superior to them when he could have been helping them apprehend the Transmutants instead of watching from the sand.
"We’ll get them. But first, we need to deal with these pests." said Ghidorah darkly as he clapped his hands together. The sound of crackling energy pierced the air. The armored man began to slowly separate his hands from each other as streams of sparking energy began to crackle from his palms. He slowly shifted his hands as the energy shot from his palms and back into each other. The man darkly chuckled as he stared down the Sirens, who stared at him fearfully. They stepped back and away as he slowly approached them.




Meanwhile at the nuclear power plant...

Six MONARCH soldiers treaded slowly through the facility in silence. Their rifles were raised as they walked close to the walls and rounded the corners. They wore armor and helmets that protected them from the hazard radiation that may potentially leak out. They had yet to find any staff members of the plant, which worried them. The soldiers breathed softly into their helmets and behind the glass that allowed them their sight. Oxygen tanks filled them with clean air as they continued walking. Their hearts raced.
"Where in the hell are the staff?" whispered one of the soldiers as he looked behind himself. The two had later found a large blast door that was shut. They lowered their rifles as they stared at the door. It was slightly open, dim lights glowing from behind it. The soldiers slowly made their way over to the blast door and began to pull on it. The heavy door began to slowly slide to the left and into a slot in between the door frame. What lied behind the door made their eyes widen in horror. Corpses of men and women littered the control room, which were crushed, twisted, and mutilated. If the soldiers were not wearing their environmental protective gear, the stench of the dead would have reached their noses.
"What happened?" asked one of the soldiers in shock.
"Same thing that's about to happen to you." said a male voice from behind. The soldiers all turned and pointed their rifles at the owner of the voice. Suddenly, they attacked by three figures at once. One of them jammed a katana into a soldier's body, the other snapped the neck of a soldier and then slammed the nearest soldier's head against the pavement with astounding force. The soldiers were killed mercilessly by these figures, much like the staff inside of the control room. After the last soldier was killed, the figures stopped and remained still. Red eyes glared at the corpses on the ground. From the shadows and from the halls came Megaguirus, who stared in shock.
"Oh my god! Battra, are those MONARCH soldiers?!" exclaimed Megaguirus.
"They were." said Battra as he popped his knuckles. He then looked to the dead corpses and then sent Shinomura a glare.
"I told you that we should have stayed hidden. But no! You had to go and kill most of the staff that worked here!" said Battra.
"First of all, that's our job! To eliminate of all of these humans! Second of all, I had to stop them before they could sound the alarm!" retorted Shinomura.
"Yeah but obviously that must have failed since we have six dead soldiers at our feet." said Battra with a glare.
"Wait! Something doesn't seem right with this." said Mukade in thought.
"What do you mean?" asked Megaguirus in confusion.
"MONARCH wasn't occupying Saddle Arabia at the time before we got here. I think I saw a ship approaching miles away outside when we first arrived an hour ago. They couldn't have anticipated us coming!" said Mukade. The Transmutants stared at him and then began to process what they were told.
"If this is all a coincidence, then...why are they here?" asked Battra. He then shook his head. "Look, doesn't matter! We need to hide these bodies and get back to work. MONARCH will be looking for these soldiers when they don't answer their coms."
"Right. We still need to help Destoroyah and the others gather the radiation." said Megaguirus with a nod.
	
> Bonus Chapter 1: Breaking old traditions
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

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




Meanwhile...

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




Later that day...

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



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




Later...

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




Neighpon. The previous night...

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



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



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




The next morning...

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

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

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




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

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




Later that night...

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




Later...

Rainbow and Rodan leaned against each other's backs. They both sighed as they lazily lied against each other. Their bellies were full from the dinner that they had eaten. Rainbow yawned.
"Man that was good." said Rainbow.
"Sure was. Ramen is good for making quick dinner." said Rodan. Rainbow smirked as she elbowed Rodan.
"So, we're still up for training this weekend, right?" asked Rainbow.
"Oh, absolutely!" said Rodan with a grin. Rainbow smiled as she turned back and continued to rest against him.
"You ever been snowboarding?" asked Rainbow.
"Well, I've been skate boarding." chuckled Rodan. Rainbow smirked in response.
"Dude, you have to come with me and Pinkie Pie tomorrow! We're gonna go down this huge hill!" said Rainbow with a look of excitement.
"Hey, I'm down for whatever you two want to do for fun!" said Rodan. He sighed as he closed his eyes and felt something tingle against his nose. He swiped at it and opened up his eyes in annoyance. He found Pinkie Pie and Clover snickering as they held a mistletoe, hanging from a stick, over himself and Rainbow Dash. He immediately shot up and pulled the mistletoe from the string.
"What's wrong?" asked Rainbow as she began to turn. Rodan immediately hid the plant in his pocket with his cheeks a bright red.
"Oh, it was nothing! Just a big spider came down on my nose from its web." lied Rodan. Rainbow raised a brow, but shrugged in response and turned back and continued to lean on his back. Rodan sighed in relief and shot Pinkie and Clover a glare, both looking at him innocently. He tossed the mistletoe back to them and pointed his thumb away. The two moaned in disappointment and began to leave the two on the stair case.
Mosura sat on a sofa beside Rarity and Applejack. The three conversed amongst themselves as Fluttershy and Angirasu sat near the heater, warming themselves up. Mosura watched as Fluttershy timidly sat next to Angirasu and glanced at him. Mosura lightly frowned, feeling overcome with worry.
"Darling? Hellooo." called Rarity. Mosura shot her head to face Rarity.
"Huh?" asked Mosura.
"I was asking you if you were enjoying yourself." said Rarity.
"Oh. Yeah, I'm having a great time!" said Mosura with a forced smile. Applejack raised a brow at her response and noticed a hint of worry hidden behind her smile.
"You alright, sugar cube?" asked Applejack.
"Everything is fine." said Mosura with a smile. Applejack gave her deadpanned stare and Mosura grew uncomfortable as the farm girl gazed at her. Mosura sighed.
"OK, I'm lying." said Mosura with a scowl.
"Do you want to talk about it?" asked Applejack. Mosura sighed as she watched Fluttershy converse with Angirasu.
"You ever worry about your family but you don't know how to approach them about it?" asked Mosura.
"I have. Is there a problem with the boys?" asked Rarity as she looked to Angirasu and then to Rodan.
"I'm worried that they'll be hurt." said Mosura. Applejack raised a brow in confusion.
"Hurt? Are they in trouble or something?" asked Applejack. She then noticed that Mosura was staring at Rodan worriedly as he and Rainbow leaned against each other. She then looked to Angirasu and found him alone with Fluttershy.
"Oh." said Applejack. She placed a comforting hand on Mosura's shoulder.
"Well, I wouldn't worry about that sugarcube! They seem to get along just fine with them." said Applejack with a reassuring smile.
"I don't know." said Mosura. Rarity raised a brow.
"Darling, are you...being possessive?" asked Rarity. Mosura's eyes widened in alarm.
"E-excuse me?!" asked Mosura. Rarity raised her hands defensively.
"Don't be upset! I only asked a simple question." said Rarity, hoping to calm the Transmutant down. Mosura looked down with a frantic expression.
"No. No, I'm not being possessive. Right? I'm just..." Mosura gritted her teeth. She sighed. "I just don't want them to get hurt again."
"Again?" asked Rarity. Mosura nodded.
"They're like my brothers. I don't want them to go through rejection again." said Mosura. Rarity frowned.
"Mosura, that happens to everyone. It's not something that we can avoid. No matter how much we want to try." said Rarity.
"That's right." said Applejack. Mosura deeply frowned. Her eyes caught sight of Pinkie Pie and Clover snickering as they lowered the mistletoe over Fluttershy and Angirasu. The two looked up and found it in between them. Angirasu and Fluttershy looked back to each other and blushed in embarrassment. Fluttershy smiled bashfully and looked away as she pressed her fingers together. Angirasu lowered his head as he stared at the ground to hide his blush.
"Oh my." whispered Rarity with a smile. Applejack placed an arm over Mosura’s shoulders as she gave her a grin. Mosura turned back to watch the Valkryie and male Transmutant as they slowly turned to each other.
"Um..." Angirasu looked away shyly. Fluttershy placed on a determined expression and leaned into him. Rarity and Applejack gasped as they watched with eager looks. Rainbow and Rodan noticed the excitement.
"No way." said Rodan with a grin. Rainbow smiled.
"Flutters, when did you get so bold?" asked Rainbow as she watched Fluttershy slowly lean into Angirasu. The Valkyrie took Angirasu's face into her hands and gave him a peck on the cheek. Angirasu smiled with an embarrassed chuckle escaping his throat. Clover frowned in disappointment.
"Maybe not." said Rainbow.
"Eh. I thought she would have ran away, so this seems bold." said Rodan with a shrug. He looked on in disappointment.
'I kinda wish that I let Pinkie kept that mistletoe over us.' thought Rodan as he glanced at Rainbow.
"So much for rejection, eh Mosu?" asked Applejack with a chuckle. Mosura placed on a forced smile.
"Right." said Mosura. She then looked to Fluttershy and Angirasu as they avoided eye contact while bearing smiles. She couldn't help but smile as well.
Meanwhile in the kitchen, Twilight, Spike and Junior were in the kitchen as they washed the dishes. As Junior scrubbed the dishes and rinsed them off, he handed them to Twilight, who dried them off. After she had dried the dishes, she handed the dishes to Spike, who placed them where they belonged.
"Thanks for offering to do the dishes, Gojira." said Twilight.
"No problem, Twilight." said Junior with a smile. He began to rinse his hands off after he handed the last bowl to Twilight. After he had soaked the soap off of his hands, he turned off the faucet and began to dry his hands.
"So, what's next?" asked Spike as he placed the last bowl away. Pinkie Pie rushed into the kitchen and grabbed Spike and Twilight by their arms.
"Hearth's Warming Carols!" said Pinkie in excitement. She then ran with Twilight and Spike. The Elf turned to Junior and grabbed his hand, dragging him along with them.
"Aw man." said Junior in disappointment. Twilight laughed in response as she tightened her hold on Junior's hand, causing her heart to race. The four had made their way out to the main room of the library with everyone else.
"Hold hands everybody and gather around the tree!" said Pinkie. Junior dreaded this moment. Pinkie then looked to Junior with a serious expression.
"Listen buster, I want you to suck it up! You are going to sing and you are going to like it!" said Pinkie as she got into Junior's face. The Transmutant backed away.
"Alright, alright. Sheesh." said Junior with a scowl. He felt Twilight tugging at his sweater and found her looking at him with a smile. She held out her hand to him while holding Spike's hand. Junior sighed with a small smile and took her hand. The humans, drake and Transmutants gathered around the tree that shone with the lights. Everyone, including Junior began to sing the Heart Carol.
"One, two, three!" Pinkie counted with excitement.
"The fire of friendship lives in our hearts
As long as it burns we cannot drift apart
Though quarrels arise, their numbers are few
Laughter and singing will see us through (will see us through)
We are a circle of friends
A circle of friends we'll be to the very end~"
"Happy Hearth's Warming, everyone!" said Pinkie with joy. Junior sighed as he looked down at the ground. Twilight smiled at his embarrassment.
"For someone who doesn't like to sing, you've got a bit of a voice for it." said Twilight.
"You think so?" asked Junior with a vague smile. Twilight nodded to him with a grin. He shook his head in amusement.
"You girls sure know how to get me out of my comfort zone." said Junior.
"More carols!" said Pinkie. Junior sighed in disappointment.
"Greaaat." said Junior
	
> Chapter 34: Old Grudges Resurfaced
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Running. That's what Junior has been doing for the past couple of months. Running away from the enemies that turned the known world onto its ear. Their weapons were advanced for the time, their numbers were great, and most nations supported them. This was all because no one had the strength to fight enemies as powerful as the Transmutants. Except the world didn’t know that MONARCH was the one that brought about these new Transmutants and is now attempting to cover its own tracks. 
The Transmutant Four rushed through the village without stopping. Unfortunately, they were in such a hurry that they sometimes shoved people out of their way. People shouted angrily at them for their shoving. Some even complained about Mosura not wearing her abaya. None of that mattered now for the Transmutants as their lives were in danger. Their hearts were heavy as they thought back to the Dazzlings. They prayed that they were safe back in the sea. Junior, however, felt cowardly for abandoning them. It wasn't fear of unnatural beings that separated the Transmutants from the Sirens, rather it was sacrifice. The Transmutants hid in an alley, stopping to catch their breaths. They panted as they began to sweat and breathed heavily. Mosura peaked her head out from the corner of the alley and sighed in relief when she didn’t saw anyone chasing after them.
"I think we're safe. For now at least." said Mosura. Junior clenched his fist.
"Of course. Of course we're safe!" said Junior angrily. He then slammed his fist against the wall, startling the other Transmutants. "But what about the others? Are they safe?!"
"Goji..." Mosura reached out to him but he immediately pulled away.
"We should have stayed! Why did we listen to them?!" demanded Junior as he slammed his fist against the wall.
"Gojira, calm down!" said Rodan.
"Calm down? How can I be calm when I have just left my friends to die?!" demanded Junior with a glare.
"You don't know that! They could have gotten away!" said Angirasu.
"I want to believe that. But I can't. Not after running away with my tail between my legs like a cowardly dog." seethed Junior. Angirasu grabbed him by the shoulder and turned Junior to face him.
"You know what your problem is? You lack faith!" said Angirasu. Junior recoiled from him at how Angirasu confronted him. Never has he done this with him. It was a shock to him.
"Gojira, we understand how hard it is. It's killing us inside as much as it to you. But we can't doubt them." said Angirasu. "It may seem like a hopeless situation, but faith in them is important. You've seen what they could do!"
"What if our faith is blind?" asked Junior in a monotone voice. Angirasu gave him a hard stare.
"If so, than let's hope that they are still alive." said Angirasu. He then turned and began to walk down the alley. "We don't always have to be the heroes, Gojira. Sometimes, people might be the ones to help us instead."
Junior began process what he was told. He was afraid for his friends. Not just his Transmutant friends, but the Sirens as well. They were important to him.
"I'm sorry, Aang. It's just that they came out of nowhere and I panicked. Oh...oh god, I can't think straight." said Junior as he sat down as he held his head. Mosura kneeled next to him in worry.
"Are you OK?" asked Mosura. Junior shook his head.
"No. I feel weak." said Junior. Mosura's eyes widened.
"I think I know why." said Mosura. She pulled out her map and began to scan through it. They were currently on the edge of town, miles away from Zebrabwe. Near a mountain that divided the two nations, Mosura found an image that made her sigh.
"Gojira, we should probably stop at the nuclear power plant before we go back to Equestria." said Mosura as she folded and placed her map back into her pocket. She helped Junior stand to his feet, who felt the world spin around him. He shook his disorientation off, sighing heavily.
"OK. I think I'm good right now." said Junior. He then turned to face Rodan and Angirasu who looked to him in worry.
"Faith, huh?" asked Junior. Angirasu nodded to him in confirmation. Junior sighed.
"Yeah, maybe I should start having some." said Junior.
"Well, you can start when we start taking in good ol' nuclear radiation." said Rodan with a smile.




1 hour later...

The MONARCH warship remained in the middle of the Great Inland Sea. The lights searched the surface of the water. Soldiers prepared themselves for further orders to be given out. Workers continued to maintain the ship to keep it in order. Ghidorah walked through the halls of the ship as he rubbed his wrist. Erika and Sunset followed close behind him. Ghidorah grunted as he popped his shoulder and his neck, sighing in relief.
"Annoying." said Ghidorah angrily as he thought back to the Sirens. Sunset wore a specially designed suit of armor meant for protection against harmful substances or gases. In this case, the radiation from the power plant that they were preparing to visit.
"We received orders to sweep the nuclear power plant just on the edge of the country. We have to secure it and make sure that Lucky Dragon and the others don't try to hide out there." said Ghidorah.
"So, do we have a plan of attack?" asked Sunset.
"You insult me. Of course, I do. That plan is to arm up and to rain hell on him." answered Ghidorah. He then led the two soldiers to another boat that awaited them. "Get this boat over to the power plant ASAP!"
"Yes, sir!" said the pilot of the boat. The soldiers boarded the boat and waited to be deployed.
'I know you're there Destoroyah. I can smell you. And when I'm through, Gojira is next.' thought Ghidorah.



Inside of the nuclear power plant, over a dozen Transmutants were inside. Several men and women roamed the facility as they searched for sources where they could draw the radioactive particles that were inside of this concealed facility. They began to move further into the great facility where pipes lined the walls and found an area near the reactor. The Transmutants carried sacks that contained the enchanted gems.
Destoroyah stood by on the roof of the facility where he watched the twin cooling towers that emitted steam into the air. The area was clear at the moment, but the information given to him about MONARCH's troops wandering into their raid made him uneasy. It would pose a problem if MONARCH's drones were to assault them while they were working. They just needed enough radiation to allow the infants to survive. The talk that he had given to the volunteers motivated them enough to gather radiation helped if it meant that they would be saving infants. Destoroyah suddenly heard the sound of footsteps approaching from behind.
"Sensei, our raid is nearly complete. The gems are nearly all filled with what they can take in from the reactor." informed Battra as he bowed before his elder and teacher. Destoroyah nodded.
"Excellent, my student. I shall join you all right now." said Destoroyah as he turned and began to walk past Battra. He suddenly stopped as his nose picked up a familiar scent. He slowly searched the area around him suspiciously.
"Sensei?" called Battra. Destoroyah shook his head.
"It's nothing. Come." said Destoroyah as he continued to walk along the roof. Battra searched the area around him in confusion but proceeded after his teacher.
'He's coming.' thought Destoroyah with a smile. He then hopped off of the building with Battra. Both made their way back into the building that would lead into their destination. They passed a few corpses that lied on the ground and overturned tables. Destoroyah looked to Battra as they made their way into an area where dozens of large pipes were built into the concrete and the walls.
"My student, I will need you to return here later. Go and tell our warriors to meet me here when the rest have finished storing the radiation. Have them to return to our lair in Neighpon." ordered Destoroyah.
"Very well. But...may I ask why we will be needed?" asked Battra.
"All in good time. Now go." said Destoroyah as he made his way over to a corner and sat down. Battra sighed.
"Very well." said Battra.




Later...

The Transmutant Four stood outside of the great facility. Its lights were dim and the nuclear cooling towers continued to emit steam continuously. They stared at the great metal doors that blocked their path and the tall electric fences that formed a perimeter around the power plant. Junior sighed.
"I just...can't stop thinking about them." said Junior solemnly. Mosura placed a comforting hand on his shoulder with a reassuring smile.
"When we get away, we can come back some other time to see if they're alright." said Mosura. Junior nodded to her.
"Yeah." said Junior. Rodan clapped his hands together.
"So, should we knock or knock the door down?" asked Rodan. Angirasu shook his head.
"No, that might trigger an alarm or something. We should jump this." said Angirasu.
"No fun." said Rodan in disappointment. The four Transmutants reared themselves back and then all leapt over the heavy steel doors. They both landed on the asphalt ground that was on the other side. The group slowly made their way through the compound and headed towards the small building near the cooler reactors. Junior looked around the area warily.
"Something's not right. Where are the workers?" asked Junior. The Transmutants began to look around the area as well. Not a soul was in sight and the place was quiet. Suddenly, a stench reached their noses.
"Bleh! What is that smell?" asked Rodan as he cupped his nose.
"Whatever it is, it is funky." said Angirasu in disgust. Junior's blood ran cold.
"I recognize that smell." said Junior. He then broke off into a sprint and towards the small building.
"Goji, wait!" called Mosura as she and the other Transmutants chased after him. Junior burst through the door, searching frantically. He then saw the source of the smell lying on the floor. He slowly walked in and looked over the source. Mosura made her way inside and her eyes widened. She cupped her hands over her mouth. Rodan felt his stomach turn as he found the source. Angirasu frowned as he made it inside with the others. The bodies of humans lied scattered on the ground. They were mangled, crushed and in the early stages of rotting.
"Who could've done this?" asked Mosura in despair. Junior clenched his fist as his nose picked up more scents…scents that boiled his blood.
"We're not alone." said Junior. He turned down the hall of the building and began to stalk towards a blast door at the far end. The rest of the Transmutants followed him to the blast door. Junior was about to punch the blast door but as he barely tapped it, the door fell backwards. Junior's eyes widened in surprised, but then hardened into a glare.
"Son of a bitch was expecting us." said Junior. He then stepped inside through the door frame and onto the fallen steel door. He glared at the area around him. Pipes lined the walls and were built into the ground. They had made their way into the Turbine Hall where the pipes heated the water taken in from a nearby source. Junior then spotted a familiar crustacean armored figure in the far corner near large pipes. The Transmutants stared at Destoroyah in shock, not expecting to see him around.
"Fancy meeting you here." said Junior in a bitter tone. Destoroyah raised his head and smiled darkly.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I would have baked a cake if I knew you were going to throw a fit. Courtesy of the Transmutant Revolutionaries." taunted Destoroyah. Junior chucked to himself.
"Revolutionaries? Is that what you call yourselves? Murderers is more like it!" said Junior.
"Says the pot calling the tea kettle black." said a male voice from above. Mosura's eyes widened as she recognized the voice. She looked up and saw Battra drop down from the ceiling as he landed beside Destoroyah. He wore a glare as he stared at the Transmutant Four. "I've seen through your recent memories, Takeshi. You're as much as a killer as we are."
"What I did was in self-defense! I had no choice!" said Junior angrily.
"Neither did we." said Battra. He then looked to Mosura with a glare. "Hello Mosura. I'd say it was nice to see you again, but then I'd be lying."
"Brother..." Mosura looked to him with a hurtful expression. Battra raised his hand.
"We just share the blood of our parents. We are not brother and sister." said Battra with spite. Mosura gasped to herself as she felt her heart torn in two. Angirasu stepped in front of her.
"Leave her alone." said Angirasu.
"Ah. Angirasu. I haven't seen you and Rodan since we were children. Sad to see that Mosura blinded you as well." said Battra. Rodan sent him a glare.
"Hey, dickweed!  If you want a fight then you better pick your battle wisely! We outnumber you!" said Rodan. Destoroyah chuckled darkly.
"I beg to differ." said Destoroyah as he rose to his feet. From the shadows emerged Megaguirus, Mukade, Gaira, and Shinomura. Rodan's shoulders slumped.
"Oh." said Rodan with wide eyes. The Transmutants tensed as they stared at the Revolutionaries. Megaguirus noticed Junior and began to wave at him.
"Hi Goji~" said Megaguirus with a flirty smile. Junior's eyes widened.
"You?!" exclaimed Junior. She then placed a hand on her hip with a grin.
"That's right, handsome! I've been rolling with these guys! Hope you're not jealous, babe." said Megaguirus. Junior sent her a glare.
"I think I'd rather commit seppuku than be jealous of you." said Junior. Megaguirus placed a fake hurtful expression on her face.
"Aaaw! You're so mean!" said Megaguirus dramatically. Junior rolled his eyes.
"We don't have time for this shit. Honestly, I'm not in the mood for any of this! How about we all go about our business and pretend that we never ran into each other?" suggested Junior in annoyance.
"Pussy." said Gaira as he popped his knuckles. Junior deeply inhaled and then sharply exhaled.
"Now, I'm going to pretend that I didn't hear what I clearly just heard." said Junior, attempting to keep his tone under control. Battra shook his head.
"No deal, Takeshi. You four are a stain on all Transmutants. We're going to put an end to this now." said Battra as he pulled out a katana blade. Megaguirus, Mukade, Gaira and Shinomura got into a fighting position. Destoroyah popped his joints as he prepared to fight. Junior noticed that Battra was staring dead at Mosura. He then removed the Changeling sword that he had and handed it to her.
"Mosura, take it." said Junior. Mosura looked to him incredulously.
"I...I can't! He's my brother, for god’s sake!" said Mosura.
"You might as well. I won't show mercy." said Battra coldly. Mosura looked to him anxiously and back to Junior.
"Mosura, the brother that you knew is gone. He was killed by the man that you see today." said Junior. Mosura looked to him with watering eyes. She then shakily took the sword into her grip and faced Battra. Junior turned to face Destoroyah.
"I have a score to settle with you." said Junior. Destoroyah grinned.
"As do I." replied Destoroyah. Angirasu and Rodan stood by and looked to Shinomura, Megaguirus, Mukade, and Gaira. They both looked to each other in disappointment.
"How the hell did we end up getting stuck with four guys?" asked Rodan. Megaguirus gave him an offended look.
"Hey! I'm a girl you know!" shouted Megaguirus.
"Excuse me. One girl and three guys." said Rodan in annoyance. Angirasu sighed.
"I hate personal vendettas." said Angirasu with a deadpanned expression.
"Let's just fight already!!" shouted Gaira impatiently. He then charged towards Rodan and Angirasu, the eyes of both men widened.
"We weren't ready, dick!" shouted Rodan.
"Readysetgo!" said Angirasu as he charged towards Gaira. Junior and Destoroyah charged towards each other as they gave war cries. Mosura ran away from Battra as he began to chase after her. Rodan charged towards Shinomura, Mukade and Megaguirus as they came charging towards him. An annoyed expression was plastered on his face.
"This is such bullshit!" shouted Rodan. The crimson haired Transmutant hopped over Shinomura and then slid under Megaguirus as they attempted to strike him down. Rodan than leaped and sent a punch into Mukade's face. The Transmutant was forced back and grunted in pain as Rodan's fist connected with his nose. He moaned in pain as he cupped his bleeding nose. Rodan continued to run away from the other two Transmutants and deeper into the power plant. Angirasu and Gaira both sent a power punch towards each other; both struck each other in the cheek. The men staggered back in pain as they both rubbed their own cheek. Angirasu smiled wickedly as he made his way back to the green haired man, causing Gaira to make a bloodthirsty grin.
"Oh, this is gonna be fun!" said Gaira as he and Angirasu engaged in punching each other with all of their might. Angirasu bobbed and weaved Gaira's first three punches and then sent a quick jab into Gaira's stomach. Gaira grunted as he clutched his stomach and lowered his head. Angirasu then sent a round house kick towards him and knocked him onto his side. Angirasu then tackled Gaira and began to slam his fists into his face. The concrete around them began to crack with the punches.
Junior and Destoroyah collided against each other. Junior pushed against Destoroyah as he yelled angrily at the Transmutant that forced him to flee Ponyville. Because of him, he was forced to reveal himself to be the monster that he was made into. Destoroyah was forced slightly back with Junior still pushing against him a few inches. However, Destoroyah growled as he began to push back against Junior. Suddenly, the young Transmutant was forced backwards with Destoroyah pushing him. Junior raised his heels as he attempted to dig his toes into the concrete to increase his leverage to push back. Unfortunately, Destoroyah's size gave him the advantage as he continued to push Junior back. He then slammed Junior against the wall and began to send punches against his face. Junior growled as the punches continued to strike him. He then grabbed Destoroyah's grubby inhuman hand and pulled it away. Junior then sent a punch against Destoroyah's head, causing him to stagger. He then began to punch Destoroyah furiously into his exposed belly. Destoroyah dropped to one knee as he heaved. Junior then latched himself onto Destoroyah's back and began to lock his arms around his head.
Mosura ran through the facility as her eyes searched the area frantically. She peaked over her shoulder and found Battra pursuing her. She gritted her teeth as she turned her head forward. She spotted an open area and began to run towards it.  She found herself in a section that connected the Turbine Hall to the Reactor Building. She turned and found Battra stopping several feet away from her. He glared at her as they locked eyes. Mosura's heart was heavy in her chest.
"Battra, please don't do this!" begged Mosura. She dropped the sword that Junior had handed her next to herself. "I don't want to fight you! You're my big brother!"
"I must. Because if I don't, you'll only continue to suffer in this world for your weakness." said Battra as he circled Mosura.
"You think wanting to live in peace with humans is weakness?! Battra, have you forgotten that you yourself was once human?!" demanded Mosura.
"I haven't. But becoming a Transmutant has opened my eyes to see how vile humans are. It took me becoming what people consider a monster to see who the real monsters were." said Battra.
"Brother, you've killed innocent people because of your hate! You were the one who made them see you as a monster!" said Mosura angrily. Battra sent her a glare.
"How dare you put them before me?!" demanded Battra as leaped towards Mosura. He yelled as he brought katana down. Mosura gasped and reached for her sword. The weapon flew to her as it was grabbed by her telekinetic abilities. She took the weapon into her grip and raised her sword in defense. Battra landed on the ground just three feet in front of her and began to swing his sword furiously at her. Mosura was forced to clash blades with her brother as he forced her back with every strike. Mosura and Battra's blades clashed and sparked as the sound of the swords whizzed through the air. Mosura grunted as she and Battra continued to clash without any signs of stopping. Mosura twirled as she swung her sword and spun behind Battra and then brought sword down on his back. However, Battra instead countered her attack as he swung his blade at her and clashed with hers. He then pressed his katana against Mosura's sword and stepped closer to her before delivering a kick into her gut. Mosura cried out as the kick sent her flying a few feet. She managed to save herself by tucking and rolling in the air to lose her momentum, allowing her to land on her feet like a cat. Battra sent her a hateful glare while Mosura gave him a hard stare. The two then charged towards each other and clashed blades. Red eyes locked with blue eyes in a fraternal battle.



Junior was thrown across the Turbine Hall by Destoroyah and crashed into large pipes. The steam from the water blew against his flesh, burning him. Junior yelled in pain as he rolled away from the steam. Suddenly, Destoroyah came crashing down onto more of the pipes around him and charged towards Junior. He sent a kick against his face and knocked Junior back onto the concrete. Junior rolled away before the larger Transmutant could crush his skull with his foot. Junior stood back up and grabbed Destoroyah's arm and forced it behind the abomination's back as he rounded behind him. Junior then sent a kick into Destoroyah's back and forced the larger Transmutant into the unbroken pipes nearby. As the pipes burst with hot steam, Junior forced Destoroyah's face into the broken pipes, showering him in hot steam. Destoroyah roared in pain as the steam burned his face. Junior then forced Destoroyah into the ground and began to stomp on his back. Destoroyah began to feel pain as Junior continued to strike him in his shelled armor. He realized that the young Transmutant had grown stronger since their last encounter… but not enough. Destoroyah rolled and grabbed Junior by his leg. He then swung his arm with Junior's leg in his grip and threw Junior away against the turbine in the center of the room. The impact caused the machine to dent and for Junior to fall onto the turbine block and to slide onto the concrete. Junior growled as found Destoroyah charging towards him.
Angirasu carried a crowbar in his grip and slammed it against Gaira. The Transmutant growled in pain as the Transmutant continued to beat him without mercy. Gaira backhanded Angirasu away and then picked him up. Gaira turned over to a window and threw Angirasu through it. The Transmutant crashed outside into the asphalt and rolled along the ground. He panted as his skin was covered in glass shards. Angirasu stood to his feet as Gaira leapt through the broken window. He landed a few feet in front of Angirasu and slowly began to stalk closer to him. He popped his shoulders and his neck as he stopped.
"Don't tell me you're giving up. We were just getting started!" said Gaira in annoyance. Angirasu slowly stood to his feet to reveal his face to be covered in bruises as blood trailed from his left brow. He gave him a small smile as he slowly began to stand.
"Of course not. I just needed to..." Angirasu immediately sent a punch into Gaira's stomach, knocking the wind out of him. Angirasu then right hook punched Gaira and knocked him to the ground. "...catch my breath."
Back inside of the Turbine Hall, Megaguirus, Shinomura and Mukade ran past many pipes in the room. Rodan hopped over the pipes that crossed his path. He rolled forward as he landed on the ground and then rounded left in the room, finding Destoroyah and Junior as they fought. Rodan leapt into the air and hopped off of Destoroyah's back, causing him to stagger towards Junior where he was met with a powerful punch that knocked him onto the ground. Rodan landed next to Junior and turned to find the three other Transmutants chasing him. Junior pulled onto one of the pipes that sprayed steam from the broken end and pulled it even further. The pipe came off of the wall and allowed a larger plume of steam to fill the area.
"That won't stop me!" said Shinomura as he rushed into the plume of steam that obscured their vision.
"Shinomura, wait!" called Megaguirus. Suddenly, the sound of rapid punching and grunting echoed in the Turbine Hall. Unexpectedly, Shinomura was flung out of the plume of steam and crashed into the wall. Megaguirus and Mukade turned to find Junior and Rodan rushing out towards them. Rodan jumped and drop kicked Mukade on his skull. Junior rammed himself against Megaguirus and carried her through the hall. He slammed her against a wall, where she cried out in pain. She glared at Junior as he prepared to send a punch towards her. Megaguirus suddenly raised both of her legs and kicked Junior against his chest, sending him several feet away. As Junior was airborne, a grubby three clawed hand grabbed his leg from the plume of steam and then swung him down on the concrete. Junior grunted as he landed, his bones rattled. Junior looked up to find Destoroyah as a silhouette obscured by the steam as he raised his foot above him. Destoroyah stomped on Junior's chest with tremendous force, causing Junior to gasp loudly as his lungs nearly collapsed from the attack. Destoroyah raised his foot again but was met with a pipe that was swung against his head, causing him to stagger.
"Gah!" Destoroyah turned to find Angirasu rushing towards him with the pipe in his grip as he began to swing it against the crustacean armor. Destoroyah suddenly grew his crab-like legs from his back that reached over him and hung over Angirasu. He swung one of the crab legs at Angirasu and slammed him against the turbine. Junior stood to his feet and grabbed the other crab leg and yanked on it with all of his might. The limb was torn from Destoroyah's back, spraying yellow liquid onto the concrete. Destoroyah roared in agony as he dropped onto one knee. He then grabbed Junior's head and leapt onto a platform. Destoroyah began to strangle Junior as he chuckled darkly.
"I admire your tenacity, young Gojira. But no matter how hard you fight, you will lose." said Destoroyah as panted through the pain. Junior coughed as his lungs struggled to take in air. Destoroyah slammed him onto the platform, causing it to creak and to nearly collapse on itself.
"Child, have you truly forgotten me?" asked Destoroyah. Junior tried to pry the Transmutant’s hands off of him but failed as he began to feel weak.
"Forgotten? W-we...never...met before the Vault!" said Junior as he was raised into the air by Destoroyah.
"You don't remember me? You don't remember who I am?" asked Destoroyah as he threw the young Transmutant across the Turbine Hall. Junior slammed into pipes and skidded across the pavement. He spat blood onto the ground as he lied on his back, panting.



Battra leapt towards Mosura as she began to quickly back away. The two began to clash swords again as they took quick steps in attempt to cut the other down. Battra swung at Mosura's feet but missed as she did a double back flip away from him. Battra dashed towards her and used one arm to swing his sword at her in offense as Mosura blocked each attack as she held her sword in both hands in defense. Battra's blade was twirled by his swings as he forced Mosura into the Reactor building. Mosura rounded around Battra in attempt to cut him in an open area but Battra anticipated this as he turned 180 degrees with Mosura still in his sight. Mosura's strike was blocked as he did a quick swing of his sword, forcing Mosura to thrust her sword into his gut. Battra brought his blade downward as if it were to stab the ground and blocked Mosura's attack. He then grabbed his sister's free hand and spun himself around as he twisted Mosura's stance and forced her to face away from him. Mosura countered this by spinning further and forced Battra to continue spinning where his elbow was locked from its inability to allow further movement. Battra's backside was open for an attack as he was hunched over. Mosura then brought her sword down on Battra's back but her brother used his sword to move under his locked elbow and to catch the blade with his own before it could hit him. He then shoved Mosura away and freed himself of any restraining position. Battra stalked over to Mosura and began to clash blades with her again as they continued down a narrow hallway that led into the Reactor Building. Their swords grazed the metal walls and caused sparks to fly all around them as they attempted to strike each other down. Lights were shattered in the hall, filling it with darkness. Mosura backed away from Battra and found herself in a larger room where a protective dome was found just a few feet below in the center of the room. The scent of radiation reached their sinuses as they glared at each other. A few corpses of the workers in radiation suits littered the area. They were standing on the higher floor of the building, pools of water surrounding them and the top of the Reactor Pressure Vessel covered in a protective dome. The device itself was taking in water down below from the reservoir to cool down.
Battra and Mosura clashed blades again, both locked together as they attempted to bring the other's blade down onto the ground. Mosura then managed to force Battra's katana out of his hand. She then prepared to strike Battra.
"I'm sorry." said Mosura solemnly as she swung her sword. Battra's eyes hardened as he caught Mosura's wrist with his left hand and forced it into the air where the sword could not reach him. Battra then quickly extended his right hand and grabbed her neck. Mosura gasped for air and began to choke as Battra began to squeeze her throat. Her legs felt weak as her lungs were starved of oxygen. She reached for Battra's hand with her free hand in a futile attempt to pry it off. Battra then turned with his sister and began to lean her backwards as he used his left hand to bring Mosura's own sword close to herself as his right hand held onto her throat. Mosura groaned in pain as Battra stared at her with a face that showed that he was physically struggling to keep her down. He was angry and he was straining to lower her much further to ground. Mosura suddenly kicked her leg where her foot managed to kick Battra's lower back. He grunted as he was forced forward and rolled forward. He turned to find Mosura gasping for air as she stood up. She gasped as Battra had already made his way towards her, preventing her from using her sword against her unarmed brother. Battra jumped and kicked Mosura in her chest with both feet and knocked her onto her back a few feet away. Her sword fell out of her grip as she fell. Both siblings stood back up to fight hand to hand. Battra rushed over to Mosura and prepared to send a jab but was countered by Mosura's kick, which caused him to trip and to fall back onto his back. Mosura reached for the black Changeling sword as her telekinetic powers caused it to shake on the ground and abruptly fly back into her grip. Mosura's eyes began to water as she raised the sword overhead and brought it down in a chopping motion at Battra, who lied motionless on his back. Battra silently reached for his own katana as his telekinetic powers caused it to fly back into his hand. He then used his one hand to hold his sword horizontally over his chest as Mosura brought her own sword down on him. The blades clashed and sparked. Mosura gritted her teeth as her eyes stared down at Battra's relentlessness in their fight. She began to press down on his blade with both hands, forcing her brother's arm to lower which allowed both blades to descend close to his chest.
"Brother, please come back to me! We can leave together and start over! I can forgive you for what you've done!" said Mosura in a distraught tone.
"Forgive me?! Why do I need your forgiveness when you were the one who betrayed me?!" demanded Battra as he raised his free hand and pushed Mosura to the ceiling with his telekinesis. Mosura cried out as she forced into the air and crashed into the high ceiling. She then dropped down to the ground but was met with a powerful kick from Battra, which sent her towards one of the platforms that stood near the pools of water. Mosura groaned in pain as she slowly stood up to her feet.
"I...I betrayed you?" asked Mosura as she stared at Battra from a distance with wide eyes.



Rodan dodged every punch that was delivered by Megaguirus. She sent quick jabs as she grunted. Her long golden highlighted side burns that hung from her head rocked with every quick movement that she made. She then raised her leg and sent quick kicks towards Rodan. The male Transmutant slapped her leg away and sent a jab into her stomach. She staggered back and looked to him with a glare.
"You're pretty fast. But I feel like you're holding back." said Rodan as he remained in a fighting stance. Megaguirus smiled to him.
"So I take it you want me to go all out?" asked Megaguirus.
"Of course! I want to see who's the faster fighter." said Rodan with a smile. Megaguirus smirked.
"Your funeral, hun." said Megaguirus. She then rushed towards Rodan with quick speed and jumped a few feet into the air and sent to quick kicks against Rodan's face. As he staggered back, Megaguirus landed and ran around him. She then jumped and spun 180 degrees as she stretched out her leg, resulting in the back of Rodan's skull being struck by her boot. He fell forward onto his belly with a groan. Rodan looked up to find Megaguirus walking around him with a smirk.
"Come on! You had to have seen that coming." said Megaguirus. Rodan growled in annoyance. He then reached for Megaguirus's boot and yanked on it. She yelped as she fell onto her back. Before she could stand, Rodan crawled over her and pinned her to the ground, resulting in the woman to struggle for freedom.
"Oh, you dirty fighter!" spat Megaguirus with a glare.
"Says the chick who tried to knee me in the balls earlier!" said Rodan. Megaguirus then noticed how close Rodan was to her and grew a devilish smile at how suggestive their position was. 
"Oh, I'm sorry for that. How about I make up for that with a kiss?" suggested Megaguirus with a flirty smile. She then leaned in close to Rodan with half open eyes. Rodan's eyes widened as his face brightened into a blush. The woman suddenly wrapped him into an embrace and brought her lips dangerously close to his.
"Psych." whispered Megaguirus. Rodan's eyes widened in realization.
"Oh son of a-" Rodan was suddenly knocked onto his back with Megaguirus pinning him down to the ground. She wore an amused smile.
"You younger boys are so easy." said Megaguirus. She then sent a punch towards Rodan but he immediately moved his head out of the way, resulting in Megaguirus punching the concrete. The ground slightly cracked, but another cracking sound reached their ears. Megaguirus's eyes widened as her eyes began to water. She fell onto her back and rolled on the ground.
"Ah! God! Son of a- Agh!!" shouted Megaguirus. Rodan stood to his feet and looked to Megaguirus in surprise.
"Oh shoot." said Rodan.
"You made me break something in my hand, you jackass!" said Megaguirus with a glare. Rodan rubbed the back of his head.
"I was just trying to avoid you from punching my face in. Now I'm starting to feel kinda bad." said Rodan. Megaguirus huffed in response.
"You should! It's your fault for moving!" said Megaguirus as she caressed her hand. Rodan sighed as he turned to walk away.
"I'm done fighting you if you can't fight with two hands." said Rodan.
"Hey! You better not walk away from this fight! We're going to finish this!" shouted Megaguirus.
"Maybe another time if we see each other again. I rather fight you when you're not in constant pain." said Rodan as he continued to walk.
"Hey!" called Megaguirus. No response. She sighed in frustration as she lied down. Her eyes clenched shut as her bones ached something fierce. "This sucks."



Junior staggered back as his face was covered in bruises and cuts. His breathing was heavy and his stance was stiff. He felt his muscles and bones ache from all around his body. His ears were ringing as his vision slightly blurred as he stared at Destoroyah who slowly approached him. Angirasu was on the other side of the Turbine Hall fighting Mukade and Shinomura at once. He slammed Mukade on the ground and then began to punch Shinomura in his face multiple times. Every hit forced Shinomura staggering back until he was backed up against a wall. Destoroyah stalked towards Junior slowly.
"On that night in the vault, I knew I thought I have seen your face before. Your face had brought up memories from over a decade ago. No, even before that." said Destoroyah as he stepped closer to Junior.
"Wha...what are you blabbering about?" demanded Junior as he panted.
"The Takeshi clan…they were such a disgrace to warriors everywhere. The clan was full of washed up soldiers who thought that they could make up for the oppression of the samurai by acting as heroes. They were just fools who were trying to make themselves feel better about themselves by helping those weaker than them." said Destoroyah as he clawed at a nearby pipe. Junior looked to him in confusion.
"What do you know about my family? I never even met my other family members. It was just only me and my parents that were left." said Junior.
"Of course you haven't. They were all killed over twenty years ago." said Destoroyah as he backhanded Junior away. He yelled as he was forced off of his feet and onto the ground.
"A clan more ruthless and more powerful managed to overpower them. Unfortunately, that war cost the lives of their own clan as well." said Destoroyah. Junior looked over to him weakly as Destoroyah reached for him. The crustacean armored Transmutant then slammed Junior onto the ground and tossed him away. Junior landed on the ground and groaned. He turned to find Destoroyah approaching him.
"Then there was you and your father, the remaining members of your filthy and pathetic clan." spat Destoroyah with hate, spite, and disgust in his voice. He then kneeled down to Junior with a glare.
"You really don't remember my face, do you?" asked Destoroyah in a low tone. Junior remained silent as he glared at Destoroyah. The larger Transmutant sighed in response. "Well, it has been years and my face was much different when I met you."
"Wha-what do you mean?" demanded Junior as his tone began to give the sound of annoyance at Destoroyah’s clichéd monologues. Destoroyah smiled darkly and backed away from Junior, grunting as his face contorted into agony. He dropped onto his hands and knees as his body began to shift more. Junior's eyes widened as he watched Destoroyah began to physically change. It was an unbelievable sight to behold when Destoroyah was already in a beastly form. 
"This! This is my true form!" said Destoroyah as the human flesh on his face began to turn red and harden. His face shifted in shape becoming flat and exposing his sharp teeth and gave way for short mandibles that stuck out from the cheeks of his head. His skull became exposed with small spikes running along down his back. His body began to grow more and more. His head itself began to appear more skull like as the eyes sunk back into his sockets where they glowed dimly. Mist sprayed from the sides of his head as boney ear-like flaps grew out of the side of his skull. A long and orange colored horn grew out from the front of his skull on the forehead. Destoroyah stood to his feet as he grew to be eighteen feet tall, slightly hunched over as his armored body began to change. The armor began to cover more of Destoroyah's belly that ran down him along with his back side. Junior's eyes widened as he stared into the face of Destoroyah, memories flooded back to him.
"No." said Junior in disbelief. Destoroyah's arms slightly shortened in length but increased in mass. His claws grew larger and developed an extra appendage, and the spikes on his shoulders grew taller and slightly sharper. Destoroyah sprouted a large tail that dropped to the ground and swung around. At the tip of the tail was a pincer appendage at the end. Destoroyah's legs grew in size and became more animalistic. It was like an elephant's foot but with claws that faced forward like a dragon's. Destoroyah groaned as his backside sprouted small rows of protective armor with spikes. His back suddenly sprouted two large bat-like demonic wings that displayed themselves and made Destoroyah appear more sinister. Under the large wings sprouted two smaller wings. The wings folded behind his back. Destoroyah looked down to Junior with a dark smile as he cast a shadow of the young Transmutant. Junior's heart raced as he stared at the creature. His mind raced with so many thoughts. One in particular kept coming back to him.
'It's him.' thought Junior in horror. As he stared into Destoroyah's soulless eyes and his skull-like head, he felt as though he were staring at the reaper himself. Just by looking at Destoroyah, he could here death sharpening his scythe for the harvest.
"Remember me now, Junior?" asked Destoroyah, his voice grew more raspy and slightly higher. He then darkly laughed.
"No. No, it can't be!" said Junior with wide eyes. His blood began to boil.
"But it is! When we met, your father fought his last fight! I can remember hearing him cry out in agony as I tore that bastard apart!" said Destoroyah as he laughed maniacally. Junior clenched his fist as he glared at Destoroyah. His eyes burned with rage and despair.
"Oh how I enjoyed the feeling of my claws digging into him. Blood was everywhere!" said Destoroyah as he thought back to the past. "Oh and how he begged. 'Please, spare my son!' he said. Hahahaha!!"
"You..." Junior's eyes irises widened and became more animalistic. He dropped to the ground as his body began to morph and change. He growled in agony and anger as he began to grow and change shape. Destoroyah merely continued laughing like deranged man at Junior’s suffering.
"You son of a bitch!!" shouted Junior in a deep and monstrous voice. He then began to growl as he slammed his scaled hand against the concrete, causing large cracks.
"Yes!! That's the way child! Give in to your hatred for me!" said Destoroyah proudly. Junior began to grow in size as his dorsal plates sprouted from his back and his tail grew.
"In order for a Transmutant to ever hope to survive is through fighting!" said Destoroyah. Angirasu turned to find Destoroyah and Junior. His eyes widened at the new appearance of Destoroyah.
"Oh my god." said Angirasu. He turned to find Shinomura and Mukade transforming. Shinomura changed into his winged scorpion, dragon-like form. His six eyes glowed brightly. Mukade dropped onto his hands and knees as his body began to grow. His body increased in length and became more plumped like a worm. His eyes turned black as two more eyes grew on his head. He suddenly sprouted eight limbs that held him above the ground in a bear like stance but more bug-like. His mouth had changed and turned into what appeared to be a tube. Multiple sharp teeth appeared inside that encircled the mouth entirely inside and down to his throat. Mukade turned much more tanned in shade as his body sprouted an armored cover over his back. His large multiple legs sprouted long sharp claws. Mukade roared at Angirasu as his tube-like mouth widened and revealed the multiple sharp teeth inside. Angirasu recoiled in disgust at the creature. It appeared like a much larger scaled version of the microorganism known as the Tardigrade. Angirasu cursed under his breath as he ran away. He forced his body into biological changes as he ran, slowing down as the pain began to take its toll on him. He dropped to his knees as his head changed shape and as a snout grew, transforming into his armadillo-dragon-like form. He roared at the oncoming Transmutants that dared to double team him. He then heard a thundering roar coming from behind him.  Rodan had dropped from out of nowhere in his bird-dragon form beside Angirasu.
"You think I'd let you hog all the fun?" asked Rodan. Angirasu snorted.
"Just shut up and back me up. Goji may need our help." said Angirasu.



Battra and Mosura charged towards each other and clashed their blades. The two spun and twirled as they swung their swords at each other. Mosura ducked under a swing by Battra and then thrust her blade towards him. The weapon grazed his side, causing him to grunt as blood splattered onto the ground. He hopped away from Mosura, who moved onto the offensive and began to swing her sword with speed that the average eye could hardly follow. Battra began to block every attack that she sent. After several attempts, the two ended up stepping a foot back away from each other and began to swing and twirl their swords in their hands. The glared at each other as their swords were twirled in the air in a frontal cutting motion as their wrists flicked and allowed the swords to twirl in full circle swings. The sound of the blades reached their ears as they continuously sliced through the air. Both continued this to find an opportunity to finally strike the other. Suddenly, both siblings decided to strike the other. Their swords clashed again, allowing sparks to fly around them. The two strained as they pressed against their swords in attempt to overpower the other. The twins then reared their free hands back and then thrust them towards each other. Their telekinetic abilities translated through their hands that were inches away from each other and created a force resistance between the two. The siblings groaned and struggled as they tried to dominate the other with their power. A distortion of space formed in between their hands and began to build up, a result of their telekinetic abilities. The space around them began to rumble, cracks began to form around their feet. Suddenly, the distortion of space in between them burst with a loud boom.
Mosura and Battra yelled as they were thrown by the explosion of force that they had created. Lights that hung above shattered into pieces and the steel beams around the area began to creak. The protective dome over the Reactor Pressure vessel shattered into shards of glass. The two siblings stood back up to their feet. Battra charged towards Mosura and began to clash blades with her again. He then sent a quick jab, causing Mosura to cry out in pain as his fist collided with her cheek. She staggered back and nearly fell over as Battra angrily continued to stalk closer to her.
"All of these years I wondered why you would just leave. I was flabbergasted to know that my own sister lied to me!!" shouted Battra as he kicked Mosura in her chest. She staggered back again and raised her blade in front of herself.
"What do you mean?! What have I lied to you about?! What right have you to be angry with me when you abandoned me to fight for that monster?!" demanded Mosura in despair. Battra gritted his teeth.
"I abandoned you?! You bitch! You were the one who promised me that no matter what, we were going to stay to together!" shouted Battra as he swung his sword towards Mosura's sword, resulting in it being forced out of his way. He then grabbed Mosura's shoulder and threw her over to where the reactor was located below. Mosura stared at her brother with wide eyes. Battra looked down as he began to tremble.
"You...you promised me that no matter what, we would be together. We only had each other." said Battra in a low tone. He then looked raised his head and glared at her. His eyes were filled with tears.
"But then we escaped from that facility. You changed. You began to become more distant from the rest of us. From me! Rodan, Angirasu, you took those two with you and ran away!" shouted Battra. His eyes began to glow a bright purple. Suddenly, his eyes shot forth beams of energy that missed Mosura by a hair. She yelped as she ducked for cover. Battra rushed over to her and dropped his sword. He began to mercilessly beat his own sister. Mosura hid herself in her arms as she took her brother's blows. "We were supposed to protect each other!!" shouted Battra. He then grabbed Mosura by her throat and lifted her into the air. "Where were you Mosura?!"
Battra then threw her down towards the reactor. She fell off of the machine and then proceeded to free fall to the ground. Suddenly, the ground around her began to give in due to Battra's use of his telekinesis, resulting in Mosura to continue to fall down to the lower level of the building. She crashed down onto the ground with her sword loose in her grip. Mosura slowly stood up and found herself inside of a great, cold and dark room that housed the rest of the reactor. She found herself on a platform that stood over a large pool of water that held the fuel rods inside. They gave an eerie blue glow far below under water. Battra suddenly dropped a few feet away from Mosura and got into a fighting stance with his sword in his grip.
"I only meant to protect them from what Destoroyah had planned for us, Battra! I wasn't prepared for you wanting to stay with...them! I even tried to convince you to run away with us!" said Mosura with an appalled tone. Battra hardened his glare.
"That's your failure, not mine!" spat Battra. Mosura gritted her teeth and lowered her head. She began to tremble as she processed all that Battra had told her. She did leave him when he refused to leave the Transmutants that they were with at the time. There was no denying that fact, but she had to protect Rodan and Angirasu from Destoroyah's mad ideology. He would have corrupted them and turned them into merciless killers. However, Battra bringing up the fact that she left him behind to save herself and the other two boys wretched her heart. It reminded her of her mistake.
"Perhaps I did fail you. But I refuse to abandon you again to Destoroyah! You're coming home with me and the others!" said Mosura as she raised her head to face Battra again. She was unwilling to give up her brother to the clutches of the demon that had corrupted him. Battra glared at her again.
"That's not your decision to make!" shouted Battra. He then charged towards Mosura and began to clash swords again with her. The two jumped in all directions as they swung their swords at each other. Mosura slid under Battra and kicked him in his back. She then ran towards him and used her telekinesis to push him towards the wall. Battra growled as he turned back to face Mosura.
"I'm done fighting you as a man." said Battra as he dropped his katana to the ground. He then began to strain as his body began to transform. Mosura followed his lead and began to change as well. Soon, the entire room was filled with the loud screeches of the insect Transmutants.




Meanwhile...

Just a mile outside of the nuclear power plant, over a hundred of MONARCH soldiers traveled to the facility in boats and airships. Ghidorah glared at the facility, the sound of roars filled the air as did the sound of structures crumbling. Fires began to break out around the facility.
"Looks like we have a lot of work today." said Ghidorah. He then looked to Sunset and Erika. "Do not disappointment me in this fight. If you're going to die, then die fighting."
"Yes, sir." said Sunset and Erika in unison. The boat had later reached the shoreline. Soon, the other boats began to make land to the shore, allowing the soldiers to disembark off of the vessels.
"Go! Go! Go! Go!" shouted a commanding officer. The soldiers wore suits of armor that were much like Sunset's designed to protect them from hazardous environments, especially ones with nuclear particles in the air. The airships began to hover high above the nuclear power plant. From above, Valkyries began to descend down to the ground as well with thirteen foot tall mechs. The mechs descended slowly to the ground with thrusters that were built into their backs. Ghidorah, Sunset and Erika stood close together. The armored man turned to face the young soldiers as he raised his hand. It was suddenly engulfed in a golden and sparking aura.
"We'll be leading the charge." said Ghidorah. The two soldiers reluctantly nodded. Suddenly, the three vanished in a golden flash. The three reappeared outside of the facility's fence. Ghidorah raised his hand and fired a beam of sparking energy that struck the metal and caused it to melt away. The three ran through the breached fence and made their way over to the facility grounds. A squad of Valkyries landed on the ground as did a few mechs with large turrets attached to their arms. The mechs scanned the area as the trio made their way over to the squad.
"Nice of you to join us, Agent." said a male Valkyrie. Ghidorah nodded.
"Let's get moving. Have the mechs take the lead." ordered Ghidorah. The Valkyrie nodded.
"M3-234, 210, and 122, move out!" ordered the Valkyrie. The lights of the mechs blinked.
"Affirmative." said one of the mechs with a red detail painting on its armor. It spoke in a deep, robotic monotone voice. The mechs turned and began to stomp over to the large building up ahead where the sounds of roars and crashes came. The mechs scanned the area as their audio receptors began to pick up the sound of Transmutant activity. The three mechs burst through the wall of the building and continued to scan the area. One of the mechs picked up a heat signature just to its right. The head of the mech turned to find Megaguirus sitting on her knees with wide eyes. She stared at the mechs fearfully as they turned to face her.
"Transmutant detected. Surrender or be terminated." said the mech. Megaguirus stood to her feet and attempted to think of a retort. She then suddenly turned and ran away.
"No thanks!" said Megaguirus as she ran away. The mech whirred as it raised its guns.
"Target fleeing. Firing main cannons." said the mech. Suddenly, the barrels on the turrets connected to the mech's arms began to spin and fired a barrage of magic bolts. Megaguirus yelped as the bolts struck the area all around her. She began to hop over rubble, steel beams, and slid under bolts that nearly struck her head. Megaguirus then jumped and performed a somersault over a crate that was in her way. The bolts struck the walls all around her. She began to breathe heavily as her eyes were wide with fear and anxiety.
"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Suddenly, a wall that divided the entrance room to the Turbine Hall burst open. Angirasu and Mukade clawed at each other as they crashed through the wall. Megaguirus hopped over Mukade's back and began to run past the fighting Transmutants.
"Big problem, guys! MONARCH is here!" shouted Megaguirus as she ran through the Turbine Hall.
"Multiple targets sighted. Engaging." said another mech. Abruptly, the mechs fired their weapons at Angirasu and Mukade. Both the Transmutants roared in anger and annoyance as the bolts rained on their bodies. Turrets that held rockets mounted over the shoulders of the mechs aimed at the Transmutants. The rockets were launched and bombed the two. They roared in pain as they were engulfed in the explosion.
Rodan was flying towards Shinomura with high speeds, but he was pounced to the ground by Gaira. He had changed into a muscular humanoid creature with green skin, messy green hair and sharp teeth that were exposed from his under bite. His muscle mass increased, giving him a more bulky appearance. His feet were webbed with four clawed toes and his hands were webbed with four clawed fingers. The creature had a hunched back with few bits of fur on his arms, legs and crotch. His body was covered in green scales. The Transmutant tackled Rodan from the air and onto the ground. He stood to be ten foot five. The Transmutant grabbed Rodan's neck and began to strangle him. Rodan gasped for air as he frantically flapped his wings. Rodan then kicked up his legs and began to claw at Gaira's gut, breaching his scales. Gaira roared in pain as he released Rodan and clutched his stomach as it began to bleed. The tremors of explosions snapped the Transmutants out of their fight.
Junior and Destoroyah turned from each other as they looked to the source of the explosion. Junior turned back to Destoroyah and roared. He then charged towards him and began to punch Destoroyah. The demon towered over him by a few feet, but that did not matter to Junior. His rage was just boiling in his heart, threatening to burn him inside out. Junior bit into Destoroyah's arm with all of his might, causing Destoroyah to shriek in pain as the yellow liquid that filled his body bled from where Junior was biting. Destoroyah clawed at Junior's shoulder, causing him to bleed. Junior shoved Destoroyah away but was suddenly caught by Destoroyah's pincer tail. His neck was caught by the pincer and was being choked by the tail. Destoroyah laughed maniacally as he slammed Junior against the turbine, destroying it.
"Come on, Junior! Your father had put up a better fight than you are right now!" said Destoroyah as he continued to use his tail to slam Junior against the destroyed turbine. Junior growled angrily and his belly heated up. A low whirring sound filled the air as Junior's dorsal plates slowly began to light up neon blue. Junior glared at Destoroyah and faced him. He opened his jaws and spewed a stream of the flame-like substance that sprayed Destoroyah in his face. He roared in agony as he released Junior and was forced away by the jets of flames that pushed him back with a strong force. Junior stood to his feet and continued to spew the flames. As the flames stopped, Junior closed his jaws and began to pant. Destoroyah sent him a glare.
"Like my flames, asshole?" asked Junior with a chuckle.
"That was not fire. That was a concentration of radiation used as a projectile attack! I suppose your father didn't live long enough to figure out that he could perform such an attack." said Destoroyah as his face sizzled and smoked. He then growled as he stomped his foot. His horn suddenly began to glow. Destoroyah charged towards Junior as his horn glowed. He then jerked his head to the side, a laser-like projection came from his horn that extended further than the length of his horn and struck Junior.  Junior screeched in agony as the energized horn sliced him in his chest. Blood sprayed from his deep wound. Junior clutched his chest as he hunched over. Destoroyah swung his tail against Junior and knocked him to his side. Junior groaned in agony as the wound began to sting excruciatingly. The demon chuckled as he stomped over to Junior. He slammed his foot against Junior's chest, causing the dragon to roar in more pain. Destoroyah began to grind his heal onto Junior's chest.
"First, Gojira Takeshi the first, and now his son. You all have fallen so easily. I will restore order to Neighpon with the destruction of MONARCH and I will slowly expand to the rest of the world. I will plunge the humans into an endless time of misery and death. From the ashes will come a new era where I rule. All who oppose me shall perish." said Destoroyah. Suddenly, the sound of explosions continued to rock the facility. Destoroyah looked away from Junior and found Shinomura and Angirasu bursting through the wall with fires raging behind them. Magic bolts flew through the smoke behind them at a rapid rate. The sound of mechanical whirring and clanking echoed into the Turbine Hall. Three mechs came stomping in as they fired their turrets at all of the Transmutants in the room. Destoroyah grunted as he flinched as some of the bolts struck him in his face. Junior raised his foot and kicked Destoroyah in his gut and caused him to stagger. Junior then stood up as he clutched his bleeding chest. He then released his wound and charged towards Destoroyah. He rammed into him and wrapped his arms around the demon. The two crashed through pipes and the hall that lead into the Reactor building. The walls began to crumble all around them. Junior gave a screeching roar as he pinned Destoroyah onto his back. He began to viciously slam his fists against Destoroyah's face, chest, and shoulders. Junior bit down onto his neck and began to claw at the demon. Destoroyah shrieked as the claws and teeth breached his armor. Destoroyah grabbed Junior's head and dug his claws onto his flat head. Junior released Destoroyah and began to snap his jaws at his face. The demon forced his hand against Junior's throat, keeping the amphibious reptile at bay as he continuously clamped his jaws.
"I'll kill you!!" shouted Junior in rage. Destoroyah smirked in response. He then used his free hand and punched Junior in his face, causing him to stagger back and to shake his head. Destoroyah’s wings flapped in the air, propelling him towards Junior. The demon grabbed Junior's neck and shoulder and began to carry him into the air.
"Fool! I reign with death!!" shouted Destoroyah. He then dived down the nuclear reactor vessel with Junior. The two caused vessel to tear open, revealing the mechanisms inside.  Their bodies grazed the protective metal shell, causing the machine to spark. Junior and Destoroyah then crashed down onto the floor below and fell through. More concrete began to fall from the room and lead to the lowest room. The two crashed down onto the ground, where Mosura and Battra fought. The moth turned to find the Transmutants on the ground several feet away.
"Gojira!" cried Mosura. Battra leapt towards her and began to claw at her. Mosura shrieked in pain as she felt the claws on her thorax. She then clawed Battra back and grabbed his head. She spun with him with all of her arms locked onto him and then kneed him in his back. Battra groaned as he dropped onto his knees. Mosura turned to find Destoroyah biting on Junior's neck, causing her heart to race. Her antennae began to twitch and glow brightly. She fired her beam of energy that struck Destoroyah in his face, blasting away part of his bony ear flap. Destoroyah shrieked in agony as he held onto his ear flap as it bled. Junior's spines began to glow brightly as he stood up. He then opened his jaws and spewed his atomic breath at the demon. The fiery shaped, beam of concentrated radioactive energy crashed into Destoroyah's chest, causing him to continue shrieking in agony as he was blown away towards the wall by the force. Battra stood up to his feet to find his teacher in trouble.
"Sensei!" cried Battra. He slammed his hands onto the ground as his horns flashed and the energy from his attack crackled around his horns. His eyes shined a bright purple and fired the beams of energy towards Junior. Mosura stepped in front of Battra's line of fire and fired her own beam of energy from her antennae. The siblings' beams crashed into each other, resulting in the creation of a ball of mixed energy. The ball created by the beams began to flash and spark erratically. Suddenly, the ball exploded, sending fire and sparks to fly all around the room. Mosura cried out as she and Junior were flung away and into the pool of water that held the fuel rods. Battra crashed into the wall and slammed into a pipe that resulted in radiation to seep out. Destoroyah breathed heavily as he stood to his feet. He turned to find Junior rising towards the surface with Mosura holding onto his backside. Destoroyah growled as the flames lit up the dark room. Explosions from above the room rang and rocked the building. An alarm began to blare as red lights flashed. Destoroyah looked down towards the pool and found that a large hole had formed inside. The water was half empty. Junior and Mosura were trapped below with the fuel rods that were exposed. The uranium fuel rods slowly began to heat up much more with the lack of cooling water. Mosura panted as she held onto Junior's dorsal plates. She trembled as her legs struggled to hold her up. Battra made his way over to his mentor and found Junior and Mosura below. The dragon lied the moth down onto the ground that was now a puddle below. Battra charged his horn and fired his beam. Junior gasped as the beam came towards them. He took Mosura and shielded her from the attack. The beams crashed into his scales, causing Junior to groan in pain as they burned and picked his scales. Destoroyah dropped down to Junior and Mosura's level and began to charge towards them.



Back on the surface of the facility, the remaining Transmutants fought the mechs that had interfered with their battle. Angirasu rolled into a ball and tumbled towards the nearest mech. His spikes rammed into the chest of the machine, causing sparks to fly. Rodan pecked at Shinomura as Gaira was assaulted by the barrage of magic bolts. Gaira then picked up a destroyed pipe and threw it towards the mech, knocking it off of its feet. Rodan bit into Shinomura's wing and began to yank it, his sharp teeth tore through the membrane. Shinomura roared in pain as he fell over. Mukade charged towards the mech while the remaining mech continued to shoot him. He extended his tubed mouth and caught the arm of the mech and yanked it. He then forced his body onto the mech and pinned the machine down to the ground. He roared as he clawed at the mech, but he was then shot by bolts of magic. He looked to his side and found MONARCH soldiers entering from the shattered windows and firing upon him.
"Rocket going out!" shouted a MONARCH soldier. He picked up a double barreled rocket launcher and pulled the launch trigger. The rockets fired from the barrels and crashed into Mukade, causing him to roar in pain. He rolled over onto his back as he began to flail his legs. From the ceiling, more mechs burst through with cannons and blades attached to themselves. They landed on the ground as they surrounded Angirasu. The Transmutant growled as he turned to face the mechs, scanning their every move. The mechs pointed their cannons at him and began to fire. Angirasu roared in pain as the bolts barraged him in a hail of burning magic. He then ran through the mechs that blocked his way and rammed into them, fleeing to an exit.
"We need to bail Rodan!" shouted Angirasu. Rodan stopped pecking Shinomura, who bled from his wounds.
"But what about Gojira and Mosura?!" demanded Rodan.
"They'll be fine! But we need to get out of here!" shouted Angirasu. Rodan growled in frustration. He then swung his clawed wing at Shinomura and sliced off a chunk of his carapace. Shinomura shrieked in agony as Rodan leapt away and took off into the air. The soldiers proceeded to shoot at them in attempt to take him down.
"We need to get going!" shouted Gaira as he rushed over to Mukade and picked him up over his shoulder. He began to run away with him as he was shot at by the mechs and soldiers. Shinomura cursed under his breath as he followed the Transmutants to the Reactor Building. They burst through a wall and turned towards another wall. From there, they crashed through the wall and made it outside. Gaira and Shinomura fled towards the fence of that locked them in, crashing through it and escaping to the dessert of Saddle Arabia while the soldiers continued to search for them inside of the facility.
Back at the facility, Angirasu and Rodan had burst through a wall, finding themselves just 50 feet away from the nearest escape route. Unfortunately, several more mechs and soldiers blocked their path. They pointed their weapons at them, provoking the young Transmutants into unease. Angirasu growled as he lowered himself and pawed at the ground with his right foreleg. He charged as Rodan took off into the air. The soldiers all opened fire onto the Transmutants, striking them with their magic bolts and bombs. Rodan soared in the air as he dodged a few rockets that were shot from the mechs. Unexpectedly, Erika broke into his line of sight. She had jumped several feet into the air and was heading towards him with her arms transformed into vines that held large boney clubs. She yelled as she swung her arms and slammed the clubs against Rodan's back. He cried out as he was sent crashing down back onto the earth. Erika fell from the air and landed on his back as he struggled to stand.
"Now!" shouted Erika as she hopped off of Rodan. Several Elves raised their hands and shot beams of magic towards Rodan. He attempted to flee but the beams kept him at bay. They forced him down onto his belly as he roared to the heavens. Sunset fired a beam of her magic as well, attempting to bring the Transmutant down. Rodan slumped down onto the asphalt, panting. The Elves stopped firing their magic at him but kept their hands pointed at him. Erika rushed over to Rodan with a metal collar in her grip. She hopped on his back and pulled on his neck. Rodan screeched as his neck was pulled back, causing him to flap his wings. Erika immediately locked the collar around his neck and drove him back onto the ground. Rodan began to squirm as he attempted to free himself.
"Keep him down!" shouted one of the Elves as his hands began to glow. The rest of the Elves used their magic to restrain Rodan. The more he thrashed, the more difficult it grew to contain him.
"No! Let me go!!" demanded Rodan as he attempted to free himself. His eyes were wide with fear as he looked at all of the soldiers. His heart pounded against his chest as anxiety took over. Erika latched herself onto his neck and began to squeeze him. She reached for his head and held onto it as her thighs held onto to his neck. Rodan began to feel weak. His vision was turning black and his breathing grew difficult. Erika rubbed her hand on his beak.
"Shhhhhh. Stop. Don't fight anymore." whispered Erika as Rodan weakly struggled. His eyes grew heavy.
"Gojira. Mosura." said Rodan weakly.
"It's OK. Just go to sleep and you'll be fine." whispered Erika gently ran her hand over his head. Rodan sighed as he slumped down. Erika gently lowered his head to the ground as he lied passed out. Erika looked down at him with a frown at how frightened he was. It pained her to see him in such a distressful situation. She turned and found Angirasu turning back around towards them. His nostrils flared as his legs carried him along the ground.
"Look out, he's gonna ram us!!" shouted a female soldier. Sunset gritted her teeth. She raised her hands as they were engulfed in her moderate cyan magical aura. She was about to cast a spell on the Transmutant, but something unexpected happened. As Angirasu came closer, Ghidorah charged at him from his side. The armored soldier reared his fist back and punched Angirasu in the jaw. Angirasu stumbled as the pain from the punch reached him. He tripped over his foreleg and fell onto his belly. Ghidorah stood by as he watched the armadillo-dragon stand back to his feet. The soldiers stared at Ghidorah in shock.
"Did he punch just him?" asked a soldier.
"Never mind that! Did the punch actually hurt that Transmutant?!" exclaimed another soldier. Sunset stared at Ghidorah in awe as he stared the Transmutant down. Angirasu growled as he turned to face the soldier.
"You! What did you do to our friends?!" demanded Angirasu.
"Why don't you come over here and find out? If you can touch me, I will tell you." answered Ghidorah with a dark smile. Angirasu hardened his eyes into a glare. He flared his nostrils and began to paw at the ground.
"Bastard!" roared Angirasu as he charged towards Ghidorah. The soldiers all looked on in horror as Ghidorah remained still.
"Sir, get out of there!" shouted Sunset with dread filling her eyes. There was no way that he was capable of handling this raging Transmutant head on. Ghidorah's hands began spark with energy and began to glow. He raised his hands and shot them forward. Crackling beams of energy shot from his hands as if they were lightning strikes coursing through the air. The crackling energy beams crashed into Angirasu, causing him to wail in agony. Angirasu fell to his side and skidded along the side walk. Ghidorah continued this attack on Angirasu, causing the Transmutant to convulse and to wail in pain. Erika stared with wide eyes as the power of Ghidorah continued to torture the Transmutant. Ghidorah stopped his attack and lowered his smoking hands. Angirasu slowly stood to his feet and glared at the soldier.
"Stay down." ordered Ghidorah. Angirasu grunted.
"Never!" said Angirasu in defiance. He stood back to his feet and charged again. Ghidorah sighed in annoyance. He shot his hands forward again and fired the crackling energy. Angirasu dropped down on his belly as he continued to wail. Erika watched as the horrific cries of anguish plagued her ears. Her body trembled at the sight of the Transmutant's suffering. Angirasu slowly tried to stand back up but fell back down as the energy coursed through his body.
'Stop. Please, just stay down.' Erika silently begged. A few of the other soldiers watched uneasily as they watched Angirasu fight through the pain. Some glared at him in hate for his tenacity, hoping that he would keel over. Others watched in pity at the torment of the Transmutant.
"Kneel!!!" shouted Ghidorah as he continued his attack. Angirasu gritted his teeth as he slowly stood back up. He took a few steps forward towards the armored man. Ghidorah stared at him in anger for daring to resist him when he was clearly outmatched. Ghidorah focused more of his power towards Angirasu, causing him to roar in pain.
"Kneel before me, beast! KNEEL!!!" shouted Ghidorah as he continued his attack. Erika looked away as Angirasu wailed in agony. Sunset stared, unnerved at the torture that was presented to her and her comrades. Ghidorah's words resembled those of an animal tamer. Angirasu dropped onto his belly with his eyes rolled back as he continued to convulse. Ghidorah stopped his attack and looked on at the Transmutant in silence. Angirasu weakly looked over to him with half open eyes as his body sparked. Ghidorah merely walked over to him and stomped on his head. Angirasu groaned weakly as his head was forced into the asphalt. A few of the soldiers flinched at the cruel act. Others watched in entertainment at the scene.
"Know your place in this world, Club Tail. I learned mine a long time ago." said Ghidorah in a low tone. He then removed his foot from Angirasu's head and began to walk away. Angirasu lied down as he weakly stared at the soldier. He lowered his eyes in sadness. Not only had he failed to save Rodan and to escape, but he failed to learn about the fate of the Sirens. Ghidorah continued walking back to the other soldiers.
"Was...was that necessary, sir?" asked a male soldier hesitantly. Ghidorah stopped and looked towards him. The soldiers that shared the idea of unnecessary force as the one who spoke out shrunk back.
"It was. You must display dominance over these mutations. Their strength has made them overconfident. I could have been crueler if I wanted to." said Ghidorah as he proceeded to walk towards the power plant. Erika sent him a glare from behind his back as she clenched her fist. She then turned back to Angirasu and saw how he looked down in despair. Her heart was tugged at by looking at his state. A few soldiers cautiously made their way over to him. One of them placed a metal collar around his neck that began to faintly glow. Erika's ears caught the sound of sighing.
"Poor thing." said a soldier. Erika turned to find a female Earthbound looking at the Transmutant in pity. A few of the other soldiers looked to the downed Transmutants.
"Did you hear the way they wailed?" asked a male soldier.
"Yeah. Shit was scary." said another soldier.
"I thought it was scarier when that Transmutant kept coming. He's lucky to still be alive." said a female soldier. Erika watched Angirasu in pity as he lied down. The Transmutant found a soldier gently running her hand over his scaled head. He sighed as he closed his eyes, blacking out.
"Shimmer, Shiragami, with me!" ordered Ghidorah. Sunset and Erika both looked to each other with uncertainty but they proceeded anyway. Not a good idea to go against orders, especially coming from a sadist like Ghidorah. The two, along with a few other soldiers, made their way over to the golden armored soldier. 
"The mechs have located Lucky Dragon, Angel, Battra and Destoroyah." said Ghidorah. He then looked to the soldiers. "The Turbines have been destroyed along with the generator that kept this facility powered. The fuel rods inside might already be boiling the coolant system's water as we speak. A melt down is inevitable."
"We should quarantine the power plant if that's the case!" said one of the soldiers.
"Not yet. We need to take out the Transmutants inside. We may not have another chance." said Ghidorah. "Don't spare any of them. I want them all dead."
"Yes sir." said the soldiers in unison. Ghidorah lead the soldiers inside of the building, where they continued to walk through the destroyed Turbine Hall. They eventually made it to the Reactor Building. The area lied in rubble, sparks from the lights came from the sockets and the walls crumbled. A dozen mechs stood by and looked down below where the ground had crumbled and lead further down to the reactor. Sunset looked to her wrist where a meter was displayed. The meter measured the amount of radioactive particles that was present in the air. The count was minimal, but it was slowly growing.
"We better make this quick before this radiation is exposed to the environment outside." informed Sunset. Ghidorah smiled under his helmet.
"Oh, don't worry. This won't take long." said Ghidorah. The mechs all slammed their fists down onto the ground. Holes were formed and allowed them to free fall. The alarm was blaring as the mechs descended down.



Mosura flapped her wings as she evaded Battra's eye beams. The beams struck the ceiling and caused parts of it to fall as a hail of rubble. Mosura dived down towards Battra and tackled him. She grunted as all of her hands locked with all of Battra's.
"Battra, please! I want us to be a family again! I promise that I'll protect you from those that will try to hurt us! I just want my brother back!" cried Mosura. Battra roared as he kicked Mosura off of himself. She staggered back as she clutched her thorax. Her antennae picked up the sense of a disturbance. She looked up and found a dozen mechs dropping from the shattered ceiling. Junior and Destoroyah turned and found the mechs as well. Junior growled angrily at the interruption of their battle. Destoroyah leapt into the air and flapped his swings. He flew towards the mechs that he towered over and began to destroy them. He was suddenly assaulted by a barrage of magic bolts and explosives from above and from the mechs themselves. Battra fired his eye beams towards the mechs one by one. Mosura tackled Battra again.
"Stop! Please, stop!" begged Mosura. Battra head-butted her and knocked her away. Mosura slammed against a crate and slumped down. Battra stomped over to her with a glare.
"Stop it! Just stop trying to beg for my forgiveness! I will never forgive you for what you did!" shouted Battra. Mosura stared at him with expressionless insect eyes. Her visage, she felt despair. "We are not siblings! We are enemies!"
"Battra, you're breaking my heart." said Mosura in a distraught tone.
"Now you know how it feels." said Battra. He spat on the ground as he began to breathe heavily. As he was prepared to stomp on her head, an explosion sounded in the room. Mosura gasped as she looked up to the ceiling. Battra looked up and found large amounts of debris began to fall. Mosura immediately stood and tackled Battra out of harm's way. Battra crashed against a wall as Mosura skidded on the ground. The debris began to shower on Mosura with a few larger bits that landed on her leg while the other landed on one of her unfolded wings. Mosura screamed in agony from the pain that reached her. Battra watched as his sister was trapped by the debris that had fallen on her. He slowly stood up, ignoring the amounts of soldiers dropping in and the mechs that were destroyed by Junior and Destoroyah. The two ignored the soldiers and continued to battle each other. Mosura breathed heavily as her head hung low. She weakly looked up to Battra, who slowly walked up to her.
"Battra, are you alright?" asked Mosura as she hissed in pain.
"Why? Why did you save me?!" demanded Battra. Mosura recoiled from his tone. "You think this would change anything?! Is that why you did it?!"
"Battra, I-"
"No! You brought this on yourself!" said Battra. He then gave her a glare. "I hate you!!"
Mosura gasped as she heard those words. Her arms began to shake as her body trembled. Her insect mouth was half way open. Her heart was torn from her thorax and was merely grinded into dust by her own brother. 
"No. You're my brother, Battra! I love you!" cried Mosura. Battra turned away from her as he clenched his fists.
"Liar." said Battra. He slowly began to walk away and made his way to fight Junior. Mosura clawed at the ground as she attempted to free herself. She groaned in pain as her body rose. Her wing ached and her leg was hardly capable of standing. She looked down to her leg and found that it was bleeding the yellow liquid that kept her alive. She stared at Battra as she began to sob to herself.
Junior had engaged both Battra and Destoroyah in battle. The soldiers were still firing their weapons at them and began to back away from the Transmutants. Bolts and rockets flew in the air. Destoroyah grabbed a soldier and threw the human towards Junior. The dragon merely ducked the human but his dorsal plates grazed the armor. The soldier fell behind Junior and groaned. The suit of armor was breached and allowed radiation to seep in. The man began to panic as he attempted to conceal the breach with his hands. One of the soldiers rushed over to him in an attempt to help him. Battra grabbed a pipe and began to beat Junior with it
"Stay out of this!" shouted Junior as he bit into the pipe and yanked it away. He then swung his tail at Battra and sent him towards the wall. Destoroyah roared as he dug his claws into Junior's shoulders. Suddenly, a blast of energy struck in between them and separated them. Junior staggered back as did Destoroyah.
"Destoroyah. Long time no see." said a male voice. Destoroyah's eyes widened. He looked to the side and found Ghidorah standing by with the magical energy that crackled in his hands. Destoroyah glared at the soldier.
"You!" growled Destoroyah. Junior looked at the two in confusion.
"That's a nice look for you, old friend." said Ghidorah with a dark chuckle.
"We are not friends! Never would I be friends with someone who's MONARCH's lap dog!" roared Destoroyah.
"I wouldn't consider myself that. I consider myself something more." said Ghidorah. He then raised his hands and began to fire his crackling beam at the demon. Destoroyah roared in agony as he stumbled back from the energy.  Junior turned as he felt his back side shot at by the soldiers firing their weapons at him. He gave them a hateful glare.
"I am sick of all of you!!" shouted Junior. He roared as he charged towards them. One of the closest soldiers tried to flee from him but was met with Junior's wide foot. He was crushed under his weight, allowing his armor to be exposed the growing amount of radiation. He swung his tail at another soldier and knocked her towards the wall. Junior felt a beam struck him in his side. He turned and found Sunset Shimmer firing her magic at him.
"I am especially sick of you!" growled Junior. He roared as he charged towards her and raised his fist. He was then met with a punch from Erika. Junior staggered back and growled as he retaliated by bringing his fist down on her. Erika caught his fist and grunted as her feet sunk into the concrete from the force of the punch. Junior raised his arm and prepared to bring his fist down again but was met with Sunset's magic bolt. He groaned as the magic struck his snout. Erika ran over to him and morphed her arm into the bony club. She slammed her club-fist into his bleeding chest and then against his head. Junior staggered back with a groan. He turned and found Erika rushing towards him for another attack. As she leapt towards him, Junior caught her clubbed fist with his hand and grabbed Erika by her neck. Erika groaned as she struggled to free herself. Junior reared his head back and sent it towards Erika clubbed arm and bit onto the plant limb. His sharp teeth tore through the limb and threw Erika down towards the ground. The soldier cried out in agony as she held her dismembered limb. Junior raised his foot high above her.
"Leave her alone, you monster!" shouted Sunset. She picked up a rifle and began to fire rapid shots onto Junior's gills. The Transmutant screeched in pain as he convulsed and staggered back. The rest of the soldiers continued to fire their weapons on him. Junior felt himself lost in a blind rage. Everywhere he turned and looked, there was an enemy. They were all his enemies. MONARCH, and the Transmutant Revolutionaries.
"They all must die, Gojira." said a deep, dark and demonic voice. Junior's eyes hardened. He turned towards the soldiers as the dorsal plates on his tail began to light up along with the ones that slowly lit up as the light traveled from the back of his tail and up to back of his neck. Junior opened his jaws and spewed his atomic breath, engulfing the soldiers into its hellish heat. The soldiers cried in agony as their bodies were caught in the attack. Sunset's and Erika's eyes widened in horror as their comrades turned to ash before their very eyes from the neon blue attack. Sunset's eyes hardened in anger. She pointed her rifle towards Junior and continued to fire. The Transmutant roared as he charged towards her. Before Sunset could evade, a figure tackled Junior to the ground. Mosura wrapped her arms around Junior tightly as he struggled to stand.
"Let me go! They have to die!" said Junior as he tried to pry Mosura off of himself.
"No! Please, let's just take this opportunity to leave while we still can!" begged Mosura. Erika watched with wide eyes as the moth Transmutant held Lucky Dragon down.
"They'll just keep looking for us until we're dead! This is for our own good!" argued Junior as he stood to his feet. Mosura began to sob into his chest.
"Stop it! Please just stop fighting! Let's go home! I can't take this anymore!" cried Mosura. Junior's eyes softened as mind began to regain rationality. He listened to Mosura as she gave a pitiful sob. "I just want to go home with you and the others. I just want us to live happily without having to worry about fighting."
Junior looked down as his eyes threatened to tear up. He turned and found Battra being struck by Ghidorah's power. He jumped acrobatically as his thrusters gave him an extra boost. He hopped off to Destoroyah and levitated large concrete debris and flung them at Destoroyah. The Transmutant roared in anger as he charged towards him. Ghidorah landed and shot his hands forward and shot his beam of energy. Destoroyah stumbled and landed on his belly as he began to convulse. Ghidorah laughed darkly. Junior turned back to Mosura.
"Yeah, let's go home." said Junior. Mosura looked up to him. Unexpectedly, a terrifying sound reached Junior's ears. A small explosion had struck Mosura from behind. She suddenly convulsed and screeched in pain. Mosura stumbled forward and landed against his chest. Junior immediately caught her and held onto her as she slumped back. His eyes widened in horror as he stared at her limp body. He looked up to find Sunset panting with a glare. She carried a rocket launcher in her grip. Battra turned and gasped as he saw his sister limp in Junior's hold. He was confused about feeling worry for his sister and, upon looking at the Elf that shot her, was disturbed that he felt hatred for the Elf who assaulted his treacherous sister.
"What have you done?" asked Junior with wide eyes. His tone was soft and filled without despair or anger. "She just wanted to go home."
"None of you are going home." said Sunset as she threw the rocket launcher down. Junior's eyes hardened. He lowered Mosura's limp body to the side, where the fuzz on her backside was singed from the explosion. Her wings were slightly torn at the edges.
"She was my friend! You killed her you...you goddamned bitch!!" Junior roared in rage as he charged towards Sunset. She teleported out of his way, but Junior immediately turned around and continued to charge. Sunset re-appeared a few feet in front of him. She turned and her eyes widened in horror as Junior was already closing in on her. Junior grabbed her and raised her into the air. He began to squeeze her, causing the Elf to groan in agony. Junior lessened his grip, allowing Sunset to catch her breath. Her heart raced as she locked eyes with Junior. He tightened his grip again, resulting in more pain for her. The glass that covered her helmet began to crack. Sunset stared in horror as the cracks grew. Her head began to feel light from all of the pain. Junior continued the same amount of pressure that he used to squeeze Sunset until she slumped and passed out in his grip. Junior tossed her away, where Erika staggered over to her.
"Sunset!!" cried Erika. As she made her way over to the downed Elf, she shook her shoulder. Erika then turned Sunset over and what she saw made her blood run cold. Sunset's glass shield had broken. Erika quickly looked to Sunset's wrist and found that the radiation meter had already grown much higher. Sunset was exposed to a lethal dose of nuclear radiation. Erika turned to where Ghidorah was fighting with a look of despair.
"We need to get out of here! The radiation is growing too lethal!" cried Erika. Ghidorah turned to Erika and quickly glanced at the radiation meter that was displayed on his HUD. He then ran over to the pool where the fuel rods were held and noticed that the lack of water caused the fuel rods to melt down. The metal casings turned red and slowly began to melt and seep into the ground that was meant to hold the melting elements.
"Damn it. We'll have to continue this fight in another time." muttered Ghidorah. He then turned to Erika. "Get her out of here! I'll slow them down!"
Erika nodded. She picked Sunset up and began to run away with her. Battra swung his arm at her but she leapt over him. Erika continued to run away until she found a corner with stairs. She immediately broke into a sprint and began to run up the stairs. Junior walked over to Mosura and held her limp hand.
"Mosu, please don't leave me. I need you." pleaded Junior. His reptilian eyes began to glisten with tears. His mouth began to salivate with his distressed emotions. He was feeling despair overcome him. Mosura lied down, not responding. Her eyes were dim, as if her soul was slowly slipping away from her body. Junior's eyes began to run with tears that trailed down his face and down his jaws. Junior gave an animalistic whine as he sobbed to himself. His tongue curled back into his mouth and his nostrils had slit. He gave a low whine that slowly escalated into high-pitched barks and howls. Battra watched Junior cry for the loss of his sister. The black moth began to feel his heart ache, despite not knowing why. He then turned and saw Ghidorah raising his hands into the air. They began to crackle and spark with energy. Junior turned away from Mosura and began to growl at Ghidorah.
"MONARCH did this! You ruined all of our lives!!" shouted Junior. Ghidorah laughed darkly.
"I know. After all, I am a monster like you." said Ghidorah. He then placed a finger in front of his helmet and signaled him to keep quiet. "Don't tell anyone."
"You bastard! I won't let you all take her away from me!" shouted Junior as he charged towards him. Ghidorah sent a blast of his energy from his left hand that missed Junior but destroyed the wall behind him. Ghidorah then raised both hands into the air and fired at the ceiling.
"We have already done that, Gojira." said Ghidorah. He teleported away from the Transmutants and peaked his head over one of the holes that were made. Junior, Destoroyah, and Battra all turned to find where Ghidorah had struck. The ceiling began to leak water from above.
"It's time we left." said Destoroyah as he and Battra began to run away. Junior turned to glare at them.
"Get back here! We aren't through yet, Destoroyah!!" shouted Junior.
"No. Which is why I'll be waiting." replied Destoroyah. He and Battra took off into the air and smashed into the ceiling at the far end of the room. They continued to burst through the ceilings until they had breached the top of the building. Ghidorah began to fire his power at the other pool of water that was with him. The ceilings began to crack and finally gave in. Junior's eyes widened as they crumbled and allowed gallons of water to come raining down on him. He was forced against the wall from the large body of water, where his head slammed against the wall. Junior blacked out from the impact and floated limply in the flooding room. He was caught by a steel beam that sunk and pinned him down to the ground. Mosura's body was carried by the water and was lead through the hole in the wall. Her body splashed down onto the nearby beach where it was carried down to the sea. Mosura's body began to sink under the shallow water, her clawed hand going under last.



Ghidorah rushed out of the collapsing building that creaked and moaned. Fires raged, debris and dust floated into the air. The cooling tower began to give in from the previous reckless explosions created by the mechs and collapsed under its own weight. Ghidorah met with several other soldiers. He turned back and found Erika sprinting away from the facility. She jumped into the air and landed several feet away. She panted as she lowered Sunset to the ground.
"Oh, god. Please don't die, Sunset." begged Erika as she held the Elf's hand tightly. Ghidorah turned to one of the soldiers.
"Are the generators in place?" asked Ghidorah. The soldier nodded to him.
"Good. Activate the magic barrier. We have to contain the radiation before it spreads." ordered Ghidorah. After a minute, a bright golden light brightened up the night and a great golden dome shield was formed out of thin air and encased the facility. It rippled as it had finished forming and the dome glowed in the night. Ghidorah sighed.
"Get those other Transmutants loaded up. We need to leave." said Ghidorah. Erika looked to him.
"What about Lucky Dragon? Is he dead?" asked Erika.
"There wasn't enough time. He's alive in there." answered Ghidorah.



Junior remained pinned under the steel beam as the water began to dissipate. Junior's eyes suddenly opened. He looked around groggily under the water. His head ached as did the scar on his chest and the cuts on his shoulders and neck. His eyes widened as he recalled the conflict from earlier. Junior immediately reached for the steel beam and began to push on it. He successfully lifted the beam off of his body and quickly swam towards the hole. As the water had finally drained enough, Junior resulted to running. He splashed through the shallow water and looked around himself. His eyes widened as Mosura was nowhere in sight. As he noticed the water draining through the hole, he began to sprint towards the hole. Junior made his way outside to find that the beach was close by. His eyes widened as he saw the water sealed off by a golden shield. He ran over to the shield and began to tap on it. He then noticed something that made his blood cold. It was a dome, and he was trapped inside. Junior searched frantically for Mosura's body. He then saw how a large trail of water and debris littered the beach. The sand was muddy where it shouldn't have been. Rubble was carried by the waves and was brought under. Junior dropped to his knees as he began to tear up.
"She's gone." said Junior. He then picked up the sound of propellers whirring far above. He looked up and found airships flying away. His eyes widened as he saw Angirasu and Rodan bounded by glowing chains and were hung far below the airships like bears being delivered.
"Angirasu! Rodan!" cried Junior as he slammed his fists against the dome. His friends were growing much smaller as they moved further away. Junior's eyes ran with tears. His friends were gone. Mosura was dead and Angirasu and Rodan were being taken to be locked away. For all he knew, the Sirens were dead as well. No one was left but him. Junior gritted his teeth and raised his head into the air. He gave a sorrowful roar as his tears trailed down his face.  As he howled into the night in sorrow, the fuel rods began to heat up again. They began to turn red and then slowly melted, releasing tons of radiation into the enclosed environment. Junior's dorsal plates began to take in the radiation like solar panels taking in the sun's rays and absorbed them into his body. 
"You opened the door to me Gojira..." spoke the dark and demonic voice. It was the dragon that haunted Junior's dreams. The Transmutant looked down at his reflection and saw the fiercer looking dragon staring at him.
"A crack of light that I have never had before. Did you really think that I'd let you shut me out?" asked the dragon. Junior suddenly found himself in his human form. He searched his surroundings and found himself on the roof of a tall building. He was back in the ruined city of destruction, loneliness, flames, and darkness. The dragon stood facing away from him from a distance. He shuffled about, causing the booms of his steps.
"We are going to become gods of this world that has feared and rejected the Transmutants for so long. We are going to tear it into a billion pieces." spoke the dragon in a softer tone than what Junior was used to hearing. The dragon slowly turned and revealed his spiked face and glowing red eyes. He raised his arms as if he were gesturing to himself.
"I am your inevitable conclusion, child." said the dragon. He then looked at his claws. Junior slightly backed away as his breathing grew heavy. "I am the ultimate you."
"I am rage. I am judgment. I am punishment. I am your salvation." said the dragon with a smile. Junior dropped to his knees and lowered his head. He trembled in despair. This creature was here to torment him. Now, he was trying to convince him to take his hate and despair out on the innocent. Still, the face of Mosura's smiling face brought him to tears.
"Mosura wouldn't want this." said Junior. The dragon hardened in his stare.
"She's dead now. And there's not a damned thing you can do to change that." said the dragon. Junior shuddered.
"No. No, there isn't."
	
> Chapter 35: Truth and Rebellion
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Saddle Arabia...

The great magical barrier that encased the entire nuclear power plant glowed in the morning light. The sound of ripples came from the shield as it pulsed. Few people that were able to see the barrier gave it wary glances, as they feared the possibility of the barrier falling apart, allowing the radiation to seep out. The reactor had melted down and allowed tons of radioactive particles to circle in the enclosed space. Mechs were stationed around the perimeter with cannons and turrets. Tanks remained stationary and snipers hid in the mountains as they scanned the area. A few soldiers down below stood with the mechs as they guarded the generators that amplified the magic into a great barrier. They heard the sound of rippling coming from behind them and immediately turned around.
Junior was still in his dragon form. He slammed his fists against the barrier with all of his might. The barrier rippled with every punch and flashed in one specific area. Junior was breathing heavily as he lowered his arms. He wore a hateful glare towards the soldiers. He reared his arms back and pumped his neck and chest forward and gave the screeching roar that elevated into a low bellow. His roars were slightly muffled from behind the barrier.
"Dear Faust, he scared the crap out of me!" exclaimed one of the soldiers. Junior continued to slam his fists against the barrier, attempting to free himself.
"Hey, you think this thing will hold up against him?" asked another soldier uneasily. Junior roared as he continued to slam his fists against the barrier with relentless fury.
"This thing can hold up pretty well against over a hundred rockets. One Transmutant isn't going to-" the soldier was about to finish his sentence, but a bright neon blue light flashed from the barrier. They quickly turned and found Junior spewing forth his atomic breath on the barrier. It collided with the solid magic and splashed all along the walls, creating a hot mist of radiation. The shield began to pulse as the stream of concentrated radiation bounced off of its walls. The soldiers backed away fearfully from the attack, worried that the barrier would give in. Junior stopped spewing his atomic breath, panting as he glared at the barrier. Not a crack was made.
"NO!!" shouted Junior in anger. He rammed his body against the barrier like a mad elephant. The barrier rippled from the collision but remained strong, much to the soldiers’ relief.
"That was close. It almost looked like he was about to escape." said a soldier. Junior seethed as he glared at the soldiers.
"Hey, give it a rest asshole! You're gonna be trapped in there until you either starve to death or decide to kill yourself! Whichever comes first." said another soldier. Junior growled.
"I'll get out of here. You can count on it." said Junior as he turned around and began to stomp away. "And when I do, MONARCH will be the first to burn for what they've done."
"Good luck with that!" said a soldier sarcastically. Junior grunted in response as he continued to walk away. He griped to himself at the soldiers and their cocky attitudes. He knew that he would hate being trapped inside even more if he was forced to remain close to these soldiers.
"I'll just stay in the building instead." said Junior. He then looked up to find the ceiling falling apart. Rubble littered the ground and smoke rose into the air. 
"At least what's left of it." said Junior. He continued walking and made his way into the Turbine Hall. As he walked, his eyes caught sight of his torn clothing. His sweater was shredded along with his jeans. He then noticed a photo hiding under the shredded pants. He kneeled down and gently reached for the photo with his claws.  They scratched at the ground a bit before they were able to pick up the photo. Junior gently raised it to his face, finding his family photo slightly singed and torn at the edges, making him sigh sadly before eyes hardened in determination.
"No. I can't despair. Rodan and Angirasu are in trouble and only I can save them." said Junior as he stomped further down the hall. He made his way over to where the Reactor Building began. He set the photo down on a pile of rubble and looked up to the collapsed ceiling and into the morning sky.
"Mosura, I promise that I will protect them. I will avenge you and my father." said Junior as he lowered his head. His body slowly began to morph back into his human form. His dorsal plates disappeared and his scales were replaced by soft mammalian skin. He stood naked in the building, where a few visible wounds had shrunken to fit his body. The scar that Destoroyah had left from his horn was still on his chest, streaking down as a slant wound. He looked at his scar and ran his hand over it. The scar ran from his right upper part of his chest and down to where his left lower chest. Junior frowned as he stared at his scar.
"I wonder if this one will be permanent. This is the worst one that I have ever received." sighed Junior. He then glanced at the morning sun and immediately clenched his eyes shut from the growing brightness as it continued to rise.
"Sorry Celestia. I won't be coming home for the Summer Sun Celebration." apologized Junior.



Back in Zebrabwe, Erika stood by staring into a glass window. Her eyes stared worriedly at Sunset Shimmer, as she lied inside of the room on a hospital bed. The room had no windows and was nearly empty from aside the heart monitor and a few dimly lit lights. A couple of men in radiation suits remained inside taking notes as Sunset lied unconscious in bed. Erika trembled as she leaned her head against the window.
"Hey." greeted a voice. Erika's heart jumped as she heard the voice call to her. She turned around and found a few soldiers standing by. They wore their attire from when off duty.
"Hi." greeted Erika as she looked back to Sunset. An Earthbound woman made her way next to her and looked through the window.
"So, how's she doing?" asked the woman. Erika sighed sadly.
"I don't know. It doesn't look good. She was exposed to a lethal dose of radiation." said Erika. The woman frowned.
"I'm sorry to hear that. Truly I am, Shiragami." said the woman.
"Thanks." said Erika in a monotone voice.
"Well...if you want...you could always talk to us if you'd like." said the woman with a small smile. Erika snuck a glance at her and to the other two soldiers. They gave her welcoming smiles as well. Erika looked back to Sunset.
"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks." said Erika. The woman nodded.
"Alright. Well, take care." said the soldier. They then walked down the hall, leaving Erika alone. She lightly smiled to herself at the invitation, but she wanted to remain by Sunset's side. She knew it may have been unlikely, but she hoped that the Elf would pull through.




Location: Classified.

Ghidorah stood in a dark room. His helmet was held at his side as he stood. His eyes were red and his hair was a golden brown that almost resembled a lion's mane. His face was slightly wrinkled and his ears were pointed, marking him as an Elf. His eyes stared at the projections that were in the room with the higher authority of MONARCH. Onyx stood by his side.
"This is unacceptable, Agent Ghidorah. We were counting on you to eliminate Lucky Dragon at all costs!" scolded one of the holographic apparitions in the room.
"Your failure is beyond words for someone of your caliber." said another man. Ghidorah hardened his stare.
"With all due respect, sirs. I was in the process of eliminating all of your failed experiments including the two that a few of your older scientists created before your hands got into it. Unfortunately, I was forced to abort my assault due to the meltdown that was occurring at the time." said Ghidorah. "It was your mechs who caused more problems for the facility. Your engineers create such incompetent machines that do not exercise enough caution. In other words, they are stupid."
"My mechs are the most advanced they have ever been! They are capable of harming the most ruthless of Transmutants!" said a man defensively.
"Physically and weapon wise, they are advanced. But their A.I. programs are ineffective. They recklessly attacked by launching rockets all over the damned place!" said Ghidorah in annoyance.
"Watch your tone with us, Agent! You were given a special privilege to be in our ranks much like Shiragami was. Learn who your masters are like the dog that you are." said another man. Ghidorah's eyes glared at the man as he gave a hissing sound. Onyx placed a hand on his shoulder, giving him a stern look. Ghidorah relaxed himself but continued to keep a hard stare.
"Gentlemen, I do apologize for this. But Agent Ghidorah has sworn his loyalty to our organization. The soldiers do not suspect a thing about him being one of our earliest experiments. He has assisted us for years and we should be appreciative of that." said Onyx. "Of course, it was unfortunate that we were unable to eliminate Lucky Dragon or Destoroyah, but we have the first trapped in Saddle Arabia. Club Tail and Thunderbird have been locked away in the Vault. There is no sign of Angel, but Shiragami claims that Shimmer had eliminated her."
"According to these medical files, the Elf was exposed to a high dosage of radiation during the previous night." said a man as he scanned through a metal pad that held digital images and text.
"Yes. But she'll be fine." said Onyx.
"I'm not concerned whether she will die or not. I am concerned about-"
"Yes, I know. I already have an agent inside. He'll make sure we keep the rest in the dark. Shimmer will survive because of 'luck'." said Onyx as he quoted with his fingers.
"Very well." replied the man.
"What is the status on Kiryu's completion?" asked Onyx.
"It's nearly finished. We just need to run a final test on its A.I. system." said a man. Ghidorah snorted.
"Any chance that thing will cause more problems like your other mechs did the previous night?" asked Ghidorah. The man looked to him in offense.
"I can assure you that this machine will put the others to shame! The cloned DNA from the Alpha's brain was inserted into the quasi-organic computer controls and will allow this machine to learn and act on its own! It can calculate different sorts of situation and act accordingly to solve the situation!" said the man.
"So, you still won't let humans control your machines? You rather let a program do it for you?" asked Ghidorah.
"My machines are the future! This breakthrough of transcending brain matter and technology can lead us to immortality!" said the man proudly. Ghidorah scoffed.
"Yeah. That is until these things rust away or something else ruins your technology. I have little faith of gaining immortality through machines." said Ghidorah. The man growled in frustration at Ghidorah ignoring the potential of his technology.
"If Kiryu is nearly complete, I want it ready as soon as possible. I want it to face Destoroyah the next time we find him. Lucky Dragon as well." said Onyx with a cold expression.
"Lucky Dragon? What need will there to be if he is trapped inside of the quarantined zone in Saddle Arabia?" asked a man. "He'll starve to death before he can escape."
"No, he'll adapt." said Onyx. "Transmutants have a way to survive longer without physical food. They can still metabolize by consuming the radiation in long doses. Lucky Dragon is trapped in a zone that has been quarantined because of a nuclear meltdown. As we speak, he's feeding off of the radiation in the air trapped with him. He's not going to die anytime soon."
"Besides, it won't be long before he figures out how to escape." said Onyx.
"Hmm. Then we will have to make sure Kiryu, Erika and Ghidorah are ready." said the man. The men murmured in agreement. "Good day to you, Onyx."
The apparitions faded away. The dark room slowly lit up with lights in the room. Ghidorah sighed in annoyance.
"Dirty, rotten, fat cats." spat Ghidorah.
"Don't let them get to you. They aren't in charge of you, I am." said Onyx. The two made their way out of the room and into an office. "Do try to not provoke them either. It will make our plans more difficult."
"Yes. But I still would like to crush their skulls under my heel." said Ghidorah with a dark smile. Onyx smirked. He then made his way to sit down at his desk.
"Well, the situation with Sunset Shimmer will raise some confusion. Especially with Private Shiragami." said Onyx.
"The girl, she doesn't seem like the rest." said Ghidorah.
"Yes, because she's special. And she's a major part in our plan. It's important that she is kept alive, at least until we can enact out our plan." said Onyx as he organized papers on his desk. Ghidorah nodded.
"Immortality through machines, though? That's stupid." said Ghidorah. Onyx nodded in agreement.
"Yes. The rest are thinking too small with their plans. Winning over control of a nation through the promise of protection is brilliant, but it takes too long. They are even trying to come up with plans to give them reasons to remain occupied in nations." said Onyx. He then tapped his desk with a sigh. "There are even discussions about implanting magic-infused chips into the soldiers as an insurance to keep the army."
"Hmph. They really are that desperate at keeping the loyalty of the soldiers?" asked Ghidorah.
"You can't have an army without loyal soldiers. The best they can do is to keep them ignorant of the whole experimentation done years ago. They were even reluctant to let Private Shimmer to participate as a soldier. She knew a bit about classified experiments such as creating hybrids from scratch." said Onyx. He smirked. "A contingency plan if MONARCH were to run out of Transmutants to kill. But, of course, the scientists didn't know that's what they were for."
"But the Transmutants are necessary. Especially a few of them." said Ghidorah. Onyx nodded.
"They are. He will be expecting that we are ready for his return. That's why he wanted you to take the lead when we began our plan." said Onyx.
"Right. Tell the others that I will be ready. They just need to make sure they can get the necessary Transmutants to help with the plan." said Ghidorah. Onyx smiled darkly.
"Just make sure you don't kill them first before we can start." said Onyx. Ghidorah smirked.
"Make sure you have the third secret experiment ready. So much has been done with Alpha's DNA all of those years ago." said Ghidorah. Onyx smiled.
"I think he will be most happy with that one. I hope you aren't too sore about not being the heir after our king." said Onyx.
"No, my time will come when the new heir dies. If he does before age kills him, that means he was weak, just like the man he was made from." said Ghidorah with a sinister smile.




Okinawa, Neighpon. Two days ago...

The Colonel of the base treaded through his office. His paces were slow as he began to grow anxious. He has yet to learn if the soldiers that were out on their mission to eliminate the Shisa had yet to find the creature. He wasn't sure if they were already aware of the truth. The more time passed, the more his suspicions grew as they continued their supposed search. He turned as he heard the door to his office open. An Elf man with black hair and in black uniform appeared from behind the door. He walked in and stood at attention.
"The Director informed me of your...situation." said the Elf.
"Oh, good. Then you may know what's at stake here." said the Colonel. The Elf nodded.
"I'll make sure Yoshi and the others are dead before word can get out." said the Elf.
"Be discreet about it. I'll upload their files to you so you can get started." said the Colonel.



Yoshi remained silent as he and a three of his trusted comrades stood by. Two of his other soldiers remained outside of the cave near the entrance, keeping guard. They looked on at Caesar as he remained turned around. There was an uneasy amount of silence going on.
"Caesar?" called a Neighponese man.
"There isn't much time. You must act now." said Caesar. He then turned to face the humans with a hard stare.
"MONARCH will begin to grow suspicious of you. You all must act before it is too late! More lives are being lost as the days roll by!" said Caesar urgently.
"We've been gathering a few close friends that we could trust. We've been coming up with contingency plans if this fails." said Yoshi.
"Wait, you never said anything about this plan failing, Yoshi!" said a woman incredulously.
"There's always the possibility of failure, which is why I wanted to make sure that we had a fall back plan before we start. MONARCH still hasn't caught on to its files being accessed, but now we do what we have to do as soon as possible." said Yoshi. He raised his arm and began to press small buttons on a pad that was attached to his wrist. A holographic image appeared and displayed a map of Equestria.
"Our fall back plan is to flee to Equestria. From there, we can take refuge on the soil that is forbidden to be walked on by MONARCH personnel." said Yoshi. Caesar eyed the holographic image curiously as did the moth fairies. "We can also inform the rulers of this country that the higher ups are corrupt. We can prevent the larger threat that's looming too if we can earn more allies."
"How about Transmutants as allies?" suggested a man. The soldiers looked to him in confusion.
"What Transmutants? I don't think any of them would be too keen on allying with us." deadpanned a woman.
"Maybe they could! I've heard rumors that there's a group of Transmutants living near a human settlement that they are also protecting!" replied the male soldier. Yoshi looked down in thought at the possibility of having Transmutant allies. It seemed crazy, but it sounded promising at the same time.
"Yes. But we should probably at least focus on allying with the rulers of the country before we find these Transmutants." said Yoshi. The man nodded in understanding.
"Hmm. This does sound promising." said Caesar. He nodded in approval. "Yes, you will be safe since MONARCH is bound by laws for the time being."
"Caesar, we want you to come with us." said Yoshi. The Shisa's eyes widened.
"I beg your pardon?"
"Caesar, we were ordered to silence you! You know too much about MONARCH's secret! The higher ups will do anything to keep our comrades blissfully ignorant!" said Yoshi.
"But...this has been my home for the last thousand years." said Caesar as he gestured to the cave. He looked on sadly. "The humans built this temple for me to live in as thanks for being their guardian. I have so many treasured memories here."
"Caesar, you'll risk being found if you remain here." reasoned the female soldier. "You can die out here!"
"Yeah, we need your help if we're going to put an end to this!" said another man. The four soldiers began to give verbal agreements. Caesar lowered his head sadly.
"Caesar, they're right." said a small voice. The Shisa turned and found a moth fairy fluttering towards him. It spoke in a small feminine voice. "We have to leave. This temple is not safe anymore. You are needed if we wish to save the world from what's to come."
"I...I suppose you are right. I will miss this old place." said Caesar with a sigh.
"Caesar, I promise you that when this is over, you will be able to return here again." said Yoshi with a reassuring smile. Caesar smiled back.
"Thank you, Yoshi." said Caesar.
"Alright. Well, we need to head back. We're going to enact our plan tonight so be ready in case things don't go well." said Yoshi. Caesar nodded.
"Very well. Would you please give me a minute alone with this place?" requested Caesar. Yoshi nodded in approval.
"Sure. Go on ahead. We'll meet you outside of the temple grounds." said Yoshi as he turned and lead the soldiers outside. Caesar turned back and looked at the cave walls. He observed the paintings on the walls that were left by the ancients. How unfortunate that not many people have been able to observe them in modern days.
"It's felt like yesterday since the day it came." said Caesar as he looked up to the ceiling where the image of the comet was depicted. His eyes hardened as he looked towards a wall that depicted an obscured painting. A golden three head dragon without arms but with great wings was shown emerging from the destroyed comet. "It felt even more recent since he showed up."
"And now he's threatening to return." said one of the moth fairies with dread. Caesar nodded gravely.
"Already he walks among the humans. He must be stopped or else we will all perish." said Caesar gravely. He then looked to the image of the legendary Gojira.
"More than ever, we needed you. But now, your son will have to be the one who will bring the world back into balance." said Caesar. One of the moth fairies raised herself as her antennae twitched.
"Oh peace..." said the moth. Another moth stood and began to twitch her antennae as well.
"Oh light..." said the second moth. Caesar closed his eyes.
"Return." said Caesar.
"Return." said all of the moth fairies in unison.



Yoshi and his squad continued to walk away from the temple. They continued down the stairs that led into the jungle. The armored man looked back towards the temple in pity. He understood the feeling of leaving your home. It was hard for him as well to leave his home to be a warrior to protect innocent people.
"So, what do you think Equestria is like compared to Neighpon?" asked a soldier in Neighponese.
"I heard it's nice. But people seem to refer to each other by first names over their rather than surnames." answered Yoshi. The soldier looked to him surprise.
"Huh?! But, are they really that close to each other to do such a thing?!" exclaimed the solider. Yoshi shrugged.
"I guess it's just a cultural thing." answered Yoshi. One of the women in his squad gulped nervously.
"I think I'm beginning to have second thoughts on going to Equestria. I don't know if I can handle adapting to two different cultures so quickly." said the woman worriedly.
"Oh come on! You're a soldier that's been fighting people who transform into creatures that turned out to be Kaiju! You'll be fine with this!" said Yoshi in reassurance.
"Maybe." said the woman with a sigh. Suddenly, she felt her chest burn painfully. She cried out in agony as a bolt of magic shot through her chest and passed through her back. She fell back and dropped to the ground, motionless. The soldiers trailed to where the bolt had traveled from and spotted a dark figure carrying a sniper rifle.
"Sniper!!" shouted a soldier as he raised his rifle. He fired rapid shots at the figure, which leapt out of the away and continued to fire his rifle. The shots missed the soldier but one managed to knock the rifle out of his hands. He cursed as he took cover. Suddenly, several more figures appeared from the forest and hills and began to fire their weapons at the soldiers. Yoshi rushed over to his fallen comrade and began to drag her away to cover behind a large tree. Another one of his squad mates hid behind the tree next to him with a frantic expression.
"Who's shooting at us?!" exclaimed the male soldier.
"I don't know! Kato, look after her! We'll handle them!" ordered Yoshi as he pulled out his rifle from behind his back. He then rolled out of cover and began to fire at the figures on the hill. He fired rapidly as he ran over to large boulder in the forest. He managed to shoot a few soldiers down who rolled down the hill. Yoshi took cover next to one of his comrades as she reloaded the shells to her shot gun.
"I really should have gotten slug bolt rounds instead of the buckshot rounds! I can barely get close enough!" complained the Elf soldier.
"I can. I'll trade you weapons!" said Yoshi as he held out his rifle to her. The brown haired woman nodded and handed her shot gun to Yoshi and took the rifle. She then peeked her head from the corner of the rock but pulled back as a bolt nearly struck her in the head.
"Ok! I'll cover you I guess!" said the soldier.
"Alright, I'm counting on you, Inoue!" said Yoshi. The soldier nodded to him. Inoue took a quick breath and peaked over to the side of the boulder and began to fire upon the figures on the hill. They began to fire back at her, failing to notice Yoshi charging towards them. He ignited his thrusters and was forced up the hill at high velocity, leaping into the air and pumping the shotgun. He fired one shot, hitting two figures at once with the scattering magic orbs. He then pumped the rifle and fired again at the third figure, striking him with all buck shots in the chest. He then kicked the rifle out of the last remaining figure's hand as he landed on the ground and then slammed the shotgun against his head, knocking him unconscious. Yoshi turned to find Inoue safely sprinting away from the boulder and deeper into the forest. Yoshi ran down the hill and followed her where the rest of their comrades faced gun fire.
"Koizumi! Toss me a grenade!" shouted an Earthbound man with grey hair. The six foot four Earthbound soldier that he called to reached for his belt and pulled out a grey palm sized sphere with a pin inside of it. He wore the same kind of advanced armor that Yoshi wore except with a yellow visor and a crimson color. He bore dual katanas on his backside. A symbol of a skull was painted on the center of his chest piece.
"Here you go, Ishida!" Koizumi shouted back. He tossed the grenade from his tree over to Ishida's tree. The man caught the grenade and pulled the pin out. He looked to the nearest group of figures that shot at them.
"Eat this!" shouted Ishida as he reared his arm back and tossed the grenade. One of the assailants was struck by the grenade against his helmet. He looked down and found the grenade on the grass.
"Oh, shit!" shouted the soldier as he turned in attempt to flee. He bumped into another soldier that was coming up from behind and stumbled, much to the confusion of the other assailants. Suddenly, they were caught in an explosion of fire and shrapnel.
More bolts from rifles whizzed towards the soldiers. Inoue took cover next to Ishida. She panted as she held her rifle close to herself.
"Good to see you're still breathing, Inoue." said Ishida. The Elf with white hair looked to him with a grin.
"Can't take me down that easily!" said Inoue. She yelped as a bolt nearly struck her. She dropped to her rear as she clutched her rifle. "But I'm afraid that we won't last long!"
"Don't count on it!" said Yoshi as pressed forward. He began to fire the shotgun in his hand towards the figures that fired at him. A few bolts struck his armor but failed to pierce through, only leaving scorch marks. The rest of the soldiers moved out of cover and began to fire their weapons at the figures. The figures were mowed down by their weapons. Koizumi laughed maniacally as he fired his rifle.
"SUCK MAGIC!!" shouted Koizumi as he fired his rifle at the figures. He then dropped his rifle and pulled out his dual katanas and charged towards the enemy lines. He leapt into the air and spun as he stretched out his arms.
"Tornado swing, bitches!" shouted Koizumi with glee as his swords cut down. He then tucked his back and rolled as he landed. He then rushed over to a figure and stabbed him with both swords, pinning the figure against the tree. Koizumi brought his face close to the assassin, who heaved in agony.
"My! This is certainly a sticky situation isn't it?" said Koizumi in a high tone. He was speaking in Equish with the man, who was coughing blood.
"You...fuuu-" the man slumped down, his eyes twitched as blood poured from his mouth.
"Oh. You're dead." said Koizumi in surprise. He then shrugged as he pulled the katanas out. "Oh, well. Time to kill some more enemies!"
"Sticky situation? That didn't even fit with what you did!" said Ishida in exasperation.
"Hey! Do not question me!" shouted Koizumi as he dropped kicked an oncoming enemy and jammed his left katana into the enemy’s back. 
"Focus!" shouted Yoshi. A figure pointed his rifle from behind him but was killed by Inoue who fired at him.
"Watch your back, Yoshi!" scolded Inoue.
"Right, sorry!" said Yoshi as he sent a punch towards another figure. Ishida yelled as he fired his rifle at oncoming enemies. Soon, the attacks stopped and no one was left. Koizumi searched the area.
"Hmm. Kinda boring. I was hoping that it'd be more challenging." said Koizumi in disappointment. Inoue looked to him in annoyance.
"You loon! We should be happy that we fought them off!" said Inoue.
"But who were they? How did they obtain MONARCH weaponry? Unless..." said Ishida. His eyes grew wide in realization. Yoshi rushed over to one of the corpses and found him to be covered in black armor. This was one of the suits of stealth armor that were given to the special operative units of MONARCH. They were more affordable than the armor worn by Yoshi, Koizumi and a few other soldiers.
"These are MONARCH soldiers." said Yoshi in shock as he backed away. He placed his hand over his helmet as he gritted his teeth. "We've been killing our comrades!"
"Oh..." said Inoue, her eyes downcast. She clenched her fist. Ishida looked at the soldiers in disappointment. Koizumi merely stared at the bodies.
"So much for my joy at killing bad guys." said Koizumi in a disappointed tone. Inoue wanted to respond harshly to the man clad in red armor but decided against it. She remembered how the man was unorthodox when it came to expressing himself. Yoshi sighed as he turned to Inoue.
"Go help Kato tend to Nagato." ordered Yoshi. Inoue nodded and ran over to where the two soldiers were. Ishida kneeled down to one of the dead soldiers.
"How did this happen? Who sent them to kill us?" asked Ishida. A bright flash of light appeared out of the corner of his eye. He turned and found one assailant in the same kind of black armor with his hands engulfed in a red aura. He fired a beam of magic towards Ishida, who rolled out of the way.
"I wasn't expecting you to survive this attack." said a male voice in Equish. His aura that engulfed his hand suddenly turned black with green and purple mixed with its fiery appearance. "No matter. I'll have to silence you myself."
"Dark magic!" said Yoshi in shock as he recognized the color scheme. The soldier in black shot his hands forward, sending a beam of crackling magic towards the soldiers. The trio leapt out of the way. Yoshi raised his shotgun and fired at the black armored soldier. The soldier raised his hands and projected a black shield that blocked the buckshot. Koizumi dashed over towards the man in black armor and began to swing his dual swords at him.
"Dark magic? Last time I checked, that's a no, no!" said Koizumi in Equish as he swung his swords towards the man. The soldier dodged the blades and kicked Koizumi in the gut, knocking him off of his feet. Koizumi crashed onto the ground and groaned.
"Ah Koizumi. How nice to meet you." said the man in black armor.
"What? You want me to sign your poster or something?" asked Koizumi in annoyance as he hopped back to his feet. He then charged back towards the soldier along with Yoshi. Yoshi was blasted away by a bolt of dark magic, sending sparking magic through him. He cried out in pain as he flew away into the tree.
"Oh, hell to the no!" said Koizumi as swung his katana blades at the black armored soldier. Ishida picked up a rifle and aimed it at the soldier in black armor as he dodged and countered Koizumi's attacks. When his back way turned, Ishida pulled the trigger.
"You'll all die- gah!" shouted the soldier in agony as he staggered from the bolt wound. He glared at Ishida. The man attempted to fire again but the weapon did not fire any magic bolts. His eyes widened.
"Oh, son of a bitch." said Ishida as he realized that his weapon had run out of ammo. The black armored soldier raised his hand as he prepared to fire another beam of dark magic. Suddenly, his forearm was dismembered by a katana that hurled through his limb. The soldier yelled in agony as he fell to his knees and clutched his dismembered arm.
"Hah! I got ya!" shouted Koizumi as he pumped his fist into the air. The black armored soldier glared at Koizumi in anger.
"You bastard!!" shouted the soldier as he raised his remaining arm towards Koizumi. Suddenly, Yoshi tackled him to the ground and twisted the soldier's arm, causing him to yell in pain.
"Who sent you?!" demanded Yoshi as he twisted the soldier's arm.
"Gah! I'll never talk!" shouted the soldier.
"Move aside. I bet I can make him talk." said Koizumi as he laughed sinisterly. Ishida backed away fearfully from the red armored man. Yoshi gave him a deadpanned stare from behind his helmet.
"Koizumi, torturing him to the point of death will only make him useless to us. We won't be able to get any information out of him." said Yoshi. Koizumi crossed his arms in disappointment.
"Ah you're no fun!" said Koizumi with a scoff. Yoshi sighed in annoyance.
"We'll discuss our definitions of fun later." said Yoshi.
"Keep that lunatic away from me! I've read his file on how he interrogates people!" shouted the soldier in black. Ishida stared at his bleeding wound.
"We'll have to stop the bleeding if we want him to remain alive." said Ishida. The man in black laughed maniacally to himself.
"Don't bother. I failed my mission to silence you all. I rather die here than suffer at the hand of my master." said the man darkly. He began to gurgle and choke as he convulsed. Yoshi released him and found the man to convulse much further. He stared with wide eyes.
"H-hail....lord...S..." the man struggled to speak. His helmet began to leak from his own bile that trailed down his mouth. His eyes rolled back and he slumped into the grass. He exhaled as he took his last breath. The soldiers stared in shock at the sudden death of the soldier. Yoshi removed the soldier’s helmet and found the face of an Elf man with black hair. Yoshi noticed that the veins of his neck were black. He searched his body for any punctures or needles. Just about anything that could be a clue to his sudden death. He then noticed that the soldier's hand seemed to be holding something small. Yoshi opened his hand and found a small round object with a needle imbedded into his hand. Yoshi pulled the object out of the dead soldier's hand. He spotted the MONARCH insignia painted in black on the item. His HUD began to analyze the object, unable to find any information on it.
"This thing doesn't exist in the data banks. It must be some kind of toxic dart." said Yoshi. Koizumi placed his swords back into their sheaths behind his back.
"So, the higher ups sent someone to kill us?" asked Koizumi. He then chuckled. "Biiiiig mistake!"
"We can't worry about that. We must get the information to our comrades before it's too late." said Yoshi. Inoue came jogging back to them.
"How's Nagato?" asked Yoshi.
"She's fine. The bolt missed her vital organs so that's good. She needs medical attention though." said Inoue. Yoshi nodded. He and the rest of the squad made their way over to their comrade who lied on the ground.
"Yoshi...what happened?" asked Nagato in Neighponese. She wasn't fluent in Equish so she and Kato mainly stuck to speaking Neighponese with their squad mates.
"We were attacked by MONARCH soldiers. The Colonel must know of our knowledge for the truth of the organization's leadership." said Yoshi. Nagato slumped back sadly.
"So, they're dead?" asked Nagato.
"I'm afraid so." answered Yoshi. He then noticed Caesar and the moth fairies to be quickly approaching.
"What happened?!" asked Caesar.
"It's as you said. They were growing suspicious. But the Colonel must already know." answered Yoshi. Caesar sighed. He then noticed Nagato lying down wounded.
"Mister, let me help." said one of the moth fairies. Kato looked to the creature uneasily.
"Uh...no thanks. I'm a professional medic." said Kato.
"But I can help her recover faster!" said the moth fairy as she fluttered her wings. Sparkles were blown from her wings and flowed down to Nagato's wound. Slowly, the wound began to seal up as the sparkles buried themselves inside. Nagato gasped as she felt the sparkles tingle in her wound. She shot up and began to feel at her chest.  Her tank top was bloody in her chest area, but her wound was healed. She looked to the moth fairy with wide eyes.
"Thank you!" said Nagato. The moth fairy chirped happily.
"You're very welcome!" said the moth. Yoshi smiled at the creature. Such a cute insect did carry such amazing power. He was happy to have creatures like her as allies. He then looked to Caesar with a hard stare.
"We need to head back to base now. It's time." said Yoshi. Caesar nodded in agreement.



The Colonel sat at his desk patiently. His eyes stared at the wood of his desk as the sound of his watch beeping reached his ears. It was the third hour since he has heard anything from Onyx's so called, 'trusted agent'. He began to grow more anxious.
"He should have called back by now. Where is he?" grumbled the Colonel as he picked up a COM ear piece and placed it into his ear. "Agent, this is Colonel Monger. What is your status?"
The COM ear piece gave a static sound. It remained like this for nearly a minute. No one answered. Monger groaned worriedly. He then placed his finger against the ear piece again.
"I repeat, this is Colonel Monger! What is your status on Sergeant Yoshi?" asked Monger anxiously. The static returned as he released the ear piece. There still was no answer. He removed the ear piece from his ear and cursed as he threw it across the room. He placed his hands over his face as he tried to remain calm. Looking towards the red gem that lied on the desk, he immediately grabbed it and then pulled out one of the drawers to his desk. He reached in and pulled out a pistol, switching off the safety. Monger then made his way over to the dark room that he used to communicate with the high command. He began to sweat profusely as he placed the gem in the center disk, causing it to light up. He then closed the door to the room and turned back to the center of the room. An apparition of Onyx appeared in the room.
"Director Onyx, the agent that you have had sent to assist me in silencing Yoshi and his squad has not returned! He won't answer his COM! I believe that he may be dead!" said Monger urgently. Onyx hummed to himself.
"I see. Well, perhaps Yoshi defeated him and his squad." said Onyx. He sighed. "A shame. We may actually be losing a base and a number of our forces."
"Director, you have to help me contain this! The higher ups will have my head if we lose this base!" pleaded Monger. Onyx shook his head.
"You're on your own from here. I cannot do anything for you. If I could, I'd risk losing my chair as Director of MONARCH's military." said Onyx.
"You'll end up losing it anyway if you let these damn renegades live! The soldiers will rebel against the high command! Which includes you!" said Monger angrily. Onyx laughed darkly.
"Oh, but not every soldier will rebel against us. For you see, I've prepared a spell in case something like this were to happen." said Onyx. "As we speak, my magic has reached into the cyber space and communication towers of our organization. I have made it where the entire facility that you are in charge of is blocked. Everything from radio and computers will be shorted out within your base, along with any information that they have taken."
"What?!" exclaimed Monger. Onyx nodded.
"It's quite an advanced spell that I've developed myself as I've begun to become more tech savvy. Such a wonder with what you can do with combining magic with technology." said Onyx fondly.
The sound of banging echoed in the room. Monger turned and made his way over to a wall that held a screen. He found a small group of armed soldiers standing at the door that led into his office. Yoshi was among them. Onyx chuckled.
"I guess Yoshi succeeded in getting word out to the other soldiers." said Onyx. He shook his head. "It’s a shame to lose a base here in Okinawa. Oh well, the story will be that a radical group among our ranks had taken control of the base and killed the ones who resisted and the man who died trying to protect the soldiers under his command."
"No! We had a deal, Onyx!" shouted Monger.
"Well, the deal is expired. I must be going. MONARCH has a base of rebels that must be dealt with. Goodbye, Colonel Monger." said Onyx with a dark smile. The apparition of Onyx faded away. Monger turned back to the screen and found that the soldiers were preparing to break in. He searched frantically for an escape route, but there wasn't any. In his office was nothing but walls with no windows to sneak out of. He was trapped and may be facing persecution by his own men. 
"No. No!" shouted Monger. He then looked to the pistol that was in his grip and stared at it. He then looked to the screen where the soldiers were backing away from the steel door. The camera panned and spotted a man bringing in a blow torch. 


10 minutes ago...

A large group of soldiers stared at a large screen in the mess hall. Last they remembered, they were enjoying a nice hot meal for dinner. They were chatting with their fellow comrades as they feasted after a long day. However, dinner time was interrupted when the screen that mainly played recorded footage of sports games was interrupted. The screen instead played distorted images that blocked out the game. Soldiers and staff members such as scientists that looked over data pads or the computer consoles began to experience the same problem. An image of Yoshi standing in a dark cave appeared.
"Greetings, my comrades. I am Sergeant Hayato Yoshi." said Yoshi as he bowed. Neighponese text appeared under him, translating his words. The people began to murmur among themselves in surprise at how the war hero was appearing on the screen and other screened electronic equipment. "Like you, I am a soldier dedicated in protecting people and nations that request our assistance from either Transmutant threats, civil war, disasters, and international war."
"But recently, I and several others have learned of a terrible secret. A secret kept from soldiers, scientists, engineers, and other staff members who have dedicated their service to MONARCH." said Yoshi. He disappeared from the screen and was replaced by a film reel that displayed the text, 'MONARCH Eyes Only'. A countdown began on the screen that later led to classified footage from over a decade before. Footage of a man strapped to a bed with needles in bedded into his skin, filling him with an orange colored liquid along with unknown chemicals. The skin on his arms along with his chest was cut with the needles pinned inside of the incisions where the red-orange liquid and other chemicals were injected into his muscles and veins. Men in sanitized apparel were monitoring the subject and injecting him with the liquids. The MONARCH insignia was faded in the bottom corner of the screen as the top displayed a date and running time of the footage. The viewers of the video were beginning to become unnerved at what they were witnessing. The footage changed to show a scarred man that was fighting his restraints and managing to free himself.
"Hold him down!" shouted a male voice. From behind the camera view, came rushing two men in grey armor with the MONARCH insignia painted on their helmets. They began to push and hold the man down as he struggled to escape. But the man merely struck one of the armored men. He yelled angrily as he tackled him but was struck with a cattle prod.
"The high command of our organization is corrupt. Our organization was involved with illegal genetic manipulation of human civilians during the appearance of Transmutants, Alpha and Lucky Dragon. This was known as Project: Beast, a project proposed and passed by the men who founded our organization." said Yoshi. Although he did not appear on screen, his voice was heard. The audience began to talk among themselves in confusion due to the shocking images. They stared in shock and gasped at the next footage. The footage changed to showing a child strapped to the bed receiving the same treatment that the two men were.
"That's a freaking kid!" exclaimed someone from among the crowd. The footage changed to showing images of the test subjects for the project. One of the images was a little girl with brunette hair that gave information about her name, origin, age, date of birth and code name. People began to recognize the codename: Angel. Another image appeared next to the little girl and displayed the face of a young woman with white hair. The two bore striking similarities in skin tone, eye color and a bit of hair style.
"Adults were not the only candidates for this heinous project. Children were experimented on and augmented as well." said Yoshi
"MONARCH salvaged the remaining scientists that were responsible for the creation of Lucky Dragon and Alpha, using their knowledge and their surviving resources to create more Transmutants. This is one of the test subjects, Mosura Yasu, today known as the Transmutant dubbed: Angel." said Yoshi in a solemn voice.
"Oh shit." said someone from among the crowds. The soldiers' stomachs turned as they saw footage of multiple screens displaying men, women and children locked in cells with the MONARCH insignia faded in the corner.
"Project Beast was intended to be a military project in creating soldiers that were physically superior compared to humans. But this came with other results." said Yoshi. The screen displayed mantis-like creatures screeching as they remained locked in cells. A smaller screen depicted a black moth larvae roaring as it killed one of the mantises, only to be subdued by MONARCH soldiers.  The audience was shocked and dread began to fill at the implications of what they were seeing. "My comrades, for years we were told that the Transmutants had risen due to the work of an unknown enemy. The high command was right. The enemy was unknown, for we never suspected that the high command itself was responsible for the creation of more Transmutants!"
"MONARCH's resources were taken advantage of to kidnap over a hundred innocent people, only to transform them into the monsters that they are today!" said Yoshi. Footage of combat recordings was displayed, showing MONARCH soldiers fighting Transmutants. Destoroyah roared in his demonic form as he killed soldiers with ease. Insect and bird-like creatures attacked the civilians that were caught on footage of a few soldier's helmets. A teenager with jet black hair and red eyes leapt towards the camera from a soldier's HUD, causing it to show static. From an empty room, an older man sat down at one of the computer consoles. He clenched his hand in anger.
"The war between MONARCH and the Transmutants was brought on because of the foolishness of the men who led us! Men and women of higher places compared to our own knew about their plot and willingly helped these men!" said Yoshi. Images of certain individuals of MONARCH's highest ranking officers, credited engineers, and scientists were revealed to the soldiers. One of the images of one of the high ranking officers brought the people to shock.
"That's Colonel Monger!" exclaimed an engineer in the vehicle depot building. 
"Our very own Colonel of this base is in league with them as well! The files which we have gotten from our very own database have secrets that go against what MONARCH stands for!" said Yoshi. An image of Erika Shiragami was displayed on the screen.
"Private Shiragami was another experiment authorized by the high command in attempt to revive their so called, 'super soldier program'. They have turned our comrade into a slave that believes that what she is doing is for the greater good of all of us. But in reality, she's been stripped of her physical human traits like the other victims of Project: Beast, to silence them." said Yoshi. Another image of Erika was displayed with vines sticking out of her back along with her hand with sharp claws. "My comrades, we have been fighting a war that's torn the lives of those that were participating in it and those who were caught in the middle."
"Oh, dear Faust. How could this be?" said a woman in a lab coat as she placed her face into her palms. Her tone was distraught from the revelation of a dark secret that eluded her and others for so long.
"The higher ups do not care about any of us. They only care for wealth, power and control!" said Yoshi. Images of factories being built into other countries were shown. "MONARCH profits off of those who are in trouble. The higher ups are paid to send us in to do whatever it is we are deployed to do and the construction of more research facilities are placed in these countries. There was even a contingency plan that the high command made for when the Transmutants had died off."
A short footage of a humanoid bat creature was trapped in a cage. The creature shrieked as it held its claws around the bars. A few people stared in horror at the creature. More images of nearly anthropomorphic beasts appeared, ranging from dogs, lions, rhinos and few other dangerous creatures. Footage of a bat-like creature that escaped from captivity was shown. The creature shrieked as it pounced on a young Elf woman with crimson hair with gold streaks. The woman cried out in terror as the creature attacked her. She was knocked unconscious as she was slammed against the wall.
"These creatures were made from scratch of splicing animal and human DNA by one of MONARCH's genetic research teams. This group here was ordered by one of our high commanders that owns a company involved in the same field. His resources were used to create these creatures to act as tools to prolong the Transmutant Terrorism threat!" said Yoshi. An image of the creatures frozen in ice and stored into a dark and cold room was shown. "These men do not want this war to end! They want it to continue so that they may continue to profit off of it! And when nations are at their mercy from the prolonged attacks, they plan to forge a new government that will unite known world into an order where the high command; the wealthiest men of the world are in power."
"My comrades, this is the true agenda that we were not told of. MONARCH started off as a military force decades ago that served only the country that it was founded on. But as the years went by and when the organization became international, leadership grew corrupt. We are pawns for their plan to force their will onto the people that we were sworn to protect. Our homes, our nations will no longer be sovereign. They will belong to these men of power." said Yoshi. The soldiers stormed out of the rooms that they occupied in anger. A few stood by in shock as they continued to stare off into the screen. Yoshi's face reappeared on screen.
"My friends, we must unite against them. Together, we can take back MONARCH and restore it to what it once stood for. Protection. Because that's what we signed up for." said Yoshi. A few soldiers made their way into the weapons locker and began to take rifles for themselves.
"The Colonel is a dead man." said one of the soldiers with a look of anger.



Yoshi stood among his fellow soldiers as they watched one of the engineers use his blow torch against the steel door. He noticed how the other soldiers were beginning to feel the fingers itching to pull the trigger. But, he did not intend to kill the Colonel. The man must pay for his crime, alive. He felt that it was the best way to punish a criminal for his deception and attempt at silencing those who knew the truth.
"Remember, no one kill the Colonel. If he has a weapon, shoot to wound." ordered Yoshi.
"Copy that." said a soldier.
"Fine," sighed another soldier.
"Affirmative." said a third soldier. Yoshi nodded in approval. Suddenly, the sound of gun fire came from inside of the room. The soldiers all flinched at the sudden sound.
"Oh, don't tell me!" said a soldier anxiously. The engineer with the blow torch had finally cut the steel door all around its frame. The soldiers pushed on the door and caused it to fall. The soldiers all rushed in the room, searching for the Colonel. Yoshi spotted a door at the far end of the room and slowly began to make his way over to it. He placed his hand on the door and slid it open as he pointed his pistol inside. The room was incredibly dark with nobody around. He slowly began to walk inside, but his boot connected with something. He looked down and saw Colonel Monger lying dead on the ground. Yoshi knelt down to the commanding officer and found a bolt wound in the side of his skull. He spotted a pistol on the ground inches away from his left hand. Yoshi sighed.
"I guess he took the easy way out." said Yoshi. Koizumi stepped into the room and noticed Yoshi kneeling. He peaked over his shoulder and noticed Monger.
"Son of a bitch committed suicide? Coward." spat Koizumi. Yoshi sighed.
"We need to try and to communicate with any other close bases while we still have time." said Yoshi. He reached for his helmet and pressed his hand against its side. "Sparkplug, I need you to broadcast our message to the other bases."
"No can do! All we're getting is static! We're mute!" said Sparkplug.
"Damn!" cursed Yoshi.




Location: classified...

Onyx emerged from the dark room from which he had private communications. He made his way over towards his desk and took a seat. Ghidorah was standing with his arms crossed. He looked to Onyx curiously.
"So, we have lost one of our bases. What now?" asked Ghidorah.
"Hmm. This is the fun part. MONARCH will believe that a group rebels compromised our base and killed any loyalists inside. We will need to retaliate by invading the base, which of course will cause more chaos with rebels fighting a recognized military organization. This is all part of the plan that we have made." said Onyx.
"By we, I assume you're not referring to the high command." said Ghidorah. Onyx smiled.
"Of course not. The betrayal of MONARCH soldiers will spark hatred from our loyal soldiers towards the new rebels. This will aid in his return." replied Onyx.
"Gojira Takeshi the second's hatred is strong. I can sense it." said Ghidorah.
"Yes. Still, his hate is not enough. But soon as he begins to continue to suffer by MONARCH and Destoroyah, I believe that his hate for his enemies will grow stronger. That, combined with the hate of our loyal soldiers and the hate of the people threatened by Transmutants, will all be forged together into the key." said Onyx with a dark smile. Ghidorah smirked.
"You are one devious bastard. He'd be proud." said Ghidorah.
"Hmph. Perhaps." said Onyx. "Remember my friend, hate, anger and fear is power. We do not let it enslave us like others do, rather we use it as our strength."
"I do remember. I've used that as my weapon thousands of years ago. You've only done it for a short time only one thousand years ago." said Ghidorah.
"Yes. But this time, it will be longer." said Onyx.
	
> Chapter 36: Betrayal
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Zebrabwe Present day...

Erika sat in her dorm room in the MONARCH base that she was stationed in with her head lowered. She wore a solemn expression as she stared at her hands. It has been two days since the incident at Saddle Arabia's power plant. She had not heard of any news of any survivors that might have been trapped inside of the barrier. The likelihood of anyone being trapped inside likely would have died by now. Her heart was heavy with despair at the possibility of Sunset Shimmer dying. Erika lightly wept to herself as she leaned against the wall, but then heard the sound of her wrist watch beeping. She gasped as the abrupt sound snapped her out of her thoughts. She sniffed as she looked down at her wrist.
What the watch displayed was a calling for a meeting in the debriefing room. She sighed in frustration at how she was called for what she assumed was a mission. She stood up to her feet and stomped over to her door.
"This better be good." spat Erika. She then exited her dorm room and shut the door. The Transmutant made her way down the halls of the base with a look of irritation. She was also uncomfortable as it would be her first mission without Sunset. The thought of losing her friend tore her apart inside, especially when the two had just became friends.
Erika slowly made her way through the base until she came across a large door. She took a deep breath, swallowing her fear and forging a look of determination on her face, and opened the door. She pressed on into the room and made her way over to the back of the room and took a seat. Her eyes widened as she noticed dozens of soldiers were in the large room. A high ranking man made his way over to the front of the room.
"May I have your attention please?" called the commanding officer. The soldiers slowly began to quiet down and focused their attention on the commanding officer.
"You have all been called here today because of an incident that has occurred with a sister base over in Neighpon." informed the commanding officer. The screen displayed the facility in a video footage.
"This base was compromised. And no, the Transmutants were not responsible." said the commanding officer. The soldiers murmured amongst themselves in surprise. They wondered what enemy could have been able to compromise one of MONARCH's bases. Erika looked down in thought.
"No. The ones responsible for the compromise were none other than soldiers from among our ranks." said the commanding officer. Erika shot her head up and her eyes widened in shock. The soldiers murmured in shock.
"Wait, what do you mean it came from our ranks?!" demanded a soldier.
"Two days ago, we received a distress signal from the sister base informing of an attack made by a group of renegade soldiers." said the commanding officer. The room was filled with static and muffling.
"Hello?! This is Okinawan MONARCH Gamma base! We are under attack by our own men! We need assistance immediately!" said a man urgently over the recording that filled the room. The sound of banging could be heard.
"Oh shit!" whispered the man's recorded voice. The banging grew louder along with the sound of gunfire.
"Man down!" shouted a woman's voice in the background.
"Sergeant Hayato Yoshi has been sighted leading a band of renegades! Our defense systems have been compromised! We're being slaughtered down here!" shouted the man urgently. The sound of a door being broken down filled the transmission.
"Turn off that radio!" shouted a male voice. Gun fire erupted over the radio. The sound of cries of agony filled the recording, causing it to go into static. Soldiers remained silent and in shock. There was no denying that the distress signal was legit. The voices, the same kind of weapons used were all a result of a fire fight. Erika's eyes widened as she recalled at the mention of Hayato Yoshi.
"It turns out that one of our Elite soldiers have turned on our organization and have turned our men against us." said the commanding officer solemnly.
"Yoshi is a...traitor?" asked a man that sat in front of Erika.
"No way! He's..." a woman was trying to deny the possibility of such a heroic soldier could have been involved in this attack.  
"Images of this tragedy had managed to reach our databanks before it was compromised." said the commanding officer. Images of soldiers fighting amongst themselves displayed a helmetless Hayato Yoshi beating a soldier with his rifle. Erika stared with wide eyes as the soldiers were depicted killing each other. Soldiers stared angrily at the traitors that were led by Yoshi and at the elite soldier himself. A lot of them looked up to the man for his bravery, his honor, and his skills. He was the face of MONARCH. Now, that man has destroyed the image that he had placed on himself and betrayed them all. Erika's mind raced as she tried to make sense of such a thing.
"Oh...Sunset." said Erika in pity. The knowledge of the Elf's role model being a traitor would crush her.



The room was cold. The lighting was dim and the air was filled with silence that was pierced by the sound of a heart monitor and a respirator. Sunset Shimmer lied in bed, pale as a ghost. Her hair was let down and was splayed at the back of her head. Her breaths were slow and calm. Her face was drenched with sweat as she tossed and turned. A man wearing a radiation suit observed the Elf as she tossed and turned in her sleep. Her blankets were what kept her warm from the cold air, but she was heating up. The man in the radiation made himself over to Sunset and ran his hand over her hair. He then gently began to pull on a few locks, causing Sunset to crinkle her face and to turn her head. The man released her locks and backed away.
"She doesn't seem to be losing her hair just yet from the exposure." said the man to himself. Sunset tossed and turned again in her sleep as she began to moan to herself. Her brows were furrowed. The man took her arm and began to look her over.
"No sores from the radiation poisoning." the man said to himself. He sighed to himself. The patient was exposed to high levels of radiation at a close distance to the source. She would be dead within the weeks, but something seemed off. Her condition had not worsened as quickly as it was supposed to. The man made his way over to the glass door and typed into the panel. The panel lit up and the door slid open, leading to a short hall where another door lied ahead. The glass door closed behind him, locking him in the hall. A burst of gas filled the hall and ran for several seconds. The gas stopped running and the door in front slid open. The man made his way over outside to where several other people were working. One woman was sitting at a computer console, typing away.
"This is bizarre." said the woman on the computer.
"What is?" asked the man in the radiation suit. He removed the mask from his head and held it at his side.
"Well, I've been looking over these blood tests that we have extracted from the patient the other day. Something isn't right." said the woman as she pointed at the screen. The man in the radiation suit peaked over her shoulder curiously.
"She has no signs of radiation poisoning." said the man in shock. The woman nodded.
"That's right. She's healthy. But her brain wave activity is spiked. The reason why she's tossing and turning is because she could be having nightmares." said the woman. The man looked over the window and found Sunset still tossing and turning in bed.
"But that's not the most bizarre part about her." said the woman. The man looked to her.
"There's more?" asked the man.
"Yes. After running a scan, we've found something. Her DNA, it's-" the woman was about to finish but the door that lead to the lab opened. The people in the room turned and found an Elf man in black uniform standing in the doorway.
"Hey, what are you doing here?" questioned the man, in the radiation suit in suspicion. The Elf walked further in.
"I'm here to check on the patient. How is she?" asked the Elf.
"She's...she might be fine. She isn't currently suffering from radiation poisoning despite being exposed to lethal levels of it from her mission. But we found an abnormality in her DNA." informed the woman. The Elf sighed as he began to walk closer.
"I see. Well, funny thing about that." said the Elf. He raised his hand, causing it to form a fiery aura that was a mix of black, green and purple colors. The scientists in the room stopped dead in their tracks and stared at the man blankly as the white of their eyes turned to a glowing shade of green and their irises turned red. "There is nothing unusual about Private Sunset Shimmer."
"There is nothing unusual about Private Sunset Shimmer." repeated the scientists in unison with monotone voices.
"You will not report this to anyone. Rather, you will send the data you have gathered to the high command. Sunset will make a full recovery. It is a miracle." said the Elf.
"It is a miracle." repeated the scientists. The Elf smiled.
"Excellent. When you have sent the data to the high command, you shall forget all that you have witnessed. You will forget our meeting." said the Elf.  The humans nodded as they continued to stare blankly. The Elf turned to stare into the window where the patient could be seen.
Back inside of the room, Sunset breathed heavily as she slept. Her face crinkled and her body began to sweat. She whimpered in her sleep as she tossed and turned.
"No. No, go away." said Sunset in her sleep. Images of a demonic woman continued to haunt her dreams. The creature taunted her.
"You failed to kill that monster, Sunny. That's very disappointing." said an echoed demonic feminine voice. Sunset found herself in darkness where the creature's voice continued to torment her. She searched frantically for it.
"Why can't you just leave me alone?!" shouted Sunset as she cupped her ears. She felt something grab her from behind her shoulders and pulled her around. Sunset gasped as the demonic woman stared at her with her black eyes and moderate cyan irises.
"Why would I do that? You need me." said the she-demon as she gently ran her claw under Sunset's chin. The Elf stared fearfully as she trembled before this creature. The she-demon laughed darkly as her bat-like wings spread wide open. Sunset was tackled to the ground, feeling her body burn from the demon's physical contact. She cried in pain as the she-demon pinned her to the ground.
"No! Somebody, please help me!!" cried Sunset, her voice echoed in the dark void. She was trapped in a lonely place where she was continuously tormented by this creature. She yearned for her friend's presence to comfort her and to help her to rid this demon from her life that has haunted her dreams.




Neighpon...

It was the evening in the far East. The stars twinkled far above in the sky. The air was cool and the weather was calm on this month of May. The raid on Saddle Arabia's nuclear power plant was successful. The lair of the Transmutant Revolutionaries was filled with activity. The Transmutants were moving crates filled with pounds of MONARCH's enchanted gems that were used as ammo for their weapons. Now, these gems were filled with radioactive energy and were being stored and saved for the Transmutants. Two crates were rolled down the halls of the base and were taken to Hok and Abra’s home. Hok emerged from the dark and dimly lit room and made his way over to the Transmutants.
"Just bring them on in here." said Hok as he gestured to the room. The Transmutants nodded as they continued to carry the crates into the room. Abra lied in bed as she watched the Transmutants move the crates into a corner of the room, away from the eggs. She sighed in relief at there being hope for her children. Battra stepped inside of the room and looked over to the crates. He then turned back to Hok.
"This should be good until we can draw from more radioactive sources." said Battra. Hok nodded.
"Thank you, my friend. I'm in your debt." said Hok with a smile.
"Don't worry about it. It was my pleasure." said Battra with a soft tone. Hok raised a brow at him as he felt an odd atmosphere. Battra seemed to not have been in good spirits this evening.
"Battra, is everything alright?" asked Hok, worriedly.
"Yeah. Yeah I'm fine." said Battra with a forced smile.
"Alright then." said Hok with a hesitant nod.
"I must be going. I need to check on Megaguirus." said Battra. He made his way out of the room with a light frown as he looked down. He continued down the halls of the abandoned base and through large rooms where few Transmutants were still working. Some of them had already turned in for the night. Battra felt the desire to stop and rest, but he couldn't sleep as his mind was being plagued.
Battra continued on through the base and found a plain door. He looked to the side and found a sign that said, 'medical center'. Battra sighed as he placed his hand on the handle and pulled the door open. He made his way down a clear hallway and found a dozen rooms to be dark and empty. The hallway was dimly lit with a few flickering light bulbs. Wheelchairs were littered around the area and the faint smell of sterilization reached his nose. He spotted a dimly lit room where a figure lied down in a small bed. He made his way over to the room and found Megaguirus lying down with herself covered in blankets. Her boots sat in the corner of the room and her sweater sat on a chair that was near her bed. She lied down with her right arm over her covers and her hand covered in a cast. The Transmutant stared off towards the wall in silence with a neutral expression.
"Knock, knock." said Battra as he lightly knocked on the door. Megaguirus's eyes widened in surprise as she caught his voice. She turned and smiled when she found Battra standing in the doorway. 
"Hey good looking. I wasn't expecting visitors." said Megaguirus. Battra smiled back. He made his way over to a chair and brought it to Megaguirus's left side of her bed and sat down.
"Well, thought I check on you. I wanted to see how you were doing." said Battra. Megaguirus sighed as she raised her cast covered hand.
"Well, doc says that I have some broken bones in my hand from punching concrete. Guess I'm not as strong as you when it comes to punches in my human form." said Megaguirus with a chuckle. She then hissed as she shifted herself. She removed her blanket and revealed bandages wrapped over her left thigh. Her shorts and leggings were replaced with a hospital gown. "My leg hurts too. They said I got shot in the thigh."
"Well, I'm glad that you were able to make it out of there alive. We nearly lost you when you were running away." said Battra.
"Can you blame me? Those guys brought in these mechs with huge ass guns!" said Megaguirus with a shudder.
"No, I suppose not. You panicked and you’re not a trained warrior. You did insist on joining the fight." said Battra with amusement in his tone.
"What? You don't think I could've held my own because I'm a girl?" demanded Megaguirus. Battra raised his hands defensively with a nervous smile.
"Hey, let's not turn this into a battle of the sexes. I wasn't around to see, but I heard from Mukade that you were doing good. But you got a little overconfident." said Battra. Megaguirus turned with a scowl.
"Mukade, you damn traitor." muttered Megaguirus. Battra shook his head. He then began to look around the empty medical center.
"We're lucky that a few of our members were doctors in their past lives. It's even more fortunate that we have some tools left here to patch some of our members up." said Battra.
"Yeah." said Megaguirus. She then noticed Battra's solemn expression that he held as he stared outside of the room. She raised a brow.
"Battra?" called Megaguirus. The Transmutant didn't answer and stared off into space with that same expression. The woman began to grow worry, so she reached for his arm and began to tug at his jacket's sleeve.
"Battra!" called Megaguirus. Battra's eyes widened as he was snapped out of his dazed state. He turned and found Megaguirus staring at him worriedly. "Hey, you OK?"
"I'm fine. Sorry about that." said Battra as he rubbed his hand against his head.
"You don't seem like it. Ever since we've gotten back, you've seemed off. Like your head isn't in the game." said Megaguirus.
"Don't be silly. I'm fine." said Battra. Megaguirus reached for his hand and held it tightly. The male Transmutant looked down to his hand that was locked with her hand and looked back to Megaguirus. She gave him a hard stare.
"I may not be able to read minds, but I'm pretty sure that I can tell when somebody is upset!" said Megaguirus harshly. Battra nearly flinched at her tone, but he kept himself composed.
"You don't have to tell me what's bothering you, but never lie to me." said Megaguirus with a glare. She then released his hand and turned away from him. "I hate it when people lie to me."
Battra looked down at his hands as he saw Megaguirus's glum expression. He sighed heavily to himself. Battra readjusted himself in his seat as looked back to Megaguirus.
"I don't know what it is." said Battra. Megaguiurs's eyes wondered over to Battra, but she still did not face him.
"I guess I am feeling restless and I'm just not feeling myself. It's just..." Battra wanted to finish his sentence but he couldn't bring himself to do so. Something was bothering him inside.
"Just what?" asked Megaguirus as she turned to face Battra.
"My sister." said Battra. Megaguirus's eyes widened in surprise.
"Oh. You mean that girl with white hair!" said Megaguirus. Her eyes widened. "Wait, we were fighting those guys!"
"Yes. Years ago, my little twin sister fled from our group years ago before you and Mukade came along. She betrayed us by leaving us and challenging our group years later when we met you." said Battra as he stared at his hand.
"Battra, you came at her with a sword! That's your sister!" said an appalled Megaguirus. Battra sent her a glare.
"She was my sister! She destroyed my trust and left me when she promised that we were going to stay together!" spat Battra. Megaguirus recoiled from his tone. "You have no idea how much pain she had put me through when she left me behind and took Rodan and Angirasu with her!"
"Battra, why would she leave you behind? She doesn't seem like that kind of person. She even seemed hesitant to fight you." said Megaguirus.
"Because she knew that she would lose." said Battra. Megaguirus shook her head.
"No, I don't think that's it." said Megaguirus. Battra gave her a hard stare.
"How do you know?"
"Battra, have you ever tried to talk to your sister without threatening her or talking down to her?" asked Megaguirus. Battra shook his head.
"No."
"Well, I saw her face when you told her you weren't siblings. She looked pretty heart broken." said Megaguirus. Battra looked away.
"She broke my heart when she left." said Battra. Megaguirus frowned.
"Battra, why didn't you leave with her? She did tell you, right?" asked Megaguirus. Battra sighed.
"She did. But I couldn't leave. I owed Destoroyah for teaching me how to survive. I wanted to protect the rest of our group at the time." said Battra. Megaguirus sighed.
"Dude, she may have left you, but you had your chance." said Megaguirus. Battra looked to her to find a look of pity on her face. "You didn't have to stay with them. Family comes first."
"At the time, the Transmutants had grown to be my family. That's why I wanted her to stay with us." said Battra.
"Is this why you're upset?" asked Megaguirus.
"No. In Saddle Arabia, she knew of the things that I've done. The lives that I had taken and the ones that I ruined. Yet, she wanted me to run away with her and the others." said Battra with a solemn expression. He clenched his fist. "She kept begging me to go with her as we fought. All I was focused on was killing her."
"Battra...she's your sister." said Megaguirus with a sad expression.
"I know. She even saved me before the ceiling could crush me as it fell. She could have left me to die but she didn't." said Battra as he raised his head. "She said she loved me. And I returned her feelings with hate."
"Battra..." said Megaguirus in sympathy. The male Transmutant thought back to her face and how distraught she was. The pain in her eyes that he saw as they fought. He began to tremble in his seat.
"I turned away from her as she was injured, not wanting to bother fighting with her.  I joined Destoroyah at fighting Takeshi and then later this soldier in gold armor." said Battra. His lip began to quiver. "Next thing I knew...she was lying dead in Takeshi's arms. An Elf shot her with a double barreled rocket launcher and killed her."
"I should have been happy that she had died. She betrayed me! But...I was angry when I saw her lifeless. I was angry, but I was also sad. I thought it was because I didn't get the opportunity to kill her, but it wasn't that." said Battra.
"What was it?" asked Megaguirus. Battra looked to her with tears trailing down his cheek. Megaguirus's eyes widened in surprise.
"I was angry and filled with despair because my sister was now dead and the last thing that I told her was that I hated her." said Battra. He lowered his head as he tried to hold in his sobs. But they escaped from his mouth as tears continued to trail down his cheeks. "She wanted to help me leave this life! She wanted me to come home! But I instead hurt my dear sister and left her to die by that human!"
"Oh." Megaguirus scooted over to Battra and ran her hand over his head. She fought off her own tears as she rested her forehead on his head that was face down on her bed.
"Oh god! What have I done?! In the end, I was the one who killed my sister!" sobbed Battra. Megaguirus continued to stroke his head. "I-I don't know what to do now! She was all that I had left of my family and now she's gone!"
"No, you still have a family Battra." said Megaguirus softly. Battra sniffed as he looked over to Megaguirus. "You said it yourself! You have us. I know that I'll be there for you if you ever need help. You've done the same for all of us."
"But...my sister." said Battra sadly.
"You're sister may be gone, but she'll live on in your heart. I think she now knows that you still love her." said Megaguirus with a reassuring smile. Battra wiped his eyes as he sat himself up. He stared solemnly down on the ground.
"I can only hope." said Battra. The two remained silent after a minute. Battra had dried his eyes and settled down. But, his heart still ached for his deceased sister. He wished that he could reset time and choose to flee with Mosura instead. She may have still been alive in that alternate timeline if he had. 
"It's getting late. I'll leave you to rest." said Battra. As he stood to leave, he felt Megaguirus grab his hand. He turned to find the woman looking away in embarrassment.
"S-say...would you mind the spending the night in here with me?" asked Megaguirus. Battra's face brightened up into a blush.
"Uh..." Battra looked away as he scratched the side of his head.
"Please? It's kinda creepy in here at night." said Megaguirus with pleading eyes. Battra raised a brow.
"Are you being serious?" asked Battra. Megaguirus shot him a glare and held his hand tighter.
"I'm serious! There's no one in here but me and that makes me really uneasy! It's super dark in here too!" said Megaguirus. Battra sighed, but gave Megaguirus a smile.
"Fine. I suppose I can do that." said Battra. Megaguirus's face brightened up into a smile.
"Cool! You can sleep with me." said Megaguirus as she scooted over. Battra's face regained its blush.
"Huh?!" exclaimed Battra.
"Well, where else are you going to sleep? The floor? One of the beds in the other rooms?" asked Megaguirus with a deadpanned expression. Battra placed a hand under his chin.
"Well, the second option sounds-"
"Forget it! You're not going to sleep in the other room to leave me in here all alone! We're sharing this room and bed, dammit!" said Megaguirus with a glare as she squeezed Battra's hand.
"Ouch! Alright! Alright!" said Battra. Megaguirus released her grip, allowing Battra to sigh in relief. He began to remove his shoes and placed them in the corner. He then moved on to removing his jacket and sweater and folded them on the chair. He sighed as he lied himself next to Megaguirus in bed, allowing her to place the blanket over both of them.
"What? You're not going to take off your shirt?" asked Megaguirus in a teasing tone.
"Don't start! This is embarrassing enough already!" said Battra. Megaguirus chuckled to herself.
"OK. Sorry." apologized Megaguirus. She then lied her head down on the blanket and sighed. "Could you get the lights?"
"Sure." said Battra. He raised his hand towards the wall where the light switch was. His telekinesis slowly slid the switch down and toned the lights down until it was dark. The door was shut with only the flickering hall light remaining the last source of light. The narrow rectangular window allowed little light to shine through.
Battra lied his head down on the large pillow that he and Megaguirus shared. His heart pounded in his chest for lying in bed with the young woman. He sighed as he tried to settle his heart down, but then felt Megaguirus snuggling next to him. Battra gulped nervously as he felt her weight against him.
"Goodnight, Battra." whispered Megaguirus with a small smile. Battra raised his left hand and hesitantly stroked her hair. He then pulled away as Megaguirus allowed a giggle to escape.
"Sorry, goodnight!" said Battra as he kept his hand to his side. Megaguirus lied against him on her side but with her hand safe from being crushed. She felt a blush creeping on her face as she held her smile. She closed her eyes as she heard his calm breathing. Her heart raced in her chest as well. She felt more of a connection with him compared to any other man that she had met in her life, as he made her feel special. Megaguirus thought he didn't feel the same, but she thought it’d be nice if he held stronger feelings for her. Megaguirus thought that her forwardness alienated Battra from her, making her disappointed. She then gasped as she felt Battra drape his left arm over her side and wrap it over her belly. She slowly turned and found Battra staring at her with nervous eyes. She smiled at him and turned back around.
"You sure know how to make a girl feel safe in a scary hospital room." whispered Megaguirus.
"Sorry." said Battra as he pulled his arm back. But Megaguirus grabbed his hand and held onto it.
"I mean it. You don't have to move. Besides, this gown makes me cold." said Megaguirus as she scooted closer to Battra. He pulled her in closer and locked her into a warm embrace. She sighed happily.
"That's better." said Megaguirus. She felt the warmth from Battra's body travel over to her back and warm her own body up. She lightly ran her fingers on his hand.
'My heart feels like it's gonna explode.' thought Megaguirus with a smile as she closed her eyes.



Destoroyah sat upon his throne of rubble. He stared with an angry expression as he was in humanoid form. He had his hands clasped together as he remained hunched in his seat. His yellow eyes glared down at the ground. The battle at the Saddle Arabian nuclear power plant failed. He had failed to finally end the cursed Takeshi clan. After all of these years, he had been building up to the moment where he would finally destroy the last Takeshi with extreme prejudice. Unfortunately, an old rival returned from the past and took his chance from ending the Takeshi legacy.
"Ghidorah, you bastard!" cursed Destoroyah as he growled. He looked over towards the wall where a black flag that displayed a red emblem of a double helix with a spiked object encircling it like a reptilian embryo. This was the symbol of the Transmutant Revolutionaries. A symbol forged a few years ago and placed on a homemade flag. He sighed as he rose to his feet and began to walk over to the flag.
"You couldn't have just taken our side when I offered you a place in our ranks. You had to become a slave." said Destoroyah with a growl.




12 years ago...

It was dark in the MONARCH facility. Destoroyah lied down in his cell in the containment block for Transmutants. His eyes stared up at the ceiling as he stared up to the ceiling. His muscled body was covered in scars from the recent surgery that he had a month ago. thought back to the surgery with an angry expression. The humans of the organization had used him, an Earthbound that was locked away for his crimes so many years ago, to be a weapon to replace something they had originally created. How ironic that the man that he had been waiting to destroy had been the one to rescue him. Now that man was finally dead, but his son lived on.
"Damn you, MONARCH. I was close to finally making my clan superior to the Takeshi's." said Destoroyah as he felt his head. He recalled how after he had killed the Takeshi, MONARCH had used a powerful spell that restrained his nerves. He became a slave that was forced to obey their command. Their command was to come with them and to remain locked away in their prison. Destoroyah turned as he noticed an Elf man walking through the halls with golden hair. He was covered in scars as well and was chained up. The man was led further down the halls by four armed guards. Destoroyah rose out of his bed and looked over curiously to the man.
"It's that Elf." said Destoroyah as he scratched his chin. He made his way over to the door and to the small window. He peaked through and found the Elf man being led over to a cell that was further down the hall. He tapped his finger on his chin in thought as he stared through the window.



In a great metal room, two dozen other adult Transmutants were out and about for their daily yard time. Most Transmutants and even the staff found the term odd since they were still trapped inside of a large facility when they were released out of their cells for exercise. It was just left alone to avoid complicating something as trivial as using the improper term. Destoroyah remained seated near a man with messy green hair, a man with an orange Mohawk, and a bald man. 
"I wonder why they did this to us." said Ebirah as he ran his hand over a scar on his arm. Gaira grunted in response. Destoroyah sighed.
"Who cares? They took us from our homes and turned us into freaks." said Destoroyah with a growl.
"True, but I want to know their purpose for doing this to us." said Ebirah solemnly. He then noticed an Elf man standing at the far end of the room with a scowl. His wrists were locked with special cuffs that glowed.
"I didn't know Elves were experimented on too." said Ebirah. Destoroyah followed Ebirah's line of sight and spotted the Elf.
"Oh, I heard that he's one of the few ones to be mutated other than non-magical Earthbounds." said Gaira as looked over to the Elf.
"Why was it exclusive for non-magical Earthbounds?" asked Destoroyah.
"I don't know." shrugged Gaira. The trio noticed the Elf sitting down as a couple of men walked his way.
"You're in my spot." said one of the men. The Elf merely looked up to the men.
"And?" questioned the Elf. The man's brow twitched in annoyance at the Elf's response.
"I want to sit there. Move your ass." ordered the man. The Elf smirked.
"I don't think so. Why don't you go sit somewhere else?" suggested the Elf. The man gave him an angry expression.
"Hey, you better asshole!" shouted the man. Ghidorah looked to him in annoyance and slowly stood to his feet. He stood to be six foot six, a few inches taller than the two men.
"Or what?" questioned the Elf. Destoroyah was about to stand to his feet to intervene, but the man had suddenly sent a punch towards the Elf. The Elf caught his fist and clenched his hand, the sound of bones cracking could be heard. The man dropped to one knee and cried out in agony. The Elf kept a neutral expression as he stared down at the man. He then sent a powerful kick against the man's neck, resulting in another loud crack. Ebirah's and Titano's eyes widened in shock as the man slumped over dead. Destoroyah stared in surprise and then smiled darkly.
"Damn." said Gaira in surprise.
"You shouldn't have done that." said the Elf as he popped his knuckles and looked down to the corpse. He then glared at the remaining man. "Would you like to join him?"
"No, I'm good!" said the remaining man frantically. He then turned and ran away from the Elf that stood near the corpse. Transmutants in the room stared at him with wide eyes. The Elf merely lowered himself and picked up the corpse and tossed it to the other side of the room. He then looked over to the guards that sat safely on the upper levels of the room.
"Clean this up before it rots and stinks up the entire place!" shouted the Elf.
"Screw you!" retorted one of the guards. The Elf growled. He then noticed another man approaching from behind. He turned and spotted Destoroyah standing a few feet away from him.
"What is your name?" asked Destoroyah.
"Ghidorah." answered the Elf. Destoroyah smiled.
"Pleasure to meet you. My name is Destoroyah." said the Transmutant.
"Yeah. Do you need something?" questioned Ghidorah. Destoroyah waved his hand dismissively.
"No. I was just curious to know if you would care to join us." said Destoroyah as he gestured to Gaira, Titano and Ebirah. Ghidorah peaked over the man's shoulder curiously. He shrugged in response.
"Why not?" said Ghidorah. He followed Destoroyah over to where the other Transmutants sat. He took a seat near by the Transmutants with a neutral expression.
"So, what brought out that mess?" asked Titano nervously.
"He pissed me off. I don't like it when low lives demand anything from me." answered Ghidorah.
"Well, you showed him." chuckled Gaira. Ebirah cleared his throat as he uncomfortably looked away. Destoroyah looked towards Ghidorah.
"Tell me, where are you from?" asked Destoroyah as he pulled out a box of cards. he began to hand cards to every Transmutant in the group.
"Osaka." answered Ghidorah. "I left to the West as I got older and lived up north of the country."
"Interesting. Why leave Neighpon and live out there?" asked Ebirah curiously.
"I left to work overseas. Perhaps to find a new life where I could benefit." answered Ghidorah as he took the cards.
"So they kidnapped your ass all the way from the west and dumped you here?" asked  Titano in shock. Ghidorah nodded.
"Seems that way. They wanted to see how the mutation process would work on magical humans. Especially Elves." replied Ghidorah.
"But what reason does MONARCH have for tearing us away from our lives? What's their gain?" asked Ebirah.
"Apparently it's for military purposes." answered Ghidorah. He then began to shuffle his cards in hand. "MONARCH is trying to cut back on its mech technology and their numbers of soldiers. So, they're testing us out to be super soldiers. They're even talking about the most obedient ones will be free to serve in their military."
"Free? That sounds more like slavery." deadpanned Titano. Ghidorah chuckled in amusement.
"Yeah, pretty much." replied Ghidorah. "What are we playing?"
"Go Fish." answered Ebirah. Ghidorah smirked.
"Seriously? No Poker or something?" asked Ghidorah.
"I'm shit at that." answered Titano.
"Yeah, I was never really good at Poker." said Gaira in agreement. Ghidorah looked over to Destoroyah and Ebirah with a raised brow.
"We just roll with it since they don't know how to." said Ebirah nonchalantly. Ghidorah snorted.
"Whatever. I guess we're playing Go Fish." said Ghidorah. The two sat few a while playing their game. Destoroyah glanced at Ghidorah.
"Tell me, have you ever thought of escaping?" asked Destoroyah.
"Nope. No point if there's no possibility." answered Ghidorah as he placed two cards down.
"There's always a possibility. It just takes time to analyze." said Destoroyah. Ghidorah casted him a glance.
"Why do you ask?"
"Because you seem strong. I think you'd be a valuable ally to help us when the time comes." said Destoroyah with a smile.
"Hmm. I'll think about it." replied Ghidorah. He then looked over to Titano. "Kings?"
"Mother fu-" Titano took out the card that was called and handed it to Ghidorah.




One year later...

Ghidorah lied down in his cell. He couldn't tell the time of day in his confined prison, but he knew that the evening was late. He continued to remain motionless. His body had grown to be over seven feet all from the mutation in his body. His magic was restrained along with his strength from the collar and shackles. He had spent more time among Destoroyah and the other Transmutants. They were a group that seemed to have gotten along. He rarely had problems with any of them himself, but Destoroyah seemed to be a bit overconfident in the possibility of escaping. Ghidorah heard footsteps approaching his cell. He turned and found an Elf man with few wrinkles and grey hair.
"Good evening, old friend." greeted the man. Ghidorah smirked as he rose to his feet.
"Onyx. What do I owe the pleasure for you to visit me on this night?" asked Ghidorah.
"Our Lord." answered Onyx.
"Your Lord. He's not my Lord." said Ghidorah as he crossed his arms. Onyx shook his head.
"Ghidorah, the least you could do is addressing him respectfully. After all, you are meant to be the one who takes his place if anything were to happen." reminded Onyx.
"Yes, but I won't let people call me their lord." said Ghidorah. Onyx raised his brow.
"Oh? Then what title would you rather we call you when the time comes?" asked Onyx. Ghidorah smiled to himself.
"I'll tell you about it some other time. What did you need?" asked Ghidorah.
"Right. As Director of this organization, I am in need of soldiers who are obedient and loyal. The Transmutants were meant to be 'soldiers', but not all of them seem enthusiastic about being experiments." said Onyx. "So, I am offering you a chance to become one of our first official soldiers. I believe you can help make others comfortable."
"I see. So, I'd be a dog on a leash?" asked Ghidorah with a glare.
"To the others, yes. But I know that you are actually superior. My purpose is to help you power grow. Remember, you are still his servant, but you’re also a powerful warrior that can rise to greater power if you prove yourself." said Onyx. 
"Well, I rather work for your organization than stay trapped in this cell." said Ghidorah. Onyx nodded.
"Good. I shall make my approval official and recognized by the high command as soon as possible. Just behave yourself around the other soldiers." said Onyx with a smile. Ghidorah smirked.
"Of course." said Ghidorah. Onyx turned and made his way out of the hall. Ghidorah made his way over back to his bed and lied down. He chuckled darkly to himself. Meanwhile, several cells down was Destoroyah. He glared through the window of his door. He had heard the entire conversation.




The next day...

Ghidorah sat down as he continued to play another card game with Destoroyah and the others. He glanced over to Destoroyah, who had grown larger in size and his body had become less human. This was a result of MONARCH's latest experiments, which had cost several Transmutants their ability to remain in their human forms. There was an uneasy silence coming from Destoroyah. It was not a result of the experiment, for that was over two months ago, but due to something else.
"Ghidorah." called Destoroyah. The Elf looked towards him as his name was called. "Is it true?"
"Is what true?" asked Ghidorah.
"You're planning on joining MONARCH's ranks as their lapdog?" asked Destoroyah. The three other Transmutants looked over to Ghidorah in shock.
"What?!" exclaimed the Transmutants in unison. Ghidorah sighed.
"Don't bother lying. I've seen the Director speak to you last night." said Destoroyah.
"Yes. It's true." said Ghidorah.
"Why? We have no business making deals with MONARCH! They're the ones that did this to us!" said Destoroyah.
"Maybe you don't have any business, but I do. I've been offered a chance to be free from my cell and to put my strength to good use." retorted Ghidorah. Destoroyah growled as he stood to his feet.
"You traitor!" spat Destoroyah. Ghidorah sent him a glare and stood to his feet as well.
"I am no traitor! I have not formed any allegiance with any of you! All we've been doing is talking and playing cards! I never even agreed to help you with what you're planning!" retorted Ghidorah.
"You rather be a slave to humans rather than be a free man?" demanded Destoroyah.
"Slave? You may see it that way, but not me. I know what I'm doing. You'd be wise to follow my lead." said Ghidorah. Destoroyah sent him a glare as he growled.
"Is that a threat?" demanded Destoroyah. Ghidorah smirked.
"Of course not. It's just advice. What I'm doing will lead me to something greater. I won't be a slave to mankind. I'll be a God to them." said Ghidorah. Titano smirked in amusement.
"You sure think highly of yourself." said Titano. Ghidorah chuckled.
"Maybe, but it's the truth. Are any of you familiar with the legends of the Kaiju?" questioned Ghidorah.
"Of course. Parents tell their children the legends before bed." answered Ebirah.
"Well, let's just say that what's happened to us was not an accident. This has been planned for a long time." said Ghidorah. He turned over to Destoroyah. "Sometimes, you have to stoop down to levels that you wouldn't stoop to in order to rise up to greatness."
"I believe you are just weak against these humans that you can't even resist them. Which is why you're becoming their slave." said Destoroyah with a glare. Ghidorah shook his head.
"You're a fool. But you'll see." said Ghidorah as he stood to his feet and began to walk away. Destoroyah kept his glare on the Elf Transmutant as he walked away.




Present day...

Destoroyah growled as he threw a piece of rubble over to the wall. He yelled angrily as he slammed his fist down on the ground.
"Damn you, Ghidorah! What is it that you know that I don't?!" shouted Destoroyah. He clawed at the wall as he continued to growl. He began to pant as he attempted to calm himself.
"No, I can't worry about that. I need to eliminate MONARCH and Junior. Both are a stain. Especially the Takeshi clan." growled Destoroyah. Gaira stood by with his arms crossed. His body was covered in scars from the attack on the Saddle Arabian nuclear power plant.
"What's your deal with that kid?" questioned Gaira.
"Oh, so much. His family, along with a few other clans, is responsible for the division of the old Neighpon Empire. My clan ruled with an iron fist among the lands. The samurai were unable to intervene since our influence had grown so great that it reached the emperor himself. But those damned Takeshis ruined it!" said Destoroyah. He began to stomp around the room. "When I came of age, I was meant to keep our influence over the land that we were living on, but the Takeshi clan interfered! A war between us broke out and destroyed my clan! I was ultimately found guilty when I was found and locked away for the crimes of my predecessors"
"So, this is all about a vendetta?" asked Gaira. Destoroyah chuckled darkly.
"Oh, it's going further than that, my friend. It was just a vendetta, but I have grown more ambitious as our numbers grew." said Destoroyah. "The death of Gojira Takeshi the 2nd isn’t just sweet revenge for destroying the ultimate clan of Neighpon. It's a bonus for my plan to retake Neighpon!"
"Hmm. I do like the sound of national domination." said Gaira. Destoroyah smiled.
"Yes, but we have to keep this to ourselves. Not many of our members will be keen on supporting us if they find out that this was originally a personal vendetta." said Destoroyah.
"Heh. Then we best help you with your goal without raising suspicion." said Gaira with a smile. Destoroyah nodded in approval.




Zebrabwe. Two days later...

Erika remained seated in her dorm room. The revelation of Hayato Yoshi leading a renegade group of MONARCH's soldiers was appalling. She doubted that traitors have ever formed within MONARCH's ranks. But of course, she has only been serving for a short time. There was a chance that MONARCH has had traitors before. Erika looked up to Sunset's poster solemnly.
"How could this be? Why?" asked Erika. She then heard frantic knocking on her door. She jumped and gasped from being startled out of her thoughts. She stood up from her bed and rushed over to her door. She opened it to find the female soldier that she had met before where Sunset was quarantined.
"Shiragami! You need to come with me!" said the woman.
"Wait, why?" asked Erika in confusion.
"It's Shimmer! She's..." the woman couldn't finish her sentence. Erika's mind raced and her heart pounded against her chest with anxiety. She grabbed the woman's soldiers shoulders and stared into her eyes with a fearful expression.
"She's what?! What's wrong with her?!" cried Erika, on the verge of tears. The woman looked to her with a smile.
"She's going to be OK. They're releasing her!" said the woman. Erika's breath was caught in her throat.
"Wha... But she's been exposed to high levels of radiation! How is that possible?!" exclaimed Erika.
"The docs don't know. It's a miracle!" said the woman. Erika's heart was racing. She questioned how it was possible for Sunset to recover after being exposed to lethal doses of radiation. She should have been dead within weeks. Regardles, she was not going to question this turn of events as her friend was going to live.
"I have to go!" said Erika as moved passed the woman. She ran down the halls of the face with a joyful expression. She passed several other people that roamed the halls, who exclaimed as she ran pass them until Erika eventually made it to her destination. She stared at the double door that stood between her and Sunset Shimmer. Erika nervously gulped as she stood at the door, hoping that what she was told was true. She opened the doors and walked through. Inside of the room, she found a couple of men and women inside. They wore lab coats as they conversed amongst themselves. One of the men noticed Erika standing in the room.
"Hey, what are you doing in here?" questioned the man. The rest turned their attention to Erika. She cleared her throat as she stood by nervously.
"Um...I'm Private Erika Shiragami. I was paired up with Private Sunset Shimmer by orders of MONARCH's high command. I was told that she may have pulled through?" said Erika uncomfortably.
"Ah. Yes, we've just been running tests on her. She seems to be in perfect health." said the man as he gestured towards a window. Erika made her way over to their position and found Sunset sitting up in a bed. She was looking down at herself in disbelief. Erika's heart raced as she had seen that her friend was well after all.
"May I speak to her?" asked Erika.
"Of course." replied the man with a nod. He made his way over to the door and typed in the code to open it. The pad gave a beep as the door slid open. The man gestured towards the door, allowing Erika to step inside. The door slid closed behind her, allowing for the second door in front of her to slowly open. As the door slid open, Erika stepped through into the white room. Sunset had turned to face Erika, causing her eyes to widen.
"Erika!" exclaimed Sunset. Erika began to tremble as she locked eyes with Sunset. Her eyes began to run with tears. She smiled as she ran over to Sunset, locking her into a tight embrace.
"You're OK! You're going to OK!" sobbed Erika as she held Sunset tightly. The Elf smiled as she returned Erika's hug.
"Well, I do have a promise to keep. I'd hate to break it." said Sunset jokingly. Erika giggled in response as tears of joy trailed down her face.




1 hour later...

Sunset sat on her bed wearing her apparel from when she was ever off duty, which consisted of a pair of sweatpants and a black t-shirt. Erika sat across from her on her own bed in their dorm. The two held cups filled with hot tea. Sunset sighed as she finished taking a sip of her tea.
"Man, this is nice. You wouldn't believe how much crap my nights have been. This stuff is just what I needed." said Sunset before she took another sip. Erika smiled.
"I thought this would be nice. You must be hurting terribly from what happened." said Erika. Sunset placed her tea to the sky and began to rotate her shoulder. She hissed slightly as a muscle began to strain.
"Eh...a little bit. But nothing seems to be broken." replied Sunset. Erika looked on worriedly.
"Are you sure that you're OK? I mean, you were exposed to radiation and Lucky Dragon crushed you with his bare hand."
"I'm totally fine! I feel great actually!" said Sunset as she deeply inhaled air. She released it slowly as she closed her eyes, releasing the air she had taken in. "I'm pretty lucky to have survived both."
"Yeah." said Erika in agreement. She went back to drinking her tea while Sunset looked down at her hands in silence. Memories of the attack on the Saddle Arabian nuclear power plant flooded back to her. The sound of gunfire in the air along with roars and agonized cries. Fire, explosions, and the smell of death. There was even the time where she had felt genuine fear of the Transmutant that she had once originally vowed to kill for recognition. Sunset placed a hand over her face as she recalled the monstrous face of Lucky Dragon and his great strength that threatened to crush her to death. She looked down to her sides and found them to be bandaged up. A healing spell accelerated her physical recovery. She was lucky to have been safe from radiation poisoning for there were no known magical or medical methods to counter it.
"Erika, what happened while I was out?" asked Sunset curiously. Erika was about to take another sip of her tea but stopped as she heard the question. She looked towards Sunset, who wore a neutral expression. She then warily glanced up to the poster that sat behind Sunset Shimmer on the wall. Erika sighed as she placed her tea cup on a dresser.
"Sunset, things haven't been very good." said Erika. The Elf looked to her in concern.
"What do you mean?" asked Sunset.
"Recently, a band of renegades from within our ranks had attacked a base in Okinawa, Neighpon. They killed anyone that wasn't on their side and took over the base." said Erika. Sunset's eyes widened in shock.
"What?! B-but how can that be?!" exclaimed Sunset.
"I don't know! It's crazy and the others are pretty angry about this! But there's something else." said Erika. She then looked hesitantly to Sunset. "I hate to tell you this, but Hayato Yoshi was leading the renegades."
Sunset's eyes widened as she stared at Erika. Her mind replayed the information in attempt to make sense of what she was told. Her mind was rejecting the very notion that the man that she saw as her hero and a personal role model was a traitor.
"What? No. No, that can't be true!" said Sunset in a distraught tone. Erika looked down as she frowned. She reached over for a data pad that sat on her bed and began to slide her fingers through the screen. She went over to where the images were stored where she was able to access. She turned the data pad over and showed an image of Yoshi leading soldiers to kill other soldiers.
"I'm sorry." said Erika. Sunset stared with her eyes as wide as they could possibly be. She slowly reached for the data pad and took it into her hands. She stared at the digital image that was presented to her. There was no denying the similarities in the armor and the face of the man that beaten the other soldier. Sunset trembled as she gritted her teeth as she stared at the face of the man. The image of her hero was torn to pieces, replaced by a traitor that deserted his duty and used his skills against his own comrades.
"Damn it!!" screamed Sunset as she tossed the data pad. Erika jumped as the device flew across the room and shattered against the wall. Sunset turned and glared hatefully at the poster that depicted Yoshi. She immediately dug her nails into it and wrapped her fingers on the poster and tore it off of the wall. She balled up the poster and threw it on the ground. She yelled angrily as she drove her head onto her pillow and screamed into it. She felt betrayed after learning of this news. Yoshi was the face of a hero, the face of MONARCH. Now, that image was tainted with these heinous acts.
"I'm so, so sorry Sunset." said Erika as she placed a comforting hand on Sunset's shoulder. The Elf rose her head from the pillow as she held an angry expression.
"You have nothing to apologize for. You're not the one who turned your back on everything that you were trained for and decided to murder our comrades." spat Sunset as she clenched her hands on her pillow. Erika looked down as Sunset spoke negatively about her former role model.
"I'm not going to stand for this. He and his band of renegades need to be stopped." said Sunset as she glared at the crumbled up poster that was on the ground. "What they did is unforgivable."
	
> Chapter 37: Traitors and Heroes
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was the evening in Neighpon. The base remained standing in Okinawa, housing its soldiers, engineers and few scientists. The staff of the base was walking about briskly with items that were a part of their jobs. Crates were moved, filled with weapons, equipment, tools, medical supplies, and food rations. Yoshi stood by with Sparkplug as he showed him a map.
"We could just take a small fleet of our ships and try to make our way to Equestria from here." said Sparkplug as he showed Yoshi the map.
"Yes, but won't we need to worry about any sister bases that may see us as a threat?" questioned Yoshi as he analyzed the map. It would take at least ten days to get from Neighpon to Equestria.
"There is that. But we should be fine as long as we move West past this region where these islands are. Just as long as we stay the course and swing behind Wishershell Island that's on the coast off of Zebrabwe." said Sparkplug. He then pointed above the map. "We'll be home free once we reach Equestrian territory on the continent."
"Right. Let's just hope that we can embark on our journey before it's too late. It’s unfortunate how we are forced to travel without any airships." said Yoshi. He then turned to find the staff carrying the supplies through the halls with quick steps. Yoshi placed his helmet upon his head and began to walk with Sparkplug down the hall.
"So, where's Caesar?" asked Yoshi.
"Nagato, Inoue and Koizumi took him and the fairies aboard our ship already." answered Sparkplug. Yoshi nodded in approval.
"Good." said Yoshi. The two continued on through the hall and found themselves outside to a port. Lines of large ships sat outside of the base inside of a small bay. The crates were moved along towards an opening in the side of the largest ship and were placed in corners below the deck. As the crates and supplies were being loaded up onto the ship, workers and soldiers were beginning to pile onto the ship.
"I can't believe we're being forced into this situation." said Yoshi.
"Yeah, funny how life tends to screw with you." said Sparkplug. Yoshi took a breath and exhaled.
"Well, let's get aboard. We must disembark soon." said Yoshi.




The next day...

The fleet of ships of the Renegades was sailing through the sea. There were four ships sailing together, all with their weapons being checked by the crew that they held. Engineers maintained the ships from within in the engine room. Soldiers wandered the halls or remained in their quarters. The crew members were growing fearful and anxious. In the mess hall of the largest ship, soldiers were gathered for breakfast. 
"Man, I can't believe we're doing this." said a soldier as he ate with a few of his squad members.
"Yeah, me neither. What chance do we have against the entire MONARCH military?" asked a soldier.
"No clue. We might not even stand a chance." said another soldier.
"But we can't give up. People have to know what the higher ups are planning!" said another soldier. The rest of the soldiers murmured in agreement.
"But what if we run into other soldiers? They'll see us all as traitors and will kill us!" said another soldier. The rest of the soldiers all sat silently at the idea at being forced to fight against their comrades who were still being deceived.
"Well, then we'll be forced to do whatever it takes to get the truth out." answered a soldier.
Meanwhile in the bridge of the ship, Yoshi stood by and watched the pilot and the captain converse amongst themselves. Inoue was at his side along with an older man.
"Is it a good idea to escape to Equestria when MONARCH has been banned from its soil?" asked Inoue.
"We have no choice, Private. As far as we know, Neighpon is too dangerous to remain in. Equestria may just be our only hope at finding refuge and stopping our corrupt leadership." answered the man. He then turned to Yoshi. "I must thank you and your squad, Sergeant. If not for you, we may have never learned the true motive of our high command until it was too late."
"No need, Commander. You must thank the Shisa, he was the one who warned us." replied Yoshi. The Commanded nodded to him.
"Either way, we owe you our thanks." said the Commander. Yoshi sighed as he stared off to the window.
"I only hope that we can succeed." said Yoshi. He made his way out of the bridge, with Inoue trailing behind him.
"Sarge?" called Inoue. Yoshi stopped and turned to face her. "You OK?"
"I don't know. I guess I'm just worried. For the last few years, I've always followed orders. I've fought to protect innocent people that were threatened by whatever. But after learning of the corruption in leadership, I don't know what'll happen." said Yoshi solemnly. "What if...we are already too late?" 
"Sarge, we've already gotten this far! Caesar said that there were some that could help set things right! We just need to warn people and figure out how we can get word out to our comrades!" reminded Inoue. Yoshi nodded.
"I just wonder what else he has seen." said Yoshi. He then turned and continued to walk down the halls, leaving Inoue alone. She sighed as she slumped her shoulders.




Eight days later, Zebrabwe...

Sunset sat down with a scowl plastered on her face. The news about Yoshi, the soldier that she looked up to was a traitor, was a devastating revelation for her. She sat down with Erika in the mess hall eating her lunch. Erika remained silent as she felt the tension coming from her and the other soldiers over the reveal of traitors among their ranks. Erika was not as angry as the rest, but she wanted to know why the other soldiers have rebelled. 
"Do you..." Erika proceeded to break the silence.
"No." answered Sunset.
"You don't even know what I was going to ask!" said Erika. The Elf sighed.
"If it has anything to do about Yoshi and the other traitors, I don't want to talk about it." said Sunset. Erika frowned with a sigh.
"Well, let me know if you ever want to talk about it. 'Kay?" said Erika. Sunset nodded.
"Sure." replied Sunset. Suddenly, the two heard a loud beeping coming from their watches. They both looked to their watches and found that they were being deployed for another mission. The two went back to finishing their meals before leaving to be debriefed on their mission.



Sunset and Erika stood side by side in the armory. They wore their armor for combat. A few soldiers in the locker room glanced at Sunset warily.
"Isn't she the one that got radiation poisoning in Saddle Arabia?" whispered a soldier as he took a rifle that hung on a rack with several others.
"Yep. That's her." said another soldier as she loaded two handguns and placed them in holsters that hung on her waists.
"How the hell do you think she's still alive?" whispered another soldier. Erika made her way over to a rack and picked up an automatic firing assault rifle. She sighed solemnly as she held it in her hand. Meanwhile, Sunset gladly took a rifle and hung it on the magnetic plate that was on her armor's backside. She then picked up a sheath knife and hung it at her waist along with a handgun.
"Docs say it was a miracle or something." answered the female soldier. She then pointed to the ceiling as she glanced at Sunset. "Man, someone up there must really like a certain someone down here."
"Well, it's fortunate of her to be fine. We should be happy that one of our own survived radiation poisoning." said a male soldier.
"Yeah, but it bugs me that we don't know how." said the female soldier. Sunset looked to Erika with a neutral expression. The rest of the soldiers that were in the armory began to leave.
"Well, let's go kill those damn traitors." said a soldier.
"I know what you're thinking." said Sunset.
"Sunset, keep a clear head about this. We can't afford to get reckless for a mission like this." warned Erika. Sunset sent her a glare.
"I know what the mission is, Erika!" spat Sunset. Erika recoiled from her tone. Sunset sighed as she recognized her tone. She lowered her head. "Sorry."
"It's fine. I just...want to make sure that you're on your game. We're going to be fighting against people who have had the same training as we have had. I won't forgive myself if something were to happen to you if I could have helped." said Erika sadly. Sunset frowned. She then nudged Erika in the shoulder with a smile.
"Thanks. But don't worry, this might be what we need. Yoshi is going to pay for what he and the other renegades have done." said Sunset.
"Again, I'm sorry about that." apologized Erika. The two began to walk out of the armory and into the hall.
"Don't be. He's the one who betrayed MONARCH." spat Sunset. The two continued on down the hall where a few other soldiers were roaming. They eventually made it outside of the base to find an airship sitting just a mile away in the airfield. The soldiers jogged over towards the airship, running up the ramp that led inside of the back of the airship. Large propellers hung out by the sides of a metal box shaped gondola. Large turrets stuck out from the sides of the gondola and rockets were sitting on top of the metal covering above the metal balloon shaped haul. Erika and Sunset took their seats and buckled themselves up where the soldiers were required to sit during takeoff.
A red light shone in the dark room, along with a loud blare of an alarm. The soldiers buckled themselves up and braced themselves. They felt the ship rumble and their bones beginning to rattle. They felt the ship ascending, gravity forcing down on them as the air ship rose.
From outside of the ship, a figure in a black ragged cloak spotted the ship. It sprinted towards the airship as it prepared to take off. The figure ran to the side of the airship, avoiding the large propellers that began to spin faster before leaping at great heights towards the ship. It grabbed onto the metal frame that encased the lower half of the metal haul. The ship was large, but about twice the size of a blue whale. The figure began to further climb up the metal frame of the haul as the airship began to rise higher above the ground.
The ship began to sail through the air, hundreds of feet above the ground. The soldiers remained seated inside of the drop ship in silence. Sunset held an angry expression as she stared down at her hands. Their mission to locate and to eliminate the renegade soldiers was at hand. Reports were stated that the Gamma Base in Neighpon was deserted. It took a while for the scouts to find where the soldiers could be, but it was discovered that a fleet of four ships were sailing near the Seadragon Deep, an area in the sea off the coast of Wishershell Island and near Zebrabwe. The High Command of MONARCH realized that if these renegades manage to escape, that would mean a safe haven for the traitors in Equestria where they may try to do anything. This could lead to MONARCH being seen as breaking the international law set by nations. MONARCH would be finished if that were to happen.
"I'll be damned if I let you get away with this, Yoshi." Sunset whispered to herself.




Meanwhile off the coast of Wishershell Island...

Yoshi stood aboard the bridge of the ship. He sighed heavily as he leaned over the map that was set in place before himself, the Commander and the Captain of the bridge.
"So, we're still miles outside of Equestrian waters?" asked Yoshi.
"Correct. Our ship's blown engine will need to be repaired as soon as possible." said the Captain. The Commander placed a hand under his chin.
"This could be a problem. Zebrabwe is just right next door to this island. MONARCH has a base set up there." said the Commander. He looked down at the map and began to find a darker half that was just below Zebrabwe.
"Are there any bases here in Zebralilan?" questioned the Commander.
"No, Commander. Zebralilan is a nation that refuses MONARCH's presence. Funny how the Equestrian kingdom shares half a continent with countries such as these and only Saddle Arabia, the Garuda Kingdom and Zebrabwe, requested MONARCH's presence. Equestria and Zebralilan are the odd ones out." said the Captain. 
"They were wise not to." said Yoshi as he read through the map. He then stood up and sighed. He began to walk out of the bridge. "I'll go help with repairs. Call me on the COMs if you need me."
"You go on ahead, Sergeant. We may be here for a while. The faster that we can make repairs the better." said the Commander. He made his way over to a woman that sat a console with headphones on. "Make contact with the rest of the fleet."
"Yes, sir." replied the woman as she began to dial up the radio. The sound of crackling could be heard over the radio.  
"This is Commander Light. Our ship's engines have failed and we're stuck in the middle of the water. I want two ships to continue on ahead to Equestria without us. Savanah, remain with us. We'll need your weapons to cover us." ordered Light.
"Understood, sir." said a man over the radio.
Outside of the bridge, Yoshi continued down the halls of the ship. He was armor less, with only his off duty clothing on. He continued down towards the lower levels of the ship and over towards the back end. He heard the sound of hammering and drilling. Yoshi quickened his pace as the sounds grew louder and found the engine room, where several engineers were gathering tools.
"Hey, anything that I can do to help?" asked Yoshi. One of the engineers looked to him. His face was dirty from the smoke that had filled the room.
"Do you have any experience working with engines?" asked the engineer.
"Yeah, I learned a thing or two about how to repair an engine. What seems to be the problem?" asked Yoshi.
"Well, it might be the fuel valve or one of the pistons. We're still trying to figure it out." said the engineer with a sigh. Yoshi nodded.
"Alright, I'll do what I can."



It has been an hour since the flagship was sitting dead in the water due to the defective engine. Inoue sat in the mess hall with her squad members with a bored expression. Koizumi was busy sharpening his knife as Nagato sat and drank tea from a cup. Nagato sighed as she finished taking a sip of her cup.
"Boy, what a long day. I can't wait till we can get to dry land." said Nagato. Inoue smirked at her.
"Oh? I thought you were afraid of having to adapt to a new culture?" asked Inoue.
"I still am! I just rather do that than be trapped out here with a target painted on my back." said Nagato, defensively. Koizumi sighed.
"You girls ever talk about anything interesting other than adapting to culture?" asked Koizumi. The women looked to him curiously.
"Um...what did you have in mind?" asked Inoue. Koizumi shrugged.
"Like advantages or disadvantages to certain fire arms. Which mechs that were developed by MONARCH are inefficient and dumb. Maybe even who can kick whose ass in combat." said Koizumi, giving examples. The women gave him a deadpanned stare.
"How long have you been a soldier?" asked Nagato.
"Only eight years." said Koizumi nonchalantly as he continued to sharpen his knife.
"You seem to have been one longer." said Inoue.
"Because I was a Mercenary back when I was eighteen." said Koizumi. The women looked at him in shock.
"You what?!" the women exclaimed in unison.
"Yep. I killed people for my own private gain. Talk shit all you want. I made the dough and I was able to put food on the table and pay my taxes." said Koizumi.
"It's not that! Well, kinda it is. But It's more of the fact that you have just said that you were a mercenary at eighteen!" said Nagato. Koizumi shrugged.
"Well, it was like a family business. My old man thought that I could make use of my Mark of being a fighter by joining him and his crew. I trained hard in my early teen years in order to make sure that I wouldn't be killed." said Koizumi as he placed his knife back in its sheath. He then began to take sip of water. "I did merc work for three years. Then, I decided to join MONARCH because it paid well."
"So, it wasn't for protecting people?" asked Nagato.
"Nope. It was just a job. But ever since that shit with Caesar, now I got wrapped into something bigger than myself." said Koizumi. He then noticed the look of disapproval that Inoue was giving him.
"Sweetheart, you’re starting to make me feel uncomfortable with that stare. Got something to say to me?" asked Koizumi. Inoue sent him a glare.
"So being a soldier for MONARCH was just for the money? It wasn't anything more?!" demanded Inoue. Koizumi kept a neutral expression.
"Why do you need to go there?" asked Koizumi.
"Because! You don't care about the people we fight for!" said Inoue.
"Care about them? Inoue, I don't even know them. Am I to expect a thank you card from the ungrateful weaklings who can't even fend or think for themselves? People who willing let themselves fall into a civil war because they don't know how to talk out their problems or to solve problems themselves while the government babysits them and takes away their rights?" questioned Koizumi. Inoue glared at him.
"Koizumi, those are people that you're talking about!" said Inoue.
"So were solders who needlessly died for the stupidity of those people." said Koizumi. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a couple of dog tags and placed them on the table.
"I may not give a shit about the people that I've been paid to fight for, but I've began to give a shit about a few in this army." said Koizumi. Inoue looked to him in confusion. Nagato looked over to him hesitantly.
"Do you care about us?" asked Nagato. Koizumi looked to her with a neutral expression. He turned away, remaining silent.
"I don't know. I'm not fighting with my squad mates anymore, I'm not getting paid, and I've got a target painted on my back." said Koizumi.
"You could always work for free. It never hurts to mix it up a little." suggested Nagato.
"Ah. So, should I start offering my services for free when we reach Equestria? A peace loving nation that's living a fantasy?" questioned Koizumi. Nagato lowered her head and avoided eye contact.
"Funny thing about that place. The idea of a peaceful utopia is just a fantasy and wishful thinking. You can try to do whatever you can to found such a country, but there will always be the day where that peace is threatened. The truth of the matter is that no matter what, something will divide a nation." said Koizumi as he placed his knife away. "And that's how I was able to make a profit. Guys hire me to take someone out, and I get the job done. Nothing is free in this world."
"You son of a-" Inoue stood from her seat with a glare in her eye.
"All units, prepare for combat! We have enemies inbound above!" shouted a man over the intercom. The announcement was repeated again but in Neighponese.
"We'll have to continue this argument another time, sweatheart." said Koizumi as he stood to his feet. Inoue gritted her teeth in anger as her eyes glared at Koizumi's back. The soldiers all immediately began to rush out of the mess hall made their way to the armory. Koizumi rushed through the hall and found Yoshi rushing out as well. 
"Engine fixed?" asked Koizumi.
"Yeah, but we're in trouble with MONARCH right now!" said Yoshi. The two made their way into a room where their armor was stacked up and hung from cables. A few engineers scrambled to the men.
"Suit us up!" ordered Yoshi.



The airship that Sunset and Erika were aboard continued to sail through the air. It was miles away from the two battleships that were reported to have been part of a fleet of the renegades. The ships slowly sailed near Wishershell Island. The captain on the bridge of the ship stared down from the window as the ships grew closer.
"Lower us down. Activate shields and prepare to attack." ordered the captain.
"Understood, sir." said a woman as she began to ready the weapons along with another woman. The ship began to slowly descend as a bubble sphere of magic encircled it. The airship began to gain speed as it continued to pursue the battleships. Sunset and Erika remained seated with their rifles in their hands along with several other soldiers. Sunset held a hard stare as she prepared for the time to be deployed.
The airship was assaulted by magic bolts that were fired from the turrets of the battleships. The magic bubble shield rippled as the magic bolts struck it. The airship continued to soar through the air and the sound of turrets turning echoed in the day. The turrets faced the nearest ship and prepared to fire, holes from within the magic barrier forming where the turrets were aiming and allowed the magic bolts to whiz through them. The bolts began to rain down on the deck of the ship, striking down several navy units that were on it. A man ran over to a turret that was once manned by one of the navy units that were shot dead. He moved his body aside and hopped in the seat. The turret's triple barrel cannon began to fire bolts of magic that fired at the airship above. Several bolts nearly struck him, causing the soldier to duck his head.
"We need that shield down!" shouted a soldier on deck. Koizumi dashed across the deck with a double barreled rocket launcher in his grip. He along two other soldiers took cover behind a destroyed turret.
"Aim where the shield is exposed!" said Koizumi as he peaked over and held the rocket launcher over his shoulder. His helmet's heads up display began to zoom in with a reticle in the center where his weapon was pointing. His eyes focused on the reticle as he slowly aimed the rocket launcher at the exposed area of the shield. Bolts were striking all around him as he began to pull the trigger. The rocket launcher fired, launching the projectile at high speed as it left a trail of smoke. The rocket flew past bolts of magic that were fired from both the airship and the battle ship. The rocket made it through one of the exposed areas of the shield and collided with the airship's side. The explosion from the rocket destroyed one of the turrets and created a small hole into the airship.
Soon, the rest of the men who were using their rocket launchers were beginning to aim at the other exposed areas as well. Koizumi fired again as the firefight continued on and the airship grew closer. Some of the rockets were blown up before they could reach the airship from all of the bolts that were flying, but a couple of rockets managed to make it through the exposed area and struck the side of the airship.
From within the ship, people scrambled as fires broke out inside and wind began to blow through. The sound of gun fire continued on and was heard from inside of the ship. The staff in charge of maintaining the ship shouted as they tried to get the fires under control. Down below in the sea, the second battle ship turned and began to focus its fire upon the airship. Both battleships showered the airship's shield with magic bolts and rockets. The shield began to dim as it took on the hits. Meanwhile, on the bridge of the airship, the captain looked towards one of the men on the computer consoles.
"Fire our missiles! I want those traitors to sink!" ordered the captain.
"Yes, sir! Firing missiles." said the man on the computer console as he and the other began to press the keys on the console. Above the airship, holes formed again as rockets began to rise out from large cannons that were built above. The cannons fired several missiles above, sending them into the air and out of the bubble shield. The missiles then split up into two groups, each group headed for one ship.
"Incoming!!" shouted a soldier from one of the ships. A few rockets crashed down on the deck of the second ship, blowing crew members away. The ship began to rock in the sea as the steel was blown inward from the deck. Fires raged on the deck as the ship began to aimlessly sail towards the island. The rest of the rockets were hurling down towards the deck of the larger battleship.
"Shoot at the missiles!" shouted one of the crew members. The soldiers began to focus their fire on the incoming missiles that were hurdling towards them. A few of them were blown up in the air, but two made it down to the deck. A few soldiers were blown away by the explosion as the ship rocked while Koizumi slammed against the deck with a grunt.
"Damn!" cursed Koizumi as he stood back up. One of the turrets was destroyed from the explosion along with part of the deck. The cannons rose and began to fire their explosive shells at the magic barrier.
"We won't survive the next one!" exclaimed a soldier in a panicking tone. Suddenly, the sound of distant explosions reached their ears. The soldiers found that the top of the airship where the cannons launched the rockets were exploding. The airship rocked in the air as smoke began to rise inside of the bubble shield.
"What the hell?" Koizumi stared in confusion at the airship that was slowly engulfed in the smoke that was kept within the bubble shield. The rebel ship continued to fire rockets, cannon shells and magic bolts towards the floating dark sphere in an almost hopeless effort to bring it down.
From within the airship, the captain looked angrily towards one of the men in the bridge.
"What the hell happened?!" demanded the captain.
"Something went wrong with the cannons! We lost our rockets!" said the man as he frantically searched through the computer. The cannons that were depicted on the digital screen were red as a red exclamation mark blinked rapidly in the corner.
"We're blind, sir! The smoke is obscuring our view and our magic team is struggling with holding the barrier!" said a woman over another computer console.
"Tell those men that they better keep their shield up! We are not going to be taken down by these traitors!" ordered the captain. He then looked over to another woman.
"Get the troops ready for deployment! They're boarding that ship!" ordered the captain.
"Yes, sir!" said the woman.



Yoshi was standing in the bridge with his armor on with his rifle in his hand. He frantically awaited any orders as the battle continued on outside. Inoue and few other soldiers were with him.
"Yoshi, I want you and the troops to buy us some time until we can prep the life subs!" said the commander.
"Understood, but what about you and the others?" asked Yoshi.
"We'll be there as soon as possible. We need to get the other staff off the ship while we take on the airship on the island." said the commander as he pointed towards the island that the ship was growing closer to. "From there, we may be able to draw attention away from the subs and hopefully put an end to this battle."
"What about the ship that was with us?" asked Inoue.
"No answer from the bridge. They must have been hit pretty hard. The damn thing is already sailing towards shore." answered the commander. Yoshi turned towards the dark sphere that engulfed the airship above. The sphere was still being assaulted by the battleship as it continued to sail away.
"They're blind! Smoke is trapped inside. They won't risk taking their shield down lest they want to be shot down." said Yoshi in confidence. He turned and began to make his way out of the bridge.
"Just focus on getting those subs ready and we'll keep chipping away at their shield!" said Yoshi as he led the soldiers outside. The commander sighed worriedly as he looked back to the island.
"Let's hope that at least some of us will make it out of this alive." said the commander as he stared at the island that they were approaching from behind the second ship that was a mile ahead of them. Smoke trailed from it along with flames as it sailed.



In a vast room, several Elves stood in a circle. Their hands were engulfed in magic auras. The Elves were sweating as they struggled to hold their spell up. The sound of explosions echoed in the room as the rebels continued their retaliation.
"Damn! They're still kicking?!" said one of the Elves in frustration.
"Shut up! We need to keep our concentration for this spell or we're sitting ducks!" scolded one of the other Elves.
"Oh, dear Celestia. I don't know how much longer I can keep this up." said an Elf as he wobbled. One of the female Elves sent him a glare.
"Don't you dare bitch out on us now! The spell will be weak without you!" said the woman, struggling herself to continue feeding the spell her magic.
"I think I'm gonna puke. Too. Many. Attacks." said the Elf as the room around him spun.
"Could someone give us an update on the damn situation?!" shouted an Elf. The sound of a door opening reached the ears of the Elves. One of the elves turned her head.
"Good! Hey, what the heck is going on..." the Elf's voice trailed off as she spotted the person who entered the room. It was a figure wearing a black cloak that obscured any trace of a face or gender. The figure remained still in the doorway.
"Who the hell are you?!" demanded one of the Elves. The figure suddenly dashed towards the closest Elf and sent quick jabs against her. She grunted as she was assaulted and was knocked to the ground. It then rushed towards the remaining Elves, performing a round house kick on one and sweeping the leg of one who attempted to attack. The assailant then leapt onto the chest of one of the Elves and began to send quick punches into his face, knocking him into the ground. A woman pulled a gun out and aimed at the figure. The cloaked individual merely grabbed a knife that was sheathed by the Elf man's pocket that she knocked unconscious and threw it at her. The knife struck the gun out of the woman's hand, sending it several feet away. The cloaked figure then jumped off of the man's chest and tackled the woman to the ground, knocking her unconscious. The figure looked out the window and found the shield to have dissipated into nothing. The smoke still surrounded the airship but slowly began to flow behind it. The airship began to rock as the cannons from the battleship began to damage it. The cloaked figure stood up and began to run out of the room. 



"Our shield is down, sir!" said a woman on the console frantically. The captain wore a look of alarm. Suddenly, the ship began to rock and creak. The sound of an alarm blared. The smoke had finally cleared up, revealing the renegade battleships to be at the far right of their view. The cannon shells and magic bolts continued to strike the ship.
"Why isn't the damn shield up?!" demanded the captain.
"Sir, the Elves that were projecting the shield were found unconscious! We're defenseless!" said a man over a console.
"What?! Whatever, just return fire!" ordered the captain. The airship turned and continued to pursue the runaway ship, raining its bolts of magic and cannon shells at the ship. The ship continued on through the attacks as it returned fire. The ship was struck at one of the propellers in the front, causing it to explode. The ship began to tilt as the three remaining propellers kept the ship in the air.
"We've lost an engine!" said a man. The airship continued on through the air as it continued to be barraged by the magical bolts. The beach came into view as the battleship crashed onto shore. The projectiles continued on, destroying a second propeller on the left.
"We've lost two engines! We're going down!" said a man.
"Brace yourselves!" shouted the captain. The ship began to descend quickly down to the beach, passing over the beached battleship and into a forest. The debris, dust and trees were blown into the air as the airship skidded across the ground. The people in the bridge lied slump over as dust filled the room. The captain staggered over to a console as he coughed and pressed a button.
"Any soldiers still breathing, get your asses out of my ship and kill those damn traitors!" ordered the captain. He then groaned as he slumped over and passed out on the floor.



Yoshi sprinted down the halls of the ship. His footsteps echoed in the dark, flashing empty halls. He turned down a corner and found himself on the side of the ship where rails stood. He continued sprinting and made his way up some stairs, finding several dozen soldiers on the deck. Some of them were tending to the injured and moving the dead. Yoshi searched for Koizumi from among the crowd. He found the man in the red samurai armor staggering over to him. 
"Hey numb nuts." greeted Koizumi with a chuckle.
"Good to see you're still alive. Where's Nagato and the others?" asked Yoshi.
"They're fine. They went to get some medical supplies." said Koizumi. He then sighed. "Man, that was some crazy shit."
"Yeah, I hear you." said Yoshi as he looked over to where the airship had crashed. He then looked over the condition of them. "Koizumi, are you up for a hike?"
"Sure. Why?" asked Koizumi.
"I think we might have enough time to look for some survivors on the other ship. The commander ordered for the ship to remain here until we've swept the ship and bring any survivors onboard." said Yoshi. Koizumi nodded.
"How's Caesar?" asked Koizumi.
"He's fine. He's coming with us too." answered Yoshi.




Later...

Yoshi, Koizumi and a squad of soldiers jogged over towards the burning beached ship nearby. Caesar was on all fours running next to the soldiers through the sand.
"We need to make this quick! There might be some soldiers getting ready to mobilize while we're beached!" said Yoshi.
"Yes, sir!" responded the soldiers. They began to pick up their speed, reaching the ship. Caesar leapt into the air and dug his sharp claws into the hull of the ship. He began to slowly climb up the ship, grunting every time. The soldiers gathered closely as an Elf raised her aura engulfed hands. The soldiers vanished from where they were standing and reappeared on the deck of the burning ship. Caesar panted as he climbed over the edge of the ship and onto the deck. He sighed in relief as he made it over. The Shisa searched the deck and found several soldiers lying down. He rushed over towards the bodies and began to sniff them. He solemnly looked down as he gently nudged them with his snout.
"They're gone." said Caesar as his ears folded back. Yoshi rushed over towards the Shisa and found the dead soldiers on the deck. He sighed as he looked around.
"Caesar, come with me and Inoue. We're going to check the inside of the ship." said Yoshi. The Shisa nodded to him as he followed the two humans.
"Search this ship! We aren't leaving until we can find at least one survivor!" ordered Yoshi. The soldiers gave a salute and began to search their surroundings for survivors.



Sunset stumbled as she attempted to walk inside of the slanted floor. The airship was slightly on its side where a few staff members were either dead or unconscious. Erika caught her and helped her stand back up.
"You OK?" asked Erika. 
"Yeah, thanks." said Sunset as went back to walking. She continued to walk through the destroyed ship along with several other soldiers and a few staff members. Sunset seethed silently with an angry expression. She continued to walk through the ship with the rest of the soldiers, finding a large hole. The soldiers began to walk through the hole and dropping down on the grass. The soldiers began to do a headcount at how many were still around. There were a few dozen soldiers still able for action.
"Alright, so we got everything that we need?" asked a soldier.
"Weapons, soldiers to use them, traitorous scum on the beach. Yep, I say we have just about everything for this." said another soldier.
"Alright, let's move out." said the soldier. He then looked to Erika and Sunset. "You two up for being the tip of the spear?"
"Uh..." Erka was about to answer but stopped as Sunset interrupted her.
"Of course. We'll lead the strike." said Sunset with a determined smile. The soldier nodded.
"Excellent. Good luck you two." said the soldier. Sunset and Erika nodded and began to make their way away from the crash site. The two jogged passed trees, debris, and parts from the airship. Erika looked over to Sunset, who kept a firm and neutral expression as they continued through the jungle. She turned her head back forward nervously. Erika feared that Sunset's personal feelings would get in the way of their mission. The worst case scenario that she saw was seeing her friend getting killed because of her recklessness.
'I better keep an eye on her.' thought Erika.




Meanwhile back on the beach...

Yoshi, Inoue and Caesar continued to search the battleship. They ran through the halls, searching every room for any survivors that they could find. There was no luck so far as the trio kept finding corpses that lied on the floor or on tables. The rockets managed to cause a great deal of destruction from the sides of the ship and on the bridge. The three continued on down towards the lower bowels of the battleship to where the mini submarines were held. They found themselves in a large empty room on a platform where a pool of ocean water slowly drained out and onto the beach. 
"Some of them must have gotten away before the ship made it to land." said Yoshi. The sound of his COM rung in his ears as he was lost in thought.
"Yoshi, some survivors were found. We're bringing them up right now." said Koizumi over the COM. Yoshi pressed his hand against the side of his helmet.
"Copy that. No luck on finding any on our end. Get those survivors back to the ship." said Yoshi.
"Got it." replied Koizumi. Yoshi turned towards Caesar and Inoue as they waited patiently for him. "Let's get moving."
The two nodded to him and began to follow Yoshi out of the room. They spent the next few minutes turning corners and moving through halls until they heard the sound of gun fire coming from the halls. Yoshi stopped as his heart filled with dread.
"Open fire!!" shouted Koizumi's voice from down the hall.
"Oh no." said Yoshi with dread. He then began to sprint down the hall with Inoue and Caesar close behind. The trio made their way out to the side of the battleship, where they began to move up the stairs that led to the deck. The sound of gunfire came from the rebels that had accompanied them on the rescue mission. Koizumi hid behind a turret as several bolt rounds were fired at him. A few other rebels continued to return fire at the unknown enemy. A rebel was shot in his head and fell onto his back dead. Yoshi immediately turned to Inoue.
"Get the survivors out of here with the Elves! We'll cover you!" said Yoshi. Inoue looked to him in alarm.
"You?! We can't just leave you!" argued the Elf.
"That's an order! Get going!" said Yoshi as he rushed over to Koizumi. He ducked and took cover right next to him.
"How many?" asked Yoshi.
"Two." answered Koizumi as he reloaded his rifle. Yoshi looked to him in confusion. His head titled.
"Two??" asked Yoshi.
"Yes, two!" answered Koizumi.
"How can you be having trouble with just two soldiers?!" demanded Yoshi. Koizumi turned to face him with a glare.
"These ain't just any soldiers!" said Koizumi. He then stood up and fired at the two women on the beach. The two fired their rifles at them as they dodged the incoming shots. Yoshi's eyes widened in recognition as he saw Erika Shiragami and Sunset Shimmer. Yoshi turned to face Caesar, who approached on all fours.
"We're going to need your help to get these survivors out of here." said Yoshi with dread. Caesar nodded to him.
"I'll help you in this fight, but I will not kill humans. That is something that I vowed never to do thousands of years ago." said Caesar. Koizumi groaned in annoyance.
"Seriously?!" said Koizumi in exasperation.
"It's fine! We just need to buy the others some time!" said Yoshi. He inspected his rifle to make sure that the safety was off. He then took a deep breath. "Let's rock!"
Yoshi stood up and fired his rifle at Sunset Shimmer and Erika Shiragami as they charged towards the area. Sunset raised her hand and projected a magic shield in front of herself, grunting as the bolts struck her shield. Koizumi peaked from his cover and shot at Erika, who fired back. She grunted as a few bolts struck her body, causing her to stumble, but she pressed on with her attack. Caesar growled as he crouched his body like a cat and roared as he leapt off of the ship's deck and over towards the ground. He landed on all fours, causing sand to fly into the air around him from the impact. He broke into a sprint as he charged at the women. His teeth were bared as his glowing red eyes pierced into their souls. Sunset pointed her rifle at the Shisa that charged towards her and shot multiple bolts that whizzed through the air and struck the ancient guardian's body. He grunted as the bolts singed part of his mane and his armored body. He roared as he rammed into the Elf, knocking her off of her feet. Sunset rolled along the sand and raised her rifle again.
"Sunset, wait!" cried Erika as she recognized the creature as a Shisa. Sunset did not listen. She pulled the trigger and began to fire at Caesar. The guardian raised his arm over his face to prevent the bolts from hitting his face. The Shisa stood up to his feet and began to run towards Sunset, whose eyes widened in shock.
"What the-" Sunset was suddenly struck by the Shisa's tail. She cried out as she was forced off of her feet and skidded across the sand. Erika threw her rifle on the ground and charged towards the Shisa. Caesar swung his arm towards the Transmutant, who leapt over his swing. She landed behind Caesar and sent a kick towards the Shisa's back. Caesar staggered forward and quickly dropped to all fours. He turned and growled at Erika as he crouched. He then charged towards her as he bared his teeth. Erika charged towards him and began to morph her right arm into a boney ball wrapped in vines. She gave a war cry as she swung her arm towards the Shisa, knocking him on his side. Caesar rolled along the sand after the weapon had struck him. Erika turned as she heard the sound of additional gun fire. She immediately raised her weaponized arm and formed a shield of bark, bone and vines to protect herself. Yoshi and Koizumi descended down to the ground from the battleship with their thruster packs. The two barraged Erika with magic bolts from their weapons and continued the assault when they landed on the ground.
"End of the line, honey!" said Koizumi as he fired his duel wielded submachine guns. The weapons fired bolts at a rapid burst. Erika raised her other arm and formed it into a shield bush as well. The magic bolts chipped away at the wood, bone and vines, sending the debris all around. Erika kept her hold as she snuck a glance at Sunset. The Elf was slowly standing to her feet with a glare. Sunset suddenly vanished from where she knelt and reappeared behind Yoshi.
"I've been waiting for this, you damn traitor." seethed Sunset. She raised her hand as it was engulfed in her magic aura. She fired a beam of magic that struck Yoshi in the back. He cried out in pain as he was sent several feet away with the beam heating the back of his armor. Yoshi tucked and rolled forward in the sand and immediately turned to find Sunset charging towards him.
"You'll pay for what you've done!" shouted Sunset. She pulled out an enchanted sword and prepared to swing it at him. Yoshi immediately reached for his katana and pulled it from the sheath that was magnetized to his back. He brought the sword in a defense above his head as Sunset brought her sword down on his head. She gritted her teeth as she stared hatefully into his visor.
"Soldier, you must stop this! We are not your enemies!" pleaded Yoshi. Sunset growled as she brought her sword up and began to slam down against Yoshi in attempt to knock it out of his hand. The armored man held his katana firmly as sparks flew around from the clashing of blades. From the corner of his eye, he spotted Koizumi charging towards her with his two katanas in each hand.
"Nighty night!" said Koizumi as he brought his blades in a thrusting motion. Yoshi's eyes widened in horror.
"Koizumi, wait!!" cried Yoshi. Sunset was too focused on trying to break Yoshi's defense that she had not noticed the oncoming samurai power armored man. Koizumi was suddenly tackled to the ground by Erika. The woman began to punch the rebel's helmet. The man's head slammed against the sand every time her fist connected with his helmet. He grunted every time, but then lied down still with his helmet slightly dented. Erika kept a vigil stare as she kept her fist raised. Koizumi slowly raised his head and tilted his head.
"Is that all you got?" asked Koizumi. Erika scoffed in annoyance and then sent a stronger punch against Koizumi's helmet. His head was forced back into the sand again.
"OK. I felt that one." said Koizumi in a dazed state. He then reached for his pistol and ignited his thruster pack. Koizumi was suddenly propelled from under the Transmutant, who fell onto her back. As Koizumi was propelled away from the Transmutant, he pointed his pistol at Erika and pulled the trigger. The bolt struck her in the chest, causing her to yelp in pain. She continued to cry out in pain as the bolts were continued to be fired from the weapon. Koizumi landed onto his back as his thrusters died down. He immediately sat up and saw Erika rising back to her feet.
"What?! You're still standing after all of that?!" exclaimed Koizumi. He then slumped his head down. "Oh, my old man would be ashamed."
"Don't feel bad. I can regenerate." said Erika as she dusted herself off. She then began to charge towards the soldier as her hands transformed into clawed hands.
"Ah shit." said Koizumi as he drew his blades. He stood to his feet and began to engage Erika in combat. Erika moved acrobatically as she leapt over the man and swiped her claws. Koizumi swung his right katana over his head and caught the claws before they could reach him. He then swung his left katana and dismembered Erika's right forearm. She cried in agony as she rolled along the sand. She panted as she groaned while rising to one knee. She glared at Koizumi as he began to charge towards her. The man began to swing his swords at Erika's head. The Transmutant immediately ducked under the blades and then swept his legs with a kick. Koizumi onto his belly just as Erika immediately stood up and brought her claws down onto the exposed area. Erika was suddenly shot by a bolt of magic before she could impale Koizumi. She grunted as she staggered back and found Yoshi pointing his pistol at her. Sunset was charging over towards him with her sword engulfed in a magic aura. She yelled as she swung her sword towards him but her attack was blocked by Yoshi's sword. He forced Sunset's sword away and kicked her in her gut. She staggered back as she clutched her stomach.
"Please, stop this!" pleaded Yoshi. Sunset growled as she merely raised her hands. She fired a beam of magic at Yoshi, forcing the rebel to use the only thing that he could to defend himself. He raised his katana blade in hopes to catch the beam. Unfortunately, it merely knocked the katana out of his hand. Yoshi cursed under his breath as his eyes followed where the sword had flown to. He turned back and found Sunset firing several bolts of magic at him. Yoshi rolled away from the attack as they struck the sand.
"Very well. You don't seem keen on listening to reason. I will defend myself, soldier." said Yoshi with a hard stare. He dashed towards the younger soldier. He sent a punch, which Sunset sidestepped from and grabbed his arm. She pulled his arm as she stepped to the right, forcing his elbow to lock in place. Yoshi grunted in pain as his joint was forced to where it could not possibly allow his arm to be. Sunset shot her hand against his chest where a magic aura had engulfed her hand. Yoshi forced her hand away, allowing a beam of magic to fire off to the side. Yoshi kneed Sunset in the stomach and then picked her up from the ground. Yoshi yelled as he tossed Sunset away to the sand. He looked back and found that the rest of the rebels and survivors were making their way back to the functioning ship. Sunset growled in anger as she picked up her rifle. She was about to fire at Yoshi but then she spotted the rebels. Sunset fired her weapon at the rebels, managing to pop a few on their shoulders. Yoshi charged towards the Elf as he picked back up his katana blade. Yoshi ignited his thruster pack and was propelled towards Sunset with his katana in grip. Sunset gasped as she caught sight of Yoshi hurling towards her. She immediately raised her rifle in attempt to catch the blade. Yoshi brought the katana over her rifle, slicing it in half. Sunset's eyes widened as she stumbled back.
"You lack focus, soldier!" said Yoshi as he swung his katana at Sunset. The blade caught her in her arm, causing her to cry out in pain. She duck under another swing as it came back for another strike. Sunset raised a shield in front of herself as Yoshi came in for another strike. He grunted as he encountered the magic resistance. Sunset panted as she held Yoshi at bay. She then forced her shield out, sending Yoshi a few feet away.
"Damn you." cursed Sunset as she glared back at Yoshi. Erika was fighting with one arm against Koizumi. She glared at the soldier that still kept fighting. She rushed over towards the pair that fought and raised her rifle. She fired semi shots at the armored man. Koizumi turned as he heard the sound of gun fire and swung his katanas at the bolts, deflecting them away. Sunset growled in frustration and began to continue firing. Koizumi deflected a few more shots and ducked under Erika, who pounced towards him. She rolled forward as her dismembered arm began to regenerate into a boney fist. She morphed her other arm into a boney fist as well can charged towards Koizumi. She sent quick jabs towards the gaps that his armor left. His stomach was punched along with his ribs. Koizumi staggered from the blows and was then lifted off of the ground by the Transmutant. Erika grunted as she held him into the air and then slammed him against the ground. She then stomped on his chest, causing the armor to dent and spark. Koizumi groaned in agony as he lied on the ground. Sunset projected a smaller shield in front of herself as she caught the magic bolts fired from Yoshi's rifle. She teleported behind him and sent her hand towards his back. Yoshi immediately dropped to his hands and swept her leg with a kick. Sunset yelped as she fell down on her back and found that Yoshi had raised his katana over her.
"Believe me when I say that I hate to do this." said Yoshi as he brought his katana down. Sunset clenched her eyes shut as she waited for her imminent demise. However, Erika picked up Koizumi and threw him towards Yoshi, knocking him down to the ground and saving Sunset. Both fell with a grunt as their heavy armor slammed against each other. Sunset's eyes shot open as she found Yoshi on the ground, attempting to stand. Erika rushed over to her and stood in front with her claws out. She yelled as she charged towards Yoshi and began to slash her claws at him. Yoshi dodged her attacks and blocked her claw with his katana. He thrust his sword into her gut, causing Erika to groan in agony. She glared at him as she morphed her right hand back into a human fist and sent a powerful punch against Yoshi's helmet, causing him to stagger back. Erika yanked the katana out of her gut and groaned. She charged towards Yoshi as she swung his own katana against him. Yoshi ducked under the blade and caught her hand and applied pressure to it. Erika grunted in pain as Yoshi squeezed her hand. The rebel then grabbed the katana with his other hand and kicked Erika away. The Transmutant staggered back as she morphed her arm into a boney club held by vines. She swung her arm as it the vines held it passed her average arm's length and struck Yoshi in his side, knocking him to the ground. Sunset panted as she attempted to get a hold of herself after being so close to death. She then heard the sound of gunfire that rang in her ears. She turned and found magic bolts heading towards her and Erika that were fired by the rebels near the base of the ship. The Elf raised her hand and projected a shield that blocked the magic bolts. Erika's hands morphed into bushes as shields against the bolts that rained down on them. Koizumi remained motionless on the ground as Yoshi struggled to stand. He found Caesar unconscious in the sand with a bleeding head. Sunset cursed as the bolts continued to rain down on them. From behind them came more gun fire. The two soldiers turned their heads and found their comrades rushing over to their position as they fired back at the rebels on the ship. The rebels on board began to redirect their fire on the soldiers, who continued to move forward. The Elves formed a magical barrier in front of themselves, forging cover from the oncoming bolts. The soldiers hid behind the barrier as the bolts continued to strike.  Sunset lowered her shield as Erika lowered her bushes and reformed them back into her human hands. Her skin was exposed from up to her forearm due to her torn suit. Koizumi lied motionless on the ground as she began to walk away from him and Yoshi. Sunset turned and glared at Yoshi as the soldiers and rebels continued their fire fight. A couple of soldiers and Sunset's commanding officer made their way over to them.
"Excellent work you two." said the commanding officer. Sunset nodded.
"It was no problem." replied Sunset. Erika gave her a deadpanned stare in response. Yoshi slowly attempted to rise to his feet with his katana out. His armor slightly sparked as he glared at the soldiers. The soldiers pointed their rifles at him. Yoshi reached for his backside and held a capsule behind himself. He then pressed the button as the soldiers fired their rifles at him just as he threw the capsule on the ground in front of himself and Koizumi. Before the bolts could reach him, a blue magic dome formed around the two, protecting them from the gunfire. The soldiers growled in frustration.
"Son of a bitch had a bubble shield!" shouted one of the soldiers. Sunset gritted her teeth in anger as she took a rifle from one of the soldiers and began to fire at the dome. The bolts struck the shield and merely caused it to ripple. Yoshi remained motionless as he watched the Elf yell as she continued to fire her rifle. The soldiers watched as she wasted all of the ammo in her magazine. Her rifle clicked as she kept pulling the trigger. She grunted as she tossed the rifle at the shield, causing it to only bounce off. Koizumi slowly stood to his feet as he panted. Sunset yelled angrily as she brought her hands forward as she fired her beam of magic. Tears began to stream down her face at the betrayal of the rebels and the man she looked up to. Yoshi and Koizumi watched as she attempted to bring the shield down with her own power.
"Shield isn't going to last much longer." said Koizumi. Yoshi nodded in agreement.
"I know." said Yoshi. He found Caesar stirring as he lightly groaned.
"Koizumi, when Caesar attacks, I'm going to drop the shield. We'll both grab whatever weapon that we can and make a break for it." said Yoshi in Neighponese.
"Just don't pussy out when it comes to killing these guys." said Koizumi in annoyance. Erika watched as Sunset continued to fire her magic towards the shield. She found the Elf to be straining to keep up her attack due to her sweaty appearance.
Suddenly, the sound of a rumbling growl could be heard. Sunset turned and found Caesar rising to his paws. He roared, catching the attention of every soldier nearby. Sunset immediately turned and began to fire her magic beam at the Shisa. Caesar ran through the beam as it crashed into his armored body. He leapt into the air and bared his teeth as he was headed for Sunset Shimmer. The Elf waved her aura engulfed hand and teleported away from him. She reappeared next to Erika, who got into a fighting stance.
"Damn you!!" shouted Sunset. The closest soldiers began to fire upon Caesar, causing him to grunt.
"Escape, Yoshi!" cried Caesar as he blocked the bolts. Yoshi dropped the shield, prompting Koizumi to break into a sprint and to charge towards the soldiers. Yoshi did the same as his gloved hand began to spark with electricity. He caught the commanding officer by his neck and sent bolts into his body, causing the man to convulse and foam from his mouth. Yoshi knocked him to the ground as Caesar got in front of him and caught the bolts of magic that threatened to hit him. Yoshi took the rifle and the spare magazine that the commanding officer had on him.
He then saw the rest of the soldiers that were hiding behind the magical barrier turn to face them. They all pointed their rifles at him and began to fire. Yoshi ran the other direction as he fired back. The soldiers began to walk as they continued to fire at him. Koizumi grinned as he ran over towards the soldiers that were closest to him. He caught a soldier and pulled him in front of himself as he used the soldier as a meat shield. He then tossed the soldier to the other and charged towards the one who shot at him. Koizumi grabbed him and with a twist, he snapped the soldier's neck. Erika gasped as her enhanced hearing picked up the sickening crack and immediately turned around while Sunset Shimmer continued to fire her magic bolts at Yoshi and Caesar along with the other soldiers. Koizumi was running towards her while holding his katanas. She morphed her hand into a clawed hand and dove for the rebel. As she shot her clawed hand forward, Koizumi raised his swords over his head and caught the claws before they could cut him. The claws grazed his helmet leaving scratches. The soldier merely forced the Transmutant away and then spun as he crouched and sliced Erika's right leg clean off. She cried in agony as she fell down into the sand as Koizumi ran over to an approaching soldier and slashed his blades against his belly. He cried out in agony as he dropped to the ground. Sunset growled as she turned and faced Koizumi.
"You won't get away you traitors!" shouted Sunset as she shot multiple bolts of magic from her hands. Koizumi side stepped from a few and then deflected the rest with his with the swings from his swords. As he reached Sunset, she was suddenly knocked to the ground by a cloaked figure. He stopped and stared in surprise at this shorter figure engaging Sunset in combat.
"Who the hell are you?!" demanded Sunset. The figure did not answer but merely continued to fight. The assailant ducked under Sunset's bolt and knocked her to the ground. The figure turned and found Koizumi staring at her. The figure was unable to make out the expression of the man since his face was obscured by a helmet.
"Am I right to assume that you're on our side?" asked Koizumi with a tilt of his head. The figure merely nodded in response. The soldier smiled from under his helmet. He then noticed Yoshi running away from gunfire with Caesar acting as his shield and that the battleship was beginning to leave the beach and slowly reversing its course. Koizumi dove for the rifle and looked to the figure.
"Well if you're with us, stranger, you better follow me! Yoshi's got those guys distracted so we can make a break for it!" said Koizumi. The figure nodded in agreement and began to run past him.
"Hey, wait up!" cried Koizumi as he began to run after the stranger. Sunset stood to her feet with a growl and picked up a rifle. Erika reached for her dismembered leg and painfully held it up to the stub that bled. Vines and roots sprouted from her skin and reconnected the limb back to her body. Her wound healed just as good as new, with just a tear of the material that made up her suit where she was cut. She and Sunset began to chase after the two and fired their weapons. The figure leapt and continued to sprint away from the shots while Koizumi fired back.  The two continued around the barrier and continued to sprint as the rebels above the moving ship covered them. Caesar and Yoshi made their way close to the pair while running away.
"Who's this?!" asked Yoshi as a bolt struck his armored shoulder. He grunted as he began to pick up his speed. Caesar fell behind them and began to take all of the shots.
"I have no idea! But this guy just kicked some ass!" said Koizumi with a laugh. Unbeknownst to the men, the figure scowled in annoyance. Caesar's eyes widened as he stared at the cloaked figure. He felt something coming from the person, something that he had not felt for a long time. It was a familiar aura.
"There's Inoue!" cried Yoshi. Ahead of them on the beach front were a few elves holding a shield down as they fired at the soldiers. Yoshi's squad member waved frantically at him. The group hid behind the shield and looked back to the ship that was sailing away.
"How are we supposed to get out of here?!" demanded Koizumi.
"Quit your whining and let us handle this!" retorted Inoue in annoyance. The Elves came together and projected an aura that combined into a dome. As it sparkled, it began to glow brightly. Suddenly, the entire group vanished into thin air. The soldiers on the beach stopped firing as the group disappeared. Sunset and Erika stopped running as the figures teleported away just before they could reach them.
"No!!" shouted Sunset angrily as she threw her rifle to the ground. "Why?! Why do we keep failing to stop our enemies?!"
"Sunset..." Erika reached for Sunset's shoulder, but the Elf pulled away.
"Why? Why is it that everything that I do ends in failure?!" cried Sunset as she sat on her knees. Erika placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"It's OK. It's nobody's fault." said Erika as she held Sunset's shoulder.
"I couldn't beat him. He's was too strong." said Sunset as she gritted her teeth.
"It's OK." said Erika as she rubbed Erika's shoulder. Sunset clenched her fist as she stared back at the boat. Erika brought her into a hug.
"You don't always have to be the best, Sunset. There will always be someone who can do something more efficiently than you, but it doesn't make you weak." said Erika. Sunset frowned as she leaned against Erika.
"We'll stop them Sunset. We'll all bring them to justice, as a team." said Erika as she stared at the sailing boat. Sunset nodded in response with a small smile. Erika felt unnerved that a Shisa was helping MONARCH's former soldiers. They were the guardians of Neighpon, so she was confused why it was away from the East and why it was helping traitors that killed the men and women that they once fought alongside with. 
Meanwhile on the battleship that was sailing away, Yoshi fell onto his knees along with Koizumi. Caesar sighed in relief as he lied on his belly. Inoue looked to Koizumi and Yoshi with disapproval.
"Don't you three ever scare me like that again! I thought you guys were going to die!" cried Inoue as she knelt down and shoved Koizumi. He fell onto his back.
"Hey, please be gentle, babe. I just got my guts punched by that friggin' Transmutant." said Koizumi as he clutched his stomach. Inoue sighed in annoyance.
"Sorry. But we had to make sure that you and the others got to the ship safely." said Yoshi as he slowly stood up. He was then punched by Koizumui and fell to the ground. His helmet fell off as he fell to the ground. He glared at the armored rebel.
"What the hell was that for?!" demanded Yoshi.
"That was for you and Caesar ditching me." said Koizumi as he popped his shoulder.
"I didn't ditch you! You were too busy killing the soldiers!" said Yoshi. Koizumi punched him again, giving him a large bruise. Inoue gasped and then glared at Koizumi.
"Stop that!" said Inoue.
"That one was for taking too long for killing that Elf!" said Koizumi. He then raised one of his katanas in the air as he mocked Yoshi's stance.
"'Believe me when I say that I hate to do this'." mocked Koizumi. He placed his sword down as he glared at Yoshi. 
"Were you trying to stall for time or give that kid comfort that MONARCH's prodigy regretted killing her?!" demanded Koizumi. Yoshi flinched at his accusation. He sighed.
"Look, I only-" Yoshi was about to make an excuse but Koizumi reared his fist back, shutting Yoshi up.
"Yoshi, you're a good guy. I'll admit that about you. But you can't risk trying to reason with your enemies! Even if they were once your allies!" shouted Koizumi. "You tried to explain to that girl of why we rebelled but she wasn't going to listen! You didn't even have evidence with you!"
"Hey, Koizumi..." Inoue was attempting to calm the armored man down but he sent her a glare from behind his helmet. The rebel shrunk back, despite not being able to see behind his helmet.
"Yoshi, next time, keep your head in the game. You're lucky that you’re as good as they say you are. But what good is that if you're dead because you couldn't stomach killing your former allies?" asked Koizumi. Yoshi lowered his head.
"You're...you're right. I'm sorry, Koizumi." apologized Yoshi. Koizumi sighed.
"You have balls, use them crap sakes. It never stopped you before. But I'm glad that you realized how fruitless your effort was before it was too late." said Koizumi with a smile. Inoue sighed in relief. She then noticed the hooded figure heading for Yoshi and helping him to stand to his feet.
"Say, who's the girl?" asked Inoue. Yoshi's brow raised in confusion.
"Girl? You mean this guy?" asked Koizumi as he pointed towards the cloaked figure. The figure scoffed.
"I am not a guy!" said the figure in a feminine voice, offended by the soldier's assumption. Koizumi went stiff.
"Whaaaa?" Koizumi turned and noticed the figure reaching under for her hood and pulled it over and revealing her face. Yoshi turned and his eyes widened in shock.
"No way." said Yoshi. He stared at the woman in disbelief.




Saddle Arabia

The sun was scorching the air and ground with its summer heat. It has been over two weeks since Junior has been trapped inside of the dome. The radiation continued to infect the air and the soil all around. That radiation was constantly being taken in by Junior. The Transmutant lied down on the ground inside of the destroyed Reactor Building where he had his battle with Destoroyah. He was covered in torn clothing that he had taken from one of the fallen workers. Junior's bones and muscles ached. He stared up at the ceiling, his stomach had stopped signaling him to eat just a day ago. He had at first attempted to scavenge the soil around him for any insects that he could find, but they did little to satisfy his hunger. He felt no hunger driving him, but he worried about running out of fresh water to drink. There were still a couple of pools left filled with water, but most of it was drained from the attack. Dehydration would surely kill him instead if his body had no desire to eat. Still, it puzzled him how he had just stopped feeling the need to eat. He felt like he was still gaining nutrition and energy, but in a different way.
"I wonder if I'm growing." said Junior as his body continued to ache. He slightly raised himself onto his rear but hissed in pain. His body was under constant strain and his muscles begged him to lie down. He looked over his joints, looking to find anything swollen, red, and tender. He rubbed his arm in attempt to sooth his aching muscles. There was no sign of anything that resembled a disease, so that was a relief off of his mind.
"I'm either still growing or that fight is still affecting." sighed Junior. The idea to still be growing after he was nearing his 20s annoyed him. Memories of his fourth grade in Elementary School and up returned to him. The other children grew intimidated by his growth spurt making him tower over them, but that was a long time ago.
Junior stood to his feet and slowly began to walk around the facility. He found a puddle of water inside of a large foot print. He recognized the round sole imprint with the four clawed toe prints and sluggishly got on his knees and hands, panting as his muscles continued to ache. He leaned in to the footprint that he had previously made nights ago during the battle and sipped the water. He then raised himself up and wiped his lips.
"I need to get out of here." said Junior as he looked at the limited amount of water. Although there were a few places in the building with water, the puddle reminded him how his water supply was scarce. He turned and found an ebony blade lying down on the ground a few feet away. He slowly made his way over to it and picked it up. He frowned as he stared into the blade.
"Oh, Mosu." said Junior as he gritted his teeth. He lowered his head as stared angrily at the ground. He was unable to move on from the death of his friend. The woman who was there for him and who fought with him. He hated how their time together was short and that he didn’t know if Rodan and Angirasu were still alive. He placed the blade back down and returned to the puddle of water, rage swirling inside of him without rest.
"Oh God. I can't go on like this. I feel like I'm losing my mind." said Junior as he took another sip of water. He panted as he felt his head daze.
"The mind? That's not something to worry about." said a deep and dark voice. Junior gasped as he sat up on his knees and stared at the puddle in shock. The dragon that haunted him replaced his own reflection. It was speaking to him with pupil-less, glowing red eyes.
"Oh god, not you again." said Junior with dread. The dragon sighed in disappointment.
"Oh, my dear boy. Look how fearful you've become." said the dragon with a shake of his head. "You've lived your life in fear for too long. Even when it came to forming relationships with others, you were still fearful."
"Don't try to talk down to me you bastard! You would too if you were stuck in the shit that I have to face!" said Junior angrily.
"Yes, but you forget, I'm a part of you. You are a part of me. We are one. We're the same." said the dragon. Junior glared at the beast.
"We are not the same!" shouted Junior.
"No? Gojira, I am a part of your inner thoughts, your heart, your soul. We are one. You have seen this in your battles." said the dragon. Junior listened in annoyance at this creature that he suspected to be a figment of his imagination out of control.
"Your strength is great, your rage fuels your fighting spirit. You have something that goes beyond other Transmutants and you know it! Yet here you are, sulking like a pathetic child because you failed to save your friends." mocked the dragon. Junior gritted his teeth in anger. "Why do you feel hate towards me? I am telling you the painful truth. You fear MONARCH because of what they are capable of. But, have you ever found it strange that you are one of few they want to kill as quickly as possible?"
"What are you getting at?" asked Junior. The dragon smiled.
"They are afraid of you because they fear what you are capable of." said the dragon. Junior leaned in closer to the reflection. "Gojira, they know the power that you possess is greater than their military. If you can stand up to your foes, think of what else you can do!"
"Wha..." Junior's eyes were wide as he stared at the malicious smile that the creature had.
"You're going to gain the whole world. With this kind of power, who's to stop you?" asked the dragon. Junior's eyes widened even further. "Destoroyah is nothing but a mindless beast. Sunset Shimmer isn't too far behind with her bloodlust for you."
"No." said Junior as he stared angrily at the reflection and clutched his head. He then swiped his hand at the puddle, causing it to splash. "I don't want power! I just want my life back!"
"No, you don't. You just want to make them suffer just as they have done to you. Don't deny it." said the dragon softly. Junior panted as he clenched his hands. He slowly stood up on his feet with the pupils in his eyes shrinking and his irises growing in size and becoming more reptilian in appearance. Junior began to walk through the building and up the steps towards the ground level of the Reactor building.  He continued down the narrow dark hall that led into the Turbine Building, his eyes began to glow a neon blue.
"They took away your humanity, Gojira. The same was done to your friends by other people. Now, the world seeks you're death. MONARCH will destroy you all." said the Dragon. The young Transmutant found himself standing outside of the building where the asphalt was cracked and the dirt was exposed underneath. He growled like a beast as he stared at the ground. His body began to change shape and size.
"Unless, you destroy them first." said the dragon. Junior had changed into his Transmutant form and began to glare at the ground. His glowing eyes died down and returned back to their reptilian appearance. Junior roared as he began to dig his claws into the earth, tearing away at the asphalt and dirt.




Mustangia, Equestria

It was the afternoon. The townspeople of Mustangia went about their business. They had managed to fully rebuild what was destroyed during the raid of the Diamond Dogs. Some people were fully healed from their more serious injuries. The debate of whether the Transmutants that had appeared were allies or enemies continued on. Some people that believed them to be allies have begun to seek out these new heroes. Others saw them as a danger to their town began to grow anxious, and fearful.
Despite this division of opinions, there has yet to be any form of conflict over the subject. It was June the 20th. The townspeople have begun to work together to prepare for a special event. The Summer Sun Celebration would start at the crack of dawn during the coming evening. Valkyries flew in the air, hanging banners and Elves used their magic to wrap ribbons along poles. Street lights held up flags of the Cutie Mark of Princess Celestia, the sun. People were excited for such an event to be held in their town. Blaire stood among the decorated area of the town with a smile. Around her were a couple of other guards.
"Well, let's hope the Princess will be pleased with tonight." said Blaire. She then turned to Sapphire curiously.
"Say, how are the Princess's 'special guests' doing?" asked Blaire.
"They're fine, ma'am. One of them is reluctant to come so I told him that cider was going to be available for free." said Sapphire.
"Is it a good idea for them to be free?" asked another guard in concern.
"Well, they're free for him." said Sapphire with a shrug. Blaire chuckled.
"Well, I guess if it'll make him more comfortable then so be it." said Blaire. The two continued to watch as people set up decorations and vendors around the area.
"So...what are they like?" asked a guard.
"Well...they're like any other person. One's high spirited, one's a smartass and cynical, and the other is honorable." said Sapphire.
"Should we be worried about any of them?" asked a guard.
"Well...just don't piss the shorter one off. I think he's touchy." said Sapphire.
"Kay', don't comment on his height." said a guard. Another guard elbowed him in the side with a glare. Sapphire looked down in thought.
"I think I should go check on them. Make sure that they're still coming." said Sapphire.
"Alright. I'll come with you." said Blaire as began to walk ahead.
"Um...no offense ma'am, but is that a good idea?" asked Sapphire.
"I don't see why not. It's not like ten of us are going." said Blaire with a shrug. Sapphire sighed.
"Well, alright." said the guard. The two Valkyries took off into the air and began to fly outside of the town.




Canterlot, Equestria

Celestia sat in her chambers alone. She held her hair brush with her telekinetic magic and began to brush at her multi-colored hair. She showered and dressed up for the event while humming to herself. This would be the night where she would meet these heroic Transmutants and befriend them. If this were to happen, she could start a movement within her kingdom to establish better relations with Transmutants. It wouldn't be easy since there would be opposing views and other politicians who would try to undermine this effort, but she would not back down. She vowed to continue to push forward in hopes of Transmutants being treated as equals and friends.
From the reflection from her mirror, Celestia spotted Luna opening the door and entering her chambers. She smiled brightly and turned around to greet her little sister.
"Luna, how do I look?" asked Celestia as she gestured to herself. Luna smiled.
"As beautiful as ever, my sister." answered Luna. Celestia smiled back.
"Do you think that I should really go in my usual attire? Perhaps I should try something more modern. Oh, dear." pouted Celestia.
"Sister, thou is worried about attire? What is wrong with what thou normally wears?" asked Luna.
"It's just that this year's Summer Sun Celebration is going to be special. I just feel as though that I should try something different for once." answered Celestia with a sigh. She then turned to Luna. "Luna, have you spoken to Junior lately? Did he say that he would be coming?"
"Sister..." Luna looked down solemnly. Celestia's smile disappeared from her face as she heard Luna's sudden change of mood and tone.
"What's wrong?" asked Celestia worriedly.
"Gojira...he did say that he would be returning to Equestria with his friends before the event could start. Or at the very least, soon after." said Luna. She then looked back to Celestia in worry. "That was over two weeks ago. Something has happened. I've tried to visit his dreams recently, but something was wrong."
"What do you mean?" asked Celestia worriedly.
"He told me that he could not return home yet. I have tried to ask him why but he refused to answer. He just told me that to tell you that he would not be returning yet." said Luna with a frown. Celestia sat back onto her seat with wide eyes. She had been hoping for weeks that her adoptive son would return home to her, so she could embrace him and cry joyfully for his return. She would house him back in her castle and help him pull through the prejudice of other citizens to protect and support him like a parent would. However, her hopes were pushed back by the very child that she raised as her own. 
"I should have been a better parent." said Celestia.
"Sister, this is not your fault!" said Luna. Celestia sighed.
"Sometimes I wonder." said Celestia. Luna frowned.
"Celestia, he never said that he would not return. He said that he could not return yet. We must have faith that whatever it is that's keeping him away will not do so for long. I shall continue to visit his dreams until he tells me of his situation" said Luna with a reassuring smile.
"Thank you, little sister." said Celestia. She then stood up to her feet. "Will you be joining me on this night?"
"Would it be alright? I mean, right after..." Luna rubbed her arm as she looked away. Celestia placed her hands on her shoulders with a smile.
"Come with me sister. Let's meet our new friends." said Celestia. Luna looked back to hesitantly, but then smiled and nodded to her. Celestia then turned to her dresser and found a picture frame of herself and Junior. She sighed as she held the frame. Celestia turned back to a letter that she had received from Goro a week ago. She recalled how he wrote that one of his friends had trouble believing that Junior was a Transmutant himself, let alone if he existed. She turned back to the picture frame with a smile.




Mustangia, Equestria. Hours later...

Baragon sat down on a chair with a scowl on his face. His sunglasses were off due to the small amount of lighting in the cave and the setting sun. Blaire and Sapphire remained in an awkward silence as Goro came wearing a pair of dark blue jeans and a button up shirt over a tank top. His hair was slightly combed. Baragon wore a pair of grey jeans and a maroon colored shirt.
"Soooo....how's the hero business?" asked Blaire awkwardly.
"It's been well. Thank you for asking." said Goro with a smile.
"That's great! So um...you guys like sports?" asked Blaire.
"I like baseball." said Goro. Blaire and Sapphire looked over to Baragon curiously as he had his arms crossed over his chest. He then noticed the stares that he was receiving.
"Wha? Oh. Uh..." Baragon began to scratch at his chin in thought. "I guess I like football."
"I like basketball!" shouted Manda from deeper within the cave. Baragon cupped his hands over his mouth and turned towards the direction the voice came from.
"Basketball is for communists!" shouted Baragon. The two guards looked to him in confusion.
"Huh??" said the guards in unison. Goro slugged Baragon's shoulder with a neutral expression. Baragon yelped in response.
"Don't mind him. He's joking." said Goro. Baragon glared at him as rubbed his shoulder.
"OOOK." said Sapphire as she looked up to the ceiling of the cave. Goro cleared his throat.
"I hope I'm not too forward or anything by asking this, but would any of you ladies happen to have someone special in your lives?" asked Goro, curiously.
"Not really." answered Sapphire as she rubbed her arm in embarrassment.
"I'm happily married to my husband." answered Blaire with a smile as she removed her glove and revealed a ring on her finger.
"That's great! Any children?" asked Goro.
"I have a ten year old daughter." answered Blaire.
"That's nice." said Goro with a smile. Baragon rolled his eyes as he stared at the wall. He then heard footsteps approaching.
"Alright, ready to go!" said Manda in a cheerful voice. The woman emerged from the back of the cave wearing a strapless, teal summer dress. She wore white sandals and her long hair jade hair was tied into a ponytail. She whipped her hair back with a smile.
"How do I look?" asked Manda. Baragon looked away with a slight blush on his face.
"You look great." said Goro with smile.
"Man, wish I could rock a ponytail like that." moped Sapphire as gently grabbed a lock of her short hair. 
"That dress is cute! Where did you get it?" asked Blaire with a smile on her face.
"I found it at this shop around the town. I'll show you later!" said Manda. She then turned to face Baragon with an expectant look on her face. Baragon noticed her gaze and glanced at her.
"What?" asked Baragon.
"Do you have something to say? What do you think?" asked Manda as she gestured to herself. Baragon coughed into his hand.
"Um...it's alright." said Baragon. Manda frowned.
"Uh...'alright'?" asked Manda. Baragon's heart raced as he found himself in such an uncomfortable situation. He immediately stood up to his feet.
"Say, we should probably get going! Wouldn't want to keep her royal highness waiting!" said Baragon nervously. He briskly began to walk away from the cave. He hummed to himself as he continued to walk out. Manda stared at him as he left with wide eyes. She then lowered her head with a look of hurt. Sapphire noticed her expression and glared at Baragon as continued to leave. Goro sighed as he shook his head. Blaire stood up and placed a comforting hand on Manda's shoulder.
"Don't worry about it hun. You're beautiful." said Blaire with a smile. Manda smiled back, sadly.
"Thanks. I just wish he would have been honest with me." said Manda.
'That jerk.' thought Sapphire in disapproval.



The Transmutants of Mustangia walked with Sapphire and Blaire in silence. They were just a mile outside of Mustangia. Lights shone in the distance as the sound of distant music filled their ears. Baragon avoided eye contact with Manda as much as possible. The female Transmutant kept a frown as she saw how the man continued to ignore her. The group had finally made it to the town. People conversed amongst themselves as they held drinks or food. Children played together as parents looked after them while conversing with the other parents. A few guards remained, watching over the town.
"Come on. The princess wants to meet you guys first before she introduces you all." said Blaire as she led the Transmutants into town. They passed several people and began to disappear among a few guards that remained on the side walk. The group noticed a few glances that were cast on them from the locals. A few looked on in surprise and began to whisper to some of their friends.
'Oh boy.' thought Baragon anxiously. The group continued on until they found themselves away from the crowd and near the stage that remained alone in the town. They moved on towards the stage where they found a group of guards standing with two tall Avatar women.
"Oh! I had no idea that Princess Luna would be here." said Blaire in surprise. The group continued on near to the base of the stage where the Avatars and guards remained. Celestia noticed the oncoming group and greeted them with a kind smile.
"Welcome. Would you happen to be my special guests?" asked Celestia. Goro greeted her with a smile of his own.
"We are, your majesty." answered Goro as he and Manda bowed. Baragon mentally sighed as he bowed with them. "We thank you for inviting us, we are honored."
"And I am honored to have such heroic individuals to attend this event." said Celestia. The Transmutants stood back up.
"I am Goro. These are my friends, Manda and Baragon." said Goro as he introduced the two other Transmutants. Manda waved while Baragon remained silent. He then noticed Luna standing by silently.
"A pleasure to meet you all." said Celestia. She then grabbed Luna by her shoulders and brought her from the crowd of guards. The princess of the moon wore an anxious expression as she was brought next to her elder sister and close to the Transmutants. "This is my little sister, Luna."
"Tia'." whispered Luna as gave her sister a quick glare. She then turned back to the Transmutants with a nervous smile. She cleared her throat.
"Greetings! Uh...we are happy that you have come." said Luna. Baragon hummed in thought.
"Wait I think I heard of you. Both of you ruled together a thousand years ago right?" asked Baragon.
"That is correct." answered Luna. Baragon smiled.
"Wow. You ladies do look good after all of those years." said Baragon. Luna blushed in embarrassment while Celestia smiled with a light blush appearing on her face.
"Why, thank you." said Celestia with a giggle. Manda turned away with a scowl as she crossed her arms. Sapphire looked to Baragon with a glare from behind. Manda then looked the Monarch and Diarch over with wide eyes. She watched as their long hair flowed majestically. She was in awe of how their hair sparkled and of their vibrant colors. Their feathered wings were neat as they remained folded behind their backs.
"Wow." said Manda to herself as she slumped her shoulders. The beauty of these royals surpassed the descriptions from the citizens when it came to seeing them in person.
"Come along, It is almost time to introduce you all." said Celestia as she pointed towards the gathering crowd. Goro took a deep breath to calm himself. They then began to follow the Sisters up to the stage where a few chairs remained. Baragon made his way over to Luna, who looked down to meet eyes with the shorter man.
"By the way, I'm such a big fan of how you got mad at your sister and turned into a raging goddess of death." said Baragon with a genuine smile. The story always did intrigue him at how the peace loving country's co-ruler could go through a meltdown that would create conflict over power. He thought of her as someone who wouldn’t take crap from those who enrage her, which was something that he respected. Luna looked to him with wide eyes after those words left his mouth. She then cleared her throat and looked away.
"Good to know." replied Luna nervously as she put on a forced smile. Her shoulders slumped as she was reminded of her actions from a millennia ago.
The citizens of Mustangia began to gather around the stage. A few guards remained on roof tops or on the side walk as the personal guards of the princesses remained on stage. Celestia made her way over to the center stage. Luna timidly walked to her side with a neutral expression.
"Good evening, my subjects! I am pleased to be holding this year's Summer Sun Celebration in Mustangia!" said Celestia. The crowd erupted into an applause and cheers, honored to hear their ruler's pleasure.
"For the first time, my sister Princess Luna has decided to join us on this evening." said Celestia as she turned to Luna and began applaud her. People began to applaud and cheer for her as well, causing Luna to go stiff from the sudden attention. She lightly smiled as she rubbed her arm.
"As you know, I have announced that I would be inviting special guests to this year's Summer Sun Celebration." Celestia turned and gestured for the three Transmutants to join her and Luna. Goro stood up along with Manda. However, Baragon remained seated as still as stone. Blaire noticed Baragon's state and leaned next to him.
"What's wrong?" asked Blaire.
"I can't do it." said Baragon in a panicked tone.
"You're gonna chicken out?!" asked Blaire with wide eyes.
"There's too many people! I'm a Transmutant! What if we get lynched or something?!" said Baragon in a panicked tone. Blaire looked to him with wide eyes. She was appalled at the thought of citizens committing such an atrocious act.
"I don't know what country you're thinking of, but that is something that we do not do!" said Blaire as she grabbed Baragon. Goro and Manda had already made their way at Celestia's side and looked over to him worriedly.
"Get your butt up there!" whispered Blaire. The guard began to push Baragon across the stage and next to Goro and Manda. The Transmutant went stiff as eyes were focused on him and the other two Transmutants. A few people began to whisper to each other, recognizing them.
"Citizens, please welcome Goro, Manda and Baragon. The Transmutant vigilantes of Mustangia." Celestia gestured to the Transmutants as she said their names. A few people gasped in shock, some in surprise, and others in horror. An awkward silence filled the air along with the small chirps of a cricket. The Transmutants began to grow uneasy. Celestia kept her smile, but she was growing worried as the silence continued. Suddenly, from the back of the stage, clapping was heard. The Transmutants turned and found Blaire and Sapphire applauding them. Sapphire nudged a guard next to him, causing him to hold his spear by his arm as he clapped as well. From among the crowd, a few people began to give scattered applause and cheers for the Transmutants.
"Woo!!" cried a woman from the crowd. More people began to applaud genuinely or out of politeness for these Transmutants. Some did not even clap at all. The Transmutants began to relax themselves after several cheers.
"Let the celebration begin!" said Celestia proudly.




Later that night...

The Transmutants remained together and as close to the princesses and guards as much as possible. They were standing together in silence as people continued to enjoy the festivities of the event. Manda tapped her foot impatiently with an anxious expression on her face. She turned to face Blaire and Sapphire.
"Hey, you girls wanna hang out?" asked Manda. Blaire and Sapphire looked to her in surprise at how she broke the silence. The two guards looked over to Celestia.
"With your permission, your majesty." said Blaire as she bowed her head. Celestia gave her a motherly smile.
"Of course." said Celestia. The two guards looked to Manda with a smile and began to follow her out to the crowd. Baragon and Goro remained.
"Man." said Baragon anxiously. He then felt a tap on his shoulder and found a guard handing him a card. He looked at it with a smile.
"Why don't I get you guys something to drink while I'm at it?" offered Baragon.
"That won't be necessary, sir." said the guard. A couple of other guards silently groaned in annoyance to themselves.
"Come on! My treat!" said Baragon.
"You aren't even paying for it." deadpanned the guard.
"No. But you guys don't have to go anywhere to get Cider." said Baragon. He then turned and began to make his way down the street. Goro sighed. Luna looked to him in confusion.
"What was it that sir Baragon received?" asked Luna.
"Apparently a card for free cider for this event." answered Goro.
“Wait, isn't the cider here alcoholic? Is that wise?" asked Luna worriedly.
"It takes a lot for Transmutants to get drunk, depending on the strength of the alcohol. It should be fine." said Goro. He then looked down in thought. "Then again, it wouldn't hurt to keep an eye on him."
"Indeed." said Luna. Goro began to follow Baragon through the crowd of people. The Transmutants crossed the sea of many humans. Along the way, Goro met with a few people who gave him the stink eye. He nervously continued on, ignoring their stares. He found Baragon at a vendor where a man stood next to several barrels.
"I need myself five mugs of cider." said Baragon as he placed the card on the table. The man analyzed the card with his eyes and then scowled.
"Damn it." said the Earth bound as he handed the Transmutant the card back. He spent the next minute filling up the mugs up with the beverages. "Do me a favor. Try not to burn through my supply of cider."
"Sure." said Baragon in annoyance. Goro felt a tug at his shirt and turned to find a child staring at him with wide eyes. With him were a couple of other children.
"Oh, hello little ones." said Goro with a friendly smile.
"Hey, what's it like turning into those big monsters!" asked the child, eager to learn about the Transmutant. The rest of the children began to pester Goro from an answer, who wore a vague smile.
"Great, we're a walking freak show now." griped Baragon. Goro cleared his throat.
"Well, it's..." Goro was about to explain, but then he noticed a woman rushing over to the children.
"Hey, I told you three not to wander off!" scolded the woman.
"But mom, we wanted to meet the Transmonsters!" said the kid. Baragon sighed in annoyance.
"It's Transmutants. Not Transmonsters." corrected Baragon. The woman noticed the men and then placed on a nervous smile.
"Oh! Um...I'm terribly sorry if my children were being rude." apologized the woman.
"No it's no trouble at all." said Goro with a smile.
"What about my question?" asked the kid with a frown. Goro cleared his throat.
"Well, when we change, it's possibly the worst experience a living thing could experience." said Goro as he began to recall the changes. He kept a nonchalant tone about it. "You see, it feels like your bones are being broken down by heavy boulders, then being reshaped like clay. Your muscles feel like they're being torn by the claws of wolves and your organs are moved around to fit in your new body as they grow."
"Uh..." Baragon turned and glanced at Goro with a deadpanned stare. Goro continued with his description.
"Your organs feel like they're being impaled by wooden spears as they are reshaped and moved around in your body. It feels like an hour before you finish transforming. Your skin even begins to strain when you start to grow scales. The eyes, oh those are terrible when you transform into an insect. Those things just grow in your skull!" said Goro as he kept a nonchalant tone. "It's the most painful thing that you could ever feel."
Goro then turned and noticed the expressions of the woman and her children. The children wore disturbed expressions and were as pale as ghosts. The woman wore a look of horror at the description that she and her children had heard. Goro's shoulders slumped as he saw their expressions as an awkward silence filled the air while Baragon face palmed in response. One of the younger children suddenly burst into a crying fit, causing a few heads to turn. Goro noticed the stares and then began to sweat.
"Um...Thank you for that...fascinating explanation." said the woman with a forced smile. Goro chuckled nervously.
"Too much?" asked Goro. The woman did a hissing intake of air from behind her teeth as she kept her forced smile and nodded.
"I do believe you scarred my children for life." said the woman in a calm tone. She then began to usher them away.
"Is this man insane?!" the woman whispered to herself. The closest people continued to stare at the Transmutants. Some even looked to Goro in disapproval.
"Right." said Goro with a frown.
"You know, I would have just left it at, 'extremely painful'." said the man that had finished filling the mugs with cider. Baragon snorted in agreement.
"Nice first impression, dumbass." said Baragon. Goro lowered his head in shame as he slumped his shoulders.
"I know." said Goro, glumly.




Meanwhile...

Manda, Sapphire and Blaire strolled together through the crowds of people that enjoyed the festival. The three heard a commotion going on. Curious, they began to follow the cheers and found themselves arriving at a table where a crowd was gathered. The crowd was watching two muscled men straining as they arm wrestled. Their faces were beginning to sweat. The men groaned as one began to gain the edge. His arm began to weigh down on his opponent's, bringing it down onto the table. The small crowd erupted into cheers as the winner stood with his hands in the air.
"Oooh! I gotta participate in this!" said Manda in an eager tone. Blaire and Sapphire looked to her in confusion.
"Uh..." Sapphire was about to protest but was interrupted.
"Who's next?!" asked the man in a challenging voice. Manda grinned.
"Me! Me! Me!" said Manda frantically as she waved her hand in the air. The crowd turned and their faces turned to shock in surprise. The man chuckled in response.
"You sure about that, lady?" asked the man in a mocking tone. Manda smirked.
"Pfft! Am I sure?" said Manda as she looked to Blaire and Sapphire. She then began to make her way over to the table and sat across the man. She placed her elbow firmly on the table as she had her hand out.
"I'll go easy on you." said the man as he locked hands with Manda. Her toned arms were smaller in build compared to the man's more rounded muscles. But, Manda's confidence defied what the people thought of her chances at winning.
"Don't." said Manda. The two locked eyes as they firmly held each other's hands. After a couple seconds of mental preparation and breathing, they were ready.
"Go!" said a man on the sidelines. The Earthbound and Transmutant began to use their strength against each other to bring each other's arm down. The man began to strain as his face slowly turned red. Manda smiled as she kept her arm locked, refusing to budge. The man was sweating as he groaned. The crowd watched in awe as the Transmutant slowly began to bring the man's arm down. Blaire and Sapphire were cheering Manda on with excitement. Manda grinned as she brought the man's arm down lower. But, her ears caught the sound of a panicked voice calling for help. Manda's eyes wandered to the side and found a woman panicking as she held onto an older man. His face was turning blue as he struggled to breathe. Manda's eyes widened in horror.
"Oh, gosh!" cried Manda as she quickly brought her opponent's arm down on the table.
"Ow." said the man as he rubbed his wrist from the sudden force. The crowd erupted into cheers but began to trail off as Manda stood from the table and ran away.
"Help! My father is choking!" cried the woman in panic. The Transmutant ran over to older man and wrapped her arms around his belly as she got behind him.
"I got ya!" said Manda as she stood the old man straight. She then squeezed her arms against the man's stomach and made him convulse and cough up a large piece of a carrot. The man began to wheeze and cough furiously as Manda gently lowered him to the ground. She then held the man's arms in the air.
"Breath with me, man!" said Manda as she began to take exaggerated breaths. The old man began to take wheezing breaths as he followed Manda's breaths.
"You OK?" asked Manda worriedly.
"I...I think you might have cracked one of my ribs." said the old man as he felt his lower side. "Ouch! Yeah...it's broken."
"Sorry, I don't know my own strength sometimes." said Manda shamefully. The man took Manda's hand and shook it furiously.
"No, you just saved my life young lady!" said the older man. He sluggishly stood up to his feet. "I may have been injured, but I get to return home and to live to see my family again!"
"Wha..." Manda looked to him in confusion. The old man brought her into a tight hug.
"Thank you very much!" said the old man. He then released Manda and made his way over to his daughter and wrapped her into a hug. Manda looked on in surprise and then heard the sound of clapping. She turned and found the crowd that was watching her arm wrestle were applauding her for her act. She shyly rubbed her arm in response.



Goro and Baragon walked side by side through the crowd. Some people greeted them with friendly waves while others cast them weary glances. Goro began to grow more comfortable with walking among the humans since he was meeting with a balance of friendlies compared to unfriendliness. The two made their way down and began to hear the sound of wood slamming together. They spotted two men carrying long wooden staffs as they stood on top of a narrow bridge that stood over a large pool of water. The two men grunted as they swung their staffs at each other, clashing the wood as it caused a bang. One of the men was swiped off of his feet by the other by the staff and fell into the pool of water. Cheers erupted for the champion.
"You want a go?" asked Goro. Baragon shrugged.
"Beats doing nothing but drinking the night away." said Baragon. The two began to wait in line for several minutes. When it was Goro's turn, he succeeded in knocking his opponent into the pool in under four seconds. Some people complained, claiming it to be unfair due to him being physically superior to the rest. Baragon remained in line as silent as possible, but  he wore a scowl.
"Fine! I'll challenge him since you guys are so afraid to take on big bad Transmutants!" said Baragon in a mocking tone.
"Oh, this should be interesting." said a man from the crowd. Baragon began to walk up the stairs towards the bridge and caught a staff that was tossed to him. He looked down and found the pool of water, waiting to catch anyone who fell. He gulped nervously.
"You alright, Baragon?" asked Goro.
"I'm good." lied Baragon. He then cleared his throat and got into a fighting stance as he held the staff in his hands. Goro readied himself as well.
"Good luck, short stack!" called a woman from the crowd. A few other people began to laugh in amusement.
"What did you call me?!" demanded Baragon as he looked to the woman as he waved his staff.
"Baragon, let it go." said Goro as tapped his staff on the bridge, grabbing Baragon's attention. Baragon sighed in exasperation.
"Whatever." said Baragon. The two men began to stalk closely to each other as they readied to strike. Goro thrust his staff forward, leading to Baragon to lean to the side. He then countered by swinging his staff at Goro's feet, but the taller man hopped over to the staff and thrust his own at Baragon's gut. The shorter Transmutant staggered back as he began to wobble. He immediately regained his balance and caught another strike from Goro. The two Transmutants began to hold their staffs sideways and began to slam them against each other in attempt to shove the other away. Suddenly, both of their staffs snapped in half. The Transmutants looked to the two half's of their weapon in confusion. The two then tossed one half of their own staff and continued to fight with their remaining half. They swung at each other as if they were swinging swords. Goro then thrust his broken staff at Baragon, who caught it with his own broken staff. Baragon forced Goro's staff down to the bridge, both glared at each other as they were locked. Goro shrugged off Baragon's staff and then swung at Baragon's foot.
"Gah! Dick!" said Baragon as he hopped on one foot. Goro twirled his broken staff and turned it sideways. He attempted to use the side to shove Baragon away but the shorter man immediately brought his staff in front sideways. The two began to slam their broken staffs together to shove each other. Again, the staffs snapped in half again. The two looked at their broken half's and groaned in annoyance.
"Wow, again?" asked someone from within the crowd. Goro and Baragon tossed on broken half away and placed both hands on the small half of their broken staffs. They began to hold their weapons sideways and began to rapidly slam their sticks against each other as they circled around. The two began to pant as they stopped to rest. They then broke into a war cry as they continued to slam their sticks against each other, causing them to snap again.
"Seriously?" asked a woman from the crowd. Goro and Baragon looked at the smaller half's of their broken staffs in confusion. They both closely analyzed their own sticks as they tossed the other half. Goro began to tap his shorter stick against his head in thought. Baragon continued to analyze his stick as he looked it over. The two glanced at each other and then immediately broke into a fighting stance. Both held their arms forward as they kept their hands on each end of their own stick.
"No way." snickered another person from the crowd. The two Transmutants stared each other down as they prepared to strike. Both of their shoulders were tensed as they watched every move of the other. Baragon released one end of the stick and then quickly struck Goro's left hand. He yelped as he waved his hand while he held onto his stick with one hand. He then immediately returned the action against Baragon's right hand.
"Ow! Asshole!" said Baragon with a glare. He then slammed his stick against Goro's hand. Goro returned the action. Baragon hesitated to return the attack and then immediately regretted it when Goro beat him to it. Baragon waved his stricken hand to relieve it the pain. The two stared each other down before the other could strike. Goro swung his stick again towards Baragon's hand but stopped before he could reach it. Baragon reacted to the falsified strike by pulling his hands away with a cocky smirk. His eyes widened as he realized that Goro had pulled his strike away at the last second. He was then struck in the forehead, causing the Transmutant to drop his stick.
"Oh, come on!" said Baragon as he clutched his forehead. Goro then swung his stick at Baragon's foot, causing the man to hop on one foot. Suddenly, he lost his footing and fell over the bridge. He landed in the pool of water. The crowd applauded Goro, wearing amused smiles. Goro chuckled as he thought back to the whole match.
"Help me! I can't swim!" cried Baragon from the water as he splashed frantically. Goro's eyes widened. He then looked down and found Baragon squirming on his feet in the water as he splashed.
"I'm drowning! Help!" cried Baragon as he continued to splash. Goro began to stare at the Transmutant with a deadpanned look. Baragon was standing with the water reaching just below his chest.
"Baragon, that water only reaches to be four feet."  said Goro. Baragon stopped panicking and splashing. He then slowly raised himself higher from his bent knees and found himself standing over the surface.
"Oh." said Baragon in surprise.




Later...

Goro and Baragon sat at on a bench. Baragon's hair was drenched as was his clothes. A towel was wrapped around his shoulders as he sat down with a scowl. Goro glanced over to him.
"You never told me that you couldn't swim." said Goro.
"I don't want to talk about it." said Baragon with a glare. Goro shrugged in response. The two spotted Manda, Sapphire and Blaire approaching. The women were laughing as they conversed.
"So, I was like, 'Sir, I don't know kung fu. I'm not from that part of the East!'" said Manda.
"Wait, do you know any martial arts?" asked Sapphire in between laughs.
"Nope! But I thought it'd be fun to humor him." said Manda with a laugh.
"Ah man. I remember how Goji use to practice some martial arts that his old man taught him before he passed away. He would always practice in the guard's training room when he thought no one was watching. Little did he know that big sister was watching!" laughed Blaire with a look of nostalgia on her face. She then noticed Baragon and Goro sitting on the bench.
"Oh, hey guys!" greeted Blaire with a wave. Sapphire smirked in amusement as she noticed Baragon's drenched form.
"What happened to you?" asked Sapphire.
"I lost to Goro in the Staff fighting competition." answered Baragon with a scowl. Manda made her way over to him and took a seat next to him.
"So, how's your night?" asked Manda.
"It's alight." answered Baragon with a sigh. He then noticed a stand where it displayed a sign.
"Oooooh shit! Chili!!" cried Baragon. He immediately removed his towel and began to rush over to the stand. Manda's face brightened into a smile. She then faced the guards and Goro.
"You guys want any?" asked Manda.
"No thanks." declined Goro.
"I'm good." said Blaire. Sapphire made her way up to Manda.
"I'd like some. I'll go with you." said Sapphire. Manda nodded in response. The two women made their way to the stand, leaving Blaire and Goro alone. Blaire chuckled.
"Wow. I can't believe this is happening." said Blaire with a smile. Goro looked to her curiously.
"Oh?"
"I mean, I can't believe that on this night, we have Transmutants walking among us as clear as day, and no chaos has erupted out of it." said Blaire with a smile. She made her way over to Goro and sat next to him. "Honestly, it's a miracle."
"I agree. Things haven't been easy for us Transmutants for these last few years. We have always faced danger from MONARCH and prejudice from other humans." said Goro with a sigh. Blaire frowned.
"I'm sorry to hear that." said Blaire. She then looked away and sighed. "It makes me wonder how Goji is holding out in the world."
"Who's Goji?" asked Goro, curious to know what this individual had to do with Transmutants.
"He's my little brother. Well, not really my brother. He's like a brother to me." said Blaire. She cleared her throat. "Princess Celestia took a little orphan boy in and raised him as her own over a decade ago. He was the son of an old friend of hers. When I found out that the kid was lonely, I took it upon myself to spend time with him. Next thing I knew, I started calling him brother."
"He's the boy that Celestia took in and who turned out to be a Transmutant?" asked Goro. Blaire nodded.
"He is." said Blaire.
"What did you think when you found out?" asked Goro. Blaire frowned.
"I was shocked. I couldn't believe that Goji was a Transmutant. I mean, he just seemed so normal. No offense!" said Blaire worriedly.
"None taken." said Goro as he waved his hand.
"He did a good job at blending in. I guess the only hint was his abnormal strength as a non-magical Earthbound." said Blaire. She then crossed her arms as she looked down sadly. "I didn't care about him being a Transmutant. But I was worried for him, especially when he ran away. I know Goji. He wouldn't hurt those he loves. Not on purpose, at least."
"I see." said Goro. He looked down, sympathetic for the Valkyrie. The guard reached under her breast plate and into her shirt breast pocket. She pulled out a photo.
"This was him when he was a little kid." said Blaire as she held the photo to Goro. He took it into his hand and unfolded the photo. He found a younger Blaire during her early twenties hugging a little boy with charcoal grey hair and yellow eyes. He looked at the photo with a smile.
"This is a wonderful photo." said Goro as he handed the picture back to Blaire.
"I'm hoping that it will not be the last." said Blaire with a frown. Goro shared her frown as well.
Back at the chili stand, Baragon strolled over to the counter. He met a brunette young Earthbound woman with a Stetson hat on her head. She smiled at him as she leaned against the counter.
"What can I do you for, hun?" asked the woman in a southern accent. Baragon placed a grin.
"I'm a fan of chili. What do you got?" asked Baragon. Behind him, Manda and Sapphire were approaching.
"Well, we've got mild, spicy, volcanic, and hellish." answered the woman with a smile. She then ducked under the table and pulled out four containers. Each one was labeled with the names that she gave off. "You could add this with some chips or with the peppers itself. Some folks love dumping peppers into chili and taking a bite."
"Damn. Those must be some hardcore customers." said Baragon.
"You bet, sugar." said the woman with a wink. Baragon chuckled in embarrassment. Manda's eyes widened and immediately began to scowl.
"So, what'll it be?" asked the woman.
"I'm feeling daring tonight. I'd like to try the hellish chili along with a chili pepper to dip in it." said Baragon. The woman smirked.
"It's pretty hot." said the woman.
"Is it as hot as you?" asked Baragon with a grin. Manda scoffed as she placed a hand on her hip. Sapphire crossed her arms with a look of annoyance. The woman merely chuckled in response. She then began to get a paper bowl and used a plastic spoon to scoop the hellish chili and dumped it into the bowl. She then took a couple chili peppers and stuck them inside. She then placed a couple of chips as well.
"This is on the house, hero." winked the woman. Baragon smiled in response. The woman cleared her throat. "You sure you can handle it?"
"Handle it? Pfft! I'm a Transmutant. If I can survive receiving as many shots from a gun that could kill a man, I think I could handle chili." retorted Baragon in confidence. Manda glared at him from behind, irked at how her friend confidently complimented this stranger on her looks and not her own. Baragon took the chili pepper and dipped it inside of the hellish chili and took a bite. He began to crunch the pepper, slowly feeling the spiciness build up in his mouth.
"Mm. Pretty good." said Baragon as he spoke with his mouth full. He could not bring himself to swallow. He then waved his hand slightly. "It's a little...ahem...spicy."
"Yeah, it gets a little hotter as it sits in your throat there." said the woman as she sipped from a bottle of cider.
"Mmhm." Baragon nodded in agreement. His throat strained to give the response as it was assaulted by the blistering spice. His face was turning red as his eyes began to water and his face began to sweat. The woman flinched in response.
"You OK?" asked the woman in worry. Baragon nodded. He then pointed to the other direction, over to where beverages were being sold. His face continued to sweat as he finally managed to swallow the pepper. His throat began to burn.
"I understand." said the woman. Baragon nodded and immediately turned and found Manda looking to him in worry. He handed her his bowl and broke into a sprint.
"Oh my God! I swallowed the very fires of Hell!" cried Baragon. Manda and Sapphire broke off into a sprint, chasing after the shorter Transmutant. He ran passed a stage where a large bellied man with a white Stetson hat was on stage. Music played from the speakers as he danced on stage with a microphone in his hand.
"Ooooh don't cha wish your girlfriend was hot like me? Don't cha wish your girlfriend was a freak like me?~" sang the man as he shook his rear. Parents covered the eyes of their children that were watching the performance. Sapphire stopped and noticed the performance. She stared in confusion.
"What the hell?" Sapphire tilted her head, dumbfounded at the sight.



Baragon sat down at a table chugging down a large bottle of water. He sighed in relief as he set the water bottle down. Manda sat next to him along with Sapphire.
"Man, I felt like I was going to die." said Baragon.
"Yeah, what a tease." muttered Sapphire in annoyance.
"What was that?" asked Baragon with a raised brow.
"Huh?" asked Sapphire in an innocent tone. Baragon shook his head and continued to drink his water. Manda cleared her throat.
"Well, you seemed to be awful friendly with that vendor." said Manda. Baragon nearly choked on his water and back washed a bit of it inside the bottle.
"Gross!" said Sapphire in disgust. Baragon panted as he tried to catch his breath.
"Wha...what do you mean by that?" asked Baragon. Manda sent him a glare.
"Don't play dumb! I heard everything that you said!" spat Manda. Baragon recoiled from her tone. "How come when I asked you how I looked, all I got was, 'alright'?!"
"Um..." Baragon looked away nervously. Sapphire whistled to herself as she looked away. Secretly, she was enjoying the moment.
"Do you think I'm ugly or something?" asked Manda in hurt tone. Baragon's eyes widened.
"Wha- No! No, of course not!" said Baragon.
"I don't believe you." said Manda as she turned away with her arms crossed.
"Manda, come on!" said Baragon. He then turned to Sapphire with a helpless expression.
"Hey, this is on you." said Sapphire as she looked away. Baragon sighed in exasperation.
"Manda..." Baragon gulped nervously. "Listen, I don't think you're ugly. You look...pre- no, beautiful."
Manda slightly glanced at Baragon as he rubbed the back of his neck. A light blush appeared on his face. He cleared his throat.
"I...said that you look alright, because I was embarrassed to say what I actually thought how you looked. I was only able to say that woman was hot because there was no chance of me seeing her again after tonight. With you, you're closer to me and it's harder for me to compliment you." admitted Baragon in embarrassment. "You know how it is right? You don't want things to get awkward between friends if you were to compliment them like that."
"Was that vendor prettier than me?" asked Manda as she turned to face Baragon.
"No. You get a bonus with the pony tail." said Baragon as his blush brightened. Manda's face reddened from the compliment. She smiled to herself as she rubbed her arm. Sapphire raised a brow as she sipped from a straw of her soda. Manda pulled Baragon into a hug.
"I forgive you!" said Manda as she squeezed Baragon. He groaned in pain as he smiled.
"Good...to know." strained Baragon.




Later that night...

It has been a few hours since the event had begun. It was past midnight, so some people were still awake during this night while others went home earlier to get a quick night's sleep before awakening later. The Transmutants, Blaire and Sapphire were sitting with the Princesses at a table.
"Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, we thank you for inviting us to this event. It's been a wonderful experience." said Goro.
"The pleasure is all mine, Goro." said Celestia with a smile. Luna nodded in agreement. Manda nudged Baragon's shoulder.
"Come on and say it." said Manda with a smile. Baragon sighed.
"Thanks for the free cider. And for not arresting us and locking us up fifty feet under." said Baragon. Celestia gave a half amused smile.
"Oh, of course." said Celestia.
"I'm serious about that last one by the way. I heard that Transmutants that get captured by MONARCH are sent to a prison in Neighpon and are locked up miles underground." said Baragon with a shudder. Celestia's eyes widened.
"I...had no idea." said Celestia. Baragon chuckled bitterly.
"Yeah, there's a lot of shit people don't know about MONARCH." said Baragon. Celestia slightly winced at his swearing, but kept quiet about it.
"Such as?"
"Well, for one-" Baragon was about to spill some of MONARCH's dirty secrets but was interrupted.
"Baragon, now is not the time to get into the subject. Perhaps we can discuss it another day." suggested Goro.
"What? Why-" Baragon looked to him in confusion. Goro shot him a silencing glare. Baragon sighed in response. Celestia looked the Transmutants over in confusion. Goro looked back to her with a smile.
"So, I heard that your adopted son was a Transmutant. Could you tell me a bit about him?" asked Goro.
"Oh, certainly!" replied Celestia. She reached over for a satchel that she had and fished for the desired object. She took out a picture frame of herself and of Junior. She handed it to Goro. "This is Gojira Takeshi the 2nd. My adopted son."
"Wait, Takeshi? As in, the family famous for its role as warriors for the Old and New Empire of Neighpon?" asked Goro in surprise. He began to look the picture over and found the resemblance of the boy that was in Blaire's photo.
"The very same." answered Celestia. Baragon looked over the picture in surprise.
"Wow, the princess's adopted Transmutant son does exist." said Baragon to himself. Manda looked over the photo with a smile.
"I bet this kid was popular with the girls!" said Manda.
"Not exactly." said Blaire with a sigh. She then smiled in amusement. "Well, at least several months ago, he was."
"This is impossible." said Goro to himself. Everyone looked to him in confusion.
"What does thou mean?" asked Luna.
"The Takeshi clan died off over two decades ago after their feudal war with the Spider-Crab clan. Gojira the First was the last of his clan and was said to have perished during an attack of the Alpha. I never heard of him having a son." said Goro. Everyone except for Celestia looked on in surprise.
"Gojira the First did die, but the information about his demise is false." said Celestia. She pulled out a journal from her satchel and showed it to Goro. "Junior wrote that he and his father were in fact, the Transmutants known as Lucky Dragon and Alpha. His father was the Alpha."
"Shit." said Baragon in surprise.
"So, that's why he's run away." said Goro to himself. He then noticed Celestia's eyes glistening with tears. She immediately wiped her eyes and cleared her throat.
"Goro, may I ask you a favor?" asked Celestia.
"Of course." replied Goro.
"Junior, he's the world to me. I can't search for him, wherever he may be. No matter how much I want to, my duties as princess are stopping me." said Celestia. She looked to him with pleading eyes. "Please, could you perhaps look out for him? My sister visited him in his dreams and was informed that he would be returning as soon as possible. I wish that you inform as soon as possible if you see him."
"Of course, your majesty." said Goro as he bowed his head. Manda and Baragon nodded in agreement. Celestia smiled in response.
"Thank you all." said Celestia. She then stood up to her feet. "It is about time for the main event."
The crowd began to gather around a stage where a sculpture of a crescent golden moon with solar spikes around the edges stood on a pole. The Transmutants stood front at the front row of the crowd next to Blaire and Sapphire. Luna and Celestia made their way onto stage, standing side by side. Luna closed her eyes as she spread her wings and her hands were engulfed in her magic aura. The moon began to lower out of sight of the people. Celestia unfurled her wings and began to hover above ground. Her hands were engulfed in her magic aura as the sun slowly began to rise past the moon. She flew in sight of the center of the sculpture and was engulfed in the sun's bright light. A great glare flew around the area, creating an orange apparition of Celestia as the light shone brightly. The Transmutants stared in awe at the light, mesmerized by it as the darkness hid away. Manda looked to Baragon with a smile.
"Glad you came?" asked Manda.
"Honestly, I kinda am." said Baragon with a smile. Manda slowly reached for his hand and held it firmly. Baragon cleared his throat and looked away in embarrassment. Manda smiled to herself as she watched Celestia descend back down to the stage, where she was greeted with applause. This was the dawn of a new day, a day where humans and Transmutants will begin to strive to live in harmony.
	
> Chapter 38: Prison Break
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Saddle Arabia

The sun had set, making way for the night. The temperatures were beginning to lower as the heat escaped from the surface of the land. The quarantine dome glowed in the distance away from the village. MONARCH soldiers paced around the area near the dome, vigil for any threat that may emerge. A few mechs remained motionless as their optics and visors glowed dimly in the evening.  A tall fence was erected around the dome with caution signs on the sides.
From within the dome, there was silence. Junior lied down on his side with his eyes closed. An airship floated near the dome and shone a searchlight over the destruction of the facility. The beam of light passed through the cracks of the roof and struck Junior in his eye. He slowly shielded his eye from the brightness and growled in annoyance. The beam of light disappeared and continued on through the rest of the facility. Junior slowly stood up to his feet and dusted himself off. His eyes carried their reptilian appearance as he kept a hard stare.
"Won't be long now." said Junior to himself. He spent the next few minutes running to the exit of the Turbine Hall. He found a large pile of rubble sitting just a few feet away. Junior rushed over towards the rubble and began to move it to the side. Underneath was a great hole, from which he dropped down into the hall, finding himself in darkness. His eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness and he began to walk through a great tunnel. His body began to morph and change as he grew in size and grunted in pain. He transformed into his Transmutant form and began to stomp through the tunnel, slightly hunched down to walk through the tunnel. After a minute of walking, he found the end of the tunnel, but a rocky wall blocked his path, causing him to slash his claws against the wall to break through.
'I should be outside of the dome pretty soon. I just hope it's not a sphere.' thought Junior. His escape plan had been to dig his way out and to eliminate all obstacles, but the long distance he needed to cover and the need to sneak through the soldiers was troublesome. He would spend at least an hour to tunnel under ground and then return back to the Turbine Hall after concealing his escape route. 




One hour later...

