After thwarting a horde of malevolent mutations, The Main 7, The Dazzlings and Mutant 4 find themselves marooned onto a foreign world.
Disclaimer: This is a continuation as to not bloat the first book with too many chapters. Reading book 1 is required to properly understand the context of what happens in this story.
In attempt to thwart the malevolent monsters that terrorized Ponyville, the Main 7, The Dazzlings and Mutant 4 find themselves transported to a foreign land. Here, they face off against the dangerous flora and fauna native to this realm. With despair and danger looming over, these teens will have to put aside their previous grievances in the name of survival.
Special thanks to ThePMB-Brony and Moongaze14 for proof reading this story. Cover art is by me.
It was cold and dark. The sky was full of gloomy dark storm clouds that hung high above, obscuring the moon light and the starry night sky. The soft roar of thunder filled the air, as it rained hard upon Ponyville.
Gojira Takeshi Junior stood at the door of his home, his expression hardened as he stared at it. He cursed to himself as no answer came. He mentally berated himself as to being so careless as to leave his house key in his room this morning. It was the weekend, and he was spending the evening outside in the cold rain, alone. His mother was working late today, which added to his misfortune. The boy sighed heavily as he lowered his head, as the rain beat against his hood. The water was starting to soak into his charcoal grey cotton hoodie.
"I hate my life," said Junior in dismay. He turned to the dark sky, as rain water fell upon his face. He felt a sadness as he gazed up at the shrouded sky, as it shed its tears upon him. It was as though it had pity on him. This atmosphere made Junior's stay outside much more unbearable. He couldn't admire the beauty of the night if this damn storm was hellbent on making him feel miserable as it was. Though he didn't need a storm to feel that way to begin with.
For as long as Junior could remember, he always felt this way. Like his world was shrouded in darkness, slowly flooding to bring him under into oblivion. Out of sight, and out of mind. Junior lowered his head as the thunder roared again, like a shadowy predator asserting its dominance over him.
"This wouldn't have happened to you if you had friends," said Junior, his voice mimicking a nagging woman. He scoffed.
"She'd probably say something like that. Like it's that easy," said Junior, his tone bitter. Being a Transmutant, a race of humans who defy the understanding of science, has made the boy's life hard. They were feared and hated. And he was the child of what was considered one of the worse mutants of all time.
Being segregated wouldn't be so bad, if Junior could find someone that could accept him. But, he wasn't well liked by humans and mutants alike. The boy wondered where his place was in this world if he didn't fit in with either. He wondered if he even had a place. Whatever the answer was, Junior was currently paying. Here he was alone again, out in the cold dark night, in the rain. Dwelling on his thoughts caused Junior to sigh heavily, as the rain seemed to be falling harder on him.
There was a sudden whoosh. It was the sound of an umbrella being opened up. The rain stopped pelting the boy's head. Junior noticed a pair of boot covered feet to be standing beside him. He raised his head in surprise, finding a shorter girl around his age to be standing next to him. Her big teal eyes met with his amber eyes. It was none other than Fluttershy, his neighbor.
Junior wouldn't say that he was very close to the girl. After all, he just joined her club in school. But what he gathered from the few interactions he had was that she was quite timid. She was like a cat that was easily startled. Her long rose hair was braided, unusual from the usual style he's seen her with. But her most defining trait was how attractive of a girl she was. Any man would fall for Fluttershy. After all, she had a soft, clear face, with big bright eyes, and rosy colored long hair. Even her soft voice would put anyone at ease.
"What are you doing out here in the rain?" asked Fluttershy, her soft angelic voice breaking the boy from his depression. Junior looked away, as she looked at him with a sweet, warm smile.
"I uh... I forgot my key in the house. I've been outside for a couple hours," said Junior.
"That's awful. When is your mom coming home?" asked Fluttershy, appalled.
"Like ten or eleven," answered Junior. Fluttershy frowned. Junior felt pathetic. Just that sympathetic look the girl was giving him made him feel sick. It just reminded him of his lot in life. Something to be pitied. He hated that.
Junior felt Fluttershy reach for his hand. The girl held it firmly. Junior's heart jumped in his chest as he looked back at her, his cheeks growing red.
"Come inside. You can stay at my house until then," said Fluttershy with a soft smile. Junior stared into her kind eyes. It hurt to stare into. Junior knew it shouldn't but it did. He attributed the fact that he's lived so long without receiving kindness from strangers that it was almost a repellent to him. He barely knew the girl, yet ever since they first met, she's been nothing but kind to him. Even knowing that he was a Transmutant, she didn't seem to mind.
He looked down at the ground. He felt his chest ache, and his eyes stinging. Junior took a breath, composing himself a bit, but still blushing.
"I... Thank you," said Junior. Fluttershy nodded to him as she led him to the mailbox where she was able to collect a few envelops. The two made their way inside of the warm house. Along the way, Junior could only focus on their hands being locked together. His larger, rough hand being held held by Fluttershy's small, soft and more frail hand. The boy lightly smiled to himself as he stepped into the house of the girl.
A few months later...
Junior's mind was lost in a haze. He gave heavy breaths as he took one large step in front of the other, the wind blowing against him at a tremendous force.
Being a Transmutant meant that you were born with the power of some strange mighty creature. This also meant physically changing into one.
Junior stood to be over 20 feet tall, as a dark scaled bipedal reptilian creature, with jagged back plates running along his back. This was the image that non mutants hated. A monster. In this state, Junior's mind functioned on a more primitive level. Unable to speak, reacting on base instinct. Although he retained some of his human consciousness, it was little compared to the likes of his father and his generation.
Junior shrieked as he attempted to pull away from a vortex that swirled in the middle of the street of Ponyville. He found three other strange creatures being pulled in as well. His friends. Angirasu Riku, who had changed into a quadrupedal reptilian creature, with some armadillo and ankylosaurus-like traits. Mosura Yasu, who was but a moth-like creature, with long elegant limbs, two sporting mantis-like scythes. And Rodan, a brick red pteranodon-like beast, with jagged rock-like scales. These mutants found other bizarre creatures to be pulling into the vortex as well. But these things were more unnatural than they were. Genetic hybrids made from a mad man, which brought havoc to the town.
Junior snarled as he heard panicked screams. He found Fluttershy to be flying through the air, headed for the vortex that threatened to suck up everything in its vicinity. The mutant quickly stepped in her path, leading her to slam against his large, powerful leg. The girl gasped as she found the mutant looking down at her. She quickly made a tight grip on his scales, holding on for dear life as the vortex seemed to be growing stronger. Junior groaned as he took more steps in his attempt to get away, while the girl continued to cling to him. Even in his primitive state, Junior knew that this girl was important to him. He had to keep her safe.
From all around, the mutant noticed several more teenage girls that were getting caught up in the pull of the vortex. Girls that he has come to know through Fluttershy. He gave a roar to the other mutants in the area. This prompted Rodan to inch towards a girl closest to him, Rainbow Dash. He used his wing to offer some protection from the wind. However, a car came tumbling his way, having been lifted up from the ground. It struck him in the back, causing him to roar in pain as he fell over, while getting dragged across the street. Rainbow screamed as she lost her grip to the building corner she held and was pulled along with him.
Junior grunted in alarm, as he began to witness the other mutants getting failed to save the other teenagers, who were then sucked into the vortex. After Rainbow, went Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, then went the Dazzlings. Mosura shrieked as she lost her footing and was sucked in as well.
The vortex grew stronger. Junior heard two familiar screams. He found two of the remaining teenagers, aside from Fluttershy, to be flying his way. He recognized them as Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle. Junior lowered himself, reaching out his short arm, with his claws spread out.
Sunset cried out as she managed to grip his large thumb, as Twilight caught her ankle. The two screamed as the vortex pulled against them. Junior felt his heels beginning to grind against the asphalt. Angirasu wailed as his claws dug into the street, being pulled backwards into the vortex, disappearing from sight.
Junior heard another shriek ahead. He turned to find another creature that was similar to his own appearance. It was his father, having changed into his own beast form for a recent battle. The older mutant stood at 40 feet, larger than his descendant. He attempted to reach Junior, but the vortex made it difficult to step closer without being blown off of his own feet.
Junior found himself unable to move anymore. The gravity of the vortex was sure to be his end. His eyes fell on Fluttershy, who clung to him tightly. Sunset still held onto his thumb, as Twilight held onto her. Their lives were in his hands now. He couldn't give up now. Not when he was so close. With one last defiant roar, Junior took one more heavy step. But, he suddenly found a bench to be flying his way, having been uprooted from the concrete it was cemented to. It struck the mutant in head, sending him into a daze. Unable to keep his footing, Junior fell over, leaving the remaining teens to be sucked into the vortex, which he shortly followed.
Multiple colors shone as bright as the sun. The air swirled much like a twister. A tunnel of swirling air and colors were all that were visible. There were cries from teenagers and beasts that were hurled through the tunnel. Soon, the end of the tunnel burst with a bright light, blinding everyone. The teens found themselves screaming as they burst through, while slamming into the ground. The Main 7 and Dazzlings rolled away from the momentum against rock and dirt. Twilight shot up as she found the Transmutants in their beastly form tumbling her way. She quickly took cover as the beasts rolled passed her. Junior groaned as he skidded on his side and slammed onto a rocky wall. The Dazzlings yelped as Mosura came crashing their way, narrowly missing them as she landed on Junior. Rodan screeched as he face planted into the earth, knocking up stones and dirt. Angirasu barreled through as a spiky ball, hurling towards Applejack, who exclaimed in fright as she stumbled back. The Transmutant bounced over her and slammed into several boulders, shattering them.
The remaining genetic hybrids also appeared from the vortex that had suddenly vanished. The creatures slammed into the ground, groaning. A few cars crashed into the area, along with much debris. The air began to settle as the vortex from whence they came disappeared. The teens groaned in pain as they stumbled up to their feet with dazed looks.
"Ugh. I think I'm gonna hurl," said Aria as she covered her mouth, appearing green.
"Gross," groaned Adagio as she stood up, rubbing her rear. Pinkie shot up, covered in dirt and bruises.
"Let's do it again! Whoo!!" exclaimed Pinkie.
"No!" groaned the rest of the teens. They then heard low growls. They turned and found the Iguana hybrids snarling as they approached, while the Hounds, a few rats and Deutalious appeared. The creatures turned their attention on the human girls, with looks of hunger.
"I forgot about these things," whimpered Sunset. Fluttershy gasped as she found the Transmutants stirring up. Mosura shook herself and found Junior snarling at her. He gave a bark, causing the girls to jump with a start. The hybrids even turned their attention to the other beasts. Mosura's fuzz and antennae became erect, much like a feline when threatened. She quickly fluttered off of him and onto the ground, making hissing sounds.
"What are they doing?" asked Sonata worriedly. Junior stood up to his full height as he bared his teeth and narrowed his eyes on the moth that stood up to his shin. Mosura gave chirps as she flared her bright patterned wings, while scurrying close to Junior as an act of intimidation.
Junior gave a bellow as he took a step forward and slightly lowered himself. Mosura quickly backed off as her antennae shot up like a cat's alert ears.
"They're trying to intimidate each other," said Fluttershy with a nervous look.
"But they're friends!" said Rainbow with an incredulous look. Rodan raised himself up as he shook his head, while giving loud squawks. He began to crawl his way out of the rubble but was met with a stone that flew his way. Rodan gave a short screech of pain as he was struck by the stone in the head. The teens bore looks of alarm as they found Angirasu's tail swinging as he shook himself off of debris, which had caused a stone to fly Rodan's way.
Rodan gave angry roars as he took to the air and landed on Angirasu's back, with his feet and paws safely planted in between the spikes that decorated his back. Rodan began to peck the back of Angirasu's head as well as claw his exposed scales. Angirasu gave a wail of pain as he began to violently shake himself. His thrashing caused him to swing his spiked and ball tail against a couple of the remaining Hound hybrids as they attempted to flee, killing them instantly. The girls cried out as they fled from the rampaging duo as they bit each other and slammed into the rocky walls in their environment. Water from the small pool in the cave splashed everywhere with Angirasu's steps. Junior snapped his jaws at Mosura, who fluttered into the air but was unable to get far due to the tight area they were in. So she landed on Junior's back and dug her mantis-like appendages into his neck and shoulders.
Junior groaned as he thrashed and attempted to snap his jaws at the moth on his back. However, he couldn't reach her. Junior stumbled through the area, while the humans gave cries of panic as they tried to avoid getting stepped on. Fluttershy fell back as Junior stomped in front of her as he continued to try and fight off the pesky bug on him.
"Stop fighting!" cried Fluttershy. Junior stepped on Angirasu's, who wailed in pain. He then turned and rammed his head into Junior's thigh, pushing him over. Rainbow Dash sped away and avoided getting crushed, but found herself in the dark iguana's path. The creature opened its jaws as it lunged to bite her head, but Applejack appeared from the side and slugged it in the jaw, causing it to fly off to the side as it groaned in pain.
Rarity found herself fending for herself as the colorful iguana had her trapped in her diamond shield. The girl grunted as she struggled to hold the shield in place as the hybrid slammed its weight against it to get to her. Suddenly, Rodan swooped in and picked the iguana by the back and flew towards Angirasu and dropped the lizard on him. Angirasu groaned as he was hit by the large creature. He angrily roared and rammed his horn into the creature, impaling it. Junior then snarled as he kicked Angirasu in the face, away from himself. Angirasu stumbled and nearly crushed Sonata, who was yanked out of the way by Aria.
"Why are they fighting?!" shouted Pinkie.
"Let's focus on getting them to stop!" shouted Twilight as she created a magic tendril and swung it at Junior's arm, which wrapped around it. Junior snarled as he yanked his arm, causing Twilight to yelp as she was pulled his way. She released him and fell on the ground, bruising herself. She then cried out in fear as Junior swung his tail her way. As she braced herself what was coming, Rainbow dashed her way and scooped her into her arms, speeding away from danger.
Junior's tail struck Mosura, knocking her from the air and caused her to crash towards Applejack, who was forced back but used all the strength she could to keep them both from hitting the wall too hard. Mosura chattered as she lied limp on the ground, having grown exhausted and in too much pain. Rocks began to fall everywhere from the tremors of these giants. Rodan roared as he used his feet to claw Junior's chest but was bit by the wing and slammed to the ground. Junior roared as he raised his foot to stomp on him but Sunset projected a shield over Rodan, protecting him. Junior stumbled back and roared angrily.
"Gojira, stop this right now!" said Fluttershy in a scolding tone. Junior snarled as he stomped on the ground, causing the cavern around them to rumble.
Rodan groaned as he lied on his back, while Angirasu charged towards Junior. However, Twilight fired a beam of magic in his face and caused him to stumble and trip. He groaned as he slid on the ground as he rubbed his face. He was about to stand but was then pinned by diamond shaped shackles and was bound by Twilight and Sunset's magic. He groaned as he struggled, causing Sunset, Twilight and Rarity to grunt from his resistance.
"Angirasu- Da-Darling! It would be nice if you'd stop fighting us!" shouted Rarity with an annoyed look. Fluttershy raised her hand as she cautiously approached Junior, who was breathing hard and bared his teeth at her.
"Goji, it's OK. Just calm down," said Fluttershy as she spoke in a soothing tone. Junior merely grunted as he swung his tail…which was bitten by Deutalious as he snuck from behind. Junior screeched in pain as he violently shook his tail, slamming the hybrid against the wall. The creature groaned as it remained on the ground in pain. From above, a large stone fell on Junior's head, causing him to groan as he dropped down on his belly. Fluttershy bore a look of horror.
"Gojira!" screamed Fluttershy as she rushed towards the Transmutant. However, Deutalious appeared in her path as he roared. The girl gave a panicked cry.
"Fluttershy!" cried Rainbow Dash, as everyone looked on in horror. However, Junior snarled as he shot his head towards Deutalious and bit down on his tail. The beast shrieked as it attempted to scurry away but was already being picked up as Junior stood to his feet.
Junior violently shook his prey and grabbed him with both of his bare hands. Junior tore flesh and tail from Deutalious as it shrieked in pain. The girls stared in shock and horror as Junior began to bite the hybrid's haunches,tearing it in half. Junior then began to swallow the torn half in his mouth whole and proceeded to devour the rest. Bits of meat fell to the ground. The girls shielded their eyes from this, while some like Aria and Rainbow Dash dared to keep watching. Soon, all that was left were blood stains, few pieces of meat and muscle tissue on the ground. Junior bore a blood stained muzzle. He groaned as he shook himself, while licking his muzzle.
"What... The Fuck." Aria bore a slack jawed look. The two remaining iguana hybrids both scurried away, fleeing out of sight. Fluttershy was green and bore a traumatized look as she stared at the bloodstains on the ground. Junior looked to the girls, who all stiffened in fright.
"Looks like we're for dessert," said Rainbow Dash with a nervous gulp. Junior flared his nostrils as he hunched and brought his muzzle close to Fluttershy. The girl clenched her eyes shut as Junior's muzzle came close. He gave soft groans as he lightly butted his snout against her and sniffed. Fluttershy opened one eye as the Transmutant lost his aggression in his eyes and looked to be analytical. He licked the girl's cheek, with his tongue wetting her entire left side of her face.
"I-I'm fine. Thanks," stuttered Fluttershy. Junior gave a small groan as he nuzzled her. The rest of the teens began to slightly relax as they came from their cover.
As Angirasu stopped thrashing, Rarity, Sunset, and Twilight released him from their magic. Rodan shook himself with a grunt as Mosura raised herself off of Applejack with a chirp. Angirasu suddenly snarled as he stomped towards Junior, who growled as he bared his teeth, rising to his full height. Fluttershy quickly stood in between the two large Transmutants.
"No! No more fighting!" said Fluttershy in a scolding tone. She looked back and forth at the two with narrowed eyes as she held her arms out. Angirasu growled, causing the other girls to tense.
"Well I'm sure that he didn't mean to step on your tail. Goji, will you please apologize?" asked Fluttershy as she looked to Junior. The Transmutant merely barked.
"Him knocking you over doesn't excuse you from apologizing, nor does it justify you to fight everyone!" said Fluttershy as she placed her hands on her hip. Mosura made a chirp as she flared her wings. Junior snarled as he stomped on the ground and glared at Fluttershy.
"Don't take that tone with me, mister! You two are friends. Now start acting like it!" said Fluttershy. Junior puffed air through his nostrils as his reptilian face formed a scowl. He then looked away as he gave a grunt. Angirasu did the same. Fluttershy bore a satisfied look.
"Good," said Fluttershy in approval. The rest of the teens were in an awkward silence.
"So... Everything is cool?" asked Rainbow. Rodan began to walk with his wings folded. He skipped along the rocky ground like a vulture, making squawking sounds. He then found what was left of Deutalios on the ground and proceeded to peck at it. The girls watched in disgust, especially as Mosura began to run her long tongue over the blood on the ground.
"I guess you can say that," said Sunset with a grimace.
"Well, now that everything has calmed down, where the heck are we?" asked Applejack in confusion.
The teens looked around, along with the transformed Transmutants, finding themselves in some sort of cavern. It was large enough to at least compensate for the Transmutants' large size but not enough for the fliers to take proper flight.
"Well, still think it was a good idea to use that spell?" deadpanned Adagio as she looked at Sunset and Twilight.
"Hey, we did what we thought was the best course of action! There were too many to deal with at once," said Twilight with a glare.
"You said that we created a black hole. Shouldn't we be dead?" asked Sonata in confusion.
"We probably are. I mean, judging by the underground cave setting, I'd say we're in Hell," said Aria sarcastically as she rubbed her aching arm.
"Hm. It's not so bad. Kinda cozy," said Adagio, looking around curiously.
"We're not dead. Whatever that was must have been similar to a wormhole. Instead of destroying us, it merely sent us somewhere else," said Sunset.
"That's strange. Our combined magic must have created a tear in the space time continuum," said Twilight, a thoughtful expression on her face.
"Well, where did it take us?" asked Aria. Twilight and Sunset both glanced at each other with grimaces. They turned to Aria and shrugged. Aria bore a dumbfounded look.
"Holy shit. You don't even know!" said Aria.
"Why would we?! We didn't know that this could happen!" said Sunset defensively. Aria groaned as she pulled on her pig tails.
"Look, it don't matter. We should focus on figuring out where we are," said Applejack as she dusted off her Stetson. She wobbled in place as she felt a tremor. Junior was stomping through the cavern, away from the group.
"He's way ahead us," said Rainbow. Junior ignored her and traveled down towards a slightly narrow area of the cave. Angirasu began to walk after him on his four legs along with Rodan and Mosura.
"Come on. We should follow them," said Twilight as she quickly walked after the Transmutants. The rest of the girls followed in suite. Junior groaned as he was forced to slightly hunch down as he walked through the cave. His sides slightly grazed the rocks along with his swaying tail. His dorsal plates broke stalactites and caused debris to fly in the air.
"I hope he can get his fat ass out," deadpanned Aria. Soon, Junior's eyes caught sight of daylight ahead. He continued leading the group but found himself forced onto his paws and knees. He groaned as he grazed himself through the tunnel, causing more debris. Soon, he reached the end. However, the Transmutant found his burly body unable to press on out of the cave. Only his head was peeking out.
"Goji? Why did you stop?" asked Fluttershy in confusion. Junior was silent and merely thrust himself forward, barely moving an inch.
"Oh you gotta be kidding me," said Sunset in disbelief. Rainbow groaned in exasperation.
"Seriously?! He's stuck?!" shouted Rainbow.
"I told you. Fucking fat ass," said Aria with a scowl.
"Hey! No fat shaming!" said Pinkie in disapproval.
"Ugh. Shut up. I got enough of that shit in Applewood," scoffed Aria. Junior scrapped his clawed toes against the ground as he swung his tail. He barked angrily as he attempted to force himself through. Angirasu made his way over to his rear and began to use the side of his body to push him. Junior groaned as he thrashed a bit, scraping stone that made up the cave exit. Applejack rushed to Junior's right side and began to strain as she pushed him from his thigh.
"Come on big guy! You can get through!" groaned Applejack. She and Angirasu both took a step back and then rammed themselves against Junior, causing him to burst through the exit and widen it a bit. Rocks fell on him as he gave a snort with what looked an awful like a scowl. The girls and the rest of the Transmutants stepped out of the cave as Junior stood up.
"Fat. Ass." Aria walked past the beast, who growled as his eyes narrowed. Aria stiffened as she looked his way.
"He... doesn't understand me, right?" asked Aria in a nervous tone.
"Where are we?" asked Rarity. The group took the moment to take in their surroundings. They found themselves to be surrounded by large trees, covered in bright green leaves. Their branches and trunks were covered in long vines, hanging like a mess of silly string on furniture. The ground was covered in green grass and stones. The sound of birds filled the air, along with the call of monkeys. The sunlight shone high above, but the jungle shaded them, allowing a few rays of light to reach them. The group looked around in fascination, confusion, and unease.
"I don't think we're in Ponyville anymore," said Applejack.
"No shit. I don't think we're even in Equestria anymore!" said Aria.
"Hey, you don't have to be a bitch!" said Rainbow. Aria glared at her with a growl.
"The fuck you say to me? Huh?!" demanded Aria as she and Rainbow both got into each other's personal space.
"Get out of my face!" said Rainbow.
"Or what? Circus clown!" said Aria. Rainbow growled angrily. Adagio and Sonata quickly pulled Aria away as Sunset and Rarity held Rainbow back.
"Come get some! I'm not scared of you!" yelled Rainbow.
"Bitch, I'll fuck you up!" shouted Aria as she attempted to pull away from her sisters.
"Chill out you two!" cried Sonata. Aria and Rainbow both glared at her.
"Stay out of it!" Aria and Rainbow shouted in unison, causing Sonata to flinch with a whimper. As the girls were arguing, Junior watched along with the other Transmutants. He bore an annoyed look. How irritating their shouting was. He sniffed the air briefly and looked to the jungle. He gave a soft growl as he began to stomp off. Mosura noticed the larger beast leaving the group as they were preoccupied with trying to prevent a cat fight. In her primitive yet somewhat self-aware mind, she felt that they needed to stand together.
Mosura began to follow Junior as he began to move passed trees, brushing against leaves and branches. Fluttershy noticed the two leaving. She worriedly looked to her friends, who were attempting to prevent a fight. However, she ran after the Transmutants. The girl made her way close to Mosura's rear, who was hot on Junior's tail. The three managed to make it through the dense trees and found themselves out in the open. What they found was a river running from a short water fall, creating a rainbow effect. The water glistened from the sunlight and reflected the blue sky. Large stones stuck out of the river bed, bearing a smooth and round aesthetic.
"Wow," said Fluttershy with a smile, mesmerized by the scenery. Junior stomped over to the river and lied himself in the water. He gave a relaxed groan as the refreshing cold water ran against his large body, which stuck mostly out to the surface. He then submerged himself deeper in the water, with his arched back and dorsal plates sticking out, taking on the appearance of rocks in the middle of the river. His gills flapped open as they took in oxygen and regained lost moisture from being on land. Mosura crawled over to the river and stuck her long tongue out from her beak. Like a straw, she drank the refreshing cold water. Fluttershy smiled as she took a seat on the grass, watching the two. Despite the fact that they had no idea where they were, Fluttershy couldn't help but enjoy this peaceful and beautiful place. How she loved nature. Fluttershy took in a deep breath of fresh air and sighed.
Suddenly, the sound of a mammalian cry filled her hearing. Fluttershy looked around in confusion and Mosura stopped drinking. The cry sounded close, and footsteps filled the air. Fluttershy turned and gasped at what she saw. Making its way to the edge of the river was a dear buck . It bore a bit of a lean appearance. Its brown coat glistened in the sun. White spots were speckled along its body. Its antlers stood tall on its head.
Fluttershy slowly stood up as Mosura tilted her head in curiosity. As the creature was unaware of the three, Fluttershy carefully began to take a few steps towards it. Her feet softly touched the ground with every step, and her breathing was slowed. The creature then turned its head and spotted the girl. Fluttershy immediately stopped in her tracks. The deer was frozen still. Its dark eyes locked with Fluttershy's, both not daring to move.
"I won't hurt you," said Fluttershy in her usual soft tone. The deer carefully stepped over to the girl, with its head low near the ground as it kept its eyes on her. The girl softly smiled as it cautiously looked at her hand. Its nostrils on the end of its snout flared as it sniffed her. The creature came closer, allowing Fluttershy to gently run a hand over its head. The buck then rubbed its chin on her wrist. Fluttershy smiled, which grew into a grin as she caressed the deer's chin.
"Aw. Such a good boy. You wouldn't happen to know where we are, would you?" asked Fluttershy. The deer suddenly shot away as Mosura approached. It gave a shrill call in alarm as it stumbled back. Mosura tilted her head as she looked at the fuzzy mammal.
"Oh, don't be afraid! She wouldn't hurt you!" said Fluttershy. The deer took off running, away from the area as Mosura chirped. Fluttershy moaned in disappointment as she slumped her shoulders.
"You spooked him," said Fluttershy. Mosura merely chirped as she turned to Junior, who was submerged in the river. The moth Transmutant began to make her way into the river. Her long limbs carried her over, allowing her to climb Junior. Mosura began to twitch her antennae and look over the wounds that were made in the battle prior. The moth opened her beak and began to lap up the wounds. Fluttershy watched in fascination as Junior gave low rumbles that bubbled up to the surface.
Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash and Aria Blaze were still in the middle of trying to throw down. They shouted curses that would make even Gojira Junior blush. The other girls were attempting to hold them back, while Rodan and Angirasu sat and watch. The two Transmutants merely glanced at each other and then both looked back to the squabble. Both in no hurry to leave or to stop this conflict. In the back of their minds, there was this bizarre interest in watching this drama unfold.
"I'm sick and tired of you stuck up bitches!" yelled Aria.
"Who're callin' stuck up, pop star?!" asked Rainbow mockingly.
"Wait! Wait, hold on a second!" shouted Sunset. The girls stopped but Rainbow and Aria were still heated. Sunset looked around, her expression turning to worry.
"Where's Goji and Fluttershy?" asked Sunset. The girls looked around, finding the two nowhere in sight.
"Mosura's not here either," said Twilight.
"How do you miss a guy that big?" asked Pinkie incredulously.
"Look, footprints!" said Applejack, pointing to large tracks that led deeper into the jungle. They matched the wide structure and clawed appendages of Junior's beast form.
"We should find them. Now's not the time to get separated," said Twilight as she began to follow the tracks. The teens began to follow, along with Rodan and Angirasu.
Sonata glanced at the quadruped, finding him staring straight ahead as he kept checking the tracks. The girl began to step over to him on their walk. She raised a hand up timidly.
"Um... Aangey?" called Sonata. Angirasu merely snorted as he stepped to the side, distancing himself from the girl. Sonata began to walk closer to him. However, Angirasu merely looked her way and gave a warning growl. Sonata quickly stepped away with a whimper, rejoining her sisters' side.
"Yeah I'd stay away from him for a while." said Aria as she anxiously eyed the quadruped. Sonata moaned in disappointment.
During this walk, the group came across a clearing, finding Fluttershy to be standing near a river, watching Junior as he lied submerged in the water as Mosura licked his wounds.
"There you are!" said Rainbow in relief. Fluttershy jumped with a start, turning to find the others to be present.
"Oh. I didn't hear you guys," said Fluttershy.
"So uh... What this?" asked Pinkie, gesturing to the two Transmutants. Mosura chirped as her fuzz puffed up around her head and upper torso, giving her plumage a much puffier look.
"It looks like they're forming a symbiotic relationship," said Twilight.
"You know if feels wrong looking at these two as animals," said Adagio with a grimace.
"I mean they did turn into animals and they aren't developed mentally like most Transmutants," said Sunset.
"Just a minute ago they were trying to kill each other and now she's licking his wounds. Funny how things work out," said Aria as she crossed her arms. Rarity gagged in disgust.
"I think I'm going to be sick," said Rarity. Pinkie giggled.
"I think it's sweet. They're forming a relationship? So does that mean they're a couple now?" asked Pinkie with a grin. Fluttershy grunted as a look of annoyance was on her face.
"It's not that kind of relationship Pinkie," said Sunset in amusement.
"Yeah it's like how those one birds pick at the teeth of crocodiles for food. The croc gets dental cleaning and the birds get a meal," said Sonata with a grin. Aria and Adagio looked at her in surprised.
"I'm surprised you knew what they meant," said Aria. Sonata chuckled with a grin.
"How do you even know that?" asked Adagio.
"I learned it from Discovery channel," said Sonata.
Angirasu grunted as he began to make his way passed the humans and towards the river. He snorted as he began to drink, while Rodan followed. He dove his beak in and began to drink as well. Twilight sighed in relief.
"Well, as long as these guys are occupied, we better start figuring out where we are," said Twilight.
"I think we should make a shelter first. There's no telling where we are. We need a place to retreat to before the end of the day," said Applejack.
"Especially since those iguanas got away," said Rainbow.
"Maybe that cave back there is a good start," said Adagio, pointing her thumb behind herself.
"That's a start. We'll need a fire, some food, maybe even some tools too," said Twilight in thought. She then turned to the girls.
"OK, let’s get started. Fluttershy and Rarity, stick with Goji and the rest. Dazzlings, gather wood. And-" Twilight was interrupted as Adagio scoffed.
"Excuse me, but who put you in charge?" asked Adagio with a hand on her hip. Twilight slightly narrowed her eyes.
"Then what would you rather do? You can babysit, you can help AJ set tools , or you can find food," said Twilight. Sonata glanced at Angirasu, who was drinking water from the river.
"I uh... I'll gather firewood," said Sonata as she briskly picked up some sticks.
"Look, we should decide on how we're going to run things here," said Aria. Adagio nodded in agreement.
"Yeah. Don't just push work around on people without being agreed upon as the head of the group," said Adagio. The rest of the girls glared at the two.
"Our focus right now is surviving. We can worry about that later," said Sunset.
"Yeah. Besides, no one wants to elect an ego maniac like you as Queen Bee," said Rainbow with a scoff. Adagio gave a forced chuckle as her brow twitched in annoyance.
"Look who's talking. I at least have more brains than you, jock-tard," said Adagio.
"So does Twilight! But at least she's not a bitch like you!" said Rainbow. Adagio growled as she and Aria stepped over to her. Applejack quickly got in between the two.
"Easy! Look, let's just do our part ya'll. We do that, we can all get along!" said Applejack. Aria scoffed as she and Adagio walked off.
"Whatever you say, 'partner'," said Aria in a mock country accent. Applejack suppressed a growl in response. Rainbow groaned as the Dazzlings began to gather wood. She leaned close to Sunset.
"If we have to resort to cannibalism, I vote that we eat them first," whispered Rainbow.
"Tempting," said Sunset with a scowl.
Later that night...
The Main 7 and the Dazzlings found themselves gathered near the cave entrance. The sun was setting, and the call of animals began to die down. All that was left was the sound of crickets. The teens sat around the fire as the Transmutants followed Fluttershy and Rarity to the group.
"Alright, it's time to rest guys," said Fluttershy, gesturing to the ground. Angirasu grunted as he lied himself down, stretching out his limbs with a yawn.
"So how was babysitting?" asked Aria.
"Oh they were well behaved. They didn't wander away from the river. Goji marked them with his mucus!" said Fluttershy, gesturing to the other Transmutants.
"Gross," said Adagio. Rodan yawned as he began to perch himself on the ground, folding his wings close to himself.
"It's a symbiosis thing," said Twilight. She turned and found Junior to be lying himself on the ground. The girl noticed his eyes falling on her. She smiled as she gave a small wave, which the Transmutant responded with a snort. He scooted away and turned, causing Twilight lose her smile.
'Is he ignoring me?' thought Twilight.
"So how long till we can expect these guys to change back?" asked Rainbow, looking up at Rodan, whose eyes grew heavy. He began to tuck his head close to his chest as he softly breathed.
"Hopefully soon," said Sunset, finding Mosura to be perching herself on Junior's back. Fluttershy began to caress her hand on Junior's head as she sat next to him.
"What are we going to do? Lord only knows where we're at," said Applejack. The teens sat in silence, looking to be filled with worry and sadness. Twilight cleared her throat.
"We'll figure it out. We're in this together. We'll be fine," said Twilight with a reassuring smile.
"Well I hope we can find some food tomorrow," said Sonata, holding her growling stomach.
"Yeah, we didn't have much luck. We'll look further tomorrow morning," said Twilight. She cleared her throat as she drew out a blanket.
"We found some stuff that got pulled into the wormhole with us. Luckily what we found at this time is a bunch of sheets," said Twilight, passing a blanket to Rarity.
"So... We're sleeping out here under the stars?" asked Rainbow as she made her way to Twilight, picking up a couple of blankets.
"If you rather be in the cave, be my guest," said Twilight. Rainbow looked to the cave entrance, finding the dark abyss inside.
"I think I rather be out here with the big guy," said Rainbow, pointing to Junior.
Soon, the teens were all wrapped in sheets and blankets to provide as much comfort to themselves as they could on the forest floor. The cricket chirps filled the air, along with the distant cry of an animal. This only caused some of the girls to stay up. Fluttershy sat up, her expression filled with fear. She looked around the dark woods, as the fire pit seemed to grow a bit dim from what it was earlier. The girl found the others to be sound asleep, or at least seemingly. She found Junior to be sleeping soundly, with Mosura lying on his back.
Fluttershy got up with her sheets and began to make her way over to Junior. She lied her sheets down and lied herself next to his arm. The girl sighed as she snuggled against him, feeling some comfort in this cold, frightening dark night.
It was early morning. Fluttershy found herself snuggled against Junior's arm. She tiredly opened her eyes, finding him still in his beast state. Mosura was seemingly sleeping on his back, still in her insect state as well. Fluttershy looked around, finding the other girls still asleep and the rest of the Transmutants in the same beastly state.
Fluttershy yawned as she stretched. She sluggishly stood up, scratching her neck. How she yearned for a shower. Fluttershy began to walk off from the area, as Junior yawned, stretching his arms. Mosura stirred awake, chirping. She crawled off Junior as he clawed the earth during his stretch. As the Transmutant stirred, his movement and growls woke up everyone else.
"Huh? Wha..." Rainbow shot up in a drowsy state. Applejack yawned as she scratched her back, while Rarity groaned as she sat up, holding her aching back.
"This is no place for a lady to sleep," complained Rarity. Twilight yawned as she sat up.
"Oh. Right," said Twilight as she took in her surroundings. She was hoping that yesterday was just a dream. The girls began to stand up, rolling up their sheets.
"Alright, everything goes in the cave. We're going to figure out the agenda for today," said Twilight. She gasped as she felt herself pushed. She turned around and found Junior's tail grazing on the ground. He grunted as he rolled onto his side, almost like a lazy dog.
"They still haven't changed back?" asked Sunset incredulously.
Later, the girls had gathered around. They were all seated in front of Twilight, who held a stick and drew on the dirt patch in front of them. The Transmutants however were doing their own thing. Junior was lying on the ground, napping. Rodan was perched on top of the rocky formation that made up the cave entrance. He was squawking as he spread his wings, taking in the morning sun. Angirasu was roaming about the area, exploring and grazing his horn against the earth. Mosura merely sat in front of Junior, watching him sleep.
"OK, we're gonna have to not count the others on the agenda since they seem preoccupied," said Twilight, looking to the Transmutants.
"Oh yeah. lard ass gets to laze about while we work," said Aria in annoyance.
"You know, maybe Fluttershy can convince them to help around. Maybe knock some trees down so we can use the lumber," suggested Rainbow. Fluttershy twiddled her fingers.
"I'll do my best. I mean, I barely got Goji to come out of the river yesterday. He's much more stubborn than the others," said Fluttershy.
"What else is new?" asked Applejack.
"Well for now, we have to find food. Whether it be fruit or... animals," said Twilight, glancing at Fluttershy. The rose haired girl grimaced in response.
"Ugh. I'd kill for a taco. Heck, give me a cheeseburger," said Sonata as she held her stomach.
"Ooh! Can I scout for food?" asked Rainbow.
"Alright, just make sure you don't get lost. We'll set up some check marks or something," said Twilight. She then pointed to the cave.
"Next is dumpster diving. I need a couple of volunteers to check the cave for whatever got sucked into the wormhole," said Twilight.
"I'll do that. I'm not getting screwed in digging ditches or whatever," said Adagio, raising her hand. Twilight sighed.
"Alright, Adagio. Anyone else?" asked Twilight.
"I'll help! I bet there's neat stuff in there!" said Pinkie eagerly. Adagio scowled.
"Shit," muttered Adagio.
"Excellent! Fluttershy, can we count on you for babysitting?" asked Twilight. Fluttershy nodded response.
"Alright. Rarity, can you weave baskets?" asked Twilight. Rarity smiled proudly.
"Darling, I am at your service," said Rarity.
"That leaves water," said Twilight.
"I can handle that. I'll just need something to hold it in and a fire," said Applejack with a nod.
"Great!" said Twilight.
"This is starting to sound like that we're gonna be here for a while," said Sonata with a forced smile.
"We just might be," said Sunset, apologetically. Sonata grimaced as her shoulders slumped.
"Alright, let’s get to work ladies!" said Twilight as she began to walk off. However, she yelped as she tripped. She sighed in annoyance as she found herself on the ground, with Junior's end of his tail by her feet.
"Fluttershy, do you think you can convince lazy bones here to be productive?" asked Twilight, standing up. She yelped as she felt her feet swept at by Junior's tail again. She groaned in pain as she sat on her rear.
"Goji!" said Fluttershy in disapproval. Junior merely snorted, looking off to the side. Twilight looked at him incredulously.
"Hey, he's doing that on purpose!" said Twilight, shooting up to her feet.
"No, don't be silly," said Fluttershy. Junior gave a small bark sound. His muzzle bearing what almost looked like a smile. If Twilight didn't know any better, she'd say that was chuckle.
"I'm on to you, pal! I know you have more cognition in that brain than you're letting on!" said Twilight, with her hands on her hips. Junior looked her way, sticking his tongue out. Twilight gasped as her face grew flustered.
"He just- Oh, real mature!" said Twilight.
"Twilight, he's just licking his muzzle," said Applejack. Junior's tongue had curled and began to run along his snout. He bore an innocent look in his eyes.
"Oh that's what he wants you to think! He's just trying to mock me!" said Twilight as she glared at Junior.
"I didn't take you for being paranoid," said Aria with an amused look.
"Paran- Look at him! He's clearly smiling!" said Twilight, pointing at Junior. The Transmutant merely grunted as he grazed his head on the dirt and rolled onto his side. The girls merely stared at Twilight, who groaned in annoyance. She looked to Junior and leaned close.
"Jerk," whispered Twilight as she walked off. Junior narrowed his eyes as the girl passed. He raised his hand and brought it near her back. He then flicked his finger against her back, causing her to yelp as she was pushed forward. Twilight held her back and glared at him.
"Hey! I know you saw that!" said Twilight, turning to the girls.
"Well..." Sunset looked to Junior, who narrowed his eyes at her. Sunset chuckled nervously.
"We should get started on our chores!" said Sunset, quickly standing up.
"But... He clearly just flicked her," whispered Pinkie.
"Yeah, but I rather not get on his bad side in that state." Sunset whispered back. Twilight slumped her shoulders as the teens didn't say anything, just out of nervousness at Junior's reptilian evil eye,though Adagio and Aria were personally getting amused at this. Twilight turned and looked at Junior in annoyance, who furrowed his brows at her.
Angirasu grunted as he began to force his way against the crowd of trees in his path. He groaned as he used his immense strength to knock them over. The trees creaked and crumbled as they collapsed onto the earth. He grunted as he began to clear away more trees, creating a more open path to the river. Meanwhile, Rodan was picking up the broken down trees with his beak and began to carry them back to the camp.
Rarity hummed to herself as she took fiber that she had gathered. She began to tie them with some stick, weaving them for practical use. She may not have been making dresses, but she at least had the artistic knowledge and skill to take whatever she can find and to create. Rarity found Applejack jogging over, carrying a log.
"What are you going to do with that?" asked Rarity.
"Well, unless we can find pots or something, we're going to be boiling water from logs that we hollow out," said Applejack. Rarity raised a brow.
"How so? Wood burns," said Rarity.
"We'll heat up some rocks and toss 'em in the water. That should clean it right up," answered Applejack. Rarity smiled as she held up a newly weaved basket.
"Perhaps you can make use of this," said Rarity.
"Perfect!" said Applejack, taking the basket.
Meanwhile, Adagio was inside of the cave with Pinkie. The two were sifting through the floor of the cave in the darkness. Though Adagio held her phone up and began to use the light on it to help them see in the darkness. She grimaced as she found the 'X' marked over her cell phone signal. They really must have been a long way from home, let alone civilization.
"Found anything?" asked Adagio.
"Just a bunch of broken bottles. That's dangerous," said Pinkie. She then glanced at Adagio.
"Are you sure you want to use your cell phone right now?" asked Pinkie.
"Meh. I can't get a signal. It's only good for light right now," said Adagio, sifting through the junk that was pulled in with them. She smiled as she picked up a top.
"Mm. This is kinda cute. Ugh. It's not my size though," said Adagio, tossing the top to the side. Pinkie grinned as she picked up a hatchet from the ground.
"Neat! This could be great for collecting firewood!" said Pinkie, placing the hatchet next to the top that was tossed.
"Maybe we'll get lucky and find some snacks," said Pinkie, optimistically.
"A protein bar sounds good right about now," sighed Adagio as she began to search deeper in the cave. It was hard to make out what exactly was pulled in with them due to the darkness and the bits of concrete and debris in the way. But she knew that there was a lot of stuff here. The question was how much of it was useful.
"Oh!" Adagio knelt down, drawing up a fishing rod kit. It was a long, rectangular container that bore a logo of a fish biting a hook.
"This might come in handy," said Adagio, looking over the metallic container. Pinkie squealed in delight.
"I found snacks!" cried Pinkie, shooting up to her feet, with bags of chips, protein bars, and some chocolate in her arms.
"This is turning out better than I thought," said Adagio, her tone lighting up a bit.
Later...
Junior snored as he lied on his belly. His back rose and descended as he took each breath. Mosura was sitting in front of him, almost with great patience. She just stared with her insect eyes, not moving. This was kind of creeping Fluttershy out, if she were to be honest. Never has she seen anyone or any creature so fixated as she was. She was pretty sure that the moth had yet to move from this spot.
"Mosura, do you think..." Fluttershy spoke but fell silent as the moth looked her way. She questioned what was going to be her next few words. She awkwardly cleared her throat.
"Never mind," said Fluttershy in a small tone. The moth merely chirped and turned back to Junior. Fluttershy just sat on the grass and watched. It began to bother her when she recalled Junior seemingly pushing Twilight around. At first she dismissed it as an accident and just his tail having a mind of its own. However, he proved that he seemed to almost be bullying her. That didn't seem like him. Granted, Junior tended to sometimes tease others, especially Twilight. But something was off.
"Could you still be mad?" said Fluttershy, to herself.
"Lookie here~!" called Adagio. Fluttershy turned, finding Pinkie and Adagio to be emerging from the cave, carrying some items. One of them being a long metallic container. The two approached Twilight and Sunset, who were putting together primitive tools.
"We found snacks and a fishing kit!" said Pinkie. Adagio even held out the top that she found.
"Oh and this too. You want it? My glorious chest is just too much for it," said Adagio, winking at Sunset Shimmer. The red haired girl rolled her eyes in annoyance.
"Good job you two. That kit may come in handy," said Sunset. She turned to find Rainbow Dash to be jogging over. In her arms was a large fruit. It was oblong in shape, almost like an egg, but bore a stem on the top. It was bright pink in color.
"Hey, I found this huge tree carrying this fruit. I've never seen anything like it!" said Rainbow, setting the fruit down. The teens all began to gather around it, curious expressions on their faces.
"Strange. I'm pretty sure you just discovered a new kind of fruit," said Twilight in fascination.
"Cool! Does that mean I get to be famous when we get home? I bet we could make a fortune off this!" said Rainbow with a grin. Pinkie licked her lips as she eyed the bright, luscious fruit. Oh how it teased.
"It looks delicious," said Pinkie, her mouth watering.
"Hold on, ya'll. We don't know anything about this thing. It could be poisonous," said Applejack. Pinkie groaned.
"But it looks so good though," whined Pinkie.
"For now, let's put it aside. I wanna make use of this," said Sunset, taking the fishing kit from Adagio.
"Come on, I'll teach you how to fish," said Sunset, walking off.
"Wait, me?" asked Adagio incredulously.
"Yeah. It's a good idea to teach each other any skills that we know. It'll make things easier," said Sunset as she walked off, passing Rodan as he carried branches with his beak. Adagio moaned in response, sluggishly following the red haired girl. Meanwhile, Rodan sat the debris next to the cave, squawking as he moved them around.
"Rodan and Aang are being pretty handy, huh?" said Applejack. Her eyes then widened as Rodan took the debris with his clawed feet and flew up to the air. He perched himself on top of the rocky formation above the cave.
"Hey! That's supposed to be for the whole group! Not for your stupid nest!" said Rainbow in annoyance. Rodan ignored her and merely began to set his debris around. Applejack sighed heavily as she slumped her shoulders.
"So what are Aria and Sonata up to?" asked Rainbow.
"They're supposed to be exploring the area a bit. I hope they haven't gotten lost," said Twilight, looking around.
"Ah it shouldn't be hard to find us. I mean Aang's clearing out the trees. That's bound to get their attention," said Rainbow dismissively.
"I don't like that tone of yours," said Twilight in disapproval. Rainbow shrugged defensively.
"What? Come on, those three are such pains in the butt! I'm glad to be separated from them," said Rainbow with a scoff.
"Rainbow Dash, we shouldn't fight. We need to stick together if we want to ever make it home," said Fluttershy.
"Huh. Yeah. Because Fussy the Hussy is sooooo useful." Rainbow rolled her eyes.
"Rainbow Dash!" said Applejack in disapproval.
"We were all thinking it!" said Rainbow in annoyance. Junior suddenly growled as he opened his eyes. His brows furrowed as he looked to the humans in annoyance.
"Oh go back to sleep!" said Rainbow.
"He can't if you're too loud," deadpanned Rarity.
"He needs to be getting up anyway. Everyone has to pitch in," said Applejack, making her way over to Junior. The Transmutant eyed her as the blonde stood by him, her hands on her hips.
"Mister, you best get off your lazy tail and knock those trees down," said Applejack, pointing at the trees surrounding the area. Junior merely grunted as he scooted over, moving his head away.
"Now I know you understand me, Gojira!" said Applejack.
"Applejack, m-maybe you should-" Fluttershy interjected, but AJ held out a hand to her.
"Nah, I got this. You ain't the only one who knows how to get a varmint to listen," said Applejack. Fluttershy slumped her shoulders as the blonde made her way to the other side to Junior's line of sight. The girls and Mosura just watched.
"Partner, you best get a move on. Lest you regret it!" said Applejack.
"Applejack, I don't think it's wise to threaten him," said Rarity anxiously as Junior furrowed his brows.
"Yeah I'm with Rarity. He's always been temperamental," said Rainbow with a nod. Pinkie gulped nervously.
"He looks pretty mad."
"He's not going to respond well with threats. He's the Alpha male," said Fluttershy.
"Alpha- He's not a- That's-" Applejack grunted in annoyance as she grew flustered. She turned to Junior with a glare. This stare down only annoyed Junior further. This small mammal dared to challenge his supremacy. He knew better than to let this slide. Otherwise, the others may think he's gone soft and may try to take him down for dominance.
Junior growled as he slammed his paws onto the earth. The teens and Mosura backed away as Junior stood up to his feet, standing upright. He growled as he glared at Applejack, stomping on the ground.
"Oh boy," said Twilight nervously.
"Applejack, he thinks you're challenging him!" cried Fluttershy.
"Well maybe I am!" said Applejack, standing her ground. Junior snarled as he bared his teeth.
"AJ, you're just pissing him off!" said Rainbow.
"Well I'm mighty ticked off too!" said Applejack, rolling up her sleeve. Junior's snarling had drawn the attention of Rodan and Angirasu. Rodan looked down from his perch, hunching as he watched the two stare each other down. Angirasu grunted as he stepped to the side to get a better view, while maintaining his distance. Instinct told him to not get in the middle of this confrontation. Mosura looked back and forth at Applejack and Junior.
"Applejack, stop making eye contact! Get on the ground and kneel! Or something not threatening!" said Fluttershy urgently.
"Why should I?" asked Applejack.
"Because if you don't, he might kill you to assert his dominance!" said Fluttershy. Applejack scoffed.
"That is classic, Gojira! You just hurt people that you don't like! Well go for it, tough guy!" shouted Applejack, throwing her arms out.
"Darling, are you out of your mind?!" exclaimed Rarity.
"AJ, this isn't funny!" said Twilight.
"I ain't trying to be funny! Do it, lizard boy! I know you want to!" cried Applejack. Fluttershy swore that she heard a crack in Applejack's voice. She couldn't see the blonde's face, what with her and the others being behind her. But there was no mistaking that there was a change in tone of her voice. All of this was getting out of hand. Junior looked ready to crush Applejack just so he can keep his status as the biggest and meanest creature around.
Fluttershy was about to intervene but Mosura had quickly got between Applejack and Junior. She flared her wings at Junior, chirping. Junior growled as his eyes fell on the bright orange, red, white and black patterns on the great wings of hers. But his eyes fell on the red eye-like patterns that were resting near the tip of the moth's wings. Mosura chirped as her wing's bore a soft blue bio-luminescent light. Junior grunted as his expression relaxed, though his brows were still furrowed.
Mosura suddenly turned to face Applejack. She flared her wings, which bore a red tint from the glow. She gave a loud cry at AJ, who stumbled back with a start. Mosura stepped forward, raising her shorter fore limbs as if ready to attack. The girls cried out in fright as they backed away from Mosura, who began to scare them off.
"What's with her?!" exclaimed Rainbow. Mosura hissed as she kept her wings flared. The way her eyes were structured almost gave them a permanent narrow glare appearance, adding to her intimidating yet beautiful appearance. Angirasu and Rodan merely watched from a distance.
Mosura's fuzz and antennae began to settle from their erected state, as the bio luminescent glow died down from her wings. In her mind, she had just spared the blonde of her foolishness of challenging the Alpha. Her Alpha. Mosura was driven by instinct to support this larger predator, even going as far as keeping him from just outright crushing the aggressive mammal. However, somewhere deep in Mosura's mind were memories. They were a blur, but she felt a more emotional connection to her Alpha, even being able to sense the root of tension. She couldn't quite comprehend it in her primitive state, but she had a feeling that she had to stop the conflict without challenging her Alpha.
Fluttershy panted as her heart raced. Things had escalated quite quickly to the point that she and the rest found themselves backed up to near the cave. She found Mosura beginning to relax. However, she took notice of Junior looking down at them with a hard expression. The Transmutant turned and began to walk off. Angirasu stepped to the side, allowing Junior to pass through the trees.
"Ugh. My freakin' heart!" Rainbow dropped to the ground on her rear, holding her chest.
"That was close. I thought we were going to be pancakes! But not as sweet!" said Pinkie in relief.
"Just... What was that?" asked Rarity as Mosura began to walk off. Fluttershy looked to Applejack, who stood silently, with her back facing them.
"Applejack?" called Fluttershy. The blonde didn't respond. Instead, she began to walk off.
"Hey, Applejack? Where are you going?" called Twilight.
"Anywhere but here," said Applejack. The girls fell silent, watching as the blonde walked off. Twilight deeply frowned.
"So it's not my imagination," said Twilight to herself.
Sunset took a deep breath through her nostrils. Her lungs took in the fresh noon air. She sighed as she looked to the pool of water that the river led to. Around the area were tall trees. The sun glistened over the crystal blue waters. Beyond the pool, the water ran down a fall that was twenty feet. However, the fall only existed due to the excess water flowing through the pond, going over the edge. Rocks littered the area as did boulders that were submerged in the pool.
"It's glorious out here!" said Sunset, admiring the scenery. She took notice of Adagio, who was standing several feet away. An anxious look was on her face.
"What's your problem?" asked Sunset in confusion.
"N-Nothing," said Adagio. Sunset shrugged.
"Well, come over here. We have food to catch," said Sunset, stepping to the sand. Adagio eyed the pool warily as she followed. She gasped in fright as she saw something splash beneath the river that led into the pool.
"Come on!" called Sunset. Adagio moaned as she began to join Sunset's side, who was putting the fishing rod together.
"So uh... how deep do you think this is?" asked Adagio.
"Not sure. If Gojira can submerge half his body in the river, i say its deep," said Sunset. She noticed the pale look on the pop star's face.
"Wait, are you afraid of the water?" asked Sunset. Adagio glared at her.
"No! I-it's just that..." Adagio gulped as she eyed the water.
"I rather be dry," said Adagio.
"Bull crap," said Sunset. Adagio glared at her.
"Shut up! If we were intended to be in the water, we'd have gills instead of lungs!" said Adagio defensively. Sunset raised a brow as she cocked her head.
"What is it that has you so nervous? We're just fishing," said Sunset.
"We don't know what's down there!" There might be sharks! Or maybe crocodiles! Or maybe those fish that swim up your junk!" said Adagio, holding her hand over her crotch as she thought of whatever horrors lurked beneath the water.
"OK, first of all there's no sharks here. There is a fresh water river running into this pool. Second, crocodiles or anything similar is a possibility but this area doesn't seem suitable for them. They tend live near murky water. And third, gross," deadpanned Sunset.
"Look, I almost drowned in a pool once because of a cramp and I've been scared to be near deep water, alright?!" Adagio cried, her cheeks crimson with shame and embarrassment. Sunset sighed.
"You can swim, right?" asked Sunset.
"Yeah..." Adagio answered timidly.
"Then you have nothing to worry about." Sunset began to remove her boots and socks from her feet. Adagio raised a brow.
"What are you doing?" asked Adagio.
"Take off your shoes and tights. I'm gonna help you get over your fear of the water," said Sunset.
"You know I'll have to remove my romper to get my tights off, right?" Asked Adagio.
"Oh what? Now you're shy?" asked Sunset with a smirk.
"Oh my, Sunny. I never knew you could be so forward!" said Adagio, putting on seductive look. Sunset grunted in annoyance.
"I wasn't- Just shut up and get in the water!" said Sunset. She began to stomp through the sand and stepped into the water. She gasped as she felt the chill on her soles, rising up to shins.
"Oh God, that's freezing!" said Sunset, having stiffened in posture. She turned and found Adagio adjusting the top part of her romper, her boots and tights lying to the side. Her bare legs grew goosebumps from the breeze that passed over the water.
Adagio grimaced as she stepped into the water. She gave a sharp gasp as she felt the chill run through her body. She stiffly made her way to Sunset.
"See? It's not so bad," said Sunset with a smile.
"Only because it’s up to our knees," deadpanned Adagio.
"Well if you want, we can move further out. It is pretty hot today," said Sunset.
"Absolutely not! Let's just do what we came for!" said Adagio frantically. Sunset sighed as she took the fishing rod.
"Alright. Look, i can see some fish near the surface. We just catch a couple and we can go back," whispered Sunset, pointing to the deeper center of the pool.
"Why are you whispering?" asked Adagio.
"Fish can feel the vibrations. We don't want to spook them. My dad used to take me fishing," said Sunset.
"But I don't know how to fish," whispered Adagio with a shrug. Sunset sighed in annoyance.
"That's why we're here. Watch me. You put bait on the hook." Sunset drew out a worm and began to pierce it through the hook. Adagio gagged in disgust.
"You keep your feet planted, you real back and..." Sunset reared the rod back and sent it forward. The hook went flying to the center of the pool, the float buoy on the fishing line floated in the water.
"And.... we wait," said Sunset. The two girls stood in the cold water silently. The breeze and the call of birds and monkeys were all that were heard.
"So... this is what we do all day? We stand and wait?" asked Adagio.
"Yep," replied Sunset. Adagio moaned as she slumped her head.
"This is so boring," whined Adagio.
"Boring? Adagio, it's a lovely day. There's fresh air, the water's glistening, the birds are chirping-"
"If I were an old man, I'm sure I'd have a great time. My legs are freezing," said Adagio as she crossed her arms, shifting in place. She grimaced as she felt the mud getting between her toes.
"Adagio this is nature. Our ancestors use to live like this," said Sunset.
"Yeah and it was terrible!" said Adagio, raising her voice. Sunset shushed her. Adagio sighed in annoyance. To think that they all had to live out here in the hot sun and the cold night for God knows how long. Already Adagio was getting anxious just thinking about it. Sunset gasped as she felt a tug at the fishing pole.
"Hey I got one!" said Sunset, excitedly. Adagio quickly turned her attention to the buoy, which had disappeared beneath the surface. That was surprisingly quick, considering that she may have scared off some fish herself. She found Sunset grunting as she began to tug back on the poll, while reeling the catch it. Adagio couldn't help but watch, finding herself mildly entertained. Mainly since Sunset looked to be struggling.
"Man, it's a big one!" said Sunset, grunting as she felt herself stumble forward.
"Do you need help?" asked Adagio, finding Sunset stumbling and pull back.
"No. No I got- AH!" Sunset yelped as she stumbled further. Her foot knocked against an underwater rock, causing her to fall forward under water. Adagio snickered as the girl went under.
"You're right Sunny, this is fun!" said Adagio.
Underwater, Sunset grunted as she lost her grip on the fishing rod. Her vision was fuzzy under the water, but saw a large fish to be swimming away with the pole in tow. Sunset mentally groaned in annoyance. She was about to resurface but took notice of something moving across the mud. She squinted, trying to get a better look. What she saw was a horseshoe shaped object, scurrying across the sand. Sunset's eyes widened, finding the brown carapace of the object, along with a couple of more appearing with it.
Sunset shot up from the water, gasping for air. She panted as she stepped back, a look of shock on her face.
"Where's the fishing pole?" asked Adagio incredulously.
"I uh... I lost it," said Sunset, absent minded. Adagio groaned in annoyance.
"Are you kidding?! We needed that to catch food!" complained Adagio. Sunset remained silent, looking down at the water. Adagio was expecting for the girl to argue back with her, but was not greeted with so much of a glance.
"What's wrong?" asked Adagio.
"I... I saw something. No, I must have been seeing things. That's impossible," said Sunset with a chuckle.
"What? Saw what?" asked Adagio.
"Forget it. Come on, let's find that pole. It's caught to a fish," said Sunset as she began to wade through the water. Adagio grimaced as she looked to the water.
"Adagio come on. I promise you won't drown. And if you do, I'll save you," said Sunset with a reassuring smile. Adagio took a breath, stepping deeper into the water.
Fluttershy was sifting through the pile of junk inside of the dark cave by the camp. Pinkie was sifting through as well, appearing a bit gloomy from her usual happy hyperactive self. She couldn't blame her. What had happened earlier between Junior and Applejack was nothing to be upbeat about. Fluttershy couldn't stop thinking about it. For whatever reason, Junior seemed to be extra aggressive with the others. He seemed to get along with herself and the other Transmutants just fine. However, the way he was behaving around Twilight and Applejack was off.
"Do you think Goji hates us?" asked Pinkie. Fluttershy jumped, startled out of her own thoughts. She found Pinkie looking down at the ground sadly.
"No, why would you think that?" asked Fluttershy.
"Well... He still hasn't forgiven us for what happened," said Pinkie in a small tone. Fluttershy looked to the side, fully understanding what the girl had meant.
"That's probably why he's been so mean to Twilight and Applejack today," said Pinkie. The more she thought of the day that they had a falling out with Junior, the sadder it made her feel.
Pinkie Pie prided herself in making others smile. Even the gloomiest person with the deepest frown was no match for her warmth. But with Junior, she did the unthinkable. The thing that she never thought she was capable of.
"I hurt him, Fluttershy. He was looking to me to stick up for him. But... I didn't," sniffled Pinkie. Fluttershy made her way over to her friend and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Why should he be nice to us? We weren't there when he needed us," said Pinkie, as she wept. Fluttershy held her close.
"Well... he's just..." Fluttershy paused. She wasn't sure if she could give an excuse. Really, there wasn't any that she could think of. She wondered if in that beastly state, Junior's mind almost reset. Like reverting to a point that he saw them as strangers. After all, he barely recognized her the first time. Yet she heard from Amber that he has some memories as a human. Fluttershy thought that maybe he was only remembering the bad stuff with Twilight and Applejack. She couldn't prove it, but it offered a reason why he's the way he is right now.
"Give him time. I'm sure he will forgive you," said Fluttershy. She pulled away from Pinkie, who wiped her eyes. Fluttershy had a reassuring smile.
"Just keep being the way you are. Be a friend," said Fluttershy. Pinkie sniffled she nodded. A smile grew on her face.
"Yeah, you're right! Hey, I should give him something for when he changes back. He likes this kind of soda, right?" asked Pinkie, holding up a Dr. Pepper can. Fluttershy nodded with a smile.
"Ooh! He's gonna need clothes or he'll be bare buck naked! I bet he'll appreciate these shorts! Oh shoot, the others will need clothes too!" said Pinkie, digging through the pile.
"Oh Pinkie," Fluttershy smiled. And just like that, this hyperactive girl bounced back.
The air blew through the tall grass. Aria sighed as she wiped her sweating brow. She grimaced at the sight she beheld.
Beyond her was a forest that spanned for miles, as a river ran through it. No sign of human civilization anywhere. All there was were the cries of birds and some other animals.
"There's no way in hell that we'll be found here," said Aria. If only she knew where "here" was exactly. Aria turned to find Sonata to be sitting against a tree, holding her knees close to herself. A sad expression was on her face.
"How're you holding up, sis?" asked Aria. Sonata didn't answer. Aria sighed as she took a seat next to her little sister.
"Hey we're gonna be fine. As long as we're together, right?" asked Aria. Sonata still said nothing.
"This is about Angirasu, isn't it? Figures that your mind would be on boys at a time like this," said Aria with a small chuckle.
"I don't know what to say to him," said Sonata in a small tone. Aria sighed.
"What happened, Sonata?" asked Aria.
"He found out that I was using my powers on him. He got mad and..." Sonata paused.
"Sonata, I warned you about that," said Aria.
"But I just-" Sonata turned with a defensive look.
"Shut up for a second! I warned you and Adagio that there'd be consequences if you kept doing that! Angirasu has every right to be angry at you!" said Aria with a glare. Sonata stared, her lips quivering and her eyes tearing up. Aria groaned as she turned away.
"Come on. There's nothing out here. Let's go back," said Aria as she stood up. She and Sonata began their journey back to camp.
"What should I do?" asked Sonata.
"Look, you fucked up. Own up to it," said Aria.
"Do you think he'll forgive me?" asked Sonata.
"The hell if I know! At least you'll have apologized," said Aria. She wasn't going to get her sister's hopes up. All she could do was steer her in the right direction. It was up to Aang to decide what to do. This was a learning experience for Sonata. As the girls walked on, they failed to take notice of Applejack.
Applejack was sitting alone under a tree. Her eyes were downcast to the ground as she lied slumped to the tree. The blonde gave a heavy sigh as she brought her Stetson over her eyes to shield her face from the sunlight.
Later that noon, Sunset and Adagio were wading through the pool that the river ran through. They had spent the next several minutes in search of the fish that had swam away with the fishing rod. Their search had been fruitless.
"Ugh. Where's that damn fish? I don't want to be swimming in here with these things," said Adagio.
"It's huge. You can't miss it," said Sunset as she began to look further around the pool.
Meanwhile beneath the surface of the water, the fish had begun to disperse as the humans waded through their home. They hid among the underwater plants that flowed and in between the rocks in the sand. However, they were not hiding from them. From beneath the sand, a figure emerged. Its eyes caught sight of the movement in the water, near the deepest parts of the pool. Its sight had locked on to one of them as it came closer. This one was much more luscious compared to the other, likely to carry much more meat.
The figure began to swim, keeping low to the ground as the human remained unsuspecting. It swam closer and closer, its limbs brushing over the sand as it passed. It could feel the muffled voices from the water. It was growing closer by the second.
"Ah! Something touched me!" cried Adagio in fright.
"It's probably just a fish," said Sunset in annoyance.
"No way! It felt hard! And no that's not a euphemism!" said Adagio. She frantically began to swim back to land.
"Forget this! I'm not staying in here!" said Adagio as she kicked her legs to propel herself forward. Sunset sighed in annoyance.
"Fine, I'll find it my-" Sunset went silent as Adagio yelped as she suddenly went under the water.
"Adagio?" called Sunset. She grew concerned as the girl seemed to be under for a bit too long.
"Adagio?" called Sunset, making her way to where the girl was. Adagio suddenly shot up out of the water, screaming. She was swimming to the surface but looked like she kept getting pulled under.
"Adagio!" cried Sunset, quickly rushing from her end of the pool to the pop star's. Adagio found herself near the shallow end of the water, crying out in pain. She fell under, quickly turning to rise back up. However, a large figure dove towards her. Adagio gave muffled screams as she caught two long appendages as a pair of pincers snapped near her head. Adagio shot up from the water, catching air but still screamed.
Sunset's eyes widened in shock once she spotted what had Adagio screaming. An arthropod creature with long appendages near the front, a pair of pincers for its mouth, and smaller limbs at its sides was latched onto the girl. Its scorpion-like tail thrashed, attempting to reach her, but it was too short and its bend was limited.
"GET THIS THING OFF OF ME!!" Adagio screamed at the top of her lungs. Sunset grunted as she pushed through the water. She raised her hand to fire a magic bolt but stopped, in fear of hitting Adagio on accident.
"I'm coming!" cried Sunset, still rushing. Adagio found herself falling onto her back in the mud as the creature attempted to reach her. It gave shrieks as its pincers snapped. Adagio screamed as she attempted to push the creature, which was the size of a large dog and twice as strong. The barbs on its longest appendages dug into her skin, causing her to bleed.
Suddenly, a figure grabbed the creature by the tail. It was yanked off of Adagio and was slammed to the ground. Adagio whimpered as she turned, finding that it was Angirasu Riku. He stood in his human form, naked. He grunted as he slammed the creature multiple times on the ground. Angirasu raised his foot and then stomped on the arthropod, crushing its head in. The creature began to twitch as it lied on the ground. The boy panted, stepping away from the creature. He turned his head and found Sunset kneeling next to a sobbing Adagio.
"Thank you!" cried Adagio with a sniffle.
"Maybe next time, use spears to go fishing," said Angirasu. He cleared his throat as he began to make his way to a bush with a blush.
"You think maybe Rarity can make us some clothes? Mosura's freaking out," said Angirasu with an embarrassed smile.
"I'm freaking out!" cried Mosura. She was crouching behind bushes, her face red hot from blushing. She was back in her human form.
"It's alright! We'll get you something to cover yourself!" said Twilight as she looked around. She then gasped as she ran over to a rock, where the top Adagio found lied.
"Here, you can at least use this for now!" said Twilight as she tossed the shirt.
"Twilight this isn't enough! What if the guys see me like this?!" cried Mosura.
"They're not even here! Gojira went off somewhere earlier, Angirasu was clearing the trees and Rodan's in his nest!" said Twilight, pointing to the nest on top of the cave. Rodan was peering over in shock.
"How the fuck did I get up here?!" exclaimed Rodan.
"Fret not, darling! I've just put together a skirt for you!" Rarity came running to the bush. She held up a skirt made up of plant fiber. Mosura quickly took the skirt and frantically began to put it on.
"Do you have anything for the boys? If my hunch is right, I’d say the rest changed back," said Twilight.
"Indeed i do. I have fiber skirts for all of them!" said Rarity, gesturing to three more skirts.
"Hey can anyone pass me mine?" called Rodan. Twilight began to levitate one of the fiber skirts up to Rodan. He took the skirt and began to place it on. Her found that fiber from plants made up the band in the waist, allowing him to tighten it up.
Meanwhile, Sonata and Aria had just arrived to the area. The two bore confused looks on their faces.
"What's with the yelling?" asked Aria. Rodan had begun to climb down from the nest, dropping down to the ground with a grunt.
"Oh you're back! What did you find?" asked Twilight. Aria scoffed.
"Nothing. Just more forest. We're screwed," said Aria.
"Wait, wait. I'm way out of the loop. What's going on?" asked Mosura.
"We'll fill you in soon. Right now we should regroup. Rainbow, can you see if you can find Gojira and Applejack?" asked Twilight. Rainbow nodded as she was about to take off running.
"Wait! He's gonna need these!" said Pinkie as she ran to Rainbow, holding out a pair of gym shorts. Rainbow took the shorts but felt a tremble.
"Whoa. You feel that?" asked Rainbow. The rest of the teens felt tremors. A low bellow filled the air. The teens gasped in shock as they found the source of these sounds. Among the trees, a great beast stood. It stood on four powerful legs, with bright scales on its body. It bore a powerful gut and loins, along with the large limbs and tail that were attached it. Its long serpent-like neck stood tall and proud, as long spines stuck out from its nape of its neck down near the base. Its nostrils sat upon its crest on its head. A flap of skin ran down its neck, much like a lizards. There was no mistaking what the teens saw.
"What the fuck?" said Aria. The teens stared upon this behemoth in awe. It gave a low call as it stomped on the ground, leaving imprints in the ground. The creature bore a majestic aurora, what with its great size yet almost gentle calls.
"I-I can't believe what I'm seeing," said Twilight breathlessly. The creature gave a cry as it began to feed upon the leaves on the nearest tree.
"We definitely are a long way from home," said Mosura.
Junior found himself sitting in the grass, by a tree and bush. He was overlooking the river that ran through this strange forest that he was in. He had vague memories of what had last happened. All he recalled was being pummeled by two humanoid mutations. But he also had faint memories of himself in his beastly state, even going to sleep and awakening in the same state the next day. That has never happened before. The fact that it did concerned Junior. He feared the possibility of changing and not being able to change back to normal, though that may be him being paranoid.
Still, there were bigger problems for Junior. He knew he wasn't alone here, though he wasn't sure where the others could possibly be. But he did know one thing. He was absolutely naked. The boy sighed in annoyance as he kept his knees up to conceal himself from the front, while relying on the bush and tree to cover his back.
"Gojira! Yo, where are you?!" called Rainbow. Junior sighed in relief.
"Oh thank God," said Junior. He turned and leaned to the side, finding Rainbow to be walking through the area, covering her eyes.
"I'm right here! Behind this bush!" called Junior, waving his hand. Rainbow removed her hand and found the boy's hand waving to her.
"Cool, you changed back," said Rainbow, making her way to Junior's position.
"Obviously," said Junior. Rainbow cleared her throat with a look of discomfort. She held out the gym shorts as she looked away.
"Pinkie Pie found these for you. She thought you'd appreciate it," said Rainbow. Junior reached over and took the shorts.
"Awesome," said Junior, placing on the shorts. He sighed as he stood up from behind the bush. How fortunate that these were a decent fit. Though he would've liked underwear. But beggars couldn't be choosers. Junior took notice of Rainbow staring at him.
"What?" asked Junior with a raised brow. Rainbow shook her head.
"Uh n-nothing. I just didn't know you were so ripped," said Rainbow awkwardly.
"Are you admiring my muscles or is it something you like?" asked Junior with a smirk. Rainbow scoffed in embarrassment.
"Shut up! Jeez, you better not start turning into Adagio," said Rainbow.
"Well then don't stare at me like that," said Junior with a chuckle as he stepped away from the bush.
"Where are the others?" asked Junior.
"Back at the camp. We've been trying to figure out where we are and then some. Oh shoot, dude you'll never guess what we saw," said Rainbow, turning to Junior with a grin.
"What?" asked Junior.
"We saw a freaking dinosaur! A real live one!" said Rainbow. Junior snorted as he walked ahead.
"Very funny," said Junior.
"Dude, I'm not kidding! We all saw it! It was huge! It was one of those long neck ones. What are they called again? Brontosaurus or something?" asked Rainbow.
"Rainbow, I'm not easily duped," said Junior as he stepped ahead. He then stopped as he nearly bumped into Applejack, who was walking from his left. The girl seemed to have stiffened and took a step back. Junior looked at her with a raised brow. As he looked at her, Junior had a brief flood of memories. He cleared his throat as he looked to the side.
'Did I really do all of that?' thought Junior.
"AJ, there you are!" said Rainbow, rejoining Junior's side. She noticed the awkwardness that seemed to form between AJ and Junior. Rainbow cleared her throat.
"Well... I'm gonna go back to the camp. See you later!" said Rainbow, zipping away from the area in a flash of light.
Junior and Applejack stood by in awkward silence. Junior scratched his head as he glanced at the blonde, who seemed to be looking down at the ground, her arms crossed over her chest. A grimace was on her face.
'What should I say? Do I apologize?' thought Junior. The boy felt that he should say something, even if it wasn't really related to what had happened. But he wondered if that would even be enough. After all, he was threatening to stomp on her when he was that animal, though something that Applejack said to him nagged at him.
'You hurt people that you don't like'. Those general words stuck with him. It wasn't necessarily wrong. After all, people that he hurt were not to his liking, though they were usually people who provoked him into a fight. But Applejack seemed to have been referring to something else. Did she mean emotionally? No, that couldn't be it. Applejack wasn't one to be that way. She was made of sterner stuff. At least, that's how Junior felt.
"Um... Applejack. I uh..." Junior began to speak but Applejack quickly looked up from the ground.
"Hey, are ya feelin' alright? I mean, you and the others had changed for quite a while," said Applejack. Her tone had shifted to sounding almost distant.
"Yeah..." answered Junior.
"Good. Good. Let's get goin'," said Applejack, turning to walk off. Junior watched the girl walk on ahead, but noticed a hand on her arm. It looked to be shaking.
"AJ?" Junior looked on, feeling a knot in his stomach. He sighed.
"I guess some things never change," said Junior to himself.
Later that evening...
The sun had set below the mountains in the land. The sky had began to darken as the stars became visible in the sky. Some animal cries began to die down. The Main 7, The Dazzlings, and Transmutants were all gathered around the fire pit. Junior was holding Fluttershy's phone and stared at the screen. He bore a shocked look. On the screen was a photo depicting a sauropod dinosaur. If he had to dig up his general knowledge of the creatures from his childhood, he'd say it looked specifically like a Brachiosaurus.
"Holy shit. You weren't kidding," said Junior, handing Fluttershy back her phone.
"You should've seen it, Goji! It was beautiful! It's like seeing... I can't describe it! Think of seeing a whale for the first time up close," said Fluttershy.
"Have you ever seen a whale?" asked Junior with a raised brow.
"No, but I imagine that's how it'd feel to see this creature," said Fluttershy with a smile.
"Dude, it was the third greatest thing that could have ever happened to me in my life," said Rodan.
"What's the first two?" asked Sonata.
"Being on a beach with hot women playing volleyball and having a girlfriend," deadpanned Junior. Sonata looked at him in confusion.
"What you think I'd just make that up?" asked Junior in annoyance.
"That's not the only weird thing around here," said Sunset, drawing up her phone and showed a picture of the arthropod that attacked Adagio.
"Whoa! The heck is that?!" exclaimed Pinkie.
"Hey, that looks like a Megalograptus! Commonly known as a sea scorpion! But those things have been extinct for millions of years!" said Twilight in shock.
"So are dinosaurs," said Aria. The teens all began to look to each other, all bearing grimaces.
"You don't think..." Rarity turned to Twilight.
"I mean... What other possibility is there?" asked Twilight.
"OK. You said that you opened up a wormhole with your combined magic that sucked us in. Not only did it send us somewhere we don't even know where, but it sent us back in time?!" asked Junior incredulously.
"Seems that way..." said Twilight with a nervous titter. Junior groaned as he rubbed his face.
"But something's still not right! Brachiosaurus and Megalograptus lived in separate time periods! How can they be living together in the same time?" asked Sunset in confusion.
"Not to mention the monkeys. I thought lower mammals were supposed to be in this time period," said Junior.
"Maybe the fossil record isn't what it seems," said Rodan with a shrug.
"Maybe. But that leaves the question, what the hell are we going to do? If we're in another time period, it doesn't matter how long we wait or where we go. We're not gonna run into any humans," said Aria.
"Well for now, we need to get organized and make sure we're planted somewhere safe. I think that we can maybe figure a way out back home. If what we did sent us here, maybe it can send us back," said Twilight.
"But what if it sends us further back? Or hell, to a distant future?" asked Aria in annoyance.
"What other choice do we have?" asked Sunset.
"I think the real question is, can we get back? Can we even recreate the process that got us here in the first place" asked Angirasu. There was an uncomfortable silence.
"Yeah, of course," said Twilight. However, Junior caught a hint of uncertainty in her tone. Angirasu merely sat back with a sigh.
"If we're going to settle down for a bit, I don't think it should be here," said Mosura, raising her hand. Everyone turned their attention to her.
"Why? There's a cave with some stuff from our time here!" said Adagio.
"If we're talking about being among prehistoric animals, than we should move away from the river. Predators are likely to hang around looking for prey," said Mosura. Fluttershy nodded in agreement.
"That's a good idea, Mosu. Alright, we'll pack what we can and move out to find somewhere safer. That means everyone has to be up at dawn," said Sunset.
Angirasu found himself lost in darkness. His breathing had quickened. He was searching his surroundings. Nothing but dark and tall trees stood. There was nothing but a dim light from the moon in sky. The teen heard the sound of heavy footsteps heading for him.
He broke off into a sprint as he navigated through these dark woods, panting. The faster he went, the faster the footsteps grew. He could hear the wail of a beast in the air, crying out to him. It was though it was taunting him, for it was coming for him.
Angirasu began to hear heavy grunting. The boy mustered up all the stamina he could as he ran through this endless forest. He cried out as he tripped and fell. He whimpered as he crawled along the ground but gasped as he found a cluster of trees in his path.
The Transmutant turned and found his pursuer. It was a shadowy beast, which stood on four legs. Its spikes stuck out of its head and back, down to its tail. It stared at the boy with its beady eyes. The creature just stood in place, breathing heavily. It did nothing but stare.
"What do you want from me?!" cried Angirasu.
Angirasu's eyes shot open. His heart pounded in his chest as he looked up to the dark sky. Above he could see dark tree branches. Angirasu quickly shot, finding himself lost in the very same dark forest. He began to breathe frantically as his eyes darted for the beast. However, his breathing began to settle once he took notice Junior lying on the ground, with a sheet draped over him. Angirasu looked around, finding the other teens still sound asleep. The boy shuddered as he buried his face into his hand. Those damned eyes. They always haunted his dreams.
Angirasu sighed as he lied himself down. This was normal. This is what he expected every night. There was nothing to do but to try to go back to sleep. Angirasu sighed as he closed his eyes.
The sound of screams filled Angirasu's ears. His eyes shot open. He found himself standing in the middle of a street. Rubble lied on the ground and structures collapsed. He turned and people screaming as they fled all around him. Angirasu began to panic, feeling anxiety creep back in.
Angirasu cried out as a soldier aimed his rifle right at him. He braced himself as the weapon fired. However, the bullets passed through him. All around him, soldiers ran and fired their guns in different directions. He couldn't help but find this place familiar.
Angirasu gasped as he heard the sound of heavy crashes. He turned, his eyes widening. Among the rubble, he caught sight of the beast. Instead of being shadow, he saw that it covered in grayish brown scales. The beast snarled as its eyes scanned the air, shaking its tank-like body. Angirasu knew here that the monster from his nightmares was his. He was the monster. Angirasu stepped back, breathing heavily. He felt himself bump into something, prompting him to turn. His eyes widened as he found his mother standing, her head bleeding. Her eyes ran with tears of blood.
"Angirasu!!" cried Aiko in agony.
Angirasu gasped as he suddenly shot up. His eyes were bloodshot as he looked around. Again, he was in the dark forest. The boy panted, clutching his chest. He gritted his teeth as held his head.
It was early morning. The teenagers all carried baskets on their backs. They were loaded with whatever that they could carry. Be it supplies, food, or whatever they found in the cave. They walked in an orderly fashion through the woods, with Twilight at the lead.
The teens kept their wits about them as they walked. They jumped at every animal cry that filled the air.
Sonata began to make her way to Angirasu's side. However, the boy did not greet with so much of glance. He completely ignored her presence. His eyes were incredibly baggy.
"Its a uh... nice morning, huh?" asked Sonata, hoping to strike up a conversation. However, Angirasu kept his eyes forward. He said nothing in response.
"Crazy how we ended up back in time. Dinosaurs would be cool to see if we weren't stuck here," said Sonata. Still, Angirasu said nothing.
"Do you... think we'll get home?" asked Sonata.
"Nope," replied Angirasu, his tone flat.
"Oh," said Sonata, frowning.
"In fact, I think we'll live out the rest of our lives here if we aren't eaten first," said Angirasu. Sonata shrunk back as she heard this.
"Jesus. That's the most pessimistic thing I've ever heard him say," whispered Mosura, leaning close to Junior.
"Yeah..." responded Junior.
On their journey, the teens passed through many towering trees, which shaded them from the hot sun. The air was quite humid, causing their skin to feel sticky. Rarity spent to next minute whining about said humidity, much to the dismay of the group.
The morning sun had seemed to quickly rise higher from when the teens began their journey. More cries of birds filled the morning air, which sent some comfort in the teens, not having to worry about any predators as of yet.
"Twilight, where are we going?" asked Pinkie. Twilight pointed ahead to where tall mountains stood among the forest.
"We're headed near the mountains. Large prehistoric predators would be quite unlikely to traverse the rough terrain. It should be safe there," said Twilight.
"And how long will it take to get there?" asked Adagio.
"I'd say roughly half a day. Maybe the whole day," said Twilight. The Dazzlings and Rarity groaned in unison.
"You expect us to walk all the way there?!" asked Rarity.
"The faster we move, the faster we get there. Shape up you four," said Mosura.
"Look who's talking! You were too busy sitting around at camp for two days!" scoffed Aria.
"I couldn't help that! I'm making up for it now!" retorted Mosura.
"Oh Yeah? Well, maybe Sunset can ask you to help her with fishing next time," said Adagio. Sunset gasped. She turned around with an incredulous look.
"You're blaming me for what happened?!" asked Sunset.
"I'm sorry, whose idea was it again to stand in the water?" deadpanned Adagio.
"How was I supposed to know that there was a killer arthropod in the water?" asked Sunset defensively. Junior sighed heavily as the girls argued back and forth.
"Look, I said I was sorry!" said Sunset.
"Sorry doesn't heal these wounds! I better not get scars because of you!" said Adagio with a glare. The rest of the group began to grow annoyed or anxious from the back and forth argument. Junior was just gritting his teeth.
"How're you wounds by the way?" asked Angirasu.
"Hmph. Well, they still sting but I'm alive. Thank you for asking, Angirasu. I sure am glad you were there to SAVE me," said Adagio, glaring at Sunset. The redhead was taken aback. She growled as she grew flustered.
"You little-" Sunset was interrupted as Junior groaned.
"Will you guys just stop? It's too fucking early for this shit!" said Junior. Adagio and Sunset both pointed to each other.
"But she-" they were interrupted as Junior glared at them.
"I don't care! Just stop talking to each other!" said Junior. He then grunted as he looked ahead. Adagio merely stuck her tongue out at Sunset, who gave her the middle finger in response. Junior sighed in relief.
'Sweet silence,' thought Junior.
As the teens continued their journey, they came across an area where some hills were present. Some trees lied on the ground, having long since been knocked over. Twilight winced as she cupped her hand over her eyes.
"Twilight? Are you OK?" asked Mosura.
"Yeah. Just my contacts. They're starting to irritate me," said Twilight as her eye twitched.
"Contacts?" asked Junior in confusion. Twilight winced as she began to draw out a canting of water that was boiled just yesterday. She began to use some of her drinking water to rinse her hands.
"Hold this please," said Twilight, handing Mosura the canting. She began to reach for her eye as she held her lid open.
"Oh geez!" said Rainbow, looking away. Some of the teens looked away as Twilight removed her contact lenses from her eyes. Junior's eyes widened as he noticed the girl squinting as she reached to her skirt pocket. She drew out a case and took out a pair of thick rimmed glasses.
"Ah. That's better," said Twilight as she pressed her glasses onto the bridge of her nose.
"You wear glasses?" asked Junior.
"Hm? Oh yeah. I'm blind as a bat without 'em," replied Twilight.
"Heh. You really look like an actual nerd too. The ponytail sells it," chuckled Rainbow. Twilight glared at her in offense.
"Hey!" said Twilight.
"Wow. I gotta say, they look kinda cute on you," said Sunset with a smile. Twilight blushed in embarrassment.
"You think so?" asked Twilight shyly.
"Mm. With some makeup and some different clothes, you can nail the sexy book worm look," said Adagio. Twilight cleared her throat she turned ahead.
"A-Anyway, let's get moving!" said Twilight. As she stepped forward, Junior held his arm out in front of her. Twilight looked at him in confusion.
"Hang back a little bit. I'll take point," said Junior.
"Wha- Why?" asked Twilight.
"I rather you stand out less among us," said Junior.
"Huh? Gojira, it's fine," said Twilight as she attempted to walk passed Junior. However the male teen grabbed her shoulder, his brows furrowed.
"Oh boy," said Aria.
"Let go! You're hurting me!" said Twilight as she attempted to pull away. Junior suddenly felt his heart skip a beat in his chest. He realized how tight his grip was on the girl's shoulder.
"Goji, it's fine," said Fluttershy, her expression turning to worry. Junior quickly released Twilight, a small look of guilt on his face.
"Sorry," said Junior in a small tone. Twilight rubbed her shoulder with a grimace.
"Geez. What's gotten into you lately?" asked Twilight.
"Me?" asked Junior. He noticed that he was receiving stares from the other teens. Junior began to question what exactly could Twilight mean. The more he thought of it, he began to wonder if he was acting off after all.
"No I agree with Gojira," said Mosura, drawing everyone's attention.
"Twilight, if your vision is really bad, then I think it's in yours and everyone else's best interest to not be out too far from the group. If you're attacked and your glasses are lost or damaged, than it'll be a problem," said Mosura. Twilight slightly nodded.
"Oh. Right, good point," said Twilight, glancing at Junior. The boy merely looked off to the side.
"OK. You lead," said Twilight as she began to make her way in the middle of the group. Junior looked to Mosura, who nodded to him with a small smile. Junior, said nothing, turning forward as he gripped the spear that was carved out.
"The mountains, right?" asked Junior.
"Whoa, look at that!" whispered Rainbow, pointing to the right of the woods, away from the path of the teens. Ahead, they caught sight of a cluster of plants.
"Look at what?" asked Applejack in confusion.
"There! Don''t you see that in the bushes!" said Rainbow. The teens began to look to the bushes. As they continued to look, they noticed movement.
"Oh! I see it!" whispered Pinkie.
The teens caught sight of a tall bird, standing nearly 7 feet tall in height. It was green in color, with white tail feathers. Its back feathers stood up erect, appearing as long spiky blades of grass. The bird bore a long tail that stood upright. On the tail, there were frond leaf-like feathers. The creature looked almost like a flamingo, or rather a crane. Its crest flared as it gave a high pitched cry as it began to peck at the dirt.
"Whoa," said Sunset in awe.
"I almost didn't see it. That thing was blending with plants," said Sonata.
"Look! More of them!" said Twilight. The teens found a few more similar birds to be emerging from the bushes, pecking at the ground. They gave small cries as they walked around.
"Come on, we should keep moving," said Junior, walking on ahead. Some of the teens moaned in disappointment. Fluttershy quickly draw out her phone to take a picture, but notice some of the other teens doing so as well. She smiled in amusement. This was something that they wanted to remember.
The teens continued on their journey. They heard the call of monkeys in the air. They found their shadowy silhouettes to be swinging from the tall trees above. Faint, distant bird calls filled the air. The teens, excluding Junior, were beginning to grow exhausted. They had spent the last two hours walking nonstop. Still, they were nowhere close to where they needed to get to.
"Can we stop for a moment?" panted Fluttershy.
"Yeah, I'm fuckin' dying here," said Aria, wiping her sweaty brow.
"Please! Let us stop! I can't go on much longer!" cried Rarity. Her hair was a mess and her clothes hung loose on her body as she dropped to her knees. She panted as she began to crawl on the ground. Junior looked back in annoyance as he found the girl to be whimpering as she raised her hand.
"Please! I'm wasting away!" cried Rarity. Junior rolled his eyes. But he took notice of the rest of the teens. They seemed to have been quite exhausted. Junior himself didn't feel very tired, but he knew that the group wouldn't be able to continue at this pace. He felt he had no right to push him.
"Your call," said Junior, looking to Twilight and Sunset. The two slightly recoiled.
"Um.. Sure. Yeah, let's take 5," said Twilight, clapping her hands. The rest of the teens all dropped to the ground in exhaustion. Junior sighed as he took a seat. He set his basket down on the ground and reached inside. He drew out a slightly crushed water bottle that was found in the cave. He took a drink, taking in the refreshing liquid.
"Fuck it's hot," said Junior as he splashed some water onto his face. He noticed that Fluttershy was staring at him.
"Do you need water?" asked Junior, holding up his water bottle to her. Fluttershy shook her head furiously, hiding behind her hair. The boy raised a brow but nearly shrugged in response. Unbeknownst to him, Fluttershy was glancing at his naked torso as water trailed down over his skin.
"Boy, this is nothing like camping in the Everfree forest," said Pinkie.
"Well we didn't have to walk this far," said Rainbow.
"And the climate didn't suck," said Aria. She noticed Rodan to be sitting alone, holding a water bottle. His eyes were downcast. Aria merely took a bite out of her protein bar, ignoring the sight.
Angirasu was sitting and eating a protein bar in silence. He sighed as he found his mind falling back to his nightmare filled night. He felt a little bit sleepy since he forced himself to stay up the rest of the night after the second nightmare. For whatever reason, they had gotten worse. Angirasu noticed Sonata kneeling next to him with a forced smile, holding out a cantine.
"Need water?" asked Sonata. Angirasu raised a metallic thermos, which swished with the sound of liquid inside.
"I have water," deadpanned Angirasu.
"Of course," said Sonata with a forced giggle.
As Junior was biting into a protein bar, Pinkie Pie came rushing to his side. She knelt down beside him as she held out a can of soda.
"Here! I saved this one for you!" said Pinkie with a smile.
"Oh. You sure?" asked Junior. Pinkie nodded eagerly. Junior couldn't help but crack a small smile as he took the soda can.
"Thanks. I appreciate it," said Junior, putting the can away. Pinkie's smile merely grew. She took a seat next to the boy.
"Hey, do you think dinosaurs taste good?" asked Pinkie, her voice in a whisper.
"Dinosaurs? I uh... i guess so," answered Junior, awkwardly.
"I think they'd taste like chicken. I hear that some meat that's not beef but also not chicken seem to taste like chicken," said Pinkie.
"I mean, maybe. You might be able to figure it out given our situation," said Junior. This entire exchange, while silly, felt normal compared to their current situation. In fact, it felt nostalgic. Just having a random conversation with Pinkie Pie reminded him of the earlier days before the fallout. It was something that Junior missed.
"Hey, I took a couple of those fruits from the tree near the cave before we left. Anyone wanna try one?" asked Rainbow, pulling out a large fruit from her basket.
"Sure, give it here," said Junior, holding his hands out. Rainbow grunted as she toss the melon sized fruit to the boy.
"Wait! We still don't know if that's safe to eat!" said Applejack in alarm. Junior ignored her and took a bite. The teens all tensed as they watched the boy chew. He shrugged.
"Hm. Not bad," said Junior as he swallowed. His eyes then widened. Junior wheezed as he made a gagging sound. The teens bore looks of alarm as the boy held his throat.
"Oh my God!" cried Sunset horror.
"Gojira!" cried Fluttershy. Junior suddenly stopped and began to snicker.
"Gotcha!" said Junior. The teens sighed in relief but also groaned in annoyance.
"You blasted, no good-" Applejack grunted as she grew flustered. Mosura began to smack Junior's shoulder several times, which he responded with pained yelps.
"Don't. Scare Us. Like that!" said Mosura with a glare.
"Alright, alright!" said Junior with a wince. He noticed Fluttershy looking at him with a glare, though her face looked to have puffed up as though she were holding back her anger. It was kind of hard to take her seriously since she looked too darn cute like that.
"Please, don't hold back on my account," deadpanned Junior. Fluttershy turned away with huff.
"Whatever. I'm gonna check the area," said Junior as he stood up and began to walk off with his spear in hand.
"So I uh... I just-" Sonata stumbled over her words as she sat next to Angirasu. The boy quickly stood up, raising his hand.
"Goji, wait up. I'll come with ya," said Angirasu, walking after the other Transmutant. Sonata moaned in disappointment. Junior turned and found Rodan to be sitting alone in silence.
"Rodan, you wanna come along?" asked Junior. Rodan shot his head up and turned to Junior.
"Sure," said Rodan, halfheartedly. The girls looked on oddly as the boys all walked off from the area, passing beyond the bushes.
"Hey, don't go off to far!" called Mosura.
"Huh. Wonder what that was about," said Pinkie.
Meanwhile, the boys were walking off from the path that they were on. Junior was looking back to see if any of them had followed. They seemed to have been a good distance away.
"Alright, that may be far enough," said Junior.
"Far enough?" asked Rodan.
"Yep. God, those chicks have been bickering nonstop these past couple of days!" said Junior in annoyance.
"Ah I see. We're venting," said Angirasu in amusement.
"Yeah. Come on man. I don't remember a whole lot, but I do remember just hearing them yell at each other. It gets annoying fast," said Junior with a groan.
"I hear ya. I'm actually glad you got them to stop earlier. I'm too worried that they'll just turn their anger on me," said Angirasu. Junior scoffed.
"Ah you can't be scared of them. I think girls have this sense that they can tell whether a guy is intimidated by them," said Junior.
"You think so?" asked Angirasu as he picked up a rock, tossing it to the side.
"Oh yeah. They don't respect you and can get overconfident too when they think they can just push any guy around. It's bullshit," said Junior.
"Surely not all of them are like that," said Angirasu.
"Of course not. And the ones who know that and aren't that way won't get defensive about it," said Junior as he sniffed.
"Then why don't you say that around them?" asked Rodan with a deadpanned look.
"Are you kidding? You wanna hear a bunch of teenage girls whine and bitch about me being a sexist because I think some of them would push us around if we weren't confrontational? We are stuck together, Ro," said Junior.
"Good point. Man, I'm getting a weird thrill out of this conversation for some reason," said Rodan. "Still though, I think you might be a little heated because they didn't appreciate you pretending to get poisoned."
"Maybe," said Junior with a shrug.
"I appreciated it, Gojira," said Angirasu.
"Thanks, Aang. Man we should make splitting off from the girls to just hang out a habit," said Junior.
"We're not just gonna vent about the girls are we?" asked Rodan with a raised brow.
"Nah, we can do whatever. But for sure, when they start to uh... You know what," said Junior. Rodan nodded.
"Oh yeah, I gotcha," said Rodan with a wink.
"I don't," said Angirasu in confusion.
"You know. It happens once a month," said Junior.
"Ooooh. OK, yeah." said Angirasu with a shudder. Junior sat down and began to drink from his canteen full of water.
"So Aang, what's up with you and Sonata? You've been kind of cold lately," said Junior in confusion.
"Yeah, I noticed that too," said Rodan. Angirasu scoffed.
"I don't think I even wanna talk about it," said Angirasu as he sat down next to a tree.
"I just thought that... I don't know, I thought you guys had a thing going on," said Junior.
"So did I. But I realized it was bullshit," said Angirasu, drawing into the dirt with a stick.
"What happened, man?" asked Rodan.
"Same thing that happened to Gojira with Adagio," said Angirasu as he pointed his stick at Junior.
"Oh..." said Junior with a grimace. Angirasu gave a bitter chuckle.
"You know, I really thought that she got me. She understood what it was like to be told what to do by everyone. Never being allowed to make decisions for yourself," said Angirasu, his brows furrowing.
"And what happens? She uses her magic to manipulate my mind to lie to my mom and to go out on these dates with her and risk getting in trouble. It wasn't out of my own free will!" said Angirasu, throwing the stick to a bush.
"God. I had to put up with this from my mother, and now the girl that I was starting to like. Life's funny, isn't it?" asked Angirasu sarcastically.
"I uh..." Junior scratched his head.
"Oh, and I'm also a fugitive now too," said Angirasu nonchalantly. Junior and Rodan looked at him incredulously.
"Whoa, what?!" exclaimed Junior and Rodan.
"Yeah. Isn't life fun?" asked Angirasu as he lied back.
"Shit. Man, Aang. I... I don't know what to say, buddy," said Junior, his expression softening.
"What's there to say? My mother turned me over to MONARCH, Sonata destroyed my trust, and we're marooned into prehistoric times," said Angirasu.
"Your mom? No way," said Rodan in disbelief.
"Well, she might as well have. She had her gun aimed at me. Guess I was never good enough for her. I'm out of her hair now," said Angirasu.
"Aang, come on. Don't talk like that," said Junior.
"Why not? I'm not being pessimistic. In fact, I think I'm feeling free," said Angirasu, standing up to his feet.
"I mean I'm not sitting in a cell miles underground right now. Let's have some fun while we're here," said Angirasu with a smile. Junior and Rodan just stared.
"You're taking this extraordinarily well," said Rodan. Angirasu shrugged. He turned and looked to the trees.
"Man, it's nice out here. Hey, what's that big fuzzy thing?" asked Angirasu, squinting. Junior and Rodan stood up and squinted as well.
"Huh. What's that? Some big hairy cat? Or a monkey?" asked Junior. Rodan's eye sight was much better compared to the other boys. After all, he was an aerial predator kind of Transmutant. Once his sights focused, his eyes widened in alarm.
"That ain't no damn monkey!" said Rodan.
"Oh hey, it's flying!" said Angirasu. Junior gasped as he stepped back.
"Oh God!!" cried Junior as a large brown fuzzy object crashed into him, causing him to fall to the ground.
Meanwhile, the girls all jumped at the sound of Junior's cry.
"That was Gojira!" said Mosura.
"He sounds like he's in trouble!" said Fluttershy. The girls all shot up to their feet and began to rush to where the boys had walked off to. Once they passed bushes, they found Junior to be standing with a large brown spider the size of his head, latched onto his face. Mosura screamed in fright at the sight as Junior gave muffled screams as he attempted to pry the spider off. Rodan was swinging a stick against him.
"Stand still! I'm trying to help!" yelled Rodan as he smacked his stick against Junior.
"What the hell is going on here?!" exclaimed Sunset.
"Get it off!!" cried Junior. Angirasu snatched the stick from Rodan.
"Give me that!" said Angirasu. He stepped over to Junior and swung the stick at Junior's head, smacking the spider off of his face. Junior gave a deep inhale and coughed.
"Are you OK?" asked Fluttershy. Junior panted as his eyes were blood shot. He grunted as he grabbed his spear and locked his sights on the spider. The arachnid hissed as it raised it legs.
"Hiss at this!" said Junior as he thrust his spear forward. The spider quickly jumped back, keeping its legs raised as its fangs were exposed.
"Son of a bitch!" said Junior as he thrust his spear again.
"Get it! Get it!" cried Mosura, hiding behind Sunset Shimmer.
"What do you think I'm trying to do?!" yelled Junior as he sent his spear forward. However, the spider jumped over the tip and began to run up the stick, towards Junior's hands. The teens cried out in fright and alarm as they staggered back.
"Oh no, you fucking don't!" said Junior as he backed handed the spider with his reptilian hand. The spider slammed into a tree, a couple of its legs were mangled from the impact. Junior grabbed a heavy stick and stomped towards the vulnerable arachnid.
"Face fucking little bastard!" said Junior as he raised his stick. He swung the stick against the spider multiple times, smashing it into the tree. The teens watched as Junior grunted as he kept swinging at a now dead spider.
"OK! OK, stop!" cried Sunset as she and Angirasu began to pull Junior back.
"No, he's still moving!" said Junior as he attempted to break free.
"You got him! He's dead!" said Angirasu, pulling Junior back. The dark haired teen panted as he kept his eyes on the dead arachnid that was nothing more than a stain on the tree. He suddenly found Fluttershy in his line of sight. She had her hands on his cheeks, forcing him to look into her eyes.
"Gojira, look at me! Calm down!" said Fluttershy. Junior's panting began to slow down. His adrenaline began to settle.
"You got him, buddy. He's gone," said Angirasu in a calming tone. Junior sighed heavily as he dropped the stick.
"Holy shit, man," said Aria with wide eyes.
"You OK?" asked Sunset worriedly.
"No, I'm not OK! I think that thing was trying to rape my face!" said Junior, pointing to the splat on the tree. Sonata gasped.
"This is just like that Alien movie! That spider might have been a mom trying to lay its eggs in your stomach!"
"Sonata!" said Adagio with a look of disgust.
"Right now they might be incubating in your stomach! Waiting for the day to hatch so they can eat you from inside out!" said Sonata with dread. Junior cupped a hand over his mouth as he began to gag.
"Oh God, stop," grunted Junior.
"No you gotta get the eggs out! Yak it! Yak it!" said Sonata urgently. Junior grunted as he forced his way passed Sunset, Angirasu and Fluttershy. He hid behind a bush and began to retch. The rest of the teens looked at Sonata in disapproval.
"What the heck is the matter with you?" asked Applejack.
"We're in a prehistoric world, people! Anything could happen!" said Sonata.
"She has a point," said Aria, begrudgingly.
"Darling? Are you alright?" called Rarity.
"Ugh..." Junior groaned. The teens looked to each other with grimaces.
Junior groaned as he lied on his back. He was staring up at the sky as a pair of winged birds circled. The boy grimaced as he watched as the birds circled over him.
"I'm not dead, you cunts," said Junior.
"Did you say something?" asked Mosura from the side. She and the rest of the teens were seated on the ground away from Junior.
"No. I was talking to these fucking birds. They're just circling. Waiting. Starving. Eager to peck my flesh apart for their own sustenance. Those are birds, right? I'm not hallucinating?" asked Junior.
"No, those are birds alright," said Mosura.
"Huh," replied Junior. Mosura frowned. The poor guy just collapsed after vomiting so much earlier. It was so bad that the group decided to take a longer break. It may delay their time to get to their destination, but they'd much rather be in their best condition to move.
"Goji, do you need anything?" asked Fluttershy.
"My dignity if you can find it," said Junior, glancing at the girl.
"Aw. Don't feel bad, Goji. Sure you lost your cool because a big hairy spider jumped on your face. We still respect you," said Pinkie with a reassuring smile.
"We do?" asked Aria in confusion. Adagio grunted as she elbowed her sister.
"I'm just kidding," said Aria in annoyance.
"Fuck my life," said Junior in a monotone. He sighed as he felt his eyes grow heavy.
"Gojira, you're not falling asleep are you?" asked Sunset.
"Nah it's fine. Just wake me when you wanna..." Junior trailed off as he began to drift off to sleep.
"Man, he's just been weird lately," said Rainbow in a whisper.
"He was just attacked by a giant, disgusting spider. I sympathize," said Mosura with a glare.
"Yeah me too," said Adagio with a nod. She shuddered at the memory of the arthropod that had attacked her prior.
"That just goes to show that we need to keep our wits. There's no telling what other creatures could be waiting for us out there," said Rarity. The teens all nodded in agreement.
"Alright, let’s give him five more minutes. Maybe we should start going over our supplies," said Twilight. The teens began to empty their baskets. They revealed the snacks and tools and sheets they had acquired from their previous camp.
"Let's see. Flint steel, matches, snacks, couple of hatchets, and a lantern," said Twilight, looking at the things that stood out to her the most.
"Yeah, but no batteries.," deadpanned Aria. This was a shame. The lantern would have been useful moving in the dark rather than making a fire to get around.
"Guess not. Say, any chance that we can power this another way?" asked Mosura.
"What do you mean?" asked Twilight.
"Well, maybe you can use your magic or something to power the lantern without the use of batteries. It was just a thought though," said Mosura, scratching her head. Twilight hummed in thought.
"Actually, that might work," said Twilight. Junior groaned as he began to roll himself along the ground, a bit further from the group.
"Keep it down, please," said Junior as he buried himself among the tall grass. Twilight sighed as she turned back to the group.
"OK, so if come across any streams or water sources, we should stop and refill. We do not wanna be dehydrated out here," said Twilight.
"Cool. We have this cone thingy and a pot," said Rainbow, drawing out a couple of items from her basket.
"Sunset can use her fire powers to heat up rocks for the water," said Mosura. Sunset grimaced.
"You want me to use that power out here?" asked Sunset, finding the abundant plant life in the area.
"Sunset, we need your help. We want to be on the move. It'll take too long just to set up a fire pit hot enough for the rocks. If you're immune to heat you produce, then you can just toss in the rocks yourself," said Mosura. Sunset nodded with a sigh.
"OK, got it," said Sunset.
Junior found himself lying himself down in the grass in silence. His eyes were closed as he breathed softly. He noticed that the grass was rustling near him. He opened an eye, finding Applejack to be kneeling next to him, a concerned look on her face.
"Don't do that. I thought you were another spider," said Junior in annoyance.
"Sorry," said Applejack in a small tone. Junior sighed as he propped up the back of his head with his arm.
"So what's up?" asked Junior.
"Just wanted to check on ya..." said Applejack. The two were in an awkward silence. Junior sighed.
"Applejack, listen," said Junior. The blonde turned her attention to the boy, who stared up to the trees,
"About what happened back at the cave. I... Well actually, I don't even know what to apologize about," said Junior with a blank look. Applejack raised a brow at him while growing mildly annoyed.
"Excuse me?" said Applejack, crossing her arms.
"That came out wrong. What I mean is, I don't know what exactly I did that made things awkward. I mean I do. I can understand being mad at a guy threatening to stomp you when he turns into a giant lizard," said Junior awkwardly. Applejack kept a stoic expression. Junior sighed.
"Do you hate me?" asked Applejack. Junior looked at her in confusion.
"What?" asked Junior. Applejack looked at him with a firm expression.
"Do. You. Hate me?" Applejack spoke much more directly. Junior was taken aback. He wasn't expecting this question out of her. Why would she even ask that? It seemed so out of left field that Junior had to collect his bearings to think of a response.
"I... I don't understand," said Junior. Applejack sighed in annoyance and looked away.
"That is like you. Denser than a rock," said Applejack.
"It's just that-"
"I mean who am I kidding? We didn't circle the wagons with ya when you got into trouble," said Applejack, a grimace on her face.
'So that's what this is about,' thought Junior. Asking him if he hated Applejack, let alone the other girls just threw him off. If it was very recently that their fallout happened, Junior wasn't even sure if he would say that he hated them. Yes, it hurt him that they didn't believe him, but it was because he started to like them that he was so angry. He wouldn't spare them a second thought if they were total strangers. Junior watched as Applejack held her arm, her lip quivering as she looked to the side. It seemed that there was more going on than Junior realized.