The soldiers stood guard outside of the dome. They stood by in silence.
"Hey, you think Lucky Dragon is dead?" asked a soldier.
"Obviously. No way is that freak still alive. He’d likely starved to death in there." said another soldier.
"What's the point of us staying out here if he's dead?" asked a soldier in exasperation.
"Someone's gotta make sure no one messes with the dome. Or else we run the risk of nuclear waste and radiation to escape. Wouldn't be a good look if we were to abandon it." replied another soldier. One of them sighed in exasperation.
"Soooo booooored!!" complained the soldier. He then looked over to the side and found a tall rectangular crate sitting next to a few mechs.
"What's in there?" the soldier asked. The other soldiers looked to where he was looking.
"Oh, that's the new mech that they've been working on for some time now." replied a soldier.
"Kiryu." said a soldier. The soldiers looked to him in confusion.
"Huh?" asked another soldier.
"They call it, Kiryu. It means, 'Machine Dragon'." said the soldier.
"They must be shy with it if they got it locked in a box." said a soldier in an unimpressed tone.
"Well, they seem to have a lot of confidence in it. I just wonder why they stationed it out here." said the soldier. The sound of rumbling was heard beneath them. The soldiers looked down and found the ground beginning to rise.
"What the-" The ground burst as a charcoal grey scaled arm shot out of the ground. The soldiers were knocked off of their feet as the arm slammed onto the ground. They landed and found Junior rising out of a hole. His dorsal plates grazed against the rocky and dirt walls as he climbed out of the hole and roared in fury when he stomped onto the surface.
"Dear Faust! Open fire!!" shouted a soldier as he raised his rifle. The nearest soldiers began shouting as they shot Junior. Magic bolts struck his thick scales, causing him to growl in annoyance. Further out, the soldiers turned and found some of their comrades to be engaging the Transmutant. An alarm began to blare and soldiers grabbed their weapons and moved out into the battle. A few soldiers leapt into a couple of jeeps with turrets and others rode a couple of tanks. The mechs turned and their visors began to glow brightly as they stood up and stomped over towards the battle. Junior roared as he charged towards the nearest soldiers that were shooting him. He slammed his fist against one soldier and knocked him several feet away. He then swung his tail against three soldiers and knocked them away.
"Stop! Just leave me be!" shouted Junior. The soldiers began to fire at him as they kept their distance. Rifles and light machine guns barraged him with hundreds of bolts per minute. Junior roared angrily. He turned and found a couple of jeeps parking further away and firing at him with their turrets. The bolts were slightly larger and struck him harder. Junior groaned as one bolt struck him in his gill, causing him to drop to one knee.
"Nowhere to run!" shouted a soldier.
"It's over, freak!" shouted another soldier as he tossed a grenade at Junior's feet. The ordinance exploded, sending shrapnel against Junior's face and body. He brushed his hand against his muzzle as he groaned, growing angrier by the minute. Junior suddenly was forced off of his feet and onto his back as a large bolt of magic struck him in his chest and exploded. He flew and rolled against the ground a few feet away as his chest began to smoke. His scar was sensitive, causing him to shriek in agony and clutch his chest as he glared at what shot him. A tank that was clear from the soldiers had fired an explosive shell filled with magical energy. The tank fired again as the soldiers fired at him. Junior rolled out of the way and dodged the shell. He then began to charge down towards the soldiers with a roar. They continued to shoot at him as they slowly backed up while the tank fired another shell, the projectile hurled through the air at high speed. Junior raised his arm over himself as his eyes followed the projectile and swung his arm, slamming against the shell and changing its path. The shell was flung over towards one of the jeeps, causing it to explode. The soldiers inside the jeep perished in a fiery explosion. Junior's arm ached from slamming it against the shell but he pressed on. The tank fired another round, which was deflected by Junior's other arm. The shell was flung over toward a group of soldiers, engulfing them in an explosion. Junior roared as he leapt towards the tank. His body slammed against the top, causing it to bounce slightly from the weight, and he pounded his fists against the armor before punching through it and finding three soldiers. Junior roared as he shot his arm inside and threw one of them out. He then reached back inside and clawed at the other and slammed the last soldier against the walls of the vehicle. Junior roared as he dropped from the tank and placed his hands underneath. He groaned as he slowly began to lift it overhead. The soldiers continued to fire at him but stared in horror when they found him lifting the tank over his head. He strained as he held the tank, but noticed a second tank approaching him from his side. He roared as he crouched and forced his arms forward. The heavy tank was thrown twenty feet into the air and thirty feet away from his position, crushing the second tank and making them explode from the impact. Junior roared into the heavens, displaying his dominance. He was interrupted as he was met with additional gunfire, making him growl.
"We need reinforcements!" shouted a soldier over the intercom. Junior charged over towards the soldiers as the bolts continued to strike his hide. A soldier fired a rocket launcher from the side, allowing the projectile to explode against Junior's chest. He stumbled a bit as the explosion struck his scar and the smoke filled his nostrils. He began to slightly cough from the smoke. He then looked to the ground and found a cylindrical shaped object to drop next to his feet.
"Hrrh?" Junior tilted his head in confusion, wondering what sort of object was tossed at his feet. It looked different compared to the round ordinances that he had seen. Suddenly, the object exploded into a bright flash of light and smoke. Junior roared in pain as his eyes were assaulted from the sudden brightness. He dropped to his knees and placed his hands on the ground as the world around him spun. His ears rang and sound became muffled. He panted as he tried to search his surroundings in a dazed state. From behind the smoke that engulfed him, he spotted multiple shadows surrounding him.
Soldiers circled around Junior outside of the smoke. The flash bang's light was beginning to die down. Soldiers panted as they kept their weapons pointed at where the Transmutant remained hidden in the smoke. The soldiers were growing anxious from the animalistic panting.
"Leave me alone." said Junior softly in his deep and growling voice. His tone carried exhaustion in it. The smoke slightly blew away as he spoke.
"Oh shit." said a soldier as he began to reload his rifle. The soldiers readied their weapons. Junior growled in anger. A neon blue light began to erupt from within the smoke. Junior's silhouette sent fear into the hearts of the soldiers as they watched his dorsal plates illuminate. Streaks of neon blue sparks began to fly around his body.
"I said..." Junior rose to his feet as his eyes began to glow. "LEAVE. ME. ALONE!!"
The smoke that surrounded Junior was suddenly dispersed as he slammed his fists onto the ground. From his body, a bright light shot from his body as sparks of atomic energy was shot from him in all directions. The soldiers that were the closest to him were struck by the blast and blown away. Some of the closest soldiers were burned to ash from the blistering hot energy while others suffered painful burns. One of the closest jeeps was blown off of their sides and burst into explosions. Junior panted as his surroundings were cleared. He roared as the dirt around him smoked after being reduced to glass.
Junior turned and found additional soldiers approaching along with several mechs.  He roared as he charged over towards the soldiers, but noticed a jeep driving next to him. The soldier that was on the turret fired at Junior's dorsal plates. He growled in annoyance as he continued to charge towards the nearest soldiers. He raised his arm over his face to protect his eyes from the bolts. Junior looked to the jeep and then side stepped and rammed against it. The men in the jeep cried out as their vehicle was flipped onto its side. Junior stopped and began to ram himself against the jeep as the soldiers continued to fire at him. Outside of the battle, an older man watched the scene with a glare. 
"Deploy Kiryu for combat! I want that son of a bitch dead!" ordered the commanding officer. A few men rushed over towards the tall steel crate. They both fished out a round key from their pockets and stuck them into a slot on each side. The men looked to each other with a nod.
"3! 2! 1!" one man shouted. Both men turned the key simultaneously, causing the crate to creak and hiss. The door began to unlock as a cog in the center began to turn and allowed for a double door to open outward. From behind the door, a thirteen foot tall mech was revealed. The dragon-like appearance mirrored Junior's. Its long mechanical tail was curled to the side and its arms were covered in gauntlets that carried twin barrels. Kiryu slowly stepped out of the crate with heavy footsteps. Its silver armor shone in the moonlight as its yellow optics glowed with red slits glowing over the box shaped snout. On the mech's shoulders was a large thruster pack with twin cannons attached and hung over the shoulders. The mech's eyes scanned the area, running a diagnostic on its weapons, motor skills, and its condition. The mech clamped its jaw shut as it stared off towards the Transmutant that fought with the soldiers. In the corner of the mech's vision appeared green-blue text. It read, 'Objective: Eliminate Transmutant, Lucky Dragon.' The mech's vision painted Junior in a red outline and the soldiers and allied equipment in green.
"Target sighted. Engaging in combat." spoke the mech in a monotone, deep computer voice. Kiryu's optics flashed as it charged into battle along with other mechs.
"Alright, let's see if this thing can live up to expectations." said the commanding officer.
Back on the battlefield, Junior lifted a jeep over his shoulders and began to slam it against the ground in attempt to crush the soldiers. They dodged his strike and continued to fire at him. Junior grunted as he slammed the jeep on the ground again, managing to crush a few soldiers under. He then raised it again but was met with several rockets against his chest. He roared in anger as he dropped the shattered jeep on the sand. He turned and found a few mechs with large turrets stomping towards him.
"Suppressing fire." said a mech as it fired its turrets at Junior. The bolts struck all around him, only a few striking him. The nearest soldiers took the distraction to fall back from the raging Transmutant as they fired at him as well. Junior pulled the destroyed Jeep to his side and used it as a shield. He then reached into the front of the jeep and yanked out the engine. Junior smirked as he looked at the mech. He raised the engine into the air and tossed it towards the mech, slamming it in the chest.
"Critical error! Critical-" The mech began to spark as it convulsed. It began to fire its turrets uncontrollably and began to fire all around itself. Junior was struck a few times but a few soldiers were shot dead by the stray bolts along with some mechs.
"Alert! Friendly fire!" the mechs said as they were struck by the out of control mech. Junior charged towards the malfunctioning machine and grabbed its arm. He hid behind its back and raised its turret and pointed it at the nearest mechs. The malfunctioning mech continued to fire as it sparked, mowing down the other mechs. Junior then pointed the weapon towards the soldiers that were attempting to find cover around their camp along with the crates, tents, and equipment. Junior was suddenly struck from the side by multiple rockets, causing him to roar in anger. The mech that he was holding exploded in his grip and fell apart. He turned and found a silver armored mech approaching from the wreckage of the other downed mechs. Its armor was unscathed from the attack.
"Malfunctioning mech eliminated. Switching targets." spoke Kiryu in a cold tone. Junior's eyes widened in shock.
"Wow. I never knew that MONARCH was such a fan of mine. They even made a robot to look like me." said Junior in amusement as he kicked the mech he used as a weapon away. He stomped and glared at the machine, which pointed a metal claw at Junior.
"Lucky Dragon, for your crimes against MONARCH, you shall be terminated." said Kiryu. Junior raised a brow.
"Huh. This one can speak in more sentences." said Junior in surprise. 
"Looks like you machines are getting smarter everyday!" growled Junior.
"Affirmative." said Kiryu as it charged towards Junior. Junior growled as he charged as well. The ground rocked and cracked with each step that they took. Kiryu's thruster pack ignited and propelled it at higher speed compared to Junior's. The mech crashed into the Transmutant and locked its arms around him. Junior grunted as he was knocked off of his feet and was carried above ground several feet away. Kiryu slammed Junior onto the ground and dragged him along the dirt, Junior's dorsal plates carved through the ground as he was dragged.  Junior kneed Kiryu's metal belly, forcing the mech off of him. Kiryu's thruster pack shut down and caused him to crash and roll along the ground. The mech immediately stood to its feet as it shot its arms forward. From the barrels that were attached to its gauntlets, Kiryu fired rapid shots of orange bolts of magic. The bolts struck Junior's chest, causing him to roar angrily. He ran towards Kiryu and leapt several feet into the air. He reared his fist back for a punch but Kiryu grabbed him by his neck with his left arm. The mech turned with Junior and then sent a powerful punch against his chest. Junior groaned in pain as Kiryu continued to punch Junior several times. The mech shoved the Transmutant away and then swung its tail. Junior was knocked to the ground a few feet away and crashed into the dirt. Junior panted as he stared at the mech.
'This thing...its not like the other mechs.' thought Junior. He watched as its tail swayed and lied on the ground behind itself and stomped over to him as the barrels on its gauntlets smoked. He noticed how the mech wasn't stiff with its movement like the other mechs as it moved with a fluid, almost organic grace.
Junior slammed his hands onto the ground as he slowly stood back up. He growled at the approaching mech. From the forward rocket launchers that hung over its shoulders, it launched multiple rockets. The mech then raised its arms and fired from its gauntlets. The rockets and magic bolts rained on Junior's body. From the thruster pack, four batteries along its back launched guided missiles. The missiles flew into the air and then crashed back down on Junior. He roared in pain as the constant explosives struck him.
"Move up! Hit him with everything we got!" commanded the C.O. over the COMs.  Several soldiers moved closer to the battlefield and shot at Junior as Kiryu continued its assault of bolts, rockets, and explosives.
"Firing Oral Maser Cannons." said Kiryu as it opened its metal jaws and revealed two small cannons inside of its mouth. The cannons fired a stream of orange lighting-like energy that streaked through the air. The stream of lightning struck against Junior's hide, causing him to shriek in agony. Junior dropped to his knees as he was continuously attacked. Junior's dorsal plates began to illuminate as he inhaled deeply. He then spewed forth his atomic breath towards the nearest soldiers. The concentrated radiation engulfed several soldiers, burning their bodies to a crisp. Junior closed his jaws and stopped spewing his atomic breath, but his dorsal plates were still glowing in the night. He turned his head to face Kiryu and fired his breath again; engulfing the mech. Kiryu stopped its attack and stumbled back. Junior's atomic breath was like a powerful, superheated wind, pushing Kiryu back as it struggled to stay on its feet. It was pushed several feet away as it held its arms over its face. Junior panted as he stopped spewing his atomic breath.
"Minimal damage taken. Systems holding." said Kiryu as it lowered its arms. Its silver armor was covered in a few dark spots in its front from the incredible heat of the atomic breath. The machine gave off smoke and traces of concentrated radiation that flowed off of it. The mech stomped on the ground and pulled its arms back.
"No way." said Junior with wide eyes. He was able to burn vehicles with the attack and cause them to either melt or explode, yet he could not severely damage the mech that mirrored his image. Kiryu suddenly fired what was left of its payload at Junior. The rockets soared towards Junior and exploded all around him. Junior roared in pain as a few rockets struck him in his chest. Kiryu's rocket launchers and batteries gave off smoke as it remained motionless and stared at Junior with eerie yellow optics. Junior stumbled back slightly as he glared at the mech. The mech's head slowly rose as its optics scanned Junior. The Transmutant gave a shrieking roar that elevated into a low, whale-like bellow. The mech's vision began to static as its audio receptors picked up the roar. It slightly twitched as a small spark came from its neck. Kiryu's optics tried to readjust themselves to get rid of the static but failed to see Junior charging towards it. He slammed against Kiryu and knocked it to the ground and stomped on its chest.  Junior ran as his tail slapped Kiryu's head, knocking it to the side. The reinforcement soldiers began to pursue Junior and fire at him. Kiryu's optics followed Junior as it lied on the floor. The text, 'Critical damage to the chassis. Error' appeared in the corner of Kiryu's vision.  Its dented chest began to slightly spark as it lied motionless. It slowly moved its joints as it attempted to roll onto its belly. The mech got onto its knees and slowly stood up, but stumbled as it attempted to pursue Junior.
Kiryu's vision slightly cleared up but re displayed its objective in blue text. ''Objective: Eliminate Transmutant, Lucky Dragon.' the text said.  But, a red text appeared underneath the blue text. It read, 'Error.' Kiryu's vision began to pick up foreign images. There were faces appearing in its vision that disappeared in a flash, changing at a rapid pace. The mech found itself looking down on a young Neighponese woman with long black hair. She shyly looked away as she held her hands behind her back. The vision disappeared and switched to another static vision in the night where the same woman leaned in closely with her eyes closed and her lips puckered up. The mech heard the sound of a woman crying out in agony. Her cries were eerie and sounded digital. The mech wobbled slightly as the images of a woman began to assault its vision, blinding it. The face of a woman in pain blinded it from the red text that were appearing.
"What the hell is wrong with Kiryu?!" demanded the commanding officer as he glared at a small group of engineers. "Why isn't it pursuing Lucky Dragon?!"
"Something must be wrong." said the engineer. He made his way over to a laptop and began to look it over. He began to type on the keyboard, searching for the issue.
"Its chassis was severely damaged but that's not the cause. The A.I. is not responding!" said the engineer. He then looked over to a Neighponese woman that sat over towards a desk with two throttles and a rectangular key pad. 
"I'm switching it to manual! You ready?" asked the engineer. The woman nodded. "Alright, switching Kiryu to manual controls."
The laptop screen began to display the text, 'error'. The engineer's eyes widened.
"What the-" the engineer tried to figure out what the problem was, but the screen began to static. He growled in anger as he tried to solve the problem, but the laptop suddenly sparked and died. The engineer turned back to find Kiryu stopping as it became motionless. Its glowing eyes began to dim.
Kiryu's vision continued to static as images of the woman kept assaulting it. Her cries continued. A countdown appeared in the center of the vision with the text, 'deactivation in...' above. The mech sparked as it continued to hear the cries. The countdown had reached down to the number five. Before the machine could shut down, the mysterious woman's cries died down and were replaced the cries of an infant. The infant's voice carried the electronic sound in its voice as well. The woman's face faded away completely as the countdown reached the number one.
"My son." said a foreign male voice in Neighponese. Kiryu's vision suddenly darkened as its Heads up display disappeared. The mech's head slumped down as it became still as stone.




Later...

After an hour of running away from soldiers that fired at his back, Junior found himself across a deep and thick jungle. He turned back and found the soldiers nowhere in sight. As he began to slow down, Junior began to pant heavily. He hunched over as he attempted to catch his breath from running nonstop. He turned and began to look around the jungle that he was in. Junior sighed solemnly as he thought back to the facility that he was trapped in. He was forced to leave his family photo behind. He hoped that someone managed to keep his spare copy from his old home. He turned back to the jungle and heard the sound of birds in the air. Crickets chirped and the wind blew in the air.
"I'm coming, Ro and Aang." said Junior as he began to stomp through the jungles. His tail swayed over the ground as his feet flattened the grass.




Trotkyo, Neighpon. The next day...

An Earthbound man stood before a holographic image of another man. The holographic image of Onyx wore a look of disappointment.
"What happened to your so called, 'Ultimate Weapon'? Why has one of my commanding officers in Saddle Arabia informed me that Kiryu had shut down in the middle of battle?" demanded Onyx. 
"Something went wrong with its A.I. systems. We suspect it may have been affected by Lucky Dragon's Atomic Breath." informed the Earthbound.
"Chairman Kin, your Industry has provided MONARCH with vehicles and mechs that have performed well. Even if your current models are lacking on the collateral safety side, you have made Kiryu seem quite promising." said Onyx.
"Director Onyx, you must understand that Kiryu is also a machine. Despite being cybernetically enhanced, it may run into problems as well with performance as other mechs do." said Kin. Onyx sighed in annoyance. Kin began to regret his response. "But, I will analyze Kiryu so that we may improve its performance and solve the problem."
"Very well. My soldiers have moved Kiryu over towards the base in Zebrabwe. It shall remain there and will be repaired. Just please have those who worked on the damned thing to report to the base to get it up and running. The others will not be pleased if this project fails after spending so much money into it." said Onyx. 
"Of course." said Kin. The holographic image of Onyx disappeared, leaving the room that Kin was in to be dark. The Earthbound sighed in disappointment.
"Hopefully the problem won't be too hard to fix. The A.I. is what sets it apart from the other mechs and allows it to act on its full potential. I rather it not be reduced to manual control." Kin said to himself as he made his way out of the dark room. He found himself inside of an office that had large windows that overlooked the city. He sat down at a desk and sighed as he placed his finger on a button, leaning into a microphone.
"Contact the men and women who worked on Project Kiryu. The Director wants them to report to Zebrabwe to look the mech over." ordered Kin.




Zebrabwe...

Erika roamed the halls alone. Her eyes stared down at the ground. It had been several a few days since she, Sunset and several other soldiers were able to contact the base for a transport home. A lot of soldiers still seethed in anger from their failure to stop the renegades. The failure had really infuriated the soldiers. Sunset was not holding well herself. Erika sighed to herself as she continued to walk through the halls.
"I hope she's doing better today." said Erika to herself. She was going to meet Sunset in the mess hall for dinner. She hoped that she would be able to help the Elf take her mind off of the whole incident. Erika caught sight of a glowing orb down the hall. She gasped in surprise as the orb floated ominously in the hall.
"What the heck?" Erika said to herself. The orb suddenly shot down to the left side of the hall, causing Erika to jump. Curious and concerned, she decided to chase after the orb. She ran down the hall, chasing after the orb that floated ominously down the halls. She made several turns down the halls in pursuit of the golden orb. She passed a few soldiers that looked to her in confusion as she pursued the orb. 
'Does nobody see the scary ghost ball floating around?!' thought Erika. The orb was much further away from her, passing a few soldiers that were in the halls, yet no one paid it any mind. Erika continued down a hall where the orb had flown to the right. She picked up her speed to catch the orb and turned. She stopped as she came across a large metal door with a red light glowing above it. Painted on the door was the text, 'Mech Hangar'. Erika gulped nervously about the idea of entering a hangar filled with mechs designed to destroy Transmutants. Prior to her transformation she wasn’t weary of them, but now she felt nervous around them. Erika swallowed her fear and reached for a panel on the wall, pressing a yellow button that made the light above the door to turn green.
The door slowly began to slide in between the cracks of the wall. Slowly, the hangar area was exposed to her, revealing it to be dimly lit. Erika slowly stepped inside, searching for the golden orb that she had chased.
"Hello?" called Erika. She then noticed a man emerging from the corner of the room, wearing a look of confusion.
"Hey, what are you doing here, soldier?" asked the man. Erika went stiff.
"Uh...I'm just passing through. I wanted to check up on how our metal friends are doing." said Erika nervously. The man gave her a suspicious glance. He cleared his throat.
"Right. Anyhow, have you seen the other engineers? They were supposed to help me repair one of these damn things." said the man with a scowl. Erika shook her head.
"Nope. But I assume they're in the mess hall for dinner." said Erika with a shrug. The man's eyes widened.
"Wait, what time is it?!" exclaimed the man.
"Uh...it's 7:35. Wait, have you been in here all by yourself?" asked Erika.
"Yeah. I must have missed the time." said the man as he rubbed his head. He was dirty and covered in sweat. He sighed in annoyance. "I've been trying to fix this mech that was sent over to us. I was wondering where everyone disappeared to."
Erika looked around the hangar anxiously, finding several mechs standing next to towers that locked them in place. Cords were plugged into their backsides, charging the mechs with power. Their visors and optics were dark as they stood still like golems.
"Hmm. So uh...this is gonna sound weird, but you wouldn't happen to see a weird glowing ball float in here have you?" asked Erika. The man looked to her with a raised brow.
"Uh...no." answered the man. He then noticed Erika staring curiously to the other side of the room.
"Say, what's that over there?" asked Erika. The man looked to where she was looking and found a mech standing alone with a desk and a computer console sitting a few feet away.
"Oh, that's the new mech that was finished. Something went wrong with its A.I. We were told to repair its body before the guys who designed it come over to work on the rest." answered the man. He then looked to his watch.
"Listen, no one is supposed to be here after 8. I'm going to grab something to eat so I can rush back here to continue with repairs. Would you mind...?" the man asked as he gestured to the door. Erika turned back to face him.
"Oh! Of course, sorry." apologized Erika. She made her way over to the man, both headed for the door. The man pressed a button on the wall, causing the door to slowly open. Erika caught sight of something rushing from the corner of her eye. She immediately turned and found the orb flying off into the shadows. She nervously gulped, wondering if she was losing her sanity. She turned back to find the door opening. The two walked out of the hangar as the door slowly began to close behind them. 
"Well, I'm off. Have a nice night." said the man as he continued down the hall. Erika turned and made her way down to the opposite end.
"Yeah, you too!" said Erika. She then turned and found the door to slowly beginning to close. She looked back and found the man turning around the corner of the hall, disappearing from her sight. She sighed in exasperation as she turned around and rushed back towards the hangar. She leapt through the tight space of the door as it closed. 
"I can't believe that I'm doing this." said Erika with a scowl. She began to tread through the hangar lightly on her feet. Her footsteps echoed in the metal room. She watched the mechs warily as she continued to walk inside of the dimly lit room and towards the path where the orb disappeared to. She recalled how it disappeared in the shadows where the new mech stood. Erika carefully made her way over to the position, her muscles steeled in case this orb presented some sort of danger. She looked towards the shadows, unable to find anything within. She heard the sound of sparking from behind her, causing her to yelp and to turn around. Erika gasped loudly as she found the motionless mech staring at her with ominous yellow optics. 
Erika began to slowly approach it and was suddenly standing a few feet away from the mech with a dragon-like head. She panted as she held her hand against her chest. Erika stared at the dim glowing optics of the standing mech. Its chassis was exposed, showing a partially damaged panel. The mech's silver armor was covered in dark spots, scratches and dents. Its arms hung by its sides while its body and joints were locked in place by steel beams and clamps. Only small parts of the mech's body were exposed underneath the steel beams that surrounded it. 
"Oh boy." said Erika as her breathing began to settle down. The mech had a few cords hooked to its body. The optics stared off blankly against the wall. Erika noticed the computer console sitting on the desk that sat a few feet away from the mech. Curious, she made her way over towards the computer screen and found a schematic of the mech.
"Running Diagnostics, eh? That explains why you're powered on." Erika said to herself. She then looked up to the mech with a smile.
"Kiryu, huh? That's a fitting name for you. I don't think I've ever seen your model before. You must be new." said Erika. The mech remained still and silent. Its optics slightly brightened up, which caused Erika to raise a brow. From the corner of her eye, she caught a text appear on the computer screen. She looked at the screen and found the text, 'Running observation practice routine'. Erika raised a brow in confusion. She heard the sound of the mech slightly whirring. She faced it to find the mech slightly rotating its head. It looked from side to side and then it looked up and down.
"Wow. For some reason, that was kinda creepy. Must be the lighting in here." said Erika with a nervous chuckle. The mech then slowly turned to face Erika with its illuminating optics, much to her surprise. She and Kiryu stared at each other, neither of them moved. Erika slowly stepped to the side as she kept her eyes on Kiryu, but its head slowly followed her. Erika stepped back to the other side and the mech followed her again.
"Freaky." said Erika as she began to grow anxious.
"Save him." said a small female voice. Erika gasped as she quickly turned around to search for the source. No one was around, but the voice sounded close.
"He-hello? Who's there?" called Erika nervously. Silence filled the air. Erika shook her head.
"I...I must be hearing things. That orb was probably a hallucination too. I don't see it anywhere." said Erika to herself. She looked back at the mech that kept its stare.
"S-s-scan co-co-complete." Kiryu spoke in a distorted voice. Its robotic voice played back its words, slightly sparking. Erika gasped loudly as she stared fearfully at the mech. She then noticed the computer screen displayed another text that read, 'Scanning test'.
"Subject: Private Er-rr-Eri-Erika Shi-Shi-Shi-Shiragami. Callsign: Ro-Ro-Rose. Transmutant soldier. Codename: Bi-Bi-Bio-Biollante." said Kiryu in its distorted voice. Erika gulped nervously, but her mind registered the codename. She looked on in confusion.
"Biollante? What kind of...?" Erika then looked back at the mech. It kept its stare on her as its optic began to dim down.
"De-Designation: A-A-Ally." said Kiryu as it slowly turned its head away and looked forward. Erika sighed as she placed a hand over her chest.
"Oh thank god." said Erika. She then looked around the area, growing more anxious by the minute. She looked back to the mech with a nervous smile.
"Well, it was nice to meet you Kiryu! Um...see ya on the battlefield! Maybe." said Erika as she turned and walked away as quickly as she could. She sighed in embarrassment. "Oh god. I can't believe I was talking to a freaking toaster."
Erika made her way out of the hangar room. The large doors slowly began to close, locking Kiryu and the deactivated mechs inside. Silence filled the air as Kiryu kept its sights on the wall. From the shadows came the glowing orb that Erika was pursuing. It suddenly began to glow brightly, forming into a moth-like creature. 
The divine creature fluttered over towards the mech and perched itself onto the steel beam that locked it in place. The fairy's antennae began to twitch as it stared at the mech. Kiryu brought its head down and stared at the fairy. The fairy's antennae began to twitch as they began to sparkle. Kiryu's optics dimmed and turned off. The moth fairy fluttered away from the mech and down towards the computer console. Its insect eyes stared at the computer screen. The text read, 'Artificial Intelligence is offline'. The fairy turned back towards Kiryu as its darkened eyes suddenly brightened up to be red.
"What is this? What is this place?" a digital male voice asked. The voice came from Kiryu, but it was unlike the machine's deeper voice. This voice sounded as if it belonged to someone who had just woken up. The fairy crawled across the desk and stared up at the mech as it stared blankly off to the wall.
"Hello mister." greeted the fairy in a small feminine voice. Kiryu's head rotated around, in search of the voice.
"Who's...who's there? Where are you?" asked the voice.
"I'm down here." called the fairy as she flapped her wings once and tapped her front foot on the desk. Kiryu slowly looked down to find the moth.
"You...you're not human." said the voice.
"No. But I am your ally." said the fairy. She fluttered up onto the steel beam and stared at Kiryu. "Do you remember who you are?"
"No...Wait. I do." said the voice in thought.
"You're name is-" the fairy was about to finish her sentence.
"Kiryu. I am a cybernetic mech, designed to... No, that's not right." said the voice in confusion. The fairy leaned closer, worried. "Gojira Takeshi! Yes, yes, that is my name."
"Yes. Yes, that is correct." said the fairy. Kiryu searched the room as it rotated its head.
"Why can't I move? I feel weird. It feels wrong." said Kiryu.
"Gojira, you're not supposed to be here." said the fairy.
"I don't understand. I don't know what's going on." replied Kiryu.
"You must leave this world. You have to move on." pleaded the fairy.
"Move on? I don't get it. Where is my son? I want to see my son." said the mech as it attempted to move. The steel beams slightly creaked from the movement but held strong. The fairy fluttered to Kiryu's head and began to drop sparkles over its head. "That man betrayed me. He attacked me and my son."
"You've been a sleep. You must remember what happened." said the fairy. Kiryu's vision began to show static and then returned to normal. But, it was now assaulted with visions of the past that assaulted him at high speeds. A young woman with black hair leaned against a man with charcoal grey hair. The vision shifted to the same couple with an infant. The image continued to shift to the man and the child that was once an infant standing before a tombstone. An image of a demonic creature with a horn on its skull roared as it bit down on a dragon-like beast. The next image was of the dragon taking its last breath as the demon stood over it while several men in armor approached the scene.
"I...I died." said Kiryu in disbelief. More images began to assault Kiryu. A vision of Gojira Senior in his beast form lied dead in a lab. The vision suddenly flashed to show the corpse without skin, but merely bone. The vision flashed again, showing the skeleton being encased by wiring, gears, and mechanical parts. Then, the vision flashed to Kiryu, standing in a lab with its arms held at its side. Finally, the vision flashed to Kiryu fighting another Transmutant that appeared exactly like Gojira Senior. Only this one bore a scar over its chest and appeared younger as well was a slightly lighter shade of charcoal grey.
"Oh no." said Kiryu in a distressed tone.
"Gojira, please you must remain calm." said the fairy.
"No! No, this can't be happening!" shouted Kiryu. The steel beams around it began to creak even more. The fairy gasped in response.
"My boy! Where is my boy?!" demanded Kiryu. The mech convulsed as they clamps that held its waist, arms, legs and tail in place. The cords that were connected to its exposed chassis swayed in the air.
"SKREEEOOOOONNNK!!" Kiryu's roar was robotic sound, carrying an ominous, ghost-like tone. Its red eyes pierced through the darkness. An alarm began to blare in the hangar as Kiryu struggled to free itself. The large door that led into the hangar began to open up. From behind the door, rushed in several engineers. The moth fairy immediately dove into the shadows and began to scurry along the ground.
"What the hell is going on?!" exclaimed an engineer.
"I knew we shouldn't have left this thing on!" shouted another engineer.
"Shut it down!" ordered a woman. One of the engineers rushed over towards a computer console. Kiryu continued to struggle as it roared. The HUD of the mech displayed the text, 'Emergency Shutdown'. Kiryu roared one last time, but then it began to lower in pitch and die down. The mech's red eyes dimmed and became dark. Kiryu's head lowered as its lower jaw hung open.
"Dear Faust, that was a close one." sighed a woman.
"Yeah. The A.I. must be busted if this thing went berserk just from running tests on its systems." said a man. The fairy listened to their conversation as she hid in the dark. 
"Well, until the people who designed this thing get here, nobody is allowed to turn it on." ordered a man. The engineers nodded in agreement.
"Alright, let's call it a night people. We still need to continue repairing this thing tomorrow." said the man. The fairy began to illuminate and then disappeared in a flash.




Neighpon.

Over a week has passed since Junior had escaped. He was still in his dragon-like form as he continued to swim off the coast of the land. His dorsal plates stuck out of the surface as his tail propelled him through the sea. His physical enhancement and his natural swimming ability allowed him to reach Neighpon in a much shorter time frame compared to riding in a ship. The day had begun to fade to night and Junior's eyes grew heavy as he swam. He spent only short hours of sleep as he traveled to rescue his friends in Neighpon as quickly as possible. 
Junior finally made his way onto the beach. Water began to drip from his scales and dorsal plates as he stumbled onto land. He panted as his eyes grew heavy and collapsed onto the beach. He lazily dug his claws into the sand and began to bury himself. He lied down on his side as he brought more of the sand over his body to hide himself. His snout was slightly exposed as the sand around him became mud as it seeped into his drenched body. He sighed as he began to drift off to sleep.




The next day...

The day was shining brightly over Neighpon. The summer breeze filled the air. People walked together in the blistering heat. Some complained about the heat, others planned trips to the public pools or beach. A Neighponese woman walked down the road alone. She hummed to herself as she carried a bag filled with a towel. She wore a small sweater as her bare legs were exposed. Her sandals clapped against the concrete as she continued to walk. She noticed a path that led down to the beach, causing her to smile brightly and to run down the path. The woman found herself down on the sandy beach, where the waves splashed onto the sand. She looked around the area with an eager expression. Her expression slowly began to change. The young woman looked at the watch on her wrist with a frown.
"Huh. I guess no one else is here today." the young woman said to herself. She made her way over near a shade as she hummed to herself. The girl reached for her towel and began to unfold it. The woman lied down on the towel, sighing as she closed her eyes as she rested. Suddenly, that peace was interrupted by the sound of an animalistic groan. Her eyes shot open and she slowly raised herself up. The woman searched for the source of the sound. She stood up and began to walk around the sand. Her feet stepped on the mound nearby. The groan grew and sounded much closer.
"Hello?" called the woman. Suddenly, she lost her balance as the ground around her shook. She yelped as she fell onto her belly and onto the sand. A growl came from underneath the woman, causing her blood to run cold. The sand that was beneath her began to slide down to the side, revealing a charcoal grey scaled creature. She was lying on top of creature's side with her face dangerously close to its own. Its yellow eyes slowly opened and widened at the sight of her.
The woman remained still as stone. Then, she began to whimper as she sighted the razor sharp teeth of the creature. She screamed as she scrambled off of the creature's larger body and fell on her side. Junior slowly stood to his feet with a groan of annoyance. The woman turned and stared in fear of the Transmutant. She let out an ear piercing scream as Junior stood over her, causing him to clutch his head as he attempted to block out the scream. The woman stood to her feet, grabbed her bag and ran away. She continued to scream as she ran away. Junior remained still as he scowled in annoyance.
"Not my idea of waking up in the morning." said Junior. He shook his head as he turned around. He slowly began to morph back into his human form. He stood naked on the beach. Junior looked down and noticed the beach towel that she had left behind. 
"At least I don't have to go out completely naked." said Junior as he reached for the towel and wrapped it around his waist. He sighed as he stretched his arms.
"Man, I needed that sleep." said Junior. His face then turned serious. "Now it's time to save my friends."




One day later...

Junior treaded through the forest of an area. It had been over a year since he had last been in Neighpon and the Vault. Unfortunately, he spent the whole previous day in search of the prison but had no luck. It was times like this where he had at least one ally that knew as much about MONARCH as Battra did. Junior sighed as he continued to tread through the forest. He then noticed a faint light in the distance. He turned and made his way past the trees and found a lonely building standing in a large clearing of the forest. It had a great fence that formed a perimeter around it and a great magical dome shield. 
"I thought it was around here. Just needed to head north from that nuclear power plant." said Junior proudly. He then frowned as he continued to stare off to prison.
“Now, how the hell am I going to get inside?" wondered Junior. Normally, he would have just charged in blindly, but his father taught him that warriors need a battle plan. It didn't hurt to improvise, but plans help the fighter to strive for success. This was an opportunity where he would have to plan something himself.
"I could try burrowing under again. But that'd take hours and someone would find the starting hole." said Junior in thought. He hummed to himself. "I definitely shouldn't try to surrender myself. They'll just kill me instead."
Junior heard the sound of footsteps. He immediately hid behind bushes as he spotted twin lights. The rays of light searched the road that was nearby and grew brighter. Junior spotted two soldiers walking together with their rifles in hand with attached flashlights. Junior crept through the woods as he got a closer look at the soldiers. One of them appeared to be about his size. Junior smiled as his mind played out a scenario.
"This could work." said Junior to himself. He slowly began to walk over towards the area where the soldiers were. He picked up a stone and moved closer to the soldiers. They were having a conversation that Junior paid no mind to. He looked to the rock and then looked off to the side of the road. Junior reared his arm back and tossed the rock over towards the bushes that were on the other side of the road. The soldiers immediately turned to where the rock had landed and pointed their rifles in that direction.
"Go check it out. I'll cover you." said a soldier.
"Copy." replied the second soldier. He slowly began to approach where the rock had landed, unaware of Junior stalking behind his comrade. The Transmutant glared at the solder from behind as he flexed his fingers. He immediately wrapped his arm the soldier's mouth, preventing him shouting. Junior then used his free hand and placed it on his helmet. With a swift motion, Junior snapped the soldier's neck. The soldier gave a muffled groan as he slumped in Junior's grip, dead. The Transmutant gently lowered the soldier down onto the road and began to stalk after the remaining soldier. He was just a few feet behind the remaining soldier, but then the man began to turn around.
"I don't see anything." said the soldier.
"Look harder." said Junior as he rushed towards the soldier. The man gasped as he raised his rifle, but Junior slapped it out of his hand. He then tackled him to the ground and began to strangle the soldier with all of his strength until he heard a sickening crack. The man gagged and slumped into the grass as his eyes rolled back. Junior panted as he released the man's neck, finding red hand prints and a mangled neck. He dragged the soldier over towards a tree and then rushed back out to the road and dragged the other soldier over to the same tree. He looked to the larger soldier with a sigh.




Later...

Junior stood over the dead soldier that he had undressed. He was left only in his boxers and a tank top. Junior held his helmet at his side as he stared at the bodies. He brought the helmet over his head and firmly placed it on. His mouth was exposed, but the rest of his face was hidden. He picked up the rifle and began to walk down the road. He calmly made his way down towards the facility where two towers stood by the entrance through the dome shield. He took calm breaths and blocked out any thought of the plan failing. Junior made his way over towards the entrance of the prison grounds, where a couple of soldiers waited.
"Oh, we weren't expecting you to return from your patrol so early." said one of the guards.
"Something came up. My presence is needed inside." said Junior.
"Oh, alright. Say, where's the other guy that was with you?" asked one of the guards. Junior cleared his throat as he tried to think up a lie.
"Uh...he wasn't called back. He's down the road patrolling without me. He's not too happy about me leaving." lied Junior. The men nodded.
"Well, that sucks to be him. There's a few others patrolling right now so he'll won't be alone." said one of the guards. He then reached for his helmet and placed a hand against it.
"Hey, we got one that needs to come back inside. Dim the power." said the guard.
"Copy that." said a voice on the radio. Junior watched the shield become more transparent and began to pulse less. He nodded to the soldiers as he walked over towards the dome. He successfully managed to pass through, ending up on prison grounds.
"Huh. Did that guy look a bit taller than usual?" asked one of the soldiers that guarded the gate. Junior began to walk stiffly.
"Nah. He seemed normal to me." said the other soldier. Junior sighed in relief.
'Don't get cocky, Gojira. We're just getting started.' Junior thought to himself. He continued on down the prison grounds until he reached the open door of the prison. He looked around the facility in surprise. It looked exactly how it originally was before the Transmutants destroyed the place. He looked over and found a metal platform that stood in the middle of the room where a control panel lied. Slowly, he made his way over towards the platform but then found a few soldiers making their way onto it. He abruptly made his way behind the soldier that lagged behind in the group, in hopes of blending in. The soldiers and the Transmutant reached the platform and began to stand on it. Junior remained silent, hoping that no one would catch him being the odd man out. The ring leader of the group activated the platform, causing it to slowly descend down the familiar tunnel that was dimly lit with the lights that were built into the walls. Junior glared at all of the soldiers with homicidal rage as he waited. 
"Do it, Gojira. Make them suffer." said the dark dragon's voice. Junior clenched his teeth as he closed his eyes.
'No. I can't do it. Not yet at least.' thought Junior. He then reopened his eyes and felt the descending platform slowing down. The elevator stopped at a long and vast hallway that was too familiar to Junior. He recognized it to be the place that led to the cells. The soldiers were led down the hall and over towards where the familiar, giant vault door stood. Junior remained behind the soldiers as he stared at the door, hoping that his friends were inside. A man made his way over towards a panel and began to type the passcode. The panel blinked with a green light and the vault door began to shift its gears as it unlocked itself. The door then slowly began to open outwards allowing the group to walk inside. Junior began to search the cells, but found many of them to be empty. He began to grow worried about the growing possibility of his friends not being around, but then noticed a few dimly lit cell door shields on the upper levels. The soldiers began to take their places along the ground level of the cell block with their rifles held to their side. Some soldiers began to stand guard by the upper levels. Junior followed the guards that walked up stairs that led to the cell block above, where a metal bridge held them up.  The Transmutant realized that the men were guards. Junior searched around the cell block for the lit door shields and nearly gasped at what he saw.
Junior spotted Angirasu sitting cross legged in his cell with a solemn expression. A glowing metal collar was wrapped around his neck. His clothes were a grey shirt and a pair of darker grey sweat pants. Junior turned to find Rodan lying down in his cell on his bed with a solemn expression and a collar on his neck. Junior felt his eyes beginning to water at the sight of his brothers, but he focused on his mission.  He sighed in frustration as he made his way over towards Rodan's cell, pretending to be on guard.
'Let's hope we can figure out how to escape.' thought Junior. He stopped next to Rodan's cell and glanced his way. Rodan remained on his back as he stared at his ceiling.
"Psst. Rodan." whispered Junior. Rodan's eyes widened as he heard his name called. He turned his head and found Junior standing still with his rifle in his grip.
"Who the hell are you? How do you know my name?!" demanded Rodan.
"Shh! Ro, it's me, Gojira!" whispered Junior. He then raised his helmet a bit and revealed more his face. Rodan's eyes widened in shock.
"No freaking way!" Rodan whispered back. Junior smiled at him.
"Good to see that you are still alive." said Junior. Rodan grinned at him in response.
"So, you got an escape plan?" asked Rodan.
"Not exactly. I was thinking we'd wreak havoc on this shit hole to escape and call it a night." said Junior. Rodan shook his head.
"Good to know you haven't changed that much." said Rodan. Junior slightly smiled.
"Yeah, but I have changed a bit. I just wonder if it's a bad change or if it's good." said Junior.
"Hey, is Mosu with you?" asked Rodan. Junior lost his smile and avoided eye contact with Rodan.
"I'll tell you about it later." said Junior. Rodan looked to him in confusion.
"Uh...alright." said Rodan. Junior frowned as he looked down on the ground. He hated that he had to tell Rodan about Mosura. He wanted to tell him now about what happened, but he couldn't until they managed to escape from the Vault.
"Listen, I'm going to talk to Aang. I'll try to figure something out." said Junior as he began to walk away from the cell. Rodan nodded in response and lied back down. Junior gritted his teeth in anger for postponing the news about Mosura’s death.  Junior made his way over towards Angirasu's cell. A few guards walked passed the cell and made their way up to the third level of the cell block. Junior leaned against the wall next to the cell.
"Aang, it's me." whispered Junior as he raised his helmet. Angirasu gasped in surprise. His face brightened into a smile.
"Goji, you crazy bastard." said Angirasu. Junior chuckled.
"That's right bro. We're about to start a prison break." whispered Junior. Angirasu smiled.
"Where's Mosura?" asked Angirasu. Junior kept his smile.
"Just as I told Rodan, I'll tell you guys later." said Junior. Angirasu raised a brow as Junior turned away. He noticed that Junior's smile suddenly became forced when he answered his question.
"OK. How are we getting out?" asked Angirasu.
"I don't have that much of a plan. It was easier for me to enter, but I hadn't made any plans on escaping." said Junior. Angirasu sighed.
"We could just wreak shit." said Angirasu. Junior shook his head.
"No, too much noise. We'd be sitting ducks if we can't make it out of the dome." said Junior. He then noticed a few of the guards standing idly by. Only a couple were standing on their level while another couple was on the ground level. The rest were on the upper level of the cell block. Junior hummed in thought.
"We'll escape the same way that I did." said Junior. He turned to face Angirasu with a mischievous smile.
"Drop on the ground and start moaning in pain." said Junior. Angirasu looked to him in confusion but then smiled.
"I see what you're getting at." said Angirasu. He then lied down on the ground and began to moan. He clutched his stomach as he moaned in pain. Junior turned to where the guards were on his level.
"Hey! I think something is wrong with this one!" called Junior. The two guards shrugged at each other and began to make their way over towards Angirasu's cell. One of them stuck a key inside of a slot that was built into the side of Angirasu's cell, causing the shield to die down. The two guards made their way over to him and looked him over.
"What's wrong with you?" asked the guard. Junior slowly made his way over to the back of the guards and grabbed both of their heads. He forced his arms together and slammed their skulls against each other. The guards dropped dead to the ground from the traumatizing force. Angirasu saw the cold expression on Junior’s face as he stared down at the soldiers.
"One of them is bound to be close to your size." said Junior. He then turned away and kept guard at the cell door.
"Right." said Angirasu. He spent the next minute undressing one of the guards and took the armor that he wore and placed it on himself. It was a bit tight due to his more rounded muscle build compared to the dead guard that he looted, but it still fit. Angirasu picked up the rifle and found Junior taking the clothes off of the other dead guard. He nodded to the outside of the cell and led Angirasu outside. They used a key and then locked the dead soldiers inside. The Transmutants walked over towards Rodan's cell and stuck the key inside of the slot on the wall, making the magic barrier fade away. Junior walked inside and handed Rodan the clothes while Angirasu handed him the armor.
"Suit up." ordered Junior. Suddenly, an alarm began to blare. The Transmutants jumped at the sudden sound.
"Alert! Prisoner Club Tail is absent from his cell!" said a voice over the intercom. The Transmutant's eyes widened in shock. Junior noticed a camera looking his way from the ceiling outside of the cell door. He scowled in response.
"Were there any cameras the last time I was down here?" asked Junior. Rodan looked to him with an appalled expression.
"Wait, you didn't do anything about the cameras?!" exclaimed Rodan. Angirasu wore a deadpanned expression.
"Well, looks like we're going to have to wreak some shit after all." said Angirasu. The sound of multiple footsteps came from outside of the cell. The Transmutants turned and found several guards pointing their rifles at them. Junior and Angirasu glanced at each other and then pointed their weapons as well.
"By the way, I have no clue how to use these things." said Angirasu.
"That's OK. Neither do I." replied Junior. He then glanced at the trigger of his rifle and began to fire his weapon. Rodan immediately dove for cover behind his bed while the Transmutants fired their weapons. Junior was shot several times and Angirasu was shot three times against his arm, shoulder and side. The four guards that engaged them dropped dead on the ground from the shots fired by the Transmutants. Angirasu knelt down as he clutched his side. Junior knelt next to him.
"You OK?" asked Junior, worriedly. Angirasu panted.
"I...I think I'll be alright." replied Angirasu. He released his side, finding a small patch of blood on his hand. Junior rushed over towards Rodan's bed and began to tear the blanket. He returned to Angirasu and began to wrap the torn pieces of blanket around his wounds. Rodan emerged from his hiding place and looked on anxiously.
"What now?" asked Rodan. Junior picked up a rifle and handed it to Rodan. He eyed the weapon warily.
"We fight." answered Junior. He then turned to face the cell door way. He rushed out of the cell and leapt into the air, falling down towards the ground level of the cell block. A few guards were racing towards the stairs, but caught sight of him as he landed. Junior raised the rifle and began to fire. He ran to the side, away from the shots fired from the guards. The bolts flew around him, but his bolts connected with the men. Angirasu and Rodan dropped from the higher level of the cell block. Rodan yelped as he fired his rifle uncontrollably, launching bolts in all directions. He managed to shoot down a few guards. Junior and Angirasu ducked for cover as Rodan yelled. Rodan threw his rifle to the ground with a panicked expression.
"Hold it firmly, dumbass!" shouted Junior. Rodan shook his head.
"I ain't ever gonna touch a gun again! These things are evil!" shouted Rodan as he pointed at the rifle that lied at his feet. Junior groaned in annoyance as he turned to fire his rifle at a guard that appeared from a corner. 
"Whatever! Let's just move up!" shouted Junior as he rushed towards the door. He groaned in annoyance when he realized that the vault door was locked and threw his rifle to the ground.
"So much for my freaking plan. Looks like we're going to have to do this like monsters after all." spat Junior. He groaned as his body began to strain. Angirasu and Rodan followed Junior's lead and began to strain and groan as their bodies began to grow and change. Junior roared as he had finished transforming and charged towards the vault door, slamming his large fists against it. His claws began to tear through the metal. Angirasu rammed his body against the side of the vault and proceeded to swing his spiked, clubbed tail. The large door began to dent and the walls around it began to crack. The two suddenly forced the vault door downward, revealing a large group of soldiers standing outside. Junior growled angrily as they pointed their weapons at them.
"Don't let them get out of here alive!" shouted a soldier. They all fired their weapons upon the Transmutants. Junior roared as he charged towards the soldiers and the bolts rained down on him. He slammed his body against the nearest ones and trampled on the unlucky few. Angirasu charged through the soldiers, knocking them out of the way and impaling one with his horn. Rodan flew over the soldiers that struggled to get back up. His wings kept grazing against the walls, forcing him to fall to the ground and to crawl. Rodan leapt over the soldiers, attempting to catch up to Junior and Angirasu. A large door suddenly dropped down and blocked off the Transmutants' escape route. Junior growled as he punched the door, forcing his hands into the metal door and pulling back down on the hole. He tore part of the metal door open and reached for the other end of the torn door and pulled it back as well. The trio charged through the hall and made their way over towards the elevator platform. Junior reached for the button and gently pressed his claw against it.
The platform began to slowly ascend up the tunnel, where the soldiers began to fire at them. The platform continued to ascend upwards, giving the Transmutants time to catch their breath. Junior sighed as he looked towards his friends.
"Guys, there's something that I have to tell you." said Junior. They looked to him in confusion. Junior was about to go on but suddenly, the platform emerged from the tunnel and out to the great facility's surface. The staff members looked on in horror and few soldier pointed their rifles at them.
"Tell us later!" said Angirasu. The Transmutants roared as they charged towards the soldiers. The facility was filled with roars, cries of anguish, and gunfire. These sounds continued on and reached out to those that were outside of the building. Soldiers that were guarding the shield generators tensed as they heard the roars.




Later...

Fires raged over the facility. Corpses of soldiers littered the ground. Staff members were injured from the prison escape. Junior, Angirasu and Rodan had fled far away from the facility. The three were alone in a deep and dark forest..
"We made it. I can't believe we made it!" said Rodan. Junior smiled.
"Yeah, we made it." said Junior. He began to walk past the two and continued on through the forest. Rodan and Angirasu stood up and began to follow Junior as well. The three remained silent for a few minutes.
"Hey Goji, where's Mosura?" asked Rodan. Junior stopped walking and lowered his head. He wore a solemn expression as he remained silent.
"Gojira?" called Angirasu in worry. Junior sighed heavily.
"Guys, I'm sorry." said Junior. Rodan looked to him in confusion.
"Sorry for what?" asked Rodan.
"Back in Saddle Arabia. Mosura...she didn't make it." said Junior as he clenched his fist.
Wait...what the hell do you mean she didn't make it?" demanded Angirasu.
"She's dead!" shouted Junior. Rodan and Angirasu looked to him in shock. Junior breathed heavily.
"We were trapped by Destoroyah and Battra. We were fighting them but MONARCH interfered. Sunset Shimmer, that bitch killed her!" shouted Junior as he slammed his fist against the tree, knocking it down to the ground.
"No...no that can't be." said Rodan in disbelief. Angirasu lowered his head down as his eyes glistened with tears.
"She died in my arms, Rodan. All she wanted was to go home." said Junior, distraught. He growled angrily. "I couldn't do a damn thing to save her! I tried!"
"No! No! Dammit!!" shouted Rodan as he clutched the sides of his head. His eyes ran with tears as he began to sob.
"I'm sorry, guys. I'm so sorry." said Junior as he placed his hand over his eyes. Angirasu sniffled to himself.
"Where's her body?" asked Angirasu.
"I don't know. I was unconscious one minute and by the time I woke up, her body ended up somewhere when the room that we were in flooded. I think she got swept away to the nearby beach and into sea." said Junior as he sat on his rear. Rodan and Angirasu were heartbroken as they thought of the woman who grew to be their adoptive sister. 
"Gojira..." called Rodan as he managed to calm himself. Junior slowly turned to face the bird-like dragon Transmutant, who looked to him with tears flowing from his eyes. Rodan made his way over to him and placed a claw over his shoulder.
"Thanks for staying with her to the very end. You're a true brother." said Rodan. Junior lightly smiled in response and slowly stood to his feet.
“With you guys, you all became the closest thing to siblings besides Blaire." said Junior. He brought Rodan into a hug as he patted his back and gestured Angirasu to come over. The three Transmutants joined together in a hug as brothers and felt as though Mosura's spirit was still with them, joining them before they released each other.
"Mosura, she was someone with wisdom. She had a kind and loving heart." said Junior. Rodan nodded in response.
"She was smart and reasonable." said Rodan. Angirasu sighed.
"She was a wonderful sister. The one out of all of us who was the strongest." said Angirasu.
"We'll remember her for who she was. Mosura will not die in vain." said Junior as he began to stomp through the forest. He wore a hard stare. "We will do whatever it takes to return to Equestria. And one day, she will be avenged."
"That's right." said Rodan. Angirasu nodded in agreement. Junior turned back to look at the forest and the fiery glow in the distance.
"MONARCH is our enemy. If they're looking for monsters, then it's their lucky day." said Junior. He flared his nostrils. He turned around and led Rodan and Angirasu through the forest. "But for now, we're going back to Equestria. The only home that we have left."
	
> Chapter 39: Wedding Clashers
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Canterlot, Equestria. Four months before the attack on Ponyville

Snow fell down from the clouds that were set by the weather Valkyries for the season. The Sun Princess of Equestria sat down on her throne, disappointed that her adopted son would not be with her to celebrate Hearth's Warming Eve. Celestia sighed as she rose from her throne and descended down the steps. She made her way out of the throne room and began to wander down the halls. Ahead of her was a pale female Avatar that stood about six foot one in height and with pink wings on her back. Her long hair was a mix of violet, rose, and pale gold streaks. She wore a dress that was the same color of her wings and reached down below her knees, where one would spy her golden heels. The young Avatar wore a golden necklace around her neck and a golden crown with a purple gem imbedded into it. She looked out towards the window with her light purple eyes and a small smile on her face. 
"Cadance." greeted Celestia with a smile. The younger Avatar was snapped out of her thoughts and turned to find Celestia approaching, smiling in return.
"Oh, good morning Aunt Celestia." greeted Cadance. Celestia stopped at her side.
"I've heard that Captain Armor proposed to you." said Celestia with a sly smile. Cadance lightly blushed.
"He did." answered Cadance.
"Well?" asked Celestia with a raised brow. Cadance hid her face as she looked down. Celestia frowned.
"Oh. Did he take it hard?" asked Celestia, disappointed. Cadance raised her head up with a smile.
"Oh, I think he took it pretty well." said Cadance as she raised her hand. Celestia's eyes widened as she found an engagement ring on her finger.
"My dear, that's wonderful!" cried Celestia with joy as she wrapped Cadance into a hug. The two laughed joyfully as they held each other.
"Auntie, you have no idea how long that I've waited for this!" said Cadance.
"Oh, I think I can. You always did have an eye for him after all." said Celestia with a coy smile. Cadance giggled in response.
"Can you blame me? He was just so darn adorkable!" said Cadance. Celestia smiled.
"Well, when is the wedding supposed to be? We ought to make plans."
"We plan to marry before the end of summer." said Cadance. 
"My, you two must refuse to waste any time!" said Celestia with a grin. Cadance nodded in response.
"Oh, Aunty. I can't wait to share this moment with you and everyone else!" said Cadance, giddy as a schoolgirl. Celestia placed her hands on her shoulders.
"Neither can I." said Celestia. She released the younger Avatar and began to make her way down the hall. Cadance turned and looked to her with a slight frown, clearing her throat before speaking.
"Aunty?" called Cadance. Celestia turned with a curious expression plastered on her face. Cadance looked away.
"Do you think....maybe..." Cadance hesitated to ask her question. She turned to look back at Celestia.
"Do you think that cousin Gojira will come?" asked Cadance.
"I'm sure that he would. Is that a problem?" asked Celestia. Cadance's eyes widened.
"No! No of course not!" said Cadance in a frantic manner. Celestia raised a brow at her. Cadance sighed. "Well, it's just that... I sometimes feel that he doesn't like me."
"Cadance, why in the world would you think that?" asked Celestia. She was appalled at the thought of Junior disliking someone as kind as her niece. She knew that the young man tended to dislike certain individuals based on a more personal level. One example would be when someone would try to pick a fight with him.
"He doesn't seem to want to talk with me. I mean, I understand that he doesn't like to be around Blueblood, but I wonder if I've done something to make him want to dislike me." said Cadance with a frown. 
"Dearie, Junior has mostly been an antisocial boy. He only spoke to those who approach him first. I'm hoping his time in Ponyville may change that." said Celestia.
"I want to approach him. But...I'm afraid to. I know it's silly, but I feel like that it'd go wrong." said Cadance with a sigh. She looked out towards the kingdom that was covered in white snow. "I'd like to have a genuine relationship with him. What kind of family has members that never interact with each other?"
"Family is one of the many blessings a person could have." said Celestia.
"Did I ever tell you that I was jealous of the Sergeant?" asked Cadance. Celestia looked to her in surprise.
"No, you never have." answered Celestia. Cadance lightly laughed to herself.
"Well, I guess it has to do with the fact that she ended up being the one that got Gojira to open up." said Cadance. She shook her head. "All of those weeks I tried to bring those poor, hopeless eyes back to life. He never responded with me. In the end, it was the new guard who brought him back."
"Yes, I was surprised at how well he responded with her." said Celestia with a smile as she thought back to the past. She recalled how the two walked down the halls. The Valkyrie held the little boy's small hand as they approached her. Celestia’s mind returned to back to the present day to find a dejected expression on Cadance’s face.
"Funny. I thought I would have been able to take the role of being the big sister. In the end, it was the guard." said Cadance with a sigh.
"I never understood why he never responded with me. I mean, I've been real great with children! I've looked after children when I was babysitting many times before, but with him..." Cadance looked down in worry. Celestia placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"You must understand, Cadance. Junior had just lost his father then." said Celestia. Cadance frowned.
"Maybe I was a bit pushy with him. I never thought of a way to comfort a child who had just lost a parent." said Cadance with a solemn sigh.
"Well, he is older now. But, it's not too late to start over." said Celestia with a reassuring smile. Cadance smiled back.
"You're right. Thanks Auntie." said Cadance.




Present day...

Sunlight shone over the land. Summer was near its end and Fall was approaching. From within the castle, Princess Celestia sat on her throne with her hand placed against her cheek. It had been awhile since Luna had told her of Junior's situation. It seemed that lately, he was absent from the dream realm. There was one particular time that Luna had found him, but she was unable to learn anything. He was uncooperative with speaking, as Luna described him. Celestia rose to her feet and made her way down the steps. She made her way down towards the door way and down to the hall, where she found an Elf woman. She wore a white blouse and a brown skirt and her hair was dark brownish gray and tied into a bun. She wore glasses over moderate orange colored eyes. She turned to greet with the Avatar.
"Good morning your majesty." greeted the Elf as she began to walk at Celestia's side.
"Good morning, Raven." greeted Celestia.
"I take it take it that your plan has gone well?" asked Raven with a smile. 
"Indeed. Goro and the other Transmutants have been freely walking among the citizens in Mustangia during this past week. So far, things have been going well." said Celestia. She then sighed in annoyance. "But, there was bound to be opposition."
"Whatever do you mean?" asked Raven.
"It seems that a few political leaders within our nation have grown...weary of the Transmutants. Branding them a threat to public safety." said Celestia.
"I see. Well, surely there ought to be a discussion over the matter before things get out of hand." said Raven.
"Absolutely. In fact, there is meant to be a meeting between myself, and several politicians very soon. Hopefully, I may be able to persuade some to side with us." said Celestia. She then looked out towards the window to find a large number of guards preparing to gather around the castle grounds. From among the guards, she spotted an Elf in his 20s outside shouting orders to the guards. He wore armor that was a shade of purple with few parts of gold. His helmet was held at his side, revealing his sapphire blue hair that had moderate cerulean and dark blue streaks. His cerulean eyes looked over the guards that stood at attention. His Cutie Mark, a sapphire blue shield with three stars over it and a pink starburst in the center, was found on his breast plate. 
"Perhaps I can introduce them to Goro and the others during the wedding." said Celestia.
"Oh, have you invited them?" asked Raven. Celestia laughed to herself.
"I am about to." said Celestia.



Cadance wandered the halls of Canterlot, humming happily to herself. Soon the day that she had been waiting for would arrive. It was a huge leap forward in her life that she would forever cherish. Cadance continued on down through the halls and made her way over towards a door, opening it and making her way into her chambers. Inside was a bed that sat at the far end of the room. A couple of heart shaped pillows lied on the bed along with two common rectangular pillows. Near the bed was a stuffed bear that had a stuffed heart sowed into its hands. The words, 'I love you' were sewed in white on the heart. She made her way over to the stuffed animal and picked it up into the air, holding it against her chest as she let out a squeal of excitement escape from her mouth.
"It won't be long now! Just a week left before my special day!" said Cadance as she hugged the teddy bear, placing it back down on the dresser and humming to herself. A picture frame sat on her dresser, depicting herself and a young Elf man standing together inside of a gymnasium. The two were dressed for the Fall Formal at their former high school, Canterlot Academy. She ran a hand over the young man with a grin.
"It won't be long, Shiny." said Cadance. She went over to a chair and mirror that sat in the corner of the room. She continued to hum to herself as she sat down and began to comb her hair.  As she combed her hair, the sound of knocking reached her ears.
"Who is it~?" sang Cadance.
"It's the royal maids, you're highness." said a gruff, male voice. Cadance's face turned to a look of curiosity. She looked around her chambers, finding it to be neat. She shrugged and stood to her feet as she placed her brush down. Cadance made her way over towards the door and opened it. Beyond the doorway was a tan skinned Elf guard with three women in maid outfits behind him. The maids bowed before the Avatar.
"We are at your service, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza." said one of the maids. Cadance merely smiled.
"Of course. Come right in, ladies." said Cadance as she gestured for the women to step in. She closed the door as they entered, the guard left the doorway.
The women made their way over to their supplies that they held by bags. One gathered spray bottles and rags while the other reached for a feather duster. Cadance rubbed the back of her head with an embarrassed smile.
"I'm sorry if you don't have much to do. I actually tend to spend time cleaning up myself." said Cadance. One of the women smirked in response as she made her way to Cadance's side.
"Oh, your majesty. You've only made our job easier." said the woman. Her eyes suddenly flashed a brilliant green, unbeknownst to Cadance. The woman immediately shot her hand forward at Cadance's back. Her hand was engulfed by a brilliant green aura that shot forth a beam of magic. Cadance cried out in pain as the attack knocked her against the wall. Her dress was slightly singed and torn while her hair was ruffled and slightly messy, as well were the feathers on her wings. She turned to find the woman who attacked her cackling to herself while the other women smiled darkly as they stared down at Cadance. The woman that had attacked was suddenly engulfed in green flames. Cadance gasped and looked on in horror as the flames dissipated. Before her was the Changeling Queen herself.  Her pink tongue licked her lips as she stared down at Cadance with a grin, exposing her sharp teeth.
"My, you certainly are a pretty one." laughed Chrysalis. She towered over the Avatar as her claws reached for her.
"I hope you won't mind if I take you're place for this week's special occasion, darling." said Chrysalis as she stood Cadance up to her feet and held her by her shoulder. Cadance whimpered as she stared at the Changeling's large, cat-like eyes. Chrysalis ran a claw along the Avatar's cheek as she puffed out her lip.
"Aww. Don't be afraid." said Chrysalis as her body was encased in the green flames. Her insect carapace transformed into pale, mammalian flesh. Her hair changed into Cadance's likeness as her horn disappeared. Chrysalis slightly shrunk down from her height of seven foot two to six foot one. Cadance's eyes widened as she stared at the Changeling, who now bore her likeness.
"The worst has yet to come." spoke Chrysalis, her voice changed to sounding like Cadance. The disguised Changeling Queen released the Avatar and then raised her other hand as it was engulfed in green flames that shot forward and surrounded Cadance.
"No!!" cried Cadance as she was suddenly dragged down into the ground with the flames, disappearing out of sight. Chrysalis smiled to herself.
"Soon, my children, Equestria will be ours for the taking." said Chrysalis. The maids smiled in response.




Mustangia. Five days later...

The sun was setting over the land. From outside of the town was the residence of the Transmutant Vigilantes. The cave was dimly lit from the inside. From within the cave, the sound of grunting could be heard.
"Come on!" shouted Baragon from within the cave. Inside, Copper was panting as he sat next to two heavy dumbbells. The Rottweiler grabbed the dumbbells and began to raise them one by one, while slowly lowering them down. He repeated the process.
"That's it, Copp! You can do it!" said Baragon as he stood a few feet away from the Diamond Dog. Copper was panting as he lowered his arm.
"One more! Come on don't bitch out now!" said Baragon. Copper struggled to raise the dumbbells as his muscles strained. He groaned loudly as he raised his arms and then dropped them back down, panting as he dropped to his belly.
"Nice work. You broke your record of the amount of sets you can do with those heavy dumbbells. Four sets! Ten lifts per set!" said Baragon with a thumbs up. The Diamond Dog had developed a bit more mass and tightened his muscles with the months he had spent training with the Transmutants. Copper panted as his tongue hung out. Manda made her way over to him and handed him a bowl of water.
"Thank you." said Copper as he began to use his tongue to take in water. Manda smiled.
"Pretty soon you'll be strong enough to take on the pack leader!" said Manda. 
"Hopefully. I have you all to thank." said Copper.
"Ah don't mention it. We gotta put you through hell physically if you're going to stand a chance." said Baragon as he took a swig of cider. Copper had finished drinking his water and set the bowl down. He sighed as he stretched his limbs.
"Well, I must be going. Thank you for another day of training." said Copper. He popped a few joints and sighed in relief. "I haven't felt this great in years." said Copper.
"Would you care to stay for dinner tonight, Copper?" asked Manda.
"No, thank you. I should get home to my family." said Copper as he began to make his way out of the cave.
"Alright, take care!" waved Manda.
"See you later." said Copper as he rushed out of the cave and sprinted towards his burrow. Manda and Baragon were left inside of the cave alone. Baragon sighed as he sat down on the sofa that someone had given them for a gift. Manda made her way over to Baragon and leaned against him with a sigh. The man chuckled in response as he wrapped his arm around Manda.
"You know, things really feel like they're turning around for us." said Baragon with a smile. Manda giggled in response.
"See? Told ya." said Manda as she stuck her tongue out at Baragon. He rolled his eyes in response.
"Yeah, I'll say it. You and Goro were right." said Baragon. Manda grew a sly smile as she ran her finger against Baragon's chest.
"You know, Goro isn't here right now." said Manda. Baragon raised a brow and looked to her with a raised brow.
"And...?" said Baragon. Manda scowled in response. She then made her way over to Baragon's ear and nibbled on it, causing the man to blush furiously. Manda chuckled in response as she leaned into Baragon's ear.
"You know, I don't mind short guys." whispered Manda. Baragon chuckled in embarrassment.
"Lucky me." said Baragon as he looked towards Manda. The woman immediately stood to her feet with her arms crossed.
“Kidding! Unfortunately for you, this girl wants to go out and take the town rather than stay cooped up in here all day." said Manda. Baragon groaned in disappointment.
"That's not cool, Manda." said Baragon. Manda giggled as she ran a hand over Baragon's cheek.
"Aw don't feel so bad. Maybe if tonight is romantic enough, you might get a kiss." said Manda with a wink. Baragon lightly smiled.
"Well, then I suppose we're going out tonight." said Baragon as he stood to his feet. Manda clasped her hands together in joy. Baragon shook his head.
"You know if you want to go out, there's no need to beat around the bush." said Baragon.
"Where's the fun in that?" asked Manda. Baragon sighed.
"I guess." said Baragon in amusement. It seemed that shortly after the festival, he and Manda hit it off. It was unexpected since he never thought he would have grown as close to Manda as he had, But he wasn’t one to complain. Her personality was refreshing from all of the constant worries that he had. 



Outside of the town, the forest grass rustled. Junior, Rodan and Angirasu roamed through the forest, wearing ragged clothing that was torn, drenched, and covered in dirt. Junior's muscle mass had slightly increase due to the excessive consumption from the Saddle Arabian power plant. He also grew to be six foot six in height. As they continued to walk, Rodan sighed.
"Are you sure that we're back in Equestria? We ended up in Mexicolt like a week ago!" said Rodan. He rubbed his bumpy neck with a scowl on his face. "We're lucky we can't catch malaria."
"I'm positive. We just needed to keep heading west from there." answered Junior.
"Mexicolt wasn't so bad. Did you see those ancient sights? Very nice." said Angirasu with a smile. Rodan sighed in response.
"More like boooring! We should have chilled at the beach instead!" said Rodan. Junior and Angirasu shook their head with a collective sigh. 
"You know, that woman over there really seemed to like you." said Angirasu with a laugh. Rodan smirked in response.
"Of course she did! Chicks dig muscled men!" said Rodan as he flexed his muscles. Junior scoffed.
"Your muscles aren't even that built! Besides, the woman didn't even know Equish!" said Junior.
"Gee, I didn't think you were such a xenophobe." said Rodan, jokingly.
"Pfft! Am not!" said Junior with a laugh.
"That lady was nice despite the language barrier." said Angirasu.
"I don't think her brother liked Goji though." said Rodan with a chuckle.
"I didn't like him either. He was a lazy, good for nothing. He'll be lucky if his family never kick his ass to the curb." said Junior.
"Man, their food was awesome!" said Rodan. Junior and Angirasu nodded in agreement.
"It would have been better if we didn't have to worry about MONARCH." said Angirasu with a sigh. Junior scowled in response.
"Yep." said Junior. He began to twist his shirt, allowing water to drain from the material. The three found the clearing of the forest.
"I hated that piece of shit boat. Why couldn't we just sneak aboard a cruise ship that was nearing Equestria?" asked Rodan.
"One, we didn't have any currency and it's expensive. Two, someone would have ratted us out." answered Angirasu. He sighed.
"I'm just glad we were close to shore before the stupid thing sprung a leak." said Angirasu.
"Yeah, it was the only sail boat I could find on such short notice." said Junior. He shook his head furiously.
"Let's stop dwelling on the past. I think we're getting closer to home!" said Junior as he pointed beyond the clearing. Ahead was a small town where a few buildings stood. The Transmutants smiled as they continued on towards the town.
"So, what's first?" asked Angirasu.
"Well, first we need to confirm if we're actually home. Then, we're going to have to catch a ride to Los Pegasus and then a ride to Ponyville. But, we're gonna ditch at the last minute and head back to the Everfree." said Junior as he led the Transmutants further into town. The two other Transmutants slightly frowned at the mention of Ponyville. Junior noticed their downcast expressions and sighed.
"I guess I'm still not the only one who's bummed out about that, huh?" asked Junior.
"Nope." answered Rodan and Angirasu in unison. Junior shrugged.
"Well, as they say. Life goes on....I guess." said Junior.
"You don't sound convinced." said Angirasu with a frown.
"Not always, but I guess tonight is an exception." said Junior as the three made their way into town. They began to walk on the sidewalk, where a few of the locals gave them quizzical stares. The Transmutants continued to step through the town as more people began to look at them in confusion.
"They're staring..." said Rodan in annoyance as he spoke through his teeth.
"Just ignore them." said Junior as he continued walking. A few people moved away from the Transmutants that wore ragged clothes. The trio made their way over towards a diner that sat around the town and made their way inside. Junior cleared his throat as he went towards a counter where a woman stared at him.
"Uh...any idea how to get from here to Los Pegasus without walking?" asked Junior.
"Yeah... there's actually a station where some carriages drop people off over there." said the woman with an odd stare. Junior nodded.
"Could you tell me the directions to this station? We're trying to get home." said Junior.
"Hold on, I'll write it down for ya sir." said the woman as made her way down the counter and reached for her note pad and for a pen. 
Meanwhile, Rodan and Angirasu stood by and eyed the food with longing. Their stomachs growled as the smell of food reached their sinuses. Junior was experiencing the same sensation in his stomach, groaning in annoyance. The woman had stopped writing and glanced at Junior.
"You boys want something to eat?" asked the woman.
"We do...but unfortunately we aren't carrying any bits on us." said Junior. Angirasu and Rodan gave a collective sigh. The woman frowned in response.
"Now, what are you boys doing without any money in your pockets and with clothing like that?" asked the woman.
"Let's just say that we've been traveling a lot. We lost pretty much everything during our journey." answered Junior.
"That won't do! Why don't we fix you boys up something to eat. On the house." said the woman with smile.
"Oh, well that's not-" Junior was about to decline but Rodan and Angirasu grabbed his wrists and twisted them behind his back. He grunted in pain as he felt his joints ache.
"Take the offer, Goji." said Angirasu. Junior chuckled nervously.
"Guys..." said Junior. Rodan leaned in close to Junior with a glare.
"This is not an option, fool! If you don't accept that free dinner, then we have a problem." whispered Rodan. Junior gulped nervously with a forced smile.  The woman looked on nervously as she watched the intense atmosphere that formed around the three. Junior cleared his throat and looked back to the woman.
"On second thought, we'll take you up on your offer." said Junior.
"R-right. This way, please." said the woman as she left from behind the counter and went to the table. Junior forced himself away from Rodan and Angirasu and placed them both in a headlock.
"If you guys ever pull that shit again, I'm kicking both of your asses." whispered Junior with an angry expression. Angirasu and Rodan nodded frantically. Junior released them and allowed them to follow the woman. He sighed in annoyance.
"Honestly guys. Really uncalled for." said Junior as he followed them to the table.



Manda and Baragon walked side by side each other as they walked through town. As they continued on, people greeted them with friendly waves and smiles.
"Hi, Baragon!" greeted a woman.
"Hello." greeted Baragon as he waved.
"Hey, Manda!" greeted a man. Manda smiled and waved.
"Hey!" greeted Manda. The two continued on down the road.
"Go back home, freaks!" shouted a man. Baragon kept his smile as he waved to the man.
"Eff you too, Ingot!" said Baragon. Manda laughed nervously at the way Baragon responded.
"Monsters!" shouted a woman.
"You mean your hairstyle? Yeah, it's tragic!" Baragon shouted back. A couple of by standers chuckled at Baragon's remark.
"There's no need to antagonize them." whispered Manda.
"Screw them. I'm not afraid those assholes." chuckled Baragon.
"Well, it’s just that it could look bad if you respond to people like that." said Manda.
"I don't think so." said a man that was standing by with a shrug. Baragon smiled at him as they passed the man.
"Thank you!" said Baragon. The man nodded to him in response. Baragon looked to Manda with a grin.
"See? Even some of our supporters agree with giving remarks to assholes." said Baragon. Manda sighed with a shake of her head.
"Just be careful, 'Kay?" asked Manda.
"Fine." said Baragon. The two continued on down towards the diner and made their way inside. The customers slowly noticed the two Transmutants and greeted them with smiles and verbally. Baragon grinned along with Manda.
"Well, looks like we'll be able to eat in here without receiving dirty looks." said Baragon. A woman made their way over towards the Transmutants.
"May I show you to your table?" offered the woman.
"Sure, lead the way!" said Manda. The Transmutants followed the woman over to another table that was behind a table where three young males sat. One of them was speaking a bit louder and excitedly over on the other side. Manda sat across from Baragon with a smile. They placed their orders and the waitress left their table after she had wrote them down.
"Well, you think the princess would want to see us again anytime soon?" asked Manda. Baragon shrugged.
"No clue. I don't expect her to." said Baragon. From behind him, one of the males began to laugh.
"So, you told him that you were a gangster?" asked Rodan.
"Hell no! That was just a rumor some asshole had spread in school because he thought I was hitting on his girlfriend." replied Junior.
"Were you?" asked Angirasu.
"Was I? I couldn't even get her to tutor me in History!" said Junior in annoyance. Manda leaned over curiously.
"Hmm. That sounds like an interesting conversation over there." said Manda.
"Eh. Just some kids dicking around." said Baragon.
"Dude, your track record for getting chicks has been shit!" said Rodan with a laugh.
"Language. There could be children present." deadpanned Angirasu.
"Thank you!" said a woman in exasperation.
"Sorry!" said Rodan. Manda snorted in amusement.
"So, what happened next?" asked Rodan as he turned to face Junior.
"I had to kick his aaa- butt." answered Junior as he warily glanced at the woman that stared at him with her piercing glare.
"Is that normally how you solved conflicts as a kid?" asked Angirasu.
"Hey to be fair, the guy hit me first. I don't know. He had an inflated ego or something." said Junior. Baragon snorted in amusement.
"This guy. Sounding so tough." whispered Baragon. Junior's ears picked up the whisper but chose to ignore it.
"Was his girl mad?" asked Rodan.
"Oh, she was furious. She called me a...I can't remember. It started with an R. It's like what you call a violent person." said Junior as he placed a hand under his chin.
"You mean, 'Ruffian'?" asked Manda as she leaned to side of her booth. Junior leaned over to his side as well.
"Yeah, that's the word!" said Junior. He then sat himself up and went back to eating his food. Manda gasped as her eyes widened in shock. Baragon looked at her in confusion.
"What's wrong?" asked Baragon. Manda stared over from where she leaned with wide eyes.
"No way." said Manda as she slowly stood to her feet and made her way over to Junior, much to Baragon’s confusion. Manda slowly made her way over to Junior's side as she stared at him with wide eyes. Junior felt her staring and slowly glanced at her.
"Uh...may I help you?" asked Junior. The woman knelt down and leaned in close to his face. Junior slightly backed away with a nervous expression. Manda grabbed him by his cheeks and looked him over.
"Uh...lady?" called Rodan in confusion. Secretly, he was jealous of Junior due to the fact of this woman holding his face at such a close distance.
"Manda, the hell are you doin'?" asked Baragon as he stared at Manda in confusion. He stood up from his seat and made his way over to their side. Manda released Junior's face and backed away as she pointed at him.
"You! What's your name?!" asked Manda. Junior flinched at her sudden high tone.
"Gojira Takeshi." answered Junior with a raised brow. Manda gasped loudly as she pulled Baragon to her side.
"It's him! We found him!" said Manda. Baragon gave her a look of annoyance but then that look was wiped away as he looked towards Junior. His eyes widened in surprise.
"Oh, shit. It's actually him." said Baragon. The Transmutant three looked to each other in confusion and then back to Manda and Baragon.
"Language!!" shouted a woman from across the room as she cupped her child's ears.




Later...

Nightfall had fully arrived, stars twinkled in the night sky. The cave of the Transmutant vigilantes glowed from within from the lanterns that hung on the cave walls. Junior, Rodan and Angirasu were sitting on the sofa within the cave. In front of them were Manda, Baragon and Goro. The woman bore a look of excitement on her face.
"Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!" said Manda. Baragon gave her a wary glance.
"Settle down, girl." said Baragon. Junior, Angirasu and Rodan looked on in confusion.
"Excuse me, but who are you guys?" asked Angirasu.
"Yeah, I didn't think that there were any Transmutants left in Equestria." said Rodan. Goro sat himself down on a chair.
"Well, we've been here for several months now. We've been hiding out in this cave." said Goro. Junior gave him a hard stare.
"You wouldn't happen to be affiliated with the so called, 'Transmutant Revolutionaries' would you?" asked Junior suspiciously.
"Absolutely not." answered Goro. Junior nodded to him.
"Well, then I don't have a problem with you guys." replied Junior. Baragon rolled his eyes.
"Sheesh. You sure sound like someone who's got a grudge." said Baragon. Junior sent him a glare.
"Maybe it has to do with the fact that the son of a bitch that is leading the group killed my father." retorted Junior. Baragon cleared his throat as he rubbed the back of his head.
"Oh. My bad." said Baragon.
"Whatever." sighed Junior. Manda frowned as she saw his downcast expression. Goro cleared his throat.
"Anyway, what would your names be?" asked Goro as he turned his attention to Angirasu and Rodan.
"My name is Angirasu Riku." answered Angirasu.
"Rodan Shou." said Rodan with a smile.
"A pleasure to meet you, Riku and Shou." said Goro.
"You know, referring to us by our surnames is unnecessary." said Rodan.
"Oh. Well, I hope that you don't mind that I do." said Goro as he rubbed the back of his head.
"We understand." said Angirasu with a nod. Junior looked to Manda.
"Uh...miss..." Junior was fishing for a name for the female Transmutant.
"Call me, Manda." said Manda with a smile.
"Manda. You seemed to have recognized me back at the diner. But I'm pretty sure that I don't know you." said Junior.
"Well, we never actually met. Obviously. But I've seen a picture of you." said Manda. Junior tilted his head in confusion.
"Your adoptive mother, Princess Celestia, recently became a friend of ours. She asked us to keep an eye out for you." said Goro.
"She did?" asked Junior in surprise. The surprise mostly came from Celestia befriending Transmutants that he had never heard of.
"Yep! In fact, she's the reason why we can freely walk among the humans!" said Manda.
"Gotta say kid, you lucked out by being adopted by that woman. And I'm not just saying that cause she's the ruler of this country." said Baragon.
"Yeah, I sometimes forget how fortunate that I was." said Junior with a small smile. Manda gasped loudly.
"Oh! We have to tell the princess that we've found you!" said Manda, excitedly. Goro nodded in agreement.
"That's right. She'll be thrilled to have you back home." said Goro. The sound of wings flapping could be heard from outside of the cave. The Transmutants all turned their heads and found a woman covered in golden armor. Rodan and Angirasu immediately stood up, tensed. Junior looked on in surprise as he recognized the kind of armor that the Valkyrie wore. 
"Oh, am I interrupting?" asked Sapphire.
"Not at all, Sapphire. In fact, you've come here at a good time." said Goro with a smile. He then gestured to Junior. The guard recoiled in shock.
"Is that...?" Sapphire pointed at Junior with wide eyes.
"It's him." replied Baragon with a nod. Sapphire removed her helmet as she stared at Junior. The Transmutant held a neutral expression.
"I...I don't know how to process this! Wh-what should I do?!" exclaimed Sapphire. Junior recoiled in surprise as he found her panicked expression. "I should tell your sister! No, I should tell the princess!"
"Blaire? Is she here?" asked Junior with a hopeful expression.
"No. She's back in Canterlot." answered Sapphire. Junior sighed in disappointment. It seemed that he would have to hold out just a little longer to see his sister again.
"What brings you here?" asked Baragon.
"What? I'm not allowed to hang out with Manda?" demanded Sapphire. Baragon raised his hands defensively.
"I didn't mean it like that. Normally a guard doesn't come here unless they have a question or something to tell us." said Baragon.
"Well, you're right in this case. I actually have a letter for you guys." said Sapphire with smile as she handed it to Goro. The older Transmutant unrolled the parchment and began to read the letter aloud.
"Princess Celestia cordially invites you to the wedding of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Shining Armor." said Goro. He then silently read to himself. 
"Wait, wait! Did you just say Shining Armor and Mi Amore Cadenza?!" asked Junior. Goro looked over to him curiously.
"Yes. Why?" asked Goro.
"Yeah, what's the deal?" asked Rodan.
"Oh. It's just that Cadance is my adoptive cousin. Captain Armor is Twilight's older brother. I had to be sure." said Junior as he sat down.
"Is she hot?" asked Rodan. Angirasu slugged the crimson haired man in the shoulder with a look of disapproval.
"Don't make it weird." said Junior in annoyance.
"I don't see what the big deal is. You aren't related." said Rodan.
"She's getting married!" said Junior.
"I'm not asking you to hook me up with her! All I asked is if she were pretty!" said Rodan in frustration. Junior sighed.
"Yes, she's pretty." said Junior with a scowl. Manda looked to the two in amusement at their bickering. Sapphire cleared her throat.
"Well, what do you guys think? Are you going?" asked Sapphire.
"Well, it would be nice to see the princesses again." said Goro.
"A royal wedding? Count me in!" said Manda with excitement in her tone. Baragon shrugged.
"I guess." said Baragon. Sapphire then looked over to Junior and the other two Transmutants.
"Takeshi?" called Sapphire. Junior kept his eyes down on the ground with a slight frown. Rodan and Angirasu looked over to him worriedly.
"Bro?" called Rodan. Junior sighed.
"I...I guess so. You guys wanna go?" asked Junior.
"To meet the bride? Hell yeah!" said Rodan. Angirasu shot him a quick glare.
"It wouldn't hurt. After all, it should be safer for us to walk among other people now since MONARCH is gone." said Angirasu. Junior nodded.
"Alright then." said Junior. Sapphire smiled brightly.
"I'll request a chariot to drop you guys off at Canterlot." said Sapphire.
"Uh...could you perhaps actually drop us off somewhere else?" asked Junior. Sapphire looked to him with a tilt of her head.
"Where?" asked Sapphire.
"The Everfree." answered Junior. Sapphire's eyes widened.
"Why in Tartarus would you want to go there?!" asked Sapphire.
"Well, it's where my friends here have been living before MONARCH arrived." said Junior as he pointed to Angirasu and Rodan. "I want to help them settle back in before the wedding. We'll buy a ticket to Canterlot and catch a train before the wedding begins."
"Oh...alright then." said Sapphire, hesitant at granting Junior's request.
"Also, let's keep me returning to Canterlot a secret. I want to surprise Celestia and Blaire." said Junior with a wink. 




2 hours later...

The Transmutants treaded through the Everfree forest at a slow pace. They had disembarked from a chariot pulled by Pegasi earlier. The three had been walking for a while, losing track on how much time they spent in the forest. Rodan sighed as the three came across a familiar rocky cave with an old, abandoned house built into it.
"Home, sweet home." said Rodan. Angirasu nodded in response.
"I thought we'd never see this old place again." said Angirasu. The three made their way inside of the house. The house was filled with tons of dust and with a few spider webs hanging in the corners of the house. The three continued on inside of the house where a wooden door lied down the hall. Junior opened the door and found the rest of the dark cave. It led to the metal bridge that led further into the cave. The sound of water rushing to the other side could be heard. The Transmutant three traveled across the bridge and into the great cave chamber. The two found the metal barge above the pool of water in the center. The chamber was cool with faint sounds of water dripping. 
"I'm gonna go check the armory." said Junior. Rodan snorted in amusement.
"I don't see why we call it that. It's not like we ever use the stuff that's in there." said Rodan. Angirasu gave him a deadpanned expression.
"You wanted to call it that when we were sixteen. You were the one who thought it'd be cool." said Angirasu.
"Oh, right." chuckled Rodan. Junior made his way inside of the armory chamber. His eyes searched through the darkness. He reached for the wall and flipped a switch. A buzzing sound came from the large light bulb that hung from the rocky ceiling. The area brightened up, revealing several racks that held weapons. One rack held katanas. Another held boxes that held metal shuriken stars. Wooden spears stood up against a rack with wooden tips. Small knives lied on a rack along with spear heads with rope wrapped around them. Junior heard the sound of Angirasu approaching.
"Hey, I never asked but, where did you guys get these things? I remember giving you guys some of the weapons that Mosu and I brought back from Neighpon a year back, but where did the other stuff come from?" asked Junior.
"They were gifts given by Mosu's martial arts teacher here in Equestria." said Angirasu.
"Damn, he was packing this much weaponry?" asked Junior.
"Some of them were passed down to him. The rest he collected. I guess he grew attached to Mosu as he taught her that he wanted to give her these." answered Angirasu.
"Didn't he have family that he could have given these to?" asked Junior. Angirasu shrugged.
"No idea. We never met the old man. Mosu only taught us what she learned before he passed away." said Angirasu. Junior sighed.
"Well, he must have been really fond of her if he chose to give these up to her." said Junior. He lightly smiled. "But who wouldn't be?"
"Yeah." said Angirasu with a nod. He then noticed the samurai armor that sat on a rack over at the far end of the chamber. In front of it was a katana that sat on a small rack.
"Well, it's good to see that nothing was stolen. Even your dad's armor is still here." said Angirasu. Junior nodded.
"Hey, you guys mind if I leave it here? I feel like it's safer down here." said Junior.
"Absolutely, my friend. Besides, it's not like you're a soldier for the Neighponese Empire." said Angirasu with a chuckle. Junior shared a short laugh.
"Yeah." said Junior. He sighed solemnly as he looked down to the ground.
"Everything OK?" asked Angirasu. Junior turned to face his friend.
"Aang, about the wedding..." said Junior.
"What's up?" asked Angirasu.
"If Twilight's brother is going to get married, than that would mean that she would be there as well." said Junior worriedly. Angirasu nodded in understanding.
"I get it." said Angirasu.
"I'm not sure if I can face any of them again. Celestia and Blaire? Sure. But the girls? Twilight? I can't." said Junior as he lowered his head.
"I totally get you." said Rodan from the other side of the cave. Junior and Angirasu turned and found Rodan approaching.
"To be honest, I was afraid of coming back. Dash is awesome! But I've been a real poser since we've met. And by poser, I mean posing as a human." said Rodan.
"I can relate to you guys. But no matter what, we may have to face them some day." said Angirasu. Junior and Rodan nodded in agreement.
"Yeah. Man, it's probably gonna be really awkward." chuckled Rodan.
"Worst case scenario, they will never want to see us again." said Junior. "But that's fine. Who could blame anyone for that?"
"Guys, I was on board for this talk, but now it's starting to bum me out." said Rodan as he left the chamber. Rodan turned to face Junior and Angirasu with a grin.
"How about we have some cocoa and call it a night?" suggested Rodan.
"I'd like some." said Angirasu. Junior nodded in agreement. The three made their way out of the chamber, but Junior stopped and turned to gaze upon his father's armor. He lightly smiled, happy to see the memento of his family and the clan. He turned back and followed Rodan and Angirasu out of the armory.



The sun had risen above over the Everfree. Two days had passed since Junior and company returned to their lair in the Everfree forest. The trio remained silent as they stared at the suits that were ironed and cleaned. The suits hung on the wall inside of the house that led into the chambers. Junior raised his hand and stared at a small card that he held. On it, was Sapphire's hand writing. It read, 'Thanks for the measurements, boys! Enjoy the wedding'. Junior lightly chuckled to himself as he lowered the card.
"It was awful nice of the guard to hook us up with these suits on such short notice." said Angirasu.
"All it took was a lie that her 'cousins' were attending." said Junior with a smirk. Rodan sighed.
"I hate wearing fancy clothes." complained Rodan.
"Agreed." said Junior and Angirasu in unison. The two continued to stare at the suits in silence.
"Um...guys we should probably put these on or we'll be late." said Angirasu.
"Yeah." said Junior, unable to move forward. He was growing anxious to return to Canterlot and was worried about running into Twilight and the girls.
"Come on, Goji. We're in this together." said Angirasu, reassuringly. Junior shook his head furiously as he placed on a determined expression.
"That's right. This isn't the worst thing that we could face!" said Junior. He reached for the suit, but suddenly, the world around him began to spin. He groaned as he clutched his head and dropped on one knee. Angirasu and Rodan rushed to his side.
"Gojira! What's wrong?!" asked Rodan. Junior was panting as his eyes were wide. His senses felt overwhelmed by something. It felt like a disturbance. His body was tense as his heart pumped hard against his chest.
"I...I feel...." Junior couldn't put what he was feeling into words. He felt anxious and concern. He felt threatened. There was nothing about the Canterlot Royal Wedding that could have caused this feeling.
"I feel like there's something wrong." said Junior as he slowly stood up to his feet. Rodan and Angirasu looked to him in confusion.
"You...feel that something is wrong?" asked Angirasu.
"I can't explain it. I just have a bad feeling all of the sudden." said Junior as he rushed towards the door.
"Hey, where are you going?!" asked Rodan as he and Angirasu chased him outside. Junior stopped several feet outside of the house, looking around. He turned to find the house standing proudly under a cave. Junior dashed towards the house and leapt over it and onto the small rocky mountain. His claws extended from his fingers as he caught the rocks, digging into them as he slowly climbed the mountain. He heard the sound of loud buzzing overhead, which made his anxiety grow as the buzzing grew louder. Junior searched the area for the source, but gasped at what he saw.
Above the Everfree forest, there was a great dark cloud that flew miles over his head. But as he looked closer, he learned that it was no cloud, but a swarm of thousands of Changelings. They flew over the forest and headed farther out to the other side. Junior's enhanced vision spotted a faint, raspberry colored sphere out in the distance. 
"Oh shit." Junior whispered. His blood ran cold as his eyes widened with dread.
"Gojira!!" called Rodan. Junior looked down to find Rodan and Angirasu looking up to him in worry.
"Where are they going?!" asked Rodan as he cupped his hands over his mouth, amplifying his voice. Junior slid down the rocks and leapt down to his friends. 
"Guys, Canterlot is in deep trouble." said Junior.
"Oh no." said Angirasu in realization.
"They're going to Canterlot?!" exclaimed Rodan.
"That's right. I spotted a shield that's encircling the city from up there, but that's a lot of Changelings. Who knows how long that shield would last." said Junior.
"We gotta tell somebody!" said Rodan.
"Who are we going to tell?! MONARCH? Not a chance! Besides, it'd be too late!" said Angirasu. Junior sighed heavily.
"Guys, this is going to sound crazy. I think we should be the ones to act." said Junior. Angirasu and Rodan looked to him in shock.
"Wait, take on the Changeling army?" asked Angirasu. Junior nodded.
"Guys, we're home now. I didn’t spend two months inside of a goddamn sphere without food and water and I did not travel thousands of miles across the goddamn world to come home and let it be conquered!" said Junior. He looked to both of them with a stern expression. "Goro and the others will be already there. We can't let them take these guys on by themselves! Are you guys with me on this?"
"A rag tag team of freaks taking on an entire Changeling army? You can count me in!" said Rodan with a grin. Angirasu sighed.
"You know, I'm beginning to see a pattern in our current lives. Shit hits the fan, we go out and save the day, but it bites us in the ass in the end." said Angirasu.
"That may have been the case. But what mattered out of all of those times was that people survived. We survived." said Junior. Rodan looked down solemnly.
"Not all of us." said Rodan.
"Perhaps not. But... if Mosura were here, I think she would want this." said Angirasu. Junior nodded in agreement.
"She would. If not for Canterlot, then for Mosura. We do this in honor of her memory." said Junior as he turned to make his way back into the house. Angirasu looked to Rodan, who gave him a smile.
"Well, I can't leave my brothers to fight on their own. I'm game." said Angirasu with a grin. The two followed Junior into the house, where they all continued down into the cave chamber. The three of them made their way into the armory and flipped the light switch on. Rodan and Angirasu rushed to the weapon racks and began to arm themselves. Angirasu picked up a kanabo and held it tightly. He twirled the steel and spiked club in his grip as if it were as light as a sword. He made his way over towards where armor pads lied and smiled to himself. Rodan made his way over to a pair of gauntlets that held retractable blades. He picked them up and held them firmly with a serious expression. Junior had placed on his old dark grey, training kimono that Mosura had given him. He made his way over to his father's armor and the katana that sat on the single weapon rack. Junior began to remove the individual armor pieces and placed them on. He slipped on the gauntlets and strapped on the leg and arm guards. He then placed on the shoulder plates and the chest piece. Junior put on his steel boots and slowly stood to his feet. His metal thigh guards hung as they rested against his thighs.
Rodan had placed on a slightly baggy pair of sweat pants with a hoodie on. His face was obscured by the mask that he was wearing. He stood in his brick red clothes wearing bladed gauntlets and a belt holding shuriken stars, several links of chains wrapped up, and small knives. His elbows were covered in guards as well as his knees. Angirasu held his kanabo over his shoulders as he wore his training kimono with shoulder armor from the spare pieces that Mosura's former trainer had gotten his hands on. His elbows and knees were covered in armored pads as well down to his shins. Junior grabbed a white rag and wrapped it over the top of his head, allowing it to keep his hair down. Junior stared at the helmet that remained seated on the rack. The silver face plate with the dragon snout bared its teeth at him, as if challenging him to take up his predecessor's mantle of being a warrior. Junior inhaled deeply and slowly reached for the helmet, lifting it from the rack. Junior stared at it for a few seconds and turned it around, slowly sliding it on his head. It fit perfectly, allowing the metal nape guard to reach down to his neck. Junior reached for the sheathed katana and brought it to his waist, holding it still with a black, long piece of cloth that he used to wrap it around his waist. He tied the cloth tightly, securing the sheathed sword tightly to his left side.
"Dude, you look metal as hell!" said Rodan with a grin as he stared at the silver armor.
"How does it fit? You look like you fill it quite nicely." said Angirasu.
"Slightly uncomfortable, but it's fine. I guess armor is just uncomfortable at first." said Junior from behind his face place. He then walked out of the armory with a hard stare.
"Let's move." said Junior.



Ponyville was showered in the sunlight. The sound of a train whistle blowing could be heard. The people of Ponyville that were near the train station were about to board, but the sound of murmuring drew their attention away. Citizens looked on as Junior, Rodan and Angirasu strolled down the road and to the station. The locals looked on in confusion, concern, and fear as they continued on to the train station.
"Cosplayers?" asked someone from within the crowd.
"Are those real weapons?!" whispered a woman.
"Samurai!" said a man from the crowd. Junior passed by several people with a stern gaze towards the train. A man was standing in the doorway as he stared nervously at the three Transmutants. Junior leaned in to the man as he held his stern gaze.
"Move." ordered Junior. The man nodded frantically as he stepped back inside of the train and allowed the Transmutants to walk inside.  They continued on as the passengers stared nervously at the armed men. The Transmutants made their way up to the engine room. Junior made his way up to the door that led to the engine and knocked on it. A man opened the door from the other side and recoiled at the sight of the Transmutants.
"H-hey, you three shouldn't be up here! Who let you onboard with those weapons? Is this a robbery?!" asked the engineer worriedly. The Transmutants looked to each other in confusion.
"Uh...no. We just wanted to tell you to get this train moving right now." said Junior.
"B-but sir, I can't until all the passengers are on board." said the engineer. Rodan sighed in annoyance.
"Dude, you don't understand. There is some shit that's about to go down in Canterlot and we need to get there now!" said Rodan.
"I can't! My job is-" the engineer was interrupted as Junior drew his katana and held it to the man's throat. He gulped nervously as the blade reflected sunlight onto the walls.
"Goji..." called Angirasu, anxiously.
"No. We don't have time for arguing. We need to get to Canterlot as soon as possible." said Junior as he continued to point the tip of the blade at the engineer. 
"Now, you can risk your job and take us to Canterlot now, or I can just cut you." said Junior with a glare. The man looked over to Rodan.
"Hey, he'll do it man. He's got a short temper. I once saw him tear a Manticore's tail off while it was attacking." said Rodan with a shrug. The engineer looked back to Junior with a nervous smile.
"So, how soon do you need to get to Canterlot again?" asked the engineer. Junior smiled from behind his face plate.



The sound of the engine whistling echoed in the air. The train chugged as its gears grinded together to roll the engine across the tracks along with the cars attached to it. The Transmutants stared out the window as the train raced across the land. The train entered into a cave that was inside of the mountain that held the capital city of Equestria. The magic shield glowed and flashed as the Changeling army divided itself into waves. The first wave flew closer to the top of the sphere while the rest of the waves remained behind. Junior gritted his teeth in anger as he stared at the insect humanoids. The train drove through the cave and began to move around the inside of the mountain as the tracks began to elevate and make 'U' turn. The train left the cave and rose up the mountain, entering through another cave and driving down tracks that were held up high by a long and curvy bridge. The train passed several mountains that were nearby. Eventually, Canterlot grew closer with each second. Suddenly, the magic sphere that encased the city cracked and then shattered like glass. The engineer gasped in shock.
"Sweet Celestia!" exclaimed the engineer. The Transmutants hardened their eyes as they watched the humanoid insects beginning to dive bomb towards the city. Junior made his way to the door and slid it open. The engineer turned and found the Transmutants leaving.
"Where are you going?" asked the engineer. Junior turned to face him.
"To fight. Get this train out of here by the time we get off." ordered Junior. The engineer frantically nodded as he focused on the rails ahead. The Transmutants climbed up the train and crouched on top of the train car as the train got closer to the city and slowed down as it approached the station. Rodan made his way over to the train engine car and began to tap on the heart shaped window.
"Get out of here! We'll take it from here!" said Rodan. The Transmutants steeled their muscles.
"Let's move!!" shouted Junior as he leapt off of the train, causing a crack on the station walkway as he landed. Angirasu and Rodan followed him through the city as the train rolled away. The Transmutants heard the sound of insect wings flapping erratically in the air along with the sound of screams and crashing. From the air, came a group of Changelings wearing grey armor that crashed into the ground in front of the Transmutants in a green aura splash. The insect humanoids hissed as they bared their teeth and rose to their feet from the small craters that they had formed. One Changeling pulled out an ebony knife shaped sword while the others pulled out maces, or axes.
"Oh, it appears that the humans want to put up a fight." chuckled the Changeling with the sword. Junior hardened his glare.
"We are not humans. We are Transmutants." said Junior as he unsheathed his sword and held it in front of himself. Angirasu growled as he pulled out his Kanabo from behind his back while Rodan flicked his wrists, allowing the blades that were attached to his gauntlets to extend. The Transmutants and Changelings stared each other down as the screams continued and the rest of the Changelings dived over the city. The inhuman beings gave war cries as they charged towards each other. Rodan broke off into a sprint and swung his gauntlet blades against a Changeling's throat and then swung his other gauntlet at the Changeling that was behind the first and slashed his neck. Rodan then leapt into the air as his body spun and brought his leg against the head of another Changeling. Angirasu yelled as he ran towards the closest Changelings and swung his kanabo with powerful swings. One by one, he struck each Changeling with a powerful swing that caused yellow liquid to fly from their smashed heads, dropping dead like flies as Angirasu continued his swings. One Changeling came at him with an axe but Angirasu dodged the strike and swept his leg with a low kick. Angirasu then brought his kanabo down on the Changeling's back, splattering his bodily fluids across the street.
Junior charged through the Changelings and swung his katana. The creatures were cut down in their chests and dropped to the ground in agony. Junior ducked under a mace that was swung at his skull and then sliced off the legs of his opponent, causing the creature to fall to the ground. Junior then stomped on the creature's back, making it wail in agony. Two Changelings dropped in front of him while two more dropped behind him. Junior's mind reacted quickly as he side stepped away from the attack of one Changeling in his front and then swung his sword against the creature's arm, dismembering it. Junior then immediately turned and caught one Changeling's mace as he attempted to strike him from behind. Junior held it tightly as he looked back and found the unharmed second Changeling, that was in front, about to strike him with an axe. Junior yanked the mace from the Changeling that was holding onto it and then threw it at the axe wielding Changeling. The creature's face was crushed by the steel ball and dropped to the ground. Junior then stabbed the Changeling that he had stolen the mace from and shoved him away, rushing over to the next Changeling and snapping its neck. The Changeling that was stabbed heaved and groaned in agony as he attempted to pull the sword out of his exposed chest. Junior yanked the blade out of him, shoved him to the ground, and then decapitated the Changeling. 
They continued to fight any Changeling that came their way. The Transmutants killed many Changelings and maimed others. Rodan leapt into the air and threw three shuriken stars at a flying Changeling. The creature shrieked in agony as his carapace was punctured. He crashed down to the ground out of flight and landed a few feet away. Rodan kept sprinting and then quickly gathered the shuriken stars that he had thrown. Junior continued to run through the crowd but he heard a little girl scream in terror. Two Changelings stalked her and backed her up into a corner.
"Oh, don't worry little girl. We aren't going to hurt you." said one of the Changelings as his horn began to illuminate. Junior growled as he charged at the Changelings. The girl whimpered before them as she covered her eyes. Junior gave a roar as he charged towards the Changelings. The creatures turned and recoiled as they found the armored Transmutant preparing to swing his katana. With one quick swing, he ran through the Changelings that had cornered the child. The creatures' heads suddenly fell from their thoraxes and rolled on the floor. Junior turned and found the girl still covering her eyes as she whimpered. Junior rushed over to the child and knelt down next to her.
"It's alright, kid. Where are your parents?" asked Junior. The girl slowly removed her hands from her eyes and gasped as she saw Junior's face plate. The snarling dragon mouth design frightened her.
"It's OK. I'm not gonna hurt you." said Junior, reassuringly. He looked around and found that Angirasu and Rodan were still occupied with some of the Changelings that dive bombed towards them. He then looked back to the kid as he detached his face plate from his helmet. The girl grew less frightened when she found the rest of Junior's face.
"Little girl, it's too dangerous out here! Where are your parents?" asked Junior. The child searched frantically but then spotted a woman rushing over towards them.
"Momma!" cried the girl. Junior turned and found an Elf woman approaching. Junior stood to his feet as he reattached his face plate to his helmet. The woman sobbed as she wrapped her child into an embrace. Suddenly, Junior heard the sound of something dropping behind him. He turned and found a large Changeling that was roughly about his size, but it bore a larger body build. The Changeling screeched as he backhanded Junior away, knocking him towards a nearby table. The woman cried out in terror as the behemoth approached her and her child. Junior growled in anger as he slammed his hand on the table as he brought himself up.
"Hey, ugly! I dare you to try that again!" challenged Junior as he reached for his katana. He was unable to reach for the handle due to the fact that it was missing. His eyes widened as he noticed the katana blade just several feet to the left of the Changeling.
"Damn." said Junior under his breath. He then stood up straight and popped his knuckles.
"Never mind, looks like we're going to do this old school." said Junior with a grin. The Changeling grinned as well as he stalked over towards Junior. The woman stared in horror as the creature approached him. Junior moved away from the table and approached the Changeling as well. The creature sent a punch towards Junior, which he caught with his hand. Junior smiled darkly as he applied pressure to the creature's hand. The Changeling gasped in pain, which escalated to groans of agony. He dropped to his knees as his insect eyes widened. Junior glared at the creature as he continued to crush his hand. The Changeling sent his other fist towards Junior but that was caught as well. Junior chuckled darkly as he lowered himself and forced the Changeling back.
"What? Did you think I was some cocky human?" asked Junior in amusement. The woman stared in fear at the frightening glare in Junior's eyes. The Changeling's two shorter insect arms that were attached to its sides tried to claw at Junior's armored chest.
"Lady, this guy has just scratched my late father's armor. Please take your child and leave because things are about to get ugly." said Junior with a growl. The Changeling gulped as it stared at Junior fearfully. The woman immediately picked up her child and ran away. 
"It's times like this where I really do feel like the monster. Wouldn't you agree?" asked Junior. He then applied all of his strength into the Changeling's hands, crushing them completely. The creature wailed in agony as his hands were destroyed. They were mangled and leaked the yellow bodily fluid that filled him. Junior then released his opponent and let him writhed in agony.
"But, there are monsters far worse than me." said Junior as he made his way over to his katana and picked it up. He joined his brothers in combat as they continued to advance to Canterlot Castle.



The sound of angry yells could be heard throughout the castle grounds. Goro charged through a large group of Changelings, knocking them out of the way. His black tuxedo suit was slightly torn and covered in the bodily yellow fluid of the creatures. He sent a round house kick and knocked a Changeling away. Manda growled angrily as she glared at the three Changelings that charged towards her. She wore a knee length, shoulder-less aqua dress. Her heels were covered in the yellow bodily fluid of the creatures as well as her dress.  Her dress had tears and her hair was a mess. Baragon, who’s brown tuxedo had tears as well, looked on in fear as she seethed. Never had he seen such a cheerful person as her suddenly explode with rage. 
"You...YOU RUINED MY DRESS!!" screamed Manda in rage. She yelled angrily as she charged towards the Changelings and beat them to a pulp. Baragon gulped nervously. He then turned and found people attempting to flee the swarm of Changelings. He growled in annoyance as he picked up a sewer manhole. He grunted as he used his strength to throw the heavy, metal disk with all of his might. The manhole cover spun through the air like a Frisbee, slamming against a few of the Changelings. They turned their attention towards the Transmutants and a few split up and dive bombed towards the Transmutants. The Transmutants regrouped in a circle, watching their surroundings as the Changelings boxed them in. The Transmutants broke their circle and fought the Changelings, who were knocked to the ground, disarmed, crushed, and thrown around by the Transmutants. Baragon tossed a Changeling towards Goro, who slammed his fist against him and sent him down to the ground. Manda latched onto a Changeling and constricted her muscles against the creature, crushing his body. Manda released the Changeling and then tossed him towards another Changeling. She then backed away from more of the approaching Changelings and sided with Goro and Baragon.
"This is almost harder than the Diamond Dog attack." said Baragon with a grunt. Goro nodded in agreement.
"We have to remain strong so that the people can get to safety." said Goro.
"Where the heck are all the guards?!" shouted Manda. The sound of cries of agony reached their ears. The Transmutants turned and found the Changelings dropping to the ground, writhing in pain. From the crowd of Changelings came Junior swinging his katana along with Angirasu and Rodan. The three pushed through the Changelings with ease. The three Transmutants joined the rest in the circle as the number of Changelings that surrounded them had drastically decreased. Manda's eyes widened as she recognized Angirasu. She then looked to the other two and began to register who the rest were.
"Gojira?!" exclaimed Manda. Junior turned his head and nodded to her.
"Wow. Badasses in the house." said Baragon in an impressed tone. Junior glanced at Goro.
"Where is Celestia?" asked Junior.
"She's still inside of the castle with the Changeling Queen. She wanted us to give the citizens a chance to escape." said Goro. Junior growled from behind his face plate.
"Then keep up with what you're doing. I'm going to find the Queen and put an end to this." said Junior as he readied his blade.
"Gojira, the Queen isn't like the rest. She's managed to overpower the princess!" warned Manda with a worried expression. Rodan and Angirasu looked at Junior in worry. 
"You two, stay out here and fight." said Junior as he broke off into a sprint.
"Gojira!" called Rodan and Angirasu in unison. Junior dashed through the Changelings and began to cut down anybody that got in his way. He slashed through their exoskeletons and shoved a few out of the way.
"Gojira, you crazy bastard." sighed Rodan as he steeled his muscles. The remaining Changelings charged at the remaining Transmutants, but they were beaten in seconds.  The Transmutants searched their surroundings at the Changelings that lied scattered around them. Rodan retracted his gauntlet blades as he searched around.
"So far, so good. We just might win this thing!" said Rodan in confidence. The sound of magic beams being fired was heard. The Transmutants turned and found a tower near the castle, it was surrounded by Changelings that descended down onto the bridge that connected the tower to the castle. Magic bolts flew towards the Changelings, knocking them down to the ground. The sound of confetti being fired was heard as well. The Changelings landed near the tower and began to charge at whoever dared to resist them.
"Hey, someone could use our help up there!" said Rodan as he pointed towards the tower.
"OK. You two can go ahead. We'll remain down here and push back the Changelings." said Goro as he led Manda and Baragon down the street. Rodan and Angirasu nodded to each other as they sprinted across the road and leaped onto roof tops.
Goro and his team fought any Changeling that dared to cross their path. The creatures were flung all around the streets. As the Transmutants continued on, they spotted several guards fighting against the Changelings. One guard clashed blades with one of the Changelings, causing sparks to fly all around them. Another guard had thrust her spear against another Changeling and then kicked him off of the tip. An Elf guard fired his magic bolts from his hands at any Changeling that came close. Some of them were forced away from the attack, but others were beginning to crowd him. The guards were overrun by the constant approach of the flying insect humanoids. Goro and his team ran over to the guards to assist them in their battle. Baragon tackled a four eyed Changeling and pressed his thumbs against the two smaller eyes that were above its larger eyes. The creature shrieked in agony as Baragon applied pressure to its eyes and twisted his thumb against them. Goro grabbed a female Changeling by her leg and then swung her against two other Changelings that had tackled the guard with the spear. Manda ran over to the Elf guard and leapt over him. She drop kicked a Changeling that was airborne and forced him to the ground. As she landed, she dodged a green magic bolt that was fired from a Changeling, she then charged towards said Changeling and kneed him in the chin. She then grabbed the Changeling and threw him towards another Changeling that had dived towards her. The two collided in the air and fell to the ground in pain. Goro rushed over towards the guard with the spear and helped her to her feet.
"Hey, thanks a lot for the assist." said the guard as she panted. 
"Where are the other guards?" asked Goro.
"We don't know. We were all divided across Canterlot in hopes of stopping the Changelings from spreading. If I were to guess, these damn things pretty much got us beat." said the guard.
"They plan to win with numbers." Goro said to himself. He then noticed additional Changelings approaching. He tensed as he glared at the swarm.
"Sir, you three should get to safety! We'll handle this!" said one of the guards.
"Hey, do you know who we are? We're the Transmutant of Mustangia!" said Baragon with a wicked grin. The guards looked to them in shock. The female guard with the spear looked over to Goro and found him removing the coat of his tuxedo.
"Like the Royal Guard, we are sworn to protect." said Goro as he popped his knuckles.
"Well, show us what you got." said another guard as he held his sword up. The guards and Transmutants prepared for battle, but there was a sudden bang. The sound of gunfire filled the air. The Transmutants and guards all jumped, startled by the sudden loud noise. Magic bolts flew behind them, over their heads. The bolts pierced through the Changelings, causing them to fall to the ground. The group turned and found something that they were not prepared to see.
"Secure a perimeter!" Ordered a man in a familiar, grey armor. The Transmutants' eyes widened as they spotted several MONARCH soldiers running along the streets with weapons in their grip. They steeled themselves, ready to fight. But, the soldiers merely ran passed them and fired upon more approaching Changelings. The bolts whizzed through the air and barraged the creatures, shooting them down. Goro and the other Transmutants looked on in shock at how they were not the ones they were being shot at.
"They must not suspect us." said Goro. The guards looked at the soldiers in confusion and noticed that one of them had the MONARCH insignia faded from what appeared to be scarred by a knife.
"Wait, MONARCH is not supposed to be here!" exclaimed a guard. From among the approaching soldiers stood Hayato Yoshi. He held a rifle firmly at his side as he stood next to a female hooded individual. Yoshi turned to the shorter woman that remained still.
"Are you certain that they are here?" asked Yoshi. The figure nodded to him as her blue eyes searched the area.
"I can sense them." replied the woman. Caesar approached the two from their side on all fours.
"We must focus on the task at hand. These Changelings will cause our safe haven's fall." said Caesar. The hooded woman nodded in agreement. She reached for her side from under her cloak and pulled out a metal rod. She pressed a button on the side and allowed it to extend from both sides as a staff. She twirled it in her grip as she ran into battle against the Changelings. She slid under a Changeling that swung a mace at her and then forced her staff against the back of his head. The woman stood up and swung her staff under his feet, knocking him to the ground and then swung down on his chest. As a Changeling approached her with a sword, the woman immediately turned and forced the sword away; she then leapt and kicked the Changeling away. She spun her metal staff, causing the sound of it hitting the wind to reach the ears of those close by. Yoshi smiled from under his helmet as he joined her in the fight. Caesar roared as he leapt onto a small building's roof and mauled any Changeling that he approached. From around Canterlot, dozens of more soldiers were appearing and firing their weapons at the Changelings. The building walls burst with green smoke as Changelings dive bombed across the streets. Another wave of them approached and was armed with swords, axes, maces and spears. Some even relied on their magic against these soldiers. The three Transmutants and the guards stared as the soldiers fought against the Changelings. Both sides received casualties.
"What the hell is going on here?!" exclaimed Baragon.




Meanwhile...

Twilight Sparkle panted as her hands were engulfed in her magic aura. She glared at the incoming Changelings, grunting as she shot her hands forward and fired beams of magic that knocked the Changelings out with a blast. She gasped as one of the Changelings dived towards her.
"Heads up!" shouted Rainbow Dash as she soared towards the Changeling. She reared her fist back and gave a right hook to the Changeling before he could attack Twilight. He screeched in pain as he was sent away and rolled along the ground. The Valkyrie grinned proudly and then flew towards another Changeling and tackled her from the air. She began to brawl with the creature as she hissed and glared at her with her four green colored insect eyes.
"Oh, you're an ugly one." said Rainbow in disgust as she stared at the four blinking eyes. The Changeling fired a bolt of magic from her hand as her horn illuminated.
"Whoa!" exclaimed Rainbow as she ducked under the bolt of magic. The Changeling gave an angry cry as she charged towards the Valkyrie. Suddenly, Applejack sent a roundhouse kick towards the insect and knocked her to the ground. Applejack gave Rainbow a look of disapproval.
"Don't get cocky!" scolded Applejack. Rainbow scowled in annoyance. She noticed Rarity approaching her with her fist reared back. Rainbow Dash sidestepped from the Elf's punch and then kneed her in the stomach. Applejack's widened in horror.
"What the hay are you doin'?!" exclaimed Applejack. Rainbow shrugged as Rarity dropped to her knees and groaned in pain.
"What? This is a Changeling!" said Rainbow as Rarity began to spark with green energy. The Elf suddenly transformed into a Changeling that groaned in pain. Rainbow pressed her hand against him as he fell to his side.
"Oh. My mistake." Applejack chuckled in embarrassment. She then looked around and found the real Rarity yelling as she sent quick jabs and kicks towards the Changeling that had took on her appearance.
"Gee, this is harder than it looks." said Applejack as she looked around to find multiple copies of her friends. Pinkie was firing her party cannon at a group of fake Twilights while Twilight fired her magic at Rainbow and Fluttershy imposters. Meanwhile, the real Fluttershy was screaming in terror as she ran away from a group of Pinkie Pies.
"Hang on, Flutters! We're coming!" shouted Rainbow as she broke off into a sprint. Rainbow leapt towards the imposters and sent quick punches as she dodged their attacks. Rainbow ducked under an imposter's kick and elbowed the Fluttershy imposter in the gut, she then flapped her wings and used them to thrust herself away from an undisguised Changeling. The creature snarled as he charged towards her and bared his fangs. Rainbow was about to attack, but the Changeling was struck down by Twilight's magic. Rainbow turned and found the Elf firing multiple magic bolts. The bolts flew around and struck several Changelings, knocking them out. Rarity helped a whimpering Fluttershy stand up to her feet. Rarity steeled her muscles as she got into a fighting stance.
"I will not stand for this! You ruffians will not harm dear Fluttershy!" said Rarity with a glare. The Changelings charged towards the pair as they screeched. Rarity gritted her teeth as she prepared to move, but two figures suddenly ran past her and Fluttershy. The larger figure charged towards three Changelings and punched the one in the front. The shorter figure sprinted towards the others and sent punches that were faster than the eye could follow. He then grabbed a Changeling's arm and slammed his elbow against it, causing the Changeling to drop on his knees in agony. The figure jabbed the Changeling in the throat and then threw him towards three other Changelings. Fluttershy gasped as she spotted the face of the larger man. Her heart pounded against her chest and her eyes widened. The man turned to find Rarity and Fluttershy standing a few feet behind him with wide eyes. Fluttershy's face broke into a large smile. She ran passed Rarity and made her way over to the Transmutant.
"Angirasu!" cried Fluttershy. Angirasu looked at her in surprise as she ran over to him with a look of joy on her face. She wrapped Angirasu into a tight hug, while the Transmutant stared down at her in disbelief. He lightly smiled and slowly returned the hug. Rarity stared in shock at the Transmutant that she never expected to see again. She turned and found a Changeling charging towards the Valkyrie and Transmutant.
"Look out!" cried Rarity. Angirasu released Fluttershy and turned to find the Changeling approaching. Suddenly, Rodan charged towards the Changeling and kicked him away. He scowled at Angirasu in annoyance.
"Save the hugs and kisses for later, you dork!" scolded Rodan. Angirasu and Fluttershy blushed in embarrassment.
'K-kiss?' thought Fluttershy as her cheeks brightened. Angirasu shook his head as he placed on a serious expression. He then looked to Rarity and Fluttershy.
"What are you doing out here?" asked Angirasu as a Changeling charged towards him. He then sent a powerful punch towards the creature and knocked him unconscious. Rarity rubbed her head after she flinched from witnessing the attack. She swore that she felt the Changeling's pain.
"We're trying to get to Canterlot Tower. We must get to the Elements of Harmony!" answered Rarity as she pointed ahead. Angirasu turned and found the tower just further away. 
"Alright. Rodan and I will help you girls get there." said Angirasu as he unsheathed his kanabo. He turned and glared at the declining number of Changelings that were being fought off by Rodan and the other Element Bearers. He charged towards the Changelings that surrounded Pinkie Pie and then struck one in the back. The Changeling was knocked down as Angirasu continued on and sent a punch against another Changeling. The Transmutant then ducked under a magic bolt from another Changeling and thrusted the club against that creature's chest.  Pinkie Pie grinned as she saw Angirasu.
"Angy!" cried Pinkie. Angirasu smiled in response with a nod. He then moved up ahead and assisted Rodan in fighting off the last of the Changelings. Rodan reached for a spear head that he had on his belt and then hooked a chain link to the loop that was on the handle. He swung the spear head as he allowed the chain to unfurl. Rodan then grabbed the handle the spear head and glared at a Changeling that had his hands locked onto Rainbow. She struggled to get the larger creature off of herself. Rodan then shot his hand forward, throwing the spearhead to fly towards the Changeling's back. The Changeling shrieked in agony as its exoskeleton was pierced by the spear. Rainbow jumped at the sudden agonized cry. The Changeling hunched over as he released Rainbow.
"Get your ass over here!" shouted Rodan as he yanked on the chain that was hooked to the spear handle. The Changeling cried out as he was forced off of his feet and was pulled towards Rodan. The Transmutant then sent his foot against the Changeling's back as he came within range. The Changeling was forced to the ground with Rodan standing over him. He then yanked the spear out of the creature's back and waved it around from the chains. Rainbow stared in awe at the hooded figure. Her eyes suddenly widened as her mind registered the voice.
"Rodan?!" exclaimed Rainbow. The Transmutant placed the spear back onto his belt and pulled back his hood. He then pulled the cloth that hid the lower half of his face, showing off a grin.
"The one and only!" said Rodan. Rainbow grinned in response as she rushed over to the Transmutant. She was about to wrap him into a hug but she immediately stopped. Rainbow instead punched him in the shoulder with a grin.
"Ow!" exclaimed Rodan as he rubbed his shoulder. Rainbow laughed.
"Where you been?" asked Rainbow.
"Eh. I was in Saddle Arabia, Neighpon, I went to prison, and I visited Mexicolt." said Rodan nonchalantly.
"You went to those places? Cool! Wait, did you just say you went to prison?!" exclaimed Rainbow with wide eyes. Rodan chuckled in embarrassment.
"It's not what you think." said Rodan. He then noticed that the Changelings that were around had stopped fighting. Rather, they were all unconscious, or severely injured. Angirasu sighed as he popped his shoulders. Twilight and Applejack rushed over to him.
"Wha- When did- How? I-" Twilight struggled to put her words into comprehensive sentences. She couldn't believe that the Transmutants that had been missing for months had finally returned. Suddenly, the sound of buzzing reached their ears. The group turned and found a swarm of Changelings approaching.
"No time to explain! Just get to what you've came here for! We'll cover you!" said Angirasu as he pointed towards the tower. Twilight nodded to him.
"Come on girls!" said Twilight as she and Applejack broke off into a sprint towards Canterlot Tower. The rest of the Element Bearers followed them as Rodan and Angirasu stayed behind. Twilight wanted to ask about Junior, but she was unable to get her thoughts together over the shock at seeing two of the Transmutants at a time like this. The two Transmutants faced the swarm that approached. Rodan extended the blades on his gauntlets as Angirasu tightened his grip on his kanabo. Rodan squinted his eyes.
"Hey, what the hell is that?" asked Rodan. Angirasu squinted his eyes as well in attempt to make out the clump of mass that was flying among the Changelings.
"It looks like a- Oh my god." said Angirasu with wide eyes. From among the Changelings was one that was much larger than the rest. Its large wings were beating in the wind. The creature had four eyes and its horn was small. Its mouth had large fangs and mandibles. The creature landed on the bridge, causing the ground around it to crack. The Changelings began to land behind it as they chuckled darkly. The larger Changeling was monstrous, standing around twelve feet tall with a large build. The exoskeleton was more armored compared to most Changelings. Its smaller two extra arms had a build that was greater than most Changelings, but they were still smaller compare to its larger arms. The creature stomped over to the Transmutants with a grin.
"I'm gonna knock your block off." said the Changeling in a deep voice as he popped his joints.
"We can take ya!" said Rodan as he raised his arms, showing off his bladed gauntlets as Angirasu steeled his muscles. From the edges of the bridge, three more Behemoth Changelings crawled onto the top. Two had two blue eyes while the third had four green eyes. The Changelings chuckled as they stared at the Transmutants.
"In our colony, we call members like these guys 'Bruisers'!" called a smaller Changeling from the back.
"Oh... shit." said Rodan as his shoulders slumped.
"You can say that again." said Angirasu as he chuckled nervously. The large Changelings roared as they charged towards Rodan and Angirasu. The two charged back, while Rodan moaned to himself in misery. Angirasu swung his kanabo against the head of one of the Bruisers, causing it to snarl in anger and backhand him away. Angirasu rolled along the bridge and fell off of the edge. He immediately grabbed the ledge to prevent himself from plummeting to his death. He sighed in relief but gulped as he looked down to find the long drop.
"Angirasu!!" cried Fluttershy. The Transmutant turned his head and gasped as he found Fluttershy and the other Element Bearers being surrounded by the smaller Changeling drones. Fluttershy wore a terrified expression, fearing for Angirasu's life. The Transmutant struggled to pull himself up but found one of the Bruisers approaching. The creature grabbed Angirasu by his head and raised him up. The creature laughed as he applied pressure to Angirasu's skull. The Transmutant groaned in pain as he felt his skull being crushed. Fluttershy cried out to him. Rodan ran towards the Bruiser and thrust his blades into the creature's back. The Bruiser shrieked in agony as he released Angirasu. The Transmutant dropped back onto the bridge and clutched his head.
"Watch out!" shouted Rodan as he kicked the Changeling off of his blades. Angirasu's eyes widened as the Changeling fell towards him. The Transmutant rolled out of the way as the creature fell over the edge. Angirasu stood up to his feet and found the rest of the Bruisers approaching him and Rodan. The creatures picked the Transmutants up and then flew away with them. The Transmutants struggled as they attempted to free themselves, but they were already far from Canterlot tower. Angirasu could hear Fluttershy calling his name from the distance. The Bruisers then crashed down to the street with the Transmutants, causing the ground around them to crack. The creatures chuckled as they raised themselves off of the ground.
"I don't see what the problem was. These guys were weaklings!" said a Bruiser. They suddenly heard the sound of groans. They looked down and found Angirasu and Rodan glaring at them.
"No way! They're still alive?!" exclaimed one of the Bruisers. The Transmutants rolled away from the Bruisers as they growled like beasts.
"Oh, this just got interesting!" said one of the Bruisers. Angirasu's teeth sharpened and his eyes became reptilian. His skin was beginning to darken and change into scales. He roared as he and Rodan grew in size.
From the corner of the street, Caesar was being ridden by the hooded figure as she held her staff. Caesar skidded to a halt as he spotted Angirasu and Rodan transforming. His eyes widened in shock as he saw their beastly forms. They brought back many memories to his past from thousands of years before.
"Could it be?" asked Caesar. The hooded figure slowly lowered her staff and stared at the Transmutants with wide eyes. Her heart leapt in her chest as she lightly smiled.
"Let's go!" said the figure. Caesar roared as he charged towards the Bruisers that had begun to fight the transformed Transmutants.
Back on the bridge, Fluttershy stared off into the distance in horror. Her knees felt weak and her body trembled from witnessing Angirasu and Rodan plummet to the street by the Changelings. Rainbow clenched her fist in anger and glared at the Changelings that emerged from Canterlot Tower, from whence they were hiding in. She yelled as she charged towards one of them and punched him. The Changelings that were close all suddenly tackled her and held her down.
"Let go of me! I'm gonna make you regret what you've done!" yelled Rainbow. One of the Changelings growled in annoyance.
"Can't we just make an example of this one? Let's break her wings and toss her off of the bridge." suggested the Changeling. The Element Bearers gasped in horror at the thought.
"Wow. You are one sick bastard." said one of the Changelings. The other Changeling shrugged in response.
"Just spit ballin'." replied the Changeling.
"We aren't killing any of them. The Queen wants them alive." said a Changeling wearing dark blue armor. He then knelt down and grabbed Rainbow Dash by her shoulder and stood her up.
"But if she doesn't behave, I will have to punish her." said the Changeling with a glare. Rainbow spat on his face, causing the Changeling to growl in anger. He then shoved her towards two Changelings.
"Take them away! Get that girl out of my sight!" ordered the Changeling.
"Yes, sir." said the Changelings. The two that held Rainbow began to fly with her with their hands holding her tightly. Rainbow attempted to struggle out of their hold but they merely tightened their grip. The rest of the Changelings began to usher the rest of the Element Bearers away from the tower. Twilight looked back to the tower in despair at her failure to gather Equestria's last means of defense. The sound of gunfire was heard. She and her friends along with the Changelings stopped and looked out to the city. Shouts, cries of anguish and agony could be heard throughout the city.
"We better keep moving." said a Changeling. The others nodded in agreement as they went back to leading the Element Bearers back to the castle.



Junior walked through the castle grounds as he held his katana at his side. He bore an angry expression as his armor was stained in the yellow liquid that filled the Changelings. His sword dripped the same liquid into the grass as he stepped through. Behind him was a trail of dead or wounded Changelings in his wake. He stopped as he found an empty area that led into a specific part of the castle where special ceremonies such as weddings were held. He thought it'd be his best bet since the door was wide open and there were a few  royal guards that were sitting down and were bounded by a green slime. Junior rushed over towards the guards and knelt down near them.
"Who are you?" asked one of the guards.
"Not important right now. Where is Princess Celestia?" asked Junior.
"She's still inside with the Queen. We tried to fight them off but we didn't stand a chance!" said a guard. Junior looked to where he was headed and seethed. He then turned back and brought his katana down in between the guards on the slime, but was unable to cut through it. He growled in frustration as he yanked his sword from the slime.
"I can't free you guys. I have a method that might burn through this, but then I'd risk you guys being cooked alive." said Junior as he stood back up.
"So, what now?" asked a guard.
"I'm going in to save Celestia." said Junior as he headed for the steps. The guards disregarded Junior's informal way of referring to the princess but instead focused on what he planned.
"You can't go in there! The Queen is too powerful!" said a guard.
"Don't be a hero!" said another guard. Junior stopped and turned to face the guards.
"Hero? The Elements of Harmony are heroes. Me? I'm a monster." said Junior as he turned back and continued to walk up the steps. The guards watched him leave, wondering what he meant by calling himself a monster. Junior continued on up the steps and made his way through the door. He found himself inside of a large hall where several Changelings found him. The creatures snarled at him as they flared his wings, but Junior gave an animalistic growl back to the Changelings, causing them to recoil back.
"Don't try to intimidate me, you weak drones." said Junior as he slowly walked down the long hallway.
"I've come here for your Queen." said Junior as he twirled his katana in his grip. He then dragged the blade against the ground, causing the sound of steel grazing the marble floor to echo in the hall.
"Back down, and I'll spare you." said Junior in a threatening tone. The Changelings gave war cries as they charged towards Junior with their weapons in hand. Junior picked up his speed and charged towards them as well.



Chrysalis stood at the first step that led to the altar. The sound of struggling filled the room. From the windows, one could see the Changeling invasion in progress. She looked out the window and found armored soldiers fighting her army. She growled angrily. She then turned to find a drone standing behind her with a neutral expression.
"You! Tell the remaining forces that I want them down here to stop those soldiers!" ordered Chrysalis. The Changeling nodded as he bowed.
"It shall be done, my Queen." said the Changeling as he took off through the window. Chrysalis continued to hear the sound of struggling. She sighed in annoyance and turned to face the altar. Cadance stood on the altar several feet away from Shining Armor and Spike standing nervously at her side with a tuxedo and a top hat on his head. Her feet were covered in the green slime webbing that immobilized her. She was bound to the same spot, unable to move and reach her fiancé. Cadance's hair was a mess and her dress was ragged. Shining Armor stood in a red, officer's suit with a gold collar and cuffs and grey khakis. The starburst that was found on his Cutie mark was sewed onto a belt that wrapped around his shoulder and ran across his chest. The Elf's eyes were unfocused and stared off into space as they slightly glowed green. He slightly moaned like mindless zombie as he remained still.
"Shiny! Snap out of it!" cried Cadance as she tried to free herself.
"My dear, give it up. It's hopeless to escape!" said Queen Chrysalis. She then turned towards the ceiling and found a green chrysalis hanging. Inside was a green liquid that surrounded Celestia. The Avatar's hands were dark, as if they were burned. Her eyes were closed as she lied hung inside of the Chrysalis, unconscious. Her drones hovered next to the chrysalis with smiles.
"I was expecting this to be so easy. Of course, those soldiers outside have proven me wrong." said Chrysalis as she walked along the room. From the other side of the room were Blaire and a couple of other guards. They struggled as they attempted to free themselves. Blaire glared at the Changeling Queen.
"Damn you!" spat Blaire. Chrysalis merely ignored the guard and continued walk around. She grunted as she felt the side of her head. Her senses were clouded as she sensed cries of agony from her subjects nearby, warning her of an unstoppable enemy. The cries suddenly reached her hearing, causing her to gasp and to face the door. Everyone went silent as they heard the cries coming from behind the door along with an angry yell. The sound of something slamming against the walls was heard. Suddenly, the door opened, revealing a wounded Changeling that clutched his bleeding arm.
"Mother, a demon is attacking! He's unstoppable! Unstoppa- Ah!" cried the Changeling as an armored hand grabbed him and pulled him back inside. The Changeling continued to cry out but was suddenly silenced. Everyone in the room waited nervously at what could have caused such fear. The Changelings that were in the room landed and got into a fighting position as they drew their weapons. Four larger and taller Changelings that were clad in armor and armed with metal staffs that sparked with magic at the ends got in front of Chrysalis as they prepared for the unknown enemy. The doors swung open, revealing Junior standing alone in his father's samurai armor. His blade dripped with the yellow liquid and his armor held the stains. Several Changelings lied dead or severely wounded in his wake.  Chrysalis glared at the lone Transmutant while Junior glared back as the dragon face plate snarled at her. He then noticed Celestia trapped inside of chrysalis, causing him to growl angrily.
"Who is that?" asked Spike with wide eyes. He was in awe of this warrior that stood up to these Changelings. It was like a corny movie that involved samurai saving the day in a Western nation.
"Who dares to challenge my army?" demanded Chrysalis. Junior didn’t answer as he remained silent while he approached the Changeling drones. The Royal guards stared at him as he approached the Changelings. He twirled his blade in his grip as the sun light reflected off of the blade from the window and onto the walls. One of the Changelings gave a war cry as he charged towards Junior with his mace. He swung his weapon down on the Transmutant, but Junior side stepped from the attack and flipped his katana around to thrust his weapon behind himself. The Changeling groaned as his back was pierced by the cold, steel blade. Cadance gasped as she saw the violent act while Spike covered his eyes, shielding himself from witnessing the violent act. Junior pulled out the katana and kicked the Changeling to the ground. Chrysalis looked at him in surprise as Junior merely swung his sword, splattering the yellow liquid on the ground. He then waved his hand to himself, signaling the creatures to come at him. The Changelings growled in anger and screeched, charging towards him. Junior slowly walked towards them and caught the sword of one of the Changelings with his own blade. He forced him away and kicked a Changeling that came at his right. Junior then slashed a Changeling's chest, causing him to fall the ground in his own bodily fluid. Junior was suddenly struck by a Changeling's magic bolt and staggered back. The Transmutant ran towards the attacking Changeling and dismembered his arm. Cadance gasped in horror as she cupped her mouth. The guards watched as Junior grabbed the screaming Changeling and forced him towards the others. He then dodged the swing of a mace and punched a Changeling's leg, making him drop down to the ground and to be knocked unconscious by the butt of Junior's katana. The Changelings were defeated in mere seconds, leaving only Chrysalis and four of the armored Changelings. They snarled at him as they steeled themselves.
"They are intimidated by you." spoke the dragon's voice. Junior could see the creature's face in the reflection of his sword.
'They should be.' thought Junior as he charged towards the Changelings. Chrysalis stepped back.
"Take him, my royal guards!" ordered Chrysalis. The guards snarled as they charged towards Junior. They all performed acrobatic feats as they evaded Junior's attacks. The Transmutant grunted in frustration as one of them performed a front flip over his head. He landed and twirled his staff in his hands. The sound of the magic energy that sparked from both ends gave a whirring sound. The Changeling thrusted the staff towards Junior's head, but the Transmutant side stepped from the attack. He then grabbed the staff and yanked it away from the Changeling and drove it into his chest. The guard yelled in agony as his chest was burned by the energy. Junior turned and found another guard charging towards him. The Transmutant kicked his leg back and forced the Changeling several feet away. He crashed into the wall and dropped his weapon. Junior then pulled back the staff that he had held against the Changeling and swung it against his head. Junior was suddenly kicked against his helmet, causing him to stagger. He then caught the tip of another guard's staff, causing his blade to spark against the metal pole. Junior stepped away from the guard but he was attacked from behind. He yelled in pain as he felt the magic energy reach an exposed area of his armor, making him stagger away. He then found the guard who attacked him running towards him. Junior swung his katana at him but the guard leapt over him and landed behind him. Junior turned to swing his sword again but the Changeling had already kicked him in his chin. Junior was forced a few feet into the air by the strong kick but was struck back down as another guard leapt into the air over him and brought his staff down on his back. Junior landed on the ground and yelled in agony as the magic energy began to burn his skin through an exposed area near his lower spine.
"Keep him down!" shouted a Changeling guard as he rushed to assist. He then thrust his staff on Junior's leg. Junior continued to yell as his training kimono pants were breached and his skin was burned. Chrysalis laughed to herself as the other two guards thrust their spears against Junior's body. He yelled angrily as grabbed his katana again and swung at the leg of one of the guards, dismembering it. The guard yelled in agony as he dropped to the ground, allowing Junior to roll along the ground to cause the staffs to hit the ground instead. Junior stood up and rammed against the closest guard, bringing his sword down on the guard’s exposed forehead. Junior then released his blade and tackled another guard that attempted to swing his staff at him and sent powerful punches. The Transmutant yelled in pain as he felt the other guard strike him with the tip of the staff. He then immediately grabbed the guard that attacked him and began to strangle him. He drove him down towards the ground multiple times as he glared angrily at the Transmutant. He then threw the guard at the remaining guard that attempted to stand and knocked them both to the ground. Junior panted as he turned to face Chrysalis and picked up his katana. Junior then pointed it towards her and then brought the sword near his neck and made a slitting motion. The Queen held an angry expression.
"How dare you! You interfere with my takeover of Equestria, you kill my subjects, and now you threaten my life?!" demanded Chrysalis. Junior merely twirled his katana as he prepared to fight. From within the chrysalis, Celestia slowly began to open her eyes. The sounds were muffled to her from behind inside, but they were loud enough to cause her to awaken. Her eyes widened as she realized that she was trapped. She heard Chrysalis screaming in fury. The Avatar found an armored man standing before her as he prepared to attack. She found the armored figure and looked on in wonder.
'Who...who is that?' thought Celestia.
"You can't face her!" cried Cadance. Junior turned his head and looked to Cadance. She gulped nervously, intimidated by the samurai that had taken on highly skilled royal guards and Changeling soldiers with relative ease.
"She's...she's too powerful!" said Cadance. Spike nodded in agreement. Junior looked back to Chrysalis with a glare.
"She wouldn't be the first." said Junior. Blaire and Spike gasped as they recognized his voice. Blaire struggled to free herself.
"Goji! Goji, is that you?!" exclaimed Blaire with frightened eyes. Cadance's eyes widened as she recognized the nickname. Junior cursed under his breath as he lowered his head. He chose not to respond. He instead glared back at the Queen and began to twirl his blade. He then charged towards Chrysalis.
"Goji!!" cried Blaire. Celestia remained silent, unable to make out the identity of the samurai and what one of her guards was saying. Her eyes widened as she found that the samurai was approaching Chrysalis for an attack.
'Don't be a fool!' thought Celestia.
Junior swung his sword towards Chrysalis but she merely kicked Junior in his chest, sending him several feet away. Junior slid across the ground and began to groan. He slowly stood up and glared at Chrysalis. The Queen's horn glowed as well as her hands. Swords that were dropped by the dead and unconscious Changelings were levitated into her grip. She glared at Junior as she held them firmly in her hands.
"If you want my head, you'll have to come get it from my lifeless body." said Chrysalis. Junior suddenly burst into a sprint and charged towards Chrysalis.
"Fine by me!" said Junior. The two charged towards each other and clashed blades. Sparks flew around them. Chrysalis bared her fangs at Junior as her dual swords pressed against his katana.



Outside of the castle, Yoshi and Koizumi stood back to back as a swarm of Changelings surrounded them. Yoshi fired his rifle, mowing down every Changeling that was in his line of fire. Koizumi fired his dual submachine guns and shot down any Changeling that attempted to close in. The two switched sides as certain Changelings attempted to tackle them. Yoshi slammed his rifle against a Changeling as Koizumi threw his machine guns to the ground and pulled out his katanas. He began to cut down any Changeling that got in his way. Their bodies were sliced and diced from the steel blades.
"Bitch!" shouted Koizumi as he performed a roundhouse kick against a Changeling. Yoshi pulled out a shotgun that was magnetized to the plate on his armored back and fired at the Changelings. Inoue appeared at his side and fired her rifle at the Changelings with Yoshi. Koizumi ignited his thruster pack as he leapt into the air and was propelled towards several Changelings. He spun around as he held out his katanas. The blades cut through the creatures and caused them to fall to the ground. Koizumi landed and then bowed.
"Thank you! Thank you!" said Koizumi as he bowed at the approaching Changelings. He then grinned wickedly and then burst into a sprint.
"I guess you folks aren't into flashy performances!" said Koizumi as he decapitated a Changeling and sliced through the rest. The soldier stopped as he spotted monstrous creatures running down the streets. He spotted Baragon, Manda and Goro running down the street, chasing after Changelings. Manda dove towards the Changelings and wrapped her body around them. She roared as she constricted her muscles. Goro swung his tail at any Changeling that attempted to spear him. Baragon charged towards a Bruiser Changeling and tackled him to the ground. He roared as he mauled his neck.
"Oh, shit." said Koizumi. Yoshi turned and his eyes widened.
"Looks like we might win this after all." said Yoshi with a smile.
"Wait, you never had faith in us winning?!" exclaimed Inoue with an appalled expression. Yoshi went stiff.
"I-I didn't say that!" said Yoshi, frantically.
"Were you thinking it?!" demanded Inoue.
"Of course not!" said Yoshi. Suddenly, several more Changelings dropped near them. He sighed in annoyance.
"Let's talk about this later." said Yoshi.
"If we survive!" spat Inoue. Yoshi sighed.
"I should've kept my mouth shut." muttered Yoshi. More gunfire filled the air. Down the streets, the rebels were leading people to safety. But little by little, their numbers in able bodied units declined. Changelings were firing their slimed webbing from their hands, created by their magic abilities. The rebels were struggling to escape but it was futile. The rest of the Changeling army was retaliating with full force against all resistance.



The Element Bearers were led through the castle grounds. They all remained silent as the Changelings kept spears pointed at them and ushered them up the stairs to where their Queen was. Twilight kept a frown as she walked up the steps with her friends. Rainbow wore a scowl as the Changelings held her by her arms in the air. The Changelings in front opened the doors but stopped at what they saw. The Element Bearers all looked on in shock at what they saw. Dead Changelings littered the hall along with some that were barely alive. Their wings twitched as they lied on the ground. One of the Changelings leading the group rushed towards one that sat on his rear, clutching his dismembered arm.
"What happened?!" asked the Changeling. The wounded drone weakly looked up to him. He grabbed him by his shoulder as he shuddered.
"I'm...I'm sorry brother. He...he was too strong! He slaughtered us!" said the Changeling. He then began to cough furiously. The main six found themselves growing sympathetic towards watching the two. The healthy Changeling held his brother's hand and held it tightly.
"Where is mother? Is she alright?" asked the Changeling, urgently.
"I don't know. The demon went inside and hasn't come out." said the wounded Changeling.
"Demon?" asked Twilight in confusion. The Changeling looked towards a few of his brothers.
"You three! Tend to the wounded!" ordered the Changeling. Three of the Changelings nodded in response and ran towards any that were still alive. Five remaining Changelings remained with the Main six and kept their spears pointed at them. The commanding officer made his way down the hall and led everyone towards the door. The faint sound of yelling and blades clashing could be heard. The Changeling opened the double door and revealed Chrysalis leaping away from a samurai in grey armor. The samurai yelled angrily as he swung his sword at Chrysalis, which she leapt over him and brought her swords down on his back. The samurai brought his sword behind his back and caught the swords, and then spun around and then cut Chrysalis's arm.
"Gah!" yelled Chrysalis in pain as her arm bled. The samurai was about to stab the Queen, but he was kicked by her and sent flying towards the wall. Chrysalis laughed manically as Junior slumped against the wall. His face plate was falling down and his helmet was crooked. The Element Bearers stared in shock at what they had witnessed. Chrysalis turned around and found the Element Bearers standing in the door way with her subjects. 
"Enjoyed the show?" asked Chrysalis.
"My Queen, is he the one who slaughtered our brothers?!" asked one of the Changelings. Chrysalis solemnly nodded.
"Yes, my son." answered Chrysalis. The drones glared at Junior as he slowly rose to his feet.
"May we gut this bastard and hang him from his entrails?" asked one of the Changelings.
"No!" cried Blaire as she and the royal guards struggled to free themselves.
"That will not be necessary. I am already punishing this insolent fool." said Chrysalis as she walked over to Junior. The Transmutant growled as his irises widened and became reptilian. He yelled as he charged towards Chrysalis and clashed blades with her. The Queen blocked each attack, tossing one of her swords into the air and catching it with her clawed foot. She then quickly stood on one of her hands and swung her leg at Junior. The Transmutant blocked the sword that was held by her foot and was forced to dodge her when she dropped back down to her feet and swung the sword that was in her hand. The girls were moved to the side of the room, near the guards as they watched the Transmutant and Changeling fight. Chrysalis slammed her blades against Junior's, both were locked together as the sharp edges grazed each other.
"Did you really think that you could beat me? Did you think that you could win?" asked Chrysalis as she forced Junior away and began to spin with her swords as a tornado. Junior stumbled back as he attempted to block each attack. He was suddenly grazed on his arm, causing him to grunt.
"Did you think that you would have received the glory of slaying the Queen of the Changelings?!" demanded Chrysalis as she hopped over Junior's sword and landed on her hands. She then sent a powerful kick towards his face, causing his face plate to loosen. He spun around and fell to the ground. The girls flinched as they watched Chrysalis began to stomp on him. Blaire's eyes were running with tears as she attempted to free herself. Spike bit his claws as he watched Junior ruthlessly attacked. Celestia was struggling to escape her prison, causing the chrysalis to wiggle from the ceiling. Junior panted as he glared at Chrysalis. She then stomped on his helmet, making him drop his head against the marble floor. Fluttershy cupped her hands over her mouth as she watched the warrior suffer. Junior groaned as the floor around him cracked.
"Stop! Stop, you're going to kill him!!" cried Blaire. Twilight glanced at the guard and was surprised to find her crying her eyes out. She wondered what possible relationship she had with this man that has caused her so much grief. Junior growled as his body went through slight physical changes. His muscles slightly grew and he felt his dorsal plates threatening to burst from his spine. His teeth grew sharp from behind his helmet and the skin around his face was slightly covered in light grey scales. Junior pushed himself off of the ground and forced Chrysalis back. The Changeling yelled as she forced her aura engulfed hand against his chest, firing a beam of magic towards his chest. Junior cried out in agony as the magic sent him crashing towards the wall. Chrysalis kept her attack going while Blaire pleaded to the Queen to stop. Junior continued yelling in agony as his body was forced against the wall. Chrysalis stopped her attack and allowed Junior to fall onto his hands and knees. He panted heavily as his chest smoked while Chrysalis stalked towards him as he slowly stood to his feet.
"You are fool! Just stay down!" said Chrysalis in annoyance. Junior reached for his armored chest plate and forced it off of his chest, tearing the strap that held it together with his back armor piece. He tossed it to the ground, revealing his kimono underneath. Junior then reached for the gauntlet and forced it off and then for the other gauntlet. He revealed his muscle toned arms that were covered in cuts from the battle. He breathed heavily as he used his sword to hold himself up. He began to wheeze as he hunched over.
"How is this guy still going?" asked Rainbow in a shocked tone. Junior glared at Chrysalis as he held his sword up.
"Stop fighting, you idiot! You'll get yourself killed!" cried Blaire. Junior didn't listen. He instead charged towards Chrysalis. Twilight's heart raced as she watched the samurai recklessly throw his life away. She then noticed the abnormal traits on his body. His arms appeared as if they were slightly covered in scales. His body mass seemed unlikely to wear the samurai armor to the point where it would be possible to move agilely the way she had seen him.
"I said..." Chrysalis sent her foot forward and caught Junior's helmet with her clawed toes and forced him down to the ground on his back. She then leaned over him with a glare.
"...Stay. Down." said Chrysalis. Junior grabbed her foot and dug his black claws, causing her to yell in pain. Chrysalis tightened her claws that were attached to her foot and raised her leg, forcing Junior to his feet and fired a beam of magic against his chest. She released him, allowing Junior to fly several feet back. His scarred chest was revealed as the bolt had burned through his training kimono and his skin. Junior tried to stand but fell onto his back. Chrysalis dropped her swords and walked over to Junior and grabbed him by his neck, dragging him along. She looked to the main six with a glare.
"The reception has been canceled." said Chrysalis. She then turned to the Changelings.
"Go and feed my children! Equestria is ours for the taking!" said Chrysalis in triumph. The Changelings left the Element Bearers alone and flew out the door. Chrysalis shut the double doors with her magic and locked them. She chuckled darkly as she walked over to Twilight.
"It's funny really. Twilight here was suspicious about my behavior all along." said Chrysalis as she brought her hand under Twilight's chin and raised her head to face hers. Twilight glared at her and pushed her hand away. She then noticed the samurai lightly groaning in a raspy voice as his head slumped down. She frowned at the sight.
"Too bad the rest of you were too caught up in your wedding planning to realize her suspicions were correct!" Chrysalis laughed sinisterly as she flew with Junior in her grip. She then threw him to the other side of the room and allowed him to crash into the wall. He slumped down as he weakly looked over to Chrysalis with a weak glare. Fluttershy rushed over to the samurai in attempt to help him. She reached for his helmet but he gently pushed her hand away and shook his head. He lied down and attempted to catch his breaths. Fluttershy gasped as she noticed the scar that ran over his chest and the small amount of scales that decorated his mammalian flesh. The scales began to disappear and fuse back into his body as mammalian flesh. She stared at the man with wide eyes.
'Could he be a...Transmutant?' thought Fluttershy. There was no other being that she could think of could have these sorts of changes to the body like a Transmutant.
"Sorry Twi. We should've listened to you." apologized Applejack as she looked down to the ground solemnly.
"It's not your fault. She fooled everybody." said Twilight.
"I did, didn't I?" said Chrysalis with a smirk. Junior's mind slipped out of consciousness. He found himself in darkness, sitting alone in a circle of flames. The Transmutant slowly looked up to find the dark dragon staring down at him.
"Disappointing." said the dragon. Junior sighed.
"Tell me about it." said Junior.
"Tell me, why do you not want the one you call, Fluttershy, to see your face?" asked the dragon.
"I can't. How can I face them again after all of this time?" asked Junior.
"You're a fool! Who cares what they will think of you? Humans are all the same! You know this!" said the dragon.
"No, they are not." said Junior. He sighed. "But I can't be sure if they will accept me with open arms."
"You'll never know until you fight and kill every last one of these Changelings." said the dragon.
"I'll only appear more as a monster." said Junior as he looked down. The dragon sighed.
"If that is your reason for not acting, then your former human friends will likely perish or be enslaved." said the dragon. Junior clenched his fists in anger.
"Tell me, what do you care? All you want me to do is kill everyone who wronged me. Why do you care about them?" asked Junior.
"I don't. But you do." said the dragon. Junior looked to the dragon in surprise. Suddenly, the creature disappeared into dust. Junior hardened his eyes.
Junior's eyes shot open and he found himself staring at Chrysalis as she grabbed Twilight by her throat. The Elf tried to pry the Changeling's hands off but it was hopeless. Her legs dangled in the air as Chrysalis held her high.
"You dare to defy me?!" demanded Chrysalis. Twilight choked as she struggled to breath.
"Twilight!" cried the other Elements of Harmony in unison. Junior's irises grew and his muscle mass grew in size. He slammed his fist against the ground and stood up. Fluttershy backed away from Junior as he stood to his feet. He charged towards Chrysalis and slammed against her. She released Twilight, causing the Elf to fall to the ground. She coughed furiously as she clutched her throat. Rarity rushed to her side with a worried look.
"Help...me get to Cadance!" said Twilight. Rarity began to walk Twilight towards the altar and to the Avatar. Twilight shot her hands at the slime that encased Cadance's feet and disintegrated it with a beam of magic.
"Quick, go to him while you still can!" said Twilight. Cadance nodded and rushed over to Shining Armor as he remained in his mindless state. Junior slammed Chrysalis against the wall of the room and slammed her against it repeatedly. The Changeling stomped on his foot, causing the Transmutant to groan in pain and flinch. Chrysalis took advantage of this and punched him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. Chrysalis grabbed him by the shoulder and repeatedly punch Junior in his stomach. Her strength rocked his insides and bones. Junior dropped to his knees as he wheezed for air. Chrysalis then reared her leg back and kicked Junior against his face plate. The Transmutant flew a few feet away as his face plate disconnected from his helmet. Junior rolled along the ground as his helmet fell off of his head. Junior rolled onto his stomach as he coughed furiously. His blood dripped to the ground, originating from the Changeling's strength that had injured his internal organs. The main six stared at him as they waited to see the Transmutant's face. Celestia watched from her prison as well. The Queen chuckled as she stalked over towards Junior. She suddenly heard a groan coming from the altar. She turned and found Cadance and Shining Armor, who seemed to have been released from his hypnotized state. He rubbed his head as he groaned.
"Is...is the wedding over?" asked Shining Armor in a weak tone. Cadance wrapped him into a tight embrace as tears of joy flowed down her cheeks. Chrysalis laughed as she turned away from the Transmutant.
"It's all over!" said Chrysalis.
"Your spell! Perform your spell!" said Twilight in urgency. Chrysalis laughed maniacally.
"What good would that do? My Changelings already roam free!" said Chrysalis as she gestured out to the window. The Changeling army swarmed the city, causing panic in the streets. Some dive bombed into the streets like green comets, causing smoke to rise from their craters.
"No!" said Shining Armor with dread. His hands dimly glowed from his magic aura as he strained to soak up every ounce of his strength to perform his spell. He hunched over as he broke into a sweat.
"My power is useless now. I don't have the strength to repel them!" said Shining Armor in exhaustion. Junior slowly raised his head up as his eyes took on their reptilian appearance as his claws began to grow. He spat his human teeth out, which were replaced by his predatory teeth.
"My love will give you strength." said Cadance as she hugged Shining Armor. Chrysalis laughed as she walked away.
"What a lovely but absolutely ridiculous sentiment." mocked Chrysalis. Junior chuckled as he reached for his helmet. The humans and drake in the room looked towards him as he slowly rose to his feet. Junior then tossed his helmet at Chrysalis's back, causing her to turn around with a look of annoyance on her face. Her eyes widened in surprise as she saw Junior's face. Twilight gasped as she saw Junior's face. Blaire gritted her teeth as she saw the smirk in his face. Celestia's eyes widened as she found Junior standing before the Changeling. He reached for the rag that was wrapped over his head and removed it, allowing his hair to be exposed. It was slightly pressed down against his skull due to it being covered by the rag with the helmet.
"You! You're just a child!" said Chrysalis in anger. She was infuriated that her soldiers and guards were unable to handle a young man that likely should not have as much as experience in combat.
"Surprise~" said Junior mockingly.
"I will crush your skull beneath my heel, boy!" shouted Chrysalis as she charged towards Junior. The Transmutant charged as well, ignoring Blaire's pleading for him to stop. Chrysalis grabbed Junior by his head and slammed him to the ground. She was about to stomp on his skull but he rolled out of the way. Junior instead lunged at her as he snarled like a beast, revealing his sharp teeth. Chrysalis fell onto her back and caught him by the shoulders. Junior snapped his jaws at her as he attempted to maul her neck. Chrysalis shoved him away and pressed her hand against his face as it was engulfed in a magic aura. Junior yelled as he tried to lunge back at her but the Queen fired a beam of magic against his face. Junior yelled in agony as his face was burned. The main six and Blaire screamed in terror as they saw the beam collide with his face. Junior fell onto his back as his eyes stared blankly at the ceiling. Thanks to his durability and Chrysalis's least amount of power placed into her attack, his face suffered only with minor burns. The surface of his face was now pink with the visible burn scarring that ran along his cheeks. Fluttershy cupped her hands over her mouth as she trembled. Pinkie's hair had lost its messy puff and merely hung at her shoulders as she stared at Junior in despair. Blaire cried out to Junior as he lied motionless on his back.  Rarity stared at his reptilian eyes as they slowly began to return to being more human-like and was overcome with worry and fear for his life. Twilight attempted to run out to him but Applejack and Rainbow held her back as Chrysalis approached Junior. The Changeling held a hateful glare towards him as Junior's eyes lazily looked over to Chrysalis.
Celestia attempted to free herself from the chrysalis with little strength that she had. She cried out to Junior from her prison in despair. Chrysalis stalked closer to Junior as she levitated a sword to herself. She stomped on his chest, causing him to groan. Chrysalis raised her sword over his head as he stared weakly at her.
"This...was not supposed to end like this." said Junior weakly. Twilight hyperventilated as she watched Chrysalis brought her sword higher.
"I couldn't allow this day to end otherwise." said Chrysalis. Junior's eyes widened as he watched her tighten her grip on the sword. She then brought it down onto his skull.
"No!!" cried Twilight as she clenched her eyes shut. Silence filled the room. Blaire gasped as her eyes widened. The Elements of Harmony watched with shocked expressions at what they saw. Twilight opened her eyes and gasped. Junior's eyes were closed and his expression was calm. The sword's tip was only inches away from his face. He had caught it before it could strike him.
"What?!" exclaimed Chrysalis in anger. Junior opened his eyes, revealing neon blue orbs of light. The girls recoiled as they saw the pupil less eyes that glared at the Queen. Junior growled as he forced Chrysalis off of his chest and kept a tight hold of the blade. The Changeling struggled to pull away as she stared into Junior’s glowing eyes.
"What was it you said? You couldn't allow this to end otherwise?" asked Junior with a smirk. He then noticed Cadance of Shining Armor being engulfed in a magical aura. He chuckled to himself as he bent the sword and caused the edge of the blade to snap. Chrysalis gasped as she stumbled back. Junior kicked the Queen away, causing her to slide across the ground and near the window. She then noticed the light that was coming from the soon-to-be married couple. Suddenly, a burst of a raspberry sphere of magic expanded from all sides of the room, passing the humans, drake and Transmutant.
"No!!!!" screamed Chrysalis as she was repelled away out of the window along with the dead and unconscious bodies of the Changelings. Outside of the building, the Changeling army gasped and turned to find the sphere approaching. Soon, they were all repelled from Canterlot and were scattered throughout the land. Their cries echoed as they were forced away. The rebels and guards that were trapped in the slime webbing were freed as the substance disintegrated. They slowly stood up and found that none of their enemies were in sight. Yoshi smiled under his helmet as he looked at his comrades.
Back inside where the wedding was meant to be held, the pink winged Avatar and captain of the royal guard descended down back onto the altar. The two wrapped each other into an embrace. Junior panted as his glowing eyes died down. He turned to find Celestia panting as she lied down on the ground with her head lowered. He dropped the tip of the sword that he had broken and ran over to her. The Transmutant knelt down next to her and took her hand. The Avatar looked up to find Junior's worried expression. She stared at his scarred face and into his yellow eyes. Her lips quivered as her eyes glistened with tears. She gently placed a hand on his face, causing Junior to scrunch his face a bit from the tenderness of his scar. Celestia immediately pulled her hand away, opting instead to get on her knees and wrapped Junior into a tight embrace. The Sun Princess sobbed with joy as she held Junior tightly. The Transmutant allowed his tears to trail down his scarred face as he hugged his adoptive mother.
"I missed you so much!" cried Celestia.
"I missed you too." said Junior with a small smile. The main six watched the scene with warm smiles as did the drake, the royal couple, and the guards. Blaire slowly made her way over to the pair as she removed her helmet. Junior heard her approaching and turned to find her giving him a glare. She wrapped him into a tight hug.
"Don't you ever scare me like that again!" yelled Blaire as she sobbed against Junior's shoulder. Junior frowned as he held his sister figure.
"I'm sorry, sis." apologized Junior. Twilight made her way over to Celestia and helped her to stand to her feet. Junior and Blaire released each other, both wearing a smile. Junior caught Twilight in the corner of his eye and slowly glanced at her. The Elf looked up to him with a frown.
"Uh..." Twilight was about to speak but she was interrupted by the sound of gunfire. Junior immediately turned to face the window, hearing the sound of roars and gunfire.
"Oh, no." said Junior. He broke off into a sprint towards the door.
"Hey, wait!" called Twilight. Junior had already burst through the door and made his way outside. He made his way out to the streets, hearing the roars and shouts growing louder. Junior turned around the corner and found Rodan's and Angirasu's backs with three other Transmutant creatures. They appeared to be growling at something. Junior rushed over to his fellow Transmutants and walked in between Goro and Angirasu. His eyes widened as he spotted a few dozen MONARCH soldiers standing ahead with their guns pointed at the Transmutants. Junior growled angrily as he glared at the first soldier that he saw. His body began to grow his charcoal grey scales as his eyes changed.
"Any bright ideas, Yoshi?" asked Koizumi as he glared at Yoshi. The soldier kept his gun pointed at Junior as the Transmutant glared and bared his teeth at him.
'Wait, what are we doing?' thought Yoshi. He then lowered his weapon and placed it on the ground. He kicked the weapon to Junior's feet, who looked at it in confusion.
"The hell are you doing?!" whispered Inoue as she kept her weapon aimed at Angirasu. The armadillo-like dragon merely flared his nostrils and snarled at her, causing her to flinch.
"Drop your weapons." ordered Yoshi. The nearest soldiers looked at him disbelief. Koizumi chuckled to himself.
"Very funny!" said Koizumi.
"I'm not joking. Everyone, put the weapons down!" shouted Yoshi.
"Not until these assholes back off!" said a rebel. A few gave shouts in agreement. The Transmutants merely growled.
"Not a chance." said Junior as he stomped on Yoshi's rifle, causing it to break in half as it sparked with magic.
"That is an order! Put the damn weapons down!" shouted Yoshi. The rebels all reluctantly placed their rifles on the ground. Koizumi groaned in annoyance as he dropped his rifle on the ground as well. Yoshi raised his hands up as he slowly approached.  Junior glared at Yoshi as he slowly stepped towards him.
"Easy, I just want to talk." said Yoshi.
"Yeah well, the last soldier that tried that, it didn't work out in the end." spat Junior. A few citizens peaked their heads out of hiding and began to watch the standoff anxiously.
"What is your name?" asked Yoshi.
"Gojira Takeshi the 2nd." answered Junior as he held his glare. He stopped a few feet away from the armored man. Yoshi kept his hands where Junior could see them, hoping to appear less hostile, but the rebels were anxious to drop back down, pick up their guns, and shoot these mutations. The Transmutants themselves felt the need to act, disliking the fact that Junior was close to one of them.
"Takeshi-san, my name is Hayato Yoshi. I'm a-"
"Yeah, I know what you are. And I should kill you right where you stand." said Junior in a threatening tone. The soldiers were about to intervene but then noticed a hooded figure walking past them. The main six, the guards, Celestia, Cadance, and Shining Armor all arrived at the corner of the street and began to witness the confrontation. Celestia's eyes widened as she spotted the soldiers. She looked on angrily at how MONARCH had set foot in her country when she had legally forbid them to enter.
"MONARCH has no place on Equestrian soil." said Celestia as she and a few guards approached the standoff. She wore a glare as she stared at Yoshi.
"I demand that you and your soldiers leave immediately!" shouted Celestia as she flared her white wings.
"We are no longer fighting for MONARCH. We are rebelling against them because we have learned how the leadership is corrupt." said Yoshi. Junior scoffed in response. Celestia looked to him in confusion but then shot him another glare. Yoshi turned back to face Junior. "Takeshi, we are not your enemies."
"Bullshit." said the Transmutants in unison.
"We never knew that our organization was solely responsible for the creation of Transmutants! Which is why we've come here, to warn Equestria of what MONARCH is planning." said Koizumi. Junior shook his head.
"Well, your twelve years too late, Yoshi. I don't think you understand how much pain and suffering that we've been through.  Look at them!" said Junior as he gestured to the Transmutants. "Look at what your organization has brought on them!"
"These people have been forced to hide and to live in fear for all of their life because of MONARCH!" shouted Junior in anger.
"You're right, we'll never truly know what they've been through! But we want to make up for what happened! Only if you'll let us!" said Yoshi.
"Tell me why I should place my trust in someone, who served in an organization that was dedicated to break us, dehumanize us, and destroy us?!" demanded Junior as he got into Yoshi's face. The Transmutants growled as they prepared to act at the first sign of an attack. Some of the soldiers glanced at their guns while some watched anxiously. The citizens hid in their homes or in the corners of the street as they listened to the confrontation. Twilight gulped nervously, hoping that Junior would not make any rash actions. Yoshi was about to answer but sighed. He then noticed the hooded woman walking up to his side. Junior glared at the woman who approached.
"Because I already placed my trust in him." said the hooded woman. Junior's eyes widened in shock as he recognized the soft tone in her voice. Rodan and Angirasu looked to woman with wide eyes, drawing small breaths. The woman slowly removed her hood and revealed her snow white, short hair.
"Mosura?" asked Junior in disbelief. The Transmutant smiled warmly.
"Hi Goji." said Mosura. Junior felt his eyes watered as he slowly made his way over to her. He reached out to her to see if she was a living being. He felt her soft hair as Mosura gently reached for hands and held them tightly.
"That's impossible. Yo-you died." said Junior. Mosura smiled as she wrapped Junior into a tight hug.
"I'll explain later." said Mosura as she pulled away. She then gestured to the rebels.
"Gojira, these people are not our enemies. They're my allies. Some are even my friends." said Mosura as she smiled to Yoshi. 
"With their help, we can finally stop the madness that's been plaguing us for so long. But we need to do it together." said Mosura. Junior looked to the rebels reluctantly and then looked back to Mosura.
"You actually trust them?" asked Junior. Mosura nodded to him.
"With my life." answered Mosura. Junior looked towards the Transmutants that were behind him and found their anxiety. He sighed.
"Fine." said Junior. He turned and began to make his way towards the Transmutants.
"Let's back off." said Junior. Baragon gave him a hard stare.
"I don't like this." said Baragon.
"Neither do I. But I've fought enough for one day. If Mosura says that they won't try to kill us while we aren't looking, then that's good enough for me. Besides..." Junior looked to Yoshi with a neutral expression. "...It'd be the biggest mistake any of them could make for the rest of their lives."
"We'll keep that in mind." said Yoshi. Junior smirked in response.
"Well, at least you seem smart enough to not push my buttons." said Junior. Yoshi nodded. Celestia sighed as she wore a look of disapproval.
"Since you will be remaining here, I expect you and your group to give me answers." said Celestia. Yoshi suddenly felt himself grow nervous under this Avatar's stern gaze.
"O-of course, your majesty." said Yoshi as he bowed. Junior looked to Celestia with a smile.
"I believe you guys still have a wedding to start. The interrogation can wait since these guys don't seem to be going anywhere." said Junior. Celestia smiled warmly at him.
"Twilight Sparkle!" called Celestia. The Elf went stiff as she was snapped out of her thoughts. The princess smiled to her.
"Could you find it in your heart to forgive me of my mistake and assist in preparing the wedding for the real Princess Cadance?" asked Celestia with a slight frown. 
"Absolutely, your majesty." said Twilight.




Later that night...

Junior stood as he looked himself over in the mirror inside of a restroom. Beside him were Goro, Baragon, Angirasu and Rodan. Junior was looking at his face and began to feel around his skin. His burn scars slowly faded away up to his where his eyes were. Small traces remained of his burn scars near the eyes. He thought of himself lucky that he clenched his eyes shut, or else he possibly would have gone blind. The men were all dressed in tuxedos, preparing for the reception for the newlyweds.
"What happened to your scars? Your face was as pink as raw hamburger meat earlier." said Baragon. The other Transmutants chuckled in amusement.
"Shut up!" said Junior in embarrassment. He sighed as he wiped a wet towel over his face. "One thing that sets me apart from most Transmutants is that I can regenerate my wounds at a faster rate than others."
"Bitchin'." said Baragon. Goro adjusted his tie. Rodan nudged Angirasu in the arm.
"Hey, hey. I saw how friendly you were getting in Fluttershy during the invasion." teased Rodan. Angirasu blushed in response.
"At least she seemed happy to see me." said Angirasu with a scowl.
"Hey, Rainbow was happy to see me!" said Rodan. Angirasu smirked.
"Love tap?" asked Angirasu.
"Likely." replied Rodan as he crossed his arms. Goro looked to Baragon with a sly smile.
"You can dance, right?" asked Goro.
"Yeah, why?" asked Baragon.
"Just want to make sure. Manda may want to hit the dance floor." said Goro. Baragon chuckled to himself. Junior scowled in annoyance at how the other men went on about the women in their lives while he didn’t have anybody like that. He sighed as he adjusted his collar.
"You alright man?" asked Rodan.
"I'm good." said Junior. He then made his way outside of the bathroom and found himself inside of a hall. The windows that ran along the hall revealed that people were dancing outside. He spotted Cadance and Shining Armor dancing together as Twilight sang.
"Love is in Bloom~ A beautiful bride, a handsome groom~" Twilight sang as she held a microphone and as Pinkie Pie hung with the DJ over the speakers. He lightly smiled as he listened to her voice. Although he had a problem where people would tend to break into song, it was times like this where he didn't mind that people sang. He also had to admit that he enjoyed hearing Twilight's singing voice. She was wearing a hot pink dress with her hair curled at her bangs and a band of pearls that wrapped around the crown of her head. On the pearls were aqua colored flowers on them. Celestia and Luna were dancing with the crowd of people.
"Wait, where the hell was Luna during all of this?" asked Junior in confusion. He then noticed the Transmutant males approaching him from behind. Rodan slapped him in the back.
"Come on! The night's still young." said Rodan. Junior sighed as he followed the Transmutants down the hall and towards the double doors that led outside. Junior separated from the group and parked himself near a bench. He sighed as he sat down with an exhausted expression. He heard footsteps approaching and found Mosura approaching.
"Hey there." said Mosura with a smile. Junior smiled back.
"Hey." said Junior. Mosura was wearing an orange dress with a white flower head pinned over her chest. The Transmutant sat next to Junior.
"What are you doing here all by yourself?" asked Mosura.
"No reason. I'm just exhausted." said Junior. Mosura chuckled.
"So, your cousin got married." said Mosura. Junior nodded.
"Yep. Lucky her." said Junior.
"Heh. You jealous?" asked Mosura. Junior shook his head in amusement.
"I hope by jealous, you mean envious of her being able to spend the rest of her life with someone special in her life." said Junior.
"I'll take that as a yes." said Mosura. Junior leaned back on the bench.
“We're finally home." said Junior. Mosura smiled.
"Yep. Home sweet home. Which is why you should lighten up and enjoy yourself!" said Mosura as she placed a hand on her shoulder.
"I've just...gotten incredibly violent this last month. Mosura, you have no idea how angry I was when I thought that you had died." said Junior as he looked to her sadly. Mosura looked to his eyes and felt his pain.
"This past month, I think I've changed. I don't know how, but I don't feel the same." said Junior. Mosura frowned.
"It's guilt." said Mosura.
"Guilt?" asked Junior. Mosura nodded.
"You feel guilty for what you've done. You're afraid to tell anyone else because you fear that they will look at you differently. Like a monster." said Mosura. Junior sighed.
"Goji, although I don't approve of what you've done, I understand. I at least know that you acted on self-defense." said Mosura. She then smiled. "I'm just glad to know that you were at least willing to put your personal feelings aside to trust Yoshi and the other rebels."
"Not so fast." said Junior. Mosura looked to him in confusion. "I trust you. Yoshi and his band of rebels, they need to earn my trust. It's not easy to trust people whose job was to hunt you down and kill you."
"Goji, they're not like that. Yoshi is a really nice guy!" said Mosura. Junior cast a glance at her at her with a raised brow.
"Wait, do you...?" Junior tilted his head in confusion. Mosura raised a brow.
"Huh? Do I what?" asked Mosura. She then noticed Cadance approaching the pair, alone. Mosura stood to her feet and looked to Junior with a smile.
"Just give them a chance." said Mosura. Junior sighed as Mosura left. He then noticed Cadance slowly approaching.
"Hi." greeted Cadance with a nervous smile. Junior cleared his throat, uncomfortably.
"Hey." greeted Junior. The pair remained in an awkward silence.
"Mind if I sit with you?" asked Cadance. Junior scooted over, allowing Cadance to take a seat next to him. The two watched the guests mingle together. Cadance glanced at Junior and found him staring off to space.
"Soooo...how are you?" asked Cadance.
"Well, better than I have been in months." replied Junior with a shrug. He then looked to her. "How have you been?"
"I've been good. I-I mean, I've been OK! You know, I was imprisoned under the castle by Chrysalis as she tried to steal my husband and take over Equestria." said Cadance in a nervous tone.
"If you had better days than me, you don't have to downgrade it so I won't feel so bad." said Junior.
"Sorry." apologized Cadance.
"Nah don't be. I'm just a downer today." said Junior. Cadance cleared her throat.
"So uh...what are you doing here by yourself?" asked Cadance.
"I usually remain alone so I won't be bothered." said Junior. Cadance frowned as she looked down.
"Oh. I'm sorry, I didn't think I was a bother." said Cadance as she stood. Junior looked to her with wide eyes as he just registered the words that left his own mouth.
"No! I didn't mean you!" said Junior. Cadance looked to him in surprise. Junior blushed in embarrassment as he rubbed the back of his head.
"You're not bothering me. I just meant assholes like Blueblood." said Junior. Cadance lightly laughed to herself as she sat back down.
"Oh yeah?" asked Cadance.
"Yep. I'm not a fan of characters like him with their pompous attitudes and such. You never struck me as such, so you're alright where you are." said Junior. 
"That's nice to hear, cousin." said Cadance. Junior lightly smiled back. Cadance looked back at the crowd.
"Gojira, I don't want to sound rude or judgmental, but how...how do you have the nerve to kill?" asked Cadance in a nervous tone. Junior sighed.
"I'm sorry! I shouldn't have asked!" said Cadance, immediately regretting her question. She mentally scolded herself for ruining her chance to start over with him by asking such a question.
"Nerve? I don't know if that's what it's called." said Junior. Cadance glanced at him as he looked down at his hands.
"I never killed before until some time ago. Then, it was only to protect. But during the Changeling attack, I guess I could see how that it may not seem like that." said Junior.
"I didn't mean to-" Cadance was growing worried that she may have upset him over the topic.
"Be honest, were you afraid?" asked Junior. Cadance couldn't bring herself to answer the question. She looked away. Junior merely smiled.
"I don't blame you. One man taking on hundreds of Changelings without breaking a sweat is terrifying. I scare myself sometimes." confessed Junior.
"Well, despite what I felt, I was glad to know you returned. You did fight to protect us, even if you were forced to fight as you did." said Cadance with a smile. She placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You and the other Transmutants are heroes." said Cadance.
"Thanks." said Junior with a light smile. He was never called a hero before. Throughout his life he's been called a thug, a jerk, a freak, and a monster. He felt himself lighten up a bit after receiving a title that was more complimentary rather than derogatory. But, he felt that hero was not the right thing to call him. He never heard of heroes that killed. He noticed Twilight Sparkle approaching. Cadance looked to her in surprise as she looked to Junior with a nervous expression. 
'I gotta face her someday.' thought Junior as he stood. He looked down to Twilight. He found it humorous that when she had ground a couple of inches since they had first met, he had later gained a few more inches over her.
"Hi, Twilight." greeted Junior. Twilight was about to speak but she instead looked away with a frown. She clenched her fist. Her mind thought back to how she worried about his well being and how she thought that he hated her for her reaction to his Transmutant side. The Elf looked to Junior with a harsh glare. The Transmutant raised a brow in response. Twilight reared her fist back and punched Junior's right cheek.
"Ouch!" said Junior as he rubbed his cheek. Cadance recoiled in shock at the act. Twilight breathed heavily as she kept her glare on Junior.
"That's for running away and worrying me to death!" shouted Twilight as she poked Junior in his chest. Junior sighed as he looked away with a frown. Twilight lightly smiled as her hand was engulfed in her magic aura. The Transmutant felt himself brought down closer to her level. She then took his face into her hands and leaned in to him. Twilight planted a kiss against his cheek. She then pulled away from him with a sad smile.
"That's for coming back home." said Twilight. Junior stared at her in surprise with a light blush appearing on his cheeks. Cadance giggled at the sight as she placed a hand over her mouth. Junior wrapped Twilight into an embrace. Twilight allowed a few tears of joy to run down her cheeks as she nuzzled against his shoulder.
"It's great to be home." said Junior.




Zebrabwe

Sunset Shimmer and Erika Shiragami were led through the halls of the base. The soldiers held neutral expressions as they were led into an office. A woman raised herself from her desk and made her way to the soldiers.
"Good to see you, Private Erika Shiragami and Private Sunset Shimmer." said the woman. The soldiers stood at attention.
"Ma'am." the pair said in unison.
"The Director has been waiting to hear your report on the Rebels' location." said the woman with a smile.
	
> Chapter 40: Revelation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sound of cheering was heard in the dark of the night. The moon shone brightly in the sky over the citizens of Canterlot as they celebrated the newlyweds, Shining Armor and Princess Cadance. Valkyries hovered in the air as they dropped confetti down to the ground. The bride and groom strolled up to a white carriage that was to be towed by four armored white Pegasi. Twilight Sparkle used her magic to open the carriage and allowed Cadance and Shining Armor to prepare to enter inside. Cadance stopped as she noticed Junior standing with the Transmutants. The Avatar smiled as she rushed over to the Transmutant and wrapped him into a tight hug. Junior's eyes shot open in surprise.
"Thanks for coming to my wedding, cousin," said Cadance. Junior smiled as he returned her hug.
"No problem, Cadance," said Junior. The Princess of Love released him and looked to him with a coy smile.
"You seem to be quite chummy with Twilight," said Cadance. Junior looked away in embarrassment, causing the Avatar to giggle.
"I'll be rooting for you," said Cadance with a wink. Junior chuckled in embarrassment.
"Thanks," said Junior. Cadance turned and walked away as she waved to Junior.
"We ought to spend more time together after my honeymoon! We have years to catch up on!" said Cadance. Junior nodded as he waved back.
"You got it!" said Junior. Rodan grinned to himself.
"Oh yeah, she's pretty alright," said Rodan. Junior sighed in annoyance.
"You're killing me with that!" said Junior. He and the Transmutants began to move away from the crowd that was near them. Junior watched as Twilight and Shining Armor released each other from their hug. The elder brother made his way into the carriage with Cadance. Junior sighed as he spotted Mosura conversing with Yoshi and a couple of other MONARCH Rebels. The rebels weren't in their combat armor but rather in uniform. He then noticed Yoshi and Mosura sharing a laugh about something he could only guess while smiling at each other. 
"No way," said Junior in surprise. Rodan glanced at him in confusion.
"What?" asked Rodan.
"Uh...nothing! It's nothing," said Junior. He looked to Mosura worriedly, wondering if there was any harm if the rebel held feelings for her and if Mosura felt the same about him. He shook the thought off, not wanting to delve into something that wasn't his business. He just hoped that he was as trustworthy as Mosura claimed him to be.
"Oh! Almost forgot!' exclaimed Cadance from the carriage. She poked herself out of the window and tossed a bouquet of flowers.
"Heads up, ladies!" shouted Rodan with a grin. He was looking forward to see the women fight over the bouquet.
"It's mine!!" shouted Rarity as she pushed three women out of the way. Rodan grinned as he watched the bouquet. The rest of Transmutants watched as the bouquet flew past Rarity and instead was headed for Manda. She gasped as she immediately caught the bouquet. She stared at the bouquet with wide eyes and then slowly glanced at Baragon. The two blushed in embarrassment. Manda instead smiled brightly to herself as she held the bouquet. Rarity sighed as she stared at Manda with a scowl.
"Rats," spat Rarity in disappointment. Applejack and Rainbow Dash laughed in amusement. The Transmutants smiled as they stared around them. Junior felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned and found Mosura looking to him with a smile.
"Say, you know what a Shisa is right?" asked Mosura.
"Yes. Why?" asked Junior.
"Well, we have one with us. He's been helping Yoshi and the others," said Mosura.
"That so?" asked Junior.
"He wants to meet you," said Mosura. Junior raised a brow.
"OK. When?" asked Junior.
"Tonight. Princess Celestia has been kind enough to house them here for a while in exchange for information. But, she was kind enough to let me stay with you guys anyway if they didn't since she knows that we're friends," said Mosura with a bright smile. Junior smirked in response.
"Alright. Let me know when." said Junior.



Later that night, the Transmutants walked through the halls of Canterlot Castle while being escorted by guards. The main six and Spike followed them with Celestia and Luna. The group made their way down to a hall where several doors lied.
"Thank you for allowing us to rest here for the night, your highness," said Twilight. Celestia smiled warmly at her.
"It is my pleasure," said Celestia. She then gestured to the hall around them.
"This is where you all will be staying for tonight," said Celestia. She then looked to Junior.
"Your old chambers are available to you, son," said Celestia with a smile. Junior nodded to her.
"Thanks," said Junior. Manda and Baragon were about to go into one room but Blaire stepped in front of the door with a look of disapproval.
"Hey, the guys and the ladies stay in separate rooms! No hanky panky!" said Blaire. Manda and Baragon groaned in disappointment. Blaire walked over towards Junior, wrapped an arm around him and leaned close to him.
"Except for you, bro. You can score with the petite librarian that you had your eye on if you'd like," whispered Blaire with a wink. Junior blushed furiously as he went stiff. She then released him and began to lead the female Transmutants and the main six further down the hall. Celestia and Luna looked to Junior curiously.
"Junior, what was it that-" Celestia cocked her head in confusion. Junior turned to her with a frantic expression.
"Nothing!" said Junior. The Avatars recoiled at his tone. Junior smiled nervously.
"A-alright," said Celestia as she continued down the hall, casting him one last odd glance. Luna made her way over to him with a sharp glare.
"Don't even think about it, mister," whispered Luna.
"I wouldn't dream of it!" said Junior. Luna smiled humorlessly as she continued down the hall and began to follow her sister. Junior sighed in relief. He then felt the stares that the male Transmutants and drake were giving him.
"What?" asked Junior with a shrug.
"Are you afraid of women?" asked Baragon. Junior raised a brow in confusion.
"In general? No. The ones that I know? A little," said Junior nonchalantly.
"I heard what your sister whispered to you," said Rodan with a smirk. He then gave him a thumbs up.
"She gets my stamp of approval for, 'best sister in the world'!" said Rodan. Junior groaned in misery.
"Wait, what did she say?" asked Spike. The older males went stiff. They all began to mumble uncomfortably as they coughed and looked around the room. Spike raised a brow. He groaned in annoyance.
"What?!" asked Spike.
"We'll tell you when you're older Spike," said Junior.
"But-"
"When you're older!" said Junior. Spike sighed as he crossed his arms.
"Fine," said Spike. Junior rubbed his head.
"I can't believe that I have to deal with stuff like that. Too much embarrassment," said Junior with a scowl.
"Don't feel bad. At least you get your own room," said Angirasu. He then opened the door that was behind him and found a large room with one bathroom and two beds.
"At least the beds are separate," said Rodan with a smile. Goro and Baragon opened the other door that was in the hall and found two beds as well.
"I don't know about you guys, but I am exhausted right now," said Baragon as he made his way to the bed.
"Me too. I'm stuffed from the dinner that the Princess was so kind to invite us for," said Goro as he made his way into the room. Rodan and Angirasu looked to Junior with a smile.
"We're just going to get changed. We'll catch you later," said Angirasu. 
"Sure. Mosura said that a Shisa or something wanted to see me. He's in the guard barracks," said Junior.
"Alright, see ya," said Angirasu. Junior nodded as he made his way down the hall, alone.



Junior walked outside of the castle grounds. He wore a pair of tennis shoes along with a sweater and a pair of sweat pants. He made his way over towards the castle barracks and opened the doors. Inside, he spotted some guards that were in the middle of removing their armor. He then noticed a few of MONARCH Rebels inside. A few noticed him and shot him a glare while others ignored him. Junior ignored them and continued on passed them until he noticed a familiar face.
"Yoshi," called Junior. The man turned away and found Junior standing a few feet away. Inoue glanced at him warily while Koizumi stood with his arms crossed. He bore a neutral expression.
"Yes?" asked Yoshi as he stood to his feet.
"Mosura told me that your Shisa wanted to see me," said Junior.
"Oh, you mean Caesar. Also, he's not ours. He's his own per...individual," said Yoshi. The Transmutant rolled his eyes.
"Whatever. Where is he?" asked Junior. Inoue sent him a glare at how disrespectful his response was but restrained herself from calling him out. Yoshi cleared his throat.
"Yes. Well, he's outside near the garden," said Yoshi. Junior nodded as he began to walk away.
"Thanks," said Junior as he made his way out to the door. Inoue glared at Yoshi.
"Why did you let him talk to you like that?" demanded Inoue.
"Excuse me?" asked Yoshi.
"Did you not hear the disrespect that he showed you?!" exclaimed Inoue.
"Well, he said 'thank you'," said Koizumi with a shrug. Inoue glared at him.
"I'm just saying," said Koizumi as he raised his hands.
"Inoue, let it go," said Yoshi.
"Are you serious?" demanded Inoue.
"Yes. He's just not ready to trust any of us," said Yoshi.
"I don't trust him either! But don't let him walk all over you!" said Inoue.
"He wasn't walking all over him," said Koizumi as he sharpened his knife. The two looked over to him as he sat on a bed.
"He just hated being forced to ask a man who worked for MONARCH for help. As a Transmutant, it's natural that he has distaste for us," said Koizumi.
"That doesn't give him a right to-"
"Then next time, you say something. Let's see how that works out," said Koizumi as looked to Inoue in annoyance. The Elf scoffed in response. Yoshi watched as Junior left the barracks with a frown.
Junior continued on outside as he searched the area. He sighed in frustration, hating the fact that he had to be around the people who were originally supposed to kill him. It just did not sit well with him at how Mosura was so trusting of them. Junior found himself arriving in the garden on castle grounds. He spotted Caesar sitting down on his rear. Junior went stiff as he noticed the Shisha’s size, but he steeled his muscles and pressed on. The Shisa turned as his ears picked up his footsteps.
"So you've came," said Caesar.
"Well, Mosura said that you wanted to see me. If she said it was one of those pricks back there, then I wouldn't have come," said Junior. Caesar frowned.
"Child, you can't hold your disdain to them," said Caesar.
"The hell I can't!" said Junior in annoyance. Caesar sighed.
"Please, just give them time. They are genuinely trying to set things right," said Caesar. Junior sighed.
"That's what people keep telling me. Is this what you wanted to talk about?" asked Junior. The Shisa shook his head.
"No. I wanted to discuss something of great importance. Something that I have not told anyone as of yet," said Caesar. Junior raised a brow in confusion.
"Like what?" asked Junior.
"Gojira, the world is in terrible danger," said Caesar.
"When isn't it? Just before Luna was a raging goddess of night that threatened to let night last forever, the spirit of chaos was going to spread his chaos across the world. This isn't my first rodeo." said Junior. He crossed his arms in annoyance. "Besides, isn't this something you should tell the princesses?"
"They will not be any help for the actual threat that's coming," said Caesar.
"Huh?" asked Junior.
"Are you familiar with the legend of Gojira?" asked Caesar.
"Yeah. My dad was even named after him," said Junior.
"Junior, there is something that you don't know about yourself," said Caesar. Junior raised his hand up with a deadpanned expression.
"Stop! If you're going to read me my fortune, then don't! I already had this lady tell me some bullshit about me facing powerful foes and something about a three headed serpent," said Junior. Caesar's eyes widened.
"Three headed serpent?" asked Caesar. Junior nodded.
"I see. So you've seen it," said Caesar. The Transmutant looked at him with a raised brow.
"Wait, what do you know about it?" asked Junior. Caesar sighed.
"Child, you are not just any ordinary Transmutant. You and a few others are special," said Caesar.
"I don't see it," deadpanned Junior.
"No. But it is true. You see, the Kaiju were not just legend. They were actual life forms that once roamed our world," said Caesar. Junior looked to him in confusion.
"How so? If the Kaiju are real, than where are they now?" questioned Junior. Caesar shook his head.
"They are extinct. Well, all except for me," answered Caesar. Junior scowled.
"How convenient. I find it harder to believe that you’re a Kaiju. You're not even colossal," said Junior.
"What I tell you is the truth. I have lived for eons compared to you. I have ascended to a higher level than my former self, capable of gaining visions of the future and surviving off of magic that fills the world. I am different from other Shisa because I have the ability to become my former and true self," said Caesar.
"Prove it," said Junior. The Shisa merely chuckled.
"I would, but if I did then I'd cause a mass panic," said Caesar. Junior sighed.
"Look, Mosura seems to trust you guys. But despite that, how am I supposed to believe that you are actually a Kaiju?" asked Junior. Caesar turned and reached for a moth fairy. The creature fluttered onto his paw. Caesar turned and showed Junior the fairy.
"What the-?!" Junior recoiled from the creature. He then noticed how it bore a striking resemblance to Mosura in her moth form.
"Hey, that looks like..." Junior stared at the divine creature in wonder.
"This is a fairy. She is a divine creature that was made after the image of the Guardian of Peace," said Caesar.
"Fairy? Divine? This isn't just a giant moth?" asked Junior.
"No, mister," said the fairy in a small voice. Junior recoiled back.
"Well, that answers my question," said Junior with a startled expression. The fairy fluttered towards Junior.
"You're having trouble believing Caesar, Mr. Takeshi?" asked the fairy. Junior nodded lamely. She giggled in response.
"Don't worry! We'll fix that!" said the fairy as she perched herself on his head.
"Hey! What are you doing?" demanded Junior in annoyance. He felt the creature's claws digging into his head.
"Sorry. I just need to cast this spell," said the fairy as she fluttered her wings, dropping sparkles over Junior's head. He felt himself growing dizzy and dropped to the ground on his knees as he began to pant. He closed his eyes briefly for a few seconds and then opened them, finding the sun light shining down on the grass. He panted as he rubbed his head and felt the fairy flutter off of him and land next to him. 
"Did you knock me out? It's day time!" said Junior as he stood to his feet while he looked down to the house cat sized moth in annoyance.
"Not exactly," said the fairy. Junior sighed in frustration.
"Oh yeah, than what's..." Junior gestured to the area around him but his voice trailed off. He looked around himself, finding a vast field of grass where several trees lied up ahead. Mountains were in the distance and the sun was shining brightly down on him with no buildings in sight. In fact, it appeared that he was no longer in Canterlot.
"Where are we?" asked Junior. The fairy fluttered towards Junior and landed on his shoulder.
"Welcome to the past," said the fairy. Junior remained silent as he stared at the empty field. The sound of birds chirping could be heard.
"Uh...how far exactly?" asked Junior.
"I lost count. But it's long before any humans were brought onto the Earth," said the fairy. Junior scowled.
"Take me home," ordered Junior.
"What?! But we-"
"I don't give a shit! I want to go home!" shouted Junior in annoyance. "I did not travel across the sea and kill hundreds of soldiers and Changelings to return to Equestria, only to be warped back in time where everyone that I know isn't even a sperm yet!"
"You misunderstand. We aren't physically here," said the fairy.
"What?" asked Junior.
"This is merely a dream. A vision of the past. My spell is just allowing you to interact with the dream realm around you. Except you can't actually interact with what's going on. Everything you see is merely a shadow of what's happened," explained the fairy.
"So, it's like that story where the greedy governor is introduced to three spirits of Hearth's Warming Eve?" asked Junior with a raised brow.
"Precisely!" said the fairy as she fluttered her wings and leapt on his shoulder. Junior slightly smiled at the act.
"You're lucky you're cute. Otherwise, I would have tied your wings together and tossed you across the field," said Junior. The fairy giggled in response.
"So, why are we here?" asked Junior. He suddenly heard the sound of heavy footsteps. He turned and his blood ran cold as he saw a massive reptilian creature with a long neck and small head. Its belly hung and its wide feet stomped along the ground, its tail swaying behind it as it let loose a loud bellow from its snout. The creature was grey with red markings on its bumpy scales that ran along its neck. Spikes ran along its upper neck and down to its back.
"What the hell?!" exclaimed Junior as the creature stomped towards him. He clenched his eyes shut as it brought its large foot over him but it merely phased through him. He gasped and turned to find the creature walk passed him.
"That's an ancient ancestor of one of the many species of dragons!" said the fairy.
"That's a dragon?" asked Junior. He then began to see a bit of resemblance between a dragon and this creature. This one seemed less threatening, just much larger.
"Doesn't look very dangerous. Aside from the fact that it could crush someone under its foot," remarked Junior.
"You'll know the dangerous ones when you see them," said the fairy. She then began to flutter away. "Follow me!"
Junior began to follow the fairy across the vast field, trailing behind the behemoth that walked the earth. From above, screeching was heard. Junior looked up to find bird-like dragons that bore almost a striking resemblance to Rodan's transformation. The creatures flew in a V formation overhead of the long necked reptile. Junior watched as they soared in the blue sky. The sound of heavier footsteps filled the area. Junior stumbled as the earth shook.
"Oh, that was fast," said the fairy as she turned to look off into the distance. Junior turned as well and his blood went cold at what he saw. The long necked reptile bellowed in terror as it turned to find what was causing the earth to shake. A mile away, there was a massive reptilian beast. The creature appeared like Angirasu when he transformed into his beastly form. Except this creature stood at a colossal height of 60 meters in height on all fours and 150 meters in length. The creature bore more of an animalistic build compared to Angirasu when he transformed. It stomped across the land as it bellowed.
"That creature..." said Junior.
"Yes. Your friend Angirasu's DNA was crossed with a member of this creature's species," said the moth as she fluttered towards Junior. "This is a Kaiju!"
"Wow. So they are real," said Junior in awe as he watched the club tailed beast roar as it began to walk through the forest. Junior heard additional heavy footsteps. They weren't close enough to cause the ground to shake but they were loud enough to be heard. Junior turned and found a Shisa-like beast prowling the land on all fours. Junior's eyes widened as he recognized the appearance of the creature. The beast rose off of its front paws and roared into the heavens, standing at 100 meters.
"Is that..." Junior pointed to the creature that dropped back onto all fours and charged towards an enormous spider. Junior yelped as he spotted the enormous arachnid. It appeared like a 35 meter tall tarantula with yellow stripes over its body.
"Afraid of spiders?" asked the fairy.
"Just big hairy ones," muttered Junior as he watched the multi eyed and limbed creature crawl towards the Shisa as it screeched.
"That is Caesar. He was once an average Kaiju that lived his life. Today, he was on the hunt for food," said the fairy. The spider sprayed a shower of web from its mouth and towards the Shisa, webbing up his mane. Caesar roared angrily as he dragged his head against the ground in an attempt to get the web out of his mane. The tarantula's front legs raised themselves up high as it made a loud hissing sound. The fangs of the creature were exposed as the creature raised its front half of its body higher while back legs kept it standing. Caesar roared as he charged towards the spider. The spider leapt towards the Shisa, appearing to be moving at a slower pace in the air as it came towards the Shisa. Caesar leapt as well and tackled the tarantula towards the ground, causing the ground to rumble. He pinned the spider down as it flailed its legs all around and screeched. Caesar then sunk his teeth into the spider's exposed underside and began to maul at it until the spider died.
"Oh, shit," said Junior as he watched the Shisa devour the spider.
"The Kaiju were diverse animals. They all range from all sorts of creatures that you see in your era," said the fairy as she fluttered onto Junior's shoulder.
"How many were there?" asked Junior.
"As a whole, they were many. But as their own class of species, there were only a few thousand," said the fairy. Junior looked to her in surprise.
"The Earth was able to support this many giants at once?" asked Junior in shock.
"The world was much more fruitful in this era. The radiation helped sustained the Kaiju for their massive size, this prevented them from consuming every living plant or creature in sight. This includes each other," said the fairy. Junior stared in awe as he spotted a couple of more Kaiju in the far distance. They appeared to be Shisa as well, prowling the land.
"Why is it only a few thousand per species?" asked Junior.
"Like any other creature, the Kaiju themselves have a low guarantee at surviving during their infancy to their adulthood," said the fairy. The land around them began to change. Junior suddenly found himself standing on a beach front. Ahead, he spotted dorsal plates sailing through the sea and towards his position. His eyes widened as he recognized the dorsal plates that stuck out. The owner of the plates rose out of the water, bursting into a screeching roar. Junior stared with wide eyes as a dragon-like creature came from the depths and approached the beach. It was the same kind of creature that he turned into, except it bore more of the animal traits. Its arms were short and bore only four claws. The creature bore opposable thumbs, much like he did when he transformed. The creature lacked the human chest build that Junior had when he transformed and merely appeared to look like a giant bear with scales. The dragon roared as it stomped onto the beach with its wide clawed feet, causing the ground to shake.
"I believe you recognize the appearance of this female," said the fairy.
"Wait, how do you know it’s a female?!" exclaimed Junior. The creature walked down the beach, standing to be 355 feet tall. Her scales were a greyish brown color and her dorsal plates were short and dark grey. Her eyes were red and her underside down to her loins was tan. The creature stomped across the beach, giving off a few calls.
"Well, the females are lighter in color compared to males, which are darker. There is also their reproductive organs and behavior," said the fairy. She fluttered after the dragon, prompting Junior to sigh and chase after her. The two followed the female creature as she made her way over towards another member of her kind. This dragon-like Kaiju had a darker shade of gray and scarred scales. The creature lied down next to a crater that bore four eggs. Its dorsal plates were slightly taller compared to the female's and bore white tips at the end.
"That's her mate! During mating season, the males and females will both go out and search for the opposite sex that share specific traits. It involves both of being equal in size and strength! This help guarantees the survival of their young!" said the fairy. The female leaned next to the male and regurgitated a pile of mushy meat. The male lightly groaned as it turned to face the chum and feasted upon it.
"That's gross. Why did you have to show me that?" asked Junior with a scowl.
"I think it's romantic! The male and female impress each other during their courtship rituals, leading to a lifelong commitment to each other as mates, then when it comes to reproduction, they will take turns looking after their eggs until they hatch! Few species of Kaiju actually remain committed to a lifelong mate," said the fairy.
"You must be from this era if you find mates eating puke romantic," deadpanned Junior. The fairy laughed. The Transmutant sighed as he watched the two creatures nuzzle each other. The female began to move the sand with her snout and bury the eggs. She purred as she lied next to the male. "How do they impress each other?"
"They fight," said the fairy. Junior raised a brow at her.
"Seriously?" asked Junior.
"Yep! They fight each other to see if they are strong enough to stand their own against the other. If they can, one is worthy for the other as being their mate," answered the fairy. "That scar that's on the male's muzzle, he got that from his mate when they began their ritual. He wears it with pride, happy to have found a mate that could keep up with him,"
"So, how smart exactly are they?" asked Junior.
"Certain Kaiju such as Caesar, these dragons, the Guardian of Peace are smarter than most animals in your era and this one. These creatures are nearly as smart as whales! They would have grown to be smarter if given a few more millennia," said the fairy.
"Fascinating," said Junior.
"Let’s skip on ahead of time," said the fairy. The vision changed to several months later. The scenery changed to being near a bay area where the two dragons looking down. Beneath them was a hatchling that was grayish blue in color. Its eyes were yellow like the father's and the dorsal plates were dark grey like the mother's. The hatchling stood to be twenty feet tall in height with a body that was similar in build like the burly parents. It was a dwarf in comparison to its parents. The creature gave a high pitched roar as it stared at its mother with big, yellow eyes. The mother nuzzled the baby as she softly growled. The father looked out towards the setting sun and out to the ocean.
"Weren't there four eggs?" asked Junior.
"Yes. But unfortunately for Kaiju like them, conditions were harsh in this era and the Kaiju were forced to fight to survive. Rarely does more than one egg hatch let alone survive into adulthood," said the fairy solemnly. Junior frowned.
"They never made it," said Junior. He sighed. "If Kaiju struggled to survive, how were they capable of reaching to the thousands per species in population?"
"Another survival trick they were blessed with. The Kaiju can live indefinitely as long as they can consume the natural radiation that they can find from sources. In certain cases, they can expand their lifespan however long they desire when they require hibernation. But, this comes with a price," said the fair. Junior turned to the fairy as her voice turned grave.
"This particular species of Kaiju are unique compared to the rest. Their nuclear build makes them stronger, but if they build it up too much without giving time to recover, the energy inside will turn toxic and can cause them to go into a form of cardiac arrest," said the fairy.
"How so?" asked Junior.
"The nuclear energy inside of them will cause the creature to burn up from the inside until it reaches them externally. If not cooled down for a certain amount of time, they can go through a literal meltdown and die," said the fairy in a grave tone. Junior gulped.
"Wow. That's pretty morbid," said Junior.
"It's a tragic sight as well," said the fairy. She turned towards the creatures as they stood with the hatchling.
"That hatchling will grow into a mighty beast, just as his kind was intended. In fact, he will grow into a Kaiju that will be immortalized in legend," said the fairy. Junior looked to the infant in shock.
"That's Gojira! I mean, the Kaiju that my father was named after!" exclaimed Junior. He stared in awe as he watched the young creature waddle along the beach with its parents. The scenery suddenly changed as the land around them turned into a mountain top where they stood and were looking down the beach. Below was another Kaiju that appeared like the dragons that he had seen.
"This is Gojira, eons later. During the age of Kaiju, a cataclysm drove many creatures along with the Kaiju into extinction. Some managed to hibernate and survive. This era took place twelve thousand years ago," said the fairy. Junior stared in awe at Gojira that was once a harmless baby and now a full grown Kaiju. His eyes were smaller and his body was as burly as his parents were. His grayish blue scales had turned charcoal grey. Junior suspected it must have been like ducklings, where their feathers start off as yellow and soon develop into an adult colored coat. The beast roared into the heavens as two giant condor-like Kaiju circled around it. Gojira bit down on one of the bird's legs and then yanked it from the sky. The creature landed on the beach and was crushed under Gojira's foot. The dragon was then getting clawed at by the other. Junior heard panicked cries behind himself and turned to find a few men and women that appeared to have had some origins in the East. Their skin was tan and their hair was black. The men wore loin cloths or robes as the women wore robes as well. They stared in terror at Gojira as they watched him fight the creatures. One of the men spoke in an unfamiliar language as he pointed towards the creature and dropped to his knees with tears of joy streaming down his cheeks.
"What is he saying?" asked Junior.
"He says, 'The God of Rage and Punishment has shown us his mercy by purging the great birds'," answered the fairy.
"The God of Rage and Punishment?" asked Junior with a raised brow.
"Yes. The few surviving Kaiju were worshipped as Gods by the humans. Based on the actions and behaviors of the Kaiju, the humans gave them titles. Gojira was given his name when he visited ancient Neighpon decades later," explained the fairy. Gojira roared as he mauled one of the condors.
"Why is he called the God of Rage and Punishment?" asked Junior in curiosity.
"Gojira is an angry Kaiju. Ever since the Cataclysm, he's been living all alone without the mate he had gained. He's been sad and angry ever since. The Natives, Kaiju, and foreigners have all once tried to attack him when they first ran into him. He retaliated with fury," answered the fairy. She then looked to the Natives that were near.
"They lived in fear of him of not just because of his size and power, but because he reduced their once beautiful temples and city into ash. Now, they have been forced to live like their earlier ancestors in huts," said the fairy. She then turned to find Gojira spewing his atomic breath at the Condor that soared towards him. The bird crashed into the water as its feathers gave smoke.
"Gojira never attacks unless he feels threatened. The humans weren't a threat to him, but he was so lost in anger and grief that he caused as much destruction as possible anyway. He's not saving the humans. He's only protecting himself," said the fairy as she leaned against Junior's neck. Her voice carried a tone of sympathy.
"Hey...that kind of sounds like..." Junior paused. He shook his head in amusement. "No. The comparison between him, me and my old man is too ridiculous,"
"Well, that's another reason why we had to show you the past," said the fairy.
"What do you mean?" asked Junior.
"This Kaiju, your father, they are more alike than you realize. In fact, it was no coincidence that he was named after the Kaiju and it was no coincidence that you were both mutated with Gojira's DNA," said the fairy. Junior looked to her in confusion.
"What are you saying?" asked Junior. The vision once again changed. Junior and the fairy were now standing on a beach where Gojira stood over another member of his kind. This was an infant that stood up to the height of his knee caps.
"Wait, you said only a few Kaiju were alive. How can there be babies that belong to his kind?" asked Junior in confusion.
"He found this baby a while after he just hatched, he was locked in hibernation since the cataclysm. By some miracle, he survived," said the fairy. Junior watched as Gojira nuzzled the baby. The infant licked the adult's snout. The infant looked towards the adult with his big yellow eyes as his tongue hung out of his mouth.
"Gojira took this baby as his own and has been raising him for a couple of years. This is where you and your father are involved," said the fairy as she fluttered off of Junior's shoulder and turned to face him.
"How can these creatures have any more to do with us other than the fact that we were mutated with Gojira's DNA?" asked Junior.
"Mister, what I am about to tell you will come as a shock. It will be hard for you to believe but you mustn't dismiss it!" said the fairy urgently. Junior began to grow worried.
"You and your father's mutation was not an accident. It was planned by those who were on top," said the fairy.
"What are you saying?" asked Junior.
"This was all done for a dark purpose. Someone in MONARCH's high command knew someone who was running the project and wanted you two to be the experiments because he knew of the damage it would cause," said the fairy. "MONARCH acted as a force to shut down the organization after the death of your father because the Director wanted to gather the research and mutagen in order to create more Transmutants. His plan is to use the Transmutants as tools to cause hate, and fear from all around."
"But why?" asked Junior.
"There is an evil force that has a following. They know about the Kaiju. It's why they chose to kidnap certain humans and mutated them with certain Kaiju. Mosura was mutated with the Goddess/Guardian of Peace. Rodan was mutated with the God of Swiftness. Angirasu was mutated with the God of Courage. You and your father were mutated with Gojira," said the fairy. "They wanted you all to be blinded by hate so they could use you in the end. Do you remember your dreams? The ones where you have seen Gojira and an infant Kaiju?"
"What do my dreams have to do with anything?" demanded Junior in exasperation.
"Takeshi, those are more than dreams. Those are memories!" said the fairy. Junior's eyes widened.
"What?" asked Junior.
"Do you ever wonder why sometimes you were content with remaining in solitude? Why you push yourself to the very limits and why you normally fight when provoked?" asked the fairy.
"It's not an abnormal thing!" said Junior.
"No, but it's something you inherited," said the fairy. Junior groaned as he clutched his head. Images began to flash in his mind. They were visions of a greyish blue Kaiju hatchling roaming the forest at night. It was all alone, frightened and sad. The creature lied down and rested in the forest after howling to the night sky. Another vision flashed to the same Kaiju meeting Gojira near the forest. Junior panted as he clutched his head.
"Takeshi, you look up to the stars at night because it brought you peace of mind when you were alone. It made you feel secure," said the fairy. Junior clutched his head. He saw images of the father Kaiju attempting to teach the infant how to perform the atomic breath. The infant failed the first few tries by spewing rings of hot radiation but he eventually sprayed a small stream of the atomic breath. The baby excitedly wagged his tail as he stared up to his father.
"Your father taught you how to defend yourself from danger. You dedicated yourself in hopes of becoming as strong as you could to protect yourself so your father would not have to do it forever," said the fairy as she fluttered closer to Junior. The Transmutant began to sweat as the images plagued his mind. An image of small yellow eyes stared into Junior's soul that came from a demonic skull-like head. Junior recognized the head to have belonged to Destoroyah. But, he felt himself being carried by the demon. The creature was much larger than he was. Junior looked down at himself and found a tail that hung from behind him and that his chest was covered in scales. Destoroyah let loose a high pitched roar as he suddenly released him, dropping him from a thousand feet above the ground. As Junior felt himself fall from the sky and falling towards the ground, he heard the roar of Gojira crying out to him. As he hit the ground, Junior's eyes shot open and found himself staring at the fairy.
"You have nightmares of that demon when your father was killed not only because he was responsible, but because you have seen him before that night," said the fairy. Junior panted as he bore a fearful expression as he stood before the carcass of the infant that had now grown to be a juvenile. Gojira stood over the dead Kaiju and roared to the heavens in sorrow as Caesar lowered his head.
"Stop! Don't show me anymore!" shouted Junior as he clutched his head.
"Takeshi, this is not your first life." said the fairy. Junior slowly looked to the fairy as she hovered towards him.
"Gojira's dead adopted son is you. You are the Kaiju reincarnated into the form of a man. Your father was Gojira reincarnated as well," said the fairy.
"No...no! No that's crazy!" said Junior in anger. He stomped over towards the fairy and glared at her.
"So you're saying that me and my dad were giant monsters that died and were brought back as humans?! That's bullshit!" said Junior. The fairy flew into his face.
"It is not! And you better accept it sooner or later because you aren't the only one! Your Transmutant friends are the Guardians reincarnated! Destoroyah killed you in a past life and has killed your father in your second life!" shouted the fairy.
"If I am a Kaiju reincarnated into a human, then why? Why were we reincarnated in the first place?! Is that something everything goes through when it dies or are we an exception?!" demanded Junior.
"Do you remember Ghidorah?" asked the fairy.
"The golden son of a bitch that attacked us in Saddle Arabia?" asked Junior.
"He's a Kaiju reincarnated as well. But he's far worse than Destoroyah! Someone has reincarnated him a thousand years ago because of his power! He knows what he was and he's gladly helping the enemy in his plans to cause ruin to the world!" said the fairy in urgency.
"You don't realize how serious this is! Certain Transmutants hold disdain towards humans! These dark forces will offer them the chance to get revenge on all humans, and the Transmutants will accept it because they are blind with hate!" said the fairy.
"What is it that I don't realize about the situation? Why should it matter to me?" asked Junior.
"Takeshi, the Kaiju will rise again," said the fairy in a tone filled with dread. Junior's eyes widened.
"How's that possible?" asked Junior.
"A reincarnated spirit may be able to change into its former self if it’s reintroduced to the original spirit that it came from,” answered the fairy. Junior stood in silence as a chill ran up his spine.
"You, your father, and your friends were reincarnated for the sake of defending the world and keeping it in balance just as the Kaiju have before you. In a way, you were gods of the planet. Your responsibility was to keep the world in balance, even if it meant destroying each other for the sake of the rest of life to thrive," said the fairy as she fluttered around the area.
"But life forms can be reincarnated only for specific purposes. Ghidorah's reincarnation was not meant to happen, so you and your friends were reincarnated to help Caesar defeat him and those who will join him," said the fairy. Junior stared down at the ground. The world around him began to fade away.
"What do we do?" asked Junior.
"You must contact the spirits of your past lives as soon as possible. Before Ghidorah is reintroduced to his," said the fairy. She fluttered close to him.
"We will help you and the others with this. But, you will have to learn how to use your power as a shield for the world," said the fairy.
"If whatever is coming is so terrible and is going to knock the world out of balance, why not rely on Twilight and the others? Can't the Elements of Harmony set things right?" asked Junior.
"It is not up to the Elements of Harmony to set things right. Not everyone's heart can change, unlike the Avatar who raises the moon." said the fairy. "Sometimes, people fall so far into darkness that there is no hope of ever returning to the light. They remain in darkness because it brings them pleasure; they curse all that is good and praise all that is evil. The Elements of Harmony would only imprison individuals like that if they were used,"
"What's stopping them from doing the same to Ghidorah and Destoroyah?" asked Junior.
"Kaiju were placed on not just this planet, but across the universe. They all are meant to act as the ones keeping the worlds in balance. That’s why they have either grown to resist or absorb different forms of energy. Including magic," said the fairy. Junior lowered his head.
"So, only a Kaiju is capable of killing another Kaiju. Magic and Technology is useless against them," said Junior.
"So far, that is the case." answered the fairy. Junior closed his eyes and reopened them. He found himself standing in the garden back in Canterlot. Caesar sat as he watched the fairy and Junior stare at each other. Junior sighed.
"What am I going to tell Twi and the others?" asked Junior.
"Nothing," said Caesar. Junior looked to him in shock.
"Nothing?!" exclaimed Junior.
"Takeshi, the time will come when they will have to know. When this is over, they might not see you and the other Transmutants the same again," said Caesar with a neutral expression.
"Is that a bad or good thing?" asked Junior with a frown.
"That all depends on how they see you. You and the others will work to contact your past lives, but for now, be happy with your friends," said Caesar as he placed a paw on his shoulder. Junior sighed.
"The things I'd give for dad to be here right now. I could use some advice since he was supposed to be a part of this," said Junior.
"Don't worry. You will not be alone. Soon, the fairies and I shall tell the others and together, we can overcome this coming conflict," said Caesar. Junior pulled away and began to walk away from the garden.
"Looks like I finally found my purpose in life. Ironically, it turned out to be the very thing that I hated about myself," said Junior. He walked away from the garden as he placed his hands in his pockets. Caesar watched him leave with a frown. The fairy fluttered onto his head as she sighed sadly.
"He's young. I was expecting him to react the way he did. After all, this is too much for someone to take in," said the fairy. She lowered herself down in dejection. "But now we've forced a huge responsibility down on him."
"He'll come around," said Caesar in reassurance. He watched as Junior turned down the corner and made his way back to the castle. "A Kaiju always fights to the bitter end to protect what's theirs."




	Later that night...

Junior lied down on his bed in his old bedroom. His shirt was off, exposing the scar over his pectoral and shoulder that he had received from his hated enemy. Inside were a few boxes from his old home that were stacked in a corner. He stared up at the ceiling with a frown as the moon shone through his window and the stars illuminated the sky. There was truth in what the fairy had told him about taking comfort in the stars and the night sky. His mind flashed back towards the so called vision that he had, which turned out to be a memory. The hatchling was frightened and alone. No one was around to greet him after he had hatched or teach him how to survive in the new world that he did not belong to. Then, there was the legendary Kaiju, Gojira. It was as if fate had kindly planned for those two to be together after the destruction of their home. Both had gained a family member in each other. Junior wondered if fate tried to show its kindness again to the infant by making his adopted father reincarnate into his biological father in the infant’s second life.
"First it was just Transmutants against soldiers of a corrupt organization trying to cover up a conspiracy. Now, it’s darkness trying to bring back the Kaiju by taking advantage of this conspiracy. What are the odds?" asked Junior with a sigh. He stared back up the ceiling in silence until he heard a light knock on the door. Junior turned to face his door and slowly stood from his bed, walking over towards the door. He opened it, finding a dark hallway. Junior raised a brow as he looked around the hall.
"Ahem. Down here," said a familiar voice. Junior slightly looked down and found Twilight looking at him in embarrassment.
"Oh. Sorry, I didn't see you. No offense," said Junior with a small smile. Twilight sighed as she shook her head.
"None taken," said Twilight as she smiled back. Her eyes strained to see him in these very dark halls. His back was blocking the moonlight that shone through the window. Junior however, was able to see her clearly. She wore a pair of short white pajama bottoms and a short sleeved lavender shirt. The two remained in an awkward silence.
"So...do you want to come in?" asked Junior in a nervous tone. Twilight's heart jumped at the invite, especially so late at night. She realized that she’d be alone with him.
"S-sure," answered Twilight. Junior stepped away from the doorway and allowed the Elf to walk inside. He closed the door behind himself as his heart slightly raced. Twilight looked around his room with a small smile.
"Wow, all of your stuff is here," said Twilight.
"Yep. I might have outgrown some of my clothes since..." Junior was about to finish but he stopped himself. Twilight frowned as she kept her eyes on the boxes.
"Oh," said Twilight.
"Well...it wasn't so bad. I mean, it was kind of bad, but it could have gotten worse," said Junior. He then scolded himself for back tracking on his experience when running away. It obviously did not lighten the mood up.
"Gojira, I am so, so sorry. I never meant to hurt you," said Twilight as she lowered her head. Junior began to wander to his bed and sat down.
"I'll admit it! I was afraid of you when I saw you change! It was just a great shock to me that I couldn't process it and I had no idea how a Transmutant actually behaved when they transform. We hardly knew anything about them!" said Twilight as she clutched her shoulders. Her tone was distraught.
"I've...I've regretted how I reacted to you ever since. I even tried to look for you, but it was hopeless to find you in the Everfree," said Twilight. Junior's eyes widened.
"You went to the Everfree to look for me?!" exclaimed Junior. Twilight flinched at his sudden tone and kept her back turn towards him.
"Yes. We all did. Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow, Pinkie and Fluttershy, we all went out to search for you and the others," said Twilight. Junior clenched his fist angrily. His anger wasn't directed at Twilight, rather it was himself.
"I'm sorry. It's not your fault, Twilight. I'm to blame for everything," said Junior as he lowered his head. Twilight turned to him with a look of shock on her face.
"How can it be your fault? We we're the ones who went off to look for you and you had no choice on what happened to you!" argued Twilight.
"Because I was the one who kept it a secret for all of these years! I spent day after day, month after month and year after year as a liar. I deceived you all and Celestia because I was afraid of what you all would think." said Junior as he lowered his head into his hand. "I sometimes thought of telling you all instead of keeping it a secret. But I kept worrying about all of the possibilities. I couldn't risk losing the only family and friends that I had. But then, you all found out the worst possible way,"
"Gojira..." said Twilight with a deep frown.
"Maybe things could have been different if I told the truth sooner and I wouldn't have so much blood on my hands.," muttered Junior.
"The Changelings?" asked Twilight.
"Not just Changelings. I killed so many of MONARCH's soldiers to survive," said Junior. Twilight's eyes slightly widened as Junior kept his face hidden from her. "I kept arguing with myself about whether or not if I should. But then things had gone so wrong. I thought Mosura was dead, Angirasu and Rodan were captured and I was trapped inside of a power plant during a Quarantine of a nuclear meltdown,"
"If you were trapped inside, how did you survive during a meltdown? Shouldn't you have been infected with radiation poisoning?" asked Twilight in shock.
"Transmutants were mutated with creatures that survived on radiation. It gives us energy and it keeps us alive. Without it, our bodies would grow weak and vulnerable to disease. It's like nourishment for us. Without it, we can die," said Junior. Twilight lightly gasped. The thought of Junior possibly dying unless he consumed a kind of energy put her at unease. It filled her with more worry. "I was able to survive without food for over a month when trapped inside of the power plant, constantly absorbing radiation."
"It all went wrong after that. I dug my way under the quarantine dome and found myself being attacked by soldiers. I kept pleading to them to leave me alone, but they didn't listen. I lost it after that," said Junior as he slightly trembled. He hated telling Twilight about his experience and what he had done, but he felt that it was better to tell her sooner instead of her finding out in way from anybody else. 
"Don't blame yourself for my mistakes, Twilight. I'm the one who put you and the others in danger because I left, prompting you to explore the Everfree to find me. I should've stayed away you from the beginning," said Junior. Twilight's eyes watered.
"So, you regret us ever becoming friends?" asked Twilight in a hurt tone.
"Never. I regret the fact that I couldn't trust you and Celestia enough to tell you the truth," said Junior. He then turned and found staring at him with wide eyes as her tears flowed down her cheeks. He lightly smiled at her.
"I wish I could be normal, like you. Never would I have to worry about being attacked by Transmutants who hold a grudge against me or soldiers who think I'm a mindless monster," said Junior. Twilight slowly made her way over to him as she wiped away her tears. She sat on the bed next to him.
"If you could be someone else, who would you want to be?" asked Twilight.
"I don't know. I guess I'd be a writer, maybe an illustrator. Hell, maybe I could actually have been a hero," said Junior with a sigh. Twilight lightly smiled.
"Well, you're my hero," said Twilight as she took Junior's hand into her own and held it tightly. Junior chuckled.
"You think so?" asked Junior. Twilight nodded to him. Her eyes began to adjust to the darkness in the room a bit. She then noticed that he wasn't wearing his shirt and only wore his pajama pants. She blushed furiously as she stared at his chest. She then noticed something that caused her to gasp.
"What's wrong?" asked Junior in worry. Twilight gently reached for Junior's chest and ran her hand over the scar that was in plain sight.
"Where did you get this scar?" asked Twilight in worry.
"From my father's killer," answered Junior. Twilight looked to him in surprise and found him looking away solemnly. Twilight frowned as she gently ran her hand along his scar and up to his shoulder. She then pulled him into a hug as she caressed his head.
"I'm sorry." said Twilight.
"Don't be. This scar might never go away like the wounds that I've received, but it will remind me who my enemy is," said Junior. Twilight sniffled as they held each other. Her heart began to race in her chest as she remained so close to Junior. The two slightly pulled away from each other and stared into each other's eyes. Twilight blushed furiously as her breaths were coming quickly while trying to calm herself. Junior experienced the same feeling. Both slowly began to lean into each other until their foreheads touched. They stared into each other as they both lightly chuckled in embarrassment.
"Uh..." Twilight looked away, shyly.
"Yeah..." said Junior as he looked to the other side of the room. They both looked back to each other with smiles. They began to slowly lean into each other as their eyes were half open. Twilight had closed her eyes completely as she parted her lips. Junior's heart raced as his senses picked up her soft breaths and caught her scent. He was just inches away from her as he parted his lips as well. Suddenly, a knock came at his door. The two shot their eyes open and turned towards the door. 
"Oh, shit," whispered Junior. The two looked to each other anxiously. Junior pointed to under his bed.
"Hide!" whispered Junior. Twilight nodded frantically as she quietly got off of his bed and rolled herself under. She stared from under the bed as she took soft breaths. Junior sighed as he grabbed his shirt from a counter and placed it back on. Junior stood up from his bed as he made his way over towards the door. He opened the door and found Celestia standing outside in the hall with her finger pointed up to the ceiling as her magical aura created made a golden light.
"Oh, hey Celestia," said Junior with a smile. She smiled back at him.
"Hello Junior. Have you found every one of your belongings that we've gotten from your former residence?" asked Celestia.
"Huh? Oh, yeah. I've found everything. Well, except for that gift that Fluttershy had made me for my birthday and my medallion," said Junior. Celestia lowered her glowing hand and took Junior's hand. She removed her other hand from her side and gently lowered the silver medallion with the dragon claws. Junior's eyes widened in surprise as he took the medallion into his hand.
"Twilight and her friends were kind enough to bring this to me the last time that I saw them. Fluttershy is holding onto that picture frame that she made for you," said Celestia. Junior smiled.
"Thanks. I'll have to thank them as well," said Junior. Celestia wrapped Junior into an embrace.
"Oh, I've missed you terribly. I'm happy that your home and safe," said Celestia. Junior nodded.
"Yeah, me too," said Junior. Celestia pulled away from him.
"Junior, I wish I could allow you to return to your former residence, but the house was bought a month ago," said Celestia.
"Oh. Well, no big deal. I'll figure something out," said Junior. He wondered if Mosura and the others would let him crash at their place until he found a new home.
"You could always stay here in the castle with us, if you'd like," said Celestia with a smile. She was hopeful that Junior would accept his offer. Junior looked away.
"Well..." Junior began. Celestia frowned as she noticed his hesitation. "I mean, I really appreciate that. I do. But I don't know if it's such a good idea that I remain here."
"Why not?" asked Celestia. Junior sighed.
"I'm not comfortable with being so close to the rebels. After all, they're...you know what I mean?" asked Junior. Celestia nodded in understanding, but felt a little disappointed.
"Very well. I understand, and I don't blame you," replied Celestia. Junior gave her a reassuring smile.
"I can stay here for a while though. At least until I've finished resting for a few days. I'll even come visit sometime after I leave," said Junior. Celestia smiled brightly.
"Alright. That sounds fair enough," replied Celestia. She then lightly smirked as she began to back Junior away from the doorway. A look of confusion was plastered on his face. Celestia stood next to the bed with a smile. 
"You naughty boy," said Celestia with a smile. Junior raised a brow.
"Excuse me?" asked Junior.
"Twilight Sparkle," called Celestia. Junior went stiff as Twilight cupped a hand over mouth in attempt to keep a gasp from escaping. Her eyes trailed off and found Celestia's golden heels just inches away from the bed.
"Come now. I know that you're under there," said Celestia. Twilight slowly crawled from under the bed and peeked her head out to find Celestia looking down on her with a coy smile. Twilight smiled nervously as she laughed in embarrassment. She slowly stood to her feet and locked her hands together in front of herself.
"You know the rules. The boys and girls sleep in separate rooms," said Celestia. Twilight lowered her head down in shame.
"I'm sorry, your majesty," said Twilight. She felt that her teacher was judging her to be a shameless girl. Junior rubbed the back of his head and looked away from Celestia with a blush on his cheeks. Celestia shook her head with a smile and led Twilight out of the room. Celestia tugged Junior by his shirt and brought her mouth close to his ear.
"I expect you to place a ring on a girl's finger before inviting her into your bed, young man," whispered Celestia in a humored tone. Junior blushed furiously.
"I-it wasn't going to be like that!" Junior whispered back. Celestia lightly giggled in response.
"Well, just keep that in mind," said Celestia with a wink. She then began to make her way out of the room and joined Twilight in the hall. Junior sighed as he closed his door and leaned against it.
"Figures," said Junior with a scowl.
In the halls, Celestia and Twilight walked side by side. Celestia glanced at Twilight and found her to be radiating with embarrassment. The scholar twiddled her thumbs as she avoided eye contact with her teacher. Celestia smiled at Twilight and looked back to the hall.
"Let me know if you have any questions or need any advice," said Celestia. Twilight looked to Celestia in surprise. The Avatar looked to her with a wink, causing Twilight to blush. She lightly smiled as she looked away.
"S-sure," replied Twilight.
"Off to bed now, my faithful student," said Celestia as she gestured to the door that led to where Twilight was staying. The Elf nodded in response as she made her way to the room and wished Celestia a good night. Twilight closed the door and sighed as she leaned against it. Pinkie Pie lied on her belly on her bed with her head propped up by her hands. Her legs lightly kicked the air as she stared at Twilight.
"So how'd it go?" asked Pinkie. Twilight gave her a vague smile.
“Oh, I think it went OK," said Twilight.
"Did you..." Pinkie puckered her lips together and made smooching sounds.
"No," said Twilight with a shy smile. She then sighed in disappointment.
"I was close though," said Twilight.
"I ship it," said Pinkie as she turned on her bed and lied back. Twilight looked to her in confusion.
"Huh?" asked Twilight. Pinkie laughed in response.
"Don't worry about it," said Pinkie. Twilight shrugged in response. She made her way over to her bed and tucked herself in under her blankets. She sighed as she placed her head down on the pillow, preparing to drift off to sleep. Pinkie hummed to herself as she tucked herself in bed too.
"GojiXLuna sounds pretty good too. Oh well," Pinkie whispered to herself with a shrug. She then immediately fell back on her pillow and began to snore. She snuggled in her bed, locked in a blissful sleep.
	
> Bonus Chapter 2: Before the Wedding
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sounds of roars echoed out in the night sky. Fires raged around the nuclear power plant, spewing smoke into the air. Explosions echoed as gun fire filled the air. Near the backside of the facility, a wall that was blasted open began to pour gallons of water. From the current of water came Mosura in her moth-like form. Her eyes were dim and the fuzz on her back was torn along with the edges of her wings. She was carried down to the nearby beach. Her vision was clouded as faint sounds of crumbling echoed in the air as the alarm blared from the facility. Her body was carried out by the water that had originated from the cooling tanks and down to the ocean. The Transmutant was caught in the waves, where her body slowly began to sink under, with her claws going under last.
Mosura's vision was slowly beginning to darken as she stared at the surface from underneath. She weakly attempted to swim, but the pain that surrounded her very form had taken its toll on her. She was starved of oxygen and was slowly descending into unconsciousness. As she continued to sink further down, her eyes spotted three figures approaching her from ocean. Their colorful fish tails glittered in the moonlight as they swam towards Mosura. The Transmutant's vision grew darker until she had completely blacked out.



Warmth. That was the feeling that Mosura felt all around her body. Her thoughts ran lazily in her head as her body rested. The Transmutant felt the need to move and to swim out of the water that she had been driven under. Her body made weak spasms as she attempted to awaken. She heard a gasp from her side and voices talking frantically around her as she slowly moved whatever muscle that she could. Mosura's body and mind slowly became more active, but she was still overcome with exhaustion. She lightly groaned as she turned her head and found a familiar face staring at her own. Mosura began to find a red mist flowing around her as her helper stared at her in worry. The individual reached for one of her moth clawed hands and held it tightly. Mosura weakly tightened her grip as well as she held the individual's hand.
"You're going to be OK, Mosura! Just hang in there!" cried the individual. Her voice echoed as Mosura fell back into unconsciousness.



The sun had risen over Saddle Arabia. MONARCH soldiers prowled about the town as they stood armed at the teeth. The nuclear power plant faintly glowed as the magic dome kept the lethal radiation particles inside. Outside of the village, Mosura lied down a sleep in her human form inside of a tent. She slowly began to stir as her face began to crinkle. She gasped loudly as her eyes shot open and immediately shot up but was met with something against her forehead. She and another voice cried out in pain. Mosura dropped back down onto her back as she rubbed her forehead and moaned in pain. She opened her teary eyes and found Sonata sitting on her rear at Mosura's side, rubbing her head.
"Ooow," moaned Sonata as she rubbed her head. Mosura immediately shot up with a look of joy.
"Sonata!" cried Mosura as she dove for the Siren and wrapped her into a tight hug. The Siren grunted as she was suddenly pulled into Mosura's embrace as her head was cushioned against Mosura's chest.
"Thank goodness that you're alright! We were so worried!" said Mosura. Sonata smiled brightly as she returned Mosura's hug. From outside of the tent came Adagio and Aria.
"You're awake!" said Adagio. Mosura greeted them with a grin as she pulled Adagio into a hug. She reached for Aria with her hand, causing the Siren to be pulled by her telekinetic ability, forcing her to join the other Sirens into the hug. 
"You're all alright!" cried Mosura. Aria pulled away with a look of panic.
"The heck was that?! Is there a ghost in here?!" asked Aria. Sonata gasped loudly as she pulled away from Mosura with a look of fear.
"Ghosts?!" cried Sonata.
"Don't be ridiculous! There's no such thing as ghosts!" laughed Adagio as Mosura released her.
"No, something pulled me out of nowhere! I'm not crazy here!" said Aria as she searched frantically for any signs of paranormal activity. Mosura chuckled.
"No, that was me. I can influence a physical system without physical interaction," said Mosura. The Sirens looked to her in confusion.
"So...you're a psychic?" asked Adagio.
"That's right. It’s one of the abilities that I had gained for being a Transmutant," said Mosura.
"Oh! Does that mean you can read minds? What number am I thinking of?" asked Sonata with a grin. Mosura smiled in amusement.
"You're not thinking of a number. You're actually thinking of tacos," answered Mosura. Sonata gasped loudly. She leaned into Aria as she placed her hand by her mouth.
"She's good," whispered Sonata. Aria rolled her eyes.
"I don't know. I say that was a lucky guess," said Aria.
"You once had a crush on a male Siren named Sea Shore," said Mosura as she pointed at Aria. The Siren broke into a deep blush as the other two Sirens stared at her in surprise.
"Wait, you had a crush on Sea Shore?!" asked Sonata.
"No! I uh..." Aria frantically tried to think of a lie. She groaned in frustration. "It was a long time ago! But he-"
"Turned out to be a real jerk," said Mosura as she closed her eyes. Her face crinkled in disgust. "Yeah, talk about looks being deceiving."
"OK! I believe you!" said Aria in annoyance. Mosura laughed in embarrassment.
"Sorry. I sometimes have a bad habit at scanning through certain memories," said Mosura. Adagio rubbed her arm in embarrassment.
"Just...don't look through them anymore," said Adagio. Mosura nodded.
"Alright, but I have to ask. How did you all escape?" asked Mosura. The Sirens smirked.




The previous night...

It was the evening. The Transmutant Four had just fled the scene from the beach as the Dazzlings were left behind to cover for them. Sunset Shimmer yelled for Junior as she glared at his back angrily. She, Erika and several other soldiers were held against the boat that they had arrived in by the Sirens' magic. Ghidorah was slowly approaching as his hands sparked with the golden lightning-like energy. He laughed darkly as he shot his hands forward. Sonata yelped as she dove for the ground, ducking under the stream of sparking energy. Aria glared at the golden armored soldier and then forced her hand to towards him, sending Erika towards his way. Ghidorah dodged the Transmutant and charged his attack again. The Sirens all began to fling the soldiers towards him. Ghidorah dodged them but was knocked off of his feet by one of the soldiers that had crashed into him. He growled in annoyance as he continued to stalk closer to them. The other soldiers slowly stood to their feet as they watched Ghidorah approach the Sirens.
"This isn't good," said Adagio as she frantically looked around. Her eyes widened as she formulated a plan of escape. She turned to the boat that rested on shore and then back to Ghidorah. She smirked as she turned back to the other Sirens.
"Aria, Sonata, the boat!" said Adagio as she stepped to the side and sent her red magic mist towards the boat. Sonata and Aria shot their hands towards the boat as well, slowly causing it to levitate. Adagio glared at Ghidorah as he began to charge towards them, the sparking magic striking the sand around his feet. The Sirens grunted as they forced the boat towards the Transmutant soldier. He stopped and shot his hands forward, sending his sparking energy towards the boat. The beams began to pierce through the boat and course all around the metal. The boat exploded in midair, creating an explosion. Shrapnel and large parts of the boat shot all around the area. Sunset ducked her head while Erika caught a couple pieces of shrapnel in her chest. She grunted as she dropped on her knees. The other soldiers dropped to the ground for cover. The Sirens leapt into the sea as fire raged around and boat shrapnel crashed into the water. Ghidorah was struck by a few pieces of shrapnel and large and blunt pieces of the boat. He grunted in pain as he dropped to one knee. His bones went stiff and his muscles constricted from the strike. He turned and found the Sirens swimming away. Their legs were replaced by fish tails as they dove under water.
"Damn fish," cursed Ghidorah as he rubbed his wrist. He rotated his shoulder, causing it to pop.




Present day...

"Nice." said Mosura with a smile. Adagio smiled proudly.
"He didn't know what hit him." said Adagio.
"Mosura, where are the others? Where's Angirasu?" asked Sonata. Mosura's eyes widened as she began to recollect the previous hour before she had blacked out. She frowned as she lowered her head.
"I...I don't know. We were all at the power plant when we ran into another group of Transmutants. We ended up fighting for our lives against them. Next thing I know, MONARCH soldiers arrived and separated us." said Mosura as she placed a hand over her face. The Sirens looked on in worry. Mosura's uncertainty of the fate of their friends was most unsettling for them. The Transmutant sighed as she placed on a small smile.
"But if I know Goji, he likely escaped. Rodan and Angirasu were closer to the exit so they may have gotten away before things had gotten bad." said Mosura as she slowly stood. She found bandages wrapped all around her upper torso, covering her breasts.
"Our healing spell managed to heal your burns a bit. We bandaged you up to protect the tenderness of you back." said Aria. Mosura was about to reach for her back but her hand was slapped by Adagio.
"Don't touch it!" scolded Adagio.
"But it itches!" whined Mosura. Adagio sent her a glare.
"I don't care! You're going to scar yourself!" said Adagio. Mosura moaned in disappointment as she propped a hand under her chin. The girls all sat in silence briefly.
"So, what are you going to do? Those guys are all over the place." said Aria.
"Well, I'm going to have to see if I can meet up with Goji and the others. Hand me the map." said Mosura as she pointed up to a rolled up paper that sat in the corner. Sonata crawled across the tent and grabbed the map. She made her way back to Mosura and handed it back to her.
"I can probably travel around the village and make my way to Zebrabwe," said Mosura as she unfurled the map and began to point to where their current location was. She dragged her finger across the map down to the East side and to where Zebrabwe was. She then moved north to where another nation lied that was on the edge of the Great Inland Sea. Across the sea was Equestria.
"I'll move North and then make my way across the sea to Equestria. I can sense that MONARCH has set a small fleet of ships on the sea's edge closer to Saddle Arabia," said Mosura. Her mind flashed as she heard the sounds of roaring engines and saw visions of ships sailing near Saddle Arabia. She sighed as the visions died down.
"Hopefully I'll run into Goji and the others," said Mosura.
"If you can sense the ships, can't you sense the guys?" asked Aria.
"This kind of power is random for me. Sometimes, I get these flashes or hear voices. I don't know how to focus my power to find them," said Mosura in disappointment. She looked to the Sirens with a serious expression.
"I need you all to stay far away from MONARCH. That means you can't return to Saddle Arabia," said Mosura.
"But, what about you? We can't just leave you to fend for yourself!" said Adagio.
"Don't worry about me. It's not the first time where I needed to evade MONARCH," said Mosura with a reassuring smile. She placed a hand on Adagio's shoulder.
"We'll be safe in Equestria. Just come by and feel free to visit sometime. I'll see if I can find you," said Mosura. Adagio lightly smiled.
"Alright. Be careful out there," said Adagio. Mosura nodded and slowly made her way around the tent to put on a pair of shorts and a shirt.
"I'm gonna need something to shield me from the sun. Especially to hide my appearance," said Mosura. She then noticed a black garment folded near the corner. She made her way over to it and smiled.
"I forgot that I packed this." said Mosura as she unfolded it. She smiled brightly at the cloak that she held. Nostalgic memories of her meeting Junior in person for the very first time reached her. She began to place the loose clothing on her body.




Later...

Mosura roamed across the desert just at the edge of the village. Her breathing was labored as the sun beamed down on her. She glanced up at the scorching sun that rained its rays upon her. The Transmutant sighed in frustration as she reached under her cloak and pulled on the collar of her t-shirt, allowing the air to reach more of her sweaty skin.
"Dang, it's hot," said Mosura. She began to pick up her pace as she had later reached the mid-section of the village where a few farms were known to be near. She remained far from the farms to avoid confrontation with any of the locals. Her sight caught a MONARCH jeep in front of her. She gasped as she dove for cover near a large boulder that sat nearby. Her ears picked up the sound of frustrated dialogue coming from the nearby farm. Two men taunted what sounded to be a frustrated and annoyed man. Mosura slowly peaked over and found the soldiers harassing a family.
"Look, all I'm saying is that it's the least that you can do for a couple of soldiers who are risking their lives to protect you guys," said one of the soldiers. The farmer glared at the soldier.
"We will not be extorted by you just because you think you are entitled to take the food that we need to get by!" said the farmer.
"Leave this instant!" said the farmer’s wife in a thick accent. Mosura watched as the argument went on.
"Extortion? No, we're not extorting you! We're just going to pull any soldiers out of this area and leave you to the Transmutants and the bandits," said the soldier in a smug tone. The farmer grew anxious.
"Wait, wait! You can't do that! The guards haven't been able to catch these bandits and the Sultan requested that you and the other soldiers offer additional protection! Including the capture of bandits that have been stealing from our farms!" said the farmer in a panicked tone.
"Pretty sure that I can do that. I am C.O. of the squad stationed out here and I don't appreciate the tone of you and your wife," said the soldier. Mosura glared at the soldiers from behind and began to come out of hiding.
"Please sir, I am begging you!" pleaded the man as he grabbed the soldier's vest. The soldier glared at him and shoved him away to the ground.
"Hands off, civilian!" shouted the soldier as he kicked dirt at the farmer. Mosura hardened her glare.
"Hey!" shouted Mosura. The soldiers and family turned to find Mosura approaching.
"The heck is wrong with you?" demanded Mosura as she approached the soldiers. One of the soldiers scoffed.
"Mind your business lady. This is the affairs between soldiers and citizens that have disrespected the law." said the soldier, hoping to play off the true reason why he and his comrade were around.
"Don't give me that! I saw and heard everything! What's this about you two abandoning the farm because of not getting what you want?" demanded Mosura. The other soldier smirked.
"Baby girl, you don't know how stressful it is being a soldier for MONARCH. We heard that this farm in particular has the finest diary and bread around!" said the soldier
"Wait, 'baby girl'?" questioned Mosura with a tone that gave away her annoyed attitude. The soldier smirked as he walked up to Mosura. He leaned in close to her as he ran a hand over her cheek, causing Mosura to harden her eyes.
"Would you prefer I call you, 'sexy'?" said the soldier in a seductive tone. Mosura's eyes widened.
"Oh, hell no!" said Mosura as she slapped the soldiers hand away. The soldier laughed.
"Come on, don't be shy! Show me what's under that cloak!" said the soldier as he reached for the Transmutant's hood. Mosura sent him a glare and sent her fist into the man's gut. He dropped to his knees from the tremendous force and suddenly began to vomit onto the ground. The family gasped in shock at how she had struck the soldier. Mosura then kicked the side of the soldier's head, knocking him unconscious into his own waste. She glared at the other soldier.
"You want to get on my nerves too?" asked Mosura. The remaining soldier glared at her and pulled out a baton.
"Oh, I'm arresting your ass!" said the soldier as he charged towards Mosura. The Transmutant smirked. She charged towards the guard as well and then sent a quick jab into his chest. The soldier swung his baton at Mosura, who ducked under it and kicked him in his thigh, causing the soldier to drop to his knees. The soldier swung his baton again at Mosura, but she forced her hand towards the baton and used her telekinetic power to cause the soldier to slam it on the ground instead.
"What the-?!" the soldier exclaimed in confusion at how he had suddenly swung his baton on the ground. Mosura sent her fist towards the soldier's face and knocked him to the ground. She huffed as she dusted off her cloak.
"What a couple of jerks. No, more like asses," said Mosura. Her eyes widened.
"Oh my god, is Gojira's negative attitude starting to rub off on me?!" exclaimed Mosura in worry. She began to take calming breaths as she closed her eyes. She then sharply exhaled and smiled brightly as she looked down at the unconscious soldiers.
"You boys are forgiven! But I'm still telling," said Mosura as she knelt down next to the soldier and took his walkie talkie. Mosura began to scan through the unconscious soldier's memories to find any names that she could use to fake her identity. She found a female soldier's name that was stationed out with these two men. She cleared her throat as she pressed the button.
"Uh...this is private Cloud. I wish to report a squad member and the C.O. of our squad," said Mosura, she then released the button, waiting for a response. Her eyes widened as she pressed the button again and held it down.
"O-Over!" said Mosura. The device began to static but then a voice reached her ears.
"Copy that Private. What seems to be the trouble? Over." asked a man over the device.
"These men were harassing a couple of farmers out here for their dairy and bread. They threatened to order the squad to abandon our post if they did not comply. A goat got loose and knocked them out. Over," said Mosura.
"Right. We'll be sending someone over there right now! Sit tight soldier," said the man over the device.
"Roger that! Over and out," said Mosura. She then turned to face the family who looked to her in shock. She smiled brightly.
"Pretty cool huh?" asked Mosura.
"You must be crazy! You could get in trouble!" said the farmer. Mosura shrugged.
"Well, yeah but I couldn't let those guys trample all over you. I don't care if their military is respected and they’re seen as heroes. They were just crooks," said Mosura. She made her way past the unconscious men. "Would you mind pretending that I wasn't here?"
"Alright, but wait one second!" said the farmer as he rushed into his home. Mosura stopped and looked on curiously. She found him rushing out of the house with a glass container filled with milk and a small bag holding a piece of a loaf of bread.
"Take this!" said the farmer.
"No I couldn't!" said Mosura as she waved her hand with a smile. The farmer's wife approached.
"It's hot outside and you seem to be on a journey! You need your strength!" said the wife. Mosura's stomach began to growl. She chuckled in embarrassment.
"Well...if you insist. Thank you," said Mosura as she took the bread and glass bottle of milk. She waved to the family as she began to walk away.
"Take care!" said Mosura. She began to pick up the pace and sighed.
"I only wish I didn't have to walk. I can't risk transforming," mopped Mosura. She then heard the sound of a horse whinnying. She turned and found a brown stallion caught to a bush further out. It appeared to have been abandoned as the equine frantically attempted to free itself. Mosura rushed over to the horse and gently ran her hand over its muzzle.
"It's alright. Take it easy, boy," said Mosura. The horse began to nuzzle at her hand that held the bread. She looked at it curiously and then back at the stallion. An idea formed in her mind. She placed her glass bottle of milk on the ground and opened the bag. She broke the bread in half and gave one half to the horse. The equine began to devour it as Mosura did the same with her half.
"Say, would you mind giving me a lift?" asked Mosura with her mouth filled with food. She brought her hand near the horse's head. Her telepathy linked with the horse's mind. The creature grew calmer as he lightly grunted. He nodded his head and Mosura smiled brightly. The Transmutant went back to pick up her bottle of milk and hopped on the horse's back.
"When we're through, you're a free stallion!" said Mosura. The horse whinnied as he kicked his forelegs in the air. Mosura yelped as she held onto the horse tightly. The horse took off and began to run across the land. Mosura laughed with excitement.




Zebrabwe. A few hours later...

Mosura rode the stallion that she had freed, who trotted across the grass and the area of trees. She hummed to herself as she looked around the area. Vines hung from the trees while apes sat perched on the branches, reaching for the fruit that hung above. Mosura took a sip of what remained of the milk that she was given. She sighed as she savored the taste.
"So good," said Mosura. She noticed a clearing that she and the horse were approaching. She patted the horse's neck as she leaned close to his ear.
"Almost home free! This is where we part ways," said Mosura. The horse stopped trotting, allowing Mosura to drop down from his back. She petted him on his head and scratched his ears.
"Thanks a lot!" said Mosura. The horse nodded. He turned around and began to trot away. Mosura smiled as she turned around and found a village that lied ahead. Mosura ran down the field across the grassland and into the village. She clapped her hands together as she entered the village.
"Now to find a boat," said Mosura. She turned and found a Zebrabwen man talking to another. His dark skin was covered in sweat as he wiped his brow. The man made gestures as he spoke in his native tongue to his friend. The gestures appeared as if he was complaining about the hardship of his job. Mosura approached the two men. The man stopped talking and turned to find Mosura. She removed her hood and looked to the men.
"Excuse me, but do you guys speak Equish?" asked Mosura. One of the men raised his hand.
"I do," said the dry man with a thick accent. Mosura smiled brightly.
"Excellent! Would you mind pointing me to the harbor? I'm trying to get home to Equestria and I need a boat," said Mosura.
"Sorry, but there aren't any boats leaving the harbor," said the man.
"What? Why?" asked Mosura in confusion. She was beginning to wonder as to why her plan for the way home was ruined.
"No ship is allowed to leave the harbor. Only MONARCH's ships are allowed to leave. Something about a sea dragon appearing near Saddle Arabia. The Government fears that more are nearby," said the man. Mosura sighed in disappointment.
"So, I'm basically stuck here? How long do they plan to keep the boats in the harbor?" asked Mosura.
"Two weeks," answered the man. Mosura's eyes widened.
"Two weeks?!" exclaimed Mosura.
"That's right. A lot of fisher men are angry about it to," said the man with a sigh.
"Damn!" said Mosura. She sighed in disappointment as she crossed her arms. She’d have to wait out two weeks until she could board a ship back to Equestria. She would rather not risk being caught transforming by MONARCH and shot out of the sky.
"Is there a place a tourist like me can live for cheap? Possibly free?" asked Mosura. The man pointed behind her. Mosura turned and found an old and abandoned building sitting there. Its windows were cracked and the wood was falling apart outside. Mosura merely stared at it.
"Hmm. Doesn't seem so bad," said Mosura with a shrug.
"Seriously?" asked the man in confusion.
"Yep. I use to live in a cave," said Mosura as she began to approach the building. She waved to the man with a smile. "Thanks!"
"Sure. Strange, lady," said the man with a wave. Mosura made her way into the building and found it to be empty. Inside, the wood was rotting and the air was cold. Her footsteps creaked as she made her way upstairs. Mosura found a room with an old sofa sitting inside along with a desk. Mosura made her way over to the sofa and sat down. 
"I can't stay out here for two weeks. Gojira and the others must be worried sick!" said Mosura as she lied down on the sofa. She analyzed her options. She could leave now by transforming, but she would surely be caught. She could wait out until the ships are free, but she'd risk being caught eventually and perhaps missing her friends where ever they could be. Mosura gulped at the last option that she thought of.
"Or I could just break into a base and steal a boat," said Mosura. She scoffed as she shook her head.
"Yeah right! I should probably come up with more plans before I try something so stupid!" said Mosura with a laugh.




One week and four days later...

It was six in the morning. The MONARCH base in Zebrabwe sat silently as a few search lights scanned the ground and the night sky slowly disappearing as the sun began to rise. Mosura ran past a watch tower as she panted and leaned against a wall. 
"What am I doing?" asked Mosura. She turned and then leapt into the air. She turned and found a soldier looking over the watch tower. Mosura dove down into a bush that was behind the metal wall. She hid as the soldier scanned the outside. Mosura sighed as she turned to find another soldier approaching the main entrance to the base. She expanded her psychic abilities to influence any nearby soldiers. She ran out of the bush and trailed behind the soldier. Her powers clouded the senses of the soldiers, masking Mosura's presence from them. The Transmutant panted as she quickly grew tired.
'I hate waking up so early,' thought Mosura. She and the soldier walked the halls of the base. The footsteps echoed in the hall as they continued on. Mosura turned around the corner and separated herself from the soldier. She sighed in relief as she broke her concentration. Suddenly, the sound of the alarm echoed in the hall. Mosura gasped as she began to project her power again, shielding herself from the sight of any approaching soldiers that were armed to the teeth.
"Let's kill some rebel scum!" said a man. Mosura glanced at them in confusion.
"All units, report to the airfield. Prepare to board the Cyclone," said a voice over the intercom. Mosura's eyes widened.
'Airfield? That must mean that they're going to be flying out of here!' thought Mosura. She trailed behind the soldiers, unseen and unheard as she clouded their senses. Mosura later found herself standing outside of the base near the airfield. 
"Hey, where do you think we're headed?" asked a soldier that jogged beside another towards an airship. Mosura jogged behind them.
"They were sighted near Wishershell Island. The higher ups think that the rebels are trying to hide out in Equestria so we're being dispatched near there to stop them," said the other soldier. Mosura raised a brow in confusion. She wondered why rebels would have been formed within MONARCH. Still, she thought it would have provided her with a good opportunity to escape to Equestria.
"Dude, I've got like a weird itch going on." said one of the soldiers.
"Gross!" said another soldier in disgust.
"No not like that! It feels like something is picking at my brain," said the soldier. The Transmutant gasped as she quickly fell behind. Mosura stopped and made her way around the airship. She had forgotten that prolonged use of her abilities on the mind of a person could cause them to start feeling her use her abilities on their mind. As the soldiers boarded the ship, the airship's propellers began to spin. Mosura grunted in frustration and leapt up onto the airship, climbing along the metal railing as she made her way to the top. She yelped as she felt the airship rumble. Her hood flew off of her head, but she proceeded to climb and made her way onto the top of the airship, where large cannons lied. She gulped nervously as she stared at the cannons.
"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea," said Mosura. She made her way over towards the cannons and crouched in between them.
"I...might as well take a quick nap for the ride," said Mosura. She lied back and began to close her eyes. She thought it was irresponsible of her to take a nap on a battle airship, but she was just too tired to care. She desperately wanted to catch up on her sleep. Mosura began to drift off to sleep. What felt like a minute of resting her eyes had actually escalated to an hour as she began to have visions in her sleep. The face of a Neighponese man with scars on his face and clad in strong, grey armor appeared in her vision. The man stood beside a lion/dog hybrid-like creature with red eyes. The sound of cries filled her ears as did the sound of gunfire. Suddenly, a glowing moth-like creature appeared in her mind.
"Help them," whispered the moth in a small, feminine voice. Mosura's eyes shot opened. She stood up and panted as she held her chest and her heart raced. She searched around herself and found the sun to be rising higher.
"Mosura," said a voice. Mosura gasped as she turned and searched frantically for the voice.
"Who's there?! Where are you?!" demanded Mosura as she stood. She searched around and only heard the sound of the wind and of the propellers spinning.
"Don't worry about where I am. Just worry about your allies," said the voice.
"What allies?!" demand Mosura as she searched for the voice, but it sounded as if it were in her head. Her eyes widened.
"Your voice! It was in my dream!" said Mosura.
"Yes. I was calling to you. I am your ally. The man and the creature that I have shown you are allied with the rebel faction that had broken off from MONARCH. You must help them repel the soldiers that are approaching their ship as we speak," said the voice.
"Why should I help them? I'm just trying to return home!" said Mosura in frustration. Suddenly, an orb of light appeared before her, forcing Mosura to shield her eyes. She slowly lowered her arm and stared in shock at what was before her. A moth-like creature that was the size of a cat was fluttering in front of her. The creature reminded Mosura of herself when she transformed.
"They know of MONARCH's hand in the rise of Transmutants such as yourself. They are rebelling to stop them. But without your help, they will die," said the fairy. She fired a beam of magic into Mosura's forehead, causing her to gasp loudly as her eyes rolled back into her head. Visions of the revelation of MONARCH's hand in the creation of Transmutants that was revealed to the soldiers played in her mind. Another vision of the soldiers starting a rebellion flooded her mind. She saw the faces of the humans who had learned the truth first. The fairy had cut off its beam and fluttered away from Mosura, who knelt down and began to pant. She looked up to the fairy with wide eyes.
"What are you?" asked Mosura. Suddenly, the sound of explosions reached her ears. Mosura cried out as she clutched her ears and knelt down. She stared at the cannons and watched them fire rockets through a sphere dome that engulfed the ship.
'No time to explain! You must help these rebels by buying them time to retaliate against this ship!' said the fairy urgently via telepathy. Mosura clenched her eyes shut as she forced her hands to the sides. Her telekinesis caused the rocket barrels to twist and become mangled. Mosura then yelled as she sprinted away from the cannons and dove for cover. She forced her hands down on the metal below her and punched a hole through it. Mosura dropped down inside of the ship as the rockets were launched from inside of the mangled cannons. Suddenly, an explosion occurred, rocking the airship. Mosura panted as she pulled down her hood.
"I hope my trust isn't blind this time," said Mosura as she began to run down the hall.




Thirty minutes later...

Mosura found herself standing on the deck of a battleship. She watched with wide eyes as one of the rebels that she had helped punched the other rebel and berated him. She wanted to intervene, but she felt that it wasn't her place. As a stranger, she rather not risk angering the rebels. She knelt down and helped the grey armored soldier up to his feet.
"Who's the girl?" questioned Inoue.
"Girl? You mean this guy?" asked Koizumi as he pointed to Mosura. The Transmutant scoffed in offense.
"I am not a guy!" said Mosura, indignantly. She pulled off her hood with a look of annoyance. The rebels stared at her with wide eyes and in shock.
"No way," said Yoshi. Mosura glanced at him in confusion. Her eyes then widened in realization.
"Oh, wait," said Mosura. Koizumi drew a pistol and pointed at Mosura.
"Oh, shit! She's a Transmutant!" exclaimed Koizumi. The other rebels drew their weapons as well and pointed them at Mosura. The Transmutant raised her hands defensively.
"No, wait!" cried Mosura. Yoshi immediately stood in front of Mosura as he held his hand out.
"Stand down!" ordered Yoshi. Koizumi groaned in annoyance.
"Not this again!" said Koizumi in exasperation. Caesar made his way at Yoshi's side with a firm stare.
"Calm yourselves. This Transmutant is not our enemy," said Caesar.
"A couple of run ins with Transmutants says differently!" said a rebel. Caesar growled.
"Lower your weapons! Is this how you repay someone who had risked her life to help us escape?" demanded Caesar.
"What the hell did she do?" asked Koizumi. Mosura sent a glare.
"Um...does me helping you fight off a couple of soldiers when you were on your own ring a bell?" asked Mosura.
"Other than that," deadpanned Koizumi. Mosura sighed in frustration.
"Did you see that nasty smoke cloud that surrounded the airship? Did you wonder how the shield suddenly went down? That was me." said Mosura as she placed a hand on her chest. She suddenly spotted the moth fairy that had greeted her fluttering towards them.
"What did I miss?" asked the fairy.
"You told me to help the rebels and told me that they weren't my enemies. I don't think they got the memo," deadpanned Mosura as she pointed at the rebels that kept their weapons pointed at her.
"Put. The weapons. Down," said Yoshi sternly as he glared at the rebels. They gulped nervously at his glare and lowered their weapons.
"Thanks," said Mosura as she smiled at Yoshi.
"You're welcome. I apologize for this," said Yoshi as he bowed his head.
"No problem," said Mosura. Caesar began sniff Mosura, causing her to recoil back. His eyes widened.
"Yes. It really is you," said Caesar.
"You can talk?!" exclaimed Mosura with wide eyes. Inoue turned to Caesar, ignoring Mosura's shock.
"Um...who?" asked Inoue with a raised brow.
"The ally that we need!" said Caesar. Mosura raised her hands.
"Wait, the creature up there told me about your rebellion. I'm sorry but I don't want any part in it. I'm just trying to get back to Equestria," said Mosura.
"Funny. We're heading there now," said Yoshi. He then raised a brow as he looked to the fairy. "You were recruiting her?"
"Not exactly." said the fairy. The rebels stared warily at Mosura. The Transmutant cleared her throat as she felt the tense atmosphere setting in.
"May we know your name?" asked Caesar. Mosura turned to face the Shisa.
"Mosura Yasu. Yasu is my surname," said Mosura. Caesar bowed.
"A pleasure to meet you. My dear, we have much to talk about," said Caesar. Mosura raised a brow.
"What do you mean?" asked Mosura.
"You'll learn soon enough. Please, come with me," said Caesar as he began to walk on all fours across the ship's deck. Mosura reluctantly followed Caesar along with Yoshi and Inoue. Koizumi sighed.
"I don't know about this," said Koizumi.




Later that night...

Mosura sat alone on the ship's deck. She had finished speaking to Caesar, who turned her entire world upside down. She was told that she was a reincarnated Kaiju. She denied the notion entirely until the fairies had given her visions of her past life. She was something more compared to the average Transmutants and that frightened her. Mosura sighed as she propped her hand under her chin. She heard footsteps approaching from her side and turned around with a look of alarm. She found Yoshi immediately stopping his approach, being reduced to being as stiff as a board.
"Don't sneak up on me! I almost had a heart attack!" said Mosura as she sighed in relief.
"Sorry about that. I was just checking up on you," said Yoshi with a nervous smile.
"I'm fine. I didn't hear you coming," said Mosura.
"Well, I don't exactly have my heavy armor on right now," said Yoshi with a chuckle. Mosura shared a chuckle as well.
"I can see that, Captain Obvious," said Mora with a smirk. Yoshi furrowed his brow.
"Actually, I'm a Sergeant. So that’s Sergeant Obvious to you," said Yoshi. The two remained in silence. The too suddenly burst into laughter.
"Are you serious? That was kinda corny!" laughed Mosura.
"Sorry, I couldn't resist," said Yoshi. Mosura calmed herself as she sighed. Yoshi cleared his throat.
"So, what was it that Caesar told you?" asked Yoshi. Mosura looked to the side as her face grew to a frown.
"Well, he told me about the situation," said Mosura as she looked towards Yoshi.
"You seem quite worried," said Yoshi. Mosura nodded.
"Of course I am. MONARCH's leadership is trying to start a one world government! Can you imagine what these leaders could do if they get their way?" asked Mosura. The thought that she and certain Transmutants were going to be used as weapons to control the world for MONARCH worried her.
"Well, I know that some of these men aren't fond of non-human races. So I imagine that they would not be welcomed," said Yoshi as he sat down. He sighed. "It's terrible how there are some people that want to oppress others just because they have this idea of being superior,"
"I agree. It makes me want to cry, knowing how differences like ethnicity, species, could cause such strife," said Mosura as she held her knees up to herself with a frown. Yoshi looked to her with a slight frown as well.
"You don't seem like the Transmutants that I encountered," said Yoshi. Mosura glanced at him.
"We're not all the same you know," said Mosura.
"Sorry. I didn't mean it like that. It's just that I've never met a Transmutant that doesn't hate humans. You're quite a rarity," said Yoshi. Mosura smirked.
"I never met a human so comfortable to have a conversation with a Transmutant. Especially if he worked for MONARCH," said Mosura.
"True. But I didn't join MONARCH to fight Transmutants. I joined to fight for the safety of innocents," said Yoshi. Mosura smiled lightly.
"Well, I can't bring myself to hate humans. I used to be one after all. Plus, it was only a number of individuals responsible for what happened," said Mosura. She sighed as she turned to face the ocean. "I wish my older brother felt the same."
"Your brother?" asked Yoshi. Mosura nodded.
"Someone who went down the wrong path with the other Transmutants. I was too weak to help him stray away from that path and instead left him like a coward," said Mosura as she clenched her fist. She held her tears back as she thought of her fight with Battra. The thought of either of them attempting to kill each other haunted her. Her stomach turned at the thought of killing her own brother. 
"Well...maybe he'll get on the right path," said Yoshi. Mosura glanced at him sadly. The rebel looked across the deck with a neutral expression. "It's none of my business and I don't know you or your brother very well. But...I think he'll one day figure out what the right thing to do is."
"He tried to kill me the last time that I saw him because I wanted to protect humans, so my friends and I were seen as a stain on Transmutants by his radical group," muttered Mosura. Yoshi frowned.
"I'm sorry." said Yoshi, feeling that he had not helped the Transmutant at all. Mosura looked down in thought.
"But...maybe you're right," said Mosura. Yoshi looked to her in surprise. Mosura raised her head. "My brother...he may be lost. I have seen...a lot of darkness in his heart when I have faced him. I have seen how cruel he can be,"
"Still...he does have good intentions. He wants to protect Transmutants from harm. He's just going about it all wrong," said Mosura. She hardened her eyes. "I know there's good in him. He might change on his own, but I want to be there for him when he does,"
"You're a very positive person," said Yoshi. Mosura smiled to herself.
"Well, I wasn't always this positive. But I think things might finally start turning around, knowing that I might just have new allies," said Mosura. She then turned to the rebel with a grin. "Thank you, Sergeant...Yoshi was it?"
"That's right. I'm always willing to help, Yasu-san," said Yoshi with a nod. He turned as he heard the sound of whispering. He found Inoue as she hid behind a turret with Koizumi. She gasped as she pulled the mercenary down with her. Yoshi scowled.
"It's rude to spy!" said Yoshi. Mosura turned her head and tilted her head in curiosity. Inoue and Koizumi slowly stood up from hiding. Inoue chuckled in embarrassment.
"I told you to shut up. So glad I never was deployed on assassinations with you," deadpanned Koizumi. Inoue glared at him.
"Screw you!" said Inoue. Koizumi smirked.
"I bet you'd like to," said Koizumi. Inoue's eyes widened.
"What did-"
"I'm kidding! Get the stick out of your ass, Inoue," said Koizumi as he made his way over to the pair with an amused smile. Inoue growled in frustration as her face flushed. Yoshi gave Koizumi a deadpanned stare.
"Koizumi, leave your gun," said Yoshi.
"What gun? I have no idea what you're talking about!" said Koizumi with a shrug.
"The one that you have tucked in behind your pants," said Mosura with a smile. Koizumi chuckled nervously.
"That's crazy talk!" said Koizumi. Inoue scoffed in annoyance as she made her way to Koizumi. She reached for his backside and yanked a pistol from behind him. She removed the clip and then tossed it away. She handed the pistol back to Koizumi, who grumbled to himself.
"Don't keep a gun around if you plan on using it on Yasu-san," said Yoshi.
"It was just a precaution," said Koizumi.
"I'm just going to pretend you didn't bring one. I understand why you did it though," said Mosura with a smile. Koizumi scowled.
"That cute cheerfulness in your voice just scares me for some reason.” Mosura giggled as a blush formed on her cheeks.
"Cute?" asked Mosura. Inoue rolled her eyes.
"Eh...let's not get carried away," said Koizumi as he waved his hand.
"Heh. 'Kay," said Mosura with a nod. Inoue cleared her throat.
"So...what do you plan on doing when we get to Equestria?" asked Inoue.
"Well, I want to check out my home and see if my friends are there, but Caesar said that you guys would need some help, especially with convincing the princess of Equestria that you guys are no longer affiliated with MONARCH," said Mosura.
"How are you gonna help with that?" asked Inoue.
"A friend of mine was raised by her. I met her personally, so hopefully when I find him, I can convince him to speak for you," said Mosura. Koizumi looked to her suspiciously.
"Why are you helping us?" asked Koizumi.
"Well, you are giving me a ride. Plus, MONARCH needs to be stopped, and you rebels seem to have a lot of dirt on the organization that can turn it around. Plus, my friend would probably kill you guys if he ran into your group," said Mosura. Koizumi chuckled.
"Shit. What's he gonna do?" asked Koizumi in a mocking tone. Mosura looked to him with a grave expression.
"I'm not joking. He's a strong Transmutant. In fact, MONARCH is the second thing that he hates the most right now. He's not afraid to take a life," said Mosura.
"Is he like Destoroyah?" asked Inoue, apprehensively.
"No. Destoroyah is a sociopath. He puts on an act as if he's some kind of savior to Transmutants when he's actually a genocidal monster. Gojira...he's just afraid of MONARCH because of how large their numbers are and how many people support them. He feels like a cornered animal," said Mosura solemnly. "I'm worried that if this goes on, he'll snap,"
"He sounds like he needs a vacation," said Koizumi. Mosura propped her hand under her chin.
"He's not a bad guy. Gojira is just...doing what he thinks is necessary to protect his loved ones and himself," said Mosura. Inoue took a seat beside.
"You really think he'll be cool with us?" asked Inoue.
"I hope so." said Mosura. Koizumi sighed.
"I guess that's as good as we are gonna get," said Koizumi in exasperation. Yoshi nodded.
"It's good enough for me. I'll be counting on you to talk him down if he gets hostile. I'll do my best to keep my comrades calm, but I can't settle a raging fire alone," said Yoshi. Mosura nodded to him with a smile.
"I'll do my best," said Mosura.




Mustangia, Equestria. Three weeks and six days later...

It’s been a month since the Summer Sun Celebration. The Princesses of Equestria had introduced the Transmutant vigilantes that had been sighted before. People were still divided on whether it was wise to allow these Transmutants to live among them. A woman walked across town with a white t-shirt that held a heart over a painting of a monstrous dragon-like creature with a human. She made her way to a small group of people.
"Nice shirt. Where did you get it?" asked one of the woman's friends.
"I made it!" said the woman. One of her friends leaned as she curiously looked at the image.
"Hey, isn't that one of the Transmutants that was in the newspaper?" asked the woman.
"Yep! I'm advocating for these guys! This one is Goro!" said the woman.
"Nice! Can you make me one?" asked one of her friends.
"Sure!" said the woman.
"Why just Goro though?" asked one of her friends in confusion.
"He's hot! That's why!" said the woman with a grin. Her friends looked to her with raised brows.
"You mean that when he's a normal looking guy, right? Not as a big scary monster," said one of the woman's friends.
"Duh," said the woman. The friends continued on with their conversation. From across the street, Manda and Baragon walked side by side. The female Transmutant bore a look of excitement.
'I can't believe we've been going out since that night! This is awesome!' thought Manda. She held Baragon's hand, prompting him to blush and to look away shyly.
"So uh...what do want to do today?" asked Baragon. Manda gasped in excitement.
"We should go see a movie!" said Manda. 
"Are there any good ones playing?" asked Baragon.
"Yeah! There's that one Bat guy movie!" said Manda. Baragon chuckled in amusement.
"No, it's Bat ma-" Baragon was about to finish his sentence but was grabbed by Manda.
"Shut up and let's go!" said Manda as she ran with Baragon in tow. The two rushed down the street, making their way towards a movie theatre.




Two hours later...

"So, he doesn't have any super powers?" asked Manda in surprise as she and Baragon walked down the road. The two had both finished watching a super hero film. It was becoming a common trend now for Pinewood to make films based on super heroes. Unfortunately, Manda was one of the movie goers who had never read any comics that the films were based on, so she was unfamiliar with the characters.
"Nope. All he has is his smarts, fancy gadgets and awesome fighting skills," said Baragon. He sighed in disappointment. "Man, all of that so called realism in the film kinda took the fun out of it,"
"Really? I thought it was good." said Manda.
"It was OK. I just wish the film wasn't trying so hard to make a comic book world 'realistic'. The classic car is nothing but a tank now! There is none of that gothic-like atmosphere for the city from the comics! Also, that actor sounded like he was gurgling di-"
"Wow. You really know your comics," said Manda in surprise. Baragon shrugged.
"They're fun to read. But I guess I can't be too sore about this movie. I'm looking forward for that reboot where he fights a certain super hero in the red cape!" said Baragon.
"A reboot? We just watched the film!" said Manda.
"Yeah, Applewood plans fast," said Baragon in amusement. He shrugged. "Either way, we get more super hero films!"
"Well, that movie where the guy swings from webs is getting another film. Wanna see that?" asked Manda.
"Sure! But that's like a couple of years from now so we'll have to settle with the Power Humans film that's coming next year," said Baragon. Manda grinned as the two continued on down the road past the crowd. The two walked down the road as they heard the sound of arguing.
"We don't even know where they're supposed to be, Pinkie Pie!" said a scratchy, tomboyish voice. Manda and Baragon turned their heads as they found a group of human girls standing by the sidewalk, exhausted. The rainbow haired Valkyrie stared at her pink haired Earthbound friend in annoyance. The Elf with indigo hair looked to Pinkie in confusion.
"Why is it that you're trying to throw them a party? You normally wouldn't travel across the land to do so," said the Elf.
"Rarity, there's a time where you can throw a party at home and there's a time where you travel across the land to throw a party. This is one of those times for very special people!" said Pinkie with determination. A rose haired Valkyrie raised her hand as she raised a brow.
"Which?" asked Fluttershy.
"The second one!" answered Pinkie as she held two fingers up.
"Pinkie, we'll never get anywhere if we just wander around aimlessly! Let's just ask someone if they've seen them," said Twilight.  Manda tugged at Baragon's arm.
"Let's help them!" said Manda. Baragon gave her a deadpanned stare.
"Let's not and say we did," said Baragon as he attempted to walk away. Manda scoffed as she grabbed him by his shirt's collar and dragged him along. Manda waved to the girls as she called out to them.
"Excuse me! Are you ladies looking for someone?" asked Manda. The girls turned around curiously to find the tall woman approaching. Pinkie formed a grin as she rushed towards the pair at the speed of a bullet.
"Holy shit!" exclaimed Baragon as he flinched away from the Earthbound.
"We're looking for those Transmutants that Princess Celestia introduced during the Summer Sun Celebration! Do you know where they're living?" asked Pinkie. Manda's eyes widened in surprise and felt slightly worried at what these humans would want with her and her friends.
"Um...what for?" asked Manda with a nervous smile. Baragon slightly tensed himself. Pinkie merely grinned.
"For a party, silly!" said Pinkie.
"S-seriously?" asked Manda. Baragon cocked his head in confusion.
"You came all the way out here to throw us a party?" asked Baragon. He gasped as he cupped his mouth, realizing that he had just given this hyperactive girl their identity. Pinkie gasped loudly.
"You're them?!" exclaimed Pinkie.
"No! Gotta go!" said Baragon as he took Manda's arm and attempted to walk away. The female Transmutant resisted the shorter Transmutant as she kept her feet planted in the same spot.
"Yes! That's us!" said Manda with a smile.
"Shit," muttered Baragon as he lowered his head and slumped his shoulders. Rainbow scowled.
"Where were they earlier?" asked Rainbow.
"Well, 'least we don't have to keep asking around," said Applejack with a chuckle. Rarity went stiff at suddenly being close to Transmutants. Memories of the attack on Ponyville flashed on her mind. She clenched her eyes shut as she tried to block the memories out. She took soft breaths as she attempted to calm herself. Still, she was apprehensive around the shape shifting humans.
"Oh! Well, that makes things quicker," said Twilight in relief. Pinkie grinned at Manda as if she had discovered a mountain of sweets that would last a life time. She took Manda's hand and began to shake it furiously.
"Hi! I'm Pinkie Pie and it's very nice to meet you Ms...." Pinkie leaned her head closer with a curious glance. Manda shook herself out of the disorientation that she felt from girl's shake.
"Just call me Manda. It's nice to meet you too," said Manda with a smile. She then grabbed Baragon and brought him to her side.
"This is my boyfriend, Baragon!" said Manda as she gestured to Baragon. She lightly giggled as she thought back to the term. She always wanted to introduce her special somebody. Baragon blushed as a small smile formed on his face.
'Heh. She actually called me her boyfriend,' thought Baragon. He then shook off his thoughts and gave a forced smile to Pinkie.
"Um...hi," greeted Baragon. Rainbow looked to Baragon with a raised brow.
"Huh. So your boyfriend is shorter than you?" asked Rainbow. Baragon's brow twitched in offense. Applejack elbowed Rainbow's ribs as she shot him a glare. Manda merely smiled as she wrapped Baragon into a bone crushing hug.
"Yep! Best part is that I get to hold him like this!" said Manda. Baragon groaned in pain.
"Release! Release!" pleaded Baragon as he flapped his arm. Manda gasped as she immediately released Baragon, allowing him to gasp loudly and to begin panting.
"Sorry!" apologized Manda.
"Aww! You two must be a happy couple!" said Pinkie with a grin.
"Actually, it's only been a month since we started dating, but it's been pretty good," said Baragon. Pinkie grabbed the shoulders of the Transmutants as she stared at them intensely.
"We need to set a one month anniversary party for you! And the 'Welcome to Mustangia' party that we came here for!" said Pinkie. Manda waved her hand dismissively.
"Oh, that's not necessary! We were already spending time together for that. We just saw that new Bat guy movie!" said Manda. Baragon sighed.
"Bat man!" said Baragon. Rainbow looked to the pair curiously.
"Was it any good?" asked Rainbow.
"Meh," said Baragon. Rainbow sighed in disappointment.
"Oh, don't mind him! He's sour because it wasn't like the comics. I thought it was good," said Manda. Rainbow's face brightened up.
"Cool! I love me some super hero movies!" said Rainbow.
"You two went to see a movie on your anniversary? What else were you going to do?" asked Rarity. Baragon shrugged.
"I don't know. Go home and make dinner?" asked Baragon.
"Wouldn't it be better if you took her out to eat? You are celebrating a month together after all!" said Rarity.
"I don't have that kind of money to pay for the restaurants out here! We were only able to see that movie because we got a discount!" said Baragon in a defensive manner. Despite being free to roam around the town without worrying about being attacked, financial problems still plagued the Transmutants.
"It's alright! What matters is that we spend time together! That's what is important to me," said Manda as she wrapped an arm around Baragon. Twilight smiled in envy of the Transmutants. She looked down with a frown as she thought back to Junior. Right when she thought the two could have shared an intimate relationship, it was snatched away in a day. Fluttershy noticed her downcast expression and frowned in sympathy.
"Well, can I at least throw you that 'Welcome to Mustangia' party?" asked Pinkie. Manda looked to Baragon, who merely sighed.
"I was going to take a nap when we got home, but I guess I could skip on that today," said Baragon. Pinkie smile brightly as she wrapped the two Transmutants into a tight hug.
"You're gonna love it! We're going to be best friends at the end of the day!" said Pinkie with excitement.
"So much strength!" strained Baragon as he felt himself being crushed. Manda laughed as she wrapped Pinkie and Baragon into a hug as well.
"I like you already!" said Manda. Pinkie's eyes bulged out as she felt the bone crushing hug that Manda gave.
"Sweet Celestia," groaned Pinkie. The other Elements Bearers laughed in amusement at the scene.



Goro sat down on a chair in the Transmutant cave as he watched the humans and his fellow Transmutants enjoying themselves for the party. He smiled at the scene. Rarity merely sat alone on a sofa with a plastic cup of water in her hand with Twilight. Rainbow approached Goro as she looked around.
"So you guys live in a cave? That's pretty cool! No worries about paying rent, eh?" asked Rainbow.
"No. But since we've recently been accepted by a large number of humans here, it's been difficult to earn money for food," said Goro.
"Bummer. Sorry to hear that man." said Rainbow with a frown.
"Things are getting better. Now all of us are able to receive jobs to make more money. All it takes is smart spending and saving," said Goro. Rainbow nodded with a smile.
"That's good! You know, I wasn't so sure about Transmutants other than some friends of mine, but you all seem pretty cool!" said Rainbow. Goro looked to her curiously.
"Other Transmutants? You mean Gojira Takeshi Jr.?" asked Goro.
"Yeah, him and three others! How did you know?" asked Rainbow in surprise.
"Oh, the Princess told us about them when we met her. I assume that's who you were talking about since a lot of other Transmutants aren't fond of humans," said Goro as he took a sip of his water. Twilight and Rarity glanced over to them as they listened in.
"Right. So...what's their deal?" asked Rainbow. Goro sighed as he lowered his cup.
"Well, a small group of Transmutants started it when they got tired of being looked at as freaks. They slowly grew in number as they influenced other Transmutants to take freedom for themselves rather than being looked down upon. Only that made it worst," said Goro. He then looked down at his cup.
"I was with two other Transmutants. We split off from that group, not wanting any part of it. A madman was in charge and he was slowly poisoning the minds of the youth that was with him, turning them into murderers," said Goro as his mind thought back to the Transmutant that was the destroyer of all living things. Rarity turned to face Goro.
"You mean...this someone had children...kill?" asked Rarity in an appalled tone. Goro nodded.
"Tragic isn't it?" asked Goro.
"It's awful! What sort of monster would do such a thing?!" demanded Rarity.
"Destoroyah is the kind of monster. He and his group are dedicated in a fruitless war with humans in attempt to 'overthrow ' them. By this, he means killing every single one, no matter their age," said Goro. Rarity and Twilight's eyes widened in shock. A group of powerful beings such as Transmutants hell-bent on committing genocide on humans was definitely a force not to be trifled with.
"Is every Transmutant like this?!" exclaimed Rarity.
"Rarity!" said Twilight in a scolding manner. Rarity went stiff as she registered the words that left her mouth. She looked away from Goro as she lowered her head. Her cheeks burned with shame.
"I...I didn't mean..." Rarity stuttered to explain herself. Goro merely kept a neutral expression.
"You're afraid of being around us." said Goro. Rarity glanced at Goro. She looked away.
"N-No! No, don't be silly!" said Rarity with a nervous laugh.
"You reek of fear. I smelt it radiating off of you when you walked in," said Goro.
"Y-You can smell me?" stuttered Rarity with a nervous expression. Twilight's interest peaked as she heard this. Goro nodded.
"Transmutants are enhanced in both their senses and their physical traits. As a predator based Transmutant, I can tell easily," said Goro. Rarity gulped nervously as he mentioned the word, 'predator'. Her experiences with predators from the Everfree or any other beast have been most unpleasant.
"Fascinating!" said Twilight. Goro and Rarity looked to her in confusion. She smiled in embarrassment.
"Sorry. I've been kinda interested in how Transmutants differed from humans besides shape shifting," said Twilight. Goro shrugged and then turned to face Rarity again.
"You're from Ponyville. We heard about what happened," said Goro.
"A lot of innocent people died that day," said Rarity as she clutched her arm. She closed her eyes as she deeply inhaled. "I just...can't stop seeing what I saw. Those Transmutants...they were terrible! Our lives were threatened! People who I thought were our friends turned out to be like them!"
"They were hardly like them! Rarity, they were trying to protect us!" said Twilight. The rest of the humans and Transmutants turned their attention as they found Twilight glaring at Rarity.
"I want to believe that but it's hard! How can I trust them?! You saw how Gojira was going to kill him!" Rarity bore a look of anxiety as she thought back to Junior's monstrous eyes, how he ruthlessly beat one of the Transmutants and how he tried to kill him.
"Kill who?" asked Goro. Rarity went silent as she turned back to Goro. Twilight lost her glare as she looked towards Goro as well. "Who was he going to kill that has caused this much distress?"
"It was...another Transmutant. He called himself...Shino...Shin..." Twilight groaned as she scratched her head as she searched her memory for the name of the Transmutant.
"Shinomura?" asked Baragon.
"Yes, him!" said Twilight. Goro hummed in thought.
"Belle-san, you said that you saw Gojira as a friend?" asked Goro as he looked towards Rarity.
"I did," said Rarity with a nod. She sighed. "But...now I don't know what to think. After that day...I've been afraid of him,"
"Was it because he was going to kill or was it because he was a Transmutant all along?" asked Goro.
"Both," admitted Rarity.
"Listen, not every Transmutant is the same. Like you, we're individuals. We have desires, emotions, and free will. A number of us lost our way, while others stand by Destoroyah because they see him and his group as the strongest force against MONARCH," said Goro. Rarity raised her head as she listened. "I know how you Equestrians are apprehensive with killing. You can't make a peaceful nation with bloodshed, but you should know that Shinomura is one of those Transmutants who fell far,"
"You didn't see Gojira! The way he had beaten that Transmutant...it wasn't like him! I'm not trying to defend Shinomura over what he did, but we never saw that side to Gojira before!" said Rarity. Twilight lowered her head. She did have to agree that witnessing Junior perform such an act was frightening to say the least.
"You were all threatened, right?" asked Goro.
"That's right," replied Rarity.
"Well, when those that you care about are threatened, you may grow the desire to protect them. Meaning you'll do whatever it takes to defend those you love. I believe that killing is justified when you're trying to defend yourself from a dangerous foe and when your loved ones are in danger," said Goro. Rarity looked down in thought. She sighed.
"He always did have a temper. But, never had we seen something like that," said Rarity.
"Anger and Fear can cause anyone to behave not like themselves. What's important is that they don't let it drive them," said Goro.
"Good thing that Twilight was there to get him to snap out of it," said Applejack. Goro looked to her with a smile.
"Is that so?" asked Goro. Twilight nodded.
"I did beg him to stop. It worked too. But he ended up getting hurt because he took his attention away," said Twilight with a frown.
"Well, at least you know that he was willing to listen to someone he must have cared for," said Goro.
"Yeah, and we repaid him and the others by looking at them like they were monsters," said Twilight in a bitter tone. "Now, they're gone and he probably hates my guts,"
"I don't think so," said Manda as she made her way over to the sofa and sat down next to Twilight.
"I mean, he might be pretty sad right now, but I don't think he hates you," said Manda.
"How could you know?" asked Twilight.
"Well...think of it this way! If you were in his position and you held the same dark secret for so long and your friends found out, would you hate them?" asked Manda. Twilight looked to her with a slightly startled expression.
"I...no! I couldn't possibly hate my friends! I love them too much to do that!" said Twilight. Her friends merely smiled after hearing Twilight say those words. "I think I would actually be devastated by the fact that they couldn't accept me because of that reason,"
"Well, if your friendship meant anything to him, then I say he's going through the same thing," said Manda with a reassuring smile. Twilight felt hope growing inside of her. The hope of being able to start over with Junior seemed possible if he didn't hate her.
"I still can't get over the fact that I'm putting him through it," said Twilight. Applejack placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Don't worry about it, hun. You're not the only one who made that mistake. We'll make it right," said Applejack. Twilight smiled to her.




Later...

The sun was setting over Mustangia. The cave was cleaned up of any mess that may have been left behind from the party. The Main six were making their way out of the cave while the Transmutants walked them out.
"Thanks for the party!" said Manda.
"No problem! Hey, feel free to visit Ponyville sometime! I work at this bakery called, 'Sugarcube Corner'! Cupcakes will be on me!" said Pinkie.
"I'll have to take you up on that!" said Manda with a grin. Baragon wore a scowl as Applejack chuckled to herself.
"Come on, no need to be in embarrassed at being beaten by a girl at arm wrestling," said Applejack as she nudged Baragon's shoulder.
"It's not that you're a girl. It's the fact that you're a human," said Baragon. He sighed. "I'm not as strong as Manda and Goro,"
"Well, you did give me a hard time. I spend a lot of time on the farm, so that's how I build up my strength," said Applejack.
"I've been lazy lately too," chuckled Baragon.
"Alright. Well, work out and we'll have a rematch next time," said Applejack. Baragon grinned.
"You're on!" said Baragon. Rarity followed Fluttershy and Twilight close behind in silence. The three held an idol conversation until a voice interrupted them.
"Belle-san," called Goro. Rarity went stiff and stopped. She turned to face Goro.
"Y-Yes?" asked Rarity.
"Remember what we talked about. You don't have to accept Gojira, but figure out if he is someone that you would still want to continue being friends with. As people, we're all flawed. It's the people who don't want to correct their flaws that you should avoid. Do you understand?" asked Goro.
"I...I believe so," said Rarity. Goro nodded in approval.
"Good. Not bad for your first meeting with three new Transmutants huh?" asked Goro with a chuckle. Rarity lightly smiled.
"No, I suppose not," replied Rarity.
"Well, take care Belle-san," said Goro. Rarity nodded to him.
"You as well." replied Rarity as she left the cave and went off to join her friends. Manda and Baragon made their way over to Goro's side as they watched the humans leave.
"You think she can look past the beast?" asked Baragon.
"As long as Gojira continues what he did that defined him as being human, I'm sure she will," said Goro.
"He's lucky to have friends like them. It's a shame what happened though," said Manda.
"Well, good things can emerge in bad situations." said Goro. He then turned to the rocky cave wall and found the clock. He read the time and sighed.
"Listen, I have to get to work. Clean up whatever is left please. I'm going to be home late," said Goro as he rushed to the other side of the cave. He began to dress into his work clothes, which consisted of a pair of blue jeans and a hard hat. He grabbed an orange vest and made his way out back to the exit of the cave.
"OK, see you later!" said Manda as she waved good bye. Goro made his way outside, disappearing from their sight. Manda and Baragon made their way over to the sofa as they sat down next to each other. Manda leaned her head against Baragon as she bore a smile.
"Today was fun," said Manda. Baragon nodded in agreement.
"It sure was. You seem to have bonded pretty quickly with that cotton candy haired girl," said Baragon. Manda laughed in amusement.
"Yeah, it does look like cotton candy does it?" asked Manda. She sighed as she felt her heart in her chest run. Her ears picked up Baragon's soft breathing and her spine tingled as her skin felt his own. She leaned into him and kissed Baragon on the cheek.
"I love you," said Manda. Baragon turned to face her as he placed a hand on her cheek.
"I..." Baragon felt the words caught in his throat. He knew what he felt, but it was much more difficult for him to say it without him stumbling over his words.
"I love..." Baragon sighed in frustration. Manda giggled as she leaned into him and pressed her lips against his. The two locked lips as they kissed. They tasted each other's breaths, causing their hearts to race at a greater pace. Baragon's eyes widened as he felt Manda press her tongue into his mouth. He felt it dance and graze against his own tongue, causing his heart to beat faster.
"I never knew you were that bold," said Baragon in surprise. He then noticed Manda's eyes glazing over. She began to pant as she stared into his eyes. He felt himself being entranced in her red eyes. Manda ran her hand over his head as she began to reach under her shirt. Baragon's eyes widened.
"Wait, wait," said Baragon anxiously as he pulled away. Manda stopped with a look of disappointment.
"What's wrong?" asked Manda. Baragon cleared his throat as he looked towards the exit of the cave.
"I...how far are we going?" asked Baragon. He suddenly felt Manda pinning him to the couch. She panted as she stared at him.
"Let's go all the way! You and me!" said Manda.
"Really? I mean, should we?" asked Baragon. Manda grinned as she ran her hand on his arm. She then grabbed him and pulled him up. 
"Get your butt into the bedroom," whispered Manda as she leaned into Baragon's ear and pressed herself against him.
"Whatever you say," said Baragon with a grin.




Ponyville...

Rarity had arrived back home to her boutique just an hour before. The trip back was exhausting to say the least, but she was now home, free to be able to rest for the night. However, she felt herself restless as the more she thought back to her conversation with Goro and their meeting, the more conflicted she felt. She did vow to put aside her personal feelings towards the revelation of Junior being a Transmutant for Twilight's sake, but she was still uneasy about him. The more she thought about his situation, the more sympathy she felt.
Transmutants were something that she had grown to fear as the years rolled by. The more she heard about them, the less she felt that she could trust any of them. It was the same for her was when she and her friends had learned of being friends with Transmutants. Rarity sighed as she stood up and paced around her boutique. Her heels clicked along the floor as her mind was plagued with conflict. Rarity thought about how Junior was there for her sister when she was trouble. She began to look at the attack on Ponyville and Junior's involvement in a different light. Although she wasn't one to condone violence, or killing for that matter, she did see that Junior had good intentions. She overlooked the fact that he fought and revealed himself to protect her and the others. However, she repaid him with mistrust rather than gratitude. Rarity sighed as she rubbed her forehead.
"Gojira, I wish I could have gotten a better understanding of you before. Twilight and Fluttershy seemed to know you best. What kind of friend does that make me?" asked Rarity aloud. She sat down on a chair and sighed. She noticed a small box sitting in the corner of the room. Rarity slowly stood up and made her way over to it. She knelt down and opened it, pulling out a charcoal grey sweater that was torn and covered in hard blood stains. She lightly cringed as she thought of the ghastly wound that Junior had and how it healed on its own. She then began to look at the sweater with a small smile.
"I can't believe he always wore this old thing," said Rarity. She stood up with the sweater and made her way over to the table. She sat it down and began to look it over. She felt the material that made it up and checked for any hint of a size tag. Rarity snapped her fingers as she reached for her drawer and pulled out a small note book. She opened it and began to skim through it. She found columns with her friends' names and their measurements. She smiled as she found Junior's measurements. She rushed over to the other side of the room and began to levitate out materials and needles.
"Maybe I'll get the chance to understand you, someday," said Rarity with a small smile.
	