"AJ, if I scared you or hurt your feelings in anyway, then I am sorry," said Junior, looking to the girl with soft eyes. Applejack stared. Junior grunted as he sat up to fully face the girl.
"What happened back then doesn't matter now. We need to work together if we're going to survive and get home. Alright?" said Junior. Applejack cupped a hand over her mouth as some tears began to flow. She held in her sobs as her face grew red.
"Ah Applejack," said Junior with a frown. The girl wrapped her arms around Junior and wept into his shoulder.
"Everything's just insane right now! I'm scared..." whispered Applejack. Junior caressed her back as the girl cried.
"It's alright. Let it out," said Junior. He never realized just how much of a toll this had taken on Applejack. He was surprised that she could be emotional. She seemed much stronger compared to most girls. But, he couldn't fault her. They were put into a situation where multiple parties had tension among each other in a world that they didn't know. Junior couldn't afford sulking over what happened between them. He needed to bring everything that he had to make sure that they'd all get home safely.
"Hey, did you make Applejack cry?!" shouted Pinkie from the rest of the group. Junior recoiled as he noticed the stares that he was receiving.
"Um... I uh..." Junior awkwardly sat. Applejack pulled away as she wiped her eyes with a sniffle.
"Oh, you know Goji," said Applejack with a sniffle. She brought her Stetson down over her face.
"Wait, what?" asked Junior. He noticed that the rest of the girls were looking at him in disapproval.
"Shame on you!" said Rarity.
"Me?! Hey, she's just stressed out!" said Junior defensively. He noticed the teasing smile that Applejack gave him as she was hiding her face with her Stetson. Junior groaned in annoyance as he glared at her.
"Because you made her stressed!" said Pinkie. Junior sighed in annoyance as the girls scolded him. Rodan sighed as he got up.
"I'll be back. I gotta take a leak," said Rodan as he walked off.
"TMI!" said Sonata.
"Hey, don't forget to wash your hands! We have water for a reason!" said Sunset. Rodan groaned in annoyance.
"Oh and make sure that there aren't any spiders around. I'm not helping you if you get bit," said Junior. Rodan winced.
"Ah right. Good to know," said Rodan.
Junior sighed as the girls finally gave up on scolding him. He noticed Applejack scooting closer to him with an amused look.
"You're a cheeky hick, you know that?" deadpanned Junior. Applejack chuckled in response.
"Sorry bout that, hun," said Applejack. She suddenly leaned into Junior and planted a loud wet kiss on his cheek. Junior flushed furiously as he looked at her with wide eyes.
"Hello," said Junior. Applejack smiled as she ruffled the boy's spiky hair.
"Remember, we're counting on ya, sugarcube," said Applejack. Junior slightly nodded as his face burned red. Applejack gave a small girlish giggle as she walked off to the rest of the group. Junior just stared as he held his cheek. His brows furrowed as his eyes fell on Applejack as her rear slightly swayed in her denim shorts.
"Damn I can't get enough of those legs," said Junior under his breath.
Meanwhile, Rodan sighed in relief. He took his water bottle and began to rinse his hands. He hummed to himself as he rinsed his hands. During this, a brief flash of his memory flooded his mind. Fire. Gunfire. Shrieks. Rodan felt his heart race as he recalled Eliza's frightened face as she began to mutate. Rodan stood with a blank expression on his face.
"That's right..." said Rodan. It still hadn't hit him yet. Eliza wasn't around anymore. She was dead. And he was the one that killed her. Rodan sealed up his water bottle but noticed something in the dirt.
"Wha..." Rodan knelt down and began to look over the dirt. His eyes widened.
"No way," said Rodan.
"Alright, let's saddle up ya'll! Time to move out!" said Applejack's voice.
"H-Hey, guys! I think I-" Rodan looked back at the ground.
"Rodan, hurry up! We gotta move!" called Junior. Rodan sighed as he looked back at the dirt.
"OK," said Rodan as he began to run back to join the group. What he saw in the dirt was unmistakable. He had found what looked to be a foot print. Belonging to a human.
It was the afternoon. The Main 7, the Dazzlings and Transmutant 4 continued their long journey to the mountains. Junior remained in the lead, with a firm grip on his spear. Angirasu hung in the back of the group while Rodan guarded the side. The girls were mainly bunched together with Twilight more in the center, considering she'd be the most vulnerable.
"Hey, who do you think looks hotter?" asked Adagio, leaning close to the girls in a whisper.
"Out of who?” asked Rainbow in annoyance. The last thing she wanted to hear was this pervy chick gush about either Sunset or the other girls during this trip.
"You obviously think Sunset's the hottest right? Redheads are either gorgeous people or not really," said Pinkie. Sunset sighed in annoyance.
"Don't encourage her, Pinkie," said Sunset.
"Why are you whispering by the way?" asked Aria. Adagio scoffed in annoyance.
"Yes, we all know I think Sunset's the hottest, with me a close second, with Fluttershy and Mosura tied third," said Adagio in annoyance.
"What? No love for Rarity?" asked Pinkie, prompting the indigo haired girl to give an offended gasp.
"I'm talking about the guys," deadpanned Adagio. There was an awkward silence among the girls.
"Hey we don't talk about stuff like that in the presence of guys. That's the gal code!" said Sonata in disapproval.
"It is?" asked Rarity in confusion.
"Ugh I don't wanna talk about that!" said Rainbow with a scoff.
"Besides, Angirasu is clearly the hottest," said Sonata.
"I mean, Aangey is cute. But Rodey scores higher in my book cause he's funny," said Pinkie with a shrug. Sonata's brow twitched.
"What did you call him?" asked Sonata.
"You have no right to be mad about that," said Aria with a glare.
"Shut it, you guys! They're gonna hear you!" whispered Twilight. Adagio cleared her throat.
"Oh boys~! Would you mind giving us some space?" asked Adagio innocently.
"What are you doing? asked Sunset.
"What for?" asked Junior as he looked back in confusion.
"We have a little private discussion going on here. Not suitable for boys. I hope you understand," said Adagio innocently. Junior grimaced.
"I won't ask. Just please stay together," said Junior as he began to walk on ahead. Rodan and Angirasu both began to hang back, putting some distance from the girls.
"Now we can talk all we want," said Adagio smugly. Some of the girls groaned in response.
"Come on, does it really matter?" asked Mosura.
"What's wrong Mosu? Scared to let everyone know your taste?" asked Adagio teasingly. Mosura scoffed.
"Don't be ridiculous! We don't have time to be acting like a bunch teenage girls!" said Mosura.
"But we are teenage girls," said Pinkie with an odd look.
"Ooh. Someone's trying to act like a grownup," said Aria, putting on a mock child voice. Mosura growled in annoyance.
"Lighten up, Mosura. It's just for fun. Gotta pass the time. I mean look at them. Shirtless, no pants. That primitive and rugged masculine look," said Adagio, with a sultry smile.
"You mean filthy?" deadpanned Rarity. Mosura's eyes drifted to Junior. She found herself staring at his back as every fiber of muscle in his body contracted and loosened under his skin. The sweat from the heat trailing down his skin. Mosura began to flush.
"Oh my..." said Fluttershy, her face red hot. She herself couldn't help but stare. In fact, she hadn't been able to keep her eyes off him this whole time.
"Now compare the three. Rodan's lean body. He may be shorter, but he certainly has an athletic build. That added with his charisma makes him worthy of a jock title," said Adagio. Rainbow grimaced as she glanced back at Rodan, her cheeks warming up.
"Now take Angirasu. He's tall and strong. But his muscles are more round, giving him a more soft appearance. It contrasts his really spiky hair, which also makes him look a bit aggressive. Why, there's even a subtle softness to his hair. And those eyes of his show his gentle soul," said Adagio. Sonata was biting her lip as she blushed furiously. A few of the other girls were blushing as well.
"I think he'd look better in some nice clothes. Maybe even with a haircut," said Rarity, flushing.
"Yeah. Now take Gojira. That's the whole enchilada," said Adagio with a blushing smile.
"You mean he's delicious?" asked Pinkie, a smile on her face. Most girls groaned at her 'pun', but Pinkie made no such thing.
"No. I mean he brings out that primal fantasy guy for women," said Adagio. She made a camera frame view with her fingers, with Junior in her line of sight.
"Look at him. He's tall, but not lanky. He's in pretty good shape, but not over built where you suspect he's obsessed with himself. Those muscles are tight and he carries himself with this bad boy vibe," said Adagio, grinning.
"Yeah..." said Mosura to herself, blushing furiously.
"He's stoic. He's aggressive. He's a fighter. But underneath all of that roughness..."
"He's kind underneath," said Fluttershy, looking at Junior longingly.
"I was gonna say he was a softie, but sure," said Adagio with a shrug. Applejack softly chuckled.
"Yeah, you could say that," said Applejack with a small smile.
"Ahem. I-I think that's enough," said Twilight with a blush.
"OK. If we had to stay here forever, who would you marry to repopulate the human race with?" asked Adagio.
"Adagio!" cried Sunset in alarm.
"Dibs on Goji~," said Adagio. Both Mosura and Fluttershy turned to Adagio with angry looks.
"Excuse me?!" said Mosura and Fluttershy in unison. Adagio snickered mischievously.
"Just teasing!" said Adagio.
"Good. It's most improper for a lady to call dibs on a gentleman to court. Besides, I would've won Angirasu's heart in that hypothetical scenario," said Rarity, brushing her fingers through her hair.
"No fair!" said Sonata. Aria groaned in response. Some of the girls began to argue. Meanwhile, the boys remained silent.
"Huh. I wonder what got them to start arguing," said Angirasu.
"Probably nothing important," said Rodan.
"Girls are complicated," said Junior to himself, with a grimace.
The teenagers continued to travel through the land. They had begun to approach the entrance to a clearing of the forest. Beyond, there was flat land with grass and smaller trees scattered through the land. There was even a stream running along the earth.
"This is wonderful! We can refill our water supplies here!" said Twilight.
"Yay! Break time!" said Pinkie.
"It's gotta be a short one, Pinkie. We wanna cover a lot of ground at least by nightfall," said Mosura. Rarity deeply inhaled as she stretched her arms.
"It'll be nice to be out of the forest for awhile. I'm looking forward to standing in the sun and-" Rarity was interrupted as she felt something drip on her head. She reached for her head and felt something wet on her fingers. Pinkie gasped.
"Rarity, you're bleeding!" said Pinkie. Rarity stared at her fingers, a chill running through her veins.
"That's not..." Rarity slowly looked up. The girl suddenly broke into a horrified shriek, startling the rest of the group.
"What?! What is it?!" exclaimed Twilight. Rarity whimpered as she pointed above. The rest of the teens looked up and froze in horror. A few of the teens cried out in alarm while the rest fell silent.
Above the teens were three human corpses, all male. They hung upside down from one of the trees, with planks of wood tied to their backs, holding their arms out into a T pose. The corpses swayed, one of them dripping with blood. Rarity frantically stumbled back to avoid the drips. She began to dig through her basket.
"Water! I need water!" whimpered Rarity. Junior handed her his water bottle, which she snatched and frantically opened it and began to pour it on her hand and her hair.
"Well... at least we know we aren't the only humans here," said Rainbow.
"Or those could have been the only other ones and we're all that's left," said Angirasu. Fluttershy had her mouth cupped as she averted her eyes.
"Who could've done this?" asked Applejack as she held her stetson over her chest in respect of the dead.
"I don't know. But now we know that prehistoric predators aren't the only thing we should be worried about," said Mosura.
"Ugh. Nothing makes sense. Humans, giant arthropods and dinosaurs living alongside each other? What the hell is this?" asked Twilight. Rodan felt himself growing more anxious as he stared at the hanging corpses. He gagged as he felt himself wanting to vomit.
"You ok, Ro?" asked Junior.
"I'm good. It's just the way these guys were hung. It almost reminds me of inverted crucifixions. Whoever did this must have been into dark stuff," said Rodan with a gulp.
"Nah... you're looking too much into this. It's just a coincidence," said Junior. Though he had to admit, what they were seeing was something ominous. It was here that Junior noticed something. One of the corpses had an infinity symbol carved into his chest. It looked strikingly similar to the MONARCH insignia. Even the corpse next to that one bore a skull carved into his chest. That one looked a lot like a Purist insignia. Junior brushed it off as a coincidence. Then, he noticed that the third corpse bore a carved symbol in his chest as well. However, this symbol was shaped like a hand.
"Jesus," said Junior, growing more unnerved.
Aria held her arms as she looked around with a grimace.
"Guys, I think we should get moving. I get the feeling that we're being watched," said Aria.
"Good call. Let's go," said Junior as he began to walk out to the clearing. The rest of the teens began to follow, but took one last look at the men who had an unfortunate passing.
Angirasu stooped as he noticed something about one of the corpses.
The corpse with the skull carved into his chest was the oddest one out. This person's face was stuck in a large grin. It was unnerving to see this lifeless shell in such a state. It was as though he had laughed to death. Angirasu grimaced as he began to follow the group out to the clearing.
Meanwhile, miles above, a pteranodon soared. The flying reptile was sickly in appearance. Its bright red eyes stared at the teens below as it soared. Upon its back, a man covered in dark armor rode on the back of this winged beast.
The flying reptile gave a cry as it began to dive through the air, catching the wind current to carry it across the land. The creature and its rider traveled a few miles away. They descended near a campsite by a cliff. The rider landed his stead and disembarked. The armored man made his way through the camp, which was filled with tents and armored soldiers. The soldiers were clad in similar dark armor, bearing cold looks on their faces. A soldier was cutting the neck of a dark bird-like reptilian creature, which bore wings that looked like leaves. Its violet blood spilled into a bowl.
"Where are Sergeant Kenra and Lady Sigyn?" questioned the armored rider.
"They're below the cliff," answered the soldier as he drained the creature of its fluids.
Meanwhile, below the cliff, there stood two armored women. One of them bore pale skin and wore dark armor that appeared to belong in a middle age era of some sort. The other was of Neighsian descent. She was middle aged, bearing scars over the side of her face, partially hidden by her short hair Her armor looked more modern. It was dark and compacted, with a spandex under suit beneath. On her breast plate was a MONARCH insignia.
The Neighsian woman carried a rifle. She was looking through the scope. Her sights had fallen upon an infant tyrannosaurus rex. Its large eyes blinked as it circled a dead ground sloth. The creature began to nibble on the open wound, tearing at the meat.
"Come to mamma," said the woman as she placed her finger on the trigger.
"Ma'am," said a male voice. The shooter flinched with a start. In doing so, she accidentally pulled the trigger, firing off a red bolt from the gun. The bolt missed the baby rex, which cried out in alarm as the bolt struck a tree nearby, making it ran off.
"Damn it! That was going to be dinner!" said the shooter in annoyance. She stood up as her short hair covered her right eye.
"You better have a good reason for distracting me, soldier!" said the woman with a glare.
"My apologies, ma'am," said the armored rider.
"Now, now. That's no way to treat a subordinate, Kenra," said the woman, as her hair blew in the wind. Her ears were revealed to be long and pointed.
"Now, what did you need?" asked the woman.
"Lady Sigyn, I've discovered intruders to be advancing on our border," said the armored rider.
"Well that's no good. How many men are we talking?" asked Sigyn.
"Not soldiers, ma'am. They're children," said the rider.
"Great, more refugees," said Kenra in annoyance as she began to check her rifle.
"That won't do. You know how her majesty hates uninvited guests," said Sigyn with a sigh.
"Yeah but dealing with dirty trespassers isn't my job," said Kenra with a scoffed.
"With all due respect, ma'am. It is your job to be of service to-" the rider was interrupted as Kenra glared at him.
"Hey! No one asked you! Now I have to figure out dinner since baby Tyrant Dragon is off the menu!" said Kenra in annoyance. She then noticed a pack of fully grown rexes to be stomping into the area, with the baby close behind.
These predators stood to be twenty feet tall in height. They were covered in thick bumpy forest green patterned scales. They bore powerful jaws with razor sharp teeth protruding from their lower and upper jaws like crocodiles. Kenra smirked as she watched these creatures feed on the dead ground sloth.
"So, you said there were intruders huh? Get Max. I'm gonna make this fun," said Kenra with a devious smile.
The teens found themselves standing in the middle of great flat plane. Emerald green grass blew in the wind as trees rustled in the distance. The teens looked on in awe as herds of prehistoric beasts roamed the land. Sauropods gave cries as they migrated together for the tall trees. A herd of parasaurolophus made their way to a watering hole for a drink. And most surprisingly of all, large mammals grazed as well. Ground sloths moved across the land as deer grazed the fields. There were even a herd of rhinos that bore two large horns on their snout. Small flying reptiles soared overhead, landing on the largest animals. The winged reptiles rested on the backs of these behemoths and fed on any insects that landed on them.
"Wow. It's like seeing a children's science book come to life," said Mosura in awe.
"Or a kid's sandbox. These things don't belong together. Just where are we?" asked Sunset.
The teens began to move on. As they walked, they took the time to gaze upon these giants. The sun shining upon them brought out the bright colors of the scales on the great lizards of old. They saw more species of dinosaurs in the area, great and small. The quadrupedal beasts stood out the most. The teens also noticed a pair of dinosaurs running on two legs. They bore beaks and heads that were covered in spikes, with two horns on the back of their skulls. They almost looked like wingless dragons. The creatures hissed at each other as they began to circle around. The two butted heads as they battled for dominance.
Rarity yelped as she felt herself step on something. She recoiled as a high pitch cry filled the air. From the grass emerged a small two legged creature. It stood on two legs like any common biped dino, yet its head was shaped like a triceratops. The creature hissed at the girl as it ran off. Suddenly, more similar creatures began to emerge from the grass, fleeing from the teens.
"Agh! I can't get enough pictures of these guys!" said Twilight as she held her phone up.
"Hey guys, do you think we're too out in the open? I feel like something's gonna get the jump on us," said Rainbow as she looked around the open field.
"We should be fine as long as we stick close to the herd of the biggest animals. Just don't get too close. Wouldn't want to make them mad," said Twilight. Rarity groaned as she looked to the distant mountain.
"We've been walking all day and we're still nowhere near our destination!" complained Rarity.
"Yeah, my feet are killing me. These ankle boots were not intended for long distance travel, you know," said Adagio as she stood and held one of her own ankles.
"Hmm. I wonder if there's any chance to ride these guys," said Mosura as she looked to the creatures in the area. Fluttershy smiled in response. She was about to speak but Pinkie ran passed her, giggling.
"Hey! Can we get a ride?!" called Pinkie as she ran to a herd of parasaurolophus. The dinosaurs gave startled cries and began to run off from the girl. Junior groaned in annoyance as he ran after Pinkie.
"You idiot! You're just going to spook them!" yelled Junior. Pinkie moaned in disappointment.
"I'm sorry. I just wanted to help," said Pinkie. Junior sighed.
"Let Fluttershy handle it," said Junior. He began to look around the area at all the animals. They couldn't just ride any of them. They would need something that wouldn't get spooked easily and is capable of warding off predators.
"Shy, do you see those guys over there?" asked Junior, pointing to a herd of triceratops. They were large beasts, built with heavy muscle and covered in rough scales and scutes like a crocodile. The beasts bore long horns on their head and one on their snout and sharp spikes stuck out from their frills. On their tails were long needle-like spikes that protruded out.
"Yes, I see them. Want me to ask them?" asked Fluttershy.
"Only if you can handle it," said Junior with a smile. Fluttershy smiled back as she gave an 'OK' sign. The group hung back a bit as Fluttershy made her way to the horned herbivores that fed on the grass. They all began to take notice of the human girl.
"Excuse me, Mr. Triceratops. My friends and I are trying to get to the mountains for safety," said Fluttershy as she pointed to mountains in the distance. The dino that she spoke to followed her point, giving a small groan.
"Oh! So you're going there soon too? Would it be too much trouble to ask if we could ride along?" asked Fluttershy. The beast grunted in response. Fluttershy smiled brightly.
Soon, the beasts began to form up. They had finished feeding and resting were prepared to migrate to their next destination. However, they were stalled since the teenagers were too busy arguing about sitting arrangements.
"Absolutely not! There is no way I'm riding with you for next few hours!" said Sunset in annoyance, glaring at Adagio. The girl huffed in response.
"I'm fine with that! You might just knock me off anyway! You can't handle this sexiness!" said Adagio as she gestured to herself.
"Oh get over yourself!" scoffed Sunset. Junior sighed in dismay as the two argued. Meanwhile, Angirasu was scowling as Sonata was standing next to him.
"I think it'd be cool to ride together," said Sonata.
"You think it'd be cool to ride a giant smelly reptile that grazes in the fields all day? I hate to see what you find boring," said Angirasu as he crossed his arms, avoiding eye contact. Sonata sighed as she lowered her head. Pinkie lunged for Twilight and wrapped her arms around her tightly.
"Twilight, let's be buddies! I want you to tell me about all the dinosaurs and stuff we saw today!" said Pinkie. Twilight winced as she forced a smile.
"That... Might be fun," grunted Twilight. Rarity cleared her throat in discomfort as she watched as Sunset and Adagio fight.
"Rainbow, can we ride together?" asked Rarity in a whisper.
"Sure. Just don't complain so much please," said Rainbow. Rarity gave an offended scoff.
"Darling, I have not complained that much," said Rarity. Rainbow merely looked to her with a deadpanned stare.
"Alright, stop! Stop arguing! No one is forcing you to ride together!" said Junior in annoyance as he looked to Adagio and Sunset. The two were looking away from each other as they had their arms crossed.
"Honestly. You two need to get over it. We can't afford to keep bickering like this," said Junior. Angirasu sighed in annoyance as Sonata fiddled with her fingers next to him. Aria quickly took Sonata and began to walk her away from the boy.
"I thought I told you to give him some space," whispered Aria in disapproval.
"But I-" Sonata moaned in disappointment.
"Um, Goji... Can-" Fluttershy spoke up but stopped as Adagio clung to his arm.
"Then you won't mind us riding together, right?" asked Adagio.
"Sure, whatever. Let's just hurry up so we can go," said Junior impatiently. Fluttershy scowled in annoyance while Mosura clenched her fists as she grew flustered.
Aria watched as Applejack partnered up with Sonata. She found Sunset partnering up with Angirasu, though the red head kept glaring at Adagio. The twin tailed pop star took notice of Rodan to be sitting on the ground, picking at grass. He's been rather quiet compared to what she's used to. It was a bit unnerving to see, along with the constant cold look he kept.
"Hey, what are you doing?" asked Aria.
"Waiting," answered Rodan.
"On what?" asked Aria in annoyance.
"For everyone to partner up. I don't really care who I end up with," said Rodan in a neutral tone. Aria raised a brow in confusion. Rodan Shou passing up on the opportunity to partner up with any of the cute girls in the group was a surprise. Aria noticed that the rest of the teens had already began to partner up, much to her dismay.
"Since you don't care, you can ride with me," said Aria, unenthusiastic about the situation. Rodan merely glanced at her.
"You're riding Bitch though. Don't grope me neither, or else you're gonna lose those hands," said Aria with a warning glare. Rodan merely stood up.
"Sure," said Rodan simply, walking passed the girl. Aria's brows raised.
"What? No comeback?" asked Aria.
It has been a couple of hours. The afternoon sun was beginning to set. The sky was growing yellow and some of the more nocturnal creatures began to emerge. The teens found themselves riding on the backs of the triceratops herd through another forest.
Junior rode on the second dino in the line of the herd. Adagio held onto his waist to keep herself secured to avoid falling off the moving beast. Mosura and Fluttershy rode the Alpha male of the herd in the front, leading the group through the forest. Sunset clung to Angirasu as they rode the third member of the herd. Rodan rode behind Aria, holding her waist. Applejack rode with Sonata, Rainbow rode with Rarity, and Twilight rode with Pinkie Pie.
During their ride, more strange creatures were spotted from the trees. A burly orangutan-like beast sat upon a large tree branch, looking down at the humans that rode the dinosaurs. Its matted brown fur was covered in moss and its skin was rough. The ape gave a small grumble sound as it curiously watched from its branch.
From another tree, a cat sized creature ran along the tree branches. It appeared like a bat, but lacked the membranes on its limbs for flight. However, it's long spindly legs carried it across the tree. The creature's large bulbous eyes scanned the area. Its nose flared as it snorted, and its large ears listened in. Its long sharp claws dug into the tree as it crawled, almost like a spider. Rarity whimpered as she clung to Rainbow tightly in fright.
The bat suddenly leaped from its branch, several feet across the forest towards another tree, latching on. The bat scurried up and pounced onto another branch, where several fruit hung. The bat reached its long fore limb and used its claws and thumbs to grab one of the fruit. The bat sunk its fangs into the fruit and began to feed.
"Man, that is one ugly fruit bat," said Rainbow.
A couple of hog-like beasts began to scamper in the path of the herd. They were large, standing at 5 feet in height. Their snouts bore four tusks that protruded out from their jaws and boney spines stuck out of their back. The creatures snorted as they dashed passed the herd, causing the alpha male to grunt as it slightly flinched.
"Easy, Mr. Triceratops," said Fluttershy as she ran a comforting hand over the back of the beast. The dino began to settle and continued on the path.
"Gojira, look at that!" said Adagio, pointing to a bird group of birds that stood among the tallest tree branches. They bore bright plumages, ranging from red and orange and yellow. They bore feathered crests and long tail feathers. The creatures looked similar to a Phoenix. The birds gave cries that echoed through the forest.
Fluttershy looked back to find Junior and Adagio. The rose haired girl frowned as she watched as the pop star kept her arms wrapped around his waist. She was tapping the boy and pointed to all of the magnificent creatures that they spotted on their journey, which Junior would respond by looking. Watching this filled Fluttershy with envy. The way they looked was almost like how a couple would. That could have been her riding with Junior.
"Ooh! Fluttersy, look!" said Mosura, pointing to what looked like a group of rabbits to be bounding through the bushes in the woods. Fluttershy gasped and grinned, her mood lighting up. Rabbits were one of her most favorite kind of animals.
"Hi, little bunnies!" cooed Fluttershy.
"Aw, they're just too darn cute!" said Mosura. One of the rabbits stopped running and looked to the rest that ran to the bushes. The rabbit turned to look at the humans.
"Oh God!" Mosura flinched with an unnerved look. The rabbit looked lean in build. Its head bore small antlers that stuck out of its head. Its eyes were a deep yellow and bore sharp fangs and buck teeth to be sticking out of its muzzle. The creature wiggled its fluffy tail.
"Oh. Well, hello sweetie!" said Fluttershy as she waved at the rabbit.
"Sweetie?" asked Mosura as she eyed the bunny. She couldn't believe that Fluttershy could still fawn over this mangy looking creature.
"Man, this beats walking," said Aria with a smile. As she looked around at the strange creatures that roamed in this forest, she began to feel like something was off. She couldn't put her finger on it. The dinosaur that she rode on stumbled with a grunt, causing Aria to grunt as she felt Rodan bump against her back.
"Sorry," said Rodan, scooting back a bit as he kept his arms around Aria's waist.
It was here that Aria's mind finally clicked. She knew what was missing. The girl looked back at the boy behind her. She realized that he hadn't tried to flirt with her during the ride. Not even once. It was here that she noticed the deep frown on his face. He seemed to have grown much more gloomy over the course of these past couple of days.
"Hey, what's the mater with you? We're on a nature walk looking at freaky animals while riding dinosaurs for God's sake!" said Aria. Rodan forced a small smile.
"Yeah, it's cool..." said Rodan. Aria stared as the boy kept his eyes on downcast.
"Rodan, what's wrong? You're starting to creep me out," said Aria, her tone softening.
"Eliza's gone..." said Rodan.
"What?" asked Aria. It was here that she remembered what led up to their current predicament. She had forgotten all about Eliza.
"Eliza's dead and it's all my fault," said Rodan, his tone distant. Aria's eyes slightly widened.
"Rodan, you can't blame yourself for-"
"You weren't there," said Rodan. Aria was about to say something back but couldn't. There weren't any words that she could muster to respond. The look in Rodan's eyes sent shivers through her. So, Aria turned forward, growing more worried.
An hour passed. The teens continued on their journey. The sky grew darker, nearing the twilight. Stars began to shine in the sky above the jungle canopy. The teens found more nocturnal animals to be emerging. More flightless fruit bats scurried on the trees, taking up the juicy fruit that hung. An owl stood on a tree. It twisted its head 180 degrees, looking down at the humans with glowing yellow orange eyes. It was large, standing at three feet in height. Its brown feathers were long.
"I feel much safer traveling with these guys," said Mosura with an uneasy look as she stared at the owl. She noticed Fluttershy to be looking over her shoulder. Mosura looked back and found Adagio to be resting her head against Junior's shoulder as she kept her arms wrapped around him. Mosura bore a mild look of annoyance but turned to Fluttershy.
"Worried that the hussie will try to take advantage of Goji again?" asked Mosura. Fluttershy flinched as she realized that Mosura noticed that she was staring at the pair behind them.
"I-I wasn't..." Fluttershy began to stammer. Mosura smiled in amusement.
"It's OK. I'm worried about the guy too. It wasn't cool what she did. But I don't think she's dumb enough to try that again at this point," said Mosura in reassurance. Honestly, she wished that she was the one riding behind Junior. Fluttershy shook her head.
"That's... Not it," said Fluttershy. Mosura raised a brow.
"Then... what is it?" asked Mosura. Fluttershy began to blush as she looked back at Mosura.
"I... I have a crush on Gojira," said Fluttershy in a small tone. Mosura stiffened. She had to do a double take to make sure that she didn't misheard her. Fluttershy looked away with a shy smile.
"He's just so strong and kind. I can't help myself," said Fluttershy as her cheeks grew warmer.
"It's uh... It's funny that you say that. Because I actually... like him too," said Mosura. Fluttershy looked back at her with wide eyes. The two stared at each other for several seconds, before looking away.
'This just got awkward,' thought Mosura.
Meanwhile with Junior and Adagio, the two sat in silence. Adagio leaned her head against him with a yawn. This seating arrangement was working out better than she thought. She didn't have to deal with Sunset's mouth and she got to lean her tired head against someone who isn't complaining. In Junior's case, he was glad that there wasn't any more bickering during this trip. Though as he felt Adagio lean on him, he began to recall their last interaction before the invasion. Adagio seemed to have been having trouble before, but he never had the opportunity to ask her. It seemed like now was as good of a time as any.
"Adagio?" called Junior.
"Hmm?" answered Adagio, raising her head.
"I've been meaning to ask. I noticed that you seemed to have been having problems. But I never got around to hear you out," said Junior. Adagio grimaced.
"Oh," said Adagio.
"If you want to talk, I'll listen," said Junior. Adagio looked to Junior and the sincerity in his eyes. She looked away, biting her lip. She wanted to talk, but she felt herself being held back. Something was telling her to keep quiet. She wondered why she was feeling that way. After all, the guy was offering to hear her out.
"Gojira... I-" Adagio was interrupted as a distant ear piercing roar filled the air. The teens shot up, alert. The herd of triceratops began to look around, growing anxious. Fluttershy tried to keep the Alpha male of the herd calm but they seemed to have already beginning to panic.
"What the hell was that?" asked Angirasu. The teens looked back and caught sight of a rising yellow cloud. The sound of animal cries filled the air. From the cloud, a stampede of different herbivore dinosaurs approached.
"Stampede!" cried Applejack. From the clouds emerged a pack of tyrannosauruses. The predators gave a terrifying shriek as they stomped after the dinosaurs that fled.
"More like Dinner rush!" said Rainbow. The triceratops began to buck and cry out in panic. The beasts' movement caused the teens to fall off of their rides and to the ground. Adagio screamed in fright as a triceratops was about to stomp on her. However, Junior quickly pulled her away to safety. The dinosaurs began to flee, with the rest of the stampede heading for the teens.
"Watch out!" cried Sunset. The teens began to flee from the path to avoid the stampede. An iguanodon cried out as it ran in Twilight's direction. The girl whimpered as she ran to avoid getting trampled. Applejack suddenly tackled her to the ground, narrowly avoiding the dinosaur as it ran. The teens were scattered as they tried to avoid getting stomped on.
Above the jungle canopy, Kenra and Sigyn rode on the back of a pteranodon. The two watched the chaos unfold.
"Told you this would be fun," said Kenra as she watched as the teens tried to avoid getting crushed.
"Indeed," said Sigyn in amusement.
Meanwhile below ground, Junior ran with Adagio in tow. The girl cried out as the dinosaurs ran passed them. Junior led her to a tree.
"Look!" cried Adagio. Junior turned to the direction of her point, finding Fluttershy and Mosura to be unable to make it out of the middle of the stampede. Junior grunted as he ran back.
"Gojira, no!" cried Adagio in alarm. She cried out in pain as she felt herself cut. She found that she grazed her arm onto a plant that bore long needles. She began to step away from it and looked to Junior worriedly.
Junior grunted as he avoided slamming into a two legged herbivore that ran by. He cried out to Mosura and Fluttershy, who found themselves being blocked by another two legged dinosaur. Junior ran to reach them but failed to notice a triceratops running his way. The creature rammed into him. Junior was caught to its head as its horn on its snout grazed his back. Adagio screamed in horror as she watched as Junior was flung over the creature.
"Gojira!!" cried Mosura as her pupils disappeared from her eyes. Her body began to ache.
Junior grunted as he lied on the ground. His eyes became reptilian as his back stung with the gash. He snarled as his body began to morph and change. Meanwhile, the rest of the Transmutants began to change form as well.
"Whoa, are you seeing this?!" exclaimed Kenra. From above the jungle, she and Sigyn watched as the Transmutants began to morph and change into beasts.
"This just got interesting," said Sigyn with a smirk. Kenra squinted.
"The big one. No, it can't be him," said Kenra. As she found Junior stand up to his full height, her eyes widened.
"It's Lucky Dragon," said Kenra in shock.
Junior gave an ear piercing shriek as he faced the approaching predators. The rest of the herbivores scampered away in fright as the Transmutants began turn to face the terrible lizards. The largest Rex among them glared at Junior and snarled. It gave a loud roar, while Junior bared his teeth. He was soon joined up by Angirasu, who shook himself and snarled. Rodan began to walk and spread his wings, giving a loud squawk. Mosura shrieked as her bio luminescent wings glowed brightly.
"Take cover!" cried Twilight. The girls began to back away from the path, taking up refuge by the trees as the beasts stared down at each other. Junior roared as he began to sprint towards the rexes, followed by the other Transmutants. The dinosaurs roared as they ran towards them as well. In seconds, the beasts collided.
Junior slammed into the alpha rex, causing it to stumble. He grabbed the alpha's head and forced it to the side. Junior sunk his teeth into his neck, causing it to cry out in agony. Angirasu snarled as he swung his tail at the second rex, who stumbled back to avoid the dangerous club tail. Mosura shrieked as she soared towards the third rex, spitting a glob of silk onto its head, making it grunt as it thrashed, unable to see. Rodan dove towards the fourth rex and dug his talons into its head. He slashed his talons along its head as he used his wings to keep himself airborne.
The teens watched as the Transmutants battled the predators. Junior was tackled by a fifth rex that came from his blind spot as he mauled the alpha rex. He groaned as he fell onto his back and held the fifth rex's head. The fifth rex snapped its jaws at Junior, who held it back. The alpha rex snarled as it got up, bleeding from its neck. It bit down on Junior's tail, who screeched in pain. He failed to hold the fifth rex back, who managed to bit down on his shoulder.
Angirasu grunted as he found himself knocked onto his back. He groaned as he attempted to roll over but couldn't. He was like a turtle turned onto its shell. The second rex snarled as it began to bite at his neck. Angirasu wailed in pain, swinging his tail upward. The swing of his tail managed to reach the rex, slamming the club against its head. The carnivore collapsed as the club crushed its skull and impaled it. Its eyes rolled back as it lied dead. Angirasu grunted as he began to force himself to rock in place until he managed to tip himself back onto his feet. He shook himself as his neck began to bleed.
"We gotta do something!" said Twilight as Mosura found herself knocked from the air. The third rex snarled as it stalked towards her, ready to crush the moth with its jaws. Mosura hissed as she used her long fore limbs to scoot herself back away. Before the rex could strike, a bright light shone in its eyes. The rex cried out as its vision blurred. Twilight and Sunset stood with their hands glowing. They fired off magic flares of light towards the rex, which groaned as it stumbled back from the bright lights. Mosura chirped as she shot up and used her long legs to carry herself. She lunged for the rex and slashed her shorter limbs against the rex's head.
Rodan shrieked as he tackled the fourth rex to the ground. He slashed his talons on it and bit at its neck. He tore at the flesh of the rex with his powerful beak, causing it to bleed profusely.
Junior found himself standing against the alpha and fifth. The two predators snarled as they stalked towards him, looking for an opening. Junior's eyes darted to both of them, back and forth as he anticipated their moves. The fifth rex charged towards him. It opened its jaws to bite, but Junior quickly spun and swept its legs with his tail. His dorsal plates lit up as the rex fell to the ground, while the alpha charged for him. Junior then faced it and spewed forth his atomic breath. The alpha shrieked as it was pushed back by the blast, dropping to the ground as its face scorched to a crisp. Junior snarled as he blew air through his nostrils but failed to notice the fifth rex that he tripped to be lunging from behind. The rex bit down on him at the back of his neck. Junior screeched in pain as he stumbled. The rex kept a tight hold around the back of his neck, gradually adding to the force of its bite. Junior stumbled as he thrashed and attempted to reach the rex. The rex slashed the claws on its feet against Junior's leg.
Angirasu roared as he charged towards the rex that had Junior locked in its jaws. He slammed into its leg, jabbing his horn on his snout into its thigh. The rex screeched in pain as it released Junior, who turned and slashed his claws against it. The rex stumbled back as it bled, roaring at the two. The third rex joined its side, bleeding from its own wounds on its head. The two predators found the rest of their pack to be lying dead. Rodan stepped off of the dead fourth rex he stood on and joined the side of Junior and Angirasu, along with Mosura. The dinosaurs began to turn tail and run, not wanting to needlessly lose their lives to the Transmutants. Junior roared to the heavens, displaying his status as the supreme predator.
Meanwhile above, Sigyn and Kenra stared at the Transmutants. Kenra hardened her expression.
"Hmph. It really is him. So much for getting rid of the intruders," said Kenra in annoyance.
"I wouldn't worry. Have you forgotten? Stampedes tend to attract THEM," said Sigyn. Kenra smirked.
"We better scram then," said Kenra. The pteranodon screeched as it began to fly off from the area.
"Whoo! That was awesome!" shouted Rainbow, coming out of cover. The rest of the girls came out of cover.
"Man, you guys fucked these T-rexes up!" said Aria as she looked to one of the dead dinosaurs. Junior grunted as he began to look around. Mosura's fuzz erected as did her antennae. Fluttershy noticed the two seeming to be reacting to something. They looked to be anxious, as if they were anticipating something.
"Girls, I think something's wrong," said Fluttershy as she turned to the rest of the girls.
Suddenly, the ground began to burst open. The girls cried out in alarm as the earth burst. From the ground emerged a reptilian creature that gave a horrific roar.
The beast that emerged from the earth was a sickly green. It was a lizard-like beast with strong forelegs that carried it out of the burrow. It lacked back legs and only had a tail to drag. It was like a serpent with arms. The beast's head appeared skull-like, with its eyes placed further behind the socket-like dip in its head. It was much like an orca's spots, meant to hide the true place of its eyes. The creature snarled as it exposed the sharp teeth in the roof of its mouth and its triple pronged forked tongue.
"What the hell?!" exclaimed Aria.
"Run!" cried Twilight. The girls screamed as they began to flee from the beast, which stood to be around ten feet. The Transmutants snarled as they began to approach the creature, which climbed out the burrow and hissed.
As Twilight fled, she stopped as the ground in front of her began to burst open. She screamed in terror as another one of the lizards appeared. Junior turned as he heard her scream, finding Twilight to be running away. The lizard ran after her. It shot its tongue forward and grabbed the girl. Twilight screamed as she was pulled to the beast's jaws. However, Junior had stomped on its head, crushing it. Twilight whimpered as she forced the tongue off of herself and scurried back. Junior began to notice that more burrows began to appear. From these burrows, more of these monsters emerged.
"They're everywhere!" cried Applejack. The girls screamed as they began to flee from the lizards. The lizards snarled as they gave chase but stopped as the Transmutants rushed to their defense. The lizards began to snarl as their frail yet strong legs tensed. The creatures' mouths watered as their eyes stared in hunger. Their bodies were almost boney, as though they were starving.
Rodan screeched as he flapped his wings and carried himself to one of the lizards. The lizard leapt several feet into the air and bit down on Rodan's leg, pulling him down to the ground. Rodan grunted as the lizard pinned him to the ground, snapping its jaws at him. Rodan moved his head from side to side to avoid being bit. Mosura screeched as she lunged for the lizard and slashed at it, causing it to get off of Rodan and retreat. Rodan grunted as he stood, while Mosura's wings began to grow brighter.
Angirasu snarled as he swayed his tail, daring any of the surrounding lizards to strike. One lizard lunged for him, but was met with a blow to the head by the club. Then, another lizard quickly lunged for Angirasu's back leg and bit down on it. The Transmutant cried out in pain, while two other lizards lunged for him, biting his foreleg and neck.
Junior roared as the rest of the lizards began to surround him. He gave an intimidating roar that caused the lizards to stagger back with a start. Junior stopped, expecting the smaller creatures to flee. However, they all suddenly lunged for him. Junior cried out as they latched to his legs and his back. One even jumped to his chest, wrapping its tail around Junior's neck. Junior wheezed as he felt himself strangled by the lizard's tail as it clawed at his head. He fell over to the ground as the creatures mauled him.
The girls screamed as they fled from the lizards. Their hearts raced as they ran through the dark forest. They felt their breathing, heard their heavy footsteps and grunts close behind. The Dazzlings, Sunset, and Fluttershy found themselves separated from the rest of the girls, who fled from a lizard that pursued them. The girls cried out as Mosura crashed their way. The moth moaned in pain as a lizard had her pinned. Mosura thrust her abdomen upward, sending her stinger into the lizard's gut. The creature collapsed, paralyzed by the venom. It cried out as it foamed at the mouth. Mosura scurried up to her feet and found the Dazzlings, Sunset, and Fluttershy being chased. She flew after them and tackled the lizard. The lizard snarled as it rolled onto its back. It snapped its jaws at Mosura, who recoiled. She then jammed her shorter forelimb appendages into its throat, creating deep gashes.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Main 7 were fleeing from the lizard that pursued them. Twilight sent magic bolts towards it, but the beast merely brushed through the blasts. The girls whimpered as they continued to run. They suddenly skidded to a halt once they found a steep hill in their path. They turned and found the lizard approaching. It snarled as its tongue slipped out, like a snake. The girls huddled together in fear as it approached. Rodan suddenly soared towards the lizard, tackling it to the ground. The girls stumbled back as the two began to stagger their way. They screamed as the two beasts fell back, causing the teens to fall tumble down the hill, passed trees and bushes.
Junior roared as he was gained up on the lizards. His scales were breached by their sharp teeth that sunk into him. He gasped for air as his windpipe was squeezed by one of the lizards' tail. Junior's dorsal plates began to light up as heat built up in his body. He turned to the lizard latched to his neck and spewed his atomic breath, blasting it off of him. Junior roared as he grabbed the neck of the closest lizard and crushed its wind pipe. He then threw it at the other lizard on him. He then lunged for the last lizard on his leg, biting down on it. Junior growled as he snapped its neck with the force of his bite.
Angirasu grunted as he managed to turn his head to fully face the lizard biting his neck. He then bit down on its own neck, his sharp tusks piercing its jugular. The lizard released him and screeched from the bite. Angirasu tore its flesh and then kicked away the lizard biting his back leg. He then slammed his tail against it, crushing its shoulder. Angirasu turned to the lizard on his forelimb and pushed himself against it. As the lizard stumbled over, Angirasu tucked himself into a ball and rolled over it, his spikes stabbing it as he passed over. He grunted as he uncurled himself from his ball shape and found that Sunset, Fluttershy and the Dazzlings were surrounded by three of these lizards.
Angirasu snarled as he began to charge towards the lizards, with Junior running alongside him. Angirasu rammed into the closest lizard, sending it several feet back. The other two lizards snarled as Junior approached. They both split up and ran to the bipedal reptile's sides. As they lunged for him, Junior caught one by the neck, which then wrapped its tail around his arm and began to claw at his wrists. Junior winced in pain and found the second lizard nearing him. He allowed it to latch onto his shoulder. As it was about to maul at his neck, Junior merely forced himself to fall over. The lizard shrieked in alarm as they fell over. It was instantly crushed under Junior's weight.
Junior grunted as he stood up with the remaining lizard in his hand. He grunted as he began to slam it onto the ground multiple times. He dropped the dead lizard and panted. He was hunched over, his wounds stinging and his body ached.
"Gojira!" cried Fluttershy. Junior merely glanced at her, still panting. He found the fearful look in her eyes. Instinct drove him to fight on, but something else drove him to protect her.
The rest of the Transmutants stood wounded. Mosura chirped as she shakily stood while Rodan groaned as his wounds bled. Junior and Angirasu however were worse for wear. Junior was covered in more bite marks and scratches all along his body. Angirasu snorted as his brow bled over his eye. His limbs slightly trembled from his wounds. The Transmutants then heard more snarls. From the burrows, more of these horrible lizards began to emerge. They hissed as they found the Transmutants. Junior snarled as he hardened his eyes. He stepped forward but grunted in pain. He dropped to his hands and knees, breathing heavily.
"They just keep coming," said Sunset, trembling. The girls found the state that the Transmutants were in. There was no way that they could keep this up.
Angirasu roared as he shook off his pain. He stood by Junior's side and began to roar at him. Junior grunted as he shakily attempted to stand but collapsed back to his hands and knees. Angirasu grunted as he found the lizards approaching. He stepped ahead and began to paw at the earth, giving a challenging snarl.
"Aangey, no!" cried Sonata.
Angirasu narrowed his eyes as one of the lizards stepped closer. It began to hiss as it lowered itself to the ground, ready to strike. Before it could, a larger figure suddenly dropped from the air and onto its head. Angirasu recoiled. Standing in front of him was a bipedal ape. It stood to be 18 feet in height. The beast was covered in brown matted fur and bore rough grey skin. The ape was stocky in build, bearing great muscles. Its brown eyes glared at the lizards, which looked at this great ape in fear.
"Whoa..." said Aria.
The ape began to beat its scarred chest. The beat of its fists against its pectorals were like heavy drums, echoing through the forest. The ape gave a loud roar that rivaled that of lions. The lizards began to flee, diving into their burrows. The ape turned to find Angirasu stepping away from it. Angirasu snarled as he glared at this new creature. The ape hardened its face as it stared down at the reptilian quadruped. It then notice Junior rising to his feet, who roared in defiance at the presence of this newcomer. Junior had a couple feet over this new creature. The ape turned and found Mosura and Rodan to be approaching from behind. The ape snarled as he looked to the Transmutants, beating his chest as though he were daring them to strike.
"This won't be pretty!" said Sunset as the girls began to stumble away, not wanting to be caught in the middle of this brawl.
Before Junior could order the attack, he felt a small pinch in one of his open wounds. He grunted in annoyance but felt a wave of exhaustion overcome him. Angirasu felt a pinch too. He groaned as he collapsed to the ground. Mosura and Rodan were met with similar pinches. The teens looked on in shock as the Transmutants began to collapse.
"What's going on?!" asked Sunset. The girls were about to run towards the Transmutants but were suddenly surrounded by several humans.
"What the fuck?!" exclaimed Aria. The humans were covered in dirt yellow paint. They were armed with spears with sharp metal blades at the tips. The humans bore stoic expressions as they held the girls at spear point.
"They're gonna kill us like they killed those guys!" cried Sonata with dread. Fluttershy gasped as she found that the Transmutants had reverted back to their human forms. More of these natives began to appear and surround them with their spears.
"Hold!" said a feminine voice among the natives. A couple of the natives parted, revealing a young blonde woman. Her face was covered in yellow markings, but her clothes were comprised of a jacket, shorts and boots. Her clothes looked suitable for someone out in the jungle.
"Back up!" shouted Aria, drawing out a lighter.
"I have the power to summon fire! Behold!" Aria began to press on the igniter of the lighter, but to no avail. She cursed under her breath as she struggled to get a light. Then with one final try, the fire ignited.
"Fire!" said Aria, holding up her match. The natives merely looked to each other and then back to the pop stare. The blonde woman bore a deadpanned look.
"We have fire," said the woman.
"Oh..." said Aria awkwardly. Suddenly, the lighter in her hand was struck by an arrow. She turned and found a native with dark skin and yellow paint covering her skin to be hiding among the leaves in the tree. Her short raven hair blew in the wind. The native grunted as she swung from the branch and dropped to in front of Aria, who stumbled back. The native stood upright and locked her eyes with Aria's. The rest of the girls tensed as the two stared each other down for next few seconds. Aria than squinted as she stared into the girl's blue eyes.
"Holy shit, Dwan?!" exclaimed Aria. The native girl suddenly grinned.
"Aria 4/20 Blaze it!" laughed the girl. Aria groaned.
"I told you not to call me that!" said Aria.
"Wait, what?" Sunset and Fluttershy looked to each other in confusion. Adagio went slack jawed.
"No fucking way!" said Adagio. Sonata squealed.
"Dwan!" cried Sonata.
"Long time no see, Dazzlings! I wasn't expecting to see you here!" said the native, turning to face the girls.
"Y-You... You're dead! You're supposed to be dead!" said Adagio, pointing to the girl in shock. Dwan smirked.
"Oh come on, Adagio. You can't get rid of me that easily," said Dwan. Adagio groaned in annoyance.
"At first I felt kind of bad. But now I remember how annoying your voice is," said Adagio with a scowl. Dwan wrapped an arm around her with a laugh.
"Oh stop, you'll hurt my feelings! Tell me, did they have a memorial for me? Were there hashtags in my honor? Ooh, it must sting that I was the hot topic over you," said Dwan with a mock disappointed look. Adagio growled in response.
"Ho! Ho! I called it! Damn I love that its irking you!" laughed Dwan.
"Wait, who is this?! What's going on here?!" asked Sunset.
"Dwan is this girl we knew in Applewood! She was a model and actress!" said Sonata with a grin.
"Hey don't leave out the album I dropped!" said Dwan. Adagio and Aria groaned.
"You mean the album with those trash songs?" asked Aria.
"Fuck you, I made bank," scoffed Dwan.
"Yeah, on shit!" said Aria.
"Dwan, you know these girls?" asked the blonde woman.
"Yeah, these are the girls I've told you about, Ann!" said Dwan.
"Oh, your rivals. Well, my name is Ann Darrow. It's a pleasure to meet you," said the woman with a smile.
"Yeah, yeah. Hey, what are your guys doing with our friends?" demanded Aria. The Transmutants stirred awake, finding the natives surrounding them.
"Well this just keeps getting better," said Junior with a scowl.
"Sorry. We wanted to prevent a conflict," said Ann.
"So... the big monkey is a friend of yours?" asked Sonata as she eyed the ape looking down on them. Ann smiled as she looked to the ape.
"You can say that," said Ann. The ape grunted as his bones began to pop. He began to shrink down as his body restructured itself. The teens stared in shock as this ape transformed into a human man.
"A Transmutant," said Fluttershy with wide eyes. The man stood to be over 6 feet in height. His skin was tan and his body stocky. He bore rugged hair and a beard. Three scars ran across his chest, as though he were clawed from something long ago. One of the natives had quickly passed on a robe, which he took.
"Who are you?" demanded Junior as the Transmutants were ushered together. Mosura whimpered as she covered her breasts.
"I am called, Kong. I am a god incarnate, as man and beast," said the stranger, his voice deep. Junior scoffed.
"There's nothing godlike about you," said Junior. Mosura smacked him in the shoulder with a glare. Kong merely walked passed them.
"We must go. The Skull Crawlers will return in greater numbers," said Kong. The natives approached the Transmutants, holding out red clothes to them.
"Wait, where are the others?" asked Fluttershy worriedly.
Twilight groaned in pain. Her body ached as the world around her spun. She winced as she shakily rose up from the ground. Her vision had blurred, prompting Twilight to gasp in panic. She began to feel her face, unable to find her glasses.
"No! No, no, no, no!" Twilight frantically searched the ground for her glasses. She then felt someone hold her head and placed something on her face. Twilight was now able to see. She sighed in relief and turned to find Applejack smiling at her.
"Thanks, AJ," said Twilight as Applejack pulled her up to her feet.
"No problem, sugarcube," said Applejack, as she picked out twigs and grass from her stetson. They found Rarity moaning as she looked at her grass stained clothes with a look of disgust. Pinkie sat on the ground in a daze while Rainbow held her aching arm.
"I've had better experiences rolling down hills," said Pinkie as she shook of her disorientation.
"Damn. That's one steep hill," said Rainbow. The girls looked back to the hill that they had just been on. They had fallen quite the distance. The teens couldn't see any sign of the top and everything was obscured by bushes and trees.
"I don't hear anything. You don't think..." Rarity turned to Applejack with a look of dread.
"No, don't think like that. I'm sure they're fine," said Applejack.
"Yeah, I bet Gojira and the rest took care of those things," said Rainbow.
"How're we going to reach them? I don't see any way back up there," said Pinkie. The hill in question almost ran vertically at the base. There seemed to be no way to climb up. Taking in their surroundings, they realized that they were in a completely separate jungle from the one that they were in.
"Hey, look at this," said Twilight. The girls took notice of the ground that they stood on. They stood on a dirt road, which ran through the woods. The ground bore tracks as well, with the shape of horse shoes.
"Let's follow this road," said Twilight.
"But what about the others? asked Rarity.
"There's nothing we can do right now. If there's humans around, our best chance is finding them," said Twilight.
The crackle of flames. Sources of soft orange light were among the darkness, guiding the humans on their path. The cry of nocturnal beasts in the cold dark night filled the air.
Junior found himself walking with his friends with these silent natives. The natives themselves looked Neighsian or at least pacific islander in descent, what with their slanted eyes and their short statures. Their skin was covered in this grey mud, with strange tribal paint to be marked over their bodies.
Junior made sure that he was close to his friends. He kept his eyes on the natives any chance that he got. They couldn't trust these people. Not to mention they couldn't afford to separate, considering that half of the group was missing. Junior's imagination began to run wild as he thought of what could have happened to the rest of the girls. He had to take deep breaths to settle his nerves, due to him fearing the worse. For now, he'll go along with this 'Kong' character. The first chance that he got, he was going to bail to look for the others. He vowed to himself that he was going to get them all home, and he planned on honoring that.
"I can't believe that you're actually alive," said Aria in disbelief.
"To be honest, me neither," said Dwan nonchalantly.
"Um... could someone explain, please?" asked Fluttershy.
"You didn't hear? Dwan was filming a scene for the sequel to Bloody Jungle. The film crew got lost at sea in a storm," said Sonata.
"Oh! I thought she looked familiar!" said Angirasu, snapping his fingers. Dwan smirked as she looked back at the boy.
"Ooh! You saw my movie?" asked Dwan. Angirasu cleared his throat with a look of discomfort.
"You could say that," said Angirasu. Dwan hummed as she began to walk alongside Angirasu with a flirty smile.
"So, are you a fan?" asked Dwan.
"Can't say that I am. It was my first time seeing you," said Angirasu with a shrug. Dwan giggled as she ran a finger over the boy's bare chest, who stiffened in response.
"Well I promise you, you'll never be able to stop thinking about me," said Dwan with a seductive grin. Angirasu looked away with grimace.
"Oh great, now there's two hussies," whispered Mosura as she leaned next to Fluttershy. Sonata bore an incredulous look as she watched as Dwan touch Angirasu. She growled as she hardened her expression.
"By the way, how old are you?" whispered Dwan.
"Why?" asked Angirasu uneasily.
"Just making sure you're at least 17. I'm 19 by the way," said Dwan with a wink.
"Easy, lady. You're coming on too strong," deadpanned Junior.
"Aww. Feeling left out?" asked Dwan as she bumped her hip against Junior, who slightly stumbled. She began to tug at her leather bra.
'Sweetie, your tits are not big enough for you to be playing coy like that,' thought Adagio with a scowl. Junior sighed as he looked away with an indifferent look. Adagio grunted in annoyance as she grabbed Junior's arm and pulled him away from Dwan. The older teen bore a look of interest.
"Oh! Is he your boyfriend?" asked Dwan. Adagio quickly released Junior.
"N-No, he's not," said Adagio in a small tone with a blush.
"Well, that's good. Cause I would be taking him away from ya," said Dwan as she winked at Junior. The boy kept a stoic expression while Adagio hardened her expression.
"I already hate this bitch," whispered Mosura. Fluttershy bore a scowl as she watched as this new girl was flirting with Junior. It was times like this that she wanted to let her inhibitions to fail and just speak what was on her mind. And what was on her mind was not suitable in the presence of children.
"What the heck kind of name is Dwan, anyway?" asked Junior.
"Ah. You see, my name is actually Dawn. But my agent thought that it'd be hip and cool to go by 'Dwan'. So it kind of stuck," said Dwan with a shrug.
"Applewood. Subverting the nuclear family unit while butchering the native language through entertainment," said Junior as he rolled his eyes.
"Um... I still want to know what exactly happened with you," said Fluttershy, realizing that her earlier question had yet to be answered.
"Ah. Well, yeah our ship got caught in a bad storm during filming," said Dwan.
"We were sailing a bit too close to the Tartarus Rectangle. When we got caught in the storm, our ship got caught up in this vortex. It appeared out of nowhere. The next thing we knew, we woke up on a beached ship in the middle of a jungle," said Dwan. Sunset's eyes widened.
"Wait, you mean The Tartarus Rectangle?" asked Sunset, hoping she didn't misheard.
"What other rectangle is there?" deadpanned Dwan.
"Damn it. The Rectangle is some kind of portal. Looks like I owe you ten bucks, Rodan," said Junior. Rodan chuckled in response.
"Laugh while you can. I'll get you on the moon landing, buddy," said Junior with a smirk.
"You guys bet on your conspiracy talks?" asked Mosura incredulously.
"Incredible. So you guys found a wormhole that transported you back in time in the Rectangle," said Sunset.
"You're mistaken," said Ann, looking back at the teens.
"We're not in a different time period. This is a whole new world," said Ann.
"Wait, run that by us one more time," said Aria, her eyes widening.
"I mean, think about it. A world where humans are living among prehistoric animals and other strange creatures. This is a different dimension," said Ann.
"No way..." said Sunset, her shoulders slumping.
"And the good news just keep coming," deadpanned Angirasu.
"So... where's the film crew that got marooned here with you?" asked Mosura. Dwan grimaced, falling silent.
"They... They didn't make it through the first day," said Dwan. With that, the teens didn't press further. Judging by their experience here in this world, they understood what she meant.
"I was lucky. I ran into Ann and the Iwi people. They took me in months ago," said Dwan. Ann chuckled.
"Yeah. And I almost regretted it too. This girl can be quite the diva," said Ann. Dwan groaned as an embarrassed look was on her face.
"Iwi. Is that the name of this tribe? Where did they come from?" asked Fluttershy curiously.
"Tell you what. When we get home, I'll share some stories with you kids. I'm sure you have a lot of questions," said Ann.
Meanwhile, a vulture-like bird flew towards a tree branch in the area. Its long slender scaly neck curled as it perched itself onto the branch. Its dark wings folded against its sides as its orange eyes stared at the traveling humans.
Miles away, Sigyn stood with Kenra, and a mysterious dark figure who took wheezing breaths. Sigyn's held a crystal ball, which gave off light. Within this object, the three found the teens traveling with the Iwi in the densest part of the jungle.
"Damned savages. They had to ruin the fun," said Kenra in annoyance.
"I suppose it can't be helped," sighed Sigyn.
"Why don't we just raid them?" asked Kenra as she gripped her rifle tightly. She was itching for some action, and sitting all day at their camp site provided none.
"Too dangerous. The forest is too dense to navigate and we'd only invoke the wrath of their king. Besides, the Iwi pose no threat to us. So long as those intruders don't advance further into our territory, it won't be an issue," said Sigyn as she stared at the crystal ball.
"But still, we should report this to her royal highness," said Sigyn.
The teens continued to travel with the natives through the dark woods for the next several minutes. Junior was still thinking about the earlier conversation. Everything that they saw here was a whole other world. An alternate Earth of some kind. An Earth where all kinds of creatures with different evolutionary paths existed. And humans thrived among them in this hostile world. The fact of this almost made Junior realize just how far they were from home.
Soon, the group came to a clearing in the forest. What they found was a field of large wooden hinges to have filled the ground. There were dozens of them, spread out across the area. They reminded the teens of those metallic cross hinges that deterred tanks during the 2nd world war. At the tips of these crossed wooden hinges were sharp ends, stained with blood. The group continued on until they came across a rocky pass, away from any nearby forest. Water fell from a fall from a nearby hill, flowing down to the pass. In this rocky area, a grand wall stood, made up of wood. There were also large wooden pikes that stuck out of the structure, where more blood stains were found.
"I take it you don't have kind neighbors," said Angirasu.
"Those demons have a history trying to breach these walls," said Kong as he walked ahead. The group walked along a moss covered path, passed the waterfall to get around the water that flowed to wall. Kong stood before a large door at the end of the path. He turned to the wall and found a native to be standing from a tower. The native took notice of him and quickly made a hand gesture.
The door creaked as it began to rise open. Kong stepped forward as the group followed him. Beyond the wall, there ran a slow flowing river that made its way around the grassy land. Ahead there were huts, where more natives sat near fire pits. Surrounding the land were tall hills and wooden structures that made up the walls that fortified the land.
"Welcome to the Iwi tribe," said Ann. The teens looked around, mesmerized. They were led across a bridge that ran over the calm river and towards the main camp. They found natives resting by the fire, while some cooked rodents or small dinosaurs.
"Wow," said Sunset breathlessly, finding red flags with white symbols marked on them. The symbols were much similar to the markings that were painted onto the natives with them.
"The Iwi tend to keep to themselves. They have no concept of property. They all contribute what they can for the overall good of the tribe," said Ann as the group passed female native folding red fabric, setting it aside as she began sat before a wooden device, which held up silk. The rest of the natives in the group began to disperse, but not before bowing their heads to Kong.
"If you are lost as were Darrow and Dwan, then you are welcome to stay. I only ask you respect the ways of the Iwi," said Kong, walking off.
"Kong, aren't you-" Ann called out to the Transmutant, but fell silent as he walked off.
"Not a social guy, is he?" asked Aria.
"Don't mind him. Come on, we'll get you set up," said Ann as she began to lead the teens through the village. Angirasu looked around, finding some of the natives that had escorted them were making their way to their huts. He found some of the men joining women, presumably their wives, as children emerged, reaching out to their fathers to pick them up. Angirasu cracked a small smile as he watched the warmth of the families. Though, he frowned as he thought about his own family. At least, what was left of it.
As the teens walked, Adagio began to feel herself grow off balance. She felt a sudden daze beginning to overcome her. The girl stopped as she began to pant.
"Dagi? Are you OK?" asked Sonata worriedly. Junior stopped. He turned to find Adagio to be slightly trembling. The girl was breathing heavily as she swayed.
"I-I don't feel so..." Adagio began to stumble. Junior bolted towards her, pushing past Dwan and Ann. He caught Adagio in his arms. The girl felt limp as she panted. Junior's eyes widened in alarm.
"She's burning up! Something's wrong!" said Junior as he shook Adagio, who slumped in his arms. Aria and Sonata rushed to her side.
"Adagio, stop messing around!" said Aria.
"What's happening?" asked Sunset worriedly. Ann quickly made her way to Junior and Adagio, feeling her forehead.
"Did she eat anything unusual?" asked Ann as she pulled back on Adagio's lid. Her eyes rolled back as she groaned.
"All she's been eating were protein bars since we've gotten here!" said Aria.
"What about those wounds? Did you clean them properly?" asked Ann as she looked over Adagio's bandaged arms.
"Sure with this medical kit that was sucked into this world with us!" said Sonata, growing more worried by the second.
"She was attacked by a sea scorpion two days ago. Are they venomous?" asked Sunset.
"I don't think so. But if it were two days ago, then that may not be it. Something-" Ann began to look over Adagio. She gasped as she noticed that near her elbow, there was a cut that bore puss. The skin around the cut had grown purple.
"Oh shit! Dwan, go get the Healer!" said Ann.
"On it!" said Dwan as she dropped her spear to the ground and began to sprint off ahead of the group.
"Come on!" said Ann as she began to lead the teens through the village. Junior scooped Adagio into is arms and carried her bridal style. He didn't like the way things were turning out. Judging by Ann's reaction, it may have been much more serious than he thought it'd be. The teens followed Ann to a large tent. Ann raised the sheet to the entrance, allowing Junior to carry Adagio inside. He found Dwan to be frantically speaking to an elderly woman that wore hoop ear rings and red paint marked on her face. She turned to face the group with a stoic expression.
"Right there! That girl needs your help!" said Dwan urgently. The Healer nodded as she gestured to a cot on the ground. Junior began to carry Adagio to the cot, gently lowering her onto it. The Healer knelt beside Adagio, looking her over. She held up Adagio's left arm, finding the infected wound near her elbow and the purple tone in her skin.
"Please tell me you can help her," said Junior, gritting his teeth. The elder merely stood up and began to make her way to the back of the room. She took a basket out and a clay bowl that was sealed with a top. The elder returned with the items, setting them aside. She removed the top of the bowl, revealing palm sized dark leaches to be swimming in water. The elder took one of the leaches and held it near Adagio's wound. The parasite latched onto her arm and began to suck on the wound.
"Shh! Trust her!" said Ann. Aria gritted her teeth. How could she trust this stranger with her sister's life? What Adagio needed was actual medical treatment, not some witch doctor's ritual. Sonata took her hand and held it tightly. Aria held back her tears as she watched as Adagio wasted away.
As the leech grew from sucking Adagio's blood, the Healer took the time to open up the basket beside her. She drew out some contents. They were ingredients and a bowl. She took the ingredients, some herbs and began to grind them up into a smaller bowl. The woman's brows began to sweat as she grounded the herbs up. She turned to Ann, and then proceeded to run two of her fingers along her wrinkly throat.
"Water? OK," said Ann as she got up and began to make her way over to a vase in the corner of the room. She took a small wooden plate and scooped up water with it. She carefully made her way to the elder, who proceeded to dump the grounded herbs into the water. As she set it aside, she reached for the leech and brushed a flat stone against its head. The leech released Adagio and was placed back into the clay bowl with the rest of the parasites. Adagio's arm bore a circle mark from the leach's bite. The Healer began to take an ointment and rub it over Adagio's infected cut. She then held Adagio's head up and brought the wooden bowl of water near her lips. She helped Adagio to drink the contents. The girl began to cough as she lied back down, her breathing beginning to settle a bit. The Healer turned to Ann and gave her a small nod.
"Thank you, Healer. You're a miracle worker," said Ann in relief.
"She's going to be OK, right?" asked Sonata with a sniffle.
"She'll be just fine. She just needs to rest and keep taking the Healer's medicine," said Ann with a reassuring smile. Sonata broke into tears as she buried her face into Aria's shoulder. Aria held back her tears as she held Sonata, her lips quivering.
"What the hell happened?" asked Junior.
"I've seen this before. One of the natives once cut themselves on some kind of plant with these toxic needles. The Healer healed him right up," said Ann.
"I didn't even realize," said Junior in a small tone. He didn't know when or how Adagio could have encountered something like that. After all, she was with him the whole trip through the jungle before they met the Iwi.
"Be thankful that we got her here as soon as we did. Otherwise the Healer would've thought it'd be better to remove her arm to save her life," said Ann. Junior clenched his fists as he heard this.
Later that evening...
Ann led the teenagers through the village. Aria and Sonata were not present, however. The two were remaining in the Healer's tent with their sister. So for now, Ann was leading the rest of the teens to where they'll be resting. She pointed to a large hut that sat alone.
"This is where Dwan and I are staying. If I knew new people were going to be staying, I would have asked if the natives could help set something up for you," said Ann, apologetically.
"Is there enough room for three more? If so, then would it be alright for Mosura , Sunset, and Fluttershy to stay with you?" asked Junior. Dwan smirked.
"Mmh. How chivalrous of you!" said Dwan.
"Are you sure?" asked Fluttershy.
"Yeah, it's fine. Right guys?" asked Junior.
"Sure," said Angirasu with a smile and nod. Rodan shrugged.
"We're kind of used to sleeping outside at this point," said Rodan. Ann smiled.
"Well, I'll be back to hand you boys some things to help you with comfort," said Ann, walking off. Dwan looked to Angirasu and Junior with a seductive grin.
"Don't you boys peek in on us, you hear?" asked Dwan. Junior scoffed in response.
"Whatever," said Junior. Dwan giggled in response.
"Sorry, I like giving you a hard time. Something about you just screams, 'Naughty'. Aangey here seems like a good boy though. Say..." Dwan looked to the boys with a grin.
"I think I'll call you, 'Naughty Goji' and 'Nice Aang'!" said Dwan. Angirasu raised a brow as Junior looked at the girl in confusion.
"What does that even mean?!" asked Junior. Dwan hummed to herself as she walked off, swaying her ass as she entered the hut. Mosura suppressed a groan as she had her arms crossed.
"God she's infuriating!" said Mosura in a whisper.
"I was starting to get a bit ticked off too," said Fluttershy with a scowl.
"Girls, don't you start getting confrontational with her. The last thing we need is for conflict with a bunch spear wielding natives and their freaking monkey god," said Junior. Mosura and Fluttershy looked at him in offense.
"Why do you think we'll be the ones to start something?" demanded Mosura.
"I didn't say that," said Junior. He noticed the huffy mood that the two were.
"What's with you two? Why are you so upset?" asked Junior. Sunset face palmed.
"Oh Goji, you dense dork," said Sunset under her breath.
"You could tell her to stop her lewd behavior, you know," said Fluttershy.
"Isn't that what I did?" asked Junior in confusion.
"You called that telling her to stop? Angirasu, you could've at least said something!" said Mosura in disapproval. Angirasu recoiled.
"I uh..."
"Don't put Angirasu on the spot! He's too nice of a guy to say something," said Junior.
"Then what about you? Why do you let these girls treat you like a slab of meat?" questioned Mosura.
"What are you on about?" asked Junior with a quizzical look.
"Goji, why do you let these girls act so shamelessly towards you?" asked Fluttershy. Junior shook his head.
"No, no. Fluttershy-"
"Don't tell me you enjoy it," said Mosura with a look of dread.
"It's not like that!" cried Junior defensively.
"Look, what am I supposed to do?! This shit never happens to me! Girls never used to hit on me! They never even looked my way!" said Junior. He couldn't fathom why Fluttershy and Mosura were giving him shit over something so trivial.
"Look, I'm fucking exhausted! I don't care whether it’s Dwan or Adagio, you girls don't like. Do not fight with them! I'm going to bed!" said Junior as he stormed off.
"What... just happened?" asked Angirasu.
"Jealously is not attractive," deadpanned Sunset. Fluttershy frowned as her cheeks warmed up with shame as Mosura huffed and crossed her arms.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," said Mosura. Sunset rolled her eyes in response.
"Let's just get some sleep. It's been a long day. Tomorrow morning, we can figure out a game plan," said Sunset.
"Sounds good," said Rodan.
"Hey... watch out for that Dwan girl," said Angirasu with a worried look. Sunset smiled in amusement.
"Us? I think you should watch out, 'Nice Aang'," said Sunset teasingly. Angirasu gave an embarrassed chuckle and blush.
"Good night boys~!" said Sunset as the three made their way to the hut.
Later that night, the boys found themselves setting down primitive sleeping bags, made from hide of mammals and sacks filled with soft bird feathers for their heads. The three had gathered by a fire, taking in its warmth during this cold evening. Junior gave a heavy sigh as he looked to the Healer's tent, which was a short walk from where they sat. Junior shook his head as he rubbed his brow.
"How did it all end up like this?" asked Junior. He looked around anxiously, tapping his finger on his knee.
"Twilight and the others could be looking for us. We should go out to look for them," said Junior as he stood.
"Gojira, it's night time. Who knows what other monsters might be lurking," said Rodan.
"Which is exactly why we should look for them! I'll go by myself if I have to," said Junior.
"You leave this place, you die," said a familiar voice. Junior turned with a hardened expression, finding Kong to be standing nearby. He was shirtless, exposing the clawed scars that ran across his chest and his stocky build. Around his neck was a medallion, with an image of what looked to be a stylized skull. He wore red baggy pants that some of the natives wore.
"Is that a threat?" questioned Junior, turning to fully face the scruffy haired man.
"It is a word of caution, boy. You are outsiders, ignorant of this world like the children you are," said Kong as he approached. Junior narrowed his eyes in response.
"Yeah, no shit. We had our fair share of bad encounters with the local wildlife," said Junior dismissively.
"And they were just a fraction of the beasts that roam these lands. Out there is a constant struggle of survival, where the one with the wit, the strength, numbers and will to survive wins," said Kong.
"Hmph. Two out of four. I'll make it work," said Junior as he turned to walk. However, Kong grabbed him by the shoulder and yanked him back.
"You will be devoured by the demons before the sun rises!" said Kong, his brows furrowed. Junior leaned closer as he kept his scowl, undeterred.
"Take your stinkin' hand off me, you damn dirty ape," said Junior in a low tone. The two stared each other down for what felt like an eternity. Neither Transmutant backed down from the other's intense stare. From the surrounding area, Angirasu noticed a couple of Iwi to have awakened, standing outside of their huts. They stood and watched as the two Transmutants locked eyes. Angirasu was surprised to see some of the natives to be up. They weren't really that loud and the confrontation had yet to even escalate to the two throwing fists. It was as though they sensed the tension from them and woke up to investigate. Angirasu then noticed that couple of the men had drawn out spears.
"Uh oh," said Angirasu to himself. He turned to find Junior and Kong still staring each other down. He quickly stood by the two.
"Gojira, we should listen to him," said Angirasu. Junior looked at him incredulously.
"But-"
"Look, I'm worried about the others too. But those things, whatever they're called, were more than we could handle. What good are we to them if we get killed in the middle of the night?" asked Angirasu. Junior lowered his head and sighed heavily. He pulled away from Kong.
"Fine," said Junior. He made his way over to his sleeping bag and lied down. Angirasu sighed in relief as he noticed that the natives were beginning to return to their huts, especially the ones that were armed.
"Sorry about my friend here. He's only concerned for the rest of our group," said Angirasu.
"You're friend's intentions are noble, but he lacks foresight. In the morning, it will be safer to venture out beyond these walls. Rest now," said Kong as he walked off. Angirasu turned and lied himself down onto his sleeping bag. Junior was lying on his back, looking at the night sky with a scowl.
"What happened to not getting into conflict with the monkey god?" asked Angirasu. Junior sighed heavily. He merely turned on his side and pulled his covers over himself. Angirasu shook his head.
"First thing in the morning, Gojira. I promise. Good night guys," said Angirasu as he lied down.
"Goodnight," said Rodan.
It was early morning. Fluttershy stirred awake from her sleeping bag and yawned. She rubbed her heavy eyes as she sat upright. She found Sunset and Mosura still sound asleep. However, she noticed that Ann Darrow and Dwan were nowhere to be seen in the hut. The girl got out of her sleeping bag and began to slip back on her boots, zipping them up. She began to walk out of the hut, yawning as she looked around the camp. The morning sun was already beginning to light up the area, exposing the bright green grass and plants that filled the land. She found the Iwi people to be going about their daily chores.
The girl began to look around. She realized that Junior and the boys were nowhere to be seen. she was sure that they were supposed to have been nearby. As she walked on, she found three empty sleeping bags. Fluttershy continued searching, her expression quizzical.
"They must be using the bathroom," said Fluttershy to herself. She was about to walk off but found Aria to be walking nearby, carrying a clay vase filled with water. Fluttershy jogged over to the girl.
"Aria!" called Fluttershy. Aria stopped and noticed the rose haired teen to be approaching.
"Oh. Morning," said Aria in her usual flat tone.
"Good morning. Have you seen the boys by any chance?" asked Fluttershy.
"Nah. I just got up. I was just getting water for Adagio," said Aria.
"Oh. How is she by the way?" asked Fluttershy, concerned.
"Meh. She's been better. She's too weak to get up. That old lady is already doing that same ritual," said Aria.
"It's not a ritual. It looked like she's using the leeches to drain the toxins from Adagio's blood stream and countering it with herbs," said Fluttershy. Aria shrugged.
"All I'm saying, it's unusual," said Aria as she began to make her way to the tent, with Fluttershy following her. They found Adagio to be lying asleep, visibly sweating as Sonata placed a wet towel on her forehead. Adagio's clothes lied folded in the corner of the tent. Fluttershy frowned at the sight of the poor girl. She only hoped that she'll pull through.
"Sonata, have you by any chance seen where the boys are?" asked Fluttershy.
"Yeah, I saw them leaving with Ann, Dwan and some of the natives. They left pretty early," replied Sonata. Fluttershy hummed to herself.
"They must be looking for the others," said Fluttershy. She turned as she heard a distant animal cry.
"I wish they asked us to come along," said Fluttershy with a sigh.
The humidity in the air began to slowly build up. The morning sun's heat was not to Junior's liking. Even still, he pushed through the elements and his drowsiness from his lack of sleep. Junior looked around the woods as Angirasu and Rodan searched in different directions. Ann, Dwan, and a few natives stood close, standing guard and acted as guides for the area.
"Twilight! Applejack!" called Junior. His voice echoed throughout the forest.
"Rarity! Pinkie! Rainbow!" called Junior. He waited a moment as his echoes died down. No response greeted him back. Junior gulped as he looked around the area.
"You sure this is where you found us?" asked Rodan.
"Of course. We just aren't too close to the burrows. It'd be bad if the Skull Crawlers came out," said Ann.
"Skull Crawlers? You mean those lizard things, right?" asked Angirasu.
"Yeah. The Iwi have a different name for them. Though its taboo for them to speak it," said Ann. Junior turned in annoyance.
"These people haven't said a damn word since we've got here!" said Junior.
"Are they deaf? Or mute?" asked Angirasu curiously.
"No, not at all. From what I've seen, the Iwi tend to have a complex way of communication where they don't require speaking in words. Even their symbols are nearly impossible to decipher. They have subtle gestures and looks that they all seem to understand. I think they might even have some kind of telepathic abilities," said Ann. Junior looked to the natives, who kept their stoic expressions as they scanned the area.
"Makes sense. Tell me, what's the deal with Kong? How the hell does a Transmutant end up becoming a god to a primitive tribe like these guys?" asked Junior as he leaned against a tree.
"That's not really my story to tell. You'd have to ask him yourself," said Ann.
"Ugh. Seriously? These guys didn't happen to draw out cave paintings telling the life story of their deity?" asked Junior.
"Well... There was something that I saw. Though I haven't exactly gotten a good look at it. Mainly because it's where Kong tends to stay throughout the day when he's not on patrol," said Ann.
"Guy likes his privacy huh? I can respect that. Though it creates a conflict of interest when your God tries to keep secrets," said Junior with a scoff.
"It isn't like that, Gojira. We're talking about Kong's throne room, basically. The Iwi rarely go in there. When they do, it's to give offerings and to bow to him," rebutted Ann.
"What did you mean, when he's not on patrol?" asked Angirasu curiously. Ann smiled.
"Well, Kong is worshiped by the Iwi because he protects them from all kinds of creatures. Especially from the Skull Crawlers, which are basically the devil incarnate to them," answered Ann.
"Really," said Angirasu in fascination. "So... They don't care that he's a man that turns into a beast?"
"Not at all. In fact, the Iwi seem to have great respect for mutants. Look at this," said Ann as she reached into her satchel. The boys approached and found the woman to have drawn out a journal. She opened it up, revealing some old sketches, depicting different creatures. One was even of Kong in his human form.
"Hey, that's pretty good," said Rodan as he noticed the sketch. Ann quickly flipped the page.
"Ignore that one," said Ann as she cleared her throat with a blush. She muttered to herself as he flipped through the pages.
"Ah, here we go!" said Ann. She showed the boys the journal. She had sketched on both pages, forming one single drawing. The drawing showed rough shapes of human figures raising their hands up to different strange and mysterious creatures, though one of them was clearly symbolizing an ape. In the center of these creatures were clean spaces, where human figures were sketched within.
"I sketched out a copy of a painting from a cave outside of their walls. This is clearly a representation of the Iwi respecting Transmutants, as represented of the men within the beasts," said Ann as she pointed to the pages.
"Kong, or maybe even a Transmutant similar to him is in the center, likely to represent his position as their god, while paying respect to the other 'gods'," said Ann. The teens analyzed the sketch, finding what Ann described to be accurate. The humans below looked to be worshipers or even the Iwi themselves, honoring the men that dwelled in the beasts. No, not men. Gods may have been more accurate.
"Wow," said Angirasu in awe, looking to the Iwi. A couple met his gaze. Angirasu stared, not seeing any sign of fear or hatred in their eyes. While they were expressionless, he felt something as he stared into their eyes.
"Look, that's fascinating and all. But there are girls missing out here!" said Junior as he rushed over to the side, away from the group.
"Twilight!!" called Junior. No answer. He grunted in frustration as he began to move on ahead.
"Maybe I'll share some more stories with you boys later. Right now we need to find your friends," said Ann as she placed her journal back into her satchel. The group began to advance through the area, in search of the remaining members of the Main 7.
The chirps of birds filled Twilight's ears. She groaned as she raised herself up from the ground, finding herself hidden among bushes. She looked around and found Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash and Rarity to be lying near her. The rest of the girls began to rise up, stretching and groaning from the discomfort they felt from their sleep.
"Oh good. We're still alive," said Rainbow in relief as she stretched.
"Ugh. I haven't bathed in days! I feel disgusting!" whined Rarity. Applejack smelled herself and gagged.
"Yeah, it's been quite a while," said Applejack as she stood up. Pinkie moaned as she held her aching stomach.
"I'm starving here," said Pinkie.
"Yeah, me too. Those snacks and protein bars aren't cutting it," said Twilight as she brushed off the grass from her skirt and adjusted her glasses.
"Should we continue on the path?" asked Rainbow, pointing to the dirt road. Twilight nodded.
"Yeah. If we're lucky, we might run into help," said Twilight as she stumbled passed the bush and made her way to the road. Rarity winced as she removed her boots and felt her feet.
"My feet are killing me," whined Rarity. Applejack sighed in aggravation. She made her way to Rarity and scooped her into her arms, which Rarity responded with a startled yelp.
"My. I wasn't expecting this," said Rarity in amusement.
"Just say nothin'," said Applejack as she carried Rarity.
The girls continued on the path for the next half hour. They had walked passed the jungle canopy and found themselves traveling on flat land. They followed the road. The sun was rising higher, bringing more heat.
"Applejack, may I borrow your hat?" asked Rarity as she batted her eyelashes.
"Don't push it," said Applejack as she removed her stetson and placed it on Rarity's head.
"Thank you, darling!" said Rarity, sweetly.
"Man, I'm glad that we're out of that jungle," said Rainbow, looking back at the forest anxiously.
"Just hope that nothing else comes out here to get us," said Applejack.
"We're miles from where we fell. I doubt those lizards are gonna bother to try anything with us," said Rainbow with a confident tone. Twilight shuddered.
"Lizards? They came off more like snakes to me," said Twilight.
"They sure were icky like snakes. Did you smell them? Bleh!" said Pinkie with a gag.
"Whatever they were, I hope we never run into them again," said Rarity.
"Hold up ya'll. I think I see something," said Applejack, squinting. She then gasped.
"I see wooden structures! That has to be a village!" said Applejack, her expression brightening. Rarity squealed in delight.
"Maybe they have a tub!" cried Rarity.
"Maybe even food!" said Pinkie, grinning from ear to ear.
"Or even a map!" said Twilight.
"Come on, let's go!" said Rainbow. The girls began to pick up their pace, jogging to the distant village. Their hearts were filled with joy and relief, knowing that there were more humans out here after all. They continued on until they crossed a stone bridge, which ran over a stream. The girls continued, picking up their pace. They stopped, their eyes wide. Twilight cupped her mouth as she held back a sob.
"There really are more humans!" said Twilight, shedding tears of joy. The girls found themselves standing at the entrance to the village. The structures were made up of wood, forming buildings and houses. On the dirt streets, they found humans to be walking about. The men wore pants and shirts out of animal hide and wool. The women wore skirts and dresses, made up of wool and other soft fabrics. The human population in this village bore peachy and pale skin.
"Do you think they'll understand us?" asked Rainbow, as Applejack set Rarity down onto her feet.
"Shoot, I haven't even thought of that!" said Twilight. The girls noticed a man to be passing by with a woman arm locked with him.
"What unusual clothes," said the woman.
"Oh good, you speak our language!" said Pinkie.
"Yes. Are you strangers in need?" asked the man.
"Oh, yes sir! You see, we ended up falling into a worm hole that sent us back in time!" said Rarity.
"And we got lost in the jungle and rode those three horned dinos to get to the mountains for safety!" said Rainbow.
"We got separated from our friends and now we're hungry and scared! Please, help us!" pleaded Pinkie, dropping to her knees in a pleading manner. The couple stared at the girls with odd looks.
"Love, I think these girls are mad," whispered the woman,
"We're not crazy!" said Twilight with a glare.
"You speak of tall tales. No children can easily tame and ride the dragons that live in the jungles," said the man.
"Dragons? No, those are... Oh," Twilight paused once she realized that the people may have referred to any giant reptile as a dragon. So, she decided to play along.
"Well, we managed to, thanks to one our friends," said Twilight.
"Yet you speak of falling into the burrows of the great worms of the wilderness, traveling to a different time," said the woman with a suspicious look.
"No, no! A wormhole is a- Ugh, look never mind that! Is there anyone that we can talk to help us? Live maybe a governing official or something?" asked Twilight.
"The Lord of this village may be able to help you. He resides in the center of the village," said the man, pointing behind himself.
"Thank you. Come on, girls," said Twilight. The girls took off from the couple, who merely stared at the strangers.
"Peculiar girls," said the woman.
Meanwhile, Twilight and the rest of the girls continued to move through the village. They found people lining up at stands, exchanging coins for whatever products were being sold. Pinkie licked her lips as she saw a woman setting a pan filled with rolls of bread, glazed with what Pinkie could assume is something sweet.
"Pinkie!" called Twilight. Pinkie moaned in disappointment as she followed the girls.
"If I don't get something in my tummy, I'm gonna go loco in the coco!" said Pinkie in exasperation.
"We can't help with that right now. We don't have the currency that these people are using," said Twilight as she found a man exchanging copper coins for a loaf of bread.
"To think that a place like this exists around that hell hole known as a jungle," said Rainbow, finding a man sitting with cages, holding different birds inside. In one of the cages, a small flying reptile lied as well, squawking as it clung to the bars.
The girls noticed a ball to be bouncing their way. They stopped as Pinkie caught a hand sized leather ball. She eyed it curiously. The teens heard a few villagers yelping in surprise. From a crowd of villagers, a small reptilian creature scurried their way. Rarity yelped in fright as she hid behind Applejack. The creature barely stood at the height of the shins of the girls. It walked on four legs, its toes pointed inward as its stubby body wobbled. Its short tail swayed as it approached. It bore large eyes on its head. Its mouth was comprised of a short stubby beak and two tusks that stuck out from its upper jaw. The creature gave snorting sounds as it approached.
"Oh wow! It's a Lystosaurus!" said Twilight with a grin.
"Is it dangerous?" asked Rarity.
"Doesn't look dangerous," said Applejack as the creature came closer.
"Lystosaurus are herbivores. Besides, I think he's interested in something else," said Twilight as the reptile stopped in front of Pinkie. The creature grunted as it looked up at her, wagging its short tail. Pinkie knelt down towards it.
"Aw! Aren't you the cutest thing! You're like a puppy!" said Pinkie as she scratched the creature's chin. The reptile closed its eyes as it gave a small sound with its throat in pleasure. Pinkie stood up and reared her hand back.
"Go get it, boy!" said Pinkie, tossing the ball. The Lystosaurus scampered after the ball, waddling through the dirt. The reptile scooped the ball into its mouth and began to take off into the crowd, where a child met it and pet it.
"Incredible. It looks like they've managed to domesticate some prehistoric animals," said Twilight.
"You could say that!" said Rainbow, stumbling back. The girls gasped as they stepped back. They found a triceratops to be walking in the middle of the road. It was ridden by a man, who kept a firm grip on the harness from the saddle. The dino pulled a cart filled with lumber. This triceratops seemed to be different compared to the ones in the jungle. This one was tan in color. It was a bit smaller compared to the wild ones. It's horns were also shorter. The horns on its head were covered in leather sleeves while the horn on the snout was exposed. The quills that were present on the wild triceratops were nowhere to be found on this one. Though on its tail, there were stubs and bumps running along it.
"That's cool," said Rainbow with a growing smile.
"Come on, we're wasting time," said Twilight. The group began to move further into the village. Along the way, the denizens began to stare at the girls as they passed. They whispered among themselves, unfamiliar with these strangers, and curious about their apparel.
"Ugh. These people are starting to bug me," said Rainbow in annoyance.
"They're just curious. Don't make a scene," said Twilight. The teens stopped as they came to the center of town. In the center stood a structure made of bricks and wood. It had a tower at the top and a rectangular base. A few men clad in dark armor stood. The armor bore jagged segments near the knees and arms. Chain-mail formed a protective mesh for the exposed necks and shoulders of the guards. Their armor also bore an emblem on their breast plates. The emblem was a silhouette of a spider with a bulbous abdomen and jagged legs. The expressions of the guards were stoic as they stood with spears.
"Golly. I don't like the looks of those guys," said Applejack with a gulp. Rarity merely brushed her fingers through her hair, hoping to make herself look as presentable as possible.
"Excuse me, gentlemen~!" called Rarity. The guards looked in her direction as she approached.
"Halt! Who goes there?" questioned the older guard, his tone rough and his eyes narrowed. The guards held their spears up, causing the girl to freeze as the tip was inches from her gut.
"Rarity!" cried the rest of the girls in alarm. Rarity gave an uneasy laugh as she took a step back.
"Just... a group of young maidens," said Rarity as the rest of the girls joined her side.
"State your business, strangers," said the guard in a stern tone.
"We're lost. We need help knowing where we are. We were told that the Lord of this town could help," said Twilight.
"And maybe we can get something to eat?" asked Pinkie with a forced grin. The older guard merely glanced at the other. He nodded to him, prompting his fellow guard to make his way inside of the building.
"Apologies. We have a strict policy on allowing only peasants that are authorized to be on these premises," said the guard, slightly relaxing as he lowered his spear.
"Tell me, are you from the capital? Or perhaps you hail from another land?" asked the guard.
"You could say that we hail from somewhere else," said Twilight as she glanced at her friends.
"I am not surprised. Your clothes are unusual. Pardon me, but is your skirt a bit too short?" Asked the guard oddly. Twilight held her hands on her skirt with a flustered look.
"O-Of course not! This is a normal knee length skirt!" Said Twilight.
"Hm. Then I hope it's warm where you are from," said the guard indifferently.
"Say mister, does this village have trouble with the predators from that jungle back there?" Asked Applejack.
"Mainly from the smaller carnivorous dragons and wild wolves. The larger beasts rarely venture out here," answered the guard. The door to the building suddenly opened. The second guard stood in the doorway.
"His lordship will see you," said the 2nd guard.
"Hm. Well, you shouldn't keep him," said the older guard, stepping aside. The girls entered the building. They found the room hall they were in covered with wooden floors. Stone made up the walls, and portraits hung. There were paintings of the town itself, populated with painted villagers. Even one depicting guards standing over the carcasses of dead raptor-like creatures, covered in bright bird-like feathers.
The girls soon entered a large room. A fireplace sat at the end. There were a couple of desks and chairs in the room. Mounted heads of wolves and raptors were on one of the walls. The girls found an older man to be seated on a large chair, sitting with a chalice in his hand.
"Come in. No reason to stall," said the Lord as he took a drink from his chalice. The girls reluctantly stepped inside into the room as the older man rose. He was wrinkly and bore long white hair. His clothes were much more sophisticated compared to the citizens of the village. He wore a dark suit with red funneled cuffs at the end of his sleeves. He also wore a ruby pendent around his neck.
"I am Lord Grunge. I am the head of this town and servant to her majesty," said the man with a bow. Rarity gasped.
"Her majesty? As in royalty?" asked Rarity, her interest peeking.
"Indeed. Now, what is it that you wished to ask me?" questioned Grunge.
"We apologize for the intrusion, sir. But we're in need of help. We were marooned into the jungle and got separated from our friends. We were hoping if there was any way we could find somewhere to stay or at least have a map of the land," said Twilight.
"And food while we're- Oof!" Pinkie was elbowed by Applejack, who sent her a look.
"The jungle you say? That is the most hostile place in all of the land. Filled with those dreadful Skull Crawlers and other horrid beasts," said the Lord.
"You don't know the half of it," shuddered Rainbow.
"If you girls are in need, then I can provide. Though I would need you to compensate me," said Grunge as he stepped over a table, pouring himself more wine.
"But sir, we don't have money," said Rarity.
"I only ask that you young ladies earn your keep. Whether it is helping the farmers with their crops or offering your services to the denizens of this town," said Grunge. He turned as he grabbed a roll of paper and handed it to Twilight.
"If not, then you only get this," said Grunge as he walked back to his chair. Twilight unfurled the paper, finding it to be a map. As she scanned it, her expression turned to confusion.
"Wha... this doesn't make sense," said Twilight to herself.
"Sir, might I look at a world map?" asked Twilight. The older man merely got back up and began to search a shelf. He soon returned with another map. As Twilight unfurled it, her eyes widened.
"This... this can't be right," said Twilight.
"Is there a problem?" asked Grunge.
"Um... no. I think we may take you up on that offer," said Twilight. Rarity squealed in delight as the rest of the girls silently celebrated.
"Excellent. I shall arrange a place at one of our inns for you. Please wait outside to be escorted," said Grunge. The girls had soon left the room and were making their way through the hall to the exit of the building. Twilight bore a stunned look as she held the maps in her arms.
"Twi?" called Applejack worriedly.
"Girls... I think we've been wrong about our whole situation," said Twilight. The girls looked at her in confusion. Twilight showed them the world map. The map depicted a continent, connected to a smaller continent. The map depicted what looked to be unfamiliar landmasses structured together. Each continent bore a name. But after looking through the regional map, Twilight found what landmass they were apparently on. The continent they were on was labeled, Equescidar.
"This isn't our world," said Twilight.
There was a howl in the winds. Dust blew across the barren land, bathing the stones and great rocks that jutted out of the dull grey earth. A group of vultures descended from the air upon on a dead human man, dressed in rags. He lied in the dirt, with his neck slit. The buzzards began to peck at his flesh but squawked in fright as a pack of raptors snarled and rushed in. The feathered creatures were dull grey and tan in their color of their feathers. Their heads bore a crest of feathers that were black and stood erect. They snarled as the vultures flew off in fright. The predators began to swarm the corpse and began indulge on the flesh to satisfy their hunger.
This was life in this region. A wasteland, filled with nothing but dust and hungry lost predators that roamed. There was no sign of luscious green, thus no beauty filled this land. There was only death. This was a sight that Sigyn and Kenra grew familiar with.
From the air, Sigyn and Kenra rode a sickly pteranodon over the wasteland. They found a city made of stone to be present in this wasteland. The city was surrounded by walls that enclosed it, protecting it from the hazards of land. The city bore an overall gloomy and dull appearance. Some flags hung on the structures, blowing in the wind. Among these structures was a grand citadel. The citadel bore a gothic-like appearance. There were multiple towers and walls built into the main structure. Web-like windows decorated the dark structure.
The pteranodon landed in the court yard. The two women disembarked and made their way to the citadel as some dark armored guard led the pteranodon away from the court yard. Sigyn and Kenra entered the citadel and walked through the grand halls.
The halls of the structure were long, covered in red rugs and marble floor. The windows allowed in what little sunlight shone through the grey clouds in the sky. Eventually, Sigyn and Kenra found themselves entering a large throne room. The throne comprised of a seat decorated with silver and gold. Spider leg-like structures stuck out from the top of the throne, encircling a decorative spider web.
"Your majesty," greeted Sigyn as she and Kenra knelt before the throne. Cold eyes locked onto the two women as they knelt. Long nailed fingers tapped on the arm rest.
"Why are you not at your post?" A deep feminine voice asked from the throne.
"We discovered a group of intruders nearing one of our territories," answered Sigyn.
"Why are you reporting this to me? You are to take care of intruders and any potential threats that moves into these lands," said the voice. Her tone growing annoyed.
"Unfortunately, they escaped with the Iwi tribe," said Sigyn as she kept her head bowed.
"Is this all that you have come to say? You failed at your duty and you dare to bring up those savages as if they are worth a thought?" demanded the figure on the throne.
"How about you get to the point instead of pissing her off? I rather not die today," said Kenra as she glared at Sigyn. The long eared woman stood up as she held up her crystal ball.
"It’s who was among the interlopers that’s fascinating," said Sigyn as she waved a glowing hand. The crystal depicted a couple of Transmutants morphing and changing into savage beasts.
"Demi-Titans. Sigyn, my patience is fleeting as more information is brought to me," said the figure.
"With all due respect, Empress. We're informing you that these intruders may be worth more trouble than we thought. We can't simply ignore such beings," said Sigyn.
"Wait, who is that?" asked the figure on the throne. Sigyn looked at her crystal ball in confusion, wondering who her mistress was referring to.
"Bring it here," said the woman on the throne. Sigyn approached, holding up the crystal ball. The woman on the throne brought her pale hand over the crystal ball, as it glowed with an eerie green aura. The images in the crystal ball began to reverse. The woman then closed her hand, pausing the images. She found a young man standing with dark hair, a scowl on his face, amber eyes and a left arm that looked scorched. No, not scorched. This arm bore scales and claws. The images moved again, showing the same person transforming into a bipedal reptile.
"Oh, him? Yeah I know a bit about him," said Kenra, her tone a bit bitter.
"This one survived, correct?" asked the Empress, ignoring kenra.
"Indeed. My eyes in the sky found that he was alive and well," said Sigyn.
"Bring him here to me," said the Empress.
"Just him, your majesty? Not the-" Sigyn was interrupted as the Empress slammed a fist on her arm rest.
"I have no desire for the rest nor the girls that were with them! Bring me the boy!" said the Empress, her voice echoed through the throne room.
"A-As you wish," said Sigyn, stepping away from the throne. She and Kenra began to rush out of the throne room as the Empress brought her hands together as her dark lips curled into a smile.
It was the late afternoon. Twilight, Pinkie, Rarity, Applejack and Rainbow found themselves sitting inside a wooden room. There were a few beds in the room. The sun was setting, shining its orange light through the window. The girls stood around a bed, looking down on the two maps that they had received from Lord Grunge.
"You weren't kidding," said Rainbow.
"This changes everything, doesn't it? We're not in a different time period, we're in another world!" said Rarity.
"All it tells us is that we won't have to worry about messing up the timeline with our interactions with the world. We just need to figure out a way to get home. We need everyone here so we can recreate what sent us here in the first place," said Twilight.
"Twilight, that could have been a one-time thing. We don't know for sure that will even work," said Rainbow. Twilight sighed as she rubbed her hand over her forehead and to her hair. She didn't want to acknowledge that argument, because deep down she knew that she was right. This was brought up before but no one paid it any mind.
"That doesn't matter right now. We just need to find our friends. We can rest easier knowing they're safe," said Applejack. Pinkie frowned deeply.
"I can't rest knowing they're out there," said Pinkie in a small tone.
The nocturnal creatures of the jungle rose, prowling for their nightly routine. While the sun was just barely starting to set, the deepest parts of the jungle were engulfed in darkness. From the safety of the Iwi tribe's walls, Junior stood and stared off from the tower. He brought up a pair of binoculars, lent to him curtsy of Ann Darrow. He scanned the land in hopes of finding the rest of the Main 7. He heard footsteps approaching as he scanned the land. He looked to the side and found Mosura to be approaching.
"Any luck?" asked Mosura. Junior sighed as he looked back to the jungle.
"No..." answered Junior. Mosura frowned. She found the boy to be slouched on a wooden stump, looking through the binoculars. The girl made her way to his side and knelt next to him.
"We spent all day searching. Nothing but animals out there. If I had it my way, I'd go out there to look myself," said Junior.
"Well, dinner's gonna be ready soon. Why not take a break?" asked Mosura.
"Could you bring me whatever they're having, please? I'm afraid to leave and miss them if they happen to come around," said Junior. Mosura nodded in understanding.
"Sure. I'll be back," said Mosura.
Mosura found herself climbing down the ladder to the wall. She stopped midway and looked back up. She sighed, her heart heavy. All of the teens were worried for the rest of the girls, though Junior seemed to be taking it much harder than the rest. He's obsessed with looking for them. She even heard how he almost got into a fight with Kong just so he could run off on his own to look for the girls.
"Hang in there," whispered Mosura as she climbed down to the ground.
Mosura began to make her way down to the Iwi camp. She passed the empty huts and found herself nearing a fire pit. She found some Iwi gathered around a hog's carcass, hanging over a flame. She found that there were also fish being cooked over smaller pits. The Iwi seemed to have a great thing going aside from the dangerous creatures that lurked. They at least knew where their food came from and worked together to feed their tribe. It was something that she only ever heard in stories of primitive tribes. Seeing it in real life was almost magical. All she ever known was the easy and industrialized life of the 21st century. She didn't have to worry about food as long as she had money and could find a store. And there was the indoor plumbing. Mosura knew that she and the others had it pretty easy. That prospect had her thinking about how fortunate she and her friends were to have worked together to get as far as they did. Being among this tribe was quite humbling.
Mosura found Fluttershy, Angirasu, Rodan, Sunset, Aria and Sonata to be sitting at a fight pit, near three nearly constructed huts. Mosura sat beside Fluttershy with a sigh.
"He's not coming?" asked Fluttershy.
"No, sorry," said Mosura. Fluttershy crossed her arms in disappointment. Sunset began to pick at the fish that she had caught earlier with a stick.
"Hmm. What do you think? I never cooked fish before," said Sunset. Angirasu leaned forward and squinted at the fish that were impaled by sticks.
"I think they might be fine right now," said Angirasu. Fluttershy sighed as she nibbled on fruit.
"Do you think this will be enough?" asked Aria.
"Well we have fruit too. If you're still hungry, eat some of that," said Sunset.
"Remember to put some aside for Gojira," said Mosura.
"Got it," said Sunset as she and the rest of the teens, excluding Fluttershy, pulled the skewered fish out of the flames. Sonata took a bite and yelped.
"It's hot, you idiot," deadpanned Aria. Sonata whined as she blew on her food.
"So... what's the plan for tomorrow?" asked Sunset.
"Well, for sure Gojira is going to go back out there to search for the others. I think he mentioned traveling further away," said Mosura. Fluttershy grimaced as she sat in silence. She knew that they had to keep looking for their friends, no matter what. However, she feared the time it would take. There was no way that the others would stick around. They'd move about and likely search for safety. It was possible that they continued their journey to the mountains, as their plan was previously.
"Maybe we should look together. We could cover more ground that way. I could even ask if the animals seen them," said Fluttershy. Mosura smiled with a nod.
"Good idea!" said Mosura.
"Well you better get up early. Gojira wakes up as soon as the morning birds start to chirp," said Angirasu as he took a bite out of his fish.
"Are you still going out there?" asked Sonata worriedly. Angirasu scoffed.
"Of course I am. Those are my friends out there too," said Angirasu. Sonata recoiled from his sharp tone.
"Easy. She was just asking," said Aria as she slightly narrowed her eyes. Angirasu merely took another bite, his brows furrowed. There was an uncomfortable silence among the teens. Mosura cleared her throat as she grabbed the remaining fish and some fruit.
"I should probably get this to Goji before it gets cold," said Mosura.
Mosura found herself leaving the camp. She didn't know what exactly happened with Angirasu, but he seemed rather hostile to Sonata lately. She'd ask him what was wrong herself but felt it wasn't her business. But still, Mosura worried that this would have a negative effect on the overall group. Fortunately they were living among this tribe.
Mosura found herself climbing up the ladder to the wall. The food she carried was held in a sack that hung from her shoulder. Once she made it half way up, she heard someone speaking. She recognized one of the voices to belong to junior. However, the other was female.
"Ooh! So cold!" said the voice. Mosura mentally groaned. She recognized the voice as Dwan's.
"Look, I'm just trying to keep an eye out. You're distracting me," said Junior. Mosura sighed in annoyance she climbed higher. Her presence might be what will at least get this skank to take a hike and leave the boy in peace.
"Hey, what's your relationship with Adagio?" asked Dwan. Mosura stopped climbing. Her body froze in place.
"What do you mean?" asked Junior. Dwan scoffed.
"You know what I mean. Is there anything going on between you? Are you friends? Or do you just fuck around?" asked Dwan.
"Yeesh. You didn't even ask if we were a couple. What kind of guy do you take me for?" asked Junior.
"Well, what's the story?" asked Dwan impatiently. Mosura kept her breathing light. She could've interrupted this conversation anytime she liked. But she felt compelled to keep listening.
"It's complicated," said Junior as he went back to looking through the binoculars. Mosura mouthed to herself in confusion.
"Complicated? What the hell does that mean?" asked Dwan.
"Look, there was an incident. I rather not get into it. Especially since Adagio's not well," said Junior in annoyance.
"Incident? What'd you do? She caught you masturbating to her or something?" Asked Dwan in confusion. Mosura cupped her mouth to suppress a gasp. Junior looked to Dwan in shock.
"What the fuck?! No! God, why is everything have to be so perverted with you?!" Said Junior.
"Well what is it? It can't be any worse than what I just guessed," said Dwan. Junior scratched his head.
"Look. From what I could tell, she tried playing some games with me. I thought they were innocent at first and didn't think much of them. But she tried to trick me into going out with her or something. I don't know. That girl is hard to understand," said Junior with a sigh.
"Well aren't we all? The same could be said for you boys," said Dwan with a shrug.
"I guess you're right. But I'm also not what you would call a 'people-person'," said Junior as he made quotes with his fingers. Dwan giggled.
"Well, I can help you with that," said Dwan as she leaned close to the boy. Mosura clenched her teeth, only imagining what was happening higher up.
"You know... if you don't like games, we can just skip on ahead and get to business," said Dwan with a seductive smile.
"Wow. You sure don't waste time," said Junior. Mosura was grinding her teeth as Dwan giggled. She could hear the wood creaking from her movement.
"No sir. If you want, we can have a little fun up here," said Dwan as she began to run her hand along Junior's chest. The boy sighed.
"Dwan, I gotta say. I'm not feeling up for it," said Junior as he took the girl's hand and moved it away. Dwan looked on in confusion while Mosura's brows raised.
"Wha... what do you mean?" asked Dwan.
"I'll be blunt. You strike me as a very promiscuous girl," said Junior with a deadpanned look. Dwan bore a stunned look as Mosura held in her laughter.
"Wh- So?!" said Dwan indignantly.
"Dwan, I don't know how those guys in Applewood behave. I assume most of them would take you up on your offer," said Junior as ran his hand against his hair.
"But I was raised by old school parents that made mistakes. I'm all for monogamy and sex after marriage. Or at least with someone you plan on marrying," said Junior. Dwan just stared silently as Mosura trembled from holding in her laughter.
"You just don't strike me as my type. Sorry," said Junior with a shrug. Mosura flinched as she heard a loud smack.
"Fuck you! You fucking piece of shit!" yelled Dwan, her face flustered.
"Jeez! I'm here trying to be nice and you- ugh! I bet you have a baby dick! You can only dream of tagging ass as good as mine! Fucking loser!" Said Dwan as she spat on the boy. She stormed off, away from the boy and further along the wall. Junior sighed heavily as he wiped his face and rubbed his red cheek.
"That went better than I thought it would," said Junior. He noticed Mosura to be climbing up, holding a forced smile.
"How much did you hear?" Asked Junior.
"Eh... the whole thing," said Mosura. Junior shook his head as the girl climbed up to the wall.
"You think she might have been carrying something?" asked Junior with a grimace.
"I wouldn't worry. Alpha Tramp's germs likely won't hurt ya," said Mosura jokingly. She knelt beside the boy and touched Junior's cheek. He winced in response.
"Easy! It's tender!" said Junior.