> Chapter 41: Making Contact
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sound of clamoring echoed through the halls. Voices raged through as they blocked out the smallest sounds, preventing them from being heard. The clamoring was so loud that the speakers could not hear themselves either. The sound of a gavel being banged echoed.
"There will be order in this court!" shouted Celestia in her booming voice, silencing the men and women that were present. From around the nation, there were people who held ground in Equestria's politics inside of the throne room in Canterlot. Princess Celestia sat on her throne with Luna at her side on her throne. The royal guards stood at attention near the doors while some remained stationed near the windows. The rest stood close to the thrones of the royal sisters.
"Now...let us get back to the matter at hand," said Celestia with a firm expression. The room was filled with silence. She nodded in approval and looked to Luna, who nodded in understanding.
"Let us get back on topic on the incident," said Luna.
"Your highnesses, why were those abominations walking among us in our city?" demanded a man from the crowd. A few people called out to the princesses, demanding to know why the Transmutants were present during the wedding.
"Over a week before, I have met these people during the Summer Sun Celebration. They were guests that I have invited," answered Celestia. A number of politicians bore a look of shock and disgust at how their own princess had invited such unnatural creatures.
"Your grace, for what purpose would you have for inviting unsavory savages like them to the event and the wedding?" questioned a woman, her tone carried a snooty arrogance that some nobles were known for.
"The purpose that I have chosen to invite these people..." Celestia spoke with a slight stern expression. "...was to show them my appreciation for protecting the citizens of Mustangia,"
"Those Transmutants are a major threat to the citizens of Equestria!" shouted a man from the crowd. A few cries of agreement sounded in the court room. A man stood from among the crowd of people crying out in outrage. He bore an angry expression.
"Your highness, I wish to know how you could possibly let Transmutants to roam freely in our lands. Haven't they caused enough destruction and pain?" demanded the man. "Surely you recall that Manehattan suffered an attack by a group of Transmutants, then months after that, Ponyville was tacked! Many residents perished on that day!"
"I am well aware of the attacks. They were very tragic for the lives that were lost," said Celestia as she sat straight on her throne. "The Transmutants are stronger compared to average humans. The terrorist group known as, the 'Transmutant Revolutionaries' are a dangerous group,"
"Then you understand the outrage of your subjects?" questioned the man. Celestia nodded.
"I do. However, the Transmutants of Mustangia are not affiliated with this faction. These are just people who are merely trying to get by in a world where they are not accepted in," answered Celestia. She looked to Luna with a smile.
"My sister and I have met them and have learned them to be not much different from any other person who resides in our country," said Celestia. She then turned to face the crowd. "These Transmutants are people, just as you and I are,"
"These beasts cannot be trusted! We have all witnessed their violent nature during the Changeling Invasion!" said a man. Luna furrowed her brows as she directed her attention onto the man.
"The Transmutants were what helped in repelling the Changeling invaders. Without them, we may not have been able to stand a chance," said Luna. A few people began to murmur amongst themselves as they analyzed the validity of Luna’s argument. Other minds were unmoved. Celestia nodded in agreement.
"Goro and his friends helped defend our city. I heard my guards speak of their heroics for standing with them in battle while escorting any citizens to safety. With MONARCH's presence being restricted, they are possibly the only ones who are capable of standing against the Transmutant Revolutionaries," said Celestia. A woman stood from the crowd.
"Your majesty, your adopted son, Gojira Takeshi the 2nd, was a fugitive of MONARCH correct?" questioned the woman. Luna's eyes widened at the inquiry. She knew that this was but a way to have the politicians to discredit the princess of the sun's decision of banning MONARCH. Celestia kept a firm and calm expression.
"He was. MONARCH had in fact marked him and three other Transmutants as fugitives in order to increase their efforts at apprehending him," answered Celestia.
"Why would you harbor a Transmutant in your own castle?" questioned the woman.
"I had no knowledge of the information until after the attack on Ponyville had occurred. Until I did, he had already fled Equestria." said Celestia.
"Could you perhaps restricted MONARCH in an effort to allow the fugitive to escape custody?" asked the woman. That was the lethal blow. All that was needed for Celestia to give the wrong answer before the question could explode. Luna watched worriedly as to how her elder sister would answer. Celestia merely smiled.
"Yes and no," answered Celestia. The crowd began to murmur in confusion. The woman who had asked her question was dumbfounded at how bluntly she had answered.
"My subjects, MONARCH has been known to either imprison or kill enemies during its line of work. With Transmutants, that chance of becoming a prisoner decreases. When Gojira Takeshi the second along with three other Transmutants surrendered, a soldier was ordered to execute him and him alone," said Celestia. "Now of course, my decision would seem to be motivated by clouded judgment because of attachment, but it was actually motivated by breaking the law and for public endangerment,"
Celestia looked towards her aide, Raven, with a nod. The Elf woman cleared her throat as she pulled out a parchment as she adjusted her glasses.
"A legal document was signed between the Princesses, the Director of MONARCH, and the General of the base that was stationed on the outskirts of Ponyville," said Raven. "The contract reads, 'By occupying my forces in Equestria, I hereby swear that the officers under my command shall report to the rulers of the country. MONARCH forces must be approximately two miles outside of any settlement. The forces are restricted from the act of racial profiling the citizens, based on Eastern and/or Earthbound descent to find any Transmutants that have been spotted within Equestria," said Raven as she read off of the document. She began to move along the paragraph as the audience listened.
"'Any information concerning the rulers and their subjects will be informed to the rulers. If any Transmutant activity surfaces on Equestrian soil and if said Transmutant willingly surrenders to the forces of MONARCH, they shall be spared and will be given a fair trial. Breaking this contract will be breaking international law #5, which states that, 'if MONARCH's stationed forces are to uphold information from the leader of the nation concerning matters of said nation that it is occupying, this will be considered conspiracy and will hold MONARCH accountable and will face international court of law and a permanent ban on MONARCH's footing in said nation,'" read Raven. She then turned the document around and held it in the air, revealing the names of the men who signed it. "Signed by Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Director Onyx and General Murk,"
"The reason for the ban of MONARCH was due to the violation of the term that I had set, which involved the execution of any Transmutant that willingly surrendered. Witnesses claimed that these Transmutants had suddenly appeared during the attack of the terrorists and have seen them fight against them," said Celestia. "These Transmutants stayed behind as the group of terrorists fled. They surrendered to MONARCH's forces after being told that they would be spared if they did so,"
"After they surrendered, one soldier was ordered to execute one of them. Of course, they failed since the Transmutants escaped," said Celestia as she placed her hands together as she laid her elbow on her throne's side arms. She held her eyes closed as she took calming breaths. She could only imagined how frightened Junior was when it came to him looking over his shoulder for those hunting for him. Celestia reopened her eyes as she watched the expressions of her subjects. They were still attentive.
"When in pursuit, MONARCH's forces caused panic and collateral damage to stop these Transmutants. In Appaloosa, the soldiers were seen firing upon the express train that was leaving the town. No one was injured, but there was the possibility that a stray bolt of magic from their weapons would have hit and possibly killed any innocent civilians," said Celestia. She then looked back to the woman who asked her question.
"So it wasn't just so Gojira could return safely as a law abiding citizen, but to rid the country of an organization that does not exercise enough caution to just kill one Transmutant that surrendered," said Celestia in a firm tone. The courtroom was filled with arguments from the audience about the situation.
"Silence!" shouted Luna. Slowly the people began to quiet down. Luna nodded in approval.
"Guards! Allow them to step inside!" ordered Celestia. The guards nodded as they grabbed the door handles and began to pull them open. From behind the door emerged Yoshi and Commander Light, both wearing their uniforms. Perched on Yoshi's shoulders were two Fairies. People began to murmur to themselves about the two men and the creatures on their shoulders. When some recognized them as moths, they began to worry if they would attack them to devour their clothing. Yoshi and Light made their way to Celestia's and Luna's throne at the base of the stairs and bowed before the princesses.
"As you know, soldiers that bore MONARCH's military apparel and weaponry were present during the invasion and helped in resistance against the Changelings alongside the Transmutants. Men, would you be so kind as to introduce yourselves?" asked Luna as she gestured towards the politicians and nobles of the room.
"I am former Commander Light. This is former Sergeant Hayato Yoshi, Slayer class soldier of MONARCH's military. We are here to discuss the attack on Ponyville and the recent invasion,” said Light.
"Would you be so kind as to tell the court what you have told myself and my sister about your organization?" asked Celestia. Light nodded.
"Of course. Ladies and Gentlemen of the Court, the soldiers that you had seen during the invasion including myself and Yoshi are no longer affiliated with MONARCH. We have learned of a shocking discovery that goes against what the organization stands for," said Light. Yoshi stepped forward.
"A couple of months ago, my squad and I had learned that MONARCH is responsible for the appearance of Transmutants," said Yoshi. People began to murmur in confusion.
"Twelve years ago, the Transmutants Lucky Dragon and Alpha were created by an organization known as GeneCo. The organization was shut down after their experiments escaped and it was discovered that humans were used for their experiments. However, MONARCH secretly hired the few surviving scientists and used their research for the purpose of creating super soldiers. This was known as Project: Beast," said Yoshi. People began to question Yoshi’s claims. Most immediately began denying it, while a few dared to keep an open mind for the possibility.
"Do you have any evidence to support your claim?" asked a woman.
"The data that we had acquired was destroyed when MONARCH's high command discovered that we had learned the truth. The digital files are unsalvageable," said Yoshi.
"How can we trust what you say without any evidence?!" demanded another woman. Yoshi gestured to the fairies that were perched on his shoulder.
"These divine creatures were the ones who had shown us the atrocities that were committed in the dark, by order of the High Command. They shall show you all what was done," answered Yoshi.
"What, pray tell, shall they show us?" asked a man. Yoshi gave them all a hard stare.
"Something that should never have happened," said Yoshi He then looked towards Celestia.
"May we close the curtains and dim the lights?" asked Yoshi. Celestia nodded. She ordered the guards near the window to pull the curtains over, blocking the sunlight from entering the throne room. The lights that hung from the chandelier died down. The fairies fluttered into the air of the darkened room as sparkles dropped from their bodies. They produced a colorful mist that formed around in between the people and the throne. Three dimensional glowing images began to form with the mist as the color began to change.
People watched as the mist turned grey and dark. Sparkles lit the mist above, giving it an ominous appearance. Images of men dressed in black were shown taking unconscious humans away from their homes. Some were shown killing the parents of children, much to the horror of the audience. The images switched to men in sanitized clothing strapping the same humans unto beds as they gassed them, knocking them unconscious. Men, women and children were cut and injected with chemicals into their bodies. A few needles dug deeply into the exposed muscles of the humans and into the bone. Everyone in the room grew sick to their stomachs as they watched the surgeries take place. Celestia clenched her fist as she imagined the same torture being placed upon Junior and Gojira Senior.
The images progressed into showing the experiments being locked in small cells. The images later progressed into the test subjects suddenly transforming within their cells. Cries of agony elevated into roars while the images of beasts replaced the images of humans, much to the audience’s horror. Voices began to echo from the mists like ghosts.
"The results of the experiments were unfortunate turns for our program," said a voice.
"Have those who are willing to obey and that are trustworthy to have a place in our ranks. It's what they were made for to begin with," said the voice.
"What about the others?" asked another voice.
"Let them rot in their cells until they die or change their mind. We have no use for undomesticated dogs," said the first voice. The images escalated into soldiers firing their rifles inside of a prison as the Transmutants attacked and attempted to break free. The facility was torn from inside out.
"Dear Celestia," whispered someone from the crowd. The images switched to soldiers firing at a crustacean Transmutant with the face of a man. The creature roared as he held up a black flag as several Transmutants ran past him and killed the soldiers. The crustacean Transmutant waved his flag as chaos began to spread through a village.
"Revolution!" shouted a young male Transmutant.
"Revolution!!" shouted the rest of the Transmutants. The images began to switch to the years of conflict between the humans and Transmutants. The last image showed MONARCH beginning to occupy more nations. The images stopped as the fairies flutter down, the sparkles vanishing and the mist fading away. The divine creatures perched themselves on Yoshi's shoulders while everyone else remained silent.
"What you have seen is the result of lust for power. The High Command has kept everyone in the dark except for a chosen few within the higher positions. The Transmutant conflict is being used as a cash cow that is being milked from nations that have faced the threat of the terrorists. MONARCH is being paid to keep protecting these nations," said Yoshi. A man broke the silence as he stood among the crowd and pointed an accusing finger at Yoshi.
"You lie! Those...things that you have merely put on an illusion! This is all an elaborate ruse just to get Equestria to fall victim to those monsters!" shouted a man. A few people began to call out Yoshi and Light.
"People, these men have nothing to gain by lying to us about the whole situation!" said Luna. 
"Ladies and Gentlemen, these are very confusing times that we are living in. In fact, things have been growing even more certain," said Celestia. "I understand your concerns for allowing the Transmutants to walk among us. But please, do not discount the fact how the ones who had willingly laid down their lives to protect the innocent,"
"All of Canterlot was threatened by the Changelings, but Goro, Gojira and their friends rose up to the challenge. Without them, Equestria may have fallen," said Celestia. She gestured to all of her subjects.
"These Transmutants don't know who you are. They never met you or don't know whether you have families or not. They could have just left us to fend for ourselves. But they didn't," said Celestia. She rose from her throne. "The Transmutant Revolutionaries may one day return. Without MONARCH, we are vulnerable. Gojira and Goro's group are the only ones who are strong enough to defend us from this threat,"
"Why not them?" asked a woman as she pointed towards the rebels.
"Our group mainly comprises of scientists, engineers, and soldiers. We do not have enough men and women to fight against an army of Transmutants, let alone resources for the weapons that we use," said Light. He then looked to Celestia with a smile.
"I have seen a Transmutant in battle firsthand. If they know how to fight, they are capable of fighting many soldiers at once. It's one reason why MONARCH has yet to been able to stop them all. The Transmutants that are among you are great fighters," said Light. Celestia smiled back at him, realizing what he was doing. Light looked back to the crowd. "I agree with your ruler. These Transmutants are your best hope for protection against the Revolutionaries,"
"How can they be trusted?" asked a woman worriedly.
"I know one of them, personally." said Yoshi. The people directed their attention to him. "This Transmutant that I have met from when we fled from our base is an honorable person. She wishes for the peaceful coexistence between both of our races. While we were with her, she could have ended our lives at any time with the trust that we had placed in her. But she didn't,"
"We have a decision to make," said Celestia. The people directed their attention back to her. "We can either scorn these potential allies because of the actions of another group, or we can put aside our personal feelings and place our trust in them for the safety of our country,"
A few people began to weigh their decisions. They weighed the costs and benefits. It was a hard decision for the people, but some had already made their decision.
"All in favor of allowing the Transmutants who live among us to continue to do so, say aye," said Luna as she stood from her throne. A majority of people from the crowd called out for the decision as they raised their hands. Celestia smiled and turned to face the rest of people.
"All against the Transmutants living among us, say nay," said Celestia.
"Nay!" said several people from the crowd while others remained silent, unable to make a decision.
"The 'ayes' have it," said Celestia with a smile. She began to bang her gavel on the side of her throne's arm rest.
"Court is dismissed!" said Celestia. The Nays of the decision seethed in anger at the thought of beasts walking among them while the Ayes were reluctant but hopeful for the Transmutants. In the end, it was the Guardians who won this fight.



Junior sighed as he popped his joints. He stretched his limbs as he flexed his muscles. The Transmutant spent the next minute warming up to be physical. He turned and found Rodan, Angirasu and Mosura stretching as well. All of the Transmutants were dressed in shorts and t-shirts. Mosura smiled at the male Transmutants as she placed her hands on her hips.
"You boys ready?" asked Mosura. The rest of the male Transmutants nodded. Mosura smiled as she raised her hand and telekinetically raised a wooden sword, a wooden club, and two wooden knives. She levitated the sword to Junior, the club to Angirasu and the knives to Rodan. Mosura then levitated a wooden staff into her grip. The Transmutants turned and found Blaire standing by with a few other guards. A couple of Elf guards fired a beam of magic at a dozen wooden test dummies. The dummies began to move as they came to life and made their way over to a rack that held wooden swords. The dummies turned and faced the Transmutants.
Junior tightened his grip on his sword as he furrowed his brows and stared at the dummies. Mosura spun the staff in her grip with a determined smile. Angirasu smiled as he held his club on his shoulders while Rodan chuckled as he held his knives with their blades pointing down. He got into a boxing position as he psyched himself up.
"Goji, care to take the front?" asked Mosura. Junior nodded.
"Gladly," said Junior as he made his way in front of Mosura. The dummies raised their swords as they charged. Junior grinned as he charged as well, slightly dragging the tip of his wooden sword along the ground as the other Transmutants joined him. Junior slid under a swing of one of the dummies and immediately stood up to his feet. Junior swung his sword at the legs of one of the dummies on his left, knocking it to the ground and then kicked the dummy that came at him on his right. A dummy rushed him at his front and brought its sword down over his head. Junior blocked the sword with his wooden sword and then punched the dummy, sending it several feet away, shattering its head.
Rodan ran towards four dummies as he grinned. He leapt over them as he spun in the air. He dropped low to the ground as he landed on his hands and kicked the first two targets, knocking them off of their feet. Rodan immediately dropped down onto his feet and hands as the dummies swung at him, causing them to hit each other. Rodan chuckled as he stood up to his feet and dashed towards an approaching dummy. He threw one of his wooden knifes at the head of the dummy, causing it to stumble back. Rodan leapt as he came hurling towards the dummy. The Transmutant crashed down on the dummy as he brought his second wooden knife down on the dummy's chest. The wooden opponent dropped to the ground, remaining still. Rodan picked up his second knife and charged towards the remaining dummies. Mosura leapt over him as several of the dummies attempted to run him down from the side. The Transmutant spun her staff as she began to step around her enemies. She yelled as she swung her staff at one of the dummies and kicked a dummy that swung its sword at her before she jabbed her staff at the dummy that came at her right. Mosura spun as she held the end of her staff, swinging it like a bat against two dummies. She crouched as she ducked under a punch from one of the dummies and retaliated by sweeping its leg with a kick and forcing her hand forward as she focused her telekinetic power towards the dummy. The dummy flew towards three other dummies, knocking them all to the floor.
Angirasu charged towards five dummies. He yelled as he swung his club against the head of one dummy, knocking it down to the ground and then swung his club against a dummy's wooden sword. Angirasu then kicked the weaponless dummy against the chest and swung his club against another dummy that came at him from his side. The Transmutant side stepped away from the strike of the final dummy that came at him and then swung his club against the back of its head. He spotted Junior distracted by three dummies as two of them snuck up from behind.
"Gojira, on your rear!" shouted Angirasu as he threw his club at the dummies. The club struck one of the dummies, knocking it to the ground and forcing the other to stumble. Junior immediately turned and kicked the other dummy towards the wall. He turned back around and caught the wooden sword with his hand before yanking it away. The Transmutant kneed the dummy away and then swung his sword against the neck of the dummy, decapitating it. Junior then ducked under a kick of the last dummy and grabbed it by its leg. Junior then slammed it against the ground, causing it to fall to pieces. Junior looked around and found that all of the dummies were defeated. Mosura sighed as she stopped twirling her staff and set it down on the ground. Rodan chuckled as he spun the knives in his hands.
"Too easy," said Rodan. Angirasu popped his shoulders with a sigh of relief. Junior looked to him with a nod and a smile.
"Thanks for the heads up," said Junior.
"No problem," said Angirasu with a nod. The Transmutants found Blaire approaching.
"Impressive," said Blaire in an impressed tone. "You guys really got some moves. But, I think you boys need a little more work,"
"Seriously?" asked Rodan. Junior and Angirasu sighed in disappointment.
"Well, Rodan needs to work on his footing a bit. You were kinda sloppy when it came to hopping back onto your feet,” said Blaire. She then focused on Angirasu.
"Angirasu, you were holding your weapon too tightly. Loosen up on that grip buddy." said Blaire. She then looked to Junior with a sigh.
"Bro, always watch your back. Also, don't catch the blade of a weapon," said Blaire.
"Why not? I can heal from being cut." said Junior with a shrug.
"That's not the point. You have a nasty habit where you let yourself receive bodily harm when it's unnecessary. What if you were fighting someone with a laser sword or something and you decided to catch the blade?" asked Blaire as she placed a hand on her hip. Junior looked to her with a raised brow.
"Laser swords. What is this? Star Wars?" asked Junior. Rodan hummed in thought.
"Well...Mosura can move stuff with her telekinesis. We have Rebels on our side. All that's missing is a great evil empire and space aliens," said Rodan. Angirasu chuckled in response.
"So, Mosura's a Jedi?" asked Angirasu. Mosura laughed in amusement.
"I actually like the sound of that," said Mosura. Blaire pinched Junior's neck, causing him to yelp in pain.
"I'm serious," deadpanned Blaire. She released the Transmutant's neck, who bore a look of annoyance.
"OK, I get it. I'll try to break my habit at catching sharp things," said Junior. Blaire smiled.
"Good!" said Blaire. She then clapped her hands together.
"Well, since we're done here, we gotta get going," said Blaire.
"Alright, we'll see you later," said Junior. Blaire wrapped Junior into a hug and leaned into him with her lips puckered. Junior pulled away with a look of embarrassment. Blaire glared at him as she kept leaning into him.
"Don't be a baby!" said Blaire in annoyance as she tightened her hug on Junior.
"Not in front of my friends!" said Junior. The three other Transmutants watched in amusement as Junior tried to resist Blaire. The Valkyrie sighed as she turned away. Her eyes brightened up.
"Hey, Twilight's here to see you!" said Blaire. Junior turned and looked to where she was looking.
"Seriously?" asked Junior. His face scowled. "Wait a minute. Twilight left an hour-"
Blaire immediately dove for Junior's cheek and gave him a kiss. Junior groaned in defeat as he placed a hand over his cheek. Blaire laughed as she released Junior.
"Got ya!" said Blaire. Junior sighed.
"So close," said Junior. Blaire pouted.
"Aw. Just I just want to show my brother affection," said Blaire. Junior lightly smiled.
"Well...thanks," said Junior. Blaire nodded to him as she made her way with the rest of the guards. She waved to the Transmutants, who waved back. The Transmutant Four began to place their wooden training weapons on the rack.
"Speaking of rebels..." said Mosura. Junior sighed.
"Oh boy," said Junior. Mosura frowned.
"Right. The commander and Yoshi invited us for dinner tonight," said Mosura. Rodan glanced at her suspiciously.
"Why the hell would they want to do that?" asked Rodan.
"They just...want to get to know you all more since we're going to be on the same side for now on," said Mosura. Angirasu rubbed his neck as he looked away, reluctant to consider accepting the invite.
"I don't know," said Angirasu.
"Come on guys! We'll never get anywhere with them if you don't give them a chance!" said Mosura.
"Who's going to be there?" asked Junior.
"Just the two I mentioned, Koizumi, and Inoue,” answered Mosura. The male Transmutants sighed in unison.
"Fine. But the fairies wanted to see us." said Junior.
"The giant bugs? We really should give them names," said Rodan.
"What if they already have names? We should ask them first," said Angirasu. Mosura looked to Junior in surprise.
"Oh. So they told you guys?" asked Mosura. Junior nodded lamely.
"Well, they told me. Not Rodan and Angirasu though," said Junior. The two other males looked to him in confusion.
"Told you what?" asked Angirasu.
"It's better if they told you themselves, which is one reason why they wanted to see all of us. Goro and the others will be there," said Junior. The two other male Transmutants shrugged in response.




An hour later...

"Shit, so we really were giant monsters in a past life?" asked Rodan.
"Correct," the fairies answered in unison. Goro and his group, Rodan and Angirasu sat with shocked expressions. Everyone was outside in the Canterlot Gardens. They had witnessed visions of their past lives as the legendary Kaiju. Caesar sat by Mosura and Junior with the fairies. Goro struggled to take in the information given to him.
"So...we were reincarnated to stop this coming evil?" asked Goro. Caesar nodded.
"Yes. Ghidorah will form an army of reincarnated Kaiju that are in the form of Transmutants. With them, they will spread tyranny throughout the planet," said Caesar.
"What's his beef with the world?" asked Baragon.
"Ghidorah was a malicious Kaiju that went against his purpose as one. Instead of adapting to his environment, he chose to bring destruction. He would have succeeded if the legendary Kaiju had not intervened," said Caesar. Baragon glanced at him with a raised brow.
"Sooo...he was a sociopath?" asked Baragon. Caesar was about to answer but then looked down to the ground. The Transmutants looked at him with curiosity. The Shisa looked back to the Transmutants and then nodded.
"Yeah, pretty much," answered Caesar. Manda raised her hand as she waited patiently for Caesar to call on her. The Shisa raised a brow in confusion. Baragon nudged her arm.
"This isn't school, Manda. Just sat what you have to say," whispered Baragon. Manda huffed in response.
"Well, excuse me! I was just trying to be courteous to him!" said Manda in an indignant tone.
"What do you have to say, my dear?" asked Caesar. Manda smiled as she turned back to face the Shisa.
"Right. I want to know exactly, how we are going to stop these guys?" asked Manda.
"Simple. You all must make contact with your past lives." answered Caesar. Rodan gave him a deadpanned stare.
"You call that simple? What do we need to do? Sacrifice a goat or something?" asked Rodan in exasperation.
"That's to give offerings to demons, Rodan," deadpanned Angirasu. Caesar shook his head.
"No. What you are all going to do is to relax the spirit, the body and the mind," said Caesar. He stood up and began to prowl around on all fours.
"You see, your spirits were a part of the original Kaiju. The original spirits are resting in the afterlife, where all spirits are brought to rest based on their actions in life." said Caesar. The fairies began to flutter next to the Transmutants.
"The fairies will create windows through the afterlife that will allow you to speak to your past lives," said Caesar. He looked to Rodan. "You're first,"
"Um...OK. But will he understand me? How will I understand him?" asked Rodan in reluctance.
"Don't worry. The dead of every species can learn to understand one another. Since spirits have no physical bodies, animals and Kaiju all have the ability to speak in the afterlife," explained Caesar as he placed a tall mirror in front of the Transmutants. Junior and Mosura scooted over to join their friends. The fairies fluttered their wings as they flew into the air and projected beams from their antennae that fired into a large mirror that sat in front of the Transmutants. The mirror glowed as Rodan remained calm as possible. The sound of growling could be heard, causing him to gulp nervously. From the mirror, a formless mist began to appear from within its reflection. Rodan's reflection was replaced by the head of a creature that bore a striking resemblance to his own when he transformed. The dragon-bird growled as it slowly opened its beak.
"Who are you?" asked the Kaiju in a deep and scratchy voice. Its voice echoed as it carried a ghostly sound to it. Rodan stuttered as he tried to think up a response.
"Um...what's up?" greeted Rodan with a shrug. He carried a nervous and unsure tone. The Transmutants all face palmed in response. The Kaiju merely grunted as its image disappeared. Rodan slumped his arms.
"Huh," said Rodan. He was suddenly tackled to the ground by Junior who bore a look of anger.
"When the voice!" Junior punched Rodan as he lied on the ground, causing the man to yell in pain. "Of a Kaiju's Ghost!" Junior punched Rodan again. "Talks down to you from the grave!" Junior sent another punch while Mosura looked on worriedly.
"Ow! Gojira!" cried Rodan as Junior punched him again.
"You do not respond with 'what's up'!" shouted Junior as he punched Rodan again. The crimson haired Transmutant groaned in pain as he felt bruises beginning to form on his sides.
"Was that necessary?" asked Caesar.
"Yeah I have to agree. That seemed a little harsh," said Manda as she stared at Rodan worriedly while he sluggishly stood to his feet.
"Don't worry. Those were just love taps," said Angirasu with a smile. Mosura sighed.
"You boys haven't changed that much while I was gone," said Mosura with a vague smile. Junior sighed as he sat back down.
"Hey, he's the one who screwed up his first contact," said Junior.
"You didn't have to hit me!" said Rodan in annoyance. Junior merely smirked.
"I just wanted to show you that there were consequences when screwing up something as important as this," said Junior. Rodan scoffed indignantly.
"At least I knew that there were cameras in the Vault!" said Rodan. Junior scowled.
"Oh, don't even go there!" said Junior. Rodan chuckled.
"Bitch, I already went there! I took pictures too!" said Rodan.
"Ooooh, giiiirl!" said Manda as she laughed in amusement. Junior gave her a frown.
"Why do you have to encourage him?" asked Junior.
"Sorry, I couldn't resist," said Manda with a shrug.
"Does this mean I automatically win with my sweet burn?" asked Rodan. Junior gave him a deadpanned stare.
"Do you want to get hit again?" asked Junior as he raised his fist. 
"No," sighed Rodan. Junior smirked in response while Rodan scoffed.
"Sore loser," spat Rodan as he made his way back to the mirror.
"We'll try this again. Just introduce yourself to him," said Caesar. 
"Fine," said Rodan. The mirror fogged up with mist again. Suddenly, the dragon-bird Kaiju appeared again.
"Oh, it's you again," said the Kaiju in annoyance. Rodan cleared his throat.
"Hey, sorry about that. My name is Rodan Shou. I'm you, reincarnated," said Rodan. The Kaiju stared at him from a short while before giving a rumbling chuckle.
"Oh, well why didn't you just say so?" asked the Kaiju. Rodan grinned.
"Sorry dude. I'm new at this past life communicating thing," said Rodan. 
"Understandable. I was told that some of us would be contacted by humans reincarnated after us," said the Kaiju.
"So wait, you didn't assume that I was you reincarnated when you saw me?" asked Rodan in confusion. The Kaiju chuckled.
"You have to understand. A lot of people use to dabble with talking to the dead. Except, most people messed with dark magic way back then. Not so much anymore." said the Kaiju.
"There's no time in the afterlife!" shouted a voice from the mirror. The Kaiju sighed in annoyance as he turned and looked towards the source of the voice.
"I know! I meant time as in for the world of the living! Just because we're somewhere that's unbound by time and space doesn't mean that we can't tell what time it is in the living world!" shouted the Kaiju. The Transmutants looked to each other in confusion.
"This...was not what I was expecting," said Mosura.
"Parts of your personalities originate from the Kaiju that you were reincarnated from. You're basically talking to yourselves," informed one of the fairies. Junior placed a hand under his chin as he propped it up. A look of boredom was plastered on his face.
"So, are we just to have a pleasant conversation with ourselves?" asked Junior. Caesar made his way next to Rodan. The Kaiju in the mirror looked to him in surprise.
"Caesar, you big fur ball! How's life?" asked the Kaiju with a chuckle. Caesar smiled at his old friend.
"Things have been well for me. Thank you, old friend," said Caesar. He then took on a serious expression. "Now, you remember what you were told. The time is upon us,"
"Right, right. Gotta save the world but we can't since we're dead," said the Kaiju. Rodan looked to him quizzically.
"You know, for someone that's dead, you seem pretty chill about it," said Rodan. The Kaiju snorted.
"Well, it's not so bad. I won't spoil it for you," said the Kaiju with a wink. He then began spread his wings.
"Now listen up. Since you're me, that means you now have the responsibility that my ancestors and myself had since the beginning. So, I am going to make sure you're ready," said the Kaiju as he began to flap his wings. Rodan felt a powerful gust of wind flying through the mirror and towards him. He yelped as he nearly fell off of his feet. The Transmutants shielded their faces as the wind began to blow against them. From the mirror came a red mist that was blown from the Kaiju. The mist encircled Rodan's body as it traveled up through his nostrils and down into his lungs. The spirit stopped flapping his wings and settled down as he watched Rodan drop to his knees, panting.
"Rodan?!" called Mosura in a worried tone as he saw him panting heavily and his eyes slightly glowed green. He felt his vision blurry and his body felt heavy.
"What's wrong with him?! What did you do?!" demanded Angirasu as he glared at the Kaiju.
"Relax! All I did was given him my spiritual essence just like I was supposed to. He's gonna be fine," said the Kaiju as he waved a claw. Rodan began to calm himself he looked back up to the Kaiju. The spirit smirked.
"Congrats kid. You just took my place as the lord of the skies," said the spirit as he bowed his head. Rodan chuckled in response.
"Sounds catchy," said Rodan. He slowly stood up to his feet but began to wobble.
"Easy there. You gotta give your body and soul time to adjust. My essence just fused with your soul, which tired you out," said the Kaiju spirit. Rodan nodded as Mosura helped him sat him down. The spirit looked to Caesar with a smile.
"We're waiting for you on the other side, buddy," said the spirit. Caesar nodded.
"One day, I will be joining you," said Caesar. The rest of the Transmutants looked over to Caesar in worry. The way he spoke sounded as if his time was nearly up. The Kaiju spirit nodded before his image faded. Caesar sighed.
"Alright, who's next?" asked Caesar. Manda raised her hand.
"I'll go," said Manda, lacking enthusiasm in her voice. Caesar nodded to her.
"Step to the mirror," said Caesar. Manda nodded as she did what she was told. The woman turned and looked on worriedly to the Shisa.
"Hey, you're not dying are you?" asked Manda. Caesar chuckled in response.
"No. But my time will come one day in the future," said Caesar. Manda nodded lamely. She turned back to the mirror and heard the sound of hissing. The head of the sea dragon-serpent that she was capable of transforming into had appeared. Its red reptilian eyes stared at her. Manda gulped nervously as she stared into the eyes of the creature.
"You're me after reincarnation, yesss?" asked the dragon in a hissing, high feminine voice. Manda nodded.
"Um...yes ma'am. I was told that I needed to contact you so I can prevent a terrible disaster," said Manda nervously. The spirit continued to hiss as her tongue slid out of her mouth and passed her sharp fangs and teeth. Her antlers were much greater compared to Manda’s transformation. The woman suspected that it might have had to do with age.
"Yesss. I will grant you my essence," said the serpent in a cheerful tone. Suddenly, the serpent began to slither through the mirror, much to the shock of the Transmutants. This spirit was the size of a full grown anaconda.
"Whoa! Nobody told me that they could that!" said Manda in an alarmed tone.
"They can only be out temporarily. They're only being allowed to interact with the physical world to grant you their spiritual essence," said one of the fairies. The spirit slithered towards Manda and slowly wrapped herself around the woman's legs and up to her waist. Manda began to strain as she felt the cold spirit beginning to apply force to her.
"So cold!" said Manda.
"Well, I wasss cold blooded in life," said the serpent in a humored tone. The spirit began to constrict her spiritual body against Manda's physical being, causing her to strain.
"Hey! Be easy on her!" said Baragon with a glare. The spirit laughed.
"Don't worry. Ssshe'll be just find." said the spirit as her body glowed an aqua aura. The serpent suddenly fused inside of Manda, causing the woman to drop onto her knees as she heaved. Her red eyes glowed brightly as she clutched her stomach. Baragon rushed over to her side as he held her hand.
"Manda, are you OK?" asked Baragon in worry. Manda shook her head as he face strained.
"I feel like I'm gonna..." Manda placed a hand over her mouth and then dropped to her hands. Manda opened her mouth and began to regurgitate what she assumed would be breakfast, but it turned out to be an aqua colored mist that flowed out of her mouth. The serpent’s voice laughed with an echo as the mist flowed back into the mirror. Manda panted as she clutched her stomach. She leaned against Baragon's shoulder and moaned as he rubbed her head in comfort.
"I never want to do that again," said Manda as her glowing red eyes died down to normal. Baragon chuckled.
"Wait, I thought Kaiju were enormous. Why was that so small?" asked Mosura in confusion.
"Spirits are unbound by physical growth when in the physical world. They can grow or shrink down to a certain mass. It's the spirit world where they are stuck in their normal size." said a fairy. The Transmutants all murmured amongst themselves as they thought of the explanation. Goro stood up and made his way to the mirror. The sound of heavy footsteps could be heard as they approached the mirror. The head of the dragon-like creature appeared as it bared its teeth.
"To think our reincarnations were tiny mammals," said the short armed dragon. Goro stared in fascination at the creature as the spirit reared back as if it were sitting on something. Goro raised a brow in confusion but then his eyes widened as he found one of the creature's feet came shooting towards him. Goro was kicked by the spirits foot and was forced into the bush hedge as his body was engulfed in a dark blue mist. The spirits essence fused into his body, causing Goro to drop to his knees and to lie down.
"Good luck to you," said the spirit as he faded away from behind the mirror. Goro groaned as he stood and his eyes glowed blue and died down.
"Does taking in all of these essences involve receiving bodily harm?" asked Goro in a deadpanned stare.
"Maybe," said Caesar as he looked away. Goro glared at the fairies, who turned their attention away as well. Goro sighed as he lied back down. Baragon stood up with a hard stare and made his way up to the mirror. He found the Kaiju spirit that he had transformed into. Its orange horn sat on its head as its red eyes stared at him. The spirit brought his forepaw against his large ear and began to scratch it like a dog.
"Come at me bro!" said Baragon as he shot his arms from side to side. He dared his past life to hit him with whatever he had. The Kaiju merely opened his jaws and spat from behind the mirror. Baragon's body was covered in the fluid as he glared at the Kaiju. He felt the saliva beginning to fuse into him as it turned a fiery red color.
"Are you serious?!" exclaimed Baragon. The Kaiju shrugged.
"What do you want from me? I gave you my spirit essence," said the Kaiju.
"In the form of your spit?! You don't even have a physical body any more, how do you even do that?! Is this like ectoplasm or something?!" demanded Baragon as he tried to flap the substance off of his body. The Transmutants looked on in disgust while the spirit Kaiju chuckled in amusement.
"Later," said the Kaiju as he faded away.
"Asshole!!" shouted Baragon. The substance had fused into his body, filling him with the spirit's essence that began to fuse with his soul. Baragon fell over, weakly holding onto his anger. He sighed.
"Screw it," said Baragon. Manda made her way over to him and began to drag him away from the mirror. She sat with him as she cuddled him like a teddy bear.
"Let's feel terrible together," said Manda in a weak tone.
"Sounds good," said Baragon. Rodan sighed as he stood up and began to stretch.
"I'm feeling better already," said Rodan with a cheerful tone. He then yawned as he sat back down. "Can we go now?"
"Not yet," said Caesar. He then looked to Angirasu, who sighed as he stood up. The spikey-haired man made his way over to the mirror and waited for the appearance of his past self. The horned snout of the creature came into view as his brown eyes stared into Angirasu's. The spirit flared his nostrils.
"So, you're going to continue where I failed?" asked the Kaiju. Angirasu nodded.
"I honestly don't want to. But if there's no one else able to stop what's to come, then I will," said Angirasu. The spirit nodded in approval and swayed his spiked club tail.
"Wait, what the hell are you doing?!" asked Angirasu in a panicked tone. His eyes followed the clubbed and spiked ball that was at the end of the tail.
"Don't worry. This will only hurt for about ten seconds," said the Kaiju. He then swung his tail towards the mirror, where the spiked club pierced through Angirasu. The Transmutants watched with wide eyes as they thought Angirasu was dealt with a lethal blow. However, they noticed that he did not bleed from his wound as the spike had phased through him. Angirasu was force off of his feet and was knocked against the hedge of the garden. He groaned as he clutched his chest and his body was engulfed in a brownish gold mist that fused into his body. His eyes glowed the same color as he looked weakly over towards the mirror, where the Kaiju spirit was now absent. Mosura rushed over to Angirasu with a look of worry. The Transmutant merely gave her a thumbs up. She sighed in relief as she wrapped him into a tight hug.
"Mosura, it is your turn," said Caesar. The Transmutant turned and stared at the mirror warily. She gulped nervously as she made her way over to the mirror. Caesar came to her side and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Are you frightened?" asked Caesar. Mosura nodded.
"A...a little," admitted Mosura as she lowered her head. Caesar lifted her chin up with his claw as he gave her a reassuring smile.
"Do not worry. She's kind," said Caesar. Mosura nodded lamely as she turned to face the mirror. She steeled herself and made her way in front of it. The Transmutant waited as a golden mist formed an image through the mirror. A great moth-like creature stared at Mosura with its blue eyes. Mosura gasped as she stared at the beauty of the creature. Its majestic wings were folded on its back and its eyes softly glowed. The fuzz on the spirit hugged its body as it slightly opened its mouth.
"Are you ready to take on the mantle of protecting this beautiful world and the inhabitants just as I had many millennia ago?" echoed the moth in a soft and feminine voice. It sounded like an older version of Mosura. Mosura looked down.
"You were the Kaiju in the legends. The one that they called, the 'Guardian of Peace', right?" asked Mosura.
"That is correct," replied the spirit.
"Ever since I was a little girl, my brother and I were told stories about you and the Kaiju king. I admired you because you were willing to risk your own life for the humans," said Mosura. She trembled as tears ran down her eyes. "But I spent years cowering before them when I could have been protecting them! There's no way that I'm you!"
"Be that as it may, you carry a loving heart inside. You eventually put aside your fear and decided to protect them as you and your friends had grown," said the Kaiju. Mosura slowly looked up to find the moth staring at her with her expressionless eyes. "I feel your pain about your brother,"
"I had a brother too," said the Kaiju spirit. Mosura gasped as she heard those words.
"Wha-what?" asked Mosura.
"Like your own brother, mine had fallen victim to anger. In the end, it cost him his life," said the spirit. She began to flutter her wings as they generated gusts of wind.
"Was your brother..." Mosura hesitated to finish her question.
"I believe you may already know the answer to that question," answered the Kaiju. The scales on her wings glowed a golden color as the wind from the spirit's wings was carried out of the mirror and towards the Transmutant. The scales began to flow towards Mosura and pierced her skin. Mosura grunted as she felt the spirit energy filling her entire being. Slowly, the scales fused into her body, disappearing out of sight. Mosura sighed in exhaustion as she dropped to her knees. Her blue eyes glowed softly as she watched her past self slowly fade away.  Mosura slowly stood to her feet as she attempted to walk back to the group. The woman stumbled over her feet but was caught by Junior. The male Transmutant helped her walk over to the rest of their group. Junior gently set her down as he reluctantly turned to face the mirror.
"It is your turn, young Takeshi," said Caesar. Junior nodded as he hesitantly walked up to the mirror. He heard the low sound of growling coming from the mirror. The Transmutant stood before the mirror as he found the silhouette of the Kaiju that he had seen in the visions. The bipedal dragon emerged from a cloud of smoke as its piercing yellow eyes met with Junior's.
"Who are you?" asked the Kaiju in a deep and powerful voice. Junior steeled himself as he prepared to answer the beast.
"My name is Gojira Takeshi the 2nd. I was named after my father, who was named after the Kaiju of legend. I am you, reincarnated as a human," answered Junior. The Kaiju gave a low humming sound to himself.
"You're about the same age that I was before I died," said the Kaiju to himself. Junior cleared his throat as he looked away in an uncomfortable manner.
"You were..."
"I was a young adult, shorter than my father. The Kaiju who killed me, who killed your father, was much larger than either of us." said the Kaiju spirit. He then looked to Junior with a hard stare.
"That bastard made my father suffer. I have been here for thousands of years, wishing that I could make him pay for what he did. The only comfort I have was knowing that he's rotting in the lowest parts of Tartarus for his evil," said the Kaiju. 
"But he was reincarnated into Destoroyah. Technically he's still alive, right?" asked Junior.
"In a way. But I'd like to ask you a favor," said the Kaiju. Caesar made his way over to the mirror.
"Wait, there's no need to-" Caesar spoke but was interrupted by the spirit's harsh glare.
"No! You let me have this!!" shouted the Kaiju. The Transmutants recoiled back from the spirit's booming voice. Several birds that were nearby were startled and began to squawk as they flew away. Caesar sighed.
"Very well," said Caesar. The spirit turned back to Junior.
"I know how much you loath Destoroyah. I can feel it. What he's done and what he's doing is unforgivable. I will give you my essence so that you may uphold my father's mantle just as I was supposed to. Through you, I can still do so," said the Kaiju as his dorsal plates began to illuminate. Junior began to grow nervous as he watched the dorsal plates grew brighter and brighter.
"The next time that you see Destoroyah, I want you to make him bleed!" growled the spirit. Mosura gulped nervously as she heard the Kaiju speak with such disdain for the Transmutant and the Kaiju that he was reincarnated after. If this spirit held this much hate for the creature, no doubt Junior's hate for Destoroyah matched it.
"Even if you didn't ask me, I would have made him suffer anyway," said Junior. The spirit nodded in approval.
"Truly you are a part of me," said the spirit. Caesar looked down in disappointment. The Kaiju spirit inhaled deeply as he reared his head back. The spirit shot his head forward and spewed his neon blue flames towards Junior. The Transmutant clenched his eyes shut as he waited for the imminent agony that he would soon feel. The atomic breath flowed out of the mirror in a ghost-like manner. It moved like a mist that wrapped itself around Junior's body. He grunted as he dropped to his knees. The Transmutants shielded their eyes from the bright light of the spirit essence. Mosura peaked through her fingers and found Junior groaning as the essence fused into his body. The light died down as Junior's body gave off traces of smoke. He panted as his eyes glowed a neon blue. He stared off towards the mirror as he found the Kaiju spirit fading away. The fairies suddenly cut off their magic and the images in the mirror disappeared. Junior panted as he felt his body growing heavy and his breathing was labored.
"Now that you all have received the essence of your past lives, you will be ready to act when the time comes. Your bodies and souls will work to adjust to the new essence that is fused to your souls," said Caesar. He made his way over towards the mirror and began to move it away. "Get some rest. You will feel better later," said Caesar. One of the fairies flew over towards Junior and landed next to him as he sat hunched over.
"Will you be OK?" asked the fairy. Junior noticed the golden marking color scheme that decorated her wings. He recognized the fairy as to be the one that showed him the vision of his past life.
"I think I'll be fine. I'm just tired," said Junior.
"I didn't mean physically. I meant, if you were going to be OK with what you have to do," said the fairy. Junior sighed.
"We'll see," said Junior. He looked to the fairy weakly. "Say, do you have a name?"
"Oh. M-my name is Amber." said the fairy. She lightly laughed. "No human or Transmutant has ever asked us our names before,"
"Well, it pleases me to be the first. I wanted to familiarize myself with you if I ever need advice," said Junior with a small smile.
"I'll help however I can!" said Amber as she fluttered her wings. Junior nodded to her. Amber took off into the air and began to follow her fairy sisters with Caesar. Mosura made her way to Junior's side and helped him up to his feet. She looked to him in worry.
"What?" asked Junior.
"Gojira, don't let your personal feelings get the best of you if you ever meet Destoroyah again," warned Mosura in a worried tone. Junior sighed in annoyance.
"If? More like, when," said Junior. He turned and made his way out of the garden.
"Gojira..." Mosura called out to him.
"I don't want to talk about it. I have a headache and I want to get some sleep before meeting with those damn rebels." said Junior. Mosura sighed as she watched Junior leave in worry. Rodan placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Don't worry about him! He can take care of himself," said Rodan with a reassuring smile.
"I just want to make sure that he has his priorities straight. Besides, I don't like the idea of him trying to settle a vendetta that's lasted for two lives," said Mosura with worry. Angirasu watched Junior and sighed.
"Well, you can't just ask him to forgive Destoroyah. How can he?" asked Angirasu.




Later that night...

Nightfall engulfed the land as the moon and stars lit up the dark sky. Lights shone brightly around Canterlot during the business hours of establishments and evening activities that were performed by the residents. The Transmutant Four strolled down the street in silence. Occasionally, they received wary glances from some of the citizens that they had passed on their walk while others gave them glares of disdain. The Transmutants ignored these humans and merely minded their own business. Junior sighed in annoyance.
"Goro sure does know how to bail on us," said Junior. Rodan nodded in agreement.
"I hear ya. Something about training a Diamond Dog to help him challenge his tribe leader to bring peace between Mustangia and the Diamond Dogs," said Rodan. Angirasu chuckled in amusement.
"I almost didn't believe it until the Princess confirmed it," said Angirasu.
"Don't worry about tonight, boys. It's just going to be a casual night," said Mosura in reassurance. The group had come across an establishment that shone its lights from its large windows. The restaurant was filled with humans dressed in casual attire rather any of the formal attire that they had spotted people wearing from a few other restaurants that they had spotted. This had put the Transmutants at ease, knowing that they would not be dining with high class humans of the city. The four made their way inside of the restaurant and found a woman standing by at a podium. She shrunk back as they focused their attention on her. Mosura made her way over to the woman with a kind smile on her face.
"Good evening! We're here for the party of eight, under the name Light," said Mosura.
"O-Of course. Right this way." said the woman as she led the Transmutants further into the restaurant. A few customers began to whisper among themselves as they spotted the Transmutants. Junior blocked out whatever it was that the humans were whispering about him and his friends. The Transmutants were led towards a table where they found Light, Yoshi, Koizumi and Inoue seated. All were wearing casual clothing. The rebels all stood as the Transmutants approached.
"Takeshi, Yasu, Riku and Shou, glad that you all could make it," said Light as he and the rebels bowed. The Transmutants stopped walking and all bowed as well.
"Likewise, Commander," said Mosura with a smile. Light gestured to the chairs that sat on the table in front of their seating.
"Please, have a seat," said Light. The Transmutants pulled up their chairs and sat down. Junior noticed that he was sitting in front of Inoue, who stared at him with a forced smile. The Transmutant was familiar with false smiles, so he assumed that the rebel was displeased to be in the restaurant as much as he was. Mosura took a seat next to him and found herself sitting in front of Yoshi. She greeted him with a warm smile, which he returned. Rodan sat in front of Koizumi while Angirasu sat in front of Light.
"Um...can I get you folks something to drink?" asked the woman nervously as she pulled out a notepad.
"I'd like lemonade," said Rodan as he raised his hand.
"Same," said Angirasu as he raised his hand as well.
"Iced tea, please," said Mosura with a smile. Junior sighed as he began to look the menu that sat in front of him.
"Just water, thank you," said Junior. He then mentally groaned in annoyance as he scanned through the menu. There was only food that was fitting for a vegetarian rather a carnivore such as himself. Ever since he had been given the Kaiju spirit's essence, he's been having flashes of his past life and strong cravings for meat. There was also the headaches and the restlessness that plagued him, causing him to be irritable this evening. The waitress had finished taking the orders of the rebels for their choice of beverages.
"Alright. I'll go get your drinks. Let me know when you're ready to order," said the woman as she took off. Inoue glanced at Junior as he scanned through the menu.
"Water, huh?" said Inoue with a raised brow. Junior slightly glanced at her and then returned to reading the menu.
"Yeah. I haven’t had water in hours," answered Junior. Yoshi cleared his throat.
"So, whatever happened to the other Transmutants?" asked Yoshi.
"They went home," answered Mosura as she began to scan through her menu.
"That's a shame, I was hoping that we'd meet them personally," said Light in disappointment. Rodan snorted to himself.
"Yeah, I bet," Rodan muttered to himself. Mosura glared at him as she kicked his leg. Rodan grunted in pain as he glared at Mosura.
"Something wrong?" asked Yoshi.
"Ah...just sore from sparing with Gojira and Angirasu," lied Rodan. Koizumui's interest began to peak.
"Sparring eh? So, how'd that turn out?" asked Koizumi.
"I kicked his ass," answered Angirasu. Rodan smirked.
"Yeah, right after I knocked you silly when you put me in a head lock," said Rodan.
"And then I kicked both of your asses," said Junior in amusement as he continued to read through the menu. He sighed in annoyance as he continued to scan through it.
"So, who would you say is the strongest out of all of you?" asked Koizumi. The Transmutants went silent. They all glanced at each other, unsure how to answer the question.
"The strongest?" asked Angirasu.
"That's what I said," deadpanned Koizumi.
"MosuJira." said Rodan and Angirasu in unison. Their answers were mixed together, causing the other two Transmutants and rebels to look at them in confusion.
"Huh?" asked Yoshi. Angirasu and Rodan looked to each other in confusion.
"Wait, what?" asked Angirasu. Rodan shrugged.
"Well, I think Mosura is stronger. She's got years of experience in training on her side and she's psychic," said Rodan.
"True, if we go about tact and skill. Gojira isn't the most tactful fighter, but he does have some tricks up his sleeve in the heat of battle," argued Angirasu.
"Mosura's got a more leveled head," said Rodan. Junior scowled in annoyance while Mosura chuckled nervously.
"Guys..." said Mosura.
"True, but Gojira's method seems to work for him. His tenacity is his greatest strength besides his obvious physical superiority," said Angirasu. He then looked to Mosura. "No offense, Mosu,"
"Oh, none taken," said Mosura. Inoue gave the Transmutant a glare.
"Wait, are you being biased about her physical strength because she's a girl and he's a large guy?" questioned Inoue. Junior scoffed.
"Where is this coming from? It has nothing to do with that," said Junior. Rodan hummed to himself.
"Well...the size plays a bit of a factor as well," said Rodan.
"So, explain to me how you are stronger than Yasu," said Inoue.
"I once picked up a tank and threw it towards another," said Junior. Inoue gave him a deadpanned stare.
"Bullshit," said Inoue.
"Well, you never said to mention the fact that I had transformed when I had thrown it," said Junior with a shrug.
"Wait, you threw a tank?!" exclaimed Koizumi.
"Yes," said Junior as he placed the menu down.
"Wow. I've never heard of a Transmutant doing something like that," said Koizumi in an impressed tone.
"Why are you so impressed? He probably killed some soldiers while doing that!" said Inoue. Yoshi cleared his throat as he spotted a few people staring. Mosura also noticed the stares as well.
"Perhaps we should keep it down," suggested Yoshi. Mosura nodded in agreement as she looked to Junior with a nervous smile.
"So what if I did?" asked Junior.
"Uh oh," said Rodan as he looked away.
"Goji..." called Angirasu. Light looked on in worry.
"I take it he's not one to back down easily from arguments," said Light.
"Yep," said Angirasu.
"So what if you did? What were they, ants to you or something?" demanded Inoue. Junior sighed as the waitress returned to the table with the drinks the group had ordered.
"More like rabid wolves," said Junior nonchalantly as he sipped his glass of water.
"Rabid wolves?" asked Koizumi. Inoue held her glare at the Transmutant.
"Ants are not always a threat to a person, but a rabid wolf is a severe threat to your life. Even if you survive an attack, you will eventually succumb to the virus and die painfully while raging with insanity. That's what it’s like for me when facing MONARCHm" said Junior.
"So basically, you’re insane?" asked Inoue with a smirk. Junior glared at her.
"Don't get cute. I'm totally sane. My point is that the soldiers that I killed were nothing but wolves, trying to corner me and devour what was left. It was a life or death situation. So, please forgive me when I say, 'I do not give a shit about the soldiers that I have killed'," said Junior. Inoue hardened her glare as she clenched her fist.
"Why you-"
"I can respect that," said Koizumi. The Transmutants and rebels looked to Koizumi in shock and surprise. Junior merely raised a brow.
"Excuse me?" asked Junior.
"Just like you said, it was a life or death situation. You were threatened; you had the power and the right to defend yourself. You used that power and took advantage of that right," said Koizumi. Yoshi sighed while Inoue glared at him.
"Are you serious?" demanded Inoue.
"Yes. As for him not giving a shit, I don't blame him either. Back in the day, I killed men that got in the way of my missions as a merc," said Koizumi. He then looked to Inoue with a deadpanned stare. "Let's also not forget that we killed soldiers we once called our allies as well. Don't try to claim a moral high ground when your actions mirror another's,"
"Our situation was different! We were defending ourselves!" said Inoue.
"Not really. Only difference was that Transmutants were wanted way longer than you rebels," said Rodan with a shrug.
"He has a point," said Yoshi. Mosura cleared her throat.
"Yes, but we should not dwell of our mistakes!" said Mosura.
"Mistakes?" questioned Junior with a glare. Mosura recoiled back. "What I did was not a mistake. I intentionally fought back to defend myself, something that little Ms. Rebel here seems to ignore,"
"I didn't ignore it. I just dislike you talking about my comrades as if they were animals!" retorted Inoue.
"Private..." called Light. Junior glared at her.
"First of all, they were your comrades! Now you’re in the same boat as us! Second of all, that's something that you so called, 'protectors of humanity' saw us as for years!" said Junior in anger. Angirasu and Rodan looked on anxiously as they spotted the nervous stares that they were receiving.
"Maybe if you Transmutants spent more time contributing to society rather than terrorizing, people would have a better opinion!" shouted a man from the back. Inoue and Junior turned back and glared at the man.
"Shut up!!" they shouted in unison. Inoue then focused her attention back on Junior.
"Don't assume that we all acted that way and try to make us out to be the bad guys!" said Inoue.
"I don't need to make you the bad guys. The leadership of your organization will do that when they accomplish with what they want. The soldiers may not be the bad guys, but a lot of people will see them as such," said Junior.
"You...gah! You are so infuriating!" said Inoue in frustration. Junior sat back down.
"I know. But if MONARCH ever sends any more troops after me or my friends, I can promise you that I will not be kind," said Junior. He then glared at Inoue. "I'm not going to back down from defending my friends and myself just because you or anyone else thinks that I'm the bad guy for doing so. We all have survival instincts. You're no exception,"
"Amen." said Koizumi as he held up his cup up. Inoue kept her glare on him as she sat down.
"Takeshi, surely you rather have the conflict end soon and not prolong it by waiting to be attacked," said Yoshi.
"Of course I do. But I'm not going to look for trouble without an excuse. There are too many soldiers to fight against in a war. I also rather not drag Equestria into a war with an entire organization," said Junior as he took a sip of his water. Light cleared his throat.
"War isn't always the answer. Sometimes, the greatest weapon is the truth," said Light. Rodan shuttered.
"That sounded like some kind of cliché from someone's parent," said Rodan. Mosura slapped his shoulder with a look of disapproval.
"Perhaps. But it is the truth," said Light. "We just need to inform the rest of MONARCH's staff of what kind of things have gone on in the dark,"
"How? Wasn't the data, that you guys had gotten, destroyed?" asked Mosura.
"It was. But we are working on a plan to reveal the truth in another way," said Light.
"Right. Well, you let me know how that works out," Junior said sarcastically. Inoue glared at him again. Koizumi sighed.
"Say, can I ask a favor?" asked Koizumi.
"What?" asked Junior in annoyance.
"Do you mind helping me get a paying job working for the princess since you’re pretty close to her?" asked Koizumi.
"What did you have in mind? asked Junior.
"Well, I've seen how...shitty the royal guard is in combat," said Koizumi. Junior raised a brow.
"Shitty by your standards or are they actually just shitty fighters?" asked Junior.
"Meh. A little bit of both," said Koizumi.
"Well...I disagree with you on them being bad fighter in general, but improvement never did hurt anyone," said Junior in thought. Mosura raised a brow as she heard Junior's thoughtful tone.
"Fine, I'll talk to her about it tomorrow. Just put up a reasonable request for payment and show her what you can do. No guns, for god’s sake," said Junior with a deadpanned stare. Koizumi shrugged.
"What? I won't shoot you if that's what you're worried about! Just don't attack me and we don't have to worry about that," said Koizumi.
"It's not that. I meant as in, don't bother teaching them how to use a gun since they won't have real access to those weapons," said Junior.
"Alright, but no promises," said Koizumi with a sly smile. Junior sighed.
"Of course," said Junior.
"Also, I want to spar with you guys sometime," said Koizumi.
"Damn it," said Junior in annoyance. Inoue smirked.
"Afraid to lose?" asked Inoue.
"No. I just rather not be held responsible if I break his bones on accident," retorted Junior. Koizumi smirked.
"It's alright. Yoshi's got my back," said Koizumi. Yoshi scowled.
"Swell," said Yoshi. Light smiled.
"Well, this has been a rough start, but may this be the beginning to an alliance between both of our groups," said Light.
"Here! Here!" said Mosura. Rodan and Angirasu nodded in agreement while Junior scowled. He then noticed the paled-faced waitress that was standing by as still as stone.
"M-may I take your order?" stuttered the waitress.
"Can I get a-" Junior turned to face the woman but she immediately flinched and hid her face from him.
"Don't kill me!" cried the waitress. Junior scowled in annoyance.
"Ah frack," said Junior. Inoue smirked in amusement.
"You're quite the people person," said Inoue. Yoshi sent her a glare.
"Inoue!" said Yoshi in a scolding tone.

> Chapter 42: Fears and Worries
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Celestia sat on her throne with a vague smile as she looked down towards Junior, Koizumi and Mosura. Luna sat by with a scowl on her throne as she looked down on Koizumi. A few guards stood by with raised brows as they stared at the mercenary. Koizumi merely grinned while Junior and Mosura stood by with neutral expressions.
"So...you want a job?" asked Celestia.
"Yes, your majesty. I think that you would benefit from my experience and skills," said Koizumi. Celestia cleared her throat.
"Right. Please excuse me when I say this, but Equestria has no use for mercenaries." said Celestia with a laugh.
"Ah but here's the best part! I wouldn't be paid to assassinate anyone you want gone! I'll instead train your guards who are inadequate in combat!" said Koizumi. The guards shot Koizumi a glare in offense while Celestia merely chuckled.
"I assure you that the royal guard-"
"Will easily get their asses handed to them unless they receive more training," said Koizumi. Junior sent him a glare.
"You're not very good at offering your service," whispered Junior.
"More training?" asked Celestia.
"Princess, your country hardly seems to deal with internal conflict let alone from foreigners. Your lower ranking men are soft," said Koizumi.
"By whose standards?" asked Luna.
"His," answered Junior and Mosura in unison. Celestia placed a hand under her chin as she pondered Koizumi's offer.
"Junior, what do you think?" asked Celestia.
"Pardon?" asked Junior as he tilted his head.
"Do you think the royal guards can benefit from different methods of training from someone who claims to have the skills and experience of a former MONARCH soldier?" asked Celestia. Junior raised his hands.
"Wait. It's not really my place to give my personal opinion on royal matters," said Junior with a chuckle. Celestia merely smiled.
"Tell me, son," said Celestia. Junior sighed as he scratched his head.
"I...suppose it wouldn't hurt the royal guards to adopt a few new tactics. Just to guarantee the safety of the citizens and you," said Junior. Celestia nodded to him as she leaned back on her throne. Luna glanced at her curiously.
"Well said. That is their duty and it shall remain to be so," said Celestia. She looked towards her sister. "What do you say, dear sister?"
"The invasion during the Royal Wedding did show us that we have grown too relaxed with our peace and let our guard down. This could be good for all of us. I have been meaning to get back into training myself in the art of combat," said Luna with a smile.
"Sister, it's not like we're going to war!" said Celestia.
"Of course not. I just believe it's important to know how to fight. You ought to practice your combat skills yourself. Your rear could be toned a bit," said Luna. Celestia blushed in embarrassment.
"I-It does?" asked Celestia as she glanced down at herself. Junior looked down at the ground as he tightened his lips shut, attempting to keep a laugh from escaping.
"Lay off the cake for a while," whispered Luna. Celestia moaned in disappointment. She turned her attention back to Koizumi.
"How much do you desire for your service?" asked Celestia.
"Just five hundred bits a week to train all of your lower ranking guards," said Koizumi. Celestia looked down in thought.
"Sounds fair enough. You'll start tomorrow morning.  I expect you to give us results on their progress. I shall have the higher ranking guards observe," said Celestia. Koizumi nodded.
"Cool. Maybe we can exchange tips," said Koizumi as he bowed before the princesses.
"Thank you for your time your majesties. A pleasure doing business," said Koizumi. He then patted Junior on the shoulder.
"Thanks a lot, pal. You just helped a man in need," said Koizumi with a smile as he began to walk down the hall. Junior slightly shuttered.
"For some reason, I don't like him thanking me," said Junior. Mosura raised a brow.
"Oh, don't worry. It's not like you helped him get hired to assassinate a politician," said Mosura. Junior nodded.
"I guess," said Junior. He then noticed Luna and Celestia walking down the steps from their thrones. The two royal Avatars approached the Transmutants.
"You really think that my rear is getting-" Celestia whispered to Luna with a worried look.
"Just a little," Luna whispered back with a small smile before turning to face Junior.
"I'm curious, sir Gojira. What was it that persuaded you to help this man?" asked Luna with a glance.
"Honestly, I wasn't going to because of his affiliation. But he seems to have a bit of an understanding on taking certain actions when left with no other alternative," said Junior. Celestia looked to him confusion.
"Certain...actions?" asked Celestia. Junior sighed.
"Forget it. I don't think you'd understand," said Junior as he began to walk away. Celestia grabbed his hand, stopping him in his tracks. Junior avoided looking at her.
"Junior, look at me," said Celestia. Junior looked towards her hesitantly. She looked to Junior with worry. "Let's talk about this,"
"I really don't-" Junior tried to avoid the subject with Celestia.
"No, as your mother, I think we should talk about this," said Celestia. Luna cleared her throat.
"We'll give you two some privacy. Guards, come along," said Luna as she walked towards the exit door of the throne room. Junior looked to Mosura with pleading eyes.
"I'll be outside. Don't worry," said Mosura as she gave him a reassuring smile. She began to follow Luna and the guards outside of the throne room, where they shut the doors. Junior sighed as he faced Celestia, who walked him over towards the steps that led to the throne and sat down with him.
"Junior, tell me what's wrong," said Celestia.
"I'm sorry. I just can't pretend that what happened never did," said Junior. He turned to Celestia with as he shook his head. "I'm constantly hearing whispers behind my back in the damn halls. It's always, 'How can the princess let such violent beasts into her castle?' or 'That boy was always trouble. Did you hear how he killed those Changelings',"
"Junior..." Celestia reached for him but the Transmutant pulled away. She lightly gasped as she saw the glare that he gave her.
"Don't pretend what I did never happened! Don't pretend I didn't stain the streets and the castle grounds with their blood!" said Junior.
"Junior, I'm not pretending that it never happened! Is this what this is about? You think just because I run this country in an effort for peace that I would judge you just for killing invaders?" questioned Celestia.
"Do you?!" demanded Junior. Celestia grabbed him by his shoulders and held him tightly.
"No!" answered Celestia.
"Then why haven't you said anything about it?" asked Junior. Celestia sighed.
"What's there to say? I'm appalled that you, my son, had taken so many lives? I'm disgusted?" asked Celestia.
"Honestly, I'd feel better that you'd come out and say what you feel," said Junior as he turned away. The Avatar frowned as she lowered her head.
"Junior, I have lived a lot longer than you have. I've seen violence of a magnitude worse than what I witnessed on that day. I think it is tragic that you had to resort to violence, but I'm not angry or disgusted with you. You helped saved many lives," said Celestia. Junior glanced at her as she wore a frown.
"Ignore what they whisper in the halls. I know what you did and why you did it. You're not the only one who's taken a life before,"
"What?" asked Junior in shock. He could never see someone as kind and motherly as Celestia ever killing another person.
"It was over 900 years ago. I was leaving my throne one night and headed for my chambers to rest. Luna was absent due to her banishment, and I was still grieving as if she had just been banished yesterday," said Celestia. She removed the ring that was on her middle finger, which was connected to the white gloveless sleeve that reached near her shoulder. She rolled the sleeve up and turned over her left arm and showed it to Junior. He spotted a very faint scar that appeared to be nearly gone.
"When I arrived, I was unaware of someone hiding inside. I heard someone approaching and turned to find an Elf lunging at me with a dagger. Startled and afraid, I tried to do whatever it took to fight him off. He ended up cutting me here and my right leg when I kicked him away," said Celestia as she moved her gown and held up her white stocking covered leg. She patted her calf to where she was cut and placed her leg down as Junior listened. She placed a hand over her forehead as she sighed. "He came at me again, swinging his knife like a madman. Next thing I knew, I had killed him with my magic,"
"I...I had no idea," said Junior with a frown.
"It's very obscure in the history of Equestria. No one wanted to know that their beloved Princess was nearly assassinated and that she killed her attacker," said Celestia with a scoff. She turned to face Junior with a frown.
"Like you, I'm not perfect. I did what I did because I wanted to live. I'll be honest, I've been afraid to die. Even for someone like me who's lived a long and good life. But now I worry of dying because I'm not ready to leave you or any of my subjects alone," said Celestia. She held his cheeks as she smiled warmly at him. "I want to see you grow so that my kingdom can be passed on to the next generation, so that they may continue to spread love and friendship across the land. That is my greatest dream,"
"Don't talk like that. You make it sound like you're dying," said Junior as his voice slightly cracked and his eyes were wet with unshed tears.
"Far from it," said Celestia as she held Junior. She planted a kiss on his cheek as she hugged him.
"I love you. Just remember that," said Celestia. Junior nodded.
"I'll always remember that," said Junior with a small smile.




Neighpon...

Battra roamed the lair of the Revolutionaries in silence. He clicked his tongue to rid his mind of the nervousness he felt. He walked down towards an open room where he found Megaguirus sitting on her rear as she dragged a stone over the concrete ground. He made his way over to the Transmutant, finding her to be well after being released from the medical wing. Battra took a deep breath to calm his racing heart. He then placed on his normal, neutral expression to hide his anxiety.
"Hey, I...what are you doing?" asked Battra. Megaguirus gasped as she dropped the rock and sat down on what she was carving on the ground.
"Nothing! it's nothing!" said Megaguirus with a nervous smile. Battra gave her a suspicious glance. He then shrugged.
"OK. I hope you won't mind than if I just..." Battra crouched down as he placed his hands around Megaguirus's waist. She gasped as she felt him raise her into the air and moved her to the side. She banged her fist against him.
"No don't look!" pleaded Megaguirus. Battra sat her down and quickly made his way to where Megaguirus was carving. The female Transmutant grunted in frustration as she tackled Battra to the ground as she held him tightly.
"I'm serious!" said Megaguirus as she held him tightly. She pinned him down to the ground as she wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms over around his neck. Battra struggled as he grunted in annoyance.
"Why is it such a big-" Battra was about to finish as he turned his head to face Megaguirus. He noticed how close her face was to his own. Their lips were just inches from each other as they stared into each other's eyes. He felt Megaguirus's limbs loosening their constriction over his neck and waist. Megaguirus broke into a bright blush as her breathing grew soft while Battra smiled in embarrassment as he caught her scent at such a close distance.
"Huh. You smell really nice today," said Battra. Megaguirus grinned in embarrassment.
"Yeah? Uh...you too!" said Megaguirus with a nervous laugh. The two remained in this position for several seconds in an awkward silence. Battra took the time to look over to where Megaguirus was carving and found that she was chalking up the floor with the stone. It was a white image of a very realistic cat. The white was toned and contrasted with the grey concrete on the ground.
"Did you draw this?" asked Battra in surprise. Megaguirus slightly shifted over him and raised herself. She sat over his waist as she twirled with the long strands of hair from her side burns. She avoided eye contact with him as she bore a frown.
"Yeah," answered Megaguirus.
"Why were you trying to hide this? It's amazing!" said Battra.
"One, it's not finished. Two, it's embarrassing," said Megaguirus. Battra looked to her incredulously.
"You're embarrassed? Why?" asked Battra.
"I don't know. I mean, look at it! It's not that great!" said Megaguirus. Battra stared at her blankly and then glanced back at the image. He then looked back to Megaguirus.
"Well, maybe because it's not finished," said Battra with a chuckle. Megaguirus scoffed as she punched Battra's chest.
"Ouch! What?" asked Battra in annoyance as he rubbed his chest to relieve it of pain. Megaguirus crossed her arms as she looked away.
"That's not funny," said Megaguirus.
"I wasn't trying to be funny. Meg, you have a talent and this is nice. Give yourself credit!" said Battra. Megaguirus lightly smiled at him as she leaned down over him. She stared at him seductively as she ran a finger over his cheek.
"Keep flattering me and you just might get lucky," said Megaguirus with a wink.
"Would our position right now be considered me being lucky?" asked Battra. Megaguirus stopped as she stared at Battra blankly. She leaned back and sat over his waist again. She looked behind herself and blushed brightly.
'I never realized I was so close. Ugh, I'm such a skank,' thought Megaguirus with a deep frown.
"Oh. Too much?" asked Battra with a frown. Megaguirus turned around and placed on a forced smile.
"No, no! I'm the one who went too far," said Megaguirus as she stood up.
"Wait, you never take the blame with flirting except for that one time with Hok," said Battra. Megaguirus made her way over to the image that she was carving and picked back up the stone. She dragged the stone along the image, attempting to give the appearance of fur, while blushing brightly as she avoided eye contact with him.
"I just need to concentrate on this, alright?" asked Megaguirus. Battra sighed in disappointment.
"OK. Sorry to bother you. I just wanted to see if maybe you... No, forget it. It's not really important," said Battra as he placed his hands in his pockets and turned away. Megaguirus stopped as she heard his disappointed tone. She turned around and found Battra walking away as he headed back for the hall.
"Battra!" called Megaguirus. The male Transmutant stopped and turned to face Megaguirus. She stood to her feet after she placed down her stone.
"What did you want to ask me?" asked Megaguirus in a timid voice. Battra cleared his throat as he slowly approached her. Megaguirus did the same as her heart raced in her chest. Battra stopped as he grew flustered.
"I wanted to know if....you uh..." Battra exhaled deeply as he looked away. He muttered to himself as he looked to the ceiling. Megaguirus made her way closer to him.
"Yeah?" asked Megaguirus. Battra looked down to her and sighed.
"Would you like to accompany me for a....for dinner?" asked Battra. Megaguirus's eyes widened in surprise.
"W-Wait, are you-"
"I know this nice little café that's close to the forest! We can just have some food and maybe chat a bit," said Battra as he chuckled nervously. Megaguirus merely smirked.
"Oh, I don't know. I mean, we don't really have any funds on us," said Megaguirus with a shrug.
"I've managed to make some money just by taking a few small jobs," said Battra. Megaguirus raised a brow.
"Does Destoroyah know?" asked Megaguirus.
"No, he doesn't. Don't tell him either," said Battra in a serious tone. Megaguirus nodded with a small smile.
"Hmm. It's a date then," said Megaguirus.
"Date?! Who said anything about a date? I didn't say date! We're just hanging out as friends rather than professionals," said Battra with a nervous smile. Megaguirus recoiled at his tone. Her brows furrowed as she was about to berate him for making her think that they were on a date. She then noticed how stiff his posture was and how his cheeks flushed. Her cheeks grew red as well as she relaxed her brows. She then smiled as she chuckled.
"Alright. Let's go 'hang out'," said Megaguirus as she nudged Battra's chest. He nodded in response.
"Uh...feel free to wear whatever you like," said Battra as he turned. Megaguirus grabbed his arm as she grinned at him.
"I like that jacket. Make sure you keep it on," said Megaguirus with a wink. Battra nodded as Megaguirus released him. He quickly walked down the hall as a small smile formed on his face. Megaguirus held her arms behind her back as she giggled.
"It's totally a date," said Megaguirus, pumping her fist into the air in triumph.




Later that night...

Battra and Megaguirus walked side by side down the streets of Trotkyo. The city was bustling as cars drove down the road and pedestrians walked across the street to get to the other sidewalks. Battra bore a nervous expression as he casted a glance at Megaguirus. She wore a pair of violet jeans with a black coat on. She lightly smirked as she caught Battra glancing her way, prompting him to tear his attention away.
"So, you've been to this place often? Mr. Second in command," asked Megaguirus.
"Not really. I have dropped by for a meal every once in a while. But I haven't been there in months," answered Battra. He lightly smiled. "The coffee is nice, the food is well made. I've had a hard time sticking with certain places since they don't put enough care into their food,"
"Bleh! I hate coffee so much." said Megaguirus as she stuck her tongue out in disgust. "It just sticks with your breath after drinking it and it tastes terrible! Yet it's so damn addicting!"
"That's a shame," said Battra with a shrug. The two made their way down the sidewalk until they found a small establishment just around the corner. They were in an area that lacked the tall buildings that made up the city. Instead, there were smaller establishments along with a nearby neighborhood. The two Transmutants made their way inside of the establishment, where they were led to their seats after a few minutes of waiting for a table. The two sat down across from each other at a booth as they looked over their menus.
"Hey, what do you recommend?" asked Megaguirus.
"Well, their pork buns are good. Uh...their curries are spicy, not sure if you're a fan of that. There's also..." Battra was going to finish his sentence until he heard a voice interrupting him.
"Good evening. I will be taking your orders tonight," said a woman with short hair. She then looked down to Megaguirus who sat down scanning through the menu.
"May I start you two off to drink?" asked the woman.
"I'd like a cola," said Megaguirus as she scanned through the menu. She then brightly smiled as she found her desired meal. The woman nodded as she jotted down the order. She turned to face Battra.
"And what would you..." the woman's voice trailed off as she stared at Battra with wide eyes. She began to tremble as her breath was caught in her throat. Megaguirus raised a brow as she gave her a glance. Battra stopped looking at his menu and glanced at the woman. His eyes widened in shock as he found the woman staring at him.
"Yasu-san?" asked the woman with wide eyes. Megaguirus's eyes widened as she quickly looked to Battra.
"Mai Yoshida?" asked Battra, his heart jumped with anxiety.
"What the fu-?" Megaguirus cocked her head in confusion. Suddenly Mai grinned as she wrapped Battra into a tight hug,
"Oh my goodness! It's been so long!" cried Mai. Megaguirus's eyes widened in horror as she watched this mysterious woman holding her date. She furrowed her brows as she clenched her fists.
"But... It's only been over six months since we've each other," grunted Battra as he felt Mai crushing him with her hug.
"What?" growled Megaguirus. Battra tensed as he noticed Megaguirus's piercing glare.
'Oh shit,' thought Battra. Mai released Battra as she noticed Megaguirus.
"Oh. Is this the sister that you were talking about? So you two patched things up!" said Mai. Battra frowned as he thought back to Mosura. Megaguirus's eyes glared at her in offense but then noticed Battra's expression.
"No. This is Megaguirus. A friend of mine," said Battra. Mai chuckled in embarrassment.
"Oops! Sorry about that. You two have that rocky theme going on, so I thought you two were related. My mistake," said Mai. She then looked to Battra curiously.
"So, how are things with your sister?" asked Mai. Megaguirus sent her a glare.
"Now's not-"
"She recently passed away," said Battra as he stared down at the table. Megaguirus looked to him in surprise at how he answered Mai's question without hesitation. Mai's eyes widened and she slumped her shoulders as she stared at Battra. She took on a sympathetic look.
"I'm...I'm so sorry," apologized Mai as she lowered her head. "I...probably shouldn't have asked. I didn't mean to-"
"No. No, it's fine. You didn't know," said Battra with a sigh. He stared down at the silverware at his own reflection. For a brief second, Mosura's cheerful smile replaced his reflection. He bore a bitter smile.
"I'm just happy to know that...she still loved me as her big brother. Despite my mistakes," said Battra. Megaguirus reached for Battra's hand as she held it tightly. Mai lightly frowned at Battra’s misfortune and felt sympathy for him.
"Can I...get you something to drink?" asked Mai. Battra nodded.
"Yes. I'd like some coffee," said Battra. Mai smiled.
"Hmm. Coming right up. Also, it's me who'll be making it for you this time," said Mai with a wink. Battra lightly smiled as he gave her a nod. As the Earthbound left the table, Battra turned to find Megaguirus wearing a frown.
"Are you going to be alright?" asked Megaguirus as she ran her fingers over Battra's hand. She had reverted back to speaking Equish. The male Transmutant nodded in response.
"Yeah, thank you," said Battra.
"Good," said Megaguirus. She then glared at him as she tightened her grip on his hand, causing Battra to grunt in pain as he clenched his teeth. Megaguirus pulled his hand, forcing Battra closer to his end of the table.
"You mind telling me who the hell was that?!" demanded Megaguirus as she whispered with a sharp hiss. Battra chuckled nervously.
"Uh..." Battra looked away, unsure how to explain that he spent the night with a human on Hearth's Warming.
"The truth!" said Megaguirus. Battra recoiled.
"I-"
"I'll break your fingers if you don't spill the beans, you damn player!" said Megaguirus.
"Player?!" exclaimed Battra. A few people turned to face him with quizzical stares, causing the Transmutant to chuckle nervously. He cleared his throat as he furrowed his brows at Megaguirus.
"Look, she's just some woman that I saved from being raped by three other guys," said Battra. Megaguirus furrowed her brows.
"So she's like some love sick puppy?" asked Megaguirus. "You two seemed awfully friendly with each other, especially for a misanthrope like you,"
"Don't be ridiculous! It's nothing like that! She just invited me over to her home for coffee as gratitude," said Battra with a scoff. He then sighed as he rubbed his neck. "I also...sort of stayed over at her apartment at night when we were watching a film,"
"You stayed over her apartment at night?!" demanded Megaguirus. Battra recoiled from her tone, regretting that he brought up the fact. "When were you going to tell me about this?!"
"Meg, this happened way before I met you! Why is it a big deal?" questioned Battra.
"Because! You...you kept your human girlfriend a secret from me and the others! Did you bring me out here to introduce us?!" demanded Megaguirus.
"No! And She's not my girlfriend! Besides, I didn't know she worked at this café. I hardly even come here!" said Battra in exasperation. Megaguirus sighed as she rubbed her temples.
"Look...I'm sorry. It's just a big shock to me that you made friends with a human and you never told anyone. Not even me," said Megaguirus in a hurt tone.
"Megaguirus, we're more like acquaintances. I left the next morning with a note. I told her that I didn't plan on seeing her again because of personal issues, which is code for my job as second in command of the Revolutionaries. I didn't bring it up because it doesn't matter," said Battra.
"Battra...you said you saved her. Why?" asked Megaguirus.
"What do you mean?" asked Battra with a raised brow.
"Don't play dumb. You don't give a shit about humans. Why did you save her?" asked Megaguirus. Battra rubbed his forehead.
"I don't...I don't know. I wasn't going to, but I just couldn't stand hearing her beg for someone to help her," said Battra. He sighed in frustration. "It's hypocritical of me to have saved her when I've killed civilians without hesitation."
"Yeah. I...I remember hearing how you and a few others have a habit of doing that," said Megaguirus as she glanced away from him. Battra frowned as he inhaled deeply.
"I...I notice you aren't a fan of that," said Battra.
"Well it's just...I don't know!" said Megaguirus as she looked away.
"You do know," said Battra.
"It's just that I don't think it's necessary to involve these civilians, right? I mean, they can't hurt us!" said Megaguirus.
"But they can ostracize us and band together to crush us." said Battra. He shook his head. "We'll never be safe if we just-"
"I'm calling bullshit," deadpanned Megaguirus. Battra's eyes widened in surprise as he stared at Megaguirus. The female Transmutant sighed as she took Battra's hand.
"I can see how you don't feel right about it anymore. You only want to stop MONARCH," said Megaguirus. Battra stuttered out a response.
"Feel....right about it? I don't feel anything about it!" said Battra. Megaguirus scoffed in response.
"If that's the case, then why didn't you just leave that girl alone?" questioned Megaguirus. Battra looked frantically as he tried to think up a response. He sighed as he rubbed his temples.
"Her cries were annoying. I had to stop them somehow," said Battra with a neutral expression.
"Mm hmm," hummed Megaguirus sarcastically. She then noticed Mai approaching with a cup of cola and a coffee mug. She placed them down on the table as she smiled at the two.
"So, what can I get you?" asked Mai. Battra began to place his order as Megaguirus glanced at him. She sighed in annoyance.
'Why can't you just be more honest with yourself?' thought Megaguirus with a frown. Lately, Battra had seemed to have been losing that bottomless fighting spirit to conquer the humans and free all Transmutants. His heart didn't seem to be in it and it worried her because she felt it would cause him to make irrational decisions that could him endanger others and himself. She couldn't lose him like that.




Later...

Battra stood at the counter where Mai was jotting down information on a piece of paper. Megaguirus stood by with a scowl on her face. Mai handed the small piece of paper to Battra as she smiled brightly.
"This is my address, in case you forgot. Feel free to drop by sometime! Bring your friend along too!" said Mai. Megaguirus glanced at her as she raised a brow.
"I'll uh...I'll see if I can make time," said Battra. He turned and made his way down to the exit door. Megaguirus fumed with jealously as she followed Battra out the door. Mai waved to them. She stopped as she sighed and puffed her cheek out.
"'Not boyfriend material,' huh?" asked Mai in annoyance. She smirked as she popped her knuckles. "Well, technically she's just a friend. I might just have a chance,"
Outside of the café, Battra and Megaguirus walked down the street in silence. Megaguirus sighed in exhaustion. She noticed how Mai would bat her eyelashes at Battra in the café. She cleared her throat as she bumped shoulders with the Transmutant.
"Well, that was...interesting," said Megaguirus. Battra cleared his throat as he looked away with a frown.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this night to turn out like this. I was hoping we could just spend time together as...normal people," said Battra. Megaguirus smirked.
"Are you going to take me out again?" asked Megaguirus.
"If you'll allow me," said Battra. Megaguirus chuckled.
"Just ask me. Besides, we can still spend more time together tonight before we head home," said Megaguirus. Battra lightly smiled.
"What did you have in mind?" asked Battra.



The sound of loud, muffled music filled the air. A large building sat in the city where a large line of people waited outside to enter. The thumping sound of the beat filled a great room where dozens of people danced in clusters. Blue lights shined down over the dancers. At the very entrance of the dance club stood Battra and Megaguirus, where several other humans walked down to the dance floor. Megaguirus bore a look of excitement as she bobbed her head to the beat of the music. Battra stood by with a reluctant smile as he watched the people dance and as the loud music beat against his ear drums. A couple of women gave him flirty smiles as they walked by. Megaguirus glared at them as she made a cutting motion over her throat. The women gulped nervously as they quickly turned and walked briskly to the other side of the dance club.
"So...you come here often?" asked Battra as he leaned close to Megaguirus as he spoke as loud as he could. The loud music interfered with his voice.
"No, but I think I'm going to for now on!" replied Megaguirus. She grabbed his hand and rushed with him down the dance floor. She and Battra ended up standing in the middle of the dance floor where several other people were dancing either alone or with partners. Megaguirus rocked her hips as she swayed her arms from side to side. Battra smiled in amusement. He began to lightly bob his head as he joined Megaguirus to dance with the music. The two spent the next few minutes dancing. A few of the people that were inside of the dance club caught sight of these two, admiring their appearance.
"Who's that guy?" asked a woman as she stood with her friends.
"I don't know but he's hot!" said another woman with a grin. A few men stared at Megaguirus as they watched her dance with Battra.
"Damn. So glad I came out here tonight," said a man with a grin.
"I know. Wait a minute..." said another man. He was an Earthbound with grey hair. He watched as Megaguirus and Battra made their way over to the bar. He squinted his eyes as he tried to get a better look at the female Transmutant.
"Hey, that's Megaguirus," said the grey haired man. He made his way over to the area where the Transmutants sat at the counter, where they ordered a couple drinks. Megaguirus nudged Battra's shoulder as she wore a grin.
"I didn't know you were good at dancing," said Megaguirus.
"I'm a martial artist. I'm pretty limber," said Battra with a chuckle. He took a sip of his glass and sighed.
"Man, it's noisy in here. I'm starting to feel hot," said Battra as he unzipped his leather jacket.
"Well, that's the point of dance clubs, genius," said Megaguirus with a laugh. Her eyes widened in alarm as she caught sight of a grey haired Earthbound approaching. She turned away and held her hand by her face. Battra raised a brow at her.
"What's wrong? Are there MONARCH agents here?" asked Battra as he tensed his muscles and glanced to where Megaguirus was looking away from.
"No! No, that's stupid!" said Megaguirus with a nervous laugh.
"What's wrong with-" Battra was interrupted as he found the grey haired Earthbound man take his seat next to Megaguirus.
"Tonbo-chan?" asked the man. Megaguirus went stiff as she gulped.
"Shit," muttered Megaguirus. Battra raised a brow in confusion. The female Transmutant turned to face the man with a forced smile on her face.
"Oh, hey! Uh...um..." Megaguirus snapped her fingers as she searched her memory for the name of this familiar face.
"Shinji," said the Earthbound.
"Shinji! Yes, Shinji!" said Megaguirus with a nervous laugh.
"Megaguirus?" called Battra. He cocked his head in wonder. He was unsure of who this man was and how his fellow Transmutant had never seemed to mention knowing another human. He was noticing a parallel of a certain situation that took place earlier.
"Hey babe, you never called! What's up with that?" asked Shinji. Battra's eyes widened.
"Uh...'call'?" asked Battra.
"Oh uh..." Megaguirus tapped her fingers on the counter in discomfort. Her eyes darted all around.
"Tonbo?" called another male voice. Megaguirus turned and found a blonde haired Earthbound approaching.
"Oh, you have got to be friggin' kidding me," said Megaguirus with a scowl. She gasped as she noticed three other men approaching as well. Her skin went pale like the full moon.
"Babe! Where you been?" asked one of the men.
"Oh...no," said Megaguirus with dread.
"Who are these men, Megaguirus?" asked Battra. Shinji glared at Battra.
"Hey, where do you come off calling her by her first name? Chump," said Shinji as he made his way over to the Transmutant. Megaguirus's eyes widened.
"Shinji, he's-" Megaguirus raised her hand, but Battra turned from his seat and looked towards the human with a look of amusement.
"I'm a very close friend of hers," said Battra. Shinji looked like he was taken aback by the confidence that was in Battra's tone. His smug expression annoyed him.
"Yeah? Never heard of you," said Shinji. A few of the other men arrived with looks of confusion.
"Wait, who the hell are you guys?" asked Shinji.
"What? I know this sexy thing right here! Ain't that right baby?" asked a green haired Valkyrie as he grinned at Megaguirus. The Transmutant sighed in response.
"I flirted with you a couple of times. You act like we went to third base with each other," deadpanned Megaguirus. The rest of the men chuckled in amusement. Megaguirus then looked to the other men with a look of annoyance.
"That includes the rest of you! Don't act like we were going steady!" said Megaguirus.
"Aw don't be like that! Come on, let's ditch this loser and have some real fun!" said Shinji. Battra wore a scowl as he drank a shot of his alcoholic beverage.
"Uh uh! She's going with me!" said the blonde man as he shoved Shinji. The Earthbound shoved him back. Soon, the men began shouting threats to each other. Their attempts to intimidate each other like animals competing for a mate annoyed Battra. Megaguirus sighed as she hid her face from him. Her cheeks were red with shame. Battra turned to face the men with a stern expression.
"Hey, would you horny mutts mind leaving? Megaguirus and I are in the middle of a date," said Battra. Megaguirus turned and looked to him in surprise. She never thought that he would openly admit that the two were on a date. Shinji turned to face him with a glare.
"What did you say?" demanded Shinji as he got in the Transmutant's personal space.
"Get out of my face. Your breath smells like shit," deadpanned Battra. Shinji hardened his glare as he reared his fist back and punched Battra across his face. Battra lightly grunted as the fist connected with his cheek. Megaguirus gasped as she jumped in her seat. Shinji then grabbed Battra and shoved him out of his seat, knocking him to the ground.
"I couldn't hear you over the sound of you falling over," mocked Shinji. He then grinned at the female Transmutant as he winked at her. Megaguirus glared at him as she stood from her seat.
"Yeah, no," scoffed Megaguirus. Shinji glared at her.
"No? Fine whatever. I never knew how much of a slut you were until tonight," said Shinji. Megaguirus's eyes softened. Shinji gestured to the other men. "I mean, now I know how you like to fool around with a bunch of other guys,"
"Shut up! You don't know shit about me!" said Megaguirus.
"I know you're a slut. I bet you're infected with all kinds of nasty diseases from other guys. Gross!" chuckled Shinji. Megaguirus clenched her fist as she glared at Shinji. The insults wretched her heart as she knew how people ridiculed and judged her for being a notorious flirt. . She then noticed Battra rising to his feet as he glared at Shinji.
"Hey," called Battra. Shinji turned around with a scowl plastered on his face.
"My baby sister could hit harder than you," said Battra. He then suddenly reared his fist back and sent a powerful punch against Shinji's cheek, causing him to fly several feet away. He skidded across the ground as his mouth bled from the teeth that were knocked out. Battra glared at the other men as his popped his knuckles.
"Sorry boys. The lady is with me," said Battra as he popped his neck. Megaguirus's heart pounded in her chest as she lightly smiled at Battra. The other men backed away from Battra nervously.
"She's all yours man," said one of the men with a nervous chuckle. Battra relaxed his muscles as the men began to disperse. A few people stared with nervous expressions from witnessing the entire scenario. Baattra sighed as he rubbed his cheek. He turned to face Megaguirus as he felt her take his hand.
"Let's go home," said Megaguirus with a frown. Battra nodded to her in agreement.
"Sure," said Battra. The two made their way out of the dance club and found themselves walking down the street. The evening grew later over Neighpon, yet people were still out and about on this evening.
"Well, it looks like I'm not the only one who's been keeping secrets from the rest of the group," said Battra. Megaguirus bore a frown as she looked away from him.
"Battra...I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this to turn out this way. Those guys...they don't mean anything to me!" said Megaguirus.
"I know you didn't. I just never knew how flirtatious you could be," said Battra.
"I'm not always proud of it," said Megaguirus as she held her hands in her sweater pockets. Battra glanced at her with pity.
"You were right about me. I'm not proud of what I've done to civilians," admitted Battra. He began to look at all of the humans that were walking in the city. "I used to be. Now I'm sick to my stomach just thinking about it,"
"And those guys were right about me. I am disgusting," sighed Megaguirus. Battra reached for her hand and took it in his own. Megaguirus glanced at him with a frown. Battra merely smiled at her.
"You're not what Shinji saw you as. He lacks respect for himself and for those around him," said Battra. Megaguirus gave him a bitter smile.
"Jerk. Don't lie to me," said Megaguirus.
"I'm not. I care too much about you to do so," said Battra. Megaguirus smirked.
"So...were we on a date?" asked Megaguirus. Battra sighed as he looked with away with an embarrassed smile.
"I want to say no. Only because I don't think this would be an ideal first date," asked Battra.
"To most people, no. But you standing up for me...I think that made the night for me," said Megaguirus as she began to walk closer to Battra. He lightly smiled as he brought an arm over her.
"Well, I'm glad that some good came out of this night," said Battra.
"Me too," replied Megaguirus.




Zebrabwe...

The sun was setting over the Western half of the planet. The MONARCH base that was established in Zebrabwe sat in the fields, undisturbed by any outsiders. Sunset Shimmer leaned against the wall on her bed. Erika sat on her end of their quarters in silence. The Transmutant was busy reading over a magazine that showed off different kinds of flowers. She sighed as she looked at the beauty that nature offered in its gardens. Sunset raised a brow as she heard the sigh escape Erika's mouth.
"Are you checking out guys or something?" asked Sunset. Erika merely laughed in response.
"No. I'm just looking at these flowers," said Erika as she turned her magazine over and showed the images to Sunset. The Elf leaned closer to the magazine from her end of the room. She lightly smiled as she spotted the elegant petals that were formed on the flower head and how their bright colors stood out from the bushes.
"Wow, those are pretty!" said Sunset. She observed the images that depicted flowers such as gardenias, roses, daisies, azaleas, etc. They were images taken of gardens that earned their place in the magazine.
"I know! Plant life is just so beautiful!" said Erika with glee. She laughed as she continued to read through it.
"I never knew you were into flowers," said Sunset.
"Oh yeah, I love flowers. Roses are my favorite kind of flowers." said Erika. She then chuckled in amusement. "Kinda ironic how I was mutated with one. Well, something like a rose,"
"What do you mean?" asked Sunset.
"Well, I was told that I was crossed with both Alpha's Transmutant DNA and this new rose that they said worked like a fly trap. This would explain how I can sprout rose heads at the end of my tendrils," said Erika. Sunset shuddered.
"And here I thought roses couldn't get more painful," said Sunset. Erika laughed as she nodded in agreement.
"No kidding. Roses have thorns. Flytrap roses have teeth," said Erika. Sunset sighed as she lied down. Erika glanced over at Sunset with an unsure expression.
"Sunset," called Erika.
"Yeah?" answered Sunset Shimmer. Erika lowered her magazine as she rubbed the back of her head.
"Do you believe in ghosts?" asked Erika. Sunset raised a brow and then snorted in amusement.
"No, not really," said Sunset.
"Right," answered Erika with a frown as she read through her magazine. Sunset lost her look of amusement and looked to her friend in worry.
"Why do you ask?" asked Sunset.
"Oh. It's nothing. I've just been kinda spooked lately since that new robot was moved in," said Erika.
"You mean Kiryu?" asked Sunset. Erika nodded in response.
"Yeah, him," said Erika.
"Him?" asked Sunset as she cocked her head. Erika chuckled nervously.
"It! I meant, it!" said Erika.
"Riiight," replied Sunset with an unsure tone. Erika cleared her throat.
"I've uh...I've seen that thing when I was alone in the Mech Hangar. Damn thing gave me the creeps when it ended up scanning my identity and when it spoke in that creepy, distorted voice,"
"Oh yeah. I heard how that thing was busted when it fought Lucky Dragon. That bastard keeps getting away," spat Sunset in frustration. She then grinned as she stared up at the ceiling. "Well, they're almost done fixing it. Next time, I bet he won't get away,"
Erika sighed as she lied down on her own bed.
"That robot gives me the creeps though. Something seems off with it," said Erika.
"Off?" asked Sunset.
"Yeah. I don't know what though. I'm just not comfortable around it," said Erika. Sunset smiled in amusement.
"Ah you're just being paranoid! You're worried that it's going to turn on you because you're a Transmutant and because its A.I. malfunctioned," said Sunset. Erika gasped as she turned to face Sunset.
"It malfunctioned?!" exclaimed Erika. Sunset lost her smile and immediately turned to a neutral expression.
"...I don't know," said Sunset as nonchalant as she could. Erika glared at her.
"How could you not know?! You just told me it malfunctioned!" said Erika in a whiny tone. Sunset laughed nervously.
"Did I?" asked Sunset.
"Yes!" said Erika.
"Oh. Well, you'll be fine! Like I said, they're fixing it!" said Sunset with a forced smile.
"Well I hope so. I rather not get my ass shot by a metal dragon," deadpanned Erika. She sighed as she rubbed her head.
"You didn't know it malfunctioned?" asked Sunset.
"No. I wouldn't have gotten close to that thing if I knew it malfunctioned. I could've been killed if that thing's identification scan didn't work." said Erika. Sunset smirked mischievously.
"Well, the thing could be haunted. Who knows, maybe a ghost is trying to contact you from the grave," said Sunset as she waved her arms in the air. "Woooo,"
"Stop that!" said Erika with a glare. She grunted in annoyance as she held her magazine back up to her face with a scowl. "You're freaking me out,"
"Alright, alright," chuckled Sunset as she leaned back against her wall. Erika glanced at Sunset as she bore a frown. The memory of the glowing orb that led her into Hangar returned to her. It dumbfounded her how she was the only person to have seen it when it floated down the halls in front of a dozen soldiers. The thing that puzzled her the most was why she was led into the mech hangar. The voice that called out to her when she was all alone with the mech drilled itself into her memory. Erika could not make heads or tails over whether the voice was real or if it was her imagination. She wanted to bring the subject up with Sunset Shimmer, but she thought that perhaps she did just imagine what she saw.
Erika sighed as she placed her magazine under her bed and turned off the lamp that was on her side of the room. Erika pulled the covers back on her bed and began to snuggle underneath. Sunset proceeded to do the same on her side of the room. She popped her joints before sighing in relief.
"Goodnight Erika," said Sunset as she yawned. Erika placed her head down on her pillow as she clutched her blanket.
"Yeah. Goodnight," said Erika. She stared at the wall for several minutes. She later began to hear Sunset Shimmer snoozing peacefully. Erika sighed as she closed her eyes and began to drift off to sleep.



The sun was shining over a great field. Around the field were destroyed shacks that gave off smoke from the fires that turned the wood into ash. Erika was armed with a rifle as she stood with Sunset Shimmer and several other soldiers. They were all covered in dirt and scars from battle. Erika searched the area with her heightened sight.
"The area appears to be clear, sir," said Erika as she looked towards an older Valkyrie soldier.
"Can't be too careful, private. Everyone sweep the area. Shiragami, you remain here with Kiryu," said the Valkyrie. Erika went stiff at the order that she was given. She slowly turned around to find the mecha dragon standing a few feet behind her with its golden eyes glowing. Erika gulped as she turned to face her commanding officer again.
"Sir, wouldn't it be best if we both came along with the rest of you? I mean, Kiryu could provide cover fire," said Erika with a shrug. The Transmutant felt like she was going to have a heart attack just by knowing that the machine had its sights on her back.
"Negative. We need you two are going to need to make sure that we aren't boxed in by the Changeling swarm," said the commanding officer. He then looked towards the other soldiers.
"With me!" said the C.O. as he marched towards the more clustered areas of debris. Erika reached her hand out for the C.O. and wanted to call out to him, but held her tongue. She looked to Sunset with pleading eyes, who gave her a reassuring smile in return.
"You'll be fine," said Sunset with a nod. She began to follow the rest of the soldiers as they fanned out in the area. Erika heard the sound of mechanical whirring behind herself, prompting her to turn and find Kiryu lowering its head to look down at her. Erika chuckled nervously as she found herself under its gaze.
"So...you like...sports or something? Or maybe you like math! Cause...you're a computer?" Erika sweated profusely as she stared into the ominous optics of the mech. The machine remained silent as it continued to stare at her. Erika grew anxious as the machine intimidated her with its cold and emotionless stature. The mech lowered its head even further as its glowing optics turned dark and then gave a low whirring sound. The mech hunched over as its arms lowered down to its sides. Erika gasped as she stared at it in alarm. The machine had suddenly shut down, right in the middle of a mission.
"Oh, you gotta be kidding me!" said Erika as she dropped her rifle and ran towards the mech. She slapped her hand on its chassis in hopes of starting it back up. She was no tech genius nor did she understand how the machine worked, but she was willing to try anything to start it back up, despite being afraid of the machine. Erika grunted in frustration as she banged her fist against the chassis and then against the head.
"Turn back on you stupid piece of-" Erika was about to slam her fist against the mech but it she stopped when she caught the optics abruptly glowing again. Erika retracted her fist as she gasped. The mech's yellow optics suddenly turned into a hellish red. The mech suddenly swiped its arm at Erika, knocking her off of her feet, causing her to skid across the ground. Erika groaned as she shook off her disorientation, only to look up and to find Kiryu raising its arms at her with the gauntlet guns pointed straight at her. Erika gasped as she watched the mech's head sparking as it began to convulse randomly.
"E-E-E-E-Eliminating T-Tar-Target," said the mech as its voice became distorted. The cannons attached to Kiryu's gauntlets fired orange bolts towards the Transmutant. Erika yelped as she rolled away from danger. She stood up to her feet and stared in horror as several rockets flew down towards her. As the rockets dropped down all around her, she was engulfed in a fiery explosion. From the fires and explosions, Erika screamed in agony. Erika skidded across the ground with her body smoking and covered in burn scars. Her suit was burned all around, exposing her thighs and arms. Erika panted as she pressed her hands on the ground in attempt to push herself up. The sound of metal stomping towards her with slight whirs reached her ears. She slowly turned and found Kiryu stomping towards her as its head continued to convulse all around. Erika began to hyperventilate as she stared at the machine.
"Sunset, help!!" cried Erika. The mech suddenly grabbed Erika by her neck and lifted her into the air. The fires from the explosions raged around the two, filling Erika's lungs with smoke. Erika growled as she morphed her arm into her bone club and slammed it against the head of the mech. Kiryu's head was forced to the side as chunks of metal was scrapped off of the side of its head. The mech gave a screeching, electronic roar as it threw Erika down on the ground. The Transmutant attempted to stand back up but she was forced back down onto the ground as Kiryu stomped on her chest. Erika groaned as she attempted to force the mech's foot off of her body but failed. She looked up and gasped as she found Kiryu staring down at her with half of its metal face gone. Wires hung from the left side of its face as its glowing optic glowed dimly in the socket of its head. Erika noticed a bizarre trait of the exposed face of the mech. Under the dark wires, Kiryu had what appeared to be muscle tissue bleeding out. The exposed optic glowed brighter and exposed a skull's eye socket holding the mechanical eye. Erika stared in horror as the mech leaked the crimson liquid down from its chassis and down to the ground and Erika. The Transmutant ran her hand over cheek as a drop of the crimson liquid fell on her cheek. She stared at her hand as she began to tremble at the sight.
"What the hell is this?!" exclaimed Erika. She noticed Kiryu moving its arm. She tore her attention away from her stained hand and found the mech reaching for its face. The mech grabbed a loose end of the metal that covered the circuits in its head and then yanked as hard as it could. Sparks shot all around its head as crimson liquid sprayed all around the ground. Erika's blood ran cold as the mech revealed its exposed face to her.
Under Kiryu's facial plating were bloody wires and mechanical joints that allowed the jaws to open and close. Instead of a metal endoskeleton skull like most mechs bore to allow movement, there was instead a bloody dragon-like skull with the yellow optics built into its sockets. The sharp bone teeth were hidden behind the metal rectangular teeth that were built into the roof and bottom of the jaws. Kiryu gave a ghostly moan as its head convulsed, allowing wires to tear and blood to stain the ground around the pair. Erika screamed in terror as she stared at the monstrous machine. Kiryu suddenly dove towards her face as it opened its jaws and revealed its sharp teeth. Erika immediately closed her eyes as the machine’s opened jaws were about to descend on her face.
Erika cried out as she shot her eyes open and rose up. Her heart raced in her chest as she panted. Her eyes searched frantically for her surroundings. The mech was no longer standing on her body. In fact, she was no longer outside on a battlefield dealing with invading Changelings. She was back inside of her chambers. Erika turned and found Sunset sleeping peacefully in her bed on the other side of the room. Erika reached for any wounds on her body and found herself to be unharmed. Her heart still pounded in her chest as she thought back to her dream again. The Transmutant lightly whimpered as she held her knees against herself. She never had nightmares like that and she was always skeptical about ghosts, monsters, and zombies.  The nightmare likely occurred from her talk with Sunset and her teasing over a haunted machine. Erika sighed as she lied back down. She turned her head and found her digital clock displaying the hour. It was 4:30 in the morning.
"I can't sleep now. Not after that dream," said Erika as she took off her blankets and got out of bed. She made her way over to her drawer and pulled out a pair of socks. She proceeded to place them on along with her military boots. The Transmutant slowly made her way out to the door and stepped out of her chambers. Erika wrapped her arms around herself as she roamed the dark and dimly lit halls. She was visibly shaking with fear from the dream that she had. Unbeknownst to her, a moth-like creature crawled along the ceiling in the shadows. Its light blue eyes stared at Erika as she roamed through the halls alone. The fairy suddenly vanished in a flash of light.




Canterlot, Equestria...

The moon hung over the sky. The early morning sun would soon be taking its place in the sky. The calm darkness wrapped Equestria in its cool embrace as the citizens and day time creatures snoozed for the remaining hours of the night. The little moth fairy known as Amber, fluttered around Canterlot Castle. She fluttered down to the gardens and found Caesar snoozing peacefully by a statue. Alongside him were several of her fairy sisters. If she had lips, she'd be smiling at the sight. The fairy fluttered away down towards the royal guard barracks and landed near a window. Inside, she found guards and a number of MONARCH's former soldiers resting inside. Amber nodded as she took off into the air again and flew higher towards the castle. Her wings began to leave golden sparkles behind in the moonlit sky. Amber made her way up towards a wing of the castle that she recalled was where the Transmutants of the Everfree were staying in. The fairy looked over the beautiful land that the castle and city overlooked from the mountain that it was built on. She sighed to herself at the beauty that the West had to offer in contrast to the East, which she had associated as her home for centuries. The fairy found herself fluttering towards a window that led to a bedroom. Amber crawled along the balcony and found Junior sleeping peacefully in his bed. Amber used her front legs to grab the cracks of the window and slowly pulled it open. Amber crawled through the open window and fluttered over to Junior's bed. She remained still as she crouched on his bed and listened to Junior’s breathing. She slowly crawled closer to his face until she was just inches away. She lowered her head solemnly as she thought back to her discovery of Kiryu. She gently rubbed her head against Junior's cheek in an affectionate manner. Junior furrowed his brows as he felt her fuzz tickle his cheek. Amber lightly gasped and scurried away from Junior as he stirred himself awake. The young Transmutant raised himself out of bed as he slouched forward with his eyes shut. He weakly opened them and turned to find Amber on his right on his bed.
"Amber? Is that you?" asked Junior in a drowsy tone. He was incredibly tired that his eyes just could not focus on her to find her the color of her pattern. He assumed it was her due to the fact that she was the only fairy that ever approached him.
"Yes. Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," apologized Amber as she whispered to the Transmutant. Junior yawned in response as he scratched his neck.
"I'll let it slide. What are you doing in here?" asked Junior. Amber looked down towards the bed as she lowered her antennae. She contemplated telling Junior about his father being trapped in his remains and said remains were being used as a weapon. However, she was afraid how the young man would react. Obviously there would come the disbelief and anger if he were to believe her. But she feared if it would stir any irrational thoughts in him to act on. She didn't want to put the Transmutant through more pain. Although she hardly knew him, she felt it was her duty to help guide him to be the guardian that he was born to be, like much his friends.
"I...I just wanted to check on you," answered Amber. She cleared her throat as she pawed at the bed. Junior cocked his head in confusion. He then lightly smiled.
"Well, you didn't have to wake me up to see if I was fine," said Junior in a humored tone. Amber laughed in embarrassment.
"Sorry," apologized Amber. Junior sighed as he lied back down and brought his blanket over his chest. He stared up at the ceiling in thought.
"Amber...what does it mean for us to have taken the spiritual essence of our past lives?" asked Junior.
"Oh. Well, it means that you have taken up the mantle to protect the Earth from any threat that would come against it. You are the Guardians," said Amber.
"What effect does this have on us?" asked Junior.
"You'll become stronger than any other Transmutant as your souls fully accept the Kaiju spirit essence. You will be more in touch with your senses and you will begin to draw memories of your abilities from your past life," answered Amber.
"I see. Honestly, that's kind of scary. Gaining more power so soon," said Junior. Amber nuzzled his cheek in reassurance. He lightly chuckled from the feeling.
"Don't worry. That's why we're here for you all," said Amber. Junior nodded to her as he laid his head back. He gently reached for Amber and began to run his hand over her head and back. She lightly gasped in surprise but then relaxed as she felt his fingers graze over her back. She sighed with bliss as she felt the soothing touch of his fingers.
"That feels nice," said Amber as she lied on her belly and spread her legs out. Junior gently scratched her head as she let out a purr.
"Honestly, what are you? A cat or a moth?" asked Junior in amusement. Amber lightly giggled in response. She then sighed as she rolled over and lied on her back with her legs curled against her body. She slightly turned her head and found Junior getting ready to fall back to sleep.
"Takeshi, may I...rest with you?" asked Amber in a timid voice. Junior looked to her with a raised brow. He then lightly smiled.
"Sure. Just make sure you sleep in a spot where I won't crush you," said Junior.
"Aww. I didn't think you cared about me," said Amber. Junior smirked in response.
"Sure. Make it weird," said Junior. Amber huffed.
"It's not weird! It's really sweet of you," said Amber as she crawled onto Junior's belly and began to snuggle for warmth. Junior stared at the fairy in wonder.
"You know...you kind of remind me of Mosura a bit," said Junior.
"Well, she is the Guardian of Peace reincarnated. We fairies were also based on her and took on some of her traits. So, I guess you could say we're like her," said Amber. She leaned her head against Junior's stomach as she stared into his eyes.
"Sweet dreams," said Amber. Her glowing eyes dimmed into darkness as she calmly breathed. Junior leaned back and sighed.
"You too," said Junior as he prepared to go back to sleep. He glanced back at the fairy and lightly smiled. He gently scratched her head, causing her to lightly twitch her antennae. Junior removed his hand and began to drift off to sleep.



The morning sun had risen over Equestria. The citizens of Canterlot were already up, bright and early for their daily routines. The royal guards marched around as they made their way for their posts. The rebels had taken up the job of helping the royal guard in helping watch over the city. Blaire was shouting out orders to some of the younger members that were nearby. She turned to Canterlot tower and looked towards where Junior's room was. She lightly tapped her chin in thought.
Inside of Junior's room, he was still sleeping with Amber on his belly. The fairy sighed as she snuggled against the warmth that he gave off. Suddenly, there was a knock at his door. Junior's brows furrowed as the knocks began to awaken him. The knocks continued again.
"Rise and shine, Goji~!" called Mosura from the other side of the door. Junior moaned in response as he grabbed his pillow and held it over his face.
"Five more minutes!" said Junior.
"Nope! Get your lazy butt up!" said Mosura. Junior sighed in annoyance as he threw his pillow to the side. He rose up out of bed and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He felt a weight roll down onto his lap. His eyes widened as he recalled that Amber was sleeping on his belly. He looked down at his lap and found the fairy on her back, still asleep. Junior sighed in relief as he lightly smiled.
"Goji!" called Mosura. Junior sighed in exasperation.
"OK, OK. Keep your voice down," said Junior. He gently scooped the cat sized moth into his arms and then gently laid her back on her belly. He picked up his pillow and sat it down. The Transmutant picked Amber back up and gently sat her down on the pillow. She slightly began to stir as her antennae twitched and her wings slightly flapped.
"Wha- Whas' goin'..." Amber's eyes slightly brightened as she attempted to move. Junior made his way over towards the door and opened it. He found Mosura standing with her arms crossed and with a scowl on her face.
"What are you doing? Get dressed!" said Mosura.
"Mosu, it's freaking Saturday," said Junior. Mosura scoffed in response.
"Have you forgotten that we're going back to Ponyville today?" asked Mosura. Junior's eyes widened in surprise.
"Oh, that was today?" asked Junior.
"Yep! We're going home!" said Mosura as she tapped Junior's shoulder. She then noticed Amber lying on Junior's pillow.
"Amber?" asked Mosura.
"Hi," greeted the fairy in a drowsy tone. Mosura looked to Junior with a raised brow.
"She was up really late," answered Junior. He cleared his throat as looked to his drawers.
"Well, I'm going to get dressed and pack some clothes. I'll meet you guys outside in the garden in a couple of hours," said Junior. Mosura nodded in approval.
"Good. Also, don't forget to say goodbye to the princesses! Especially Blaire," said Mosura as she began to stroll out to the hall.
"Of course," said Junior as he closed his door. He turned and found Amber looking at him in a drowsy stance.
"You're leaving?" asked Amber.
"Later. We'll be in Ponyville in a couple of hours. You can get some more sleep if you want," said Junior.
"Thanks. But...can we see where you live? We'll need to know where to find you," said Amber.
"Sure. Just get some sleep and I'll wake you," said Junior with smile.




Later...

Junior walked out onto castle grounds with a backpack on while holding another bag that was strapped to his shoulder. Amber sat on his other shoulder as she shook off any remaining sleep that she had. A couple of other fairies fluttered after them.
"Now, all we have to do is wait for Mosu and the others," said Junior. Amber sighed as she slumped on him.
'I really wish that I wasn't up so late,' thought Amber. A fairy with pink markings on her wings fluttered near Junior’s face as she tilted her head in curiosity.
"Hey, is it true that you have a special somebody waiting back in the town where you lived?" asked the fairy in a curious tone. Her voice was soft and gentle like a feather. Junior blushed in embarrassment.
"I uh...I guess," answered Junior. The fairy gasped as she fluttered her wings in excitement.
"Oh my gosh! You must court her before it's too late!" said the fairy. Junior lightly groaned as he looked away.
"Blossom! You're embarrassing him!" said Amber in a scolding tone.
"What? Are you his mother?" asked the third fairy. Her wings were covered in blue markings and her eyes were violet. Her voice was scratchy and sounded more rough compared to her other sisters.
"No, Cornflower. But we shouldn't get into his business when it comes to this sort of thing," said Amber.
"But he needs help to capture the heart of a young maiden! He can't possibly do that on his own! Look at him!" said Blossom. Junior looked to Blossom in offense.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" asked Junior.
"Oh, you know what that means, mister," said Blossom.
"No, I don't know what that means!" retorted Junior.
"You look mean! Girls don't like mean guys!" said Blossom. Junior snorted in response.
"You say that as if all of them like nice guys. From my experience, it's bullshit. Some girls like jerks for whatever weird reason," said Junior.
"Does your woman like mean guys?" asked Cornflower.
"She's not my woman. Not officially at least.  Also, I don't think so. I mean, I can be a jerk. I have been to her, but only before I warmed up to her as a friend," said Junior. Blossom sighed as she landed on Junior's head.
"So the bad boy's heart was captured by the good girl? How romantic!" said Blossom. Junior scowled in response.
"Please get off my head," said Junior in annoyance.
"Bad boy and good girl? Sounds cliché," said Cornflower. Junior sighed in response. Amber nuzzled him.
"I think it's cute," said Amber.
"Thanks," said Junior in a monotone voice as he furrowed his brows. He noticed Blaire strolling over to him with her helmet held at her side. Junior greeted her with a smile, while she returned the same.
"Hey lil' bro!" said Blaire. The fairies fluttered away from Junior, allowing him to wrap his arm around Blaire for a hug. The two released each other.
"So you're headed home?" asked Blaire.
"Yeah. Mosu and the others are letting me crash at their place," answered Junior.
"That's nice of them," said Blaire. She tapped her helmet as she cleared her throat. "Well...I have a question for you,"
"Shoot," said Junior.
"The royal guard and I were impressed with your combat skills from the Royal Wedding. We could use your guys' help sometime," said Blaire.
"What do you mean?" asked Junior.
"Well, like helping with monster attacks, stopping criminals, etc. Maybe help with a Transmutant that may appear." said Blaire. Junior scratched his chin in thought.
"I can't speak for my friends, but you can count on me if you need help with anything that you guys may be struggling with. I'd do anything for you," said Junior. Blaire smiled in response. She patted Junior on the shoulder as she gave a nod.
"Thanks Goji. Also, I heard how you tried to score with Twilight. You dirty boy," said Blaire with a wink. Junior groaned in annoyance while Blossom gasped loudly.
"Who told you that?!" demanded Junior.
"The princess did," answered Blaire. Junior rubbed his brows as Blaire sighed. "You've grown so fast,"
"Indeed he has. Here I thought he had no chance with girls," said Blossom as she gave a fake weeping sound.
"Me and you both," said Blaire as she pretended to wipe a tear away.
"We weren't going to do anything like that!" said Junior in exasperation. He looked up to the heavens with a glare. "Does my embarrassment amuse everybody that you feel the need to exploit it?!"
"Takeshi, stop yelling at the sky. You'll look like a crazy person," said Amber.
"Too late!" said a familiar voice. Junior turned and found Rodan approaching with Mosura and Angirasu behind him. He also noticed Celestia, Luna, Yoshi and Koizumi coming as well. Mosura made her way up to Junior and looked to the fairies in curiosity.
"Oh! Are you girls coming with us?" asked Mosura.
"Yes! We thought it'd be good if some of us split off to remain close to the Transmutants while the rest remain with Caesar and the rebels," answered Amber.
"Oh, you'll love the lair! It's a freaking cave!" said Rodan with a grin.
"Hmm. I do miss living in a cave," said Cornflower with a positive tone.
"Not me! I want to be around nature! Trees, flowers, and cute little animals!" said Blossom with a pout.
"I don't think that'll be a problem," said Angirasu with a reassuring smile. Junior looked towards Celestia and Luna with a smile.
"So, I guess I'll be seeing you all later," said Junior. Celestia nodded to him as she bore a motherly smile.
"We will be seeing each other. Right now, we need to help the rebels settle in a more legal place. They will need all the help that we can get to stop MONARCH," said Celestia. Luna stuck her hand out to Junior as she bore a small smile.
"We look forward to seeing you again, Sir Gojira," said Luna. Junior smirked in response. He sat down his bag and made his way over to Luna. He then merely pulled the Avatar into a hug, causing her to gasp in surprise. Celestia grinned as she held a hand to her lips as she watched the scene. Luna blushed as she returned Junior's hug.
"Enough with the 'sir'. Just call me Gojira," said Junior. Luna lightly smiled in response.
"Of course, Gojira," replied Luna. Yoshi made his way over to Mosura as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a COM ear piece.
"Take this. We'll need to stay in contact with you in case we need your help," said Yoshi. Mosura nodded to him as she took the device and placed it in her pocket.
"No problem. It's been a pleasure meeting you, Yoshi. I hope we can meet again soon," said Mosura with a bright smile. Yoshi lightly smiled as a small blush appeared on his face. He just couldn't deny the cuteness in Mosura's cheerful smiles and her kind nature.
"Likewise, Yasu-san," said Yoshi. Koizumi looked over to Junior with a scowl.
"Hey! You still owe me a sparring match!" said Koizumi. Junior sighed in annoyance.
"Fine. Just not now," said Junior. Rodan made his way over to Koizumi as he cleared his throat.
"I honestly would rather fight alongside you guys instead. I feel like taking on some bad guys," said Rodan. Koizumi grinned.
'That gives me an idea,' thought Koizumi. A scheme for an exhilarating combat experience brewed in his mind. Junior gave Celestia a quick hug as the train whistle began to blow.
"We gota go! Love you!" said Junior as he released Celestia and picked up his bags. He and the rest of the Transmutants rushed out of the area and towards the train station. The fairies fluttered after them.
"I love you too!" said Celestia. Koizumi smirked.
"Momma's boy," whispered Koizumi. Yoshi glared at him as he nudged his shoulder.
"Real mature," said Yoshi. Blaire and the princesses waved to the Transmutants as they rushed down towards the train station. The Transmutants were eager to return home to see their friends again.




Zebrabwe...

Sunset Shimmer sat down on the field where the other soldiers trained in combat. She looked at Erika as she watched the Transmutant drowsily staring at the ground with bags under her eyes.
"You OK?" asked Sunset.
"Not really," answered Erika. She looked over to Sunset with a blank stare.
"I'm afraid of ghosts," said Erika. Sunset tilted her head in confusion.
"Huh?" asked Sunset.
"Never mind. I just had a nightmare last night. I woke up too early," said Erika. Sunset cleared her throat.
"Do you want to talk ab-"
"Hell no!" shouted Erika with a glare. Sunset recoiled from her tone.
	
> Chapter 43: Adjustments
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It has been a few days since the Transmutant Four had returned to the Everfree forest. The lair lied untouched in the forest. Nothing was out of place or missing. It was truly a hidden haven for them. But now, there was no more hiding. The humans of Ponyville were aware of their presence. Now the Transmutants must try to live as citizens, not as outcasts.
The Transmutants were outside of the town and at an empty park. No other person was around other than themselves and the fairies that had taken up residence with them.  Amber, Blossom and Cornflower all sat perched on a bench as they stared at the Transmutants, who waited patiently to hear them. Amber cleared her throat as she twitched her antennae.
"Now, we would like to know how you all have been feeling since the essence was integrated with your souls," said Amber.
"I've been craving meat lately," answered Junior with a deadpanned stare.
"Hold the freaking press everybody! Gojira Takeshi the 2nd is craving meat!" snorted Rodan as he cupped his hands over his mouth and amplified his voice.
"I mean more than usual. Plus, I think I'm getting territorial like an animal," scoffed Junior. Mosura looked to him in confusion.
"How do you mean?" asked Mosura.
"Well, just the other day, I caught myself growling at the guy that moved into my old house when I was with Fluttershy," said Junior.
"Growling?" asked Angirasu. Junior nodded.
"Like this," Junior slightly opened his mouth and furrowed his brows and emitted a beastly growl. His rumbling vocals startled everyone, prompting them to step back from him. Rodan chuckled nervously.
"Yeah, I can see that belonging to a territorial animal," said Rodan.
"Yeah. I scared the shit out of Fluttershy from doing that," said Junior as he held his hand over his face in shame. "I spent two minutes apologizing to that poor girl before she stopped shivering. I think her animals hate me now,"
"Well, your species in a past life were very territorial. They'd usually battle each other or other Kaiju to defend what's theirs. Some usually just straight away attack instead of warning them," said Amber.
"Good thing I have enough restraint. Otherwise, I think I would have leaped from Fluttershy's outdoor table and beaten that guy to a pulp," said Junior. He then looked to the other Transmutants. "What about you guys?"
"I was having lunch with Rarity and Applejack yesterday and I..." Mosura rubbed her arm as she blushed in embarrassment.
"What?" asked the male Transmutants in unison.
"I was eating the flowers!" cried Mosura as she placed her hands over her face.
"Huh?!" exclaimed the male Transmutants. Rodan suddenly broke off into a fit of laughter. Mosura glared at him as her face grew redder.
"Shut up!!" shouted Mosura.
"Well...I think it could have been worse," said Angirasu.
"Ten people, including Rarity and Applejack were staring at me! It took me ten seconds to realize that I was chewing on flowers!" said Mosura. Angirasu hissed as he looked away.
"Yeah, never mind," said Angirasu. He then chucked to himself. "I feel the need to fight for some reason,"
"Huh? Why?" asked Junior. Angirasu shrugged.
"I have no idea. It's nothing personal. It's more like rough housing or something. I keep having these memories of myself in a past life doing that with other members of my kind," said Angirasu.
"Ah yes. Mosura is experiencing habits as a moth Kaiju. They would sometimes feed on the nectar from giant flowers. They would even sometimes lick the wounds of certain Kaiju that they had formed mutual bonds with, taking in the salt from their blood," said Amber. Mosura gagged at the thought of licking wounds in a past life. "Think of it kind like how the trochilus bird picks decaying meat out of a crocodile’s mouth,"
"Wait, that's a thing?" asked Rodan in confusion.
"So, what kind of Kaiju would they form a mutual bond with?" asked Junior.
"Well, rarely it was a member of your species. That's due to the fact that your kind were often solitary unless they had a mate and were spending some years looking after their young until they were old enough to fend for themselves. Other species were mostly mammalian and Shisas," explained Amber. She then looked towards Angirasu. "Your species, on the other hand, rough housed with each other to become experienced in a fight or for fun. Sometimes, they lived in packs and would stand together. But the solitary ones were strong enough to stand on their own to some species of Kaiju. Your kind enjoyed fighting, even if they lost," said Amber.
"Makes sense," said Angirasu. Junior scowled in response.
"So you get a thrill when we spar?" asked Junior.
"Maybe. Don't you?" asked Angirasu.
"Eeeeh. A little," said Junior. Angirasu rolled his eyes in response. The Transmutants all looked to Rodan, who cleared his throat as he kicked the grass.
"I keep climbing up to high places and I would spread my arms out and pretend that I could fly," said Rodan. Junior looked at him in a suspicious manner.
"Is that it?" asked Junior. Rodan sighed.
"No..."
"What's wrong?" asked Mosura. Rodan inhaled deeply and then sharply exhaled.
"I was with Rainbow Dash a couple of days ago. We were hanging out and everything was going great. But then I ended up doing something weird. I was putting my arms in this weird position and I started taking small steps around her. I even made this weird squawking sound," said Rodan. The other Transmutants all looked to each other in confusion as they wondered what could be the cause to such behavior. "It was really weird. She looked at me that screamed that she was creeped out. I told her that I was just delirious because of a lack of radiation, which she bought. We never talked about it again," Blossom gasped loudly while Amber pawed at the bench while looking at the ground. Cornflower merely scoffed in disgust. The Transmutants looked to them in curiosity.
"Why was I doing that?" asked Rodan.
"Shou...who's this Rainbow person?" asked Amber. Blossom was giggling to herself.
"Oh, she's this really awesome friend of ours! You know, the Valkyrie girl with the long rainbow hair?" replied Rodan.
"Tell me, how do you feel about her?" asked Amber. Blossom kept giggling to herself while Junior looked to her in annoyance. There was something that she knew and found amusing. Whatever it was, it better be funny since she was annoying him with her giggling.
"I like her. Like...a lot," said Rodan as he looked away in embarrassment. Amber nodded in understanding.
"Oh, then you were just performing your species' mating dance," said Amber in a nonchalant tone. Silence filled the air as the Transmutants stared at the fairy with blank expressions.
"What did you just say?!!" exclaimed Rodan. Mosura cupped her hand over mouth as her eyes widened. Angirasu's jaw dropped and Junior was snickering to himself.
"Yes! You are in love and you saw her as a potential mate! Your primal instincts took over and drove you to show your desire!" said Blossom with glee. Rodan began to hyperventilate as he blushed.
"Oh no, oh no, oh no! Oh god, what I done?!" said Rodan as he paced around in panic.
"Hehehe. Do-Pfft! Don't worry about it. I- haha! I don't think she knows that's what you were doing," said Junior as he tried to keep his amusement hidden. Rodan glared at him.
"This shit ain't funny! I was trying to mate with the girl that I have a crush on like an animal! Look, let's not talk about this anymore!" said Rodan as he held his head and sat down. He tried to take calming breaths as Mosura sat down next to him and patted his head.
"For a flirt, you genuinely care about this girl. That's good," said Mosura with a reassuring smile. Rodan sighed as he began to slightly calm down.
"Now, you are all experiencing primal urges from your past lives. These aren't permanent so don’t worry too much about them. But, you may find yourself acting in ways humans would normally not act. Takeshi, you might need to be the most careful," warned Amber.
"Why? Wh-what's wrong?" asked Junior in a worried tone.
"You may experience more aggression within yourself if you experience something you find unpleasant enough to make you mad. You might end up hunting for meat if you don't keep those cravings under control as well. Just keep those in mind and you should be fine. That goes for the rest of you," said Amber. The Transmutants sighed in response.
"OK," responded the Transmutants in unison.
"Don't feel bad. The other Transmutants in Mustangia are dealing with urges as well." said Cornflower. The Transmutants nodded in response.
"Well, I guess I'll be going then if that's it. Rarity wanted to see me today, so I gotta head on down to her place." said Junior. Amber fluttered over to Junior's shoulder and began to tap her clawed foot on his shoulder.
"Can I go with you?" asked Amber. Junior shrugged in response.
"Sure. But I'm not stopping for food," said Junior as he began to walk. Amber moaned in disappointment. The Transmutants waved to them as they left the park.
"Hmm. Amber seems to like Goji a lot," said Angirasu.
"You think maybe she...has a crush on him or something?" asked Rodan with a raised brow. Mosura lightly smiled as she watched Amber speak to Junior as he walked with her perched on his shoulder.
"No. I think it's something else. Like a brotherly and sisterly relationship that's about to form," said Mosura. Rodan snorted in response.
"More like a pet and its owner," said Rodan.
"I take offense to that!" said Cornflower in an indignant tone.




Later...

Junior was walking down the road in Ponyville. His way to Rarity's boutique was uneasy. People stared at him warily, aware of his power. So far, people shot him glares or just outright avoided him, but he didn't pay them any mind. The Transmutant later arrived at the Carousel Boutique. He lightly scratched his head as he stared uneasily at the door.
"What's wrong?" asked Amber as she looked to him from his shoulder.
"I haven't actually talked to Rarity since before I ran away from Ponyville when everyone found out that I was a Transmutant. She was the least fond of Transmutants," said Junior. He sighed as he slowly backed away from the door. "I wonder what she wants,"
"You'll never find out if you stay out here. Just step inside and see what she has to say," said Amber. Junior nodded in response. He steeled his nerves as he knocked on Rarity's door. He waited several seconds before knocking again.
"Coming~!" sang Rarity from within the building. Junior sighed as he waited patiently. He then heard the sound of the door opening. He found Rarity with her hair tied up behind her head as she sported a pair of red glasses. She slightly craned her neck back to meet Junior's face.
"Oh! Darling, you're here," said Rarity in surprise. Junior nodded in response.
"Yeah. I mean, you did ask me to drop by," said Junior with a forced chuckle. Rarity nodded.
"Right. Please, come inside," said Rarity as she stepped to the side, allowing Junior to get inside. The Elf closed her door and turned to face Junior. She raised a brow as she stared at him.
"You wouldn't happen to have gotten taller, have you?" asked Rarity.
"I did. I think I would have been the same height if I wasn't exposed to so much radiation," said Junior. Rarity's eyes widened as she took several steos away from him as she held her hair with dread.
"You're radioactive?!" exclaimed Rarity. The thought of losing her beautiful hair from radiation poisoning chilled her spine.
"No, don't worry! It's absorbed into my body. You're in no danger of being exposed unless I used my atomic breath on you," said Junior in reassurance. Rarity looked at him in confusion.
"Atomic...breath?" asked Rarity.
"Yeah. You know, like how dragons can breathe fire? Except I can spew a concentration of hot radiation," said Junior.
"So you are radioactive," said Rarity with a deadpanned stare. Junior returned the stare.
"Rarity, I promise you that you'll be fine. I was around you guys for weeks before I ran away. You never suffered from any symptoms of radiation poisoning," said Junior. Rarity's expression softened as she began to relax. She cleared her throat as she removed her glasses from her face.
"Sorry. I just never knew that..."
"It's fine. There's a lot of things that even I don't know about myself," said Junior. Rarity cleared her throat as she began to walk towards a sofa.
"I've made some coffee earlier. Would you care for any?" asked Rarity.
"No, thank you," said Junior as he followed Rarity across the room. She led him over towards a sofa. The two sat down and were silent. Rarity glanced at Amber warily.
"Need I worry about her eating my dresses?" asked Rarity as she gestured to a few manikins with dresses placed on them.
"No, you're thinking of moth larvae," answered Amber. Rarity sighed in relief.
"Oh, thank goodness," said Rarity. Junior lightly sighed as he looked to Rarity.
"So...what did you want to see about?" asked Junior. Rarity took on a solemn expression. She placed her hands on her lap as she looked down at the ground.
"Gojira, I've realized as to why you were so offended when it came to remarks about the Transmutants. Do you remember?" asked Rarity.
"I do," answered Junior.
"I must be honest with you. I have been afraid of you because you were a Transmutant. Something powerful and portrayed as a mindless monster from years of attacks by the Transmutants that attacked Ponyville. In fact, I didn't think I could trust you after finding out what you were," said Rarity as she bit her thumb. She avoided eye contact with Junior. Her shame was building as she continued to speak. "I even tried talking Twilight out of searching for you, because I was afraid that you would hurt her,"
"Oh," said Junior as he lightly frowned. Rarity gritted her teeth as she heard his disappointed tone.
"But...it took the other Transmutants to help me realize that despite what you were, you still had more humanity within yourself than those other Transmutants. You've been around to help with a problem, you were there for my sister when she was in danger, and you were there for us when we were in danger," said Rarity as her voice slightly cracked. She slightly turned to face Junior as her eyes stung. "I wasn't that much of a friend to you compared to Twilight and Fluttershy. They were the ones who willingly went out to look for you and the others. For that and everything that I've said about you, I am ashamed,"
"Rarity, you don't-" Junior was about to finish speaking but was interrupted.
"No, let me finish!" said Rarity with pleading eyes. Junior slightly recoiled from her panicked tone. Rarity took calming breaths as she tried to settle her nerves. She took his hand into her own hands and held them tightly. "Could you ever forgive me? Could we...start over as friends?"
"But...weren't we already friends?" asked Junior. Rarity looked to him in surprise. She found him to be staring at her with a small smile.
"Wha-? I-" Rarity stuttered. Junior shook his head in amusement.
"I forgive you. Besides, there's no need to start over. We just need to take what we have and make our friendship more genuine. None of the superficial crap," said Junior. Rarity looked to him with a slight hurt expression.
"Oh. Do you really think it was superficial?" asked Rarity.
"Uh that was probably a bad choice of words. It was just kind of stagnant because we never really talked unless we were with Twi and the others," said Junior as he looked away with a nervous smile. Rarity lightly smiled as she released his hands.
"Well, I believe you. Thank you, Gojira," said Rarity as she wrapped Junior into a tight hug. The Transmutant lightly smiled as he returned her hug.
"Ow! Ow!" yelped Rarity as she felt Junior's muscles contract against her. Junior immediately released her with a look of worry.
"Oh, shit! Are you alright?" asked Junior. Rarity rubbed her back a bit.
"Yes. I think so," said Rarity. Junior groaned as he rubbed his forehead.
"Sorry about that. Strength of a dragon is acting up right now. I swear my hugs don't normally hurt," said Junior.
"What's wrong?" asked Rarity in curiosity. Junior tried to think up an excuse. He would rather not tell her that he had taken in power from a Kaiju's ghost that was actually him in a past life.
"I must be getting withdrawal symptoms from lack of consumption of nuclear or geothermal energy. It makes me stressed, irritable, more aggressive and weak. I guess random muscle spasms are symptoms as well," lied Junior. He, of course, had no need to intake geothermal or nuclear energy anymore. It was likely the effects of the spirit essence that was inside of him.
"Oh! Well, you simply must take care of that! Twilight was telling us that you can die that way!" said Rarity in a worried tone. Junior chuckled as he scratched his head.
"Well, it takes a while for me to be drained, but your concern is noted. Thanks a lot," said Junior as he stood up. Rarity gasped as she shot up from her seat.
"Oh! I almost forgot!" exclaimed Rarity. She took off across the room and into her work area. The Elf reached under her desk and pulled out a charcoal grey sweater. She then made her way back to Junior and smiled brightly as she held it out to him.
"This is something that I made for you," said Rarity. Junior looked at it in surprise as he unfolded the sweater.
"Oh, wow," said Junior with a smile.
"I held onto your old sweater, but it was filthy and torn to shreds. So, I threw it out and decided to remake it. Of course, with a little something that I added," said Rarity as she smiled proudly. Junior looked to her curiously.
"Like what?" asked Junior.
"Look on the back," said Rarity as she pointed at the back of the sweater. Junior turned the sweater over and found something that made him gasp.
"This is..." Junior stared at the image that was depicted on his sweater. It was sewed in black and bore the same resemblance as his family's medallion. He lowered the sweater as he stared at Rarity.
"I thought you'd like to carry your clan's symbol with you. Like a warrior," said Rarity as she held her arms behind her back. Junior looked back to his sweater as he felt his smile grow.
"I-I don't know to say. I'm speechless!" said Junior. He pulled Rarity into another hug. This time, he was careful not to hurt her.
"Thank you. Thank you so much for this," said Junior. Rarity smiled as she hugged him back.
"Anything for a friend," said Rarity. Amber sat on the sofa as she stared happily at the two. She thought nothing was better than watching two beings sharing affection such as this. It was also an added bonus that could help shape the young Transmutant's future for the better rather than dread his destiny. Junior and Rarity broke their hug.
"Well, I guess I'll see you around then," said Junior with a nod. "Thanks for having me over and for the new sweater. I'll do my best to take care of it,"
"Anytime, dear. Also, one other thing," said Rarity.
"Yeah?"
"Be good to Twilight. Like you always do," said Rarity with a firm tone. Junior nodded to her.
"I will," said Junior.



The hour was reaching the afternoon. Angirasu was walking down a road outside of the park. He was humming to himself as he bore a small smile on his face. He suddenly heard the sound of struggling. Angirasu stopped and turned to find Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo attempting to climb a nearby tree. He turned and began to approach them in curiosity. Apple Bloom held Scootaloo on her shoulders as the young Valkyrie stretched her arm out towards a high branch.
"I...can't reach!" said Scootaloo in frustration. Sweetie moaned in disappointment.
"This is unbelievable! Way to toss the Frisbee up there, Scootaloo!" said Sweetie Bell. Scootaloo scoffed in response.
"Blame Apple Bloom! She's the one who didn't catch it!" retorted Scootaloo.
"Me?! You were the one who tried to perform a fancy throw!" spat Apple Bloom. The girls argued with each other as their voices built up in volume. Angirasu sighed as he quickly approached.
"Hey!" called Angirasu. The girls immediately went silent and turned their attention towards Angirasu.
"What's going on here?" asked Angirasu. Scootaloo climbed off of Apple Bloom's shoulders and stood next to her friends.
"We're trying to get our Frisbee. It got caught in the branches," said Scootaloo as she pointed towards the bright blue disk. Angirasu nodded in response.
"Ah. Yeah that's pretty high. Gotta hate it when that happens," said Angirasu.
"Angirasu, can you please help us get it back down?" asked Sweetie Belle. Angirasu nodded as he gave them a small smile.
"Sure! I can do that. Stand back," said Angirasu as he approached the tree. The girls did as they were told and took a few steps away from the tree. They watched as the Transmutant grabbed the tree and climbed it. His shoes were firmly planted on a lower branch, allowing him to slowly stand on it. He looked up to the higher branch and found the disk planted among leaves and smaller branches. He breathed softly as he grabbed the branch and pulled on it. The branch began to lower, allowing the Frisbee on the far end to descend. He reached his hand out for the disk but was unable to reach it.
"Shoot," said Angirasu. His hearing picked up the sound of small cracks. His eyes widened as he looked down at the branch. He noticed how his weight was weakening the branch. He turned back to the branch that he held and saw how he was able to bring it down. He smiled as an idea formed in his mind. Angirasu shook the branch up and down, causing it to rock and the leaves to rustle. The cracks grew louder, causing him to sigh nervously.
"Fall, you stupid disk," Angirasu muttered to himself.
"What's that sound?" asked Apple Bloom in a worried tone.
"Just the branch that I'm standing on cracking. Nothing to worry about," said Angirasu in a nonchalant tone.
"What?!" exclaimed the CMC in unison. Angirasu scowled as he began to shake the branch even harder.
"Or maybe I'm just desensitized to things like this," said Angirasu. He then gave another hard shake of the branch that he held, causing the Frisbee to fall to the ground.
"Hey, you got it!" said Scootaloo with a grin. Angirasu chuckled to himself. Suddenly, he heard a loud snap.
"Uh oh," said Angirasu. He yelped as he plunged down from the branch that he stood on and fell on his back at the trunk of the tree. He lightly groaned as he a few leaves fell down on him. The children gasped as they rushed over to him.
"Oh my goodness! Are you OK?!" asked Sweetie Belle in a worried tone. Angirasu slowly stood to his feet and began to dust off his jeans.
"Yeah, I'm good," said Angirasu. He then winced as he felt stiffness in his spine. He placed his hands behind his lower back and forced them against it as he curved himself back. A small popping sound came from his back, causing the girls to wince.
"Are you sure?" asked Apple Bloom as she raised a brow. Angirasu nodded.
"Hey, I've been fighting other Transmutants and a sea dragon that dealt more pain than falling off of a tree. I'm fine." said Angirasu as he rotated his arm.
"Oh! Tell us about that!" said Scootaloo eagerly. Angirasu hummed to himself as he looked away with a nervous expression.
"I don't know. They were pretty violent experiences. I don't think your sisters would appreciate me exposing that to you. Heck, we haven't told them about it. Not yet, at least," said Angirasu. The girls moaned in disappointment. Angirasu shrugged in response.
"Sorry girls," said Angirasu.
"Well, thanks for helping us get our Frisbee anyway," said Apple Bloom with a small smile. Angirasu nodded to them.
"No problem. Have fun," said Angirasu as he turned to walk away.
"Wait! Play with us!" said Scootaloo. Angirasu stopped in his tracks and looked at the children in surprise.
"Play?" asked Angirasu.
"Yeah! Toss the Frisbee with us! It's more fun with more people!" said Sweetie Belle. Angirasu looked down in thought and glanced at the children’s eager expressions. He couldn't bare shooting down their offer and watching their smiles turn into frowns. He smiled back as he walked back to the children.
"OK. Then let's play," said Angirasu. He and the girls walked down out to the grass, away from any nearby trees. The four had divided up and gathered into a wide circle. Scootaloo curled her arm back and then tossed the disk over to Sweetie Belle. She shot her arm after it and struggled to keep it still in her hand. She juggled it for a few seconds but managed to keep a firm hold on it. She laughed as she tossed the disk over to Apple Bloom, who tossed it to Angirasu. He tossed it back to Scootaloo as he spun it down towards the ground. The disk glided over the grass and bounded off of the ground. As it glided overhead, Scootaloo leapt as high as she could and caught the disk. She chuckled as she continued to pass the disk around.



Junior walked down the road of Ponyville in silence as he held his new sweater over his shoulder. Amber fluttered right next to him in silence. He glanced at the sweater and lightly smiled.
"You seem to be doing well adjusting back to life here," said Amber.
"Yeah. I thought it was going to be hard. But now, things finally seem like they're turning around," said Junior. He sighed in disappointment. "I still wonder how long it will be before people stop freaking out or shooting me glares when I'm around,"
"I thought you said that you didn't care what they thought of you," said Amber in confusion.
"I don't. I'm just worried about-" Junior was about to finish his sentence but he stopped when he found Twilight with several books in her hands as she excitedly walked down the road. The Elf stopped and turned and found Junior standing a few feet away. He greeted her with a wave and a smile.
"Hey, Twilight," said Junior. The Elf lightly gasped as she went stiff. She turned away as a bright blush broke on her face.
"Oh, hi there!" said Twilight in a shy tone. Junior approached her as she remained in a petrified state. She turned to face him as her face kept the luminescent blush.
"So uh...how are you?" asked Twilight.
"I'm alright. I just came back from Rarity's," said Junior. Twilight's expression turned neutral. But, Junior was able to detect a hint of uneasiness from her scent.
"Is that so? What did she want?" asked Twilight.
"Well, she wanted to make amends about what happened months ago. There's no hard feelings. Also, she made me this sweater," said Junior as he removed it from his sweater and showed it to Twilight. She looked to it in confusion.
"Isn't that your old sweater?" asked Twilight.
"Oh, hold on," said Junior as he turned the sweater over and revealed the image that was depicted on his sweater.
"Oh, wow! Isn't that..." Twilight began to look over the black image with interest.
"It is," answered Junior. Twilight looked to him with a smile.
"Well, it was most certainly kind of her to have made this for you. I'm also glad that you two were able to talk," said Twilight. Junior nodded to her.
"Me too. It's good to be back. E-Especially with you." said Junior as he looked away with a small blush. Twilight smiled bashfully as she loosened her grip on her books. She ended up dropping them down to the ground.
"Oh, shoot!" said Twilight as she knelt down to gather her books. Junior did the same and gathered a couple as well. The two stood up to their feet with the books in their grip. Junior looked down at the titles on the books and raised his brows.
"What's this?" asked Junior.
"Oh! Well I've been interested to learn more about Neighponese culture. So, I went out and got a few books on it for myself and the library," answered Twilight.
"I might have to borrow one of these sometime." said Junior with a smile. "I really ought to learn more about my heritage,"
"Sure! Feel free to do so anytime," said Twilight with a smile. Junior was about to hand the two books that he had in his hands back to her, but stopped.
"Say, why don't I help you carry these home?" offered Junior.
"I'd appreciate it," said Twilight with a smile. He nodded to her in response.
"Then let's get going," said Junior. The two walked side by side. Amber fluttered after the two in silence. She firmly planted herself on Junior's shoulder.
"Takeshi, what was it that you were going to say that you were worried about?" asked Amber. Junior was about to answer but then glanced at Twilight. She bore a small smile as her cheeks burned red. His ears picked up small whispers from behind them. He glanced to his left and found a few of the citizens shooting him dirty looks while a few looked at the pair anxiously.
"What the hell is she doing with that freak?" whispered a woman.
"Are they a couple? Gross!" whispered another woman.
"Betcha that the kids would be deformed or something," whispered a man. Junior clenched his teeth as he furrowed his brows. He gave a low growl in his throat that went unnoticed by Twilight. Amber on the other hand caught this.
"That's why," answered Junior.
"Oh," said Amber as she lowered her antennae in disappointment. Junior faced forward and kept a hard stare as he continued walking at Twilight's side.
"Hey, are you OK?" asked Twilight in concern. Junior lost his hard expression and turned to find Twilight looking at him worriedly.
"Yeah, I'm fine," said Junior as he faced forward. Twilight frowned as she caught his annoyed tone.
"I hope I'm not being a bother," said Twilight.
"Don't be silly. I've just got something on my mind, is all," replied Junior. Junior was worried about how the residents of Ponyville would view his human friends now that they openly associated with him and the other Transmutants. The two continued on down to the library in silence, leaving behind disgusted and worried humans in their wake.




The next day...

"Gojira, I think you're worrying too much," said Mosura. She sat on her bed in her chamber inside of the Transmutant cave. The male Transmutant that was present with her was pacing around with a worried expression.
"What if I'm not, though? What if it gets worst from here? I never gave that much of a reason for people to like me before they knew I was a Transmutant. How can they do so now?" asked Junior. He sighed as he rubbed his head in frustration.
"What if people start treating the girls with disdain because of their affiliation with us? A lot of people are pissed that we're being allowed to stay near Ponyville to begin with!" said Junior.
"Why would they do that? They're national heroines for crying out loud!" said Mosura in exaggeration. Junior gave her a deadpanned stare.
"Mosu, we've been segregated into a separate race that's less than human. We're being associated with monsters that attack innocent people. How does that look when the national heroines start getting friendly with the big and bad monsters?" asked Junior. Mosura sighed in response.
"OK, I see your point," said Mosura. She stood up from her bed and made her way over to him. She placed her hands on his shoulders as she gave him a reassuring smile.
"Look, we'll warm up to them eventually. Just keep your cool and we should be fine," said Mosura. Junior sighed in disappointment.
"Fine," said Junior.
"Atta boy. Come on, Rodan's prepared lunch," said Mosura. The two left her chamber and walked around the great cave. They made their way back up the metal bridge that led up to the backroom of the house. The smell of meat reached their sinuses. Junior's belly growled as he caught the scent. The two Transmutants found Angirasu and Rodan setting plates on the counter as they began to place fish meat on bread.
"I'm telling you, these sandwiches are going awesome!" said Rodan. Angirasu groaned in annoyance.
"I know! Shut up and help me finish setting them up! I'm starving here," said Angirasu as he placed lettuce and tomatoes over one of the sandwiches. Rodan spread mayonnaise on one side of the bread and then placed slices of cheese on a few other sandwiches. Junior and Mosura sat at the table that sat in the middle of the room. Junior placed his hand under his chin as he bore a small frown. Angirasu and Rodan arrived with several sandwiches on a large plate and placed it in the center. Angirasu handed Mosura and Junior glass cups filled water. Rodan sat a small glass bottle of red sauce in the center of the table.
"My homemade hot sauce is right here if you guys want any!" said Rodan. Mosura gasped as she smiled brightly.
"Oh, I am going to use that!" said Mosura as she grabbed a sandwich and levitated the hot sauce over to herself. The rest of the Transmutants grabbed their own sandwiches and waited for Mosura to pass the sauce. Junior merely kept his frown as he took a small bite out of his lunch.
"Why the long face?" asked Angirasu.
"I'm just worried if our relationship with the girls will ruin their lives," answered Junior.
"Why? Cause we're Transmutants?" asked Rodan as he took a bite out of his sandwich.
"Yes. I heard some people whispering about me and Twilight yesterday. I don't think they like her being with me," said Junior.
"Dude, we're the good guys! How dare they ignore our awesome heroism?" asked Rodan as he gave a prideful tone. Mosura smiled in amusement while Angirasu rolled his eyes. Junior sighed.
"It takes more than a few heroics to convince people that we're on their side," said Junior as he took another bite of his sandwich.
"Well, fate seems to be in our favor lately. Something might come up eventually," said Angirasu with a shrug. The sound of fluttering reached their ears. The Transmutants turned and found the three fairies approaching them.
"Takeshi! You and the other Guardians are needed now!" said Amber in a frantic tone. The Transmutants looked to each other in confusion.
"Huh. I wonder..." Angirasu rubbed his chin in thought.
"Let's not hold our breath," said Junior with a deadpanned stare. He turned to face Amber. "What's wrong?"
"We sense that Transmutants are near Fillydelphia! Some conflict seems to be brewing," said Blossom in urgency.
"Fillydelphia? That's like miles away, near the edge of the continent! How are we going to get there now?!" asked Rodan.
"Major conflict has yet to start! But we must get there as soon as possible!" said Amber. She and the fairies fluttered around the group and began to tug at their clothing with their claws.
"But what about lunch?" asked Rodan as he grabbed his sandwich and began to scarf it down.
"No time!" said Amber.
"Let me get my bag of bits! We'll need train tickets!" said Junior as he rushed back down to the cave. Amber groaned in exasperation.
"Hurry!" called Amber.




Fillydelphia. A few hours later...

The city was filled with grey buildings of every size. Rivers ran through the city and into the ocean that was just beyond the land. Panic filled the streets of one particular area. Local law enforcement was questioning the civilians of what had happened. Beside the local law enforcement, there were a few members of the royal guard and a dozen Rebels. Blaire stood by in silence as she listened to the woman that was being questioned.
"There was this group of women that just went crazy! They were jumping all over the place and picking up carriages with their bare hands! Carriages!" cried the witness.
"Was anyone injured?" asked Blaire.
"A few people were thrown across the street. I don't think anyone was killed, thankfully," answered the witness. Her face turned to dread.
"But they started bursting into a pet shop that's down the street and came out with cages filled with dogs and cats!" said the witness. The rebels, guards and local police looked to her in confusion.
"What the hell? Were they trying to adopt pets or something?" whispered a male rebel. His comrade shrugged in response.
"Would you have any idea as to why these women would do such a thing?" asked Blaire.
"Well, lately it's been said that the cows that would graze outside of the city have been disappearing. Some people have found tons of spider webs all over the grass and believe that this is the work of giant spiders, but those are in darker areas like caves and dark forests!" said the witness. Blaire looked towards Koizumi and Inoue.
"Any thoughts?" asked Blaire.
"MONARCH has dealt with something like this before in the Garuda Kingdom. From what the witness is saying from human women picking up chariots and spider webs out in the fields, it points to something familiar," said Koizumi. Blaire nodded in understanding. She turned to the witness.
"Thank you for your cooperation ma'am. We'll handle this problem as soon as possible. Report anything suspicious that you may find," said Blaire. The woman nodded and walked away. Blaire turned back to the crimson armored man with a sigh.
"So it's that kind of problem. Are they affiliated with the Revolutionaries?" asked Blaire.
"Nah. Transmutants are divided into different groups. Some are even solo. This group is comprised of mainly arachnid Transmutants," answered Koizumi. He then smirked under his helmet. "They're such a thrill to shoot at. Jumping all over the place and climbing walls,"
"Dully noted," deadpanned Blaire. She shook her head. "Can they be reasoned with?"
"Don't know. We were only given orders to shoot to kill. The king wanted them gone," said Koizumi with a shrug. Blaire sighed in response.
"Right. Damn, I wish Goji was here," said Blaire. Koizumi looked over the guard and found four figures rushing down the road with three moth-like creatures.
"Well, looks like wishes do come true. Where the hell is my personal airship with a giant TV screen that I wished for?" asked Koizumi with a scowl. Blaire looked to him in confusion but found him pointing behind herself. She, the guards and the rest of the rebels turned to find the Transmutant Four rushing over to their position. Inoue scowled in response as she caught sight of him.
"Great," spat Inoue.
"Let it go, Inoue," said Koizumi. Blaire left the crowd and made her way over to the Transmutants in surprise.
"Hey, what are you guys doing out here?" asked Blaire. Junior panted as he began to catch his breath.
"We...*Huff* were told that there was a problem. Involving Transmutants," said Junior. Blaire raised a brow.
"Who told you?" asked Blaire.
"We did," answered Amber. Blaire looked to them suspiciously.
"Hey, how did you know?" asked Blaire.
"We sensed a disturbance," said Amber. Blaire sighed in annoyance.
"I take it that I won't get a straight answer out of you?" asked Blaire.
"Sorry," said Amber.
"Look, we're already here and apparently people are freaking out about Transmutants. What happened?" asked Junior.
"Right. Well, apparently they hurt some civilians in the streets while causing property damage after they stole some animals from the local pet shop," answered Koizumi. The Transmutants were silent.
"A pet shop? Seriously?" asked Rodan in confusion.
"These Transmutants must be from another group that was in the Garuda kingdom a few years back. They are mainly comprised of spiders," said Koizumi. Mosura shuttered in response.
"I hate spiders," said Mosura. Rodan smirked as he popped his knuckles.
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go kick these guys in their asses!" said Rodan. Koizumi was about to eagerly respond but was interrupted as Yoshi approached them in his armor.
"No. This is an opportunity to settle this situation peacefully. Also, this group mainly comprises of females. There's at least two or three men in the group," said Yoshi. Rodan's ears perked.
"Is that so?" asked Rodan with an interested tone. Mosura gave him a deadpanned stare as she frowned.
"Rodan," called Mosura. Junior rolled his eyes in response.
"Right. So, what? Are we going to go offer them a welcome basket or something?" asked Junior.
"Doesn't sound like a bad idea if we want to keep things peaceful," said Angirasu with a shrug.
"That was sarcasm," deadpanned Junior.
"I know. I just thought that it deserved serious consideration," said Angirasu.
"Hold on! Who said anything about you guys coming along?" asked Inoue with a glare. Junior glared back at her.
"Well, why not? There's a group of Transmutants stirring trouble and all that is here is a few guards and rebels. I don't have much confidence in you guys succeeding alone," said Junior.
"Excuse me, buddy, but we have been trained for this sort of thing. Besides, we have Yoshi and Koizumi to back us up if things go sour! Two Slayer units with loads of experience on the field!" retorted Inoue. Junior scoffed in response.
"Yeah, which is why I think this plan is gonna go to hell in a hand basket real fast. You guys are just gonna scare them and provoke them to attack just by showing up," said Junior. Inoue growled at him in frustration.
"You aren't even a soldier! Step off, civilian!" said Inoue as she and Junior butt foreheads together.
"Make me, jar head," growled Junior. Yoshi and Mosura immediately pulled the two away from each other. Blaire watched in slight concern but half amusement. Sapphire leaned near her as she kept her eyes on the scene.
"Is he always like this?" asked Sapphire.
"Only with people that get on his nerves. He rarely went at it with a girl," answered Blaire. Inoue and Junior looked away from each other as they scowled with their arms crossed over their chests. Yoshi sighed in annoyance.
"Actually, I was hoping that you guys would come to help," said Yoshi. Junior glanced at the man in armor as he raised a brow.
"I think the only way we can settle this peacefully is if these Transmutants know that others are peacefully walking among us as citizens. We'll need you four to encourage them," said Yoshi. Mosura stepped in front of Junior as a smile brightened up on her face.
"We'd be happy to help. After all, this is why we came here," said Mosura. Yoshi nodded to her. He then looked to the other rebels.
"Are we clear on that?" asked Yoshi in a loud voice. Koizumi nodded.
"No complaints here, boss," said Koizumi. A few other rebels answered in reluctance, or with indifference. Inoue sighed in annoyance.
"Fine. Whatever," said Inoue. Yoshi mentally sighed as he turned back to the Transmutants. Blaire merely placed an arm over Junior with a grin.
"Well, lil bro, looks like you get to hang with your big sis for a while!" said Blaire. Junior nodded.
"We'll do whatever it takes to get the job done," said Junior. Sapphire smiled.
"I like the determination," said Sapphire. The guards led the Transmutants down the city and over to a group of chariots. The rebels trailed after them while Yoshi and Koizumi lagged behind with Inoue.
"Why do you keep picking a fight with him? He's just trying to help," said Yoshi. Inoue rolled her eyes in response.
"Hey, he's the asshole who thinks he's hot shit because he can pick up a tank," said Inoue.
"So cool," Koizumi said to himself with a smile.
"Look, just try to get along with him. We're likely going to be asking for their help more often," said Yoshi.
"Why his help? All he is a barbarian like Koizumi," said Inoue.
"Sticks and stones, Inoue," said Koizumi.
"Not everything is as they seem," said Yoshi. Inoue shook her head.
"Sure," said Inoue as she picked up speed and joined the rest of the rebels. Yoshi sighed in disappointment.
"You know what they say about a guy and a girl having this much tension, right?" asked Koizumi. Yoshi looked to him in confusion but then his eyes widened. Koizumi chuckled to himself as he shook his head.
"I'm kidding. But seriously, if this goes on, I'm setting them on a date," said Koizumi.
"Sheesh. I'm worried about them killing each other," said Yoshi with a shudder.




Later...

The Transmutant Four sat in a chariot that was pulled by a team of Pegasi. A few other chariots were in the air besides them, filled with guards and rebels that were incapable of flight. Valkyries, however, were flying at the side of the chariots. Junior held a torn piece of clothing in his hand as he stared at it. He turned his head and found Yoshi giving him a thumbs up from another chariot. He sighed in response.
"Why does this feel humiliating?" asked Junior.
"Don't let it bother you, Goji," said Mosura in reassurance.
"Yeah. It's not like he's going to put a collar on you and make you fetch," said Rodan. Junior took the piece of clothing and brought to his nose. He sniffed the cloth as he closed his eyes. His sinuses took in the smell while his brain processed the smell. It was definitely from a female Transmutant. He lowered the cloth as he stuck his head out of the chariot window. He sniffed the air in an attempt to pinpoint the location. His eyes hardened as he determined a direction. He turned his head and found Blaire flying towards him.
"Hey, we need to head down! I think I found where one of them could be!" said Junior. Blaire nodded to him.
"Got it!" said Blaire. Junior brought his head back inside and sighed.
"Well, looks like we're going to meet these new Transmutants. Any ideas?" asked Junior.
"We could just drop in and say hello. We can just tell the rebels to remain with the chariots while we bring just a small number of guards with us," said Angirasu with a shrug.
"Maybe. What else?" asked Junior.
"Since most of them are women, we can take these ladies out on a date. Huh. You know what I'm saying?" asked Rodan as he bounced his eyebrows. Junior sighed in response.
"No! We're not going to date these Transmutants!" said Junior in disapproval. Rodan smirked.
"Dude I'm just messing around. Besides, it wouldn't hurt to get to know a girl down there, eh?" asked Rodan as he nudged Junior.
"I'm trying to start an intimate relationship with Twilight," said Junior.
"Then what's holding you back? Just because a few people are talking behind your back?" asked Rodan with a deadpanned stare. Angirasu looked away as he rubbed his head.
"Rodan, don't-" Mosura turned to Rodan with glare.
"I don't know. Look, can we drop it?" asked Junior.
"Fine. I mean, we're finally back home and Twilight still likes you. I've helped Aang plan out his first date with Fluttershy and I'm working on asking Rainbow Dash out. Here you are back peddling away because-"
"What did I just say?" asked Junior with a glare. His tone was filled with annoyance. Rodan shrugged.
"Hey! I'm just being real with you, bro! Twilight's not gonna wait on you forever because you're afraid what people will think of her! Ask her how she feels about it before you lose something that's good," said Rodan. Junior sighed in response.
"Yeah, you're right. Let's get back on topic though," said Junior. He then looked to Mosura. "Any ideas?"
"Yeah, I agree with Aang's plan. If things are to go south, let's try not to kill them," said Mosura. Junior nodded.
"OK. That sounds fair enough," said Junior. The Transmutant Four felt their chariot descend further down to the ground. With a bump, they slightly bounced and felt their chariot rolling to a stop. The Transmutants exited out of their transport along with guards and rebels that were occupying separate chariots. The group searched their surroundings and found themselves in a forest. Junior sniffed the air as he attempted to pinpoint a direction. He took the cloth that he was given and sniffed it again. From behind, Yoshi approached.
"Where to?" asked Yoshi. Junior sniffed the air again and pointed towards an area filled with bushes and trees. Ahead, one could make out a mountain in the distance.
"Down there near that mountain. I can smell more than one." said Junior.
"How many?" asked Blaire.
"I say roughly about over a dozen. Most of them female, like Yoshi said," said Junior. Rodan pumped his fist.
"Score!" said Rodan. Mosura scoffed as she pinched the skin on the side of his neck. He grunted in pain as the female Transmutant brought him close.
"You better stop that or I'll have to tell Rainbow Dash," warned Mosura with a coy smile. Rodan chuckled nervously.
"OK, you made your point," grunted Rodan. Mosura smiled as she released him. Junior turned to face Yoshi.
"Yoshi, can I count on you and the other rebels to stay behind while we move up ahead?" asked Junior.
"What the hell for?" demanded Inoue.
"Yeah, how come you guys get to hog all of the action?" questioned another rebel.
"This is about peace talks. This isn't an extermination mission," deadpanned Angirasu. Junior nodded.
"Well said. If these Transmutants find people armed with MONARCH weapons and wearing the same kind of armor, you can expect things to go wrong," said Junior.
"Oh. Yeah that's a good point," said Inoue. Yoshi nodded to Junior in approval.
"Very well. We'll stay in contact with the COMs. Let us know if there's any trouble," said Yoshi.
"Got it. Let's move out guys!" called Junior as he led the Transmutants and the guards through the forest. Blaire made her way by Junior's side as she took soft breaths.
"Just stay calm, Blaire. They can smell anxiety," said Junior. Blaire smirked.
"Hey, I'm supposed to be the one to tell you to remain calm!" said Blaire jokingly. Junior chuckled in response. The group continued on, leaving a few royal guards behind with the rebels. Sapphire made her way next to Mosura as she glanced at her curiously.
"Say, he seems to be more trusting with the rebels, doesn't he?" asked Sapphire. Mosura shrugged.
"Oh no, I just scanned through his thoughts and he doesn't. Right now, he thinks one of them is gonna sneak after us and snipe the first Transmutant we run into," said Mosura. Sapphire's face went blank. She then looked to Junior in concern.
"Wow. He's really paranoid. I feel sorry for him," whispered Sapphire.
"I know. But don’t worry. We'll get him out of that," Mosura whispered back. Junior scanned the area as he sniffed the air. He stopped dead in his tracks, prompting the others to stop as well.
"Wait. One of them is close," said Junior. His eyes carefully scanned the area. Nothing but trees lined the area. His eyes trailed up a tree and up to a branch that was obscured by another branch. He could smell fear radiating off in this direction. As he looked closer, he caught sight of green eyes staring at him from the bushes.
"Mosu, up front with me," whispered Junior. Mosura slowly made her way up to the front.
"Careful guys. Don't make any threatening movements," Junior whispered to the guards. He cleared his throat as he stared at the branch that was hidden by leaves.
"I know you're there," said Junior. He heard a small gasp come from the branch, unheard by the humans. He and Mosura walked closer to the tree with cautious steps.
"It's OK. We're not here to hurt any of you. We're Transmutants, like you," said Mosura with a warm smile. The figure in the bush quivered and held onto the tree branch.
"Little girl, it's OK. We won't hurt you," said Mosura with a kind smile. Junior looked to her in confusion.
"Little?" Junior whispered to Mosura. He then turned as he heard leaves rustling. The figure began to climb across the branch and then descended from the tree. Junior's eyes widened in shock as did the other Transmutants. Before them was a little Neighponese girl with short black hair. She was wearing a pair of slightly torn shorts and a dirty white t-shirt. She dropped down to the ground and stared at the Transmutants warily. Mosura made her way closer to the child and placed her hands on her knees as she looked at the child. A warm smile was on her face.
"Hi there. Do you have a name?" asked Mosura. The girl lightly whimpered as she took a step away from Mosura. Blaire stared in fascination with the interaction.
"Mom says I'm not supposed to talk to strangers. Especially if they're Transmutants like us," said the girl.
"Smart kid," said Junior with a nod.
"Yeah but she came out of hiding," said Rodan.
"To be fair, she is a little girl and we did catch her hiding place. No point in ignoring us," said Angirasu.
"I see. Well, could we perhaps talk to your parents?" asked Mosura.
"Why?" asked the child.
"Oh, well because we are part of this group that wants to help other Transmutants. You see, my friend's mother is the princess!" said Mosura as she gestured to Junior. The girl looked to Junior in confusion.
"But...she's not a Transmutant," said the child.
"I was adopted when I was a little kid." said Junior with a shrug.
"Right. The princess is allowing good Transmutants to stay in her kingdom and to live as her subjects!" said Mosura in an upbeat tone. The girl stared at her in wonder.
"R-really?" asked the girl. Mosura nodded with a grin.
"That's right! We want to help other Transmutants with this opportunity. Could you take us to your mother?" asked Mosura. Suddenly, the sound of something zipping through the air reached their ears. Mosura felt a white silk wrap around her arm. She gasped as she shot up and looked at her arm.
"What the-?" Mosura yelped as she was suddenly yanked away. Junior gasped as he found Mosura being dragged away.
"Mosu!" cried the Transmutants. Rodan broke off into a sprint after her. A figure dropped behind the guards, causing them to whip around. A woman with long black hair, with a tan coat and black jeans glared at them. She sent quick jabs to the guards, knocking them down to the ground. Blaire and Sapphire yelped and dodged her attack. Angirasu yelled as he rushed towards the woman and sent a few punches. The woman dodged each punch and merely slid under him. She sent a punch into his ribs, causing him to stagger.
"Mommy, no!" cried the girl. Junior rushed over to help Blaire and Sapphire, but stopped as another woman dropped in front of him. He growled as a woman with golden highlights glared at him. She yelled as she charged towards him and tackled him to the ground. She sent quick punches towards him, which Junior took with grunts.
"You! Stay away! From the child!" shouted the woman. Junior growled as he pressed his hand against the woman and shoved her off of himself.
"Ms. Kumonga, don't! They want to be our friends!" said the girl. The woman merely scoffed as she hopped back onto her feet and glared at Junior.
"Don't be silly. They just want to hurt us. We aren't going to give in to them!" said Kumonga. Junior growled in response.
"Hey, you're making this a lot worse on yourself. We just want to settle an incident peacefully!" said Junior.
"Settle this!" said Kumonga. She rushed over to Junior and sent a quick jab against his face. A few other women dropped from the trees and assaulted Junior as well. The Transmutant roared angrily as he swiped away one of the women, sending her towards a tree. As Kumonga sent a kick towards his skull, he caught her leg and swung her around. The woman cried out as she was spun around and around. The girl burst into tears and sobbed to herself. Junior glanced at the child, feeling terrible making her cry. Suddenly, he felt something catch him on his back. He turned and found his back covered in a web that was connected towards the woman with black hair. His eyes widened as he found her with her mouth wide open and fangs hanging out. The web appeared to be coming from the back of her throat. The woman was crouching over Angirasu, who was tied up in the webbing. The woman stood and grunted as she pulled on the web, causing Junior to fly off of his feet. He dropped Kumonga on the ground and was dragged across the ground. Junior turned around and yanked back on the web and forced the woman closer towards himself. She chomped down on the webbing, causing it to disconnect. She was about to flee but was grabbed by Junior.
"Not so fast!" shouted Junior as he caught her leg and slammed her on the ground. The woman cried out in pain as she was dropped to the ground.
"Aah!" cried Sapphire. Junior gasped as he turned around and found the Transmutants dragging away Blaire and Sapphire in their webbing. Kumonga grabbed Blaire by her hair, causing her to cry out in pain.
"Let them go!" demanded Junior as he stood to his feet while holding onto the woman.
"First, you let her go!" demanded Kumonga. Junior growled in response.
Meanwhile, Rodan was sprinting after Mosura, who was crying out. She was being dragged along the grass and dirt, catching twigs and leaves in her hair. A woman was dragging her across the land and towards a cave with a large strand of web in her hand.
"Let go!" shouted Mosura. She turned and found Rodan chasing after her. She waved frantically for him. "Rodan!"
"I got ya!" said Rodan. He dove for the Transmutant and grabbed her foot with one hand. His eyes widened as her shoe came loose. He planted his feet into the grass as he wrapped his arms around Mosura's legs to get better leverage on her.
"Ow! Ow! Ow!" cried Mosura as she felt her arm sting as well as her legs. The female Transmutant with short spiked hair stopped and found Rodan holding Mosura back.
"Sorry!" apologized Rodan as he looked to Mosura with worry. He used his arms and pulled on Mosura's legs to pry her away. He soon wrapped his arms around her waist, causing Mosura to gasp as her face brightened up into a blush.
"H-Hey! Watch the hands, buddy!" said Mosura as she felt his hands on her thighs.
"Again, I'm sorry!" said Rodan as he gave a strong tug on Mosura, causing the foreign Transmutant to lose her grip on the web. Mosura yelped as she and Rodan suddenly fell back onto the ground. The two groaned in exhaustion as they lied down. Mosura gasped as she found the Transmutant charging towards them. She shot her hand forward, pushing the Transmutant with her telekinesis into the cave using great effort. Rodan immediately stood up and helped Mosura up to her feet.
"Let's go find the others." said Rodan. Mosura nodded to him in response. The two broke off into a sprint while they heard shouts.
"First, you let her go!" shouted a voice. Mosura and Rodan picked up their speed. They later arrived to where they were last standing. Mosura gasped as she found the standoff. Junior glared at Kumonga as he brought up the woman that he held.
"I swear if you don't-" Junior growled but stopped as Kumonga placed her arms around Blaire's neck. His eyes widened as he found the position that the two were in.
"Don't you dare threaten me! You let her go, or I will snap her neck!" shouted Kumonga. Tension filled the air, Junior's rage began to boil.
"Sarge!" cried Sapphire. Junior gave an animalistic growl.
"You think I'm playing around?!" demanded Kumonga. Blaire glanced up at Kumonga and saw her expression. She appeared to be holding a menacing expression, but Blaire could tell that she was frightened due to her trembling arms.
"I swear to god, if you kill her, I'll kill your friend too!" shouted Junior as he grabbed the woman by her neck and held her up. The woman cried out as she held onto Junior's hand. Mosura stared in horror and Kumonga visibly flinched as fear struck her heart. Blaire immediately turned to face Gojira with dread.
"Goji don't!" said Blaire.
"Blaire, she's going to kill you!" shouted Junior. His breaths grew heavy as his heart raced.
"Gojira, just do as she says!" said Blaire. Junior's breathing grew panicked.
"I-I..."
"Goji, did you hear yourself? You just threatened a mother. In front of her child!" said Blaire as she glanced at the crying child. Junior's eyes softened as he found the helpless child. He looked down at the woman that he held, who looked at Junior fearfully as she held onto his hand.
"Please don't kill me. My baby girl," said the woman in a distraught tone. Junior's heart nearly stopped. If he were to take this woman's life, he may never be the same again. His muscles began to relax.
"Goji, just let her go. It's going to be OK," said Blaire as she held her hand out to him with a calm expression. Junior nodded to her. He released the woman and dropped onto his knees. The mother gasped loudly as she attempted to catch her breath. Junior began to hyperventilate as he held his hand over his face.
"Oh my god. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry," whispered Junior. Kumonga stared in disbelief at how soon he yielded. She watched as he held his head down and trembled. She released Blaire while another one of her group members released Sapphire. Mosura and Rodan came rushing over to Junior as his breathing grew shallow.
"Goji! Goji, just breathe!" said Mosura as she took his hand and placed it on her lap. Junior's breathing would not settle. He instead kept playing the incident in his mind.
"Gojira!" cried Mosura. Junior snapped out of his thoughts and glanced at Mosura. His eyes watered as he immediately hid his face.
"Don't look at me. Just-" Junior held in his sobs, but trembled. Mosura brought him upright and wrapped him into a tight hug.
"Shh. I know, I know," whispered Mosura. Rodan wore a worried frown as he watched Junior and Mosura. Angirasu lowered his head as one of the spider Transmutants made their way over to him and began to tear the webbing that bounded him.
"Oh god. I'm a monster," muttered Junior.

> Chapter 44: Anger Management
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sun was setting over the land of Equestria. It was just minutes after the 'peace talks' went wrong. The Transmutant Four, minus Junior, and the royal guards were inside of a cave. The cave was lit by lanterns and ran deep into the mountain. Several women were weaving silk from a spider-like creature that stood hunched over. Its body was large, baring a small head with four red eyes on top, and covered in dark brown hairs with white stripes all around it. The creature's mandibles twitched as one of the women continued to pull the thread of webbing that the creature sprayed. The spider stood on four legs that were firmly planted into the ground. The feet were bent, allowing the long spindly legs to support the creature. The spider bore four long arms that held three sharp claws. The abdomen hung behind the spider, where its vital organs were carried.
From the other side of the cave, Mosura stared at the massive creature that stood to be over nine feet tall. She stared at the unmoving red eyes, the hairs that stuck out of its body, and the venomous fangs that were curled with the mandibles. She felt like screaming in terror and running out crying just by staring at it, but that would be rude. Mosura immediately turned her attention away from the spider and the other Transmutants that collected its silk and found Kumonga standing with a few other women and one man. The head of the group merely bowed to the Transmutants and royal guards.
"Please forgive me of my actions. Including those of my sisters," said Kumonga in an apologetic tone. Rodan nodded as he merely smiled.
"OK, we forgive you!" said Rodan. Angirasu rolled his eyes in response.
'Only because you won't stop gawking at them,' thought Angirasu. Kumonga and her fellow group members looked to them in confusion.
"Huh. Well that was fast," said one of the women.
"Ma'am, we’d like to apologize for what happened. We only wanted to reach out to you and your group. Since Princess Celestia is allowing Transmutants like us to remain in the country, we want to help others to become comfortable with walking among humans," said Mosura. One of the women looked to Mosura with a scowl.
"What about that jackass with the ugly mug? Is he sorry too?" questioned the woman. Mosura winced at the venom that was in her tone.
"He is. In fact, he really regrets it," answered Mosura.
"Yeah? Then where is he so he can tell us himself?" questioned another woman. Blaire merely cleared her throat.
"Listen, I know how that was uncalled for. But to be fair...one of you did threaten to snap my neck." said Blaire. The spider Transmutants shot her a glare. Blaire shrugged in response.
"What? I don't hold a grudge against you guys. I'm just merely stating that you pretty much provoked him first. Doesn't make it OK, but...you know?" asked Blaire. Kumonga sighed as she gave a nod.
"I do. We just didn't know what to think when a new group of Transmutants and the royal guard come wandering into our territory. And when little Kori wandered off, we grew fearful," said Kumonga. Mosura nodded in understanding. She then cleared her throat.
"Tell us, what was it that drove a few of your group members to cause a panic in the city that's nearby? What's this about missing cows and stealing animals from a pet shop?" asked Mosura.
"Wait, what?" asked Kumonga in shock.
"You...didn't know about this?" asked Mosura. Kumonga stood and turned to face three younger women at the far end of the cave with a glare.
"Hey! Did you steal those animals from a pet shop?!" demanded Kumonga. One of the women gulped nervously as she held a kitten in her arms.
"Um...maybe?" answered the woman.
"You told me that they were strays! Why would you and your friends go out, cause a scene, and then steal pets?!" demanded Kumonga.
"Well, to keep people distracted while Thorn stole the puppies and kittens for us." answered the same young woman. Her friend, an Equestrian female with silver hair and green eyes gasped as she turned to face her friend.
"Don't tell her that I was the one that-"
"Enough! You three can't keep causing mischief like this! Grow up!" said Kumonga. The women frowned as they lowered their head. Thorn glanced up back at Kumonga with timid eyes.
"Can we at least keep the kittens and puppies?" asked Thorn. Kumonga was about to retort but was interrupted by the sound of giggling. She turned and found Kori giggling as she held the puppy that yipped and licked her cheek. Kumonga sighed as she lightly smiled at the scene.
"Fine. But you three are in charge of potty training them," said Kumonga with a glare. The three young Transmutants all moaned in disappointment. Thorn shrugged in response and began to nuzzle a kitten that she was holding.
"Right. So...what about the cattle that's been missing from the field? Locals claim that tons of web covered the grass and some of the wild cows were missing," said Blaire.
"Oh, we took a couple of cows so we can milk them," answered Kumonga. One of the female Transmutants walked over towards the group and held out a glass bottle filled with milk. Kumonga turned to the guard in worry.
"That's not a problem is it?" asked Kumonga. Blaire hummed in thought.
"Well, they don't actually belong to anyone. But...I think it'd be better if you were to legally own them," said Blaire with a shrug. Rodan turned and watched as one of the spider Transmutants continued to spray webbing as the others in their human forms continued to harvest it.
"Say, what are they doing over there?" asked Rodan.
"Oh, they're harvesting her silk to sell off to anyone that uses it for clothing," answered one of the other female Transmutants. Rodan chuckled in response.
"You're using your biological byproduct as a money maker? Genius! I wish I could do that and make some bits off of it!" said Rodan. Mosura turned to face Kumonga.
"This might not be the best time. Especially after the incident, but we would like to know if you'd consider joining us as one major team. You see, there is another group of Transmutants in Mustangia that we know and who are also our allies. They're walking freely among humans as citizens and have been recognized by the royal sisters," said Mosura.
"You're group will be recognized by the nation, and you would be helping make strives for making Equestria a better place for Transmutants to live in," said Blaire with a smile. Kumonga glanced away and then to a couple of her group members. They all gave her unsure expressions. She turned back to the guards and Transmutant Four.
"Thank you for the offer. But...I think we're better off being neutral," said Kumonga.
"But...why?" asked Mosura.
"Is it cause of Goji?" asked Angirasu.
"No," answered Kumonga. Another woman scoffed in response.
"Yes," said the woman. Kumonga shot her a glare.
"No, it's because we feel more comfortable where we are right now. Besides, we rather not choose sides when there's a potential faction war brewing," said Kumonga.
"Wait, we're a faction?" asked Rodan as he looked to Mosura and Angirasu with a raised brow.
"We heard about four Transmutants fighting the Revolutionaries in Ponyville a few months back. I assume that they'd be you," said Kumonga. She bowed her head. "Please understand. We just want to remain neutral for our safety,"
"That's understandable. But please, don't be afraid to ask for help if you're in trouble. Also, you’re always welcome to be part of our team," said Mosura with a smile. Kumonga nodded as she smiled back.
"Thank you," said Kumonga. Blaire gave her a stern expression.
"Also, don't start anymore trouble with the locals. It won't be good for either of us," warned Blaire.
"Oh don't worry. I'll make sure that there's good behavior in this group. Especially from some of us," said Kumonga sternly as she looked to the three young spider Transmutant women in disapproval. They merely shrunk back in response.




Meanwhile...

Junior was slowly walking alone in the forest. He held his hands in his pockets as he bore a frown. Amber fluttered after him as she looked to him in worry.
"Takeshi, wait!" cried Amber.
"Just...just leave me alone Amber," said Junior as he continued walking. He later came across the carriages that he and everyone else were dropped off from. Near the chariots were a few rebels, standing idly.
"Takeshi. How did it go? Where's Yasu and the others?" asked Yoshi.
"It's fine now. They're talking with the Transmutants," answered Junior. Inoue looked to him in confusion.
"Hey, why aren't you with them? Did you beat one of them to death or something?" chuckled Inoue. Junior shot her a glare but immediately lost it. He merely frowned and continued walking.
"Very funny," said Junior as he continued walking. Inoue lost her look of amusement. Amber fluttered down onto one of the chariots.
"Takeshi!" called Amber. No answer came from the Transmutant. Only silence filled the air as he continued to walk away.
"What's his problem?" asked Koizumi. Amber sighed in response.
"Apparently there was an incident when they met," answered Amber.
"What kind of incident?" asked Inoue.
"The group leader threatened to kill Blaire when they thought they were being invaded by enemies, and Takeshi threatened to kill a member of her group." said Amber in a sad tone.
"So much for having it under control," said one of the rebels.
"And...he feels sorry about that?" asked Inoue. She didn't think a seemingly cold killer like Junior was incapable of feeling regret over something such as this.
"The woman had a child and she was right there watching the entire confrontation," said Amber. Inoue's eyes widened. She turned and looked to Junior as he made his way over to an area where a large tree stood. He sat down near the trunk and placed his face into one of his hands.
"Did he..."
"No. But he feels like he did," said Amber. Inoue lightly frowned as she watched Junior slam his elbow against the tree angrily. He gave a faint and angry yell that echoed in the forest.
"Oh," said Inoue. Yoshi sighed as he shook his head.
"Well, I guess it could have been worse. I mean, if we did go with them, I think people would have actually died," said Koizumi with a shrug. Inoue looked to him with a deadpanned expression.
"I'm just trying to make light of the situation," said Koizumi. Inoue rolled her eyes as she looked back at Junior. She took a deep breath and sharply exhaled as she began to walk down towards Junior. Yoshi and Koizumi looked to her in confusion.
"Inoue?" called Yoshi.
"Just a sec," said Inoue. She continued to walk down over towards the far tree with Amber trailing after her. She could hear Junior's panting as she got closer. She watched as he dug his sharp claws into the tree and flinched as he immediately swiped his hand across the tree, causing bark to fly off.
"Goddamn it! Mother-" Junior grabbed his head as he accidentally dug his claws against his skin. He yelped in pain and released his head that was now bleeding. He groaned in frustration as he held his head and shook it. His sinuses picked up a familiar scent approaching.
"Takeshi-"
"Go away, damn it!!" shouted Junior as he shot up to his feet and glared at Inoue. She immediately stopped in her tracks and recoiled from his reptilian eyes and the sharp teeth that were in his gums. Inoue raised her hands up defensively.
"Calm down! I just-"
"I don't give a shit! Beat it!" shouted Junior as he pointed back towards the rebels. Inoue glared back at him.
"No," said Inoue as she crossed her arms and stood her ground. Junior furrowed his brows as he growled at her.
"Yeah, 'Grrr' to you too pal!" said Inoue as she shoved Junior away. He slightly stumbled back but glared at her. Inoue held her arms out.
"What? Go on and hit me! Come on, I know you want to!" said Inoue in a challenging voice. Junior kept his glare on her while the rebels looked on in worry.
"What the hell is she doing?" asked Yoshi.
"I say she's trying to die. I'll get the flowers." said Koizumi.
Junior stared down at Inoue as she stood before him, refusing to back down from him. His breathing began to settle while he kept his glare on her. His eyes changed back to normal and his claws retracted. He relaxed his body and merely shook his head.
"I'm not going to hit you. You don't get on my nerves enough," said Junior as he sat down on the grass as he glared at the ground. Inoue sighed and slumped her shoulders while her heart was beating rapidly in her chest. Junior grunted as he ran his fingers over the cuts on his head. Inoue reached into her pocket and pulled out a small bag. She knelt down next to Junior and pulled out a small white bottle of disinfectant and a cloth.
"Don't touch it. It's going to get infected," said Inoue. Junior glanced at her and looked to her with a raised brow as she sprayed into the cloth.
"You do realize that I'll just automatically heal it without any worries of infection, right? I can be in a hospital room with everyone infected with the common cold and come out just fine the next day," said Junior. Inoue scoffed in response.
"Shut up and let me do this. This might sting a bit," said Inoue. She lightly dabbed at Junior's cuts. He lightly winced from the feeling of the disinfectant touching his exposed wounds. Amber sat and watched the two in silence.
"So...what did you want?" asked Junior. Inoue grabbed his chin and turned his head to face her. She leaned over to him as she reached for the cuts on the other side of his head.
"Amber told us what happened back there," answered Inoue.
"What? You want to kick me while I'm down and call me a monster? Why not go with your rebel buddies and say whatever you want about me?" asked Junior sarcastically. He raised his arm, forcing Inoue off of him. She punched him in his shoulder in response.
"No, jerkass. I just want to- God, can't we just have a normal conversation like normal people?" asked Inoue in exasperation.
"Funny. You never seemed too keen about that before," said Junior. Inoue sighed in annoyance as she placed the cloth down and sat against the tree with Junior. She glanced back at him and watched in awe as his cuts sealed themselves shut.
"So...what's it like? To heal like that,"
"Well, it makes me less human. I'll tell you that much," said Junior. Inoue scowled at him in response. Junior then sighed as he leaned against the tree. "But it's been a life saver for me. I once got stabbed by a katana and healed in five minutes,"
"Damn. Can you regrow an arm or leg if they get dismembered?" asked Inoue. Junior shrugged in response.
"I have no clue. I'll let you know if I ever lose any of them," replied Junior in a humorous tone. Inoue lightly smirked before frowning.
"Listen, try not to dwell on what happened. I once beat the crap out of my little sister for stealing my boyfriend when we were kids, even though I love her," said Inoue.
"That doesn't really compare to what I was about to do," deadpanned Junior. Inoue shrugged.
"Maybe not on a moral standpoint. But I've lost my cool before too," said Inoue as she looked to Junior. The two stared at each other in silence for several seconds. Both of them tore their eyes away from each other.
"Listen, we got off on the wrong foot when we met. I want to say sorry for giving you crap about...everything," said Inoue as she rubbed the back of her head. She avoided eye contact with him. Junior nodded in response.
"Yeah. Me too," said Junior. He then sighed.
"I still hate what happened though. This isn't the first time that I exploded like this," said Junior as he thought back to when he attacked Adagio. The memory still stuck with him to this very day.
"Well maybe...don't get mad when I say this but..." Inoue cleared her throat as she looked back to Junior. "...Have you ever thought of taking anger management?"
Junior remained silent after hearing the suggestion. Inoue began to grow nervous at his silence. He merely turned to face her with an unsure expression.
"I'm not opposed to the idea, but I don't think I know anyone willing to help a Transmutant that can burn them to ashes with his atomic breath," said Junior. Inoue looked at him in confusion.
"Atomic what?"
"Sorry. It's this ability that I have. It's like a fire breath both with hot radiation. I gave it a name just for the hell of it," said Junior. Inoue cleared her throat.
"Cool names aside, I think you can find someone who can help," said Inoue with a reassuring smile. Junior sighed as he bumped the back of his head against the tree.
"But who?" asked Junior.




The next day...

Junior sat down on a chair inside of Fluttershy's cottage. Fluttershy sat on her sofa with her pet rabbit sitting down next to her, who bore a scowl on his face. She held her hands locked together over her lap as she gave Junior a kind smile.
"Thanks Fluttershy. I am in need of your help," said Junior with a small smile. Fluttershy nodded to him as she dusted off her teal colored skirt.
"Of course! I'm happy to help you!" said Fluttershy. She then cleared her throat as she crossed one of her legs over the other.
"Now, anger is a natural emotion to feel. In fact, it's part of a healthy emotional life to feel angry every once in a while over things such as injustice or betrayal," said Fluttershy as she gave into a lecturing tone. Junior merely smiled at how she spoke with confidence. Rarely did she speak this way around the others, but every once in a while, she would speak more casually with him when they were alone. He suspected it was because she was most comfortable with him.
"But, it's unhealthy when the person has outbursts of anger. Anger expressed through violence can be deadly for both the person and those around him or her. Hence why you are here," said Fluttershy. Junior nodded with a sigh.
"Yeah..." said Junior. Fluttershy scooted down the sofa until she was closer to Junior. She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"But don't be ashamed to be here. We're here to help you cope and to manage your anger," said Fluttershy with a smile. She then brought her hand over her chest as she cleared her throat.
"Now, repeat after me. 'I am angry and that's OK'," said Fluttershy. Junior took a breath and closed his eyes.
"I am angry and that's OK," said Junior.
"I will do my best to manage my anger. Because anger is not worth losing my loved ones over," said Fluttershy.
"I will do my best to manage my anger. Because anger is not worth losing my loved ones over," said Junior. He then opened his eyes and found Fluttershy staring at him with a bright smile.
"Very good! Now, let's begin with a set of challenges so you can learn how to react in certain situations that may seem infuriating," said Fluttershy. She stood up from her sofa and led Junior outside of her cottage. He was led out to the back where a chicken coop sat near the edge of the fence that encircled the backyard. Junior stopped as Fluttershy turned around and gestured to Pinkie Pie, who stood with an eager expression on her face.
"Pinkie Pie has volunteered to help with some of the challenges," said Fluttershy. Junior gave her a deadpanned stare.
"OK. Then why the hell are they here?" asked Junior as he pointed to the far end of the back yard. Fluttershy turned and found Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Mosura, Rodan and Angirasu sitting down in the grass.
"We're here for morale support!" said Mosura. Rodan hooted.
"Come on Goji! Kick anger's ass!" cheered Rodan.
"You can do it!" shouted Rainbow. Applejack sighed in response.
"He gets it, you too," said Applejack.
"Thank you!" said Junior with a look of annoyance. He then turned to face Fluttershy. "What's first?"
"Well, when you feel yourself growing angry, you can try to calm yourself by thinking happy thoughts. You can also take deep, calming breaths to settle your nerves," said Fluttershy in a soft tone. Junior sighed.
"Maybe I should just pre-record your voice and listen to it whenever I get angry. It's sweet enough to calm me down," said Junior. Fluttershy giggled in response.
"Really?" asked Fluttershy with a blush on her cheeks. Junior felt piercing glares on his back. He turned and found Rarity glaring at him while Twilight looked to him with pout expression and Angirasu looked to him in disbelief. Junior shrugged.
"What? She has a soft voice! Wouldn't you like to hear it more often if it soothes your nerves?" asked Junior.
"I would," said Pinkie as she raised her hand in the air.
"Same!" said Rodan. Rainbow scowled in response.
"Well, he has a point," Rarity said to Twilight. Twilight shrugged in response. Junior shook his head as he looked to Fluttershy.
"Calm breaths and happy place. Got it," said Junior. Fluttershy nodded as she turned to Pinkie Pie.
"Now, let's see how you do with Pinkie Pie in this first challenge," said Fluttershy as she took a few steps away. Pinkie rushed over to Junior with a bright smile on her face.
"So, do you know what's fun?" asked Pinkie.
"Um...parties?" asked Junior in reluctance. Pinkie shook her head.
"No, but those are really fun too! But there's also, noogies!!" cried Pinkie as she placed Junior in a headlock and began to rub her fist over Junior's head.
"Ah! Stop!" cried Junior as he felt Pinkie's fist rub his scalp at high speed. He swore that he felt like his head was going to burst into flames from the friction. Pinkie hopped on his back and wrapped her legs around his waist as she continued her noogie. Junior wobbled and groaned in pain as his eyes rolled back. Pinkie laughed hysterically as she continued her torture. The Transmutant suddenly dropped down on his belly with Pinkie still on his back. He panted as he lied down.
"Are you angry?" asked Pinkie.
"Well, I'm mildly annoyed. Does that count?" asked Junior. He then heard the rest of his friends snickering in amusement. He sent the humans and other Transmutants a glare, silencing them. Pinkie released Junior and helped him to his feet. Junior rubbed his tender scalp and slightly winced.
"You passed the first challenge! You managed to remain calm when receiving a noogie," said Fluttershy in approval. "Now I want you to have a conversation with Pinkie Pie,"
"Kay'," said Junior as he and Pinkie Pie took a seat facing each other.
"Isn't the weather nice today, Goji?" asked Pinkie as she gestured to the area.
"Yeah, it's alright. It's hot though," said Junior as he pulled on the collar of his t-shirt, allowing a breeze to reach his chest.
"I know! We totally need like a swimming pool or something!" said Pinkie.
"Or we could just swim in the lake," said Junior. Pinkie gasped loudly.
"No! We should have a water balloon fight!" cried Pinkie. Junior's face turned to dread.
"No, I don't really-"
"What colors of balloons should we get? Maybe red or green. Oh! Maybe even blue and Pink. How about white? Maybe black!" Pinkie began to count off the colors that she could possibly think of.
"Pinkie I would rather-" Junior groaned in frustration as Pinkie continued to ignore him. He then noticed the stares that he was receiving, silently analyzing how he planned to react to the situation. Junior took calming breaths and looked to Pinkie with a forced smile.
"Hey, Pinkie Pie," said Junior in a more upbeat tone. Pinkie Pie stopped and looked to Junior with a smile.
"Yeeees?" asked Pinkie as she batted her eye lashes.
"Why use water balloons when the lake is obviously the more efficient means of cooling off? After all, you're constantly in the water," said Junior.
"Yeah, but it's so much fun to toss water balloons with friends!" said Pinkie.
"True. But think of it this way. What if the pieces of balloons are lost and a duck or some other critter finds it. What if it tries to eat it but ends up choking on rubber?" asked Junior with a fake tone of dread. Fluttershy gasped loudly and stared at Junior in disbelief.
"Why would you even say that?!" asked Fluttershy in horror. Junior shrugged.
"It can happen! Nature is fragile!" said Junior.
"Then why are we still alive after fighting sea dragons and other Transmutants?" asked Rodan with a deadpanned stare.
"Because we're perversions of nature," deadpanned Junior. Twilight frowned.
"Gojira-"
"I'm kidding!" interrupted Junior. Pinkie hummed in thought.
"Maybe you're right. Sure! A swim in the lake sounds a lot better and more environmentally friendly!" said Pinkie with a grin. Rainbow scoffed in response.
"Tree hugger," said Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy gasped as her face brightened up into a grin.
"Tree Hugger is here?!" asked Fluttershy. The Transmutants and humans looked at her in confusion. Fluttershy blushed in embarrassment.
"Oh you meant-" Fluttershy laughed as she rubbed her arm. "Never mind,"
"Right. So what's next?" asked Junior.



"Whenever you feel angry, try to manage it by punching or yelling into a pillow," said Fluttershy as she and Junior stood by a large stone. She handed him a white pillow, which he took and began to analyze.
"OK," said Junior. He then noticed Rainbow Dash and Applejack holding a large box.
"Now, what do you do when you see someone struggling to carry an item?" asked Fluttershy.
"I offer them a hand," answered Junior. Fluttershy nodded to him.
"Demonstrate," said Fluttershy. Junior made his way over to Rainbow and Applejack.
"Hey, do you girls need any help?" asked Junior.
"Yeah, we could use it!" said Rainbow as she and Applejack held out the box. Junior dropped the pillow that he was given and was about to take the box, but stopped. A look of confusion was plastered on his face.
"Wait, what does this have to do with-" Junior was about to finish but he suddenly felt pain shot up his foot. He convulsed and yelled in pain as the box that his friends were holding had fell on his foot. He shot them a glare, causing them to shrink back.
"So sorry about that Sugarcube!" said Applejack with a frantic expression. Rainbow nodded in response.
"Yeah, it was an accident!" said Rainbow.
"What the fu-" Junior was about to yell but then immediately stopped himself. He took calming breaths. He then picked up his pillow and then sent light punches into it.
"It's OK. Accidents happen. Try to be more careful next time, OK?" asked Junior as he spoke in a calm tone. Applejack and Rainbow Dash sighed in relief. The rest of the humans and Transmutants relaxed from Junior's calm response. Junior bent over and picked up the box and began to walk with it.
"Now let's- Ah!" Junior suddenly tripped over the stone that was nearby. He fell down on the ground and then growled angrily.
"Damn it!" shouted Junior as he picked up the stone that he tripped over and clenched his hand on it. The stone suddenly burst into pieces and crumbled in his hands. Junior seethed as he glared at the pieces that fell out of his hand. The humans and other Transmutants gulped nervously. Fluttershy looked at Junior with disapproval and held her arms crossed over her chest. Junior looked at her with a frown. He then sighed in response.



"OK Goji. Picture yourself back in school," said Fluttershy as she sat down on the grass with Junior. The Transmutant groaned in response.
"Oh, come on! Don't make me relive that shitty period in my life, Shy," pleaded Junior.
"Aw, but Goji, that should be a wonderful time in your life! A time where you meet new friends and-" Fluttershy held her hands together as she bore a nostalgic look. She then noticed the deadpanned stare that Junior was giving her.
"Shy...I was bullied when I was little kid and I grew up to be the school's top delinquent back in high school. My school days were not wonderful," said Junior. Fluttershy frowned.
"Sorry," said Fluttershy timidly. Junior looked away with a grimace.
"Fine. Let's pretend that my school days were decent. What's the challenge?" asked Junior. He then noticed Rarity approaching and wearing a school uniform with a violet skirt. Her long sleeved button up shirt was covered by a sleeveless sweater. She wore white thigh high stockings. Rarity struck a pose as she gave a wink to the Transmutant. Junior tilted his head in confusion. He then noticed Mosura approaching from the corner. His eyes widened as he found her wearing a pair of fake glasses. She wore a blouse, a skirt, and a pair of heels that added to her height. She chuckled as she adjusted her glasses and held a ruler. Junior then noticed Twilight standing with a few books in her hand. She was wearing a student uniform different from the one she normally wore. She blushed in embarrassment as she avoided eye contact with him. Junior's face turned to confusion.
"The hell?" asked Junior.
"Rarity and Twilight will be acting as your fellow students, while Mosura will be playing the part of your teacher," said Fluttershy. Junior remained silent as Fluttershy cleared her throat.
"Mosura, if you'll please. That is if you want to," said Fluttershy in a timid tone. Mosura nodded as she smiled at her. She approached Junior and knelt down to his level.
"Mr. Takeshi, your grades have been terrible! You haven't turned in the essay that I assigned to the class days ago and you keep dozing off!" said Mosura as she held her ruler against Junior's face. He slightly recoiled back. "What is the problem?"
"I uh..." Junior tried to think up an excuse. He felt like he was actually back in school. "I'm having trouble researching the subject to write about,"
"Unacceptable! You better get on top of that or I will be forced to fail you on the assignment!" said Mosura. She slammed the ruler on the ground, causing Junior to flinch.
"Uh...ma'am, can't I get a little more time on this? I've been really stressed lately." said Junior. Mosura scoffed in response.
"You're stressed? Young man, I have to work myself to death all year round to make sure that my students pass!" retorted Mosura. She was really getting into her role. She then lowered her glasses down the bridge of her nose and looked to Junior with an unimpressed expression. "Give me one good reason why I should grant you more time,"
"I'll give you several! First of all, I asked you nicely. And as far as I know, I hardly ask the teacher for more time for an assignment," said Junior as he narrowed his eyes. Mosura's eyes widened as he stood up and towered over her. "Also, you're asking us to write a long essay and minimize our mistakes in grammar and spelling, along with writing our opinions about Transmutants! A race we hardly know anything about, be it morals or physical capabilities!"
"Uh..." Mosura began to take a few steps back as Junior stalked closer to her as his eyes hardened.
"Goji, calm breaths," reminded Fluttershy with a slight anxious expression.
"I'm being harassed by the royal guard because some assholes keep spreading rumors about me assaulting people and it's worrying my step mother to death! I have to take time explaining to her that they’re just some stupid rumors while juggling school to be passing in academics!" said Junior. His tone began to rise.
"I uh..." Mosura looked at him nervously as she was back up against the chicken coop. She slightly bent her back over on it while standing. Junior merely bent over her while keeping his stern gaze.
"Now let me ask you! Ms. Yasu! Would it be that much trouble just to lend me extra time just this one time? One time! So that I may pass your class and create a brighter future for myself?!" demanded Junior. Mosura laughed nervously.
"I-I suppose not. You make a fair argument, Mr. Takeshi. Please, take as much time as you need," said Mosura. Junior sighed as he stood back up.
"Thank you. I'm...I'm sorry that I yelled at you ma'am. It's the stress. It's tearing me apart inside. I just feel trapped," said Junior as he rubbed the sides of his head. Mosura cleared her throat as she stood back up.
"It's alright. I may have been a little unfair to you. Please, do your best," said Mosura with a smile. Junior nodded as he smiled.
"Thanks, Teach," said Junior. The other Transmutants and humans stared with wide eyes. Applejack looked at Junior with sympathy.
"I think we done stumbled upon some repressed memories," said Applejack.
"Dude, this is so weird," said Rodan.
"Agreed," said Angirasu, Pinkie and Rainbow in unison. Rodan smiled to himself.
"But Rarity does look good in that uniform," said Rodan. Rarity smiled brightly as she struck a pose.
"Why, thank you!" said Rarity. Rainbow scowled in response. She then elbowed Rodan in his rib.
"Ow!" said Rodan. He then chuckled to himself. "Ah don't worry RD. I bet you'd look good in a school girl uniform too,"
"Wait, what was that?" asked Rainbow with a bright blush appearing on her face. Rodan went stiff.
"Huh? Uh nothing!" said Rodan. Rainbow looked down at the grass as she twiddled her thumbs. Fluttershy cleared her throat as she approached Junior and Mosura.
"OK. Well, that could have gone better. But, it worked out in the end. Goji, try to explain things a tiny bit calmer," said Fluttershy. Junior nodded in response.
"Noted. What's next?" asked Junior. Fluttershy took his arm and led him over to Rarity and Twilight.
"Rarity will play the role of the mean, popular girl. Twilight's role, we'll get to later," said Fluttershy. Rarity pouted in response.
"Why must I be a mean popular girl?" asked Rarity.
"It's just for pretend, Rarity," said Twilight in reassurance.
"Wait, shouldn't the popular girl have two other friends at her side that are popular and mean too?" asked Junior with a shrug. Fluttershy hummed in thought.
"Well, I suppose if it helps. Any volunteers?" asked Fluttershy as she turned to face the other Transmutants and humans. Pinkie gasped loudly as she waved her hand frantically.
"Oh! Oh! I want to be a mean girl!" cried Pinkie Pie. Fluttershy nodded in response.
"OK, that's one! Anybody else? I mean, if you want," said Fluttershy with a timid expression. Rodan grabbed Rainbow's arm and held it up in the air. Rainbow looked to him in confusion.
"Thank you for volunteering, Rainbow Dash," said Fluttershy with a bright smile. Rainbow glared at Rodan as he released her and whistled to himself. She then smirked in response.
"OK, fine. This might be fun anyway," said Rainbow as she stood to her feet and made her way over to the group. Rarity gasped as a thought crossed her mind.
"Wait! Let me get more uniforms!" said Rarity as she ran back over to Fluttershy's cottage.
"She has more?" asked Junior.
"Rarity has been kind enough to bring more than one for this counseling session. In fact, we both collaborated on planning the school life section," said Fluttershy. She then tapped her chin as Rarity stuck her head out the door and gestured for Rainbow and Pinkie Pie to follow her. Rainbow's eyes widened as her pupils became pinpricks. Pinkie giggled as she grabbed Rainbow's arm and pulled her to the cottage. "I'm surprised that we actually had a use for more than two,"
"At that point, wouldn't have made sense if I stayed in my own uniform instead of making me wear this one?" asked Twilight as she tugged at the collar of her uniform.
"Well...Rarity insisted we got you the same kind of sailor uniform that she had because she thought it would make it feel more consistent." said Fluttershy.
"Consistency? I'm trying to manage my anger. I don't care if Twilight's uniform doesn't match Rarity's!" said Junior. Twilight grunted as she slightly bent over and pulled on one of her thigh highs.
"Ugh. Yeah, and these stockings are too small me anyway. My legs aren't that skinny!" said Twilight as she released the leg wear, allowing it to slap against her skin. Suddenly, they heard the sound of annoyed groans coming from Fluttershy's cottage and muffled dialogue from Rarity and Rainbow Dash. They sounded as if they were arguing.
"But you look wonderful! Come on, it's to help Gojira," said Rarity. Rainbow Dash groaned in response.
"But this is just so- Ugh! Fine, whatever!" said Rainbow in exasperation. Suddenly, the door opened. Pinkie came skipping out of the cottage. She wore a grey sailor school girl uniform with pink ankle socks. Rarity stepped out of the cottage next with Rainbow Dash following her close behind. She bore a scowl as her face burned from her blush. She wore a dark blue skirt with black knee high socks. Rodan lightly blushed as he stared at her. Mosura smirked as she glanced his way.
"Don't stare too long," said Mosura in a teasing tone. Rodan gasped as he quickly shook his head.
"Right! Ahem," said Rodan as he placed on a neutral expression. Rainbow moaned in embarrassment as she caught sight of the smiles that her friends were giving her.
"Can we just get this over with?" asked Rainbow.
"Right. Goji, you are alone in the classroom during lunch. The teacher stepped out briefly while you are attempting to catch up on late assignments," said Fluttershy. She then turned towards Rainbow, Rarity and Pinkie Pie.
"Meanwhile, the popular girls, who share a class period with you, arrive and find you alone," said Fluttershy. Rarity cleared her throat as she strolled over to Junior. Pinkie placed on a mock scowl on her face while Rainbow Dash reluctantly followed them. She placed on a scowl as she stood with her arms crossed. Rarity chuckled mockingly as she pressed two fingers against Junior's head and applied force. Junior's head was slightly forced back while Rarity looked up at him with a smile.
"Mr. Takeshi. What are you doing here during lunch period?" asked Rarity. Junior lightly scowled at her.
"My math homework. I would appreciate it if you would let me concentrate," said Junior. Rarity smirked as she pretended to look down at a desk. She hummed in response.
"Oh, it appears that you got that one wrong. And that one, that one, and that one-" Rarity continued to name off wrongs. She then smirked mischievously at Junior, who gave a sigh of disappointment.
"My, aren't you a big dolt," mocked Rarity. Junior narrowed his eyes at her.
"Would you care to help me or did you just come to insult me?" asked Junior in a firm tone. Rainbow chuckled as she made her way over to Junior. She placed him into a headlock and held him down at her side.
"Meh. I'm not really up for that egg head stuff. So lame," said Rainbow as she held Junior at her side. The Transmutant was about to push her off but restrained himself. It would have been much worse since his strength was fluctuating at the moment due to the spirit essence that he had absorbed. He instead pried Rainbow's arm away from his head and stood back up. He groaned in annoyance as he narrowed his eyes. Rainbow shrugged in response.
"What? Dorks are just so fun to mess around with!" said Rainbow with a mischievous smile. Rarity then ran her hand over Junior's shoulder and pinched his neck, causing him to yelp.
"And there is no dork much more fun to mess around with than you," said Rarity as she pulled Junior's ear as she laughed mockingly. Junior took calming breaths as he lightly slapped Rarity's hand off.
"Yeah well, I would like it if you'd stop," said Junior. Suddenly, Pinkie rushed over to him and shoved dirt in his face.
"Ah! What are you-"
"Eat the dirt, you worm!" shouted Pinkie as she placed on an angry face. Junior recoiled from her. Pinkie suddenly kicked Junior in his shin.
"Ouch! Geez, Pinkie what gives?" asked Junior as he hopped on one foot as he held his shin.
"Shut up and sit down, you clown! I said sit down!" shouted Pinkie as slapped Junior's cheek, causing him to yelp. Pinkie laughed like a maniac as she grabbed more dirt from the ground. Junior gulped nervously as he found the sweet, happy go lucky girl suddenly transform into a malicious high school bully. Rarity and Rainbow Dash watched the scene with worried expressions at how Pinkie was reacting. Everyone grew silent as they watched the scene unfold.
"Uh...Pinkie," Fluttershy was about to intervene but Pinkie Pie had already threw the handfuls of dirt at Junior. She laughed at him maniacally as she continued her assault. Junior shielded his eyes in response, forgetting his annoyance that had suddenly turned to confusion, and a hint of fear.
"Hahaha!! I'm evil! I'm an evil school girl! I'm more popular than you and everyone wants to be my friend!!" yelled Pinkie as she showered Junior in a barrage of dirt. Rarity laughed nervously as she approached Pinkie Pie.
"Darling, why don't we give Gojira a chance to-" Rarity was interrupted when Pinkie suddenly turned to face her with dirt in her hands. Rarity gasped as she stared at Pinkie fearfully. Pinkie's eye twitched as she grinned.
"Never," whispered Pinkie. She then threw dirt at Rarity, who screamed in response.
"Pinkie, no!! Stop it! Stop it!" cried Rarity as she hid her face as the dirt got on her clothes and hair.
"Pinkie, chill out!" shouted Rainbow. She yelped as she was attacked with balls of dirt.
"I'm queen of the school! I'll do what I want!" cried Pinkie as she began to throw dirt at Twilight, who yelped in surprise. The Earthbound began to throw dirt at the others. Fluttershy hid behind Junior from the dirt, while Mosura dodged any ball of dirt that was hurled towards her. Angirasu and Rodan failed to dodge the dirt balls and were hit in the face. Applejack grunted as she caught dirt on her cheek. She then immediately stood up to her feet, took off her hat and pulled a small bag that was sitting on her head. She looked to Junior with a frantic expression.
"Goji, take her down!" cried Applejack. Junior nodded as he rushed towards Pinkie. Fluttershy yelped as she dove for cover and hid her head. Junior was still being bombarded by the dirt balls.
"I'm better than you! You big stinky-" Pinkie was interrupted as Junior locked his arms around her and pinned her to the ground. Pinkie breathed heavily as she stared at him with wide, twitching eyes.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" demanded Junior. Applejack rushed over towards the two and knelt down next to them. She pulled out a medium sized chocolate chipped cookie and held it over Pinkie's eyes.
"Lookie what I got for ya, Pinkie~!" sang Applejack. Pinkie Pie gasped as her eyes brightened up.
"Cookie! Gimmie! Gimmie!" cried Pinkie as she took the cookie from Applejack's grip and shoved it in her mouth. Junior raised himself off of her and sighed in relief.
"What was that?" asked Junior.
"Sorry. She goes crazy when she gets hungry," said Applejack with a pant and a short chuckle. The sound of Rarity gasping reached their ears. They turned and found Rarity standing as stiffly as possible as she stared at the dirt that covered her clothes. She suddenly dropped to her knees as she broke into a dramatic sob.
"So much dirt!!" cried Rarity. Junior frowned in response.
"Fluttershy, did I pass this challenge?" asked Junior. Fluttershy raised her head from the ground as she moved the strands of hair that obscured her vision.
"Um...yes," answered Fluttershy. She then cleared her throat.
"How about we move on to the next challenge?" asked Fluttershy.
"Can I wash up first?" asked Rarity with teary eyes. Fluttershy nodded.
"Would anyone else like to wash up as well?" asked Fluttershy. Rainbow shrugged.
"I'm good. I just want to wipe my face though," said Rainbow.
"We're good." said the Transmutants and Applejack in unison. Twilight raised her hand.
"I'd like to take a quick shower," said Twilight with a nervous smile as she wiped dirt off of her cheek. Fluttershy nodded.
"Well, now is a good time for a break anyway,"




Later...

Junior knelt down on the grass with a water hose in his grip. He drenched his head in the cool water and rinsed his face, arms, and hands. His shirt hung on the fence, drying off from being drenched. His bare chest was dripping with cool water, causing his heart to race and pump blood for warmth. Junior took a towel that was near and wiped himself dry. He turned off the hose but then heard a relieved sigh.
"Much better," said Rarity as she stood in her casual clothing. A light blue t-shirt with a brown skirt. She stopped as she noticed Junior drying his head off with a towel. He stood up to his feet, exposing his muscle toned upper body. She lightly blushed as she stared at his physique.
"Oh my..." Rarity whispered to herself. She bit her thumb as she stared at Junior's body. As the Transmutant turned, she gasped at the large scar that ran over his chest. The gasp startled Junior, prompting him to lower his towel with a worried expression.
"What, what's wrong?!" asked Junior. He then noticed Rarity staring at him with wide eyes as she held a hand over her mouth. He noticed how her eyes were not focused on his face, but on his chest. Junior looked down at himself and found the scar that mocked him constantly. He sighed as he held his towel over his shoulder. Rarity tore her eyes away from the scar that was obscured and looked to him with worry.
"I am so sorry about that! I didn't mean to-" Rarity looked at him frantically. Junior shook his head.
"No, it's fine. It isn't a pretty sight," said Junior in a soft tone as he made his way over to the fence. He took his shirt off of the fence, it was still damped. He slid it on while Rarity walked up to him with a frown.
"Gojira?" called Rarity. Junior took a calming breath as he tried to erase Destoroyah's face from his mind. He clenched his fist as he faintly heard his evil laugh.
"I'm fine," said Junior as he turned to face Rarity. He then lightly chuckled.
"You seemed to have done a good job at playing the mean girl," said Junior. Rarity lightly laughed in response.
"Thanks. You also seemed to have done a good job at remaining calm. I think you're making progress," said Rarity.
"I hope so," said Junior as he popped the joints of his elbows. Rarity glanced at Junior as he stared off to the yard where he found Fluttershy and Mosura going over the anger management session.
"Funny how things turned out. First I was a kid with no family. Then I was adopted by Celestia and grew up to be my school's biggest delinquent, or so they claimed. I was alone, with no friends," said Junior. He then lightly smiled. "Now, I have more friends that the old me could only dream of having,"
"So, your days as a student weren't very memorable?" asked Rarity.
"Just the good times weren't memorable. Because they were rare," answered Junior. He then shrugged in response.
"I mean, it was mostly guys that would try to start something with me. Rarely was it girls. Of course, that didn't stop them from gossiping or avoiding me like I was a walking plague," said Junior. Rarity lightly frowned as she glanced at Junior. Junior then scoffed. "Tsk. 'Lucky Dragon'. That's the code name MONARCH gave me. Should have been, 'Unlucky Dragon' to make it more accurate,"
"How can you bare something like that on your shoulders? With the world wanting you gone," asked Rarity. Junior shrugged.
"We all react differently to situations. Some people would have likely ended their own lives long ago if they were put through what the other Transmutants went through. I actually bet some of them already did," said Junior as he turned to face Rarity.
"I sometimes wonder why I keep going on. I mean, it's like being lost in eternal darkness. No warm light to guide you through it," said Junior as he turned to look at his hand. "The easy way out is just so easy. I mean I have the power to end it. No one has to do it for me. All it takes is moti-"
"No! Don't talk like that!" cried Rarity as she grabbed his hand. Junior's eyes widened in surprise as she held it tightly. She looked up towards him with a worried expression. Junior merely kept a neutral expression.
"I...wasn't seriously contemplating it you know. I was just thinking out loud on how easy it was yet I could never bring myself to do it. No matter how bad things got," said Junior. Rarity glared at him as she slapped her hand against his shoulder.
"Do not ever scare me like that again!" shouted Rarity.
"OK, I'm sorry!" said Junior. Rarity sighed as she slumped her head against him. She then lightly smiled.
"If we actually went to school together, I wouldn't have been mean to you like earlier," said Rarity. She then raised her head up as she gave him a warm smile.
"I think maybe we could have been friends. Maybe not right away, but eventually," said Rarity. Junior smirked in response.
"Well, no point in thinking up alternate timelines. We're friends now, right?" asked Junior. Rarity nodded to him.
"Indeed we are," replied Rarity as she wrapped him into a hug. Junior returned her hug but lightly frowned.
'But then again, it wouldn't have been the first time where I thought of doing it,' thought Junior. Memories of the past flashed before him, but he shut them out. The two released each other and turned to find Twilight emerging from Fluttershy's cottage. She was dressed in her old uniform rather the one that Rarity had gotten her. The fashionista sighed in disappointment.
"Foo. I really thought the uniform that I got looked cute on her," said Rarity. Junior nodded in agreement.
"It was nice. But I always liked her uniform," said Junior. Rarity looked at him with a coy smile.
"You wouldn't happen to be into school girls, would you?" asked Rarity. Junior cleared his throat as he broke into a light blush.
"Let's get going. I gotta finish this session up," said Junior as he briskly walked away. Rarity laughed to herself.
"He didn't say no~," sang Rarity. She then walked after the Transmutant. The two joined Twilight with Fluttershy, while everyone else waited patiently.
"OK. Now, we're going to be getting into a special challenge that was suggested by Rodan," said Fluttershy as she gestured to the crimson haired Transmutant. He merely grinned as he waved.
"Y'ello!" said Rodan. Fluttershy turned to face Junior with a serious expression.
"Goji, this is a challenge that most people struggle with the most. In fact, it is rare for people to handle it as calmly as possible," said Fluttershy with a firm tone. Rodan stood up to his feet and made his way over to the group.
"This challenge will be about romantic rivalry," said Fluttershy. Junior kept a neutral expression. His mind then registered the information and he looked to her in confusion.
"Wait, what?" asked Junior. Fluttershy then gestured to Rodan.
"Rodan will be playing as your rival. Twilight is the girl in between your rival," said Fluttershy.
"What?!" exclaimed Twilight and Rainbow. Twilight's blushed in embarrassment as she avoided eye contact with Junior. The Transmutant looked at Fluttershy and Rodan with a deadpanned stare.
"Are you serious?" asked Junior.
"Yes," answered Fluttershy with a nod. She then stepped to the side while Rodan strolled next to Twilight.
"Sup Twi! I'm digging those highlights!" said Rodan as he picked up a suave tone. Junior scowled in response while Twilight chuckled in embarrassment.
"Uh...thanks?" said Twilight with a shrug. Rodan placed an arm around her as he winked at her, which caused Junior's brow to twitch in annoyance.
"So, what say you and I hang out?" asked Rodan. Rainbow scowled as she looked at Rodan with disapproving eyes. Rarity caught this and merely lightly hissed to herself.
"My, it's getting tense around here," whispered Rarity as she leaned next to Mosura.
"Oh ho ho. Rarity, I feel a disturbance in the Force," said Mosura with a look of amusement. The elf looked to her in confusion.
"I beg your pardon?"
"You know, the Force," said Mosura with a smile. Rarity stared at her with a blank expression. Mosura's smile faded.
"The Force. Guys with the laser swords that can levitate stuff without magic. Like me. A galactic civil war?" Mosura raised a brow as she felt her joke held no humor just as she thought it did.
"I don't get it," said Rarity with a shrug. Mosura sighed as she pointed towards the sky.
"Star Wars?" asked Mosura. Rarity slightly gasped and her lips formed an o.
"Oooooh. Sorry, I have never seen Star Wars," said Rarity. Mosura gasped in shock. Meanwhile, back with the anger management challenge, Junior stood by as Rodan continued to pretend flirt with Twilight. Still, it bugged him. A lot.
"Now Goji, jealously can also lead to anger. How do you handle this situation?" asked Fluttershy. Junior took calms breaths and looked at Twilight.
"Oh, hey Twilight! Rodan," said Junior as he looked towards the other Transmutant and narrowed his eyes. Twilight smiled shyly as she waved at him.
"H-Hello, Gojira," greeted Twilight. Rodan merely forced Twilight to his side more, causing the Elf to grunt.
"Goji! My man!" said Rodan as he made his way over to the Transmutant and held his hand out. The two remained still and silent. Rodan shook his hand as he kept his smile.
"Bro, don't leave a Transmutant hangin'!" said Rodan. Junior sighed as he held out his hand and smacked it against Rodan's palm.
"Kind of half-ass but I'll take it!" said Rodan. He then leaned his head against Twilight's, who looked away with a grimace. "So Twilight, what do you say?"
"Well, I actually have some studying that I need to get done. Sorry," apologized Twilight.
"Aw, come on, babe! Ever heard of the consequences of all work and no play?" asked Rodan. Junior's brow twitched again while Rainbow lightly growled.
"Babe?" asked Twilight with a raised brow. Junior cleared his throat.
"Twilight, what subject are you studying for?" asked Junior. Twilight turned to face him with a smile.
"I'm studying for a math test!" said Twilight.
"Really? Say, would you mind helping me for that test we have coming up? I suck at math," said Junior with disappointment in his tone. Twilight hummed in thought, but then looked to him with a grin.
"Sounds like a plan! Meet me at my house this afternoon!" said Twilight as she pried herself away from Rodan.
"Oh, come on Twi! Why hang out with that big oaf when you can hang out with yours truly," said Rodan as he flexed his arms. Mosura scoffed in disgust while Rainbow rolled her eyes. She crossed her arms while she scowled. She then felt tapping on her arm and turned to find Pinkie Pie gesturing for her to come closer. Rainbow leaned in and listened to what she had to say. Her face broke into a smirk as she heard the plan.
"I mean come on! He's got a scowl that's frozen on his face! How ugly is that?" asked Rodan.
"That's actually kind of hurtful," said Junior with a slight frown.
"Sorry," whispered Rodan. He then cleared his throat. "I mean, to hell with your feelings!"
"Pfft! Don't waste your time." said Rainbow. Rodan turned and found the Valkyrie approaching him. She placed him into a head lock while she bore a small grin. "Why hang out with an egg head when you can hang out with someone as awesome as me?"
Rainbow applied more force against Rodan as he slightly groaned. He chuckled nervously while she gave a glare with a sinister smile. He then caught her human scent, which drove his mind insane due to his Transmutant hormones. He closed his eyes tightly as he held his breath.
'Don't do anything stupid. Don't do anything stupid. Don't do anything...' Rodan repeated this thought over and over again. His hormones were attempting to drive him to perform the mating dance that he had done around her before. This time, it would be in front of everyone. He couldn't do something as shameful as that again. Rainbow slightly grinned as she brought Rodan up.
"What do you say?" asked Rainbow. Rodan lightly chuckled as his nerves settled.
"Actually Twilight, you go have fun with your study session," said Rodan as he looked towards Junior. Twilight noticed the small blush on Rainbow's cheek and grinned to herself. She took Junior's hand and began to walk off with him.
"Thanks!" said Twilight. She and Junior walked off a few feet away but then turned around to face Fluttershy.
"Isn't that cheating?" asked Angirasu as he raised his hand and glanced at Rainbow Dash as she walked with Rodan in tow. The two sat down together in the grass. Fluttershy hummed in thought.
"I'll allow it," said Fluttershy with a smile. She then turned to face Junior. "Now, the last challenge may be your greatest challenge,"
"Bring it," said Junior with a look of determination.



"Son of a bitch," said Junior as he stared down at Angel Bunny, Fluttershy's pet rabbit. The bunny sat on a pillow while both were inside of Fluttershy's cottage. The Element Bearers and the rest of the Transmutants watched as Junior and Angel stared each other down. Junior kept a firm expression while Angel held a scowl and had his fore legs crossed over his shoulders. In front of the bunny was a bowl filled with salad.
"Feed Angel Bunny his lunch," said Fluttershy as she hovered over Junior's shoulder. The Transmutant slumped his head down.
"Why me?" muttered Junior. He then took a calming breath and placed on a forced smile.
"So uh...Angel. We never really talk. Well, I guess you can't actually speak to me since there's a major species barrier between us. But, it's lunch time," said Junior as he picked up the bowl and stuck a fork inside of the salad. After impaling a small amount of salad, he slowly held the fork near Angel, who remained unmoved. Junior sat there for several seconds in silence.
"Come on, buddy. Lunch is served," said Junior. Angel held his scowl. Junior furrowed his brows as he slumped his shoulders.
"What? Rabbits eat vegetables, right?" asked Junior. Angel swiped the fork away, causing everyone in the room, excluding Junior, to gasp. Junior merely held his hand still as if he were still holding the fork. He sighed as he lowered his hand.
"I'm guessing you're not up for salad today. What do you want instead?" asked Junior. Angel reached under the pillow that he was sitting on and pulled out a book. He held the book out to Junior and pointed to a page that he had book marked. Junior took the book and began to scan the page.
"What the hell is this?" asked Junior. Fluttershy leaned over Junior's shoulder and her eyes widened. She sighed as she looked at Angel.
"Angel Bunny..." Fluttershy was met with a scowl from the rabbit. Junior handed the rabbit back the book.
"There is no way I can make that. I'm not a culinary expert, bunny," said Junior. Angel snatched the book and began to furiously slap his paw against the image.
"Hey, that thing is probably overrated anyway. Why don't I boil you some carrots or something?" asked Junior as he held up a carrot. Angel slapped the carrot out of his hand and then slapped Junior across his cheek. Everyone gasped in shock. Junior's eyes were wide open as he slowly turned to face Angel.
"Did you just..." Junior was at a loss for words. He was slapped by a tiny, furry little animal that he can throw all the way to Manehattan. He was too stunned to get angry. Junior shook his head as he narrowed his eyes.
"Hey, I don't care if you want to eat whatever that is. I'm not going to make it," said Junior as he held a firm tone.
"OK, remain calm. You’re using firm words and they have not escalated into profanity. This is good," said Fluttershy with a half nervous smile. Angel hopped over to Junior and kicked him in his knee, which Junior responded with a deadpanned stare. Angel continued to kick Junior with as much force as he could and as fast as possible. Everyone watched as the rabbit tried to force the Transmutant to obey him. Junior sighed in annoyance as he grabbed Angel by the skin on his back and held him up to his face.
"Nice try, but-" Angel suddenly lunged forward and bit down on Junior's nose.
"Gah!" yelped Junior as he immediately dropped Angel on the ground. Junior clutched his bitten nose as it began to bleed.
"Angel Bunny!" called Fluttershy in a scolding tone. Junior grabbed Angel by his leg before he could hop away and brought him close to his face, but kept him at a further distance from his nose.
"Why you little..." Junior gave a beastly growl at the rabbit, who shrunk back fearfully.
"Oh, Gojira please don't hurt him!" cried Fluttershy as she bit her nails. Her eyes were filled with dread.
"Don't worry. I'm not gonna hurt him," said Junior with a smirk. Angel hunched over and bit down on Junior's hand. But, the Transmutant gave no signs of pain. Angel's buck teeth ached as he released and rubbed his mouth. His eyes widened as he spotted charcoal grey reptilian scales to have replaced the soft mammalian skin of the Transmutant. Junior smirked.
"If you were a wild rabbit, I would eat you alive right here and now," said Junior in a growling tone. Fluttershy gasped but then fainted and fell over. Angirasu caught her before she could hit the ground and gently lowered her.
"But lucky for you, I'm working to control my temper and you’re the pet of a dear friend of mine. Now here's what we're gonna do. Mosu, the salad!" ordered Junior. The female Transmutant frantically held out the bowl of salad to Junior.
"H-Here you go!" said Mosura in a nervous tone. Junior then looked to Rodan.
"Rodan, get the rope," ordered Junior in a stern tone. Rodan gasped as his eyes turned into pinpricks.
"No. Not the rope!" cried Rodan. Junior nodded.
"The rope," whispered Junior. The remaining humans watched nervously as Junior and Rodan tied Angel to a chair.
"Wow, this is intense," whispered Rainbow.
"I knooow," Pinkie whispered back.
"What was that?" questioned Junior as he looked over towards the humans with a scowl.
"Nothing!" cried Rainbow and Pinkie in unison. Junior then turned to face Angirasu with a stern expression.
"Aang, wake up the counselor," ordered Junior. Angirasu glanced at Fluttershy and then warily back to Junior.
"Um...do you want me to shake her or something?" asked Angirasu. Junior looked to him in disbelief.
"No, of course not! It's Fluttershy, for god's sake! Be gentle!" said Junior. Angirasu shrugged with a frantic expression.
"I'm sorry! You're tripping out like your about to interrogate a terrorist here! I don't know what to think!" said Angirasu. Pinkie yelled in the room, startling everyone.
"Would everybody just calm down?!" shouted Pinkie. Junior took calm breaths.
"You're right. Sorry," said Junior. He then made his way over to Angel and stuck a fork in the salad.
"You're going to eat this, and you're going to like it," said Junior in a firm tone. He caused the scales on his hand to spread over his fingers and then gently pried the rabbit's jaws open. Junior then slowly stuck the salad into his mouth and then released the jaws. Fluttershy shot up out of Angirasu's arms with a frantic expression.
"Don't eat my Angel Bunny!" cried Fluttershy. Junior sat down patiently on the sofa next to the chair that Angel was tied to. Angel slowly chewed his salad and then swallowed. He pulled out a white flag and then waved it. Junior smiled in approval.
"Good boy," said Junior as he continued to feed Angel. Fluttershy placed a hand over her chest and sighed in relief as she slumped back into Angirasu's arms. Her eyes slightly widened as they met with Angirasu's. She smiled bashfully as she stared at him while Angirasu did the same. Fluttershy immediately raised herself out of his arms and approached Junior. The Transmutant had torn the rope that bounded the bunny and continued to feed him. Junior glanced at her with a slight frown.
"I take it I didn't pass?" asked Junior. Fluttershy lightly smiled at him.
"Well, I'll give you an A-. So, you pass," said Fluttershy. Junior grinned at her. Fluttershy then gave him a stern expression.
"But don't ever threaten Angel Bunny like that again!" said Fluttershy in disapproval. Junior lamely nodded with a nervous smile.
"You got it," said Junior. Fluttershy giggled as she opened her arms out wide.
"Hug time!" cried Fluttershy as she wrapped the Transmutant into a tight hug. Junior lightly chuckled as he returned the Valkyrie's hug. Suddenly, the rest of the humans and Transmutants joined in the hug, causing Junior to lightly grunt.
"Ah. Group hug. Wasn't expecting that," said Junior.
"Feel the love, Goji! Feel the love!" said Pinkie.




Later...

Rodan and Rainbow Dash walked side by side in silence. They had left Fluttershy's cottage and were taking a route through the park to reach Rainbow Dash's home. Rainbow still wore the school girl uniform that Rarity had forced her to wear while she held her clothes in a separate bag. Rainbow's face was red with embarrassment.
"Faust, I can't believe I'm in public with this get up," said Rainbow. Rodan shrugged.
"It's not so bad. In fact, it looks good on you," said Rodan in a nonchalant tone. Rainbow smirked as she nudged his shoulder.
"Heh. I knew you said something about me in a school uniform. Weirdo," said Rainbow. Rodan shrugged.
"Hey, it's not the weirdest thing about me. Don't forget that I transform into another creature and have super human strength," said Rodan.
"Pfft. Yeah, but those things about you are pretty cool. But who likes a girl in a sailor uniform?" asked Rainbow Dash in amusement.
"I say a good number of guys like to see a girl dressed like that. Especially if they liii..." Rodan stopped himself before he said too much. He cleared his throat while Rainbow glanced at him curiously.
"What?" asked Rainbow. Rodan gave a bitter smile as he shook his head.
"Forget it. It's dumb," said Rodan as he placed his hands in his pockets and continued walking ahead of her. Rainbow looked at him in confusion but then furrowed her brows. She picked up her pace and began to walk beside him.
"Hey, what's your deal?" asked Rainbow. Rodan shrugged.
"I haven't a clue of what you mean by that," replied Rodan nonchalantly. Rainbow scoffed in response.
"Don't pull that with me, dude! You've been acting weird lately. Sometimes when we're alone together, you get all distant and awkward. Heck, you even started squawking and paced around that one time," said Rainbow. Rodan gave her a deadpanned stare.
"I thought we agreed to never talk about that again. Also, I told you why I was doing that," said Rodan.
"Yeah well, I'm beginning to have doubts about the reason," retorted Rainbow. Rodan sighed in exasperation.
"Dash, it's nothing. I'm just trying to get back into the swing of things now that I’m back in Ponyville. We weren't exactly in paradise when we ran away from those assholes from MONARCH," said Rodan. Rainbow looked at him in disbelief at how snarky his response was.
"Rodan, I'm just trying to help! You don't have to get an attitude about it," said Rainbow.
"Attitude?!" exclaimed Rodan as he turned to face Rainbow in disbelief. "You were the one who interfered with Gojira's counseling with that scene!"
"Hey, don't change the subject, bub!" said Rainbow as she pointed her finger against his chest.
"We're talking about attitudes. I'm referring to your attitude when I was acting for Junior's anger management counseling. I'm pretty sure we're still on the same subject!" retorted Rodan. His tone raised in volume. Rainbow growled at him in annoyance.
"OK then, what was up with you? Why were you hitting on Twilight when you know that he likes her?" demanded Rainbow Dash. Of course, this wasn't the actual reason why she was upset.
"I wasn't actually hitting on her! I was pretending to help my brother since I know he finds it annoying when I flirt!" said Rodan in a defensive manner.
"You seemed to have gotten into it a lot!" said Rainbow.
"What? Are you jealous?" questioned Rodan with a shrug and a scowl. Rainbow's eyes slightly widened at the mention of the possibility. She swore that he saw right through her. Rodan kept his expression firm, but he turned away from her and wandered over towards a bench.
"You have no idea how important Goji and the others are to me, Rainbow. I mean, I don't think what we have can compare to what you have with the girls," said Rodan in a low tone. He turned to face her with a frown.
"They're the only people who I can call brothers and sister. We had fought, sweat, and shed blood and precious scales together. Gojira has a habit at losing his cool, which is something that worries everyone, including himself. It was only until yesterday before we realized just how serious it was," said Rodan as he turned to look away from her. Rainbow remained silent as she slowly walked over to him. Rodan sat down on the bench as he held his face into his hands.
"I just wanted to show him that, 'hey, you may explode once in a while. But I'll always have your back. I'll do whatever to help'," said Rodan. He sighed. "I'll admit that I may have been having a little bit too much fun with the pretending, but I would never do anything like that to him,"
Rodan lowered his hands as he raised his head. He slumped back against the bench as he stared up at the setting sun. The stars began to appear in the coming night sky. Suddenly, small lanterns lit up in the park. Rainbow sighed as she sat at the far end of the bench as she crossed her arms over her chest. A small frown was plastered over her face as she glanced at the Transmutant.
"Ro...I uh..." Rainbow rubbed the back of her head as she avoided eye contact with him. She sighed.
"I don't really do the sappy, emotional thing a lot. Maybe once in a while. But... Geez man, it's seriously bugging me to see you act this way. I thought we were friends," said Rainbow.
"We are. It's just that Gojira brought something up the other day that I'm beginning to put some thought into," said Rodan.
"Like what?" asked Rainbow.
"Rainbow, you and the others are pretty much heroes of Equestria, right? People pretty much worship you and shit," said Rodan. Rainbow chuckled.
"Well, I wouldn't exactly call it worship but yeah, people like us," said Rainbow in a slightly prideful tone.
"Well, Gojira thinks that it's a bad idea to keep staying close to you guys now," said Rodan. Rainbow's eyes slightly widened. Her heart nearly stopped beating in her chest.
"Why does he think that?" asked Rainbow.
"Well, we're Transmutants and you’re national heroes. You guys are welcome in Ponyville, unlike us. People might not like the idea of you hanging out with us," said Rodan. Rainbow smirked and waved her hand dismissively.
"Oh, sha! Like we care what they're going to think about-"
"Yeah, but we care!" said Rodan as he interrupted her. Rainbow went silent and looked to him in surprise.
"Rainbow, people think we're terrorists, monsters, and murderers. This could ruin you all if you just hang out with us!" said Rodan with a look of dread. Rainbow's breath was caught in her throat. She looked at him in disbelief.
"So...what? You want to stop hanging out with us? With me?" asked Rainbow. Rodan sighed as he rubbed his head.
"No. But Goji brought up a good point. Dash, what if this costs you the chance of becoming a Wonderbolt?" asked Rodan. Rainbow looked down at the ground.
"So...you would rather stop hanging out with me so I can fulfill my dream?" asked Rainbow as she looked down at her hand. Rodan lowered his head as he bore a deep frown.
"I will if that's what you want. I won't get in your way," said Rodan. Rainbow lightly gasped as her eyes widened. She gritted her teeth as she clenched her fist. She trembled with anger. Her eyes narrowed as she slowly turned to face him.
"You..." Rainbow gave a low snarl in her voice. Rodan shot up and stared in surprise. Rainbow glared at him angrily as her eyes glistened with the beginnings of tears. Rodan slowly reached his hand out to her.
"Dash..."
"You jerk!!" Rainbow screamed at the top of her lungs. Rodan recoiled from her tone. Rainbow yelled angrily as she sent her fist towards Rodan. Her fist connected with his cheek, causing him to grunt in pain and fall onto the ground. Rainbow panted as she clutched her aching fist. She glared at Rodan as he turned to face her with a look of disbelief.
"Dash, I-"
"Shut up!! Just shut up, you ass!" shouted Rainbow as rushed over to Rodan and stomped on his chest. Rodan grunted in pain from the force. If he had been an ordinary person, it would have hurt a lot more. Rainbow continued to stomp on his as she took quick breaths as she held in her sobs.
"Dumbass! Dumbass! Dumbass!" screamed Rainbow as she stomped on Rodan. The Transmutant raised himself up before Rainbow could bring her foot down on him again. He grabbed her arms and forced her down on the ground with himself.
"Let me go, you jerk!" shouted Rainbow as she struggled to fight Rodan off of herself.
"Dash, just listen to me!" said Rodan. Rainbow forced herself and the Transmutant over, with her on top.
"I can't believe you'd come back after months of disappearing and have the gall to say we should stop hanging out! Who are you and what have you done with the Rodan that I know and lo- care about?!" demanded Rainbow as she head-butted Rodan. She immediately regretted the decision as she fell forward with a throbbing forehead while Rodan fell back. She groaned in pain as she clutched her forehead. Rodan panted as he lied back with Rainbow on top of him.
"I'd just hate to see your life ruined because of me," muttered Rodan. Rainbow lightly punched her fist against Rodan's cheek as she lied down on him.
"Idiot. What good is my life and dream if it costs me my friends?" asked Rainbow. She rose herself off of him as she sat on her knees. She looked at him with a stern expression as she wiped away the small droplets of tears that were stuck to the corners of her eyes. She sniffled as she glared at Rodan as he raised himself up.
"I'm the Element of Loyalty. Do you know what that means?" asked Rainbow Dash. Rodan merely remained silent.
"It means that I never leave my friends hangin'," said Rainbow Dash as she pointed to her chest. She then lightly smiled as she punched Rodan's shoulder. "Even if they're Transmutants,"
"Dash..." Rodan stared at her in disbelief. He felt his eyes threatening to water, but he immediately took a deep breath and exhaled. He then looked to her with a bitter smile.
"You've got guts, you know that?" asked Rodan. Rainbow smirked as she scooted closer to him. She pressed her fore head against his as she took small breaths.
"And you've been listening to Gojira too much. Take a break. Paranoia does not look good on you," said Rainbow as she backed away and flicked Rodan's forehead.
"Ow," said Rodan as he rubbed his forehead with a scowl. Rainbow giggled in response, which surprised the Transmutant as it sounded more feminine than her usual laughter.
"I don't want to hear anything about you leaving because you’re afraid of ruining our reputation. You got it?" asked Rainbow. Rodan lightly smiled in response.
"Whatever you say, Dashie," said Rodan. Rainbow stiffened at the nick name.
"Sorry, was that out of line?" asked Rodan. "I'll stop if you want. It's just that Pinkie Pie sometimes-"
"It's fine, dude. I'm cool with it,” interrupted Rainbow. A faint blush appeared on her cheek. She then scooted next to Rodan and sat at his side as she held her knees close to her chest. She draped her left wing over the Transmutant and leaned against him. Her heart raced in her chest as she listened to his steady breaths. Rodan gulped as he caught her scent. He then hesitantly wrapped an arm over her shoulders. The night sky had finally approached. The moon came into sight.
"Rainbow, I uh..." Rodan turned his head and looked at Rainbow with a nervous expression. Rainbow glanced at him as she tried to keep her composure.
"Yeah?" asked Rainbow in a whisper. Rodan remained silent. He then shook his head.
"Nevermind. It's not important right now," said Rodan. Rainbow lightly frowned in disappointment.
"Oh, OK then," said Rainbow. Rodan then sighed in exasperation.
"Ah screw it!" said Rodan as he grabbed Rainbow by her shoulders and turned her to face him. Rainbow's eyes widened in surprise as she stared into Rodan's green eyes. They seemed to be almost illuminating in the night. The Transmutant steeled himself as he prepared to speak.
"Rainbow Dash, I-I have a crush on you!" said Rodan with a stutter. Rainbow stared wide eyed as her mouth slightly hung open. She slightly smiled as she leaned her head against his shoulder.
"Yeah, I kinda figured you did," said Rainbow with a chuckle. Rodan looked to her in confusion.
"Wait, you did?" asked Rodan in surprise.
"Well, yeah. I mean, you did try to kiss me when we hung out during Nightmare Night," said Rainbow with a shrug.
"You were leaning in too!" said Rodan with a scowl. Rainbow smirked in response.
"You mean like this?" asked Rainbow as she grabbed Rodan by his shirt's collar and pulled him closer to herself. She then planted her lips against Rodan's. He took a sharp breath of air through his nostrils in shock while Rainbow held her position as she kept her lips planted firmly on his. Unfortunately, she was unable to go further with it, so she released him and pulled away as her face flushed. Rodan took calming breaths as he stared at the Valkyrie in shock before he grinned.
"No. I was thinking more like this," Rodan took Rainbow's chin into his hand and gently brought her face closer to his. Rainbow gasped as Rodan pressed her lips against her and forced his tongue inside. Rainbow's eyes widened as she felt his tongue slide against her own. Her heart pounded in her chest like a giant's footsteps. She lightly moaned as she wrapped her arms around Rodan's neck. The two broke their kiss as they rested their foreheads against each other and locked eyes. They both chuckled as they held each other in a warm embrace.
"I'll be honest. I ended up crushing on you too after that night. And I was a little jealous today," admitted Rainbow. Rodan smirked.
"A little?" asked Rodan. Rainbow rolled her eyes.
"Fine. I was pretty jealous. And I rather lose my chance at being a Wonderbolt if it's going to cost me seeing you again," said Rainbow as she felt Rodan hold her at her waist.
"And I would rather die than leave you," said Rodan as he leaned in for another kiss. Rainbow held her hand against his lips and gave him a coy smile.
"Easy there pal. Take me out first if you want another kiss," said Rainbow. Rodan moaned in disappointment. Rainbow chuckled as she ran a finger against his chin.
"Sorry. But this girl likes to play hard to get," said Rainbow with a wink. Rodan nodded to her.
"Yeah, I realized that on Nightmare Night," said Rodan. Rainbow looked at him with a scowl.
"Hey to be fair, I wanted to make sure things wouldn't get awkward between us since I wasn't sure if I liked you," retorted Rainbow. Rodan shook his head.
"Well, can I at least get a kiss goodnight when we get to your place?" asked Rodan. Rainbow smiled coyly.
"Oh gee, I don't know. Maybe if you come up with a plan for a first date," said Rainbow.
"I don't know if people kiss before a first date," said Rodan with a chuckle as he helped Rainbow Dash onto her feet.
"Oh well. It's better than...Now, that's too far!" said Rainbow as she shook her head furiously.
"Dirty girl," said Rodan.
"Shut up!" said Rainbow as her face broke into a blush. Rodan chuckled as he draped his arm over her shoulders as the two continued their walk through the park. Rainbow smiled to herself.
'This has got to be the sappiest I've done,' thought Rainbow as she glanced at Rodan.
	
> Chapter 45: A Day on The Job
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Run away!" cried a man as he ran through the town of Ponyville. The citizens cried in panic as they scattered all around the streets as the sound of roars filled the air. An Earthbound woman with long moderate raspberry colored hair and light raspberry streaks ran through the streets as she searched the area in panic. She rushed over towards an alley and hid behind a dumpster. She panted as the roars grew louder and closer.
"Come on Rose Luck. Just remain calm. Just-" The Earthbound was interrupted as she caught the sound of hissing. She gasped as she cupped her hands over her mouth and glanced to her side. The sound of footsteps came from behind the dumpster, and the sound snake-like hisses chilled her spine. Her heart raced as she took small breaths. The sound of a low growl caused her caused her to give a muffled whimper. To the side of her head, a serpent slowly swayed over her as it hissed.
"Hello, cutie," spoke the serpent in a high, male voice. Rose slowly looked up and found a large cobra hovering inches above her head. Its red eyes stared at her as its pupils dilated. Rose shot up and quickly crawled away from the dumpster as the serpent lunged down at her. Rose stood to her feet and turned around with a terrified expression. The serpent hissed angrily as it swayed and spread the frill on its neck. From behind the dumpster, stalked a chimera. The creature bore the body of a large male lion and on its right shoulder was the head of a crocodile. The second head's large eyes glared at the human as it gave a bellow. The chimera's back legs were covered in reptilian scales and dark claws. The creature itself was burly in size, standing at seven feet tall in height. The tail of the creature was the serpent that spoke to her. It swayed behind the body of the chimera as it gave a hiss.
Rose screamed in terror as she ran away from the beast of mixed body parts. The chimera roared as it chased after her. Its lion paws dug into the ground as they carried the creature forward. Rose continued to run down the alley; she turned her head and found the monster to be steadily catching up to her. She suddenly felt herself lifted up from the ground, causing her to yelp as her heart jumped from the sudden adrenaline shot caused by the ascension. She looked up and found Rainbow Dash greeting her with a grin as she held the Earthbound by the shoulders.
"We're outta here!" said Rainbow as she gave her wings a hard flap, giving her a chance to ascend higher. Rose looked down at the ground and gasped as she spotted the chimera climbing up the side of one of the buildings. The creature got onto the roof and ran towards the edge of it. The creature lunged at the two as the lion and crocodile heads all opened their jaws wide as they roared.
"Eeeek!!" cried Rose as she clutched Rainbow's arms. Suddenly, the creature fell down and was slammed to the ground. Rose stared in surprise and in confusion. She noticed Applejack tugging on a rope that she had tossed at the tail of the creature. Rainbow carried Rose further down towards the ground, far from the creature.
"Get in doors! We'll take care of that chump!" said Rainbow as she gave Rose a thumbs up.
"There's more than one though! You'll be killed!" cried Rose with dread. Rainbow was about to retort but a sight that made her grin caught her eye.
"You're just in time!" said Rainbow. Rose turned and gasped as she spotted four figures rushing down the street. Her eyes filled with dread as she recognized their faces.
"Oh no," said Rose.  The Transmutant Four rushed over towards the Valkyrie. Rodan greeted Rainbow with a grin.
"How's my favorite girl?" asked Rodan. Rainbow smirked at him.
"Save it for later. We've got trouble!" said Rainbow.
"Pfft! Trouble is my middle name," said Rodan with a suave tone. Angirasu gave him a deadpanned stare.
"No, it isn't," said Angirasu.
"Guys, shut up! Let's just get moving!" said Junior as he broke off into a sprint passed the group. Mosura chased after with a look of disappointment.
"So much for a good morning," said Mosura as she ran after Junior. Angirasu nodded to Rodan as he followed the other tree Transmutants. Rodan winked at Rainbow as he ran over towards a building and leaped on top of it. He began to run across the roof top and then hopped over to the next.  Rainbow took off into the air, leaving Rose Luck alone in the empty street.
"What?" asked Rose as she tilted her head in confusion. She suddenly heard the sound of more distant roars, causing her to jump. She searched the area frantically and then broke off into a sprint in seek of shelter.
Back where with the Chimera, Applejack rolled away from the creature as it pounced at her. She rolled back again as the crocodile head snapped its large jaws at her. The Earthbound responded with a kick to the creature's snout, causing it to bellow in pain. The creature roared as the lion head snapped its jaws at her, but the farm girl took a step back and then sent a right hook against its head.
"Beat it ya varmint!" shouted Applejack as she held her fists up and paced her breathes. The cobra tail hissed as it shot forward at her and wrapped itself around the Earthbound. Applejack was lifted in the air off of her feet. She grunted as she struggled in the serpent's hold.
"Wretched little-" The serpent hissed at the Earthbound as it opened its jaws. Applejack stared fearfully as the fangs dripped with venom as they descended near her neck. Suddenly, the serpent's head was struck by a brick.
"Gah!" cried the cobra head as its body loosened its constriction over Applejack. The Earthbound fell down to the ground and found Junior charging towards the chimera with a yell. He slammed against the chimera and started to push it down the road. Applejack panted as she watched Junior slam the chimera into the wall of one of the buildings. The Transmutant began to slam his fists against the creature.
"I don't think so!" shouted Junior as he continued to punch the chimera. The cobra hissed as it lunged at Junior with its jaws open wide.
"Goji, look out!" cried Applejack. Junior didn't have enough time to react. But before the cobra could sink its fangs into his shoulder, he was pushed away by an invisible force. Junior stumbled back and away from the chimera. He sighed in relief as he watched the cobra snap at the air. He turned and found Mosura holding her hands up with a look of relief.
"Thanks Mosu," said Junior with a nod. She scowled at him in response.
"Next time, subdue the venomous snake head first," said Mosura. Junior shrugged in response as he turned to find the chimera.
"Not to sound arrogant, but I think I would have lived if he bit me," said Junior. Mosura sighed in response.
"That attitude is why I worry about you when in combat! You keep taking more hits then-" Mosura was interrupted as the cobra turned to face Mosura and sprayed venom. The Transmutant yelped as she ducked under the venom as it splashed on the wall. She turned around to face Junior with a scowl.
"Hey, that one is on you," said Junior with a shrug. Applejack glared at him as she punched his shoulder.
"Hellooo! Chimeras loose in Ponyville?" deadpanned Applejack. Junior nodded as he rushed towards the chimera. The crocodile head snapped its jaws at him, but Junior slammed his fist against its skull, knocking the head unconscious. Mosura rushed over towards the beast as well and dodged the cobra's projectile attack.
"Hiya!" cried Mosura as she kicked the cobra's head against the wall. The lion half of the Chimera roared as he spun erratically from the two Transmutants. He glanced at the crocodile head and found it to be hanging low as it gave a low growl. The lion then turned to look at his tail and found the cobra to be hanging limp on the ground. He turned and growled at the two. Junior glanced at Mosura.
"Can I kill him?" asked Junior. Mosura gave him a deadpanned stare.
"No. Absolutely not. At least not unless it's necessary," said Mosura. Junior nodded.
"I will kill you all and feast on your-" The chimera roared at the Transmutants while they ignored him.
"Alright. I got left, you got right," said Junior.
"Sounds good," said Mosura with a smile. The two faced the Chimera and then both shot their fists against the lion head. The chimera gave a cat like squeal as their fists connected with his lion head. The creature fell down to the ground, unconscious. Junior crossed his arms.
"Happy? It was a clean beatdown," said Junior with a smile. Mosura smirked as she turned her head to face him.
"Like a boss," said Mosura as Junior kept his stare at the chimera and held his hand out towards Mosura. Mosura slapped her hand against his, resulting in a loud smack. Mosura grinned as she gave a short giggle.
"I always wanted to say that," said Mosura. Junior made his way over to Applejack and began to look her over.
"Were you hurt?" asked Junior in worry.
"Nah, I'm good. Thanks a lot, partner," said Applejack with a tip of her Stetson. The sound of distant screams reached the ears of the group, prompting them to turn in the direction that it came from. From the corner of the street came running Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Spike.
"Running! Running! Running! Running!" cried Pinkie Pie as she outran Spike and Fluttershy. Behind them came Rarity and Twilight, who rushed with their hands covered in their magic auras. Twilight and Rarity stopped briefly and fired magic bolts towards the corner of the street. The sound of angry roars filled the air, prompting them to stop and to break into another sprint with looks of panic.
"Oh god, I think that snake was staring at me!!" cried Twilight as she ran as fast as she could. The girls and drake all joined the group as they all huddled together in exhaustion. Shadows of large, four legged beasts were cast on the street.
"There's too many of them to handle at once!" cried Rarity as she held her hands up as they glowed with her magic aura. Pinkie grabbed Junior's face and stared deeply into his eyes as she pressed her face against his. Rodan, Rainbow Dash and Angirasu had arrived at the sides of their friends and stared off at the shadows that approached down the street.
"We're doomed! Game over, man! Game over!!" said Pinkie in hopelessness. Junior pulled away from her.
"Wait, how many did you lure?!" exclaimed Junior. Twilight looked to him with a nervous laugh.
"Um...all of them?" Twilight said as she rubbed the back of her head. Junior remained silent. He then glanced at Mosura.
"Mosu..." said Junior in a pleading tone. Mosura sighed.
"OK, we'll use more force," said Mosura in disappointment. Rodan grinned in response as he walked up to the front of the group.
"Guardians, transform and roll out!" cried Rodan as he pointed forward towards the shadows that grew larger. Pinkie leaned next to him and tapped his shoulder.
"Uh...wrong franchise, Rodan," said Pinkie with a wink. Everyone in the group looked to her in confusion.
"Huh? What franchise?" asked Rodan.
"Eh. You wouldn't know," said Pinkie with a shrug. She then rolled herself into a ball, making a robotic sound such as, chook-chook-chook. Pinkie then rolled away back to the spot where she was originally standing.
"Aaaalright then. I'll go get undressed," said Mosura awkwardly as she took off her shoes and began to walk away from the street and into an alley. Rarity gasped in shock.
"What?!" exclaimed Rarity while the rest of the Element Bearers stared in disbelief. Twilight merely placed her hands over Spike's eyes.
"Don't judge me! I don't want to end up paying for new clothes every time I change into a giant Moth!" deadpanned Mosura as she continued over to the alley. Applejack and Rarity chased after her.
"Uh... We'll stand guard for you!" said Rarity as she and AJ trailed after Mosura. Junior unzipped his new sweater and started to fold it. Angirasu did the same with his coat. Twilight, Rainbow and Fluttershy blushed brightly as the Transmutants walked away as they reached for their shirts.
"You guys too?!" exclaimed Twilight and Rainbow. Pinkie merely gawked at their exposed backs while Spike admired their build as the males headed for a corner near a building.
"Mosu has a point you know," said Rodan over his shoulder. Pinkie grinned as she spotted Twilight staring at Junior's backside, finding the petite Elf to be biting her thumb.
"Why not take a picture? It'll last-" Pinkie was interrupted as Twilight planted her hand against her mouth as she sent her a frantic expression.
"Don't talk like that! Especially not in front of Spike!" whispered Twilight. Spike sighed in disappointment as he tried to flex his own arm.
"It ain't easy being a little guy," said Spike. The sound of agonized groans filled their ears, causing the humans and drake to flinch from the sound. Twilight listened with pity as she heard Junior give off an agonized cry. The cost of having such a power held an unforgiving price. She wondered how he has been able to press on to change if it only causes him and the others to suffer. The sound of insect chirps and monstrous roars filled the street, startling the humans and drake. Rarity and Applejack came rushing out of the alley with Mosura's clothes as the moth Transmutant stomped after them. Heavy footsteps filled the air as Junior, Rodan and Angirasu walked out of their changing space and stomped down the street. The humans and Drake stepped away and allowed them to take the front. Spike looked on in awe.
"So awesome," said Spike. Junior turned to face Twilight as he flared his nostrils.
"All of you need to get back," said Junior.
"What? No way! We can help!" said Twilight defiantly as the rest gave them determined expressions. Junior shook his head.
"No, you'll only get hurt or even killed if you stay here," said Junior. Twilight scoffed in response.
"But-"
"Don't argue! Just-" Junior's tone slightly raised but he immediately stopped himself. The humans and drake slightly recoiled from his small rise in tone but relaxed. Mosura turned to face them.
"You all can help by making sure no one is out during this fight. We can handle it," said Mosura. Twilight sighed in response as she nodded to her.
"Alright. Be careful," said Twilight as she and the other Element Bearers and Spike took off from the area. The Transmutants were left alone as the chimeras turned around the corner. They roared at the Transmutants as they prowled towards them.
"Game plan?" asked Angirasu. Junior snorted in amusement.
"Nope," said Junior as he popped his knuckles.
"Well, I think we should try to minimize collateral damage. The humans already don't trust us as it is, so we should give them a reason to," said Mosura. She then looked at Angirasu. "Aang, why not charge first with Goji and knock down the first wave. Rodan and I can take them from the air,"
"I can get behind that," said Angirasu with a nod. Junior nodded as well. Rodan shook his body as he spread his wings out.
"Alright guys, let's do this!" said Rodan with an excited tone. He took off into the air and began to fly towards the Chimeras.
"Shooooouuuu Rooooodaaaaan!!" shouted Rodan as he flew towards the creatures. Junior, Angirasu and Mosura remained still.
"Oh god, he just charged in," said Mosura in disbelief. Angirasu and Junior broke off into a sprint as their feet caused the ground around them to crack from their weight. Mosura sighed in annoyance as she took off into the air after them. Rodan flew towards a chimera and caught it by the snake tail with the claws on his feet. Rodan began to drag the creature across the road and rising it in the air. Angirasu jumped and rolled into a ball and tumbled towards two chimeras. Junior rammed into a chimera and chomped down on the snake head.
"Stick to the plan, guys! Stick to the plan!" cried Mosura as she punched a chimera that had pounced on her. The creature roared at her, prompting her to use her legs to kick it off. Junior roared in pain as a chimera with a draconic head bit down on his tail.
"Get back, you little bitch!" shouted Junior in anger as he stomped on the chimera's tiger paw. The creature gave a cat squeal and held her paw. Junior then raised his tail up and slammed it down on the chimera's body. Angirasu swung his tail against a chimera that lunged at Junior from behind and knocked him against a door. The chimera fell through the door and lied motionless from the impalement on his side. Mosura gasped as she heard the sound of terrified screams from within the building.
"Aang!" cried Mosura as she gestured towards the restaurant.
"Oops," muttered Angirasu as he lowered his head. He prowled on his four legs over towards the chimera and peeked his head inside of the establishment. Inside were a few humans who stared fearfully from behind the tables for cover. Angirasu chuckled nervously.
"Sorry about that," apologized Angirasu. He gasped as he immediately ducked his head, avoiding a plate that was thrown at him. The plate did shatter against the spikes on his back. He looked at them with a glare.
"Hey, I apologized!" said Angirasu. He was suddenly met with fruit that smacked him against his face.
"Go away!" cried a woman as she tossed a small cake at him. Angirasu closed his eyes as the cake splattered over his face. He grunted while he flared his nostrils.
"Fine," said Angirasu with a scowl as he bit down on the chimera and dragged him away from the restaurant doorway and released him outside, next to the window.
"Well that was rude," said Angirasu. He then used his paw to wipe his snout of the cake that stuck to his scales. As he gave it a lick, a small smile was plastered on his muzzle.
"Mmh. Strawberry," said Angirasu. From behind his back, he felt something land on him. Angirasu craned his head back but was unable to see what had landed on him. He then felt claws digging into the armor plates that rested on his back and scowled. Angirasu suddenly stood up on two feet and forced himself to fall backwards. As he landed back, he felt a large figure convulsing under him. He turned his head back further and caught sight of a lion's mane.
"Sorry, didn't see you there," said Angirasu.
Mosura flew across the rode with Rodan by her side. The two dragged their own chimeras across the ground. Mosura landed on the ground and then swung her opponent towards another chimera. As Mosura prepared for another attack, she caught the sound of crying. She stopped and turned to the source of the sound. Just several feet away was a lone Elf baby sitting in the middle of the road. She gasped in horror as she spotted a chimera stalking towards the infant with a look of hunger. Mosura flapped her wings and flew towards the chimera. She gave a screeching chirp as she slammed against the chimera, knocking it down to the ground. Mosura stood up and rushed over towards the baby.
"Shh! Shh! It's OK little one." said Mosura in a soft tone. The baby continued to cry her eyes out as she sat on the ground. Mosura gently reached for the infant and took her into her arms. She cradled the baby and lightly bounced her.
"It's OK, you're safe," said Mosura in a motherly tone. The baby began to stop crying and stared at Mosura with curious eyes. The baby ran her hand over Mosura's fuzzy chest and giggle as she continued to rub her hands over the soft fuzz. Mosura's heart melted as the baby giggled.
"Aw. Aren't you the cutest little thing?" Mosura cooed as she nuzzled the baby. The infant giggled as she kicked her legs. The infant caught sight of Mosura's twitching antennae. The baby suddenly reached for the closest one and began to yank on it.
"Ow! Ow!" cried Mosura in pain as the baby tugged at her antennae. The baby laughed in amusement as she continued tugging.
"Sweetie, that really- Ouch!" cried Mosura. The baby continued to laugh. Mosura hissed in pain as she pried the baby's hand with her extra two hands. Mosura held the baby at further arm’s length as she rubbed her antennae.
"That wasn't very nice," said Mosura. The baby began to whine as she reached out to feel Mosura's fuzzy buddy.
"Aw I can't get mad at that little face," cooed Mosura as she used one of her extra arms to tickle the baby's belly.
"Let me go! That thing has my baby!" cried a woman's voice. Mosura turned and found a woman frantically trying to get passed a few people that blocked her way from exiting a building. Mosura looked back at the baby and then back to the woman. She held the baby close to her chest as she walked over towards the building. The woman managed to push through the people that blocked her way and ran over towards Mosura. The Transmutant held the child close as she cooed and continued to feel Mosura's fuzzy chest. The Transmutant knelt down and lowered the baby down to the ground. The infant merely whined as she held her arms up, wanting to be held. Mosura stepped away and then watched as the woman rushed over to her baby and picked her up. The woman stared nervously at Mosura as the Transmutant towered over her, motionless. The two stared at each other for several seconds. Mosura merely sighed.
"She's going to grow up to be a beautiful person," said Mosura as she turned away and walked back towards the battle. The woman stared in confusion as Mosura continued to leave in silence. The Transmutant took off into the air and went back to battle. The infant cooed as she held her hand out as she watched Mosura leave.
"Bai," cooed the baby. The mother looked at her in surprise and then looked back at Mosura as she majestically flew away like a guardian angel.
Junior roared at the three chimeras that stood in front of him. The creatures roared back at him. Junior continued to roar back, locked in a battle of intimidation. The chimeras stalked closer to Junior as he roared at them. They suddenly rushed him together, tackling the charcoal grey dragon to the ground. They clawed and bit down on his arms, neck and legs. Junior roared in pain as their teeth and fangs dug into his scales. He sent a punch towards a chimera's ram head and then clawed at the lion's head. The chimera stepped away from him as it rubbed its bleeding head. Junior then glared at the chimera that mauled his leg and sent a powerful kick against its skull. The chimera was forced several feet away and crashed into a lamppost, causing it to fell over and to crash onto a mailbox. Junior then grabbed the chimera that was biting his neck and forced it down on the ground. Junior growled as he bit down on the creature's foreleg, causing it to wail in agony. He then rolled around on the ground with the chimera's leg in his mouth, making the chimera roar in pain as its foreleg was twisted until the sound of bones cracking was heard. The Transmutant released the creature and stood back up to his feet. He then gave a low growl as he stared down at the creature. The chimera stood on three legs as it held up its broken foreleg, panting as it snarled at the Transmutant. The creature lunged at Junior, but its neck was caught by the dragon's mighty jaws. The lion head gave one final roar before Junior held its back down and twisted his neck by only using his jaws. The lion head lost control of the body and slumped down onto the ground. The ram head roared as it took control and charged towards Junior. The Transmutant was forced back and slammed into an establishment. Cries of terror filled his hearing as Junior lied pinned down by the chimera while the ram head slammed its head against Junior's skull. The Transmutant shook off the blow and retaliated by grabbing the creature’s neck and applying as much pressure as he could. The ram's windpipe was crushed, causing its eyes to widen as it struggled to breath. Junior forced the ram off of his chest and dragged it outside. People watched fearfully as the Transmutant tossed the chimera to the ground and stomped on the snake head that made up the tail. Junior roared to the heavens in triumph, displaying his dominance over the beasts that challenged him.
"That thing is a monster!" said a man from within the building.
"The horror! The horror!" cried Rose Luck as she and two other women huddled in fear. Junior turned and glared at the humans that trembled in his presence. He shot hot air through his nostrils in annoyance.
"Ungrateful bastards. Next time, fend for yourselves if you feel that way," spat Junior as he stomped away. He spotted Rodan flying at high speed as he crashed down with a chimera under him. The Transmutant began to peck the creature, his sharp teeth dug into the creature's flesh.
"Want some more?!" shouted Rodan as he stomped on the creature's head. Junior rolled his eyes as he made his way past bird-dragon. He continued walking with an angry look of on his face. Mosura fluttered through the air and flew down towards him.
"There's no sign of any left. I think we-" Junior merely brushed passed her without saying a word. Mosura turned to face him as he continued to walk past the dead and unconscious chimeras.
"Hey! Gojira!" called Mosura. Junior remained silent as he stomped down the street. Angirasu shook his body as he sighed in relief. He stopped as he noticed Junior's expression as he stomped away.
"Gojira? Are you OK?" asked Angirasu in concern.
"I'm going home," said Junior as he continued to walk away. Rodan stopped and turned to face Junior in disbelief.
"Already? Don't you want to meet our adoring fans?" asked Rodan. Junior scoffed as he stopped and turned to face Rodan.
"What fans? All I see are a bunch of...of...Ergh!!" growled Junior as he turned away and began to walk away fuming with anger.
"Goji, remember what Flutters said! Calm breathes! Happy place!" called Rodan.
"Yeah, sure. I'll find my happy place," said Junior as he continued to walk away. Mosura sighed in disappointment. She turned and noticed a few people peeking their heads out of buildings to find the aftermath of the battle. She then noticed the Element Bearers rushing out of hiding and towards their position. They looked on in shock at the destruction left behind and the chimeras that were defeated. Lampposts sparked as they lied knocked over on the ground. Windows were shattered and a few holes were left in buildings. Fluttershy looked on sadly at the chimeras that lied dead and hurt on the ground. Rainbow looked over towards one of the chimeras with the mauled lion neck and crushed snake tail. She grimaced at the sight.
"Man, you guys sure can dish it out," said Rainbow.
"Yeah," said Mosura with a sigh. Twilight looked at her surroundings.
"Hey, where's..." Twilight spotted Junior ahead, walking away. "Where is he going?"
"Goji! Come back!" called Pinkie Pie. She then frowned in disappointment when the Transmutant didn't respond. Rarity looked on worriedly.
"Something must be wrong," said Rarity. Applejack looked around with a sigh.
"I can guess what," said Applejack as she caught the stares that they were receiving. People held a look of contempt for the destruction that was caused by the Transmutants. Others looked fearfully with only a few looked in awe. Applejack swore that she caught a few people shooting her a glare as well. Twilight then walked past the group.
"I'm gonna go talk to him," said Twilight. Rodan stepped in front of her, prompting her to stop and to look at him in confusion. Rodan handed her a folded pair of jeans, a shirt and a sweater.
"Here. He's gonna need these," said Rodan. Twilight nodded to him as she took the clothes. Rodan took a step back, allowing her to chase after the Transmutant. Angirasu began to walk over towards the group. Pinkie looked at him with a look of interest.
"Is that cake on your face?" asked Pinkie. Angirasu nodded.
"Yeah. Some lady threw at me," answered Angirasu. The Earthbound made her way over to him and ran a finger on his brow. She then stuck her finger in her mouth as tasted the cake.
"Mmh! So good!" said Pinkie. She then pulled out a butter knife and a small plate. She began to graze the knife over his muzzle and took the frosting. Angirasu scowled at her while Rarity looked on with a grimace.
"I don't think that's sanitary," said Angirasu.
"Clean freak," retorted Pinkie. She began to lick the frosting off of her plate. Rodan ran a claw over Angirasu's brow and held it up to his beak. His long tongue licked the frosting off his claw.
"Eh. I had better," said Rodan with a shrug. Mosura turned towards the destruction and the creatures that littered the area.
"Well, I guess it's only fair that we help clean up," said Mosura. She then glanced at one of the Chimeras that lied unconscious. "I just wonder why these creatures suddenly began hunting here,"



Twilight knelt down on the ground as she stared at large animal tracks. She almost mistook them as elephant tracks since they were wide until she caught sight of what appeared to be claws at the end of the toes. Twilight looked up and found the tracks to be running deeper into the Everfree forest. She searched her surroundings, finding the trees of the forest to be still and calm.
"I hope I can find him before something else does," said Twilight as she stood back up and continued to walk down the path as she kept her eyes on the tracks. She smiled in amusement. "For someone as large as him, he sure does move fast,"
Twilight Sparkle continued her pace in silence. She wondered how to approach him for this situation. From what she could tell, the Transmutant appeared to be in a foul mood since he stormed off without saying a word. After a few more minutes of walking, she came across an unfamiliar path in the Everfree. She stopped as she looked around warily at the unfamiliar location. She was only familiar with the area near Zecora's hut and the former castle of the two royal sisters. Twilight looked down at the ground and found the tracks to still be leading further ahead.
"OK. It should be fine if he's come down here," Twilight said to herself. She picked up her pace, wanting to find the Transmutant as soon as possible. She eventually came across a more rocky area that led up to a hill. She noticed how a few stones were crushed into rubble on the ground along with a small tree knocked over.
"I...guess it's safe to assume that he's here," Twilight said to herself as she walked up the hill. The Elf found herself standing on the small hill and gasped in surprise. She spotted an area filled with pools of water that gave off hot steam. Just standing in the area, she was able to feel the soothing heat.
"A hot spring," said Twilight in surprise. She searched the area for any signs of the Transmutant. The petite girl smiled as she caught sight of him lying down on his stomach near the edge of the water. She lightly frowned as she spotted his dejected expression. Twilight carefully walked around the larger hot spring pool, but stumbled as she stepped on a brittle rock, causing her to nearly fall in the hot spring. Twilight panted as she held her racing heart as she stared warily at the pool.
"I hope it's not too dee-" Twilight took another step forward but suddenly felt her foot descend further down. She yelped as she felt the small amount of land breaking apart, causing her to trip and fall into the pool. With a loud splash, Junior was startled out of his thoughts and turned his head to find the water ripple. He slowly stood up with a look of curiosity. Twilight shot up out of the water with a loud gasp and frantic expression.
"Ah!" cried Twilight as she splashed in the water. Junior's eyes widened in surprise.
"Twilight," said Junior. Twilight's head slightly dunked under water. She coughed as she stared at Junior with a look of dread.
"Gojira, help me! I don't know how to-" Twilight sunk underwater as her hand went under last. Junior gasped. He rushed over towards the water and dove under. His tail propelled him under as he swayed his body from side to side, helping him to keep a straight shot towards the Elf. He found the Elf frantically trying to swim back up to the surface as she slowly sunk further down in the deep end of the hot spring pool. Junior narrowed his eyes as he picked up his speed. As he came closer to Twilight, he took her into his arms and rose back to the surface. Breaching the surface, Twilight gasped for air and coughed furiously as she leaned her head against Junior.
"Twi, are you alright?" asked a worried Junior. The Elf began to pant as she turned to face him. She weakly smiled at him.
"Yeah. Thank you," said Twilight. Junior sighed in relief.
"You scared the hell out of me," said Junior as he nuzzled her forehead. Twilight lightly giggled in response.
"Sorry. I was trying to get around, but the edge gave in and I fell," said Twilight. Junior sighed.
"Come on. Let's get you out of the water," said Junior as he held Twilight over his shoulder. He descended forward in the water in a swimming position. Twilight gave panicked breaths as she felt herself sinking into the water. Junior raised his head out of the water and glanced at her.
"Hold onto my dorsal plates," said Junior. Twilight nodded as she grabbed the second plate that was on his left and grabbed one of the taller dorsal plates that ran down the center of his back. Junior swam back to the shoreline with the Elf holding onto him for dear life. When he reached land, he crawled on his hands and feet. He lowered himself down on the ground, allowing Twilight to climb off and sigh in relief. She then started to dry her wet hair and shirt. Junior glanced at her as he lied back down on his belly.
"What are you doing here? It's dangerous to travel this deep through the Everfree alone," asked Junior. Twilight looked at him worriedly.
"You stormed off after stopping those chimeras. I was worried so I went after you," answered Twilight. Junior looked away as he kept his chin firmly planted on the ground.
"Don't worry about it. It's nothing," said Junior. Twilight scowled at him.
"You know, you've gotten pretty bad at lying," said Twilight. Junior sighed.
"Is it that obvious?" asked Junior.
"Yes! Besides, why do you feel the need to keep lying? Especially to me," said Twilight with a hurtful expression. She leaned against his side as she gently ran a hand over his scales. "I hate it,"
"I'm sorry. I just didn't want to be around when people started pointing the finger of blame on us for stepping in," said Junior.
"Gojira, you saved lives! There's bound to be some people who appreciate that!" said Twilight.
"People have a habit of being ungrateful, Twilight. Why should I have to take crap just because I did what other people would have done if they had my strength?"
"I feel terrible knowing that you're this negative," said Twilight with a frown.
"Don't. You're not the one who's treating me like a monster," said Junior with a small smile. Twilight smiled back at him. She scooted closer to him and began to run her hand on his head. She pressed her head against him as she locked eyes with him.
"Because that's not what I see in you," said Twilight. She took his head into her hands and leaned in. She planted a small kiss on his muzzle and wrapped her arms around his head. Junior lightly chuckled in embarrassment and slowly stood up as Twilight released him.
"Come on, I'll take you to the lair so you can dry off," said Junior. Twilight gasped as she looked at the water with dread.
"Oh my gosh! I dropped your clothes in the water!" exclaimed Twilight.
"Don't worry, I'll get them," said Junior as he walked over towards the water and dove inside.




Later...

Twilight sat on the sofa that was in the house that led inside of the Transmutant cave. She wore one of Junior's t-shirts, which hung down to her waist. Her damp tights, skirt, and shirt hung outside in the sun with Junior's clothing. She sat down with a blush on her face as the Transmutant adjusted the heater in front of her. He sighed as he began to feel the warmth. He made his way back to the sofa and sat down next to the Elf.
"Finally got the heater working. Damn thing is as old as this house." said Junior in annoyance. Twilight twiddled with her fingers as she shyly glanced at Junior.
"So uh...you guys all live together now? It must be nice," said Twilight, hoping to start a conversation.
"It's better than I thought. I was worried that I would be a bother, but they seem to be really fine with me being here," said Junior. He then glanced at Twilight.
"You uh...you've been alright lately?" asked Junior.
"Well...yeah actually. Why?" asked Twilight. Junior shrugged.
"Just making sure," answered Junior. The Elf lightly smiled at him.
"Do you remember when you asked me out?" asked Twilight. Junior nodded.
"Yeah. It was nice. Well, except for the movie. Ugh," said Junior in disgust. Twilight giggled in response.
"Yeah. I only chose to remember us star gazing," said Twilight. She then rubbed her arm as she glanced at him.
"Gojira, would you be fine if we...went out with each other again sometime?" asked Twilight. Junior was about to say yes, but he stopped himself. He looked away with a frown. Twilight felt her heart ache in her chest.
"Gojira?" called Twilight.
"Twilight, I would love nothing more than to share moments with you like we did on that night," said Junior. He turned to face her with a deep frown.
"But...what if it's a mistake?" asked Junior.
"Wha- What do you mean, 'a mistake'?" asked Twilight with worry.
"Twilight, what would people think of you if they knew that you, Celestia's pupil and Equestria's national heroine, was going out with a Transmutant like me?" asked Junior. "Hell, a Transmutant in itself bugs people,"
"You think I care about that?!" demanded Twilight as she glared at Junior.
"No. But I care about how it affects you," said Junior. Twilight took Junior's face and brought it to face hers.
"Gojira Takeshi the second, I am in love with you," said Twilight in a firm tone. Junior's eyes slightly widened at how firm and confident she was. He knew the girl had feelings for him as she began to show more intimate affection for him, but it warmed his heart to hear her say that she reciprocated his feelings.
"I will not give up on you because people can't look passed what they see," said Twilight as she wrapped Junior into a tight hug. Junior held her as he lowered his face over her head.
"I'm in love with you too, Twilight. But..." Junior was about to speak but stopped as Twilight looked back up at him with tears of joy streaming down her face.
"I waited so long to hear you say that. Please, don't say anymore," said Twilight as she ran her hand over his cheek. Junior lightly smiled as he gently used his thumb to wipe away her tears.
"You have beautiful eyes," said Junior. Twilight gave a small giggle as she blushed.
"And you have a charming gentle side to you," said Twilight. Junior chuckled,
"I think I have my mother to thank for that," said Junior as he held Twilight's chin. Twilight gulped as she took small breathes.
"Are...are you going to kiss me?" asked Twilight in a small tone.
"I...I think so. Hopefully, for real this time," said Junior with a small chuckle.
"I...I never kissed anybody before," said Twilight as she slightly pulled away with a shy expression. Junior gently brought her face back to face his.
"Then it pleases me to be the first. Don't be embarrassed. I actually never kissed anyone either," said Junior. Twilight smiled as she slowly leaned closer to him.
"Lucky me," said Twilight as she pressed her forehead against his. Their lips came closer together as their hearts pounded in their chests. Twilight's scent grew stronger in the Transmutant's sense of smell. Twilight's hearing picked up his soft breathing, causing her to grow more flushed. Soon, the two made lip contact with each other. Twilight closed her eyes as she slowly gave a small opening in her mouth, inviting Junior in to explore. She gasped as her eyes shot open from the feeling that she felt with her tongue when it made contact with his. Junior's heart nearly stopped from the shock. The two pulled away from each other as they both stared with wide eyes and started panting with flushed faces.
"Wow," whispered Twilight as she smiled bashfully. Junior cleared his throat.
"Yeah. That...was scary. Yet, it was amazing," said Junior as he looked away from Twilight. The petite Elf took Junior's face back into her hands and pulled towards her.
"Kiss me again. Please, don't stop yet," whispered Twilight. Junior nodded as he locked lips with the Elf again. She gave a small moan as their tongues danced in each other's mouth. Twilight wrapped her arms around Junior's shoulders and sat on his lap. She wrapped her legs around his waist as the two continued to kiss. Junior caressed her bare thigh as he ran his fingers on the back of her neck. Twilight shuddered as she leaned her head against his shoulder.
"Oh my gosh," muttered Twilight as she trembled against him. She then pulled away as she ran a hand over his chest, but stopped as she found the area where his heart was located. She felt it beat against his chest, so she leaned her head against it.
"Your heart beat. It's strong," said Twilight as she closed her eyes and listened to it. Junior placed a hand over her chest, but above her breast.
"Your heart beat is fast. A normal person couldn't hear it beat unless they were listening with a stethoscope. But with my hearing, I can hear it as if it were a whisper," said Junior. Twilight held his hand over her chest as she rested her head against him. The two rested on the sofa. Twilight snuggled up against Junior as he wrapped an arm over her. She gave him one more kiss before resting her head against his arm. Junior sighed happily as he stared off to the wall with the petite Elf falling asleep in his warm embrace. From the front door, Mosura peaked through the window of the house with a small smile on her face.



The sound of outraged voices filled the air. A crowd of people had gathered around outside of the city hall. Standing just outside in front of the building was Mayor Mare; an Earthbound woman with grey hair and glasses that sat on her nose. She bore a worried expression as the citizens shouted all at once.
"People! Remain calm!" said the Mayor as she spoke over the shouts.
"Ms. Mayor, we demand that you take action against the Transmutant menace that walks among us!" shouted a man from the crowd.
"They caused more destruction to property than the chimeras!" shouted another man. People shouted verbal agreements.
"People, please! I understand your concerns for allowing unusual individuals such as them to be among us. But they can be more beneficial for us all if we allow them to stay," said the mayor. "You've seen the creatures that attacked us a few moments ago! Rarely has Ponyville experienced an attack of beasts from the Everfree such as this! If not for them, many lives may be lost today,"
"But lives were lost when the Transmutants were here the last time! Who's to say that they won't turn on us as well?!" demanded a woman from the crowd.
"If you recall, Mustangia currently allows three other Transmutants to walk among them. Princess Celestia herself has met them and spoke kindly of them. Now, they're recognized as protectors of the town," said the mayor. She looked at the hard stares that she was receiving.
"Ladies of gentlemen, if the Princess trusts these Transmutants enough to allow them to be with us, then perhaps we should place our trust in her. We can have strong protectors in our beloved town just like Mustangia. Based on their performance, I say they are the most capable of handling threats such as monster attacks and a possible Transmutant Revolutionary attack," said the mayor in a firm tone.
Meanwhile, Angirasu still remained in his beastly form as Fluttershy wondered over to him with a bucket of soap and water and a sponge. She sat the bucket down and began to dump the sponge inside. Fluttershy smiled as she stood on her tip toes and placed a hand over his head. The Valkyrie gently pressed down on it.
"Could you kneel down for me please? You need to be washed," said Fluttershy. The Transmutant nodded.
"S-Sure," said Angirasu in a soft tone as he lowered himself down to the ground. Fluttershy got on her knees and placed a hand on his head as she scrubbed his snout with the other hand. She scrubbed the frosting that stuck to his scales and any dirt that may have gotten on him. She scrubbed the horn that sat on his snout, causing him to slightly chuckle as he swayed his tail. Fluttershy stopped and looked at him in surprise.
"S-sorry. It tickled," said Angirasu in embarrassment. Fluttershy giggled in response as she began to scrub his head.
"Hmm. It's funny," said Fluttershy. Angirasu's eyes looked to her curiously.
"What is?" asked Angirasu.
"Well...normally I'm terrified of dragons excluding Spike. I mean, they're so ferocious and...scary." said Fluttershy with a nervous gulp. Just the thought of the massive reptiles made her skin crawl.
"Yeah, they sure are," said Angirasu with a nod. He then pawed at the ground. Fluttershy lightly smiled as she dumped the sponge back into the bucket and began to scrub the Transmutant's scales with the damped sponge.
"But with you, Goji and Rodan, I'm not afraid," said Fluttershy. Angirasu hummed in thought.
"Maybe you're braver now," suggested Angirasu. Fluttershy shook her head.
"No, I don't think so. I still scare myself sometimes," said Fluttershy with an embarrassed smile. She sighed in disappointment as she lowered her head with a frown.
"I wish I wasn't such a scared cat. If only I was brave like you and the others. I'm just a coward," moped Fluttershy. Angirasu turned his head to face her.
"Fluttershy, you are not a coward. Sure, you may get scared from time to time, but even your friends can get scared. Heck, I even get scared sometimes," said Angirasu as he gave Fluttershy a reassuring tone. He tapped his paw on the ground as he stood back up onto his feet. He sat on his rear as he looked down at the Valkyrie. "Remember when Gojira introduced us to you and the others? We were afraid to get to know you all. To us, being friends with humans who could potentially hate us was scarier than any monster on the face of the Earth,"
"You were afraid of us? But...how did you conquer that fear?" asked Fluttershy as she looked back up to Angirasu.
"Well, we didn't until recently. Even after we got to know you all, we were still afraid. You accepting us when we came back helped us conquered that fear," said Angirasu. He lowered himself back down until his head was at Fluttershy's eye level. "It's OK to be afraid. The strongest people are the ones who are willing to confront pain, danger, uncertainty and intimidation. You've done that before,"
"Yeah but...you must have faced more than we have." said Fluttershy. Angirasu shrugged.
"Maybe. But the way you went out of your way to find us when we were gone showed me that you are also brave. The Everfree is filled with all sorts of dangerous creatures. Yet, you pressed on. I admire that kind of courage," said Angirasu with a smile. He then looked at her in disappointment. "But I hate the thought of you being in danger while you were searching for us,"
"Oh...sorry," said Fluttershy softly as she lowered her head in shame. Angirasu frowned, feeling bad for souring Fluttershy's mood. He looked around the area, finding no one around. Rodan was carrying away rubble into the air as he clawed feet held onto a large sack. Applejack and Rainbow Dash helped with repairing destroyed doors. Rarity and Pinkie Pie were replacing signs. Angirasu looked back to Fluttershy and found her frown deepening. He sighed as he nuzzled her cheek softly. Fluttershy gasped in surprise as she felt the nuzzle and turned to look at Angirasu. The Transmutant looked away as he gave a nervous chuckle.
"I'm not mad at you. I uh...I care about you. A lot, actually," said Angirasu awkwardly. Fluttershy smiled brightly as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She buried her face into the side of his closed jaws as she giggled.
"You're sweet," said Fluttershy. Rarity and Pinkie glanced behind themselves and found the two in their position. The Elf softly giggled to herself at the sight. Fluttershy released him and then looked towards the chimeras that were still around.
"It's so sad that this happened," sighed Fluttershy. Angirasu nodded.
"I only wonder why so many showed up at once. I don't know anything about Chimeras, but this seemed off," said Angirasu. Fluttershy looked at him curiously.
"What do you mean?" asked Fluttershy.
"Well, you're an expert on animals, right? Don't they sometimes end up in civilized areas if they're forced out of their territory?" asked Angirasu.
"Well, yes. But...what do you think could have led them to come out here?" asked Fluttershy in a worried tone. Angirasu looked down in thought.
"Whatever it is, let's hope we won't have to worry about it," said Angirasu. Fluttershy nodded in agreement. She placed the sponge back into the bucket as she stood back onto her feet. She then smiled in approval.
"There you go! You're all clean now," said Fluttershy.
"Thank you, Fluttershy," said Angirasu with a smile. He then began to walk away, over towards a corner in the buildings. "I'll be right back. I'm going to change back,"
"OK," said Fluttershy with a nod. As Angirasu went back to the building where he left his clothes, Fluttershy wandered back to her friends with a blush on her cheeks. Rarity smiled coyly at her.
"Ooh. Somebody's blushing," said Rarity with a wink.
"Eep!" Fluttershy hunched her shoulders as she stood stiffly. Rarity smiled in amusement as she made her way over towards the timid Valkyrie.
"Oh, there's no reason to be embarrassed!" said Rarity.
"Yeah! Especially since Goji and Twilight like each other and Rodan and Dashie are boyfriend and girlfriend now!" said Pinkie. Rainbow gasped as her eyes widened in shock. Applejack turned and looked at her in surprise.
"Wait, come again? Rainbow Dash has a boyfriend?" asked Applejack in disbelief. Rainbow's face grew redder as she avoided eye contact with her friends.
"And it's Rodan?" asked Rarity in surprise. Fluttershy giggled with glee.
"Oh my goodness! Rainbow Dash, since when?" asked Fluttershy. Rainbow rubbed her arm in embarrassment.
"Um...since last week?" said Rainbow with a shrug. Rarity rushed over her as she grabbed the Valkyrie by her shoulders.
"Why haven't you told us?!" demanded Rarity.
"Because...I-I don't know! I wanted to see if we were serious," said Rainbow.
"Are ya?" asked Applejack.
"I...I think so. Rodan hasn't told them yet," said Rainbow with a chuckle as she looked away and smiled to herself. She then noticed Mosura approaching the group.
"Hey, what's going?" asked Mosura. Rarity brought Rainbow Dash forward as she looked at Mosura with a coy smile.
"Rainbow Dash here apparently has been keeping a secret from us. Rodan as well," said Rarity.
"Uh oh. What is it?" asked Mosura reluctantly. Rainbow cleared her throat as she held her hands in her coat pockets.
"Uh...you see... Mosu, it's like this. Rodan and I..." Rainbow was about to finish her sentence while Mosura sighed in exasperation. Her patience had worn thin, prompting her to do a quick scan through her thoughts. She gasped in surprise.
"Oh, I'm going to kill him for not telling me sooner!" said Mosura with a grin. She laughed as she pulled Rainbow into a hug.
"This day just got even better!" said Mosura. Rainbow sent her glare.
"Hey, did you just scan me? Not cool!" said Rainbow.
"Relax, I only scanned through the next words that you were trying to stay. I didn't look through whatever embarrassing memories in your head," said Mosura in reassurance. Rainbow scowled.
"Sure," said Rainbow. Mosura released her and looked at her with a smile.
"So, did he take you out yet? Where did he take you? Details!" said Mosura with an eager expression.
"Oh. We caught a football game," said Rainbow. The girls went silent. Mosura slowly lost her expression, which turned to disappointment.
"That's it?" asked Mosura. Rainbow nodded.
"Yep. It was a very good game," said Rainbow as she fondly recalled the date.
"With the confidence that he has, I thought he'd do something a little more romantic," said Rarity in disappointment.
"Pfft! Have you met me? I'm not really the romantic type. He had the right idea," said Rainbow with a grin.
"Did you kiss?" asked Pinkie as she batted her eyelashes. Rainbow smirked.
"Heh. Yea- I mean, no!" said Rainbow with a nervous laugh.
"Uh! Too late, we all heard it! I ship it!" cried Pinkie with a grin. Rainbow sighed as she hid her face.
"Aw, Rainbow Dash. We think it's wonderful you met someone! Even people that are awesome can find that special somebody," said Fluttershy with an envious smile. Rainbow lightly smiled in response. Angirasu approached the group as he popped his shoulder.
"Oh, hey Mosu. How's Gojira?" asked Angirasu. Mosu lightly smiled to herself.
"He's fine. Twilight's with him right now," said Mosura as she walked across the road. She stopped as she spotted a few people standing before her. She slightly backed away with a look of confusion.
"It's you! You're the Transmutants who stopped the chimeras!" said a woman with a bright smile.
"Oh! Yes, that's us," said Mosura as she recomposed herself. The woman took the Transmutant's hand and shook it.
"I speak for all of us here when I say that we appreciate what you all did today!" said the woman.
"Yeah! You saved our lives!" said a man from the small crowd.
"How can we repay you?" asked another woman. Mosura waved her hand dismissively.
"Oh, you don't need to do anything special for us. Your thanks is good enough," said Mosura with a smile. The woman gasped as she placed a hand over her heart.
"Oh! You're so sweet! Can we at least know your names?" asked the woman.
"My name is Mosura Yasu," said Mosura. She then gestured to Angirasu. "This is Angirasu Riku,"
"Hello," greeted Angirasu with a small wave. Mosura turned as she searched the area with a scowl.
"Hold on. Where the heck is-" Mosura stopped as she spotted Rodan walking over towards the group in his human form. She smiled brightly as she pointed towards the Transmutant.
"Over there is Rodan Shou. Say hi, Rodan!" said Mosura.
"Hi Rodan," said Rodan with a wave as he approached the group. Rainbow snorted while one of the women giggled in amusement.
"He's hot," said the woman as she approached the Transmutant. Rainbow's eyes slightly widened as her brow twitched.
"What?" asked Rainbow. Rodan stopped as the woman placed a finger over his chest.
"Hey there, handsome," said the woman in a seductive tone. Rodan gulped nervously as he slightly glanced at Rainbow. He could just hear the steam building up in her that would cause her to spew it like a locomotive.
"Oh, hi," greeted Rodan.
"You single, hot stuff?" asked the woman. Rodan cleared his throat as he pulled away and moved to Rainbow Dash’s side. He wrapped an arm around and pulled her close.
"Actually, I'm not," said Rodan as he planted a kiss on Rainbow's cheek, which made her blush. The woman moaned in disappointment while Rainbow smiled smugly.
"Hey, wasn't there another?" asked another woman.
"Oh, you mean Gojira Takeshi. Yeah, he actually went home right after the battle. He's not good with crowds," answered Angirasu.
"That's a shame. We were hoping to meet you all," said the woman in disappointment.
"Ah I wouldn't worry. You might see him again. He's not going anywhere," said Rodan with a wave of his hand. Mosura nodded.
"Right. But, we'll be sure to pass on your thanks to him. I'm sure he'll be pleased to hear it," said Mosura.
"Well we have to get going. Gotta repair the damage that was done. Hope you guys keep our town safe!" said the woman as she and the group walked away. The Transmutants waved to them as they left. Mosura sighed to herself as she watched them leave.
"Too bad Goji wasn't here," said Mosura. She then lightly smiled to herself.
'But then again, it turned out well for him anyway,' thought Mosura. Fluttershy made her way next to Angirasu and leaned her head against him.
"Angirasu...I actually wanted to ask you something," said Fluttershy.
"Yes?" asked Angirasu.
"Would you like to have lunch with me later? I mean, if you have time and if you want to," said Fluttershy timidly. Angirasu cleared his throat as he avoided eye contact with her.
"Sure! Sounds nice," said Angirasu in a quick pace. Fluttershy smiled in delight as she took his arm.
"Oh, you're going to love where we're going! There's this little cafe that makes delicious-" Fluttershy went on about where she planned on taking him. Angirasu listened as his heart pounded in his chest. Her sudden talkativeness was a surprise to him, but he didn't care. He enjoyed hearing her sweet and soft voice. Mosura smiled brightly again as she pulled Pinkie close to herself. Pinkie giggled in response.
"I ship it," said Pinkie.
"Me too," replied Mosura with a nod.
"What does that even mean?" asked Rarity in confusion.
"Oh, that's what the kids have been saying these days," answered Applejack with a roll of her eyes. "My sister explained it to me. I'll tell you later,"
From the corner of the street. A man stood by, watching over the group as they stood together. His eyes suddenly flashed green as he glared at the Transmutants. He turned away and began to walk down the alley as his body was engulfed in green flames. His body suddenly transformed into that of a Changeling. He hissed as he took off into the air and fled to the Everfree forest.

> Chapter 46: Soldiers, Monsters, and...
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Ponyville

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



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



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



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




A couple hours later...

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




Location: Zebrabwe. One day ago...

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




Later...

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




Present day...

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




Later...

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




Two hours later...

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



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




Meanwhile...

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

> Chapter 47: Meeting the Family
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Junior remained silent as he sat alone in Celestia's chamber. He gave a heavy sigh as he propped his hand under his chin. It was just a couple of hours since the confrontation between the Transmutants and the MONARCH soldiers. Currently, Celestia was resting from the battle in her bed. Her cheek was bandaged and her forehead was covered in bruises. She was breathing softly as she slept. Her hand held Junior's firmly as he sat at her side. The Transmutant gently rubbed her hand with his other as he lowered his head. A soft knock came at the door, prompting Junior to slowly raise his head.
"Come in," called Junior. The door slowly opened, revealing Luna to slowly step in.
"How is she?" asked Luna.
"She just went to sleep. She's fine," answered Junior as he released his adoptive mother's hand. Luna lightly stepped over to his side and looked down at Celestia with a frown.
"If only I had joined my sister. Perhaps she wouldn't-"
"It's not your fault, Luna. Things...just went wrong," said Junior solemnly. He shook his head. "There was no way that she could've known that one of them was that powerful,"
"I suppose," said Luna as she crossed her arms and kept her frown. Junior glanced at her.
"So, what's going to happen with the MONARCH soldiers?" asked Junior.
"For now, we are going to keep them locked in the dungeon. We are going to be interrogating them, starting with the Transmutant since she seemed more cooperative than the others," answered Luna. Junior chuckled.
"Celestia rarely had to use that place. Now you guys finally have a use for it," said Junior.
"I do not really find it all that amusing, Gojira," said Luna with a frown. Junior shrugged.
"Sorry, I'm just trying to make light of the situation," replied Junior. He then looked down in thought. "Something about Sunset Shimmer bothers me. She suddenly changed into that...I don't know what she was. Luna, you lived in a previous era. Are you familiar with her appearance?"
"I have never seen anything like her," said Luna as she shook her head.
"She changed...like a Transmutant. She was a normal girl years ago. I don't understand," said Junior as he rubbed his head. Luna looked at him curiously.
"Pray tell, how is it that you and my sister know of her?" asked Luna.
"It's ancient history, but she was Celestia's pupil before Twilight. I was living in her castle at the time as a kid. I sort of had this crush on her," said Junior. He then shook his head in amusement. "Ironic how years later, we meet again and we're trying to kill each other,"
"Well, her body had changed back to normal. I can see why you had taken a liking to her. She is a pretty young woman," said Luna with a smirk.
"Well, I'm already with Twilight. What's in her heart comes first before her looks. That's why I fell for her in the first place. Shimmer was just some stupid kiddie crush that I had," said Junior. He scratched the back of his ear as he stood to his feet as he sighed. "I wonder if it's a good idea for us to come back to Ponyville right now. People won’t be happy to see us,"
"We'll handle it. We have a Changeling that used Sergeant Yoshi's communication device and the Changeling that you and the others captured. All that's missing are the ones who framed you. We'll announce to the public of the plot tomorrow," said Luna in reassurance. Junior nodded to her.
"Thank you. Take care, Luna," said Junior as he walked out towards the doorway and down the hall. Luna turned to face Celestia, finding her peeking through one eye. Luna lightly smirked.
"You are quite sneaky, my dear sister," said Luna in amusement. Celestia lightly laughed.
"I think that perhaps he can be of help to her," said Celestia. Luna looked at her concern.
"Sister, she nearly killed you. She has a great power inside of her. Is it wise to have her here?" asked Luna in a worried tone.
"She's the way she is because of me. I want to make up for my mistake. I just want her to be happy," said Celestia. She looked out towards her window, towards the night sky. "It might be a while before she'll even speak to me again, but I believe Junior is the best person to help her. Those two have more in common than they realize,"
"But I am concerned about her form," said Luna warily. Celestia furrowed her brows.
"As am I. This is the first time that I have ever seen or heard of a human transcending the form of a demon. The question is, what sort of organization is MONARCH with the capability of transcending humans with unknown creatures and supernatural beings?" said Celestia. Luna's eyes widened in shock at the mention of what sort of creature the Elf had changed into.
"But the Transmutants were changed through their DNA by the blood of those creatures. A spirit has no blood," said Luna in confusion.
"Perhaps there's something that we don't know. MONARCH is toying with forces beyond its control," said Celestia in a low tone.