"Oops! Sorry," said Mosura sheepishly. She looked to the side as she began to rub a few strands of her hair with her index finger and thumb .
"Hey uh... I'm sorry about giving you a hard time yesterday. I know that must have been annoying," said Mosura.
"Meh. I'm over it," said Junior with a shrug. Mosura reached to the sack she carried around her shoulder and handed it to Junior.
"Thanks," said Junior as he drew out the fish. Mosura sat down beside Junior as he began to eat, looking beyond the wall. The girl stared off at the dark jungle, hearing the distant calls of the beasts that dwell in it.
"It's hard to believe that this is happening. I mean, a whole new world? What do you do with that kind of revelation? It just feels unreal," said Mosura.
"I don't know..." answered Junior.
"But... as long as we're together, I think we'll be fine. Right?" asked Junior.
"Hehe. It's a surprise to hear you being optimistic," said Mosura. Junior shrugged.
"Well, it just seems true. Besides, someone has to be positive," said Junior. Mosura nodded in agreement.
"Yeah. Well, good night," said Mosura as she stood up and walked to the ladder. Junior nodded to her as he looked through the binoculars again.
"G'night," said Junior. Mosura began to climb down the ladder but stopped. She took one last look at Junior, wanting to speak. She wanted to make an excuse to stay with him. Anything just to be around him just a little while longer. But she couldn't think of any. She sighed as a blush was on her face as she bore a frown. She was about to leave but heard a heavy sigh.
"Please be OK..." whispered Junior to himself. Mosura bit her lip, able to hear the stress in Junior's tone. She then hardened expression.
'That's it. No more acting like a lovesick little girl. It's time to start taking charge,' thought Mosura. She began to climb back up and make her way back onto the wall. Junior turned around in confusion.
"On second thought, I may stay up a while longer. Another pair of eyes may help," said Mosura with a smile. Junior smiled back. Mosura took a seat beside him and took the binoculars from him.
"I'll use these for a bit. You should eat properly," said Mosura.
Sigyn and Kenra were roaming through the streets of a dark town. The air was cold and silent as dust flowed through the sterile earth. The two were flanked by a couple of armored men.
"What do you think she wants with Lucky Dragon?" asked Kenra in confusion.
"I can only imagine. Perhaps she's attracted to him," said Sigyn. Kenra scoffed.
"Doesn't seem like her style. Still though, these people have a weird fascination for these freaks," whispered Kenra, glancing back at the guards.
"Humor them, dear. Our biggest problem is how to capture a creature like that alive. Preferably ourselves being alive as well," said Sigyn. Kenra sighed as she scratched her head.
"Normally I'm confident with our abilities. But I'm not willing to risk it with this one. If we had a whole platoon, we'd have a chance," said Kenra. Sigyn merely motioned her head to the armored men behind them.
"Too primitive," deadpanned Kenra.
"We have to work with what we have. You know that," said Sigyn. Kenra sighed heavily. She then hummed to herself.
"Hey, would any of you happen to know about someone of certain skill?" asked Kenra.
"What sort of skill?" asked one of the soldiers.
"Of facing off with a demi Titan," said Kenra. There was an uncomfortable silence. The men looked to each other.
"Ma'am, only fools dare to challenge demi Titans," said one of the soldiers.
"Although, there are exceptions," said the other soldier. Kenra and Sigyn perked with interest.
"We're listening~," said Sigyn.
"Word has it that there is a man in the Empire who specializes in capturing the most dangerous beasts ever seen. Bears, Sabre Cats, Dragons, Death Jackals, Gigas..." said the second soldier.
"Even demi Titans," said the first soldier.
"Is that so? Where can we find him?" asked Kenra.
It was morning. The sunlight began to ignite the room. Twilight sluggishly rose out of bed. She yawned as she stretched her arms to the air. Her night gown covered her naked body beneath. How she was glad to be out of those filthy clothes.
The girl felt herself refreshed compared to those previous nights. She was happy to have woken up in a cozy bed rather than the itchy, cold grass. Twilight found the rest of the girls still sound asleep. They looked so peaceful. Twilight was about to call out to her friends but decided against it.
"I guess it wouldn't hurt to sleep in a couple more hours," said Twilight as she snuggled back under the covers. It had been a long and tiresome journey. They earned the rest.
There was a sudden knock. Twilight's eyes shot open. She rose up as the door was knocked on. Her friends began to stir awake. Rainbow groaned as she held her pillow over her head.
"Someone answer the door..." grumbled Rainbow. Twilight sighed as she reached for the dresser and placed on her glasses. She climbed out of bed and made her way to the door. Twilight opened it, finding a man dressed in formal clothes.
"Oh. Good morning," said Twilight, suddenly growing more awake.
"Good morning, miss. His Lordship has made arrangements for your service in our community. Please go over these notes," said the man, handing papers to Twilight. He bowed to her and left. Twilight shut the door and looked over the papers, which seemed to be made by a fine parchment. Likely from the hide of animals.
"Community service, huh?" Twilight began to look through the papers. Her brain worked quickly to process the intake of info, despite just waking up. Twilight silently read the notes to herself.
"So much for sleeping in," said Twilight. She looked to her friends as they slept.
"Rise and shine, ladies! We have things to do!" Said Twilight, making her way over to her bed, where she reached under and drew out her clothes that were cleaned the previous day. The rest of the girls groaned in dismay.
"Just another hour," moaned Rainbow.
"Sorry. We made a deal. I don't want to disrespect the Lord's generosity. If we want a comfortable place to stay, then we need to honor our end," said Twilight, removing her gown and placing on her bra and shirt. Rarity sighed.
"Very well," said Rarity. The girls began to dress themselves. While it was ideal to rest longer, they knew that it would bring trouble if they didn't keep their promise.
"So what is it that Grunge wanted us to do?" asked Rainbow.
"There's a number of stuff. There's helping out one of the farmers with the harvest, delivering ingredients from a local shop to a customer in the north of town, and there's also a local bakery in need of help of preparing for an upcoming wedding," said Twilight as she read through the list.
"Dibs on helping with the bakery!" cried Pinkie as she excitedly raised her hand.
"Hm. Seems reasonable," said Applejack with a smile.
"There's a couple of other things listed. But I think we would get this down fast if we were to take on tasks simultaneously. So let's do what seems more urgent," said Twilight as she began to hand off her friends the papers.
"Good thing there isn't a language barrier. I imagine this would be a lot harder than previously thought," said Rarity.
"It's still weird. This is supposed to be another world yet we have the same language," said Rainbow.
"This is likely because this world is parallel to ours. It could be that there are as much similarities as there are differences between worlds," said Twilight. Though she had no evidence for her theory, it was the best she could come up with.
"Well, wherever we are, we have to make due until we can find a way home," said Applejack.
Angirasu was standing at the gate of the wall. He waved to Junior, Fluttershy, Sunset, Rodan and Mosura. The teens were with Ann and a group of Iwi. This was the second day of the search for the rest of the Main 7.
"You sure you don't wanna come?" called Sunset.
"Nah. I kinda wanna help these folks out. It's the least I can do since they're helping us," said Angirasu.
"Alright, don't you throw a party while we're gone!" said Ann teasingly. Angirasu watched as the group left the area, moving to the jungle. Angirasu stretched and began to turn back to the village.
"Time to get to work," said Angirasu as he walked to the village.
Angirasu found himself walking through the village. He found several Iwi going about their own business. He scratched his head as he scanned the area. He wasn't exactly sure how to approach any of these people to offer his help. After all, he was a stranger and wasn't sure how to communicate with them. Then again, they seemed to understand his language.
Angirasu noticed that there were some Iwi hauling wood. They were gathering the wood from a pile, where tons lied. Angirasu saw that they were being hauled to a portion of the wall away from the entrance.
"Wonder what they're doing," said Angirasu.
"They are reinforcing the wall," said a small voice. Angirasu jumped with a start. He found an Iwi child, a young boy covered in blue markings, stood beside him.
"You just spoke," said Angirasu in shock. The boy bowed.
"Forgive me, noble Guardian. For I did not mean to startle you," said the boy.
"I-it's fine. But... You're speaking to me. Right? Or am i imagining this?" asked Angirasu.
"I speak, noble Guardian. But it is tradition of elders to take a vow of silence. I am called, Ato," said the boy.
"My name is Angirasu. I'd actually prefer that you call me that. Calling me 'noble guardian' makes me a bit uncomfortable," said Angirasu with a sheepish smile.
"If that is your desire, then I shall," said Ato with a bow.
"You said that they were reinforcing the wall?" asked Angirasu.
"Yes. The devils tend to bring damage to our protective walls. It is important that we regularly fix it," said Ato.
"That sounds like a lot of work. Maybe I can pitch in to help?" asked Angirasu.
"You need not trouble yourself, Noble Angirasu," said Ato with a shake of his head.
"Just 'Angirasu' is fine," deadpanned Angirasu.
"You are a guest. There is no need to trouble yourself," said Ato.
"I insist. After all, we're already enough trouble as it is. What with bothering some of you tribe members to help look for our friends," said Angirasu as he made his way after the other Iwi. Ato followed. Angirasu made his way to the rest of the men, who were beginning to take their wood and set it up near the wall.
"Uh... hey guys. Need an extra pair of hands?" asked Angirasu. The Iwi merely looked back at Angirasu in silence. The teen cleared his throat as he forced a grin.
"I mean, because I have a pair right now," said Angirasu with a chuckle. The Iwi merely stared, some glancing at each other.
"Ato, could you help me please?" asked Angirasu sheepishly.
Angirasu had spent the morning assisting the Iwi tribe in reinforcing the wall. Thanks to Ato's 'translation' and overall knowledge of how his people behaved, he was able to help Angirasu work. It seemed that they understood the child quite well when he spoke, and he seemed to almost understand the thoughts of his elders. Their way of communication was too confusing for Angirasu to understand. Instead he just went along with what he knew what was. The teen would hold up wood and logs, allowing the Iwi to secure them to be hammered or tied into the rest of the logs that made up the wall. While not speaking, they made hand signals and gestures that Angirasu had to decipher for each step. Luckily, Ato was around to help him understand properly should he miss something.
Angirasu rubbed his hands as he released a log as it was secured to the damaged wall. He began to jog to over to the rest of the lumber. However, he heard weeping. He turned and found Dwan to be walking nearby, her face buried into her hands.
"Dwan? What's wrong?" Asked Angirasu, his expression turned to worry. The girl wept as she approached the boy.
"I-I-I just..." Dwan revealed her tear streamed face and began to weep. She wrapped her arms around the boy and buried her face into his shoulder. Angirasu held her with a frown.
"Hey, what's wrong? Did something happen?" Asked Angirasu
Unbeknownst to Angirasu, Dwan was smirking behind her teary face. She nuzzled the boy's shoulder as he caressed her back. Angirasu pulled away a bit, while Dwan quickly reverted to her crying expression. She sniffled as her lip trembled.
"Come on, tell me what happened," said Angirasu.
"It's just... Go-Gojira!" said Dwan. Angirasu raised a brow.
"What did he do?" asked Angirasu.
"He was so mean to me last night! I just wanted to talk and get to know him! But he said I was bothering him and snapped at me!" cried Dwan, weeping into her hands. Angirasu frowned, feeling sorry for the girl.
"Don't take it personally. For as long as I've known the guy, he's always been kind of a grump. He just likes to keep to himself," said Angirasu. Dwan sniffled as she wiped her eyes.
"Oh. You're so nice and understanding. That's why I'm calling you 'Nice Aang'," said Dwan with a smile. Angirasu gave a small chuckle as he looked away with a bashful smile.
"Thanks," said Angirasu. Dwan wiped away her tears and had quickly recomposed herself from her forced crying.
"Can I ask you something?" asked Dwan.
"S-Sure," said Angirasu, clearing his throat.
"What's the story between you and Sonata?" asked Dwan. Angirasu looked away with a grimace.
"Ah. Sorry, that was out of nowhere. I couldn't help but notice that she keeps looking at you and you seem to act cold around her. I shouldn't have asked, that's none of my business," said Dwan as she twiddled her fingers, placing on a facade of awkwardness.
"No, that's OK," said Angirasu with a sigh. He scratched his head as he stared at the ground, not wanting to get into the subject more than he needed to. But inside, he was still getting heated about the incident. It was too much of a pain to keep bottled up. He was just glad he wasn't taking those damned pills anymore, otherwise he was sure he'd get hostile with Dwan right now. He knew those damn things did little to help him out.
"It's kind of a long story. When Sonata came to town, I thought she was sweet. She was kind of a ditz, but I thought she was nice person and started to like her. I thought we clicked. I thought we understood each other," said Angirasu. His expression hardened as he looked off to the wall.
"But things got weird when my mom finally came back. I was stuck between trying to please her and building something more with Sonata. I even lied to her just so we could hang out. Then Sonata started stalking me by changing her classes and manipulated me," said Angirasu. While he did lie to his mother out of his own free will to hang out with Sonata, he remembered when he wasn't in control of himself other times when he lied to her. He was already uncomfortable with it the first time, but being bewitched to do so without his say was over the line. Just thinking about it infuriated him.
"I got into some trouble and... Well, here we are," said Angirasu, gesturing to the land.
"Wow. I've known that girl for a bit. But I didn't think she was capable of stuff like that," said Dwan in surprise. Angirasu scoffed.
"That makes two of us," said Angirasu, crossing his arms. Dwan smiled a she stood by the boy's side.
"Well, sometimes the first person we meet isn't always our soul mate. Sometimes they're just someone you either like or hate. Trust me, I've met a lot of people that I hate, but also people that I like~," said Dwan as she bounced her eye brows. Angirasu slightly blushed as he looked to the ground.
"I guess," said Angirasu with a shrug. Dwan patted the boy's shoulder and began to walk off.
"You'll get passed it. But if you need cheering up, I'm your girl," said Dwan, pointing to herself with a wink. Angirasu slightly smiled and nodded. While she was overtly flirtatious, Dwan seemed to be a nice girl at heart.
Angirasu took a breath and let out an exhale, relieving himself of pent up stress. He turned to pick up sticks but stopped a he found Sonata standing before him. Her arms were crossed as her brows were furrowed. Angirasu felt his mood sour immediately.
"What?" asked Angirasu.
"You didn't actually buy that, did you?" asked Sonata. Angirasu narrowed his eyes.
"Buy what?" asked Angirasu.
"Aangey, she's playing you! She's just trying to get in your pants! She was playing innocent with you! No guy ever makes her cry!" said Sonata. Angirasu scoffed.
"What is your deal? I thought you at least liked her out of your sisters," said Angirasu as he crossed his arms.
"Yeah, until she-" Sonata fell silent. She scowled as her cheeks flushed.
"Wha- Because she's talking to me? Sonata, you have no right to be upset over that. I can talk to whoever I please," said Angirasu, walking off. Sonata quickly got in his path.
"I just don't like how she's acting around you! You deserve better than that!" said Sonata.
"So what if she's flirty with me?!! At least she isn’t trying to brainwash me, like some people I know!" said Angirasu, glaring at the girl. Sonata shrunk back, her face guilt ridden.
"Aangey... I didn't-"
"I told you not to call me, Aangey!" said Angirasu, storming off passed the Dazzling. Sonata deeply frowned as she watched the boy leave. She rubbed her arm as a tear trailed down her face. She turned and began to walk away.
"I'm sorry..." said Sonata to herself.
Angirasu began to make his way to the rest of the lumber that lied, waiting to be utilized for the wall. He hoped that the labor would get his mind off of his woes, As he knelt down to pick it up, he heard footsteps approaching.
"I got this one," said Angirasu as he turned. He noticed a young Iwi to be standing with a scowl on his face. He looked to be around the Transmutant's age. Angirasu looked to the side with a look of discomfort as this aggressive looking native stared him down. While he was shorter, Angirasu couldn't help but feel uncomfortable.
"Can I help you?" asked Angirasu.
"I am called, Ourah Ikakas. You are my sworn foe!" said the native. Angirasu recoiled, surprised to hear him talk. But also at what he just said.
"Come again?" asked Angirasu. Ourah pointed to Angirasu with a glare.
"You have become the center of attention of the one called, Dwan! Her affection is what I desired! And you have stolen that from me!" said Ourah. Angirasu's eyes widened.
"Wait, you have a crush on Dwan?" asked Angirasu.
"No more words, Guardian! I challenge you to a battle for the right to pursue the affection of Dwan!" said Ourah. Angirasu backed away with a nervous look.
"W-Wait! This is all a big misunderstanding! Dwan and I just met! We only talked!" said Angirasu. Ourah began to step forward as he popped his knuckles. Angirasu was beginning to feel like a kid in school that was about to be pummeled by another kid for talking to his crush, which is what was basically happening at this point.
"Look, let's just talk this out!" said Angirasu.
"No more talking! Rah!!" Ourah lunged for Angirasu, tackling him to the ground. The Transmutant cried out in pain as he landed on his back and was punched. He grunted as he punched Ourah back, who rolled off of the Transmutant. The two stood up and began to punch each other and lock each other in their arms. Angirasu found himself placed in a hold, with his head locked under Ourah's arm and was hauled around. Angirasu felt his heart racing from the adrenaline. He stumbled as Ourah swung him while keeping a tight hold on him.
"Submit, Guardian!" said Ourah. The two's scuffle began to catch the attention of the villagers nearby. Some began to approach to watch, mostly the younger men and teenagers. Angirasu found himself tossed to the ground. He rolled along the grass, picking up dirt against his skin. Angirasu panted as he rolled back onto his feet, memories flooding his mind.
Angirasu recalled this feeling. The feeling of being thrown around along the grass. His blood burning hot from the physical struggle of strength. He recalled this feeling in the fields of a park in Trotkyo. He remembered how his father would put him in head locks, picking him up and throwing him around. Angirasu felt a grin beginning to creep onto his face as his heart pumped blood through his veins. A chuckle escaped his throat.
Angirasu shot up to his feet and rushed to Ourah. Before Ourah could strike him, Angirasu slammed into his abdomen and picked him up. He then slammed him to the ground, which caused the native to groan. He kicked Angirasu away, who stumbled back.
Angirasu knew that this was a physical fight between two men for the right to court girl. He even remembered that scuffle he had with Spinner and his gang. However, the feeling of the grass, the heat, and him being tossed about and locked down reminded him of the days when his father was still around. He recalled the laugh of his dad as he held him in place as Angirasu tried to muster his own strength to get free. And the feeling of rolling in the grass on a summer's day. He had very few memories of his father from those years ago. But the few that he had of his old man had emerged from this experience.
The Transmutant placed Ourah into a headlock. He chuckled as the native struggled under his superior strength. He fell back onto the ground with Ourah and held him tightly. He began to squeeze as Ourah struggled. The young natives that were around began to cheer as they watched the two. Meanwhile, Sonata, Dwan, and Aria came rushing by in alarm.
"What the hell is going on here?!" asked Aria.
"Hey, he started it!" said Angirasu as Ourah elbowed him in the side. The native then reached out to Dwan.
"Dwan! I fight for you!" said Ourah. Dwan rolled her eyes in response.
Suddenly, the natives began to quickly back away as they looked up. Dwan looked around in confusion and then gasped.
"Oh shit," said Dwan, backing away.
"Wha- Uh oh," sad Aria as she and Sonata backed up. The group found that Kong was making his way over. His brows were furrowed. Angirasu noticed him approaching and quickly released Ourah and stood up. Ourah was about to punch Angirasu but froze as Kong approached. There was silence. The natives were tense as they stood before their god king. Angirasu gulped nervously as the older Transmutant turned his attention on him.
"You. Come with me," said Kong. Angirasu was about to protest but fell silent. He began to walk over to the ape Transmutant. Kong looked to the natives.
"Go back to your day," said Kong as he walked with Angirasu. The natives began to disperse. However, some were grabbed by their parents, who hauled them away. Ourah was grabbed by his ear and pulled away by an older woman, who sent him a glare. Aria, Sonata and Dwan looked on worriedly as Kong led Angirasu away from the village area.
Angirasu found himself led into a large cave. His mind was racing with dread. He wondered what kind of punishment this man had for him. For all he knew, his punishment would be severe that it would seem unreasonable to someone from civilization but fair to those of primitive tribal life style.
"Sir, I'm sorry. I-I don't know what came over me. Ourah was ranting something about winning Dwan's affection and he-" Angirasu fell silent as he noticed the cave around him. It was decorated with cloth and flags that hung, depicting symbols. There was a pit covered in ash and burning wood. Torches lined the walls. He noticed Kong picking up a spear, with a rusted metal tip. Angirasu stiffened.
"L-Look, I'll do anything to make up for what happened. Just don't punish my friends for it," said Angirasu. Kong merely placed the spear against a wall, turning to the boy.
"I saw you. You fought with ferocity. Ourah while human, is a stubborn fighter. He makes it a habit of fighting with the other boys his age in the tribe," said Kong.
"You're not mad?" asked Angirasu in confusion.
"No, he challenged you. Only a coward backs down and doesn't defend his honor," said Kong. Angirasu cleared his throat with a forced chuckle.
"Y-Yeah. I totally wasn't going to back down," said Angirasu.
"But, your fighting is lacking. You have no self-control. You took on hits and merely went in like a mere beast. Even when you are in your beast form, you lack the mind of a man," said Kong as he stepped over to a throne made of stone. He sat upon it as the torches illuminated him the darkness, while little natural light poured in from above.
"It always seemed to work out for us before," said Angirasu.
"Yes, with mere boys who are itching to prove themselves. But trained warriors and savage beasts like the skull faced demons are another tale," said Kong as he tossed Angirasu a fruit. The boy yelped as he nearly dropped the fruit, which looked almost similar to a mango. Angirasu looked around the cave, finding paintings to be decorated all around it.
"Did the Iwi do this?" asked Angirasu.
"Yes. Long before I came to dwell with them," said Kong, looking at the paintings. Angirasu began to scan the painting. He saw images of humans fleeing from Skull Crawlers, who devoured them at every turn.
"The people were at the mercy of the demons for generations. Even the other creatures in this land," said Kong. Angirasu saw images of dinosaurs biting down on human figures. There were cat-like beasts, giant bugs, and other strange beasts. He then noticed that there were a group of great ape creatures standing, fighting the skull crawlers and other creatures.
"But they looked to the great apes to defend them. The old gods of the earth. They were said to have not been of this world," said Kong as he looked to the paintings. Angirasu merely stared, finding a painting of the Iwi bowing towards a great ape that stood among them. It was humongous compared to what Kong was, but Angirasu thought it was to emphasize the greatness they had.
"So they really do see us as gods," said Angirasu, staring at the painting. Kong was silent. Angirasu turned to Kong in confusion.
"You... You know we're not gods, right? We're just... freaks," said Angirasu. Kong merely looked to the painting of the ape worshipped by man.
"I only know what I have seen and what I've heard. I know that I am not like the Iwi. Or any man. But whether I am truly divine, I cannot say. But the Iwi raised me as their own and I became their king," said Kong.
"You mean you don't know who or what you are? Or who your parents are?" asked Angirasu in shock. Kong merely closed his eyes with a sigh.
"My memories of them are faint. But they feel mixed. As though they come from two different people," said Kong. Angirasu looked on in confusion. Kong gestured to a wall on his left.
"The Kongs were a fierce and mighty race. They fought the Skull Crawlers with all of their might. But the demons are numerous. They rarely rest and they have a hunger that cannot be satisfied, for they are an empty, fallen race," said Kong. He pointed to a painting of the apes being overwhelmed as bigger Skull Crawlers attacked them. Angirasu stared, feeling a pit in his stomach.
"They leave a trail of death in their wake. Even the Kongs were no match," said Kong solemnly as only skeletal remains of apes were shown.
"They're all gone," said Angirasu softly. Kong nodded.
"Never have I met one. I haven't found much to learn about them aside from what the Iwi have recorded. Even some of their stories have been lost throughout the generations. All I know is that they found me," said Kong. Angirasu deeply frowned.
"That must be hard," said Angirasu. Kong merely tossed aside the core of his eaten fruit.
"Perhaps. But I have a duty to defend these people from the demons. Just as it was for the ancients to do so," said Kong as he stood up from his throne. He approached Angirasu with a firm expression.
"I believe that our meeting was fate. The Iwi see our kind as defenders as well as destroyers," said Kong, pointing to a painting on another wall, depicting a bird-like creature, standing among fire as a human man was depicted dwelling within the beast.
"I believe that we are meant to defend the world from these forces. But I am but one. If you wish, I can teach you the way to self-control. I will even teach you to fight, so you may defend those around you," said Kong.
"You... You want to teach me?" asked Angirasu in surprise. Kong nodded in response.
"We all need a teacher to prepare us for life. Will you listen to my teachings, young Angirasu?" asked Kong. Angirasu looked down in thought. He knew that it was a problem of having limited control over his beast form. He had to know how to control it so that he could protect his friends. After all, they were in a dangerous world. Angirasu smiled and nodded. Kong smiled back.
"Come!" said Kong as he led the boy out of the cave. Angirasu found himself taken outside of the entrance. He found that the Iwi tribe were all waiting outside, anxiously standing. He even found Dwan, Sonata and Aria to be standing by worriedly.
"Behold! I will mentor the one called Angirasu, and teach him our ways! He will learn to live among you and to defend you from the evils that dwell beyond our walls!" said Kong in a loud voice. The Iwi all began to bow, while the youth began to cheer on for Angirasu. The teen looked on as the Iwi bowed to him in respect. Dwan suddenly rushed to him and wrapped him into a tight hug.
"Congrats!" said Dwan as she planted a kiss on the boy's cheek. However, Angirasu was too focused on the approval of the people, who he was but a stranger to them. He felt a smile growing on his face.
It was nearing noon. Rainbow Dash was running through the town as she carried a satchel at her side. She felt her body spark as she ran but would stop every time the sparks grew too intense. While she was moving at a pace that was higher than normal, she felt herself slipping into her lighting speed. She had to stop to not only to lay low, but also to avoid getting into accidents. It was strange since she felt that she almost had the hang of her abilities during the attack on Ponyville. Though that may have been a fluke and was during a time of chaos, pushing her to avoid screwing up.
"Ugh. I guess it beats working at a bakery," said Rainbow with a sigh. She began to make her way through town, finding people passing by, still looking at her oddly.
"What strange hair," said a girl with an odd look.
"Oh come on! It's not that weird!" said Rainbow defensively. The girl stiffed and ran off. Rainbow sighed as she held her head.
"Do we really stand out?" asked Rainbow.
Pinkie Pie was humming to herself as she stirred a wooden spoon into a bowl. Her cheeks were covered in flour as she wore an apron over herself. She quickly made her way over to an over, finding bread to be growing inside as the fire heated up the dough.
"Mr. Caramel! The top tiers are almost done!" said Pinkie as she went back to stirring. A large man stepped into the messy kitchen, bringing in tubes filled with icing.
"Good! How are the muffins coming along?" asked Caramel as he frantically set the items down on a counter.
"Just about done mixing! They'll be ready for the oven soon!" said Pinkie. Caramel sighed in relief as he began to take the tiers of bread from the oven and began to stack them on two larger tiers that were stacked on each other.
"You have no idea how grateful I am that you came by. I'm shorthanded what with my family away for the time being," said Caramel as he wiped his brow.
"Luckily for you that I also bake as a hobby! I made all kinds of sweets back home!" said Pinkie. She beamed with a smile. She was happy for this experience, considering that she was feeling homesick.
"So who's the lucky couple?" asked Pinkie.
"The Lord's daughter is getting married! Which is why this order is very important! My shop's reputation is on the line!" said Caramel. He smacked his face.
"I was a fool to accept this task when I should have known my family would be off visiting the Sacramentonian Kingdom beforehand!" said Caramel in frustration.
"No time to bellyache, Mr. Caramel! You have all the help you need right here!" said Pinkie with a grin.
Applejack was hauling along stacks of hay. The hay stood over her at 8 feet, and were carried over to a large barn. A farmer stared in shock as this girl hauled the hay with rope tied around the lower stacks and her pulling the end, almost with no struggle. A younger man next to him stared.
"Father, I think I'm in love," said the young man as he watched as Applejack take the hay to the barn.
"I'm proud of you, my son," said the farmer as he patted the young man's shoulder. Applejack came rushing out of the barn, wiping her sweaty brow.
"Do ya'll need me to do anything else? I can do this all day!" said Applejack as she stretched her arms.
"Yes. Would you mind helping my sons milk the bisons?" asked the farmer.
"Sure thing! Just point me to 'em!" said Applejack. The farmer pointed off to the side. Applejack turned her head and her eyes widened in shock. She found that beyond were a group of massive bisons. They were nine feet tall in height and bore wooly fur. They were stocky in build with large humps on their backs and thick short horns. The creatures fed on the grass as a couple of teens were standing by one of the creatures, grabbing onto its large utters as large tubs lied beneath them.
"Whoa nelly," said Applejack as she slumped her shoulders.
"Beautiful, aren't they? Providence has blessed us with wonderful creatures to raise," said the farmer.
"I didn't know bisons could get that big," said Applejack breathlessly.
"You should see the wild ones. They're much bigger," said the eldest son.
"I bet you folks get a lot of milk from these critters," said Applejack.
"We do. Bison milk is profitable in the Empire. Some of the extra we give to our neighbors," said the farmer. Applejack smiled.
"Yeah, back home we'd do the same thing with the apples we grow. The extras we give away," said Applejack. The farmer looked to the blonde in surprise.
"You were raised on a farm?" asked the farmer.
"You bet. The family owns an orchard in our town. We sold apples, apple pies, apple fritters, you name it," said Applejack. The girl felt a growing sadness. Home. She wondered if there was ever any chance of getting home.
"I would like to try those," said the eldest son with a smile.
"Well if you happen to have apples lying around, I could whip something up for ya'll. I'm a mean cook," said Applejack.
"Please marry me," said the eldest son. Applejack slightly recoiled.
"I-I beg your pardon?" Applejack raised a brow.
"N-Nothing! Hey, I believe the chickens dodos are due for feeding!" said the eldest son as he briskly walked off. The farmer merely faced palm while Applejack looked at him with a shrug.
It was the afternoon. Twilight and Rarity sat slumped on a bench in town. They bore tired looks as they leaned against each other. Twilight looked at the list of chores that they had to do. She marked off hers' and Rarity's with a quill. She sighed heavily as she set the list down.
"What a day," said Rarity.
"Compared to the last few days, this was easy," said Twilight with a deadpanned look. She looked up to the clock that sat upon a wooden building. She found that it was 3:30 in the afternoon.
"I wonder how it's going for the others," said Twilight.
"I know, right?" said Pinkie as she popped up from behind Twilight and Rarity. The two cried out with a start.
"Pinkie?!" exclaimed Twilight.
"That's my name! Don't wear it out!" said Pinkie as she smiled. Rarity groaned.
"Stop doing that! I feel like I'm going to have a heart attack!" said Rarity with a glare.
"Oh I'm sorry. Want a cookie to make up for it? I made them after I helped the baker," said Pinkie as she held out a box. Rarity smiled as she took one from the box.
"That's not ideal after complaining about a heart attack," deadpanned Twilight.
"You don't want one?" asked Pinkie.
"Are you crazy? Of course I want one of your homemade cookies!" said Twilight as she eagerly took a cookie. The girls then noticed Applejack to be walking by, waving her hat against herself to fan away the heat.
"Whoo Wee! I'm beat!" said Applejack, plopping herself next to Rarity. The purple haired girl gagged as she held her nose.
"And you stink!" said Rarity.
"That's the smell of a working woman, Rarity. And farm animals," said Applejack. Pinkie handed her a cookie, which she graciously took. Rainbow suddenly came running by, skidding to a halt. She made her way over to the group.
"Please tell me that's all? I got lost in this stinkin' town and had to go back and forth because the damn store owner forgot to give me something to go with a delivery," said Rainbow in annoyance. Twilight began to look through the list as she marked off the chores as she counted off the rest of the girls.
"Yep! All done!" said Twilight. The rest of the girls cheered with joy.
"Finally! Let's go back to the inn! I'm freaking tired!" said Rainbow.
"A nice hot bath sounds nice," said Rarity. She even glanced at Applejack, who glared at her in annoyance.
"I get it, I reek. I'll bathe first if it'll get ya to stop complaining," said Applejack.
"Well, let's get going," said Twilight as the girls began to rise from the bench. There was a sudden blare of horns in the air. The girls looked around in confusion as the villagers all stopped what they were doing. Looks of alarm were on their faces. The girls found that there were dark armored men standing in the street, much similar to the men that guarded the Lord's house. However, these guards bore green markings over their armor. Among the guards was a man dressed in formal clothes. He wore a robe and bore a shaved head. A few other men stood with trumpets in their hands.
"People of Salera! You're taxes and tributes are due!" said the robed man, who seemed to be the ring leader. People began to anxiously clear the streets, entering the doors of their homes. The guards began to spread out through the town.
"I don't like these people's reactions," said Applejack.
"Yeah. Come on, it's best we stay out of trouble," said Twilight as she and the rest of the girls began to clear out of the street.
The guards began to step over to houses and buildings, knocking on the doors. From behind the doors would emerged frightened citizens, who handed over coin purses. The ring leader of the group would count the coins, discriminating their value based on the type of metal they were made from. There were mostly silvers that he countered and a few copper coins.
"You're short one copper," said the tax collector. The man that he spoke to quickly began to search his home. He muttered to himself as he looked around. He gasped as he found a copper coin lying on a table. He grabbed it and quickly made his way back to the doorway and handed it to the tax collector.
"Good. Have a pleasant day," said the collector as he left with the guards. The man quickly closed his door as they left.
Guards that were visiting the houses left with purses full of coins. There even came some that carried gems and other expensive jewelry. Some even carried away sacks full of food. The items were gathered and placed in carts that were pulled by a domesticated triceratops.
Twilight and her friends watched from afar near the inn. They saw how intimidated the citizens were of these men. Even how some of the collections went beyond simple currency to even products owned by the citizens that produced and traded them. There was sudden screaming. The girls turned and found that a few guards were hauling a man, a woman and a teen girl through the streets. Citizens that were still in the streets cleared out of their way.
"Oh my goodness!" said Rarity in alarm.
"You curs! Release my wife and child!" demanded the man as he attempted to fight off the guards. One of the guards that held him punched him in the face. The girls recoiled in shock and horror as the family was hauled to the town square.
"Papa!" cried the girl.
"Ah! I see we have lawbreakers in our midst!" said the tax collector as he made his way to the town square. Guards began to gather along with citizens who have already paid their dues.
"What seems to be the trouble?" asked the tax collector as the family were forced to the ground.
"W-We don't have the money for today's taxes," said the father as his face swelled.
"Well that's no good. Surely you have something to offer up instead? Perhaps jewels? Resources? Say meat or medicine? Anything?" asked the collector.
"No..." said the man in a low tone.
"Perhaps your daughter? She is a fine young lady," said the tax collector as he looked lustfully at the girl.
"P-Papa!" cried the girl.
"Stay away from her!" growled the man as he stood to lunge for the collector, but a guard punched him in the jaw, sending him to the ground. His wife and daughter cried out to him. Twilight and the others looked on in horror at this abuse.
"Then you know the penalty. As all of you!" said the collector as he held up a scroll, unfurling it.
"In accordance to the pact made during the reign of our fair Empress, you are to serve as providing the capital of Dogomoto with a portion of your coin and resources to make up for your debt. A debt brought on in exchange for protection against the predators that dwell in the neighboring jungle," said the collector as the family stood up to their knees.
"To not do so is a violation against the law of Empress Malicia! The punishment is death!" said the collector.
The remnants of the Main 7 gasped in shock and horror at this. They watched as the family was retrained, while a guard arrived with an axe. The citizens stood by in silence, helpless and saddened as the family were sentenced to their final fate.
"Stop!" called a voice. The girls found an armored man to be rushing to the square. The collector turned with a glare.
"Please, have mercy on my brother and his family!" cried the guard.
"So they are your relatives? My condolences," said the collector.
"I demand you release them!" shouted the guard as he drew out a sword. The guards quickly turned their attention to him, drawing their weapons.
"A royal guard dares to defy her majesty?! You will join these vermin! Seize him!" ordered the collector. A couple of the green marked guards began to rush towards the defiant guard.
"My God, I can't believe this is happening!" said Rarity in horror as the defiant guard was backing away from the two marked ones. Rainbow began to stand anxiously as she watched as the guard that was standing up for his family members was about to be seized. She watched as the girl cried out as she pleaded for help.
"That's it, I can't take it anymore!" said Rainbow as her body sparked.
"Rainbow!" cried Twilight in alarm as Rainbow zipped towards the square.
"Shoot, I'm with her!" said Applejack, rushing out to the square. Twilight gritted her teeth in alarm.
Before the axe wielding guard could bring down his weapon on the father, the weapon disappeared from his hand as a streak of rainbow passed by.
"What?!" exclaimed the collector.
"Hey!" called Rainbow. Everyone turned to find Rainbow to be standing with the axe siting at her side. A smirk was on her face as her body sparked.
"You know what we do to bullies back home? We kick their asses!" said Rainbow as Applejack charged in, kicking the guards that pursued the defiant guard. They crashed to the ground, groaning in pain. The collector snarled.
"Kill them!" ordered the collector as he pointed to the two girls. Rainbow chuckled as she dashed to the collector, kneeing him in the gut. He groaned as he fell over in pain. Rainbow dashed away as the guards began to leave the family they subdued and pursued Applejack. The blonde grunted as she dodged a swing of a sword kicked away his sword. She then grabbed the guard and threw him towards another.
"Yeah, get 'em!" cheered Pinkie.
"Hey, have a dashing day!" said Rainbow as she sprinted towards a charging guard. She punched him, sending static rainbow electricity through him, causing him to collapse.
"Ah that was terrible!" said Pinkie in annoyance.
"Hey, how bout this? Mister, can I axe you a question?" asked Applejack as she caught a war axe that was swung at her by another marked guard.
"It's 'asked', you illiterate wench!" said the guard as he strained.
"It's a pun!" retorted Applejack. She raised her foot and kicked the guard in the gut, sending him flying several feet. The rest of the marked guards drew their weapons as they steeled themselves.
"What are these girls? Demi Titans?" asked a guard,
"Just kill them!" shouted another guard as they rushed in. Applejack grabbed a cart and swung it with all of her might. The guards cried out as the cart came flying towards them. Some managed to dodge it but a few were unfortunate to be hit by it.
"Look at them! Standing up to those bastards!" said a man among the villagers.
"Yes! Even a royal guard stood up!" said a villager as the defiant guard clashed blades with another.
"Your head will be on a pike on the walls of the capital for your treachery!" said the marked guard. He was suddenly struck in the head by a rock. He was pushed back by the defiant guard and stumbled. He noticed that the villagers were throwing stones.
"You fools! You dare to-" The collector yelped in pain as a rock struck his chest. He began to run as he shielded his head from the stones. Soon, some villagers came emerging, wielding pots, pans, rocks, cleavers and any items that they could get their hands on. They began to charge after the marked guards, who began to run off. Rainbow suddenly zipped passed one and caused him to trip.
"See ya next fall!" said Rainbow with a laugh as the guard got back up and continued to run.
"The puns aren't funny!" called Pinkie.
Soon, the guards and collector had all fled, though they left behind a couple of the carts full of the taxes and tributes. The villagers began to cheer as the guards fled from their town. Rainbow laughed.
"And don't come back!" shouted Rainbow. She and Applejack gave each other a fist bump. The two recoiled as they found themselves surrounded by the villagers, who cheered for them.
"Whoa. These people sure know how to thank heroes," said Rainbow with a smirk while Applejack rolled her eyes. The two noticed that Twilight, Rarity and Pinkie were rushing towards them, pushing through the crowd.
"What were you thinking?!" exclaimed Twilight.
"What? They were going to kill those people!" said Rainbow with a shrug.
"I know! But you two just interfered with this world's daily rite! You don't know what you just-!" said Twilight.
Meanwhile, from the house of the Lord. Grunge was staring through his window. His eyes were on the girls that had came to him for help. He had just witnessed the whole thing. He turned towards a man that stood in his office with him.
"I think the King would like to meet these strangers," said Grunge, a smile forming on his face.
It was the late afternoon. Junior was silent as he walked along with Fluttershy, Sunset, Mosura, Rodan, Ann, and a small group of Iwi. They have had no luck of finding the rest of the girls out there in the wilderness. As time went on, Junior began to feel more dread. No could have lived out in the jungle for long. Not with what kind of creatures were lurking out there.
The group had spent the whole time searching high and low, running into different creatures that were dangerous and docile alike. Any of the most dangerous creatures out there would be able to eat the girls alive. But if that was the case, there might have been some evidence of that happening to them somewhere along the way. That may have been off the table.
"Damn it, where are they?" asked Sunset.
"Maybe we should start splitting up. We can cover more ground that way," suggested Fluttershy.
"Bad idea. We're already in danger as is. The last thing we need is to lose more people if something goes wrong," said Ann.
"We can't even find any clues as to where they could be," said Rodan. Junior groaned as he scratched his head. Just the debating drove him to stress as the fact that they were returning to the village while the others were still out there was infuriating. If he had it his way, Junior would go out on his own at night to continue the search. But he knew that would only cause his friends to worry more. And if something were to happen to him out there, it would be on him if they ended up trying to look for him as well.
The group returned to the village. Junior sighed heavily as the Iwi returned to their huts, while the teens and Ann remained behind.
"Sorry about this guys. But maybe we'll find them tomorrow," said Ann as she began to walk off.
"Wait! Ms. Darrow, can I borrow your binoculars again?" asked Junior. Ann's expression softened.
"Sure, Gojira," said Ann as she reached into her satchel, drawing out and handed over a pair of binoculars.
"Don't stay up too late. Good night," said Ann as she walked off. As she left, the teens were left in silence.
"What are you guys gonna do?" asked Junior.
"I'll stay a bit and look with you," said Mosura. Fluttershy was about to interject. She instead fell silent.
"I think I'm going to turn in for the night. I'll be sure to get up extra early to help find them," said Sunset with a small smile. She waved the group as she walked off. Fluttershy silently followed. Rodan sighed.
"I will too. I uh... Sorry," said Rodan, sluggishly walking off. Junior's expression softened. He noticed that Rodan seemed to have grown much more off lately. He didn't know exactly what it was.
Later that evening, Junior found himself scanning through the forests from the wall. Mosura sat next to him in silence as Junior continued to scan the jungle from his seat. Mosura frowned as she brought her knees close to herself.
'If it was just us, this would be great. But...' Mosura watched as the boy next to her continued to look through the binoculars. He rarely blinked, as to not miss any of the girls. Mosura couldn't focus on trying to making a move to grow closer to Junior as she would like. Their friends were needed. So, the girl went back to scanning the area with her own pair of eyes. But she would glance at Junior occasionally. The boy appeared a bit haggard. Junior sighed as he set the binoculars down, rubbing his tired eyes.
"Fuck..." said Junior under his breath. Mosura noticed that he seemed to have been growing sluggish.
"Gojira, maybe you should rest. I can keep watch if you want," said Mosura. Junior shook his head.
"No, I gotta keep looking. Just a while longer," said Junior shaking himself off his sleepiness. Mosura grabbed him by his chin and pulled him close to herself. Her eyes narrowed.
"Jesus, your eyes are baggy! Have you been sleeping at all?" asked Mosura incredulously. Junior pulled away with an annoyed look.
"Yes!" said Junior.
"Gojira, don't lie to me!" said Mosura with a glare. Junior groaned.
"Look, I've just been having trouble sleeping lately, that's it!" said Junior. Mosura sighed.
"OK. We can fix that. You go to sleep and I'll take over tonight," said Mosura as she took the binoculars.
"Hey! Give those back!" said Junior as he attempted to snatch the binoculars back. But, Mosura kept her hand against his chest as she leaned back to keep the item out of his hands.
"No! Go to bed!" said Mosura. Junior growled.
"Mosura, I'm not playing around! Give those back!" said Junior as he stood up. Mosura stood up as well, tensing as she glared at him. The two stared each other down.
"What are you going to do if I don't? Are you gonna hit me?" asked Mosura with a glare. Junior narrowed his eyes.
"That's not fair. Just give-" Junior attempted to reach for the binoculars again, but Mosura held him back while moving her other arm back, keeping the item away.
"Gojira, if you don't go to sleep, I'll throw these into the jungle!" said Mosura. Junior's eyes widened.
"W-Why would you do that?!" asked Junior.
"Gojira, you're not taking care of yourself! What's next? Are you gonna start skipping meals?" demanded Mosura.
"You're being ridiculous! Just-" Junior reached again but Mosura raised her arm with a glare. Junior felt his blood run cold.
"Stop!" said Junior in alarm.
"I'm not kidding! If you try to reach for it again, you can say goodbye to it!" said Mosura.
"Why are you doing this?! Don't you care that they're out there?!" asked Junior.
"Of course I do! But I can't sit here knowing that you're going to hurt yourself!" said Mosura. Junior shrugged defensively.
"I'm just trying to make sure we don't miss them! Please, just stop!" pleaded Junior.
"Gojira, I heard you were trying to go off on your own!" yelled Mosura. Junior fell silent. The girl looked at him angrily.
"How could you think of doing that to us? How could you do that to me?!" demanded Mosura, her lip trembling.
"Mosu I-" Junior sighed as he fell silent. It seemed that more people heard his confrontation with Kong than he realized.
"Mosura, the longer we wait, the higher the chance that something happened! If I was on my own, I could cover more ground through the night without having to worry about keeping track of others!" said Junior.
"Yeah, and the better chance that you'll end up lost yourself and get eaten! Is that what you want?" demanded Mosura. Junior sighed as he sat down, burying his face into his hands. He raised his head up, staring at the ground.
"I thought you said that we'll be fine as long as we're together. Do you even believe that?" asked Mosura incredulously.
"I do. I just... Mosura, I can't forgive myself if something were to happen to them," said Junior. Mosura stepped over to him.
"Why are you putting this on your shoulders, Gojira? It's not your fault!" said Mosura.
"It's not that! I just don't want them to die! Especially if they think that I hate them!" said Junior. Mosura's expression softened. Junior turned away.
"I know things have gone wrong after they kicked me out of the club. But that doesn't matter anymore. I just want everyone safe so we can go home," said Junior. Mosura knelt next to him and wrapped Junior into a hug.
"I do too. But you can't help them if you're deprived of sleep. You need your strength. Otherwise, how can you help?" asked Mosura as she pulled away with a soft expression. Junior grimaced.
"Hey, look at me," said Mosura as she raised the boy's head to meet her gaze.
"I know how you feel. I'm worried for them too. But we can't let ourselves fall apart now. Don't think I'm trying to be cruel," said Mosura.
"I know..." said Junior. Mosura held up the binoculars to him.
"Look, if you really want to stay up a bit longer, then go ahead. Just don't ever consider going off alone again. If you do, I'll never forgive you," said Mosura. Junior looked to the binoculars and then to Mosura. He stood up.
"Keep 'em. I'm going to bed," said Junior as he left. Mosura watched as the boy left her alone. The girl frowned to herself, wondering if she was too hard on him.
'No, it was tough love. We need to stay together,' thought Mosura.
Meanwhile, Junior was making his way to the village. He was silent as the crickets chirped in the cool night air. Mosura was on the money about his lack of sleep. Just lately, he couldn't rest. Just the thought of the others kept him up at night. It wasn't just that. He also wondered what was going on back at their world. He wondered how his parents were doing. Including Erika Shiragami, Inoue, the Guardians and others he knew. He hoped they were OK, despite the chaos of the invasion.
Junior stopped as he noticed that The Healer's tent was slightly illuminated. The boy began to walk over to it and peeked inside. He found the elderly woman to be holding Adagio's head up, helping her drink medicine. Adagio gave a weak sigh as she lied her head down. Junior saw that her eyes were open.
"Adagio?" called Junior. The girl slowly turned her head and weakly smiled.
"Hey, Goji," said Adagio, her tone soft. Junior stepped inside of the tent, looking around.
"Where's your sisters?" asked Junior.
"Well, Dwan mentioned that there were huts set up for us while I was out. I told them to sleep in those since I assumed they've been staying here," said Adagio.
"I take it they protested," said Junior.
"Heh. They have to unless they're bad sisters," chuckled Adagio. Junior shared a smile as he took a seat next to her. He found that the elderly woman was putting away ingredients.
"You gave us a hell of a scare," said Junior. He looked down in thought.
"This might not be the best time... But you still haven't told me what was wrong? Do you remember?" asked Junior.
"How can I forget? It was before the dinosaurs and giant lizards tried to kill us," said Adagio.
"Well?" Junior asked. Adagio sighed, slightly shrinking under her covers.
"I shouldn't tell you..." said Adagio.
"Adagio, please. It's been bugging me lately. I know that..." Junior fell silent as Adagio rolled onto her side, facing away from him.
"I still care about you, Ada," said Junior. The girl didn't answer, still keeping her back to him.
"Even after what you did, I still care. I just want to know what was wrong," said Junior softly.
"Why would you still care?" muttered Adagio.
"Adagio..." called Junior. The girl hid herself under the covers, shaking underneath. Junior knelt closer to her, hearing her shudder.
"You were scared and you asked for my help," said Junior.
"I actually just asked to stick with you for a bit," said Adagio under the cover.
"Doesn't matter. You needed help, Adagio. What was it?" asked Junior, pressing further.
"Why do you want to know?" asked Adagio in annoyance.
"Because you're my friend," said Junior.
"Even after I used that power on you?" asked Adagio.
"Yes. Adagio, you have to understand that I reacted the way I did because I thought you were using me," said Junior.
"Why would you think I'd do that?" asked Adagio incredulously.
"Well, I don't know. You used a spell on me and took away from my free will. What am I supposed to think?" asked Junior, slightly annoyed.
"Just go away," said Adagio as she kept the covers over herself.
"Not until we set things right," said Junior in a firm tone. Adagio was silent. She was glancing behind herself from under the covers. While she couldn't see him, Adagio could feel his presence. The girl slowly removed the covers from over her head, turning onto her back. She found Junior looking down at her, waiting patiently. Adagio kept her face hidden, with only her eyes and hair revealed.
"I... I was trying to get away from a stalker," said Adagio, looking away. Junior's eyes widened.
"What?" asked Junior incredulously.
"It was recent. I guess when I started using my power to get everyone's attention, I realized that some people were acting weird. Some even obsessed. Some students were giving me some disgusting pieces of flesh or something as gifts. I think they were dead rats smashed or something," said Adagio. Junior's brows raised as he processed what the girl had said.
"Adagio, were any of them Transmutants by any chance?" asked Junior.
"I don't know. I wasn't paying attention," said Adagio. Junior sighed as he rubbed his brows.
"Ugh. It makes sense now. The recent surge in rogues in town," said Junior. Adagio looked at him in confusion.
"What are you talking about?" asked Adagio.
"Ada, the reason why there was a growing number of attacks was because of you. Those Transmutants were teenagers who had their inhibitor chips removed," said Junior. Adagio stared with widened eyes.
"I-I thought they couldn't do that," said Adagio.
"Not without a medical professional. Some street gangs know out of work surgeons that could remove the chips. But from what MONARCH could tell, it was amateur work. They must have done it to themselves," said Junior. Adagio had a hand cupped over her mouth in horror. It began to come back to her now. Those disgusting memories, and Aria constantly warning her about abusing her power. Her sister was right. Adagio was just too stubborn to listen.
"Oh God... Then, it's my fault," said Adagio. She began to tear up.
"It's my fault that Angirasu was almost..." Adagio gasped as she clenched her eyes shut.
"Adagio? What are you talking about?" asked Junior.
"Gojira, my power caused Spinner to stalk me! If I hadn't been screwing around like an idiot, Angirasu wouldn't have been arrested!" cried Adagio.
"Spinner? Wait, how would you be responsible for Angirasu?" asked Junior incredulously.
"That creep followed me when I was following Angirasu and Sonata on their date. I-I just wanted them to be able to have fun together without his mom keeping them apart," said Adagio, holding in a sob. She held her arms as she looked away, a look of humiliation on her face.
"H-He... Spinner tried to rape me," said Adagio, almost whispering. Junior was stunned. He couldn't reply to her after being hit with that statement. He didn't even know what to say to her.
"Angirasu was trying to protect us. But he lost control and was taken away by MONARCH. If I hadn't... Fuck!" Adagio covered her eyes, weeping. Junior deeply frowned. That must have been what set the motion of Angirasu's explanation. It didn't make sense as to why he was locked away. All he knew that he was bad terms with Sonata, and his mother.
"I'm sorry. If I knew..." Junior's expression softened.
"Why are you sorry? I'm the idiot that didn't listen," said Adagio with a sniffle.
"Yeah, but I should've tried harder," said Junior lowering his head. He found Adagio to be sniffling as she trembled. The boy reached out to her but retracted his hand. Adagio noticed his hand pulling back. She quickly took his hand and held it tightly.
"Goji, I'm sorry for what I did. Please, don't leave..." said Adagio softly. Junior held her hand firmly.
"I won't," said Junior. Adagio softly smiled, her cheeks warming up.
"Hey, last thing I remember was that the others were missing. Any luck?" asked Adagio. Junior sighed.
"Not exactly. I don't know how far the Iwi are willing to go to look for them. I don't even know if they're even alive," said Junior, solemnly.
"Hey, don't sell them short. They have far more versatile powers too, you know," said Adagio with a reassuring smile. She looked up to the roof of the tent.
"Twilight's the other smart one, right? I bet she's coming up with a plan on finding us. Or us finding them. Besides, if there's humans around, they might have found them," said Adagio.
"Maybe..." said Junior. He felt his eyes growing heavier.
"I bet if I was out there with you, we'd find them in no time. When I'm recovered, the first thing I'll do is-" Adagio fell silent as she felt Junior's hand go limp. She turned and found the boy to be sitting with his head slump. He was breathing softly as his eyelids hung closed. The girl softly smiled. The elder stepped over, finding the boy asleep.
"Poor guy must have been exhausted," said Adagio. The elder reached for Junior's shoulder, but Adagio raised her hand.
"Wait! Don't wake him up!" whispered Adagio. She blushed as she scooted over, raising her covers.
"It'd be easier to let him rest here, wouldn't it?" asked Adagio. The elder merely shrugged with a neutral expression. She took Junior and carefully lowered him onto the ground, alongside Adagio.
The Dazzling brought the cover over herself and Junior. She stared at his sleeping face as The Healer blew out the lanterns in the tent. The girl blushed as her bare skin brushed against Junior's. Her heart was beating hard in her chest, slowly escalating in speed. Junior breathed softly as he lied on his side. Adagio scooted closer to him. She smiled as she looked to the boy. She leaned in and pecked him on the cheek. The boy's brows slightly crinkled as he shifted in his sleep. Adagio merely rested her head against his chest, sighing to herself.
Adagio was sleeping soundly. The sun was rising, casting its morning light into the tent. The girl felt warmth against her back, and an arm draped over her. The girl snuggled against the warmth that was on her, under the embrace of the covers.
Adagio's brows crinkled as she felt something uncomfortable against her. Her eyes shot wide as it poked her from behind. Her face flushed as she glanced behind herself as something pressed against her rear. Adagio gulped as she cupped her mouth, suppressing the flustered sounds that rose out of her. As Junior moved behind her, the more she felt it press against her. She slowly reached behind herself to push him away. But as she got around to her rear, she felt his thigh.
"Oh..." Adagio scowled. She had felt that Junior's knee was pressing against her rear. She snorted to herself as she turned, finding the boy sound asleep. His left knee was raised and pointed outward towards her.
'Geez. Don't surprise a gal like that,' thought Adagio, blushing in embarrassment. She began to stretch, but winced as her arm felt sore. She looked to her arm, finding where she was poisoned. Her normal color complexion had returned. She turned back to Junior, who still lied asleep. The girl lied back down and wrapped an arm around Junior, running her fingers through his hair, a small smile on her face.
"Hey, Adagio. Are you-" Aria stepped into the tent but froze. Her eyes widened as she found Adagio lying next to Junior. The curly haired Dazzling retracted her hand as a look of alarm was on her face.
"What the hell is he doing in here?!" asked Aria incredulously.
"Shh! You're gonna wake him!" hissed Adagio.
"You know the others were looking for him, right?" deadpanned Aria.
"Nothing I can do about that. He came to see me and fell asleep," retorted Adagio. Aria scoffed.
"Both of you better not have been acting freaky," said Aria with a glare.
"Oh shut up! Where are my clothes?" asked Adagio, as she got up and began to look around. She found that her clothes were resting in the corner.
"You were just sleeping with him half naked. You're worried about modesty all of the sudden?" asked Aria.
"I have to use the bathroom. Besides, I'm not that kind of girl," said Adagio, pulling up her tights to her waist.
"Could've fooled me," said Aria. Adagio glared at her sister as she placed on her romper.
"Whatever. What's Sonata doing?" asked Adagio as she placed her hair in its band.
"She's helping with finding the others. They were going to get Gojira but couldn't find him. Mosura assumed he was sleeping somewhere still so she asked me to keep an eye out," said Aria, glancing at the sleeping boy. Adagio winced.
"Shoot. He seemed really determined to find them, too," said Adagio to herself.
"Well in any case, I should catch you up to speed while the others are away. Come on, let's get something to eat," said Aria as she walked out of the tent. Adagio placed on her ankle boots and followed. But she stopped and knelt beside Junior. She planted a kiss on his head.
"Sweet dreams, Goji," whispered Adagio. She quickly left the tent, leaving the boy to stir in his sleep.
Later that morning, Adagio found the Iwi going about their village. This was the first time that she had ever had a good look at this place during the day. It was actually quite incredible to behold. The grand walls that surrounded the land, the river that ran passed the frontal wall and through the side of the landscape, the greenery and the other structures made by the natives.
"I see you're doing better," said a familiar voice. Adagio turned to find Dwan to be standing by, with her hand on her hip. Adagio's mood began to sour at the sight of her.
"Oh, it's just you," said Adagio. Dwan scoffed with an offended look.
"Hey, be more grateful! I was the one who told The Healer that you needed help, after all," said Dwan.
"Oh yeah, sure. You were a big help," said Adagio sarcastically. Dwan growled.
"God, you're just as much of a bitch as I remember!" said Dwan.
"You haven't even been gone for that long!" said Adagio in annoyance. She shook her head as she looked around.
"Where's everyone else?" asked Adagio.
"In the jungle. They're looking for the rest of your friends," said Dwan.
"You know, they're not really my friends," said Adagio as she crossed her arms, indifference in her tone.
"Wow. That's harsh," said Dwan in disbelief.
"I'm just being honest. It doesn't mean that I don't care what happens to them. It'd crush Goji if the worse happened," said Adagio. Dwan looked at the girl suspiciously.
"Are you sure you two weren't an item?" asked Dwan.
"No, of course not. We're just friends. Who I happen to flirt with for the fun of it," said Adagio with a smirk.
"Oh yeah? Well I heard that there was bad blood between you. Something about games being played?" Dwan said, her tone thoughtful, though she smirked at Adagio, whose brows furrowed.
"I don't know what you're talking about," said Adagio, turning away.
"Heh. Poor guy. Lemme guess, he actually thought you were interested in him but was heartbroken when he figured you out. What's that make? Like, 12 guys that thought you were serious?" asked Dwan. Adagio turned to her, her expression hard.
"Listen, I don't know who you think you are, but none of that is your business! You need to stay away from him!" said Adagio with a glare.
"Aw. What's wrong? Afraid that he'd like me more than you?" asked Dwan in a mocking tone. She brushed her fingers against her short hair.
"I already got him wrapped around my little finger since you were out," said Dwan. Adagio scoffed with an amused look.
"Bullshit, Dwan. I saw how he was acting when you were flirting with him the first day. He was turned off to the point where I bet that you thought he was gay," said Adagio with a smirk. Dwan looked at her in annoyance.
"You see, Goji's not like those sleazebags back at home. I can tell that he has a taste for more wholesome girls. I barely succeed with my flirting with him, myself. But man, I think you're losing your touch. Or you're a one trick pony. Or maybe you're just a trick," said Adagio with a snicker. Dwan glared at her.
"Fuck you," said Dwan.
"You wish," said Adagio as she perked her lips and made a smooch sound.
"Ugh." Dwan walked off in disgust. Adagio smirked as she crossed her arms, enjoying the victory of today's battle. Just like old times.
Though, Adagio began to think back to the conversation. About how Dwan was trying to get into her head by hinting at that she talked with Junior while she was out. She could only imagine what their conversation entailed. But if she knew that there was unresolved issues with them before, then she was trying to exploit that. While Adagio knew her game well and wasn't easy to fall for her tricks, she couldn't help but feel saddened. To think that things had gotten bad by a stupid mistake she made. He thought that she was playing games with him. But that wasn't the case. At first, sure. Adagio enjoyed getting him to react with her flirting, and would escalate to there. But he was almost resistant to it and treated her differently than the guys in Applewood.
Adagio looked back on her life. She was thought as easy, what with her flirting. But she never went on dates with those guys, or even girls for that matter. Adagio wouldn't consider going out with people who thought so little of her. When she met Junior, she figured he wouldn't be any different. But as time went on, she saw that he had some genuine care for her. Even going as far as to deflecting her flirts, no matter how tempting she may have been. Hell, he even confronted her about why she flirts with him. It was a surprise, yet she liked it. She never met anyone who was direct like that.
As time went on, Adagio began to realize something. It was what drove her to pull that stupid stunt with him. And why she just started carelessly using her power, without considering the consequences. Looking back at it clearly caused the girl's heart to weigh heavily.
Meanwhile...
Twilight Sparkle was walking alongside her friends in silence. A guard was escorting them through the village and to the house of Lord Grunge.
"What do you think he wants?" whispered Rainbow.
"He's probably angry because we interfered with the tax collectors," whispered Twilight, looking at Rainbow in annoyance.
"Hey, we were just trying to do the right thing!" whispered Rainbow, defensively.
"Well these people must have a completely different view of right and wrong," said Twilight. Along the way, the teens noticed that some of the villagers that they passed by gave them friendly waves, smiles and greetings. Rainbow scoffed as she waved back, while Applejack sheepishly smiled.
"At least these people appreciated it," said Rainbow. Twilight shook her head. She couldn't fault Rainbow and Applejack for acting. Most people would if they could. But she feared that they may have gotten themselves into a heap of trouble. Whatever Grunge wanted, it couldn't be good.
The girls were led by the guard into the home of the lord of this land. They were led through the hall of the house and into a familiar room. Grunge was staring out the window. His back was turned to the girls.
"You... wanted to see us?" asked Twilight, timidly. Her heart was racing from her anxiety. The others were growing nervous themselves.
"You've done the most daring thing one could do in this town. Also quite foolish," said Grunge.
"Sir, let me just apologize for what happened," said Twilight, stepping forward. Rainbow looked at her incredulously.
"You invited us to stay but we disrespected you and your hospitality by causing trouble. And we're sorry for that," said Twilight. Rainbow hardened her expression.
"What you've done is far more offensive. You attacked Royal guards and men employed by the Empress. The penalty is steep," said Grunge as he kept staring out the window.
"Please, have mercy on our friends! And maybe the rest of us too. We'll just get out of your hair and we can pretend we never ran into each other," said Rarity with a nervous smile.
"Are you kidding?!" asked Rainbow. Twilight and Rarity sent her a glare.
"Rainbow! Shh!" hissed Twilight.
"Don't shush me! We didn't do anything wrong!" said Rainbow. She turned to grunge with her brows furrowed.
"Listen up, old timer! I wasn't going to stand around and let those people get killed!" said Rainbow.
"Darling, would you please shut up? This is bad enough already," said Rarity as she leaned close to the tomboy. Her tone nervous but a forced smile on her face.
"No, I agree with Dash," said Applejack. Rarity grunted as Twilight grimaced.
"Mister, where I'm from, we look after our neighbors. Now you say what we did is against the law, but we were focused on saving people from injustice. If that makes us criminals, then I rather be locked up then to let good people die," said Applejack. Twilight and Rarity trembled nervously as Grunge said nothing.
"I see," said Grunge. He turned to face the girls with a smile.
"Then you won't mind doing me one last favor before going on your way," said Grunge. The girls stood with confused and surprised expressions.
"You're letting us go?" asked Rainbow.
"Well you can't stick around here anymore. The empress will send more men here to arrest you herself," said Grunge.
"But I thought... Wait, why are you letting us go? In fact, why didn't you have the guards arrest us yourself?" asked Twilight, a look of suspicion on her face.
"Because I loathe the Empress," said Grunge with a shrug.
"Huh. Good enough for me," said Rainbow. Grunge pointed out the window.
"This land used to be under another kingdom. However, given the distance from the capital, and the expansion of the Dogomite Empire, we were abandoned," said Grunge, staring off to the distant jungle beyond the town.
"We were defenseless, we lacked the man power and resources to fend off the barbarians and the monsters from the jungle. We had no choice but to pledge our loyalty to the Dogomites," said Grunge as he turned to the girls.
"We were allowed to keep most of our Sacramentonian culture, but we are forced to done their flag, their rules, and pay our dues," said Grunge, solemn.
"That explains the high taxes. Something tells me that the Empire doesn't like you guys very much," said Rainbow.
"The Sacramentonians and Dogomites have been rival nations for many years. I believe the reason that they have these high taxes is just to make an excuse to reduce our numbers. There's much they do that doesn't make sense," said Grunge.
"That's horrible," said Rarity, a hand over her mouth.
"It is what it is. We just try to live the best we can," said Grunge as he stepped over to a table, pouring himself wine.
"So, we really have to leave?" asked Pinkie, a bit saddened. She was just starting to like this place.
"If you wish to live, then yes. Please understand. I would allow you to stay, but I am already less than favorable to her majesty. I need to be around for my people," said Grunge.
"We understand, your Lordship," said Twilight with a nod.
"You mentioned that you had a favor before we left?" asked Applejack.
"Indeed. The family you saved is marked. Their heads will fly for not paying their taxes or offering a tribute, which is why I'm sending escorts to help them reach the safest Sacramentonian settlement. They'll be safe there and may have a chance to start over," said Grunge. He turned to the girls.
"I ask that you accompany them. They may benefit from your skills," said Grunge. The girls looked to each other briefly.
"Can we have a moment?" asked Twilight.
"Of course. Please, take your time," said Grunge as he turned away to his table. The girls began to huddle.
"I told you there'd be consequences," said Twilight.
"Hey, I'm not gonna apologize for standing up to the bad guys," said Rainbow in annoyance.
"Well now we have to leave! Who knows how far we'll be from the others!" said Twilight.
"We can try going for the mountains again. Maybe that's where they are," suggested Rarity.
"You want to go back into the jungle?! We barely survived!" said Pinkie.
"Hold on, ya'll. The reason why those people are forced to leave is because of us. Dash and I can go with the escort and y'all can head for the mountains," said Applejack.
"Out of the question! We can't afford to keep splitting up at a time like this. We stay together," said Twilight.
"Then let's help that family get to the Sacra- Whatever they called it, Kingdom," said Rainbow.
"Rainbow, they could be looking for us! What if they happen to stumble here and we're miles away?" asked Twilight.
"Simple! Grunge can tell them where we are! They can wait for us and we swing back for a quick peek, and bam! We're together again!" said Rainbow. Twilight sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose. She wondered how they ended up in this situation.
"Twi, we can't stick around here anyway. Besides, maybe we'll find a way to navigate the jungle safely," said Applejack. Twilight grimaced. She didn't like the thought of moving farther away from their friends. But right now they had little options. Currently, the forest was too dangerous for them to travel in on their own.
"Fine," said Twilight. The girls broke their huddle.
"Grunge, we accept," said Twilight. Grunge smiled.
"Excellent. You are to depart this afternoon. For now, accept this," said Grunge as he stepped over to a wall. He pressed his hand against a panel, causing the wall to slide open. He reached inside, as he drew out coin purse. He proceeded to place gold coins inside, filling it up to where you could throw it like a baseball, but it'd hurt more. He filled another purse as well. He brought the purses and handed them to Twilight.
"You will need supplies on your journey. Don't spend it all on one place," said Grunge. The girls smiled brightly in response.
Kong walked along a hill in silence. The wind blew against his hair as he stood over a ledge, finding the late morning sun in the air. In the distance, pteranodons soared in the distance.
Kong looked back, finding Angirasu to be panting as he climbed the steep hill. He grabbed the stones on the ground to help himself climb. He soon stood up, looking over the vast green land.
"Behold, my kingdom," said Kong, gesturing out to the wilderness. Angirasu looked on in awe as the wind blew his hair.
"Incredible. You rule this entire jungle?" asked Angirasu.
"I rule only what surrounds these safe mountains. I cannot afford to journey too far from the Iwi," said Kong.
"Still, this is one heck of a view," said Angirasu. A smile was on his face.
"It's funny. Even the dangerous things and places have some kind of beauty to them," said Angirasu.
"It's true. Which is why I try to protect it," said Kong.
"So you guys never adventured farther away?" asked Angirasu.
"There's no need. We have all that we ever need, here," said Kong. He took a seat on the ground, prompting Angirasu to do the same. A gentle breeze blew against them.
"Hey, how was it that we changed back into our human forms? I barely even know how to change, yet you guys forced us to change back," said Angirasu.
"There is a plant that has the capability of weakening us. I have no idea how it works or why, but the Iwi knew about it for some time. Their ancestors used it against the wicked demi Titans," said Kong.
"Before you were around, huh?" asked Angirasu.
"Yes," nodded Kong. Angirasu sighed.
"They say that our kind don't develop properly because they take away our ability to transform. I don't see the point of teaching us defected Transmutants," said Angirasu.
"What you don't know, you can learn," said Kong, placing a hand on Angirasu's shoulder.
"You are only holding yourself back with thoughts of fear. I can see it in you, as well as your friends," said Kong.
"Well, where we're from, we have a lot to fear. Our kind isn't welcomed in our world. They see all of us as monsters and forced us to be under them in society," said Angirasu, his eyes looking down.
"You're giving into the fear, that’s the problem. When you do, you find yourself unable to act, or making rash decisions, or not acting with reason. You must control and temper that. Only then, can you control the beast within you," said Kong. He stood up and waved to Angirasu to follow.
"Walk with me," said Kong. Angirasu groaned as he got back up.
"We're going back down already?" complained Angirasu.
"It's the way of being a guardian to these people. You must always be on the move, looking for that which threatens the natural order," said Kong.
"The Skull Crawlers are a threat to a natural order? Can you tell me more about them?" Asked Angirasu as the two began to walk down the hill.
"I'll tell you what I know. These demons were ancient foes against the Kongs. This rivalry was because of their fallen state," said Kong. Angirasu raised a brow.
"Fallen? As in what way?" asked Angirasu.
"The Skull Crawlers were damned to be in a constant state of starvation. They rarely rest and they are always searching for food. I don't know why they're this way. They threaten all of life in the world. I guess that's why the Kong's were here to fight them," said Kong as he and Angirasu traveled down the hill further.
"An appetite that can never be satisfied. I wonder if Rodan or Erika would make a biblical reference to these things," said Angirasu.
"Sometimes when I've killed enough, they go into hiding and go into some sort of hibernation. It slows their hunger enough to where they can hide out," said Kong as the two were close to the bottom of the hill. Angirasu gasped as he slipped but kept his footing. He sighed in relief as he carefully moved on.
"If they're so dangerous, have you considered hunting them into extinction while they're hibernating?" asked Angirasu.
"Believe me, I'd like nothing more than to eliminate every single one of these serpents. But they hold out near with a much larger one," said Kong. Angirasu grimaced.
"How... big are we talking?" asked Angirasu, reluctant to know.
"Enormous. It's almost as old as the old gods," answered Kong. Angirasu gulped. He could imagine just how horrifying such a creature would be.
"It's far from the Iwi and is in a slumbering state. I choose not to risk going after their nests closest to the Alpha. I sometimes clear out burrows closer to the Iwi but will leave the rest. So long as nothing wakes them, they're no threat," said Kong. He then looked back at the teen.
"Though a stampede is enough to stir any hidden pockets awake," said Kong. Angirasu grimaced.
"Sorry about that. We have no idea what happened. A bunch of predators just spooked our rides," said Angirasu.
"Well, once you learn to control yourself, you can make up for it by helping me on the hunt," said Kong. Angirasu nodded.
"Alright. When do we begin?" asked Angirasu.
"Now," said Kong as the two reached the bottom. He turned to face Angirasu.
"You must transform yourself," said Kong. Angirasu bore a reluctant look.
"I've never changed at will. The couple of times I did, I was threatened," said Angirasu.
"As I said, you must not give into fear. Because you've never changed out of your own will, you have no ability to control yourself as you are now," said Kong. He raised his hand with a firm expression.
"Focus. No fear. No dread," said Kong. Angirasu sighed as he took a breath. He closed his eyes as he felt his body aching. He muttered to himself as he grunted. His skin began to grow irritated. He felt a wave anxiety over him as he began to morph. Memories of his nightmares flooded his mind. Angirasu fleeing from the shadowy monster that haunted him. The boy snarled he collapsed to his hands and knees.
Angirasu recalled the pain that he's been put through. The fear of MONARCH one day hauling him away and locking him in the Vault. The memory of being lost in a mindless state against unfamiliar creatures and Transmutants. The drive to fight overpowering any human thought. These memories flooded his mind as he changed.
Angirasu wailed as he was in his alternate form. His slammed his tail onto the earth and thrashed. His eyes were bloodshot as his humanity was overcome by the beast. Before he could move, he was suddenly slammed to the ground. He snarled but was met with a plume of dust from Kong. Angirasu sneezed as he inhaled the dust and began to graze his head in the dirt. He began to slowly change back to normal. He winced as he rubbed his nose.
"Ugh. Why does my nose-" Angirasu found Kong looking down at him. He sighed in disappointment.
"Damn. Guess I didn't do it right," said Angirasu. Kong tossed him a robe that he had rolled up at his side. Angirasu took it to cover himself.
"We'll just have to keep trying until you do," said Kong. Angirasu sighed with a nod.
It was the afternoon. Junior's eyes began to open. His sight was a blur as the sleep forced his eye lids to flutter close. He found himself drifting back to sleep again. His body demanded he continued to rest, given his lack of sleep from the past couple of days.
Junior found himself standing in the quad of his school. The air was chilly, and quiet. No one was around except he and Twilight. The girl bore a weak and apologetic smile as she held a hand out to him. Junior merely stared at her, his brows furrowed. He looked down at her hand and found a familiar sheet of paper. The boy suddenly hardened his expression.
Junior snatched the paper from her hand. He began to tear it apart viciously, as rage burned in his eyes. That paper was an affront to his sight. He wanted it away from him. He wished that he never saw it in the first place. Junior then scattered the pieces, which were caught in the wind. They began to blow off to a cold dark abyss beyond the quad. The abyss seemed to have grown, slowly encroaching the walls.
Twilight bore a teary eyed expression as she stared at Junior. The boy kept a hard expression, despite the shedding of tears. Junior thought she had no reason to cry. After all, she brought it on herself. Junior turned and began to walk away. However, he stumbled as he felt his arm tugged.
Junior turned to find Twilight clinging to his arm. She looked up at him with a desperate look. Her eyes pleaded to him not to leave. But Junior's heart had hardened. He wanted her to go away, to leave his sight. Junior began to pull his arm but Twilight still kept a tight hold. It was almost impossible to pry her off.
Junior grunted as he forced his hand against her as to push her off. The girl whimpered as she held on, keeping a tight hold. She just wouldn't let up. Junior wondered why she wasn't this way when he needed her. Why did she turn him away?
Junior gave a cry as he pushed Twilight to the ground. He was panting as he walked off. He could hear her sobs as he walked further away. But her voice echoed around him. He was unable to escape.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Twilight's voice called out to him. Junior gritted his teeth angrily. He turned to find Twilight on her knees and hands. Junior stormed back to her.
"You're sorry?! For turning on me?! For not hearing my side of the story?! It's not gonna cut it!" said Junior angrily. He shook his head as he looked down on Twilight.
"Just go away. I never want to see you again," said Junior, disdain on his tongue. Twilight slowly raised her head. Her eyes were cold and dead. The air grew colder as the area around them began to decay.
"It's OK. You won't," said Twilight, her voice hollow. Junior watched as Twilight began to decay before his eyes, turning to dust that blew in the howling wind.
Junior gasped as he shot up. His eyes were wide and alert. He was sweating profusely as his heart rate spiked. Junior panted as his eyes darted around. Junior rubbed his hand against his face with a shudder.
"Fuck," said Junior to himself. He gasped as he found the daylight to have been the tone of the afternoon. Junior quickly got up and rushed outside. He ran through the Iwi camp, startling some of the natives. Junior was looking around in a panic. No one he knew seemed to be in sight. He began to run towards the wall, the nightmare still fresh in his mind. He didn't mean what he said to Twilight. He didn't want her to go away. He wanted her and the others back, safe and sound.
"Kong! Kong, where the hell are you?!" shouted Junior as he stopped.
"Gojira?" called a familiar voice. Junior turned and found the Dazzlings to be kneeling by the river that flowed into the area. They bore baskets filled with clothes.
"What's wrong?" asked Adagio as she stood up to face the boy. Junior rushed to her and grabbed her by the shoulders. Adagio gave a pained and startled gasp.
"Where are the others?! How long have I been asleep?!" asked Junior frantically. Aria stared with wide eyes as Sonata cupped her mouth in worry.
"They left hours ago. You've been asleep all day," said Adagio. She began to grow frightened. Junior had a crazed look in his eyes as he looked ragged.
"They left without me?!" cried Junior. Adagio recoiled.
"Y-Yeah," answered Adagio. Junior released her and began to rush to the wall.
"Wait, where are you going?!" asked Aria.
"I need to go find them!" said Junior as he made his way to the side entrance. He stopped as he found Kong and Angirasu entering. Junior looked passed them.
"Where are the others?" asked Junior urgently.
"The others? We weren't with them," said Angirasu. Junior looked at him incredulously as the Dazzlings came over to them.
"What do you mean you weren't with them?! We're supposed to be looking for the rest of the girls!" said Junior. Angirasu recoiled at his tone.
"Gojira, I was with Kong learning how to control myself. Mosu and the rest are looking for them," said Angirasu. Junior glared at him angrily.
"Who gives a shit about that?! Why weren't you out there looking for them?!" demanded Junior. Angirasu glared back at him.
"Hey, you have no right to be pissed at me! You were the one sleeping all day! Mosu was looking for you and decided to let you rest longer!" said Angirasu.
"Hmph. Maybe he needs a longer nap," muttered Aria. Junior turned and glared at her.
"Shut up, Aria!" snapped Junior. Sonata recoiled while Aria glared back at him.
"Hey, take it easy!" said Adagio in disapproval.
"Yeah, you're acting like a fucking lunatic, dude!" said Aria.
"My friends are out there and I'm not there! What do you want me to do?!" yelled Junior.
"How about not give me shit for trying to learn to control my mutantism. Something we all should be doing!" said Angirasu. Junior groaned in exasperation.
"Whatever! Do what you want!" said Junior as he began to walk to the exit. Kong got in his path with a hard expression.
"What do you think you're doing?" questioned Kong.
"Get out of my way, Mighty Joe Young! I'm going to find Twilight and the others! This time I'm going farther from this place!" said Junior with a glare.
"Gojira, no!" cried Sonata in alarm.
"You can't leave. Night fall will be approaching and no one will accompany you at evening," warned Kong. Junior growled.
"Buddy, I've tried going your way, but it's not working! Now move!" Said Junior as he attempted to walk passed Kong. However, the man merely forced his hand against his shoulder, pushing Junior back. Junior felt his skin growing irritated as his blood began to boil.
"I've been itching to hit someone," said Junior as he popped his knuckles. The girls bore alarmed looks. Kong furrowed his brows as Junior approached. However, Angirasu got in Junior's path.
"Get out of my way, Angirasu," growled Junior. Angirasu stood his ground, holding a hard expression.
"That's enough, Gojira! If you want to hit someone, then come at me," said Angirasu. Junior growled as he clenched his fists. He was wasting time here. They needed him. He had to find the girls, or else his nightmare will be a reality.
"Baby, I know things seem bad~," sang Adagio. Junior turned and found the girl slowly approaching as her expression was soft.
"Seeing you this way makes me feel sad~. I know you're fearful~," sang Adagio as her eyes softly flashed. Junior furrowed his brows. Adagio turned to her sisters and made quick hand gestures. Aria and Sonata glanced at each other and began to vocalize.
"I know you don't mean what you say~. I know what's making you feel this way~. Baby, just don't leave~," sang Adagio.
"Please don't leave~," sang Sonata and Aria in unison.
Junior's expression began to soften. He felt his racing heart beginning to settle, as the power from the music began to affect him. This wasn't like what he felt when Adagio used her power on him. This felt different. The boy began to feel weak as his reptilian eyes reverted to normal. His skin softened as his nerves settled. He felt his eyes growing heavy.
Angirasu watched in shock as Kong stood silently. Junior began to sway as his knees grew weak. Before he could collapse, Adagio caught him and held him.
"Sleep, for a better tomorrow~. Forget your sorrow~." Adagio softly sang. Junior sighed as his eyes closed. His breaths soft.
"What did you just do?" asked Angirasu incredulously.
"I gave him a lullaby, obviously," whispered Adagio as she got on her knees and lied Junior's head down on her lap.
"I didn't know we could do that," said Aria in shock.
"Me neither. I just took a gamble. There's probably a lot about our powers we don't know. Something we should've learned," said Adagio with a frown as she caressed Junior's head.
"Is he going to be OK? He was really..." Sonata looked down as she tried to think of a way to put her thoughts down kindly.
"He was acting like a nut!" said Aria. Adagio shushed her with a glare, prompting Aria to cross her arms with a scowl.
"I'm sorry about this, Kong. I swear he's not normally this hostile," said Angirasu, though he realized that he implied that Junior was typically hostile. That wasn't going to look good for vouching.
"He's an undisciplined and untempered fool. See to it that he doesn't disrupt the peace anymore." Kong merely walked off. Angirasu frowned as he lowered his head, while Adagio shot Kong a glare.
Later that evening, Junior was lying inside of a hut alone. He was sleeping soundly. Meanwhile, the remaining Main 7, the Dazzlings and Transmutants were outside, sitting around a fire pit.
"Still no luck. It's starting to feel hopeless," sighed Sunset as she held her knees.
"Not to mention that the Iwi are reluctant to traverse certain areas in the jungle," said Mosura. Rodan bore a cold and almost dead eyed look. Aria stared as a look of discomfort was on her face. She wanted to say something but couldn't muster the courage to speak. He seemed to be looking worse.
"Guys, we should probably tell you," said Adagio. Everyone excluding her sisters and Angirasu looked to her in confusion.
"There was a bit of an incident earlier with Gojira," said Adagio.
"Is he OK?" asked Fluttershy worriedly.
"I don't know. He woke up this afternoon and started freaking out. I think he was angry that you guys left him," said Adagio.
"Yeah, because he's not getting enough sleep. We left him so he could rest properly," said Mosura.
"Mosura, you know that he wants to find the others as much as you. He probably didn't think of that," said Adagio. Mosura slightly narrowed her eyes.
"So what happened?" Asked Mosura.
"What?" Asked Adagio, confused.
"He seemed pretty serious about going off on his own the last time I spoke to him. How'd you convince him not to leave?" Asked Mosura.
"I uh... I never said he was trying to leave. He just got angry," said Adagio awkwardly. Though she began to grow nervous.
"Then why would you bring it up if it's all that is?" Asked Mosura.
"Uh... Come on, you've seen him angry right? He gets kinda scary," said Adagio with a nervous smile. Mosura narrowed her eyes in suspicion. She glanced at Sonata and Aria, who avoided eye contact with her.
"Hey guys! What's going..." Dwan trailed off as she stepped over to the group. She felt the tension in the air.
"Did I miss something?" Asked Dwan.
"Adagio..." Mosura spoke in a low tone.
"I didn't-" Adagio gasped as Mosura abruptly stood up. The mutant stepped over to her and firmly planted her hands on Adagio's temples. Mosura briefly closed her eyes, as Adagio gulped nervously.
"Fill me in. What's happening?" Whispered Dwan.
"Mosura has psychic abilities as a Transmutant. I think she's using telepathy," whispered Angirasu.
"Really? Neat," whispered Dwan.
"That liar..." Mosura growled as she had visions of Adagio's memories. She bore witness to Junior attempting to go off on his own. Thus breaking his promise to her.
"Mosu-" Adagio spoke up but was immediately shushed by Mosura. The mutant shot her eyes open. They burned with anger. She released Adagio and took a step back.
"You- You're unbelievable!" said Mosura.
"Wait, let me explain!" said Adagio as she stood up.
"What? What'd you see?" asked Sunset.
"Well for one, I saw that Gojira was about to fight Kong and Angirasu just to go out into the forest on his own!" said Mosura. Sunset's eyes widened in alarm.
"He what?" asked Sunset incredulously.
"And I just found out that they used their magic on him!" said Mosura, pointing to the Dazzlings. The sisters recoiled and were met with a glare from Sunset, while Fluttershy frowned.
"Well what were we supposed to do? He was losing his shit! If we-" Aria spoke up but Mosura groaned, scratching at her head in irritation.
"I can't- I need to go before I do something I regret!" said Mosura, storming off away from the camp.
"Magic? What?" asked Dwan in confusion.
"They have a magic ability to bewitch people through song. I know from first hand," said Angirasu, glaring at Sonata, who shrank back with a frown.
"Seriously?" asked Dwan. She snickered to herself as she glanced at Adagio, recalling what she heard from Junior.
"I guess by 'playing games', he meant 'mind games'," said Dwan. Adagio narrowed her eyes at her rival. Dwan sighed, shaking her head in disappointment.
"Using magic tricks to get a guy's attention. You're pathetic," said Dwan.
"Shut up, Dwan!" said Adagio, before storming off. It wasn't right. She just managed to patch things up with Junior, but now Mosura thought she did something wrong. It didn't help that Dwan was rubbing salt into an old wound. She had to fix this quick. Adagio took notice of Mosura pacing about, muttering something to herself. Her face was red with anger. Adagio gulped.
"Mosura... I-"
"Shut your mouth," said Mosura in a harsh tone. Adagio recoiled as the girl looked to her with hate filled eyes. The mutant turned to fully face Adagio and approached.
"Let's get one thing straight, Adagio Dazzle. I don't like you," said Mosura in a cold tone.
"I... think you made it clear prior," said Adagio. She gasped as Mosura was suddenly in her face.
"You think this is a joke? As far as I'm concerned, you're a pain the ass! What you pulled with Gojira before was unacceptable. And now you did it again?!" demanded Mosura. Adagio shook her head.
"No! It's not what you think!" cried Adagio.
"I don't believe you! You're a shifty brat! I don't know why Goji tolerates you!" said Mosura angrily.
"Wait, are you jealous?" asked Adagio with a soft expression. Mosura growled.
"What difference does it make?! The point is, I don't ever want to see you alone with him, again!" said Mosura. Adagio glared at her.
"Who're you to dictate that to me? You're not his girlfriend! He can make his own decisions!" said Adagio. Mosura grabbed her by her jacket and yanked her close. Adagio trembled fearfully as Mosura glared at her.
"Don't test me. I may seem nice, but I can be a real bitch," said Mosura, venom in her tone. She pushed the girl back and stormed off. She passed the rest of the teens who just arrived.
"Mosura, wait! I was just helping him!" cried Adagio. She watched as the girl left, while the rest of teens stared. Sunset sighed as shook her head.
"I wished you listened," said Sunset as she walked off. Adagio deeply frowned as she left as well. Fluttershy turned to Adagio, her expression soft.
"Well?" asked Adagio.
"Thank you... for taking care of him while we were gone," said Fluttershy as she walked off. Adagio lowered her head while Sonata joined her side.
"Let's head to bed," said Sonata as she walked with Adagio away from the remaining teens. Angirasu, Aria and Rodan remained.
"It's like we're all falling apart..." said Rodan, his frown deepening.
"Yeah..." said Angirasu with a nod.
"She was trying to help, you know," said Aria softly, glancing at Angirasu. The boy nodded.
"Yeah... I know," said Angirasu.
Later that evening, Angirasu was walking through the campsite. He bore a solemn expression. It seemed that his friends were becoming lost. It's like this world was bringing the worse out of everyone.
Angirasu nearly had to fight Junior. The guy who stood up for him when Spinner and his gang attacked him. The boy didn't know what was going to come out of it. He hated that they got into a confrontation such as that. Angirasu wondered if anything would be the same between them once he awakened.
Angirasu found Sunset Shimmer sitting outside her hut in silence. The girl bore a frown as Fluttershy and Mosura were resting inside. Curious, the boy made his way over to her.
"Sunset? What's wrong?" asked Angirasu. Sunset flinched as she heard him.
"Oh. You're still up too?" asked Sunset.
"Yeah. Just thought I'd look out for the others for a bit. Goji's out, so I thought I'd do that for him," said Angirasu. Sunset glanced at him.
"Aang, tell me the truth. Did what Mosura say really happen?" asked Sunset. Angirasu sighed as he took a seat.
"It's true. We almost got into a fight," admitted Angirasu. While he didn't want to get into it, Angirasu couldn't lie. He knew it'd likely make things worse and Sunset deserved to know. She was one of Junior's closest friends after all. Sunset deeply frowned in response.
"I was hoping it wasn't. What's happening?" asked Sunset.
"I guess... he's just worried as much as any of us. I know I am," said Angirasu. Sunset nodded in agreement.
"Still. Leaving on his own? I can't believe he'd be so stupid," said Sunset as she furrowed her brows.
"If anyone has the guts to do it, it'd be him. Granted it's not wise, but I can't help but admire him," said Angirasu. Sunset glanced at him.
"Goji always has this brave aura about himself. He's not afraid to fight and doesn't care what people think of him. I sometimes wish I could be like that. Not afraid," said Angirasu . He knew that all of his life, he was chained by fear. Fear that was perpetrated by his own mother after his father passed. Angirasu was envious of Junior. He wondered how his life would turn out if he had a fraction of what Junior had in his life. Maybe he'd be successful in controlling himself when transformed.
"You're wrong..." said Sunset. Angirasu looked at her in confusion. Sunset bore a deep frown as she stared at her knees.
"I think out of all of us, Goji's scared the most," said Sunset.
"What do you mean?" asked Angirasu. Sunset was about to answer but stopped. She knew it would be wrong to talk about Junior this way behind his back. Still, she didn't like what she sensed from him the last time her empathic abilities worked on him.
"Never mind. The guy just worries me. He's gotten hurt so bad so many times that I'm scared that... no, I'm not gonna say it. Erika always said that the tongue has a lot of power in it. I think that was a biblical quote or something," said Sunset with a sad smile.
"Don't worry about Gojira. I'll always have his back. Even if he tries to fight me," said Angirasu with a chuckle. Sunset shared the chuckle. She smiled warmly at Angirasu.
"It's good to know that he has friends as loyal as you and Rodan," said Sunset. Angirasu lightly blushed as he looked away with a smile.
Meanwhile, Aria was lying down on a mat in a hut, housing herself and her sisters. Sonata and Adagio were sound asleep, though Aria could make out the dry trails of tears on Adagio's sleeping face. Aria sighed to herself as she looked up to the wooden ceiling above. It seemed that every day, more conflict began to grow with the others. At this rate, Aria was betting that all of them would turn on her and her sisters. Friendship. She knew that was too good to be true, which is why she never got close with any of them. It was better that way.
Aria heard a voice in the air. She rose herself up with a confused look. The voice was distant, but still audible. Aria got up and placed on her boots. The girl proceeded to leave the hut, her blanket draped over her shoulders. She looked around for the voice that had brought her out.
Aria began to move away from the hut. As she did, she could hear the voice more. It was Rodan's. Aria walked further, nearing the river that flowed passed the village and through the land. The Dazzling stopped as she found the boy standing at the edge of the river, holding rocks.
"In his hands~. He's got the whole world, in his hands~," Rodan softly sang to himself as he tossed the rocks into the water.
"Rodan?" called Aria. Rodan quickly turned with a start, finding Aria.
"Sorry, did I wake you? I-I'll just go," said Rodan as he dropped the remaining rocks he had. Aria raised a hand.
"It's cool, I was already up," said Aria as she approached Rodan. Her expression softened as she looked into Rodan's eyes.
"Were you crying?" asked Aria. Rodan gave an embarrassed chuckle, looking away to hide his puffy eyes.
"Heh. It's lame, I know," said Rodan with a sniffle as he rubbed his eye. "I just get emotional reminiscing the past. I learned a lot of songs in Sunday school."
"Oh." Aria scratched her arm awkwardly.
"You uh... You were thinking about her?" asked Aria.
"She's all I can think about these days," answered Rodan.
"You really liked her, huh?" asked Aria.
"It's not just that. I loved her. I wanted to know more about Eliza. She was like the only girl that liked me too," said Rodan as he lowered his head. Aria said nothing. She didn't know what she could say, let alone what.
"I mean... I know we were completely different. More than what I thought possible. Still..." Rodan sniffled. Aria frowned.
"She was the one girl in the universe, literally, to like a loser like me. Now, she's gone. And it's my fault," said Rodan, shuddering.
"Rodan, you can't blame yourself for that. Things were crazy and the military was-"
"The military? I never said they killed her," said Rodan with a cold tone. Aria bore a confused look. Then, it clicked.
"Oh God," said Aria. She felt a chill in the air that froze her in place. Rodan turned back to the river and sat down in the grass. He took a pebble and tossed it back into the water.
"Now you know. Don't tell me it wasn't my fault again. If I hadn't gone after her, I wouldn't have..." Rodan began to tremble as a sob escaped his mouth. He brought his hand over his eyes and brows as he cried. During this, he realized the gravity of what he had done. It hadn't hit him immediately. He was stuck in a constant emotionless state, only for it to shatter once he was about to utter those words out loud. He killed Eliza. She was gone, and she was never coming back because of him.
As Rodan sobbed to himself, he felt an arm around him. Aria was sitting next to him as she draped the blanket over both of them as she brought his head to rest on her shoulder. As Rodan cried, Aria kept a firm expression. While she couldn't think of anything to say, she hoped that her actions could offer some kind of comfort.
It was the next morning. The cold air was brushing against the skin of Angirasu as he stood outside. He was holding a flat stone as he carefully picked off bits of cooked egg. The egg themselves were coated with some shredded spices that the Iwi tribe had gathered.
"Eat up kids. We got a big day ahead of us," said Ann as she passed over an egg filled stone to Aria. The rest of the teens, including Dwan were sitting around the smoking pit with breakfast.
"Say, where did you get the eggs? I notice the natives don't seem to raise chickens or anything," said Aria in curiosity.
"You're correct. The natives gather whatever they can that's edible. These eggs I think came from either some of the birds in the jungle or maybe some reptiles," said Ann. Fluttershy froze.
"These are fertilized?" asked Fluttershy as she pointed at her breakfast.
"Most likely," said Ann with a shrug. Fluttershy grimaced as she looked down.
"Mm. This tastes pretty good. Bet it's rich in protein," said Sunset. She noticed Junior to be making his way over.
"Morning, Goji," greeted Sunset.
"Morning." Junior awkwardly stood. Adagio was looking to the ground, while Mosura bore narrowed eyes. Fluttershy had a look of worry while Angirasu was stoic. Junior sighed as he looked to the ground.
"Aang... I uh.... Listen, I'm sorry about yesterday," sighed Junior. Shame was in his tone. "How I behaved was unacceptable. I shouldn't have taken out my emotions on you. Oh, and uh... you too, Aria," said Junior. Angirasu nodded.
"Apology accepted," said Angirasu. Aria sighed.
"Alright, fine. I guess I can let it go. But don't let it happen again," said Aria with a warning glare.
"I'll try not to," said Junior. Aria sighed.
"Alright, I guess that's good enough," said Aria with a soft smile.
"Are you hungry, dear?" asked Ann.
"Sure," said Junior. He noticed Fluttershy holding out her breakfast to him.
"You can have mine if you'd like," said Fluttershy with a warm smile.
"Thanks but aren't you gonna eat?" asked Junior.
"I can't bring myself to eat fertilized eggs. Sorry, Ms. Darrow," said Fluttershy as Junior took a seat next to her.
"Shy, you gotta eat. I mean, sometime along the line, you might have to eat meat or something with protein to survive. You might as well start now," said Junior as he took the egg covered stone from Fluttershy.
"I can't do that. I like animals too much," said Fluttershy with a frown. Junior sighed.
"Alright. You do you," said Junior as he began to eat. He noticed Mosura to be glancing at him with an icy stare. Junior felt some discomfort from this.
"So... what's on the agenda?" asked Junior.
"We're going to be expanding our search up north. Last night, Kong mentioned that a scout had found that there was a settlement beyond the jungle," said Ann. Junior's brows rose.
"Kong mentioned that?" asked Junior.
"Uh huh." Ann nodded in confirmation. Angirasu cleared his throat.
"Speaking of which. I'm gonna set out this search too. I'm going to be learning some more skills with Kong. Hopefully I can gain control of transformation. Hope that's fine with you," said Angirasu. Junior couldn't help but feel stung from the question. While he sensed no passive aggression from Angirasu, Junior couldn't help but feel guilt over yesterday.
"It's probably a good idea," said Junior in a small tone as he ate.
Twilight winced as she stirred awake. She sat up from a sleeping bag, finding her friends to be awakening, rolling up their own sleeping bags. The girl noticed a couple of lightly armored men to be conversing as they analyzed a map.
As Twilight took in her surroundings, she found that she was in the middle of vast flat land. Some bushes and shrubs were along the way, with some distant mountains. However, the area seemed mostly empty. Twilight yawned as she stretched. She proceeded to roll up her own sleeping bag, rubbing her tired eyes before placing on her glasses.
"Pick up the pace. We still have a long journey ahead of us," said one of the men. He proceeded to make his way over to the horses, which were standing up as their ears twitched.
The horses weren't like any that Twilight has ever seen. They bore zebra-like manes on their heads. They had horse-like tails, and large strong bodies. Unlike the horses in their world, these ones bore much thicker legs, from their shoulders and haunches down to their hooves. They bore dark coats, with light pattern spots on their coats.
A domesticated triceratops groaned as it stood up, shaking off its sleepiness. As one of the men hooked up the large reptile back up to a wagon, Twilight and the rest of the girls were placing the sleeping bags in the wagon.
"We've traveled so far already," said Twilight, looking back with a grimace. She could faintly make up a few distant mountains, as the morning sun rose.
"Hmph. If they're worried about time, I could've easily dashed us to where we're going," said Rainbow with a scoff.
"Bad idea. You never took along anything like a wagon on a run. You could end up killing us from the whiplash or the wagon could tip over and grind us into paste and dust from the speed," deadpanned Twilight. Rarity gulped.
"That's vivid..." said Rarity. Rainbow sighed in annoyance.
"Relax. Just enjoy the scenery of a new frontier," said Applejack. The girls began to board the wagon, as a second smaller wagon was towed by a single horse passed by. From the second wagon, the family that Rainbow and AJ stuck out their necks for was riding inside.
From the wagon of the girls, the guard that was related to the family approached. He had long since abandoned the dark heavy armor that he wore back in the village. Instead, he wore leather clothes, and some chainmail that was hidden beneath. He was a young man, with blonde brown hair. He took the reins. He sat himself at the front as he prompted the reptile that was connected to move forward. The journey had resumed. Twilight was sitting in the wagon as she looked over the map. It was a vast land, and she knew little about it. If they were going to survive, it might be a good idea to learn something.
"Um... Excuse me, sir," called Twilight. The guard glanced back at the teen.
"Call me, Leon," said the former guard.
"Leon. Could you tell us more about this land? Maybe the political climate," said Twilight. Rainbow groaned.
"Boring," said Rainbow.
"I'm not very savvy on the politics of the Dogomite Empire and the Sacramentonian Kingdom. But the empire is imperialistic in nature. It's been expanding its power and influence these last few decades by conquering neighboring kingdoms and subjugating the populace," said Leon, as the wagon was towed across the land. The rest of the girls turned their attention to the guard, who was giving them some insight on this new world.
"And the town we were at happened to be one of them?" asked Twilight.
"Indeed. It's not easy for us, but it's better than the capital," said Leon.
"What's so bad about the capital?" asked Rarity in confusion.
"I dare not speak of it. Just know it’s a hive of scum and villainy. Degenerates," spat Leon.
"Well, at least ya'll will be away from the Empire," said Applejack. Leon scoffed.
"We'd probably be better off back where we came from," said Leon.
"Why would you say that? You guys were gonna be executed!" said Rainbow incredulously.
"The winds carry the word that disaster is inevitable, between our nations" said Leon. The girls glanced at each other.
"Excuse me. I shouldn't be despairing. It's weakness," sighed Leon, holding a look of shame.
"Let's change the subject," said Applejack, forcing a smile
The air was humid in the vast jungle. The noon sun was shining high above the canopy of the forest. Down below, Ann led Junior, Sunset, Fluttershy, the Dazzlings, Rodan, Mosura and Dwan through the jungle. Ann followed close to the few Iwi scouts. As of now, Angirasu was back at the village, to continue training with Kong.
While it seemed like a good idea to learn to control the mutantism, Junior was reluctant. Partly due to his behavior the previous night, as well as the fact that he was too focused on finding the rest of the Main 7. He only wished that he was able to spend more time back home training with his father. While he had somewhat control over himself, Mosura and Rodan were still far more inexperienced in comparison.
"Stay close kids. I'm not familiar with this area," said Ann. The group continued on their journey.
During the walk, Junior took notice of Adagio. She had her arms crossed as she bore a dejected expression on her face. Concerned, Junior began to walk alongside her. The girl jumped as she noticed him.
"Hey, Ada-" Junior was interrupted as the girl began to walk further away from him. Junior bore a confused look as she moved away.
"What's..." Junior grunted as he felt Mosura suddenly pull him close.
"Hey, pay attention. Wouldn't want you to get lost," said Mosura, her eyes narrowed. Junior looked back at Adagio, who was avoiding eye contact as she walked close with her sisters. Junior then turned back to Mosura, who bore a scowl on her face.
"Um... Mosura. I-" Junior fell silent as the girl huffed.
"I don't want to hear it," said Mosura. Junior frowned. "I swear to God, I should smack you for going back on your word,"
"Mosu-"
"Shut it. I'm still pissed at you," said Mosura in a low tone. Junior sighed heavily, his eyes downcast. He couldn't protest, because he felt that he deserved her harsh treatment. As he walked silently, Fluttershy glanced at him with a frown.
"Hey, Ms. Darrow. You never talked about how you ended up here," said Sonata.
"Oh, that's right? Well, I guess that can help pass the time," said Ann.
Manehattan, Equestria. 2005.
The city was a crowded and hectic place. The air reeked of fumes from the many vehicles that filled the air. Horns were honked by angry drivers, who shouted curses from the vehicles in frustration at the traffic. It was the norm in the big city, as known by Ann Darrow.
The young woman was carrying a few bags, over her shoulders. She grunted in frustration as she searched the streets for an empty taxi. She gasped as she found one.
"Taxi!" called Ann, whistling. Her heels clacked against the concrete as she rushed to the vehicle. The taxi stopped, allowing Ann to open the back door and to climb inside. She sighed as she closed the door, setting her bags.
"Where to?" asked the driver, looking back at Ann. She cleared her throat as she removed her sun hat, fixing her bangs. As she gave her destination, the driver nodded in confirmation and proceeded to drive.
Ann sighed to herself as she began to look over her bags. She muttered to herself as she began to look inside, checking to see if she had everything that she needed. There was a sudden jingle in the air.
"Shoot! Where is it?" muttered Ann as she searched herself for the jingling cell phone. She then groaned in annoyance, realizing that her personal handbag was on her shoulder. She dug inside and drew out a flip cell phone. She found the caller to have been labeled "Mr. Denham". Ann answered the call.
"Hello?" answered Ann.
"Ms. Darrow! Where are you? It's almost time!" said a man on the other line.
"Sorry, Mr. Denham! There was a delay at the subway station. I'm in a taxi on my way to the University as we speak!" said Ann.
"Well make it snappy! We need that funding for that expedition!" said Mr. Denham.
"I can't believe that the state is actually considering to fund you for your nature documentary. Let alone recommend students to join us!" said Ann in disbelief.
"Kid, they don't care if I'm shooting an erotic film! They just want people with balls! This is a chance in a life time! Which is why I need you here! They'll be sold once they learn about your research!" said Denham. Ann began to slide the glass window from the taxi, making sure that the driver can't hear her conversation.
"Mr. Denham, my research is lacking! The island exists in legend from different regions on the planet, but there's barely anything mentioned about it! It's as if the ancients were afraid to talk about it," said Ann as she looked through her notes.
"Yes, but you found something that is worth throwing money at! You found a map!" said Mr. Denham, his tone excited. Ann frowned as she found a photo copy of an ancient map, which was charting off the Pacific Ocean.
"Think about it, kid! I spent years trying to find this place! The ancients knew this place was special!" said Denham. Ann found photos of ancient wall art, depicting a stylized skull, appearing almost that of an ape or a man.
"Just think about it! A place on Earth yet to be touched by man! The possibilities of the flora and fauna are endless! These fat cats that own the university would be eager to know they can make money off the research of their curious professors and students!" said Denham.
"I guess money talks," said Ann.
"Remember, Ms. Darrow. I came to you because I know you'd be helpful with your background in ancient history. If we get through this, we can really benefit!" said Denham. Ann sighed.
"Alright, I'll be there as soon as possible," said Ann. As she hung up, Ann proceeded to organize her things and set them away in their respected cases.
"I gotta make up the debt for acting classes somehow," said Ann to herself.
Soon, Ann had arrived onto the campus grounds of the university. The blonde was rushing through the hall of a building with her research, muttering to herself as she attempted to keep her hat on. She soon found an older man to be pacing around by a door. He was dressed in a formal suit and had combed hair. He was presentable in his appearance.
"Mr. Denham!" called Ann, picking up her pace. The man turned, relieved.
"Took you long enough! They're getting impatient!" said Denham. Ann stopped at his side, nearly dropping her bags.
"Sorry! I got here as soon as I could!" said Ann, adjusting her hold on the book.
"Agh! Look at yourself! You're a mess!" said Denham as he took a few bags from Ann. The young woman removed her hat and began to brush her fingers through her frazzled blonde locks.
"OK, ready?" asked Denham.
"Nope," replied Ann, standing up straight as she took a calming breath. She and Denham pushed the large doors open, where they proceeded to walk into a large empty classroom. The room was made up of rows of seats that ascended upwards. A large chalkboard sat at the front of the room and a desk. There were a few men in suits to be standing, conversing.
"Gentlemen! Sorry for the delay!" greeted Denham as he stepped to one of the men and reached out a hand for a shake.
"Save the pleasantries. Our time is short," said the man coldly. Denham gave a forced laugh as he clasped his hands together.
"O-Of course. Um... Please, have a seat," said Denham, gesturing to the first row of seats. The men took their seat, though looks of impatience and annoyance were on their faces. Denham made his way to Ann, who was going through her cases.
"It's not looking good right now. It's all up to you now," said Denham. Ann nodded. Denham stood to the side near the exit, while Ann turned to face the men. Her heart raced in her chest as her palms grew sweaty. She felt a sudden urge to look away and to hide. This was an all too familiar feeling.
"Th-Thank you for coming," stuttered Ann. She struggled to think of what else to say. She glanced and found Denham to be making hand gestures while he mouthed 'move it along'.
"Um... we've brought you here today to present something that may be valuable to the University. Skull Island," said Ann. A few of the men scoffed.
"Not this again, Denham," said a man in dismay. Ann grimaced, having lost what little confidence she had in herself.
"Gentlemen, I assure you that you'll be convinced. Ms. Darrow has found something you may be interested in," said Denham. Ann quickly began to dig through her notes by the desk.
"What we believe is myth may actually be a reality. Recently, I've discovered that multiple cultures in the East and West have had legends of the island. While they had different interpretations of it, they were consistent with the idea of its existence," said Ann, drawing out photographs and proceeded to pass them to men.
"A-As you can see, there's more talks about this island by the South East. Though as far as we know, few who've gone there have returned," said Ann.
"So there isn't any physical evidence that people have gone?" deadpanned one of the men, giving only a glance at a photo of a cave painting of the skull.
"Well... There's the cave paintings," said Ann, sheepishly. The men bore unimpressed looks.
"A few photos of cave paintings isn't enough to convince us to invest in a expedition to a fantasy island." said one of the men in the room.
"What are the odds that these are even real? I've seen more convincing pictures on Cryptids!" said another one of the men.
"I-I..." Ann was about to counter but felt disheartened. It seemed that this presentation was spiraling out of control.
"This reminds me of the time where that one student tried pitching us his 'Hollow Earth' theory," scoffed another one of the men, looking through the pictures.
"Sirs if you'd just take a look at this map-" Ann began to draw out another photograph.
"We've seen enough," said one of the men as they began to stand.
"But gentlemen-!" Denham cried out in alarm.
"We run a respectable University here, Mr. Denham. We aren't interested in funding your fairy tale project. You've wasted our time," said another one of the men. They all began to storm off, leaving Ann and Denham alone. Ann's eyes were downcast.
"I'm... I'm sorry, Mr. Denham," said Ann, her tone small. She knew that she was being counted on, but failed.
"It's not the end, kid. We'll find someone who'll take us seriously. Then we'll show them," said Denham, his brows furrowed. The two began to leave the room, a sense of defeat over them. As they left the room, they suddenly came across a tall middle aged man, with a five o clock shadow. He backed off in surprise.
"Oh. Pardon me. You wouldn't happen to be, 'Denham', would you?" asked the man.
"Yes?" answered Denham, warily. He noticed another man stood at this stranger's side. He was a rugged, slightly younger man. He bore black hair and bright green eyes, which quickly captivated Ann.
'Wow,' thought Ann.
"I am Englehorn. We've 'emailed' each other," said the man.
"I emailed him," interjected the second man with a roll of his eyes.
"Oh! Hello! I-I wasn't expecting you," said Denham with a relieved laugh. Ann sent him an odd look, as to why this man was so tense moments ago.
'I hope he doesn't owe money to someone,' thought Ann.
"Ah. This is my first mate, Jack Driscoll," said Englehorn, gesturing to the man next to him.
"What are you doing here?" asked Denham in confusion.
"Well, I've considered your emails. And I thought I'd come to see your presentation," said Englehorn.
"We uh... We sort of already finished," said Ann.
"Oh. Any takers?" asked Englehorn.
"No." Denham answered flatly.
"Oh. A shame. Well, let's see if you can change that," said Englehorn, as he and Jack entered the room.
"I-I'm sorry?" asked Denham in confusion.
"Come now. I'd like to see if you're serious about this expedition you've talked about," said Englehorn as he and Jack took a seat at the chairs in the room. Ann and Denham briefly looked to each other. The woman swiftly went back to a table, placing down her notes, pictures, and other items for her presentation.
"J-Just give me a minute!" said Ann, excitement growing in her. She hoped that this time, she can be more convincing. She began to present the information to the two men, who listened intently. Although Jack seemed to be a bit more indifferent, Englehorn looked to be captivated.
"So, we've also discovered a map that may potentially lead to the island. It's old, but uses star navigation to find it. It should be in the Pacific, just South of the Equator," said Ann, pointing to a point on the map, which was displayed on a screen via projector.
"Just there, huh?" asked Englehorn, scratching his chin.
"Denham, you mentioned this before, yes? That you believed your mystery island was somewhere in the Pacific?" asked Englehorn.
"It has to be. After all, most of the legends about it are centered around nations in that part of the world. The pacific islanders knew, and so did the South Equestrians. Just about any ancient people that could easily reach the Pacific have legends," said Denham. Englehorn hummed to himself, while Jack sat in boredom.
"Sounds like a crock to me," said Jack. Ann grunted in annoyance.
"Why're we wasting our time over some college girl's and nature documentary director wannabe's fantasy, Cap?" asked Jack.
"Wannabe?!" Denham barked in offense.
"Hmph. I forgot that I haven't told you," said Englehorn, looking at Jack.
"What's that?" asked Jack.
"Recently, I was contacted by an old friend who's in the Navy. Apparently, they came across an indigenous person who was lost at sea in a canoe. He didn't look like from any nation that we know of. But, he spoke in a language that islanders near that region speak," said Englehorn. This drew Ann's and Denham's attention.
"He wasn't able to say much since he sadly passed away due to illness. But, they got this off of him," said Englehorn, drawing something from his coat pocket. He held it out it to Denham, who took it. It was some sort of medallion. It was decorated with brown beads, with a golden medal. Engraved in the medal was the shape of a stylized Skull, which triggered a memory.
"Ann!" Denham called. The woman walked over and began to look over the medallion. Indeed, she too recognized the engraving. She saw a similar skull on cave paintings in her findings.
"Could it be..." Ann stared, wide eyed.
"I think there's a lot more truth to your mystery island then you realize," said Englehorn, with a smirk.
"So wait... How can you help us?" asked Ann in confusion.
"While I may not have millions of dollars, I have a ship and crew. I'm the captain of the 'Venture'. I have a couple of guys from MONARCH that's been looking to explore the region. Saying that satellites picked up something," said Englehorn.
"MONARCH? Why would they come to you about something like that?" asked Ann.
"Eh. Navy friend. Looks like the government isn't interested in these readings. Too concerned about mutants at the moment. So, they were directed at me," said Englehorn. He then stood up.
"If you're alright with slumming it in a good ol' fashion cargo ship, filled with a couple hundred crewmen, with a few eggheads who're willing to pay their own expenses for such an expedition, then welcome aboard," said Englehorn, holding out a hand. Denham grinned. Without a hint of hesitation, he shook the man's hand.
"Happy to be aboard!" said Denham.
"Hold on! What do you get out of this?" asked Ann, suspiciously.
"Like I said, these scientists are loaded. They're willing to throw in their own money for the trip. I just thought of you," said Englehorn, looking to Denham. Ann scratched her chin, still a bit suspicious. Something about this man told her that he had other motives in mind.
It was early morning. Ann and Denham found themselves standing at a seaport, where different ships were anchored. With them, a man lugging camera equipment stood. The three found their ride.
The SS Venture was a large ship. It was a Bulk Carrier ship, showing some age and water damage and barnacles along its hull. The three could see some crewmen moving about the deck, making preparations for take-off. The three began to board the ship, where they were greeted by Jack.
"Welcome aboard the Venture. Jimmy here will show you to your living quarters. Captain Englehorn will be meeting with you, shortly," said Jack, almost dismissive. A young man, appearing no older than 19, stepped over to the guests.
"If you'll follow me," said Jimmy, leading the three. Ann looked back at Jack, who began to bark orders at some of the crew.
"Come on, people! The cap wants her out of here before lunch! Let's get everything on board before we have to raise anchor!" said Jack.
"Unfriendly, isn't he?" asked Denham.
"W-Well... I'm sure he's just busy. It can't be easy being first mate," said Ann.
"Mr. Driscoll is one of the best. The captain thought he was a perfect fit for the role," said Jimmy.
Meanwhile, just below the ship, a man stood in the shadows. He watched as some cargo were brought on aboard through a large hangar-like door at the side of the hull. He drew out his cell phone and held it up to his ear.
"I'm here. Yeah, yeah. Not yet. Don't worry, I'm sure this will turn up with something. Once I confirm it, I'll inform you and we can go off from there," said the man. He hung up and began to make his way up the metallic ramp. Once no one was around, he raced inside, hiding behind large containers that were stored inside. He noticed a couple of crew men, dressed in grey uniforms, to be walking by.
"So what do you think the Captain meant when he said we'd be having a detour?" asked one of the men.
"Who knows. I just hope it's somewhere warm. I'm sick of freezing my nuts off. Winter's a bitch," said the other crewman.
Soon, the ship was setting sail. It began to sail across the Atlantic, leaving Manehattan shores. The ship bellowed as it sailed as the sun began to rise during the passage of time.
Eventually, it was noon. The mess hall was filled with the many members of the crew. They sat crowded at tablets, with plates of hot meals. Among them, were Ann and Denham. The two were sitting with Jimmy, enjoying their lunch.
"Mm. This beats fast food. I was worried that I'd have to be stuck eating that for lunch again," said Ann.
"Get used to it, kid. If this goes well, we'll be able to enjoy nutritious meals more often," said Denham with a chuckle. He then turned to the couple of men before them. They appeared to be dressed in collared shirts and jeans. They were quite casual, compared to the uniformed crewmen. Let alone scientists employed by MONARCH.
"Jack Prescott, was it? What brings you gentlemen onto this expedition?" asked Denham, casually.
"Well, we believe that the readings we got from a recent satellite passing may prove to hold some useful data. Believe it or not, we originally wanted to explore the region back in the 70s when an Equestrian satellite first passed by. This was before MONARCH was formed. But due to the Vietneigh war, the Revolutionary Uprising, we weren't able to," said one of the men, named Prescott.
"So what exactly are you hoping to find there?" asked Ann.
"Oh, who knows. Perhaps geological data. Maybe new ingredients for medicine. Anything, really," said Prescott.
"What does MONARCH need scientists like you if they're just a rebranded branch of the military?" asked Jimmy.
"Well, MONARCH has since expanded from its ways and has taken on endeavors to grow and innovate for the country. Hence why they've worked closely with GeneCo and Hideki Industries," said another scientist. "We just study in the fields of geology, zoology, and biology. You never know what you'll find."
"Sounds like they just wanted an excuse to get them away," whispered Denham. Ann kept a stoic look, suppressing the need to snort.
"We got a stowaway!" a voice shouted. Everyone turned their attention and found a crew member to be hauling an unfamiliar man away from the kitchen area.
"Unhand me!" demanded the man, as he was forced down onto the table. "You'll be hearing from my lawyers!"
"Hey, who is this?" asked a crew member in confusion.
"I caught him stealing food from the kitchen! Check his wallet!" said the crew member, who had apprehended the stowaway.
"Hey!" the man barked, as Denham took the wallet from the man's pocket. He opened it up and began to look through.
"Fred S. Wilson. Why does that name sound familiar?" asked Denham, looking through the wallet.
"Well! It seems you have quite the cushy job," said Denham, showing Ann the wallet. The young woman looked through it and found another I.D.
"You work for the Petrox Oil Corporation?!" exclaimed Ann.
"So?" asked a crewman.
"His company is the worse when it comes to regulations! You know how many oil spills into the environment were caused because of Petrox's shoddy infrastructure?" asked Ann.
"I assure you that Petrox has been working to improve upon our short sighted ways!" said Fred.
"I just read on the paper that an oil rig that you guys own went up in flames," said another crew member, holding up a newspaper. Fred grimaced.
"Including that one," said Fred.
"I bet that company has a lot of lawsuits," said Jimmy.
"Shit, my cousin told me that they charge up the ass for a gallon of gasoline," said another crew member.
"Alright, I think we get it!" Jack suddenly spoke up, making his way over to the group.
"Mr. Driscoll!" Ann recoiled in surprise.
"What I wanna know is what you're doing stowing away on my ship?" demanded Jack.
"Look... We're just looking for new oil veins. We know that you and your crew tend to venture off wherever. You don't need to follow a predetermined course," said Fred.
"So you just want to find more places to set up your cruddy equipment to cause another environmental disaster?" asked Ann incredulously.
"Alright. If it's a ride you'll want, it's a ride you'll get," said Jack. Ann, Denham and a few of the crew looked at the First Mate in shock.
"Really?" asked Fred in surprise, as he was released by one of the crewmen.
"Oh yes, sir. You'll be accommodated properly. You'll be given free roam around the ship, within reason of course. You'll have the luxury of three meals a day, breakfast, lunch and dinner. And you'll get your own living quarters," said Jack with a smile.
"Heh. Well, I say that's plenty accommodating," said Fred.
"No way," said Ann in disbelief.
"Oh, but there's something you have to do," said Jack as he took a mop and forced it against Fred's chest.
"You'll be expected to do janitorial work on the ship. I want to see my reflection on every floor, Mr. Wilson," said Jack, with his brows furrowed. Ann snorted, as Fred began to stutter.
"But-"
"Hey, we'd let you off, but we already left the sea port. You're stuck on here for the next several weeks," said Jack with a shrug. Fred went slack jawed.
"Show him to the supply room. I think it's time he learned what real work is," said Jack with a smirk. A crew member began to guide Fred along, who kept stuttering in disbelief.
"Alright, enough gawking! Finish eating and get back to work!" said Jack, as he began to walk off. Ann just watched as Jack left. A small smile was on her face. She began to make her way over to the First Mate, who was walking through the mess hall with a sigh. She tapped his shoulder, prompting him to turn.
"H-Hey," greeted Ann, a shy smile on her face.
"Hey," greeted Jack, fully facing the woman.
"Um... You wanna join us for lunch?" asked Ann, sweetly.
"No, I already ate," said Jack, before turning to walk off.
"Oh. O-OK. See you around," said Ann, forcing a smile.
A Week had gone by. The voyage had been long. Ann was standing on the deck of the 'Venture', leaning on the rails. She stared off at the endless ocean before her. She could never get tired of this sight. It was a big world outside of the big city. If she had it her way, she'd give up on civilization and just live out in the wilderness. Preferably somewhere near an ocean.
To be frank, current human civilization was rough, if not soul sucking. She was in debt for acting classes. Her interest in history and anthropology hasn't bore any fruit either. Well, at least until recently. If Skull Island truly existed, it may change her life forever. Sure, she may not become an actress as she wanted, but she at least would have a pay off for a secondary interest. Things just might start picking up for the young woman.
Ann began to make her way back inside of the ship. She strolled through the narrow metallic halls of the vessel, a bored look on her face. While it was nice to look out at the ocean view, it left much to be desired for stimulation. She wished she had something to do.
Ann soon stopped as she found Jack walking by. She quickly hid by a corner. For as long as she's been here, she's tried to interact with this man. But, he would always brush her off with an excuse. It was usually, 'I'm busy'. Ann didn't know why she continued to pester him. Either she was bored and needed someone to chat with, or she was charmed by his ruggedness and his masculine energy. She didn't meet many guys that were commanding like he was. It was quite attractive.
'Maybe this time will be different,' thought Ann. She took a breath before leaving her hiding spot. She found Jack to be sitting at a table with Englehorn, in a small room.
"And that's how it goes. Sometimes you just gotta roll with the waves," chuckled Englehorn.
"Yeah, I know what you mean," said Jack with a nod, before sipping from a mug.
"Ah. Ms. Darrow. Wasn't expecting you," said Englehorn, taking notice of the woman.
"H-Hello, Captain," greeted Ann.
"Did you need something?" asked Jack.
"W-Well, actually... You see I was..." Ann, twiddled her thumbs. Jack raised a brow, while Englehorn bore a knowing smirk.
"I thought it'd be fun if you and I would take a walk around the ship. Or the dock. And... Talk," said Ann, with an awkward smile. Englehorn merely glanced at Jack, who had a stoic look. He sighed as he set his mug down.
"Ms. Darrow, I don't think that'd be appropriate," said Jack.
"Appropriate?" asked Ann in confusion.
"I have a ship that I have to help keep in order. Putting off my responsibility for a walk would get in the way of that," said Jack.
"It's just a walk," said Ann, her tone small.
"Listen, Ms. Darrow. Frankly, I'm not too fond of students being on board," said Jack. Ann felt a chord struck.
"It's nothing personal. I just have my role, and you have yours. It's better we stick with that," said Jack.
"I-I understand. Excuse me," said Ann, before turning to walk away. As she left, Englehorn glanced at Jack, as he sipped from his mug again.
"Quite the heart breaker, aren't you?" asked Englehorn.
"I'm not here for romance, captain. Besides, it's better that she didn't get attached. I know her type," said Jack with a sigh. Meanwhile, Ann walked alone in the hall. Her eyes filled with tears.
'That's what I get for not taking a hint' thought Ann.
It has been a couple more weeks. Ann stood with Denham and the MONARCH scientists. They stared, wide eyed along with the rest of the crew.
"This is what your satellite detected?" asked Denham.
"Seems that way," said Prescott.
Before them, was a grand storm that was made up of dark clouds that covered the sky and reached down to the ocean itself. It was like a stationary hurricane. The roaring thunder constantly filled the air, and faint flashes of blue lightning streaked through the clouds.
"What now?" asked Ann.
"We do have some smaller boats. We can set them up on those," said Jack.
"Are you volunteering on going?" asked Englehorn.
"Hell, someone needs to keep an eye on them," said Jack.
"You're concern doesn't sound genuine," deadpanned Ann.
"Listen, you're trying to get to an island that you don't even know exists. A freakish storm is in the way of that. Would you like me to accompany you into the storm?" asked Jack in annoyance.
"Oh I don't know. You don't like to be on board with students," deadpanned Ann. Jack narrowed his eyes at her.
"Ann, that's enough. Yes, Mr. Driscoll. We would appreciate the company," said Denham.
"No one's going. Jack, come on. You know taking those boats into that storm is suicide," said Englehorn.
"Yeah, I know. I'm shocked they went along with it," said Jack with a smirk. Ann glared at him.
"It's alright. We'll take the Venture in. She can handle it," said Englehorn.
Soon, the crew began to make their way back inside of the ship. They made sure that they secured anything they could that wasn't bolted down. They then began to seal up all windows and anything that would allow water in. The boat began to sail off to the storm.
"This is a bad idea," said Jack, wincing as a flash of lightning whizzed above.
Meanwhile, in the bridge, Ann, Denham, Prescott, and a couple of others were seated, holding onto the railings.
"Hold onto your butts," said a crewman.
"Why does that sound familiar?" asked Ann. She gasped as the boat began to rock, as it passed through the humid dark clouds. The heavy massive ship rocked as it rode over the violent waves, tossing everyone and everything around inside. The air was dark in this storm, and the lights on the ship flickered as lightning endlessly struck. Thunder roared, muffled from within the metal walls of the ship.
"Oh boy," groaned Denham, rocking with the motions.
"Mr. Denham, don't you dare puke!" said Ann.
"Come on, where's that eye of the storm?" asked Englehorn, anxiously. The stormed almost seemed to grow more violent. Water from the waves splashed onto the desk, spilling off to the sides before quickly gathering back up, as the ship would rock again. Ann clenched her eyes shut, feeling the rocking and hearing the storm. She felt like they weren't going to make it through.
Soon, the storm became less intense. Rain water ceased. The boats passed through the humid clouds, finding a bright orange tone ray of sunlight.
"My God," said Denham in awe.
"Well, I'll be damned," chuckled Jack.
From the bridge, the crew bore witness to bits of tall masses of land, covered in grass. Beyond them, was an island. Birds began to soar through the tall landmasses. The land masses almost created a Bay that ran from the main mass of land and out to the ocean. It was a beautiful sight to behold.
"Skull Island," said Denham, grinning from ear to ear. He quickly began to unpack the camera from the case he had with him. "This is a great shot!"
Later, the boat had dropped anchor. It was stationary in the middle of ocean, just a distance from the island. The crew gazed upon the mysterious island. Denham was busy filming the view, laughing like a happy child.
"Well, shall we get going?" asked Ann.
"I hope you mean to the island!" said Denham.
"Of course," said Ann with a smile. She then turned to Jack.
"I believe you promised an escort, Mr. Driscoll," said Ann, coyly. Jack rolled his eyes.
"I'll join you," said Englehorn. Everyone looked at him incredulously.
"Well, if there are indigenous people on the island, you might need an interpreter. Lucky for you, I know a lot of languages. A few relating to the ones in this region of the world," said Englehorn. He began to motion for the other crewmen.
"Anyone else feeling daring? Grab some rifles and get on board the boats!" said Englehorn.
"Rifles?!" asked Ann.
"Relax. It's just for our own protection," said Englehorn. Ann grimaced.
Soon, the expedition was officially under way. Denham, Ann, Prescott, Jack, Englehorn, Fred Wilson, and a few other crewmen were riding in a couple of small motorized boats. The boats began to race across the more calm waters, making their way into the bay. They couldn't help but gaze upon the masses of land that stood tall above the waters, like earthy towers.
"To think this place has been hidden here all this time," said Prescott.
"Why do they call it Skull Island, anyway?" asked Jack.
"Maybe it has something to do with that," said Englehorn, pointing ahead. Everyone caught sight of a mountain just on the island. The mountain bore what appeared to be a skull carved into it. The mouth was a cave, where water flowed into. It was quite an ominous sight, compared to the rest of what they could see of the island.
"A little on the nose, but OK," said Denham, filming the carving.
"Land us on the beach ahead!" said Englehorn, pointing.
The boats began to make their way deeper into the bay. They came across a white sandy beach, which appeared to be deserted, aside from a few palm trees and boulders. The boats stopped at the beach, allowing the passengers to hop out. Once the boats were secured, they began to look around.
"I want to retire here," said Denham, still filming the scenery.
"Doesn't look like anyone's around," said a crew member.
"Yeah, well, don't let your guard down," said Jack, as the crewmen held their rifles, checking them. Ann stared warily.
"Well, Denham. You lead on. This is your expedition," said Englehorn, brushing off his hat.
"Let's get moving, gentlemen. And lady," said Denham.
The crew began to make their way across the beach. They began to venture off to the forest, where the sounds of birds chirping resonated like an orchestra. As they walked, Denham was busy filming.
"Mr. Denham, perhaps you should let someone else film for you," said Englehorn.
"Oh alright. Here," said Denham, handing the camera to his assistant. "For God's sake, be careful and don't miss anything," said Denham.
"Hey, get a look at that!" said a crew member. Everyone stopped and found a flock of birds to be perched on a distant tree. They were bright red, and appeared like parrots. Their beaks were sharp and curved downward. They bore black forward facing eyes, and a bony crest that curved to the back of their skulls. Some bore longer crests, likely sexual dimorphism. The birds squawked as they displayed their long, bright feathers.
"Get a shot!" whispered Denham, as the assistant began to film. Englehorn smirked.
"Hello, my pretty," said Englehorn to himself.
"Wait, do you hear that?" asked Jack. Everyone fell silent. There was the faint sound of heavy drum beats. Along with the beats came the sound of chanting.
"Let's go check it out!" said Denham, quickly moving on through the forest.
"Denham, slow down!" said Englehorn, as the crew began to follow. Once they passed through the dense trees, the crew came across a shocking sight. Ahead was a massive stone wall, carved with different images onto different surfaces. A heavy wooden door made up the stone frame. The wall divided a portion of the jungle and the beach, away from the rest of the vast jungle. By the wall, lied a village.
The village was comprised of several huts, made up of wood and thatch. Some were firmly planted on the ground, some were built up as houses held up by nearby trees. There was also some damaged stone houses, and pillars that were closer to the wall.
There were many natives that were standing around a stone stairway, leading up to the wall. They comprised of bronze skinned humans, who looked like they could have been from any other island from the Pacific. They were dressed in loose cloth that covered their bodies.
"Incredible. Do you understand what they're saying, Englehorn?" whispered Denham.
"Not sure. It sounds like a tongue that I know. It sounds like they're saying 'Come.' Or..." Englehorn hummed to himself.
"I wonder what they're doing," whispered Ann.
The chief, or at least what the crew assumed was the chief, was clad in an elaborate headdress, covered in a plume of feathers. He bore markings that were painted along his face, arms, and bare chest. His robes hung below his knees. He carried a staff, which bore a fist-like handle, holding a shrunken skull. He stood among these natives, as he watched as a group of men stood in the center of the village. They were dressed in matted fur-like sleeves and coats, giving them the appearance of apes. They chanted and grunted, pounding their chests to the drum beats, while stomping in place. The 'ape' men began to dance around the fire pit in the center, as the natives continued to chant.
"No, wait. They're saying... 'Kong'," said Englehorn.
"What's a Kong?" whispered Jack.
"I'm going in for a closer look," whispered Denham, hauling the camera equipment.
"Mr. Denham!" Ann whispered in alarm, as the man made his way over to a hut. He began to place the camera on a tripod. He began to film the natives during this strange ceremony. The natives continued to chant as the performers danced, beating their chests.
The chief suddenly gave a shout, which prompted everyone to freeze in place. Denham bore an odd look as he kept his camera filming.
"Ah shit," said Jack in dismay.
It was at this moment that Denham came to a realization. The natives were all staring at him. He stepped away from his camera, as the natives stared at him in silence. The chief shouted something he couldn't understand. He began to approach Denham with a hard expression, as a few natives wielding shields made up of animal hide and wood approached, raising their spears. They approached slowly, while the Chief confidently made his way to Denham.
"Come on out guys. They already know we're here," called Denham nervously.
"Go out calmly. No sudden aggressive movements," said Jack. The rest of the crew stepped away from the trees, carefully approaching Denham from behind. The natives stood, whispering among themselves as they anxiously watched their chief make contact with these foreigners. The chief and the armed natives stopped, staring down the foreigners.
"Englehorn, say something," whispered Denham. Englehorn cleared his throat. He began to speak in a foreign dialect. The chief angrily replied, pointing to the jungle. Ann grew nervous. As she noticed some of the armed crewmen tensing up, that made her anxiety worse.
"He demands that we leave," said Englehorn.
"Ask them what that ceremony is for," said Denham.
"Did you not hear him?" deadpanned Jack. Englehorn began to speak to the Chief in his tongue. The chief replied making hand gestures and directed the attention of the crew to the center.
"He says that they were performing an exorcism to cast out demons from 'Equescidar'. He called it, 'a forbidden land'," said Englehorn. The chief then said the word, 'Kong' again, and pointed to a stone sculpture, depicting a strong humanoid figure, only from the head and down to the torso. The sculpture's arms were spread out, where its large hands lied open and bare. The chief continued to speak, his tone carrying reverence.
"He said that the spirit, 'Kong', will protect them from the evils that lurk on the island," said Englehorn.
"So Kong's like a God?" asked Ann, growing fascinated. A frantic voice filled the air. The crew saw a native, dressed in leafy and grassy clothes, wearing a smaller headdress compared to the chief's. He bore different tattoos on his skin, and a bone through his nose. He carried a staff that bore a skull on it. He rushed over to the Chief and began to speak to him. He then pointed an accusatory finger towards the crew.
"Who's that?" asked Denham.
"Must be the Witch Doctor. He says that we spoiled the sanctity of the ceremony. He says that the pale faces will bring misfortune for their ignorance," said Englehorn.
"Pale- Wait a minute," Prescott's eyes widened in alarm. The natives suddenly growled as they raised their spears. They began to approach the crew, hostility clear.
"Hey! Stand back!" said Jack, raising a rifle with a glare. The rest of the crew raised their weapons as well. The chief began to shout.
"He said, 'You dare to threaten us with violence'." Englehorn translated.
"Hey, they started it!" said Jack.
"Boys, keep those fingers off those triggers! Quick, what's the word for friend?!" asked Denham.
"Ballah," said Englehorn.
"Ballah! Ballah!" Denham cried, stepping closer to the natives, his hands exposed. The chief slightly narrowed his eyes at the man, suspicion clearly on his mind. Then, he noticed Ann to be hiding among the crew, appearing anxious. The chief gasped before pointing. He cried out in his native tongue. Denham looked at Englewood in confusion.
"Did you catch that?" asked Denham.
"Sounds like he's taken an interest to Ms. Darrow. He says, 'Look at the golden woman'," said Englehorn.
"Wait, what?" asked Ann in confusion.
"Well, blondes are certainly scarce around here," said Denham, looking to all of the observing natives. The chief began to speak, holding out his hand. His demeanor more calm and almost respectful. A few of the natives got on their knees and held a hand out as they gazed upon Ann.
"Alright, these guys are starting to bug me. What are they doing now?" asked Jack.
"Staring too?" asked Fred.
"Huh. They seem to have confused Ann for a goddess lost on earth. He says that his tribe will help her get back to heaven," said Englehorn, cocking a brow.
"How do they intend on doing that?" asked Fred with a snort.
"I can think of a couple of ways," said Jack, warily. Ann cleared her throat with a nervous smile.
"Oh! No, no! I'm fine, but thank you!" said Ann. Englehorn began to translate. The natives and the Chief bore confused looks. They began to speak among themselves, clearly puzzled.
"Cap, we should get back to the ship in case they try to do something drastic," said Jack.
"Good idea, Jack," said Englehorn.
"Wait, tell them that we'll be back tomorrow to make friends," said Denham, packing up his camera. Englehorn began to translate. The chief was stoic at this. He showed no sign of approval, nor objection. The natives watched as the crew anxiously walked away from the village. They made sure to watch their backs, in case they get a spear to the back.
Later that evening, the crew had made it safely back to the Venture. Right now, Ann, Fred, Denham, Prescott, the other scientists, and Jack were seated in the mess hall. They bore plates filled with their dinner for the evening. Denham was grinning as he looked through his recorded footage.
"What do you think they were trying to exorcise? What would make them think there's demons around?" asked Ann.
"Could be oil," said Fred. Ann sent him an annoyed look.
"Possible. I'm sure they'd be disturbed by a black fluid gushing from the earth. But I think it could be some undiscovered fauna. Why else would they have that wall? It was clearly built to keep something out," said Prescott. Denham chuckled.
"And that's what I'm here for. Imagine what kind of strange and new creatures that are living on this island! Jack, do you think you can convince Englehorn to talk the Chief into letting us through the wall?" asked Denham. Jack sent him an annoyed look.
"If you want him to translate, than ask him yourself," said Jack.
Ann was walking through the corridors of the ship in silence. She yawned as she scratched her hair.
"Can't wait to-" Ann fell silent as she heard the roar of a boat engine. Curious, the young woman made her way over to the deck, looking over the portside of the ship. Ann cursed under her breath as she rushed over. She found that Fred was riding one of the motor raft boats away from the ship, making its way back to the island. It was already quite a distance, it's motor fading from her range of hearing.
"What in the-" Ann turned to find a few more motor boats to be hanging off the side of the ship, held up by cranes. Ann quickly hopped into one of the other motor boats.
Ann realized that it'd be wise to warn everyone. But, she feared that if she didn't act now, Fred may ruin this entire expedition by somehow angering the natives. So, Ann began to search for a way to get the boat to drop. She grunted a she tugged at the tethers that held it via crane. She grunted in frustration, seeing that Fred was already fading from her sight into the cold night. Swimming was out of the question, considering that the ship was anchored quite far from land, and the water would likely freeze her to death before she could drown from exhaustion. But then, Ann found a control to be hanging from the side. She took the control and found a large red button, along with a couple of other buttons, with arrows drawn on. Ann pushed one of the buttons, and gasped as the crane moved the boat away from the deck, more above the cold dark water below. The student gulped as she looked down, and then to the button. She then looked to the island. With a breath, Ann pressed the red button. She screamed as the boat dropped, splashing onto the water. The control hung above, still connected to the onboard controls of the crane. Ann yelped as the cold salt water splashed on her, during this cold night.
"OK! OK!" Ann began to pull the chord to the motor, causing it to roar to life. Ann yelped as the boat started racing across the water. This thing was tedious to control. She hoped that she would make land before she could accidentally rock over.
With luck, Ann made it to the beach. She found Fred's boat to be beached, but there was no sign of him. But, she saw muddy footprints to be trailing to the jungle. The student hopped out of her boat and began to run along the sandy beach, making her way into the jungle. she heard the faint cry of animals in the air, as she brushed through grass and leaves.
Soon, Ann made her way to the village. She saw it was dark, with some dim torches to be lit. She gasped as she found Fred racing to the wall, looking for a way through. He noticed a small crack in the wall, just big enough for him to squeeze into. He began to move squeeze himself in, disappearing from sight. Ann began to run out into the open, but quickly hid behind a hut, noticing a couple of natives pacing about, standing guard. Whenever they looked away, Ann rushed deeper through the village, taking cover somewhere else. Eventually, she made her way to the wall and slipped through the crack that Fred passed through.
Ann found herself standing before a vast dark jungle. She felt a sudden sense of dread of being out in the open, alone in unfamiliar territory. Ann saw a faint light, likely from a flash light. The young woman began to pursue. She passed through many dense trees and even found herself tripping in the dark of the night.
Ann saw that the light had made its way into a deep dark cave. The blonde steeled her nerves as she ventured inside. She found that the cave bore large crystals and gem stones that glimmered, offering some light in the cave. She was mesmerized by the sight.
"Jack pot!" cried Fred.
Ann turned. She saw the man deeper in the cave, kneeling by a pool of swirling black and purple liquid. Fred chuckled as he held out a bottle to the pool.
"Unbelievable" shouted Ann, startling Fred. She glared at him in disapproval.
"I don't know how you did it, but you're terrible! How can you sneak off and violate another nation's taboos?!" Demanded Ann. Fred scoffed.
"I don't give a damn about a bunch brainless savages! The only value here is the oil! I'm going to do my job and make sure Petrox makes its money!" said Fred, sticking his hand and the bottle into the pool.
"And here I hoped seeing this place would make you reconsider looking for oil," said Ann in disappointment.
"Don't be stupid. Money makes the world-" Fred grunted as he attempted to scoop up the liquid. He realized that it was a lot thicker than he thought it would be. He actually struggled to pull out his hand.
"I'm stuck!" said Fred in alarm. Ann sighed. As much as she disliked this man, she wasn't callous.
"Oh fine, I'll help you. You greedy dirt bag," said Ann. As she took Fred's free hand, there was a sudden violent tremor. The cave rumbled and the swirling pool absorbed the falling debris.
"An earthquake!" cried Ann. The tremors caused her and Fred to lose their balance. The two cried out as they fell into the pool, quickly being pulled beneath the surface.
Ann found herself hurled through a tunnel of light. Her lungs ached as she held her breath, unable to scream. If she didn't know better, she'd think the brightest light at the end was her entrance to the afterlife. Maybe it was.
Ann's vision grew dark as she exhaled, passing out.
Ann's eyes shot open. A sharp gasp escaped her as she shot up. The woman found herself in the middle of a dense jungle. The warm sun bathed her pale skin, drenched in a dark sticky substance. Her heart was pounding. She was definitely alive.
Whatever happened, Ann thought that it brought her to some other part of the island. Because she couldn't see the cave she was in anywhere. She began to look around in confusion.
"Fred?" Ann called, standing up to her feet. As she walked around. She heard a heavy thump. Ann turned, her blood running cold. She found Fred's lifeless eyes staring at her. Her terror only grew, once she found him in the jaws of a great beast. Not just any. It was in fact a large Tyrannosaurus Rex, which held the man in its large powerful jaws. A rumble from the beast's throat rattled Ann's bones.
Without a second thought, Ann quickly bolted from the dinosaur. The creature began to chomp and gulp down Fred's body. It snarled as it began to give chase. Its heavy footsteps thundered through the jungle. Ann whimpered as she ran for her very life, slipping through crowded trees. The Rex shrieked as it crashed into the trees, knocking them over with its sheer brute strength.
"HELP!!" Ann screamed to the top of her lungs, which echoed throughout the jungle. She felt the footsteps growing closer. The hot foul breath of the oversized lizard reached her nostrils, which caused her to break into a sob. No matter how much of her stamina she used to outrun the beast, it was futile. Its large legs allowed it to cover more ground, compared to the woman's smaller legs. Before the beast could chomp down on the woman's top half, a massive furry form rammed into it from the side. The Rex yelped as it was knocked off of its feet, rolling with the furry mass. Ann tripped and fell to the ground. She turned with a pant, finding the Rex to shrieking as a massive ape-like creature placed it in a head lock. The ape gave a loud roar, almost like a lion. It began to tackle the Rex, rolling around with the saurian. Ann panted, unable to move from both fear and exhaustion. She watched as the two colossal beasts fought.
The ape locked its legs around the Rex's torso and forced its head to the ground. He grunted as he grabbed its snout. He began to force open the jaws of the dinosaur, but struggled as it kept clamping its mouth shut. In a fit of frustration, the ape punched the Rex in the head, setting it in a daze. The ape then grabbed its jaws again and began to pry it open. It struggled, as did the Rex that kicked its legs in a fruitless attempt to stand up.
Ann flinched as the ape forced the jaws wide beyond its range of motion. A loud sickening snap filled the air. The Rex suddenly went limp as its lower jaw hung open, where blood began to pour from its mouth. The ape snarled as it began to play with the broken jaw, opening and closing it. The mammal than began to shake it and allowed the beast to rest its head on the ground. The Rex twitched as it lied helplessly, its tongue twitching as it gurgled. The ape grabbed a heavy stone and then slammed it against the dinosaur's head. Ann flinched at the heavy blow. The Rex lied limp, having been put out its misery. The ape stood over the dead reptile, beating its chest and roaring in triumph. Its cries were heard for miles in the jungle, startling any creature, great and small, that heard it.
The ape grunted as it stood upright, on its two strong legs. Its mammoth-like fur hung from its body, blowing in the wind. Its brown eyes fell upon Ann, who cowered before the new creature.
"No! No!!" Ann cried as the ape reached for her. It picked her up in its large rough hand. She squirmed and screamed as she attempted to get away from this savage beast. The ape began to eye the young woman, looking her over. Ann felt herself overwhelmed from the terror she's been exposed to. All of this handling from the beast pushed her to the edge. Ann suddenly fell limp, having fainted.
Ann winced. She felt herself wrapped in something warm. When she opened her eyes, she found herself staring up at a leathery surface. The young woman sluggishly raised herself up. As Ann looked around, she gave a startled cry.
A young woman, holding some Pacific Islander traits recoiled with a start. Her expression became relaxed, which oddly put Ann at some ease.
"W-Where am I?" asked Ann. Looking at this native, she didn't look like she could be from the tribe of the natives she saw before. This woman bore strange tattoo markings along her face and arms, which differentiated from tattoos of the others. Even her clothes were different. Instead of plant fibers, feathers, and grass, this woman wore some kind of red cloth robe. She must have been from a different tribe.
The woman suddenly stood up and began to leave the hut. Ann winced as the light briefly shined on her face. She grunted as she began to crawl out of the hut. As she stood, she gasped at what she saw.
Ann was surrounded by a village. It was certainly different compared to the one she's been too. The huts all looked to be similar and design. There were no trees surrounding them. The natives silently walked about in the village, not paying the woman any mind. But the most glaring thing of all was the massive wall. Instead of stone, the wall was made up entirely of wood. Large heavy logs and planks of wood made it up, which seemed to be surrounding the land, rather than the wall that divided the other tribe's village from the rest of the island.
"Are you well?" a deep, gruff voice called. Ann flinched. She turned, finding a tall, muscle bounded man standing over her. He stood at over six feet, and bore intense brown eyes. Ann looked away, unable to keep eye contact. He appeared to be another villager. Only this one was speaking to her.
"I-I don't... What..." Ann looked around, struggling to process what has happened to her so far.
"I apologize. It wasn't my intention to frighten you," said the man, bowing his head.
"Frighten me?" Ann asked in confusion.
"You were about to be devoured by the beast. I had no choice but to take on my Ape form to kill it quickly," said the man.
"Ape form?" Ann tilted her head. Then it clicked. She recalled that a massive bipedal ape had killed the dinosaur. But, she didn't know what this man meant until she took notice of the scars running across his chest. She faintly recalled the ape having similar scars on its own chest.
"That was you? Then, you're..." Ann went wide eyed. It makes sense now. This man was no doubt, a Transmutant. She might have lucked out or gotten into more trouble.
"I am called, Kong. And this, is the home of the Iwi," said Kong as he gestured to the land.
"Kong..." said Ann, softly. Surely she misheard. This couldn't have been the same Kong that the other natives were on about.
"Again, I apologize," said Kong.
"Oh! No need to apologize! I'm just not used to that sort of thing!" Ann tittered. Though she realized how silly that might have sound. Of course, people wouldn't be used to being chased by a living dinosaur and rescued by a native Transmutant.
"You are welcome to stay here for as long as you need. If you wish to return to your land, than I'll be willing to help you," said Kong.
"Oh! Actually, I'm not from Skull Island. I just need to get to the beach to meet with my friends," said Ann. Kong raised a brow.
"Skull... Island," said Kong.
"Yeah. You know, the one we're on now," said Ann.
"You're mistaken. There are no beaches around here. Nor is this an island," said Kong.
"Wait... What are you saying?" asked Ann, growing nervous.
"Hmm. You must be far from home. This land is called Equescidar. This territory is the Roaring Jungle, my domain," said Kong.
"Equesci- No, that can't be! No, I was on an island! That idiot Fred Wilson was-" Ann gasped, growing pale. She didn't know what was going on, but she knew that the pool of oil had something to do with it. The light was no passage to heaven. No, it was to somewhere else entirely.
"Oh my God. Wh-What am I gonna do? Mr. Denham... Jack... My friends... My family... I'm all alone. I'm gonna die out here!" said Ann, tearing up. She began to breathe in panic. If there were dinosaurs running around out here, then she had no chance of surviving longer than a day. This pushed her to the point of despair.
Suddenly, Kong pulled her into an embrace. Ann froze, feeling the steady heartbeats of this mutant. He gently placed a hand over her head, his eyes soft.
"You're not alone. This place will be your home. I will look after you and help you adapt to the ways of the Iwi. And you too will know how to survive," said Kong, his tone soft and caring. Ann sniffled. She broke into a sob, as she buried her face into his arm.
Present Day...
"And that's what happened," said Ann. She had just finished explaining her story to the teens. Looks of fascination and confusion were on their faces.
"So there's more than one way to get here? Where's the place you came in?" asked Junior.
"Sorry, Gojira. When I came to this world, it just dumped me in the middle of the jungle. There was no way back," said Ann. Junior cursed under his breath.
"Ugh. So much for a way home," scoffed Aria.
"So if not for Kong, you wouldn't be here huh?" said Sonata.
"You got that right. He took me in and has been good to me these last three years," said Ann. Her face lightly flushed as she looked to be day dreaming.
"You got the hots for him, don't ya?" asked Aria with a smirk. Ann stiffened.
"No, of course not! What gives you that impression?!" asked Ann incredulously.
"Nah I've seen that look plenty of times. You totally do," chuckled Rodan. Ann groaned in annoyance.
"Hey, we're not here to joke around! Just keep hustling!" said Ann indignantly as she pressed forward.
Along the way, the group came across a more open area. They stopped as one of the Iwi scouts raised his hand. Ann bore an odd look.
"Stay here, kids," said Ann as she approached one of the natives. The teens did as they were told, though were confused.
Ann stood next to a scout. The Iwi man merely pointed to a patch of dirt, further up. The ground was littered with golden orbs, which seemed to glow from the sun's light. Ann slightly narrowed her eyes, noticing a lot of trees to be scarred or having been uprooted.
"Hey, is that gold?" asked Aria with a look of interest.
"No. This is something else. Stay close and be on your toes. We may be passing through a dangerous spot," said Ann as the scouts carefully stepped through the open area in the jungle. The rest of the group followed. Ann had an anxious look on her face as they walked passed the golden objects that littered the ground.
Curious, Junior knelt down and picked up one of the objects. He hummed to himself as he looked it over, finding its crystalline shape and texture. Fluttershy walked alongside him curiously.
"How much you think this stuff is worth?" asked Junior. Fluttershy squinted at the object.
"Goji, I think that's amber," said Fluttershy.
"Isn't that the stuff in the Jurassic Park movies that let them clone dinosaurs?" asked Sonata in confusion.
"It actually preserved the mosquitoes that had dinosaur DNA in them. But yeah, basically," said Rodan.
"Hey, put that down! We need to get out of here!" hissed Ann, looking back at the teens.
"What's the big deal?" asked Junior with a shrug. The teens then stopped as they noticed that there were some larger amber structures lying on the ground. It was here that they noticed something disturbing.
"Oh God," said Sunset with an unnerved look. From these larger pieces of amber, there were animal body parts preserved inside. They were ape-like, looking as though they were crushed and torn.
"I don't remember amber doing that in the movie," said Sonata with a gulp.
"Because it doesn't. It's what made it that did," said Ann.
"Every time you guys say, amber, I can't help but think back to the bug. Man I never thought I'd miss her," said Junior.
"This isn't good," said Ann, growing more anxious.
"Ann, you're starting to freak me out. This disturbing crime scene isn't helping," said Dwan as she eyed the amber on the ground. There was a sudden scream. The group recoiled, turning to find Fluttershy burying her face into Junior's arm, trembling in fear.
"Why did you scream?!" asked Ann incredulously. Fluttershy whimpered as she pointed off. The group found that she was pointing to the ground near tall grass. What they saw sent chills into their souls. On the ground was a human male, mostly intact but looked as though his abdomen was crushed. The corpse was preserved in a coffin of amber, his eyes wide open as his jaw hung.
"What's happened?" shuddered Mosura.
"We need to go back. That scream may have just-" Ann was interrupted as a fallen tree began to rumble. The natives retreated with the group as the large log shook. Large chunks of the tree began to move, planting onto the ground.
"What in the-" Rodan exclaimed as the chunks planted into the earth. It was here that the main body of the tree began to rise. It was here that the teens saw that they were four mantis-like legs, coated entirely in thick brown wood. The log began to extend, revealing a bug-like head, covered in four black eyes. It gave a chitter as its insect mouth moved, revealing its small sharp teeth.
"What is that?!" asked Sunset.
"Everyone, run!" cried Ann. The group began to flee, as the twelve foot tall beast screeched. Its legs allowed it to quickly scurry after the teens. It lunged for one of the natives, extending its head that stuck out almost like a snail from under its shell. The native cried out in agony as the mantis's bone crushing jaws caught him by his head. It began to quickly scarf the native up and swallowed him whole. The creature shrieked as it began to pursue again.
"We can't outrun it!" cried Mosura. Sunset grunted as she stopped and turned as the mantis approached.
"Sunset! What the hell are you doing?!" cried Junior, stopping as well. He began to run to her, as the rest of the group turned in horror.
Sunset took a breath as the world seemed to have slowed for her. She knew that she haven't had much experience with this ability, but she knew that they couldn't flee. This thing was just going to pick them off. Sunset grunted as she clenched her fists, her hands sparked as she prayed that she wouldn't screw up. Sunset gave a cry as she shot her hands forward, sending a stream of fire towards the bug. The insect shrieked as the flames caught onto its wooden carapace, burning it. In a blind panic and agony, it began to scurry around, attempting to put itself out. Sunset gasped as it was charging towards her. Sunset screamed in fright as she braced herself, but was tackled to the ground by Junior. The boy used his body to shield her as the mantis stomped over them. His back caught ember that fell from its burning body, causing him to hiss in pain.
The bug shrieked as it wildly ran. As it approached the rest of the group, the Dazzlings quickly ran up front. With a deep breath, they gave a synchronized super sonic cry. Everyone shielded their ears as the waves from their cries passed the insect, causing it to be blown away onto its back. The bug twitched as the flames consumed its body. Soon, it curled up as it died.
"Nice work!" Said Rodan, giving the Dazzlings a thumbs up.
"Incredible..." said Ann, with a look of awe. "You have got to explain to me what that was!"
Junior grunted as he stood up with Sunset. His back gave off smoke from the hairs that were singed from the ember. He held Sunset by her shoulders as he looked at her angrily.
"What were you thinking?!" demanded Junior. Sunset was taken aback by this.
"I-I just saved our lives!" said Sunset. Adagio scoffed as the Dazzlings bore annoyed looks.
"Hey, we helped!" said Adagio indignantly.
"You could've gotten yourself killed!" said Junior with a glare. Sunset glared back.
"We all could've been killed!" retorted Sunset, prying Junior's hands off her shoulders. But as she made contact with him, Sunset felt a surge of emotions. Panic, anger, and relief. Sunset winced as she held her head. But as she came to her senses, she found Mosura jabbing a finger against Junior's chest, her face red with fury.
"You have no right to get angry at her after what you did yesterday!" said Mosura. Junior was about to protest but merely sighed in defeat.
"You're right. I'm sorry, Sunset," said Junior, his eyes downcast. Sunset's expression softened.
"I'll try to be more careful next time," said Sunset. Mosura kept a scowl on Junior, who said nothing. Fluttershy placed a hand on her shoulder, giving her a soft look. Mosura sighed.
"Are you hurt?" asked Mosura.
"Just some singed hair," answered Junior. Rodan cupped his nose.
"Yeah, I can tell," said Rodan, having picked up the foul stench of burnt hair. The remaining natives approached the charred carcass of the insect. The natives knelt as they bowed their heads solemnly.
"Shit, poor guy," said Aria with a deep frown. As the natives mourned the one that was eaten alive, Junior looked to Ann.
"What was that?" asked Junior.
"A Spore Mantis. It's a flora-fauna kind of creature. That thing is basically a mix between a tree and a bug. That amber we've seen is its excrement," said Ann. Sonata looked at her in confusion.
"Huh?" asked Sonata.
"It's shit," said Junior, as he began to wipe his hand against his pants in disgust. Sonata gagged as she stepped away from a piece of amber on the ground.
"Maybe we should head back. We just lost a guy," said Dwan with a worried look. Junior was about to protest but fell silent. He was letting his emotions get the best of him again.
Fluttershy was looking to Junior, worriedly. She knew he's been hellbent on finding their friends. But he wasn't protesting. However, she could see the pain in his eyes.
"I guess..." Ann sighed. She then notice the Iwi beginning to rise. They proceeded to walk on ahead.
"Hey, where are you going?" asked Ann in confusion. The natives turned to her. They said nothing but looked to her with the same stoic expressions. The teens looked to each other in confusion, but Ann softly smiled.
"Understood. Come on," said Ann as she began to walk on. The teens began to move forward, although reluctantly because of what other dangers lied ahead. Junior took one last look at the spore mantis, a pit forming in his stomach.
An hour had passed. The few remaining girls of the Main 7, the Dazzlings, Transmutants, Dwan, and Ann followed the natives through the jungle. It was less dense as their journey went on. They stood close and alert, as to avoid any threat that may come against them. The group continued on until they found a clearing.
"Oh thank goodness, we're gonna be out of this horrible jungle!" said Sonata in relief. The rest of the teens couldn't help but agree. Things were horrifying enough in that jungle. They'd feel much more secure when away from the darkness and whatever predators they might not know about.
As the group emerged from the forest, they found a village to be resting some miles away. Their eyes widened as they gazed upon it. Dark clouds of smoke rose in the air.
"That doesn't look good," said Rodan. The natives quickly began to move forward. They ran on ahead, holding their spears tightly.
"Come on!" said Ann as she began to follow. The teens followed the group. On their run, they grew closer to the settlement. They found that the village was surrounded by wooden walls. At least it once was. The walls were destroyed and some even bore scorch marks. They moved passed the destroyed gates, finding wooden buildings to be lying in ruins. The group looked around in shock, as the buildings burned and lied in splinters and rubble.
"What happened here?!" asked Fluttershy in shock. Junior gasped as he found a man to be buried under rubble. He ran to the rubble and proceeded to lift up the heavy blocks of stone. Rodan and Mosura joined him, moving away heavy rubble. Mosura grunted as she began to pull the man out of the rubble once Junior raised a heavy wooden beam. She set the man down and began to search his neck for a pulse. She looked to the boys, shaking her head with a grimace.
"Damn," said Rodan, furrowing his brows. Junior set the pillar down as he cursed under his breath. He began to look around the area, finding the destruction. It was such a small village, and it didn't look like there were people around. However, he could smell the stench of blood in the air.
"This might've been from those Skull Crawlers. Or even Rexes or something. I mean, what else could've brought this much destruction?" asked Junior as he kicked a stone aside. Ann made her way over to the teens, looking around.
"It wasn't the Skull Crawlers," said a voice. The group turned and found two men in armor to be approaching. Their armor was silver in color, bearing golden details. Their faces were exposed under their helmets. They looked similar to knights.
"Who are they?" whispered Dwan.
"I don't know. Stay quiet," whispered Ann. The knights approached, stopping several feet away from the group.
"Now, what's all this? You look like foreigners. I say you three come from the Orietan region just east from Equescidar," said the first knight, pointing to the Transmutants. He looks to the other next to him.
"What say you, old friend?" asked the first knight.
"I feel like we've lost the plot," said the second knight.
"Equescidar?" asked Sunset.
"Orietan? Wait, huh?" asked Junior in confusion. Rodan leaned in close.
"I think he means we look Neighsian," whispered Rodan.
"You there, what do you know about this?" questioned the first knight with a suspicious look.
"We just got here," said Aria.
"Hey, are those natives? Fancy seeing them here," said the first knight, while the second nodded to him in agreement. The group looked back at the natives, who stood silently behind them.
"I bet they're responsible. It's always the unexpected enemies in stories," said the second knight. The first looked at him in annoyance.
"What are you talking about? You're always saying something weird. Besides, it's not unexpected when a whole population is already suspicious of them," said the first knight in annoyance.
"Whoa, whoa! You're blaming the Iwi for this? They just got here!" said Dwan.
"It's not like the natives to do something like this!" said Ann with a glare.
"Ha! Clearly you don't know what these savages are capable of! Yes they may look docile, but they are a ruthless people, along with their king!" said the first knight. Both Ann and Dwan hardened their expressions at the knight.
"Hey, asshole! You don't know anything about them! Just because they live differently doesn't mean they're savages!" said Dwan.
'They're uncivilized natives that worship a monkey transmutant. That term actually applies,' thought Junior. The teens watched as Ann and Dwan argued with the two knights.
"Seriously, what story is this?" asked the second knight in annoyance.
"Enough! The Iwi will have to answer to this to the crown!" said the first knight.
"Lay not a hand on the Iwi, Sir Harden," said a masculine voice. The knights turned and found a young man to be approaching.
"Helloooo~," said Dwan, a look of interest on her face. The young man wore a leather coat, with chain mail underneath. He bore dark pant-like leggings and a small golden crown upon his head. He was a handsome man, with fair skin and rugged brownish gold hair and green eyes.
"A-Are you a prince?" asked Sonata, breathlessly. The man nodded with a smile.
"Indeed I am. I am Prince David, of Sacramentonia," said the man.
"I guess that's more original then what they call Disney princes. What were their names again?" Junior muttered to himself. He noticed that Sonata was nervously fidgeting.
"Oh! Y-Your Highness!" stuttered Sonata as she did a courtesy bow, slightly gripping her skirt.
"What are you doing?" asked Aria in confusion.
"He's royalty! You gotta show him respect!" whispered Sonata. Aria groaned.
"Do I have to do what you just did?" asked Aria in reluctance. Sonata merely glared at her, along with everyone else. Aria sighed.
"This is stupid," muttered Aria as the rest of the group bowed. However, Junior stood with his arms crossed, a stoic look.
"Yo," greeted Junior. The Prince raised a brow at him.
"Goji. Psst. Gojira, bow or something," whispered Rodan.
"We're actually doing this?" asked Junior in confusion.
"You dare to not show respect to a royal of Sacramentonia?!" demanded Harden.
"His arc may just come to an end here," said the 2nd knight, hardening his expression.
"Look dude, I'm an Equestrian citizen. We don't kneel to kings. Hell I don't even like my own rulers," said Junior with a shrug. Mosura quickly grabbed him by the ear and forced him down with a titter.
"I am so sorry, about him! He's been a real idiot lately!" said Mosura. Junior glared at her in pain.
"Hey, who're you calling a-" Junior was silenced as Fluttershy quickly cupped a hand over his mouth.
"Please forgive him, your highness! He's just grumpy," said Fluttershy, forcing a smile. Junior gave muffled remarks in annoyance.
"Shut up! You're going to get yourself killed!" hissed Mosura. The prince bore an amused look.
"It's no trouble. I admire his bravery to stick with his principles," said David. The group began to rise. Mosura released Junior's ear with a glare, while the boy glared back as he rubbed his ear.
"Your highness, the savages are clearly the culprit! And who are these children? They're dressed strangely and have odd accents," said Harden.
"No they aren't!" retorted Ann with a glare.
"You're defending the natives, right?" asked Sonata, scratching her head in confusion. Aria nudged her in response.
"Look again, Sir Harden. The natives aren't capable of this kind of destruction. Where are the rest of them? There are also no signs of their King being here. I've seen no ape tracks," said David as he scanned the decimated village.
"And no wild dragon or Skull Crawler did this. But rather it was our enemy," said David, drawing out a dark, jagged knife. He held it out to Harden, who furrowed his brows.
"Dogomite bastards," cursed Harden as he threw aside the knife. The group watched, completely ignorant of what was going on.
"It may appear that they recently raided this village. A lot of bodies are missing, so it's likely that they were taken prisoner," said David, his tone solemn.
"Then there's nothing we can do. Not during war time," said Harden.
"War?" Fluttershy said under her breath.
"Were any of you residents here?" asked David.
"No, we've been with the Iwi. They brought us here because they thought we'd be able to find some missing friends," answered Ann.
"Well, you won't find them here. Those heathen Dogomites have just taken prisoner most of the population of this village," spat Harden. Junior felt a pain his chest. His mind raced as he mentally replayed what the knight had just said. If the girls had come across this village, it was likely that they were killed or taken prisoner. Junior felt sick to his stomach as he was reminded of his nightmare.
"Dogomites?" asked Sunset.
"Our sworn enemy. A rival empire that's been conquering the other nations of Equescidar. We've been at war with them for years now. It seems they're starting to push into our territory," said David, his tone grim.
"Why can't you mount like a rescue mission or something for those villagers?" asked Adagio.
"Ah. A valiant sub plot that'd be. But foolish!" said the second knight with an intense look. The group recoiled at his look and tone, unnerved by this quirky knight.
"They'd surely just kill the prisoners if we were to send an army to pursue. Besides, our forces are needed to hold onto our territories and protect the capital," said Harden. The prince sighed.
"A shame that this village didn't have heroes like the rainbow haired girl back in Salera," said the prince. Junior perked up as he heard this.
"Wait, a rainbow haired girl? What do you know?!" asked Junior as he grabbed the prince's shoulders.
"Unhand the prince!" shouted Harden as he drew his blade, Junior's group bore alarmed looks.
"Sorry! Got it, no touching the prince," said Junior with a forced smile. David cleared his throat as he adjusted his coat.
"I presume that she's close to you?" asked David.
"Rainbow Dash is the only girl we know with rainbow hair. Have you seen her?" asked Fluttershy, her tone hopeful.
"Not I personally. But the Lord of Salera has written to my father, the king, that he encountered her and a few other girls," said David. The teens bore brightened expressions from this news. Even Junior couldn't help but smile.
"Hey, do you know how to get there?" asked Junior.
"I would advise against that. Salera was one our territories that's long fallen into Dogomite hands. They do not take kindly to visitors, what with it being close with our territory," said David. The teens frowned in disappointment.
"But I wouldn't worry. Lord Grunge has sent them our way to one of our inner territories. My father has taken an interest in them, particularly the rainbow haired one," said David. Junior didn't like the sound of this.
"Any chance that you could lead us to them or something?" asked Sunset, with a pleading look.
"Unfortunately, I am on a mission to meet with other nations to form an alliance against the Dogomites. We've only come here due to the smoke," said David, gesturing to the destruction behind him. The teens bore disappointed and dejected looks.
"That reminds me. You're familiar with the Iwi, correct? I was hoping to see if they would join us in the fight against this enemy," said David. Ann grimaced.
"I... I don't have that authority or any say in the matter. You'd have to take it up with Kong and the Iwi elders,"
"Your highness, I must protest. The help of the natives is not necessary," said the second knight.
"We have little choice. The war is not in our favor at the moment," said David, shaking his head.
"These Dogomites, are they really that bad?" asked Ann.
"They're terrible! An empire that thrives on war with smaller nations. They're absolutely a degenerate people!" said Harden.
"A war mongering evil empire. Sounds cliche," said Aria to herself.
"Ms. Darrow, maybe it'd be a good idea to talk to Kong about this. This empire sounds like bad news," said Sunset.
"Wait, what about our friends? They're apparently making their way to another town," said Rodan.
"Maybe some of us can head to where they're going to meet with them," suggested Sonata.
"I'll go," interjected Junior.
"Absolutely not!" said Mosura with a glare. "The last thing we need is for you to get into it with more people!"
"Oh I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were in the mood to talk to me," said Junior, sarcastically. Mosura hardened her expression.
"Maybe I'd be in a better mood if you weren't thick in the head!" said Mosura. The two glared at each other.
"I believe we've stumbled onto a lovers' quarrel," whispered the second guard.
"Mosura, we'll have to find them eventually. At least one of us should go!" argued Junior.
"Well, not you! I don't trust you to go off anywhere on your own out here! You're just going to get yourself killed!" said Mosura.
"Enough, you two!" said Ann. Junior and Mosura merely turned away from each other, still heated. The woman sighed.
"Listen, we can figure out what to do soon. But for now, Kong may want to know what's happening," said Ann. While she didn't know much about the world beyond the mountains, these Dogomites sounded like a threat. If these men knew about the Iwi, then it was likely the Dogomites did as well.
"Then perhaps he would grant us an audience?" asked Prince David.
"No offense, but is the jungle a place for royalty?" asked Junior. He could just picture this guy bitching about the humidity and the journey back to the Iwi tribe. This guy could be a pampered brat for all he knew.
"You insult me. I always enjoy an adventure," smirked David. Junior returned the smirk.
"If you keep up this demeanor, I might actually like you" said Junior.
"Mm. So daring," purred Dwan, eyeing the prince.
"Down girl," deadpanned Aria. Ann looked to the Iwi, who silently glanced at each other. The men proceeded to walk off, headed in the direction of the jungle.
"Come with us, and stay close," said Ann. The group began to follow the Iwi back to the jungle, leaving the ruined village.
It was the noon. Kong was standing with his arms crossed as Angirasu sat in the grass. The teen sighed as he scratched his head, a grimace on his face.
"I was hoping we'd make some progress by now," said Kong.
"Sorry. I don't know what it is. Other Transmutants seem to have the hang of it but not me. Not even my friends," sighed Angirasu.
"Just try again," said Kong. Angirasu nodded, taking a few breaths. He grunted as he closed his eyes, mentally focusing. His veins slightly appeared from beneath his skin, his muscles strained as well. A few scales began to form and his skin around his neck darkened. However, these changes were isolated to one spot.
"Why isn't it working?!" grunted Angirasu. He stopped and began to pant, rubbing his sore neck.
"I did it yesterday! What changed?" asked Angirasu in confusion.
"You're still holding yourself back. Yesterday may have just been a 'fluke', as one would say," said Kong.
"But I've done it before that as well! How can a fluke work twice in a row?" asked Angirasu incredulously.
"Explain to me why you're holding back," said Kong. Angirasu shrugged.
"I'm not! I'm really trying!" said Angirasu. Kong hummed.
"I can tell the opposite is true. Your words contradict your feelings," said Kong. Angirasu grimaced as he looked away.
"Angirasu, you'll never learn to take control if you can't get passed your fears," said Kong.
"You wouldn't understand," said Angirasu, sitting in the grass.
"Explain anyway. Do so carefully, no matter how much I may not understand," said Kong, firmly. Angirasu sighed. It was worth a try.
"In my world, there's a group of people called MONARCH. They're soldiers of the country that I live. They aren't exactly fond of our kind. They were formed to fight people like us," said Angirasu. He shook his head.
"They only go after some of us, like terrorists or criminals, but it makes it hard to fit in society when people see you as a monster. If the ones they fight aren't killed, they're locked deep underground in a prison called 'The Vault'. Almost no one gets out of there," said Angirasu. Kong said nothing but listened and analyzed the information given to him. His expression was stoic.
"My mom always told me that Transmutants that can't control themselves are locked in the Vault. She always told me that as a kid. It's stuck to me to the point that I have nightmares," said Angirasu, bringing a hand over his forehead.
"I just keep seeing this creature every time I close my eyes. Always chasing me in a dark forest. No matter how much I run, I can't get away from it. I'm always trapped in the forest with it, never to get out. They've been getting worse now. Only this time, I see that thing just wreak havoc, only for MONARCH to try and destroy it," said Angirasu, his eyes downcast. Kong hummed to himself, thoughtful.
"Dreams can at times reflect our feelings and inner thoughts. Do you know what this creature represents?" asked Kong.
"I... I guess it's me," said Angirasu. Of course even an idiot could figure that out.
"Yes. I believe it represents the beast you've been taught to fear, your inner power. It follows you, demanding you to accept it. But you deny it and run away," said Kong, taking a seat.
"You deny it because you fear the rejection of those from your land. You dread the isolation it brings and the potential of being imprisoned. All of your fears are rooted in your fear of your power. This results in the beast in your dream going rampant as well as yourself," said Kong. He then scratched his head, still thoughtful.
"Yet that doesn't explain why you can't transform on your own free will. Strong emotions like rage and fear can trigger changes that only those with discipline can prevent on their own. This applies to other emotions as well," said Kong. He then hummed as he looked to Angirasu. An idea began to form in his mind.
"What do you think of Dwan? I hear you two have interacted quite a bit lately," said Kong. Angirasu bore a confused look, not understanding what Dwan had to do with this. But, he decided not to question it.
"Well, I don't know her well. But my impression of her is that... She's a bit more flirty then what I'm used to. She doesn't seem to be a bad person, just direct," said Angirasu, picturing the girl. "She's certainly pretty, and seems nice."
"I see..." Kong crossed his arms as he thought more. He speculated at the possibility of Angirasu's transformation having a trigger from being threatened or sexual urges. However, both were debunked. Angirasu just described Dwan in a platonic way, and the boy wasn't motivated by fear. It's what held him back.
"Look back at your previous transformations. Was there anything that was common?" asked Kong. Angirasu began to think back to his past transformations. They were very few compared to Junior, so he had less examples to work with. But then he began to recall a crucial detail.
"The few times I transformed. I remember that my friends were in danger. I wanted to save them," said Angirasu, turning to Kong.
"Then it would seem that your transformations are triggered by your desire to protect those dear to you. That is admirable," said Kong with a bow. He then stood. "Very well. I'll think of something to help your training. For now, return to the village. I have to continue my patrol," said Kong.
"Sure..." said Angirasu, as he began to walk off. Kong took off in the opposite direction, traveling further into the jungle.
While Angirasu was on his journey, he began to think about what he was told. Kong stated that he was holding himself back due to his fears. Including fearing his own mutantism. Angirasu couldn't argue against that, since he's learned to reject that part of himself just to fit in the best he could. He feared being like those Transmutants that gave into the beast.
Yet, Angirasu's transformation is likely triggered by a dire to protect his loved ones. How could a mindless beast protect? Yet he did. Whatever memories he had in his beast form, they all seemed to be related to a single goal that he could feel inside himself. Angirasu began to wonder if him rejecting that part of himself was wrong. It may be a beast, but Angirasu could feel in his soul that they were one in the same. The creature he hated was almost like a manifestation of his own heart. Was he rejecting his own desire to protect?
Kong grunted as he began to latch onto the vines in the jungle. He swung from the trees and propelled himself through the air, catching the next vine. The king grunted as he swung, not breaking a sweat as he traveled. He soon dropped down and landed on the ground.
Kong narrowed his eyes as he stood before a large burrow. He knelt down and peered inside, feeling heat radiating from the burrow. This was common among the burrows of Skull Crawlers. They dug deep underground and connected tunnels to deep chambers that seemed to give off heat. The demi god stepped back as he scanned the area. His eyes narrowed as he heard the sound a shrill cry in the distance. The cries sounded almost human. Kong began to follow the cries, leaving the burrow behind. He knelt behind bushes and peered through, finding a couple of humanoid figures, to be standing over a carcass of a ground sloth.
The humanoids lacked hair and were a sickly pale color. They were naked, and appeared frail. The humanoids gave guttural sounds as they knelt next to the dead mammal, their backs facing Kong. They began to maul on the dead beasts, giving grunts and quick breaths. Kong narrowed his eyes as he watched as these creatures fed. His heart was pounding, but not out of fear. Rage and war was on his mind.
Kong suddenly burst from the bushes and charged for the nearest humanoid. The creature whipped around, exposing its boney face and its socket sunken eyes. It gave a shrill cry of alarm as blood splattered mouth. Kong reared a fist back and punched the humanoid. The creature dropped the ground, its sharp teeth flying out of its mouth. The other humanoid shrieked as it hunched over. It lunged for Kong, slashing its nails at him. Kong stepped back and grabbed the humanoid by its arm. He then snapped the bones in its arm, causing it to wail. The Transmutant then grabbed it by the neck and slammed it to the ground. As the humanoid attempted to pry off his hand, Kong gabbed a rock and began to bash its head. He then stood and was tackled by the humanoid.
The humanoid screeched as it snapped its jaws at him. Kong held it back with his arm. He then raised his fist and slugged it in the head. He quickly stood and stomped on the creature's skull. Kong grunted as he popped his neck. However, he began to find more of these humanoids to be appearing, snarling as they slobbered. They began to surround Kong, as they twitched and snarled.
"You are not Skull Crawlers. Yet you're like them," said Kong, his expression hardened. The humanoids shrieked as they all began to rush Kong, who began to grow in mass. The air was filled with his mighty lion-like roar.
Later...
Kong had returned to his 'throne room'. It was hardly a throne room, given how it was just a cave with stones that he sits on. Right now, he was standing beside an elderly Iwi man. He was wrinkly, and his skin sagged from his bones. Blue markings covered his skin. He stood at a stone slab, where a stone slab lied.
Before them lied the body of one of the humanoids that was in the jungle. The elder inspected the body, looking over every inch of it. He turned to Kong in silence.
"You've never encountered something like this before?" asked Kong. The elder merely bowed in response. Kong sighed.
"I see. Very well. I want the rest of the village to be aware. Anyone who ventures outside must know that more of these may exist," said Kong. He then noticed Ann to be standing outside of the entrance of his domicile.
"Um... Kong?" called Ann, a bit timid. The Transmutant turned to the elder.
"That will be all," said Kong. The elder took one last bow and proceeded to leave.
"Sorry, was I interrupting?" asked Ann.
"No, I was just consulting with one of the elders. Was there something you need?" asked Kong. Ann had to keep herself from instinctively walking in. This was Kong's personal place. She didn't want to be rude by trespassing.
"Yeah. You see, there was-"
"Why do you stand out there? It's hard to speak with you from a distance," said Kong in amusement. Ann blushed.
"Oh. If it's alright with you," said Ann, surprised but pleased. She entered the cave, immediately in awe of the paintings on the walls and the items that lied in the cave. She then gasped as she saw the dead humanoid on the stone slab. She began to see why most of the Iwi don't enter here.
"Oh my God!" exclaimed Ann.
"Pay no mind to that creature. The elder was looking it over," said Kong.
"What the heck is that? It can't be human!" said Ann, cringing at the sight of the humanoid.
"I do not know. I've discovered them during patrol," said Kong. Ann looked at him with widened eyes.
"You mean there's more?!" asked Ann.
"Yes. Hence why I'm going to be looking into more cautionary measures for outside travels. These creatures are relentless. Now, what was it you wished to speak to me about?" asked Kong. Ann cleared her throat, having just remembered why she came here.
"We investigated that settlement you mentioned, but it was destroyed," said Ann. Kong's brows raised.
"Skull Crawlers?" asked Kong, his tone darkening.
"No. But we ran into a Prince that claimed it was a rival empire. The prince said he was from Sacramentonia. Does that mean anything to you?" Asked Ann. Kong's expression soured.
"Yes. I've had conflict with those outsiders in the past," said Kong.
"Well, they claimed that the friends of the kids were on their way to one of their territories. We were going to figure out how to reach them but the Prince wants an audience with you," said Ann. Kong furrowed his brows.
"What could he want?" questioned Kong.
"I'm guessing he'd want to make an alliance with the Iwi," said Ann.
"Out of the question. The Iwi have enough to worry about. There's no need for them to concern themselves with foreign affairs," said Kong, shaking his head.
"I understand that. Look, I know it's not my place. But I think you should hear what he has to say. From what we heard, that rival empire can be ruthless," said Ann, biting her lip. Kong sighed.
"Very well," said Kong.
Ann began to lead Kong out of the cave and into the village. There, they found the natives gathered near the center of the village. The Prince and his two guards stood with the teenagers. The knights were tense as they had their hands near the handles of their swords.
"Keep your wits about you. These savages can be capable of anything," said Harden, tensely.
"Dude, relax," said Dwan in annoyance.
"Wanna fill me in?" asked Angirasu, looking to Junior.
"We ran into them earlier," said Junior. He found Kong and Ann to be approaching. The Iwi turned their attention to their king, who graced them with his presence. The knights tensed, finding this man of grand stature before them.
"Why have you come here?" questioned Kong, his brows furrowed. Prince David bowed.
"Mighty Kong, it is an honor to meet you. I am Prince David, son King Gareth of Sacramentonia," greeted David.
"Spare me the pleasantries. You should know that your father agreed that our nations would not cross paths again," said Kong. Ann was surprised. She wasn't expecting that these two factions were well acquainted. It also sounds like there was bad blood.
"Yes, but things have changed. I come here on behalf my people, humbly asking for your help," said David, kneeling. Junior raised a brow, not expecting what could be one of the most powerful people in this world to be kneeling before a mere Transmutant that ruled a primitive tribe.
"I am not interested in getting involved with the quarrel between yourself and your enemies. The Iwi have nothing to gain," said Kong dismissively. David raised his head.
"Mighty Kong, our enemy is as much as your enemy as well. The more they expand, the more forces they'll have posted to keep their foes out. Even going as far as subjugating the native population," said David. Kong scoffed.
"We reside deep in a jungle filled with ravenous beasts and demons. The Iwi keep to themselves and only react when threatened. It's not logical for the Dogomites to try and attack given the risk and reward the endeavor would offer," said Kong, crossing his arms.
"Man, this guy would make a savvy politician," whispered Junior, leaning close to Sunset.
"You're highness, we're obviously wasting our time here. Let us leave now while we still can," whispered Harden. David ignored him.
"The Empress has been known to crave knowledge. It's power to her. Whether its the dark arts, legends, resources, and even the Titans," said David, his tone turning grim. Kong furrowed his brows.
'Titans?' thought Junior, curious.
"I believe it's in the interest of both our people that we unite against this looming threat, for the sake of our nations," said David. Kong was silent. David stood to his feet.
"I'll leave you to ponder. If you agree, then please come to the capital in two weeks. That is where we plan to meet with the other leaders we hope to align with," said David, walking away with his guards. A couple of armed Iwi escorted the Sacramentonians to the gates. Kong silently watched as the foreigners left. Ann looked to Kong.
"What are you thinking?" asked Ann.
"I have no intention to involve this tribe in their war," said Kong. Ann's eyes slightly widened.
"Kong, didn't you hear what he said?" asked Ann incredulously.
"The Iwi are safer here then joining a war that's not theirs. So long as I'm breathing, no enemy shall come against them," said Kong as he turned to walk away.
"But-" Ann fell silent when the man turned to face her with narrowed eyes.
"This is not up for debate. What I say goes," said Kong. Ann narrowed her eyes and looked to the ground. Kong merely took off, making his way back to his cave. The natives began to disperse.
"Great. How are going to meet up with our friends now?" asked Rodan. Junior suddenly took off, making his to the gates.
"Hey!" called Mosura.
Junior continued until he slipped passed the small gates. He found the Sacramentonians to be walking away from the wall. Junior ran after them.
"Hey, wait!" called Junior. The prince turned, finding Junior approaching. Harden furrowed his brows.
"At ease, Sir Harden," glancing at the knight. Junior stopped as he stood a few feet away from the three.
"Look, I don't think Kong's gonna join your alliance anytime soon. I doubt he'll even send escorts for us to help us find our friends," said Junior. "Is there any chance you can lend us a map or maybe tell the Lord of the town they'll be in to send them to the town we were in earlier?" asked Junior.
"Well, since you and your friends got us an audience, it's right to compensate you," said David as he drew out a map. He unrolled it and showed it to Junior. He began to trace his fingers over a jungle depicted and a town that resided outside of it.
"Here is where we were this afternoon. Your friends should get here in two more days or so," said David, trailing a finger along a path to a settlement.
"The town is called 'Elsinore'. One of our inner territories," said David. Junior found the settlement to be quite a distance, especially from the jungle. Just looming at this map showed how alien this land was compared to their world.
"Cool. Appreciate it, Prince," said Junior with a nod.
"You people have an interesting way of speaking," said David, a thoughtful look on his expression.
Later, Junior was making his way back to the village. Before he reached the gates, he found Mosura standing outside, her arms crossed and her eyes narrowed. Junior pressed forward.
"I thought you'd have run off on your own again," said Mosura.
"How long are you gonna hold that over me?" asked Junior in annoyance.
"Until you stop being an idiot," said Mosura, her tone sharp. Junior stopped and glared at her.
"What the hell do you want from me? I apologized already, didn't I?" said Junior in exasperation.
"You think you can just say sorry and it's all done with?" scoffed Mosura.
"Look, I fucked up! I admit it! I understand that you're mad!" said Junior. Mosura shook her head. Mad was an understatement. The girl was livid.
"Mad?! You don't get it, do you? You didn't think to wonder how we'd feel if you went out on your own? Or if Kong decided to throw you out on your ass because you picked a fight? Of course not!" said Mosura. Junior narrowed his eyes.
"And that bullshit you pulled with the prince! How could you be so selfish?" asked Mosura incredulously.
"Selfish?! Excuse me, but I was trying to make progress to find the others! Sorry if I didn't kneel to fucking Prince Charming or make nice with the mutant tribe leader!" said Junior. Mosura groaned.
"God, you can be so irritating! Why do I put up with you?!" asked Mosura. Junior felt a sting in his chest. His demeanor was still rough, but his anger subsided.
"Fine. You don't have to put with me at all if I'm that much trouble. Sorry," said Junior as he walked passed Mosura. The girl was still fuming and barely registered his response and tone.
"Wait. Goji, wait. I didn't-" called Mosura. However, Junior didn't respond. He walked through the gate, finding the teens staring.
"Hey, what's-" Sunset spoke but Junior passed her.
"I'm going to bed," said Junior as he walked off.
"But its light outside," said Sonata in confusion. Aria nudged her with a silencing glare. Fluttershy looked on with worry. Mosura entered through the gates, watching the boy leave. She deeply frowned as she held her shoulder.
Soon, Junior made his way to the spot that he and the boys normally rested. He was about to lie down on his 'futon'. However, he looked around, finding Iwi to be around. Not to mention his friends were bedded in the area as well.
Junior took the hide futon and carried it over his shoulder. He began to make his way from the area and outside of the small hut filled village. He looked around, searching for a spot to rest. Somewhere that was isolated, able to shade him from the light and potential rain. He found a small hole near the rocky wall that made up the mountain. It wasn't a cave, but it looked roomy. Junior made his way to the spot and lied his bed down under the rocky lip that made up the top. He sat down, looking to the village ahead.
This setting was appropriate. Junior was an outsider to the Iwi. It was only fair to be away from them. After all, he's been a problem ever since he got here. Junior sighed as the sky darkened.
"It's better this way," said Junior.
Later that evening...
The village began to darken as flames were put out at the camp fires. The natives began to return to their huts to rest. The girls had already turned in for the evening. Angirasu was looking beyond the village, finding a small fire glow at the base of the mountain. He sighed as he turned, finding Rodan already asleep in his bed by their own camp fire.
"Guess I'll turn in too," said Angirasu. As he was about to lie down, his eyes were covered.
"Hey, Nice Aang~," greeted Dwan with a grin.
"Hey... Dwan," greeted Angirasu, his tone tired. Dwan kept his eyes covered.
"Its a lovely night. But it must get cold," said Dwan.
"Um Dwan? I was kinda hoping to get some-" Angirasu was interrupted as he felt the girl ushering him forward.
"Heh. You're not sleeping outside, cutie. Walk!" said Dwan.
"What are you talking about?" asked Angirasu in confusion, while he carefully walked ahead, with Dwan guiding him. The two were soon at the center square of the village. Dwan held him in place before removing her hands from his eyes.
"Ta da!" said Dwan. Angirasu stared, wide eyed as he found a lone hut, standing among the others. It was the same size as the others, but there was a flag planted at the front. It was tan, with a black image that depicted a familiar armored reptile's head.
"What?" Angirasu stared, his jaw hanging.
"The Iwi seem to take a real liking to you. What with you helping around and Kong mentoring you," said Dwan. Angirasu walked the hut, looking it over. The wood was freshly cut, and the ground inside was covered with sheets of mammal hide. A new bed lied inside. Angirasu stared at the flag outside, finding the depiction of his beast form. He turned and found several natives standing silently.
The Iwi made this, for him. He never asked them to do such a thing nor did he expect them to. They went out of their way and built the hut for him in appreciation. Angirasu felt himself tearing up a bit. He smiled to the natives.
"I... I don't know what to say. Thank you," said Angirasu. The natives merely bowed. Angirasu returned the bow. He began to make his way into the hut, feeling the soft hide rugs at the soles of his feet. The hut was insulated with heat from inside. He lied down on the bed, feeling the sleep take hold. He sighed as he lied down. He suddenly felt Dwan lying down next to him. The girl hummed as she cuddled against him. Angirasu awkwardly glanced at her.
"What are you doing?" asked Angirasu.
"Don't mind me. It's custom for a young woman to sleep and cuddle in the bed with a 'Noble Guardian' for one night," said Dwan.
"If you say so. Though I'm not sure if I'm comfortable with this," said Angirasu, clearing his throat.
"It'd be disrespectful to refuse. Just suck it up and sleep. Don't worry, I won't do anything indecent," said Dwan. She then smirked.
"Not unless you do first," said Dwan. Angirasu gulped nervously. Meanwhile outside, a few of the teen natives stared at the hut.
"She just made that up," said one of the natives. The other shrugged.
"Let her have her fun," said the other native. As they left, Sonata peeked from behind another hut, growling with jealousy.
"That dirty, sneaky skank!" hissed Sonata. Adagio stood beside her with her arms crossed. A bitter look on her face.
"I can relate," said Adagio.
Dogomoto..
The grand throne room of the empress. It was empty, with only the ruler of this land to be seated upon the throne. She was wrapped in a thin black cloak, which was sewed into a web-like texture. A crown made of silver rested on the arm rest of the throne. The crown itself bore points that were shaped into the form of spider legs. A green gem in the center was embedded in the crown.
There was anxiety in the air. Despite the low lighting from the candles in the room, the silence, and the envelopment of silky soft cloak, there was tension. The pale hands of the empress were fidgeting. The slender fingers rubbed against each other, as a loud heartbeat seemed to break the silence. The breathing in the air grew heavier.
There was a knock. The air quickly fell silent. The empress raised her hooded head. Her sights fell upon the heavy doors from across the room.
"Enter!" called the empress.
The doors opened. A couple of royal guards had opened the doors, while Sigyn and Kenra entered. Another figure trailed behind them. The doors closed as the guards stepped in, keeping watch. Kenra and Sigyn bowed.
"Your majesty," greeted Sigyn.
"I have not summoned you. Why are you here instead of carrying out your duty?" questioned the Empress, her tone cold and harsh.
"Forgive us. We feared that this would prove to be a bigger challenge then what we thought, considering our target," replied Kenra. She kept her eyes to the ground, unable to look into the empress's steely gaze.
"You're lack of confidence disturbs me, Sergeant," said the empress. Kenra gulped, keeping her head bowed. Just being in this woman's presence right now was nerve wracking. She could tell that she wasn't in a good mood. It was as if the air reflected the empress's mood.
"Very well. You, present yourself." ordered the empress. "What can you do that my best enforcers are unable to do?"
A tall rugged man stepped forward. He wore a cloak over his shoulders. He wore fur clothes. He was a dirty blonde, and bore strong features from his jaw to his brows. His grey eyes locked with the steel eyes of the empress. He showed no sign of intimidation. But, he knelt anyway.
"It is an honor to be in your presence, Empress Malicia. I am Endurous," said the man.
"Endurous. I've heard of you. The most relentless man in the world," said Malicia.
"And the most handsome," said Endurance with a smirk. Kenra scoffed while Sigyn bore an alluring smirk. "Your enforcers tell me you're interested in catching a demi-Titan. They came to the right man. I am at your service," said Endurous.
"Hmph. I have an entire army at my disposal. Men willing to lay down their lives for me. Men specially trained in combat and the dark arts. Why should I rely on one man to handle this quest?" asked Malicia. Endurous smirked.
"Surely her majesty has better use for her soldiers rather than sending them to their deaths," said Endurance.
"Even the weakest demi Titan can kill up to a hundred men. And that's not taking into account a transformation," said Endurance. He then gestured to himself.
"With me, I can spare you the men that would be better suited for the war. It's not the first time I've faced one of these creatures," said Endurous. Malicia reached to the side and drew out a crystal ball.
"The last known location of the one I'm looking for is in the Roaring Jungle. He was with three other demi Titans, but I only want one," said Malicia as she held out the crystal ball. Endurous stared as images of a teen boy stood, bearing the arm of a reptile.
"Hm. You have an eye for value. You realize what you're looking for?" asked Endurous, as the teen transformed into a bipedal reptile.
"Hence why I want him alive. I will not tolerate otherwise," said Malicia, setting aside the crystal ball.
"For the right price, I'll bring him fully intact. And trust me, his kind in particular are a lot harder to come by" said Endurous.
"100,000 gold. Pure," said Malicia. Endurous whistled.
"I could buy my own land in the outer territories with that. A generous offer. But... it still leaves something to be desired," said Endurous. Kenra gulped as Sigyn bore a look of discomfort.
'This guy is nuts for trying to barter with this chick!' thought Kenra.
Malicia just stared in silence, her nails tapping on the counter. Endurance just bore a smirk, sensing that he was getting under her skin.
"What more do you want? Answer wisely," said Malicia, her tone in almost a sing song voice.
"I'm not asking for much. Just something sentimental. It'll cost you nothing more," said Endurous.
"Get to the point," said Malicia, impatiently.
"All I ask is that you remove your hood. I wish to gaze upon your face," said Endurous. Kenra looked at him oddly, while Malicia sighed.
"Very well," answered Malicia. She began to pull back her dark hood, revealing her face.
The empress was pale. Not sickly, but looked to have been hidden from the sun for some time. Malicia bore long raven hair, as smooth as silk. She bore a small dark mole beneath her eye, appearing as nothing more than a dot on her skin. She looked to be in her 20s, still young and ever beautiful. Her face looked to have been sculpted by the gods themselves, with much care. Her cold eyes were shrouded by dark make up, and her soft lips glistened in the candle light. She stared at Endurance unamused.
"Satisfied?" asked Malicia. Endurance smiled.
"As lovely as they say you are. Now I wished I asked you to remove that entire garish cloak," said Endurance.
"If you succeed, then I might consider it. And maybe more..." said Malicia, as she tugged at her cloak. Her tone was sensual. Endurance grinned.
"Then I should be going," said Endurance, turning to leave.
"I'll be watching you. Remember, I want him alive," said Malicia, her eyes narrowing.
"No problem," said Endurance, his yellow eyes flashing red. As he left the throne room, Kenra gagged.
"Pig," said Kenra in disdain.
"I'd fuck him," said Sigyn.
"Enough. Since you two aren't busy, I'll need you to handle something," said Malicia, drawing the attention of the women.
"There's been a rebellion in Salera. I need you to go to see Lord Grunge and investigate," said Malicia. The empress furrowed her brows.
"As of now, it's likely our enemy is searching for other nations to fight against us. I need to ensure that our own territories aren't influenced," said Malicia.
"If you're worried, why not just burn Salera to the ground? They're not your people and they still have their roots to their old kingdom." said Sigyn with a shrug.
"Unfortunately, Salera is necessary for resources for the war. I can't afford to lose that, not now," said Malicia. She then pointed to the door.
"Now go!" said Malicia. The two women bowed before turning to leave. Malicia placed her hood back on, before lying back on her throne.
"I've come too far," said Malicia to herself.
Halloween Double Feature 2020: My Mummy is Calling
It was a blazing hot sunny day. The air howled, blowing the blistering white sand across the land. A group of men dressed in tan clothes were following a man of bronze complexion. He led them over to a deep pit in the desert.
"They say that they've found something," said the man, carrying a thick Arabic accent. The man in tan looked down at the pit, which was dug near a great pyramid that stood tall over the land.
"We may have actually found it," said one of the men.
The group made their way down the excavation pit, where they found themselves in a deep, dark underground cavern. It was much cooler down here compared to the air outside. They found the cavern coated with ancient bricks and markings left behind by the ancients that had built this grand structure. Seeing the place told the men that there was a lot more built than simple pyramids.
The men began to explore every inch of this cavern, passing by dusty sculptures that survived the millennia, wall carvings that depicted tales, and even riches that were beyond anyone's wildest dreams. They found the ground littered with silver and gold. Jewels hung on sculptures and were piled around.
"What a mess," said one of the men, grinning as he picked up a necklace, which bore a bright emerald.
"Put it down. That's future property of the museum," said one of the other archaeologists.
"Over here!" said another archaeologist. The men entered into a chamber, which was littered with many different treasures that put the mess they came across to shame. They found a golden sarcophagus to be lying in the center of the room. The sarcophagus was decorated with segments of blue and violet, while the gold made up the sculpted face and headdress of the sarcophagus. In the burial chamber also stood a great black statue, depicting the Egyptian God, Anubis. It stood tall, wielding a golden staff, towering over everyone. Its red ruby eyes glistened from the light shined from the archaeologists. A golden headdress sat upon its canine head.
"We may have found it! The lost sarcophagus of Queen Araphix!" said an archaeologist, growing giddy.
"Let's find out for sure. Open the sarcophagus," said an archaeologist. The guide looked to them in reluctance.
"Sirs, this is invasive enough already," said the guide.
"We just want to have a peek at the mummy. Open it," said the head archaeologist, looking to his colleagues. The men approached the sarcophagus and opened it up. What they saw made them gasp in shock.
"Impossible!" exclaimed an archaeologist.
"My God..." the head archaeologist stared, wide eyed.
Inside the Sarcophagus lied a feminine figure wrapped in dirty cloth. But what shocked the men was the fact that her face was partially exposed under the wrapping, just around her cheek and eye. Her skin appeared to be soft and bore some color. An archaeologist carefully began to remove more of the sheet around her cheek, revealing more of the face.
"Incredible. She doesn't look to have aged, let alone decayed for all of these years!" said an archaeologist.
"By Allah, the tales..." said the guide, appearing to have grown pale.
"Have everything ready to move the sarcophagus out of here. We'll need to keep the body preserved now that we've exposed it to the air," said the head archaeologist.
"You mustn't take the sarcophagus!" exclaimed the guide. The archaeologists looked at him in confusion.
"But that's what we came here for. We came to gather findings of the excavation site for our research," said an archaeologist.
"That was before we saw this! The reason why Araphix hasn't decayed is because of a curse! Legend says that if she were to be moved from her resting place, she would awaken and enslave the Earth!" cried the guide. The men laughed in amusement.
"Ah. I never took you for being superstitious," said the head archaeologist, as he began to circle around the sarcophagus. He cried out as he suddenly tripped. He groaned in pain. But, his eyes widened as he noticed a cobra to be coiled nearby, dangerously close to his hand. The serpent lunged for his hand and sunk its fangs into his flesh, injecting its venom. The head archaeologist cried out in agony from the venom, while the others frantically began to rush over and chased off the cobra.
"He's been bitten! We need to get him treated!" cried an archaeologist. As they scattered, the guide shuddered as his eyes fell upon the mummy that lied in the sarcophagus.
Two Weeks Later...
It was early noon. The students of Ponyville High found themselves in a fleet of buses, traveling through the city of Canterlot. Today was the field trip to the city's local museum. It wasn't for anything specific. It was mainly something that the school had set up that the heads thought the students would enjoy rather than just spending a day cooped up in the school all day. At least that's how Principal Celestia had put it.
Aria found herself scowling as she sat in one of the buses. She felt the bus rumble her seat, as the roar of the engine was muffled from outside. She glanced at her left, finding Junior to be sitting silently with a mildly annoyed and embarrassed expression. Adagio sat beside him, clinging to his arm.
"Are you a historical buff, Goji?" asked Adagio.
"Not really..." said Junior.
"Well, maybe you and I can learn a thing or two. We're buddies for the trip, after all~." Adagio smirked with a bat of her eye lashes.
"Lucky me," said Junior. Adagio giggled as she leaned her head on his shoulder.
"Egad." Aria grimaced.
"Aria!" called Sonata. Aria sighed in dismay.
"What?"
"I was asking you about tips on how I can get close to Aangey!" said Sonata.
"Sonata, I don't know," said Aria. This girl had been pestering her about Angirasu all day. It had gotten under her skin an hour ago.
"Hey Aria, I think I can help," said Rodan, peeping over the side from a seat behind. Aria looked back, her expression lighting up a bit in relief. Maybe now Sonata can pester him instead of her.
"Awesome! You have advice?" asked Aria.
"Yep. You and me can trade partners and we can hang out. Maybe what you need is some experience," said Rodan, bouncing his brows. Aria scowled.
"No thanks. I rather never try to never fail, if you get what I mean," said Aria, smirking as she turned back in her seat.
"Damn, you're cold as ice," said Rodan with a chuckle. Pinkie giggled in amusement beside him.
The buses parked by a sidewalk. The hisses of the breaks filled the air. The students were ushered out of the buses and met up with their assigned teacher.
"It's pretty cool that Principal Celestia is actually gonna be our escort," said Sonata. She and Aria joined up in a group comprising of Adagio, Junior, Rodan, Pinkie, the rest of the Main 7 and the rest of the Mutant 4.
"Personally I'd love to have been escorted by Vice Principal Luna," said Rodan in disappointment.
"What's wrong with Celestia?" Junior in confusion.
"Nothing. Just that Luna has that alluring mysteriousness about her. I almost wanna say she was a goth girl back in school or something," said Rodan.
"She could pull it off too," interjected Sunset.
"Meh. I'm with Goji. Who doesn't like more mature women?" chuckled Adagio.
"Whoa! I didn't mean it like that!" said Junior with a glare and blush.
"You're into MILFs?" asked Aria with a raised brow.
"Goji!" exclaimed Fluttershy with an appalled look.
"Shut up!" said Junior with a flustered look. Aria snickered mischievously.
"Hey! Hey! Is there a problem here?" Celestia approached with a disapproving look. Of course, her sights were on Junior. The boy stiffened, smiling sheepishly.
"N-No, ma'am! We're just goofing around," said Junior, wrapping an arm around Rodan and brought him close. Rodan grunted and winced as he felt the hold beginning to crush him. Celestia's expression lit up into a smile.
"Good! I'm excited to chaperone you kids for this field trip! You'll love this museum! I used to come around here back in my school days!" said Celestia, walking ahead to the entrance. Junior released Rodan and furrowed his brows.
"What gives?" Rodan winced as he rubbed his neck.
"That was for starting that stupid conversation." Junior glared at the boy. Rodan scowled.
"Mature women, huh?" asked Mosura, glancing at the boys.
"I wouldn't consider her that mature. She has the youthful spirit of a 20 year old. Luna I think has more composure," said Junior. He noticed everyone staring at him blankly. The boy sighed.
"Look, I get sent to the Principal's office a lot! You pick up on a few things!" said Junior.
The students found themselves led through the museum to many different exhibits. Celestia often gushed on about facts that she knew when it came to the exhibits. The students found it rather charming to see a woman that they assumed was way more professional and mature behave like a youthful spirit. Twilight herself was charmed.
"I never knew Principal Celestia was so smart," whispered Twilight, grinning.
"Oh! Here's my favorite exhibit! The Egyptian exhibit!" said Celestia, pointing ahead. The students made their way to the exhibit, set in a completely separate large room. Inside, they found many different artifacts that belonged to the ancient empire, whether it was tablets, vases, urns, sculptures and statues. There were even some displays that held mummies, wrapped in cloth and visibly having decayed. The entire exhibit was designed to resemble that of an inside of a pyramid, with the walls decorated to resemble tan stone bricks, and walls coated in Egyptian art.
"Neat!" said Pinkie. The teens began to look at different displays, admiring them.
"Oh my goodness! There she is! They actually have her here!" cried Celestia, rushing deeper into the exhibit. The rest of the teens followed, both curious as to what had caught their principal's attention. They were led to a section in the exhibit that led into a smaller room, decorated to resemble a burial chamber. A statue of Anubis stood over them, staff in hand, as though it was protecting something here.
"They actually have new the mummy here," said Celestia, grinning.
"Oh great! Who wouldn't want to see another dead guy wrapped in dirty gauze?" asked Rainbow sarcastically.
"This isn't your typical mummy, Ms. Dash," said Celestia as she led the teens over to the display. They were in shock at what they saw.
The display was a glass box, containing a sarcophagus. Two flat sheets of glass separated the top and the mummy from bottom half of the sarcophagus. The mummy itself was only wrapped up to her neck, with head fully exposed.
"I-Is that a real mummy?!" asked Mosura in shock.
"This is Queen Araphix. She ruled Egypt thousands of years ago. Her reign was short, but was said to have been the most beautiful Queen in Egypt's reign," said Celestia. She was grinning as she held up her cell phone and began to record the display.
"They weren't wrong. She doesn't look like she aged a day," said Sunset in awe.
"She looks good. For someone dead and who may have had a family history of inbreeding," said Junior with a chuckle. Adagio squinted.
"Wait... Is it me or..."
"You think so too?" asked Sonata in shock.
"What?" asked Junior.
"Doesn't she kinda look like Aria?" asked Adagio.
"What? No way! She- Oh crap, you're right!" said Rainbow.
Everyone began to take in the traits of this mummy. Her skin was a bit tan. Her face had some oval features that Aria shared. Her brows were thin, and her hair was long, and a darker violet compared to Aria's. Despite the lack of highlights, the two had an uncanny resemblance.
"No she doesn't!" scoffed Aria, scowling.
"She really does!" said Celestia, aiming her phone to Aria. The teen recoiled and glared at her.
"You guys are blind! We look nothing alike!" said Aria.
"Maybe you and the Dazzlings are related to her. She could be an ancestor of yours," said Twilight with a shrug.
"You really think so?" asked Sonata in awe.
"Hmph. I always knew we were special," said Adagio as she ran a hand through her hair, smugly.
"Don't believe it so easily, you two! This might just be a prank or something by the museum. We probably don't even have Egyptian ancestry," said Aria in exasperation.
"It could be that, or you're some kind of reincarnation. That is if you believe in that sort of thing," said Twilight, shrugging. Aria grimaced as she glanced at the dead Queen. The longer she looked at her, the more she was beginning to see the similarities herself.
"Great. The last thing I need is more stuff to get unwanted attention," said Aria. Adagio hummed as she looked around.
"You know... An Egyptian themed concert would be awesome. Hey Principal Celestia, can we do that for the dance that's coming soon?" asked Adagio.
"That is an excellent idea! We can talk more about it after the trip," said Celestia. Rarity squealed.
"Sounds wonderful! You have to let me design your outfits!" said Rarity.
As the group began to leave the exhibit, Aria felt a chill in the air. She felt dread, prompting her to glance behind herself. After a moment, Aria felt calm. She shrugged it off and began to follow the group out of the exhibit.
Later that night...
It was cold and dark in the Canterlot Museum. Surveillance cameras scanned the entire building's different rooms and exhibits. Alarm systems were armed and ready to alert authorities to anything. A security guard was sitting at a desk, listening to the radio broadcast. He sipped his coffee as he listened to a radio talk show during this night. He sighed, a bored look on his face. He noticed a man to be walking by, nodding to him.
The guard recognized him as one of the archeologists that discovered the mummy that was on display in one of the exhibits. He was told that he'd be coming by to study more of the findings that they had in his private office. Soon, the guard would likely forget he was here because of sitting here alone in boredom.
The guard began to look through his tablet, which depicted different security feeds. He flipped to different feeds out of sheer boredom. He was babysitting priceless artifacts that no one seems to be interested in stealing. Just once he wished that something interesting would happen to lighten up his nights.
The camera feeds suddenly began to distort. The distortion grew worse to the point that the feeds went dark.
"What the hell?" the guard tapped his tablet. He sat up with the tablet and began to walk over to the nearest camera in the room and began to wave at it.
Meanwhile, the archaeologist that had arrived into the museum was sitting alone in a dimly lit office. He had a gold tablet resting on his desk. His eyes analyzed every inch of it, while he had a book resting beside him. He muttered to himself as he worked to decipher the ancient hieroglyphs He sighed as he rubbed his tired eyes.
The man suddenly jumped as he heard a loud shriek in the air. His heart was racing as he heard the shriek muffled from outside of his office. It was the security alarm. It was triggered.
"What in the-" The man grunted in frustration as he stood up and made his way to the door. He stopped as he heard the sound of loud sliding. He turned to find the windows of the room to be sliding open, and then slamming closed. They did this several times, banging every time they closed. The archaeologist stepped back, beginning to panic.
"What is going on?" The archaeologist found himself suddenly thrown off of his feet and to the wall. He cried out as he was thrown all around by some unseen force. It was like the wind was throwing him about. The Archaeologist cried out for help, but his cries were drowned out by his pained grunts and the sound of the alarm outside. He was then slammed onto his back on the ground. The archaeologist suddenly felt a pressure around his neck. The air was cut from his lungs as he struggled to take in air. He attempted to cry out, but all that came out were pained gags, and desperate gasps. The world around him began to darken.
It was morning over Ponyville. The town was stirring as the sun began to rise up, casting its light over the land. A gentle breeze flowed, and the chirps of morning birds filled the air. A shrill scream suddenly broke the peace.
Adagio Dazzle gasped as she shot up, bags under her eyes. Sonata snorted and shot up as well, her eyes heavy.
"Huh? Wha...?" Sonata mumbled as drool hung from her lip. The two sisters found the middle child of their family to be sitting up on her mattress, staring at her trembling hands. Aria appeared sickly pale.
"Oh my God! Oh my God!" cried Aria.
"Aria? What's wrong?" asked Adagio, bolting out of her bed and rushed over.
"T-There's blood!" cried Aria with a whimper. Adagio leaned in and analyzed the girl's hands. She scowled as a mild look of disgust was on her face.
"Relax! I think you're on your period. You didn't wear a tampon did you?" asked Adagio in disapproval. Aria was still trembling.
"But... I..."
"Arie..." Sonata shook her head in disapproval. Adagio sighed.
"Just get cleaned up. We have to go to school," said Adagio, yanking off the covers from Aria. The middle child shakily got up and made her way to the bathroom. She sighed as she attempted to calm herself. She began to wash her blood stained palms.
"Calm down. You just had an accident. Yeah. Just wash up," said Aria. After washing her hands, she began to undress herself. But as she was naked, she noticed that something that made her blood run cold. She began to look over her underwear, unable to find a single stain of blood. Her pajamas were clean as well.
"What the fuck?" Aria muttered to herself.
After showering and bushing her teeth, Aria began to get dress. Her mind was still on the blood that stained her hands. She couldn't think of anyway that could have happened. She didn't seem to have any wounds. Aria stepped outside briefly, taking in the morning air. She noticed a newspaper at her feet. Aria knelt down and picked it up. The front story however caught her attention. She quickly began to look through the paper.
"One of the archaeologists that discovered that mummy was murdered?" Aria continued to read. She found the story describing that the autopsy reported that the victim was violently beaten and had his heart removed his chest, as if something had torn it out. That made Aria's spine feel a chill.
Later that morning, Aria found herself in school. She was making her way to her history class, her mind still on this morning. She was still disturbed to say the least. However, she's managed to get by so far. The girl took her seat and began to slightly doze off as her teacher began a lecture on the subject. Aria lazily turned the page of her book.
"During this time, the Egyptian empire was led to victory thanks to the leadership of their Pharaoh," said the teacher. Aria suddenly shot her hand up. "Ah. Yes, Ms. Aria?"
"Actually, the information is incorrect. It wasn't Scarab that led Egypt to victory, considering that he had died before the last days of the war. It was in fact his daughter, Araphix who led Egypt to victory. She was able to rule the empire for a short time before her own passing," said Aria. Everyone stared at her oddly, while the teacher stood with a stumped look.
"That's... Actually correct. I was mistaken. Yes, Araphix ascended the throne and was able to lead her empire to victory against their foes. Thank you, Ms. Aria. But, when did you take an interest in ancient history?" asked the teacher.
"I don't know..." said Aria, looking down at her table. She didn't know where she learned that or why she suddenly blurted it out. She never cared about history class before.
Later that evening, Aria was lying sound asleep in her room, with Adagio and Sonata. The girl began to toss and turn in her sleep, wincing.
Aria found herself being dragged through a dimly lit room. She kicked and screamed as she attempted to get free, as men began to haul her over to an altar. They restrained her and began to wrap up clean white cloth. Her legs were first bounded, then up to her legs. She panted in panic as the sheets began to wrap higher up her legs and to her waist.
Aria suddenly screamed as she as swung her fist, punching one of the men that restrained her. He fell back, cupping his nose. Aria grabbed the other man holding her down and punched him as well. Aria quickly began to tear off the sheets that had wrapped around her and began to beat one of the men, her eyes bloodshot. The men rushed to her in attempt to restrain her, but Aria met them with hard kicks and punches. She attacked anyone that came near her.
Aria screamed as she lunged for one of the men, snatching up a ceremonial knife from the ground. She cackled as she plunged the knife into his chest. The man coughed and struggled as she dragged the knife along. She reached into the wound and drew out his still beating heart. Its beats echoed out into her hearing. Aria began to sink her teeth into the heart, causing it to squirt blood to the ground and her face. After devouring the heart, the girl cackled again, her laughs echoing out into the air.
Aria's eyes suddenly shot open. She was staring up at a familiar ceiling. Her eyes glanced to the side, finding the morning light beginning to shine through the window. Aria calmly rose out of bed and began to make her way to the bathroom.
Sonata yawned as she sat up. She smacked her lips as her eyes hung half open. She began to stagger her way out of the bedroom and to the bathroom, rubbing her tired eyes.
"Morning Ari-" Sonata gasped as she shot up more awake. She found Aria standing at the bathroom sink, her hands coated in blood. She began to turn on the sink and proceeded to wash her hands. Aria had a calm look on her face as she washed up.
"Arie, did you have an accident again?" asked Sonata, warily. Aria said nothing. She took her tooth brush and began to brush her teeth, a blank look on her face. Adagio yawned as she walked into the bathroom.
"Morning," said Adagio. Aria set her tooth brush down after taking care of her dental hygiene. She then made her way to the bedroom. She stepped over to a drawer and found pairs of clothes. Aria was about to reach in but stopped. She closed the drawer and made her way over to a closet. She found many pairs of clothes inside, belonging to none other than Adagio.
Aria proceeded to dress herself up in the clothes she selected. She sported a violet sleeveless top, which exposed her shoulders. She also wore a pair of black tight spandex leggings, which shined in the light. The leggings reached just below her knees. Aria also wore a pair of sandals, with straps that wrapped around up to her shins. The girl then began to make her way to a mirror, where she proceeded to place on her makeup. She began to touch up her eye lids with a violet tone, and then added black make up around her eyes, creating streaks beneath the lines of her eyes. The strokes she made gave the make up an Egyptian look. Aria stared at herself in the mirror, while Adagio and Sonata stood in the doorway, wide eyed.
"Aria?" called Sonata.
"Are those my clothes?" asked Adagio in annoyance.
"Do you mind? I thought I'd try something sophisticated," said Aria, her tone shifting from a flat one to a more regal one.
"I guess. Next time, just ask," said Adagio with an odd look.
Junior sighed as he strolled through the school hallway with a look of dismay. It was first period, but he already felt worn out for the day.
"Just another day for the grind," said Junior. As he walked, he noticed a few students to be turning heads, their eyes wide.
"Whoa! Is that Aria?" asked a student. Junior stopped as he found the students gawking. Curious, he followed their line of sight. His eyes widened as he found Aria to be strolling down the hall, with her sisters behind her. She moved in confident strides, something that Junior normally associated with Adagio.
"Damn. Her ass is really tight in those leggings," said a male student, drooling at the sight of the girl. Junior merely walked passed him, just as he roughly bumped his shoulder against him.
"Don't let her catch you saying that," said Junior. He made his way over to the Dazzlings.
"Hey, what's up?" greeted Junior with a forced smile.
"Hey, Goji," greeted Adagio, while Sonata meekly waved.
"So, Aria... That's uh... An interesting look you have," said Junior, trying to think of a compliment. He noticed that her hair was down, while she normally held it in twin tails.
"Thanks," said Aria, casually. She then hummed as she leaned close to Junior, causing him to recoil.
"W-What?" asked Junior.
"Hmph. You're a better specimen than I thought," said Aria. Junior cocked a brow.
"Thanks?"
The way that Aria was looking him over made him feel like he was being auctioned off at a slave market.
"I'll have to keep you in mind. I must be going," said Aria, brushing passed the boy. Junior just stared as she walked off, causing heads to turn and watch as she swayed her hips in a hypnotic manner. Junior suddenly felt Adagio smack him in the shoulder.
"Ow! What?" asked Junior. Adagio was pouting at him.
"How come you never stare at my ass like that when I walk away?" asked Adagio. Junior recoiled.
"I wasn't-! What the hell is going on with Aria?!" asked Junior, not wanting to engage with the Dazzling over that comment.
"I don't know. She's been weird all morning. She normally doesn't dress like that. That's my shtick!" said Adagio in a whiny tone.
"That outfit does look good on her though," said Sonata. Adagio sent her a glare.
"N-Not that it wouldn't look good on you too!" tittered Sonata.
The day went by as usual. However, it was quite an odd one to say the least. Everyone that knew Aria Blaze began to notice that she was acting quite out of character. During her history class, she became more vocal during the lecture.