Junior wandered through the Canterlot halls alone in silence. He held his hands in his sweater pockets as he looked down at the ground in thought. He wondered about the Transmutant that fought for MONARCH. She was strong and willing to talk to those who would be interrogating her. He wondered if the soldier would consider changing sides.
'Why am I being so lenient towards her out of all of the soldiers? Hell, why am I being lenient to a MONARCH soldier?' thought Junior with a scowl. He continued walking as he kept his scowl on his face. He later came across the castle lobby, where Twilight was standing with two familiar people. The petite Elf was conversing with none other than Cadence and Shining Armor. Twilight turned as she noticed the Transmutant approaching from the side.
"Oh! There he is now!" said Twilight as she waved at Junior. The Transmutant lightly smiled as he waved back at her. Cadence turned and greeted him with a bright smile.
"Hi, cousin!" greeted Cadence with a wave.
"Hey, Cadence. Welcome back," greeted Junior as he made his way to the group. He cleared his throat as Shining Armor directed his attention towards him.
"Uh...good evening, Captain Armor. I hope you two enjoyed your honeymoon," said Junior as he stood stiffly.
"We did," replied Shining Armor with a small smile.
"It was wonderful! Our trip to Prance was great! We just came back a week ago," said Cadence. Junior nodded.
"That's cool," said Junior. Twilight turned to face him, revealing a bandage on her cheek.
"We were just talking about having dinner with our parents tonight," said Twilight with a bright smile.
"Well, that seems nice. I'll see you at home then. Have fun," said Junior as he walked away. Twilight raised a brow as her expression turned to disappointment.
"Hold on one second!" called Cadence as she grabbed Junior by his shoulder and pulled him back. Junior looked at her in confusion.
"What?" asked Junior. Cadence smirked at him.
"You're coming along," said Cadence.
"I...I am? But...this seems like a family thing. I don't want to be a bother," said Junior with a nervous expression. Cadence lightly laughed.
"What are you talking about? Twilight was just telling us how you two were together!" said Cadence. Junior went stiff.
"O-Oh?" asked Junior with a nervous smile. The thought of Twilight mentioning the fact to her elder brother made his skin crawl and chilled his spine. He imagined the captain of the royal guard cornering him while they were alone with a steel sword in his grip. 'Don't you dare defile my baby sister', the captain of the royal guard would say as he pointed the tip of the blade towards the Transmutant's throat. Junior's mind came back to reality and he mentally whimpered as he smiled at Cadence nervously. He had fought Transmutants, soldiers, monsters, and Changelings. Yet, he feared that he would be no match for the one thing that every boyfriend dreaded. Meeting the family of the girl that he loved.
"Gojira, why don't you come with us? I'm sure my parents would love to meet you!" said Twilight with a reassuring smile. Junior gulped nervously.
"W-Well..." Junior looked away briefly as he weighed his options. As he noticed the slight frown of Twilight, he immediately turned back with a forced smile. "Sure! Why not?"
Twilight smiled brightly at his answer. She made her way over to the Transmutant and took his arm. She walked with him while her brother watched with an uncertain gaze. Cadence noticed this and turned her attention to him.
"What's wrong?" asked Cadence. Shining Armor remained silent as he watched his sister and the Transmutant walk to the doors.
"I just wasn't expecting her to meet someone this soon. Especially him out of all the guys in Equestria," said Shining Armor. Cadence lightly frowned.
"What do you mean by that last bit?" asked Cadence.
"What does she see in him? He wasn't exactly someone with good behavior," said Shining Armor. Cadence looked at him in disapproval.
"Get to know him first before you start judging him," said Cadence.
"Fine," sighed Shining Armor. The two began to trail after Twilight and Junior in silence.




Later...

The moon continued to shine down its light upon the land as the stars twinkled. The cool air brushed against the skin of Junior. Crickets chirped in the night. Despite the serene atmosphere that Canterlot had to offer, it was not enough to settle the Transmutant's nerves as he stood before a large house. He stood by anxiously by Twilight in front of the brilliant crimson colored door that led into the cyan colored house. A lantern hung on the side of the door, lighting up the porch. Shining Armor made his way over to the door and began to knock on it. Junior felt anxiety beginning to overcome him. He was tempted to just make up an excuse and run as far away as possible. However, the Transmutant swallowed his worries and took calming breaths.
The sound of footsteps were heard from behind the door. The sound of frantic conversing came from within the house. They sounded like they were arguing while they finished tidying up. Shining Armor chuckled.
"I guess mom and dad weren't expecting us home so soon, eh Twily?" asked Shining with a smirk. Twilight chuckled in response.
"Leave it to them to panic when company is coming over," replied Twilight. The arguing ceased from behind the door. After several seconds, the front door opened. Junior steeled himself, keeping a calm and neutral expression as he attempted to keep himself from looking intimidating.
The door opened, revealing a middle aged Elf man standing over six feet tall. His hair was Dark phthalo blue and was neatly combed. His amber eyes stared at the group before him. His apparel comprised of a grayish azure sleeveless sweater over a grey, long sleeved button up shirt. Over the left side of his chest were a small white crescent moon and a larger light gold crescent. His bottoms comprised of grey khakis. A middle aged Elf woman stood at his side as she pulled open the door. She was petite, much like Twilight, standing at five foot four. Her light grey hair had a similar style of bangs that Twilight had along with moderate purple highlights. Her hair ran down over to her shoulders and curled. Her eyes were a light arctic blue. She wore a light grey, long sleeved shirt that hung loosely on her torso and a violet skirt with it. On her shirt were three violet stars sewn in near her right hip area. The two smiled brightly as they greeted their children and daughter in law.
"Twilight! Shiny and Cadence! Welcome!" said the woman as she made her way over to the Shining Armor and Cadence. She wrapped them into a hug while she planted a kiss on Shining Armor's cheek. Twilight made her way over to her father and wrapped him into a hug and then hugged her mother.
"Oh, I missed you mom and dad!" Twilight cried with joy. Junior watched the scene with a small smile.
"We missed you too," said the father with a smile. He then caught Junior standing at the side in silence. The Elf looked at the Transmutant with a raised brow. His mind snapped as he recognized the young man's face.
"So...who's your friend?" asked the man. Twilight made her way over to Junior and brought the Transmutant closer to her parents.
"Father, this is Gojira Takeshi the second. The boyfriend that I told you and mom about in my last letter, whom we agreed to invite over for dinner a week back," answered Twilight with a bright smile. Junior smiled nervously at the parents.
'Why the hell didn't she tell me that she was inviting me before hand?!' thought Junior.
"Oh. My, he's...he's actually a lot taller than I thought he'd be," said the mother in a joking manner. Junior lightly chuckled.
"You have no idea how much I get that," said Junior. He cleared his throat as he extended his hand. "Hello. It's uh...it's a pleasure to meet you both,"
"Likewise. My name is Night Light," said Twilight's father as he lamely took Junior's hand and shook it as his eye lids hung half open while keeping a neutral stare. The Transmutant was bothered at how insincere the Elf was, but he did his best to ignore it. Twilight's mother took Junior's hand and shook it.
"My name is Twilight Velvet. But please call me Velvet, dear," said the Elf with a smile. Junior mentally sighed in relief at how much more willing she was to shake his hand let alone introduce herself. He then lightly smiled.
"Sure thing," said Junior with a nod. Velvet stepped back into the house and gestured for the couples to step inside.
"Come on in! Dinner is almost ready," said Velvet. The couples stepped inside of the house. Junior stared around the household, finding it to be widely spaced. The walls were decorated with a few family photos and awards for astronomical studies. Burgundy colored carpet covered the ground of the living room. A fire place sat in the corner of the living room along with a table in the center of the room. The small table had a glass surface supported by metal legs. The room gave a sense of high class, which made Junior anxious. Velvet turned to the couples with a smile as she gestured to the sofa in the room.
"Please, have a seat! I'll be in the kitchen finishing dinner," said Velvet as she wondered off to towards another room. The couples made their way over to the sofa and took a seat. Night Light made his way over to a chair that sat near the fire place and took his seat. The group was locked in an awkward silence. Cadence cleared her throat.
"It's great to see you both again, Night Light," said Cadence, hoping to start up a conversation. He nodded in agreement.
"As it is to see you again. The wedding sure was hectic," said Night Light with a chuckle. Cadence laughed in response.
"I know. How many wives get so say that their wedding day was nearly ruined by a Changeling invasion?" asked Cadence in a joking manner. The married couple and Night Light all laughed in amusement. Junior gave a weak chuckle but then immediately went silent.
'Why the hell am I laughing? I was the one getting my ass kicked by the Queen!' thought Junior with a quick scowl. Velvet poked her head out from the corner of the kitchen and looked to Twilight in curiosity.
"Oh, Twilight. How's little Spike doing? I haven't seen the cutie since the wedding," asked Velvet.
"He's fine. Spike's been helping me with my studies and whatever shenanigans that occurs in Ponyville as usual," answered Twilight.
"Well that's good. Don't work him too hard. He's still a child and deserves to have time to make pleasant memories with his youth," said Velvet as she went back into the kitchen. Twilight nodded with a chuckle.
"I'll be sure to give him a bit more time off," replied Twilight. Night Light cleared his throat as he looked to Junior.
"Gojira Takeshi, was it?" asked Night Light.
"Uh...Gojira is just fine. Takeshi is my surname," said Junior with a nervous smile.
"Right. Tell me-" Night Light was interrupted as his wife poked her head back out from the kitchen.
"Uh! Don't ask any questions about him yet! I want to be able to give him my full attention!" said Velvet as she went back to the kitchen. Night Light sighed in disappointment. He then looked to his daughter.
"Twilight, what happened to your cheek?" asked Night Light. Twilight slightly stiffened at the question. She didn't want to bring up the fact that she was held hostage by MONARCH's soldiers, but Shining already knew and it wouldn't have been right to lie to her father about it. She decided to be truthful, but avoid mentioning everything.
"I was cut," said Twilight.
"How?" asked Night Light. Twilight grimaced, realizing that there was no avoiding the explanation.
"Uh...well...because a Changeling disguised as a MONARCH soldier cut me on the cheek with a knife and held my friends and I against our will," admitted Twilight with a nervous grin. Her father's eyes widened.
"Oh my goodness! What did it want from you?! How did you get away?!" asked Night Light frantically. Velvet poked her head back out with a worried expression.
"Wait, what?!" exclaimed Velvet.
"Mom, dad, it's alright!" said Twilight as she raised her hands with a nervous expression.
"I should have gone after you, sis. But Celestia ordered the guards to remain in Canterlot while she took the rebels instead," sighed Shining Armor in frustration. Cadence placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"It's alright. Gojira managed to save us in the end," said Twilight as she took Junior's hand as she gave the Transmutant a smile.
"Did he now?" asked Velvet. Her eyes looked over Junior with interest as she bore a small smile.
"My, you're quite heroic, cousin!" said Cadence with a smile. Junior chuckled in embarrassment.
"Uh...not really," said Junior with a shrug.
"Not really? You went against several soldiers to get to us!" argued Twilight.
"Not alone. I had Mosura and the others with me," said Junior.
"Who are they?" asked Night Light with a raised brow.
"Friends/roommates of mine, sir," answered Junior with a slight nervous expression. He swore that he caught the Elf looking at him suspiciously.
"Well, thank you very much for saving our Twilight. You have no idea how many dangerous adventures this little lady goes on!" said Velvet.
"You're welcome," said Junior with a smile.
"Well, I just need to set up the table and we'll be good to go!" said Velvet. Night Light nodded as he prepared to stand.
"I'll-" He was interrupted as Shining Armor waved his hand.
"No, I'll help mom, dad," said Shining Armor as he prepared to stand. However, Junior suddenly shot up to his feet.
"Uh...why don't I take care of that instead?" asked Junior as he wandered to the kitchen. "I mean, it's been awhile since you, the family, have seen each other. Don't mind me!"
"Thank you! You're quite the gentleman," said Velvet as she followed Junior back into the kitchen. Night Light and Shining Armor scowled in response as they remained seated.
Junior sighed in relief as he set plates over in the dining room. The Transmutant needed an excuse to leave the room for a breather and setting the table was the perfect opportunity. He had felt a crushing atmosphere forming in the living room that seemed to have been created by the desire of the father and brother to prod him for personal questions. He shook off the thought as paranoia and continued to set the table. The table was rectangular, covered in a white table cloth. Six chairs were lined across the table.  A chandelier hung overhead, giving soft lighting. Junior nodded in approval as he looked over the plates, silverware, and glasses that he had set up.  Velvet came up to his side with a glass pan filled with macaroni with melted cheese and broccoli. She sat the pan down carefully and looked to Junior with a smile.
"Thank you, dear," said Velvet. Junior nodded in response.
"No problem...Velvet," said Junior. He looked away with slight shame. He felt impolite referring to her by the second half of her first name. He would rather call the Elf by her surname since he had not known her long enough to call her by her first name. Velvet patted his shoulder with a nod.
"Could you call everyone in? I need to get the ice tea,"
"Sure," replied Junior as he made his way out of the dining room. He made his way over to the living room where he swore that he caught a small conversation going on. He stepped out to the living room.
"Hey, dinner is ready," said Junior. Twilight scowled as she stared at her older brother. She turned back to Junior and nodded to him with a smile.
"We're coming right now," said Twilight.



The couples found themselves sitting at the table. Twilight sat beside Junior on his right while he sat at the far side. Cadence sat across from him while Shining Armor sat beside her. Velvet sat next to Shining Armor while Night Light sat across from her, next to Twilight on her left side. They sat as they ate the meal that was served to them. Junior savored the taste of the meal. It wasn't meat, but it was delicious. Night Light cleared his throat.
"So Twilight, tell us how you met Gojira," said Night Light.
"Oh, where to start?" asked Twilight as she picked at her food as she looked down in thought. She then smiled to herself. "I could start from the beginning. It was over a year back when Princess Celestia held the Summer Sun Celebration. While my soon to be friends at the time volunteered to help me find the Elements of Harmony, we ran into Gojira in the Everfree forest,"
"What in Equestria were you doing in a place like that?" asked Velvet in an appalled tone. Junior swallowed his meal before speaking.
"Celestia adopted me when I was a kid. She wanted me to come to Ponyville to make friends, but she went missing when she was supposed to raise the sun. I assumed Nightmare Moon had her, so I followed her to the Everfree. Then I met Twilight and the others," answered Junior as he took another bite of his food.
"You went after an Avatar? That seems unwise," remarked Night Light. Junior cleared his throat.
"No...I guess not. But I didn't care. I wanted to find Celestia, no matter what," said Junior.
"So, you weren't worried about possibly being killed?" asked Velvet with wide eyes. Junior shrugged.
"Maybe a little. But Celestia is worth it. Besides, my dad always said that only a coward backed down from a fight," said Junior. He noticed the odd stares that Twilight's parents were giving him. Shining Armor and Cadence did the same. Junior chuckled in embarrassment.
"But...I don't think he knew that I would end up taking on an Avatar that could raise the moon with her magic,"
"Your father, where is he?" asked Velvet. Junior sighed.
"He and my mother actually passed away years ago," said Junior. Velvet's expression turned to remorse.
"I'm sorry," apologized Velvet. Twilight rubbed Junior's shoulder in comfort.
"No, it's fine," said Junior with a reassuring nod. He continued to eat along with the others. Velvet looked to Junior in curiosity.
"You know, I remember seeing you at the wedding reception. But I've seen your face before that," said Velvet. She tapped her chin in thought. "Ah. Where did I- oh that's right! You were on MONARCH wanted posters a few months back!" said Velvet as she snapped her fingers. Junior slightly stiffened while Twilight gasped.
"Mother!" cried Twilight in an appalled tone. Velvet shrugged.
"What? It was resolved, right?" asked Velvet.
"Gojira, you wouldn't mind telling us why MONARCH would have wanted posters with your face on them, would you?" asked Night Light as he glanced at Junior. The Transmutant felt himself growing intimidated by his judgmental stare.
"Dad!" said Twilight as she narrowed her eyes. Junior raised his hand.
"It's...it's fine Twilight," said Junior in reassurance. Of course, he wasn't comfortable with sharing this information. He cleared his throat. "Well, you probably know that I was wanted because I am a Transmutant,"
"Yes, they wanted civilians to report you if they ever saw you or your friends. Claiming you to be dangerous," said Shining Armor as he was about to take a bite of his food. Cadence stepped on his foot from under the table, causing him to grunt in pain. Cadence closed her eyes as she furrowed her brows.
"Also, something about being mentally unstable," said Night Light. Junior winced in response while Twilight sent her father a look of disapproval.
"Well, I had no idea that the posters were that detailed," Junior nervously chuckled. "No, I'm sane. I'm actually a special case compared to most Transmutants,"
"Do tell," prompted Night Light.
"I'm not affiliated with the Revolutionaries and I was one of the first Transmutants to appear. But since I'm arguably much stronger than most and I'm a fast healer, MONARCH considered me the biggest threat," answered Junior.
"I see," replied Night Light. Junior lightly sighed in relief. Velvet looked to Junior with a smile.
"So Gojira. What is it that you want to do with your life since you're able to freely walk with everyone knowing about you?" asked Velvet. Junior stopped eating. He felt the stares of Shining Armor and Night Light on him. He gulped nervously.
"I...actually haven't been able to put thought into that," answered Junior. Shining Armor shook his head in disapproval while Night Light glanced at Twilight with a look of disappointment. "But...I did graduate high school and I enjoy writing and drawing, so maybe I could make a living as an artist or writter. If not, I guess there's always the royal guard,"
"You seem to be nonchalant about joining the royal guard," said Shining Armor with an unimpressed tone.
"I'm sorry?" asked Junior with a raised brow.
"Kid, it takes more than muscle to join the royal guard. It's about honor, the will to serve the princess and the people. A code of conduct must be upheld," said Shining Armor in a prideful tone. Junior was about to roll his eyes but stopped himself before he came off as rude.
"Does it involve peace talks and reasoning with the enemy? I'm terrible at those. I once got my face slammed into the concrete trying to reason with this guy in high school," said Junior in a wary tone.
"Oh my! What happened?" asked Velvet.
"He thought I was stealing his girlfriend. I ended up hitting him back after that. I was worried that he would never walk again," said Junior with a shudder. Everyone in the room looked at Junior with wide eyes. Junior cleared his throat as he looked away.
"Maybe the royal guard isn't the place for me. But I am doing some labor work for Applejack at the time. I'll figure out a long term plan soon," said Junior as he scratched his head. Night Light turned to face Shining Armor and Cadence with a smile.
"So son, when can we expect to have a grandchild?" asked Night Light. Shining Armor chuckled in embarrassment while Cadence smiled bashfully.
"It's kind of early for that. But...I think you can expect to be called 'grandpa', right dear?" asked Shining Armor as he turned to face his wife.
"You know it," said Cadence as she planted a kiss on his lips. Velvet smiled coyly at Junior and Twilight.
"So Sparky, when can we expect to hear more wedding bells?" asked Velvet. Twilight's eyes widened as she blushed brightly. Night Light coughed furiously as he choked on his tea. Shining Armor dropped his fork as he remained still as stone with wide eyes. Junior however, choked on his food. He turned to the side, coughing furiously. Twilight, Cadence, and Velvet all gasped in alarm and Twilight stood from her seat.
"Oh, gosh!" cried Twilight. Junior dropped to his knees and began to slam his fist against his chest several times. He finally managed to cough up the piece of broccoli that was lodged in his throat. He panted as he grabbed a couple of napkins and used one to pick the broccoli and the other to wipe his hands. Junior sat back down while Twilight looked at him in concern. Junior cleared his throat as he rubbed his neck, looking at Velvet with a nervous laugh.
"Haha. It's uh...kinda early to discuss that, right?" asked Junior with a wheeze.
"Agreed," Night Light and Shining Armor deadpanned in unison. Junior sighed as he lowered his head.
'Please kill me,' thought Junior. Cadence and Twilight nodded as they looked to Velvet.
"Right. I mean, it is a big commitment to be made!" said Cadence.
"Yeah this is something that shouldn't be taken too lightly," said Twilight in disapproval. Velvet giggled in response.
"Sorry, I was just teasing," apologized Velvet.
"It's fine," said Junior with a reluctant smile. He drank his tea, hoping that it would soothe his aching throat, and placed his cup down as he swallowed the liquid.
"So, have you had any girlfriends before?" asked Velvet. Junior shook his head.
"Never. Twilight's the first," said Junior.
"Really? Why's that? You're a handsome young man! Surely you could have gotten a girlfriend once or twice before!" said Velvet.
"More like thuggish," Night Light muttered to himself. Junior clenched his fist under the table.
"I guess it wasn't meant to be. Besides, when have relationships actually lasted after high school? That's just-" Junior stopped himself as he noticed a smiling Cadence holding up a picture frame with her and Shining Armor. They were at their school's prom. Junior slumped his shoulders.
"Just what?" questioned Shining Armor with a raised brow and a low tone.
"Um...a rarity," answered Junior with a forced smile.
"Nice save." Twilight whispered. Junior cleared his throat.
"But no, I never had a girlfriend. I guess I wasn't their type," said Junior.
"How do you figure?" asked Night Light. Junior sighed.
"I used to get in trouble and fights. I also wasn't very social," admitted Junior. Shining nodded as he looked at Junior.
"We're curious to know why," said Shining Armor. Night Light nodded in agreement. Twilight and Cadence shot Shining a glare while Velvet looked at him in disapproval. Junior looked down as he narrowed his eyes as his frustration grew.
"Captain Armor, have you ever been looked down on because you were different?" asked Junior in a low tone. Shining Armor raised a brow at this.
"Pardon?" asked the Elf. Junior raised his head looked to him with a firm expression.
"Nah. I figured not. But it puzzles me how people have a nasty habit at trying to make others feel inferior to them. I'm not referring to you of course," said Junior as he lamely gestured to Shining Armor with a deadpanned expression.
"What are you getting at?" questioned Shining Armor.
"Let's be honest. People that are weaker, poorer, and even less intelligent make other people feel good about themselves. It gives them a sense of security, knowing that they are greater. But, that's not always good enough. Sometimes, you want to make that person feel bad about themselves. Why? No idea. I'm not the jerks who told me that I should go back to Neighpon since I couldn't speak Equish properly in my childhood," said Junior as he took a sip of his tea. Twilight, Velvet and Cadence looked at him with deep frowns. "So when you tell me that you're curious to know why I got into trouble, why I never socialized with others, and why I fought so much, I'll tell you why. It's because kids thought I talked funny. I had a scary face, I was bigger than most kids, I was stronger than any of my fellow students. Hell, I can unintentionally kill a man if I hit him too hard,"
"Goji-" Twilight raised her hand but the Transmutant stood up. Everyone in the room looked anxiously. Shining Armor kept a firm expression while Junior locked eyes with him.
"I started off as a nobody, and then I rose to something else. Something that they couldn't categorize as normal, so everyone just ostracized me instead. I didn't fit in with any of them. Did you fit in?" asked Junior in a firm tone. Shining Armor lost his expression that remained neutral. Junior shook his head. He then turned to face Velvet as he gave her a friendly smile.
"May I use your bathroom?" asked Junior. Velvet jumped at his sudden change of tone and his direct attention towards her.
"S-Sure! Right this way," said Velvet as she stood up from the table and led Junior out of the dining room. Junior bore a look of dejection on his face as he continued to walk. As the two left the room, Twilight glared at Shining Armor and her father.
"What was that?!" demanded Twilight. "Why were you guys prodding him like that?!"
"Twilight, what do you see in him? He has no real plans for his future, he's a thug, and-" Night Light was interrupted as Twilight turned to face him.
"He's just misunderstood!" said Twilight. Cadence turned and looked at Shining Armor in disapproval.
"Yeah, and where do you come off as a hot shot? I thought you'd sympathize with someone like him." said Cadence. Shining Armor sighed in response.
"Honey, look, I didn't think he went through something like-"
"Well, it would have been nice if you were more sensitive!" snapped Twilight as she shot her elder brother a glare. Shining Armor sighed in response as he lowered his head. Twilight shook her head as she angrily went back to eating.
Meanwhile in the hall, Junior trailed behind Velvet in silence. The woman had led him down to a door that was on the right. She gestured toward it as she bore a nervous smile.
"Here you are!" said Velvet. Junior nodded as he gave her a small frown.
"Thanks. I uh...I'm sorry about what happened back there. I can get touchy sometimes. But that's no excuse for my behavior," said Junior.
"Oh, it's alright. I apologize about my son and my husband. They're just looking out for Sparky," said Velvet. Junior nodded to her in understanding.
"I know," said Junior as he entered the bathroom. Velvet lightly sighed as she made her way back down to the dining room. Junior made his way over to the closed toilet and sat down on it. He gave a sigh of frustration as he buried his face into his hands.
"Ugh! I knew this was a bad idea!" Junior whispered to himself. It seemed that his fears were coming true. Dinner was tense and filled with uncomfortable questions. It was already bad enough that he had a temper, but now he had to worry about throwing fists with either the father or brother of his girlfriend. Junior slapped his hand against the side of his head for having that thought.
"What if this means I'm no good for her after all?" whispered Junior. He closed his eyes as he took calm breaths.
'Calm breaths, Goji,' Fluttershy's soft, and sweet voice filled his mind. He recalled his counseling session with her and the tips that he was given. He exhaled slowly, allowing his nerves to settle.
"No, you can't think like that. Just...suck it up. Take all the shit that you can," Junior whispered to himself. He heard a sudden knock, causing the Transmutant to jump in surprise.
"Gojira? Are you OK?" called Twilight. Junior stood up to his feet and made his way to the sink. He started to wash his hands as he turned his head towards the door.
"Y-Yeah! I'll be out in just a second," said Junior as he turned off the sink and dried his hands with a towel. He took another breath before opening the bathroom door. As he stepped out, he found Twilight looking at him in concern.
"Gojira, I uh..." Twilight looked down in disappointment. Junior sighed as he lowered himself to her eye level and brought her chin up to face him.
"It's alright, Twilight. I just needed a breather, that's all," said Junior in reassurance. Twilight rubbed her arm as she looked away.
"I...maybe it was a mistake to introduce you when you didn't want to. We can...leave early if you want," said Twilight as she took his hand and gave him a small smile. Junior shook his head.
"No, that wouldn't be right. I'll just suck it up. But next time, give me an earlier notice before I have to meet your parents," said Junior with a chuckle as he ruffled Twilight's hair. She lightly giggled as she pushed his hand away.
"Sure," said Twilight. She took his arm and walked with him back to the dining room. The Transmutant pulled out her seat, allowing Twilight to sit down. After he pushed her seat back, he went back to his seat and sat down. He avoided eye contact with Shining Armor and Night Light as he ate in silence. He mentally sighed as he debated whether he should strike another conversation. In the end, he made up his mind and turned to Twilight.
"Twilight, do you still want to learn how to speak Neighponese?" asked Junior. Twilight looked at him in surprise at how he brought up the subject. She imagined that he would have just remained silent throughout the rest of dinner.
"I- Yes! Yes, I think it'd be nice to learn," said Twilight with a smile. Velvet looked at him curiously.
"Oh! So you are bilingual," said Velvet with a smile. Junior nodded.
"That's right. Celestia had taught me Equish years ago. I ended up taking a class on Neighponese back in high school so that I could speak it much more properly," answered Junior.
"Could you say something in Neighponese for me?" asked Velvet with an eager smile. Junior cleared his throat.
"Yūshoku wa oishīdesu," said Junior.
"What does that mean?" asked Velvet. Junior gave her a small smile.
"It means, 'dinner is delicious'," said junior as he took another bite of his food. Velvet smiled brightly in response.
"Ah. Well, I'm glad that you're enjoying it!" said Velvet. Junior cleared his throat as he looked to her curiously.
"So, I'm curious. What do you and your husband do for a living? Maybe I can pick up a few ideas," said Junior with a shrug.
"I'm an astronomer. My team and I have been researching a very fascinating star," said Night Light. Junior's interest peaked.
"Are you allowed to go into detail?" asked Junior.
"Well, the star appears to be giving off an unusual light. Normally, stars have certain colors based on their life cycles and mass," said Night Light. He began to tap his chin. "But for some reason, this star appears to be violet in color. Honestly, it doesn't even seem scientifically possible! How in the world-"
"Honey, you promised that you weren't going to worry about your research tonight," said Velvet in disapproval. The Transmutant nearly snorted, learning where Twilight inherited her panicked antics when it came to research. Night Light tittered in embarrassment and cleared his throat.
"Right. Well, the star is baffling but it is an amazing discovery," said Night Light in a calm voice. Junior nodded in agreement.
"I bet. But I like to think that the cosmos itself is fascinating. Especially what the unaided eye can see down here from our world," replied Junior. He then looked to Velvet.
"What do you do?" asked Junior.
"I'm an author! I've currently written five books. Four of them already have been published while we're waiting on the last," said Velvet as she levitated four books over from the other room and brought them over to Junior. The Transmutant caught them in his grip and looked them over. A couple of them were romances, while the other two were of the adventure genre. His eyes widened in surprise as he looked over one particular book.
"You wrote 'The Dragon Tamer'?!" asked Junior. Velvet nodded.
"I sure did! It wasn't as well received as my other books, but it has a modestly sized fanbase," answered Velvet. Junior chuckled to himself.
"I gotta say, this was one of my favorite stories from when I was thirteen. It still is in fact. I always liked the emphasis of a mutual bond and respect between the characters rather than having the main character try to force the dragon to obey her. This story is underrated and deserves more credit than what those critics say about it," said Junior with a tone of irritation at the end.
"Well, it was one of the first stories that I wrote. I wasn't as experienced with character development at the time. But, I'm happy to know that there are readers who enjoyed it. I sometimes wonder if I should rewrite it," said Velvet as she tapped her head as she looked down and furrowed her brows.
"I personally wouldn't mind. As long as the story still had the human and the dragon form that specific bond, I would read it," said Junior. Velvet shrugged.
"But people today are so into the dirty romance, action and monster slaying these days that I don't even know how people today would respond to it," said Velvet in disappointment.
"True, but there's nothing wrong with breaking apart from the trend. Right?" asked Junior. Velvet smiled brightly at the Transmutant.
"I couldn't agree more, dear," said Velvet.  She then looked at him with a grin. "I'm glad that there's still people who enjoys a good book,"
"I'm sure Twilight would agree as well," said Junior in a joking manner.
"You have no idea," said Twilight with a chuckle. The table was filled with small laughs from everyone in the room. Shining Armor cleared his throat as he rubbed the back of his head.
"Uh listen...remember how you asked if I ever fitted in with others in school?" asked Shining Armor. Cadence looked at him with a raised brow.
"I do," answered Junior.
"Well, I can relate to you. I mean, I did have a small number of friends but we were pretty unpopular kids. Nerds if you will. We were pretty much looked down on by the popular kids," said Shining Armor with a chuckle. Junior's brows raised in surprise.
"I...I had no idea. I always kind of pictured you as a football player or something back in your days in high school," said Junior. Shining Armor shook his head.
"Nah. Just a kid who played role playing board games with his friends. Cadence was the popular one," said Shining Armor as he pointed to his wife. Junior chuckled in response.
"OK, I believe that," said Junior.
"Why, you should've seen Shining Armor in those days! He was actually scrawny compared to you when you started high school," said Cadence as she looked at her husband in a teasing tone. Shining Armor sighed in embarrassment. Cadence planted a kiss on his cheek. "But he was a loveable dork,"
"Aw," cooed Velvet as she wiped her lips with a napkin.
"I always said you'd make a girl very happy one day," said Night Light in approval. Shining Armor scowled in response.
"I wouldn't let the scrawniness get to you. You could argue that I cheated since I was physically enhanced at a young age," said Junior with chuckle.
"I'll be sure to keep that in mind," replied Shining Armor. Twilight lightly smiled at how Junior was able to hold a more civil conversation. Her father still casted him a few unimpressed glances throughout the new conversation, but he hadn't tried to antagonize him again. Shining Armor seemed to have taken the scolding of his wife and sister to heart and decided to give Junior a chance to chat without giving him crap. Twilight looked at her mother and noticed the warm smiles that she would send him. Her mother seemed to have definitely warmed up to Junior, much to her delight. Fortunately, Cadence was around to help her defend the Transmutant, otherwise things may have turned sour. Twilight reached under the table and took Junior's hand into her own and held it firmly with a smile on her face.



It had been an hour since dinner. Junior stood with Twilight outside of the house with Shining Armor and Cadence. Velvet and Night Light waved to the couples that stood outside of their door.
"It was great to have you all here! Take care!" said Velvet.
"Bye mom and dad! See you later!" said Twilight as she waved to her parents.
"See you later," said Shining Armor with a wave. After their farewells, the couples traveled down the path that led to the house. They soon made their way over to an open area where other houses could be seen. Twilight leaned against Junior as she walked with him.
"Hm. I guess it wasn't so bad," said Junior.
"Yeah. Mom seemed to like you," said Twilight with a smile.
"Thank god. It gives me some comfort to know that at least one of your parents liked me," replied Junior with a grimace. He couldn't imagine sitting through the rest of dinner if both of his girlfriend's parents prodded him with uneasy questions while giving him the stink eye. Shining Armor cleared his throat as he approached the Transmutant.
"Gojira, can I talk to you for a minute?" asked Shining Armor. Junior nodded.
"Sure," replied Junior. Twilight looked at her brother curiously while Cadence went over to her side.
"Come on, let's give these two a chance to talk," said Cadence with a small smile as she led Twilight further down the road. Twilight reluctantly nodded as she followed Cadence. She then gave one last glance at the Transmutant before turning back with a small sigh. Junior turned to face Shining Armor, sensing a tense atmosphere going on between them.
"Gojira, I misjudged you. I want to apologize for that. I think I can see why Twilight would like someone like you," said Shining Armor as he rubbed the back of his head.
"And I was out of line with my attitude and my assumption. I apologize too," said Junior as he lowered his head.
"Listen, I just want to make sure that my little sister is with someone who doesn't hurt her. Someone who will love and cherish her every day," said Shining Armor. He placed a hand on Junior's shoulder and gave him a hard stare. "Gojira, don't ever hurt her. I can assure you that the consequences will be more than you can handle,"
"I would rather die than hurt her in anyway. I promise," said Junior with a nod and a firm expression. Shining lightly smiled as he nodded in approval.
"Hmph," Shining Armor gave a respectful huff to the Transmutant. He placed an arm around his shoulders and walked with him to Twilight and Cadence. "Hey, thanks for convincing Princess Celestia to hire that mercenary. He's pretty exceptional in his combat skills,"
"Oh, no problem. Glad to hear that Celestia is getting her money's worth," said Junior with a chuckle.
"He also mentioned that he was going to demonstrate combat experience with Transmutants. He specifically mentioned you and your friends," said Shining Armor. Junior's face turned into a scowl.
"Oh," said Junior.
	
> Chapter 48: Assault on the Revolution
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Neighpon

Battra roamed the halls of the Revolutionary lair in silence. He hummed to himself as he approached the doorway that led into Hok and Abra's living area. He approached the metal door and began to knock on it. After several seconds of waiting, he heard footsteps approaching. The door rose itself into the cracks, revealing Abra to be standing in a night gown. She greeted the Transmutant with a smile.
"Battra, it's good to see you!" said Abra. Battra nodded to her in response as he returned her smile.
"Likewise. I came to check on you and your husband today. Is he here right now?" asked Battra.
"No, he's actually out helping with the hunt for food. I'm not sure when they'll be back. But I'm doing well. I feel like the children will be hatching any day now," said Abra. Battra nodded.
"Right. Well, that's good to hear. How's the generator holding up?" asked Battra.
"It's still running. But we're keeping the gems close by just in case. The sooner they hatch, the better," said Abra with a sigh.
"Well, I'm glad to hear that. Do you need anything?" asked Battra. Abra waved her hand dismissively.
"Oh, no. I'm fine, thank you," said Abra. Battra nodded to her.
"OK, just ask if you need anything," said Battra as he took off and made his way over down the hall. Abra lightly smiled as she pressed the button on her side of the wall, causing the door to close. The Transmutant continued to walk down the hall, but suddenly heard the sound of heavy footsteps. He stopped and turned to find Destoroyah walking through the halls in silence. Battra immediately bowed before his teacher.
"Good afternoon, Sensei," said Battra.
"To you as well, my student," said Destoroyah as he stopped, turning to face the younger Transmutant. "What's the status of our radiation reserves?"
"Currently, our supplies are still holding up. We should have enough to last us the next month. I'm actually surprised we've lasted this long," said Battra.
"As am I," said Destoroyah in agreement. He then sighed in frustration. "We haven't been able to come up with another plan of attack for the base in the south. I swear, the more time we spend debating, the more vulnerable we become,"
"But Sensei, nobody knows of our location. We should actually spend more time thinking things through rather than charge in blindly," said Battra. Destoroyah slightly narrowed his eyes at Battra, but immediately softened them.
"Very well," said Destoroyah as he stomped away. Battra sighed in relief as he held his chest. He felt a flick on his cheek, causing him to grunt as he rubbed a small red spot that formed on his cheek.
"Wow Batts. I never heard you talk to Destoroyah like that. That's pretty ballsy," said Megaguirus coyly as she stood next to Battra.
"I wasn't trying to disrespect him. I just wanted to make sure that he was thinking carefully so we don't do something that we'll regret later," replied Battra with a scowl.
"Still, I find that hot," said Megaguirus. Battra rolled his eyes.
"What don't you find hot?" asked Battra.
"I'd tell you, but I don't think that's a conversation that's appropriate when you're acting as second in command," said Megaguirus. Battra backed away with a grimace.
"That's alright. I don't really want to know anyway," said Battra. Megaguirus chuckled in response as she nudged him in the shoulder.
"Hey, I'm going to be out working on that thing for Abra's kids. I'll be back later," said Megaguirus. Battra nodded to her.
"Sure thing. Glad to see you're doing something nice for her," said Battra. Megaguirus shot him a glare.
"Yeah, well don't tell her it's from me! I want to remain anonymous!" said Megaguirus in a sharp tone. Battra waved to her.
"Fair enough. I still think that you should open up to people about your talent," said Battra. Megaguirus stuck her tongue at him playfully, causing him to smirk in response. The female Transmutant winked at him as she walked away. Battra shook his head in amusement as he moved down the hall.




Meanwhile...

As the sun hung over the land of the rising sun, a lone airship soared in the air. Its massive propellers spun so fast that the eye could not follow the individual blades. The MONARCH insignia was painted in white as it was depicted on each side of the ship. Inside, dozens of soldiers waited patiently as they held their weapons in their hands. They steeled themselves, waiting for their mission to begin.
"Officer on deck!" shouted a soldier. Immediately, all of the soldiers shot up to their feet, standing at attention. A middle aged woman walked to the center of the soldiers that stood on opposite sides of the room of the ship.
"Listen up! Just 0800 hours ago, we received a report on the location of the Transmutant Revolutionary lair. From what our intelligence tells us, all of them are camped out inside of an abandoned research facility," said the woman as she kept a firm expression. She looked over the soldiers, finding them to be mixed of Elves, Earthbounds, Valkyries, and Garudas. They stood tall with firm expressions as they listened to her. "Ladies and gentlemen, we're being deployed to strike these Transmutants in the heart. It’s a full scale assault to end the threat once and for all,"
"We are not the only platoon being deployed. We will have a few others along with tanks, jeeps, and even mechs on our side. That's how you know that MONARCH isn't taking any chances with these freaks. Our mission is to eliminate all threats in the facility. If you run into Destoroyah, fall back. We'll handle that son of a bitch together. Are we clear?"
"Yes ma'am!" shouted the soldiers in unison. Their morale was high, knowing that this could be the final battle against the Revolutionaries. It was the day where the Revolutionaries would fall and MONARCH would rise in victory.
"Are you ready to cap Destoroyah's ass?!" questioned the woman. The soldiers shot their hands into the air.
"Let's go!!" shouted the soldiers. The commanding officer nodded in approval.
"That's what I like to hear!" said the commanding officer.
Outside of the airship, two more rose from the clouds, soaring in a V formation with the first. One of them was filled with several mechs and vehicles. It was strictly designed for vehicle and mech transport since there wouldn't be enough room to fit platoons inside. The other airship held another platoon inside. Inside, more soldiers checked their weapons as they psyched themselves up for combat. From the corner of the room, Ghidorah walked past the soldiers as he held his rifle in his hand. He stopped over by a wall while he kept a firm expression. He looked over to an Elf woman with red hair and yellow eyes. She nodded to him as the white of her eyes flashed green and her irises turned red for a second. Ghidorah nodded back. He felt a nudge coming from his shoulder, prompting him to turn and to find a Slayer unit soldier next to him. The soldier had a feminine figure, bearing a helmet with a green, jelly bean shaped visor that hid her face. The armored breast plate bore a combat knife over the left breast of the soldier. Her shoulders were covered in square armor pads, with the right side bearing the MONARCH insignia. Her armor was sky blue with white markings on her armored legs and arms. She stood to be five foot eleven compared to the Transmutant.
"You're awfully quiet," said the Slayer unit in a deep, feminine voice. Ghidorah turned forward.
"I'm just waiting for the battle to begin, Sergeant Gears," answered Ghidorah. He then noticed a shorter Slayer soldier to be approaching. She was standing to be five foot seven in height. Her armor was beige. On her right shoulder was a set of small and long gems that gave a soft glow. On her back was a sniper rifle that was magnetized to the plate on her back. The soldier's helmet was shaped more as a human head. Instead of a visor that ran across the soldier's face, there were instead two round spaces that gave the appearance of large, red optics. In the center of the helmet's face was a bridge that ran down to an armored section in the mouth area. The soldier stood by at attention to the Transmutant.
"Sir, the other Slayer units want to know our plan of attack," said the soldier. Her voice was soft, almost quiet. Ghidorah looked passed the Slayer unit and found one other feminine soldier and two other male soldiers. They all bore the same sort of advanced armor that Ghidorah wore. Except theirs did not have any cultural influence. Ghidorah turned to face the soft spoken soldier that approached him.
"We're going to hit them with all that we got, Lieutenant Long Shot. You will take a squad and take out any Transmutants that may have wondered out of the base. After that, the rest of us will rush in and rain hell on them all," answered Ghidorah. He then smirked under his helmet as he lightly tapped the soldier on the forehead of her helmet.
"Make sure you take clean shots. Pow," said Ghidorah as he chuckled to himself. Long Shot lightly scowled from behind her helmet. She sighed.
"Understood," said Long Shot as she went back to the other Slayer units. Ghidorah turned and faced the doorway with a neutral expression. Today was going to be a violent battle. It might be the worst that the soldiers have ever participated in. However, Ghidorah had different orders compared to the others. He felt the airship descending down to the ground. The airships had descended down over a forest, dropping down mechs that hovered into a vast forest. Platforms were lowered with jeeps that had turrets in the back and tanks on top. A few soldiers were already boarding the vehicles.  The other two airships landed and opened their doors to lower ramps to the ground. The soldiers all marched out of the airships while the tanks and jeeps rolled off of the platforms.
"Secure a perimeter! The enemy is just clicks away but we can't be too careful," said a middle aged woman. She looked at Long Shot and a band of soldiers armed with sniper rifles.
"Snipers, you're up! Take out any shape shifting son of a bitch that you can find!" ordered the woman.
"Yes, ma'am," responded the soldiers. Long Shot took the lead and jogged into the jungle. She gripped her rifle tightly, reluctant to take part in this upcoming, massive battle.



Out in the forest, just a mile outside of the Revolutionary lair, Megaguirus hummed to herself as she placed on a large, white t-shirt over her clothes. She nodded to herself as she began to count off the colors of paint bottles that she had next to her in the grass. Megaguirus pulled out a brush and began to paint. She backed away from a large boulder that sat next to a tree. The boulder was grey in color and smooth. Megaguirus went back to the boulder as she continued to paint the head of a dog. She gave gentle strokes to give the texture of fur of the animal. She dipped her brush back onto a flat plate for more brown paint that sat on it. She lightly giggled as she saw how the painting of the dog was coming to life. It was an Akita, one of her personal favorite kind of dogs.
"I hope the kids like this. But I should have probably come up with a spot where they can get better access too. Oh! Maybe I can get some guys to help me carry this into the lair!" said Megaguirus as she snapped her fingers. She went back to painting. Unbeknownst to her, someone had their eyes on her. Just forty-five yards away, a small group of soldiers took cover behind bushes. Long Shot panted as she peaked through the bush. She found the Transmutant alone outside, painting. The soldier raised a brow in confusion.
"Is she...painting?" asked a soldier at her left.
"I think so," answered Long Shot.
"It's a probably a painting of Transmutants eating human kids or something," growled another soldier. Long Shot slowly turned to face the soldier with a neutral expression. She stared at him for several seconds, causing the other soldier to look away with a cough.
"Don't be silly," Long Shot said in a neutral tone as she turned to the bush and went back to observing the Transmutant. The other soldier sighed in relief.
"Alright, looks like we're going to have to cut off this art session early." Long Shot said to herself as she pulled out her sniper rifle. The other soldiers had just spread out and took off to different directions. They left Long Shot alone to take out the one Transmutant while they went off to find others. She sighed as she leaned into the modified scope that allowed her to see through it with the helmet she was wearing. She inhaled as she aimed at the Transmutant, but gasped as she found that the Transmutant was gone. She pulled away from her scope as she stared in confusion.
"Where did-" Long Shot felt tapping on her back, causing her to whip around with a pistol in her hand. The hand gun was kicked out of her hand by a boot. She gasped as she found the Transmutant that she was spying on, standing before her.
"Nice try, but I felt like I was being watched, so I did some snooping around," said Megaguirus as she stared at the soldier with a deadpanned stare. Long Shot narrowed her eyes and immediately reached for her knife. She swung it towards the Transmutant, but Megaguirus had stepped back with the knife coming just inches from her belly. Long Shot stood to her feet and charged towards the Transmutant. She sent several punches towards Megaguirus, but they were blocked every time. Long Shot then swung her leg towards Megaguirus, but Megaguirus caught it.  Megaguirus then slid under the leg and came up from behind with her hands on Long Shot's ankle. With a yank, Megaguirus forced Long Shot to fall forward, who yelped as she fell to the ground. As Megaguirus was about to stomp on the soldier's lower back, Long Shot's thruster pack ignited and propelled the soldier away. Megaguirus's foot slammed into the dirt, and she looked towards her right with wide eyes. Long Shot rolled away and got back onto her feet. She took calm breaths as she stared at Megaguirus. The Transmutant narrowed her eyes and broke into a dash towards the soldier. Long Shot ignited her thruster pack and was propelled towards Megaguirus. The two collided with each other, both engaged in hand to hand combat. The soldier grunted as she was unable to keep up with Megaguirus's attacks, which came at her with fluid and quick jabs. Long Shot managed to strike Megaguirus in her cheek, causing her to stagger back. Megaguirus turned and glared at her.
"You're going to regret that, bitch," growled Megaguirus. Long Shot raised her fists up.
"I'm ready," said Long Shot. Megaguirus snorted.
"Hahaha! I thought you were too short to be a Slayer unit! You sound like a shy teenage girl!" laughed Megaguirus. Long Shot lowered her head in shame as her cheeks burned with a blush.
"I'm twenty-four," muttered Long Shot. She then clenched her fist as she glared at Megaguirus. "It's not smart to underestimate your enemy."
"Bring it, princess," said Megaguirus in a mocking tone. Long Shot puffed her cheek out as she grunted in annoyance. The two suddenly broke into a charge towards each other, but a magic bolt struck a tree. Megaguirus gasped as she stopped, shocked at the bolt had just passed through her line of sight. She turned to find another Slayer unit soldier clad in sky blue armor. The soldier held a rifle in her hand that was pointed in Megaguirus's direction. The Transmutant groaned in annoyance as she leapt away from the soldiers and ran away.
'I gotta find Battra!' thought Megaguirus in urgency. She gasped as she heard the sound of gunfire coming from the lair. The sound of roars echoed in the air, striking her with fear.
"No!" cried Megaguirus as she began to sprint. Back with the two Slayer soldiers, Long Shot looked to Gears in annoyance.
"I had her," deadpanned Long Shot. Gears smirked under her helmet as she approached her comrade. She tapped her head.
"I know cutie," said Gears. Long Shot scoffed in response a she slapped Gears's hand away.
"Don't call me that!" spat Long Shot. Her soft tone rose in volume. Gears laughed at the soldier's flustered state.
"Fine. Come on, let's go help with the assault," said Gears as she broke off into a sprint. Long Shot sighed as she shook her head. She went to pick up her pistol and sniper rifle. She then ran after Gears.



The sound of gunfire erupted throughout the facility. Soldiers had made their way inside and fired their weapons at any Transmutant in sight. Screams of the non-combatants Revolutionaries fled as they were shot. Three Slayer units took the front of the soldiers as they shot at the Mantis Transmutants.
"Move up!" shouted a gruff voice. A six foot tall Slayer unit with a shotgun opened fire at the Transmutants. The mantis screeched in pain as he was forced back. Three more mantises came from behind and attacked. A soldier was mauled by one of the Transmutants. A Slayer class soldier knocked one of the mantises to the ground and beat him with his rifle.
Inside of the facility, Destoroyah charged towards any soldier that came his way. He swiped them away and grabbed a soldier that charged him with his sword. He slammed the soldier on the ground and stomped on his skull. Destoroyah yelled in anger as more soldiers came from another corner and proceeded to fire upon him. The sound of explosions filled the facility. He whipped his head around and found walls being blown open. Mechs came charging towards the Transmutant.
"Target sighted. Engaging," said one of the mechs as it extended two long blades. The machine charged towards the Transmutant and swung its arms. Destoroyah yelled in pain as he was wounded by one of the blades. He caught the other blade before it could strike him and then forced it away. Destoroyah sent his fist into the machine's chest and pulled out its core battery. The machine dropped down as it began to spark. Destoroyah threw the battery at a nearby soldier, knocking him down to the ground. Destoroyah pulled back as the mechs fired their turrets at him. He hid behind a wall and panted as the magic bolts barraged the wall. He turned and found a frantic Battra rushing towards him.
"Battra, I want you to round up the rest of our warriors! We're going to push them back!" ordered Destoroyah.
"Sensei, there’s too many of them! We should only fight to buy the others time to escape!" said Battra.
"We'll all be dead unless we fight here and now! Do not argue with me!" shouted Destoroyah as he slammed his fist against the wall. Battra sighed in response.
"Understood," said Battra as he rushed down towards the hall. Destoroyah dropped to his knees as his body felt the agonizing pain from the transformation. His eyes narrowed as his face began to change.
"I. Am. Death," growled Destoroyah. His body gave into the morphological changes. As he grew in size, his face hardened into a skull-like structure and his sharp teeth grew. The soldiers that fired at the wall heard the sound of his shrieking roar.
"Sounds like we're gonna need a lot of back up," muttered a Slayer unit soldier.



Hok rushed through the woods with a frantic expression. Alongside him were several other Transmutants, including Mukade. They had abandoned their hunting grounds as they heard the sound of gunfire and explosions coming from the lair. They all stopped and gasped as they found the facility smoking with holes blown into the walls. Soldiers began entering and the sound of vehicles approaching reached their ears. They turned and found jeeps rolling towards their position.
"Look out!" shouted Hok as he and the Transmutants rolled away from danger. Mukade, however, rushed towards the jeep. He caught the vehicle by its bumper and was forced back. He growled as he stomped his feet into the dirt, causing the jeep to jolt and for the front to be smashed in. Two soldiers yelled as they were shot out of the window and landed on the grass. Mukade grunted as he pulled away from the smashed front of the jeep and turned to the soldiers. Hok rushed over towards one of the soldiers that pulled a pistol out and slammed his fist against the human's head. Mukade stomped on the second soldier's back, causing him to cry out. The rest of the Transmutants dragged out any remaining soldier inside. The soldiers cried out as they were mercilessly killed. Hok turned back to the lair anxiously.
"I'm going in! My wife and children are in there!" said Hok. Mukade rushed to his side.
"Wait, I'm going with you. There still might be more people inside," said Mukade. He dropped to his knees and transformed. The rest of the Transmutants in their group did the same, as did Hok.
Hok's body grew to be over seven feet tall as his arms extended in length and his fingers fused together. His arms became spindly and became hooks with sharp claws at the end. Two extra limbs grew from his side as he began to hunch over. His legs became reversed as his feet became wide and clawed. His extra limbs hung behind his back, planted firmly on the ground as a membrane grew from them. His head grew wider and long. As the back of his head became pointed, a frill ran down to his hunched back. From his torso came a pair of shorter limbs with four claws. His eyes became red insect eyes that glowed. His jaws became triangular as he grew a pair of mandibles in his chin. Bioluminescence appeared on the Transmutant's side and back of its head. The creature's front forelimbs held this bio luminescence at the edges. The Transmutant appeared to be a combination of a bug-like creature, but without the exoskeleton appearance over his grayish-black hide. Hok gave a trumpeting roar as he leapt into the air and spread his second pair of fore limbs. The limbs allowed the membrane to catch the wind, revealing them to work as both as walking limbs and as wings. Hok flapped his wings as he soared into the air towards the facility. From behind him, several condor-like Transmutants soared after him while Mukade charged on the ground in his Tardigrade-like form.
Hok dived towards a group of soldiers and caught one of them with his hook. The soldier cried out in agony as the hooked appendage impaled him. The Transmutant roared as he landed on the ground with the human while the condors carried away or pecked the human soldiers. Hok stomped on the human's skull, but felt himself blown off of his feet as a tree next to him suddenly exploded with fire and magic. He gave a trumpeting groan as he turned and found five tanks approaching. Growling, he raised his long forelimbs into the air and cried out as his bioluminescence glowed brightly. He then slammed his hooked forelimbs on the ground, causing a distorted space in the form of a dome to extend out around the Transmutant. As the dome passed the tanks, they suddenly sparked and rolled to a stop. The soldiers inside yelped as their controls sparked and went dead.
"What in Tartarus happened?!" demanded a soldier.
"I don't know! Everything is dead!" another soldier replied frantically as he tried to start back up the tank. Hok grunted as he took off into the air and flew towards the facility. Meanwhile, Mukade had charged through a group of soldiers, knocking them out of his way. He gave a gurgling roar as he continued to push through the chaos. His sides were being bombarded by magic bolts fired by the soldiers. Mukade roared as he tackled a soldier and shot his tube shaped mouth. The soldier gave a muffle cry as his face was mauled by the teeth inside.
Elsewhere in the facility, Battra yelled angrily as he used his telekinesis and forced several soldiers against a wall, applying more force as he crushed their bodies. Shinomura rushed towards a Slayer soldier with a sword in his grip. The Transmutant used his katana to block the human's blade and engaged him in a sword fight. The two clashed blades that sent sparks everywhere. The soldier knocked the sword out of Shinomura's hand and then grabbed the Transmutant's arm. The soldier brought his sword down on the arm, dismembering it from Shinomura's body. He wailed in agony as his lost appendage. The soldier grabbed the Transmutant by the hair and then tossed him to the other side of the room. He clutched his arm as he slammed his head down.
"Dammit!!" shouted Shinomura. Ebirah rushed towards the slayer soldier and tackled him to the ground. The Transmutant slammed his fists against the soldier's helmet, causing the visor to crack and the helmet to be exposed. Gaira and Titano rushed over to Ebirah. The Slayer pulled out a pistol and shot at Ebirah's chest, causing him to stagger back. He then pointed the hand gun at Titano, firing at him as well.
"Shit!" cursed Titano as he clutched his chest. The Slayer pointed his gun at Gaira, but it was too late. The Transmutant stomped on the soldier's hand, causing him to cry out in agony as he felt his wrist shatter. Gaira grabbed the soldier by the head and slammed him into the concrete multiple times.
"You like that?! Huh?!" shouted Gaira as the soldier lost consciousness and bled as Gaira continued to slam him onto the ground.



Ghidorah roamed through the halls with Long Shot, Gears and three other soldiers behind him. They came across a door that remained sealed shot. The sound of roars and cries echoed in the halls. Ghidorah shot his hand forward and fired his magic electric beam that blew through the door. The Transmutant stepped forward towards the door, but a trumpeting roar came from the dark room. A creature that bore the likeness of Hok's form, but with four long forelimbs that allowed it to walk. The creature stood to be eleven feet tall in height. The creature gave a trumpeting roar as she charged towards the soldiers. They all fired their rifles at her, doing little damage. The creature roared angrily as she slammed into a soldier and crushed him against a wall. Long Shot shot her rifle at the creature's eyes, causing her to duck down to hide her face from the bolts. Ghidorah shot his hands towards the Transmutant and attacked her with his magic. The Transmutant wailed in pain and convulsed from the electricity that coursed through her. After several seconds, the Transmutant lied limp on the ground. Ghidorah shook his head.
"Disappointing," said Ghidorah as he turned to the dark room and stalked towards it. Two of the soldiers stayed behind as they prepared to secure the Transmutant. Gears and Long Shot trailed after Ghidorah into the room. He stepped into the darkness, finding a mattress on the ground with a rumbling generator in the center of the room. He gave a low chuckle as he spotted illuminating orange orbs with human infants inside.
"There you are," whispered Ghidorah with a sinister smile. Long Shot and Gears came at his side. Their eyes widened in shock.
"Dear Faust, what is that?" asked Gears. Long Shot began to step closer over to the orbs and poked her head closer. One of the infants kicked and briefly opened its eyes. Long Shot gasped as she stepped back.
"She...she was pregnant," said Long Shot in shock.
"Damn. These things are breeding. What do we do, agent?" asked Gears. Ghidorah remained silent as he looked at the infants. So vulnerable and fragile. Innocence at its purest form in any race. They were perfect for what his orders were.
"Destroy them all," said Ghidorah. Long Shot's eyes widened. She turned to face the Transmutant.
"Wh-What did you just say?!" exclaimed Long Shot.
"You heard me. I want them dead," Ghidorah answered. Long Shot stuttered as her heart raced.
"But- We can't- I mean- How can we do that?! They're just infants!" cried Long Shot. Ghidorah growled as he stomped over towards her.
"I don't care how you do it. Shoot them, stab them, or burn them; hell, you can even blow them up if you'd like. I don't care how you do it. Just do it now!" growled Ghidorah. Long Shot shrunk back as her skin crawled. Her superior officer was ordering her to kill innocent and vulnerable infants. She didn't care if they were Transmutants. They had no fault in the actions of the Revolutionaries.
"Sir, perhaps MONARCH can have better use of them if they're alive. Like having a Transmutant such as Erika Shiragami in our ranks," said Long Shot, hoping to buy the infants a ticket to life.
"Perhaps. But, it's not my call to make. Perhaps if you make a call to command and give your reasoning, then maybe we can call up an evac," said Ghidorah. Long Shot nodded frantically.
"Yes! I'll do that!" said Long Shot as she went over to the side of the room and activated her COM. Ghidorah turned his attention back to the infants with a dark smile. He raised his hand slowly sparked with energy. Gears turned her head and her eyes widened as Ghidorah let loose a bolt of energy. The sound startled Long Shot, causing her to whip around. Her eyes widened in horror as she dropped her rifle on the ground. She trembled as her eyes watered.
"I changed my mind," said Ghidorah with a shrug and in a nonchalant tone. He then raised his hand again as he fired three more bolts.
"You're a demon," whispered Long Shot. She gritted her teeth and narrowed her eyes. Ghidorah raised his hand again and pointed it towards what was left. Gears gasped as she watched Long Shot's hand illuminate from a magic aura.
"Long Shot, don't-"
"No!!" screamed Long Shot as she levitated her rifle back into her grip with her magic. From outside of the room, the sound of gun fire startled the soldiers that were watching over the female Transmutant that lied motionless on the ground. The sound of sparking energy filled the air.
"What the hell?" questioned one of the soldiers.
Ghidorah glared at the soldier that had fired at him. His armor bore a few holes that smoked. Long Shot lied on the ground, panting as she clutched her burned arm. She was in great pain. Her eyes ran with tears as Ghidorah stomped over towards the soldier as glared down at her.
"Since you were bold enough to strike me and succeeded in hitting me, I will allow the last three to live. But know, they will die with no one to care for them. You, on the other hand are relieved of duty," said Ghidorah in a low tone. Long Shot took off her helmet, revealing her silver eyes and turquoise colored hair. She coughed as she glared at the Transmutant.
"You...monster," Long Shot managed to speak. Ghidorah smirked.
"I know," said Ghidorah as he knelt down before the soldier. He then lightly tapped the sniper on her forehead.
"Pow. Farewell, Shot," said Ghidorah as he stood to his feet. He then sighed in annoyance.
"I'm annoyed and I still have blood lust on the mind," muttered Ghidorah. He then glanced at Gears, who stared in disbelief. He then spotted the two remaining soldiers that were making their way over. Ghidorah chuckled to himself.
"You know what Gears? I'm just going to kill you for the hell of it," said Ghidorah as he turned around.
"Wait, what?" asked Gears with a slight nervous chuckle. Ghidorah shot his hand forward and engulfed the soldier in his sparking energy, tearing her apart as she cried in agony. Ghidorah shot his other hand towards the approaching soldiers and engulfed them in the same energy as well. Long Shot stared in horror at how the man who she thought was her comrade had turned on them. As the soldiers died, Ghidorah lowered his smoking hands walked away. He began to give a dark chuckle that escalated into a diabolical laughter.
Long Shot panted as she crawled across the ground. Her pain was excruciating, causing her to grow woozy. She tried to shake herself to keep herself awake, but it only worsened her condition. As Long Shot crawled closer to the remaining glowing orbs, she slumped down with her hand firmly planted on the orb. The infant inside of the egg slowly opened its eyes and was able to make out a blurry object. The infant extended its arms out, attempting to reach out to the mysterious object. The baby grew claws at the end of her fingers and swoop them at the membrane, cutting the orb open and draining the fluid inside to slide out of the orb.
The sound of the infant crying filled the room. The cries echoed through the halls, causing the soldier to shoot up awake. She found the infant to be wrapped in the organic substance that held the eggs. The soldier weakly crawled closer and gently took the baby into her arms. She pulled out her knife and cut the umbilical cord that was connected to the orb. The baby continued to cry as Long Shot lied down with the infant close.
"I'm so sorry," wheezed Long Shot. Her vision clouded and her eyes slowly closed. The infant's cries began to die down and became echoes.
From down the hall, Battra and Hok rushed through. Hok was still in his beastly form. He panted as he was filled with panic.
"Abra!" cried Hok. He stopped as he came exited the hall and found a creature that bore his resemblance but was much larger than he was. He gasped as he rushed over to her side.
"Abra?" called Hok. The Transmutant stirred awake as she weakly turned to face him.
"H-Hok," said Abra in a weak tone. Hok nuzzled her.
"It's alright. I'm here," whispered Hok. Abra shot up with a gasp.
"Oh, god!" cried Abra as she stood up and rushed over towards the room. "My babies!"
"Oh shit," said Hok as he chased after his wife. Battra trailed behind but stopped as he noticed charred bodies. He shook his head and rushed back to the doorway. He slowed down as he found a sight that tore his heart in two. Inside of the room, Abra and Hok we knelt down, giving wails of sorrow. They were wailing over four eggs that were burned to a crisp. Battra's breathing was slowed as he stumbled back. He felt his head growing light and stepped out of the room with a look of anger. Megaguirus came rushing out of the hall.
"Ba-" Megaguirus was about to call him but found the Transmutant to be slamming his fist against the wall as hard as he could. The metal dented and his fist began to bruise. Megaguirus rushed over to him and grabbed him by his arm.
"Hey-Hey! What are you-" Megaguirus stopped as Battra turned to face her with his eyes running with tears. Megaguirus looked at him with a soft expression.
"Meg...I-I couldn't..." Battra dropped down to the ground and clutched his head. "I couldn't protect us! I-"
"Battra, there are MONARCH soldiers everywhere! We need you to help back outside! What happened?" asked Megaguirus in worry. Battra trembled as he looked back at her.
"Meg...Hok's and Abra's children. Four of them are dead," muttered Battra. Megaguirus's eyes widened. She pulled away from him in disbelief.
"What? No, that-" Megaguirus held a hand to her face. She felt her eyes stinging with tears. Her lip quivered as she dropped down on her knees.
"Oh...Oh god," said Megaguirus as she lowered her head. She wrapped Battra into a tight hug. She allowed tears to run down her cheeks.
"We couldn't push them back! There's too many!" muttered Battra. The sound of an infant crying reached their ears again, causing them to turn to the doorway. They slowly stood up and found Abra and Hok kneeling over Long Shot's still form. In her embrace was one of the surviving infants. One of them had already hatched. Abra lightly sobbed as she nuzzled the infant.
"My beautiful baby girl," muttered Abra. Battra narrowed his eyes as he stared at the soldier that lied unconscious. He sniffled as he wiped his eyes.
"Megaguirus, help Abra and Hok gather the surviving infants. Get to safety," said Battra as he reached into his pocket. He handed Megaguirus a folded up paper. "Go to Yoshida's apartment. Tell her that they're family members and that you need a place to stay for a while. Tell her that I'll hopefully be there by tonight,"
"But-" Megaguirus was about to protest but Battra had already rushed out towards the hall.
"Just do it!" shouted Battra. Megaguirus gritted her teeth. She turned and faced Abra and Hok.
"Abra, I know that we're not really on friendly terms, but I want to help you and your husband!" said Megaguirus as she rushed over towards the corner of the room and grabbed three infant carriers.




Later...

Battra stalked through the halls with a hateful glare in his eyes. For years he spent his life fighting for the cause of creating a brighter future for the Transmutants where they would be free to roam the world and live peacefully. He suffered wounds, scars and loss over this war for that goal. But now, MONARCH has brought its forces on their territory, invaded their home, and killed his friends. To top it off, they took the lives of innocent infants. He had reached his breaking point and he was going to give it his all to drive away these foes or die trying.
Battra stalked out of the hallway and found several soldiers firing at Destoroyah. Battra sent an elbow towards a soldier's jaw and dislocated it. He then grabbed a woman soldier and snapped her neck. The soldiers noticed Battra and shot at him. Battra grunted as a few bolts caught him, but he raised his hands and used his telekinesis to target the soldiers’ brains. With a loud squish, the soldiers dropped down, dead with their noses bleeding out from brain trauma.  Destoroyah panted as he looked down to find Battra.
"Four of the infants are dead. I ordered Abra and Hok to flee with Megaguirus with the rest," said Battra in a low tone. Destoroyah kept a neutral expression.
"Unfortunate," said Destoroyah.
"I swear to avenge everyone on this day," growled Battra. Destoroyah chuckled darkly as his student stomped through the hall.
"I taught you the art of ruthlessness well," said Destoroyah. He charged towards a wall and burst through, finding himself outside where all of the soldiers fired at him along with the mechs. Battra, however, found himself in a room where the warriors had retreated, panting as they bled from their wounds. Several dead Transmutants that were not warriors lied on the ground and Ebirah held his head lowered as he mourned them. Battra slammed his fist against the wall, startling the Transmutants.
"Is this the end of us? Is this how we die?!" demanded Battra. The Transmutants turned to give him their attention. "Our brothers and sisters have either fled or died and are currently lying at our feet! Are we going to cower before these humans?!"
"We've already lost. We might as well surrender," said a Transmutant. Battra narrowed his eyes at the Transmutant that spoke to him from his right. He stomped over towards him and sent him a strong punch, knocking him down.
"I would rather kill myself than surrender to these scum!!" shouted Battra. He then turned to the other Revolutionaries.
"What about you?! Are you all just going to lie here and die while our leader fights alone?!" demanded Battra. The Transmutants were silent.
"Brothers and sisters, we have been through hardship for years together! We fight to survive in this cruel but beautiful world of ours! MONARCH denies us the chance to enjoy it, but I am not going to stand for it!"
"Just today, we have lost four of the infants," said Battra as he took on a solemn tone. The Transmutants stared in shock, except for Shinomura and Gaira. Ebirah lowered his head in sadness.
"But we have a chance to guarantee the survival of our race's next generation! Hok and Abra will flee while we have the soldiers distracted! Once they are far enough, we will flee and separate to meet at our safe house in Osaka," said Battra. He looked to the Transmutants. "I know you're all afraid. I'm afraid too. But we are strong! We have fought countless battles together! This is no different! We will face the humans who threaten us!"
"Yeah!" shouted the Transmutants in unison.
"We will crush them beneath our heels! We will laugh at their guns, bombs and magic!" shouted Battra.
"Yeah!" shouted the Transmutants.
"For the Revolution!!" shouted Battra as his eyes stung with tears. The cries of his brothers and sisters standing with him brought hope to his heart.
"Revolution!!" shouted the Transmutants. Battra's eyes glowed violet as he blasted a hole through the wall with his eye beams.
"Attack!!" shouted Battra as he took the front. His body began to morph as he transformed. The warrior Transmutants also morphed as they gave war cries. The sound of roars filled the air as a legion of beasts charged towards the soldiers. Gunfire filled the air as did explosions that knocked trees down. Condors swooped down and carried off soldiers. Reptiles rammed into jeeps, mantises mauled heads, and Destoroyah roared as his horn sparked and glowed as he swung it around, cutting down all in his path. Battra flew in the air and fired his eye beams at any soldier that he could. Destoroyah laughed maniacally at all of the soldiers that fell before his followers. But, he was suddenly struck by several rockets. He grunted in pain and turned to glare at a mech that stood yards away. A mech that appeared like a dragon stood behind trees.
"Destoroyah sighted, engaging hostile," said Kiryu as it ignited its thrusters and flew towards the demon. Destoroyah roared as he charged towards the mech but was caught by the mech. Kiryu flew away with the beast and slammed him into the ground away from the battle. The mech stood and faced the Transmutant. Destoroyah clawed at the mech while it continued to fire its weapons on him. Destoroyah grunted in response and was hit by a powerful punch. Destoroyah grabbed the mech's neck.
"You can't win against me!" laughed Destoroyah. Kiryu's eyes suddenly flashed red and the mech turned to face Destoroyah's face.
"I-I will this ti-time!" growled Kiryu in a distorted and deep voice. Destoroyah's eyes widened at how the voice had played back and it sounded much deeper than before. The sudden change in the color of the optics was unnerving too. Kiryu jabbed Destoroyah's head and then opened its mouth. Maser beams fired from the cannons in its mouth, striking the Transmutant in the face and making him give a shrieking roar in agony.
"I'll ki-ki-kill you," said Kiryu in a low tone. The machine's claws stuck together and appeared like a drill. The hand began to spin at high speed and the mech drilled Destoroyah's chest, who wailed in agony as yellow liquid sprayed from his wound.
"Just like how you killed me," said Kiryu. The mech gave an electronic roar as it bit down on Destoroyah's neck, causing him to wail again. The Transmutant forced the mech away and then swung his tail. The pincer appendage at the end of his tail locked against the mech's neck. Destoroyah roared as he slammed Kiryu against a nearby tree and repeated this action several times, causing the tree to give in. Kiryu opened its jaws and fired its oral maser cannons at the Transmutant's face. Destoroyah released Kiryu as he cried out in agony. The mech grabbed Destoroyah by the tail and then swung him towards another tree. The demon was sent flying against it, knocking it down onto a small group of soldiers that fought Gaira. The fish scaled ape-man Transmutant jumped as Destoroyah skidded in the dirt.
"What the-" Gaira was interrupted as he spotted Kiryu stomping away from the trees with its optics glowing red. Destoroyah growled as he raised himself.
"Where is my so-so-son?" questioned Kiryu as its voice played back while it was distorted. Gaira roared as he charged towards the mech. The metal dragon merely raised its right arm and fired bolts from its gauntlet cannons. Gaira groaned as they struck him all over his chest. Kiryu then rushed towards the Transmutant as he dropped to his knees. The mech grabbed the ape-man and slammed him on the ground. He stomped over his chest multiple times. From behind, Ebirah approached in his lobster-shrimp like form. He gave a screech as he dove his claws at the mech, but Kiryu immediately ignited his thrusters and took off into the air. Ebirah missed the mech and ended up tripping over Gaira's form.
"Watch it, asshole!" growled Gaira as he clutched his chest. Ebirah immediately stood up and looked to the sky to find Kiryu dropping down towards him. The Transmutant stumbled back with Kiryu landing on the ground with a heavy shake. Ebirah shot his lobster claw towards the mech, but Kiryu caught the claw with one hand and then kicked Ebirah in his gut. The Transmutant fell over with Kiryu's foot planted on him. Kiryu grabbed the lower pincer of the claw and forced the claws open with both hands, breaking it in half. Ebirah screeched in agony as he convulsed under Kiryu's foot. As Kiryu prepared to impale the Transmutant with half of Ebirah's own claw, a condor swooped down and crashed into the mech. Kiryu stumbled back and fell down as the condor landed next to him. The bird Transmutant squawked as he spread his wings and ran towards the down mech. Kiryu's red optics caught sight of a large rubble the size of his hand in front. The mech immediately reached for it and then turned around to meet the condor with his neck extended and his beak wide open. Kiryu immediately swung its arm against the bird's head with the stone, knocking him down. The mech then slammed the stone against the condor's head with all of his might, cracking the bird's skull. Kiryu stood up and picked back up Ebirah's broken claw as a mantis flew towards it. Kiryu roared as it grabbed the mantis by the hooked appendage as it came close and swung it towards an approaching Destoroyah, who stumbled as the mantis slammed into him. Kiryu's thrusters ignited, propelling it towards the mantis the two with the broken claw in its grip. The claw was forced through the mantis's thorax, resulting in it plunging into Destoroyah's chest. The mantis wheezed in agony while Destoroyah shrieked. The machine forced Destoroyah on the ground with its hold on the claw. Kiryu's head twitched as its eyes turned back to being yellow.
"Target incapacitated. Su-su-surren- Die!" said Kiryu as its optics turned back to being red. The machine forced the claw further into Destoroyah's chest, causing him to groan in agony. Destoroyah's horn lit up as the bony flaps on the side of his head began to spark. He opened his jaws and sprayed a ray of violet energy that struck the mech's face plate, blowing it back as the surface of its armor was eaten away at. Destoroyah grunted as he forced the dead mantis off of himself and yanked out the claw. Destoroyah roared at Kiryu as the mech revealed its face. Its left optic was damaged with only a red light that began to flicker. The metal snout was dark and brown with tiny holes burrowed within. The mech's crest that sat on its head was missing and its remaining red eye glared at the Transmutant.
"You damn machine!" growled Destoroyah as he charged towards the mech. Kiryu's rocket pods on its shoulders launched the projectiles towards the Transmutant, engulfing him in a fiery explosion. As the flames died down, the Transmutant dropped to the ground with his body covered in burns and with parts of his armor missing. He wheezed as he glared at the mech.
"You did this..." said Kiryu as the mech stared at its metal hand and clenched it into a fist. Kiryu stomped towards Destoroyah as its mouth opened wide. Before the mech could fire its oral maser cannons, a black, green and purple mixed bolt struck it in the back. Kiryu convulsed as electricity began to run through it. The split personality of the machine began to lose control of the mech as the eyes flashed red and yellow. The mech gave distorted and garbled speech before it was struck again by another bolt that matched the previous. The machine's eyes died down into being dark as it slightly hunched over and lowered its head. Destoroyah's eyes widened in shock as the machine had stopped attacking. The eyes suddenly flashed yellow and the machine had risen back up. Destoroyah had risen back up and charged towards the mech. Kiryu shot its arm up towards the Transmutant.
"Target sigh-" the mech was interrupted as Destoroyah slammed his fist against its head. Pieces of metal flew off of its face as its damaged optic bugged out of its socket, hanging by wires. Destoroyah roared as he grabbed the machine and threw it towards a group of approaching soldiers. They were crushed under the damaged machine. Destoroyah turned and found a lone human soldier standing near several trees. Her eyes were glowing the same color that had struck the bolt. From behind the tree next to her, a figure cloaked in black appeared. Destoroyah growled as he charged towards the humans. With a roar, he slammed his fists down over their heads, only to find them disappearing in a plume of purple and green smoke with black sparks. His eyes widened in shock.
"What the hell?" Destoroyah whispered to himself. He turned his attention back to the soldiers and mechs that were fighting him and his followers. The Transmutants were finally able to stand against the soldiers. The humans were being forced back into a retreat. Destoroyah smiled darkly at the turn of events.




Meanwhile...

Ghidorah paced through the facility in silence. His face bore a sinister smile as he placed packs with a dark and sparking glass that contained dark magic. He had been placing these all along the facility while the battle had been going on. Of course, he wasn't alone. He stopped as he caught the scent of something familiar. He turned and found Thanatos standing behind him with the soldier that he had previously nodded to on the airship. Ghidorah smiled under his helmet.
"Came to check on me?" asked Ghidorah.
"Indeed I have. Are the detonation packs in place?" questioned Thanatos.
"Yeah. A couple of your underlings were ever so kind enough to help me place them as well as shutting down the reactor," said Ghidorah as he gave a thumbs up to the female soldier that stood next to Thanatos. The soldier rolled her eyes in response.
"Good. In order to draw them to us, we must make their situation desperate," said Thanatos. The soldier scoffed as she crossed her arms.
"That damn possessed machine nearly jeopardized the plan," said the soldier. She then sighed in shame. "I apologize, master. I thought that I could subdue the spirit. I am weak,"
"My dear, only a few are capable of performing such a feat. I should have counted on the Transmutant being responsible of reawakening him. But, he should not interfere throughout the rest of today," said Thanatos. Ghidorah scoffed.
"If it were me, I would have just gotten rid of the spirit," said Ghidorah. Thanatos narrowed his eyes.
"Watch your tongue. The spirit's rage and suffering along with all involved in this conflict will allow our King to return," said Thanatos. Ghidorah shook his head.
"Fine. Let me just detonate these babies of death that you and your little cult were so kind to develop. I would've needed a lot more bombs developed by MONARCH to be able to take this place down," said Ghidorah. As he stuck another detonation pack on the wall, he popped his knuckles.
"We shall move onto their safe haven immediately before they can reach it. That way, they will feel even more hopeless. That is where I will come in," said Thanatos. Ghidorah laughed to himself.
"I think you're going to need me with you. I know Destoroyah and he will not be so trusting to a human," said Ghidorah.
"But you just killed four infant Transmutants. I don't think the parents will trust you at all and Destoroyah will side with them. You're better off not coming," said the soldier.
"True. But she only saw me in my armor. All I must do is arrive without it. Once Destoroyah knows what we have planned and he thinks we didn't have a hand on this raid, he will have no choice but to rely on us," said Ghidorah. Thanatos chuckled to himself.
"Very cunning. Alright, destroy this place and meet us there. Be sure to leave your armor," said Thanatos. He and the soldier both disappeared in a plume of purple and green smoke with black sparks. Ghidorah smiled darkly to himself. He reached for his side and pulled out a detonator. He vanished from the room that he was in, only to reappear outside of the facility. He pressed the button on the detonator, resulting in the sound of several explosions. The explosions sent sparks of dark magic, fire, and debris all around the inside of the facility. The foundation that supported the facility gave in as the explosion breached through certain walls, sending debris to the soldiers and Transmutants that fought. This interrupted their skirmish, resulting in the sound of the facility giving creaking moans as it began to collapse. Smoke and debris blinded everyone's sight. Kiryu stood up and scanned through the clouds of smoke, unable to find any enemies. Destoroyah grunted as he began to flap his wings.
"Retreat!!" ordered Destoroyah. After several of his followers heard him, they ran to whatever direction that they could to escape. Battra took off into the air and towards the forest. As most of the Transmutants fled, some of them were left behind, unaware of a retreat. Kiryu spotted a condor attempting to fly away, but the machine had already fired its maser cannons at the Transmutant. The mechs and soldiers were beginning to search any strugglers that they could find, either killing them or subduing them to the ground. The Transmutants that were subdued were bounded by collars that drained them of their energy. The clouds slowly subsided, but the Revolutionaries were already retreating. Ghidorah stood by in silence as he watched Destoroyah fly away.
"You'll know soon enough why I decided to fight for them," said Ghidorah.




Later...

Megaguirus walked at a quick pace with an infant carrier strapped to her back. The newborn Transmutant slept as she was wrapped in a blanket-like sack that shielded her from the sun. She was nestled against Megaguirus's chest inside of the carrier bag. The adult Transmutant turned to find Abra and Hok carrying their own egg with the smaller limbs that were in their chests. The infants had yet to hatch, but Megaguirus suspected that it would be soon since one of them had already did.
"You two are going to need to change back if we're going to be getting to a safe place. Not to mention that you'll have to carry your kids when they hatch," said Megaguirus.
"What do you expect us to do?! We can't just-" Abra growled at Megaguirus but her husband stepped in front of her.
"Abra, calm down," said Hok in a soft tone.
"Look, I'll just move on ahead and snatch you guys some clothes! No big deal," said Megaguirus as she raised her hands. She then knelt down on the ground and removed the carrier bag that held the baby and gently lowered her on the ground.
"I'll even leave her with you guys until I come back. I might have to run away if I get you two clothes," said Megaguirus. She then removed a back pack filled with a lot of glowing gems from her back.
"Here, just in case they need radiation," said Megaguirus.
"Thank you," said Hok. Megaguirus gave him a nod and a small smile.
"We're in this together," said Megaguirus as she turned and jogged down the road. Abra sighed as she lowered her head. She knelt down and lowered the egg that she carried onto the ground. Hok did the same.
"Look at this. Four of our babies are dead and only three survived," said Abra as her voice cracked. She placed her head on Hok as she sobbed to herself.
"I know," muttered Hok.
"We had named them too. Now, we'll never be able to call them!" cried Abra. Hok lowered his head and looked down at the infants that were still in their eggs and the one that had already hatched.
"At least...we can still call the names of three of them," said Hok in a half optimistic tone. He knelt down next to the hatched infant that breathed softly.
"Isn't that right, Hope?" asked Hok. Abra lowered her head as watched the baby sleep peacefully. She sighed to herself.
"Hope. But is there any?" asked Abra in a solemn tone. She shot her head up as she heard the sound of footsteps. She spotted Battra rushing out from the forest.
"Battra!" cried Abra. Hok shot up and looked over in surprise. The younger Transmutant stopped running as he began to pant.
"I found you two. I'm glad," said Battra with a look of relief. He then looked around in worry. "Where's Megaguirus?"
"She went off to find clothes for us," answered Hok. Battra nodded.
"Good. I'm glad I built a habit to hide an extra pair of clothes out in the forest," said Battra as he adjusted his jacket. He then sighed in relief as he found the remaining infants to be safe.
"I promise you both that we'll get somewhere safe. I wanted to help you two get to our safe house, but I don't think the journey there will be good for the babies. So, we're going to see if we can crash at a friend of mine's place," said Battra. Hok and Abra looked to him in confusion.
"Friend? Another Transmutant?" asked Hok. Battra shook his head hesitantly.
"Not...exactly," said Battra. He then cleared his throat. "She's uh...human,"
"Are you crazy?! We can't live with a human! How can we trust her?!" demanded Abra.
"Abra, we don't have a choice! The safe house is miles away, your children are hatching, and MONARCH is looking for us!" said Battra.
"Battra, this is unusual for you. You hate humans. How can you be friends with one?" asked Hok. Battra sighed.
"I honestly don't care that much for a lot of them. My hate was just blind anger. This friend...she's kind," said Battra. Abra narrowed her eyes.
"Would she still be kind to you if she knew what you were?" questioned Abra. Battra lowered his head with a frown.
"I don’t think so. Especially if she knew who I was," said Battra. He then looked back to her with a hard stare. "But that doesn't matter. My priority is getting you and your children to safety. Until we're ready, we will leave and join the others,"
Abra sighed as she lowered her head. Hok did the same. Battra frowned as he turned back to look at the smoke that had risen to the sky in the distance. The lair was now lying in ruins. It had been his home for the last few years. He hated to see it taken away from him just as his old life was when he was young. The future seemed much more uncertain and dark for the Transmutants.



Evening had arrived. Battra was leading Hok, Abra and Megaguirus through a neighborhood in Trotkyo. Abra and Hok were both clothed from head to toe. The other two infants had hatched just hours ago and were now resting as they were carried by their parents. Megaguirus still held Hope close to her in the carrier bag. The sound of her soft breathing reached Megaguirus's ears, causing her to lightly smile. Meanwhile, Battra was looking over the paper that Mai Yoshida had written her address on. He glanced at the small buildings that were around until he spotted a familiar building. He looked down at the paper and found it to be the right address. All he needed was to find the room number and to see if she was home. Battra led the Transmutants into the building, where they had later arrived to the elevator. As they traveled up the elevator, they had then made their way down the hall and to Mai's apartment number. Battra gave a heavy sigh.
"You sure this is a good idea?" asked Hok. Battra shrugged.
"Only one way to find out. Listen, I know that you were born and raised in Equestria, but how's your Neighponese?" asked Battra as he turned to face Hok.
"I'm uh...I'm kinda rusty. But my parents would always make me speak it," answered Hok with a chuckle. Battra nodded in understanding.
"That'll do. Feel free to translate to Abra," said Battra as he turned and began to knock on the door. He then glanced at the backpack strap that was on him and was thankful that the gems would keep the radioactive properties from leaking out and being exposed to Mai. However, they would need to make sure that she was far enough to guarantee her safety. The sound of footsteps approaching reached their ears. From behind the door, Mai peaked through the eye hole in her doorway to find Battra waving. She smiled brightly as she opened the door.
"Yasu! It's good to..." Mai's voice trailed off as she spotted Megaguirus, another woman and a man all holding infants. Her face turned to confusion. Battra chuckled nervously.
"Hey, it's good to see you again," said Battra.
"Yeah. Um...who are they?" asked Mai as she looked to Hok and Abra in curiosity. Battra sighed.
"Yoshida, this is my cousin Hok and this is his wife. These are their newborn children," said Battra as he weakly gestured to the couple and infants.
"Newborn? Shouldn't they be in a hospital?" asked Mai with a raised brow.
"We never made it," answered Hok.
"Oh. Well, it's a pleasure to meet you both! It's nice to meet a family member of a friend!" said Mai as she gestured to step into her home. Abra reluctantly followed Hok inside while Megaguirus trailed behind. Mai looked to Battra with a look of amusement.
"You know, I wasn't expecting you to drop by with them. I mean, I expected Tonbo-san since you've showed up with her a couple of times, but I wasn't expecting this," said Mai. Battra sighed as he looked down with a frown.
"Actually, there's a reason why I brought them here," said Battra. Mai looked at him in worry. Battra looked back at her.
"You see, my cousin and his wife are going through some financial troubles and have been unable to pay the rent to their apartment. Now to make things harder, Abra had just given birth to triplets. They can't provide for them in their situation," said Battra. Mai gasped.
"Oh, my goodness," said Mai with wide eyes. Battra looked away as he felt shame building as he prepared to ask his question.
"I would let them stay with me until they got back on their feet, but my home is too small to house them. I want to ask if maybe...you could host them for a while until they're able to get back on their feet?" asked Battra. Mai looked away hesitantly.
"I uh...I don't know," said Mai in a hesitant tone.
"Yoshida, I know that I'm asking for a lot, but hear me out! It won't be for too long. Maybe just a couple of weeks or so. Hok and I will be working to pay for any expenses that their presence will cause. Megaguirus will be helping Abra take care of the babies while you can worry about anything that you do," said Battra with pleading eyes. Mai looked down in thought. She then sighed as she gave him a small smile.
"Well, since you seem very committed to helping them and it’s your family, I suppose I can let them stay for a while. But I better see some effort at them getting back out there!" said Mai with a hard stare. Battra nodded.
"I promise, they won't be stuck here forever. Just until we can get them the funds that are needed and when the babies are old enough to be outdoors," said Battra. Mai nodded to him as she patted his shoulder.
"Alright. I'll help," said Mai. Battra smiled at her brightly and wrapped her into a hug.
"Thank you! I promise that you won't regret it!" said Battra. Mai blushed furiously as the Transmutant held her. She smiled as she felt his warmth over her.
"I don't think I will," said Mai with a giggle. Unbeknownst to them, Megaguirus was scowling as she glanced at them from the corner of a wall as Mai and Battra entered the apartment.
"I have an extra bedroom that visiting family members use. They can use that," said Mai. Battra nodded to her.
"Thank you," said Battra. Mai clasped her hands together as she took on a bright smile.
"OK! Well, I was about to make some dinner for just one. But now I think that's going to change," said Mai as she headed for the kitchen. She then stopped and turned to face Hok. "Um...would you like some milk or something for the babies?"
"No, my wife can do it," said Hok with a reassuring smile as Abra cradled one of her babies and began to raise her shirt. Battra went stiff and immediately went to the kitchen with a blush on his face.
"Say, I'll just help you with dinner since you're being kind enough to host them," said Battra with a nervous chuckle. Mai smiled at him and nodded. Megaguirus glanced at Abra as she fed two of her babies.
"So...when can they drink from the bottle? You can only feed two at a time," said Megaguirus.
"After we establish breast feeding during three to four weeks," answered Abra. She sighed in disappointment as she watched her youngest sleep soundly. "This is going to be difficult,"




Later...

Battra was walking with Megaguirus down towards the destroyed facility that had once housed them. A great dome had encased the entire facility. All that was left were several soldiers and mechs that stood guard of what was once their lair. Now, the Transmutants were stranded outside with no home in this region. Battra turned as he took Megaguirus's hand and walked away with her.
"No point in looking back. There's nothing left for us there," said Battra in a low tone. Megaguirus sighed as she began to keep up with the Transmutant's pace.
"So I guess...we're going to meet with the others in Osaka?" asked Megaguirus. Battra nodded to her.
"We have no other choice. I couldn't possibly ask Mai to house us as well. But, Okinawa isn't too far from here. All it takes is a train ride and we should be fine," said Battra in reassurance. He then narrowed his eyes as he glared down at the ground. The things that had happened and the lives that were lost during this conflict added fuel to his anger.
"They'll pay for everything," said Battra. Megaguirus sighed solemnly as she held Battra's arm close.
"Don't...be in a hurry to fight back," said Megaguirus. Battra frowned deeply as he lowered his head. He felt weak and helpless; unable to stand against the organization that had ruined him and others. The two Transmutants carried on through the forest where they had eventually made it into the city. From there, they continued on until they made it to the train station. These trains were much more advanced compared to the ones found in Equestria or any other place in the world. They were sleek and ran on an alternative power source rather than coal. The train was much faster than any other in the known world, thanks to Neighpon's largest technological company. Battra and Megaguirus had both paid for their tickets and were in the process of heading for their train. They stood side by side in silence until the sound of the train approaching reached their ears. The train had rolled to a stop, allowing passengers to disembark and for new passengers to take their place. The Transmutants made their way into the train as a woman's voice over the intercom spoke in Neighponese, occasionally switching to Equish for tourists. Battra and Megaguirus took a seat next to each other and waited for the train to take off from the station. As the train left, a few idle conversations went on between the passengers. A woman sitting next to Battra held a small, rectangular object with a screen close to her face. Audio was emitting from the broadcast that she had picked up.
"We're back for more news involving MONARCH's recent operation against the terrorist group dubbed, 'The Revolutionaries'. Reports tell us that MONARCH's military had located and succeeded in attacking the home base of the Transmutants," said a woman on screen. Battra's ears perked as he heard the report being given. He glanced at the handheld device that the passenger beside him was holding and found the report being broadcast.
"MONARCH informs us that the battle was only in half their favor, resulting in many casualties on both sides. However, thanks to these brave soldiers and Hideki Industries's advances in technology, the Revolutionaries have been pushed back. MONARCH has managed to acquire prisoners, and claim that interrogations will take place," said the woman. A man next to her cleared his throat as the camera panned towards him.
"In a related story, we have Hideki Kin with us today. He's here to allow us to interview him and his work for the current decade," said the man. He turned to the side with the woman that sat at his side. The camera had switched over to focus on a middle aged Neighponese man that sat on a chair with his hands resting on the arms.
"Good evening, Mr. Hideki," greeted the man. The elder man nodded to him as well as he gave him a small smile.
"Good evening. It's good to be here tonight," said Hideki. Battra's eyes narrowed as he glared at the human that was being interviewed.
"Tell us, what has your company been up to for the last twenty years? You're family's company has been responsible for the technology that paved way to what we see today. Your company manufactures video cameras, automobiles, television sets, and the new bullet train," said the man with a look of fascination. Hideki chuckled to himself.
"Well, the television and automobiles were not our ideas. We only helped to improve them," said Hideki.
"Right. So, you're company has been exporting these goods to the other countries in the world, who seem to be still behind on advances," said the man. Hideki nodded.
"Yes, but I don't blame certain nations that do not wish for our products. They are pretty new and novel things scare people. But we'll always be willing to export to them when they wish. I have a high respect for nations that can still work with traditional means," said Hideki.
"Could you tell us about your technology that you have been selling to MONARCH?" asked the female reporter. Hideki cleared his throat.
"I can. You see, my company has been responsible for the line of mechs that have been used to support the soldiers that lay down their lives to stop any sort of threat. Admittedly, they have been flawed and weak compared to foes such as the Transmutants, but Hideki Industries strives for perfection," said Hideki with a smile.
"I understand that one mech in particular has been exceptional compared to your other robots when it comes to taking on Transmutants. Could you tell us about that?" asked the male news anchor.
"Of course! Kiryu, the mech that you're referring to, is special compared to the other mechs. We designed it to be able to move more fluidly compared to the other rigid mechs. The A.I. is a thinking computer designed to learn and solve problems in a situation on the battlefield. This is Kiryu's advantage over the mechs when on the field. In fact, it's what turned the tide in today's battle," said Hideki. Battra's eyes narrowed even further.
"Amazing! You and your company are going places, sir! But, does it concern you on how a small number of protesters against the war on the Transmutants paint your company in such a negative light now that you have been working close with MONARCH for vehicles and weapons?" questioned the new anchor. Battra's brow rose as he noticed Hideki was in an awkward silence. He cleared his throat as he faced the anchor.
"It doesn't. You see, what my company is doing isn't for money. We merely wish to continue innovating so that we may share prosperity with others by offering jobs to them and by getting inventions out into the world. My company's relationship with MONARCH is driven by the desire to see that the people in our beloved nation are safe. It's been this way for the last fifteen years and shall continue to be so. MONARCH provides us with funding while we build what they need to combat the monsters that roam in our backyard," said Hideki. He then looked towards the camera. "For those who speak out against my company working with MONARCH, just know that you wouldn't think this way unless you have witnessed firsthand what the Revolutionaries are capable of,"
Battra narrowed his eyes as he glared at the human. For years, he had been one of the reasons why the Revolutionaries struggled to fight against MONARCH. The technological advances made by Hideki Industries kept them at bay, unable to eliminate MONARCH. He supplied the vehicles and the mechs that threatened the Revolutionaries. He spoke of sharing prosperity, but Battra only thought of it as rubbish.
"Well, thank you for joining us Mr. Hideki! May you and your company continue to prosper and may MONARCH win against these Transmutants," said the news anchor. Hideki nodded with a smile.
"Thank you. We will continue to bring satisfaction to customers who purchase our products and continue to help MONARCH to end this war," said Hideki. Battra rolled his eyes in response as he went back to his seat. Megaguirus noticed his expression.
"I guess MONARCH really isn't taking chances with today," said Megaguirus. Battra shook his head.
"Every day I'm beginning to lose faith in our cause," said Battra with a heavy sigh.
"Hey, we'll be alright," said Megaguirus with a reassuring smile. Battra looked away with a deep frown. He pondered what to do if this losing streak continued as it had. Another attack would likely end with the defeat of the Revolutionaries and they would likely be killed or locked away for the rest of their lives. The thought made his stomach turn.
"Meg, if things get worse for us, don't be afraid to run away," said Battra. Megaguirus looked at him in wide eyes.
"What?" asked Megaguirus.
"I won't think less of you if you run away if things get worse. I would rather be locked away or killed then have you suffer," said Battra in a low tone.
"Hey, don't talk like that! Listen, things might get better for us. Maybe we should just lay low for a while," said Megaguirus. She then reached for his hand and held it tightly. "Besides, I'm not gonna abandon you when shit hits the fan,"
"You're crazy," said Battra with a bitter smile. Megaguirus playfully stuck her tongue out at him.
"That's not very nice," said Megaguirus. Battra lightly chuckled in response. The female Transmutant leaned against him with a sigh. The train ran across the rails with high speed, exiting the city and out to a vast field.



It was midnight. The land was wrapped in a cold embrace by the cool weather of the approaching colder seasons. As the stars hung in the sky with the moon, the Transmutant Revolutionaries stared in horror. Destoroyah clenched his fist as he stared off towards something that enraged him. Ahead was a forest that was far from any human civilization. Only the few temple ruins were inside of the forest, the safe haven for the Revolutionaries. Unfortunately, the safe haven was no longer safe. Just outside of the forest appeared to be a convoy of trucks delivering supplies to an area where military tents were placed. Along the tents were watch towers and nearby were a couple of tanks.
"They were already here when we first arrived," said a woman from among the crowd with a tone of dread. "They're already having patrol teams searching the forest for us,"
"These human bastards already knew we'd come here," said a man from the group. Gaira growled while Titano and Ebirah shook their heads in disappointment. Ebirah's arm remained in a claw form while the rest of his body was human. The claw was still broken, but he didn’t care. It would regenerate in weeks, a trait lobsters had. Shinomura remained in his monstrous form with only a torn wing that replaced his dismembered arm. He refused to change back unless he wanted to bleed out.
"What do we do now?" asked Titano.
"We'll stay together and find somewhere else to hide," said Destoroyah as he turned and walked away.
"Hide where?!" demanded a man from the crowd. Destoroyah stopped and turned to find who dared to raise his tone at him. He found a man standing alone with his arms cross with his eyes narrowed.
"Where are we supposed to hide?! That place was the best possible base for us and now the safe house is unreachable!" shouted the man. Shinomura growled as he prepared to berate the Transmutant that raised his tone at their leader but Titano held a hand up and shook his head. Destoroyah growled at him.
"It doesn't matter where. We still have all of Neighpon at our feet. We'll find a hiding place," said Destoroyah.
"What makes you think that we'll be safe there?! MONARCH will probably find us hiding out in a new place and attack us again!" shouted a woman from the crowd.
"How was it that MONARCH was able to find us in the first place?!" demanded another man. Several people shouted in agreement, demanding answers. Destoroyah narrowed his eyes as he growled. From among the crowd, emerged Battra and Megaguirus. The two had recently arrived in Osaka, only to find the safe haven out of reach. Destoroyah sighed in relief as he spotted a familiar and loyal face. Battra turned to face the other Transmutants.
"People, we must keep our heads if we want to get out of this alive! I agree, we should keep moving towards a safe place," said Battra. One of the men glared at him.
"This is a just a waiting game for death! We should stop what we're doing and just remain in hiding instead of fighting MONARCH!" said the man.
"Stop fighting? The only reason why we're alive today is because we fought to survive!" retorted Shinomura.
"Fighting is the reason why the humans are afraid of us! It's why MONARCH keeps building more tanks, bombs, and robots to kill us with! The humans hate us!" argued another woman. Several verbal agreements were given by the Transmutants as Destoroyah growled in anger.
"If this is what you thought, than why did you join us?" demanded Destoroyah.
"Because I thought this group could keep me safe! But I was proven wrong after today. I now realize that I'm in more danger sticking around with this group than I am on my own," said the woman with a glare.
“I will not tolerate your tone, Jira. Not from the likes of you!” said Destoroyah in a harsh tone.
“Who’s to blame her? Every plan so far has led us from bad to worse situations!” shouted another man. Some of the Transmutants began to give shouts of agreement as they yelled at Destoroyah. 
“It was you who thought it was a good idea to hold up in one place in Neighpon!” cried another man.
“And it was you and your second in command who started this war in the first place!” shouted Jira. More cries of agreement ringed Destoroyah’s ears. The Transmutant growled as he slammed his foot on the ground, startling everyone.
“If any of you cowards think you’re fit to challenge me then speak or hold your tongue!” roared Destoroyah. He began to glare at all of the Transmutants that were protesting and questioning his leadership. He leaned closer to Jira, who stood by nervously.
“Do you have what it takes to lead, Jira? Are you a woman filled with knowledge of battle strategies? Are you willing to carry the burden of the group on your shoulders?” asked Destoroyah in a harsh tone. He then turned towards one of the men.
“What about you?! Are you going to fight me for leadership?! I promise you that I will not go easy on you!” growled Destoroyah. He then began to pace around.
“Who among you think you are capable of dealing with the scum that kill our fellow Transmutants?!” demanded Destoroyah as he slammed his fist on a boulder, crushing it into rubble. Some of the Transmutants flinched in response.
“Which of you are willing to fight until the bitter end for the future of our race’s survival?! Or did I take in frightened children?!” demanded Destoroyah. A silence filled the air. No Transmutant spoke against Destoroyah. Some, mainly the ones that had spoken out against Destoroyah’s leadership bore nervous expressions at his aggressive behavior. Destoroyah sighed heavily as he turned away. His most loyal warriors all glanced at each other and then looked back at their leader as he faced the area that MONARCH occupied.
“Battra, Gaira, Titano, walk with me,” ordered Destoroyah as he began to walk to the side of the hill. Battra glanced at Megaguirus, who looked at him with unease. The three Transmutants that were called on followed the leader of the Revolutionaries. As they stopped at his side, Destoroyah was silent.
"Battra, where is Hok and Abra?" questioned Destoroyah. Battra flinched from his teacher’s sudden breaking of silence. He recomposed himself as he cleared his throat.
"They're somewhere safe. I'll bring them back once we find a safe place to hide," said Battra. Destoroyah nodded.
"Good. I want you all to be on high alert for now on. Things are have gotten harder," said Destoroyah. He turned and stomped away, but he caught a scent that made his eyes widen as he was about to take another step. He slowly turned and found a familiar figure cloaked in black in the field. The other Transmutants noticed the figure as well, beginning to tense.
"You are Destoroyah, leader of the Revolutionaries," said the figure. Destoroyah growled as he narrowed his eyes.
"Who are you?" demanded Destoroyah.
"My name is Thanatos. I hear that you and your group are suffering in a case of hopelessness," said the cloaked man.
"I don't know who you are, but we do not need help from a human!" shouted Destoroyah as he charged towards Thanatos. The elder man vanished in a plume of purple and green smoke with black sparks. Destoroyah gasped in shock. Thanatos reappeared further away with a dark smile. Destoroyah growled but his eyes widened as he spotted another figure appear in a gold flash. Ghidorah stood without his armor, exposing his hair and muscular build.
"You know, it's not very polite to attack someone who's offering you a way out of a big mess," said Ghidorah in disappointment.
"Ghidorah!" growled Destoroyah. Gaira, Battra, Shinomura, and Ebirah narrowed their eyes at the Elf Transmutant.
"Des, I'm not here to fight. Instead, I'm here to help you guys," said Ghidorah.
"What?" questioned Destoroyah.
"I think it's time you found out why I decided to become MONARCH's obedient dog," Ghidorah gave a sinister smile.
	
> Chapter 49: Confined Spaces
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The city of Canterlot was wrapped in the sun's warmth as it hung in the sky for the noon. Inside of the training room for the Royal Guards were the Transmutant Four, Koizumi, and over a dozen guards. Shining Armor, Blaire, and Princess Luna were overseeing the training in one side of the room.  Junior stood by with a scowl on his face as Koizumi arrived at the center of the training room.
"I would rather be at home taking a nap," said Junior.
"No, you need this. Otherwise you'll get fat," said Mosura teasingly as she lightly pinched the side of Junior's body. He flinched and lightly slapped her hand away.
"Please don't do that," said Junior with a deadpanned stare. Mosura smiled mischievously.
"You're ticklish there, aren't you?" asked Mosura. Junior didn't answer as he turned to face Koizumi. Mosura smirked in response as she held her hands behind her back. The mercenary cleared his throat as he turned to face the guards.
"Alright boys and girls, class is in session! As you know, my jobs have been to assassinate certain politicians, interrogate assholes, and shoot up Transmutants. No offense guys," said Koizumi as he turned to face the Transmutants.
"None taken," Rodan, Angirasu and Mosura said in unison. Junior scowled.
"Some taken," said Junior. Mosura elbowed him in his side and sent him a look of disapproval. He shrugged at her in response.
"Right. So, I have seen you guys improve a lot throughout training. I've been on the princess's payroll for over 2 months, and she seems to be happy with the results. But that's not good enough for me!" said Koizumi. Everyone in the room looked at him in confusion.
"It's not?" asked the Transmutants, Shining Armor, and Luna in unison.
"Hell no! I want the princess to be thrilled! I want her to want to keep hiring me over and over for more jobs just like how someone hires a prostitute that knows the best tricks!" said Koizumi with a grin. Mosura crinkled her nose in disgust.
"Koizumi, that's gross," said Mosura.
"Yeah, don't compare my stepmother hiring you to someone paying hookers!" said Junior with a glare.
"Noted," said Koizumi as he rolled his eyes. He then turned back to the guards. "You guys are the best that I've seen! But, I want to demonstrate something to you that may help."
"What would that be?" questioned Luna.
"We're going to be taking on these four Transmutants in hand to hand combat," said Koizumi. The guards looked to each other in confusion and then anxiously at the Transmutants.
"Uh...what?" questioned and Elf guard. Junior's shoulders slumped.
"Huh?" deadpanned Junior. Koizumi chuckled to himself.
"You see, this is to check how well my training has paid off for you guys. If you can manage to land a couple of hits on these guys, than it paid off!" said Koizumi. An Earthbound guard tilted her head in confusion.
"So wait, you aren't even expecting us to win?" asked the guard in an appalled tone.
"You? Win against one of these guys? Haha! I know I trained you all, but I don't think any of you have a chance in hell!" said Koizumi with a laugh. The guards scowled at him in response. Koizumi raised his hand. "But that's OK. I'm going to go first."
"This may be interesting," said Luna with a look of amusement. Junior scowled as Koizumi pointed to Mosura and gestured for her to step forward.
"This was just an excuse to spar, wasn't it?" questioned Junior. Mosura walked to the center of the room and met with Koizumi. He chuckled in response.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," said Koizumi. He cleared his throat as got into a fighting stance. Mosura rubbed her arm as she stared warily at Koizumi.
"Are you sure you want to do this? I mean, maybe you should put your armor on," suggested Mosura.
"Nah! Let's go!" said Koizumi. Mosura sighed in response with a shrug.
"If you insist," said Mosura. The two suddenly broke off into a sprint towards each other. As Koizumi sent a punch towards her, Mosura slid under him and in between his legs. She shot up but gasped in surprise as Koizumi kicked back towards her. She side stepped and caught his leg. Mosura immediately forced Koizumi into the air and slammed him onto the ground. He groaned as he lied on his back. Mosura gasped as she cupped her hands over mouth.
"Oh my god! I'm so sorry! Are you alright?!" exclaimed Mosura as she knelt down beside him. Koizumi nodded weakly.
"I'm good," said Koizumi. He then gave her a deadpanned stare. "Please don't tell you get all apologetic when you beat someone in combat."
"Uh..." Mosura blushed in embarrassment. She then scoffed in response. "So what if I do?!"
"Next," said Koizumi as he snapped his fingers. Mosura pulled the mercenary onto his feet and left with a scowl on her face. She stood next to Junior as she crossed her arms. The male Transmutant glanced at her as she kept her scowl. Junior lightly pressed his finger against her cheek.
"Come on. That scowl doesn't suit you." said Junior with a light smile. Mosura looked at Junior in annoyance but then couldn't but snort in response.
"Is this how you cheer girls up?" asked Mosura.
"Well that depends. Did it cheer you up?" asked Junior. Mosura shook her head in amusement.
"Yeah. Thanks," said Mosura as she watched Rodan approach the mercenary. The Transmutant chuckled as he gave quick jabs into the air.
"Come on let's rock!" said Rodan with an eager expression. Koizumi smirked.
"I like your enthusiasm, kid," said Koizumi as he raised his fists. He charged towards the Transmutant and delivered several punches. Rodan dodged every one and countered with three quick punches. Koizumi side stepped Rodan’s attack and struck him with a roundhouse kick, staggering Rodan as he blocked the attack. Koizumi rushed towards the Transmutant and swept his leg. Rodan yelped as he fell back, but immediately tucked and rolled back as he landed on the ground. Koizumi missed as he attempted to stomp on Rodan's chest. The Transmutant hopped back onto his feet and then rushed towards the mercenary. He struck Koizumi with quick jabs to the chest and rolled away as Koizumi attempted to knee him. Rodan then leaped towards Koizumi and kicked him against his chest. Koizumi grunted as he was forced back onto the ground. Rodan chuckled as he popped his knuckles. Koizumi smirked as he got back onto his feet.
"Not bad. Not bad at all," said Koizumi as he gave Rodan a thumb up. The Transmutant smiled proudly as he gave a bow. Koizumi, however, pulled him into a headlock.
"But you get too distracted!" said Koizumi as he gave Rodan a noogie.
"Damn it all!" shouted Rodan as he felt his scalp being rubbed. He then forced the mercenary off of himself and knocked him to the ground.
"OK, you can go back. You're next Riku," said Koizumi as he staggered to his feet. Angirasu looked at Mosura and Junior in hesitation as he went back to join the mercenary.
"Are you sure that you don't want to put your armor on? I don't want to break anything." said Angirasu.
"It's his own damn fault if you do, Aang,” said Junior as he crossed his arms over his chest. Koizumi nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, don't worry about it. I once had a pile of rubble fall on me before I joined MONARCH's military," said Koizumi.
"But-"
"It was a lot of rubble," deadpanned Koizumi, interrupting Angirasu. The Transmutant sighed.
"Alright," said Angirasu as he charged towards Koizumi. The mercenary dodged a punch sent by the Transmutant and was met with a kick to the back. Angirasu grunted as he staggered forward. He turned and charged towards Koizumi, ramming into him with his shoulder. Koizumi was knocked to the ground, but immediately rolled away as Angirasu attempted to stomp on him. The mercenary leaped over Angirasu as he charged towards him and then kicked the Transmutant. As Angirasu turned around, Koizumi punched him in the face. Angirasu grunted in annoyance as he narrowed his eyes and backhanded Koizumi away, knocking him to the ground. Koizumi got back up to his feet, but was met with a kick that sent him three feet away. Angirasu rushed over to a groaning Koizumi and helped him onto his feet.
"Good. Very good," said Koizumi as he patted Angirasu on the shoulder. He then pointed at Junior. "You're next!"
"Oh boy," said Junior as he rolled his eyes. As he and Angirasu switched places. Koizumi chuckled as he readied himself for combat. Junior gave him a deadpanned stare.
"What are you playing at? You obviously can't win without your armor on. Besides, you seem like you're giving up too easily," said Junior as he looked at him suspiciously.
"I'm just trying to give a lesson to the guards," said Koizumi. Junior rolled his eyes.
"Fine, then let's give them a lesson they won't forget," said Junior. He suddenly dashed towards Koizumi and sent several punches towards the mercenary. Koizumi dodged the attacks and struck Junior in the face. He fist was suddenly aching, causing him to clutch at it.
"Oooow!" said Koizumi as he shook his hand. Junior suddenly forced Koizumi onto the ground and grabbed his leg. The Transmutant swung Koizumi onto the ground behind himself. Koizumi landed with a grunt but then groaned as Junior pressed his knee against his back. Junior stood back up and grabbed Koizumi by the shoulder and forced him back onto his feet. Koizumi sent several punches towards the Transmutant, but they were blocked. Junior kneed Koizumi in the gut, causing him to drop to the ground. Junior then picked the mercenary up but was met with a strong pinch to his neck.
"Gah!" cried Junior as he dropped Koizumi on the ground and rubbed his skin. The mercenary sent several punches towards the Transmutant's gut and ducked as Junior attempted to swipe him away. Koizumi then struck Junior with an uppercut, causing Junior to stumble back. The mercenary charged towards Junior with his fist reared, but the Transmutant grabbed his arm and got behind him. Junior then forced Koizumi down on the ground, forcing the arm against his back and applying pressure, causing Koizumi to slap his hand on the ground frantically.
"OK-OK! You win! Don't break my favorite arm, man!" said Koizumi. Junior rolled his eyes and then released the mercenary. Koizumi sighed as he stood up and popped his back.
"Happy now that we finally sparred?" asked Junior.
"Kinda," said Koizumi as he popped more of his joints. He then turned towards the guards.
"Today's lesson, despite my training, you will not be able to take on a Transmutant alone or in a group. These guys can dish it out if they know how to fight. I could probably stand a better chance if I had my armor on, but these guys are a lot tougher than a majority of the Revolutionaries except for a few," said Koizumi. "So, don't try to fight a Transmutant if you don't have any guns, bombs, or one of these guys with you."
A guard from the crowd raised her hand.
"Yes?" questioned Koizumi. The guard glanced at the Transmutants anxiously.
"We don't actually have to fight these guys, do we?" asked the guard.
"Yes, because you need to be taught the consequences of taking on a Transmutant alone without the right weaponry and training," said Koizumi. He then popped his shoulder. "No better way than that than getting your asses kicked by them,"
"Yeah, I'm not OK with this," deadpanned Mosura. Shining Armor nodded in agreement.
"Agreed. I think they get the idea," said Shining Armor. Koizumi shook his head with a heavy sigh.
"No, this needs to happen otherwise they'll get cocky," said Koizumi. Junior shrugged in response.
"Fair enough," said Junior as he stepped forward. Mosura, Blaire, Shining Armor and Luna looked at him in disbelief.
"Huh?!" exclaimed Mosura.
"I'll do it if none of you are OK with it. The Revolutionaries are not something to be trifled with," said Junior as he popped his joints. The guards gulped as Junior narrowed his eyes as he popped his knuckles. Koizumi grinned in response as Junior popped his neck.
"Who's first?" asked Junior. The guards were silent. A few steeled themselves as they stepped forward first. Junior nodded.
"I'll-" Junior was interrupted as Princess Luna stepped in his line of sight. His eyes widened in surprise as she locked eyes with him. She bore a firm expression.
"I wish to challenge you," said Luna. Koizumi looked over in confusion while the Transmutants watched stiffly. Junior was silent.
"What for?" questioned Junior with a raised brow.
"I have been meaning to get back into the art of combat. With the Revolutionaries on the loose, I believe this is a good opportunity," said Luna. Junior looked at her hesitantly. It wasn't the fact that she was royalty that bothered him. It was the fact that she was a friend and he wasn't sure how strong he was now that he had absorbed his past life's essence. He was already holding back against Koizumi.
"I think that's a good idea," said Mosura. Junior looked at her in confusion. The female Transmutant shrugged. "You don't have to worry about severely injuring the guards. We can fight them instead,"
"Alright," said Junior with a nod. He then turned to Luna as he held a firm expression. "I accept your challenge."
"Excellent," said Luna as she nodded to him. Junior looked at her with a raised brow as Luna got into a fighting stance.
"You're gonna fight in your dress?" asked Junior. Luna lost her steeled expression as she stared at him blankly. An awkward silence filled the room.
"I've done it before," said Luna in a nonchalant tone as if it wasn't out of the ordinary. Junior was about to retort but no words left his mouth. He shook his head.
"OK," said Junior. Luna suddenly charged towards Junior, whose eyes widened in surprise. Luna delivered several punches towards the Transmutant, which were avoided as he slid to the side. Luna turned and sent a quick punch towards the Transmutant. Junior raised his arm and blocked her attack. He felt his arm sting from the fist's contact. Her punches were stronger compared to Koizumi's. The Transmutant lost all worry of seriously hurting the princess of the moon. Junior forced his arm to the side and sent a kick towards the Avatar. Luna caught Junior's leg and swung him around. She tossed him across the room, causing the Transmutant to roll with a grunt. Luna's eyes widened as he nearly struck the wall. Blaire held her chest in relief as she saw Junior stop himself from rolling with his hands. The Transmutant sighed as he stood back up.
"Are you alright? I did not mean to-" Luna looked at Junior in worry. Her sister would have her head if the Transmutant was seriously injured. Junior chuckled to himself.
"I guess there's no holding back," said Junior as he rushed towards Luna. The Avatar sighed in relief, but gasped as Junior was suddenly several feet away from her. She blocked his powerful punches, her arms feeling the sting of his punches. Luna responded with several punches into his gut and a knee to his chin. Junior staggered back as the pain reached him. He shook off the pain and retaliated against the princess with a quick jab, staggering her. Luna raised her leg and swung it at the Transmutant, but Junior duck under it, grabbed her by the arm, and placed his other hand near her belly. As he held a firm grasp, he swung her overhead and slammed her onto the ground. Luna grunted in pain as she landed, but smirked as Junior prepared to pick her back up. She wrapped her legs around his arm and twisted her body to force Junior onto the ground with her legs latched onto his arm.
"Damn!" said Rodan as he eagerly watched the fight. Mosura watched worried, but with also a hint of entertainment. Just one of them was bound to be a superior in combat or both may be equals.
The Avatar released Junior and then placed Junior in a headlock.
"I must say, an ordinary person wouldn't have lasted this long against me," said Luna. Junior chuckled as he thrust himself to the side and rolled with Luna locked onto him. The Avatar kept a firm hold over him, causing Junior to grunt in annoyance. As an idea popped into his head, he reached down to Luna's belly and ran his fingers over it. Luna's eyes widened as she felt the tingle on her belly.
"Hihihihi!" laughed Luna as Junior tickled her stomach. As he felt her loosening over, the Transmutant stood up to his feet as he attempted to pry her off. Luna wrapped her legs around his waist as she attempted to keep her hold on him.
"Seriously?" question Junior in annoyance. He went for her stomach again and then reached for her heel and pulled it off, exposing her stocking covered foot. Junior tickled her foot with his hand, causing the Avatar to burst into full blown laughter. Her eyes watered as her belly and her foot were tickled relentlessly.
"Stop that! That is not fair!" cried Luna as she flapped her wings. She released Junior's head from her arms and then unlatched her legs from his waist and escaped from from his back. Junior sighed in relief as he caught his breath. Luna grunted in annoyance as she pulled off her other heal and tossed it to the side.
"The tickle method. Unorthodox but clever," said Blaire with a smile. Junior scowled at Luna as she flapped her wings in the air.
"Fair? I'm fighting a woman who has the power to raise the moon. There's nothing fair about this fight when it’s against you. I'm not complaining," said Junior with a shrug. Luna scowled back.
"Who ever heard of tickling an opponent to break free?" deadpanned Luna. Junior rolled his eyes.
"I doubt I'm the first. Besides, it worked didn't it?" asked Junior with a smug smile. His head was struck by an empty water bottle, causing him to turn around with a look of annoyance.
"Get on with it!" shouted Rodan. Junior turned back with a scowl but his eyes widened as Luna was dive bombing towards him.
"Sh-" Junior was tackled to the ground by the Avatar, who bore a smirk.
"If that's the case, then I shall fight harder," said Luna. She raised her fist and sent a few punches towards Junior.
"Oh, now you want to-" Junior was interrupted with a punch to the face. He forced Luna off of his chest, causing her to stagger back. The Avatar charged back towards Junior, who shot his legs forward and kicked Luna towards the wall. Everyone stared with wide eyes as the princess left an imprint of herself against the cracking wall. She pulled away from the wall with a grunt and narrowed her eyes as she glared at the Transmutant.
"In the words of my subjects, 'it is on'," said Luna in a low tone. Junior smirked as he raised his fists.
"Bring it, princess." said Junior. Blaire's eyes widened as she spotted a wild look in his eyes.
"Uh oh," said Blaire. Junior and Luna charged towards each other, giving war cries. Luna engulfed her hands in a magic aura as she picked up her speed. As they came closer to each other, Luna noticed something unusual about the Transmutant. Junior's body gave off an intense aura that she was able to feel radiating from him. She swore that she spotted a cyan flame-like aura fly all around his chest and arms.
'What in the world?' thought Luna. Mosura's eyes widened in shock as she spotted the aura.
"Gojira, wait!" cried Mosura. By then, Junior and Luna had already collided with each other. Luna sent an aura engulfed fist towards the Transmutant while Junior did the same with his fist wrapped in a flame-like substance. As their fists collided, a massive shock wave filled the room. The windows were shattered as the boom reached outside, startling anyone on the castle grounds. The guards were forced to the ground as the Transmutants staggered back. Weights and training equipment were knocked over to the floor. A punching bag swayed from the force as the chain that held it began to rattle. Magic sparks flew all around the room as the shock wave caused the ground around Luna and Junior to crack. The two yelped as they were blown away and crashed through the walls and outside of the training room. Luna rolled along the marble floor with a grunt as she clutched her fist. Her body ached all around as she felt a burning sensation on her body. She moaned as she lied her head down in a dazed state. Her dress was ragged and her flowing hair was dirty. Luna staggered onto her feet as she shook off her disorientation and gasped as she found holes running through the wall. She spread her wings and flew towards the training room, finding the guards staggering back up to their feet as their ears rang. Luna searched frantically for Junior and her eyes widened in horror as she found him lying down outside of the hole that had created when bursting through the wall. She flew through the hole and landed next to Junior, dropping down to her knees and taking his head into her lap.
"Gojira! Gojira, please speak to me!" cried Luna. Her heart was filled with fear. The Transmutant looked dead as he was unresponsive from crashing through thick walls and into another room.
"Gojira, please wake up!" cried Luna as she shook the Transmutant as her eyes watered. She brought herself closer to him as she wrapped him into a tight embrace. Junior stirred in her hold, causing her to gasp.
"You're crushing me. I can't breathe," wheezed Junior. Luna immediately released him, allowing Junior to sigh in relief. He sluggishly raised himself up as he popped his joints.
"Yeah, that was painful," said Junior. Luna sighed in relief.
"Thank the stars. I was worried," said Luna as she placed a hand over her chest. Junior turned to face her with a small smile.
"Yeah, you're pretty tough," said Junior. Luna smiled back to him.
"As are you," said Luna. Junior looked back at the wall and his eyes widened at the holes that were made. The guards, Koizumi and the Transmutants peaked through with wide eyes.
"You guys made a mess in here," said Shining Armor with a nervous gulp. Junior and Luna looked at each other for a second and chuckled in amusement.
"So wait, I punched you and you punched me, and that blew us both through the walls?" asked Junior as his chuckles began to escalate into laughs.
"I believe so! I accidentally hit you too hard that I thought I accidentally killed you!" said Luna. Junior was in hysterics at this point.
"Are you kidding?! I've been shot, stabbed, burned, and blown away by rockets and bombs! This was not the worst thing to happen to me!" said Junior as he continued laughing.  Luna couldn't help but laugh more as well to calm down any stress and tension that she felt at the thought of him being in mortal danger.
"This is weird," said Angirasu with a look of conflict. He had no idea whether to worry about what happened or to laugh it off. The Transmutants and guards went stiff as a figure stood behind the Avatar and Transmutant. Luna's and Junior's laughter died down as they calmed themselves. They noticed the stiffness of the others standing behind the hole in the wall. Some were even fearful.
"Uh...what's wrong?" asked Junior. Mosura shakily raised her arm as she pointed behind the two. Junior and Luna both slowly turned around and their eyes widened as they a white gown was just inches away. They craned their heads back and found Celestia with a forced smile on her face as her eyes were closed. The spines of Junior and Luna were chilled in the sun princess's presence.
"T-Tia!" cried Luna as she and Junior shot to their feet.
"Luna, Junior, would you two mind explaining to me why there was a loud explosion down here and why there are holes in the training room?" asked Celestia as she slowly opened her eyes that gave a sinister glare as she kept her smile. Junior and Luna gulped nervously.
"Uh...we were...sparring?" asked Junior with a shrug. Celestia gave a forced laugh in response, causing Junior and Luna to give forced chuckles. Celestia immediately stopped as she scowled at the two.
"You two are in big trouble," said Celestia in a scolding tone. She wrapped Luna and Junior in a magic aura and carried them away. She then stopped and turned to face the remaining group with a forced smile.
"I would appreciate it if you would next time stop an incident such as this. We wouldn't want people to think an attack was occurring, would we?" asked Celestia. The group all immediately bowed.
"Yes your majesty!" said the group frantically. Celestia nodded in approval as she began to walk away with Luna and Junior.




Later...

"She grounded you?!" exclaimed Mosura in disbelief. The Transmutant was sitting next to Junior on his bed in his old bedroom. The male Transmutant looked down at the ground with a blank expression.
"You have no idea how humiliating this is. I don't even live here anymore!" said Junior. Mosura shook her head.
"So, what about Princess Luna?" asked Mosura.
"Well, apparently she's being forced to do a lot more paperwork today. I actually feel more sympathy for her than myself," said Junior. He then sighed in disappointment as he shook his head. "Maybe it was a bad idea to spar with her,"
"It might have been fine if you hadn't done that thing before punching her!" said Mosura in a scolding manner. Junior looked at her in confusion.
"What thing?" asked Junior.
"The thing you did when you were about to punch her when she was using her magic! You had blue fire sparking around you! What was that?" asked Mosura. Junior's eyes widened.
"I did what?! I didn't even know that I could do that! All I can do is spray atomic radiation as flames and charge my body's radiation to release it in a large pulse all around me!" said Junior. He then looked down in thought. "Hmm. How does 'Nuclear Pulse' sound for that attack?"
"Be serious!" said Mosura.
"Huh? Oh, sorry," said Junior with an embarrassed chuckle. He suddenly heard tapping on his window. The two turned and found Amber tapping on the window with her front leg. Junior made his way over to his window and opened it.
"I felt you giving off that power!" exclaimed Amber as she fluttered up to Junior's face. He slightly recoiled in response.
"OK, so what was it?" asked Junior.
"You're growing stronger as your soul embraces the essence that you were given. That was your power as a Kaiju being manifested into your physical human body!" said Amber.
"Should we be concerned?" asked Mosura in a worried tone.
"If he doesn't learn how to control it we should. He's lucky that the strike wasn't at its strongest. Otherwise, Princess Luna would be in worse shape," said Amber. Junior frowned in response. Amber fluttered down onto the bed as she turned to face Mosura.
"As a bit more time goes on, your abilities will be tripled. What Takeshi did was drawing the strength of his past-life's essence, giving him a boost of strength. This can be used at will, but it is dangerous if not handled correctly," said Amber. She turned to face Junior.
"Tomorrow Caesar will help you learn how to control this power. You won't be able to use it to its full potential now, but you'll know how to control it before then. Yasu and the others should be experiencing this soon as well."
"Great. Another thing to worry about," said Junior as he lied down on his bed in exhaustion. Mosura sighed as she stood up from the bed.
"Well, I'm going to go home with the others. Take care," said Mosura as she patted Junior's head. She made her way out the door and closed it. As Junior lied down, he heard Mosura's muffled giggles from behind the door. He sighed as he rubbed his face.
"I hope she doesn't tell the others," said Junior as his face flushed in embarrassment. Amber crawled over to him and slouched on his belly.
"So, she's actually forcing you to stay in your room? For how long?" asked Amber.
"Two weeks. But I'm actually going to be helping with two of the soldiers they have locked up. And let me tell you, I am not happy with that," said Junior with a scowl.
"Why not?" asked Amber.
"Well, for one, I don't want anything to do with more people who were associated with MONARCH. I already have to work with the Rebels. Another thing would be that these two specifically hunted me down to kill me!" said Junior. Amber lowered her head and antennae.
"Oh. Those are understandable reasons," said Amber in a small voice. Junior sighed as he picked the fairy up and sat up from his bed. Junior placed her on his lap as he scratched her head.
"I don't know why she wants me to do it. I don't even really care about them," said Junior. Amber rolled on her back as she rubbed her head against his hand.
"Maybe she believes that you can help them," suggested Amber. Junior raised a brow. He then snorted in response.
"Me? Help them? I'm only good for taking down opponents," said Junior.
"No you're not. You're a good friend," said Amber.
"Thanks. But I don't think they'd be too keen on being friends. I'm not good at diplomacy, especially with people who want me dead," said Junior with a scowl. Amber sighed as she brought her face closer to Junior's hand.
"Nom!" Amber opened her insect mouth and bit down on Junior's hand.
"Ow!" cried Junior as he pulled his hand away from the moth and shook off the stinging pain. It felt like a strong pinch and his skin was left with a red mark from the bite. He glared at her in annoyance.
"Why did you do that?" asked Junior as he raised his hand.
"You're judging them like how people judged you," said Amber in disapproval. Junior's expression softened. Amber sighed as she fluttered onto his pillow. "Give them a chance. Besides, you already knew one of them. Now's a good time to catch up,"
"We're passed that," said Junior as he crossed his arms. Amber lowered her head in disappointment. Junior sighed as lowered his arms.
"But...I guess I can do something to help. I mean, since I'm grounded and Celestia is asking me to," said Junior as he avoided eye contact. Amber giggled in response.
"Great!" said Amber in approval. She then made her way back to Junior's hand again. The fairy then bit down on the Transmutant's hand again.
"Ow! Why did you bite me again?!" demanded Junior.
"It doesn't matter! It's in the past!" said Amber. Junior scowled at her.
"Yeah, but it still hurts!" retorted Junior.
"Yes, the past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it or learn from it," said Amber. She suddenly shot her head towards Junior's hand again for another bite. Her mouth opened wide as they neared Junior's soft skin. The Transmutant immediately pulled his hand away as he shot the fairy a look of annoyance.
"Ha! You see?!" cried Amber. Junior sighed in exasperation.
"OK, I get it," said Junior.
"Oh by the way, since you're going be here for the next two weeks, you and I are roommates! Yay!" said Amber as she fluttered her wings in excitement. Junior raised a brow.
"Gee. You're like a kid having a sleepover for the first time," said Junior.
"Don't ruin this for me! I'll bite you again!" warned Amber as she flared her wings. Junior rolled his eyes.
"Fine," said Junior as he lied back down on his bed.



The sun was setting over the kingdom. The MONARCH soldiers who had trespassed on Equestrian soil a few days ago were sitting in silence in cells. The dungeon was cold and dark with only little sunlight reaching inside. The stone ground and walls surrounded them as metal bars allowed them to see outside. There were several dungeon cells inside, filled with soldiers. Erika Shiragami and Sunset Shimmer sat across from each other in their cell. The sound of water dripping reached their ears. The Elf held her knees as she looked down at the ground. Erika looked over to Sunset in worry.
"Sunset, talk to me. You haven't said a word since we came in here," said Erika. Sunset merely lowered her head as she hid her face. Erika frowned as she heard light sobs coming from the Elf. She stood up from her side of the cell, revealing light gold chains that bounded her wrists and ankles and sat down next to Sunset to pull her close.
"I just...I don't know what's happening to me!" whispered Sunset as she trembled in place. "I keep having nightmares of that thing! Next thing I know, I end up turning into it!"
"It's OK," said Erika as she held Sunset as she cried into her shoulder. The sound a door opening startled the two, causing them to shoot up and to look towards the bars of their cells. The sound of footsteps approaching grew louder as they echoed in the dungeon. Celestia appeared from the corner of the cell along with Yoshi and a few guards.
"Erika Shiragami and Sunset Shimmer," called Celestia in a soft tone. Sunset looked away from the Avatar.
"Yes?" answered Erika.
"I would like to offer you both an opportunity to exit the dungeon," said Celestia. Erika's ears perked up. The Avatar turned to the other soldiers. "But, this will not come easily since you have all committed a serious crime against my kingdom," said Celestia. She turned to Yoshi.
"Hayato Yoshi has learned of a dark secret that MONARCH was keeping, prompting him and other soldiers to rebel. I believe that you should all listen to this," said Celestia. Yoshi stepped forward as a moth fairy sat on his shoulders.
"What you are about to see will change everything that you originally perceived of MONARCH," said Yoshi.




Later...

Yoshi stood by outside of the dungeon as a few soldiers slowly walked out. A soldier saluted him.
"I admired you ever since I was a recruit. I trust the images you’ve shown me. I'm glad that you're not a fraud," said the soldier. Yoshi nodded to him.
"And I'm glad that some of you were able to accept the truth," said Yoshi. He led the soldiers that were freed out of the dungeon. He stopped as he found Junior approaching, the soldiers stiffened at his approach.
"Takeshi," said Yoshi in surprise.
"Yoshi," Junior greeted with a nod. He looked the soldiers over and then turned to look at Yoshi with a sigh. "The rest didn't believe it?"
"No. They thought they were just illusions and lies. Some of them I think might be are just conflicted," said Yoshi. Junior sighed.
"Well, Celestia wanted me to see two of them. See ya," said Junior as he made his way towards the dungeon door. Yoshi hummed to himself.
"That's the most civil conversation we've had. Interesting," said Yoshi.
"Lucky Dragon is a friend of yours?" asked a soldier. Yoshi watched as Junior entered the dungeon.
"Not exactly. But he is an ally," said Yoshi with a small smile.
Inside of the dungeon, Celestia stood by next to her guards with a sigh. She shook her head in disappointment as Junior made his way over to her.
"I was honestly hoping that we could get them to see the truth," said Celestia. Junior made his way over to her and gave her a reassuring smile.
"It's alright. At least you have some of them on our side," said Junior. Celestia nodded in agreement but still bore a look of dejection.
"I only wish that Sunset Shimmer was willing to put aside what happened between us and move on. I don't even think she believes what she saw," said Celestia. Junior looked down in thought.
"Why not let her out anyway?" asked Junior. Celestia looked at him in surprise. Junior raised his hands. "With a price of course. She and the Transmutant are free to get some air outside, but with me watching over them. You can chain their wrists to keep them from attacking if you want."
"Would you really be willing to help them? Despite-"
"Trust me, I'm not really a fan of this. But it's not going to do us any good with two people who are as strong as them being against us. Besides, the issue with Shimmer is hurting you and I don't like seeing that. Let me talk to them for a second," said Junior. Celestia hesitantly nodded. The Transmutant walked past her and down towards the cells. The soldiers locked up sent him glares, which he ignored as he moved down to the far end of the dungeon and found the lonely cell that contained the two women.
"I really don't want to talk to you, Celestia. I'm not falling for that trick," said Sunset as she had her back turned on Junior. Erika turned her head and looked at Junior in surprise.
"Lucky Dragon," said Erika in surprise. Junior's brow twitched in annoyance but he immediately let it go.
"Actually, it's Gojira," said Junior. Sunset shot up and turned around in surprise. Junior remained standing in the shadows as a torch faintly lit his image.
"You. What do you want?" asked Sunset in a soft tone. Junior sighed as he pulled up a stool and sat down in front of the cell. Celestia stood by, listening.
"I want to talk. Can we do that?" asked Junior. Erika cleared her throat as she turned to face him.
"About what?" asked Erika. Sunset narrowed her eyes at him.
"Don't think that just because I'm not talking to the princess, it means that I'm going to tell you anything about MONARCH," said Sunset. Junior shook his head.
"Sister, believe me. MONARCH is the last thing that I want to talk about. Just thinking about that organization makes me furious," said Junior as he reached into his sweater's pockets and pulled out cans of soda. He held them out towards the cell door.
"Thirsty?" asked Junior. Erika reluctantly scooted closer to the door and reached out through the metal bars of the door. She pulled back as she glanced at the door.
"Uh...is it alright?" asked Erika.
"Don't worry about the princess and the guards. This is our conversation and this is yours if you take it," said Junior. Erika slowly reached through the bars and took the cold can in her hand. She gave him a small smile.
"Thanks," said Erika. Junior nodded and then turned his attention to Sunset.
"Shimmer?" called Junior as he held the remaining can out. Sunset looked at him suspiciously. Junior sighed. "I'm not bribing you or anything with this. I'd like a soda every once in a while too."
"I'll take it," said Sunset as she made her way closer to the cell door. She reached out for the can of soda and grabbed it, but she didn't pull away. Junior kept his hold on it as well. Sunset narrowed her eyes.
"What's to stop me from pulling you towards this cell and taking you hostage with Erika's help?" questioned Sunset. Erika's eyes widened.
"Uh..." Erika was interrupted as Junior leaned close to the Elf with a hard stare.
"Because if you do that, I will burn the living shit out of both of you," growled Junior as his irises grew in size, limiting the white in his eyes. Sunset recoiled back with a look of fear on her face as she dropped the soda can. Celestia listened with wide eyes. Junior, however, chuckled in amusement a few seconds later.
"I'm kidding, Shimmer," said Junior as he picked up the soda can that rolled to his side. Erika narrowed her eyes at him.
"That wasn't funny," said Erika in disapproval.
"I just wanted to see how she would react. I imagined she would be much braver if I were to threaten her," said Junior as he reached for his sweater's other pocket. "I mean, you took me on alone. You talked down to me as if you had all the power in the world."
"What did you expect? I'm defenseless and I've seen what you can do," said Sunset as she narrowed her eyes at him. Junior pulled out another can of soda and placed it down on the ground through the cell door's bars.
"That's only when my life is in danger. Here, take this one. The one you dropped will just spray all over you," said Junior. Sunset reluctantly scooted closer as she took the can. Junior opened the soda can that was meant for Sunset Shimmer but it sprayed on him a bit. He muttered a curse as he wiped his hand on his sweater. Erika bore a small look of amusement while Sunset kept a firm expression on the Transmutant. Junior took a sip of his soda and then cleared his throat before speaking.
"So, what's your stand on the whole Transmutant deal?" asked Junior as he looked at the two. Erika looked at him in confusion, but then nodded as she understood what he was getting at. She opened her mouth to answer.
"They're a bunch of monstrous freaks! Like the three of you!" shouted a soldier from one of the cells. Junior scowled in annoyance while Erika and Sunset flinched. The Elf frowned deeply as she looked down at the ground. She was only able to imagine what it must have felt for Erika to be around those who scorned her based on being a Transmutant. Now, she was able to live it since she now counted as one. Junior sighed in exasperation as he turned in his seat to face the soldier with a glare.
"I wasn't asking any of you. Shut your mouth," said Junior.
"How about you come make me you fu-" the soldier's voice was cut off as a light gold, sparkling and transparent wall appeared over the cell door. Junior raised a brow in confusion as the other cell doors were covered by the same light golden walls. He turned his head and noticed Celestia standing near the doorway out of the dungeon with a wink. Junior gave her a thumbs up and went back to a surprised Erika and Sunset.
"Now about my question," said Junior.
"Oh! Uh...I always thought maybe humans and Transmutants could have a future as friends rather than enemies," said Erika. Junior raised a brow.
"So you became a soldier of an organization that created them and now wants to kill them?" asked Junior. Erika tittered in response.
"I didn't actually join because of that. It was mainly to help people. Plus, I always wanted to see the world," replied Erika. Sunset shook her head.
"I still don't buy it. Why would MONARCH create Transmutants?" asked Sunset.
"Oh yeah? Shiragami, how did you become a Transmutant?" asked Junior. Erika went stiff.
"I...well you see..." Erika rubbed her head as she looked away. Junior looked at her expectantly for her answer. The female Transmutant cleared her throat. "Would you believe me if I said I technically died and was brought back by saving my living brain and reconstructing my dead body by mutating it with the DNA of Alpha's?"
"Well that depends. Who did it to you?" asked Junior. Erika sighed as she slumped her head.
"MONARCH," answered Erika. Junior nodded.
"I believe it. Also, that should be evidence for the fact that MONARCH is responsible for all Transmutants excluding me, my father and Destoroyah," said Junior as he took another sip of his soda. Sunset sent him a glare.
"That doesn't automatically prove it! They just found out how when a copy of the data on how to create the mutagen used on Transmutants was discovered! They thought it would help against the Revolutionaries when they used it on Erika," argued Sunset.
"That's what they say, but MONARCH knew how for years. When GeneCO was shut down for using my father, Destoroyah and I as test subjects, MONARCH took over the data and made the rest," retorted Junior.
"How do you know?" questioned Sunset in a suspicious manner.
"The rebels found out when they accessed MONARCH's classified files. They lost the digital data, but they know every little dirty secret that MONARCH had," said Junior. Sunset furrowed her brows. The visions that she had seen almost seemed convincing, yet she couldn't possibly fall into it without any real evidence, especially if the claim came from Yoshi, a potential enemy and traitor. Erika sent Junior a glance.
"So...Alpha really was your father?" asked Erika. Junior nodded.
"He was," answered Junior as he lowered his head. He sighed to himself. "It's been hard without him. He was all that I had left as in family. You can understand what it's like to be considered a monster right? No one around to tell you that they care about you, despite what everyone else sees on the surface."
"Actually, I do. A lot of soldiers weren't too keen on sharing a base with me when I first got back into service. That was until I met Sunset Shimmer," said Erika as she cast the Elf a small smile. Sunset lightly smiled back.
"That's good. It drives people miserable being alone the way a Transmutant can be," said Junior. Erika gave a small laugh. Junior scowled in response.
"Sorry! I wasn't laughing at you. I just thought of something funny," said Erika.
"What's that?" asked Junior.
"Well, this might sound kind of dumb. I was always reluctant to kill you when the order was given. But, honestly I kinda see you as a little brother right now," said Erika. Junior looked at her in confusion.
"Huh?"
"Well, your dad is pretty much the reason why I'm here today. I share his DNA, which is responsible for me being able to remain alive in this body," said Erika. She then rubbed her arm in embarrassment. "But that's kinda dumb, huh?"
"I...Well, I guess that makes sense. It's actually kind of nice to know that you weren't taking pleasure on trying to kill me like these assholes," said Junior as he pointed a thumb to the cells behind himself. Junior looked at Sunset, who looked down at her soda can as she took another sip.
"Shimmer, do you really not remember who I am?" asked Junior in a curious tone. He felt like Destoroyah, prodding someone from his past who has no memory of him. Sunset brought her eyes up to look into Junior's and looked down in thought.
"I honestly don't remember you. But...I feel like I've seen you before when we first ran into each other in Ponyville," said Sunset. Junior lightly chuckled.
"Yeah. Well, we actually met years ago. I was living in the castle with Celestia when you were around. I had this kiddie crush on you," said Junior in embarrassment as he looked away. Erika smirked in response while Sunset looked at him in confusion. Her eyes widened as her mind wandered back to her past.




10 years ago...

Sunset Shimmer knelt down on the ground as she gathered up a few books that lied scattered on the ground. The thirteen year old girl bore a scowl on her face. She looked to her side and glared at a couple of other girls who walked down the road as they snickered to themselves. Sunset shook her head as she sighed in exasperation.
"Jerks," muttered Sunset. She was about to reach for two of the last books that were a couple feet away from her, but another hand picked up the book. Sunset shot up in alarm, but relaxed as she spotted a boy with dark hair and yellow eyes. He wore a charcoal grey shirt with a back pack strapped onto his shoulders. The child looked at the book and then shot a glare towards the girls that walked away. He then glanced to his side as Sunset's bright red hair attracted him from his peripheral vision. He went stiff as a bright blush appeared on his face.
"S-Sunset Shimmer!" cried the boy in surprise. The Elf looked at him in confusion as she stood up to her feet.
"Uh...hey. Who are you again?" asked Sunset. Junior chuckled in embarrassment.
"Oh. Sorry, we uh...we never actually met. My name is Gojira Takeshi. I live in the castle," said Junior with an accent in his voice. Sunset looked at the boy in curiosity. She then held a hand under her chin as she looked down in thought. She snapped her fingers and looked at him with a smile.
"Oh, you're the boy that hangs around the castle! You're Princess Celestia's adopted son, right?" asked Sunset. Junior nodded to him as he bore a shy expression.
"Y-Yeah. I actually saw you around a couple times," answered Junior. He then noticed Sunset Shimmer carrying a few books in her hand. He then noticed the other book that lied at his feet and knelt down to pick it up as well.
"I uh...I saw those girls knock your books out of your hand. I just didn't recognize you until I saw your face," said Junior as he held the books to her. Sunset smiled at him as she took the books.
"Yeah, but it's alright," said Sunset Shimmer. Junior looked at her in disapproval.
"Alright?! They disrespected you! You can't let jerks like that walk over you or else they'll try to take advantage of you!" said Junior. Sunset slightly recoiled from Junior's tone.
"They're...just playing around. It's not a big deal," said Sunset. Junior shook his head.
"You say that now, but later you won't like it. You gotta stick up for yourself!" said Junior as he crossed his arms. Sunset smiled in amusement at the boy's tough attitude. She then noticed a couple of bruises on the boy's brow and his cheek.
"Hey, what happened there?" asked Sunset as she looked at him in concern. She levitated her books to the side as she took Junior's chin into her free hand and looked over his bruises. Junior blushed furiously and his heart raced as he avoided looking into the moderate cyan eyes of the girl. He thought of them being too pretty to remain looking into. He immediately pulled away, much to Sunset's surprise.
"I'm fine! I just got into a fight today," said Junior. Sunset's eyes widened.
"Oh my gosh. What happened?" asked Sunset in worry. Junior shook his head.
"Doesn't matter. He wanted to pick a fight, I gave him one, and I won," said Junior in triumph, but noticed the neutral stare that Sunset was giving him. He cleared his throat.
"I told him I didn't want to fight though. But he ended up hitting me a couple of times first. So, I hit him back," said Junior. Sunset nodded in understanding.
"Right," said Sunset. The two were standing in an awkward silence. Junior scratched the back of his neck as he looked away with a blush.
"Sooo...are you coming back to the castle right now?" asked Junior.
"Yeah, I just needed to pick these books up," answered Sunset. Junior nodded.
"OK, why don't we walk together? I can help carry your books and maybe protect you from any mean kids that might try to mess with you," offered Junior. Sunset smiled at the boy. She found him sweet for wanting to help her.
"Are you sure you can carry some of these? They're pretty heavy," said Sunset. Junior nodded as he held out his hands.
"I got it! I'll take four of them!" said Junior. Sunset reluctantly levitated four large tomes to the young Transmutant, who took them with ease, much to her surprise.
"Wow. You're deceptively strong," said Sunset. Junior smiled to himself.
"I guess you can say it's in the genes," said Junior. The two walked down the road for the next hour in silence. Junior snuck a few glances at the Elf that walked by his side. Her crimson hair flowed in the wind as the sun beamed over her pale skin. Junior turned away as Sunset looked in his direction.
"Hey, Gojira," called Sunset.
"Yeah?" asked Junior with a stutter. Sunset looked down with a frown.
"Do you ever get lonely?" asked Sunset. Junior shrugged.
"Meh. Sometimes. I don't really have any friends but it doesn't really bug me," answered Junior. Sunset looked at him in sympathy at the boy’s loneliness.
"Really? Why not?" asked Sunset.
"I don't know. It's OK though. I don't really need friends," said Junior as he took on a smile.
"But, shouldn't everyone have friends?" asked Sunset. Junior shrugged. Then he lightly frowned.
"Maybe some people aren't just cut out to have friends," said Junior as he tried to keep a neutral tone. Sunset frowned as she caught his expression. The two eventually came across the castle grounds. They then entered the castle and made their way over to Sunset's chambers.
"Well...I don't actually have that many friends either," said Sunset. Junior looked to her in shock.
"You?! B-But, you're so smart! You're really good at magic and you're really pre-" Junior immediately went silent as he clamped his jaws shut. Sunset looked at him in surprise.
"You...you really think I'm all of those things?" asked Sunset. Junior nodded as his cheeks burned from his flushing state.
"Yeah. Anybody who doesn't want to be your friend must be crazy," said Junior with a nervous smile. Sunset lightly smiled as her cheeks brightened up from his flattery.
"Thanks. By the way, what was that last thing that you were going to say that I was?" asked Sunset with a curious glance.
"Huh? Oh! Uh...don't worry about it! I was going to repeat something that I already said," lied Junior with a nervous smile. Sunset lightly laughed as she rubbed ruffled Junior's hair.
"Thanks, little guy," said Sunset. Junior blushed as he caught Sunset's scent from her arm. He nodded to her.
"You're welcome," said Junior. He then gasped as he stopped and lowered the books down on the ground. He unzipped his back pack and reached inside. Sunset looked at him curiously as Junior pulled out a folded card that was slightly crumpled, but still in shape. Junior frowned as he held it out to her.
"Sorry, the same kid who I was fighting took this away from me. It didn't do so well when he swiped it," said Junior. Sunset took the card into her hand as she lowered her books to the ground.
"Happy birthday, Sunset Shimmer," said Sunset as she read the card. She opened the card and stared at a drawing of a bird made of fire. It was not the greatest drawing that she had ever laid eyes on. But, it looked well enough to be able to make out the creature to be a phoenix.
"You...you made this for me?" asked Sunset in surprise.
"Yeah. Yesterday, Celestia told me that June 16th was your birthday. I wanted to give this to you yesterday, but I spent two days trying to get Philamena to hold still while I drew her," said Junior. He rubbed the back of his head. "I thought your hair was pretty like a phoenix's feathers, so I decided to draw you a phoenix."
"I..." Sunset looked at Junior with a bright smile. She wrapped Junior into a tight hug.
"I love it! Thank you so much!" cried Sunset Shimmer. Junior smiled to himself as he pumped his fist to the side.
"You're welcome," said Junior.




Present...

Sunset lightly gasped as she pointed at the Transmutant. She had finally solved the missing piece in her memory as to why the Transmutant always seemed familiar to her.
"You...yeah, I remember now!" said Sunset. Her face brightened up into a smile. "You were that little boy who gave me that card for my birthday!"
"That's me," said Junior with a nod.
"Oh my gosh, I haven't seen you in years since I was removed from my spot as Princess Celestia's pupil! How have you..." Sunset stopped speaking. Her mind recalled exactly who she was speaking to. Sitting before her, looking at her from behind the cell door that she and Erika were locked behind, was the boy who had shown her more kindness than any other besides Celestia. But after she was removed from being Celestia's pupil, she had forgotten everything about Canterlot and Junior as the years went by. She deeply frowned as she remembered how their reunion involved her hunting him down as if it were a sport.
"Oh," said Sunset as she lowered her head in shame. Junior sighed.
"Yeah. It's been rough," said Junior. Sunset hesitantly looked back up to Junior.
"I never...cared that much for Transmutants. I even thought of you as being a monster through our encounters," said Sunset.
"I know," said Junior in a half bitter tone. Sunset winced at his tone.
"But...you seem to understand what it's like to be something that people won't accept. You told me yourself in our last fight," said Sunset. Junior glanced at her as she continued to speak.
"I see myself in you. Someone who wants to improve himself because of the stigma that's been pressed on you," said Sunset. She placed a hand on her head. "I thought MONARCH was what I needed to become better. I ended up on this team for genetic research. One of our jobs was to study how Transmutant DNA reacted to certain substances and how they were capable of metabolizing geothermal and nuclear energy."
"But one day..." Sunset gasped as her pupils became pinpricks. Junior looked at her in worry.
"What's wrong?" asked Junior. Sunset began to breathe heavily as she started to sweat. Her vision showed flashes of a lab with a large cage filled with humanoid bat creatures. The vision suddenly flashed to one of the creature's pinning her down as it gave a screech. Sunset trembled as she whimpered and yelled while clutching her head.
"I'm sorry! I can't talk about it!" cried Sunset. Junior stared with wide eyes as the Elf gave pitiful whimpers while trembling. Erika wrapped her in a hug as she rubbed her head.
"It's OK," whispered Erika. Sunset began to relax as her breathing slowed down.
"If you don't want to talk about it, then that's OK. You don't have to," said Junior with a worried expression. Sunset nodded to him.
"Thank you," said Sunset. Junior took another sip of his soda.
"Shimmer, Shiragami, I have an offer for you both," said Junior. The two women turned their attention to Junior as he placed his can down.
"I'd like to have another conversation with you two again sometime. I think we can learn a bit from each other and we can get pass this stupid Human versus Transmutant war. Celestia will grant you two time to be out of the dungeon, but with restraints on for the next two weeks." said Junior.
"Why?" asked Sunset. Junior sighed.
"Shimmer, it may not seem like it, but Celestia misses you a lot. Trust me, she cares about you," said Junior. Sunset looked down at the ground.
"Takeshi, what do you get out of this? If we were to switch to your side, how do you benefit exactly?" asked Erika. Junior gave her a hard stare.
"Honestly, I have no real interest in this whole war that's going on between MONARCH and the Revolutionaries. I'll fight either if they threaten me or my friends, but if you join, I don't get anything. I'll get what I want on my own," said Junior in a low tone.
"What would that be?" asked Sunset in a slight nervous tone.
"Destoroyah's head," said Junior.
"Wha-" Erika looked at him in confusion. Celestia stood in the corner of the room as she listened in. Junior lowered his head.
"You know, everything is happening because of him and those who are responsible for the Transmutants. People are dying for him. My father is dead because that bastard killed him over an old clan feud," growled Junior. He clenched his fist.
"What I want is to turn that son of a bitch into ash along with his other followers such as Shinomura, Gaira, Battra, and whoever else gets in my way," said Junior. Celestia's eyes widened upon hearing her adopted son contemplating the killings of these Transmutants over a personal vendetta. It worried her terribly.
"You want revenge," said Erika. The male Transmutant shook his head.
"Revenge is a dirty word. I prefer to call it, 'doing the world a favor'," retorted Junior. The Transmutant stood up from his stool as he looked at the two soldiers. "You two can let the guards know that you accept the terms and that you want to speak to me. We'll hopefully have a conversation that isn't this dark."
"Right. Thanks," said Erika with a nod. Junior walked away, but Sunset shot towards the cell door.
"Gojira!" cried Sunset. Junior turned to face the Elf as she held onto the bars.
"I...I'm sorry for everything that I've done to wrong you," said Sunset. Junior stood there for several seconds. He gave her a nod.
"Me too. Good night," said Junior as he walked back towards the Dungeon's exit. Sunset lightly smiled as she pulled her head back and sat down. Junior passed Celestia, who looked at him in worry.
"Junior..." called Celestia. The Transmutant stopped.
"I know you heard everything. I don't care if you think it's wrong. Destoroyah is going to pay for what he did," said Junior in a low tone and walked through the exit door.
"Junior!" called Celestia. The door closed. The Transmutant's footsteps echoed in the hall. The Avatar sighed solemnly as she looked down at the ground.
	
> Chapter 50: Northside Stories
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A strong blizzard blew over the land. There was nothing but snow and ice as far as the eye can see in the land. The temperatures were freezing and chilling to the bone. The skies were covered in dark clouds that rained snow down over the frozen wasteland. In the midst of the blizzard, a lonely temple was built into the base of the mountains. The stones that made up the temple were cracked, broken and covered in frost. Around the temple was an ancient formation of stone buildings that were built inside of the frozen canyon with stones in pieces. From the roof of one of the small ancient building ruins, a humanoid creature pawed at the snow on the roof. It was ape-like in appearance as it bore white fur. Its grey skin was leathery and its teeth were sharp. The frost troll was native to this frozen tundra, inhabiting the caves in mountains. The creature's eyes were mostly black pupils. Its three grubby fingers began to pick at the carcass of an artic wolf. The creature gave a low growl as it tore the flesh of the wolf's limbs.
From the temple that sat ominously in the canyon. Outside of its main entrance were torches that burned and lit up the shadows. Inside of the temple, pillars were knocked over on the ground.  Crystals stuck out of the cracks of the walls as little light beamed down from the ceiling. The temple led deeper into the mountain, where a vast area could be found. Statues of an Elf with a spiked crown and fangs in his mouth stood tall and proud near the spikes of ice that stuck out of the ground. Stairways led over to different walls, that hung over a long drop with freezing cold water down below. Vases were shattered; skeletons littered every other platform, stairway, or were just simply impaled by ice stalagmites. Deeper inside of the cave, several figures in cloaks stood together as they wrapped their hands in dark auras. They muttered as they spoke and chanted in a foreign dialect. The people who adorned their cloaks were a mix of men, women, young and old. Deeper into this mysterious cave, Thanatos walked beside Destoroyah, Battra, and Ghidorah. The two Revolutionary Transmutants looked on in awe at the cave that was just behind the temple.
"Where are we?" asked Battra.
"We are currently in the grand temple of Shadows. This temple was constructed in honor of the Elf king who once ruled the crystal empire," answered Thanatos.
"Crystal Empire? Never heard of it," said Destoroyah.
"No, because it's been missing for a thousand years," said Ghidorah as ran a claw over the frosty wall. Battra looked at the Transmutant in confusion.
"How can an entire empire go missing?" asked Battra. Thanatos turned and glanced at the Transmutant.
"Our great master overthrew the wicked Crystal princess and established himself as the new ruler. He brought order, security, and justice to the Empire. But, his reign was short when the Avatar princesses turned him to shadow and banished him beneath the ice," said Thanatos. He then led the Transmutants down to a large room where an altar stood with a small hole in the ceiling above. "However, a curse was placed upon the Crystal Empire before his fall. The empire vanished into thin air, along with the inhabitants."
"Your master?" questioned Battra. Thanatos nodded to the Transmutant.
"Yes. When our lord had ascended into power, we were in awe of his abilities. We dedicated our lives to him during his reign, learning what he had learned. The king even had us do his bidding along the borders of the Crystal Empire. We enforced his laws against those who stood for the evil princess. When our King was turned to shadow and imprisoned, we became the Shadow's Hand, in honor of our King who could not fight to take back the kingdom," said Thanatos.
"You guys come off more as a cult rather than law enforces of an Emperor," said Battra.
"King. We call him king, or lord," said Thanatos. The Transmutant scowled.
"There is no way I am calling an emperor a king or lord. Why do you Equestrians always let princesses and princes rule kingdoms? Where are the kings and queens?! And now your emperors are called kings?!"
"You get used to it," said Ghidorah with a shrug. Battra sighed in exasperation. Destoroyah sent a glare towards Ghidorah.
"And just what does ancient history have to do with you joining MONARCH? Why have you brought us across the world and into the middle of the damn tundra?" demanded Destoroyah.
"Des, Des, you have been about this all wrong. I am not truly your enemy," said Ghidorah as he shook his head. He paced around the room as he made his way to the altar. "Remember the legend of Kaiju?"
"Yes. What do fables have to do with-"
"They're not fables. They are actual historical events," said Ghidorah in a low tone. Destoroyah and Battra looked at each other in confusion and then back to Ghidorah.
"Bullshit," Battra and Destoroyah said in unison. Ghidorah shook his head.
"So you say. But there are legends of these god-like beings from around the world,” said Ghidorah. He then looked to Thanatos. The elder man turned to face the Revolutionaries.
"We have the remains of a Kaiju with us,” said Thanatos. Destoroyah and Battra looked at the human with wide eyes. The elder Elf smirked under his hood. “Would you care to see it?”
“Very well,” said Destoroyah as he stomped towards the Elf. The group began to walk down towards another hall. The walls were dry compared to the frosty walls that were near the temple’s main entrance, but the air was still cold. The group later came across a large room where the temperatures had dropped lower and the walls were frosted. A transparent magic barrier stood at the far end of the room. Battra and Destoroyah squinted as they attempted to make out a distorted image of an odd looking formation. Their eyes widened as they spotted an enormous figure with multiple legs and insect eyes. The creature bore golden horns that were snapped and cracked. Its exoskeleton appeared to be severely damaged and the yellow liquid that came from its wounds was frozen solid. The wings appeared to be shattered into pieces that stuck the walls.
“Behold, the Kaiju that was called, the God of Hatred,” said Thanatos as he pointed towards the beast’s icy tomb. Battra’s breath was caught in his throat as he analyzed the great insect. He saw familiar traits of the creature. He looked down at his hand, which had turned black as the creature’s exoskeleton.
“Impossible,” Battra muttered to himself. Destoroyah gazed at the creature in awe.
“Destoroyah, MONARCH invaded our beloved temple and desecrated it with their presence. This temple housed this creature’s remains before the founders realized it was here. This creature’s DNA was drawn to create one of many Transmutants,” said Thanatos as he focused his attention on Battra. The Transmutant turned around in disbelief.
“But wait! There's more," said Ghidorah with a grin.
"More?" questioned Destoroyah.
"Yes. Evidently, our King had discovered a breathing and living Kaiju before he was banished by the cursed Avatar rulers," said Thanatos. Battra and Destoroyah looked on in shock.
"Wha- Where is it now?" asked Destoroyah. Ghidorah smirked.
"He's right here," answered Ghidorah as he pointed at himself. Destoroyah and Battra looked at the Transmutant in confusion.
"That's not possible! You're a Transmutant!" said Battra with a scowl.
"Besides, the king lived a thousand years ago. You don't look a decade over your forties," said Destoroyah with his arms crossed. Ghidorah chuckled.
"Right. Well, I am actually more compared to the rest of you all. I am a Kaiju reincarnated into the form of a man," said Ghidorah. Destoroyah's interest began to peak. However, he was reluctant to automatically believe this man. The idea was too ludicrous.
"How can you prove that?" asked Destoroyah. Ghidorah smiled darkly. He raised his hands that were engulfed in golden auras. The hands fired beams towards the heads of the Transmutants, causing them to gasp in shock. Visions of a golden dragon with three, serpent-like heads appeared in their minds. The great beast roared as it stood tall among a scorched land covered in ash and dust. The blue skies and sun darkened as a great cloud of ash covered the heavens. The vision flashed to the dragon soaring over the scorched land with its great wings, headed for a colossal dragon-like creature. The creature bore a likeness to Gojira Takeshi's transformation, only this one was brown in color. The three headed dragon roared as it dove down towards the second Kaiju and rained down beams of electric-like energy. The second Kaiju screeched in agony as it was attacked from the skies. The vision flashed again, revealing images of the three headed dragon attacking different forms of giant beasts, ranging from insects, arachnids, reptiles, birds, and mammals.
One final vision flashed, revealing the great golden dragon to be nothing but skeletal remains of itself. Part of the skeleton began to dissolve and liquefy. The contents seeped into the ground where the creature was lying, scorching a small area of the earth. The soil stirred and took a humanoid form. The liquefied bones and the dirt hardened as they sculpted themselves into a prone human male figure. A black clawed hand pressed against the forehead of the dirt sculpture, causing the solid clay to crumble. Ghidorah's face was revealed from the broken clay. The vision ended after the Transmutant's eyes opened. Battra and Destoroyah panted as they dropped to their knees. They slowly turned their heads and gazed up at the Elf Transmutant that stood before them. Ghidorah held a firm expression.
"Destoroyah, I am a Kaiju reincarnated as a man. I was brought back to bring order to this world where the humans have squandered their gifts. I was brought to King Sombra to assist him in his reign. In fact, I was even meant to be his successor," said Ghidorah.
"You were reincarnated a thousand years ago? How is it possible that you are still alive?" asked Destoroyah in disbelief.
"When he was overthrown, I was placed under a spell by his loyalists that would preserve me until he can return from his banishment. When he does, I shall help him retake his kingdom from the humans that dare dictate us," said Ghidorah as he crossed his arms. Destoroyah looked at him suspiciously.
"You were speaking to the Director of MONARCH when were first changed. He spoke of a lord to you. Is he an ally?" asked Destoroyah. Ghidorah sighed.
"Yes," answered Ghidorah. Destoroyah sent him a harsh glare.
"You expect me to ally my group with you when you are allies with the son of a bitch who runs that damn organization?!" demanded Destoroyah as he and Battra glared at the Elf.
"Destoroyah, I know where you're not thrilled with that. But what's happened recently in Neighpon was beyond his control. In fact, he was the reason why you and your group have been safe in that little facility that you were all holed up in," said Ghidorah. Battra and Destoroyah looked at him in surprise and confusion. Ghidorah lightly smiled as he made his way over to them. He pulled Battra to his side as he wrapped his arm around his neck, causing the younger Transmutant to grunt. Ghidorah did the same with Destoroyah, who growled in annoyance.
"Gentlemen, not everything is as they seem. Onyx, the Shadow's hand and I are all trying to make this world better for everyone. Except MONARCH is a big obstacle. There is a deal that we can all make here," said Ghidorah.
"What kind of deal?" asked Destoroyah. Ghidorah smirked.
"You, your little student here and several others that are in your midst are reincarnated Kaiju like me," said Ghidorah.
"What?!" exclaimed Battra.
"That's right. The insect that lies dead is your former self. You were all reborn to bring salvation upon the Transmutants. Isn't that what you have all been fighting for?" asked Ghidorah. Destoroyah was about to retort 'no', but he stopped himself. He would lose his student's loyalty if he were to reveal him his true ambition.
"Yes," nodded Destoroyah. Battra nodded as well.
"It is all that I want to do. I want to save them," said Battra with a solemn expression. Ghidorah nodded as he bore a small smile.
"Ah. Well, if you join me and Shadow's Hand, you and the Revolutionaries will be safe here in the Frozen North. You will be able to gain a power that will allow you to stand against any threat. In return, you help the Shadow's Hand guarantee the return of King Sombra," said Ghidorah.
"How do we know that this isn't a trick? What if you're planning to have us remain here comfortable while you alert MONARCH?" questioned Battra with a glare.
"It's not. Boy, MONARCH is a force that we should all fear. They want to rule over us so terribly that they had used us all to become weapons to control. But together, we can rise against MONARCH and all of the humans who want us gone," said Ghidorah as he shook his head. Thanatos stepped forward.
"Indeed. Our temple was desecrated by these people and they threatened our king's return. We wish to start again and we believe that with your help, we can make this a world that is better for all of us," said Thanatos. Battra looked away in reluctance. Ghidorah and Thanatos’ offer sounded promising. However, he wondered where that would lead him and the other Transmutants. Destoroyah crossed his arms.
"I despise the thought of working with humans," spat Destoroyah with a harsh glare. Ghidorah sighed in disappointment.
"Des, if you help us, you can set up your own land...no, your own country! A place where you and all Transmutants will be free to thrive in peace!" said Ghidorah with a persuasive tone. Destoroyah's interest began to peak. He rubbed a claw under his chin in thought.
"Tempting," said Destoroyah. Ghidorah smiled darkly.
"Battra, I remembered what happened to your little sister. It was tragic. Of course, I'm partly responsible since I arrived with a team but I can make it up to you," offered Ghidorah. Battra sent him a glare.
"How?" asked Battra in an uninterested manner. Remembering that Ghidorah was indirectly responsible of his sister's demise made him unwilling to accept his help.
"The girl who killed your sister, I know where she is," said Ghidorah with a sinister smile. Battra's eyes widened.
"Ah. Glad to see that I have your attention," chuckled Ghidorah. He then made his way over towards the altar. "She's closer than you think. I know that you wish to kill her to avenge your misguided sister. I can only imagine how hard it must have been to fight your own flesh and blood."
"Enough with your sympathy! Tell me where this girl is!" demanded Battra.
"Uh! I know you're eager to kill that MONARCH soldier, but she's important. We need her alive for now," said Ghidorah as he crossed his arms over his chest. Thanatos turned to the Transmutants with a nod.
"She is the key that will help us to return Ghidorah to his former self. When our King returns, he will use his power along with the girl's to open a gate to the spirit world to introduce Ghidorah to his past life's spirit," said Thanatos. Battra and Destoroyah looked at him in shock.
"What for?" asked Destoroyah. Thanatos smirked.
"If a reincarnated being is reintroduced to the spirit of its past life, the reincarnation can draw in the original's essence. In turn, the reincarnated form can return to its former form. Ghidorah's soul is a piece of a Kaiju's. If he gain's the Kaiju's essence, he shall have the power to become a Kaiju," explained Thanatos.
"You plan to use your power...to destroy MONARCH, return Sombra to his place as King of a lost empire, and you wish to help us create a new home for Transmutants?" asked Battra. Thanatos chuckled.
"Only if you help us. Do we have a deal, gentlemen?" asked Thanatos as he held out a hand. Destoroyah and Battra glanced at each other. Ghidorah stood by with a smile.
"Remember, you two are reincarnated Kaiju as well. Together, we can win this war against MONARCH and you can guarantee the survival of Transmutants," said Ghidorah. Destoroyah hummed in thought.
"Sensei, I think we should consult with the others before making a decision," suggested Battra. Destoroyah shook his head.
"No. I was a fool to have us remain in Neighpon all this time. I was careless. But now, fate has offered us a magic card to win this war and save our people. We have to accept the deal now," said Destoroyah. Battra looked away in hesitation. He desperately wanted to win as much as he wanted to help his group, but he pondered the consequences. Everything could be a lie and a way to let the Transmutants lower their guard down, but he also considered the possibility of it being true.
"You're right. The Revolutionaries won't survive if we keep going the way we have been. Very well, I'm with you," said Battra with a nod. Destoroyah nodded in approval.
"As much as I hate to do so, we accept your help. You have yourself a deal, Thanatos," said Destoroyah as he took the old man's hand and shook it. Thanatos smiled darkly.
"Excellent," said Thanatos. Ghidorah grinned to himself. Destoroyah released Thanatos's hand as he held a firm expression.
'If he's lying about us being reincarnated Kaiju, then I'll just kill Ghidorah and these humans. But if it's the truth, that means I can rule with an iron fist. Not to mention, settle things with Gojira Takeshi the 2nd,' thought Destoroyah as he smiled to himself.
"The servants shall show you and your group to where you will be housed for now on. Soon, you will have your own kingdom. May our alliance lead to a brighter future for us all," said Thanantos. Destoroyah nodded in agreement as he and Battra walked out of the room. Battra stopped and snuck one last glance at the frozen black insect. He lightly frowned.
'If I'm truly a Kaiju reincarnated as a man, then what caused my demise?' thought Battra. He shook his head as he followed Destoroyah out of the room. When they were sure that the Transmutants were out of hearing range, Ghidorah smirked as he looked at Thanatos.
"Deceptive, aren't I?" asked Ghidorah.
"You're not the only one," Thanatos laughed darkly. He sighed. "Soon, the time will come and the world will be brought before our knees, not MONARCH's. The hate and fear that has transpired throughout the years have proved to be enough to break the spell that holds Lord Sombra in his icy prison. All that is left is to take back Sunset Shimmer to harness her demonic power. We'll need the Revolutionaries to help with taking her back due to her being a prisoner of Celestia."
"Yes," said Ghidorah as he turned towards the tomb of the Kaiju. He then hummed in thought. "Was it difficult transporting MONARCH's third bio-weapon here? Won't the other higher ups get suspicious?"
"No. They trust Onyx enough and they think it's been transported to a base in the south. Here, Sombra will groom it to be the new heir. The Ultimate Life form is here," said Thanatos as the barrier to the tomb dissipated, revealing an ice cave with crystals sticking out. At the farthest end of the cave was a crystalline capsule with a male figure's silhouette to be within. Ghidorah sent the figure a glare.
"Right," said Ghidorah. "How can I forget about it?"




Later that night...

"So, we're staying here?" asked Megaguirus. She sat down on a bed inside of a stone room. She bore a look of worry on her face as she stared at Battra. The male Transmutant nodded.
"Yes. In return, they will house us indefinitely until their rightful king returns. They promised a way that we can stop MONARCH and win the war." said Battra as he made his way over to the female and sat beside her. Megaguirus frowned.
"What about Abra and Hok? Are we just going to leave them with Mai?" asked Megaguirus.
"Of course not. But we're going to have to give them a bit of time before bringing them here. Mai will get suspicious, otherwise," said Battra as he popped his shoulder. Megaguirus leaned against him.
"Battra, about Destoroyah's outburst back in Neighpon..." Megaguirus looked away in hesitation.
"He was just stressed out because of the attacks. I know he didn't mean to act that way," said Battra in reassurance. Megaguirus sighed.
"I guess. But...it really freaked me out," said Megaguirus. Battra nodded in understanding.
"Don't worry. Things will be better," said Battra. Megaguirus sighed as she stood up from the bed.
"Well, I guess I'll head back to Neighpon to help Abra and Hok," said Megaguirus. Battra nodded as he stood to his feet and handed Megaguirus wrapped up bills.
"Here. Ghidorah knows about the situation, so he was kind enough to give us some yen bills to help with the children and the couple. Guess it's useful to have an ally working for MONARCH," said Battra in a humored tone. Megaguirus took the bills with a sigh.
"It's going to be a long flight to Neighpon," said Megaguirus. Battra shook his head.
"Come on, I'll ask Thanatos if he can get you to Neighpon through that magic portal that he can create," said Battra. Megaguirus nodded. The two walked through the halls of the temple. The air was slightly cold, but it was much warmer than the main entrance. The Transmutants were being housed in rooms that the temple had to offer. For now, the temple would serve as their temporary home and lair. The two later came across the elder cloaked Elf, who stood at the statue of the Elf King.
"Thanatos, may I ask a favor?" asked Battra. The hooded man turned to face the Transmutants. Megaguirus grimaced as she spotted his elderly appearance. Looking at the frailness, she imagined the man to be over a hundred years old.
"What would it be?" asked Thanatos.
"My friend and I are meant to look after a Transmutant couple who are currently with newborn babies. We're having them stay in Neighpon until they are ready to move about. I ask if you can help us get there in a quicker pace every now and then," said Battra. Thanatos nodded in understanding.
"Of course. Will you both be going?" asked Thanatos. Megaguirus scowled as she glanced at Battra.
"No, because a certain someone has to remain here and babysit the others," answered Megaguirus. Battra sighed in annoyance.
"Meg, I promise that next time I'll come. We just need to make sure we're settled here," said Battra. Megaguirus sighed.
"Whatever," spat Megaguirus as she crossed her arms in disappointment. Battra lightly frowned. Thanatos reached into his cloak and pulled out a round stone with a purple gem imbedded into it.
"Here. Press the gem and it will open a small gateway to Neighpon. A little something we have created years ago," said Thanatos. He then handed it to Megaguirus, The Elf gave her a hard stare. "Do not lose this."
"Got it," said Megaguirus with a nod. As she pressed the gem, a violet swirling portal appeared several feet away. She whistled in awe.
"Neat!" said Megaguirus. Before she could step towards the portal, Battra immediately wrapped his arms over her as he hugged her from behind. Megaguirus gasped in surprise as she glanced at Battra.
"Be...be safe. I can't lose another person that I care about," whispered Battra. Megaguirus lightly blushed as her heart raced. She nodded to him.
"I'll be back," said Megaguirus with a smile. As Battra released her, the female Transmutant dashed towards the portal and vanished. The portal disappeared, leaving Thanatos and Battra alone. The Elf sighed as he walked away.
"Well, I shall be off. I need rest. You should rest too, boy. You will need your strength," said Thanatos. Battra nodded.
"Right," said Battra. He was soon left alone with the statue that stood in the room. He sighed as he wandered around the room. He parked himself at the base of the statue and sat down. He has been exhausted from the eventful two days that have passed. He yearned to sleep, but he felt restless. After several minutes of silence, he heard footsteps. Battra turned and found a dozen Transmutants sneaking down the hall. Battra looked on in suspicion and stood up to his feet to trail after them. Eventually, he found them to be carrying bags and wearing jackets. His eyes widened as he noticed them headed for the temple's entrance.
"Hey!" called Battra. The Transmutants stopped and gasped. They all slowly turned and found Battra staring at them in disbelief.
"Wha-What are you guys doing?" asked Battra. His eyes widened as he noticed the grey haired woman that first spoke out against Destoroyah's plan and his leadership. She was 5’9 with an athletic body and orange eyes and was known to the Revolutionaries as Jira.  The other Transmutants looked at him nervously.
"Ba-Battra! We uh..." a man stuttered as he looked away nervously. Battra approached the group.
"What is all of this?" asked Battra.
"Battra...we can't stay with the group anymore," said Jira as she looked down to the ground.
"Why not? We're safe now! Things will get better and-"
"We just can't!" cried Jira. One of the men stepped forward.
"Destoroyah...he's...we're afraid of him," said the man. Battra looked at him in confusion.
"What?"
"Haven't you seen his outbursts?!" asked a green haired Transmutant.
"Well, yes. But he didn't mean it! He's just stressed out from the attacks!" argued Battra.
"It's not just that. Battra, we can't live among these humans. How can we trust them?" asked a red hair woman.
"I know it's a difficult situation, but we have no choice!" said Battra. He placed his hands together with pleading eyes. "Don’t leave! You're safer with us than out there alone!"
"Battra, we appreciate all that you've done for us. But we just can't stay with the group anymore. It's more dangerous for us to be with a group fighting MONARCH than it is being on our own," said Jira.
"We can still win against them!" cried Battra, but another man with brown hair stepped forward.
"Battra, things haven't gone well for a while now. MONARCH's latest attack showed us that we can't win against them. We value our lives too much to keep fighting in a war we can't win," said the male Transmutant. Battra slumped his shoulders as he looked at them in disbelief. He sighed solemnly as he lowered his head. He suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. He found Jira giving him a sad smile.
"We'll always appreciate you guys taking us in. But this is something that we have to do. We want to find our own way around," said Jira. Battra nodded in understanding.
"I get it," said Battra. "If that is your decision, then I won’t stop you,"
"Battra, can you do us one favor?" asked Jira. Battra nodded.
"Yes," answered Battra. The woman held his hand tightly as she looked at him with pleading eyes.
"Please, don't tell Destoroyah that you saw us leaving. Pretend that you never saw us," said the gray haired woman. Battra sadly nodded.
"As you wish, Jira," said Battra. The woman smiled brightly and planted a kiss on the Transmutant's cheek. Battra lightly blushed as Jira winked at him.
"Thanks a lot," said Jira. She made her way back towards the group and led them outside. Battra watched sadly as the Transmutants ran out of the temple and down the steps. Battra lowered his head.
'If this happened years ago, I would have hated them for leaving. I would have called them traitors and cowards. But I'm not the same person anymore. Now, I see how Mosura felt when she wanted to leave.' thought Battra. He sat down on the ground as he buried his face into his knees. From the corner in the shadows, a figure stood. He glared at Battra and then at the entrance of the temple.
"Damn cowards," whispered the figure. He then glared at Battra, who sat in silence. "Battra, I knew you've grown weak."
From outside of the temple, Jira and her group continued to run across the white snow. They stood close together as the blizzard blew against them.
"Let's keep moving guys!" shouted Jira over the winter breeze. The group continued on through the winter, in search of a clearing.




Neighpon

The sun was up over the land at noon, and the weather was growing much colder as the days that went on. A violet swirling portal appeared, revealing a rushing Megaguirus. She stopped as she searched her surroundings. The young woman had arrived in an alley where dumpsters and trash littered the area. Megaguirus cupped her nose as she caught the rancid smell that filled the air. It smelt worse due to her enhanced sense of smell.
"Great," muttered Megaguirus as she placed the stone that was given to her into her pocket. She strolled out of the alley and found herself near Mai's neighborhood. The Transmutant smiled to herself as she ran down the side walk. As she made her way over to the human's apartment, she stopped to think. From what she had witness in regards of Destoroyah's outburst from the previous day, she began to think back to what Battra had told her about how the stress made Destoroyah lash out. However, she was always wary of Destoroyah’s ruthlessness so she wasn’t sure if Battra was right. Battra was willing to assume the best out of him, but she wasn’t easily convinced.
"I just want this stupid war to end," sighed Megaguirus as she made her way into the apartment building. As she took the elevator, she placed a hand on her chest as she visualized Battra's action from earlier. She shook her head furiously as her cheeks burned hot from her blushing. As the elevator opened, the Transmutant made her way over towards Mai's apartment room. She knocked on the door and waited for a minute. The door opened, revealing Mai to be standing with a brush in her hand.
"Oh, hello Tonbo-san!" greeted Mai with a smile. Megaguirus gave her a forced smile.
"Hey, Yoshida. Just came by to help Abra for a few hours," greeted Megaguirus. She mentally sighed in annoyance as she kept her smile.
'Does Battra see anything in this girl? What the hell?' thought Megaguirus in frustration.
"So, where's Yasu-san?" asked Mai as she looked over Megaguirus's shoulder.
"Ah. He's working right now. But, he'll be coming down here next time," answered Megaguirus. Mai nodded in understanding but her face showed disappointment.
"Oh, that's a shame. But, come on in! Yasu's cousin is making lunch right now," said Mai as she led Megaguirus inside. The Transmutant stepped inside and removed her boots. She placed them in the corner and followed Mai. Megaguirus found Abra lying down on the ground with her three children lying on blankets. Their eyes were closed as they rested soundly. Megaguirus lightly smiled as she watched the babies sleep. She turned and found Hok in the kitchen, using the stove. He turned and greeted Megaguirus with a friendly wave, which she responded with as well. She made her way over towards the kitchen and peaked over the Transmutant's shoulder.
"Whatcha cooking?" asked Megaguirus. Hok turned off the stove, leaving the contents inside of the pan to sizzle.
"I'm cooking Koi meat mixed with some veggies," said Hok as he reached for a napkin and began to wipe his hand. He nodded in approval. "And now I'm finished,"
"Smells good," said Megaguirus. She felt a piercing glare from her side. Megaguirus nervously glanced to her side and caught Abra glaring at her. Megaguirus gulped as she turned her attention back to Hok.
"Oh! Uh...Battra gave me some money to pay for some supplies that you guys will need," said Megaguirus as she reached into one of her pockets and pulled out rolled up yen bills. As Hok turned his attention to it, his eyes widened. He immediately took the bills into his hands and mentally added up the numbers in his head.
"Th-There's 100000 yen here!" cried Hok in shock. He looked at Megaguirus in disbelief. "How the hell did Battra get this much money on him?! He never had a job!"
"Yeah...he kinda borrowed it from someone. Honestly, I think the guy who gave it to him was stingy, as he probably makes a lot more," said Megaguirus with a scowl. She assumed that a MONARCH soldier like Ghidorah was paid a lot of money for his line of work. She doubted that the man spent a lot of money, given he likely lived with the Shadow's Hand or on one of MONARCH's bases.
"Well, I'll have to thank him," said Hok with a smile. He placed the currency into his pocket and began to open a cabinet. "I'll go out later after lunch and purchase what we'll need. Why not take a seat and I'll serve you some lunch?"
"Sure!" said Megaguirus as she left the kitchen. The female Transmutant sat down at the small, round table that sat in the middle of the living room. She caught Abra sending her a menacing glare, causing the younger Transmutant to shrink back. Hok scooped up some of the contents that were in the pan and placed them inside of a rectangular bento box. Mai came rushing out from her bathroom as she adjusted her cafe uniform. She gasped as she stared at the lunch that sat in the box.
"Oh wow! That smells really good!" cried Mai. Hok gave her a smile as he closed the box and wrapped it up. He held it up to the Earthbound.
"Here you go. I hope you'll enjoy it," said Hok as he handed the young woman her lunch.
"I'm sure I will! Thank you!" said Mai as she rushed out of the kitchen and to her door. She immediately slipped on her shoes as she opened the door. "I'll be gone at work for a few hours. Hold down the fort for me, will ya?"
"You can count on us," said Hok as he gave the human a wave. She smiled brightly.
"See you!" said Mai as she walked out the door and closed it behind herself. The three Transmutants were left alone in the apartment. Hok cleared his throat as he brought plates filled with food, putting one in front of Megaguirus and the other near Abra's position.
"Thanks," said Megaguirus as she began to eat. Hok nodded to her as he went back into the kitchen to serve himself. Abra gently laid her children to the side and sat up at the table. She took one quick glance at the triplets, hoping that they were soundly sleeping. She sighed in relief as they continued to breathe softly. Abra went to eating her lunch as Hok returned to the table with his own plate of food with a line sheet of paper. He scanned through it as he ate.
"With the money that we have, we could purchase a good number of supplies. I'll still need a job," said Hok as he ate. He then looked at Megaguirus in curiosity.
"So, did you all find a safe place?" asked Hok.
"Yeah. But it's actually pretty far away," said Megaguirus.
"How far?" asked Abra. Megaguirus sighed.
"It's all the way back in Equestria in the Frozen North," answered Megaguirus.
"Wait, how did you and the others find the time to travel there and come back here in just two days?" demanded Abra. Megaguirus reached into her pocket and pulled out the stone disk that she was given.
"Some temple guy used this to create a portal to get there. Apparently an old Transmutant acquaintance is their ally and they offered to house us," said Megaguirus as she slid it over to Hok. The male Transmutant looked it over with interest.
"Well, this will come in handy. Now the only problem is a story to make up to tell Mai when we have to leave," said Hok as he handed the stone back to Megaguirus.
"I gotta say, those guys creep me out. But Battra and Destoroyah really seem to be set on staying with these humans," said Megaguirus as she took another bite of her meal. Abra sighed in exasperation.
"I can't believe we're still being forced to live with more humans. How can we even trust them?" asked Abra as she angrily continued to eat. Hok looked to her with a frown.
"Honey..."
"Forget it! If something goes wrong over there, at least we won't be there to be caught in the middle," spat Abra in annoyance. Megaguirus sent her a glare.
"Hey, come on! Those are our friends that you're talking about!" said Megaguirus. Abra shot her own glare.
"You know as much as I do that our situation is hopeless! Don't you dare pretend everything is going to fine and dandy, you damn exhibitionist!" said Abra.
"Abra!" said Hok in disapproval. Megaguirus scoffed in response.
"Excuse me?! You have no right to-" Megaguirus shot up from her seat as she hardened her glare while Abra stood up to meet her. The mother Transmutant may have been taller than her, but Megaguirus was not going to let her size intimidate her. Before Megaguirus could finish her retort, the sound of the triplets crying reached their ears. Abra turned to face her children with a frown and then shot Megaguirus a glare.
"Happy?" asked Abra. Megaguirus scoffed.
"Are you serious?! You- Ugh!" Megaguirus sat down with a scowl on her face while Hok sighed as he stood up and picked up one of the babies. He lightly ran his hand over Hope's back as she cried.
"It's OK, just go back to sleep," whispered Hok as Abra comforted two of the other infants. Megaguirus kept her scowl on her face as she continued to eat. Abra bringing up her personality in an argument irked her, especially when Abra pinned all of the blame on her for causing the babies to awaken. Megaguirus finished off what was left of her meal and stood up to her feet, stomped over to the kitchen and washed her dishes. She began to gripe to herself as she scrubbed the dishes. Abra sent Megaguirus a glare as she rocked two of her babies back to sleep while Hok stared at his wife in exasperation.
"Was that really called for?" whispered Hok. Abra sent him a glare.
"Don't you dare try to defend her!" Abra snapped at him in a whisper. Hok shook his head in disapproval.
"Abra, you have to let it go. What she did is in the past," whispered Hok as Hope calmed down. Abra looked away with a scowl.
"Sure, it's easy for you," said Abra in a sarcastic manner. Hok sighed in response. Megaguirus placed her dishes away as she stomped out of the kitchen. She made her way out of the apartment and closed the door behind herself. She sat down against the wall with a scowl on her face.
"I swear, she can be such a bitch," Megaguirus muttered to herself. She sighed to herself as she leaned against the wall. "I'd honestly go home right now if she didn't have kids to take care of."
The Transmutant's ears perked as she caught the sound of the door opening. She turned to find Hok stepping at of the apartment with a coat on. He sighed as he sat down beside Megaguirus.
"Hey, uh...I'm sorry about Abra," said Hok. Megaguirus kept her arms crossed as she looked away.
"Yeah...whatever," replied Megaguirus with a frown. Hok placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Just give her a bit more time to come around. I promise that she'll let it go," said Hok in a reassuring tone. Megaguirus lamely nodded as she brought her knees up to her chest and held them tightly. The male Transmutant stood up to his feet and walked away.
"I'll be gone for a while shopping for what we need. Could you take care of Abra for me while I'm gone?"
"I guess," said Megaguirus in reluctance.
"Thank you," said Hok as he made his way over to the elevator.  Megaguirus sighed in exasperation as she stood up and began to walk back to the apartment door. She shook her head as she entered and made her way back to the living room. She stopped as she found Abra lying down one of her babies and sighing in exhaustion as she comforted the weeping infant. Megaguirus made her way over towards the mother and sat down beside her. Abra sent her a glance and then proceeded to ignore her.
"I can...calm him down if you want," offered Megaguirus.
"I don't think so," said Abra as she continued to pat the baby's back.
"I insist. I mean, it was my fault that they woke up. Besides, you look pretty tired," said Megaguirus. Abra sighed in response.
"Fine. You better not make my little boy cry more," said Abra as she held the crying baby out to Megaguirus.
"Don't jinx me," deadpanned Megaguirus as she took the baby from Abra and cradled the infant Transmutant in her arms. The Transmutant spent a minute lightly rocking herself with the baby. Abra watched as Megaguirus gently shushed the child to be calm. The infant had stopped crying and started to fall back to sleep. Megaguirus lightly smiled.
"Want him back?" asked Megaguirus as she turned to face Abra.
"What? You don't like babies?" asked Abra.
"I'm just asking because you’re his mother. I have no problem with holding him," said Megaguirus as she leaned back against the sofa with the baby in her hold. Abra watched as her child gave a yawn and snored quietly. Abra lightly smiled while Megaguirus twiddled her toes as her feet were firmly planted on the carpet.
"Uh...I know that I never actually apologized about this," said Megaguirus as she looked away. Abra looked at her curiously. Megaguirus sighed heavily.
"I'm...I'm sorry that I flirted with your husband. I honestly didn't know that you two were together and I wouldn't have done so if I knew," said Megaguirus as she lowered her head in shame. Abra's eyes widened in surprise at the apology. It had been nearly a year since the incident of her catching the Transmutant flirting with her husband happened. She wasn't expecting Megaguirus to come out and apologize.
"Why are you apologizing now? Why couldn't you have just apologized to me sooner?" asked Abra.
"I thought you would have let it go on your own. I actually would have apologized sooner, but you scared the hell out of me. I was afraid that I'd end up on the back of a milk carton just for talking to you, if you know what I mean," said Megaguirus with a small chuckle. Abra shared a small laugh with her.
"You probably would have," Abra said jokingly. The two sat in silence for a minute before Abra looked down with a frown.
"I'm sorry about what I said earlier about the others and you. I just don't know what'll happen to us from here on out," said Abra. She looked at her children with tears glistening in her eyes.
"We've lost our home, and I lost four of my children," muttered Abra as she wiped her right eye of its tears. Megaguirus frowned. She scooted closer to the mother and held the infant towards her.
"Things will get better. We just need to stay strong," said Megaguirus with a hard stare. Abra lightly smiled as she sniffled. She nodded to the Transmutant.
"You're right. Thank you, Megaguirus," said Abra.




The Frozen North of Equestria...

The evening was growing later in the West. The remaining Transmutant Revolutionaries were resting in the rooms provided to them by the Shadow's Hand. Battra wandered the halls aimlessly in silence. He pondered his action of letting the deserters go free, lowering the group´s numbers. The Transmutant's heart was heavy with their reasons for leaving. The fact that they no longer felt safe with the group reminded him just how hopeless their war against MONARCH was. He hoped that Jira and her followers would find refuge.
"If it's possible to obtain such power described by Thanatos, we're sure to win and make the world a better place for us," said Battra to himself. He heard the sound of footsteps approaching. The Transmutant stopped and turned to find someone who made him sick to his stomach. Shinomura stood in the hall with a glare. He was currently in his human form, but the arm that he had lost was just a stump wrapped in blood stain bandages. Battra's disgust was not directed at the Transmutant's dismemberment; rather it was his very presence.
"I see they patched you up," said Battra in a neutral tone.
"Yeah, it hurt like hell," deadpanned Shinomura.
"Right. So, were you following me?" asked Battra.
"You're goddamn right I was. I saw you let those cowards leave," spat Shinomura. Battra scowled at him in response.
"Yeah, so what?" asked Battra.
"Are you an idiot? We're already fewer in number since the attack! Now you allow more of our man power to leave when we need them here?!" demanded Shinomura. Battra sent him a glare.
"First of all, some of them weren't even warriors to begin with! Second of all, who I am to force them to remain with us if they don't want to!" argued Battra. Shinomura stepped closer to him as he held his glare.
"Who are you to let your pity for them to get in the way of what's best for all us?!"
"Not everyone wants to continue to be part of this group anymore! We're losing against MONARCH and they're afraid! I'm not going to play as the dictator and force them to do something that they don't want!" said Battra.
"What the hell happened to you, Battra?!" demanded Shinomura.
"Excuse me?" questioned Battra with irritation creeping into his tone.
"You use to not give a damn about giving strict orders! You've been Destoroyah's right hand man for four years! You were a ruthless battle-hardened man! Now look at you!" said Shinomura as he used his remaining arm to gesture towards the Transmutant. "Ever since you spared those kids, you've gone soft! You don't kill as many humans as you used to and you try to avoid fighting near populated areas!"
"I only do that to make sure they don't get in our way!" lied Battra. "There is a difference between being ruthless to our enemies and forcing other Transmutants into a group that they don't want to have a part in anymore!  They'll just get in the way if we force them to remain with us!"
"Maybe if you were a stronger right hand man, we wouldn't be in this mess!" shouted Shinomura.
"What do you know?!" demanded Battra.
"I bet I know why MONARCH was able to find our lair! They found us because of you and Megaguirus! You two keep wandering into the city during these last few months! MONARCH's agents must have tailed you two back to us!" said Shinomura.
"Don't be an idiot, Shinomura! We were always careful! I made sure that no one followed us!" retorted Battra. Shinomura got in the Transmutant's face.
"Then how else could they have found us?!" demanded Shinomura. Battra scoffed in response.
"I don't know! Go pester Ghidorah if you want to know so much!" said Battra as he walked away.
"Hey! You come back here, you weak coward!" shouted Shinomura.
"I'm not a coward. I'm just sick of your complaining," said Battra.
"This is about your sister, isn't it? She's gone! Just let it go already!" said Shinomura. Battra's eyes widened as he stopped walking. He turned and sent Shinomura a harsh glare as he walk closer to the cobalt haired Transmutant.
"I don't care if you are missing an arm. If you ever talk about my little sister that way again, I will break your remaining arm!" growled Battra. Shinomura kept a neutral expression.
"You're better off without her, Battra. Family will only end up hurting you in the end. Just like mine did to me," said Shinomura in a neutral tone. Battra narrowed his eyes.
"Do not compare my family to your bat shit crazy family. My sister may have hurt me in the past, but I've learned to forgive her. I have other reasons to remain fighting. You're just fighting so you can take your anger out on the humans for what your family did to you," said Battra.
"Because they're no different from them. People are all the same," said Shinomura. Battra shook his head as he turned and began to walk away.
"We're done talking Shinomura," said Battra. Shinomura narrowed his eyes.
"Lord Destoroyah will want to know what happened to those former members," said Shinomura.
"He'll understand why they've left," said Battra as his tone carried annoyance. He was sick of hearing Shinomura's voice.
	
> Chapter 51: Old friends, New Fri-enemies
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The morning sun hovered over the land as the citizens of Canterlot went about their usual business. Junior sat down on a bench in the castle's garden, alone. He yawned to himself as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He looked down at his lap and found Amber to be resting on him. She sighed to herself.
"You're so warm," said Amber.
"Yeah. Winter is coming soon. Ugh, I hate winter," said Junior in annoyance. Amber looked at him curiously.
"Really? But the few survivors of your kind after the cataclysm enjoyed the snow during the ice age. It was easier for them to cool down after consuming a lot of energy from the sea's thermal vents. I'm surprised you hate the cold," said Amber.
"It's not the cold; it's the freaking snow that piles up. I can't stand how it gets in the way and surrounds houses," said Junior as he scratched Amber's back. The fairy yawned in response as she stretched out her wings.
"Mm. Well, that's a shame. But, maybe talking to Shiragami and your former lover will take your mind off of it," said Amber. Junior scowled in annoyance.
"Amber, she was not my lover. There was never any love between us. We're just acquaintances/frenemies," said Junior. He then sighed in annoyance. "I wonder how the others are doing back in Ponyville. I hope not everybody is pissed at them."
"I'm sure it'll be fine," said Amber in reassurance. Her antennae twitched as she caught the sound of chains rattling. Junior's ears perked as he heard them as well. Junior turned and found Sunset Shimmer and Erika Shiragami being led by Koizumi and Inoue.
"Sup, dork?" greeted Koizumi as he held his rifle at his side. Junior scowled.
"Well that was uncalled for," remarked Junior.
"Don't mind him. His ass is still sore from being beaten," said Inoue with a smile. Junior chuckled in amusement.
"I bet," said Junior. Inoue cleared her throat.
"Well, here are the prisoners. Celestia said that you were OK with being by yourself with them but-"
"Inoue, I would honestly appreciate it if you two left," said Junior. Inoue looked at him in surprise.
"Come on, you aren't that stupid! You know what these two can do!" said Inoue. Junior pointed to Sunset's wrists, which were bound by light golden chains.
"Celestia placed a powerful spell on their restraints. They won't be escaping. Besides, we're just going to have a conversation," said Junior with a reassuring smile. Inoue sighed in frustration.
"I honestly don't get you. Fine, we'll go. Just let us know if there's any trouble, alright?" said Inoue with a worried expression. Junior smirked.
"Are you worried about me?" asked Junior. Inoue scoffed as she looked away.
"No! I uh...I just don't want these two causing trouble," said Inoue. Junior lightly smiled.
"OK, I'll let you know," said Junior with a nod.
"Oh, by the way, Takeshi. I think there's something that you might be interested in regarding the Changelings. It can wait till later," said Koizumi with a grin. Junior nodded.
"I'll keep that in mind," said Junior. The two rebels left the Transmutants alone in the garden. Koizumi glanced at Inoue, who wore a look of embarrassment.
"You were totally worried about him," said Koizumi in a teasing tone. Inoue shook her head furiously as she shot him a glare.
"He's growing on me, OK?! Don't tell him, either!" Inoue growled in annoyance.
"I'm pretty sure he already knows. After all, you were getting friendly with him when he lost his shit with the spider Transmutants," said Koizumi. Inoue sighed in annoyance but then lightly frowned.
"I just felt sorry for him. I've been pretty hard on him too," said Inoue.
"Hey, if you want to get mushy, go do it with him. I don't wanna hear it," said Koizumi in disgust. Inoue looked at him in annoyance. She sighed as she shook her head.
Back in the garden, Junior sat alongside Erika and Sunset. The three sat together on the bench in the garden where a few statues stood. Amber sat on his shoulder as she rested against him. The three remained in silence.
"I use to come down here to think. Sometimes to relax or just to be alone," said Junior, breaking the silence. Erika glanced at him.
"I can see why, it's pretty," said Erika.
"Well, it's not my ideal place but it's good enough," said Junior with a shrug. The crimson haired Elf looked at him curiously.
"Gojira, what's your ideal place to be in?" asked Sunset.
"Well, I think the ocean is a good place. It's vaster and gives the feeling of being able to fly. Something about being underwater makes me feel at home," answered Junior. Sunset lightly smiled to herself.
"I have to say, that does sound nice," said Sunset. Junior sighed to himself.
"Yeah," said Junior. Amber turned to look at Erika in curiosity. Erika glanced at her and stared at the fairy. The two were locked in a staring contest for several seconds. Suddenly, Amber opened her mouth and revealed a long pink tongue that flew out. Erika jumped in surprise and yelped as Amber leapt onto the back of the bench and shot her tongue forward.
"Ewww! Stop, what are you doing?!" whined Erika in disgust as the fairy's tongue licked her cheek. Sunset and Junior looked at Amber in confusion before Junior groaned in annoyance.
"Amber, stop it!" said Junior as he grabbed Amber and pulled her away. The fairy kicked her legs wildly as Junior held her by her sides.
"But she smells like a delicious flower! I want the nectar!" whined Amber. Junior sighed as he reached to his side for a bush and pulled off the head of a flower. He held it in front of the fairy's face.
"Here," said Junior with a scowl. Amber gasped in excitement.
" Azaleas! My favorite!" cried Amber in delight as she flailed her legs wildly. She shot her tongue into the flower's head and took in the nectar. Erika sighed in relief as she wiped her face. Sunset stared in amusement as Junior held the flower head for the moth.
"She's pretty cute," said Sunset. Erika scoffed.
"Yeah, until she starts using her long, freaky tongue to lick your face," deadpanned Erika.
"Ah you're just being dramatic. Moths and butterflies do it all the time with flowers. You must have given off a flowery scent that she couldn't resist," said Sunset with a wave of her hand.
"Yeah, you do smell like roses," said Junior in agreement. Erika crossed her arms as she sat back with a scowl. Amber sighed in satisfaction as she pulled her tongue back into her mouth.
"Thank you, Takeshi," said Amber. She nuzzled the Transmutant's cheek affectionately. Junior chuckled at the feeling of her fuzz ticking his neck. His eyes widened as he felt her tongue graze his cheek.
"What the-" Junior looked at her in confusion. Amber laughed in embarrassment.
"That was meant to be a 'thank you' kiss. Unfortunately, I don't have any lips," tittered Amber. Junior chuckled in response.
"Well, thanks," said Junior as he scratched her head. Erika and Sunset stared at the fairy with wide eyes that twinkled.
"She is so adorable," said Erika. Sunset nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, no kidding," said Sunset. Junior placed Amber back on his lap and continued to scratch her back.
"Well, your opinion about her didn't take long to change back," Junior muttered to himself.




Meanwhile in Ponyville

Mosura was sitting at a table with Twilight. The two brought their own plate in front of themselves with a meal on it. Twilight began to read off the language book that she had gotten to learn Neighponese. Currently, Mosura was her tutor while Junior was away. Twilight mentally pouted at the thought of not being able to see Junior again for two weeks.
"OK, so you're starting to get this down. I'm actually quite impressed, Twilight. You're a fast learner!" said Mosura with a smile. Twilight nodded to her.
"I have to be. I built a habit to quickly try to comprehend something if a test were to come on in a short time," said Twilight. Mosura smiled in envy.
"Man, I wish I could have gone back to school! I had to self-educate myself and the boys when we first escaped the facility MONARCH held us in," said Mosura as she placed her elbows on the table and leaned against her hands. She giggled to herself. "I think it'd be nice if...we all had gone to school together."
"Yeah, that would be nice," said Twilight as her face broke into a smile. Mosura shrugged in response.
"Oh well! Life goes on," said Mosura. Twilight looked at her in surprise.
"Huh. I almost thought this was going somewhere. Like we would visualize an alternate timeline of us being students in the same school," said Twilight.
"Yeah, Goji hates dwelling on those. I think he's got me on about not having an imagination about that sort of stuff. He can be a bit of a killjoy, am I right?" asked Mosura in amusement. Twilight reluctantly nodded in agreement.
"Well...yeah. But he's a serious guy. I can't fault him for that," said Twilight.
"Hey, don't be afraid to say anything about him if you're honest. We're girls, we're allowed to do that behind a guy's back," said Mosura with a wink.
"Sorry, I just don't want to say something about him that might sound mean. I agree that he should lighten up a bit more, but how would he react if he were to find out that I think that?" asked Twilight.
"He'd probably try something to lighten up. Besides, if he tries to give you crap about it, let me know and I'll set him straight," said Mosura as she took a sip of her water. Twilight giggled in amusement.
"I'll be sure to let you know," said Twilight. Mosura sighed as she leaned back in her seat. She smiled to herself.
"I think you girls are lucky," said Mosura.
"I'm sorry?" asked Twilight. Mosura turned her attention back to Twilight.
"You, Rainbow, and Fluttershy. You girls are lucky to have guys looking out for you the way they do," said Mosura with an envious smile.
"Oh, but they've looked out for you too. Right?" asked Twilight.
"Sure, especially Goji. But I think it's nice that you were all able to form that special relationship that you have with them. Aang and Fluttershy may need a push, but still. It makes me wonder, what it's like to fall in love. Goji's explanation doesn't sound like a full description of the feeling," said Mosura as she took a bite of her meal. Twilight looked at her with slightly wide eyes as Mosura sighed to herself.
"Mosura, is there a special someone in your life?" asked Twilight. Mosura shook her head.
"No. But that's alright. I think I'll meet that special someone, someday," said Mosura in a positive tone. Twilight lightly smiled.
"Well, I'll wish you luck," said Twilight. Mosura smiled to her.
"Thank you, Twilight," said Mosura. The Transmutant caught a few glares that were being sent from some of the people of the town. Twilight received a few as well. Mosura sighed in disappointment.
"I guess some went back to not trusting us," said Mosura. She shook her head. "What happened really discredited us. Goji is not going to be happy about that."
"It's alright. We're going to be there for you and the others, no matter what," said Twilight as she took Mosura's hand and held it firmly. Mosura lightly smiled as she nodded.



Moderate cyan eyes darted back and forth. Panicked breaths were drawn in as yellow feathers stuck out from stress. Fluttershy whimpered as she darted her eyes around in the dark Everfree forest. Her knees caved in together as she trembled in place.
"Uh...Fluttershy?" called a familiar voice. The Valkyrie yelped as she turned around with a panicked expression. She found Angirasu standing behind her with a look of concern.
"Are you sure you wouldn't rather stay home while I gather the herbs?" asked Angirasu.
"N-No! No, I'm alright. I think," said Fluttershy with a nervous smile.
"You sure?" asked Angirasu. Fluttershy lamely nodded to him. The Transmutant sighed.
"OK. Just stay close and you'll be fine," said Angirasu. Fluttershy nodded as she rushed over to his side and took his arm while he scanned the area. The two walked down through the forest in silence. Only the sounds of birds and a few unknown creatures were heard in the forest. Fluttershy glanced at Angirasu.
"Thank you for escorting me into the forest. Barry Bear really needs these herbs for his medicine," said Fluttershy as she gave the Transmutant a smile. He nodded to her.
"It's no trouble. But is the Everfree the only place close enough to find the herbs?" asked Angirasu. Fluttershy nodded.
"Yes. But that doesn't matter. I'll do whatever it takes to help my animal friends," said Fluttershy with a determined expression. Angirasu nodded to her.
"Then we better not waste any time," said Angirasu as he and the Valkyrie began to pick up their pace. The two continued on through the forest where the sound of critters grew louder.
"Hm. I'm not familiar with this area. Have you come here before?" asked Angirasu.
"No, but this book had information on the herbs being around here," answered Fluttershy as she reached into a satchel and pulled out a brown book with a plant depicted on it. Angirasu hummed to himself.
"Then we ought to be careful. Who knows what could be waiting in the shadows," said Angirasu as he kept his eyes on any bush that they came across. Fluttershy gulped nervously as she searched the trees. The two continued on through the forest in silence, but with extreme caution. As Fluttershy stood closer to Angirasu, she bumped into his shoulder.
"Oops. Sorry," whispered Fluttershy, but Angirasu didn't reply. He merely stood still as his eyes scanned the area. The Valkyrie grew nervous as she watched his stare. His eyes were wide, as if there was a presence that only knew about. Angirasu slowly walked away from Fluttershy.
"Wait! Wh-Where are you going?" asked Fluttershy in a nervous whisper.
"Shh. Wait here, I smell something," Angirasu whispered back. Fluttershy's skin went pale as her body went stiff. Whatever it was that the Transmutant smelled, she hoped it wasn't dangerous. The Transmutant peeked over a bush, but he found nothing. He rubbed his nose as he looked on in confusion.
'I must be smelling things,' thought Angirasu. He made his way back to Fluttershy and took her hand.
"Come on, It'll be getting dark soon," said Angirasu as he walked with the Valkyrie. Fluttershy lightly blushed as she felt her skin make contact with the Transmutant's. Her heart raced in her chest as she walked at his side. The girl felt secure when being in the dark and dangerous forest with Angirasu. Her heart continued to pound in her chest as she stared at his face, which held no sign of fear. She smiled in admiration as she looked forward. Her heart was set on becoming courageous like his. She gasped to herself as her eyes caught sight of a bush that stood at the base of a tree. Fluttershy reached for her satchel and skimmed through her book. Her face brightened up into a smile as a squeal of delight nearly escaped from her mouth.
"Look! There it is!" cried Fluttershy. Angirasu turned his attention at the tree and smiled. He and the Valkyrie rushed at the base of the tree and found the bush sitting alone. Fluttershy began to look the page over.
"All we need to do is pick the herbs from this bush and we can go home!" said Fluttershy as she placed the book back into her satchel.
"Let's start picking," said Angirasu with a smile as he and Fluttershy harvested the herbs. The two placed them in the satchel and stood up to their feet.  As Angirasu began to walk, his nose caught the same scent from earlier. He stopped and turned as he found three staggering figures in the forest. Fluttershy gasped as she hid behind him.
"Something is out there!" whispered Fluttershy as she peeked over his side. Angirasu was unable to make out the figures that were hidden in the shadows. He squinted his eyes as he watched them stagger through the woods. Suddenly, one of the figures fell forward and landed face first on the ground. Angirasu stepped closer, filled with worry.
"Stay close," said Angirasu. Fluttershy frantically nodded as she trailed closely behind. The two walked over towards where the figure had fallen. As they came closer, they heard panicked whispers from the standing figures. His eyes widened as he recognized the voices. He rushed towards the figures, who gave gasps of panic.
"Eep!" cried Fluttershy as she tried to keep up with the Transmutant. As Angirasu came towards the clearing where the figures were, his eyes were filled with disbelief.
"It's you," said Angirasu in a soft tone. Before him were Adagio, Siren and Sonata. The three were huddled together with a look of shock on their faces. Fluttershy peeped from behind and tilted her head in curiosity. Sonata was on her knees on the ground, staring at Angirasu with wide eyes. Her face broke into a grin as she shot up to her feet and dove for the Transmutant.
"Angirasu!" cried Sonata as she wrapped the Transmutant into a tight hug. Fluttershy's widened as her turned to confusion. Angirasu grunted as of Sonata continued to apply pressure in her hug.
"Oh I missed so much! We were worried that MONARCH got you!" cried Sonata. Adagio and Aria stood up to their feet with a look of relief on their faces.
"What are you all doing here?" asked Angirasu in surprise. He was relieved to see the Sirens to be well. Mosura mentioned that they escaped from MONARCH, but it was a relief to see them in person.
"Yeah, we found Mosura injured a few months back and she told us where you guys were living. So, we decided to see if you guys were OK," answered Aria with small smile. Angirasu gave her a nod as he returned her smile.
"We are," said Angirasu. He then noticed the clothing that the girls were wearing. They were still wearing the abaya's that Junior and Mosura had shopped for them in Saddle Arabia, but their clothes showed signs of being dirty. The Transmutant was able to catch the pungent smell that radiated off of them. He was about to cup his nose but thought against it. Fluttershy however, visibly crinkled her nose.
"Hey, how long have you three been on land?" asked Angirasu. Fluttershy looked at him in confusion at what the Transmutant meant by his question. She assumed that the girls may have been sailors, which would explain their smell.
"Ugh. It's been days! We got lost in a town that's miles from here. Mosura said you guys were in Ponyville, but we ended up getting lost in this forest when trying to get there," said Adagio. Angirasu's eyes widened.
"Have any of you eaten?!" asked Angirasu.
"No! I'm so hungry that I think my tummy is eating itself!" whined Sonata as she slumped against Angirasu. Fluttershy watched the Siren as she held the Transmutant and found the sight displeasing. She shook off the thought and looked at the three with a kind smile.
"Um...we were just heading back to my cottage right now. You three are welcome to join us. I'll even make you all something to eat. If you want, that is," said Fluttershy in a timid manner. The Sirens' eyes twinkled at the hospitality offered by the Valkyrie. Their aching stomachs would be put at ease, thanks to this angelic girl. Aria slumped her shoulders.
"Wait, who are you?" asked Aria in confusion.
"Oh! This is one of the friends that from Ponyville that we were talking about," answered Angirasu as he pulled Fluttershy to his side. "This is Fluttershy,"
"H-Hello," stuttered Fluttershy with a small wave. Adagio looked over the girl curiously.
"So you know that he turns into a dragon-like creature?" asked Adagio. Fluttershy twiddled her thumbs.
"Um...yeah," answered Fluttershy. She shrugged in response. "Doesn't everyone know at this point?"
"Who cares?! Let's get out of the forest! It's freaking me out!" said Sonata as she tugged at Angirasu's arm. Aria nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, I feel like we're being watched," said Aria as she nervously searched the area. Angirasu sniffed the air.
"Well, you're not wrong. Come on, there's a Manticore nearby. Let's get going," said Angirasu as he took Fluttershy's hand and walked with her.
"What's a Manticore?" asked Adagio.
"Something that will eat you alive if you're caught," answered Angirasu. The Sirens gulped nervously as they looked at their surroundings. They immediately chased after the Transmutant and Valkyrie. Fluttershy glanced at Angirasu curiously.
"Um...Angirasu, who are they?" asked Fluttershy.
"They're friends that I and the other Transmutants met in Saddle Arabia," answered Angirasu. Fluttershy nodded to him in understanding.
"So, they're all just friends. Right?" asked Fluttershy in a slight worried tone. Angirasu nodded.
"Right. That's what I said," replied Angirasu, oblivious to Fluttershy's state. The Valkyrie sighed in relief.
"Good," said Fluttershy with a small smile.



"Oh wow!" Sonata's eyes were bright with fascination as she stared at a blue bird that perched itself on a bird house that hung from the ceiling. The bird gave a few tweets, prompting Sonata to squeal to herself.
"It's so pretty! What is it?!" asked Sonata as she looked to Angirasu. The Transmutant was bringing over a large plate filled with sandwiches.
"That's a blue jay," answered Angirasu as he placed the plate on a small table.
"Oooh!" said Sonata in fascination. The Siren sat down on the sofa as she watched the bird with a smile. Meanwhile, Adagio and Aria watched reluctantly as Fluttershy knelt before a large, brown bear. Never had they seen such a burly creature on land. They stared nervously at his claws and sharp teeth as it ate the herbs that Fluttershy had given him. The Valkyrie ran her hand over the bear's head as he gave a low growl.
"You'll be feeling better soon, Barry. Just be sure to get some rest, OK?" asked Fluttershy. Barry groaned as he rolled over in the grass and splayed his limbs out. Fluttershy giggled in response as she kissed Barry's nose.
"Get well soon," said Fluttershy. She turned to face Adagio and Aria, who continued to eye the bear anxiously.
"So uh...he's..." Adagio tried to fish for the name of the species of the animal. She didn't want to risk revealing her ignorance to the Valkyrie, lest she would grow suspicious.
"Oh, don't worry! Barry is a very friendly bear," said Fluttershy in reassurance. Aria backed away as the bear stood up on his paws and stalked towards her.
"Why is he looking at me like that?" asked Aria in a nervous tone. The bear licked his snout as he crouched himself lower. Aria gulped nervously as her eyes widened. Aria suddenly fell back and fell on her rear. She attempted to crawl backwards but the bear was already on top of her. Aria trembled in the bear's presence as he lowered his snout towards her.
"EEEK!!" Aria screamed as she clenched her eyes shut as the bear bared his teeth at her.
"Barry! Barry, no!" said Fluttershy in a scolding tone as she rushed over towards the downed Siren and pushed the bear away, causing him to step back as he gave a growl. He gave a groan as he forced his way passed Fluttershy and sniffed Aria's face.
"Barry, be nice!" said Fluttershy in a scolding manner as she grabbed the bear by his shoulder. Adagio watched with wide eyes with a look of panic.
"He's gonna eat me. He's gonna eat me. He's gonna me!" muttered Aria as she trembled on the ground. Barry lowered his muzzle and brought it towards Aria's waist. He began to sniff at the pocket that was located on Aria's abaya. Fluttershy tilted her head in curiosity and decided to investigate. She brought her hand into the pocket and pulled out a paper bag. As she held it up, Barry forced his muzzle against the bag as he gave low growls. Fluttershy reached inside the bag and pulled out a sandwich with a brownish gold type of food in the center.
"What's this?" asked Fluttershy.
"A fried fish sandwich that Aria swiped," answered Adagio as she relaxed. Fluttershy gasped as she immediately dropped the sandwich on the ground with her eyes wide with horror.
"What?!" cried Fluttershy as Barry devoured the sandwich. He gave a satisfied grunt as he walked away and plopped down on the grass.
"We didn't have any money and we had to eat something," said Adagio with a shrug as she bore a nervous smile.
"That's...not entirely why I was shocked," said Fluttershy as she watched Barry scratch his belly. She shuttered to herself.
'Poor fish. Well, at least Barry has his appetite back,' thought Fluttershy. Aria sat up with a traumatized expression.
"I'm going inside," muttered Aria. She shot up to her feet and rushed towards the house. The Siren was about to enter the house, but the sound of Sonata conversing with Angirasu reached her ears. She leaned against the door and began to listen.
Inside of the house, Sonata bore a shy expression as she sat down near Angirasu. The Transmutant was eating a sandwich in silence. Sonata cleared her throat.
"So...that's awesome that you guys all got home safely," said Sonata. Angirasu nodded to her.
"Yeah, but it took a while. But I'm glad that you three made out safely," said Angirasu with a small smile. Sonata giggled.
"Dagi's smart. Thanks to her, we were able to get out of there alive," said Sonata. She then scooted closer to the Transmutant. The Siren turned to face him with a blush on her cheeks.
"I really missed you, Angirasu," said Sonata. Angirasu had stopped eating his meal and glanced at Sonata. As he caught her soft expression and the girl was growing closer to him, his mind played back to months ago. He recalled how the Siren planted a kiss on his cheek back when MONARCH's soldiers had arrived. Sonata took his hand into her own and held it firmly.
"I...I always wanted to tell you this. I-I have a crush on you!" cried Sonata. Angirasu's expression was neutral for several seconds. He replayed Sonata's words over and over in his mind. He lightly frowned as his eyes looked away from the Siren. Sonata's eyes slightly widened as he turned himself to face forward as he bowed his head.
"Angirasu?" called Sonata. Angirasu sighed.
"Sonata..." Angirasu hesitated to look in her direction. The Transmutant felt his stomach turn for what he was about to do. Angirasu turned to face Sonata with a sad expression.
"Listen...I really like you. You're a nice girl. But...I can't return your feelings," said Angirasu as he lowered his head. Sonata's expression turned to hurt as she lowered her hands to her lap. Her shoulders slumped as her heart was torn in two.
"Why?" asked Sonata in a small tone.
"I...I actually hold feelings for someone else. That's why I can't return yours," said Angirasu. Sonata's lip quivered as her eyes watered. She gave a small sniffle, which caused Angirasu to grit his teeth as he clenched his fist. He hated himself for breaking her heart. Sonata turned away as she kept her sobs to herself. Angirasu turned to face the Siren as his frown deepened.
"Sonata, I'm sorry," said Angirasu in a soft tone. The Siren sniffled as she took calming breaths. She wiped away a few tears that were in her eye and glanced at Angirasu with a sad smile.
"No. No, it's OK. I understand, Angirasu. I won't get in the way," said Sonata as she gave another sniffle. Angirasu looked down in sadness. He never wanted to hurt the young Siren. However, his feelings for Fluttershy were much stronger than they were for Sonata.
"Can I ask who she is?" asked Sonata.
"It's Fluttershy," answered Angirasu as he avoided eye contact with Sonata. The Siren looked out the window and found the Valkyrie encouraging Adagio to pet the ferret that she was holding. Sonata sniffled as she rubbed her arm. She turned to face Angirasu.
"She does seem really nice. But...do you think it would be OK if we were still friends?" asked Sonata. Angirasu brought his head up to meet her eyes. He smiled to her and nodded.
"I'm OK with it," replied Angirasu.  Sonata smiled brightly as she wrapped the Transmutant into a tight hug. The Siren pulled away as she tugged on her abaya.
"Ew. This thing is really starting to bug me. I wish I had more clothes," said Sonata in disgust. The door opened, revealing Aria to be wandering inside with Fluttershy and Adagio trailing behind. Aria's face was neutral as she sat in between Angirasu and Sonata. The Siren crossed her arms as she kept a neutral expression. Angirasu couldn't help but sense a small amount of tension building up.
"Hey, Aria!" said Sonata as she ate a sandwich slice.
"Hey," replied Aria in a bored sounding tone. She cupped her nose as she caught Sonata's scent.
"Ugh! I never realized how bad you smelled until now!" said Aria in disgust. Sonata looked at her in offense.
"Hey! You stink too!" retorted Sonata.
"We all stink, Sonata," deadpanned Adagio with a scowl. Fluttershy stood up to her feet as she looked to the Sirens with a smile.
"If you'd like, I can draw up a bath to get that smell off of you," offered Fluttershy. Sonata shot up to her feet with an eager expression.
"Yes! I want to get out of these nasty clothes!" said Sonata. Fluttershy led the Siren upstairs to the bathroom. Angirasu sat silently while Aria sat next to him with a neutral expression. Adagio lightly smiled as she scratched the ferret's head as it sat on her lap.
"I should deck you right now," said Aria as she kept her arms crossed. Angirasu turned to her in confusion.
"Wait, what?" asked Angirasu. Aria's brow twitched in annoyance.
"Screw it. I'm doing it anyway," Aria muttered to herself. She immediately turned to face Angirasu and sent her fist towards the Transmutant's cheek. Adagio gasped in shock while Angirasu's head was slightly forced to the side.
"Ow," said Angirasu as he rubbed his cheek with a small frown.
"Gah!" cried Aria as she clutched her fist as it ached in pain. She waved her hand to shake off the pain.
"Are you made of bricks or something?!" demanded Aria as she sent a glare towards the Transmutant. Angirasu shrunk back.
"Sorry! But why did you hit me?" asked Angirasu. Aria scowled at him. She turned away as she kept her arms crossed.
"That was for making Sonata cry," answered Aria. Angirasu lightly frowned.
"I didn't mean to. But you have to understand that I don't feel the same about her as she does about me. There is already someone else," said Angirasu. Aria sighed in response.
"You still made her cry," said Aria.
"I know," replied Angirasu as he lowered his head. Adagio gave him a reassuring smile.
"Hey, don't be too down about it. She'll get over it soon. There's more fish in the sea," said Adagio. Angirasu chuckled in amusement.
"Is that a saying that Sirens use too?" asked Angirasu. The conversation was interrupted as a sudden scream reached their ears. The Transmutant and Sirens shot up, startled by the scream.
"Fluttershy?!" called Angirasu as he shot up to his feet and rushed towards the stair case. His heart raced in his chest as he climbed the stairs. He turned and found the bathroom door opened with Fluttershy's back blocking the door. He rushed over towards her.
"Fluttershy, what's wrong?" asked Angirasu in worry. The Valkyrie stared with wide eyes as she looked towards the oval shaped bathtub. His shoulders slumped.
"Oh," said Angirasu with a blank expression. Sonata was in the bathtub, covered up to her neck in bubbles. But what the Transmutant and Valkyrie were staring at was none other than the fish tail that was sticking out of the water on the edge of the tub. Fluttershy shakily turned to Angirasu, who kept a calm expression.
"She...she has a fish tail?" asked Fluttershy in a disturbed tone.
"Yeah," answered Angirasu. Fluttershy looked at him with an appalled expression at how nonchalant the Transmutant was.
"Did you know?!" exclaimed Fluttershy. Angirasu nodded.
"Yeah. It has been a weird month for all of us," replied Angirasu. Meanwhile, Sonata giggled as she cupped her hands together and blew the bubbles off of her hand.  From the hall, Adagio and Aria came rushing in. Fluttershy looked at the Sirens nervously and then to Angirasu.
"Here, why don't I start from the beginning?" suggested Angirasu as he led Fluttershy out of the bathroom.




Meanwhile in Canterlot...

The noon had arrived. Junior was walking through the Canterlot garden with Erika and Sunset in silence. Amber remained perched on his shoulder as she looked on ahead. As they walked, Junior continued to hear the jingle of the magic chain links that bounded the ankles and wrists of the soldiers. It was a very unpleasant sound for him to listen to. The sound annoyed him, but it also caused him to feel a bit of sympathy for them. The two weren't intentionally doing wrong. They were merely following orders of a higher command. He thought it was a shame how it has landed the two into becoming prisoners, but he could not let his guard down. The Transmutant was still reluctant to fully trust the two.
Junior led the two soldiers over towards a statue that was hidden deeper into the garden. The statue was the Draconequs that had broken and released the Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony. Junior kept a firm expression as he gazed at the statue. Erika and Sunset Shimmer looked at the statue curiously.
"Hey, what's that?" asked Erika.
"Oh! That's the Draconequs statue! I don't remember that being right here," said Sunset in surprise. She then noticed how solitary the area was. There were several hedges around that stood tall, obscuring the statue from anyone's sight unless they were standing in front of it. She also noticed how the pose of the statue was different compared to the last time that she had seen it.
"Right. Turns out that Discord here was a Draconequs that was stopped by the princesses and turned into stone by the Elements of Harmony. Several months back, he was freed and attempted to take over Equestria and possibly the world with his power. But, he was imprisoned again by the Elements," explained Junior as he placed his hands in his pocket. Sunset and Erika looked at him at wide eyes.
"Oh, yeah I remember hearing about that! The sun kept rising and setting in just minutes instead of hours! I thought the world was coming to an end or something," said Erika as she looked over the statue.
"Yeah. Asshole was even my imaginary friend back when I was a kid," said Junior with a scowl. Sunset glanced at Junior and then at Discord.
"Why him? Why not any other statues in the garden?" asked Sunset. Junior sighed.
"I don't know. I guess it was the fact how unusual the statue was and I found myself relating to it because we were both branded as monsters. Celestia even told me the legend about him when I was a kid. She never knew that I made him my imaginary friend," said Junior. He shook his head in disappointment. "I guess power was mostly what he cared about. He didn't do what he did because he was hurt,"
"Gojira?" called Erika. Junior kept his gaze on the statue and the frozen fearful eyes.
"I wonder if he can hear us," Junior said to himself. Sunset looked at the statue and then back to Junior.
"Did you want to say something to him if he could?" asked Sunset.
"Maybe. But I don't know what to say. I can either say that I pity him, or I can say that I hope he erodes soon. But looking back on it, he's probably not the worst enemy that I've faced. No, there is someone who I hate the most, and Discord knows it. Isn't that right, Discord?" asked Junior as he kept his gaze on the statue. The statue remained silent. Erika and Sunset glanced at Junior with raised brows. Junior smirked.
"I must look really crazy right now, huh?" asked Junior as he looked towards the soldiers. They merely looked away with nervous laughs.
"Ah, whatever. I just came here to check on him to see if he hasn't escaped," said Junior. He then pulled his sweater's sleeve back and looked at the watch strapped to his wrist.
"Looks like our time together today is almost up. Let's head back," said Junior. The two nodded to him and followed the Transmutant through the forest. Junior glanced back at the two young women.
"Hey, not sure if I can get an answer out of you about something like this. But out of curiosity, do you know anything about that new mech that MONARCH has? The one that looks like me," said Junior. Sunset and Erika looked at each other in reluctance. Unsure whether if they should tell the Transmutant anything about MONARCH's weaponry or not. Sunset shrugged in response.
"Ah...well you're kind of asking the wrong people about that. We don't know anything about the mech other than it has more advanced weaponry. But I don't think we should tell you more than that. Otherwise we'd probably get court martialed," said Sunset. Junior nodded to her in understanding.
"Well, unless they come for you, I don't think you would have to worry about that. But, I won't ask any more about it. I was just curious since it's a lot tougher than the others," said Junior. Erika glanced to the side.
"To be honest...the thing gives me the creeps," said Erika. Junior looked back at her in surprise.
"Really? Why is that?" asked Junior.
"I don't know. I once was around that thing when it was broken and it started acting freaky. I just get a very weird vibe from it. I'm not comfortable around that thing," said Erika as she rubbed her arm. She shuttered as she recalled her nightmare of the machine. Junior turned forward with a thoughtful expression.
"It could be just the fact that you're a Transmutant. Those things seem to know that they're supposed to be killing Transmutants. You may be worried that it'll turn on you," said Junior with a shrug.
"Yeah, that's what I said!" said Sunset. Erika frowned as she heard the male Transmutant's response.
"But it's not just that. Something isn't right," Erika muttered to herself. The three continued on through the garden, nearing its exit. On the ground, they found Caesar lying on his belly with a couple of fairies on his back. He turned his head and greeted Junior with a smile.
"Ah. Junior, it is good to see you," said Caesar. Junior nodded to him as he stopped with the soldiers.
"Likewise," replied Junior. He then looked at the two soldiers that were with him.
"I see that you are getting to know these two. I hope it has been pleasant," said Caesar. Junior nodded.
"It's been fine," answered the Transmutant. Caesar's nose twitched as he caught a scent. He stood up and began to prowl towards the three. Sunset's eyes widened as she backed away from the Shisa as he directed his attention on her. She gasped as his nose was brought close to her head. Erika stood by anxiously while Junior stood in curiosity.
"Hmm. I can sense much power within you, my dear," said Caesar as he pulled his muzzle away. Sunset sighed in relief as the Shisa backed off. She then looked at him curiously as he stared at the ground. The Shisa looked back up to her with a firm expression.
"If you are not careful, that power can be used for evil," said Caesar. Sunset Shimmer gulped nervously as she heard this. Her expression turned to dejection as she thought back to her appearance when she had transformed. The sight was something that she could describe as being evil. She lowered her head.
"I'll keep that in mind," said Sunset. Caesar nodded as he walked away. Junior looked at him in disbelief. He turned and noticed Koizumi and Inoue to be approaching.
"Times up ladies! I hope you enjoyed your time outside, because you're gonna have to return to your cell for the day," said Koizumi. They both nodded as they turned back to Junior. Erika bowed before him.
"Thank you for this, Gojira. I hope we can do this again soon," said Erika.
"Yeah, thanks," said Sunset in a soft tone. Junior nodded to them as he gave them a small smile.
"Sure. Take care you two," said Junior. The two nodded to him as they turned and walked towards Koizumi and Inoue. The two rebels led the prisoners out of the garden, leaving Junior with Caesar. He sent a glare to the Shisa.
"Hey, what's the big idea?" demanded Junior as he approached the Shisa. "You potentially just ruined her day by bringing that shit up!"
"That was not my intention. It is something that she must know, otherwise it may cost her and all of us," said Caesar as he sat himself on the grass. Junior groaned in annoyance.
"Whatever," said Junior as he placed his hands in his pockets and began to walk away.
"Junior!" called Caesar. The Transmutant sighed as he turned to face the Shisa.
"What?" asked Junior. The Shisa began to approach him.
"The same goes for you. If you aren't careful with your gift, it can be used for dark purposes. Which is why you must learn to control the power that has been growing inside of you from the spirit essence," said Caesar. He gestured for Junior to follow him.
"Come. We will go somewhere further from civilization to help you control this new power that you have developed," said Caesar. Junior nodded to him.
"Alright. Lead the way," said Junior as he followed Caesar. The two continued on through the exit of the garden and out towards the castle grounds. Caesar looked towards one of the fairies on his back.
"Go and inform Princess Celestia that I will be taking Junior out of castle grounds to teach him important lessons. It may take a few days," said Caesar.
"Yes, Caesar," said the fairy as she fluttered her wings and took off into the air. Junior glanced at Amber as she sat on his shoulder.
"When will the others learn to control their power?" asked Junior.
"Well, soon they might be experiencing something that would pertain to their powers. Cornflower and Blossom will be there for them," said Amber. Junior nodded. They began to travel out into city grounds, drawing the attention of the citizens that they passed by.
	
> Chapter 52: Training Day
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sun was rising over the horizon and the air was growing much colder.  The leaves that had hung from the branches of the trees had nearly all fallen for the coming winter. The sound of rushing water filled the air as a great landscape filled with a vast amount of water poured down as a waterfall. The falls were made up of two major cliffs. The first cliff sat at the top of the highest point of the elevated landscape. As the water fell from this cliff, it fell down to a second cliff that protruded from the first cliff below. The water continued down to the second cliff and fell down towards a great pool of water that led down towards two separate rivers that ran across the land.
Junior sat down on a rocky edge near the highest point of the land where the water traveled down the falls. He watched as the mist from the waters filled the air. He deeply inhaled and sharply exhaled as he took in the clean air. He turned around and found Caesar piling up stones together at the height of eight feet. The trees that were nearby on this plateau were also losing their leaves. They lied scattered on the ground in the woods. Junior turned back to the great river and scooped up water into his hand and to drink it. He sighed as he cold liquid traveled down his throat and into his belly. Junior stood up and began to make his way over towards Caesar.
"So, what are we gonna do? It must be big if you dragged me all the way out to Neighagra Falls during the previous day," said Junior. Caesar hummed to himself as he looked the stones over.
"Right. Well, I want us to work on your reflexes, your durability and your strength. As the days pass, your body is adjusting to the essence that you have absorbed. The attack that you have used resulted in your Kaiju strength being manifested from the spirit essence and into your physical body. You must learn how to use it at will. This will require you to work yourself to your physical limit," said Caesar. He picked up a palm sized stone and threw it at Junior. The Transmutant yelped as he duck under it. He shot the Shisa a glare.
"What the hell, Caesar?!" shouted Junior.
"Sorry. I just wanted to make sure that you were paying attention," said Caesar as he began to pace around. Junior scowled in annoyance.
"Now, let us get started on your warm up exercises. I want you to drop on the ground and give me sets of one hundred push ups. Don't stop until I say so," ordered Caesar. Junior's eyes widened and he sighed in disappointment.
"Seriously?" asked Junior.
"Yes. Given your enhanced abilities, we need to make sure that you are actually getting worn out from exercise. You'll be able to do it," said Caesar. Amber crawled along Caesar's back along with two other fairies.
"You can do it, Takeshi!" cried Amber. Junior sighed.
"Fine," said Junior. He dropped down onto his knees and placed his hands on the ground. He proceeded to get into position as he began to push himself off of the ground. The Transmutant proceeded to count as he performed his push ups.




Meanwhile...

Koizumi hummed to himself as he sat down at a table inside of the royal guard barracks. He read through a sheet of paper as he leaned back in his seat. The mercenary's face cracked a small smile as he continued to read through the letter and chuckled to himself. From the side, Inoue walked over to him and leaned over his shoulder.
"A letter from family?" asked Inoue.
"Nah. Something better," said Koizumi.
"Wait, 'better'?" asked Inoue in confusion. She pitied the man if a letter about whatever it was he was reading would be better compared to receiving something from a family member.
"Yep. Someone in the capital city is offering to pay me some money to retrieve some bits that some bandits robbed from his banks," said Koizumi with a chuckle.
"OK. So what?" asked Inoue with a shrug. "It's not like you can just go on out and leave to do the job,"
"The hell I can't!" said Koizumi with a glare. Inoue shrunk back.
"You're seriously going to take the job?! You can't! We need you here with us under direct orders from the commander! You're also supposed to be training those guards!" argued Inoue.
"Inoue, I'm not a soldier. I'm a mercenary, meaning that I'm free to take the job as I damn well please! Besides, I already accepted the job a couple of days ago. The only reason why I haven't bailed on you guys is because the princess's payment is keeping me here," said Koizumi as he began to write down an address on a smaller piece of paper. Inoue looked at him with wide eyes at his response.
"Are you serious?" asked Inoue in disbelief. Koizumi glanced at her. He swore that he caught a slight hurt expression.
"Well, yeah. I have to make a living, Inoue. I need to make my reputation known for when this thing is over. I don't plan on signing on to another military organization ever again. The mercenary life is for me," said Koizumi as he stood to his feet. He reached to the other side of the table and picked up a pistol. He placed it in his holster.
"Listen, I'm gonna be out for a while. The guy who owns the bank says that the bandits have a pretty small group and that there are rumors that they are hiding out in Baltimare," said Koizumi. He walked away and towards the far end of the room.
"But-" Inoue called out to him but did not finish her thought since Koizumi interrupted her.
"Don't worry about it! I can handle it myself!" said Koizumi. She sighed in response as she looked at him with a frown. The Elf crossed her arms as she watched Koizumi walk off to the far end of the room. Inoue looked down at the letter that was sitting on the table. Curious, she picked it up and began to read it. Her eyes widened, which then hardened into a scowl.
"That son of a bitch," spat Inoue as she tossed the paper back on the table. She then smirked to herself.
"I'll show him," said Inoue. She rushed over towards the far end of the barracks where her combat gear was placed. Inoue removed her sweat pants and slipped on her military apparel. The Elf then tied her hair into a bun and slipped on the armor pieces onto her body and over her clothes. After she snapped on her armor breast piece, she went for her forearms and her shins. Inoue smirked as she heard the back door open. She turned and found Koizumi to walking out. Her eyes widened in surprise at his clothing. Rather his advanced Slayer unit armor, the Earthbound was wearing a modified version of the flexible under suit that he and other Slayers were meant to wear when putting the armor on.
Koizumi's arms were covered in the standard infantry gauntlets and shoulder pads. His shins and knees were covered in armor from the same kind of set of armor. His chest was protected by a light armor chest piece. On his back were his dual katanas, which were strapped over his left shoulder. Koizumi had two pistols, which were held on holsters over his thighs. A belt was wrapped around his waist, holding pouches that contained his ammunition. Koizumi continued to walk through the barracks, catching a few odd glances from the guards and a few rebels that were present. As Koizumi was about to reach the door, Inoue stepped in front of him. He looked at her in confusion as he noticed her in her combat apparel.
"What are you doing?" asked Koizumi.
"Guess what, asshole. Turns out that little letter was requesting you to bring more Rebels to help since the so called 'small group' is actually part of a notorious crime syndicate!" said Inoue. Koizumi sent her a look of annoyance.
"You're nosey, you know that?" asked Koizumi.
"Hmph! Be that as it may, you're going to need back up since even Celestia's guards and even local law enforcement haven't been able to get these guys. I'm coming with you," said Inoue as she crossed her arms. Koizumi sighed in annoyance.
"You'll slow me down," said Koizumi. Inoue sent him a glare.
"Try me! I'm betting that you're going to pretty much kill these guys instead of arresting them, am I right?" asked Inoue.
"How I accomplish the job is my business. The way of the mercenary is to do whatever is necessary to get the job done," said Koizumi.
"Hm. I don't think Princess Celestia will approve of that~," sang Inoue as she smirked. Koizumi glared at her.  "It'd be a shame if she found out about this,"
"Fine. You can come," said Koizumi in a growl. Inoue nodded in approval.
"Smart guy. But, I do think that we should take one more person along with us to help. Someone who's stronger than most of us," said Inoue.
"Let's ask that Takeshi kid. He's tough," suggested Koizumi. Inoue shook her head.
"No, we can't do that. He's not in Canterlot right now. I think we should ask one of his friends. Maybe Mosura," said Inoue.
"Nah. We're likely going to be killing these guys. She doesn't have the spine to kill," said Koizumi as he rolled his eyes.
"Hmm. Yeah, that's a good point. The other Transmutants are living in Mustangia and that's too far. That leaves Shou and Riku," said Inoue as she tapped her chin. Koizumi grinned to himself.
"I think Shou might be a good decision. The kid is fast and sneaky," said Koizumi.
"He's kind of a loose cannon," said Inoue in reluctance.
"The guys are all loose cannons! But Shou is the one least likely to tear down three blocks worth of Baltimare," said Koizumi. Inoue sighed.
"I suppose," said Inoue. Koizumi nodded as he brushed passed the Elf.
"Good. Come on, I call driver's seat of the jeep," said Koizumi.
"Damn," mopped Inoue as she followed Koizumi out the door.



"Seriously?" Rodan was standing next to Angirasu. The two were with Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. Koizumi stood next to the jeep while Inoue sat in the passenger seat.
"You bet kid. You got some skills that we could use for this mission," said Koizumi with a smile. Rodan grinned.
"Wow! So you two want me to go this secret mission with you two?" asked Rodan.
"Something like that," answered Inoue in reluctance. She disliked the thought of deceiving the Transmutant into assisting Koizumi in a mercenary's job. But she wanted to make sure that the mercenary would not get himself killed by going off alone.
"Hell yea- Oh, wait," Rodan stopped his excitement as he glanced at Rainbow. He cleared his throat as he turned to face the rebels.
"Actually, I had already made plans with these guys. We were going to introduce the girls to some friends of ours that we met a few months back," said Rodan. Rainbow looked at him in disbelief.
"Dude, are you kidding?! Take the job!" said Rainbow. Rodan looked at her in surprise.
"Really?" asked Rodan.
"Yeah! How often do you get to play as the hero! Besides, these guys are asking for your help! This might help fix up your guys' reputation!" said Rainbow. She then slugged Rodan's shoulder.
"If you're gonna go, just make sure you get here in one piece. We'll be hanging out at Fluttershy's place for hours anyway," said Rainbow. Rodan lightly smiled.
"Alright," said Rodan. He pulled the Valkyrie close and planted a kiss on her lips. "I'll catch you later, babe,"
"See ya, hot stuff," said Rainbow with a wink. Rodan gave a nod to Angirasu, who returned it. Rodan jogged over towards the jeep. He made his way over to the back and opened the door. As he hopped in the jeep, Rodan waved to his friends, who waved to him as Koizumi got back into the jeep. The armored jeep rolled back and then drove off to the side. Inoue turned around in her seat and handed Rodan a case.
"You're gonna need these," said Inoue. Rodan took the case and placed it on his lap. As he opened the case, a grin formed on his face.
"This is gonna be awesome," said Rodan.
Meanwhile, back with Angirasu and the two Valkyries, they watched as the jeep took off. Rainbow bore a small smile, which later turned to a small look of concern. The trio continued walking to Fluttershy's residence. Angirasu turned to Fluttershy with a smile.
"Hey, thank you for housing Adagio and the others. I hope they weren't any trouble," said Angirasu.
"Oh, not at all! Thank you for lending me two extra mattresses for them. But I have to admit, I was startled by what you told me about them," said Fluttershy. Rainbow looked at Angirasu in confusion.
"Yeah, why are you guys friends with Sirens. Those things are dangerous!" said Rainbow.
"Rainbow Dash, they're not things. They're people. Besides, these Sirens aren't malicious like the ones that attacked sailors out in sea," said Angirasu with a slight frown. Rainbow crossed her arms.
"Hmm. Kind of hard to believe when you mentioned how they were going to sacrifice a lot of people to a sea dragon," deadpanned Rainbow. Angirasu looked away with a nervous chuckle.
"Uh...we all make mistakes?" said Angirasu with a shrug. Rainbow rolled her eyes.
"Whatever dude. I'll give them a chance since you seem to trust them," said Rainbow. Angirasu sighed in relief. Rainbow Dash turned her head and watched as the jeep that carried Rodan and the rebels disappeared out of sight. She sighed to herself with a frown. Fluttershy glanced at Rainbow.
"Are you alright?" asked Fluttershy in concern.
"Yeah, I'm fine," said Rainbow half-heatedly. In truth, she was worried about the Transmutant. She didn't like how only two rebels come to ask only for his help, rather than the rest of the Transmutants.



It was the afternoon over in Equestria. Koizumi stood by with a trench coat on with a hat on his head. He scanned the area on a rooftop with a pair of binoculars. Rodan and Inoue sat by in silence as they watched Koizumi spy on a large, abandon building. Koizumi smirked to himself. Inoue stood up to her feet and made her way over to Koizumi's side.
"OK, so this guy said that these assholes have been stealing from his banks a couple of other times before. Since the banks keep their money locked up in vaults and in chests, I gave the guy a tracker to place in one of the chests," whispered Koizumi. Inoue looked at him surprise.
"How often do they rob his banks? They're bound to be caught!" Inoue whispered back.
"These guys are good at teleportation magic. They're slippery little bastards," said Koizumi. He then pulled out a piece of paper.
"The crime boss is some guy named Fat Cat. I doubt he's hiding out here, but I want to sweep the entire place of these guys," said Koizumi. He then pulled out a small device with a screen on it. He found a red, blinking dot to be centered on the digital layout of the map ahead.
"The goods must be inside of that building ahead. It's abandoned, but looks are deceiving. It's the perfect place for these assholes," said Koizumi. Inoue nodded to him.
"You're hovering over me awfully close," said Koizumi with a teasing tone. Inoue immediately shot up and backed away with a look of embarrassment.
"Shut up!" spat Inoue. Koizumi shook his head in amusement. He stood up and reached into his coat's pocket to pull out a leathery black mask. He took off his hat and placed his mask on. The mask had two holes large enough for Koizumi to see through and had an image of a crimson skull over his face.
"That's an awesome mask," said Rodan. Inoue looked at it with a raised brow.
"It looks kinda like one of those masks they sell at those kinky stores," said Inoue. Rodan snorted in amusement while Koizumi sent her a glare.
"It's just the leather. I made it myself for your information!" said Koizumi. Inoue rolled her eyes.
"Sure," said Inoue. Koizumi rolled his eyes as he walked over to the edge of the rooftop.
"Look, you two just keep an ear open on your COMs. I'm going to invite myself inside," said Koizumi as he hopped off of the roof and landed on the jeep's roof. He then dropped down into the alley and ran down towards the road. Inoue and Rodan both rushed over towards the ledge.
"Uh...would you mind carrying me down?" asked Inoue with a nervous laugh as she looked over the edge. The drop frightened her.
"Yeah, I can do that," said Rodan with a smile.
Meanwhile, Koizumi was making his way over towards the abandoned building. He rolled for cover next to the building wall and sneaked towards a window. Koizumi stood up and peaked through the cracked and dirty window. He hummed to himself as he spotted a couple of men with swords, arrows, and axes. He noticed a few elves inside that appeared to be unarmed. He hypothesized that they may have been skilled in destructive magic. Koizumi found a bathroom door opening and a man walking out as the sound a toilet flushing filled the room. Koizumi turned and found a sewer manhole just a few feet away. He placed a finger to his ear.
"Guys, I'm going for a sneak attack. When you hear the signal, I want you two to charge in through the front door," said Koizumi as he made his way over to the manhole cover and began to remove it. On the other line, Inoue's face turned to confusion.
"OK, what's the-"
"Over and out! I'm heading into a shitty tunnel!" said Koizumi as he dropped down into the sewer. Inoue's expression turned blank as the communication was cut off.
"-Signal?" said Inoue. She scowled.
"Goddamn it. I hate it when people do that," said Inoue as she crossed her arms. Rodan shrugged in response as he crouched next to the jeep and stared at the building.
Meanwhile, Koizumi treaded through the sewer in silence. The sound of water dripping filled his hearing. Koizumi gagged in disgust as he caught the smells of the sewer. He rushed around in the dark and narrow tunnel of the sewer. He found a staircase leading up towards a platform. Koizumi smiled under his mask and ran up the stairs. He found a ladder leading up to the ceiling, which had a steel circular door that covered a large part of the ceiling. Koizumi leapt up the ladder and towards the last few steps. He reached into a large bag that hung from his shoulder and pulled out a detonation pack.
"I think I need to make an entrance," said Koizumi with a dark smile. He pressed the keys on the explosive as he made playfully made beeping sounds. He chuckled as he stuck the explosive onto the ceiling.
"Time to go boom," said Koizumi as he dropped from the ladder and dove for cover.
Meanwhile, inside of the abandoned building. An Earthbound man with a black ski mask strolled away from the men's bathroom door as he whistled to himself. Suddenly, the bathroom door burst open as fiery explosion shot through the bottom floor of the building. The man yelled as the force of the explosion blew him into the air. Several goons jumped at the loud explosion and watched as burning furniture was blown across the lobby. Two goons looked at each other with wide eyes and back to where the explosion occurred. Some began to steel themselves for battle as they slowly walked from the far edge of the lobby and towards the restrooms.
Koizumi removed the trench coat that he was wearing and tossed them into a small fire. He then sat his bag filled with explosives safely to the side. He stepped on the men's bathroom door as he waved his hand over the front of his face.
"Whew! That's what happens when you mix explosives with a spicy meal!" said Koizumi. The goon that was caught in the explosive force fell down from the ceiling and landed several feet behind Koizumi. The mercenary turned his head to find the prone man on the ground, soaked in sewage. Koizumi slowly turned his head forward with a hard stare.
"Now be honest. I'm not the only one with a little bit of shit in their pants right now, am I?" Koizumi asked no one in particular. From the corner out of his eye, he found members of the local crime syndicate. They stared with wide eyes and glared at the mercenary.
"Who in Tartarus are you?!" demanded one of the men. Koizumi placed his hat back on his head.
"I'm the one who knocks," said Koizumi as he pulled out his pistols and aimed for the men. He charged forward and fired his weapons, shooting down several goons. Koizumi placed one of his guns in its holster and pulled out one of his katana blades. He ducked under an Elf that shot a bolt of magic and then cut him down. Koizumi then popped a bolt into another goon's head and then sent a strong kick into the neck of another goon that came at him from behind. Koizumi placed his second gun back into its holster and then threw a knife at an Elf that teleported near his left. The knife impaled the Elf in his chest, causing him to drop onto his knees in agony. Koizumi strolled over towards the goon and yanked the knife out of his chest. He then kicked the man against his head, knocking him unconscious. Koizumi sighed to himself as he cleaned his blade.
"I sure hope the other guys put up more of a fight," said Koizumi. He turned as he heard the front door burst open. He found Inoue pointing her rifle into the lobby as Rodan got into a fighting stance. Their eyes widened in shock as they found burned furniture, a huge hole in the restroom, and several dead goons on the ground.
"Huh," said Rodan. Inoue sent Koizumi a look of annoyance.
"Are you trying to show off?" asked Inoue.
"Hey, I can't help it if I'm this fucking awesome! Maybe you should improve upon your aim if you feel so self-conscious about it," said Koizumi as he turned and made his way over towards the bathroom and picked up his bags of explosives. He then made his way to the elevator. Inoue scoffed in response.
"Hey! My aim is fine, alright?"
"Sure, sweetheart," said Koizumi as he pressed a button on the elevator. Inoue growled as she and Rodan followed him into the elevator. The trio entered the elevator, waiting as it closed the doors. Rodan looked himself over. His clothing comprised of a brick red sweater with sweat pants. His chest was covered in a light chest plate and his arms were covered in gauntlets with blades attached. His shins were covered in armor pieces. The Transmutant smiled at the two rebels.
"Hey, thanks for this armor and the weapons. I'm looking forward to completing this mission," said Rodan.
"No problem," said Inoue with a smile. The elevator ascended as the sound of music played over the intercom inside. Koizumi smiled to himself.
"I love this song!" said Koizumi. He began to clear his throat while Inoue looked at him with a raised brow.
"You can sing," said Inoue in disbelief. As the song's lyrics were sung by the singer, Koizumi joined in.
"I believe I can fly~ I believe I can touch the sky~ I think about it every night and day~ Spread my wings and fly away~" Koizumi followed a perfect sync with the music as he held his arms out as if they were wings. Inoue tilted her head.
"What?" asked Inoue in disbelief.
"He sings like an angel," said Rodan.  Koizumi dropped to his knees as he continued to sing.
"I believe I can soar~ I see me running through that open door~ I believe I can f-" Koizumi was interrupted as the elevator made an abrupt stop. Rodan and Inoue stumbled as the elevator rumbled and the lights turned off, being replaced by red lights. The music had stopped playing.
"Hmm. Looks like this is our stop," said Koizumi as he stood up and pulled out the tracking device.
"We still have a few floors to go before we can find the money that was stolen," said Koizumi. He turned towards the elevator door.
"Shou, give me a hand, will ya?" asked Koizumi. The two grabbed their own side of the elevator doors and pulled them back. The elevator was sitting just several inches below the door frame towards the next floor. Koizumi shimmied himself through and turned to help Inoue up towards the floor. As she got out of the elevator, Koizumi helped Rodan out. The three turned and heard the sound of rushing footsteps. Koizumi pulled out his katanas as he chuckled to himself. Inoue checked to see if the safety on her rifle was off and then pointed her weapon forward. Rodan extended the blades on his gauntlets by flicking his wrists.
"Let's kick some ass!" said Koizumi as he rushed down the hall towards several goons. He began to deflect magic bolts that were shot towards him. Rodan rushed towards two men that came at him with swords. He caught their blades with his bladed gauntlets and then forced them away. He then rushed towards one goon and sent quick kicks towards him followed by an elbow to the face. He then performed a round house kick against the second goon and knocked him unconscious. Inoue began to move up as she fired short bursts from her rifle. A few goons were shot dead, while others were shot in their legs. An Elf teleported in front of her and shot his hand forward. Inoue gasped as she raised her free hand, projecting an orange shield. The magic beam that struck her forced her back several feet away as it shattered her shield. Inoue rolled along the ground with a grunt. The goon shot his hand forward again and used his magic to strike the stalled elevator. The elevator suddenly dropped down as the cables that held it broke off. Inoue staggered onto her feet as she fired several bolts from her rifle. The goon teleported out of harm's way and reappeared beside her. He sent a powerful kick against her, causing her to roll towards the open elevator door way.
"Koizumi! Shou! Help!" cried Inoue. Rodan and Koizumi turned their attention towards the soldier and found the goon to be forcing her back.
"Shit!" said Koizumi as he cut down a goon in his way and rushed towards the Elf.
"I'll hold them off!" said Rodan as he ran passed Koizumi. The Transmutant yelled as he used his gauntlets to cut down and stab a few goons that got too close. He then sent a powerful punch against another goon, sending him across the room. Rodan chuckled as he charged towards them and felt a burst of unfathomable energy shoot through his body. His adrenaline spiked as the world around seemed to have slowed down. Rodan's eyes were wide as he felt as light as a feather. His green eyes glowed as a red mist engulfed his body. The mist then swirled around his arms, legs, and chest like the wind. Rodan suddenly burst into a sprint. To the goons, he appeared to be moving as a blur, but Rodan felt as though he were running in a world that seemed to be moving slowly.
The Transmutant shot towards two soldiers and sent rapid punches, forcing the men against the walls. He then disappeared into a blur and reappeared before another goon and performed an uppercut. Rodan then shot forward again, which resulted in a sonic boom in the building. The loud sound deafened those close by and blew them away. Koizumi stumbled as he reached the Elf and slammed into the wall. The goon that was attacking Inoue was blown through the elevator shaft, taking Inoue with him. Inoue screamed as she plummeted down, but she suddenly caught a remaining elevator cable. The young woman panted as she stared down the shaft with wide eyes and watched the goon that attacked her fall to his death. She turned her head and clenched her eyes shut as the goon hit the bottom with an echoed thud. She panted as she opened her eyes and found herself far from the floor that she was on. Inoue was tempted to jump to the other side, but as she looked down, she feared the possibility of missing the jump. She heard the sound of an elevator door opening above, causing her to shoot her head up. Her eyes widened in horror as she spotted an Elf waving an aura engulfed hand at the higher point of the cable that she held onto.
Rodan panted after the rush of energy dissipated from his body. He turned with a look of amazement at how the hall was wrecked from his recent assault. He looked down at his arms and found the red aura that engulfed them dissipating.
"Wow. This must be that power that Amber was telling us about," said Rodan in amazement. He jumped as he heard Inoue cry out. He turned and found the young woman holding onto an elevator cable in the shaft. Koizumi staggered as he attempted to fight off a few goons. Rodan's eyes widened as he looked at the destruction around him and how the rebel dangled from the cable. He noticed how several of the goons were blown away and the walls appeared as if pressure forced them inward.
"Oh, no," said Rodan in realization. The goon that was attacking was nowhere in sight, and he swore that he heard a man cry out as if he was faced with the last moments of his life. At the same time, he heard Inoue scream, which echoed. He realized that whatever he did was responsible for her position.
"Inoue!" cried Rodan as he ran down the hall and towards the elevator shaft. Inoue stared fearfully as the Elf on the higher floor began to charge a magic beam. She looked back at Rodan, knowing that he wouldn't possibly make it. Inoue steeled her muscles as she positioned herself to the side. With a deep breath, she shot her body forward as she released the cable. Just then, the cable was cut by the goon's magic, causing it to snap. As Inoue reached the ledge, she shot her hands forward and caught the ledge. She panted as she attempted to climb up. However, the cable that she held onto for dear life began to glow as it fell. The cable suddenly sprung to life and shot towards the rebel's leg. Inoue gasped as she felt it wrap around her ankle and up to her knee.
"Aaah!" Inoue screamed as she felt herself pulled off of the ledge. She continued to scream as the cable pulled her down, but stopped as her hand was caught. She shot her head up and found Rodan holding her hand with a frantic expression.
"I got ya! You're gonna be OK!" said Rodan with a panicked tone. He staggered forward as he felt a strong tug.
"Ah!" Inoue cried out in pain as she clenched her eyes shut. The cable tightened itself around her leg and pulled down on her. Koizumi had knocked down the remaining goon that was in his way and rushed over towards the two.
"What are you doing?! Pull her up!" said Koizumi.
"The cable has my leg! He can't pull me up!" said Inoue as she held onto Rodan as tight as she could. Rodan noticed the faint glow that was coming from the upper floor through the shaft. He found the Elf to be leaning over with a sadistic grin.
"There's some Elf using his magic! His aura is the same color as the one that's controlling the cable!" said Rodan. Koizumi nodded as he pulled out his pistol. Inoue began to pant as she stared at Rodan with pleading eyes.
"Please, don't let me go!" cried Inoue as she used her free hand to hold onto Rodan's arm.
"No way in hell am I going to let you go!" said Rodan. He suddenly felt a piercing pain reach his back. He cried out in pain as a spark of magic struck his back. Koizumi turned around and found one Elf remaining. The mercenary fired his pistol, sending a bolt into the goon's head. Inoue gasped as Rodan's grip loosened as he hunched over in pain. Their hands slipped from each other's, allowing the Elf to fall. Rodan's eyes widened in horror as he watched Inoue's face disappear under the ledge. He hardened his eyes as they flashed green. Rodan shot through the shaft at high speed before Koizumi could turn around. The Transmutant slammed into the wall of the elevator shaft and found Inoue slowly falling to her doom. As the red aura engulfed Rodan, he shot towards her and caught the Elf. Her leg was still being pulled by the enchanted cable, forcing the Transmutant to act the only way he could think of. He wrapped the Elf into his embrace as he rolled with her, bringing her head close to his chest as he shielded her head and neck with his arm, exposing his back to the ground. Koizumi had just looked down and found the two falling down the shaft. He quickly turned and glared at the Elf that had enchanted the cable.  Koizumi fired a shot into his head, cutting the magic off from the cable, but Rodan and Inoue still fell and crashed onto the destroyed elevator that was on the last floor. Koizumi panted as he searched for any sign of life coming from them.
"Shou! Inoue! Are you two alright?!" called Koizumi as he stared down at the elevator shaft. He was able to make out with Inoue lying over Rodan with her eyes closed. The Transmutant weakly raised his head as he stared down at the prone Elf. He slowly raised himself up with Inoue. The Elf's head slumped down against his shoulder. Rodan's heart began to race.
"No. No, no, no, no!" Rodan said as he began to panic. Koizumi watched as he lied the Elf down. Rodan forced his hands on her armored breast plate as his claws dug into them. He clawed the armor apart, exposing her chest. Rodan brought his head against where her heart would be and listened anxiously. After several seconds, his eyes nearly watered. A single heart beat filled his hearing. Rodan shot his head up.
"She's still alive but I think she's hurt pretty bad!" said Rodan. Koizumi lamely nodded to him as he peaked through the elevator shaft.
"OK. Shou, I need you to do me a favor. I want you and Inoue to get out of here. Get her to a hospital. Hell, get her to a vet if you can't find one," said Koizumi in a calm voice. Rodan nodded frantically.
"OK, but what about you? What about the mission?" asked Rodan.
"You let me worry about that. Your priority is the girl," said Koizumi in a firm tone. Rodan nodded to him.
"OK!" said Rodan. He shakily stood up to his feet and scooped Inoue up into his arms. The Transmutant made his way over to the dented elevator door and kicked it open. He found himself staring out to the lobby. Rodan rushed through the lobby where he found local law enforcement standing with a crowd of civilians. The officers kept people back from the building. Rodan panted as he ran towards the door and opened it, making everyone focus on him.
"Look!" cried a woman as she pointed towards Rodan. The Transmutant bore a pleading expression as he carried Inoue.
"Help! Please, I need get her to a hospital!" cried Rodan as he made his way over towards the officers. They met him along with a few paramedics, who took Inoue out of his arms and took her to a white chariot where a stretcher lied. They laid the rebel on there and removed her helmet. Rodan panted as he watched them place her into the chariot. An officer made her way over to the Transmutant.
"Kid, are you alright?" asked the officer. Rodan shook his head as he began to hyperventilate.
"No. No, it was all my..." Rodan dropped to his knees as the pain from falling down through the elevator began to take its toll on him. His adrenaline had subsided, resulting in him being able to feel the overwhelming pain. He gave a bitter chuckle, thankful that he had enough strength to get Inoue to safety. Rodan fell over on the ground on the asphalt as he gave soft breaths.
"Hey! Kid, talk to me!" said the officer as she shook the Transmutant. Rodan allowed one single tear to roll down his cheek and onto the ground.
'It was my fault,' thought Rodan. He closed his eyes, drifting out of consciousness.



Inside of the abandoned building, Koizumi walked up the stairs in silence. Due to the fact that the elevators had been sabotaged or destroyed, he was forced to climb the stairs. The mercenary stopped as he looked back to Inoue's frightened face as she fell. The image had seared itself into his mind. Koizumi shook the thought off.
"I told that idiot not to get involved. I could've handled this myself. She's still just a kid," said Koizumi as he shook his head. He began to walk up the steps. Through experience, many comrades had been lost as he fought alongside them. Most of them, he never really knew or gave a damn about knowing them. The mercenary was battle hardened and did whatever it took to get the job done. No loss of comrades was enough to slow him down. It was their decision to fight; therefore he could not harbor any guilt or despair.
Koizumi continued to walk up the stairs as he looked at his tracking device. Only several more enemies lied nearby. As Koizumi continued to walk, Inoue's face kept flashing in his mind. Her saw her scowl, her smile, her angry expression, and her annoyed expression. The last two expressions were very amusing for him to see. He always enjoyed teasing the young soldier, but then her fearful expression played back in his mind. Koizumi grunted in annoyance as he shook his head.
"What the hell is wrong with me?" Koizumi muttered to himself. He felt himself growing stressful, anxious, and angry. Koizumi felt his chest as he felt his heart pound heavily.
"Why am I feeling this way? It was her decision to come," said Koizumi. He found a door leading to the floor that he was meant to find. Koizumi opened it and pulled out his pistols. As he walked through, his mind wandered.
'I wonder if Shou got her to a hospital. Ah, what the hell am I worrying about that?' thought Koizumi. He raised his pistol as he shot a goon hiding in the corner. He fired more shots and took out any goon that attempted to attack him. Koizumi pulled the trigger again as he pointed it at a goon that came at him with a crow bar. It clicked, signaling that the clip was empty. Koizumi grunted as he was struck by the crowbar. His eyes widened in shock as he dropped to his knees.
'Normally I would react sooner. What the hell is going on?' thought Koizumi. He suddenly felt a blood thirsty urge take over him as he glared at the man that struck him. Koizumi sent his foot against the man's knee, causing it to snap. The goon cried out in agony as he fell back against the wall. Koizumi growled as he pointed his pistol at him.
"Daddy needs to express some rage," said Koizumi in a growling voice. He pulled the trigger and fired at the incapacitated goon. Koizumi stood back onto his feet as he turned forward and found two more goons rushing towards him. Koizumi reached for his swords on his back and pulled them out. He twirled his blades as he walked towards them. A goon rushed towards him with a baseball bat and swung it after the mercenary, but Koizumi stepped to the left and avoided the bat. He then thrust his right arm towards the goon and impaled him in his chest. Koizumi kicked him off and then charged towards the remaining goon. The two clashed swords, with Koizumi pushing him back. The mercenary yelled as he forced him back and used the blades as scissors against the goon's neck.
Koizumi's mind flashed back to Inoue's face, resorting in the mercenary to drop his swords next to his latest victim. He stared down at the ground as he raised his shaking hand.
'So it was just for the money? It wasn't anything more?!' Inoue's voice echoed in his mind. The mercenary growled as he shook his head.
"No, you are not going to guilt trip me Inoue!" shouted Koizumi. He stood up to his feet and picked up his katanas. He was breathing heavily as he staggered through the halls. He glanced at the tracker, finding his destination to be near.
"Yes, I fight for money. I hunt people down like animals and kill them," said Koizumi as he walked through the halls.
"I'm not kind like Yasu. I'm not some noble warrior like Yoshi, and I'm fine with that!" spat Koizumi. He cut down a goon that came at him from the corner.
"I'm good at what I do! I embrace it!" shouted Koizumi as he burst through a door, finding several goons. He breathed heavily as he chuckled.
"I am Kirā Koizumi. This is who I am!!" shouted Koizumi. He gave a war cry as he charged towards the goons that charged at him as well. A few bore bows and arrows. Two of them fired their arrows. Koizumi sliced one in half but was struck in the shoulder by the other. He grunted but pressed on. Koizumi leapt into the air as he brought his blades down on the first man that was before him.
The sound of agonized cries filled the halls. Blood splattered on the walls and floors. Blades whizzed through the air and clashed with other blades. Koizumi's cries echoed in the dark halls of the abandoned building. Soon, the fighting stopped and the cries died down. Koizumi emerged from the room dragging a large chest with a gem embedded in it. He brought it out to the hall and knelt before it. Koizumi found the lock to be broken and opened the chest, finding golden bits to be piled up high. Koizumi merely stared at it with a blank expression. He reached inside the gold and fished for the desired item. He pulled out the tracker that he had given to his employer. It was a small, pill shaped device with a small, blue blinking light. Koizumi placed the tracker in his pouch and made his way to the other chests that were inside. The mercenary opened them all and looked inside each one. After a few minutes of digging, he came across a foreign item. He dug his hand deeper and grabbed the item and pulled it out of the chest filled with bits. The item was that of a golden dragon with an emerald green gem embedded into its chest. Koizumi hummed to himself as he stood up and found the chest to be much smaller than the others. He tapped the hand sized dragon statue, but the gem in its chest began to glow.  From the mouth came golden flames that flew towards the man's body. He gasped in surprise as the flames shot towards the arrow that was impeded in his shoulder. The arrow was magically yanked out of his shoulder and burst into golden ash. The wound was struck by the gold flames, which began to sear his wound shut. Koizumi stared at his healed shoulder in awe and then to the statue. Koizumi reached into his pouch and pulled out a folded piece of paper. It was part of the letter that he had received from his employer. However, this was hidden from Inoue.
"Yep. This is the artifact alright," said Koizumi. He shook his head as he closed and locked the chests up. The mercenary began to drag the chests out and found them all to bear inscriptions that gave the name of the banks that they belonged to.
"The cops should be returning these when they find them," said Koizumi. He then looked at the dragon statue in his hand with a scowl.
"You better be worth a lot of trouble," said Koizumi.




Two hours later...

Rodan was sitting on a chair next to a bed, where Inoue lied. The two were currently inside of a hospital room. The Transmutant covered in bandages as he sat with a hospital gown on. The humans had brought him here when he had passed out. Currently, Rodan was still in a bit of pain. However, he did not want to remain in bed. The young Transmutant looked over Inoue as she slept. The heart monitor beeped in the room, breaking the silence. Rodan took the young woman's hand and held it firmly. He lowered his head as he gritted his teeth.
"I'm sorry, Inoue. This is my fault," muttered Rodan. The sound of the door opening reached his ears. Rodan immediately turned around and found Koizumi standing in the door way. The mercenary was dressed in his off duty clothing. His expression was neutral as he stared at Rodan.
"How is she?" asked Koizumi.
"They said that she'll live. But she's going to have remain here for a while," said Rodan. Koizumi nodded to him and Rodan sighed as he turned back to look at Inoue with a frown.
"What's wrong kid? You saved her," said Koizumi. Rodan shook his head.
"No. I almost got her killed. I don't know what happened, but I had this weird reaction of power happen inside of me. I ended up blowing Inoue away into the elevator shaft," said Rodan as he placed his face into his hands.
"Yeah, it was kinda like that thing that Takeshi did. Is that something new?" asked Koizumi.
"I think so. But because of that, Inoue got hurt," said Rodan as he gave a sniffle. Koizumi looked at him with a raised brow.
"Are you crying?" asked Koizumi. Rodan gave a bitter chuckle.
"Lame, am I right? Oh, god," said Rodan as he shook his head. "When you guys told me that you needed to help, I was excited. I mean, I thought we'd come out as heroes doing this. But I treated this whole thing like a game. It ended up getting Inoue hurt, because I was careless," said Rodan. Koizumi sighed.
"Kid, don't beat yourself over what happened," said Koizumi as he made his way over to Rodan's side. He patted him on the shoulder. "Inoue's always been a stubborn girl. She's hardheaded, sensitive, and not the greatest in combat," said Koizumi. He stared at Inoue's resting face. "She knew that there would be risks taking a mission on like this. But she insisted. This is her fault for biting off more than she could chew."
"What about me?" asked Rodan.
"You do have a lot more to learn when it comes to stuff like this. But, what I saw today impressed me. You were willing to sacrifice yourself for your comrade. Something that a lot of people can respect," said Koizumi. Rodan shook his head.
"How do you do it? How can remain calm and collective about this?" asked Rodan.
"To be fair, I never really get attached to these guys. That might sound bad, but it's how I am. Besides, Inoue is tough," said Koizumi. He then patted Rodan again.
"You did good, kid. Since you admit that you saw this as a game and come to realization that it's not, I think that's a valuable lesson that you learned. Use that to help you think fast and smart in the heat of battle. That's what a leader does," said Koizumi.
"I'm not leader material. Goji and Mosu are those types," said Rodan as he waved his hand dismissively. Koizumi gave him a light smile.
"Neither am I. But that hasn't stopped me before," said Koizumi. Rodan glanced at him and then returned his smile with one his own.
"Are you well enough to go home?" asked Koizumi. Rodan popped his back.
"Yeah, just really sore," said Rodan. Koizumi reached into his pouch and handed him a small bag filled with bits.
"Here, buy yourself a ticket to Ponyville and head home. I'll look after Inoue for you," said Koizumi. Rodan looked at the door with reluctance.
"It's gonna be tough since they're expecting me to remain in the hospital," said Rodan.
"Just sneak out the window. Get dressed first," said Koizumi jokingly. Rodan chuckled in embarrassment as he got up and made his way over to the other bed in the room. He took the clothes that were folded on the shelf and rushed towards the bathroom. After a minute, Rodan emerged dressed up and made his way towards the window.
"I'll see you later, Koizumi," said Rodan. The mercenary nodded to him.
"Sure. See you, Shou," said Koizumi. Rodan opened the window and climbed out. He dropped down a few feet down to the ground and into the grass. He ran away from the hospital and down the road. Koizumi sighed as he made his way over towards the window and closed it. He then made his way back to the chair and near Inoue's bed and sighed as he watched her sleep.
"It's not as fun watching you sleep. I rather you send me a scowl or something," said Koizumi as he propped his head up by his hand on the arm of his chair. Inoue responded by breathing softly in bed. Koizumi raised a brow and slowly scooted closer to her side of the bed to watch her sleep. Her face was bruised and covered in bandages. She slightly shifted in bed as she crinkled her nose and turned her head to face Koizumi. The mercenary felt a small smile creep onto his face as he stared at her and brought a hand over her forehead to brush away the brunette locks out of her face. Inoue's face crinkled as she shifted in place. She suddenly grabbed Koizumi's arm and brought it close to her. Koizumi stumbled forward with a look of surprise. Inoue muttered in her sleep as she nuzzled Koizumi's arm. The mercenary raised a brow in response and sighed as he ruffled her hair with his free hand.
"Pleasant dreams, kid," said Koizumi as he pulled his arm away. He sat back in his seat as he watched over the young rebel.




Neigharah Falls

Junior panted as he carried a large sack filled with heavy stones over his back. He ran across the forest on the top plateau as Caesar and the fairies trailed near him at his side. Junior's body was drenched in sweat and his breathing was growing heavier.  Amber fluttered at his side.
"You can do it, Takeshi! You're almost back to the river!" said Amber, hoping to motivate the Transmutant.
"Yeah! For the fiftieth time!" said Junior with a look of annoyance. The group continued to make their way over down towards the river. Junior felt himself growing more tired by the minute as he grew closer. He wanted to collapse and pass out on the spot, but grunted instead as he picked up his speed. He shook off his thoughts of giving up and pressed on. As he reached the river, Junior dropped to his knees and dropped the stones on the ground. He fell forward onto his belly and began to wheeze. Caesar trotted over to his side with Amber landing next to him.
"You did it!" cried Amber.
"I guess," panted Junior. He wheezed as he weakly glanced at Caesar. The Shisa nodded in approval.
"Very good. Get some rest. I want to test your durability in a couple of hours," said Caesar. Junior nodded lamely.



The Sirens sat down in Fluttershy's cottage on the sofa. Around them were six other human girls and two of their Transmutant friends. There was an awkward silence that filled the room. Sonata scratched her neck as she felt the tense atmosphere forming in the room. The three were currently wearing sweat pants with t-shirts. The Element Bearers sent wary glances towards three of the Transmutant Four. Mosura gave them a reassuring smile. Twilight cleared her throat.
"So, Adagio Dazzle. You uh...you know our friends here?" asked Twilight.
"Well, we certainly wouldn't be here if we didn't," said Adagio. Rainbow rolled her eyes.
"I can probably think of a couple other reasons," Rainbow muttered to herself. Aria sent her a look of annoyance but chose not to address the comment.
"So uh...how's Gojira holding up?" asked Adagio as she directed her attention to Mosura.
"He's doing well. He's in Canterlot right now, so he won't be back for a couple of weeks," said Mosura. Adagio lightly frowned as she leaned back.
"Oh, well that's a shame. I was looking forward to seeing him again," said Adagio. Twilight raised a brow at Adagio's disappointed tone. She immediately shook off the thought. Fluttershy peaked out from Angirasu's side with a timid step.
"Um...Ms. Dazzle? I was wondering if you could answer a few questions for me?" asked Fluttershy.
"What would they be?" asked Adagio. Fluttershy's face brightened with curiosity that showed her thirst for knowledge.
"Have you ever seen a whale before? How big was it? Do you get to play with dolphins?!" asked Fluttershy with wide eyes. Adagio slightly recoiled back in surprise at how fast the questions came.
"Uh...Yes. It was pretty big. I have also played with Dolphins when I was little kid," answered Adagio.
"We still do!" said Sonata. Adagio looked away in embarrassment while Aria rolled her eyes.
"R-right," said Adagio. She didn't want to appear childish before these humans.
"That sounds wonderful!" said Fluttershy with bright eyes. Adagio cracked a small smile in response. This was interrupted as Pinkie shot from the crowd.
"But aren't there like scary monsters in the sea too? What about sharks, or dragons, or maybe even giant octopuses?!" exclaimed Pinkie. Rarity shuttered.
"Ugh. Just thinking of an octopus makes me sick. They're so...repulsive!" cried Rarity. Adagio lightly frowned as the conversation had suddenly steered towards the dangers of the sea. She was hoping that they would continue on with its beauty rather than the dangers that it had to offer.
"Oh, those aren't the only things you have to worry about!" said Sonata. The others turned to face her while Adagio's face turned to dread.
"There's also giant crab monsters, giant walruses, there's eel monsters, and there's even giant sharks!" said Sonata. Fluttershy's eyes widened as her face turned to dread.
"G-Giant sharks?" stuttered Fluttershy.
"O-Only in the deepest parts of the ocean!" said Adagio with a nervous smile. She then sent a glare towards Sonata.
"What?" asked Sonata with a shrug.
"Meh. Can't be any worse than Sirens sinking boats and the people on them," said Rainbow Dash as she crossed her arms. Angirasu and Twilight looked at her in disapproval while Applejack sent her a glare.
"Rainbow!" Applejack whispered in a scolding manner. The Sirens looked at Rainbow in offense. Adagio restrained herself from saying anything back, but Aria stood up from her sofa.
"Excuse me? You did not just say that," said Aria with venom in her tone. Rainbow looked at her nervously.
"Oh. Uh...I uh..."
"You what?" demanded Aria.
"Hey, I'm sorry! It just slipped out, you know? I didn't mean to offend you," said Rainbow as she waved her hands frantically. Aria scoffed as she crossed her arms.
"I swear, you land walkers are pathetic," said Aria.
"Hey! What do you got against land people?" asked Pinkie in offense. Adagio sighed as she shook her head.
"Aria, let it-"
"It's more of the fact that a lot of you are too damn paranoid to take a dip in the ocean because of the monsters that lurk underneath. Yet you all have your own monsters that fly or walk around!" said Aria.
"Yeah? Well...OK, you do have a point," said Rainbow as she rubbed the back of her neck.
"Yeah, and let's not mention the men in your society!" said Aria.
"Oh boy," said Sonata as she leaned against the sofa with a bored expression. The Element Bearers and Transmutants looked at her in confusion.
"Wait, what?" asked Mosura.
"When we were caught up in one of the towns around, we had to listen to a very unpleasant conversation about whose boobs were better than someone else's," said Aria with annoyance filling her tone. "God, the men on the surface are no better than the ones in the sea!"
"What's up with you guys on the surface and your obsession with women's breast? You notice how your entertainment and advertisements have a theme preoccupying them?" asked Aria. Everyone in the room remained silent. Adagio shook her head as she ran a hand over her face in exasperation while Aria glared Angirasu.
"I bet you're preoccupied with women's breasts, aren't you?" questioned Aria in a suspicious manner. Angirasu shrunk away as he looked at the Siren uncomfortably.
"I never really thought about them," said Angirasu in a small tone.
"So wait, are you mad at Rainbow Dash, people on land, or boys?" asked Pinkie in confusion. Aria sighed.
"I don't even know anymore. I just ended up ranting after the dangers of land and sea," said Aria with a scowl as she sat back down and crossed her arms. Twilight looked down in thought.
"Hmm. Guys obsessed with breasts," Twilight muttered to herself. She then looked down at her chest. The Elf thought back to the Transmutant as she inspected her own chest and frowned.
"I wonder..." Twilight crossed her arms with a disappointed expression. Mosura turned to look at Twilight in disbelief.
"Hey, I know what you're thinking! Don't let that thought bother you!" said Mosura in a scolding manner. Twilight blushed in embarrassment. Adagio cleared her throat.
"Listen, we understand why you all may be reluctant to trust us. Sirens don't exactly have a very charming reputation," said Adagio. She stood up to her feet with a firm expression. "But we came here to visit our friends. Not to start trouble,"
Mosura lightly smiled as she broke from the group. She made her way over to Adagio and wrapped an arm around her shoulder as she looked towards the humans.
"Come on, girls. I bet you'll love them! Put aside your worries of what they are like you did for us," said Mosura with a reassuring smile. Pinkie smiled as she made her way over to join the two.
"Do you like parties?" asked Pinkie.
"Uh...I don't have a problem with them," answered Adagio with a shrug. Pinkie smiled brightly.
"You're OK in my book!" said Pinkie as she patted Adagio on the shoulder. Rarity lightly smiled as she looked over the Sirens.
"Well, since you three will be here for a while, I suppose that I can make you three some clothes for you to wear," said Rarity. Adagio's curiosity peaked.
"You design clothes?" asked Adagio.
"Why, yes! I own my own boutique!" said Rarity with a prideful tone.
"I've...actually always kind of admired human's clothing," said Adagio with a small smile. Aria scoffed.
"No you didn't! You use to think they looked ridiculous years ago!" said Aria. Adagio turned around and sent her a glare while Rarity looked at Adagio in confusion. The curly haired Siren turned around with a forced smile.
"That was before I knew people on the surface thought it was shameful to be naked, especially in the waist down," said Adagio. Aria snorted.
"Yeah, which was only a few months ago," Aria muttered under her breath.
"Oh, well since it will be your first time shopping for clothes, we might be able to find something that you may like!" said Rarity.
"Oh! Oh! Are we going to be in town shopping?!" asked Sonata with an eager expression.
"Well of course! There is nowhere else we could possibly go to shop for clothes," said Rarity in amusements. Mosura made her way over to the Elf's side.
"I'll help! Maybe I can count on another girl's opinion rather than Goji's. He was hardly helpful when we had to shop for clothes for them before," said Mosura. Twilight stepped forward.
"I'll come to. I've been meaning to get new clothes," said Twilight. Rarity smiled.
"Excellent! Let's get going!" said Rarity as she took her purse and began to walk out the door. The Sirens, Twilight and Mosura all trailed after the Elf and out the door. Angirasu sighed as he stretched his arm.
"Well, I guess that worked out fine. What do you girls think?" asked Angirasu.
"I wonder if they can talk to fish," said Fluttershy with a curious expression. Applejack stood with their arms crossed.
"Well, I gotta say. They seem to be an alright bunch. They don't seem bad," said Applejack. Rainbow leaned against the wall.
"Hmm. Cream puff hair seems sincere. But I got my eye on them. I hear how Sirens hypnotize guys. You better watch yourself, Aang," said Rainbow as she glanced at the Transmutant. The Transmutant shook his head.
"No, they won't do that," said Angirasu with an amused smile. Rainbow sighed to herself.
"Well, I guess I'll just head home. If you see Rodan, let him know that I'll be taking a nap at my place," said Rainbow as she began to walk to the door. Angirasu nodded to her.
"Sure. Have a good day," said Angirasu. The Valkyrie opened the door and closed it. She then took off into the air and flew away. As the Valkyrie soared through the air, she turned towards the direction of her home, but her eye caught a familiar sight. Just several feet below, she saw Rodan slowly walking towards the Everfree forest. She smiled to herself as she picked up her speed and slammed into the Transmutant.
"Oof!" Rodan and Rainbow Dash tumbled across the grass a couple of feet. Rainbow Dash landed on top of the Transmutant, pinning him to the ground. She shook off her disorientation and found Rodan looking at her in surprise.
"Hey there," said Rainbow. Rodan lightly smiled.
"Hey, Dashie," greeted Rodan. Rainbow stood up from the Transmutant and helped him back onto his feet.
"Sorry about that. I guess I should've hit the brakes sooner, eh?" Rainbow chuckled.
"Nah. Accidents...happen," said Rodan as he bore a small frown. Today's earlier events played through his mind. Rainbow caught this and his half-hearted response.
"Hey, what's wrong?" asked Rainbow in worry. Rodan shook his head as he turned away.
"It's nothing. Sorry, I gotta get home," said Rodan as he began to walk away. Rainbow immediately grabbed his arm and pulled him towards her.
"Why not head over to my place? I'm actually on a break today," said Rainbow. Rodan nodded in reluctance.
"I guess," said Rodan. Rainbow smiled. She then playfully punched him in his chest.
"Twilight hit you with that spell that can let you walk on clouds didn't she?" asked Rainbow.
"Yeah," answered Rodan. Rainbow nodded in approval.
"Good! Wouldn't want ya falling out of my house," said Rainbow as she began to lead Rodan across the area.



Rodan sat down next to Rainbow Dash in silence. The two were currently sitting on her couch that sat in her home at the second floor of the tower. The house itself stood on a large clump of clouds that gave off rainbows. Two pools of rainbow fountains sat outside of the house and rained down onto the ground below. The living room on the second floor was circular, where a staircase was located on the side. A closet door was beneath the stair case and a couple of posters of the Wonderbolts stuck to the walls. The couple was locked in silence. Rainbow glanced at Rodan as he bore a frown.
"Dude, I know something is bothering you. You were fine a few hours ago! What happened?" asked Rainbow. Rodan sighed as he leaned back on the couch.
"I messed up Dash. One of the rebels was almost killed today," said Rodan. Rainbow turned to face him with a look of worry.
"What happened? What do you mean you messed up?" asked Rainbow. Rodan looked down at his hand.
"I don't know exactly. But I guess I'm gaining a new power. We were caught fighting some guys in this building. Then I ended up moving crazy fast, but I put one of the rebels in danger and she fell down an elevator shaft," said Rodan as he placed a hand on his face. He gritted his teeth as his mind replayed Inoue pleading to him not to drop her. Rainbow's eyes widened.
"If I hadn't treated the whole thing like a game and been more careful, she wouldn't be in the hospital right now," said Rodan. Rainbow Dash scooted closer to the Transmutant and wrapped an arm around him.
"Hey, come on. You can't take all the blame," said Rainbow.
"Why not? I wasn't careful with my abilities! She could have-" Rodan stopped as Rainbow took his face into her hands. She gave him a hard stare.
"Well, she didn't! And you should be thankful that she's still alive!" said Rainbow in a harsh tone. Rodan looked away with a frown. Rainbow sighed.
"You guys at least accomplished what you were doing, right?" asked Rainbow. Rodan lamely nodded.
"Yeah," said Rodan.
"Well, then what other reason is there to be upset about?" asked Rainbow.
"It's like you said. We all make mistakes," said Rainbow as she gave the Transmutant a light smile and pressed her forehead against his own.
"Ease up on yourself a bit. You'll never get better if you're too hard on yourself," said Rainbow. Rodan smiled to himself. The two locked lips together in a kiss. As they broke it, Rodan nodded to her.
"Alright. Thanks, Rainbow," said Rodan. Rainbow smirked to herself.
"Hey, I'm just making sure that my favorite guy doesn't become all gloom and doom," said Rainbow with a chuckle.
"Heh. Thanks a lot," said Rodan as he ran a hand over her hair, moving strands of hair from her face. Rainbow blushed as she scooted closer to Rodan. The Valkyrie wrapped her arms around his neck and pinned him down on the couch. Her heart pounded in her chest as did Rodan's.
"So uh...what do you feel like doing?" asked Rainbow as she shyly looked away. Rodan cleared his throat. He suddenly felt his hormones raging inside of his body. The Kaiju side to him threatened to take over, forcing him into a ridiculous mating dance. But, the Transmutant kept himself composed.
"I don't really feel like doing anything today. Why don't we just chill?" suggested Rodan with a shrug. He was beginning to sweat from his nervous mood. Rainbow leaned closer to him as she gave him a seductive look.
"I was thinking of doing something else," said Rainbow as she licked Rodan's cheek. The Transmutant blushed furiously as he took in her scent, driving him insane.
"I uh..." Rodan was unable to respond due to his flustered state. Rainbow laughed as she raised herself up.
"Psych! I got you good, didn't I?" laughed Rainbow. Rodan scowled in response. He crossed his arms as he turned his head away on the couch.
"Yeah, very funny," said Rodan.
"Aw, don't be like that," said Rainbow with a bemused smile. She laid back down on Rodan's chest and snuggled against him with her wings folded behind her back. She then lightly blushed as she thought back on her teasing. Despite it being for fun, she caught herself actually thinking about the act. She bit her thumb as her blush increased.
'I should keep that to myself,' thought Rainbow. Rodan wrapped an arm around the Valkyrie and brought her close. The two lied down in silence, both lost in their own thoughts.




Meanwhile...

The streets of Ponyville were filled today with the citizens. People were bundled up in sweaters for the cold weather that was approaching fast. Rarity, Twilight, Mosura and the Sirens all strolled together through the town. Sonata stared all around with wide eyes.
"Wow! So, women here don't need a man to escort them out in public?" asked Sonata in surprise.
"Nope. Different culture, Sonata," answered Mosura with a smile. She watched as Sonata stared in fascination.
"Oh, wow! Look at all of these neat clothes that people are wearing!" said Sonata as she pointed to a few women that passed by. Aria looked around in curiosity as she noticed some of the women wearing jeans.
"Hmm. And here I thought guys only wore pants," said Aria in surprise. Adagio looked around as she found a young woman strolling by. Her interest peaked as she saw the clothes that exposed the skin of the legs. She caught a few men whistling at the woman, who responded with a flirty wave. Adagio rubbed her chin in thought.
"Tell me, do your race's males find legs attractive from the opposite sex?" asked Adagio as she turned to face Rarity. The Elf looked at her coyly.
"Oh, my. I don't suppose that you may be trying to wear something that may attract a bit of attention, would you?" asked Rarity.
"Maybe," said Adagio with a shrug. She chuckled to herself. "I always kind of liked teasing a guy sometimes."
"Hmm. Well, I can tell you that some men definitely find them attractive. There are a number of ways you can attract their attention, which is based on what your wearing, and whether your legs are bare or not," said Rarity as she and the other girls walked towards an establishment.
"Bare or not?" asked Adagio in confusion. Rarity nodded.
"Yes. For example, some men prefer a lady's legs when they're exposed! See that woman over there?" asked Rarity as she pointed towards a young woman at the far end of the store. She was wearing a pair of tennis shoes with denim shorts that exposed her legs.
"Yeah," answered Adagio.
"Some men just love to see a lady's exposed legs. Shorts are the way to go if that is your goal. But, you may want to make sure that any hair on your legs blend enough with your skin. Otherwise, you may have to shave," said Rarity teasingly. Adagio nodded.
"I think we're fine," said Adagio.
"Right. Now, for covered legs, this can work both ways. One, a man may be able to see how toned your legs are if you wear a pair of skinny jeans. If that's not your style or you just feel like going with another look, you can always go with a pair of tights or leggings," said Rarity as she stopped and reached down to her leg. She gently pulled on her brown tights while the Sirens looked in curiosity.
"Now, not every man likes tights, but there are some that do. I wear them since they're classy and just feel wonderful! Men who like a woman in tights especially like to feel them when they're worn by her. But don't let him feel them unless he's your special somebody~" said Rarity with a wink. Adagio smiled in amusement.
"There are different styles of tights or leggings that you can wear. This includes colors. But you should make sure that what your shirt doesn’t clash with your leg wear," said Rarity. Adagio nodded to her as she gave her a smile.
"OK, thank you. That was all quite informative," said Adagio. Twilight looked down in thought as she began to ponder her clothing choice. Mosura found her to be deep in thought.
"What's up, Twilight?" asked Mosura.
"I wonder if he finds my legs attractive," Twilight muttered to herself. Mosura's eyes widened.
"P-Pardon?" asked Mosura, wondering if she misheard Twilight. The Elf blushed in embarrassment.
"Huh?! Nothing! Nothing!" said Twilight with a nervous laugh. Mosura lamely smiled.
"Right," said Mosura. The group continued on through the store. The Sirens looked over the clothes nearby as they processed what Rarity has been telling them in regard of fashion choice. Meanwhile, Mosura and Twilight were looking over clothing.
"Ooh! This winter coat is pretty cute!" said Mosura as she held up a tan coat. She turned her head to Twilight.
"Hey, what do you think of..." Mosura's voice trailed off as she caught Twilight staring off to space.
"Twilight? Hellooo~" called Mosura as she waved her hand in front of the Elf's face. Twilight shook her head and glanced at Mosura.
"Huh?"
"I...wanted to know what you thought of this coat," said Mosura as she held it up.
"Oh. Yeah, it looks really nice!" said Twilight with a smile. Her eyes wandered off to the side towards another section of the store. Mosura held the coat at her side as she began to look through the rack.
"So, what is it that you wanted to buy?" asked Mosura as she continued to look at the coats. After several seconds, Twilight did not answer. Mosura raised a brow in confusion and turned around.
"Twilight?" called Mosura. The Elf was missing from where she was standing. Confused, Mosura continued to check her surroundings. The Transmutant placed a hand on her hip as she looked around.
"Where did she run off to?" Mosura asked herself. She caught the petite Elf standing at the other end of the store. Mosura rushed over to join her and stopped as she found what Twilight was looking over. The Elf was standing in front of a stand with four mannequins with a feminine build…wearing lingerie. Mosura's eyes widened as she caught Twilight looking over one mannequin in particular. Twilight blushed to herself as she held her hand under her chin.
"I wonder if he'd like it," said Twilight to herself, unaware of Mosura's presence. The Transmutant cupped her mouth with a hand as her face broke into a blush.
"Twi-Twilight?" called Mosura.
"Eek!" cried Twilight as she immediately turned around with a look of embarrassment. The two stared at each other with wide eyes.
"I-I uh...I was just looking!" said Twilight as she waved her hands defensively.
"No you weren't. You were actually thinking of buying it!" said Mosura with a look of shock. Twilight was about to retort, but remembered that Mosura already knew what she was thinking. Twilight moaned as she hid her face in shame.
"OK, maybe I was considering it," muttered Twilight. She sighed.
"I just...thought maybe it would be something that he'd like. Boys like it when their girlfriends dress like this, right?" asked Twilight.
"Uh...this is more for the bedroom, not outdoors," said Mosura as she glanced at the mannequin. Twilight moaned as she hid her face.
"Ugh!" said Twilight. Mosura looked at Twilight worriedly.
"Hey, what's wrong?" asked Mosura.
"I don't know. I've been trying to figure out what I can do to please Gojira, but I can't seem to figure out the best way. I thought that maybe..." Twilight twirled her finger in the locks of hair that hung by the side of her hair as she looked away. Mosura shook her head.
"Twilight, don't try so hard to please him. What you're thinking is not the way either. Just, be yourself! That's what he likes about you," said Mosura with a reassuring smile. Twilight looked back at Mosura.
"You really think so?" asked Twilight. Mosura nodded.
"Definitely!" said Mosura. Twilight lightly smiled.
"Alright, thanks Mosura," said Twilight. "Can I ask you something?"
"Sure!" said Mosura. Twilight looked away shyly.
"Do you know...what Gojira is into? Just for future reference?" asked Twilight. Mosura's face turned to embarrassment.
"I..." Mosura looked away. She then gave Twilight a forced smile. "Maybe I can tell you a thing or two that I accidentally found out when reading his mind one time. But don't tell anyone that I told you! This stays between us!"
"My lips are sealed. Just don't tell anyone what I was doing here," said Twilight. Mosura nodded.
"Deal," said Mosura as the two shook hands.




Meanwhile...