"It would seem that Scarab made the mistake of having mercy on the cousin that attempted to seize the throne by assassinating him. Would you agree that he would've been wise to have him beheaded instead and left to the crows for food?" asked Aria, having raised her hand. The history teacher looked at her, a bit unnerved. Junior grimaced from the back of the class.
"I... suppose..."
Aria's cold and callousness wasn't the only thing that was off about her. As the day went on, she began to display more quirks. Junior was walking through the hall during passing period. He stopped as he noticed Aria standing among a group of boys. She brushed a hand through her hair as she stood with a haughty aura.
"If any of you are actually serious about dating me, then you'll have to get on your knees and lick my shoes," said Aria, sliding a leg forward.
"Seriously?" asked a boy with a grimace.
"Shit, I'll-" Rodan spoke up, but Junior quickly yanked him back.
"Ro, have some self respect!" scolded Junior.
"But if you're a man that's worthy as Gojira, than you don't have to. But I prefer to be the top of the pillar," said Aria, smirking. Junior recoiled.
"You mean you'll only go for the tall and dumb guys?" asked a male student.
"The fuck did you just say?" demanded Junior, prompting the student to stiffen. Aria smirked as she strolled over to Junior. She grabbed the boy by his hoodie and yanked him close. Junior was caught off guard by this, finding himself inches from her face.
"How about it? Wanna be my King?" asked Aria in a sultry tone. Junior cleared his throat as he gently pried the girl's hands off of his hoodie.
"No thanks. I mean, I like you. But you're coming on a bit too strong," said Junior with a nervous smile. Aria bore a dissatisfied look.
"Your loss," said Aria, turning to walk off. Rodan glared at Junior.
"Dude, seriously. Why do you keep getting girls?" asked Rodan. Junior sighed in dismay.
"It must be my charming personality," said Junior, sarcastically.
The day went by. Junior and Rodan had kept an eye out for Aria during the rest of the school day. They witnessed her behaving in a way that they've never seen her behave. She acted sophisticated, yet vain. She was also much more sexually aggressive than what they've seen from the likes of Adagio. And she seemed almost cold.
During P.E., Junior and Rodan watched Aria from a distance. They found her standing with her hand on her hip and a tennis racket in the other hand, while Sonata was rubbing her bruised cheek with teary eyes.
"Hmph. To think that a weakling as yourself is my sister," said Aria, harshly. Junior furrowed his brows.
"Something is definitely wrong with Aria. She's never that harsh," said Junior.
"Yeah. She's gone from hot to bitchy," said Rodan, shaking his head.
"Hasn't she always been a little bitchy?" asked Junior.
"No, she was more... Stern. She's rough but you know she has a soft interior. That's what makes her so damn attractive," said Rodan with a grin. He then hummed to himself. "Maybe that's why some girls are starting to like you."
"Or they don't," said Junior, dismissively. He then turned his attention to where Aria stood.
"But, you have a point. She's changed. She's acting like she just stepped out of a fantasy novel or some shit," said Junior.
Aria found herself sitting upon a throne with a cold look. A headdress was placed upon her head, which bore a small cobra on the top. The girl found her throne rising high, as a great pyramid rose from the earth, towering over every city. The stars in the heavens circled above, while the moon eclipsed the sun. Aria raised her hands, as a horde of figures began to rise from the earth below the pyramid.
Aria's eyes shot open. The girl rose out of bed and proceeded to make her way to the bathroom. She found that this time, her hands were clean. That was good, considering that they kept getting bloody throughout the past couple of weeks.
Aria soon dressed herself. She kept wearing the same sandals over and over, but she changed up her outfit every now and then. This time, she sported a short skirt. But the thing she was most consistent with was the way she wore her make-up.
"Aria, you got a second?" called Adagio.
"What is it?" asked Aria, turning her attention to her sister.
"Look, I'm all for trying out new styles and stuff. But I get the feeling that you've been obsessed with the 'Egyptian' look," said Adagio. Aria froze.
"Obsessed?" asked Aria.
"Yeah, I mean... It was cool the first couple days or so, but you've been acting differently," said Adagio.
"I have?" asked Aria.
"Yeah. Listen, you can have some of my outfits. But maybe tone down on some of that 'royalty' thing you got going on. I think that museum trip has gotten to your head," said Adagio with a chuckle, before leaving the room. Aria set her make up brush down as she stared at herself in the mirror, her stomach in knots.
Aria began to gather her phone. However, she noticed that she received an email notification. She opened her email and found it was a link to an article relating to natural history, specifically Egyptian natural history. She had subscribed to the newsletter days before for reasons she couldn't think of. Aria wondered why she suddenly had an obsession with Egypt. The girl gasped as she read the article.
"Another Archeologist that discovered Araphix was found dead again? What's going on?" asked Aria, feeling overwhelmed by anxiety. By now, a few of them had mysteriously died during the past couple of weeks. Ever since she went to that museum, things have seemed to change.
Then, it suddenly clicked. The museum. Aria looked to the email and then herself in the mirror.
"There has to be a link," said Aria, feeling sick to her gut.
"A-Adagi-!" Aria stopped herself. She couldn't bother telling her sisters. Already she was acting off. If she told her sisters that she thinks that the museum had something to do with her change, they'd merely brush her off. Or worse, they'd think she's lost it. Maybe she has.
There was also the fact that they've been busy with the dance. They wouldn't put that off for what might be a wild goose chase. Aria needed someone that she can trust. Someone that had plenty of time on their hands. Then, an idea came to her.
"And it's a terrible one," Aria suddenly blurted out.
Later that morning, Junior yawned as he was walking through his neighborhood. He was glad that the weekend had finally greeted him once again. He had many plans for this weekend, mainly to sleep in. But as he passed a bush, a pair of arms suddenly reached out and yanked him in.
"Hey! You wanna get your ass-!" Junior was about to start throwing his fists, but froze as he found Aria to be crouching in front of him.
"Aria? What the hell are you doing?" asked Junior in confusion.
"Listen, I need your help! I think I'm cursed!" exclaimed Aria.
"Cursed? Huh?" asked Junior.
"Look, I've realized that I've been acting weird!" said Aria.
"That's a no brainer," said Junior, flatly.
"But, it all started ever since we went to that Museum a couple weeks back! I keep having nightmares about pyramids and everything Egyptian related!" said Aria, her tone in a panic. Junior almost wanted to brush her off, but her rattled state kept him planted here.
"I think there's something wrong with the mummy that looks like me. The guys that found her turned up dead the past couple of weeks," said Aria.
"OK, let's say that I 100 percent believe you. What do you want me to do about it?" asked Junior.
"Come with me to the museum to investigate! I think we can find some answers there," said Aria. Junior recoiled.
"The museum?! Aria, that's all the way over to Canterlot!" said Junior.
"It's just a couple hours worth of a bus ride!" argued Aria.
"But now?! Why can't you ask your sisters to help?" asked Junior.
"They wouldn't believe me! Plus I'd be asking them to skip out on school, which would take time out of them getting the concert ready for tonight's dance," said Aria.
"Great siblings," said Junior flatly. Aria merely sent him a glare. The boy sighed.
"Alright, I'm sorry. But why ask me?" asked Junior.
"Because you're the only one I can trust right now on such short notice. Plus, you have a lot of free time on your hands, so I didn't think it'd be that much of an inconvenience," answered Aria.
"Oh, so skipping school isn't an inconvenience to me?" deadpanned Junior.
"Look, I'll make it up to you. Whatever you want!" said Aria, desperately. Junior lowered his head in dismay.
"Forget it. Come on, let's go," said Junior as he stepped out of the bushes. Aria sighed in relief.
"Thanks. You're awesome," said Aria.
"I try," said Junior with a sigh. 'My mom's gonna kill me when she finds out I skipped school.'
It was noon. Junior and Aria found themselves stepping off of their bus. Junior sighed in exasperation.
"I always hated urban areas. Cities are no place for human beings to live," said Junior, looking around the tall buildings that surrounded them.
"My empire will dwarf these structures of steel and concrete," said Aria, her voice shifting to a regal tone. Junior did a double take.
"Aria?" called Junior. Aria gasped as she suddenly trembled.
"I-I think I blacked out for a second," said Aria. Junior grimaced. He didn't think Aria would be one to joke around or to pull off an elaborate prank. The way she spoke certainly gave him the impression that he was standing next to a totally different person.
"Come on. The Museum is just around the corner," said Junior.
The pair crossed the streets of Canterlot. Their steps carried them over to the site of the Canterlot Museum. They power walked to the structure and entered. They found the building to be partially filled, but there were less people then they've witnessed from their last visit. Junior and Aria began to make their way to the Egyptian exhibit, where they began to scan the displays.
"Just what are we looking for?" asked Junior.
"I don't know. Clues or something..." Aria trailed off as she stopped by a display, depicting ancient Egyptian wall art. She found the image of a woman who stood, with violet hair that draped down beneath her head dress. Aria stared at the image for what seemed like an eternity. She then felt a hand on her shoulder.
"AH!" Aria yelped.
"Relax! It's just me!" said Junior, quickly pulling his hand away. Aria sighed.
"Don't doze off. Come on, I think we should check out that Araphix display," said Junior as he began to walk off. Aria trailed behind him. The two came across the 'Burial Chamber' section of the exhibit. But, they found that it bore a sign at the front that read, 'Closed'.
"That's odd. Why would they close this section off?" asked Junior. Aria furrowed her brows as she began to walk passed Junior.
"Uh Aria... The sign," called Junior. Aria ignored him. Junior sighed.
"This doesn't bode well for my future," said Junior as he followed the Dazzling into the Burial Chamber. The two found that everything appeared normal. Nothing seemed to be out of place. When the teens approached the mummy display, they found Araphix to be lying just where they thought she'd be.
"I wonder how she was able to be this well preserved," said Junior. Aria furrowed her brows as she stared at the mummy in the display.
"I wonder if we can fix me by burning this bitch or something," said Aria. Junior stiffened.
"Aria, no. I am not helping you destroy Museum property. I'm already treading on a thin line as it is," said Junior.
"Hey! What are you kids doing in here?!" a voice shouted. Junior and Aria turned to find a security guard to be standing at the entrance of the 'Burial Chamber'.
"Ah fuck," said Junior, slumping his shoulders.
Later, the two teens found themselves sitting in a hallway. Junior scowled as he sat up straight, his arms crossed over his chest, while Aria sat slumped in her seat, a look of boredom on her face.
"I knew this was going to bite us in the ass," said Junior. Aria sighed. A door suddenly opened. They turned to find the security guard and an older man to be stepping out.
"Good news. The Museum's not gonna press charges for trespassing into a restricted area," said the security guard sternly. He turned to leave.
"You kids should head on home. Isn't it a school day?" asked the older man.
"Look, we just wanted to find some answers," said Aria.
"Answers? What would you expect to learn from sneaking into a closed off area?" asked the man.
"My friend here thinks she's cursed because of your stupid mummy display," said Junior, flatly. The man's brows furrowed.
"Cursed?"
"That's what I said. Anyway, what's the deal with that thing? Is it a real mummy or are you guys desperate for visitors that you set up a wax sculpture or something and claimed it was a well preserved mummy?" asked Junior. The man began to walk a few steps away, annoyance on his face.
"Araphix was an Egyptian princess. She longed to be queen. No, Pharaoh," said the man.
"Wait, could a woman be Pharaoh? I'm not too savvy on ancient history," said Junior.
"There were some cases of women ascending to the title of Pharaoh, although rarely. Pharaoh's were more than a king or queen. They were the supreme leaders of the land. Considered living gods on earth. Araphix aspired to ascend to that title. She even murdered her parents and siblings to seize the throne for herself," said the older man.
"Figures," said Junior. Aria was silent and listened intently.
"Legend says that during her reign, her lust for power led to her having her sorcerers cast a spell to allow her to be immortal. But it came at a price. She had to have a large supply of blood for one week to sustain her youth and immortality," said the man.
"After killing several suitors, Araphix realized that that she needed a much more permanent way to maintain her immortality. Her sorcerers claimed that if she took the blood of a living descendant, she would be young and immortal forever," said the man. Aria's eyes widened.
"Oh my God. Then... Then I might really be a descendant of her! Ever since I saw her here, I keep having these dreams! I keep waking up with blood on my hands! I-" Aria began to hyperventilate.
"Aria! Calm down!" said Junior.
"Bah. Utter drivel and superstition. There is no curse!" said the archaeologist.
"But what about the other archaeologists that discovered the mummy? They all turned up dead the past two weeks," said Junior.
"That's- That's merely a bizarre coincidence. Some of them died due to cardiac arrest. Not all of us are spry youngsters as yourselves," said the man dismissively.
"But I'm a living descendant of her! I keep having these nightmares!" said Aria.
"Can you actually prove that you are? Even if you are, it doesn't mean that you're cursed. If you've found this out recently after seeing our display, then it may be in your head," said the archaeologist.
"In my head?" asked Aria, biting her lip.
"OK, look. Let's say that this curse is for real. What reason would Araphix have to go after Aria specifically? She has two other sisters," said Junior.
"Boy, do not waste my time with 'what ifs' and hypothetical! I have research to do!" said the archaeologist as he stormed off. Junior furrowed his brows
"Old prick," said Junior to himself. He felt Aria griping his sleeve.
"L-Let's go," said Aria. Junior nodded to her.
The two began to leave the museum. They made their way back to the streets of Canterlot.
"Well that was a bust," said Junior. Aria was holding her shoulders, still appearing shaken up. Junior frowned as he glanced at her.
"Hey, don't worry. We'll figure this out," said Junior.
"What's there to figure out? I'm gonna be killed by a fucking ghost," said Aria. Junior wrapped a comforting arm around her.
"Well, she'll have to go through me first. I have your back," said Junior. Aria softly smiled in response.
Later that evening...
The Dazzlings were back stage in the gymnasium of their school. They were in the process of having their outfits properly fitted for tonight's dance. The girls wore matching white silk dresses. They were designed to resemble royal attire, with gold painted braces and jewels.
"We're almost ready for tonight!" said Adagio.
"Mwah! You girls look fabulous! Wouldn't you agree, Gojira, darling?" asked Rarity. Junior stood by, dressed in a formal pair of clothes. His hair was slicked back.
"Yeah, you did good Rarity," said Junior, nodding.
"I should get ready myself! The dance will be starting soon!" said Rarity, before walking off.
"She's already dressed up. What more could she do to 'be ready'?" asked Junior, shaking his head. He found Adagio approaching with her usual flirtatious smile.
"It's sweet of you to come by and be our 'personal body guard' for the dance. Maybe we should've had Rarity set you up for an Egyptian styled outfit too," said Adagio, grinning.
"Why do we need a body guard anyway?" asked Sonata in confusion.
"Well, you know... You three are famous pop stars, right? Who knows if the crowd gets a bit too rowdy during your performance," said Junior, forcing a smile.
"Oooooh! That makes sense," said Sonata, a thoughtful expression on her face. Aria stood in silence as she stared at herself in the mirror. Just seeing herself in this get up did little to relieve her of her worries. She dreaded what was to come.
Meanwhile...
The air was cold. The moon hung high in the sky. Crows were perched on the bald trees that stood planted in a grave yard. Many grave stones lied, marking where the dead were resting in their eternal slumber.
The wind began to pick up. The crows in the area squawked, their feathers erecting. The wind howled as the sound of thunder filled the air.
"I provoke the power of Anubis to raise the dead. Rise," a distorted, feminine voice called out. The winds picked up, and the thunder grew louder, as clouds began to circle over the grave yard. Lightning crashed. The earth in the grave yard began to move.
"RISE!!" the voice cried again. Decomposed hands began to burst from the earth of every grave, as grey flesh or skeletal claws grabbed the earth. The grave yard was suddenly filled with ghostly moans, as the dead rose from the earth, their eyes glowing green. The dead began to climb out from their graves and shambled out of the graveyard, their moans being carried throughout Ponyville. Some proceeded to make their way to the highway to Canterlot, while others made their way to Ponyville High.
Meanwhile, in Ponyville High, the school dance was under way. Everyone cheered as the Dazzlings were in the process of wrapping up their concert. Music that was mixed with a theme that would be considered stereotypical for Egypt was playing as the girls swayed in place like cobras being charmed.
"We ain't in De-nile~! Na na na na na! Na na na! Na! Na! Na! Na! Na! Hey!" The girls suddenly struck poses, which mirrored those seen in ancient Egyptian art. The stage was lit up by bright lights briefly, before dying down. Students in attendance cheered as the girls rushed back stage.
"We totally killed it out there!" squealed Sonata.
"Damn right! I'd say this is our most successful independent concert yet!" said Adagio.
"Yeah, sponsored by Ponyville High," said Junior with a roll of his eyes.
"I think I'm gonna get changed and head home," said Aria as she walked off.
"But the dance isn't over yet!" whined Sonata.
"Hey Goji, wanna dance?" asked Adagio.
"Actually, I think I'll head home too," said Junior with a weak smile. Adagio frowned in disappointment.
"Oh foo." Adagio and Sonata began to leave backstage. Meanwhile, Junior made his way to the dressing room, where Aria was about to enter.
"I'll be out soon. Just don't leave without me," said Aria, her tone a bit small.
"I won't," said Junior. Aria closed the door, leaving Junior to stand in silence. For now, Aria's requested his presence to be close, considering that she was afraid to be by herself. Junior couldn't fault her. But he did wonder just how much help he could really be for something they don't completely understand. Junior suddenly took notice of a foul stench that lingered in the air. He cupped his nose as he began to look around.
"Smells like something di-" Junior found himself suddenly tackled to the ground. He grunted as he attempted to fight back against his assailant, but found himself piled on by a small group of rotting corpses. The dead snarled as they held him down. Junior cried out in shock and alarm. As he attempted to muster his strength, one of the zombies grabbed him by the head and opened its jaws wide open. A green mist spewed from the back of its throat, engulfing the boy's face. Junior suddenly went limp, passing out from the mist. The creatures stood up from the unconscious mutant and turned their sights to the dressing room. They began to rush to the door and broke it down.
Aria screamed in terror, which was heard from those just near the back stage. The zombies stormed out of the dressing room, carrying the girl off.
Junior found himself being shaken. He heard frantic voices calling his name. His eyes shot open. He found Adagio and Sonata kneeling next to him, worried expressions on their faces.
"Hey, are you OK?" asked Adagio. Junior quickly shot up, his eyes darting around.
"We saw some monsters running out of the backdoor with Aria!"
"Oh shit! Aria!" cried Junior, scrambling to his feet. He found that the dressing room door had been broken down. As they said, the girl was gone.
"Gojira, what happened?! Where did those things take Aria?!" asked Adagio, frantically.
"Fuck! We should've told you!" said Junior, grabbing his hair.
"Told us what?!" asked Sonata. Junior took a breath in a vain attempt to settle his nerves.
"OK, OK! Look, Aria's apparently the target of the spirit of an Egyptian queen! She's going to be a sacrifice for Araphix's immortality!" said Junior. Adagio and Sonata stared at him blankly.
"That explains a lot actually," said Sonata. Adagio suddenly glared at the boy.
"Why in the hell didn't you two tell us that this was happening?!" demanded Adagio.
"Aria didn't think you'd believe her!" said Junior.
"We gotta save our sister! But where could they have taken her?" asked Sonata, her tone teetering on despair. Junior hardened his expression.
"I think I know where."
Aria yelped as she was thrown to the cold hard ground. She gasped as she found the living dead standing over her, their glowing eyes staring into her own. The creatures spoke in a foreign dialect. One of them pointed to the Egyptian exhibit, barking orders. A couple of corpses grabbed Aria with their cold leathery hands and began to drag her to the exhibit.
"Stop! Please, let me go!" cried Aria, desperately. She was on the brink of tears as she was brought to the exhibit, while the sound of glass shattering filled the air. Aria was forced to her hands and knees. She gasped as she heard the cries of a man. She found a familiar man was being dragged into the exhibit by more of the corpses. It was the archaeologist that had revealed to her the truth of what was happening to her. Aria and the archaeologist found themselves in the 'Burial Chamber' section of the exhibit. The display was destroyed, and Araphix lied in her sarcophagus. One of the corpses pointed to the archaeologist and spoke in his foreign tongue. A couple of corpses dragged the man away, who cried out in panic.
"No! No, this isn't happening!" cried the man. One of the zombies grabbed him by the head and swiftly twisted it, snapping his neck. Aria cupped her mouth, suppressing a scream. The man dropped to the ground, the life leaving his eyes. Aria suddenly felt a warmth against her palms. She gasped as she found that a crimson liquid began to appear on her hand. It was as though it had oozed out of her palms. A corpse called out again, pointing to Aria. The zombies grabbed Aria and hauled her to her feet.
"NO! NO!!" Aria cried out as she was brought over to the sarcophagus. One of the zombies grabbed one of her hands and forced it onto the body of Araphix. The blood began to stain the cloth that had wrapped around her, seeping beneath. The blood was removed from the girl's hand, which was taken in by Araphix.
From the sarcophagus, Araphix slowly began to rise. Her eyes shot open, life having entered the violet orbs. Aria trembled at the sight, as the mummy became animated. Their eyes met, sending a chill into the Dazzling's soul.
"Pharaoh," a corpse rasped. The zombies all began to get on their knees and bowed down, chanting. Araphix stepped out of the sarcophagus, the cloth still clinging to her body. She stood just a couple inches over Aria, but the resemblance between the two became much clearer. Aria shuddered as the mummy began to circle around her, like a predator looking for the precise angle to strike.
"You truly do share my likeness. I knew that you would be the one whose blood would be worthy," said Araphix, running a cold finger through Aria's hair. The Dazzling whimpered, finding it difficult to stand on her own two feet. Araphix's voice carried a regal tone, but even the voice reminded Aria of her own.
"It's a pity that you'll have to die," said Araphix, smirking. She then turned to take in her surroundings.
"The world has changed since I was put to rest. No matter. Soon, it will all belong to me," said Araphix. Aria suddenly forced a laugh and placed on a brave face.
"It's impossible for a moldy 3,000 year old Egyptian queen to take over the world!" said Aria. While her tone betrayed her bravery, she had faith in that statement. After all, Araphix wouldn't be facing off against guys with swords and horses. This was the 21st Century after all. Araphix looked to her descendant with an unamused look. Suddenly, a vase in the room suddenly shattered as a green flame burst from it. Aria flinched from this, while Araphix held a confident smile.
"There are things that you don't know that I'm capable of," said Araphix, laughing. The zombies hauled Aria out of the burial chamber, while Araphix followed. She raised a hand, while a khopesh sword was levitated from a display and into her grasp. The rusted sickle-like blade suddenly ignited with fire. The flames suddenly doused, revealing the sword to appear pristine, as if it had just come off of the forge. Aria was forced to her knees, while Araphix admired the weapon.
"It's been a while since I've held one of these," said Araphix. She smirked as she raised the weapon, while Aria pleaded.
"NO!" screamed Aria. As Araphix was about to bring the sword down, she was interrupted as a rock was hurled her way. She quickly ducked.
"Hey!"
Aria turned to find that standing in the exhibit was none other than Junior and her two sisters. Araphix's eyes narrowed.
"Who are you?" said Araphix.
"The name's Gojira Takeshi, why don't you let the girl go and head on back to your sarcophagus and go back to sleep?" asked Junior, popping his knuckles. Araphix chuckled.
"A mere mortal, nay, a commoner, is making demands to me? I think not. Kill them," said Araphix, pointing to the teens. The corpses shrieked as they charged for the teens. Sonata and Adagio screamed in fright, while Junior stepped forward. He swung a fist at one of the zombies, knocking it back. He then sent another punch at another, knocking its head clean off with his sheer mutant brute strength. The zombie collapsed, unable to move again. The rest of the corpses began to pile onto Junior, causing him to kneel to the ground.
"Gojira!" Sonata and Adagio cried out in horror. As the corpses had gathered on top, Junior suddenly burst out with a primal cry. The corpses fell back from this, while the boy rushed to the closest one. He grabbed it by the leg and swung it against the other zombies. The impacts caused their bodies to break and snap, resulting in them to fall to pieces. Every punch and kick proved quite traumatic to these already decaying corpses. Soon, there was none left. They all lied in pieces on the ground. Junior panted briefly before smirking at Araphix, who furrowed her brows.
"I never liked the idea of hitting girls. But I'll make an exception!" said Junior, charging towards the mummy. He lunged for the ancient Egyptian, but she instead greeted him with a kick. Junior was knocked back and fell to one knee. He glared at Araphix, who tossed her sword aside, raising her fists.
"I'm gonna beat your ass back to the Bronze Age!" said Junior, shooting back up to his feet. He swung his fists at the mummy, who swiftly moved out of his reach. She retaliated by sending quick yet strong jabs against the boy's face. Junior stepped back and then slashed his left reptilian claws at her, but Araphix ducked under and shot back up, sending an uppercut to his jaw. Junior stumbled back, rubbing his chin. Araphix smirked at him.
Junior gave an enraged shout as he lunged for the woman, who kept her distance. He rushed and sent his fists her way, but she was just too quick. She moved at inhuman speeds. Junior was shocked how someone who's basically been bedridden for thousands of years was able to outclass him in a fight.
Araphix swept in and jabbed Junior in the gut, causing him to hunch over. He was then met with her knee, shooting up against his forehead. Junior grunted as he was stunned from the blow. Araphix leapt and spun, swinging her leg against the back of his head. Junior slammed into a display, knocking down and shattering Egyptian artifacts to the ground. Junior panted as he shakily stood, but found Araphix approaching with her sword in her grip.
"I'm through playing games," said Araphix, raising her sword. Before she could bring the weapon down, three ear piercing shrieks filled the air. Junior cupped his ears, while Araphix was blown off of her feet. He turned to find the Dazzlings giving a unified sonic shriek. Adagio rushed to Junior's side.
"Are you alright?!" Adagio helped the boy to his feet. Junior winced.
"Just pissed," said Junior as he rolled his neck, causing it to pop. Aria and Sonata joined their sides. Araphix snarled as her eyes glowed green.
"You'll have to go through us if you want our sister!" said Sonata, defiantly.
"You cannot defeat the great Pharaoh!" Araphix shouted as she raised her hands, which glowed with flames. She threw balls of flame towards the teens. They all quickly dove for cover. Junior grunted as he felt the heat from the flames burst near him. He noticed an ancient shield to be lying on the ground beside him. He picked it up and turned to Adagio.
"I'll draw her fire! You guys attack from a distance!" said Junior, before jumping out of cover. He rushed to Araphix, who began to send the fire balls at Junior. The boy raised the shield, blocking the flames. But every time the flames bounced off, the hotter the shield began to get. He pressed on, while the Dazzling came out of their cover. They delivered short bursts of screams, which manifested into smaller waves of sonic waves. The waves shot passed Junior and towards Araphix, who cupped her ears. Aside from the ear piercing shrieks, her body trembled from the force behind them. She felt like collapsing, if not falling apart.
Junior suddenly appeared in her line of sight. With a mighty cry, he swung the shield with all of his might, sending the mummy crashing to the ground. Araphix grunted as her lip and nose bled. She attempted to stand, but Adagio and Sonata quickly pinned her arms to the ground.
"Aria, get a fire started! We're gonna test out that flame theory of yours!" said Junior. Araphix screamed in rage as she clenched her flaming fists.
"She's so goddamn strong!" cried Adagio.
"No! I will not be denied!!" Araphix screamed as her eyes began to glow brightly. She opened her mouth wide, allowing a bright stream of light to shoot out to the ceiling. Everyone recoiled and stepped away from the mummy, as her raw power was concentrated into a single beam of light. The ceiling began to crack, allowing bits of concrete to fall to the ground.
"Everyone, get out!" Junior shouted. Adagio and Sonata began to scramble away from the exhibit, all the while, the ceiling began to fall. As Sonata and Adagio made their way to the exit, Junior and Aria lagged behind.
"Hurry!" cried Sonata. Adagio gasped in horror as she saw a massive chunk of the ceiling fall.
"Look out!" Adagio screamed. Junior and Aria skidded to a halt and quickly retreated, narrowly avoiding the ceiling that fell. The debris left a large obstacle in their path, making it impossible to get around and to the exit on time.
"Find shelter!" cried Junior.
"Where?!" asked Aria. The teens gasped as they found that more of the ceiling began to fall. The entire museum was collapsing in on itself. Junior quickly pulled Aria to himself and forced her to the ground, his larger body acting as protection. The last thing the two heard were Sonata and Adagio crying out to them.
Aria winced as she opened her eyes. Her vision was a blur. But, she heard the sound of a heart monitor beeping.
"She's waking up!" a familiar voice whispered. Aria's vision began to clear. She found her sisters surrounding her. They bore looks of relief.
"Oh thank God. Aria, are you alright?" asked Adagio.
"Wh... What happened?" asked Aria, weakly. She noticed that her leg was held up via harness, while it was wrapped up in a cast. She felt pain throughout her body. Her head was also partially wrapped.
"The ceilings of the museum collapsed. The Egyptian exhibit is totally destroyed. If Gojira hadn't shielded you, we'd probably have lost you," said Sonata with a sad smile. Aria's heart jumped as she heard this.
"Gojira! Where's Gojira?! And Araphix?!" asked Aria, her eyes darting. Adagio placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Hey, hey. It's alright. Goji's just in the other room. The doctors say he's gonna make a full recovery. Which is amazing considering that half a museum fell on him," said Adagio.
"He's the luckiest mutant alive!" said Sonata with a grin.
"As for Araphix... Well, we told the authorities about her. But, they never found her. It's like her body disappeared," said Adagio. Aria sighed, both relieved and still a bit worried. She didn't like that the mummy was never recovered.
"Well, I guess that's good. I mean, she's gone for good, right?" asked Aria. Adagio gave her a reassuring smile.
"Get some rest sis. I have to pay Goji a little visit," said Adagio with a giggle. Aria weakly smiled as her sisters left her alone in the hospital room. But, she felt that something wasn't right. Aria's eyes fell forward, noticing that a couple of nurses rolled in a patient, who was lying in a bed. The patient was parked across from Aria. The Dazzling gasped.
The patient was completely wrapped in clean white bandages, as though she were a mummy. A pair of familiar violet eyes were all that was visible beneath all of the bandages. The eyes were glaring hatefully at the Dazzling.
Aria glanced at her side, finding a tray that bore some medical tools. Among them was a scalpel. Araphix did the same, finding a scalpel on her end as well. Both were unable to reach for the tools in their injured states. The two then stared each other down, knowing that they had to rely on the recovery of their strengths.
"Only one us is leaving this hospital," said Aria, her tone low.
"And that's the way it shall be," retorted Araphix in a similar tone.
The two stared intently at each other, glancing only once at the occasional nurse that walked by. All the two had to do was keep waiting. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting............
Halloween Double Feature 2020: Gojira, Where are Yah?
It was late noon. Junior found himself carrying a bag over his shoulders, as he made his way over to the back of a van. He grunted as he tossed the bag inside, along with a few other bags. He grimaced as he found several bags of the same color, stacked up. He sighed in dismay before slamming the back doors closed. Junior turned to find the Main 7, the Dazzlings, Mutant 4, Erika, and Flash to be standing around, all conversing amongst themselves.
"Hey, Rarity. Tell me why exactly you need all of that crap in the back?" asked Junior in annoyance. Rarity gasped in offense.
"Excuse me! That 'crap', as you said, are my essentials for the trip! My clothes, a change clothes, my pajamas, a change of pajamas, a couple of dressy casual dresses, formal dresses, my makeup, my hair drier, my hair iron, my hair curlers, and my dental supplies!" said Rarity indignantly.
"Over half of that wouldn't classify as 'essential'," said Junior flatly.
"He's right, Rarity. The trip is only for the weekend," said Rainbow.
"You can never be too prepared, darling. Also it's a three day weekend," huffed Rarity.
"Hey, at least she's not a doomsday prepper," said Sunset.
"At least doomsday preppers have useful things. That stuff in there is just to look pretty!" said Junior.
"Gojira Takeshi II, I refuse to part with anything!" shouted Rarity with a glare. Junior sighed in exasperation.
"Oh God, and I'm stuck with you the whole trip," said Junior in dismay.
"Goji, be nice," said Fluttershy in disapproval.
"I'm not being mean. There's barely enough seats in this van as it is. Two of us have to sit in the back with all of our stuff," said Junior.
"You packed a pillow and blanket right? Maybe you guys can lay on those to help," said Angirasu. Junior sighed. He then turned to the van with an annoyed look.
"And whose piece of shit van is this? Who's the degenerate hippie?" asked Junior, pointing to the van. It comprised of a faded lime green coat of paint, decorated with flowers. On the side of the van were the words, "The Secrecy Machine". The vehicle appeared old, being a 1972 Ford E200 Econoline Van. It bore some rust and chipped and fading paint.
"The fuck kind of name is that?! Who names their van?!" asked Junior.
"Hey! That's my uncle's van!" said Flash, indignantly. The mutant pointed a finger at him.
"Your uncle is a-!" Junior stopped as he took in Flash's appearance. "What the fuck are you wearing?"
Flash was sporting a white shirt, with a blue collar shirt underneath. He also wore a yellow scarf around his neck.
"I thought I'd try wearing something new. Pretty cool, huh?" asked Flash with a grin.
"Sure, if you're from Bay City." Junior smirked.
"Hey!" said Flash in offense. Aria snickered.
"Goji!" Fluttershy gasped.
"That's not cool, Gojira," said Sonata in disapproval.
"What? Tell me that outfit doesn't make him look like a fruit! At least get rid of the scarf," said Junior.
"It's called an ascot, you uncultured swine!" Flash retorted.
"Oh yeah? How about I kick YOUR 'ascot'?" Junior growled.
"Bring it, big man!" said Flash.
"OK, enough! Get a grip, you two!" said Sunset, getting between the boys.
"I must say, Flash. I admire your attire! The ascot is certainly a nice touch!" said Rarity in approval. Flash smiled smugly.
"Don't encourage him," said Junior. He then noticed Twilight to be shuffling over, carrying a big bag over her shoulders.
"Here, let me take that for you, shortcake," said Junior as he held out a hand.
"Thanks. But I keep telling you, I'm not that short," said Twilight in dismay.
"You are to me," said Junior as he tossed the bag into the back. Then, he raised a brow as he found Twilight wearing a thick frumpy lavender sweater.
"What? It's gonna be cold," said Twilight with a shrug.
"It's not that. It's just..." Junior looked to Flash and Rarity. Rarity had her hair down, wearing a sky blue hairband. She also sported a white one piece long sleeved dress with a blue stripe running along the bottom. A light blue scarf was also wrapped around her neck. She also wore heels and violet tights.
Then Junior looked back to Twilight, sporting a platted skirt with her sweater, knee high socks, and her thick pair of glasses. He then found Rodan walking over, carrying a large box full of snacks as he sported a shirt that seemed to hang down to the waist, as though it was too big. Then, Junior looked to the van. There was something very familiar about this.
"Gojira?" called Twilight.
"Nah. It must be my imagination," said Junior.
"Gojira, I got a lazy shirt for you! It'll be comfortable for the trip! It has a cute dog on it!" said Fluttershy, holding up a large grey t-shirt, depicting a cute cartoony dog.
"Agh! I should've thought of doing that!" said Mosura to herself. Junior furrowed his brows.
"You don't like it?" asked Fluttershy frowning.
"Huh? No! No, it's fine. Thanks. I'll be sure to wear it," said Junior weakly smiled.
"OK! We have everything packed, we have snacks and food for the trip, we have our phones charged, we all went to the bathroom... I say we're ready to hit the road!" said Sunset.
"Yeah! Road trip!" cried Pinkie.
"Alright! Pile in guys!" said Flash as he ran to the 'Secrecy Machine'. The teens all split up and climbed into three vehicles. Flash took the driver seat of the Secrecy Machine, while Rarity and Twilight took a seat at the front next to him. Meanwhile, Junior and Rodan hopped in the back. The engine roared to life but briefly sputtered.
"Ooh. That doesn't sound good," said Twilight.
"Don't worry. This baby can hold her own," said Flash in reassurance. The van began to roar as it drove off, with the rest of vehicles in pursuit. Junior sighed as he sat his pillow down and began fold his blanket and lied it beneath himself.
"Guess now's a good time to catch up on some Z's," said Junior, lying down.
"Good luck with that," snorted Rodan. Sure enough, Junior began to drift to sleep.
"Man, that guy can sleep through anything," said Rodan in shock.
Junior found himself standing outside of the van with Flash, Rarity, Twilight and Rodan. They all stared wide eyed at the large creepy mansion that stood on a hill, just beyond the road. The cries of bats filled the air as they soared during this cold moon lit night.
The sound of music suddenly filled the air.
"Goji, Goji-Gojira, Where are Yah~? We some got some work to do now~. Goji, Goji-Gojira, Where are Yah~? We need some help from you now~." a feminine disembodied voice suddenly began to sing.
The teens found themselves roaming through the dark mansion warily, unaware by the music that played out of thin air. From the shadows, a ghostly figure appeared, glaring from a distance at the trespassing teens. Meanwhile, Rarity walked about, absent minded, unaware of the cold dead hands of a phantom reaching out for her. It swiped for her but missed by a hair and the girl was none the wiser. Elsewhere, Flash was sitting at a dusty desk, looking through a book. The wall behind him suddenly rose up, revealing a hidden passage. Flash yelped as he leaned back and fell into the dark passage. Junior suddenly found himself standing with his arms crossed, while the teens ran for their lives back and forth through the halls of this haunted mansion.
"Come on Gojira, we see you. Pretending you fling your finger~. You're not fooling me, for I can see the way you hold your anger~."
Junior sighed in annoyance, shaking his head. He then noticed Rodan crying out as he came rolling down the hall with a pair of skates, clearly unable to control his movements. He crashed into the bathroom, where he sat in a tub, where cold shower water rained over him. Junior laughed in amusement.
"We know we got a big bad to catch and we need you to act~. Don't hold back~!" the singer sang. Rarity and Twilight gave startled and alarmed gasps, while Flash turned his head, eyes widening.
The teens were suddenly cowering behind Junior, who stood tall as a red and aquatic dinosaur-like beast stared down at them from a lake. Its eyes glaring at them as it bared its teeth from its spinosaurus-like jaws. The group began to flee, coming across many different threats. From Purists, aliens, and even other strange monsters and spooks.
"Goji boo, if you come through, you might get yourself a snack~!"
Junior suddenly found himself about to take a bite of a sandwich, but stopped as he found a miniature version of Adagio Dazzle to be lying on top of it, a sultry smile on her.
"That's a fact~!" Adagio sang as she playfully 'booped' Junior's nose, prompting a blush.
"Goji, Goji-Gojira, here are yah~! You're brave and you're willin'~!" Adagio's voice lingered in the air, while Rodan cried out in fright, as his hair stood on end. Junior glared and shushed him. The teens found themselves crowding over Twilight as she read a book. They suddenly shot their heads up, their sights directed to the fourth wall.
"We can count you, Gojira~. I know you'll beat that villain~!"
Junior gasped as his eyes shot wide open. He found himself staring up at the ceiling of a van. He blinked briefly.
"The fuck was that dream?" asked Junior.
"Oh! You're awake!" said Twilight from the front seat. Junior sighed as he sat up, wincing.
"Yeah," said Junior.
"Dude, how do you do it? I could barely sleep back here. You slept for like five hours!" said Rodan.
"Damn. So we're not there yet?" asked Junior, looking to the back windows of the van, finding a dark road, where car head lights shined in pursuit.
"Just another hour, guys. You're gonna love it," said Twilight.
"Hmph. I guess it pays to be a rich girl if you can have a cabin miles from civilization," said Junior, leaning back. There was a sudden bang, which startled the teens out of their wits.
"Uh oh!" exclaimed Flash.
"What, 'oh'?!" asked Junior in alarm.
"Hold on! Ol' girl is giving us trouble!" said Flash as he pulled over to the side of the road. The other two cars following them stopped as well. The teens stepped out of the vehicles, as Flash inspected the engine. As he opened the hood, a plume of smoke suddenly spewed out, prompting the teen to recoil.
"I told you this thing was a piece of shit," deadpanned Junior.
"Man, this bites," said Flash in frustration.
"Don't worry! There's a town not too far from here. Maybe we can get it fixed up," said Twilight.
"Alright. Let's get to pushing. Twi, hop in the front and steer!" said Flash.
"Yes sir!" said Twilight with a salute, before rushing to front seat. Rarity followed. Junior, Rodan and Flash began to make their way to the back of the van.
"OK, what can we do to help?" asked Mosura.
"You guys go on ahead! We'll catch up to you. Remember, follow the directions in the texts I sent you!" said Twilight.
"Alright. Good luck guys. Call us if you need anything," said Sunset, worriedly. The rest of the teens began to board the two remaining cars and drove off.
"What we need is a tow truck," said Junior as he and the other two boys began to push. They strained as they moved the vehicle down the road. The pushing lasted for several minutes, and it felt like they were making little distance.
"Can't you boys go any faster?" asked Rarity, peering through the window. Junior scoffed.
"You could help too, you know! Only one person needs to be up there!" said Junior.
"And ruin my outfit with sweat? Or break a nail?! I think not!" said Rarity.
"Whatever, Princess," said Junior. Rarity gave an indignant huff before bringing her head back into van.
"She does look good in that outfit though," said Rodan with a pant.
"Shut up," said Junior.
"You know... I thought it'd be easier," said Flash, grunting.
"Yeah?" asked Junior.
"Yeah! Because you two are mutants. Aren't you two pretty strong?" asked Flash.
"Yeah, but this thing must weigh a ton!" said Rodan.
"Yep. Unless the parking brake is... Wait a goddamn minute." Junior's face formed a scowl. He then raised his head.
"Twilight, is the fucking parking brake pulled?!" Junior shouted. There a moment of brief silence.
"Yeah..." Twilight awkwardly called back.
"Twilight..." Junior growled.
"Oh come on! I didn't know!" said Twilight.
"Just move the damn thing!" said Junior. The van suddenly felt lighter to the teens as they pushed.
"Now we're getting somewhere!" said Junior, as he mustered more of his strength, pushing the wagon like a mere grocery cart.
"Hey, I can't keep up!" said Flash.
"Cram that whining and push, wuss! Double time!" said Junior.
"Let's go!" shouted Rodan, as he mustered his own strength. The van continued to roll down the road, while Flash struggled to keep up.
The Secrecy Machine was rolled into a small town. It existed on several strips of streets, with small buildings making up the town. Some houses lied further out, but were ultimately walking distance from the main town. The teens stopped briefly, looking around the quiet and dark town.
"This place gives me the creeps," said Rodan. Junior hummed as he looked to the side, finding an animal pound to be nearby. A large man stepped out from a truck, carrying a cage. Junior began to make his way over.
"Excuse me, sir!" called Junior. The animal control man stopped and turned his attention to the boy.
"Hey, our van broke down. Is there like an auto shop or something around to help us get it fixed up?" asked Junior. The man looked over Junior's shoulder and grimaced.
"That piece of shit is yours?" asked the man.
"Hell no. That thing belongs to this prick's degenerate uncle," said Junior, pointing his thumb back at Flash, who leaned against the van.
"Hm. Well, just head on down to that corner. You'll find Phil. He usually works late," said the man.
"Thanks," said Junior as he made his way back to the van. The boys pushed the van again, making their way further down the street. The van was soon taken to "Phil's Auto shop". They met with Phil, who began to inspect their vehicle. Later, Twilight, Rarity and Rodan found themselves sitting inside of a diner. Soon, Junior and Flash wandered inside of the diner, taking their seat at the booth.
"Well, we better get comfortable. Phil says that the van won't be ready to go until tomorrow," said Junior.
"We could've been at the cabin by now," said Twilight in dismay.
"We might have to rest at the Inn here. You think we have enough money?" asked Flash.
"You got me. My broke ass is lucky enough to afford a meal," said Junior.
"We can try asking someone to come back and give us a ride the rest of the way," said Rodan.
"I'll have to stick around here anyway for the van," said Flash.
"It's real, I tell ya!" a voice shouted, startling the teens. They peered over their booth, finding an older man, who appeared ragged. He stood at the other booths, where the local townspeople looked at him oddly.
"It was a horrible beast! It had fangs like knives! Hellish red eyes! And claws that could cut through concrete!" cried the old man.
"George, I'll have to ask ya to stop scaring my customers!" said a middle aged woman in uniform.
"I ain't scaring anyone! I'm warning ya'll about the demon that's out there in the woods!" cried the man.
"Demon?" asked Twilight. The old man craned his neck to the direction of the teens, who recoiled under his gaze.
"It ain't no natural creature. It stood like a man, but behaved like a beast! It was a savage monster that only destroyed! And it'll kill us all if we don't leave the town!" yelled the old man, before running out of the diner, screaming.
"Yeesh. He has a few screws loose," said Flash.
"Maybe not," said Twilight in thought. She looked to her friends, a look of dread on her face.
"What if it's another genetic experiment by Discord?" suggested Twilight.
"Or a rogue Transmutant," said Rarity.
"Well, it ain't our problem," said Rodan, sipping his soda.
"Rodan!" said Rarity in shock.
"No, I'm with him. We shouldn't get involved if we don't know what's going on. The last thing we want is to get roped into another bullshit adventure," said Junior.
"Guys, come on! We should at least investigate! Think of the lives that may be at stake," said Twilight, pleadingly. Rodan frowned.
"Ah I can't say no to a pretty face," said Rodan.
"Yeah, it's terrible," said Junior with a deadpanned look. He then sighed.
"But I guess it wouldn't hurt to keep an eye out," said Junior. Twilight and Rarity grinned.
"Well gang, it looks like we have a mystery on our hands!" said Flash. Junior slowly looked his way.
"What?" Asked Flash in confusion. Junior opened his mouth to speak, but was unable to get the words out.
"Never mind," said Junior.
The air was cold. The distant cry of a wolf filled the night air, as the moon hung high and bright in the starry sky. The teens had spent several minutes looking around.
"Old man George said that he saw the creature somewhere around here," said Flash, as the teens stood in a darker part of the town. All of the establishments were closed, and not a single light was seen from the windows. Rarity gasped as she pointed to the ground.
"Look! Footprints!" cried Rarity.
Everyone turned their attention to the dirt ground. As said, they spotted footprints. There was a pair of prints that trailed down an alley. Twilight knelt down and held her phone over the tracks, casting a light over them.
"Odd. They appear human, but they're larger than the average male's. They're even padded like an animal's!" said Twilight, analyzing the prints. There appeared to be also claws imprinting at the end of the toes.
"Oh boy! Maybe we should go! Call Sunset or someone so they can pick us up!" said Rodan, scrambling away from the prints.
"What happened to you not being able to say 'no' to a pretty face?" asked Flash.
"That was before I knew that this was for real! Let's boogie! Scram! Make like trees and leave!" cried Rodan.
"Ro, calm down! You're starting to stress me out!" said Junior in annoyance.
"Well, it would appear that we have a genuine monster on our hands," said Rarity, placing her hands on her hips.
"Alright. We should split up and look for more clues. Gojira and Rodan, you two go that way. Rarity, Twilight and I will go this way," said Flash, pointing to another direction. Junior glared at him.
"OK first of all, why are you calling the shots like you run this operation?" asked Junior.
"Yeah! And why do we have to split up?" asked Rodan.
"To cover more ground," said Flash, as if the answer was obvious.
"While there's some kind of creature running around in the middle of bum-fuck nowhere?" asked Junior, incredulous.
"What are you two worried about? You guys are tough, aren't ya?" asked Flash with a scoff.
"I'm worried about you guys! Wouldn't it be better if the groups comprised of at least one Transmutant?
"That's a good point, actually," said Twilight. Flash sighed in annoyance.
"Fine. Rodan, Twilight and I will go this way. You and Rarity go that way," said Flash. Rarity grunted.
"Fuck, I didn't think this through!" said Junior, his eyes widening.
"Too late! No take backs!" said Flash with a smirk. He then brought an arm around Rodan and Twilight. The petite girl bore a goofy smile as she blushed, while Rodan's eyes darted all around.
"Good luck!" said Flash as he began to lead Rodan and Twilight away.
"Flash, you dirty, bland as rice, pretty boy, son of a bitch!" Junior shouted angrily.
"Get along you two!" said Twilight, waving to Rarity and Junior.
There was an awkward silence. Junior and Rarity glanced at each other, both holding displeased looks. Rarity cleared her throat as she forced a smile.
"So... Shall we be going, partner?" asked Rarity.
"Just don't whine the whole time," said Junior, turning to walk. Rarity scoffed.
"When have I been whining?" asked Rarity.
"Let me think," said Junior with a hum. Rarity growled in frustration.
"You are incorrigible!" said Rarity. There was a sudden howl, which caused Rarity to squeal in fright. She ran to Junior and cling to his arm, causing the boy to stumble.
"Watch it!" Junior barked.
"Did you hear that?" whimpered Rarity.
"Yes, it was a wolf. And it was at least a mile away. Let go," said Junior.
"Do you mind?" asked Rarity, her lips pursed and her eyes big, giving her the appearance of a begging pup. Junior sighed in dismay.
"Alright," said Junior. As the teens walked from the area, a shadowy figure lurked in the darkness. The sound of growls filled the air.
Flash, Rodan and Twilight were wandering around near the outskirts of town. They searched high and low for any more clues. So far, they had little luck.
"Guys, I don't think we're gonna find anything. Let's head back," said Rodan.
"Don't be such a wet blanket, Rodan. Come on, isn't this exciting?" asked Flash.
"There's nothing exciting about looking for danger!" said Rodan, glaring at the boy. Twilight sighed with a day dreaming look.
"Flash, you're pretty brave," said Twilight.
"Ah not really. I'm mainly stoked because this is my first actual adventure with you guys!" said Flash, grinning.
"Oh yeah, we never really have you tag along on our hijinks in the main story line. Hell, we rarely do it for the non-canon stuff," said Rodan.
"Why is that?" asked Flash.
"I don't know. I guess the author just doesn't care that much for you," said Rodan with a shrug. Flash frowned in disappointment.
"Oh..."
"Uh guys, can we get back to the plot?" called Twilight.
"Right! Right, this is Pinkie's thing anyway. Ahem. I'm scared!" Rodan suddenly cried.
Out of sight from the group, Pinkie emerges from the bushes, glaring angrily at Rodan.
"You will be" Pinkie said ominously. "You will be" Pinkie descends back into the bushes.
"Hey look! More tracks!" said Twilight, kneeling to the ground.
"Good eye, Twi," said Flash in approval.
"I do have these," giggled Twilight, bringing her glasses up and down her face.
"Agh. Get a room," said Rodan, rolling his eyes.
"What's that black stuff?" asked Flash in confusion, pointing to the ground. The teens turned their attention to around the tracks. There were some black splotches in the dirt, appearing to have yet sink and become mud with the earth. Rodan hummed as he stuck a finger into the muck and brought it to his nose. He took a couple of sniffs.
"Smells like oil," said Rodan.
"Interesting. That may be a clue," said Twilight, as she snapped pictures of the tracks.
Junior stared off to the dark woods that lied ahead. His amber eyes seemed to glow under the moon light, as his mutant sight made his vision clear. He scanned the area, but was interrupted as he heard Rarity approaching with a moan.
"Darling, can we take a break? My feet are killing me," said Rarity, bending down to rub her heels.
"And whose bright idea was it to wear heels during an investigation that could take all night? Didn't you pack shoes suitable for hiking?" asked Junior.
"You can't expect me to wear such a thing with this outfit!" said Rarity.
"And that's why your feet are hurting, Rarity!" said Junior.
"Well excuse me for trying to dress feminine!" said Rarity.
"Oh for-! That doesn't mean that you can't dress smart!" said Junior in exasperation. Rarity trembled as she glared at the boy. Her face turned red.
"Careful, Belle. You're ugly when you're angry," said Junior, smirking. Rarity trembled more.
"Oooh!" Rarity huffed before walking off a few feet away. She crossed her arms and had her back facing Junior. The boy shook his head.
"Good grief," said Junior as he turned his sights back deeper into the woods. His gaze was interrupted again as he heard sniffling. Junior turned with a confused look. He saw Rarity shaking, as the sniffling grew more apparent. Small weeps escaped her.
"Are... Are you crying?" asked Junior, making his way to the girl. Rarity sniffled, turning away as the boy came close. She made sure to keep her face out his sight.
"Ah come on. You're taking it way too personal," said Junior as he attempted to meet the girl's gaze. But, Rarity still avoided contact. She walked away a few feet, attempting to hold in her sobs. Junior sighed.
"Rarity..." Junior called, following the girl.
"Why are you so cruel to me? Do you hate me that much?" muttered Rarity.
"Cruel to you?" asked Junior in confusion.
"All day you've been mean to me. You've belittled me, you've yelled at me, insulted me..." said Rarity.
"I've yelled at and insulted everyone today," said Junior, shrugging.
"And you said that I was... Ugly!" Rarity began to sob into her hands. Junior grimaced, feeling some guilt well up.
"It's true! I'm such an ugly hag! A big eyed, false eye lash wearing, make up caked hag!" Rarity sobbed.
"I... didn't say all that," said Junior, scratching his head. He shook his head. Now wasn't the time to crack smart ass remarks.
"Listen, Rarity. I'm sorry, that was mean. I shouldn't have said that. I should've been more sensitive," said Junior as he stood behind the girl. She still kept her back to him, her tears still flowing.
"And, maybe I've been a little too hard on you. But it wasn't out of hate. I sometimes do it because... Well, I want you to grow, as messed up as it sounds. Its tough love," said Junior. Rarity sniffled.
"But, not everyone responds the same. You're not ugly, Rarity. You're.. Well, you're one of the most beautiful girls I know," said Junior, awkwardly. His cheeks growing red. Rarity sniffled, glancing back with hot puffy eyes.
"Do you mean it?" asked Rarity. Junior greeted her with a sincere smile.
"Honest," said Junior.
"I suppose that I should have been less difficult during this trip." Rarity wiped her cheek, as her make began to run.
"Oh. Uh, here," said Junior as held out his sleeve, allowing the girl to wipe her face. Some of her makeup was wiped away from eyes.
"There you go. See? Even without that much make up, you're still gorgeous," said Junior. Rarity sniffled.
"Are we still friends?" asked Rarity. Junior smiled.
"Of course, 'partner'," said Junior. Rarity smiled. She wrapped her arms around the boy, leaning her head against his chest. Junior began to stroke her hair, affectionately. He was about to stop himself, thinking that Rarity wouldn't appreciate the contact with her hair. But, she didn't seem to mind, keeping her face buried against his chest.
"Hey, you see that?" Junior's sight suddenly fell upon a distant structure. Rarity released him and followed his line of sight.
"Yes, I do," said Rarity.
"Come on, let's go check it out," said Junior as he made his way to the structure. Rarity followed close behind. The sound of grass and sticks being trampled filled their hearing. It was the only thing they could hear in the dark woods, aside from the crickets chirping.
The structure in question was a two story cabin. The building appeared run down. There was some bits of wood hanging loose, and some plants having over grown around the structure.
"How ghastly!" said Rarity.
"Yeah, this place looks like it's seen better days," said Junior, stepping to the porch. Rarity quickly grabbed his arm.
"You're not actually going in there, are you?" Rarity's eyes were wide in alarm.
"There could be something here that may prove useful. It's weird enough that this place is out here," said Junior.
"B-But... It's so... Dirty," Rarity cringed.
"It's all part of the adventure. But if you rather hang out here..." Junior glanced to the woods. Rarity grimaced, stiffening as she heard the distant shriek of an owl.
"Maybe it's not so bad on the inside!" Rarity briskly walked into the cabin, along with Junior. She groaned as she stood in the middle of a large room, where dust collected, and cobwebs hung.
"I stand corrected," said Rarity, flatly.
The two teens navigated through the abandoned cabin. The wooden floor creaked beneath them with every step that they took. Rarity did her best to avoid contact with any cobwebs or dusty furniture that filled the place. Rarity suddenly let out a short scream.
"What?!" Junior exclaimed, while Rarity clung to him.
"T-There's a wolf in here!" cried Rarity, pointing to another room. Junior cautiously made his way over to the room and peered inside. He then let out a snort.
"Relax," said Junior, bringing Rarity inside. The girl yelped as she attempted to pull back out of the room.
"Look, it's just a taxidermy mount," said Junior, pointing his flashlight. The light illuminated a grey wolf, which appeared to be standing hunched with its fangs bared. It stood on a pedestal, decorated to look like the forest floor. Rarity sighed in relief.
"I never was much of a dog person. I prefer cats" said Rarity, eyeing the wolf.
"Hm." Junior nodded, before leading the girl out of the room. Unbeknownst to them, a shadow loomed.
Rarity and Junior made their way upstairs. Again, their steps caused the house to creek. They hoped that no one or nothing was here to take notice of the obnoxiously loud sounds. The pair soon arrived to the second floor, where they found an assortment of different rooms. The two stepped into one of the rooms, finding it to be full of storage trunks.
"Huh, wonder what's in these," said Junior as he approached one of the trunks.
"Uh, Gojira... I don't think we should snooping through that," said Rarity, reluctant.
"What are they gonna do? Arrest us? This place is abandoned," said Junior. Rarity grimaced. She never took Junior as someone who would be careless as this.
"Well, good luck with opening that trunk without a key," said Rarity. Junior suddenly grabbed the lock with his reptilian hand. He clenched his hand, crushing and shattering the lock to pieces. Junior looked to Rarity with a smirk.
"Oh, right. Carry on," said Rarity, nonchalant. Junior took the trunk and opened it wide.
"Whoa," said Junior in surprise.
"What is-" Rarity gasped. The two teens found a pile of fur pelts to resting inside of the trunk.
"Hey, Rare, you think it's real?" asked Junior. Rarity knelt down and began to feel the soft texture of the pelt.
"There's no doubt in my mind. This is real wolf fur!" said Rarity.
"Wait, isn't it illegal to poach wolves in our state?" asked Junior.
"Quite illegal," answered Rarity.
"Heh. I bet there's more in the other trunks. Whoever stashed this stuff here is fucked," said Junior
"Well, shall we let the others know and report it?" asked Rarity, standing up with Junior. She had her cell phone drawn out.
"Yeah. It's no monster, but we may have stumbled onto something-" Junior paused as he caught a thick smell in the air. It was foul, like an animal. Meanwhile, Rarity was sending a text message to Twilight.
"Alright. I told them to meet us..." Rarity trailed off, noticing that Junior had tensed up.
"What is it?" asked Rarity. Junior shushed her, his eyes wide and alert. He scanned the darkness of the second floor. His heart rate was steady. He could make out Rarity's own heart beat starting to quicken. That just reminded him to be all the more cautious.
"Come on. Let's get out of here," said Junior as he began to take a few steps away. Rarity followed close behind. As the two made their way to the stairs, the floor began creek louder.
"Whoa, whoa. Walk softly. The floor doesn't-"
There was a loud crash. Junior and Rarity screamed as the floor beneath them suddenly gave in. Rarity caught onto the railing that remained intact. Meanwhile, Junior slammed to the bottom floor.
"Ow..." Junior groaned.
"Gojira!" Rarity cried, dangling above. Junior winced as he shakily stood up. His eyes widened.
"Oh crap, Rarity!" cried Junior.
"Help!" Rarity strained, kicking her legs.
"Alright, don't panic! Just let go and I'll catch ya!" said Junior, standing under the girl.
"Eek! Gojira, don't look up my dress!" Rarity tucked her legs in, her face beat red. Junior grunted as his face flushed as well.
"I wasn't- Rarity, just come down!" said Junior.
"Not until you look away!" shouted Rarity,
"Well, I have to look at you if I'm gonna catch you! Just let go!" said Junior.
"NO!" cried Rarity, her face still hot.
"YOU ARE WEARING TIGHTS!" Junior shouted in exasperation. He couldn't fathom how this girl could be so stubborn. She was bound to lose her grip anyway.
Rarity gasped as she heard heavy footsteps. From the second floor, where it was still intact, she saw a large figure stalking towards her. A loud growl filled the air, as a pair of hellish red eyes glared at her. The creature had a large burly body, almost humanoid. But its head was that of a brown wolf. Its sharp fangs dripped saliva to the floor, as this wolf-like creature barred its teeth.
Rarity yelped as she suddenly released the railing, falling out of the beast's sight. Junior grunted as he caught the fashionista, carrying her like a princess.
"Nice of you to drop in," said Junior. Rarity suddenly screamed in panic as she began to kick and squirm. This forced Junior to put her down.
"Run, Gojira! RUUUN!!" Rarity screamed as she took off running out the front door of the cabin. Junior bore an odd look.
"Man, she can run fast in those heels," said Junior. He then stiffened as he heard a loud thump from behind. He turned to find the wolf man, standing up to a full height of 7 feet. Junior gulped as the beast snarled. Junior gasped as he stumbled back, his foot hitting a radio. It suddenly crackled to life.
"Who let the dogs out~?! Woof! woof! woof! woof! woof!"
Junior cried out as he broke off into a sprint, while the wolf man howled.
"Who let the dogs out~?! Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof! Who let the dogs out~?!"
Junior had managed to catch up to Rarity, who was still running without struggle. The two yelped as they felt the wolf land behind them. The beast gave fierce barks as it gave chase. The two teens picked up speed, as they ran into town. The two suddenly ran passed a pedestrian, who was crossing the empty street.
"Hey, what's with all of the- OH MY FUCKING-!" The pedestrian was interrupted as the wolf man rammed into him, sending him flying to the side.
"Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof!" The wolf man backed, continuing the chase.
"Who let the dogs out~?!"
Junior stopped for a brief moment, finding a stack of catnip to be sitting just outside of a local petshop. He grabbed a bag and hurled it towards the wolf. The beast yipped as the bag hit it, then resorted to tearing it apart.
Throughout the neighborhood, every cat, domestic and stray, stirred. They all began to yowl, running to the source that had disturbed their slumber. The wolf man suddenly found itself swarmed by a horde of cats, which began to claw, bite, and rub against it. The wolf man yipped and whined as the cats assaulted it. This allowed Junior and Rarity to put some distance between them and the creature.
"The party was nice the party was pumping~. Ah yepee ah yo! And everybody having a ball~. Yepee ah yo!"
Junior and Rarity rounded to a street corner, where they encountered Flash, Rodan and Twilight.
"Oh, hey guys!" Greeted Flash in surprise.
"Flash, MOVE!" cried Junior, skidding to a halt. He quickly looked over his shoulder.
"What's the deal? I thought we were supposed to-"
"Oh fuck! See ya!" said Junior, as he and Rarity ran passed the rest of the gang. It was here that the wolf man had come around the corner, barking. Flash, Twilight and Rodan screamed in unison, tripping over themselves to run away. The teens began to split off from each other as they fled.
"And tell the fellas stop the name callin'~. Yepee ah yo! Then them girls respond to the call~. I hear a woman shout outâ?¦~"
Rarity and Twilight sprinted across the town, as the wolf's barks followed close behind. The two found a lamppost. The two quickly scaled up the metallic pole, just as the wolf man came running by. The girls clung to the lamppost, high above the wolf man's reach. But, the beast continued to bark, swiping its claws at the girls in a vain attempt to reach them.
"Who let the dogs out~?! Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof! Who let the dogs out~?! Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof!"
A rock suddenly came hurling towards the wolf man's head. The beast yipped in pain, then turned to find Flash Sentry to be standing some short distance away, carrying rocks. He then hurled another, hitting the wolf man on the snout. The wolf snarled as it gave chase. Flash fled from the area, allowing Twilight and Rarity to climb down from the lamppost.
"Who let the dogs out~?! Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof! Who let the dogs out~?! Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof!"
Junior panted as he and Rodan stopped by a building wall. The two peered over the corner, finding Flash fleeing the wolf man down the street.
"Who let the dogs out~?!"
"Does anyone else hear music?" asked Junior. Rodan looked at him with a questioning look.
"What are you talkin' about?" asked Rodan.
"You don't hear THAT?" asked Junior, pointing to the air. Rodan stood silently, his ears tuned.
"Last year in the dance you had a ball~! You call me millibug and skettell~! Get back gruffy, mash scruffy~! Get back you flea infested mongrel~!"
"Dude, I don't hear anything," said Rodan, shrugging. Junior gave him a slack jawed look. His eyes then widened in realization.
"Oh God! The music in my head!" exclaimed Junior.
"We can worry about your loss of sanity later! We gotta shake off that thing!" said Rodan.
"Alright, alright! Lemme think," said Junior as he smacked the side of his own head. His eyes darted around the town.
"How about that?" Rodan pointed ahead to a structure. Junior gave him an odd look. Rodan shrugged.
"Come on, follow my lead!"
Rodan and Junior bolted off towards a closed restaurant. They made a run for the alley, just as the wolf man arrived to the scene. It snarled as it gave chase. As the boys entered through the back door, The wolf man skidded to a halt. It rammed itself into the door, knocking it off of its hinges.
The beast snarled as it scurried through the kitchen, knocking over pots and pans. It noticed that the door to the front room of the establishment to be swinging. The wolf growled as it pounced through the door. It gave a confused grunt, tilting its head.
"This won't work," junior whispered, standing in an apron. He sported a fake twirled mustache, as did Rodan.
"Just shut up and act cool," hissed Rodan. He suddenly placed on a big welcoming grin.
"Ey! Look at what we have-a' here! A hungry customah!" Rodan exclaimed, putting on a phony accent. He quickly pulled up a chair and forced the wolfman to sit. He then pushed the chair back to the table.
"Welcome to Mario and Luigi's Restuarante! This is my brothah, Luigi!" said Rodan, gesturing to Junior.
"Uh... Hey, Paissano?" Junior awkwardly spoke. Rodan came rushing by, setting down a basket of breadsticks. He handed off the menu to the beast.
"Now what would you like-a' to order? Care to stuff-a' your face with our pizza? We have the best pies in the house! Or maybe you'd rather slurp up lots-a' spaghetti?" asked Rodan. The wolfman began to skim through the menu. He then grunted as he pointed to an order.
"The Lotsa Meat Pizza! Excellent choice, sir!" said Rodan. Both he and Junior rushed back to the kitchen.
"OK, now what, genius?" asked Junior.
"We shut up and make some damn pizza. Now hand me all of the peppers and hot sauces you can find," said Rodan as he began to grab jars of tomato sauce.
Later, the two had began to take the bucket of tomato sauce, filled with some pepper flakes. Junior held up a spoon that was coated with the stuff and gave a sniff. He dropped the spoon and coughed, his eyes beginning to water.
"Alright, pour it on!" said Rodan.
Later, the boys were carrying out a fresh, steaming hot pizza, coated in cheese, and different meats that ranged from bacon, pepperoni, and sausage. The pizza was set before the wolf man, who began to scarf it down. In a few moments, half the pizza was gone. By now, the creature registered the intense spice. It began to pant, its red hot tongue hanging out.
"Water, sir?" Rodan set a pitcher of ice cold water down. The wolf man snatched it up and began to chug down the refreshing liquid. But it did little to bring relief. The boys set down more pitchers of water, which the wolf consumed. By some miracle, the heat grew less intense. But it still stung. There was a sudden gurgle. The beast held its gut with a whine, as the gurgling grew worse.
"Bathroom is right down the hall," said Junior. The wolf bolted from its seat and rushed to the hall.
"Let's go!" said Rodan. The two mutants fled the restaurant, as the wolf man occupied itself in the bathroom.
Junior and Rodan ran through town. They skidded to a halt once they found the rest of the gang waiting in the street.
"OK, we lost him!" said Rodan
"Now we know this monster is legit. What do we do now?" asked Flash.
"We get the hell out of dodge, that's what we do!" said Rodan.
"We can't just leave the town to fend off that vicious beast!" exclaimed Rarity, shock plastered on her face.
"Besides, the van won't be ready until tomorrow," said Twilight.
"I will walk my ass home if I have to!" said Rodan.
"Let's at least tell the authorities or something. They might know what to- Gah!!" Flash cried out as he was suddenly forced to the ground. He lied face down on the ground, giving muffled screams as he was ran over by a mobility scooter, ridden by a morbidly obese man, with neat golden hair. The teens gasped in shock in horror as they witnessed the wheels grind against Flash's back, leaving dirt tire tracks over his white shirt.
"Damn. I seem to have run over trash," said the obese man with a grunt.
"Dude, what the hell?!" Rodan exclaimed.
"Oh. It's just a poorly written love interest," said the man as he set his scooter in reverse, backing off of Flash. Twilight and Rarity rushed to the boy's side, helping him up to his feet. Flash bore a look of trauma, twitching as gravel fell from his chest.
"Why is everyone so mean to me?" muttered Flash.
"Hey, asshole! No one beats Flash into the ground but me!" said Junior with a glare.
"I was just TRYIIIIING to get to the mayor's office. It's not my fault that he was in the way. The physically challenge have the right away, sir," said the obese middle aged man, his tone bordering on whining.
"Physically challenged huh?" Rodan eyed the man.
"Mr. Petro'grabble!" a young woman exclaimed, rushing over. She was dressed in a formal dress and heals. Bags appeared beneath her eyes.
"Ms. Jitterbug, where have you been?! These hooligans could've assaulted and robbed me! Especially that one right there!" said the obese man, pointing an accusatory finger at Junior.
"Fat fuck," Junior muttered to himself.
"I-I'm sorry, Mr. Petro'grabble! I-I was just looking for my um- Ahem. M-My-" The woman suddenly drew out a pill bottle and began to pour one into her palm, which she ingested and chased down with a bottle of water. The teens just stared, unable to speak.
"Where is- Ah! There you are, you big oaf! Get over here and protect me!" shouted Petro'grabble, shaking his fist. A large and imposing man in a suit came walking over. His face was concealed by a mouthless ski mask. The teens took a step back as he arrived. The imposing man grunted as he made motions with his hand.
"No, my blood pressure is fine! J-Just get me my booger sugar!" shouted Petro'grabble, his face red.
"Boo- Wait, what?!" exclaimed Rodan. The masked man drew out a case, which Petro'grabble snatched. He greedily opened it and found several green candy packets, labeled 'booger sugar'. He tore a couple open, where a syrupy green substance was exposed, coated in white sugary flakes. He began to suck the packets, much to the disgust of the teens.
"Oh. He meant-" Junior was interrupted as Petro'grabble threw the discarded packets to the ground with a sigh.
"These hicks won't want to live here anymore now that there's a monster running around. You brats ought to follow their lead and leave! Now, get out of the way! I don't plan to be here all night! I have money to make!" said Petro'grabble as he raced his scooter passed the mystery gang, followed by Jitterbug and the masked man.
"That. Was weird," said Twilight. Junior narrowed his eyes.
"It's them," said Junior.
"What's them?" asked Flash, as the rest of the gang looked to Junior in curiosity.
"I think they tricked the townsfolk into believing that there's a monster around," said Junior.
"What?" asked Rarity incredulously.
"How does he know that there's a monster around? These people think it's all the ravings of an old lunatic," said Junior. Twilight shook her head.
"Well, we have been running around town getting chased by what is actually an anthropomorphic wolf. It's not that much of a-"
"So a wealthy looking business man that's fat as a king just happened to swing by as the monster is running loose? I smell bullshit," said Junior.
"Well..." Twilight hummed. Flash scoffed.
"Dude, it sounds like you're reaching. I'm sure it's all an easily explained coincidence," said Flash, dismissive.
"Except I just rebutted- OK, you know what? Let's make a bet, Flash," said Junior, crossing his arms.
"Why? You already spoiled the plot?" deadpanned Rodan.
From behind a building, Pinkie Pie peered over. She glared daggers at the mystery gang, flaring her nostrils. She then slowly returned back to the shadows, disappearing from sight.
"I bet that if we catch the werewolf and prove it's fake, you have to admit that I'm always right. Even when I'm wrong," said Junior, smirking.
"What?" asked Flash in annoyance.
"How old are you again?" asked Twilight, cocking a brow. Junior held out his hand.
"What do I get out of this?" asked Flash.
"Nothing, because I'm right," said Junior.
"I'm not agreeing to the bet if it's not worth my while!" said Flash. Junior sighed in exasperation.
"Alright fine. I'll uh... Fuck. I guess I'll be nice to you for a week or something. And I'll slide you 20 bucks," said Junior. Flash smirked as he held out his hand, prompting Junior to grasp. The two shook hands.
Later that evening, the mystery gang found themselves standing in the middle of town. They were huddled over a crudely drawn map.
"OK, so Gojira and Rodan will act as bait. You two will lead the monster through these obstacles, disorienting it. When you reach the checkpoint, we'll spring the trap. Then, we'll have it right where we want it!" said Twilight, a devious smile on her face.
"It's so brilliant that it just might work," said Flash, a smirk on his face.
"So, why are me and Goji the bait?" asked Rodan.
"Because you guys are the fastest. You wouldn't make helpless ladies such as us act as bait, would you?" asked Rarity with a pout.
"But I don't really wanna be the bait either." Rodan flatly replied.
"Would you do it for a Goji snack?" asked Twilight, holding up a baggie full of cookie-like treats. Junior did a double take.
"I'm sorry, what? Hey! Those are the cookies that Mosura made me! Don't go through my shit!" said Junior with a glare.
"How come she only made some for you?" asked Flash in disappointment.
"It pays to be her crush," muttered Twilight.
"Oh! Mosu's sweets? Ah... But it's still not enough to get me motivated," said Rodan, crossing his arms, raising his nose to the air.
"How about a kiss to go with it?" asked Rarity, batting her eyelashes.
"Can I... Get lips?" asked Rodan. Rarity gasped. She suddenly smacked Rodan across the face, giving an indignant huff.
"Yeah, I deserved that," said Rodan, rubbing his cheek with a frown.
"For once, I disagree. I mean, you're risking your life after all," said Junior with a smirk. Rarity glared at him.
Junior and Rodan found themselves to be roaming through the forest in silence. Their eyes scanned the darkness, as the moon lit up their irises. Rodan's teeth were chattering loudly, as the hair on his body stood on end. Junior grimaced in annoyance.
"Here boy! Come here boy!" called Junior, whistling.
"Look, why don't we bail now and say that we couldn't find it? Or maybe we can lie and say it died," said Rodan.
"I'd love nothing more, but we'll never hear the end of it. You got that dog whistle, right?" asked Junior.
"Yeah," said Rodan, holding out a small silver tube. Junior took the whistle and blew into it.
"Careful blowing into that. It could hurt dogs if it’s blown too long or too hard," said Rodan.
"Why wouldn't we wanna hurt the man-eating werewolf?" asked Junior, raising a brow.
"Oh yeah, good point," said Rodan. Junior went back to blowing into the whistle for a minute. Unbeknownst to him, a figure loomed in the shadows.
"You'd think we'd hear this right?" asked Junior.
"Well, we're not dogs," said Rodan with a shrug. The two fell silent as they heard a low growl behind them. The turned to find the wolfman looking down at them, barring its teeth. Junior quickly hurled the whistle at the wolf's snout, causing it to yip in pain. Junior and Rodan began to cartoonishly kick their legs, kicking up dirt as they attempted to flee. Just as the wolf swung its claws, Junior and Rodan burst off into a plume of smoke.
The wolf gave chase, barking after the teens. Junior and Rodan continued on through the forest, making their way near town. As the two mutants made their way passed a tree, Twilight, Flash and Rarity appeared.
"Here they come!" said Twilight.
They held onto a rope, as the wolfman rapidly approached. The three gave a tug at the rope and released it. Suddenly, a large cage made up of wood suddenly dropped. The wolf skidded to a halt as its eyes widened in alarm. The cage crashed to the earth, catching its prey. The wolf gave a confused grunt, tilting its head. Flash, Twilight and Rarity found themselves trapped in the cage.
"Ruh oh," said Junior, slumping his shoulders.
"Zoinks!" exclaimed Rodan.
"Jinkies!" cried Twilight.
"Jeepers!" Rarity gasped.
"FUCK!" Flash exclaimed in dread. The wolf snarled as it turned its attention back to Junior and Rodan. The two boys looked to each other in dismay.
"I hate improvising," said Junior. The two suddenly took off running, while the wolf man returned to pursuing them.
"Goji, what's a dogs' weakness?!" asked Rodan.
"Shit, I don't know! Table scraps? A tennis ball? A leg to hump?!" Junior cried, as the two ran through the streets.
"Oh wait, I'm thinking of cats!" said Rodan. Junior gasped as he spotted the local animal shelter on their run.
"Follow me!" said Junior, running on ahead. Rodan pursued, with the wolfman hot on their heels. The wolf growled as it began to follow the boys inside of the shelter. It skidded to a halt, finding the boys to be standing at the end of a large room. A room filled with several kennels. Junior smashed his fist against a button on the wall, which caused a loud buzzing sound. Simultaneously, the gates to the kennels all opened, allowing many dogs to emerge. They comprised of many breeds. Mostly large ones. The dogs snarled as they bared their teeth at the wolf man, whose ears folded against its skull. Junior looked the beast dead in the eye from the other end of the room.
"Sick 'em," said Junior.
From outside, everyone in town heard the horde of angry barks and howls filling the air. The cries of a beast also pierced the once quiet night. Everyone in town emerged from their homes and establishments, approaching the animal shelter. Moments later, there was silence. Flash, Twilight and Rarity stood among the crowd, wide eyed.
Junior and Rodan emerged from the shelter. The wolf man was dragged along, tied up in dog leashes. Everyone gasped in shock and horror at the hairy abomination that was brought over. Junior sighed as he stopped.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the monster of... nameless town," said Junior.
"I told you!" an old man shouted, glaring at those around him.
"OK, let's cut the crap. I'm gonna start accusing here," said Junior, before pointing.
"Mr. Petro'grabble! I suspect that you have something to do with this!" said Junior. Everyone gasped in shock, while Petro'grabble's expression hardened. Jitterbug quickly plopped a pill into her mouth, gulping nervously.
"You weren't here earlier. And you happen to know that this town had a monster problem, while the locals believed it was mere urban legend. That was the first thing that clued me in," said Junior. He then pointed to Twilight.
"Twilight also discovered traces of oil in the general area. A man with a name like yours raised a flag. So I did a quick google search of your name and discovered that you were in fact the CEO of an oil company!" said Junior.
"When did you google that?" whispered Rodan. Junior ignored him.
"Bah! Don't listen to the ravings of this hooligan! He was going to assault me!" cried Petro'grabble.
"By the way, where's your other cohort. The creepy guy with the ski mask? I wonder..." Junior turned his eyes to the wolf man. He grabbed the head and pulled. The head slipped off, revealed to be a mere mask. Everyone gasped as another mask was revealed beneath. A ski mask.
"It's-! Uh... Wait, what was his name?" asked Rarity, scratching her chin.
"Ski Mask Guy! Just as I suspected! This proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that this fat, greasy, grabbling fuck sought natural oil deposits in this town! He set his goon up as a monster to scare everyone out of the town! Even going as far as to poach wolves for their fur to design a convincing a monster! Even mutants like us couldn't smell passed the wolf pelts that made up this costume!" said Junior, tugging at the fur on suit. A maniacal look grew on his face, which began to unnerve anyone that dared to gaze upon his face. He then craned his neck behind himself to his friends, a manic look in his eyes.
"And that means that we not only saved the town by solving the mystery, I also won the bet! I AM ALWAYS RIGHT! HAHAHAHA!!" Junior cackled like a mad man. The rest of the teens trembled fearfully under the boy's shadow.
"G-Gojira, calm down. We get it, the monster was fake," whimpered Flash.
"Say it. Say it now," Junior growled, narrowing his eyes. Flash gulped.
"You... Are always right," said Flash in dismay. Junior chuckled as he stood up straight, grinning.
"I can die happy now," said Junior.
"Hey, your van's fixed," said a man, wiping his dirty hand as he gestured to a familiar van that rested on the street.
"Sweet! This case is closed. Now let's go home," said Junior.
"Quite the investigator, aren't you?" chortled Petro'grabble. Junior turned, cocking a brow. He wondered what this tycoon had to laugh about.
"Yes, you caught the criminal. But, can you actually prove that this man is the same one who works for me?" asked Petro'grabble, smirking. Junior merely laughed.
"Do you see other guys around here dressed in this get up? You tell me if you recognize... THIS!" Junior suddenly yanked off the ski mask. But, he dropped the mask to the ground. His blood ran cold, his eyes widened. He felt sick to his stomach. The man's actual face was grotesquely disfigured. Most of it had rotted and decayed, exposing his skull and muscular tissue. The only things that were intact was the man's lips and the eyes that rested inside of the sockets of his skull.
The mystery gang suddenly all screamed in terror at the sight. Their hair stood on end, as their pupils shrank to pinpricks. They took off running, making their way to the van, which roared to life. The van's tires screeched as it drove off, racing out of town.
"Yessss. Yes! Victory is mine! I got away with it! In spite of those meddling kids and their stupid Mutie!" Petro'grabble cackled, intensely rubbing his greasy hands together. He made strange throaty sounds, that sounded much like a degenerate experiencing sexual pleasure. "I will exploit this town for the oil that lies beneath!"
Jitterbug shakily began to draw out her pill bottle. As she held it over her palm, she gasped. The woman began to frantically look into the bottle. Her face grew pale.
"I'm... I'm out of pills..." Jitterbug spoke. She turned her attention to the night sky. The full moon was revealed from the parting clouds. As the light shined down upon her, Jitterbug suddenly dropped to her hands and knees. She gave agonized screams, as her body began to grow in mass. Her clothes tore from the growth of muscles, and the restructuring of her body. Her body sprouted dark fur, as her limbs carried her on all fours. She let out a howl, much to the horror of everyone around her. The She-wolf suddenly lunged for Petro'grabble and sunk her fangs into him. The tycoon wailed in agony as Jitterbug continued to tear into him.
Some of the town's folk stood, watching in horror at the sight. They were unable to look away from the carnage. Meanwhile, the rest of the citizens sat in lawn chairs, passing beers to each other.
"On the bright side, Petro is going to fill that She-Wolf for weeks" said one of the onlookers, sipping his beer.
The mystery gang found themselves slumped on a sofa. They appeared worn out and traumatized from the night they had experienced. Junior sighed.
"What a fucking night," said Junior.
"Here, here," said Rarity.
"I lost a bet, and I don't think that guy is gonna face justice for what he tried to do," said Flash in dismay.
"Well, life goes on," said Rodan, lazily.
"That's... I don't even wanna talk about it," said Twilight.
"Well, at least we're at the cabin," said Rarity, as the group found the rest of the teens to be dancing to music.
"Yeah, I guess it could've gone worse," said Junior with a shrug. There was a sudden ring of a doorbell. Everyone stopped what they were doing as they heard this.
"Huh. Who could that be?" asked Junior.
The teens all made their way to the front door. Without hesitating, Junior opened up the front door. No one was there. The teens looked around in confusion.
"Hey! I'm down here!" called a young male voice. The teens looked down, their eyes widening. They found a white, bulbous headed apparition with large blue eyes to be staring up at them. His plump cheeks raised as a bright smile appeared on his translucent face.
"Hi! I'm Casper, the Friendly-!"
"AH! A Gh-Gh-Gh-Gh-Gh-Gh- GHOOOOOST!!" Rodan cried. The teens all screamed, their cries echoing out into the forest.
Soon, they were all fleeing from the cabin. They stumbled passed logs, bushes and rocks, screaming.
"Why can't we just have a break?!" Rarity wailed. Soon, the apparition was left alone at the cabin. He frowned deeply.
"Golly, what did I do wrong?"
Meanwhile, the teens all found themselves in the clearing of the forest, far away from the cabin. They were all panting, their hearts pounding in their chests.
"Is that spook still around?!" cried Applejack.
"No, I think we lost it!" said Sunset.
"Wait! Where's Goji?!" cried Fluttershy. The teens all looked around, looks of dread on their faces.
"GOJIRA!! WHERE ARE YAH?!" Rodan cried.
"I'm right here!" Junior suddenly shouted, annoyance in his tone.
The teens all turned to find Junior standing several feet away, by a tree.
Junior was sitting by himself at his new sleeping spot. He and his friends had since learned about the rest of the Main 7 no longer being in the jungle, though it would still be a hassle to find them due to them being on their way to a Sacramentonian town.
As of now, Junior was looking through the map that Prince David gave to him. He's been studying it for a while now. He looked for anyway that would possibly shorten the journey if anyone were to go, though he doubted that anyone would. Junior knew he certainly would, but he wasn't in a position to do anything.
"Um... Goji?" called a familiar voice. Junior looked up to find Fluttershy looking down at him.
"Oh. Hey, Shy," said Junior, looking back to map.
"What are you doing over here?" asked Fluttershy.
"I'm studying the map that prince gave me," answered Junior. Fluttershy knelt down onto her knees as she held out a wooden bowl full of diced meat.
"I didn't think you've eaten since I haven't seen you for breakfast," said Fluttershy, a sweet smile on her face. Junior didn't respond and just kept on scanning through the map. The rose haired teen frowned at his lack of response.
"What?" Junior suddenly turned to Fluttershy in confusion. The girl was taken aback by his response. Did he not hear her?
"I brought you lunch," said Fluttershy, holding out the bowl closer.
"Oh. Thanks. Just leave it right here," said Junior as he returned to looking through the map. The girl sighed as she pouted her lip in annoyance.
"Goji, can we talk?" asked Fluttershy.
"Mm." Junior responded, but he wasn't paying attention.
"I can't help but notice that something's bothering you. Like you've been on edge, lately," said Fluttershy.
"Hmm." Junior responded, still looking through the map.
'Jesus. 'Desolation Desert'? That would be the name of a land in an evil empire's territory,' thought Junior.
"If there's something bothering you, I'm right here," said Fluttershy. Junior didn't respond, still fixated on the map.
'I'm surprised we lucked out with being able to speak the same language' thought Junior.
"Because we're friends, I know I can talk to you about anything, just like you can talk to me about anything," said Fluttershy, looking down as she shyly spoke. Her face reddened.
"You know that don't you?" asked Fluttershy.
"Mm," responded Junior. It was here that Fluttershy began to grow more annoyed.
"You aren't listening, are you?" asked Fluttershy.
"Uh huh," Junior replied, absent minded as he took a piece of meat from the bowl and placed it into his mouth. The girl crossed her arms.
"I bet I can say anything I want and you won't notice," said Fluttershy.
"Right...." Junior responded. Fluttershy huffed.
"You know, I was thinking about how it's a lovely day out. You know what's better? Acting like a bad girl! Maybe I should start by getting a tattoo," said Fluttershy.
"Mm hm."
"Hey, Adagio's naked," said Fluttershy pointing aside.
"Uh huh."
"I'm naked," said Fluttershy. Junior still didn't respond. Not even a confused look was given to her. Fluttershy could literally say anything in the world and he wouldn't even notice. Maybe this was a good time to practice. Fluttershy felt her heart beginning to race.
"Hey, Goji... I..." Fluttershy gulped as she blushed. She felt her mouth running dry as the words were caught in her throat. Junior still didn't respond.
"I love... I love..." Fluttershy bit her lip. She took a deep breath as she tried to muster up her courage.
"Sorry, did you say some-" Junior turned to Fluttershy, his focus now on her.
"I LOVE YO- Err..." Fluttershy was in mid shout, quickly faltering as the boy's attention was now on her. Junior had recoiled with a startled expression. Fluttershy stared, wide eyed and flushed intensely.
"Y-Your hair! Yeah, that's it! I love how it's spiky!" Said Fluttershy with a forced smile.
"Um... thanks?" Junior awkwardly said. Fluttershy sighed as she buried her face into her hands.
"Man, there's a lot settlements out there. Too bad we couldn't have lucked out by getting stranded in them instead," said Junior.
"Goji, could you please put the map down for a minute?" asked Fluttershy.
"Why? I'm just trying to learn so we can find the others," said Junior. Fluttershy placed a hand down on the map and lowered it down to his lap.
"Gojira, they're fine. I want to talk with you," said Fluttershy.
"What's there to talk about?" asked Junior, shrugging. Fluttershy merely glanced at his back, finding a fading scar from the stampede some days prior. It was strange. Fluttershy has seen the boy suffer from some bad wounds before, but they never scarred before. Still, it didn’t explain why his forearm never returned to normal when it regenerated. Him being half Transmutant must have had something to do with it, according to Amber.
"How are you feeling?" asked Fluttershy.
"Fine, I guess," answered Junior.
"Are you sure? You're not feeling weak, maybe sick or tired?" asked Fluttershy.
"No. I never get sick anyway," said Junior flatly. Fluttershy bore a pondering look, thinking of reasons to keep a conversation going.
"Shy, what's this about?" asked Junior, impatiently. Fluttershy looked to Junior, her brows furrowed.
"Why are you behaving this way?" asked Fluttershy.
"What are you talking about?" asked Junior.
"You're acting like you don't want me around. Why did you just move your bed out here by yourself last night?" asked Fluttershy incredulously.
"Don't you start, too," said Junior in annoyance.
"Don't start what? Worrying about you?" asked Fluttershy.
"Goddamit," said Junior as he rubbed his brows.
"Why are you pushing me away?" asked Fluttershy.
"I'm not! I just want to have time to myself! You know me," said Junior defensively. Fluttershy slightly narrowed her eyes, while the boy looked away. Fluttershy looked to the ground.
"You know... Mosura feels bad," said Fluttershy.
"For what?" asked Junior, indifference in his tone.
"For yesterday. She didn't mean to say anything hurtful," said Fluttershy.
"I take it you don't know what she said?" asked Junior.
"Does that matter?" asked Fluttershy. Junior didn't answer. He instead took the bowl and began to eat.
"No. Besides, it's not like she was wrong. I was thinking about myself these last couple of days. I have been selfish," said Junior. Fluttershy looked at him oddly.
"Thinking about- Goji, you've been fixated on finding the others since we've been separated. How's that selfish?" asked Fluttershy.
"I don't know," said Junior.
"You have to know. You just told me that you agreed with her," said Fluttershy, pointing to the boy.
"It's just- Look, maybe I feel bad for making them think I hate them! I don't fucking know! Just forget it!" shouted Junior. Fluttershy recoiled. She began to shrink back. Junior sighed.
"I'm sorry. I don't... I don't like to talk about my feelings. They're messy and a chore to understand. All I know is that I'm pissing everyone off because I can't get over the fact that AJ thought I hated her. I mean, I'm sure she thought I'd actually physically hurt her on purpose because of what happened when I was in that other form," said Junior. He shook his head.
"I can only imagine what the rest thinks," said Junior.
"So you don't hate them?" asked Fluttershy, her expression softening.
"Of course not! I mean, sure I got pissed and said some nasty things, and I've been a passive aggressive dick, but I never hated them. It just sucks, knowing that they didn't have my back when I needed them," said Junior. He gave a heavy sigh.
"I guess I've been so focused on trying to get them back safely because I was worried that they'd die thinking I hated them. I didn't want that on my conscience. I even went as far as trying to go off on my own to find them, without even thinking about how the rest of you would feel," said Junior. Fluttershy frowned.
"Gojira..." The girl scooted close to the boy.
"Maybe you were selfish in a way. But I don't think so. I know you were really worried about them. I think your conscience was more concerned with not having the chance to make up with them," said Fluttershy. Junior shook his head.
"That's not it," said Junior.
"It is. I can tell that deep down, you want to forgive them. I saw it with Applejack," said Fluttershy. She smiled warmly at the boy.
"Yes, you've been pretty reckless. And you could stand to be less confrontational when it's not warranted. But I guess this world has us all on edge," said Fluttershy. Junior softly smiled with a chuckle.
"I guess you're right. Thanks, Fluttershy," said Junior.
"Anytime," said Fluttershy. She took the map and held it up.
"How do you plan on finding the others?" asked Fluttershy.
"Not sure. We'll figure it out soon," said Junior.
Rodan sighed as he strolled through the village in silence. While it was relieving to know that the rest of his friends were safe, there was no need for them to send search parties out into the jungle, but that left him without much to do. Searching was a way to keep Rodan occupied, so he wouldn't dwell on Eliza. Although he wasn't as depressed before after finally accepting her passing, his heart still ached for her. He needed something to do before he begins to cry again. How embarrassing that was, Rodan thought.
The sun was beaming down his back as the humidity made him feel sticky. He was tempted to just dive into the river that ran through the area but thought against it. That may have just been the drinking water. The teen certainly didn't want to piss off the natives because of a soak. He wondered what else he could do. He could work, but Angirasu seemed to have had it covered, seeing as he was helping move lumber. Rodan had already eaten, and he wasn't fond of the idea of just lazing about. That'd just lead to him thinking about Eliza. He had to press forward. It might have been what she would have wanted, after all.
Rodan heard laughter. He stopped as he found a group of teen natives to be gathered in a circle. They were tossing a ball to one another, as though it were a game of volleyball. It was strange seeing these natives play. The adults always seemed so quiet and reserved, concealing their emotions, yet their kids were livelier.
Suddenly, a teen missed the ball as it came his way. The ball bounced and rolled towards Rodan, who instinctively caught it. He felt the rough leather texture of the ball against his palms and fingers.
"Here ya go," said Rodan, tossing the ball back to the teen who had missed.
"Thank you, Noble Guardian. Would you care to join us in our game?" asked the teen with a smile. He was shushed by another boy.
"He's a guardian! He has better things to do!" whispered the boy. Rodan scratched his head with a forced chuckle.
"I don't really have anything better to do. I'd be down to join if it's cool with you," said Rodan. The Iwi teens looked at him strangely.
"Down? Cool?" The natives asked. Rodan cleared his throat.
"I mean, 'I'd like to join if it's alright with you'." Rodan rephrased himself. The natives began bore looks of understanding.
"Oh, I see! You're outsiders like the ones called Darrow and Dwan! I've heard Dwan use words incorrectly like that," said a native. The natives murmured with interest.
"Eh. No, no. It's colloquialism. You know, slang. When I say 'cool' in that context, it means that its good. Because most associate cool temperatures as being usually positive. I don't mean it literally," explained Rodan. The teens bore fascinated looks.
"So... Are we gonna play or what?" asked Rodan as he rushed to the native he tossed the ball to. He smacked it out of his hand and into the air. Rodan bounced the ball onto his head, then onto his knees. He then bounced the ball towards one of the natives, who stumbled as he caught the ball. A grin began to grow on his face. The native then began to bounce the ball towards the native beside him, who bounced it off his head.
As the teens played their game, Rodan couldn't help but have a bright smile on his face. This was something he needed. After all of the crap he and his friends had gone through lately, it was an ideal change of pace. It reminded him of his days in Junior High. Just a bunch of guys hanging out and having fun.
"Noble Guardian," called one of the teens.
"Just call me Rodan. It's kinda awkward to be called that," said Rodan as he bounced a ball off of his chest.
"Rodan, what is it like beyond the Roaring Jungle?" asked the teen.
"Roaring Jungle? You mean the one we're in right now? Well, that actually makes sense," said Rodan, thinking back to all of the creatures that he and his friends had the misfortune in running into.
"I hear that there are great lizards that roam. From the land and to the air," said a native. Rodan nodded.
"Oh yeah. Dinosaurs. Cool things. But some are pretty nasty," said Rodan, thinking back to Rex's.
"So, you guys have never left the village?" asked Rodan, curiously. One teen used his knee to bounce a ball, juggling it.
"Only to learn survival. Only the oldest ones have the privilege to venture out further from the walls," said another native. Rodan could see that these boys were in fact younger than him. They were likely around 14 or 15 years old.
"So is going out there almost like a rite of passage or something?" asked Rodan.
"It's one in a series of tests. But yes, if you can survive out there, you are one step closer to being a man," said another one of the terns.
"Awesome. Looks like I took my first step," chuckled Rodan as he passed a ball to another native.
"From where do you and your companions come from?" asked a native.
"Equestria," Rodan answered simply as the ball was bounced his way.
"Where would that be?" asked a native.
"It's kinda like in another world," said Rodan, bouncing the ball back. The natives looked to him in shock.
"You're from the heavens? You truly are like the gods as the ancients say you are," said one of the teens in awe.
"Whoa! Whoa! I ain't a god, guys. I'm just a normal guy. Wait," said Rodan, a thoughtful look on his face. Technically he wasn't normal because of his mutant status.
"But you changed into a mighty bird! No mere man can do that!" said another native in confusion.
"I thought Kong was your god," said Rodan in confusion.
"Yes, ours. But we acknowledge others like him and you are that," said another native.
"Ah." Rodan fell silent. While he wasn't comfortable with the idea of being seen as god, especially since he had his own that wasn't a fan of that, he decided not to argue as to not step on the toes of their faith. He wasn't here to convert anyone.
"Equestria isn't like this heavenly place like you're thinking. It's just a country in a normal world, much like yours. Except without all the monsters running around," chuckled Rodan. He had noticed that the ball wasn't being tossed around anymore. Instead the teens just stared, curious expressions were on their faces.
"Could you tell us about your world?" asked a teen. Rodan thought about it for a moment and shrugged.
"Sure, why not?" Rodan nonchalantly shrugged, before sitting on the ground. The boys gathered in a circle, eager to hear Rodan's tale.
"I'll tell you what I can. But what do you guys wanna know?" asked Rodan.
There was a land full of rolling green hills. A cool breeze flowed across the land, carrying the birds and dandelions through the air. The air was much drier compared to the humidity surrounding the Dogomite town Salera and the neighboring jungle.
Twilight, Applejack, Pinkie, Rainbow and Rarity remained seated in back of the wagon. Their muscles ached from spending hours in the last few days cramped in the back of the wagon they've been traveling in.
"I'm so bored!" said Rainbow in exasperation.
"Wanna play I Spy?" asked Pinkie.
"There's nothing out here!" said Rainbow, pointing out the empty land.
"Yeah, I'm not looking forward to that game again," deadpanned Twilight.
"Then let's sing a song!" said Pinkie.
"No," said the driver of the wagon, his tone stern. Leon bore an annoyed look.
"Aw Leon! You're such a party pooper!" said Pinkie.
"Pinkie, the last time we sang during the trip, you went on until evening," said Rarity. She winced as she rubbed her aching shoulder.
"Hey, how much further?" asked Rainbow impatiently.
"We're almost there, thankfully," said Leon with a sigh. The girls turned and looked to the front. While the former guard was in the way, they found glimpses of a large settlement passed the hills.
"Come on, pick up the pace! I'm sick of being cramped back here!" Said Rainbow as she tried to look passed Leon for a better view.
"Settle down, RD. We can wait a little longer," said Applejack. Rainbow groaned as the travelers passed farm land, which resided some miles outside of the town itself. They found domesticated cattle, goats, and sheep to be grazing from their enclosures.
From the fields, there were farmers that carried crops, looking on to the newcomers that were traveling passed their land. Eventually, the travelers had made their way to the town gates. The town itself was surrounded by tall walls of stone, enclosing it like a fortress. A couple of guards, dressed in light silver armor stepped to the carriage in the lead.
"Five silver to enter," said one of the guards.
"A toll? We have Sacramentonians that need to be relocated from Salera," said one of the Saleran men in the carriage.
"I'm sorry but no exceptions. Not even to refugees," said the guard.
"Fine," said the Saleran escort in annoyance as he drew out five silver pieces. He handed them to the guard, who turned the gate.
"Open the gate!" ordered the guard. The heavy wooden doors creaked as they parted. Twilight and her friends watched in awe as the heavy doors parted, revealing a path into the town.
The carriages continued on through the gates. They rode over the brick road that made up the ground. They passed citizens of this town, who looked to be dressed differently compared to the citizens of Salera. Instead of clearly wearing clothes made from the hide of animals, there were more people dressed in clothes made of cotton, silk, and other materials. These people looked to have been better off compared to Salera.
The buildings were also made up of more materials rather than just wood. Some were a combination of brick or stone for the exterior, the wood forming windows, doors, and roof tops, and straw covering the top. Children played in the streets as people worked their daily routine. Aside from the looks of the town and its citizens, it didn't seem much different from Salera. However, the atmosphere here had a lot less tension in comparison
Soon, the carriages had stopped at the town square. The girls, stepped out from the carriage and winced as they stretched. Leon drew out a scroll.
"Give this to the guards once you reach the lord's residence just down there," said Leon, pointing to a tall stone house. It was four stories and had four pillars at its base. Twilight took the scroll with a nod.
"Will you and your family be alright?" asked Twilight.
"Fortunately, we know some folks here. We should be fine. Thanks to you," said Leon with a nod.
"No problem. Ya'll take care now," said Applejack, as the girls waved farewell to the Salerans. The four begin to make their way to the tall structure.
"I hope this lord isn't as hard to figure out as Grunge," said Rainbow.
"I just hope he's just as nice," said Pinkie.
The teens began to step to the doors of the building. Twilight handed the scroll to the guard, who began to look it over. He gave a brief once over on the group and then rolled up the scroll.
"Right this way," said the guard as he opened the doors, allowing the girls to walk in. As they entered, they were immediately assaulted by the luxurious items that filled the main foyer. The marble floor gleamed as the chandelier hung high above, suspended via golden chain. Sparkling diamonds made up the chandelier, reflecting off the walls and ground as the light in the center glowed.
The remnants of the Main 7 were led through halls, lined with paintings and porcelain vases. As expected of a lord, the rooms just had to be filled with fancy decorative items. The girls were worried about accidentally knocking them down just by looking at them.
The group was led to a pair of double doors, which the guard opened. They stepped inside, finding a luxurious room. There was a lot of red, from the carpet to the cloth curtains that hung over the windows. Red chairs and sofas encircled the center of the room, where lamps hung from the ceiling, lacking any flame to give them light. The natural sun lighting pierced through the windows, bringing out the colors of the room.
"Swanky," said Rainbow as the teens were led into the room.
"I will inform Lord Salem of your arrival. Please, wait here," said the guard, before closing the door. The girls took in their surroundings, looking to the décor and furniture that filled the room. Pinkie moaned as she sat on the sofa, frowning.
"I'm starving. I can't believe that we ran out of food right before we got here," said Pinkie.
"Yes, I'm actually quite famished myself," said Rarity, taking a seat as she crossed one of her legs over the other. Rainbow admired the swords that were propped up on a stand, hanging on the wall.
"Maybe when we get settled in, we can get a bite to eat. We still have plenty of money left from Grunge," said Twilight, holding up a satchel that hung over her shoulder. The faint jingle of coins filled her hearing.
"How much do you think one of those dinosaurs cost?" asked Rainbow. Twilight glared at her.
"We're not spending our money on pets, Rainbow Dash," said Twilight.
"Hey, I'm just wondering!" said Rainbow, shrugging as she bore a defensive look.
"I imagine that one of those critters would be pricey. To purchase, and to care for," said Applejack, taking a seat on a chair. Rainbow sighed as she sat on another chair, lying on the side, with her back resting on the left arm rest and her legs dangling over the right arm rest.
"Rainbow, sit properly! This isn't your house!" said Rarity in disapproval. Rainbow groaned in exasperation.
"Dude, just let me wind down for a minute!" said Rainbow. Rarity scoffed indignantly, having been referred to as 'dude'. Suddenly, the doors opened. The teens turned and found a middle aged man to be stepping into the room, followed by a woman, who looked slightly younger. Rainbow quickly sat up properly, a blank look on her face.
"Well, you obeyed like a dog on a shock collar pretty fast," deadpanned Applejack.
"Ah. You must be the ones that Grunge sent," said the man as he approached. Twilight bowed her head in respect. She wasn't familiar with the formalities of these people, she was going to at least make a better impression than what they had made back in Salera.
"Yes, sir," answered Twilight. Applejack noticed the woman to be stepping nearby. AJ quickly got up from the chair as she cleared her throat.
"Sorry, this must be your seat," said Applejack sheepishly, allowing the woman to take a seat. She looked to Rainbow, gesturing for her to get up. Rainbow sighed in annoyance as she was about to stand.
"Please, remain seated," said the man with a smile, while Applejack sat on the sofa with Twilight, Rarity and Pinkie.
"Oh. Thanks," said Rainbow, a bit unsure on how to react though she noticed an annoyed look on the woman's face from the corner of her eye. The woman was covered in makeup that brought out the blush in her cheeks. Her hair was held up in a bun, as a necklace of diamonds hung around her neck. She wore a dark dress, and a corset that tightly hugged her waist, bringing out her hips in her overall physique. Just by looking at her face, Rainbow could see her 'resting bitch face'. She looked quite unfriendly, compared to the man that was standing before them.
"I've heard much about you from the King's letter. I am Salem, Lord of Elsinore. I am here to serve," said the man as he bowed respectfully. He then gestured to the woman that was sitting.
"And this is my lovely wife, Mary," said Salem.
"Charmed," said Mary, her tone flat. The girls felt some discomfort from her tone. They returned their attention to the Lord of this town.
"It's an honor to have heroines such as yourselves in my home," said Salem.
"Oh. We ain't heroes or anything. We just did what we thought was right," said Applejack, rubbing the back of her head.
"And that makes a hero in my book. When the king told me I would be hosting you, I had to accept," said Salem.
"Anything to please the old man," said Mary, a scowl on her face. The girls just glanced at her and found Salem to be giving a forced chuckle.
"Who wouldn't want to please the king? He's a great man," said Salem. "Speaking of which, the king has expressed interest in meeting you."
"Oh? Is he here?" asked Twilight.
"No, he's in the capital, Amina." Salem answered as he began to take a metallic object from a dresser. It looked almost like a microscope, with a stand as the base. The stand was made of iron, and the neck curved forward. At the end of the neck was an empty tube. Salem placed a white gem into the tube and began to draw out a small hooked metallic object that began to spark.
"Oh. Do we have to go over there? We kinda were hoping not to-"
"Travel will not be necessary," said Salem as he brought the hook to the base, where a small rod of copper stood. The spark was conducted to the copper, which then shot up through the tube. The gem inside began to react, glowing from within the tube. Salem then flipped over a thin piece of a glass over the top of the tube, covering it. The gem began to project rays of light into the air, causing the girls to look on in fascination. An image began to form from the rays, manifesting into the form of an older man.
The man was rugged, with a beard and hair that had grayed over. He had steely blue eyes, and hard brows and a defined strong bridge for his nose. He sported a golden crown upon his head, and a blue grey cape. He wore a dark heavy long sleeved top, slacks and dark boots. The man sat upon a grand throne, made of silver.
"I present to you the ruler of Sacramentonia, King Gareth," said Salem, pride in his tone. Twilight and Rarity both quickly shot up, and bowed.
"Y-Your majesty!" cried Twilight. Applejack, Rainbow and Pinkie looked to each other in confusion, but were met with glares from their friends. Applejack and Pinkie both stood and bowed. Rainbow sighed as she reluctantly did as well.
"The ones who stood to the tyranny of the Dogomites, step forth so I may see you," said King Gareth, his voice gruff. Applejack stepped forward, feeling unease well up inside herself. Rainbow stood next to her, a smirk on her face.
"So, you are the ones who displayed impressive feats against the Dogomites?" asked Gareth.
"Yes sir, your majesty," said Applejack, before gulping. Something about this guy was quite intimidating. His tone and stature gave away his authoritative status. The last thing she wanted was to risk enraging this king.
"I thank you for coming. I understand that you are foreign to these lands," said Gareth.
"You have no idea," scoffed Rainbow.
"You wanted to meet with us, your majesty?" asked Twilight curiously. Gareth nodded.
"Yes. I wish to ask you for your service. During this time of war, my forces and our resources have been focused on repelling our enemy, the Dogomites," said Gareth. Twilight felt a pit form in her stomach. It seemed that she was right to dread the consequences of intervening with Salera.
"Um... with all due respect, we're not interested in getting involved with the war. We're just trying to find our friends," said Twilight, biting her lip.
"What? No, I wasn't suggesting that. That's madness!" chuckled Gareth.
"Wait, really?" Asked Twilight
"Of course not! The day I send a woman out into the battlefield is the day that our people have lost our way," said Gareth. Rainbow bore a look of offense.
"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Rainbow.
"He means that he thinks its wrong to send women out into battle," deadpanned Applejack.
"But we held our own pretty well in Salera!" said Rainbow.
"Are you trying to get us drafted?!" hissed Twilight in a whisper. She cleared her throat as she turned her attention back to the king.
"So what did you want from us?" asked Twilight.
"While I am not willing to send you to fight our war, I see that your friends are capable of battle. I wish for them to take on a number of quests. I can't spare the men to handle them. There are threats that still threaten my people outside of the battlefield," said Gareth.
"Quests huh?" Rainbow scratched her chin in interest.
"They aren't the only ones with powers! We got them too!" said Pinkie with a grin.
"Pinkie..." Twilight grimaced.
"Then there should be no problem! Take on these quests, and you shall be compensated. Lord Salem has even arranged for your stay here in his residence," said Gareth, gesturing to the lord. Twilight bore a reluctant look.