"Achoo!" Junior sneezed loudly. The Transmutant sniffled as he rubbed his nose. He sat on the ground beside Amber. The fairy glanced at him.
"Bless you. Hey, that's like the twelfth time that you sneezed like that. Are you catching a cold?" asked Amber. Junior sniffled.
"No, that's impossible. I can't get sick since I have a superior immune system compared to humans. Someone must be talking about me," said Junior as he rubbed his nose.
"Ah," said Amber. The Transmutant stood up to his feet as he locked eyes with Caesar.
"Are you ready, Junior? I will not hold back against you. We must push you to your limit in your human state for your durability," said Caesar. Junior popped his neck.
"I'm ready. Come at me with everything that you got," said Junior. Caesar nodded. He broke off into a sprint on all fours. Junior charged as well and made his way towards the Shisa. Caesar roared as he pounced towards Junior, who slid under him. As Junior slid behind the Shisa, he turned and grabbed his tail. With a grunt, Junior swung the Shisa away and threw him towards a tree. Caesar collided against the tree and grunted in pain. He stood back up onto his four legs and narrowed his red eyes at the young Transmutant. Junior charged towards Caesar as he reared his fist back. The Shisa leapt forward and landed a few feet closer to the Transmutant and then swung his tail. Junior staggered back as the tail struck him, causing him to stumble. Amber and the other fairies took off into the air as the Transmutant nearly stepped on them. They made their way over to the trees and continued to watch the spar.
"How are you feeling, child?" asked Caesar as he stood up onto his hind legs and charged towards the Transmutant. Junior's eyes widened as the Shisa swung his sharp claws at him. Junior rolled away and then punched into Caesar's side. The Shisa staggered and forced his hind paw against Junior's chest. Junior's eyes widened as he felt a tremendous force rattle his bones and send him rolling several feet way. His body caused stones and dirt to be kicked up into the air as they clumped to his body. The Transmutant rolled to a stop, coughing as he clutched his chest. He raised himself and narrowed his eyes as he found Caesar dropping down on him in a pounce. Junior got up and rammed himself against Caesar as he came closer, tackling the Shisa down onto the ground. The Transmutant sent several powerful punches against the Shisa, but Caesar caught Junior's fist and then forced his arm to the side, pulling Junior to the ground. Caesar then stood up and slammed Junior onto the ground multiple times before tossing him into the air and leaping after him. Caesar reared his hind leg back and performed a round house kick against Junior, sending him towards another tree. Junior cried out in pain as he flew across the area. Amber gasped as she watched the Transmutant slam into a tree, snapping it in half and causing it to fall over.
"Takeshi!" Amber cried out in horror. She fluttered her wings after the Transmutant landed somewhere in the woods. Caesar's face took on a look of worry. He dropped onto all fours and sprinted towards the Transmutant.
Amber flew towards the fallen tree and found Junior lying on the ground in pain. She landed next to his head.
"Takeshi! Are you alright?!" exclaimed Amber as she patted her front legs on his hand. Junior coughed as he staggered up, shaking off any dirt and bark that was on him.
"Yeah. I'm fine," answered Junior. He found Caesar approaching, causing him to look on in annoyance.
"Hey, what gives?" asked Junior.
"I apologize, Junior. I've gotten carried away," said Caesar as he lowered his head. Junior sighed.
"Well, I'm fine now. Let's get back to it," said Junior. The Shisa looked at him in surprise while Amber turned to face him in alarm.
"Are you out of your mind?! You're lucky that nothing is broken! Don't keep fighting him like this! At least transform!" said Amber. Caesar shook his head.
"No, we must test his limit in his physical durability in order for him to get used the power granted by the spirit essence. Otherwise, his body could be destroyed," said Caesar. Junior gulped nervously.
"Well, let's not keep wasting time. Back to it," said Junior. Amber looked at Junior in disbelief.
"But-" Amber was interrupted as Junior charged towards Caesar and tackled him. Amber yelped as the Transmutant was kicked off of the Shisa and nearly landed on her. She flew into the air and groaned in annoyance.
"Boys!" said Amber in exasperation. She watched in worry as Junior sent a punch towards Caesar but was countered by a punch by Caesar's own fist. He was forced against a tree that shook from the force. Junior flared his nostrils as he gave an animalistic growl. Caesar stood up on his hind legs and rushed towards Junior. He sent a punch towards the Transmutant, who side stepped away from the fist. The tree was smashed and forced down to the ground from the punch. Junior then rushed towards Caesar and jumped into the air. He brought his fist down and knocked the Shisa to the ground. Caesar shook his head, but grunted as he felt his ears pulled on. Junior was sitting on his back as he pulled his ears. Caesar roared as he stood up and rolled along the ground, crushing Junior underneath.
"Shit you're heavy!" said Junior in a muffled voice. Caesar rolled back and grabbed Junior by his head. He slammed the Transmutant on the ground and then threw him against another tree. Junior dropped to his knees and panted.
"I'm impressed. You have managed to last longer in your human form than I anticipated," said Caesar as he charged towards the Transmutant. Junior narrowed his eyes as he charged towards Caesar. He blocked several strong punches from the Shisa that made his arms ache and caused him to stagger from the force. Junior grunted as he sent another punch towards Caesar. The Shisa grunted in pain as he felt a tremendous force send him back towards a tree. He panted as he felt his sore chest. He looked to Junior and found his eyes to be glowing neon blue.
"Hmm. Your power is growing. You're able to stand up to a creature that holds strength greater than men. But, let's see how much pain your human body can handle," said Caesar. His eyes flashed red as he lunged towards Junior. The Transmutant rolled out of the way and sent a punch towards the Shisa but Caesar blocked it. Around the two, the ground cracked as a small shockwave formed. Amber yelped as she was pushed back by the force. Caesar punched Junior's gut with tremendous force, causing the Transmutant to cough up blood. As he struggled to breathe, Caesar kicked him away, knocking him to the ground. He then charged towards Junior and stomped on him. Junior grunted in pain as bruises formed all over him from the attacks. He growled as he caught Caesar's hind paw and pushed it away. Caesar stepped back and delivered several strong punches into Junior's body, who grew tired from the assault that was taking a toll on his body. Junior shook off the thoughts of giving up and kicked his feet up and into Caesar's gut, sending him back. Junior stood up as he growled, his eyes glowing as he stomped over towards Caesar and threw stronger punches against him, causing the Shisa to grunt and stagger in pain. Junior then responded with quick kicks and an uppercut, making Caesar fall backwards. He grunted as he slammed his paw onto the ground, causing it dirt to fly up. He stood up and rammed himself at Junior's body.
"Now I know you can handle this!" said Caesar as he swiped his claws at the Transmutant. Junior cried out in pain as his chest was cut by the sharp claws, exposing the scar that ran across his chest. Caesar then proceeded to send numerous punches against Junior’s head. Amber watched as Junior took the punches and flinched every time they connected and his head rocked back.
"Caesar! I think he's had enough!" cried Amber, wanting to stop the conflict. She whimpered as she watched Junior continued to take the hits, not fighting back. The fairy hated seeing him so helpless.
"Caesar, stop! You're gonna kill him!" screamed Amber. Junior caught the next fist that came at him and then caught the other. He growled as his eyes glowed brighter. Amber gasped as she watched him rise himself up.
"No, he's not," said Junior. He opened his mouth as wide as he could, the back of his throat illuminated with a neon blue light. He spewed his atomic breath towards Caesar, causing him to roar in pain as he staggered back. As the Shisa shielded his face, Junior closed his mouth and stood up to his feet. He rushed towards the Shisa and leapt towards him. Caesar lowered his arm and opened one eye to catch the Transmutant in his line of sight. His eye flashed as it fired a beam of neon blue and violet energy. Junior caught the beam in his chest and cried out in agony as he was forced against the tree. Amber watched in horror as Junior's flesh on his chest turned pink from the burns. Caesar opened his second eye and proceeded to fire a beam through that eye as well. Junior was blasted through the tree and towards another one before falling to the ground. He moaned in pain as he lied down on his side. Caesar trotted over towards the Transmutant while Amber watched on in worry. Junior hardened his eyes as he slammed his fist onto the ground. He stood up to his feet and tore his ragged shirt off, revealing his burned and scarred chest. The bleeding cuts on his chest were cauterized by the hot beams that struck him. Junior popped his neck and shook his head to rid of its stiffness. He growled as he tensed his muscles. Caesar stood in silence.
"I...I can still fight. Let's keep going until one of us passes out!" said Junior as he got into a fighting position. Amber gasped as she heard this. The fairy took off from the tree branch that she was perched on and flew towards Junior.
"No! No more!" shouted Amber. Junior turned to Amber in confusion while Caesar glanced at her.
"What?" asked Junior. Amber landed down on the ground in front of him and looked up.
"You are not going to fight for the rest of the day! You're too hurt to keep going!" said Amber. Junior rolled his eyes.
"Amber, I'm fine. Caesar, let's keep-" Junior was interrupted as Amber flew up to him and bit down on his hand. Junior cried out in pain and looked at Amber with a glare.
"You are not fighting!!" shouted Amber. Junior slightly recoiled from her tone. Amber panted as she glared at the Transmutant. Junior sent her a look of annoyance.
"Yes I am. There's nothing that you can say that's going to change that," said Junior. He spoke in a calm tone against Amber's louder tone.
"You idiot! If you keep this up, you're going to be seriously hurt!" said Amber.
"Amber, if I don't push myself, how am I going to control my power?" asked Junior. He looked at his fist that was engulfed in a neon blue, flame-like aura. "If I don't learn how to control this, I might get those closest to me killed. I might even end up killing myself with this power. I won't let that happen."
"Takeshi, are you certain that you can keep going?" asked Caesar. Junior nodded to him as he gave him a hard stare.
"Yeah. It's gonna take a lot more to put me down," said Junior. Caesar nodded in understanding.
"Very well. We shall continue a bit longer," said Caesar. Amber looked at him in disbelief.
"No! Caesar, you can't-" Amber was interrupted as Junior grabbed her from her airborne state. She flailed her legs as she grunted in Junior's hold.
"Takeshi, let me go! What are you doing?!" demanded Amber. Junior sighed as he walked with her.
"You're distracting me right now. I want to be undisturbed," said Junior in a neutral tone. Amber looked at him from a brief second before she struggled once again in his hold.
"Why won't you listen to me?! I'm just trying to help you!" cried Amber. Junior didn't answer as he continued to walk with her. He brought her over to the other fairies and sat her down. Amber growled in annoyance as she kicked her feet on his arm. Junior grabbed her feet and held them firmly, carefully avoiding not to crush them.
"You can help me by trusting me. I have to do this. If I get seriously injured, then you can give me all the shit you want. OK?" asked Junior. Amber stopped fighting him and remained still. Her antennae lowered and she sighed.
"You're such an idiot. You always act tough," said Amber. Junior smiled in amusement as he patted her head.
"It's just how I'm able to press on. I know I have limits, but I haven't reached them right now," said Junior as he scratched her head. Amber sadly watched as the burns on his chest slowly showed signs of peeling.
"Fine. Go get beaten up," said Amber with a huff. She turned away from the Transmutant and planted herself on the rocks.
"Hey, what's with the attitude?" asked Junior.
"I don't want to talk to you right now. Go away," said Amber.
"Amber, come on," said Junior as he knelt before her. The other fairies turned their attention to Junior.
"It's not a good idea to bother a girl when she's upset," said one of the fairies.
"Yes, it is your fault. Idiot," said another fairy with a tone that gave away her disapproval. Junior looked at the fairies in annoyance and then sighed.
"Whatever," said Junior as he stood up to his feet. He walked away but then looked at Amber with a glance and a light frown.




Later that night...

Nightfall. Junior sighed as he lied down in the grass with his body covered in cuts and bruises. He felt sore all over his body from the sparring and the training. He had lasted thirty minutes against the Shisa in his human form. After their break, the two fought when Junior transformed for almost an hour. The Transmutant turned his head and found Caesar licking the scratches on his foreleg. The fire that was built in between them gave off a soft glow and warmth. Junior smiled in amusement.
"I gotta say, I never fought so long. I'm exhausted," said Junior. Caesar chuckled.
"Yes, but I wish for you to train with me for a couple of days, just to help you learn how to avoid summoning your powers unintentionally," said Caesar. Junior nodded.
"OK," said Junior. Caesar glanced at the Transmutant and made his way over to him with a glowing paw. Junior looked at him in confusion.
"Hold still. This will help you sleep tonight," said Caesar. Junior nodded in reluctance. Caesar pressed his claw against Junior's forehead, causing a tingling feeling in the same spot. Caesar removed his paw as the Transmutant felt a calm feeling over him. He yawned to himself as he shifted in the grass. Caesar nodded in approval and walked away and towards his own pile of leaves. Caesar lied down as a few fairies fluttered down and snuggled against him. Junior stared up at the night sky and the stars. He sighed as he waited to sleep. He turned and found Amber sitting alone on a low tree branch. Junior stood up and began to walk over to her branch.
"Amber?" called Junior. The fairy turned to glance at Junior, not saying a word. "Are you coming to bed? You can sleep on my chest again if you'd like."
"No, thanks. I'm fine up here," answered Amber. Junior sighed.
"Amber, why are you mad?" asked Junior.
"Are you seriously asking me that?!" asked Amber in annoyance. Junior scowled at her.
"Fine, I'll guess! Is this about me pushing myself today?" asked Junior in exasperation.
"Yes!" said Amber. She fluttered down towards him and got in his face. "Why did you keep blowing me off?! Do my opinions not matter to you?!"
"It's not that they didn't matter! It's that I had enough strength to keep going!" retorted Junior.
"You kept getting hurt!" said Amber.
"I get hurt all the time!" said Junior in annoyance. Amber groaned in frustration.
"You're...ugh! I just wish you'd listen to what I have to say!" said Amber.
"Amber, I do listen to you!" said Junior. Amber kicked her leg against Junior's nose, causing him to flinch. He scratched it as he looked at her in annoyance. Amber landed on the ground and turned away.
"I was afraid for you, Takeshi," said Amber in a small tone. Junior looked down at her in surprise as the fairy avoided eye contact. "I've never seen you fight before. I never knew how much pain you could take. It scared me because I thought...you would have died."
The fairy turned back to Junior and looked at him with her antennae low.
"You're the first friend that I've ever had. I didn't want to lose you," said Amber in a sad tone. Junior frowned and lowered himself down to scoop the fairy into his arms.
"Don't be silly. I've been in worst scraps than this," said Junior in a reassuring tone. He gently scratched Amber's head affectionately. Amber leaned her head against his arm. "I'm sorry that I hurt you. But you underestimate me."
"Yeah, I guess I did. I guess I'm becoming too attached to you," said Amber.
"Nah. It's like you said, I'm your first friend. I guess it's natural that you'd freak out if I was getting hurt," said Junior. Junior walked back over towards a pile of leaves and lied down with Amber. He placed her next to his head and gave her one last scratch. Amber snuggled next to him as she curled her legs in.
"Goodnight, Ta...Gojira," said Amber as she kept her glowing blue eyes on the Transmutant. Junior lightly smiled and leaned in to give her a small kiss on her head. Amber lightly giggled as her antennae twitched.
"Good night, Amber," said Junior. He lied back and closed his eyes. The Transmutant soon began to drift off to sleep.
	
> Chapter 53: Clan Feud
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

An eerie silence filled the air. The area was locked in darkness, with only the moon giving a faint light. Junior wandered through a dead forest, passing through the fog that hung in the air. The Transmutant looked around with an anxious expression.
"Where am I?" asked Junior. He searched the area more thoroughly, but was unable to find any familiarity with the place. Junior cupped his hands over his mouth as he took a deep breath.
"Amber! Caesar!" called Junior. His voice echoed in the night, slowly fading away out of his hearing. Junior grunted as he continued to walk through the dirt. The sound of heavy footsteps filled his hearing, causing Junior to stop dead in his tracks. He glanced to his side as he heard the footsteps getting closer. Junior hardened his eyes as he caught a familiar sent.
"You," growled Junior. He immediately turned around and found Destoroyah charging towards him. The larger Transmutant gave a savage yell as he charged towards Junior. The younger Transmutant yelled as he charged towards Destoroyah and slammed against him. The earth around them rocked as they collided. Destoroyah roared as he swiped his claws at Junior, but he missed as Junior ducked under. Junior sent a punch against Destoroyah's chest and sent him flying towards a tree. Destoroyah grunted as he skidded to a halt. Junior yelled angrily as he came crashing down towards the Transmutant from the air. Junior sent fast and powerful punches against Destoroyah.
"I'm gonna kill you!" shouted Junior as he continued to punch Destoroyah. He then opened his mouth as the back of his throat began to glow. He spewed his atomic breath against Destoroyah, causing him to wail in agony. Destoroyah kicked Junior away, forcing him towards a tree. Junior growled as he skidded to a halt and broke off into a charge towards his hated nemesis as he tensed his muscles. As Destoroyah stood back to his feet, Junior sent a strong kick against his knee, causing it to dislocate. Destoroyah cried out in pain as he dropped to the ground. Junior placed Destoroyah into a headlock and growled like a beast. With one quick twist with all of his strength, a sickening crack filled the air. Junior smiled to himself as he heard the sweet sound of his enemy's demise. He then began to pull on Destoroyah's head as he continued to twist. The sound of tearing and splattering could be heard as Junior stumbled back. Junior panted as he tossed the head away in the dirt. Junior watched as Destoroyah's headless body fell over in the dirt, covered in a yellowish liquid. Junior fell back onto his rear and panted.
"I did it. I finally got you. I hope you burn for what you've done to me," said Junior in a low and growling tone. His peripheral vision caught movement from where Destoroyah's body lied. He turned and his eyes widened as he found the headless body rising onto its knees. From where Destoroyah's head once sat, Junior could see something beginning to form. He took light breaths as he watched the form sculpted itself into a head. Junior's eyes widened in horror as he saw the head that had replaced Destoroyah's old head.
"Oh, my god," said Junior in shock. He was staring at a human head that bore his own likeness. Junior panted as the head that was attached to Destoroyah's body began to open its eyes, revealing hellish red and yellow eyes. Junior gasped as he backed away from the creature. The head started to laugh darkly as the body fell apart, revealing a dark scaled body. Junior's mirrored image began to take on a dragon-like appearance. Junior recognized it as his own dragon-like form. Only this form appeared much like the dragon that has haunted his dreams.
"How does it feel?" asked the dragon. His body suddenly burst into a fiery blast that engulfed everything for miles. Junior cried out as his body was burned. A shadow of the dragon's face shot forward towards him as it opened its mighty jaws. Junior clenched his eyes as the dragon approached.
Junior opened his eyes and shot up. His eyes were wide open as he woke up in a cold sweat. Junior's heart pounded in his chest as he searched his surroundings. He was currently in the forest near Neighagra Falls. The fire pit was smoking and the sky was still dark. Junior felt around his body, finding it to be sore, but unharmed by what he had witnessed. Junior sighed to himself as he placed his face into his hands. He turned and found Caesar sleeping soundly with a few fairies lying down on him. Junior turned to his side and found Amber curled up in the leaves, sleeping peacefully. Junior lied back down on the ground and pulled the fairy close to his chest. Amber mumbled in her sleep as she snuggled against Junior's chest, taking in his body heat. Junior frowned as he lowered his head close to the fairy's head and lightly scratched her back.
"I hope I woke up at least a couple hours before the sun rises," whispered Junior. He shook his head as he held Amber and kept her warm, refusing to go back to sleep.




Later that morning...

The morning sun hung in the sky as Koizumi strolled down the streets of Canterlot. The mercenary held a neutral expression and was dressed in a dark grey jacket and his hood over his head. The mercenary took glances all around himself, checking to see if he was being followed. He felt anxious being so close to the city and the other rebels. He held his hands in his pocket with an object in his grip. He held it firmly as to not lose it. Koizumi stopped as a chariot passed by on the road. As he waited for it to pass, he thought back to Inoue. As far as he knew, the young rebel would want to return home as soon as possible. However, he left her in in Baltimare since the hospital staff insisted that she remain there a bit longer. So, Koizumi had decided to return to Canterlot now and return to visit Inoue soon. He cringed at the memory of Yoshi giving him an earful for getting her involved in his work.
Koizumi continued to quickly walk along the side walk as he neared his destination. He found a building that appeared to be a large house. Koizumi reached into his other pocket and pulled out a note. He read the note and then the address of the building. He gave a satisfied nod and approached the large house. As he walked up the steps, he began to knock on it. After a minute of waiting, he heard the sound of footsteps approaching from behind the door. The door opened, revealing a middle-aged woman. The apron that she wore gave away her position as a housekeeper.
"May I help you?" asked the woman. Her voice carried the accent one would associate to be from Trottingham.
"My name is Kira Koizumi. I'm here to see the Vanity. He hired me to take care of something," said Koizumi. The woman nodded in understanding.
"Right this way," said the woman as she gestured for Koizumi to step in. The mercenary entered the large home and removed his hood. He looked over the house and found the foyer to be large, with a glass chandelier to be hanging high above. The railings that were built on the staircase were made up of dark metal. As he followed the house keeper through the foyer, he found a large clock to be standing tall in the corner, covered in gold. Koizumi hummed to himself as he kept his eyes on it. He turned forward and was led to the end of the house, where a middle aged man sat at a desk as he looked over documents.
"Master Vanity, the man you hired is here to see you," informed the housekeeper. Vanity tore his attention away from the documents and smiled.
"Ah. Mr. Koizumi, I presume," said Vanity as he stood up from his desk. Koizumi nodded as the other man approached him.
"You presume correctly," Koizumi said in a neutral tone. He extended his hand out to the man and shook it.
"It is a pleasure to see you, good sir. Would you care for a beverage?" asked Vanity.
"No, I'm just here to drop off the package. I have somewhere that I need to be," said Koizumi.
"Oh, very well then. Come, let us see it!" said Vanity as he led Koizumi away. The housekeeper took off and went on with her duties. Koizumi pulled out the item from his pocket and revealed it to Vanity. The older man smiled as he stared at the hand sized, dragon statue.
"May I?" Vanity held his hand out. Koizumi shrugged as he handed the statue to the other man. Vanity hummed to himself as he looked it over. He ran a finger over the statue's head, causing the eye gems to glow.
"Yes, very good. This is indeed the artifact," said Vanity. Koizumi crossed his arms.
"So, what's the story with this thing? You really seemed to be more worried about it compared to the money that was stolen from your banks," said Koizumi.
"That information is something that you do not need to know," said Vanity. Koizumi glared at him.
"Hey, I killed a lot of people to get that thing back for you. I put two other lives at risk because you insisted that I brought help. I am a professional, but I can also be petty," said Koizumi as he narrowed his eyes. He stepped closer to the man and drew out his hand gun, pointing it at his chin, much to Vanity’s shock. "Now, throw me a freaking bone here. What the hell is that thing?"
"V-Very well," said Vanity as he cleared his throat. He cleared his throat as Koizumi placed his pistol back in its holster. "This artifact has been in my family for the last few generations. It contains mystical powers that can grant wealth by turning material objects into golden ash, which can be melted down to be made into solid gold. It can also heal certain wounds."
"So, this is the purpose of your success? Your family own these banks and you have these riches because of that?" asked Koizumi.
"Precisely. But it's been kept a secret from the public. Unfortunately, my cousin decided to reveal that secret to destroy my families' wealth. He wishes to keep it all to himself," said Vanity. Koizumi scoffed.
"So, he told a very dangerous crime syndicate? Where the hell did you even keep the thing that they were able to find it?" asked Koizumi.
"Heh. We actually had it sitting above the vault door on one of the first banks that my family has ever owned. You see, this was back when crime rarely happened in our fair nation," said Vanity with an embarrassed chuckle. Koizumi scowled.
"Good god. I have never heard of anything as careless as that in my entire life," deadpanned Koizumi.
"Right. Well, after my family has been able to secretly come up with the gold, we used the funding to educate ourselves in the best schools to become entrepreneurs. This is how a number of us have become successful and profitable. All thanks to this blessing," said Vanity as he held the dragon statue. Koizumi sighed.
"Well, you better have that thing closer to you. Also, you may want to take care of that rat cousin of yours. Otherwise, you may suffer for it," said Koizumi.
"Actually, it turns out that he was found dead in Baltimare. I assume that the head of the crime syndicate decided to tie loose ends," said Vanity. Koizumi chuckled.
"Yeah, but I guess your mole was an end he didn't know about," said Koizumi with a chuckle.
"Yes. He was very valuable to infiltrate the group. All I needed was muscle to take back what was ours," said Vanity. He then gave Koizumi a hard stare. "I rather you not say anything about what I have told you. I will double your payment if you forget what I have told you."
"Forget what?" asked Koizumi. He then gave Vanity a wink. Vanity smirked in response.
"Exactly," said Vanity. Koizumi clapped his hands together.
"Right. Well, it was a pleasure doing business with you. Feel free to spread the word. I'll take care of dangerous jobs for the right price. But next time, only ask for me. I'm a professional and I can't risk younger soldiers getting involved. They'll only slow me down," said Koizumi. Vanity nodded.
"Very well," said Vanity. Koizumi turned away and walked towards the foyer of the house. He then made his way out the door and began to walk down the street. Vanity remained silent as he looked over the dragon statue. He turned away and made his way over towards his desk. He placed the statue down and crossed his arms.
"You will be worth the trade, my pretty," said Vanity with a smile.




The Badlands...

"Damn it!!" shouted Chrysalis. The Changeling Queen stood in her throne room as she threw a piece of furniture across the room, causing it to shatter against the wall. Two Changeling guards stood by as Chrysalis seethed to herself.
"How can we conquer Equestria if those damn abominations keep getting in our way?! We have already lost two of our infiltrators and those human soldiers failed to eliminate him!" shouted Chrysalis. She yelled as she threw a stone across the room. She sent a glare towards the guards.
"Leave me be!" shouted Chrysalis. The Changelings nodded and rushed out of the throne room. They closed the door to the room, leaving the Queen alone. Chrysalis sighed as she wandered back to her throne and slumped down in her seat.
"There must be a way to win. Soon, the pupas will hatch and they’ll be hungry. We can't even gather enough love to support all of us," said Chrysalis. The rebels and the Transmutants being in Canterlot made feeding much more dangerous. They were strong enough to stand against her army and she had lost the power that allowed her to stand up to Celestia herself. Chrysalis growled to herself.
"I see that you are troubled, my Queen," said a raspy voice. Chrysalis gasped as she searched for the sound of the voice. She stood up from her throne and looked around.
"Who goes there? Show yourself!" shouted Chrysalis. From the shadows of her throne room, a figure in a dark cloak stepped out. The figure turned to face her and bowed.
"Good day, Queen Chrysalis," said the figure. Chrysalis narrowed her eyes.
"I don't know who you are. Who are you?" demanded Chrysalis. The figure smirked under his hood.
"My name is Thanatos. I am not you enemy. I have come here to offer you a place in this new alliance," said Thanatos. Chrysalis narrowed her eyes.
"I have no interest in allying my people with a stranger. Leave my castle or suffer!" ordered Chrysalis as she flared her wings.
"But my Queen, what of your starving subjects?" asked Thanatos. Chrysalis's eyes widened. Thanatos smiled darkly.
"I know how you are caught in this struggle. We are struggling ourselves. But we can help each other," said Thanatos as he stepped closer towards the Queen.
"How so?" questioned Chrysalis.
"We have strong allies. Allies that can conquer Equestria. You can have a place in our ranks and assist us in overthrowing the Avatars. In turn, you shall be able to enjoy the spoils that arise from this conquest," said Thanatos. Chrysalis's interest began to peak.
"Tell me, what can you do? Who are these allies?" asked Chrysalis. "Perhaps if I'm convinced, I will consider your offer and not kill you,"
"Oh, we can do much. Our influence is great, and our allies are strong. You may be familiar with their kind," said Thanatos with a dark smile.




Zebrabwe...

The air was tainted with the smell of oil. The room was dark with no one else around. There were mechs stationed in the room with cords connected to them. Many of them were severely damaged. A few had a few parts that were replaced, but the rest of their bodies were in bad shape. At the far end of the room, Kiryu stood in silence. It was locked up much tighter compared to the other mechs, and it bore less damage than the rest. However, it was still in need of repairs.
The mech stood in silence. Its damaged optics stared coldly at the wall ahead. Kiryu began to spark in its neck and started to twitch. Kiryu's optics flashed to life, illuminating in its dark sockets. Kiryu whirred as it turned its head as it took in its surroundings. Its vision showed static due to the damage down to its optics. Kiryu scanned the room, which resulted in several heat signatures appearing behind the walls. The mech calculated the figures to be further away from the room that it was locked in. Kiryu turned its head forward and began to look down at the ground.
"Miwa... Junior..." Kiryu spoke in a distorted voice. It's Heads up display began to static, and the text that read, 'accessing memory banks'. Kiryu looked through memories of what the mech had seen during its deployment. It analyzed how the mech engaged Lucky Dragon in a fight.
"My son. Where are you?" asked Kiryu. The mech's vision showed static, causing the mech to lower its head. The vision then cleared up, and revealed something that shocked the spirit inside.
"This is..." Kiryu's vision had changed scenery, showing an older man that stood before him.




Neighpon. Many years ago...

The sun hung over the land in a scorching heat. Across the land, a small village stood out in an open field. Inside of a large house, a middle aged man stood by with his arms crossed as he watched a few young men spar with each other or practice using weapons. He kept a neutral expression as he watched one youngster, who gave quick swings with the katana. The youngster that he was staring at stood to be five foot five. He grunted as he swung the word with ferocity. He imagined his opponents that dared to strike him.
"Gojira!" called the middle aged man in an authoritative voice. The boy flinched and immediately stopped.
"Yes!" responded the young man. The man stepped forward as the other young men stopped and looked on anxiously.
"You must work on your form! You are too sloppy!" scolded the man. The young Gojira Senior nodded.
"Yes, father," responded the boy in a firm tone. The father nodded in approval and turned to the rest of the men. He sent them glares.
"The rest of you! What is it that you are doing?! You! Hold your weapon firmly!" shouted the man as he made his way to a man with a spear. He snatched it from his hand and swung the wooden shaft against his bare arm.
"Ouch!" cried the man as he clutched his reddening arm. The elder man turned to look at man in his mid-twenties with a glare.
"You! Stop flinching from your opponent! He's going to hit you no matter what!" said the elder man in annoyance.
"Y-Yes, Uncle," responded the man in embarrassment.
"And you! You're too rigid! Loosen up!" said the elder.
"Yes, Master," said the man as he bowed. The elder nodded in approval.
"My seed and the seeds of my brothers. You have all been trained to fight for our village. We are warriors with honor! We fight to stop those who threaten peace in our land! We fight for the weak in our midst!" said the elder. He turned towards a painting of a bearded man. He took a katana and swung his sword against the painting, causing the others to flinch.
"This man did nothing to fix the troubles that plagued our country. After him, generations of feudal war between clans went on until my father's generation. Now, the clans have ceased fighting, for now. But some will still seek to conquer others to settle their anger towards another clan," said the elder man. He paced around the dojo. "The new Emperor has asked for our clan to be part of his army. But we will not accept. No, shame has been brought upon us from what happened generations ago. Now, we must correct that and redeem ourselves for the oppression caused. We start with our village and the villages closest," said the elder man. Gojira stepped forward.
"Father, I heard that the Emperor plans to change things. He plans that lords shall not rule over territories, rather the states will be united under the Empire. If we take law and matters into our hands, how could we possibly act without being under the Emperor as warriors?" asked Gojira. "We may get into trouble,"
"If that is the case, we shall move forward with what we are doing. If the Emperor demands that we stop and act under his command, we shall comply. But we must make up for what we've done without the Emperor for as long as possible," said the elder. Gojira nodded in understanding.




Later that day...

Gojira sat in silence on the wooden porch of his clan's home. He looked out to the green fields of his village in silence. The farmers were out harvesting the crops from these fields. Gojira sighed as he leaned against the pillar. His ears picked up the sound of clogs clicking on the wood. He turned and found the elder man walking over towards him. He sighed as he sat down beside him.
"Good afternoon, my son," said Ishiro.
"Hello, father," greeted Gojira. The two sat down in silence as they felt the summer breeze.
"Father, why do we need to protect these villagers? Why don't we just teach them to fend for themselves?" asked Senior.
"My son, that’s what a neighbor does. He helps his fellow man when in need. Some have learned to protect themselves, but they must be able to support our village. Our job is to protect the village from any threat that comes against it," explained Ishiro. Gojira sighed as he slumped in his seat. Ishiro chuckled.
"Gojira, you should be happy to be living in this generation. When I was fifteen like you, I was already fighting. Not too long ago, boys younger than you were commanded to take a spear and go to war with another territory. The lords did not care how old you were. If you can hold a weapon, you were going to war if commanded," said Ishiro.
"That's cruel," said Gojira as he shook his head.
"Yes, times were difficult. That’s why you should appreciate your generation. You will be able to experience Neighpon moving forward," said Ishiro. He pointed towards the south, where a distant village with taller buildings stood. Smoke filled the air.
"Cities that we can only dream of are being built. This is a dawn of a new era," said Ishiro.
"Yes, MONARCH and Equestria extending a hand to help is generous. But, tensions are still high between Neighpon and the Garudas," said Gojira in worry. He recalled the war stories from decades ago back when his father was younger and when his grandfather was alive. The story of the Takeshi clan fighting alongside a few other rebelling clans and the Garudas was what turned the tide in Neighpon's feudal wars. But now, tensions between the two countries grew after the Garudas' interference.
"Yes, but we must have faith that our country will thrive. But I must admit, the industrialism has made the air around here less fresh then what I remember," said Ishiro. Gojira nodded in agreement.
"Yes, uncle and I were out fishing away from here. I would rather much live further from the city," said Gojira. Ishiro chuckled in response and patted his son on the shoulder.
"Well, I'm off. Watch over the village with the others," said Ishiro. Gojira nodded.
"Yes, father," said Gojira. As Ishiro left, Gojira stood up to his feet and walked away. His katana was wrapped around at his kimono's waist. The boy continued on through the village where a few people greeted him along the way.
Gojira spent the next hour wandering out of the village. He hummed to himself as he strolled through the nearby woods alone. He slid down a steep edge on the path that he was walking on and continued to walk off the path. Gojira looked around the area in silence as he bore a small smile.
"Man, it's nice to get away from the village," said Gojira as he took a deep breath and inhaled the much cleaner air of the area that he was in. He sighed to himself as he exhaled. As he continued to walk, he heard a couple feminine screams, causing him to flinch. He immediately stopped and turned to where the screams had come from. He began to run as another scream filled the air.
'The river!' thought Gojira as he picked up his speed. He climbed back up to the path that he had left and ran down towards the river. As he grew closer, he spotted three girls rushing towards him with a look of terror.
"Help! Bandits!" cried one of the girls. Gojira hardened his eyes as he drew his katana. One of the girls that lagged behind tripped and fell to the ground with a yelp. Her friends stopped and looked in horror.
"Tanaka-chan!" cried her friends. The girl that had tripped struggled to her feet but yelped as she clutched her ankle. She turned and gasped as she found four men with weapons coming closer. As the girls continued to run towards their friend to help, Gojira had already ran past them. He drew out his sword and rushed towards the men that grew closer. He held up his sword as he took a firm stance. His heart raced in his chest as he glared at the men that stopped and met with him.
"Leave the girls alone or suffer the consequences," warned Gojira in a firm tone. Truth be told, he was anxious. This was his first time ever confronting actual foes, but he shook off any doubts that he had.
'I can't cower. Not when lives are at stake,' thought Gojira. One of the men laughed in amusement.
"Lookie here! Mr. Samurai's got a death wish!" said one of the bandits as he twirled the sais in his hand. Gojira gritted his teeth as he narrowed his eyes. The girl that had fallen stared fearfully at the bandits.
"Heh. He's just a kid! We can take this little punk," said another bandit as he held the spear in his grip. The third man chuckled as he unsheathed his sword and the fourth man pulled out a club.
"After we kill you, we're taking these sweet young girls. Someone will pay handsomely for them," said the third bandit. Gojira narrowed his eyes while the girls trembled with fear.
"If you want them, you'll have to go through me," said Gojira as he charged towards the men. Senior ducked under the club of the first man and then swung his katana at the bandit with the sais. He managed to cut him, causing the bandit to stagger back in pain as he clutched his bleeding chest. As Gojira turned to attack the bandit with the katana, he was kicked by him. Gojira staggered back while the same bandit charged towards him while thrusting his sword. Gojira caught the blade with his sword and forced it away. He stepped forward and punched the bandit across his face. As the bandit staggered back, Gojira swung his katana at the bandit with the club. He dismembered the man's forearm, causing the girls to cry out as they hid their eyes from the limb. The bandit yelled in agony as he dropped to his knees while Gojira kneed him in his face.
"You bastard!" shouted the bandit with the sais. He leapt towards Gojira with his weapons pointed straight at him. Gojira side stepped away from the man as he dropped down and then sent his sword into his back. Before he could yank his blade out from the bandit's back, his eye caught sight of the bandit with the spear charging towards him. Gojira stepped away before he could be impaled but cursed under his breath when he realized that he had left his katana. The bandit with the spear gave a blood lustful cry as he thrust his spear towards the boy. Gojira dodged the thrusts as he bore a frantic expression. He pondered what he should do to be able to retaliate. His face deadpanned as he came up with a thought.
'Oh, right. Dad always said to use your fists if you lose your weapon,' thought Gojira. As he analyzed the bandit's thrusting motion, he decided to make his move. As the bandit sent another thrust, Senior caught the spear's shaft and then yanked on it. He pulled it out of the bandit's grip and twirled it in his hands. He swung it against the bandit's head and then snapped it in half. The boy tossed it away and sent quick jabs against the bandit's face before kicking him in the neck, knocking the bandit unconscious. Gojira sighed in relief but gasped as he found the remaining bandit coming at him with his katana. Gojira rolled away as the blade came inches from his face. The girls watched in worry as Senior stood his ground.
"You little brat! You're gonna pay for this!!" shouted the bandit. He yelled as he charged towards Gojira with his sword raised in the air. Gojira rushed over to the katana that stuck out of one of the bandits and then yanked it out before turning to face the bandit and clash blades with him. The two struck each other as the steel blades grazed against each other. Gojira grunted as he kicked the bandit away and prepared to strike him down. However, the bandit swung his katana at Gojira’s arm. The boy cried out in pain as his grip loosened on his weapon. His bleeding arm stung as he hunched over. The bandit kicked the boy to the ground. He stalked towards him as he held his sword up. The boy clenched his eyes shut as he waited for his demise.
"No!" cried Tanaka. She reached into the wooden basket that was on her back and pulled out a stone. She grunted as she tossed the stone at the bandit's head. He grunted in pain as he rubbed the side of his head. He glared at the girl that lied on the floor. Tanaka's friends glared at her.
"Why did you do that?!" the girls exclaimed. Tanaka gulped nervously.
"I'm sorry," whimpered Tanaka.
"Not yet you're not," growled the bandit as he stalked towards her. Gojira narrowed his eyes as heard this. He rose himself up and took his katana into his hand, ignoring the pain that stung his left forearm. He silently rushed towards the bandit from behind and stabbed his katana into his back. The bandit gasped as he felt the cold steel blade inside of him. Gojira growled as he pulled the bandit back.
"You forced me to do this," whispered Gojira. The girls stared with wide eyes as Gojira kept his blade in the bandit's back.
"Y-You...bastard," said the bandit. He then slumped his head down as he started to wheeze. Gojira pulled his katana out of the bandit's back and lowered him to the ground. Gojira panted as he stared at the bandit that was slowly dying before glancing at the girls that stared at him with wide eyes.
"Are you three alright?" asked Senior.
"Y-Yeah! Thank you!" cried one of the girls. Gojira nodded to them as he pulled out a cloth and wiped the blood that stained the blade of his weapon and sheathed it at his side. He made his way over to Tanaka, who looked at him with wide eyes. Gojira lowered himself down to her level and kept a neutral expression.
"Can you walk?" asked Gojira. The girl didn't answer. He looked at her in annoyance.
"Hey, I asked you a question! Can you walk or not?" asked Gojira. Tanaka jumped as she came back to her senses.
"Uh...no. No, I think I twisted my ankle," said Tanaka. Gojira sighed in response.
"Alright. Do you live in the village nearby?" asked Gojira. Tanaka nodded to him.
"Y-Yes," stuttered Tanaka.
"Good. Because I rather not go on a quest to carry you across the land," said Gojira. One of the girls scoffed.
"My, aren't you chivalrous?" said one of the girls.
"Sure, complain about me not willing to stray too far from the village that I'm supposed to be looking after with others. Especially when it was me who just saved your lives," said Gojira with a scowl. He scooped Tanaka into his arms and winced as his forearm stung from the wound that he received. The girl glanced at him as he walked down the path with her friends trailing behind.
"Um...may I ask your name, brave warrior?" asked Tanaka. Gojira sent her a glance and then looked forward.
"Doesn't matter," said Gojira. Tanaka lightly frowned.
"All I want to know is your name," said Tanaka.
"I don't care," responded Gojira in a neutral tone. Tanaka's friends looked at Gojira with a glare.
"Come on! You already live in the village with us! Giving her name isn't going to kill you!" said one of Tanaka's friends. The other girl nodded in agreement.
"Yeah! What? Did she hurt your pride when she saved your life?" demanded the girl. Gojira’s brow twitched in annoyance. He was tempted to just drop the girl that he carried onto the ground and leave the girls to fend for themselves.
"Fine! It's Gojira Takeshi! Now get off my back before I leave you three alone!" said Gojira in irritation.
"You wouldn't dare!" said the short haired girl with a glare. Gojira returned the glare.
"Don't test me!" spat Gojira. The short haired girl narrowed her eyes.
"What would your mother say?!" demanded the girl. He scoffed as he turned forward and continued to walk.
"I don't know. I never knew her," said Gojira. The short haired girl lightly frowned as she turned away.
"I...I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"
"Just stop pestering me. She saved my life and I saved yours and told you my name. We're even," said Gojira with a scowl. Tanaka glanced at Senior with a light smile as he kept a firm expression.
"Well...not entirely. I haven't told you my name. It's Miwa Tanaka. Thank you for saving us," said Tanaka as she bowed her head. Gojira glanced at her for a second and then turned forward.
"You're welcome, Tanaka," said Gojira. Miwa lightly smiled as she stared at the boy that carried her.




Later...

"Grr!" Gojira gritted his teeth as he clenched his fists. He was breathing heavily as sweat dripped from his forehead. A woman was kneeling next to him as she drove a needle into the wound in his arm.
"It's your own fault. Your form sucks, cousin," said the woman as she continued to sew up his wounds.
"There were four men against me! I'm lucky to have survived the fight!" said Gojira.
"Lucky is the right word. But you can never count on luck. You need to rely on skill," said the woman as she continued to sew up the boy's wound. Gojira hissed as he scrunched his nose as the stitching was as painful as the stings of bees. "I-I feel like I'm going to pass out," said Senior in a dazed state and with a blurry vision.
"You're such a baby. Well, unless you lost a bit more blood then we originally thought," scoffed the woman in a worried tone. Gojira glanced at the top half of his kimono that lied on the wooden floor of his home. The sleeve was covered in a thick red stain.
"Gee, I wonder which one it could possibly be," Gojira said sarcastically. His cousin rolled her eyes.
"Sarcasm is not attractive, cousin. Cut back on it, and I bet you'll find yourself a lovely dame," said the woman.
"As if. Besides, I'm comfortable without a woman. I'm not the kind of man who needs one," said Gojira. His cousin rolled her eyes.
"Then who's gonna carry on your father's lineage? You are an only child," said the woman. "Why would you deny your father a grandchild?"
"You let me worry about that. Besides, I don't fancy being a teenage father," said Gojira. His cousin chuckled in amusement.
"Well, at least you have your priorities straight," said the woman. As she finished sewing Gojira’s arm, she slapped him on the shoulder. "There you go. Just don't exert yourself for a while so you don't tear your stitches,"
"Thanks," said Senior as he gave his cousin a nod. He struggled up to his feet and began to walk away.
"Goji!" called his cousin. The boy sighed in exhaustion and turned to face her.
"Yes?"
"That girl you were carrying was quite a cutie~" said the woman in a teasing tone. Gojira rolled his eyes in response as he turned away. His cousin began to laugh.
"I'm just kidding with you! Lighten up!" said the woman.
"Yeah, sure," said Gojira as he walked through his clan's home. As he walked, he began to wobble a bit and his head felt light.
"I really should lie down," said Gojira as he made himself over towards a corner in the house and lied down on the wooden floor. He sighed in relief as he lied on his back. "Much better."
As he lied down, his hearing picked up faint voices from outside. He chose to ignore what was being said, but he did recognize his father's voice. Senior sighed to himself as he closed his eyes, not wanting to bother with analyzing his conversation. After what seemed to be ten minutes of resting his eyes, Gojira felt his rib being lightly kicked.
"What?! Huh?!" exclaimed Gojira as he shot up and searched with wide eyes. He turned and found his father looking down at him with a look of disapproval.
"If you plan on napping, at least do it in your room," said Ishiro. Gojira chuckled in embarrassment.
"Right. Sorry," said Gojira as he stood up to his feet. He still felt a little dizzy and light headed.
"Well, since you’re up, come have dinner. You'll need your strength," said Ishiro as he began to walk away. Gojira sighed as he walked before his eyes widened.
"Dinner?!" exclaimed Gojira. He turned his head towards the window and found the sky to be dark. He made his way over down towards a room where his family members sat at a long table. They all conversed with each other as they drank and feasted. As he sat down with a sigh, one of his family members nudged him in the shoulder.
"Hey, tough guy! We heard about your heroic act from this afternoon!" said the older man. Gojira remained silent as he took a plate and began to serve himself the food that sat in the center of the table.
"Hey, nephew! Were ya scared without us to back you up?" asked a man with a scar that ran over his brow. Gojira shrugged.
"Maybe I was a little intimidated at first, but I managed," said Gojira in a neutral tone. He then noticed his cousin that sewed up his wound beginning to pour tea into his cup. She smirked as she sneaked a glance at him.
"Turns out that Gojira had to be saved by one of the girls that were being attacked," said the woman. The male family members all laughed in amusement while Gojira's cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
"I-It wasn't like that!" said Gojira in a defensive manner. He then noticed his father taking a seat across from him. The boy looked down in shame.
"Ah yes, I was having a conversation with one of the girl's father. He seemed to have been grateful for you to have stepped in," said Ishiro. Gojira took a sip of his tea as he bore a scowl.
"Yeah, he better. Saves me the embarrassment of being saved by a common villager rather than another warrior," said Senior in a bitter tone. His uncle patted him on the shoulder.
"Well, we're glad that you made it out alive. Hey, you got yourself your first battle scar! That's something you can tell your kids!" said Gojira’s uncle.
"That is if he can get a girl to bear his children," said another male family member. The rest of the clan erupted in a roar of laughter, causing Gojira to growl in annoyance.
"Yeah, very funny," said Gojira as he angrily ate his food.
"She was cute at least, right?" asked Gojira’s uncle. The boy looked at him in annoyance. Gojira’s cousin nodded as she smiled brightly.
"She was! Cousin, if there's any girl that you could get to know, she's the one!" said the woman. Gojira merely continued to eat as he kept a scowl on his face. Meanwhile, Ishiro rubbed his chin as he kept his gaze on his son.



On the southern side of the Takeshi clan's territory, another village lied further out in the distance. This village was miles away, further from any modern city that was in the process of being built. The village was filled with few people and was as quiet as a mouse. Men with scars and weapons roamed through the village. A few people stood by anxiously as these men passed by. In the center of the village, was a large house that was built near a temple. Inside of the house, paintings of members of the clan's lineage filled the walls of one room. The other room held treasures that once belonged to other clans. Deeper in the house, an elderly man sat down on a throne as he stared down at the men that were in the room. He stared at a young man that knelt before the elder.
"Master, we've learned that your son was killed near the Takeshi territory. He and his colleagues have clearly been killed by a swordsman," said the man. The clan leader lowered his head as his expression took on a look of contempt. He shook his head.
"I told that fool not to venture near that territory," said the head of the house. One of the men growled.
"The Takeshi clan has gone too far! First, they ruin our rule over Neighpon and now they kill a member of our clan!" shouted a family member.
"Yeah! They need to pay!" said another family member. The head of the house shook his head.
"As much as I would love to put the Takeshi clan in its place, we may be risking getting into trouble with the Emperor and his loyal soldiers," said the head of the house. Another man stepped forward. His eyes were yellow and his head was covered in short, dark burgundy hair. His muscles were toned and he stood among his clansmates.
"This isn't the time for worry, Grandfather! The Takeshi clan is inferior to the Spider crab clan! Let us retaliate against them!" demanded the man. The head of the house hummed in thought as he scratched his chin. He looked towards the man and gave him a nod.
"Destoroyah, go and prepare all of our fighters. Soon we shall make the Takeshi clan pay for its crimes against the Spider-Crab clan," said the headmaster as he stood up from his seat. The clan members all gave cheers as they spout damnation against the Takeshi clan. Destoroyah darkly smiled to himself.
"Yes, Grandfather," said Destoroyah as he bowed his head.
Later on that night, Destoroyah walked through the house hold in silence as he kept a hard stare. He stopped as he turned to face a table that held a photograph of a man. Destoroyah lightly frowned as he made his way over towards the photo.
"We'll avenge you uncle. I promise you that I will end the man who killed you and his family as well. Even if I have to burn the entire village to get to him," said Destoroyah. He sighed as he sat down and placed the picture down. He heard footsteps approaching him from his side. Destoroyah turned and found the head of the house to be walking towards him.
"I see that you are greatly troubled, my grandson," said head of the house. Destoroyah sighed heavily.
"It just isn't right. Uncle was strong. How could he have been killed by them?" asked Destoroyah. The head master shook his head.
"Your uncle was arrogant. He may have died due to him underestimating his opponent or he was ambushed," said the head of the house. Destoroyah shook his head.
"Either way, the Takeshi clan will pay. Especially for their rebellion against you during the feudal era," said Destoroyah.
"Yes, but times are changing. Feudalism is no longer a part of our culture. But, we can rise again," said the older man. He began to cough furiously, prompting Destoroyah to look at him in worry. The elder calmed himself as he took a breath. "Our clan was the greatest of all the others. We were strong. But now, we have no power in politics. Our relatives are uncertain of how our clan will hold in the changing ways of Neighpon."
"We will remain strong. We will remain superior," said Destoroyah in a low tone. The head of the family wheezed.
"Destoroyah, I no longer have any sons. Your father and your uncles are dead. Someone must take the mantle of guiding the clan to greater power. I'm afraid that I don't have much time," said the head of the family. Destoroyah lightly frowned in response. He had just recently lost an uncle and now he was reminded how his grandfather's time was short. Just looking at the old man and could tell that he wouldn't last longer, given his frail appearance.
"I cannot rely on your cousins to take my place. I want you to do so," said the head of the family. Destoroyah's eyes widened.
"But...how can I be worthy of your place?" asked Destoroyah. His grandfather gave a weak chuckle.
"My boy, I have taught you the art of combat back when I was still able to fight. For years, I watched you improve in your skills. I've seen how ruthlessly you fight. You can tell the weak from the strong. Our clan needs that rather than me," said the elder as he coughed again. "Remember well, only the strong survive and the weak perish."
"I...I understand, grandfather. Uncle was weak, my father was weak. You were strong, and now you have grown weak," said Destoroyah as he lowered his head. His grandfather nodded to him in response.
"Yes. You know what you must do before you lead our family to war against the Takeshi clan. It has been done in our clan for generations," said the elder. Destoroyah looked at him with a hard stare.
"I do, grandfather," said Destoroyah. His grandfather nodded as he gave him a cold stare.
"Then do it. Succeed me, my heir," said the elder. Destoroyah raised himself to his feet as he closed his eyes. He took calming breaths, wiping away any doubt and hesitation that he had. He then opened them as he approached his grandfather.




Three days later...

It was noon. Gojira was walking alone with his katana sheathed in his side. He mentally sighed in annoyance as his cousin scolded him for going out with his katana. She worried that he would tear his stitches, should he encounter any more trouble. So, he was forced to remain closer to the village. The boy made his way over towards a small hut where he found a few people pouring rice into a boiling pot. As his senses caught the smell, his stomach began to growl. He made his way over to the hut and looked towards a man that was handing a bowl of rice towards a woman, who traded him with yen coins.
"I'd like to purchase a bowl of rice with chicken," said Gojira as he stepped up in line. The man nodded to him.
"Coming right up," said the man. Gojira crossed his arms as he waited for his lunch come through. From the corner of his eye, he caught a few children laughing as they ran across the dusty road and shoved through people. A child bumped into him and stumbled back. She gasped as she stared at him nervously, finding him to be armed.
"I-I'm sorry, Mr. Samurai! I didn't mean to-" the girl babbled as she stood up to her feet and bowed before Gojira. He sighed as he rolled his eyes.
"It's fine. Go play," said Gojira as he crossed his arms. The girl nodded frantically as she ran off. The boy crossed his arms as he waited for his food. An older man got in line behind him.
"Ah Takeshi-san. How are you on this pleasant day?" asked the older man.
"Well, I'm OK. I'm disappointed that I can't wander further away from the village to watch over it. My cousin keeps getting on my ass about the stitches," replied Gojira. The elder chuckled in amusement.
"Oh, my dear boy. You are much too preoccupied with separating from the village. Being around us isn't going to hurt you," said the older man.
"It's not that. I just like to have my space," said Gojira.
"Hmm. Hey, I heard about those young ladies that you saved. Have any of them asked you if they could bear your children?" asked the older man as he bounced his eyebrows. Gojira’s face flushed in embarrassment.
"Tetsu, you old pervert!" said Gojira.
"Hey-Hey! This old pervert is responsible for your family’s weapons and armor! How about a little more respect, eh?" said the old man as he held his chin up. Gojira scowled in response and turned away to keep his eye on the cook.
"Right. Well, none of them asked me such a thing. Besides, they're supposed to marry me first before having to bear a child," said Gojira. The old man gave a cheeky chuckle.
"Well, you best get to marrying one of them! Who else will be willing to cook your meals for you and serve you if you don't have a loving wife?" asked Tetsu. "I mean, you already don't make any friends,"
"I can do it myself. Besides, having my family is worth more to me than friends," said Gojira in annoyance. He looked back at Tetsu as his expression softened.
"Hey, can I ask about the progress on the armor that my father is paying for?" asked Gojira.
"Hmm! My boy, your armor is nearly complete! Your father paid well for its quality and durability! However, I may need to forge it again if you grow a bit more," said Tetsu as he poked Senior's muscle toned arm. Tetsu then hummed in thought. "I'm beginning to wonder if he's spoiling you,"
"Spoiling me? Well, he might be paying much more for this armor, but he wants it to hold. You can't be a samurai with shoddy equipment," said Gojira. He then scratched the back of his head. "Besides, my clan believes in humble beginnings. As a kid, I was put through hours of training. I had to sleep out in the cold for a few years. I was put through a lot of physical pain when it came to fighting with my older cousins. I never received gifts for my birthdays or holidays. I had to earn privileges," said Gojira.
"Hmm. Tough love from your father?" asked Tetsu.
"Yeah, but it's better than not being loved by him," said Gojira. He caught sight of the man in the hut bringing over a bowl filled with rice and pieces of chicken sitting in the bowl. The boy took out his yen coins and traded it with the man for the meal and a pair of chopsticks.
"Well, that's good to hear. Just know that your armor will be ready before the end of the day," said Tetsu. Senior nodded to him.
"OK, thank you. See you around, Tetsu," said Gojira as he walked away with his bowl of food. He sighed to himself after he took a whiff of the smell of his food. He made his way over towards a bench and sat down.
"I humbly receive this meal," said Gojira as he clapped his hands together and bowed his head. He sat back as he began to eat his food. After a minute of eating, he heard a surprised gasp at his side. Gojira stopped eating and glanced at his side with his puffed out from the food stuffed in his mouth. Miwa was standing nearby with a bright smile on her face.
"Takeshi-san!" cried Miwa. Gojira lightly scowled in response.
'So much for being alone,' thought Gojira. He swallowed his food and then lowered his bowl to his lap.
"Hi, Tanaka," greeted Gojira. The girl grinned at him and limped towards him, causing him to raise a brow. Miwa sat beside Gojira on the bench, letting him see that her ankle was wrapped in bandages.
"How's your ankle?" asked Gojira.
"Oh. Well, it still hurts and I'm having a bit trouble of walking. But it's fine," said Miwa. Gojira looked at her in disbelief.
"Why the hell are you out here walking? You should stay off of it!" said Gojira in a scolding manner.
"Yes. Well, I needed to come out here to bring rice home to cook. Otherwise, dinner will be incomplete," said Miwa.
"Couldn't someone else have done it instead?" asked Gojira.
"No, my father is in the fields working and my mother is helping with looking after some children," answered Miwa. Gojira shook his head as he continued to eat. Miwa leaned against the bench as she stared at him for several seconds. The boy's brow twitched in annoyance as she continued to stare at him.
"Why are you staring at me?" asked Senior. Miwa giggled in response.
"Sorry, I just like the way your hair looks," said Miwa. Gojira lightly blushed as the girl leaned closer and ran her hand over the dark hair. He recoiled from her with a look of confusion as his cheeks burned from his blush. Miwa laughed in embarrassment.
"I'm sorry. That was out of line," said Miwa as she rubbed her arm.
"I-It's fine," said Gojira as he brushed his fingers against the top of his hair. Miwa looked at him curiously.
"So, your family is a warrior class clan, right? Does that mean you'll have to shave your hair for when you get your own armor?" asked Miwa.
"I guess so. It's to keep the helmet secured when being worn," answered Gojira. Miwa frowned in disappointment.
"That's a shame. I actually think your hair is rather nice," said Miwa.
"Thanks," said Gojira as he avoided eye contact with the girl. As he ate, Miwa noticed the stitches that were on his arm. She lightly frowned as she recalled the incident from days ago.
"I'm sorry that you got hurt. I feel responsible for what happened to your arm," said Miwa in a sad tone. Gojira stopped eating and then glanced at his sewed up wound.
"Don't be ridiculous. This happened because I was careless. It's my job to protect the village and the people who live in it," said Gojira as he continued to eat. Miwa sighed as she placed her hand under her chin and propped her arm up against the back end of the bench.
"Well, there must be something that I could do to make it up to you," said Miwa. Gojira looked at her in annoyance.
"Are you deaf or something? It's not your fault! I don't want anything for you!" said Gojira as he raised his voice. Miwa recoiled from his tone as she looked at him with wide eyes. He huffed as he went back to eating while Miwa frowned as she turned away and looked down at the ground. The boy glanced at her and noticed her hurt expression.
"I'm sorry. I...I didn't mean to be a bother. I'm sorry if I made you mad," apologized Miwa as she spoke in a small tone. The girl felt as though she was being too pushy with boy. Gojira sighed in response, feeling bad for making Miwa upset.
"I'm not mad. I just don't like that you're trying to claim responsibility for a careless step that I made," said Gojira. Miwa sneaked a glance as Senior placed his empty bowl on the side. He scratched the side of his head as he looked away with a light blush. "I didn't mean to yell at you. Sorry,"
Miwa lightly smiled. She scooted closer to him as she turned to fully face him.
"It's OK. But...can I at least show you my appreciation for saving me and my friends?" asked Miwa. Gojira shrugged.
"I don't really want anything. But if it'll make you happy, then I guess," said Gojira. Miwa smiled brightly.
"Oh! I just had an idea!" Miwa cried out with joy. Gojira slightly recoiled from her high tone.
"Oh?" questioned Gojira. Miwa giggled as she took his hand into her own and held them tightly.
"Yeah! Why don't you come over to have dinner with us? I'd love it if you'd come," said Miwa as her eyes twinkled. Gojira lightly blushed as he felt her soft skin against his hand and looked away.
"S-Sure. I mean, if you want," stuttered Gojira. Miwa grinned in response.
"Awesome! Come on by tonight!" said Miwa. She stood up from the bench and began to limp away.
"I'll see you later, Takeshi-san!" said Miwa as she limped away. She hissed to herself as her sprain ached. Gojira stood up from his seat as he took on a look of worry.
"Hey, Tanaka. How about I help you with getting what you need?" offered Senior. Miwa turned to face as she waved her hand dismissively.
"No, that's OK! I don't want to be a bother," said Miwa. Gojira scowled in response as he made his way to her side.
"Well, you being out here with a sprained ankle bothers me. Let me help you," said Gojira as he took her hand and placed it over his shoulder. Miwa looked at him in confusion but Gojira began to take light steps.
"Just stay off of that foot and walk with the other," said Gojira. He then glanced at Miwa. "Unless you rather I carry you,"
"Uh...no! No, that's alright! This will be fine!" Miwa tittered in embarrassment. The thought of the boy carrying her again brought butterflies into her stomach.
"Then get to hopping," said Gojira as he walked with Miwa. The girl nodded as she looked at the ground and began to step with her left foot.




Later that night...

Gojira sat down inside of a small house inside of a room with a long table. He sat beside Miwa, who bore a smile on her face. Gojira glanced to his front and found a middle aged woman and a man. Senior looked down in front of himself and found food to be sitting in front. Gojira cleared his throat as he ate with the family.
"We are honored to have a Takeshi to be with us tonight for dinner," said Miwa's father.
"Oh. Um...sure. Thank you for having me over," said Gojira with a nervous smile. He mentally sighed and wondered how he had been placed into this position.
"Are you enjoying your meal? Is it too hot? Too cold? Maybe you'd like more tea!" said Miwa's mother with a frantic expression as she kept a forced smile. Gojira gave her a reassuring smile.
"Oh, no it's fine. It's really good," said Gojira as he took another bite. Miwa looked at him as she took another bite of her meal.
"It must be hard being a samurai," said Miwa.
"Well, it isn't easy training to become one. Honestly, three days ago was the first time where I actually had to act as one," admitted Gojira. He almost felt himself freeze with doubt when he encountered the bandits. He thanked his father's training that he did not freeze up.
"Oh my! So you're basically a rookie!" said Miwa's mother. Gojira nodded to her.
"Yeah," said Gojira with an embarrassed chuckle. Miwa's father nodded to him.
"Well, you must have been trained well if you were able to fend off the men who attacked our daughter. We are eternally grateful for that," said the father as he and his wife bowed. Gojira felt slight annoyance from all of the praise and thanks. It happened a lot with his family and a few villagers that heard about the incident. He didn't think that it was as great of a deal anymore, but he thought it was better than being ridiculed from fleeing.
"Again, you're welcome," said Gojira with a nod. As he was about to take another bite of his meal, he heard shouts coming from outside. Everyone stopped eating and heard the shouts growing louder. Senior placed his bowl down and walked out towards the house's exit, Miwa and her family following behind. Gojira stepped out and found several men armed with weapons running around as they slipped on their armor. Gojira looked around in confusion as a few people cried out as they ran away. The boy caught sight of a familiar man running with his samurai armor on his body.
"Uncle! What's going on?!" asked Gojira as he rushed out to meet his uncle.
"Gojira, we need your help to defend the village! We're under attack!" said Gojira’s uncle. The boy's eyes widened in shock. His uncle pointed away.
"Go see Tetsu! He'll have some swords for you! Hell, put on your armor if you can!" said Gojira’s uncle as he ran away to join a few villagers that were armed with bows and arrows or farming tools. Gojira grew anxious and turned to face Miwa, who looked at him with worry.
"Listen, you and your family need to stay indoors! There's trouble going on!" said Senior. Miwa nodded frantically as she and her parents rushed inside their home. Gojira turned and ran down the road, steeling himself for the coming battle. He was filled with a large amount of anxiety from his lack of combat experience and the sudden battle.
"Damn it! Why now?!" shouted Gojira as he made his way through the village and near a hut. He rushed inside and found Tetsu gathering swords into one spot along with a few other weapons.
"Tetsu! Do you have any armor for me to wear?!" asked Gojira with a frantic expression. Tetsu nodded quickly.
"Yes! I have it ready over here!" said Tetsu as he led Gojira to the back of his workshop. Gojira stared at the grey armor that sat on a rack. His grey helmet bore a face plate that resembled a snarling dragon. In the center of the armor, the Takeshi clan emblem was built into it. Gojira hardened his eyes as he made his way over to the armor.
"Father, I will not let myself cower before any threat that comes against us," said Gojira in a low tone.




Later...

	The sounds of war cries filled the night air. Swords clashed as smoke and fire hardened the air. Ishiro stood near the village with two swords hanging on the cloth that was wrapped around his waist. He held his helmet at his side. His armor was red and bore the same snarling dragon appearance that Senior's face plate did. Ishiro looked down harshly as a few of his clan members fought off several men that bore broad armor, giving them the appearance of crustaceans.  Ishiro narrowed his eyes as he spotted the flag that the enemy had in the back. The flag was crimson and bore a black silhouette of a crab with a body that appeared like a spider's. It appeared to be jagged and bore a white silhouette of an hour glass in the center.
"The Spider Crab clan!" growled Ishiro. He watched as villagers that have trained in the art of combat and were suited up in armor continued on with members of the Takeshi clan. The small numbers of both factions clashed together and fought with all of their might. Ishiro turned as he heard footsteps approaching. He found his son rushing towards his side as he was armed with two swords at his waist.
"I'm here, father!" said Gojira as he caught his breath. Ishiro nodded.
"Good. My son, I know how uncertain things may seem. You have little real combat experience, but I believe in you," said Ishiro. He placed his hand on his son's shoulder as he kept a firm expression. "I have taught you much and I have seen how you have managed to swallow your fears and press on. We need that against this enemy,"
"Yes father," said Gojira as he nodded.
"My son, we must all fight to the bitter end. No matter how hopeless it may seem, we must fight to win," said Ishiro. He pointed towards the battlefield. "Ahead is our greatest enemy! The Spider-Crab clan has been our foes for years! Until now, we've stayed out of each other's way. They are a cruel and ruthless faction. For whatever reason, they have decided attack. But we will not cower before them!"
"Yeah!!" shouted the samurais and armed villagers that were near. Gojira nodded as held his hand near his sword's handle. Ishiro turned towards men that carried dark green flags with the Takeshi clan symbol.
"This is our symbol, men! A symbol of protection! We are men of war who fight not to conquer, but to defend!" shouted Ishiro.
Meanwhile at the other side of the battlefield, Spider-Crab clan members stayed behind with Destoroyah, who wore a more spiked appearance in his samurai armor. In his hand was a large axe. He stood to be over six feet tall in height, most uncommon height for people of the Eastern descent. He looked towards his clan members and the men who pledged their loyalty to his clan as soldiers.
"Our purpose is to rule over those who are weak and do not have the power to survive! We fight to conquer and aspire to become stronger than all who challenge us!" shouted Destoroyah. He then pointed towards the other side of the battlefield.
"The clan you see before us is our sworn enemy! They ruined our rule over Neighpon in my grandfather's generation, and now they slay one of our own! The Takeshi are weak! It's filled with men who are ashamed of what their fathers have done before them to the weak common man! Now, they think they can be better by acting as vigilantes!" shouted Destoroyah.
At the other side of the battlefield, Ishiro took on a solemn expression.
"What our clan had taken part of during the feudal era is unforgivable. We may actually be damned in death for the crimes of those before us. But I am willing to accept that if I can fight and die for the people who have forgiven and given us a second chance!" said Ishiro. A horse was led to him, which he climbed up on and secured himself on the saddle. A few other samurais saddled up on horses as well. Ishiro looked to all of the men with a firm expression.
"Now, cast off thy fear. Turn and face thy enemy. Never give an inch. If thou retreat, thou shall age. Be afraid, thou shall die. Face thy enemy and roar like the mighty dragon, Gojira!!" shouted Ishiro. The Takeshi faction all gave cries as they raised their weapons.
At the other end of the battlefield, Spider-Crab members saddled horses as well. Archers readied their arrows. Destoroyah stomped on the ground as he held his axe into the air.
"Remember this! In this world, only the strong will survive and the weak shall perish!!" shouted Destoroyah. The men of his faction all cried out as they raised their weapons. Destoroyah turned towards the battlefield as he glared at the head of the Takeshi clan, whose red armor stood out among the rest. Ishiro did the same to Destoroyah as he hardened his eyes.
"Attack!!" shouted Ishiro as his horse stood on its hind legs and began to kick its forelegs into the air as it whinnied. The horses all charged in first as the men charged on foot. Destoroyah growled as he pointed forward towards the approaching clan. He would settle his revenge and make his clan the greatest to ever exist.
"Go! Kill them all!!" shouted Destoroyah. The men in his faction all gave war cries as they charged forward. The horses took the lead and charged towards the other horses. The night was filled with war cries and faint lights of fires that were caused by flaming arrows that were shot from both sides. People in the nearby village dared to peak and watch as the battle began. The men that stayed behind to defend the village wished the warriors luck. Miwa limped over towards a spot where she could see pass the small crowd. Her eyes widened as she found the large amount of men that filled each side. They all ranged into nearly a hundred all together. She watched as the factions began to grow closer to each other. She feared for Gojira’s life as she had taken a liking to the boy despite knowing him for a short time. She wanted to know more about him and perhaps become his friend. Unfortunately, he may not survive what's to come.
As the factions drew closer together in their clash, Ishiro pulled out his long bladed katana and swung it against his enemy. The man dropped from the horse, dead. Senior continued on to slash at any of men from the other faction from his horse. The other Takeshi clan members that rode horses struck any enemy that came close. However, a few were either knocked off of their horses by another samurai on horseback or were struck by an arrow that flew across the battlefield. Ishiro's horse was struck by an arrow and whinnied as it fell over. Ishiro cried out as he fell off of the horse and struggled up to his feet as an enemy came at him with a sword. Before he could impale Ishiro, he was struck in his exposed head by an arrow. He slumped over dead while Takeshi faction members rushed to Ishiro's aid. Gojira rushed through the battlefield with his comrades and fought anyone who engaged him. Gojira had forgotten any worry and doubt that he had and continued to clash swords with his enemy. The fighting felt much more natural to him compared to when he fought to save Miwa. The young samurai slashed at his enemy's stomach, causing him to fall over in agony as he slowly bleed. Gojira yelled as he continued to fight more Spider-Crab members.
Destoroyah gave a war cry as he slammed against a few men. He swung his axe wildly against anyone who came close. He struck a Takeshi against his neck, decapitating him. Destoroyah swung his axe against another man's chest, puncturing his lung. The new clan leader removed the axe from the chest and continued to attack any enemy that came close. The factions all fired arrows at each other, causing fires to rage around the field. Some were stuck clashing blades with each other while others jabbed their spears into each other. As the battle went on, the sound of cries of anguish, agony and rage filled the night. Blood stained the green grass and smoke poisoned the air. Bodies began to litter the battlefield as both factions started lose their forces quickly.
Gojira panted as he stood with a few members of his family. He gasped as a magic bolt came flying towards them.
"Look out!" cried Gojira as he looked towards his uncle. Gojira dropped on the ground as the bolt came closer. Unfortunately, his uncle was struck in the chest by the magic bolt. Gojira turned and his eyes widened in horror as he uncle dropped down to the ground.
"Uncle! No!" cried Gojira as he rushed towards his fallen family member. His uncle lied down with wide, lifeless eyes. His eyes welled up with tears as he brought his hand over his uncle's eyes and brought his eyelids down. Gojira gritted his teeth as he heard the sound of a teleportation spell being used. He immediately turned as and thrust his sword at whatever was near. He struck an Elf bandit in his gut, causing him to groan in agony. Gojira forced him back and then stomped on the Elf's neck. He growled as he watched the battlefield and saw his clan and the men that volunteered to fight getting slayed. Gojira yelled as he charged into battle and continued to fight.
Destoroyah stalked through the battlefield with a few of his comrades at his side. He hardened his eyes as an arrow flew towards him. Destoroyah immediately grabbed one of his comrades and held him in front. The man cried out in agony as his chest caught the arrow and was thrown to the ground by Destoroyah. Destoroyah threw his axe across the field and struck a samurai's head. The young clan leader laughed darkly.
"The Takeshi clan will fall! With you gone, we will rule!" shouted Destoroyah. As he took another step forward, his helmet suddenly flew off of his head. His eyes widened as he felt an arrow whiz over his head and graze over his skull. He cried out in agony as he dropped to his knees and clutched his bleeding scalp. As more arrows came, more of Destoroyah's faction was killed off. Destoroyah dove for cover and shielded his head, but cried out in pain as a few arrows struck his arms and exposed areas. Destoroyah staggered up to his feet and snapped the arrows off. He seethed as he narrowed his eyes as he made his way over towards his axe. He yanked out of the dead Takeshi and continued on with more of his comrades passing him up.
Ishiro yelled as he slashed his foes with two of his katanas. He spun as he swung his sword at two men that cornered him and struck them with fatal wounds. Ishiro ducked as another man swung a kanabo at him and pushed him away. Ishiro then stabbed the same man with both of his swords. Ishiro turned and found Destoroyah stomping towards him as his scalp bleed. Ishiro hardened his stare as he charged towards the rival clan leader. Destoroyah swung his axe against another nearby Takeshi and then picked up an abandoned kanabo. Destoroyah then yelled as he charged towards Ishiro and engaged him in combat. Ishiro dodged his kanabo swings and swung his katana at Destoroyah, but only managed to graze the armor. Destoroyah kicked him away and then swung his kanabo at him, making Ishiro cry out as he flew a few feet away. As he landed, Ishiro groaned as he clutched his aching side. The steel bat-like weapon had managed to hurt him under his armor. The Takeshi rolled away from Destoroyah as he swung his kanabo down on him. He shot up to his feet and cut Destoroyah's arm, causing him to yell in pain.
"You bastard! You will pay for killing my uncle! Just like you will pay for killing my clan!" shouted Destoroyah as he rushed towards Ishiro.
"I don't know what you are talking about! You were the ones who invaded our territory!" shouted Ishiro as he swung his sword against Destoroyah but his weapon flew out of his hand. Destoroyah had disarmed Ishiro by swinging his kanabo against it. Destoroyah kicked Ishiro away, causing him to fall onto his back.
"One of you killed him. And as the new head of the Spider-crab clan, I will wipe out your pathetic clan!" shouted Destoroyah as he raised his kanabo into the air. Before he could bring it down, Gojira rushed towards his side and sliced at Destoroyah's side.
"Gah!!" cried Destoroyah as he hunched over and clutched his bleeding side. He turned and glared at Gojira, who twirled his sword in his hand.
"Son!" cried Ishiro as he struggled to his feet. Gojira growled as he held his weapon tightly. Destoroyah roared as he charged towards Gojira and swung his weapon against him. The boy dodged his attacks and then sent a kick towards him. Destoroyah staggered back and growled in anger.
The rest of the clan factions were beginning to dwindle into fewer numbers. More bodies littered the field as the fires raged. The smell of blood overlapped with the smell of smoke. The battle cries grew much quieter as the clans attempted to destroy each other.
Gojira and Ishiro fought against Destoroyah and three of his comrades. They fought with all of their might. Ishiro dodged a sword strike and then jabbed his blade into his enemy. He then drew out his second sword and cut another man's gut. Ishiro rolled away from a third enemy and then delivered multiple jabs before placing his hands around his enemy's head and snapping his neck. Ishiro found an Elf man appearing and charging his magic. Ishiro steeled himself for the fight but noticed that the Elf had just disappeared.
The Elf reappeared inside of the village, but also near the Takeshi house. He chuckled darkly as his eyes flashed green and his irises turned red. He sent a magic beam through the house, where a few cries and screams could be heard. He stepped inside and found a few women and a couple of children inside. The Elf placed his hands together as they sparked with dark magic.
"If we can't beat them, we can sure as hell take away any lineage," said the Elf. The sound of screams filled the air as dark magic flashed in the house. A few men that volunteered to protect the inside of the village gasped as they turned towards the house.
"They've invaded the Takeshi house!" cried one of the men. They all rushed out towards the house and entered through the hole. They gasped as they found their clan members lying dead. One of the men dropped to their knees.
"No..."
Back in the battlefield, the numbers of samurais dropped further. All that was left were Gojira, Ishiro, and Destoroyah. Gojira’s helmet was off, exposing his face to Destoroyah. Destoroyah growled as he glared at the battlefield.
"You bastards! First you kill my uncle three days ago, and now you kill my clan!" shouted Destoroyah in anger. He was confident in his clan's strength and could not comprehend on how he was the only one left. Gojira’s eyes widened.
"Three days ago?" asked Gojira. He thought back the men that he had killed and remembered that one of the bandits bore a familiar symbol as a tattoo. The last bandit that he killed had a spider-like crab on his arm. His eyes widened in shock as he found the same symbol on one of the flags that hung over a dead Spider-Crab member.
"Oh my god. Wh-What have I done?" muttered Gojira as he trembled.
"Gojira! Remain focused!" said Ishiro. Destoroyah growled.
"I'll kill you all!" shouted Destoroyah. Gojira and Ishiro charged towards him and dodged his attacks. They both sliced Destoroyah in his sides, causing him to slump over and cry out in agony. He was bleeding profusely, Ishiro and Gojira panting as they glared at him.
"You're finished," said Ishiro. As he raised his sword to finish Destoroyah, he and Gojira were blasted away by a spell. They both grunted as they landed. Gojira glared at the Elf that appeared before picking up his sword and charging towards him. The Elf suddenly vanished and appeared at Gojira’s side. The boy's eyes widened as he felt his stitches open back up. He growled in pain and was knocked to the ground. The Elf chuckled as he leaned over Gojira and removed Gojira’s protective gauntlet. He found the boy to be bleeding profusely from his open wound. The Elf levitated a small glass bottle and wrapped Gojira’s wound in a black aura. Gojira cried out in agony as he felt the magic burn him and draw out his blood. The Elf chuckled as he stared at the blood. He turned as he found Ishiro charging towards him with his sword. The Elf leapt away from the samurai and landed near Destoroyah.
"See ya!" said the Elf. The two suddenly vanished in a plume of dark magic. Ishiro panted as he glared at the plume of smoke. He turned to Gojira and looked at him worriedly.
"Son, we need to sew your wound!" said Ishiro. Gojira nodded as he was helped to stand on his feet. The two walked across the battlefield in a quick pace and made their way towards the village. They were greeted by a few people, who took Gojira towards a hut. Ishiro turned towards the men that were defending the village, looking down solemnly.
"Takeshi, something terrible has happened while you were gone," said one of the men. Ishiro looked at him in worry. The men led Ishiro towards the Takeshi house and into the hole that was made. Ishiro's eyes widened as he dropped to his knees and dropped his sword, his breaths growing heavy. He gritted his teeth as he stared at the corpses of what he thought were going to be the survivors of his clan. He gave a sorrowful cry to the heavens as he slammed his fists onto the ground.




The next day...

Gojira and Ishiro stood by in silence as they stood inside of the nearby forest. They both stood among many tombstones that displayed the names of the men and family members who had perished the previous night. Gojira looked down in anger. His eyes ran with tears.
"This is my fault. If I hadn't killed those bandits, maybe our clan would be..." Gojira dropped to his knees as he held in his sobs. The guilt that he felt for the death of his family was overwhelming. Never did he imagine that he would lose them all on one night. Ishiro knelt next to his son and pulled him into a hug.
"No, my son. You did it to defend our fellow villagers. What happened is not your fault," said Ishiro as he sniffled. Gojira sobbed into his shoulder. His father rubbed his head in comfort as he lowered his own head. "They died fighting for our home. This is not your fault, my son. Given the Spider-Crab clan's reputation, this was inevitable,"
"I...I feel so empty now. Nobody is left," said Gojira as he gritted his teeth.
"No, our family may be gone, but we are not alone. We have each other, Tetsu, and the village that we protect," said Ishiro. Gojira sniffled to himself. The two released each other and stared at the tomb stones.
"Let's continue to live on for our family, who sacrificed their lives so that our home would be safe," said Ishiro. Gojira looked down in sadness.
"I complained about having to protect the people of the village. I thought...they should defend themselves," said Gojira. He then hardened his stare.
"Now I know that they can't defend themselves against every foe. If we hadn't stepped in, the village may have suffered," said Gojira. He then turned to face his father. "Father, I want to become stronger. I want to be strong enough to stand against any man or beast. I want to be able to prevent massacres like this from happening."
"Of course, my son. I will continue to teach you and together, we will defend our home from any foe," said Ishiro with a nod of approval. The two faced the tombstones again and remained silent. They mourned the family that they had lost. Ishiro glanced at Gojira, realizing that he was the last hope of the survival of his lineage.




One week later...

Inside of a dark cell, Destoroyah sat down in a cell. His wounds were sealed by burns. He was chained and bounded to the cell. A guard looked over his shoulder in disgust.
"I can't wait until you rot and die in your cell. The world is a better place without lunatics like you," said the guard. Destoroyah narrowed his eyes.
"My clan was the greatest thing to ever happen to Neighpon! But you fools had abolished feudalism and took away any power that we had. Now, there is nothing left of us but me," said Destoroyah in a growling tone. The guard smirked.
"Good. No one has to worry about the Spider-Crab clan making a comeback," said the guard. Destoroyah growled angrily as he lowered his head and huddled in the corner. He failed to bring his clan back to greatness and instead led it to its demise. He sighed as he lowered his head.
"I failed you, grandfather," muttered Destoroyah.




The Frozen North...

The night sky was freezing cold. The northern lights illuminated the night sky as the blizzard took hold of the land. A Neighponese Elf man strolled down through the temple of Shadows in silence. He made his way into a large room and knelt down.
"Master Thanatos, I have returned," said the Elf. From the shadows, Thanatos emerged with a neutral expression.
"How did everything go?" asked Thanatos.
"Destoroyah is alive but he's currently locked away in Neighpon. The stupid bastard thought that he could still trust me. I spent years trying to earn his trust. Now it's worked out in the end," said the Elf.
"Excellent. What of Gojira Takeshi?" asked Thanatos. The Elf sighed.
"He's still alive. I had to get Destoroyah out of there," said the Elf. Thanatos sighed as he shook his head.
"That will be a problem. He is a Kaiju reincarnated as well. No doubt that he was reborn to interfere with our plans," said Thanatos. He turned to face the Elf with a hard stare.
"I will let this mistake slide this once. But I want Takeshi dead, or at least broken. The plan cannot fail," said Thanatos. The Elf nodded.
"Yes, but accept this offering, master," said the Elf as he took out a glass vile filled with blood. He handed it to Thanatos, who looked at it curiously.
"What's this?" asked Thanatos.
"Takeshi's blood. With MONARCH's resources and the DNA of the Kaiju that he was reincarnated after, we should be able to make use of this in the future," said the Elf. He waved his hand. "Imagine, a reincarnated Gojira that obeys us,"
Thanatos's interest peaked. He knew what the Elf was getting at. He smiled darkly as he stared at the vile of blood.
"Yes, this will become very useful," said Thanatos. He chuckled darkly a he stared at the blood, a dark scheme brewing in his mind. He then turned to the other side of the room and found Ghidorah standing with his arms crossed.
"Soon, we will be ready with phase one of our plan. I hope you are ready," said Thanatos. Ghidorah smirked.
"I've been ready for almost a thousand years," said Ghidorah.




Present day...

Kiryu stared at the image of Ishiro. The man stood with a neutral expression, adorning samurai armor. The mech stared in silence as it analyzed the man.
"Father..." said Kiryu. Its eyes dimmed to yellow and faded to black. Kiryu shut down as it slumped its head over. The door to the large room began to open, revealing several engineers to be entering.
"Alright guys, let's get to work," said a Neighponese man as he looked at Kiryu.
	
> Chapter 54: Intruding On Marked Territory
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sound of roars and yells filled the day. The trees over Neighagra Falls were knocked down as a clash continued to rock the area. One of the trees had burst into splinters as Junior was sent flying into it. He yelled as he slammed into the ground and rolled to a stop. The young Transmutant panted as his body was covered in scratches, bruises and splinters. He growled as he rolled away from the Shisa that came crashing down onto his spot. Junior growled as he charged and slammed into Caesar's body. He tackled the large Shisa onto the ground and delivered powerful punches against him. Caesar roared as he punched Junior back and then rolled with the Transmutant. Caesar had Junior pinned down to the ground and attacked him as well. Junior gave an animalistic growl as the strong punches came.
"Summon your Kaiju strength! Concentrate!" ordered Caesar as he reared back a red, glowing fist. Junior's eyes flashed neon blue and his fist illuminated like flames. He reared his fist back and sent it towards Caesar. As their fists collided, a massive shock wave formed, blowing debris all around. The closest trees were pushed back by the unrelenting force, causing their leaves to fly off. Sparks flew around the two as their fists stung and shook. Junior panted as he grinned at Caesar, who nodded in approval.
"Excellent, my student," said Caesar as he pulled his fist back and bowed his head towards the Transmutant. Junior bowed to the Shisa.
"Thank you, Sensei. I couldn't have done this without you," said Junior with a chuckle. Caesar sighed as he dropped onto all fours. He stretched his forelegs as he lowered his front half of his body. Junior smiled in amusement at how an intimidating creature such as Caesar would stretch like any other feline.
"Well, you have been training hard for these last several days. I can sense your power growing, young Takeshi. You haven't died for every time that you used your power, which means you know how to control it," said Caesar. Junior chuckled in response.
"Good to know," said Junior. He then popped his back and sighed in relief. Caesar began to walk out of the forest.
"Come along child. Let us return to the castle," said Caesar. Junior nodded as he began to trail behind him.
"Right," said Junior.




Canterlot. A few minutes earlier...

Celestia sat inside of a room at a large, round table in silence. She sat beside Luna along with several other high ranking officers of her royal guard, and air force. With them were a couple politicians that were speaking to everyone in the room.
"We think it would be in the best interest for everyone, your majesties. The Transmutants are a force to be reckoned with along with the rebels. We ask that you consider having them form a special group with the purpose of eliminating the Queen of the Changelings," said a male politician. Celestia shook her head in disapproval.
"No. This is out of the question. The rebels are merely allying themselves with us because we can keep them safe from MONARCH. They are not an army and the Transmutants are not weapons that we can use to slay the Queen. Not only is this immoral of us to do, but it is also a way to ignite a war between our kingdoms," said Celestia. She hardened her eyes. "I am not going to have that."
"But your grace, we may be facing another invasion from the Changelings! We have to strike them first before they attack us first!" said a female politician. Celestia shook her head.
"The Changelings will not attempt another invasion as they have during the wedding. But to be cautious, we have written to the Transmutants to keep an eye open. The rebels have their new headquarters close to the castle and are keeping any eye out for anything suspicious. Declaring war on them will only make things worse," said Celestia.
"Would you at least consider having some...contingency plans against the Transmutants," suggested the female politician. Everyone in the room looked at her curiously. Luna and Celestia sent each other a wary glance.
"I beg your pardon?" asked Celestia.
"Your highness, we know how you have grown to trust the Transmutants that are living among us. Some people are trusting of them, but others are wary of them. Some even fear the possibility of them turning on us," said the male politician. Celestia felt her stomach tighten at hearing her subjects thinking of the Transmutants acting this way. She was tempted to immediately shut down their suggestions, but she kept herself silent.
"I believe that if you have some sort of plan for them if such a thing were to happen or at least something to keep them on our side, people would feel a lot safer," said the male politician. Celestia closed her eyes as she took soft breaths. She opened her eyes as she kept a firm expression.
"Your concerns are noted," said Celestia. The politicians bowed and were escorted out towards the door by a few guards. Luna glanced at Celestia with worry as Celestia bore a small frown.
"Now, where were we?" asked Celestia. Shining Armor rose from his seat as he cleared his throat.
"As you remember, we've received reports from the rebels that they suspect Changeling activity to have been near Hollow Shades," said Shining Armor. He placed his finger on a map that sat on the center of the table and over towards a drawing of a small settlement surrounded by a forest. The settlement was North East from Canterlot, in between Neighagra Falls and Foal Mountain.
"If their claim is true, then that means that Queen Chrysalis is plotting something else," said Shining Armor. Celestia and Luna nodded in understanding as they read the map over.
"This will prove to be a major issue if not taken care of," said Luna as she looked to Celestia in worry.
"Indeed. But let's not lose our heads. I suggest we send in investigators to confirm their sighting. If it's true, we'll have to apprehend them," said Celestia. The others in the room nodded in agreement.
"Very well. Now, how goes the training with the mercenary and the royal guards?" asked Celestia.
"Things have been going well. Although, Koizumi has been appearing less frequently," said a high ranking officer. Princess Celestia's face turned to curiosity.
"Has he now? That is odd. He's normally present. Where has he been?" asked Celestia.
"We're not sure. He seems to disappear from the barracks and Canterlot every other day lately," said Shining Armor. Luna looked down as her face bore a look of suspicion. She turned to face Celestia with a firm expression.
"I don't like how the mercenary is not performing his job, which you are paying him handsomely for. It doesn't sit right with me," said Luna.
"Perhaps it is nothing serious. But still, I am curious to know why this is happening," said Celestia as she looked down in thought. Judging by the mercenary's attitude and how he's been committed to his job, it was unusual for him to not do his job properly.
"Hmm. I'll have to cut his payment if he keeps this up," Celestia said to herself. She cleared her throat as she looked to everyone in the room.
"Now that we have discussed the situation regarding the Changelings, Koizumi and we've gotten the request out of the way, you are all dismissed," said Celestia. Everyone in the room nodded and stood up from their seats. One by one, they left, except for Celestia and Luna. The sun princess bore a look of dejection as she placed her hands together on the table and sighed heavily to herself.
"What troubles you, sister?" asked Luna.
"It's about what they said. Having a contingency plan for the Transmutants," said Celestia as she a hand on her head as she leaned forward on the table. "People still don't trust the Transmutants enough to leave them be. They want to make them into soldiers against monsters or the Changelings."
"Would it really be a problem if we did ask for their help more against threats such as that?" asked Luna. Celestia shook her head.
"No, because the people aren't looking for volunteers. They want obedient dogs on a tight leash. The Transmutants wouldn't have a say on the matter, especially after the incident. Some people want a closer eye to be on them in case of betrayal," said Celestia. She sighed in somber as she held her head down.
"I can't force Junior and his friends to do this. It isn't right. I am especially not thrilled about thinking up contingency plan to be used against my son," said Celestia. Luna looked down in thought.
"Perhaps you can discuss it. I'm sure that Gojira and his friends would understand. Not a majority of people may even demand such things, but it'd prepare the Transmutants in case it does," said Luna. Celestia nodded as she frowned.
"You're right. As soon as he returns with Caesar, I shall discuss it with him," said Celestia. The Avatars suddenly felt an immense pressure over their bodies. They gasped as their eyes widened and their pupils became pinpricks. Luna nearly dropped to her knees as her breathing became ragged. The Avatars felt as if gravity was threatening to crush them into paste. Celestia struggled to get off of her chair and fell to the ground. She began to sweat as she lied prone on the ground.
"Wh-What is this powe-" Celestia gasped as her vision flashed. She found herself in a dark city that lied in ruin. Celestia saw a massive figure hidden in a silhouette. Her eyes widened as it took lumbering steps, causing the Earth around her to quake. The figure bore jagged protrusions that stuck out of its back and a tail that swayed. The figure's powerful tail slapped against a smaller building, causing it to shatter and collapse. Celestia's breathing became soft as she watched its eyes glow neon blue.
"What?" Celestia muttered in a whisper. The shadow of the creature puffed out its burly chest and gave a screeching roar. Celestia gasped as she heard another roar come from behind her. She turned her head and found a shadow of a great creature with three serpent-like heads. The creature was taller compared to the beast that Celestia had first seen. Its eyes glowed red as they stared at the creature with neon blue eyes. The three headed beast gave roars that sounded like a mix of a screech and clicking as it stomped across the ruined city. The blue eyed shadow stomped through the city as well, retorting with its own roar. Celestia was caught in the middle of the charging beasts.
Celestia gasped as she shot her head up with wide eyes. She bore a look of fear as her brow dripped with sweat. She breathed heavily as her heart began to beat at a rapid pace. Celestia turned and found Luna on the ground in the same state that she was in. Luna shakily turned to face her sister.
"Did you feel...?" Luna panted.
"I did. Never have I felt anything like that. It was like fire and gravity working against me," said Celestia. She and Luna struggled up to their feet as they panted.
"But what was that?" asked Luna as she turned towards the window. Celestia followed her gaze and found the vast land that the castle overlooked.
"I don't know. But whatever it is, it must have something to do with the vision that I just had," said Celestia. She grew anxious at what she had just witnessed. Shadows of enormous creatures were battling in a city that lied in ruin.
"I pray that we can figure out what it was and prevent whatever may be coming," said Celestia with dread.




The Frozen North...

Silence filled a dark room inside of the Temple of Shadows. Thanatos sat down on the ground as he held his eyes closed. He took calm breaths as he kept his eyes closed. He felt a sensation over himself that caused him to groan. He lowered his head as he started to pant. His face sweated as his eyes shot open and slowly stood up to his feet.
"We're running out of time," said Thanatos. He walked out of the room and continued on through the temple's halls. As he walked, a few of his cult members turned to face him with a look of curiosity. Thanatos kept his expression firm as he continued to march towards a room where Ghidorah sat down. The Transmutant turned to face him with a neutral expression.
"I need you to capture Sunset Shimmer now. They're getting stronger," said Thanatos. Ghidorah chuckled to himself as he stood up.
"Well, we better hurry. Otherwise, Sombra is not coming back," said Ghidorah. He walked pass Thanatos and made his way out through the hall. Thanatos trailed behind him as they traveled through a hall where the Revolutionaries were being housed. Ghidorah knock on a few doors and walked pass them. He and Thanatos stood in the middle of the hall, ahead of the doors that he had knocked on. The doors that he knocked on opened, revealing Destoroyah, Battra, Gaira, and Titano. They all looked at each other in confusion and then to Ghidorah.
"Gentlemen, today is the day that we need to act. I'm sure you've discussed the situation to some of your group members?" questioned Ghidorah.
"I'm assembling a team to capture one of Celestia's prisoners. She is the key to victory," said Ghidorah as he crossed arms. He gave them all a hard stare. "Can I count on your help?"
"You can. When do we begin?" asked Destoroyah. Ghidorah smirked.
"As soon as we have our new allies set up enough of a distraction to draw away some rebels," said Ghidorah. Thanatos took out a flat gem into his hand, which projected a holographic image of Canterlot castle. It began to map out the floors and the dungeon.
"You'll find who we will need here. You will be searching for this girl. Her name is Sunset Shimmer," said Thanatos as an image of the young Elf appeared. Battra hardened his eyes as he gritted his teeth in anger. Looking at his sister’s killer boiled his blood.
"I want her alive. She's important to our plans," said Thanatos.
"We can do that," said Destoroyah. Ghidorah turned around and found three Slayer soldiers approaching. The Transmutants tensed as they saw them but remained calm when they removed their helmets, revealing a few elves that they've seen around the temple.
"These three will be helping us gain her trust, along with some other soldiers," said Thanatos.
"Wait, how are you going to get more soldiers? MONARCH isn't allowed to set foot in Equestria. We're lucky that a few of your cult members infiltrated MONARCH and took hold of its command," said Battra.
"You let us worry about that. You'll know them when you see them," said Thanatos. Battra nodded in reluctance.
"I can sense your concern, but don't be. They'll know not to attack you," said Thanatos with a smile. Destoroyah raised his hand clenched it into a fist.
"Then let's get ready. The sooner we end this, the better," said Destoroyah. Thanatos nodded as he pulled out a green crystal. He held his face close to it as it began to glow.
"Queen Chrysalis, we are ready for your distraction. When this is over, your kingdom will be under the protection of the Crystal Empire," said Thanatos.
"Very well. My subjects in Hollow Shades will attack shortly. Just make sure you accomplish your part soon so that my subjects that are there aren't all killed off," said Chrysalis in an echoed voice. The gem flashed with every word she spoke.
"Of course," said Thanatos. The crystal began to dim and darken. Thanatos cleared his throat as he brought the crystal close again.
"Onyx, inform the Shadow soldiers that the time has come. Have them ready," said Thanatos.
"Yes, master," said Onyx's voice over the gem.




Location: Classified

The sound of silence filled the air in this metal room. Silver metallic walls and ceilings filled the office along. Inside of the room lied metal book shelves that were built into the walls. A metal desk sat at the far end of the room with Onyx sitting behind it in a leather chair. He shifted in his seat as he began to sign a paper with his signature. The Elf heard the sound of his door opening, prompting him to look up to find Genshiro Shiragami to enter. Onyx smiled.
"Dr. Shiragami. What do I owe the pleasure for your presence?" asked Onyx as he placed his hands on his desk. The MONARCH insignia sat proudly behind him on the wall. Genshiro bore a look of anger on his face as he approached Onyx. He slammed his hands on Onyx's desk, who didn't even flinch.
"What is the meaning of this?!" demanded Genshiro.
"You'll have to be more specific, doctor. I'm afraid I do not understand what has caused this anger," said Onyx in a calm tone. Genshiro narrowed his eyes.
"There are soldiers that were stationed in Zebrabwe that are missing! My daughter is one of them! Where is she?!" demanded Genshiro. Onyx sighed as he leaned back into his seat.
"Remain calm, doctor. There's been a bit of a situation with a classified mission. A mission that I am going to allow you to know about since I can trust you," said Onyx. He stood up from his desk and turned to face the MONARCH insignia on the wall.
"We had a platoon sent to the far edges of Equestria in order to draw in Lucky Dragon away from a populated area. The plan was to assassinate him but unfortunately, there seemed to have been interference. It seems that they've been captured by the Rebels, who have allied themselves with the Transmutants and the royals of the country," said Onyx. Genshiro's eyes widened in shock before they narrowed in anger.
"What the hell were you thinking?! MONARCH isn't allowed to be in Equestrian territory! You're risking a court martial by doing this!" said Genshiro.
"We made an error with the plan. We thought we could have eliminated the threat. Unfortunately, that did not happen. Now we have soldiers either dead or captured. I'm wondering why Celestia has yet to say anything about this. She can easily shut down or at least have us in serious trouble if she were to come out and say that we broke the treaty," said Onyx.
"Never mind the damn treaty! We need to get those soldiers back!" said Genshiro.
"You will not be doing anything, Shiragami. Stay out of it," said Onyx.
"Stay out of it?! My daughter is out there! The reason she is out there because you ordered her to kill a Transmutant that we can't even reach!" shouted Genshiro. Onyx turned to face Genshiro as he narrowed his eyes.
"Director, what we're doing.... What we've done...we can't hide it anymore," said Genshiro in a solemn tone. He shook his head. "The Rebels are the result of that. We tried to hide the fact that we created the Transmutants and that we're killing them to hide our tracks. Now the Rebels know and they've likely told the Princesses of Equestria. The only reason why they've yet to say anything to anyone else is because they don't have physical evidence to prove that we are at fault for everything."
"That is true. Which is why we need to get the soldiers back without the sight of our involvement," said Onyx. He then turned further to face Genshiro.
"The Transmutants were a brilliant idea, but their free will is a major problem. Only ones like your daughter and Ghidorah proved to be a success," said Onyx. Genshiro sent Onyx a glare.
"Don't speak about my daughter as if she's yours! I asked for your help because you said that you could bring her back!" said Genshiro.
"You forget, Doctor. She is the property of MONARCH! As far as we're concerned, your daughter is dead! The woman that you've seen now is nothing but a weapon that we need to end the threat!" said Onyx as he raised his voice.
"You can't just-" Genshiro was interrupted as Onyx laughed.
"Yes, I can. That was the deal that we agreed on. In exchange of reviving your daughter, she would spend the rest of her life, which should have ended, as an asset for MONARCH," said Onyx.
"Onyx, you bastard!" growled Genshiro as he clenched his fist.
"Careful. If you let your anger get the best of you, you will regret it," said Onyx in a low tone. He made his way over to Genshiro as he gave him a hard stare.
"You should be thanking me. This isn't the first time that I've done you a favor," said Onyx. Genshiro hardened his gaze on the Elf, who paced around him as he spoke in a soft tone.
"Genshiro Shiragami, renowned geneticist of GeneCO. Do I need to take you back there?" asked Onyx. Genshiro frowned as he lowered his head.
"No. Please, don't take me back there," said Genshiro. Onyx sighed heavily as he continued to pace around.
"Why don’t we relive that moment, Genshiro?" asked Onyx. Genshiro clenched his fist as he lowered his head further.
"I can't relive it!" said Genshiro as he gritted his teeth.
"Oh, those days when you helped turned a father and his son into monsters. It's too painful. In fact, it's downright despicable," said Onyx in a mocked disapproving voice. Genshiro lamely nodded as he kept his eyes on the ground.
"You didn't mean any harm though. Your group was merely searching for a miracle cure for diseases. You had no intention of the two ending up as test subjects and becoming monsters. You insisted on allowing your late wife being the test subject. After all, she agreed and she didn't have much time left," said Onyx.
"It wasn't supposed to be that way! They weren't supposed to be involved in the project!" shouted Genshiro.
"Your higher ups demanded test subjects. They needed people that would go unnoticed if they were to disappear, should the human trials fail. The remaining Takeshi clan members were the perfect test subjects," said Onyx. He then shook his head. "Then, the experiments escaped and one of them returned to destroy everything that GeneCo had set and killed anyone that got in his way. The release of Destoroyah, someone whom you were supposed to keep locked up tight while we tamed him, was another disaster. We may have had a part in this, but GeneCO is to blame to the ignorant,"
"Remember Genshiro, only you and a few others survived. You all would have faced life imprisonment for your crimes. Your wife died helping you and your child was going to be forced to live without ever seeing her parents again," said Onyx. Genshiro nodded solemnly.
"I never told her that I was almost locked away. I never even told her that I was responsible for Lucky Dragon and Alpha," said Genshiro.
"Erika needed her father and I needed someone who knew the research of the mutagen. So, I fixed things," said Onyx. He made his way over towards Genshiro in slow steps.
"Genshiro, we made an agreement," said Onyx. Genshiro raised his head as he bore a solemn expression.
"And I will honor that agreement," said Genshiro. Onyx placed his hands on Genshiro's shoulders as he gave him a firm expression.
"Now you will do as you’re told and allow me to handle the situation. I will get the soldiers back. However, if you interfere, you will find yourself rotting in prison for the rest of your life, knowing that your daughter despises you because you were the one who created these Transmutants," said Onyx. Genshiro nodded.
"Understood, Director," said Genshiro. Onyx smiled in approval.
"Excellent," said Onyx.




Canterlot, Equestria...

The evening had arrived over the west. The citizens of Canterlot prepared for their slumber before the next day.  In Canterlot castle, the halls were lit up brightly by the nights for the early evening. Celestia stood in the hall with wide eyes as she stared at Junior. The Transmutant stood as he was covered in light bruises, hardened cuts on his cheek, and ragged clothes. Junior chuckled nervously as Amber sat on his shoulder with Caesar looking away.
"Um...it was a rough hike," said Junior. Celestia crossed her arms as she sighed in response.
"Alright. Please go wash up and change. I wish to speak to you later," said Celestia. Junior nodded as he walked passed his adoptive mother.
"Yes, ma'am," said Junior as he began to pick up his pace. Celestia watched as she watched Junior travel down the hall. The Avatar turned to face Caesar as she narrowed her eyes.
"Why was my son in that condition? What were you doing while you were gone these last few days?" questioned Celestia.
"I merely took him out to train. The boy needs to grow stronger if he wishes to stand against any threat," said Caesar.
"What sort of training leaves him covered in bruises and cuts?!" demanded Celestia.
"We fought. He's very durable compared to the other Transmutants. His is a strong willed fighter," said Caesar. Celestia looked at him in disapproval.
"Caesar, I would appreciate it if you did not drag my son out to beat him senseless!" said Celestia. Caesar sat on his rear as he gave Celestia a neutral expression.
"I didn't. He fought back and he was able to stand his ground. Princess Celestia, it is necessary for a warrior to feel pain. As he learns to handle it, he can rise over it and return with full force. He needs this," said Caesar. Celestia scoffed.
"He is not a warrior! He's just a boy! You don't need to keep putting him through this! He's been through enough!" said Celestia. Caesar raised a brow. He then sighed as he shook his head.
"Junior willingly accepted my training. He is also not a little boy anymore. You may not see it, but he is a natural born warrior," said Caesar as he gave Celestia a firm expression.
"He will need to be ready if MONARCH or the Revolutionaries ever confront him again. A war is brewing," said Caesar.
"War? No, we are not going to war with either of them. A rebel platoon already repelled a Changeling attack in Hollow Shades. Now, they are stuck there tending to casualties and wounded. We are in no shape to even go to war!" said Celestia. "MONARCH will be brought down by other means and the Revolutionaries will be handled if they set foot in Equestria,"
"Celestia, this isn't about war between Equestria and MONARCH. There is a war that dates further back in time," said Caesar. Celestia looked at him in confusion.
"Wait...what is it that you are not telling me?" asked Celestia.
"Celestia, meditate on your vision. It is a piece of the puzzle as to why things have turned this way," said Caesar as he turned and walked away on all fours. Celestia's eyes widened.
"How do you know about my vision?!" asked Celestia. Caesar merely continued on out towards the door. Celestia grunted in annoyance and chased after the Shisa. She found herself out the door and near the garden. Caesar was nowhere in sight.
"Caesar!" called Celestia. No answer came from her cry. She sighed as she slumped her shoulders. She looked down at the ground with worry.




Later that night...

As he left the shower with a towel wrapped around his waist, Junior found Amber sitting down on his dresser and looking over a picture frame that held a photo of himself with Celestia. She stared at it while the Transmutant dressed himself in pajamas.
"Gojira, what was it like to have a princess as your adoptive mother?" asked Amber. Junior turned to face Amber curiously as he placed a white shirt on.
"Huh?" asked Junior. Amber turned to face him.
"What was it like to have her as your mother?" asked Amber. Junior merely shrugged in response.
"Well, I honestly was upset about it. I felt like I was forsaking my real mother with Celestia. I even felt worse knowing that both of my parents were dead," said Junior. He made his way over to his bed and lied down. "It took me awhile to accept it. When I did, I was grateful that someone like her took me in. I never really cared about the fact that I was being adopted by a princess. I was happy that...someone was going to look after me when my dad wasn't around anymore. Soon, I ended up calling her my mother,"
"It must have grown to be wonderful when living with her," said Amber as she fluttered over to Junior's bed.
"It was actually kind of rough for me on a personal level. I mean, sometimes she was busy with her royal affairs, and I was getting into fights, which constantly made her worried." said Junior as he lightly frowned. Amber scurried over to his side on the bed.
"I felt like an embarrassment to her and sometimes thought of running away," said Junior. Amber scurried over to Junior's head and nuzzled his cheek.
"I'm sorry," said Amber.
"Don't be. It's all in the past," said Junior as he pulled the covers of his bed off and placed them over him. Amber crawled onto a round pillow that sat at the right on a dresser and snuggled. The Transmutant reached for his lamp and switched it off. He yawned as he placed his head on the bed.
"Good night, Amber," said Junior. The fairy gave a small yawn.
"Good night," said Amber, her glowing eyes dimming and darkening. The two drift off to sleep during the next minute. After thirty minutes, the bedroom door was knocked on.
"Junior?" Celestia's voice muffled from behind the door. The Transmutant did not answer. He merely shifted in bed as Amber rolled onto her back. The door suddenly opened, allowing light to seep into the crack. Celestia poked her head through the crack and scanned the dark room.
"Junior?" called Celestia in a whisper. Junior did not answer, so the Avatar opened the door and lightly stepped inside. Celestia stepped over to the bed and leaned over the Transmutant, finding him asleep. Celestia lightly smiled as she reached for Junior's head and began to caress it. Celestia took off her heels and gently lied herself on Junior's bed. She stared at him with a small smile on her face as the Transmutant gave soft breaths.
'People would feel safer if you had a contingency plan for the Transmutants," said a voice. Celestia lightly frowned as she looked down. She sighed to herself as she recalled the meeting that she had with the politicians that suggested militarizing the Transmutants and have them on a tight leash. Not only was the idea unfair to the Transmutants, but it meant forcing her adoptive son to fight for every problem that would occur.
"I'll do whatever I can to make sure none of this comes to pass. You will not be forced to put your life on the line," whispered Celestia as she brought her head against Junior's and caressed the side of his head. She then planted a kiss on his forehead and raised herself from bed. She picked up her heels off of the ground and lightly stepped out of the room. She gently closed the door, leaving the Transmutant and Amber alone. Celestia sighed to herself as she solemnly leaned against the door.
"Your highness!" cried a gruff, male voice. Celestia shot up and turned to face the hall, finding one of her royal guards to be rushing towards her.
"What is it?" asked Celestia.
"We're under-" the guard was interrupted as the sound of crumbling filled their ears. Celestia gasped as she turned to the direction of the commotion, catching the sound of yelling. Celestia ran down the halls with a frantic expression. She found herself in the castle lobby, where she found several guards lying down in pain. Her eyes widened as she spotted large holes through the walls of the lobby.
"What happened?!" asked Celestia.
"Transmutants...attacked," muttered one guard. Celestia's eyes widened as she looked towards the holes in the holes and heard the sound of roaring. She rushed through one of the holes and found an ape-like creature with green hair and scales. Gaira turned to face her with a growl. Celestia narrowed her eyes as her hands were engulfed by an aura.
"You shouldn't have come here if your intention was to terrorize my subjects," said Celestia. Gaira chuckled as he charged towards the princess. Celestia flapped her wings and flew towards the Transmutant. She placed her hands against his chest and forced him towards a wall. Celestia reared her fist back and sent a magic powered punch. Gaira moved his head to the side, allowing Celestia to punch through the wall behind him. The Transmutant then back handed Celestia away, causing her to roll along the marble floor. She rolled to a stop and quickly got back onto her feet. She narrowed her eyes as she flared her wings. Gaira laughed as he popped his knuckles.
"I'm gonna enjoy this," said Gaira. He charged towards her and roared. Celestia flew towards the Transmutant as she charged her magic, but she failed to see another figure dropping towards her. Celestia cried out as a tail slapped her across the room. She slammed into the wall and made an imprint of herself. She grunted as she pulled herself out of the wall and gasped as she spotted another Transmutant.
The Transmutant known as Titano stomped across the marble floor. He stood at thirteen foot three in height. His build was similar compared to Junior's form in his beastly form, except Titano was slimmer, his head resembled a crocodile's with an orange fish-like fin on his head, and he bore a longer neck. His body was covered in red scales with dark grey bumps. His head held fin-like protrusions on the side of his head like ears. Titano stood in an erect stance as his long tail with a large fan-like fin swayed. His back bore a large protrusion that ran across it. Titano growled as he clenched his five clawed hands and gave a loud roar as he slapped his tail against the floor like a beaver. The two Transmutants charged towards Celestia as they roared. The Avatar merely hardened her eyes as she shot her hands forward, firing beams of magic.
Meanwhile in Junior's bedroom, the Transmutant was locked in a blissful sleep, but the sound of cries, destruction and roars began to muffle into his room. Junior's face crinkled as he slept. His nose twitched as he caught a familiar smell, prompting Junior's eyes to shoot wide open. He hardened them as he began to growl.
"That bastard is here," said Junior as his irises widened and became reptilian in appearance.



Gunfire filled the air. Shouts and screams filled the streets as people fled from the danger. Just near the castle, the people of Canterlot fled from Destoroyah as he fought against several rebels. They all fired their weapons at him and avoided his attacks. A few royal guards fired their magic at the Transmutant. The guards however, felt themselves being levitated into the air. They turned their heads and found Battra with his hands held up as he glared at them. He flung his arms to the side, forcing the guards against a wall. Battra then pulled out a katana and rushed towards a rebel that pulled out a shotgun on him. The Transmutant threw his weapon forward and guided it with his telekinesis to impel the rebel. The rebel dropped to his knees as he clutched at the handle of the sword that stuck out from his chest. The sword was suddenly yanked out of his chest by Battra's telekinetic force, prompting him to drop down on the ground. Destoroyah grunted as he held a table as a shield from the gun fire that barraged him.
"Go and meet them at the dungeon! They'll need an escort if they run into trouble!" ordered Destoroyah.
"Understood!" shouted Battra as he rushed across the street and cut down any rebel that came close. He then leaped onto the roofs of the nearby buildings and made his way for the castle. The Transmutant furrowed his brows as he continued on towards the castle, focused on his goal at avenging his sister.



Sunset Shimmer and Erika Shiragami lied down in their cell with blankets on them. The MONARCH soldiers were all locked in their own cells, sleeping soundly. A few guards stood outside of the dungeon door with hard expressions. Given the thick walls and how deep in the castle the dungeon was, they were ignorant of the attack that was occurring outside. At the far end of the dark hall, a figure in black armor walked through the halls with a hood over his head. The MONARCH insignia was painted over the chest of his armor. The armor itself appeared to have a human's skeletal torso. His gauntlets were spiked and his helmet appeared to be a flat, mouth less face with dark eye holes.
The figure led four other people that were covered in light armor and cloaks. The guards raised their spears as they gave the group a hard stare.
"Halt! Who goes there?" questioned a burly Earthbound. The figure in the skeletal armor stopped, prompting the others behind him to stop as well. The skeletal armored figure's eyes glowed green, red and purple as he raised his hands. The guards suddenly gasped as they dropped to their knees and clutched their necks, their bodies growing frail and wrinkly. Their eyes gradually lost their ability to see as their hair turned grey. The men fell over as an aura began to flow out of their nostrils and over towards the man in skeletal armor. He sighed as the aura flowed through the small holes in the mouth area of his helmet. The man with the skeletal armor laughed darkly.
"Now, rot and die," said the figure as his eyes glowed again. The guards gasped as they slumped over, dead. Their bodies decomposed into dust, which piled up on the ground. The man in the armor turned to face the others.
"Hurry, we don't have much time," said the figure.
"Yes, Master Thanatos," said the figures in cloaks.
The dungeon door was blown open, startling the MONARCH soldiers out of their sleep. They all shot up and found Thanatos walking into the dungeon along with the cloaked figures. Thanatos made his way over towards Sunset Shimmer and Erika's cell as he stared at them. The two looked at him warily.
"Wh-Who are you?" asked Erika.
"Do not be afraid, soldier. My name is Thanatos. Director Onyx sent me," said Thanatos as he removed his hood and removed his helmet. He revealed his pale, wrinkled face. His orange-red eyes stared at the two as his silver hair was revealed. Sunset looked at him in surprise.
"You're a soldier? But...you look to be in your seventies!" said Sunset.
"I may be old, but youth fills my soul," said Thanatos with a chuckle. The other figures removed the hoods of their cloaks, revealing three Elf men and one Elf woman in dark armor.
"You guys are part of the stealth force!" exclaimed a soldier from one of the cells. The figures that were cloaked were wearing sleek, dark grey armor of MONARCH's military force. Thanatos raised his hand and fired a bolt of magic at the cell door's lock with his magic. The door opened, allowing Sunset Shimmer and Erika to step out.
"Yes, and we're going to get you all home," said Thanatos as he raised his hand towards the shackles that bounded Erika and Sunset. His magic sparked and struck the chain links and spread all over the enchanted chains. The light gold color faded to black as the chains jingled and shattered into pieces that fell onto the ground. Thanatos's followers had broken the cell door locks and released the other MONARCH soldiers.
"Come. There is no time to waste," said Thanatos. As a group, the humans and two Transmutants were led out of the dungeon and passed a pile of dust. Erika glanced at the dust in confusion.
"That's a lot of dust," muttered Erika. Thanatos placed back on his helmet and smiled to himself.
Thanatos led the group throughout the dreary halls of the dungeon and towards a wooden door that bore a faint light. He shot a magic bolt forward and blasted the door off of its hinges. The group found themselves inside of the castle. Thanatos continued to lead the group through the less aesthetically appealing section of the castle. As the group continued on towards the hall, the lighting was brighter. Thanatos spotted several rebels running down the hall with weapons, disappearing out of sight. Thanatos nodded as he continued to lead the group down the opposite direction. Sunset jumped as she heard the muffled sound of roars.
"What is that?" asked Sunset.
"It is not our problem. Keep moving," ordered Thanatos. As they continued to walk down the hall, Thanatos stopped as he heard footsteps approaching from ahead. From around a corner, Koizumi and Yoshi emerged. The two stopped running with a few other rebels behind them. Their eyes widened as they spotted the prisoners free with five mysterious people. Yoshi hardened his eyes as he spotted the MONARCH insignia on Thanatos's armored chest.
"All of you! Don't move!" ordered Yoshi as he and Koizumi raised their rifles. The rebels behind them did the same.
"On your knees, fuckers!" shouted Koizumi. The MONARCH soldiers tensed while Thanatos and his followers remained calm. The cult leader turned to the woman at his side.
"Angana, take them and go. I shall handle them," said Thanatos as he reached for his side and drew out a black sword. The woman next to him nodded.
"Understood," said Angana. She turned towards the others and began to walk down the hall.
"Let's go," ordered Angana. The group followed the Elf down the hall.
"Come back here!" shouted Koizumi as he placed his finger on the trigger. Erika and Sunset looked back in reluctance and back to the group that they followed. One of the soldiers turned and flipped off the mercenary. Koizumi growled.
"You little- You asked for it! Open fire!" shouted Koizumi as he and the rest of the rebels fired their weapons. Thanatos raised his hand and projected a purple-blue shield that deflected the bolts. The rebels looked on in surprise as Thanatos lowered his shield.
"Let's go!" ordered Agana as she looked at Sunset and Erika in annoyance. The two nodded frantically and followed the group. Thanatos strolled towards the rebels in silence as he swung his sword. Koizumi fired his rifle again but Thanatos disappeared out of sight. He gasped as Thanatos appeared closer. He hardened his eyes and began to fire again. Thanatos disappeared in a plume of purple and green smoke and sparks. He then reappeared behind the rebels and swung his weapon. Yoshi and Koizumi turned as they heard the agonized cries of their comrades. Thanatos sliced at the neck of a rebel and then charged towards the next few. As the rebels shot at him, Thanatos's figure distorted to the eyes of the rebels. In just less than a second, Thanatos had cut down three more rebels. He then shot his hand towards a rebel that came at him with the butt of his rifle and blasted him with a dark magic bolt. The rebel cried out in agony as the magic pierced through him and knocked him to the ground. Koizumi and Yoshi drew out their swords and charged towards Thanatos as he cut down the remaining men that had accompanied them. Koizumi swung his blades down on Thanatos, but the Elf caught the swords with his own. Yoshi yelled as he swung his katana against Thanatos's exposed side. Thanatos smirked as drew out a second sword from his hip and brought it up against Yoshi's blade. The rebels growled as they struggled to overpower Thanatos, who gave a sinister laugh as he kept a firm hold on his swords. He forced Koizumi and Yoshi away as he pushed his arms to the side. He turned to face Koizumi and kicked the mercenary in his chest. Koizumi staggered back as Yoshi ran towards Thanatos while he was distracted. However, Thanatos caught the blade that was sent his way and clashed blades with Yoshi. The rebel grunted as the older man swung with the strength of a young man. Sparks flew all around as Thanatos clashed with Yoshi. Koizumi rushed towards the Elf and swung his blades, but Thanatos leapt backwards and over the mercenary. Thanatos growled as he thrust his blades forward and grazed Koizumi's armor. The mercenary yelled as he kicked Thanatos, causing him to be knocked several feet away. Thanatos tucked and rolled in the air, allowing himself to land onto his feet. He laughed as he twirled his swords in his hands while Yoshi and Koizumi narrowed their eyes. They both yelled as they charged towards Thanatos and clashed blades with him across the hall, sparks flying around the hall from the impact. Thanatos continued to step back as he dodged and slashed at the rebels.
"My, you are both excellent fighters. Such teamwork!" said Thanatos as he kicked Koizumi's head, causing his helmet to nearly fly off. Yoshi was struck by a bolt of magic in the chest and was forced to the ground. Koizumi yelled as he ran back to Thanatos and swung both of his swords at Thanatos. The Elf continued to block every strike with relative ease before ducking under one of Koizumi's blades and then slicing at the mercenary's side. Koizumi cried out in pain as he dropped to one knee and clutched his wound. As Thanatos brought his swords down over the mercenary, Yoshi stepped in front and blocked the blades. Thanatos grunted in annoyance as Yoshi forced his blades away and slashed at him, forcing him to leap away from danger. Koizumi staggered up to his feet and picked up his swords.
"I would've been fine," said Koizumi. Yoshi rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, sure," said Yoshi in a sarcastic manner. He then narrowed his eyes at Thanatos at the further end of the hall.
"This guy is a lot tougher than he looks," said Yoshi. Koizumi chuckled.
"Let's see just how tough he is," said Koizumi as he charged towards Thanatos. Yoshi followed him close behind. Thanatos chuckled as he walked towards the rebels.
"You will not defeat me," said Thanatos. The three returned to clashing blades across the hall.



Junior sprinted down the streets with a glare. He panted as his eyes remained focused up ahead. Amber flapped her wings frantically as she pursued the Transmutant through town.
"Gojira, wait for me!" cried Amber.
'Where is that son of a bitch?! I can smell him!' thought Junior as he continued to run. He found a few guards running through the hall. The Transmutant sprinted and ran after them. Amber sighed in exasperation as she flapped her wings harder. Junior growled as he stopped and found Ghidorah standing in the middle of the street in his armor. The guards had continued on without the Transmutant.  Junior snarled as he clenched his fists.
"Gojira Takeshi the second. It's good to see you again, my dear boy," said Ghidorah as he bowed.
"Ha! Spare me the greetings, Ghidorah! Where is he?!" demanded Junior as he stomped towards Ghidorah.
"Be specific you little punk," deadpanned Ghidorah.
"Don't you play dumb with me! Where is Destoroyah?!" shouted Junior. His eyes bore a sharp glare and his breathing grew heavy. Ghidorah smirked.
"I'll tell you what, if you can beat me, I'll tell you," said Ghidorah. He held up his rifle and dropped it on the ground. "I'll even fight you without any weapons,"
"Fine! The faster I beat you, the better!" said Junior. He was about to charge in but stopped as he felt a paw on his shoulder. Junior turned and found Caesar standing over him at his side. The Shisa kept a hard stare on Ghidorah. Amber panted as she caught up with Junior and perched herself on his shoulder.
"Caesar. Long time no see. I wasn't expecting to see you," said Ghidorah with a dark chuckle.
"He knows you?" asked Junior.
"Ghidorah was reincarnated a lot differently compared to you and the others. You did not fully inherit your past life's memories. They only came to you as fragments in dreams. No, Ghidorah remembers everything," said Caesar.
"Damn right. Unlike you, I don't give a damn about the humans or Transmutants on this rock. It's all nothing but dirt," said Ghidorah as he crossed his arms. Junior's face turned to confusion.
"Wait, 'this rock'? What the hell do you mean by-" Junior was interrupted as Ghidorah sighed in annoyance.
"That doesn't matter, Gojira. Because when this is over, everyone in this world will burn," said Ghidorah as his hands sparked. Junior growled as he stepped forward.
"No, we will take him together," said Caesar. Junior flared his nostrils.
"Fine by me," said Junior. He turned towards Amber as she sat on his shoulder.
"Amber, stay back," said Junior. Amber nodded in reluctance.
"O-OK! Be careful!" said Amber as she fluttered away and onto a roof. Junior and Caesar focused on their foe. The two charged towards Ghidorah, who also charged towards them. Caesar leapt towards Ghidorah and bared his teeth, but Ghidorah slid under the Shisa and continued to charge towards Junior. He backhanded the younger Transmutant away, causing him to crash into a restaurant. People that had taken shelter inside cried out as Junior slammed into the tables. He growled as he stood up and charged through the establishment.
Caesar roared as he stood up on his hind legs and ran towards Ghidorah. He threw powerful punches towards him, which Ghidorah dodged. He then stepped to the side and punched Caesar in his rib, causing him to roar in pain as he staggered to the side. Ghidorah jumped towards the Shisa and reared his fist back. He slugged Caesar's face and knocked him to the ground. As Ghidorah landed, he tried to stomp on Caesar's head, but the Shisa growled as he opened his eyes and fired optic beams from his eyes. Ghidorah cried out as he was blasted away into a lamppost. He growled at the Shisa as his armor was damaged from the burns. His eyes widened as Junior came charging towards him from the side. Junior tackled Ghidorah to the ground and delivered blows against his head. Ghidorah's head was forced against the pavement as the punches connected with his helmet. Ghidorah pressed his hand against Junior's chest and fired his sparking beam.
"Gah!!" cried Junior as he was struck by the beam and flew towards a carriage. He growled as he clutched his chest. His entire body sparked with the golden electric-like energy. Ghidorah stomped towards the carriage but was tackled by Caesar. The Shisa roared as he mauled Ghidorah's arm.
"Get off of me you filthy mongrel!" shouted Ghidorah as he punched the Shisa's snout multiple times. Caesar merely bit harder, causing Ghidorah to yell angrily as he fought through the pain. Ghidorah's free hand was forced against Caesar's head and fired his electric beam. Caesar howled in pain as he released Ghidorah and convulsed from the sparking energy. Ghidorah shakily raised his bitten arm and fired his electric beam from the hand as well, making Caesar howl as he suffered from the unrelenting attack. Ghidorah stopped as he caught sight of a carriage flying towards him. He failed to react soon enough and was buried under it. Ghidorah groaned as he burst out of the wreckage and crawled out, only to be met with a powerful punch against his helmet, causing his visor to crack, and a knee attack from Junior, staggering him. Ghidorah removed his damaged helmet and tossed it to the side. The two engaged in hand to hand combat. Junior sent multiple kicks to his enemy but they were blocked. Ghidorah knocked Junior's next kick away and then sent his elbow against his nose. Junior groaned as he staggered back as his nose began to bleed. Ghidorah then stomped on Junior's foot, nearly breaking his toes. Junior held his foot up by reaction to the pain and was open to Ghidorah's next move.
Ghidorah grabbed Junior's neck and began to choke him. The Transmutant gasped as he struggled to breathe.
"Oh, you have no idea how wonderful it feels to strangle another living thing," said Ghidorah as he bore a malicious smile. Junior groaned as he dropped to his knees. Ghidorah laughed as he watched Junior's eyes roll back into the back of his head. "You can just feel the life slip away out of your grip."
"No!!" cried Amber as she watched with dread.
"Junior!" cried Caesar as he slammed his fist onto the ground. He grabbed a piece of the concrete and tossed it at Ghidorah. The Transmutant fell over as the concrete struck him in the side. He released Junior, who hunched over and coughed furiously. Caesar roared as he rammed into Ghidorah. He grabbed the Transmutant by his leg and slammed him on the ground multiple times. Junior managed to get his breathing under control and glared at the Elf.
"Caesar! I'm open!" wheezed Junior as he stood up to his feet and picked up a metal pole that was dropped from the destroyed carriage that he had thrown. Caesar nodded as he threw Ghidorah towards Junior.
"Batter up!" shouted Junior as he swung the pole against Ghidorah. The golden armored man cried out in pain as he was sent flying across the street, several feet into the air. Ghidorah slammed into another carriage. He growled angrily as he stood back up from the wreckage. Ghidorah hardened his eyes as Junior came falling from the air with the poll in his grip. As Junior prepared to swing, Ghidorah shot his hands up and fired his electric beams. Junior swung the poll, but the beam caught onto it and the electric charge was transferred to Junior.
"Ergh!!" Junior groaned in agony as he convulsed with the poll tight in his grip. Ghidorah laughed as he kept his attack. Junior growled as his irises grew in size. His muscles tensed and the electricity began to have a less painful effect on him. Junior yelled as he finally swung the poll and struck Ghidorah.
"What?!" exclaimed Ghidorah as he dropped to his knees and glared at the younger Transmutant. Junior swung the poll against him again, forcing Ghidorah to the ground.
"Where is he?!" shouted Junior as he continued to beat Ghidorah with the poll. Junior swung the pole again.
"Where is Destoroyah?!" demanded Junior.
"You...Ergh! Haven't...Gah! Won...yet!" shouted Ghidorah. Junior's growled as he swung harder, causing Ghidorah to cry out in pain. He gritted his teeth as he smiled darkly.
"Tell me, Ghidorah! Tell me now, or I swear that I will beat you to death!" shouted Junior. Ghidorah laughed.
"You don't have the guts!" retorted Ghidorah. Junior snarled as he threw the poll away and grabbed Ghidorah by his shoulders.
"Try me, you son of a bitch," said Junior in a low tone. Ghidorah shot his head towards Junior's arm and bit down on it. Junior cried out in pain as he felt his teeth breach his skin. He then convulsed as Ghidorah's electric energy was transferred from his bite and into Junior's body. After several seconds of the shocking bite, Ghidorah released and shoved Junior away. He then picked up the poll that he was struck with and then swung it against Junior.
Junior cried out in pain as he flew across the road several feet away and slammed into the pavement before rolling to a stop. He panted as he narrowed his eyes and slammed his fist onto the ground, turning to face Ghidorah. Caesar came rushing to Junior’s side while Ghidorah laughed maniacally as he dropped the poll to the ground.
"You're strong kid, I'll give you that. But that's to be expected, considering your species in a previous life," said Ghidorah. He then tore at the gauntlets of his armor.
"But I was the strongest Kaiju to have ever lived. I was the living embodiment of destruction! When I was brought back as a man, I trained my whole life with the strongest warriors!" shouted Ghidorah. His red irises grew larger and more reptilian. His teeth grew sharper and his skin grew golden scales. Caesar's eyes widened as he watched Ghidorah tear at his armor. Ghidorah then tore off his armor's chest piece and tossed it to the floor.
"Who trained you?! Your dead father and this filthy mutt?!" demanded Ghidorah. He opened his mouth and made a snake-like tongue stick out of his mouth. Ghidorah grew in mass and height as his arms grew in length. His armor fell off of his body as he grew and his arms grew long appendages at the end as a brownish-gold membrane appeared on his arms that connected to his side. He spread his long arms, displaying them as great wings. Junior's eyes widened as Ghidorah's neck grew longer and his head became a box like shape. His shoulders grew dragon-like heads that sprouted from his flesh and his skull sprouted antlers and horns. From the middle head, his chin bore whiskers.
Ghidorah sprouted a large tail that then split into two. They swayed as his back grew spikes that ran along his neck and down to his tail. Ghidorah's feet became clawed and the appendages grew longer like a raptor's, capable of grasping. Ghidorah finished his transformation, appearing as a golden, three headed dragon with great wings over twenty feet tall in height. He lowered his heads as they growled in unison. Junior hardened his eyes as he morphed his body. As Junior transformed, people stared in horror at the beasts that were prepared to fight in their streets. Junior roared as he fully transformed.
"In every ecosystem, there is a food chain. In every food chain, there is a predator that is always on top. When it comes to us, I'm on top! I am the Apex predator!" roared Ghidorah. Junior and Caesar roared back. The two charged towards the three headed dragon while Ghidorah opened the mouths of his three heads and fired his electric-like beams from his mouths. The beams struck the two guardians, making Caesar stagger and Junior stumble. The heads of Ghidorah continued to sway their necks as they spewed their projectile attack, scorching the pavement around them. Junior roared as he pushed through the beams. He was struck multiple times, causing him to slow down from all of his stumbling and agony. Ghidorah ceased his attack and flapped his great wings. Before Junior could slam into him, the golden dragon was already airborne. Junior roared as he leapt into the air after him. Ghidorah swung his twin tails against his head, disorientating Junior. As Junior was forced down to the ground by the strike, Ghidorah dove for Caesar. The three headed beast gave a chattering roar as he barraged Caesar with his electric beams. Caesar roared as he fired his optic beams, striking Ghidorah in his scales. Ghidorah shook of the attack and merely continued with his beams. Caesar dropped to the ground as the beams took their toll on his body, the concrete cracking as he landed.
Ghidorah roared as he flapped his wings once, giving him a boost of air. He then used his raptor-like feet and grabbed Caesar's fore legs. He then squeezed his toes tightly as he took off into the air with Caesar. The Shisa roared as he shook himself while being carried into the air. Ghidorah chattered as he took off several feet into the air. He then released the Shisa and dropped him forty feet above ground. Shisa roared as he fell and crashed onto the hard ground. He groaned as he rolled onto his side, panting. As he attempted to stand, Ghidorah had dropped down onto his fore legs, resulting in loud cracks. Caesar howled in agony as his forelimbs were broken from the dragon landing on them. Ghidorah hopped off of Caesar and stomped on his side.
"Ghidorah!!" shouted Junior as he charged from the other end of the street. Ghidorah snarled as he kicked Caesar against a building's wall and began to fly towards Junior. As the two came closer, Ghidorah abruptly kicked his legs forward as he came closer to Junior. With a powerful kick, Junior was knocked to the ground with Ghidorah flapping his wings. Junior grunted as he was pinned to the ground with Ghidorah's talons digging into his neck. Junior roared as he attempted to force himself up but Ghidorah responded by thrusting his leg down, slamming the Transmutant's head back onto the ground.
"Now, you will burn," said Ghidorah as his middle head's mouth sparked and glowed from the back of the throat. The two other heads laughed as they charged their projectile attack as well. Junior roared as he struggled to raise himself up against the larger Transmutant, but it was futile. Ghidorah held a firm grasp over him.
"No, I refuse to die now! Not until I avenge my..." growled Junior as he struggled to move. As he glared at Ghidorah, his eyes widened as he caught sight of two figures. From the figures, two bright lights that were two different shades of blue erupted from them. Ghidorah's back was struck by two magic beams. He screeched in pain as he cut off his attack and turned to face his attackers. His necks craned back as he spotted two flying figures in the air. His enemies descended down to the far end of the street, revealing themselves to be Cadance and Luna. Their hands were engulfed in their respective colored magic auras. The two Avatars glared at Ghidorah as he snarled at him.
"Stay away from my cousin, you monster!" said Cadence. Ghidorah roared as he flared his wings out and stretched his necks forward.
"Ha! You are much smaller compared to the dragon my sister and I drove off over a thousand years ago!" said Luna as she and Cadance fired their beams of magic at the Transmutant. He screeched in agony as he was forced back by their powerful magic.
"How dare you interfere in a Kaiju's battle?!" demanded Ghidorah as his middle head fired his beam of electricity. Cadence projected a light blue shield over herself to block the attack, but it shattered after several seconds of being struck, making her yelp as she stumbled back as her shield broke. Luna teleported from her spot and reappeared two feet from Ghidorah and leaped towards him with her hand wrapped in a magic aura.
"Feel my wrath, foul beast!" cried Luna as she sent a magically enhanced punch towards the left head of Ghidorah. The head was forced to the side as it chattered in pain. The head slammed into the middle head, causing Ghidorah to stumble and drop to one knee. Luna fired bolts of magic from her palm as she stepped back from the Transmutant. Cadence followed her aunt's lead as she moved forward and attacked with her own magic. Junior groaned as he struggled up to his feet. He turned and glared at Ghidorah.
"Luna, Cadence, get back!" shouted Junior as his dorsal plates illuminated. Cadence and Luna's eyes widened as they watched Junior deeply inhale as the back of his throat glowed. The two Avatars took off into the air just in time to avoid Junior's atomic breath. Ghidorah shrieked in agony as the neon blue flames burned through his scales and forced him back. He folded his clawed wings in front of himself as he curled his necks down to his chest. His great wings shielded him from the attack but still pushed him back with its force. Junior cut off his attack and panted as he glared at Ghidorah. The three headed dragon flared his wings open, blowing away any smoke and traces of visible radiation. He roared to the heavens as he flapped his wings. Junior growled as he stomped forward while Cadence and Luna hardened their eyes at the golden beast. The two Avatars landed beside Junior and followed him while Ghidorah snarled at the two with his hellish, red eyes. He suddenly looked up to the sky and laughed darkly. Junior stopped and his eyes widened. He shot his head up and found Destoroyah descending down from the air in his demon-like form. Destoroyah gave a screeching roar as he flared open his wings. Cadence recoiled with a look of fear as she stared at the skull-like head of the beast.
"Wha- Who is that?!" exclaimed Cadence.
"Destoroyah!" shouted Junior as he charged ahead.
"Gojira, wait!" cried Luna. Junior roared as he charged towards the demon. Destoroyah screeched as he charged as well, stomping across the ground as they collided together.
	
> Chapter 55: Regretful Actions
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Junior roared as he sent powerful punches and claw swipes against Destoroyah's armor, making him stagger. Ghidorah chattered as he stomped towards the two but was swiped at by Destoroyah's tail.
"Back off! He's mine!!" shouted Destoroyah as he pulled Junior into a head lock. Ghidorah snarled at the demon in response.
"This is no time for your petty vendetta! We need to kill him now!" shouted Ghidorah as he stomped towards the two. He was then struck by the magic of the Avatars, Luna and Cadence. The two royals took off into the air and circled around Ghidorah as they fired their magic at him.
Meanwhile, Junior continued to fight Destoroyah with all of his might. Painful memories flooded into his mind as he glared at the demon with blood lust. Junior roared and bit down on Destoroyah's arm, who shrieked in response.
The demon glared at Junior. The boy's face brought up old memories that infuriated. His face reminded him too much of Gojira Takeshi the First. It was infuriating to know that the last of the Takeshi clan was challenging him, threatening to prevent him from restoring his clan’s honor.
"I hate you, Gojira Takeshi the second! Just looking at you makes me sick to my stomach!" shouted Destoroyah as he clawed at Junior's neck. The younger Transmutant responded by head-butting the demon, sending him back staggering.
"I hate you, too! I'm going to make you suffer for what you did to me!" roared Junior as he slammed into Destoroyah and tackled him to the ground. Junior punched the demon into the pavement with all of his might. Destoroyah's head left an imprint as Junior’s assault continued. Destoroyah's ear-like flaps began to spark as mist sprayed out from the sides of his head. He opened his mouth and spewed forth a violet beam from his mouth, which grazed Junior's arm and made him cry out in agony as his scales were eaten away at, exposing softer, pink flesh underneath. Junior reared his fist back and punched Destoroyah’s head to knock him away. Junior gave a loud roar as his eyes turned red.



Inside of the Canterlot castle, Thanatos continued to clash blades with Koizumi and Yoshi. The two heavily armored men kept attacking as they traded positions in attempt to break through Thanatos's defense. The cult leader leapt over Koizumi as he swung at him with his two swords. Yoshi pulled out a pistol and fired at the older man but his bolts were deflected by a small magic shield that Thanatos had projected with his hand. Thanatos then forced his magic shield against Yoshi, which shattered against his armor and sent the rebel several feet down the hall.
"You piece of-" Koizumi clashed blades with Thanatos multiple times. The sparks flew around them from their blades. Koizumi stepped to the side as he dodged Thanatos's first sword and then raised one of his swords to catch Thanatos's second blade. Koizumi forced Thanatos away and then spun as he swung both of his swords against Thanatos. The older man blocked the blades, resulting in more sparks and a loud clang. He then kicked Koizumi in his gut and sent one of his hands forward as he raised two sparkling fingers, firing a small beam of magic at Koizumi’s chest. Koizumi cried out as his armor was scorched and his body was sent flying towards a wall, which left him panting as he dropped to his knees. Thanatos then turned to find Yoshi charging towards him with his sword. The older man merely smirked as he dropped one of his swords and fired a beam of magic with his free hand. Yoshi cried out in pain as he was blasted towards the far end of the hall before rolling to a stop and panting.
"I must commend you both for lasting this long. But, you both are no match against me," said Thanatos. He turned to find a panting Koizumi struggling onto his feet and glaring at Thanatos from behind his helmet's visor.  Koizumi gave a war cry as he ran down the hall while dragging his blades along the carpet, tearing it up. Thanatos shook his head as he dropped his remaining sword and his hands were engulfed in a dark magical aura. As Koizumi came closer, Thanatos shot his magic towards Koizumi's legs, causing him to trip and fall. Koizumi growled as he struggled to stand but his eyes widened as he felt a piercing sensation below his knees. He cried out in agony as he rolled on the floor. Thanatos watched as he gave a sinister laugh as Koizumi's armor audibly cracked.
"Careful, my magic has broken your legs. It'd be best if you'd try not to walk," said Thanatos as he walked over to Koizumi. He used his magic to levitate the swords away and then knelt beside Koizumi. The mercenary growled as he glared at Thanatos.
"Hmm. So, you are Kira Koizumi. I must say, you do live up to your reputation, but not against me," said Thanatos with a chuckle. He raised himself up and gestured to all around himself. "My, this is a lovely castle is it not? But, not as lovely as the one back at home."
Thanatos kicked Koizumi as he tried to crawl. Thanatos grabbed Koizumi by the back of his neck and tightened his grip.
"Kira Koizumi. A cold blooded mercenary that did any job, no questions asked. I've learned much about you. I must say, you are one despicable human being," said Thanatos. Koizumi growled.
"You were once paid to assassinate a man in the Hooviet Empire to crush an insurrectionist movement. They couldn't have them tearing down the way their government was run and for them to take over themselves, so they hired you," said Thanatos. Koizumi panted as he fought through his pain.
"It was just a job," said Koizumi as he wheezed. He glanced ahead and found Yoshi clutching his chest as he lied on the ground.
"Yes, much like that time where you stole and traded information between two warring nations. That information proved to work in one nation's favor. Unfortunate for the losing nation who now lives under their neighbor's rule," said Thanatos.
"They should have paid their debts instead of spending money on trying to decorate their capital city with gold!" said Koizumi as he slammed his fist onto the ground.
"Ah yes, but because of you, an entire nation lost its sovereignty and another lost its chance at reforming their government. Just think of the lives you ruined, just for your own personal gain. Let's not forget to mention the lives you took," said Thanatos. Koizumi growled as he glared at Thanatos.
"You expect me to pity them?! I don't even know them! Besides, it was their own damn fault for not standing up for themselves! Instead, their governments babysat them like the children that they are!" said Koizumi. Thanatos laughed.
"Ah. Koizumi, your heart is cold as stone. I admire that," said Thanatos as he began to walk away. Koizumi grunted as he turned his head to face Thanatos.
"Unlike the other rebels, you lack morality. You're cold and ruthless… a true warrior. It gives you an evolutionary advantage over most people," said Thanatos. He then turned to face Koizumi. "As history taught us, it's survival of the fittest,"
"Heh. Well...I never was one who let morals keep me from doing my job. But I'll still kill you, because with MONARCH in the way, I can't survive," said Koizumi. Thanatos smirked under his helmet.
"Yes, but let's see if your years as a murderer has made you strong enough to stand against us," said Thanatos. Koizumi furrowed his brows.
"As I said before, they were just jobs," said Koizumi. Thanatos laughed darkly.
"So you say, but I think there's something going on in your mind right now. I'm curious to know if it'll cost you or help you," said Thanatos as he walked away. Thanatos suddenly disappeared in a mist of purple and green smoke with black sparks. Koizumi panted as he lowered his head.
"A true warrior, huh?" asked Koizumi. He shook his head as he gritted his teeth. The pain in his legs made him feel lightheaded. He slumped over and started to hyperventilate. Yoshi panted as he held his chest and glanced to find a few guards rushing over towards them.
"Medic!" called one of the guards.



Celestia dodged several punches that were directed towards her. Gaira roared as he continued to swing his arms wildly in an attempt to strike the Avatar. Celestia stepped back and shot her arm forward, firing a bright beam of magic. Gaira cried out as he shot out towards the street of Canterlot and away from the castle. She leapt into the air and rained down several bolts of Gaira and Titano, making them stagger as they were then met with gunfire from the rebels. Titano roared as he charged towards the new enemy.
"No you don't!" said Celestia as she dove down towards the Transmutant and slammed him to the ground. Titano craned his neck to the side and opened his long jaws. Celestia tilted back as she dodged his snapping jaws. The Avatar then punched the Transmutant across the jaw. She gasped as her eyes caught sight of Gaira charging towards her. Celestia leapt off of Titano as the sea dragon-like creature snapped its jaws at her again. Gaira had attempted to punch the Avatar, but missed her and ended up punching Titano across the jaw.
"Son of bitch!" shouted Titano as he groaned in pain. Gaira turned around with a glare but slumped his shoulders as Celestia came hurling towards him with her fist reared back. Celestia sent a powerful punch against Gaira's cheek, knocking a couple of teeth out of his mouth. The Transmutant groaned as he was forced to the ground from the Avatar's mighty punch. Celestia flapped her wings and landed alongside the rebels.
"Damn, that was badass!" said rebel in exhilaration. Titano and Gaira staggered up to their feet and glared at the rebels and Avatar. Celestia hardened her eyes her hands were engulfed in her magic aura. Titano growled as he and Gaira took a few steps back.
"Come on, I think this is long enough," said Titano as he sneaked a glance at Gaira.
"Hmph. Fine," said Gaira in annoyance. Titano grabbed a block of concrete and threw it towards Celestia. The Avatar merely raised her hand and fired a beam of magic, destroying it. Titano and Gaira took the opportunity to turn and run away. Celestia sighed in frustration as she unfurled her wings.
"After them!" ordered Celestia. The Avatar took off into the air as the rebels began to chase the Transmutants on foot. As Celestia soared after them, her eyes caught sight of a dark armored figure. The Transmutants met with the figure and stopped as they pointed at her. Celestia hardened her eyes as she descended down to the ground.
"You! Who are you?!" demanded Celestia as she prepared a spell. Thanatos smirked under his helmet as his hands glowed. Celestia's eyes widened as she caught sight of the MONARCH symbol.
"Someone from the shadows," said Thanatos. Celestia hardened her stare as she raised her hands. Thanatos and the two Transmutants suddenly vanished into a plume of purple and green smoke as Celestia charged in. She stopped and searched all around for any trace. Celestia shivered as she felt a chill down her spine and her eyes went wide.
"That...That was dark magic," said Celestia. She shook her head as she looked down in confusion.
"But, dark magic is too rare to learn these days. Who could-" Celestia was interrupted as she heard multiple roars in the distance. She turned and found fires erupting in one section of Canterlot. Her eyes widened as she found Cadence and Luna fighting against a golden, three headed dragon. She turned to the rebels that had joined her.
"Go and watch over the citizens! I will handle any other Transmutant left!" ordered Celestia.
"Yes, ma'am!" responded the rebels. Celestia took off into the air as she looked upon the battle that was transpiring.



Junior roared as he continued to slam his own body against Destoroyah. His eyes had gone from its usual amber colored appearance to a hellish red. His attacks involved less punches and kicks, but rather it involved slamming his own weight and jaws against Destoroyah. The demon noticed the unusual appearance in Junior’s eyes as well and his feral behavior, as Junior’s yells were replaced by roars, but he shook off the thought and just decided to fight back.
Junior tackled Destoroyah to the ground and bit his neck. Destoroyah shrieked in agony as he felt the powerful jaws crush the armor on his neck as felt teeth pierce into him. Destoroyah kicked Junior's gut and forced him back.
"Skreeoonnk!!" Junior roared as he charged towards Destoroyah again like a rampaging elephant. He slammed into Destoroyah and slammed his fists against him, but Destoroyah bit down onto Junior's neck, causing him to wail in agony.
Cadence stopped her attack on Ghidorah as she heard his cries. She gasped as saw Destoroyah slam Junior into the wall of a building and maul at his neck. The Avatar broke off from her attack against Ghidorah, leaving Luna to fend him off on her own.
"Gojira, I'm coming!" cried Cadence. She shot her hands forward and fired beams of magic against Destoroyah. The Transmutant screeched as he released Junior and staggered back as the magic continued to rain on him. Cadence landed on the ground next to Junior as she continued her attack.
Junior growled as his eyes flashed red. He turned his attention towards Cadence as she continued to attack Destoroyah. He growled angrily as he clutched his head. His mind went blank as he found himself lost in a fire of anger. It was his desire to be the one to make Destoroyah suffer, and Cadence was getting in the way. He gave a screeching roar as he turned to face Cadence as he rose to his feet. The Avatar gasped and turned to face Junior with a startled expression. Her eyes widened as she found the Transmutant with his fist raised in the air as he stood over her. Amber gasped in shock at the sight. Cadence yelped as she jumped out of the way as Junior slammed his fist onto the ground. As she landed on her stomach, she turned to face Junior with wide eyes.
'What in the world?!' thought Amber.
"Gojira, what are you doing?!" exclaimed Cadence. Junior snarled at her causing the Avatar to recoil in response. Junior then turned his attention back to Destoroyah, who was already charging back towards him. Junior and Destoroyah collided against each other and continued to bite and scratch each other. Cadence got up to her feet and took off into the air to avoid getting crushed by the Transmutants. Junior kept his jaws locked onto Destoroyah's arm and shook his head furiously as he began to twist and turn his body. Cadence took the opportunity to fire magic bolts at the demon that was distracted. She then dropped to the ground and continued to fire a beam of magic as she came closer to Destoroyah while Junior held him down. Junior released Destoroyah as his red eyes glowed brightly. He turned to face Cadence again and roared in anger as he shoved Destoroyah away and charged towards her. Her eyes widened in horror as he raised his foot over her, forcing Cadence to project magic bubble over herself to block Junior's foot. She grunted as she felt the force of his attack work against her spell.
"Gojira, why are you attacking me?!" cried Cadence with a fearful expression. Her eyes widened as she felt something radiate from the Transmutant. She trembled as she sensed his anger and hate boil inside of his heart. As someone whose magic is based around love, she had grown sensitive to emotions of others. But what she was feeling coming from her cousin felt as if she were burning.
'I never felt so much hatred from anyone in my entire life,' thought Cadence. As she held her spell dome against Junior, she watched as he roared like a raging animal while slamming his fists onto the ground. Junior slashed at Cadence's shield again, causing sparks of it to fly off. He then turned back to find Destoroyah attempting to fly away, but Junior broke off into a sprint and chased after him. Junior leapt and grabbed Destoroyah's tail and pulled him back down the ground. Destoroyah roared as he slammed into the ground. Junior snarled as he charged his atomic breath, but was interrupted as Ghidorah came crashing down on him. The three headed dragon roared at him as two of his heads followed Luna as she flew around him. She continued to fire her magic at Ghidorah as Junior struggled to stand. He roared angrily as his red eyes glared at the middle head. Junior grunted as he swiped at Ghidorah's gut, causing him to bleed. The three headed dragon screeched as he stumbled back and was shoved out of the way by Destoroyah.
"Stop interfering!" shouted Destoroyah as his body started bleeding. Junior roared as he slammed into Destoroyah but was met with another micro-oxygen beam attack from Destoroyah. He roared as he was forced back.
"I will restore my clan's honor!" shouted Destoroyah. Junior growled as he held his wounded shoulder. Junior roared as he slammed into Destoroyah again and crashed into an empty restaurant. Outside, Ghidorah fired his electric beams at Luna, who teleported out of the way and reappeared on the ground. She fired her beam of magic against Ghidorah's leg. The dragon fell over in pain and turned his head to find Cadence to be flying over him. Ghidorah's right head lunged forward and wrapped itself around Cadence, who cried out in pain as she felt the serpent-like neck constrict itself against her. Ghidorah's middle head raised itself as it opened its jaws as it came closer to Cadence, who screamed in terror.
"Cadence!" cried Luna as she charged a projectile spell, but she was knocked away by one of Ghidorah's twin tails. The princess of the night slammed into a wall and left an imprint. She gasped as she watched her niece about to be mauled by the middle head of Ghidorah. Cadence squirmed as she attempted to free herself as she screamed. Before the middle head could come closer, it was struck by a light golden beam of magic. Ghidorah's middle head screeched as he began to convulse. Cadence gasped as she found Celestia diving down towards the head that restrained her. Celestia slammed her elbow down on the neck that held Cadence and caused it to groan as it released her.
Cadence dropped to the ground and panted as she watched Celestia fire a powerful beam of magic. Cadence hardened her eyes as she shot her hands up and attacked Ghidorah with her magic. Luna growled as she stood from the wall, covered in bruises. She shot her hand forward and fired her own beam of magic. As the Avatars combined their attacks, Ghidorah continued to wail as he was forced back. He narrowed his eyes as he glared at the humans before him. As Ghidorah spread his wings, they sparked with electricity. He flapped them as hard as he could and fired bolts of electricity towards the Avatars. Cadence caught a bolt with a shield that managed to display but Luna and Celestia were too slow to react. The night and day princesses were struck by electricity and were forced the ground as they cried out in pain.
"I've had enough of this! Destoroyah, come!" ordered Ghidorah as he turned to the building that Junior and Destoroyah were inside, fighting. Destoroyah turned his head to face the hole that he and Junior had made as he heard Ghidorah call him. He turned and growled at Junior, who was panting as he remained hunched. Destoroyah growled in frustration.
"This isn't over, Gojira!" said Destoroyah as he turned around and charged towards the hole. Junior growled as he shot up and pursued the demon. Junior tackled Destoroyah before he could take off into the air. Junior roared in Destoroyah's face as attempted to snap his jaws on him. Ghidorah growled in annoyance as he watched Destoroyah struggling to fight off the younger Transmutant. He rushed towards the two and used all three of his heads to bite Junior. From the three headed dragon's bite, Junior screeched as he felt electric-like energy beginning to course throughout his body.
"Get away from him!" shouted Celestia as she stood up to her feet and ran towards the Transmutants. She, Luna and Cadence all came closer to the trio and fired beams of magic at Ghidorah. The dragon released Junior and flapped his wings while Destoroyah kicked Junior away and ran in the Avatars' direction. Junior growled as he pursued Destoroyah, but then stopped as the Avatars attacked the demon. Junior roared as his red eyes flashed. Luna gasped as she found Junior charging towards her with his fist reared back. She jumped out of the way as the Transmutant slammed his fist down where she was originally standing. She gave Junior an appalled look.
"Gojira, what is the meaning of this?!" demanded Luna as she shot Junior a glare. She gasped as Junior lunged towards her and snapped his jaws near her head. Luna dropped to the ground on her rear as Junior slid forward on his belly as he continued to snap his jaws at her. Luna panted as he snarled at her.
"G-Gojira?" called Luna in a nervous tone as Junior bared his teeth at her. The Transmutant responded as he used his hands to crawl towards Luna as he continued to snap his jaws at her. Cadence gasped as she turned her attention from Destoroyah and found Junior to be attacking Luna.
"Gojira, stop!" cried Cadence as she ran towards the two. Junior turned his head to find Cadence and lunged at her.
"Ah!" cried Cadence as she pulled her leg away before it could be bitten. She flapped her wings and gave herself a boost of air away from Junior as he continued to snap his jaws.
As the Transmutant heard Destoroyah's painful cries, Junior turned to find Celestia to be attacking him. Junior roared in anger as he charged towards the two. As Celestia continued her attack, she failed to notice Junior with his eyes locked on her. The Avatar turned as she felt the ground around her rumble, finding Junior to be swiping at her.
"Ah!!" cried Celestia as she was knocked away. Luna and Cadence gasped and Destoroyah turned to face Junior in surprise. Celestia rolled away on the ground, while witnesses that hid in their homes or shops stared in horror. Celestia shook off her disorientation and turned to face Junior with wide eyes.
"Ju-Junior?" called Celestia. The Transmutant merely screeched at her and charged towards her. Celestia gasped as he brought his foot over her, but missed as she rolled away. Celestia panted as she stared at Junior as he continued to snarl at her.
"Junior, why are you attacking me?!" cried Celestia. Junior responded by swinging his tail at her, which she ducked under. Luna and Cadence rushed to Celestia's aid while Destoroyah watched with wide eyes.
'Why is he turning on them?' thought Destoroyah. He merely shook off the thought and flared open his wings. He took off into the air and followed Ghidorah across the sky.
Back on the ground, Junior lunged towards Celestia and pinned her to the ground. He opened his jaws and dove for her, but Celestia caught his upper and lower jaw with her bare hands. She panted as she struggled to hold Junior's mouth back.
"Junior, stop! Please!" cried Celestia as her eyes filled up with tears. Fear held her heart in chains at the fact that her own son was attempting to bite her head off. Junior growled angrily as his red eyes glared at her. Celestia's eyes widened as she noticed the color and how they did not match his original eye color. She strained as she pushed Junior's head back, but he continued to fight her. Celestia clenched her eyes shut as her hands glowed from her magic aura.
"I'm sorry!" cried Celestia. Her hands fired beams of magic that struck Junior in his jaws and forced him off of her. The Transmutant stumbled back and attempted to attack her again. Celestia gritted her teeth as Junior pushed through her attack, but gasped as Luna appeared in her line of sight and punched the Transmutant in the jaw. Junior staggered and roared angrily as he sent a punch towards Luna but was struck by a magic beam by Cadence. Junior snarled as he stepped back, covered in scratches, burns, and smoke. He panted as his red eyes glared at the Avatars. Celestia slowly stood up to her feet as she bore a hurtful expression.
"Junior, why are you doing this?" asked Celestia in a soft tone. Junior growled as he lowered himself and scrunched his snout. He appeared like a dog that was being provoked into attacking. Celestia took small steps, causing Junior to tense more as he gave throaty growls.
"Sister, don't! Something is wrong with him!" exclaimed Luna.
"She's right! Be careful, auntie!" cried Cadence. Celestia ignored their warnings and merely continued to slowly walk towards Junior, who kept snarling at her as his red eyes brightened under the moonlight. Junior's eyes widened, prompting him to turn around to find Destoroyah fleeing. He roared in fury as he ran down the road.
"Junior, wait!" cried Celestia. As Junior stomped along the road, Caesar's eyes shot open as he lied on the ground. He raised himself and found Junior chasing Destoroyah with the Avatars pursuing him. Caesar's eyes widened as he felt Junior's raging emotions and the abnormal change in his spirit.
"Oh, no," said Caesar. He stood up to his feet and winced as he felt his forelegs ache. He then stood up on his rear legs and let his forelegs to hang as he ran after Junior with a frantic expression. As Junior came across a street corner, he stopped to check his surroundings. As he prepared to run again, he felt a tug at his tail. He turned his head and glared at Celestia, who stared at him in despair as she held his tail.
"Junior, why won't you speak to me?!" asked Celestia. Junior growled as he swung his tail, causing Celestia to cry out as she was swung with it. She was flung to the ground, with Junior stomping towards her. Celestia turned to face him as he came closer. As Junior prepared to stomp on Celestia, Luna stepped in front of her sister and caught his foot before he could bring it down. She strained as she kept his foot back, but Junior tightened his muscles as he applied more force, causing Luna to drop to one knee as she held his foot up.
"Go, my sister!" said Luna. Celestia stared with wide eyes as she watched Junior as he attempted to fight her sister.
"Junior..." whimpered Celestia. Cadence came from behind Junior and leapt onto his back. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she tried to force him to stop.
"Cousin, stop what you're doing! This isn't you!" cried Cadence. Junior roared as he stepped back and flailed his body erratically, causing Cadence to yelp as she was nearly forced off of him. The Transmutant reached for his back and grabbed Cadence's leg and threw her towards Luna, knocking her to the ground. Junior growled as he stomped towards them. Celestia shot up to her feet and fired a beam of magic against Junior's chest, forcing him back. He glared at her and went back to pursuing her instead. Celestia gritted her teeth as she fired a beam again, but Junior pushed through it. He shot his arm forward and grabbed Celestia and held her up in the air. She cried out in pain as Junior continued to apply pressure to her body. She stared at Junior in despair as he continued to snarl at her. As Junior brought her closer as he growled, Celestia raised a shaking arm as her eyes watered.
"Please, stop this. I love you," said Celestia in a weak tone. Junior growled at her in response. But he groaned as his head was struck by a green beam. Junior staggered and then turned his head. Amber was fluttering in the air with her antennae glowing.
"Gojira, stop! Don't let your hate get the best of you!" cried Amber. Junior snarled in response and threw Celestia to the side. He made his way towards Amber and snapped his jaws. Amber yelped as she flew away and started to lead Junior across the road. The Transmutant continued to snap his jaws at her but always missed. Amber caught sight of Caesar running down the road with his paw glowing.
"Cae-!" Amber was interrupted as she was slapped by Junior's hand, causing her to yelp in pain as she hit the ground. She rolled along the floor as her wing began to twitch. Caesar's eyes widened and then hardened as he stared at Junior.
"Junior!" called Caesar as he rushed towards the Transmutant. Junior roared as he continued to charge forward. As they were just inches from each other, Caesar swung his broken arm and struck Junior's head with his glowing fist. The Transmutant staggered back as the Shisa howled in agony. Junior growled in response but started to feel light headed as he dropped to his knees and his eyes changed back to yellow. He panted as he lowered his head, feeling overwhelming pain and exhaustion. He turned to find Caesar panting as he stared at Junior.
"Caesar?" asked Junior. Caesar nodded. The Transmutant was silent for a second, but his eyes widened. Memories of what had happened were recollected. He turned around to find Celestia, Luna and Cadence kneeling down the road. They were covered in cuts and bruises.
"No. No! Caesar, did I..." Junior hyperventilated. He gasped as he turned towards the side walk. He found Amber lying on the ground with her legs curled in. He rushed over towards the fairy and knelt down. He shakily reached for her but his heart dropped in his chest as he found a small trail of yellow liquid seeping out from a mangled leg.
Amber whimpered as she twitched on the ground. Junior gritted his teeth.
"Oh my god. Wha-What have I done?" said Junior. As he was about to reach for Amber, several other fairies fluttered down and stood in front of her.
"Get away from her!" shouted one of the fairies. Junior recoiled back
"I...I just want-"
"You hurt her, you monster!" shouted another fairy. Junior's eyes widened.
"Yeah, leave her alone!" said a third fairy. The fairies shouted at Junior as they refused to allow the Transmutant from approaching the fairy. Junior backed away. Caesar took several steps near Junior with a frown.
"No, I didn't mean to-" Junior shook his head as he looked at Amber.
"Junior?" called Celestia. Junior slowly turned and found the Avatars to be slowly approaching him. The Transmutant turned away as he lowered his head in shame.
"I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me," said Junior. Celestia stepped closer to him and wrapped him into a hug, despite her arms being unable to fully embrace his larger body. Celestia wept as she held her head against his belly. Junior lowered himself down and wrapped his arms around her as well as he stared at the ground in sadness. Cadence and Luna stood by in relief.
"Thank goodness," said Cadence. As Junior and Celestia break from their hug, the princess of the sun gave him a sad smile. Junior still kept his head lowered in shame. He then felt a small object hit him in his back. He turned and found several people down the road with looks of anger.
"Get away from the princesses!" shouted a man from the crowd as he threw a can at Junior. The Transmutant closed his right eye as the can struck him over his right brow. The princesses stared with wide eyes as the people shouted angrily at the Transmutant.
"You stupid freak!" shouted another man from the crowd. The citizens continued to throw trash and rocks at the Transmutant. Junior frowned deeply as he lowered his head.
"I knew he couldn't be trusted!" shouted a woman from the crowd. As people continued to throw objects at the Transmutant, Junior clenched his fist. The voices grew louder in his mind as words of ridicule were thrown at him.
"Get out of here you freak!" shouted another man. Junior growled to himself. The Avatars immediately made their way in front of Junior as they looked at the crowd in disapproval.
"That is enough!" shouted Celestia.
"We demand that you have that monster leave!" shouted a woman from the crowd. People began to give shouts of agreement. Caesar made his way over to Junior, he stared solemnly at Amber.
"Auntie, we should get Gojira back to the castle," said Cadence as she turned to Celestia.
"Agreed. You and Luna take Junior and Caesar. I shall handle this," said Celestia. Luna and Cadence nodded and rushed towards the beasts. Caesar made his way over to Amber and gently picked her up. As the fairies gathered with the group, Luna raised her hands as they were engulfed in a magic aura. In a flash, the beasts, fairies and two Avatar princesses disappeared. Celestia kept a firm expression as she faced the outraged crowd.




Meanwhile...

Sunset Shimmer and Erika panted as they chased after Thanatos's underlings to the outside of castle grounds. They were currently near the hills just by the cliffs. Agana continued to lead the group outside. Soon, everyone stopped running. The former prisoners began to pant as they turned back to find Canterlot just a mile away.
"We're free! I can't believe it!" cried one of the male soldiers. Agana nodded to him.
"Yes, you are all free," said Agana. Erika searched the area in confusion.
"So, is there an airship or something around here? How are we getting out of here?" asked Erika.
"Yeah, and what about Thanatos?" asked a male soldier. Agana sighed.
"Even though we broke all of you out of prison, we simply need one of you," said Agana. The soldiers all looked at each other in confusion.
"What do you mean by that?" asked Sunset in a nervous tone. Agana smirked.
"Boys, sick 'em," said Agana. From the shadows of the hills, multiple Transmutants shot out as they roared. The soldiers stared in horror as they approached them. Sunset and Erika got into a fighting position as they prepared to fight. Erika ran towards Gaira and Titano and delivered powerful punches towards the beasts. However, the two managed to overpower her as they grabbed her by her arms and pulled until she cried out. Sunset Shimmer shot her hands forward and fired a beam of magic at Titano, causing him to lose his grip. Erika morphed her hand into sharp claws and sliced at Gaira's chest. Gaira roared in agony as he dropped Erika. From the air, multiple roars pierced through. The soldiers all shot their heads up and found Destoroyah and Ghidorah descending down towards them. Ghidorah landed and crushed two soldiers while Destoroyah grabbed a soldier upon landing and bit down on her head. Ghidorah opened his jaws and fired his electric beams from his mouths and burned the soldiers, scorching them alive. Erika and Sunset faced the Transmutants with wide eyes as they stared fearfully at them.
"This isn't good," said Sunset. Erika nodded in agreement as the Transmutants stepped closer. Her eyes widened as she found Battra emerging from the shadows. She hardened her eyes.
"You!" spat Erika. Battra nodded to her.
"It's me. I still remember you as well," said Battra. He charged towards the pair, prompting Erika to charge as well. The two engaged in a series of punches and kicks. Erika dodged his attacks but was met with a great force to her chest. Battra had forced his hand against her while using his telekinesis. Erika screamed as she was sent flying across the area and over the cliff. Sunset turned as her eyes widened in horror as she watched her friend disappear out of her sight.
"Erika!!" screamed Sunset as her eyes welled up with tears. She ran over to the edge of the cliff but felt herself lifted by an invisible force. She was levitated away from the cliff as she struggled to free herself. Sunset yelped as she was quickly levitated before Battra's presence. She gave him a hateful glare. Battra merely kept a cold gaze on the Elf.
"You bastard!" growled Sunset. Her eyes widened as she felt her throat being squeezed. She reached for her throat as if to pry away whatever force was strangling her. Battra narrowed his eyes as he stepped closer to Sunset.
"I should kill you right now. I'd make sure you'd die slowly and painfully," said Battra. He then kneed Sunset in her gut and released his hold on her. The Elf fell back onto the ground and coughed furiously as she clutched her stomach. Battra raised his head and found Thanatos appearing from the shadows.
"But it appears that we have a use for you right now," said Battra. Thanatos nodded in approval. He raised his hand and revealed one of the portal stones that his cult had made. He pressed the gem on it, opening a swirling vortex. Sunset stared with wide eyes. Battra grabbed her by the neck and dragged her towards the portal. Soon, the cultists and Transmutants had all entered the portal, resulting in its disappearance.
From below the edge of the cliff, Erika held onto a branch as tightly as she could. She gritted her teeth as she began to dig her claws into the rocky walls.




The next day...

It was early morning and Junior was sitting alone in his own bedroom as he stared at the ground with a blank stare. He gritted his teeth as he heard faint chants from outside of his opened window.
"Go home! Go home! Go home!" the voices chanted. Junior looked to his side and found a newspaper on the ground. It was an article on the previous night. The article read, 'Adopted Transmutant turns on Royal family'. Junior glared at a photo of himself snapping his jaws at Celestia while he was in his Transmutant form. Junior turned away and buried his head into his knees. The chants seemed to have grown louder from the protesters that were outside.
Junior thought back to his actions of the previous night. He couldn't explain why he would have suddenly attacked the princesses. The worst part was that Amber was severely hurt by him. Tears ran down his cheeks as he kept his head buried in his knees. A soft knock came at his door. Junior did not respond to the knocks.
"Gojira?" called Blaire's voice. Junior didn't answer. He instead remained silent.
"Goji, I'm coming in," said Blaire. The door creaked as it opened and allowed Blaire to step in, dressed in her armor. Junior hid his face as he kept his head buried in his knees. Blaire frowned deeply as she closed the door behind herself. She made her way over to the young Transmutant but stopped as she heard the chants.
"Go home! Go home!" the protesters shouted. Blaire hardened her eyes as she turned towards the open window. She made her way over to it and found people outside of castle grounds, holding up signs. The signs read, 'Monsters belong in the Everfree', 'Lock away the Transmutant', 'No freaks in our midst', and 'Protect the royals'. Blaire closed the window and scoffed as the chants had grown muffled to the two. Blaire made her way back to Junior and her eyes widened as she found the newspaper article. She took it and tore it up with a growl. The Valkyrie then took a seat next to Junior, who kept his head lowered. Blaire sighed as she leaned her head against him.
"I didn't mean for this to happen," said Junior. He clenched his hands into fists as he gritted his teeth. "I didn't mean to attack any of them. I would never do that to them,"
"I know, Goji. Look, things are going to be OK. This will all blow-" Blaire was interrupted as Junior sighed in frustration as he stood up to his feet.
"No, it won’t! Blaire, I attacked three princesses!  Attacking one innocent person, that's bad. Attacking a princess, that's worse. But attacking three? The people are going to demand my imprisonment or even my execution!" shouted Junior as he grabbed his hair. Blaire stood up to her feet and made her way over to her distressed brother.
"Goji, that's crazy! The princesses won't let that happen!" said Blaire.
"It doesn't matter! The people will do whatever it takes to make sure that I can't hurt anyone! What if they go after my friends because of my mistake?!" demanded Junior.
"Then we'll make sure that your friends are safe! I'll make a request for Princess Celestia to assign personal bodyguards or some kind of protection over your friends! Just have faith!" said Blaire.
"Faith in what?! I've possibly ruined everything that you all worked so hard for!" said Junior. He stomped over to a book shelf that sat in his room as he seethed.
"We had a home again! My human friends accepted me! You and the princesses accepted me! Now I've ruined it!" shouted Junior as he forced his hands over on the walls. He was breathing heavily as he gritted his teeth.
'Calm breaths, Goji...' Fluttershy's quiet tone filled his mind. The Transmutant panted as he recalled everything that he had learned from his anger management session with Fluttershy. He took calm breaths as he lowered his hands to the ground.
"I... I hurt her. I hurt Amber,” said Junior as he gritted his teeth. He held his head with his hands, feeling angry at himself.
“She was just trying to stop me, and I hurt her. What kind of friend does that?” muttered Junior. Blaire held Junior’s shoulder.
"Gojira...I know that things are bad right now. Amber is badly hurt, people are angry. But I promise you, things will get better," said Blaire. Junior gave a bitter chuckle.
"I've been told that so many times. I'm beginning to have doubts in my case," said Junior as he pulled away from Blaire. Junior sniffled as he wiped the tears from his cheeks.
"I...I want to be alone right now. I need to rest," said Junior. Blaire sighed. The Valkyrie made her way over towards Junior and wrapped him into a tight hug.
"Just know that I still accept you, little brother," said Blaire. Junior lowered his head as his frown deepened. The Valkyrie planted a kiss on his cheek and walked out to the door.
"I love you, Goji," said Blaire as she stepped out the door, but he did not answer. He merely remained silent as he stared solemnly at the ground. Blaire sighed as she walked out the room and closed the door. Junior stood alone in his room as the faint sounds of the chanting from the protesters reached his ears and grew louder. Junior sat down and buried his face into his knees as he gave a solemn sigh.




Later...

Koizumi lied down in bed inside of the infirmary wing of the castle. He bore a scowl on his face as his legs were held up by a crane and covered in casts. His face was bruised and his cuts were sewed up. At his side, Yoshi lied down in a separate bed next to his with his chest bandaged up. At their side, Celestia and Luna stood by with worried expressions.
"How did this happen?" asked Celestia.
"The prisoners were broken out by MONARCH's stealth forces. Some asshole named Thanatos took us on and moped the floor with us," said Koizumi.
"How could you have been beaten by one man?" asked Luna in confusion.
"This was no ordinary man, Princess Luna. He knew dark magic and fought like a master swordsman," said Yoshi as he shifted in his bed. Celestia's eyes widened.
"Dark magic? What did he look like?" asked Celestia in urgency. Koizumi sighed as he scratched his head.
"We never saw his face. But, he was wearing some black armor that looked like a skeleton. He was even wearing this hood over his helmet," said Koizumi. Celestia's eyes widened. She looked down in thought.
"Yes, I've seen this man. I sensed that he was strong in the arts of dark magic," said Celestia.
"Isn’t that stuff taboo? We've ran into a guy that could use dark magic as well several months back. Who has the knowledge of dark magic in this age?" asked Koizumi.
"Almost no one should. Most nations have either sealed them away or burned any information about them. Dark magic is dangerous. It can corrupt the heart of the user if it’s used for too long. Few have been strong enough to not fall into darkness while using it," said Celestia. She crossed her arms as she bore a firm expression.
"Dark magic was actually very foreign to us thousands of years ago. It was actually introduced to us by demons," said Celestia.
"Demons?" asked Yoshi and Koizumi in unison. Celestia nodded in response.
"Yes, demons are evil spirits that use their powers to torment and destroy. Legend has it that the demons were the ones who were responsible for dark magic. They passed down their knowledge to mortals so that they may lose their hearts to darkness and destroy each other," said Celestia in a grim tone. She looked down with dread.
"Sunset Shimmer is a unique Transmutant compared to Junior and Shiragami. She has actually transcended into a demon, something that should be impossible. A spirit has no blood to use to mutate her," said Celestia as she rubbed her chin.
"Hmm. I thought something was evil about her form," said Koizumi as he crossed his arms. Celestia looked at him in disapproval.
"I hope that you are not insinuating that my former student is evil because of this," said Celestia.
" I'm just stating that I thought her form looked like something that men would not want to mess with," said Koizumi. Celestia sighed.
"Anyway, you say that the prisoners were freed by MONARCH. One of them was using dark magic and Sunset is a demon-based Transmutant. Given all of this, something seems terribly wrong," said Celestia with dread.
"How so?" asked Yoshi.
"How and why would MONARCH transcend demons? Who is running the organization and why are there people today who have a wide range of knowledge of dark magic?" asked Celestia. An uneasy silence filled the room. Yoshi sighed.
"Let's hope we can find out soon and put a stop to it," said Yoshi. Celestia and Luna nodded in agreement.
"Agreed. Well, we shall be going. Get well soon, boys," said Celestia as she and Luna walked out of the infirmary. Koizumi sighed heavily as he placed his hands over his face and rubbed his skin.
"This is bullshit. I hope I can't still kick some ass after this," said Koizumi.
"You're still young. You'll be fine," said Yoshi with a chuckle.
"Not as young as you. I'm going to be in my thirties in a few years. My prime is ending, man!" said Koizumi. Yoshi gave him a deadpanned stare.
"You're only one year older than me," said Yoshi.
"Sure, but still," said Koizumi. Yoshi sighed in annoyance. He then lightly smiled.
"Hey, remember back when we were kids? We were both studying under this teacher at this kenjutsu school?" asked Yoshi. Koizumi smirked.
"I do. I kept getting in trouble with Sensei," said Koizumi.
"To be fair, it was your own damn fault," said Yoshi with a chuckle. Koizumi rolled his eyes in response.
"Yeah, sure. You know, it's a shame that the old man died. He knew his stuff too," said Koizumi.
"Yeah. But at least his training lives on through us," said Yoshi with a small smile. Koizumi snorted.
"That's not all that's living through you," said Koizumi with a smirk.
"What do you mean by that?" asked Yoshi.
"Don't worry about it," said Koizumi as he lied back in his bed and closed his eyes. Yoshi scowled in response. He lied down and stared up at the ceiling.
"We really could have prevented this if we had the other rebels with us," said Yoshi with a frown.
"Yeah, that Changeling attack in Hallow Shades was just too much of a bullshit coincidence. Something ain't right," said Koizumi. He then reached for the side of his desk and looked at the article. He sighed heavily.
"People are really pissed off at that Takeshi kid," said Koizumi.
"The princesses claim that it wasn't his fault. But I have to wonder what would cause him to act that way," said Yoshi. Koizumi placed the paper to the side.
"All I know is that the kid better fix whatever is wrong with him. Otherwise, he'll become a liability. Hell, he'll even find himself ostracized if not dead," said Koizumi. Yoshi lied back as he looked towards him COM in thought.
"Maybe I should tell Yasu-san about this. No doubt that they may be worried if they've read today's paper," said Yoshi as he reached for his COM device.
"Yeah, go ahead and talk to your girlfriend," said Koizumi in a teasing tone. Yoshi scowled as his cheeks bore a pink tinge.
"She is not my girlfriend," said Yoshi with a glare.
"Yeah, whatever you say, Sergeant," said Koizumi as he rolled his eyes. Yoshi scoffed as he reached for the COM device. He placed it in his ear and pressed against it.
"Yasu-san, are you there? This is Yoshi," said Yoshi as he spoke. After several seconds, he heard the other end of the line muffle.
"Yoshi! What the hell am I reading?! What's going on over there?!" demanded Mosura's voice over the COM device. Yoshi sighed.
"There was an attack. Takeshi...lost control of himself. But the princesses are defending him, claiming it wasn't his fault," said Yoshi.
"Was it his fault?" asked Mosura in a worried tone. Yoshi sighed.
"I don't know," said Yoshi.
"I'll be over there as soon as possible!" said Mosura.
"No! There are a lot of angry people in the streets right now. You or any of the Transmutants being here may make things worse," said Yoshi. Mosura sighed heavily.
"OK. But...keep an eye on Goji, OK?" asked Mosura.
"I'm actually injured and I'm recovering in the infirmary. But Sergeant Blaire said that she'd check on him," said Yoshi.
"Good. Thank you, Yoshi-san," said Mosura.




Later that night...

Celestia wandered through the halls of her castle in silence. She bore a deep frown as she twiddled her fingers together and kept her eyes on the ground. At her side were Cadence and Luna. The three Avatars continued to walk through the hall with Caesar, Amber, Blaire, and Shining Armor.
Amber perched herself on Caesar's back with her middle leg on her left side missing. The end of her hind wing bore a small tear. Caesar glanced at the fairy on his back.
"Are you certain that you're well enough?" asked Caesar.
"I am. I want to see him," said Amber in a small tone. Shining Armor bore a hard stare as he walked beside Cadence. As they arrived at Junior's door, they all stopped and stood in silence.
"I can't ask him to accept this," said Celestia in a solemn tone. Luna placed a hand on her sister's shoulder.
"Sister, something is wrong with him. We have to do this so that he may not hurt anyone if yesterday's incident should repeat itself. At least until we can figure out what's wrong," said Luna. Shining Armor sighed as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"I think we should consider keeping it up longer, perhaps for the rest of his life. Just to be safe," said Shining Armor. Cadence and Blaire looked at him with appalled expressions.
"We can't just keep the spell on him for life! How can you suggest something like that?!" demanded Cadence.
"Look, I know that this isn't something that no one wants to hear, but we have to consider the possibility of his problem being permanent. What if last night was the straw that broke the camel's back? What if he's suffering mentally?" asked Shining Armor. Caesar shook his head.
"No, something else is wrong with him. It's not a mental problem, it's a spiritual problem," said Caesar. The group all looked at Caesar curiously.
"Spiritual?" asked Blaire. Caesar nodded to her. He then looked to Cadence.
"You are sensitive to both positive and negative emotions, my dear. No doubt you felt his," said Caesar. Cadence nodded as she bore a frown.
"His heart was filled with so much hate and anger. All he did was lash out anyone around him like fire. It was frightening," said Cadence. Caesar nodded and then turned to face Celestia.
"I believe you may know the root of his hate and anger, Princess Celestia," said Caesar.
"I..." Celestia looked down in thought as she tried to think of an answer. Her eyes widened as she recalled Junior speaking about a Transmutant named, 'Destoroyah'. The Avatar recalled how Junior spoke with disdain about the Transmutant and how he wanted revenge. She brought her eyes back up and met with Caesar's.
"I believe I do," said Celestia. Caesar nodded.
"If we can solve that, we may be able to prevent him from going berserk once again," said Caesar. He then turned to face Shining Armor with a hard stare.
"Do try to put your personal feelings aside for this matter. If you were to restrain him for as long as you suggested, no doubt he will learn to loath every single one of you for only treating the symptom, rather than the cause," said Caesar. Shining Armor returned his stare.
"I am only trying to look out for my wife and the citizens," said Shining Armor.
"And that is commendable. But not confronting the actual problem will not help," said Caesar with a grunt. Celestia sighed as she turned to face the door.
"Very well. We shall ask him if he is willing to accept the restraint spell. It will limit his physical abilities like it has done for Shiragami so long as he wears them, but he'll be free to move around. It may even put some people at ease," said Celestia. Blaire frowned deeply.
"But he'll feel like an animal in chains," said Blaire. Celestia gritted her teeth at the reminder.
"I know," said Celestia in a soft tone. She then knocked on Junior's door. The group waited in silence for several seconds without a sign of the door being approached from inside. Celestia knocked on the door again.
"Junior? I want to talk to you," called Celestia. Silence filled the air for the next few seconds. Celestia began to grow worried with the lack of response.
"Junior?" called Celestia. Filled with worry, she opened the door. Her eyes widened as she found Junior not present in his room.
"Junior!" called Celestia as she searched the bedroom. She then ran towards the bathroom and found nothing in sight.
“Celestia!” called Luna. Celestia quickly made her way out of the door and found Luna pointing towards the window. Celestia found it wide open, causing the Avatar feel dread in her heart. She rushed over towards the window and found Junior walking down a path with his hood on. Celestia took off into the air and out the window, pursuing the Transmutant. Meanwhile, the rest watched as she pursued the Transmutant. Celestia landed in front of Junior, causing him to recoil.
“Junior, where are you going?” asked Celestia. Junior lowered his eyes, filled with shame as he avoided eye contact with her.
“I… I’m sorry. I’ve done a terrible thing to the people that I cared about. I didn’t want to face you after what happened,” said Junior in a solemn tone. Celestia deeply frowned as she approached Junior. She wrapped him into a tight hug, causing the Transmutant to flinch.
“It’s not your fault,” said Celestia. Junior pulled away.
“Isn’t it? I lost control of myself. I don’t even know why I did. But I ended up hurting you, Amber, Luna and Cadence,” said Junior. Celestia held Junior by his cheeks as she firmly stared into his eyes.
“Gojira, you can’t run away. What is causing you so much pain and anger is going to poison your very soul. Not just that, it will also poison the relationships around you. I don’t want that,” said Celestia in a soft tone. Junior looked away briefly and then spotted Amber fluttering outside of a door while being followed by Cadence, Luna, Shining Armor and Caesar. Junior deeply frowned as he looked down at the ground, avoiding eye contact with the rest. Amber fluttered closer to Junior and perched herself on his shoulder.
“Gojira,” called Amber. Junior couldn’t face her. Especially not her since she suffered the most. Amber nuzzled his neck, causing a small tingle on Junior’s neck.
“I forgive you. Please, don’t be angry at yourself,” said Amber. Junior gave her a sad smile as he gently scratched her head.
“I’m sorry, Amber,” said Junior. He then turned to face the other avatars, Blaire and Shining Armor. The Transmutant bowed his head.
“I’m sorry for what I did. I regret everything,” said Junior.  Cadence made her way over to Junior and wrapped him into a hug. She rubbed his back in comfort. Luna gave him a soft smile, while Shining Armor looked away with hard eyes.
“It’s OK, cousin. I’m here if you need me,” said Cadence as she pulled away from Junior. The Transmutant turned to face Shining Armor, filled with anxiety. Just when he thought that he made a better impression on him, something went wrong. But, then Shining Armor turned to face him with a firm expression.
“Gojira, I want to believe that you’re a good guy. My sister likes you, and my mother likes you. Look me into the eye and tell me, are you going to keep yourself in check?” asked Shining Armor. Junior inhaled and then softly exhaled through his nose.
“Yes, sir,” answered Junior in a firm tone. Shining Armor nodded to him in approval as he held his hand out to him. Junior took it and shook it. The two released each other’s hands and Junior faced Celestia.
“Um… With your permission, I’d like to go home. I think maybe… I should lay low for a while,” said Junior. Celestia sighed as she nodded in understanding.
“Very well. Stay safe. I love you,” said Celestia. Junior nodded to her.
“Love you too,” said Junior as he walked down the path, leaving the royals behind. Amber fluttered back over to Caesar and landed on his back with a sigh.
“I won’t be able to see him for a while. My sisters won’t have any of it,” said Amber in disappointment. Caesar glanced back at her.
“Give them time. They were just worried sick about you,” said Caesar. Amber lowered her head as her antennae dipped. Suddenly, a strange presence was felt by Caesar. The Shisa looked around in confusion. His eyes slightly widened.
'I sense someone. Someone from Junior's past,' thought Caesar.




Meanwhile...

Junior walked down the road of Canterlot in silence. He was wearing his sweater that Rarity had made for him and a cap over his head. The Transmutant normally did not wear hats and preferred not to, but he needed as much obscurity of his face that he can get. A backpack was strapped over his shoulders, carrying his family photos with Celestia. Junior turned to the side as he heard a small crowd shouting as they gathered around a man that stood on a soap box.
"Right now, the princesses hold that vile monster with them! They are ignoring the danger that he possess against us and themselves! Unlike the other Transmutants, this one is the one that we should fear the most!" shouted the man. The people that had gathered gave shouts of agreement. Junior merely frowned as he pulled his hood further down over his face as he continued to walk down the road. He sighed heavily as he stared up at the stars. His nose suddenly caught a familiar scent, which caused him to immediately turn to his side. He found Erika Shiragami standing near an alley with a firm expression. Junior made no move to react defensively. He merely stared in surprise.
"Shiragami? I...I thought you and the other soldiers escaped," said Junior as he turned to face Erika. She deeply frowned.
"We...we did escape from the dungeon. But we were betrayed by MONARCH's stealth force," said Erika as she walked over to Junior.
"They teamed up with the Revolutionaries. I don't know why but they killed the soldiers!" cried Erika in a distraught tone. She walked closer to the Transmutant as her eyes watered. Junior stared in surprise at the news but he hardened his eyes as she mentioned MONARCH's affiliation with the Revolutionaries.
"Takeshi, they kidnapped Sunset Shimmer," said Erika. Junior's eyes slightly widened but they then softened. He sighed as he turned away.
"That's...too bad," said Junior. Erika's eyes widened in response.
"Wha- 'Too bad'? Is that all you can say?" asked Erika in disbelief.
"Shiragami, it's not my problem. They killed the soldiers and kidnapped Sunset Shimmer without any hint as to where they are. There's nothing that I can do," said Junior. Erika rushed over to Junior and grabbed him by the shoulders with pleading eyes.
"Takeshi, you have to help me! Something is going on and I don't know what to do!" said Erika. Junior sent her a glare and forced her into the alley. She gasped as he forced her against the wall.
"No, you listen to me!" said Junior in a harsh whisper. Erika flinched in response as she stared into his eyes that burned with anger.
"I do not have to help you! All I've done up until now was do things for others! I've bled, killed, and hurt for those I cared about! But what have I gotten in return?!" demanded Junior. Erika flinched as she trembled under his glare.
"I've been scorned and ridiculed by everyone who's afraid of Transmutants! I'm sick of fighting for those people! But I do it for my adoptive mother! Why should I do the same for Shimmer, who has hunted me without end?!" demanded Junior. Erika glared back at him.
"Because she isn't like that!" said Erika as she forced Junior off of herself. She then pinned him against the other wall.
"Sunset regrets what she's done to you! She wants to make things right!" cried Erika.
"If she did, then Sunset wouldn't have taken the opportunity to escape!" said Junior as he glared at Erika. "She wasn't going to be hurt. Celestia offered her a chance to be free! You all saw the truth about MONARCH and yet you denied what was in front of you! I gave her a second chance when I said that we could talk to each other every day when she was out of that cell! You both betrayed my trust when you chose to leave!"
"Takeshi, don't do this!" whimpered Erika. She held his shoulders firmly as she stared at him with pleading eyes.
"Look, I'm sorry! We just didn't want to be prisoners! We just wanted to go home!" cried Erika. She lowered he head as she held Junior's sleeves.
"Don't make me abandon Sunset. She's the only friend that I have left," said Erika. Junior became less tense and his eyes softened. Erika buried her face into his chest as she sobbed.
"I'm begging you. Please, help me!" cried Erika. Junior lowered his head and sighed. He brought his hand over her head and patted it. Erika gasped as she felt his hand and looked up to him.
"Fine. You win," said Junior as he pried Erika's hands off his sweater. "I'll help you find Sunset. But after that, you two are on your own,"
"Thank you," said Erika as she wiped her eyes. Junior turned to corner of the alley and took a peek. He turned back to Erika as he removed his hat. He placed it on her head, which she responded with a look of confusion.
"Wear that. You'll need to hide your face since you’re actually supposed to be a prisoner," said Junior as he began to walk away. Erika nodded as she trailed after him. The Transmutants walked down the roads, avoiding crowds and guards. As a guard glanced at the two, Junior reached for Erika's hand and held it firmly. Erika blushed in embarrassment as Junior pulled her close.
"Just act natural," whispered Junior. Erika gulped.
"I...I don't know how to act for this kind of natural," muttered Erika. Junior sighed as he held her close.
"Well, you're embarrassed and blushing. I think they'll buy it," said Junior. The two continued on through Canterlot until they made it to the train’s station. Junior purchased two tickets and led Erika to the train. The two walked to the furthest train cars, which were empty. The two sat near the right side of the car with Erika taking a seat by the window. Junior sighed as he placed his back pack down and leaned against his seat.
"Made it," said Junior in relief. Erika turned to face him curiously.
"So, where are we going? Won't Princess Celestia be worried that you're not in Canterlot?" asked Erika.
"Maybe, but she knows that I’m leaving. Anyway, we're headed for Ponyville, but we're not crashing anywhere in town," said Junior.
"Then where?" asked Erika. Junior pulled his hood further down as he bore a firm expression.
"My sanctuary," answered Junior.




Later...

Junior leaned against his seat in the train in silence. He stared solemnly at the window across from himself as he thought back to the princesses and Amber. He shook his head at the thought of pissing Shining Armor off, right after just getting on his good side, by attacking his wife. He hoped that the two would be able to actually move passed what happened. He turned to his side and found Erika leaning against the window with her hands held like a pillow. She was breathing softly as she slept through the train ride. Junior sighed as he leaned back again, wishing to sleep as well. He then felt a weight against his shoulder. Junior turned and found Erika leaning against him as she breathed softly. Junior blushed in embarrassment as she nuzzled him.
"Ugh. Shiragami, you can't do this. I have a girlfriend. Well, at least I hope that I still do," said Junior in a worried tone. He sighed as he looked off to the side.
"What are the others going to say?" asked Junior. Erika mumbled in her sleep.
"Don't be upse..." Erika's voice trailed off as she mumbled in her sleep. Junior smiled in amusement. The young woman shivered as she tried to snuggle closer to the Transmutant. Junior sighed as he moved her to the side and removed his sweater. He then placed it over her shoulders and allowed Erika to lean against his shoulder again. Erika lightly opened one eye as she glanced at Junior's face. She lightly smiled to herself.
"Thank you," whispered Erika. Junior looked away in embarrassment.
"Yeah, sure," said Junior. The two suddenly felt the train slow to a stop. Erika moaned as she raised herself up as she bore a drowsy expression. Junior picked up his back pack and stood up as the train stopped.
"Come on, let's get moving," said Junior. Erika nodded as she removed the sweater and handed it to Junior. He merely gave a gentle push against her hand.
"Keep it. It's cold tonight," said Junior. Erika nodded as she placed the sweater and zipped it up. She lightly giggled as she observed the sleeves that hung off of her arms.
"I feel cozier already," said Erika. Junior rolled his eyes as the two left the train. The Transmutants spent the next couple of minutes staying out of sight as they kept their distance from the town. Junior led Erika further out until they reached the edge of the Everfree forest. Erika gulped.
"I-In there?" asked Erika. Junior nodded.
"It's the safest place for people like us," said Junior as he took Erika's hand and began to walk with her. "Stay close. You'll be fine,"




Later...

The evening had grown later. It was passing midnight and the Transmutants were getting closer to the lair. Junior was currently carrying Erika on his back as she had her arms wrapped around tightly and leaned her head against his shoulder. Strapped to her shoulders was Junior's backpack. She had grown to be too exhausted to be walking, given her lack of consuming radioactive energy. Junior smiled as he spotted the house up ahead, making him walk faster and prompting Erika to awaken.
"Huh? What's wrong?" asked Erika in a drowsy tone.
"Nothing. We're here," said Junior as he picked up the pace. As they made it to the porch, he set Erika down and searched for his house key. He unlocked the door and opened it, leading Erika inside. The female Transmutant stared with a small smile as she spotted the house appliances inside of the dark room.
"Come on, you can sleep in my chamber tonight," said Junior as he walked to the edge of the room. Erika's face broke into a blush.
"Whoa! Hold up, buddy! I-I uh..." Erika waved her hands frantically as she stuttered. Junior sighed.
"That came out wrong. I meant that you can sleep in my chamber tonight while I sleep on the couch. I want to ease the others that are here before telling them that I brought you here," said Junior. Erika tittered in response.
"Right," said Erika. Junior led Erika out of the main house and deeper into the cave. Erika stared in awe of the rocky walls and the water that flowed down below. The two came across a great chamber.
"Wow," said Erika in awe. Junior walked along the curved, rocky ledge.
"Come on, my chamber is down here," said Junior. Erika walked after him and was led into a smaller room that was hidden by a curtain. She looked around and found it to be small but there was a bed with a set of drawers in the corner. Junior gestured to the bed.
"Uh...feel free to get comfortable. I'll see you in the morning," said Junior as he walked out.
"Um...thank you!" said Erika with a smile. Junior nodded to her as he left. He turned to the chamber that was next to his and made his way over to it. Junior peaked inside and found Mosura wrapped in a blanket as she slept peacefully. He slowly made his way inside and knelt beside her. Junior pulled up the blanket that was down at her back and brought it over her shoulders. Mosura stirred in bed as she slowly opened her eyes.
"Goji?" asked Mosura in a drowsy tone. Junior nodded to her.
"Hey, Mosu. I'm back home," said Junior. Mosura sat up in her bed and rubbed her eyes.
"What happened in Canterlot? We've been worried sick about you," said Mosura with a frown. Junior sighed.
"I don't know. I just lost control of myself. I'll explain tomorrow," said Junior. Mosura wrapped Junior into a tight hug.
"Ok, goodnight," said Mosura. Junior hugged her back.
"Yeah, sweet dreams, Mosu," said Junior as he released the Transmutant. Mosura lied back down in bed and began to snuggle for warmth. Junior stood and left her chamber and continued back up to the main house.
	
> Chapter 56: Darkness Returns
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was the afternoon on this next day. An uneasy silence filled the living room of the Transmutant Four's lair. Junior sat on the sofa. With him were the rest of the Transmutant Four, the Main six, and the Sirens. They all stared at the Transmutant worriedly. Twilight nearly looked distraught while Junior sighed heavily as he lowered his head.
"By now, I think it's safe to assume that you all read the news about what happened in Canterlot. Especially one particular detail that's pretty popular," said Junior.
"What happened? Why would you do something like that?" asked Twilight.
"Twilight, I swear to you, what happened was an accident! I...I don't know what happened," said Junior as he lowered his head.
"Dude, how can you not know what happened?! The paper said you attacked the Princesses!" said Rainbow Dash as she held up yesterday's paper and held it to Junior's face. The Transmutant glared at the image in hate. He snatched the paper from her and tore it up, causing the girls to flinch. He sent Rainbow a glare.
"You can talk to me about what happened, but don't ever show me that shit again!" said Junior in a harsh tone. Rainbow recoiled at his tone.
"Hey-hey! Relax!" said Rainbow with a nervous expression. Rodan stepped by Junior as he sent him a glare.
"You don't have to yell at her," said Rodan in disapproval. Junior sighed as he rubbed his temples.
"You're right. Rainbow, I'm sorry that I snapped at you. I just can't stand to look at that picture anymore," said Junior in a soft tone. Rainbow relaxed as she looked at him worriedly.
"Well, let's talk about it. Why did you do it?" asked Rainbow.
"Yeah, you'd never hurt the princesses! Especially Princess Celestia!" said Pinkie.
"I know, I know. There was a Revolutionary attack going on in Canterlot. Half of the rebels and Shining Armor were in Hallows Shade repelling a Changeling attack that happened a few hours before. Caesar and I had gotten back from training and found ourselves caught in the middle of a war zone," said Junior as he rubbed his head. His friends gave him their full attention, analyzing the story.
"So, we got caught up fighting this MONARCH Transmutant named Ghidorah. Then Destoroyah came in. Next thing I knew, I was standing in the middle of the street with some destruction left behind and the Princesses hurt," said Junior.
"You don't remember attacking them?" asked Rarity in confusion.
"No. Well, I did when I came to. But it was fragmented memories. I...I don't remember when I lost control of myself," said Junior. The girls looked at each other in worry and then back to Junior. Mosura looked down in thought.
'It must be the spirit essence. Amber did say that he would be more prone to aggression if angered,' thought Mosura. She then looked to Junior.
"Goji, were you angry when this was happening?" asked Mosura. Junior glanced at her.
"I...well, I guess you can say that," said Junior. Fluttershy looked at him worriedly.
"What were you angry about? It may have been why you were lashing out at the princesses," said Fluttershy. Adagio crossed her arms as she stood with her fellow Sirens.
"That could be it. It wouldn't be the first time," said Adagio as she focused her eyes on Junior. The Transmutant looked down in shame while Mosura cleared her throat as she looked to the ceiling.
"Wait...you've seen him blow up like that before?" asked Rainbow.
"You...can say that," said Adagio as she looked away. Twilight focused her attention on Junior.
"Gojira?" called Twilight.
"I rather not discuss it," said Junior. Twilight sighed in response as she crossed her arms with a look of annoyance. Junior then focused his attention on the Sirens.
"I actually wasn't expecting you three to be here," said Junior. Adagio smirked.
"What? Didn't you miss me?" asked Adagio as she placed a hand on her hip. Junior lightly smiled.
"Of course. I just wish our reunion wasn't at a time like this," said Junior.
"Eh. I've had worse," said Adagio.
"I won't bother asking then," said Junior. Mosura tapped Junior's head, grabbing his attention.
"OK, so we've established what happened. You've lost control and ended up attacking the princesses. The MONARCH soldiers that were locked up got away during the chaos and you've have had only fragments of yourself attacking the princesses," said Mosura. Junior nodded in response.
"That's correct," said Junior. Mosura sighed as she brushed the strands of her hair away from her eye.
"OK. Well, at least we all know that you haven't turned your back on us. That'd hurt more," said Mosura with a light frown.
"So, what about him losing it? What are we gonna do about that?" asked Applejack.
"He can take a vacation!" said Sonata as she raised her hand up. Fluttershy hummed in thought.
"That may not be a bad idea. It'll give Goji some space and a chance to relax. We can even take another counseling session for anger management!" said Fluttershy with a bright smile. Rainbow sighed in annoyance.
"Just don't make me put on a school girl's uniform again," said Rainbow.
"Babe, you look good in it," said Rodan with a flirty smile. Rainbow crossed her arms as she looked away with a flush and scowl.
"Oh! Maybe a trip to the spa will help work off some of that stress!" suggested Rarity.
"A party!" said Pinkie as she stuck a party blower in Junior's mouth. He scowled in response as he blew through it, causing the rolled up paper to extend out as a honk came from it. Junior then opened his mouth and allowed it to fall onto his lap.
"A nap can do him so good," said Rodan.
"I'm leaning more to the vacation idea," said Angirasu with a small smile.
"Me too," said Twilight with a nod. She then gasped.
"Oh! Since Hearth's Warming is coming up in a few weeks, we can have another party like last year!" said Twilight.
"How about a vacation somewhere else like Manehattan or Canterlot where we can go to the spa with him and celebrate Hearth's Warming Eve with a party after Goji's counseling session?" suggested Pinkie with a large grin. Everyone in the room began to give verbal agreements as they gave off suggestions on what to do for their friend. Junior sighed heavily as he shook his head.
"Guys! Guys, be quiet for a second!" said Junior. Everyone went silent as they looked at Junior in confusion.
"Look, I appreciate what you are all doing. But honestly, I can't take a vacation. Especially to somewhere like Manehattan or Canterlot," said Junior.
"Why not?" asked Rarity.
"One, I pissed off everybody in Canterlot after attacking the princesses. Two, a vacation somewhere isn't going to help me since I have something that I have to do," said Junior.
"What about the spa trip?" asked Twilight.
"Or the party?!" asked Pinkie with a frown.
"Look, I just...I can't leave the Everfree," said Junior. Rodan chuckled.
"Sure you can! Just get your ass up and walk on out of here and into Ponyville!" said Rodan.
"Yeah, but I actually don't want to," said Junior as he stood up to his feet and walked over to the kitchen. He reached into the cupboard and pulled out a glass cup, which he filled up with water.
"Wha...What do you mean?" asked Adagio. Junior turned to face the Transmutants.
"Mosu, how were things in Ponyville after news hit?" asked Junior.
"Uh...people that already didn't trust us got angry. Some people that still trusted us questioned us about why you would attack the Princesses and if we had anything to do with it," said Mosura. Junior pointed to Mosura as he looked towards Adagio.
"There you go. Let's face it guys, I messed up. I blew it," said Junior as he took a sip of his water.
"Celestia worked hard to help people to understand us so that we can live as citizens again and I ruined it. Protesters were outside of the castle claiming that I was too dangerous and that I was the worst out of all of the Transmutants," said Junior. Everyone looked at him with a frown as Junior kept a calm expression. In truth, he was hurt as he retold the events.
"So, I think there's only one way to save the Transmutants from being ostracized again," said Junior as he chugged down his water.
"What might that be?" asked Applejack in a curious tone.
"I have to disappear," said Junior. Everyone in the room looked at him in shock.
"What?!" they exclaimed. Junior flinched at the high volume and the assault of a dozen voices.
"What do you mean by that?!" demanded Mosura.
"You're not planning on running away again, are you?!" demanded Twilight as she made her way over to Junior with a glare.
"Of course not! I just mean that...maybe I should stay in the Everfree. I should never show my face in town or any town again," said Junior.
"Why would you do that?" asked Rarity with a frown. Junior sighed.
"Because...I think if people consider me the worst, then Mosu and the others may have a chance at getting back on more people's good side," said Junior. He then turned to face his fellow Transmutants.
"Guys, people have always warmed up to you the most. I'm the one who did something wrong, not you. If I keep showing up into town with you guys, it may end up hurting you," said Junior.
"No, Goji. Come on, man," said Rodan with a frown.
"Look, I can't keep showing up if it's going to cost people's trust in you! They need you guys protect them, not me," said Junior.
"Gojira, we're a team! We need you!" said Angirasu. Junior shook his head.
"No, you don't. You guys are the greatest fighters that I've ever met. You were good without me, and you can be like that again," said Junior. Mosura sent him a glare.
"So, you're going to stop helping humans? You're just going to leave us to do all the work because you're afraid?" demanded Mosura.
"Yeah, that's not like you!" said Rainbow.
"You're tougher than that Goji!" said Pinkie with a smile. His friends began to give verbal agreements.  Junior sighed in frustration.
"Look! I admit it alright?! I don't want to help humans anymore! It's not because I hate them or I'm becoming lazy. It's just that I don’t know if I can make up for what I did and change people's minds about me!" said Junior.
"They have to be the ones to change! You can't do it for them," argued Twilight.
"Not everyone changes, Twilight. That’s why I can't keep doing this. I'm only going to make things worse," said Junior.
"Sugarcube, you don't really think that do you?" asked Applejack with a frown. Junior gave her a solemn expression.
"You want to look me in the eye and tell me that I'm lying?" asked Junior. Applejack deeply frowned in response.
"No. Then I'd be lying," responded Applejack as she lowered her head. Silence filled the room for several seconds before Fluttershy turned to Junior with a frown.
"Does...that mean you don't want to be our friend anymore?" asked Fluttershy. Junior chuckled.
"Don't be silly. Of course I still want to be your friend. All of you. But I can't keep showing myself in town. I have to stay here," said Junior.
"You don't have to," said Twilight as she crossed her arms and looked away. Junior lowered his head.
"Let's make a deal, guys," said Junior. Everyone in the room turned to face Junior curiously.
"Listen, I can't go into town anymore because of what happened. But, I can leave the Everfree every once in a while. I'll go as far as...Sweet Apple Acres and Fluttershy's cottage. Those places are far enough from most townsfolk," said Junior. Twilight rubbed her arm as she looked away.
"I...guess that's fine," said Twilight in reluctance.
"We can do that Hearth's Warming party, but it can't be in town," said Junior.
"Then where?" asked Rarity. Junior looked down in thought. He then began to look around the house. Junior turned to face the other Transmutants.
"Guys?" asked Junior. Mosura sighed as she gave him a small smile.
"I don't mind, but the decorations would need to be brought here. Ours are old and broken," said Mosura. Junior nodded while he found the girls looking unsure of themselves before Pinkie smiled.
"I think we can liven this place up for a party," said Pinkie. Junior nodded.
"OK, and here's the last one. I will keep helping out in town, for all of your sake. But, only if it's something that involves a monster or Transmutant attacks. Anything small like a parasprite invasion or stampeding bunnies I will have to sit out," said Junior. The humans nodded in agreement but still bore frowns.
"Goji, we can work this out. It doesn't have to be this way," said Applejack.
"Just...let me try this for a while. If I'm not satisfied with the results, then I'll come out," said Junior.
"Fine," said Applejack as she crossed her arms. Junior watched the frowns of his friends and the worry from the Sirens. The Transmutant was beginning to have second thoughts with his plan, but shook off the hesitation.
'No. I have to make sacrifices,' thought Junior. He then cleared his throat as he faced them all.
"Guys, I'm going to be preoccupied for a while. Actually, I think we're going to be preoccupied," said Junior as he looked towards the other Transmutants.
"Why?" asked Rodan in confusion. Junior walked to the back of the room and opened the door. Ahead on the metal bridge, he found Erika waiting with a slight worried expression.
"Come on in," said Junior. Erika nodded as she walked along the bridge. Junior stepped back and allowed Erika to step inside. Everyone looked on in shock.
"Huh. I thought I smelled roses," said Angirasu. Mosura looked at Junior with an appalled expression while the Sirens shot Erika a glare.
"You!" growled Adagio as she recognized the Transmutant. Junior raised his hand.
"Adagio, relax! She's with me," said Junior.
"With you?!" questioned the Elements of Harmony.
"Gojira, what is she doing here?! I thought you said that the MONARCH soldiers escaped!" said Mosura.
"More importantly, and I'm repeating Mosu's first question, what is she doing here?!" exclaimed Rodan.
"She needs help finding Sunset Shimmer. She said that the soldiers were broken out by MONARCH's stealth force and were killed by them and the Revolutionaries. Turns out they were working together and they kidnapped Sunset Shimmer," said Junior.
"That's terrible. But, I find that hard to believe. Why would either one ally with each other?" asked Mosura. Erika sighed.
"I don't know. There was this man named Thanatos who led the team that broke us out. I don't know where they've gone and why they did it! I just know that Sunset was taken alive!" cried Erika.
"Wasn't she the chick that was trying to kill you?" asked Rainbow with a raised brow as she looked at Junior.
"Yes, why would you want to help her?" asked Rarity.
"I have my reasons," said Junior. He turned to the Transmutants.
"Guys, this could be big. MONARCH soldiers and the Revolutionaries in an alliance? Something doesn't seem right with that and I doubt the entire organization knows about this," said Junior.
"So, you want us to help you find your old girlfriend so you can save her?" deadpanned Rodan. Twilight's eyes shot wide open while the other girls looked on in shock.
"Wait, 'old girlfriend'?!" exclaimed Twilight. Junior gulped as he heard her appalled tone. He then shot Rodan a glare, who chuckled nervously.
"Tsss. Awkward," muttered Adagio as she looked off to the side.
"For the last time, she was not my girlfriend! I just had a crush on her when I was a kid!" said Junior.
"I- You- We-!" Twilight babbled as she tried to formulate a coherent sentence.
"Twilight, it was just a stupid kiddie crush that I had. It's all in the past," said Junior.
"I...why didn't you tell me about this?" asked Twilight. Junior scowled in response.
"Because you never asked me who I had a crush on before," answered Junior.
"But-"
"Hey, I never asked you about any crushes that you may have had before you met me," said Junior in a defensive manner. Twilight scowled in response. Junior then turned to face Rodan.
"And no, I'm not doing this for me. I'm doing this for Shiragami," said Junior. Erika looked at him in surprise.
"Why her?" asked Rainbow.
"Because Transmutants have to stick together. Besides, I wouldn't feel right letting her lose her friend if there's something I can do to help. The Revolutionaries give me enough reason to get involved," said Junior as he crossed his arms.
"We can help," said Twilight as she stepped forward.
"You can help us find her. But beyond that, stay out of it," said Junior as he began to walk to the back room.
"We can't just stay out of it! You'll need help getting her back!" said Rainbow. Junior turned to face her with a hard stare.
"No, we can do this ourselves," said Junior as he continued to walk towards the cave. Twilight ran after him. The Transmutant turned as he was halfway across the bridge and found Twilight looking at him with a hard stare.
"Why are you so adamant about us helping you? Why are you pushing us away?!" demanded Twilight.
"I'm doing this for your own good," said Junior.
"No, that's not what it is! You're not letting go of the past and it's tearing you apart!" said Twilight.
"I'm going to fix things, Twilight. Soon, it's going to stop hurting and I'll be able to live in peace," said Junior as he turned and continued to walk. Twilight scoffed as she ran after him. She tugged at his arm.
"Then let us help you! We can put an end to it together!" said Twilight.
"I can't get you and the others involved in that, Twilight," said Junior.
"Why? Why don't you trust us with this?" demanded Twilight. Junior turned and glared at her.
"Because you will die!" shouted Junior. Twilight recoiled in response and stared at him with wide eyes. Junior sighed as he lowered his head.
"Twilight, there are some things in this world that you can't help with. This is one of them. MONARCH and the Revolutionaries have to be stopped. But if you and the others get involved, you will not stand a chance, you know why? Because the soldiers will mow you down with their guns," said Junior in a low tone. He hardened his stare.
"The Transmutants will tear you apart without a second thought. This isn't your war, Twilight. It's ours," said Junior. Twilight lowered her head solemnly.
"Gojira, I love you. I can't sit idly by while you try to take on the world on your own. It isn't fair to me and it isn't fair to you," said Twilight. Junior brought his hand under her chin and raised it up.
"I love you too. That’s why I can't let you get involved in this. Not this time. I'll never forgive myself if something were to happen to you for getting involved in this conflict," said Junior. He lowered himself as Twilight leaned closer to him.
"If you keep this up, you'll never be happy. You just...have to let some things go," said Twilight. Junior sighed.
"Easier said than done," said Junior. Twilight brought his face closer to hers as she gave him a firm expression.
"No one ever said it's easy. But the struggle is worth it," said Twilight. Junior looked down at the ground with a frown.
"Right," said Junior. Twilight wrapped her arms around him as she planted her lips against his own. The two shared a short kiss.
"You may not believe it, but things will get better. You'll see," said Twilight. Junior nodded to her.
"I hope so," said Junior. Twilight playfully slapped Junior's chest.
"Well, since you're going to be at home more, I better not have to drag you out of the Everfree for another date, mister," said Twilight with a wink. Junior smirked.
"You can try but I don't think you'd get very far," said Junior. Twilight laughed as she placed a hand on her hip.
"Then I'll just have to stay at your place," said Twilight. Junior took Twilight's hand and began to walk with her out of the cave and back to the main house.
"Fair enough," said Junior with a small chuckle.




Meanwhile in the Frozen North...

The sound of stomping filled the air. Destoroyah walked through the hall of the Temple of Shadows. His eyes were hard and his face bore a small smile as he led several Transmutants. Behind him were Battra, Gaira, Ebirah, Titano, Shinomura, and Mukade. With them were several other unnamed Transmutants. Battra walked with a hard stare as he held Sunset Shimmer by her neck. The Elf grunted as she attempted to free herself.
"Let me go!" shouted Sunset Shimmer as she slammed her fist against Battra's arm.
"Be quiet," ordered Battra as he sent Sunset a glare. Sunset gritted her teeth as she glared at him.
The Transmutants later found themselves inside of a great room near an altar. Behind the shimmering magic wall that held the dead black moth Kaiju in its frozen tomb. Thanatos, Ghidorah, Chrysalis and Onyx stood near an altar. Around the great room were the other members of the Shadow's Hand, Changelings and the Revolutionaries. Destoroyah stopped along with the Transmutants that were by his side.
"The time has come," said Thanatos. Battra stepped forward and threw Sunset to the ground. The Elf panted as she looked around with a frantic expression. On the walls were dozens of Changelings and all around her were Revolutionaries and humans in cloaks. She looked up to the throne and found Thanatos raising his hand. Sunset gasped as she was levitated into the air and brought closer to the altar. She narrowed her eyes.
"You betrayed MONARCH and decided to side with them?! How could you?!" demanded Sunset. Thanatos laughed.
"You are a fool, Sunset Shimmer. MONARCH is under our control. The higher command may think they control the organization, but it is us who are pulling the strings in the dark," said Thanatos. He then glanced at Onyx.
"Isn't that right, Director?" asked Thanatos. Onyx smiled.
"It is, master," said Onyx. Sunset's eyes widened in response as Onyx levitated Sunset over to the stone altar and placed her down on it. Sunset's ankles and her wrists were bounded by black shackles that appeared out of thin air. Sunset grunted as her limbs were spread apart, forcing her to be splayed out on the altar. She panted as she stared fearfully at the hooded old man that stared down at her with his red-orange eyes.
"Wh-What are you going to do to me?" whimpered Sunset. Thanatos chuckled.
"Don't worry. You will be just fine," said Thanatos as his hand glowed with dark magic. Sunset's eyes widened as Thanatos brought his hand down on into her chest. She gasped as she felt something reaching inside of her. Sunset looked down and found Thanatos's hand had fused into her chest.
"Ah!!" screamed Sunset in terror at what she was witnessing. She struggled on the altar with Thanatos's hand in her chest as she continued to scream.
"Hold her still!" ordered Thanatos. Chrysalis sighed in annoyance as she made her way to Sunset's head and used her long arms to hold Sunset by her shoulders. She then used her two extra arms to hold Sunset's head in place as she covered her mouth. Sunset continued to give muffled screams as she kicked her legs, causing the shackles to rattle. Ghidorah grabbed her ankles held her down. He then applied pressure to her ankles, causing Sunset to give a muffle cry in pain.
"Shut up and suck it up," said Chrysalis in annoyance. Sunset moaned as she closed her eyes. She gave a muffled sob as she peaked at Thanatos moving his hand inside of her body. Battra merely watched with a cold stare as he watched Sunset sob to herself.
"This should be enough of her energy for King Sombra," said Thanatos as he pulled his hand out of Sunset's chest. Her chest rippled like a puddle before restoring back to a normal surface. Chrysalis and Ghidorah released Sunset, who inhaled deeply as she coughed furiously. She panted as she whimpered to herself as her eyes were pink from the tears that she had shed.
"Yes," said Thanatos with a dark smile as he held up a flaming ball that was a moderate cyan mixed with black.
"This is merely a fraction of her power. But it is enough to release King Sombra," said Thanatos.  
"Shadow's Hand, present the concentrations of emotion that you have collected over the years," said Thanatos as he turned towards the ice wall as the cult members pulled out glowing, green and black spheres. The Transmutants all looked at the cultists curiously. Onyx pulled out a larger sphere that was crackling like fire.
"What's up with that one?" asked Shinomura. Onyx looked towards the Transmutants with a smile.
"This is Gojira Takeshi the Second's. His hate is strong," said Onyx.
"His hatred," said Battra as he looked at the flaming sphere. Just looking into the sphere, he can feel just how much pain it must cause to one individual. He kept a cold gaze as he watched the cultists hold up the spheres. Onyx held up the sphere of Sunset's power, which sucked in the spheres of emotion, absorbing them like a black hole. As the sphere's disappeared from the hands of the cult members, Thanatos's sphere glowed brighter. He then pointed his finger towards Sunset, causing a dark mist to flow out of her body and into the sphere.
"Your despair and anger for Celestia will contribute greatly," said Thanatos with a dark smile. Sunset whimpered as she stared at the old man. As energy from her negative emotions filled the dark sphere, it began to glow brighter like a raging flame. Thanatos chuckled as he held up the sphere into the air.
"Lord Sombra! We release you from your icy prison! Rise and lead us once again!" shouted Thanatos as he turned and threw the sphere into the icy tomb of the Kaiju. The sphere whizzed pass the frozen Kaiju and bounced along the icy walls. As it traveled further down into the ice cave, it crashed into a great wall and sent cracks into it. The dark demonic magic and the negative emotions that filled the sphere seeped into the cracks behind the ice wall. After a few seconds, the cave rumbled as a bright purple light shined through the cracks. The wall burst open and out came a black cloud that hissed as it flowed through the cave. The Transmutants gasped as the cloud of smoke burst out of the cave and swirled around the room. A dark and echoed chuckle filled the room. Battra's eyes widened as he saw a pair of red and green cat-like eyes in the clouds. The eyes turned towards the altar where they found Thanatos, Onyx, and Ghidorah. The shadow gave a ghostly moan as it crashed down several feet away from the group. Everyone except for Onyx, Ghidorah and Thanatos, recoiled as the clouds forged into one single masculine figure.
"Lord Sombra," said Thanatos as he knelt and pulled back his hood and revealed his silver hair. The old man bowed before the figure before him. The figure was a man standing to be six foot three in height. His muscles were toned underneath the silver armor that covered his body. His breastplate marked his pectorals and ran down to his belly. His arms were covered in spiked gauntlets and his hands in metal clawed gloves. On the Elf's back was a red, fur patterned cape while his head had a silver crown with two silver spikes on each side of his head. In the center were two smaller red spikes with a silver oval in the middle. The Elf's black wavy hair matched his shadows as his thick black eyebrows were furrowed.
"Thanatos and Ghidorah, so good to see you," said Sombra as he revealed the fangs in his mouth. His voice carried a raspy and echoed tone to it.  He smiled darkly as Ghidorah bowed his head.
"Welcome back, King Sombra," said Ghidorah.
"How is it possible that you two are still alive? It has been a thousand years," said Sombra.
"I've studied in the arts of dark magic for years, my master. I've kept myself alive by absorbing the youth of men for centuries," answered Thanatos.
"I was placed under a spell that preserved me until the last few decades," said Ghidorah. Sombra nodded in response. He then turned to face Onyx and Chrysalis. He hummed to himself.
"Who are they? Why is there a Changeling here?" questioned Sombra.
"Master, this is my apprentice, Onyx. This is Queen Chrysalis. She has accepted an alliance to take back the Empire, in exchange for helping her take Equestria. Her army has been a great help at freeing you," said Thanatos. Sombra stared at Chrysalis with a blank stare. The Changeling gave a suppressed growl in annoyance at his silent stare.
"Hmm. Then perhaps we can work something out," said Sombra in a neutral tone. He then grunted as he turned to find Destoroyah down below with the Revolutionaries. The crustacean armored Transmutant merely kept a hard stare.
"Thanatos, what is this creature that is in my presence?" asked Sombra with a raised brow. The Transmutants growled in offense while Destoroyah kept a hard stare.
"How dare you speak to Lord Destoroyah with such-" Shinomura stepped forward with a look of anger. Sombra hardened his eyes at the few Transmutants that stepped forward with zeal. Destoroyah raised his arm in front of them and looked to them with a hard stare. The Transmutants backed down.
"Please forgive my men, your majesty. They are quite sensitive when being referred to as something less than human. Something that they must learn to accept," said Destoroyah with a growl as he looked towards the Transmutants. He then turned to face the shadow king.
"My name is Destoroyah. I am the leader of the Transmutant Revolutionaries. A race capable of transforming into strong beasts. Currently, we wage a war for survival against the rule of humans. We were promised protection and a chance to become powerful enough to stand against our foes so that we may make a new home for ourselves," said Destoroyah. Sombra glanced at Ghidorah with a neutral expression and then back to Destoroyah.
"Yes. I can sense that a number of you are special like my servant, Ghidorah," said Sombra. He then looked to Destoroyah with a dark smile.
"So, you desire to become stronger? To destroy those who threaten to destroy you?" asked Sombra. Destoroyah nodded.
"We all do," said Destoroyah. A few shouts of agreement from the Revolutionaries filled the room. Sombra crossed his arms as he bore a smirk as he turned to Thanatos.
"I was not expecting this for my return, my apprentice. Here, you have passed down all that I have taught you and used that knowledge to teach the descendants of those from long before," said Sombra. He then gestured to the Changelings and Transmutants.
"Now, you have obtained allies for the Crystal Empire," said Sombra.
"We will need them, master. For the Avatar princesses will try to end your reign before it begins," said Thanatos. Sombra growled angrily as he thought back to the Royal sisters that had banished him into the ice. He turned to face all that were in the room.
"If you pledge your allegiance to me, you shall all become strong!" said Sombra. He began to pace around as he directed his attention on all that were in the room.
"The humans have been most unkind to you, I'm sure. But I personally do not care about species. No, I care about strong allies! Allies who can stand up on their own and crush any obstacle in their path! Separated, we are strong but we can fall. I've learned that when the Avatars ruined my reign. But together, we can all end their reign and rule!" said Sombra. He turned to face Chrysalis.
"Your people shall be free to feast on as much love as you desire! I personally could live without such a disgusting emotion," said Sombra with a cringe. Chrysalis smiled to herself. Battra raised a brow in response.
'Love, disgusting?' thought Battra. Sombra then turned to face Destoroyah.
"You and your kind will be granted the power that you seek!  You shall have your own nation and your own empire where your race can thrive!" said Sombra. Destoroyah gave a dark smile while the Transmutants looked on in hope.
"Together, we shall rise up to defeat those who have brought us down to be the lowest. We will rise!" shouted Sombra. He then shot his hands out as his cape was blown by the wind.
"Glory to the Crystal Empire!" shouted Sombra.
"Glory to the Crystal Empire!!" shouted the cultists. Destoroyah shot his fist into the air.
"Revolution!" shouted Destoroyah.
"Revolution!!" shouted the Revolutionaries in unison. Chrysalis flapped her insect wings, causing a loud buzz.
"For the Hive!" shouted Chrysalis. The Changelings gave a buzzing sound with their wings as well.
"For the Hive!!" the Changelings shouted in unison. Sombra gestured for Destoroyah and Chrysalis to join him. The two made their way over to the Elf as they held hard stares. A Changeling guard followed Chrysalis while Battra followed Destoroyah. Thanatos stood at Sombra's side. As the three leaders kept their eyes on each other, Sombra held his hand out.
"May our enemies fall and may our kingdoms thrive," said Sombra. Destoroyah took Sombra's hand and shook it.
"May the strongest survive," said Destoroyah. Sombra then shook Chrysalis's hand.
"May we rise above our struggles," said Chrysalis. The room interrupted in cheers from the groups. Battra turned to find Sunset Shimmer staring at the group with wide eyes. Battra hardened his eyes as he began to approach the altar.
"You're going to pay for what you did to my little sister," said Battra in a cold tone. Sunset gasped as the Transmutant held her head down.
"No! Please, don't!" cried Sunset. Battra reared his hand back as he aimed for Sunset's fearful eyes. He grunted as he thrust his arm forward towards Sunset but his fingers never reached her eyes. His eyes widened in shock as he found Sombra holding onto his arm as he stared at Sunset's wide eyes. Battra sent the Elf a glare.
"What are you doing?" asked Battra. Sombra moved Battra to the side as he shook his head.
"No. Do not kill the girl. We still need her," said Sombra. Battra clenched his fist in response. Sombra then turned to face Sunset with a smile as he examined her feminine figure. He then chuckled as he saw her fearful face.
"My, she looks wonderful when in fear. She will make a lovely bride," said Sombra. Sunset gasped as her eyes widened in horror. Battra's eyes widened.
"I...But-" Battra began to protest but stopped as he found Destoroyah giving him a hard stare.
"Battra," called Destoroyah. The young Transmutant gritted his teeth in response and then lowered his head. He sighed heavily as he turned away from the altar.
"Very well, your majesty," said Battra as he clenched his fist. He then turned to glare at Sunset. He then turned away and walked away from the altar. Sombra ran a cold metal gloved hand over Sunset's cheek, making her shiver from the cold metal.
"Thanatos, when do we open the gates to the spirit worlds?" asked Destoroyah.
"For now, we will have to wait a bit longer. When one of the dwarf stars is in the right position. On that day, you shall become the strongest beings in our world," said Thanatos as he placed his hood back over his head.
"When will that be, exactly?" asked Destoroyah in an irked tone. He wished the old man had just given a specific day rather than having to ask himself.
"By early next year," said Thanatos. Destoroyah sighed in frustration.
"Do not worry. It will not be long now. Besides, one dwarf star experiences a specific change once every thousand years. This change has already happened to a few before and remain so today, but only one of them is closest enough to draw power from," said Thanatos. Destoroyah nodded in response.
"Very well. What should we do until then?" asked Destoroyah.
"We will need help of one of your trusted Transmutants to retrieve two artifacts for the day to come. They will be broken down and their powers will be used by Sombra, myself, and Onyx. We will draw more power from Sunset Shimmer and the violet dwarf star to open the spirit worlds and grant enough time to bring in all of the spirits of Kaiju that were reincarnated today," said Thanatos. Destoroyah nodded in response.
"I shall send my best and most trusted to retrieve these artifacts. Just inform me when we begin and tell those I send what they are looking for," said Destoroyah as he walked away.
"Of course," said Thanatos. Destoroyah turned to face the Revolutionaries.
"You are dismissed," said Destoroyah as he continued to walk down the hall. He smiled darkly.
'Soon, the Takeshi clan will finally be completely gone and I will restore honor to mine. Neighpon will be the Spider Crab's once again,' thought Destoroyah.
As the Transmutants left the room, Sombra stood with Chrysalis in silence. He then turned to face her with a neutral expression. Chrysalis sighed as she turned to face the Elf king.
"If I were you, I'd be careful around those things. They are a lot stronger than they look," said Chrysalis. Sombra nodded in response.
"I shall keep that in mind. But, I do have the loyalty of one," said Sombra as he glanced at Ghidorah. He watched as the Transmutant and Onyx move Sunset Shimmer away from the altar as she was bounded in magic shackles.
"No! Please, you can't do this to me!" cried Sunset as she attempted to flee. Ghidorah merely grabbed Sunset by her shoulder and moved her to his front.
"Move it!" ordered Ghidorah. Sombra hummed to himself as he watched Ghidorah.
"Master," called Thanatos. Sombra turned to face Thanatos as he stood by the ice tomb of the Kaiju.
"There is something I would like to show you," said Thanatos as he turned and began to walk into the icy cave. Sombra turned to face Chrysalis.
"You may return to wherever you reside. I trust my apprentice has a way of contacting you?" asked Sombra. Chrysalis nodded.
"Yes. But my subjects and I cannot travel in the snow. Our wings will shatter," said Chrysalis. From her side came Agana.
"Don't worry, we'll get you and your subjects home safely," said Agana. She then bowed to Sombra.
"My Liege," said Agana. Sombra nodded in approval. He then turned to join Thanatos inside of the Kaiju tomb. Sombra ran his hand over the frozen exoskeleton of the creature and continued on through the cave. The air had grown colder, but it did nothing to affect him. Sombra's metal boots kicked up snow and ice, leaving tracks behind. Sombra eventually found Thanatos further into the cave and found a crystalline pod with a male figure. He stood by Thanatos as he looked at the figure with a neutral expression.
"What's this?" asked Sombra. Thanatos sighed.
"I know that Ghidorah is a powerful ally. He was brought to you as a gift by the one who reincarnated him. He was meant to serve you and to expand your empire. But, I fear that he might turn on us the first chance that he has," said Thanatos.
"When he gains the power of a Kaiju, he might," said Sombra. Thanatos then looked to Sombra with a neutral expression.
"That’s why we must be ready. But, I took the liberty of preparing a replacement and your very own successor. Unlike Ghidorah, he will not turn on you," said Thanatos. He then gestured towards the figure.
"Here, he was bred many years ago. He was created from the blood of one of the reincarnated Kaiju and was infused by the magic of Crystal Human Magic," said Thanatos. He then looked to Sombra with a sinister smile. "I think you may be familiar with who I am referring to."
"Princess Amore. Former ruler of the Crystal Empire," said Sombra in a low tone. He hardened his eyes.
"She was a fool. I could have led our Empire to greatness. Yet she denied me my rightful place as the one to succeed her. Something that she paid for with her life," said Sombra. He then looked towards the figure inside.
"We needed at least two different individuals and their blood in order to create a life form that would not die from having an incomplete set of genes. So, we chose a boy that was reincarnated after one of the Kaiju. He was a young warrior from a deceased clan that lived in Neighpon," said Thanatos.
"So, this is essentially their son?" asked Sombra. Thanatos nodded.
"In a way, yes. Their blood flows into his veins. He was granted the same abilities as his father as a Transmutant," said Thanatos. Sombra looked over the male figure that had his eyes closed. The figure was a Neighponese male that appeared to be in his mid-twenties. His ears were pointed, marking him as an Elf. His shoulders and forearms were covered in crystal-like protrusions that stuck out of his flesh. The man's spine was exposed out of his back, but did not bleed. The man's hair and eyebrows were silver.
"Does he have a name?" asked Sombra.
"Onyx's scientists gave him a name, which was 'Diamond Dragon', but here, we've paid homage to his father," said Thanatos. He then looked at the clone that lied sleeping inside.
"We call him..." Thanatos began.




Later...

Battra sat down alone inside of the temple of Shadows in silence. He bore a look of anger. The Transmutant was just seconds away from avenging his sister but the damned fallen King had ruined that chance. He was tempted to just punch the King and jam his fingers into Sunset Shimmer's eye sockets, but he knew better than to react with violence against the King. It would have started a battle between everyone and would have left the Transmutants dead. He instead mopped at how he would never get the chance to avenge his dear sister.
"Damn it all," spat Battra. He heard the sound of footsteps approaching from his side. He turned and found Destoroyah wandering over to him.
"Battra, thank you for restraining yourself," said Destoroyah. Battra sighed as he looked away.
"It wasn't easy, Sensei. I really wanted to kill that girl," said Battra.
"I know you did. But still, you put the group before yourself. That is commendable," said Destoroyah. Battra sighed.
"Sensei, I don't like this King Sombra. He seems...off," said Battra.
"I know. Neither do I. But this is our only option," said Destoroyah with a sigh. He then turned towards the other Revolutionaries that conversed with each other.
"With a few of our members missing, we feel more vulnerable," said Destoroyah. He turned to face Battra with a hard stare. "Which is why we have to trust Ghidorah, for now,"
"Understood, Sensei," said Battra. He stood up to his feet and began to walk away.
"I should check on Megaguirus and the couple in Neighpon. I want to see if they're ready to come here," said Battra.
"Go on right ahead," said Destoroyah with a nod. Battra continued on through the hall of the temple in silence. He pulled out a flat stone with a gem in bedded in it. He pressed the gem, which opened a swirling portal. Battra made his way inside and found himself in an alley in Neighpon. Battra hid his warp stone and placed his hands in his jacket's pockets. He shivered as he felt the cold. Battra continued on through the small neighborhood in Trotkyo, Neighpon.
After he spent several minutes walking, he eventually found himself inside of the elevator that led to Mai Yoshida's apartment. The Transmutant left the elevator as it reached the floor that he desired. Battra made his way over to Mai's apartment door and knocked. Shortly after the knock, the sound of the door being unlocked reached Battra's ears. The door opened and revealed Megaguirus standing with her face covered in a mud mask coating and a bath towel on her head. Battra recoiled with his eyes wide.
"What the hell?" asked Battra. Megaguirus scoffed as she sent him a scowl.
"Hello to you too," deadpanned Megaguirus.
"Eh...sorry. I just wasn't expecting to see you wearing a mud mask," chuckled Battra. Megaguirus rolled her eyes as she stepped aside, allowing Battra to step inside. The male Transmutant took off his shoes and placed them to the side and began to walk to the living room. He found Mai and Abra sitting together on the ground. Battra's eyes widened in surprise as he found Mai rubbing a coat of mud mask over Abra's face. The human's face brightened into a smile as she caught sight of Battra.
"Hello, Yasu-san!" greeted Mai. Battra lamely waved.
"Hey," said Battra. Megaguirus took a seat beside them as she picked up a board with a paper stuck to it. She began to sketch on the paper as Battra stared curiously. He turned to his side and found Hok sitting on the couch with the triplets in his arms.
"Uh...little help here?" asked Hok with a chuckle. Battra nodded as he made his way over to him and took Hope out of his arms. The baby cooed as she was cradled in Battra's arms. The male Transmutant sat down on the sofa as he stared into the baby's red-orange eyes. He lightly smiled as Hope moved her arms around while cooing.
"Oh, Yasu-san!" called Mai. Battra turned his head to face Mai.
"Yes?" asked Battra.
"The babies are going to need more food and diapers for the week. Why don't you and I head into town and shop for some?" suggested Mai as she stood up from the ground as she carried a bowl filled with remains of the contents that she had rubbed on Abra and Megaguirus.
Megaguirus shot up to her feet as she placed her board on the ground.
"Uh...why don't I go with you instead, Battra?  I'm sure Mai is busy," said Megaguirus with a forced smile.
"Nah. I'm free right now! Besides, you may not want to go out in public with a mud mask on," said Mai as she gestured to her own cheek. Megaguirus cleared her throat as she sat down.
"Right," said Megaguirus as her face bore a small scowl. Battra nodded in response.
"OK. Here, someone take Hope," said Battra. Megaguirus stood up to her feet and made her way over to Battra. She took Hope into her arms and sat down on the sofa beside him.
"Alright! I'm going to put this stuff away and get my coat," said Mai as she rushed out of the living room and down the hall. Battra sighed as he slumped in his seat.
"You seem tired," said Abra with a curious stare.
"I am. A lot has happened during the last two days," said Battra.
"What exactly?" asked Hok.
"Well, our alliance with the humans had led us to cause trouble in Canterlot while they broke some prisoners out," said Battra as he rubbed his head.
"Were any civilians killed?" asked Megaguirus with a slight worried tone.
"Not that I know of. I was actually too busy killing rebels to meet Thanatos near the castle," answered Battra.
"So, what happened?" asked Abra.
"Long story short, we fought some rebels, a few of us were stuck fighting the princesses and Gojira Takeshi," answered Battra. Hok's eyes widened in response.
"The Avatars?! Did anyone make it back?" asked Hok.
"We all did. But they were badly hurt. We ended up only taking one of the soldiers," said Battra. He shook his head. "We now brought the King of the fallen Crystal Empire back with her power. It seems that the Shadow's Hand had been planning this for years,"
"OK, so you guys helped them get their King back. Where does that leave us, the Transmutants?" asked Megaguirus with a shrug.
"King Sombra and the Shadow's Hand seem to be willing to keep their end of the deal. If we help them overthrow the Avatars that rule Equestria, he will help us in our struggle with MONARCH and the High Command," said Battra.
"How can we trust them?" asked Abra in a worried tone.
"I don't know. I've tried scanning through their minds to find any evidence of deceit, but I think they're sensitive to my abilities," said Battra.
"How? You're just reading minds!" said Megaguirus.
"True, but the host can feel my meddling if I use my power on them for too long. I tried using it on one of the cultists, but she looked at me with annoyance," said Battra. He then shuttered. "She said, 'you better not be trying to manipulate my mind so you can have your way with me'."
"Oh my," said Abra with wide eyes. Megaguirus scoffed.
"She must think highly of herself," said Megaguirus.
"Look, the point is that I think these Elves have their minds trained well. Using mental manipulation or mind reading will prove to be difficult if not dangerous. It may even shatter any trust that we have with each other if I were to scan through Thanatos's mind," said Battra with a sigh.
"So, it's just faith we have to go on?" asked Hok.
"Looks that way," answered Battra. "But, I suppose we can't be too worried. They have made an alliance with a Changeling Hive. They wouldn't dare cross the Queen unless they have a death wish,"
"Battra, you said that there was a way that we could become stronger to beat MONARCH. How so?" asked Megaguirus.
"Well-" Battra was going to answer but was interrupted by Mai as she entered the living room.
"Alright, I'm ready Yasu-san! Let's hurry before it gets dark," said Mai. Battra took a quick glance at Megaguirus.
"I'll explain later when we get back to the Frozen North," said Battra in Equish. Megaguirus nodded in response. Battra stood up to his feet and met Mai at the door.
"We'll be back!" said Mai as she waved to the remaining Transmutants. They waved back and watched as Mai and Battra walked out the door. Megaguirus gave a heavy sigh with a small frown on her face, causing Hok to look at her curiously.
"Hey, what's wrong?" asked Hok. Megaguirus's cheeks began to flush.
"Uh...nothing! Nothing is wrong!" said Megaguirus with a titter. Abra's face grew a coy smile.
"Ooh~. I see what's going on here," said Abra.
"Mm!" Megaguirus went stiff in response while Abra lightly chuckled.
"What?" asked Hok in confusion.
"Isn't it obvious? Megaguirus likes Battra!" said Abra. Hok kept a blank stare several seconds.
"Oh! Oh, yeah I knew that," said Hok as he looked away. Abra gave him a deadpanned stare in response.
"You don't have to lie about it if you didn't know," said Abra. Hok chuckled in embarrassment. Abra rolled her eyes in response and turned to face Megaguirus with a grin.
"How long has it been since you had feelings for him?" asked Abra.
"Uh...a few months," answered Megaguirus as she looked away with a bright blush.
"Have you confessed to him? Did you two ever go out?!" asked Abra with an eager expression. Megaguirus avoided contact.
"Not...exactly. But we technically did go out. We went to a cafe and to a night club some time ago," said Megaguirus. She then cleared her throat. "It wasn't a very ideal date. I found out that he was keeping Yoshida a secret when we saw her working at the cafe. A few guys that I may have flirted with recognized me at the night club," said Megaguirus with a nervous laugh.
"That must have been awkward," said Hok.
"You don't know the half of it," said Megaguirus.
"Well, you seem to be jealous over Mai," said Abra as she removed the bath towel that was on her head.
"Wouldn't you? I mean, he met her before we met and seemed real friendly with her," said Megaguirus.
"But isn't he friendly with you as well?" asked Hok with a raised brow.
"Well...yeah. But I think she has a trick up her sleeve," said Megaguirus. She scowled to herself. "She's more girly compared to me,"
"Maybe. But, you actually know Battra. That's an ace up your own sleeve. All you have to do is use that to your advantage," said Abra with a wink. Megaguirus looked down in thought. She smiled to herself.
"Yeah, you're right. Maybe I haven't lost just yet," said Megaguirus with a devious smile. Abra chuckled to herself as she placed a hand on Megaguirus's shoulder.
"We should come up with a game plan. I can give you some pointers if you'd like," said Abra as she gave Megaguirus a thumbs up and her own sinister smile. Megaguirus nodded as she kept her smile. Hok watched with a nervous smile.
"It's nice to see them getting along," muttered Hok.



Battra and Mai wandered through town in silence. Mai sneaked a glance at the male Transmutant as she bore a small smile. She took a couple of steps closer to Battra's side.
"So, how goes the search for a home for your cousin?" asked Mai. She then waved her hands frantically as she bore a nervous expression. "N-Not that I mind them staying at my place! I'm just concerned for them, that’s all!"
"Well, I think there's a place that might be good enough for them. I just want to make sure if there's any alternatives before we start making plans. There's also the cost," answered Battra. Mai smiled as she nodded.
"That's good! You know, I think it's nice that you're helping out your cousin," said Mai.
"Thanks. It's what I do for those closest to me," said Battra as he searched the street for any stores that may have what the infants would need. Mai took his arm and rushed along the sidewalk with him. Battra looked at her in confusion as he was pulled down the area.
"Hey, what are you doing?" asked Battra.
"Why don't we hang out for a while? We can get the stuff for the babies later!" said Mai as she sent Battra a smile.
"Uh...but-" Battra found himself being dragged along town.



Battra sat across from Mai with a neutral expression. The two were sitting in a ramen shop where a few other people sat, conversed, and ate. Mai bore a large grin on her face as she propped her head up with her hands. Battra cleared his throat as he scratched the side of his head.
"So...do you often drag your friends to hang out?" asked Battra. Mai giggled in response.
"Sorry, I hope you don't mind. I've been meaning to hang out with you since you've showed up after months. But you've been busy these last few weeks," said Mai.
"No, it's fine. I was just not expecting this," said Battra as he waved his hand. He turned as a woman came over to their table and sat down to bowls of ramen.
"Here you go! Enjoy, you two," said the woman with a wink.
"Thank you," said Battra and Mai in unison. They took their own bowl and readied their own chopsticks.
"I humbly receive this meal," the two said in unison. Battra took a bottle of hot sauce from the side of the table and began to pour some in it. Mai's eyes widened as Battra continued pour more of the sauce into his bowl of ramen. The sauce mixed with the juices of the noodles along with the bits of ham and vegetables.
"That's...a lot of hot sauce," said Mai with wide eyes.
"Hmm?" Battra glanced at her as he stirred his bowl of noodles. "Oh. Yeah, I like my ramen spicy,"
"That's an understatement! You're gonna have to go to the bathroom soon if you take in that much spiciness!" said Mai. Battra shrugged.
"Not really. I have a stomach that's greater than any mortal man," said Battra as he ate his meal. Mai smiled in amusement at the Transmutant's confidence. She then took the hot sauce and began to pour some in her own bowl. Battra raised a brow.
"What are you doing?" asked Battra.
"Trying something different. Besides, I think I can match up your level," answered Mai as she poured a bit more hot sauce into her bowl. She was careful not to put as much in her bowl compared to Battra's. She then eyed her bowl warily as she thought of what she had done.
"Yoshida-san?" called Battra. Mai gulped and then slurped her noodles. Mai smiled as she kept her eyes on Battra.
"Yeah?" asked Mai. Battra looked on in concern as Mai's brows became damp with sweat.
"Are...are you alright?" asked Battra.
"Yeah! I'm great!" said Mai as she gave a small sniffle as her eyes watered.
"Here. Drink your ice tea while you eat," said Battra with a worried expression. He pushed a cup filled with ice tea towards the human. Mai nodded as she took her cup and began to chug down her tea. She sighed in relief.
"Sorry, I'm not good with spicy stuff," said Mai with an embarrassed laugh.
"If that's the case, why did you do pour hot sauce in your ramen?" asked Battra with a deadpanned stare. Mai crossed her arms as she looked away.
"Well, excuse me for wanting to try something different! I just wanted to wipe that cocky smile off of your face," said Mai. Battra shook his head in amusement.
"Next time, start small," said Battra. Mai grumbled to herself as she ate her meal. She pushed through the spiciness as she ate and rinsed her burning tongue with her tea. Battra went back to eating his meal, savoring the taste that danced on his taste buds. His eyes widened as he spotted a group of MONARCH soldiers marching through the street outside the window. He brought his face down as he avoided eye contact. Mai failed to catch this as she continued to eat. She looked out the window and her eyes widened in surprise.
"Huh. They must be really sweeping everywhere to find them," said Mai.
"Who?" asked Battra as he tried to sound calm.
"The Revolutionaries. Didn't you hear that they found where they were hiding and captured some of them?" asked Mai.
"I...no I haven't," lied Battra as he continued to eat.
"Well, they did. But some of them got away. Now, the government has given MONARCH permission to be closer to its cities," said Mai.
"Is that wise? I mean, where does it end when it comes to allowing MONARCH this much freedom?" asked Battra. Mai shrugged as she stared at her bowl.
"I...I honestly would feel a lot safer this way. I mean...it can't be any worse than the Revolutionaries," said Mai. Battra's eyes slightly widened. He lowered his head a bit with a look of dejection.
"I understand. Yeah, I suppose that most people would feel safer if they were here," said Battra.
"Well, it's just that the Revolutionaries aren't looking for friends in us. So, you gotta..." Mai shrugged in response as she bore a small look of amusement. She lost her expression as she noticed Battra's expression.
"Hey, are you OK?" asked Mai.
"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine," answered Battra. Mai looked down in embarrassment.
"Sorry. I guess you're one of those people that heard about Transmutants getting along with humans in Equestria," said Mai. Battra looked to her in surprise.
"Wait, they do?" asked Battra.
"Well, that's what the rumors are. A co-worker was in Equestria during a royal wedding. She said she saw several Transmutants fighting these bug-like creatures. I guess the Equestrians are allowing the Transmutants there to live among them. They seem alright, unlike the Revolutionaries. I assume that's why you feel bad," said Mai.
"Right," said Battra with a small frown as he continued eating. Mai looked down at the table and then back to Battra. She lightly sighed to herself.
"Hey, can I ask you something?" asked Mai.
"S-Sure," said Battra, startled out of his thoughts.
"What's your relationship with Tonbo-san, exactly?" asked Mai. Battra raised a brow at her.
"Megaguirus? Well, we're good friends," said Battra as he shrugged. Mai looked down at her bowl as she stirred the remains of her ramen.
"Hmm. Good friends, huh?" asked Mai with a small smile.
"Yes," answered Battra. Mai sighed as she leaned closer across the table. She then placed on a playful smile.
"Do you love her~?" asked Mai, teasingly. Battra's eyes widened as his cheeks flushed.
"Do I...I uh...I mean...I-I don't-" Battra stuttered uncontrollably as he tried to formulate a coherent response. He cleared his throat.
"I uh...If by love you mean, I care about her, than yes. I mean, maybe not in a romantic sort of way," said Battra as he nervously rubbed the back of his head. Mai laughed in amusement. Battra scowled as he looked away. Mai brought her finger over Battra's forehead and flicked him, causing the Transmutant to flinch and show an annoyed look.
"You're cute when you're flustered, you know that?" asked Mai as she propped her chin up on the table with her hand. Battra's blush brightened as he kept avoiding eye contact with the human while Mai giggled.
"Hey," called Mai. Reluctantly, Battra turned his attention back to the young woman. She bore a small, yet sad smile.
"Your secret is safe with me," said Mai as she gave Battra a wink. The Transmutant looked at her in confusion at her response.
"Hey, are you OK?" asked Battra.
"I'm good. Let's hurry and finish eating," said Mai as she went back to eating her ramen. Her face began to turn red from all of the spiciness that plagued her mouth. Battra reluctantly went back to eating as he thought back to her expression.
'I wonder...' thought Battra.
The next hour had gone by and Battra found himself walking besides Mai as the two carried bags filled with baby food and diapers. The Transmutant glanced at Mai and found her to be silent as she carried a neutral expression. The hour at the ramen shop still stuck with Battra. He just couldn't help but wonder why Mai seemed to smile like that. He flinched as he felt Mai walk closer at his side, prompting Battra to look down to find a small smile on her face.
"Yasu-san, I still think you'd make a good boyfriend," said Mai. Battra sighed as he looked away in embarrassment.
"W-Where is all of this coming from?" asked Battra.
"No reason. Just thought I'd let you know," said Mai as she leaned her head against Battra's shoulder. The two continued to walk down the sidewalk and to the apartment building. Mai sneaked a glance at Battra, who was flushing at his cheeks.
'Am I even the right girl for him? Or should I just...' thought Mai. She mentally sighed in exasperation. She shook her head as they came closer to the apartment. The two entered the elevator inside of the building and eventually found themselves outside of Mai's door. The human fished out for her key and unlocked the door to her home. As Mai and Battra entered, they found Megaguirus resting on the couch. Battra made his way over towards the Transmutant and began to shake her shoulder.
"Meg, wake up," whispered Battra. Megaguirus's brows crinkled as she stirred in her sleep.
"Five more minutes, dad," muttered Megaguirus. Battra smiled in amusement while Mai made her way over to the guest bedroom. She quietly opened the door and found Hok and Abra sleeping together in bed. In between them were their triplets, sleeping soundly. Mai lightly smiled and closed the door. She made her way back to the living room to find Megaguirus sitting up as she rubbed her eyes. Battra patted Megaguirus on her shoulder.
"I'm going to put this stuff away. Get ready to head home in a minute," said Battra as he took the bags and made his way to the kitchen.
"Hmm. 'Kay," replied Megaguirus in a drowsy tone. Mai took a seat beside Megaguirus with a neutral expression on her face. The human leaned close to the Transmutant.
"He's a real nice guy, you know. Handsome, too," said Mai. Megaguirus blushed in response and looked away.
"Oh, yeah. He's pretty cool. Not bad looking either," muttered Megaguirus. Mai chuckled in response.
"Just so you know, I'm not going to lose to you. Not without a fight," said Mai. Megaguirus looked at her in confusion, but then her mind registered what she meant. The Transmutant hardened her eyes as she bore a smirk.
"So, it's going to be like that?" asked Megaguirus.
"Yep. No hard feelings, but I really like him. I figured it out that you did as well whenever you would look at him when he wasn't paying attention," said Mai in a teasing tone. Megaguirus hid her face as she scowled. She then smirked to herself.
"What's to stop me from confessing to him now and becoming his girlfriend?" asked Megaguirus.
"Easy. You don't want to be rejected unless you're sure that he likes you the way that you do," said Mai. Megaguirus shrugged.
"Alright. We'll see who he'll choose. Worse-case scenario, it's neither of us," said Megaguirus. Mai smirked as well and held her hand out. The two shook hands as Battra made his way out of the kitchen.
"What are you two up to?" asked Battra.
"Nothing," said Mai and Megaguirus in a nonchalant manner. Battra shrugged in response.
"OK. Well, thank you Mai. We'll drop by again soon to check on Abra and Hok. I put the baby food in the pantry," said Battra.
"Sure thing! See ya around!" said Mai as she walked the Transmutants out the door. The two waved to her as they exited her apartment. Battra and Megaguirus continued down the hall in silence.
'So much for not being pressured. This sucks,' thought Megaguirus.
	
> Chapter 57: Sick Day
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The air was filled with silence inside of the Golden Oaks Library. Twilight Sparkle was sitting at the first step of her staircase leading to her bedroom. The petite girl bore a look of disappointment as she read through her Neighponese dictionary. Twilight sighed as she marked her page and lowered the book onto her lap.
"I wish Gojira could be here with me to study this," said Twilight. The Transmutant isolating himself in the Everfree forest has been a difficult adjustment for the past couple of days. Twilight felt as though the Transmutant was far away from her, despite only being a few miles away. There was also the fact how she yearned to study his native language with him. Twilight's face suddenly brightened up into a large smile.
"Wait, I can always visit him instead!" cried Twilight. She shot up to her feet and rushed towards her door with her book. There was suddenly a knock, prompting Twilight to stop in her tracks.
"That might have to wait," said Twilight in a disappointed tone. She made her way over to her door and opened it. Twilight gasped at who she saw.
"Hey, Twilight," greeted Junior with a small wave. Twilight grinned in response as she dropped her book on the ground. She wrapped her arms tightly around Junior and planted a kiss on his cheek.
"I was just coming to see you! Wait, I thought you didn't want to step into town for a while because of what happened," said Twilight in confusion as she released Junior and took a few steps away from him. Junior lightly smiled as he stepped inside of the library and closed the door behind himself. He then stepped closer to Twilight.
"I know. But I couldn't stand being away from you," said Junior. Twilight lightly smiled as she began to blush.
"That's-" Twilight was interrupted as she felt Junior wrap his arm behind her back. Her eyes widened as Junior gently placed his hand on the back of her head and pulled her closer.
"What are yo- Mmph!" Twilight's lips were locked with Junior's. Her heart pounded in her chest like tribal drum beats. She gave a small moan as Junior's tongue explored her mouth. Twilight gently pulled away and panted in response.
"Wha-What's gotten into you?" asked Twilight as she bore a bashful smile. Junior ran a hand over her cheek as he leaned closer.
"Nothing. I just missed the feeling of your lips against mine," answered Junior as he locked lips with Twilight. The Elf gave a small moan as she savored the kiss. Her hand wandered to Junior's sweater and grabbed the zipper. She pulled the zipper down and proceeded to reach under his exposed shirt. Her heart raced as she felt his chest. Twilight's eyes suddenly widened.
"Wait, I'm so sorry!" cried Twilight as she pulled away from Junior. The Transmutant bore a blush as he stared at Twilight in surprise.
"I'm so sorry! I may have been going a little far!" said Twilight as she hid her face in shame. She gasped as she felt Junior hugging her from behind her back. His arms were gently wrapped over her chest and his chin rested on her shoulder. He gave a soft chuckle.
"I never knew you were so forward, Twilight," said Junior in a teasing tone. Twilight blushed furiously as she lowered her head.
"I...I don't know what came over me. I just couldn't stand the thought of you being isolated from us in the Everfree," said Twilight. She then laughed in embarrassment. "I guess I got a little too excited to see you here,"
"Oh?" asked Junior. He then glanced at Twilight's pointed ear. A devious idea formed in his mind as he bore a smirk. The Transmutant leaned closer to Twilight's ear and opened his mouth.
"Ah!" yelped Twilight as she felt Junior bite her ear. She gasped as he gently nibbled her ear and her face flushed as she felt his teeth against the edges of her ear. Twilight gave small whimpers as she trembled with pleasure. Her knees felt weak and her breaths grew small.
"Do you like that?" whispered Junior. Twilight's spine tingled from the soft whisper that her ear picked up at such a close distance.
"A-A little," muttered Twilight as she bit her lip. She actually greatly enjoyed the feeling of the teasing on her ear.
"I thought so," said Junior as he licked Twilight's neck. Twilight giggled at the feeling.
"Don't! That tickles!" laughed Twilight. She then gasped as she felt Junior's hand under her skirt, caressing her thigh. She pulled away from him as her face was a bright red.
"Wait! W-We can't do that. What if Spike were to find us?" asked Twilight. She couldn't bear destroying the little dragon's innocence if he were to see his sister figure being felt up by her boyfriend.
"I saw Spike with Rarity a couple of minutes ago. You don't have to worry about him catching us," said Junior as he placed a hand on her cheek while she looked away.
"But...I'm not sure if I'm ready for that. It just feels so sudden," said Twilight. Junior brought her face back to face his and pressed his head against Twilight's and gave her a seductive smile.
"I promise to be gentle, my love," said Junior. Twilight gulped as her blush grew brighter and hot. She stared into Junior's eyes and found herself lost in them. The girl wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned closer. Her face bore a small smile.
"O-OK!" stuttered Twilight. She jumped and wrapped her legs around Junior's waist. She locked herself in another passionate kiss with him before pulling her lips away from him.
"Y-You'll be gentle like you promised, right?" asked Twilight in a timid manner. Junior smiled as he carried Twilight upstairs and into her bedroom. He brought her up to her bed and gently lowered her onto her back on her bed. Junior hovered over her with his shirt and sweater off.
"I give you my word, my little Elf," said Junior. He removed her sleeveless sweater and unbuttoned Twilight's shirt and then reached inside. Twilight gasped as she felt his hand run over her belly. Slowly, the hand traveled down to her thigh and caressed it. Twilight bit her thumb as she whimpered. She then felt her skirt being raised as the hand traveled up her thigh much higher.
"Gojira," moaned Twilight.
"Twilight!" called a distant voice.
Twilight's eyes shot open and she found herself alone in her bed. Beside her was Spike, looking at her in concern. Twilight gasped as she scooted away from the drake with a bright blush.
"S-Spike! I-I uh...this isn't-" Twilight babbled uncontrollably. She was on the verge of being in tears for her little brother witnessing her and Junior's shameless acts.
"Spike, I-" Twilight was about to speak but then started coughing. She noticed that her throat was aching and her body felt hot. She then noticed that she was under the covers of her bed with her pajamas on and that Junior was nowhere in sight.
"Twi, you OK?" asked Spike in a worried tone.
"I uh..." Twilight's mind recalled her dream. The Elf hid under her blanket as her cheeks burned from her blush.
"I'm fine! Just fine!" said Twilight, frantically. Spike looked at her in confusion as she hid in her bed.
"OOOOK. Well, you were tossing and turning in your bed. You were also moaning so loud that I thought you were in pain. I think you're sick," said Spike as he brought his scaled hand over Twilight's forehead. He nodded.
"Yep. You're definitely burning up," said Spike.
"No, don't be-" Twilight was interrupted as she started coughing. She moaned in disappointment as she slumped in bed.
"This can't be! Ugh, I hate getting sick!" said Twilight.
"Don't we all," said Spike as he rolled his eyes. He hopped away from Twilight's bed and walked to the exit of the bedroom.
"I'll go fetch you some soup and medicine. You just sit tight," said Spike as he walked out of the room. Twilight sniffled.
"Could you also bring me some tissues and possibly a bucket? My nose is running and I think I'm getting nauseous," moaned Twilight. Spike's face grew more worried.
"Oh no. You might have the flu. Sure, I'll be back," said Spike as he rushed out of the bedroom. Twilight sniffled.
"Thanks Spike!" called Twilight. She slumped her head against her pillow. Her mind wandered back to her dream and she hid her face in her blanket.
"What in Equestria is wrong with me?" asked Twilight.



The morning sun hung in the sky. The air had grown colder and the autumn colored leaves have continued to fall. Junior, Erika and the Sirens were walking with Fluttershy. The group had a group of different animals present with them. They ranged from squirrels, rabbits, ferrets, snakes and Barry the Bear. Junior held the serpents that had coiled around his arms and shoulders. They hissed as they clutched his body for warmth.
"Guys, loosen up on your grip. Seriously," said Junior in annoyance as he felt the snakes constrict around him. Fluttershy glanced at Junior with a smile as she watched the snakes.
"Thank you for coming out of the forest to help me with getting my animal friends ready for hibernation. I hope you don't mind that the snakes warm themselves up against you," said Fluttershy. Junior nodded.
"No problem. As long I'm away from town, it's fine. Besides, I know how these guys can't survive if it's too cold," said Junior. Erika giggled as she held a bunny in her arms.
"Aw! You're too precious!" cooed Erika as she scratched the bunny's furry head. Junior shook his head.
"At least she's having fun," said Junior. Aria scowled as Barry rubbed his head against her as he walked on all fours at her side. Adagio looked on in amusement as she carried a ferret.
"Barry seems to have taken quite a liking to you," said Adagio. Aria rolled her eyes.
"He's getting fur on my new clothes," said Aria as she gestured to herself. She was wearing a dark aqua colored short sleeved coat and a grey t-shirt underneath. Her hair was held up as pig tails by white, plastic star shaped clips. Aria's bottoms comprised of moderate mulberry skinny jeans with styled holes near her knee caps and a grey skull on her belt. Her feet were covered in dark violet boots. Her amulet hung around her neck just over her breasts, inactive from use.
"Better then grime and sweat," said Sonata as squirrels sat on her shoulders. She made her way over to Junior's side with a smile.
"Hey, Goji! You never said anything about our new clothes that Mosu and the others got for us!" said Sonata as she gestured to herself. The Transmutant glanced at her and found the Siren to be wearing a short sleeved, pink jacket. An emblem of a cyan, jagged sonata note over a large hot pink heart was located over her left breast pocket. She wore a light purple skirt for her bottoms and her feet were covered in a pair of dark pink knee high converse and light pink knee high socks.
"What do you think? Are they nice?" asked Sonata as she eagerly awaited Junior's answer.
"Yeah, they're nice," said Junior in a nonchalant tone as he turned forward. Sonata scowled in response.
"What?" asked Junior as he shrugged. He could just feel the disappointment radiating off of the girl.
"I was expecting to hear you say that you thought we looked pretty or something," said Sonata as she crossed her arms and looked away, causing her pony tail to whip Junior's shoulder.
"I wasn't looking to look pretty. I just thought this outfit suited me," deadpanned Aria. Adagio made her way at Junior's side and swung her curvy hips against Junior, who slightly stumbled.
"Come on, tell us what you really think," said Adagio with half opened eyes as she walked closer to the Transmutant. Junior blushed as the Siren invaded his space. She was wearing purple romper shirt that exposed her shoulders and a small bit of cleavage. The end of her hair had a spiked headband that held her wavy and curly hair. On her wrists were spiked bracelets. Adagio's legs were bare and her feet were covered in purple ankle boots. On her waist was a golden belt with an emblem of a gem in the center and sewed into her romper's thigh was a golden gem and lavender adagio note.
"Uh..." Junior looked away in embarrassment as Adagio ran a hand over through her beautiful luminous and vivid orange colored hair. Adagio smirked.
"I'm at least sexy, right?" asked Adagio as she ran a finger over Junior's cheek. The Transmutant recoiled in response, prompting Adagio to laugh in amusement.
"Adagio!" said Junior with a look of annoyance.
"Sorry. I couldn't resist," said Adagio. "But, seriously, what do you think? Maybe I may attract some guys with this look?"
"I don't doubt it," muttered Junior as he looked away with a blush. His eyes found themselves drawn to her legs. He mentally cursed.
"Your reaction convinces me," said Adagio in a teasing tone. Junior sighed.
"Lay off of him, Adagio. The man has a girlfriend," said Aria with a look of annoyance.
"Thank you, Aria," said Junior. Adagio sighed.
"Foo. You're not as fun anymore because of that," said Adagio with a shrug.
"Sorry to be boring," said Junior as he rolled his eyes. Erika and Fluttershy looked on in amusement. The group soon found themselves at a burrow. Junior knelt down and lowered the snakes to the grass.
"Alright guys, the ride is over. Now take your ass- uh...tails...to bed," said Junior with a small look of embarrassment. The snakes hissed as they slithered towards the burrow.
"That was kinda mean," said Erika with a look of disapproval.
"Shiragami, one of them bit me," deadpanned Junior.
"Well, you were holding him wrong," interjected Fluttershy.
"I don't blame him. They're so icky!" said Sonata as she warily stared at the snakes.  Junior sighed.
"Fine, whatever. They're in their resting place now. Let's get the rest of the animals to their burrows," said Junior as he began to walk away. The rest of the group followed him and found themselves at a large tree with a hole. Sonata knelt down and lowered herself, allowing the squirrels to leap off of her shoulder and to scurry to the hole with acorns in their mouths. They carried what food they had and placed it with the pile that they had in the tree already. They waved to the humans.
"See you next spring!" said Fluttershy as she, Sonata and Erika waved. The group continued on to more burrows, where they had dropped off the ferrets and rabbits. Soon, they came across a large burrow that was hidden under a fallen tree. Barry grunted as he nuzzled Aria.
"Yeah, yeah. I'll miss you too, hairy," said Aria as she rolled her eyes.
"Barry," corrected Fluttershy.
"No, I didn't- Never mind," scoffed Aria with a scowl. Fluttershy looked at her in confusion. She shrugged and made her way over to Barry.
"Have a good hibernation period, Barry! I'll miss you and the others," said Fluttershy as she kissed the bear on the muzzle. Barry nuzzled her in response and then prowled towards his burrow. With a grunt, he squeezed himself inside and lied down to get comfortable. The group turned and began to walk away.
"So, certain land creatures do this hibernation during the winter?" asked Adagio. Fluttershy nodded.
"Yes! It's good for them and allows them to conserve their energy. Sometimes they do it to survive if food is scarce," said Fluttershy. Adagio hummed in thought.
"Interesting," said Adagio. As a breeze came by, Adagio shivered as she clutched her shoulders. "Man, it's getting cold!"
"Maybe you should have chosen something warmer to wear instead of trying to look sexy," deadpanned Junior. Adagio gave him a coy smile.
"So you do think I look sexy in this!" said Adagio. Junior grunted in annoyance as his cheeks flushed.
"That's not what I- Gah!" Junior scowled in frustration. He then noticed Adagio shiver again from the cold. He removed his sweater and handed it to her.
"Here. Next time, bring something warmer to wear during this season," said Junior.
"Thanks. Hmm. Good thing I decided to buy a pair of those lavender leggings to go with this outfit after all," said Adagio with an optimistic smile. She then looked at Junior.
"So you find my outfit sexy. Are you a leg man, Gojira?" asked Adagio with a curious tone. Junior's face flushed.
"Shut up!" said Junior as he picked up his pace and walked ahead. Adagio laughed in amusement while Fluttershy looked at Junior curiously.
"Oh. He's blushing and avoiding the question," said Erika with a look of amusement.
"I heard that!" said Junior as he shot the female Transmutant a glare.
"I'm kidding!" said Erika with a nervous smile. Junior grunted in annoyance as he continued to walk faster. Adagio continued to laugh at Junior's embarrassment.
"You must really like him if you relentlessly tease him," said Aria as she walked with her arms crossed. Adagio calmed her laughs down.
"Hmm. You can say that," said Adagio as she picked up her pace.
"Goji, wait up! I promise not embarrass you for the rest of the day!" said Adagio.
"Liar!" retorted Junior.




Later that day...

"So, what's the plan?" asked Angirasu. The other male Transmutant stood with Junior in the Apple Family's orchard. The two carried logs of wood in their arms. Junior glanced at him curiously.
"Plan for what?" asked Junior.
"You know, the plan for Shiragami. You promised her that we were going to help find that Sunset Shimmer girl," said Angirasu as he sat the logs down next to the barn. Junior proceeded to do the same.
"Right. Well, I do intend to keep that promise. The problem is that I'm not sure where to start to look for her," said Junior with a shrug. The two picked up two empty baskets and proceeded back towards the orchard. The Transmutants both struck the wooden logs in half with axes on top of a tree trunk. As Junior struck first with his own axe, he reached for the pile of logs that sat by his side while Angirasu did the same on his side.
"Well, we ought to do something. Shiragami seemed pretty down when you two came home," said Angirasu. Junior nodded.
"I know," said Junior. He proceeded to chop the wood as he pondered his move.
"There just has to be a way on how we can track her. Like detect her magic," said Junior. Angirasu looked at him in confusion.
"Detect her magic?" asked Angirasu. Junior sighed in annoyance.
"OK, maybe that's not possible. Sorry, I don't know anything about magic," said Junior.
"Well, we shouldn't dismiss the idea. It might be possible to track her somehow," said Angirasu with a shrug. Junior nodded.
"Let's hope so. Or else they may use Shimmer for something that may get us into trouble," said Junior. Angirasu looked at him curiously.
"Why do you insist on calling her by her last name? You've known her since you were a kid and you were friends, weren't you?" asked Angirasu.
"No, Aang. We weren't actually friends. We're still not," said Junior. Angirasu shook his head.
"It'd be nice if you could be. I think you can get some closure out of it, with what happened when we left Ponyville," said Angirasu. Junior sighed.
"We'll see," said Junior as he gave another chop against the wood. The Transmutants turned as they heard the sound of footsteps approaching. They found Applejack sporting a pair of jeans and a jacket as she jogged over to the Transmutants.
"Good work today, boys. Thank ya kindly for your help. We really need to wrap up some chores for the winter," said Applejack. The two nodded to her.
"No problem, AJ," said Junior as he Angirasu gathered the wood that they had chopped. Applejack followed the two Transmutants back to the barn as they proceeded to stack the last of the fire wood. Applejack nudged Junior on the shoulder.
"Say, why don't we head into town and break for lunch? It'll be my treat!" offered Applejack.
"Uh...AJ," called Junior with a light frown. Applejack's expression became crest fallen.
"Oh. Right, sorry about that," said Applejack as she rubbed the back of her head and cleared her throat.
"Well, forget about that! How about we enjoy some nice home cooking?" suggested Applejack with a smile.
"Maybe some other time, OK? I have to figure out how to help Shiragami with her situation," said Junior as he walked away. He waved to the two. "See you around,"
"O-OK. See ya," said Applejack with a small wave. She watched Junior leave with a small frown plastered on her face. She sighed to herself as she crossed her arms.
"He's going to stress himself to death if he doesn't relax," said Applejack.
"Probably. It'd be a sad way to go out compared to all of the things that he survived," said Angirasu.  Applejack lightly chuckled.
"Right. So, how about it? Care to stay over for lunch?" asked Applejack. Angirasu nodded to her with a smile.
"Sure! Sounds good," said Angirasu.
"Come on, Aang. I got a special meal in mind for hard workers," said Applejack as she led the Transmutant inside of her home.
Meanwhile, Junior was walking down the orchard in silence. As he continued to walk outside of the Apple family's property, he heard the sound of laughing. He turned his head and found Rodan, Rainbow and Pinkie kicked a ball towards each other.
"Here it comes!" said Rodan as he leaped and kicked the ball towards Rainbow. The ball whizzed past her and smacked Junior's head. He grunted from the force and stumbled back.
"Oop! Sorry about that, Goji!" called Rodan with a nervous smile. Junior sighed as he picked up the ball and tossed it towards Rainbow Dash.
"It's fine," said Junior.
"Hey Goji, wanna join in for a game?" asked Rainbow as she held the ball up. Junior waved his hand dismissively.
"No thanks. I need to figure out what to do about Shiragami's situation," said Junior.
"You better not be two timing Twilight," warned Rainbow. Junior scowled in response.
"Of course not," said Junior. Pinkie gasped as she rushed over towards Junior.
"Speaking of Twilight, did you hear?" asked Pinkie. Junior looked at her with a raised brow.
"Hear what?" asked Junior.
"Twilight has the flu!" said Pinkie.
"Oh. Man, that sucks," said Junior with a light frown. Pinkie looked at him in disapproval.
"Well, aren't you going to do something about it?" asked Pinkie.
"L-Like what?" asked Junior as he watched Pinkie narrow her eyes on him.
"You're her boyfriend! Go spend time with her!" said Pinkie.
"Well, she may not want to be bothered. I should let her rest," said Junior.
"Puh-lease! I bet she'd be happy to see her special somebody visit her!" said Pinkie as she wrapped an arm around Junior's shoulder and brought him close.
"I know if I had a special somebody and I got sick, I'd love it if he'd come visit me. We'd have warm coco together, maybe some cupcakes. Oh! And we'd snuggle together for warmth!" said Pinkie as her cheeks flushed from her fantasies.
"I...don't think cupcakes are appropriate for the flu," said Junior.
"Eh. My point still stands!" said Pinkie with a smile. Junior looked down at the ground with a worried expression.
"I don't know. People would see me enter her house. The town is still too hot with distrust in me to travel there," said Junior.
"But she's your girlfriend! Do you want to be remembered as the terrible boyfriend that wouldn't see his girlfriend because he was afraid of people?" asked Pinkie.
"I'm not afraid of people," deadpanned Junior. Rainbow made her way at Junior's side.
"She has a point, Goji. Why not head into town and visit her?" asked Rainbow. She then pulled on Junior's hood and forced it over his head. "You can always hide your face!"
"Hmm," grunted Junior in annoyance as he pulled his hood back. Rodan made his way over to Junior and ushered him away from the girls.
"Goji, if you go see Twilight, I bet ya she'd want to reward you," said Rodan with a grin. Junior looked at him with a grimace.
"I'm afraid to ask what sort of reward that you're thinking," said Junior.
"Well, shit. I meant that she'd probably make you something delicious to eat. Maybe like a secret meal that only she knows how to make," said Rodan with a look of disapproval. He shook his head. "I didn't think you'd think that way,"
"Piss off. You were the one who made it sound suggestive," said Junior with a glare.
"Fair enough. But still, this may earn you some awesome points if you were to care for your sick girlfriend. Besides, you need to relax on the whole thing with Shiragami. We'll figure out what to do soon," said Rodan. Junior looked away in reluctance. He sighed.
"OK. Yeah, I think I'll go visit her," said Junior. Rodan nodded as he patted Junior on the back.
"Go get her, tiger!" said Rodan as Junior walked away. The other Transmutant waved his waves as they waved back. Rainbow smirked.
"You gonna take care of me if I get sick?" asked Rainbow. Rodan chuckled.
"You got it, babe. Should I bring soup for when it happens?" asked Rodan. Rainbow leaned closer to Rodan.
"Sure. But bring a pillow and blanket. I might need help getting warm," whispered Rainbow with a wink. Rodan chuckled as he brought his forehead against Rainbow's. Pinkie looked away with a grin.
"Sounds like one heck of a sleep over," said Pinkie to herself.




Later...

Junior walked down the street of Ponyville in silence. Over his head was his hood, which he brought far down over his face to hide. People around him ignored his presence or simply glanced at his shady character. Some began to whisper among themselves, wondering who was walking in such silence. Junior kept a calm appearance as he proceeded to travel through the town, nearing the library. The Transmutant suddenly bumped into someone that was obscured from his sight by his hood.
"S-Sorry about that!" said a young Earthbound woman with an embarrassed smile. Junior's eyes widened as he recognized the girl to be one of the local flower shop workers, Rose Luck. Junior avoided eye contact as he brought his hood down lower. He felt lucky to have decided to wear a sweater that he normally wore at home during cold weather.
"No, it was my fault. Sorry," apologized Junior. Rose Luck looked at the Transmutant curiously.
"Hmm? Hey, you seem familiar. Have we met?" asked Rose. Junior went stiff.
"I don't think so," said Junior. Rose rubbed her chin as she raised a brow.
"Are you sure? I swear that I've seen you somewhere before. Your voice sounds familiar as well," said Rose as she brought herself closer to the Transmutant. She lowered herself as she attempted to get a better look at Junior's face.
'Shit!' thought Junior. He then turned to the side and gave fake coughs into his arm. Rose recoiled in response.
"Sorry, I caught this flu that's been going around. You may not want to get too close," said Junior as he backed away from Rose.
"Oh. Well, you should get home and rest," said Rose. Junior nodded.
"I was just on my way. Good bye," said Junior as he briskly walked past the Earthbound. Rose turned and waved at him.
"OK. I hope you get better soon!" said Rose with a smile. Junior nodded as he gave a small wave.
"Thanks," said Junior as he briefly turned his head. Rose's eyes widened as she caught sight of the Transmutant's face. Junior continued on towards the library, leaving behind the stunned Earthbound.
"It's him," whispered Rose. She turned and ran away from the area as Junior continued on towards the library.
The Transmutant found himself standing just outside of the door. He knocked on it and waited several seconds. From behind the door, he heard the sound of footsteps rapidly rushing towards the door. It opened, revealing Spike to be wearing a pink apron. Junior nearly snorted in amusement at the sight.
"Oh, hey Gojira!" greeted Spike with a smile.
"H-Hey Spike. I heard Twilight was sick," said Junior, attempting to keep himself from laughing.
"Yeah, she's got the flu. I tell ya, she's been throwing up a lot earlier. I had to toss out and wash out her bucket a couple of times," said Spike. Junior lightly frowned.
"Poor girl. Say, mind if I stay here and help?" asked Junior. Spike nodded.
"Sure! I'm sure she'll be happy to see you," said Spike as he stepped to the side. Junior walked inside while Spike rushed into the kitchen. Junior heard the sound of the refrigerator being opened and closed. Spike came rushing out with a glass of orange juice.
"Here. You'll need to get the jump on the flu," said Spike.
"I'm actually immune to influenza. But I'm actually kind of thirsty right now," said Junior as he took the glass and began to chug the contents down. He sighed in relief as he wiped his lips. Junior handed the glass back to Spike and removed his hood.
"So, you left the Everfree for Twilight? Man, that's awesome!" said Spike.
"It wasn't easy. But, Twi is worth it," said Junior as he unzipped his sweater.
"You think you can give me tips on getting a girlfriend?" asked Spike with an eager smile. Junior raised a brow and then smiled in amusement.
"Spike, why rush into a relationship? Enjoy being a kid. Besides, I wouldn't know what kind of tips to give you other than being yourself and treating the girl that you like right," said Junior. Spike held two claws up as he stared at them in concentration.
"Treat her right and be myself," muttered Spike. Junior shook his head with a small smile. The sound of coughing reached their ears, prompting the two to turn to find Twilight standing on the stair case just half way down. She coughed to herself as she stared at the two.
"Gojira? Wha-What are you doing here?" asked Twilight. Her tone sounded congested. Her nose was slightly running and her eyes stung. Her hair was messy as she stood in her long sleeved pajama shirt and pajama pants.
"Hey, Twi. I heard about your condition and decided to check on you," said Junior with a small smile. Twilight smiled.
"You came here...for me?" asked Twilight. Her heart fluttered in her chest at how the Transmutant swallowed his worries about entering town for her. Junior nodded.
"That's right. I'm actually going to be helping out Spike," said Junior.
"Oh, you don't have to do that!" said Twilight with a wave. She then mentally groaned at how she was brushing the Transmutant off.
"Twilight, go back to bed! You're sick!" said Spike in a scolding tone. He made his way upstairs and began to usher Twilight.
"B-But-" Twilight turned to look back at Junior.
"No buts. You'll never get better if you stay out here!" said Spike as he continued to usher Twilight back to her room. "Gojira will bring you some nice hot tea when it's done,"
"O-OK," said Twilight as she walked back to her bedroom. As she closed her door, Spike came back down stairs.
"Do you know how to make tea for Twilight's flu?" asked Spike.
"Yeah. All she needs is boiled water mixed with lemon juice and honey," said Junior as he wandered to the kitchen. Spike nodded.
"Yep. I'm going to get the heater. You take care of the tea," said Spike as he walked towards the other room. Junior made his way into the kitchen and proceeded to get the items he needed for the tea. After several minutes of boiling water, he turned off the stove and poured the tea into a cup. The Transmutant squeezed a lemon and its juices into the hot water and mixed it with honey. When he was satisfied with the results, Junior took the cup and made his way up to Twilight's room. Unbeknownst to him, three young women, including Rose Luck, were staring through the library window.
"What if he's poisoned her tea?!" whispered an Earthbound with blonde hair. She was known as Lily.
"The horror! The horror!" cried another Earthbound with pale, light grayish lime green hair. She was known as Daisy.
"Shh! They'll hear us!" whispered Rose as she sent her friends a glare. She went back to observing the Transmutant as he walked upstairs.
"Let's keep an eye on him to see if he tries anything funny," said Rose as she sneaked around the library.
Back inside of the library, Junior sent on a stool next to Twilight's bed. The Elf sat up in bed as she blew her tea before taking a sip. She sighed as she felt the warmth travel inside of her body. She turned to smile at Junior.
"Thanks for the tea, Goji," said Twilight.
"It was no trouble. I just want to make sure you get well," said Junior. Twilight continued to take sips of her tea while Junior sat down in silence. He looked around and found a box of tissues to be nearby. An empty and clean bucket sat at his side.
"I'm still surprised that you came out here," said Twilight.
"Well, I wasn't comfortable at first. But that doesn't matter right now. You're more important to me than my worries," said Junior.
"Does that mean you'll be coming back into town again?" asked Twilight with hopeful eyes. Junior shook his head.
"Not yet. It's only been a couple of days," said Junior. Twilight sighed in disappointment. Junior frowned as he watched Twilight's dejected expression. He hated himself for crushing her hope.
"Say, do you happen to know how we can track Sunset Shimmer?" asked Junior.
"Huh? Oh! Uh...I'm actually not too sure. We don't exactly have a lead on her other than she was kidnapped by some of MONARCH's soldiers and the Revolutionaries," said Twilight with a shrug. Junior sighed as he looked down.
"I thought so. Damn, this just bugs me so much," said Junior as he scratched his head. "We could probably break into one of MONARCH's bases, but that might be pretty bad."
"What gave you the idea that it'd be wise to do that?" deadpanned Twilight. Junior chuckled in embarrassment.
"Right. Dumb idea," said Junior as he lightly tapped his fist against his skull and stuck his tongue out. Twilight giggled in response at the action.
"Well, at least you're thinking of a plan," said Twilight.
"What? Are you saying that I don't make good plans," said Junior in offense.
"I didn't say that. You did," said Twilight with a cheeky smile.
"Alright, smart gal. Do you have a plan on how to find Shimmer?" asked Junior.
"I may be smart, but I'm not a miracle worker," said Twilight as she took a sip of her tea. Junior sighed as he propped his head up by his hands as he propped his elbows on his knee.
"Wow. Is this what it's like to see me stressed out?" asked Twilight. Junior snorted.
"Twilight, this is nothing compared to your stressed days. I worry that you'll have a heart attack from the stress that you sometimes display," said Junior with an amused smile. Twilight scowled as her face flushed in embarrassment.
"Sh-Shut up!" said Twilight as she looked away. Junior chuckled in response.
"I tell you this because I love you," said Junior. Twilight glanced at Junior as he yawned to himself. She turned to the small book shelf that sat at the foot of her bed. She raised her hand and levitated a book from it and over to Junior.
"Hey, can you read this book to me? I'd do it, but I'm feeling too weak," said Twilight. Junior nodded as he took the book from the air and began to look it over. He opened the book and began to read. Spike entered the bedroom and sat the heater in the corner as he plugged it in. He turned it on and proceeded to leave the bedroom.
"Let me know if you need anything," said Spike.
"OK, thank you," said Twilight. As Spike left the room, Twilight proceeded to finish her tea as she listened to Junior read.



"...So, the beast's curse was broken. The beast changed back into a handsome prince, thanks to love of the common village girl. As the two stared into each other's eyes, they met with a passionate kiss. They then lived..." Junior stopped as he noticed Twilight sleeping in her bed. He lightly smiled as he closed the book.
"...Happily ever after," said Junior. He placed the book back into the shelf and sat at Twilight's side. He watched the Elf as she took small breaths.
"Man, you got me too into the book that I couldn't put it down," said Junior. He sighed as he looked down at the wooden floor.
"I figured out what you were trying to do with that book. Thanks," said Junior with a soft smile. Twilight began to cough furiously, prompting her to awaken. Junior's eyes widened as he flinched at the sudden movement. Twilight's throat sounded rough as mucus came up. She gestured for the bucket, prompting Junior to grab it and hand it to her. The Elf spat the mucus in the bucket, moaning as she cleared her throat.
"Thanks," said Twilight in a drowsy tone. Junior sat the bucket aside and looked at her worriedly as she began to shiver.
"Are you still cold?" asked Junior.
"Yeah. The heater isn't enough," said Twilight as she huddled in her bed for warmth. Junior looked down in thought. He proceeded to remove his shoes.
"Scoot over a bit," said Junior. Twilight looked at him curiously and then noticed the Transmutant lifting the covers. Twilight scooted over, allowing Junior to lie down in bed beside her. The Transmutant wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close to his chest. Twilight blushed as she felt herself being pulled so close. She felt the warmth of Junior's body heat reaching her side. Twilight turned around with her back facing Junior and scooted closer towards him.
"That feels nice," said Twilight as she brought Junior's arm over in front of herself at her belly. The two lied down in bed in the spoon position. Junior gently ran a hand over Twilight's head, caressing it. The Elf blushed to herself as she recalled her dream. She bit her lip as she felt Junior's gentle touch and his heart beat on her back. She gulped to herself as she shifted in place.
"Are you uncomfortable in this position?" asked Junior.
"No. No, it's fine. I'm just feeling cold," said Twilight. Junior brought Twilight closer as he held her by her belly. The Elf blushed furiously as she turned her head to face Junior. She brought her head closer to his and locked lips with the Transmutant. She pulled away with wide eyes.
"Oh no! I think I just infected you with the flu!" said Twilight with a frown.
"Twi, I'm immune," said Junior with an amused smile. Twilight laughed in embarrassment.
"Right," said Twilight. She then looked away.
"So...would you be alright if we kissed right now?" asked Twilight. Junior brought his lips against Twilight's. The Elf closed her eyes as she invited Junior's tongue in.
'I'll take that as a yes,' thought Twilight. She giggled as she wrapped her arms around Junior and rolled herself on top of the Transmutant. She sighed as she snuggled against him and brought her nose against Junior's.
"Hmm. I think I'm starting to feel a lot warmer already," said Twilight as she pressed her lips against Junior's. He chuckled in response as his cheeks flushed at Twilight's close contact. From the corner out of Junior's eye, he saw movement. Junior turned his head briefly and found nothing to be outside of the window. He raised a brow while Twilight ran a finger over Junior's chest from under the blanket.
"Sorry, am I being too forward?" asked Twilight with a worried tone.
"No. I thought I saw something outside the window," said Junior. Twilight hummed in confusion as she turned her head and found nothing outside.
"It's probably just a bird," said Twilight. She turned back to the Transmutant as she leaned closer.
"Uh...Gojira?" called Twilight as her cheeks flushed. The Transmutant turned his head back to face her.
"Hmm?"
"Do you...do you find my legs...sexy?" asked Twilight as her cheeks flushed brightly. The word 'sexy' was a word that she never used. The elf felt embarrassed and slightly dirty for the word for her question.  Junior went stiff as he blushed and looked away with an embarrassment.
"Uh...where is this coming from?" asked Junior.
"Well...I just want to know what you find attractive about me," said Twilight as she leaned her head against Junior's chest.
"Well, I admire how intelligent you are. You're understanding, you-" Junior went on but stopped as he noticed Twilight looking at him with a deadpanned expression.
"I mean physically, since I know what you like about me already," said Twilight. Junior nervously shifted in place.
"I..." Junior couldn't get out his confession. Twilight leaned closer to him.
"You can tell me! We're together and I think it's healthy if we're honest with each other about physical attraction!" said Twilight.
"We-Well in that case..." Junior gulped. He cleared his throat.
"Well, I always found you being short cute," said Junior. Twilight scowled in response but held a light blush. Junior then looked away.
"There's also your scent, your eyes, and your singing voice. The highlights in your hair are cute. And... maybe I do find your legs...sexy," said Junior as he blushed furiously. Twilight looked away as she bit her thumb as she bore a small smile.
"She was right," muttered Twilight as she thought back to Mosura. Junior raised a brow.
"What was that?" asked Junior.
"Nothing!" said Twilight with a nervous smile. She then cleared her throat as she twirled the strands of hair that hung from her sideburns.
"Since you told me what you liked about my physical appearance, it's fair that I tell you what I like about yours," said Twilight. She ran a hand over his head.
"I like your hair and uh...I also like how balanced your physical build is. And I like how your face looks when you get embarrassed," said Twilight in a teasing tone. Junior grumbled to himself as he looked away. Twilight brought her lips against Junior’s cheek.
"But, I like how your sweet to your friends and that you’re softer compared to your surface," said Twilight. Junior smiled in amusement.
"Those last two aren't physical traits," said Junior.
"I know. I just thought I'd tell you, especially since you told me what you liked about me other than appearance," said Twilight with a smirk as she leaned closer to him. Junior began to kiss Twilight's exposed neck, causing her to gasp and shudder. The two gasped as they heard the sound of a thud from outside. They turned and found the leaves connected to the library's branches beginning to fall as the branch bounced. Junior's ears perked as he heard footsteps approaching the bedroom door along with a young male voice humming.
"What was that?" asked Twilight. The bedroom door opened, revealing Spike to be stepping inside. He was wearing his apron while he held a bowl filled with warm soup.
"Hey, I brought some..." Spike's voice trailed off as he caught sight of the couple. Twilight was currently on top of Junior's body with her arms wrapped around him. Twilight's eyes widened in horror at the position that Spike was witnessing them in.
"Uh...Spike! This isn't what it looks like!" said Twilight as she immediately climbed off of Junior and lied on her side of the bed. Spike tilted his head in confusion.
"Was Goji teaching you some wrestling moves or something?" asked Spike.
"What?" asked Twilight with a raised brow. Junior shot up from the bed.
"Uh...yeah! Yeah, that's it! It wasn't exactly wrestling but I was teaching her how to hold down your opponent!" said Junior with a forced smile. Twilight slightly nodded in agreement.
"Oh, well that's cool! But wait till she's all better next time. In the meantime, I brought soup!" said Spike as he walked up the steps. Twilight sat up in bed while Junior sat down on his stool.
"Thank you, Spike," said Twilight with a smile as she took the bowl. Junior looked back towards the window with a look of suspicion.
"I'll be back," said Junior as he stood up from the stool and left the bedroom. The sudden sound was odd and sounded heavy. The Transmutant continued on towards the door as he pulled down his hood. The Transmutant stuck his head outside and found the area to be cleared. He cautiously made his way outside and traveled around the house. Junior came across near Twilight's bedroom window and then hardened his eyes. He sniffed the air and turned to look down at the ground to the flowers and bush that were nearby to be trampled. He knelt closer as he picked up a foreign smell.
"A Lily," said Junior. He reached into the bush and pulled out what appeared to be a lily head with what appeared to be a pin on. He took another sniff and then scowled as he caught a human's scent.
"Someone was peaking," said Junior as he stood back up. He turned his head to look for any signs of being observed. As he found no one to be around, he made his way back inside of the library. Unbeknownst to him, Rose, Lily and Daisy were hiding and peaking from behind a building's corner. Rose and Daisy sent Lily a glare.
"Way to nearly get us caught!" said Daisy. Lily looked at her in offense.
"Me?! Rose was the one who messed with the ladder!" said Lily as she pointed to the ladder at her side.
"You were the one who was freaking out when peeking through the window! We couldn't risk him seeing you!" said Rose with a glare. Daisy sighed.
"Well, what did you see?" asked Daisy. Lily gulped as she held her head.
"I...I saw them...in bed together," said Lily with a look of dread. She held her arms together. "He...he looked like he was biting her neck!"
"He was sucking her blood!" cried Daisy with a look of horror.
"Or likely injecting some sort of venom into her!" said Rose with dread.
"What are we going to do?!" asked Lily.
"We uh..." Rose looked frantically around the area. She gasped as she spotted a few men walking down the road. Rose rushed over towards them with a frantic expression.
"Hey, we need your help! We think Twilight might be in danger with a Transmutant!" said Rose.
"Which one?!" asked one of the men.
"Gojira!" cried Rose. They gasped but then nodded with hard stares.
"I knew that Transmutant was going to be trouble. Come on guys!" said one of the men as he took off away from the library.
"Wait! Where are you going?!" asked Rose.
"We need more muscle and something hard to hit him with!" said one of the other men.




Meanwhile in Mustangia, Equestria...

The holiday season was approaching over west of Equestria. The citizens roamed the streets of their town in winter apparel as they greeted each other with smiles and waves. Hearth Warming decorations were already in stock to be sold for any customer willing to buy them. Outside of the town, Copper the Diamond Dog was running across the land with Manda and Baragon running by his side. The two Transmutants were wearing jogging suits, while Copper merely wore his short sleeved coat. His fur was able to keep him from freezing as well as the heat that was building inside of him.
"Come on, Copper! You're doing great!" said Manda with a grin as she picked up her pace. The Rottweiler had grown muscle from all of the time that the Transmutants had spent training him. He had excelled through the training with his determination.
"Better than me, I bet!" said Baragon as he panted. The Transmutant wheezed as his side began to hurt as he ran to keep up. Copper grunted as he ran faster. Manda's eyes widened in surprise as the Diamond Dog continued to sprint across the land and into town. Manda proceeded to pick up her pace.
"W-Wait for us!" cried Manda as she took paced breaths. Baragon groaned in exasperation as he continued to run after them. The trio soon found themselves in town. Copper sprinted down the side walk, startling several people that were in his path.
"Excuse us!" cried Manda as she ran passed the citizens. Bystanders looked on in confusion and then noticed Baragon lagging behind.
"Manda!" cried Baragon as he wheezed. He held his chest as his muscles ached.
"Help! I have to catch up to my girlfriend and her dog, but my legs are short, I'm terrible at long distance running, and I think I'm having a heart attack!" said Baragon as he stopped running and dropped to his knees. He then fell face first onto the ground and began to wheeze.
"And a couple of light strokes," said Baragon. He then moaned as he rolled over on his back and stared up at the sky. He sighed in exasperation as he lied on his back, not wanting to get back up to his feet. From across the street, Goro was standing by with a few other men in construction gear.
"Hey Goro, isn't that your friend?" asked one of the Earthbound workers. Goro looked away as he carried a large pipe away.
"Nope!" said Goro as he briskly walked away. The workers shrugged in response. Goro went back to work with a scowl.
"Lazy bastard," muttered Goro. He stopped as he noticed a newspaper that was sitting on the side walk, abandoned. It depicted the image of Junior attacking Princess Celestia that was from a previous newspaper. It read, 'Citizens still outraged at Transmutant'. Goro sighed as he shook his head.
"I wonder what happened," said Goro.
"Goro! Stay focused, buddy! Break time ain't here yet!" said a co-worker.
"Sorry!" said Goro as he returned to work.




Later...

Manda lied down on the sofa with her jogging suit unzipped, exposing her white tank top. She was drenched in sweat that dripped from her as she panted. Copper lied down on the floor as he panted with his tongue hanging out. Manda turned as she found Baragon wheezing as he walked inside of their cave of residence. He dropped to his knees and fell face first onto the ground.
"Must...never...run...again," huffed Baragon. Manda sighed as she removed her smelly jogging suit.
"Ugh. I'm taking a shower," said Manda as she ran to the far end of the cave.
"I'll join you," said Baragon with a grin.
"No! I need you to keep an eye out to make sure no one drops by unexpectedly. I want to shower in peace," said Manda. Baragon sighed in disappointment.
"Fine, whatever you say, babe," said Baragon as he unzipped his jogging suit and sat down on the sofa. Copper looked at him in confusion.
"You have a shower in this cave?" asked Copper.
"Oh yeah. We use to wash ourselves at a public pool's shower rooms. It was not easy sneaking in. But ever since Princess Celestia introduced us to the town, we've gotten some stuff to help make this place feel more like a house! We even got our own plumbing installed!" said Baragon.
"That was kind of them," said Copper with a smile.
"Yep," said Baragon as he lied back.
"Well, thank you for this day of training. I think I'm almost ready to face our pack leader. See you later, Baragon," said Copper as he left the cave.
"See ya!" called Baragon.