"Um... We need to discuss this a bit," said Twilight.
"What's there to discuss? Run a few errands and we get rewarded. We even get to stay in this joint for awhile! That's good enough for me," said Rainbow, nonchalant. Twilight looked to her in annoyance.
"If breakfast, lunch and dinner are included, then I'm game!" said Pinkie with a grin. Twilight sent her an incredulous expression.
"It certainly bests living on the streets. Or jungles," said Rarity, admiring the room. Twilight's jaw hung, not believing what she was hearing.
"Well, if we ain't fighting a war, then this is fair. It could at least help us prepare for a way back to our friends," said Applejack.
"Guys..." Twilight's shoulders slumped. She wondered why her friends weren't taking time to consider this. She then found them looking at her expectantly. Twilight had no one on her side to at least think about this. They just seemed eager to be somewhere stable. She couldn't fault them for that considering what they've been through, but they were still in a world they knew nothing about. They had to be careful. Twilight gave a defeated sigh.
"We'll pull our weight," said Twilight in reluctance.
"Thank you. I hope to hear from you again soon," said Gareth as the projection began to disappear. Salem bowed his head to the girls as he graciously smiled.
"I pray that you will succeed," said Salem. Twilight grimaced. Once again, they got roped up into this world's affairs. But since it's not related to the war, then it may have less of a drastic effect.
"And the black roads are meant for these big metal carts. We call them cars. They don't need animals to pull them because they're built to move on their own. People ride them to get to places they want to go faster," said Rodan. He was surrounded by more Iwi teenagers, even some girls. They listened in fascination and awe of his tales, though some looked skeptical.
"What sorcery makes these carts move on their own?" asked a male teen.
"We don't use sorcery. It's all a matter of technology. I'm no engineer, but the engine, the heart of the machine, uses fuel to have the energy to move the vehicle," explained Rodan. The audience gave 'oohs' of fascination. They began to assault Rodan with a bunch more questions. While some may find this overwhelming, Rodan felt at peace. He hadn't felt this way for a while now. Just talking to people must have been the medicine necessary for him to get back up in his old spirits.
"Rodan, did you have any lovers in your past?" asked a girl, curious. Rodan's mood immediately went cloudy. Just when he thought he had gotten over the cause of his sadness, it came back to him again. There was an uncomfortable silence.
"Well... Maybe one. But, it didn't last long," said Rodan, his tone low, his eyes on the ground.
"Oh. My apologies," said the girl, bowing her head apologetically. Rodan sighed.
"No, it's OK. We had some great times together," said Rodan. He then noticed Mosura to be approaching him.
"Hey, Rodan. Can we talk?" asked Mosura.
"Sure. Do you wanna do it here or...?" Rodan looked to the natives.
"Privately, Please," said Mosura. Rodan nodded. He then began to stand.
"Be right back, guys," said Rodan as he followed Mosura away from the natives. The two stood over by a hut right over, out of ear shot from anyone around.
"What's up?" asked Rodan.
"It's about Gojira. I've... I've might have said something that he may have found hurtful," said Mosura, twiddling her fingers.
"What'd you say?" asked Rodan.
"I said, 'Why do I put up with you'. He left after that," said Mosura, her eyes downcast. "I guess he thought I saw him as a burden. I just said it. I-I didn't mean it like that. I just-"
"I get it, Mosu. Sometimes it takes patience to be around a guy like Gojira. Trust me, I've known the guy for years. He can be difficult, but he's the kind of dude you can count on when things get rough," said Rodan, patting her shoulder.
"I think he's aware too that he can get on people's nerves, so he just keeps to himself for a while," said Rodan.
"But it's not even that. I just wish he'd understand how he worries us. Especially me," said Mosura, deeply frowning. "I don't know. Maybe I've been too hard on him lately. I mean, he has to be careful. We're in a world full of dinosaurs, monsters, and evil empires..."
"Not to mention romantic rivals," said Rodan, while smirking. Mosura looked at him in annoyance.
"Just talk to the guy if it bothers you that much," said Rodan as he began to rejoin the natives. Mosura took a breath before nodding.
"Right," said Mosura.
Angirasu grunted as he sent several jabs forward. Kong swiped at him, deflecting every strike from the teen. The king countered with a punch, which Angirasu blocked, but staggered back.
"Keep your feet planted and one in the back to keep your balance," said Kong as he rushed forward and sent several jabs. Angirasu dodged each strike and began to keep his distance. Kong sent another set of strikes, which Angirasu dodged and blocked.
"You can't stay on the defensive! Go for the offense!" said Kong as he swung his fist. Angirasu dodged it and then countered with a jab against Kong's side. He grunted as he staggered to the side, smirking. Angirasu raised his fists as he narrowed his eyes. The boy rushed forward and began to send several punches, forcing Kong on the defensive himself.
Kong noticed the boy was just going forward with the same strikes. Left, right, left right. This made it easy to block and it was an amateur mistake. It would only work against a weakling to overwhelm his defenses and Kong was not weak. This was actually detrimental to the boy, since he was burning stamina on a fruitless attack.
Kong caught Angirasu's next right hook. He then threw him over his shoulder and onto the ground with ease. Angirasu lied on his back, in shock. He attempted to stand but Kong forced his hand onto his head, holding him down.
"Never needlessly expend your stamina in a fight. Conserve it as much as possible. If you can't break an opponent's block, then strike them where they aren't defending," said Kong, standing up. Angirasu panted as he stood up shakily.
"Brute force alone won't always win the battle. You must utilize your mind as well. Analyze and strategize in the heat of battle," said Kong, pointing to Angirasu's forehead.
"Understood. Thank you," said Angirasu with a nod.
"Take a break for now. We'll finish off with transformation shortly," said Kong. Angirasu nodded. He began to walk off, headed back to the village. Once there, he took the opportunity to drink water from the river. He didn't bother boiling it, since he's seen Kong drink straight from it himself before. The water was flowing and not stagnant, so it might have been fine.
After drinking from the river, Angirasu began to look around at the village. He felt at peace here. Living among these natives and their old ways, out in sun in the tropical humidity and finally experiencing thrill of fighting. It all just felt so right, like it was in the blood that ran in his veins.
Angirasu sighed as he stood, stretching himself until his joints popped. He heard some laughs, prompting him to find Rodan to be sitting with the teenager natives. They were laughing as Rodan spoke to them. Curious, Angirasu made his way over.
"So, I was like, 'Dad, that's not a puppy! That's a damn rat!' And he immediately freaks out! He stumbled and fell over, making a mess in the garage!" said Rodan. The teens laughed in amusement as they visualized the story they were told.
"Man, thank God the tools or anything sharp weren't out. That would've been a nasty accident," said Rodan with a chuckle.
"And don't get me started on the time he tried to impress me by riding a skateboard down a steep hill on the street. He ended up with nasty scrapes on his body. He had me record it too," said Rodan, shaking his head. "I'd show you guys but he had me delete it because he was so damn embarrassed."
"You have amusing stories, Rodan," said a boy. He then gasped as he noticed Angirasu approaching. Rodan turned behind himself in confusion, but smiled as he spotted his friend.
"Aang! What's up?" greeted Rodan.
"Hey, Rodan. I see you're getting along with the natives," said Angirasu. Some of the teens whispered among themselves.
"Another one of the guardians. And it's the one called Angirasu!" whispered a teen in awe.
"Yeah, I was just telling them some stories from back home," said Rodan. Angirasu forced a smile.
"You're not embellishing, I hope," said Angirasu. Rodan looked at him in offense.
"Give me a little credit, man. I'm giving it to them straight. I even told them the time we went into that old castle. They got a kick out of me almost killing you with the ballista," said Rodan. Angirasu bore a confused look but then gasped as his memory flooded back to him.
"Wait a minute, that was your fault?!" exclaimed Angirasu. Rodan cupped a hand over his mouth, forgetting that he had played dumb for doing that.
"Ugh. Whatever. It's good that you're adjusting. You seem to be popular," said Angirasu.
"Yeah, it's great. I always wanted to be the cool kid," said Rodan, humorously. "So what are you up to?"
"I was just sparring with Kong. I'm on a break right now, but we're supposed to be practicing my transformation soon," said Angirasu. An idea suddenly came to mind.
"Why don't you join us?" asked Angirasu.
"Me? Really?" asked Rodan. Reluctance was in his tone. He recalled that one of the last few times he transformed ended badly. Memories of Eliza came back to him. Rodan looked to the ground.
"It'd be a good idea. We should have a better grasp and understanding of our other forms. We have plenty of time these days, not to mention plenty of space," said Angirasu.
"I-I don't know," said Rodan. Angirasu could detect the discomfort and hesitation of his friend.
"Well, let me know if you change your mind," said Angirasu as he began to walk off. Rodan said nothing as his friend left.
"Rodan, why did you refuse Angirasu's offer?" questioned a girl in confusion. Rodan felt his anxiety growing.
"Yes, would it not be in a guardian's best interest to hone his abilities?" asked a boy.
"It's not so simple, guys. I've had bad experiences from changing. It's something I rather not get into. It's caused nothing but trouble," said Rodan.
"Even so, that's all the more reason to learn from our king," said another native.
"You wouldn't say that if you saw the things that happened from my perspective," said Rodan, frowning.
"I've heard of your actions when our tribe first encountered you. They say that you helped fended off the demons that threatened us for generations," said a girl. Rodan couldn't argue with that. While he vaguely remembered that battle with the t-rex pack, he recalled his focus being on defending his friends.
"You owe it to your companions and yourself to become stronger. You are a Guardian!" said the same girl. The other teens gave verbal agreements. Rodan felt a sudden warmth beginning to well up inside. He remembered when he, Junior and Angirasu were initiated as Guardians by the Transmutants led by Gojira Senior. Rodan never took that seriously, seeing it as some weird kind of induction into their group just to earn their trust, while humiliating them in the process.
But as Rodan thought of it, and the natives continuous reference to the title, he couldn't help but dwell on its meaning. A guardian was a protector, but he turned into a beast that destroyed. It caused fear, havoc, and took away the one he loved. What kind of guardian does that?
Yet the natives thought of him as one. Despite that they never actually witnessed him, they saw him as someone of great renown, even going as far as to encourage him to learn. Could he really be a guardian despite what he's done? Either way, it seemed only right to get a hold of his other form. Anything to prevent what happened to Eliza from happening to his friends.
Meanwhile, Angirasu continued to make his way through the village. While he wanted to press further to convince Rodan to join him to train with Kong, he decided against it.
Angirasu had come across the end of the village. He found where Junior had been since the previous night. He found him with Fluttershy and Mosura. Angirasu stopped walking, curious. Mosura seemed to be fidgeting as she twiddled her fingers, her stance timid. Angirasu couldn't make out what they were saying given the distance between them. So, he began to walk closer.
"What I'm trying to say is... I'm sorry," said Mosura, bowing her head, apologetically. Junior sighed as he scratched his head.
"No, you were right. I've been way out of line lately," said Junior.
"B-But I shouldn't have been so hard on you! I..." Mosura looked to the ground with a grimace.
"Look, don't sweat it. Honestly, I think you've kept me out of trouble since we've gotten here," said Junior, with a shrug. Mosura raised her head.
"You think so?" asked Mosura.
"Yeah. By all means, call me out when I'm wrong. It's the only way I'll learn," said Junior.
"So we're good?" asked Mosura, a hopeful smile on her face.
"Yeah," said Junior, nodding to her. Mosura felt some relief as she heard this. Junior cleared his throat as he drew out a map.
"David gave me this map before he left. I was thinking that maybe eventually we could try and meet the girls," said Junior as he pointed to the settlement called, Elsinore.
"Well, that looks like it would be quite the journey. But I think we could figure something out," said Mosura, giving Junior a warm smile.
"Ahem." Junior, Mosura and Fluttershy turned their attention behind them. They found Angirasu standing by.
"Angirasu? What are you doing here?" asked Fluttershy.
"Just wanted to see how you guys were doing before I went back to training," said Angirasu, nonchalant.
"Oh right. Forgot you were doing that," said Junior. He wasn't sure how or why Angirasu became Kong's 'apprentice'. But he's noticed that a number of the Iwi have been taking a shine to him. It made sense. Angirasu was always more laid back compared to himself and Rodan. He was just much more approachable.
"Say, I was thinking..." Angirasu turned his focus on Mosura and Junior exclusively. "What if you two joined me to train with Kong?"
"In fighting?" asked Mosura in confusion. "That's not really my thing."
"No, we already took care of that. What I meant was to train in controlling our other forms. He's been teaching me a lot on how to control it. I... I think I might understand it now," said Angirasu.
"Understand what? Changing?" asked Junior, raising a brow. Angirasu cleared his throat, smiling to himself due to his friend having been mistaken.
"Sure. So are you in?" asked Angirasu. Junior looked to Mosura, who looked uncertain. Junior himself wasn't comfortable, having only transformed involuntarily and it was usually during stressful situations. The one time transformed on his own free will was when Fluttershy was there, while his father and the Guardians stood by in case he went berserk. But, if he wanted to succeed in his journey to bring back the others, he would have to put aside his concerns. He needed to be ready. Still, he wondered if Kong would accept teaching him. The two weren't exactly on friendly terms. They actually butted heads quite a bit. Junior sighed, frustrated at himself for trying to weasel out with just excuses.
"Alright," said Junior. Mosura looked to Junior and Angirasu. The two just always seemed to face up against anything, no matter the risk. It was admirable. Something she aspired to do. With Junior standing up, the one who seemed to always have the most dread in changing, Mosura felt herself grow motivated. She didn't make progress with the Guardians because of her own fears of the pain and the consequences of losing control. However, she wanted to change. Mosura wanted to be worthy of being relied on, especially by Junior.
"I'm in," said Mosura.
"Me too!" said Rodan. The teens found the red haired teen to be walking over, a smile on his face. Angirasu couldn't help but smile as he joined them. The two made a fist bump.
"Good to see you've changed your mind," said Angirasu.
"Oh come on. I wasn't gonna let my homies leave me behind," said Rodan. Junior chuckled as he brought him close and began to give him a noogie. Rodan thrashed as he yelped.
"Good to see you back into better spirits, buddy!" said Junior, while Rodan tried to escape. Mosura chuckled in amusement while Fluttershy softly smiled. Something felt different right now. It was as though a whole new spark was ignited. It warmed her heart, just seeing these four misfits determined to grow.
Elsinore, Sacramentonia...
Twilight hummed to herself as she stared through a window. Inside, she saw tomes displayed, covered in hieroglyphics and decorative symbols. She looked to her side and found the rest of her friends, standing around as they scanned the busy shopping district.
Salem mentioned that they could find all sorts of things here. Including items that may prove useful for them in their quests. As of now, they were given the details of their first quest. Apparently, there had been trouble from bandits in the outskirts of Elsinore. People were getting robbed and sometimes killed. It seemed that the lord believed that they'd be the ones suited to handle these villains while any able bodied man was spared for guarding the city or sent off for the war.
So as of now, it was a good idea to start spending some more of that money that Grunge had been generous to give them. Twilight turned to her friends.
"OK, let's meet back out here after we do some window shopping. Look for any supplies that we could use for our quests. Armor, medical supplies, anything. We'll meet back and discuss prices and choose the most inexpensive or necessary thing," said Twilight. Rarity moaned a she picked at her skirt.
"Could we find any clothes? We've worn these for days and rarely bathed," said Rarity.
"As long as we're frugal, Rarity. Nothing fancy," said Twilight. Rarity whimpered as she looked to a window, finding a mannequin standing with a long violet silky flowing dress.
"Rarity..." Twilight narrowed her eyes as her tone became stern.
"Oh foo!" pouted Rarity.
"Come on, you don't need anything fancy like that. Why, I'm sure the cheaper stuff will be just as pretty," said Applejack in reassurance. Though in reality, she didn't care. The last thing she wanted was to be forced to try on fancy outfits while it'd be easier to just wear something comfortable and functional.
"OK, let's meet back soon," said Twilight. The girls began to disperse, making their way into whatever store that may carry something of use to them. Twilight turned back to the shop she stood before. She entered, hearing a bell jingle above her.
"I'll be right there in a moment!" called a male voice.
The store was filled with all sorts of strange items. Of course, many tomes lied, organized in shelves. There were also rolled up scrolls to be set up, resting on top of each other on separate shelves. Jars full of liquid and some small amphibian or reptile-like creatures to be preserved inside. Twilight grimaced at the sight, but also found a section in the store, where there seemed to be bowls and containers filled with powders, dried animal bits, and pastes. A sign that read, 'ingredients' hung above the shelf.
Twilight turned, finding an old man to be wandering inside. He sported a pair of thick glasses and had a long grey beard. He wore a robe over himself.
"Pardon me. I am Mirlon, and welcome to my shop. Find anything you need?" asked the shop keeper. Twilight looked at him strangely, finding that his name seemed almost too close to 'Merlin'. She brushed it off, realizing that she was silent for too long.
"N-No. It's actually my first time here," said Twilight, looking around. The man hummed curiously as he adjusted his glasses.
"You don't look to be from around here. And I've met plenty of people in Elsinore," said the shop keeper.
"My friends and I are new here. Right now we're looking through the shops for supplies. We have some quests that Lord Salem wants us to handle," explained Twilight.
"Salem, you say? What is it exactly you're looking for? Are you a mage?" questioned Mirlon as he stepped over to his counter.
"It's... Complicated. I can wield magic, but I don't exactly understand it or my abilities. I was hoping that maybe something here could help me out," said Twilight.
"Hm. That normally shouldn't be possible. You must have an understanding of the arts in order to wield it. And not everyone can learn it. It's a skill one must work hard to even master the basics," said Mirlon.
"Well, there was this... being. She taught me a bit, but I feel like I can do better. Unfortunately, it's impossible for me to meet her at the moment," said Twilight. Mirlon bore a look of interest.
"I see. Well, step over here and hold out your hand," said Mirlon. As told, Twilight stepped forward, but kept her hand back.
"What are you gonna do?" asked Twilight. She couldn't be too careful. Who knows what the people here are capable of.
"I wish to examine your magic. It requires direct contact," said Mirlon. Twilight sighed as she held up her hand. She held it forward, allowing Mirlon to place it on his left hand. With his right hand, he rested it on top of Twilight's, humming to himself as he closed his eyes. Twilight stood by silently, as the man's frail wrinkly hand caressed her own. She began to grow a bit uncomfortable if she had to be honest. Mirlon's eyes shot wide open, causing Twilight to flinch.
"This is..." Mirlon stepped back, in shock.
"Is something wrong?" asked Twilight, concerned.
"It's not possible. The magic flowing through your body is nothing like I've felt before! It's... It's pure!" said Mirlon in shock.
"Pure?" asked Twilight.
"By Providence. Or rather... Could it be?" Mirlon muttered to himself.
"What?" Twilight tilted her head. Mirlon cleared his throat.
"Never mind that, my dear. Perhaps there's something that I can help you with," said Mirlon as he stepped over to a shelf and began to draw out a book.
"I sense a highly advanced learning spell over you. Or perhaps spell isn't the right term," said Mirlon, muttering the last sentence to himself. Twilight still looked confused. She wondered what it was that had upset him. The shop keeper brought over a tome and placed it on the counter, opening it. He turned to a page, showing the girl an illustration of a human sitting.
"This is a mediation technique. It's meant to help the magic user adjust to their growing power. In your case, it should also help you sort out the vast knowledge in your head. It's amazing. Usually something like that would have driven the host mad," said Mirlon. Twilight's eyes widened in alarm.
'What the hell, Amber?!' thought Twilight, gritting her teeth.
"There's also some spells in here that you can study. Most of them match what I sensed you had knowledge of, but it will help you have a better reference on how to perform them, as well as helpful tips," said Mirlon.
"Well, since she's not here to teach me, this could be useful. My head just can't seem to fully picture the spells she put in my head," said Twilight, rubbing her temple. "How much for this?"
"This contains both basic and advanced spells. But since it's not rare and is commonly published through the land, it's worth 20 silver," said Mirlon. Twilight hummed in thought. She nodded.
"Alright, but I may have to come back later. We're on a budget. Would you mind holding onto that for me?" asked Twilight.
"Of course. Just don't forget about it," said Mirlon. Twilight smiled.
"See you, soon!" said Twilight as she left the store. Mirlon waved to her, before his face turned serious.
"Very interesting," said Mirlon as he scratched his beard.
Meanwhile, Twilight had stepped out of the store, finding that Pinkie had arrived outside of a store. She waved to the petite girl as she joined her side.
"I found some cheap but tasty snacks that were sold for people on the go!" said Pinkie. Twilight sent her a deadpanned look.
"What is it with you and food lately?" asked Twilght. Pinkie sent her a deadpanned look.
"Twilight, we still haven't eaten since we've got here," said Pinkie. Twilight shook her head.
"Don't worry. Salem said that dinner will be prepared for us when we get back," said Twilight, looking to the afternoon sky. She couldn't believe that it was already starting to get late. Time seemed to have passed by rather quickly. She had lost track of how long they've been in this new world. It was around a week that had passed, but it felt longer.
Roaring Jungle...
Kong stood against a tree in silence. He watched as the sky was beginning to turn to a yellowish tinge. Nightfall would be coming soon. He found that Angirasu had arrived, along with the other three Transmutants. Kong stood up as he approached the teenagers.
"I hope you don't mind. I brought my friends over to learn. I thought it was important for them to learn about this lesson too," said Angirasu. Kong looked over the teens. Mosura couldn't help but look away from his intense stare, while Rodan awkwardly stood. Kong then focused on Junior, who stood with a stoic look. The two stared silently at each other, neither saying a word. Angirasu felt tension from their stare down, as though one was waiting for the other to blink.
"Very well," said Kong as he stepped away. Mosura and Rodan looked to each other and shrugged, while Junior kept silent. Now wasn't the time to start butting heads with Kong, no matter how much he pissed him off.
"Angirasu, have you thought about what I've told you?" asked Kong. The teens had their eyes on the one in question.
"Yeah. I thought about it. I think I know what you meant," said Angirasu with a nod. Kong hummed.
"There is a key reason as to why you can’t control yourself. The fact that you have no prior experience is a minor factor. It's because you're rejecting your other self," said Kong. Junior raised a brow.
"What do you mean by that?" asked Mosura.
"From what I came to learn, Angirasu rejects his other half. The Titan within him. Because of that, the beast is untamed and runs rampant," said Kong. Junior shook his head.
"I thought you were supposed to be teaching us to control ourselves," said Junior.
"I am," said Kong.
"It sounds more like we're in counseling. What does 'rejecting our other self' have to do with anything? You make it sound like our other forms are like completely different entities," said Junior.
"Because in a way, they are," said Kong. Junior gave him a confused look.
"Huh?" Rodan cocked his head.
"You and the Titan are one. But, your rejection of it manifests in your soul, creating an inner turmoil that affects you when you change form," said Kong. Junior frowned.
'Man. I was hoping for a practical teaching, not spiritual mumbo jumbo'.
"So it's kind of like a split personality?" asked Mosura.
"In a way. The humanity is pushed aside in favor of the primal nature. You need to understand both to maintain order within. It's what separates us from the animals," explained Kong.
"So, you're saying that the reason we can't control ourselves or even remember much in our other form is because we're not accepting ourselves?" asked Rodan. Junior scoffed.
"That can't be it," said Junior. Kong narrowed his eyes.
"Am I wrong? Have you never been ashamed of what you are? Dread the change? Feel isolated?" asked Kong. Junior merely crossed his arms and looked away, a scowl on his face.
"No," said Junior. Kong merely narrowed his eyes, not convinced one bit.
"I have..." said Mosura, drawing Kong's attention.
"I always wanted to fit in. I kept my psychic abilities and mutantism a secret because I knew that people wouldn't accept me for who I was. It wasn't until recently when the people I thought were my friends rejected me," said Mosura, staring at the ground.
"And you?" asked Kong, looking to Rodan.
"Well... Sure. I never really thought much about it until I made it to high school. These days... It's sometimes something I wish I could change," said Rodan.
"Accepting these things is the first step to understanding your power. Accept your feelings, and what you are. Only then can you grow from there," said Kong. He found Junior to be seemingly ignoring him. Kong chose not to address it.
"Angirasu, transform one more time," ordered Kong. The teens all stepped back, while Angirasu stood alone. He nodded with a sigh. He took a breath, settling his nerves. Now was the time. He had to push through if he wanted to protect.
Angirasu focused, clenching his hands. He opened his eyes, finding himself alone in a familiar dark forest. He was alone, as the wind howled. A low growl filled the air, as a familiar shadowy beast approached. Angirasu fought any instinct he had that screamed at him to run and to get far away. Even as the creature snarled, he stood his ground.
"A Transmutant that can't control itself is killed or locked away in the Vault," a familiar voice echoed in the air. The beast roared as it pawed at the ground, flaring its nostrils.
"All my life I've been afraid of you. For nights, I'd cry, afraid to go back to sleep," said Angirasu. He stepped forward, as the creature snarled.
"But you just wanted to be acknowledged. To be free to be yourself. And I didn't let you, because I was afraid of what you were," said Angirasu. The beast growled, anger in its eyes. Angirasu raised a hand, a firm expression on his face.
"But now I know what you are. I'm not afraid anymore," said Angirasu as he placed a hand on the head of the creature. Its hostile growls ceased and its eyes closed.
"We are protectors," said Angirasu. Suddenly, darkness was driven away from the forest. A morning sun began to rise, enveloping Angirasu in warmth. Before him, the shadowy creature was fully revealed. This was Angirasu's other self. Its eyes locked with Angirasu's.
Angirasu opened his eyes, which were reptilian. He grunted as his body began to morph and grow. He dropped to all fours, giving out pained cries as he sprouted his spikes over his armored body. He had fully transformed. Angirasu shook off the torn clothing that clung to his back. The rest of the teens kept their distance, tense. Kong merely approached the transformed mutant.
"Angirasu! Step forth!" shouted Kong. Angirasu turned to Kong, flaring his nostrils. He stepped over to Kong, prompting the other teens to step further away. Angirasu stopped a few feet away, breathing heavily.
"Speak!" said Kong. Angirasu raised his head and gave a loud wail, which echoed out into the jungle. Kong smiled proudly.
"You've done it, my student," said Kong. Angirasu gave a soft growl as he bowed his head. The teens cautiously stepped forward, in shock.
"He did it?" asked Rodan, as Angirasu focused his attention on his friends.
"Yes. I've discussed this with him the previous day. He may have finally come to accept his other self. Now, the beast within has order, allowing his humanity to dominate the mind," said Kong. He turned to the rest of the teens.
"This is the first step to be a Titan," said Kong.
It was early evening. The sun was setting, enveloping the land in the cool dark night. The city, Elsinore, bore lights from the windows of buildings.
Applejack was sitting near a window, dressed in a white night gown. Her hair was down as she solemnly looked to the city, and the land beyond. Her heart yearned to be back home on the farm, where her family was. How she missed them so. Applejack also worried about the rest of her friends that she has long since been separated from. She hoped they were well and that they haven't forgotten about her group.
"AJ, come here for a second," called Twilight. Applejack sighed as she got up from her bed and made her way to a table, where Twilight, Pinkie, Rainbow and Rarity stood. The rest were also dressed in night gowns, provided by the house of Lord Salem. Twilight had a map laid out on the table.
"Alright. Salem mentioned that the bandits have ambushed anyone that crosses around this path. Just outside the city," said Twilight pointing to a section on the local map.
"They use the hills for cover and jump out to catch anyone off guard," said Twilight.
"It doesn't look like they'd make it easy to be found," said Rainbow, scratching her head.
"We won't have to look. They'll expose themselves," said Twilight.
"How?" asked Applejack.
"Simple. We'll just have to use bait to entice them. I've asked Salem if we could borrow some supplies to help," said Twilight as she made her way to a closet. She opened it, revealing a frilly dress to be worn by a mannequin. Rarity gasped as she gazed upon the dress.
"If a high class young lady were to be traveling through the bandit's territory, riding an expensive chariot with a trunk full of goods, the bandits would be hard pressed to resist," said Twilight. Rainbow scowled.
"So who's gonna play damsel in distress? Cause I'm not. Besides, no way I'm wearing that," said Rainbow..
"Rarity could! She's a great actor!" said Pinkie. Rarity shook her head with a flattered look.
"Oh, but I couldn't! But then again... this is for the good of the city. And the king asked us to help. Oh but it might be way too dangerous! But we did make a promise," said Rarity. Her tone was that of false modesty and drama, as she eyed the dress. Applejack bore a deadpanned look as she saw through this façade. She glanced at Twilight, who sighed.
"You're the bait," said Twilight.
"Darling, I'd prefer to be called, 'the attraction'. Bait just sounds so... Like I'm being fed predators," said Rarity.
"I mean, these are bandits with a history of killing people. I wouldn't put it passed them," said Rainbow.
"Doesn't matter. When they come out, that's when we strike," said Twilight.
The evening air was filled with the cries of nocturnal beasts. Junior was back at the spot where he, Rodan and Angirasu had been resting prior. Although this time, Angirasu wasn't present. After all, the natives built him his own hut to live in. Rodan had been complaining about it earlier, finding that it was unfair that they offered to do so for him. Junior didn't fuss, considering that he was held in high regard by their 'King'. Every now and then, Junior would take his attention off of the map that he was looking over. The sounds were just to distracting for him to ignore.
Junior went back to looking at his map. Instead of just searching for shorter routes to Elsinore, he instead looked to the other settlements depicted. Each had a different name, located either near or many miles from each other. The capital was the furthest, residing by the nearest ocean. There were even some settlements of the Dogomites, represented by a spider-like emblem above the name of the settlement. There were other symbols that were depicted under other settlements. Junior could only guess that these represented other nations or even smaller states that resided within this world. It was similar to how Equestria had many different flags for the individual states that made up the entire Union, though there was no way for Junior to know for sure right now. It was incredible to say the least that a whole other Earth-like world like this existed with humans, prehistoric, and bizarre creatures alike living here. That was all the more reason to find the rest of the Main 7.
"It's getting late, Goji," said Sunset, passing by as she was followed by Mosura, Fluttershy and Dwan.
"Hm? Oh, yeah. I'll turn in soon," said Junior as he tore his eyes from the map.
"Good night boys!" said Mosura as she waved to Junior and Rodan.
"Good night," said Rodan and Junior in unison. As the girls entered their own shared hut, Junior returned to reading the map. Rodan sighed.
"Still sucks that the Iwi made Aang his own hut," said Rodan.
"Well, what're you gonna do? They like him because Kong likes him," said Junior.
"Yeah. Still though, it's gotta be nice to be liked by that many people," said Rodan. Junior said nothing in response.
"So... What did you think about Kong's 'training'?" asked Rodan.
"More like a lecture. The only one who got to do anything was Aang. The rest of us had to take a hike. Literally," said Junior.
"Heh. Yeah, just like in school," said Rodan.
"At least our PE teacher wasn't acting like a therapist," said Junior with a scoff.
"I don't know man. I've thought about what he told us. I kind of always felt like I've never accepted my mutantism. I pretended it wasn't there. I pretended that people didn't like me because I was annoying, not because I was a freak," said Rodan.
"No, people didn't like you because you were annoying as well," said Junior with a smirk.
"Hey..." Rodan glared at Junior.
"Look, regardless of that, it can't be the reason why we don't have luck controlling our other forms," said Junior.
"What other reason is there?" asked Rodan.
"I don't know. I think it's because we've never actually done it in lives before. Personally, I think it's because my mother's a normal human. You know, I used to have complications with my health as a baby," said Junior. He then looked to Rodan.
"If I recall, only your mother's a Transmutant. Aang's Dad was one too. You notice a pattern?" asked Junior.
"I notice that our families may have had issues with extended family members because of human and mutant love," said Rodan.
"Did your family have issues?" asked Junior, raising a brow.
"Funny thing is, my grandparents on my dad's side had more of a problem with him falling for a woman of Mexicoltan descent," said Rodan.
"So, the Transmutant thing wasn't the issue? Really?" asked Junior in surprise.
"No, they just wanted her to be Neighponese," chuckled Rodan.
"Ah." Junior nodded in understanding.
"But still, we can't say us having only one Transmutant parent would have an effect on us like that. Transmutants haven't been allowed to be without limitations like inhibitors for decades. It's not statistically proven," said Rodan.
"I guess. Plus, I heard that before technology like that existed, Transmutants kept to 'tribes'. Basically made up of those that were like them. They rarely even had families with normal humans. My dad once told me about that," said Junior.
"Right. Plus, there's Mosura. We don't exactly know about her family aside from her brother. Just that apparently they have psychic abilities," said Rodan.
"Still, Kong's explanation can't be it," said Junior.
"Are you saying that because you believe that or is there another reason?" asked Rodan. Junior fell silent. He began to roll up the map.
"I don't know what you're talking about," said Junior.
"Come on dude, I know you had to have had feelings like that at least once," said Rodan. Junior scoffed.
"Of course not. You know I don't care what people think of me," said Junior dismissively. Rodan scratched his head.
"Gojira, it's not like it's wrong to feel bad about not fitting in because of what we are. You're talking to a guy that's not only a mutant, but also ethnically mixed. I know what it's like to not fit in because of identity," said Rodan.
"I said I'm not like that!" said Junior with a glare. Rodan's expression softened.
"Fine. Forget I brought it up," said Rodan as he lied down in his sleeping bag. Junior shook his head as he lied down as well, turning on his side.
It was early morning. The sky was beginning to light up as the morning sun was beginning to rise.
A lone carriage began to travel passed the gates of Elsinore. The horses pulled the chariot across the bridge and to the open land. It passed the farms, and made its way near the green rolling hills outside of the city.
The carriage was pure white, with a frame made up of solid gold. The interior bore expensive silk for curtains, and the seats were made up of a comfortable fabric. In the carriage, a young maiden sat near the window. She was clad in a violet gown. Glimmering gems were decorated on her person, from rings on her fingers, earrings, to a necklace of diamonds. The lady's face was obscured by the hood over her head that shielded her fair skin from the morning cold.
"We have company," said a man that held the reigns to the carriage. In the path, a group of men stood. These men were gruff and unkempt. They wore thick clothes, some sporting pieces of armor along their arms, legs and chest.
The carriage stopped. The white horses that pulled it along began to shift, a wave of nervousness over them.
"Don't think about fleeing! We have you surrounded!" said one of the men, as a few archers appeared from on top of the hills. They focused their sights on the carriage.
The bandits approached the carriage, with swords, knives and clubs in hand. The driver was pulled out of seat and was forced to his knees. The young woman was also yanked out of the carriage.
"Lookie here, a pretty young thing isn't she?" asked a bandit as he looked over the maiden, lust in his eyes.
"That's a lot of jewelry you have there," said another bandit as he yanked the necklace off, prompting the girl to gasp.
"It's dangerous to come down this path. There might be villains hiding out here," chuckled a bandit as he caressed the girl's chin, who recoiled with a grunt.
"Perhaps we can guarantee you safe passage if you were willing to part with a few things," said a bandit as he took the girl's hand, admiring the couple of gem rings on her fingers.
"You can take whatever you please. Just let us through unharmed," said the driver.
"Hmm. Maybe, we'll let you leave with one horse for your journey. That is, if the lady is willing to part with something more..." the bandit began to reach for the maiden's top. The girl immediately gasped.
"You pig!" cried the girl as she suddenly slapped the bandit. The other men chuckled and smirked, while the girl had frozen in place. The bandit she struck turned with a grin.
"I do like them feisty," said the bandit. The girl backed away with a whimper.
"Anytime now!" cried the girl.
"What?" The bandit looked at her in confusion. There was a sudden whoosh of wind. The men began to find that the archers were getting swept up by a blur of rainbows.
"What in the hell?!" exclaimed a bandit as they began to stumble over each other. Suddenly, the driver of the carriage drew out a blade from his sleeve. He slashed as the arm of a bandit that held him down. Once the foe released him, the driver then shot up, snatching his short sword from his side.
The young maiden suddenly raised her arms, where a curved wall of diamonds appeared. The wall shot forward, pushing the bandits away. As she did, her hood fell from her head, revealing her to be none other than Rarity.
The behind the carriage, Applejack shot out, sporting a brown leather jacket, tight boots and brown leggings. She grabbed a bandit that had stumbled in her path and threw him to the ground like a rag doll.
Twilight suddenly teleported in a flash of light, appearing near another bandit. She sported a blue cloak, a lavender tunic and leggings. Chainmail armor was tucked under her tunic. She raised her arm and pulled out a magic tendril from her palm. Twilight swung the tendril, whipping the bandit before her, who collapsed in pain.
"Thanks for helping, Leon!" called Twilight, as the driver clashed blades with another bandit.
"I owe you for saving my family!" said Leon as he disarmed the bandit, then holding him at blade point.
"What is this?!" The remaining bandits regrouped, finding that their comrades were quickly being taken down. Suddenly, the rainbow blurred appeared, stopping in front of them. Rainbow stood, arms crossed over her chest as she sparked. Her hair flowed in the wind as she wore a cyan tunic, with dark pant-like leggings and boots. Her arms bore light leather armor braces as her hands bore finger-less gloves.
"The heroes have arrived!" Said Rainbow as her eyes flashed briefly from the energy that coursed through her.
In a panic, the few remaining bandits began to flee. However, they all suddenly fell into a pit. They groaned as they lied piled on each other. They found Pinkie appearing from above. The girl sported a hot pink tunic herself. She turned to Rainbow and did a fist bump.
Things had gone smoothly. Twilight was looking down at the several bandits that they had captured. All bounded together by rope. They took the bait as expected.
"Needs work," said Leon as he stood next to the girl.
"Pardon?" Twilight looked to him in confusion.
"If you're going to be taking on quests for the King, it'd be wise if you refined your combat skills. You only succeeded due to speed, numbers, and surprise. Not every enemy is easy to catch off guard as these fools," said Leon as he pointed to the bandits.
"We're right here," deadpanned a bandit.
"Oh shut up," said another bandit in annoyance.
"Right. We'll keep that in mind. Thanks again, Leon," said Twilight with a smile.
"You can pay for lessons if you ask around. Whether it’s how to fight from local mercenary guilds, or for spells that you can't learn from a book. But experience will be your greatest asset," said Leon.
"You wouldn't be willing to teach me a few moves, would you?" whispered Twilight.
"Sure, for some coin," said Leon.
"I thought you said that you owed us," said Twilight in disappointment.
"And I paid my debt, by making sure none of you were killed on your first quest," replied Leon. He raised his hand. "The protection of a family of 4, repaid by the protection of friends of 5."
"Fair enough. I guess..." Twilight crossed her arms with a pout.
"You can afford it. After all, you have all of the bandits, alive that is. The bounty on their heads will be worth the trouble," said Leon as he turned, finding knights riding onto the scene, as a 'prison carriage' was towed along.
"Alright, scum bags! Your chariot awaits!" Rainbow clapped as the knights arrived. One of the knights approached Twilight and Leon.
"This is all of them? I certainly had to see it to believe it. That five young girls took down these troublesome bandits. Remarkable," said the knight as he looked to the bandits.
"Try, 'totally awesome'! You should've seen it! I was like, whoosh! And AJ was like, wham! And Twi was like, whap! Hey, Twi, you were a little too into that whip," said Rainbow, looking to Twilight with a smirk. Twilight stiffened.
"Wha- Shut up!" said Twilight in embarrassment.
"In any case, Lord Salem has provided you your pay for the quest," said the knight as he handed over a hefty purse full of coins. Twilight felt her arms slightly weighed down from the weight. It was about as heavy as the coins that Grunge had provided to them before.
"Thank you," said Twilight, as the knights began to round the bandits up into the prison carriage. Twilight began to dig through the coin purse, drawing out 10 coins.
"As agreed, 10 silver for one bandit," said Twilight. Leon took the coins and pocketed them.
"A pleasure doing business. If you need my services again, you know where to find me," said Leon as he began to walk off. Twilight was joined by the rest of her friends.
"Only 10 silver?" Rainbow asked.
"Yeah, he said he'd accept the amount offered per head. Since he took down one, he gets 10. Besides, it's not like we're ripping him off. I'd pay him more if we didn't need to save up for ourselves" said Twilight.
"Man, this is nothing like currency at home. I don't know the value or anything here in this place. All I know is a piece of gold is probably like 100 dollars to us or something," said Rainbow as she scratched her head.
"I think it might be a little more than that. But in any case, we can study the economics a bit," said Twilight. Rainbow groaned.
"You're gonna have us do homework here in this world?" asked Rainbow in dismay.
"It's a good idea, Dash. Just so we don't get ripped off if we're trying to make a purchase," said Twilight. She then noticed Rarity to be standing in front of a knight, looking herself over at her reflection on his breast plate.
"I look quite divine, don't you think, sir knight?" asked Rarity as she adjusted her indigo hair.
"Miss, I really ought to go," said the knight as he began to walk away, while Rarity moaned in dismay.
"You know that you have to give that stuff back, right?" asked Twilight.
"Give it back?! But it looks gorgeous on me! How can you ask me to part with such fabulous jewels and clothing?!" asked Rarity in shock.
"Rarity, we got you an outfit, remember? I mean, it's not as pretty, but I think it looks good on you," said Twilight.
"It's just a white tunic with violet leggings and boots! It's no different than what the rest of you are wearing!" said Rarity.
"I'm not going to wear a dress, 24/7. Rares! Besides, it wouldn't be good to maneuver in. At least this outfit is more freeing," said Rainbow as she kicked her leg freely.
"Come on, let's just head back! I think we need to celebrate our first successful quest!" said Pinkie as she grabbed her friends and held them close.
"Yeah!" the girls cheered in unison.
The sun was shining higher in the air. Junior was crouched near a pond, where a small waterfall poured down into. The water was teal in appearance, what with their reflection of the sky, sunlight and surrounding trees. The teen narrowed his eyes as he held up a spear, scanning the water. His breathing was quiet, and his body was still.
With a thrust, Junior sent the spear plunging into the water. A smile crept on his face as he raised his spear. He drew out a brown fish that was impaled by the tip of his spear. He turned and found Ann next to him, nodding in approval. Junior held out the spear to her, allowing the woman to take the fish and to hook it onto a line of thread. She then allowed the fish to slide along the thread, back into the water. There were a few other fish that had suffered a similar fate, waiting dead in the cold water.
"You think that's enough?" asked Junior.
"I think so. Good work today," said Ann.
"I tell ya, it's a pain in the ass to wait, but it is damn satisfying to catch one," said Junior as he pulled out the fish and carried them over his shoulder.
"I'm just glad to see you focused on other things. I could tell that you were stressed over your friends," said Ann.
"You have no idea," said Junior as he followed the blonde away from the pond. He then looked down in thought.
"Hey, Ms. Darrow," called Junior.
"Call me Ann," said Ann.
"Ann. What do you think about Kong?" asked Junior. Ann stiffened. She looked away as she cleared her throat.
"Wh-What do I think?" asked Ann.
"Yeah. You think he's a hard ass or a guy with delusions of grandeur or a guy that smoked a bit too much trees during a primitive religious ceremony?" asked Junior. Ann looked at him oddly.
"Where's this coming from?" asked Ann.
"Ah. Sorry, I'm being a dick. Forget it," said Junior.
"No, now you have me curious. What is your problem with Kong?" asked Ann, stepping in Junior's path.
"It's not him necessarily. It's more of what he says or thinks," said Junior, with a shrug.
"What could he have said that's gotten you to say stuff like that?" asked Ann. Junior sighed.
"Yesterday, Angirasu had us 'train' with Kong to control our mutantism. If you can call it that. He just gave a dumb lecture on how our inability to control ourselves stems from us not accepting ourselves or something. It was more like counseling mixed with spiritual crap," said Junior.
"How do you know it's not a valid reason?" asked Ann.
"You aren't actually taking him seriously, are you?" asked Junior incredulously.
"He hasn't steered me wrong before. Kong is smarter than you think, Gojira." Ann began to walk on, with Junior following.
"It might not be anything scientific, but there may be truth to what he's saying. If there wasn't truth to ideas, religions, or philosophies, people wouldn't believe in them. Don't think of it as hokum pokum. Think of it as another point of view," said Ann. Junior shook his head.
"Whether it's true or not, it doesn't apply to me," said Junior.
"Not accepting yourself?" asked Ann.
"That's right," answered Junior. He noticed Ann looking at him with an analytical look. Junior felt some discomfort from her intense stare.
"If you say so," said Ann, shrugging as she walked on. Junior felt a pit beginning to form in his stomach. He quickly pushed that aside and walked on.
Eventually, the two made it back to the village. Junior passed off the fish to one of the natives, who then took the fish to be prepped for cooking. As Ann went off onto her own business, Junior began to look around. Again, he found Rodan conversing with the youth of the Iwi tribe. Mosura, Sunset, and Fluttershy were in the process of learning to make baskets from scratch, with the use of long grass and wood. Angirasu was nowhere in sight, likely training with Kong.
"Hey, Goji," greeted Aria as she passed by. Sonata followed after her. The siblings carried baskets full of berries and other fruits, while Dwan passed by as she held a bow and a quiver of arrows. Junior looked around in confusion, finding that someone was missing.
"Hey, where's Adagio?" asked Junior. Aria stopped as she looked around in confusion.
"Huh. Where is she? I swear she was just with us," said Aria. Junior noticed a familiar color of orange curly hair disappearing behind a hut.
"Ah. There she is," said Junior as he began to jog over.
"Um, Goji I don't think-" Aria fell silent as Junior had already ran out of ear shot.
Junior sneaked over to the hut and peeked over the side. However, Adagio was nowhere in sight. He stepped out of cover and looked around. In his peripheral vision, he found Adagio running off behind another hut.
"Adagio?" called Junior as he ran after her. He stopped as he lost track of her again. He then heard foot steps passing by. He turned and found Adagio running off towards more huts, lugging a basket of fruit.
"Hey!" called Junior as he began to chase. "Why are you running?!"
"Stop following me!" cried Adagio, looking over her shoulder. She yelped as she suddenly tripped, dropping the basket to the ground and falling flat on her face. Junior gasped as he picked up the pace. He stopped near the girl, who painfully got up, groaning in dismay.
"I'm sorry! Are you OK?" asked Junior, worriedly, kneeling next to the girl. He held out his hand to her. Adagio bit her lip before standing up to her feet, dusting herself off.
"I-I'm fine," said Adagio in a small tone. She began to pick up the basket she dropped and began to gather the fruit she dropped. Junior began to help.
"You didn't say hi. In fact, I'm pretty sure you were hiding," said Junior as he handed Adagio the fruit. The girl looked away with a grimace.
"Is something wrong?" asked Junior.
"I..." Adagio glanced to the side. She began to step away.
"I gotta go!" said Adagio, turning and making her way out into the open in a rushed pace. Junior bore an odd look.
"What's with her?" Junior asked himself.
Twilight found herself in the dining room with her friends. The girls were eating the meals that were prepped for them after their successful quest. Twilight sighed in bliss as she took a bite of her food. It was stew that was mixed with potatoes, vegetables and beef. It was wonderful being able to have a hot meal such as this again after being forced to survive the jungle in their short time.
"If the other quests are as easy as that one, then we'll be making bank in no time! I bet we could buy an entire country!" said Rainbow, still giddy from earlier.
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, sugar cube," chuckled Applejack.
"Well, I hope the next quest doesn't involve any degenerates like the one earlier," shuddered Rarity, now sporting her white tunic and leggings.
"Speaking of which, what's the next quest?" asked Rainbow. Twilight drew out a stack of parchment papers.
"Well, there's a couple that doesn't involve danger. They seem to be more like errands. I was thinking we could split up and take care of those before tackling the more risky jobs," said Twilight.
"Ugh. They said they weren't going to send us out into the war, but they'll still have us take on dangerous quests," said Rarity as she sipped her water.
"What're the dangerous ones?" asked Rainbow eagerly.
"There's a bounty for a thief, considered armed and dangerous. There's also an 'extermination' job to get rid of an infestation for a roach nest," said Twilight.
"Ewww!" Rarity exclaimed.
"That one doesn't sound so dangerous," said Pinkie in confusion as a handmaid filled up her glass.
"If I may interject, it may be likely that the roaches are of the 'giga' species. Meaning they grow to the size of dogs, making them dangerous, especially in large numbers," said the handmaid.
"Please, anything but that quest," whimpered Rarity.
"Oh. Here's something interesting," said Twilight as she looked through one of the quests.
"Apparently we need a permit for these 'Delivery' quests by local businesses," said Twilight.
"Why?" asked Rainbow.
"Hmm. It looks like the kingdom has certain standards in regards to delivery services. Mercenaries or people like us looking for quick work are required to show a permit in order to get the job, to protect businesses from theft. Guess they're worried about non full time employees robbing their goods," said Twilight as she read the quest.
"Ugh. Sounds boring. But let's get that one over with. I wanna do the fun stuff later," said Rainbow.
"Alright. After lunch, we'll head on over to the... 'Elsinore Administration Hall'." said Twilight, reading over the quest.
Later...
Twilight and the gang found themselves walking through the streets of the city. As usual, the day was busy.
Citizens were going about their daily lives, not paying any mind to the five teenagers. This was good, considering that this meant the girls were blending in with the crowd. Before, their clothes from back home drew unwanted attention to them. These new outfits were helping in more ways than just one.
"Salem said that the Administration Hall should be around here somewhere," said Twilight as she looked through a local map.
"He was rather adamant about telling us, don't you think?" asked Rarity.
"I didn't notice anything," shrugged Pinkie. There was a sudden sound of tooting in the air. The teens stopped and found a man strolling along the street, carrying a kazoo. The man marched with a toot, as he sported a pot on his head.
"Huh." Twilight raised a brow. She then noticed a woman running down the street, her arms folded against her sides, positioned like chicken wings. She gave squawking sounds as a man chased her, wielding an axe.
"Good heavens!" Rarity cried in alarm, as a pair of guards tackled the man to the ground. Then, a man passed by, crawling on his hands and knees as he wore a leash around his neck. He barked as a dog chased after him.
"What's with the weirdos?" asked Rainbow.
"Oh, they must've been in the place of madness," spoke a man as he stopped by, lugging a sack over his shoulder.
"The 'place of madness'? What's that?" asked Twilight.
"It's also known as the Elsinore Administration Hall," said the man. Twilight perked up.
"That's where we're going! Do you know where we can find that? We need to obtain a permit to take on quests that involve delivery services," said Twilight.
"Certainly. The Administration Hall is just down the street," said the man, pointing to a large building. It appeared much like an ancient temple, held together by bricks and stone, with tall pillars along the sides. The building stood several stories high.
"Thank you! Come on!" said Twilight as she jogged on ahead.
"Good luck, for you will need it," said the man as he walked off.
"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Applejack. The man didn't respond and kept walking away.
"Anyone else getting weird vibes?" asked Rainbow as the girls followed Twilight.
"Yes, why would anyone say something like that?" asked Rarity.
"It's probably nothing," said Twilight.
The girls made their way up the steps of the building. They entered through the building, finding themselves in a great lobby, decorated with stone sculptures. The sculptures were depicting unfamiliar figures. The teens admired the lobby, as Twilight made her way over to a counter, where an old man stood.
"Excuse me, sir," called Twilight.
"Eh? What do you want?" asked the old man, his voice carrying a cranky tone.
"We want to obtain a copy of... permit number A 58," said Twilight, looking over the quest sheet briefly.
"You want to register for a Galley? They've sent you to the wrong place! You must go to a settlement located near the sea side! Elsinore is land locked. I recommend the port in Molusk Harbor," said the old man. Twilight looked at him in confusion.
"What? No, we don't want to register for a galley. We want a copy of permit A-58," said Twilight.
"The port in Molusk Harbor! I've already told you!" said the old man. Twilight began to grow annoyed.
"No, we don't want to go to the port. We want a copy of permit A-58!" said Twilight. The old man held a hand near his ear as he leaned close.
"A?" The old man questioned.
"A-58!" yelled Twilight, causing the elder to recoil.
"No need to shout! Such manners!" said the old man indignantly. "Head to window one, located in the left corridor, last door on the right. Got it?"
The teens proceeded to make their way in the corridor. They passed several doors, making their way to the last ones.
"Um... There's no door on the right," said Pinkie as she found a wall.
"Hm. He might've been mistaken. Let's try the one on the left," suggested Rarity. Twilight opened the door, opening it to find middle aged man sitting in a room alone, stroking a cat.
"Who told you to come in my office?!" demanded the man.
"We're trying to find window 1." Twilight replied, eyeing the man.
"Consult with the floor plan on the 4th floor. And closed the door! I'm playing with my pussy!"
"Phrasing," deadpanned Rainbow as she closed the door.
The girls spent the next few minutes climbing the stairs of the building. Their legs began to tire out, climbing the steep stairs. Eventually, they made their way to the 4th floor, finding the Floor Plan on the wall. It was a crowded plan, requiring discerning eyes to decipher it.
"There's a lot of rooms and stairs in this place," panted Pinkie.
"Hmm. According to this, window one should be... in the first corridor, the last door on the right!" said Twilight. The girls began to rush back down to the ground floor. They had an easier time getting down compared to climbing up. The gang soon made their way to their destination, finding two windows side by side. One was marked as "One".
"What is your business?" The older woman at the window asked.
"We just want a copy of permit A-58," panted Twilight.
"You've been misdirected. You'll have to apply at window 2," said the woman.
"The one next to you?" Asked Twilight, finding another woman seated behind the next window.
"No, that one is window 8. I don't recall where they moved number 2. Consult with the front desk," said the woman. Twilight slumped her shoulders.
"But... ugh." The girls groaned as they began to head back to the lobby. Rainbow slammed her hands on the front desk, an annoyed look on her face.
"Where is window 2?!" demanded Rainbow, startling the old man at the front desk.
"I've already told you, the port is in Molusk Harbor!" Responded the old man. Twilight scoffed.
"I've told you, we don't want the port! We want-" Twilight was interrupted.
"Please settle down, some of us are trying to work," spoke a man, dressed in a silk suit, with graying hair. He arrived at the scene as the voiced echoed into the lobby. "May I ask what the problem is?"
"I've no idea, Mr. Zane. They keep jabbering a bunch of nonsense," said the old man, while the girls scowled.
"We're looking for window 2," said Twilight. Zane hummed to himself, scratching his chin in a thoughtful manner.
"Window 2. Where did they put that one?" Zane asked himself.
"Last time anyone saw it was somewhere on the 3rd floor, corridor b, door 6, Mr. Zane," answered the old man. Zane bore a pleased smile.
"Well then, there you are ladies. There was nothing to get so worked up about," said Zane.
Later, Twilight and the gang were making another round walking up the stairs. Their legs beginning to tire out from all of their walking.
"At least we're making progress, right?" asked Rarity.
"Mm. I'm not feeling too confident," said Twilight in dismay. The teens soon found themselves at their destination. They found two windows, where two young women conversed on the other side.
"So she decided to purchase materials from a Niemite Trader to redecorate her bedroom," said the woman of window 2.
"And that's where she got those obnoxious curtains?" asked the second woman incredulously.
"You know her, she likes to show off. Even if it looks terrible. Mind you, she can't even afford to keep a handmaid to do the house work," said the lady window 2
"Um... miss?" Twilight called, awkwardly. However, the woman ignored her.
"She even went as far to save face by claiming that she likes to do the house work herself, but I know her husband's financial situation-"
"Excuse me." Twilight spoke up.
"Oh can't you see I'm busy?!" snapped the woman, startling the girls. "Where was I?"
"The financial situation," answered the second woman. The teens just stared incredulously.
"Oh yes! Poor Damien. You know he worked up-"
"EXCUSE ME, MISS!" Twilight snapped, startling the two women.
"By Providence, how rude people are these days! What do you want?" asked the first woman in annoyance.
"Permit A-58," growled Twilight.
"Have you filled in the blue forum?" asked the woman. Twilight stiffened.
"Blue forum?" asked Twilight.
"Yes! How else do you think you'll get permit A-58?" asked the woman.
"OK, where do we get the blue forum?" asked Twilight, hesitant.
"Window 1," answered the woman. The girls sighed in exasperation.
"We were just there!" cried Applejack. Again, the gang proceeded to back track their steps to window 1. But when they got there, the window was covered by a sheet.
"What the-" Twilight grew red with frustration.
"She's at lunch. You can apply at window 35. Ask them down at the desk," said the woman in window 8, knitting.
"I hate bureaucrats," said Rarity as she scowled.
30 minutes had gone by. Twilight and the gang had been backtracking their steps, moving through different corridors, climbing up and down endless stairs to countless rooms. Every time, they were required to go back and obtain a colored forum from another room on a different floor. All of this just for a simple delivery permit. By now, the girls held over a dozen different colored forums and were nowhere near reaching their goal.
Pinkie gave a high pitched scream, startling the rest of the girls.
"I can't take it anymore! It's a mad house! A mad house!!" Pinkie screamed, pulling her hair. She began to giggle manically as she dropped to floor. She began to spin on her side as she kicked her legs in a running motion, making an incoherent whooping sound like a Stooge. Her friends looked at her in shock and alarm as the girl had broke down into an incoherent mess. Pinkie rolled onto her sides as she gave unnerving giggles.
"Pinkie! Pinkie, calm down!" said Twilight, pulling Pinkie up to her feet, shaking her furiously. Pinkie froze but then began to break down crying.
"I hate this place! I hate it! There's nothing fun about it and we keep going back and forth! If I keep doing this, then I'm gonna explode!" cried Pinkie.
"Pinkie Pie, get a grip!" said Twilight, shaking Pinkie again.
"She has a point. This place sucks! And these people aren't any help!" said Rainbow.
"Now we know why they call it the place of madness," said Rarity, rubbing her temples.
"What're we gonna do, Twi? If people went crazy from being in here, then we might be falling into that as well," said Applejack. Twilight turned to her friends as Pinkie sniffled.
"No we won't. We're gonna get that permit, and no incompetent bureaucrat is gonna stop us! I have an idea. We'll turn their own incompetence against them. Watch!" said Twilight.
Later, the girls found themselves back tracking to window 2. As they reached the window, Twilight cleared her throat as the woman at the window was fixing her hair.
"Excuse me, is this where we can get permit A-59?" asked Twilight.
"Don't you mean, A-58?" asked the woman in amusement.
"No, what I want is A-59, as stipulated in the new circular B-65," said Twilight, as the rest of the gang looked to each other in confusion. To them, Twilight just spoke a whole other language.
"In the new circular B-65? One moment," said the woman as she looked to the one neighboring her.
"Have you heard of circular B-65?" whispered the woman. The woman next to her hummed to herself, stirring a cup of tea.
"Circular B-65... The one about permit A-59... No, not me," said the second woman with a shrug. "We should have to find out from the other filing systems of 'materials not yet coordinated'."
"Is he in the fifth floor, staircase zed, corridor B?" asked the first woman. Twilight was smirking as she looked to her friends, giving them a thumbs up.
"No, his office is on the second floor, staircase H, corridor M. Shall we go?" asked the second woman. The first nodded.
"Yes, we should," said the first woman. The two quickly exit from the door on the side of window 2, making their way down the hall and up the stairs. Twilight nodded.
"And now, we wait," said Twilight.
Later...
The entire Administration Hall was filled with cries of mania and despair. Employees filled the halls, crying out and babbling incoherently. People rolled along the floor, whooping, twiddling their lips while their eyes spun in their heads. People ran through the halls, carrying files, maps and parchment papers. Crying out for the whereabouts of A-59, and why no one had informed them about this new 'circular'.
Twilight and the gang stood by silently as they watched as the incompetent workers were driven to madness by their own system. Truly, it was a devious idea to turn the tables against these people. In search of a permit that Twilight just made up from the top of her head. The A.H. was so bloated that its workers were scrambling to others to find the nonexistent permit. It was shocking, to see how it was all crumbling before their very eyes. Twilight felt almost bad for bringing this on these people.
"You think we went too far?" asked Pinkie.
"Eh. Not really," shrugged Rainbow. Twilight smiled as she found Zane walking onto the scene, as the bureaucrats panicked.
"Quiet! Everyone, settle down!" shouted Zane. Twilight stepped over to the man and cleared her throat.
"Please, sir," said Twilight.
"Can't you see I'm busy? We're dealing with a Code 9, 'Employee Madness'! What is it that you want?" asked Zane.
"Permit A-58, please," said Twilight.
"Very well. Now kindly leave. Some people are trying to work!" said Zane as he handed Twilight a small parchment paper, filled with black text. The girls began to quickly run off from the scene. Zane sighed heavily as he watched the scene of his mad coworkers.
"I need to find a new line of work. Oh well," said Zane as he drew out a kazoo. He blew into it and began to diddle his lips. He gave a manic laugh as he joined the crowd.
Twilight and the gang exit out of the Administration Hall. Meanwhile, men and women dressed in white came rushing towards the building. They appeared as medieval nurses. The girls stepped aside as they entered.
"Agh, not again!" said a man in annoyance.
"I'm telling you! This place is cursed!" said another man as he entered the building.
"Someone needs to talk to Lord Salem about raising our pay for treating mad bureaucrats!" said another man.
"Maybe that wasn't such a good idea," said Twilight with a grimace.
"Eh... I'm sure they'll be fine. We should probably do those other quests," said Rainbow uneasily as the girls moved away from the building.
Junior was sitting alone on a log. He looked to the natives as they were gathered for their feast on this day.
It was here that Junior realized that he was by himself. It seemed that some things never changed. He'd often find himself alone in his days. As of now, his friends were going about a different routine. Whether it was daily chores or learning a new skill.
At the very least, Junior was happy that the others were managing to fit in some way or another with the Iwi. Especially Angirasu. However, he thought back to how Rodan was complaining about how the natives built Aang his own hut. At first, Junior didn't think too much of it at first, nor did he complain. But something about the Iwi's favoritism over Angirasu was off. Though Junior thought he was being envious. Still though, it was weird how Angirasu has been eager to 'train' with Kong.
It might've been Junior's imagination. Still, another thing on his mind was his interaction with Adagio earlier. It was all too familiar, though instead of her hating his guts, she was avoiding him like he had a disease. Junior took one last bite of his cooked fish and tossed the bones into the grass.
"I should probably talk to her." Junior said to himself, standing up. He began to walk passed the gathering, his eyes scanning the village for the Dazzling. The boy scratched his head as he searched his surroundings. He noticed Adagio carrying a bowl, filled with chopped fish meat, mixed with some berries. Junior went into hiding near a hut, finding the Dazzling to be walking over behind another hut, taking a seat. Junior emerged and made his way to her position.
"Mind if I sit here?" asked Junior casually. Adagio jumped with a start as she heard him. She turned to find him standing over her.
"I-I uh..." Adagio attempted to stand, but Junior had already sat down.
"Thanks," said Junior with a sigh. Adagio grimaced as she kept her eyes at her bowl.
"Those berries any good?" asked Junior. Adagio silently held out her bowl to the boy, while avoiding eye contact.
"I'm good. I just wanted to know if they taste good," said Junior in amusement. By looking at the girl's body language, he could tell Adagio was acting off. It was like she wasn't comfortable.
"If you rather eat alone, I can leave. I just thought we could hang out," said Junior as he stood up.
"You don't have to." Adagio said, timidly. Junior noticed the sad expression on her face.
"Come on, talk to me. Why the long face?" asked Junior, kneeling back down.
"Well... how're you feeling?" asked Adagio. Junior raised a brow.
"How am I feeling?" asked Junior.
"Yeah. Do you feel off in anyway? A-Are you sleeping well?" asked Adagio, her tone growing a bit frantic.
"Honestly I haven't been sleeping great," said Junior. Adagio deeply frowned.
"I mean, I haven't been sleeping well since we were separated from the others. Not to mention that I'm sleeping out in the cold in a sleeping bag outside," said Junior.
"O-Oh," responded Adagio. Junior awkwardly cleared his throat.
"I was expecting more than that," said Junior.
"Huh?" Adagio looked at him curiously.
"Yeah, I was expecting you to say, 'Oh, well maybe we can sleep together tonight instead'. Something like that," said Junior, shrugging. Adagio gasped with a flustered look.
"Ah don't look at me like that!" Said Junior as he looked away, growing flustered himself. "I was just trying to break the tension."
Adagio blushed to herself. She softly sighed. She took a berry and held it out to Junior with a soft smile.
"These are actually pretty sweet," said Adagio. Junior was about to take it, but the girl held it close to his face. Junior instinctively opened his mouth, allowing Adagio to place it in his mouth. Adagio suppressed a giggle as Junior looked away, embarrassed.
"Seems that you've already bounced back," said Junior in annoyance. Adagio was slowly eating, still looking down in the dumps.
"Dwan giving you trouble?" asked Junior.
"Well... kinda," answered Adagio.
"I get it. There's always that one person in your life that gets under your skin. Sometimes you just wanna beat the shit out of them," said Junior. Adagio chuckled.
"Yeah, that's sometimes how I feel," said Adagio.
"Still, we can't always go off because of people like that. She's a bitch, I know. But it helps to not-"
"It's not just that..." Adagio interrupted. Junior looked to her attentively. Adagio looked away with a frown. "I shouldn't say."
"Just say it," said Junior.
"Mosura... kinda has it out for me," said Adagio.
"I've noticed," said Junior, thinking back to some of the last interactions the two girls had.
"Yeah, but I'm pretty sure she'd kill me if she saw me talking to you right now. All because of what happened," said Adagio, bitterly. The guilt of the past beginning to well up inside. Junior sighed.
"So that's what this is about. Don't worry about Mosu. If she has a problem with it, she can talk to me. Now's not the time for us to be at each other's throats," said Junior. Adagio smiled with an impressed look.
"You know, it's pretty cool how you can take charge like that," said Adagio.
"Ah. I'm not really taking charge. It's just a fact," said Junior, shaking his head.
"I don't know. Ever since we've been stranded in this world, you've been there to help keep us straight. Whether it was keeping me and Sunset from fighting, taking the lead of the group... It's admirable," said Adagio.
"Really, it's nothing," said Junior.
"It's not nothing. I think there's something in you that you don't even know was there," said Adagio.
"It's just situational. Everyone's scared and isn't sure what to do. I'm just more likely to fight than run," said Junior. "I don't do well in hierarchies. I mean, I'll follow the rules, I won't challenge someone over me, but I've never really fit in."
"I..." Adagio noticed a small frown on Junior's face. He quickly placed on a neutral expression.
"Enough about that. Don't be afraid to talk to me about anything," said Junior, smiling to the girl.
"Yeah... Same to you," said Adagio, absent minded. Junior was silent as he took in the relaxing air. Adagio was still fixated on what the boy had just said. She wondered where that had come from. All she was doing was singing praise for Junior stepping up to take control of a bad situation. Something about that last conversation was upsetting to her.
'You've never fit in?' thought Adagio, glancing at the boy.
Rainbow was running down the streets of Elsinore. She made sure to pace herself and to remain slow enough as to not plow through the town, but fast enough to be above the average speed of a person.
Rainbow had a satchel over her shoulder, containing items that were expected to be delivered. She stopped as she looked through the town map she had. The tomboy muttered to herself as she scanned the area, searching the landmarks and street names displayed via signs on poles.
Meanwhile, back at the house of Salem, the rest of the girls were going over their remaining quests.
"OK, so Rainbow's going to be making those deliveries with that permit we went through the trouble of getting," said Twilight. "While she's doing that, we can get one of these quests over with to earn more money."
"It should be something not too risky if it's only four of us. Maybe that extermination job," said Applejack. Rarity groaned.
"Do we have to?" asked Rarity. Twilight sighed.
"If you really want to set that one out, maybe we can trust you with something to do on your own while we're gone," said Twilight. Pinkie hummed to herself as she took one of the quests off the table.
"I don't think Rarity can handle it," said Pinkie.
"I beg your pardon?" Rarity cocked an eyebrow.
"You're too clean and refine to take on some of these quests. Could be dangerous for you to take on by yourself," said Pinkie. Rarity scoffed.
"That doesn't mean I'm helpless! I just don't want to kill giant bugs! I just got this outfit!" said Rarity indignantly.
"Well, this morning you were complaining about how it wasn't fancy," deadpanned Applejack.
"Maybe she doesn't have to take on a quest. Some of these may require us together, and we may need preparation," said Twilight as she began to use a quill and ink to write on a parchment. She handed the parchment to Rarity.
"How about looking through the markets and looking at more items. I have a list of things we could use," said Twilight. Rarity did a quick scan on the list.
"Armor, medicine, snacks, tools, and... steads?" Rarity looked at Twilight in confusion.
"Hey, you never know. What if we get a quest that requires us to travel?" shrugged Twilight.
"Oh! Find out how much it costs to buy a dinosaur to ride!" said Pinkie eagerly.
"We're not buying a dinosaur!" said Twilight in annoyance. She then turned to Rarity. "Don't actually buy anything."
"Window shopping? I can handle that," said Rarity with a nod.
"Good. AJ, Pinkie, let's head on down to the client," said Twilight.
During this afternoon, Rarity found herself strolling through town. She was looking through the stores, looking over prices for the items. Just your typical day of window shopping. Except Rarity never really window shopped before. When she went out, she planned to purchase something.
While she was glad to have gotten out of that particular task, Rarity felt a little guilty. She knew that her friends would've counted on her to help on that quest. But just the idea of the job gave the girl the shivers. She could only imagine these large creepy crawlies, scurrying on the ground, their multiple legs clicking and flailing, their antennae twitching, and their black eyes staring. Rarity shuddered in disgust as she imagined the giant roaches.
Even still, her friends were doing what they could for these quests. The more Rarity thought of her own selfishness, the more disappointed she became. She had to make up for this somehow. Rarity began to make her way down the street. By a stand, there was a man holding out a cloak to another.
"I tell you, this will be help you out there on the road. This material is resistant to flames, and is thick enough to provide warmth for the cold climate up North," said the salesman. Rarity stopped in her tracks and watched curiously.
"I'm looking for something more like armor, but more light. Don't you have anything like leather or something?" asked the customer.
"Ah. Actually, I have something you might like," said the salesman as he reached beneath his stand, drawing out a long sleeved piece of dark clothing.
"Is this a joke?" asked the customer in annoyance.
"I assure you, it's not. This was made from a number of materials, primarily spider's silk," said the salesman. Rarity's brows rose as she heard this. She began to approach.
"Spider's silk?" asked the customer with a snort.
"Yes! Only the best and richest silk, from the healthiest arachnids in the land! It's not easy to come by, let alone produce," said the salesman.
"Why would I want silk outfits? I'm not one of these fruit nobles!" scoffed the customer.
"Excuse me, sir. May I see that?" asked Rarity, stepping to the stand. The salesman handed the top over to the teen. Rarity hummed as she inspected it, feeling the fabric at her finger tips. She began to gently tug at the fabric.
"Come now, don't be afraid to be rougher with it," said the salesman with a grin.
"Lady, if you tear that, you're the one paying for it," deadpanned the customer, shaking his head. Rarity gave a harder tug.
"Incredible! I've never felt material like this before!" said Rarity. She began to turn it over. "It’s a bit elastic, yet durable!"
"As it should! Spider's silk is quite strong, but this particular silk comes from large ones. That multiplies the strength of common spider webs by ten times! But that also makes it harder to harvest," said the salesman.
"What are the limits?" asked Rarity.
"Well, this is just a top. It's better for insulation and offers minimal protection. It's meant to be worn under these additional armor pieces," said the salesman as he drew out a pair of thick leggings and new armor pieces. Rarity noted that the vest almost looked similar to kevlar armor. It was thicker compared to the shirt. There were also shoulder pieces, thigh pieces, and fore arm pieces of armor. Rarity began to inspect the armor. While she was mainly into fashion, she was trained to have an understanding of the different materials and fabrics. This was nothing she's seen before. The armor pieces were light, but they were thick and solid as steel.
"Wearing this, you might be able to take on a single raptor dragon with minimal damage to yourself. That is if you're a skilled warrior," said the salesman, looking to the customer with a smirk.
"This must be expensive, what with the materials and time needed to make this," said Rarity.
"I won't lie, the price is steep. 10 gold pieces. But you won't find an armor set as light and durable as this," said the salesman. The customer hummed as he drew out a knife. Rarity gasped as he suddenly jammed his knife over the armor set. He began to quickly stab every inch of the set. No damage was done.
"See? But be warned, you'll get nasty bruises if you allow someone to try and stab you like that," chuckled the salesman.
"Very well. You've convinced me," said the customer, putting away his knife. He drew out a coin purse and began to place ten gold pieces on the counter.
"I'll take it," said the customer.
"Excellent choice, my friend! May you be safe on your adventures!" said the salesman, taking the coins while the customer took the armor set. As he left, the salesman looked to Rarity with a grateful smile.
"I must thank you, miss. It's not easy to convince people to purchase something like that," said the salesman.
"Oh, not at all. But is it really difficult to make something like that?" asked Rarity.
"Extremely. The spiders that produce such silk dwell in cold dark areas, usually caves or trenches. Not to mention they are quite dangerous. So you can imagine harvesting enough silk to make the thread is risky," said the salesman as he placed a hand on the counter top. "Even if you manage to successfully harvest enough, it takes days to weave it into something. That entire set took me over a month to put together."
"Do you happen to have any left?" asked Rarity.
"No, that was the last one. I only made two. It's unfortunate. Even though it's a long and tedious process to work on alone, I enjoy it very much. Besides armor, I've had a few other ideas to make use of the thread," said the salesman. He sighed in dismay. "But my last trip was uneventful. It's actually more expensive to hire mercenaries for an escort than it is to make the products."
"What if... What if I could help," said Rarity. She spoke without thinking. She was admiring the man's passion that she couldn't stand the thought of his potential limited by a lack of access to materials. It reminded her of herself, whenever she wanted to do a project but lacked the funds or materials to do so.
"I can't ask a young lady such as yourself to do that," said the salesman, shaking his head.
"But sir, that silk could be good business for you," said Rarity.
"It's not worth endangering lives over mere coin. I can make due with my common products," said the salesman.
"Still, think of the lives you'd be saving with such material. And all of the uses the silk could provide. Isn't that worth a little danger?" asked Rarity. She then smiled kindly. "I wouldn't be offering my help if I wasn't capable of defending myself."
The salesman hummed to himself, thoughtful.
"I can't promise that I'll be able to pay you right away," said the salesman.
"No need, darling. We artists must do what we can to help our talents bloom," said Rarity.
"Then perhaps you wouldn't mind helping me now?" asked the salesman. Rarity recoiled in surprise.
"Sure, but what about..." Rarity looked to the stall.
"I've just made ten gold today. I think I can afford to take the rest of the day off," said the salesman as he began to put things away. "I know the perfect spot just near the town. Meet me back at this street in an hour. I have to prepare!" Said the salesman as he locked up his stall and began to place the remaining products on display into a crate beneath, locking it up tightly. Then he closed the cabinet the crate was inside, locking it as well.
'If I knew that I was going to find myself facing off against giant bugs anyway, I'd have joined the girls,' thought Rarity in dismay.
Later...
Rarity found herself following the salesman in the outskirts of the town. They were a couple miles from the city walls and were at a vast field of green. The salesman was dressed in leather clothes, with leather based armor covering his arms, shoulders, thighs and chest. He also was wielding a wooden club.
"You're certainly prepared," said Rarity.
"With how dangerous things can be, it's wise for any man to be clad in armor. Had I known you had nothing, I'd have lent you something," said the salesman.
"I'm fine. I don't rely on weapons or armor," said Rarity, though that sounded more like bragging than a statement of a fact.
"Then are you a mage? That may explain your confidence," said the salesman.
"You can say that," said Rarity. Truth be told, she wasn't too confident in her abilities. She's still learning to wield her power and has never used it on her own like this, but she trusted to rely on her instincts and what Amber had taught her.
"We're near the trench," said the salesman. Rarity's blood ran cold as the two stopped. Ahead, they found the ground littered with strands of silk, which glistened in the sun. There was a deep trench ahead, reaching fifteen feet below ground. More thick webs littered the walls and ground of the trench. There was an inclined steep hill that led down into the trench, and ahead were multiple burrows that were large enough to fit rabbits. Around each burrow were sheets of web covering the dirt.
"Oh my..." Rarity gulped. She was beginning to have second thoughts.
"You see there, there's plenty of silk ready for the taking. Trouble is, those spiders will emerge from their burrows once they feel the webs tampered with," said the salesman.
"How did you harvest the silk?" asked Rarity.
"Well, the hired help killed a couple of spiders and we took a couple of egg sacs. But I don’t want to kill off the spiders here, so I have a new idea," said the salesman as he set his bag down from his back. He drew out a metallic canister.
"If we can just draw one of them out, we can knock it out, bind its legs and body. Then we can harvest as much thread as we please," said the salesman.
"How do we do that?" asked Rarity. The salesman showed her the canister.
"An alchemist claimed that this could knock it out. Do you know any spells that we can use to trap it?" asked the salesman.
"My abilities only revolve around forming constructs. It's not necessarily magic. But, I may be able to form an enclosure around it," said Rarity.
"Good. We'll draw one out and you trap it. Remember, keep quiet when we're down there," said the salesman. The two began to carefully walk down the hill. Rarity followed close behind, eyeing the burrows nervously. She had a feeling her friends were in less danger then she was, but it was too late to back out now.
The two made it to the bottom. The salesman motioned for Rarity to stay put. He looked to the ground, finding the sheets of web all around. He knelt down and drew out a small cage from his bag. He set it down and drew out a mouse. Rarity cupped her mouth, almost screaming in fright. The salesman took the mouse and tossed it to the nearest burrow. The mouse squeaked, scrambling up to its feet. It began to scurry away, its paws hitting the sheets of web surrounding the burrow.
From the burrow, a brown cat sized spider lunged out of the burrow, snatching the mouse with its two front legs and quickly dragged it into its burrow. Rarity whimpered as she flinched. That thing was about the size of the one that attacked Junior. It was quite fast as well.
"It's a female. Perfect," whispered the salesman. He took the canister he had and pulled the pin. He stepped closer to the burrow, just a few feet away. The canister hissed as the colorless gas began to spray. He threw the canister into the burrow and quickly retreated next to Rarity.
"Get ready! It might leave its burrow because of that!" whispered the salesman. Sure enough, the spider shot out of its burrow, twitching its fangs and smaller front appendages. The spider gave a hissing sound as it quickly scurried over to the humans' position, likely enraged.
"Eep!" Rarity barely registered its approach. She quickly raised her hands and trapped the spider in a crystal dome. The spider scurried around, attempting to escape its prison.
"Can you open the top? I have one more canister," said the salesman.
"Yes. I'll give you a small opening. Be careful," said Rarity, anxious. She focused, causing pieces on top of the dome to vanish. The salesman dropped the second canister inside. The spider twitched as it attempted to get away, but the gases began to overcome the oxygen. It slowed down and lied flat on the ground, its fangs slowly twitching.
"Is it out?" asked Rarity. The salesman tapped the dome, getting no response from the spider.
"Yes. Remove the dome. I only have a short amount of time to restrain it," said the salesman, drawing out cloth straps, large metallic nail-like spikes. He took two poles and carefully began to flip the spider onto its back. He then began to part its legs, laying them down splayed out in the dirt. The salesman then carefully placed the cloth strap over the legs on its left and hammered it down into the dirt to keep it secured. He then did the same to the legs on the right.
The salesman proceeded to set up a device, which bore a wheel. He then took a pair of tweezers and took a thin strand of web that stuck out from the spinnerets of the arachnid. He gently pulled the strand, which extended out from the abdomen and hooked it onto the bar on the wheel. The salesman began to carefully spin the wheel, which drew in more web.
"Keep an eye out. I'd hate for more to show up," said the salesman as he reeled in more web. Rarity anxiously scanned the area. She didn't know how long this man planned to remain here or how much silk he wanted to harvest, but she hoped that the arachnids would remain in their burrows until they left.
Fifteen minutes went by, and there were three wheels lying on the ground. The wheels bore miles worth of silk wrapped around them.
The salesman replaced his last wrapped wheel with another. He again grabbed a strand of silk from the spinnerets and hooked it to the wheel. The spider had regained its senses but was unable to move. Its fangs twitched as its black eyes stared off.
"Almost, done my dear. Just one more wheel," said the salesman. Rarity sighed in relief.
"Thank goodness," said Rarity.
"I was actually talking to the spider," said the salesman in amusement.
"Oh..." Rarity tittered.
"They may look frightening, but there's a beauty and elegance to them. As all creatures, they have a role to play," said the salesman.
"I'll take your word for it," said Rarity. "The last giant spider attacked a... friend of mine," said Rarity. She realized that she hesitated to finish that sentence. The girl wondered if after all that happened, 'friend' was an accurate description to call the boy on her mind.
"Oh. I'm so sorry," said the salesman apologetically.
"Don't worry, he wasn't hurt. Though I think he was traumatized," said Rarity as she thought back to the jungle. She suppressed a giggle.
"I shouldn't laugh. But looking back, his reaction was delightfully amusing. Poor dear. I rarely see him like that. He's normally stoic," said Rarity, almost nostalgic.
"I don't blame him. Do you remember what kind of spider it was?" asked the salesman.
"I actually don't know much about spiders. I do remember that it was brown and hairy. It apparently attacked him from the trees in a jungle," said Rarity.
"Hmm. Sounds like it could've been a 'Giga Hunter Spider," said the salesman. "They can leap several feet through the air and drop from the trees. They have a habit at jumping on men's faces whenever they happen to cross paths."
"That's exactly what happened," giggled Rarity. She then bore a pondering look.
"What does Giga mean?" asked Rarity.
"It's short for 'Gigantic'. It applies to creatures that happen to be much larger compared to normal sized ones. There are species of smaller hunter spiders as well," explained the salesman.
"Good to know that not everything is 'super sized'," said Rarity.
"Yes, but even the Giga members of the largest animals pale in comparison to a Titan," said the salesman. Rarity did a double take.
"Titan?" asked Rarity. The salesman looked at her strangely.
"You've never heard of Titans?" asked the salesman.
"I... can't say that I have," said Rarity.
"They're only the mightiest creatures in the world! Living god-like beings, with the forms of mighty beasts!" said the salesman.
"And... they're larger than Gigas?" asked Rarity.
"My dear, they are colossal. Their very bodies and power can break mountains, drown cities, and scorch land. While they are destructive, they are believed to be creators. Their power can bring about life after they trample land. They are Providence's representation of his majesty, his strength and wrath," said the salesman. Rarity felt some tension from this conversation.
"Have you ever seen one?" asked Rarity.
"Nope," answered the salesman, reeling in more silk.
"Then... how do you know if such creatures exist?" asked Rarity.
"They exist. Our ancestors knew them, and they knew us. They rest, only emerging when they please. I would much like to witness one someday," said the salesman as the wheel was completely wrapped. He then snapped the strand and set aside the wheel.
"I believe we have enough. No reason to press our luck," the salesman as he set the wheels into his bag.
"If only spiders could be domesticated. This would be easier to just take it with us. But I'd hate to remove its fangs. Oh well," sighed the salesman. Rarity projected a hook-like object, as she and the salesman climbed out of the spider trench. She levitated the hook to the straps that restrained the spider's legs and began to yank them off. The spider flipped itself over and scurried back into its burrow. Rarity sighed in relief, using her projection ability to retrieve the nails and straps.
"I appreciate this, Miss Belle. How can I repay you?" asked the salesman.
"Just put that silk to good use," said Rarity with a smile.
"I will. I hope that you are willing to assist me again another day," said the salesman. Rarity nodded.
"Yes! I'm staying as a guest in Lord Salem's home. I'm sure to see you around," said Rarity. She then just realized what she agreed to.
It was the late afternoon. Rarity sighed as she lied in a tub, soaking up in warm water. She had a content look as her nerves relaxed and her pores opened.
This was one of the few things that reminded her of home. A nice hot bath. It was great to say the least, considering her current situation. But Rarity felt an ache in her heart.
While Rarity knew what the plan was, she feared being unable to return to her world. If that were the case, she'd never see her family again. Never mind the modern luxuries that she left behind, as that was replaceable. She was also worried about the rest of her friends, whom they've been separated from.
After her bath, Rarity emerged with her body wrapped in a towel. She dried off her body, then wrapped her long wet hair up in the towel. The teen had dressed herself into a night gown. She then lied herself down on one of the beds of the room she was housed in. Rarity just stared at the ceiling, not saying a word. She kept thinking about her home.
'Mother, father, Sweetie Belle... Will I ever see you again? Oh foo, I forgot to buy more cat food for Opal,' thought Rarity. Her lips quivered as she began to tear up. She held an arm over her eyes, holding in her whimpers. There was a sudden knock.
"Lady Rarity?" A feminine voice called. Rarity quickly wiped her face as she began to compose herself.
"C-coming!" Rarity made her way to the door and answered. She found a young handmaid, carrying a package.
"A man claiming to have met you requested this to be delivered to you," said the handmaid. Rarity raised a brow as she took the package.
"Thank you," said Rarity. The handmaid bowed her head before closing the door. Rarity set the package on the bed and proceeded to open it. She softly gasped to herself. She drew out a single spool of silk thread. She found at least a dozen other spools inside. Rarity drew out a note that was left in the package.
"Oh. 'A percentage of the harvest, as thanks for your help. Do as you please with them'." Rarity softly smiled. She admired the fine thread that glistened in the light candle lights of the room.
The door suddenly opened. Rarity turned to find Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow and Pinkie to be walking in. They were covered in dirt and what appeared to be insect juice.
"No way! I totally smashed more than you!" said Rainbow indignantly.
"In your dreams! I smashed more! I'm covered in much more of that roach pudding than you!" scoffed AJ. Twilight sighed.
"Unfortunately." Twilight grimaced. Rarity gagged as she cupped her mouth.
"Good lord!" cried Rarity.
"Rarity, please tell me the bath is big enough for all of us," whined Pinkie.
"It is, but don't even think about cleaning yourselves in there! That's meant for relaxation! You need to scrub and rinse yourselves first. There's a reservoir of water meant to be scooped with a bucket in the bathroom," said Rarity.
"Ooh! Who needs help with scrubbing their back?" asked Pinkie. Rainbow sighed.
"Don't make it weird," said Rainbow.
"Rarity, would you mind putting our earnings in the chest?" asked Twilight, tossing a coin purse onto a bed. The girls began to make their way to the bathroom.
"It’s like a spa in here!" Pinkie's voice muffled from behind the walls.
Rarity proceeded to take the coin purse and knelt next to a medium sized chest that Salem had lent to them. Inside, she found a pile of silver pieces inside, which were originally from Grunge. Rarity began to pour the several silver pieces into the chest. It was just about half empty, leaving plenty of space for more coin.
Rarity heard the giggles and yelps from the bathroom. It seemed that her friends were enjoying themselves. The teen smiled to herself, having some comfort in knowing that she wasn't alone in this foreign world.
Junior was walking silently in the evening. His soles touched the cold grass with every step that he took. By now, the natives were beginning to turn in for the night.
It was funny. Every morning, Junior would stir, dreading that he would have to go to school. But once he registered the breeze, the sunlight on his face, and the chatter, he'd remember that he was nowhere near home. Though now, he would kind of wish that he was waking up to go to school.
Junior sighed tiredly as he made his way to his sleeping place, but he froze. There was a haunting howl in the air. He turned to the wall, which kept out whatever horrible beasts roamed in the jungle. The howl grew into wails and moans. This was causing some of the natives to emerge from their huts, frightened by the sounds.
Junior made his way to the ladder, scaling up the great wall. Once he reached the top, he began to look down to the other side. Nothing but the spiked obstacles stood in the field. The jungle was filled with a dense fog, making it near impossible to see through. However, Junior could see a lanky humanoid figure moving through the fog, clutching its head.
"Another," said a voice. Junior flinched, turning to find Kong looking down at the figure with a hard expression.
"Jesus! Don't sneak up on people!" said Junior in annoyance. Kong said nothing as he drew a spear out, raising it. Instinctively, Junior stepped aside, as Kong focused in on his target.
"Is that necessary? I mean it could-" Junior was interrupted as Kong threw the spear, impaling the figure.
"Never mind, psycho," said Junior as Kong sent him a look.
"That was no man," said Kong, leaping down to the ground below, leaving a heavy thump. Junior stared wide eyed.
"What kind of mutant is capable of dropping that far down?" asked Junior. That may seem like a dumb question, but Junior knew that Transmutants had a limit to their super human strength. At least from what he saw. But he never knew the extent a mutant can grow strong with a lifestyle as Kong's.
Down below, Kong inspected the humanoid that lied dead with a spear in its chest. The king confirmed that it was exactly like the creatures he encountered before. He didn't like this, considering how close it was to his territory. And it seemed that there were more out there. But Kong still couldn't figure out what they were.
There was a sudden distant shriek. Kong shot his head up, hearing birds flying off as they were startled. The shriek was like a screech that became a bellow. It was too familiar to him.
It was morning. The sun had risen over the roaring jungle. The fog was lifting as the air began to warm up from the blazing sun.
From the Iwi village, a small group of natives were gathered, armed with spears and marked with yellow paint. Kong stood at the wall, watching as the Iwi stared silently, attentive to their king.
"No, I wish for you all to remain here behind these walls. I'll be the one to investigate," said Kong. The Iwi said nothing. Instead, their grips tightened on to their weapons as they stood stoically. Kong gave an annoyed sigh.
"You can't expect them to let you go off on your own," said Ann as she made her way to Kong's side.
"I am no child, Ann. Do you see your king as such?" called Kong, glaring at the natives. "Do you think of me as a child still on the teat? You dishonor me by standing here before me when I've-" Kong was silenced as Ann tapped his shoulder.
"Kong, they just want to help. Why not give them a chance? It's not like you're going after Skull Crawlers," said Ann.
"I can't be too sure," said Kong. Ann gave him a slight frown.
"At least have someone with you to have your back," said Ann.
"You worry too much," said Kong.
"How can I not? It's dangerous out there," said Ann, worry growing on her face. Kong sighed.
"If it will give you peace, then I will. But none of the natives," said Kong as he looked off. He found Angirasu and Junior carrying a log.
"Angirasu!" called Kong. Like a dog, Angirasu perked up and turned to the one who called him. He released the log, leaving Junior to struggle to hold it up.
"Hey!" Junior exclaimed.
"Yes?" Angirasu approached the older mutant.
"I'm off to patrol the area. Ann sees it necessary to bring someone along, so I ask you to join me," said Kong. Ann rolled her eyes, bemused.
"Yeah, you can count on me," smiled Angirasu.
"Hey, wait!" Junior called as he dragged the log along. "You're both leaving? For what?"
"To find out more about our unwanted visitor. They're nothing like we've seen, so it's necessary to find where they come from," said Kong.
"Hey if it's just you, then why don't I come along? Sounds like it'll be dangerous," said Junior.
"No. We'll handle it on our own just fine," deadpanned Kong. Junior slightly narrowed his eyes, growing annoyed. He knew that the two of them had gotten off to a rough start, but he was being reckless to go out there on his own, especially with Aang.
"Actually Kong, I think he'd be helpful out there. He's pretty tough," said Angirasu.
"Brawn is nothing without discipline or wit," said Kong.
"It's gotten me this far," scoffed Junior.
"No, I think it's a good idea. A team of 'Titans' have a better chance out there. Besides, this is a good time for you boys to get to know each other better," said Ann, smiling warmly. Kong grimaced. "Maybe you should ask Rodan to come too. The boys gotta be men, right?"
Kong took a breath and sighed. He narrowed his eyes at Junior.
"You do as I say," said Kong, taking a spear from an Iwi. Junior sent him an annoyed look. But he noticed Ann sending him a smile of encouragement.
"Understood," said Junior.
Later, Junior, Rodan, Angirasu found themselves following Kong through the jungle. They navigated through bushes, tall grass, passed great trees, and buzzing insects.
So far, the patrol has been quiet. No conflict was encountered. All there were was the scampering of smaller animals and the flight of tropical birds. Junior was eyeing the trees warily.
"You OK, man?" asked Rodan.
"Just keeping an eye out for those fuckin' spiders," said Junior.
"I would hate to see your composure with a larger creature," said Kong.
"Hey! This spider was the size of a damn cat! It jumped on my face!" said Junior, indignantly.
"That's nothing. They are easily killed. Unlike the Death Jackals," said Kong.
"I don't even know what that is," said Junior with a sigh.
"Perhaps I'll introduce you to one," said Kong with a smirk.
"Is that a threat?" asked Junior.
"Hold," Kong raised a hand, his expression hardened. The boys stopped, falling silent. Kong made his way further up to a tree. He ducked behind it, taking a peek beyond. He motioned for the boys to follow. The teens crouched as they sneaked over to Kong's position. They caught sight of a familiar humanoid on its knees, feasting on a dead jackalope. Its yellow gnarly teeth tore through fur and flesh, panting as it snarled with every bite.
"Jesus..." Rodan whispered in disturbance. Just the sickly and bony appearance of the creature was sickening enough.
"These abominations have been emerging lately. I've yet to find out what they are or where they come from," whispered Kong as the humanoid continued to feed. Its sunken eyes darted around as it began to twitch. The remains of the horned rabbit fell to the grass. There was a distant blow of a trumpet in the air, which the humanoid seemed to have heard. It held its head and gave an inhumane wail, causing the teens to flinch with a start, as the creature's jaws almost unhinged. The creature suddenly stopped and began to run off from the area, leaving behind the remains of the rabbit. The Transmutants emerged from hiding, making their way to where the creature stood.
"Did you see that? It was like that thing was responding to that trumpet," said Angirasu. Kong nodded in agreement.
"As I feared, there is far more to them then we know," said Kong, furrowing his brows.
"Let's follow it and see where it goes," said Junior.
"I'll take the lead. You follow," said Kong as he began to jog off. The teens followed, passing more bushes and the endless trees that made up this jungle. Along the way, there was no sign of the humanoid, nor any that were like it. Kong had stopped and scanned the tracks left behind along the way. Kong raised his head, finding that the humanoid was scampering further down a dark part of the jungle.
"Let's go!" said Rodan.
"No, hold on!" Kong pulled Rodan back as he attempted to give chase.
"What's the big deal? It's right there," said Junior in confusion.
"No, this area is much too far from the village. It's too dangerous," said Kong as he stood and began to walk off.
"Wha- This entire jungle is dangerous! What's so bad about that area?" asked Junior
"That forest is unnatural. It's not somewhere to be. Come, we should return," said Kong as he continued to leave.
"Seriously? What's in there that would possibly-" Junior was interrupted as Angirasu tapped his shoulder.
"Come on. We should trust him on this," said Angirasu. Junior rolled his eyes.
"Fine."
The Transmutants began to leave the area. From the shadows, a pair of fiery eyes stared. It watched as the group moved away from the dark forest. The eyes blinked briefly, before narrowing.
In the House of Salem, Twilight was sitting at a desk. Her eyes were glued to the pages as she had some coins around her, a quill and ink and parchment. She muttered to herself as she jotted down notes.
In the room with her were Pinkie, Applejack, Rainbow, and Rarity. Rainbow and AJ were playing a game of chess, while Rarity was drawing on some parchment. Pinkie was hovering over her shoulder, watching.
"You can't make that move," said Applejack. Rainbow looked at her in confusion but then placed her piece back. She was about to move, but heard AJ snort.
"You sure you wanna make that move?" asked Applejack. Rainbow grew annoyed. The tomboy scratched her head with a heavy sigh, slouching forward. AJ smirked at her friend's indecisiveness. She had this game in the bag.
"Ah ha!" Rainbow exclaimed, causing Twilight to jump with a start. The book worm groaned in annoyance as she noticed she had left a streak of ink across her paper.
"Your move!" said Rainbow as she moved her piece.
"OK," shrugged Applejack. She moved one of her pieces and smirked.
"Checkmate," said AJ. Rainbow went slack jawed.
"Are you freakin' serious?!" Rainbow groaned in exasperation, causing Twilight to flinch with a start. She turned to glare at the two girls, as AJ chuckled.
"A little strategy wouldn't hurt," said Applejack, as Rainbow fumed.
"Do you mind?" Twilight narrowed her eyes.
"Oh. Sorry, Twi," said Applejack, standing up. Twilight sighed as she turned back to her desk.
"Make yourselves useful and look into our next quests. I'm trying to study a bit on the economics of this country," said Twilight as she turned the page pf her book.
"Ugh. What's the rush? We've been doing nothing but surviving and working! Let's take a load off for the day," said Rainbow.
"Out of the question! We have to make up for the kindness of these people. Not to mention we need to find our friends," said Twilight.
"Twi, I think Rainbow has a point. We should have a day of rest. We can't be effective if we're overworked. Trust me, I live on a farm," said Applejack.
"Fine. Just do a couple of errands today and look into those quests. Tomorrow we can rest," said Twilight with a sigh. Rainbow grinned as she gave AJ a thumbs up.
"We'll get on it. Come on, RD," said Applejack as the two left the room. Pinkie began to walk out the room as well.
"I'm gonna go window shopping! See ya!" said Pinkie. Twilight shook her head. She turned back to find Rarity drawing.
"Rarity, are you doing anything productive?" asked Twilight tiredly.
"Hm? Oh. I was just sketching designs. I've been inspired by this city that I just had to get them drawn. I was thinking that I could put together outfits that we could sell," said Rarity as she drew out a box. "I came across this fine silk that I want to use."
"Where did you get that?" asked Twilight in confusion.
"Someone in the market area gave them to me after I helped him harvest it," said Rarity. "I'm thinking of helping him again."
"Well... as long as you're doing something to help around here," said Twilight, turning back to the desk. She gave a heavy sigh as she removed her glasses, rubbing her eyes.
"Darling?" Rarity got up and made her way to her friend's side.
"I'm fine. Just a little tired. I've been up since dawn studying," said Twilight. Rarity's eyes slightly widened.
"Maybe you should take a break," said Rarity.
"I said I'm fine," said Twilight, returning to her studies. Rarity had an unsure look as she watched Twilight scribble at the parchment.
"I'll see if I can get you some tea. That should perk you up," said Rarity, before leaving. Twilight sighed as she looked through the notes she had.
"80 copper is the equivalent of one silver. 150 silver is the equivalent of one gold..." Twilight muttered to herself as she began to jot down a math equation on a separate parchment. Her eyes began to grow heavy. The girl shook her head and furrowed her brows as she continued to study. But, she began to nod off as her breathing became shallow. She shot up as she snorted. Twilight gave an annoyed sigh.
"Come on, Twilight. We're wasting time," said Twilight to herself, reading her book. But, her body grew more slow, and her eyes grew heavier. She couldn't fight it. Twilight bowed her head into her arms, drifting off to sleep.
The air was cold. Twilight felt her skin crawl from the air as the cold nipped at her. She shivered as she searched for warmth. The area was cold and barren, with no life. Twilight began to roam this wasteland, trembling from both fear and the chills. She scanned this lonely land, her anxiety growing
The wind howled, blowing through Twilight's hair. She gasped as a cloud of sand came rushing towards her. The girl began to flee from the approaching cloud, which crackled with thunder. Everything the storm touched was buried in more sand. The stones and dead trees were all consumed.
Twilight cried out as the sand storm enveloped her. She shielded her face as the sand beat against her clothes and skin. When she thought she was doomed, the winds stopped. The sand fell from her body and the air cleared. Twilight looked around, confused, but everything was still buried. The gloomy grey atmosphere had Twilight's stomach in knots.
Suddenly, Twilight felt her ankle grabbed. She screamed in fright as a hand had grabbed her, attempting to pull her under. The girl began to pull back, pulling along the one that held onto her. As she freed herself, Twilight gasped as the arm thrashed, reaching out for her. It was calling to her for her help. While frightened, Twilight couldn't stand watch. She got on her knees and began to pull on the arm.
Twilight strained as she pulled with all of her might. The sand began to pull her in as well. Twilight wanted to let go to save her own life, but she'd never live down the guilt. So, she gave a cry as she stood to her feet, pulling harder. From the sand, a head and shoulders emerged, coughing.
Twilight gasped. The person that was trapped was Junior. He was wheezing as the sand attempted to pull him back under. Twilight whimpered as she scrambled to pull him out. From the sand, a large spider emerged. A hiss was in the air as its long legs carried it over the sand.
"No! Go away!" Twilight removed a hand from Junior and grabbed a stick. She swung at the spider, which recoiled and raised its front legs. It bared its fangs, dripping venom to the sand. Twilight grunted as she swung at the spider again but missed. The arachnid caught the stick and held it down. Twilight released the stick, whimpering in fright. The spider lunged for the girl and tackled her to her back.
Twilight screamed as the spider clung to her. It was suddenly yanked off of her. Junior had grabbed the spider by its leg, which snapped off. The spider then turned on the boy, lunging for his arm and bit him.
"No!" Twilight screamed. Junior cried out in agony as his arm swelled and decayed from the venom. Twilight looked on in horror as the boy's eyes went cold as the spider dragged him under the sand. The girl cried out to him as she caught his hand, desperately pulling him, but he began to decay further. His hand snapped off, causing Twilight to whimper as it turned to ash in her hands. She attempted to dig him out, but Junior was nowhere to be seen. He was gone. Twilight clutched her head, screaming to the top of her lungs as tears streamed down her face.
Twilight shot up, her eyes wide and alert. She panted as her heart throbbed in her chest. She found herself back at the desk, in the room she was staying in. Twilight was trembling, feeling her cheeks damp. She felt her face, finding fresh tears. Twilight sniffled as she cleaned her face, while seeing a couple of tear stains on her parchment. The door suddenly opened.
"Sorry that took a while. I had a hard time finding the kitchen," said Rarity as she set down a tray, with a tea cup and kettle. She poured Twilight a cup and held it to her. The petite girl shakily took it.
"Th-Thank you..." said Twilight. Rarity noticed her rattled state.
"Did something happen?" asked Rarity.
"I'm fine. Just fine." Twilight took a sip of her hot tea. The drink did little to settle her nerves. She wanted to dismiss that dream. But, it felt real. In fact, it felt like the last nightmare she had. That alone has her shaken.
"I... I think we should talk about a strategy to finish up those quests faster," said Twilight.
"I suppose..." Rarity nodded reluctantly. Twilight took a breath before taking another sip. The sooner they reunite with the others, the more peace of mind she'll have.
The walk to the Iwi village was silent. Junior, Rodan and Angirasu followed Kong through the jungle. The trip felt like a waste of time. After pursuing the creature to its possible origin, Kong decided to pull them back.
"So what's the plan, since we aren't gonna bother with following it?" asked Junior.
"For now, we remain vigilant for more. It may be wise to reinforce the wall," said Kong.
"How much more reinforcement can you guys possibly do for that wall? Unless you have like iron or something," said Rodan.
"I still think we should've followed that thing," said Junior in annoyance.
"Your opinion is duly noted," responded Kong. Junior sighed. "We're almost at the village."
There was a bellow in air. It was almost like a whale's call, but much deeper in tone. Everyone stopped, turning to scan the area. They looked around, tensing. They tightened their grips on their spears. Rodan glanced at Junior.
"You think that thing-"
"Silence," said Kong, his expression hard. The mutants scanned the jungle, which had gone silent. Only the beats of their hearts were heard.
The earth beneath them suddenly burst. The teens yelped as they were knocked back. Kong rolled away, growling.
"Skull Crawler!" exclaimed Rodan in panic. Junior gasped.
"That's not a-"
From the earth, a familiar creature emerged. It was one of the iguana hybrids, specifically the dark marine iguana. The creature shrieked as dirt fell off of its back.
"That thing is still alive?!" exclaimed Angirasu. The iguana then turned its head, glaring at Junior.
"H-Hey, what the hell are you staring at?" Junior stumbled back. The hybrid screeched and began to run towards the boy.
"Fuck! Fuck me! Fuck me silly!" cried Junior as he turned and ran.
"Gojira!" cried Angirasu as he , Rodan and Kong gave chase.
"Oh Jesus! Sweet Christmas baby Jesus, help!" cried Junior as the iguana chased him through the jungle.
"Fight him, you coward!" shouted Kong as he began to pick up speed.
"Fuck you, man! I don't have enough time to change form!" exclaimed Junior as the creature snapped its jaws at him.
"Just stab him or something!" said Angirasu.
"That's easy for you to say!" said Junior. He glared at the lizard. "Ah the hell with it!"
Junior quickly turned and jabbed his spear. The iguana snarled as it skidded to a halt. It swiped its paw at the boy, who staggered back. Junior stepped forward, jabbing his spear.
"Fuck off! Fuck off, lizard!" shouted Junior. The creature caught his spear with its jaws and yanked it away. Junior gave a nervous chuckle. The creature snarled as it tackled Junior to the ground.
"Oh fuck! FUCK ME IN THE DI-!!" junior screamed as the lizard bit down on his reptilian arm, shaking him furiously along the ground. Junior began to beat his fist against its head. The creature was suddenly struck by a magic bolt. It screeched as it released Junior and staggered back. Junior found Sunset standing with her arms raised, as Fluttershy, Mosura and the Dazzlings stood with her.
"I hoped we wouldn't see any of those things again!" said Sunset. Mosura and Fluttershy rushed to Junior, who stood holding his bleeding arm.
"Not as bad as I thought it'd be," winced Junior. The iguana snarled as it found the rest of the male Transmutants surrounding it. Fluttershy watched as the creature began to dart its head and eyes.
"Wait, don't attack it!" said Fluttershy.
"Are you crazy?! That thing just attacked Gojira!" said Aria.
"Yeah, me specifically for some reason!" said Junior with a wince. Fluttershy looked at him in confusion. And then back to the hybrid.
"It's still an animal. Maybe I can..." Fluttershy began to carefully make her way towards the iguana. It growled as she approached.
"Shy, get away from it!" said Junior.
"It's OK..." Fluttershy said calmly, raising her hands. The creature panted, baring its teeth at the girl. Its fiery eyes glared at her as she came closer.
"Give it space! You're stressing it!" said Fluttershy. Kong furrowed his brows, but noticed Rodan and Angirasu beginning to back away. He looked at them incredulously.
"Just do it," said Angirasu. Kong grunted as he stepped back, but still tense at the sight of this unknown creature.
"It's OK. No one's gonna hurt you," said Fluttershy, softly. Everyone tensed as she came closer to the hybrid, its breaths heavy. Fluttershy shushed the creature as she came closer, just standing a few feet away.
Fluttershy gave a warm smile as she held out a hand. The hybrid's nostrils flared as its breathing began to settle. Its sights fell on her hand, as it raised to meet its snout. The iguana's eyes then took notice of Junior standing, with the help of Mosura. The creature snarled, startling Fluttershy. She stumbled to the side as the creature lunged towards Junior and Mosura.
"Shit!" Junior exclaimed as Mosura yelped in alarm. The lizard stopped a few feet away, bellowing at the two.
"Now can we kill it?!" asked Aria.
"No, wait! Goji, he's challenging you!" said Fluttershy.
"Challenging me? Why?!" asked Junior in confusion. The lizard pawed at the ground, swishing its long tail with a hiss.
"Something about 'asserting dominance as the Alpha Male'! It's kind of how you were acting in your other form!" said Fluttershy.
"Asserting dominance?! We're not even the same species! Tell him to beat it!" said Junior, glaring at the hybrid.
"I think he associates you with being the closest to his kind! You have to assert dominance!" cried Fluttershy.
"What the hell do I do?! Beat him on the snout with a rolled up newspaper?!" Junior recoiled as the hybrid snarled. Mosura stood by his side, narrowing her eyes.
"Now's not the time to start taming animals!" said Mosura.
"No, this is an opportunity!" called Kong, drawing Junior's attention. "Now's the time to change form and master your gift!"
"I can't control it!" said Junior as the lizard began to tense as its pupils dilated.
"You can do it, Gojira!" cried Angirasu. Junior grunted as he strained, his veins popping from beneath his skin.
"Am I the only one who thinks we should just kill this thing?!" yelled Aria in exasperation. The lizard suddenly made a mad dash for Junior. It rammed its head against Mosura, sending her rolling across the ground. It then tackled Junior to the ground.
"Gojira!!" Adagio cried. Sunset grunted as she raised her hands, as a ball of energy began to form. Before anyone could intervene, Junior grunted as he clamped the hybrid's jaws shut. He snarled as his eyes became more reptilian. His bones popped as he grew. He quickly began to dwarf the hybrid as he changed form. His hands quickly grew to the point of covering most of the iguana's head.
"Watch out!" cried Rodan, as Junior rolled over with the hybrid in his hold. The others quickly retreated, giving the transformed mutant space. Junior snarled as he swung the hybrid, slamming it against a tree. The tree rocked as bark flew off from the impact. It collapsed to the earth, as the hybrid stood, shaking off its disorientation. It then lunged for Junior, slashing its claws against his leg. Junior grunted as he raised a foot and began to stomp, but missed the hybrid. Junior snarled in frustration as he failed to trample the iguana, which slipped under him and scratched its dorsal plates against his inner thighs. Junior groaned as he stumbled. He turned to find the iguana suddenly lunging to him.
"Shouldn't we help?!" asked Sonata.
"Hey if you want to be a pancake, then be my guest!" said Sunset as the two reptiles fought for dominance.
Junior groaned as the iguana clung to his chest, its long claws digging into his scales. Junior held the creature back as it attempted to snap its jaws at his neck. The Transmutant then began to charge towards another tree, a smirk-like expression on his muzzle. The iguana turned its head back and shrieked in alarm, realizing that it was being forced to the large tree. Junior slammed into the tree, causing the iguana to release him and to fall along with the tree. The hybrid groaned in pain as it lied on its back. It attempted to stand, but Junior had planted his foot onto its chest. The lizard whimpered as it attempted to stand, thrashing under the biped's weight. Junior lowered himself and gave a shriek at the lizard, which caused it to clench its eyes. Junior panted as his chest bled, while the lizard was breathing heavily. He stepped off of the hybrid, allowing it to roll back onto its belly. The creature panted as it craned its head up to look at Junior, its eyes hard.
Junior narrowed his eyes and bared his teeth. His low growl rumbled the air around him. The hybrid softly groaned as it lowered its head, bringing itself lower to the ground in submission. Fluttershy sighed in relief. She knew it was stupid to try and tame this creature, given a previous encounter, but she was able to tell that it was going after Junior specifically. It had to have known that the two were linked in some way. Otherwise it would have just attacked everyone, indiscriminately.
"Gojira! Do you have control?" called Angirasu. Junior suddenly turned, his head tilted in confusion.
"Guess not," said Angirasu in dismay. Junior turned back to the iguana, as it raised itself up, appearing more docile.
Applejack and Rainbow Dash were strolling through the city streets. The two passed the countless denizens that filled the area, making their way around.
"Man, I'm so bored," said Rainbow.
"You're bored?" asked Applejack in confusion.
"Yeah, aren't you? There's nothing to do around here and we have the day off tomorrow," said Rainbow in exasperation. "We're just stuck doing menial tasks and small time quests! I want some adventure!"
"Dash, we've had nothing but adventure!" said Applejack. "What do ya call surviving a jungle full of monsters and fighting guards to an empire?"
"Yeah, but I want more! Like I wanna fight some more bad guys! Or maybe go after bigger baddies instead of these small time thugs! Maybe even rescue some folks in peril!" said Rainbow as she hopped onto the rail of a stone bridge and walked along it.
"I admit, that does sound exciting. But it's better that we don't have to," said Applejack. The less trouble the better. Rainbow dropped back down onto the bridge with a sigh.
"Why are we even here if we're not gonna find the danger? Didn't the king say that there were threats within his kingdom aside from the war? We should look into more of that. Not running dumb deliveries or squishing roaches," said Rainbow.
"They're part of the quests given to us, RD. Besides, they provide income for us. We'll need supplies to get back to our friends," said Applejack. Rainbow moaned.
"I just want something exciting to happen, that's all. I thought us being here would be a lot different. We have powers and we have no one to show off our heroics to," said Rainbow. Applejack looked at her in disapproval.
"Lookie here, miss. This ain't about glory hogging. It's about doing the right thing," said Applejack. Rainbow shrugged.
"Can't we do the right thing while getting glory?" asked Rainbow. Applejack gave a frustrated sigh as she shook her head. She began to walk on ahead.
"Hey, all I'm asking is a bit of acknowledgement and appreciation! That's all!" said Rainbow as she jogged after the blonde. "There's no need to be a girl scout about it."
"Maybe being in the girl scouts would do you some good," deadpanned Applejack.
"Please, this girl ain't into the frilly crap. I'm all about the outdoors and pants! Man, guys have it easy," said Rainbow with a pout. She then noticed a frightened scream. Rainbow and Applejack turned to find a woman screaming as a man clutched his chest, his robes soaked with blood. He suddenly collapsed to the ground, as people grew frantic.
"What happened?!" exclaimed a citizen.
"This man was stabbed by a thief! Where's the assailant?!" demanded a guard as he interrogated the crowd. Rainbow took notice of a skittish man, pushing through the crowd and away from the crime scene. The girl took notice of one of his hands stained with blood, which he tried to conceal in his sleeve.
"Hey, you!" called Rainbow, giving chase.
"RD, wait for me!" called Applejack, following the tomboy. The two pushed through the crowds, as the man began to flee. The girls kept losing sight of him due to the people getting in their paths and lines of sight. Once they got through, the man was nowhere in sight. Rainbow cursed under her breath as she looked around.
"Alright, I'll try to cut him off from side! You keep going!" said Rainbow as she ran off. Applejack sighed as she looked around. But, she noticed a figure to be climbing up a building. She smirked as she began to run off.
Applejack made her way over to crates that stood at the side of small building. Once she climbed, she began to scale up the side of the building, as the perp got onto the roof. Once she got on, Applejack began to pursue.
"Stop!" called Applejack. The man briefly looked back at her in alarm. The girl was quickly gaining on him. The two began to hop from rooftop to rooftop. Each building was taller than the last. The man jumped for another ledge but failed to make it over. He cried out as he caught the roof, but from his side fell a sack. Applejack skidded to a halt as she watched as the man cursed, as he climbed back up and began to flee.
"Shoot!" Applejack looked down below, finding the sack on the street below. She began to climb down from where she was, dropping down to the ground. She knelt and picked up the sack, feeling a weight. She opened the sack and found that it was filled with gems. She gave a whistle.
"You! Halt!" shouted an authoritative voice. Applejack shot up, finding a few guards rushing her way.
"Oh good, you're here! I just-" Applejack fell silent as a guard drew his sword on her.
"Hand it over, thief!" said the guard.
"Wha- No, the thief got away! I was just-" Applejack stumbled back in shock.
"Please come with us. Do not resist," said a guard firmly. Applejack sighed as she held out the sack, which the guard took.
Applejack sat in a cell with a bored look. She had her hands propping her chin up over her knees, as she slouched. She blew the few strands of hair in her face away. She stood up and made her way over to the cell, finding a man in a breast plate, and cape, sitting at a desk just down the hall of the dungeon. Applejack gripped the bars of the cell.
"Excuse me, but when can I leave? I already told ya'll that I was innocent!" said Applejack in frustration.
"You were seen with the stolen gems. As far as I'm concerned, that makes you guilty," said the man as he began to write on a parchment.
"But I didn't do it! The man that did is running free right now!" said Applejack.
"Be silent! You'll stand trial by tomorrow," said the man in annoyance. Applejack gasped.
"Trial?" Applejack fell onto her rear back on the bed in the cell. She buried her face into her hands, unable to process her situation. It wasn't right. She had nothing to do with the thief. The fact that she was locked up and was being treated as a suspect without evidence was horrifying. It was here that she began to realize that Junior may have felt like this when he was in a similar situation.
The dungeon door suddenly opened. Applejack perked up once she saw Salem entering. He gasped once he saw the girl in the cell.
"Lord Salem!" cried Applejack with joy.
"What is the meaning of this?!" demanded Salem.
"My Lord. I have no idea what you mean," said the man, recoiling. He quickly stood as the rest of the girls entered, with Rainbow hauling over an unconscious man.
"We've been looking for this young woman all afternoon! Why is she locked away?!" demanded Salem.
"Sh-She was caught with stolen gems! And I was told that the owner was murdered," said the man.
"That was this asshole, right here!" said Rainbow as she threw the unconscious man near the desk.
"We have the owner's widowed wife testimony to confirm it was him! Now I demand that you release the girl!" ordered Salem. The man quickly got up with a ring of keys and made his way to the cell. He frantically unlocked it, allowing the girl to walk out.
"Oh thank goodness! I was worried for a second," said Applejack, holding her chest in relief.
"I hope this doesn't reflect on any future job interviews!" giggled Pinkie with a snort.
"M-My apologies," said the man, sheepishly, as Salem led the girls out of the dungeon.
"I can't believe that happened," said Applejack.
"I apologize, Lady Applejack. We were fortunate to have found you, along with the true culprit," said Salem. Rainbow smirked.
"Yeah, you can thank me for that," said Rainbow.
"Well, thank ya kindly, Dash. Though be a little humble," deadpanned Applejack.
"Is crime like that common?" asked Twilight.
"No, which is why the guards are wound up tight in this city, but they are efficient," said Salem.
"Then why would you need us here? You seem to have your city under control without us," said Twilight.
"While there are a few threats that could compromise Sacramentonian territory, I believe that the King is concerned with keeping the peace for cities more vulnerable to attacks. The war isn't going in our favor. King Gareth feels that the image of heroes would help keep morale up at home for the people," said Salem. "What better way for that than for remarkable girls helping the people on his behalf?"
"Wait, do people know who we are?" asked Rarity in confusion.
"Not yet. But word of your heroics in Salera is spreading through the land. Especially the recent defeat of those bandits," said Salem with a smile.
"Ah. So we're just Propaganda pieces?" asked Twilight with a grimace.
"Well... Yes. But King Gareth really thinks that you can help our nation without actually fighting in the war. He wants to inspire hope," said Salem. Twilight furrowed her brows as she bore a reluctant look.
"It would've been nice if he told us himself," said Twilight.
"Come on, Twi. It's not the worse thing. Nothing's really changed," said Rainbow with a shrug.
"Yeah, just think of it as comedians making people smile and laugh, indirectly improving their mood!" said Pinkie. Twilight sighed.
"I guess," said Twilight.
Later that evening, Twilight was seated at the desk in the room that she and the gang were staying in. She sighed as she looked through the quests, as her friends were all washed and dressed for bed. Twilight grimaced as she read on with the quests.
"I'm starting to have second thoughts," said Twilight. The girls looked at her in confusion.
"On what?" asked Rainbow.
"On us taking these quests. I mean, you heard Salem. We're just poster girls for the war," said Twilight.
"So?" shrugged Rainbow.
"Is that really what you want to do?" asked Twilight incredulously.
"It's not like we're actually fighting in the war. We're just helping out around town," said Pinkie.
"Yeah but some of these quests... They're like simple errands that would lead to us using our abilities. Deliveries would lead to Rainbow using her speed, which I'm sure has gotten attention through the city," said Twilight. She looked to another quest.
"There was the bandits, the incident today with the thief, the infestation, and now I'm seeing how these next quests are similar," said Twilight. She scratched her head.
"It doesn't make sense as to why they'd just have us do these tasks that any of those guards could handle, especially when there's a war that they keep saying isn't going well. Wouldn't they try to convince us to join their military or even pay us to help them fight?" said Twilight.
"Twilight, maybe you're just being paranoid. What if there isn't an ulterior motive?" asked Rainbow.
"It just doesn't add up. Besides, we haven't received any quests that are as threatening as Salem claimed," said Twilight with a sigh.
"Hey, I understand where you're coming from, Twi. But we don't really have any other options right now. Besides, even if it seems small or even unnecessary for us to be the ones, it don't matter. We can do a lot of good for these people. Isn't that what Amber's been tryin' to get us to do?" asked Applejack. Twilight raised her head. She took a breath as she smiled to the blonde.
"Yeah... You're right." Twilight nodded.
Fluttershy was kneeling as she scratched the head of the iguana hybrid. The creature's mouth hung open as it gave a throaty growl as it closed its eyes. The girl giggled as she continued to rub its head. Meanwhile, the Dazzlings, Sunset and Transmutants stood at a distance.
"Is this a good idea?" asked Sunset warily.
"Well, Fluttershy seems to think so," said Mosura, as the shy girl planted kisses on the monster's head.
"Wasn't there another similar one?" asked Adagio.
"It probably died. I wouldn't be surprised considering the stuff we've seen out here," said Rodan. Junior cleared his throat as he cautiously made his way over to Fluttershy.
"So... How's this going?" asked Junior. The creature noticed his approach and then lowered its head to the ground. Its eyes avoided eye contact with the boy.
"Hmm. Seems well. He isn't attacking anyone. Plus, he's being submissive," said Fluttershy.
"I don't understand how that all happened. Everything about this is just weird," said Junior. He gave a heavy sigh. He still didn't know what Kong planned to do about those humanoids that he's been on about. They just chickened out of following one into that forest, so they have nothing to show.
"So, what are you gonna name him?" asked Fluttershy.
"I'm sorry?" asked Junior in confusion.
"Well, he's going to be sticking with us. We might as well call him something," smiled Fluttershy.
"Shy, this isn't some stray dog that we can just name and take home. This is a killer lab experiment gone wrong," said Junior.
"Hey, he's just as alive and with feelings as any other animal," said Flluttershy in disapproval. Junior sighed.
"Well then you name him," said Junior, crossing his arms. Fluttershy hummed as she pondered.
"How about..."
"Call it, Jira!" said Sonata. Everyone looked at her in confusion.
"Huh?" asked Fluttershy.
"Jira! It's The last few letters in Goji's name! They also looked alike! It's the perfect name!" said Sonata.
"Sonata, that is so dumb," said Aria as she rolled her eyes.
"Actually, I kind of like it," said Fluttershy, a smile growing on her face. Junior looked at her in disbelief.
"You're not serious, are you?" asked Junior.
"Yeah, I'll call him Jira! Who's a good boy?" cooed Fluttershy, prompting the creature to nuzzle her. Junior noticed the other teens snickering behind his back. He gave an annoyed and heavy sigh.
"Whatever. I'm going to bed," said Junior.
The next day, Twilight found herself back at the desk. She was still studying up the value of the currency of the land. Meanwhile, Rainbow stood with a giddy look. She was eager to start her break. Applejack was currently separating the savings by their metal by stacking silver with silver, copper with copper, and gold with gold. As she counted them off, Rarity was in the process of setting up a mannequin. She hummed as she looked over a sketch she had done. She began to wrap some silk cloths over the figure, slightly sticking her tongue out as she squinted.
Pinkie sighed with a bored look. She kicked her legs as she sat on the bed. The girl began to make popping sounds with her mouth. Twilight sighed.
"Pinkie." Twilight turned to the hyperactive girl.
"Sorry. I'm just bored," said Pinkie.
"Well, why not go exploring or something? You don't have to stay in the room," said Twilight.
"Oh OK." Pinkie hopped off the bed. She waved to her friends as she left the room. Pinkie began to make her way out of the House of Salem. She sighed as she held her arms behind her head, kicking a pebble along the way.
"I wonder what people do for fun out here," said Pinkie as she watched as the citizens went about their business. She heard the sounds of children giggling. She turned and found kids to be gathered around a man that was sporting a bright blue and black tunic, and leggings. He bore a hat that bore bells at the three tips that hung from the crown, and pointed shoes. Citizens, young and old had gathered in the market to see this jester.
"Hoo! Hoo! You're a wonderful audience! I haven't seen a crowd this big since I was surrounded by a mob of Dogomites in Paltoon!" said the jester with a grin. The audience began to laugh in amusement.
"Now I know the war is a bit of a touchy subject. Especially for us Sacramentonians. Recently, a fleet was traveling to flank the enemy in their ships from the seaside. A dangerous task, considering the region they were in is home to terrible sea monsters," said the jester as he paced about, taking on a mock serious tone.
"I'm sure that you heard how a fleet of was brought down by the Dogomites. It's a shame really. Because the Dogomites didn't have the guts to jump into the waters like our brave soldiers did!" said the jester. The citizens laughed in amusement.
"Oh, nothing like laughter to relieve some tragedy," said a man from the crowd, wiping a tear. Pinkie hummed as she joined the crowd, listening in.
"Speaking of the Dogomites, I hear that Empress is quite a beauty," said the jester with a pur. A few men in the crowd hooted in agreement.
"Oh yes. I tell you, I'd switch sides in a heart beat," said the jester. He was met with a few gasps and boos from the audience.
"Now hold on! I'd switch sides, if not for one problem. She lacks something that our good King has. A sense of humor! Hoo! Hoo!" The jester twirled his baton. The audience began to laugh. Pinkie gave a small giggle in response. Whoever this empress was, she must have been a bummer.
"If I strolled through those gates, she'd immediately ordered for my head to roll!" said the jester as he drew out a skull and rolled it along the ground. The skull began to quickly chatter its teeth as a wind up key spun from its temple. The audience continued to laugh, while Pinkie grinned.
"Now those Dogomites worship spiders, which is already strange in itself. I mean, they're creepy and gross! The empress is such a soiled dove that she even has creepy crawlies under her skirt, if you know what I mean," said the jester, holding his hand near his cheek as though he was sharing a secret. The audience burst into a roar of laughter.
"Father, what does that mean?" asked a boy in confusion.
"You'll understand when you're older," said the father with a chuckle.
"Alright, I think that's enough political commentary for today. But if that didn't satisfy ya, I have something for everyone!" said the jester as he took the skull and drew out a couple of balls. He began to juggle the skull and balls into the air. The audience watched eagerly as he effortlessly juggled. He began to snatch up a couple of stray objects during his juggle. An empty can, a rock, and a small dog. Audience gasped in alarm or excitement. Pinkie watched, both eager and afraid as the dog yipped in alarm as it was juggled.
"Sorry, little dog! I didn't see ya!" said the jester. Once he caught the dog, he quickly sat it down and continued to juggle. He tossed the empty can over to a disposable barrel, and then caught the skull. He opened the jaws and allowed the balls to fall in, trapping them inside. He then caught the rock and dropped it. The crowd, including Pinkie, cheered and applauded this man. The jester chuckled as he removed his hat and bowed.
"Thank you! Thank you! You're too kind!" said the jester as he placed on his hat. He then took notice of Pinkie in the crowd.
"You there! My dear, you seem familiar," said jester as he scratched his head with his baton. The crowd parted, looking to the girl curiously.
"Me? No I'm new!" said Pinkie with a smile. The jester hummed as he looked her over.
"Ah! Now I know! You're one of those strange new maidens that arrived! I heard some fascinating tales about you!" said the jester. The crowd grew curious.
"I heard how a girl with the hair of rainbows, and a lady with hair as bright as the sun rescued a family from the tyranny of the Dogomites!" said the jester. The crowd murmured among themselves in confusion.
"Those are my friends, Rainbow Dash and Applejack!" said Pinkie with a grin.
"Peculiar! I hear that you also have been serving our fair city. Like getting rid of infestation and defeating troublesome bandits! Such bravery for a young girl as yourself!" said the jester in approval. Pinkie smiled bashfully.
"Aw shucks! You're making me blush! We were just doing what we thought was right," said Pinkie with a sweet smile.
"Humility! How it is a pleasure to see you in person! Why not show us your feat on how you defeated those bandits?" The jester stepped aside. It was here that Pinkie began to realize how odd her situation was currently. This jester had suddenly started addressing her and was now trying to get her to show off her power. She didn't know if he genuinely heard of her and wanted to see her abilities, or if this was somehow a publicity stunt. After learning more about the role of her friends and herself, she didn't put it passed Salem to set this up somehow. But in the end, it didn't matter. All eyes were on her and she already said too much. Besides, she and her friends were supposed to help out the city by boosting morale.
"Alright! Do you have something I can throw that you won't miss? Maybe bring me that barrel too," said Pinkie. A man brought over the empty barrel near the girl. The jester handed Pinkie one of the balls he juggled. Pinkie took a breath.
"Stand back! I'm still getting a feel for this," said Pinkie, as the crowd backed away. Some curious, eager, or uninterested. Pinkie gripped the ball tightly. The energy from her hand transferred to the ball, causing it to hum as it began to glow.
Pinkie threw the ball to the barrel. It whizzed to the barrel and exploded on impact. The explosion was small and merely burst a similar sized hole through the barrel. The crowd gasped in shock and awe.
"I can make explosions by throwing any object! The bigger the object, the more energy I transfer, the more destructive! I used that to trap the bad guys in ditches that I made this way," said Pinkie as she drew out jar of dirt.
"I can even make smoke!" said Pinkie as she took a handful of dirt. She tossed it to the ground, resulting in a crackle and pop, and plume of pink smoke to rise. The crowd gave 'oohs' of fascination as they applaud. Pinkie began to toss more dirt to the ground, causing more firework-like pops. She even tossed some into the air, which burst. The crowd applauded the spectacle, as the sparkling pops and crackles appeared, leaving colored smoke.
"Why, that is amazing!" said the jester with a grin. Pinkie grinned as well from the approval of the crowd. She supposed it didn't matter whether this was all a public stunt or not. It made people happy, and that's what mattered.
Salera...
The village was at a standstill. The denizens watched as a group of Dogomites entered their town. Malicia's Enforcers, comprising of the nymphomaniac Sigyn, and the aggressive gun totting Kenra. The women rode on the back of horses, along with a third rider. This rider was a man, clad in a thick dark trench coat and a hat. His breathing was rough as he inhaled and exhaled. He gave muffled giggles as a mask clung to his mouth.
As the trio made their way through town, they stopped near the house of lord Grunge. The three stepped off their horses and entered the building. They entered the man's luxurious office. They found him sitting at a desk, looking through documents as he held a glass of wine in his hand.
"Ahem," Kenra crossed her arms. Grunge raised his head, a look of disinterest on his face.
"Ah. I didn't hear you come in," said Grunge as he went back to reading. Kenra was about to step forward and berate this man for his insolence. Sigyn raised a hand, motioning her to be still.
"You know why we're here. Her majesty wouldn't have sent for us if she wasn't concerned," said Sigyn.
"Concerned? She has our land under her thumb. We give our share of taxes and tributes to appease her. What has she to be concerned about?" scoffed Grunge.
"Let's cut to the chase. The collectors told Malicia about a girl with rainbow hair. We know you obviously didn't take the time to imprison or execute them. So why not just tell us where they went and we'll be on our way," said Kenra, growing impatient.
"Sorry, but I have no idea what you're talking about. I was here setting up my share of coin for the collectors when it all happened," said Grunge with a shrug. Kenra's brow twitched.
"OK. So you wanna play dumb, huh?" asked Kenra as she motioned for the man next to her. The covered man made his way to the doors and closed them, while Sigyn closed the blinds. Grunge found Kenra drawing out a baton from her belt.
"Then allow us to educate you," said Kenra as she pressed the button on the baton, causing it to spark and buzz.
Elsinore...
Twilight sighed as she closed the book she was reading. She strained as she leaned back in her seat and began to stretch. The girl gave a relieved sigh as she slouched.
"I take it that your studies are going well," said Rarity as she ran a needle through the silk fabrics she had.
"Yep. I'm getting a pretty good understanding on the currency," said Twilight. Applejack sighed as she lied on the bed in the room.
"I gotta tell ya, it's nice to laze about once in a while," said Applejack. "What's on the agenda tomorrow by the way?"
"Well-" Twilight was interrupted as the door was suddenly opened.
"Guys! I just saw this awesome jester! I didn't get some of the political jokes but his tricks are neat! You should've seen him!" said Pinkie, shaking Twilight.
"Good to see you had fun," said Twilight in a daze.
"You bet! I'm so pumped that I can do like 10 quests! What's the first thing we're doing?!" asked Pinkie, eager.
"We-" Twilight was interrupted as Rainbow entered the room.
"Sup?" greeted Rainbow, closing the door.
"Ah. Well since we're all here, let's talk about our next quests," said Twilight as she pulled away from Pinkie. She picked up a quest and cleared her throat.
"One of them is fairly simple. There is someone in the city that claims to be strongest man around. The objective is that one of us has to defeat him, as no one can," said Twilight.
"Is he causing trouble?" asked Rarity.
"No, I think it's another stunt for propaganda," said Twilight with an annoyed look.
"Well in that case, I can take him on. I'm sure that I can give em' a show," said Applejack, rotating her arm.
"Oh! Oh! Let me do it!" said Pinkie, raising her hand. Everyone looked at her incredulously.
"Uh... No offense, Pinkie. But do you even no how to fight? Like physically?" asked Rainbow.
"I have my powers!" said Pinkie.
"That doesn't count, Pinkie. It's hardly fair to use your explosion ability on a guy that likely uses his fists," deadpanned Rainbow.
"Well, then I'll learn how to fight! Goji does it all the time! How hard can it be?" asked Pinkie. Her friends grimaced as they looked to each other, reluctant.
"If you really want to. The guy apparently runs a fighting class. Maybe we can squeeze some training for you from a professional," said Twilight as she looked to the quest.
"Or I can just take on the quest," said Applejack, shrugging.
"No. I gotta pull my weight too. As a matter of fact, let's go sign up now! I feel like starting this one right now!" said Pinkie with a determined smile.
Later, the girls found themselves walking the streets of Elsinore. Twilight looked through a local map as she led the gang to their destination. She hummed as she muttered to herself. She smiled as she found the destination. It was a small building that stood among tall stone pillars, which bore sculptures of muscle bounded men on their tops. They made their way to the building, admiring the area.
"Lovely," said Rarity, admiring the sculptures.
"Damn this place is just oozing 'Manliness'." Rainbow took notice of a tall, muscle bounded man passing by. The girls entered through a pair of wooden doors, where they found a room with a mat in the center. Several men sat on the ground, stoic and silent. The gang made their way in and awkwardly took a seat. They noticed that the men snuck glances at them. Most of the men were large and bounded with muscle. The raw masculinity of the room made the girls feel quite small.
"A bit small, aren't they?" whispered one of the men.
"Maybe this was a bad idea," said Twilight with a grimace.
"Attention!" shouted one of the men. In unison, the men gave a shout as they shot up to their feet, standing at attention. The girls scrambled up to the their feet as they stood up straight and tall. They heard foot steps approaching. Twilight's eyes glanced to the side as she began to sweat. Who knew what the toughest man in the city was like. Her imagination ran wild as she pictured a hulking figure that could barely fit his clothes. Then her eyes widened as she saw a man that stood to be at least a foot shorter than she was. The man sported a tunic and hide slacks. He looked to be rotund, rather than muscled like the men in the room. He stopped in the center of the room and greeted his students with a bow, as they did the same.
"Wait a minute. This is the toughest man in the city?" asked Twilight incredulously.
"Huh. I imagined he'd be a lot bigger. That's a shame," said Rainbow in mild disappointment.
"Hold your tongue! You know nothing about Sedgewick!" said a student, glaring at the two.
"At ease, my student. I see that we have guests here. Might you be here to deliver those towels we ordered?" asked the short man.
"No. We're uh... Here to train," said Twilight. There was a pregnant pause. The students all began to laugh hysterically.
"You?! Are you mad?" laughed one of the students.
"You're all so wee and skinny that you'd snap like twigs!" laughed another student.
"Except for this one. She looks like a working woman," said a student, pointing to Applejack. The blonde smirked.
"Why thank ya kindly. Want a demonstration?" asked Applejack. The student chuckled as he popped his knuckles.
"Very well, but I won't go easy on you," said the student.
"I'd be insulted if you did," said Applejack, removing her hat and placing it on Twilight's head.
The student rushed towards Applejack and sent a punch. The blonde caught his fist and held it in place, barely moving in inch. The student bore a confused look but found himself grabbed and thrown to the ground. The student lied on his back, stunned while the rest looked on in shock. Applejack turned to the men with a smile.
"Anyone else wanna go?" asked Applejack.
"No, we're good!" said the men in unison. Sedgewick hummed.
"Impressive. I shall take you," said Sedgewick, loosening himself up. Applejack smirked.
"Fine by me," said Applejack.
"Hey! I thought I-" Pinkie pouted in disappointment.
"I know but we can finish this quest in a flash and move on!" said AJ. Pinkie huffed as she crossed her arms.
"Be careful, AJ. Something's weird about this guy. No one like that just gets called 'the toughest man around'." said Twilight. Applejack scoffed.
"Ah what's he gonna do?" asked Applejack as he approached Sedgewick.
"Very well! The fat one first!" said Sedgewick. Applejack gasped.
"I ain't fat! This is muscle!" said Applejack, her face growing red with anger.
"Or as the internet would say, she's 'Thicc'!" said Pinkie.
"Yes, yes! The fat one first!" said Sedgewick.
"Why you-" Applejack jabbed a finger at the short man. He suddenly grabbed her wrist and swung her over head. Applejack slammed onto the ground on her back. She was repeatedly lifted up by her arm and was slammed over and over like a rag doll. The girls winced as their friend was flung around. Applejack was then thrown across the room, collapsing a table as she landed on it. The blonde staggered to her feet in a daze. She growled as she made a mad dash for her opponent. Sedgewick stepped to the side and tripped her with his leg. Applejack lied on her belly, then felt her wrist grabbed again.
"Wha- What is this?" asked Rainbow, her shoulders slumping as AJ was slammed about onto the ground.
"Wow! I've never seen Goji do something like that! You're a great fighter!" said Pinkie with a grin.
"Yes! I have learned on my long travels to far away lands in the realm! Would you like to give it a go?" asked Sedgewick.
"You bet!" said Pinkie, as her friends looked at her in shock.
"It is easy! All it takes is for you to use your opponent's own strength against them! The stronger your enemy is, the better it is for you!" said Sedgewick as he threw Applejack over to the other side of the room. Applejack's head spun as she lied slumped against the floor.
"Did I win?" asked Applejack.
"Ah you only say it's easy because you're strong," said Pinkie.
"By my honor, it is true! Take my hand!" said Sedgewick, holding out his hand. Pinkie took it. "Now put your foot on my stomach and heave me up!"
Pinkie grunted as she placed her foot on Sedgewick's belly and then began to heave him up, while holding her leg up. She grunted as she slightly struggled to hold him up.
"That's good! Now up and over!" said Sedgewick.
"Like this?" Pinkie grunted as she built up more momentum and swung Sedgewick over her shoulder.
"Yes! Very good!" said Sedgewick as Pinkie began to swing him back and forth, over and over. Her friends just stared in disbelief. "Yes! Yes! Perfection! Very good! That's it!"
"Was I really good?" asked Pinkie with a grin.
"Yes, but it's still a bit soft. When I'm on the ground, you have to stomp and stand on my gut. Pinkie suddenly jumped and stomped onto Sedgewick's gut, causing him to grunt.
"Good. Good!" grunted Sedgewick. "Now-"
Pinkie suddenly began to stomp on his gut and chest, giggling. The man gave grunts and yelps of pain.
"By the way, I challenge you to a battle!" said Pinkie as she continued to hop.
"Oh! You- Ow! You cheeky-! Oof! I accept!" cried Sedgewick as he attempted to stand, but Pinkie kept dropping onto him. The girl then hoped off of him and quickly grabbed his wrist. She began to swing him over her shoulder. She laughed as she began to swing him about with the old rag doll technique. After almost a dozen swings, she left Sedgewick on his back, in a daze.
"The tragic irony. Defeated by newest student," said Sedgewick before passing out. Pinkie turned to her friends, who stared slack jawed. The students stood in utter disbelief. They all knelt on the ground.
"Hail our honorable new master! Hail..." one of the students looked to the girl with a questioning look.
"Pinkie Pie," answered Pinkie.
"Hail Pinkie Pie! The strongest woman around!" shouted the students in unison. Pinkie giggled with a bashful look.
"Aw shucks! It was nothing," said Pinkie.
"Are you pullin' my leg here?!" said Applejack in exasperation.
"Well, looks like this quest's done. Spread the word boys," said Twilight, rolling up the sheet she had.
Salera...
Kenra bore a scowl as she smacked her baton over her palm. She let out a sharp exhale through her nostrils as she fumed.
"We can do this all day, old man," said Kenra. The dark clothed figure stepped over to Grunge, who sat tied to a chair. He was bruised and bloody.
"You better listen, friend. We old timer's can't take the same kind of punishment that we used to," said the figure as he spoke in a slight rasp and with some giggles. His bloodshot and sunken eyes almost smiled wickedly at the lord. Grunge spat a glob of blood onto the carpet.
"I told you. I don't know anything," said Grunge with a pant. Kenra groaned.
"Ugh! This is pointless! I thought by now he'd crack!" said Kenra. Sigyn smiled.
"Don't you worry your pretty head," said Sigyn as she bent over to meet Grunge's eyes.
"Now, Lord Grunge. You owe your allegiance to her majesty. She doesn't take kindly to disloyal people," said Sigyn as she waved a glowing hand, moving the curtains that hid the windows.
"You see that out there, dear? That's your town. Now, we are in our right to do whatever we deem necessary to preserve order. And I mean anything," said Sigyn, her tone growing dark. Grunge kept a stoic look.
"You would bring harm to a town of farmers and hunters, who gave up much for the Empress's trust, all over little girls? May Providence have mercy on you," said Grunge, shaking his head solemnly.
"Your god isn't here to save you, Grunge. Now spill the beans," said Kenra, narrowing her eyes.
"You've already taken good men to join your army, you've taken our wealth, our identity, and our crops. There's nothing more you can do to us that you already haven't," said Grunge. Kenra clenched her teeth. As she was about to raise her fist, Sigyn grabbed her hand.
"Fine. Maximilian, untie him," said Sigyn. The dark clothed man looked at her in confusion. Seeing her stoic expression prompted him to sigh. Once Grunge was untied, the Enforcers began to leave.
"Thank you for your time, Lord Grunge," said Sigyn as she closed the doors. Grunge kept a firm look as he rubbed his bruised face.
Meanwhile, Malicia's Enforcers had made their way back to their horses. Kenra was cursing to herself.
"Unbelievable! She's gonna have a fucking cow when we tell her!" said Kenra.
"Calm down. I'll handle it," said Sigyn in annoyance as she drew out a crystal ball. It began to glow in her palms.
"Report." Malicia's voice echoed from the ball as it flashed.
"Interrogation has failed, your majesty. He isn't willing to budge," said Sigyn. There was silence on the other end. It was unnerving, considering that Sigyn couldn't see Malicia's face.
"I see," said Malicia, her tone calm.
"What will you have us do, mistress?" asked Sigyn.
"Inform the captain to withdraw all troops from the town. If Grunge thinks he's strong enough to defy me, then he'll have no problem fending for the town without our presence," said Malicia.
"Understood," said Sigyn as the crystal ball stopped glowing.
"That's it? I thought she'd have us kill a few people or something to make a point," said Kenra.
"You think too small, Kenra," interjected Maximilian with a giggle. Kenra glared at him.
"Watch it, Max!" said Kenra.
"Hey, I'm only saying that the empress is playing the long game. She knows that if she were to have us suddenly kill more of these people, it'd create more resistance. We don't have to hurt them to get their loyalty. They only have to do it to themselves, which will force them to be loyal," said Max. He began to giggle a bit more, which escalated into chuckles.
"I don't get it," shrugged Kenra.
"You'll see, my dear. Come, we must inform the captain," said Sigyn.
Twilight and the gang found themselves in the dining hall with Salem and his wife, Mary. Salem bore an approving look as the girls ate their dinner.
"You've all been completing these quests with such flying colors," said Salem.
"Yeah, but I still want something more exciting," said Rainbow in disappointment.
"Perhaps a day in the battlefield will suffice," said Mary as she sipped from a chalice of wine.
"Heh. Well, you know Twi. She thinks it's better we don't get into political matters we don't understand," said Rainbow with a forced chuckle.
"Hmph. Then she is more ignorant than I thought," said Mary. There was a brief moment of silence.
"Mary..." Salem said, his eyes narrowing.
"I-I'm sorry?" asked Twilight.
"This war isn't over politics or any show of strength. It’s a war on survival. Only the strongest will win," said Mary.
"Survival? Why?" asked Rarity in confusion.
"Let's not concern ourselves with that. Perhaps we could talk about-" Salem was interrupted by an exasperated sigh.
"Why avoid the topic? With the way it's going, the king will have no choice but to ask for their help," said Mary "They might as well start learning war tactics."
Salem hardened his expression. He slowly stood up from his seat. The girls felt a growing tension.
"Mary, might I speak with you for a moment?" asked Salem, his tone calm. Mary shrugged nonchalantly as she got up and followed her husband out of the dining hall. The doors closed. The group could make out some muffled argument from outside.
"Geez. Those two sound like they have a bunch of issues," said Pinkie. Twilight grimaced. While she fully intended to stick to her guns, she wondered just how exactly this war was going. Or even how it started.
"Do you girls really think it's going as bad as they say it is?" asked Twilight.
"Who knows. It's not like we're there. You said it yourself. It’s not our business to get involved," said Rarity.
"Yeah but Mary might have a point. What if it's bad enough that the king might end up asking us to fight? We should think about our response," said Rainbow.
"Our response is gonna be what we told them before. We ain't interested in fighting their war," said Applejack. Rainbow sighed.
"Yeah, but I feel like we could be doing more," said Rainbow as she slouched in her seat.
"Oh please. You just want an excuse for more, thrills," scoffed Rarity. Rainbow sent her a glare.
"So what? I can't help and enjoy myself at the same time?" asked Rainbow indignantly.
"Dash, I don't think you fully comprehend the situation. We've bounced between kingdoms at war. From what we learned, it doesn't seem like the Dogomites are keen on making peace," said Twilight.
"Look, I get it. I'll admit that I've been too eager for danger, but this war talk is starting to bother me. All day I heard people talking about how they lost a fleet of ships," said Rainbow.
"Well, look at it this way, Dashie. We may not help the people going out there, but we can at least do good here. Sure it's not as exciting as we thought, but it's needed," said Pinkie. Though as she said that, her mind was stuck on Rainbow's earlier comment. She herself remember hearing something about these ships.
"Ugh! I think this world is doing something to you, because you're freaking me out from being serious!" said Rainbow.
"She's right though," interjected Applejack. The doors suddenly opened. Salem stepped back in with a sigh.
"Apologies," said Salem as he took a seat.
"What happened to Mary?" asked Rainbow, but was nudged by AJ.
"She's turning in for the night. Sorry about her comments. In any case, I have a special quest for you. It's a little different from the usual ones," said Salem as he handed Twilight a parchment. The teen did a quick skim. Her eyes widened.
"You want us to put together a theater performance?" asked Twilight. The rest of the girls bore confused and shocked looks.
"What does that have to do with propaganda for the war?" asked Twilight.
"It's more on morale at home. In any case, theater has been lacking lately in its story telling that it's depressing citizens. I believe new ideas are needed to bring interest," said Salem. Rarity gasped.
"Twilight, we have to do this! I could finally have an excuse to make creative outfits!" said Rarity with a grin.
"Ooh! A play sounds fun!" said Pinkie.
"It does sound like a nice change of pace," said Applejack. Twilight nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, I think this may be an interesting one," said Twilight.
"Ugh. Unless I get a cool part, I'll pass," said Rainbow.
"I think I have a few ideas," said Twilight to herself.
Junior snored as he lied in his cot. The early morning sun was beginning to shine on his face, prompting him to roll onto his side. He mumbled as he pulled the covers over himself more.
"Rise and shine, boys~!" Fluttershy said sweetly, as she, Mosura, and Sunset stepped over to Rodan's and Junior's sleeping spot.
"Mm. Five more minutes," grumbled Junior.
"An hour for me," said Rodan from his cot.
"Guys, come on. Aang wants us to train with him some more," said Mosura, shaking Junior's shoulder. The boy curled himself more under the covers.
"If I wanted spiritual guidance, I'd go to church," said Junior.
"Mama, I don't wanna go to church today..." mumbled Rodan. Mosura sighed in dismay.
"Uh oh. Look who's coming," said Sunset as a familiar iguana crawled over. It snorted as it made its way to Rodan, nudging him.
"Meh..." Rodan turned away. Jira then turned to Junior and nudged him as well.
"Go away, Jira. God I can't believe they called you that," grumbled Junior.
"Jira, can you wake them up for us?" asked Fluttershy. Jira grunted as he continued nudging Junior, who wouldn't budge. He then bit the cot and began to drag Junior along the grass.
"Hey! Cut it out!" said Junior in annoyance. He yelped as Jira pulled the cot from under him, leaving him on the cold grass.
"You little-!" Junior got up with a shiver. Jira then made his way to Rodan and then lied himself down on his body.
"Oof! OK, I'm up! Get off! Get him off me!" cried Rodan, frantically. The girls all laughed in amusement. Jira groaned as he stepped off Rodan, allowing him to get up. He glared at Jira, who swayed his tail in almost a wagging motion.
"I'm pretty sure this thing still wants to kill us," said Rodan.
"Don't be silly. He's relying on us for survival at this point. Besides, Goji beat him for dominance," said Fluttershy.
"This thing still seems like more trouble than its worth. By the way, it stinks around here, doesn't it?" said Junior as he took a step. He yelped as he stepped in something, which caused him to slide along the grass. His face turned to a grimace as he regained his balance.
"Please tell me that's mud..." said Junior.
"Well..." Sunset glanced at the grass with a grimace.
"That's a lot," said Rodan in shock.
"Eew…" Mosura and Fluttershy groaned in disgust. Junior growled as he glared at Jira. The iguana's eyes widened once he sensed Junior's growing aggression. He scurried off away from the group.
"Yeah you better fucking run!!" said Junior as he ran after the iguana.
"Dude, wipe your feet!" called Rodan.
"What a morning this turned out to be," said Mosura with a sigh.
Angirasu grunted as sent several jabs. Kong swiped at him, but the teen narrowly dodged. The boy countered with a strike in the side.
"Good. Again," said Kong as he sent another strike.
The rest of the mutants stood by, watching. Angirasu repeated the process of dodging and countering,
"Now this is what I had in mind. Though I still have to question what fighting has to do with transformation," said Junior.
"Well since we can't master it like Aang did, I'm fine with doing something unrelated," said Rodan.
"He looks like he's enjoying this at least," said Mosura, as Angirasu panted as he broke a sweat, a smile on his face.
"Very good. Your reaction time and speed will only improve. Now, I will teach the rest of you," said Kong as he approached. He sent a fist towards Junior, who yelped as he fell onto his rear. Rodan chuckled, Kong smirked and Junior scowled.
"You can't be jumpy. An unexpected strike must always be expected," said Kong.
"Huh?" Asked Junior in confusion as Mosura helped him up to his feet.
"He means to be ready for anything," said Angirasu.
"No, I get that. It's just that with everything that's happened, I don't think that's possible," said Junior.
"To endure the pain of transformation, one must experience pain. To be a fierce fighter, one must master his fists as a man. To be of sound mind, one must accept that the beast is always within, and to starve its carnal nature," said Kong.
"Again with the metaphors," said Junior in annoyance.
"It's fractal, Gojira. These teaching are both literal and metaphorical on different levels. It requires discipline and self-control to master the transformation," said Kong.
"I think I'm starting to understand. We have to train ourselves physically and have a certain state of mind, right?" asked Mosura.
"Yes, something along those lines," said Kong with a nod.
"Alright so what do we do first?" asked Rodan. He yelped as Kong suddenly flipped him over and dropped him to the ground on his back. Rodan groaned.
"Train your body and mind. You must endure, and be quick to react," said Kong.
"Great." Rodan groaned. Junior found Angirasu looking his way, popping his joints. He felt unnerved by the smirk growing on his face.
"How about it? Want me to demonstrate?" asked Angirasu.
"Um... sure?" Junior raised a brow.
"I've been wondering how I'd do in a fight with you. Don't go easy on me," said Angirasu.
"Dude, I'm starting to think you're too eager to do this," said Junior warily, taking a step back. Junior yelped as Angirasu moved towards him with a punch, prompting the boy to side stepped.
"Hey, I wasn't ready!" said Junior.
"Expect the unexpected!" said Angirasu with a chuckle, sending several punches, causing the boy to step back to dodge. Mosura watched wide eyed, then noticed Kong stepping over to her. The girl's stomach sank.
"On second thought, I think I'll do chores!" Mosura cried as she stumbled back with a nervous smile.
"Calm yourself. I'm only having them fight for my own study," said Kong as he stood next to the girl.
"Wait, you mean this isn't actually necessary? Then why are you having them do it?" asked Mosura in confusion.
"Hey, not bad " said Junior as he slid to the side. He grunted in pain as Angirasu jabbed him in the side. "But I still don't see the point of this!"
"OK, I think I'm good," grunted Rodan as he sat up. He yelped in pain as Junior stepped on his foot, stumbling as Angirasu kicked him back. Junior groaned in annoyance as he lied on his back.
"Pathetic. On your feet!" said Kong. Junior grunted in annoyance as he shot back up. He returned to exchanging jabs with Angirasu, as Rodan got up with a wince.
"It's necessary for all young men to train their body and mind. It's their responsibility to defend and provide for their tribe. I am trying to rear Angirasu to be that, as is the role of a Titan to be a Guardian.," said Kong .
"Titan...?" Mosura cocked a brow.
"It's what our kind are. At least where we come from. You and your friends have a responsibility," said Kong. He gestured to Angirasu and Junior as they continued to spar.
"Which is why I'm overseeing their combative abilities," said Kong. Angirasu grunted as he tackled Junior to the ground, then placed him in a headlock.
"I said don't hold back!" said Angirasu in annoyance.
"Ow! I can't help it!" said Junior with a wince. Mosura noticed Kong smirking at the scene. Something about that expression told her that he just wanted to see if Angirasu could dominate Junior. It seemed like the dislike between the two was mutual.
It was later into the day. Junior and Angirasu lied in the grass. They were covered in dirt, sweat and bruises from the sparring. Angirasu bore a smile as Junior bore an annoyed look.
"Well, that was fun," said Angirasu.
"If you say so," said Junior.
"Don't mind him. He hasn't been a rough house kind of guy in years" said Rodan taking a seat nearby, along with Mosura.
"Really? I never would've thought he would be," said Mosura.
"Yeah, but now Goji's more like a tired old man," said Rodan.
"Am not. Fighting just became a last resort when necessary for me, rather than for fun," said Junior, staring up to the tree tops above. As a gentle breeze brushed the branches and rustled the green leaves.
"Hey Goji, could you teach me?" asked Mosura. The boys gave her confused looks.
"You mean to fight?" asked Junior.
"Yeah. I mean, you seem good at it," said Mosura, shrugging. Junior bore a reluctant look.
"I don't know, Mosu. I don't want to hurt you," said Junior.
"Oh come on. It's not like I'm asking you to beat me up. Just show me how you do it," said Mosura.
"Why not ask Kong? He seems more experienced," said Rodan.
"I would, but I'm sure he'd make me fight one of you or something," said Mosura. Junior sighed as he stood up.
"I thought you knew how to fight? Weren't you the one who took down Xenjira and a couple of Purists one time?" asked Junior.
"With my telekinesis. I've never... actually fought like that before," said Mosura.
"Hm. Adagio seemed to think you have. She was sure that you'd put out her lights," said Junior. Mosura stiffened.
"I-I don't..."
"She told me what happened between you a few days back," said Junior. Mosura grimaced as she looked away.
"G-Gojira..."
"Look, I'm not mad at you. I get it. But we're in this together. Remember?" asked Junior. Mosura nodded.
"Alright. Come here," said Junior. Mosura stepped over to the boy.
"If you want to learn to fight, I'll show you. I can't teach you anything flashy, but I have some tips," said Junior. Mosura smiled with a nod.
"Ok. First thing. Don't be afraid to be hit. You're bound to get hurt in a fight, so try to push through that. Hesitating will only leave you in a worse state," said Junior. Mosura nodded.
"Second, always keep moving. This will let you get distance to dodge, advance, or do anything you need," said Junior.
"Got it," said Mosura.
"Ok, next. Don't be afraid to fight dirty." said Junior. Mosura looked at him in confusion.
"That doesn't seem fair," said Mosura, raising a brow.
"Well sure, in a professional boxing match or something. We're talking about a scenario where some creep wants to hurt you," said Junior.
"Do you fight dirty?" asked Mosura.
"I rarely have to. I mean, look at me, I'm a train compared to most people," said Junior, gesturing to himself. Mosura snorted in amusement.
"OK. Anything else?" asked Mosura.
"Yeah. Ration your stamina. You don't want to burn it all out in the beginning," said Junior. He then popped his knuckles.
"Ok. So now, show me your punch," said Junior as he raised his hand. Mosura balled up her fist.
"No. No. Not like that," said Junior as he took the girl's hand. Mosura blushed as his large strong hand held her own. He began to guide her thumb out from palm.
"Like this, so you don't hurt your thumb. Also, don't ball up your fist too tight and not to lightly," said Junior. Mosura shyly nodded as he released her. Rodan and Angirasu just stared.
"Psst. Let's make ourselves scarce," whispered Rodan as he casually walked off. Angirasu shrugged as he followed in suite.
"Keep your hips squared, your arms like this, one foot in front of the other," said Junior as he showed Mosura his stance. The girl awkwardly mimicked his stance.
"No, more like this," said Junior as he stepped behind Mosura. She softly gasped as he placed his hands on her shoulders, lowering them down.
"Stay loose." Junior then knelt down and moved her leg back a bit more, while the other forward. Mosura shuddered with a flustered look. Junior then stood in front of her, raising an open hand.
"Alright, hit as hard as you can," said Junior. Mosura grunted as she sent a punch forward. She winced from the smack of her skin against Junior's, as well as the almost solid form of his palm.
"What are you? Made of stone?" asked Mosura as she shook her hand.
"Hehe. Come on, again," said Junior as he held his hand back up. Mosura narrowed her eyes. She grunted as she began to jab her fists against Junior's. She continued this process several times, her wincing becoming less.
"Alright, harder!" said Junior. Mosura began to apply more force into her punches. Junior could feel the blows gradually increasing in force. His palm was beginning to ache. While she was nowhere near as strong as he is, Mosura was at least stronger than the average girl.
"Alright, not bad. But since you're smaller, you gotta fight smart," said Junior as he lowered his hand. He began to look around the area. He then noticed a large fruit lying on the ground. He knelt down to pick it up.
"Give me a minute," said Junior. He then spent the next minute crudely carving a rough head with his claws. He quickly analyzed it, finding a rough jaw line from the half of the fruit he carved.
"Ok, so when you go for the punch, you go for this spot right here," said Junior as he circled around the jaw just near the ear.
"Here, here, and here," said Junior as he began to point to different points along the crudely sculpted jawline. "You can knock a guy down quick if you hit these points just right. But I recommend you use your palm at this point here, as to not damage your fist," said Junior.
"I see," said Mosura with an attentive look. "What else you got?"
Junior merely gave Mosura a smirk.
Elsinore...
Twilight was sitting at her usual spot on the desk. Her friends all lounged about in the room as she scribbled away. They have been brainstorming ideas for their next quest, which was to help put together a theater performance. It seemed that the theater owner was looking for something fresh and original for audiences. That shouldn't be too hard for the girls.
At least, that was what they thought originally. As of now, they've come up with a few ideas but had to scrap them for varying reasons.
"Rainbow, for the last time, no plagiarizing your favorite movies!" said Twilight in disapproval. Rainbow groaned in exasperation.
"Oh come on! They wouldn't know! Besides, Applewood movies are perfect material to wow them!" said Rainbow.
"We're not putting together a movie. We're writing a play. Besides, I don't think these people are capable of suspending reality enough to comprehend the science fiction of movies like the Terminator and such," said Twilight.
"Hey, we can take artistic liberties," said Rainbow with a shrug.
"At that point, we're better off with coming up with something from scratch," deadpanned Applejack. Rainbow sighed heavily.
"Fine, I give. What do you guys got?" asked Rainbow as she slumped in her seat.
"Oh! I was thinking of a homage to the likes of Romeo and Juliet or West Side Story! Two lovers from rival factions! Just something romantic," sighed Rarity. Rainbow gagged in response.
"I was thinking it'd be a musical! Who doesn't appreciate a song?" asked Pinkie.
"Hmm. Those can work. I had an idea myself," said Twilight, turning to face her friends.
"I was thinking of a Slice of Life kind of play. But we use events from our lives to create the story," said Twilight. Rarity hummed in thought.
"Would it be directly retelling our lives or would our history just be inspiration?" asked Rarity.
"Maybe the latter. That way we have more freedom for a theme and story. We can even make it a musical," said Twilight with a smile. Pinkie grinned.
"I'm sold! Let's do it!" said Pinkie. Rarity bore a thoughtful look.
"I want my character to marry a handsome prince and to be swept away to a castle made of gems!" said Rarity.
"Wow, quite a fantasy. That's sad, Rarity," said Rainbow.
"Oh come now. I was just joking," said Rarity in amusement. "I'm interested in your concept."
"Me too!" said Applejack.
"Alright, I'm game if you guys are into it. So what did you have in mind for the premise and theme?" asked Rainbow. Twilight bore a pondering look.
"How about the magic of friendship? The play is about how our friendship has managed to get us through tough times. I think a message like that would be good for the people in these times," said Twilight.
"Oh! Let's start by retelling your story!" said Pinkie, pointing to Twilight.
"Wait, mine?" asked Twilight.
"I like that idea! After all, your story is an example that I'm sure others can relate to," said Rarity.
"W-Well, I don't know..." stuttered Twilight, an embarrassed look on her face. "I didn't mean to make it seem like I was putting myself at the center of attention."
"Ain't none of us thought that, Twi. I agree with them. After all, it made you start that club. The main character's goal could be to share that," said Applejack.
"Maybe the main character could try to, but sometimes makes a mess of things since she's so new to friendship. Then she has to resolve it somehow," suggested Rainbow.
"My! That's actually a good idea, Rainbow!" said Rarity in surprise. Rainbow glared at her in offense.
"Hey! I only say it because Twilight did that herself when she first started attending our school," said Rainbow.
"I sure did," said Twilight awkwardly.
"So... Should we just retell our lives since we're going with Twilight's past?" asked Rainbow.
"Eh. Why not?" Twilight shrugged.
"I'm super nervous-cited to see how this turns out!" grinned Pinkie.
"That's not even a word," said Applejack in amusement.
"Hey, we should include the others in the play!" said Rarity. Twilight was silent as her friends were bouncing ideas off each other. While she was happy that everyone seemed to be enjoying this process, she wished that the others were here with them.
It was late noon. Adagio, Aria and Sonata were just outside of the walls of the Iwi village. They were accompanied by a few other women and teen girls from the tribe. While the men were expected to take on tasks such as building, hunting, protection and exploring, most of the women handled more domestic tasks. In this instance, gathering fruits and berries from nearby bushes and trees. Adagio and Aria didn't complain, since they didn't fancy the idea of being around Dwan.
While they were outside of the safety of the walls, they weren't too far. That left the girls at ease since the village was close in case they needed to flee from predators.
"Rodan seems better, huh?" asked Adagio.
"Yeah. I'd say so," said Aria nonchalantly.
"I'm sure you'd know. After all, I overheard you both," said Adagio teasingly. Aria scoffed.
"Don't make it sound like that," said Aria in annoyance.
"I'm just teasing. But it was surprisingly sweet of you," said Adagio. Aria shrugged
"The poor guy was in mourning. I'm not that heartless," said Aria.
"Ah. You always had the biggest heart out of all us," said Adagio.
"Do not," scoffed Aria. She noticed Sonata to be sluggishly picking berries from a bush. The pony tailed girl gave a heavy sigh.
"You're still moping over Angirasu?" asked Aria in mild annoyance.
"Of course I am! The love of my life hates my guts!" said Sonata. She began to begrudgingly pick more berries.
"It just isn't fair! Now Dwan is getting clingy with him, and he's falling for her slutty charm!" said Sonata.
"Maybe he's into that," said Aria to herself.
"What else grinds my gears is that Dagi and Goji seem to be friends again! And she did the same thing that I did!" said Sonata. Adagio grimaced as she looked away.
"That's because Adagio didn't totally ruin his life, unlike a certain someone," said Aria.
"Aria!" said Adagio in shock.
"It's true!" said Aria. She then glared at Sonata. "Not everything is about you, Sonata! The universe doesn't revolve around you and your fantasies!"
Adagio winced. Aside from the harshness of her little sister's words, Adagio almost felt like she was the one being yelled at. Mainly since that statement easily applied to Adagio's love for attention.
"You're right..." said Sonata in a small tone. She sniffled. "I just became obsessed with him that I didn't think about all the dumb stuff that I was doing. I really did ruin his life."
"This must be my punishment. Not only does he hate me, I have to live with knowing what I did," said Sonata, her eyes watering.
"Aw. Hey, come on. I'm sure things will work out. Besides, he might forgive you," said Adagio, wrapping a comforting arm around the youngest sibling. Aria sighed. Adagio was wrong about her having the biggest heart out of the siblings. After all, she couldn't bring herself to say something that she didn't believe to comfort her sister.
Aria began to walk off further from the area. As the Iwi were filling their baskets, the Dazzling began to scan the area for another bush. She noticed a tree that was covered in fungi along the base. Curious, Aria approached and knelt next to the trunk, looking over the mushrooms that grew. The large bulbs stood on long stalks, bunched together almost like grass. She wondered if they were safe to eat. The girl noticed a few natives picking at the trunks of trees, taking similar looking fungi.
Aria shrugged as she proceeded to harvest the mushrooms. As she was about to reach for another, she noticed that the earth began to move. She froze still, feeling her gut wrench as if it were sensing a threat. Aria stepped back as the earth began to move more. She yelped as she tripped backwards and fell, finding that she had wandered into another mound of moving earth.
A bony and sickly arm burst from the mound and grabbed Aria's boot ankle, prompting her to scream in fright. The natives and her sisters turned, startled out of their tasks. Aria began to kick her leg, managing to free herself. She scrambled away as a sickly humanoid creature with sunken eyes, pale leathery flesh and a bony frame began to emerge. It gave a guttural cry as it opened its mouth, full of sharp yellow teeth.
"What the fuck?!" whimpered Aria, before running to join her sisters. A native girl screamed as she was suddenly grabbed by several arms that emerged from the earth. Everyone fled as she was pulled under the earth. More and more of these abominations began to rise, giving their guttural cries.
"Quick! Back to the village!" cried Adagio. The Dazzlings fled from the area with the rest of the natives. The humanoids gave chase, sprinting after them. Some ran as they flailed their arms, giving hellish shrieks that echoed out into the forest. Others ran on all fours, using their arms to carry them across the forest floor like apes. The monsters were so fast that they tackled any woman that lagged behind. The Dazzlings dared not to look back as they heard the pained and pleading cries of the victims. They mustered up all the stamina they could once they saw the village gates in their sights.
"Open the gate! Open the gate!" Ann cried from the wall. A few Iwi that were on top of the wall took notice of the women as well as the creatures that pursued them. They quickly drew their bows and arrows, while men from below took arms with their spears and curved clubs.
Meanwhile, Junior and Mosura were running through the village, having heard a loud horn being blown. They didn't know what was going on, but they had a feeling that it wasn't good. They found Sunset, Fluttershy, Angirasu, and Rodan to be in the midst of the chaos.
"What's happening?" asked Mosura.
"We got trouble!" said Dwan as she ran by, wielding a bow. Angirasu began to run after her.
"Angirasu!" cried Fluttershy. Junior began to follow.
"Hey! Guys, come back!" said Sunset. Angirasu and Junior began to rush over to a group of older Iwi. One of them immediately turned to find the two mutants. He tossed a spear over to Angirasu. Junior was handed a club.
"I want the women and children to take shelter away from the gate! Every able bodied man is to take arms!" said Kong as he jogged by, as an Iwi presented a stone axe, bearing the tribal markings of the Iwi. He stopped over to the two mutants.
"Angirasu, you're with me!" said Kong.
"What about me?" asked Junior.
"I need you to defend the entrance," said Kong.
"But I can-" Junior was interrupted as Kong and Angirasu ran off. He gave an annoyed sigh as he gave chase.
From back outside, the Dazzlings and gatherers were nearing the gates. But the humanoids were gaining on them, while picking off the slowest ones. The gates were slightly raising up, but there wasn't enough time to allow the women through before the humanoids reached them. The gates hadn't risen high enough. Adagio stopped and turned to face the incoming horde of humanoids.
"Dagi, what are you doing?!" cried Sonata, as she and Aria stopped. Adagio trembled in place as she found the grotesque creatures locking their sights on her. Adagio took a deep breath, her irises beginning to glow. Adagio began to vocalize, her voice boomed and echoed, sending waves of sound towards the humanoids. The creatures shrieked as they collapsed onto the ground, clutching their heads. Adagio continued to vocalize as the humanoids stopped, wailing in pain. Some of them began to stumble on, pressing through the pain. Adagio was about to stop but heard two additional voices.
Aria and Sonata stood at her side, their irises glowing and their voices amplified by their super sonic vocals. The air in front of them became distorted as the earth and trees trembled at their voices. The humanoids collapsed, thrashing in agony. Their bones rattled from the loud volume and growing vibrations in the air. This allowed the women to escape to safety behind the village walls.
The Dazzlings thought themselves victorious as some of the humanoids attempted to rise and flee from their voices. But then, the earth around them gave in. The sisters fell over, screaming in fright as a couple of humanoids burst from the earth for a surprise attack. As these monsters prepared to attack, they were struck by arrows. Adagio turned to find Dwan and a few archers to be firing off at the humanoids, especially the disoriented ones.
Kong suddenly rushed passed them, followed by Angirasu and a few other Iwi. They stabbed the downed humanoids with their weapons. Junior knelt down and began to pull Adagio up to her feet.
"Come on! Get up!" shouted Junior as he helped up Aria and Sonata. He allowed them to run ahead of him. He took one quick look at Kong and Angirasu as they attempted to eliminate the remaining humanoids that were regaining their senses. Kong gave a war cry as he swung his axe against any creature in his path. The power of his swing led to the effortless hacking of limbs. Junior sighed begrudgingly and began to follow the Dazzlings, escorting them back to the village. Kong seemed to have the outer perimeter covered. Once he and the Dazzlings reached the safety of the village, a few more of the men began to run out to confront the humanoids.
"They're having the women and kids take shelter. Follow them!" said Junior as he pointed to the fleeing villagers. Before Adagio could protest, a mound of dirt began to rise. Junior quickly pushed her back, as a couple of humanoids burst from the earth, shrieking. The creatures began to rise and rushed Junior, tackling him to the ground.
"Gojira!" cried Adagio.
"Go!!" Junior kicked off one humanoid, then rolled along the ground with the other. More and more mounds of dirt began to rise, where humanoids emerged. The Dazzlings took off running, leaving Junior to fend for himself.
"I told that damn dirty ape that we should've followed them into those creepy woods!" grunted Junior, swinging his club against a humanoid, knocking its teeth out. He began to step back as the creatures began to surround him, swiping their claws and snapping their jaws at him. As his heart raced and his adrenaline kicked in, he began to recall his father's teachings in combat.
'Always keep a level head. A man that uses his mind can conquer any foe.'
All of those years of experience of street fighting and the words of wisdom of his father came flooding back to him. He noticed how off balance the creatures were. Stumbling and swaying as their sunken eyes darted about. While they were physically strong, they appeared to be very reactionary like animals.
One humanoid lunged for Junior. The boy swung his reptilian arm, batting the creature several feet away. A second humanoid came to his left, its sights focused on the boy's shoulder. With his current momentum from his last swing, Junior swung his right and slammed his club against its head. As it fell limp, Junior ran and tumbled into the last three humanoids, knocking them to the side. As he got back up, Junior spun and swung his mallet against one of the three humanoids, knocking it back. But, the second of the last three humanoids tackled him. It began to slash it claws at his skin. Junior held its head back as it attempted to maul him.
There was a high pitched screech. A heavy figure dropped down beside Junior and the two remaining humanoids. A large tail struck the humanoid that pinned Junior down. The boy found Jira snarling as it turned to the last humanoid and bit down onto its head and torso, violently shaking it. Junior found Fluttershy to be riding on Jira, sitting between the largest dorsal plates.
"Come on!" Fluttershy held out her hand to the mutant. Junior got up and took her hand, climbing Jira's back behind her. Jira began to scurry away to safety, as more humanoids began to rise out of the ground. Some managed to pick off certain natives, either mauling them or dragging them underground. Jira leapt over to the far side of the village, where a large number of Iwi women and children were. There was a deep cave with a large wooden door in place. Junior and Fluttershy climbed off the hybrid, finding Sunset and Mosura rushing to them.
"Where's Rodan?" asked Junior urgently.
"Rodan went off to help Ann at the wall!" said Sunset.
"OK. You take shelter! You're the last line of defense!" said Junior.
"Be careful," said Mosura, anxiously. Junior nodded to her. He noticed Fluttershy holding Jira's head close.
"You go and help protect the village. Gojira needs all the help he can get," said Fluttershy. Jira grunted as he began run off back into the village. Junior began to follow the beast, his club in hand.
There was a familiar trumpet-like sound in the sir. Junior stopped as he noticed some of the humanoids freezing in place. They began to grunt as they took to returning to their burrows. Others merely began to run away from the village. Junior just watched and stared, while a few Iwi natives chased off the remaining abominations.
"What the hell?" Junior grimaced.
About an hour had passed. The Iwi kept a watchful eye from the now closed wall, and from within the village itself. Junior found that Kong was visibly agitated as he spoke with Ann. He also noted how a lot less children were running around. Things had escalated quickly that the village was much different from how it was this morning. The boy began to make his way to the huts that the girls were living in. He found that all of his friends were accounted for.
"Are you guys OK?" asked Junior.
"I'm a bit traumatized, but I'll live," said Aria dryly. Adagio suddenly threw herself onto Junior, holding on tightly.
"You were so brave! You were like, 'Go on without me! I'll hold them off!' It was so cool!" squealed Adagio. Mosura growled from her throat while Fluttershy scowled.
"I-I didn't exactly say all that," said Junior with an awkward smile. He grew red as the pop star nuzzled against his shoulder.
"Hey, take it easy, Adagio," said Sunset as she pulled the girl off.
"I'll throw myself on you if you save me next time," said Adagio with a wink. Sunset sighed.
"So what were those things?" asked Aria.
"We saw a couple of them these last few days. But we've no clue what they are," said Rodan.
"I told you guys that we should've followed them when we saw them. But the 'fearless' king is afraid of the dark," scoffed Junior. Angirasu glared at him.
"Hey, we don't even know what's in that forest! How about you be a little more humble with the situation?" Junior furrowed his brows in response.
"What the hell is your problem?" asked Junior.
"Enough! Look, let's just check with him and Ann, then see what we can do to help," said Mosura.
"Fine," said Junior and Angirasu in unison, both tones filled with frustration. The two stormed off.
"Jeez. Those two have been aggressive lately. Especially Goji," said Adagio.
"Yeah..." said Sunset.
Later, the teens found themselves standing within Kong's domicile. He was sitting on his "throne" as he scratched his head. He appeared a bit anxious, but he kept a stern aura about himself. Ann and Dwan stood by the teens.
"These things are capable of burrowing into the village. That just goes to show how vulnerable we are to them," said Ann. Kong hummed to himself as he furrowed his brows, reflecting his pondering.
"These creatures are unnatural. They behave like those demons, yet they aren't them. Based on our recent observation, they have an Alpha that controls them," said Kong. "I believe we'll be able to find the master, or at least where they come from."
"Well, shit. Let's get going," said Aria.
"No, there is no need for you to go. I can handle it on my own. Besides, you may be better suited on looking after the Iwi while I'm away," said Kong.
"Kong..." Ann was about to protest.
"We can join you since we were with you when we found them heading off to that forest," said Angirasu.
"The journey will be dangerous," said Kong.
"All the more reason you need us along," said Angirasu as he patted Rodan's shoulder and wrapped an arm around Junior. With a sigh of reluctance, Kong nodded.
"Very well. Gather essentials and weapons. We leave next dawn," said Kong as he sat up. Rodan gave Angirasu a flat look.
"I didn't agree to this."
It was the evening. Junior found himself setting aside a sack of berries and dried meat. He also placed a hallowed out gourd that was full of water into the sack. He gave a tired yawn as he stretched, but winced as he felt his wounds stung. He began to feel around his skin from his sides and arms, finding his skin having not healed. This was strange, since Junior would normally recover from something like this by now. He stood up, rubbing his shoulder.
"Hey G, what's up?" asked Rodan as he walked over.
"Hey. Did you pack?" asked Junior.
"Yep. I was just making my way over to take a bath. I reek," said Rodan.
"Heh. Have fun with that. It's freezing right now," said Junior.
"Oh no, I'm not bathing in the river. There's some hot springs," said Rodan. Junior bore a surprised look.
"Really?" asked Junior. He noticed the cloth that Rodan held over his shoulder, and was sporting a short loin cloth-like apparel around his waist. "That explains why you're in your underwear."
"Well duh, I'm not going commando. Aang was telling me about it this morning. He's down there right now. You should come hang out. Have one last night to relax before dying in a creepy forest tomorrow," said Rodan with a joking tone.
"Why not? I can use something close to a hot bath," said Junior.
Later, the two traveled away from the village, but still within the protective walls that were long ago built. They made their way near the rocky area near the hills and mountain. Once they moved down a small hill, they found pools of steaming water, surrounded by plants and stones. Junior felt the humidity in the air from the springs. He noticed Angirasu waving to them as he sat in one of the springs. Rodan grinned as he jumped into the spring, splashing water everywhere.
"Oh, that's hot!" cried Rodan, his hair soaked.
"Dumbass." Junior sighed.
"Good to see you've joined," said Angirasu.
"Ah you know. I was sick of bathing in cold water," said Junior as he set his animal hide based towel onto a stone. He began to descend down into the pool, gasping from the heat. He began to give a relieved sigh as he sunk himself lower into the water. His pores opened up, and his wounds were soothed from the heated water. His body adjusted to the heat.
"That's nice," said Junior as he leaned back against one side of the pool, while Rodan and Angirasu took a spot for themselves.
"Sure is. Just like home," said Rodan.
"Nah. I'd say this is better than home," sighed Angirasu.
"Yeah..." Junior nodded, though he didn't like hearing that from Angirasu at the moment. Lately he seemed to be making himself too comfortable here.
"Hey Aang, where did you learn about this? Any of the natives ever come down here?" Asked Rodan.
"Not often. But Dwan was the one who told me about this place," said Angirasu.
"Wait, Dwan?" asked Junior in worry. There was a sudden splash in the middle of the pool. The boys instinctively covered their eyes from the coming water. Once they uncovered their eyes, they found a curvy slim figure rising from the water,with bare tannish skin.
"Mm. That feels so nice~," said a sultry feminine tone. The boys bore slacked jaws as their faces grew red. And it wasn't from the heat of the spring.
"Dwan?!" exclaimed Junior.
"Hey, boys~!" Dwan turned to face Junior, her breasts obscured by the steam. She was completely naked.
"It's a full moon..." Rodan stared while Angirasu covered his own eyes, blushing furiously.
"I'm getting the hell out of here!" said Junior as he scrambled out of the water. He failed to notice the Dazzlings, Sunset, Fluttershy and Mosura approaching. All carrying towels as they were dressed in their under wear.
"I mean, are we seriously going to skinny dip?" asked Mosura with an embarrassed look, while Sunset was in the middle of undoing her bra.
"We're all girls here," said Sunset as she was about to pull off her bra. Suddenly, Junior rose up in her line of sight. The two froze once their eyes locked. Sunset suddenly punched junior's face, causing him to stumble and fell back into the water. The boy shot up with a cough and a glare.
"Hey!" barked Junior.
"Oh crap! I'm so sorry! It was just a reflex!" cried Sunset as she covered her chest with a towel. The rest of the girls did the same.
"Hey! What's the big idea?!" yelled Aria furiously.
"We were here first!" said Junior, rubbing his face.
"Oops! I'm sorry guys! I didn't think you'd be here tonight," said Dwan with an innocent look. Junior narrowed his eyes.
"I'm sure you didn't ," said Junior with a dry tone.
"That's alright. Mistakes happen," said Angirasu with a chuckle. Junior scoffed.
"Dude, you don't honestly believe-"
"Anyway, I think we were in here long enough. We'll leave," said Angirasu.
"Aw man. We were only here for less than a minute," grumbled Rodan. Junior had to admit that even he was annoyed.
"Hold on! There's not a reason why you can't just stick around," said Dwan.
"Huh?!" exclaimed the girls.
"I can think of a few," deadpanned Junior, looking away from Dwan.
"I'm serious! We're just a bunch of friends chillin' in the hot springs. There's plenty of space," said Dwan. Junior growled.
"Yeah I think I-"
"I-I'm fine with that," said Adagio, removing her towel. Everyone excluding Dwan bore shocked looks. Adagio dipped herself into the water, her face red hot as she felt junior's eyes on her.
"Anyone else? Remember, underwear is optional," said Dwan.
"Clearly," deadpanned Aria as she stared at Dwan.
"I'm comfortable in my own skin! Get in! You'll miss out on a relaxing experience~," said Dwan. Mosura gasped as she noticed Adagio moving to Junior's position.
"F-Fine!" Mosura dropped in, wincing as she felt the heat. She quickly moved into Adagio's path, sending her a glare. Adagio smirked as she splashed water into the mutant girl's face. The pop star took advantage of her blindness and swam over to the other side of Junior. Mosura scowled after wiping her face.
One by one, the rest of the girls began to dip themselves into the spring. All except Dwan kept their undergarments on. The sheer awkwardness of this made it hard for anyone to relax, save for Dwan.
"So... you guys been good?" asked Sunset, awkwardly.
"Eh." Aria shrugged.
"Feels pretty nice, huh?" asked Adagio, loosening up a bit. He hair floating on the surface of the water.
"Yep..." Junior cleared his throat. Adagio gasped as she looked to Junior.
"Oh! You should totally try going to a sauna or something when we get home! All that stress relief would do ya wonders," said Adagio.
"If we get home," remarked Angirasu. There was some tension in the air from that comment.
"I guess that sounds cool..." said Junior. Mosura grumbled to herself.
"If you're stressing, I can help," said Fluttershy.
"Mm. I'm sure you can," said Dwan with a suggestive tone. Flutterdhy grunted in annoyance.
"N-Not like that. I meant a massage," said Fluttershy.
"Ooh~! A massage," said Dwan, motioning her hand up and down. Fluttershy gasped with an appalled look.
"Would you please?" asked Junior in annoyance.
"Hey, I'm not the only one who thinks you can use a handy!" said Dwan. Junior groaned.
"Dwan!" Adagio glared at the girl.
"Oh I'm just teasing! Lighten up! Don't act like you don't do the same thing," said Dwan.
"Yeah but I have a line," said Adagio.
"Eh..." the rest of the teens all gave audible credits to uncertainty.
"I do!" whined Adagio.
"Do you?" deadpanned Mosura.
"At least Adagio doesn't make me feel like that I'm gonna to catch Chlamydia," said Junior. Dwan gasped in offense while Adagio and a few of the girls snickered.
"Hey!" said Dwan.
"Damn, that's brutal," chuckled Rodan.
"Gojira, come on," said Angirasu.
"What? She's the one that was talking about handjobs!" said Junior.
"Why are you so mean to me?" Whined Dwan.
"Oh, I'm mean? Sure," scoffed Junior. Dwan grunted with an annoyed look.
"Alright, enough. Let's just get along, alright?" said Angirasu. Dwan crossed her arms with a childish pout.
"Oh alright. But only for you, Nice Aang," said Dwan as she moved close to the boy. She seductively moved her hip against his own hip. Angirasu cleared his throat as he took a breath. Sonata furrowed her brows at this. She turned to Junior.
"Hey, Gojira. Can I ask you something?"
"Um... sure," said Junior, surprised by Sonata's serious tone, while she's normally bubbly.
"Remember how you and Dagi weren't speaking to each other for a while? How come you easily forgave her?" asked Sonata.
"Sonata..." growled Aria. Adagio awkwardly looked to the side, while Junior was surprised.
"Yeah. That's what I wanna know," grumbled Mosura.
"Oh. Well..." Junior was about to answer, but Angirasu gave an annoyed sigh.
"Because all Adagio did was try to get a kiss from Gojira. What she did is far more tolerable compared to making someone ditch class and almost get imprison for the rest of his life," deadpanned Angirasu. There was tension. Sonata's lip quivered.
"I-I just..."
"It doesn't matter what you wanted. You did what you did for selfish reasons. At least Adagio has some semblance of self-control. You on the other hand, do not," said Angirasu with a glare. Sonata looked away with a deep frown.
"Angirasu..." Sonata muttered.
"I don't wanna hear it. It's over. We're here now, which is leagues better than our world. Now if it's alright with you, I'd like to stop discussing it," said Angirasu. Adagio sunk down to mouth level in the water, out of embarrassment and guilt. She avoided eye contact with everyone present. Junior cleared his throat, thinking to change the subject.
"Uh... Ro! I uh... I noticed you've been well behaved tonight," said Junior.
"Huh?" Rodan cocked a brow.
"You aren't your pervy usual self, considering our current situation," said Junior with a forced chuckle.
"Yeah, I noticed that too," said Mosura with an odd look.
"Eh. Not really feelin' it right now," said Rodan nonchalantly.
"Huh." Junior fell silent. It wasn't exactly a satisfying response, but he wasn't sure what he was expecting. It also did little to lighten the mood.
Aria cleared her throat. A thought had been nagging her a bit lately. Tonight prompted her to ask the question. Whether it was curiosity or bravery, Aria couldn't say.
"Angirasu... I know you said that you wanted to drop the subject, but I gotta say. I get the feeling that you don't want to go home," said Aria.
"Your feeling is correct," said Angirasu. Everyone looked at him in shock
"Dude, you're joking right?" asked Rodan.
"Angirasu, you can't be serious," said Sunset, eyes wide.
"I'm dead serious," said Angirasu.
"But why?" asked Mosura incredulously.
"Come on, think about it. Back during the invasion, we lost control of ourselves and became monsters. I was even on my way to being locked away before then," said Angirasu.
"What?" asked Sunset softly.
"Even if by some miracle, we returned home, MONARCH would just be waiting for us so they can round us up and imprison us," scoffed Angirasu. "And let's not forget that people would despise us if they found us back. The Purists would likely gain more support and could return to Ponyville."
Junior shook his head. He knew that he had a bad feeling with Angirasu's behavior as of late.
"I knew it. You're going native!" said Junior.
"Of course I am! The Iwi have been welcoming. Why shouldn't we adopt their lifestyles?" asked Angirasu.
"Dude, I ain't adopting shit! I wanna go home!" said Rodan.
"There might not even be a way back!" said Angirasu.
"There has to be. And if we find it, we're all going back," said Junior, firmly.
"No," said Angirasu, no sign of hesitation in his voice.
"No?" Junior repeated.
"Gojira, I think I made it clear as to why I don't wanna go back. You guys are free to, but I'm sticking around," said Angirasu, leaning back. Junior's brow twitched in annoyance.
"You're being ridiculous! We don't belong here!" said Junior, raising his voice.
"Gojira, settle down," said Aria.
"We didn't belong in our world either! At least the Iwi respect mutants!" said Angirasu.
"Because they're so damn primitive that they think we're gods!" said Junior.
"Yeah, how lucky," said Dwan with a chuckle.
"You hush!" barked Junior. Everyone flinched at the sudden turn on the girl.
"Dude, what is your major malfunction?" asked Dwan in annoyance.
"My 'malfunction' is that I think it's not a good idea to keep making these natives think we're something that we're not," said Junior.
"Oh piss off! I think you're just jealous because they like him a lot more than you!" scoffed Dwan.
"Jealous?! You know what, just stay out of this! It's not even about the goddamn natives! It's the fact that Angirasu has become hopeless after the Vault situation happened!" said Junior. Angirasu scoffed.
"Who are you to cast stones?" asked Angirasu.
"Excuse me?" Junior turned his attention to Angirasu.
"Weren't you the same guy that got hissy when Twi and the others kicked you out of the club over a crime that you didn't commit?" asked Angirasu. Junior narrowed his eyes. There was a growing tension in the air. Fluttershy noticed that Junior was slightly trembling, as his fists were balled under the water.
"You... Fuck you, Aang. Fuck you," spat junior, his tone harsh. Angirasu merely crossed his arms with an indifferent look. Everyone was in shock at Junior's response.
"Fine, stay in this world. Have fun duping a bunch of natives into joining Kong's little cult," said Junior as he climbed out of the hot spring. Angirasu narrowed his eyes as Junior stormed off. He thought that at least him of all people would understand where he was coming from. Angirasu took a calming breath, subsiding any anger that he felt. He noticed that the rest of his friends stared at him in shock and disbelief.
"Aang... you're actually gonna stay?" asked Rodan. "I mean, sure our world's not perfect. But it's not that bad."
"I just want acceptance, with no strings attach. That means, no states watching me like a hawk, no inhibitor chips, and no hypnosis," said Angirasu, sending a quick glare at Sonata. Dwan placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"I wouldn't worry about that anymore. The natives seemed to have accepted you here more than those in our old world," said Dwan. Sunset lightly frowned, concerned over Angirasu's statements, along with how he and Junior fought. Adagio herself felt guilt welling up more inside of herself. After all, she thought herself the catalyst for most of this conflict.
Meanwhile, Junior had returned to the village. He had changed back into the clothes given to him by the Iwi. He was fuming to himself. He hated how Angirasu was acting. He just wasn't the same. His friend was giving up on their world to stay in this bizarre world. It certainly wasn't boring, but it wasn't their home.
Angirasu was going to bail from their world. He was going to leave not just his friends, but his family too. To put his own mother through that was wrong. But, Junior recalled that Aang told him that Aiko herself was intending to apprehend him, going as far as to point her gun at him. Appealing to him about his family would be foolish since he would associate with his mother, which would cement his stance.
But what set Junior off more was him bringing up the fallout with the club. It wasn't an accurate comparison. After all, Junior's trust was betrayed. He actually considered Twilight his friend. But when he needed her, she turned on him.
"Goddamit," Junior sighed. His hypocrisy became clear to him once he thought of it. His situation really wasn't any different from Angirasu's. Junior was only focused on the fact that he was going to lose another friend. He hated him for that.
It was dawn. There was a sliver of the sun's light appearing at the horizon. The rest of the sky was still dark, filled with the shimmering stars above. The call of birds was in the air, as the nocturnal beasts retreated into darkness.
From the Iwi village, Junior was walking through the cold grass. A stoic look on his face, as he carried a sack on his back, full of essentials such as food and water. He found Kong and Angirasu waiting just outside of the gates. Junior turned back to find Rodan jogging after him.
"Hey. After last night, I didn't think..."
"Compared to those things attacking, that argument doesn't matter. We need to keep this place safe until we can find the others and get home. They're on their own after that," said Junior.
"Right." Rodan slightly nodded.
"Gojira!" a voice called. Junior turned, finding Fluttershy stumbling over as she ran. She stopped with a pant, her eyes still crusted and her hair a mess. She must have just bolted out of bed.
"I just wanted to wish you luck. You guys be careful out there, alright?" said Fluttershy, her tone filled with concern. Junior nodded to her with a reassuring smile. As he turned to walk, Fluttershy took notice of his bare back. She distinctly remembered there being a nasty gash on his back from the stampede awhile back. It was now gone, not even leaving a scar. Fluttershy softly smiled, feeling some relief. The boys made their way outside of the gates, joining Angirasu and Kong. They then began to make their journey, with the gates closing behind them.
Later, the four made their way over to a familiar area in the forest. They stared off at the darkness that the trees ahead made, and the haunting atmosphere that it gave off. Kong held a stone axe at his side, while the boys carried clubs.
"So... You've never been here before?" asked Rodan.
"Once." Kong answered.
"Well, that's a relief," said Junior in a sarcastic manner. Kong began to walk ahead, his expression stoic.
"We must go. Time is of the essence," said Kong. Angirasu tailed after him, followed by Junior and a hesitant Rodan.
"At least I got to go to the hot springs last night," said Rodan.
The four mutants spent the next several minutes on their journey. Kong kept point as his eyes scanned the area, while keeping note of tracks that the group came across. The teens kept their eyes peeled for their surroundings. While the forest was darker compared to the other portions they've been in, it seemed like an ordinary jungle. At least by this world's standards. There were still some strange and prehistoric plants that littered the ground. There were also certain critters that they've seen around, from small mammals to birds. But these birds looked darker in color and were more watchful rather than the singing counterparts outside.
The atmosphere of this place was foreboding. Junior himself couldn't describe it, but something was off about the jungle. His senses felt themselves being blinded by a sense of growing paranoia, like he was being watched by an unseen force.
"Hold," said Kong as he raised a hand. The teens stopped as he knelt down and took dirt from a foot print left behind. He took a brief sniff, his brows furrowing. The smell was both familiar yet alien.
"This way," said Kong, leading the group deeper into the jungle. Along the way, Junior felt the earth at his soles grow colder and moist. He found that the area they ventured to was a large swamp.
There were many dark trees that stood tall, casting an eternal shadow that made the swamp dreary and cold. Some trees stood on dry land, while others stood over the murky and moss riddled water. The trees themselves added to the foreboding atmosphere, as they twisted along each other, with their claw-like branches sticking out as though they were about to grab any traveler that passes.
"Mind your step. You never know what may be lurking in these waters," said Kong as he stepped over a log.
"Just how deep is that water?" asked Angirasu.
"Deep. See that mass over there?" asked Kong, pointing further off into the swamp, where an island covered in moss, stone and dead trees.
"The island?" asked Junior.
"That's no island. You'll find that there are other beasts in these jungles that are one with the natural world. Much like the Spore Mantis you encountered," said Kong. Junior looked back to the "island", an uneasy feeling in his stomach. He wondered what other kinds of beasts lurked in these jungles that he'd fail to catch.
The journey resumed. The group picked up the sound of nature in this gloomy swamp. The crow-like sounds from dark feathery avian-like reptiles from the trees, the croaks of frogs on logs, the buzzing of mosquitoes and the splashes of fish from the water. Along the way, Junior felt a sensation in the air. He looked around briefly, not finding anything around. He resumed with his eyes forward, ignoring the sensation.
"Gojira." A voice whispered. Junior froze in his tracks. He looked around again, looking for the source of the voice. He went back to walking, brushing it off as his imagination.
"Gojira," the voice called again. This time, it was louder, as though it was next to him. Junior turned to Rodan.
"Dude, don't do that," said Junior in annoyance.
"Do what?" asked Rodan in confusion.
"Don't whisper in my ear like that. It's creeping me out," said Junior. Angirasu and Kong stopped and looked back at the two.
"I wasn't whispering in your ear. I haven't said anything the last few minutes," said Rodan. Junior lost his glare.
"You're joking right?" asked Junior.
"No," answered Rodan with a shrug.
"You heard voices?" asked Kong. Junior nodded to him. The ape mutant scanned the swamp around them, his brows furrowed.
"Let us move on from this area," said Kong. As he left, Junior looked to Rodan, who shrugged.
"Gojira," the voice called again. Junior briefly looked back, his heart beginning to race. He knew what he was hearing was real. Kong's reaction was all that he needed to confirm that. The boy quickly followed his group, still feeling as though he was being watched. The creeks of branches made that obvious.
The faint call of animals was in the air, but they were haunting under the darkness of the gnarly trees. Kong led Angirasu, Junior and Rodan through the dark forest, vigilant as ever. They passed by the skeletal remains of a large creature. It looked to be that of a ground sloth, having been picked clean. The bones bore many bite marks that ran along its surface and some even bore deep puncture marks.
"Daayum," said Rodan with an unnerved look.
"I'd say it's safe to assume what killed this poor bastard," said Junior as he poked his club against the remains.
"It's completely silent out here. We must be getting close," said Kong.
"Oh good," said Rodan sarcastically. The fact that it was quiet didn't sit well. With the bones here and that statement implied that the creatures they pursued had pretty much eaten anything they could get their hands on out here. He dreaded the thought of them being next.
The group continued on over across an incline of land, moving up to a hill that was coated with bushes. Kong motioned for them to follow as he crouched low. The boys followed along, crouching as well. They proceeded to stalk up the hill and began to crawl on their bellies, passing the dark bushes around them. Once they reached the end of the hill, they found themselves at a steep drop that led around ten feet down. There was a steep slope that led to the bottom, where the greater swamp lied. Ahead, they found the darkness to be illuminated by torches that lit a path and large, dark, twisted trees, standing tall. Wooden huts were built around the trees and on the ground below. They appeared old, having water damage. There was also moss and fungus growing off of the structures. As old as they looked, they were not abandoned, as clearly seen by the windows bearing lights from within, and the lanterns hanging outside.
"Whoa. You think that..." Junior turned to Kong, who had a hard expression.
"Take heed. There are people who perform abominable acts down there. Witches that dwell in this unholy forest to escape the kings from their land," said Kong.
"Witches? You mean actual witches?" asked Rodan in shock.
"You know, if you told me a year ago that I'd be friends with magic users and fight actual witches, I wouldn't have believed you," said Junior.
"Someone's coming!" said Kong as he and the boys hid themselves under the leaves of the bushes. They found that a woman with a hood walked along the wooden deck that was over the swamp water. She turned as a horse towed along a large wooden cart, filled with contents obscured by a large dirty sheet that covered it. The woman made her way to one of the huts on the ground and began to knock. The mutants listened in, their heightened sense of hearing picking up the sounds.
The door opened, where an elderly woman in a dark hood was revealed.
"Ah. Rachel. So you've returned," said the elder, her voice rasped and harsh.
"I have, Mother Ingrid. We should commence with the ritual soon," said the hooded younger woman.
"I shall summon the others," said the elder, making her way over to a string that hung from the wall of her home. She began to tug at it, which began to ring bells that were dangling from the trees from all around this dark settlement. From the other huts, more and more women emerged. Some appeared young, with skin pale as though they had been deprived of sunlight. They were lovely women, but were clad in dark Gothic-like clothing. Other women that emerged were old, but they weren't like common old women. These elders looked sickly, carrying faded tattoos along their pruned up flesh. These were almost what the boys would expect out of a stereotypical witch with some different traits, though Ingrid appeared almost skeletal under that hood of hers. There were dozens of these witches, all gathering together in the center of their village where the cart stood.
The elder made her way over to the cart and yanked off the sheet. Revealed under the sheet were corpses of men and women piled on top of each other. It was a horrible sight to behold, as some corpses bore ghastly wounds over their bodies.
"Where have you come across these ones?" asked one of the witches.
"From a destroyed village not too far from the jungle. Courtesy of her Highness," responded Rachel. Ingrid grumbled before spitting to the ground.
"Set them down on the ground. The rest of you, prepare for the ritual," said Ingrid as she tapped her cane on the ground.
"No..." Kong muttered to himself.
The witches began to remove the corpses from the wagon and set them down onto the dirt. Some began to paint symbols around the pile of corpses, appearing as pentagrams and other mysterious runes. Candles were passed around to each witch, which was all lit up. One witch took drums and sat on the ground nearby. Ingrid arrived, carrying a glass bottle filled with a crimson fluid.
As witches stood around the circle, carrying the candles, some began to chant in a foreign tongue. Some swayed in a hypnotic motion, while one witch banged on the drums in a slow manner. Ingrid began to speak in a foreign tongue as she held up the vial as she approached the corpses. Her eyes rolled back as she continued to chant. The candles seemed to glow brighter as the rest of the withes chanted alongside her. The drum beats grew more intense. Ingrid poured the red fluid over each corpse, making sure it made clear contact with their skin and wounds.
"This is getting freaky," whispered Junior. He then noticed the roar of thunder. The mutants looked up, finding that the forest seemed to have gotten darker.
As the witches chanted more intensely, the fluid began to seep into the flesh of the corpses. Wounds began to regenerate. Their eyes shot wide open, bloodshot. The bodies twitched and thrashed, giving inhuman gurgles. The mutants watched from the sidelines in horror as the bodies rose up, snarling like beasts. The witches ceased their ritual, as the corpses stood, all twitching, groaning and panting. Their eyes darted around, some even began to vomit to the ground. They sprouted sharp teeth that made their gums bleed.
"Jesus fucking Christ," said Junior with wide eyes.
"He had nothing to do with this," said Rodan, warily.
"Another batch ready for her Majesty," said Ingrid. She turned to one of the other witches.
"Take them to the others. And perhaps send them off to feed," said Ingrid. As a witch led the creatures away, the rest of the witches began to disperse. Rachel approached Ingrid.
"See if you can procure any of the live prisoners that were taken. Malicia has enough slaves already," said Ingrid with a cackle.
"What of the Iwi?" asked Rachel.
"More trouble than they're worth. We lost too many Skull Walkers in just trying to capture more subjects to convert," said Ingrid. Kong furrowed his brows as he clenched his fists.
"Just leave them be for now. Now that our tests have been a success, we can send them off to wherever she desires," said Ingrid as she and Rachel parted ways. The mutants heard a low trumpet-like sound in the air. It was too familiar.
"Looks like we know where they came from," said Junior.
"Those monsters. They did that to the Iwi that were taken," said Angirasu, clenching his fists.
"Yeah, but now they don't plan on messing with the village anymore," said Rodan.
"For now. They're still gonna turn them loose on anyone they want. We have to do something," said Angirasu.
"How? We don't know how many of them are there or what these witches are capable of," said Junior.
"Then it is times like these that the beast must attack," said Kong as he rose up.
"What are you doing?" asked Junior.
"Defending my home. Stay here, if you're cowardly,"" said Kong as he slid down the slope. Junior furrowed his brows in annoyance, while Angirasu slid down after Kong.
"Cocky son of a bitch," said Junior as he slid down, followed by Rodan. Once the mutants reached down to the bottom, Kong began to make his way to a torch and yanked it from the post.
"Let none escape! Burn the houses and kill any of the abominations that appear!" said Kong as he torched the vines and decaying wood that surrounded a hut. It quickly caught fire and began to spread.
"Nothing like a good ol' fashion witch burning," said Junior with a grimace, hearing frantic cries from the hut. As Kong continued to drag the lit torch along every flammable surface that he could find. From the huts, the witches burst out.
"Invaders!!" An old witch gave a shrill cry, pointing to the mutants. Kong threw the torch aside as he gave a war cry. He hurled his axe to the witch, who fell back with the weapon embedded into her chest.
"Oh shit!" The boys exclaimed in shock.
The witches began to shriek as they scattered. Kong rushed to the body of the one he killed and yanked out the axe.
"I told you not to let them escape!" shouted Kong as he lunged for another witch.
"This wasn't part of the plan!" said Rodan. Angirasu merely gave chase for one of the fleeing witches.
"Stop right there!" shouted Angirasu. The witch suddenly turned, her hand glowing green. A bolt of magic shot from her palm and struck him in the chest. Aang fell over in pain as the magic burned him. It impacted him like a baseball that was pitched and struck him with five times the force.
"Aang!" cried Rodan as he and Junior rushed over, but they found a couple more witches to be appearing, firing off bolts of magic from their hands. The boys took cover behind the cart that was left behind. Each bolt chipped away at the cart, while Angirasu struggled to stand.
"Vile wretch!" The witch that had attacked him proceeded to draw out a magic tendril from her palm. She came from behind the teen and pulled the magic tendril against his neck, strangling Angirasu.
Angirasu began to use his own strength as his adrenaline spiked in a desperate attempt to preserve his own life. He stood as the woman continued to strangle him. Angirasu suddenly jumped back and landed on the ground with the witch, crushing her under his own weight. Her hold loosened, allowing Angirasu to remove himself from her. Before she could retaliate, Angirasu quickly struck her in the jaw, knocking her out cold.
"Sorry, miss," said Angirasu as he quickly got up, finding Junior and Rodan pinned down behind the cart. Meanwhile, Kong was giving chase to fleeing witches, his axe bloody.
"Ah we're screwed! The only upside is that some of these witches are sexy!" cried Rodan, eyeing one of the women from cover. One wearing a tight dark dress, who nearly struck his head with a magic bolt.
"Now's not the time, Rodan!" scolded Junior.
Angirasu suddenly rushed from behind the witches. He rammed into the closest one, causing her to tumble to the ground. He then swung his club at the legs of another witch with the shaft, sweeping her off of her feet. This allowed Junior and Rodan to run away from cover, causing the witches in the area to become confused and disorderly. They couldn't focus on one target since they were attacked and now they had scattered. As Angirasu raced to another witch, he rammed into her and knocked her to the ground. The rest were fleeing.
As the teens gave chase, they heard a loud shriek in the air. Above, they found several giant raven birds to be descending. Each raven bore a plume crest that stood tall, and bore long dark talons. They sported saddles and reigns, which allowed the fleeing witches to climb on the horse sized birds. Some of the ravens raced over, picking up those that were injured, leaving only those who were unfortunate to face Kong's wrath.
"Damn!" cursed Angirasu as the witches flew off. There was a sudden call of a familiar trumpet, causing the boys to grow wary.
"Well, shit," said Junior.
Kong snarled as he watched as the remaining witches were carried off by the ravens, his shoulders bearing burns from their magic. He had just registered the trumpet in the air, prompting him to tighten his grip on his axe.
"We make our stand here!" shouted Kong. Angirasu snarled as he dropped onto all fours, beginning to change form. Junior and Rodan stepped back, while Kong changed as well. Junior grimaced as he heard the distant howls of the abominations, dubbed 'Skull-walkers'. Junior winced as he attempted to change, but hesitated. He kept recalling the past experience of changing form and having a lack of control. He tightened the hold on his club as be saw the shadows of dozens of humanoids rushing through the forest.
The morning sun was hanging higher over Elsinore. Lord Salem was reading through piles of parchment. He had an analytical look as he sat in the dining room, his wife at one end of the table. Twilight and the gang were seated, awaiting Salem's thoughts.
"You think he likes it?" whispered Pinkie.
"Hush for now," whispered Applejack Salem hummed as his eyes continued to scan the parchment.
"I must say, this is an intriguing pitch," said Salem.
"We would've gone for a full blown script, but we thought we'd give you an idea of what we'd like to put together," yawned Twilight, rubbing her eyes. If she had begun to put a script together, she wouldn't have gotten any sleep.
"Well we can handle that once we run this with the theater. With your creative control and ironing out of this project, this may prove to be a stupendous show," said Salem with a nod.
"So when do we start?" asked Rainbow.
"Right after breakfast. We'll run down to the theater house, and recruit any talent that may contribute to assets. From set, costumes..." Salem began to stack the parchments, while Rarity smiled brightly.
"I might know someone who can help with costume design," said Rarity. The group began to converse, adding on for the plans of this production. Twilight was looking forward to be able to share the tale that she and her friends had.
There was silence. The huts of the dark forest were charred and smoking. Remnants of ember stuck to the wood, softly glowing in the darkness. The bodies of the now dead Skull-walkers lied. Either crushed or mangled. They were piled over each other, as though they were dolls left scattered.
Junior panted as he held his club tightly. It was soaked in blood from the horde that had attacked prior. His clothes were torn from the pants and to the shirt. Scratches and bite marks were left along his skin. Rodan was on the ground, vomiting on the ground.
"Oh God!" coughed Rodan, his nerves rattled.
Angirasu and Kong scanned the area, still in their beast forms. There was no sign of life, Kong grunted before stomping off to where they had come from. Angirasu followed.
"You good?" asked Junior as he patted Rodan's back.
"No! Ugh!" Rodan retched but was unable to vomit, from his stomach being empty.
"Come on buddy, we gotta go," said Junior.
Later that morning, the group had returned to the Iwi village. Kong stood on the wall, gazing out to the forest beyond. His eyes firm and his muscles relaxed. This was the most relaxed he's been in a while.
"You haven't told us what happened."
Kong turned to find Ann climbing up the ladder. He held out his hand, prompting a smile out of her as she took it.
"I thought the boys would tell you," said Kong.
"Well, I rather hear it from you yourself," said Ann as she was helped onto the platform. Kong merely turned his sights back to the horizon.
"We found the origins of the abominations. In the dark forest, there was a tribe of witches hiding. They were responsible for creating them from the dead," said Kong.
"The dead?" asked Ann incredulously.
"As I said, you may ask the boys," said Kong, glancing back at the woman. Ann smiled in amusement.
"I honestly might not have believed it, unless you told me." Ann stood at Kong's side, sharing the view of the horizon.
"So... What did you do?" asked Ann, a bit hesitant. Kong said nothing. The woman didn't have to think too hard.
"Did the boys..."
"No. It was just me. Besides, the rest had fled, leaving us to destroy their abominations. Hmph. Skull-Walkers. If only I was able to learn how they managed such a ritual." Kong furrowed his brows. He knew that the name was not only on the nose, but also a giveaway to the nature of the monsters. They were somehow linked to those damned serpents.
"So what now?" asked Ann.
"Now we move on. Their creations are destroyed, and they have been chased farther away from our land. We can rest easier now," said Kong. Ann nodded.
"If you say so," said Ann, glancing at Kong. She watched as he continued to stare off, his hair blowing in the wind. Ann lightly flushed as she looked on ahead.
Meanwhile, Rodan and Junior were seated at their camp site. Each were getting their wounds treated. Fluttershy cleaned Junior's bite marks and scratches, while Sunset did the same for Rodan.
"You sure have a habit of getting into the thick of trouble," sighed Mosura.
"Well, what can I say? I'm an adrenaline seeker," said Junior sarcastically.
"No, but I'm sure Aang is," said Rodan. He winced and hissed in pain.
"Sorry about that," said Sunset as she dabbed a wet cloth on Rodan's back.
"I hope those things didn't give me a flesh eating bacteria," said Rodan.
"You might become one when they bite you," said Junior with a smirk.
"Don't even joke like that," said Rodan in dismay.
"So what happened?" asked Adagio.
"Turns out witches are real and were responsible for the fucking things," said Junior as Fluttershy wrapped a cloth around his forearm. "They did some kind of voodoo ritual or something and reanimated corpses."
"Oh God," said Sunset with an unnerved look.
"When Kong found out that they made the Iwi they captured into those things, he went ape shit," said Junior.
"Really?" deadpanned Aria.
"It's a figure of speech, not a pun," said Junior with a sigh.
"The witches got away. But we might have killed all of the Skull-Walkers that they made," said Rodan.
"More like Aang and Kong did. We were trying not to get killed," said Junior.
"Dude, you won't even let me be cool in front of the girls!" complained Rodan, much to the amusement of the girls.
"Well, I think you're cool since you survived," said Sunset reassuringly.
"Thanks, I guess," pouted Rodan. He noticed Angirasu to be walking over, with Dwan trailing after him.
"And look who's relatively unscathed," said Rodan. Angirasu smirked.
"Hey, it's not my fault that you two suck at transforming at will," said Angirasu teasingly.
"Yeah, yeah." Junior rolled his eyes. He winced as he stood.
"So, what's the plan?" asked Junior.
"What's that?" asked Angirasu in confusion.
"The plan. Those witches got away. Aren't we gonna go after them?" asked Junior.
"Why would you do that?" asked Sunset incredulously.
"Because they're the ones making those things! Who knows how long it'll take until-"
"That won't happen."
The teens turned their heads, finding Kong arriving with Ann. A calm, neutral look was on the man's face. Junior furrowed his brows.
"What are you, an idiot?" asked Junior. Angirasu glared at him, while the teens winced. Kong didn't so much as flinch.
"We just burned their settlement down and took out their creatures. Why wouldn't we assume that they'd be back for revenge?" questioned Junior.
"Because we've demonstrated the forces that they have trifled with. They'd be fools to invoke my wrath again," said Kong.
"OK, well what about, 'Her Majesty?' Someone named Malicia is backing them. Someone that's obviously royalty and had a plan for those things. Shouldn't that be cause for concern?" asked Junior.
"Royalty? You never mentioned anything about that," said Ann, turning to Kong.
"It didn't matter," said Kong.
"Are you kidding? We just screwed with servants of the crown that were creating killing machines! In fact, I bet this 'Malicia' is that Empress that the Prince was talking about!" said Junior.
"You could be right," said Angirasu, his eyes growing wide.
"We messed up. We messed up big time," said Rodan in alarm.
"Yeah! All the more reason to find and catch them!" said Junior.
"There is no possible way for that. You saw those ravens. We have no chance of finding them," said Kong. "Another thing. Even if they do inform their empress, she will not dare to retaliate."
"You don't know that!" said Junior. Kong merely narrowed his eyes. He gestured to beyond the walls.
"These jungles are vast and treacherous. Soldiers risk death traveling here. She would be unwise to send an army here just to destroy a single tribe that keeps to itself. Especially if she wishes to win her wars," said Kong. Junior merely furrowed his brows. While he hated to admit it, Kong had a point. It was almost impossible to navigate through this jungle, given its size, and the dangerous creatures that lurked.
"Still, they could be out there making more of those things," said Junior.
"They're away from my territory. Therefore, not my concern. Even if we did find them, what would you do?" asked Kong.
"What do you mean?" asked Junior.
"Would you be willing to do what is necessary?" asked Kong, his tone low. Junior didn't have to ask what Kong meant.
"I-I mean..." Junior briefly glanced away. Kong scoffed.
"Actions speak louder than words," said Kong as he turned to walk off. "No one pursues the witches."
Junior merely gave a defeated sigh. He hoped that they'd find the rest of their friends soon. He wouldn't want to be here should trouble brew.
Sunset lied down, sleeping soundly. She winced as she began to toss and turn, muttering to herself. She began to sweat, her wincing growing.
It was cold. Sunset found herself standing in the middle of barren wasteland. She shivered as she felt the chills from the air. Sunset looked around, finding no sign of life. Be it flora or fauna. But, she heard the distant cry of haunting animal calls. Sunset gulped as she began to cautiously walk back, her eyes scanning the area. She found dead trees to be littered across this wasteland.
The wind howled, blowing through Sunset's hair. She gasped as a cloud of sand came rushing towards her. The girl began to flee from the approaching cloud, which crackled with thunder. Everything the storm touched was buried in more sand. The stones and dead trees were all consumed.
Sunset cried out as the sand storm enveloped her. She shielded her face as the sand beat against her clothes and skin. When she thought she was doomed, the winds stopped. The sand fell from her body and the air cleared. Sunset looked around, confused. But everything was still buried. The gloomy grey atmosphere had Sunset's stomach in knots. But then she noticed something in the distance. Just miles away, among the dead decaying land, there was the faint sight of a grand structure that stood tall. The top had a spire. Smaller but also grand structures surrounded the tallest.
Suddenly, Sunset felt her ankle grabbed. She screamed in fright as a hand had grabbed her, attempting to pull her under. The girl began to pull back, pulling along the one that held onto her. As she freed herself, Sunset gasped as the arm thrashed, reaching out for her. It was calling to her for her help. While frightened, Sunset couldn't stand watch. She got on her knees and began to pull on the arm. Something in her told her that it specifically wanted her help.
Sunset strained as she pulled with all of her might. The sand began to pull her in as well. Sunset didn't give in. She instead pulled harder, mustering all the strength that she could. From the sand, a head and shoulders emerged, coughing.
"Gojira!" Sunset cried in alarm. The person that was trapped was Junior. He was wheezing as the sand attempted to pull him back under. Sunset whimpered as she scrambled to pull him out. From the sand, a large spider emerged. A hiss was in the air as its long legs carried it over the sand.
"Get back!" Sunset removed a hand from Junior and fired a bolt of fire. The spider recoiled and raised its front legs. It bared its fangs, dripping venom to the sand. She fired another shot at the spider again but missed. The arachnid raised its legs high, which caused the earth to rumbled. Sunset gasped as she looked around, finding that the earth was shaking more.
Sunset heard a sudden scream. She turned to find Twilight before her on the ground, with the sleek and dark spider clinging to her. Sunset was about to rush to help Twilight, found more spiders to be rising out of the sand. Sunset stumbled back with a whimper. These spiders seemed to glisten, despite the grey atmosphere. Their carapace appeared harder and had smaller bodies, compared to the spider that had turned its attention to Twilight. That arachnid was bigger and had a round bulbous abdomen, with neon green marks. It reminded her of a black widow. These spiders before her must have been some kind of males.
Sunset screamed as the smaller spiders lunged for her, digging the barbs at the tips of their legs into her flesh. Sunset cried out in pain as they pricked her arms and legs. One was climbing over her belly, clicking its fangs as it locked its dark orbed eyes with her own. Sunset screamed as she attempted to move, but couldn't. Twilight was screaming as well, as the female spider was about to sink its fangs into her.
Suddenly, Junior gave an enraged cry as he began to thrash. He burst from the pit that he was in, stumbling over to Sunset. He kicked away the spider on her chest. Then he began to grab and throw the remaining spiders onto the ground, stomping them into paste. Sunset whimpered as she got up, clutching her stinging wounds. Junior then rushed to Twilight and grabbed the remaining spider by its leg, which snapped off. The spider then turned on the boy, lunging for his arm and bit him.
"No!" Twilight and Sunset screamed. Junior cried out in agony as his arm swelled up. Sunset rushed over to the two but stopped as another quake came. From the earth, more and more spiders began to rise. The female scurried away behind the males, who raised their legs and bared their fangs, ready to give their lives for this one female.
"Gojira!" cried Sunset. Junior began to gurgle as he foamed at the mouth. His eyes were blood shot as his face grew red with rage. It was though he had gone rabid. Sunset and Twilight looked on in horror as the boy ran to the spiders, smashing any in his path. The spiders scurried, slashing their legs at him. They even began to bite him. Still, Junior was still undeterred, waging his war with these arachnids. Sunset hated seeing this. It was irrational and frightening. There was no way that Junior was going to kill all of these things. He himself was just going to die.