Copper traveled through the burrow of his tribe's colony in silence. The Diamond Dogs that were a part of his pack were digging or hacking away at the dirt and stone walls. An endless cycle of harvesting gems that would serve no purpose but to be piled up in chambers. Copper sighed to himself as he continued to walk towards a group of Diamond Dogs, where he began to dig through dirt.
"Hey, Copper. You look like you're gaining some muscle," said one of the Diamond Dogs.
"Yes! You're lookin' pretty strong!" said a smaller Diamond Dog. Copper waved a paw.
"Well, I have been using some free time to get into better shape," said Copper. The sound of howling filled the cave. The Diamond Dogs that were mining all had stopped and turned with their ears perked. Copper flattened his ears.
"It's pack leader, Gnaw," said Copper. The Diamond Dogs all began to make their way through the chamber and towards a much wider one. They all sat on their rears as they watched their pack leader walk across the chamber in silence. He turned to face the other Diamond Dogs.
"There is something that we must do in order to keep our way of life afloat, my brothers," said Gnaw as he stood among the other Diamond Dogs. He balled his paw into a fist.
"Mustangia is currently too much for us to attack for us to be able to safely gather gems. We must strike somewhere smaller," said Gnaw. He then hardened his stare. "That place would be Ponyville."
Copper's eyes widened in shock. After all the losses that the pack had suffered from during the invasion of Mustangia, it was a struggle to recover. Now, after months of recovering and resuming with mining, the pack leader planned to attack another human settlement. In a land where powerful beings like Transmutants are roaming freely.
"You can't be serious!" said Copper with a frantic expression. The pack leader sent him a hard stare.
"I am! Hold your tongue, Copper! You know that this is our way of life! The gems are what our kind lives for!" said Gnaw. He looked to all the other Diamond Dogs.
"Ponyville may be further away, but it is away from those Transmutants that reside here. The town is smaller and will be easier to pillage and flee from," said Gnaw. The Diamond Dogs all mumbled among themselves with unsure expressions.
"Pack leader, there are Transmutants near Ponyville as well! It doesn't make a difference!" said Copper.
"Copper, this is the way of our ancestors! Our way of life is worth the danger! No way could these other Transmutants reach us on time," said Gnaw.
"You're having us travel to another human town to risk our lives for gems that we're not going to do anything with. You even know that there are Transmutants defending that town as well! This isn't a way of life, this is suicide!" said Copper. The pack leader hardened his stare.
"Are you challenging my supremacy, Copper?" asked Gnaw with a growl. Copper slightly shrunk back as the pack leader bared his teeth. He looked down at the ground.
"N-No," answered Copper. The pack leader grunted as he walked away.
"Then it is settled. Soon, we will attack Ponyville," said Gnaw. Copper gritted his teeth. The idea of his pack members being killed while innocents got hurt due to  pointless pillaging made his stomach turn. His pack leader was blinded by the old ways of their ancestors that he was leading the pack to its doom. If he wasn't stopped now, history would repeat itself. He stared down at his paws with a grimace before hardening his eyes.
"I change my mind!" barked Copper. The Diamond Dogs around him looked at him with wide eyes. Gnaw stopped and turned to face Copper with a stern gaze. Copper furrowed his brows as he tensed his muscles.
"I challenge your authority, pack leader. I challenge you to a battle for your title," said Copper. The Diamond Dogs around him gasped in shock.
"Copper, what in Tartarus are you doing?!" whispered one of Copper's friends. The pack leader growled as he stalked closer towards Copper, who stood firmly.
"Are you certain that you want to do this?" asked the Gnaw.
"I am. You’re going to lead us to our doom, and I must stop you. My priority is the pack, not the tradition of Diamond Dogs that are dust," said Copper with a firm expression. The pack leader narrowed his eyes.
"Very well, we shall have a duel this evening. But should you lose, and you will, you will be exiled from our pack," said the Gnaw. Copper hardened his eyes.
"If it is to prevent history from repeating itself, then that is a risk that I am willing to take," said Copper.




Ponyville, Equestria...

Junior sat beside Twilight's bedside with a neutral expression as the Elf finished her soup. She sighed with content as she leaned back against her bed with a smile. She handed the bowl to Junior, who took it from her hand.
"That was delicious," said Twilight.
"I'll go wash this up for you," said Junior as he made his way down the stairs.
"OK, but hurry back~" sang Twilight. Junior smiled to himself as he left the bedroom and made his way down towards the kitchen. He hummed to himself as Spike warmed himself a cup of tea. The Transmutant turned on the kitchen sink and proceeded to wash the bowl and spoon.
"So, are you gonna marry Twilight?" asked Spike. Junior gasped as he dropped the bowl in the sink, causing it to clatter with the spoon. He turned to face Spike with wide eyes.
"Wh-What?!" exclaimed Junior. Spike shrugged.
"What? It was just a question," said Spike. Junior sighed heavily.
"Spike, don't just drop such questions on people like that," said Junior. Spike chuckled nervously.
"Sorry, but I want to know," said Spike.
"Well...I don't know. I mean, we haven't been together for very long.  Also, marriage is a huge commitment for anyone to make. I'm not ready to think about that," said Junior as he began to scrub the bowl. Spike shrugged.
"Well, I think it'd be awesome if you did. That'd mean I'd get to call you brother," said Spike. Junior lightly smiled as he glanced at Spike.
"We'll see, Spike. For now, let's stick with the present. Especially with all of the troubles that's been going around from raging Avatars, chaos bringers, and Transmutants. I just wonder how to find..."  Junior's voice trailed off as an idea popped in his mind.
"Wait...I think I know who can help us find Sunset Shimmer!" said Junior with a bright smile. Spike looked at him with a raised brow.
"Wait, where is this coming from?" asked Spike. Junior rushed back into the library as he grabbed a parchment and pen.
"I had an idea on someone who may have a hunch! But I'm going to need some help convincing him!" said Junior as he wrote on the parchment. Spike left the kitchen with a look of curiosity.
"Who?" asked Spike. Junior chuckled nervously.
"That doesn't matter right now," said Junior as he rolled up the parchment. He then handed it to Spike.
"I need you to send this to Celestia. Can you do this favor for me, buddy?" asked Junior with a smile. Spike took the parchment and gave him a salute. The little drake inhaled and then spewed his green flames against the letter, causing it to evaporate and to magically flow out the window.
"Letter has been sent. But seriously, who are you hoping might help us? Do I know him?" asked Spike. Junior looked away.
"Uh...you can say that. He's someone we haven't seen in a while," said Junior as he wandered back to the stair case. Spike hummed to himself.
"Someone who we haven't-" Spike was interrupted as the library door burst open, revealing several men rushing in with bats. Junior turned around with wide eyes.
"What the hell?" asked Junior. An Elf man pointed his bat at Junior.
"There he is!" shouted the Elf. Junior's shoulders slumped.
"Uh oh," said Junior.
"Get him! We have to save Twilight!" shouted Rose from the back. The men shouted as they charged in after Junior.
"Fight or flight? Fight or flight? If I fight, it'll look bad. If I run, it'll probably look like I'm hiding something," said Junior with a nervous expression. He gasped as he ducked under a bat's swing. He rolled away as another man attempted to punch him. The Transmutant was suddenly struck in the head with a wooden bat, which broke in half and clattered against the ground. The humans all looked at the broken half of the bat that lied on the ground and then back to Junior, who bore a neutral expression. The Elf with the broken bat swung it again against Junior's head, which broke again. Junior remained unfazed. The Transmutant then closed his eyes and exhaled sharply. He then shot the humans that were inside a piercing glare, causing them all to gulp.
"You know, I wasn't going to fight back. But since you struck me, you fucked up," said Junior as he popped his knuckles. Everyone recoiled from the sound of the loud popping. Junior growled as he glared at the humans.
"Now, do you I need to start hurting you guys, or are you going to tell me why you attacked me?" questioned Junior with a harsh glare. As the side of Junior's head started swelling, Spike cringed.
"Y-You better not touch us! The Princess will have you locked up!" threatened a man with the broken bat handle.
"Comet Tail, shove that threat up your ass! You guys are invading her student's home and you physically assaulted her boyfriend and the Princess's adopted son! I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who's going to get into trouble for this," retorted Junior.
"Why would she help someone who assaulted her first?! Remember a certain incident in Canterlot the other day?" questioned another man.
"Yeah, yeah. May I face eternal damnation in the lowest depths of hell for a mistake that I regret," said Junior in a sarcastic manner. "We've technically patched things up with the incident. Now, what the hell are you doing assaulting me in Twilight's library?!"
"Don't play dumb! You were sucking Twilight's blood in her bedroom!" said Lily with an accusing finger.
"Or injecting her with venom!" interjected Rose. Junior looked at the two women in confusion.
"Sucking blood? Injecting venom? What the fu- What are you talking about?! What do you think I am? A vampire or a cobra?!" demanded Junior. His eyes then widened. "Hey, wait a goddamn minute!"
"Wha-" Lily yelped as Junior grabbed her hand and pulled her close. She whimpered as Junior sniffed her hair. Everyone in the room looked on with wide eyes. Rose gasped with a look of disgust.
"You sick pervert!" said Rose. Junior shot her a look of annoyance.
"Oh, shut up! That's not what I'm doing. And if any of you guys hit me again, I'm hitting you back! With the bat!" threatened Junior as he turned to look at two men that had their bats raised. Lily whimpered.
"Don't make a part of you monster harem," pleaded Lily with teary eyes. Junior scoffed.
"You shut up, too. Here," said Junior as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a lily hair pin. Lily's eyes widened in surprise as she took the flower head out of his hand.
"Where did you find this?!" exclaimed Lily.
"Outside, near Twilight's window!" said Junior in a stern tone as he leaned closer to Lily's face, who gulped nervously.
"I recognized your scent from your hair on this thing. You were the one that caused the loud thud!" said Junior. Lily moaned as she fell back and fainted. Junior scowled as he looked down at the woman that lied unconscious. He then looked back to rose and Daisy with a deadpanned expression.
"I think the only perverts around here are you three, sneaking around and peeping inside of a girl's bedroom," said Junior.
"Ha! Don't you try to-" Rose was interrupted as the sound of a bell being ringed reached their ears. Everyone in the room all turned to find Twilight standing in her pajamas with a bell in her hand and tissue in her other. She blew her nose into it and shot everyone a hard stare.
"What is going on in here?!" demanded Twilight. Lily shot up with a gasp.
"The Transmutant was sucking the blood out of your neck or injected you with venom!" cried Lily. Junior growled in annoyance.
"I was not!" said Junior. Twilight looked at Lily in confusion and then gasped as she saw the swelling on Junior's head. She rushed over to his side and pulled Junior close.
"Ow! Stop, it's-" Junior grunted in pain as Twilight touched his bump.
"I just want to see how bad it is! Spike, go get me a bag of ice!" said Twilight in an urgent tone. Spike nodded as he rushed into the kitchen. Twilight then found Comet Tail standing with a broken bat and then noticed the other pieces on the ground. She sent him a glare, which he responded with a nervous chuckle as he hid the broken bat.
"Why has everybody burst into my home and assaulted my boyfriend?! What's this about him sucking blood or injecting venom?!" demanded Twilight.
"Lily said that he was on your neck in the bedroom!" said Daisy, which Rose and Lily nodded in agreement.
"Wha..." Twilight suddenly blushed furiously as her mind came to the realization as to what led to their wild accusation.
"He can't inject venom into me! He wasn't even sucking my blood! He's not a cannibal!" said Twilight in disapproval.
"Would it even be classified cannibalism for Transmutants?" asked a man from the mob.
"Gee, thanks for the need to dehumanize me even further, you ass," said Junior. The man shrugged.
"It was just a simple question," said the human.
"Yeah, you know what else is a simple question? Me asking if someone's herpes cleared up yet. But you don't hear me going around asking people about that shit," deadpanned Junior.
"Gross," said Daisy in disgust.
"Yeah, about as gross as peeping on someone else," said Junior as he sternly directed his stare on Lily, who shrunk back. Twilight hid her face as her blush increased.
"So wait, what were you doing if you weren't sucking her blood?" asked Comet Tail. Junior sighed in exasperation as he took the ice pack from Spike.
"It's not really a child friendly discussion," said Junior as he used his head to gesture towards Spike. The flower trio broke into bright blushes as their minds registered what the Transmutant was hinting at. The men all looked away.
"Wait, huh?" asked Spike in confusion. Junior shook his head as he bore a smile.
"Now that we've gotten that straighten out, GET OUT!" shouted Junior as he pointed towards the door. Twilight shook her head in disapproval at the men.
"Honestly, guys," said Twilight. The men all sluggishly walked out of the library. Junior picked up the broken half of the bat and called out to Comet tail. He tossed the broken half to the Elf and gave him a hard stare.
"Some advice for the future, don't ever hit a guy or girl that can literally turn you into paste in the street," said Junior. Comet Tail nodded nervously.
"I-I'll keep that in mind! Thanks!" said Comet Tail as he rushed out of the library.
"Yeah whatever, dickhead," muttered Junior with a scowl. He then noticed the flower trio sneaking towards the exit. He cleared his throat loudly, prompting the girls to go stiff and turn nervously to find Junior, Spike and Twilight looking at them in disapproval.
"You're not going anywhere yet. Get your flowered butts over here," said Junior. Rose laughed nervously.
"Uh...sorry, but we-"
"Now!" shouted Junior. The three women shot towards the couch that nearby and sat down with nervous smiles. Junior shook his head as he stood in front of them with Twilight at his side.
"You know, I rarely have to deal with shenanigans with girls. It was mostly guys that start something with me. But you three and two other women that I know managed to piss me off," said Junior. Daisy raised her hand.
"Wh-Who's the the other two?" asked Daisy.
"Chrysalis and some other girl you don't know," said Junior.
"The point is that what you've done and the panic that you could have started was dangerous! What if someone was hurt?" asked Twilight.
"Uh...hello?" Junior pointed to the lump that was under his ice pack.
"Look, we're sorry! We didn't mean to cause any trouble! We just thought you were in trouble! Especially when I saw that he was around!" said Rose as she shot Junior a glare. The Transmutant returned the glare.
"If you have something to say to me then say it," said Junior as he growled at the woman. He knew how easily frightened the women were and how dramatic that they could be. So, he thought that his intimidation would get her to shut up, but Rose merely stood up from her seat.
"I think you're more of a problem than a solution! The other Transmutants are fine, but you seem to be the more reckless and uncaring one!" said Rose. Junior was slightly surprised at how this Earthbound was standing up to him, especially while her friends looked on fearfully. This woman was braver than both of Lily and Daisy combined.
"What was it that you said when you were fighting Chimeras? 'Ungrateful bastards. Next time, fend for yourselves'?" asked Rose with a glare. Junior kept a hard stare while Twilight looked at him in surprise.
"Yeah, because I'm suddenly the bad guy for killing a Chimera that was going to eat innocent people. What were you expecting when everyone still called me a monster? A hug or a kiss?" scoffed Junior. Twilight stepped in with a look of disapproval.
"Look, Gojira may not be perfect. His response may seem harsh, but you have to understand where he's coming from," said Twilight as she took his hand.
"You three violated our privacy and you physically hurt him. That's not what friends do," said Twilight with a light frown. Lily rubbed her arm while Rose looked away with a scowl.
"I'm sorry, Twilight. I may have overreacted with what I saw. I've also may have listened to too many rumors about your boyfriend," said Lily. Junior looked at her in confusion.
"Wait, there are rumors about me having venom and sucking blood? Wait, is that why you begged me not to make you a part of my harem?!" exclaimed Junior. Twilight looked at him in confusion while Lily nodded.
"Yeah. Some people think you bewitched the others into your own harem," said Lily. Junior looked at her with an appalled expression.
"Holy crap. What the hell is wrong with the people in this town?" asked Junior.
"You technically live here too, don't you?" asked Spike with a raised brow.
"No, I live in the Everfree now. Totally separate neighborhood," said Junior. Twilight coughed furiously, prompting Junior to sigh as he wrapped his sweater around her.
"Wait, you're sick?" asked Rose. Twilight sniffled.
"Yes. Gojira decided to come into town to check on me and has been here helping Spike nurse me back to health," said Twilight. Junior placed his hands on her shoulders.
"Come on, Twi. We gotta get you back to bed," said Junior in a worried tone. Daisy's expression softened.
"Well, we're sorry for the trouble we caused you," said Daisy with a frown. Rose sighed in response.
"I...I guess I'm sorry too," said Rose as she crossed her arms. Junior mentally sighed.
'I guess that's as good as we're gonna get. Damn, when did I get so demanding for apologies?' thought Junior.
"Alright, it's all forgiven. Just go," said Junior as he pointed towards the door. The flower trio made their way back to the doorway and turned to find Junior walking Twilight upstairs. Spike made his way towards the door and closed it. He watched the couple head back to Twilight's room with a slight frown.
"Poor Goji," said Spike. He then went back into the kitchen to finish his chores. Junior and Twilight continued onto the stairs and towards the bedroom door. Twilight panted as her vision blurred. She moaned as she fell over but was caught by Junior. The Transmutant scooped her up into his arms and carried her into her bedroom and to her bed. There, he gently lied her down and placed the blankets over her. Twilight gave Junior a sad smile as she held his hand.
"I told you that I'd be here for you," said Twilight. Junior smiled back as he held her hand firmly. He nodded to her.
"Thank you. And I'll be here for you, in sickness and in health," said Junior. Twilight blushed as she looked away with a smile.
"Careful, you almost sound as if you're proposing to me," said Twilight. Junior looked away in embarrassment.
"R-Right. Sorry about that," said Junior with a small chuckle. Twilight sighed as she pulled Junior's arm.
"Lie down with me. I'm freezing," said Twilight. Junior nodded as he got back into bed with Twilight and pulled the Elf close. She snuggled against him as she laid her head against his shoulder. Junior gently ran his fingers over Twilight's head as she breathed softly.
	
> Chapter 58: Magic Duel Pt.1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Celestia sat in her bedroom in silence with a slack jawed expression. She was currently sitting on her bed with a letter in her hands that she had just recently received from Spike. She continued to scan through the letter with wide eyes before she slumped her shoulders with a reluctant smile. She stood up from her bed and started to leave her chambers. The Avatar looked at her letter in reluctance and then sighed.
"Well, I was technically planning on letting him free anyway for his reformation. I suppose this may be a good time as any," said Celestia as she made her way down to Luna's quarters. She knocked on the door and waited as Luna answered. The door opened and revealed Luna to exit in a silk blue night gown as she rubbed her eye.
"Tia, can't this wait a few hours? I am tired," said Luna as she yawned.
"Actually, this is important," said Celestia as she held up the letter that she received while bearing a nervous smile. Luna looked at her in annoyance and then took the letter. The younger sister scanned through the letter and then her eyes widened. She went back to re-reading the sentence that caught her attention. Just by reading those few words, she no longer felt tired. Luna looked at Celestia with an appalled expression.
"Has he lost his mind?!" exclaimed Luna. Celestia tittered in embarrassment.
"Um...he's not the only one who thought of letting him go free. But I have other reasons in mind," said Celestia.
"Never mind, have both of you lost your minds?! How are we supposed to make sure that he doesn't turn on us?!" demanded Luna.
"Don't worry, my sister. I will make sure that he can't take the Elements of Harmony again," said Celestia. She then smiled to herself as she took the letter and looked it over.
"And I have someone in mind who'd be perfect for his reform," said Celestia. Luna looked on with a worried expression.
"Well, when do we begin?" asked Luna.
"Well, Junior has told me that Twilight was currently ill. Let's give it a couple of days since she will need her strength," said Celestia.




Mustangia...

Copper sat on his rear inside of his family chambers inside of the great Diamond Dog colony. His mate sat beside him with a look of worry.
"Copper, this is insane! How could you challenge our pack leader at a time like this?!" demanded Crystal. Copper sighed as he lowered his head.
"I'm sorry, but this is something that I have to do. He plans on attacking another human settlement again that has Transmutants living in it!" said Copper. "Think about it! Our numbers will decline even further this time just to pillage useless gems! We have to stop the madness now before anyone else gets hurt!"
"But what good is it if you lose and your exiled?! Think about our pups!" cried Crystal. She lied down on the ground as she buried her face into her paws as she wept. Copper folded his ears as he lowered his head. He sighed as he made his way closer to his mate and nuzzled her ear.
"I am thinking about them. Every day I spend time thinking about their future here and how it will turn out. I don't like it and there's finally a chance to change it," said Copper in a soft tone. Crystal sniffled as she nuzzled Copper's neck while he stared off into the wall with a frown.
'Now, it's time to put the strength that I gained into use. Thank you, Manda, Goro and Baragon,' thought Copper. He stood up with his mate and the pair made their way over towards one of the chambers of their pups. Inside, they found them lying together, resting peacefully. Copper and Crystal nuzzled each other once more as they leaned against each other, watching their pups sleep.



Gnaw stood tall among a few other Diamond Dogs with a hard expression. The rest of the pack members had gathered into a great and circular chamber. Copper walked past several other Diamond Dogs that were in his path. The pack watched with great anticipation and anxiety for this coming duel. Copper made his way to the center of the ring, where the pack leader was waiting. Copper was a foot shorter compared to more burly dog. But, this was not enough to intimidate the Rottweiler and push him away from his mission. He mentally sighed.
'I honestly wish that I had more time. I don't even think I can beat him as I am,' thought Copper. The pack leader snarled as he pressed his paws firmly on the ground. The pack members all gave loud barks as they moved in place, anxious to see the duel begin. An elder Diamond Dog stepped in between the duelers.
"This duel will be over the title of pack leader. The winner shall earn this title and lead our pack for as long as he lives or until a new challenger defeats him for his role. The loser shall be shamed and forever banished from our pack. This duel will only be fought with your body, not weapons, just as the way of our ancestors when dueling," said the elder. The Diamond Dogs all howled in response as they waited for the battle.
"I will teach the lesson for disrespecting the traditions of our ancestors," growled Gnaw. Copper hardened his eyes as he tensed himself.
"The survival of the pack is what's important to me," said Copper. The Elder stepped back away from the ring as he bore a neutral expression. The Diamond Dogs all went silent with anticipation. The Elder gave a long howl that echoed throughout the Diamond Dog colony, heard by the Dogs that were not present to see the duel. Copper and Gnaw circled each other as they bared their teeth. The pack leader snarled as he slobbered onto the ground. Copper's fur on his neck was erect and small amounts of saliva dripped from his mouth. The two barked as they charged towards each other. Gnaw rammed into Copper and bit down on his foreleg, making Copper yip in pain. He retaliated by slamming his paw against Gnaw’s nose, causing him to release. Copper snarled as he ran towards his opponent and tackled him to the ground. He proceeded to bang his fists against Gnaw’s body. The Diamond Dogs all barked as they watched the fight. Copper was then punched kicked in his stomach by Gnaw and was put into a head lock.
Gnaw snarled as he bit down on Copper's neck. Copper howled in agony as he was pinned down to the ground with the teeth causing him great pain. The two dogs barked as they rolled all around biting and scratching each other. Copper was forced onto his back and was bitten on his ear. The pack leader managed to tear the tip of Cobber's ear, leaving it to bleed. Copper yipped as he kicked Gnaw away with his ear bleeding. Copper panted as he stood up and charged back towards his opponent. The two locked their paws together as they attempted to force each other back. Gnaw’s strength and build was enough to overpower the younger Diamond Dog. Copper yelled as he kicked Gnaw's leg, causing him to fall over. Copper then placed him in a head lock as he bit down on his neck. The pack leader yipped in pain as he attempted to shake off his challenger. Copper merely slammed his fist against his head and continued to bite harder while growling. Gnaw groaned as he grabbed Copper by his head and clawed at it. However, Copper only bit down harder as he shook his head furiously with his opponent in his jaws.
'I won't lose! I can't!' thought Copper as he bit harder.
"Wretched pup!" shouted Gnaw as he reached into his cloak and pulled out a dagger. Copper's eyes widened as he immediately released his opponent. He stepped back as the pack leader swung the dagger wildly at him. Copper yipped as his fore legs were cut by the blade. The Diamond Dogs all stared in shock at the scene.
"This is cheating! Whatever happened to your values of tradition?!" demanded Copper.
"Silence, you insolent rebel! I will not tolerate disobedience in the pack!" shouted Gnaw as he lunged towards Copper. The Rottweiler caught the pack leader as he struggled to keep the dagger away.
"You are a hypocrite! You say we ought to follow the ways of our ancestors yet you feared your loss of power and broke tradition to hold onto it!" said Copper. Gnaw snarled as he thrust the dagger closer.
"Our pack is strong with me! You will tear down our strength with your foolishness!" said Gnaw. Cobber grunted.
"Foolishness?! You would send us to our deaths yet again to collect more gems that serve no purpose! A pack leader puts the pack above everything else!" shouted Copper as he kicked Gnaw away. He immediately stood up to his paws and snarled. The Diamond Dogs watched in awe at this Rottweiler as he stood his ground against their pack leader.
"I have seen how the people above us live on the surface! They are much happier than any of us down here! Their happiness does not come from clinging to materialistic things! It comes from their bonds with each other! They are much more prosperous than any of us could ever hope to become!" said Copper as he pawed at the ground. Gnaw snarled.
"You've been tainted by the alien culture of the humans! You dare to corrupt our kind with their ways?!" demanded Gnaw. The elder that had set the rules stepped forward with a glare.
"You will stop this immediately! You have broken the rules that were set by our ancestors to guarantee an honorable and fair battle!" said the elder.
"For not obeying this rule, you have no right to continue to be our leader! That honor goes to Copper, who understands what it means to be leader of the pack!" said the elder. Gnaw looked to the elder with an appalled expression. He then snarled as he raised his dagger.
"You will be silent, you wretched-" Gnaw was interrupted as Copper slammed into him and knocked the dagger out of his paw. Copper proceeded to slam his paws against him as he held a glare. He grunted with every punch that he sent. His memories recollected the times where he was taught combat skills by the Transmutants. All of the pain and exhaustion that he went through had led up to this moment to defeat Gnaw and take his place. Now, he was going to make sure that the old fool was not going to endanger the pack anymore.
"Copper!" cried a Diamond Dog as he grabbed the Rottweiler's fore leg. Copper panted as he turned to face one of his friends.
"He's had enough! You don't need to kill him!" said the Diamond Dog. Copper's eyes widened as he turned to face Gnaw. He found his face to be bruised and bloody. A few of his teeth were missing as he lied on the ground panting. Copper panted as he backed away and sat on his rear. He held his face into his paws as he shook his head.
"I'm sorry. I didn't-" Copper was interrupted as the Elder placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Death would have been merciful for him. Now, he's going to be shamed for the rest of his life and forced out of the pack," said the elder as he glared at the fallen pack leader. He then held up Copper's paw into the air as he turned to face the wide eyed Diamond Dogs.
"Pack, a new leader is here! Let us hear it for Copper!" cried the elder. The Diamond Dogs all howled in respect towards Copper. They all knelt down and bowed their heads before Copper, who stood with wounds and shock. He lightly smiled as he lowered his head. He gave a howl as well, which echoed throughout the colony, heard by all of the members of the pack. From within Copper's own residence, Crystal allowed tears of joy to flow down her muzzle.
Copper stood tall among the pack members that approached him.
"Pack Leader Copper, what will we do? We will still continue with our former leader's plan?" asked the elder. Copper shook his head.
"No. My friends...I must be honest. I was not expecting to gain this title, but I knew that with the loss of our members in Mustangia, something needed to change. I have respect for our ancestors, but times have changed," said Copper. He gestured to the cave around them.
"The mining for gems must have been done for some reason, but it's been over a thousand of years since our ancestors started this never ending cycle. It may not even matter anymore, but I wish to use what I had learned from my time observing the surface to improve our lives," said Copper. He shook his head.
"No more pillaging innocents for gems, no more endless mining for gems for them to only collect dust in our chambers. We will make up for what we've done to the surface dwellers in any way we can. All I ask is for your contribution," said Copper. The Diamond Dogs wagged their tails as they howled in response. Copper smiled in response as he sighed happily. He grunted as he held his chest. A few members of the pack rushed to his side.
"Clean his wounds! He needs medical attention!" ordered the elder. The pack members nodded as they helped Copper out of the ring. The elder turned to face the former pack leader with a look of disapproval.
"That is what makes a true pack leader," said the elder. Gnaw spat out teeth and blood as he shot the elder a glare.



Manda lied down with Baragon on a large mattress. She bore a smile as she slept peacefully in the early morning with a blanket wrapped over them. The female Transmutant cuddled with the shorter Transmutant like a child with a teddy bear. Baragon snored, but crinkled his brows as Manda squeezed him tighter. His eyes shot open as the pressure around his body increased.
"Manda, let go," whispered Baragon. Manda shifted in place as she moaned.
"Mm. Five more minutes," muttered Manda as she nuzzled Baragon's neck. Baragon grunted as Manda constricted him tighter. He shifted in place as he tried to wiggle out of her hold. Manda pulled him closer as she began to kiss and lick his neck, making him blush.
"Mm. Chocolate," moaned Manda. Baragon raised a brow.
"What the- ack!" Baragon grunted as Manda bit his neck. He turned in place and gently pushed her face away as he faced her. Manda's cheek scrunched up as a small amount of drool trailed down her neck.
"No, let me eat the..." Manda muttered in her sleep as she tried to fight Baragon's hand. The male Transmutant shimmied himself down in order to escape Manda's death grip but he found himself locked against Manda's chest. The female Transmutant nibbled on his hair as Baragon waved his arms frantically for air. He placed his hands against Manda's shoulders and slightly pushed her away and took a deep breath.
"Gotta escape!" whispered Baragon as he continued to shimmy himself down. His head was then forced into Manda's belly. She sighed as she wrapped her legs around Baragon's back and beneath his shoulder blades.
"That's a good doggy," muttered Manda as she nuzzled Baragon's hair. The male Transmutant hardened his eyes in annoyance. He used his arms to raise Manda's shirt up to her chest and dove his lips for her exposed belly. Manda's eyes suddenly shot open as she felt a raspberry being blown onto her belly. She held Baragon tighter as she laughed hysterically. Baragon took the opportunity and rolled with the female Transmutant, forcing her onto her back and for him to rest his head against her belly. Manda managed to calm down as she wiped a tear away. She then looked down at Baragon in confusion as he moaned against her belly. She blushed as she bit her thumb.
"Oh, wow. I wasn't expecting this," said Manda with an embarrassed smile as she wrapped her bare legs around Baragon's back and brought him closer up to meet her face.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," muttered Baragon in a dazed state. Manda smiled as she kissed Baragon's forehead. She brought the blanket back over themselves.
"Hmm, well I'm awake now," said Manda seductively as she nuzzled Baragon's neck. She leaned close to his ear as she bore a coy smile.
"Do you feel like fooling around?" asked Manda as she stuck her tongue out, revealing it to be long like a snake's but still retaining the round tip like a human's. The tongue slithered and rubbed against Baragon's cheek, who blushed furiously.
'Most people would find this freaky, but I personally find this hot,' thought Baragon with a grin. He pressed himself against her and passionately kissed Manda. He pulled away with a pant.
"As much as I'd love to, we can't. Goro's in the other chamber," said Baragon. Manda frowned in disappointment. She then smiled to herself.
"Hmm. Well, then I guess we should make some breakfast!" said Manda as she rolled Baragon onto her side and stood up from the mattress. She hummed to herself and walked out of their sleeping area, swinging her hips.
"Can I get some fries with that shake?" asked Baragon in a suave tone.
"Ooh! You're so dirty!" laughed Manda with a grin. Baragon chuckled as he lied back down in bed. He sighed as he closed his eyes.
"Baragon!" cried Manda in a frantic manner. The male Transmuant's eyes shot wide open and immediately got onto his feet. He rushed out of the chamber and out towards the main cave.
"What's wrong?!" asked Baragon. He stopped as he found Manda staring towards the exit with wide eyes as she cupped her hands over her mouth. At the entrance of their cave was Copper, covered in scratches, ragged fur, and with part of his ear missing. Manda rushed over towards the Diamond Dog and pulled him close to herself.
"Oh my god! Copper, what happened to you?! Are you alright?!" asked Manda as she looked at the Rottweiler over. She gasped as she noticed that the tip of his right ear was bitten off. She felt herself growing emotional at the state that the Diamond Dog was in.
"Who did this to you?! Tell me!" said Manda as she shook Copper.
"Manda, it's alright! Something happened with our pack leader," said Copper as he lowered his head. Baragon looked on in worry.
"Did he do this to you?" asked Baragon.
"He did. I challenged him last night for his position," said Copper with a nod.
"So...you lost? Copper, why would you fight him if you weren't ready?!" demanded Manda in a distraught tone.
"I didn't lose, I won," said Copper with a smile. Manda and Baragon looked on in surprise.
"You...you actually won?" asked Baragon.
"I almost didn't, but your training and my desire to prevent another attack on a human settlement helped me," said Copper. He then bowed his head.
"Thanks to you three, I have saved my pack from self-destruction and an endless cycle of materialistic value in our lives. I was even able to prevent the innocents of Ponyville from suffering an attack like Mustangia," said Copper. Manda wrapped Copper into a tight hug as she gently caressed his head.
"You're such a good dog," said Manda with a sad smile. Copper lightly smiled as he nuzzled Manda's shoulder and wrapped a foreleg around her. The two released each other and found Baragon making his way over towards them.
"Congrats, Cop. You did it," said Baragon as he held his hand out. The two shook as they nodded to each other in approval. The sound of yawning reached their ears, prompting everyone to turn and find Goro to be standing in his pajamas with a drowsy expression.
"What's going on?" asked Goro as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. Copper and the Transmutant couple smiled in amusement.
"Well, as the new pack leader, we are going to give away a large number of gems that we have mined and pillaged before to the people of Mustangia. It might not be enough to make up for the trouble that we've caused, but I hope it's a start," said Copper. Manda wrapped an arm around him as she gave him a reassuring smile.
"I think we'll be able to work some stuff out," said Manda. Copper nodded and led the Transmutants outside. He gestured out towards the area.
"Behold, we have brought the gems already," said Copper. The Transmutants stared off to find a few dozen Diamond Dogs standing tall with sacks over them, filled to the brim with gems. Manda smiled as she rushed back into the cave.
"If we're going into town now, I'm getting dressed!" said Manda with a tone of excitement. Baragon and Goro nodded to each other as they followed Manda's lead.




The next day...

Junior sat down on a couch with a newspaper in his hands. He read over through the article with a look of interest. He suddenly felt a weight over his shoulders, prompting him to turn and to find Erika looking over him curiously with her hands on his shoulders.
"Whatcha looking at?" asked Erika.
"Hmm? Oh, just this article in today's paper. Looks like Goro and the others made peace with the Diamond Dogs that Mustangia was dealing with," said Junior. Erika looked at him in confusion.
"Who?" asked Erika.
"Oh, they're these three other Transmutants that's been living here in Equestria. They're on our side," said Junior as he went back to reading the paper. Erika made her way over to Junior's side and took a seat beside him. Junior glanced at her.
"Are those clothes Fluttershy lent you doing you any good?" asked Junior.
"Yes, thank you," said Erika with a smile. She was wearing a teal shirt with a pair of blue skinny jeans. She then brushed the side of her hair as she cleared her throat.
"So...do you have any plans on how to find Sunset?" asked Erika. Junior nodded to her in response.
"I do. But it's going to take a couple of days since Celestia is making preparations for someone who I think can help," said Junior.
"A...a couple of days?" asked Erika with a worried expression.
"I know, the time isn't all that great. But it's the best I can give you, Shiragami," said Junior. Erika frowned.
"But...what if..."
"Hey, thinking up the worse scenario isn't going to help us find her. We're just going to have to hope for the best," said Junior as he held a firm expression.
"You're right. Thank you, Takeshi," sighed Erika as she looked away.
"Sorry that I've been taking up the space in your bed. I ought to find somewhere else to stay," said Erika.
"No, it's fine. Besides, the couch is kinda comfy," said Junior with a small smile as he patted the arm rest of the sofa. Erika lightly smiled, but shot up as she heard the sound of humming from behind. Erika and Junior turned to find Rodan in the kitchen, using the stove. The sound of sizzling reached their ears as well the smell of food.
"Man, I love the smell of fish on the stove in the noon!" said Rodan as he moved the sliced and diced fish meat around the pan that they sat in while having a pot of ramen boiling. He then turned to face the other two Transmutants.
"Hey, you guys don't mind a bit of spiciness in today's lunch, do you?" asked Rodan.
"Sure," answered Junior and Erika in unison. Rodan nodded.
"Alright!" said Rodan as he reached into the pantry and pulled out a glass bottle filled with orange liquid. He poured the contents into the pot and continued to stir it.
"So, how's Twilight?" asked Rodan.
"I think she's doing better right now. I checked on her this morning and she stopped throwing up," said Junior. He sighed as he went back to reading the newspaper.
"I think she's still a little sick. She might be fine tomorrow," said Junior.
"That's cool. You didn't make out with her, did you?" asked Rodan. Junior cleared his throat, ignoring the question. Erika cringed.
"Ew! When she was sick?!" asked Erika. Junior shrugged.
"She brushed her teeth from the last time that she threw up before we kissed. It's not like I can get sick anyway," said Junior with a shrug. Rodan shot him a look of disgust.
"Uh uh! You're staying your ass home today, buddy! I ain't letting you get everyone else sick if you're carrying traces of the flu!" said Rodan. Junior smirked.
"If I got Rainbow sick, wouldn't it give you a good excuse to stay at her place?" asked Junior. Rodan was about to retort but then stopped and looked down in thought before smiling.
"My man, you are a genius! Never mind, you can get her sick! Get Flutters sick for Aang to nurse back to health while you're at it!" said Rodan as he gave Junior a thumbs up.
"W-Wait, wait! I was just kidding!" said Junior as he frantically waved his hands.
"I'm not," shrugged Rodan. Junior face palmed in response while Erika rolled her eyes in amusement.
"Well, I should actually stay home today anyway. I might end up infecting them on accident if there are traces of the flu on me," said Junior. He then stood up to his feet as he removed his sweater.
"As a matter of fact, I need to wash and disinfect my clothes just in case," said Junior as he placed the newspaper down. He made his way into the laundry room of the house where he proceeded to put his sweater in the washer along with the clothes that he was wearing from the previous day. Mosura entered the living room with a smile. She rushed over to Junior and wrapped her arms around him into a tight hug.
"Good afternoon, Goji! How's my favorite guy friend?" asked Mosura with a grin. Junior looked at her with a raised brow as he returned her hug.
"Um...fine?" answered Junior in an unsure tone. Mosura giggled as she made her way over to Erika as she placed her hands on her shoulders.
"Shiragami! How are you feeling? Don't feel down, cause we'll find Sunset Shimmer!" said Mosura.
"Oh...um thanks!" said Erika with a smile. Mosura made her way over to Rodan and pinched his cheek.
"Rodan! My little bro and growing cook! Lunch smells good!" said Mosura.
"Thanks. Hey, are you feeling alright? You seem more cheerful than usual. Did something bad happen that you're masking your anxiety, anger or despair with a facade of happiness?" asked Rodan.
"Ha! No, don't be silly! I'm just in a very good mood today!" said Mosura. She hummed to herself as she made her way over towards a jar with a lock. She pulled out a small key and used it to unlock the jar. Rodan's ears perked, prompting him to turn and for his eyes to widen in surprise. Mosura opened the jar and reached inside and pulled out a folded piece of paper.
"Right where I left it!" said Mosura.
"Hey...what are you doing?" asked Rodan in surprise. Mosura giggled as she turned to face the male Transmutant.
"Well, there's going to be an event in Ponyville for cookies to give away before the holiday! I thought I'd join in," said Mosura. Junior looked at her curiously.
"So, what is it?" asked Junior.
"A recipe for homemade cookies, of course!" said Mosura with a grin.
"It's something that I memorized back when I was living in Neighpon. My mom taught me how to make it before she..." Mosura bore a sad smile as she looked down at the paper in her hands. Junior's eyes softened as he bore a light frown.
"But...you have never used that recipe," said Rodan. Mosura merely smiled.
"Well, I just thought it might be a good time to start. Times change," said Mosura as she began to walk away. Junior looked at her curiously.
"Hey, where are you going?" asked Junior.
"I'm going to get some ingredients for the cookies. I'll be back in a couple of hours," said Mosura. Junior shot out of the laundry room.
"Hey, why don't I go with you?" asked Junior. Mosura looked at him in surprise.
"But, I thought you wanted to stay away from town for a while?" asked Mosura.
"Well, it doesn't really matter since a number of people found out that I was in Twilight's place," said Junior as he rubbed the small bruise on his head.
"Oh. Well, sure!" said Mosura. Her stomach growled, making her blush in embarrassment.
"Let's have lunch first, OK?" asked Mosura. Junior nodded as he turned to the cave hall.
"Aang! Lunch is almost ready!" called Junior as his voice echoed.
"OK!" called Angirasu as his voice echoed back to Junior.




The Frozen North...

The chilling air caused Battra's spine to tingle. He shivered as he stood in place inside of the Temple of Shadows. He stood beside Destoroyah, while Sombra sat on a stone throne with Thanatos at his side. The Transmutants stood before these dark Elves in silence. Sombra leaned closer as his sigh echoed.
"Now, the time for Resurrection of the Kaiju is upon us. We must be prepared," said Sombra as he placed his metal gloved hands together and smiled darkly. He pointed towards Battra.
"You shall go forth and bring me one of the relics that we need to open the gates. One of my servants shall fetch the other while you search for one," said Sombra. Battra nodded in understanding.
"What is this relic and where can I find it?" asked Battra. Sombra's hand was engulfed in a dark aura that displayed an apparition that appeared like flames. The image was that of a grey chained amulet with an upside down triangle and with a red gem embedded in it. The triangle also bore dark wings with red feathered edges.
"Behold, the Avatar Amulet. A mystical object capable of granting the wearer great magical power," said Sombra. Battra took several seconds staring at the apparition, burning the image into his memory.
"Its whereabouts have been lost for centuries, but there is a way to find it," said Sombra as he levitated a compass over towards Battra. The Transmutant took the compass into his hands and looked at it curiously.
"This compass is drawn to the power of the amulet. Just follow where the arrow points and you shall find it. Bring the Avatar Amulet to me," said Sombra as he clenched his hand into a fist.
"Understood, your majesty," said Battra with a nod. He then turned and proceeded to walk away with Destoroyah.
"One other thing, Battra," said Sombra. Battra stopped and turned to face the dark king.
"Do not betray our trust, my dear boy. There will be dire consequences," said Sombra with a hard stare. Battra simply nodded in response, but he did have a feeling of nervousness taking hold. He turned back towards the hall and continued on towards his mission.
Battra continued on through the temple as he gave Destoroyah a nod of understanding for his mission. The two separated from each other and headed to different directions. Battra eventually came across Megaguirus, who was leaning against a pillar. She greeted the male Transmutant with a wave as she made her way over to him.
"So, what did the count want?" asked Megaguirus. Battra raised a brow.
"Count?" asked Battra.
"Yeah, it's a joke. He looks like a vampire, with his fangs, dark personality and ye old speech," said Megaguirus with a chuckle.
"Oh, now I get it," said Battra as he shook his head with a half amused smile. He continued on pass Megaguirus.
"Well, I have to leave right now. I need to fetch an ancient artifact called, 'The Avatar Amulet'," said Battra.
"Ooh! Sounds neat! So, you're the king's errand boy?" asked Megaguirus. Battra sighed in annoyance.
"Please, just don't," said Battra.
"Gee, what's got you in such a bad mood?" asked Megaguirus with a raised brow.
"It's just that I'm very reluctant to trust this king. Also, calling me an errand boy feels demeaning," said Battra with a light frown.
"Sorry," said Megaguirus with a shrug. She then made her way beside the male Transmutant with a smile. "If you need any help, I can come along!"
"No, that won't be necessary," said Battra. Megaguirus scowled in response. She hummed to herself as she walked closer to Battra.
"Come on. You might need my help! What if you run into a situation that may need a girl's touch?" asked Megaguirus. Battra looked away in reluctance. He then turned back to find Megaguirus, who bore an eager smile on her face.
"Alright, you can come. I doubt you'd take no for an answer anyway," sighed Battra. Megaguirus nodded in approval.
"Nope! So, where is this artifact? Is it at some kind of ancient temple or lost civilization with traps still operational?" asked Megaguirus with a grin. Battra shrugged.
"It's possible. We just need to let this enchanted compass guide us to its definition," said Battra as he held up the compass that Sombra had given him. Megaguirus pulled out her teleportation stone with a grin.
"Let's go already!" said Megaguirus.
"Wait, we shouldn't teleport aimlessly to find the amulet. We should choose one point to go to and make our way around," said Battra. Megaguirus sighed.
"Alright, where to?" asked Megaguirus. Battra pulled out a map and unfolded it.
"We should check the south east since that's where the arrow is currently pointing. We can start with Baltimare, but we'll have to make the rest of the journey on foot so we don't miss the location," said Battra. Megaguirus nodded as she looked over the map. She held the stone up, which projected a vortex before them. She glanced at Battra.
"Do you have money on you for train tickets and stuff?" asked Megaguirus. Battra nodded.
"Yeah, we have plenty," said Battra. Megaguirus smiled as she took his hand.
"Let's go then!" said Megaguirus as she dragged Battra towards the vortex.
"H-Hey, wait!" cried Battra. The two had then vanished into thin air.
On the other side of the portal, Megaguirus and Battra emerged. The two found themselves inside of an alley. Megaguirus looked at Battra with a smile as he looked at the compass in his hand.
"So, where to next?" asked Megaguirus.
"Well, the needle is pointing north-west now. We should walk the rest of the way so we don't miss the amulet," said Battra. Megaguirus nodded as she took Battra's arm.
"Then we better get moving!" said Megaguirus. Battra raised a brow as he was led out to the open area of the town, where humans casually walked along the sidewalks.
'Hmm. She seems to be in a good mood,' thought Battra.




Ponyville...

Junior roamed through Ponyville beside Mosura. He held his hood far over his head as he walked beside his friend. The female Transmutant bore a smile.
"Alright, first we're gonna need some cookie dough. Then we'll need chocolate, next will be sugar, and the tools to carve the cookies." said Mosura.
"We can find that stuff at the market," said Junior as he pointed towards a certain direction. Mosura nodded in approval.
"That'll do!" said Mosura. The two continued on down the road, where Junior had caught glances of a few familiar humans from a previous day. As he noticed Comet Tail, Junior shot him a glare and mouthed the words, 'don't piss me off'. Comet Tail gulped as he turned away and continued to walk. Junior shook his head, catching Mosura's attention.
"Something wrong?" asked Mosura.
"Nope!" said Junior with a smug smile.
Later, the two Transmutants found themselves inside of the heated store. Mosura unzipped her sweater and loosened the scarf that she was wearing.
"Mm. It's nice and warm," said Mosura.
"I'm feeling hot, actually," said Junior as he unzipped his sweater a bit.
"Well, you insist on hiding your face," deadpanned Mosura. Junior shrugged.
"Fair point," said Junior. The two continued on down the aisles with grocery baskets. The two spent the next few minutes gathering ingredients and tools for the cookies. Mosura picked up several chocolate bars as she bore a smile. Junior hummed to himself as he looked over a metal bowl.
"This could be good for melting the chocolate in," said Junior. Mosura nodded in agreement. As the two waited in line to pay for the items they had gathered, Mosura glanced at Junior.
"Goji, did your mother ever make any Hearth's Warming treats or something?" asked Mosura.
"Not really. I think my mom wasn't very good at making sweets," said Junior. He then looked at her curiously as they paid for their items.
"So, what's with Rodan when he said that you never used the recipe that your mom taught you?" asked Junior.
"For as long as I could remember, it's been a tradition for my family to have these sweet cookies that my mom would make for special occasions and Hearth's Warming. One day, she decided to teach me how to make them," said Mosura as she and Junior took their items in the bags that they were placed in. The two found themselves outside, walking together in the cold.
"Mom always said, 'don't tell anyone the recipe, Mosura. It's a family secret'," said Mosura with a chuckle. She sighed.
"They're so good! The chocolate’s sweetness just dances in your mouth! Oh, and it's great with milk!" said Mosura with nostalgia on her face. Junior lightly smiled.
"Wow. They sound pretty good. I'm looking forward to trying them," said Junior. Mosura sighed.
"Yeah, I just wish..." Mosura looked down at the ground.
"Mosu?" called Junior.
"You know, the reason I never actually made these cookies again after my parents passed away was because of my brother," said Mosura.
"What about Battra?" asked Junior.
"Well...it just wouldn't feel right to have these cookies without him around, you know?" said Mosura with a frown.
"I mean, we'll never be able to have those moments again. Our parents are gone. Battra is far away with the Revolutionaries and he hates..." Mosura slowed down to a stop, prompting Junior to turn around to find her. His eyes widened in surprise as he found Mosura's eyes welling up with tears as her lips quivered.
"He...hates me. My own brother hates me!" cried Mosura. She dropped to her knees as she sobbed to herself. Junior deeply frowned as he made his way over to her and knelt down in front of her. He set the bags down and wrapped Mosura into a comforting hug.
"No, he doesn't," said Junior as he caressed her head.
"Yes, he does! He even said it to my face!" cried Mosura as she sobbed against Junior's shoulder.
"I-I just want things to be the way they were again! I know I can't ever bring our parents back, but I just want my brother to be happy again!" cried Mosura. Junior sighed as he continued to hold her.
"I know," said Junior.
"You've been holding this in for too long, Mosu. It's OK to talk about how you're feeling when it comes to your brother," said Junior. Mosura sniffled as she wiped a tear from her cheek. He stood up with her as he gave her a soft smile.
"Come on, let's head home," said Junior as he picked up the bags that he had placed down. As he turned away, Mosura grabbed him by his sleeve.
"Goji, can you promise me something?" asked Mosura with a sniffle.
"Name it," said Junior. Mosura looked away with an unsure expression.
"The next time we see Battra, could you let me reason with him?" asked Mosura. Junior looked at her in reluctance.
"I... Mosu, it didn't go very well the last time that you tried that," said Junior.
"I know. But, I think I can convince him this time. All I ask is that you give me a chance," said Mosura as she looked at Junior with pleading eyes. The male Transmutant thought it would be unwise to be lenient towards the ruthless twin brother of the Yasu twins, especially since he nearly tore Twilight's arms off during their first fight. However, Mosura's pleading eyes were too much for him to shoot down her request.
"OK. I'll do it for you," said Junior with a nod. Mosura smiled brightly as she wrapped her arms around the Transmutant.
"Thank you! Thank you! Oh, I love ya so much!" cried Mosura. Junior chuckled as he patted Mosura's back.
"Alright, settle down. Careful, someone might get the wrong idea," said Junior. Mosura chuckled in response.
"Sorry. Let's get going! We're going to be making a lot of cookies tonight!" said Mosura a she released Junior. The two walked down through town again, headed for their home in the Everfree forest.




Later that evening...

"Shit!" spat Battra as he glared at the compass. Megaguirus looked at him in confusion as they continued to walk through an open field.
"What's the matter?" asked Megaguirus.
"The damn thing is either acting up, or the amulet is moving!" said Battra.
"How can you be sure it's moving?" asked Megaguirus in confusion. Battra showed her the compass, which had a needle that was pointing southwest. He then followed the direction and was annoyed to find the compass not turning around to another direction.
"It pointed west a second ago, so we couldn't have passed it! It has to be moving!" said Battra. He growled in frustration. "Someone must have beaten us to it!"
"Hey, relax! It's going to be fine," said Megaguirus as she placed her hands on Battra's shoulders. He sighed in response.
"Good. Now, all we need to do is follow the needle’s point and we should find it soon," said Megaguirus. She then brushed her hand over Battra's hair.
"But, let's call it a night! We both could use some sleep," said Megaguirus.
"Sleep?! But we can't-" Battra was interrupted as Megaguirus rubbed his shoulders, causing him to sigh.
"Damn, you've got a lot of tension. Look, we're near Hollow Shades. Let's find a place to crash for cheap for the night," said Megaguirus. Battra nodded reluctantly.
"Fine," said Battra. Megaguirus nodded as she held up the teleportation stone. It opened a portal before them, prompting the two Transmutants to travel through it.
'Who could have gotten their hands on such a mystical artifact?' thought Battra in worry. If he couldn't find the amulet, his head would likely be on a pike. He hardened his eyes, determined to find the amulet, even if he had to kill its wearer.
The two Transmutants appeared on the other side of the portal. They found themselves in a dark section of a small town surrounded by great trees, shrouding the town in darkness. Fog filled the air as rain water fell upon them.
"Oh shit!" cried Megaguirus as she pulled her hood overhead. The two Transmutants rushed through the town towards the nearest dry spot.
"Looks like we're gonna have to find someone who knows a place where tourists can stay," said Battra with a scowl.




The next day...

The street was filled with dozens of citizens that resided in Ponyville. They gathered around near booths and tables, where several different people served up cookies. The air was of course filled with idle conversations that went around. Children sat as they ate the cookies of every sort. Chocolate chip, sugar, oatmeal, almond, animal shaped, etc. There were also different sorts of sweets that were being sold to the people. One particular stand was made up of tables with Rarity, Erika, and Sonata standing behind. The three wore aprons while the tables in front of themselves bore trays filled with cookies with hardened chocolate on the tops. The cookies themselves appeared to be like squares, compared to the other sweets in other stands. Rarity held out three plastic bags filled with homemade cookies out towards a woman with a warm smile.
"Here you go! Enjoy!" said Rarity. The woman nodded to her with a smile as she made her way over towards a nearby table that was set up. Her friends greeted her with waves, prompting the woman to rush over to them. Erika took the bits that she had received and placed them inside of a growing bag. Her eyes then widened in surprise as she noticed a growing line at the booth.
"Wow. Looks like Yasu's mom's recipe is drawing a lot of attention," said Erika. Rarity nodded in agreement. She then turned to Sonata.
"Sonata, darling, could you run on down to Sugarcube Corner and see if Mosura and the others are nearly done with that next batch?" asked Rarity. Sonata gave a salute and then broke off into a sprint.
"Other way, darling!" cried out an alarmed Rarity. Sonata made a 'U' turn and continued to run with an embarrassed smile.
"I-I knew that!" said Sonata as she continued to run. Rarity shook her head in amusement and went to the other customers.
Meanwhile, in Sugarcube Corner, Mosura held her tongue out as she measured the amount of sugar in a cup. She nodded in approval and poured the contents into a bowl. She then turned to find Fluttershy cutting and dividing the cookie dough into small squares while Angirasu flattened the dough that had not been cut. Fluttershy sneaked a glance at the Transmutant that was at her side, who rolled the dough flat.
"Angirasu?" called Fluttershy.
"Yeah?" answered Angirasu as he turned to face Fluttershy. The Valkyrie merely smiled as she reached towards him and brushed her fingers over his nose. The Transmutant recoiled as the powder from her fingers got on his nose. Fluttershy giggled in amusement, prompting Angirasu to lightly chuckle. He then suddenly gently placed his hands on both of her cheeks, prompting Fluttershy to blush furiously as her lips were puckered out. The Transmutant removed his hands as he continued to chuckle. Fluttershy turned to a silver pot and found her cheeks covered in powder. The two shared a small laugh, prompting Mosura to glance with a grin on her face. She cleared her throat, causing the two to go silent.
"Hey, now. We gotta get these cookies done soon. Work now and fun later," said Mosura. The two nodded in response as they carried looks of embarrassment. Pinkie Pie walked inside of the kitchen and found Junior washing dishes near a sink. She rushed over to his side and wrapped an arm around his shoulder.
"So, I heard Twilight was doing better!" said Pinkie with a grin.
"Yeah, she's doing better. She's supposed to be present during the event," said Junior with a nod.
"Oh! Pinkie, thank you for asking the Cakes for letting us borrow their kitchen for this! Word about these cookies passed like wild fire!" said Mosura. Pinkie nodded.
"Not a problem, Mosu! Just be sure to save them some, cause they're missing out!" said Pinkie.
"You got it," said Mosura with a nod. From outside of the kitchen, Sonata came rushing inside.
"Hey, is there a batch ready?" asked Sonata. Mosura turned towards the oven and found Applejack wearing a pair of oven mitts as she carried out a cookie sheet filled with cookies.
"Right here, sugarcube. Nice and fresh," said Applejack as she placed the cookies inside of plastic bags and wrapped them up.
"Rodan! Get ready, cause you're up!" said Mosura. The Transmutant that she had called walked into the kitchen with a box in his hands.
"Let's load them up," said Rodan with a nod as he made his way over to the farm girl. Applejack gently placed the hot cookies, which were wrapped in bags, into the box.
"Alright, I'm off!" said Rodan as he rushed out of the kitchen. The male Transmutant continued on out of SugarCube Corner, where he caught a glance of Adagio and Aria sitting at a booth. He gave them a quick wave as he continued to run outside. He passed several people and jumped onto the roofs of small buildings. People turned their heads as they caught sight of the Transmutant running along the roofs of buildings as he hopped to the next roof. He eventually came across where the event was occurring and dropped down to the ground. Rodan peaked inside of the box, finding that the cookies were still intact. He casually walked over to the stand, where Rarity and Erika stood.
"Package is delivered, ladies," said Rodan as he took on a prideful smile.
"Thank you, darling. You're just in time," said Rarity as she took out the bags of cookies and placed them on the table. Rodan sighed as he sat down on a metal chair.
"Oh, was Sonata's shift done?" asked Rarity.
"Yep. I'm filling in for her," said Rodan with a bored expression. The Transmutant turned his head as he found Rainbow Dash making her way over to him.
"There you are! Come on, let's go buy some sweets!" said Rainbow.
"I can't. Mosura will kill me if I abandon my shift now," said Rodan with a look of disappointment.
"Aw man, you're working right now? Lame," said Rainbow with a sigh.
"Tell me about it," said Rodan as he traded a bag of cookies for bits with a man.
"Hmm. Well, I'm gonna go buy something. I'll bring you some," said Rainbow as she waved and began to walk away.
"Thanks, babe!" called Rodan with a smile.
"So, what's Yasu gonna do with this money when the event is over? It is her mom's recipe," said Erika.
"Something about paying the cakes back for using their ingredients. She said we might use some of it on our place if we have anything left over," said Rodan with a shrug.
"Well, that's nice of her. I wasn't expecting her to go all out," said Rarity.
"Tell me about it. Years of not using the recipe and now she's supervising the others as if she owns a business. It's crazy," said Rodan with a chuckle.
"I must say, these cookies are absolutely delicious! I've never had anything this wonderful!" said Rarity.
"They're pretty sweet, too," said Erika. Rodan chuckled.
"Yeah, well I have a saying for sweet things. If you can't taste the diabetes, you didn't make it right," said Rodan. Rarity and Erika looked at him with a raised brow.
"I don't..." Rarity looked at him in confusion.
"It's meant to be funny. Because sometimes, something that's meant to be sweet ends up tasting like shit if there's not enough sugar," said Rodan with a shrug.
"I uh...I'm not entirely sure if I find it as funny," said Rarity with a reluctant smile.
"Oh. Does someone in your family have a history with diabetes? Damn, I'm sorry," said Rodan with worry.
"No! No, it's just that I personally don't find the joke funny," said Rarity. Rodan whistled as he looked away.
"Alright, I'll be sure to come up with something else for you," said Rodan. The sound of distant cries filled their ears. The three perked up and turned to find a crowd far out that appeared to be in a circle of something. There seemed to have been something in the center for the focus of attention. The customers found themselves being drawn to the area by their natural curiosity.
"Hey, don't you want a damn cookie?!" called Rodan. He sighed in annoyance as the people continued on towards the area. He then noticed a woman rushing out of the crowd, crying out as insects swarm in her hair. Rarity recoiled in disgust.
"What in the world is going on over there?" asked Rarity. The three made their way to the crowd, where red flashes of light erupted. A man with unnaturally sized fists dragged his hands along the ground as he attempted to flee. Rarity and Erika recoiled in shock.
"What the heck?!" exclaimed Erika.
"Wow. Talk about a knuckle dragger," chuckled Rodan. He then noticed the figure that the people were staring at. It appeared to be feminine in build and wore a dark grey cloak covering her body. The figure raised her hands and shot them towards Rodan, striking him in his head with a red light. Rarity and Erika gasped as they watched the Transmutant's body began to morph and the world around Rodan grew.
"Wha-what did she do to me?!" exclaimed Rodan. Rarity and Erika stared with wide eyes as they looked down upon the Transmutant.
"Rodan...you...you're a..." Rarity hesitated to finish her sentence. Rodan gasped.
"Oh no! I'm hideous, aren't I?!" exclaimed Rodan.
"You're a chicken!" cried Erika. Rodan looked at her in confusion and then looked down at himself. He gasped as he found himself covered in brick red feathers and his legs as dark grey with three toes with sharp talons. He looked at his arms and found them to be wings instead, albeit with claws hidden in the feathers. He turned his head, feeling it connected to a long neck. He found long, brown tail feathers on his rear. He turned to face a fallen pot and backed away as he found himself as a rooster that had traits of his Transmutant form. His beak was long and toothed and his face was covered in scales. His green eyes were the same, but his head bore the crimson comb over his skull and the wattles that hung from his neck.
"What the hell?!" exclaimed Rodan as his feathers erected from his startle. He suddenly gave a shrill crow, which prompted everyone in the area to cup their ears from the rooster crow.
"Wait, what sort of rooster is he? He looks nothing like the ones one would see on a farm!" said Rarity as she analyzed the bizarre traits on Rodan.
"Who cares about that?!" said Rodan with a glare. He turned and ran towards the figure in the cloak, prompting everyone to back away from the bizarre chicken Transmutant. He shot her a glare as he looked up at the figure.
"Change me back, right now!" demanded Rodan. He then pecked at the cyan heel of the figure. The figure grunted in annoyance as her hood lit up a hellish red and levitated Rodan into the air.
"Yeah, you better change me baaaaaa-" Rodan cried out as he flung across the air, much to the horror of everyone in the area.
"Rodan!" cried Rarity. Rodan spun in the air as he gave panicked breaths.
"I hate magic!!" shouted Rodan as he spread his wings out. He then grunted as he flapped his wings.
"Haha! Thought you could best a flier like..." Rodan's voice trailed off as he found himself descending from the ground. He flapped his wings harder and started panting.
"Oh, come on! Chickens are lame! Why couldn't you have changed me into a condor? Or an eagle? Hell, I'll accept being a freaking hummingbird! Anything that can actually fly!" said Rodan in annoyance. He soon descended down to the ground near Erika and Rarity.
"Are you alright?" asked Erika in worry.
"No, look at me! I'm freaking a bird!" said Rodan as he flared open his clawed wings.
"But...you technically changed into one before, didn't you?" asked Rarity with a shrug.
"No! Before, I was cool! Now I'm just a chicken with my Transmutant traits!" said Rodan in despair. He then noticed Rainbow Dash  running over to their position.
"Hey, what's with all the weirdness with people and the crowd?" asked Rainbow in confusion. She then noticed Rodan with a raised brow.
"And what's with the freaky looking chicken?" asked Rainbow.
"It's me, Dashie," said Rodan as he lowered his head. Rainbow's eyes widened in shock.
"Rodan?! What the hay happened to you?!" exclaimed Rainbow. Rodan turned his head in a dramatic way as he held his green eyes wide open as he turned to face the figure in the cloak.
"She happened to me!" said Rodan with a cluck. The cloaked figure continued to use her magic on the people in the crowds, casting spells on them to demonstrate her power.
"That's not good," said Rainbow. She immediately took off into the opposite direction.
"I'm gonna find Twilight to deal with this!" said Rainbow.
"Wait! Don't leave me like this! I'm too vulnerable!" cried Rodan as he chased after Rainbow Dash. Erika made her way towards Rodan and scooped him into her arms.
"I got ya! Let's get you somewhere where you'll won't be stepped on," said Erika as she ran with Rodan in her arms.
"Or eaten," deadpanned Rodan.
"We don't eat meat, darling!" said Rarity. She then gasped as she noticed the cloaked figure gazing at her. Rarity gulped nervously as the figure's hands glowed brightly.
"Oh my," muttered Rarity.



"Alright, I think we've made enough for the event," said Mosura as she wiped sweat away from her brow. Before her, Junior, Angirasu, Fluttershy, Applejack, the Sirens, and Pinkie Pie, were a couple dozen bags filled with cookies.
"Yeah, I think so," said Junior as he crossed his arms. Mosura nodded as she turned to a counter, where several other bags lied.
"Well, over there are the ones for us. And Goji, I made sure to leave some for the princesses," said Mosura with a smile. Junior smiled back.
"Thanks, Mosu. I'm sure they'll love them," said Junior. He then glanced at Angirasu and Fluttershy, finding them covered in powder.
"Wait, are those hand prints on your cheeks, Shy?" asked Junior with a raised brow. Fluttershy looked away in embarrassment.
"M-Maybe," answered Fluttershy.
"Anyway, let's get this stuff over to the stand. They'll want them," said Mosura as she used her telekinesis to levitate the bags of cookies to a couple of boxes. As she placed them inside, Erika came bursting into the kitchen. Sonata cringed as she noticed Rodan in her arms.
"Ew! What's wrong with that chicken?!" asked Sonata. Rodan merely scowled in response.
"It's me," said Rodan. Everyone in the room looked on in shock, save for Rainbow Dash and Erika.
"Rodan?!" exclaimed the other three Transmutants in unison.
"No, I'm just a random magical talking chicken with a bird-dragon's claws and face," said Rodan with a deadpanned stare.
"That's weird, because you sound a lot like our friend Rodan!" said Sonata with an amused smile. Aria groaned in annoyance as she hit Sonata in the back of the head.
"That is Rodan, you dunce! He was being sarcastic," said Aria.
“Rodan, what happened to you?" asked Fluttershy.
"Some weird chick in a cloak did this to me!" said Rodan.
"What weird chick?" asked Junior as he hardened his eyes.
"We'll take you to her, come on!" said Erika as she rushed out of the kitchen with Rodan. The rest of the Transmutants, the humans and Sirens all chased after them.




Later...

"You beast!" cried Rarity. She stared at her clothes in horror, which comprised of a one piece dress with a pattern of orange, neon green, pink frills, and brown. She tugged at the gown with a look of disgust.
"This shade of brown should only be used for accents! Oh!" Rarity held her hand over her forehead as she dramatically fell back. Before she could hit the ground, she was held up by an invisible force. Everyone turned and found Mosura holding her hand out as she levitated the Elf towards her and Applejack. The Earthbound carried the Elf away from the area as Pinkie followed her.
"Quick! We need to get her into a nice, soothing pink!" cried Pinkie. Mosura turned to glare at the cloaked figure that stood in the center of the crowd. At her side emerged her fellow Transmutants. The Sirens and Fluttershy merely stood by and watched the figure. Rodan clucked as he sat in Erika's arms.
"There she is!" said Rodan. Junior turned and noticed Twilight passing through the crowd with Spike at her side and Rainbow Dash above them. She made her way to the center with a look of confusion.
"What's going on here?" asked Twilight. The cloaked figure laughed.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't Twilight Sparkle," said the figure as she removed her hood. She revealed herself to be a girl with Elf ears and hair that was a pale, cornflower blue with very pale cerulean stripes. Her eyes were a very dark violet color which suddenly flashed red like the red gem amulet on her neck. She stood to be five foot eight in height. She gave a dark smile as she focused her eyes on Twilight. Everyone, excluding the Sirens and Transmutants, gasped in shock.
"Trixie!" said Twilight as she glared at the Elf that stood in front her. Spike hardened his eyes.
"What's she doing here?" asked Spike.
"Psst. Goji, do you know who that girl is?" asked Angirasu in a whisper. Junior leaned to his side.
"Not really. I think I heard of her before," whispered Junior. Fluttershy tugged at his sweater's sleeve, prompting Junior to lean down closer to her.
"Remember? She's the Elf that was showing off her magic over a year ago. She was the one who made up the story of vanquishing an Ursa Major," whispered Fluttershy.
"That's her?" asked Junior in surprise. Fluttershy nodded in response. The two gasped as they found Trixie fire a sparking beam of vivid red magic towards Rainbow Dash, who was engulfed in a red cloud. When the cloud cleared up, Rainbow was revealed to have her right wing to had become much larger than the other.
"Whoa!" cried Rainbow as she struggled to keep herself in control while in the air. People scattered as the Valkyrie nearly crashed into them.
"Stop picking on my friends, Trixie!" shouted Twilight as she stepped forward.
"You and I have unfinished business. My magic's gotten better since I was here last," said Trixie with a confident smile as she strolled over to Twilight. "And I'm going to prove it! Me and you, magic duel. Winner stays, loser leaves Ponyville forever!"
"Forget it! I'd never make a deal like that!" said Twilight as she crossed her arms and turned to face the opposite direction of her challenger.
"Hmph. Your choice," said Trixie with a shrug. Her hands were engulfed in a red aura, which also engulfed Spike in as well. The young drake cried out as he was levitated into the air by Trixie's magic. Twilight's eyes widened as she witnessed Spike's limbs being forced together and his body compressed into a sphere like a ball. He was suddenly being bounced onto the ground before Twilight. The Elf narrowed her eyes as she gritted her teeth. Junior hardened his eyes as a beastly growl rumbled in his throat.
"Easy, Goji," whispered Mosura as Fluttershy sent him a wary glance.
"Trixie, put him down!" demanded Twilight. She gasped as she watched Spike flung over towards a basket, where he fell and continued to bounce.
"Why are you doing this?" questioned Twilight.
"Why? Because you humiliated me, that's why!" answered Trixie. Her magic suddenly projected a screen that depicted Twilight levitating a massive, bear-like creature with glowing blue fur with stars on it.
"After you showed me up with that Ursa Minor, I became a laughingstock! Everywhere I went, I was laughed at and ostracized!" said Trixie. Images of her being laughed at by other humans were shown. Another image depicted her hammering away at a rock in half, where a middle aged man pointed towards a large pile of stones.
"I even had to work on a rock farm just to earn a living. A rock farm!" said Trixie with an angry expression.
"Hey, you're lucky that a rock farm would take the likes of you!" Pinkie stood out from the crowd as she sent the Elf a glare. Trixie narrowed her eyes as she projected a red arrow, which stuck to Pinkie's lips. The arrow pulled on her lips and removed them from her face, leaving only a pale, blank surface behind. The arrow then dropped the lips into a small glowing trash can, which sealed shut and vanished into smoke. Pinkie's eyes turned to dejection as she gave muffled moans.
"Now, I want revenge. And I'll just keep casting spells until you agree," said Trixie as she levitated the Golden Oaks Library into the air and flipped it upside down. She began to shake the tree, causing the books to fall out.
"This is going too far," said Junior as he leaned closer to Mosura.
"Alright, Trixie. Let's duel!" said Twilight. Junior's eyes widened.
"No, Twilight you don't need to-" Junior was about to interject but was interrupted.
"Excellent!" said Trixie as she returned the library to its natural state and restored Twilight's friends to their natural state, excluding Rodan and Pinkie. She muffled as she pointed to her mouth less face with a glare while Rodan clucked in annoyance.
"Still white meat here!" said Rodan.
"If I lose, I won't set foot in Ponyville again. But if you lose, you are the one banished!" said Trixie with a dark smile. Everyone gasped in shock while Junior clenched his fist.
"Twilight, don't do it," said Junior. The Elf ignored him as she hardened her eyes.
"Too late," said Twilight. The air was filled with a tense atmosphere as the two Elves glared at each other. They waited for the call to act for what felt like a minute.
"Draw!" said Trixie as she shot a beam of magic at a carriage, which flipped an apple cart into the air, headed for several people. They fled away from danger but one woman fell and tripped. She cried out as she braced for the coming object, but it never came. Twilight grunted as she levitated the cart away and sat it neatly on the ground. She sighed in relief, but gasped as several pies were flung her way. An idea popped in Twilight's head, prompting her to spawn a round, large eyed insect known as the parasprite. The creature swallowed the pies whole and burped, duplicating into a second parasprite. Twilight gasped and focused her magic on the creatures, banishing them from Ponyville.  She shot her head up as a shadow came over her, finding a large amount of snow descending down on her. Twilight shot her hand out of the snow that buried her and used a spell to melt the snow away. She dried herself off with a heating spell, drying her clothes as well. Twilight then shot her hand forward and fired a small beam at Trixie's upper lip. The other Elf looked at her in confusion, but then gasped as a long, grey mustache grew on her face. Everyone that was watching all laughed in amusement at the feat. Trixie growled as she spawned a pair of scissors and cut the mustache off.
"Snips, Snails, step forward!" ordered Trixie. Two Elf kids sheepishly approached Trixie.
"Wh-What is it, oh great and poweful Trixie?" whimpered Snips as he and Snails got on the ground and bowed down to Trixie. Trixie fired off a beam of magic towards the two boys, which caused Snips to change into an infant that cried his eyes out, while Snails was aged into a frail old man with a long white beard. Everyone looked on in shock.
"An age spell? But...how can you do an age spell?! That's only for the highest level Elves!" said Twilight. Trixie smirked.
"Well, Twilight. Do you give up?" asked Trixie. Twilight sighed as she looked away with an unsure expression. She then hardened her eyes as she charged her magic. She grunted as she levitated Snips and Snails into the air, struggling to reverse the spell.
"Come on, Twilight. You can do it," said Spike as he watched anxiously. Twilight panted as her magic sparked. The effort from attempting to reverse the spell, made her, along with Snips and Snails, collapse onto the ground as her magic died down.
"Trixie is the highest level Elf!" said Trixie as she laughed maniacally. "And now, it's time for you to leave Ponyville forever!"
"That's enough Trixie!" shouted Applejack as she, Spike, and the rest of the Element Bearers pushed through the crowd and stepped in front of Twilight.
"You proved your point, but you can't possibly expect Twilight to leave Ponyville!" said Rarity.
"You fools! She's already gone!" said Trixie as she levitated Twilight into the air. Before she could cast Twilight out, she felt a strong grip on her arm, causing her to grunt in pain. She turned and found Junior glaring at her from behind his hood.
"I don't think so," said Junior in a low tone.
"You go, Goji!" said Rainbow with a fist pump.
"Kick her ass for me, man!" cried Rodan as he clucked. Trixie narrowed her eyes at the Transmutant. She shot her other hand towards him and used her magic to push him away. Junior was forced into a cart, prompting those around to yelp and scatter. Junior gave an animalistic growl as he stood up to his feet and shot her a growl.
"Guardians, take her down!" shouted Junior as he pointed towards Trixie. The Elf turned and found Angirasu and Mosura rushing out from the crowd. Trixie smirked as she fired a beam of magic towards Angirasu, who was engulfed in dark smoke. He grunted as he was forced to the ground with heavy magical chains wrapped around his body. Mosura grunted as she forced her hand forward and pushed Trixie to the ground with telekinesis.
"What in the-" Trixie's eyes widened as she found Mosura rushing towards her.
"Oh, no, you don't!" said Trixie as she wrapped Mosura in a red aura. The Transmutant grunted as she struggled in the magic hold. She was then dropped to the ground as the same kind of heavy shackles bounded her body together. Trixie grunted in pain as she felt her leg pecked at. She turned and found Rodan pecking through her cloak. She shot her hand towards him and locked him up in a small cage.
"You bitch!" shouted Rodan as he bit down on the bars. Trixie turned and found Erika rushing towards her with vines for arms, prompting her to look on in shock. She found herself bounded by the vines and grunted. Everyone else looked on in shock at what had transpired and at this new Transmutant. Trixie smirked as she vanished into thin air and reappeared before Erika. She spawned a great square cage over Erika. The Transmutant reared a fist back and punched the metal fence but was electrocuted, causing her to cry out in pain.
"Ah, ah! It'll hurt to touch," said Trixie.
"Not as much as I am going to hurt you if you don't let them go!" said Junior as he grew his dark claws and sharp teeth. He rushed over towards Trixie as he swiped his claws at her, missing her by her cloak. She sent the Transmutant a glare, which became a surprised stare as she noticed his unnatural traits. He gave a beastly snarl as he charged towards her. Trixie fired a beam of magic against Junior's head, forcing him back.
"Gojira!" cried Twilight as she ran passed the Element Bearers. She fired a non- lethal bolt of magic towards Trixie, who projected a magic shield in front of herself and blocked the projectile. She then levitated Twilight into the air and flung her towards the Transmutant, who fell back with her in his arms.
"You can join her, you nuisance!" said Trixie as she levitated the couple and flung them across the town, much to the horror of their friends. Junior pulled Twilight close to his chest as they neared the edge of town and were hurling to the ground. The two slammed into the earth and rolled along the ground. As they rolled to a stop, Twilight groaned as she shakily stood up from Junior. She gasped as an enormous glass dome appeared out of thin air and descended to the ground. She and Junior rushed back to the town, but the dome had merged with the earth. Spike and the rest of the Element Bearers had reached the end of the dome from their side and looked on in despair. Twilight placed her hand over the glass were Spike had placed his own hand.
"It's OK, guys. I'll figure something out. Just...take care of each other. Keep an eye Trixie because there's something strange about her," said Twilight. She then turned to Junior with a light frown.
"Come on, Gojira," said Twilight as she ran off to the fields. Junior turned towards the rest of his friends and gave them a nod.
"We'll be back," said Junior as he turned and ran after Twilight. Their friends watched with uncertainty in their hearts for the future of their town. Spike gritted his teeth as he watched his sister figure and friend leave.
	
> Chapter 59: Magical Duel pt. 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight grunted as she attempted to cast a spell on a flower that stood before her. Soon, the flower closed until it was no longer blooming. Twilight smiled brightly at her success, but the flower suddenly bloomed open. Twilight groaned in frustration as she glared at the flower.
"It's impossible! How can Trixie know such advanced magic?!" asked Twilight. Junior stood by as he kept his eyes on the dome. He sighed, worried for the well being of his friends.
"Without Spike, I can't send a message to the Princess! So, who else do I know who understands strange and powerful magic?" wondered Twilight. She then gasped as her eyes brightened up.
"Wait, that's it!" cried Twilight in delight. Junior turned to face her with a raised brow.
"What is?" asked Junior.
"I can ask Zecora to help! Maybe she might now something!" said Twilight. Junior nodded in understanding.
"OK. Let's hurry," said Junior as he and Twilight walked towards the Everfree forest.




Meanwhile...

Mosura, Angirasu, Erika and Rodan all were bound in their prisons inside of City Hall of Ponyville. They all shot Trixie a glare as she made demands towards the remaining Element Bearers. Fluttershy glanced at Angirasu with a deep frown as she and Rainbow carried a flag onto a wall which depicted Trixie's head with a pointed hat in a black silhouette.
"This is bullshit," said Rodan as he sat in his small cage.
"Amen," said Angirasu in agreement as he rattled his chains.
"This girl must be out of her mind if she thinks she can just take over an entire town and rule over it with Avatars for rulers of the nation," said Erika as she stood with her arms and legs bounded by chains.
"Shh. She's coming over here," whispered Mosura.  Trixie approached them with a smirk.
"I must say, I've never seen Transmutants up this close before. You're not as tough as people make you out to be," said Trixie in disappointment.
"How about you let us out and we show you what we can really do?" suggested Rodan as he locked his claws around the cage bars.
"Hmm. No, I don't think so. You all will do fine as my personal pets," said Trixie.
"Pets?!" exclaimed Rodan in offense.
"Was that called for, miss?" asked Angirasu.
"Well, you certainly aren't going to be let out to roam around," said Trixie as she levitated a plastic bag filled with cookies. Mosura's eyes widened as she noticed that they were the cookies that she and the others had made. Trixie opened the bag and began to eat the cookies.
"Mm. These are exquisite to Trixie’s taste buds! Who made these?" asked Trixie.
"Mosura did!" answered Sonata as she pointed towards the female Transmutant. Mosura's eyes widened in response. The Sirens swam in a large pool of water with chains on them. Their fish tails had replaced their human legs.
"Sonata!" said Adagio as she sent Sonata a piercing glare.
"What? She was asking," said Sonata with a shrug. Trixie turned to face Mosura with a hard stare.
"You will tell me how to make these cookies," said Trixie. Mosura snorted.
"Yeah, I don't think so. It's a family recipe and I'm taking it with me to my grave or passing it down to either my children or someone closest to me," said Mosura as she turned her head away. Trixie growled in annoyance as she levitated Mosura closer to herself as she grabbed her cheeks. Mosura grunted as she felt her cheeks being squeezed.
"I demand that you tell me, Transmutant!" said Trixie.
"No, because one, you're not very kind. Two, my mother made me promise not tell anyone, and three, you don't deserve it," said Mosura as she pulled her face away. Trixie sighed in annoyance as she forced Mosura away.
"Fine! It's probably for the best anyway. Those cookies are a heart attack waiting to happen," said Trixie as she walked away with the bag. Mosura sighed as she looked down at the ground.
"I hope Gojira and Twilight are alright," said Mosura.




Elsewhere...

A train was rolling along the tracks across the land. Battra and Megaguirus sat beside each other as they looked at the compass that pointed to the Avatar Amulet. The needle was pointing southwest for the artifact's location. Battra sighed as he leaned back and placed the compass back into his pocket.
"I never imagined that finding this stupid thing would be such a chore. If only we could just transform and fly to find it," said Battra.
"Yeah, I know what you mean," said Megaguirus. A man came by with a cart filled with sweets. Megaguirus smiled as she leaned over Battra as she waved to him.
"I wonder if Sombra's servant is having any trouble to find that other object like we are," said Battra in thought. Megaguirus handed the man some bits and took small plates that held slices of cheese cake.
"Cheer up. Here, have some cheesecake," said Megaguirus as she handed Battra a plate.
"Thank yo- Wait, where did you get the bits to pay for this?" asked Battra in confusion.
"Your pocket," said Megaguirus as she ate her slice of cheesecake. She moaned as she tasted the sweetness of the sweet. Battra reached into his left pocket and found that his bag of bits was loosely tied. He scowled in response.
"You know, you could have just asked me to pay for it. I didn't take you to be sneaky as a thief," said Battra.
"Oh, you flatter me! I am quite sneaky," said Megaguirus with a coy smile. "But I would have asked. Except that you were too busy worrying about the artifact,"
"Right," said Battra as he rolled his eyes. He then began to eat his slice of cheese cake. He sighed as he savored the taste.
"This is pretty good," said Battra with a smile. Megaguirus sighed as she looked out the window with a bored expression.
"You know, I'd like to hang out with you again," said Megaguirus. Battra looked at her with a raised brow.
"But aren't we already hanging out? We're on a mission together," said Battra.
"No, I mean actually hang out. Like go see a movie or have dinner or something," said Megaguirus with a scowl.
"So... Another date then?" asked Battra. Megaguirus lightly blushed as she avoided eye contact.
"S-Sure. You did say you'd take me out again, didn't you?" asked Megaguirus in a soft tone. Battra cleared his throat as his cheeks flushed.
"I did, But... Right now isn't a good time. Maybe soon," said Battra. Megaguirus sighed as she nodded.
"Yeah, maybe," said Megaguirus. She then glanced at Battra. "Do you have plans for the holiday?"
"I did. But I've sort of dropped them when we lost the lair in Neighpon," said Battra.
"Well, you can make new plans," said Megaguirus with a small smile. Battra smiled back.
"Yeah, I can," said Battra. He then turned to fully face her.
"Would you like to make plans with me as well?" asked Battra.
"Heh. Sure," said Megaguirus as she leaned against Battra's shoulder.




Two hours later...

Junior stood by in silence as he was inside of a hut. Inside with him were Twilight, Fluttershy and a Zebrican woman with dark skin and white hair with grey stripes. Her neck was covered in several golden rings and her ears had golden ear rings. Her left wrist bore a few rings as well. Her clothing comprised of a zebra pelt top that exposed her belly and shoulders, exposing her Cutie Mark of a grey spiral sun. Her legs were covered by a long skirt that was also made up by a zebra pelt. Her physical appearance bore more muscle compared to average women in Ponyville, clearly showing this woman to be athletic.
"Shy, can I ask you something?" asked Junior.
"Oh. Sure," said Fluttershy with a nod. Junior looked at her with a blank expression.
"What the heck are you wearing?" asked Junior as he gestured to Fluttershy. She was wearing a tight, dark grey sweater with teal gloves on her hands and bunny ears over her hood. She wore sweat shorts that matched the color of her sweater and teal knee high socks. Over her forehead was a pair of goggles. Fluttershy hid her face in embarrassment.
"Rarity came up with it. She said it was the perfect outfit for a dangerous mission," answered Fluttershy.
"Hmph. Figures," said Junior with a neutral expression. Fluttershy cleared her throat as she turned to face Twilight.
"Anyway, the more Trixie uses the Avatar Amulet, the more it will corrupt her!" said Fluttershy. Twilight sighed as she stopped pacing around the hut. Fluttershy was explaining the entire situation at Ponyville and what she and the others had learned about the source of Trixie’s great power.
"But how am I supposed to beat that amulet? My magic's not good enough," said Twilight as she took on a look of worry. The Zebrican woman turned in her seat to face Twilight.
"Twilight Sparkle, much work have you done. You learned all of my lessons, all but one," said Zecora, in a thick Zebrican accent.  "If Trixie's tricks have you in a fix, you must mix your magic and use the six,"
"Mix your magic and use the six," muttered Twilight as she analyzed the words in her head. Junior stood by in silence as he watched Twilight repeat the words a few times as she attempted to understand it. He certainly couldn't be of help given that he was no good at solving riddles. Twilight's eyes brightened up as she gasped.
"Use the six! Zecora, you're a genius!" said Twilight. Zecora nodded in approval. Twilight levitated a quill and parchment over towards the table and started to write.
"Now we'll need to get you back into Ponyville, Fluttershy!" said Twilight. Junior scratched his head as he decided to continue deciphering the rhyming riddle. He sighed.
"I'll bite. What was this grand revelation?" asked Junior with a shrug.
"You'll see!" said Twilight with a smile.



"This is not going to work," said Junior with a scowl as he stood before the dome with Zecora and Twilight. They found that Ponyville was covered with dark storm clouds that were kept inside by the barrier. It was quite an ominous and gloomy sight to behold for the once colorful and bright town.
"Have a bit more faith, Gojira! This will work! Just stick to the plan," said Twilight.
"Why can't we just burst through this thing and snatch that amulet from her neck? We can end this sooner," said Junior.
"Impossible. The amulet has a magic lock that prevents anyone but the user to remove it. We have to make her remove it herself," said Twilight. Junior sighed.
"Or we could just knock her head off and save time," muttered Junior. Twilight looked at him with a raised brow, missing what the Transmutant had said.
"Huh?" asked Twilight as she tilted her head. Junior turned to face her with a false look of confusion.
"Huh?" asked Junior. Twilight was about to ask what the Transmutant muttered but then shook her head.
"Uh...never mind. Let's just alert her," said Twilight. Junior nodded as he turned towards the barrier and made his way towards it. He started to punch the barrier, which sparked and made red flashes where his fists connected.
"Trixie!!" called Junior in annoyance as he continued to punch the barrier.
"Uh...just punching it one time will do," said Twilight.
"No, let me have this. Otherwise I might end up using these on her smug, arrogant face," said Junior as he continued to punch the barrier.
"OK, you can keep hitting it," said Twilight as she placed her hands behind her back with a nervous smile.
An hour had passed. The group sat down outside of the barrier in silence as they waited for Trixie's arrival. Junior wore a bored expression while Twilight continued to go over her plan in her head. Zecora sat down with a cup of tea in her hands, taking a small sip. Junior sighed in exasperation.
"Does she not care if someone is trying to get into her barrier?" asked Junior.
"Well, it took you ten minutes to get bored with hitting the barrier. Maybe she's coming right now," said Twilight.
"Now I'm bored with waiting around," said Junior as he stood up to his feet and glared at the barrier. He scowled as he slumped his shoulders.
"Nevermind, she's almost here. Damn, has she ever heard of wheels?" asked Junior. Twilight and Zecora stood up and found Trixie sitting on a large bed with a golden top and frame. Snips and Snails were being forced to drag the heavy bed across the field.
"This better not be another false alarm or the Great and Powerful Trixie will-" Trixie gasped as she found Twilight standing at the barrier.
"You!" shouted Trixie with a glare. She made her way over to the end of the barrier.
"What's the matter Twilight Sparkle? Not enjoying your exile?" asked Trixie in a mocking tone.
"I know about the Avatar Amulet. I know you cheated," said Twilight as she pointed an accusing finger towards Trixie.
"Cheated? Moi?" asked Trixie with a look of innocence.
"Yeah, and I thought you might want to see what a real magical amulet looks like," said Twilight as she levitated out a golden amulet with a green glass object in the center.
"Zecora gave it to me. It's from beyond the Everfree forest and it's way more powerful than your measly Avatar Amulet!" said Twilight as she clipped the amulet around her neck. She even gestured towards Junior.
"I have even been able to tame one of the fiercest Transmutants! He is my servant!" said Twilight. Junior looked at her in confusion.
"Excuse m-" Junior was interrupted as Twilight shot him a glare. The Transmutant mentally sighed and kneeled before Twilight as he took her hand and kissed it.
"I live to serve you, mistress," said Junior as he bowed his head. Twilight smiled smugly at Trixie, who looked on with slight interest.
"Please, allow me to kiss your beautiful feet," said Junior as he looked up towards Twilight.
"Wha-" Twilight's cheeks flushed brightly as she stared at Junior with wide eyes. Trixie's brow raised at Twilight's reaction. Twilight shot Junior a glare of embarrassment as the Transmutant smirked.
'Hey, you wanted me to be convincing. If I'm playing as your servant, let's make it convincing,' thought Junior. Twilight cleared her throat.
"Maybe later, if I'm feeling like rewarding you for your loyalty," said Twilight as her cheeks burned with her blush. She mentally cringed at her answer, feeling such embarrassment coming from her response.
"Impressive, right?" questioned Twilight as she looked towards Trixie.
"Ha! Nothing's more powerful than the Avatar Amulet! And nobody's more powerful than the Great and Powerful Trixie!" declared Trixie.
"Care to put your amulet where your mouth is? How about another duel?" suggested Twilight.
"Pfft! Why should I? I've already beaten you," said Trixie with a smug smile. Junior growled in annoyance. Twilight merely shrugged in response.
"That's up to you! But I guess you'll never see the totally awesome magic from beyond the Everfree Forest. Come on, guys," said Twilight as she began to lead Junior and Zecora away from the barrier. Junior leaned closer to her.
"I told you that it wasn't going to-"
"Wait for it," said Twilight as she kept a small smile.
"Wait!" cried Trixie from behind the barrier.
"There it is," said Twilight as she glanced at Junior. Trixie used her magic to teleport from behind the barrier and next to the trio. She bore a look of annoyance. 
“OK! OK! You’re on! We’ll have a rematch to determine who is the most powerful Elf in all of Equestria!” said Trixie. She then pointed to Junior.
"But if I win, and I will, you will be my servant!" said Trixie.
"Why? You're into guys kissing your feet?" asked Junior with a raised brow. Zecora snorted in amusement.
"Wha- No! No, I want you to be my personal, tamed guard dog! Gross!" said Trixie in disgust.
"No, it's gross when they're dirty. Besides, there's more disturbing and gross stuff one could be into," said Junior. Twilight elbowed Junior's rib.
"That's enough, servant. You're mine, remember?" said Twilight with a glare and a hint of jealously. Junior caught this and cleared his throat with a nervous smile.
'Better stop messing around. Damn, what's wrong with me today?' thought Junior.
"Of course, mistress," said Junior. Twilight nodded in approval.
"Just so you know, Trixie. I won't go down easy," said Twilight with a determined smile. Trixie smirked.
"Very well. Now that we're in agreement, let's get started!" said Trixie as she snapped her fingers, causing the group to appear next to the bed chariot. Trixie hopped on the bed and pointed forward.
"Onward, Snips and Snails!" ordered Trixie. The boys groaned in exhaustion as they struggled to pull the bed back to Ponyville. Twilight looked on with a deadpanned stare.
"Um...go on ahead. We'll catch up," said Trixie as she lied back on her bed.
"You know, wheels would help," said Junior.
"Trixie doesn't trust wheels," retorted Trixie. Junior rolled his eyes as he and the other two humans walked ahead. Twilight made her way to Junior's side.
"Mind explaining to me what that was about you wanting to kiss my feet?" questioned Twilight.
"Hey, you never specified what sort of servant that I was. I thought she'd be into that. She comes off as a type that would like to dominate guys," said Junior with a shrug. Twilight looked at him in confusion.
"Wait, where did this side of you come from?!" asked Twilight.
"I have no idea. Rodan was talking me and Angirasu's ears off one time about different kinds of girls that he knew. Trixie's nasty personality and her treating the boys as slaves made me think back to that. I swear I don't normally think like that," said Junior.
"No more hanging out with Rodan for a while," said Twilight in a scolding tone.
"No more hanging out? I live with him," deadpanned Junior.
"Hey, I'll drag your butt to my place if I have to keep his disturbingly vast knowledge of that stuff out of your head!" said Twilight.
"Too late. Besides, I once knew a girl that was dominant towards guys like he described," said Junior with a scowl. Twilight got in his face with a glare.
"Was she prettier than me?" asked Twilight. Junior recoiled in response with a look of confusion.
"No. I mean, she was pretty. But uh..."
"It's best to just say no, lest you wish to risk sounding low," whispered Zecora as she stepped closer to Junior. The Transmutant cleared his throat in response.
"No, she wasn't, Twilight," said Junior. Twilight stared into his eyes for several seconds but then smiled brightly.
"OK! Just curious," said Twilight as she went back to walking. Junior sighed in relief while Zecora nodded in approval.




Later. Miles outside of Ponyville.

Battra and Megaguirus stood outside of the train that they were riding with wide eyes. Several other passengers were standing with them as they murmured among themselves. Battra pulled out his compass and was surprised to find the arrow to be glowing purple. He looked back to where everyone was staring. The town that was ahead was trapped inside of a great dome made of glass. Inside of the dome were storm clouds that flashed with lightning. The engineer stepped out of the train engine and made his way to the crowd.
"Sorry folks. I wasn't aware of anything like this. We're going to have to wait for whatever is going on to end or unless the Princesses are already getting to the bottom of what's going on," said the engineer.
"What if they don't know? They might not even be able to see the clear dome!" said a woman from the crowd.
"We should ride to Canterlot and inform her!" suggested a man. People argued about what they should do for the situation. Battra tapped Megaguirus's shoulder and gestured for her to follow him. Megaguirus was led away from the crowd and out to the field. Just a mile away was the glass dome that cut them off from the train station.
"What's up?" asked Megaguirus.
"I have a feeling that the Avatar Amulet is here," said Battra as he showed her the compass. Her eyes widened in surprise as the needle glowed.
"Why is it glowing like that?" asked Megaguirus.
"I assume that it's an indicator that we're getting closer," said Battra. Megaguirus glanced warily at the dome.
"Are you sure it's in there?" asked Megaguirus.
"Can you think of any other reason why there's a giant dome with ominous storm clouds over Ponyville?" deadpanned Battra.
"Eh... aliens?" suggested Megaguirus with a shrug.
"Doubtful. If we're talking science fiction come to life, I expect something more subtle or advanced," said Battra as he looked at the force dome and ran towards it.
"Hey, wait up!" cried Megaguirus as she followed Battra. He skidded to a halt as he approached the dome and began to analyze it. He pulled out a bit and then tossed it at the glass, making it spark and give buzzing sound.
"Interesting," said Battra. Curious, Megaguirus placed both of her hands on it. She jumped as she felt her body rattle from the buzzing.
"Ooh! It vibrates," said Megaguirus with interest as her voice began to distort. Battra looked at her with a raised brow as he noticed a grin on her face.
"What are you doing? I wouldn't touch that if I were you," said Battra as Megaguirus closed her eyes.
"Do you believe in life after love~?" sang Megaguirus as her voice gave a sound of auto tune. Battra rolled his eyes.
"Good lord, that is so dumb and childish," said Battra. Megaguirus scoffed.
"Hey, don't be so uptight! Join in!" said Megaguirus. "Do you believe in life after love~?"
In reluctance, Battra made his way over to the dome with a sigh. He then stood next to Megaguirus, who gave him an eager smile. Battra placed his hands on the glass dome. He felt his forearms vibrate from the magical power that influenced the glass dome.
"I can feel something inside me saying~..." Battra started to sing with his own distorted voice, prompting Megaguirus to grin.
"...I really don't think you're strong enough, no~," sang Battra and Megaguirus in unison. The two shared a laugh together.
"Wow, I can really feel it in my forearms," said Battra. Megaguirus nodded in agreement.
"Yeah. Usually you would have to pay for something to make your voice sound like this," said Megaguirus. Battra shuddered.
"Oh gosh, I feel so relaxed," said Battra with a sigh. Megaguirus sighed as she lied herself against Battra.
"Can we take a moment to relax? I had a terrible nap on the train," said Megaguirus.
"As much as I would like to sleep comfortably, we can't. Come on, that's enough fooling around," said Battra as he removed himself from the dome. Megaguirus moaned in disappointment as she followed Battra around the dome.
"Alright, how are going to get inside?" asked Megaguirus. Battra hummed as he looked at the dome.
"Well, we can't go around it since the amulet could be anywhere in town. We can't go over, so we'll just have to go under," said Battra as his hands became three clawed insect appendages. He sighed in relief as his hands finished transforming. He then knelt down near the dome and proceeded to scratch at the grass, tearing away grass and dirt.
"I'd help, but my normal hands become some useless pincer claws," said Megaguirus as she looked at her hands.
"That's alright. Just keep watch to let me know if anyone is coming," said Battra as he continued to dig faster. Megaguirus sat down beside Battra as she watched the crowd still locked in an argument.
"You know, I think I had an idea for the next day," said Megaguirus with a smile.
"What's that?" asked Battra.
"Karaoke," said Megaguirus as she glanced at Battra. He shrugged in response.
"Sure, sounds fun," said Battra.
"Oh good. Here I thought you were a stick in the mud," said Megaguirus in relief.
"Ha ha! Very funny," said Battra, sarcastically. He spent the next two minutes digging a trench by the dome. He sighed as he wiped sweat from his brow.
"OK, that should do," said Battra. Megaguirus looked at it with a raised brow.
"Can you fit in there?" asked Megaguirus.
"I'm not that much larger than you," said Battra in offense.
"Hey, it's not like I was calling you fat!" said Megaguirus with a laugh. She proceeded to crawl into the trench and under the dome. She stood up to her feet with a smile and turned to find Battra crawling through the small trench as well. She knelt down and pulled Battra up to his feet before smacking the dirt off of his jacket.
"Well, where to?" asked Megaguirus. Battra was about to answer but then noticed several flashes of red magic. He hardened his eyes.
"It looks to be near town hall. Come on," said Battra as he began to run down the road. Megaguirus looked at him in confusion as she ran at his side.
"So, what are we going to do to get it?" asked Megaguirus.
"Simple, we threaten them if they refuse to relinquish such power," said Battra.
"And if they don't?" asked Megaguirus. Battra sighed.
"I hope you aren't reluctant to take a life that isn't a MONARCH soldier's," said Battra. Megaguirus looked away briefly and then back to Battra.
"I think I'll be fine with it. As long as it's for the future of our group," said Megaguirus. Battra nodded to her with a small smile.



Junior stood by with shackles bounding his body as he stood with his fellow Transmutants. This was insurance to ensure that he would not interfere with the magic duel. Rodan sighed as he sat in his Transmutant chicken state, locked in a cage. Junior glanced at the city hall and found the Sirens to be looking through the window inside of a tank with anxious expressions. Their mouths were sealed by metal plates that wrapped around their heads.
"They must have tried their singing magic on her," said Junior.
"And it almost worked too," sighed Rodan. The citizens watched as Twilight cast spells on Pinkie, creating a plume of smoke and to reveal that she was playing ten instruments at once. The mouth-less Earthbound played the instruments around Trixie, tormenting her with the sounds. They witnessed Twilight change Applejack into a male version of herself, much to everyone else's shock. As she was changed back, Applejack was left into a dazed state. Twilight smiled triumphantly.
"Well Trixie, looks my amulet is more powerful than yours- Hey!" cried Twilight as she felt her amulet unclip and removed from around her neck. She shot Trixie a glare.
"Give it back!" shouted Twilight. Trixie laughed maniacally as she levitated the amulet to herself.
"With this amulet, I shall rule all of Equestria!" laughed Trixie as she removed the Avatar Amulet, which gave red sparks. Her glowing red eyes flickered, as did her magic aura, before turning into their normal light pink color.
"Witness my subjects. Gaze upon an even greater and more powerful, Trixie!" said Trixie as a flash of lightning struck. She gave another laugh but gasped as Rainbow Dash zipped through the air and snatched away the Avatar Amulet.
"Hey! Oh, I don't need that old Avatar Amulet. I have this!" said Trixie as she fired pink sparks of magic towards Rainbow, causing her to jolt into the air. Rainbow started to laugh hysterically as she covered her back.
"Stop it! Haha! That tickles!" laughed Rainbow.
"Tickles? Tha-That was supposed to make writhe in agony. This amulet is defective!" said Trixie as she shot another spark of magc. Rainbow dodged the sparks and flew towards Zecora, who held open a wooden box.
"Sorry, but this is going back into hiding. Where it belongs," said Rainbow as she placed the amulet inside. Trixie growled as she glared at the Valkyrie. Twilight made her way over to the Elf and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
"By the way, Trixie, the amulet around your neck? It's one of Zecora's doorstops," said Twilight. On cue, the rock object on the amulet fell to the ground and shattered into pieces.
"But...how did you do those spells? Nobody can do those spells!" cried Trixie.
"You're right. Not even me," said Twilight. "Zecora taught me so much about magic while I was in exile. She even taught me when not to use it. My magic alone wasn't powerful enough to take on the Avatar Amulet head on, so I needed to use a different kind of magic – the magic of friendship. I also knew that the only person who could get the amulet off your neck was you,"
'Oh. Now I get the riddle,' thought Junior in embarrassment.
"But... what about the girl with the ten instruments?" asked Trixie in confusion. Twilight laughed.
"That wasn't magic. That was just Pinkie Pie," said Twilight as she turned to face the mouth-less Earthbound playing ten instruments at once. Twilight then turned to face Junior with a smug smile.
"And you said that the plan wasn't going to work," said Twilight. Junior rolled his eyes.
"Fine, you were right. I'm mature enough to admit that, thank you," said Junior. The crowd erupted into cheers as they approached Twilight for liberating them. The Transmutants found their shackles to have dispersed into red sparks along with the dome overhead. Soon, the clouds dispersed, revealing the sun, but Rodan scowled in response.
"Hey, I'm still a chicken!" cried Rodan as he clucked. He suddenly burst into a plume of smoke, much to the horror of his friends that were nearby.
"Oh my goodness! Rodan exploded!" cried Fluttershy, bearing the appearance of Rainbow Dash with her hair hidden by a rainbow wig and her clothes being an imitation of Rainbow's. As the smoke dispersed, Rodan was revealed to be his normal self.
"Ha! I'm back, baby! I'm handsome again!" cried Rodan as he pumped his fist into the air. Junior grunted in relief as he shook off the discomfort that he had from the shackles. As the humans cheered for Twilight, Zecora and Rainbow made their way over to the Transmutants.
"So, where do you plan on hiding it? We can help," said Junior.
"Thank you but your help will not be needed. Fret not over the hiding place now, for a foe was defeated," said Zecora with a smile.
"How do you come with rhymes so easily?" asked Junior in an impressed tone. He felt a tap on his shoulder and found Pinkie to be handing him a note. The other Transmutants and humans looked over his shoulder in curiosity as he read the note.
"'It's not easy. At least not for the author, which is why Zecora is hardly around'?" read Junior in confusion as he glanced at Pinkie. The mouth-less Earthbound winked in response.
"I don't get it," said Erika.
"Eh. Pinkie is a bit of an odd ball, but I guess that's part of her charm," said Junior with a light smile. Pinkie appeared to be tearing up and immediately wrapped her arms around Junior and pulled him into a tight hug.
"Alright, alright," said Junior in embarrassment. As Pinkie released him, the sound of loud crashing was heard from the town hall. Erika, Mosura and Angirasu rushed towards the building. As they burst inside, they found the Sirens soaked with water as they lied in a mess of broken glass and puddles.
"I can finally hear myself talk again!" cried Sonata with joy as she flapped her fish tail against the ground.
"Greaaat," said Aria and Adagio with scowls. The three Transmutants rushed over to the Sirens and removed their sweaters to give them to the Sirens before carrying them away from the wet floor.
Back outside, Junior stood by as he walked away from town with his hood on. He thought it'd be best make himself scarce before anyone flipped out about him being in town. He then caught a familiar scent.
"That smell. It smells so good. But where have I..." Junior's eyes widened as he sensed someone sneaking from behind him.
"Long time no see, handsome~" sang a feminine voice in a seductive tone.
"Oh, son of a bitch," said Junior as he immediately whipped around and found Megaguirus with her fist reared back. She sent a strong punch against his face, causing him to stagger back. A few people nearby gasped as they witnessed the assault. Megaguirus chuckled as she ran towards Junior and delivered multiple kicks towards him. Junior growled as his hood came off and then caught Megaguirus's leg.
"You!" growled Junior.
"Little help!" cried Megaguirus with a nervous expression. Junior gasped as he found a dark figure dropping at his side.
"Battra!" growled Junior as he narrowed his eyes.
"Takeshi," greeted Battra with a hard stare. He then shot towards Junior and jabbed his hand against Junior's elbow, causing him to release Megaguirus and to cry out in pain. Battra then forced his hands towards him, pushing Junior towards a lamppost with his telekinetic power. Battra quickly glanced at his compass and found the needle to be flashing as it pointed ahead. He looked up and found Zecora standing with wide eyes as she held onto the box that contained the amulet. Battra smirked as he held his hand out, using his telekinesis to pull the box away from the woman.
"We'll be taking that," said Battra as he took the box into his arm.
"Hey, give that back!" ordered Rainbow as she and Applejack stepped forward with glares. Battra hardened his eyes.
"No, I think we'll be taking it off of your hands. It looks like it's causing you too much trouble," said Battra. He then turned and his eyes widened as he found Junior charging towards them with the lamppost in his grip.
"Yeah, the fuck you are!" shouted Junior as he swung the lamppost. Battra and Megaguirus ducked under the lamppost.
"Hey!" said Megaguirus as she rushed towards the Transmutant. Junior growled as he brought the metal object into the air and slammed it towards Megaguirus, who side stepped out of the way. She then leapt and kicked Junior in the jaw and sent him staggering back. She gasped as she found Rodan charging towards her with his fist reared. Megaguirus then smirked as she planted her feet firmly and reached for Rodan's fist. She caught his arm and slammed him to the ground at her side and then stomped on his back.
"Too slow!" said Megaguirus. She grunted as she was tackled to the ground and found Rainbow Dash over her with a glare.
"That's my line!" said Rainbow as she reared her fist back. Megaguirus moved her head to the side, dodging Rainbow's fist. She then headbutted the Valkyrie away, who cried out in pain. As Rainbow was forced off of Megaguirus, Battra caught her with his remaining arm and forced her to the side. Applejack caught Rainbow Dash before she could fall back. Rainbow moaned in a dazed state as her forehead grew a bruise. Rodan growled as he got back onto his feet while Junior tossed the lamppost onto the ground.
"Oh, you did not just hit my girlfriend!" growled Rodan. Battra and Megaguirus's eyes widened in shock.
"Girlfriend?! With a human?!" The Revolutionaries exclaimed in unison.
"Shut up, don't be a bigot," said Rodan in disapproval. Junior stepped forward as he flared his nostrils.
"Battra, give us the Avatar Amulet. It's too dangerous!" said Junior.
"Not as dangerous as protecting the humans that suffered from a Transmutant attack," said Battra as he glanced at the humans that stared warily and fled the area as they screamed.
"Revolutionaries!" cried a woman.
The Element Bearers rushed towards the feuding Transmutants with anxious expressions.
"Battra, things are different for us here. We're free to live among these people," said Junior. Battra shook his head.
"Yeah, except you. Still being ostracized by the humans, Takeshi?" questioned Battra with a sigh. "I pity you,"
"Save it. I don't want it," said Junior with a glare.
"You can't take the amulet! You're endangering yourself with it!" said Twilight. Battra sent her a glare.
"Silence! This isn't your business!" said Battra.
"Hey, you look over here! I don't want you looking at them! Especially her!" said Junior as he snapped his fingers. Battra looked at him with a raised brow and then smirked.
"Hmm. You haven't changed your feelings about humans, at least not much," said Battra.
"We're done here, Takeshi. The Avatar Amulet will guarantee our survival, you just don't know it," said Battra. Junior was about to attack again, but then recalled Mosura's request.
"Wait! Your sister is here!" said Junior. Battra stopped in his tracks with wide eyes. Megaguirus stared at Battra worriedly and then glared at Junior. Battra gave a bitter chuckle as he turned to face Battra with a hard stare.
"That's a dirty move, Takeshi Gojira. Mosura has been dead for months. We both saw her killed by that damn soldier," said Battra.
"That's not cool, Gojira," said Megaguirus in disapproval. Junior took a step forward.
"Battra, I'm not lying to you. She's alive! She wants to talk to you!" said Junior. Battra scoffed.
"You think I'm going to lower my guard because you're telling me some lie about my sister being alive?!" demanded Battra as his eyes flashed purple.
"It's true! She is alive!" cried Fluttershy.
"Be quiet!" shouted Battra as he turned his attention towards Fluttershy. She whimpered in fear as she found his glowing eyes.
"Hey, leave her alone!" said Rodan as he stepped forward. Battra snarled as he fired his eye beams towards Rodan, sending him against a building wall.
"Rodan!" cried the Element Bearers. Junior growled as he charged towards Battra. He then grunted as he was levitated into the air by the Transmutant's telekinesis. Battra forced Junior into the ground, causing it to crack around himself. The Transmutant turned to find Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Twilight rushing towards the Revolutionaries.
"Give it back, you punk!" said Rainbow as she flew towards Battra. The male Transmutant merely stepped forward as he used his telekinesis to direct the Valkyrie into the ground and then used it to force Applejack away. As Twilight approached, she fired several bolts of magic, which the Transmutant dodged. He then used his telekinesis to levitate Twilight into the air. The Transmutant glared at her while Twilight stared fearfully.
"Battra, don't do it. She doesn't deserve it," said Megaguirus with pleading eyes. Battra glanced at her and then at Junior, who struggled to his feet. He sighed as he dropped Twilight onto the ground. He turned and walked away.
"Let's go," said Battra as he began to run away. Megaguirus nodded as she ran after him.
"Battra!" shouted Junior as he got onto his feet and pursued the Revolutionaries. From the town hall, Mosura burst out of the doors with wide eyes.
"Brother?" gasped Mosura as she found Junior pursuing the Revolutionaries. She gritted her teeth, but then she steeled her nerves and ran after the Transmutants, running passed her friends. The opportunity to see her brother again and convince him to return was here, and she intended to take advantage of it. Mosura ran through the streets and reached Junior's side.
"Battra!" called Mosura. Battra gasped as his heart skipped a beat. He skidded to a halt and turned around with wide eyes. Megaguirus skidded to a halt as well.
"What are you doing?! We have to..." Megaguirus's voiced trailed off as she found the two Guardians. Mosura and Junior stopped running as they stopped.
"No... that's impossible," said Battra in a soft tone. Mosura trembled in place as she stared at her brother. She glanced at Junior, who gave her a nod.
"Go ahead," said Junior. Mosura stepped forward as she steeled her nerves.
"Battra, I'm right here," said Mosura with a sad smile. Battra shook his head.
"No! No, you aren't here! This is a trick!" said Battra as he backed away with a frantic expression. Memories of his actions came flooding back to him. All of the guilt that he held for hurting his sister and attacking her came into his heart. It was as though her spirit had return to haunt him for hurting her.
"No way," said Megaguirus.
"It is me! I'm still alive!" cried Mosura. Battra trembled in place as he stared at his sister as she approached him.
"No, stay away from me!" said Battra as he bumped into a carriage. Mosura continued to approach Battra and then raised her hands. The male Transmutant dropped to his knees along with the box that held the Avatar Amulet. Mosura knelt down and wrapped her arms around Battra into a tight hug. Battra's eyes widened in shock as Mosura buried her face into his shoulder.
"It's me, big brother. I'm right here with you. It's OK if you hate me, because I'll always love you," whispered Mosura as her eyes watered. Battra shakily raised his hands as his eyes watered.
"No, I'm..." Battra wrapped his arms around Mosura, much to her surprise.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry that I hurt you! I don't hate you, little sister!" said Battra as he began to sob. Mosura smiled joyfully as she tightened her hug on her elder brother. She softly wept as she held her brother.
"I'm so happy to hear that," said Mosura. Megaguirus lightly smiled as she stood with her arms crossed. Junior made his way over to her side with a small smile of his own. Megaguirus then glanced at him.
"Usually you'd be trying to beat me into a pulp when you’re this close," said Megaguirus. Junior glanced at her.
"Yeah, and you'd try to hit on me while kicking me in the face," said Junior. Megaguirus lightly chuckled.
"Right, sorry. But...I think this is nice," said Megaguirus. Junior looked away with an unsure expression.
"I guess. Kind of awkward right now," said Junior. The twins released each other from their hug as they stood up. Battra took the box into his arm. Junior noticed that the Element Bearers, the Sirens, Zecora, and the rest of the Transmutants were rushing over to the area.
"Hey, why aren't you guys kicking their aaa...oh," said Rodan as he noticed the twins with tear stained cheeks.
"What about the other Revolutionaries? What about the free Transmutants that are in danger of MONARCH's forces?" asked Battra.
"Battra, the Revolutionaries have twisted their idea of survival from MONARCH. You've killed innocent people. Your group is malicious and sick minded!" said Junior. Battra sent him a glare.
"We're just doing what we need to do to survive! What would you have done if you were in danger?!" demanded Battra.
"I...I don't know. I guess I would have fought back too, but only the soldiers. I wouldn't involve innocents," said Junior with a hard stare. Twilight stepped forward with a hard stare.
"If you take that amulet, you won't be able to live with yourself when whatever purpose it's going to be used for hurts innocent lives. Not that you would care," said Twilight. Battra sent her a glare as he clenched his fist.
"Live with it? How do you know what I have to live with?" demanded Battra. Junior and Erika tensed as they prepared to strike, should the other Transmutant attack.
"You have no idea what I've done and what I live with!" shouted Battra as he pointed to himself. He then pointed to other Transmutants.
"Unlike all of you, I was forced to kill my first human when I was thirteen years old in self defense simply because I was an experiment. Don’t talk to me about innocent humans!" shouted Battra. The humans and Sirens stared with wide eyes.
"You killed as a child," said Rarity in a soft tone.
"I've dedicated my life into wiping out all of the humans and anyone else that threatened us, all in the name of survival! I pledged my life to the Revolution! I swore on my soul that I would protect my fellow Transmutants and my little sister!" said Battra. He then gestured to the area around them.
"Now look where I am. I've hurt my sister and I'm part of a dwindling group. I have to put my trust in another human to protect my friends and their children! She doesn't even know the truth and I can't bring myself to hate her like the other humans!" said Battra.
"Battra...you changed," said Mosura.
"He has. I've seen it myself," said Megaguirus as she looked at Battra with a light smile. Junior analyzed Battra's words and his anger. Although the Transmutant was part of terrorist group, he was sincere in his quest to protect other Transmutants. He didn't admire his methods, but he did admire his dedication for the protection of Transmutants.
"Battra, you don't have to be a part of that anymore. You can turn away now," said Mosura as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a plastic bag filled with cookies. Battra's eyes widened in shock.
"Those are..." Battra's hand was taken by Mosura's. She opened his palm and placed the bag into his and gently closed it.
"Mom and Dad wouldn't want you to be living like this. They'd want you to be happy," said Mosura with a sad smile. Battra held the cookies in his hand as he looked at the other Transmutants, who greeted them with smiles, excluding Junior and Erika.
"I..." Battra looked down at the ground. Before he could answer, a portal suddenly appeared behind them. Everyone gasped as they portal swirled in the middle of the road.
"What is that?!" exclaimed Adagio. From the portal, emerged several dark armored figures. One skeletal armored figure stood before them as well.
"Thanatos!" growled Erika. Thanatos turned his attention to the two revolutionaries.
"Battra, Megaguirus, what are you doing?" asked Thanatos.
"Tha-Thanatos?! How did you find us?!" asked Battra.
"We tracked your teleportation stone," answered Thanatos. He then raised his hand as the other armored figures got into a fighting position.
"Now, hand me the Avatar Amulet and return to the temple. Your loyalty shall be rewarded," said Thanatos.
"Who are you?! What do you want with the amulet?!" demanded Rainbow.
"Silence, girl. Battra, time is running out," said Thanatos in a stern tone. Battra gritted his teeth as he glanced at Mosura.
"Battra, don't do it," said Mosura. Junior, Erika, Rodan and Angirasu charged towards the armored figures.
"Where is Sunset Shimmer?!" demanded Erika as she charged towards Thanatos.
"You," growled Thanatos as he hardened his eyes from behind his helmet. He raised his hand and fired a dark beam of magic at Erika, sending her several feet away. Twilight moved the group and fired bolts of magic towards Thanatos, who blocked them with a black shield, much to her shock. The rest of the Shadow's Hand charged towards the other Transmutants and fired their bolts of magic. Rodan and Angirasu were knocked to the ground as the clutched their sparking chests. Junior yelled angrily as he was struck several times by dark magic, but he felt more agonizing pain compared to being shot by normal bolts of magic. As Junior reared his fist back at Thanatos, he felt himself blown away by an invisible force. He slammed into the ground and looked on in shock at Battra as he held his hands up.
"Battra, what are you-" Mosura was interrupted as Battra forced her away as well, causing her to gently land on the ground. She stared with wide eyes as Battra took Megaguirus's hand and ran towards Thanatos.
"Let's go," said Battra. Thanatos smirked from under his helmet.
"Wise decision, my boy," said Thanatos. He then turned forward as he found the Sirens running towards them with their gems and eyes glowing. They all stopped in a row as they glared at the Shadow's Hand. The sides of their heads bore fish fins and their bodies were covered in light traces of scales. Their pendants had fused into their chests, just below their throats. Adagio inhaled deeply as she opened her mouth, revealing her fangs. She let out a great and loud vocalization that echoed and shook the ground in her front of her. Windows were shattered from the sound and the humans clutched their ears in pain. Large, red soundwave rings were forged with the power of her magical voice. Thanatos growled as he glared at the Sirens.
"Fall back!" ordered Thanatos as he pointed towards the vortex. The Sirens released a magical vocalization attack, which gave off three rows of red soundwaves that flowed from their mouths. Thanatos clutched his helmet as his eyes flashed red.
"Wretched Sirens, be silent!!" shouted Thanatos as he shot his hands forward, casting black sparks of magic. The sparks struck the Sirens in their pendants, which caused them to burst. The Sirens cried out as they felt their necks struck by the sparks, blood spraying from their wounds. The humans and Transmutants stared with wide eyes.
"Farewell," said Thanatos as he entered the vortex, leaving it to disappear.
The Sirens trembled in pain as they clutched their chests. Adagio wheezed as she held up her bleeding hand, staring in horror. In her hand were shards of the pendant that had fused with her chest.
"Oh my god," wheezed Adagio. The Sirens collapsed onto the ground as Sonata's eyes ran with tears. The Transmutants rushed towards the Sirens.
"I feel so cold," wheezed Aria as she shivered. Rodan held her up and shook her body with a frantic expression.
"Come on, don't do this!" said Rodan.
"Angirasu, I don't want to die," wheezed Sonata as her eyes ran with tears. Angirasu held her close as his eyes filled up with tears.
"No, you're going to fine! You're not going to die!" said Angirasu. The Element Bearers made their way over to the group and stared with wide eyes.
"Dear Celestia," said Rarity. Junior knelt down and picked Adagio up.
"Guys, we need to get them to a hospital, stat!" said Junior with a frantic expression. Rodan picked up Aria while Angirasu picked up Sonata. The three Transmutants ran down the road, with the others in pursuit.
"Goji..." called Adagio. Junior looked down at her and found her weakly smiling at him.
"You're a good friend," wheezed Adagio.
"Save your breath! You're going to be OK!" said Junior as he began to pick up his speed.




The Frozen North...

Sombra sat on his icy throne in silence as he stared off towards the vortex that had appeared before him. The vortex revealed Thanatos, several members of the Shadow's Hand, Battra and Megaguirus. The two Transmutants made their way closer to the throne with unease. Sombra kept a neutral expression as he stared at the two, filling them with anxiety at his dark aura. Reluctantly, the two Transmutants knelt down before the dark king. Battra held out the opened box that contained the Avatar Amulet. Sombra smiled darkly as he levitated the amulet into his hand.
"You have done well, boy. I was beginning to worry that you would fail your mission. You've proved me wrong," said Sombra.
"Sorry, but someone was already in possession of the amulet. Not to mention the opposition that we faced," said Battra as he kept his head lowered. Megaguirus lightly frowned as she glanced at Battra.
"Hmm. I wonder what this artifact was put through during its time of being lost," said Sombra.
"Um...your majesty. We heard something about the amulet corrupting the user. Is it a good idea to have that?" asked Megaguirus.
"Fret not, my dear. This will serve as a one-time use item," said Sombra as he placed the amulet back inside and put it on his arm rest. He then waved his hand away.
"Now go. Your job is finished," said Sombra. Battra and Megaguirus stood up and walked away. Battra stopped and reached into his pocket and pulled out the compass that he was given.
"Here," said Battra as he handed the compass to Thanatos. He then looked at him with a hard stare.
"I wasn't going to go back on my allegiance," said Battra. Thanatos merely remained silent as he took the compass out of his hand.
"Of course not," said Thanatos in a humored tone. Battra turned away and continued to walk with Megaguirus out of the room.  Thanatos turned to face Sombra, who kept a neutral expression. As the armored man came closer to Sombra, he looked back towards the Transmutants, who were out of hearing range.
"Then again, I sense conflict in him," said Thanatos. Sombra nodded.
"As do I. Keep an eye on him," ordered Sombra.
"Yes, my king," said Thanatos as he bowed.




Later that evening...

Battra sat down alone in his quarters in silence. He sat on a mattress that sat on a stone formation that held the mattress. In his hand was the bag of homemade cookies that Mosura had given him.
'You can turn away now,' said Mosura's voice. It played back in Battra's mind once as he stared at the cookies. The Transmutant sighed heavily as he rubbed his forehead.
"How did I get to where I am today?" muttered Battra. He then heard a soft knock on his door, prompting him to gasp and to turn to face the door.
"Who is it?" asked Battra.
"It's me," answered Megaguirus. Battra sighed in relief.
"It's open. Come on in," said Battra. The wooden door creaked as it slowly opened, revealing Megaguirus's head. She looked at him with a light smile.
"Hey, Batts. How's it going?" asked Megaguirus as she stepped inside.
"Fine. Just resting," said Battra. Megaguirus made her way over to Battra's bed and sat beside him.
"You've been locked in here for hours. Are you sure you're alright?" asked Megaguirus with slight worry.
"I...No. No, I'm not," said Battra as he shook his head. He held up the cookies and stared at them with a deep frown. "My sister is alive, yet she still loves and forgives me."
"That's good!" said Megaguirus.
"No, it's not. I don't deserve forgiveness. Not even from her," said Battra as he lowered his head. Megaguirus sighed as she wrapped an arm around Battra.
"Well, like it or not, she forgives you. You may not think you deserve forgiveness, and some people don't, but I personally think you do," said Megaguirus with a smile.
"It's nice that you think that, but I don't," said Battra. Megaguirus sighed as she looked towards the ceiling.
"What were you going to say to your sister?" asked Megaguirus as she glanced at Battra. The male Transmutant reached into the plastic bag and pulled out a cookie.
"Honestly, I don't remember what I was going to say. It was the heat of the moment and everything just went out of control when Thanatos showed up," said Battra.
"That's too bad. I was curious to know what you would've chosen," said Megaguirus.
"Choosing between my sister and the Revolutionaries is hard for me. They're both family to me," sighed Battra. He then took a bite of the cookie and closed his eyes. He lightly smiled as fond memories of his life before the Revolutionaries played in his mind. He turned to Megaguirus as he held out the bag.
"Try some. It's a family recipe," said Battra. Curious, Megaguirus reached her hand inside of the bag and took out a cookie. As she took a bite, her eyes widened.
"Oh, wow!" cried Megaguirus as she continued to eat the cookie. "Mm! This so good!"
"Yeah, mom made the best cookies. Mosura is pretty good too," said Battra. Megaguirus shot up to her feet and ran to the door.
"Save me some of those! I'm getting some milk for this!" said Megaguirus as she ran out the door. Battra shook his head in amusement as he finished the cookie that he had taken a bite out of.
"Hmm. I wonder if they do have milk here," said Battra. He then lied back on his bed as he stared up at the ceiling with a light frown.
"What should I do now?" asked Battra.




Ponyville...

The sound of beeping sounded in a hospital room. Inside, were three beds in a row. The Sirens lied in these beds, covered in large medical patches where their gems had shattered in their chests. Junior and Twilight sat on chairs near the beds in silence. Adagio lied in bed with tear stained cheeks as she lied on her side. Junior sighed heavily to himself as he placed a comforting hand on the Siren's shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Ada," said Junior. Adagio merely whimpered as she clutched her scared chest and held onto the broken shards of her gem. She lightly wept to herself as she buried her face into her pillow. Junior frowned as he stared at her and raised his head to find Sonata lying down with tears streaming down her cheeks. Aria merely had her back facing him from her bed. Twilight placed a hand on Junior's shoulder and stood close.
"I'll...I'll be waiting outside," said Twilight. Junior nodded.
"Tell the others that I'll be heading down later," said Junior. Twilight nodded as she left the hospital room. The sunset's rays were cast through the windows, shining on Junior's back.
"It's not fair," wheezed Adagio. She turned to face Junior with a look of despair.
"Adagio, I'm sorry. I..."
"Why are you apologizing? It wasn't your fault," wheezed Adagio. She clutched her throat in pain.
"No, don't speak! You need to rest your voice," said Junior in worry. Adagio inhaled deeply.
"What does it matter? That bastard destroyed our gems while they were fused to us. Due to the wounds he gave us with his magic, we'll never be able to sing again," whispered Adagio, attempting to put less strain on her as her watery eyes stared at Junior.
"Do you know what that's like? A Siren, a being whose singing represents a large part of their life, no longer being able to sing," muttered Adagio. She shot up from bed and wrapped her arms tightly around Junior as she sobbed into his shoulder. The Transmutant caressed her head as she wept in his shoulder.
"It's OK. You're going to be OK," said Junior as he bore a look of anger. His voice was calm, but his expression was the total opposite. Thanatos was now on his shit list, along with Destoroyah and MONARCH, for what he did to the Sirens.
"Can I ask what that was with your gems?" asked Junior as he took on a neutral expression. Adagio sniffled.
"It's an ability that Sirens possess. You see, it's a tradition to give special gems to the Sirens that matured their singing skills. These gems are mainly forged from rubies, enchanted by the magic that comes from us and the sea. They are meant to boost our natural magical abilities or absorb magical energy from others. Fusing them to ourselves is done for self-defense and give us some inhuman traits," said Adagio as she pulled away from Junior. She then held her hand over where her pendant was once fused.
"We were meant to receive ours when we turned twenty-one, according to our traditions, but got the gems two years sooner due to our situation with the sea dragon."
"I see," said Junior with a nod as he noticed Adagio holding up her destroyed pendant.
"I honestly don't really care if this thing is destroyed. We can always ask Sarlia to help with making replacements, but we were physically damaged," said Adagio with teary eyes. Junior pulled her into another hug.
"Don't worry, we'll find who did this to you. We'll make him pay," said Junior.
"Give him a punch for me," sniffled Adagio. Junior chuckled.
"You got it," said Junior with a nod. Aria turned slightly in her bed and glanced at Junior with her eyes that bore a pink tinge.
"Can you maybe...break his back for me?" asked Aria. Junior nodded.
"C-Can you pull his hair out for me?" asked Sonata with teary eyes.
"I'll be sure to remember that," said Junior. A knock came from the door, prompting Junior and Adagio to release each other and to stare at the door. The door opened, revealing Twilight and Trixie.
"Trixie?" Junior tilted his head in confusion. The Elf cleared her throat as she removed a star decorated and pointed hat from her head. From behind her back, she pulled out a small vase filled with flowers.
"I'm just here to drop these up for the Sirens. I feel terrible for how I treated them along with everybody else and how they were hospitalized. I wasn’t… entirely myself," said Trixie as she made her way over to Sonata's bed side and placed the vase onto the dresser that sat on the side.
"They're pretty," wheezed Sonata with a sniffle as she wiped her tears away.  Trixie turned to face Junior with a curious expression.
"I'm curious. What are Transmutants doing here? I haven't been in Ponyville for quite a while," said Trixie.
"Yeah, Twilight was actually lying when she said that I was her servant," said Junior.
"He's actually my boyfriend!" said Twilight as she made her over to Junior's side and wrapped an arm around him.
"Oh. Does that mean that he...kisses your feet?" Trixie rubbed her arm while her face flushed.
"Th-That's none of your business!" cried Twilight as her face flushed brightly.
"But we should consider participating in that when we’re alone," said Junior as he looked down in thought. Twilight's eyes widened.
"Huh?!" exclaimed Twilight. Junior snorted.
"I'm just kidding," said Junior as he raised a hand. Adagio and Sonata snickered in response while Aria rolled her eyes. Twilight scowled as she looked away.
"Well, I do hope you all can forgive me for what I've done," said Trixie.
"Sure," said Junior with a nod. "But I have one question. Where did you find the Avatar Amulet?"
"I heard that someone had an odd amulet that was described in a text book. The rumor said that the amulet was in a merchant's shop in Hallow's Shade," answered Trixie. Junior rubbed his chin.
"What the hell was someone doing with something like that?" asked Junior.
"I never asked. I only wanted the amulet to best Twilight at magic," said Trixie. Junior sighed.
"Well, thanks for the info," said Junior. Trixie nodded.
"Farewell! The Great and Apologetic Trixie is off!" cried Trixie as a plume of purple smoke shrouded her and the sound of the door opening and closing was heard.
"She's not very humble, is she?" asked Junior with a scowl on his face.
"Well, she has some ways to go," said Twilight with a light smile.

> Chapter 60: Keep Calm and Flutter On
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The morning sun was hanging in the sky over Equestria. Junior stood in silence, deep in Canterlot's garden. At his side were Celestia and Luna. He sighed heavily as he stared at the statue before them.
"You two are absolutely insane," deadpanned Luna.
"Careful. I'm a little sensitive to being called that. You'll hurt my feelings," said Junior as he glanced at Luna. The blue winged Avatar frowned.
"I apologize. I didn't-"
"I'm kidding. Don't worry, I know you weren't trying to be harsh," said Junior with a chuckle. Luna sighed in relief. She then turned back to the statue.
"I still think this is a bad idea," said Luna.
"Luna, I believe he can be reformed. With that, we can have a powerful ally that will use his great power for good," said Celestia as she glanced at her sister.
"Who's going to reform him?" asked Junior.
"The most capable person, Fluttershy," said Celestia. Junior's eyes widened.
"Fluttershy?! But...how?!" exclaimed Junior. The idea of relying on the timid girl lowered his confidence at their goal.
"You underestimate her, Junior. Given Twilight's letters about her, I believe she is the most capable of reforming someone as him," said Celestia. Junior sighed as he looked on reluctance.
"Well...it'd be better to not have to worry about him being unleashed while causing trouble. I will also need his help," said Junior. He then nodded as he turned away.
"OK, but I'm kicking his ass if he pisses me off," said Junior. Celestia looked at him in disapproval.
"Language! And don't resort to violence!" scolded Celestia. Junior sighed as he scowled.
"Fine. I'll hit him if he hits me first," said Junior.
"Sounds fair enough," said Luna as she crossed her arms. Celestia sighed as she shook her head. They
began to walk away from the statue. Luna glanced back at the statue with a wary expression. She then turned back and continued to follow the two.
As they continued on down through the garden and near the barracks, they found Koizumi on a wheel chair with casts on his legs. Yoshi stood by with his arms crossed while Inoue stood behind Koizumi's chair. The three noticed the princesses and saluted.
"Good morning, your highnesses," greeted the rebels.
"Good morning," greeted the Avatars. Junior merely waved.
"Yo," greeted Junior.
"Takeshi! Good to see you, buddy," said Koizumi as he leaned on his chair with his fist out. Junior lightly tapped his own fist against Koizumi's.
"How are your injuries?" asked Junior.
"Meh. Legs aren't fully healed, but the fairies accelerated the healing. It's more useful than Elf magic," said Koizumi with a chuckle.
"I'm fine. Just suffered from some magic burns," said Yoshi. Celestia raised a brow as she noticed Inoue's leg wrapped in a cast.
"Private Inoue, when were you injured?" asked Celestia. Inoue went stiff.
"Oh! This happened over a week ago during a training exercise," lied Inoue.
"Oh. So that explains why you've been out of duty for a while," said Celestia as she tapped her chin. Junior and Luna looked at Inoue suspiciously, who kept her face still.
"Well, I wish you a quick recovery," said Celestia with a smile as she made her way towards the castle. Junior and Luna followed her close behind.
"You do realize that she was lying, right?" asked Luna.
"Of course. But I wasn't going to make it obvious. I'm waiting to question Koizumi why he was missing that day," said Celestia.
"Yikes," said Junior.
"Takeshi!" called Yoshi. Junior stopped and turned to find Yoshi rushing towards him. Junior turned to face the Avatars.
"I'll catch up," said Junior. The princesses nodded and proceeded to move on. Junior turned to face Yoshi.
"Yeah?" questioned Junior.
"Hey. Uh...I'm curious. Would you happen to be related to the Takeshi clan? The clan that was famous for its warrior legacy?" asked Yoshi.
"Yeah. My dad and I were the last. Now...I guess it's just me," said Junior as he rubbed the back of his head.
"I thought so. I wasn't sure since you could have just happened to have the same surname," said Yoshi. He then cleared his throat.
"Tell me, how much do you know about sword fighting and martial arts?" asked Yoshi.
"A bit. I only know some stuff that my dad taught me before he died. I ended up practicing what I learned after his death, but I assume there was more that he wanted to teach me. When it comes to the sword, I'm OK," said Junior. Yoshi crossed his arms with a sigh.
"Well, you certainly aren't wrong," said Yoshi. Junior raised a brow.
"Pardon?"
"Takeshi, what if I were to tell you that I know the ways of combat of your clan?" asked Yoshi. Junior's eyes widened in surprise.
"I...I would have to ask you, how would you know that?" asked Junior.
"Well, I believe that we may have trained with a Takeshi many years ago," answered Yoshi.
"No, that's impossible. The only people who could have been alive than were my father and my grand..." Junior's eyes widened in realization.
"Takeshi Ishiro. The head of the Takeshi clan and founder of a kenjutsu school after the fall of his clan," said Yoshi. He turned and found Inoue pushing Koizumi towards them with his wheel chair.
"Takeshi Ishiro," said Junior in thought. His eyes then widened as he recalled seeing an old photo in his old home. He was unable to recall the face, but he knew that there was a photo of his father with an older man.
"Dad never really talked about grandpa. I do remember seeing photos of the two of them together at my old home, but I don't remember his face," said Junior as he looked down at the ground.
"Well, Takeshi Ishiro was the man whom we studied under as kids," said Yoshi as he gestured to Koizumi. Junior looked at him in surprise.
"Wait, both of you?!" exclaimed Junior.
"Hey, we are childhood friends," said Koizumi with a shrug. Inoue raised a brow.
"Wait, seriously?! You hardly seem like it!" said Inoue.
"Of course we are! Childhood friends always bust each other's balls and work well together," said Koizumi.
"Oh. Well, that is a good point," said Inoue with a nod.
"Well, I wouldn't know. I never had a childhood friend," said Junior with a shrug.
"Prior to your grandfather's passing, we spent some years studying under him," said Yoshi. He then gave Junior a hard stare.
"Takeshi, I think it'd be fair if we taught you what your grandfather had taught us," said Yoshi. Junior's widened in surprise.
"You...you want to train me?" asked Junior.
"Only if you want to. I thought I'd let an ally know about this. This is your family's legacy and you are what remains," said Yoshi.
"Plus, it wouldn't go to waste since you're a fighter too," said Koizumi with a chuckle. Junior lightly smiled.
"I...I don't know what to say," said Junior. Inoue smirked.
"Just say yes or no," said Inoue.
"Yes. Yes, I would appreciate it if you could teach me some time. I may need it for the future," said Junior. Yoshi smiled.
"Excellent. I'd do it now since Koizumi will not be able to for a while and I'm in better shape. However, you’ll have to wait until I can find time to train you," said Yoshi.
"Thank you. I appreciate this. Just call Mosura and let her know since I'm back in Ponyville," said Junior as he left.
"Will do. Take care," said Yoshi.
"Yeah, you guys too," said Junior as he made his way back to the castle. Inoue lightly smiled as she turned to face Yoshi.
"That was awfully nice of you, Sarge," said Inoue.
"Well, I admire the turn around that the head of the Takeshi clan was attempting to make and what it stood for. They died with honor," said Yoshi. "Now, that legacy may have a chance to live on."
"He better get to procreating with that girlfriend of his then," said Koizumi. Inoue scoffed in disgust.
"Wow. Way to ruin the moment," said Inoue. Koizumi shrugged.
"Hey, I'm just stating a fact," said Koizumi.




Later...

Junior sat down in a flying chariot in silence. He glanced to the side and found Celestia sitting on her royal chariot as four pegasi towed it. He then turned to the other side and found Discord’s statue being towed on a chariot with its own team of pegasi and a guard riding in front of the statue. Junior sighed as he leaned back in his seat, but grunted as he felt his head throbbing.
"You're a fool to think that you can trust him. He'll only turn on you again," said a deep and growling voice. Junior's eyes widened as he recognized the voice of the dragon from his dreams.
"You can't trust Discord. Besides, why would you want to help that soldier find Sunset Shimmer? They tried to kill you!" growled the dragon's voice.
"That doesn't matter. Discord is the best possible option to find her. I'm doing this because I can't bear the thought of her losing a friend that understands her. That's something that I was forced to live with for years," said Junior in a whisper, to avoid anyone from hearing him from outside.
"Ugh. Friends. Your friends are slowing you down, Gojira! They are hampering your progress to avenge your father!" said the dragon's voice.
"No. You forget that Shimmer's kidnappers were allied with the Revolutionaries. If Discord is reformed and finds her, then I'm willing to bet that I'll find Destoroyah. I haven't forgotten my goal," said Junior with a hard stare.
"You should have made killed Battra and Megaguirus. Killing them would have provoked Destoroyah to find you," said the dragon's voice. Junior shook his head.
"No. Mosura would have hated me if I were to do that. I couldn't do that to her, not after she asked me to allow her to talk to him," said Junior.
"Bah! She is a weak willed person! She doesn't have the guts to take a life! Unlike you," growled the dragon.
"She is not weak. You don't know anything about her," said Junior.
"I am you. Therefore, I know her," said the dragon. Junior growled as he placed his hands over his ears and clenched his eyes shut. He gasped as he felt a burning sensation in his chest and started to pant. He suddenly felt a thump in the chariot that he was in, causing him to wobble in his seat and find that the chariot had landed on the ground. He turned ahead and found Celestia speaking with Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Spike, Pinkie Pie and Rarity. He sighed as he opened the chariot and walked over to the group.
"Yes, I understand, but I have use for Discord's magic if it can be reformed to serve good instead of evil. This is why I've brought Discord here, because I believe that you are the ones who can reform him," said Celestia as she gestured to the humans and Drake.
"This will never work! This is a disaster! How will we ever control him?! We're doomed!" cried Spike.
"This is for the best guys. We're gonna need his help," said Junior as he made his way to Celestia's side. Twilight's eyes widened in shock.
"Gojira?! Wait, you're in on this too?!" exclaimed Twilight. Junior nodded.
"Trust me, I'm not too happy about it. But given what we may be dealing with and our inability to find Sunset Shimmer, we'll need someone like him to help," said Junior.
"Dude, you know as much as we do that’s why this is a bad idea!" said Rainbow. Celestia cleared her throat.
"Need I remind you that you are the ones who turned him back into stone like this in the first place?" asked Celestia as she bore a small smile. Twilight looked at the other Element Bearers in reluctance.
"Well...I suppose we can just use the Elements of Harmony against him again if it gets out of hand," said Twilight. Spike chuckled nervously as he walked backwards.
"Uh, w-w-we probably need a volunteer to run away from here right away to get them. I'll do it!" said Spike as he began to run away.
"No need, Spike. I have them right here, and I've cast a spell so Discord can't take them and hide them again," said Celestia as two guards came by holding a golden crate, revealing the Elements of Harmony. Celestia then searched the area with a raised brow.
"Now where is Fluttershy? I believe she may know best how reform Discord," said Celestia. Rainbow's eyes widened as she flew at Celestia's side.
"Fluttershy? Really?" asked Rainbow. Twilight glanced at Junior in reluctance, who merely smiled nervously.




Later...

Currently, Junior found himself with the rest of the Element Bearers and Spike, while Fluttershy stood before Celestia. The Valkyrie stood by with a nervous and unsure expression.
"I realize that this is a tall order, but I wouldn't ask if I weren't confident you could get him to use magic obediently of his own free will," said Celestia. Fluttershy looked away in reluctance.
"And... you really think I'll know best how to do that?" asked Fluttershy. Celestia slightly bent down as she placed a hand on Fluttershy's cheek and brought her face to meet with hers. The Avatar gave her a warm, motherly smile.
"I do," said Celestia. Fluttershy's cheeks flushed as she looked away with a flattered smile. Celestia released her cheek and walked back to her royal chariot. "Now, I must return to Canterlot for Equestria's royal summit. You may release Discord when you’re ready."
As Celestia boarded her chariot, she waved to the group as the pegasi ran and took off into the air. As the chariots left, Discord was left behind in his cold, stone state. The Main Six made their way to the statue as they placed on their Elements of Harmony.
"Okay, people, guess it's time to get started. Let's just hope that this releasing spell works," said Twilight as she and the other girls gathered into a circle. Spike bit his claws nervously.
"Or... let's not," said Spike.
"We'd best keep our elements on at all times 'til further notice," said Twilight as she looked to the other Element Bearers. They all nodded to her.
"Check!" said the other Element Bearers in unison. Twilight inhaled deeply as her hands were engulfed by her magical aura. The Element of Harmony that sat upon her head released a bright light that shined in the area while the rest of the Elements of Harmony gave off lights that were shaped as their Cutie Marks as the women levitated into the air. Junior and Spike watched in amazement as a rainbow connected to the Elements of Harmony, locking Discord into a circle. The rainbows then twisted around Twilight and connected to her Element of Harmony, creating bright lights. The sound of cracking reached Junior's ears, prompting him to turn and to find the stone that covered Discord break. As the stone bust, Discord gave a screaming sound that then escalated into him giving a yawn. He then began to stretch as he wiggled his body.
"Oh! Ooh! Ooooh! Well, it's about time somebody got me out of that prison block. What a relief!" said Discord as he stretched his arm and snapped his lion pawed fingers. A squirrel on a nearby tree suddenly transformed into a muscled version of itself. It snapped off the twig that was nearby and chewed on it. The Element Bearers gasped in shock.
"What do you think you're doing?!" demanded Twilight. Discord continued to stretch.
"Nnnnnnnnngh– Why, stretching, of course. When you're a creature of chaos, stone bodysuits aren't your typical go-to fashion choice. Nnngh..." said Discord as he snapped his fingers again. A nearby rabbit that was sniffing a flower suddenly transformed into a burlier version of itself. The rabbit turned towards the group and gave a screeching sound as it hopped away. Pinkie gasped in shock and then glared at Discord.
"Make that bunny cute again! Now!" ordered Pinkie. Discord sniggered in response.
"Oh, He's adorable the way he is," said Discord as he ran a finger under the twitching bunny's chin. The rabbit responded by chomping at Discord's claw, missing him with its large buck teeth by an inch. Discord stood up as he crossed his arms and blew a raspberry at the discorded creature.
"You know what else is adorable? You people truly believe that you can reform me, and that you're putting your faith in this one here to make it happen," said Discord as appeared by Fluttershy dressed as an old woman. He then grabbed Fluttershy's cheek as he took on a mocking smile. "Makes me wanna pinch your little cheeks..."
Junior rushed to Fluttershy's side and slapped Discord's lion paw away as he shot him a glare. Fluttershy stared worriedly as she rubbed her red cheek.
"Oh, hey Gojira!" said Discord with a smile.
"Save it," said Junior with a glare. Twilight looked at Discord with a glare as she stepped forward.
"Wait! How'd you know about that?!" demanded Twilight.
"Being turned to stone doesn't keep me from hearing every word Celestia says. Although I admit it makes rolling my eyes a challenge," said Discord as he reached for his eyes and removed them from their sockets, leaving behind dark holes rather than tissue. Everyone watched with disturbed expressions as Discord shook his eyes in his paw, giving the sound of marbles colliding with each other. He then rolled his eyes onto the ground, where everyone continued to stare at with wide eyes as they rolled into two holes that fit them perfectly. Suddenly, Discord appeared in the grass as a flat image and then suddenly emerged out of the ground as a three dimensional figure again.
"Well, unless you want us to turn you back to stone, you'll zap those animals back the way they were, pronto!" said Twilight.
"Oh, you wouldn't dare turn me back to stone and risk disappointing your precious princess," scoffed Discord.
"Try us, Dip-cord!" said Rainbow as she took into the air with her fists raised. Fluttershy too off into the air as well as she sent Discord a glare.
"You think you can treat poor defenseless animals like that and get away with it?!" demanded Fluttershy.
"You go, Fluttershy!" said Rainbow as she bore a grin. She knew better than anyone that the sweet and timid girl would retaliate with fury if animals and her friends were to be harmed. Fluttershy flew into Discords face as she pointed a finger against his nose.
"You'd best watch your step, buster, or I'll give you... the Stare!" said Fluttershy as she focused her left eye on him with a warning tone. Discord gasped with a false look of horror as he backed away.
"The Stare? Oh no, please, not that! Anything but your disapproving eyeballs!" said Discord with a sarcastic tone. He then started to laugh hysterically as he flew in a frontal circle, mocking the Valkyrie. Fluttershy focused her eyes into a glare as she stared into Discord's own eyes. Discord gasped as he attempted to avoid eye contact.
"Oh no! No no no, stop! No, no!" cried Discord as he gave the sound of himself being strangled as he convulsed. Fluttershy continued to focus her stare on the draconequus.
"I can't! Stop! I can't take it anymore! I'll do whatever you say! Because..." Discord laughed hysterically, much to everyone's shock. "You are hilarious! hahaha!"
"If it turns out we need to use our elements against you, I'm sure we can convince Princess Celestia it was for a good reason!" said Twilight as she and the others glared at the Spirit of Chaos.
"Mmm... I suppose that's correct," said Discord as he snapped his fingers. The discorded critters suddenly changed back to normal, much to the satisfaction of the humans. Discord merely shrugged as his tail rose into the air. The hairs on the tip of his tail suddenly formed into a hand and snapped its fingers. Unbeknownst to the group, excluding Discord, a group of beavers that were near the apple orchard were discorded. Their eyes turned to a hellish red and they started chattering as they scattered around the orchard. Discord smiled deviously and then turned his side to the side.
"Oopsie!" said Discord under his breath, to no one in particular. The group merely looked at him in confusion over who the spirit of chaos was speaking to.
"Well, it looks like I know where I'll be crashing while I'm being "reformed'," said Discord as he made air quotes with his fingers. He then teleported at Fluttershy's side and picked her up into his arms to give her a noogie.
"With you, Fluttershy," said Discord. He then laughed maniacally as he patted the Valkyrie's head. Fluttershy gulped as she remained still with wide eyes.
"Oh, dear," said Fluttershy.
"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all," muttered Junior as he scratched the side of his head and stared with an unsure expression. He then noticed the glares that he was receiving from the rest of the Element Bearers.
"In my defense, Celestia had this idea way before I did," said Junior as he raised his hands.



"She's what?!" exclaimed Angirasu. Junior stood in the lair with a slight nervous expression as Angirasu held a tight grip on his sweater.
"She's letting Discord stay over at her place until she can reform him," said Junior.
"Why aren't you with her?! What if he tries to corrupt her again like last time?!" shouted Angirasu. Junior was put off by his friend's frantic mood as it was unusual for him to be this nervous. However, he knew that he was completely justified for his behavior.
"Look, Twilight and the others are going to keep a close eye on him. If you want, we can go check on her right now," said Junior as he pried Angirasu's hands off of his sweater.
"Yes, we need to do that!" said Angirasu with a frantic nod.
"Alright! Relax! You're starting to stress me out with all of that. Now, where's Mosu and Rodan?" asked Junior.
"They're visiting the Sirens in the hospital right now. I stayed home to clean," answered Angirasu. Junior sighed.
"Alright. You and I can check on Fluttershy and maybe help her with whatever we can," said Junior as he turned and made his way out to the house's exit. Angirasu nodded as he placed a towel at the side and walked after Junior.




Later...

Junior and Angirasu walked side by side together as they made their way to Fluttershy's cottage. They were in the outskirts of town, where few houses were located at. Angirasu sighed as he bore an anxious expression.
"Aang, it's going to be OK. If he tries anything funny, Twilight and the others will turn his ass back to stone. Hell, I'll even toss him into the ocean, where no one can ever reach him," said Junior.
"But why is Fluttershy being made to reform him? It's not fair to put her through whatever pain he could be causing," said Angirasu.
"You're jumping to conclusions. He's not going to try anything that would get him turned back to stone," said Junior. Angirasu glanced at him with an unsure expression.
"How could you know?" asked Angirasu.
"Well, I guess I'm going by faith. We're going to need his help if we want to find Sunset Shimmer," said Junior. Angirasu sighed.
"By the way, are you two together now?" asked Junior in a curious tone. Angirasu looked away in embarrassment.
"No. We have spent some time together though," answered Angirasu.
"Oh. Well, no rush. But, don't be afraid to let her know about your feelings," said Junior.
"Noted. Still, I'd rather focus on her safety right now than our current relationship status," said Angirasu as he picked up his pace, making Junior walk faster to catch up. As the two continued their quick pace, they stopped dead in their tracks and their eyes widened as they found Fluttershy's cottage levitating high in the air and spinning around.
"Oh, hell no!" said Junior as he and Angirasu ran towards the house.
"Fluttershy!" called Angirasu. As the Transmutants rushed to the cottage, it slowly descended to the ground. Junior and Angirasu skidded to a halt and watched as the cottage landed firmly on the ground. The two looked at each other in confusion and then rushed towards the cottage. As they were about to burst through the door, it opened. Fluttershy peeked through the door and yelped as Junior and Angirasu charged towards her home. She immediately slammed the door shut and dove for cover. Junior and Angirasu rammed into the door, knocking it off of its hinges. The two yelped as they fell face down onto the ground while Fluttershy raised herself up with a look of worry.
"Are you two alright?" asked Fluttershy as she made her way over to the Transmutants. The two raised themselves up as they shook of their disorientation. Angirasu's eyes widened as he found the door to be missing.
"Oh, no. Sorry about your door, Fluttershy," said Angirasu as he lowered his head in shame. The Valkyrie merely smiled as she helped Angirasu up to his feet.
"It's alright. But what was your rush all about?" asked Fluttershy. Junior stood up to his feet with a bewildered look.
"Shy, your cottage was floating over twenty feet into the freaking air!" said Junior.
"Oh, that? Well, I was giving Discord his space and allowed him some freedom so that he would be comfortable. It's funny, because Twilight and Spike were here earlier worried about the same thing," said Fluttershy.
"Is giving him freedom like that wise?" asked Angirasu in worry.
"Well, I'm trying to gain Discord's trust. I think the best way at reforming him is to show him kindness and to offer a hand in friendship," said Fluttershy. Junior held a deadpanned stare.
"Uh huh. How's that working out for ya?" asked Junior. Fluttershy smiled brightly.
"We're making great progress!" said Fluttershy. Junior and Angirasu looked around the cottage and found the furniture to be overturned and scattered.
"I can see that," said Angirasu with a grimace. Junior searched the area with a scowl.
"Speaking of Discord, where is that Chimera wannabe?" asked Junior.
"Boo!" Discord suddenly appeared from out of Junior's sweater pocket, as if it were a doorway.
"Holy cow!" yelped Junior as he jumped back. Discord vanished out of his pocket and reappeared on the flipped over sofa.
"Holy cow? You mean this cow?" asked Discord as he gestured to a cow that sat on its haunches. It bore a halo over its head and wore a white robe. The cow played a harp as it sat down.
"Uh..." Junior's mind attempted to register what he was seeing. Discord merely snapped his fingers, causing the cow to vanish. He then laughed in amusement as he levitated the sofa back up right and plopped himself on it.
"I never took you for such a wuss, Gojira," said Discord. Junior sent him a glare.
"Oh, shut up! You startled me!" said Junior. He then gestured to the cottage.
"And what the hell is with this mess?! Fluttershy is being kind enough to host you, the least you can do is clean up after yourself!" said Junior. Fluttershy raised a hand with a timid expression.
"Oh. Um Goji, that actually isn't-"
"Ah! No, this isn't cool. He needs to have some boundaries. It's about respect," said Junior as he turned to face Discord.
"Yeah, it's only fair," said Angirasu in agreement.
"Oh, you two are complete sticks in the mud! I was going to clean my mess anyway for Fluttershy's dinner party," said Discord as he snapped his fingers. In a flash, the furniture was restored to normal. Discord yawned as he propped his legs up on the far end of the sofa and lied back down.
"Dinner party?" asked Angirasu as he faced Fluttershy.
"Yes. Later this evening, Twilight and the others are supposed to be coming over for a dinner party. I was going to invite you and the others. I thought it'd be a good opportunity for you and Discord to patch things up," said Fluttershy. Junior sent Discord a look of annoyance as he dug his claw into his ear.
"There's nothing to patch. Hell, I don't even care enough," said Junior. Discord suddenly appeared over his shoulder, hovering in the air with his wings.
"Oh, come now. There's no reason to be passive aggressive," said Discord.
"No reason? You shot me in the chest with your magic!" said Junior.
"Yeah, right after you attempted to assassinate me," retorted Discord. Fluttershy's eyes widened.
"What?!" exclaimed Fluttershy. Junior avoided eye contact as anxiety grew in him.
"Oop! You didn't tell her?" asked Discord as he placed a hand over his mouth as he took on a false look of shock.
"I...I thought I could fix everything if I took out the source of the chaos brought in Ponyville," said Junior as he avoided eye contact with Fluttershy. He then sighed heavily.
"I was also pretty angry that he made you all the opposites of your elements," said Junior as he rubbed his arm. Fluttershy lightly frowned in response. Discord cleared his throat at the thick atmosphere.
"Too be fair, I did force you and spikey head fight to the death against three other Transmutants right after I blasted you," said Discord. Angirasu looked at him in annoyance.
"My name is Angirasu," said Angirasu.
"Yeah, whatever," said Discord as he hovered over to the living room and rubbed his hands together.
"Now, this old cottage will need to be spruced up for dinner," said Discord as he snapped his fingers. The inside of the cottage suddenly changed in the blink of an eye. The entire room appeared to look like a stereotypical depiction of a Prench household's living room. The room was white, with a grayish rug in the center. Several chairs and sofas were in a circle in the living room. Flowers sat on a vase in the corner of the room while a chandelier hung from the white ceiling.
"Hmm. What do you think?" asked Discord as he turned to face the Valkyrie and Transmutants.
"What the hell are we wearing?" asked Junior with a scowl. He and Angirasu's old clothes were replaced by sweaters that bore white and black stripes, navy blue khakis had replaced their jeans. Meanwhile, Fluttershy found herself in a long sleeved shirt with black and white stripes, along with a black skirt and a beret on her head. She looked at herself in confusion as she tugged at the white ascot scarf that was tied around her neck.
"I thought it'd go with the theme," said Discord with a shrug.
"Mm!" said Angirasu as he chewed part of a sub sandwich that was in his hand.
"It's pretty good!" said Angirasu as he continued to eat the sandwich. Junior looked at him in disbelief. He then gasped as his eyes widened and he began to salivate.
"Hey, is that a salami cheese sandwich?" asked Junior. Angirasu glanced at Junior and noticed the hunger in his eyes. He slowly hid the sandwich behind his back.
"Um... no?" answered Angirasu.
"Come on! Give me half of that sandwich. Preferably the half that you didn't bite," said Junior as he attempted to reach for Angirasu's back.
"No! Go get your own!" said Angirasu as he pressed his hand against Junior's shoulder, attempting to keep his friend back.
"I can't! Equestria is filled with nothing but vegetarians!" said Junior as he flailed his arms as he attempted to take Angirasu's sandwich. Fluttershy looked on in amusement but then turned to Discord.
"Discord, I don't mean to be rude. The place looks lovey. But I don't think this style is appropriate," said Fluttershy. Discord shrugged.
"Well, I suppose it couldn't hurt to explore more options," said Discord as he raised his hand and prepared to snap. He then turned to the side.
"Alright, who's ready for some home decorating?" whispered Discord as he bore a mischievous smile. He then snapped his finger, causing the room to change again in a flash. The Transmutants and Valkyrie were returned to their usual apparel, along with the sandwich disappearing from existence. Junior and Angirasu both moaned in disappointment. The cottage's inside suddenly transformed into a shack-like appearance. Stones made up the walls and the shoddy wood made up the ceilings and the window frames. A small boiler connected to the wall appeared and bore a small flame. The room was a mess, with an assortment of tools lying everywhere and rope. Junior, Angirasu and Fluttershy looked around in confusion.
"Wow. Rarity would not stand for this," said Junior as he looked at the mess. Angirasu sat down on a wooden rocking chair. It gave a loud creak as he rocked back, but then it suddenly collapsed. Angirasu grunted as he fell on his rear.
"Yeah, it's a little too brittle," said Angirasu as he sat in the pile of broken wood.
"But this place has a bear playing a banjo!" said Discord as he gestured to the corner of the room. A large brown bear sat on its rear with a banjo in its paws. The mammal was wearing a pair of yellow shorts and a blue back pack. From the bear's back pack popped out a bird with a long neck and red crest. Its feathers on its belly and tips of its wings were yellow. The bird held a kazoo in its beak and blew air into it, playing along with the banjo playing bear.
"What the- Wait, what kind of bird is that?" asked Junior in confusion.
"I believe they're called, 'Breegulls' or something. A stupid name if you ask me," said Discord as he scoffed. Fluttershy giggled as she sat in front of the animals.
"You two are very talented! What are your names?" asked Fluttershy. The bear gave a growl while the bird gave a squawk.
"Hehe. Those are very fitting names!" said Fluttershy.
"Oh god. Are they seriously named after instruments?" asked Junior as he face palmed.
"Oh sure, that's silly. Nothing is silly about humans being named after the time of day or the description of something and combined them with verbs that originated from other nouns. 'Twilight Sparkle', 'Rainbow Dash', 'Raaarity'!" scoffed Discord. He then clicked his tongue as he gave a deadpanned stare.
"And that goes for naming someone after a legendary creature that's mythological," said Discord. Junior scowled as he crossed his arms.
"OK, you made your point!" said Junior in annoyance.
"You're in no position to talk either, 'Discord'," said Angirasu as he rolled his eyes.
"Yes, but my name, as the kids would say, 'cool'," said Discord. He then snapped his fingers, causing the cottage to return to normal, much to Fluttershy's disappointment.
"Aw," said Fluttershy with a pout.
"Sorry, but we're not combining with another franchise. Two is enough for a crossover," said Discord as he snapped his fingers again. The cottage's inside suddenly became a swamp-like room, filled with swamp water. The couches sunk to the bottom while Fluttershy waded in the water with a frantic expression. She immediately swam over to a nearby floating log and climbed on it. She stared at Discord in disbelief while Junior and Angirasu sat on a grassy hill, soaked. Discord sighed as he lied on a large lilly pad in the center of the flooded house while mosquito buzzed around. He then slapped the side of his face as a mosquito landed on him.
"Hmm. Too swampy," said Discord. Junior scowled in response, but his ears perked as he heard a familiar bellow. He immediately turned and found an alligator growling at him as it opened its jaws. The alligator suddenly burst into a sprint on all fours towards him. Fluttershy screamed out in terror as she watched Junior get tackled to the ground by the large reptile.
"Yeah, no shit!" shouted Junior as he punched the alligator in the jaw.
"Why would you put alligators in here?!" exclaimed Angirasu as he wrapped his arms around the reptile's jaws, preventing them from opening.
"Hey! I included frogs, turtles, and snakes too! It's a swamp, so expect alligators!" said Discord in offense as he held up a frog and a box turtle. Several snakes hung from his arms, hissing. Junior growled in annoyance as he picked the alligator up and threw it into the plants in the water. The creature then swam away, much to Junior's relief. He slumped down onto the ground with a scowl. He suddenly felt a painful pinch on his arm.
"Yeow!" cried Junior as he shot up to his feet with a snapping turtle's jaws locked on his arm.
"Discord!" said Fluttershy in a scolding tone. Discord sighed in response.
"Alright, Alright!" said Discord. He snapped his fingers, causing the swampy interior to change. The interior of the cottage changed into a dark dungeon-like room. The windows had bars over them, the kitchen held a barred cell door and a foul stench. Insects scurried along the brick walls, and human skeletons sat at a large table with shackles on. Fluttershy cried out in fear as she hid herself behind Angirasu, clenching her eyes shut.
"Meh. Too grim," said Discord. Angirasu and Junior merely looked at him disapproval as Fluttershy trembled behind Angirasu.
"Change it! Change it, now!" pleaded Fluttershy. Discord snapped his fingers again, changing the interior design into a dance floor. The tiles flashed different colors as a disco ball spun from the ceiling. Music began to play in the air as lights flashed in the air.
"Where the hell is that music coming from?" asked Junior with a raised brow.
"I don't know, but I kind of like it," said Angirasu with a small smile as he nodded his head. He then smiled as he turned to find Fluttershy looking over her new apparel. She wore a long sleeved shirt with multiple bright colors blended in together. Her hair was braided and a headband was wrapped around her head. She wore a pair of flare jeans. She smiled to herself as she felt the plastic butterflies that were clipped onto her hair.
"Groovy!" said Fluttershy.
"That's a nice look for you," said Angirasu. Fluttershy smiled bashfully.
"Th-Thank you," stuttered Fluttershy. Junior sighed as he looked at the interior with a grimace.
"A little too groovy," said Junior. Discord scoffed as he stood with in a white suit. A grey afro replaced the hair that was upon his head, with part of his antler and goat horn sticking out from the top.
"Maybe this might be your style," said Discord as he snapped his fingers again. The room suddenly became dark. One by one, red lights began to light up the room. The Transmutants' eyes widened while Fluttershy cupped her hands over her mouth with a look of horror. The room was filled with several chairs surrounding a long stage.
"What. The fuck?!" shouted Junior. Discord laughed.
"And that's not all! Here's a little something for you boys!" said Discord as he snapped his fingers. Fluttershy gasped loudly as she wrapped her arms around Angirasu's neck and pulled him back.
"What are you-" Angirasu was interrupted as Fluttershy cupped a hand over his eyes.
"Don't look at them! Goji, shield your eyes!" cried Fluttershy as she used her free hand to cover Junior's eyes, obscuring his sight from the half-naked women that walked along the stage, swinging on poles.
"Discord!!" growled Junior. Discord scoffed.
"Whatever happened to young men wanting to visit the gentleman's club?" asked Discord.
"Discord, that is offensive!" said Fluttershy in shock.
"Why, Fluttershy! I didn't mean to leave you out," said Discord with a fake frown. Fluttershy's eyes widened.
"No! No, no, no, no!" Fluttershy shook her head frantically with a look of dread.
"Discord, you better not spawn male strippers in here too!" warned Junior with a growl. He then removed Fluttershy's hand from his eyes and stomped over to the Draconequus.
"Goji! Don't look at them! You have a girlfriend!" cried Fluttershy. Junior grabbed Discord by the collar of his coat as his eyes became reptilian.
"Get these women out of here and redecorate this cottage into something decent, right now!" ordered Junior.
"Fine, party popper," sighed Discord as he snapped his fingers again. The women on stage suddenly vanished into thin air along with the stage. The cottage's interior returned to its original appearance.
"Now, this is perfect! Don't you agree?" asked Discord. Junior groaned in annoyance as he grabbed his own hair.
"The cottage is back to where it started! What happened to you spicing it up like you said?!" demanded Junior. Fluttershy watched nervously.
"Goji, calm down. Pretty please?" said Fluttershy as she tugged at Junior's sweater. The Transmutant inhaled deeply and closed his eyes. He released a heavy sigh as he slumped his shoulders. Discord watched in amusement.
"You know, it's funny when you get annoyed and angry," said Discord. Junior growled in annoyance.
"Oh. Oh," said Junior as he made his way out the front door. Fluttershy and Angirasu turned in curiosity as the watched the door. They heard a muffled yell from behind the door, causing them to flinch.
"I say he's taking it quite well, for all of the shenanigans we've just taken part in," said Angirasu with a reluctant smile. Fluttershy turned to face Discord in disapproval, whom merely hummed to himself as he knitted in midair.
"Discord, that was mean of you. Not to mention that last interior design," shuddered Fluttershy.
"Yes, perhaps I went a little too far with that last one. Alright, enough fooling around!" said Discord as he snapped his fingers. The interior design of the cottage suddenly changed in a blink of an eye. The floor was made of checkered tiles that were cyan and a darker tone of the same color.
In the room sat a large table, a chandelier hung above from the ceiling. The walls were a neon green, appearing to be made up of plaster rather than wood. The entire interior color design of the cottage was indeed an improvement compared to what was last seen. Junior walked back into the house with a sigh, looking calmer.
"Excuse me, I needed to get some fre- Whoa," said Junior as his eyes widened in surprise. Fluttershy smiled brightly as she looked over the interior design.
"This is wonderful!" said Fluttershy. Angirasu nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, it's nice. Not too over the top, and not too shabby. Nice work," said Angirasu. Discord chuckled as he wore a dark coat with a white, long sleeved button up shirt underneath. A curled mustache appeared over his lips as he slipped on a pair of white gloves.
"Well, I did promise dear Fluttershy that I would be reformed! Isn't that right, my dear?" asked Discord. Fluttershy nodded as she gave him a warm smile. Junior and Angirasu gave each other a glance, both knowing what the other was thinking.
'Bullshit,' thought the Transmutants in unison. However, they decided against voicing their disbelief, relying on Fluttershy to hopefully see through his facade.
"And I think you are well on your way!" said Fluttershy. Junior and Angirasu looked at the Valkyrie in disbelief.
'She cannot be that gullible!' thought Junior. Angirasu cleared his throat as he rubbed the back of his head.
"Are you sure? I mean, some of his interior designs seemed...unnecessarily used," said Angirasu.
"Angirasu. Discord may have used some questionable designs, but I don't hold him at fault," said Fluttershy with a smile.
"Just to be clear, that last one with the gentleman's club design was meant to be a joke," interjected Discord. Junior scoffed as he crossed his arms.
"Excuse me when I say that I did not find it funny. Not. One. Bit," said Junior with a hard stare.
"Well, that's because you're a stick in the mud. You have no sense of humor!" said Discord.
"I do too! Ask them!" said Junior as he gestured to his friends. Fluttershy rubbed her arm.
"I...I never actually heard you make a joke before. Nor have I really heard you laugh at one," said Fluttershy.
"Shy, come on! It's just that no one has ever told me one. I find some things humorous too. Aang, back me up here!" said Junior as he turned to the other Transmutant.
"Eeeeh..." Angirasu looked away with an unsure expression. Junior's eyes widened.
"Wait, we've known each other for all of this time and I have not showed any hint at finding certain things funny?" asked Junior.
"Well...you do chuckle at sarcasm sometimes. But we never got a clear idea of what you find funny," said Angirasu.
"That should literally be impossible! Nothing?!" asked Junior. Angirasu shrugged.
"Sorry, you do come off as a bit of a stick in the mud," said Angirasu with a shrug. Junior's shoulders slumped in response. He then took on a hard stare.
"Well, I'll have you know that I do have a sense of humor. Think of this, why do governments censor things?" asked Junior.
"Why?" asked Fluttershy.
"Because they're protecting you from reality," said Junior in a dry tone. An awkward silence filled the air. Angirasu cleared his throat.
“Um... Yeah, I get it," said Angirasu.
"What? It wasn't funny?" asked Junior with a shrug.
"Not really," said Discord.
"Um...maybe it was your delivery," suggested Fluttershy. Junior sighed as he walked out the door.
"Alright, I'll see if I can come up with another one later," said Junior as he left the cottage. "I'll go get Mosu and Rodan and tell them to come by,"
"OK. See ya," said Angirasu. As Junior was out of hearing range, Angirasu turned back to Fluttershy.
"Yeah, he's too deadpanned. It's hard to laugh at someone's joke like that," said Angirasu. Fluttershy nodded in agreement.
"Anyway, we should talk about what's for dinner. Discord?" Fluttershy turned to Discord with a smile.
"Let's explore!" said Discord as he spawned floating plates, filled with different sorts of food.




Later...

"Wow, you have made a dumb decision with trusting Discord," said Rodan. Junior scowled as he walked alongside Erika, Mosura, and Rodan down the road.
"Again, Celestia had the idea at reforming him first. I merely thought he would be useful at finding Sunset Shimmer," retorted Junior.
"So, you're relying on your old imaginary friend to help?" asked Erika with a raised brow.
"He's not imaginary, not anymore," said Junior with a scowl. Mosura walked closer to Junior's side and met eyes with him.
"Well, what are we going to do get him to change?" asked Mosura. Junior scoffed.
"Please, I couldn't reform that asshole even if it could lead to the cure of any disease," said Junior. He shook his head. "No, Fluttershy is going to be the one who will reform him. Celestia has a lot more faith in her, and it was her idea to choose her to be the one to reform her."
"I still think you're dumb to have allowed it to come to pass. Where is she anyway?" asked Rodan.
"I left Aang with her at her place. I know he won't let her out of his sight," said Junior. Rodan chuckled.
"Yeah, he's so attracted to her, he can't keep his eyes off of her," said Rodan in a joking tone. Junior hummed to himself.
"Hey, do you guys think I have a sense of humor?" asked Junior as he turned to face the other Transmutants.
"No," answered Mosura and Rodan in unison. Erika shrugged in response.
"Oh," said Junior as he bore a scowl.
"Why is that even relevant?" asked Rodan.
"Just wondering," answered Junior in a nonchalant tone. Mosura looked at him curiously.
"Wait, did someone play a joke on you and you took it seriously, resulting in them to call you out?" asked Mosura.
"Well gee, if you knew by scanning my mind, you didn't have to ask," said Junior in annoyance.
"I didn't scan you, I was just going by a hunch based on how well I know you," said Mosura as she winked at Junior. The male Transmutant rolled his eyes.
"It wasn't even funny, but now I know that people think that I don't have a sense of humor," said Junior. He then smiled to himself.
"Buuut... I think I may have another joke that I can share," said Junior.
"I'll be looking forward to hear it," said Rodan as he nudged Junior. The group later came across Fluttershy's cottage and found the rest of the Element Bearers to be standing just several feet from the door.
"Oh, hey guys!" greeted Twilight with a wave.
"Hello," greeted the other Transmutants in unison. Rodan made his way over to Rainbow's side while Junior met with Fluttershy.
"Hey, where's Angirasu?" asked Pinkie.
"He should be inside with Fluttershy and Discord," answered Junior.
"What? Were you too afraid of Discord to stay with them inside?" asked Rainbow with a smirk.
"Please, I faced a nasty taste of his chaos magic earlier. I only left to bring the others over," said Junior as he crossed his arms with a scowl.
"What did he do?" asked Twilight. Junior shuddered.
"I rather not talk about it," said Junior. Twilight sighed.
"Well, if he tries anything funny, we'll handle it," said Twilight as she gestured to the Element of Harmony on her head. Junior cleared his throat.
"Yeah, with the Elements, he'll be 'stoned'," said Junior with a small smile. "Huh?"
"Uh...what?" asked Twilight with a look of confusion. The rest of the humans and Transmutants looked at him in confusion. Junior merely held his smile.
"Get it? Because he was a stone? 'Stoned' is used to describe someone under the influence of drugs. And-," said Junior as he attempted to explain the joke, Rainbow crossed her arms.
"No dude. Jokes are funny," deadpanned Rainbow. Junior sighed as he lowered his head.
"Let's just go inside," mopped Junior as he made his way to the cottage. Applejack leaned close to Mosura.
"What's wrong with him?" whispered Applejack.
"Oh, don't mind him. He just learned something about himself. I think he's trying to change that, or at least prove something," said Mosura. The rest of the group proceeded over to Fluttershy's cottage. Rarity sighed as she looked at her violet dress.
"I'm certainly glad that I did not bother to wear my fanciest outfit to this dinner party. This is going to be a disaster!" said Rarity.
"Yeah, can't we just turn him back to stone and tell Princess Celestia that Discord tried to take over Equestria again?" asked Rainbow.
"Hey, you girls can lie to her all you want. I'm tired of lying to my adoptive mother. I've done it for years," said Junior as he crossed his arms with a scowl.
"No, let's stay the course. Fluttershy thinks this is the way to reform Discord and asked us to give it a chance," said Twilight as she turned to face the rest of the group. Suddenly, the cottage door opened, revealing Discord.
"Oh, our guests!" cried Discord in an upper class voice. He opened his mouth and allowed his tongue to roll down to the ground like a large red carpet. The tongue-like carpet reached the group at Twilight's feet. Discord reappeared beside her and bowed. "We're so delighted that you've come. Please, do come in,"
The group looked to each other in reluctance and then back to the cottage. One by one, they all began to enter the cottage. Inside, they found Fluttershy standing by a large table with golden plates on them. Angirasu stood by with his arms crossed and with a look of disappointment on his face.
"See what a beautiful job he did helping? Discord set the entire table himself. I'm so proud," said Fluttershy.
"I could've done it too," muttered Angirasu as he shot Discord a look of annoyance. The Draconequus suddenly vanished in a flash and reappeared with his upper body sticking out of the wall and rack that held a hat.
"May I take your... *Ahem* ...hats, ladies?" asked Discord as he reached for Twilight's Element of Harmony. The Elf gasped as she immediately ducked under his lion paw and stepped away from the Spirit of Chaos.
"Hang on to your elements, girls. It's gonna be a bumpy night," said Twilight with a wary expression.



Everybody sat together at the table that sat inside of the redecorated cottage. Plates were filled with their meals were front of them.
“Ugh. I'm gonna go nuts if I don't eat any meat," muttered Junior with a scowl. Mosura nudged his side.
"You'd better eat some tonight, you remember what Amber said about the spirit essence. I rather not hear about you hunting while sleep walking," whispered Mosura. Junior scoffed.
"I don't sleep walk," said Junior. He then cleared his throat as he looked to Angirasu, Fluttershy and Discord.
"Right. As you all know, Princess Celestia hoped we'd help Discord use his magic for good instead of evil," said Fluttershy as she looked to all of her friends. She then noticed Pinkie was already in the middle of enjoying her meal.
"Pinkie Pie, care for some gravy?" asked Fluttershy. Pinkie smiled as her lips were covered in food.
"You bet!" said Pinkie.
"Allow me," said Discord as he focused his attention on the gravy boat that sat on the table. In a flash, the inanimate object suddenly became animate. The gravy boat began to pant like a dog. It began to scurry along the table as it continued to pant. Pinkie clapped her hands as she stared at the object with delight.
"Oh, what a cute little gravy boat you are! Yes you are! Yes you are!" cooed Pinkie as she began to pet the gravy boat. It then used the amount of gravy, that hung out like a tongue, to lick Pinkie's cheek. It then tilted forward and began to pour gravy onto her plate.
"That's one creepy little gravy boat if you ask me," said Rainbow. Fluttershy looked at her in disapproval.
"Oh, come on now, Dashie. You're not even giving this a chance," said Fluttershy. The gravy boat then scurried over to Rainbow's place at the table and poured gravy down onto her lap. Her eyes widened as she felt the searing pain through her jeans, prompting her to shoot up into the air.
"Hey! That's hot!" said Rainbow.
"Whoops! I'm so sorry!" chuckled Discord.
"He did that on purpose!" said Rainbow as she pointed an accusing finger in the Draconequus's direction. Fluttershy looked at him in suspicion.
"Oh, well, I don't know about that. Mistakes happen. Oh, look, everybody, dancing candles!" said Discord, directing everyone's attention away from him and to the candles that hopped around the table. Erika stared warily.
"You alright?" asked Mosura as she glanced at her.
"Sorry, this just reminds me of a poltergeist, is all," said Erika with a nervous chuckle. Suddenly, the flames on the candles were blown out by Rainbow.
"I'm not falling for that! Discord's just trying to distract us from–"  Rainbow was interrupted as the candles levitated into the air and poked her head and body.
"Hey! Knock it off!" shouted Rainbow in pain as she held her head. She then shot Discord a glare. "I suppose that's another "mistake"?
"No, I think you just made them mad,"said Discord. Twilight looked on suspiciously.
"There's something fishy going on," said Twilight. She then noticed the fish shaped soup tureen started to move. It leapt into the air and sprayed Twilight in the face with soup, causing her to fall back in her seat. Junior gasped as he watched her fall over and turned to find the tureen focused on him. It then sprayed soup against his face, forcing its way into his nose.
"Gah!" cried Junior as he slammed his head down on the table, causing it to rock. He cupped his nose as he slammed his fist on the table. "Oh god, it burns!"
The soup tureen continued to spray its contents into the faces of the others at the table, excluding Fluttershy. Junior growled as he raised his head with his eyes appearing reptilian.
"I'm gonna come over this table, break your goat horn and shove it up your-" Junior was sprayed in the face again by the tureen.
"Discord?" Fluttershy called in a worried tone.
"Well, it's hardly my fault if the soup tureen finds the term ‘something fishy’ to be offensive," said Discord. Rarity gasped as she found the tureen focused on her.
"Not the dress! Not the dress!" cried Rarity as she sprayed by soup and forced back out of her seat. The tureen turned to face Applejack and sprayed her as well.
"That tureen's only doin' what you're makin' it do!" said Applejack.
"Now let's not jump to any conclusions," interjected Fluttershy. Angirasu sent Discord a glare as he held in his amused laughter and smile.
"Fluttershy! Can't you see what he's doing? He's playing innocent with you so you'll never agree to use the Elements of Harmony against him!" said Rainbow as she forced the attacking candles away. The tureen then turned to face her and sprayed its soup.
"How much soup does this thing have?!" exclaimed Rodan as he grabbed a silver serving dish lid and tossed it to Rainbow.
"Oh, well, that's a bit harsh, isn't it?" asked Discord with a frown. As the tureen to spray everyone at the table, Rainbow dropped down from the air and trapped it inside of the serving dish lid.
"You see what I'm saying, right, Fluttershy?" asked Rainbow. Fluttershy merely kept an unsure expression.
"Fluttershy!" called Rainbow. Fluttershy took on a firm expression.
"You know what I see? I see that Discord's far from perfect, but I also see none of you giving him a chance!" said Fluttershy in disapproval. Everyone in the room gave a collective groan and complaint.
"What's gotten into you?! Why do you keep cutting him so much slack?" demanded Rainbow. Fluttershy wrapped an arm around Discord's shoulder and stood close to him.
"Because that's what friends do," said Fluttershy. Discord's eyes widened in surprise as he replayed Fluttershy's words in his mind.
"We're friends?" asked Discord in a soft tone. Angirasu's brow raised as he caught his tone.
"Why, of course! I can't remember my house ever being this lively before you came along," said Fluttershy with a smile. Discord looked away.
"Oh... Well, I've... never really had a friend before," said Discord. He felt confusion swirl inside of himself on how to process this information. He then felt Fluttershy take his paw into her hands as she gave him a warm smile.
"Well, now you do!" said Fluttershy. Discord lightly smiled in response. Everyone looked on in surprise in the room. However, few still felt that Discord was putting on a facade. Angirasu rubbed his chin in thought. The sound of the nearby window opening reached the ears of everyone present. They turned and found Angel bunny hopping through the open window and landing on the table. He began to hop frantically as he gave a worried chitter.
"Now is not a good time, Angel. We're having a dinner party," said Fluttershy.
"Hold up! I-I think he's trying to tell us something!" said Applejack as Angel picked up a glass of water. He poured it over himself and began to splash frantically. He then made his way over to an apple and held it up.
"Apple!" cried the Element Bearers, excluding Fluttershy. Angel then pointed towards Applejack.
"Applejack!" cried the Element Bearers, excluding Fluttershy and Applejack, in unison. Angel merely face palmed in response. He proceeded to hop to the far end the table and dragged a pitcher filled with sweet liquid over to the center.
"Oh, oh, oh! Sweet Apple Acres?" asked Rarity. Angel nodded as he hopped with joy. Rainbow's eyes widened.
"Flooding at Sweet Apple Acres! And we all know who's behind that now, don't we?!" said Rainbow as she pointed an accusing finger at Discord.
"Who, me?" asked Discord in an innocent tone. A halo suddenly appeared over his head. Rainbow scoffed as everyone in the room left their seats.
"Oh, give it a rest! What do you think of your "friend" now, Fluttershy?" asked Rainbow as she followed out the rest of the humans and a majority of the Transmutants. Fluttershy looked at Discord in suspicion while the Spirit of Chaos merely shrugged. Junior sighed as he stood up from his seat and then glared at Discord.
"What is wrong with you?" asked Junior. He then turned to fully face the Draconequus.
"You're being given a second chance by Celestia to change your ways, so you don't have to spend eternity as a statue getting shit on by the birds!" said Junior. Mosura placed a hand on Junior's shoulder.
"Goji, calm down," said Mosura.
"No! No, I am not going to calm down! Not over this!" said Junior as he glared at Mosura, causing her to shrink back. He then turned back to Discord, who merely held a neutral expression.
"You know what? You may have Fluttershy's good grace, but you don't have mine. I still remember what you did to my friends! That's not an easy thing to let go. Hell, I was actually considering it if Fluttershy succeeded in changing you," said Junior. He then turned and walked away. Mosura sighed as she walked after him.
"But if you want to continue to do everything that you want, by all means, do it. Squander the opportunity for true freedom that's being offered," said Junior with a hard stare. Angirasu merely glanced at Fluttershy and Discord.
"Hmm. Well, I always knew that he was one to hold a grudge. Why, he once told me how he loathed one specific Transmutant the most," said Discord as he crossed his arms. Fluttershy glanced at him with a frown. "I mean, what does he care whether I change or not?"
"Discord, he's just worried about us. Maybe... Deep down, he wants the only person that would listen to him to change his ways. Since he felt he could relate to you," said Fluttershy.
"Well, it wasn't like that I had a choice. Besides, he related to me he thought I was monstrous in appearance, just like him," said Discord with a shrug. He then watched as Junior left the cottage with Mosura. Fluttershy sighed.
"Be that as it may, he just wants things to turn out well. Now, I'll go on ahead to see what's going on at Sweet Apple Acres. Meet me there," said Fluttershy as she ran out the door and took off into the air. Mosura made her way back to the cottage with a look of disappointment as she passed Fluttershy. Angirasu glanced at Discord, wondering what to say. Discord sighed.
"Though, it was... less lonely when he was around. And... I sort of pity him, to be honest," said Discord. Angirasu turned to face Discord in surprise.
"You do?" asked Angirasu. Discord nodded.
"Ever since he was child, he was lonely. He never really had any friends. Honestly, I didn't care because I was serving an eternal sentence in stone. I figured that one day, he'd stop visiting me and speak to me as if I could talk back," said Discord. He then pulled out a projector screen out of nowhere. As the lights in the cottage dimmed, and the light from the projector displayed an image of the wall. It was an image of Junior as a child sitting in front of the statue with a smile on his face. The younger version of the Transmutant conversed with the motionless statue.
"However, something disturbing happened," said Discord. The footage of this memory fast forward through the days at high speed. Junior was shown with the statue in a time lapse throughout the seasons of the years. Soon, the young boy was beginning to grow taller and older with each second. It then showed footage of a teenage Junior sitting beside the statue with a cup of coffee in his hand.
"He never moved on," said Discord. Angirasu and Mosura watched with a frown as Junior turned to face the statue. Junior in the memory sighed.
“I wonder how Celestia can stand me. I’m sure that I embarrass her to no end. I’m always getting into fights, and I’m not really the most sophisticated individual here in Canterlot,” said Junior with a heavy sigh in the memory. The scene changed to Junior on another day, chuckling as he wiped his bleeding nose as he adjusted his torn sweater.
“I told those idiots not to mess with me. But they, like every other meathead, kept at it. I may look bad, but you should see the other guys,” chuckled Junior as he sniffled through his bleeding nose. His expression lost its smugness as he slumped his shoulders and sighed.
“And like always, I’m looked at as the instigator. How can I get people not to tense around me with a reputation like that? Not to mention people think that I should’ve walked away. Pfft. Whatever, that’s cowardly,” said Junior with a scoff as he wiped his bleeding nose. The scene than changed to Junior when he was at a young age, sitting next to the statue with red cheeks as he rubbed his head.
“Hey Discord, you ever had a crush on someone?” asked Junior as he looked to the statue. All he received was silence. Junior chuckled.
“Yeah. This might seem kinda dumb, but there’s this girl that I know. I sometimes see her around the castle. I actually kinda like her,” said Junior. He then sighed.
“Oh, you should've seen her! She has this amazing crimson hair! It's bright and beautiful like a phoenix's feathers!” said Junior as his chest pounded as he thought back to his crush.
“I also sort of have a thing with girls with pointy ears. I don’t know. Elf girls just have an endearing quality to them with those ears,” said Junior as he sat. He then sighed heavily.
“Ah. But she like a few years older than me. I couldn’t talk to someone like her, it’d be too weird. I mean, even if age wasn’t the issue, there’s still me,” said Junior as he propped his chin up with a hand. He shook his head.
“I doubt that she would like me. I mean, look at my track record of being in trouble. I’m not sophisticated like all of these other people in Canterlot, and I have a temper that I know will scare her off. It sucks,” said Junior as he slumped against the stone statue with a solemn expression. The projector stopped playing the memories, and the lights came back on.
"Discord, what was going through your mind when you watched Gojira?" asked Mosura.
"Nothing. I just thought that he should get over it! It's pathetic to belly ache about stuff like that," said Discord with a scoff. Angirasu looked at Discord with a glare.
"Hey, not everyone can be as carefree as you. He wasn’t understood by his peers, despite keeping the fact that he’s a Transmutant a secret. Imagine how he was feeling wondering how things would go if they did know, “said Angirasu. He then watched as Discord kept a neutral expression as he kept his back on him.
"Discord... you had to have cared a little bit, right? He was the only one who visited you and talked to you while in your prison," said Mosura.
"Don't be ridiculous. Besides, I was just an inanimate object to him of a legendary ruler that he could make up conversations with. What's special about that?" asked Discord in annoyance.
"The fact that you listened and you remembered everything that he told you makes it special. Someone who he thought would understand him," said Mosura. She then sighed as she walked away.
"But I guess he learned that he was wrong about you. It's sad to know that the closest one he could consider a friend actually put him down, crushing his hopes for something better. Even though that person was a stone statue," said Mosura. Angirasu followed Mosura towards the door but stopped. He sighed heavily as he turned to face Discord.
"You know, you should consider yourself lucky that Fluttershy was chosen to help reform you. Anyone else would have given up on you already and call the others to change you back to stone. We know that you're putting a big act, but you seem genuine about your reaction when she called you friend," said Angirasu. Discord merely kept a scowl as he looked at the Transmutant.
"Perhaps you should worry about yourself," said Discord with a scoff.
"Perhaps. But Fluttershy is very dear to me. I just don't want her to get hurt. Especially by someone whom she's trying to help," said Angirasu as he turned away and began to walk out the door. Discord sighed in annoyance as he left the cottage.
"Help me? Enslaving me is what you're all trying to do," said Discord to himself.
	
> Chapter 61: Rescue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Water, nature's fundamental element of supporting life. Currently, it's acting as a force of destruction. Vast amounts of water had flooded Sweet Apple Acres. The trees that were closest to the lower grounds of the orchard were sticking out half way above the water. Beavers worked to keep their dams durable to hold against the water, leaving the riverbed on the other side to be just mud. The Transmutants stood by as Fluttershy attempted to convince the beavers to take down their dam, but was failing.
"This is just great," said Junior with a groan. He then sighed heavily as he turned to face Shiragami in disappointment.
"Shiragami, I don't know how the end of today is going to turn out. But...I honestly think that we won't be able to use Discord's help to find Sunset Shimmer," said Junior. Erika lightly frowned as she lowered her head.
"But... I'm still gonna keep my promise to you. I'll help you find her. With or without Discord's help," said Junior as he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Erika raised her head as she gave him a light smile.
"Thank you, Takeshi," said Erika. Junior nodded as he turned to find Discord water skiing across the flooded orchard. Two of the golden fish shaped soup tureens pulled him across the waters. Junior growled in response.
"That idiot," said Junior. Mosura and Angirasu glanced at each other and then back to Junior as he began to make his way over to the Main Six and Spike. The rest of the Transmutants moved on to catch up. Discord was pulled across the waters and to the hill that the group was standing on, making his way up to Fluttershy.
"Fluttershy, oh, there you are. A sight for sore eyes," said Discord as he spawned a towel into his hand and proceeded to dry himself up. Fluttershy sighed.
"As you can see, there's a big mess down here at Sweet Apple Acres," said Fluttershy as she gestured to the flooded orchard. Discord merely continued to dry himself off as he rolled his eyes.
"Oh, yes. Awful business, that. Mm," said Discord.
"It is awful. This is Applejack's home, and it's being destroyed by innocent creatures who would never be acting this way if it weren't for your reckless behavior," said Fluttershy in disapproval. Discord merely looked at her with a raised brow. The Valkyrie turned away as she crossed her arms. "You need to fix this,"
"Oh, yes, very well, I will fix it. I only ask one thing in return," said Discord. Fluttershy turned back to face him with a curious smile.
"Yes?" asked Fluttershy. Discord then pointed to the Element of Harmony that was around her neck.
"I ask that you never use your Element of Harmony against me. As a sign of our friendship," said Discord. Fluttershy looked at her Element of Harmony with an unsure expression, she then looked to her friends. They all shook their heads in silence.
'Aaah...' thought Junior with dread. Fluttershy then looked back to her Element of Harmony again and then took a calm breath. She then proceeded to remove her Element of Harmony.
"I will never use my Element of Harmony against you," said Fluttershy as she removed her Element, tossing it to Spike.
"Excellent!" said Discord as he snapped his fingers. A blinding light filled the air, disorienting everyone in the orchard. Fluttershy smiled to herself as she looked forward to seeing her friend restoring Sweet Apple Acres. However, when she opened her eyes, she gasped as she found the water to be frozen solid, and the land covered in snow. Discord was ice skating across the frozen water.
"There, much better! I do prefer ice skating to water skiing! Don't you?" asked Discord as he skated passed a desk filled with three copies of himself, watching his performance. They held up score signs with the number ten, the faint sound of a non-present crowd filled the air. Fluttershy narrowed her eyes in anger as she glared at the Draconequus.
"Discord! That's not fixing it!" shouted Fluttershy as she ran down to the frozen water. Discord's ears perked as he caught her tone. He turned to find her running his way. Fluttershy planted her feet on the ground as she prepared to give the Spirit of Chaos a piece of her mind.
"Why, I oughta..." Fluttershy stopped as she realized that she was still sliding across the ice. She wobbled in place as she attempted to stop herself while keeping her balance.
"Where are you going?" asked Discord as he smiled in amusement. Fluttershy slid to a halt, with her legs shaking as she glared at the Draconequus.
"What's wrong, pal?" asked Discord with a mock frown.
"Don't call me your pal!" spat Fluttershy.
"Oh, pfft, come skating with me, and we'll let bygones be bygones," said Discord as he spawned a pair of skating shoes and held them up by the hairs on his tail. Fluttershy merely frowned in response as she slumped her shoulders. She then noticed Spike skating down the ice with her Element of Harmony.
"Here you go, Fluttershy! Game on!" said Spike.
"He fixes this or he goes back to being stone! Princess Celestia will understand!" shouted Twilight from the hill. Fluttershy merely looked at her Element of Harmony offered by Spike, and then to the skate shoes that were offered by Discord. Only one decision could be made. Fluttershy continued to look at these items several times. Junior merely stood tensely.
"Come on, Shy. Make the right decision," whispered Junior. Fluttershy closed her eyes as she thought back and forth on which decision to choose. Then, she placed on a firm expression.
"I made a promise not to use my element against him, and I'm going to keep it," said Fluttershy as she took the skate shoes from Discord and proceeded to walk down the ice. The Transmutants and humans stared in shock, giving gasps or groans. Junior clenched his fist as he angrily stared at Discord. The Spirit of Chaos teleported beside Fluttershy with an arm around her shoulder with a look of triumph.
"Hahah! You see? She wants to have fun with me because we're friends. She can't use the elements against me because we're friends. I'm free forever!" said Discord as he gave a short maniacal laugh. Fluttershy gritted her teeth as she growled. The words that left Discord's mouth infuriated her.
"I. Am. Not. Your. Friend!" shouted Fluttershy as she tossed the ice skates away.
"Who cares? I can do whatever I want, whenever I want. I'm Discord, the master of chaos!" said Discord with a scoff.
"That's it!" said Junior as he gave a growl. He was about to step onto the ice, but Mosura grabbed his arm and held him back.
"No! No, wait a second!" said Mosura. Junior sent a glare and was about to retort.
"Shh! Just watch!" said Mosura as she pointed towards. "He's not going to risk losing the one thing he never had before,"
"You think you can boss Discord around?" asked Discord as he skated after Fluttershy. The Valkyrie merely held a hard expression as she walked along the ice, occasionally slipping after a couple of steps.
"You think I'm just going to turn all this back because you say so? Because if I don't, I'll lose the one friend I ever had?" Discord suddenly stopped as his eyes widened in realization. After saying his own words aloud, he realized the turn that the situation had taken. He turned to find the skates that Fluttershy had rejected, lying alone on the ice. His eyes watered as he continued to think back to his time in a petrified state, and the years before his fall.
"Oh. Oh. Well played, Fluttershy. Well played," said Discord as he began to skate away. Fluttershy lost her hard expression and raised her brows in surprise. She immediately turned and found Discord sitting on one of the sunken/frozen apple trees as he held his eyes closed. A great wave of magic melted the ice away along with casting away the flood. The beavers that were responsible for building the dams were returned to normal, and their dams vanished. Junior's eyes widened in shock.
"He... No way," said Junior. Mosura merely smiled.
'I knew it,' thought Mosura. Fluttershy stared in surprise at what had occurred. She then smiled as her friends greeted her with cheers.
"You did it, Fluttershy!" cried Rainbow.
"Woo! Not even Discord could keep you down!" said Rodan with a grin. The sound of a magic burst filled their ears, prompting them to turn to find Discord standing by with a soft smile.
"I liked it better my way, but... I guess when you're friends, you can't always have things exactly your way all the time, eh?" said Discord. Fluttershy merely smiled as she made her way over to the Draconequus and wrapped her arms around him tightly.
"That's right," said Fluttershy. Junior sighed in relief. Mosura merely smiled as she nudged him in the rib.
"Told ya," said Mosura. Junior raised a brow at her.
"Yeah, but how did you know?" asked Junior.
"Well... I guess I learned a thing or two about him as well before we came here," said Mosura with a smile.




Later...

Junior sat alone on a bench as Fluttershy, Discord and Celestia held a conversation together. Twilight stood by the rest of the Element Bearers, and Transmutants as they conversed. Junior sighed as he propped his chin up with his hand.
"Hey," greeted Mosura. Junior turned and found her strolling over to his side with Angirasu with her. Junior smiled as he greeted them with a nod.
"Hey," said Junior. Mosura took a seat beside him while Angirasu merely stood by.
"Well, looks like things turned out well in the end," said Mosura.
"Yeah, thanks to her," said Junior with a light smile as he looked to Fluttershy. He then sighed with nostalgia.
"You know, I remember the first time that she offered me her hand in friendship. It was right after I showed an ugly part of myself when someone pisses me off. I remember how this Garuda was bullying her for bumping into her," said Junior. He then chuckled.
"When she asked if I would mind being friends with her, I thought she was joking. I thought, 'How can a girl this timid, this sweet, want to be friend with someone like me?' But I didn't care. I was too happy to refuse," said Junior with a smile as he watched Fluttershy converse with Discord. Angirasu smiled.
"Yeah, she's great," said Angirasu with a sigh.
"Careful, your face is flushing," said Mosura in a teasing tone. Angirasu looked away in embarrassment.
"You know, after all that's happened during the noon and witnessing the way Discord was, I didn't think she'd succeed. But... she stood against all odds and the face of overwhelming doubt," said Junior. Angirasu chuckled.
"She may not look it, but she's strong," said Angirasu. Junior sighed. He then noticed Discord approaching.
"Discord," greeted Junior with a nod and indifferent expression. The Draconequus tapped his claws together as he cleared his throat.
"Um... listen, Gojira. I uh... I've been harsh to you when I was freed for the first time into this era," said Discord. Mosura's eyes widened in surprise while Junior looked at him in confusion.
"I've brought up some of the things that you were only able to share with me and used them to break your spirit. More than it already was. I even turned your friends on you," said Discord. Junior even gave him a deadpanned stare.
"You also forced me and Angirasu to fight in your stupid gladiatorial game with Mantises, nearly exposing us to our friends at the time," said Junior. Discord looked at him in annoyance.
"I was getting to that!" said Discord. He then sighed.
"I just want you to know that... I'm... I'm..." Discord struggled to get his words out. Junior raised a brow while Mosura smiled with glee.
"Go on! Go ahead and say it! You boys need to patch things up!" said Mosura. Discord blew steam out of his mouth as he struggled to speak.
"I'm sorry!" said Discord as he turned away with his arms crossed.
"You're... what?" asked Junior in surprise.
"Are you deaf?! I said I'm sorry!" shouted Discord. The Transmutants recoiled back from his loud tone, Discord's eyes widened as he felt the other Transmutants and humans staring at him in confusion. He cleared his throat as he turned back to Junior, who bore a look of surprise.
"No need to shout," said Junior with a soft chuckle. Discord merely scowled in response.
"Well, just so you know, I'm not looking for you to-"
"Eh, I accept it," said Junior. Discord raised a brow. Junior merely bore a neutral expression as he shrugged.
"I'm not in any position to hold a grudge against someone that can take away my abilities to transform. I once went toe to toe with Nightmare Moon, but even I lost that fight. Of course, that didn't stop me from fighting Chrysalis, but I digress," said Junior.
"You're forgiving me that easily?" asked Discord in confusion.
"Who said it was easy? Besides, it became easier since I actually considered you to be my only friend. Celestia told me stories about you and showed me your stone statue. I knew you couldn't have respond, but I thought it'd help me get through some tough times. Even if you didn't cared," said Junior with a sigh. Discord cleared his throat.
"I see. Say, are you still having insecurities like what cute girls think about you?" asked Discord. Junior's eyes widened.
"Th-That's ridiculous! I've never-"
"Don't bother denying it, Goji," said Mosura with a deadpanned stare. Junior sighed.
"So, you do remember that night? Yeah, it was pretty pathetic," said Junior as he rubbed his forehead.
"Yeah, pretty much. But I'd be lying if I said that I wouldn't have missed your company," said Discord in a soft tone. "You did relieve me of boredom and you intrigued me with your interest in me. Maybe you did start off as an annoyance when you were a kid, but... you sort of grew on me," said Discord.
"Then...why did you say that I had no purpose and that I was doomed?" asked Junior. Discord shook his head.
"Because you reminded me of myself when I was younger. Someone that didn't have others around much like himself, in a world filled with people afraid of what you are," said Discord. He then turned and noticed the humans approaching.
"I was ready to give you a very special place in the kingdom that I had planned when I first returned. I thought by breaking you from these humans, would give you a chance to start something better. But I think you have something better now," said Discord.
"Out of curiosity, what was that special place?" asked Junior. Discord smirked.
"Careful, you might regret not turning over to my side if I tell you now," said Discord. Junior scowled.
"I doubt it," said Junior.
"Well, let's just say that the world was going to be at your fingertips," said Discord with a wink. Junior's eyes widened in surprise.
"That kind of special place?" asked Junior. Discord shrugged in response as he made his way over to Fluttershy and Celestia.
"Unfortunately for you, I'm reformed now and I'm using my powers for good! You snooze, you lose!" said Discord as he chuckled. Junior merely kept a neutral expression.
"I could have been the ruler of the goddamn world if I was on his side," said Junior in disbelief. "Now I regret asking,"
"Seriously?" asked Mosura in worry. Junior merely smiled as he turned to face her.
"I'm kidding. My friends are worth more to me than that," said Junior. Mosura sighed in relief, she then sent him a glare.
"You see, I can never tell whether you're joking or not! You're gonna give me a heart attack over every deadpanned phrase like that!" said Mosura in a scolding tone.
"Sorry," shrugged Junior. He then stood up to his feet and joined the group. Mosura stopped him by grabbing his shoulder.
"Goji, about that night in your past. Just know that you're worth more than you think. If you were gone, we'd miss you. We're your friends and we love you, Gojira," said Mosura with a frown. Junior merely smiled.
"Thanks, I love you guys too. You're my family," said Junior. Mosura merely wrapped her arms around him as she pulled him into a hug as she smiled.
"Oh! Didn't you want to ask Discord for help?" asked Mosura.
"Oh! Right!" said Junior as he and Mosura pulled away from each other. He then began to run down to the group.
"Discord! Hey, I want to ask you a favor!" said Junior.
"Is it about me keeping the fact that you accidentally destroyed one of the gargoyle statues in Canterlot Castle's statue garden when practicing your martial arts as a kid a secret?" asked Discord. Junior's eyes widened in response. Celestia turned to face Junior with a look of disapproval.
"What?" asked Celestia in a stern tone. Junior slumped his shoulders as he gave a nervous chuckle. He then gave Discord a glare, who smiled nervously as he shrugged.




Later that night...

Junior stared out the window, into the night inside of Twilight's library. He then turned as he found the rest of the Transmutants standing by with Discord. He glanced to his side and found Twilight and the other Element Bearers looking on in worry. He then turned and found Celestia standing by anxiously. Junior sighed.
"You found her, Discord?" asked Junior. Discord merely stood with a handheld device with a spinning satellite on top. He hummed to himself as it began to beep.
"Hold on, it's not easy locating her. But the demonic energy that she's radiating with helps. I am capable of locating beings with great power, or even ones that seem a lot more out of the ordinary, even god-like," said Discord.
"Demonic energy?" asked Twilight.
"Oh, you didn't know? Rebecca Shoichet is a human that's transcended with the powers of a demon. Very ruthless beings that are the masters of Dark Magic. They're very rude as well. I knew this one demon named Krampus, and he said some very hurtful things to me, on Hearth's Warming Eve!" said Discord with a scowl.
"Wait, her name is Sunset Shimmer. Who the hell is Rebecca Shoichet?" asked Erika in confusion.
"Oops. Excuse me, I've just gotten so infuriated with thinking about Krampus that my mind wandered into another reality," chuckled Discord. Rodan raised his hand.
"So demons. Don't you count as a demon? Eh, No offense!" said Rodan with a nervous smile.
"Nooo. I am the Spirit of Chaos! I may have been evil, but all I wanted to do was rule the world. Demons are larger in number compared to me and want to see everything killed and destroyed. Some even have powers that rival my own. We have enough differences to be separate. But, if I drone on about those guys, we'll be here all day," said Discord in annoyance.
"Well, that explains Sunset's appearance that day," said Erika as she looked to Junior, who nodded in response. Celestia stepped to Discord's side.
"Discord, you seem to be more acquainted with demonic beings. How is it possible for a spirit to be transcended with a human?" asked Celestia.
"Well, the spirit world is filled with forces that can grant mortals gifts. Much like Avatars, who can be granted a significant amount of power if a human were to reach that ascension from performing certain actions. Demons can enhance mortals in certain ways, but not as greatly as stronger forces," said Discord as he placed on a pair of glasses and took on a lecturing tone.
"They can sometimes possess a being that's vulnerable, filled with a raging amount of negative emotions. But they only do this to ruin lives and to move freely around the physical world since most are bound to remain in Tartarus. Another way is if a demon teaches them the art of Dark Magic, or exposes their spiritual essence to them. Sunset must have been exposed to a demon's spiritual essence. A strong one as well," said Discord as he continued to turn the dial on the device that he held. The Transmutant Four glanced at each other, recognizing the term, 'spiritual essence'. Discord then looked at Junior curiously.
"You know, I've noticed something odd about you and three of your Transmutant friends," said Discord. Junior went stiff.
"O-Oh?" asked Junior. He then recoiled as Discord invaded his personal space and observed him with a magnifying glass.
"Indeed! You seem to be giving off a strange type of energy. In fact, if I didn't knew better, I'd say-"
"It's probably radiation!" lied Junior with a nervous smile. Discord raised a brow.
"Radiation? What kind?" asked Discord.
"Um... nuclear! Yes, we're filled with a mix of nuclear energy, geothermal..." Mosura named off the energies that she and the other Transmutants were able to absorb.
"Oh! Don't forget solar energy for me! Very clean and environmentally friendly!" said Erika, oblivious to Mosura and Junior attempting to deter Discord's curious analysis. The rest of the humans looked at Junior and Mosura suspiciously as they bore nervous smiles. Discord shrugged.
"Yes, that might be it," said Discord with a shrug. Junior and Mosura mentally sighed in relief, thankful that they did not have to risk freaking their friends out that they absorbed spiritual essence of giant monsters. Celestia rubbed her chin.
"Wait, Discord, what was it that-" Celestia was interrupted as the device that Discord held began to beep.
"Ah ha! Found her!" said Discord as he began to stare at the device. He then hummed.
"Good news, she's still in Equestria and alive," said Discord. Erika sighed in relief.
"Thank god," said Erika.
"Save your prayers my dear. For all we know, she can be missing her limbs, dying, or as old as Celestia," said Discord. Erika's face went pale while Celestia looked at him in offense.
"Hey!" said Celestia.
"That last one is ridiculous. She's only been gone for over a week, and she'd be dead by now," deadpanned Junior.
"Expect the unexpected, Gojira," said Discord as he raised his eagle claw and slashed the air. The claws opened a portal that revealed a dark, icy hall. Everyone in the library recoiled.
"Wait, where is that?!" exclaimed Rodan.
"Calm down, it's just Northern Equestria. Now, feel free to take your time or just run in and save your friend," said Discord.
"Technically she's not my friend but, whatever," said Junior as he popped his joints. Celestia looked at him with a frown, but then her eyes widened.
"Wait, you're not going with them?" asked Celestia as she looked to Discord.
"Why should I? They're big boys and girls that can take care of themselves and destroy an entire army alone. I see no problem," said Discord with a shrug. Twilight stepped forward with her friends.
"Wait! We should go with you guys. From what we've seen by those Elves, they had some pretty dangerous magic," said Twilight.
"No, that's out of the question. Remember what we talked about, Twilight," said Junior.
"Yes, I remember what we talked about! But we-"
"Twilight, if you and the others come along, you're all just going to get in the way," said Junior.  Twilight and the other Element Bearers looked at him with hurt expressions. Junior's eyes slightly widened as he analyzed his own words.
"Girls, I-I didn't mean it like that," said Junior with a light frown. Twilight looked at him in frustration.
"You know, just because you can transform into another creature, heal from wounds sooner than normally, and lift things several times your weight, doesn't mean you have to act so macho when it comes to things like this!" said Twilight.
"No, it's not like that!" said Junior.
"I thought you already learned that you can rely on us," said Rainbow as she crossed her arms.
"I did! But this is a different situation!" said Junior.
"How is it different?" questioned Applejack.
"One, this isn't some friendship situation that you deal with when you're not saving Equestria," said Junior.
"There's also the fact that these guys are allied with Transmutant Revolutionaries and can wield strong magic," said Angirasu.
"Twilight can wield strong magic!" argued Pinkie.
"I have no doubt that she can. But these guys are something else. She's not combat oriented like they were," said Junior.
"If that was the case, I wouldn't have stepped up when Equestria needed us the last few times!" said Twilight. "We don't need you protecting us all the time! You always have us sit on the sidelines for conflicts like this one!"
"Uh... guys?" said Rodan as he glanced at the portal. Junior scoffed.
"That's an exaggeration. I don't-"
"Yes you do! Whenever there's a creature issue, a Transmutant issue, you always want us on the sidelines," said Rainbow with a glare.
"Guys," called Rodan as he stood anxiously.
"I didn't hear any complaints before," said Junior.
"Actually, they did every time. You chose to tune them out," said Mosura. Junior groaned in annoyance.
"Look, perhaps I should go with you all instead," said Celestia as she stepped forward.
"Oh, ho, ho! Hell, no. I'm definitely not getting you involved in this," said Junior.
"Junior, I am fully capable of handling myself. Besides, Sunset Shimmer is family as much as you are to me," said Celestia.
"If something were to happen to you, then not only would I lose you, but Equestria would lose a princess!" said Junior.
"Guys!" shouted Rodan.
"What?!" said Junior in annoyance.
"Look!" said Rodan as he pointed down the hall. Junior turned to the portal and his eyes widened as he found several Elves in dark clothing charging through the halls.
"Shit! Come on guys, we gotta move!" said Junior as he turned to the Transmutants. Erika nodded as she ran through the portal first and began to charge towards the Elves.
"Rodan!" cried Rainbow as Rodan ran to the portal.
"I'll be back, babe!" said Rodan as he ran through the hall. Mosura made her way through the portal with Angirasu close behind.
"Be careful, Angirasu!" said Fluttershy. Angirasu merely nodded to her as he gave a thumbs up. Junior then ran after his fellow Transmutants.
"Gojira, we're gonna talk about this when you get back!" said Twilight.
"Fine!" said Junior as he ran through the portal. Twilight groaned in frustration.
"No, forget this! I'm not going to stand by while they're doing this alone!" said Twilight as she made her way to the portal.
"Wait up!" said Rainbow as she and the others followed after her. Celestia began to follow them as well.
"Discord, close the portal! I don't want any them coming here!" shouted Junior as he slammed a man against the wall.
"Done! I'll check on you later!" said Discord as he snapped his fingers, causing the portal to disappear right before Twilight could enter. She gasped as she stumbled back. She turned and shot a glare at Discord.
"Why did you do that?! How are they supposed to get home?!" demanded Twilight.
"Not cool, Discord!" said Rainbow as she flew in his face. Discord teleported away from her and appeared on the staircase.
"I did what he asked. Like I said, I'll check on them later," said Discord with a shrug.
"Discord, now is not the time for your games! My son is-" Celestia was interrupted as Discord raised a hand.
"-Fully capable of taking care of himself. Besides, the others are with him. I'll visit their location as soon as I think they've had enough time to find your former student," said Discord.
"Discord, please, open the portal," pleaded Fluttershy.
"Oh, Fluttershy. You know I'd do it for you, but he does have a point," said Discord as he lied back on the staircase.
"Discord, he is going up against foes that outnumber him and his friends! Foes that have knowledge of dark magic!" said Celestia with a glare. Discord sighed as he shook his head.
"You know Celestia, for a being as wise and strong as you are, you failed to figure out the source of that energy source that's popped up," said Discord as he conjured up a glass of lemonade and proceeded to drink from it. Celestia's eyes widened. The Element Bearers looked at her in wonder.
"Wait, you know its source? Where and what is it?" asked Celestia.
"Tsk. Tsk. I'm not at liberty to say," said Discord.
"Damn it, Discord! I need to know! And what does this have to do with my son?!" demanded Celestia. The Element Bearers recoiled at Celestia's swearing. Given that they have never heard her swear before, whatever had her worried must be serious.
"Um... no, you don't need to know. You want to know. But I can assure you that the source could not have been in a better place than it already is," said Discord. Celestia narrowed her eyes at him. Tension filled the air, crushing the Element Bearers and the drake under its weigjt. They just waited for these two older beings to duke it out.
"Open the portal, and take me to my son," ordered Celestia in a firm tone. Discord sighed in response.
"Truth be told, I have no actual say in the matter. I did promise that I'd be more of a friend and that I would put my magic to good use," said Discord as he stood up and popped his knuckles.
"Very well, I shall open the portal again, but in a different location. Whoever they infiltrated may be surrounding that hall," said Discord. The Element Bearers smiled brightly.
"Thank you, Discord," said Celestia with a soft smile.
"Yeah, whatever," muttered Discord. He then sent the Avatar a glare.
"But you better take the blame for me bringing you along!" said Discord. Celestia gave a short laugh.
"Fair enough," said Celestia. Twilight stepped forward.
"I'll come too!" said Twilight.
"Oh no, I'm definitely not bringing you! I'm already bringing his adoptive mother, but I rather not face a speedy trial while receiving the death penalty for bringing his little girlfriend too!" said Discord. Twilight gave him a look of annoyance.
"Please don't call me, 'little'," said Twilight. Applejack sighed as she placed a hand on Twilight's shoulder.
"Rise above your height insecurity, Twi," said Applejack. Twilight groaned in annoyance as she crossed her arms. Discord waved his hands as he prepared to create another portal. Twilight turned to Celestia with pleading eyes.
"Very well. But stay close," said Celestia in reluctance. Twilight smiled brightly and made her way to her mentor's side. Discord sighed in exasperation.
"Humans," said Discord.
"Please, look after them," said Fluttershy with a look of worry.
"Yeah! They better be back in one piece!" said Rainbow with a glare.
"Would you prefer one body bag each, or fused together?" asked Discord as he removed a leg and arm, and then fused them together. Everyone in the room gave him a deadpanned stare.
"Don't even joke about that," said Rarity.
"Yeesh. Tough crowd," muttered Discord. He then used his eagle claws to slice the air, spawning another portal. The location was a dimly lit room with several piles of laundry. Discord turned to the other girls in annoyance.
"I swear, if I catch any of you following us, I'm tossing you through another portal to Manehattan, leaving you to take a train back home!" said Discord. They looked at him with innocent smiles. Discord then bowed as he gestured to the portal.
"Ladies first," said Discord.
"Oh, what? You're afraid to step through first?" asked Twilight with an amused smile.
"Don't be silly. Whoever heard of someone being afraid of entering a laundry room?" asked Discord with a deadpanned stare. He then glared at the girls.
"I also want to make sure we aren't followed," growled Discord. The girls merely kept their innocent smiles. Celestia then made her way through the portal, followed by Twilight.
"Be careful, Twi," said Spike with worry. Twilight gave him a reassuring smile. She then leapt through the portal, followed by Discord, who pulled down a zipper and sealed the portal shut. The Element Bearers were left alone, the air was filled with silence.
"I don't know why Discord is afraid of Goji killing him. He's immortal, isn't he?" asked Pinkie.
"Eh I think he was just trying to make a point at how furious Gojira would be," said Applejack. Rainbow sighed.
"Man, this blows. We should be down there backing them up," said Rainbow with a scowl.
"Indeed. And Gojira's comment was most uncalled for," said Rarity with a hurt expression.
"Aw, come on! You all know he didn't mean it," said Spike as he gave his friends a reassuring smile.
"Oh yeah, I sensed how insincere he was when he said that we'd get in the way," scoffed Rainbow as she crossed her arms.
"Yeah, he acts like we can't even take care of ourselves! Like we're some 'damsels in distress'," said Applejack in annoyance as she made air quotes.
"Oh, I don't think he meant it like that," said Fluttershy.
"Are you implying that Goji is saving his former crush so he can get a kiss from her, since she's the damsel in distress today?" asked Pinkie with a raised brow. An uncomfortable silence filled the air.
"Nooo. I'm pretty sure that'd be him cheating on Twilight," said Rainbow with a deadpanned stare.
"Besides, he's faithful to her. A very nice trait in any man or woman," said Rarity with a sigh.
"Yeah, you're right. Besides, this isn't a harem fic, where sometimes the protagonist is indecisive to the point of not choosing," said Pinkie as she walked away.
"Wait, what?" asked Applejack. Spike tilted his head.
"What's a harem?" asked Spike in confusion.
"Nothing!" said the girls in unison with nervous smiles. Spike merely grumbled in response.




Meanwhile in the Frozen North...

Twilight shivered as she clutched her arms. The cold air chilled her and Celestia to the bone.
"Man, it's freezing in here! Where the hay are we?" asked Twilight as she looked around the vast amount of laundry.
"Obviously, the laundry room," said Discord as he wore a sweater and scarf, and began to drink hot coco. "Ooh! I am looking forward to this year's Hearth's Warming Eve! I even got my festive sweater and hot cocoa ready!" said Discord. Celestia and Twilight looked at him in annoyance.
"Oh, did you want some?" asked Discord.
"Actually, we were hoping that you'd offer us something warm to wear," said Celestia as she shivered in place.
"Oh, right," said Discord as he snapped his fingers. Celestia and Twilight were suddenly bundled up in sweaters with scarfs.
"Thank you," said Celestia. Twilight began to search the room.
"So, where should go?" asked Twilight.
"Well, we can find her ourselves. We find Rebecca Shoichet, we find Gojira," said Discord.
"Again, who is this Rebecca Shoichet?" asked Twilight in annoyance.
"You wouldn't understand," said Discord as he proceeded to float around the room.
"Maybe if you'd explain it, I would!" said Twilight.
"Don't mind him, Twilight. Discord has always been this random," said Celestia.
"And you always been concerned about the mass of your rear and thighs!" said Discord. Celestia sent him a glare while Twilight's eyes widened.
"Not in front of my student," growled Celestia.
"It's not even that big! You women always look for anything in your image to be flawed and despair over it!" said Discord.
"Hey, that's sexist!" said Twilight in offense.
"Oh, don't even deny it! You were offended when I called you little. I bet you once tried to dress sexy to impress your boyfriend because you were worried that he'd look at other women," said Discord with a laugh. Twilight's face flushed furiously.
"Th-that's not true!" said Twilight. She avoided eye contact with Celestia, unable to take what sort of reaction that she may have held.
"Discord, you should know that it's a lot harder for women to take care of their appearance," said Celestia with a look of disapproval.
"I never said it wasn't. I'm merely saying that you both look fine and you should relax a bit," said Discord as he lied back in the air. Celestia and Twilight scowled in response.
"Next time, just say so instead of doing what you just did," said Celestia with a light blush on her cheeks.
"If it makes you feel better, men get insecure about some things too," said Discord as he filed his claws. Twilight looked at him curiously.
"Really? Like what?" asked Twilight.
"Well, there's their masculinity, who wears the pants of a relationship, finances, physical fitness, and there's also the size of their-"
"Discord!" shouted Celestia with red cheeks.
"Well, it's true! That last one is the number one insecurity!" said Discord with a shrug. Twilight merely kept a blank expression. Oblivious to what was the cause of Celestia's flushing face.
"What was that last-"
"Do you hear something?" asked a voice that muffled from behind the door. Twilight cupped her mouth with her hands. Celestia gasped as she lowered herself.
"Oh, right," whispered Discord as he transformed into a basket. Twilight and Celestia dove for cover into a large pile of laundry.
"I think it came from here," said another male voice. The door to the laundry room creaked open, revealing two Elf men to be walking in. They both searched the room with sharp eyes.
'Ugh! These socks reek!' thought Twilight in disgust.
"I thought I heard voices in here," said one of the Elves.
"Probably just two of our own making out while on duty," said the second Elf.
"Hey, you better not be making out! You're supposed to be working right now!" said the first Elf.
"Dude, come on. They're not gonna answer," said the second Elf in annoyance.
"I'm serious! I want my socks and underwear nice and clean!" said the first Elf. He was then pulled out of the laundry. The door was closed and the faint sounds of their footsteps soon left their hearing range. Twilight immediately burst out of the laundry.
"Please tell me that we weren't hiding in anyone's underwear!" whispered Twilight in disgust. Discord suddenly returned back to his original form.
"Actually, the underwear is in the corner. Right next to that flag over there," said Discord with interest as he flew towards the corner and picked up the black flag. Celestia stood up and turned to find Discord looking over the flag.
"Hmm. This is an interesting symbol," said Discord as he turned the flag over. Twilight's and Celestia's eyes widened and then hardened.
"What? Not your taste?" asked Discord with a shrug.
"No, that's a symbol of death to innocent lives," said Celestia. Discord looked at the symbol again with a raised brow.
"It's the symbol of the Transmutant Revolutionaries, a group of Transmutant terrorists," said Twilight. Discord immediately dropped the flag.
"Oh," said Discord. He then cleared his throat.
"Well, we should get going. Pretty soon, Gojira will beat us to Sunset Shimmer," said Discord.
"Lead the way," said Celestia.



The freezing cold air trailed throughout the hall that the Transmutant Four and Erika were currently in. Unconscious elves lied scattered across the hall. Junior knelt down by a man that was missing his front teeth.
"I guess we're in the right place after all," said Junior as he stood back up to his feet. Rodan searched the hall in confusion.
"So... where do we go now?" asked Rodan.
"Hmm. Maybe we should have interrogated one of these guys," said Angirasu as he scratched his head. Erika and Mosura looked at the male Transmutants in annoyance.
"We kept trying to tell you to not rough all of them up so much," deadpanned Mosura. Junior shrugged.
"Oh well. We still got a whole lot of them to interrogate later," said Junior. He made his way down the hall with his muscles tensed.
"Wait! We should really think about this," said Mosura as she ran to Junior's side.
"I've got a game plan already. You guys search for Shimmer. I'll draw away any assholes that may interfere," said Junior.
"Are you insane?! You do realize that there are potentially other Transmutants here, right?!" demanded Erika.
"Exactly," said Junior as he hardened his eyes.
"Goji, you'll need some back up. I'll go with you while the rest search for Sunset Shimmer," interjected Angirasu. Junior turned to face the other Transmutant, who merely kept a hard stare.
"You really don't have to," said Junior.
"I know. But I think with both of us, we can keep everyone else away," said Angirasu. Junior merely smirked.
"Alright, you can come," said Junior as he turned back around and made his way down the hall. Angirasu ran after him.
"Be careful!" said Mosura with a look of worry. Rodan frowned in disappointment.
"Damn. Oh well, I at least got rescuing damsel in distress duty," said Rodan with a smile. He then turned to other side of the hall and began to run.
"Onward!" said Rodan. Mosura sighed in annoyance.
"Maybe we should have made Gojira take Rodan with him," said Mosura as she turned to Erika.
"Doesn't matter now," said Erika as she ran after Rodan. Mosura shrugged and decided to join her group.
Meanwhile, Junior and Angirasu continued to run down the hall. As they reached a corner, they slowed down and slid against the wall. As he reached the corner, Junior peeked over and found a few men in cloaks conversing with urgency. Junior brought his head back and looked towards Angirasu.
"I've got a scent on several Transmutants down here. What do you want to do?" asked Angirasu.
"Kick their asses," answered Junior in a flat tone. Angirasu nodded as he bore a smile.
"Lead the way," said Angirasu. Junior turned to the corner.
"There are some elves down here. Let's rush them," said Junior. He then burst into a sprint over the corner of the hall and began to charge towards the humans.
"What the-" One of the elves turned and found Junior charging towards him. He was knocked off of his feet and flew to the side as Junior rammed his shoulder against him. The Transmutant kicked an elf that was on his left and knocked him to the ground.
"Why you-" a woman raised her hands and fired of spark of dark magic into Junior's chest. The Transmutant grunted as he was forced back. He gasped as he clutched his chest and dropped to his knees. The dark magic that had struck him felt as if it were burning into his soul. His heart weakly pumped as he began to feel cold. His eyes briefly flashed red as he felt his mind wander. His eyes widened as he found the elf looking down at him with her hand engulfed in a dark aura.
"Back off!" shouted Angirasu as he grabbed the woman's wrist and forced her arm behind her back. The woman attempted to struggle out of his hold but was then flipped over and fell to the ground. She groaned painfully as her back ached from landing on the stone. As she shot up, Angirasu immediately placed her into a sleeper hold. His opponent groaned as she attempted to fight the Transmutant off, but her efforts were fruitless. Her air was being cut off and she felt light headed as she frantically moved her arms.
"Shh. Go to sleep," whispered Angirasu as he felt the woman give in. She rolled her eyes back as she slumped into Angirasu's arms, unconscious. The Transmutant sighed in relief as he gently lowered her to the ground. He turned and found Junior sweating as he clutched his chest.
"Hey, you alright?" asked Angirasu worriedly. Junior grunted as he shook off his disorientation.
"I'm...I'm fine. Her spell was a dozy," said Junior as he shook himself. He then sluggishly stood up to his feet. "Listen, try to avoid magic attacks that are black like that. Dark magic is not fun to be hit by."
"I was just going to tell you that," chuckled Angirasu.  He then nudged Junior's shoulder. "Come on. Let's rock and roll,"
'More like someone's head is going to roll,' thought Junior as he clenched his fist. He nodded to Angirasu.
"Got it," said Junior as he moved on ahead. His eyes then flashed red as he thought back to Destoroyah. His scent was in the air, signaling that he was close.
"Angirasu, if we run into Destoroyah, just know that he's mine," said Junior as his eyes hardened. Angirasu glanced at him warily as he heard his friend's sharp tone.
"Are you sure? I mean, maybe we'd have a chance if-"
"No. I can handle him myself. I'm going to make sure he doesn't make it out of here alive," said Junior. Angirasu sighed.
"Alright," said Angirasu in reluctance. The two picked up their speed and found themselves in a large room. It was empty, filled with only a few torches.
"Man, it's cold in here," said Angirasu as he shivered.
"Well, I wouldn't worry. Once we get caught in a battle, you'll start to build up heat," said Junior as he turned to the shadows, finding multiple figures stepping out with weapons. They all sent the Transmutants glares. Junior's ears perked as he looked up to the ceiling and found a few mantises clicking their mandibles. Junior smirked as he popped his shoulders. Angirasu popped his knuckles as he chuckled.
"Oh, this is going to be fun," said Angirasu. Junior dropped to his knees as he slammed his hands onto the ground, causing the stone to crack. He grunted as his body grew his dorsal plates and his charcoal grey scales. Angirasu groaned as he dropped onto all fours as his arms and legs grew. The humans backed away as the Transmutant mantises dropped from the ceiling and began to screech. The entire room erupted into loud roars that echoed out in the temple.




Meanwhile...

A group of Shadow's Hand members ran down the halls of the temple. They wore dark armor and were armed with weapons. As they rounded a hall, they passed a large wall. After several seconds later as they left this wall, it suddenly rolled up like a sheet and disappeared. Discord peeked out from where the false wall covered a corner of the temple and watched the humans leave. He then placed a paw behind his ear as he heard faint echoed roars.
"Hmm. Sounds like Gojira is starting trouble already," said Discord. Twilight peaked out of the corner with a look of disbelief.
"He transformed? Ugh. I thought he'd be more stealthy about this," said Twilight.
"We'll just have to make this quick. Where to, Discord?" asked Celestia as she peaked from out of the corner. Discord reached for the fang that stuck out of his mouth and removed it. He then tossed it to the ground, allowing it to skid across the stone floor. The tooth suddenly changed in shape and size, morphing into a pole with an arrow on top. The arrow pointed to the opposite end of the hall from where the elves had come from.
"Down there!" said Discord as he grabbed the object and caused it to shrink back into his fang.
"Very good. Let's go!" said Celestia as she sprinted down the hall with Twilight trailing after her. Discord sighed in annoyance as he stuck the fang back into his mouth and floated after them. He held his arms back as he allowed himself to levitate towards Celestia’s side while in a lying position.
"You know, this is quite exciting. I mean, I never thought I'd already be on my first mission for the good guys," said Discord.
"Discord, be serious about this! This isn't a game!" said Celestia as she looked towards the corners of the halls that they passed.
"I'm not treating this like a game. I'm merely stating how exciting this is," said Discord with as he flew up ahead by Twilight's side.
"So tell me, Twilight. How did a socially awkward book worm like you manage to get into a relationship with an anti-social punk like Gojira?" asked Discord. Twilight looked at him in annoyance.
"Can this wait?" asked Twilight.
"I don't see why not now. Tell me now before we save his former crush! By the way, does it concern you that he's putting this much effort to save her while he's having you wait on the side lines?" asked Discord. Twilight's eyes slightly widened. Celestia hardened her eyes.
"Discord, please," said Celestia.
"It's just a simple question. I only bring it up because I remember how he would talk about her whenever he got the chance," said Discord. He then pulled out a hand puppet that bore Junior's appearance and held it up to Twilight's face.
"Oh, you should've seen her! She has this amazing crimson hair! It's beautiful like a Phoenix's feathers!" said Discord as he moved the puppets mouth. He flawlessly mimicked Junior's voice, much to Twilight's disturbance. She watched the puppet in annoyance but then found herself imagining the words actually coming from the Transmutant's mouth.
"My, she sounds like a knock out, Gojira!" said Discord as he looked at the puppet with a sly smile. He made the puppet turn to face him.
"That's not all, Discord! I always was a fan of girls with pointed ears. She's got 'em too!" said the puppet. Twilight's face turned into a scowl as she continued to run.
"Maybe I should ask her out? Nah, that'd be too crazy! But she's really beautiful!" said the puppet. Twilight stopped running as she turned to face Discord with a glare.
"OK! I get it, he had a crush on her and now he's going to rescue her! Can we drop it?!" shouted Twilight as her eye twitched. Discord and Celestia flinched in response. Discord and the puppet glanced at each other and then looked back to Twilight, who fumed in anger. Discord then moved the puppet closer to Twilight, who merely glared at it.
"Twiliiiight. Puppet Gojira wants to talk to you~," said Discord with a smile.
"Discord, please stop," said Celestia.
"I don't want to talk to him. I just want to find Sunset Shimmer so we can all go home," said Twilight as she crossed her arms and looked away. Discord lightly frowned in response, but then smiled as he held the puppet by Twilight's shoulder.
"Don't feel bad, Twilight. At least you weren't trying to kill me like an insect," said Discord as he mimicked Junior's voice. Twilight merely glanced at the puppet.
"Unlike a certain girl that I had a crush on. What a witch! At least I met someone else, who likes me back. That makes you feel good, right?" asked the puppet. Twilight's expression softened as she looked at the puppet.
"Forgive me for saying this Princess, but it actually does make me feel better," said Twilight in a neutral tone.
"Good! Because I'm only doing this because that other Transmutant is nagging me to!" said the puppet in annoyance.
"I... I can't say that I blame you for being upset, Junior. But I do ask that you give Sunset a chance," said Celestia. She then looked to the puppet with a soft expression.
"I think that you both should put your past behind yourselves so that you both may have a fresh start. Forgiveness will lighten your burden," said Celestia with a soft smile. Twilight lightly smiled as she looked at her mentor. Meanwhile, Discord stood by in discomfort.
"At first, this was amusing. Now, you made it creepy," said Discord. Twilight and Celestia both gave Discord a deadpanned stare in response.
"Hey! Is that you, Goji?!" cried a male voice. The trio were startled by this voice, prompting them to turn to a cross section of the hall and found Rodan peeking out of a corner with the rest of the Transmutants.
"Rodan? Mosu? Guys!" cried Twilight in surprise.
"Twilight?! Princess Celestia, wha- what are you two doing here?!" asked Mosura as she made her way over to the trio. Rodan looked at Discord briefly and then shook his head.
"You brought them here? Man, Goji is going to be pissed when he finds out," said Rodan
"He only brought us here because we made him. I shall explain that to Junior," said Celestia. Twilight looked around in confusion.
"Wait, where are Angirasu and Gojira?" asked Twilight. Erika looked down the hall, checking for any eavesdroppers.
"Takeshi and Riku are causing a distraction right now. We're looking for Sunset, but no luck so far," said Erika.
"Well, we already located her. She's just down here," said Discord as he pointed to his left. Mosura looked at Rodan in annoyance.
"I told you that we were supposed to make another right back there!" said Mosura.
"Good god, woman! Could you not nag me about directions in this place?! It's huge, freezing, and it’s filled with too many damn halls!" retorted Rodan. Celestia turned back the Transmutants with a serious expression.
"You said that Junior and Angirasu were somewhere else?" asked Celestia.
"Um...yeah, they're like back down there. Just make-" Rodan was interrupted as Mosura placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Your highness, if you'd like, I can escort you," said Mosura with a smile. Celestia nodded.
"I would greatly appreciate that, Mosura," said Celestia.
"Good! You guys just follow Discord and regroup with us when you have Sunset Shimmer," said Mosura as she led Celestia through the hall. Rodan scowled.
"She's just saying that because she thinks I have no sense of direction," said Rodan.
"Let's worry about that later, we have to find Sunset!" said Erika in urgency.
"Right, lead the way- Hey, what's with that puppet?" asked Rodan in confusion. Erika turned to Discord and noticed the puppet that was in his hand. Twilight merely held a look of annoyance as Discord held the puppet up.
"I'm no puppet! My name is Gojira Takeshi the 2nd! And I like to beat up monsters!" said Discord as he mimicked Junior's voice.
"Hahaha! That actually sounds like him! No wonder why I heard his voice," laughed Rodan.
"Oh my gosh! That's so cute!" said Erika. She then shook her head furiously, mentally scolding herself for being side tracked.
"Please, let's just go!" said Erika.
"Discord, lead the way," said Twilight with a hard stare. Discord sighed as he banished the puppet away and flew down the hall.
"Hang on, Discord. You'll be able to have your fun later," said Discord with a scowl. The group eventually came across a darker area, where a wooden lied. Discord morphed his finger into a key and stuck it inside of the key hole. Before he could twist his finger, Erika gently pushed him aside.
"I'm sorry, but we have no time for that!" said Erika. She then rammed her shoulder against the door, causing it to fly off of its hinges. Inside was a dark dungeon, where several cells lied. The sound of chains rattling filled their ears.
"Wh-Who's there?" asked a frightened voice. Erika gasped as she ran to the far end of the dungeon. She stopped at a cell and found Sunset Shimmer slowly approaching the cell door. Her clothes were ragged, her skin was pale as a ghost and her hair and skin was a mess. Her eyes widened as she rushed towards the door.
"Erika?" called Sunset with hopeful eyes.
"I'm right here, Sunset! We're here to rescue you!" said Erika as she grabbed the door and began to pull on it. Sunset took several steps back and watched as Erika removed the door and tossed it to the side. She then approached her friend, who met her with a tight embrace.
"You're alive! You're alive!" cried Sunset as her eyes ran with tears of joy. Erika returned her hug as she smiled. She then released her. Sunset's eyes widened as she spotted Twilight, Rodan and Discord.
"Wha-" Sunset looked at Erika in confusion and slight worry.
"It's OK! They're with us," said Erika with a reassuring smile.
"Yeah, but we're still unsure about this guy," said Rodan as he gestured to Discord, who merely stuck his tongue out at him.
"Princess Celestia and Gojira are here too," said Twilight in a soft tone. Sunset's eyes slightly widened as she relaxed her shoulders.
"They...are?" asked Sunset in disbelief. Erika nodded.
"Yes. Come on, we gotta go now!" said Erika as she pulled Sunset along. The Elf pulled back.
"Wait! We can't leave now! Something big is going on!" said Sunset. Twilight and Rodan looked at each other in confusion.
"Big? Like what?" asked Twilight.
"If it's MONARCH working to take over the world by gaining more trust and freedom over the nations, then it's not something we didn't already know," said Rodan with a scowl.
"No! This is much bigger than that!" said Sunset with a look of dread. She felt her chest as she recalled how Thanatos stuck his hand into her body. She slightly trembled as she recalled the horror that she felt.
"The people here are the ones pulling the strings to everything! I don't know much, but they keep talking about this new king that was released," said Sunset.
"New king?" asked Erika. Discord raised a brow.
"Yes! I...I forgot his name, but he seems very experienced with dark magic. But they formed some triple alliance with the Changelings and the Revolutionaries!" said Sunset.
"Wait, the Revolutionaries are here?!" asked Rodan in shock.
"An alliance with the Changelings?!" exclaimed Twilight.
"That's not all! These guys are planning something! The Revolutionaries keep talking about something called, 'Kaiju'. Saying how they're gonna bring salvation or something," said Sunset as she rubbed her head. She stumbled to the side but was caught by Erika.
"I... I can't think straight. They barely give me food and water," said Sunset. Discord spawned a glass of water with a sandwich and held them out to her. She gasped and immediately took them and began to scarf the food down.
"Kaiju? Wait..." Erika looked down in thought. Rodan's eyes slightly widened.
"Gojira told me about Kaiju. He said that they were mythical creatures in Neighponese culture," said Twilight.
"Yeah, so why would they be talking about them as if they were real?" asked Erika. Sunset panted as she took a short break from her food.
"It could be some kind of cult the Revolutionaries formed," said Sunset with a shrug.
"I... I don't think that's it," said Rodan. The rest of the group looked at him in wonder.
"Then what else could it be?" asked Twilight.
'Oh man. Is now a good time to come clean? Would they even believe me?' thought Rodan.
"Does it really matter now? Perhaps we should regroup and worry about more pressing matters," said Discord as he made his way out the door.
"Right, let's get going," said Twilight as she and Rodan followed the Draconequus. Rodan then noticed Discord giving him a wink, much to his confusion. His eyes then widened.
'Does he know for sure?' thought Rodan.
"Can you walk on your own?" asked Erika.
"Yeah. Yeah, I think so," said Sunset as she sluggishly began to walk. She stumbled a bit until she recovered the feeling in her legs. She continued to walk with Erika, slowly picking up her speed.



"Gah!!" cried a member of the Shadow's Hand as he was flung across the room and slammed into a wall. He fell down to the ground, unconscious. Junior snarled as he locked his hands on the hooked appendages of a mantis Transmutant. The beast shrieked as it attempted to snap its mandibles against his muzzle. Junior raised his foot and then sent a powerful kick against the mantis's chest, launching it back several feet. With its clawed appendages locked on by Junior, the mantis's limbs were torn off, making it fall back. The Revolutionary shrieked in agony as it convulsed on the ground, allowing its bleeding wound to stain the ground. Junior grunted as he tossed one of the hooked appendages to the side and proceeded to stomp towards his opponent. The mantis sluggishly stood up as it attempted to flee, but it was tackled to the ground.
Junior growled as his eyes flashed red. His rationality was currently absent, replaced by a primal instinct. He dove down for the mantis's back and bit down with his mighty jaws. The mantis gave a gurgled screech as it felt its carapace mauled. Junior tore his head away with a chunk of the Revolutionary's carapace in his mouth. The red glow in Junior's eyes died down, returning to its normal amber appearance. He gasped as he immediately shot up to his feet and spat the carapace that was held in his jaws. His taste buds tingled from the taste of the insect's bodily fluid that seeped from its wound.
"Wha-What the hell?" muttered Junior as he immediately spat on the floor. He watched as the Revolutionary perished from its wounds, unnerved on what he was doing.
"Oh shit. I wasn't going to eat him, was I?" asked Junior as his stomach turned. Despite the fact that the mantis was lacking human traits, he still felt that it'd be cannibalism if he were to devour his opponent like an animal. He shook his head immediately and turned to find Angirasu swinging his clubbed tail against three members of the Shadow's Hand, knocking them away to the far end of the room.
"These guys must feel really confident that they can beat us," said Angirasu as he shook his body. He then turned to face Junior with a smirk. "Ready to cause more trouble?"
"Uh...yeah! Yeah, let's go," said Junior as he quickly walked down the hall. Angirasu cocked his head to the side, curious.
"Hey, you OK?" asked Angirasu.
"I'm good. Come on," said Junior as he continued to move through the icy halls. Angirasu sighed as he walked on all fours after his friend. The two began to stomp through a narrow hall. Their bodies grazed against the brick walls. Junior growled in annoyance as he held his arms and shoulders closer to himself in an attempt to slide through. The pair eventually came across a grand room, where an altar stood and a frozen wall in the corner. They remained vigilant as they circled the room.
"So, you came," said a voice. Junior and Angirasu immediately turned and found Thanatos, Ghidorah and Destoroyah standing on the altar. The two Guardians tensed as they snarled.
"I must say, I am surprised to see you present in our sanctuary," said Thanatos as he spoke through his hood.
"Well, we had some help finding it. Thank a certain girl that you were keeping prisoner," said Junior with a glare. Thanatos merely kept a neutral expression.
"So, you're here to liberate her? We can't have that. Not when my master desires a powerful bride," said Thanatos.
"Yikes. He sounds like a creep if he's forcing her into marriage," said Angirasu as he pawed at the ground. Destoroyah and Ghidorah both grunted as they transformed. Junior hardened his eyes as he focused on Destoroyah as he took on his demonic form. Destoroyah cackled as he folded his wings.
"Enough talk! It is time to die!" said Destoroyah as he and Ghidorah took to the air. Thanatos merely vanished into thin air, reappearing in the corner of the room. Junior and Angirasu let loose loud roars as they prepared to battle. Destoroyah dove towards Junior with his claws held out. Junior merely leapt towards his nemesis and locked his jaws onto his neck. Destoroyah shrieked as he dropped to the ground with Junior, clawing him. Angirasu dashed towards Ghidorah as he hovered a few feet above. He leaped into the air and rolled himself into a ball. Ghidorah screeched as he was caught by the spikes of the Transmutant as he collided with him. The two slammed into the ground, turning to face each other.
"I still got a score to settle with you!" shouted Angirasu as he charged towards the three headed dragon. Ghidorah's three heads smirked as the smaller Transmutant approached. The middle head fired the gold electric beam towards Angirasu, who evaded the attack by stepping to the side. The left head spewed a beam, and then the right. The beams forced Angirasu into the middle as he attempted to come closer. However, the middle head spewed the beam again, striking Angirasu in his shoulder. The attack caused the Guardian to roar in pain as he tripped and fell onto his belly. Ghidorah raised his foot and then stomped on Angirasu's head, grinding his heel over the flat skull. Angirarus then forced his forelegs to push himself up, making Ghidorah stumble back, and swung his clubbed tail at the stomach of the golden dragon, piercing through his thick scales.
"Wretched little-" Ghidorah charged back towards his opponent.
"Prepare to join your clan in the next life, Takeshi!" shouted Destoroyah as he grabbed Junior's neck with his pincer appendage attached to the end of his tail. Junior's eyes flashed red as he thrashed in place. His dorsal plates glowed; his throat released a neon blue light from the back of his throat and out came his atomic breath. The demon-like Transmutant wailed from the intense heat of the atomic flames. Junior immediately cut off his attack and charged towards Destoroyah, ramming into him. Destoroyah was forced down to the ground against the altar in a daze. Junior stomped towards the Transmutant but then growled in pain as a beam of dark magic struck him in his side. He immediately turned and found Thanatos looking at him with a smirk. Junior's eyes flashed red as he roared in fury. He charged towards the human in a blind, primal rage. No words left his mouth, merely animalistic cries that called for blood. He lunged towards the human, who merely leapt over him and landed from behind. Junior whipped his head around and narrowed his eyes. His tail immediately swung towards the old man, but missed as Thanatos ducked.
"I see," said Thanatos with a dark smile as Junior turned towards him.
"Your consciousness seems to be currently absent. As of now, your Kaiju spirit's enraged heart is attempting to manifest itself through you in order to fulfill its desire," said Thanatos. Junior didn't respond. Every word was nothing but muffle in his ears. He merely bared his teeth as he clenched his hands. Thanatos inhaled deeply as he sighed.
"Can you feel it, master?" asked Thanatos. Junior kept his eyes on Thanatos, but his eyes were drawn to a shadowy motion. He turned his head and found a shadowed figure in a plume of dark clouds seeping through the walls.
"Yes," said Sombra as he emerged from the walls in a misty form, his face being exposed. Junior roared as he charged towards Sombra, but found himself locked by several dark crystals that shot out of the ground. The crystals encircled him in a small prison and then closed in. Several more crystals shot out of the ground, piercing Junior in his sides and pinning his body in place.
"Skreeeeooonnk!!" Junior thrashed in place as he attempted to free himself. Sombra chuckled as he appeared before Junior's face, giving him a sinister smile.
"In your state, I sense a lack of fear in you, creature," said Sombra. Junior snapped his jaws at him, but his teeth only phased through the dark shadow.
"However, I can feel that your heart has hatred. You have anger. But with your power, it's costing you your mind," said Sombra with a laugh. Junior roared angrily as his body sparked and gave off a neon blue light as his dorsal plates illuminated. His body then gave off a nuclear pulse that blasted the crystals away, causing Sombra to grunt in pain as the blinding light flashed in his eyes. He immediately dissipated away from the light and the blast. Thanatos raised a shield to protect himself from the lethal pulse. Junior then slammed his hands onto the ground as he roared at the human. Thanatos immediately shot his hands towards Junior, firing a dark beam of magic against the scar over his chest. Junior's eyes widened as he felt the dark magic seep into his scar, causing it to open out and spray blood. Junior screeched in agony as he dropped to the ground and clutched his stinging scar. Thanatos turned and found Angirasu charging towards him.
"You bastard!" shouted Angirasu. Before he could ram into the human, Ghidorah grabbed him by the tail with his raptor-like feet. Angirasu suddenly found himself being carried up several feet into the air.
"You can fly, right?" asked Ghidorah.
"No!" shouted Angirasu as he turned his head to face Ghidorah with a glare.
"Oh, well that's a shame," said Ghidorah with a cackle. He then released Angirasu, dropping him several feet from the air. The Guardian cried out as he fell to the ground, causing a small crater into the ground on impact. Angirasu moaned as he lied on his back. Ghidorah chuckled as he descended down towards Angirasu until he placed one foot onto his belly, digging his claws into the softer hide. The serpent like necks swayed and hovered over Angirasu as they smiled with malice.
"It's too...it's too cold. I don't have enough strength to..." panted Destoroyah as he clutched his burning chest and sluggishly moved towards Junior. He normally disliked the cold in this temple, but he was able to find warmth in certain areas. In this room, however, the colder temperatures were beginning to take its toll.
"If it is much too difficult for you to finish him, we shall-" Thanatos was interrupted as Destoroyah snarled at him.
"No! I'll be the one to restore honor to my clan!" growled Destoroyah. Thanatos merely kept a calm expression.
"Very well. Do your worst," said Thanatos. Destoroyah growled as he stomped over to Junior, who lied on the ground with red eyes. He raised his head as he snarled at his enemy.
"K-Kill...you!" grunted Junior.
"Even his spirit's primal instincts are affecting his ability to speak," said Thanatos with a look of amusement. Destoroyah raised a claw into the air as he prepared to strike Junior's head, but was caught by a golden beam. He cried out in pain as he clutched his smoking chest. He looked and found Celestia charging towards him with a furious look.
"Stay away from him!" shouted Celestia as she continued to fire her beam towards the Revolutionary. Destoroyah was forced back by the Avatar's powerful magic and was harmed by its intense heat. It was as though the sun itself was casting its solar flares upon him. Ghidorah turned away from Angirasu as he held him down to the ground. He then snarled as his middle head opened its jaws, charging its projectile attack. Before he could fire, his head was struck by a heavy block of ice. He stumbled to the side with the middle head dazed. The two other heads turned and found Mosura rushing towards him with her another large block of ice held over her head. Ghidorah's left head fired an electric beam towards her. Mosura yelped as she stepped to the side, dodging the beam that scorched the direction that she was running in. She then grunted as she threw the block towards the middle head and then focused her telekinesis on it to add velocity. The block was telekinetically pushed towards the left head and knocked it into a dazed state. Ghidorah stumbled and fell over as the right head was unable to keep the body balanced. Angirasu grunted as he rolled back onto his feet.
"Thanks, Mosu!" said Angirasu with a nod.
"Sure, now go help the princess!" said Mosura as she pointed towards Celestia, who struggled to keep Destoroyah back while Thanatos shot his magic beam towards her. Angirasu nodded and ran towards the battle, rolling into a ball with an occasional small bounce. Angirasu slammed against Destoroyah's chest, piercing into his crustacean body. Destoroyah screeched as he fell backwards. Celestia fired a bolt of magic towards Thanatos, who raised a shield to catch it. However, the shield shattered once the bolt made impact.
"Damn!" growled Thanatos as he teleported away. Celestia rushed over to Junior's side.
"Junior, are you alright?!" asked Celestia in worry. Her eyes widened as she found his chest covered in his own blood. The Transmutant met her with a piercing red glare.
"Oh, no," whispered Celestia with dread as she recognized the intense look. Junior snarled as he snapped his jaws at her. Celestia immediately took several steps back as the Transmutant stood up to his feet.
"Junior, stop! Come to your senses!" cried Celestia. Junior merely roared at her as he extended his neck forward, spraying saliva onto the ground. Mosura and Angirasu immediately turned and witnessed Junior charge towards her. He slammed his fist down towards her, but missed as Celestia took off into the air.
"Gojira, what are you doing?!" cried Mosura.
"This happened before! Something is causing him to lose control of himself!" said Celestia as she flew higher as Junior hopped towards her and attempted to bite her.
"Well, how did you get him to stop last time?!" asked Angirasu as he anxiously watched as Destoroyah and Ghidorah beginning to rise.
"I don't know! Caesar did something to make him come to his senses!" said Celestia as Junior turned towards Angirasu and Mosura with a snarl.
"Goji, no!" said Mosura as he charged towards them. Angirasu grunted as he made his way to Junior and tackled him to the ground. Junior roared as he punched Angirasu.
"Knock it off!" shouted Angirasu as he butt heads with Junior. The two Transmutants groaned in pain as their heads collided.
"Ok, that was stupid on my part," said Angirasu as his eyes crossed. Junior shook his head furiously and then shoved Angirasu off of himself. Junior roared as he charged towards Angirasu, prompting him to tense up. However, Junior merely passed him and dove towards Destoroyah. He sent multiple punches towards the Revolutionary leader, whom raised his arms in attempt to block the attacks. Mosura watched with wide eyes as Junior's red eyes glared Destoroyah and her powers told her that his head was overwhelmed with rage that was taking over his human mind. She felt terrified to see her friend acting like that and knew that he was slowly slipping away from her and the others.
"Gojira, stop! Stop, we have to go!" cried Mosura as she ran towards Junior. She stopped and tugged at his tail. She gasped as she found Ghidorah rising to his feet.
"Gojira, come on!" cried Mosura. She then yelped as she felt herself swung around. She gave panicked cries as she held on tightly to Junior's tail as he swung it wildly. Junior growled as he turned from Destoroyah and grabbed Mosura. He brought her close to his muzzle as he snarled. Mosura trembled with fear as she was held by her arm, with her friend's snout just inches from her face with his teeth bared.
"Goji... Please, stop," said Mosura in a distraught tone. Junior merely kept his eyes narrowed on her as he gave a low growl. Mosura shakily raised her free hand towards him and slowly brought it to his snout. Junior's pupils dilated as his growls grew louder. Mosura was about to recoil her hand, but thought against it.
"It's OK. I'm your friend, remember?" asked Mosura in a whisper as she brought her hand over the Transmutant's snout. Junior's pupils slowly contracted, prompting Mosura to gently run a hand over his flat head. However, she noticed that his eyes were still red and that his mood still seemed primal.
"I'm going to find out what's wrong," said Mosura with a firm expression. She then closed her eyes as she linked her own mind with Junior's. The Transmutants were locked in an immobile state. Mosura opened her eyes and found herself in a dark and mysterious place. She recognized it to be the ruined city she saw during her meditation. Mosura searched the area with a wary expression. She then gasped as she found Junior sitting among a pile of rubble, bounded by chains.
"Gojira!" cried Mosura as she ran towards him. Before she could reach him, a massive foot stepped in between her and her friend. Mosura's eyes widened in horror as she shot her head up and found the dark dragon that she had witnessed once in this hellish world. She could fully recognize it as the same species of Kaiju that Junior was mutated with. The dark Kaiju lowered its head as it snarled at Mosura.
"Why are you interfering?" asked the Kaiju in a deep and dark voice.
"You! What are you?! And what are you doing to my friend?!" demanded Mosura. The dark Kaiju laughed, giving the sound of thunder.
"Your friend? Gojira does not need any friends, Mosura Yasu," said the Kaiju. He raised himself up higher and turned to the dark clouds that flashed with lightning.
"I am a part of Gojira's soul. I embodied his rage and self-loathing, but when the spirit essence of his past life was infused in his soul, I gained consciousness and became a second part of him, almost a separate yet similar entity," said the dark Kaiju. Mosura's eyes widened in shock at the thought of the Kaiju being a part of Junior, yet it explained Junior’s rampages. "The anger in his past life's heart was truly how I became more than just a nightmare. I am Gojira's true inner self, his next step in his evolution! I am Akuma!" said the Kaiju. His voice boomed throughout the city. Mosura narrowed her eyes.
"No, I refuse to believe that you're a part of him! Gojira would never attack the ones that he loves!" said Mosura.
"That is because he is weak! He still clings to his human traits when he knows that he can be so much more! He can rule this world with his power! He can bring justice and have his revenge on those who wronged him long ago!" said the dragon. He then glared at Mosura.
"But then you and those humans made him soft and weak!" said the Kaiju.
"He is not weak! Gojira, is one of the strongest people I know!" shouted Mosura. She turned to the side and found Junior to be unconscious and bound by chains.
"You say that you are a part of him. Somewhere in his heart, he really feels that he can use his power to take revenge on not just Destoroyah, but all of MONARCH. Yet, you call him weak because he does not focus on destroying MONARCH, rather his focus is on protecting his friends," said Mosura.
"He's been through a lot. We all have, but he is a survivor! He knows that there would be consequences to his actions and that his friends matter the most to him!" said Mosura. Akuma growled in anger as he narrowed his eyes on the Transmutant.
"He may not always do it, but Gojira does rely on us when in need! You may think that being human is weak, but it's what makes him special! He's holding onto his humanity, despite how hard the world tries to dehumanize people like us! In fact, you're the one who is weak!" said Mosura as she shot an accusing finger at Akuma.
"You can't help him, Mosura. More than anything now, Gojira wants to destroy Destoroyah because of what he did to us. And I will be the one who will give him the strength. You wouldn't understand, being but a child that does not have the guts to take a life, even if a loved one depended on it," said Akuma with a mocking smile. Mosura hardened her eyes as she clenched her fists.
"You give my friend his body back, you monster," said Mosura.
"Ha! When Gojira kills Destoroyah out of vengeance, it will be my body once I've consumed his consciousness. And when I'm through, I am going to tear apart every single one of you," said the dragon.
"If that's the case, then why didn't you kill me when you had the chance?" demanded Mosura. Akuma's eyes slightly widened in surprise. Mosura merely smirked.
"I guess Gojira wants control over his own body, not you and your savage personality," said Mosura. She then hardened her eyes. "Or could it be that deep down, you might care about me just a little bit? If that's the case, how do you feel about Twilight Sparkle?"
"Silence! Leave this world!" shouted Akuma as he raised his foot. Mosura merely closed her eyes as she focused her psychic abilities. She reopened them and found herself being held by Junior. His eyes were still red, signaling Junior's absence in controlling himself. Mosura's eyes widened as she found Destoroyah shooting up to his feet with his mouth open wide.
"Look out!" cried Mosura as she pointed behind Junior. The Transmutant immediately turned and found Destoroyah charging towards him. He tossed Mosura away, allowing her to fly across the room.
"Oof!" Mosura grunted as she landed on a large pile of pillows. She turned to the side and found Discord lying down on a large, floating pillow.
"How's it going?" asked Discord.
"Thanks, Discord," said Mosura with a smile. She then turned and found Angirasu and Celestia attempting to lure Junior away from Ghidorah and Destoroyah.
"Discord, we need to get out of here! Spawn a portal to the park in Ponyville!" said Mosura in urgency.
"Alright, alright! Keep your thigh highs on," said Discord with a look of annoyance. He swiped his eagle claw through the air, opening a portal to a park during the evening. He turned towards Rodan, Erika, Sunset and Twilight.
"Alright, everyone let’s go! We'll buy you time," said Discord with a grin as he ushered them through the portal.
"Hey, no pushing!" said Rodan in annoyance.
"Wait, what about Princess Celestia and Gojira?!" exclaimed Twilight as she turned to find Junior fighting Angirasu while Celestia fired a beam of magic at his back. Twilight's eyes widened.
"Wait, what are you doing?!" cried Twilight.
"Twilight, just keep going! We'll handle this!" said Mosura as she used her telekinesis to push Twilight through the portal. She yelped as she fell into Rodan's arms through the portal.
"Mosura!" cried Twilight as she attempted to run back inside of the portal.
"Stay out here, Twilight! It's too dangerous!" said Rodan as he held Twilight. Mosura turned to Discord from the other side of the portal.
"Something is wrong with Gojira. He's lost control and is lashing out at anyone that comes close to him or Destoroyah! Can you force him through and tame him?" asked Mosura in urgency.
"Fine, but I'm not taking too kindly with you bossing me around," said Discord in disapproval. Mosura sighed in annoyance.
"It's a request! Pretty please?" asked Mosura with pleading eyes. Discord shrugged.
"Fine, since you said 'please'," said Discord. He then spawned a new set of clothing over his body, giving him the appearance of a cowboy.
"Let's round 'em up!" said Discord as he pulled out a rope and twirled it around. He then threw the lasso towards Junior, wrapping it around his neck. Junior growled in anger as he glared at Discord and attempted to pull away. Discord's arms were forced forward as he slightly stumbled.
"Whoo wee! This varmint is a fighter! Ya'll get going Celestia and spiky!" said Discord as he placed on a fake southern accent while tugging on the rope.
"It's Angirasu!" said Angirasu in annoyance as he and Celestia headed for the portal. They turned and noticed that multiple shadows were coming from the different halls.
"Oh, looks like those reinforcements are catching up," said Discord in surprise. His eyes widened as he found dark clouds passing Ghidorah and Destoroyah as they charged away from the altar. As Celestia waited for Angirasu to move through the portal, her eyes widened as she spotted a pair of red and green glowing eyes among the shadows.
"Celestia..." called Sombra in a raspy voice.
"No, it's him," said Celestia. She turned to Discord in urgency.
"Stop fooling around and get my son out of here! Keep him away from that shadow!" said Celestia as she ran through the portal. Discord stepped through the portal as he tugged hard on the rope, pulling Junior off of his feet and through the portal with him. The portal immediately sealed shut before Sombra could pass through. He yelled in anger as he returned to his physical form.
"Damn it all! She has taken my bride! She was the only one with enough inner power to open the gates!" shouted Sombra as he stomped on the ground, causing multiple black crystals to sprout out all around himself. The Shadow's Hand members and Revolutionaries that had just arrived stumbled back from the growing crystals.
"Every time when he's in my grasp, he manages to slip away," growled Destoroyah. Ghidorah remained silent as he stood by and hardened his eyes. Thanatos stepped over to Sombra.
"Master, we shall retrieve the girl again. But we must make sure that our temple is hidden further from the original site of the Crystal Empire," said Thanatos. Sombra sighed heavily.
Very well. Make sure that the second artifact is retrieved from the one called, Vanity. We will need to be prepared for when the star is in the right position," said Sombra with a hard expression as he turned to look at his followers.
"As for the rest of you, I will not tolerate another failure such as this! Those who fail me will be punished! Is that clear?" questioned Sombra.
"Yes, Lord Sombra!" said the cult members that were present.
"Bring me the Avatar Amulet!" ordered Sombra. A woman emerged from the crowd and knelt before him as she offered the box with the amulet inside. Sombra then turned to Thanatos as he took the Avatar Amulet and clipped it around his neck, making his eyes glow red
"Come, we must move the temple," said Sombra as he walked away from the scene.

> Chapter 62: Lighten the Burden
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sound of roaring filled the park of Ponyville. Animals that were sleeping nearby woke up with a start and fled the area to avoid whatever beast made such terrifying roars. 

"Be quiet! People are trying to sleep!" said Discord as he looked at Junior with a glare. He stood by with the Main six, Spike, Sunset Shimmer, Celestia, and the rest of the Transmutant Four. Junior was inside of a large, transparent cube. Junior roared again as he slammed his fist against the cube, causing the girls to flinch. He snarled as he continued to slam his own body against the cube, attempting to free himself of the confined space. His glowing red eyes shone through the night. 

"I can't stand to watch him like this," said Rarity as she looked away. 

"What the heck is wrong with him?" asked Rainbow in worry. 

"Yeah, and why are his eyes all glowy like that?" asked Pinkie. Junior continued roar as he clawed at the box. 

"He was just like this when he attacked Cadence, Luna, and I," said Celestia with a deep frown. 

"I believe it. He didn't seem too fond about having a conversation earlier," said Angirasu as he rubbed his shoulder. He was wearing a pair of sweatpants with a sweater, which was given to him when he reverted back to his human form. 

"He looks pretty angry," said Applejack warily as Junior continued to claw at the box. 

"Princess, we can't possibly leave him like this! How did you fix him last time?" asked Twilight. 

"Caesar may know, since it was his doing that Junior was able to return to normal," said Celestia. 

"He's still in that thick skull somewhere. We just have to reach into him," said Mosura as she made her way over to the box. Junior slammed his head against the wall as he snarled at Mosura. 

"Careful Mosu," said Rodan with a wary expression. 

"Relax, that barrier will hold. I made it myself," said Discord proudly. Mosura raised her hand and gently placed it on the barrier. Junior continued to growl as he bared his teeth. 

"Twilight, could you step over here with me?" asked Mosura. Twilight raised a brow but stepped over to Mosura's position. 

"Yes?" asked Twilight. 

"I want to try something. It might not work, but I'm willing to do anything to get my friend back," said Mosura as she hardened her eyes. 

"What are you going to do?" asked Twilight. 

"Earlier, I was able to link my mind with Gojira's. Something in his spirit is causing him to behave this way. In fact, it threatens to wipe out the Gojira that we know and replace him with a monster," said Mosura. Twilight looked on at Junior in despair as the beast began to pant. 

"What can we do?" asked Fluttershy. 

"Well, we're just going to have to wake Goji up," said Mosura. She then took a seat with Twilight as they sat close to the barrier. 

"Everyone, I need silence for this. Twilight, I need you to close your eyes and to clear your mind of negative thoughts," said Mosura as she placed a hand on Twilight's shoulder. The Elf nodded in response as she closed her eyes. She took a soft breath and sighed as she relaxed herself. Mosura closed her eyes as she set her free hand on the barrier. The humans, drake, Draconequus and Transmutants watched in silence as Mosura focused her psychic abilities and her forehead began to glow. Everyone that was watching gasped in shock as a golden symbol appeared on Mosura's forehead. It appeared as a cross in the center of a sun-like image as if it originated from some ancient tribe. Mosura's hands released a soft golden glow as she focused her abilities. When she opened her eyes, Mosura found herself back in the ruined city. She turned and found Twilight looking around anxiously. 

"Wh-Where are we?" asked Twilight. 

"I guess here is the representation of the state that Gojira's heart is in," said Mosura. Twilight looked around towards the tall buildings that were damaged, knocked over, and on fire. The streets were filled with debris and the clouds above gave a look of hopelessness. 

"It...it feels so lonely here. As if...he's destroyed everything that was around in a fit of anger," said Twilight with a deep frown. Mosura walked with Twilight through the city. Debris from standing buildings fell to the ground, the sound of them impacting the ground echoed through the air. Some buildings even just fell over or just collapsed under their own weight. Twilight jumped whenever a building collapsed, scared out of her wits. 

"There he is!" said Mosura as she began to run. Twilight chased after her with wide eyes as she found Junior chained up around debris. Mosura and Twilight knelt around Junior with worried expressions. Mosura began to shake Junior by his shoulders. 

"Goji! Goji, get up!" cried Mosura. Junior remained unresponsive. Twilight gritted her teeth. 

"Gojira, please get up!" cried Twilight. Junior's face slightly crinkled, but he did not wake up. Mosura's eyes widened in surprise as she noticed Twilight's shoulder beginning to glow through the t-shirt that she was wearing. 

"Twilight, what's that?" asked Mosura as she pointed to her shoulder. The Elf looked at her in confusion but then gasped as she found her shoulder to be glowing through her shirt. She pulled her sleeve back and found her Cutie Mark to be glowing. 

"My Cutie Mark," said Twilight. She then looked down in confusion. 

"I don't understand. Why is it-" Twilight was interrupted as she felt the ground shake. Mosura shot up to her feet as she bore a frantic expression. 

"No, he's here!" said Mosura. 

"Who?!" asked Twilight as she shot up to her feet. The two wobbled as the ground shook with each heavy thump that filled the air. From the corner of a street, a massive foot stepped over a chariot, crushing it. Twilight's blood ran cold as she saw the size of the foot. She slowly raised her head up, finding powerful legs with thick, lava-like scales. Her eyes traveled up higher to the burly chest of the creature and to a familiar head. Mosura immediately stood in front of Twilight as she glared at the giant. 

"That thing...it looks like..." Twilight gasped as the creature lowered itself from the ash clouds in the air. 

"You dare to trespass in my world again? You are a nuisance like the insect that you are," growled Akuma. 

"You're the nuisance! We demand that you give our friend back control of himself!" said Mosura. 

"You are in no position to demand me of anything! Gojira is me! I am him! We are the same and we will crush anyone who stands in our way!" said Akuma. Twilight flinched from the Kaiju's booming voice. She then reluctantly peeked from behind Mosura. 

"Gojira has no time to be wasting on friends. Humans are but an anchor weighing him down from his full potential. He does not need you or anyone else. I will make him greater than any life form on this planet!" growled Akuma. Twilight narrowed her eyes at this creature's words. Her Cutie Mark began to glow brighter. Akuma lightly moaned as he placed his hands over his lowered head. Mosura looked on in confusion. 

"What is this?" asked Akuma. 

"You're wrong!" shouted Twilight. Akuma's eyes widened in shock. He turned his head and found Twilight moving away from Mosura as she bore a sharp glare. 

"Everyone needs a friend in their life! Friends help people grow and to better understand others and themselves!" said Twilight as she stepped forward. Akuma slightly turned away. 

"No, why is she here?" whispered Akuma. 

"You may not think that Gojira has time for friends, but he has shown me that he does! He has people around him that love and care for him!" said Twilight as her Cutie Mark glowed brighter. 

"When I first met him, he was drowning because he had no one close to him! We're not an anchor weighing him down, we're a life boat that's keeping him afloat so that he may reach the shore!" said Twilight. She then turned to Junior as he lied unconscious. 

"He doesn't need to be greater than anything else. I love him the way he is," said Twilight. Akuma groaned in pain as he stepped away from the light that glowed brighter. 

"Damn you! Those feelings are what makes him weak!" snarled Akuma. Twilight looked on in surprise and then at her Cutie Mark. Mosura turned to face Twilight with a smile and nodded to her. Twilight nodded back as she smiled in determination. 

"No, this is one of many things that makes him strong," said Twilight as she made her way over to Junior. She grabbed the chains that bounded him, finding them to suddenly burst in lavender sparkles. Junior groaned as he slumped over but was caught by Twilight. 

"I got you," whispered Twilight as she wrapped Junior into a tight hug. 

"You may have him as your slave for now, girl. But one day, he will be free!" declared Akuma as he stomped towards the trio. Twilight glared at the Kaiju as it approached. 

"He'll be free as soon as he learns to let things go!" said Mosura. Twilight turned to the side, allowing her Cutie Mark to be facing Akuma. A bright beam of light shot from her shoulder and shined on the dark Kaiju. Akuma screeched in agony from the blinding light and the power that it had over his hate and rage filled heart. He immediately vanished into a dark plume of mist, flowing through the city and away from the light. 

"There is no chance in hell that he'll do that," said Akuma. He gave a dark, maniacal laugh as he disappeared from sight. Twilight and Mosura sighed in relief. 

"Do you think that worked?" asked Twilight. 

"Well, only one way to find out," said Mosura as she looked down at Junior. The male Transmutant stirred in Twilight's arms, weakly opening his eyes. 

"Twilight, Mosu?" called Junior in a weak tone. Twilight lightly smiled as she nuzzled him. 

"It's alright. We're here," said Twilight. Mosura knelt down beside them as she bore a soft smile. 

"I... I feel so tired," said Junior. Mosura and Twilight wrapped their arms around Junior in a warm embrace. 

"It's OK. Rest now," said Mosura. 







Later... 


Junior lied down on a mattress in one of the spare rooms in the Golden Oaks Library. He was in his human form, wearing a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt. Twilight sat down at his side as she bore a smile. She turned to find Celestia and Sunset Shimmer to be standing in the doorway. The two did not share eye contact. In fact, Sunset avoided eye contact with Celestia the most. Sunset Shimmer cleared her throat as she approached Junior's bedside. She knelt down as a light blush was present on her cheeks. Junior's eyes lazily focused on her, filled with exhaustion. 

"Um... I... I want to thank you, f-for saving my life," said Sunset. Junior yawned. 

"Thank Shiragami. She was the one who convinced me," said Junior. 

"But... you didn't have to, so I'm thanking you for doing so," said Sunset. 

"Don't. I actually did it for a selfish reason. I didn't want Shiragami to go on without a friend like I used to," said Junior as he turned away in bed. 

"I'm still not happy with the fact that you threw away my trust when you two tried to escape," said Junior. Sunset lightly frowned. 

"Gojira, I-" 

"I don't want an apology. I just want to finish this stupid war that MONARCH is responsible for. What happens to you and Erika is up to Celestia. I've already done my part," said Junior. Sunset was going to speak, but she hesitated. She lowered her head as she sighed. Twilight and Celestia frowned due to Junior's response. 

"OK," said Sunset as she stood up and began to walk away. She passed Celestia and made her way out to the main part of the library. Celestia made her way to Junior's side and sat on the mattress next to him. 

"Junior, she regrets what happened between you two. She really wants to start over," said Celestia. 

"How can I trust her when she's stomped on my trust twice? First, she promised that I'd be left alive and arrested by MONARCH, then she made it seem like she was on board with starting over when she was a prisoner. We've been at each other's throats in an attempt to kill each other. We're better off going our separate ways," said Junior. Celestia sighed as she ran a hand over his shoulder. 

"You may be better off starting over together. You two have things in common. She needs someone who understands those about her, and so do you," said Celestia. She then leaned over to Junior and kissed his cheek. 

"Just think about it. I love you," said Celestia as she stood up from the mattress and began to walk out of the room. 

"Love you too," said Junior. He then sighed as he closed his eyes. Twilight stood up from the mattress and made her way to the living room. 

"I'll be right back," said Twilight. She made her way over to the main room of the library, where Celestia, Mosura, Erika and Sunset stood. 

"You're highness, technically we were prisoners. But... what happens now?" asked Erika. 

"Well... since you two believe that MONARCH's leadership is corrupt and that the prisoners are presumed to be dead, I suppose you are free to go," said Celestia. 

"But where will they go? They were stationed in a base, right?" asked Twilight. 

"Well... they are free to take up residence in my castle. Or perhaps somewhere else that's close. I'd be happy to assist," said Celestia as she looked to Sunset. The Elf merely held her arm as she looked away with a light frown. 

"Um... they're free to stay with me," said Twilight as she raised her hand. 

"Oh, we couldn't impose! Besides, I already feel terrible for taking up space in Yasu's home," said Erika. 

"Besides, I don't think it's a good idea if I were to stay over here tonight," said Sunset with a frown. 

"Oh. Right," said Twilight with a sheepish smile. 

"Don't worry about staying over at our place, Shiragami. You're welcome any time! And Sunset Shimmer, you're welcome too. Since Goji isn't going to be home tonight, we have a place for you to sleep," said Mosura with a warm smile. Sunset looked to her in reluctance and then nodded as she bore a small smile. 

"Thanks," said Sunset. 

"Thank you, Mosura. Now, Discord and I must be going. Twilight, the Elements are now in your hands," said Celestia. Twilight nodded. 

"I'll take good care of them," said Twilight with a look of determination. Celestia then turned to face Mosura. 

"Before I go, I'd like to discuss something with you, Mosura," said Celestia. 

"Sure! We can talk," said Mosura. 

"Please, come with me. Would you ladies mind giving us a minute?" asked Celestia. They all nodded in unison. Celestia led Mosura outside of the library and to the corner of the tree. Discord stood by with a bored expression. Celestia turned to Mosura with a firm expression. 

"Mosura, are you and my son hiding something from me?" asked Celestia. Mosura's eyes widened in surprise. 

"I-I beg your pardon?" 

"You have to be specific, dear. Tell her why you're so serious right now," said Discord. 

"Mosura, when you and Twilight were helping Junior, a mark appeared on your forehead. When it did, Discord and I sensed a strange power coming from within you," said Celestia. Mosura's eyes widened as she felt her forehead. 

"I-I did?" asked Mosura. 

"Discord is neglecting to tell me what it is. I believe that you may know," said Celestia. She held Mosura by her shoulders with a look of urgency. 

"Mosura, please I want to know what is going on. I had a vision of something coming. Something terrible," said Celestia. Mosura looked away briefly and then sighed. 

"Your highness, there is something that you should know. It likely does have something to do with us," said Mosura. 

"Caesar told us something about ourselves that was hard for us to accept, and it may be harder for you. If you wish to ask him for confirmation, I am sure that he will confirm it. You see, Goji, myself and several other Transmutants are..." Mosura began to explain the truth about herself and the others. Caesar didn’t forbid them from telling anyone, he just recommended to wait for the right time to tell those close to them. Tonight may have been the night to tell one person. As Mosura continued with her explanation, Celestia's eyes widened while Discord cocked an eyebrow and chuckled. 

"Ooh. I have a feeling that things are going to get chaotic," said Discord to the reader. 







Later that night... 


Junior lied down in bed in a blissful sleep. He breathed softly as Twilight was snuggled next to him with a large blanket over them. She sighed as she held his hand over her belly. She was going to leave him to sleep on his own, however she ended up falling asleep in bed with him an hour before when she was lying with him. As the two remained in a blissful sleep, the air around the room grew colder. A figure stood in the darkness of the room next to the mattress of the couple, watching them in silence. The figure was feminine in build, her skin was pale and her body was covered in a white cloak that only revealed her chin. The figure moved quietly around the mattress to Junior's side, not causing a sound. She then knelt down beside the Transmutant and stared at his sleeping face. The cloaked figure then raised a hand and gently ran it over Junior's hair and then brushed aside hair that hung over his forehead. She pulled away as Junior began to stir in his bed. The figure rose up to her feet and made her way over to the door and proceeded to open it. Junior raised himself out of bed and rubbed his eyes. As they attempted to focus in the dark, he noticed a slight brightness of white near the door. His eyes widened as he watched a cloaked figure walk out of the room. He turned and noticed that Twilight was sound asleep at his side. 

"What the hell?" whispered Junior, wondering who the intruder could possibly be. He immediately shot out of bed and followed the figure out of the room and into the main library, searching the room in confusion before noticing the figure's cloak outside from the window. He rushed towards the front door and made his way outside, finding the figure making her way to the backyard, away from the road and any small buildings in town. He hardened his eyes as he chased after the figure into the back of the library, but was surprised to find that the figure was suddenly several feet further then she originally was. 

"She's fast," said Junior as he picked up his speed. The figure then stopped and slowly turned to face Junior. 

"You! Who are you, and what are you doing in the library?" demanded Junior as he stepped closer to the figure. The figure was silent for several seconds. 

"Who I am is not important, rather my purpose for coming here is. I was merely here to check on you," said the figure in a soft tone. Junior looked at her in confusion. Her voice carried a Neighponese accent in her Equish. 

"Check on me? Listen lady, I have no idea who you are. I also don't like it when people try to spy on me or pay me unexpected visits," said Junior as he narrowed his eyes and stepped closer to the figure. She stood to be five foot eight in height. She did not crane her neck back to gaze at him. She kept her hood down over her face. 

"Yes, I know," the figure gave a soft chuckle. Junior looked at her in confusion, which then turned into annoyance. 

"What do you want?" asked Junior. 

"I want to speak to you. I've noticed that you have been holding such hate in your heart," said the figure. 

"I don't see how that's any of your business. You don't know a thing about me," said Junior as he crossed his arms and looked away. 

"You are Gojira Takeshi the 2nd. The son of Gojira Takeshi the 1st and Miwa. Your grandfather is named Ishiro, and you are the last member of the Takeshi clan warriors," said the figure. Junior's eyes widened in shock before glaring at the figure. 

"How do you know that? Are you another enemy of the family that I haven't heard of and that I have to deal with?" asked Junior. 

"The opposite. I'm not your enemy. But, I do have information about the enemy you are thinking of and your father," said the figure. Junior scoffed. 

"My father is dead, along with everyone else in my family. Destoroyah is going to be next when I get my hands on him the next time that I see him," growled Junior. 

"No, your vengeance for Destoroyah of the Spider crab clan was never yours to bear. It was your father's," said the figure. 

"He's dead, so I inherited his vengeance for that bastard!" said Junior. The figure placed a hand on Junior's shoulder. It was as cold as the air around them. 

"No, your father is still alive," said the figure. Junior's eyes widened as he turned to face the figure. 

"You have a lot of nerve saying something like that! I watched him die when I was a kid!" said Junior. 

"He's alive, but not the way that you think he'd be," said the figure in a solemn tone. She raised her hand towards Junior, who stepped away. 

"It's OK, I'm going to show you what I mean," said the figure. She then placed her hand on Junior's forehead. He suddenly saw visions of his past. He found himself hiding in the bushes as his father in his Transmutant form fought against Destoroyah in his demonic form. The battle was fierce, filled with blood and roars. The past version of Junior ran away as he was told to flee by his father. Junior watched the vision as his father was struck by Destoroyah's laser energized horn, and then struck by a purple beam to flow out of his mouth. Senior suffered from these attacks until the point that he had stopped fighting back and passed away. Destoroyah screeched into the night sky as he displayed his wings. 

The vision then jumped to showing MONARCH employees rolling a large platform that carried Senior's corpse. Junior's eyes widened as the vision shifted Senior being left inside of a lab, where he was skinned until he was nothing but bleached bone. Soon, he was witnessing scientists and engineers planning out designs for a mech. One that was too familiar when Junior caught sight of a blue print. His eyes stared in horror as he watched the vision show mechanical parts and wiring to be being built over the skeletal remains of his father. When the mech was finished, Junior recognized it immediately. It was none other than Kiryu. 

"Kiryu, online," said the mech in a monotone voice. Another vision was played, showing Kiryu fighting Junior when he was back in Saddle Arabia. Junior gritted his teeth in anger as his eyes burned with tears. Then, the last vision that was shown to Junior nearly made his heart stop. Kiryu was locked inside of a hangar with several other mechs. Its parts were damaged and its optic was hanging from its socket as its jaw hung loose. The mech convulsed in the dark hangar as it sparked. 

"H-H-Help....He-Help me," said Kiryu in a distorted and raspy voice. Its optics glowed a hellish red as if it were someone holding onto the last threads of life. The vision faded, Junior found himself standing outside in Ponyville. The hooded figure stood a couple feet away from him. Junior yelled angrily as he dropped onto his knees and slammed his fists onto the ground. 

"No! No!! Why?! They desecrate my father's remains and now he's a ghost haunting that damn machine?!" cried Junior. His eyes allowed tears to fall down his cheeks. 

"Goddamn you, MONARCH! Goddamn you all to hell!!" shouted Junior. He clutched his head as he gritted his teeth. He lightly panted to himself as he remained on his hands and knees. The hooded figure knelt beside Junior and ran a hand over his head. 

"He's trapped inside of his own remains, which have been desecrated to create a weapon. Because of that and his feud with his enemy before his passing, your father is trapped in the world of the living, doomed to remain in that state for as long as the feud between the Takeshi and Spider-crab clans last. The creation of Kiryu has only worsened this feud, and it will continue to do so," said the figure as she brought Junior's face to meet hers. 

"The humans that you have rescued the girl from. The ones who are pulling the strings to MONARCH are attempting to bring back the souls of the dead Kaiju, especially Ghidorah's," said the figure. Junior merely listened, wondering how this stranger knew so much about him and all of the things happening. 

"No being must touch the souls of the dead. It is a crime against nature. The coming war between reincarnated Kaiju will be man's punishment for his arrogance," said the figure. Junior sniffled as he shook his head. 

"I'm trying to prevent this war from happening. If I don't, I might lose the people that I love. I can't lose them, not like my parents," said Junior. 

"The war has already begun. It is up to you and your friends to be the ones to win and give humanity another chance. This war is meant to show man and every other sapient being in this world that nature is not in their control. Some will be humble, others will continue to challenge this order," said the figure. She then placed her hands on Junior's shoulders. 

"If you hold onto your hate and anger, it will poison your heart and soul. You will find yourself with a short life and you will hurt those around you. Meaning you should let go what Destoroyah has done to you, you should forgive MONARCH for desecrating your father's remains, and you must forgive Sunset Shimmer for what she's done to you and betraying your trust," said the figure. Junior pulled away from her as he hardened his eyes. 

"I can't forgive them! Destoroyah took my father away! MONARCH dehumanized me and enslaved my father when he should be resting in peace! Sunset Shimmer... she's..." Junior gritted his teeth in anger. The figure took Junior's hands into her own, allowing the Transmutant to feel how cold they were. 

"Remember, forgiveness is not a feeling. It is a choice that you make. You can choose to not forgive someone, but you'll end up hurting yourself just by holding onto the weight that has made you sad or angry," said the figure. Junior's eyes slightly widened as he recognized the words. He shot his head up as he gazed at the woman, unable to see her face. 

"You're not forgiving someone for their sakes; you're doing it for yours. You'll-" The figure was cut off as Junior opened his mouth to speak. 

"-Be free when you choose to forgive," said Junior in a soft tone. The figure merely smiled under her hood. Junior sighed as he looked away. 

"That's exactly what my mother said, just a couple days before she died," said Junior with a frown. "God, I miss her so much," 

"I'm sure that she misses you as well. I believe that she'd be proud to know that her son remembered what she taught him," said the figure. 

"Hey... why are you helping me? I don't even know who you are," said Junior. 

"You'll know soon enough. But, concentrate on your purpose in life. I am helping you because life in this world is wonderful. It should be preserved. However, some threaten it. I believe that you and your friends can ensure the protection of this troubled but beautiful world," said the figure. Junior slowly nodded. 

"You're right. People may treat me in a less favorable way, and I may be scorned because of what I am, but that doesn't matter. I have people close to me that I want to protect. And if I have to scare the world as a force of nature to show them that there is someone stronger defending it, then so be it," said Junior with a determined smile. He then stood up from the ground and began to make his way back to the library. 

"Thank you. You actually helped me with some trouble," said Junior as he waved goodbye to the figure. The woman lightly smiled as she waved as well. 

"You're welcome, Junior," whispered the figure. She watched as Junior continued onto the library. She turned and walked away from the field. She continued on until she found herself further out into the field, away from the town. She turned and found herself at the entrance to the Everfree forest. The woman merely pressed on without an ounce of fear in her heart. 






Sunset Shimmer sat down on a bed with Erika at her side. The two were currently alone inside of Junior's chamber, which was currently housing Sunset. The elf looked to towards her friend with a look of reluctance. 

"Hey... you don't have to sleep on the couch. I could take it tonight and you can have the bed," said Sunset as she pulled her knees up to her chin. The cold air was giving her goosebumps on her arms and legs. 

"No, it's OK. You've been a prisoner and obviously had no comfort in sleeping. You deserve this," said Erika with a smile. She then gestured to the room. 

"Besides! It's actually nice and roomy in here. It's not that large in here, but there's enough to move around," said Erika. 

"Yeah..." said Sunset as she looked away. She reached for chest and placed her hand on it. Memories of Thanatos's hand moving inside of her body chilled her spine. She even felt violated when Sombra looked at her with lust in his eyes. Sunset immediately looked around the room to take her mind off of her experience. She then noticed a picture frame sitting on a small drawer nearby. Curious, she leaned over and took the picture frame into her hand. 

"He's cute, isn't he?" asked Erika as she looked over Sunset's shoulder with a smile. 

"Hmm. Yeah, cute kid," said Sunset with a light smile. Nostalgic memories returned to her as she analyzed the photo of Junior in during his childhood. She then lightly frowned as she lowered her head. 

"I wish I could make up what I did to him. If only I could turn the clock back and start over," said Sunset as she placed the picture down on the dresser and buried her face into her knees. Erika placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. 

"Hey, there's no point on dwelling on the past. Look, he seems like someone who likes to hold onto stuff," said Erika. 

"Was that supposed to make me feel better," deadpanned Sunset. 

"You didn't let me finish. Anyway, just give him some time and I'm sure he'll come around. Just try to be friendly with him, like you were trying to earlier," said Erika as she nudged Sunset's shoulder. 

"I guess," said Sunset with a sigh. 

"That's the spirit!" said Erika. She then yawned as she stretched her arms. 

"Well, I'm off to bed. Sweet dreams, Sunset," said Erika as she began to walk out of the chamber and passed its curtain. Sunset nodded. 

"Goodnight," said Sunset as she watched as her friend left. She sighed heavily to herself as she turned off the lamp in the room and reclined on Junior's bed. As she pulled the covers up to her chest, she lied her head down on the soft pillow. She took one last glance at the photo of the Transmutant that sat on the dresser and then turned to the side. 

'I guess he really hates me,' thought Sunset with a deep frown. 

Meanwhile, Erika made her way up to the main house of the Transmutant lair. As she entered from the hall, Erika lied herself down on the sofa in the living room, adjusting her pillow as she pulled her covers over body. She sighed to herself as she rested her head against the pillow, waiting for the blissful sleep to take her into a dreamland. As a few minutes passed, Erika felt a chill around herself. She shivered under the covers as she bent her knees and brought her legs closer to herself. She then heard soft footsteps stepping from the side. Erika's eyes shot wide open as she stood up and saw the white cloak of a figure walking through the hall and into the deeper parts of the cave. With caution, Erika slowly removed her blankets as she stood up from the couch. She began to stalk the cloaked figure, who was already half way down to where Sunset and the other Transmutants were sleeping. Erika gritted her teeth in worry. She made her way down the metal bridge and into the great chamber where everyone else was resting.  As she found herself on the stone walkway, the cloaked figure was nowhere in sight. Erika rushed around the area and down the metal stairs until she found herself on the bottom. Her eyes widened in shock as she watched the cloaked figure already walking across the metal platform that was down below, making her way into the armory. Erika sneaked around the large pool of water in the center and crouched as she neared the armory. She watched as the figure in white made her way over to a set of samurai armor that bore the Takeshi clan symbol. The figure gently ran a pale hand over the chest piece of the armor as she looked over the armor. Erika immediately backed away from the armory and rushed back up the stairs and over to the closest chamber, which was Mosura's. 

"Yasu! Yasu, wake up!" whispered Erika as she shook Mosura awake. 

"Hmm. Huh?" muttered Mosura as she raised herself out of bed. Her hair was a mess, with strands sticking out everywhere and against her cheeks. She yawned as she rubbed her eyes. 

"What's wrong?" asked Mosura. 

"Shh! Someone sneaked in here! I think she's a burglar!" said Erika. Mosura looked at her in confusion. 

"Huh? But who would come all the way out here to steal?" asked Mosura in a drowsy tone. 

"I'm telling you the truth! She's in the armory!" whispered Erika. Mosura's eyes slightly widened. She then tossed the covers off of herself and made her way outside. 

"Hold on, we'll need help catching her," said Mosura as she rushed over to the chambers of the male Transmutants. Erika made her way over to Junior's chamber next door to find Sunset. She pulled back the curtain and found Sunset trembling in bed. 

"I-I saw someone's shadow. It looked like a cloak!" whispered Sunset with a look of dread. She began to hyperventilate. 

"Oh no. Oh no! They've come back for me!" whimpered Sunset as she placed her hands over her head with a look of fear. Erika rushed towards her and took her hands into her own. 

"No, I don't think this is the same person. She might be just a thief since she's in the armory," said Erika. She then stood up with Sunset. 

"Come on, we'll need your help to catch her," said Erika. Sunset nodded in reluctance. Erika frowned to herself as she felt Sunset's sweaty palms as she led her out of Junior's room. She found Mosura with Angirasu and Rodan. The crimson haired Transmutant bore a look of annoyance. 

"Couldn't you have taken her out yourself," deadpanned Rodan. 

"Shh!" said Mosura with a sharp glare. She then raised a hand and then pointed down to the lower level of the chamber. Mosura immediately ran and dropped down to the lower level, creating a small thud. Angirasu, Rodan and Erika followed her lead as Sunset skittishly made her way down the metal stairs. The Transmutants parked themselves at the sides of the wall near the armory. Erika peeked over the wall and found the figure standing by the armor. She then turned back to face Mosura and the rest of the Transmutants. 

"She's right in there by the armor!" whispered Erika. 

"OK. We'll catch her on three," whispered Mosura. The Transmutants tensed themselves as they waited to strike. Sunset planted herself against the wall as well as she bore an anxious expression. 

"1...2...3!" said Mosura as she and the Transmutants moved into the armory. 

"Hold it right there, criminal scum!" said Rodan as he pointed to where the figure was. However, the figure was missing from where Erika had claimed that she was standing. Rather, the armor was the only thing present. Rodan's shoulders slumped as he lowered his arm. 

"Hmm. It looks like she escaped," said Angirasu as he relaxed himself. 

"No! No, that's impossible!" said Erika. She rushed over to the armor and began to look around it and then around the armory. 

"She was right here!" said Erika. 

"Shiragami, are you sure you saw someone? I mean, perhaps you must have been seeing things since you're so tired," said Mosura. Erika looked at her with a glare. 

"No! I saw someone in the living room and I just saw her seconds ago!" said Erika. 

"Then where is she?" deadpanned Rodan. 

"I don't know! But she was here! Sunset, you saw someone from Takeshi's room! Back me up here!" cried Erika as she turned to the entrance of the armory. Sunset peeked her head through with a nervous expression. 

"I saw a shadow of someone. But I didn't get a look at what the person looked like," said Sunset. Erika groaned in annoyance. 

"Hey, relax. I believe you," said Angirasu as he placed a hand on her shoulder. 

"I don't," said Rodan in annoyance. 

"Look, maybe someone was here but escaped via teleportation magic," said Angirasu with a shrug. 

"But that comes with a sound of magic bursting. I didn't hear anything like that," said Mosura. 

"N-Neither did I," said Sunset as she stepped further into the armory. Erika looked down in confusion. 

"But...how else could someone leave here without a trace?" asked Erika. Rodan sighed in annoyance. 

"Look, maybe you and Sunset are seeing shit after a long day. Why don't we all go back to bed, and forget about it?" asked Rodan as he made his way passed all of the Transmutants and out of the armory. He then leapt up to the higher level of the chamber and made his way back into his room. 

"No, I-" Erika stopped herself as the rest of the Transmutants left the armory. She sighed in exasperation. Sunset stood by with a nervous expression. 

"Are you sure it wasn't one of them?" asked Sunset. 

"I'm sure. Those guys were wearing black. This woman was wearing white," said Erika. She then shook her head as she followed Sunset. 

"What were you still doing up?" asked Erika. 

"I...I had a hard time falling asleep. I had a lot on my mind," said Sunset. Erika shook her head. 

"Come on, you gotta give your mind a rest to sort stuff out," said Erika as she led Sunset out of the armory. She then looked down in thought. 

"That woman was mysterious. But, where is she? Or...did I just hallucinate that like they said?' thought Erika. Unbeknownst to them, the figure in white remained in the shadows, watching the Transmutants leave the armory. 







The next day...
 

Sunset Shimmer sat down at the kitchen table with bags under her eyes. Her hair was a mess and her posture was hunched. Sunset nodded her head slightly as her eyes fluttered closed. She then slumped her head down and began to lightly snore. As the sound of glass hitting the table reached her ears, Sunset yelped as she shot her head up with wide eyes. She turned her head to the side with a look of panic, finding a startled Rodan. 

"Sorry! I didn't mean to startle you!" said Rodan as he stepped back. Sunset sighed in relief as she placed her hand over her racing heart. 

"It's...fine," said Sunset. She then looked down at the table and found a plate filled with scrambled eggs and toast. 

"Sorry, did you prefer them sunny side up? I can toss them out," said Rodan as he anxiously made his way over to the table. 

"No! No, it's fine. I actually like scrambled eggs," said Sunset with a forced smile. Rodan nodded in response as he briskly made his way to the kitchen. As he served himself, he made his way over to the table on the side and sat sitting across Erika. Rodan calmly ate, but Sunset noticed the wary glances that he sent her. Sunset mentally sighed as she ate. 

"Sunset, you don't look so good," said Erika with a look of worry. 

"Sorry. I couldn't sleep," said Sunset as her eyes remained heavy. 

"Nightmare again?" asked Erika. 

"No. It's because of what happened last night. I kept thinking that one of them was going to kidnap me in my sleep," said Sunset as she continued to eat. The front door opened, prompting everyone in the kitchen to turn their attention to the front door. They found Fluttershy, Angirasu and Discord arriving inside of the house. 

"Helloooo everybody!" cried Discord with high volume. Sunset jumped at the Draconequus's loud voice. Rodan's glass of orange juice suddenly shattered in his hand, spilling the contents on his lap. He then looked at Discord in annoyance. 

"Would ya mind keeping your voice down," said Rodan as he took several paper towels and started to dry himself off. He then groaned in annoyance. 

"Screw this! I'm changing my jeans!" said Rodan as he stomped out of the kitchen, passing Mosura. 

"Good morning, Fluttershy and Discord!" said Mosura with a smile. 

"Good morning," said Fluttershy. 

"What brings you two here?" asked Erika in curiosity as Sunset sluggishly ate. 

"Well, Angirasu was actually joining me for breakfast, but then Discord dropped by for a quick visit," said Fluttershy. 

"Yeah, and it was going well," said Angirasu under his breath as he bore a bitter expression. 

"Yes! I actually wanted to see Gojira," said Discord as he searched the living room and kitchen. 

"He's not here. He stayed over at Twilight's, remember?" asked Mosura. 

"All I remember is an exciting and daring rescue," said Discord with a grin. His eyes then slightly widened. 

"He stayed over at Twilight's?" asked Discord. He then grew a coy smile. 

"Ooh. I wonder if he decided to score," said Discord as he tapped his chin. 

"No!" said Mosura with a look of disapproval. 

"Hey, you don't know for sure. Young love, am I right?" asked Discord. 

"Discord, that is an inappropriate thing to bring up," said Fluttershy. 

"Right, right. Anyway, I just wanted to see how he was doing," said Discord. He then noticed Sunset slumping her head down on her plate. 

"Uh oh," said Erika as she made her way over to Sunset and shook her shoulder. Sunset gasped as she shot up awake. Her toast was stuck to her face, which slid off and fell back onto her plate. Sunset groaned as she lowered her head. 

"What's her problem?" asked Discord. 

"I haven't had a goodnight's sleep," said Sunset with a drowsy tone. 

"Then go back to bed," said Discord with a deadpanned stare. 

"I..." Sunset gulped to herself. The idea of falling back to sleep and waking up to find herself back in her prison as if it were all a dream brought fear into her heart. 

"Sunset, it's OK if you want to go back to sleep. I'll even be here with you," said Erika with a smile. 

"Yeah, you should sleep. You can use the couch if you'd like," said Mosura as she made her way over to the couch and moved the unnecessary pillows and placed them on the ground. Erika helped Sunset from her seat and guided her to the couch, allowing her to lie down. 

"Would you like a lullaby?" asked Fluttershy. Discord raised a hand as he spawned a bass. 

"I have one!" said Discord as he stood near the couch that Sunset lied down on. Sunset bore a grimace. 

"That's not-" Sunset was interrupted as Discord strummed the strings on the bass. 

"I got my G cord here~. That's where the journey begins~. Here I am, sitting in the house nice and cozy, then we move on to the C cord,~" sang Discord as he strummed the bass. Everyone in the room bore a look of confusion as they listened. 

"Then you poke your head out the door with a C chord. Everything looks okay out here~. Maybe I'll take a walk outside to the D chord Oh walking around outside...look at all the stuff out here!~" sang Discord as he looked at the window, observing the sky that was slightly obscured by the Everfree forest. 

"And then we go to an A minor Getting a little cloudy out here.~ Looking like we might have some weather Then we go to E minor.~ Oh definitely got some weather Things are a little more complicated than they seemed at first And then we go back to my house-~" sand Discord. However, he was interrupted. The front door suddenly opened, revealing Junior to be stepping inside with a deadpanned stare as he focused on Discord. 

"For someone who doesn't sing, I've gotten use to the norm of people randomly singing. But you sound like an unbelievable douche," said Junior. Discord merely narrowed his eyes as he focused on Junior. 

"Then, Gojira comes in and I change up the tempo.~ Gojira comes in and he changes the song.~ Looking at me like he thinks I'm a douchebag,~" sang Discord as he changed the tempo of the bass as he continued to play. Junior merely kept his deadpanned stare. 

"But he's gonna learn pretty fast that he's wrong.~ Hey Goji, why are you bringing me down, man?~ Why are you bringing me down?~ DON'T BRING ME DOWN!~" sang Discord as he quickly strummed the bass. The room was filled with silence. Sunset placed a hand over her face as she shook her head. Discord cleared his throat. 

"Music and Lyrics plagiarized by Discord," said Discord as he banished his bass. Junior shook his head. He then noticed Sunset peaking from the sofa, finding her bagged eyes and messy hair. 

"Wow. You look like shit," said Junior in surprise. Sunset immediately hid her head behind the couch. Mosura and Erika merely looked at Junior in disapproval. 

"So, what brings you here?" asked Junior as he looked back to Discord. 

"I just wanted to see how my new friends are doing!" said Discord as he wrapped an arm around Junior and pulled him close. He then placed his eagle claws on Junior's cheeks and stretched them, exposing his teeth, which were suddenly razor sharp. 

"I mean, you did lose control last night and became a beast reacting on primal instinct," said Discord. Fluttershy yelped as she spotted Junior's sharp teeth. 

"Change my teeth back!" said Junior in annoyance as his tongue felt the change as it brushed against the teeth. Discord released Junior's cheeks, allowing his teeth to revert back to normal. 

"Actually, I wanted to have a little fun. You see, being the Spirit of Chaos comes with some perks," said Discord. 

"What sort of fun?" asked Junior in reluctance. 

"Don't worry! This will be completely safe! I sometimes do this when I'm bored, and I even interact with it once I want to spice things up," said Discord with a grin. He then snapped his eagle clawed fingers, causing a wide and large screen to appear on the wall in front of the sofa, with a projector in the middle of the living room. Discord then slid the sofa that Sunset was lying on and moved it to the side, and then spawned another sofa with a recliner chair at the side. 

"You watch movies? Hmm. That seems fun," said Angirasu with a smile. 

"Oh ho ho! No, my dear boy! I do watch something, but it's different," said Discord. Junior's face turned to a grimace. 

"It's not porn, is it?" asked Junior. Discord's bore an appalled expression. 

"Gojira! I was not expecting you to have such a lewd mind! What would Celestia say?!" asked Discord. 

"Yeah, that's gross," said Erika in disapproval. 

"What?! B-But I... Oh, come on! He spawned strippers in Fluttershy's home!" said Junior in a defensive manner. 

"Discord, why don't you explain what you meant?" suggested Fluttershy. 

"Alright. Well, this projector will act as a window to see into alternate realities. I have seen a lot of interesting ones in my time," said Discord as he spawned a bucket of popcorn and sat on the recliner. 

"Alternate realities?" asked Junior in confusion. 

"That does sound fun!" said Erika as she rushed over to the sofa and sat beside Sunset Shimmer, who merely yawned. 

"Yeah, it does sound interesting," said Mosura as she made her way to the sofa and sat down beside Erika. Angirasu and Fluttershy proceeded to sit on the empty sofa. Junior merely shrugged in response. 

"Ah. What the hell?" Junior made his way to the sofa and sat with Erika, Sunset and Mosura. He suddenly realized that he was sitting right next to Sunset Shimmer, who avoided eye contact with him as she slightly scooted away from him. 

'Oh great,' thought Junior in annoyance. 

'I better give him his space,' thought Sunset with a light frown. Rodan suddenly arrived with a dry and clean pair of jeans on. 

"Hey Discord, Flutters and Goji. Oh sweet! You guys are gonna watch a movie?" asked Rodan with a grin. 

"Better! We're gonna watch alternate realities by using this special projector!" said Discord as he placed on 3D glasses. 

"Nice!" said Rodan as he hopped over the sofa and sat in between Fluttershy and Angirasu. The Valkyrie scooted away as she bore a look of disappointment while Angirasu shot Rodan a glare. Discord then used his magic to close the curtains to the windows and turned off the lights. He then spawned a couple of more buckets of popcorn and passed them to the others. 

"Show time!" said Discord as he snapped his fingers, causing the projector to turn on and for the fan inside of it to hum. The light from the projector beamed onto the screen, displaying a black screen with several text. The top text bore the words, 'Present reality'. The rest bore numbers after the word, 'reality'. 

"What's this?" asked Junior. 

"I call it a 'Main Menu'. It bears the realities that I have saved last night when looking through them. Now, some of these may be in the past or are taking place now or in the future in their own reality. So, keep that in mind if you see yourself and your about to bite the dust," said Discord with a chuckle as he held up a controller. He pressed down on the down arrow key and then clicked the remote as the text, 'Reality 2' was highlighted. It flashed, and the screen suddenly switched to displaying footage of a large city. The group watched with interest. Fluttershy awkwardly stood up and made her way to Angirasu's side. 

"Um...do you mind if I sit here?" asked Fluttershy in a timid manner. 

"Nope!" said Angirasu with a smile as he forced Rodan to scoot over. 

"Watch it!" said Rodan in annoyance. Fluttershy smiled as she took her seat next to Angirasu with a light blush. 

The screen showed the city to be decorated with flags with the Takeshi clan symbol on them. There was Neighponese text decorating a few buildings. 

"Hey, it's Neighpon!" said Mosura with a smile. 

"Yeah, decorated with flags with my clan's symbol," said Junior in confusion. The audience watched as the screen showed soldiers covered in dark armor, armed with rifles and wearing the Takeshi clan symbol on their chest pieces. The soldiers marched through the streets as the citizens, young and old, all watched and cheered. The screen then displayed a great building in the city, where several men and women in Samurai inspired armor stood in rows before a throne. The samurai bowed before the figure on the throne, which the camera perspective began to pan up to. On the throne, was a man wearing a robe with a hood over his head. At his right was an Elf woman, standing in a dark uniform with boots and black tights. An armband with the Takeshi symbol was on her arm. Her hair was violet with very light teal highlights. On the man's left was a man that wore a cloak as well, but it was white with brown marks. The man on the throne suddenly removed his hood, which brought shock to everyone watching the footage. The Elf woman stepped forward as she bore a bright smile. 

"All hail,  our glorious Emperor Gojira Takeshi the 2nd!" cried the woman. The samurais in the room rose to their feet as they gave a loud, simultaneous stomp. 

"Hail Emperor Takeshi! Hail Emperor Takeshi!" cried the samurai in unison. Junior's eyes widened in shock as he watched the screen. The man was indeed him, although he appeared older. Either in his mid to late twenties. He bore a scar over brow and his chin was covered in light hairs, from a beard. He almost thought that he was looking at his father. 

"The East has been united," said the emperor with a smirk. Discord suddenly changed the screen, forcing it back to the menu. Everyone turned to face him. 

"Hey! It was getting good!" said Rodan. 

"Seriously?" asked Angirasu with a raised brow. 

"Why did you change it?" asked Mosura. 

"I'm Emperor in that reality? But... that doesn't make sense! I'm not part of a royal family! And who was that woman?" asked Junior. 

"It was boring! Come on! Let's keep checking!" said Discord as he continued to select the next reality. Fluttershy then looked at Junior curiously, and then with slight worry. 

'I wonder...what sort of royal you would be,' thought Fluttershy. 

The vision then switched to showing a high school in a more modern town. More cars passed by the streets, houses were near the large high school. Junior scowled. 

"Great, high school," said Junior in disgust. The screen then suddenly showed multiple students walking through the halls, conversing with each other. Pinkie Pie was shown conversing with Rarity in the vision, appearing as students. 

"Hey! It's Rarity and Pinkie Pie!" said Fluttershy with a smile. The screen then showed multiple people running through the hall as a loud commotion filled the air. 

"Uh oh. You hear those chants?" asked Junior as he looked to his friends. 

"What about them?" asked Angirasu in confusion. Sunset looked to the screen with a frown. 

"It's the sound of kids watching a fight," said Sunset. The screen followed a few students running outside to the quad, where a large group had gathered. A boy was thrown towards a table and skidded across it. Some students gasped in shock while others cheered. 

"Whoa! Who's kicking ass?" asked Rodan with a grin. Everyone leaned closer as they waited for the screen to show the fighters. Junior's face bore a scowl as the fighters were revealed. It was this reality's version of Junior, fighting multiple other boys. 

"Wow. I can't catch a break in high school in this reality too?" asked Junior. Mosura placed a comforting hand on his shoulder in response. 

The vision showed Junior yelling angrily as he punched a boy that was his height in his face, knocking him back. Junior dodged a punch from another boy and then swept his leg. He then grunted as he felt a plank of wood shatter against his back. Junior turned and glared at a teenager that wore a sweater with a t-shirt that bore an image of a shield and a lightning bolt. His hair was blue in color and slightly spiked. 

"Oh. I am going to kick the shit out of you for that!" shouted Junior as he stomped over to student. The teen hardened his eyes as he raised his fists. 

"Kick his ass, Flash Sentry!" cried a girl from the crowd. Several other cries filled the air, rooting for the other teen. 

"Come on, you bastard," said Flash. 

"When I’m through with you-," said Junior as he stomped towards the boy. 

"Oh shit! Here it comes!" said Rodan with an eager expression as the scene played. The girls in the room merely looked at him in disapproval. The screen showed Junior getting closer to Flash, but from the crowd emerged this reality's version of Twilight. She immediately stood in front of Junior as she held her arms out as she bore a glare. 

"Leave him alone!" said Twilight. Junior snarled as his irises grew larger and more reptilian. Everyone watching the vision watched in shock. 

"Whoa, did you snarl at her?" asked Erika in shock. 

"I...I guess I did," said Junior in confusion. He watched as the alternate universe Twilight stood her ground. The other students stood by anxiously. Rarity, Pinkie, Rainbow and Applejack appeared at Twilight's side, giving Junior a glare. 

"You should be ashamed of yourself for snarling at a lady like that! That is most uncivilized! Even for a Transmutant like you!" said Rarity. Rainbow punched her fist into her palm as she sent Junior a glare. 

"You mess with her, you mess with us!" said Rainbow. Junior growled as he clenched his fist. 

"Gojira, just walk away," said Applejack in a firm tone. From the crowd, Fluttershy came running. She quickly grabbed Junior's arm and began to tug at it. 

"Gojira, please stop! None of this is worth it!" cried Fluttershy with pleading eyes. Junior looked her way while the rest of the girls stiffened at their friend being close to the Transmutant at such an aggressive state. Junior's eyes softened as he found her desperate expression. The Transmutant unclenched his fist, feeling a painful shot at his pride for backing down. Junior exhaled through his nostrils as he glared at Twilight and then at Flash. 

"I'm not one to hit a girl. You got off lucky, Flash. Stay out of my way, or else you'll end up on the back of a milk carton," said Junior as he began to walk away. From the crowd came Mosura, Rodan, Angirasu, Erika and Sunset 

"What happened?" asked Sunset as she began to inspect Junior's bruised face. Junior pulled away in response. 

"Ask your boyfriend," spat Junior as he began to walk away. The crowd quickly dispersed out of his path, allowing Junior to leave. Sunset turned her attention to Flash, furrowing her brows in demand of answers. Flash merely bore a hard expression as he watched Junior leave, while Fluttershy ran after him. Mosura, Erika, Angirasu, and Rodan followed in suit. 

Back in the present reality with the rest of the group watching, there was silence. 

"Damn. You did have a bad high school experience," said Rodan with a frown. Junior sighed. 

"It was worst then this. You guys weren’t there. Especially Fluttershy," said Junior as he looked to the pink haired girl. Fluttershy lightly smiled at him in response. He then glanced at Sunset, who merely looked down at the ground. 

'Yet...Sunset seemed to care about me in that reality. As if we weren't enemies,' thought Junior. The screen suddenly returned to the menu. Junior still kept a small smile on his face. He then heard a sniffle from the side, prompting Junior to turn and find Erika sniffling to herself. 

"A-Are you crying?" asked Junior in confusion. 

"Yes," muttered Erika as she wiped her cheeks of her tears. "It's just so sweet that she would still be his friend." 

"It sounds weird when you refer to what is essentially myself as not me at all," said Junior with a raised brow. 

"Hey, did anyone else notice that the other Fluttershy and Rainbow didn't have any wings and the other Twilight, Sunset and Rarity didn't have pointed ears?" asked Rodan. 

"Yeah, I thought that was weird," said Mosura in surprise. 

"Well, that universe doesn't exactly operate the same way that ours does. But there are some similarities in place," said Discord as he dumped his popcorn into his mouth, swallowing it whole. He then gave a loud burp. 

"Who's ready for a couple more?" asked Discord. 

"Click that shit!" said Rodan with a look of excitement. 

"I'm curious to see what other realities exist as well," said Fluttershy with a smile. Sunset remained silent a she dozed off. Discord clicked the next reality option on screen. The screen then displayed Junior, Angirasu, Rodan and Mosura running alongside each other through a metal facility. Soldiers with rifles rushed towards them and fired their weapons. The sounds of these weapons were much different compared to what they were used to hearing. The sounded like fireworks going off. There was even a lack of magic bolts lighting up the air. Rather, lead projectiles whizzed from the muzzles of the rifles. Fluttershy immediately cupped her ears from the loud sound as she watched the Transmutants on screen evade the bullets that threatened to pierce through them. The alternate reality's Mosura used her telekinesis to pull away the rifles from the soldiers, allowing the other three male Transmutants to charge in and knock them to the ground. 

"Alright! This is what I'm talking about!" said Rodan with a grin as he ate popcorn. The screen suddenly changed, revealing Rodan to be sleeping on a couch as he bore a grin. Everyone that was watching looked on in confusion. The screen then showed Junior and Mosura sitting across from each other at a table as they looked at Rodan with raised brows. 

"Hmm. Looks like he's having dreams of us fighting bad guys with guns again," said Mosura. Junior smiled in amusement as he shook his head. 

"All in good time, Ro," said Junior. He then turned to the side and found a familiar woman handing him a cup filled with tea. He smiled as he took the cup. 

"Thanks, Mom," said Junior. Fluttershy's eyes widened in surprise as she saw the face of the woman. The Transmutants present with her that were watching the screen clearly recognized this woman as well. 

"No way..." whispered Junior with wide eyes. He felt himself tearing up as he watched the woman on screen hand the alternate reality's version of Mosura a cup of tea as well. 

"Thank you, Takeshi-san," said Mosura. Miwa nodded. She then glanced at her son, who proceeded to drink his tea. Miwa made sure that Mosura caught where she was glancing, and then suddenly winked at the Transmutant. Mosura blushed furiously and bore a shy smile as she avoided eye contact with Junior. Miwa lightly laughed in response. Junior bore a small smile as he watched his mother in this reality on screen, alive and well. 

"Oh! You kids better get going! You'll be late for your training with Gamera and your father," said Miwa as she tugged at Junior's shoulder. 

"Oh, shoot! Man, dad's gonna give me an earful if we're late!" said Junior as he quickly drank his tea. Fortunately, it was iced tea. Mosura did the same with her tea and stood up to her feet. She rushed to door but stopped as she rushed back to the table. 

"I'll take care of the dishes! You kids just go on ahead!" said Miwa as she gathered the cups. Mosura nodded. 

"OK! I'll make it up to you!" said Mosura as she rushed outside where a forest was. She turned and found Angirasu resting against a tree. 

"Aang! We have to go!" called Mosura. Angirasu shot up to his feet. Junior came out of the house with Rodan sluggishly following him. 

"Damn, I just want to take a nap!" said Rodan. Mosura laughed as she ruffled Rodan's hair. 

"Hey, you can nap later! Come on, lazy," said Mosura as she and Junior began to run ahead. 

"Dad's alive..." said Junior to himself as he watched the alternate reality. He bore a smile as he watched his alternate self and his friends venture through the large forest, meeting with Gojira Takeshi the first and another man with dark hair and green eyes. 

"You're late," deadpanned Senior. Junior chuckled nervously as he rubbed the back of his head as his friends stood by with nervous smiles. Mosura stepped forward with her hand raised. 

"Please don't be mad at him, Takeshi-sensei. It was my fault since I lost track of time when talking to your wife," said Mosura with a light frown. Senior merely kept a hard stare on the teenagers, who stood by anxiously. He then bore a soft smile. 

"Fair enough, Yasu-chan. I'll let him slide. But you have to check him whenever I'm not around," said Senior with a wink. Junior groaned in annoyance. 

"Dad!" said Junior. 

"I'll be sure to do that," said Mosura as she nudged Junior's side in a playful manner. The teenagers then noticed the other men stepping forward. 

"Good afternoon, children," said the man. The teenage Transmutants bowed in response. 

"Good morning, Guardian-sama," said the teens in unison. The man merely chuckled. 

"There is no need to use my title. Just refer to me by name, Gamera," said the man. The teens nodded in response. Senior clapped his hands together. 

"Alright, are you all ready for a hard day of training to be Guardians?" asked Senior. 

"Yes!" said the teens in unison. Senior nodded in response. 

"Excellent. The humans may not accept us, but our duty is the world itself and keeping it in balance. We cannot let their words and actions put us down. We must remain strong!" said Senior as he raised a fist. The reality screen changed back to the menu. Junior stared in silence as he processed what he had witness. He had seen his parents, both alive and with him. Despite them being gone in his world, it gave him comfort that in another world, he was able to be with them longer. 

"Are you OK?" asked Mosura in a worried tone. Junior nodded. 

"Yeah. Yeah, I was just shocked to see that," said Junior with a smile. Fluttershy smiled to Junior. 

"That was your mother, wasn't it? She looked more beautiful on screen compared to the picture," said Fluttershy. 

"Who was that other guy though? I never heard of him," said Rodan in confusion. 

"And where were the other girls?" asked Erika in curiosity. Discord shrugged. 

"Meh. I guess they didn't exist in that universe. Only the Transmutants," said Discord. 

"Hmm. That's a shame," said Junior with a light frown. 

"I wouldn't let it bother you, Goji. After all, we have them with us in our world," said Angirasu. Fluttershy nodded in agreement. 

"Yeah, that's a good way looking at it," said Junior with a nod. Rodan hummed to himself. 

'Was it me, or did Mosura seem pretty chummy with Goji in that reality?' thought Rodan in curiosity. He then shrugged in response. As Junior remained seated, he felt a weight leaning against him. Junior turned and his eyes widened in surprise as he found Sunset leaning against his shoulder with her eyes closed. She was breathing softly as she snoozed. 

"Aw. Poor thing finally went to sleep," said Erika. 

"I'm surprised that she was able to," said Rodan with a soft chuckle. Discord yawned as he stretched his arms. 

"Alright, just one more. I'm getting sleepy myself," said Discord as he popped his back. Junior slightly shifted in his seat, but Sunset merely scooted closer to him and began to snuggle against his arm. Junior looked away with a nervous expression. 

'I hope Twilight doesn't walk in here,' thought Junior. Discord then clicked the last reality on screen. The next scenery sent confusion into the viewers. The screen showed a dark room with two sofas facing a screen. However, the screen also displayed the same scenery. It was like an infinite mirror moment, where the images deeper in each level went on forever. They were able to make out the backs of their heads through the screen. Junior immediately turned his head in confusion, as if attempting to find a camera that may have been filming him. He then looked back to the screen, finding Rodan, Fluttershy and Angirasu to be looking back as well. The rest of the group continued this for several seconds. Junior then raised his hand, finding the action being mirrored on screen. He then turned back to face the back of the room with a bewildered expression. 

"What the hell am I looking at?! When does this happen in an alternate reality?" asked Junior. Discord stood up as he turned to face Junior. 

"Now. You're looking at now, Goji. Everything that is happening now is happening now," said Discord as he pointed to screen. Junior looked down in confusion. 

"Wait...we're looking at our own universe right now?" asked Junior. He then shook his head. "That's ridiculous! You said that we were looking at the past of universes or their future! What happened to seeing different realities?!" 

"We passed them," said Discord in a nonchalant tone. 

"When?" asked Junior. 

"Now. We're at now, now," said Discord as he pointed to the ground, gesturing to the present. 

"Well...go back to then! Show us something interesting instead of us sitting on the couches watching what we're doing!" said Junior in annoyance. Discord looked at him in confusion. 

"When?" asked Discord. 

"Now," answered Junior. Discord cocked his head. 

"Now?" asked Discord. Everyone in the room face palmed at the conversation. 

"Now!" said Junior. 

"I can't," said Discord with a shrug. 

"Why?" asked Junior. 

"We've seen it," said Discord as he pointed to the screen. 

"When?" asked Junior. The screen suddenly went dark and reverted back to the menu. 

"Just now," said Discord. Junior stared at him blankly. He then scowled. 

"Are you yanking my chain here by orchestrating that scenario for me to go through a confusing conversation?" asked Junior. 

"No, this is yanking on your chain," said Discord as he snapped his fingers, allowing for a chained shackle to appear on Junior's arm. He then gave light tugs, which Junior responded with a deadpanned stare. Discord scowled in response. 

"Alright, fine. I'll show you the real last one. This one I thought was actually quite odd," said Discord as he caused the shackle to disappear and then clicked on the remote. The group watched the screen as it showed Ponyville. However, the town seemed to be overrun by multicolored ponies. Various breeds of ponies were present. They ranged from earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasi. 

"Damn, who let these ponies out of their stalls?" asked Rodan in confusion. He then stuck his tongue out in disgust. "That's gonna be a lot of poo to clean up," 

"Gross," said Erika as she crinkled her nose. 

"Oh, but they're all so cute! Don't you think so, Angirasu?" asked Fluttershy. 

"Yeah, they are quite endearing," said Angirasu with a smile. Mosura scanned the screen in confusion. 

"Wait...where are the people?" asked Mosura. The screen suddenly showed a pony entering a restaurant, which then panned over to finding multiple other ponies sitting on hay at tables, eating food. 

"I'd like to order a daisy sandwich," said an earth pony mare as she looked towards a stallion that was dressed as a waiter. Everyone, excluding Discord, looked on in shock. 

"D-Did that pony just..." Junior's voice trailed off as the waiter responded, speaking as a human would. 

"What the hell?" asked Rodan as he tilted his head. Fluttershy looked on in confusion. 

"B-But... Animals do have their own language, but they aren't capable of speaking like we do!" said Fluttershy in shock. Her face then brightened up into a smile. "This is so amazing!" 

"Really? I kinda think it's creepy," said Junior with a grimace. 

"As long as they don't start speaking in tongues, I'm good," said Erika with a nervous expression. The group watched as the screen showed a park where six colorful mares sat together. It was then that Junior noticed that ponies bore familiar marks on their flanks. 

"Whoa. This has got to be a huge coincidence, but those look like Cutie Marks," said Junior with wide eyes. 

"You're right! Those are Cutie Marks! Look, that yellow pegasus has Fluttershy's Cutie Mark!" said Mosura as she pointed at the screen. Fluttershy's eyes widened in surprise as she spotted the pegasus. The screen then panned over to the pegasus, who was petting a white bunny. 

"Now, I want you to be on your best behavior. OK, Angel Bunny?" asked the pegasus, whose voice was the same as Fluttershy's. Everyone gasped in the room. 

"Ugh. What's taking them so long? I'm staaaarving!" said a rainbow-maned pegasus as she slumped in the grass. 

"No way!" said Rodan in shock. 

"Well, you know Gojira. He likes to be fashionably late," said a white unicorn mare with a curled, violet mane. She bore Rarity's voice. 

"I do not!" said Junior in offense as he glared at the screen. 

"Dude, she's not gonna respond," said Rodan with a deadpanned stare. The screen then showed a lavender unicorn reading through a book. 

"Hmm. He probably had to take care of something before he got here," said the unicorn, bearing Twilight's voice. 

"I'm super-duper excited to have our first picnic with them! It's going to be spectacularly glorious!" said a pink earth pony with cotton candy-like hair. Her hyperactive and upbeat personality and her voice was a dead giveaway as to who she was. 

"Simmer down, Pinkie," said an orange earth pony with a Stetson hat on her head. "If you get too worked up, you might scare them off before they arrive," 

"They're wussies if Pinkie scares them," said Rainbow with a laugh. She then turned and smirked. 

"Speaking of which, here they are," said Rainbow as she stood up. The mares all turned and found four ponies. The first was a tall and strong kirin stallion with charcoal grey fur, yellow eyes, a dark and spiked mane, and fangs. The second kirin stallion was another large specimen, but was a bit shorter and more rounded in muscle. It bore a shade of brown, bearing an incredibly spikey mane and brown hazel eyes. Like the first stallion, he bore fangs as well. The third kirin stallion bore a brick red colored coat. His eyes were green and his mane was crimson. His hooves were covered in dark claws at the front, and he bore dragon-like clawed wings on his back. The fourth pony was an alicorn mare, standing to be shorter than the two larger stallions but about the same height as the dragon winged pegasus. Her coat was peach in color, and her mane was pure white with strands of hair hanging between her blue eyes and over her muzzle. Her wings were folded at her sides, bearing the likeness of Mosura's Transumutant wings. 

"Bout time you showed up!" said Rainbow. 

"Get off my back. I lost track of time," said the charcoal grey kirin in annoyance, bearing Junior's voice. The alicorn mare made her way over to the stallion's side and nudged her foreleg against him. 

"Don't mind Mr. Grumpy pants here. He didn't get any sleep," said the alicorn, bearing Mosura's voice. The brick red kirin planted himself beside Rainbow with a sigh. 

"So hungry," moaned the male pegasus, bearing Rodan's voice. The second to largest male kirin made his way to Fluttershy and sat beside her on his rear. 

"Hello, girls," greeted the kirin with Angirasu's voice. 

"Well, now that you guys are here, can we eat now?" asked Rainbow in annoyance. 

"Yeah, my stomach is eating itself!" said Rodan with a groan. 

"Alright, hold your horses. But we still have to wait until we're all here," said Applejack as she and Rarity passed plates to the other ponies. Back in the living room, the Transmutants and single human watched in shock. 

"We're talking animals in this universe," said Angirasu in a neutral tone. 

"I kinda think we at least look cooler compared to the other stallions that we saw. We look manly as shit, even as ponies!" said Rodan. 

“We’re neither. We’re kirins, excluding Mosura,” said Junior with a deadpanned stare. 

"You guys are so cute! Makes me jealous to not be a part of this!" said Erika with a look of disappointment. 

"Sunset Shimmer! Erika! Over here!" cried Pinkie as she waved frantically. The screen showed a yellowish unicorn mare with crimson hair with gold streaks, and a green kirin mare with vines wrapped around her fore legs. Her hair was matched the original Erika's hair and bore the same kind of eyes. This mare was about the size of the kirin version of Angirasu, shorter than Junior's kirin self. The two mares joined the group for the picnic. Erika's eyes widened as she spotted the green pony that bore a Cutie Mark that depicted a rose with thorny vines. Her pupils grew large and a wide smile appeared on her face. 

"Kyaa!!" Erika gave a high pitched squeal, causing everyone in the room to flinch. The screen then flashed back to the menu. 

"Well, I'm satisfied!” said Erika. Discord yawned as he turned on the lights and opened the curtains. 

"Well, I'm off! I hope you all enjoyed yourselves! See you next time!" said Discord as he packed the projector and vanished into thin air. Fluttershy smiled as he faced the Transmutants. 

"That was rather interesting. I especially liked the one with us as ponies! We were so cute!" said Fluttershy. Mosura nodded in agreement. 

"My favorite one was the one where Goji was kicking that guy's ass! Hey, do you know a Flash Sentry in this universe?" asked Rodan in curiosity. Junior shook his head. 

"No, I don't think so," said Junior. 

"I thought they were all pretty interesting. Especially that one with Goji as Emperor," said Angirasu as he gave a chuckle. 

"I still don't know what's up with that," said Rodan as he leaned back on the sofa. Erika turned to face Junior in curiosity. 

"Which one did you like?" asked Erika. Junior looked to the ceiling in thought. 

"Well... despite me living a crap life in high school in that vision, I did like how I actually seemed to have friends that time. But my favorite would have to be the one with my parents. I...I got to see their faces again while they were alive and well," said Junior with a sad smile. He then turned as he found Sunset softly breathing as she leaned against his shoulder. 

"Hmm. We better get her to bed," said Erika as she stood up. 

"Heh. I'm surprised she's still asleep after that squeal," said Angirasu. Rodan chuckled to himself. 

"Dude, she freaking said 'kyaa'! So cute!" whispered Rodan. 

"Uh...I'll do it," said Junior as he gently moved Sunset. Erika and Mosura looked at him in surprise. 

"Really?" asked Erika. 

"Yeah. It's no trouble," said Junior as he knelt down and picked Sunset up, bridal style. Mosura lightly smiled as she watched Junior carry her off out of the living room and into the back. Junior continued on down the metal bridge with Sunset sleeping in his arms. He eventually made it to the large chamber in the cave and made his way into his room. As he reached his bed, Junior gently lowered Sunset down and lied her down on the bed. He brought the blanket up from under her and began to bring it up to her shoulders. Junior stared at Sunset with a neutral expression for several seconds, recalling his past with her. He sighed heavily as he lowered his head as he remembered what the mysterious woman from the previous night had said. He heard Sunset give a small moan in her sleep, prompting Junior to look up to find her brows crinkling. She began to toss and turn in her sleep as she muttered in her sleep. 

"No..." muttered Sunset. 

'Oh. Is she having a nightmare?' thought Junior. Without thinking, Junior brought his hand over Sunset's sweating brows as she muttered in her sleep. 

"No...stay away, you monster," muttered Sunset. Junior's eyes widened in response. He then softened his eyes and then sighed as he looked away. 

"You haven't changed your thoughts about me. Not even a bit," said Junior in a bitter tone. Sunset's eyes suddenly shot open and she suddenly jumped out of bed with a cry. Junior recoiled in response, startled by her sudden awakening. Sunset panted as she bore a look of panic. She frantically looked around and then turned to find Junior. She gasped as she recoiled back with a look of fear. Junior merely hardened his eyes. Sunset lightly panted as she relaxed her shoulders. 

"Oh. It's just you," said Sunset in relief. Junior raised a brow. 

"What do you mean by that?" asked Junior. 

"Nothing! Nothing, I just thought that..." Sunset sighed as she lowered her eyes. "I was afraid that if I were to fall back to sleep, I'd wake up back in that hell hole," 

"Oh," said Junior. Sunset twiddled her fingers as she sat in Junior's bed awkwardly. She then looked around. 

"How did I get back in here?" asked Sunset. 

"You fell asleep back in the house. I brought you down here," said Junior as he sat on the ground next to the bed. Sunset looked at him in surprise. 

"You carried me?" asked Sunset. 

"You were taking up space on the couch," deadpanned Junior. Sunset lightly winced. Her face bore a look of hurt. 

"Sorry," said Sunset. Junior looked down. 

"Ah. No, I was just kidding," said Junior as he rubbed his head. He then glanced at Sunset. 

"So...what was your nightmare about? You were talking in your sleep," said Junior. Sunset looked away in embarrassment. 

"I was?" asked Sunset with a light blush. 

"Yep. Something about a monster," said Junior. 

"Well...it's a dream that I've been having a lot lately. I keep seeing myself as that winged monster. She would always torture me, say cruel things to me, and burn me," said Sunset as she visibly shook. She lowered her head onto her knees. 

"I keep having that stupid nightmare every other time I sleep and it seems to be getting worse," said Sunset. Junior nodded in understanding. 

"I sympathize. I have the same problem. Except it was me becoming a monster," said Junior. Sunset looked at him in surprise. 

"Wow. I...I never thought of having that in common with you," said Sunset. Junior shrugged. 

"Well, Celestia thinks that we do have a bit in common. I'm beginning to wonder that myself," said Junior. He then shifted in his seat. 

"Sunset," called Junior. Sunset's eyes widened in shock. It was the first time that she had heard Junior refer to her by her first name in years. Before, he only called her by her last name, as the stranger that she had become to him. 

"Listen I... I've... Ugh. I've been a dick," said Junior as he looked away. 

"Huh?" asked Sunset. 

"I've treated you harshly because I was pissed about you trying to escape the dungeon when Celestia was offering you a chance. I guess I wanted to start over as well. So when you took that escape, I felt betrayed," said Junior. Sunset deeply frowned as she listened. 

"But I was wrong to hold onto what happened. I was wrong to treat you like a nuisance when we rescued you. For that, I'm sorry and I forgive you. For everything," said Junior as he bowed his head. Sunset lightly smiled in response. She scooted closer to Junior and hesitantly reached for him Sunset then forced her arms around his neck and wrapped him into a hug. Junior's eyes widened in surprise. 

"Thank you, for saving my life," whispered Sunset. Junior smiled to himself and then wrapped his arms around her back. 

"You're welcome," said Junior. As the two released each other, Junior stood up to his feet. 

"Well, I'll let you get some more sleep. See ya," said Junior as he began to walk away. He then felt Sunset grab his wrist, holding it tightly. He turned and found Sunset looked at him with pleading eyes. 

"W-Would you mind staying here with me for a while? I'm...scared," said Sunset in embarrassment. Junior nodded in understanding. 

"Sure," said Junior as he sat himself down beside the bed. Sunset then lied herself down and gave Junior a soft smile. With that, Junior felt his burden lighten. Still, it felt heavy.
> Chapter 63: The Big City
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was the early noon in Ponyville. Junior and Angirasu were pushing a large boulder that had fallen onto the road. The two grunted as they worked to move the boulder to the side of a rocky hill. After they pushed the boulder, they turned to find Big Mac on a wagon that was being pulled by a red horse. In the back of the wagon were barrels filled with apples that were to be sold to the next town over. 

"There you go, Big Mac. Road's clear," said Junior. 

"Eeyup. Much obliged, boys," said Big Mac as his wagon moved down the road. Junior and Angirasu waved to the man as he left on his journey. The two Transmutants made their way over to the barn, where they found Granny Smith napping as she sat on the porch of the house in her rocker. The two passed the little old woman and entered into the house, where they found Applebloom sitting at the kitchen table, working on her homework. The two Transmutants sighed in unison as they sat the table with bottles of water in their hands. 

"I'm beat," said Junior as he took a large gulp of his water. 

"Hey, Goji. Is it true that a Transmutant can talk to animals?" asked Applebloom. Junior raised a brow at her in response. 

"Um... I'm pretty sure that's not true. I mean, I've never heard an animal say a word to me for as long as I've been working here," said Junior as he took another sip of water. 

"Me neither," said Angirasu. 

"That's what I thought. Some people come up with some weird rumors," said Applebloom with a laugh. Junior sighed in annoyance. 

"I swear, this town's got nothing better to do except come up with weird rumors and tall tales," said Junior. He yawned as he lied his head down on the table. From the living room, Applejack arrived as she conversed with Rarity. 

"Well, I don't think he'd mind. It ain't like he's got something better to do anyway," said Applejack as she and Rarity stepped into the kitchen. 

"Alright then," said Rarity as she turned her attention to Junior. 

"Gojira, darling?" called Rarity. Junior raised his head up and turned to face Rarity. 

"Hello," greeted Junior. Rarity cleared her throat as she twiddled her fingers. 

"Um... I don't normally ask for favors from you. But... Would you mind doing me a favor?" asked Rarity. Junior shrugged. 

"I don't see why not. I don't really have much to do after work anyway," said Junior. "What's this favor?" 

"Well, there's this event that's scheduled to happen in a few days in Manehattan. I was invited by Fancy Pants for-" 

"Who?" asked Junior with a tilt of his head, interrupting Rarity. 

"Fancy Pants. You know, the most important person in Canterlot!" said Rarity. Junior was silent for several seconds as he thought back to some of the names of people he may have been familiar with back in the capital city. He then shook his head. 

"Nope. Doesn't ring a bell," said Junior. 

"Wha- But weren't you raised in Canterlot for most of your life?" asked Rarity in confusion. She was shocked at how someone like Junior hadn’t heard of Fancy Pants. 

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I pay attention to all of the popular folks that lived there," said Junior with a shrug. 

"Oh. Well, I met this high class gentleman back in July when I was visiting Canterlot. This was back when you and the others were missing," said Rarity. Junior nodded in response. "Anyway, I met Fancy Pants during my stay, and I've become quite acquainted with him, being invited among the other high class people of Canterlot. He's even complimented our friends and the simple dress I had made for Twilight's birthday!" 

"Sounds neat," said Junior, trying his best to not sound rude. He really was not a fan of the high class people that he had to live among back in his days in Canterlot. They were snooty to the point he wanted to knock their teeth out. Twilight and her family were the exception, since they weren't like those he had the displeasure of meeting. 

"Indeed it was! Oh, how wonderful it was to be among those of high society. Especially with someone as charming and sweet as Fancy Pants," said Rarity with a smile on her face as she gave a happy sigh. 

'You'd get sick and tired of high class folks as time goes on,' thought Junior with a smirk after turning to drink water. 

"So, this Fancy Pants guy invited you to an event in Manehattan because you were his favorite commoner?" asked Junior. 

"Yes, in short," said Rarity. 

"So, what's this event?" asked Junior. 

"Well, it's this annual art show that showcases all of the works from the world's famous artists as well as the not as well-known ones. It's quite expensive to get into," said Rarity. Junior hummed to himself. 

"Art show, huh? In the big city?" asked Junior. Rarity lost her smile as a knot formed in her stomach. 

"So, why ask me to come along?" asked Junior. Rarity cleared her throat. 

"Um... Well, I uh... I..." Rarity looked away in embarrassment. Junior and Angirasu both looked at each other in confusion and then to Rarity with quizzical looks. 

"What?" asked Junior. 

"I sort of promised Fancy Pants that I'd sell him some apparel made by me. You're the only one that's around his size" said Rarity with a nervous laugh. Junior gave her a blank stare for several seconds. 

"Uh... So basically I'm just your template for fitting those orders for him?" asked Junior. Rarity lamely nodded. 

"Yes. I'd ask Angirasu, but his muscles are more round compared to yours," said Rarity. Applebloom laughed as she held Angirasu's arm up and squeezed his triceps. 

"It's true!" said Applebloom. Junior looked away with an unsure expression. He had a responsibility to be around just in case something was to come up involving threats from Revolutionaries, Changelings, and the Shadow's Hand. But, Rarity seemed to really eager to be part of this event. He turned to Rarity, who bore pleading eyes. He sighed. 

"What about Ponyville? It may need me around in case something happens," said Junior. 

"Me and the others can take care of it while you're gone. You're not the only Transmutant here, you know," said Angirasu with a chuckle. 

"Oh, alright," said Junior. Rarity squealed in delight as she wrapped Junior into a tight hug. 

"Oh, thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I promise, you'll have a good time!" said Rarity. 

'We're going to a city. I hate cities,' thought Junior. 

"When do we get going?" asked Junior. 

"We leave this afternoon!" said Rarity. 

"But it's already early noon," said Junior. 

"Well then we mustn't doddle! Get home and start to pack some clothes that will last you about four days!" said Rarity as she took off out the door. 

"Rarity. Rarity, wait!" called Junior as he got out of his seat, only to find Rarity rushing out of the house and down the road. He sighed as he slumped his shoulders. Applejack chuckled as she patted him on the back. 

"Aw don't look so glum. Some time out of town would be good for you," said Applejack. 

"Yeah. But I guess I'm still a little shaken up after losing it again," said Junior. 

"I know. But time off would do ya some good, Sugarcube. Besides, I think seeing a bunch'a fancy paintings will help take your mind off of it," said Applejack. 

"Well, some time off does sound nice," said Junior. He then nodded to her. 

"Alright. Is it alright if I head out now?" asked Junior. Applejack nudged him in the shoulder. 

"Obviously! You only got a while to pack up! Get going," said Applejack. Junior nodded. 

"OK. See ya, Aang. Bye Applebloom," said Junior as he waved to the two in the kitchen. 

"Bye, Goji!" waved Applebloom while Angirasu waved as well. Junior made his way outside of the house after waving to Applejack. As he stepped outside, he found Granny Smith snorting as she suddenly shot up awake. 

"Huh? What's that?" asked Granny as she looked around with drowsy eyes. 

"Bye Granny Smith," said Junior as he waved to the old woman. 

"Oh. Bye, deary. Eh wait, you don't normally leave until later in the afternoon. Wait, what time is it again?" asked Granny Smith as she pulled out a pocket watch and rubbed her chin. 

"I'm leaving early, Granny Smith. I have to leave town for a couple days with a friend," said Junior. 

"Alright then. Have a safe trip, young-in!" waved Granny as she rocked herself in her seat. Junior nodded to her as he made his journey outside of Sweet Apple Acres. 





Junior was sitting with Twilight at the kitchen table as he counted off the amount of sandwiches that he had packed for himself and Rarity. A case of clothes sat beside him as he packed a few other necessary items for hygiene. 

"So, you're going to Manehattan? That sounds exciting," said Twilight. 

"I guess. I'm not really someone who likes to be in large cities," said Junior. 

"Oh, you and your pessimism," said Twilight as she lightly slapped Junior's shoulder. 

"But then again, I guess it does give me a chance to be worry free. Well, somewhat," said Junior. 

"OK, that's a little better," said Twilight with a smile. She then started to look Junior over as she hummed to herself. 

"You have everything you need, right?" asked Twilight. 

"I think so," said Junior. 

"Toothbrush? Toothpaste? Deodorant?" asked Twilight. 

"Yep. Yep. Yep," said Junior as he counted the items off in his head. 

"Shirts? Pants? Socks?" asked Twilight. 

"Yep, Yep, and yep," said Junior as he nodded to her. 

"What about pairs of underwear to change into?" asked Twilight. Junior looked away in embarrassment. 

"Yes," said Junior. Twilight smiled in amusement. 

"OK, do you at least have money just in case?" asked Twilight as she prodded Junior on how prepared he was. It'd be terrible if he were to be missing something by the time he was already far from home. 

"Plenty," said Junior as he tapped his pocket, causing the bits in his pocket jingle. 

"Alright, you might be ready. Oh! No, there's one more thing," said Twilight as she ran out of the kitchen. Junior raised a brow as Twilight made her way up to her bedroom upstairs. After a minute, the sound of her footsteps rushing down filled his ears. He then found Twilight coming into the kitchen with small pants. She held something behind her back as she gave him an innocent smile. 

"What did you do?" asked Junior. 

"Just went to get something. Could you kneel down for me and close your eyes?" asked Twilight. 

"Why? Can't you just-" Junior was interrupted as Twilight sent him a glare. 

"Uh! No arguing, mister! Kneel and close those eyes!" said Twilight. Junior rolled his eyes in response. He knelt himself down to Twilight's eye level and closed his eyes. Twilight smiled as she took the object she held from behind her back and brought the chain over his neck. She then took a step back. 

"OK, you can open them," said Twilight. Junior opened his head and felt the chain around his neck. He picked up what hung at the end of the chain necklace. He found a heart shaped locket that read, 'I love you' in cursive writing on the front. He looked back at Twilight, who bore a bright smile. 

"I got this for you. Open it," said Twilight. As told, Junior opened the locket, finding a photograph of Twilight as she bore a warm smile. 

"Just a little something for you to take whenever you’re somewhere far away," said Twilight. 

"I..." Junior's face flushed as he looked away and removed the locket. 

"I can't wear this," said Junior. 

"Wha- Why the heck not?" asked Twilight in confusion. 

"Weeell... It's not really my thing to wear something around my neck like this," said Junior in embarrassment. 

"Oh come on! Please, it'd mean a lot to me if you did," said Twilight with a pout lip. She then smirked as she reached into Junior's sweater and through his shirt. She pulled out the medallion of his clan. 

"How come it's any different to wearing this?" asked Twilight. Junior pulled it back into his sweater as he avoided eye contact. 

"It's not shaped like a heart, that's why," said Junior. Twilight crossed her arms as she gave a huff. 

"You're such a jerk. If you don't like it, then tell me," said Twilight with a frown. Junior winced in response as he realized the landmine that he had stepped on. He sighed. 

"Twi, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make it seem that way," said Junior as he placed a hand on her shoulder. Twilight avoided eye contact with him. The Transmutant brought his eyes back on the locket. He then closed his eyes. 

'Ah. It's not that big of a deal. Guys wear things like this proudly when their girlfriends give it to them, right?' thought Junior. He then brought the locket back over his neck. 

"Twi~," called Junior. Twilight turned her attention and found Junior wearing the locket over the outside of his sweater, while his medallion was tucked away underneath. Twilight smiled in response, her mood lifting back up. 

"I'm sorry. I guess you could say I suffer a bit from the macho thing," said Junior with a chuckle. "I promise I'll always wear this," 

Twilight wrapped Junior into a tight hug. The Transmutant stroked her head as he brought his head down to her shoulder. 

"I'll have to get you something nice for Hearth's Warming," said Junior. 

"I'm not picky. So, I'll like it as long as you put your heart into it," said Twilight with a giggle. She then lightly frowned. 

"Hey, you'll be OK leaving right? I mean, after what happened..." 

"I think I'll be fine. I just need some air and some rest. I doubt I'll get fresh air in Manehattan, but rest is a minor possibility," said Junior. Twilight shook her head at Junior's playful pessimism. The two shared a quick kiss before breaking the hug. 

"Now get going! You'll be late for your trip!" said Twilight. Junior nodded in response as he took his suit case and began to make his way out of the library. 







Later... 


Junior grimaced as he stared at the luggage that lied stacked in a cart that bore dozens of others. He found his suitcase remaining cushioned by Rarity's, which comprised of a dozen other bags. 

"How much stuff can one woman pack?" asked Junior. He left the cart and made his way back to the passenger cart. He found Rarity sitting down by the window seat as she looked herself over with the use of a pocket mirror. The Transmutant took his seat beside her and lied back in his seat. 

"Thanks for helping me bring my bags aboard, deary," said Rarity. 

"Sure.  Say, why did you pack so much? It seems like a lot for just four days. I mean, pajamas, casual clothes, tooth brush, etc. You look like you’re preparing for a long cruise," said Junior. 

"Oh, some of those carry my materials that I need for making the suits. The rest are my clothes and my formal attire," said Rarity. 

"Uh oh. Formal attire? Shit, I don't think I brought any of that. Wait, did I bring my pajamas?" muttered Junior. 

"Oh, nothing to worry about dear. Just make sure you're on your best behavior and you show good manners. You do have them, right?" asked Rarity in a worried tone. 

"Of course. Have you forgotten that I was raised by the princess during my childhood?" asked Junior as he leaned back in his seat and held his arms behind his head. Rarity looked at him with an unsure expression. 

"Sometimes I wonder," said Rarity. 

"Hey, with all of the years I had to act 'proper' when among these high class punks, I yearned to be as informal as I am now," said Junior. Rarity rolled her eyes in response. 

"Fine. Just try to behave," said Rarity. 

"Yes, mom," said Junior. Rarity smirked in amusement. The two waited on the train for the next couple of hours. Junior sat in boredom while Rarity sat back and read a mystery novel. She was incredibly drawn into the book that she had forgotten that she was in the train. Junior felt his stomach growling, so he reached under his seat and pulled out a sandwich from a large paper bag. 

"Rarity, are you hungry? I brought some food," said Junior. 

"Huh? Oh yes," said Rarity as she kept her eyes glued on the book and reached for the side. She grabbed the sandwich that was in Junior's hand. 

"Hey! That one's mine!" said Junior. Rarity was startled out of her book and looked at Junior in confusion. 

"Aren't they all the same?" asked Rarity. 

"No, half of them are filled with fish meat. Yours are packed with cucumbers and other vegetables," said Junior as he handed Rarity a different sandwich wrapped in plastic with an R written in ink. Rarity looked down at the sandwich she held and found the letter G written on the wrapper. She immediately handed Junior the sandwich back with a titter of embarrassment. 

"Sorry, I was just getting to a very intense part of this book," said Rarity as she traded sandwiches with the Transmutant. 

"I noticed. You've been quiet this whole trip so far," said Junior as he unwrapped his own sandwich and took a bite. 

"Well, you want to start a conversation?" asked Rarity with a raised brow. Junior swallowed his food before speaking, lest he wanted to be scolded. 

"Aren't we already having one?" asked Junior. Rarity smiled in amusement. She stuck her book mark on her page and sat her book down on her lap. 

"Alright, let's change the topic then. What's the story about you and Sunset Shimmer?" asked Rarity. 

"Oh, that? Well, like I said before, she was a former crush from when I was a kid. I was eight when I first saw her. I never actually talked with her before since I was very shy around her. It wasn't until I was nine that I started talking to her a bit more," said Junior. 

"What did you like about her?" asked Rarity in curiosity. 

"Well... she seemed nice. I guess I'm naturally attracted to nice girls. I also did like her hair. Red is my favorite color," said Junior with a chuckle. "Plus, I kinda have a thing for elf girl's pointy ears," said Junior. His eyes then widened as he realized who he was talking to. He turned and found Rarity flushing as she looked down at her lap in embarrassment as she held the tips of her pointed ears. 

"Eh. N-Not in a sexual way! I just think they're cute, is all," said Junior with a nervous laugh. 

"Right! Well, I have to say as an elf, I am flattered," said Rarity with a small laugh. Junior sighed in relief. 

"Anyway, I had these fantasies as a kid that I'd marry her someday. I would do the thing that my dad had told me to do when I meet a special girl in my life," said Junior. 

"Do tell," said Rarity with a look of interest. 

"He said, 'Son, when you get older and get married, you treat your wife like a princess. Because she may have to put up with you when you mess up'," said Junior with a look of nostalgia. Rarity smiled in amusement at the last sentence. 

"You're father sounds like quite a gentleman," said Rarity. 

"Maybe to mom. I don't know how he was with other women," said Junior with a shrug. He then chuckled. 

"I find it funny how Sunset turned out not to be the one. Life's weird like that sometimes. You never know what's good or bad until later," said Junior. 

"Gojira, can I ask you a question? It might be a bit too personal," said Rarity. 

"Uh... I guess," said Junior with an unsure expression. He was worried about how personal the question would be, considering that they had already delved into some personal stuff. 

"Do you think Twilight's the one?" asked Rarity. Junior looked away with an unsure expression. 

"I... I want to say that she is. I feel like she is. Twilight means a lot to me. But sometimes I worry that one day I'll be the one to screw up that'll ruin it," said Junior as he reached for the locket that hung around his neck and looked at it. He opened and found the picture of Twilight. 

"I doubt either of us is ready for marriage. It's scary to think about, honestly. However, I'd like for her to be the one and I want to treat her as a princess. Because she's the only one who's shown the most understanding for me since the beginning, and she puts up with my mistakes to an extent," said Junior as he stared at the photo. He felt Rarity gently placing a hand on his shoulder as she gave him a warm smile. 

"Well, I'll certainly be rooting for the both of you," said Rarity. Junior smiled back at her as he closed the locket. 

"Thanks, Rare," said Junior. Rarity smiled brightly. 

"Oh! That's the first time you referred to me by a nickname!" said Rarity. "It's nice. It's what a friend would do," 

"Phew. I was worried you wouldn't like it," said Junior in relief. Rarity shook her head in amusement as she sat back in her seat. 

"You know, I look forward to when all of this craziness with MONARCH and the other villains finally comes to an end," said Rarity. 

"Me too. On my first day being rid of them all, I'm taking a long nap," said Junior. 







Canterlot, Equestria... 


Koizumi sighed as he stood up to his feet, feeling the popping of his bones in his legs. He hopped a couple of times, feeling soreness in his legs, but his bones were holding up well. He lied himself down on the barrack's bed as he sighed in relief. 

"It feels great to stand up again," said Koizumi. Yoshi made his way over to the bed beside him and lied down. His arm was healed, thanks to the help of the moth fairies. Their healing powers greatly accelerated the process for Koizumi and Yoshi. 

"Pretty soon you might be able to get back into action again," said Yoshi. 

"Uh. We. We'll be getting back into action again," said Koizumi. 

"Of course," said Yoshi with a chuckle. 

"Well, you wanna hit the tavern for some drinks? It's on me," said Koizumi. 

"Sure, I can go for a drink," said Yoshi as he raised himself up from the bed. The two moved out of the barracks. Koizumi was wincing with every few steps that he took. 

"You sure you're well enough to walk around?" asked Yoshi. 

"Oh yeah. I'm just sore," said Koizumi with a dismissive wave. The two continued on through the castle grounds until they made their way outside and into one of the city's buildings. Soon, the two were sitting at the counter at the local tavern. 

"Man, that Thanatos guy is an asshole. I tell ya, next time I'm going to mess his shit up," said Koizumi as he drank his cider. 

"That man outclassed both of us. Next time, we'll probably be killed," said Yoshi. 

"Don't pussy out on me, man. You always do this when there's someone tougher than you and you run away," said Koizumi in annoyance. 

"It's a tactical retreat, old friend. You fallback for time to recover to make a counter attack," retorted Yoshi. 

"So run away to fight?" asked Koizumi. 

"Basically. Why do you have to charge in like your invincible? One of these days you're going to ram into something as stubborn as yourself," said Yoshi. 

"Ugh. You sound like Sensei," said Koizumi in annoyance. He then hunched himself over as he dropped his face. 

"You're too cocky, young Koizumi. You lack discipline. You're form is sloppy. Stop eating all of the rice balls when your classmates haven't had one yet," said Koizumi as he took on a mock elderly tone. 

"Hey, we all had to share our food. Don't be mad because he scolded you for that," said Yoshi with a deadpanned stare. 

"Scold? That old fart did more than that. He freaking struck me with a kendo sword every time!" said Koizumi. 

"Only to teach you the consequences for being rebellious," said Yoshi as he drank his cider. Koizumi sighed in annoyance. 

"Speaking of Takeshi, are we still gonna train his grandson?" asked Koizumi. 

"Of course. It's the least we could do. Especially for a relative of Sensei," said Yoshi. 

"Cool. Why don't we take a jeep and head on down there after we're through? I need to relieve some boredom," said Koizumi. 

"We can't right now. Yasu called and told me that he was going to be in Manehattan for a few days," said Yoshi. 

"She seems to be giving you a lot of calls," said Koizumi with a raised brow. 

"No she isn't. Only when things concerning the others happen," said Yoshi as he took another swig of his cider. 

"Whatever you say, bro," said Koizumi. 







Neighpon. 15 years ago...
 

A small modern town just near one of Neighpon's more traditional villages was bustling with workers. Horses towed chariots along the asphalt road and children walked home from school. Meanwhile, a medium sized building just in between two taller buildings stood. Inside, over a dozen male and female students stood in a room, wearing training kimonos. They comprised of children and young teens, all recently coming from school. Around the room were training dummies, a closet filled with sleek wooden swords. The students all followed the movements of their teacher, Ishiro Takeshi. The class all made strokes and twirls with the sword, while re positioning their stance. Ishiro mentally nodded in approval at how well his students were following his lead and how they moved with grace. As he continued to search through his students, his brow twitched in annoyance. He noticed one of his students moving without grace, swinging his sword wildly. 

"Stop!" shouted Ishiro. All of the students suddenly stopped their practice and stood as stiff as boards. Ishiro furrowed his brows as he made his way over to the student that was not correctly practicing. 

"Koizumi, what on earth do you think you're doing?" asked Ishiro. 

"Practicing, Sensei. With my own style, of course," said the young Koizumi with a smirk. Ishiro's brows twitched in annoyance. 

"Baka!" shouted Koizumi as he slapped his wooden sword against Koizumi's side. 

"Ow!" yelped Koizumi as he dropped to the ground and clutched his stinging side. 

"Let that be a lesson, young one. Always follow the instructions of your master!" said Ishiro. The other kids started to laugh at the scene. Koizumi scowled in response as his eyes stung with small tear drops that formed in his eyes from the pain. He grunted as another boy helped him up to his feet. 

"I told you that was a dumb thing to do," said the boy. Koizumi scoffed. 

"Shut up, Hayato," said Koizumi in annoyance. The young Hayato Yoshi rolled his eyes in response. 

"Now, again!" said Ishiro as he took the front of the room again. The children got back into position. Koizumi and Yoshi began to follow every movement of Ishiro. 

After completing their warm ups, the children were paired up. All bore swords with bamboo blades and wore protective gear on their hands, shoulders, thighs and head. Koizumi and Yoshi both grunted as they rushed towards each other and clashed bamboo blades. The two pushed against each other as they locked eyes. 

"I'm gonna beat you this time," said Koizumi with a smirk. 

"Don't get cocky, Kira," said Yoshi. He then pointed to the others. "We're not even sparring today. We're practicing blocks and strikes," 

"Man," said Koizumi as he slumped his head in disappointment. The two proceeded to make quick strikes as they yelled with each strike. They then backed off and Koizumi attacked Yoshi, who backed off. The two then switched roles, making different motions of striking as they practiced. Truly, this was boring for Koizumi, who wished to spar. Unfortunately for him, Kenjutsu was more about learning the way of the sword from a battlefield's point of view, while it was Kendo that mostly involved sparring. As the children practiced their strikes and motions, they eventually found themselves seated before their teacher. Ishiro stood in front of the class as he bore a katana at his side. He drew the blade and gracefully swayed the weapon, allowing the dull blade to reflect the light. 

"Remember students, the sword is not a toy. It is your life. The way you handle it determines how you will grow and how you will face challenges. The blade is an extension of yourself," said Ishiro as he made a stance with both of his hands firmly gripping bellow the guard and down to the hilt of the sword. 

"Always keep a firm grip on your life. If not handled with respect and a firm grip, you'll find yourself losing it," said Ishiro. He then placed the sword back into its sheath. 

"That's all for today, students," said Ishiro. The children all rose to their feet and bowed to their teacher. Ishiro did the same to his students. 

The children had all began to pack their clothes and bags. They proceeded to leave the kenjutsu school, but Koizumi and Yoshi lagged behind. 

"Come on, Hayato. I'm starving!" said Koizumi in annoyance. Yoshi grunted as he tied his shoes. 

"Hold on, I'm almost ready," replied Yoshi. Koizumi sighed as he leaned against the wall. 

"Koizumi, Yoshi," called Ishiro. The two boys went stiff and turned to find the old man placing the dull katana on a rack at the end of the room. 

"I'd like to discuss something with you two," said Ishiro. Koizumi grimaced. 

"Oh boy," the boy muttered as he and Yoshi made their way over to their teacher. 

"Yes sensei?" responded Yoshi. 

"Yoshi, you've proved yourself to be well focused in my teachings among your classmates. You work hard and excel in the basic ways of the sword. I have high hopes for you my student," said Ishiro. Yoshi smiled to himself. 

"Thank you, Sensei. I have your teachings to thank," said Yoshi. 

"Yes. Just don't let it go to your head," said Ishiro. Yoshi nodded in response. Ishiro sighed as he turned to Koizumi. 

"Koizumi. You on the other hand have been rebellious in my teachings. When I tell you to block, you instead strike. When I instruct you to be humble, you gloat. And when I demonstrate a form, you move as though you have insects in your kimono," deadpanned Ishiro. Koizumi merely scowled in response. 

"You don't seem to take my class seriously," said Ishiro. 

"Sure I do, Sensei. It's just that it gets boring when just practicing all of these blocks and hits. We hardly spar," said Koizumi. 

"Student, this class is meant to teach you the way of the sword. It's not a game. Everything that I teach you prepares you how to wield the katana. A warrior must know how to respect his weapon and the art of combat," said Ishiro. Koizumi sighed in response. 

"But, you are not the worst student I've had. You have potential, but you're holding yourself back," said Ishiro. Koizumi looked down at the ground in thought. 

"Now, run along children. We'll see each other again another day," said Ishiro. The two boys bowed and made their way out of the school. As they moved to the door, they found a beautiful woman making her way to the school's building. The two boys moved passed her as the woman entered the school. A baby was carried by this woman, held by straps that secured the child against his mother's chest. 

"Ishiro~," called the woman. The old man turned and smiled at the woman. 

"Oh. Hello, Miwa. What are you doing here?" 

"I came here to let you know that Gojira is going to have us eat out here tonight," said Miwa. 

"That sounds good. I've worked up an appetite," said Ishiro as he made his way over to his daughter in law. He then smiled at the baby that babbled as he waved his hands. 

"How's my grandson today?" asked Ishiro. 

"Oh he's been quite fussy today. But he was just a little cranky because he didn't want to take a nap," cooed Miwa as she removed her son from the carrier that held him and held him in the air. The baby laughed as he kicked his legs. 

"Junior, say hi to grandpa!" said Miwa as she held the baby out to Ishiro. The baby laughed as he reached his arms out to his grandfather. Ishiro chuckled as he held Junior, who began to rub his hands on his white beard. 







Present day... 


Junior was resting in the train as he lied with his head back. Rarity was sleeping peacefully on the Transmutant's shoulder. She snuggled against him as she tried to grow more comfortable in her position. The sun was setting over the land and the train was currently over a bridge. It rode into the Manehattan islands, where tall buildings stood. As the train neared the station, the intercom static filled the train cars. Junior's eyes opened, just in time to hear the announcement. 

"We are now heading for Manehattan station. Please be prepared for your stop," said a male voice. Junior yawned as he rubbed his eyes. He turned and found Rarity sound asleep. He began to gently shake her. 

"Rarity, wake up. We're here," said Junior. The elf's brows crinkled and she began to stir. She raised herself off of the Transmutant and stretched as she yawned. 

"Mmh. Ow, I hate sleeping on trains," moaned Rarity as she rubbed her stiff neck as the train rolled to a stop. Soon the two took their luggage and carried them away from the station. Junior was already assaulted with many industrial smells in the city along with the sounds. He smelled local food stands and asphalt along with horses that pulled chariots along the roads. Thousands of people roamed the city in clusters, much to Junior's dismay. 

"Taxi~!" called Rarity as she waved down the road. A horse towing a yellow chariot with a white and checkered side came to the two's position. The man that owned the taxi gave the two a nod. Rarity and Junior placed their luggage in the back of the chariot and hopped inside. During the ride to their destination, Rarity peaked out the window with glee as she took in all of the sights that were offered in the city from the bright lights, the skyscrapers, and the large billboards that hung on the buildings. Soon, the two found themselves brought to a part of the city where tall buildings were clustered. A tall hotel building stood before the two. Rarity smiled as she looked at her pocket book. 

"We'll be staying here for the next few days," said Rarity as she led Junior towards the building. 

"Man, looks expensive," said Junior with a worried expression. 

"Fret not, dear. Fancy Pants has been so kind to cover our expenses for our stay," said Rarity in reassurance. The two made their way inside of the hotel lobby where bright lights lit the inside and several people were either checking in or checking out while the employees sat from behind a desk. The two walked over towards the desk. 

"Excuse me, we're checking into this fine establishment. I believe our registration is under, 'Rarity Belle'," said Rarity as she batted her eyelashes towards the man behind the desk. 

"Oh yes. We've been expecting you," said the man as he reached behind the desk as he pulled out a key and handed it to Rarity. 

"You two will be staying in Room 303 on the sixth floor," said the employee. He then hummed in thought as he eyed Junior. 

"Oh this is no good," said the employee. Junior gulped nervously. His presence just may cost them their trip. 

"What's wrong?" asked Junior. 

"We weren't aware that there was going to be more than one person staying in this suite. The bed may not be large enough to support a couple such as yourselves," said the employee. 

"Oh ho! No, no, no! We're not together. We're just friends," said Rarity as she waved her hand with flushed cheeks. 

"My mistake, ma'am. Would you be alright if we send up a mattress for this gentleman in your room?" asked the employee. 

"Does it cost more?" asked Junior. Rarity nudged him in his rib in response, silencing the Transmutant. 

"All costs will be given to Mr. Pants. You two have nothing to worry about," said the employee. 

"We'll take it," said Rarity with a nod. 

"Alright. We'll have one of our employees deliver your luggage to your room. Feel free to move on ahead," said the employee as he gestured to another worker that pushed an empty cart. 

After leaving their luggage to be delivered, Rarity and Junior moved on ahead into an elevator. From there, they waited as their elevator carried them up to the sixth floor of the building. The two soon found themselves walking towards their room, where they entered inside. The room was spaced, filled with grey carpet and two sofas that sat by a large window covered by curtains. A kitchen area with a sink and a table were nearby. The bathroom was wide with a shower and bore complimentary soaps and shampoos. The bedroom had two drawers located on the sides of the queen sized bed. A painting of the statue of Lady Liberty sat above the bed, while a painting of an overview look of the city was located in the living room. 

"How quaint!" said Rarity with a bright smile as she placed her purse down on the table and looked around the suite. Junior sighed in relief. 

"Thank goodness we don't have to pay for this," said Junior. He then looked at the sofas in the living and made his way over to one of them. He sat on the longest one. 

"Oh. Comfy," said Junior as he bounced on the sofa. He then hummed to himself as he removed his shoes and lied himself down on the couch. 

"Haha! This is wonderful! Gojira, how about we-" Rarity stopped as she found the Transmutant lying on the sofa, fast asleep. She slumped her shoulders as she took on a surprised expression. She made her way over to his side and shook Junior's shoulder. 

"Darling, wake up! Why don't we go on out and go sightseeing?" asked Rarity as she grabbed Junior's arm and attempted to pull him up. Junior moaned as he pulled his arm back. 

"Not tonight. I'm tired," muttered Junior as he yawned. Rarity looked on in disappointment. 

"Foo," pouted Rarity as she sat down on the other sofa and crossed her arms. She then noticed a folded note sitting on the table. Curious, she reached for it and unfolded it. 

"Dear Rarity, if you're reading this, I hope you'll find yourself comfortable in this hotel room. I look forward to seeing you again in this fair city. If not too much trouble, I'd like to meet you tomorrow for brunch at the-" Rarity was interrupted as she heard the sound of knocking at the door. She turned after setting the note down, waiting to finish it later. She made her way over towards the door and opened it, finding a young man with a cart with their luggage. 

"Thank you darling. Just leave set the bags right here," said Rarity as she gestured to the kitchen. The young man nodded in response as he brought the cart in and began to unload it. After the unloading was complete, the employee left the room. Rarity sighed as she stretched her arms. 

"I suppose I can go out for a quick cup of coffee since Gojira seems to be keen on lazing about," said Rarity. She levitated a pen and paper over to herself and began to scribble down a note. She levitated the note back to the small table that Junior was resting by on the sofa. Rarity buttoned up her coat and took the hotel room key. As she exited the room, Junior rolled on his side and smacked his lips. 

Rarity continued on throughout the hotel until she found herself down at the lobby. She exited the building and proceeded to walk down the side walk on this evening. Unbeknownst to her, a girl with dark hair emerged from the alley by the hotel. She eyed Rarity as she left the area. The girl turned to the hotel building and craned her neck back to view the sixth floor. She furrowed her brows as she looked at the alley and found a fire escape. She rushed over towards it and leapt into the air. Her hands caught the ladder and brought it down. She sighed in annoyance as she proceeded to climb up the ladder while her hood covered her eyes. 

The girl continued up the ladder until she found herself at the sixth floor. She climbed the walls of the building, pressing herself against it as she carefully walked along the edge. She passed several windows, where she was able to catch a glimpse at each room. One room in particular caused her to nearly lose her balance as she spotted a hunky man beginning to remove his bath towel. The girl grunted as she picked up her pace, her face beat red. Soon, she found herself where she needed to be. The girl peaked through this last window and found Junior lying on the sofa. She furrowed her brows as her sights locked on him. She noticed that someone had carelessly left the window unlocked.  Taking advantage of this, she gently pulled on the window beneath the crack, allowing it to open. The breeze made its way into the room, causing Junior to shift in place. The girl sighed in relief as the Transmutant remained asleep. She carefully stepped inside of the hotel room, her steps light on the ground. She then quietly shut the window just a crack. The intruder furrowed her brows as she sneaked over to the Transmutant's side. He was vulnerable to an attack with no chance of retaliating if she made her move against him. The girl leaned close to Junior and looked him over. Then a small glimmer caught her eye. She looked down and found the heart shaped locket that hung around Junior's neck. She carefully reached for the locket and slowly opened it. A soft gasp escaped her mouth as she found a photo of Twilight Sparkle. The girl's amber eyes stared at the photo of this other girl. She turned back to look at Junior's sleeping face. She closed the locket and gently placed it back on Junior's chest. 

"Maybe this was a bad idea," the girl whispered to herself as she backed away. A sudden knock came from the door, causing the girl to jump. She turned to the door with a look of dread and down at Junior, who began to stir. Junior stirred until he had awakened. He yawned as the knocks continued. 

"Coming!" said Junior. He made his way to the door and opened it. He found a man with a mattress in a cart. 

"Hello sir! I brought your mattress," said the man. Junior smiled in response. As he thanked the employee and took the mattress, he lied it down on the living room floor. He took a spare pillow and blanket from the closet and dropped them on the mattress. He then felt cold air reach his skin. He turned and found the window opened a crack. 

"Hmm. I don't remember you being opened," said Junior with a raised brow. He shrugged off the thought and assumed Rarity was the one who opened it. He closed the window and then dropped down on the mattress with a sigh. 

Meanwhile in the alley, the intruder appeared in a deep purple flash. She held her chest as her heart raced. She removed her hood and revealed her pointed elf ears and her dark spiked hair and single high light. She turned back to the hotel building with a sigh. 

"Oh man," moaned the girl as she slumped her shoulders in disappointment. 






The evening had grown later. Rarity was humming to herself as she strolled through the city alone. She had just had herself a meal and a nice cup of warm coffee in this cold city during the winter. She passed by several citizens as they went about their daily business. Rarity yawned, looking forward to get her beauty sleep. The hotel was just around the corner. As the elf continued on down to the hotel, she found herself nearing an alley. From her peripheral vision, she spotted a figure. Rarity stopped and turned her head to find a girl rushing her way. Rarity's eyes widened as the girl slammed into her and tackled her to the ground. Rarity cried out as the girl's amber eyes shot her a glare. 

"I'm taking this!" said the girl as she snatched Rarity's purse and rose herself off of her. 

"Thief!" cried Rarity as she shot herself up to her feet. She grabbed the girl's sweater and began to hold on tight. 

"Let go!" said the girl in annoyance as she began to drag Rarity with her strength. 

"Help! This thief is stealing my purse! She's incredibly strong as well!" cried Rarity as she stumbled while attempting to keep her feet planted on the ground. Her cries echoed around the area, alerting some people. Her cries reached up to the hotel room, where Junior slept on the mattress. His enhanced hearing caught her cries, prompting him to shoot his eyes wide open, alert. He shot himself up out of the bed and ran for the window. He quickly opened it and looked down to find Rarity being dragged by a hooded girl. 

"No time to take the stairs," said Junior as he hardened his eyes. He climbed out the window and sprouted his black claws. He hung himself over the ledge and dropped down each floor of the building, using his claws to graze against the building to slow down his descent. Rarity's cries grew more frantic as she was dragged further along the sidewalk. As Junior dropped to the ledge on the third floor, he lost his footing and fell over. 

"Oh shit!" cried Junior as he fell down three stories. He cried out as he crashed onto a cart that was being towed by a man, filled with vegetables. 

"My cabbages!" cried the man in horror. Junior groaned as he shakily got back onto his feet, stumbling through the broken cart and crushed cabbages. He could have easily landed on his feet, but he did not have enough momentum to force himself to avoid landing on his back. 

"Sorry! I'll pay for that later!" said Junior. He turned and found Rarity trying to stop the girl, but she then fell to the ground as she lost her grip. 

"Come back here!" demanded Rarity. Junior sighed as he ran towards Rarity's position. He locked his sights on the purse snatcher and began his pursuit. The two shoved passed dozens of people out of their way as they ran. Junior grunted in annoyance as a man got in his path. The two spent a few seconds trying to move past each other, but wherever one stepped, the other stepped in the same place as well. Junior scoffed as he grabbed the man by the shoulders and moved him aside, so he could continue the chase. 

The girl panted as she fled through the streets and made her way into another dark alley. She disappeared into the darkness and remained close to the walls. She then slowed down her speed and sneaked along the alley. Her breathing was soft as her eyes searched the area. 

"Man, if mom knew about this, she'd flip," muttered the girl to herself. She then yelped as she felt herself pressed against the wall with one arm forced behind her back. Junior leaned over her shoulder with a glare. 

"Don't worry, I'll break it to her gently," said Junior in a harsh tone. The girl hardened her eyes as she kept her eyes forward and then forced her foot against the wall. With all her might, she pushed herself off the wall and forced Junior back. The girl grunted as he freed her arm and then grabbed Junior by his wrist and twisted it. Junior groaned in pain as he felt his arm forced to back and felt his stomach struck by a strong kick. Junior growled in annoyance as he found the girl running away again with Rarity's purse. The Transmutant broke off into a sprint, quickly catching up to her. He tackled her to the ground, with himself pressing his weight on the girl. 

"Stop running, damn brat!" said Junior in annoyance as he held the girl down. 

"Let go!" demanded the girl as she struggled under him. "You're crushing me!" 

"Good! Now you know the price of stealing!" said Junior as he forced the girl to face him. The girl's eyes widened as she found herself face to face with the Transmutant. She gulped nervously as she visibly shrunk before him. 

"Not so tough now, huh?" asked Junior with a smirk. The girl lamely shook her head. 

"N-No sir!" said the girl, as if she were being scolded by a parent. Junior stood up with the girl with his hand gripped on her arm tightly as he held a hard stare. He then caught a whiff of the girl's scent, finding it to be familiar. From the far side of the alley, Rarity arrived running with deep pants. She stopped behind Junior as she held her hands on her knees and worked to catch her breath. 

"You... You two are fast," panted Rarity. 

"You're a Transmutant," said Junior in surprise. Rarity raised herself up with a look of confusion and then to the girl that he had caught. She appeared to be a young teenager, standing to be five foot eight in height. She wore dark purple clothes and appeared to be of Neighponese descent. 

"S-So?" asked the girl with hard eyes. Junior looked at the purse that she held in her other hand and snatched it away. He handed it back to Rarity. 

"You know, I should take you to the police station and let them arrest your ass," said Junior with a glare. The girl winced at his glare and tone, causing her to further shrink. Rarity made her way to Junior's side and pressed her hand against his shoulder. 

"I-I'm sorry. I just... You see I-" the girl found it hard to keep her eyes locked with the Transmutant. Rarity noticed this and stepped in. 

"Darling, take it easy. You're frightening her," said Rarity. She then turned to the girl with a sigh. 

"Why were you robbing me?" asked Rarity in a calm tone. Judging by her reaction and apparent shame for committing the act, it seemed that this girl wasn't normally one to steal. 

"I don't have any money. You see, I uh... I'm lost in this city. I've been here for a couple of days and I have nowhere to go," said the girl. 

"Nowhere to go? Don't you have a home?" asked Rarity in worry. The girl looked down at the ground. 

"I... I ran away," said the girl in a soft tone. 

"Where do you live?" asked Junior. 

"I uh..." the girl looked away as she rubbed her head. Junior furrowed his brows. 

"Start talking kid," ordered Junior. "We're taking you home," 

"But I-" the girl was interrupted as Rarity began to pull Junior away. 

"One second, dear," said Rarity with a smile. Junior looked at her confusion. 

"What?" asked Junior. Rarity leaned close to him. 

"Gojira, I don't think we should force her to go home," whispered Rarity. Junior looked at her in shock. 

"Are you kidding?! She's too young to be out here all alone! Especially for a Transmutant!" Junior whispered back. He was bewildered that Rarity of all people would allow for a runaway to be on his or her own when they should be at home. 

"Well, what if she had good reason to have run away? There could be some issues at home with her family," said Rarity. Junior's eyes softened. He was so worked up over the fact this girl was clearly way over her head trying to live off in the streets when she could be safe at home with her family, that he never really accounted the possibility of an environment at her home that may have been unsuitable for her. He turned to face the girl, who was looking down at her feet as she held her arms crossed. Junior turned back to Rarity. 

"Then what do you want to do?" asked Junior. Rarity bit her lip as she pondered what their next move should be. Rarity smiled as she made her way over to the girl's side. 

"Excuse me. Dear, you said that you have nowhere to stay correct?" asked Rarity. The girl nodded in response. 

"Yes," said the girl. 

"Well... I don't want my friend and myself to press you with some questions that might be too personal about your reasoning for leaving home. But I simply can't leave you on the streets. Soooo..." Rarity looked at Junior with a smile. The Transmutant cocked his head in confusion. His eyes then widened. 

"Why don't you stay with my friend and I for a while?" asked Rarity. 

"What?!" exclaimed Junior. Rarity glared at him and made a zipping motion over her mouth. The Transmutant scowled in response. The elf turned back to the girl with a smile. 

"What do you say? There's no hard feelings about the incident, dear," said Rarity. The girl looked at Rarity with an unsure expression and then to Junior. The male Transmutant looked away as he crossed his arms. 

"I..." the girl was interrupted as her stomach began to growl. Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. 

"If it's not too much trouble," said the girl. 

"Wonderful!" said Rarity. Her nose then crinkled as she caught the pungent smell radiating off of the girl. 

"Um... You're free to use the shower when we get to our hotel room," said Rarity as she began to walk out of the alley. The girl raised a brow in response. 

"You do stink. Now I know why I had a hard time pinpointing your Transmutant scent," said Junior as he followed Rarity. The girl scowled in response. She then raised her arm and sniffed her pit. She gagged as she cupped her nose. An enhanced sense of smell definitely had its drawbacks. She then began to run after Rarity and Junior. 

"Oh! May we know your name, darling?" asked Rarity. 

"It's..." the girl trailed off as she was about to give her name. She cleared her throat after a couple of seconds. 

"Azusa. My name is Azusa," said the girl. 

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance! My name is Rarity, and this is Gojira," said Rarity as she gestured to Junior. 

"I know. I heard you call his name," said Azusa. Junior rolled his eyes in response. 







Later... 


Junior traveled down the hotel hall in silence. In his hands, he carried bags that contained food from a local fast food restaurant. He had taken the opportunity to take a walk and grab some food for himself and Azusa while she and Rarity had their showers. The Transmutant didn't feel right about keeping the girl with them. He was worried that he and Rarity might be charged with kidnapping if anyone were to find out. He sighed as he hoped that everything would get sorted out soon before Rarity would want to bring the girl home with them. He fished out the key to the hotel and unlocked the door to the room. He stepped inside and moved over to the kitchen table and placed the food down. 

"I'm back!" called Junior. 

"Just a minute~!" sang Rarity from the bedroom. Junior sat himself down on the kitchen table and began to fish for his meal. He pulled out a sandwich with a small tray of french fries. He began to eat as the sound of the door to the bedroom opened up, revealing Rarity to be wearing a pair of silk pajamas with a tinge of pink. She brought Azusa over to her side, who sported a blue pair of pajamas. Rarity smiled as she brushed her fingers against Azusa's spiked bangs, revealing more of her eyes. 

"It's a good thing that these pajamas fit you. Now, we'll have to wash your old pair of clothes," said Rarity as she took the girl's clothes. As she began to move, a metallic object fell from the clothes. 

"Oops," said Rarity as she found the object rolling along the ground. Azusa's eyes widened, while Junior looked down curiously as the round object rolled along the ground and to his foot. He reached for the object and picked it up, only for his eyes to widen. What he saw was a silver medallion that bore the Takeshi clan symbol on it. 

"What the-" Junior felt the medallion suddenly snatched out of his hand. He shot his head up and found Azusa holding the medallion close to herself. 

"You didn't steal that from me when I wasn't looking, did you?" demanded Junior. 

"N-No! No, I swear!" said Azusa frantically. Junior furrowed his brows in response. He then reached into his sweater, but his eyes widened as he felt a metallic object. He pulled it out and found his medallion. He looked at Azusa in confusion. He raised himself up and stepped towards the girl. 

"Can I see that?" asked Junior. In reluctance, Azusa handed Junior her medallion. He found the exact same design of the dragon claws holding a swirling sphere. 

"Where did you get this?" asked Junior. 

"My... My father gave it to me," said Azusa. 

"Your father?" asked Junior. 

"Yeah. He gave it to me when I was a little girl," said Azusa with a nod. 

"Hmm. Funny. My father gave me mine too before he died," said Junior as he handed Azusa back her medallion. "Do you know what you have?" 

"Um... family heirloom?" answered Azusa with a shrug. 

"No. It's a medallion that belongs to the Takeshi clan from Neighpon. My family," said Junior as he held out his own medallion. Azusa focused her eyes on it, finding the striking resemblance of the two. 

"But what I find odd is that you have one of these, but there's no other member of the Takeshi clan, except for myself," said Junior as he tucked his medallion back under his sweater. 

"Well... my dad got his hands on one of them," said Azusa. 

"Where?" asked Junior. 

"Neighpon, obviously. From someone he knew," said Azusa. Junior looked at her suspiciously while the girl stood by with a nervous smile. 

"OK," said Junior as he made his way over to the kitchen table and sat down. 

"Goodness, Gojira. Must you interrogate her over every little thing?" asked Rarity as she looked at him in disapproval. 

"Sorry. I just thought she might have been a relative. Or a Revolutionary," said Junior. Azusa rubbed her arm in response. 

"Go on and eat, kid. Your food will get cold," said Junior as he gestured to the bag that sat on the other side of the table. Azusa cautiously sat down at the kitchen table and began to take the food out. She eyed the food with hunger in her eyes and her mouth began to salivate. She grabbed a handful of fries and stuffed them into her mouth. She gave happy moans as she devoured her food. Rarity cringed while Junior stared at her in surprise. 

"So good," said Azusa as she continued to eat. She then noticed the stares that she was receiving. She flushed with embarrassment and gave a titter. 

"Wow. I guess you're really hungry," said Junior with a chuckle as he handed Azusa a napkin. The girl looked away as she took the napkin and began to wipe her lips. Junior looked at her curiously as he looked at her pointed ears. 

"You know, I've never seen another Transmutant with elf ears before. Aside from this one asshole that I know," said Junior. 

"Um... yeah. My mother was an elf," said Azusa as she held one of her ears. 

"Oh! I just realized that you'll need a place to sleep," said Rarity. 

"Ah. She can use the mattress that they brought in," said Junior as he went back to eating. 

"Are you sure?" asked Azusa. Junior nodded. 

"Yeah. The sofa is comfy anyway," said Junior. 

"T-Thank you," said Azusa with a smile. Junior nodded to her. 

"Sure thing," said Junior. 

After the two had finished eating, they had thrown away their trash. Rarity had made her way into the bedroom to sleep. Junior was dressed in his pajamas and began to lie himself down on the sofa as he turned off the lamp's light. He planted his head down on a soft pillow with a blanket over his body. Azusa lied down on the mattress and tucked herself in. She glanced at Junior and found him to be falling asleep. The girl sighed as she turned on her side. 







The next morning... 


Junior slept peacefully on the sofa. The cold weather was not a complete bother to him, but he still sometimes had days where the blood in his body had a slow flow, not circulating enough heat. He had to be awake and more active in order for his body to generate enough heat to warm himself up in cold weather. However, he felt more warmth this moment compared to other mornings. He felt a weight against him as well, forcing him on the furthest back of the sofa. He stirred awake and opened his eyes. He slightly stretched but felt himself restrained. 

"Hmm?" Junior sniffled as lazily reached for his eye and began to rub the sleep out of them. He turned his head and found spiked dark hair in his sight. His eyes then shot wide open as he found Azusa's sleeping face. Her head was leaning against his shoulder as she had her arm wrapped over his chest. 

'What the hell?!' thought Junior in alarm. He was about to shoot up, but that would have been a rude awakening. He had to handle this as calmly as possible. From the bedroom, the door opened, revealing Rarity stretching as she bore curlers in her hair. 

"My, I slept well. Gojira, get up or-" Rarity stopped as she found Junior on the couch with Azusa cuddling next to him. Her eyes were wide in shock and Junior started sweating. 

"Rarity, this isn't what it looks like," said Junior as he tried to keep his voice calm. 

"Uh... Uh..." Rarity stood stiffly, speechless. Her mind was assaulted with a thousand different thoughts. Her train of thought was cut off as Azusa let out a yawn escape he mouth. She opened her drowsy eyes and blinked a few times. Her eyes then caught sight of Junior looking at her with wide eyes. The girl's eyes shot wide open as well. 

"Ah!" yelped Azusa, falling off of the sofa and scurrying back to the mattress. 

"Wh-What were you doing?" asked Junior. 

"I-I was just cold! I thought you might have been cold too so I thought I'd help each other out!" said Azusa with a nervous laugh. Junior and Rarity both glanced at each other and then looked back at the girl. 

"OK. I'm just gonna go to the bathroom," said Junior as he got off of the couch and briskly made his way towards the bathroom. He closed the door and leaned against it. He moaned as he slumped his head down. 

"Why do weird things always happen to me?" asked Junior.
> Chapter 64: Another Day in the City
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mosura held coats in her arms as she waited in the lobby of the hospital. Walking with her were Angirasu and Fluttershy. They waited with smiles on their faces as they found the Dazzlings to be approaching with a doctor with them.

"Ugh. Finally we're leaving this place," said Aria in relief.

"Yes. The food was awful," said Adagio.

"Not to mention that being here was booorrriiinng!" said Sonata. She then scratched at her neck, where scars were visible just beneath the throat where her pendent was fused into. The three approached Mosura, who handed them coats.

"You may want to put these on. It's pretty chilly outside," said Mosura. The group soon began to exit the hospital, feeling the cold breeze.

"Hey, where are Goji and Rodan?" asked Sonata in curiosity.

"Rodan is at home looking after some guests of ours. Gojira left with Rarity to Manehattan for an art show last night," answered Angirasu.

"Really? I never took him as one to be into art," said Adagio in surprise. Mosura chuckled.

"He's also into reading. Remember, looks are deceptive," said Mosura.

"So are words," said Aria with a shrug.

"Yeah. Uh those too," said Mosura with a forced chuckle. The group continued through the town in silence. Adagio reached for her scarred neck. Memories of that day when she and her fellow Sirens lost their ability to sing haunted her. She bore a deep frown as she lowered her head.

"Hey, are you OK?" asked Angirasu. Adagio sighed.

"Not really," said Adagio.






Manehattan


The morning sun hung in the air. The city was bustling on this fine day and people were preparing for the holidays. Rarity led Junior and Azusa down the sidewalk. She was sporting a tan hat on her head that had a black ribbon wrapped around it. Her coat hugged her body and her skirt was flowing through the wind. Junior sighed as he felt his hair that was combed by Rarity, who claimed that he should at least make himself look presentable. He glanced to his side and found Azusa sporting some of Rarity's casual clothing, which comprised of tight grey jeans and a long sleeved white shirt. She was allowed to bring her own sweater, with at least having been washed the previous night. There was an awkward tension between the two Transmutants, which had been generated earlier in the morning. Azusa avoided eye contact with the male Transmutant. Junior turned his attention to Rarity.

"This place we're going to meet this guy. It's not one of the places that serve measly morsels of food is it?" asked Junior.

"No, this restaurant is surprisingly not that high class," said Rarity.

"Really? I wouldn't have guessed," said Junior in surprise.

"Oh yes. He expressed in his note how he wanted to try things of that people of the lower class tend to do," said Rarity with a smile.

"I think I heard the other high-class folks in Canterlot have a collective Aneurysm from that fact," said Junior with a chuckle. Azusa gave a short laugh while Rarity rolled her eyes. The group continued towards a Haytalian restaurant. They entered the establishment, finding a wide room filled with over a dozen tables covered by white cloths. People conversed as they ate pastas, pizzas, and other Haytalian dishes.

"Can I help you?" asked a female Garuda as she stood by a podium.

"Yes, we're here for the table under 'Fancy Pants'," said Rarity.

"Huh. Table of two. Is this gentleman and young lady with you?" asked the Garuda as she gestured to Junior and Azusa.

"Oh, yes. Sorry, they were last minute guests," said Rarity with a nervous laugh.

"Not a problem. A table for more than two recently opened up. We'll just move your party there," said the Garuda as she left the podium. "Right this way."

The Garuda led the trio through the restaurant. They soon found themselves at a table where an elf man with cyan hair and mustache. He bore a monocle over his eye, and a black suit. As Rarity said, he appeared to have been high class.

"Ah. Ms. Rarity, so good to see you again!" greeted Fancy Pants as he stood up from his seat and took Rarity's hand and planted a kiss on it. Rarity giggled as her face flushed.

"It's good to see you again, Fancy Pants. But do just call me Rarity."

"I say, I was not expecting more guests," said Fancy Pants as he turned his attention to the two Transmutants.

"Sorry. I had my dear friend here come along on the trip to help with the orders you made. Besides, he could use a vacation," said Rarity.

"Well, any friend of Rarity's is a friend of mine. Salutations," greeted Fancy Pants as he extended a hand to Junior.

"Uh hello. Gojira Takeshi the 2nd. Nice to meet you," greeted Junior as he shook Fancy Pant's hand.

"Ah yes. I do believe I heard of you. You seem to be the talk of Canterlot lately," said Fancy Pants.

"Yeaaah. I swear I don't normally assault royalty," said Junior with a forced laugh. He then cleared his throat as he noticed Fancy Pants did not crack a smile but merely bore a poker face.

"Right. I just do what I can to help when Revolutionaries or monsters attack. I have the scars to prove it," said Junior with a nervous smile.

"Dial back on personal bodily blemishes," whispered Rarity as she leaned closer to the Transmutant.

"And who is this young lady?" asked Fancy Pants. Azusa went stiff as the spotlight suddenly shone on her.

"A-Azusa. I'm uh..."

"She's my little sister," interjected Junior. Azusa looked at him in confusion.

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance, my dear," said Fancy Pants.

"Sir, we will have to move your party to another table that's suitable for its size," said the female Garuda as she deterred the greetings.

"Right then," said Fancy. The group was moved over towards a larger table. Junior and Azusa found themselves sitting across from each other while Rarity and Fancy Pants sat across from each other, with Rarity by Junior's side. The Garuda passed the menus to the group.

"I can start you all off with drinks while you decide what you want to order," said the Garuda. The group all requested drinks, allowing the Garuda to leave for the moment.

"Oh, thank god. They have meat," muttered Junior with a smile.

"Yeah," said Azusa with an eager expression.

"I look forward to the art show tomorrow, Fancy Pants," said Rarity.

"As do I, my dear. You know, I've heard a rather quaint area in Canterlot that may be perfect for you to open up a second boutique," said Fancy Pants.

"Really? That sounds wonderful! I've always worried that it'd be difficult to find a vacant building for a new boutique. Though I will need to come up with the money to purchase it," said Rarity.

"Wait, you're thinking of opening up another boutique? In Canterlot?" asked Junior.

"Why yes! It's been my dream to do so for years!" said Rarity with a grin. Azusa smiled.

"That's right, you do..." Azusa's voice trailed off as she noticed the attention she drew.

"Hmm? I what?" asked Rarity in curiosity.

"Um... You do... You do seem like you're capable of opening a boutique in Canterlot! You did show me some of your neat designs, which I think creativity is the magic bolt for your dream," said Azusa with a smile. Junior raised a brow at how the girl seemed as though she was going to say something else. He shrugged it off as her not being used to speaking out among strangers.

"Thank you, darling!" said Rarity. Junior cleared his throat as he placed his menu down.

"Well, I'm gonna order the sausage and pepperoni pizza," said Junior. Azusa dropped her menu as well.

"Same," said Azusa.

"Mr. Takeshi, you say you fight these Transmutant Revolutionaries, correct?" asked Fancy pants.

"That's right," said Junior with a nod.

"I'd like your opinion. You seem more acquainted with our enemies, what is their motivation?" asked Fancy Pants.

"Well, from what I learned, their leader is a psychopath hellbent on getting revenge on my family because of an old feud between our clans from over twenty years ago. He pretty much uses discrimination against Transmutants as his tool to gain followers and puts on a facade as a liberator when he's really fighting for his own interests," said Junior as he scratched his head.

"Other Revolutionaries, some I think might be almost as twisted as he is, while others are just afraid and see the group as the only power to keep them safe," said Junior.

"Interesting," said Fancy Pants with a nod.

"Yeah. You learn a lot about your enemies when you fight them long enough," said Junior.

"Well, I do hope you intend to continue to do so against these villains. Equestria is counting on you," said Fancy Pants with a smile. Junior nodded to him.

"Of course," said Junior.






Later...


The table was filled with empty plates. Small crumbs and sauces littered the dishes. A silver disk containing sausage bits sat on it. Azusa sighed as she slumped in her seat with a look of content.

"I'm stuffed," said Azusa.

"I bet. You have an appetite, kid," said Junior in amusement. Rarity wiped her lips with a napkin as she placed her silverware on the side.

"That was exquisite. Much better than the measly morsels served in the establishments I've been to back in Canterlot," said Fancy Pants with a sigh. Junior glanced at Rarity with a smirk.

"Told ya. Like hell I'd pay fifty bits for a small clump of food covered in sauce," said Junior.

"Right, my good man," said Fancy Pants with a chuckle. He took out a bag of bits and began to pour the coins into a metal pan that bore the check for the food.

"Why don't I chip in? I mean, it was supposed to be just you and Rarity before," said Junior as he took out his own bag of bits.

"Nonsense, dear boy. It's my treat," said Fancy Pants.

"You sure? I wouldn't wanna mooch off you for brunch," said Junior.

"Save your money. Perhaps you may find a souvenir here to bring home," said Fancy Pants with a smile. Junior bore a reluctant smile of his own as he placed his bits away.

"If you insist," said Junior. Fancy Pants stood to his feet.

"Well, it's been pleasant meeting you again and another one of your friends, Rarity. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow," said Fancy Pants.

"Thank you! As do I," said Rarity with a nod. Fancy Pants started to leave the restaurant, leaving the rest to bask in the satisfaction from their meals. Azusa stretched her arms as she yawned.

"What's next?" asked Azusa.

"Well, I'll have to get those orders that Fancy Pants made before the end of our stay here. So, we'll head back to the hotel," said Rarity.

"Great. Time to play the mannequin," said Junior in reluctance.





Rarity hummed to herself as she carried a needle pin in her mouth as she wore her red glasses. She began to look at the suit that Junior was wearing from every angle. The Transmutant stood by stiffly with his arms spread out.

"Alright. Buttons are properly placed, the sleeves are neatly sewed. How do you feel, Gojira?" asked Rarity.

"I'm getting a little hot. But the suit is comfortable," said Junior.

"Oh dear. We can't have you sweating with this suit on. Azusa, be a dear and turn down the heater please," said Rarity. The younger Transmutant tore her eyes away from a book and began to stand up. As she made her way to the air conditioner, she glanced at Rarity and Junior. She watched as the elf placed the finishing touches on the first suit that was ordered. Needles levitated around Junior in a blue aura, diving themselves into the suit to add pockets and collars. Azusa had managed to turn down the heater, but her lack of attention caused her to fail to notice how low it was made.

"There we are! One down, five more to go!" said Rarity. Junior moaned in disappointment.

"Who has a need for that many suits?" asked Junior.

"Don't fret, darling. We'll be done before you know it!" said Rarity. Junior handed her the coat, the black khakis, and the collar shirt. She took them and walked out of the room. Junior was left in a pair of thin shorts and a tank top.

"My dad never liked to wear suits either," said Azusa as she sat on the sofa. Junior glanced at her, surprised to hear the girl to have spoken to him since the awkward incident earlier in the morning.

"Is that so? Can you blame us? I hate formalities. The suits themselves make me hot as well," said Junior.

"Yeah. I sometimes feel the same way about dresses. I mean, I just don't think they look good on me," said Azusa. Junior hummed to himself as he looked the girl over.

"I think you'd look nice in a dress," said Junior. Azusa looked at him in surprise.

"R-Really?" asked Azusa.

"Sure. I know some girls that weren't ones who'd wear formal attire. They aren't exactly as girly like the others, but they looked good in dresses," said Junior. Azusa looked at him in offense.

"Hey, are you saying I'm not girly?" questioned Azusa.

"No, I just thought you may have been worried that your hairstyle and attitude may clash with formal attire," said Junior. He sat down on the other sofa with a smile.

"That highlight in your hair. I think it's cute. Is it natural?" asked Junior. Amber cheeks lightly flushed as she held a few locks of her hair.

"Yeah. I inherited it from my mother," said Azusa. She then looked at Junior with curious eyes.

"Um... Hey, what's with that locket?" asked Azusa.

"Hmm? Oh. Yeah, my girlfriend gave it to me yesterday before I left town," said Junior as he held the locket. "She placed a picture of herself inside of it," said Junior with a smile as he opened the locket.

"Can I... Can I see it?" asked Azusa. Junior nodded to her as he moved to her sofa and sat beside her. He held the locket up and allowed Azusa to have a clearer visual of Twilight Sparkle. She sat against a wall as she held her hands on her lap and looked to the camera's point of view with a warm smile. Azusa lightly smiled.

"She's just as pretty before then now," muttered Azusa to herself. Junior raised a brow.

"What was that?" asked Junior.

"I uh... I said she's pretty!" said Azusa. Junior smiled to himself.

"To me, she's more than that," said Junior. Azusa smiled at his words. A girl was lucky to have someone who held her looks in high regard by that special somebody. She then lightly frowned as she lowered her head.

"Do you two ever have any problems in your relationship?" asked Azusa. Junior raised a brow at her question.

"Huh? Well... We sometimes have disagreements on things. We even had arguments. But none as bad as before we were together," said Junior. He looked at the picture in the locket.

"But I guess the main obstacle is just me worrying about messing things up with her. I love her, but I'm far from perfect. I wonder if she worries about the same thing," said Junior.

"Well, don't give up! If you really love her, then you'd work hard for her!" said Azusa. Junior glanced at her and was surprised to find her giving him an intense look.

"Hey, why does my relationship with her matter to you anyway?" asked Junior. Azusa went stiff.

"I uh... I just..." Azusa sighed. She looked away from him with a look of dejection.

"Well, my parents. You see, I haven't seen my dad since I was five. I'm fifteen now. I don't know why, but my mom doesn't seem to talk about him a lot. Whenever I bring him up, things get awkward with her and some family friends that knew him. I feel like maybe... They separated and just never told me," said Azusa as she lowered her head. Junior lightly frowned in response.

"So, is that why you ran away? You’re angry at your parents for not telling you anything about this?" asked Junior.

"Not exactly. I ran away because... I'm trying to look for my dad," said Azusa. She held her arms and leaned back on the sofa.

"Mom would never tell me where he was. So, I started looking around for him. I can't rest until I find him," said Azusa.

"What are you gonna do when you find him? You at least have a plan for that, right?" asked Junior. He hoped the girl at least thought some of this through since she was roaming the streets for days without money and food.

"I'm going to ask him why he left. I'm going to ask him if he still loves mom... And me," muttered Azusa. She broke into a soft sob as she covered her eyes.

"I just... I wanna know why he'd just leave us like that and never show up again! Does he not love us anymore?!" cried Azusa. Junior deeply frowned at the girl's state. It was understandable that she was in such a vulnerable state. To feel unloved by one or both of your parents could be the worst thing for a child. Junior placed a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder. He then flinched in surprise as the girl immediately wrapped her arms around him and leaned her head against his shoulder. Junior caressed her head as she wept.

"It's gonna be OK. I'm sure your dad still loves you and your mom. True fathers always love their sons and daughters," said Junior in a soft tone. Azusa sniffled to herself as she lightly smiled. She closed her eyes as she allowed the male Transmutant comfort her and stroke her head, just like she imagined her father would.

"You think so?" asked Azusa. Junior nodded to her.

"Definitely. I bet he thinks about you two every day," said Junior. Azusa sniffled as she snuggled against his shoulder.

"I just wish my parents were honest about it with me," said Azusa.

"Well, maybe you should properly confront your mother about it. Tell her how it's hurting you inside to be kept in the dark," said Junior. Azusa removed herself from Junior's shoulder and wiped her cheeks. She nodded to him as she gave him a smile.

"Atta girl," said Junior as he brought his hand over her head and began to ruffle her hair. Azusa lightly gasped at the action. Her mind wandered to an old memory. A man smiled as he ruffled her hair the same way when she was a little girl. Azusa's mind returned to the present. She smiled with nostalgia as warmth built up in her chest from the affection being shown to her.

From the bedroom, Rarity was peeking through a crack. She sniffled as she wiped a few tears away and looked on that scene with a smile. Junior displayed a nurturing quality within himself that she recalled seeing once during Hearth's Warming Eve. She often wondered where that side of him came from, but it was nice to see it a second time. She then slightly shivered.

"Oh. It's getting cold," said Rarity as she huddled her shoulders.





"I don't think this is a good idea," said Angirasu with a deadpanned stare. He was standing with the Sirens, Pinkie and Rainbow Dash. They watched as Rodan sneaked into a pen that contained a bull.

"Of course not. That's what makes it fun!" said Rodan as he turned back to look at Angirasu.

"Well, I'll be sure to give a good speech at your funeral," said Aria as she crossed her arms.

"You sure you want to do that, Rodan? He looks ferocious," said Sonata with a nervous expression as she stared at the bull's horns.

"Please, I've taken on a dragon and manticores. This guy is nothing," said Rodan.

"Just give him a quick smack and run like the wind, Rodan," said Pinkie.

"Man, I think this is stupid. But I can't resist watching the extreme," said Rainbow with a look of excitement. Rodan chuckled as he began to sneak up on the bull that fed on the hay. He reared his hand back and then slapped the animal's rump. The bull gave a shrill moo as he felt the smack. Rodan turned and broke off into a sprint.

"Come on! Run! Run! Run!" cried everyone outside of the pen. Rodan laughed as he outran the bull. He leapt over the fence and landed on the ground, while the bull began to groan as he came to a stop.

"Boo-yeah!" said Rodan.

"You idiot," said Angirasu as he slugged Rodan in the shoulder.

"That was soooo intense! I thought you were gonna die!" said Sonata. Rainbow sighed as she handed Pinkie five bits.

"You win," said Rainbow. Rodan looked at her with wide eyes.

"Wait, you bet against me?!" exclaimed Rodan. Rainbow gave him a nervous smile as she shrugged in response. The bull flared his nostrils as he stared at the red on Rodan. He then noticed the broken lock that was on the fence's door. The bull trotted over towards the lock and thrust his horn against the lock, lifting it up. The door opened with a creak. Aria went stiff as her ears picked up the sound. She turned and found the bull pawing at the ground as he glared at them.

"Um... We may want to run. Like right now," said Aria as she began to step a few steps back. The rest of the group turned to the side and their eyes widened in horror as they found the bull free.

"Uh oh," said Pinkie with wide eyes. The bull mooed as he began to charge towards the group, who all gave panicked cries as they scattered.

"I just left the hospital!!" cried Sonata as she ran with all the speed that she could muster.






Meanwhile back in Manehattan...


Junior shivered as he stood while Rarity sewed a suit that was being fitted on him. Rarity looked at him in curiosity.

"Something wrong?" asked Rarity.

"I feel like Rodan just did something incredibly stupid," said Junior in thought. Rarity snorted.

"Do you have like a sixth sense or something?" asked Rarity with a raised brow. Junior shrugged.

"Sometimes I wonder," said Junior.






Meanwhile back in Ponyville.
..

Angirasu winced as Fluttershy wrapped a bandage around his head.

"Sorry. Good news, your injuries aren't that bad. Just a couple scratches and bruises," said Fluttershy with a smile. Angirasu grunted as he popped his wrist. The Sirens sat in the living room of the cottage with traumatized expressions. Sonata gave nervous laughs as she shook in place.

"He had really pointy horns," said Sonata.

"Hey, whatever happened to Rodan, Pinkie and Rainbow Dash?" asked Fluttershy in curiosity.

"Pinkie went home. Wherever Rodan and Rainbow are, let's just hope that where they are, Mosura will have mercy on them," said Angirasu with a shudder.

"Oh my," said Fluttershy with wide eyes.

"I could be exaggerating, but she definitely will punish them for being the brains of such a stupid idea," said Angirasu. Fluttershy gave him a smile.

"I'm happy that you somehow managed to stop the bull without killing him," said Fluttershy as she gently brought her hand down on Angirasu's. The Transmutant cleared his throat as he looked away and cleared his throat.

"It was no problem. All I did was put him in a sleeper hold," said Angirasu. He rubbed his head as he recalled the pain he suffered from trying to stop the bull. He then glanced at his hand and found Fluttershy's soft pale skin against his own. The tenderness of her touch drove him into a nervous frenzy.

"Angirasu, there's something I want to ask you," said Fluttershy as she brushed her hair away from her eyes.

"Sure. Ask me anything," said Angirasu.

"Would you... Would you like to go out...with me?" asked Fluttershy. Angirasu's eyes slightly widened in response. He swore that he nearly felt his heart stop.

"I... I uh..." Angirasu was unable to respond. Sure, he had lunch a few times with the Valkyrie, but he never considered them dates. As much as he wanted them to be, Angirasu always assumed they were mostly going to lunch as friends rather than as smitten partners.

"I'm sorry. Maybe that was wrong of me to ask," said Fluttershy as she turned away. Angirasu's eyes widened as he felt her pulling away.

"I mean, I guess I'm not the right girl that you-" Fluttershy was interrupted as she felt Angirasu firmly grabbed her hand. She turned back to face him as he stared at his hand intensely.

'I can't let her go now. This is my chance,' thought Angirasu. He feared that if he were to back down now, he would never be able to confess to the girl he had fallen for. He knew that if Junior and Rodan were capable, then so was he.

"Fluttershy, I would love to go out with you. My only regret is that I never asked you sooner," said Angirasu as he looked at Fluttershy with a soft smile. The Valkyrie gasped as her eyes brightened up. Her lips curled into a smile that made Angirasu's heart pound like tribal drum beats. It was the most beautiful smile that he had seen, and he was responsible for it.

"Wh-What do you want to do?" asked Fluttershy with a look of excitement. Her mood was contagious, making Angirasu grow excited with her.

"I don't know. I... I wasn't planning on any- Wait! I remember Rodan giving me a few ideas before," said Angirasu. Fluttershy squealed in delight as she wrapped her arms around the Transmutant.





Rodan and Rainbow Dash both groaned in annoyance as they worked to clean up the kitchen of the Transmutant lair. They bore sponges and scrub brushes in their hands as they scrubbed dirt away from the kitchen surfaces. Mosura walked into the kitchen with a look of disapproval.

"Maybe next time you'll think twice before doing something stupid like slapping a bull," said Mosura. Rainbow and Rodan both remained silent as they scowled. Mosura sighed.

"You two just finish up here. I'm gonna go take Sunset shopping for clothes," said Mosura as she left the kitchen. As Rainbow and Rodan heard the front door open and close, Rodan sighed.

"Damn. I wish Mosu wasn't so uptight," said Rodan.

"Yeah. She's too careful. There's no fun with her," said Rainbow in agreement.

"Oh. I see that there are a couple unsatisfied kids here about their reality," said a familiar voice with an echo. Rainbow's eyes widened as she spotted Discord replacing her reflection in the bucket of water next to her. She yelped as the Spirit of Chaos appeared before her in full size.

"Oh crap!" yelped Rodan. Rainbow sent Discord a look of annoyance, displeased with the Draconequus's presence.

"What are you doing here, Dipcord?" asked Rainbow.

"Just thought I'd pay my friends another quick visit! But I couldn't help but overhear that you weren't pleased with Mosura's cautious nature," said Discord as he filed his eagle claws.

"You get us though, right? I mean, how can we have fun if she's getting on us what we feel is fun?" asked Rodan. Discord shrugged.

"Yeah, I can relate. But have you thought of what would it be like if she were more daring like both of you?" asked Discord. Rainbow and Rodan glanced at each other, filled with interest.

"I think she would be a lot more interesting if she was," chuckled Rainbow. Discord snapped his fingers, causing a tear in space, acting as a window to another world.

"Watch the alternate reality window," said Discord with a mischievous smile. As told, Rainbow and Rodan gave the window their full attention. They found themselves lazing about on a sofa. The alternate reality version of the two sighed.

"I'm soooo bored!" said Rainbow in exasperation.

"Yeah. Hey, wanna go slap a bull or something?" asked Rodan. The sound of footsteps filled their ears, prompting them to turn and find Mosura arriving at the sofa.

"Hey! You two look bored. Why don't we do something fun?" suggested Mosura with a bright smile.

"What did you have in mind?" asked Rainbow in curiosity. Mosura bore a large grin. Soon, the three found themselves deeper in the Everfree forest. They were hidden behind a boulder as they stared into a large cave, where a green dragon slept with a hoard of gems. Rainbow and Rodan stood by with wide eyes as Mosura smiled with glee.

"We're gonna slap the dragon and run away," said Mosura.

"Yeah. I don't think that this is a good idea," said Rainbow with a nervous expression. Mosura scoffed.

"Don't be a chicken! I'll tell you what, I know a thing or two about fun to the extreme!" said Mosura as she plucked a feather from Rainbow's wing.

"Ow!" yelped Rainbow as she shot Mosura a glare.

"And I'll tell you another thing! I know a thing or two about a thing or two!" said Mosura as she slapped Rodan on his shoulder.

"What does that even mean?" asked Rodan in confusion.

"Doesn't matter! We're gonna have fun today! Don't any of you bring me down!" said Mosura with a glare. She then hopped over the boulder and sneaked towards the great beast. Rainbow and Rodan gritted their teeth as they watched Mosura approach the large reptile. The sound of a hard slap echoed throughout the cave. Rainbow and Rodan cupped their ears as the dragon an enraged roar. Mosura ran passed them as she laughed maniacally.

"Run or you'll die!" laughed Mosura. Rainbow and Rodan gasped as the dragon came charging out of the cave while spewing flames. The two screamed as they ran away from the dragon. As they caught up to Mosura, she was still laughing.

"Run! Ruuuun!! He's gonna get you!" yelled Mosura with a cackle.

"Shut up!!" cried Rodan and Rainbow in unison as they were chased through the Everfree forest. Trees fell over and caught on fire as the dragon pursued them.

As the vision ended, Discord closed the alternate reality window. Rainbow and Rodan both trembled with fear as their minds replayed the vision. It was as though a demon was in control of their friend, hell bent on destroying them with insane extreme stunts that only an idiot would perform.

"Why would you show us that?!" demanded Rodan. Discord shrugged.

"You asked," said Discord. He then snapped his claws and disappeared in a flash. Rainbow and Rodan glanced at each other with nervous laughs.

"Well, I guess it's a good thing Mosura is giving us crap for what we did after all," said Rodan.

"Yeah. Anything is better than what we saw," said Rainbow in agreement.

"Let's finish cleaning up!" said Rodan as he got on his knees and scrubbed the ground.






Later that day...


Angirasu was walking beside Fluttershy into town. The Transmutant bore a nervous expression as he walked closely beside Fluttershy. Normally he would be calm, but he grew anxious whenever he was close to the young Valkyrie.

Fluttershy fared no better. Her heart gave quick beats in her chest as she held the Transmutant's hand. They were rough compared to her smooth hands, a sign of the two's vast different lifestyles. She was but a gentle flower while Angirasu was a courageous beast that fought to defend her and the whole town. As the two continued through the town, a few curious stares were made towards them. A couple of looks of disdain were directed at the two for their taboo relationship development. Fluttershy ignored their stares, although a bit timidly. She tightened her hold on Angirasu's hand, refusing to deny her own feelings for him because of their disapproval.

"Um... I think you're squeezing too tight," said Angirasu as he glanced at Fluttershy. Her eyes widened as a gasp escaped her mouth. She immediately released his hand with a worried expression.

"I'm sorry! Did I hurt you?" asked Fluttershy.

"No, of course not. I was just worried if something was wrong," said Angirasu. Fluttershy lamely shook her head. She then looked away.

"Well... I uh... No, never mind. Let's go," said Fluttershy, backing down from her thought and taking Angirasu's hand again. The two went back on their journey until they were at a movie theater.

"So, what movie would you like to see?" asked Angirasu.

"Oh. Are you sure that you want me to pick?" asked Fluttershy. Angirasu nodded in response.

"Sure. Go ahead," said Angirasu. Fluttershy turned to the posters that were outside of the theater and began to scan through them with an intense stare.

"No pressure," said Angirasu. Fluttershy smiled in embarrassment but then went back to her search.

'Hmm. I bet she'll choose something about animals,' thought Angirasu with a smile.

"How about this one?" asked Fluttershy. Angirasu's eyes widened in surprise as he saw the poster. A man with black hair and a leather suit was on the poster. He had hands of mechanical blades as a young woman hugged him from behind his back. Fluttershy was looking at the poster with a smile while Angirasu looked at her in confusion.

"Rarity said that this movie was actually romantic and enjoyable to watch," said Fluttershy.

"So... The guy on the poster doesn't creep you out?" asked Angirasu.

"Maybe a little with those hands and scars. But when you look at his face on here, he doesn't look like a bad guy," said Fluttershy with a soft smile. Angirasu lightly smiled at her analysis. He then nodded.

"Sure, we'll see that," said Angirasu as he and Fluttershy made their way over to the box office.

"Tickets are on me," said Angirasu.

"You sure? I can pay for my own if that's alright," said Fluttershy.

"I insist," said Angirasu. Fluttershy looked away.

"Technically I asked you out first. So, shouldn't I pay for both of us?" asked Fluttershy in thought. Angirasu's eyes slightly widened.

'I can't make her pay for both of us! That wouldn't be right! Ugh. What can I do to fix this?' thought Angirasu in urgency. He liked how kind the Valkyrie could be, but sometimes he felt that she might have been a little too nice for certain situations. He then thought to what Rodan had given him a tip on if he were to ever go on a date.

"Let's compromise," said Angirasu. Fluttershy looked at him curiously.

"Compromise? How?" asked Fluttershy.

"If you feel that strongly to buy your own ticket, you can. I'll buy my own. But when we're inside, I'll pay for the snacks for both of us," said Angirasu. Fluttershy looked down in thought as she wagered the fairness of the compromise. She then nodded to him with a smile.

"Mmhm!"

Angirasu smiled in response. The two payed for their own tickets and entered the theater.





Fluttershy and Angirasu sat together in the movie theater with over a dozen other people. The two shared a popcorn bucket as they watched the film. A scene where the man with scissor hands cut the fur of the neighborhood's pets was shown. Fluttershy bore a large smile as she watched the scene play out. Although at first, she was worried that the man would accidentally cut the dogs. But there seemed to be no such incident so far. Angirasu smiled to himself, feeling a warmth in his chest by being on a date with the girl. As he reached into the bucket for another handful of popcorn, he felt Fluttershy's hand. He heard her give a soft gasp of surprise. He turned and found Fluttershy looking at him with flushed cheeks.

"Sorry!" whispered Fluttershy. Angirasu merely smiled at her as he moved his hand.

"It's alright. You go ahead," said Angirasu. The Valkyrie smiled bashfully as she reached into the bucket and grabbed a handful of popcorn. As the two continued to watch the movie, the main character and the daughter of the family that had taken him in was at the point of falling in love. Fluttershy glanced at Angirasu and found him to be enjoying the movie. She smiled to herself, pleased that neither of them was bored on this date. Her heart pumped fast in her chest as she scooted closer to the Transmutant and leaned against his shoulder. Angirasu's heart jumped at the action but he composed himself.

'If she seems to be snuggling close, that's your chance to wrap an arm around her!' Rodan's voice echoed in Angirasu's mind. The Transmutant glanced at Fluttershy with an unsure expression.

'But would it really be alright? I don't want to scare her,' thought Angirasu. He then heard an annoyed groan in his mind.

'Just do it, you wuss!' Rodan's voice echoed in Angirasu's mind again. The tone filled with annoyance.

'Yeah, he would say something like that,' thought Angirasu. He then swallowed his worry and carefully brought his arm around Fluttershy. The Valkyrie snuggled against her as her heart steadily beat in her chest.





The day was growing later. The movie had ended and Angirasu and Fluttershy were walking close together down the road.

"What did you think about the movie?" asked Angirasu.

"I loved it. I mean, I'm sad that the main character and the girl didn't get together in the end, but it was a bitter sweet ending. You?" asked Fluttershy. Angirasu nodded to her.

"I liked it too. I really like the sets for the mansion and the costume design," said Angirasu. He then glanced at Fluttershy.

"So... Do you want to do something else or would you rather I walk you home?" asked Angirasu. He was hoping the Valkyrie would choose the former so he could spend a little more time with her.

"Well... Could you walk me home? We can have dinner together," said Fluttershy with a smile. Angirasu nodded to her.

"That sounds nice. I'll help you cook," said Angirasu. After the two spent the hour heading Fluttershy's cottage, they were present in the kitchen. After the two cooked mashed potatoes and a side of salad, they were present at the table. The two sat across from each other eating. Meanwhile, the Dazzlings were walking out towards the front door.

"Wait, where are you three off to?" asked Angirasu.

"We're just going out for a walk. Don't worry, we already ate. You love birds just enjoy your dinner~," sang Adagio as she winked at the two. Angirasu gave a small embarrassed chuckle while Fluttershy hid in her seat. Sonata gave Angirasu a small wave as she followed the other Sirens out the door. As the trio left, Angirasu and Fluttershy were left all alone. After the two had finished eating, they found themselves sitting on the sofa together. The setting Sun's light shone through the window. The twilight was upon the land.

"It's so beautiful," sighed Fluttershy. Angirasu glanced at where she was looking and found the scenery.

"Yeah. You get a great view of the sunset in your neighborhood. All we get is more darkness in the Everfree forest," said Angirasu.

"Well, I do get sort of scared when it gets darker. The night can be...scary," gulped Fluttershy.

"I can see why. There's more field out here and a lack of artificial lighting on the road," said Angirasu. Fluttershy nodded in response.

"Yeah. There could be a Timber wolf or some sort of monster lurking out here at night. I try to avoid leaving my cottage when it's late," said Fluttershy. She sighed.

"Hey. If you ever need someone to look after you, just call me. I'd be happy to do that," said Angirasu. Fluttershy smiled warmly at him at his offer. She found his caring nature to be quite charming.

"Thank you. You know... I really... I like you," said Fluttershy in hesitation.

"I like you too," said Angirasu. Fluttershy took a breath as she attempted to calm herself.

"No. I mean I like-like you," said Fluttershy with flushing cheeks. Angirasu looked away.

"Well I-" Angirasu's voice slightly cracked as he began to speak. He cleared his throat.

"I... I like-like you too. I've... Liked you that way for a while now," said Angirasu. Fluttershy's heart skipped a beat as she found out that he shared her feelings. She brought her hand on Angirasu's as she called his name. The two shared a gaze as they held each other's hand. Their breathing was soft but their heart beats were fast and threatened to give in from the excitement the two felt. The two leaned closer to each other, feeling each other's breath until their lips made contact with each other. A small quick kiss was made, and the two slightly pulled away from each other.

"I'm sorry! I should've asked if it was alright!" said Angirasu as he turned away.

"No! No, I don't mind," said Fluttershy as she scooted closer to Angirasu. She brought her hands over the Transmutants cheeks and pulled his head to face her. Her eyes were half open as she leaned closer to him.

"I want to kiss you again. If that's alright with you," whispered Fluttershy. Angirasu lamely nodded, unable to give a fully motivated response. The last small kiss nearly drained him. As Fluttershy came in for another kiss, Angirasu's breaths quickened. The two locked lips again, but this kiss lasted a few seconds longer. Fluttershy's cheeks grew brighter with her blush as she tasted Angirasu's own breath. Her heart danced in her chest and she felt as though she were in a wonderful forest on a beautiful spring day. As she pulled away, her eyes widened. Angirasu was furiously blushing but his intake of air was quick. The Transmutant was hyperventilating.

"Oh, my goodness!" cried Fluttershy with a look of panic. She shot up to her feet and rushed to the kitchen. As the sound crashing filled the air, she returned with a paper bag.

"Breathe slowly into the bag!" said Fluttershy as she gave the Transmutant the bag. Angirasu started to breathe into the bag as he slowly regained his normal breathing. Fluttershy sighed in relief as Angirasu breathed normally.

"Thank you," said Angirasu. Fluttershy nodded to him with a smile. After a couple of seconds, the two began to share a few chuckles. These chuckles than escalated into full blown laughter. The two began to settle down.

'And here I thought I was shy,' thought Fluttershy with a warm smile.

"Hey, Fluttershy?" called Angirasu.

"Yes?" answered Fluttershy.

"Would you... Would you be my special somebody?" asked Angirasu. Fluttershy gave him a bright smile.

"I... Yes! I would love to!" said Fluttershy as she wrapped the Transmutant into a hug. From outside, the Dazzlings were peeking through the window of the cottage.

"What a dork. He hyperventilated from a kiss," smirked Aria.

"I think it's cute. Not every day you see a seemingly strong guy react that way," said Adagio. Sonata looked on with a bitter smile.

"She's so lucky," said Sonata. Aria sighed as she patted the girl on the shoulder.

"Come on. They'll be other guys," said Aria in reassurance. Sonata nodded but ultimately held envy for the Valkyrie.






Manehattan...


It was late evening. Junior was standing with a drowsy look on his face as Rarity sewed the suit around his body. Azusa was lying on her back on the mattress. She snuggled in her bed with a small sigh. It was pleasant to lie in a bed while wrapped in blankets as opposed to sleeping in the streets during the night. She then turned her gaze on Junior as he dosed off as he stood up. Her expression grew soft as she kept her eyes on him.

"Let's call it a night dear. We can continue tomorrow," said Rarity as she removed the coat from Junior. The Transmutant lazily nodded as he removed the rest of the clothes and handed them to Rarity. As she left the living room, Junior collapsed on the couch with a yawn. Azusa lightly smiled in amusement at his action. Rarity had returned with a blanket and gently placed it over Junior.

"Thanks Rarity," mumbled Junior as he rested his head on a pillow.

"Good night," whispered Rarity as she began to leave the room. After she turned off the light, she headed off to her room. Azusa kept her eyes on Junior as he lied on the couch, waiting to drift off to sleep.

"Gojira?" whispered Azusa. No response came from the male Transmutant. Instead, a snore filled the air.

"Wow. Who falls asleep that fast?" asked Azusa in surprise. Quietly, she stood up from her mattress and approached Junior with quiet steps. She sat on the couch beside him and stared at his sleeping face. She then reached into her shirt and pulled out her own Takeshi medallion. She looked at it and sighed. Azusa then placed on a firm expression. She brought one of her fingers up and sprouted a black claw from it. Azusa brought the claw over to Junior's hand with the claw hovering inches over it. She gulped as her hand shakily hovered over Junior's. With a quick stroke, she cut the palm of the male Transmutant. Junior's brows slightly crinkled but he then relaxed. Azusa took her medallion and brought it over Junior's palm and caused him to smear some of his blood onto the metal. She then gently pulled the medallion away with it slightly stained with the blood of Junior. As she turned her eyes to the object, the blood gave a soft neon blue glow as it appeared to seep into the metal. After a second, the blood had disappeared and the glow died down. Azusa turned her gaze to Junior's palm and found it to be slowly healing. The girl sighed to herself and sneaked back over to her mattress and hid her medallion in her pillow case. With that done, she lied in bed and decided to sleep.
> Chapter 65: The Rise of Darkness
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Frozen North was always a place of chills that would eat the nerves and travel to the bone of any living thing, but during nightfall and winter, the cold was much worse. As the blizzards scourge the land and anything that it touched, a low hum filled the air. The light from the moon was covered by a massive rock and temple that hovered through the air like a flying battleship. A black, green, violet, and red aura encased the temple as it descended from the air and onto the icy ground. With a rumble and shake, the temple planted itself into the snow, far from the mountain that it had originally been built into.

Within the temple, Sombra inhaled deeply and sighed as his magic aura died down from his hand. With the help of the Avatar amulet and his abilities in dark magic, it was possible for him to pull this feat. The shadow king opened his red eyes and turned towards his followers who began to shake off their disorientation from the travel. Sombra began to walk towards an icy throne that sat in the hall and took his seat on it. His brows furrowed.

"I want the last artifact, the Aurum Dragon, and I want the girl with the powers of the demon. We need them if we are going to have enough power to harness the energy of the violet star," said Sombra in an authoritative voice. He pointed to his servants with his cold gauntlet covered hand.

"Bring them to me! We are running out of time!" said Sombra. The Shadow's Hand all bowed before their dark king. One by one, they all dispersed from the substituted throne room that he held. Sombra was disgusted at how he was reduced to this state. His old throne was worthy for a powerful king and it represented the tyranny that he was capable of.

"Things were much better long before the damned Avatars interfered. I had it all," said Sombra as he narrowed his eyes and leaned back in his throne.






1000+ years ago...


It was a morning day in the Crystal Empire. The people of this great kingdom glittered as their bodies reflected the sun's light. The Crystallites, the natives of this land in the kingdom, where buildings and roads were entirely made up of crystals. Including the inhabitants themselves. The people wandered about their city on this lovely morning, passing the great spire-like castle that sat in the heart of the kingdom. A crystal shaped heart hovered in between two pointed crystals that protruded from the ground and the castle itself. It gave a soft glow as it spun around in a levitated state, giving a soft warmth from it.

From a humble crystal house, a young Sombra sat at a desk with an old tome in his hands. Being a man in his late teens, recently coming back from a faraway ruin in Equestria, he bore an eager expression as he read through the text, tracing a finger over it. The text contained ancient text that bore spells that the writers created and recorded. He placed the book down as he took a calm breath.

"You can do it, Sombra. Just let it flow naturally," said Sombra as he closed his red eyes. He then opened them as he raised his hands. His fingers strained as sparks of purple magic came from his fingers. A bright light came from his hands, causing the young man to wince. The sound of the magic humming filled his ears, and his lips curled into a smile. He then grunted as he felt pain in his hands and the magic flickered. His eyes burned as tears formed in his eyes while he tried to force the spell, but it would not be cast. He yelled as he tried one last push, but the magic dissipated, leaving him with smoking fingers.

"Damn it!" yelled Sombra in frustration as he slammed his hands on his desk. He panted as he allowed a couple of tears to stream down his cheeks and drop onto the tome's pages. He lowered his head as he sniffled and wiped a few tears away. He then heard a soft knock at his door, causing him to immediately turn.

"Sombra? Are you home?" called a feminine voice. The elf man wiped his eyes as he approached the door.

"One second!" called Sombra as he placed on a neutral expression. He sighed as he opened the door. He found a young elf woman around his age, bearing light grayish arctic blue long hair. She was an Elf, bearing the aesthetic of a Crystallite. She bore a soft smile as the elf opened the door.

"Good morning, Sombra," greeted the young woman.

"Oh. Good morning, Radiant Hope," said Sombra with a soft smile. Hope was shorter than him, but she didn't have to crane her neck back to meet his eyes. Her apparel was a long moderate heliotrope dress that reached her shins and bore a corset over her torso. Her long sleeves covered the crystal skin on her arms. An image of a pole with two serpents curled around it and a pair of wings above it was depicted on the breast of her corset.

"Come in," said Sombra as he stepped aside. The young woman smiled as she stepped inside of the house, with Sombra closing the door behind her.

"Shouldn't you be heading over to the medical house for work? Those patients could really use your healing magic," said Sombra.

"Well, yes. But when I heard that you were back from your journey, I had to come see you. It has been weeks since you've been gone this time," said Hope as she admired the books and tomes that sat on the shelves in the living room. The house was always a mess from this man’s work, but it always seemed to get more cluttered whenever he went off on an expedition.

"The journey to this temple was much more difficult. Tracking it was no easy task. The records I acquired were rough and written in an old language," said Sombra as he made his way over to the ancient tome that he was reading. He looked to Hope with a smile.

"But it's good to see you again, old friend," said Sombra. Hope's eyes brightened up as she took his hand.

"Hey, why don't we have dinner tonight? You can tell me about your journey and maybe tell me what you learned!" said Hope. Sombra lightly flushed at her touch and her energetic smile. It had been a long while since he had seen her this way. The most excited he saw her was the first time that she had gotten her Cutie Mark.

"Well, I suppose I have time. Yes, I would like that," said Sombra. Hope smiled in delight.

"Wonderful! Well, I should be going. I'll see you tonight, alright?" asked Hope as she left to the front door. Sombra nodded as he escorted her out.

"Alright. I'll just finish studying up these ancient texts that I acquired," said Sombra. Hope lightly giggled as she wrapped the man into a hug.

"Don't study too hard. You sometimes lock yourself in your home with these old books and lose track of time when studying," said Hope.

"Well, it's important to have ambition," said Sombra with a bitter smile. Hope lightly frowned as she held Sombra. His tone gave a hint of disappointment.

"Hey, you'll get your Cutie Mark soon. I know you will," said Hope. Sombra sighed as he released Hope.

"It's not just that, Hope," said Sombra as he released Radiant Hope. "Now get going. Your patients need your help,"

"Sure. Take care. I'll see you tonight," said Hope as she left the house. As Sombra closed the door and she walked down the street, Radiant Hope gave a heavy sigh.

Sombra shook his head as he lowered his bore a downcast look. He made his way back into his study area and sat down at his desk and levitated a sack filled with dusty old tomes from his journey. He looked them over with half open eyes, recalling of reading just about all of them during his travels back to the Crystal Empire. Yet not one of these spells were able to be cast by him. Ever since his youth, he had the misfortune at never being good at magic. At most, he could only perform basic magic feats, despite having an above mastery level on magical knowledge, but he still struggled to even levitate a small object.

"What kind of elf cannot perform greater feats with so much knowledge swirling around in his head?" asked Sombra as he clutched his head in frustration. He was the laughing stock of his peers in school when it came to learning some of these modern magic feats. They mocked him for his inability to do anything above levitation and illumination even to this day. Sombra glanced at his side and found a painting in the corner of the room with a younger version of himself next to a younger Radiant Hope. He lightly smiled as he kept his eyes on the portrait.

"At least you'll always be by my side," said Sombra. With that, he nodded in determination. He popped his fingers and began to sort all the books he had. As he continued, he noticed one last book in the sack. He raised a brow at the black tome.

"Hmm. I must have missed one," said Sombra as he noticed how this book was much more distinct compared to the others. He took the tome out of the sack and found what appeared as a six-pointed star in the center of a circle. It was an amulet that was built into the book. Sombra grabbed the cover of the book and opened it. Inside, he found a mostly blank page, but in the center, small lines of text was scribbled on the page that was made of a tan parchment.

"Curious. This text," muttered Sombra to himself. It appeared as a table of contents. They read to be ranging from subjects of spell casting, and a few historical conveniences with the spells. He then noticed a text that read, 'The Mirror of The Other Side'. He hummed to himself, curious. He turned to the page, careful not to damage the parchment of such an old book, and found the chapter that had drawn his curiosity.

"From within the temple of the Serpent, a mirror with the power to speak to the unseen was placed inside along with some of the scrolls of Dark Magic were taken from the fallen tribe of the Nephilim of San Palomino Desert," read Sombra as he scanned through the text. He cocked a brow.

"Nephilim? Where have I heard that term before?" asked Sombra. He shrugged as he went back onto reading.

"The mirror is said to allow communication with the unseen, where they may bestow gifts or knowledge upon he who stands before the mirror," said Sombra as he continued reading. He found an illustration of a tall mirror on the page, where a serpent was curled just above on it.

"Hmm. Sounds like an old folktale by superstitious elders," chuckled Sombra as he turned the page. He then raised his brows as he noticed another set of writing.

"The temple has been hidden from the imperial kings that had ended the golden age. But, these writings hold the location and the way to the temple and its treasures," read Sombra. His interest peaked at the helpful tip of where to find knowledge on magic that has yet to be uncovered.  He snatched a separate parchment from the side and took an ink and quill into his hand and prepared to jot down the information that was written.






Later that night...


Hope and Sombra sat across from each other in the dining room. The two shared a pleasant meal together on this night, where the northern lights shone above in the heavens.

"So, I was chased by this massive Manticore across the woods. I managed to get away when I hid inside of a cave. Unfortunately, the beast knew that it was infested with giant spiders so he gave up. I had to find out the hard way," shuddered Sombra as he ate his meal.

"You worry me to death whenever you go on these adventures! Would it hurt you to hire some protection to help you get to these ruins?" asked Hope.

"I don't make enough money to do so," said Sombra as he ate his meal.

"Oh! Why not make a request to Princess Amore for some help? I'm sure she'd love to help assist on finding ancient knowledge for magic," said Hope. Sombra looked at her with an unsure expression.

"Hope, please. It's not my place to make such requests with the princess," said Sombra.

"You never know. She might be supportive of it," shrugged Hope. As she took another bite of her meal, Sombra looked down in thought.

"Hope, I think I might be leaving again next week," said Sombra. Hope stopped chewing and swallowed her meal.

"Heh. Sombra, you just came back home. What in Equestria could cause you to want to leave home so soon?" asked Hope. Sombra smiled as he pulled out a parchment with scribbles and lines drawn onto it.

"This. This morning after you left, I found a book that I hadn't read yet and found a tip to where another ancient temple could be. Best part is, I doubt anyone has found it yet," said Sombra as he pointed to the map and held it out to Hope. The young woman analyzed the map.

"The temple was known as the Temple of the Serpent. The tome reads that there are some different kinds of spells of a higher level along with Dark Magic scrolls," said Sombra. Hope's stomach sank as she heard the last couple words.

"Dark Magic? Sombra... You know that's forbidden, right?" asked Hope. Sombra nodded to her.

"Of course, I do. It's just that... Well I want to explore everything that I can find. Of course, that doesn't mean that I'll dabble in something as taboo as Dark Magic. But it might be good to hand it over to the princesses in Equestria. I hear they have a lot of things archived," said Sombra.

"Well, it'd certainly keep them from falling into the wrong hands," said Hope. She then looked back at the map.

"But according to this map, the temple is outside of Equestria. It's in Trottoman territory. That's on the other end of the world!" said Hope with wide eyes.

"Technically, the temple is at an old Greecian settlement that had fallen to the rise of the Trottoman Empire. But yes, it is on the other end of the world," said Sombra as he took the map back and read through it.

"The temple was hidden just beneath an old altar in the region. Surely the Trottomans did not find it and ransacked it," said Sombra with an eager expression.

"But... the Crystal Fair is starting next week. You could be on that journey for weeks," said Hope with a look of disappointment. Sombra lost his smile in realization.

"Oh. Yes, that's right," said Sombra as he slumped his shoulders.

"We... We were supposed to go together this year," said Sombra with a look of shame. Hope glanced back at her dear friend.

"But... If you really want to go, you can. We can go together next year," said Hope. Sombra looked at her in surprise.

"You... You mean it?" asked Sombra.

"Yes. But you owe me a lot of snacks next year from the fair!" said Hope with hard eyes. She then gave a playful wink while Sombra chuckled.

"OK. Thanks Hope, you're the best," said Sombra.






Three Weeks later...


Sombra panted as he walked through the exhaustion that he felt on himself. He climbed grand green hills on a large part of land that stuck in between the Blood Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. He was on the very edge of this country's side on the Trottoman's territory. He found old ancient ruins of what appeared to be from a city and a grand altar. Sombra panted as he adjusted his travel bag and wiped the sweat from his brows. The seawater glistened under the sunlight, creating a wonderful view of the green hills and islands over the waters. Sombra picked up his pace until he came across the ruins, where he found fallen over bricks and pillars. He took out his map and began to look it over.

"Travel to the grand altar and offer the wine of life to the serpent's gaping jaws to enter the temple," read Sombra as he looked through the tome that was levitated by his magic. He tapped his chin in thought as he pondered the meaning. As he made his way to the altar's center, he still could not decipher the meaning of the text.

"Damned ancients. Everything has to be a cryptic message," cursed Sombra in annoyance. He looked around the area in annoyance as he tried to find any hint or clue as to what the directions were telling him. As he climbed the large altar, he passed broken statues that lied scattered on the ground. He yelped as he tripped over an object and fell over. Sombra groaned in annoyance as he got up and looked to see what he had tripped on. His eyes widened in surprise as he found a serpent made of iron sticking out of the earth in the corner of a pillar that was nearby. He noticed that the serpent held its jaws wide open, and it appeared to be hollow inside.

"I... guess this is the serpent. But what is this wine of life?" asked Sombra as he scratched his head.

"Wine. What is wine? Wine is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented grapes or other fruits. Wine is stereotyped to be red in color. Hmm. Is it literally asking for wine? Something sacred perhaps?" asked Sombra as he tapped his chin. He winced as he felt his knee sting. He knelt down and found his clothing on his leg to have torn a bit, revealing it to be bleeding.

"Damn," said Sombra. His eyes then widened as a thought came to him.

"Wait. Red wine. Wine of life. Blood is red. You need blood to stay alive," said Sombra as he looked at the serpent. It appeared to have traveled into the ground. Sombra reached into his pocket and pulled out a knife and looked at his knee and then the serpent.

"Well, it's worth a shot," said Sombra as he stood over the serpent and pricked his finger. He held his finger over the serpent's mouth and shakily waited for a drop of blood to fall. After a few seconds, he squeezed out a drop, which fell into the serpent's throat. Sombra waited for several seconds, waiting for something to happen. After a minute of waiting, he scowled.

"I guess not," said Sombra, disappointed at his failure. It seemed that there was no way to enter this secret temple. As he stood up, he heard what seemed to be the earth caving in. He whipped his head around and found a small area of dirt collapsing within the ground and fell. He slowly walked over to the hole and found stoned stairs leading down into a dark abyss. Sombra smiled to himself and carefully traveled down the stairs.

He spent the next minute cautiously stepping down these steps with his magic lighting his way and his steps echoed in the darkness. He felt a tinge of nervousness within himself, but he was too eager to see what this place had to offer then to walk away now. As Sombra made his way to the bottom, he found himself in a great cavern with bricks stacked along the walls and ground, making up a temple-like formation. Sombra stared in awe at the great cavern. He looked around and found statues of serpents wrapping themselves along pillars along with a serpent-like dragon at the entrance, standing erect with its wings splayed out while it snarled at him.

"Fascinating," said Sombra in awe as he admired the craftsmanship of these statues and the architecture. As he continued further into the temple, he found halls leading him somewhere. Curious, he trailed down the halls where he found a room with dozens of chests and shelves. Sombra gasped as he rushed towards the shelves and found scrolls to be on them. He quickly took one and unrolled it, finding an ancient writing in a language that he was familiar with.

"This... This is one of the Dark Magic scrolls. Just like the book said!" said Sombra. He took a separate bag and placed it down and prepared to unload more of the scrolls. After placing a few in, he realized that there were far too many to take. He frowned, but then turned to one of the chests in curiosity. He walked over to one of them and opened it up. He found several more scrolls. As he opened it, he found more text.

"And he said unto the sons of man, 'ye shall have power beyond thy current state. Accept my teachings, and ye shall be kings over nations, with wisdom of the unseen'," read Sombra. He hummed in thought.

"There it is again. The unseen," said Sombra to himself. He felt a chill run along his spine, causing him to whip around. No one was present with him. Sombra cautiously walked further into the archives. He soon came across a large mirror. His eyes widened as he recognized the design, from which he had seen on the tome's illustration. A serpent was present over it, just like the illustration. It was black as night, and stood to be seven feet tall. Sombra slowly walked over to the mirror, finding his reflection.

"A mirror with the power to speak to the unseen. But... What is the unseen?" asked Sombra as he slowly raised his hand and brought it over the glass. As he touched the mirror, he felt a small vibration, causing him to pull his hand back.

"Who calls to me?" asked a male voice. Sombra gasped as he looked around frantically for the source of the voice.

"Who's there?! Show yourself!" demanded Sombra.

"My, isn't this interesting. No mortal has come to this temple for nearly a thousand years," said the voice. Sombra turned to the mirror, and found clouds of smoke to replace his reflection, where a figure hidden in darkness was revealed. It appeared to be masculine in figure, bearing red eyes. Sombra stepped fearfully away.

"Fear not, Sombra. I am not your enemy," said the figure. Suddenly, the dark clouds dispersed from the figure, revealing him to be covered in a bright light. Sombra shielded his eyes from the stranger's light, and then his eyes slowly began to adjust.

"Who... Who are you?" asked Sombra. "And how do you know my name?"

"I know many things about you, dear boy. But I go by many names," said the figure with a chuckle.

"But... just call me, Attar," said the figure. Sombra stared in awe at this being's appearance. He stood with a masculine appearance, bearing robes and armor that were as bright as lightning. The boots of his soles appeared as hooves, much like an oxen’s. The armor bore golden details. His eyes were like diamonds, which stared into Sombra's soul, and his curly, golden locks of hairs mesmerized and frightened Sombra. It was though they were burning like fire.

"Wha-What are you?" asked Sombra.

"I am the brightest morning star. I am a spirit that has existed since the dawn of time itself. And you my friend, have summoned me before you," said Attar with a smile as he walked towards Sombra. He placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You have been presented a rare opportunity. My knowledge surpasses all on the Earth and beyond. I am also willing to share my knowledge with mortals such as yourself," said Attar. Sombra backed away as he appeared to have a hard time standing.

"Y-You're a spirit from beyond! Surely this must be some sort of dream!" said Sombra. Attar chuckled at the man's flabbergasted mood. It was amusing to him to see mortals react this way.

"Oh, I assure you, Sombra. This is all real. You came to this place once you read a tome. The one you have," said Attar as he gestured to Sombra. The Elf glanced at his side and found the journal sticking out on the side. He then turned back to Attar.

"What sort of knowledge could you offer me?" asked Sombra. He was curious to know what this spirit could possibly know that he and others may not already know.

"I can tell you the total amount of stars that resides in our universe today, and how many there were in the beginning. I can tell you the long history of this world. I can teach you about the elements. But... I can see that you came here for a problem of your own," said Attar as he paced around Sombra.

"Ever since you were a boy, you have had a hard time casting magic spells. You've been mocked by other magic wielding humans from your home. You were already an outcast being that you are an elf that lacks the blood of a Crystallite," said Attar. Sombra looked down in shame at how the spirit was bringing up the abuse he went through.

"Don't be so down. I sense your ambition," said Attar as he glanced back at Sombra. "Despite your shortcomings in magic, you strive to become stronger. I admire that."

"You do?" asked Sombra in surprise. He felt flattered that a higher being could possibly admire him.

"I do. Which is why I shall help you," said Attar as he kept his back turned to Sombra.

"Spend four years here in this temple, Sombra. I shall change you into a man capable of casting many spells. As a bonus, I shall teach you all the magical spells that are here in this temple from the most basic of spells to the most advanced," said Attar. Sombra stared at him with wide eyes. This offer was simply too good to be true and that bothered him.

"Attar, what do you want in return?" asked Sombra with caution in his voice. Attar smirked to himself.

"What I want from you is to spread my teachings throughout Equestria. That is all that I ask of you," said Attar. Sombra looked down in thought as he pondered his decision. This would be his chance to finally break free of his inability to cast real magic. He would finally be able to reach his true potential and enact the knowledge that he had gained, but that would mean that he would have to remain here for four years without seeing his friend, Radiant Hope. They wouldn't be able to spend their time together at the fair next year. Sombra sighed as he slumped his shoulders, but hardened his eyes. This was his only chance to fix his problem, so he would break his promise to Hope and make it up to her later.

"Attar, I accept your proposal." Sombra held a firm expression.

"Teach me, master," said Sombra as he bowed his head. Attar smiled as he turned back to face Sombra.

"Kneel before me," said Attar. Without argument, Sombra knelt before the being of light and bowed his head. Attar brought his hand over Sombra's shoulder and pressed his palm against it. The elf winced as he felt a burning sensation on his right shoulder. He cried out in pain as his sleeve burned off, revealing the bare skin of his arm and shoulder. As Attar removed his hand from Sombra's shoulder, a mark appeared on the human's shoulder. Sombra panted as he felt the pain subside. He looked at his shoulder and was shocked to find what he thought was a Cutie Mark on him. But, it was a burn mark, shaped like an inverted star in the center of a circle. Sombra looked back up at Attar, who bore a smile. He then gestured to the bag that contained the scrolls and book.

"Now, levitate that bag, my apprentice," said Attar. Sombra looked at the bag hesitantly. Even basic levitation was too much for him to perform without straining himself. Still, he had to trust his teacher. Sombra sighed as he raised his hand and concentrated, his hand glowing with his magic aura. Sombra grunted as he tried to keep his focus, but his eyes widened as the bag was levitated into the air. All the difficulty that he felt from using the spell was suddenly nonexistent. Sombra was levitating an object without so much effort. Sombra laughed as his eyes shed tears of joy.

"Come, Sombra. Your lessons begin now," said Attar as he turned around and began to walk away. Unbeknownst to Sombra, Attar's eyes briefly changed from their beautiful appearance to a hellish red.






One year later....


Sombra was kneeling on the ground as his eyes were closed. Attar paced around him. His glowing appearance seemed to have been losing itself to a more ethereal shadow.

"Now, what is it that you have learned?" asked Attar.

"Magic is influenced by emotion. Depending the strength of emotion on the caster, the greater the strength of the spell," said Sombra. Attar nodded in approval.

"Good. Now, to perfect your magic, you must remember to keep in mind my laws. What do you do about a guest in your home?" asked Attar.

"Do to others as they do to you. If a guest disrespects me in my very home, treat him or her with the same disrespect, for love should not be wasted on ingrates," said Sombra. Attar smiled.

"Excellent. Remember, the world is filled with rude and pretentious beings that deserve no kind treatment. Only kind beings deserve to receive kindness," said Attar. Sombra lowered his eyes as he narrowed them. Memories of his childhood came flooding back to him. The humiliation that he suffered from being unable to perform magic caused him to grow frustrated. However, there was at least one person that was worthy to receive kindness from him.

"Now, you can see how alienated you've become in the Crystal Empire, my student. You are shunned by most merely because you lack the crystal coating of skin over your very being. It seems that they carry a certain view on how their citizens should be. Capable of casting spells without too much trouble and being of Crystallite descent," said Attar as he ran his hand along a stone serpent. Sombra sighed heavily as he lowered his eyes.

"Yes. Ever since I was a child, I was an orphan and no one would adopt me," said Sombra.

"Do not be ashamed of yourself, Sombra," said Attar as he whipped around to face the human. Sombra shot his head up and met eyes with Attar.

"You have no need to conform to such nonsense. You are greater than that!" said Attar. He gestured to the hall around them, where scrolls lied stacked together on the ground.

"You've read hundreds of these scrolls in just a year! You've memorized all of them and you are growing stronger as the days roll by!' said Attar as he levitated the scrolls by an invisible force.

"My apprentice, you have potential! Don't waste it on conforming to the expectations of others! This is why you are here! To pursue your desire to ascend to a higher level then what you were when I found you! You are your own god!" said Attar as he held his hands out, displaying two pairs of bird-like wings that were pure white and radiated with light. Sombra stared in awe, feeling inspiration fill up inside of himself by his teacher. Sombra nodded as he bowed his head in respect.

"I understand, master," said Sombra. Attar smiled as he licked his lips with a forked tongue.

"Now, let us continue. Soon, we shall move onto greater magic," said Attar.






Year Two.


Sombra lied down on a bed, resting in the underground temple. The next day would require him to learn about dark magic and perform it. Truth be told, Sombra was uncomfortable when he heard the news. It was considered taboo among humans to perform it let alone learn about it. Still, Attar reassured him that the art was not dangerous to the user as most people believed. After all, the Avatar Princess Celestia knew how to cast it and has done so on a couple occasions. This came as a shock to the elf once the spirit revealed this information to him given that he has heard about how benevolent and pure she seemed.

In bed, Sombra mumbled in his sleep as he turned. His hair had grown longer from the time that he had spent in the temple and he was barely able to maintain his hygiene due to his extensive studies and magic practices with his master. As he slept, Sombra heard whispers in his ears.

"Sombra..." whispered the voice. Sombra's brows furrowed as his name was repeatedly whispered into his ears.

"She's no different," whispered the voices. Sombra turned in his bed as he moaned.

"They are all the same," whispered the voices. The voices continued to speak his name and speak undesirable words into his ear, reaching into his resting mind.

"You should treat them the same way as they treated you," whispered a voice.

"Yes. They oppressed you. Do the same to them," whispered another voice. Sombra's eyes shot wide open as he shot up out of bed. He panted as his heart raced in his chest. The whispers had stopped. Sombra looked around the stone room, finding no one to be present. Sombra sighed as he pinched the skin on his fore head. He lied back down in bed, not noticing the shadows that moved through the room.






Year Three


Sombra's eyes were half way opened as he stared off to the wall. His hands were bruised and felt as though they were burning. His fingers were red and bore burn scars. He sighed in exhaustion as he began to shake. He raised his head and found Attar approaching him.

"It seemed that you were not yet ready to handle the power of dark magic. This was my mistake, Sombra. I should've given you more time to train," said Attar as he began to walk away. Sombra winced as he stood up and shakily walked after the spirit.

"Master, I can press on! Please, give me a chance!" cried Sombra.

"Sombra, if we continue as you are, it will only kill you. You must rest and continue to train with the advanced light spells. I may not be able to teach you dark magic," said Attar. Sombra gritted his teeth and refused to let his weakness hold him back. Sombra could feel himself destined for greatness among the people of the Crystal Empire and Equestria

"Master! Please, surely there is something that we can do! I want to learn everything! That is why I asked that you teach me!" cried Sombra as he dropped onto his knees. He coughed furiously as he felt himself growing weak. Attar continued to walk back to the mirror.

"Attar! Please, I can't fully hold up my end of our deal if I can't learn everything that you know," wheezed Sombra. He coughed as he lowered his head. Attar glanced back at Sombra with a smirk.

"He's growing frail and desperate. He truly is ambitious to be the best," said Attar to himself. He turned away from the mirror and began to approach Sombra.

"There is one way that we are able to continue to practice the art of dark magic," said Attar. Sombra looked up at Attar with hope in his eyes.

"I-I'll do anything! What do you desire?" asked Sombra. Attar pointed at Sombra.

"In exchange to grant you the durability to continue performing the most advanced dark magic spells, I must break down your old body," said Attar. Sombra's eyes widened.

"Wha-What?" asked Sombra.

"Your body is holding you back, Sombra. The dark magic is proving to be too much for a mortal like yourself. However, I can change you into a being that will be suitable for such power," said Attar as he waved a hand and spawned a black crystal into his hand. He held it out, revealing the crystal to be radiating a black mist. There was a sharp pointed end on the crystal.

"You must become one with the shadow," said Attar. Sombra backed away with an unsure expression.

"I... I..." Sombra looked down with an unsure expression. Attar furrowed his brows, but then quickly softened them.

"You will be able to manifest yourself into a physical body again, able to feel and such. Becoming one with the shadow is merely an enhancement, my student. You will become stronger," said Attar as he held the crystal closer to Sombra.

"But... Is it right to change my very being?" asked Sombra in hesitation.

"Sombra, my dear boy. You can be greater if you change yourself. Change is a natural part of nature. All you're doing is changing into something that no normal human can ever amount to," said Attar as he brought the crystal closer to him. Sombra lowered his head.

"Yes. Hmph, I guess I'm forgetting why I'm here," said Sombra as he stood up. He bore a firm expression.

"Let me become one with the shadow," said Sombra. Attar smiled darkly as Sombra closed his eyes and held his arms out. Attar held the crystal back and then plunged it into Sombra's chest. The human groaned in pain as the crystal impaled him. He felt himself growing cold as the dark magic from the crystal coursed through his body. Sombra groaned in agony as he dropped to his knees. His body cracked and the white in his eyes turned green and his green eyes turned red. Attar began to chuckle darkly as Sombra's skin started to break apart and dark shadowy tendrils burst out of him. Red flashes ignited the temple, and Attar laughed maniacally. Every time a flash came, Attar's appearance briefly changed from his beautiful form to a humanoid horned creature with red eyes and a dark body. Sombra cried out as his body burst into oblivion, leaving behind a mass of shadow on the ground. Attar smiled as the shadow began to take shape and form. From the shadow emerged Sombra, bearing grey skin over his body and fanged teeth. His black hair flowed through the air like flames. Sombra gave an echoed and relieved sigh as he turned to face Attar.

"Now, you are ready to learn more about dark magic," said Attar as his eyes glowed red. Sombra smirked to himself, feeling free. He felt strong and powerful.






Year Four.


The four years of training were finally completed. Years of a lack of proper hygiene, comfort, and complete meals had plagued Sombra. Years of nonstop reading, pain, sickness, magic usage, and solitude were all over. After all of this, Sombra had now finished his training. The shadow elf grunted as he forced his hands forward and destroyed a pillar outside of the temple, leaving only pieces of stone on the grass. Sombra smirked as a violet aura radiated from his red and green eyes. He then heard clapping coming from behind, prompting the shadow elf to turn and find Attar standing behind him.

"Excellent work, my apprentice. You've learned everything that I have taught you. As time goes on, you shall grow stronger with your power," said Attar. Sombra bowed before the angel of light.

"Thank you for your teachings, master. Because of you, I can finally perform the greatest of magic spells. I look forward to discovering more spells that are out there and mastering them as well. I shall hold my end of our deal and pass on your teachings," said Sombra. Attar smiled in approval.

"But, now that I know these powerful spells and have grown strong, what should I do with my powers? I mean for more personal use, rather than as a mentor," said Sombra as he looked up at Attar with a questioning look. Attar smirked as he pointed to Sombra's chest.

"Look into your heart, and you shall find the answer," said Attar as he backed away from Sombra. He then spread his great wings out and ascended into the air. Attar then vanished into a flash of light, leaving Sombra alone. The shadow elf looked down in thought as he pondered what he should do. Obviously, he should go home, but home wasn't exactly the nicest place as he remembered. All he remembered was the ridicule that he went through by the other Crystallites. Being away from home for four years was a great get away from that. Yet, he couldn't help but think back to the humiliation that he suffered. His eyes sparked with anger. Sombra then thought back to the issues that plagued the Crystal Empire. Although the Crystal Heart was said to be one of the strongest forces in the kingdom, all it did was put on a light show and be put on display during the festival.

"If I were in charge and the Crystal Heart was in my hands, the Crystal Empire could be much more," said Sombra with a hum. No doubt that he would be able to show off to those who put him down to show that the once weak child that he was had grown into a powerful and enlightened man. Then, Sombra gasped as a thought clicked to him. Sombra smirked as he gave a chuckle. He turned to his bags, filled with dozens of scrolls and the black tome with the star on it. He suddenly dispersed his body into shadow and then began to surround the bag and took off into the air like a black cloud.





The Crystal Empire stood proudly over the northern lands of Equestria in the evening. The castle's bright light on the tip shone like a great beacon over the rolling green hills and crystal buildings that surrounded it. Sombra stood in between the two crystalline pillars that led to the empire with narrowed eyes. His body was cloaked by a ragged brown cloak and his eyes continuously glowed in the night. He made his way down into the streets of the Crystal Empire, sprouting black crystals out of the ground with every step that he took. Sombra continued, being sighted by a few residents who were present. They gasped in fright as they saw the crystals sprout from behind him with every step that was taken. Sombra's negative energy channeled into his magic, manifesting itself into every step he took and reflecting itself into black crystals. The dullness of these crystals the bore in their appearance contrasted with the more colorful and vibrant crystals that normally made up the Crystal Empire.

"They will all see my greatness," said Sombra with a dark smile as he grazed his hand along the walls of a building, causing it to spark and turn dark. As the dark crystals began to spread, cries of panic filled the air. These dark crystals surrounded citizens in their homes or burst in front of them in the streets. The shadow elf suddenly morphed into his shadowy form and swarmed through the city, leaving behind more black crystals. Soon, more cries of panic erupted from the city as the dark magic interrupted their peaceful night. Eventually, Sombra came across the castle and caught sight of the Crystal Heart, hovering and glowing. As Sombra smiled to himself in his shadowy form and grew closer to the object, he suddenly felt himself in pain. Sombra cried out as he was knocked out of his shadowy form and into his physical form. He groaned in pain as his red and green eyes flickered, returning to normal. His irises were once again an emerald green. Sombra looked at his hands in confusion and found that his hands were slightly cracked, causing him to gasp in shock.

"Wha- How can this be?!" exclaimed Sombra. Attar's alteration to his body should have made him impervious, yet he felt pain and bore cracks in his palms. Sombra then looked at the Crystal Heart and found its glow to be slightly brighter. Suddenly, the castle doors burst open, revealing men in armor rushing out with spears. Sombra shakily stood up as he ignored his pain and found himself surrounded by the guards. Sombra growled as he glared at the guards. As the rest of the guards came, an elf Crystallite woman, standing to be six feet tall, made her way out of the castle. She wore a very pale vermilion colored gown that exposed her shoulders, where a snowflake Cutie Mark was shown. A cobalt crown sat on her head, where a small golden heart was in the center. Her hair long hair was a Gradient of brilliant raspberry that changed to a moderate cobalt blue at the ends of her locks. Her brilliant amber eyes were firm as they locked onto the shadow elf.

"Sombra, stop what you are doing," said Amore as a few of her guards stood by her side. Sombra's eyes widened.

"You... You know what I'm doing?" asked Sombra in surprise.

"I do. I was warned on what you were planning to do," said Amore in a calm voice. Sombra relaxed himself as he held a firm stare. It was best to at least reason with the princess, for she may be open to the idea.

"Princess Amore, I've... I've been cured of my curse. I now can perform the greatest of magic feats! I have learned much on my journey!" said Sombra with pride in his tone. His eyes changed back into being green and red with a violet aura emitting from his eyes. The guards stood aggressively as the shadow elf took a step forward. Amore looked at Sombra with pity.

"Sombra, do you not see what you've done to yourself?" asked Amore. "You've dabbled with dark magic, you've traded your humanity for power, and now you plan to corrupt the Crystal Heart with your anger!"

"Corrupt it? No, I plan to improve it! Amore, my power will lead the Crystal Empire to greatness! I want to share what I learned from my master! I want to make everyone a God like I have become! Together, you and I can rule the Crystal Empire and spread our glory across Equestria!" said Sombra. He then looked at his red and scarred hand with furrowed brows.

"All of my life, I was weak. I had no place among you or other Crystallites . You always said that love and kindness was something that everyone deserved, but I've never received that from the others. I was nothing to them!" shouted Sombra as he glared at the princess

"I've learned that not everyone deserves kindness! Only those who have ever showed kindness deserve to receive it!" said Sombra with anger in his eyes. Amore can see in his eyes that the elf had grown arrogant in his time of absence. Whoever his master was had caused him to hold onto his anger and to be unforgiving. Now, he was proposing a union between them to rule over her kingdom, with a corrupted Crystal Heart. Amore noticed that a few of her subjects were coming out of hiding and were witnessing their confrontation. She had to keep the situation from getting out of hand.

"Sombra, please stop this. If you continue this path of anger and hate and corrupt the Crystal Heart, you will bring darkness over Equestria. I don't want that, and I know that neither do you. The Crystal Heart is already trying to repel the darkness that has taken over you. Please, it's not too late to stop this," said Amore with pleading eyes. Sombra narrowed his eyes.

"You're just like the rest. You're afraid that my power would be better suited to replace your power over the Crystal Heart!" shouted Sombra as he clenched his fists.

"No! Sombra, I am trying to help you!" cried Amore. Sombra yelled angrily as his eyes grew brighter.

"Help?! I do not need your help! I demand that you hand over the Crystal Heart to me, now!" shouted Sombra. Amore narrowed her eyes.

"Never," said Amore in a firm tone. She then pointed a hand towards the shadow elf.

"Seize him!" ordered Amore. The guards immediately rushed Sombra, tackling him to the ground. Sombra yelled angrily as he burst into shadow, surrounding the area. The guards gasped as they searched all around themselves. Suddenly, Sombra reappeared near them in physical form and shot forth dark beams of magic, engulfing the guards. They cried out in agony as their bodies were burned and covered in black crystals. They dropped to the ground, shattering into pieces. From their shattered crystal bodies came sparkling blood. Amore raised her hands and fired a cyan beam of magic towards Sombra, blowing the shadow elf back. He cried out in pain as he felt the power of the light magic strike him. He gasped as he found more cracks on his body. He then narrowed his eyes.

"She's drawing power from the Crystal Heart," said Sombra with a growl. As Amore fired another beam of magic, Sombra dove into the ground as a shadow, evading the beam and causing black crystals to sprout as he grew closer to the princess. People stared as they watched the confrontation. From the crowd, emerged a wide-eyed Radiant Hope as she watched the princess battle against a shadow that sprouted black crystals. She wondered what kind of force that she was dealing with.

Sombra continued to move along the ground in his shadowy form, avoiding every beam and bolt of magic from Amore. This was his strategy, to avoid her attacks long enough until she was exhausted. He noticed Amore beginning to tire and her reaction to his dodging was becoming slightly delayed. Once Amore missed again, Sombra acted. He burst with high speed in his shadowy form and lunged out of the ground with his right-hand glowing with a magic aura. Amore's eyes widened as she found Sombra suddenly in her face. He grabbed her by the neck and forced his other hand towards her abdomen, sending a burst of dark magic into her. Amore gasped as she felt the pain course through her, unable to scream from the shock. Her subjects cried out in shock and horror, while Hope's eyes widened as she found Sombra looking at the princess with a wicked smile. He forced Amore to the ground as she bore a gaping hole in her abdomen that was as wide as a man's fist. Her breathing was ragged and her eyes were wide. Sombra leaned down over her with narrowed eyes.

"You're weak. I shall be a stronger ruler for the empire," said Sombra as he stood over Amore. The princess reached her hand for his ankle to keep him from walking away, but the shadow elf kicked her hand away. Amore turned her eyes to the Crystal Heart and then her eyes became cloudy, losing all ounce of life in them. Her subjects cried out in despair as their princess lied dying before their very eyes. Radiant Hope trembled in place as she stood with teary eyes as she focused on the body of the princess. She then focused her gaze on Sombra, her best friend. The man had fatally wounded the princess in cold blood. She couldn't comprehend why he would do such a thing. There was still time to save the princess if she acted now. Hope knelt beside Amore as her hands glowed with her magic.

"Hold on, your highness. I can-" Hope was interrupted as black crystals burst out of the ground and surrounded Amore, encasing her inside. Radiant Hope cried out in despair as she slammed her fists on the crystal tomb. She turned and ran after Sombra as he walked over to the Crystal Heart.

"Why?! Why are you doing this?!" cried Hope in a distraught tone.

"She was weak. She denied the empire growth. Now, I'm taking leadership," said Sombra as he approached the Crystal Heart. The object hummed as it flashed, sending a wave towards Sombra, causing him to grunt in pain. He growled as he pressed through his pain towards the Crystal Heart as it attempted to protect itself from him.

"Sombra, please let me heal the princess!" cried Hope as the Crystal Humans all lowered their heads in despair around the crystal tomb.

"Oh, Radiant Hope. Why let her rise when you can take her place?" asked Sombra as he turned to face Radiant Hope. The young woman stopped as she looked at him with teary eyes.

"I... I don't understand," said Hope.

"Hope, you've always been so kind to me. You were like me too, a misfit among the people here. Lacking a Cutie Mark until you were sixteen, yet you remained my dear friend. With that, I want you to join my side as ruler," said Sombra as he held his hand out to Hope. The girl looked at him in disbelief.

"No. No, you can't be serious," said Hope.

"I am. You see, our magic is strong! We know what it's like to face hardship for being different. We can crush those who have wronged us and others. We can change the Crystal Empire. And together, you and I can rule as King and Queen over the empi- no, over Equestria!" said Sombra. Hope shook her head as she gritted her teeth. The words that came out of Sombra's mouth were unlike anything that she imagined him ever saying such things. This was not the same man that she knew four years ago.

"I... I don't know who you are anymore. You changed!" said Hope. Sombra furrowed his brows at Hope.

"Change occurs naturally in nature, Hope," said Sombra.

"But your change is wrong! It isn't you! You've become a... You've become a monster!" cried Hope. Sombra glared at Hope angrily. The words struck him harder than the years of ridicule that he faced. His one and only friend had turn on him, declaring him a monster.

"I'm a monster? Hmph. Then I guess monsters are the ones with the guts to change things for the better," said Sombra as he turned to the Crystal Heart and reached for it. With the citizens despairing over Amore's death and their lack of focus of love to power the object, it was vulnerable.

"Sombra, no!!' screamed Hope as she reached out to the shadow elf. Sombra's hands burned as he reached for the Crystal Heart as it attempted one last wave to repel him. However, Sombra pressed through the pain again and grabbed the Crystal Heart. The heart suddenly turned grey, bursting into a green light. Hope was blinded by the light, and the dark magic from Sombra's being along with his negative emotions infused themselves into the Crystal Heart. A great burst of energy flowed through the city, reducing the once beautiful crystals into jagged black crystals that stuck out wildly. The Crystallites suddenly lost their crystal coating, with their hair coming down and their bodies becoming pale with somber. The castle grew jagged and darker, becoming an ominous tower of doom. Radiant Hope backed away with fearful eyes as Sombra laughed maniacally as he held the Crystal Heart into the air.

"Yes! All will see my greatness! Kneel before me, your new king!" shouted Sombra. Hope turned and ran away as fast as she could as her eyes ran with tears. The rest of the Crystallites stayed behind in fear as Sombra became a great shadow over the castle, laughing maniacally.





It has been over two months. The Crystal Empire was in turmoil. The sky lacked beauty and appeared to be tainted by the evil atmosphere that was in control. The green hills were now brown, nothing but dirt. Sombra smiled darkly as he stood on the balcony of the castle, looking down over the kingdom that he ruled. All the citizens of the Crystal Empire were towing great black crystals and digging foundations all around. Things are finally looking up for the elf. Now, he was the most powerful being in all the Crystal Empire and ruled it with an iron fist. He looked over the kingdom as dark magical flames crackled on the spire, adding to the ominous atmosphere. Sombra turned as he heard footsteps approaching. He found a young Elf man with silver hair standing with a cloak, along with four other elves. They were all, excluding the man with silver hair, residents of the Crystal Empire as well, but their bodies were of flesh and dull in tone. They knelt before Sombra.

"Master, we have succeeded in capturing a large number of the resistance the previous day. They have been brought to the slave labor camp," said the man with silver hair.

"And what of Radiant Hope?" asked Sombra.

"She still hasn't been found since last week's raid," said an elf woman. Sombra shook his head as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He sighed in annoyance as he turned back to the balcony. No doubt that the girl was long gone already.

"Thanatos, I want you all to go out beyond this city and keep searching for those who continue to resist. And I want Radiant Hope brought to me, alive," growled Sombra. The members of the Shadow's Hand bowed before him and left Sombra alone. One by one, they vanished in a spark of black and violet magic. Thanatos looked back at Sombra as the tyrant made his way back to the balcony. He then turned and vanished via teleportation magic as well. The shadow elf scowled as he looked down on the fields. Ever since his rule, there had been a few souls that were brave enough to oppose his will. They hid in the snow and caves of the North and recruited others into their cause to overthrow him. From Sombra's sources, Hope had taken refuge with them for these past couple of months. In that time, Sombra had been running both his empire, recruiting loyalists, and hunting these rebels down. His plan to dominate Equestria was much too slow. The Crystal Heart was corrupted, but there was not enough power in it to spread its influence all around Equestria. Amore had drained most of its reserved power, and only fear and hate provided the power necessary to enforce Sombra's will over the Crystal Empire. Still, it wasn't enough. There were still plenty of crystallites resisting his rule to prevent him using all the fear in their hearts. There was some who still had hope.

"I'll find them. I'll find them all," said Sombra as he narrowed his eyes. As he was about to leave the balcony, he spotted two figures in the distance, flying through the air. Sombra squinted his eyes, able to make out Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. Sombra's eyes narrowed and raised his hand to spawn a black sword. His cape flapped through the wind and his armor reflected the light of the sun. Sombra kept his eyes on the Avatars as they hovered in the air just several feet away. Their eyes were firm as they stared down at the shadow elf.

"Surrender Sombra, or face thy doom," said Luna as she raised her hands, illuminating them with her magic aura. Sombra tightened his grip on his sword. He gave a war cry as he leaped into the air with his sword leaving a trail of black smoke as he swung the blade towards Luna. The younger Avatar evaded the attack and kicked Sombra on the skull, knocking him down to the ground. The force of Luna's kick forced Sombra to create a crater on impact on the earth. Sombra growled as he stood up in pain. It seemed that he was vulnerable to these powerful beings.

Celestia dove down towards Sombra as she fired bolts of magic, which Sombra rolled out of the way of. He fired bolts of dark magic, which Celestia blocked with a magic bubble shield. As Sombra was occupied, Luna appeared next to him and fired a beam of her magic, striking Sombra in his face. He cried out in agony as his face was burned. He growled angrily as his eyes burned with fury, causing Luna to recoil in shock.

"Die!!" shouted Sombra as he swung his blade against Luna, but his sword was shot out of his hand by Celestia's bolt of magic. The elder sister burst with great speed as she flew towards Sombra and tackled him to the ground. She grunted as she sent powerful punches down onto his face, causing the ground around them to crack.

"Where is the Crystal Heart?!" demanded Celestia as she sent another fist to Sombra's face. The shadow elf caught it and held it tightly. He shakily held her off. Celestia's physical strength was much greater than his own, putting him at a disadvantage in close quarters.

"Somewhere that you'll never find it! The empire belongs to me!" shouted Sombra as he kicked Celestia off himself, forcing her to stumble back. Sombra then morphed himself into shadow and dove into the ground. As the shadow surrounded Celestia, crystals burst out of the earth and trapped her inside. Sombra reappeared in physical form outside of the prison and forced a hand towards Luna, catching her in his magical telekinesis. He swung his hand, slamming Luna into a pillar of black crystal, causing it to topple over in pieces. Luna groaned in pain as she emerged, covered in cuts and bruises. Sombra suddenly appeared before her and swung his fist into Luna's gut, making her to hunch over as the wind was knocked out of her. He then kneed her in her chest and lifted her up over his head, yelling as he threw her on the ground at his feet. He then raised an armored foot over Luna's head. The young Avatar quickly shot her hand up and fired a beam of magic at Sombra's chest, blowing him high into the air where he crashed into a water tower. The tower fell over and drained gallons of water onto the dirt, forcing the enslaved Crystallites to back away from the chaos. Sombra groaned in pain as he shakily stood on one knee. He panted as he held his chest.

'I can't beat them. They're much stronger than I am. Damn it!' thought Sombra angrily. Despite the years he spent training, he still was no match against the Avatars, let alone individually. He had not enough time to grow stronger and to improve upon himself. His own hubris was his downfall. Then, a thought came to Sombra's mind. He remembered something that Attar had taught him in his years of training.

'They may beat me in this battle, but there is still one chance,' thought Sombra as he narrowed his eyes. He closed his eyes as his body pulsed with dark magic. From the prison of black crystals, Celestia burst out in a flash of magic, freeing herself. She joined Luna's side in the air as they hovered over Sombra.

"He's able to morph himself into that of a shadow. If we combine our power, we can trap him in that form and imprison him in the ice further up north," said Luna. Celestia nodded in agreement. She then narrowed her eyes down on the shadow elf that had turned a wonderful land into a land of misery.

"Surrender, Sombra!" ordered Celestia. Sombra chuckled and then laughed maniacally.

"You may have won the battle, but not the war!" shouted Sombra as raised his hands, which burned with his aura. Celestia and Luna both acted, firing their beams of magic upon Sombra just as he slammed his hands onto the ground, where an inverted star in the center of a circle appeared in the dirt as violet and green fire. A low hum came from the mark as it burned brighter. Sombra cried out in pain as he was engulfed by the magic of the Avatars, forcing him into his shadowy form. He suddenly felt himself being pulled through the air by an invisible force. He struggled to break free of this spell but it was futile. Sombra found himself fleeting away from the Crystal Empire, finding a bright light shooting up into the air, where sparks began to encircle the empire. Celestia and Luna gasped as they found the people suddenly vanishing before their very eyes, one by one.

"What's happening?!" cried Luna as the buildings began to disappear.

"He... He placed a curse over the empire," said Celestia with wide eyes. As she finished those words, a great flash blinded the two Avatars. Just as the flash died down, the Empire was gone.

Meanwhile, Sombra cried out angrily as he continued to drift on as a shadow form of himself. He passed over hills and the Shadow's Hand members that were outside of the empire for their mission. Their eyes widened as they spotted Sombra diving into icy mountains, which then sealed together shut, trapping the shadow elf inside. Thanatos clenched his fists angrily.

"No. Damn it! I knew that girl's escape would have cost us!" shouted Thanatos. Radiant Hope was likely the one who had gotten word out to the Avatar princesses, who had succeeded in defeating his master. He yelled in anger as he dropped to his knees, his voice echoed. The rest of the Shadow's Hand felt his anger. Their mentor and leader was gone. They looked forward to his plans and for more of his teachings.

"The Empire is gone. I... I knew that he had a plan if the princesses were to come and over throw him, but I never imagined that he would actually be forced to use the curse," said an elf woman solemnly.

"Our home is gone along with our king. What do we do now?" asked another elf man. Thanatos sighed heavily as he closed his eyes.

"We have to find a way to bring him back. If we do that, the curse may break and the empire will return. We will be able to pick up where we left off," said Thanatos as he stood up to his feet. He then turned to the far mountains, which were covered in snow.

"That means that we will have to teach ourselves in the art of dark magic, where Sombra can no longer do. We will continue what he started. We will spread the teachings of Sombra. Glory to the Crystal Empire," said Thanatos as he narrowed his eyes and brought his hood over his head. His fellow members nodded in agreement. They began to tread through the snow that piled up, uncertain but determined for their future.






Present Day...


Sombra sat on his icy throne with a hard expression. How short his reign was. He worked hard to get to where he was in those days. Now, he is forced to jump more hoops to bring back his empire and defeat the meddling princesses once and for all. Now all that was left was the Aurum Dragon and the rest of the demonic power that was inside of Sunset Shimmer. All of which needed to be obtained soon before the curse that he placed over the empire wore off. Otherwise everything that he worked for may be stomped into dust. Still, he did have to wonder, what ever happened to Radiant Heart after all those years ago. It was most likely that she had passed away after he was defeated, much to his satisfaction as the traitor was but a painful reminder of a friend lost. Yet, he had found himself thinking back to the time that he had with her before he had grown into the man that he was today. Speaking of old faces, he also wondered what ever happened to the spirit Attar. No doubt the angel was waiting for him to spread his teachings. However, he always wondered why he never showed up again after the day that he returned to him 1000 years ago, to provide him with an edge that will allow him to take over the modern Equestria. But for now, Sombra was focused on his own plan.
> Chapter 66: Golden King
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The early noon was upon the land. Ghidorah wore a cloak over himself as he stood with a couple of members of the Shadow's Hand. His red eyes stared down the alley as the three continued towards a great house in Canterlot City. The three had soon found themselves just inside of this large house, where Vanity was pouring a few glasses of wine.

"So, where is Thanatos?" asked Vanity as he levitated the glasses to his guests.

"He is busy. Which is why he sent for us," said Ghidorah as he took the glass. He raised it before taking a drink.

"Cheers," said Ghidorah.

"Thanatos said that you're in possession of an artifact. The Arum Dragon," said a woman. Vanity nodded as he as he grabbed a box and made his way over to the three.

"It's been in my family for many years. Behold," said Vanity as he opened the box. Inside, the golden dragon statue was revealed. Ghidorah stared at it, bearing a smirk. The gold on this object was nothing compared to the golden scales that decorated him in his past life as a Kaiju. Ghidorah held up a compass, which rapidly blinked as it pointed towards the box.

"Excellent," said Ghidorah as he reached for the box. However, Vanity immediately closed it and held it away.

"Ah, ah, ah! First, I will need Thanatos here himself," said Vanity as he turned and made his way over to the desk. Ghidorah narrowed his eyes.

"Excuse me?"

"You see, he and I made a deal. In exchange for the relic responsible for my wealth, I want power beyond my wildest dreams from his 'king'. I find it rather rude that he is not here himself but sent his lapdogs," said Vanity. The Shadow's Hand narrowed their eyes in annoyance at this man.

"How can I trust you three with this relic to be delivered to him? I may not receive what I desire if it is lost. Come back with Thanatos and then you may have the Arum Dragon,” said Vanity. Ghidorah growled as he approached the man from behind. He grabbed him by the shoulder and threw him to the side. The Shadow's Hand jumped in surprise at the action. Vanity groaned as he lied on the ground. Ghidorah grabbed him by the neck and raised him up.

"You arrogant, pompous little worm! You dare to waste my time?" growled Ghidorah as he narrowed his eyes.

"You have something that I want, and I am not leaving without it. I don't care about whatever deal that you made with Thanatos!" shouted Ghidorah as he threw Vanity on the ground.

"I don't understand how anyone can lack manners for his guests. You're nothing but a spoiled brat that only desires more materials to satisfy a ravaging hunger," growled Ghidorah as he stomped on Vanity's back. He groaned in agony as his spine was damaged. Ghidorah growled as he raised his hand over the human's skull. He was a nuisance that needed to be eliminated. Just like all life forms that was remotely similar to a human being.






Eons Ago...


Mountains filled the land, tall and mighty as natural pillars. The land bore a yellow surface, where gas rose from the surface and into the atmosphere, creating a yellowish sky. The yellow sun above shined down on this alien world, where the climate is hot, and the sulfuric acid made up the lakes and oceans. Strange creatures of different shapes and sizes, yet bearing familiar traits to those on Earth, roamed through this world, where plants thrived as well, producing the gases that supported these creatures.

An alien beast bearing a reptilian appearance, standing on four legs and with an iguana-like stance, and a long-frilled neck and quills, began to scurry over towards the sulfuric acid lake. The creature dipped its small jaws inside and used its forked tongue to take in the liquid, consuming it. The creature's four yellow eyes blinked as it took in its life sustaining liquid. The creature gave small chirps as it submerged itself into the lake, while large reptilian-like beasts stomped about, on four legs. These creatures bore scales that ranged from grey, to being yellow patterns, matching the landscape around them.

From the area, the sound of heavy footsteps filled the air. The creatures in these rocky plains were startled out of their wits as they heard these distant booming footsteps. The sound of shrill monstrous roars filled the air in the distance, along with a low bellow. From the air, the sight of a massive beast standing to be over 300 feet tall stomped through the land, bearing grey leathery skin with red patterns. The beast stood upright with two long massive arms, and spiked shoulders. This alien Kaiju bore two single small eyes that glared at its opponent, roaring with its jaws wide open.

From the air descended a great dragon with golden scales, three heads and twin tails. Its gold scales reflected the sun's light and its great wyvern-like wings created gusts of wind. The beast landed on its two raptor-like feet, causing the ground to shake. The Kaiju roared as it displayed its wings and extended its three necks forward as a show of dominance. The ancient Ghidorah was enraged by this lower creature's insolence, disturbing its rest in its territory. The opposing Kaiju pounded its chest as it bellowed, where sparks of energy began to radiate from its fists. Ghidorah opened his mighty jaws and delivered beams of electric-like energy towards the Kaiju, scorching the ground around it, reducing it to glass. As the beams connected with the Kaiju, severe burns were left on its flesh, causing it to howl in agony as it fell over on the ground.

Ghidorah gave a cackle-like roar as he stomped on the ground. From the corner of his eyes, he caught sight of two other winged figures soaring through the air. They began to circle around the downed Kaiju like vultures. Ghidorah stomped over to the land walker as it attempted to stand, taking flight and then latching his feet onto the beast's shoulders before proceeding to carry him off. His great wings and greater size allowed him to be able to fully take off into the air with the Kaiju in tow. As he reached a satisfying height, Ghidorah released the Kaiju, allowing it to free fall miles down to the earth. The Kaiju soon impacted the ground, creating a plume of gas and debris to shoot up into the air.

Ghidorah gave a chattering roar as he descended onto the beast and proceeded to stomp on its head. Just then, the flying figures that had earlier arrived began to descend as well, giving their own roars.

These two new Kaiju were the same species as Ghidorah. However, they differed from him, aesthetically. One of them was a dark grey, with red patterns on its scales. On its head were not antlers like Ghidorah, but rather large horns that ran back. Its red eyes locked with Ghidorah as it hissed, exposing its forked tongues. The second dragon was tan in color, bearing tears in the membrane of its wings. The creature's eyes were a bright blue. This was one of the few females that resided in the area that was home to Ghidorah. She snarled at him at him as her left head eyed the dead Kaiju that was on the ground. Ghidorah raised himself up and extended his necks higher while spreading his wings, making himself appear larger than the two other members of his kind.

As he did his display of dominance, he shrieked at the two, causing the intruders to recoil in response, slightly backing away before deciding to fly away in search for safer food. Ghidorah turned his heads back to the dead Kaiju and proceeded to bite down on its flesh, tearing away at the meat. He might as well eat this intruder, considering how it now worked up an appetite for him during their fight. As he ate, the sound of humming filled his hearing.

Ghidorah raised his heads and found a distant grey saucer that spun in the sky, while the head section remained stationary. Ghidorah grunted in annoyance as he went back to eating. For the last hundred years, he had seen similar objects like the one above fly around in his territory. He simply chose to not bother with them, considering how they tend to go after the smaller creatures that Ghidorah would sometimes step on. He always wondered what these creatures were that spun in the sky, and how they would devour the smaller animals that walked the earth with him. They seemed to suck the small animals into the air until they were under them, and opened their strange mouths to eat them whole. Then, they seemed to disappear towards the dome of light, where odd grey mountains stood just miles outside of Ghidorah's territory.

In these mountains resided other odd small creatures that would let out annoying sounds as he would fly over these mountains. He remembered that his territory once had mountains and creatures like the ones elsewhere, but the mountains were quite delicate and would crumble just as he touched them. There would even be light of fire that would strike his scales, causing such an irritating sensation. The mountains were flattened along with the irritating little creatures that rode inside the shiny creatures and thus, came about his territory. This was just over two thousand years ago. Now other shiny mountains like the one that he destroyed to make his home were now covered in bright domes that stung once touched. The Kaiju ignored these odd things that merely rose at least the past couple thousand years ago. He continued to eat, just as the saucer beast soared through the air, headed for the distant dome.

As Ghidorah continued to feast, louder humming filled the air. He turned and found massive saucer beasts soaring through the air, glowing beneath their bellies with red lights. Ghidorah craned his head back and found these shiny beasts continue over towards the distant dome. Ghidorah could see that these saucer creatures were much larger than he was, and his kind were the largest Kaiju in the world. As they continued to fly as a fleet, loud humming came from them, along with beams of light and fire came from beneath their bellies. The beams of fire slammed into the dome, causing it to spark. Ghidorah clenched his eyes shut from the sudden brightness from the explosion of fire, which began to extend out and scorch the land. Ghidorah groaned as he hid his heads behind his wings, shielding him from the bright light. He lowered his wings and found that the dome was still standing along with the mountains inside of it. The giant saucer beasts remained stationary, as their attack seemed to have done no damage. Ghidorah groaned as he dragged the Kaiju carcass with him. It was best to leave these saucers to their business with the tiny creatures that resided in the shiny mountains.





Ghidorah was resting in a crater, where hot gas rose all around him, filling him with warmth. His breathing was calm as he continued to sleep the weeks away, He loved his warm crater, and fought with his life to keep other Kaiju from invading it. He opened his eyes as he heard humming; looking up he found more of the saucer beasts soaring over his home, much to his anger. They seemed to be shooting fire at each other, knocking the other out of the sky. Ghidorah snarled as one of the saucer beasts crashed into his crater. He launched his head at it, just as it gave off smoke. He chomped on the saucer beast, which bore no flavor and was merely metallic rather than organic.

Ghidorah raised himself up as explosions filled the air. He raised his heads and found hundreds of other metallic creatures on both the ground and in the air, firing bolts of fire at each other. Alongside them were the same tiny creatures that resided in the shiny mountains. They appeared to be carrying sticks that shot fire as well. It appeared that this was some sort of conflict between opposing colonies, like how colonial Kaiju that multiplied in large numbers had with other colonies.

Ghidorah roared in anger at these tiny creatures for not only disturbing his sleep, but intruding upon his territory. Ghidorah took flight into the air and began to rain down his gravity beams upon the creatures, which glassed the land along with the creatures that fought their war. As he did this, they turned their attention on him, using their bolts of fire against him. His rage grew as these insolent beings thought they could destroy him, the apex predator. Ghidorah continued to fire his gravity beams wildly through the air and ground, covering the skies with his electric-like energy and fire. He continued this until there was nothing left. All that was left behind was a land covered in glass.

Ghidorah roared to the heavens, displaying his supremacy. His eyes then widened as he caught sight of more of the massive saucer beasts, hovering high above in the sky. Bright lights came from them, which ranged from the dozens. From the saucers, many bolts of fire rained down, crashing upon the surface of the land and filling it with explosions. Animals that were unfortunate to be in their line of fire were obliterated from the explosions. Kaiju that were out and about were struck by these bolts, wailing in pain. Even the neighboring members of Ghidorah's kind were caught in the blasts. They proceeded to scurry away, seeking their own craters for shelter from the hellfire that fell from the sky.

Ghidorah grunted as he was struck as well, and the earth gave in at his feet. He screeched as he fell back into his crater and was buried by tons of dirt. He wondered what these creatures were doing. Their colonial wars seemed to be never ending and merely continued to cause his territory to suffer. He would fly up to these saucer beasts and destroy every single one of them, but the fire from them was much too painful. Ghidorah then began to tunnel himself deeper into his crater. He had no choice but to wait until the warring creatures finished their fight. Hopefully, it wouldn't take any much longer.

As he was miles underground, Ghidorah curled himself up into a fetal position, breathing softly as his hearing picked up the muffled explosions from above. He closed his eyes, waiting for the chaos to end. He then heard loud rumbling. His eyes shot open as he saw a metal object with a drill moving passed him, digging itself deeper into the ground. Ghidorah turned his head and watched as it fell through his burrow and continued to dig down, leaving his sight with high speed. Surely it came from the tiny creatures above. It seemed that Ghidorah wouldn't be able to have a peaceful rest if this chaos led underground into his burrow.

Suddenly, he felt the earth around him rumble. Ghidorah's eyes widened as he felt the world violently rumble all around. A loud deafening boom filled his hearing, and he felt himself rocked in a great motion. Ghidorah curled himself even more to shield himself from the intense heat that he felt in his burrow. He felt as if his burrow was moving through the air, but that was impossible. He was underground. As Ghidorah's hearing return, he noticed that the muffling explosions from the surface had stopped. In an instant, the sounds were no more. Ghidorah growled as he curled his necks him and snuggled in his moving burrow, feeling the motion rock him to sleep. Little did he know, he was trapped inside of a massive chunk of earth that drifted through the cold darkness of space, away from other chunks of earth and magma core that had once made up his world. On the side, a much larger saucer that had the width of 348 kilometers remained stationary, emitting bright lights as it watched the fallen world.

As the chunk of earth that Ghidorah resided in drifted in space, it continued to build up speed. Only time would tell where this Kaiju would end up in the great vacuum of space.

Time was lost to Ghidorah as he didn't know how long that he remained in his burrow. The rocking never stopped, and all it did was put him back to sleep with its cradle-like movement. This may have been the most peaceful rest that the Kaiju had ever experience in all the years that he had been alive. He had no need to leave his burrow, since he wanted to savor his peaceful rest for as long as possible. Though, he will have to emerge eventually. As Ghidorah continued to rest, he felt himself rocking even faster, along with the heat that was slowly building up. Ghidorah groaned as the pain reached him, making his burrow much uncomfortable to be in. Before he could even emerge out of it, he suddenly felt himself rocked with such momentum that he slammed his heads against the walls of his burrow, where he felt himself knocked unconscious. Outside of his burrow, the large chunk of earth that he was unknowingly inside had just crashed down onto a green and blue world, causing dust and debris to rise high into the sky, blotting out the sun.





Ghidorah came back to consciousness. His eyes were heavy and his heads ached. He groaned as he sorely raised himself, only to hit the roof of his burrow. He growled in frustration as he recalled how he was still inside his rocky prison. He decided that it was time to leave and used the claws on his wings to scrape away the dirt above, where he proceeded to dig out of his burrow. As Ghidorah continued to dig himself out, he finally managed to find daylight.

Ghidorah burst out of his resting place and gave a low roar as he stretched out his aching wings after all the time that he was cramped inside of his burrow. He took in his surrounds, but immediately realized that something was horribly wrong. Everything around him was completely alien. Ghidorah found green hills, brown mountains, and blue skies all around. There was no smell of sulfur in the air and there were no yellow gasses rising from a yellow surface. Everything was completely different.

Ghidorah searched around and found himself inside of a great crater, where remnants of yellow earth that he was familiar with was scattered around. Ghidorah looked up at the sky again and found the moon to be faded in the sky. This was what sealed his shock. There was only one white moon in the sky rather than the seven moons of different colors such as brown, grey, tan, and orange. He suddenly realized that he wasn’t in his world.

Ghidorah stomped out of the crater and looked down at the lush green land that was outside. His home was elsewhere. Ghidorah gave chattering roars to call for any members of his kind. As he listened, there was no response. He roared again, hoping to hear a response. Again, only his echoes filled the air. This settled it, he truly was in a strange new world, and he was alone. No other member of his kind was here. Ghidorah displayed his wings out as he roared to the sky, which echoed for miles. His sorrowful cries went unheard by any members of his kind, but with the smaller creatures that inhabited this world.

This was all the fault of the tiny creatures from his world. Whatever they did, and how they did it caused him to be alone. He tended to be alone, but it was merely to survive. That didn't mean that he wanted other members of his species to be gone as well, let alone his entire world. His world could have been gone for all he knew. The tiny creatures destroyed mountains with their fire and obliterated life wherever they fought. They marooned him to this world. Ghidorah roared angrily as he opened his jaws and began to scorch the land with his gravity beams.





From among a valley, bipedal beings with blue skin and grey eyes stood. They bore tendril-like hair and bore four fingers and toes on their hands and feet. These beings were screaming in terror at the sight of a great giant, bearing several eyes, massive jaws and razor sharp teeth prowling through the land on its four short legs, swaying its crocodile-like tail. The Kaiju roared as it pushed itself off of the ground while throwing its head back, almost in a push up like fashion.

The creature glared at Ghidorah with its eyes, while the golden dragon landed on the earth. Ghidorah snarled as he flared his wings and extended out his neck down at the kaiju, which was shorter compared to him. This world was filled with giants like him, but they obviously did not take kindly to his intrusion. The two charged towards each other, with Ghidorah leaping into the air while using his wings to boost him up. He avoided the jaws of this beast and slammed his feet upon its back, digging his claws into it. The kaiju was too large to carry, so Ghidorah was forced to fight directly. He bounded from the kaiju and spewed his gravity beams, scorching the monster's hide. The kaiju wailed in agony as its weak hide was ravaged.

Ghidorah continued his attack on his opponent, scorching the shining mountains that filled this valley, where the cries of the tiny creatures continued to come from. This world was much like his old one, bearing strange tiny creatures that dwelled in the mountains. However, they lacked domes that would prevent him from stepping on them. Now everything was crumbling to his very size. As Ghidorah finished his attack, he roared to the sky.

He went on to feed on this beast, but was interrupted as he felt a piercing irritation on his neck. Ghidorah turned his heads and found several beasts with long necks and bulbous bodies moving towards him as their heads sparked with energy. They hummed as they moved across the ground. Ghidorah suddenly felt a beam strike his muzzle, grazing up to one of his eyes on his left head. The head screeched in agony while Ghidorah turned his heads away. He was all too familiar with these creatures attacking him this way.

The kaiju roared as he began to scorch the ground with his beams, leaving a path of destruction. He grunted as he shook his heads as if to shake off the annoying feeling the beams had. As more beams continued to strike him from the further corner of these mountains, Ghidorah felt agitated. He knew of one way to end this nonsense. Ghidorah charged the mountains, causing then to tumble and crumble into rubble and dust. Every step had led to these creatures being squished like the pest that they were. However, Ghidorah turned and found a burning object headed right in his direction. Ghidorah turned his heads and watched as the object crashed at his feet. Suddenly, he was blinded by a great flash. His hearing went deaf and he felt a tremendous force all around himself. He blacked out on the spot, unaware of the chaos that had unfolded.

After what seemed like just a second, Ghidorah's eyes shot open. He raised himself, finding darkness over the land. His heads ached and fatigue plagued the kaiju. As he recovered, he noticed his surroundings. All of the mountains that were in the area were gone. He was currently standing in a crater that was glassed, while the mountains further out were flatten or simply falling apart. Ghidorah looked around in confusion, wondering how this had happened. He noticed that it was still day time, but the sun was bloated out by ash, fire and smoke. Not a sound was heard from the tiny beings that were here. Ghidorah felt it was correct to assume that everything was dead. He then heard humming from above, causing Ghidorah to turn and find a massive creature with a wide and long body high above in the sky. Ghidorah found this all too familiar as the creature launched objects of fire. As they landed, Ghidorah experienced the same flash again. Only this time, the heat and force was tripled.






Thousands of Years Later...


The land shook beneath Ghidorah's feet. He roared angrily as he opened his jaws and spewed his gravity beams, scorching the land and the shiny creatures that flew all around him like a swarm of insects. His scales absorbed the impact of the fire that came from these creatures, as a grand creature that was above in the sky, with a round silver body floated in the sky. It bore no eyes and merely stood in the air without wings, letting out a low hum as the sides of it glowed with a bright red light.

From all around the great creature, three other creatures with a different shape but with a hooked face began to split off from the larger one. They soared all around the land that Ghidorah was in, headed for the nearby ocean. Two remained over the ocean while one remained over the land as it burned through the crust of the land. Ghidorah roared as he prepared to attack these invading creatures but was bombarded by fire from the swarm of small creatures from all around. Suddenly, larger masses of fire stroked him in his sides, causing Ghidorah to stumble. A creature standing on four pointed legs with tiny creatures inside was launching burning energy at Ghidorah just a couple of miles away. They continued to fire at him, causing him to back away in pain. Ghidorah screeched as he ignored the pain and prepared a gravity beam attack.

Suddenly, he felt the ground shake beneath him. The hooked face creature that burned through the crust of the land had suddenly began to suck through the hole that it had made, causing burning hot magma to rise out of the crust. The magma splashed on Ghidorah's side, causing him to wail in agony from the molten rock. He quickly backed away as the creature continued to suck in the magma into itself. Ghidorah turned and found the other similar creatures sucking in water from the ocean.

His eyes widened as he saw more sphere creatures descending down with more hooked face creatures detaching from them. Ghidorah began to back away from the area as more energy bombarded him from the air and hills. As he took off into the air to fly away, the hooked face creatures descended over the ocean as well, sucking in the water while the rest took part in burning through the land to suck in magma.

This process had been going on for the past week for Ghidorah. He was noticing that the land had many quakes ever since they started drilling into the world and taking up the magma. The water was even becoming scarce as these creatures continued to drink all the water. It was then that Ghidorah had come to the terrible realization that his world was doomed just like own world from eons before and the worlds that he had lived prior.

Every time there were some mysterious looking creatures that came from the sky, they attacked him and ravaged the worlds that he was on, leading to its destruction and him ending up on another. It was the tiny creatures inside of these larger ones. They were to blame for all of this by making the larger ones devour everything and to glass the land until the world imploded in on itself. Now, it was going to happen again, and he knew that it was coming. By following his routine, Ghidorah burrowed himself deep beneath the ground, waiting for the inevitable demise of this world. He felt violent earthquakes in his burrow, causing himself to huddle himself close to his chest.





Again, Ghidorah found himself being rocked inside of his burrow. Judging by experience, the world that he was on was destroyed. Now, he was drifting in a void until he either starved or landed on some other world. He wondered how many worlds he visited and how many giants he fought to establish his dominance, but his thoughts turned dark when he calculated how many of the worlds he visited were destroyed. There were so many destroyed worlds that he wondered if there was any chance of him living peacefully in a new world without it being destroyed.

The little creatures were responsible for his misfortune. Whatever they were, and wherever they came from, they were all to blame. Somehow, they could control other large creatures that either caused their own demise or the demise of worlds themselves. Ghidorah had suddenly found himself slamming against the wall of his burrow, and returned to unconsciousness.

After an unknown amount of time, Ghidorah had once again awakened. He raised himself out of his comet, breaking out of the rock. He found himself in a world where the sky was darkened by the ash clouds above. The land around him was scorched, and the crater he was in was deep. Ghidorah felt a great amount of rage in his heart build as he looked around the destruction, recalling the worlds that he had seen destroyed. He gave an enraged cry as he took off into the air, spewing his gravity beams across the land, scorching what was left.

He suddenly came across a great creature with dark scales. It was reptilian, much like he was. It stood in a bipedal stance as it shakily raised itself from ash and fire, shaking off the debris. Its dorsal plates were jagged and its box shaped muzzle crinkled as it found Ghidorah staring at him. It let loose a screeching roar, challenging this beast that had mysteriously appeared. Ghidorah crinkled his muzzles as well, angered by the audacity that this alien had on challenging his own supremacy. He took off into the air and slammed his raptor-like feet against the monster's muzzle, forcing it onto its back as its dorsal plates illuminated a blue light. Ghidorah bit down on the creature's neck, sending volts of energy through its body with his bite. Things were going to change. This time, Ghidorah was going to remain on this planet until the day he died and he would destroy anything that threatened his reign. He would kill any tiny creature resembling the cursed invaders of all the worlds he had been to. Today, this world had a new king.






Present Day...


Ghidorah had panted as he stood over Vanity's body. He was beaten to a pulp, bleeding all over the ground. The Shadow's Hand members merely stood by in silence as they watched Ghidorah's fists drip with blood. Ghidorah took a deep breath before sighing in relief. He wiped his fists and snatched the Arum Dragon from Vanity's person.

"You should've just handed it over as you agreed you would," spat Ghidorah. He and the Shadow's Hand then fled the house, leaving Vanity for dead. They then escaped into an alley, where they passed through a vortex, reappearing in the temple of shadows. Sombra sat on his icy throne with a hard expression as the Avatar amulet remained around his neck. The power flowed through him, enhancing every fiber of his being by tenfold. Ghidorah tossed the Arum Dragon towards Sombra, who caught it with his telekinesis.

"Vanity posed an issue, so he had to be dealt with," said Ghidorah in a dry tone as he looked to Thanatos. Sombra bore a toothy grin as he looked upon the artifact, analyzing every curve of it. He especially eyed the beautiful emerald that was embedded into the dragon's chest.

"Excellent work. We now have almost everything we need. All that's left is the girl," said Sombra.

"Then I'll go out and bring her back," said Ghidorah as he began to walk away.

"No you fool! If they were able to easily find our lair with her before, they surely shall be able to again!" yelled Sombra in anger. Ghidorah narrowed his eyes in response.

"No. This time, we will wait until the time is right. We can't risk all that we have now. I will crush Celestia and all that she holds dear," said Sombra.

"Understood... Master," said Ghidorah with a sick stomach. Truly, sapient life forms such as humans were nothing but a cancer. Inevitably, they would destroy their own worlds or even set out to destroy other worlds along with their native species. He couldn't afford for them to go on, for they were a grand threat to nature. Soon, Ghidorah would regain his power from his previous life and an army of giants to stand against any sapient being on this planet or any invader from beyond the stars. This was his world, and he was its king. His alliance with the humans under Sombra was but temporary. He would not be damned to servitude to low sapiens, for he was a Kaiju, the gods of the natural world.






Manehattan.


Junior was standing beside Azusa and Rarity in silence. Rarity was sporting a long sleeved turtle neck sweater with a scarlet scarf around her neck. She sported a pair of black leggings and boots. Azusa was sporting here previous clothes, which were washed and cleaned. The three stared at a wall with a painting hanging on it, while other people of high class observed other paintings.

"This one speaks to me," said Rarity in fascination. Junior and Azusa merely glanced at her.

"What's it saying?" asked Azusa.

"It says... peace among nations," said Rarity. Junior and Azusa glanced at each other in confusion and looked at the painting, which was merely just a dot in the center.

"Really? I kinda feel like it represents loneliness or something," said Azusa.

"I'm only kidding darling," chuckled Rarity. Junior looked around and found the diverse paintings that were present for this event. He even saw sculptures in place.

"Aside from this excuse of art, there's a lot of neat stuff here. Wish I brought a camera for everything we've seen," said Junior. Azusa smiled as she found a painting of a basket full of kittens. Her heart fluttered at the cuteness of the painting.

"Same," said Azusa. As the three began to look around, Fancy Pants had arrived.

"Ah. Ms. Rarity. So good to see you all again," greeted Fancy Pants as he wiped his monocle.

"Good afternoon!" greeted Rarity.

"Hey, Fancy Pants," greeted Junior. Fancy Pants smiled at Junior's informal greeting. It was refreshing for him to hear lower class folks to speak so causally.

"Enjoying the event so far?" asked Fancy Pants.

"Oh, it is just divine! There is so much talent here!" said Rarity. As the two shared a conversation, Junior couldn't help but notice a painting that caught his eye. He made his way over to where the painting was, able to get a full view of it. What he saw was an ocean view, covered in fog. In the background of the painting, a silhouette of a beast rising from the depths was visible, with jagged spikes on its back. Junior immediately recognized this creature's appearance.

"Fascinating, isn't it?" asked a woman with a thick Neighponese accent. Junior nearly jumped out of his skin and turned to look to his side. He found an elderly woman standing beside him as she looked at the painting that he was looking at.

"Uh... Y-Yeah. It's great. That wouldn't happen to be the legendary Gojira?" asked Junior as he cleared his throat. He wondered where in the world this woman had come from. The woman nodded in response.

"Yes, this painting is by me. I've always been fascinated by the legends of Kaiju. I've depicted them in my work to share with the world of these great beasts," said the woman as she gestured to a couple of other paintings. There were depictions of dragon-like creatures towering over mountains and villages; standing as titans of their own environment. Junior recognized a dragon with an armadillo-like shell and spikes, crouching by a set of mountains. He also recognized a three-headed dragon covered in fire as it stood over a scorched land. Junior hardened his eyes at the familiar beast in the painting. He felt a tap on his shoulder, prompting Junior to turn and find Azusa standing beside him.

"Hey, Rarity's going to spend some time with that Fancy Pants guy. Would it be alright if we headed back without her?' asked Azusa. Junior looked back at Rarity, who was sharing a conversation with the high class man. Junior shrugged.

"I suppose it'll be alright. We're supposed to meet at a cafe later anyway, so why don't we head on down there?" suggested Junior. Azusa nodded with a smile. The two had later left the convention center and headed down the sidewalk. They walked passed crowds of people in this bustling city. Azusa looked around the city with a small smile as she found large billboards that advertised products and an upcoming musical, along with the tall buildings that touched the sky.

"I take it you're not a city girl," said Junior as he glanced at Azusa.

"Nah. I was born in a town out in the country area. Not really any buildings around the size as the ones here," said Azusa as she held her hands behind her back.

"Country towns for the win, am I right? Not as crowded and their air isn't as tainted with this industrialism crap," chuckled Junior. Azusa smiled in amusement.

"So, what are you? Some kind of hermit?" asked Azusa.

"Not really. But now that you mention it, that sounds like a nice retirement plan," said Junior with a yawn. Azusa merely placed on a forced smile at the response, though bearing a look of discomfort. Junior noticed this and raised a brow at her.

"Azusa?" called Junior.

"Say, do you... Just not like people?" asked Azusa. Junior bore a look of confusion.

"Where's this coming from all of the sudden?" asked Junior.

"W-Well it's just that... I'm curious," replied Azusa as she looked away.

"I wouldn't say that I don't like people in general. I kinda suffer from anti-social tendencies, which you can guess is due to me being a Transmutant," said Junior. The two walked across the street together until they came around a small neighborhood.

"I'm trying my best though to get over that though. But I do enjoy being alone from time to time. It just feels a bit more natural for me," said Junior. Azusa twiddled her thumbs together as she walked by Junior as she pondered her answer.

"What about your girlfriend?" asked Azusa.

"Well... She's an exception. I wouldn't mind if she were around me more often. I mean, she is special to me," said Junior as he lightly flushed in embarrassment. He gave a small chuckle.

"Ah. That sounds kinda corny from a guy huh?" asked Junior as he rubbed the side of his head. Azusa shook her head.

"Not at all! I think it's great!" said Azusa. She blushed in embarrassment as she realized that she may have sounded a little too eager for Junior's answer.

"I-I mean, sure it may be nice to have some time alone. But there's nothing wrong with having your loved ones with you. They're an important part of our lives, allowing us to get a better understanding of others and ourselves. They're there for you when you're at your lowest point," said Azusa as she stopped and leaned against a building wall. Junior looked at her curiously as she watched the young teen look up to the cloudy sky, her face flushing from the blood flowing to her cheeks against the cold. Junior made his way beside her and leaned against the wall with her.

"Yeah, you're right," said Junior with a nod. He smiled at the girl.

"You seem to be wise for someone younger than me," said Junior. Azusa smiled in flattery as she rubbed her head.

"Ah. Well, I kinda picked some stuff up from mom," said Azusa. She sighed as she leaned against Junior's shoulder. She cleared her throat.

"Um... D- Gojira?" called Azusa. Junior raised a brow at her.

"Hmm?" answered Junior.

"Do you think that...I'll be able to bring my family back together?" asked Azusa. Junior looked down in thought. He wasn't exactly sure what the situation was between Azusa's parents. If she never mentioned a divorce, there may be some other reason why the two were separated. Her father may have had his reasons for being gone; hopefully some that wouldn’t make the Transmutant beat the snot out of him for.

"You know, you just might be able to. Anything is possible," said Junior. Azusa bore a pleased smile at his answer. She suddenly gasped in alarm. Junior bore a worried expression in response.

"A-Azusa?" called Junior. He found the girl to be holding her arm tightly as she lightly shook.

"H-Hey, you alright?" asked Junior with a look of worry. Azusa cleared her throat as she recomposed herself.

"I... I think I'm going to leave now," said Azusa. Junior looked at her in confusion.

"What? Why?" asked Junior. Azusa wrapped Junior into a tight hug, much to his surprise. She held him tightly as she slightly began to tremble.

"I... I'm going to talk to my mother as you said. I'm going to find out what I can about my father. Thank you. But promise me something," said Azusa. She pulled away from Junior as she held a firm expression.

"No matter how dark times may get, always keep those you love close," said Azusa. She then began to run away down the street.

"Wait, Azusa!" called Junior. He took off after the girl as she ran across the street. Before Junior could chase after her, a team of horses pulling a large bus chariot got in his way, forcing Junior to stop. As the bus passed, Azusa was suddenly gone. Junior ran across the street and frantically began to look around for the girl.

"Azusa! Azusa, where are you?!" cried Junior. He then quickly turned to any person that was nearby.

"Excuse me! Did you see a Neighsian girl pass by here?! She has dark hair with a violet highlight!" said Junior. The man that he was asking bore a look of discomfort as this stranger suddenly confronted him.

"No, I'm sorry," said the man. Junior groaned in frustration as he went around asking citizens if they had seen the girl only to be met by negative answers. After a minute, Junior was panting from exhaustion as he looked for the girl. He sighed heavily as he stood by a street and realized that Azusa was gone. It was though she had mysteriously vanished into thin air. He knew that she was going to leave anyway, but nearly forgot about it and he hoped that she was safe and that she would get home unharmed. Junior sighed as he walked through Manehattan, making his way over to a cafe. As he entered, he found Rarity waving to him from a table. Junior made his way over to the table and took a seat across from her.

"Where's Azusa?" asked Rarity in confusion. Junior sighed as he held a look of disappointment.

"Ah. She said that she was going home. She just left," said Junior.

"Oh. I see. Well, I hope things work out for her at home," said Rarity, noticing her friend's dejection. As Junior remained silent, Rarity softly smiled at him.

"You've grown fond of her, haven't you?" asked Rarity.

"Well... I don't know. I kinda found myself relating to the kid a bit. Plus, I wish she would have let us say goodbye to her before she left," said Junior. “She just suddenly took off. It’s got me worried.”

"Well, I wouldn’t be too worried. If she’s going home, then she should be fine," said Rarity with a reassuring smile. Junior nodded.

"Maybe,” said Junior with a worried look.






Ponyville...


It was noon over the town. The Sirens walked alongside five of the Main Six and the three of the Transmutant Four. Erika, Spike and Sunset were present as well, walking beside Twilight. The group continued through town during this cold weather.

"So, where are we going again?" asked Aria with a raised brow.

"We're going to this new spot that has some great food! Rodan and I had gone last time, and it was awesome!" said Rainbow Dash as she held her hands behind her head. Sonata smiled brightly.

"Some food sounds good. Do you think they have tacos?" asked Sonata. Adagio sighed in annoyance.

"I hope they do, because I'm getting tired of you asking for some," said Adagio. Sonata shrugged.

"What? I've always wanted to try them again since we came here! They're really good! Along with the rest of the food that I've tried so far," said Sonata with her mouth salivating a bit.

"Oh yeah, I think they serve tacos there too. We're almost there," said Rodan as he and Rainbow led the group down town. Eventually, they came across a large establishment that was called, 'Surfin' Jack's'. Mosura hummed to herself as she read the name.

"Sounds exciting," said Mosura. As the gang entered, they spent the next several minutes waiting to get a seat. Everyone sat on chairs, waiting to be seated at a table in the restaurant. Sonata moaned as she leaned against Aria, who bore a look of annoyance.

"So... Hungry... Must eat," said Sonata with a moan. Aria sighed in exasperation as she pushed Sonata off herself.

"Shut up, Sonata. We're waiting," said Aria. Erika looked to Rodan with a raised brow.

"How long did it take you guys to get in?" asked Erika.

"About thirty minutes," answered Rodan. Sonata moaned in disappointment while Aria's brow twitched in annoyance.

"OK, screw this! I'm leaving!" said Aria. Adagio grabbed her by the arm and sat her back down.

"Now hold on! We're being treated. Don't be rude," hissed Adagio in a whisper. Aria growled in response as she sat back while crossing her arms with a scowl on her face.

"Isn't that a little too long though?" asked Twilight.

"A little, but it's worth it! Besides, there aren’t that many people here today like there were before. We should be getting a table any minute now," said Rainbow as she looked at her watch. Just then, a woman came by with a name tag over her right breast of her shirt.

"Thank you all for waiting. We have tables available for you all," said the woman. Rainbow smirked as she looked at Twilight.

"See?" The group soon found themselves at an area where a couple of tables were put together, along with over a dozen chairs. As they took their seats, the waitress left to allow them to decide what to order.

"Come on tacos. Where are you?" Sonata read through the menu with an intense stare. Applejack leaned over to her side and pointed to a section on the next page. Sonata grinned in response. As everyone looked through their menu, Twilight sighed.

"What's with that frowny face?" asked Pinkie as she looked to Twilight in curiosity.

"Ah. Nothing," said Twilight as she looked through her menu.

"She just misses Gojira. Like, to the point that she's looking to buy a train ticket to Manehattan," said Spike. Twilight immediately cupped her hand over Spike's mouth as she laughed in embarrassment.

"Hahaha! Very funny, Spike," said Twilight as she held a hand in her skirt's pocket. Here, she crushed a ticket that was present inside, while using her magic to make it disappear.

"They should be coming home tomorrow, Twi. They'll be back before you know it," said Applejack as she mentally marked down what she wanted to order. Erika merely stared at the menu, looking for something to order.

"I can't decide what to get. Hey Sunset, what are you..." Erika's voice trailed off as she found Sunset staring blankly at the wall, with a slight trembling lip. Erika shook her shoulder, causing Sunset to snap out of her dazed state.

"Huh? Wha?" Sunset looked at her with a slight startled expression.

"I was asking what you were going to order," said Erika with a raised brow. Sunset cleared her throat as she quickly looked through the menu.

"Oh uh... Let's see..." Sunset began to read through the menu, while Erika bore a small look of concern. Rodan's ears perked as he heard a tune playing in the restaurant. He turned and found a jukebox playing a catchy song about a bird, making him bob his head as a waitress came to their table.

"Can I start you all on something to drink?" asked the waitress.
> Chapter 67: Violet
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was December. Hearth's Warming was here in Ponyville. Most people were out and about for last minute holiday shopping while a couple of certain Sirens and Transmutants were present inside of an arcade. Aria and Sonata looked around the area in curiosity while Junior stood beside Rodan and Rainbow Dash as he looked through his watch.

"Hey, how long are we going to hang here? I should get to the store soon so I can buy some gifts," said Junior.

"You should've done that sooner, dude," said Rodan with a deadpan stare as Rainbow began to show the Sirens to the arcade consoles.

"Yeah, but if you wait till the last minute, you can get some pretty good deals," said Junior. Rodan shrugged.

"OK, fair point. We'll be here for like an hour or so. If you need to get going sooner then go ahead," said Rodan. Junior nodded as he and Rodan followed the girls deeper into the arcade.

"This looks interesting," said Aria with a smile as she looked at the screen of the console, which displayed characters that look as though they were photographed with all their movements and edited together to make them appear as they were moving in real time. Sonata bore a look of reluctance.

"Eh I don't know. It seems really bloody," said Sonata with a gag as she watched a blue ninja rip the head of another character from his body along with his spine.

"I know," chuckled Aria as she looked at the console and read through the directions that were present on how to play the game.

"Damn, when did video games get this violent?" asked Junior as he scratched his head in surprise.

"I don't know, but it's hardcore!" said Rodan. He took a bit and slid it in the slot and pressed the start button.

"OK Aria, you just need to move that joystick around to select your character. When the cursor is highlighting the character you want, you press the punch button to select him or her," said Rodan as he pointed to the screen. Aria hummed to herself as she analyzed all the characters that were present. She chose the blue ninja, instantly being attached to the character once she had seen him pull a finishing move.

As the game began, Aria proceeded to move the character. She hit the punch button, but the attack was blocked by a blonde woman with a short tank top and green leggings. As Aria continued to hit buttons, the character blocked and dodged each attack. The opponent sent an uppercut towards Aria's character, causing a third of his health to go down. Aria grunted in annoyance as she hunched over the console while staring intensely at the screen. She gasped as her character was defeated.

"It's alright, first time's always tough. But you still got one more round left to beat her. Give it all you got!" said Rainbow. Aria furrowed her brows as she made her character send a couple punches towards her opponent. She then ducked under a kick from the woman and then sent an uppercut. As she prepared to attack again, the woman got back up and sent some kind of energy towards her from her fists. Aria's eyes widened in response as her character was harmed and staggered back. The woman came back strong, sending multiple kicks and then swept the leg of Aria's character.

"Are you kidding?!" said Aria in frustration. With that, Aria was defeated again. She growled in annoyance.

"Tough break," said Junior as he crossed his arms.

"Wait, let me go again! I can beat it this time!" said Aria as she jiggled the joystick around. Rodan shrugged as he popped another bit inside, allowing Aria to start again. As she fought her opponent, she found herself being beaten almost effortlessly.

"Damn it! Are you serious?!" yelled Aria in frustration. The group flinched in response as Aria grumbled while trying to fight back.

"Come on you bitch! I'm gonna- What the fuck?!" shouted Aria, drawing the attention of multiple people in the arcade, even children.

"Ah crap," said Junior with a grimace while people looked at them in disapproval.

"Alright round 2! Yeah, you're gonna get it, you piece of shit!" said Aria as she began to mash buttons.

"Yeah! Yeah! You like that?! I got more for ya!" said Aria as she beaten her opponent for the second round.

"Aria. Aria, calm down," said Rainbow with an uneasy chuckle.

"Nah I got this! Yeah, come on you- What?! That's- Ergh! Fuck off you maggot!!" screamed Aria in frustration as her character was knocked back effortlessly. Junior leaned over to Rodan with a grimace.

"Hey, I'm just gonna go now to the store. See you guys later," said Junior as he began to walk away. However, Rodan grabbed his arm and sent him a pleading expression.

"Take me with you," whispered Rodan. Junior pulled his arm away.

"Nope, you're on your own," said Junior as he briskly walked out of the arcade while Aria raged on the arcade console.





Onyx was sitting in his office with a neutral expression. He remained seated staring out his window, finding the snow to be covering the land around the Alpha base. His eyes stared off to the distance as snow fell to the ground. It was the holiday season, meaning that the troops would be enjoying a bit of R& R for the day assuming that Transmutants didn’t stir trouble. Fortunately, he wouldn't have to worry about that, knowing that Sombra and Thanatos had them under wraps in the far north. He leaned in his seat as he looked at a picture of himself when he was just a boy, with a woman that held an arm around him. He took the picture and stared at the photo. He sighed as he placed it down on the desk.

"It's been so many years since then. So many years since she's been gone," said Onyx as he stared back out the window. He reached into his desk and found a black crystal that had the text, 'Hail to The Crystal Empire'. At the end of the crystal was a chain necklace. This was something he had received many years ago, something that he and others who were loyal to the Shadow's Hand bore.






Many Years Ago...


The sky was dark above. A solemn atmosphere was present as Onyx, as a young boy, stood over a tombstone. There, he read the name of his mother and the date of her birth and death. Onyx lowered his head, lamenting how he lost his mother to a carriage accident. They had said that she went over a hill's cliff when a horse was spooked by something, resulting in her tumbling down the cliff with the carriage. He was an only child, with no father, and only grandparents to look after him. As Onyx mourned his mother, a figure stepped beside him. Onyx turned, finding a figure in a black cloak. This ominous figure looked like Death himself, roaming the grave yard that bore the remains of the souls that he had harvested. Onyx felt as though this creature had come to take him as well.

"Who do you mourn?" asked the figure in a slightly rasped voice. Onyx nearly jumped as the figure spoke to him.

"My... My mother. She died in an accident," answered Onyx in a small tone.

"I see. Unfortunate, dear boy. These things tend to happen," said the figure as he stared at the grave. Onyx deeply frowned as his sniffled.

"But why do they have to happen? Why do people have to die?" asked Onyx.

"One of life's greatest mysteries. The world can be so cruel when it takes those we love away. Some try to play it off as just a natural occurrence that comes with life. They try to find a bright side to it by merely stating that without death, new life can't fully appreciate the world if it is to be overcrowded. But really, death is a cruel tool to have us be submissive," said the figure as he crossed his arms. He glanced at the boy, allowing him to see his wrinkled face and red-orange eyes.

"But it doesn't have to be that way," said the figure. The boy wiped his eyes as he looked at the man in confusion.

"What do you mean?" asked Onyx.

"I am searching for the key to eternal life, my dear boy. The key to living forever, where you never grow old, weak and frail, but where you can live as a strong, young individual. This can stop death itself from reaching us with its cold embrace," said the figure as he held up a hand, producing an aura of dark magic, startling the child.

"Can... Can that really happen?" asked Onyx. The figure nodded with a small smile.

"Yes. There is also the key to restoring the dead," said the figure. Onyx's eyes widened in shock.

"Think about it. The power to return those who have passed on here, restored as if they were never gone. Resurrection and eternal life. Both can be obtained!" said the hooded figure. He then knelt beside the child.

"I would like you to take part in my search," said the figure. Onyx's eyes widened in response.

"What?" asked Onyx.

"Yes. You see, I'm searching for those with great potential in magic to assist me on my quest. I already have some helping, both young and old. I would like you to take part in this grand mission, for I have seen potential in you," said the figure with a smile. He pulled out a sheet of paper out and handed it to Onyx, whose eyes widened.

"These are my grades from magic school," said Onyx.

"I'm impressed, child. You have potential to be a strong wielder at magic and I can help you grow stronger, much like my master has done for me. And together, we can choose when we wish to die and bring back those we hold dear. Perhaps, you already have someone in mind," said the figure as he glanced at the tombstone. Onyx looked back at it as well, and then looked at his grades. He closed his eyes as he thought of his decision. He then opened them, bearing hard eyes.

"What do I call you, teacher?" asked Onyx. The figure smiled from beneath his hood.

"Call me, Master Thanatos," said the figure.






Present Day...


Onyx stared at the black crystal in his hand, staring at it. He closed his eyes as he recalled the times that he met with Thanatos to train during his youth. He learned the arts of dark magic, which Thanatos had learned from King Sombra over a thousand years ago. He had grown strong over the years, but not as strong as his teacher. However, he had taken a career in military affairs. When MONARCH was formed, he eventually worked his way up the ranks, as both a soldier and a strategist thanks to his combat experience earned from following Thanatos and the Shadow's Hand. With this knowledge, he was able to take them and bring them about in a modern way, which MONARCH used to its advantage to supplement its advanced technology. Now, the time for resurrection of the dead was near. Once they opened the portals to the spirit realms, Onyx may possibly be able to bring back his family. All he needed to do was play his part long enough till MONARCH was no longer of use to the Shadow's Hand. Onyx placed the crystal down and looked back outside of the window with a small smile.





It was evening. The Transmutant Four, the Main Six, Sirens, Erika, Sunset and Spike were all present in the lair of the Transmutants, where the main house was. Hearth's Warming decorations were present all around, much nicer compared to the broken lights that the Transmutants had to use the previous year. Junior was sitting beside Twilight as she leaned against him with a cup of punch in her hand. Rodan was conversing with the girls about one of the many adventures that he and the other Transmutants had been on the previous year. Fluttershy huddled next to Angirasu as she bore a look of fear as she listened, while Rainbow bore a look of awe.

"So, this huge sea dragon with flippers and a rocky looking body came out of the ocean, roaring at us with his sharp teeth bared at us!" said Rodan.

"The sirens had drawn the people away from the beach, leaving us to fight the beast in our beast forms! I flew towards the dragon and pecked his eye out!" said Rodan. Rarity gagged while some of the girls bore unnerved expressions.

"Yeesh. Isn't that a bit much?" asked Applejack.

"It's not like I ate it. Besides, he was huge, so we had to make him struggle to fight," said Rodan.

"So, what happened next?" asked Spike as he sat by with a look of interest. Twilight cupped her hands over his ears with a disapproving look shot towards Rodan.

"He's too young to be listening these kinds of stories!" said Twilight. Spike grumbled in annoyance as he crossed his arms while blowing a puff of smoke.

"OK, I'll tone it down to PG audiences. So, we tried to attack him from all around, but his scales were too tough. He was spitting boiling hot water at us as he grew more annoyed! He swung his tail, knocking Mosura from the sky! She was down for the count!" said Rodan as he made dramatic movements. Most of the girls gasped as they heard the story. Mosura bore a look of confusion.

"It's not like I died," said Mosura.

"Shhh! No spoilers!" said Pinkie. Mosura looked at her in confusion while Rodan continued with the story.

"We were throwing everything that we had at him. But then, the dragon ate Gojira whole!" said Rodan. Everyone, excluding the Sirens and Transmutants, gasped in response.

"Yeah, it gets worse," said Junior as he sipped his punch.

"What happened next?" asked Erika.

“Right when Aang is about to take the dragon head on, the dragon starts crying in pain, thrashing in the sand! Then, a blue stream of flames bursts through him!" said Rodan. Gasps erupted from those who were not present on that night.

"It was a stream of concentrated radiation," deadpanned Junior. Twilight bore a look of annoyance as she held her hands over Spike's ears, who remained in a sour mood.

"And out from the dragon's body came Gojira! Soaked in his guts," said Rodan.

"Eew!" the girls all gave sounds of disgust as they looked at Junior with a cringe.

"Hey, think how it was for me to be covered in it while getting some in my mouth. Besides, it was either him or me," said Junior as he crossed his arms. The girls gagged.

"That was the most intense thing that I've ever seen in my life," said Aria as she recalled the night.

"Then what happened?" asked Rainbow Dash.

"Oh. Umm that was when MONARCH showed up the next night," said Rodan. Erika coughed as Sunset bore a small look of discomfort.

"Next, we end up getting into a fight with the Revolutionaries, leading to us all being separated and for Goji to be a one man rescue squad that broke us out of the Vault!" said Rodan.

"Wow. That all sounds intense," said Rainbow.

"Indeed. Everything just seemed so hopeless from what we heard," said Rarity.

"We get by," said Junior with a shrug as he drank his punch. He glanced to the side and found Sunset staring off into space again. As he was distracted, he felt his sleeve being tugged at. Junior looked down and found Spike tugging on his sleeve.

"Hey, what was Mexicolt like? I heard that's where you guys went afterwards," said Spike.

"It was hot and there were a lot of mosquitoes where we were at," deadpanned Junior with a shudder.

Meanwhile, Sunset stood up and made her way over to the bathroom. As she was inside, she slightly stumbled against the wall as her head pounded, causing Sunset to grunt as she clutched her head. Before her, she saw a dark amulet with a red gem in the center, just sitting on the sink. Curious, Sunset reached for it, but it suddenly vanished into thin air, causing Sunset to recoil. She panted as her heart raced as she looked around, finding a statue of a golden dragon remaining perched on the counter. Its green gem in its gem glowed brightly. As Sunset shakily reached for this mysterious object, the dragon suddenly turned its head to face her as it snarled, causing Sunset to yelp and to stumble back, slamming against the wall. She dropped to the ground and moaned in pain as she rubbed the back of her head. As she looked back at the counter, the dragon was gone. She shakily stood up, just as a knock came at the door.

"Sunset, you alright?" called Mosura from the other side.

"Y-Yeah. Just uh... Just a spider in here," said Sunset with a forced laugh. She then heard a frightened gasp from behind the door.

"G-Get rid of it! Get it out!" cried Mosura as the sound of her footsteps fled from the bathroom door. Sunset bore a forced smile in response, but then looked down at the ground in response as she thought back to what she had saw. Lately, she's been having headaches, but now they've seemed to be getting worse and she was even hallucinating. Sunset sighed heavily as she left the bathroom.






Five Days Later...


Sunset found herself alone in a dark void. She nervously stepped through the darkness as she searched for any source of light. Sunset noticed a glint of light in her peripheral vision, where she turned and spotted the same amulet with the red gem. She cautiously stepped over to the amulet that hovered in the air like a phantom, wanting to touch the only source of light in the darkness. However, the amulet was suddenly engulfed in darkness, leaving Sunset in the dark again. She panted as her heart raced in her chest, causing her to frantically look around for light. She began to run through the dark void, with every step that she took began to echo.

The sound of ominous howling filled her ears, sending fear inside of the elf. She began to whimper as she thought she had seen shadowy figures racing through her sight, swarming around her. Sunset stopped and began to look around, finding the shadowy figures flickering in and out of existence as they stared at her with their red eyes. Sunset backed away fearfully, but then she stumbled and fell back. Sunset was on her rear, panting as she began to crawl back from the shadows that were in this void with her.

As she stood up and ran away, Sunset found a soft glimmer of green light, prompting her to sprint towards the light. The source was the golden dragon statue with the green gem in its chest. With it being the only source of light, Sunset lunged for the object, not wanting to be left alone in the darkness again. She fell to the ground with a grunt. Sunset slowly brought the object up to herself to see if it was in her hands. Much to her relief, it was. The emerald in the dragon's chest gave a soft glow of warmth towards Sunset. It was her lantern in the darkness, and she dared not let it go.

However, a shadowy figure stood over Sunset, causing her to shoot her head up. She gasped in fright as she found Sombra standing above her, with his form like a flaming shadow as he stared down at her with red and green eyes. Sunset closed her eyes tightly as she prepared for the shadow elf to grab her and drag her back to his lair, but she instead felt her only source of light taken away.

"Mine," hissed Sombra with a dark chuckle as he took hid the light within his shadowy form, much to Sunset's horror.

"No! No, bring it back!" cried Sunset as Sombra fled from her sight. She heard a demonic chuckle from behind, sending chills down Sunset's spine. She slowly turned around, only to find the demoness of her dreams, bearing a wide wicked smile.

"I'll be your light," said the demoness in a sinister tone. She lunged at Sunset as she gave a shrill shriek, while Sunset screamed in terror.

Sunset shot up, panting. Her eyes watered and her body was drenched in sweat. She trembled in place as her heart pounded in her chest. Sunset looked around, recognizing where she was. She was back in Twilight's library in the guest room. The scholar was kind enough to allow her to stay here with her for a while. Sunset wiped her eyes as she held her head against her knees. The dream was the most bizarre of all. Again, she had seen those mysterious objects. However, there was something about them that seemed to be of great importance. Even Sombra was involved in her dreams, who had taken the gems from her, leaving her in darkness. Then there was that creature that had haunted her.

"What were those things? They have to mean something," said Sunset as she held her head as her heart began to settle. She gave a heavy sigh. She had a feeling that the dream was more important than she would let on. She needed answers, and she needed them now. Sunset shot up out of bed and began to make her way into the main room of the library. There, she found a bunch of books stacked on shelves, waiting to be examined. Sunset hardened her eyes as she levitated a candle over to herself and set it aflame.





It was the next morning. Twilight stirred awake in her bed. She rose up and yawned, stretching her arms. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes as she got out of bed and made her way over to her dresser, where she began to comb her hair.

"Time to get up, Spike. We've got a busy day ahead of us," said Twilight. Spike stirred in his basket as he yawned, stretching his stubby limbs. The little drake lazily got out of his basket and fell on the ground with a moan.

"Five more minutes," said Spike with a muffle as his face was planted on the floor.

"If you don't move around Spike, you'll just stay tired," said Twilight as she finished combing her hair. Spike sighed in disappointment as he began to walk down the steps and made his way down stairs, allowing Twilight to get dressed. As she had finished placing her clothes on, Twilight made her way downstairs, only for her eyes to widen at what she saw. In the center of the library, Sunset was sitting on the ground as she looked through the books of the library, levitating them all around herself as she quickly read through them. Sunset was still in her pajamas, and her hair was a mess.

"What the- Spike, what's going on?" asked Twilight.

"How the hay should I know? I tried calling her but she's not answering. Reminds me of those times where you studied for something," said Spike as he glanced at Twilight.

"Except I took my time to read the books." Twilight made her way over to Sunset's side and tapped her shoulder. Sunset gasped as she bore a startled look, resulting in her to drop the books to the ground.

"Sunset, what in Equestria are you doing?" asked Twilight. Sunset gave a heavy sigh, obviously exhausted.

"Sorry. I woke up too early and I couldn't go back to sleep. I thought I'd try looking for something in one of these books since I was up," said Sunset as she rubbed her eyes. Twilight looked at her curiously.

"What were you looking for?" asked Twilight.

"Well... I don't know. I'm not even sure if it exists. You see, last night I had a dream of some kind of amulet. Here, it looked something like this," said Sunset as she quickly levitated a note pad to herself and a pencil, and proceeded to do a quick sketch. After a minute, Sunset showed the sketch to Twilight, who analyzed it carefully.

"Wait, you said you saw this in your dream?" asked Twilight. Sunset nodded in response.

"Yeah. There was also this other object similar, but it was a miniature statue of a dragon with a green gem embedded into it," said Sunset.

"Sunset, this thing in your dream. It looks like the Avatar Amulet!" said Twilight with wide eyes. Sunset looked at her in confusion.

"The what?" asked Sunset. Twilight quickly made her way over to a shelf and began to scan through the spines, looking at their titles. She then pulled out the desired book and turned to the desired page. She then showed the book to Sunset.

"The Avatar Amulet. Recently, an elf named Trixie came to Ponyville and used its power to try to take over the town. The power of this artifact corrupts the user as they continue to use it," said Twilight. Sunset looked at the page and her eyes widened at a depiction of the amulet, which indeed bore a striking resemblance to what she saw in her dream.

"Where is she and where is the amulet now? We gotta find them!" said Sunset in urgency.

"Trixie doesn't have it anymore. We managed to get her to give it up but the Revolutionaries and the elves that kidnapped you took it away," said Twilight. Sunset grunted in frustration.

"Damn it!" said Sunset. She sighed as she held her head, trying to remain calm.

"What about that golden dragon statue that I mentioned? Do you know anything about that?" asked Sunset.

"Well... No, not really. But we can try looking it up," said Twilight. Sunset sighed with a look of worry. Judging by how her dream went, she felt that it wouldn't have mattered on trying to search for the artifact if Sombra had gotten his hands on it. He already had the amulet, yet she couldn't help but feel that there was something very significant about them, besides the amulet granting a boost of power.

"Alright, that sounds good. Listen, I may have to take a rain check. I remembered that I had some errands that I wanted to run," said Sunset as she ran to the guest bedroom.

"Um... OK?" answered Twilight as Sunset emerged a few seconds later, fully dressed and in the process of combing her long crimson hair. She tossed the brush back inside of the room while Spike held out her jacket to her. She took it.

"Thanks, Spike," said Sunset as she ran out of the library, leaving Twilight and Spike alone. The two looked at each other in confusion.

"You think she'll be OK?" asked Spike.

"Yeah. Yeah, but let's keep an eye out for her just in case," said Twilight as she began to pick up the books that were scattered on the ground. She wondered how exactly Sunset knew about the amulet if she had no prior knowledge to it. It didn't make sense for a dream to be what had given her the knowledge of it, but she dismissed it as something that she was familiar with at one point but had forgotten about it. Regardless, she did wonder what she was going on about a golden dragon statue. It sounded like something that would be worth looking into.

Meanwhile, Sunset was walking down the snow-covered streets of Ponyville with a hard expression. She has been having these visions for days now, and it was starting to bug her to no end. It was as though they were prompting her to investigate what was going on. Sunset reached for her sides, feeling a holster that held two pistols. Sunset felt the need to get some answers, and she knew who to ask. Though it won't be easy tracking him, nor will it be safe. It would be wiser to bring back up, but she couldn't ask Junior to help her. This was a problem that she felt that she needed to do. She felt she had no right to ask for his help, despite him forgiving her for her past deeds.






Canterlot...


It has been a couple of hours. Sunset had recently disembarked from a train from Ponyville to Equestria's capital city. She was currently outside of the castle doors, where a couple of guards had stopped her.

"Wait! My name is Sunset Shimmer. I'm Princess Celestia's... former student. I wish to seek an audience with her," said Sunset. The guards glanced at each other, with the older one nodding to the other. One of the guards left and entered the castle. Sunset mentally sighed heavily for coming here, but it was the only lead that she had to be able to find someone who may know more about what she had seen in her dreams. The one who could answer her question wasn't the princess despite what she claimed to the guards. A few moments later, the guard had returned.

"You may enter. The princess shall meet with you in the throne room," said the guard.

"Thank you, sirs," said Sunset. She was escorted through the castle by one of the guards. Funny how she was coming back here after all that has happened. She felt uneasy that her stomach began to turn and her heart raced in her chest. As she was taken to the throne room, she was relieved to see that Celestia was not yet present.

"Please wait here. The princess shall be here shortly," said the guard as he left and closed the door. Sunset sighed as she remained alone in the throne room. She looked around, finding it to have hardly changed. Aside from the newly added stain glass windows depicting Nightmare Moon's and Discord's defeat by the Element Bearers, and the Canterlot wedding, nothing had changed. Sunset began to have nostalgic memories of the throne room, where she was summoned by the princess. The summoning was sometimes different compared to her being given an assignment. She remembered how Celestia called her to just have a conversation with her. Sunset softly smiled to herself as she saw herself standing before Celestia as she descended from her throne to meet with her. Such fond memories that she had long forgotten due to her bitterness. Sunset sighed as she held her arm and looked down solemnly. She then shook her head and furrowed her brows. Now was not the time to dwell on ancient history. She wasn't here to meet her former mentor.

Sunset quickly made her way to the doors of the throne room and peaked outside. She found that no guards were in the hall. Sunset made her way out of the throne room and navigated through these familiar halls, making her way to the statue garden of the castle. It was unlikely that who she was looking for was present here, but it was the only lead that she had. Sunset looked around the area, hoping to find her target. She then sighed.

"Discord! Discord, where are you?! Come out here!" called Sunset. She sighed in frustration as he was no one where in sight.

"Discord!" yelled Sunset. Suddenly, the spirit of chaos spawned in front of her with a white apron on and a chef's hat on. He bore a look of annoyance as he sliced and diced carrots and tossed them into a floating boiling pot.

"Yes, yes. What do you want? I'm in the middle of making lunch," said Discord, closing the pot. His eyes widened as he recognized Sunset and his face turned to interest.

"Oh! Rebecca Shoicet!" said Discord. Sunset looked at him in confusion.

"Who?" asked Sunset.

"Oops. Beg your pardon my dear. Just wanted to see how long the joke can be milked," said Discord as he banished his cooking items. "Now, what brings you here?"

"I need your help. Do you happen to know anything about the Avatar amulet or any item that may be similar?" asked Sunset. Discord hummed in thought as he tapped his chin.

"Meh. It's of no interest to me," said Discord. Sunset sighed.

"So, you don't know or are you just messing with me?" asked Sunset.

"No, I know about it. I just don't care for it," said Discord. Sunset sighed in annoyance.

"But I care about it! Just tell me everything you know about it," said Sunset. Discord groaned.

"Why? It's not like you can use it for yourself or you'll be corrupted by its power. Besides, you got enough power to even rival Celestia herself already," said Discord as he brought up a mirror and showed it to Sunset. She gasped in horror as she saw a reflection of her demonic form. She immediately threw the mirror away and sent Discord a glare.

"That's not why I want know about it! It was taken by those elves that kidnapped me and I keep having visions of it!" said Sunset. Discord rubbed his chin as he looked up in thought.

"Is that right?" asked Discord. He thought that maybe he could have a little fun with the dilemma that the elf was in. He has been bored since Celestia has been keeping a tight leash on him and his use of his powers.

"Yes! I need to know about it!" said Sunset. Discord sighed as he leaned back in the air.

"I don't really enjoy giving exposition on something that requires a lot of detail on weekends. So, I'll just help you find one of those elves, who I'm guessing may know a good amount about the subject to do it for me," said Discord with a yawn. Sunset scoffed in response.

"Wow. Aren't you a lot of help?" said Sunset in a sarcastic tone. Discord licked his lion claw and held it up to the air as he hummed to himself.

"I'm locating the amulet's magical source. When I find it, I will send you to where you can get your answers and maybe snatch it if you want. That's what I would do," said Discord. Sunset crossed her arms.

"How? I just read that the damn thing can only be taken off by the wearer. Besides, it'd be suicide just to go where it is if those elves have it!" said Sunset. Discord shrugged.

"Sounds like an exciting mission. After all, you were a soldier. I see your weapons bulging out of your jacket. You obviously came prepared. Unless you were planning those to use them on me," said Discord. Sunset narrowed her eyes in response. She drew her pistols out and pointed them at Discord, who merely held a deadpanned stare.

"You're coming with me then," said Sunset. Discord snorted as he gave a mocking laugh.

"Do you think you can hurt me with your puny weapons? I'm Discord! Go ahead and shoot me and see how it works out," said Discord. The two held a short staring contest. Sunset sighed in defeat as she lowered her guns.

"OK, you called my bluff. Damn, you really must be stronger than I thought if you didn't even flinch," said Sunset.

"Tell me, why not ask Gojira and Twilight to help you if you're so reluctant to go alone? Or even Celestia?" asked Discord. Sunset sighed heavily as she looked away.

"I... I can't ask them. I've wronged Gojira. He may say that he's forgiven me, but I have no right to ask him to risk his life for something that's my problem. Not to mention that Princess Celestia and I... I can't face her," said Sunset. Discord sighed in exasperation as he rolled his eyes.

"Whatever floats your boat, kid. But there's this thing called, 'talking'. You should try it and save the drama for your mama," said Discord. Sunset looked up back at Discord in surprise. It sounded as if the draconequus was actually giving her advice, despite how much he seems uninterested in directly helping her. Discord tossed a small device with a red button on it to Sunset, who caught it with a look of confusion.

"Here. If things get too hairy for you, just push the big red button and you'll be sent to Ponyville. Don't lose it, because I don't plan on checking on you," said Discord as he checked his claws for dirt. Sunset scowled in response. Discord looked at her in annoyance.

"Hey, you wanted to take this mission on alone. You made your bed, now you sleep in it," said Discord. He then slashed his claws against the air, making a tear in space where a familiar dark temple hall was present. Sunset sighed.

"Fair enough," said Sunset as she hopped in the portal. It then sealed itself shut, leaving Discord alone. As he stretched his limbs, he found Celestia walking towards him as she looked around the garden in confusion.

"Discord, you wouldn't happen to have seen Sunset Shimmer around the castle, have you? My guards informed me that she wanted to see me," said Celestia. Discord shrugged in response.

"I have no idea what you are talking about," said Discord. Celestia looked at him suspiciously.

"Discord, I hope you weren't posing as her for your own amusement," said Celestia. Discord smirked as he looked away.

"Maaaybe..." said Discord. Celestia sighed as she looked at Discord as she crossed her arms and shook his head in disapproval.

"Discord, I would appreciate it if you wouldn't use your chaos magic for stunts as this," said Celestia.

"Goodness gracious, woman! Can't a spirit of chaos have a little fun! You remind me of this buzz kill that I know! Always on my back on when and how I can use my powers!" said Discord as he crossed his arms with a pout. Celestia rolled her eyes in response.

"I know it's in your nature to use your powers, but discipline wouldn't hurt. Also, you need to work on your sensitivity skills," said Celestia with a light frown as she left. Discord watched as she went back inside of the castle, leaving him alone. Discord smirked as he lied back.

"Egad, Celestia. Whatever, if your precious former student survives, that little thought I gave her just might sprout. Maybe then you won't be such a constant downer," said Discord. He could see how much Celestia lamented over the tense relationship that they had due to previous events. Discord didn’t really care about their situation, but he was tired of seeing Celestia's depressed expression during an hour throughout the day. Maybe later, her lighten up mood will give Discord a bit more freedom. Not to mention that Sunset's quest may lead to more interesting things. He then noticed a small figure in the corner of the eye, finding Amber just perched on a statues head.

"You're really awful, you know that?" asked Amber. Discord smirked.

"Amber? Is that you?" asked Discord.

"Do you realize what you've done?" demanded Amber. Discord shrugged.

"Hey, it's going to happen either way. I just sped up the process so we can get it over. It’s like tearing off a  like a band aid," said Discord.

"Ugh! Of all of the things that you've- Agh!" groaned Amber in annoyance.

"Aww. What's wrong? You're going to tell daddy?" asked Discord.

"He already knows, you arrogant fiend! You're no better than Attar!" said Amber in disgust. Discord blew a raspberry as he gave a dismissive wave.

"At least I'm reformed," said Discord. Amber scoffed.

"Sometimes, it doesn't seem that way. Watch yourself, Discord, because if you aren't careful, you'll find yourself alone again. Try opening up to the humans," said Amber in a scolding tone. Discord rolled his eyes in response as Amber flew away.

"You always were an annoying brat," said Discord. He then gasped as his eyes widened.

"Oh no, my beef stew!" cried Discord, remembering his lunch that he was cooking.






Meanwhile in the Temple of Shadows


Sunset held out a pistol in her hand as she planted her back against the wall. She took small breaths, able to see them in the cold. Despite it being still winter back home, she was unable to cope with the freezing temperatures of this temple. Sunset began to navigate through the halls as she continued to search for either the amulet, or at least someone that she could demand answers from.

She gasped as she found a group of people approaching, causing Sunset to quickly take cover by a corner. As they passed by, Sunset peeked her head out to search for the coast to be clear. She wouldn't waste her time interrogating these elves for information. They may not even know enough. She needed was someone higher on the chain of command. Sunset continued on her navigation, searching everywhere. Her eyes widened as she spotted a hooded figure sitting alone in a room that bore nothing but a bed. Sunset hid by the corner, watching the figure. She was able to see the side of his face, recognizing him to be Thanatos.

'Perfect,' thought Sunset. She drew out her pistol and sneaked into the room, as Thanatos held his eyes closed as his head faced the wall. Sunset got behind Thanatos and cocked her pistol.

"Don't move," ordered Sunset. Thanatos slowly opened his eyes. He smirked.

"Sunset Shimmer. So, you've came back. Are you here to kill me?" asked Thanatos.

"Maybe. That depends on what you can tell me," said Sunset with a firm expression. Thanatos raised himself up, causing Sunset to flinch and back away.

"I told you not to move!" said Sunset. Thanatos turned to face her with a look of amusement.

"It is rude to not face someone that is speaking to you. Now, what do you want to know, my dear?" asked Thanatos. Sunset slightly trembled in place. She had seen the power of this elf, and she did not want to trifle with a dangerous force, but as long as she kept him at gun point, he wouldn’t do anything stupid. Still, his calm demeanor made her worry. Worse comes to worse, she can escape with the device Discord had given her.

"I want to know about the Avatar Amulet and a statue of a golden dragon with an emerald. I keep having visions of those things in my dreams and while I'm awake. What the hell are they and what do you plan to do with them?" demanded Sunset. Thanatos's eyes slightly widened in surprise. He then chuckled.

"Dreams, you say. Interesting. Very interesting indeed," said Thanatos.

"Start talking!" shouted Sunset.

"The Avatar Amulet and the Arum Dragon are ancient artifacts with great power. However, the artifacts themselves aren't necessarily the source of their power. Rather, it is the gems that are embedded in them," said Thanatos. Sunset looked at him in confusion.

"Gems? What's so significant about them?" asked Sunset.

"Eons ago, six gems were forged, with different aspects of power infused into them. They were known as The Gems of Genesis. These six gems are nearly impossible to find. However, two of them have ended up here on our world. The Avatar Element holds the Gem of Power, and the Arum Dragon holds the Gem of Matter," said Thanatos.

"I've never heard of them," said Sunset. Thanatos chuckled.

"Of course not. They have been lost and are almost unknown to modern civilization, but they are real. The Gem of Power grants the user the ability to enhance their magic or natural abilities while the Gem of Matter can restore matter, or changing it. Gas can be easily changed to liquid, liquid can be altered into solids. Wood can be changed into gold. Water can be turned into wine," said Thanatos. Sunset looked at him in disbelief.

"That's impossible," said Sunset. Thanatos chuckled.

"With the Genesis Gems, nothing is impossible," said Thanatos. Sunset glared at the old man.

"What are you going to do with these gems?" demanded Sunset.

"To awaken the spirits of the dead," said Thanatos. Sunset looked at him in confusion.

"What?"

"The Gems of Genesis are powerful items. A phenomenon occurs once every thousand years, where a dwarf star becomes violet. There have been many that have experience this changed, but only one is growing close enough for us. We planned on using your demonic power, our own dark magic, the power of the dwarf star and the Genesis Gems to open up the gate ways to the spirit worlds. Taratarus and Paradise," said Thanatos. "With them open, we can bring the spirits of the Kaiju to our world, making our allies stronger than ever."

"You people are crazier than I originally thought," said Sunset with a scoff.

"I'm not interested in your ghost stories. I've heard enough. Where are the artifacts?!" demanded Sunset. These gems sounded incredibly dangerous in the wrong hands. It was a good thing she came by, or else these lunatics would cause a great deal of trouble because of their cult's superstition.

"You deny what I say? Yet your very soul is tainted with the spiritual essence of a demon, a supernatural being. There are many things in this world that is far beyond the understanding of either of us, but some of us choose to seek to understand." Thanatos smirked as he immediately vanished from Sunset's sight, who gasped in alarm. She quickly turned around and found Thanatos behind her. She pulled the trigger of her pistol multiple times, but Thanatos had raised a magic shield, blocking the magic bolts from the gun. He then quickly brought down his shield and fired a bolt of non-lethal magic at Sunset, causing her to cry in pain as she dropped the ground, feeling a shocking sensation in her body that caused her motor skills to be weakened. Sunset panted as she reached for her pocket and pulled out the device given to her by Discord. Before she could push the button, Thanatos grabbed it with his magic.

"No!" cried Sunset. Thanatos analyzed the device, able to sense a great deal of magic radiating from it. He smirked.

"My, you must have a powerful ally on your side to come up with this. Unfortunately for you, we will have an army of powerful allies," said Thanatos with a dark laugh as he crushed the device with his magic. Sunset stared at the old man fearfully, regretting her foolishness to come here alone.




The sound of chanting filled the air. The chants that echoed ran across the Badlands. Jagged rocks stood up and trees rotted as they remained in the soil. A large group of members of the cult, 'The Shadow's Hand', had gathered around Sombra's shadowy figure. He turned his gaze up to the night sky, where he the stars illuminated the cosmos. With him was his loyal servant, Thanatos. The two stood by together as they watched the Shadow's Hand members force Sunset Shimmer down to the ground, bounded in black chains. Sombra smirked as he approached her and knelt beside her.

"It is good to see you again, my dear. We could never move on with our plan without your help," said Sombra as he held Sunset's chin up to meet his red eyes. Sunset glared at him and pulled away. Sombra rose to his feet and turned to find his loyalists chanting his name.

"Be silent! Tonight, we unlock the very power that will bring Equestria to its knees to serve the Crystal Empire!" declared Sombra. His followers gave cries of praise to their king, for he would bring glory upon the nation. They were raised in the ways of Dark Magic and in preparation for this day throughout the years. Now, they were going to accomplish what their ancestors yearned to see.

Sombra turned to the side and found his allies, The Transmutant Revolutionaries, standing out in the empty field. He nodded to Destoroyah, the largest and most grotesque of the group. The Transmutant leader nodded back to him and turned to face the dead field. Sombra held up the Avatar Amulet as well as the Aurum Dragon. The red and green gems glowed brightly as well as one particular star above the sky. The star gave off a violet glow, visible to the naked eye. Sombra's hands glowed with dark magic, which began to surge though the magical artifacts. They then burst into sparks, with only the gems remaining. Sombra levitated up the two gems above himself, while Thanatos waved his hands and summoned his dark magic. He placed a hand on Sunset's head and held it firmly. Sunset gasped as she felt a burning sensation in her soul. She grunted in pain as her eyes watered from the intense pain.

"Ahhh!" screamed Sunset as a black aura was emitted from her body and began to swirl up into the air and surround the gems that Sombra had enveloped in his dark magic. Soon, all the cult members fired off beams of Dark Magic towards the gems, which enveloped them and made them to glow brighter. Sombra darkly chuckled as a purple aura came from the corners of his eyes as the white of his eyes glowed green. As all of the dark and demonic power fused with the magical artifacts, Sombra fired a large beam of his own dark magic into the gems, causing them to give a high-pitched screech. The gems suddenly zipped through the air as bright lights.

The Shadow King watched as the gems soared up into the heavens, where they passed the moon itself. The gems traveled with such speed that it merely reached their target in merely thirty Earth seconds. The gems soared towards a violet dwarf star that gave off its beautiful glow that could be seen from nearby planets. As the gems descended onto the surface of the star, a bright flash emitted from the star. It suddenly burst into an explosion, sending out cosmic radiation in a large radius. Two great violet beams bounced back from the dwarf star, but they did not comprise of radiation. The beams sparked as they shot through the cosmos. One beam headed further away from the Earth, extending far throughout the galaxy. It then spiraled into a great vortex, where a bright warm light was emitted. From this vortex, came beast-like spirits that soared through the cosmos and headed towards the planet.

The remaining beam that shot from the destroyed star was headed back for Earth. The beam passed the moon and was seen by many on the Earth's surface, who watched the beam soar across the sky from their homes. The beam forced everyone in the Badlands to shield their eyes from the intense light of the beam, which crashed into a small nearby mountain. The beam scorched a large area at the base of the mountain, revealing massive gates behind the rocks. The gates themselves were like massive stone doors with the carvings of dragon-like serpents coiling wrapping themselves on the pillars that held the gates together. The pillars were jagged, and the stone serpents held their jaws wide open as their forked tongues tuck out. The stone doors of the gates bore chains that kept them from opening, but these very chains began to melt due to the beam that came from the star. The gates were destroyed by the beam, which continued to whiz through, towards a dark world that smelled of death and brimstone.

Meanwhile outside of the gates, Sombra chuckled darkly, which elevated into a full blown maniacal laugh. Sunset stared in horror as ominous moans filled her hearing from the gates. The sound made Sunset feel as though gravity had greatly increased from the fear that she felt as she stared into the darkness passed Tartarus's gates. It reminded her of her horrible nightmares. From the destroyed gates, two transparent beasts emerged, standing at a colossal size. One was that of a three-headed dragon with golden scales.

The creature snarled as it displayed its wings while it gave a cry. Beside the dragon was a demonic looking crustacean-like beast that stood on two powerful legs, with a long pincer tail, two great bat-like wings, a skull-like head with a mouth full of sharp teeth, and a horn upon its head. The beast's small yellow eyes glowed in the night as its form gave an ethereal appearance. The beast gave a screeching roar as it stepped forward, prompting everyone to back away. However, the creature's foot step did not cause the earth to tremble. It was as though it wasn't physically there. Thanatos smirked as he looked down at Sunset, who trembled as she was unable to take her eyes off the titans.

"What was it you said before? You weren't interested in ghost stories? Well, you better start, my dear. You're in one," said Thanatos with a dark chuckle. Sunset continued to stare at the massive spirits as they stared down upon the mortals below. She felt so weak and puny just by being under their gaze. Never had she felt so small in her entire life and she never expected for the supernatural to turn her world upside down.

Ghidorah stepped forward towards the golden three headed dragon with a hard stare. Destoroyah did the same to the kaiju that he recognized to be himself from a past life. The creatures looked down at their reincarnated selves. The dragon roared as it disappeared as sparks and zipped towards Ghidorah, who grunted in pain as he felt the energy course through his entire body. He groaned as he felt the spirit merge itself with his very soul. Destoroyah's past life disappeared into a violet mist, which began to enter his nostrils and mouth, filling his entire being. Destoroyah groaned in agony as he felt the spirit bonding its power with him.

Meanwhile, several more spirits of kaiju descended over to the badlands, flying towards the Transmutants that were reincarnated after them. One by one, they fused with their hosts, infusing their power into them and making them cry out in pain. Megaguirus groaned in agony as she dropped to her knees and clutched her shoulders. Battra held her by her shoulders, struggling to stand the pain himself. Sombra laughed maniacally as more spirits continued to descend from the stars, spreading across the land.

"Yes!! Huaahahaha!!" Sombra's laughter Sunset snapped out of her distracted state and found that the Shadow's Hand was completely distracted by the Transmutants absorbing the spirits of the kaiju. She took the opportunity to use her magic to teleport half a mile away from the area. She would have gone the full mile, but she felt her energy siphoned from Thanatos and Sombra when they took the Genesis gems. So, Sunset decided to make a break for it for the rest of the way. Meanwhile, Thanatos turned and noticed that Sunset was gone. He growled angrily as he looked around.

"Master! The girl has escaped!" said Thanatos. Sombra bore a look of indifference. He then looked to the sky as more spirits descended down to earth.

"Leave her be. We accomplished what we came here for. Besides, soon I will be able to take any bride that I wish when Equestria is down on its knees," said Sombra with a dark smile. The Revolutionaries that were experiencing the pain from the spirits bonding to them suddenly dropped to the ground as the spirits burst out of their bodies, soaring back to the sky. Battra panted in exhaustion as he watched the black moth soar above, along with the rest of the spirits. Meanwhile, Ghidorah's and Destoroyah's spirits nearly burst out of their bodies, but quickly retracted back inside of them. Ghidorah chuckled darkly as he sighed in relief.

"Looks like you wish to remain in the world of the living. Don't worry, for we are one," said Ghidorah as he rubbed his chest. Destoroyah panted as he felt his chest, feeling the spirit completely bonding with his soul, as if nothing was foreign. He chuckled darkly as his eyes slightly glowed yellow. Thanatos stood by Sombra as they both looked up to the sky.

"What of the Genesis Gems, master?" asked Thanatos.

"The cost of using them to open the gates to the spirit worlds was that they would be scattered to a random location. Right now, they may just be drifting passed the stars," said Sombra. He sighed as he turned and walked towards the Revolutionaries.

"A pity. But, we have received a grand gift as a result," said Sombra. He stood before Destoroyah as he raised himself up.

"You will need a few weeks for your souls to fully adjust to the power. However, I can accelerate the process with the power I have left from the Avatar Amulet for only two of you to demonstrate to the world of what's to come," said Sombra. Destoroyah looked down in thought. He was tempted to volunteer himself, but he wished to wait a bit longer until he can command an army of Kaiju with him.

"Sounds like an excellent idea. Rokmutul! Tyrantdactly!" called Destoroyah. From the crowd emerged two male Transmutants that stood at attention. Destoroyah pointed to them.

"You two shall act as the first wave against the humans. I want you both to show them the wrath of the Revolution," said Destoroyah. The two bowed in response.

"It will be done," said Rokmutul, a rounded muscle Transmutant.

"Revolution," said Tyrantdactly, a lanky Transmutant. Sombra raised his hands and shot beams of magic towards the two, causing them to groan in pain. Their bodies began to glow a bright red, lighting up the night.





It was early evening. Junior was standing just outside of Fluttershy's cottage as he looked up at the night sky in silence. Recently, Fluttershy had invited him and the other Transmutants over for dinner for the night. The other Element Bearers were unable to make it, unfortunately. Adagio made her way over to his side and stood by him.

"Hey, what's up? Dinner is ready," said Adagio. Junior gave a small sigh.

"Nothing. Just admiring the night," said Junior as he looked to the stars. He pointed towards the sky as he found a star that caught his eye.

"Hey, you see that star up there? The one that looks violet?" asked Junior. Adagio bore a look of curiosity and looked to where her friend was pointing.

"Oh yeah. That's something you don't see every day," said Adagio with a look of interest.

"Yeah. Twilight's dad mentioned that he was studying this violet dwarf stare. Apparently, it's some kind of unnatural occurrence," said Junior as he crossed his arms.

"Reminds me of old times," said Adagio. Junior chuckled.

"Old times? Adagio, you make it sound like we've gotten old," said Junior. Adagio gave a short laugh in response.

"I just mean back in Saddle Arabia. We hung out under the stars at night. It was nice," said Adagio. Junior smirked.

"But we hated each other then," said Junior. Adagio scoffed as she crossed her arms.

"Only because you were nosy," said Adagio.

"Only because you were suspicious," said Junior in a teasing tone. Adagio rolled her eyes in response.

"Yeah, yeah. Well, after that silly hate relationship we had," said Adagio. The two continued to look up at the starry night sky. Adagio bore a sad smile as she held her throat.

"This would be a great mood for a song, you know," said Adagio in disappointment. Junior sighed.

"I'm sorry. I wish there was something that I could do," said Junior as he lowered his head.

"Well, you kinda kept me strong. I admire how you can press through troubles like it's nothing," said Adagio as she held her hands in her pockets.

"That's nice of you to say," said Junior. Adagio sighed in exasperation as she pulled her hair, causing Junior to raise a brow at her in response.

"Agh! This is killing me! So, I'm just gonna come out and say it!" said Adagio with flushing cheeks. Junior looked at her in confusion at Adagio's sudden flustered state.

"What do you mean?" asked Junior.

"Gojira, I like you. Like, a lot. You're the kinda guy I wouldn't mind if he were to suddenly steal a kiss from me," said Adagio as she crossed her arms and looked away. Junior bore a look of surprise, confusion, and embarrassment.

"W-Wait, what?" asked Junior.

"You heard me. It's your own fault for acting so cool when we got to know each other better and how you sweet talked about my home in the ocean," said Adagio as she crossed her arms and a look of annoyance.

"Sweet ta- I didn't sweet talk anything! You asked me what I thought of the ocean and I just gave my thoughts about it! I didn't even know that you were a Siren until the day after!" said Junior. Adagio placed on a pout lip.

"Foo! Now you're yelling at the girl that confessed her feelings to you? You're so mean!" said Adagio in a fake tone of hurt. Junior rolled his eyes in response.

"Oh, give me a break. It came out of nowhere. Besides, I'm already in a relationship, remember?" asked Junior. Adagio shrugged with a sigh.

"Sadly, I do. Just thought I'd get it off my chest. I did miss you a lot, you know. I'm not one to easily fall for someone," said Adagio. She then smirked as she stepped close to Junior and ran a finger over his chest.

"Hey, if it doesn't work out with little Twilight, I'll be there to catch you on the rebound~." Adagio winked at Junior, who scowled in response. He cleared his throat as he removed Adagio's hand.

"I'm flattered. But please don't try to seduce me," said Junior. Adagio gave a short laugh in response.

"Come on. Fluttershy and Angirasu slaved away on dinner for us and they want us all to try it," said Adagio as she began to wander back to the cottage. As Junior was about to follow her, he suddenly caught sight of a bright light in his peripheral vision. He quickly turned and found the light soaring through the sky as a beam.

"What the hell?" asked Junior. Adagio turned and her eyes widened as she saw the beam of light.

"What is that?" asked Adagio. Junior suddenly felt a tense feeling inside of himself as he watched the beam travel higher into the sky.

"I don't know, but I have a bad feeling about it," said Junior. He suddenly saw a bright flash of light in the corner of his eye, prompting Junior to turn and find Amber flying towards him.

"Gojira!" cried Amber.

"Amber? What are you doing here? Do you know what the hell is going on here?" asked Junior. He suddenly noticed the beam of light headed for the violet star, crashing into it. A small flash of light came from the star, much to Junior's shock.

"What in the world-" Junior was interrupted as Amber landed on his shoulder.

"Gojira, it's time. The war has begun," said Amber. Junior's eyes widened.

"No. You don't mean..." Junior stared at the sky in shock as he found figures of light soaring over the land from the stars.

"Wait, what do you know about this? What war?" asked Adagio in confusion.

"Gojira, your soul is ready for the transformation, but you can only change once you have a great amount of natural energy absorbed into your body!" said Amber in urgency.

"Y-You mean like nuclear radiation?" asked Junior, attempting to keep his composure. Everything just seemed to be happening so fast that he began nearly panic.

"Yes, but that won't do! I've had a vision for the first attack in Manehattan, and you must be close. You must be in the Celestial Sea and absorb geothermal energy from the nearest source!" said Amber. Adagio looked back and forth to the Transmutant and fairy in confusion.

"Will someone please tell me what the hell is going on?!" demanded Adagio in annoyance.

"No time. Adagio, tell the others that I'm going to be in Manehattan. Something is about to happen," said Junior as he began to run.

"W-Wait! Where are you going?!" called Adagio. She then groaned in frustration as she began to run after the Transmutant, while Amber was left behind.

"Oh boy. Looks like I must be the one to explain things. This will be the final test of your friendship with them, Gojira. How will they see you at the end of what's to come?" asked Amber in worry as she flew into the cottage.
> Chapter 68: A Bite at the Big Apple Part 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was early morning. Junior's eyes furrowed as he swam through the ocean in his beast form while Adagio was right on his tail as he moved through the cold water. They had already been swimming for miles, only for them to take a short rest late in the night. Adagio panted as she swam after the Transmutant. Her top was all that she had brought on this journey, considering how her bottoms would be useless with a fish tail.

"Hey. Slow down. I'm exhausted," said Adagio as she began to slow down. Junior turned his head back and found the siren lagging behind. He sighed as he swam back to her and dove under her, allowing Adagio to grab onto his dorsal plates.

"I told you to stay at Fluttershy's cottage," said Junior as he returned on course with Adagio on his back.

"Because you still haven't told me what's going on," said Adagio. Junior sighed.

"OK. Adagio, you know I'm far from normal compared to other creatures in this world, right?" asked Junior.

"Well, I mean... Nothing is wrong with being different," said Adagio with a shrug.

"Except that I'm much more different than I realized. I've learned that I'm actually a human reincarnated from the spirit of an ancient creature known by Neighpon as a Kaiju," said Junior. Adagio looked at him in confusion.

"Wait. Huh?" Adagio tilted her head in response.

"In a previous life, I was a giant monster. So were Mosu and the others," said Junior. Adagio stuttered as she tried to think of a response.

"I uh... I... Alright, I'll take your word for it. I mean, you’re friends with talking bugs. Anything is possible, I guess," said Adagio in reluctance. She hopped that Junior didn't have a few screws loose in his head with this story.

"So, what are we doing out here?" asked Adagio.

"Amber said an attack is going to happen. The Revolutionaries have members that are a similar case as me. With them having the same power, you can bet that things will get ugly. I've seen these titans," said Junior. Adagio gulped nervously as she wondered what sort of things that the Transmutant claimed that he had witnessed.

"Right now, I'm looking for a geothermal vent on the ocean floor that's close enough to Manehattan to absorb the energy," said Junior.

"Wha-What happens after you do?" asked Adagio in reluctance. Junior merely furrowed his brows.

"We're about to find out for sure," said Junior as he picked up his speed.

"I can feel a hydro thermal vent's energy radiating some miles down here. We're almost there," said Junior.





Sunset was sluggishly walking through the vast wilderness that the Badlands had to offer. Her whole appearance was ragged as she traversed through the land. Her entire body suffered from exhaustion, due to her rarely stopping to rest lest she be captured again. Sunset mentally berated herself for doing something so stupid. She should have thought everything through before trying to confront Thanatos, but her stress and desire for answers had clouded her judgment, resulting in her current predicament. Or rather, she should have swallowed her guilt and simply asked for help. It wouldn't have hurt to ask Junior or even Celestia, but she just couldn't forgive herself for what she had done.

As Sunset walked, she stumbled and tripped over a stone, causing Sunset to drop to the ground. She panted in exhaustion as she lied on her belly, unable to get back onto her feet. She was completely vulnerable, hearing the howl of some creature. Sunset struggled to get back onto her feet, refusing to lie down and die. However, her body demanded that she rest. Sunset plopped back down onto the ground, feeling her eyes grow heavy.

"No. Stay... Stay awake," muttered Sunset as her vision darkened. The last thing that she saw was a silhouette of a winged figure headed down towards her. Then, Sunset blacked out.

Sunset's eyes suddenly shot wide open. She quickly shot up as she began to pant, grunting as she clutched her aching shoulder. Sunset looked around and found herself in a bedroom. She winced as she sluggishly got out of bed, finding herself covered in her pajamas. As her feet touched the wooden floor, Sunset had fully been able to recognize where she was. She was present inside of Twilight's home, the Golden Oaks Library. She heard muffled conversations just beyond the room, prompting Sunset to make her way to the doorway. She opened the door, with the voices growing more coherent.

"W-wait, what?!" Twilight exclaimed with a sound of disbelief. Sunset peeked through the door and found that Twilight and the rest of the element bearers, two of the sirens, and three of Junior’s Transmutants were in the library with Amber and a couple of other fairies.

"Gojira has left for Manehattan yesterday to prevent a coming attack. The Kaiju will rise again, bringing about a war that will determine the fate of the very world itself," said Amber. Rainbow rubbed her head as she groaned.

"Yeah, you already said that. But that's nuts. You're saying that there used to be giant monsters that lived a long time ago, and that our friends are their reincarnations?" asked Rainbow Dash in disbelief. Rarity nodded in agreement.

"Yes, I must admit. It's a lot to take in," said Rarity.

"I thought Kaiju were just a myth. At least, that's what I came to understand based on Gojira's familiarity with the legends," said Twilight. She shook her head.

"Not to mention that you're saying that the spirits of these creatures have come down to our world. Ghosts and spirits are fictitious, you can't expect us to believe that's what that light was last night," said Twilight. Sunset opened the door further, causing it to creak. This drew the attention of everyone else in the room.

"Sunset!" cried Erika as she made her way over to her friend's side. Sunset held her shoulder as she looked down at the ground.

"What she's saying is true, Twilight," said Sunset in a low tone. Twilight looked at her in confusion while Sunset came closer to the group.

"The Kaiju. Their spirits. They're all real. I've seen them. I even witnessed Tartarus's gates destroyed," said Sunset as she held a hand over her head. Everyone's eyes widened in shock.

"W-Wait, Tartarus's gates were destroyed?" asked Twilight. Sunset nodded.

"They were. I saw two giant spirits emerge from the darkness. A three-headed dragon and some kind of demon with a single horn," said Sunset. The Transmutants gave each other knowing looks.

"Ghidorah and Destoroyah," said Angirasu.

"Wait a minute, Sugarcube, you were there?!" exclaimed Applejack. Sunset nodded as she gritted her teeth.

"I was. In fact, it's my fault that this is all happening now. I tried confronting the elves that kidnapped me about the visions I kept seeing. The Avatar Amulet and something called the Arum Dragon. I was careless and so desperate for answers that I asked Discord to help me find them. They took the power from that... that monster that was inside of me! They used everything they had to open Tartarus's gates and brought those spirits here. It's all my fault," said Sunset as she trembled as her eyes watered. She thought she was protecting everybody by taking the task on alone, but instead she doomed the world.

"I'm so sorry! I should've talked to you about this! I was an idiot for doing this!" sobbed Sunset. Erika made her way over to Sunset and wrapped her into a comforting hug. The rest looked at her with frowns.

"Hey, don't be so hard on yourself. It's Discord's fault too since he was the one that thought it was a good idea to send you there," said Rainbow with a look of annoyance as she thought back to the Draconequus. Fluttershy looked down in disappointment at the thought of Discord's careless action. She would have to have a talk with him later.

"It was bound to happen eventually. Besides, Discord should know better than to do something so irresponsible. I've always hated that about him," said Amber. The rest looked at her in surprise.

"Wait, you have a history with Discord like the princesses do?" asked Pinkie in confusion.

"You can say that. We knew him longer than Celestia. It's a long story. Maybe we'll tell you about it some time," said Amber as she began to flutter to the side.

"As of now, the rest of the Guardians are unable to assist Gojira in this fight, for they are not yet ready to control their power," said Amber. Twilight shook her head as she raised herself up.

"If what you're saying is true, we can't stand around and let things go on. We should step in! We have the Elements of Harmony, the princesses, and Discord on our side. We can stop what's coming!" said Twilight as she rushed towards a glass box that displayed the Elements of Harmony. She lifted the glass covering and levitated the Elements of Harmony towards her friends, who began to clip them on.

"Wait! What are you doing?!" exclaimed Amber in alarm as the Main Six began to leave the library.

"We're going to do our part in saving the day! Duh!" said Rainbow Dash.

"You can't! It's futile!" cried Amber as she and the fairies fluttered after the girls, while the Transmutants, Sirens, Erika and Sunset ran after them. The girls merely ignored the fairy. Equestria was in grave danger and they couldn't remain idle as a disaster was on the horizon. They were going to do whatever it takes to save their home.






Manehattan. Miles away from land...


A cargo ship sailed through Equestrian waters, letting off smog from the ship. The crew members shivered in the freezing weather, where some remnants of snow remained on the city's streets and partially froze the water in the harbor. The crew hoped that Winter Wrap- Up would come soon so that they may be able to do their job without freezing their butts off.

The pilot of the ship looked up to the sky with a grimace as he found dark clouds being moved over the city by the Valkyrie weather team. It looked like that Manehattan was scheduled for some rain for the day. He sighed in annoyance, knowing that the temperature was cold enough that some of those rain drops just may freeze over into ice. He pulled out a speaker to the radio and held it close.

"We're nearing the docks. Have everything ready for delivery," said the captain as his radio crackled. Then, thunder roared above, causing him to look up through the window and to find rain beginning to pour down onto the earth and ocean. He sighed heavily as water drenched his windows. He suddenly felt the ship rock violently, causing him to yelp as he stumbled in the bridge. The crew gave panicked cries as the ship rocked with the water, while the sound of their ship being hit filled their ears. Some of the cargo that was on deck began to tumble off from the top, falling. Some fell overboard, while a few ended up falling on those unfortunate to be below the cargo.

The captain panted as he regained his footing as the rocking lessened, but his eyes widened as he saw what looked to be a great wave rising passed the ship. Breaching from the hump-like wave came what appeared to be massive sharp stones rising out as well. As he found himself staring at the wave, he heard a shrill screech above. He gasped as he looked around, searching for the source.

Meanwhile in the clouds, the weather team jumped at the shrill sounds. They looked around, frantic to find the mysterious source.

"What the heck was that?!" exclaimed a female Valkyrie as she looked around.

"I don't know," said another Valkyrie as she looked around. The distant shrill screech echoed in the air above the city, along with the sound of gusts of wind being made. It sounded like heavy flapping, which rattled the bones of the humans in the air. As they looked around, the clouds were breached by a yellowish-green tip that tore through the clouds as thunder roared. The humans turned to find the structure to be miles away above in the clouds, tearing through the sky. As a flash of lightning struck, a silhouette of a massive winged figure appeared briefly in the sky. The Valkyries felt fear struck into their hearts at the sight of this massive figure, appearing as a serpent-like beast with four wings. As the silhouette disappeared, one Valkyrie began to breathe in panic.

"W-We gotta get out of here!" cried a Valkyrie as she quickly flied away.

"Wait! We gotta tell-" the second Valkyrie was interrupted as a loud groan pierced their ears. Just above the clouds, a massive figure swooped down, descending towards where the fleeing Valkyrie was present. The Valkyries stared in horror as the monster slammed into their coworker and disappeared from their sight. That was when they could get a better look at the creature.

The creature had a long neck, with a crest on the head and beak with sharp teeth. Its snake-like eyes bore a yellow tinge, and its scales were a sickly yellowish-green color. It had four limbs, where membranes were attached, making up four wings for the creature. It bore four zygodactly feet with sharp dark claws. The creature was dragon-like, but bore a short tail and seemed incapable of standing upright based on its physical build, opting to remain on all fours on its belly like a common lizard. The creature gave a shrieking roar as it flew down towards the city, catching rain on its scales.



The sounds of the Kaiju reached the hearing of the citizens down below, finding the monster above the tallest buildings. They gave screams of terror as the giant monster slammed into the top of a tall building, knocking off the roof and a few floors down to the street. The creature shrieked as it flapped its wings and remained perched onto the roof, while the humans below in the streets screamed as they began to run. The city was filled with screams, now that this colossal beast had made itself comfortable on the roof of a building.

As the citizens ran for their lives, the docks were experiencing another disaster. Workers that were near the warehouses just at the docks gave panicked cries as a massive wave rose towards them. From waves emerged a reptilian beast, which gave a monstrous bellow as it reached the edge of the docks. The water that it picked up splashed onto the docks, washing away the humans that were present. The water flooded the docks and at least twenty blocks worth of the city. People were washed away in the great flooding, drowning from their inability to swim or being crushed by debris. Some had found refuge inside of nearby buildings, though water threatened to flood inside as well. From the rooftops and windows of taller nearby buildings, people watched in horror as the flood washed away everything that was nearby. Carriages with horses still attached to them sunk to the bottom while street lights sparked and floated like sticks in a river.

The reptilian beast that had caused this flooding fully emerged out of the water and climbed onto the flooded dock. It was grey in color with rough scales, much like a crocodile. The creature itself appeared as a crocodile itself, but it bore six legs, spikes all over its back, and six nail-like spikes that stuck out of the end of its crocodile-like tail. The creature's head was not crocodile-like. Rather, its snout was short and its head was wide, bearing an armored frill that ran back and flat against its head, protecting the nape of its neck. The creature's sharp teeth were exposed out of its mouth. On the creature's snout were three horns that were aligned, running from the tip of the snout to the midsection of it.



The creature roared as it stomped through the streets, splashing through the water along the way as its spiked tail slammed into warehouses, causing them to crumble from the force of the creature's sheer size. The crocodile-like Kaiju, Rokmutul, charged through the flooded streets, kicking up more water further away. At his size of over a hundred feet, he slammed into a nearby tall building, causing a massive hole to be made in the side. Humans that were present on the floors that had felt this destruction had either been killed on impact, or fell to their deaths down below. Rokmutul roared as he swung his tail repeatedly against the building, causing more damage to it. Citizens watched from a distance as Rokmutul slammed his tail at the base of the building one last time, causing it to tumble down to the ground, slamming against a taller building. The standing building had prevented the other from completely falling over, but those that were still inside felt the tremor.

The second Kaiju, Tyrantdactly, leaped off the building that he was perched on, flying all around. He was slightly smaller than Rokmutul, allowing him to navigate between buildings while in the air and on the ground. His wings grazed the buildings that he flew between, causing debris to rain down on those below. He landed on the ground with a heavy thump, knocking people off their feet from his landing. Tyrantdactly screeched as he pecked down at clustered carriages below, devouring them along with their horses and those that were still trapped in the traffic. He continued to peck at the ground and graze at the asphalt with his mighty beak and teeth. Sirens blared across Manehattan, alerting those far from the edge of the city near the docks. Fires sent smoke into the air as the sound of screams echoed out into the noon. The rain came down upon the city as the sky darkened from the storm clouds and the smoke. The horrors that the people of Manehattan were experiencing had just begun.





Junior was swimming as fast as he could through the ocean. The temperatures were growing colder as he went further. It didn't bother him though, so he was able to press on while Adagio held onto his dorsal plates since she had been exhausted from the journey. However, he held a bad feeling in his gut that something awful was about to happen, even when he grew closer to his target

"Here!" cried Junior as he stopped. Adagio released him and her eyes widened as she found a stone-like pillar ahead in between hills of the sea floor. Dark clouds emerged out of the pillar, and she vaguely could feel the heat coming from the hydro thermal vent.

"Adagio, I need you to stay here. No matter what happens, you stay here," said Junior as he looked to the siren with a firm expression, who nodded reluctantly. Junior sighed as he swam towards the hydro thermal vent. Soon, as he swam towards the pillar below the hills, he could feel the heat, radiating from the magma that was below the crust. As he met the dark clouds and the general area of the thermal vent, he felt his body fill up with the natural energy from the earth. He closed his eyes as he flared his nostrils, absorbing the energy into his body. He opened his eyes, which began to flicker as neon blue orbs.





Celestia walked through the castle halls with her brows furrowed; her guards, along with the MONARCH rebels, flanked her. The princess had received word that a city in her kingdom was currently under attack by what was reported to be colossal monsters. By what Mosura had told her before, she was able to easily link up the monsters to the Kaiju, with Caesar and the fairies providing a more in-depth explanation. Celestia soon found Luna rearing down a second hall and joined her.

"We have more of the rebels ready to mobilize for an attack on the monsters. Soon their airship will reach the city," said Luna.

"We'll need more help in defending our people from this threat. Where is Discord?" asked Celestia. From the ceiling, the Draconequus appeared, startling the princesses and the guards and rebels that were with them.

"You called?" asked Discord. Celestia relaxed.

"Discord, we need your help. Manehattan is suffering from an attack of Kaiju. You should be familiar with them," said Celestia with a look of expectancy. She wouldn't dream that the spirit of chaos would have forgotten about them since Mosura had told them both. Not to mention they seemed up his alley of interest.

"Oh yes! They are fascinating! Do you need me to save the day?" asked Discord with interest. Celestia nodded to him as she bore a firm expression.

"Yes. Can Equestria... No, can I count on you?" asked Celestia. Discord raised a brow in surprise.

"Oh. You're asking me personally? I'm flattered, your highness," said Discord with a bow. Luna rolled her eyes with a scoff.

"Are you in or not?" deadpanned Luna. Discord chuckled as he spun like a vortex. The princesses felt their hair blown through the wind as they held their dresses down as the air threatened to raise them up. Discord stopped spinning, with his appearance different. Instead of his brown suit jacket, Discord wore a purple mask over his eyes, along with a red spandex and purple gloves. A red cape with a purple underside hung on his back. At the center of his chest were two G's as an insignia, and on his waist, was a belt.

"Never fear! Captain Good Guy is here to save the day!" declared Discord in a heroic tone. Everyone looked at him in confusion. Luna stifled a snicker.

"What in Equestria is this?" asked Luna.

"My super persona! Now, let's be off!" said Discord as he took off into the air with his arm out, flying like a comic book super hero.

"He always was a strange one," snickered Luna. Celestia smiled warmly, with half amusement.

"We should encourage him. Goes to show that he's working to change as a reformed individual," said Celestia. She remembered that they had bad blood with the Draconequus, especially with his tyrannical reign a thousand years ago, but his current self was rather endearing and charming. She was happy that Fluttershy had managed to help him change.

"Move out!" ordered Celestia as she and her sister took the lead down the hall, following Discord out of the castle. Though as she looked around, she wondered where Caesar was during all of this. Surely, he should be present to assist in stopping this attack, since he was a Kaiju himself.

Meanwhile, Caesar himself remained seated on a rock just beneath the mountain that held Canterlot. He stared off into the sky, where the dark clouds were moved for a storm. He could hear the thunder roar and see the lightning strike from a distance. As he remained seated, he closed his eyes. He gave a small hum as he took small breaths. He opened his eyes.

"So, you've been awakened as well, my old friend," said Caesar. He got up to his paws and began to walk down the field. His eyes were soft with a look of nostalgia as he galloped through the fields, making his way east.





Twilight stared off into the window with a firm expression. The train that she and her friends had occupied was moving across the tracks, passing great fields and nearing their destination. She sighed as she looked out the window, hoping that wherever Junior was, he was safe. She felt a nudge on her shoulder, prompting her to look to her side and found Applejack taking a seat by her.

"So, what's the game plan?" asked Applejack. Twilight found that the rest of the girls had given her their full attention. Twilight cleared her throat. “We do what we always do. We try to get as close as possible and we use the Elements of Harmony to take care of them. After that's done, we help with whatever we can for those that suffered from the attack," said Twilight. Rainbow hummed.

"Sounds simple," said Rainbow in a nonchalant tone.

"Somehow, I don't think it will be," said Sunset as she crossed her arms.

"She's right. If an attack is going to happen because of Kaiju, then it will be dangerous. Legends say that they are colossal beasts," interjected Erika.

"Pfft! Hey, have you met us? We're known for taking on Nightmare Moon and Discord and winning!" said Rainbow as she held her arms at the back of her head and leaned back in her seat.

"That's right. No matter the challenge, we stand together. Our friendship is the strongest thing we have, and it's never failed us," said Twilight. The rest of Element Bearers all gave verbal agreements. Meanwhile, Sunset looked down in reluctance. She had heard of the power that the Elements of Harmony had over the dark forces mentioned. However, she felt as though it wouldn't be so easy. But she shrugged it off as her still being shaken up by her experience. Meanwhile, she looked back and found Mosura, Rodan and Angirasu, Aria and Sonata. They could have remained back in Ponyville, but they insisted on coming. Sonata bore a look of mild concern as she sat beside Aria, who bore a small hint of worry as she gazed out the window. Sunset could tell just by a glance that they were worried for Adagio, who had suddenly left with Junior hours before.

"I'm telling you! This is all futile! The Kaiju are much too powerful for you all to stop!" cried Amber as she fluttered over to the Main Six. She had been spending the whole time trying to convince the girls that their quest was a lost cause. However, they continued to ignore her warning.

"But we can't possibly stand by and do nothing! This is what we do!" argued Rarity.

"Except that this sounds more extreme then what we're used to. But yeah, what she said!" said Pinkie. Amber sighed in annoyance.

"But you don't understand! The Elements of Har-" Amber was interrupted as the train suddenly stopped violently. Passengers on board gave cries as they felt themselves forced forward from the momentum. The train skidded across the rails, causing an ear-piercing screech and sparks to fly. The train soon stopped, allowing passengers on board to recompose themselves.

"Anybody hurt?" asked Mosura as she sluggishly raised herself up.

"I think my stomach almost flew out of my body," moaned Sonata as she clutched her belly. Fluttershy sluggishly raised herself up back in her seat and peaked outside of the window. Her eyes widened in shock.

"The bridge to the city!" cried Fluttershy. Everyone rushed towards a window and found a bridge destroyed. Their train was just several feet from the edge of the destroyed structure.

"Any later and we would've gone over," said Applejack with a gulp. Twilight got up and rushed towards the door in their car. She forced it open and stepped outside, bringing her gaze to the city; her eyes widened in horror at what she saw. In the distance, the city gave off smoke as fires raged off buildings. The rest of the group had left the train and watched with her as the city faced chaos. As lightning struck, a distant bellow reached their ears, causing everyone to recoil from the loud sound.

"Oh my god," said Mosura in horror. Twilight narrowed her eyes.

"Alright girls, there's no time to lose! Let's go!" said Twilight as she wrapped herself and the rest of the Element Bearers in a magic bubble, where they then vanished into the air.

"No!" cried Amber.

"Ah! They left us! Why would they do that?!" exclaimed Rodan in panic. Angirasu bore a look of great worry as he looked around to see if there was another way to get to the city's island. He looked back at the destroyed bridge as more passengers began to exit out of the train. He sighed warily.

"The only way over is the bridge. But that's gone," said Angirasu. Sunset stepped forward as she bore a firm expression.

"I can get us across. We'll try to find Twilight and the others. Aria and Sonata, you two stay here. We need you to let Gojira and Adagio know where we're at if they get here before we can get back," said Sunset. Sonata nodded in response.

"I have no problem with that," said Sonata as she looked at the city warily. The Transmutants, Erika, and Sunset gathered together while Amber perched herself on Mosura's shoulder. Sunset closed her eyes as her hands sparked with her magic aura, creating a bright flash, resulting in their disappearance. Sonata bit her lip.

"Be careful guys," said Sonata.





The Main Six appeared just on the edge of the city in a magic bubble. The bubble disappeared, allowing them to move about freely. They looked around the area, finding debris to be in the street and buildings to be carved into. The distant sounds of screams filled their ears along with the sound of monstrous calls. Fluttershy shook in place as she looked around.

"Come on!" said Twilight as she ran through the street. The rest of the Element bearers ran after her, entering the city. As they ran, dust flowed in the air and rain came down upon them. They nearly slipped on the ground from the wet ice that was present.

"Careful! Still icy around these parts!" said Applejack as she caught Fluttershy before she could fall. Rainbow took off into the air, searching the street that they were on.

"It's hard to believe that the last time I was here, the city was so lively," said Rarity as she looked around the shops that were destroyed. As the group came across a street corner, they stopped as they found water flooding the streets, currently receding back from whence it came.

"Where did all the water come from?" asked Pinkie in confusion. Rainbow gasped as she found a woman floating down the street as she lazily held onto a board. Rainbow zipped down towards the woman and carried her off the board. She brought her back with the group and gently lied her down on the ground.

"Is she alive?" asked Twilight in worry. Fluttershy placed her head on the woman's chest, hearing a heartbeat. She sighed in relief.

"Yes, she's alive," said Fluttershy. The woman moaned as she opened her eyes, finding the Main Six standing over her.

"Miss, can you tell what happened?" asked Fluttershy. The woman's eyes shot wide open as she frantically tried to stand up. Applejack held her by the shoulders and kept her down.

"Whoa! Whoa! Easy does it! You were just floating down the road in a flood," said Applejack in a reassuring tone. The woman bore a look of dread as she violently shook.

"W-We have to get out of here! Those things! They did this!" cried the woman with a stutter. The ground rumbled beneath the feet of the humans as a massive thump filled the air, echoing out into the late noon. The woman gave panicked breaths as she forced herself up, causing the rest to stumble back.

"Get out of my way! If you stay here, you'll die!" cried the woman as she ran down the street, leaving the Main Six behind. The girls looked at each other with unease.

"Man, it's gotta be bad if it's got her spooked," said Rainbow as she looked around the area.

“As if the destruction wasn’t a hint?” deadpanned Applejack. Fluttershy whimpered as thunder roared above.

"C-Can we get this over with?" asked Fluttershy. Twilight nodded.

"Alright girls, let's move out. The faster we find them, the sooner we can put an end to this disaster," said Twilight as she and the rest began to run down the street. They navigated passed the street that was flooded and headed for a drier area, where carriages were over turned. The tremors grew heavier and the earth shook more, causing the girls to nearly lose their footing. The sound of loud crashing filled their ears, prompting them to turn their attention down a street, where a building collapsed under its own weight.

"Ah!" cried Fluttershy in fright as the building came down, while plumes of dust and debris flowed into the air. The girls shielded their eyes as the debris came their way. Twilight took a small peek while shielding her face at the destruction, managing to catch sight of a massive figure moving through the clouds of smoke, slamming into another building. The smoke dissipated, and the figure was partially revealed. The girls gasped in shock and fright as they spotted the beast that was steadily revealed. They found its thick scales covered in debris as steel beams and concrete fell off its body and down to the ground. The creature gave a bellow, prompting the girls to cover their ears from the loud sound.

"Everyone! Take your positions!" cried Twilight over the roar and crashing. The girls gathered together with their Elements of Harmony. The magical items flashed and gave a hum. Twilight's element shined upon her head as it began to glow brightly. The girls started to levitate into the air as their elements glowed brightly. Twilight closed her eyes and re-opened them, revealing them as white orbs. As their elements glowed brighter and the hum of their power escalated, the kaiju in the dust clouds turned his attention to the light. As the girls rose and waited for the Elements of Harmony to unleash their power, their light suddenly died down. The girls suddenly fell to the ground with pained grunts. Pinkie shook off her disorientation.

"D-Did we do it?" asked Pinkie in confusion. Twilight gasped in shock as she quickly took off her element and looked at it.

"No, no, no, no! No, this can't be happening!" muttered Twilight with a frantic expression.

"You gotta be kidding. They didn't work?!" exclaimed Rainbow in disbelief. Rarity stared at her element with dread as she slowly looked to Twilight as she processed the terrible revelation.

"We can't stop it," said Rarity. Fluttershy whimpered as she spotted the kaiju in the dust clouds, being revealed much further. As she saw it, she thought it was merely a giant crocodile, but a better look at it revealed that the creature was something unnatural, with its multiple reptilian legs and its massive size. Rokmutul snarled as the light from the elements disappeared, prompting him to go back to his rampage. He lowered himself to the ground and swung his spiked tail against a tall building that was nearby. The tail grazed through the side and scrapped off debris, resulting in it to fall towards the Main Six.

"Take cover!" cried Applejack as the debris came down on them. The girls gave screams as the concrete, metal and glass from the building came down on them. Twilight yelped as she was nearly crushed by a large chunk of concrete while Applejack stopped before a sign could fall on her. Rarity took cover beneath a carriage as glass rained down. Twilight gasped as she found Fluttershy standing frozen in place.

"Fluttershy, get out of there!" cried Twilight. However, the Valkyrie remained still as her joints locked in place. Before a steal beam could crush her, Pinkie grabbed her and leaped for cover beneath a fallen beam. As the debris stopped raining down, Twilight emerged from cover as she found a large hill of the debris piled up in the street.

"Rainbow Dash! Rarity! Pinkie! AJ!" cried called Twilight, her breathing short with anxiety. Rainbow Dash grunted as she emerged from a pile of rubble. She was covered in bruises and a couple of cuts.

"Right here," said Rainbow with a cough. Twilight rushed to her side and wrapped her into a tight hug.

"Thank goodness," said Twilight in relief. Rainbow flinched.

"Ah! Ah! Careful! Ugh. I think... My wing's hurting bad," said Rainbow.

"Is it broken?" asked Twilight in worry as she inspected the wing.

"No, I... I don't think so," said Rainbow as she held her shoulder.

"It might be sprained," said Twilight. She turned as she heard more coughing, finding Applejack to be walking away from a fallen billboard sign.

"Applejack!" cried Twilight and Rainbow Dash in relief. Applejack panted.

"Howdy. Where... Where is everybody else?" asked Applejack.

"Twilight!" Pinkies voice cried out in the air. Twilight turned and found the hill of debris, where the voice had come from.

"Pinkie! Are you alright?! Is Rarity and Fluttershy with you?!" asked Twilight in urgency.

"We're fine darling! Just bruised. Oh, my poor lovely skin. And my clothes!" cried Rarity in disappointment. Applejack sighed in annoyance.

"We have bigger problems then dirt on our clothes!" said Applejack. Rainbow gulped as she stared off to the side.

"Yeah, like literally," said Rainbow as she pointed towards Rokmutul, who began to prowl through the road as he bellowed. Fluttershy screamed in fright as the beast approached, with his tail grazing against nearby buildings as he walked through the street.

"Run! Stay as far away from this thing and try to get back to the main land!" cried Twilight as she looked towards the hill.

"We're separating?!" asked Rarity.

"There's no time to meet up now! Just run!" shouted Twilight as she, Applejack and Rainbow began to run the opposite direction, running passed fallen debris. Rarity gasped as she found Rokmutul's head emerging from the street corner, slobbering on the ground as he opened his wide jaws.

"Come on!" said Rarity in a frantic tone. She, Pinkie and Fluttershy began to run away from the street, while Rokmutul turned down the street that Twilight's group had fled to. The Kaiju roared as he stomped about, causing the girls to stumble.

"He's on our tail!" shouted Applejack as she looked back.

"Don't look back! Just run!" cried Twilight. The three began to pick up their speed as Rokmutul began to stomp after them, though his black eyes were not focused on them. As the girls rounded near a street corner, Applejack grabbed Twilight's arm and pulled her to the corner before Rokmutul could stomp on her. The two fell as the tremor from his steps knocked them off balance. Rokmutul roared as he turned left on the street corner, going the opposite direction of the girls. His tail swayed over them, prompting the two to duck as they shielded their heads beneath their chests. The tail managed to graze a bit of the building nearby, causing some debris to fall around them. Twilight panted as she shakily raised her head, finding Rokmutul to be grazing his body against nearby buildings, knocking some of them over like blocks, where they created plumes of dust.

"I... I can't believe it. The Elements are useless against it," said Twilight in disbelief. She held her element in her hands as she stared at the gem that was shaped as her Cutie Mark.

"We... We can't do anything against it," said Twilight as she slightly trembled. Applejack and Rainbow both looked at their elements with deep frowns. A screech filled their hearing, startling them out of their wits. They looked up in time to see a winged serpent soaring over the buildings.

"Two of them?! And it flies?!" exclaimed Rainbow in shock. Applejack gulped as she watched as Tyrantdactly soared over the city, landing on top of a tall buildings and knocking off the top halves of the structures. Twilight looked back at her Element of Harmony, shaking as she gritted her teeth. Just hours ago, she was filled to the brim with confidence. She thought that no matter the challenge, she and her friends would be able to stop these monsters with the magic of their friendship, much like previous threats. But the elements did not do anything to these monsters. Now, she felt helpless and small. Twilight's eyes wailed up with tears, feeling the weight of her failure to defend Equestria crushing her.





Destruction was all that was in sight. Sunset, Erika, Mosura, Rodan and Angirasu all ran down the street as newspaper and debris flew past them, as fires raged from buildings that were damaged, but still standing. As they ran, they found citizens fleeing the streets, covered in dust, bruises, or were unharmed. Amber remained perched on Mosura's shoulder as the group continued to move down the street.

"Where are they?" asked Rodan anxiously as he looked around.

"I told them to not face them! They can't be beaten by mere humans and magic! Even if they were the Elements of Harmony!" said Amber. Angirasu looked at her in confusion.

"Why not? The Elements of Harmony were strong enough to stop Discord. Why not with Kaiju?" asked Angirasu.

"It’s because the Elements of Harmony have the purpose of restoring harmony, which means dealing with that anything related to an imbalance of magic or an anarchy that threatens peace. They enforce the balance of peace and order. However, they can’t be used against Kaiju, because they have no place in their affairs!" said Amber.

"Wait, why can't they do anything here?" asked Sunset.

"The Kaiju are forces that were born to restore the balance of nature itself and the very world by any means necessary. Today is the beginning of the war of the reincarnated Kaiju, which will determine the future of the world and the humans, who have committed perversions against nature through Transmutants and dark magic," said Amber. Rodan looked around with a grimace as they ran.

"But isn't this a bit overkill?" asked Rodan.

"Rodan, everything that has happened in the past thousands of years hold great significance, requiring the Kaiju's presence for the survival of life on Earth. I fear that if the Revolutionaries succeed, life will cease to exist on this world," said Amber. As they continued their run, they found Tyrantdactly soaring above, knocking debris into the streets. The group stopped before they could end up in the path of destruction. The sound of cries of help reached their ears. Mosura turned and found a collapsed building with fire burning.

"Oh no!" cried Mosura as she rushed to the building. Angirasu ran after her. Before Rodan, Erika and Sunset could join them, Amber flew in their path.

"I'll help them! You three continue to find the others! You need to be quick!" said Amber. The three looked at each other in reluctance. They nodded in response and began to run down the street.

As Mosura ran towards the collapsed building, she began to lift the rubble with her enhanced strength, with Angirasu at her side helping her tossing debris aside. Amber flew towards the fires and sent sparkles to the flames, snuffing them out. Mosura grunted as she lifted a heavy beam, beginning to shake as she struggled to hold it. She gave a shout as she lifted with all her might and her body changed. Her body flashed gold, where tribal-like tattoos appeared on her arms, and a cross in the center of a tribal sun appeared on her forehead. Angirasu stared in shock as Mosura lifted the heavy beam with ease, high above her shoulders. Mosura gasped in surprise as she looked up.

"Oh boy! I'm pretty sure that this was heavier a second ago!" said Mosura as she threw the beam to the side, allowing it to crash into the street.

"You're tapping into your inner power given to you from your past life!" said Amber with joy. Mosura looked at her hands and arms, finding the golden tribal marks on her skin, which glowed brightly. Mosura clenched her fists as she glared at the debris that had the people trapped beneath. She firmly planted her feet onto the ground and closed her eyes. She shot her hands forward and fully concentrated, causing the debris to slowly levitate above ground. Angirasu stared in amazement as the debris floated to the street, and then crashed down.

Mosura panted as the glowing marks died down. Using that power had taken a lot out of her. She looked to the side and quickly made her way down to where the humans were trapped with Angirasu. They helped the people walk away from the remaining debris. As Mosura helped a woman down onto the ground, she noticed an airship high above the sky. The blue balloon deflected any lightning bolts that strayed too close to it, likely due to magic protecting it. She then saw that from the airship came massive magic bolts racing down to the ground, which resulted in the sound of enraged howls.

"The rebels," said Mosura.

"No, those fools!" cried Amber with dread.

"Look!" shouted Angirasu as he pointed to the sky, where Tyrantdactly soared. He gave a shrieking roar as he flew towards the airship, which he dwarfed by his sheer size. Magic bolts flew towards him, striking him. However, he remained undeterred. The kaiju slammed into the airship, tearing through the balloon with the claws of his feet, allowing the ship to free fall to the ground. Mosura cupped her mouth in horror as they watched the airship fall into the city, where a small explosion could be heard.

"My God," whispered Mosura.

"These things can't be stopped!" wailed a woman that was rescued in misery. Mosura watched as the kaiju soared, but then noticed three small figures in the distance, flying. She squinted her eyes to get a better visual. Her face brightened up.

"It's the princesses! And Discord!" cried Mosura. Angirasu focused to where Mosura was looking, but then his face turned to confusion.

"What the hell is he wearing?" asked Angirasu in confusion.





The chaos that was below was heart wrenching. Celestia soared in the air with her sister above Manehattan, witnessing the destruction down below. She could see the colossal beast that was shrouded in dust clouds and smoke as it prowled through the city, slamming its weight against the concrete jungle that it was in. Rokmutul roared as he rammed himself against a smaller building that was just several feet above his head, causing it to tumble down to the ground and into the street. Celestia gritted her teeth as she narrowed her eyes.

"Ready?" asked Celestia as she looked towards her sister. Luna nodded with a determined smile.

"Ready, my sister," responded Luna. The two dove down towards the kaiju, bursting through the clouds of smoke. Their hands glowed brightly with their magic auras as they flew towards the beast. Both Avatars shot their hands forward at the beast, firing bolts of magic down towards the creature's back. As they swooped back up into the air, the kaiju thrashed about as he gave an enraged roar, feeling the irritating bolts on his back. As the Avatars ascended, they were able to get a better look at the beast as he caused the clouds to disperse from his movement.

"I've never seen anything like it!" called Luna in shock as the beast raised his head to gaze at the small humans.

"Indeed. Keep at it, Luna!" called Celestia as she aimed her hands at the creature, producing a bright aura. Luna did the same as she glared at the Kaiju that stomped and gave a hostile roar. The Avatars both fired beams of magic down onto the beast, striking him in the head. Rokmutul grunted as the light shined in his eyes, feeling the beams graze against his skull. He roared in fury as he hunched down and jumped. The royals' eyes widened in alarm as the kaiju jumped into the air, with his jaws opening wide. The two quickly evaded the creature's massive jaws as they snapped at the air. Rokmutul dropped back down to the ground, causing the earth to shake from his weight suddenly hitting the ground from the air.

"It's unfazed!" cried Luna in shock.

"Keep at it! Where's Discord?!" shouted Celestia as she looked around in annoyance. She suddenly jumped in surprise as she found the Draconequus diving down towards the Kaiju in his super hero outfit.

"Never fear! Captain Good Guy is here!" cried Discord as he flew passed Luna. Discord zipped under Rokmutul, who grunted in confusion as he looked under himself to find the Spirit of Chaos flying beneath him. Discord chuckled as he flew passed the kaiju's tail and ascended above, dodging the creature's tail. He then flew towards Rokmutul's head.

"Now, let me show you what the Spirit of Chaos's magic can do when used for good!" said Discord as his hands glowed brightly from his aura. The aura was violet, with green flares flowing out of it, and within was what appeared as a chaotic void with red lines streaking through the magic, showing off as pure chaos. Discord shot his hands forward at the Kaiju, with a beam of his chaos magic streaming down towards the beast. Rokmutul braced himself as the massive beam came at him, which struck his head. The beam began to cover most of his head from its size, and then began to run throughout his body, with parts of it getting the street. It began to burn and crumble the street that was around the kaiju. Smoke began to fill the air around Rokmutul, shrouding him. Discord kept at his attack for several seconds, until finally cutting off his attack. Discord smirked as he looked down at his work. Celestia and Luna joined him in the air, where they found smoke covering the street, which was red hot from the chaotic magic. Soon, the smoke cleared up, revealing Rokmutul on the ground with his head down, still as stone. Celestia sighed in relief.

"Good work, Discord. I'm proud of you," said Celestia with a smile.

"Yes, only minor collateral damage as well. I was expecting worse," said Luna as she crossed her arms with a smirk. Discord stuck his tongue out her in response. Suddenly, Rokmutul gave a puff of air as his sides expanded from a deep inhale. The Avatars and Discord turned their attention to the Kaiju as he raised his head and raised himself off the ground, shaking off what debris and little disorientation that he had. He blinked his eyes multiple times, since he was blinded by the light from the magic beam. He then glared at his foes with a snarl.

"He's still moving," said Celestia in shock. Discord whistled as he looked at the Kaiju with an impressed look.

"My, he's a tough one, isn't he? I was holding back too," said Discord.

"Holding back?! He was covered in that beam! And this isn't the time to hold back or to be impressed by the creature's durability!" said Luna. Discord smirked as he rolled up his sleeves and popped his joints in his paws.

"Very well. If I channel in more of my power, he should be but a great pile of ash. You two may want to get back," said Discord as he flew down to the street, while Luna and Celestia flew back as told. Celestia looked at Luna worriedly.

"I don't like this. I was able to feel that Discord was using a lot of power. Yet that creature shrugged it off as if it were nothing," said Celestia. Luna grimaced.

"Surely it has limits," said Luna. Meanwhile, Discord hovered above the street as he stared down the creature that stomped towards him. He raised his paws and fired a larger beam of chaos magic, this time it struck Rokmutul as he had his mouth wide open. His roars were cut off as the beam engulfed his entire body. The street was glassed from the beam and a couple of buildings suffered from being too close to the beam with parts of them crumbling and burning. As the bright beam cut off, more smoke filled the air, with Discord chuckling as he pulled out a recliner and lied sat down on it, with a glass of lemonade in his hand.

"You did good, Discord. Some damage may have come out of this, but you saved-" Discord was interrupted as debris flew his way. He ducked his head, but his lemonade was knocked out his hand. Discord's eyes widened in shock as Rokmutul emerged from the smoke, growling as he appeared unscathed. Discord's stomach turned as he watched the beast shake itself as it groaned.

"No. No, this can't be," said Discord in disbelief. Meanwhile, Celestia and Luna stared from above with looks of horror as this monster stomped towards Discord.

"This can't be possible," said Luna. Celestia gasped as Discord remained in the air above the street with a look of shock on his face, while Rokmutul approached him.

"Discord, get out of there!" cried Celestia. However, Discord did not listen. He instead watched as the monster stomped towards him. Even after using the most that his power had to offer, the creature was still standing, without a sign of slowing down. It instead looked aggravated. That was when it all hit Discord like a bag of bricks on what he helped brought about. He was the strongest in Equestria. However, these creatures were the strongest on the planet itself. They were like gods in the flesh.

"Oh no," said Discord in a whisper as his eyes widened with another realization. He was then swiped by Rokmutul's tail, causing him to fly through multiple buildings, while the Avatars watched in horror and shock. As Discord tumbled through buildings, he found himself processing what else was to come out of this. No doubt that the Elements of Harmony would be an option to stop these kaiju. That's what made his stomach feel tight in his body, as if it were to burst with anxiety. Funny, how he never felt anxiety before in all his existence. Despite that, he knew the cause of it. He had just endangered someone dear to him, because of his games with Sunset Shimmer, and his desire to see the Kaiju. As Discord burst through another building, he began to free fall to the ground. As he fell, he found a figure in the corner of his eye, hovering in the air with a cloak that was pure white. The figure watched him as he fell, producing a faint light from his humanoid form. Discord closed his eyes with a bitter chuckle as he fell.

"Of course," said Discord. He then crashed down into the street, creating a crater in the spot he had fallen. As he lied down in the crater, he felt pain around his body. Despite having the title as the "Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony", his body was physical. However, he was still very durable. Discord suddenly found the cloaked figure standing above him, looking down at him from the crater. Tyrantdactly soared above, screeching as he passed the area. Discord gave a forced smirk.

"I guess it was better when I thought I was the strongest one in the world. I hate it when reality kicks in," said Discord. The figure merely remained silent, looking down at him while his hood hid the light that he produced. Discord blinked, only to find the figure to have disappeared. He sighed heavily with a scowl.

"Good talk," said Discord in a sarcastic manner. He grunted as he raised himself out of the dirt, causing his Captain Good Guy suit to disappear, with his jacket returning to cover his human chest. He sighed as he popped his neck as he slowly climbed out of the crater.

"Discord!" cried a familiar voice. Discord's ears perked, prompting him to turn and find Fluttershy rushing towards his crater along with Rarity, Rodan and Pinkie. Discord stood up as he dusted himself off while the humans stopped before him. Fluttershy looked at him worriedly.

"Are you alright? We saw you crash into the crater," said Fluttershy as she took Discord's lion paw. Discord softly smiled in response at her concern, but ultimately frowned as he turned away. Fluttershy looked at him in wonder as he turned away, and then concern.

"Discord?" called Fluttershy. The Spirit of Chaos sighed.

"I thought that I could beat them. I thought that I could conquer them as easily as I did with Equestria a thousand years ago," said Discord with a solemn expression. Rarity bore a look of discomfort as the Draconequus mentioned his past deed.

"Ahem. Not sure we should dwell on that last thing," said Rarity with a nervous laugh.

"But it's true. I'm not strong enough," said Discord as he sat down on the ground with a heavy sigh.

"Not to mention that I was the one that let Sunset go off to find the Avatar Amulet and get her answers on her own. I was just so curious to see these creatures that I thought I could just get a quick look at them and then eliminate them. But I didn't think they'd come so soon. What's worse is that not only the city and the people are suffering, but my friends are in danger as well," said Discord as he looked at Fluttershy with a deep frown. He turned away and held his head up with his paws. Fluttershy frowned in response. She took a seat beside him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Yes, you shouldn't have let Sunset go off alone and you did let your curiosity get the better of you. You made a mistake, and that happens," said Fluttershy.

"Yeah and it's a big one," said Pinkie with bluntness. Rarity nodded in agreement.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean that you can't help clean up your mess," said Fluttershy with a warm smile.

"She's right," Amber's voice called out. Discord turned his head and found the fairy approaching and perching herself on rubble next to him. With her were Erika, Sunset and Rodan. Pinkie, Rarity and Fluttershy smiled brightly at their arrival, while Rodan sighed in relief.

'Oh good, they're alright. Oh wait, we're still missing some of them,' thought Rodan as his expression returned to worry.

"And you were right as well, this was all bound to happen eventually. I wanted more time for the others to be ready before we had to deal with our enemies. But that doesn't matter now. What matters is what you plan to do to make up for it?" asked Amber. Discord was about to crack a witty retort, but felt unable to do so. He was just so disappointed in his carelessness that he was serious.

"I can't really fight them. They're resistant to magic, even chaos magic," said Discord as he held up his glowing hands.

"Doing good isn't restricted to fighting villains and monsters, Discord. Come on, haven't your time with these humans taught you anything?" asked Amber. Discord looked up in thought as he tapped his chin. Rodan bore a deadpanned stare.

"Dude, I'm sure that it isn't that hard to figure out at a time like this," said Rodan.

"Lending a helping hand?" asked Discord.

"That's right!" said Pinkie and Fluttershy in unison.

"Discord, the Kaiju are wreaking havoc onto the city. Innocents are suffering. We need your help to save those who can still be saved," said Amber as she looked to the city around them.

"Mosura and Angirasu are some blocks north from here. They're tending to some survivors. We need your help getting the survivors to safety and helping everyone that we can," said Erika. Discord nodded as he stood up.

"Then let's be off!" Discord snapped his fingers, causing the group to vanish from the area and reappear just near a building that was destroyed, where Angirasu and Mosura were with survivors.

"You're alive!" cried Mosura. Angirasu rushed to Fluttershy and wrapped her into a tight hug, which she returned.

"Yes. But trust me, it was no easy task. Especially with that beast in the sky knocking debris down into the streets," said Rarity as she pointed to Tyrantdactly as he soared further away.

“Anyone need medical attention?" asked Discord as he adorned a doctor's uniform.

"I-I have a broken leg," said a man as he raised his arm. Discord tapped the man's leg with a claw, which he flinched in pain in response. Suddenly, the pain subsided. He gasped as he moved his leg and stood up.

"Haha! I want you to be my doctor for now on!" said the man.

"I'm flattered but I'm not interested in a medical career. But I'm happy to lend my skills for the day," said Discord.

"Now, off to the mainland you go!" said Discord as he snapped his fingers, causing the civilians to disappear in a flash. Rodan whistled.

"Wow. This may go smoothly," said Rodan. The sound of a screeching roar filled the air, prompting the group to find Tyrantdactly to swoop down over to street, creating a violent wind. Everyone was nearly blown away, with the Transmutants being forced back. However, Fluttershy, Rarity and Pinkie were blown off their feet and into the air. Sunset nearly suffered the same fate but Erika caught her with a tendril wrapping around her wrist. Meanwhile, the remaining Element Bearers screamed as they flew away, but Discord caught Fluttershy's hand before she could fly off. Rarity grabbed Fluttershy's ankle to prevent herself from flying away,while Pinkie held onto her legs. The girls screamed in fright as the wind threatened to sweep them away. Discord pulled them down to the ground and produced a barrier that blocked the wind, preventing everyone from being caught into the wind. Sunset panted as she dropped back onto the ground next to Erika.

"Thanks!" panted Sunset with a relieved laugh.

"What are friends for?" asked Erika as she patted Sunset on the shoulder. Angirasu shot Rodan a glare.

"Smoothly huh?" said Angirasu with sarcasm in his voice as Fluttershy huddled against him.

"OK, smoothly was a term that I used loosely," said Rodan with a shrug and forced smile. As the wind stopped blowing, Discord lowered the shield.

"We need to find Twilight and the others. Or else these things will get them killed," said Angirasu as he watched as Tyrantdactly flew away.

"Erika and I can go look! My magic can shield us from debris and move us to safety in seconds if we were to run into Kaiju. Erika can provide muscle," said Sunset as she raised her hand. Erika nodded in agreement.

"I'm in," said Erika.

"Alright, but be careful. Try to get to the mainland, since that's where we plan on going once we've found as many people as possible," said Mosura. The two nodded in confirmation. The two former soldiers broke off from the group and ran down the street. Meanwhile just many miles outside of the city, the sea was calm, compared to the more chaotic atmosphere over the city. However, the water began to be breached open as a dark structure began to emerge. From the sea came a low, trumpeting bellow that echoed out into the night.
> Chapter 69: A Bite at the Big Apple Pt. 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

People continued to run through the city as they screamed in terror. Tyrantdactly soared over them, grazing himself over the top of buildings and causing debris to rain down on them, burying them beneath the rubble. The Kaiju descended onto the ground where more humans continued to run. He pecked at the street, crushing those who were unfortunate to be in his sight. The beast roared as he scratched his claws against the ground.

Meanwhile, those who had managed to get away ran to the nearest subway entrance. From all their terror and rush, they began to trip and trample all over each other. People were injured on their way down as the subway felt the tremors from the kaiju's pecking. They gave panicked cries as the tremors grew more violent. Above the surface, Tyrantdactly screeched into the air as he took off. Humans were proving to be much more difficult to catch when they found shelter near subways. It was also a large city, meaning that they could be hiding anywhere.

The creature grunted as he soared towards some buildings. As he landed on one, he began to scrap at it with his claws, tearing the building's top half apart. His hearing picked up some screams among the sound of his claws scrapping through concrete and glass. It seemed that some couldn’t make it out of the building, or just decided to take their chances inside. The fools, the kaiju thought. As he turned his head, he heard enraged roars from his ally, Rokmutul. He found bright beams of light striking down on the quadruped some miles away. The beams struck his hide as he attempted to jump and attack the small figures that were above, but they were much too high for him to get. Tyrantdactly took off into the air and soared towards his position.

Meanwhile, Celestia and Luna flew around Rokmutul as they fired beams of magic down on him. No damaging effect was done on him as they continued their assault. Simultaneously, a second airship moved in, firing bolts of magic and rocket artillery down on the monster. Rokmutul roared as the rockets stung his hide, only managing to enrage him. In a fit of rage, he slammed himself against nearby buildings, making them collapse.

"This is getting out of hand!" said Luna as she fired another beam of magic at Rokmutul. Celestia gasped as she found Tyrantdactly soaring towards them.

"Look out!" cried Celestia as she dove towards Luna. She tackled her down from the air as the flying kaiju swooped passed them, slamming into a nearby building. Tyrantdacrly groaned as he fell onto the street, while being covered in debris. He shook off his disorientation and groaned in annoyance, hating that he had allowed himself to be distracted and not paying attention to where he was flying. He then felt explosions striking his body, causing him to growl angrily as he raised his head up to find a couple of airships above, firing their rockets and magic cannons down on him.

"These rockets and guns aren't having any effect!" shouted a rebel soldier that was on board one of the airships.

"Keep firing! We need to cover the princesses!" ordered a commanding officer on board. With them were royal guards that were assisting in loading up the cannons that were on board. As the ships continued to fire, Tyrantdactly flew up into the air and screeched as he approached the ships.

"Incoming!" shouted a guard. The ships were torn to shreds as Tyrantdactly slammed into them, resulting in explosions from the ordinance being hit. The Kaiju shrieked as he circled the air, as the city continued to burn, while the sun had disappeared from the sky, leaving only darkness and storms to be present. The atmosphere of the city gave a hellish appearance, as fire burned and illuminated the night.





In the Temple of Shadows, the Revolutionaries stood in the throne room with members of the Shadow's Hand. Sombra sat on his throne while Thanatos stood by his side. Everyone that was in the room watched as a magical smoke produced the vision of Manehattan as the Kaiju destroyed everything in their path. Buildings tumbled and humans ran for their lives.

Sombra bore a dark smile as he watched as the princesses' attempts to destroy the creatures failed. Soon they would tire out and would be destroyed by the monsters. Destoroyah watched with a small smile. These very titans were what he and his followers would become. They would become gods to the humans, able to conquer nations. He would finally be able to restore honor to his family and take back his family's rule as war lords over Neighpon like many years ago. Ghidorah bore a neutral expression as he watched the destruction. Soon, his turn would come as well.

On the other hand, Battra and Megaguirus watched the destruction as it played out. He deeply frowned as people fled for their lives in the city as the monsters brought chaos. He felt sick to his stomach, seeing more innocents die to the Revolutionaries. Megaguirus watched in horror at the kaiju. This is what would be happening to the world once their powers had grown. She turned away, not able to watch anymore. Megaguirus walked away, with Battra following her. The two left the room and made their way down the hall.

"So, you got bored too?" asked Megaguirus with a forced smile.

"No, I just couldn't stand looking," said Battra. Megaguirus softly smiled as she cleared her throat.

"Yeah. Same here," said Megaguirus. The two sat down together in the lobby area by a pillar.

"Just think. In a matter of time, more cities will experience what Manehattan is experiencing," said Battra with a heavy sigh.

"Yeah. Pretty nuts, huh?" asked Megaguirus. Battra shook his head.

"I wonder... How everything has come down to this. The fate of the humans is in our very hands. Whatever Destoroyah decides will be it. Anyone who opposes him will die, and those who he finds disposable will suffer the same fate. My sister, Jira and her group that splintered from us, and Mai. They'll face Destoroyah's wrath," said Battra. Megaguirus held a hand on her shoulder.

"W-Well, maybe he'll go easy on them. Maybe if we can convince him to spare them and maybe-" Megaguirus was interrupted as Battra looked at her with a deep frown.

"Do you honestly think that he'd be that merciful?" asked Battra. Megaguirus bit her lip as she looked away.

"I... No. No, you're right," said Megaguirus as she leaned against Battra. The two heard footsteps in the area, prompting them to turn and find Ebirah walking down the hall and towards their position. He gave a tired sigh as he sat down against his own pillar and looked up at the ceiling.

"You couldn't stand it either?" asked Battra.

"I'm disgusted, Battra. It's senseless to bring havoc onto a city filled with innocent people. They've done us no wrong," said Ebirah with a look of disappointment.

"Destoroyah would argue that it's for our survival against the humans. Something that I don't believe anymore," said Battra. Ebirah glanced at him with a slight look of surprise. He then looked forward.

"Battra... I... I think I should tell you something," said Ebirah. Battra looked at him curiously.

"What's that?" asked Battra.

"Destoroyah... I no longer trust him," said Ebirah. Battra looked at him in surprise.

"What?" asked Battra.

"Destoroyah once seemed as a great leader, willing to stand for Transmutants that were threatened by MONARCH. But as time went on, he seemed to change. Or rather, he seemed to be revealing his true colors. He may have spoken about unity among other Revolutionaries and you. But in private, with me, Titano, Shiomura, and Gaira, he doesn't talk about that. Rather, he seems to have a whole different ideology. That being survival of the fittest. He doesn't care if the weakest of us dies, he only cares about having the strongest and loyalist allies," said Ebirah. Battra looked at him in disbelief.

"I... No, that can't be," said Battra.

"I would never lie to you, Battra. I've known you just as long as Destoroyah has known you. But you aren't like him. You were misguided by his ways in desperation to adapt to the world as we are now," said Ebirah as he stood to his feet. Battra remained seated, denying everything that his closest ally was saying. He had known Destoroyah for years, and he always seemed to put the group above all.

"Battra, I can't help but feeling that you shouldn't be here. Neither of you," said Ebirah as he looked at the two. Battra looked at him in confusion.

"I-I don't understand. What are you saying?" asked Battra.

"You know deep down that what we're doing is wrong. You're better than all of this," said Ebirah as he gestured to the temple around them.

"I feel like... You should be out there, with your sister," said Ebirah.

"But I... I can't just abandon the group!" cried Battra.

"Son, everyone who remains here are set on going along with this. Despite your history with them, you shouldn't sacrifice what good you still have left in yourself to be with them. I promise you that Destoroyah will make you do things that you would never dream of doing. No matter how much you plead to him," said Ebirah with a firm expression. Battra bore a look of discomfort as he imagined the possibilities. His eyes widened with fear.

"Mosura," said Battra. Ebirah nodded.

"You don't have to make your decision now, but I beg you to make it soon before it's too late," said Ebirah as he walked away. Battra shot up to his feet.

"Ebirah wait! Tell me, why do you remain here despite what you know?" asked Battra. Ebirah sighed.

"Because I believe that everyone can change. I hope that I can change the way Destoroyah thinks, or at least those who follow him. I'm willing to stake my life on that," said Ebirah as he left the two alone. Battra slowly sat down.

"So... What do you think?" asked Megaguirus. Battra sighed as he held his head and gave a shuddered breath.

"I... I just don't know. I don't know what to do anymore," said Battra. Megaguirus scooted close to him as she wrapped her arm around him.

"Hey, I'm with you whatever you choose. Just know that," said Megaguirus with a reassuring smile. Battra bore a small bitter smile. Now he had to worry about ruining Megaguirus's life as well with whatever he decided to do. But he knew she was up for whatever challenge. Still though, he had to choose between those he considered his family, or his true living family and the indecisiveness tore him apart inside.






2 hours earlier...


Adagio was floating just at the edge of the hill that hid the hydro thermal vent. Junior had been there for an hour now. The setting sunlight was present over the ocean. She hadn't heard a word from Junior, nor had she seen him since. She was beginning to worry.

"Gojira! Are you still there?!" called Adagio. No answer came and she grew more concern. She would check on him, but the vent was producing a lot of heat and ash. Her eyes widened in realization.

"Oh no, you better not have died from the ash!" said adagio. She swam a bit closer to the hill with a look of panic.

"Gojira! Gojira, can you hear me?!" called Adagio. She gasped as she heard a growl. She turned and found a serpent sea dragon swimming nearby. She went still as stone as it came by. The beast looked her way and snarled. Adagio's eyes widened in horror as it began to swim her way with its large size casting a shadow near her.

"Gojira! Help!" screamed Adagio. As the dragon came closer, it opened its jaws wide. Adagio screamed in terror as it came closer. However, a bright figure zipped through the ocean from the hill, slamming into the dragon. Adagio gasped as she found the figure to be Junior in his human form, glowing with a flame-like aura. The dragon floated, lifeless from the blow to its head.

"Goji?" called Adagio in a nervous tone. Junior looked her way with his eyes glowing brightly. She recoiled in fright.

"Stick with me," said Junior. He suddenly burst through the water in a beam of light, leaving Adagio. As she was about to follow, a great burst of neon blue occurred, causing her to shield her eyes. As she regained her vision after the light died down, she gasped in fright as a massive shadow was cast over her and the ocean floor. An animalistic bellow filled the ocean as bubbles spread all around.

"Oh god," whispered Adagio as she trembled at what she saw.






Present


Twilight, Applejack and Rainbow Dash continued on their run through the city. Everywhere they went, more destruction was in sight. Soon, every city in Equestria would suffer the same fate as Manehattan. Twilight gritted her teeth at this thought. The three stopped for a moment's rest.

"We gotta go find the others. These things can't be stopped," said Rainbow with a pant.

"But where do we begin? You're grounded and these monsters can appear in another street in just seconds!" said Applejack. Twilight caught her breath as she narrowed her eyes.

"Doesn't matter. We're going to find our friends and leave together," said Twilight. The ground began to shake as heavy footsteps filled the air. They turned and found Rokmutul chasing after the princesses as they fired bolts of magic at him.

"The princesses!" cried Twilight.

"They look like they aren't faring too well either," said Rainbow with a grimace.

"Come on! With that thing distracted, we can check these streets down here!" said Applejack as she led the trio away from the area. They came across an area where debris fell off a damaged building, landing on the sidewalk. As they rounded a corner, they gasped as they found corpses scattered in the street. Twilight cupped her mouth in horror as she began to feel sick to her stomach at the sight. The humans were either trampled, or crushed by debris. It was as though they were witnessing victims of a natural disaster.

"Come on! Don't look!" said Applejack as she tore her eyes away from the tragic sight. She knew that despite the dangers that took the lives of these people, they had to look for their friends. As they ran, they found Sunset Shimmer and Erika Shiragami running down a corner.

"Sunset! Erika! Over here!" called Rainbow. The two former soldiers of MONARCH turned found the three, rushing to their position.

"You're all OK!" cried Sunset in relief.

"Did you see the others?!" asked Twilight frantically as she grabbed Sunset's shoulders.

"Yes! Yes! They're safe with Discord, Amber, and the other Transmutants," said Sunset.

"Discord?! Why isn't he helping the princesses?!" demanded Rainbow.

"He tried but they were too strong. Right now, he's helping us save survivors. The others are doing the same. Come on!" said Erika as she and Sunset were about to lead the group to the others. However, Tyrantdactly screeched as he soared over head, causing debris to rain down.

"Get to cover!" shouted Sunset. The group quickly moved out of the street and towards a nearby building. Erika slammed through the glass doors, allowing the others to quickly enter as the debris rained down.

"Uncool!" said Rainbow in exasperation. Suddenly, the sound of a low trumpeting bellow filled the air, causing everyone to freeze. Twilight slowly turned her head as the sound echoed.

"That sound... Is it..." Twilight looked to the others for confirmation. Sunset slowly nodded.

"I... I think it is," said Sunset. The group left the building and looked around. The sound of a heavy thump filled their ears, coming from the docks nearby. They turned as they heard rushing water falling from the air, while a chopper-like growl came. A massive shadowy figure stood just at the edge of the docks, hidden in smoke. The group flinched as lightning struck, briefly illuminating the figure that slowly stepped onto the docks. With each step, the ground rumbled and Twilight stared with wide eyes.

"Another kaiju..." whispered Twilight with dread. As the smoke cleared up, the head of the Kaiju was revealed, with his bright amber eyes, his box shaped head and eagle-like brows. His teeth were bared as he flared his nostrils.





As Celestia and Luna continued their assault on Rokmutul, they began to tire out. They soon found themselves landing on tall buildings for a quick rest. Rokmutul would slam into the buildings, causing them to collapse.

"We can't go on like this!" panted Luna.

"We have to try Luna!" responded Celestia. Though she had grown tired as well. She didn't know how much longer that she could keep this up, but she couldn't retreat. Manehattan needed them, and she was willing to lay down her life for her subjects. She wished Discord was with them helping and hoped he was well. As the two Avatars landed on another roof, Rokmutul slammed into the side, causing half of the building to collapse. Luna was on the edge of the collapsing part, unable to fly.

"Luna!" cried Celestia as she dove and caught her sister's hand before she could fall. She grunted as she struggled to pull her sister up, with exhaustion working against her. Rokmutul slammed his tail against the building, causing it to tumble with the princesses falling. Celestia quickly brought Luna close to herself as they fell. She was unable to fly herself, with her wings aching from exhaustion. This was their end. Suddenly, Celestia found herself and Luna trapped in a white orb. The orb suddenly vanished into thin air, having them reappear just on the mainland, where over a hundred people present.

"The princesses!" shouted a woman. Luna and Celestia stood up in confusion.

"What has happened?" asked Luna. A royal guard emerged from the crowd.

"Your majesties. The citizens claim that the draconequus, the Transmutants, and the Element Bearers had saved them. The draconequus had sent them here," said the guard.

"Discord?" asked Celestia in surprise. She looked around and found many her subjects, safe from harm. She smiled warmly to herself, truly thankful for Fluttershy's efforts to reform him. From the crowd, a horrified cry came from a woman.

"Look! Another one of those monsters is rising out of the ocean!" cried the woman. The people and princesses turned their attention to the ocean near the docks. What they saw truly terrified them. Up from the depths, rose a reptilian beast, standing to be 355 feet tall. Its charcoal grey scales made it difficult to see in the night. But the fires illuminated it. The kaiju stood upright, with a burly body like a bear. Its crocodile-like scales and jagged dorsal plates spilled a flood's worth of water down as it walked onto the docks, revealing its powerful legs and wide clawed feet. Its short arms were hanging above its waist. Its long whip-like tail swayed in the air. The kaiju gave bellows as it stomped towards the city.

"That kaiju. It looks familiar," said Celestia as she analyzed its traits. Her eyes widened.

"Could it be? Junior?" asked Celestia. Luna looked at her with wide eyes and then back to the scene.

Meanwhile, Adagio breached through the surface of the water near the main land. She looked back at the city and watched as the kaiju stomped through the city.

"Dagi!" Sonata's voice called Adagio. She turned and found Aria and Sonata climbing down the hill of the mainland to meet with her. Adagio sighed in relief as she swam towards land.

"Where the hell have you been?!" demanded Aria.

"With Gojira," said Adagio as she pointed at the new kaiju. The rest of the sirens stared in shock.

"No way. That's him?!" exclaimed Sonata.

"Yep. And let me tell you, hitching a ride with him in that state is a rush," said Adagio with a pant as she held her chest.





Twilight, Rainbow, Erika, Sunset, and Applejack watched as the new kaiju was fully revealed. He looked down ahead, as he slightly lowered himself with a growl. Upon closer analysis, Twilight's eyes widened as she began to find familiar traits to the kaiju.

"Gojira?" said Twilight in disbelief.

"Wait, what?" asked Rainbow in confusion. The girls gasped as a violent tremor rocked them off their feet. A neighboring building started to collapse, slamming into the small building that the humans were taking shelter in. The girls gave cries as the building began to collapse on them. Sunset and Twilight instinctively raised their hands up as they glowed with their magic auras. In seconds, the building buried them alive, leaving only a mound of rubble.

From the destruction, Rokmutul came stomping from the first buildings knocked over and turned his attention towards Junior as water fully dripped off his body. Rokmutul stood only up to his knees. The quadruped roared as he glared at the taller bipedal monster. Junior extended his neck and head forward as he opened his mighty jaws, unleashing a mighty, screeching roar that lasted for a few seconds at the high tone, ending with a low bellow. Rokmutul charged towards his opponent, while Junior stomped towards him, while giving off a hostile roar.

As Rokmutul came close, he leaped into the air to bite Junior in the neck, but the larger Kaiju caught him with his arms, and held the jaw of his enemy back before he could bite him. The two colliding had created gusts of wind to fly around, along with a loud boom from their heavy bodies colliding. Junior carried Rokmutul as he stomped deeper into the city, sinking his teeth into his opponent’s neck. Rokmutul cried out in agony as the teeth breached his scales.

As Junior carried him away through the city, Rokmutul used his multiple legs to claw at Junior's chest, stomach and arms. Junior grunted as he fought through the pain and continued towards a set of buildings that reached up to his waist. As he reached the end of the street, he slammed Rokmutul down onto the buildings, who cried out in pain as he fell onto his back. However, Rokmutul's head slammed into the glass windows of a structure that was connected to the subway. Those who evacuated into the subway and were in the lobby of this structure while the subway was full were unfortunate to find the beast's head breaching through. They gave panicked screams as Rokmutul groaned in pain as he chomped his jaws.

From a neighborhood filled with people that haven't been able to fully evacuate, they witnessed as Junior kicked Rokmutul back onto the rubble of buildings as he attempted to stand up. People flinched and panicked as the larger monster caused the ground to rumble and explosions from his general area. His height made it easy for the people able to see him, but larger buildings could hide him from those further away.

As Rokmutul returned onto his back, Junior stomped onto his chest, keeping him down on the ground. Rokmutul gave shrill calls as he thrashed under Junior's weight. The Guardian snarled as he crinkled his muzzle. He slightly raised himself higher while puffing out his chest, with heat building up inside of himself. Suddenly, a shrill screech filled his hearing from behind. Tyrantdactly swooped by Junior and dug his claws into his back. Junior grunted in pain as the flyer scratched his claws against his hide while using his sharp beak to bite into his shoulder. Junior thrashed about as he attempted to reach for the flyer but Tyrantdactly's size gave him the advantage of quicker movement, along with Junior's disadvantage of his short arms being unable to reach for his own back.

As Junior attempted to claw and bite Tyrantdactly, Rokmutul took the opportunity to stand back up and charge at the larger opponent. As he came close, he rammed his head against Junior's thigh and lower hip. Junior groaned as he was forced back and fell over against two buildings, while Tyrantdactly immediately leaped off his back and descended down on a still standing building. Junior groaned as he lied on the ground on his side as the debris from the fallen structures cleared. He found Rokmutul looking at him with an almost smug look in his eyes. This only made the Guardian angry. Junior roared at him in anger, but failed to notice Tyrantdactly landing on his back, digging his beak and teeth into his neck. Junior's roar was cut off from the pain, prompting him to turn to snap his jaws at the flyer, who had already leaped away and took off into the air. Rokmutul took the opportunity to lunge at Junior's neck and bite down on it. Junior wailed in pain as the teeth dug into him.





Meanwhile, Celestia, Luna, the guards, citizens, and what rebels remained watched the fight from a distance. The two smaller monsters were tag teaming the much larger one, who continued to refuse to back down. Celestia watched with wide eyes as Junior was struck in the thigh by Rokmutul's spiked tail, which pierced into his scales and caused him to bleed. The Kaiju hunched over in pain as his wound bled, and was knocked onto his belly by Tyrantdactly as he pushed him from his dive. The sound of the ground rumbling filled the air as small explosions occurred.

"How could that be Gojira, Celestia?" asked Luna as she watched the battle.

"I just have this feeling," said Celestia as she watched Junior stand back up to his feet while Rokmutul bit his arm. The Kaiju screeched in pain from the bite, and then swiped a claw at Rokmutul's eye, causing him to release the arm. Rokmutul wailed as he fell to the ground and began to graze his head against the street as if to stop the pain in his eye. Junior kicked Rokmutul in the rib, causing him to slam into a nearby building.

"Remember what we were told, Luna. Some Transmutants have a great power. Our visions, where great beasts will do battle. They are linked!" said Celestia as the roars of the monsters filled the air. Celestia turned as she found a red patterned fairy flying towards them.

"Is it true? Are these Kaiju actually Transmutants?" asked Celestia, wanting confirmation.

"It is. Behold, Gojira Takeshi the second as the great leviathan of the sea. He does battle against Tyrantdactly, the flyer, and Rokmutul, the multi-limb beast," said the fairy as she gazed out to the destruction.

"Kaiju are the most powerful living creatures ever to exist. Now, they have returned in the form of the Transmutants, where they will wage war for the world," said the fairy as Junior snapped his jaws at the flyer. Luna turned to the fairy with a glare.

"We can't let this go on! They're destroying everything in their path! How can we stop them?!" demanded Luna. She couldn't take seeing the sight of one of Equestria's cities falling victim to these giants.

"There's nothing you can do!" said the fairy in a loud tone, startling those nearby.

"Troops, aircrafts, rockets, they were all used before, all they do is confuse and antagonize them further. The Kaiju fear and bow to no animal nor man but the one who forged them from the Earth! They are living forces of nature, unable to be tamed! However, some have been reborn in the form of your ally Transmutants, who retain those memories and feelings even in this state! You must let them do what they must do and not take part in the fight, or else it will be your end!" said the fairy with a tone of frustration, knowing just how many lives were needlessly lost because of their attempts to fight these monsters.

"There is nothing you can do to destroy them. All that you can do is save as many people as possible from the coming disasters, because your magic and the Elements of Harmony have no dominion over them. For Kaiju are the primal stones to keep the balance of nature," said the fairy in a calmer tone. Celestia looked down in disbelief. If the Kaiju were undeterred by magic and the Elements of Harmony, the most powerful things in Equestria, then there was nothing that they could do to fight back against them.

"They can't be stopped," whispered Celestia.






Meanwhile...


Discord flew around the neighborhood, moving debris via levitation magic, exposing those that were buried under. As he, Junior’s group, Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie tended to them, they heard the monstrous roars in the air. Fluttershy flinched as she quickly turned to find Rokmutul being thrown towards a building just a couple miles away. As it collapsed, a much larger kaiju emerged. Fluttershy trembled in fear as the kaiju stomped about as the buildings that hid them from the monsters obscured his lower body. Tyrantdactly roared as he swooped over the dark dragon's head and grazed his claws against his skull. Junior groaned in pain as he quickly ducked his head and rubbed his clawed hands on it. He snarled as he raised his head up and swiped at the flyer that flew around him.

"Where did that one come from?!" exclaimed Pinkie with wide eyes.

"I don't know, but it's much bigger than the other two," said Rarity with a gulp. Mosura looked at the Kaiju with wide eyes as Tyrantdactly continued to distract him while Rokmutul latched his teeth onto his arm.

"That's Gojira," said Mosura. The girls looked at her in confusion while the rest of the Transmutants analyzed the Kaiju as well.

"Oh shit, you're right! Didn't Amber say he went to the ocean in search of energy?" asked Rodan.

"So, that's what we'll be able to turn into?" asked Angirasu as he looked down at his hand. The girls looked at the monster with wide eyes as it fought the other two. Slowly, they could see the resemblance of the Kaiju with Junior's beast form.

"Gojira..." said Fluttershy in amazement and fear. The creature he changed into was fascinating, particularly how his scales appeared like a hardened lava formation. Discord sighed as he caused the survivors to disappear from the area.

"Well, you are all diverse. So, I doubt you specifically turn into what they are," said Discord. Angirasu gave him a deadpanned stare.

"I know that. I just meant generally as a giant creature," said Angirasu.

"Yes, but you know, I've learned about a lot of freaky creatures throughout my existence. Some were even imitations of Kaiju that ancients called 'Guardian Beasts'," said Discord. The group looked at him in confusion.

"W-Wait, I thought you said you never saw a Kaiju. And what do you mean, imitations of Kaiju?" asked Rodan in confusion.

"Ah. Technically, I never have, especially in the flesh. But what I'm talking about were some cheap knock offs of real Kaiju that I've seen in an alternate reality through a mirror. Remember that part everybody?!" asked Discord loudly, much to the confusion of the group. Discord cleared his throat, hoping to have stirred up some memories to outsiders.

"One of them was a silly tortoise. Pfft! How lame is that compared to Goji boy up there?! They've got nothing on genuine Kaiju, since they were-" Discord was interrupted as a loud crash filled the air. They looked up and found Junior stumbling through nearby buildings as Rokmutul hung from his neck while Tyrantdactly was latched to his back. The girls gave terrified screams as they came tumbling their way. Rodan grabbed Discord by the color with a look of panic.

"Story time later! Get us the hell out of here!!" cried Rodan. Discord quickly snapped his fingers, causing the entire group to disappear and to reappear on a faraway building's roof.

"I don't think this is the best place to be," deadpanned Mosura as she looked over the edge, finding the long drop towards the street.

"No worries. Worst comes to worst, we teleport instantly out of here!" said Discord. He then clapped his paws together as he watched Junior stumbled through the street.

"Now, I say we saved all that we can. Let's take a break," said Discord as he sat down in a recliner he had spawned and popped his joints with a relieved sigh. Everyone looked at him in disapproval. Fluttershy gasped as she heard Junior giving pained roars.

She turned and found him attempting to bite Tyrantdactly as he hung on his back. However, Rokmutul jumped and bit him in the shoulder. Junior stumbled back as he groaned in pain while trying to turn his neck to chomp on the quadruped. However, his jaws failed to reach Rokmutul as his neck was held up by his enemy's skull. Junior's massive size made it difficult for him to properly to fight these two smaller monsters at once, which was already a challenge given that there were more than one Kaiju fighting him. It was also harder to navigate through the area given his weight, causing him to fall back with the added weight on him. Junior groaned as he fell against a tall building, his dorsal plates grazing against it and causing it to collapse. As Tryantdactly flew into the air to avoid being crushed, Rokmutul began to jab his horns against Junior's side and bit down on him.

Fluttershy flinched as she cupped her mouth in horror as this happened. She watched as Trantdactly ascended into the air, carrying dust into the wind he created. He gave a shrill screech as he quickly dropped down on Junior and jabbed his claws and weight against the back of his neck and head, causing Junior to moan in pain and distress. Everyone stared with anxiousness and fear for the Kaiju. Fluttershy felt herself tearing up as she watched her dear friend suffer. She had seen him take hits before, most that horrified her, but this seemed worse. He was fighting with two other monsters that could stand together to take him on. He was alone, and there was the possibility of him losing. Rokmutul's one good eye glared at Junior, while his other eye was red, blind, with scars over his brow. He roared as he opened his jaws wide and bit down on Junior's whole muzzle and part of his brow, causing blood to splatter from the bite wounds. This was Fluttershy's breaking point as she witnessed this.

"They're going to kill him!" cried Fluttershy with dread. She began to take off into the air, but Pinkie and Rarity quickly grabbed her by her legs and began to pull her down before she could fly away.

"Darling, no! You can't go out there!" cried Rarity. Fluttershy attempted to pry off her friends as they held her back. Her eyes ran with tears as she was distraught. Discord raised himself off his recliner as he saw this, ignoring his ‘break’.

"He needs our help! He'll die otherwise! Please!" cried Fluttershy with a sob. Angirasu rushed to her side and wrapped her into his arms tightly. Fluttershy attempted to pry herself off him, but she couldn't overpower his embrace.

"Fluttershy, stop! If you go out there, you will die!" shouted Angirasu. Fluttershy went silent as Angirasu pulled her away and held her by her shoulders tightly, glaring at her. He was panting as he held her.

"What do you think you can do? What can we do? If you go out there, you will be killed by them, because to them, you're an ant! If you were stepped on, they wouldn't even know it! How do you think Gojira would feel knowing that one of his dear friends, the first one who had shown him kindness, had been killed because of his fight?" asked Angirasu. Fluttershy gave a small gasp as she thought of this. More tears streamed her cheeks while the others were silent, but feeling the same pain that she was feeling.

"Gojira would blame himself. Don't put him through that. We must hope that he can come out on top, because he has always done it before. I know he can do it again. As much as I hate to say it, we can't help him now," said Angirasu as he held Fluttershy by one shoulder and wiped away a tear from her cheek. Fluttershy sniffled as she threatened to break into another sob.

"But I'll blame myself if we don't do something," muttered Fluttershy. Angirasu deeply frowned in response. Meanwhile, Discord watched Fluttershy's distraught state as she buried her head against Angirasu's chest, sobbing. He watched as the others held deep frowns as they bore a look of helplessness. Discord watched as Junior was still down on the ground while he was attacked.

A memory from his past when he was but a statue in the garden, gathering up feces from the birds, Junior had visited him when he was a pre-teenager. He remembered how the boy was covered in cuts and bruises, with his clothes slightly torn. He recalled how the child had talked about how he had gotten into a big fight with some boys. He displayed displeasure of being in the fight, but he remembered how the boy was proud to have been triumphant against them, as he smiled at him with a tooth missing. He always seemed like such a resilient individual, even from a young age. But watching him now had Discord finding that the boy who was a proud winner in fights was now fighting for his life, and he was losing. Discord grimaced as he watched, turning towards his hands as they slightly sparked with his magic. He clenched them into fists as he narrowed his eyes as he deeply exhaled.

"Ugh. The things I do for you people!" said Discord as he took off into the air and left the group. Everyone turned their attention to the Spirit of Chaos as he soared towards the battle.

"Discord!" cried Fluttershy. The Draconequus flew above the fight as his hands glowed from his chaos magic.

"Gojira you owe me for this!" said Discord as he shot a beam of chaos magic towards Rokmutul's back, causing him to release Junior. He grunted in response as he turned and found Discord shooting his beam at him. He roared angrily as he stomped towards him, while Tyrantdactly flew off Junior and towards Discord.

"Uh oh!" Discord took off through the air as the flyer pursued him. Junior groaned as he slightly raised his head and saw Tyrantdactly leaving, while Rokmutul had his tail turned towards him. He stood up slightly and bit down on the tail. Rokmutul shrieked in pain as he thrashed about. Junior then grabbed the tail with both hands and released his bite. He stood up and dragged Rokmutul across the street and slammed him against three buildings. Junior panted as his wounds bled. He flared his nostrils as he shook off the pain.





The streets were covered in debris and remnants of the buildings that once stood proudly. From a large pile of rubble, debris was blasted away by two different colored magic auras. From the blast emerged Sunset Shimmer, who was covered in dust, bruises, and scratches. She coughed as she moved stones away, while Erika emerged beside her. The two helped Applejack and Rainbow out of the rubble. Twilight shakily raised herself out from rubble as well, with her cheek scratched, her forehead bruised, and her clothes slightly torn. She groaned as she dropped to her knees, while Erika rushed to her side to help her. Twilight was beyond exhausted from mustering up all the power that she could to save herself and the others. Her head throbbed and her muscles ached from the intense day that she and her friends have been forced to survive.

"Can you walk?" asked Erika.

"I... I think so," said Twilight as she slowly stood. Her muscles ached and she felt a lack of energy in her to be physically be active. However, nothing seemed to be broken. Twilight sighed as she looked around at the others, finding them all bruised up, cut, and dirty. Their clothes managed to remain whole but with a few tears and holes from this day. Twilight could only imagine how Rarity was reacting over herself from her condition. Rainbow gave a relieved chuckle.

"I can't believe we survived! Haha! You two saved our butts!" said Rainbow as she gave a thumbs up to Sunset and Twilight.

"Yep. Y'all sure are some fine magic users," said Applejack as she dusted her hat. Sunset smiled as she looked towards Twilight.

"I gotta admit, I'm impressed by your shield's durability. Considering how a building fell on us," said Sunset. Twilight smiled with a look of flattery.

"Likewise. Normally I have a hard time casting a spell when under stressful situations. But I think my spell would have failed if you hadn't cast yours, which I believe was what at least helped kept us from serious injury," said Twilight. Rainbow sighed in annoyance as she stepped in between the two.

"OK, yeah! You're both magical geniuses! But can we get back to the fact that there are giant monsters destroying the city!" said Rainbow. The rest of the group began to look around the area as the sound of gusts of wind howled through the city. Applejack gasped as she spotted Tyrantdactly soaring above, chasing a small figure.

"That varmint can circle back here any moment," said Applejack with a gulp.

"Then let's get out of here before it does," said Twilight. The group fled from the rubble that had once buried them and continued to navigate through the streets of the city. With every second, the horrific sounds of the monsters filled their hearing. The ground beneath them began to tremble, causing the girls to stumble. From their left, Junior stomped about from another street as he held his hands against Rokmutul's jaws as they attempted to snap at his neck. Twilight couldn't help but glance at the sight of these two titans battling to the death, as the earth trembled before their massive size. Suddenly, a row of buildings was smashed through as Rokmutul came crashing down, cutting off the girls from their path. They screamed in fright as the titan snarled as he attempted to stand, but his back was stomped on by Junior, pinning him down to the ground.

"This way!" called Applejack as she led the girls in the opposite direction in the street. But then, Tyrantdactly swooped in through the air, with Discord flying away.

"Gang away!" shouted Discord as he flew, with the kaiju on his tail. The girls ducked for cover as the wind threatened to blow them off their feet. Discord flew towards Junior's head, where he suddenly vanished. The charcoal grey dragon shot his attention towards the flying kaiju, who gave a shriek of alarm. Junior opened his jaws and caught him by the wing, clamping down hard. The loud shriek deafened everyone in the area, while Junior shook his head violently as he stepped off Rokmutul. He then swung his head, slamming Tyrantdactly against the nearest building, causing chunks of it to fly off and crash into the street. He released Tyrantdactly, who ended up spinning through the air briefly before steadying himself in the air.

Junior snarled as he watched the flyer soar around, making a turn in his direction. The Guardian growled as he tensed as the flyer came closer. He then turned around, just as the Revolutionary came closer, and swung his tail against his body, slamming him against another taller building. The force of both the tail and the kaiju's collision against the building caused a shock wave that spread debris and rubble everywhere. The building rumbled, and the girls fell to the ground as they felt the tremors. Junior turned his head back and found Tyrantdactly to have been impaled by the steel wreckage within the building's side. His wounds bled and his mouth foamed. Tyrantdactly twitched as he groaned, slowly closing his reptilian eyes.

Junior turned away as he lowered his head, panting. His wounds and his inexperience as a giant had begun to take its toll on him. He felt tired, and desired to rest. His dorsal plates briefly flickered as he groaned. Meanwhile down below in the street, Twilight stared up at the Kaiju as he panted. She then heard rumbling, which also drew the attention of Junior. The humans and the Kaiju looked up to the tall building and found it beginning to crumble and tilt over. Twilight's eyes widened.

"Run!!" screamed Twilight. The girls quickly took off in the opposite direction as the building fell. They ran with all the speed that they could muster, while Junior found the building to have fallen on his back, causing him to drop down. He groaned as he landed on his hands, but was forced onto his belly as the rest of the building came down on him. The debris spread through the air, moving through the streets. The girls took cover in an alley with a large magical force field over them, while the debris came over them.

From the distant rooftop of a tall building, the rest of the Main Six, and the rest of the Transmutant Four watched in horror as the debris shrouded the battlefield.

"Gojira..." muttered Fluttershy with wide eyes.

From the street, Twilight, Erika, Sunset, Applejack and Rainbow Dash panted as they watched the debris shroud over them as they remained safe in the magical bubble. Twilight closed her eyes briefly as she forced her hands out, causing the force field to expand and push away the debris from the air. She and Sunset began to use their magic to round up the debris and proceeded to force it away through the air. As they moved through the street, they found rubble to be scattered everywhere, while fire burned. Suddenly, a massive reptilian hand came into their sight, crashing down onto the ground just down the street. The girls stopped in fright, only to find Junior to be standing on his hands as he panted. His muzzle and brow were covered in scratches and his small amber eyes opened, revealing tired eyes.

"Oh nelly." Applejack stepped back with a nervous look, while Twilight stared with wide eyes. The Kaiju looked their way, causing them to stiffen in his sight. Twilight slowly began to step down the street.

"Twi! What are you doing?!" asked Rainbow in alarm, but Twilight didn't answer. Instead, she continued her course until she stepped a bit closer to the Kaiju down the street, who's eyes focused on her. Twilight's expression was soft, and her eyes locked with the Kaiju's. Junior's eyes were soft as well as he lightly panted. Behind this beast's eyes, there was the gateway to his very soul, which she was very familiar with. Junior groaned as he closed his eyes and lied himself down, while Twilight gasped in alarm. She reached out to him, but the clouds of smoke began to shroud his face, blocking him from her sight. Twilight lowered her hands as she stood by, helpless to help him.

"Twi?" called Applejack. Twilight looked back at her friends, finding the confused and worried faces of the others. Twilight was about to respond, but heard a low growl, prompting her to turn back and found a massive figure to be moving through the smoke. She gasped as she found Rokmutul appearing, glaring at the humans with one good eye. He opened his mighty jaws and gave a roar, causing the girls to turn tail and run. The Kaiju walked on his six legs, stumbling through rubble and the tight street that he was in, scraping his sides of his body and his tail against the buildings. Twilight briefly looked back, finding the Kaiju to be stomping after them, still roaring.

"He's keeping up!" shouted Twilight.

"Don't look back! Keep running!" shouted Sunset. The girls continued their run, but it was futile. Rokmutul was growing closer every second, crawling after them. He then began to gallop, causing the girls to fall to the ground from the quakes that his weight was causing with his running. The girls looked back in horror as Rokmutul was gaining speed. They screamed as the beast opened its mouth wide.

Suddenly, Rokmutul shrieked as he was suddenly dragged away. The girls looked on in shock as they found Junior standing back up to his feet, dragging the six-legged Kaiju away. Junior then swung him against several buildings and threw him to where the tall building had originally buried him. Rokmutul thrashed his legs as he was on his back but was stomped in the chest by his foe. Junior snarled as his spines on his tail began to light up. The dorsal plates glowed a neon blue, which trailed up his back. A low whir came from him as he opened his mouth and inhaled, revealing a neon blue light from the back of his throat. Junior then forced his head down as he opened his jaws, spewing forth his atomic breath down into the face of the Revolutionary. Rokmutul gave a shrill screech as he thrashed his legs in attempt to get up, but Junior's foot against his chest kept him down. His face was scorched by the hot radiation. After several seconds, Rokmutul went limp, prompting Junior to stop his atomic breath, finding his enemy's face to be burnt to a crisp.

Junior stepped off him and stood among the destruction and the dead Kaiju. The thunder roared as lightning flashed, while Junior puffed his chest out and roared to the heavens. His roar ended in a low bellow, which echoed out into the night. Twilight stared in amazement as he stood victorious. Kaiju were great creatures, ferocious, formidable, and frightening. Even going against two at once, Junior managed to emerge victorious.

"Wow," said Rainbow in awe.

"Double wow," said Applejack as she adjusted her hat out of her sight. Twilight and Sunset couldn't have agreed more as the Kaiju turned and stomped away. Suddenly, Junior groaned as he swayed in place, while his dorsal plates briefly flickered. He then fell over on his belly, crushing a couple of buildings under him, much to the girls' shock. The fall caused the ground beneath them to shake, nearly knocking them to the ground. As the debris rose into the air, Twilight stared in anxiety.

"Gojira!" cried Twilight as she ran down the street.

"What?" asked the girls in shock. Twilight ran further down the street, rounding the corners to reach the Kaiju's site where he had fallen. As rubble fell from buildings, fires raged, and Kaiju corpses lied, Twilight continued with the victorious Kaiju in mind. She soon found herself climbing over rubble, where Junior lied on the ground. Twilight panted as she found Junior's head just a few feet away. The Kaiju breathed softly through his nostrils, with heavy eyes. Twilight felt her eyes tearing up as she found the Kaiju to be bleeding from his wounds, which spilled to the ground.

"Gojira!" cried Twilight. Junior's eyes looked down to her, locking with her own. Twilight stared as she trembled, not out of fear, in despair. Twilight stepped closer as she raised a hand and placed it on the creature's chin, feeling his rough and cold scales. Junior gave a small groan as he felt Twilight's small hand. Twilight gave a small laugh as her eyes watered.

"You did it, Gojira. You saved us all. You did it," said Twilight as she pressed her forehead against Junior's scales. The Kaiju merely gave weak groans as he felt his eyes grow heavy. Twilight noticed this, and gasped as she found Junior's eyes fluttering closed.

"Gojira. Gojira, please don't. Don't close your eyes," pleaded Twilight with a desperate look. Junior merely lowered his eyes as his lids closed, while Twilight watched helplessly. The Kaiju went silent. He didn't seem to be breathing, and his groans had ceased. Twilight shook as her eyes ran with tears.

"No. No! Gojira!" cried Twilight as she quickly patted Junior's scales. But the Kaiju didn't respond. Twilight began to beat her fists against his scales, her cheeks completely stained in her tears.

"Gojira!!" cried Twilight. Her voice echoed out into the night. She dropped to her knees as she sobbed uncontrollably. She leaned her head against the Kaiju as she sobbed. Meanwhile, Sunset, Applejack, and Rainbow stared at the Kaiju that lied motionlessly, with looks of disbelief as Twilight cried.

"No. I-It can't be," said Rainbow in a soft tone, feeling herself tear up herself.





The early morning sun shone above. The storm had been cleared, revealing Manehattan to be lying in ruins. The air was filled with debris and smoke, but the causes were no longer a threat. Seagulls began to flock over to the carcasses of Rokmutul and Tyrantdactly, who lied dead in rubble. Denizens of Manehattan, who had failed to escape the city, were emerging from their shelters. Meanwhile, there were royal guards, rebels, and the fire department assisting in finding survivors that may have been trapped. Discord stood with Fluttershy as they helped treat those who were injured. Meanwhile, Celestia and Luna looked over the destruction with deep frowns. Many people suffered during this attack while others perished. The knowledge of this weighed heavy on their hearts.

"I'm going to help look for survivors, sister," said Luna as she took off into the air. Celestia looked around, with her eyes scanning the area. She found the dead Kaiju in the distance, where the seagulls fed on their bodies. She made her way over to the area as more authorities assisted in finding survivors in this region. Celestia noticed tall dorsal plates just obscured by a building, prompting her to go around it. Her eyes widened as she found Twilight kneeling before the body of a massive charcoal grey Kaiju. One that she knew all too well. Celestia rushed to the area with moist eyes, where she found Sunset, Erika, Applejack and Rainbow Dash comforting the petite elf. Twilight sobbed as she remained on her knees.

"No..." said Celestia as she stepped over to their position.

"Princess," said Applejack in surprise, her own eyes puffy as the rest of the girls. Celestia merely stood by as she cupped a hand over her mouth, holding in a sob.

"Junior," whispered Celestia as she allowed a few tears to fall. Sunset's eyes softened as she glanced at her former mentor. She knew full well just how close she was to the Transmutant, being the one who raised him. Despite what anger she felt towards her from the past, Sunset felt sympathy. She looked at Junior sadly as he lied in rubble, where seagulls flew overhead. Suddenly, a snort filled the air, startling everyone in the area. They shot their heads up and found Junior's head shifting in place as he scared the seagulls. His amber eyes opened, wincing at the sun light. Twilight's tears had ceased as she stared with wide eyes. Celestia gasped as she felt her heart leap. Junior groaned as his body gave off a soft neon blue glow. His body was engulfed in the glow, where it began to shrink and morph before their very eyes. The humans shielded their eyes from the bright light, finding Junior to have been returned to normal, lying naked in rubble. The humans quickly rushed over to the Transmutant, surrounding him.

"Gojira!" cried Twilight.

"Junior!" cried Celestia as she took the Transmutant into his arms. She found him looking up to her with a weak smile.

"I'm... Good," said Junior with a rasp. Celestia gave a joyful short sob as she held Junior close. Twilight joined in the hug as she cried joyfully as well, while Applejack wiped a small tear while Rainbow bore a look of relief. Sunset softly smiled as she felt her eyes stung, while Erika placed a hand on her shoulder, looking at the scene with a soft smile. Suddenly, Sunset noticed that journalists were taking notes several feet away, as photographers took photos of the scene. Sunset grimaced.

"Oh man," said Sunset in worry.
> Chapter 70: Homecoming
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cold air filled the Echo 54 base located in Neighpon. The soldiers continued their usual nights of patrolling or resting. Boots made the metal floors clanked throughout the dimly lit, empty halls. From inside the mech docking area, the machines were standing in their own docked spots, where wires and clamps held them upright. The room was dark, and not a peep came. The entire room was almost like an industrialized child's room, where lifeless dolls were displayed, rather than a docking area of killing machines. Among them, Kiryu had its own space in the corner to compensate for its significantly larger size. The machine's armor was buffed up recently, bearing a few quickly replaced metal panels to make up for its last battle and save on expenses. Its once destroyed optic was replaced and hidden behind the glass visor, which was completely dark.
Outside of the base, a mist began to flow through the grass, slithering onto the grounds of the base. The mist passed the boots of any soldier standing guard for the night, and seeped its way under the metal doors of the base. It continued to flow through the dimly lit base, navigating through the halls as if it had a mind of its own.

The mist then stopped flowing and turned down another hall, where it seeped through the mech docking bay. Here, the mist proceeded to flow passed the mechs that remained inactive in their lifeless state. However, it surrounded the feet of Kiryu and flowed into the gaps of the machine.







As the air was filled with several carriages being pulled by pegasi, the morning sun shone over the land. Celestia sat in a carriage where she watched Twilight Sparkle leaning against Junior, as he lied covered in blankets. The young man was softly breathing as the skin around his neck bore scars from a previous battle. The horrors she had witnessed. Luna, Discord and herself were no match against those monsters. Their magic had little to no effect on them. Not even the rebels' weapons were a match. They were all but ants to the colossal beings. Celestial gulped as she bore a look of dread.

"If two can cause that much mayhem, then an army..." Celestia's mind wandered back to the city that was left in ruin, and her subjects that had lost their lives. The Avatar clenched her fists as her expression hardened.








Later...


Angirasu was sighing as he sat at the bedside of Fluttershy. The cottage was quiet as the morning sun shone through the windows. The Transmutant caressed her head as she bore a peaceful look on her sleeping face. The poor girl was exhausted from the ordeal that occurred in Manehattan. Hell, even he was tired. Angirasu looked to his side and found Angel bunny, some birds, and a large bear to be looking at the Valkyrie in worry.

"She'll be alright, guys. Just let her rest for a while," said Angirasu as he stood up.

"Tell you what. Before I go home, I'll take care of breakfast for you all," said Angirasu.

The animals slowly began to disperse from the bedroom as they followed the Transmutant out. Angirasu spent the next several minutes searching through the cottage, gathering the different types of food for the animals that Fluttershy cared for. Fortunately, it was easy with Angel's silent direction. Although it was much harder to get him in particular to eat his own food, given how picky he was. Eventually, Angirasu managed to feed all of the animals for the morning. He sighed tiredly as he made his way out of the cottage and traveled down the path to the Everfree forest. However, he stopped as he found Caesar running towards him on all fours. The Shisa skidded to a halt.

"Caesar?" Angirasu turned to fully face the Shisa.

"Angirasu, are you busy?" asked Caesar.

"Not really. I was about to head home to rest. It has been one hell of a night after all," said Angirasu. Caesar nodded in response.

"Yes. We are fortunate that Junior was victorious against the Revolutionaries," said Caesar.

"Yeah. So, why do you ask?" asked Angirasu.

"I am going back to Neighpon," said Caesar. Angirasu's eyes widened.

"Why?" asked Angirasu.

"I need to go and retrieve the remains of Gojira Takeshi the First," said Caesar.

"I... I don't think Gojira Junior would approve of that. I can't say that I do either. That's desecrating his father's memory by digging him back up and bringing him here," said Angirasu with a worried look.

"No, child. His father's remains are in the hands of MONARCH. They re-purposed him for a machine," said Caesar. Angirasu's eyes widened.

"I... I had no idea. Does he know?" asked Angirasu.

"He does. Amber recently looked into his memories as he was brought to Twilight Sparkle's home. He knows full well," said Caesar.

"I... I don't know what to say about this. I wonder why he hasn't told us," said Angirasu in confusion.

"Perhaps he didn't want to worry you. But, he's aware, and is far from happy," said Caesar. Angirasu looked to the Shisa.

"So, you're going to bring his remains back to rest?" asked Angirasu.

"In a way. But, he will not be able to rest. I sense his presence in this world," said Caesar as he briefly closed his eyes. Angirasu bore a look of confusion.

"His presence?" asked Angirasu.

"Yes. He is suffering, and he is trapped," said Caesar solemnly. He then looked to Angirasu with a firm look.

"He can not rest until he completes his unfinished business in the world of the living. Only then, can he finally rest," said Caesar. Angirasu's expression softened.

"But, I suppose I must go on my own. Junior is recovering from battle, and the rest of you are exhausted. No matter," said Caesar as he began to walk off. Angirasu quickly got in his path.

"Wait. If you're going into enemy territory, then you'll need help. I'll go with you. I can sleep when I'm dead," said Angirasu in a joking manner.

"We'll just be riding a ship to the island. But are you certain that you want to come? It will be dangerous," said Caesar. Angirasu nodded in response.

"Of course. Gojira is my friend. I'm willing to risk my own life to help him," said Angirasu. Caesar nodded in response.
"Very well. Then I recommend you leaving a note. It'll be a long journey," said Caesar.







An enraged cry filled the icy halls of the temple of the Shadow. Destoroyah threw an ice block across the room against a stone wall. Sombra merely stood by with a neutral expression next to Thanatos and Ghidorah as the founder of the Revolutionaries threw his tantrum.

"Worthless! Weak!" roared Destoroyah in anger. He panted as hunched over, his blood boiling. Not even the cold could tame him.

"Those fools. Their failure to kill Takeshi is a disgrace," said Destoroyah.

"Calm yourself, Destoroyah," said Sombra. Destoroyah looked at him angrily.

"Calm myself?!" yelled Destoroyah

Ghidorah sighed in exasperation at Destoroyah.

"Shut up, cue ball. The reason they lost was because Gojira was a superior species," said Ghidorah.

"But he was outnumbered two to one! He should have lost! One of them flew for crying out loud!" yelled Destoroyah as he stomped towards Ghidorah, who held his arms crossed.

"Don't underestimate his species, Destoroyah. They were on top of the food chain in their era. Trust me, I know," said Ghidorah.

"What would a lapdog like you know?! You-" Destoroyah was interrupted as Ghidorah grabbed his shoulder. A hard expression was on his face as he locked his fire colored eyes with Destoroyah's.

"Call me that again. I fucking dare you," said Ghidorah in a low tone. Destoroyah growled as he narrowed his eyes.

"Enough!" said Sombra, drawing the two's attention. Ghidorah scoffed as he shoved Destoroyah back, who merely snarled in response.

"This war isn't over yet, Destoroyah. You forget that there are still many of you Transmutants left with the same power," said Sombra.

"But we can't even enact this power for some time! You said it yourself!" said Destoroyah.

"Patience. I've been in an icy tomb for a millennium. This will be nothing," said Sombra.

"But it does pose a concern. They may be attempting to look for us to eliminate the Revolutionaries," said Thanatos. Sombra nodded.

"Yes. But we shall play this smart. We keep them out of sight for as long as possible. Besides, we may not need the Revolutionaries to be fully ready to bring down Equestria," said Sombra as he turned to his icy throne.

"What do you mean?" asked Ghidorah.

"I'll soon seize the power that I was denied so long ago. Once I do, I shall have enough power to wage war against the Princesses for dominance. And when your Transmutants are ready, you shall bring their allies to their knees," said Sombra.

"Those Genesis Gems seemed to be rather powerful, considering they brought the dead back from Tartarus," deadpanned Destoroyah.

"Yes. But just about anyone could wield their power. It was best that I sacrificed them for an upgrade to my allies rather than allow traitors to use God-like powered gems against me," said Sombra as he sat at his throne. Destoroyah scoffed in response.

"Now, you will be experiencing the power that you have been blessed with through the coming days. It is up to you and your followers to master them for combat before your souls have become accustomed enough to your past lives' spiritual essence to wield the same power as Gojira," said Sombra. Destoroyah nodded, though he bore a bitter expression. His goals kept getting delayed every time.

Meanwhile in the quarters of Battra Yasu. The black haired Transmutant was carrying an empty travel bag, while Megaguirus rushed to him with a teleportation stone.

"You ready?" asked Battra. Megaguirus nodded.

"Yeah," said Megaguirus as she held the stone forward to a wall. A portal appeared before the two, allowing them to step through. They found themselves appearing in an alley in Trotkyo, Neighpon. They rushed out of the alley and into the cold, where snow covered the streets. They found themselves making their way to the apartment of Mai Yoshida.
They eventually found themselves at her door. Having knocked on it, Mai had answered. She bore a bright smile.

"Hey! Happy Hearth's Warming!" said Mai as she gave Battra and Megaguirus a hug.

"Hey, Yoshida-san," greeted Battra with a smile. Megaguirus awkwardly returned the hug.

'Sneaking a hug on him I see,' thought Megaguirus as Mai shot her a quick smirk, unbeknownst to Battra. The two entered the young woman's home, where they found Abra and Hok in the living room, with their babies.

"Oh my gosh! They've gotten so big so fast!" cooed Megaguirus as she knelt next to Abra.

"I know. They even eat a lot," said Abra with a chuckle. Battra smiled as he looked at the infants, who babbled in the arms of their parents. He looked around the house, finding a small plastic tree to be standing by the window with lights turned off, and a couple of gifts to be lying by it.

"Sorry we couldn't make it over for Hearth's Warming Eve, guys. We had something to take care of," said Battra apologetically as Mai was in the kitchen, pouring cups of coffee.

"Hey, I know you guys are busy. But you're here now," said Mai with a smile. Battra nodded to her. He then took a seat next to Hok, while looking back at Mai briefly.

"Hok, I need to talk to you in private," whispered Battra in Equish. Hok raised a brow.

"Now," said Battra with an urgent look. Hok nodded worriedly.

"Megaguirus, you mind?" asked Hok as he held out his daughter Hope.

"Sure," said Megaguirus as she took the baby from his hands, who giggled.

"Aw! Who's a Boosa?" cooed Megaguirus as she nuzzled her nose against the infant's tummy, who laughed hysterically.
"Who's a Boosa?" asked Abra in confusion. Megaguirus shrugged.

"I heard some dad say that to his baby in Equestria. I thought it was cute because it rhymed. So... Yeah." Megaguirus looked away in embarrassment. Meanwhile, Battra led Hok down into the hallway of the apartment.

"Listen... I'm... I'm thinking of leaving the Revolutionaries," said Battra. Hok's eyes widened in shock.

"You... Battra, you've always been the most devoted to the group," said Hok. Battra nodded.

"I know. I know. But I just... I can't do this anymore. For years, I've been blinded by my hatred for MONARCH and humans. I forgot that I was one of them once, but then I met Mai Yoshida and I reunited with my sister... I just can't be a part of it anymore," said Battra as he shook his head.

"Did you see the sky 2 nights ago?" asked Battra.

"More like days. It was daytime when that weird light appeared," said Hok.

"Did you... Feel anything?" asked Battra.

"Well... I felt a shock in my body. But it was sudden. I don't know. Abra did too," said Hok.

"No..." said Battra as he looked down as he clenched his fist.

"Wait, what do you know about this?" asked Hok in confusion and worry.

"Hok... since Meg and I are thinking of splitting off, why not you and your family come with us?" asked Battra. Hok bore a surprised look.

"But..."

"I'm serious! Look, you have three kids! Your wife can't raise them on her own! And what happened... It's complicated. But Destoroyah will use you and I because of it," said Battra.

"But where would we go? We can't stay with Mai forever," said Hok.

"I know. I plan on going to Equestria when we're ready. I know my sister can help us," said Battra.

"Battra, Equestria won't accept us," said Hok.

"Hok, Destoroyah is going to force us to kill millions of people. I rather be somewhere that I'm not accepted than to take the life of those who did me no wrong again," said Battra with narrowed eyes. Hok sighed heavily.

"Destoroyah may not be who we thought he was, Hok. I'm done living like this. And I don't want you to follow in what I've done," said Battra as he began to walk away. Hok held his head with a deep breath.







A ship sailed across the sea. Waves crashed against the hull as the noon sun hung over the horizon. The sunlight glistened over the ocean water, shimmering onto the surface of the boat's bottom.
Angirasu sat awkwardly on a bench seat. He felt stares on him from other people. Well, the stares were mainly on the large lion/dog-like beast that sat next to him. There was at least two rows worth of empty seats around them, while the passengers were sitting beyond.

"Do you ever feel like you're being watched, Angirasu? I feel like I am right now," said Caesar. Angirasu looked over his shoulder.

"Gee, I wonder why," said Angirasu sarcastically. "Anyway, what's the plan?"

"The plan is to find the machine called, ‘Kiryu’, and then extract it from MONARCH. The spirit will then be free to go about its unfinished business," replied Caesar.

"No, I know the motivation and the goal. But how are we accomplishing it?" questioned Angirasu.

"By eliminating anyone in our path," answered Caesar. Angirasu sighed heavily as he rubbed his brows.

"But we're infiltrating a MONARCH base. We're against an army!" said Angirasu.

"Have faith, Angirasu. For a powerful force dwells within you," said Caesar in reassurance. Angirasu sighed in dismay.

"I'm regretting coming along, already," said Angirasu.









The sound of crumbling filled the air. Smoked burned his throat and wails filled his hearing. Junior was on the ground as he heard the wails grow louder and louder. All around him, buildings tumbled and collapsed onto the ground. Junior briefly closed his eyes and reopened. Around him were suddenly hundreds of mangled and crushed bodies, along with massive foot prints on the ground. Junior was breathing heavily as distant and ominous roars filled his roars. His dark world suddenly faded.

Junior found himself lying on a bed. His heart was pounding and was beginning to settle. The Transmutant raised himself up and found Twilight to be resting her head on his bedside. Her hair was a mess and she was still dressed in clothes. Junior began to reach for her to touch. However, memories of the previous night returned to him. He retracted his arm and placed it on his lap. A heavy heart was in his chest. The Transmutant stood up and made his way out of the guest room, after he draped the blanket over Twilight's shoulders, and into the main room of the library. No one was present. He sluggishly walked towards the window and found the late afternoon outside. Not a whole lot of folks were out today, which may be a good sign for now. Junior sighed heavily as he sat alone in the kitchen at the table. He shuddered as he rubbed his head only to shot his head up as he heard small footsteps. He found Spike to be flinching with a start as he immediately stopped walking. He was carrying a couple of dishes in his hands.

"Jeez! You scared me!" said Spike.

"Oh. Sorry, Spike," said Junior with a heavy sigh. The little drake looked to him in worry.

"Hey, you OK?" asked Spike. Junior shook his head.

"I feel terrible." answered Junior.

"Maybe you should head back to bed. You need your rest," said Spike. Junior sighed.

"I want to. But I can't. I'm worried that a freaking nightmare will haunt me again," said Junior. Spike placed the dishes at the table and hopped on a chair.

"It's just a nightmare, Goji. It's not real and can't hurt you," said Spike reassuringly. Junior lowered his head.

"It’s more than that. It's a reminder. A reminder what happened a day ago," said Junior.

"Oh," said Spike a bit awkwardly. Junior couldn't fault him. After all, he was just a kid. He never had to experience the trauma Junior had to look at nightmares the way he did.

"It was terrible. A city laid waste. Everyone was powerless to stop it. Except me. Yet I contributed to the damage," said Junior as he buried his face into a hand.

"Come on, you can't take blame for that," said Spike. Junior shook his head.

"Of course I can. I even knocked a skyscraper down that took out at least several blocks," said Junior.

"But you still saved the city, right?" asked Spike, drawing Junior's attention. Spike was looking to him with a smile.

"Without you, there would be nothing left! But you were there, and saved the day! Maybe you accidentally stepped on a building or two. But what you did was awesome. You saved an entire city when no one else could," said Spike.

"And with you and the others standing with you, I know you can beat the other bad guys," said Spike. Junior softly smiled in response at Spike's optimism. It helped raise his spirits after what had happened. Junior nodded to him.

"Yeah. You're right. Thanks, Spike," said Junior as he got and passed Spike, ruffling the scales on his head. The Transmutant returned to the room he was sleeping in and knelt by Twilight as she still slept. He gently shook the elf, which she responded with a mumble.

"Gojira..." mumbled Twilight. Junior gently brought her on the mattress and allowed the girl to snuggle against him as he lied down. He affectionately stroked Twilight's head as he felt the sleep taking him again. With that, Junior returned to a blissful sleep.









The Guardians' lair was silent. The back of the cave only gave the sound of water drops and the flow of the river that ran inside. Rodan was sleeping soundly in his chamber while Erika rested in Junior's chamber. From the house area of the lair, Mosura was currently sitting on the sofa with her eyes on the ground. The memory of the attack on Manehattan was still fresh in her mind. She hadn't slept in hours. The Transmutant's mind was plagued by the memories of titans trampling the streets, knocking over sky scrapers while crushing anyone unfortunate enough to be in their path. Mosura held her arms, recalling those who had perished, littering the streets and buried under rubble. She recalled families being separated, with few being reunited after the horror.


What happened in Manehattan was what the enemy was striving for. A war waged with giant monsters. Or rather, a holocaust, since the weapons of MONARCH, the princesses, and Discord had proven to be useless against the two monsters. If not for Junior, then the entire city would've fallen. This information drove Mosura into an anxious state, unable to sleep or eat. She pondered constantly on how she and her friends stood a chance against the Revolutionaries, who would likely have more Transmutants with this power.


"Do we even stand a chance?" Mosura asked herself.









It was the early noon. Two days have passed since Manehattan was attacked. The city was in the process for planning reconstruction. Meanwhile, people were still missing, or being confirmed for deceased status.
In Canterlot City Hall, there were politicians and nobles of society shouting from across the aisle. Their voices drowned each other out, resulting in an incoherent environment. Celestia was sitting among them from her stand, where a group of guards stood by. Celestia kept her expression neutral amidst this chaos. Though deep down, her heart raced.


"Those monsters nearly destroyed the entire city! It'll take years to rebuild!" said a man in outrage.


"We need MONARCH's help! There could be more out there!" said another man.


"What good will they do? Neither bombs nor any amount of magic could hurt them! It took one of them to kill the others!" said a woman.


"If a Transmutant is capable of becoming one of those giants, then we need to take action immediately!" said a man.


The shouting continued. Celestia sat in silence as she found herself lost in her own thoughts. All hell had broken loose when the Equestrian newspaper was printed for the nation to see. The top story was obviously the incident with the monsters. She glanced at her desk, where a newspaper lied. An image of a dead Kaiju buried in rubble was on the front. The article was titled "Titan Day". It gave a summary of the day's events, covering the arrival of the monsters and the battle that ensued. The last section of the article bore two images. One of a great reptilian Kaiju that lied unconscious, and the second of Celestia embracing Junior among the rubble. The last section covered the fact that the beast had changed into her adopted son. This has sprung major panic and controversy. Today was an example of that.


"Princess Celestia, as your loyal subjects, we demand to know where that Transmutant is!" said a man with a look of outrage. Those near him were shocked by his boldness.


"He's resting, safe in his home," said Celestia in a neutral tone.


"With all due respect, your majesty, he poses a threat to our safety!" said a woman.


"Indeed! He's a threat to the kingdom and its people! And who's to say the other Transmutants aren't the same?" 1uestioned a man. The crowd erupted in arguments.


"I say we exile him to the Badlands!" said a woman.


"No, banish him to Tartarus" shouted a man.


"Just execute him for the lives he's taken!" shouted another man. Celestia was horrified by the suggestions. She was being pressured by her subjects to banish or even kill her adopted son! Doing either was inconceivable. But Celestia had an obligation to protect her subjects. Yet Junior held no ill will towards them and was the one who stopped the monsters. She even had a desire to protect her family.


"Wait!" shouted a voice from the crowd. Everyone went silent, turning their attention to an elf man that spoke. It was Fancy Pants, who cleared his throat.


"Thank you. I do believe that we're missing a crucial fact here," said Fancy Pants as he cleaned his monocle.


"This lad that we're making a fuss about is the one who defeated those monsters," said Fancy Pants.


"Why would we banish the one person who can protect us from the monsters?" asked Fancy Pants.


"That monster caused as much destruction as the others!" said a man.


"An unfortunate turn of events. My heart goes out to Manehattan. But without Mr. Takeshi, I fear that nothing would have been left," said Fancy Pants. Some voices began to argue against the high classed man, not buying his argument. Celestia bore a look of surprise.


"I agree!" said another voice from the crowd. Some gasps of shock came from those in the room. Celestia turned to the source and saw a man standing. She recognized him to be Night Light, Twilight’s father. Next to him was his wife, Twilight Velvet. The two stood together against the mob.


"The devastation could've been worse if it wasn't for Gojira. It would likely have continued to this day as we speak," said Night Light.


"Gojira has also taken part in fighting to protect Ponyville and Canterlot in the past. We can't just turn on a friend!" said Velvet. Some voices murmured, having been brought with arguments that were swaying them, though the rest still argued against them.


"Perhaps we should give him a fair trial," said a man from the crowd, though was immediately berated by those in the room.


"What choice do we have? If the Element Bearers, the Lord of Chaos and the Princesses were unable to defeat the monsters, then we have to rely on the Transmutant!" said a woman.


"But what's stopping him from turning on us?!" demanded a man.


Celestia listened to the crowd going back and forth on the topic. But, from the divided opinions that were brought up, she was confident to go through with an action. Celestia began to bang her gavel, drawing everyone's attention. Everyone was silent.


"It seems that there's one thing to do. We will hold a hearing for Gojira Takeshi. We will determine his fate this way," said Celestia, firmly. Her subjects murmured among themselves. Some were reluctant to even have the 'monster' among them. Celestia knew that she was playing a huge gamble with this, but she needed to ensure stability with her subjects'. If she did nothing, Junior and his friends may surely face persecution without due process, out of fear. At least this way, Celestia could level the playing field for Junior if there were those who felt that the Transmutant was necessary for their security. She only hoped that in the end, it would turn out in Junior's favor.









Angirasu's face stiffened as a beam of sunlight fell upon his face. He drowsily opened his eyes, as his hearing picked up the sounds of birds. The Transmutant found himself lying on a futon in a room. He shot up and began to look around. He was inside of a bedroom, where dressers lied, and a couple of figurines of colorful characters that looked to be dressed in spandex and animal themed armor.


The Transmutant stood up slowly and made his way over to the dresser, where he analyzed the action figures. His expression confused, but with a hint of nostalgia. Angirasu backed away and turned to find toys and dressers that made the room fitting for a child. He began to step out of the room in silence, looking around the hall. He ran a hand along the wall, feeling the texture. His eyes fell upon a portrait that was mounted on the wall. On it was an image of a couple. A man with smooth, grayish brown hair and brown eyes sat next to a woman, who bore short but rough spiky and brown hair. Angirasu's eyes stared at the couple as his chest felt heavy. His eyes then fell upon the child that sat in front of them. A little boy sat between his parents, bearing the spiky hair of his mother, but the soft face and eyes of his father.


Angirasu slowly reached for the portrait, but stopped as he found a picture frame to be resting on a stand below the portrait. He found multiple pictures, where the family was depicted spending time together, but he was focused on one picture specifically. The woman was alone in a portrait. She wore a dark, familiar uniform and a neutral expression as her upper half was framed in the photo. She stood in front of the Neighponese flag. On her shoulder was a patch that depicted the Sergeant rank, with a couple of medals decorated on her left breast. On her cap was the MONARCH insignia. Angirasu stared at that emblem for what felt like an eternity. He clenched his fists as he trembled.


A loud horn suddenly blared. Angirasu's eyes shot wide open. He found himself lying on a bench. His back ached as he shifted to raise himself up. Angirasu turned to find Caesar to be stirring awake, stretching like a feline while yawning.
"It appears that we've arrived," said Caesar. Angirasu turned to look out the window, finding a port to be coming to sight, where a couple of other ships lied. Angirasu stared at the land that lied beyond. He never imagined that he would be back here out of his own free will.


"Neighpon," said Angirasu to himself. He got up and stretched as passengers began to stand.


"Please make your way to the check point after disembarking. Thank you for sailing with us!" said an automated voice on the COM. The voice was followed by one that spoke in Neighponese.


"Let's bail," said Angirasu as he and Caesar sneaked off in the other direction. They made their way through the ship, where they made their way overboard. They dropped to the dock as tourists began to leave. Angirasu and Caesar took off in the opposite direction, taking care to not be seen by anyone in the area. They hid among cargo that was delivered and equipment that were set in the port.


The two had soon found themselves clear from the port, away from the checking point. They weren't going to chance going through security, since that could alert MONARCH of their presence. By now, they believed that some passengers had begun to talk about a dog-lion creature was riding with the passengers. This was all the more reason to bail and stay out of sight. The two were moving through the woods that surrounded the port. Caesar hummed to himself as he closed his red eyes.


"I sense him. He's on the island, alright," said Caesar. He noticed that Angirasu was distracted, staring off through the woods with a blank stare.


"Angirasu?" called Caesar.


"Hmm? I'm sorry, go ahead," said Angirasu.


"Our journey isn't over yet, young one. The lost soul is far beyond our current standing. We must move on quickly," said Caesar as he began to walk on all fours.


"Right. Let's go," said Angirasu as he followed Caesar.









It had been a few hours since Angirasu and Caesar began their journey. The two were careful as to avoid any form of civilization, from cities to villages. They were wandering through a forest. Angirasu felt off his game since he had awakened from his uncomfortable sleep. It wasn't just the stiffness in his back that made him sluggish, it was the dream that he had. It felt like an eternity since he saw the faces of his family. Just being on this island made him feel uneasy. He felt sick.


Angirasu and Caesar suddenly heard the sound of angry voices. They stopped in their tracks and searched for the source. As they hid, the voices grew louder. The two sneaked over to a patch of tall grass, where they peered over. They saw a trio of Kappa, little humanoid turtles. Angirasu recalled these beings. They were known for being trouble makers and sometimes were quite dangerous, leading to people drowning. Their heads bore craters where water was, the source of their life force. Without it filled, they'd die. It was strange to see these creatures far from ponds, rivers or lakes. To do so would risk death. Instead, they were huddled over a puddle where they used containers to carry as much water as possible.


"Unbelievable! Ever since those humans made cities, they've gotten more clever and hogged up of the rivers for themselves!" said a kappa.


"Yeah. And the few free ponds we could find become too risky when they build their fortresses nearby. They'd use us for target practice!" said the second kappa. The third kappa sealed his container and placed a metal cap over his head, plugging the crater and securing the water inside.


"Now we have to live on edge and look for safe water sources!" said the third kappa. Angirasu stepped through the grass, startling the creatures.


"Eek! Human! It's gotten worse!" cried a kappa as they huddled together.


"Hey, I won't hurt you," said Angirasu as he raised his hands.


"W-What do you want?!" demanded another kappa.


"I couldn't help but over hear you guys mentioning a fortress. Did it happen to have an infinity symbol on it or its soldiers?" asked Angirasu.


"Infinity? I thought it was a sideways hour glass," said a kappa in confusion.


"So you've seen it! Could you point us in the right direction?" asked Angirasu as he gestured to Caesar.


"What's in it for us, human-san?" asked a kappa with his arms crossed. Angirasu reached into his back pack and drew out a couple of water bottles.


"I'll trade you these fresh water bottles in exchange for guidance," said Angirasu. The kappa huddled together in whispered. They then turned to Angirasu.


"You have anything yummy?" asked a kappa. Angirasu sighed as he reached into his bag and drew out sandwiches in plastic bags.


"I have these... sandwiches," said Angirasu in reluctance. He really wanted these for himself, but was ready to part with them.


"Do they have cucumber?" asked a kappa eagerly.


"Yep," said Angirasu as he tossed the sandwiches to the critters.


"You have a deal, human!" said a kappa.


Soon, Angirasu and Caesar found themselves to be led through the tall grass that filled the ground.


"You have no idea how hard it's been for us ever since you humans started making big cities around rivers and lakes. We've been reduced to hanging around mud puddles just to survive! All the best water sources are too far!" complained a kappa.


"I'm... sorry to hear that," said Angirasu awkwardly.


"You should! You humans were responsible!" said another kappa. Angirasu sighed in annoyance.


"I can't believe I'm being put down by creatures that drown children," muttered Angirasu under his breath. The group soon came across another patch of tall grass in their path. The kappa pointed to the patch.


"Beyond this grass lies that cursed fortress," said one of the kappa. Angirasu carefully parted the grass, peering through. Beyond the grass, he found an empty field. In this field however was the place where a metallic base lied. Surrounding it were fences.


"Caesar?" called Angirasu. The Shisa hummed.


"Yes. He is close," said Caesar. Angirasu narrowed his eyes, finding that the entrance was guarded, while watchtowers surrounded the perimeter. There wasn't really anyone around outside, so that must have meant that the soldiers were inside the base.


"Looks heavily guarded. Getting in there will be hard part. Hell, the hardest part might be retrieving Goji's father," said Angirasu. He then noticed a truck to be driving up to the entrance of the gate. It was large, with a back covered in a tent-like covering. The truck was allowed to pass through. Angirasu hummed to himself. He pulled away from the grass and looked to Caesar.


"I have an idea, but it's risky," said Angirasu. "We should put some distance from this area though. We have to make sure that we don't attract attention."


"Very well," said Caesar. Angirasu turned to the kappa.


"Thanks for your help, guys. Sorry about you being displaced from your home," said Angirasu.


"Ah. Thanks for the stuff. Perhaps we can risk a longer journey now that we have something to carry extra water. Thank you, kind human," said a kappa.


'A minute ago you guys were complaining about us building structures around your water supply.' thought Angirasu.









Angirasu and Caesar were sitting near the docks from whence they arrived. Angirasu held up a stone pebble, and placed it in the dirt, where a drawn map was present.


"OK, so we catch one of these vehicles on the road. We sneak into the back and they take us into the base. From there, we can leave and find the remains of his father," said Angirasu.


"Do you have any knowledge on controlling one of those things?" asked Caesar, curiously.


"Heck no. Besides, it may not be wise to be the one in the driver seat. They may recognize me," said Angirasu.


"But this vehicle I believe was responsible for transporting infantry. It may be trouble to enter if that's the case," said Caesar. Angirasu sighed in annoyance as he scratched his head.


"Damn it, you're right. I haven't even thought of that," said Angirasu in dismay. "Is storming the base out of the question?"


"Not necessarily. However, it may be wise to avoid detection for as long as possible, considering our numbers," said Caesar.


"Yep. This was a bad idea," deadpanned Angirasu. His stomach began to growl.


"Ugh. If only I didn't give away our food," said Angirasu as he held his gut.


"But it was generous of you to give it to those kappas. Especially you knowing their nature," said Caesar. Angirasu scratched.


"Ah. What can I say? Those things aren't naturally evil. They tend to be troublemakers. Besides, I felt sorry for the little guys," said Angirasu. He stood up with a sigh.


"Alright, I'll be back. Hopefully someone will accept bits. Or the very least I can find a way to exchange the currency," said Angirasu as he reached into his pocket for his coin bag. He began to walk off from the area, leaving Caesar to hide among the bushes. As Angirasu made his way down to the docks, he began to look through the stands that were set up in the area. He muttered to himself, hoping to find someone that may have run the place, so that they may point him in the right direction for some food or the very least, to exchange his money for Neighpon's currency.


"Angirasu?" called a voice. Angirasu flinched, startled out of his thoughts. He turned, only for his eyes to widen. Before him was a middle aged woman, who bore slightly unkempt, long brunette hair. With her was a middle aged man, who bore glasses. The two bore stunned looks as they stared at the young man.


"A-Aunt Rei? Uncle Dojima?" said Angirasu breathlessly. The woman began to tear up as she sniffled. She suddenly rushed to Angirasu and wrapped him into a tight embrace.


"Nephew! You're here!" cried the woman, sobbing. Angirasu bore a stunned look as the woman cried on his shoulder.


"It's good to see you again, Angirasu," said the man with a soft smile and nod. Angirasu's eyes fell onto the bush that Caesar was hiding. He found the Shisa to be watching from the shadows.









Battra sighed as he was sitting in the living room of Mai Yoshida's home. He looked to the clock, finding it to be early evening. By now it would be morning in the West. He's had to go back and forth between Neighpon and Equestria just to keep up appearances. However, no one seemed to pay mind of Megaguirus, who's been staying here in Mai's home to help with the children of Hok and Abra. It was fortunate, considering that Meg wasn't a part of the inner circle of the Revolutionaries.


The inner circle. Just knowing that Battra was a part of that weighed heavily on him. He was a part of something truly nefarious. He even went along with it, doing the dirty work and committing horrors against humans, just to satisfy his rage. Something he learned couldn't be quenched. Now, he's looking for a way out.


Battra glanced aside and found Megaguirus to be sitting on the sofa next to him. Hope was sitting on the sofa next to her. Megaguirus covered her eyes and quickly revealed them, making silly sounds that amused the infant. Battra softly smiled as the two played peek-a-boo. Surprisingly, Meg was good with kids.


"Aw you are just so precious~!" cooed Megaguirus, tickling the baby, who laughed while kicking her legs. Battra stood up and began to make his way over to the hall, stepping over to the spare bed room, where he found the door to be closed. Right now Hok and Abra were resting with the other two children for the night. Having three kids must have been a handful. Hope was the only one that was harder to get to take a nap, so they passed her onto Megaguirus, who seemed eager to take her.


"Hey, Yasu-san," called Mai as she entered the hall.



"Hmm?" answered Battra, turning to face her.

"Will you be staying a bit longer?" asked Mai, twiddling her fingers.


"Sure, why?" asked Battra.


"W-Well... You see, my parents supposed to be in town tonight and they're coming over. I wanted you to meet them," said Mai, her face flushing as an embarrassed smiled appeared on her face. Battra winced as he scratched the back of his head.


"I-I uh.... Are you sure? I mean, it's your family visiting. Meg and I can leave," said Battra. Mai furiously shook her head.


"No, I want you here!" said Mai, raising her voice. Battra shushed her as he covered her mouth.


"Keep it down. Last thing we want is for the babies to wake up," whispered Battra.


"Oh right, sorry," whispered Mai sheepishly.


"If you really want us to stay, then we will," said Battra, giving her a small smile. Mai's expression brightened.


"Good. I hope you have your appetite. I have a delicious meal planned for tonight!" said Mai, leaving the hall. Battra sighed, his expression turning to worry.


"It'll be fine. It's just her family," said Battra to himself.









Angirasu found himself seated in the back of a taxi. He sat beside his aunt and uncle in the back, as the driver drove them through Trotkyo city. The sun was setting in the sky.


"So... How have you been all these years?" asked Angirasu.


"We've been fine, dear. Your cousin's moved here into the city. She's still working and single, but I keep trying to tell her to find a man to sweep her away and allow him to win the bread, if you know what I mean," chuckled Rei. Angirasu laughed.


"I bet she didn't take that well, huh?" asked Angirasu.


"Oh you know it! Young ladies are just slaving away at an office these days for a man that's not her own. Take it from me dear, a woman finds more joy in providing for her family than working a 9 to 5 job in an office building to death with a bunch of strangers," said Rei. Angirasu grimaced.


"Man, when you put it like that, it sounds really depressing," said Angirasu.


"Rei, give her a break. Besides, she may meet someone at her workplace," said Dojima.


"I just want grand children! Is that too much to ask?" pouted Rei, prompting Angirasu and Dojima to chuckle.


"Fortunately, there are still small towns in the country. Our home hasn't really changed much aside from a few extra roads being made," said Dojima.


"I likely wouldn't recognize it," said Angirasu. Truthfully, there wasn't a whole lot to recognize in Neighpon. Now, he hasn't traveled the country in his youth, but he knew that it wasn't as industrious as it was when he was just a child. It was rising at that time, but it has rapidly grown over the years.


"It's been so long. I still can't believe that it's you! I mean, you've gotten so big!" said Rei, ruffling her nephew's spiky hair.


"But I knew it had to be you. After all, that hair of yours runs in our family," said Rei. Angirasu forced a smile as his aunt ruffled his hair.


"I was shocked as well. No one has seen you in years," said Dojima. Angirasu nodded.


"Angirasu, what happened to you? We haven't seen you since... Well, since your mother and father died," said Rei with a soft expression.


"Yeah. We assumed the worse when you didn't turn up anywhere," said Dojima. Angirasu wanted to answer but felt his words caught in his throat. He wondered how he could explain to his family members that he was kidnapped and turned into a freak from being experimented on. He couldn't tell them that. He was a Transmutant. They'd surely reject him if he came clean. But, he couldn't leave them in ignorance neither.


"You see..." Angirasu began to speak. But, images flashed in his mind: blood staining the wood floor; his mother lying face down on the ground; a figure standing over him in the dark of the night; and himself, strapped to a cold metal table as a foreign fluid was injected into his body.


"I-I should tell you..." Angirasu began to muster up his courage. This was it. This was the moment of truth.


"I-" Angirasu was interrupted as the taxi stopped.


"Oh! We're here!" said Rei with a bright smile. The family began to step out, while Dojima paid the driver. Angirasu found an apartment building to be standing tall. The family began to make their way inside, entering an elevator. 


Angirasu was nervous. He almost wished that he never crossed paths with his family members. He missed them, but so much has happened over the years. And he was something that no one could accept. To the common man, he was a monster. Even though they're family, would they really accept him?


The elevator gave a jingle, signaling that they had reached their floor. The doors opened, allowing the family to exit the elevator and to make their way through the hall. Angirasu followed his aunt and uncle as they read off the numbers on the doors.


"Ah! Here we are!" said Rei, finding the address. She began to knock on the door. Shortly after, the door was unlocked and opened.


"Mai!" greeted Rei. Angirasu found a familiar young woman to be standing in the doorway, wrapping his aunt into an embrace.


"Mama! Papa! Oh, I missed you both!" said Mai, hugging her parents.


"And look who we ran into!" said Dojima, gesturing to Angirasu. Mai's widened as she gasped. Her eyes watered.


"Oh my gosh, is that..." Mai fell silent. Angirasu gave her a small smile.


"Hey, cousin," greeted Angirasu. Mai laughed with joy as she hugged Angirasu tightly.


"You're alive! Oh thank God!" cried Mai, tears streaming down her face. Angirasu couldn't help but allow a few tears to stream down his face as well.


Soon, the family found themselves enter the apartment. The family removed their shoes as they stepped in.


"Dinner is almost ready. By the way, there are some friends I'd like for you to meet," said Mai, leading them into the living room. Angirasu's eyes widened.


"Mom, dad, this is Yasu Battra and Tonbo Megagurius!" said Mai, gesturing to the two Transmutants with Hope.


"It's a pleasure to meet you...." Battra trailed off as he took notice of Angirasu. The younger Transmutant hardened his expression as he held in a growl.


'Ah hell,' thought Megaguirus, holding Hope in her arms.


"You!" said Angirasu, startling his family members.


"Me?" Battra forced a smile.


"What the hell are doing here?!" demanded Angirasu as he began to make his way over to Battra. Mai quickly got between them with an incredulous look.


"Angirasu, what's wrong you? This is my friend!" said Mai.


"Your friend? Mai, this guy is bad news! Especially that Harlot right there!" said Angirasu, pointing at Megaguirus with a glare.


"Hey!" said Megaguirus with an offended look.


"Angirasu!" said Rei with an appalled look.


"Get them out of here!" said Angirasu.


"Whoa! Whoa! You don't get to disappear for a decade and come back to run my life! These are my guests!" said Mai with a glare.


"I'm just trying to keep my family safe!" said Angirasu, narrowing his eyes. Mai scoffed.


"Geez! You sound just like Aunt Aiko. Always so overprotective," said Mai.


"She would say the same thing if she were here," said Angirasu. Battra suddenly stepped from behind Mai, with his hands raised.


"Hey, what's with the hostility? I thought this was a reunion," said Battra with a shrug, putting on his best 'Good guy' act. Angirasu hardened his expression. He stepped passed Mai and got in Battra's face.


"What bullshit are you trying to pull?" questioned Angirasu, switching his dialect to Equish so that his family couldn't understand him.


"Nothing! Mai's a friend! She wanted to us meet her parents. Though I wasn't aware that you were related, let alone in the country," said Battra.


"Likewise! I'm on a mission here! And here I find a murderer like you around my family!" hissed Angirasu. He clenched his fists. "I should expose your transmutantism in front of them right now!"


"Yeah? You'd expose yourself as well, block head! Besides, there's a family that wants nothing to do with the Revolutionaries here. Would you really endanger them and their children as well?" demanded Battra. Angirasu growled.


"Angirasu, I'm not here to hurt anyone," said Battra, firmly.


"I don't believe you! I mean how could I?! When Mosura pleaded to you to come with us, you turned her down and left with that bastard! The one who put three of my friends in the hospital!" said Angirasu.


"I didn't have a choice," said Battra. Angirasu grabbed him by the collar with a snarl.


"We ALL have a choice!" growled Angirasu.


"Uh... guys?" called Megaguirus. Battra and Angirasu turned and noticed the worried looks of Dojima and Rei. Mai looked angry, ready to intervene. Angirasu released Battra and glared at him.


"This isn't over," said Angirasu, walking off. Battra cleared his throat as he adjusted his collar, while Mai made her way over to him in worry.


"Are you OK?" asked Mai.


"I'm fine," said Battra. Mai sighed.


"I'm so sorry about my cousin. I swear he was never like this when we were kids," said Mai apologetically.


"No, it's alright," said Battra, glancing at Angirasu, who stood by the window.









Angirasu bore a scowl as he sat at a table. He, his family, Megaguirus and Battra were all sitting at the kitchen table, with plates of food in front of them. Hope was seated in a high chair right next to Megaguirus. Rei smiled as she watched the young woman feed the baby.


"She's so cute!" said Rei.


"Hehe. Thanks," said Megaguirus. Then she stiffened.


'Wait, why did I say thanks? She's not my kid,' thought Megaguirus.


"So how old is your daughter?" asked Dojima. Megaguirus and Battra flushed in embarrassment.


"What?! No! She's not- I mean, we're just-!" the two Transmutants stuttered over each other as they tried to explain themselves.


"She's not their daughter, mom. I have two other friends living with me for a while. They're resting," said Mai.


"Oh. So does that mean you're single?" asked Rei, turning to Battra. A look of interest on her face.


"I uh..." Battra forced an embarrassed chuckle.


"Mom!" whined Mai, her cheeks flushing while Megaguirus scowled to herself.


"So Angirasu, you haven't told us where you've been all of these years," said Rei. Angirasu cleared his throat as a look of discomfort was on his face.


"Right. I uh..." Angirasu gulped as he picked at his food. This was the opportunity. The moment he could come clean to the only people that could possibly accept him in this world.


"I... I've been in Equestria," said Angirasu.


"Really? That explains you being bilingual," said Mai in surprise.


"Y-Yeah," said Angirasu.


"So... How did you get there on your own? Why did you even go there?" asked Dojima. Angirasu's knee began to bounce with anxiety under the table.


"I uh... I was kidnapped," said Angirasu. Rei gasped in alarm.


"Oh goodness!" said Rei. Battra merely raised a brow.


"Makes sense. When we found out about your parents, there was nothing about your whereabouts," said Dojima with a hum.


"So what happened?" asked Mai. Angirasu felt his stomach ache, his lips trembled as he was about to speak.


"I was..." Angirasu hesitated. He noticed the looks of dread of his family members as they anticipated his answer. Though Angirasu figured that they had a completely different idea of what had happened to them.


"I got away on a ship that was heading West. I was lucky. Anything could've happened to me if I didn't take the opportunity to escape," said Angirasu. Rei caressed his back in comfort.


"Well, thank the gods that you were able to get away. Whatever happened between then and now, at least we're together again," said Rei with a comforting smile. Angirasu forced a smile and a nod. He berated himself for his cowardice. He just didn't have the courage that he thought that he did. Angirasu cleared his throat as he stood up.


"Excuse me. I need to use the bathroom," said Angirasu.


Later, Angirasu found himself washing his face in the bathroom sink. He sighed heavily as he wiped his face. The young man stared at himself in the mirror. This was the same kind of anxiety that Junior must have felt before the Main 6 knew his secret. It made his world feel like it was on the verge of collapsing. He loathed MONARCH for making him feel like this.


Angirasu stepped out of the bathroom. But he stopped when he found Battra to be standing against the wall in the hallway. He stepped over to the Revolutionary with a glare.


"I sympathize with you, Angirasu," said Battra. Angirasu stopped as he cocked an eyebrow.


"I understand keeping a secret from those that you care about. Fearing what they'd think of you if they knew," said Battra. He sighed.


"But they'd be more likely to accept you," said Battra. Angirasu scoffed.


"Of course they would. Unlike you," said Angirasu.


"Then why didn't you tell them the truth?" asked Battra. Angirasu hardened his expression.


"Alright. Keep your secret. But they're family. I think they'd look past it," said Battra. Angirasu sighed.


"What are you doing here?" questioned Angirasu.


"As I said. Your cousin is a friend of mine. I met her last year and we kind of hit it off. But what are you doing? This is a hot spot for MONARCH. Wouldn't you be better off in Equestria?" asked Battra.


"I'm trying to get into one of their bases," said Angirasu. Battra's eyes widened. He had to do a double take.


"Why in the hell would you wanna do that?" asked Battra incredulously.


"A friend tells me that the remains of Gojira's father were utilized for a machine. I'm trying to retrieve it," said Angirasu.


"So you're not alone," said Battra. He sighed as he scratched his head.


"I think I might know what you're talking about. But this is a risky mission you're on," said Battra.


"Doesn't matter. I have Caesar to help. I just need a way to get inside the base up north without being seen. I was thinking of hitching a ride in one of their trucks and get passed security that way, but there's the chance of being caught by any soldiers they might be carrying," said Angirasu. Battra rubbed his chin.


"I think I might be able to help you with that," said Battra. Angirasu looked at him in confusion.


"Help me?" asked Angirasu.


"It's the least I can do for you keeping your mouth shut. Also... Think of it as me making things right with all of you," said Battra.


"You have a long way to go for that," said Angirasu as he narrowed his eyes.


"I know," said Battra with a sigh.


Later that night, Angirasu was standing outside of the apartment room along with Battra and Megaguirus. The Yoshida family stood by disappointed.


"Nephew, are you sure that you can't stick around?" asked Rei.


"I'd love to. But... I have a home in Equestria. I have friends there. People who've been the closest thing to family when I was alone," said Angirasu. He wrapped his aunt into a tight hug.


"But you guys will always be important to me," said Angirasu. Rei sniffled as she hugged her nephew back. Mai joined the hug.


"Come back to visit us sometime. You know where I live. Mom and Dad haven't changed homes," said Mai. Angirasu smiled.


"I will," said Angirasu.


"Are you sure that you don't want us to see you off?" asked Dojima.


"No, stay and continue your night. Besides, Battra will be seeing me off," said Angirasu, looking to the Revolutionary beside him.


"We should be getting home ourselves anyway. Take care," said Battra. Mai nodded with a smile, though a bit reluctant considering their earlier interaction.









Angirasu stood in the bushes with Megaguirus. Caesar was crouched behind them. The three were staring at the road that was in the middle of the woods. Megaguirus sighed as she scowled.


"So I'm a harlot, huh?" deadpanned Megaguirus.


"I was angry and I said some things," Angirasu replied. Megaguirus scoffed.


"Said some things?!" asked Megaguirus incredulously.


"Be silent. Lest we be caught," said Caesar. Meg groaned in annoyance. Suddenly, a truck came driving by onto the road, stopping. From the driver seat, a MONARCH soldier emerged, his expression blank.


"Your carriage awaits," said the soldier in a monotone voice. From the back of the truck, Battra emerged, as he had a hand against the side of his head.


"Alright, you and the Shisa will board the back and be driven into the base. Once I release the driver from my influence, he will pass out. It will be up to you to find what you are looking for. This is as far as Meg and I will go," said Battra. Angirasu and Caesar boarded the back of the truck, hidden in the tent. Caesar hid himself under a sheet as Angirasu sat in the back. He nodded to Angirasu.


"Hey, thanks for this," said Angirasu. Battra nodded with a small smile.


"Sure. If you manage to get out and back to Equestria, tell my sister that I said 'hi'," said Battra as he turned his attention to the driver. The soldier got back into the driver seat and drove. As the truck cruised, Battra and Megaguirus began to follow the vehicle along from the bushes and shadows.


Soon, they came across the nearby base. Battra and Megaguirus hid in cover as the truck stopped at the checkpoint near the entrance. A soldier went over to the driver seat, inspecting the arrival. Battra closed his eyes as he focused, his mind dominating and displacing the mind of the soldier.


The soldier at the gate checked his ID and then the driver, who kept a neutral expression. He nodded as he stepped aside, allowing the driver the pass through. Soon, the truck made its way into the motor pool. Many trucks and armored vehicles were parked in the cold night. As the driver shut off the engine, he abruptly collapsed. From the back of the truck, Angirasu peeked out. He found that the coast was clear and slowly stepped out to make his way to the driver seat, finding the driver passed out, just as Battra had said. The young Transmutant found the area to be dark, with the only light sources to be on the structures that made up the base. No signs of soldiers outside were around.


Meanwhile outside of the base, Battra and Megaguirus stood. The male Transmutant sighed in relief.


"It's all up to you now," said Battra as he turned and walked away. Meg looked back at the base with a look of worry. She began to jog after Battra.


"We should've gone with him," said Megaguirus.


"Under different circumstances, I would have. But I have two other Transmutants that I need to be there for. Besides, those two may be able to take better care of themselves without us in the way," said Battra. Megaguirus grimaced as she looked back to the base.
> Anniversary: The Musical
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was the afternoon. Junior was sitting in the library in silence. The afternoon sun shone through the windows, lighting up the school library of Ponyville High.

Junior was reading through a book that he had to give a report on for his Equish class. He placed his book down with a tired sigh as he rubbed his brows. He noticed Rarity to be walking into the library. She appeared to be looking around. The girl noticed Junior and waved to him with a friendly smile. Junior waved back but noticed the girl rushing his way. She stopped beside him at the table.

"Just the boy I wanted to see!" said Rarity.

"Me?" asked Junior in confusion.

"Yes! Come with me, darling!" said Rarity as she took Junior's hand and towed him away. Junior grunted in annoyance as he found himself taken out of the library and into the hall.

"What gives, Rarity?" asked Junior. Rarity was fidgeting as she twiddled her fingers.

"Weeeeell... I need a favor," said Rarity. Junior raised a brow. He sighed as he scratched his head.

"Is there a guy acting creepy with you? I'll handle it," said Junior. Rarity bore a look of alarm.

"Gojira, no!" said Rarity.

"No, I get it. It's no trouble. I'll just rough him up a bit and act psychotic. That should get him," said Junior as he popped his knuckles. Rarity shook her head furiously.

"Good Heavens! At least show some reluctance! And no, that's not what-"

"Ugh. Dont tell me you need me to help you make clothes or something that requires I wear an uncomfortable suit," said Junior. Rarity glared at him.

"Are you even listening to me?!" asked Rarity.

"Not really, no," said Junior with a shrug. Rarity furrowed her brows in response.

"Oh come on, I'm just messing with you. What's up?" asked Junior. Rarity took a calm breath and placed on a smile.

"I'm involved with a school play production. It's called, 'The Arrogance of Man'!" said Rarity.

"The Arrogance of Man? Sounds edgy. What's that? One of those philosophical takes of humanity's tendency to act as their own god that leads to a cycle of misery and self-destruction by acting on his own will rather than for others just to spite the creator that may or may not exist?" asked Junior. Rarity stared at him blankly.

"Or is it one of those radical anti-human environmentalism takes? Like Agenda 21 shit?" asked Junior. Rarity blinked.

"Gojira, I'm still trying to process your first question," said Rarity in a flat tone.

"Well then just tell me yourself," said Junior.

"It’s a musical! It’s about a boy who was cursed to become a dragon and finds himself an outcast, only to find himself a hero in the end! It's filled with thrills and romance!" said Rarity with a dreamy sigh.

"Sounds like standard stuff," said Junior.

"I'm in charge of costume designs. Right now we're looking for actors," said Rarity.

"Ah, so you guys are already getting through pre-production? So what favor did you need from me?" asked Junior. He noticed Rarity biting her lip as she looked at him and then looked away.

"No way," said Junior with a scowl.

"Darling," pouted Rarity. Junior turned away.

"Nope," said Junior. Rarity tugged on his arm.

"But darliiiing! You'd be perfect in the show!" whined Rarity.

"Hell no! What do I look like, a fucking fruit?" scoffed Junior.

"There's nothing emasculating about theater! Everyone likes them!" said Rarity as Junior attempted to walk away but dragged her along.

"I said no. I am not auditioning. Especially not for a damn musical," shuddered Junior. He then turned his head back and noticed Rarity trembling. Her eyes were watery as she whimpered. Junior's face contorted as he saw this.

"Don't you do it," said Junior as he narrowed his eyes. Rarity sniffled as her lip quivered. Junior's brows furrowed in annoyance.

"Don't," said Junior as he narrowed his eyes more. Rarity suddenly buried her face into her hands as she broke into a sob. Junior winced as she cried.

"W-Why are you so mean?! I came to you for help and y-you wont- Boo hoo hoo!" cried Rarity.

"Rarity, that's not going to work on me. You're just being childish," deadpanned Junior.

"Wow, what a jerk!" said a girl. Junior turned and noticed some students passing by with looks of disgust and disapproval.

"Only toxic people like you would make a girl cry," spat a male student. Junior sent him a glare.

"Yeah, keep white knighting, buddy! You'll get laid one day!" said Junior. He noticed Rarity peeking through her fingers. An evil glint appeared in her deep blue eye. Junior grunted in annoyance as he hardened his expression.

"You devious little-" Junior stopped as Rarity suddenly cried out dramatically.

"Don't glare at me, Gojira! You scare me when you do that!" cried Rarity. Junior noticed that she was drawing more attention from the students passing in the hall.

"Why would you be so cruel to a young lady in need?!" wailed Rarity.

"Is there a problem here?" questioned a student, while glaring at Junior.

"Oh no, she's fine. She uh... it's that time of the month for her," said Junior as he whispered to student. Rarity gasped with an appalled look.

"Oooh. Got ya," said the student with a nod of understanding.

"Yeah, so we're just gonna go..." said Junior as he took Rarity's hand. He briskly led her away from the area but felt the girl trying to pull away from him. Junior looked around and found the area clear. As he released Rarity, she suddenly started slapping him in the shoulder. Her face was flustered as her make-up was running down her face from her forced crying.

"Ah! Ow! Hey st- Ow!" Yelped Junior as each slap grew harder.

"That time of the month for her?!" yelled Rarity.

"Hey, don't get pissy at me! You didn't give me a whole lot of options!" said Junior.

"You didn't have to go that far!" said Rarity.

"Ha! Says 'Ms. Fake Cry'! What was I gonna say? The truth? It was my word against your tears. People are fucking suckers when a girl cries," said Junior with a scoff. Rarity grew more flustered. She looked like she was holding in a scream as her cheeks puffed with air as her lips tightened. She then let out a long sigh and crossed her arms as she looked away, dejected.

"Oh, foo. You're right. I'm sorry for doing that," said Rarity. Junior scratched his head.

"Forget it. Uh... you might wanna..." Junior gestured to his face. Rarity quickly drew out her personal mirror and moaned in disappointment. She reached into her hand bag and began to draw out a tissue, where she proceeded to wipe her stained cheeks clean, removing her ruined makeup.

"Look, if you really want me to audition or whatever... I guess I could," said Junior. Rarity perked up with a surprised and hopeful look.

"You really will?" asked Rarity.

"I guess..." said Junior. Rarity squealed in delight as she hugged Junior tightly.

"Oh thank you darling! Be at the gymnasium at 4!" said Rarity as she took off.

"Geez. Why is she so thrilled?" asked Junior with a sigh.







Junior found himself standing against a wall by himself. He was in the gymnasium, at 4 on the dot. Just as Rarity asked. He found a couple of dozen of other students here, conversing. Junior felt his stomach tighten.

"Maybe this was a bad idea," said Junior to himself.

"Goji?" called a familiar voice. Junior turned to find Pinkie Pie carrying a packet of stapled papers. A grin was on her face.

"Oh, hey Pinkie," greeted Junior with a weak smile. How embarrassed he felt, knowing that someone he knew was here to see him audition.

"Are you auditioning?" asked Pinkie eagerly.

"Yeah... uh... Rarity was persistent," said Junior.

"That's super duper! I can't wait! There's a few roles for boys, so check them out!" said Pinkie as she handed Junior a script. The boy began to read through the synopsis of the story, to even some character descriptions.

"Hm. The lead comes off as sort of an asshole," said Junior.

"He's just a tragic character that pushes people away because he's afraid of being rejected by them! His curse has him always on edge!" said Pinkie dramatically.

"Hm. Well, I guess you got a hook for drama," said Junior as he read on.

"Yeah! I'm working with John on this play. Me and a couple others have been putting this together," said Pinkie with a grin.

"Who the hell is John? Wait, you're working on this operation?" asked Junior incredulously. Pinkie nodded.

"Yep! I help with ideas and the set!" said Pinkie. She waved to Junior as she walked off.

"Gotta go! Break a leg!" said Pinkie. Junior sighed as he read the script.

"Maybe I won't get cast. Knowing the hierarchy of popularity, the most charismatic pretty boys get the roles," said Junior. He smirked as he looked at the lead character's name, 'Kujira Takashi'.

"This edge lord of a character sounds ripe for those shitty vampire movie types of casting. Failing this audition will be a breeze," said Junior. He then raised a brow.

"Whose idea was it to name him after a whale in Neighponese?" asked Junior in confusion.








Later...


Rarity, Pinkie, two other male students were sitting at a table, staring at a stage. They watched as Rainbow stood on stage. She threw her hand out dramatically.

"This is my burden to bear! Relying on others is weakness!" said Rainbow. Rarity looked down at a sheet of paper.

"Kujira, it breaks my heart seeing you push others away! I hate how you lie to hide your pain! I feel helpless watching you!" said Rarity, reading off the script.

Meanwhile, Junior was looking back over the script back stage. He was going over how he imagined Kujira would behave in this scene. Rainbow's performance seemed to be overdoing the scene. From what Junior could tell, this guy was a prideful and stubborn individual, carrying a hint of pain. Junior realized how and what he should  put into this audition. Sure, he was expecting to fail to get out of this but he wasn't gonna half ass it. He doubt Rarity would just accept it as well.

Junior noticed Rainbow walking backstage. She bore an annoyed look.

"Pfft! 'Overdoing it'. 'You're also a girl'. What do they know?" scoffed Rainbow as she left the area. Junior shrugged as he read on. He noticed Twilight to be on stage. She had a look of despair on her face, as she held her hands over her heart.

"Kujira, it breaks my heart seeing you push others away!" said Twilight. Her voice carried a sorrowful strain and a hint of tears being held back. Junior hummed to himself as Twilight seemed to be selling her performance to the heads of production.

"I-I just feel helpless watching you!" cried Twilight, turning away as she cupped her hand over mouth, as though she was holding in a sob. Junior noticed Rarity to be tearing up as Pinkie was clapping. He noticed the two male students were nodding as they bore unreadable expressions, as they were analyzing it.

Twilight soon came walking backstage, with a smile on her face. She looked to be red with embarrassment.

"Not bad, short stack," said Junior. Twilight glared at him in annoyance, her mood soured. Junior chuckled in amusement.

"Man and here I thought I was quick to get mad," said Junior. Twilight sighed in annoyance.

"Well, I wasn't expecting to see you audition. I figured you'd think this stuff was stupid or something," said Twilight in surprise.

"I do, and I'm not a fan of plays or musicals. But how else was I gonna get Rarity to shut up?" shrugged Junior. Twilight scowled in response.

"Would it kill you to be willing to participate in what our school does?" asked Twilight.

"I'm taking time out of my life span to audition for something that I have no interest in. What do you want from me?" said Junior as he went back to reading the script. Twilight narrowed her eyes in response at Junior's reply. She sighed as she walked off.

"Break a leg, Gojira," said Twilight.

'Can't tell if she meant that or not," said Junior as he glanced at the girl.

"Next!" called Pinkie. Junior sighed as he walked out to the stage, with his script. He found the heads of production to be waiting. He even noticed some of his friends at the bleachers of the gymnasium. He found surprised looks on their faces, greeting him with waves. Junior weakly smiled in response.

"Alright, you're auditioning for the lead?" asked one of the male students.

"Yeah..." answered Junior.

"Show us what you got. Rarity, would you mind starting us off?" asked the student. Rarity cleared her throat as she started at the beginning of the scene.

"Kujira, what is bothering you?" asked Rarity, reading from the script. Junior sighed as he scratched his head, an annoyed look on his face.

"Nothing is bothering me," said Junior, coldly. He read over this scene over a dozen times. He had an idea of the scenario in his head and remembered every line. He was terrible at remembering math, but he'd be damned if he couldn't memorize lines in his favorite scenes in films.

"Liar! I know that something is wrong! How dare you lie to my face?!" read, adding anger to tone. "Why do you refuse to let others help you?!"

"Because my problems are mine to bear! Relying on others is weakness!" said Junior, his expression turning to anger, and his tone rising. This made everyone in the gymnasium jump from his tone. Rarity cleared her throat as she went back to looking at her script.

"Kujira, it breaks my heart seeing you push others away! I hate how you lie to hide your pain! I feel helpless watching you!" said Rarity, reading off the script. Junior let out a long sigh as he looked to the side, as though he were avoiding to look at the face of the character that was confronting his own. His expression turned solemn as his head bowed.

"I'm sorry... Midnight. I always believed that I was sparing others by keeping to myself," said Junior softly. Rarity and Pinkie stared intensely. Junior turned to the side, where he imagined the character would be.

"I didn't mean to hurt you. I just thought that... I was making it easier on others," said Junior. He noticed out of the corner of his eye that Rarity and Pinkie were tearing up. The two male students looked to be impressed. Junior turned fully as he noticed the rest of the Main 7 to be staring in awe or looked to have teared up.

"Uh oh," said Junior to himself.







"Agh what have I done?!" cried Junior, sitting on the ground as he pulled his hair. He was outside by the Wondercolt statue. The Main 7 surrounded him, either sitting or standing. Rarity was crouched next to him with a smile.

"Darling, you should be proud! John and Paul were impressed with your performance!" said Rarity.

"I still don't know who those guys are!" said Junior. Fluttershy was on her knees besides Junior, a blush on her face.

"You were really good," said Fluttershy.

"I'll say! I never took you for theater," said Applejack with a nod.

"I wasn't supposed to get the role! I only did it because Rarity bugged me to!" said Junior.

"Then why didn't you half-ass it?" asked Rainbow in confusion.

"Because then I wouldn't hear the end of it!" said Junior in annoyance.

"I mean, how? How could I have gotten the part?" asked Junior incredulously. The more that he thought of it, the less real it seemed. But reality was nagging at him, attempting to claw at his sanity.

"Because you took the role of a tortured young soul who just yearned for companionship but feared having it! His curse and loneliness makes him isolate himself to not bring trouble to others! You captured his pain!" said Rarity with a grin.

"I actually started tearing up a bit," said Sunset with a smile. Junior groaned.

"I should've went for the charismatic goofball friend," said Junior, burying his hands into his face.

"Well you can't back out of it now. You got the part," said Twilight with a shrug.

"Right! If you're a man, then you will keep your word!" said Rarity.

"But I never even agreed to do it if I had gotten the role!" said Junior. Rarity huffed as she stuck her nose up in a mock snooty way.

"One assumes that the other goes in fully committed," said Rarity, peeking at Junior with a smirk. Junior growled.

"Shit," said Junior.

"I understand, Goji," said Fluttershy as she pat Junior's shoulder.

"It must be intimidating. To be on stage, in front of everyone, watching you act out every scene that you have to memorize..." Fluttershy began to grow pale. Sunset rolled her eyes. She knelt down and pulled Junior up to his feet.

"Buck up, Goji. I know you can do it. And we'll be supporting you," said Sunset with a reassuring smile. Junior sighed heavily.







It was the weekend. Students involved with the production of the musical were allowed to prepare. As the sets were being made, the cast were studying their scripts and rehearsing the scenes. Junior grimaced as he read the script.

"We really need to sing?" asked Junior.

"It wouldn't be a musical without singing," said Adagio Dazzle, joining Junior's side.

"Adagio? What are you doing here?" asked Junior in confusion.

"I'm in charge with training you guys for the musical segments. They thought a professional singer would help with this production," said Adagio, standing proudly.

"Makes sense," said Junior. Adagio giggled as she stepped close to Junior, a seductive look on her face.

"Maybe you and I can have private lessons," said Adagio placing a hand on Junior's cheek. The boy blushed as he cleared his throat. His eyes turned away.

"I may have to take a rain check on that," said Junior. Adagio pouted in response.

"Ah you're no fun. Anyway, have you been studying your songs?" asked Adagio.

"Yeah, a bit. But doesn't this seem a bit... i don't know, too comedic?" asked Junior.

"What do you mean?" asked Adagio.

"Well, this song comes up when the protagonist discovers that his enemy was the one who killed his father. These lyrics... they seem to take you out of the drama," said Junior.

"Ah no one pays that much attention in high school musicals. They just want catchy songs," said Adagio dismissively. Junior grimaced.

"You call yourself a professional? They wouldn't happen you be paying you, would they?" asked Junior. Adagio gasped with an appalled look.

"You insult me! I don't do this for money! It's my passion!" said Adagio indignantly. She then crossed her arms with a deadpanned expression.

"It's not like they could afford me anyway," said Adagio. Junior rolled his eyes and went back to reading. He then noticed Rodan and Angirasu to be walking over.

"Yo! Goji!" greeted Rodan with a grin.

"Ro? Aang? What are you guys doing here?" asked Junior in confusion.

"Rarity asked us to audition too, remember?" asked Rodan.

"No... I don't," said Junior. He swore he remembered seeing them there, but he didn't recall them auditioning. He must have repressed most of his memory because he realized that he was now having to act in a school musical.

"So what part did you guys get?" asked Junior.

"I'm the goofball friend and Aang's the gentle giant but with an enjoyment of fighting friend," said Rodan.

"I was born for this role," said Angirasu, his brows furrowed. Junior awkwardly coughed.

"Well, at least we already have a chemistry going on. That might be why she wanted us to audition," said Junior.







Junior was on stage with Twilight. He bore an annoyed look as Twilight kept scanning through her script.

"Guys I don't know if this is gonna work," said Junior, looking to the heads of production who sat at the table set up close to the stage.

"What's the problem?" asked Rarity.

"This duet. Twilight's a little tone deaf," said Junior. Twilight glared at him in offense.

"I am not!" said Twilight.

"Are too," scoffed Junior.

"That's why we're rehearsing, guys," said Paul.

"And why we asked Adagio to coach with singing. Twilight, just remember what you learned. You'll be fine," said John as he drank from a bottle of water. Twilight nodded, hesitantly.

"Alright. 'Kujira', you've just returned home from your self-exile and helped fought off the army invading changelings. You're now expressing your love for each other. Ready?" asked Paul.

"Ready," said Junior and Twilight in unison, though Junior felt like the plot of this play was a bit all over the map, especially the time where his character went to live in the desert, where he made friends with three Sirens from a sea nearby.

"And go," said John. Junior and Twilight turned to each other, getting into character.

"Kujira... there's something that I've been wanting to tell you," said Twilight, putting on a timid look.

"What is it?" asked Junior. From in front of the stage, the school band began to prep themselves. A student began to play the piano, bringing a gentle melody. Twilight took a breath, with a look of anxiety.

"In a perfect world, one we've never known~. We would never need to face the world alone..." Twilight awkwardly sang. Her voice out of tune. Everyone backstage, in the band and even at the production table were wincing at her performance. Junior kept silent as inhaled deeply through his nose. Twilight began to take notice of the reactions. Her face grew red as she trembled. The girl stopped and quickly ran off stage. Junior's brows raised in surprise. He turned and noticed Rarity with a hand over her mouth as Pinkie bore a worried look.

"I'll go check on her," said Rarity as she got out of her seat. Junior sighed as he followed after her.

"Wait up," said Junior. The two made their way backstage. They found Twilight sitting against an exit door, with her face buried into her knees. Rarity approached and knelt next to her.

"Darling, are you alright?" asked Rarity. Twilight merely sniffled. Rarity frowned. She then looked to Junior, her eyes narrowed. Junior merely shrugged, mouthing 'what?' In response, Rarity then gestured her head to Twilight. Junior sighed, understanding what she was getting at. He walked over to Twilight, as Rarity scooted back.

"Hey," said Junior. Twilight brought her knees up more as she stiffened.

"Go away!" said Twilight, a small sob coming from her mouth. Junior sighed as he scratched his head.

"Come on, why are you crying?" asked Junior.

"I'm not crying!" said Twilight.

"Yes, you are," said Junior, narrowing his eyes.

"Just leave me alone! You big jerk!" said Twilight. Junior gave a deep exhale through his nostrils as he took a seat next to the girl.

"Look, I know I was giving you a hard time. I wasn't trying to be mean to you," said Junior.

"It's not fair. You always put me down. Whether it’s my height or my singing," said Twilight with a sob. Junior rubbed his head, feeling himself grow guilty.

"Twi, that's just how I show affection. I tease Rodan all the time," said Junior.

"How would I know that?! It's not like you've treat me as well as some of the others!" said Twilight. Junior frowned as the girl sobbed. He never realized that Twilight took all of his interactions with her as hurtful. He noticed Rarity glaring at him. She had a face that read, 'you better fix this'.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think I was hurting your feelings. It’s just how kids in my junior high acted. Rodan too. We poke at our insecurities to toughen ourselves up. But I guess i should've figured that girls didn't interact the same way," said Junior.

"That doesn't even seem right," sniffled Twilight.

"Well it could just be a 'cultural' thing. I don't mean literally. I mean community-wise. You know, tight neighborhoods and whatnot," said Junior. Twilight sniffled as she kept her face hidden. Junior scratched his head. He then wrapped an arm around Twilight, who flinched in response. The girl raised her head up, her eyes hot and puffy from her tears. Junior stared off at the wall as he held Twilight close. The girl sniffled as she rested her head against him.

"Chin up, alright. I'll stop giving you crap about your singing," said Junior as he roughly rubbed the girl's shoulder. Twilight sniffled.

"Ok," said Twilight as she wiped her face.

"Perhaps we can rehearse another scene without you two. Adagio can coach you a bit more," said Rarity as she stood up and walked off. She flashed Junior a smile as she left. Junior stood up with Twilight.

"Does that mean you're going to be a little nicer to me for now on?" asked Twilight.

"This isn't me being nice?" asked Junior. Twilight scowled at him in response.

"I'm kidding. But my way of being 'nice' might be a bit different to yours," said Junior. Twilight began to grow more dissatisfied. Junior sighed.

"Alright, I'll try," said Junior. Twilight smiled brightly in response.







It has been a couple of weeks. Junior realized that everything seemed to have blown by like a breeze. All of those rehearsals and all of those songs to memorize were all that filled his mind. He had to work double time with Sunset and Mosura to study just to keep his grades up.

He even took Adagio up on her one on one lessons in singing, though he made sure that he brought along one other cast member, much to Adagio's dismay. Speaking of Adagio, the girl was clinging to his back, peeking over his shoulder through the curtain.

"Oh, it's empty. No one came," said Adagio in surprise.

"It's still early, Adagio," chuckled Junior as a girl walked into the gymnasium, taking a seat in one of the chairs set up.

"Huh, how bout that?" Adagio shifted, her large breasts rubbing against Junior's back. The boy gulped as his heart raced and his face flushed.

"Uh... Adagio. Would you mind giving me a little space?" stuttered Junior. Adagio giggled as she wrapped her arms around Junior's neck as she nuzzled him, causing the boy to flinch and yelp as his blush deepened.

"Oh, come on! You know you like it! Besides, how can I be away from you? My giant teddy bear~" giggled Adagio as she nuzzled Junior's neck, causing him to jerk his head to the side, gritting his teeth.

"Teddy needs an adult," said Junior in a nervous tone.

"I'm excited for our time on stage, Goji," said Adagio with a smile.

"Alright, enough hanky panky guys!" said Pinkie, popping from behind the curtain between the two. Junior and Adagio both yelped in alarm, pulling away from the curtain and Pinkie Pie. The girl had a mild annoyed look at the two.

"We've got a show to put on! Now get ready! And use the bathroom too! We're not stopping until intermissions!" said Pinkie, leaving with a clip board in hand and a headset. Junior sighed as Adagio crossed her arms in annoyance.

"Pest," said Adagio. She removed her hair band and allowed her long curly hair to fall down.

"Well, I should be getting ready. Good luck," said Adagio as she walked off.

"It's 'Break a Leg', Adagio! You're putting bad luck on Gojira!" called Rarity, walking by.

"She's been on stage more times than any of us. Pretty sure she doesn't believe in that superstition," said Junior. Rarity turned to Junior with a smile.

"My, you look quite handsome!" said Rarity. Junior was dressed in a dark kimono, bearing blue in the fabric around the collar and the sleeves. There was a Neighsian serpent-like dragon etched onto back of the top of the kimono. Junior's hair wasn't spiked and unkempt as it normally was. Instead it was combed with a small tail of hair in the back of his head. Rarity giggled in delight as she admired the boy's appearance.

"I studied quite hard on Neighponese culture and its traditional apparel. This was the first time I've ever made anything like a kimono. I think I've done a magnificent job!" said Rarity proudly.

"I'm supposed to be a samurai right? They usually have the top of their head shaved, you know," said Junior as Rarity adjusted his collar.

"This is a fantasy, darling," said Rarity in amusement. She then gasped and squealed in delight as she found Twilight walking in, dressed in a lavender dress. She appeared as a maiden from medieval times. Her hair was in a bun, rather than the ponytail that she always kept it in. Her face was a bit red as Rarity made her way to her.

"You look fabulous, darling! A true maiden from the noble family of this story!" said Rarity in delight.

"You think I look OK?" asked Twilight in embarrassment. Rarity nodded.

"Absolutely! You look beautiful! Don't you think, darling?" asked Rarity, turning to Junior. Though behind her smile, Junior swore he saw a glare in her eye. Junior stiffened, looking to Twilight, who was looking away in embarrassment. Junior wasn't necessarily attracted to Twilight, but he had to admit that her shyness was kind of cute, especially with that outfit.

"Sure..." answered Junior looking away as he cleared his throat. Twilight cracked a small pleased smile.







The gymnasium was filled with students and some of the staff from school. Among these were some family members of the cast or even of the audience. The Main Seven, excluding Rarity, Twilight, and Pinkie Pie, sat together with the Transmutant Four, excluding Junior. A woman with red hair and emerald eyes and a man with more brown reddish hair with red-orange eyes sat next to Aiko, who was reading the program to the play.

"Oh! You're Angirasu's mother, right? We haven't met, but we're Rodan's parents," said the woman with a smile. Aiko tore her eyes away from the program and smiled, reaching out to shake their hands.

"Oh, hello," greeted Aiko.

"I was surprised to know that our boys started to take up theater," said Mrs. Shou.

"Anything to keep them out of trouble," said Aiko. Erika and Sunset were conversing as Rainbow Dash sat with a bored look beside Applejack and Mosura. Miwa was sitting with Fluttershy and her mother, conversing.

"I'm surprised Junior's in this play! He always thought musicals were stupid," said Miwa with a smile.

"Really? I'm more surprised that he dislikes them!" said Posey. Fluttershy nodded in agreement.

Meanwhile, Mosura sighed as she sat slumped in her seat.

"If I knew Gojira was going to be in the play, I would've auditioned myself," said Mosura to herself. Music suddenly began to play in the air. Everyone fell silent, some growing more eager than others who had a peek at the rehearsals.

"Ooh! This is exciting, eh sis?" asked Celestia, glancing at Luna. The younger sister shrugged.

"I'll keep my expectations lowered," said Luna. Celestia furrowed her brows in disapproval. From the stage, the curtains began to part. There was a painted background, showing a dark sky and great mountains. In the foreground of the stage, there were miniature sets of ancient Neighsian structures. The composers in front of the stage below played an ominous theme. Violins slowly filled the air with their tune, the sound of low trumpets played along them. A chorus of students chanted behind the music.

"Ooh! I'm getting chills!" whispered Sunset.

"Our story begins many millennia ago. The world was terrorized by fearsome beasts. Titans," narrated a voice. From the backstage, a boy placed on a dragon mask. He stepped out as the music swelled. His costume was dark, heavy in appearance. He stood upright as a tail dragged along the ground. The costume bore yellow eyes, dark scales, and jagged dorsal plates. A pre-recorded roar filled the air as the performer stomped and raised his head as if he were roaring. The performer began to stomp about, with recorded booming footsteps. The miniature building sets crumbled as he stepped on them. The chorus intensified as the 'dragon' brought havoc and began to step behind the mid ground, where fake mountains with some miniature buildings sat, giving the illusion of the beast being in the distance. From the front of the stage, a few students dressed in kimonos and sandals ran to the foreground.

"Yoooooo!" There was a cry from the chorus as drum beats filled the air.

"With a horrible grimace and a terrible sound, he brings the mountains down~!" sang one of the 'villagers'. The chorus chanted as the music picked up, while the dragon roamed the background.

"Helpless people in the streets, scream bug eyed as he looks down on them~!" the villagers sang in unison. The violins picked up in pace, adding rhythm as the chorus continued to chant.

"He picks up a chariot and throws it back down, As he wades through the buildings toward the center of town~!" sang the villagers as the dragon threw down a miniature chariot at a miniature building. Smoke began to glow around its feet in the mid ground to simulate the destruction.

"Oh, no, they say he's got to go~!" sang the leading male singing villager, the chorus picked up their chants as the music grew more intense.

"Go, go, Kujira~!" sang the villagers.

"Ooh~!" The chorus began to sing. From the stage, more costumed creatures emerged from the midground. There was a dragon-like creature on its hands and knees, bearing a frill of horns on the head and one on the snout. A shell of spikes was on the costume's back as well. From a large volcano set, a dragon puppet with a bird-like beak and wings emerged from smoke as red lights illuminated it, giving the illusion of fire. The volcano had a trail of red-orange light trailing down it as though it were a lava flow.

"Wow!" said Mr. Shou in awe. The audience were growing more impressed by this prologue as time went on.

"Oh, no, there goes Trotkyo~!" sang the villagers, as a large spider puppet descended down from a wire, landing on a set of mountains. Its long legs moved as its eyes glowed. Mosura was clinging to Fluttershy a she hid her face.

"Tell me when that thing's gone!" whimpered Mosura.

"Go, go, Kujira!~" sang the villagers.

"Ahhh~! Ahhhh~! Ahhhhhh~!" The villagers were huddled together as more large puppets appeared in the midground, along with the two costumed dragons. They comprised of reptiles, bugs, and mammal-like creatures.

"History shows again and again, that nature points out the folly of man~!" sang the lead villager, as the chorus chanted. The music swelled as an object began to descend in the background. Slow flashing yellow lights fell over the stage.

"Kujira!" chanted the chorus.

"History shows again and again, that nature points out the folly of man~!" sang the lead singer.

"Kujira~! Kujira~!" sang the villagers as the costumed dragons wrecked havoc and the puppets moved about, simulating the terror they brought in their story. The object that was being lowered was revealed to be a large marionette of a golden three headed dragon, with its wings half-way folded along itself. Lights flashed along it as thunder roared.

"Kujira~!" the villagers sang. The music stopped and everything froze. The lights suddenly shut off, and there was only a brief flash to simulate lighting. A loud boom of thunder filled the gymnasium as the actors and 'creatures' were illuminated briefly. There was applause and cheers from the audience as the curtains closed.

"Alright, now they have me sold!" said Rainbow with a grin.







It was 15 minutes into the play. By now, they had covered the arrival of the main hero to a new land, after that prologue of the distant past. The audience watched as Junior stepped on stage, in costume. He heard a few cheers from the audience and whistles. He could tell that they were from his mother and friends. He took a breath to settle his nerves. This was much more nerve wracking than he thought. The music began to pick up.

"Bah. Midnight doesn't know what she's talking about. Who needs friends?" said Junior, placing on an annoyed look. He sighed as he looked around, a small frown on his face.

"Who'd would even be friends with a monster?" asked Junior. The music comprised of solemn violins that slowly escalated as Junior furrowed his brows.

"That doesn't matter! I'll be fine as long as no one knows my secret! I'll just shut everyone out! It'll save everyone trouble!" said Junior. The music took on a more upbeat tone as the violins changed their tune as a piano played alongside.
"Going it solo~. Gonna be by myself todaaaay~," sang Junior. He began to walk along stage, which bore a couple of sets of small medieval buildings as well as a painted background of a lush green land.

"While I might not be the best team player~. I have more fun when I just stay away~!" sang Junior. His voice sending chills down Mosura and Fluttershy's spines.

"Oh shit, he can sing," said Mosura to herself. Meanwhile backstage, Rarity and Pinkie watched with grins.

"He's nailing it!" whispered Pinkie, while Rarity nodded in agreement.

"You won't ever know meeee~! I'm no one's dummy~. And I don't give a damn about what you saaaay~!" sang Junior as he bumped shoulders with a student dressed in medieval clothes. He raised his fist as if he were threatening the villager, who comically stumbled off. Junior stormed off as the music continued. Applejack hummed as she scratched her chin.

'Something about this seems too real,' thought Applejack as she furrowed her brows.

"Going it solo~! Cause it's my fate to be all alone~!" sang Junior, a boy and girl passed by, hands locked as they bore lovey dovey expressions.

"I ignore all the dumb Nay-Sayers~ Truth be told I prefer to be on my own~," sang Junior while a few medieval villagers stood by on stage. They looked to be whispering among themselves as he walked by. Junior then pointed to the audience with a look of defiance on his face.

"You won't ever knooow meeee~! My heart is cold and oh so tiny~!" sang Junior.

"Listen to that! I knew he would be perfect for the role!" whispered Rarity with a suppressed squeal.

"People act what they know!" said Pinkie.

"And everywhere else is a long way from hoooome~," sang Junior. The music ended on one final note. The audience began to applaud, while his friends cheered the loudest.

"That's my boy! Whooo!!" MIwa cried from the audience, startling those closest. She began to whistle, much to Junior's embarrassment. The curtain began to close on him, leading to him to turn with a long sigh, holding his chest.

"I thought that'd never end," said Junior in relief. Pinkie and Rarity approached, applauding him.

"You were magnificent! Keep it up!" said Rarity, proudly.

"Really? I don't think some of these lyrics are appropriate for a school play, let alone a professional musical," said Junior as he looked back at the curtain, still hearing the applause.

"Well they seem to be liking it so far. Just keep doing what we rehearsed!" said Pinkie. Junior sighed as he nodded.







Junior found himself walking along stage in the middle of the woods. He continued on until he entered a cave entrance prop. Music played over the scene, giving a sense of mystery. As the teen passed through the prop, students in black began to quickly switch out the props.

The props replaced were trees and bushes, traded off for stones. The background was changed to a cave setting, and the lighting grew softer. Junior gasped in shock as he found Rodan sitting on a chair, along with Angirasu, and a girl with white hair and who wore a kimono.

"We've been waiting for you Kujira. Like you, we demi humans have been hiding away from the villagers," said the girl.

"But how are there more of us?! I thought my father and I were the only ones cursed by the organization known as Diarch?!" asked Junior incredulously. Aiko raised a brow at this.

"Diarch?" asked Aiko.

"No, many others, including us, were cursed like you," said the girl. Junior growled.

"Damn them!" yelled Junior angrily, dropping to his knees as he slammed his hands onto the ground.

"Diarch..." Aiko hummed to herself as she kept pondering the scene in the play.

Later on during the play, Angirasu and Rodan were walking along stage. The setting was set to be the village that the hero was living in currently. Rodan sighed as he stretched.

"This is great! I'm sick of staying in that stuffy old cave! Plus we get to see the gorgeous maidens!" said Rodan as he waved to a passing girl, who waved back with a flirty smile. Angirasu bore a reluctant look.

"Why would you want to be out here? We aren't like these people. Aren't you worried?" asked Angirasu. Rodan scoffed as he stopped and turned to Angirasu.

"Worried? Worried? Brother, let me tell you something," said Rodan. A piano began to play along with guitar and the beat of drums. Rodan began to nod his head as he walked.

"One minute, I'm in the Evergreen Forest! Then I'm down in Equineville!~" sang Rodan, to the beat. He began to strut as the audience enjoyed the beat. His mother was chuckling in amusement.

"Sparkling Oaks to St. Clops~ There's a syncopated beat~. I say, Whoo~! Whoo~! I'm street smart~! I got a whole lot of heart~!" sang Rodan. The music began to pick up as he turned to Angirasu with a grin.

"Why should I worry~? Why should I care~? I may not have a dime~! But I got street savoir fare~!" sang Rodan.

"Hmm. This seems too close to Rodan's personality," said Mr. Shou to his wife.

"Nah," said Mrs. Shou dismissively.

"No, I'm starting to notice a pattern too," said Aiko with an analytical look.

Later during the play, Junior was standing in the cave with the white haired girl. Rodan and Angirasu sat on the ground, dressed in kimonos as though they were students waiting on their master in a dojo.

"You know the art of combat well. All I'm asking is for you to teach me what you know so I can improve. We have to defend ourselves don't we?" asked Junior.

"Besides, maybe we can use our skills to get people to not fear us," said Junior. The white haired girl hummed. Music began to play.

"So, ya wanna be a hero, kid~? Well, whoop-de-do~!" sang the girl, pushing one hand against Junior, causing him to stumble back.

"I have been around the block before~. With hotheads just like you~. Each and everyone a disappointment~! Pain for which there ain't no ointment~!" said the girl as she bumped her hip against Junior, causing him to stumble.

"So much for excuses~. Though a kid of Takashi is~ Asking me to jump into the fray~. My answer is two words~," sang the girl, holding up two fingers. There was a pause of silence.

"OK," said the girl with a shrug.

"Really?" asked Junior in surprise.

"Sure. I mean, I like having you around," said the girl. Rainbow sat in boredom in her seat.

"Man, it was good earlier. So much singing and talking," said Rainbow in annoyance. She was shushed by the rest of the girls around her, which prompted her to cross her arms.







During the next part of the play, Twilight was on stage. She was acting out a scene with a group of other girls. Junior was backstage, his character having been recently left behind to recover because he was 'wounded' during a rock slide.

"We have to convince the dragon to leave to save our land from the smog he's producing! But we have to do it diplomatically!" said Twilight. Junior retreated as he made his way to an area, where a jug of water stood. He began to pour some into a paper cup from the faucet beneath. Meanwhile, students were scrambling to prepare for the next scene, while some carried a large dragon neck.

"Oh no!" said a student as he tripped. The students that carried the dragon neck all fell, dropping the dragon.

"Shit! Is something broken?!" exclaimed a student in alarm. Junior turned, finding them to be frantically picking up the dragon.

"Oh god, the handles broken! We can't move its jaws!" cried a girl.

"Uh oh," said Junior. They were barely past the beginning and they were experiencing technical difficulties already.

"What do we do?! It's gonna ruin the scene if we can't make it talk!" said another student.

"We have to ditch the handle and move it manually. But this thing's heavy. How're we gonna- ?" The student began to mess with the head, opening and closing the jaw. Then, he noticed Junior standing.

"Gojira! We need your help!" cried the student. Junior slumped his shoulders with a grimace.

Soon, the boy found himself wearing a cloak over himself to obscure his costume and wore a dragon mask over his face. He was standing in front of the other students as they held the rest of the dragon-neck from inside of the cave prop, while Junior stood outside, moving the head on his own with his arms. He kept a firm hold as he pulled the jaw down, simulating the talking as someone spoke the dragon's lines off stage via microphone.

"Leave, humans! This is my treasure! And I intend on sleeping on it for over a hundred years during my hibernation!" said the dragon in a booming voice. A girl among the human villagers stepped forward. Her hair was covered in flowers, relating to her down to earth and nature loving persona.

"You should be ashamed of yourself! You're attacking people for asking you to leave this land because of your smog!" said the girl.

"But she kicked me!" whined the dragon, looking down at one of the other girls, who bore unkempt wild hair. The audience chuckled in amusement as the girl shrugged defensively.

'Agh. It's getting hot in here,' thought Junior in dismay, as he helped wrap up the scene.







It was the intermission. Junior sighed as he sat against a wall. He found Twilight waving to him with a smile.

"Hey, great job out there!" said Twilight.

"I don't know how much more I can take this," said Junior in dismay.

"Hey, don't worry! We're half way through! Besides, your next musical scene will be the last one until near the end," said Twilight with a reassuring smile. Junior sighed.

"Great..." said Junior. Twilight walked off as she held a cup of water. Junior got up, stretching his stiff joints until they popped. He proceeded to walk as Pinkie and Rarity were spouting off orders to the other cast and crew members of this production. It was surprising to see Pinkie take this kind of charge. He never realized that she could be as serious as she was right now.

Junior made his way over to a room, where he found Adagio to be brushing her fingers over her curly bangs. Her face bore some make up, bringing out the blush in her cheeks. She sported a half top, with prosthetic shells covering her breasts. She wore a purple dress around her waist, exposing one leg and a headband with spikes, appearing as if it came from the ocean.

"What do you think?" asked Adagio. Junior awkwardly stood by.

"You look... Good," said Junior. Adagio bore a mischievous smile as she ran a hand over her bare leg.

"You think I should show off more leg?" asked Adagio. Junior cleared his throat, closing his eyes to not stare her legs. Her silky, luscious sexy legs. Junior mentally groaned and shook off any thoughts of lust that were invading his train of thought.

"Don't. We still have to be clean for the school," said Junior in annoyance. Adagio giggled as she stood up.

"I still can't believe they cast you too. You said that you were helping with singing," said Junior with a raised brow.

"Well I never said that they didn't ask me to sing. And my sisters!" said Adagio, pointing to the side, where her sisters were dressed in similar outfits. Aria was covering her stomach in embarrassment.

"I'm gonna kill those heads of production for these outfit ideas," growled Aria.

"I think these are hot!" said Sonata, checking herself out in the mirror with a grin.

"Well, I should get going. My part's next again," said Junior as he walked out of the room, his face beat red. His mind stuck on the legs exposed by the Dazzlings.

"So much leg..." muttered Junior to himself. He shook his head with a groan.







The play had reached its end of the first Act. It was being wrapped up with the revelation that the character Midnight discovered that the hero, Kujira, was actually a member of the feared race, demi-humans. Described as men turning into fearsome beasts. The man that she had fell for. Aside from her, the character's friend, the one with the unkempt hair, was also in love with Rodan's character.

Junior was waiting in the backstage, watching the scene play out. He was starting to get a little lost in the play since it's felt like they've been performing for quite a while, and they weren't even through yet! Right now, Twilight Sparkle was with the girl with unkempt hair, arguing as they attempted to digest the revelation of their lovers being monsters. The setting was that of a room in a house.

"Now you listen here, Spectrum! It's that kind of thinking that has caused them to leave! They were good men, not monsters!" said Twilight, angrily. Meanwhile in the audience, Aiko bore a grimace.

"OK, now it's just getting obvious," deadpanned Aiko. The music began to play.

"They were not evil! They were misunderstood men in this world!" said Twilight. The music picked up in tempo.

"They were not human, Midnight!" cried 'Spectrum'.

"Yes, the man I loved was a demi human and that scares me, not.~" Twilight sang solemnly.

"I want the world to know... That I love that demi human hunk~! I've been thinking, praying.~ Reading some books~. And it's time we opened our eyes and get out of this funk~!" sang Twilight, the music matching her tone, more upbeat.

"Midnight, I can't believe what you're saying!" said 'Spectrum'.

"Oh honey, you know what I say is true!~ Just who're you trying to fool?~ I saw you making goo goo eyes at that red haired dude~!" sang Twilight. There was a brief moment of silence. 'Spectrum' looked down at the ground with a frown.

"He was one hell of a guy," said Spectrum. The music began to pick up again.

"He made me laugh and grin~!" sang Spectrum.

"Lady, I tell you it ain't a sin~!" sang Twilight. The music picked up as the girls matched its tone. Spectrum held her hands against her chest.

"Lord I love that demi-human hunk~! My heart's feelin' sunk~!" sang Spectrum.

"That demi-human hunk~! That demi-human hunk~!" the chorus began to sing along.

"I love that demi-human hunk~!" sang the girls and chorus in unison. Junior grimaced.

"I got to talk to the heads of production about their writing," said Junior.







It was midway through the play. By now, the hero had exiled himself from the land that he was in, abandoning the woman he fell for out of fear due to his curse being revealed to her. According to the script, they had recently finished the segment where the hero and a few of his friends have arrived in an Arabian village. Now Junior, Rodan, and Angirasu are on a boat with a random stranger. A fog machine is turned on off stage, while a haunting harmonizing choir echoed around them.

"You hear that?" The stranger said ominously. "That's the song of the sirens, they sing to lure their prey to their deaths"

"Well good thing we're not listening" said Junior unamused, knowing who and what is coming.

"Oh but this is not an alluring song" The stranger said. "It is an attack song!"

The harmonizing choir got louder and louder, creating the illusion that the sirens are getting closer. Rodan and Angirasu started to look in random directions.

"We got To Get Out of Here!" exclaimed Angirasu, as the music around him began to build up.

"Too late! They're already here!" screamed the stranger as The Dazzlings in their siren outfits emerged from the fog.

Both Aang and Rodan jump from the boat in a panic while the Dazzlings circled around them.

"Another day in the ocean deep~ I get no rest, I get no sleep" sang Adagio clearly enjoying her scene. "‘cause when I start to count my sheep~. You come around~"

"Maybe, we'll come back later okay?" stuttered Angirasu.

"I draw my shades and lock my doors~. Still you come for what ain't yours~" Adagio continued to sing. "Like a hound dog on all fours~. You sniff around and around and around~."

"You're gonna stay~. You're gonna stay~.You're gonna staaaaay~. Forever!~"

"Oh I wish we could stay but forever sounds like a long time!" Angirasu continued to stutter.

"Forever!~" sang Adagio.

"A-and I got a hair appointment!" Rodan added.

"Another night another game~. But all in all you're all the same~. For want to flame what swims around~" Adagio sang, while her sisters helped sing back up. "The people call you from the beach~. Your pretty girl~. Your perfect peach~. They're always out of reach~, When I'm around and around and around~"

"You're gonna stay~. You're gonna stay~.You're gonna staaaaay~. Forever!~"

Both Aria and Sonata began pushing and pulling Angirasu and Rodan in random directions in an attempt to terrorize them.

"You got some anger issues you know that!?" said Rodan.

"You think I like this job?~ I'm a glorified chaos bringer~. No one comes to rescue me~. So yeah, I'm a little bitter~. Adagio sang adding a little bit of anger in her voice. "I'm not a princess, no great beauty~. No one ever, ever, ever, ever wants me!~"

"You made her mad~" Aria and Sonata sang as the trio stalked/strutted closer to the two. "You're gonna die~"

"Don't even try to come around round and round round and round round and round~. Oh round and around and around and around and around and around and around and around and-"

"Ladies hold on! I've got something to say here!" Angirasu interrupted the Dazzlings singing. "First off we're not humans, we're demi-humans, there's a major difference. Secondly I'm not like those dolphin killing types you know why? Uhm?"

"I like a nice nice girl~" Angirasu sang. "I like a nice nice girl~"

"Sing it ladies!" Rodan addressed to the sirens.

"He likes a nice nice girl!~" Aria and Sonata sang in unison. "He likes a nice nice girl!~"

"And as for you, I think you're bluffin'~. Stompin' around all huffin' and puffin'~" Angirasu continued to sing. "You want to love, stop with the hatin'~"

"A Change of Heart~" Both Aria and Sonata sang.

"He's out there waiting~." sang Angirasu.

"He likes a nice nice girl!~" Aria and Sonata finishing Angirasu's song , while Adagio smiled warmly at him.

"Well, I hope you learned something valuable tonight." Angirasu said as he and Rodan turned around. "Now if you would excuse us, we'll be on our way."

Just as Angirasu turned around, Adagio turned him back to her with an all too familiar smirk on her face.

"What's wrong with you?" Angirasu asked as Adagio batted her eyes at him. "You got something in your eye?"

"I'm no princess, still he wants me~" Adagio sang before letting out a girly giggle. "No great beauty, but he wants me~"

"What the-!?" exclaimed Angirasu.

"No one ever, ever, ever, ever wanted me!~ sang Adagio with more excitement in her voice, she then pounced on Angirasu, clinging on to him tightly.
"So!~ You're gonna stay~. You're gonna stay~. You're gonna stay~. Forever~."

"I wasn't talking about me specifically!" exclaimed Angirasu as he tried to escape from Adagio's grip.

"I'm gonna love you Forever~. You're gonna stay with me~. Forever more~." Adagio continue to sing, she tightened her grip around Aang, cutting circulation around his waist. "You're gonna looooooooove Me!~"

The audience then applauded while Aiko remained deadpanned.

'If this school play sold tomatoes, I would have been throwing them all over this scene' Aiko thought to herself.







According to the script, the musical had recently finished the segment where the hero and a few of his friends met the three Sirens from the sea, near the desert. Right now, they were finishing up a scene that would send them into the third act.

There was music playing. The band began to play a tune that was almost upbeat, while the background was covered in fire. There were sets of rubble and steel beams lying scattered. Junior found himself facing off against another student, who wore red armor. The two stared each other down as the fake flames that blew from the fans hidden behind the fake rubble.

"All my life's been a series of fists in my face. And then suddenly I bump into you~," sang Junior.

"I was thinking the same thing! Cause like, I've been fighting my whole life to claim this whole space~. And maybe we can stop the talking, so I can kill you~," sang the villain as he drew out a sword prop. Junior did the same.

"But with you~" Junior stepped forward as he raised his sword.

"But with you, I've found my-," the villain sang in unison as the two clashed blades.

"Give me your face~," sang Junior with a glare. The two stared at each other down as the set began to change. Rubble seemed to be moved around by students in black and the background was getting changed to another room, as a firey background was shown.

"And it's nothing I've ever known before~," sang the two in a duet. The two circled each other, one striking the other with a sword, while the other blocked. The two would take turns with their attacks during their performance, moving in a slow fluid motion to match the song.

"Our clans are no moooooooore~! Our clans are no mooooore (moooooore)~! Our clans are no more~!" sang the two. Junior glared as he pointed at the villain. Trumpets began to play over them.

"Cause of you~."

"Cause of you~." the villain pointed back.

"No, you~." Junior got into a defensive position as he furrowed brow. The villain than got into a fighting stance with a look of hate on his face.

"No, you~!" said the villain.

"Our clans are no more....~" the two sang, before rushing to each other to clash blades. The audience watched in suspense as the two battled among the rubble and flames.

"The Spider Crabs will see the end of the Takashi clan, with your death!" declared the villain as he stepped back from Junior. The music began to pick up.

"I'll avenge my father, demon!" said Junior.

"I mean it's crazy~," sang the villain.

"What?" asked Junior in confusion.

"We finish each others-"

"Sandwiches!" exclaimed Junior. The villain scowled in annoyance and shook his head.

"That's not what I was gonna say," said the villain. The two began to circle each other again as smoke blew by their feet, and more fans of paper fire appeared around them to establish their arena was burning to the ground.

"I've never met someone who's this different to me~," sang Junior, while the villain of the play sang the last lyrics in unison.

"Jinx!" said the two. The villain kicked Junior, knocking him back with a laugh.

"Jinx again!" said the villain. Junior got back up and the two went back to clashing blades, faster.

"Our word synchronization, can't have but one explanation,~" sang the two in unison.

"You-" Junior pointed to the villain, who pointed to himself.

"And I, were not meant to be~!" the two sang. In the background, a pillar was lowered, as the sound of stone collapsing filled the air. More smoke blew as paper fire emerged from behind the pillar.

"Say goodbye (say goodbye) to the peace of the past,~. We are not gonna feel it anymore~!" Junior and the villain sang as they glared at each other.

"It's time to fight this waaaaar~!" the two sang as the music swelled.

"It's time to fight this waaaar~!" The two threw their swords to the side and charged toward the other. The grabbed each others shoulders as they began to struggle.

"Life could be so much more~," sang the two.

"Without you," said Junior.

"Without you," said the villain. Junior glared at him as he began to push.

"No you!" yelled Junior. The villain pushed harder.

"NO YOU!" shouted the villain.

"Life can be so much mooooore~." The actors sang as they pushed the other back. They had their fists raised, ready for the other to strike first.

"Can I say something crazy? WIl you marry me?" asked the villain. There was an awkward silence. The band stopped playing, and the audience laughed in amusement at the random bit.

"What the fu- NO!" said Junior. The villain merely stomped on the ground, prompting another prop to be lowered onto Junior. He cried out as he knelt down, allowing the pillar to gently fall over him. The music gave a small, gentle tune, while the villain laughed maniacally as he ran off to the backstage. Junior grunted as he pushed against the pillar.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that," said Junior. The music ended, prompting the closing of the curtain. The audience applauded the scene.

"Man, who'd a thought that the one who killed Kujira's father was that demi human that he freed from the shadowy organization known as Diarch?" said Miwa. Aiko sighed heavily with an annoyed look.

"Uh huh," said Aiko.

"I feel like there's a lot going on in this play," said Mrs. Shou.

"What clued you in? The growing number of characters or subplots?" asked Mr. Shou with a deadpanned look.







During the play, there was a figure dressed in a dark cloak. He was surrounded by other students that were dressed in black. There was ominous vocalization from the chorus as the set was dark, with only small candle-like lights being the only source of light on stage. The figure removed his hood, revealing his old and wrinkly face. It was grotesque in appearance, as though the figure was rotting away. It was an impressive mask crafted by the art department of the production.

"Man they got that mask to look gross, it's awesome!" said Rodan from backstage with a grin. Music began to play.

"When a man acquires a certain age~. And the women who adored you no longer swoon~. It pays to avoid the sunlit days~. And live by the light of the kindly moon~," sang the old villain in a soft tone to the piano keys.

"But the moon grows old just like us all~, And her beautiful years are done~. So now she prays through endless days~. To take her revenge on the sun~," sang the old villain. The music began to pick up, with trumpets, the jingle of a xylophone filled the air. The old man began to pace about around the stage as more light revealed the dark architecture and ruins of the setting. Sheets littered the ground, mimicking snow.

"When I was a boy at my King's side~. Umbra, the royal shadow king~. Revealed to me in secret signs~
The mark of the magician~," the villain sang as the music picked up. "And Umbra was no dummy~. He did outrageous things with my Mommy~. And often the power he would thrive~. Would look better dead than they did alive~."

"I studied well I learnt the trade~. I thought my looks would never fade~. If I could find that recipe.~ To give eternal youth to me~." sang the villain, dancing through the ruins as his wrists bore long dark ribbons to simulate rays of magic that flowed from the sorcerer's hands.

"It was always my ambition~. To use the king's tuition~. And gain some small remission~. From the vagaries of time~," sang the sorcerer.

"Every little ray of sunshine robs me of my youth~. Who to blame?~ Who the one?~ Who to curse?~ You know the only one to blame~. Would be my enemy the sun~," sang the sorcerer as he pointed to the background, as a yellow ball was lowered down over the painted ruins.

"Snuff out the light, claim your right~. To a world of darkness~. Snuff out the light, neophytes~. Of a world of darkness~." The villain and the robbed figures sang in unison.

"Attar baby, turn me on~. Every wrinkle soon be gone~. I could squeeze myself with glee~! The promises you made to me~," sang the sorcerer as a brief image of a horned demon appeared on the wall, quickly fading from sight. "I've really stopped at nothing~. Murder, Treachery, and Lying~. Whatever it takes to keep my looks, You really can't blame a guy for trying~. HA! Snuff out the light, claim your right~. To a world of darkness~. Snuff out the light, neophytes~. Of a world of darkness~."

"I love villain songs," said Angirasu with a grin as he, and the other cast members watched from backstage. As the performance went on, Junior frowned.

"I feel like this play's over bloated with too many villains," said Junior.

"Yeah it seems like we got a Spider-Man 3 situation going on here," said Rodan with a nod of agreement.

"Don't worry about it, it's fine!" said Pinkie.

Then the theater went black. The sorcerer was covered in yellow glow in the dark paint giving off a greenish glow. In front of him was a girl with dark blue hair with light blue streaks strapped to a table.

"Snuff out the light~. Claim your right~. To a world of darkness~" Sang the sorcerer in a more maniacal tone. "Snuff out the light~. Here Tonight!!"

Then a plethora of glowing neon colored monster puppets attached to strings began to fly around the stage, while multicolored glow in the dark skeletons started to dance in the background, and students with glowing neon colored monster rod puppets ran around the audience in an attempt to scare them. However Aiko wasn't at all impressed.

"Apparitions of eternal darkness~. Spiraling in circles through the night~" sang the chorus. "Creatures of beguiling blackness~. No more squinting in the light~"

"Bats and owls and coiled sea dragons~. Crocodile and carrion beasts~" the sorcerer sang along with the chorus. "Swirling in the growing darkness~. Join us in the coming feast~"

"Spectre, wraith and apparition~. Spirit, demon, phantom, shade~" the chorus sang more chaotically. "Salamander serpents, dog-faced devils~. Dance and watch the dying sunlight fade!~"

Everything went dark, the entire audience roared in applause.

"That was one hell of a villain song!" exclaimed Mrs. Shou.

"I've heard better" muttered Aiko rubbing her temples.







The crowd sat in anticipation as they watched the stage. On the stage was a castle in the background, with an evening setting. Junior stood across from Twilight on stage. A soft tune played in the air.

"Oh! It's my favorite scene!" whispered Rarity from backstage.

"You've come back," said Twilight softly. Her expression that of joy. Junior merely smiled with a nod.

"I couldn't stay away. I only wished that I could've been the right man for you. I've... I've done many things I'm not proud of," said Junior, turning away. The music grew louder. Soft violins played as a flute whistled. The women in the audience were swayed by the solemn nature of the hero and the sadness of the heroine.

"I don't care about that. All I wanted was you," said Twilight, softly. Junior turned, his expression soft. Twilight began to approach.

"In a perfect world, one we've never known~. We would never need to face the world alone~. They can have the world, we'll create our own,~" sang Twilight. The music began to pick up with her tone.

"I may not be brave or strong or smart~. But somewhere in my secret heart~. I know love will find a way~. Anywhere I go, I'm home~," sang Twilight. She stepped over to Junior and took his hand. Though during this performance, her heart began to race in her chest as she held his rough hand.

"If you are there beside me~. Like dark turning into day~. Somehow we'll come through~. Now that I've found you~. Love will find a way~." Twilight smiled as she held Junior's hand. The audience watched. Mosura was mentally groaning, wishing that she knew that Junior was involved. She would have been able to act out this romantic scene as the heroine of this play. Now she could only watch and dream about it.

"I was so afraid, now I realize~. Love is never wrong and so it never dies~. There's a perfect world shining in your eyes~." Junior sang as he took Twilight's other hand and held it firmly. He failed to notice the blush on the girl's cheek as he was focused to not flub up his performance.

"And if only they could feel it too~. The happiness I feel with you~. They'd know love will find a way~ Anywhere we go, we're home~," sang Junior and Twilight in unison. The two walked the stage, as lights hung in the air, flickering as they mimicked the twinkling of stars.

"If we are there together~. Like dark turning into day~. Somehow we'll come through~. Now that I've found you~." The two teens stopped and locked hands again. They turned to face each other. Twilight's blush intensified as she stared into Junior's eyes, lost in the song and their performance. She knew what had to come next, and she wasn't sure if she could pull it off.

"Love will find a way~. I know love will find a way~." The two sang one final note. As the music died down, Junior noticed that Twilight wasn't moving. She looked to be petrified. He remembered this scene perfectly and she was the one to act. He mentally groaned.

'Hope they can deal with this,' thought Junior. He gently took the girl's chin and raised it up. Twilight softly gasped as the boy leaned in. She instinctively tilted her head as she stood on her toes to reach the taller boy. Junior's lips rested near her cheeks. But in the perspective of the audience, it looked like the two were actually kissing. There were some squeals and hoots from the audience, which caused Twilight to blush more.

"What?!" hissed Mosura in shock. Fluttershy deeply frowned in response as the two stood there, as the music ended. Meanwhile backstage, Adagio leaned against a wall with her arms crossed. A look of annoyance was on her face.

"Damn it. I wanted to be the one to claim those virgin lips," groaned Adagio.

"Adagio, you know they're not actually kissing, right?" deadpanned Aria. As the curtains closed and the applause roared in the gymnasium, Junior and Twilight stood back stage.

"Phew. I was worried I'd screw that one up," said Junior with a sigh of relief. He noticed Twilight to be standing anxiously as she looked down at the ground.

"You OK?" asked Junior in confusion. Twilight flinched.

"Y-Yeah! Yeah, I'm great!" tittered Twilight in embarrassment.

"Hey, not bad on your part, Twi. You really pulled through for this," said Junior with a nod. Twilight bore a warm smile.

"Yeah... You too," said Twilight.







There was a sets of miniature structures. Streets that bore chariots and rubble. The background was painted dark and there was an ominous chorus vocalizing throughout the scene. The dragon from the prologue emerged from under a blue sheet, as though it were water. The dark dragon roared as a puppet of a four winged reptile hung over head, shrieking. On the ground was another puppet, of a multi-limb reptile. The dragon began to make its way to the puppet on the ground, which was simulated to move and roar. Thunder filled the air along with the sound of stomps.

In the foreground, villagers were running across the stage, screaming in panic to simulate the experience. They commented on the horror of the creatures as they looked up and pointed, as though they were watching the monsters fight. Meanwhile, the dragon was facing off with the puppets. A low trumpet played over the scene, as a gong was struck. The trumpet continued on as the 'monsters' fought over the land. As the trumpet fell silent, the band began to play their violins, moving in a soft tune that grew.

"Kujira~! Kujira~! Mighty Kujira, fight for us~!" sang the chorus over the music.

"Kujira~! Kujira~! Mightiest King of all Titans~! Fight for us, Kujira~! Fight for us and we'll forever serve~!" sang the chorus. The costumed dragon, or Kujira, known in the current part of the story, fought the puppets with all of his might. As there was chanting, buildings fell over and the costume opened its jaws. From its mouth came a mist, with a blue light in the back to give it the illusion of blue flames. The flying reptile puppet was covered in the mist and fell to the ground. The dragon then grabbed the multi limb reptile and pried its jaws open. It then spewed the mist into its mouth. It then dropped the puppet to the ground, as more smoke rose. The dragon roared in victory, as audiences cheered.

"How did we go from giant monsters in ancient times to weird allegory for Transmutants in medieval time, to evil wizard cults and back to giant monsters?" asked Aiko incredulously.

"Who cares?! I'm having a blast!" said Mrs. Shou as she clapped.

The curtains closed for a few minutes. During this time, the set was getting switched out. Junior came rushing to the stage, wearing a torn kimono and covered in wounds produced by the makeup department. He sighed to himself as he lied himself down on a pile of rubble as the background was switched to a city in ruins. He gave Rarity a thumbs up, who gave a thumbs up in response. She spoke on her head set to communicate with the rest of the crew.

"Final scene. Here we go," said Junior to himself, closing his eyes. The curtains began to open, revealing Junior to be lying in the ruins. Twilight ran to him and knelt. She shook him frantically.

"Kujira! Please, don't leave! You saved the city!" cried Twilight. The rest of the cast gathered, bowing their heads in sadness at the fallen hero.

"Please. You can't leave," whimpered Twilight. She buried her face against his chest as she knelt over him. From backstage, Rarity and Pinkie were tearing up, as well people in the audience. They had spent the last hour or so watching this play and the tale of the hero, only for it to end in his demise. But then, Twilight gasped as she shot up. Junior began to cough.

"He's alive!" cried Twilight with joy. Junior raised himself up, wincing as Twilight embraced him. The rest of the cast embraced him as well.

"You scared us, my friend~ Don't think of doing something like that again!" said Angirasu. Junior chuckled weakly.

"No promises," said Junior. The audience applauded as Junior and Twilight stood up.

"Let's go home," said Twilight.

"Yeah. Home," said Junior with a nod. The music began to pick up a happy tune as the curtains began to close.

"And that concludes our story. While the villains still ran amok, Kujira and his band of demi humans will stop at nothing to protect the world from devastation," said the narrator. The audience cheered and applauded as the band played its final notes.

"Wait, it's over? Like that?" asked Aiko incredulously.

"What's wrong with that?" asked Miwa in confusion.

"They just said the bag guys were still on the loose! They're ending it right after the city was destroyed by giant monsters!" said Aiko.

"It's just one of those things. You know, some movies allude that there's still something unresolved but the immediate conflict is done," interjected Posey.

"Yeah, like how the Empire was still on the loose after Luke Skywalker blew up the Death Star," said Rainbow.

"But there were two more movies after that one!" said Aiko.

"Yeah, and in the books, the Empire was still around after the end of that trilogy," said Sunset with a shrug.

"That's not the- Ugh! Whatever," said Aiko in dismay as she slumped in her seat.



Meanwhile backstage...



"Wait, there's supposed to be more?!" asked Junior incredulously. Pinkie was looking through the script in confusion.

"Yeah! But this doesn't make sense! It just ends with Angirasu's character going to Neighpon to find Kujira's dead father's remains!" said Pinkie as she looked to the front and back of the script.

"I can't believe you missed that! We literally could've left a bad cliffhanger if we rehearsed and performed that!" said Twilight in alarm.

"Well where's the rest of the script?" asked Adagio in confusion.

"I just received a text from John and Paul! Apparently they forgot to write out the rest of the story and forgot to mention that they were gonna end it where we did," said Rarity as she looked at her phone.

"They forgot?!" exclaimed Pinkie, visibly growing angry. The teens recoiled.

"Uh... Pinkie, are you OK?" asked Rodan worriedly.

"This was supposed to be a professional production! And you're telling me they never finished the story?!" demanded Pinkie. Rarity tittered as she backed away.

"Pinkie, it's already a long play. Adding more shit would've just been too much," said Aria. Rarity's phone beeped, prompting her to look at it again.

"Oh dear. It seems that they've got together with the other proof reader and are in the process of planning the whole trilogy while working on a spin off," said Rarity.

"A trilogy?! The first one isn't even done yet!" said Twilight.

"A spin off?" asked Junior with an odd look. Rarity's phone beeped again.

"Oops. Make that two spin offs," said Rarity.

"I'm gonna kill those guys!!" yelled Pinkie as she stormed off.

"Pinkie, no! Calm down!" cried Twilight as she ran after the girl. Junior sighed.

"Oh boy. Come on, we better stop her," said Junior. As the cast chased after the pink haired girl, the lights began to shut off in the room. The gymnasium was cleared out of audiences. As the gymnasium went completely dark, a figured appeared in the center stage.

It was a man sporting a jacket, while bearing the antler of a dear, the horn of a goat, the leg of a goat, the other leg and tail of a dragon, the claw of an eagle, and the fore limb of a lion. He hummed as he sipped up chocolate milk that came from a small cotton candy rain cloud.

"Ah! Chocolate milk is always great after a wacky unfinished story," said Discord. He then noticed text to be in front of himself as they formed in the air. They appeared to be reflecting the ones that you're reading right now.

"Oh, hello readers! I hope you enjoyed this weird non canon chapter set in the Shy and Aggressive universe, to celebrate The Arrogance of Man's 5 Year Anniversary!" said Discord as he projected an image of the universe of which he came from.

"Boy, we sure have come a long way! And yet a certain writer has been lazing his FAT ASS about instead of writing!" said Discord with a growl. He then placed on a smile.

"Johng117 would like to thank you for sitting and reading his totally 'original' fan fiction set in the My Little Pony Franchise. What? Come on, even he would admit that "The Bridge" has more originality than this! Not to mention better written characters..." chuckled Discord with a mischievous look.

"And he would like to thank The PMB-Brony and Moongaze14 for putting up with his crappy writing and helping him not suck! Everyday he learns something new. And thank you most of all, the reader! Here's to another five years!" said Discord as he raised his glass
> Chapter 71: Repressed
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It has been a couple of days since Angirasu's disappearance. His closest friends have begun to worry for him. Fluttershy could hardly sleep at night and Rodan had searched from Fillydelphia to Mock’s Deep but couldn’t make out any scent. Junior thought about asking Celestia for assistance, but decided against it seeing that she had her hands full already from a certain recent event.


Meanwhile at the lair, Mosura was meditating in her usual spot and Sunset was sleeping on a couch, located deep in the lair. The events of Titan Day have left her worn out. So, she decided to spend these past couple of days, resting to settle down her nerves. As she slept, she felt something wrap around the armrest of the couch, then she noticed a rosy smell slowly engulfing the room. She opened her eyes to see Erika using her vines to plant roses in and around the lair.


“Erika, what are you doing?” Sunset asked in a fatigue tone.


“Oh, you’re awake. I was just refurbishing the lair” Erika said in a somewhat cheerful mood. “I just thought that this place could look a bit nicer than a dark torch lit cave.”


Sunset nodded dully, she slowly got up and followed Erika into Angirasu’s room.


"Guess I'll help. Might as well make myself useful."


The room was like all the others. It was basically just a small chamber of cold stone, decorated with rugs, and a bed to make it tolerable to sleep in. However, there was a large hole on the wall which was blocked by a rather large rock. Erika inspected the hole with interest.


“That might be a good place to put a small rose bush,” Erika said with optimism.


"You and your roses," Sunset rolled her eyes in amusement.


"It's the only flower I seem to be able to grow," said Erika with a shrug.


Several vines began to grow out of her wrists and wrapped themselves around the rock, gently pulling it out. At first the vines had a tough time pulling the darn thing.


“Boy, it’s stuck in there good,” said Erika, struggling to pull the rock out.


After a couple of tugs, Erika managed to remove the rock from the wall, but a large chest fell out of the hole with a loud thud, startling Erika and Sunset. The girls began to eye the chest. It was dark brown in color, with a bronze frame, and appeared big enough to store several large items. Out of curiosity, Erika inspected the chest and realized that it wasn't locked. She opened it and peeked inside, finding a couple of clay sculpted items that had been hardened and that bore a glossy and almost glass-like texture that prevented the solidified clay from leaving dust. Sunset picked up one of the sculptures, inspecting it up close. She couldn’t help but admire the clean sculpting. They were sculpts of animals, such as a dog, a serpentine Neighsian dragon, and a bird.


“Wow. I wonder if these might be some art projects that Aang may have been doing when he was in school.” said Sunset. This did remind her of such a thing. She knew for a fact that she held onto old projects that she had worked on in her childhood for sentimental reasons.


“They look beautiful,” Erika stated. “Hey, we should take a couple of these and put them up the shelves. It will liven the place up."


Erika and Sunset began to take a few more sculptures out of the chest. During this, Sunset found a black book sitting at the bottom of the chest. Sunset took out the book, finding it to be nearly falling apart due to age. There was Neighponese lettering stenciled on the cover that translated as ‘Journal’. Sunset slowly opened the journal, what she saw gave her an uneasy feeling. She quickly closed the book.


“I think we should put this stuff back.” Sunset said solemnly.


“What makes you say that?” said Erika, worrying about her friend's current shift in mood.


“I-I think that the past should remain buried,” said Sunset. “And I don’t want to add any more drama to our current situation.”


“What do you mean add more drama?” The two tensed as they slowly turned their heads, finding Mosura to be standing outside the room with a questioning look.


“What are you two talking about?” Mosura asked. Sunset looked to Erika, who gave her an anxious look.


“Mosura…” Sunset hesitated to speak, but something inside urged the redhead to confess. “You may want to see this.”


Sunset handed Mosura the journal, who opened to the first page. On the first page were two photographs. The first photograph showed a nine year old Angirasu sitting with a man that bore a somewhat greyish-brown colored hair and a woman with short spikey hair resembling that of Aang. The second photo however made her nearly drop the journal. The photo depicted the same spikey haired woman wearing a dark military uniform and a cap that bore the MONARCH insignia.










Echo 54 Base, Neighpon


The MONARCH base was deathly silent. The late winter air had chilled the surfaces of the concrete and metallic fortress. During this evening, soldiers were already moving through the halls, dressed in shirts and sweat pants. They were turning in for the night. Angirasu was hiding behind a corner in the hall, where the frame of the hall obscured him from the line of sight of the soldiers as they passed.


Angirasu made his way out of cover as the men passed. He stood close to the wall, advancing further. He entered a room, where weapons and armor lied organized in their respected places. The Transmutant began to look over the equipment, a smirk appearing on his face.


Moments later, Angirasu stepped out of the armory. He sported dark infantry armor, with a cloth mask covering his mouth to limit visibility of his face. The armor was a tight fit, considering that most of the men were at least five foot six or so in Neighpon, while he was much larger. Angirasu looked over the corner and whistled. From the corner down the hall, Caesar was crouched close to the ground, making his way over to Angirasu's position.


"Looks uncomfortable," said Caesar.


"You have no idea," said Angirasu. He began to peek over from the armory, checking for anyone that may be passing by.


"Where to?" asked Angirasu.


"I sense that he's further down in this facility. But he's certainly closer," said Caesar. Angirasu looked around in the facility, looking for anything that may be useful, only to stop in his tracks as he spotted a map on the wall.


The map depicted the entire facility, along with some structures that stood outside. Looking at this map was already causing a headache. It was like a maze. Many different rooms made up the interior of the main structure. Fortunately, Angirasu managed to find their current location. An armory that was close to a side entrance.


"If his bones were really made into a mech, then we can narrow our search to wherever they keep those machines. Let's see..."


Angirasu spent the next minute analyzing the routes of labeled rooms that were depicted. Eventually, Angirasu's sight fell upon a room labeled 'Docking Bay'.


"I wonder..." said Angirasu as he analyzed the room's location. It seemed to be facing the back of facility. Beyond the base was a checkpoint that seemed to run to a different path. It was curious since he figured that it'd be troublesome having two entrances, both in opposite directions of each other as well. The docking bay in question was quite large compared to the other rooms, especially the mess hall.


"Alright, the Docking Bay might be our best chance. But, it's a lot deeper into the facility," said Angirasu. He turned to Caesar.


"So here's what I'm thinking. I'll go on ahead to confirm whether or not that's where they're keeping him. You wait here until I come back," said Angirasu. Caesar shook his head.


"It is too risky. I fear that you may find yourself lost if not discovered," said Caesar. Angirasu hummed to himself.


"Well you can't come along. Imagine how'd they react seeing a Shisa tagging along with me on a little evening stroll," said Angirasu. He was honestly surprised that they managed to get this far. It was all the more reason not to press their luck.


"You would still need me to find him. That room could be for anything else," said Caesar. Angirasu sighed.


"Tell you what. If I'm not back in say... 15 minutes, go on ahead and look for him yourself. It might mean I got lost or captured," said Angirasu.


"If that were the case, then I'd just be searching for you," said Caesar.


"We came here to find the remains of Gojira's father. If I get myself in a sticky situation, I'll get myself out," said Angirasu, narrowing his eyes. Caesar sighed.


"Very well. 15 minutes," said Caesar in reluctance.


"Need a watch?" asked Angirasu.


"I'll manage," deadpanned Caesar.


Angirasu found himself wandering this vast labyrinth, known to the denizens here as a military base. The air was chilling, the sound of his boots echoed against the concrete floor. The armor that the Transmutant had adorned was still a tight fit. In fact, the groin area of his pants proved to be way less comfortable than what he would have liked, but he had to keep pressing forward. The faster he found his destination, the faster he could get out of these clothes and head home.


Home. Angirasu thought it was funny that he never really thought much about his place in Ponyville, let alone Equestria. To him, Neighpon was his home, with his mother and his father. But, he no longer had a place here. That was long since stripped away from him.


Angirasu shook off the creeping thought. Now wasn't the time to lament the past. As the young man continued on his search, he at times found himself passing some patrolling guards. Angirasu kept his eyes forward and his movement loose to avoid drawing suspicious eyes from the guards. After a while, Angirasu picked his pace up. He was feeling anxious just by passing several soldiers throughout his journey. It was like his body was moving on its own, responding to a reflex or habit ingrained into him since he was a kid.


"Hey, slow your role," said a passing soldier. Angirasu's heart jumped in his chest. He had almost responded to this man but refrained from doing so, out of fear of exposing himself. This was harder than he had thought. The anxiety made him want to transform and just raise hell in this facility. It certainty beat feeling vulnerable and hiding in plain sight.


Angirasu looked down at a scrap of paper. On it was a rough drawing of the map that he was going along with. He sighed as he looked up and looked at his surroundings.


"OK," Angirasu muttered to himself.


He came across two scientists pushing a cart that had a severed head of a reptilian creature with a skull-like face, with eyes placed further behind the socket-like dip in its head, much like orca's spots. The head was about twice the size of a man. There were tubes embedded in several parts of its head, which were collecting blood. Aang looked on with a feeling of disgust and dread. He never saw a creature like that in his life.


‘Looks like they’re preparing for 3rd generation Transmutants’ thought Angirasu to himself as he picked up the pace.


The Transmutant proceeded to make his way further into this facility. Every step just led him deeper into the belly of the beast that he spent his life fleeing from. With each step, his heart raced. Memories of being trapped and isolated into a place just like this flooded his mind.


All Angirasu could remember was isolation, being forced to live in a small metallic cell, writhing in pain from the mutagenic properties that were injected into his body. The fear and despair that he felt in those days in that cell as the mutagen coursed through his veins, putting him in great agony as his senses heightened. Angirasu felt anxiety grow in him as he traveled further into this place. The mutant stumbled and stopped next to a wall. He panted as he felt the room spinning. He closed his eyes tightly as he tried to get these images out of his head. He wanted to scream and just run far away from this place, never to return.


"Hey soldier!" said a feminine voice. Angirasu shot up with a start. He turned and found a middle aged woman to be standing in the hall, dressed in uniform. The MONARCH insignia sat on her left breast.


"Is there a problem?" questioned the woman in a rather stern tone. Angirasu's heart rate went up. He stood upright, his hand twitching as he found himself face to face to what he assumed was a high ranking officer. She was a Neighsian Elf woman, who bore a cold atmosphere about herself. Her name was depicted on her right breast, and her rank was depicted as a patch on her shoulder. Her surname was Seiko.


"N-No, ma'am. Just a little dizzy," said Angirasu, clearing his throat. Seiko merely furrowed her brows.


"Shape up, soldier. We don't tolerate weaklings here," said Seiko, Angirasu slightly nodded as he began to walk on ahead. He slightly trembled as he walked on, feeling the eyes of the woman still on him. Just being here in this place filled him with dread.


'Come on, Angirasu. You've been in far worse situations in this. Suck it up,' thought Angirasu. As he made it down the hallway he found a door that was larger than the others.


‘This looks promising’ Angirasu thought to himself.


Angirasu opened the door, finding himself in a large dimly lit room. The place looked like it wasn’t used in years, which was evident seeing that there were two basketball hoops that were catching dust. Angirasu continued to inspect the room with his footsteps being the only noise that echoed through the vacant room. He couldn’t help but feel that there was something awfully familiar about this room, noticing a strange object hung over the bleachers. Aang walked over to the object to get a better look at it. He noticed that the object was insectoid in shape. It made him realize that it was a molted mantis carapace. It looked to have decayed quite a bit, but he recognized the insect traits. Nothing else could have left something like this behind. With this information, Angirasu had figured out what kind of room he was in.


‘This is where they held the adult Transmutants for their 'recreational pass time'!’ Angirasu thought to himself, as he power walked to the door. He remembered a room like this at the facility he was locked up in. They had a basket ball court in a large isolated room to allow the 'subjects' to stretch their legs. He never went in there personally, since the children were in a separate facility, but he heard the stories from the older mutants.


Suddenly the door clammed shut. Angirasu gasped in a panic as he ran to the door. He began to bang his fist on the door.


“LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! SOLDIER LOCKED IN! LET ME OUT!” Angirasu screamed as he pounded at the door. His anxiety began to grow. The memories came flooding back. His breathing was labored as he started to sweat. The room echoed from his banging, but going unheard, much like his days in that cell.


Angirasu stopped for a second, hearing another pounding sound echo through the room. From the shadows of the room came a basketball that bounced in his direction. As the basketball reached his feet, everything became deathly quiet. Angirasu went pale as his mind registered the fact that he wasn’t the only one in this room.


Suddenly a large winged humanoid creature aggressively perched itself on one of the basketball hoops, and roared at the ceiling. Angirasu cupped his ears as its horrible cry echoed. The creature strongly resembled some demonic traits that Sunset bore when she transformed. However, this thing was masculine and much more muscular. It bore a bald head, with a glowing DNA helix tattooed on its forehead. The creature took notice of Angirasu and glared at him. Aang bolted across the room, as the demonic creature darted after him. The demon sideswiped him, causing the mutant to trip and fall. The demon then grabbed Aang by the shoulders, and lifted him off the ground. It then roared into Angirasu’s face before dropping him onto the hard floor. The beast had broken Angirasu’s helmet, revealing his face. The demon then landed next to him and let out another blood curdling screech.


Angirasu got up and stared into the demon’s black and red eyes. The demonic creature pounced onto Angirasu, tackling him to the ground. It began to claw at his face. Angirasu tried to shove the monster off of him, but the creature gripped his arms and forced them down. Angirasu struggled to find something to strike him with, anything to get this beast off. Just as the demon was going to attack again, it froze. Aang cocked an eyebrow in confusion. The demon suddenly collapsed to the ground next to him. As Angirasu slowly got to his feet, he noticed a small metallic dart embedded into the demon’s back. Aang turned around to see two MONARCH soldiers, one of them holding a rifle. The two had calm but unnerving smiles that brought a chill to Angirasu’s spine. These men weren't Neighponese, they were foreigners to this land.


“Well, well well, What do we have here? Eh, Mr. Johnson?” the soldier said in a calm tone. “Why if it isn’t ‘Club-Tail’ dropping by for a visit”


“And he had a brawl with ‘Devil Impact’, Mr. Haber” said the second soldier, glancing at the unconscious creature.


“How appalling, Mr. Johnson.” Mr. Haber said in his usual tone. “I think we should apprehend him,”


“Indeed, Mr. Haber” Mr. Johnson said as he and Haber slowly walked towards the intruding mutant.


Angirasu was about to run away, but he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his neck. He cried out, but then stiffened as he felt volts of electricity course through his body. He cried out in agony and collapsed to the ground. He panted as he looked up, finding Seiko to be looking down at him with a cold look on her face. She then smiled maliciously at him.


"I thought I recognized you," said Seiko. Angirasu grunted as he attempted to move but cried out in agony as more electricity was sent through his system. A device was embedded into his neck, blinking rapidly as it sent volts of electricity into him. Seiko held in her hand a device, her thumb pressing on a button.


"You couldn't have come here at a better time, kid," said Seiko. She then kicked Angirasu in the face knocking him unconscious.










PONYVILLE



Inside the Guardians' Lair, everyone was either silent or in shock. Junior was skimming through the journal, pacing back and forth through the room as he read.


“I can’t believe this!” Junior shouted, clearly upset about this. “Our friend, no our own brother is the son of a MONARCH soldier! And he didn’t tell us!”


“He was usually quiet,” said Sunset, clearly uncomfortable. She was beginning to regret showing Mosura the journal she discovered.


“Come to think of it, I don't think he ever brought up his parents” Rodan added. “Even when we were separated from Mosura, he never mentioned them once.”


“Why wouldn't he tell us? Why would he keep that a secret? What if... Oh shit,” Junior ran a hand through his hair. Mosura's eyes widened.


"Gojira Takeshi! You can't honestly think that he's somehow involved with them!"


“Maybe not directly, but think about it, Mosura! Aang’s mother is a MONARCH soldier! He’s hidden this journal from the rest of us!” Junior retorted. “How do we know that bitch didn't implant Aang with some transmitter?! That would explain how MON-“


Junior was interrupted when Mosura slapped him across the face, the force of the impact sent Junior staggering. He was about to shout back in anger, but he was paralyzed by the enraged yet tearful look on Mosura’s face.


“Mosu-“ Junior attempted to speak.


“SHUT UP!” Mosura yelled. She took a deep breath as her expression softened. “Gojira, listen to yourself. Doesn’t this sound familiar?”


Junior tilted his head, trying to understand what Mosura was referencing.


“Doesn’t this sound like how people have treated you? How they treated us? Besides, you aren't in a position to cast stones. I seem to recall you having held secrets too,” Mosura continued. Junior’s face slowly softened, thinking back to how everyone reacted to his transmutantism, never giving him the chance to show them who he was. He even recalled how him keeping his secrets bottled up for years had caused pain to the people he cared for. He was no different from the humans that loathed him.


"Your hatred towards MONARCH is blinding you. Remember, we all came from the place that spawned your father’s murderer.” said Mosura, her expression solemn. Her words struck a chord with Junior as he sat down on the couch. Staring at the floor, he held a hand over his face, gritting his teeth. He remembered what that mysterious person said to him, regarding his rage. It seemed wrath was a much greater hurdle than any villain he's faced.










Echo 54, MONARCH Base. Neighpon



Angirasu groaned as his vision was blurred. He found himself lying on a cold floor, stripped off of his stolen armor. All that he had were the pants and shirt of the uniform on him. He winced as a bright light shone over him. He heard the sound of footsteps echoing out into the room. He raised his head and found Onyx to be walking into the light.


"Welcome to Echo 54, Club Tail" said Onyx. “Nice for you to visit.”


Angirasu growled as he glared at this man. He grunted as he raised himself up but winced in pain as his muscles contracted, cramping. He dropped to his knees as he panted.


"Save your strength, young Riku. You will need it," said Onyx as he walked past the Transmutant.


"You're damn right I will! You'll be begging for mercy when I get my hands on you! You'll pay for what you've done!" said Angirasu, wincing as he held his arm. His body ached terribly. It was likely from the electricity that made him unconscious.


"Pay? For making you a God among men?" asked Onyx. Angirasu scoffed.


"A God?! You turned us into monsters! You took us from our homes and families! You killed my parents!" said Angirasu, hatred burning in his eyes. Onyx sighed as he turned.


"Yes, I run this organization. I ordered your abduction as well as the abduction of the other subjects that we turned into Transmutants," said Onyx in a firm tone. Angirasu growled angrily.


"But... I did not kill your family," said Onyx. Angirasu scoffed, feeling his anger rise.


"No, of course not. You ordered for them to be killed! It doesn't make a difference to me!" said Angirasu. Onyx shook his head.


"No, not even that. My orders were that you were to be taken. Why would I order the termination of one of my best soldiers?" asked Onyx, as an image of a familiar woman appeared. Angirasu's eyes widened as he turned to find his mother standing, giving a salute. Angirasu stepped closer to the apparition as he felt his eyes watered.


"Lieutenant Riku Aiko. She was one of the best in Neighpon. A woman with drive, authoritative, and a strong sense of duty," said Onyx as he stared at the apparition, almost nostalgic.


"She had promise. But I was willing to part with her if she desired a different path. When she had a family, I thought she'd be better off hanging up her uniform. But Aiko was stubborn. She wanted one last tour of service before returning to civilian life. I guess she liked the thrill of it. I see that some of those traits carried on in you," said Onyx as Angirasu reached for the apparition. His hand merely phased through her. The image disappeared, prompting Angirasu to fall to his knees, gritting his teeth as he shed his tears.


"Why did you take them away?" asked Angirasu.


"I only wanted you, my boy. Your family was to never know where you had gone. No, the blame falls on your captor and a select couple of others," said Onyx as he grabbed Angirasu by the back of the head. Angirasu gasped as his eyes glowed white.


Angirasu found himself standing in a city. He found a four Neighsian individuals standing in a back alley, covered in dark suits and armed with hand guns.


"Maybe this is a bad idea," said a young man as he looked at his mask with a grimace.


"You can't back out now! The Director himself is giving us the opportunity to move up the ranks! We just snatch the kid and we're home free!" said another man.


"But what does he even want with a kid?" asked the first man.


"Who cares? Do you know the prestige we'll get just by moving up the ranks at our age?" asked the second man. Angirasu found Seiko, as a younger woman, placing on a dark mask.


"Which is why we're here. The world doesn't award fairness," said Seiko. Angirasu clenched his fist as he watched the soldiers speak.


"You can chicken out all you want. I only joined MONARCH to get away for a while. I'm not going to be stuck with my overbearing family to be set up in a marriage I didn't consent to," said Seiko, her tone growing harsh.


"Think of the pay grade! You know you can use that money more out of all us," said the second man. The first sighed he nodded.


Angirasu found himself suddenly standing in a restaurant, surrounded by people eating their food and conversing with each other. He saw a younger version of himself sitting with his mother and father. Hearing their voices made Angirasu’s eyes water, but it was short lived when the masked soldiers burst through the doors, and began shooting at the chandeliers. The entire restaurant burst into a panic, people ran in opposite directions to the nearest exit, screaming in terror. Angirasu’s breathing quickened as he heard the cries of horror. In the midst of the chaos, a soldier grabbed the younger Angirasu as he was escaping with his family. He attempted to disappear into the crowd with the child, but his cries alerted his father. Aang’s father attempted to save his child, but was immediately shot down by Seiko.


“ODA!” Aiko let out a horrified scream, pushing through the fleeing civilians.


“Holy Shit!” The first soldier cried in terror, turning towards Seiko. “What. Have you done?”


Everything suddenly went silent, Aiko’s eyes burned with rage. She grabbed a steak knife and threw it into the third soldier’s eye. As the soldier screamed in agony, the younger Angirasu ran back to his mother.


“GET IT OUT! GET IT OUT! GET IT OUT!” screamed the soldier, as he tried to remove the knife from his eye socket, but quickly retracted his hands with a whimper. "FUCK!"


Aiko knocked over a table, creating a barrier for her son. She then bolted towards the third soldier, and punched him in the gut, knocking him to the ground. The second soldier charged at her , but she dodged, grabbed another steak knife from a table. and slashed his shoulder. Aiko then kicked the second soldier, making him crash into a nearby fish tank, causing it to shatter. Aiko eyed the first soldier, who was retreating to the corner of the room. Aiko then turned to see the masked Seiko staring at her.


‘There is no way in Hell, I’m letting this bitch ruin my promotion’ Seiko thought to herself.


Angirasu cringed as he heard Seiko’s inner monologue.


Both Aiko and Seiko lunged at each other, tackling each other when they made contact. Seiko tried to shoot her, but Aiko kicked her gun out of her hand. The mother then started punching Seiko in the gut, causing her to vomit a bit under her mask. She then grabbed Seiko by the throat and pinned her against the neon sign in the establishment. Seiko screamed as she felt her back burned from the heat of the sign. Aiko removed Seiko’s mask,gasping slightly before glaring at her again.


“YOU! Why did you kill my husband?!” Aiko shouted in unbridled tearful rage. “Why are you terrorizing my son!?”


"Just... looking to take your little shit out for a trip," said Seiko, attempting to speak.


Aiko's eyes narrowed as she gritted her teeth and trembled in anger. She tightened her grip against Seiko’s throat. She wanted to suffocate her and end it here, but she needed more information. Instead, she used her free hand to press on a button on her watch. The watch began to flash.


“See that Seiko?” Aiko explained. “That is a MONARCH distress signal. When they come barging through those doors, they will have your head. And I'll make sure that I'm the one who formally executes you.”



Seiko began to chuckle as she reached for her pocket. Angirasu felt his heart raced, he wanted to cry out to his mother so that he may warn her of the danger. But he knew it was futile, for these things already happened.


“You idiot, they ordered us to do this” said Seiko as she pulled out a second, smaller
gun from her pocket.


Seiko shot Aiko in the chest, the bolt went through her back, leading her to collapse to the ground. Seiko began to walk towards the frightened child, but Aiko crawled in her path, reaching for her son. Aiko coughed as blood oozed from her throat. She growled as she glared at her attacker, holding Angirasu's head down. She looked more like a mother wolf protecting her young. Seiko simply narrowed her eyes.


“You stubborn cunt,” Seiko said hatefully as she raised her gun towards Aiko’s head.


Angirasu closed his eyes, not wanting to watch as Seiko pressed her finger on the trigger.


‘BANG!’


Angirasu reluctantly opened his eyes, finding his dear mother lying lifeless on the ground. He watched as his younger self screamed in terror. Seiko sneered at the woman.


"I never liked you. Always looking down on us," said Seiko.


"Oh fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" said the first soldier in horror. The second soldier was panting as he held his wounded shoulder, while Seiko looked down at Aiko's body, who lied next to her husband, Oda and the young sobbing Angirasu.


"We need to go! Get the kid!" said Seiko. She then noticed the third soldier, standing still as the knife was embedded in his socket. "And for gods' sake, help that moron to his feet!"


"Are you insane?! We just killed them! This wasn't supposed to happen!" yelled the first man. Seiko growled as she grabbed the boy and stormed off, passing the bodies of Angirasu's parents. Angirasu stood and trembled as he stared at the bodies of his parents. Hearing their final cries once again haunted him, filling him with rage. Memories that he had long since repressed were now coming back to him. Angirasu heard his younger-self crying out. He turned and found Seiko pulling his younger self out the door and into the alley way. He screamed for his parents as Seiko pinned him to the ground.


"Give me the fucking sedative!" yelled Seiko, struggling to hold the child down and keep him silent.


The first man passed on a syringe to the woman, who began to inject the substance into the boy. Angirasu trembled as he watched this woman simply put this child to sleep after killing his parents in cold blood. These things happened to him. No matter how much he tried, he could never truly forget this dark and fateful night.


The memory faded. Angirasu panted as he found himself back in the room with Onyx.


"I never intended for this, Angirasu. But I do not blame you for your hatred of me and MONARCH," said Onyx. He appeared by Angirasu's side. He closed his eyes as Angirasu trembled. He could feel the burning hate and anger that the young man was manifesting. Years of buried emotions festering, building to a critical point.


"So in honor of your family, I will tell you something. Those soldiers are here tonight in this facility. You have just met Seiko, after all," said Onyx. Angirasu gritted his teeth as his eyes grew reptilian. The world around Angirasu darkened. Onyx stepped away as his eyes glowed with dark magic. Angirasu's rage boiled, unable to be contained any longer.


"Vengeance is yours," said Onyx, disappearing into the shadows. The cell room suddenly buzzed. The heavy door opened up. Angirasu grunted as he stormed out. He found a couple of soldiers turning in alarm.


"What the- He's out! Sound the alarm!" cried a soldier as he ran off. The other raised his rifle and began to fire. Angirasu gave an enraged cry as he sprinted towards the soldier. He caught a couple of bolts but ultimately rammed into the soldier, slamming him into a wall. Angirasu grunted as he pulled off the helmet of the unconscious soldier. He wasn't one of the soldiers from his past.


"I'll find them! Even if I have to tear this place apart!!" cried Angirasu, his eyes flashing red and green.


Angirasu charged through the halls. His body experienced a sudden growth of energy, something unnatural to what he was used to. As soldiers encountered and shot at him, his body felt little to no pain. The magic bolts did no damage to his body. His being glowed as the spiritual essence in his body manifested into his strength.


Angirasu yelled as he slammed into the soldiers that crossed his path. His blows sent them flying. Some strikes were even so devastating that the soldiers struck died almost instantly as their bones were shattered beneath their flesh from the raw strength of Angirasu.


"All units! Mobilize to Sector 3B!" said a voice over the intercoms throughout the base.


Angirasu roared as he slammed his fists to the ground. The force of this caused the area to rumble. The metal creaked and the ground split. Soldiers were either blown back or fell into the fault created in the ground.


Meanwhile, Caesar was peeking from the armory that he was left in. He watched as soldiers rushed through the halls. No doubt they were converging on Angirasu's position. He wondered how this happened or what happened. It was as Caesar feared. Even now, he could feel the Kaiju spirit essence in the air from Angirasu. He must have been on a rampage.


"I must find Takeshi and Angirasu!" said Caesar. He jumped out of the armory. Soldiers skidded to a halt.


"Holy shit!" exclaimed a soldier. Caesar gave a great roar as the humans shot at him. He began to run on all fours, away from the area. Caesar navigated his way through the facility, slamming into soldiers in his path. He followed what he sensed to be Gojira Senior's presence. Things would have been much quicker if he and Angirasu went looking together. No matter. Now wasn't the time to lament.


Caesar grunted as he stopped and swung his tail at a couple of soldiers, knocking them to the ground. Then he began to run on ahead to his destination.


Meanwhile, Angirasu had left a trail of destruction in his wake. Soldiers fled from him as they realized that they were no match for him, as the ones who challenged him had long since perished. Angirasu grunted as he pulled off another helmet from a soldier, finding him to be another unfamiliar face. Angirasu growled angrily as he crushed the helmet in his hand. He suddenly felt an explosion knocking him down. Angirasu grunted as his back gave off smoke as a burn mark was left. He turned and found more soldiers to be down another hall. He took notice that the C.O. that hung behind them had a familiar face. The eye patch helped confirmed this.


"Blast him to hell!" ordered the C.O. A soldier carrying a grenade launcher aimed and launched the projectile. Angirasu lunged and caught it. With a swing of his arm, he threw it back at the feet of the soldiers. The men cried out as they were blasted away. Angirasu grunted as he stomped towards the now downed soldiers, passing over them. He made his way over to the C.O. that was attempting to crawl away. Angirasu merely stomped on his back, causing him to cry out in agony. The mutant snarled as he stomped again, silencing the cries. He grunted as he turned and found more soldiers approaching. He sprinted towards them, slamming them around the halls of the facility, their cries bounding off these solid metal walls.









Caesar panted as he continued to run through the base. This labyrinth of metal walls was tiresome. Already, he could feel the tremors of destruction being left behind by Angirasu, who could be anywhere at this point. The Shisa stopped as he came across a large heavy door. There were Neighponese text marked on the doors.


"Docking Bay," said Caesar to himself. Gojira was close. He could feel his presence. Caesar grunted as he tore through the steel door. He broke through and found himself in the docking bay. The air reeked with oil and bore a dark gloomy atmosphere. He found several mechs that stood in place, waiting to be activated. The Shisa looked around through this cold, dark room. He gasped as he caught sight of Kiryu at the furthest end of the room.


Caesar made his way past the lifeless humanoid mechs to the metallic dragon. He sniffed as he looked the mech over. Its paint had begun to peel off and its metal shell bore some scratches. But, there were some new panels that replaced prior damage. He placed his paw on the mech.


"Gojira Takeshi, awaken," said Caesar. Kiryu's optics suddenly shot to life. An electronic hum filled the air as the optics lit up the metallic dragon's face. The mech twitched and convulsed as it stood in place.


"K-K-Kiryu R-R-Re-Respon- Systems malfunctioning." The A.I. system spoke in a digital voice, its dialogue skipping and replaying. The optics flashed red as the mech twitched.


"I will set you free," said Caesar as he tore at the steel beams and cords that held the mech in place. Kiryu began to topple over as it twitched.


"Danger. Danger. Equilibrium has been compromised," said the A.I. Caesar grunted in annoyance.


"Gojira, you must take full control!" said Caesar. The area suddenly lit up. Caesar looked around found the lights to be on in the docking bay. The mechs' optics all began to light up. They turned their attention to Caesar as their harnesses released them.


"This is unfortunate," said Caesar, hardening his eyes.


"Target acquired. Engaging in combat," said one of the mechs as it raised its arm cannon. Caesar grunted as he took cover as the mech fired off its gun. Caesar winced as the bolts nearly struck him from his cover behind heavy metallic crates. The mechs began to advance on the Shisa as they warmed up their weapon systems.


Before they could advance any further, one of the mechs were shot down by orange bolts of energy. The mechs turned their attention to Kiryu, whose arm was raised. It aimed its gun gauntlet, as its eyes glowed bright red.


"Friendly Fire. Does not compute," said one of the mechs.


"Compute this," said a digital voice in a rasp. Kiryu raised both of its arms and fired at the mechs. The mechs stumbled back as they were shot down. Kiryu stood and charged towards the two remaining mechs. The metallic dragon slammed into one of the mechs, knocking it down. A blade shot from Kiryu's arm and burned with plasma energy. The metal dragon slashed as the head of the second mech, decapitating it. The mech fell over, sparking. Kiryu then stomped on the mech on the ground, caving its chest in. The mech whirred as it died down. The mech turned to find Caesar emerging.


"A Shisa..." Kiryu spoke in a surprised tone. Caesar bowed.


"It is good to see you again after all this time, my King," said Caesar.


"King?" asked Kiryu.


"Surely you remember your past life. Have you not been in contact with the spirit of your past self?" asked Caesar. Kiryu sparked as its optics flickered.


"I... I see," said Kiryu.


"Come, we must leave this place," said Caesar as he slammed into the wall.


"Yes, Freedom," said Kiryu, making his way towards the wall and rammed into the wall as well. The combined strength of the two allowed them to breach through the heavy concrete wall. They began to rush outside of the facility, finding the sky to be thundering above.


"Oh no," said Caesar, his ears folding against his head. The sky was beginning to be covered by dark storm clouds.


"Why does this storm feel familiar?" asked Kiryu. Its optics began to scan the clouds. Text that read, 'High Voltage' popped in his sight. Yellow flashes lit up the dark clouds.


"We mustn't remain! He's coming!" said Caesar as he ran off. Kiryu turned and went after him. From within the mech, the pitiful soul had trouble navigating this heavy and clumsy body. It did have a lot of movement much like an organic creature, but it was impossible to get a sense of balance with the lack of being able to feel. If not for the A.I. system, the soul within would likely have much more trouble moving this metallic husk.


"Now to find Angirasu," said Caesar as he ran. He noticed that there was smoke rising from the facility, around the front. The sound of gun fire filled the air as did the sound of roars and agonized cries. The two stopped as they found a wall to be flying towards a group of soldiers, crushing them underneath. They found Angirasu Riku giving an enraged roar as he stepped onto the wall. A blast of energy emerged from his body, sending shock waves around the area.


"His inner power has been unleashed! But he's lost in a blind rage!" said Caesar in alarm. The two were about to rush out to the field but stopped a discs scattered around them. The two looked around in confusion but recoiled as an energy field trapped them inside. Caesar slashed at the field, but cried out in agony as an intense shock coursed through him. He collapsed to the ground, wincing as his body sparked. Kiryu scanned the Shisa, finding his vital signs to have lowered.


"What's happening?" asked Kiryu. The mech turned as it noticed a familiar man to be emerging from the shadows. Kiryu's optics flickered red as the Onyx stood before him.


"You..." said Kiryu in a low tone. The mech reached for the man but only contacted the field. The mech gave a shrill cry as it convulsed violently onto the ground. Its optics flickered on and off.


"Hmph. If I've known that our enemies would be coming for you, I would have had you melted down for scrap. You've already lived out your usefulness in this life," said Onyx as he walked away. Kiryu continued to convulse and twitch. He remembered this man. The one who kept him locked away and kept him suppressed in darkness. He was the one that must have been responsible for the restless spirit's prison. He was the one that used him as a weapon against his own son.


Onyx stood as he found Angirasu, grabbing one of the few remaining soldiers in the area. He snarled as he held him up. The man whimpered as he was dangled above.


"P-Please, it was a mistake! We- Agh!!" The man cried out as he was thrown at great speed towards the base. Angirasu didn't look back as there was a smack against the metal wall. He breathed heavily as he searched the area. He turned as he found a lone damaged truck. He furrowed his brows, picking up the scent of fear. The Transmutant began to stalk towards the truck, his footsteps impressing into the earth from the raw power that swelled within his being. Onyx bore a dark smile as he watched as Angirasu picked up the truck with one hand, flipping it over. He found a familiar middle aged woman to be lying on the ground, cowering.


"You..." Angirasu grabbed Seiko by the neck, holding her up. She gagged for air as she frantically hit his arm to free herself. She shook her head as she attempted to breathe.


"Please! H-Have- Agh!" Seiko gagged as she felt Angirasu's grip tighten around her throat.


"Have what? Mercy?! After what you did?!" roared Angirasu throwing the woman to the ground. She whimpered as she attempted to crawl away, but Angirasu grabbed her by her ankle and dragged her back. The woman cried out in panic as she clawed at the dirt to escape. Angirasu turned her onto her back and wrapped both hands around her neck. His red and green eyes burned with searing hate and rage. He was lost with blood lust as he had the last one responsible for his pain in his grasp. Her life was now in his hands, much like how his family's lives were in hers.


"I'm gonna make you suffer, like I did!" said Angirasu, his voice distorted. He began to smack his hand against Seiko's face, who cried out in pain. Her cries of mercy fell on deaf ears as she was beaten by the enraged Transmutant. Angirasu felt himself indulging in her suffering. Now she knew what pain he kept buried underneath. No, all of MONARCH was going to feel his rage.


Angirasu panted as he stopped hitting Seiko. The woman's face was swollen as she sobbed. She bled from her mouth as she trembled. This still wasn't enough to satisfy Angirasu.


"Please.... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," whimpered the woman. Angirasu's eyes briefly flickered from the unnatural color it was. But his rage still remained. He grabbed the woman by her collar and pulled her up to face him.


"Sorry?! Sorry isn't going to bring back my parents, you bitch!" roared Angirasu. Seiko shook her head, still sobbing between her pain.


"I know, it was a mistake! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Seiko repeated as she trembled. Angirasu panted as his blood continued to boil.


"You will be," said Angirasu. A cracking noise began to emit from his cheeks, Angirasu opened his mouth revealing his long sharp saber teeth. His mouth opened wider and wider, practically unhinging like a snake’s. He put Seiko’s head inside his mouth and began to slowly close his jaws. Seiko sobbed uncontrollable, practically feeling Aang’s sharp teeth poking her skin, drawing blood. Angirasu then heard chuckles from behind.


"Good. Finish her, Angirasu. Complete your training," said Onyx. Angirasu removed Seiko from his mouth and turned with a glare.


"Training? What are you talking about?" demanded Angirasu. The clouds above rumbled as they grew darker. Onyx circled around him as he held his hands behind his back.


"Look at her collar," said Onyx. Angirasu raised a brow. He pulled on the collar of Seiko, looking beneath it. His eyes widened as he found Neighponese characters sewed into the collar. It was ’Riku Aiko’. His face hardened.


"Not only did you kill my parents, but you robbed her of her uniform?!" demanded Angirasu.


"No! He gave it to me! I swear!" cried Seiko.


"LIAR!!" yelled Angirasu. Onyx smirked as he turned to face the two.


"She's telling the truth. I gave it to her," said Onyx with a smirk. Angirasu slowly looked to him, shaking with rage, but also a confused look.


"Wha... I thought..." Angirasu stuttered.


"Everything I said was true. Your parents were not meant to be harmed during your capture. You see, I did promise a boost in their rank as well as other privileges. But they usually came at a cost. For Seiko, I gave her the uniform of the woman she murdered," said Onyx. Angirasu looked down at the woman, who was still sobbing.


"I swear to you, it was an accident! I never meant to kill them! I was angry and we only meant to scare them! I didn't-" Seiko was choked again by Angirasu.


"Shut up!" shouted Angirasu.


"Please... I..." Seiko gagged.


"The Shadow's Hand always has its prices, Seiko. The higher the pyramid you go, the steeper the price becomes. And you are forever marked by that. In your greed and selfishness, you were willing to kidnap an innocent child for prestige. You killed his parents, and you have to wear that uniform as a reminder," said Onyx. Seiko sniffled.


"Why. Why?!" demanded Angirasu, glaring at Onyx.


"I must be mistaken. I thought you were focused on her," said Onyx in mock surprise.


"None of this would've happened if you haven't- Damn you! You're both to blame!" said Angirasu. "Why did you take us away from our families?!"


"Because it's your destiny," said Onyx. Angirasu furrowed his brows in response as the storm grew closer.


"Angirasu, everything that's happened to you is meant to test your endurance and your will. You are to be broken at your youth, and reform into the soldiers that we see fit," said Onyx.


"So this was all about free soldiers that you can grow? You're sick! Didn't you expect that some people involved in your scheme would turn and expose you?!" demanded Angirasu.


"Of course. Why do you think we keep secrets? You don't let in everyone on the big scheme, Angirasu. Take Seiko for example. She was desperate for prestige along with other young low ranking soldiers that went out to kidnap the subjects for our arsenal. Children, teenagers, even adults. But the children, they were much more important. Their minds are easier to shape. Once broken down, you can leave the door open and won't have to worry about them leaving," said Onyx. Angirasu snarled as his brows furrowed. He recalled the isolation of the cells that he and others were forced to live in, along with the mistreatment brought on by certain guards in the facility that held them.


"We knew that some soldiers would be a liability once guilt finally started to set in. Humanity tends to have a natural tenancy to get cold feet with what people would argue to be 'immoral'. So we kept them close. We intended to shape you and others like you to be killing machines. Anyone involved in your kidnapping would suffer an 'accident' during a training exercise. Just our way to tie loose ends," said Onyx.


"So you're using them as much as us," said Angirasu in a low tone.


"Angirasu, this is nothing to be disgusted by. It's simply survival of the fittest. The chicken that doesn't lay eggs are butchered and eaten. The weak must be weeded out. You were to replace them," said Onyx as he paced about. The more that Angirasu listened, the more fury began to build. He couldn't fathom what would drive a man to speak and think this way. It was inhuman.


"But why us? Why me and my friends? Why were we chosen to be your guinea pigs?" asked Angirasu.


"We needed subjects strong enough to take on Gojira. You see, The Shadow's Hand has been aware of the Kaiju for a millennia. In the West, they were known as Titans, the lost primordial gods of the natural world. Throughout legend, a divine moth, a demon of the wind, and a dragon of the earth were capable of standing with and against the Lord of the Titans," said Onyx, depicting a magic aura, which showed a stylized image of a draconic beast with jagged dorsal plates on its back. It stood against a reptile on all fours, covered in spikes along its back.


"We've known what you and your friends were for a long time. The Transmutants today are all the human reincarnations of the ancient gods. And you were the reincarnation of this one. Angilas, one of several Primordial Gods of the Earth. The one Titan that could stand against the ancient Gojira," said Onyx. Angirasu watched as the two monsters clashed, their cries echoing as the magical image of them flickered. Angirasu stared, shuddering.


"No... Y-You don't mean..." Angirasu slumped his shoulders.


"Angirasu, you and the Takeshi boy are ancient rivals! You are destined to clash!" said Onyx.


"No, that's not true!" said Angirasu, shaking his head.


"To fight tooth and nail for dominance! You're 'friendship' delays the inevitable!" said Onyx, stepping closer as he showed Angirasu the image of the bipedal Kaiju burning 'Angilas' with its atomic breath.


"Shut up!" yelled Angirasu, his voice cracking.


"Open your eyes, Angirasu! The life you're living is a lie! Your destiny is with us! You are a child of MONARCH, as all Transmutants are! When you learn discipline and respect, than you have the privileged to go out into the world, with us as your parental figure!" said Onyx. Angirasu gritted his teeth as he lowered his head. Onyx stepped closer to him with a cold look.


"It doesn't matter how many times you resist or run away, Angirasu. Eventually, all of you return to the nest. Embrace MONARCH. Embrace the Shadow's Hand. We are your only family," said Onyx as his eyes flashed red and green. “My son”


Angirasu's eyes did the same, but he growled as he shook his head.


"No, you're wrong," said Angirasu, his eyes returning to normal. Onyx stepped back, his brows raised.


"You have it twisted, Director. When I fled this country with Mosura and Rodan, I learned that family is shown through love and compassion, not through fear and violence. I don't care what ancient legends said. Gojira Takeshi is my friend. No, he's my brother. And we'll never turn on each other. Because family stick together," said Angirasu as he stood up, releasing Seiko, who held her neck in pain. Onyx furrowed his brows.


"Then you won't take your vengeance? You've already ended the other three. You may as well finish what you started," said Onyx as he pointed to Seiko, who trembled in response. She turned to Angirasu, who looked down at her with a stoic look. Seiko lowered herself to his feet, gritting her teeth.


"Please, do what you want. I've committed a heinous sin against you," said Seiko with a shudder. “Y-you can kill my parents if you want? That will make us even”


Angirasu stood as the woman groveled at his feet, willing to sacrifice her own parents to him. He no longer felt the rage he did earlier. He only felt disgust.


"You did. But... I won't kill you. I've already given into rage that I've already killed those who weren't deserving. If I continue, I might not ever come back from it. There is nothing inside you, you’re pathetic and sad, and empty," said Angirasu. “If I killed you, I would gain nothing.”


Angirasu glared at Onyx.


"I'm not playing your game anymore, Onyx! We're going to bring you and your cult down!" said Angirasu. Onyx growled, his face growing red with anger.


"You insubordinate dog!!" yelled Onyx, his hands sparking with magic sparks. He sent the sparks towards Seiko, who cried out in agony as her body was shocked. She then collapsed, her body reduced to charred bones. Angirasu gasped in shock and horror. He then turned to find Onyx shooting his sparks at him. Angirasu cried out in agony as the sparks covered his body. Onyx snarled as he stepped closer.


"If you won't play by the rules, then I'll have to punish you!" said Onyx as Angirasu was shocked. Angirasu continued to cry out in agony as he dropped to his knees.


Meanwhile, Caesar grunted as he shot his eyes wide open. He heard Angirasu's agonized cries. The Shisa found the young man as he was overwhelmed by Onyx's power. He turned and found Kiryu still sparking, but optics still flickering red. Caesar turned and found the storm growing closer. He grunted as his eyes began to glow. He drove his paws to the field and took on the energy that made up the field. He roared in pain as the power coursed through him, while his eyes glowed brighter. His eyes then sparked and shot beams towards the field. The redirected energy caused the discs that projected the field to short out. The field dropped as the discs sparked. Caesar grunted as he sprinted on all fours towards Onyx. He roared as he swiped his paw against him, sending the elf spiraling several feet away.


"Angirasu! Are you alright?" asked Caesar as he nuzzled the young man. Angirasu winced as he lied on his side, clutching his his body as sparks coursed over him.


"I should've just brought you along," said Angirasu, forcing out a chuckle. Caesar smiled in response. But, the two turned and found Onyx to be grunting as he stood up, a look of rage on his face.


"You can't escape your fate! A war is coming that will tip the balance of power!" said Onyx. Angirasu shakily stood up with a glare.


"Angirasu, we must go," said Caesar urgently.


"We can take him, together!" said Angirasu.


"No, someone else is coming!" said Caesar. He gasped as lightning flashed above. The dark clouds had covered the sky above them, blotting out the moon light. Yellow lightning streaked through the clouds as thunder roared.


"Too late..." said Caesar ominously. A bolt of lightning suddenly struck the earth before them. From the lighting was a human figure that stood. Angirasu and Caesar backed away, finding Ghidorah to be standing over scorched earth, surrounded by smoke and yellow sparks. He bore a stoic look as his armor hugged his body. Ghidorah's red eyes glared at the two. He began to step forward, his footsteps scorching the ground with every step.


"I wasn't expecting to run into you. It has been a long time, Shisa," said Ghidorah, a devilish smirk on his face. Caesar hardened his eyes.


"Shit," said Angirasu anxiously.


"My offer still stands, Caesar. Kneel before me, and I will spare you," said Ghidorah. Caesar snarled.


"I will not bow to an outsider such as you! I bow to only the true heir to the throne of Kaiju! And you are not he!" said Caesar.


"Your king is long since dead! I'm the new king! All who challenge me will face my wrath!" said Ghidorah, his sparks growing in intensity.


"King? You mean the Kaiju, Gojira?" asked Angirasu.


"The king lives on! He will restore order to our world! That is a fact, Chaos Bringer!" said Caesar. Ghidorah chuckled as he shook his head.


"You talk about order, but will not acknowledge the true perpetrators who disrupt it on your world. I know. And I'm the one who's willing to solve it," said Ghidorah. Caesar hardened his expression as he stood in front of Angirasu.


"Angirasu, return to Equestria. I'll deal with this serpent," said Caesar.


"Wha- But you can't face him alone! What about Gojira's father?!" asked Angirasu. Caesar glanced, finding Kiryu to be still on the ground from where he collapsed.


"I fear our efforts were in vain. Go now. I'll join you shortly," said Caesar. He roared as he sprinted towards Ghidorah.


"Caesar!" cried Angirasu.


Caesar made his way towards Ghidorah, snarling as he sprinted across the field. He covered their distance in seconds. Ghidorah raised his hands and shot forth beams of golden electric-like energy. The beams struck Caesar in the side and pushed him along the ground as it scorched his side. Ghidorah lunged several feet into the air, landing in front of him.


"You forget. I too have regained my past self's power. My power and true self are slowly regaining its prime," said Ghidorah. He clasped his hands together as his body sparked. Two forms of lightning emerged from him, forming into shapeless forms. These forms soon began to take on humanoid appearances. The sparks cleared, revealing two other men with a striking resemblance to Ghidorah. One of them bore a sadistic grin while the other kept a stoic look. The middle Ghidorah smirked as Caesar stared.


"Now, we are complete," said the middle Ghidorah. He lunged for Caesar, who rolled away. He began to step back as the left and right Ghidorah charged after him. The Left sent a sparking swipe, while the right sent a burst of sparks. Caesar dodged both attacks. Angirasu watched in shock as Caesar found himself out numbered. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Ghidorah had replicated himself. They even seemed like complex imitations, using their own wits to try and take down the Shisa. It was as though they were actually separate people.


Angirasu grunted as he ran back to the fight, but felt himself struck in the side by a bolt of magic. He fell to the ground in pain, turning to find that Onyx was approaching as his hands glowed brightly. The Transmutant quickly rolled away as the elf began to send lethal bolts of magic towards him. Angirasu stood to his feet, snarling as his eyes became reptilian. He charged towards the elf, but found himself tackled to the ground by one of the Ghidorah duplicates. The duplicate delivered powerful blows, combined with sparking energy against him. Angirasu raised his arms to block the blows, but still suffered from the sparks that came with them. Angirasu caught his fists and locked them tightly. The duplicate snarled as his pupils constricted, much like a serpent's.


Caesar grunted as he slammed into by the original Ghidorah. He staggered back as his body sparked. From his side, the second duplicate came and kicked him in the head, causing him to stagger. This Transmutant was already strong, but he seemed to have grown much stronger from the last time they've encountered each other. He turned to find Angirasu struggling against the other Ghidorah duplicate, while Onyx began to advance on them. Caesar snarled as he slashed at the Ghidorah that came at him, tearing at and scratching his armor. Caesar than rammed his shoulder against the original, who kept his feet planted. The two pushed against each other, both not giving an each.


"You only delay the inevitable, Shisa! Our war will be fought again!" declared Ghidorah.


"A war that you'll lose again, serpent!" said Caesar. Ghidorah gave an inhuman shriek as he began to push against the Shisa. Caesar felt himself being forced back, as Ghidorah mustered up more strength from his rage.


"We have an army of new Kaiju waiting! Your king can not take us all on!" said Ghidorah. He was suddenly struck in the back by a blast of energy. He stumbled forward and was grabbed by Caesar. He was thrown to the side by the Shisa, skidding along the grass. He grunted as he got back onto his knees. He found Kiryu rising, still twitching, as its gun on its gauntlet smoked. Ghidorah grunted as he leapt at lightning fast speed. The air around him sparked, sending blinding flashes to the mech. Kiryu's systems were barely able to process this, only to find the Transmutant in front of him. Ghidorah sent his fist against the chasis of Kiryu, causing it to spark more. However, the mech kept a tight hold on the Transmutant's arm,


"I see. So it truly is you, the weak king!" said Ghidorah with a wicked laugh.


"I don't know what you're-" Kiryu's eyes flashed as memories began to flood. Memories of a massive golden dragon, with three heads, shrouding the sky in darkness with its great wings. The spirit dwelling within shouldn't have any memory of this, yet here they were, triggered by this man.


"I don't expect you to remember me. You're already dead. It's your offspring that may prove to be more troublesome," said Ghidorah.


"Junior..." Kiryu spoke. The mech gave a distorted, ghostly wail as its jaws opened, revealing the cannons inside. The cannons sparked and fired off its maser beam. Ghidorah was blown back by the beam. Kiryu then dragged the beam towards the duplicate, knocking him away from Caesar. The Shisa panted in pain as he sluggishly got up. He found Angirasu struggling against the last duplicate and Onyx. Kiryu fired off his cannons from his gauntlet, aiming for Onyx. The elf gasped in alarm. He quickly teleported away. The duplicate was kicked several feet back by Angirasu.


"Caesar!" called Angirasu. The Shisa grunted as he got up to his paws and began to run to Angirasu. Meanwhile, Ghidorah, his duplicates and Onyx were recuperating


"We must go!" said Caesar.


"You will not escape!" said Onyx. As the villains prepared to for their next assault, a stream of bolts got in their way. They turned to find Kiryu to be standing with its cannons raised, and its rocket launchers on its pack venting. The mech began to ascend into the air as its thrusters carried it through the air.


"I'll stall them!" said Kiryu.


"Wha-" Angirasu was interrupted as Shisa nudged against him.


"Go!" said Caesar. As the two fled, Kiryu remained behind.


The mech fired off all of its weapons at the villains. The bolts caused Onyx to teleport away. Meanwhile, the rockets launched from the pack, from the forward cannons on the shoulders, and from the back of the pack itself. The rockets exploded in midair as Ghidorah and his duplicates sent electric beams from their hands, destroying the rockets before they reached them. However, a few managed to get through, blasting them off of their feet. Kiryu landed to the ground, glancing to the side to find that Angirasu and Caesar were long gone. The plan may have been about getting the spirit trapped inside away from here, but it had stood behind to hold off these dangerous foes. No matter, as long as the spirit had full control of its vessel.


Kiryu fired off its gauntlet cannons again, causing Onyx to retreat and wounding the duplicates. The original Ghidorah however merely dashed passed them. He stroke at the mech, causing its circuits to fry from the electric attacks that he wielded. Kiryu grunted as it spun and struck the Transmutant with its mechanical tail, sending him flying. Kiryu stumbled back as its vision was distorted. More memories flooded back. Memories of creatures. Memories of monsters. But also, memories of a familiar woman and a child. Those last memories snapped the mech into a new goal.


Kiryu fired off its shoulder cannons. One by one, they flew off towards the duplicates. They caught the cannons, but were pushed back as the jets propelled them forward. Kiryu's remaining thrusters ignited, allowing the mech to take off flying away from the base. As it fled, the cannons exploded against the duplicates.


"Bastard," said the original Ghidorah as he stood up. He raised his arm and fired off a beam of electricity at the mech. Kiryu was hit by the beam. It began to convulse in the air as its circuits were shorted out. Its thrusters died out as its optics flickered. The mech fell down, smoking. As it fell into the forest, there was an explosion. Ghidorah smirked as the smoke rose from the forest. Onyx stood next to him with a hard expression.


"Go and make sure it’s destroyed," said Onyx. Ghidorah looked at him with a glare.


"Do it. I'm not taking any more risks with that thing," said Onyx with a harsh tone. Ghidorah growled as he walked off. As he walked, the duplicates began to emerge from the smoking craters, covered in burns. They made their way over to the original Ghidorah, sparking until they disappeared into sparks and fused with the original. Ghidorah's eyes flashed yellow as he walked into the forest.


From the forest, a fire burned in a crater. There was nothing but large chunks of scorched metal lying around. The Transmutant looked around, his eyes focused on the area around him. He merely picked up a scorched gauntlet, inspecting it.









Angirasu and Caesar were walking in silence in the woods. Angirasu bore a solemn expression, recalling the blood rage that he had succumbed to prior. He began to regret his decision of ever setting foot here. All this journey did was show the lowness of their enemy and how far they were willing to go for their power acquisition. He even learned the disturbing truth about not just himself, but all Transmutants that were created by MONARCH. He didn't know to what end their lives were sacrificed for. And that wasn't the only thing that bothered him.


"I can't believe we came all this way to recover his father's remains. Only for them to be lost to them," said Angirasu solemnly. He recalled the explosion earlier from when they were escaping. The mech seemed to have had a will of its own, as though Gojira Senior's spirit still remained. And it used its will to allow them to escape.


"Fret not, Angirasu. For you've begun to unlock your inner power," said Caesar in reassurance.


"I've done nothing but destroy and kill. I was... Is this what's waiting for us, Caesar? Are we just destined to be forces of destruction?" asked Angirasu solemnly. The killing he did was regretful. There was no taking that back. That was something that he was going to have to live with for the rest of his life. He feared that there was more of that on the road ahead.


"You will need discipline to learn to harness your power like the others. But there is no pre-determination with our actions, Angirasu. We choose the paths we walk," said Caesar, turning to the young man.


"I wish to rear you all to be forces of good for not just the planet, but for all of life itself. Humanity included. It is your decision to make of what you will do with your power," said Caesar. Angirasu nodded, his eyes downcast. It still felt unreal that there was this burden on his shoulders. But he remembered that he wasn't alone. There were others that were sharing his burden.


"Let this be a learning experience. Accept what you've done and move on. Move on so that you may make up for your mistake," said Caesar. He then turned to the forest ahead.


"Besides, I wouldn't worry about Gojira Senior. I still sense his presence," said Caesar.









There were heavy footsteps. The sound of metal scrapping filled the air. The night air was briefly lit up by sparks. Red glowing optics pierced through the darkness as mechanical whirs filled the air.


Kiryu staggered through the woods. It held its scorched side as its head twitched. The mech was covered in scratches, dents, and scorch marks from its battle and fall. While falling, the mech ejected its pack from its back and relied on its remaining thrusters on its body to slow its descent. It worked, for the most part. With the destruction left by its pack and gauntlets, Kiryu was able to cover its tracks as it fled.


By now, the mech has traveled through the woods alone. Its vision was distorted as it tried to get as far away from the destroyed base possible. It couldn't reunite with those that released it, since it didn't even know where to look. All the mech knew was that it had to get to safety. The spirit was restless inside, while its mechanical vessel had begun to give in from its damage and depletion of energy.


Kiryu stumbled over to a clearing in the woods. A river ran through the area, reaching at shallow depth. The mech stepped onto the water but began to tremble. Kiryu dropped to its knees, sparking as its vision grew more garbled. The mech then fell forward onto its belly, its head splashing into the water. The freezing water ran against its body, splashing along its head. Kiryu's optics scanned the area, as the text 'Energy Low' appeared in its sight. At the other side of the river, the mech caught sight of a hooded feminine figure, clad in white. The mech's sights focused on the figure, who flickered in and out of its sight. Kiryu's servos began to whir as its red eyes fell dim. The mech slumped in the water as it began to power down. The last thing it saw was the woman suddenly appearing over it.









A few days had passed. Angirasu was walking alongside Caesar down an open dirt road. They had recently returned to Equestria and were now on a walk towards Ponyville. The two haven't spoken since they left. Angirasu could only reflect on his actions and the revelation he had during their trip.


Angirasu's family members knew that he was still alive. They knew he was living out here in Equestria. But, they didn't know that he was a Transmutant. He felt that he should've told them but couldn't. He couldn't bear the thought of his flesh and blood rejecting him because of his mutation, even if it was something that was done to him without his consent. He never wanted this. He never wanted this for anyone. Hell, he'd never wish what happened to him to happen to his enemies.


Angirasu still had regrets for what he did. He never knew the weight of responsibility his power had until he himself experienced the surge of it. If he was careless, bystanders could suffer gravely. And there was the killing spree that he went on. He decimated that entire base. And for what? For vengeance against a few who were responsible for his parents' death. He began to realize that he wasn't going to finish Seiko as fast as he did with the others. Angirasu had wanted to make her suffer. He felt joy as she pleaded to him. That was what frightened Angirasu the most. He never thought of himself capable of being a sadist. But that night brought up demons in him that he didn't know were there. If he had went through with it, he doubt he'd ever come back from that. He wasn't even sure if he could come back from this.


Angirasu soon came across a familiar dirt path. He turned and waved to Caesar, who nodded to him. The Shisa slowly walked off, leaving the Transmutant alone. Angirasu sighed as he sluggishly walked. He stopped as he found a familiar cottage. Fluttershy was standing outside, waiting at the porch. The two stared at each other in silence. Angirasu lowered his head, his eyes cast to the ground. Then, he felt a warm embrace.


"Don't ever disappear like that again," muttered Fluttershy. Angirasu felt his lip trembled as the girl held him tightly.


"I'm sorry..." said Angirasu softly. The girl nuzzled him with a sniffle, a warm smile on her face.









Angirasu soon made his way towards the familiar small house built into the entrance of a cave. He made his way through the all too familiar cave hallway. Angirasu found Mosura, Rodan, Junior, Erika, Sunset, and the sirens in the living room muttering to each other. As Angirasu enters the room, everyone turned towards him. There was a deafening silence, everyone had either an unreadable or unsure expression on their face. Aang was growing increasingly uncomfortable from the silent atmosphere, and the eyes peering at him.


“Wh-what's wrong?” Angirasu asked, breaking the silence.


Everyone turned towards Junior, then back at Aang. Back at Junior, then back at Aang. Junior let out a dull yet irritated sign, as he stood up. He pulled out Aang’s journal and a picture of Aiko. Angirasu’s heart dropped into the pit of his stomach.


"Is there something you want to tell us?" asked Junior. Angirasu bit his lip as he stood nervously.


"I uh..." stumbled Angirasu.


“Why didn’t you tell us? Why didn’t you tell us that your mother was a MONARCH soldier?” Junior demanded. “Why were you keeping this from us!?”


“Because you'd never understand!” Angirasu blurted out, startling everyone in the room. “You would just say she’s just as bad as the rest of them. I knew you'd judge her because of what she was!”


Everyone remained silent, while Angirasu let out whatever was left of his anger.


"You may not approve, but I don't care. You know why? Because keeping this journal, and the memories of my mother reminds me that I was once a human being, like everybody else!” said Angirasu. Junior's eyes widened.


Angirasu’s anger began to diminish, his breath slowed down. He turned away with his arms crossed, and his head downcast.


“I-I know you’re all angry with me, and you have every right to be” Angirasu continued, his voice taking a more somber tone. “I wish I could have told you everything, but it wouldn’t change anything”


Mosura slowly got out of her chair, and made her way towards Angirasu.


“You all have been scarred by MONARCH one way or the other, you’re prejudice is justified” Angirasu’s voice sounded like it was going to crack, Mosura was nearly close to him. “I-I wished we would come to understanding, b-but apparently, I'm not the upstanding brother you wanted”


Mosura turned Angirasu towards her and pulled him into a tight embrace.


"That's not true. We were never angry with you," said Mosura, tears streaming down her face.


Angirasu didn’t expect this, but he wrapped his arms around Mosura as well. Rodan got out of his seat and joined the hug. Junior looked at the three, he smiled softly seeing that nothing would shatter the bonds that they have forged. Angirasu lifted his free hand beckoning Junior to join them, Junior was a little surprised at first, but he smiled and joined the group hug. Angirasu soon felt an extra weight around him, he turned his head around to see Sunset, Erika, and the sirens joining the group hug with tears running down their faces.


All of his years, Angirasu yearned to return to Neighpon. To go home. He could have easily done that and been with his family if not for his mutantism. But he didn't want to risk losing them with what he is. Neighpon, was no longer his home. It only took him this long to realize. His home was where his friends were, where Mosura, Rodan and Junior were. Where Fluttershy was. This was home. And he had a responsibility to protect it.


"It's good to be home," said Angirasu, tearing up as he held his adoptive family.
> Chapter 72: Farewell
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Onyx found himself standing in a dark, empty room. He was surrounded by several different men, who were obscured in the shadows. While obscured, Onyx could make out certain ethnic traits they bore, along with traits that fit their class of human. Earthbound, Valkyrie, and Elf.

"Our specimens were kept safe during this attack from the subject: Club Tail," said Onyx, as camera footage was projected on the wall. It depicted Angirasu, destroying the base. The footage paused, where the young mutant stood among the rubble and flames.

"Director, this has cost us much from the damage. Not to mention you've lost Kiryu during the incident. That was one of MONARCH's best assets," said one of the men sternly.

"Kiryu was already suffering from severe malfunctions that proved to be more of a liability. I was intending to have it terminated to begin with," said Onyx.

"This may actually work for us," said one of the men. "We've been looking to expand our influence in Neighpon. This attack may be the necessary ingredient."

"But Neighpon's current leadership has been difficult. The emperor will not allow us to set up anymore bases, let alone expand the scope of MONARCH's patrols," said another man.

"I wouldn't be so sure," said a man, carrying a thick Neighponese accent.

"If we were to inform the public of the attack, they'd surely want action. Especially if a base so near the capital city was compromised," said the Neighponese man.

"And what of the emperor?" asked one of the other men of this committee.

"There's always a chance for an accident," said another committee member.

"I was thinking something more subtle. We just have to remove him from his position in office. I already have a replacement in mind for him. His brother," said the Neighponese man.

"How do you suggest we do that?" asked another committee member.

"He's already seen as weak by some. Unwilling to do 'what's necessary'. If he refuses MONARCH's help, after being shown the threat, then we'll have a vote of no confidence in the current sitting Emperor. His brother will run against him, letting the people hear what they want. When he's in, we'll have more wiggle room with the Neighponese government," said the Neighponese man.

"How can you guarantee that the brother will go along with it?" asked Onyx.

"We have him in debt. He was quite the spender. The family even cut him off. He owes it to us. But, we'll have to make it seem like he's the one gaining something. He wanted to inherit the throne for himself. He gets the illusion of power, we have our puppet," said the Neighponese man. Onyx chuckled in amusement.

"Money truly does make the world go round," said Onyx.

"Onyx, money only has value so long as people believe it does. We thrive on something more," said the Neighponese committee member.







It was a sunny day in Ponyville. The sky was clear, and the sun's rays kissed the earth below. While there was snow that covered the ground, winter would soon be due for its wrap up. On the surface, it all seemed rather peaceful as it usually was. But as of recently, a heavy tension had taken hold.

The denizens of Ponyville appeared skittish as they went about their daily lives. They warily scanned their surroundings for the threat that they dreaded. This fear was to the point that a single loud sound would cause the people nearby to panic. As did the moment that a carpenter accidentally dropped his tool kit, which was heavy and loud enough to cause those nearby to scream in fright.

This caused a chain reaction of those away from the sound to scream in fright as well, believing that something horrible had trespassed into their town. They all began to run into their houses or took cover under anything that they could find.

"Sorry, folks, that was my fault. I dropped my tools," said the carpenter apologetically. Everyone in the area gave sighs of relief. They began to rise from hiding.

"This is ridiculous! I feel like I can be crushed any day now!" cried an Earthbound.

"I can't even sleep at night without thinking that something horrible will happen while I'm asleep!" said an Elf.

"This is because of those freaks! Especially that Gojira Takeshi!" said a Valkyrie. There were citizens that gave verbal agreements. Ever since the tragedy that happened in Manehattan, the people from all over Equestria had grown more fearful of the Transmutant menace. Even those that claimed to be their allies couldn't be trusted. Not when one of them turned into a horrible titanic monster.

"We can't allow this to stand! We have to take action! He has to answer for what happened!!" said an Earthbound. Everyone gave verbal shouts of agreement.







Mosura took a deep breath and excelled as she stood in silence, watching the boys hone their power. Rodan lunged for Junior, shooting at him like a rocket through the air. Junior blocked a strike, which resulted in a loud pop in the air. He kicked Rodan back, who quickly recovered and skid across the earth on his two feet.

"This is way more fun than how we used to spar," said Angirasu, bolting towards Junior, sending several punches. Junior stumbled back, blocking the strikes. The dark haired mutant stomped into the earth, causing it to break and rumble, causing Angirasu to fall over. Mosura gasped as she felt her balance thrown off.

"And dangerous!" exclaimed Mosura.

"Mosu, why don't you join us? We all should be honing ourselves," said Junior. Mosura smiled.

"Sure. Don't go easy on me~." Mosura darted towards Junior swiftly. She sent a few jabs against him and then quickly leapt back as he swiped at her. She sent her hands forward, focusing her telekinesis. Junior yelped as he found himself blown off of his feet. Mosura laughed in amusement.

After an hour, the mutant 4 sat alongside each other in the grass. Their bodies were a bit sore, their skin drenched in sweat, but their spirits higher than ever before. These past events seemed to have brought them closer. At least, that's how Mosura felt. She felt more confident to move forward in life, knowing that she had three brothers by her side.

Mosura recalled the past struggles and traumas that she and the other three had been through. From being unfairly stripped away from their old lives, forced to endure a dramatic change that made life harder and then hide from the world in order to protect themselves.

It seemed that if it weren't for Junior, they would never have been able to grow as they have. They wouldn't have met new friends, learned about the truth of themselves, or find purpose in a world that didn't accept them. Now, they were motivated to grow stronger for the sake of their friends. But even still, Mosura felt a hole in her heart that had yet to be filled. Her true brother was still not here with her. She knew that in his heart, there was still the protective elder brother that she knew and loved. Mosura prayed that the next time she saw him, he'll come back with her.

"Well, I'm going to get cleaned up and head off," said Junior as he stood up.

"Where are you going?" asked Mosura.

"I've got a date with Twilight. I might end up spending a couple nights over," said Junior.

"Be sure to keep it clean," chuckled Rodan.

"Shut it," said Junior with a chuckle. He waved farewell to his friends as he walked off.

"You think it's OK for him to head into town right now?" asked Angirasu, concern on his face.

"I haven't been in town as of late. What's wrong?" asked Rodan.

"Are you kidding? The town has been on edge since 'Titan Day'. People freaked out when I passed through the other day," said Angirasu. Mosura grimaced.

"Yeah, you may be right," said Mosura. It seemed that some things never changed.







Celestia grimaced as she held up a scroll, her eyes scanning the letter. She began to bite her lip as she read on. The Avatar looked to her younger sister, who had a worried look.

"Sister?" called Luna.

"The situation in Manehattan has worsened," said Celestia.

"How so?" asked Luna.

"Several blocks of the city were irradiated during the conflict. That entire area is being quarantined," said Celestia.

"Irradiated?" asked Luna.

"From what we gathered from those researching the site, the Titans left radioactive properties behind. Their bodies seem to be chalk full of it. So what remains of the city will have to avoid contact with their corpses. Though I'm fearful that those who survived in the middle of that horror were infected," said Celestia. Luna's eyes widened in alarm.

"Infected?" asked Luna. Her time being imprisoned in the moon has made her quite behind the times. Never had she heard of these things such as radiation or being infected by such a thing.

"Oh no. I should contact Twilight and her friends! They were in the middle of it all!" Said Celestia, quickly levitating a fresh scroll, ink and quill over to herself. As she was writing, an armored Valkyrie stepped into the throne room. He made his way to the royal sisters, before bowing.

"I come bearing news from Ponyville, your majesties. It is considered urgent," said the Valkyrie, just as Celestia finished writing in the scroll. She used her magic and caused the letter to vanish in a flash.

"Alright, let me see it," said Celestia, levitating the new scroll over to herself. As she read it, her eyes widened.

"Oh, no. I was afraid of this," said Celestia, disheartened.

"What is it now?" asked Luna, hesitant.

"The mayor has requested that Junior is apprehended and put on trial. The citizens in Ponyville are demanding his head," said Celestia. Luna gasped.

"That is outrageous! On what grounds would they-" Luna fell silent, finding the deep frown on her elder sister's face.

"What will you do?" asked Luna, softly. Celestia looked her way. She was about to answer, but no words left her mouth. For the first time in many, many years, Celestia did not know what she was going to do.

"I know that... I have to serve my people. They're demanding justice. But... in my heart, I know the one they want is innocent. Someone who's been like a son to me. But I'm allowing my personal feelings to interfere with my role as Princess," said Celestia, staring at the ground. She sighed as she rubbed her brow.

"But... he's family..." Celestia spoke softly. Luna placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Celestia sighed.

"This letter changes nothing. We were already intending on bringing him on trial. I just hoped that he'd have more support in Ponyville," said Celestia, before rolling up the letter. She stared off at the stain glass windows.

"Sometimes I wonder if I should never have sent him there," said Celestia. Luna frowned.

"Celestia... I may not have been around him as long as you have. But, I believe that sending him to Ponyville was the best thing you could've down. After all, he's surrounded by those who treasure him as you do," said Luna. Celestia sighed.

"Yes, you're right. In the end, I believe he's much happier than he's been here," said Celestia. Her lip quivered as she tried to keep herself composed. She turned her attention to the guard.

"Have a team set course to Ponyville. You are to apprehend Gojira Takeshi Jr. He is to stand trial for Titan Day," said Celestia, keeping her tone composed and authoritative. The guard saluted before running off.

"How it pains me to do this," said Celestia, tearing up.








The Next Morning...


Junior slept peacefully. Twilight was snuggled against him, snoozing. She lied with him in a spooning position. The mutant's arm wrapped beneath her tummy, tucking her close to his chest. Twilight's eyes fluttered open as she heard the crow of a rooster. She began to stretch and yawn.

Twilight sighed as she slouched back. She found Junior behind herself, prompting her to blush and smile. The girl could simply lie in bed like this all day. A lazy day. But, she knew that she had stuff to do. Whether it was friendship lessons to learn, or run the library.

"Goji, wake up," said Twilight, sweetly. Junior's brows crinkled as he held the girl closer.

"Aw man. Don't do this. Otherwise I'll want to sleep in too," said Twilight with a frown. The petite elf rolled over to face Junior. She planted gentle kisses along his cheeks and lips.

"Wake up, big boy~," giggled Twilight. She gasped as Junior pulled her close. She groaned in annoyance.

"I said to wake- eep!" Twilight felt her rear groped. Her face turned beat red.

"Bring your fine ass over and give me..." Junior muttered in his sleep. Twilight whimpered as her face flushed red hot.

"Gojira... We should-" Twilight gasped as her face grew more red. Junior grunted as his face grew red as he slept, his brows crinkled. Twilight cupped a hand over her mouth, as her breaths became labored.

"Gojira... you're..." Twilight shuddered. She began to tremble and grow hot. Junior winced as he stretched and woke up. He found Twilight staring at him, wide eyed.

"Oh. Morning, babe." Junior chuckled, a bit drowsy.

"Morning." Twilight squeaked. Junior winced before looking down at himself.

"Oops! Sorry," said Junior, with a sheepish smile, as he scooted away from the girl.

"Gojira, I don't know if I'm ready for that sort of thing," said Twilight, shyly playing with her hair.

"Th-That was beyond my control! All guys get like that in the morning!" said Junior. Twilight frowned.

"So... you don't want to..."

"No, I just- Wait, what?" Junior cocked a brow. Twilight cleared her throat as she stepped out of bed.

"I should get ready for the day. I'll have Spike get breakfast ready," said Twilight. Junior nodded in response.

Later, the two were fully clothed. They were in the kitchen, seated with plates filled with pancakes and eggs.

"Nice work, Spike," said Junior as he took a bite of the syrup soaked pancake. Spike chuckled smugly.

"So, do you have plans?" asked Twilight.

"None that I can think of. I was thinking of trying to hone my powers again. You never know when that'd come in handy," said Junior. He looked to Twilight curiously as she sat across from him.

"What about you?" asked Junior.

"Eh. Just the usual. But, I was thinking that you and I could do something together again," said Twilight.

"Yeah? What'd you have in mind?" asked Junior.

"I was thinking we could head somewhere. Like a small vacation. Just you and me," said Twilight, a dreamy look on her face. Junior felt his heart skip a beat. He never saw that look before. He suddenly felt something graze over his shoe.

"If not, then I can... Think of something else~," said Twilight. Junior's heart jumped at the girl's sultry look. He felt her stocking clad foot beginning to slip under his pant leg, caressing his bare shin. Meanwhile, Spike was oblivious to the whole thing.

"Oh. You're going on vacation?" asked Spike, his mouth full.

"That's the idea," said Twilight, winking at Junior.

'Where did this come from?' thought Junior in shock.

There was a sudden knock at the door. Everyone turned their attention at the loud knock.

"Huh. Who could that be?" Twilight placed back on her shoe under the table, before leaving to the front door. Junior sighed, his cheeks red.

"G-Gojira..." Twilight suddenly called. Junior instinctively tensed. He didn't like the tone of the girl. Junior stood up and made his way to the front door. He froze as he noticed several guards to be standing outside. Twilight had a worried look.

"Yes?" asked Junior.

"Gojira Takeshi, by order of Princess Celestia, we hereby place you under arrest," said the guard. Twilight gasped, while Junior's eyes widened.

'Celestia?' thought Junior.

"Wait! Under what charges?!" demanded Twilight.

"He is to stand trial in Canterlot for his involvement in Manehattan's destruction," answered the guard. Junior felt a knot form in his gut. He figured that day would bite him in the ass sooner or later.

"W-Wait! He didn't do anything wrong! I mean... he saved the city! Let me speak to the princess! There has to be some mistake!" Twilight spoke frantically. Junior took notice of her state. He knew that she was on the verge of having a panic attack.

Junior brought his hands over the side of the girl's head and made her face him. He looked at her firmly.

"Twilight, calm down," said Junior in a firm tone. Twilight felt the panic that she felt subside, feeling the security of the boy's gaze and the feeling of his hands. She went from panic to distraught. She began to tear up.

"Gojira..." Twilight muttered. Junior wiped a tear from her cheek before holding her close, stroking her hair.

"It's OK," said Junior, calmly. He released Twilight and faced the guards.

"Alright, I'll come quietly," said Junior. He knew that resisting would reflect badly on not just himself, but his friends and the other Guardians. He couldn't bring more trouble to them. After all, he had a feeling that trouble was already coming after them all.

A guard began to approach Junior. He placed on a pair of iron cuffs on the mutant's wrist. That was pointless, considering that Junior could tear them off with ease, but he complied anyway. He was escorted away, while Twilight and Spike looked on helplessly.

"What's gonna-" Spike suddenly belched. A plume of flames escaped his mouth, forming into a scroll. Twilight gasped as she took the scroll and quickly began to look through it. Her face turned to a confused dread.

"See a doctor about radiation poisoning? Why would- But what about-" Twilight ran a hand through her hair in stress.







Junior found himself sitting in the corner of a cold and dark cell. There was a faint amount of sunlight to be piercing through the small barred window above. He gave a heavy sigh as he sat, bored out of his mind.

"How can I be bored when I'm getting blamed for what happened?" Junior asked aloud. There was the sound of a door opening. The mutant sat up as he heard footsteps approaching.

From outside of the cell, Junior found Celestia to be standing at the cell door. She was flanked by a couple of guards. Junior quickly stood up.

"Please tell me some good news," said Junior. Celestia sighed.

"The heads of every town and city in Equestria has demanded that you stand trial for the destruction of Manehattan. As Princess, I've had no choice but to bring you to Canterlot for your trial that will begin at the end of the week," said Celestia, her eyes downcast.

"They're blaming me," said Junior. Celestia said nothing. It wasn't a question. The boy knew as much as she did.

"Do I at least have someone to defend me? Or is this just a formality before I'm punished?" asked Junior. Celestia still didn't answer. She had a look of shame on her face as she remained silent.

"Celestia," called Junior. The Avatar raised her head.

"Guards, I'd like a moment alone," said Celestia. The royal guards looked to each other in reluctance, before leaving the dungeon. As they closed the door behind them, Celestia stepped to the cell.

"I can't do much, Junior. I can't make a judgement because my rule would be seen as biased," said Celestia, her tone in a whisper.

"Makes sense," said Junior.

"But perhaps I can spare you from their wrath. We just need to figure out a way that can allow your escape. We can even delay the trial!" said Celestia, her hands griping the bars. Junior's eyes slightly widened.

"Wait, what are you saying?" asked Junior incredulously.

"I know of locations where you can go into hiding! You just-" Celestia was interrupted as Junior placed his hand on her own.

"Celestia, do you even hear yourself? You're conspiring to let me escape," said Junior, wide eyed.

"Junior, I've lost you once. I won't lose you again," said Celestia, firmly looking into the boy's eyes. Junior sighed heavily, but softly smiled.

"There you go, treating me like a little kid again," said Junior. He began to gently pat her hand, which rested over his other hand.

"You may not be my actual mother, but you've always been close," said Junior. The Avatar's expression softened.

"You can't protect me forever. I have to answer for my actions. Even when I did not have malice in mind. Please, don't lose Equestria's trust over me," said Junior. Celestia sniffled as her lips quivered. She leaned close to the bars and brought Junior closer. Her arms barely wrapped around him, as she planted a kiss on his head.

"I'm so sorry." Celestia wept.







A few days had gone by. Twilight Sparkle found herself in a white room, along with the rest of the Main 6 and Sunset Shimmer. Rarity was fidgeting in her seat, appearing distressed. The rest of the girls seemed less calm as well.

"Dear Celestia, I can't believe this!" whimpered Rarity.

"Hey, it'll be fine, Rares," said Rainbow.

"Be fine?! Do you know the damage that radiation poisoning can have on the body?! We could be losing our hair right this minute!" cried Rarity.

"Not to mention death," said Applejack flatly.

"Sunset, you worked with MONARCH. Do you know much about radiation? We don't utilize that technology here. How could we have gotten infected?" asked Twilight.

"I don't know a lot, but apparently the Transmutants are full of it. It's how we were able to track and identify them. Since the creatures they were mutated with apparently thrived off it, I'd say those giant monsters and Gojira were emitting it like crazy," said Sunset.

"So we got it from them? But I feel fine," said Pinkie.

"Same," said Rainbow with a nod.

"I had a similar infection some time back. I got sick and started losing my hair," said Sunset, leaning back in her seat. Rarity whined in dread.

"I should've died with that dose. But I didn't. I guess that... thing inside me was what kept me alive," said Sunset, frowning. To think she owed it to that monster that she hadn't died that day.

"So why are you here?" asked Rainbow in confusion.

"Just to be sure that I'm not infected," said Sunset, nonchalant. The door suddenly opened. A man wearing a hazmat suit walked in, holding a clip board. The girls tensed.

"Everything seems to check out," said the man, before removing the mask he wore.

"You mean..." Twilight perked up.

"You all are in perfect health. Though Pinkie, you have a lot of caffeine in your system. Try to cut back on that," said the doctor.

"Eh. No promises." Pinkie sipped from a mug of coffee.

"So wait, we weren't infected?" asked Rainbow.

"Well, there was something unusual about your cells," said the doctor as he began to remove the suit from himself.

"They were carrying some radioactive properties. But, they didn't seem to have done any damage. In fact, they seemed to have stimulated your cells," said the doctor.

"That's impossible!" Said Sunset.

"Well, that's what we found. We'll look into it a bit more. Based on our tests, the remaining radioactive properties should pass through your system soon. So I wouldn't be too concerned. But if you have any problems, be sure to come in," said the doctor.

Later, the girls began to leave the hospital. All were full of relief. They found the sirens and the rest of the mutant 4 and Erika to be present. They rushed to meet the girls.

"Oh thank Heavens! When you told us that the princess warned about radiation poisoning, I started dreading to learn the truth," said Rarity.

"Quarantine sucked. But I'm glad to be back outside!" said Rainbow, stretching. Rodan made his way over and met her with a tight hug.

"I'm glad that you girls are OK," said Mosura.

"Yeah, but now we have to worry about Gojira," said Twilight, deeply frowning. The group was suddenly in a gloomy state.

"It's not right. He shouldn't be in trouble for what happened," said Fluttershy.

"Do you think they'll punish him?" asked Pinkie, her lip quivering. Twilight shook her head.

"I wish I knew," said Twilight.

"When's the trial?" asked Adagio.

"Tomorrow. I was afraid that we'd miss it because of..." Twilight pointed back at the hospital.

"Well, then let's go! He needs our support!" said Adagio. Twilight was taken aback. She seemed rather eager to go.

"I don't think we can all fit on the balloon," said Pinkie, scratching her chin.

"Then we'll have get there on our own," said Mosura. She then turned to Twilight.

"Since you're the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, you should take the fastest way there. You might be able to help get Gojira out of this mess," said Mosura. Twilight nodded in agreement. But, she had doubts. After all, she wasn't sure if she and her friends had the influence to have this trial rule in Junior's favor. Regardless, Twilight knew that she had to be there for him. She wouldn't be able to live with herself if she stayed here, too afraid to find out his fate in person.

"Then let's get ready," said Twilight, firmly.








Neighpon...


It was evening. Mai Yoshida and Battra were in the small kitchen of the young woman's apartment, cooking. Meanwhile, Abra and Hok were on the sofa, feeding their infants. All the while, the radio played a broadcast.

"With the attack of a Transmutant Revolutionary on a MONARCH base in the North of Trotkyo, concerns have raised among citizens. Emperor Kuro's refusal to work with MONARCH to handle the situation has sparked outrage and harsh criticism. With the attacks having grown frequent on Neighponese soil, a vote of no confidence was called in to remove the Emperor. A replacement was proposed by various Lords of the nation, Kuro's younger brother, Hiro," said a man over the news report. Battra perked up as he heard all of this.

"It seems like everything is going crazy. I wonder if they'll actually replace the sitting Emperor," said Mai.

"Hm." Battra thought back to these recent days. It didn't take long for the city to be on edge ever since Angirasu Riku had dropped by. From all around, he saw broadcasts of the still image of a lone figure standing among rubble and fire, from a military base. You couldn't make out Angirasu's face, considering that the image used was fuzzy and was taken from security footage of the base. However, Battra knew all too well that it had to be him, even when he never joined the younger mutant in that fight. MONARCH seemed to be using whatever happened that night as propaganda. They even claimed this 'mysterious' mutant as being a Revolutionary. Battra knew better. They were in hiding in the Frozen North of Equestria. Something about this vote of no confidence with the current emperor didn't sit well with Battra.







Junior found himself leaning against the dungeon wall. His eyes fell on the sliver of light that shined through from outside. Today was the day.

The royal guards entered the dungeon. They approached Junior's cell and opened it. The boy glanced at them, finding their stoic expressions. Junior got off the wall.

"Better not keep them waiting," said Junior as he held out his wrists. Again, he was bounded in iron cuffs. The squad of guards began to escort Junior out of the dungeon and through the halls. Along the way, Junior showed no expression. He showed no sadness, no anger, nor happiness. He was completely stoic.

Eventually, Junior found himself outside of the castle. He was escorted by the guards into a prison wagon. He stepped inside, while the guards locked the door behind him. The wagon was towed away, making its way through town. Junior found himself gazing outside through the small window, finding the brightly colored city. Citizens began to take notice of the wagon as it was paraded through the streets.

The wagon stopped at a large structure in the city. It was a court house. A statue of a woman blind folded holding scales stood at the front of the structure. A large team of guards stood at the front, waiting. Junior found that there were citizens gathered as well, watching from a short distance.

The door was opened. Junior was allowed to step out of the wagon, where the guards began to surround him. Again, he was escorted.

"Punish that beast!" A man shouted from the crowd. More and more shouts of condemnation followed after. Junior saw that hate and fear were in the eyes of the citizens who called for his head. He wondered if any of them felt safe, with over a dozen guards to be surrounding a man that could change into a colossal force of nature. If he wanted, Junior could easily escape, either through fleeing, or leaving a trail of destruction in his wake. But, that wasn't who he was. Junior was here in good faith.

As Junior was led closer to the court house, he heard his name called. He turned to find the Main 6, the rest of the Mutant 4, the Sirens, Erika and Sunset to be standing among the crowd. Junior met them with a small smile as he continued on into the court house.

Soon, Junior found himself sitting alone on a wooden chair. He was still bounded in cuffs, and his ankles were shackled as well. The court room was quite large, able to accommodate many people, who entered. Not every citizen was allowed entry, however.

The most who entered were people that were higher in society. Bureaucrats, aristocrats, entrepreneurs, and anyone with their pockets full of bits to spend like no one's business. It was here that Junior saw familiar faces. He of course saw his friends to be taking their seats at the front rows, where they could easily see him. He found Celestia and Luna to be sitting on thrones set up in the corner of the court room, where they were able to see everything.

Then, Junior noticed those he was familiar with but hardly ever spoke to. He saw Fancy Pants enter with Twilight Velvet and Night Light. Shining Armor, with Princess Cadence. Even Hayato Yoshi and Kira Koizumi entered. Soon, the court room was filled. At the front of the room, a man sat at the front, wearing dark robes.

"We are gathered here today for the case of Gojira Takeshi versus Equestria," said a guard, standing by the judge's podium.

"Court is now in session. I ask everyone to be seated," said the judge. And so, the people complied. The court was filled with a heavy tension, as all eyes focused on the defendant of today's case.

"Gojira Takeshi, you are charged with the destruction of one of Equestria's metropolis cities, Manehattan. We have the heads from every town and city to see your prosecution. Let's review the case," said the judge. A man cleared his throat as he placed on a pair of glasses and held up a scroll.

"The defendant is being charged for the events of January 6th, this year, also known by readers of the news, as 'Titan Day'. The city of Manehattan found itself under siege by three giant monsters, resulting in millions in damages and the cost of many lives. At least 30 blocks worth of the city is said to have been irradiated by the creatures. At the end of the chaos, Gojira Takeshi was witnessed to have been one of these creatures, having changed form by magical means," said the man that read off the scroll. Junior's eyes widened.

'Irradiated?' thought Junior. People began to murmur, looking at the Transmutant in contempt. Some shifted in their seats, as though trying to distance themselves to avoid catching some plague from the defendant. Junior's eyes were downcast, having not realized that he left a more lasting impact on the city compared to what he expected.

"Punish this abomination at once!" a woman shrilled from her seat. People gave shouts of verbal agreements. Celestia deeply frowned as she saw the looks of outrage and hate on the faces of her subjects. She watched as Junior sat slouched in his seat, his eyes staring at the ground. Her heart ached terribly by seeing him this way, faced with such contempt for something he never intended to happen.

"Order in the court!" the judge shouted as he banged his gavel. The court room went silent.

"Gojira Takeshi, How do you plead?" asked the judge. Junior lightly rose his head. With a sigh, he sat up straight in his seat.

"Guilty." Junior spoke. His friends gasped in shock and alarm. Some spectators and the jury began to murmur in surprise and confusion. The royals were wide eyed. The judge however was stoic.

"Look, let's not beat around the bush. I had my fair share of destruction that day. If what you said about Manehattan being irradiated is true, then I am guilty as all heck," said Junior.

"Just sentence the bastard already!" shouted a man again. The court became rowdy with enraged citizens.

"Order!" the judge shouted, banging his gavel. Suddenly, Fancy Pants set down a brief case as he sat at a table behind Junior.

"Your honor, we still have to go through the process before a proper sentencing. As my client's Counsel, I insist that we do not forsake justice," said Fancy Pants.

"Wait, I get a lawyer?" asked Junior in surprise.

"Very well. Will the prosecutor take the floor?" asked the judge. A man stood from a table at the side of the table.

"Mr. Takeshi, could you explain how you were able to pull off the feat that has brought us here today?" asked the prosecutor.

"It's... It's my power. It's..." Junior wondered how he could explain this. While yes, he lived in a world of magic and such, but there was a limit on what people believed, especially regarding the supernatural.

"I'm the reincarnation of a primordial life form. My people in Neighpon called them Kaiju," said Junior. A few people bore odd looks.

"Care to elaborate, Mr. Takeshi?" asked the prosecutor. Junior shrugged.

"Well, you've seen the papers. They're giant monsters. Apparently in a previous life, I was one. So, that allows me to become one," said Junior flatly.

"Would you being a Transmutant have any correlation to that?" asked the prosecutor. Junior grimaced. He glanced behind himself, finding the rest of the Mutant 4 to be sitting from the spectator seats.

"That's... complicated to explain. Transmutants aren't a natural race like an ogre, an Elf, Valkyrie, or Earth Bound. We're genetic experiments. To say that the two having any relation is not necessarily entirely wrong. After all...I'm not the only one to be a reincarnation," said Junior. People began to murmur, some beginning to panic.

"So you could change into that Titan any time you please?" asked the prosecutor.

"No, not anytime. I can only do it if I have enough energy from radiation to change. And it requires a lot," said Junior.

"So the only reason why you haven't tried to put up a resistance to this prosecution is because you currently don't have the power to?" asked the prosecutor, a smirk creeping on his face. Junior's brow twitched in annoyance. He hated that smug look.

"Oh, don't mistake what I said as me being weak. If I wanted to, I can break these shackles and come over there and snap your neck. And there wouldn't be a damn thing that any of you could do about it," said Junior, his irises turning reptilian. The prosecutor stumbled back with a gasp. People began to shift away more, panic growing.

"Dude!" exclaimed Rodan.

'Junior, what are you doing?!' thought Celestia, biting her lip.

"Order!" shouted the judge. He then turned his sight on Junior.

"Mr. Takeshi, you do realize that talking like that can get you held in contempt in this court?"

"I was just making a point, your honor. The fact of the matter is that if I wanted, I could easily escape. I may not be able to turn into a 300 foot tall monster at the moment, but I still have more strength in me than all of the guards in this room," said Junior, prompting a couple of guards to tense.

"But I didn't come here to hurt anyone. I didn't come to beg either. I came here to own up to what happened," said Junior, his brows furrowed.

"Does the prosecution have anything more to add?" asked the judge. The prosecutor cleared his throat as he stood some feet away.

"The prosecution rests, your honor," the man stuttered. Junior smirked to himself.

"Counsel, you're up," said the judge. Fancy Pants cleared his throat as he stood.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I ask that you set aside your grievances for Mr. Takeshi and listen. While yes, the damage done to the city is great, and the loss of life is tragic, you can not hold Mr. Takeshi accountable for it all. From what we learned, the first two beasts to make land on Manehattan would have no doubt decimated the entire city, had Mr. Takeshi not intervened," said Fancy Pants, turning to everyone in the court.

"This attack was no random freak tragedy. It was in fact an invasion from dangerous foes. I call Sunset Shimmer to the podium," said Fancy Pants. From the spectator seats, Sunset Shimmer rose. She made her way to the witness podium. Fancy Pants approached the podium, cleaning his monocle.

"Ms. Shimmer, could you lay out the information that you came across?" asked Fancy Pants. Sunset nodded.

"It was just shortly before the attack. A group of Elves that practiced the dark arts had formed an alliance with the Revolutionaries, the Transmutant terrorist group," said Sunset.

"They called themselves, 'The Shadow's Hand'. They somehow managed to summon the souls of the 'Kaiju', with their dark magic and a couple of ancient relics. They intended to reintroduce the Transmutants there to the spirits of their past lives, which led to the two monsters that attacked. They weren't ordinary beasts. They were like Gojira," said Sunset. People began to gasp in shock and alarm.

"Objection! Where is the evidence to these dark magic users?" questioned the Prosecutor.

"There are multiple eye witnesses that include the Element Bearers and Princess Celestia herself," said Sunset Shimmer. People turned their attention to those pointed out, including their ruler. Celestia was stoic as she sat on her throne.

"Ms. Shimmer, would you agree that the attack would have been worse if not for Mr. Takeshi's intervention?" asked Fancy Pants.

"Absolutely. I was there myself. You don't know what those Revolutionaries are truly capable of until you see what had happened," said Sunset firmly.

Later, Sunset had stepped out of the podium and returned to her spectator seat. Meanwhile, Twilight Sparkle found herself in the podium.

"I can confirm that they exist. They have in fact appeared in Ponyville before, inflicting damage on some friends of mine," said Twilight.

"Hey! Twilight called us her friends!" grinned Sonata. Aria sighed with a roll of her eyes.

"Be quiet," said Aria.

"Ms. Sparkle, what can you tell us about Mr. Takeshi?" asked Fancy Pants.

"Well gee, where to begin?" Twilight softly chuckled.

"He was like me in a lot of ways. We were both introverts for most of our lives. While we came from different backgrounds, we can relate to each other. I always thought of him as a big grump, but he's actually a good man," said Twilight, softly smiling at Junior.

"Did you know about his past?" asked Fancy Pants.

"Not at all," said Twilight.

"And what did you think when you found out?" asked Fancy Pants. Twilight felt a knot in her stomach. She wanted to forget what she thought, let alone felt from back then. It just filled her with great shame.

"I... I guess I was confused... Scared... Angry... And sad," said Twilight, staring down at her hands.

"And why was that?" asked Fancy Pants. Twilight took a breath.

"Because I loved him," said Twilight. Shocked and horrified gasps came from some in the audience.

"It hurt me because he kept something like that a secret from me. I didn't have time to process and understand it. But my feelings for him never changed," said Twilight firmly.

"Ms. Sparkle, you are aware that you have feelings for a monster that caused millions in damages? Think of the people that were infected-" The prosecutor was interrupted as Twilight scoffed.

"Excuse me, but I believe that we have evidence to counter that argument," said Twilight.

"I call on Professor Atom to the stand!" said Fancy Pants.

Twilight left the podium, as an older Elf stepped to the floor, carrying a brief case.

"I've been researching the quarantine site for days now. And I've made interesting discoveries," said Atom.

"Please proceed," said the judge. Atom began to set up his notes and a board.

"We learned that these 'Kaiju' give off a form of radiation from their bodies. The carcasses of two of the beasts had spread this radiation. But the strangest thing happened. The radiation they gave off wasn't damaging to any organic life. The humans that were infected did not suffer. In fact, their cells were stimulated," said Atom as he showed off images of cells.

"People suffering from certain ailments that were exposed to this radiation found themselves recovering quickly and fully. People that were healthy prior felt a growth of energy and such throughout their days. Now, eventually, the radiation passes through the system, but there has yet to be signs of any permanent or temporary damage," said Atom as he grabbed more photographs.

"In fact, the destruction and this 'clean' radiation have allowed stimulated plant life in the area. As we speak, plants are beginning to rapidly grow in the Quarantine zone" said Atom, passing photographs of streets covered in bright green grass and flowers. Vines and bushes covered some of the ruble of buildings. Junior's eyes were wide as he gazed at what looked to be soon a new Eden. While there was rubble, life seemed to be growing from the ruins.

"From our research, we know that Transmutants rely on some radioactive or geothermal properties to survive and stabilize themselves. I have a theory that if they and those Kaiju are linked in some way, then it's possible that they function like trees," said Atom, as he began to draw on a white board, drawing a crude depiction of Junior as a Kaiju. He then drew a nuclear emblem and an arrow pointing to the Kaiju on the board.

"Like how a tree takes in C02 for nutrients and expels oxygen for life on Earth; What if the Kaiju take in radiation for nourishment, and expel a form of radiation that isn't harmful to organic life, but is in fact beneficial?" Atom drew out another below the first, pointing away from the Kaiju but pointing to a blue inverted nuclear symbol.

"While the destruction and loss of life is terrible, there won't be long lasting effects on those who were in the area and survived. You will need to hire one hell of a gardener though," said Atom with a chuckle. No one laughed. Atom cleared his throat.

"A-At any rate, keep that in mind when you decide on his fate," said Atom.

The case went on. Despite evidence being presented that the radiation given off by the Kaiju was harmless, people continued to call for Junior's head. Whether they were willfully ignorant or not, Junior couldn't say. But the focus was mainly on the destruction itself. It didn't matter if there wouldn't be long lasting damage. In the end, a city was destroyed. Many structures were toppled, many homes were lost, and lives were snuffed out. Junior found himself on the receiving end of the blame, as the prosecutor went on a soliloquy. A man sat in the witness box, a cast on his arm. Apparently he was there when the attack happened.

"Mr. Flint here has lost everything! His home, his business, and even lost his oldest son! And he was just one of many! So I ask you, Mr. Takeshi, what do you have to say to him and others like him?" asked the prosecutor. Junior met the eyes of the man in the witness stand. He was met with a cold look from the man. A frigid hatred that would threaten to freeze anyone. But Junior remained stoic at the man.

"My condolences," said Junior.

"I don't want pity from a monster," said the man, with venom in his tone. Junior lowered his eyes briefly, as the rest of his friends looked on, saddened.

"Shallow words, Mr. Takeshi," said the prosecutor with a scoff. Junior raised his head, glaring at him.

"What the hell do you want from me? An apology? Is it going to make a difference?" asked Junior. He looked to the man in the witness stand.

"Is it gonna bring back the people that died? Will it raise your homes from the rubble? What are you trying to get out of me?" asked Junior.

"That's enough," said the judge.

"Wait, just let me say this!" said Junior. He turned to everyone in the court.

"Look, I wish that day never happened. But it did, and I stepped in because I thought I could help. I never meant to cause any harm. But I'm not going to apologize," said Junior.

"Mr. Takeshi," called Fancy Pants.

"What would you have done if you had my power? To live with such a responsibility. Would you just stand by and watch as two monsters stomped Manehattan to dust? Or would you fight to defend the people? Not the city, the people. Structures can be replaced. People can't be," said Junior.

"You all can judge me. You can condemn. You can exile me or even kill me. But you will not make me ashamed for doing what I thought was right," said Junior, narrowing his eyes at the people.

"Let's just get to sentencing already," said Junior in annoyance as he sat back down on his seat. His friends bore looks of alarm.

"You can't end on that!" said Rodan.

"Very well. Will the heads deliberate on their decision?" asked the judge. From the side of the room, the heads of every town and city of Equestria all rose. They began to make their way over to a back room. Twilight quickly leaned over to Junior.

"Are you out of your mind?! You need a better case for yourself!" said Twilight.

"Look around you, Twilight. This was a set up from the start. No way are they going to let me get off scot free. This was all stacked against me to begin with," said Junior.

"Gojira, you don't know that! You could've-" Twilight grunted in frustration as she sat back in her seat. Junior sighed as he turned back ahead, as Fancy Pants sat silently beside him. A light frown was on the man's face.

"Listen...I appreciate the help," said Junior.

"Well, I guess it couldn't be called 'help' if the whole thing was stacked against you from the beginning," sighed Fancy Pants.

Soon, the jury had returned. The air was tense as they silently returned to their seats. Junior merely sat upright in his seat, while his friends were at the edge of their seats. Celestia was biting her lip, and the citizens who held disdain for the one who brought them here were waiting in anticipation for justice to be made. All eyes fall upon one woman, who stood with a parchment in her hand.


"We find the defendant guilty for the destruction of Manehattan."

The court room was filled with shouts and applauds. Junior kept a stoic look, showing no signs of disappointment, rage or sadness. Rather, he had a look of acceptance. Now, his fate was in their hands.

"No, wait!" Twilight cried in alarm, as the judge banged his gavel.

"Order!"

"We still have more," the woman suddenly spoke up. Everyone returned their eyes on her, as she cleared her throat.

"As members who hold office in local governments of Equestria, we ask that the judge takes a moment to examine the current situation we face. The events that happened have no doubt signaled that Equestria may be faced with trying times. In light of the circumstances, we believe it best to place Gojira Takeshi into indebted servitude. He must act on the will of Equestria and against any looming threat of the Shadow's Hand," said the woman.

"You wanna enslave me?" asked Junior incredulously.

"Indebted servitude." The woman reiterated. She then looked back to her parchment.

"We also think it is best that the rest of the so called 'Guardians' fall under this regulation. Or they must cease all activities of vigilantism," said the woman. The crowd erupted in shouts.

"Just banish them!" a man shouted.

"You can't do this to them!" cried Twilight. The judge began to bang on the gavel, silencing the crowd. He then focused his sights on Junior.

"I normally don't do this. But, I'm going to let you decide. I can either sentence you to banishment to Tartarus, where you will never see the light of day again, or I can sentence you to indebted servitude to give back to this nation," said the judge. Junior sat up with a stoic look.

"Considering that this is the best deal I'll get out of this, then I'll pay my debts," said Junior.

"Then I sentence you to indebted servitude. The Guardians are to fall under this regulation as well, or they must cease all activities of vigilantism. Court dismissed," said the judge, before banging the gavel. The court erupted in enraged shouts. Few were that of believing the ruling unfair. Others felt that the ruling wasn't harsh enough. Celestia deeply frowned, her head bowing in disappointment.



After the trial, Junior found himself standing with a pair of shackles around his wrists. They gave off a soft glow, as Celestia and Luna held their hands over the metal, imbuing them with the raw power of their magic. Junior felt a tremor from this, as the shackles' light died down. He raised his hands and moved them about. The shackles were tight and restricted movement in his wrists. But, no chains were connected to the cuffs.

"This spell is a precaution, as ordered by the judge. It will act as a sort of failsafe against you, should the court believe that your actions do not align with Equestria's will," said Celestia, her tone quiet.

"If you were to try and use your power against us, it will prove to be your undoing," said Luna.

"Guess I better behave then," said Junior as he slipped his sleeves over the cuffs. He found the deep frowns of the two sisters.

"I'm sorry that it's come to this," said Celestia, her voice trembling with regret. The boy merely met her with a reassuring smile.

"Hey, it could have gone a lot worse," said Junior. Celestia took a breath, before standing straight and tall. Now she couldn't afford to break down. She's managed to keep it together so far.

"As part of your sentence, a team of guards will be tasked to watching you 24/7. Guards will rotate at different times to take their place," said Celestia.

"Great," said Junior, in dismay. He should've expected that privacy wouldn't be an option.

"When you return to Ponyville, please deliberate with the others on your decision. Otherwise they must cease their vigilante activities. You are expected to return to Canterlot after you pack your things. You'll be housed here," said Celestia. Junior's brows raised.

"You mean... I have to leave Ponyville?" asked Junior. Celestia regrettably nodded to him. The boy frowned.

"You'll have until morning before leaving," said Celestia.







It was evening. The lights to the lair of the Guardians shone brightly through the darkness of the Everfree forest. The 3 of the Mutant 4 found themselves before Sunset, Erika and the rest of the Guardians. They all bore looks of shock and disbelief.



"Wait, you're saying that we have to be regulated or stop helping people?" asked Manda.

"That's what they ruled. That day has really stirred a lot of trouble for us," said Angirasu with a solemn nod.

"Does he really have the right to make such a ruling?" asked Goro incredulously.

"Well, considering the circumstances and that all of Equestria now wants our heads, it would appear so," said Mosura, with a heavy sigh.

"And what about Gojira?" asked Baragan.

"He doesn't have a choice. In fact, he's supposed to be leaving for Canterlot in the morning. They want to keep a close eye on him," said Mosura, sadly. Manda sighed, a sympathetic expression on her face.

"Poor Twilight. I'm sure she's devastated," said Manda.

"Well... What do we do?" asked Rodan. There was silence.

"I don't want to stop helping people. If it wasn't for us, then..." Manda closed her eyes, suppressing the dark thoughts that crept. She dared not imagined what would have happened if the Diamond Dogs had not ceased their plundering.

"The Revolutionaries would've destroyed Ponyville..." said Rodan.

"The Changelings would've conquered Equestria..." said Angirasu.

"We seemed to have helped prevent a lot of disasters," said Baragon with a small chuckle. Goro nodded in agreement. Mosura raised her head, a look of determination on her face.

"We can't stop. Even if it means falling under the command of someone else," said Mosura. She stood up, her fists clenched.

"We've been hiding from the world for too long. I think it's time that we stopped and did our part. Are you guys with me?" asked Mosura. Rodan smirked as he stood up.

"Hell yeah. I'm not letting you guys have all the glory," said Rodan jokingly. Angirasu nodded as he stood, a smile on his face.

"Family sticks together," said Angirasu. Mosura turned to the rest of their fellow Guardians.

"You guys don't have to do this. We won't think any less of you," said Mosura. Goro stood, a firm look in his eyes.

"I'll fight on alongside you. I want them to trust us," said Goro.

"Me too," said Manda, smiling brightly.

"I'll come too. If it means that Gojira will get his freedom back," said Sunset, standing. Erika nodded as she stood up as well. All eyes fell on Baragon. The mutant sighed with a shrug.

"Ah what the hell? Bad things seem to keep happening, so I might as well help bail them out," said Baragon before standing. Mosura smiled as she found all of the Guardians, her friends, standing around her. In solidarity for their friend, and to continue to play the role that they were born for. To be the Guardians of the Earth.

"Yeah. Happy, guys? We're all standing like a bunch of freakin' jackasses," said Baragon, flatly. Everyone just shared amused looks.







It was morning. A team of guards stood at attention, as a team of chariots pulled by pegasi waited just around the Golden Oaks library. Some citizens had gathered to watch the scene. Some curious, others aware of the reason  for their presence.

"Looks like they're finally getting rid of that menace," said an Earthbound man.

"Good riddance. Maybe now I can finally get some sleep," said another man.

Meanwhile, there were some who were not too pleased to see the presence of the guards and the situation that brought them here. The Cutie Mark Crusaders, the Guardians, The Sirens, the Main 6, Sunset and Erika being among them. The young girls stood by Rarity and Applejack, deeply frowning.

"It ain't fair. He's not a bad guy," said Applebloom sadly. Applejack wrapped a comforting arm around her younger sibling.

"I know, sis," said Applejack, softly.

The door to the Golden Oaks Library suddenly opened. Junior stepped outside, carrying a suitcase. He stepped out, with Spike and Twilight trailing after him.

"Twi looks to be holding it together pretty well," said Rainbow in surprise.

"Good. Cause if she cries, then I'll start crying," said Pinkie with a quivering lip.

Junior continued his walk towards the team of guards and the chariots that were meant to escort him. He kept his eyes forward, not looking to the citizens who watched him. He could feel all of their eyes burning into him. He could tell that a good number of them held scorn for him. But, by sneaking a glance or two, he was surprised to see the disappointed and sad looks that some citizens gave him. He never knew any of these people. Yet here they were, sad to see him go. Perhaps not everyone in Equestria hated him after all.

Junior's suitcase was taken by one of the guards and was brought over to the back of the chariot he was to ride. It was much boxier, with iron making up the frame and as bars for the windows. He sighed heavily. He turned to find his friends to be standing behind him, with sadness evident.

"I... I guess this is goodbye," said Junior, softly. A weak smile was one his face.

"Not for all of us, bro. We'll be meeting you there. We decided to comply with the ruling," said Rodan. Junior's eyes slightly widened.

"But... Guys, there's no reason to..." Junior looked to the Guardians in shock.

"We're standing with you, Goji. Whether you like it or not," said Mosura. Junior softly smiled to her.

"Goji, you can visit us, right? Or we'll visit you?" asked Pinkie, keeping a hopeful smile.

"I uh... I don't think so. You might have to ask Princess Celestia about that," said Junior. Pinkie frowned deeply.

"Hey, chin up. It's up to you to keep everyone's spirits up while we're away," said Junior. Pinkie nodded, before sniffling, placing on a bright smile.

"You can bet I will!" said Pinkie. Junior softly chuckled. He grunted as Twilight suddenly threw herself on him, holding on tightly. Her face was buried against his hoodie.

"I promise Gojira. We'll all be together again. I promise," muttered Twilight, her eyes tearing up. Junior bent down and wrapped her into a warm embrace. He affectionately stroked her hair.

"I know we will," said Junior. He released the girl, allowing her to step back. She sniffled as she wiped her eyes. Pinkie suddenly broke down into a tearful sob.

"I told you!!" Pinkie wailed, as her tears freely fell to the ground with no stopping. Fluttershy wrapped her into a comforting hug, tearing up as well.

"Takeshi." A guard called.

"Well, I gotta go," said Junior with a sad smile. He began to follow the guards over to the chariot. He took his seat inside. The seat was rather uncomfortable and hard. It figured that they'd place him in a chariot as this. They weren't transporting a royal or a decent citizen. They were delivering the most despised man in the land.

"At least they aren't making me walk," said Junior, dryly. He sat back as the chariots began to take off. The pegasi had a running start, as they carried the guards and Junior across the frosted field. Soon, they began to lift off the ground. The wind carried these magical equine through the air, along with the chariots that they towed. Junior looked through the window, finding his friends giving chase after his chariot. They called out to him, as they waved farewell to him. Twilight ran the furthest ahead of the group. Junior knew that she wasn't much of an athlete, and may have been the slowest runner among the others, but she seemed to be pushing herself the hardest, judging by the tears that she had stopped holding back. A lump formed in Junior's neck as he waved to his friends.

Eventually, the chariot began to ascend higher into the air and gain distance. His friends had stopped running, but continued to cry out and wave to him. Their cries slowly fell on deaf ears the further Junior was.

"Sayonara," said Junior, softly. A tear trailed down his cheek