"Gojira, stop!" cried Sunset as she rushed to the boy. He suddenly turned and slashed his claws at her. Sunset cried out as fell back, feeling the sting of her arms being clawed. She gasped as the boy had turned his attention on her, his mouth full of sharp teeth. He stalked towards her, his limbs having swelled. His clothes began to disintegrate as he approached. Under his clothes, Sunset stared in horror as he began to decay before her very eyes. His limbs went from red to purple.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!!" Twilight screamed as she dropped to her knees. Junior suddenly collapsed onto the ground. Sunset whimpered as she stared, unable to process everything that was happening. All she could focus on was Junior's veins growing dark. No longer was rage in his eyes as he looked into her own. He appeared to be in terrible pain. Not just physically. Sunset could feel the desperation and fear in his soul. The spiders all began to approach the boy, as he weakly reached for Sunset. The girl just stared, unable to move.
"Save me." Junior whispered. Sunset suddenly lunged for Junior's hand and gripped it tightly, just as the spiders began to eyes went cold as the spider began to drag him under the sand. Sunset felt herself being pulled along as well. Twilight grabbed on to her waist as she attempted to keep them up, but Junior began to decay further. His hand snapped off. Sunset cried out in horror as it turned to ash in her hands. The two attempted to dig him out, but Junior was nowhere to be seen. He was gone. Twilight clutched her head, screaming to the top of her lungs as tears streamed down her face. Sunset began to bang her fist into the sand, cursing to the top of her lungs.
"No! No!!" Sunset screamed. The earth began to quake again. From around the structures in the distance, massive spider-like legs began to rise, dwarfing even the tallest structure in the center.
Sunset suddenly gasped sharply, her bloodshot eyes revealed from her lids. The girl's heart thumped in her chest, as her eyes darted around. She found Mosura and Fluttershy to be fast asleep in their spots in the hut.
The red headed teen began to quietly move from her place, peeking through the covering of the hut. It was still dark outside, with only the stars and moon being the light sources. Sunset found Junior and Rodan to be sleeping in their respective sleeping bags, not too far from the hut. Sunset made her way over, her bare feet feeling the cold grass and dirt. She knelt next to Junior, a grimace on her face as she recalled her nightmare. She's been having it these last few nights now. But every dream had something new. First it was one spider, and then it was multiple. The quakes and Twilight were the latest differences. But the most consistent detail in every dream was that Junior was in it. Every time, he succumbed a gruesome fate.
The nightmare felt similar to the one she had before, with all of her friends being corrupted by their own power, and the mutants wreaking havoc. She was convinced it was some kind of vision of a potential future. What happened with Sonata and Adagio was evidence of that. Amber never mentioned herself or Twilight having the ability to have premonitions. But if it was true, then she dreaded the meaning of this reoccurring nightmare. It came and went, like it was repeatedly warning her of a future she didn't know. At first she thought it was death. But now, she thought it was a sign of something more foreboding. Alternatively, Sunset thought she might have developed a phobia of spiders after one lunged on Junior's face, but she had to be sure.
Taking a calming breath, Sunset gently brushed a hand over Junior's head. She sharply gasped as her eyes flashed white.
"Why?" A familiar voice whispered. Junior spoke, yet he was sleeping. She heard the inner thoughts from his heart, felt the confusion and sadness.
"Why am I gonna lose another?" The voice whispered. Sunset retracted her hand, blinking. She deeply frowned as she looked to her friend's sleeping face. She stood and began to walk off. She held her arm as she reflected on the feelings she sensed. It seemed that these days were becoming more stressful.
Sunset stopped as she noticed Angirasu sitting outside of his personal hut, gazing up to the night sky.
"Aang?" Sunset called in surprise. The mutant looked her way.
"Oh. Good evening, Sunset," said Angirasu as the girl approached.
"What are you doing up?" asked Sunset.
"I don't know. Lately I've just been waking up around this time. So I've just been waiting for the sunrise," said Angirasu. He chuckled sheepishly. "Though I never know what time I actually wake up."
"Heh. I'd tell you, but my phone died days ago," said Sunset. The two shared a chuckle. Sunset took a seat next to the boy, looking out to the evening sky.
"What brings you here?" asked Angirasu.
"Nightmare. I don't feel like going back to sleep," answered Sunset. Angirasu nodded in understanding.
"Must've been scary," said Angirasu. Sunset frowned.
"It was..."
The two were briefly silent. Sunset glanced at the boy.
"So... you're serious about staying in this world?" asked Sunset.
"Of course. I've never felt so alive. Being here has allowed me to be myself," said Angirasu.
"Yourself?"
"Yeah. I don't have to be ashamed of what and who I am. Not only that, I can finally explore who I am. My mom always kept me on a tight leash. I couldn't rough house, I couldn't explore my surroundings. Here, I get to do that and more." Angirasu spoke with a growing smile. He looked like he had a heavy weight lifted off of his shoulders. "I think it's thanks to Kong, I have the confidence to take on whatever this world has to offer."
"I guess I understand..." said Sunset. It pained her to hear that this boy, who seemed to rarely get brought down by life, felt that he had to hide more than his mutantism.
"I just wished Gojira would. I mean, he always said that he wanted to be away. I thought he'd understand," said Angirasu, a frown growing.
"Don't hold it against him. I mean, you have to look from his point of view. We already lost a few friends. The last thing he wants is to lose another," said Sunset. Angirasu sighed.
"The feeling is mutual. I guess I can't blame him. He at least still has a life ahead of him in our world," said Angirasu. He looked to Sunset, his expression soft.
"Sunset, do you really think there's a way back?" asked Angirasu.
"If there's a way in, there's a way out. That's what I hope, at least," said Sunset. Her frown grew as she brought her knees close to herself.
"But if we're really stuck here, I at least want us all together. You know?" Sunset muttered, growing a bit teary eyed.
"We will be. I promise," said Angirasu. "In fact, I'll even work with Goji on finding the others."
Sunset softly smiled at the boy. She began to scoot close to Angirasu and leaned her head against his shoulder.
"Do you mind?" asked Sunset softly.
"Not at all." Angirasu smiled as the girl began to relax. Her breathing soft and her eyes fluttering closed. She now felt peace of mind, as sleep began to take her.
Elsinore...
Today was quite busy. Twilight was reading through a refined script that was properly printed. She bore a satisfied smile as she looked to Lord Salem with a nod. The two found that there were several people that were standing in a room before a man dressed in formal attire. He analyzed them as each subject stood on stage, auditioning for the roles. He looked to Pinkie, who began to hold up paper cutouts of colored hair styles that resembled her friends. She held them up over each auditioning actor, imagining them in these roles. A smile grew on her face.
It was surprising how fast casting had started, especially refining the script. But even still, Twilight wanted the script looked over one more time before everything was rehearsed.
Meanwhile, Rarity was showing off sketches of costume designs that she had. The 'producers', or at least the equivalent of, were inspecting the designs with interest.
In another room, Applejack found herself with carpenters. She showed them sketch designs for props and scenes. Eventually, they began to get to work, putting together the quickest props that could be assembled. Such as desks that reflected those from Ponyville High.
Twilight shook hands with the 'Director' of this production. She was looking forward to its progress.
Later that afternoon, the girls were all back in their room at the House of Salem. Rarity was sewing up a dress, while Applejack lied down on a sofa. Rainbow was lying down on a bed, while Pinkie was sitting next to Twilight as she went over a to-do list.
"Hmm. Maybe we were a bit too rash to accept this quest," said Twilight.
"Hmm?" asked Rainbow.
"Well, putting something like this together could take weeks if not months. Maybe we should've just declined so we could find our friends," said Twilight.
"Yeah, but where would we even begin? That jungle was a total deathtrap," said Rainbow.
"But that does mean that we'll be in this world a lot longer than we would've liked. Especially away from the others," said Rarity, ceasing her sewing. The mood had suddenly grown gloomy. The girls were silent as they pondered.
"What if..." Rainbow spoke up. Everyone had their attention on her.
"What if I went out to look for them? I mean, I am pretty fast. If I get into a jam, I could get away lickity split," said Rainbow.
"What if you get lost?" asked Twilight.
"Then I'll just run around until I find my way. Twi, we'll never find them at this rate. Leave it to me and we can at least let each other know that we're OK," said Rainbow. She then shrugged.
"I mean, I got nothing better to do. You guys are doing all of the work for the theater," said Rainbow. Twilight sighed in reluctance.
"Well, I'll have some peace knowing that our friends are still out there. OK. Let's tell Salem," said Twilight.
Later, the gang found themselves standing in an office-like room. Salem sat at his desk, a look of shock and alarm on his face.
"You what?!" exclaimed Salem. Twilight bore a hesitant look. She was beginning to worry about this.
"W-We just feel that the more time we spend here, the more worried our friends are. We intend to keep our end of the deal. We just want Rainbow to try and handle our primary objective," said Twilight, holding out a map.
"Of course, but that region is a dangerous place! Besides, you inspire the Sacramentonians!" said Salem.
"Yeah, I'm flattered and all, but never we intended to stick around. We agreed to do some 'chores' for a place to rest and plan to find our friends. I'll come back. I just need to try and find them," said Rainbow. Salem sighed as he rubbed his brows.
"Very well. I will help you," said Salem as he stood and took the map. He spread it out and motioned for the girls to come closer. He began to take a quill and marked it.
"These are the closest settlements near that region. And these are the Dogomite territories. Stay clear of them," said Salem. "Your friends might have stumbled onto one of these settlements or kingdoms."
"What if they aren't there?" asked Pinkie.
"Then they are either dead or they stumbled onto Dogomite territory, or they're here," said Salem as he pointed to a mountain depicted on the map in "The Roaring Jungle".
"Hey, I think that mountain was where we were originally headed," said Twilight.
"If so, then they more than likely came here. Though I fear for their fate," said Salem.
"Why is that?" asked Rarity worriedly.
"That is home to a savage tribe of natives, ruled by a Demi-Titan," said Salem warily. Rarity perked as she heard this. She heard of Titans, but not 'Demi-Titans'.
"Really?" asked Rarity.
"The hell is a Demi-Titan?" asked Rainbow.
"It's been claimed that he is one, though I have not seen him before myself," said Salem. Rainbow grew annoyed as she was ignored.
"Regardless, they may be with them. Possibly in danger," said Salem. Rainbow furrowed her brows.
"Then say no more! Danger is my middle name! I'll find them. Even if I have to kick ass and take names!" said Rainbow as she took the map and began to spark.
"Dash, wait!" exclaimed Twilight. Rainbow suddenly ran off, whizzing out the door and down the hall. Only he sound of the wind was heard.
"Ugh. I hope she at least remembers to pack food," said Twilight with a grimace. She hoped that wherever her friends were, they were safe.
It was sunset. Junior was looking through a map with Angirasu and Rodan. The three were studying the map intensely, as Ann and Dwan hovered over their shoulders.
"OK, so I was thinking we could try to make our way to one of the closer settlements instead of traveling all the way to Elsinore," said Junior as he began to draw red marker on the map.
"Why not just go all of the way?" asked Rodan.
"That would take a few a days. I rather not be too far from the rest of our friends here for that long," said Junior.
"We could always bring them along," said Angirasu. Junior grimaced.
"I don't know," said Junior.
"Look, we're less likely to get separated again if we're together. We at least know where the other is at all times," said Angirasu.
"I guess you're right," said Junior.
"OK, so why are we not going all the way there if we're just gonna bring everyone along?" asked Rodan in annoyance.
"Oh right. Well, I was hoping that we could find whoever is in charge of the settlements and ask them to contact those at Elsinore for us. We can't risk a long journey in a world we don't know, especially in the middle of a war. We meet with someone with authority, we request a message to be sent, we head back and wait for a reply, and we come back to the town in a couple days," said Junior.
"Or we could just stay in town for a couple days instead of going back and forth," deadpanned Rodan.
"Rodan, unless you have money, then we're going to have to sleep out in the cold," said Junior in annoyance.
"Bro, I'm just saying," said Rodan with a shrug.
"Kong will let us back in when we return, right?" asked Junior, looking to Ann.
"Unless you did something to prompt him not to, I don't see why not," answered Ann.
"That's fine, I'll go with them to make sure he does," said Dwan.
"Fuck no," said Junior bluntly. Dwan scoffed in offense.
"Why not?" asked Dwan.
"For one, I don't want you picking a fight with Adagio during the whole trip. I already have to make sure she gets along with Mosura and Sunset. I'm not adding a third to that list. Besides, you just want to get close to Aang," said Junior.
"Is that so wrong?" asked Dwan. "Look, I'm totally useful! I'm a hell of a shot with a bow and arrow! I also know how to be persuasive!" said Dwan. Junior and Ann grimaced, while Rodan blushed as his imagination ran wild.
"If you want to join us, then why not?" shrugged Angirasu. Junior sighed in dismay.
"Thank you, Nice Aang~!" said Dwan sweetly. "I'm gonna go get packed! I'll let the others know too if they want to come!"
Dwan sauntered out of the hut. Junior looked to Angirasu with a deadpanned look.
"What?" asked Angirasu.
"Aang, be honest with me good buddy. Are you fucking her?" asked Junior. Angirasu gave a confused and offended look.
"No!" said Angirasu.
"I don't know, dude. You seem too lenient with her," said Rodan with an unconvinced look.
"Anyway! We should get ready! After all, we have a long journey ahead of us," said Angirasu as he stormed off. Junior and Rodan snickered as they glanced at each other.
"Real mature, boys," deadpanned Ann.
"Yeah, we're dicks. Come on, Ro," said Junior as he began to roll up the map.
As the two left the hut, they began to prepare for the journey. From gathering supplies necessary, as well as setting up an inventory. Junior took the basket that was weaved by Rarity and began to look through it. He dug through the contents, finding some snacks that he had yet to eat, and a water bottle. He also took notice of a soda can. He forgot that he had this. This was from the soda that Pinkie had given him. He never drank it, wanting to save it. Junior's expression softened.
"Hang on, Pinks," said Junior to himself.
"Goji?" Sunset called. Junior turned and greeted her with a smile.
"Hey, I was actually hoping to talk to you," said Junior.
"Yeah, Aang mentioned that you had something you wanted to tell everyone. What's up?" asked Sunset.
"Well, we're planning on venturing outside of the jungle to one of the settlements. Hopefully we can find a head of one of the towns who can contact someone in Elsinore. If our friends are there, then they'll know we're alright," said Junior.
"Just you and Aang?" asked Sunset worriedly.
"Well, it was just gonna be me and the guys. But Aang convinced me on giving the rest of you the option to join us," said Junior. Sunset smiled in relief.
"Hey, tough guy. Even if you told me I couldn't come along, I'd still join you," said Sunset teasingly.
"And I probably would've said whatever and let you come," said Junior, amused. Sunset softly chuckled. It was nice to banter with him. It was certainly a step up from the nightmares she's been having. She then gasped.
"Oh my God, look out!" exclaimed Sunset, before yanking the basket away.
"Hey! What-" Junior went slack jawed as Sunset threw the basket a few feet away. Junior just pointed to the basket as he looked at her incredulously.
"What the hell was that?" asked Junior.
"Sorry. There was a spider on your basket," said Sunset with a sigh of relief.
"OK. Was it just a regular small spider or a big one, like the one that was humping my face?" asked Junior. Sunset stood silently, her cheeks growing crimson.
"You know... Funny thing about that..." Sunset cleared her throat. She then began to run off. "I'll go get your basket."
"Geez Louise," said Junior, scratching his head in confusion. Sunset scolded herself from reacting as she did. She thought that she might have developed some sort of fear of spiders after her dreams, at least for Junior's sake. She hoped that she wouldn't be this jumpy during the trip.
It was the next morning. Junior stood at the gates of the Iwi village. It began to rise. The boy looked to his sides, finding those who had taken to join him on his journey. Angirasu Riku, Rodan Shou, Mosura Yasu, Sunset Shimmer, Adagio Dazzle, and Dwan. The rest of the Dazzlings, Fluttershy and Ann stood by the sidelines, as did the Iwi and Kong.
"You kids be careful. Alright?" said Ann worriedly.
"Don't worry, Ann. Big sis will watch the kids," said Dwan teasingly as she wrapped her arms around Junior and Angirasu's shoulders.
"Someone call the FBI," muttered Junior.
"Good luck on your journey. I hope it will prove fruitful," said Kong.
"Just don't lock us out when we come back," chuckled Rodan.
"Now, are the rest of you sure you don't want to come?" asked Junior.
"I'll be waiting here. Besides, someone has to make sure that Jira is behaved," said Fluttershy.
"Oh right. Forgot about that thing," said Junior with a grimace.
"We're good. Just don't do anything to crazy," said Aria.
"Alright, let's go," said Junior as he began to lead on. Angirasu turned to the Iwi, who bowed their heads to him. He smiled before bowing back. The group began to leave the village, with the gates closing behind them.
"So, you guys wanna sing a song?" asked Dwan, looking to Adagio mischievously.
"Uh..." Adagio noticed Mosura glaring daggers at her, prompting the pop star to sweat beads.
"Dwan, what did I say last night?" asked Junior as he glared at her. Dwan sighed in annoyance.
"OK, dad!" said Dwan.
"I have a feeling that this will be a long trip," said Rodan.
As Rodan said, time had passed by. It was almost noon and it seemed that the group still had a long way to go before reaching the end of the jungle. During this trip, conversations went on to help pass the time.
"So yeah. That's how it went down. Adagio left, and I landed the role of the sexy daughter in Bloody Jungle," said Dwan.
"Aang, wasn't the movie rated R? How the hell did you ever see it?" asked Junior.
"I'm still wondering that myself. I can't believe it didn't get an X-rating with the stuff I saw," shuddered Angirasu.
"Was it really that bad?" asked Mosura.
"Oh yeah. A guy eating another guy's shaft, gratuitous sex scenes, girl on girl action" said Angirasu. "And above all. Plant Hentai."
"Yet you stayed the whole time?" asked Sunset with an odd look.
"Shaft?" Rodan cocked his head.
"Sunset, it's one of those things that's so bad that you want to look away, but you can't. Like it's so terrible that you have to keep watching just to see if it could get worse just out of morbid curiosity," said Angirasu.
"The movie sounds like it sucks," said Junior.
"Hey!" Dwan exclaimed in offense.
"I mean it could've been better," said Angirasu sheepishly. Dwan sighed.
"No, he's right. The movie did suck. I'm pretty sure they wrote that girl on girl stuff specifically with Adagio in mind for the role," said Dwan.
"Why do you say that?" asked Adagio.
"Because no way I'd knowingly star in a film if I have to get with another chick. I want a hot dude, not a broad," said Dwan.
"Picky," scoffed Adagio.
"Can we change the subject?" asked Mosura.
"Hey, who wants to see some penetration?" asked Dwan.
"Dwan," Junior sighed. He suddenly notice the girl draw out her bow and fired an arrow up to a tree. A squirrel-like rodent suddenly dropped down to the ground, with an arrow impaled through it.
"We're having some nice meat today!" said Dwan, running to the kill.
"Impressive!" said Angirasu in amazement.
"You went that far to make a dick joke?" deadpanned Sunset.
"What? I just want some meat," said Dwan with a shrug.
"That's what she said," said Rodan with a chuckle.
"Don't you start too," said Junior with a glare.
"Look! I think we're almost at the end of the jungle!" said Adagio.
"Alright, let's pick up the pace!" said Junior. The teens began to jog the rest of the way. Once they passed the trees and bushes, they came across a view of the vast lush green land. The sun hung high, enveloping the land in its warmth.
"Wow," said Adagio breathlessly. She had never been out of the jungle before. Seeing the hills and green fields was a welcome change of sight. Being a city girl, Adagio had never seen land this wide in space and this natural.
Junior did a brief scan of the map he had. The closest settlement wasn't too far from here.
"Let's go," said Junior.
Elsinore...
It was the late afternoon. While Applejack was assisting with constructing the sets, and with Rarity leading costume design, Twilight and Pinkie were overseeing the rehearsals. The cast has already been set. It was rather quick how the roles were settled and how things were going into production. Much more quick than Twilight had expected.
"I can't believe we're already this far," said Twilight in surprise.
"They are professionals, my dear. Theater is their life. Besides, your script tells quite a short story," said Salem, as he watched the rehearsals. He turned to her in curiosity.
"Would you mind telling me more of your homeland?" asked Salem.
"Well, it's a lot different compared to yours. We don't have 'dragons' running around, nor kings and queens," said Twilight.
"We also use cars to get around. No one really uses horses anymore unless they're out from the country or something. Or Amish," said Pinkie.
"Caaars?" Salem inquisitively asked, attempting to get the pronunciation correct.
"Think of them as metal carriages that use an engine for locomotion," explained Twilight. Salem hummed to himself in thought. While he pondered, Twilight looked back to the rehearsal. She found a young woman to be on stage, acting out a scene among five other girls. Each performer wore colored wigs that was meant to reflect the Main 6 themselves.
"How wonderful! To think I scoffed at the word, 'friendship' for all of these years! It is thanks to you all that I see things through a new lens!" the actress spoke, conveying a joyful tone. As Twilight watched, a sense of nostalgia grew on her face.
It was evening. Junior and the gang had stopped at around the twilight. The teens started to set up sleeping bags, as a fire pit was constructed in the center. They still had a long way to go before reaching their destination. For now, they had to rest. As the fire was set, Dwan unfurled her sleeping bag.
"Hey, nice Aang~. Wanna bunk with me tonight? I hope you don't mind. I kinda toss and turn," said Dwan with a seductive smile.
"No thanks. I have my own sleeping bag," said Angirasu with a smile. Dwan slumped her shoulders at the boy's response.
"Oh." Dwan didn't know whether he was actually oblivious or if he was just hiding embarrassment through being polite. Either way, her seduction failed.
"No one's bunking with anyone," said Junior in annoyance. He then sighed.
"OK, you know what? We're setting up sleeping arrangements. No one shares a sleeping bag. I don't care if it's two guys or two girls. Sleep in your own damn bag," said Junior.
"Aw..." Adagio pouted in disappointment.
"I'm fine with that," said Sunset.
"OK, next rule. Guys and girls sleep separately. Here." Junior began to drag a stick through the dirt.
"Boys on this side. Girls on the other. Stay on your sides. No funny business," said Junior.
"This seems a bit much," said Mosura as she eyed the line.
"What's next? Are we gonna start drinking from separate water fountains and use separate bathrooms?" asked Dwan.
"We already use separate bathrooms," deadpanned Junior. He shook his head.
"If the sleeping arrangements are a problem, you can always head back," said Junior. Dwan scoffed.
"Oh, a'hm sorry, Massa! I'm gonna do what you say, now," said Dwan, sarcastically. Junior sighed in annoyance.
"Fine. Do whatever. Just don't come near me," said Junior as he dug through his basket for food that he packed. Meanwhile, Dwan had begun to take out a small knife along with the rodent she had killed earlier. She made an incision into the skin of its belly and began to stick her finger through the cut.
"Ew!" Adagio exclaimed in disgust as Dwan began to jab her finger more beneath the skin.
"What? you don't want fur on your food, do you?" Dwan made another cut, this time at the chest cavity. She continued to loosen the skin of the animal before pulling it apart. She removed the skin almost like a sock off of a slab of meat. Adagio gagged as she covered her eyes, while Sunset and Mosura grimaced.
"Neat. Could you teach me that sometime?" asked Rodan.
"Sure! After all, skinning your own meal is a skill everyone should have," said Dwan.
"Well, you're not wrong," sighed Junior before plopping a berry into his mouth. After Dwan had skinned the rodent and removed its entrails, she jabbed a stick through the dead creature and began to roast it over the fire. The teens took their seats around the warm flames.
"If you told me a year ago that I'd be living in a jungle, eating giant squirrels, I'd think you were crazy," said Dwan. "So, what do you guys wanna do before bed?"
"I was just gonna go to bed. As we all should," deadpanned Junior.
"You're such a bore! You know what we should do? Sing camp fire songs," said Dwan, smirking at Adagio. The pop star noticed Mosura giving her the death glare. Adagio merely gulped as she held her quivering knees close to herself.
"No. Just eat and go the fuck to sleep," said Junior.
"So... What do you guys think of those witches? You think we'll hear from them again?" asked Rodan.
"I don't doubt it," said Junior as he took a bite of dried meat from his basket.
"Who knows. But we'll cross that bridge if we ever come to it," said Angirasu. Mosura sighed.
"I can't believe this," said Mosura.
"What?" asked Sunset.
"All the stuff we've been through. Our school being attacked by the Purists, the alien invasion, mutant experiments, and now we're stuck in foreign world," said Mosura. She grimaced. "We're just kids. How can we go through this kind of Hell?"
"Yeah. Life's strange," said Junior, though, he couldn't help but think back to those events. From what he remembered, he was an element for most of those conflicts. The shooting, the Purists might have been looking for him for all he knew since some people were still convinced that he was the one attacking people in alleys. The invasion, his DNA was used to restore the Millenians and was also their downfall. And the genetic hybrids were made from his DNA as well.
"Hey, at least we got through it. We'll get through this one too," said Sunset. She looked Angirasu with a smile, who met her with a nod.
"Yeah. We'll get through it," said Angirasu. Junior was silent, lightly rubbing the scales of his reptilian arm.
It was midnight. A flock of giant black ravens soared through the night sky. The witches they carried bore witness to the grand towers that stood over a barren land. The ravens passed the towers, soaring over the stone city bellow. The Dogomite city was dark on this evening, save for the citadel that overlooked the city. It was a grand fortress, standing at the center of the city. Protective stone walls surrounded the structure, though not as tall as the walls that surrounded the entire city.
The citadel was covered in dark bricks of stone, stacked high from the wide base. The base kept the structure stable, as the higher levels stood, with towers overlooking the city. But among these towers, a tall spire stood among them. The moon seemed to almost rest upon the tip of the spire, if one were to gaze upon it from below.
The ravens landed in the courtyard, where several armored guards came rushing in. They drew their spears and held them at point at the witches.
"Halt! Who goes there?!" demanded a guard. The witches stood still, not making any sudden movements. They knew better than to cause a scene. Instead, the head Witch, Ingrid, stepped forward. She held out her bony hand. On her pale wrinkly skin, there were foreign markings. The guard took a closer look, before nodding.
"Stand down," said the guard. As ordered, the men stood at ease, holding up their spears.
The witches soon found themselves escorted by the guards. They passed through the grand halls of the citadel. They noticed that a heavy door opened. A guard stepped out, as a line of prisoners bounded in heavy iron chains followed him. A guard flanked from behind.
"Get moving," barked the guard, elbowing a prisoner in the back, causing him to stumble.
The witches continued on until they were led to a pair of large double doors. The guards posted at the doors began to open them, causing a loud creak from their weight. The throne room bore more lights from the torches that hung from the walls. Malicia sat upon her throne, her long nails tapping on the arm rest as she glanced at the crystal ball beside her throne. She had a look of boredom as she sat slouched.
"Your majesty." Ingrid and the witches knelt down before the ruler of the land.
"The Hex Clan. I wasn't expecting you," said Malicia, sitting up on her throne.
"Why are those prisoners being escorted out of the dungeon?" asked Rachel, pointing her thumb back. Ingrid sent her a look.
"My new associate requires volunteers for his experiments. It's nothing you need concern yourself with," explained Malicia. She then turned her attention back to Ingrid.
"Now, why have you come here?" asked Malicia. Ingrid was silent in a moment of hesitation. She gulped before steeling herself to speak.
"I... I regret to inform you, your majesty. Our clan was attacked. By the Demi-Titan, called Kong," confessed Ingrid. Malicia bore a stoic look at this news.
"I see." Malicia leaned back on her throne with a tired sigh.
"Unfortunate. But I suppose it was only a matter of time before you were discovered. If not by my enemies, then surely the native populace of the jungles," said Malicia nonchalantly. The witches bore confused looks.
"Your Majesty, if I may be blunt, I don't believe that you understand," said Ingrid. "We lost all of the Skull Walkers that we created for you. The Demi Titan and his disciples destroyed them, along with our home."
"No, I understand completely. As I said, it's unfortunate, but I was expecting this setback to happen eventually," said Malicia. Ingrid's expression turned to fury.
"Unfortunate? Setback?! We have just lost the assets! Our home! Why do you treat this news so lightly?!" demanded Ingrid.
"Lower your tone, witch!" barked a guard.
"Worry not, Captain. I'll explain myself," said Malicia. As if on cue, a section of the floor began to slide open. Ingrid gasped in shock at what she saw behind the trap door. Just ten feet below, there was a den full of a few Skull Walkers. The humanoids snarled as they fought over the clumps of flesh that littered the ground.
"How is this possible? I never..." asked Ingrid in shock.
"You never showed me the ritual. Yes, I know. My associate brought them to me," interrupted Malicia.
"But how?" asked Ingrid.
"Rather than your inefficient methods of conjuring dark spirits and alchemical transmutation to reanimate fresh corpses, my associate needs only the blood of Skull Crawlers and live subjects," said Malicia as she pointed down to the den.
"These can produced much faster and in greater numbers. No witchcraft necessary for their creation. Only for control," said Malicia, a cold look in her eyes. The witches felt a sudden sense of dread as the empress spoke.
"Unlike you, my associate has been quite generous in sharing his knowledge. More than I can say for you," said Malicia, her eyes narrowing.
"Your majesty, have we not shared our knowledge? Have we not been generous to you?" asked Ingrid, stepping back. The witches noticed the guards beginning to shift in place, while tensing. Their grips on their weapons tightened.
"You kept knowledge, the method of creating my own Skull Walkers, which made you a liability, from me. My associate on the other hand, he's teaching myself and my alchemists as we speak." Malicia gave a sinister smile, pointing to the witches. "The Hex clan is no longer needed for its services. You are hereby recognized as enemies of the crown and are hereby sentenced to execution."
"What?!" The witches began to exclaim in shock and alarm. The guards suddenly pointed their weapons at the women as they approached. In an act of defiance, Ingrid swung her arm, sending a wave of magic at the approaching guards. The men slammed against the walls and scrambled back to their feet.
"Oh for Rachna's sake," said Malicia, her tone that of mild annoyance. The witches made any attempt they could to resist. They cast magic beams and bolts, striking some of the guards. Some attempted to flee, but were beaten to the ground when caught up to. Ingrid began to chant a foreign tongue as she raised her hands. Malicia sighed as she stood.
"Must I do everything?" asked Malicia, her hands beginning to glow. The witches all suddenly froze in place, unable to move. The empress than brought her hands down, forcing the witches all to their knees.
"Be quick now! Bind their hands and gag their mouths! I don't want another spell cast from them!" commanded Malicia. As ordered, the guards bounded the hands of the witches, and took cloth and tied them around their mouths. As a guard approached Ingrid, Malicia raised a hand.
"Not her. She stays with me," said Malicia, a smirk on her face. The guards began to haul the rest of the women to their feet, forcing them out of the throne room. They kicked and squirmed, while giving muffled screams as they were escorted to a room, where a guillotine stood. A basket rested in front of it, as dry splotches of red stained the stone floor and wooden frame.
Back in the throne room, Malicia approached Ingrid. Much like the feeble old woman she was, the witch trembled as she remained on her hands and knees. The Empress giggled wickedly as she used her magic to close the doors.
"I believe it's dinner time~," said Malicia.
As the doors were closing, the screams of Ingrid echoed through the hall, followed by an inhuman screech. The doors slammed closed, leaving nothing but silence.
It was just another day in Ponyville High. Christmas was around the corner for what seemed like the umpteenth time. In spite of this, time seemed to loop into the same year with no carry over to the future.
On this day, Gojira Takeshi Junior was peering over a corner, his eyes wide and alert. He hunched low as he briskly made his way down a hall. Junior quickly hugged his back to the wall, as he heard footsteps approach. The boy gulped as he stood stiffly against the wall, as a pair of students walked by, eyeing him.
"What's with him?" whispered a student, as they passed.
Junior relaxed a bit, but continued on his way to the corner. He looked both ways, like a child checking for traffic before crossing. He then returned to navigating through the seemingly endless halls, muttering to himself.
"OK, almost home free," said Junior in a whisper, peering over another corner.
"Uh Gojira?" called a familiar voice. Junior yelped with a start, before turning with his fists up. He found Twilight recoiling with her own startled look.
"Ah! Put those away!" cried Twilight, shielding her face. Junior found that Sunset, Mosura, Rarity and Applejack were standing behind her. The boy sighed in relief as he lowered his fists.
"Please don't do that," said Junior.
"Jeez. Noted," mumbled Twilight, before adjusting her glasses.
"What's going on? Why are you sneaking around?" asked Mosura.
"You hidin' from Pinkie again?" asked Applejack.
"Or maybe Adagio?" asked Sunset in dismay.
"Nah, that's not it," said Junior, before looking back over the corner. "I'm hiding from Aang."
"Angirasu? Why?" asked Rarity, puzzled.
"Fa la la la la la la la~!" Angirasu suddenly appeared with a beaming smile. Junior groaned in dismay.
"Oh, hi Angirau!" greeted Sunset.
"Hello, Sunset! And Merry Christmas!" said Angirasu, before handing over a candy cane to the girl. He then began to draw out a few more and passed them off to the rest of the girls.
"Aw thanks," said Mosura. Angirasu grinned as he faced Junior, who had a look of displeasure on his face.
"And hello to you, my good friend," said Angirasu as he handed Junior a candy cane.
"Hi Aang..." Junior greeted.
"I just wanted to tell you guys that you're all invited to my house for a Christmas party tomorrow! Come by, and you'll all get your gifts from me early!" said Angirasu.
"Well, that's sweet of you, Aang," said Sunset.
"Sure, I'll come!" said Twilight. The rest of the girls gave verbal agreements.
"Sure buddy," said Junior, forcing a smile.
"Awesome! Well, I gotta go. See ya later!" said Angirasu before walking off, humming a holiday tune with a spring in his step. Along the way, he greeted other students that passed by and handed off candy canes. Junior groaned in disgust.
"The heck is your problem?" asked Sunset, cocking a brow.
"It's Aang. The guy is always disgustingly nice around the holidays. It makes me sick," said Junior.
"Oh, you're being dramatic," said Rarity dismissively. Applejack sent her a flat look.
"Who are you to judge?" Applejack remarked. Rarity scoffed at her in offense.
"Well, maybe he just really likes Christmas," said Twilight.
"Yeah, and there's nothing wrong with being nice," argued Sunset.
"Yeah, but get this. He takes the naughty or nice list thing way too far. The other day, some guy was being a dick to him. And Aang just smiled!" said Junior.
"Ooh that's a nice attitude. Takes a lot of fortitude to do that," said Sunset.
"Fortitude? The naughty or nice list is a sham that brainwashes children into being complacent sheep! I mean does this sound familiar? You better not shout, you better not pout, you better not cry. He knows when you're sleeping and when you're awake. He has a list, he's checking it twice. Santa is literally a government spook! He's watching your every move and is making sure that you're behaving a certain way!" said Junior. The girls just stared.
"What?!" Sunset exclaimed with an incredulous look.
"Gojira, you say the darndest things," said Applejack with a sad smile.
Aiko Riku stood with a cart full of several packages. They were stacked high on each other. Each package was marked with the words 'fragile'.
"OK, I need you to deliver these packages to these specific locations. All of this must be delivered around the same time of Christmas," said Aiko as she handed the post man a clip board. The postman began to do a brief look over on the list.
"Quite unusual places," said the postman.
"Also, make sure that these packages get delivered on time. They're very important," said Aiko, her eyes narrowing and her tone becoming harsh. The postman timidly nodded.
"I-I'll be sure to get them all delivered on time. I won't fail," said the postman. Aiko suddenly broke into a cheerful smile.
"Good! Have a Merry Christmas!" said Aiko, before turning to leave the post office.
The woman hummed to herself as she began to make her way to her car. She stopped and noticed some children to be playing near a street corner, building a snow man. Aiko felt a twinge of fear and dread. She shuddered before climbing into the driver seat of her car.
"Now to get Angirasu."
Aiko drove off from the post office and drove down through town. She passed through the many shops that were set up for the holiday season. What with their inflated santas, reindeers, hanging Christmas lights, and... snowmen.
"Ugh..." Aiko cringed. She soon made it to Ponyville High. School had just let out. Students were leaving the premises, boarding buses, or hopping into the vehicles of their parent/guardian. Angirasu came rushing through the snow, but skidded as he neared the car.
"Oh God!" exclaimed Aiko in alarm. Angirasu managed to catch himself, having stopped near the car. Aiko sighed in relief as her son hopped into the passenger seat.
"Cutting it a little close," said Aiko.
"Sorry." Angirasu sheepishly smiled.
Aiko began to drive off. She reached for the radio and turned it on. She immediately turned the dial, switching to Christmas music that was currently being played.
"You're a mean one~. Mr. Grinch~," the music played.
"So, how was your day?" asked Aiko.
"Oh it's been great, like the rest of the week! Nothing is tarnishing my track record for being on Santa's Nice List!" said Angirasu with a grin. Aiko weakly smiled.
'Now I'm not sure that I believe that,' thought Aiko.
"Um... Son, you don't think that you're being too friendly do you?" asked Aiko.
"Nope." Angirasu confidently replied. "You don't think it's good to be friendly?"
"W-Well it's just that... I think some people are going to take advantage of your sweetness," said Aiko worriedly. Angirasu snorted.
"Mom, no one is going to take advantage of me on Christmas," said Angirasu in amusement. He leaned back in his seat with a sigh.
"There's absolutely nothing that will make me naughty," said Angirasu. Suddenly, the jingle of a phone filled the air. In fact, it was the theme for jingle bells. Angirasu drew out his phone and answered.
"Hello?" answered Angirasu.
"You may grin, but you just wait till the families begin to come. By then, you'll understand what Christmas really means," said a deep, ominous and distorted voice. Before Angirasu could respond, the call went dead, leaving a tone. Angirasu looked to his phone, finding that the number was unidentified.
"Huh."
Later that Evening...
Aiko sighed as she wiped her brow. She took a step back with Angirasu, as they looked over the living room of her sister's home. Everything was decorated high and low with Christmas decorations. From Santa Claus and reindeer plushies, snowflake cut outs, a large tree decorated in colorful lights and ornaments, and other festive things. The one thing absent however were anything related to snowmen.
"Wow. You guys did great!" said Rei, entering the living room.
"I'm not gonna cut corners for Christmas," said Angirasu, smiling proudly.
"Decorating for the holidays has always been fun," said Aiko.
"Hey, our favorite show is about to come on for the holiday!" said Angirasu, giddily.
"Mai, get out here!" called Rei. From the hall, a young woman and an older man emerged, rushing to the living room. The whole family took a seat on the sofa and chair. As the show was about to come on, there was a knock at the door.
"I'll get it," said Angirasu, before getting up. As he made his way over, he opened the door. He found a handsome, pale boy with brown hair. It was none other than Edward Krullen, the local vampire.
"Oh hey! You sucked my blood a few holiday specials back, right?" asked Angirasu.
"No that was my sister. But yes, we have met before. I also brought someone along," said Krullen, as he stepped aside. Angirasu's brows raised in surprise as he found Gojira Takeshi Jr. to be standing by. But, something was off. He appeared to have been dressed nicely, and his hair combed back. His eyes were blue, rather than the usual amber color.
"Hello! I am Casanova!"
"Oh yeah! You were born from chemicals mixing with Gojira's skin flakes and sweat! What are you guys doing here?" asked Angirasu. Edward bore a solemn look as he removed his winter cap and held it to his chest.
"We haven't eaten in three whole days. Might we trouble you for something to eat?" asked Edward.
"Sure! Come on in, and I'll fix you two up something!" said Angirasu. He stepped aside and allowed the two hungry villains into the warm house.
“Is there something you’re in the mood for?” Angirasu asked.
“You already know what I want, Aang” Edward said cheerfully.
“Do you have any sweets?” Casanova asked.
“I’m not sure if we do,” Angirasu said sheepishly. “But I’ll check.”
Angirasu made his way to the kitchen, searching the cabinets. However, Aiko suddenly slammed the doors closed. Se glared at the boy in disapproval.
"Angirasu! What are you thinking letting two complete strangers into our home?!" demanded Aiko. Angirasu shrugged in confusion. Another knock came from the door.
"Hold that thought," said Angirasu, before making his way back to the front door. He answered, finding an attractive teen girl to be standing, a hand on her hip. Her face was unfriendly. Her body was fitted in a tight prom dress, but with a jacket covering her shoulders.
“Yule Tide greetings, Mutie” The girl said coldly.
"Oh, hey Queen Bee! Haven't seen you since Treasure Mall," said Angirasu.
"Hey. So I heard that hot vampire boy were here," said Queen Bee.
"Oh yeah. Wanna come in? I kinda owe you for uh... Exposing you to that movie and uh... slamming you into the tv," said Angirasu, sheepishly. Queen Bee shuddered.
"Whatever." The girl entered. Angirasu's family just eyed the new strangers who entered. Aiko took notice of Casanova to be stealing sweets from the cabinets and shoved them into his pockets. Aiko's eyes narrowed.
The door knocked again. Angirasu opened the door, finding a grim old man. Angirasu recognized him as well. He worked at the '4Smarts' interactive center from a mall. Thanatos was his name.
"I hear that you're having a party," said the old man.
"W-Well, yeah. But it's tomorrow. Do you want to come in?" asked Angirasu. The old man suddenly brushed passed him and entered the house.
"Why thank you. You're so polite," said Thanatos. Aiko growled as she furrowed her brows.
"Aiko, who are these people invading our house?" asked Rei, warily.
"The hell if I know!" said Aiko. Another knock came from the door. Angirasu rushed back to the front door, opening it to find yet again more familiar faces. Chef Boyardee, the mad chef that threatened him on his first date with Sonata Dusk. There was Queen Araphix, the Egyptian ancestor of the Dazzlings. There was also a man who appeared to be on edge, with baggy eyes and unkempt hair. Angirasu recognized him as being a cashier. He always seemed afraid of something. And finally, a bald man dressed in a dark suit. It was none other than Baldy, a figure from the dream realm.
"Wow, I haven't seen some of you in a long time! Please, come in and make yourselves comfortable!" said Angirasu, standing aside to allow these people in. His family bore slack jawed looks.
Now, all of these villains or random extras were mingling in the Yoshida house hold, much to the dismay of Angirasu's family. Queen Bee was flirting with Edward, admiring his borderline bleach pale skin, and the muscles that could be seen through his tight shirt. Edward held up a cup filled with a red liquid to Angirasu with a nod.
"Thank you for being so polite Angirasu," said Edward.
"Yeah, no problem. Hope you're enjoying the blood," said Angirasu with a weak smile, his arm wrapped in a bandage. He made his way to the living room, finding the 'guests' to be hanging out around the kitchen and dining room area. The mutant took a deep breath, admiring the situation.
"See that, mom? This is the true meaning of Christmas. Inviting folks into your home, away from the cold world outside," said Angirasu. Aiko rolled her eyes while Rei hardened her expression.
"This isn't your house!" exclaimed Rei.
Suddenly, the chimney began to shake violently. The family exclaimed at the ruckus, while everyone else's attention was drawn. From the fireplace, a huge glob of oatmeal splattered onto the fireplace, dousing the flames.
"What the fuck?!" Aiko growled as she rushed to the chimney, sticking her head inside.
"HEY! I'll be suing for damages!" Aiko shouted. Above the chimney, the villainous oatmeal mascot, Quaker Oats, was sitting above. A smug smile was on his face, as he scooped up a heaping portion of oatmeal from his bowl.
Back in the house, the doorbell was heard again. Angirasu answered, and is shocked at what he saw. It was none other than Jingles The Snowman, the 'Play Doggy' kid, Cool Dude the Pirate, and Dwan. The girl waved at him flirtatiously.
"Hi Nice Aang~!"
"Happy Birthday!" cried Jingles. Angirasu cocked a brow.
“Duuude!” Cool Dude said, pointing at Angirasu
"But it's not my birthday," said Angirasu.
"You mean you aren't 18 yet? Mm..." Jingles purred. Angirasu cleared his throat.
"Come in," said Angirasu, allowing the three to enter. Aiko exclaimed in alarm at the sight of jingles.
"No! No! Noooo! Not the carpet!" whined Rei as snow began to spread out wherever the snowman moved.
"You have a nice place, Nice Aang." said Dwan.
"It was," said Mai, flatly. “And it’s not his place!”
Aiko whimpered as she began to sneak her way to the kitchen, out of Jingles's sight. She gasped as she found Casanova going through the cabinets again. He began to draw out more sweets with a cackle. Aiko snarled as she suddenly snatched a wooden spoon from the counter and smacked the clone on the hand.
"Back, you thief! Those are my sweets!" barked Aiko. Casanova pouted with a whimper.
"Hey!" a jolly voice shouted. Aiko stiffened, turning to find Jingles glaring at her with his button eyes, and his wooden hands on his hips.
"You're spoiling this handsome boy's fun! That's not very festive, Mrs. Riku! If you ruin anyone else's fun, then I'll come looking for you," said Jingles, lowering himself down to glare at the woman. Aiko dropped the spoon before bolting out of the kitchen and down the hall. She rushed to her room and slammed the door shut.
Later, Angirasu found himself in the kitchen cooking. Every extra, villain and flamboyant spectacle gathered at the dining room table. His aunt and uncle and cousin were all scowling as they watched the uninvited guests make a mess of their Christmas Eve.
"Dinner will be ready soon, guys!" called Angirasu, as he looked through a pot.
Suddenly, the sound of gunfire pierced the air, startling the boy out of his wits. He rushed to investigate the sound. He stopped as he found Queen Bee in the living room, wielding what looked to be one of his mother's pistols. She was shooting holes into the wall, while Dwan stood beside her with a grin.
"Sweet! Hey, can I have a turn?" asked Dwan, eagerly.
"Help yourself, Hussie," said Queen Bee, before handing off the gun. Angirasu slumped his shoulders.
"Uh, Dwan. I don't think you should-"
"Ah it looks easy enough," said Dwan as she looked over the weapon, in search of the firing mechanism. However, she accidentally pulled the trigger, shooting off the gun. This startled her, prompting her to accidentally squeeze the trigger every time a bang made her flinch. This prompted several bullets to ricochet across the room. The Yoshida family dove for cover, while one of the bullets struck Baldy in the chest. He cried out in pain as he stumbled back. He gazed upon his gaping wound, which was more like a hole in gelatin. Liquid squirted from the hole, like water out of balloon.
"NOT AGAAAAAIN!" Baldy cried as he began to melt to the floor in a puddle of flesh colored goop. Angirasu suddenly rushed to Dwan and snatched the gun out of her hands.
"Why are you two doing this?!" cried Angirasu.
Meanwhile, just down town, a taxi car was driving down the streets with a screech. The lights blared brightly into the night, as the tires left tracks in the white snow. The vehicle was sliding with every turn that it made because of the wet ice. From the window of the taxi, Ladybug Man, the spotted spandex hero, emerged.
"Onward, driver! Drive at the speed of a Ladybug sound!" cried the hero heroically.
Meanwhile, back in the Yoshida residence, Angirasu perked up as he heard the sound of tires screeching and the roar of an engine.
"Hey, does anyone else hear-"
Angirasu was interrupted as a taxi car suddenly crashed through the wall of the house. The impact sent Angirasu and Ladybug Man flying across the living room. Debris littered the house, while the emergency lights on the taxi flickered. From the driver seat, an old woman emerged with a cackle.
"Merry Christmas, Darlings! Eh he he he he!" The old lady cackled. Everyone just stared in deafening silence at the old woman. The air was tense and awkward. The old lady turned to find the television on.
"Oh! My program's on!" the old woman exclaimed before plopping herself on the sofa. Debris littered the top of the TV and dust covered part of the screen. What was broadcast was the film that Dwan stared in. Bloody Jungle. More specifically, the plant monster scene. The old lady just watched as the characters gave terrified and pleasured cries. Dwan stepped over and cringed in disgust.
"Ugh! I never saw this part before," said Dwan. While she acted in the movie, she never got this far into watching it herself, considering how bad of a movie it was. Sitting through it was a chore in itself.
"Well, I have! And it scared the shit of me! It scared the shit of every dude in Equestria... Dude!" shouted Cool Guy. He suddenly drew out a metric ruler and rushed to the television. He began to smash the TV in, causing the discoloration of pixels and the distortion of the picture.
"What are you doing?! I've had to put up with a hard day of work, and you're not gonna ruin this night!" Chef Boyardee shouted. Angirasu exclaimed as he rushed in, attempting to stop Cool Dude's madness. His family just hid in the kitchen, watching in horror at the chain of events that had transpired.
Meanwhile, Aiko was flinching at the commotion that was going on outside of her room. There were plenty of sounds that caused for concern.
"No! Stop, right now! Ow! Watch it!" cried Angirasu from the other side of the door.
She could hear her trusty fire arms being fired in doors. She reached for the doorknob, thinking that enough was enough. But, she thought back to Angirasu. If she intervened now, it'd likely upset him. As she feared, his kindness was allowing him to be taken advantage of. If she acted now, he won't learn.
"Dammit," said Aiko, reluctantly retracting her hand from the doorknob. “The gray area of being a mother”
Back downstairs, Angirasu stood with his hair frazzled and his face covered in bruises. He took a deep breath before rubbing his eyes.
"This is fine. Everything's fine," said Angirasu.
"Booger Sugar!!" a voice suddenly shouted. Mr. Petro'grabble suddenly rode in on his mobility scooter through the large hole in the wall. His scooter raced at the highest speed possible with his rotund body and weight. He crashed into the kitchen. Angirasu just stood and stared in silence, his eye twitching. The world around him became distorted and seemed to spin. He beheld the insanity that surrounded him. From Cool Dude smashing the TV, Boyardee shouting, Queen Bee stealing Aiko's guns and shooting them off at the walls, Casanova stealing sweets, Jingles humping the refrigerator, Ladybug Man prancing as he sang a heroic theme, and Play Doggy Kid singing his repetitive song, 'Play Doggy'.
As if that weren't enough, it was piled on with Dwan flirting with Edward Krullen, who drank the puddle that was once Baldy from a straw, Thanatos and Araphix plotting to take over the world, and Petro'grabble shouting obscenities and complaining about how poor this family was.
The world spun faster around Angirasu, as his eye continued to twitch. Then, something snapped. Angirasu dropped to all fours and began to morph and change. Everyone stopped what they were doing and found the boy to be transforming into a horrible reptilian beast. Angirasu let loose a loud wail before lunging for the 'guests'.
The Scared Cashier screamed in panic as he scrambled out of the living room and to the hall. He rushed to a bedroom and barged in. He found Aiko inside.
"You have to help us! Your son is going on a rampage!" cried the cashier. Aiko gasped.
"I knew this was going to happen. I know what I have to do," said Aiko as she rushed to her drawer. She drew out a large tranquilizer and held it up. Aiko suddenly tossed the tranquilizer aside.
"Oopsie Daisy!" said Aiko, sarcastically. She then reached into her drawer and pulled out an electric baton. A dark smile crept onto her face.
"Wait, what are you gonna do with that?" asked the scared cashier. He stumbled back as the woman stalked towards him.
"No! No!!"
Aiko lunged for the man as she ignited her baton. She forced it against him, sending volts of electricity into his body.
Just outside of the house, one could make out the silhouettes of people running from sharp reptilian teeth, and bright flashes of blue light through the windows. The screams were muffled from outside. Only one beheld the insanity that had unfolded upon this very house. Dr. John Discord stood outside in a trench coat, laughing maniacally. He then turned to face an unsuspecting reader who took the time to read such a ludicrous holiday tale.
"I love causing Christmas Chaos." Discord grinned wickedly.
It was Christmas Morning. The sun was shining over Ponyville, as the snow shined under its light.
Junior found himself walking alongside the Main 7, Erika Shiragami, and the Dazzlings through Angirasu's neighborhood. His parents had also joined them. Junior sighed.
"Junior, lighten up. It's Christmas," said Miwa.
"Exactly. I just now that Angirasu's niceness is gonna be at critical mass at this point," said Junior, disgruntled.
"Holy crap!" exclaimed Rainbow Dash. The teens and parents gasped in shock and horror at what they saw. They found Angirasu's home to be bearing a deep hole in the side. They rushed over to the house and stepped inside through the hole. They found the house in tatters. Holes filled the walls. Wood and debris littered all around. The TV was smashed to bits, and the sofa was torn to shreds.
"What in the hell happened?!" cried Mosura.
"Aang! Mrs. Riku!" Junior called.
"Right here," said Aiko, emerging from the kitchen in a night robe, holding a mug of hot coco. Her sister, brother-in law and niece were seated in the dining room area, with their own mugs. Acting like everything was normal.
"Ugh. It's a long story. Angirasu's sleeping down there," said Aiko, pointing to the ground. The teens stepped back with a start, having just noticed the boy to be unconscious beneath the Christmas Tree. Angirasu groaned as he began to stir awake. He opened his eyes, finding himself surrounded by his friends and family.
"Hey, bud. You doin' alright?" asked Rodan, worriedly.
"Man, I must have had a wild night. Because I can't remember anything," said Angirasu, as Junior helped raise the tree off of him. Angirasu was wrapped in sheets, covering his naked body. He sat up, rubbing his head with a wince. He then belched, spewing out pieces of torn clothing. Angirasu picked up one of the pieces, finding a black dot on the piece. Then, it clicked.
"Wait a minute. Last night. A bunch of villains and extras exclusive to holiday specials came by. I invited them in and... OH GOD!" Angirasu suddenly cried out.
"Villains?" asked Rarity. Angirasu suddenly broke down into tears. He buried her face into his knees, sobbing.
"Aw, don't cry," said Fluttershy, rubbing the boy's shoulder in comfort.
"Dude, what happened? What did those creeps do to you?" asked Junior. Angirasu sniffled as he raised his head.
"I-It's not that. It's just that I broke my track record and became naughty!" cried Angirasu, sobbing. Junior gave him a flat look.
"Shit, it's about time!" said Junior. Aiko placed a hand on his shoulder and shook her head at him.
"Now's not the time," said Aiko.
"Mom, you gotta ground me! I-I was terrible! Please!" pleaded Angirasu.
"Grou- I'm not grounding you, Angirasu," said Aiko with a scoff. She knelt down beside him with a warm smile.
"Listen, you're a good kid. You always have been. But you can't be nice all the time," said Aiko. She then snickered.
"I'm actually kinda proud that you went crazy," said Aiko with a grin. Angirasu bore a confused and slightly dismayed look.
"It's good that you want to be kind, Angirasu. But there's nothing righteous or admirable about being complacent," said Erika. Junior bore an annoyed look.
"Yeah, that's what I've been trying to say!" said Junior.
"All I remember was you ranting about Santa being the government," deadpanned Sunset. This earned some laughs from the others.
"Whether you've been 'naughty' or nice, we'll always love ya!" said Pinkie.
"That's right!" said Twilight in agreement.
Angirasu felt a weight beginning to lift off of his shoulders. A smile began to grow on his face at the bright and warm faces of his friends and family. He stood with the sheet with and grinned.
"Let me go get some clothes on. Then we can exchange and open our gifts," said Angirasu.
"Holy shit, I can't believe your presents were safe," said Aria, looking to the corner of the room, finding the gifts to be safely stacked on each other.
Soon, the families and friends all began to exchange and open up their presents. Gladness and Jolliness was in the air, as this Christmas Day was shared. Aiko looked to her watch and smiled.
"Hey gang, the best Christmas Miracle is about to happen!" said Aiko. Everyone turned to her curiously.
"What do you mean?" asked Rei.
"Well, I thought I'd give my own gifts to very special people. That is, notorious members of the Purists!" said Aiko. There was an awkward silence.
"Huh?" asked Miwa.
Meanwhile, just miles away from the Yoshida residence, there was an abandoned warehouse. Within this warehouse dwelled the heinous terrorist group, The Purists. Instead of celebrating the holidays, these dastardly foes spent their days planning for their next wicked deed. These tainted souls were gathered before the ring leader, who told them his plan.
"So we're all clear? We head for the town center and raise Hell," said the leader of the group.
"Hey guys! We got a Christmas gift!" cried a Purist, rushing into the room with a large box, with a bow wrapped over it.
"A gift?" asked another Purist in confusion. The leader made his way over and looked over the package.
"Hmm. There's not an address listed, let alone a name of who it's from," said the leader.
"Maybe it's from Scar?" suggested a Purist.
"Open it up!" said another Purist. The package was opened, revealing square metallic box, with large computer clips, wires, and the face of a clock that ticked away, as its "seconds" hand moved. it. It looked like the remains of clock that were crudely stuffed into a metal box.
"The hell is this?" asked the leader in confusion. A Purist gasped.
"Scar gave us a clock! How thoughtful!" said the Purist.
"This looks like shit, you retard!" said another Purist.
"Yeesh. It's like someone just yanked out the guts of a clock and- Wait, is that Nitroglycerin?" said another Purist, noticing canisters of liquid were attached to the back of this gift.
"It's a bomb," said the leader.
"Oh sweet! Maybe Scar gave it to us to help with our raid today!" said a Purist. The Purists giddily talked as the device began to tick away.
"Uh guys, I think this thing is armed," said a Purist, warily, noticing a key to be inside of the ignition mechanism on the side.
"Don't be silly. Why would Scar send us an armed bomb?" asked another Purist. The cautious Purist rolled his eyes.
"Well you think maybe he never sent us anything and that someone else sent us an armed explosive?"
"Hey I hear it ticking. Maybe he has a point," said another Purist.
"Oh relax. We'll just take out the key and- Uh oh..." the leader attempted to remove the key, but it seemed to be stuck.
"What? Take it out!" said the cautious Purist.
"I can't! It's stuck!" said the leader. The clock began to tick away its last seconds. The Purists all screamed as they attempted to scatter, but were all engulfed in a violent, fiery explosion.
Meanwhile, back at the Yoshida residence, a tremor was felt. Everyone saw a bright flash of light in the sky followed by a large fiery red mushroom shaped cloud overhead.
“Ooooh! That looks nice!” Aiko said out loud.
Everyone turned to Aiko, with shocked looks on their faces.
“How many Purists did you give these to?” Rei asked nervously.
“Well judging by the locations I narrowed down, followed by the shipping and handling.” Aiko explained. “I would say all of them”
The place was hit with several more shockwaves, and bright flashes of light. Everyone turned around to the window, seeing red, green and white mushroom clouds lighting up the sky.
"Now this is what Christmas is all about!" said Aiko with a cheeky grin.
"Why would you do that?" asked Mai. Aiko shrugged defensively.
"What? They've been a more active threat than the Revolutionaries or any rogue mutant! I just decided to take matters into my own hands and spread a little Christmas cheer with fire and destruction," said Aiko. Mosura suddenly shot up, clutching her head.
"NOOO- Wait a minute!" Mosura stopped midscream.
"Why do I feel bad for the people responsible for killing my parents, kidnapped us, shot up our school and other terrible things? Screw them! Let them burn in hell!" said Mosura.
"AMEN!" Rodan shouted. The teens gave verbal agreements, shrugging off the news.
"I'm a little conflicted about this," said Angirasu. Senior grimaced.
"You may have gotten rid of the Purists, but you haven't gotten rid of their ideology. This might prompt more trouble," said Senior.
"Speaking of trouble, you just gave me an idea for New Years!" said Aiko. She shot up and began to drag Senior out of the living room.
"We should collaborate on this one! You'll be useful!" said Aiko, giddily.
"W-Wait a minute!" exclaimed Senior. He dreaded what ideas that this woman would involve him with. Senior turned to Miwa, he reached a hand out to her ask if he was reaching out for help.
"Uh... Mom?" called Angirasu, awkwardly. Miwa furrowed her brows as she abruptly stood up. She began to follow the two.
'Just in case she doesn't have any other plans for my husband,' thought Miwa, before leaving the living room with the two.
"Well this just got awkward. Overly friendly moms with secret plans for assassinations..." said Rodan. Junior cleared his throat, wanting to change the subject.
"Aang, listen. Everyone's a little 'naughty'. There's no shame in that," said Junior.
"Let's sing some Christmas songs!" said Pinkie. Suddenly, everyone broke into song.
"We wish you a Merry Christmas~! We wish you a Merry Christmas~! And a Happy New Year~!" Everyone sang cheerfully. Angirasu on the other hand awkwardly sang in a vain attempt to distract himself at the revelation that everyone around him was crazy.
It was morning. The mutant 4, Sunset, Adagio, and Dwan were making their way down a dirt path. They had earlier woken up and resumed their journey. Along the way, Junior kept looking to the map to make sure the group was on track.
"Finally!" Dwan cried in relief. Over a hill, the teens found a town to be straight ahead. It was made up entirely of stone. The walls were but stone bricks, stacked high and fortified the buildings inside. Fields and farms were scattered about outside of the walls of the town.
"Best part of this, the town isn't wrecked!" Dwan cried.
The teens made their way to the town gates, where a couple of lightly armored men stood with tridents in hand. They crossed the shafts of their weapons together, blocking the path of the teens.
"You must pay a toll to pass, strangers," said a guard.
"Oh shoot," said Sunset in annoyance. Junior sighed.
"What's the toll?" asked Junior.
"One silver piece. Each," said the guard.
"Cool. Later," said Rodan as he turned away. Junior caught him by the shoulder.
"We don't actually have that. Maybe we could work something out?" asked Junior with a forced smile. The guards bore annoyed looks. Dwan sighed.
"Well, I guess I can take one for the team and..." Dwan began to tug at her bra.
"No, you don't!" snapped Sunset as she smacked her hand.
"How about a trade?" asked Angirasu.
"What could you dirty nomads offer to trade?" asked the second guard.
"What's a nomad?" asked Dwan.
"It's like a hobo," answered Adagio.
"I uh... I got some jerky left," said Rodan.
"Meh," responded a guard.
"OK. How about this squirrel skin?" asked Dwan, holding up the skin of the rodent she killed the previous night.
"Tacky," scoffed the second guard. Junior hummed as he dug through his basket.
"Well... I'd hate to part with it... How about this?" asked Junior, drawing out the can of Dr. Pepper that Pinkie gave him. The guards looked on with interest.
"What's this then?" asked a guard.
"This here is a very rare, exotic drink. You can't get this from anywhere except from our homeland," said Junior, his tone giving a sense of mystery. "It's a sweet, bubbly refreshment that goes great with a hot meal. And it's yours if you let us through," said Junior with a smile. The guards whispered to each other briefly.
"Prove to us it's not poison, stranger," said one guard.
"Seriously? OK." Junior shrugged. He opened the can, causing a hiss that startled the guards. Junior then took a sip. He savored the taste of the drink. For all he knew, this may be the last time he'd ever drink this stuff again. He sighed.
"See? Just don't chug it down," said Junior as he handed off the can. One guard took a sip. His eyes widened as he took in the flavor.
"Try this!" said the guard as he passed the can. The second guard took a sip, his eyes widening as well.
"Mm! Alright, you all may pass!" said the guard. The teens began to pass through, leaving the guards behind.
"Quick! Get the chalices and snacks!" said one of the guards.
"Nice work Goji! You didn't even have to intimidate them," said Sunset in approval.
"Yeah, I'm actually proud of that," said Junior, nonchalant.
The teens found themselves making their way into town. All around, they found citizens going about their business. Junior couldn't help but feel relief to see civilization again, even if it was more primitive from home. However, he felt a familiar feeling just moments later when he noticed people were staring.
"Hey, do we standout?" whispered Dwan.
"Not at all! Nothing unusual about kids wearing Iwi garb and a girl half naked with a leather bikini," said Junior sarcastically. Dwan scoffed.
"Sarcasm is not attractive, Naughty Goji," said Dwan.
"Don't call me that," growled Junior.
"You can call me that," said Rodan, grinning. Dwan looked at the boy with a sour look.
"Nah. I think I'll call you, 'Meh Rodan'," said Dwan.
"Meh?!" Rodan exclaimed. Junior and Angirasu began to laugh hysterically, as Rodan grew flustered.
"Boys!" scolded Mosura. Adagio lightly snorted as she held a hand to her lips. She quickly returned to a neutral look as Mosura and Sunset glared at her.
'Sounds like Rodan is getting back to his old self,' thought Adagio, her sight falling on the annoyed mutant. 'Let's hope it stays that way.'
"That's messed up, Dwan," said Rodan indignantly.
"Sorry. I just don't find you as cute as these two," said Dwan, gesturing to Junior and Aang.
"What're you talkin' about? I'm adorable!" argued Rodan. Meanwhile, Sunset hummed as she looked around.
"Maybe we can ask for some help," said Sunset as she walked off, approaching a guard that walked by. She called out to him, catching his attention.
"Excuse me, sir. Could you help us?" asked Sunset, her tone polite. The guard greeted her with a smile.
"Of course, young lady! How may I be of service?" asked the guard.
"My friends and I are just travelers looking for a place to stay, but we have no money. Could you help us?" asked Sunset.
"Hmm. Well, I can't offer you money, as I need it. But I can point you to an Inn. The owner may let you stay for as long as you need if you're willing to earn your keep. Just head down there until you find "The High Moon," said the guard. Sunset smiled brightly.
"That's fantastic! Thank you, sir!" said Sunset.
"Take care, my dear," said the guard, before departing. Sunset rejoined the group, who had ceased their arguing.
"Good news! We might have a place to stay!" said Sunset as she gestured for the group to follow.
"Huh." Junior followed.
"Man. Here I thought Dwan was easy," grumbled Rodan.
"It's for the best, Ro. You can do better," said Mosura in a whisper. Eventually, the teens made their way over to a large wooden and stone structure. It bore a sign that depicted a moon, resting high above triangle shaped mountains. They entered, finding a wide lobby, where a few citizens stood. The group found a middle aged woman standing behind a counter, taking coins from a customer.
"Come again," said the woman as the customer left.
"Oi. What can I help you with?" the woman spoke with a thick accent.
"We heard that you were offering a place to stay for those that are 'willing to earn their keep'," said Sunset.
"Ah. You kids are dirt poor, ain't ya?" asked the woman as she wiped down the counter.
"You could say that," said Mosura with an awkward laugh. The woman hummed as she eyed the teens. She had an intense look, which brought discomfort in the youth.
"Alright. I could always use extra hands around here," said the woman as she stepped away from the counter.
"I'll show you around," said the woman. She began to lead the group around the Inn. It was large, full of several wide rooms and halls just on the ground floor.
"This is where we keep the cleaning supplies. Here's where we keep the bedroom essentials like pillows, sheets, so on and so forth," said the Inn keeper, gesturing to rooms that were passed. She then brought the teens over to a large room. It was full of customers that sat at tables, with food and drinks placed before them. Women dressed in shoulder-less dresses carried out meals and refreshments to the customers. The sound of instruments being played filled the air. At the corner of the room, there was a band playing an upbeat melody.
"This here is where guests come to eat and to be entertained. It's also what the High Moon is famous for. Plus it pays most of the taxes, so I just let anyone come in without a room," said the Inn keeper.
"I can see why," said Rodan as a young woman passed by. She softly giggled as she eyed the boys before passing.
"Now, you will all have a role to play if you want to stay here without me charging you. The ladies will be assigned to act as barmaids or cleaning. The men, you have to help with the kitchen, and lugging in supplies," said the Inn keeper, pointing to both gendered groups.
"Dibs on being a barmaid!" said Adagio and Dwan in unison. They both looked to each other, their expressions hardening.
"I don't care who does what. For goodness sake, just smile, and be desirable. I hold my barmaids up to high standards," said the Inn Keeper.
"Desirable. I can do that," said Adagio with a smirk.
"Alright. Come with me and get changed. Especially you. That outfit is awful," said the Inn Keeper. Dwan looked at herself, growing offended.
"Why is everyone being so mean to me?" pouted Dwan.
Later, the boys found themselves clad in new clothes. They sported cloth tunics, with loose hide pants and tight boots. Rodan tugged at his tunic with a sigh.
"It feels weird wearing something over your torso when you're used to being bare," said Rodan.
"I feel naked without my hoodie," said Junior flatly.
"You never said that for as long as we've been here," said Angirasu, cocking a brow. A door opened. The boys turned, finding the girls to be emerging in their new uniforms.
Adagio and Dwan stood out the most, since their appearances seemed radically different. The two wore shoulder-less dresses, with a corset hugging their torsos. Cleavage was exposed. Their long skirts were a forest green, as their tops were white. They wore heeled boots.
Dwan no longer bore the dark paint that covered her face for camouflage. Instead, more feminine makeup brought up the red in her cheeks, and lipstick covered her lips.
Adagio on the other hand had her long wavy hair down. Strands of her locks hung over her shoulders. Her bust size exposed more cleavage, and her figure showed more of her curves compared to Dwan.
Mosura and Sunset sported grey long dresses that reached to their shins. They wore wedged shoes and had a hint of white stockings from what could be seen from their legs. They also wore white aprons and frilled caps on their heads. While their outfits weren't provocative like Dwan's and Adagio's, there was the hint of curves over their forms that left things to the boys' imagination.
"I'm glad we came here," said Rodan. Adagio grinned as she placed a hand on her hip, perking her chest out.
"Hot, right?" asked Adagio. Mosura growled in annoyance.
"Hmm." Junior merely hummed as he turned.
"What the hell is 'hmm'?" asked Mosura, crinkling her nose. Junior sighed.
"We should get to work before the lady changes her mind," said Junior as he walked off. Mosura grumbled to herself as she face palmed. Meanwhile, Sunset tugged at her own sleeve with a grimace.
"Hey Aang, what do you think? Do these maid outfits make us look frumpy or something?" asked Sunset worriedly.
"No, not at all. You look good," said Angirasu with a smile. Sunset lightly blushed as she stiffened, as though caught off guard. She shyly laughed as she looked away.
"Dude, don't be so blunt," said Sunset.
"Sorry. Just saying what I think," said Angirasu with a chuckle.
Junior grunted as he carried large sacks. One over his shoulder, and the other with one hand. He brought the heavy sacks into a kitchen, where a few men stood. Pots and pans gave off the aroma of hot meals as they cooked for customers. A large man with a twirled mustache stepped over to him.
"Bring the vegetables over to the storage room. Organize them by type," said the head chef.
"OK," said Junior as he hauled the sacks, followed by Angirasu, who carried sacks himself. Meanwhile, Rodan was at the washing station, scrubbing off dinning utensils, plates, cooking equipment, etc. He sighed in annoyance as he struggled to scrub thick crud off of a pot. His scrubbing caused the entire thing to get soaked in soap.
"This isn't so bad, huh?" asked Angirasu as he and Junior began to store the vegetables in the storage room. As told, they placed each kind of veggie into crates where they belonged.
"Now I know what it's like to have my first job," said Junior.
"You never worked?" asked Angirasu in surprise.
"Not for anyone else. I struggled too much in school for part time work. So instead I just took odd jobs whenever I could. Like mowing lawns, raking leaves, shoveling snow, you know. Just the work that people would rather pay a few bucks for some kid under 15 to do," replied Junior.
"Well, at least you have work ethic," said Angirasu.
"Yeah. Though the girls concern me," said Junior as he set cabbages inside of a crate.
"Ah I'm sure they can handle it," said Angirasu dismissively.
"Sunset and Mosu? Sure. But Dwan and Adagio?" Junior grimaced. From what he knew, Sunset and Mosura had work ethic. Sunset put together her own motor bike for crying out loud. Mosura was also eager to lend a helping hand around the Takeshi residence when he offered her a place to stay while Battra was away.
Dwan and Adagio on the other hand come off as not working a day in their life, though that may have been unfair to think of for Dwan, since she clearly put effort into learning survival skills. So she might find herself adapting well to her role. That only left Adagio. He hoped that she had good enough people skills and patience to work in food service.
Meanwhile, the head chef placed a plate of food onto a tray, along with some wedges of steaming hot potatoes. He set the tray onto a window and hit a bell.
"Rare Mutton with a side of potato wedges going out!" called the chef. Dwan appeared and took the tray. She strolled over to the dinning area with confidence in her stride. She allowed her hips to sway freely, showing her loose and proper posture.
"OK! Here's your lunch, sir~!" said Dwan as she stepped over to a man and set down the tray. She took the plates and set them down in front of him.
"Oh! Do you need a refill for your wine? I'll get that for you," said Dwan, before walking off. The customer stared lustfully as the he watched the sway of the girl's hips in a hypnotic fashion.
From the sidelines, Adagio watched as her rival fetched a wine bottle and brought it over to pour. She noticed the customer drop a fork, next to Dwan.
"I'll get that!" said Dwan as she set the wine bottle down. She bent over purposely, sticking out her ass for the customer to see. Adagio grumbled as Dwan smirked at her, as though she was challenging her.
"Yeah, you play your little game. I'm just here to work," said Adagio. She didn't have to stoop as low to Dwan to gain the attention of customers.
"Chowder going out!" said the head chef as he rang the small bell. Adagio took a breath before taking the tray that bore a plate that carried a large loaf of bread, filled with a milky and buttery thick stew filled with meat and diced vegetables. Adagio began to walk over to the customer that this order belonged too. She cautiously walked, sweating a bit as she attempted to carry this meal over. She never felt tension like this before, especially over a simple task of delivering food. She stumbled over her own feet, nearly dropping the chowder to the ground. The customer had flinched as she stumbled next to the table.
"H-Here's your meal!" squeaked Adagio as she set the food down with a titter.
"Where are the crackers?" asked the customer.
"Crackers?" asked Adagio, losing her smile. The customer sighed in annoyance.
"My salted crackers, which are supposed to come with the meal?" asked the customer. Adagio resisted the urge to retort to the man's rudeness with attitude of her own.
"Oh. They may have forgotten. I'll go get those for you," said Adagio as she walked off.
"Yeah, you better," said the man. Adagio gave an inaudible grunt as she made her way over to the window.
"Hey, a customer is asking about crackers that were meant to go with his meal. Where are they?" asked Adagio.
"Tell him we're out," said the head chef.
"Seriously?" Adagio muttered to herself before making her way back to the table.
"I'm sorry sir, but I've been told that we're out of crackers," said Adagio. The customer scoffed.
"Out? Bah. This place usually has them and now they're all out?" the customer grumbled.
"Sorry," said Adagio with a shrug.
"Grilled fish, going out!" said the head chef.
"Let me know if you need anything else," said Adagio as she rushed away from the table and towards the counter. Adagio took the fish and made her way over to another table to where a couple sat. Adagio set the plate down.
"Here you are," said Adagio.
"Pardon me, but we didn't order this," said the man. Adagio grimaced.
"Oh?"
"Ugh. We've been waiting for this long and we get the wrong meal? Take it back and get it right," said the woman with a glare.
"Sorry, it was a simple mistake," said Adagio, her tone shrinking back again.
"Damn hussie," spat the woman. Adagio grunted in annoyance before leaving.
"Leia!" snapped the man in a harsh whisper.
"Why are we even here? So you can gawk at these harlots?" demanded the woman.
"I just like their stuffed mushrooms and their fried spiders" said the man in annoyance.
"Fried spiders? Oh God!" exclaimed Adagio as she found a large plate holding a rather large arachnid. It was the size of a cat, much like the one that attacked Junior. But it was bald, its exoskeleton glistening with grease from cooking oil and its legs were tucked into its sides. Its fangs were also missing. Adagio eyed the meal as she handed off the fish to the correct customer. She took a breath before picking up the plate.
"Oh God, oh God!" Adagio whimpered, her skin crawling as she tried to not gaze upon the large arachnid. She yelped as she stumbled again, this time, plate knocking over the cups that sat at the table of the couple.
"By Providence! You clumsy cow!" barked the woman as she stood up from the table, water having been spilled on her skirt.
"I'm so sorry!" cried Adagio as she frantically picked up the cups.
"Oh look at his meal!" said the woman in annoyance, pointing to the spider. Adagio gasped as she found that its legs had snapped in pieces, and its abdomen having been crushed. Adagio found that her top bore oil stains and crumbs from the meal. Her bosom had caused damage to the food, much to her embarrassment.
"I'm so sorry! I'll-"
"No, it's quite alright. It should still taste fine," said the man as he took one of the broken legs and began to chew on it. His spouse scoffed.
"It is not! This clumsy fool just spilled water everywhere and-" The woman went on a rant. During this, Adagio found that Dwan seemed to be standing at a table where two men were. The three shared a laugh as she poured them their drinks. She seemed to be handling this job quite well. Adagio winced as the woman yelled at her, leading to another barmaid to approach and try to diffuse the situation.
Junior sighed as he wiped a brow. He was finally allowed to have a break until he had to resume working. Rodan and Angirasu were at the moment with the Inn Keeper, being shown the rooms that they would be staying in for the night. Junior instead took this opportunity to sit on his butt until his break was over.
The boy made his way out to the back of the Inn, stretching his arms out. He looked around, finding the clear afternoon sky. He still had to figure out a way to contact the Lord of Elsinore in order to message Twilight and the others.
While lost in thought, Junior heard light sobs. He looked around, hearing that the sounds were close. He turned over to a corner and found Adagio to be sitting on the ground, her face buried into her knees.
"Ada?" called Junior. Adagio raised her head, her eyes puffy and running with tears. She wiped her eyes as she forced a smile.
"Hey, Goji..." sniffled Adagio.
"What's wrong?" Asked Junior worriedly, kneeling next to her.
"It's this stupid job! I hate it! The customers are mean, they're demanding, I keep forgetting who ordered what, and I keep tripping over my own feet! And Dwan seems to be excelling!" cried Adagio, breaking into another sob.
"Hey, hey, come on. Cut the water works," said Junior as patted Adagio's shoulder in comfort.
"I didn't think it'd be this hard. What if that lady decides to not let me stay because I suck at this job?" whimpered Adagio.
"Even if that does happen, then I'll just set up camp somewhere in town and we can rest there," said Junior.
"We?" sniffled Adagio.
"What? You didn't think I'd leave you alone did you?" asked Junior with an amused look. Adagio smiled as her heart fluttered, her cheeks growing crimson.
"Look, don't feel too bad about your performance. A lot of people go through what you went through. You just gotta keep trying," said Junior.
"But Dwan-"
"Don't worry about Dwan. She probably has experience in being a waitress or something. Just worry about yourself," said Junior. Adagio nodded as her sniffling lessened.
"Yeah. Thanks, Goji," said Adagio, wrapping her arms around the boy, leaning her head on his shoulder affectionately.
"Sure," said Junior with a bashful smile. Adagio stood up and began to pat her skirt to rid it of wrinkles.
"I better get back inside. See ya!" said Adagio before rushing back into the Inn. Junior took a breath before sighing, relaxing in the fresh air.
"Unbelievable," Mosura grumbled in annoyance. She stared at a bed that bore a wet spot in the center. Her face crinkled in disgust.
"What adult wets the bed?" asked Mosura in exasperation as she began to remove the sheet, making sure not to touch the damp spot.
"Considering all the booze, I can make a guess," said Sunset as she picked up an empty wine bottle. There were a couple more scattered around this messy room. She tossed it into a bin as Mosura moaned in disgust, carrying the sheet over to a hamper.
"You know, I imagined working as a maid a lot differently," pouted Mosura.
"Yeah?" asked Sunset, tossing away the remaining bottles.
"I thought it'd be more romantic or something. I don't know. I certainly didn't imagine cleaning up after drunken bed wetters," said Mosura with a sigh of dismay.
"Yeah, reality is a harsh mistress," said Sunset, spraying down the bed with a bottle with a nozzle attached to it. She sprayed the bed that had been stained with urine. She noticed Mosura leaning against a wall, a gloomy look on her face.
"Mosu, it's not that bad. I mean, there are worse professions," said Sunset. The mutant girl shook her head.
"No, it's not that. I was just thinking," said Mosura, twiddling her fingers.
"I was kinda hoping for Gojira to compliment me," said Mosura.
"Well you gotta give him an excuse to. He's not the kind of guy that goes out of his way to compliment a girl," said Sunset, scrubbing the mattress.
"Hmph. He'd probably rather just see skanks with their tits hanging out," said Mosura bitterly.
"Whoa, what's with you?" asked Sunset in surprise. There was venom in Mosura's tone that it was almost scary.
"I don't know. It's just- I just don't like how Adagio throws herself all over him. What's worse is Goji's tolerance to it. I think the stress from a lot of the stuff that's been happening is starting to catch up to me. I mean, I just found out that Fluttershy has a crush on him too," said Mosura.
"Goodness girl. As much as you obsess about the guy, I'm shocked that you haven't confessed to him yourself," said Sunset, cocking a brow. Mosura glared.
"I'm not obsessed!" said Mosura, defensively.
"Whatever you say. Look, you can either make your feelings known to him, or you lose him to someone else," said Sunset, a hand on her hip. Mosura grimaced.
"How can I when a friend likes him too?" asked Mosura. Sunset sighed. She wasn't sure how to answer that question. She didn't even know if there was a right answer.
"Listen, if he's the one for you, then you have every right to pursue him. Even Fluttershy. It's up to him to decide if he wants a relationship with either you," said Sunset. Mosura held her arm as she thought of this. It brought some comfort, but it still bothered her. After all, someone in this scenario would end up heart broken. Worse case, it would be two broken hearts.
"Do you think I have a chance with him?"
"Of course! I mean, I've seen him act shy around you," said Sunset with a chuckle. "But maybe tone down the jealousy. You can get aggressive."
"Oh. O-OK..." said Mosura, growing a bit red. "Do you really think I'm obsessive?"
"Hey, we should finish this room up," said Sunset, ignoring the question
"That's not funny, Sunset!" said Mosura.
It was the end of the day. The tavern inside of the Inn had closed for the evening. Barmaids were collecting the dishes that were left behind by the customers. Some were even cleaning up any messes that were made. Tables were wiped down, and chairs were organized for each table. Adagio sighed as wiped her sweating brow.
"Hey Adagio, you're not supposed to motorboat the food," chuckled Dwan. Adagio grunted in annoyance as she covered her chest. She unfortunately had to work the rest of the day with the stains on her top. She just hoped the Inn keeper wouldn't be too upset.
Adagio noticed Dwan carrying a purse at her side.
"What's that?" asked Adagio.
"Oh this? This is just a coin purse to hold the tips that I got," said Dwan, smugly.
"Wait, we get tips?" asked Adagio incredulously.
"Oh shit, you didn't know!" laughed Dwan.
"H-How was I supposed to?!" asked Adagio.
"They usually leave it for you at the table after they pay for their meal. You either missed them and those tips were stolen, or they didn't tip you because your service sucked," snickered Dwan. Adagio growled as her rival mocked her at her expense.
"Guess I win this round," chuckled Dwan as she walked off.
"Stinkin' scrawny-ass bitch," grumbled Adagio. She noticed the Inn Keeper walking by, prompting Adagio to sigh.
"Might as well fess up while she's here," said Adagio, making her way to the woman.
"Excuse me, I've had a bit of a problem," called Adagio. The Inn Keeper sighed in annoyance as she took notice of the stains on Adagio's outfit.
"Goodness gracious, child! How did this happen?" asked the Inn Keeper.
"Let's just say these aren't always a blessing," said Adagio, forcing a chuckle as she gestured to her chest.
"Ugh. In the future, do take better care of the uniform. It's not yours to keep," said the Inn Keeper.
"Rats," said Adagio under breath.
"Just place it in the hamper in your room and I'll send someone take care of it," said the woman, before leaving.
Later, the teens found themselves led through the halls of the Inn. The Inn Keeper stopped at a door.
"Unfortunately, there are not many rooms available to fit most of you together. I have three here, and one upstairs," said the Inn Keeper. She turned to the teens.
"Decide among yourselves who gets it," said the Inn Keeper as she handed Junior three keys. Once she left, the teens gathered.
"Let's just check em out before we decide," said Junior.
The teens split off and went to the rooms that whatever key they held belonged to. Junior went to the first room. The door was unlocked and opened. It was a simple room, made up of wood with some furniture around. A window revealed the town that was darkened by the evening. There were three beds present, filled with fresh sheets and blankets.
Meanwhile, Angirasu opened up the door to the second room. It was filled with two beds
Sunset opened up the door to the third room. Much like the second room, it bore only two rooms.
Later, the teens gathered again. Here, they were debating and the room arrangements.
"So there's only room for two in 54 and 80," said Sunset.
"OK. What I'm thinking is that we guys take the three bed room," said Junior.
"Hell no. I don't wanna be in stuffy room with two other dudes," protested Rodan.
"Well you sure as hell aren't sharing a room with the girls," said Junior with a glare.
"How about sharing a room with one guy?" asked Sunset.
"That's more reasonable," said Rodan, crossing his arms.
"Just don't room me and Adagio together. Sonata told me that she snores," said Dwan. Adagio scoffed.
"I do not!" said Adagio. "I didn't want to room with you anyway! I rather room with Sunny!" stated Adagio.
"Only if Mosura rooms with us in the three bed room," said Sunset flatly. Adagio glanced at Mosura, who had a hard expression.
"On second thought, I'll room with someone else," said Adagio.
"If it's all the same to you, I rather room with Nice Aang~," said Dwan.
"NO!" Junior and Sunset exclaimed in unison.
"Ugh! Why Not!?" Dwan whined.
"First off, we had just cleaned these rooms." Sunset Explained. "And I'm not letting you ruin the bedspreads with your nasty sweat and other fluids!"
"You act like I'm some sort sex maniac" Dwan complained. "It will just be me sharing a room with Nice Aang. No more, no less.
"Look, it's probably not appropriate for a guy and a girl to share a room. We'll take the three bed room and you can work out the rest," said Junior.
"Agh. You're such a boy scout," said Dwan in annoyance.
"Geez, and you called me obsessed" Mosura muttered to Sunset.
"Hey, I take my job with pride" Sunset retorted. "Besides, I don't want Angirasu to have unprotected sex with a stranger."
"Point made" said Mosura, though if she were honest, sharing a room with just her and Junior would be a perfect opportunity to make a move with him. Her face turned red as lewd thoughts crept in her mind.
There was a great breeze. The winds blew as a multi colored streak of light flashed Through the night. The streak moved passed many trees and and boulders.
Rainbow Dash grinded across the earth in a halt. Her eyes darted around the jungle. She looked to her map with a sigh, finding all of the locations she managed to visit. Not one of them had signs of her friends. So, that left her to search one last place.
Salem described a dangerous tribe of natives residing in the 'Roaring Jungle'. They might be where the others are. Rainbow only hoped that she would find them before anything bad happens. She was about to make another dash, but stopped as she noticed a faint glow. Rainbow could make out that it was the glow of a camp fire.
The girl began to jog to the light, hope growing in her heart. But as she came closer, she stopped and took cover behind a bush. Rainbow peeked from cover, finding Dogomite soldiers to be camped around a few camp fires. Tents were pitched and stood, and horses fed from the palms of their riders.
"Damn," whispered Rainbow. Again, her hopes were crushed.
From the camp, Kenra and Sigyn stood. Kenra was wiping down her rifle.
"So, how do you think the hunt is going?" asked Kenra.
"Can't say. After all, we're not assigned to look for him," said Sigyn.
"Speaking of which, how do you think he got here? It couldn't have been the same way as us," said Kenra.
"Ah who cares? All I want to know is why Malicia's interested in 'Lucky Dragon'?" said Sigyn, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Maybe we'll find out once we find him. For now, we just need to keep this camp secured for reinforcements," said Kenra.
Rainbow listened intently. These women kept referring to someone that they were looking for. Someone with a code name. She wondered who it was and what these people planned to do.
"Hey, where the hell is Max? He's been gone awhile, hasn't he?" asked Kenra. Sigyn shrugged.
"His pteranodon isn't here. I think-" Sigyn was interrupted as she heard the sound of wing flaps. She turned to find Maximilian to be hopping off a sickly pteranodon.
"Where have you been?" asked Kenra in annoyance.
"Apologies! I just had to let out some gas," said Maximilian, before giggling manically. Rainbow rolled her eyes, while Kenra sighed in annoyance.
"Max, we talked about this. You can't just wander off and use your gas to play your sick games," said Kenra.
"Would you rather I play with the soldiers?" asked Max, his sunken bloodshot eyes glanced in the direction of the armored men. The soldiers shifted uncomfortably at his words and gaze. Kenra sighed.
"Fine. What 'joke' did you pull this time?" asked Kenra.
"I'm glad you asked! I went out and gassed two different species of reptile! One near a town, the other near the Sacramentonian capital," said Max. Rainbow's eyes widened as she heard this.
"The capital? What'd you do?" asked Sigyn in shock.
"I don't want to give out the punchline, but let's just say a lot of unlucky folks will find themselves squeezed and crushed to a pulp! Like grapes being crushed into a fine wine!" Max began to laugh maniacally. Rainbow's eyes were wide in alarm as she heard this.
"Malicia's been wanting to deal a devastating blow to them for a while now. If it's as good as it sounds, then I'm sure she'll be pleased," said Kenra. Rainbow quickly dashed away from the area, leaving a breeze in her wake.
"Ooh! A stiff breeze tonight," shuddered Sigyn.
Rainbow continued to flee from the camp site. As she maneuvered passed endless trees, she had that conversation on her mind. Something big was going down in the capital. She had to get there before the looming threat does first.
Junior sighed as he sat in a room filled completely with hot steam. He soaked in a large stone bath with Rodan and Angirasu. The Inn's "Bathing Hall" rivaled that of the hot spring. The three relaxed as the hot water soaked their skin, opening their pores and loosened their tight nerves.
"Now this is how you end a long day," said Angirasu.
"Oh yeah. Man if I'd had money, I'd buy everything on the tavern's menu to eat too," said Junior. He had seen and smelled all of the delicious meals that were served. It made it tough to work in the back without being distracted by the smell.
"You know, Equescidar's not been so bad. All things considered," said Rodan.
"Yeah, that's what I've been trying to get you guys to see!" said Angirasu. Junior rolled his eyes.
"Granted, I wouldn't want to stay here for the rest of my life, but there's been great moments. I mean we got to see the girls in those outfits," chuckled Rodan with a perverted grin.
"Always the horn dog, ain't ya?" asked Junior. Still, he was glad to see that Rodan was getting back to his old self what with the passing of Eliza.
"Dude, tell me you weren't into it! Adagio and Dwan in those tight outfits. And Sunset's and Dwan's maid uniforms... imagine what's under those modest garments," said Rodan, grinning.
"Well obviously, under wear," said Angirasu.
"And I thought I was blunt," said Junior.
"Ah you lack imagination! Think! Maybe they're something lacy and black. Probably garter belts for those stockings," said Rodan. He glanced at Junior with a smirk.
"Nice pure white silky stockings, reaching up their shapely thighs," said Rodan. Junior merely turned to the side, annoyance hiding his growing blush.
"I'm starting to see why it's hard for you to get a girlfriend. They might sense your lust a mile away," said Angirasu.
"Hey! I don't see you guys with a girlfriend!" said Rodan defensively.
"I didn't say anything," said Junior as he looked to Rodan with a shrug. "Besides, I think Aang's already settling with Dwan."
"I'm not settling with anyone," chuckled Angirasu. Junior sighed as he climbed out of the bath, wrapping a towel along his waist.
"I think I'll head to bed. Don't stay in there for too long. We have work tomorrow," said Junior.
"What about getting in touch with the leader of the town?" Aaked Angirasu.
"I discussed it with the Inn Keeper. She said she'll hook us up with a representative or something who comes by every now and then," answered Junior.
"Sounds good," said Angirasu as Junior left.
Junior made his way through the hall. The cold air brushing his skin and opened pores. He failed to notice Adagio hiding behind a corner, watching him. Once the boy entered his room, Adagio tip toed over.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"Eep!" Adagio shot upright and turned. Mosura stood by, her hair showed signs of recently being washed. a knee length white nightdress clung to her body.
"N-Nothing! Just going for a stroll," said Adagio with a nervous smile.
"Uh huh," said Mosura, a deadpanned look. Adagio sheepishly walked off.
"I better go!" said Adagio as she power walked away. Mosura smirked as she turned to the door that Adagio was by.
Meanwhile, Junior found himself sitting on the ground in the three bed room. He was dressed in a cheap cloth shirt and shorts. His "pajamas" for the night. The boy was reading through the map, doing a review of the land. It was only interesting thing he could think about doing. How he yearned for a book to read. Hell, he'd even read a bible that one would find in a hotel room.
"Actually... I wonder if-" Junior set the map aside and stood up. He began to look through the furniture in the room, opening drawers. They were empty.
"Ugh. Figures that something interesting to read wouldn't- Oh." Junior had opened a drawer, finding a book with a red cover and gold spine. Curious, he drew it out and sat down on a bed with it. The book itself was thick and heavy, bearing a silver emblem embedded onto the front cover. It appeared as a dove in the center of a stylized shield.
"Tales of Equescidar. Volume 1." Junior read to himself. Curious, he opened the book to the first page, finding a "table of contents" there was a collection of several different titles, likely different books or stories in one single book.
Junior decided to start with the first story, which was dubbed, "The Old World." The boy began to read. This book was a bit tedious to read, since it used some old dialect.
"I might as well be reading an actual bible," said Junior with a chuckle. From what he gathered, the writer of this story told the tale of a fleet of ships that were caught in a storm. This storm somehow led to the ships to suddenly being stranded in the middle of dry land. The story recounted the days of this fleet being forced to adapt to their new surroundings and turn their ships into houses and walls.
Junior was engrossed in this story that he failed to notice knocking.
"It's open!" called Junior, his eyes still on the page as he was lying on his back in bed. The door opened, revealing Mosura to step in.
"Hey," greeted Mosura, a shy smile on her face. Junior tore his eyes from the book, finding the girl standing at the door.
"Hey," greeted Junior, sitting up a bit. Mosura walked over, a tinge of red on her cheeks.
"Whatcha doin'?" asked Mosura.
"Just reading," said Junior as Mosura stood next to the bed. "Did you need something?"
"Not really. I just wanted to... hang out," said Mosura, glancing away.
"OK." said Junior, shrugging. Mosura lightly pouted at his response. He seemed rather invested in that book. At the very least, she wanted some of his attention. But she wondered how she could without coming off too much of a nuisance.
'What would Adagio do?' thought Mosura. She hated herself for thinking that, but she seemed to have a knack of being able to gain this boy's attention. Mosura cleared her throat as she took a seat on the bed, next to Junior.
"So what are you reading?" asked Mosura, curious.
"I think it's a collection of legends made up in Equescidar. Though this one might be a lot more real than I realized," said Junior.
"How so?" asked Mosura.
"This first one describes the origin of a kingdom that started off from a navy that was lost at sea. The ships were caught in a storm and were suddenly on dry land, in the middle of a valley," said Junior.
"Sounds almost like Dwan's story," said Mosura.
"That implies that the humans in this dimension were originally from ours. But I guess it's not that surprising," said Junior.
"Hey, let me read with you," said Mosura.
"Sure. I'll just-" Junior was about to sit up, but Mosura lied herself down next to the boy in bed.
"Mosu-" Junior blushed as the girl snuggled close, feeling her wet snow white hair brush his skin.
"Hey, I wanna be comfy too, pal," said Mosura coyly. She leaned her head against his shoulder with a cute giggle. Junior sighed as he held the book up. Mosura lightly blushed to herself, feeling the warmth of the boy radiate from him. She can feel the quick heart beats in his chest from being this close.
"I guess this lost fleet became the founding members of the Sacramentonians," said Junior as he read on.
"Interesting," said Mosura, though she wasn't paying attention. She was too absorbed with snuggling with Junior.
"Mosu, that's cold," said Junior as he felt Mosura place one of her feet on his leg.
"But you're so warm. And my poor little feet are freezing," said Mosura, her tone in a mock pout. Junior mentally groaned as the girl slightly turned on her side, positioning her soles over his leg. She began to rub her cold soles along his calf and shin, giving a hum.
"Yeah, that's nice," said Mosura with a sigh. Junior glanced at the girl, noticing her back facing him. Her rear slightly stuck out as she kept rubbing her cold feet on him.
'I never noticed how cute her butt is,' thought Junior. Mosura suddenly gasped, her face flushing red hot.
"Something wrong?" asked Junior in confusion.
"N-Nothing!" tittered Mosura. She glanced back at him with a flustered look. But she was somewhat pleased.
'I shouldn't be prying into his thoughts, but I'm glad I did. I'll have to keep that in mind,' thought Mosura. She began to lock her legs around Junior's calf, taking in more warmth. She could sense Junior's growing embarrassment. Especially as she scoot herself, rear first, closer to the boy's side.
"Are you even reading anymore?" asked Junior flatly.
"Nah," giggled Mosura. Junior sighed.
"Why the attitude? Relax," said Mosura, lightly pressing her rear against Junior's side.
"Easy for you to say," said Junior.
"Just set the book down. Remember when we shared a bed? How you held me close in your arms?" asked Mosura teasingly.
"Because you had a nightmare and asked me to let you in," said Junior. He felt his eyes grow a bit heavy as he suppressed a yawn.
'Dude, I'm practically inviting you to spoon me,' thought Mosura in annoyance. She took the book and set it on the dresser next to the bed. She then took Junior's hand and pulled it close, resting over her belly.
"Just... Hold me please. I wanna feel the safety of your embrace," whispered Mosura. Junior gulped as the girl gently stroked her foot over his leg. He felt her stomach move from her breathing beneath his hand. He did feel his nerves start to relax a bit with this position.
"I'm sorry for giving you a hard time," muttered Mosura.
"Hmm?" asked Junior.
"You know, when I get snippy with you. I don't mean to..."
"It's fine," said Junior.
"You know... I wouldn't have mind if we were roomed together," said Mosura, her face growing red.
"Eh..." Junior mumbled. Mosura bit her lip.
"I wouldn't have a problem with it. In fact... I wouldn't mind if we did this too. I'd even..." Mosura shuddered. She began to press her rear against Junior's lap in a seductive motion.
"Do whatever you wanted," said Mosura. Junior suddenly snorted. Mosura turned incredulously, finding Junior fast asleep.
"Are you freaking kidding me?" asked Mosura, her face more red. She groaned as she covered her flushed face.
"What the hell was I thinking?! I don't even know if Adagio would go that far! I'm such a lewd-" Mosura groaned in exasperation as she scratched her head. She gave a heavy sigh, slightly relieved that he fell asleep. She didn't want a confession to be dirty. She was just carried away with her own lust. She removed herself from Junior and stood. She softly smiled as she tucked him into bed.
"Good night, tough guy," said Mosura sweetly, before leaving.
"Maybe I should try teasing him more. Ooh. Those stockings might do the trick." Mosura giggled to herself.
Later that evening, Angirasu found himself leaning against a wall in the hall of the Inn. He held a glass bottle, filled with raw milk. Straight from the teat of a goat from a local farm, sold to the Inn. It was creamy and delicious, especially having been kept cold. He sighed after finishing off the glass.
"Who knew milk could taste so damn good?" Angirasu dropped the glass into a bin before leaving. He walked through the empty halls in silence, not feeling the desire to sleep just yet. He wanted to feel the cool breeze. After all, he just had a bath.
Angirasu stepped outside of the Inn and felt the chills of the night air. He slightly shivered but gave a content sigh, taking in the coolness. He closed his eyes as he heard the gentle breeze, and the chirps of crickets. Never has night felt so peaceful.
Suddenly, Angirasu heard retching. His euphoria was interrupted by the grotesque sound. Angirasu looked around, hearing coughs and more retching. He realized that the noise was coming from a nearby bush. From the bush, Dwan emerged with a sigh. She froze as she noticed Angirasu. She quickly wiped the back of her hand against her lips, clearing her throat.
"Hey, Nice Aang~! Wasn't expecting to see your fine self this evening," said Dwan, putting on her usual seductive persona. Angirasu was silent for a brief moment. He broke from his silence with a forced smile.
"Hey," said Anirasu, though he kept thinking back to that horrible retching.
"It sucks that Gojira had to be such a prude. I think a slumber party between us would've been fun," said Dwan, teasingly. "But I guess that's not enough to stop us from seeing each other."
"Yeah..." said Angirasu. Dwan cleared her throat, though looked to be in discomfort. Her aching throat clenched slightly as she attempted to swallow her saliva.
"So, what are you still doing up?" asked Dwan.
"I... I don't know," said Angirasu with a shrug. Dwan snorted.
"You don't know?" asked Dwan, raising a brow.
"No." Angirasu shook his head. Dwan softly chuckled.
"You're cute, you know that?" asked Dwan. She suddenly had a shift in expression. It looked a bit timid, as her eyes glanced away.
"Hey, do you think I'm sexy?" asked Dwan, her tone small. Angirasu slightly recoiled, having been taken aback by such a blunt question. He began to scratch his head.
"I-I mean... I think... I wouldn't say..." Angirasu fumbled over his words. He couldn't say yes, otherwise he'd come off as a pervert. "I think your pretty,"
Dwan's expression soured. She scoffed as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"Pretty is how you describe a nice painting. Or a cheap jewel. Maybe even a flower or a girl next door. I don't want to be 'pretty'," spat Dwan. Angirasu was surprised by her response. He didn't intend to offend Dwan, but she seemed to be taking his answer hard.
"I mean, look at me! It's not easy to look this good! I mean, my boobs aren't that big, but I think I have all the right assets everywhere else, right?" asked Dwan, her expression turning to insecurity. Angirasu's expression softened. He held her shoulder as he gave her a comforting smile.
"Dwan, don't be so hard on yourself. You're fine as you are. You shouldn't worry about what other people think," said Angirasu. Dwan blinked as her eyes started to glisten. She cleared her throat as she closed her eyes, deeply inhaling.
"Aw. You're such a sweetheart," giggled Dwan, her eyes soft. Angirasu smiled warmly at her. Suddenly, Dwan chuckled as her expression shifted back into a seductive one.
"It's cold," said Dwan, wrapping her arms around Angirasu's neck. She leaned close to him, her body pressing against him. Angirasu blushed furiously.
"D-Dwan..."
"Shh. Just hold me." whispered Dwan as she shifted against him. She began to gently pull his head closer, her eyes half way open. Angirasu gulped as he felt her soft breaths on him. Even touching his own lips. As their lips came closer, there was a sudden toll of loud bells. The two pulled away from each other, startled, by the tolling bells.
"What the hell is that?" asked Dwan. Lights began to ignite from the houses and other buildings in town. From the street, a dozen guards ran by, their armor clanging with their movement.
"Move! Move!" shouted a guard.
The guards raced to the town gates, their spears drawn. From the watch towers, archers were posted with their arrows drawn. The toll of the bell continued.
"What is it?!" called a guard.
"It's a Giga-boa! It's heading this way!" cried an archer.
"Here it comes!" cried another archer.
Outside of the wall, a great serpent slithered through the field. It was 60 feet in length, with a large body at the height of a bus. It was coated in forest green scales with dark patterns. Along its neck were bright yellow frill flaps. It bore white eyes with slit pupils.
The serpent hissed as it slithered to the town gates, as archers shot their arrows at it. The beast was not deterred by the arrows and merely slammed its body against the heavy wooden gates. The serpent raised its head as it kept getting hit by arrows from the watch towers. The Giga-boa suddenly lunged to one of the towers and slithered onto the wall.
"By Providence!" exclaimed a guard as the serpent opened its jaws, hissing. Its long sharp fangs and razor sharp anaconda-like teeth were exposed.
The serpent crashed down to the ground, crushing a few guards under its huge body. Citizens screamed as they took off fleeing, as the serpent lunged towards any structure in its path, crushing anyone unfortunate to be in its way. It began to slither on top of the buildings, causing the smaller and more wooden ones to collapse under the reptile's weight.
Back at the Inn, Dwan and Angirasu caught sight of the citizens fleeing down the street. But the cause of their terror was unknown to them. Regardless, Angirasu could sense that it was a big threat.
"Angirasu, we should-" Dwan was interrupted as Angirasu dropped to his hands and knees, grunting in pain.
"H-Hey, what's-" Dwan gasped as Angirasu began to snarl. She cringed as she heard the popping of his bones as he underwent his excruciating metamorphosis. She backed away as he grew to his spiked reptilian form. He gave a bellow and wail as he began to stomp to the street. His eyes fell upon the great serpent, which was grazing its body along any structure it could find. It took notice of Angirasu as the mutant roared as an act of intimidation. The serpent merely flared the frill flaps on the sides of its head and gave a loud hiss, as though hot steam escaped from pipes. Angirasu began to paw at the ground, flaring his nostrils and narrowed his eyes.
The serpent slithered towards the mutant, its body covering the distance in short seconds. Angirasu burst into a charge, ramming into the snake.
Citizens continued to flee as the large beasts battled. Dwan just stared, wide eyed from a safe distance. She watched as Angirasu forced the serpent against the rubble of a structure. Before he could stomp the creature, the Giga-boa slithered swiftly away. It then turned and sprayed venom at Angirasu, who quickly ducked his head and clenched his eyes shut.
The venom doused Angirasu's neck and shoulder, but his eyes were spared. He quickly spun and swung his clubbed tail, missing the serpent by just inches.
From within the Inn, the muffled roars of Angirasu filled the air. The Inn also rocked from heavy tremors. Junior gasped as he shot wide awake. Rodan snorted as he shot up, his eyes blood shot.
"Ah! I swear I didn't steal the peeps, Mr. Easter Bunny!" cried Rodan.
"What in the hell?" Junior stumbled out of bed, making his way to the window. His eyes widened in shock and alarm as he caught sight of the great reptiles fighting in the street.
"Ah shit! What is he thinking?!" cried Junior as he rushed to the dresser and wrapped his left arm. After her grabbed a sheet and yanked it off a bed, he quickly rushed out of the room as Rodan looked out the window.
"Uh oh!" exclaimed Rodan as he followed Junior. As they ran out of the room, Adagio, Sunset and Mosura came out of their own rooms, stumbling.
"Its too late for this crap!" whined Adagio.
From outside, Angirasu continued to battle the serpent. Their movements kicked up dirt, crushed wagons and smashed in walls of structures. The Giga-boa suddenly began to coil itself around Angirasu, but came to immediately regret its action. In attempt to constrict Angirasu, it instead stabbed itself with the sharp spikes that decorated the mutant's carapace.
Angirasu took advantage of its stunned state by sinking his fangs and curved tusks into the neck of the serpent. The Giga-boa began to thrash in a vain attempt to free itself. But the more it struggled, the more force went into Angirasu's bite. A loud pop filled the air, and the serpent with limp. Angirasu dropped it to ground and wailed victoriously. His cries were heard throughout the town.
Angirasu stepped away from the dead serpent, panting. He groaned in pain, closing his eyes as his body began to shift. He returned to his human form, kneeling on the ground with a pant. He rose up as Dwan ran over to him.
"You were incredible!" cried Dwan, wrapping her arms around the boy.
"Ah! D-Dwan!" exclaimed Angirasu. Dwan gasped, her face growing red as she glanced down at her thigh.
"Nice Aang~..." giggled Dwan, a shy grin on her face. Angirasu pulled away, and then scrambled for a wheel to a wagon that lied on the ground.
"This is the worse part about transforming," said Angirasu, appearing flustered.
"Not for me," said Dwan, biting on her nail as she caressed her own thigh.
"Aang!"
Dwan and Angirasu found Junior rushing over, followed by the rest of the gang. Junior had a furious look on his face.
"What were you thinking?!" demanded Junior.
"What do you mean? I just saved the town," said Angirasu in confusion.
"By exposing yourself!" barked Junior. He tossed the sheet onto Angirasu.
"Cover yourself and get inside before someone sees us!" said Junior. Angirasu sighed as he complied. Dwan glared at Junior.
"Geez! What's-"
"Don't give me any lip! Get your ass back inside! You too!" said Junior, turning to the rest of his friends.
"Alright! Alright! Geez!" said Sunset as the rest of the teens retreated back to the Inn.
"Man, I guess he's cranky or something," whispered Adagio.
Junior turned back to the street, where the dead serpent lied. He found that the guards and some of the citizens were approaching the dead beast. Junior quickly followed after his friends back into the Inn.
"Did you see that? A spiked dragon suddenly appeared and killed this giga!" said a guard.
"I did. It looked familiar. I know I've seen it somewhere before. But now it's gone," said another guard.
"Because it was a beast of legend!" exclaimed a man from the crowd.
"Regardless, it's unusual for a creature like this to stray away from the jungle and attack. It's not their nature," said a guard as he poked his spear against the dead serpent.
"I don't think it even devoured anyone. It just thrashed wildly, as if it succumbed to madness," said another guard.
"Driven to madness? Then The Laughing Man is to blame. The one who drives beasts to run wild!" said a man. The townsfolk began to exclaim in alarm. They murmured and spoke in panic.
"People, remain calm!" ordered a guard over the crowd. "The beast is dead, thus poses no danger. Please return to your homes, as we secure everything," said the guard.
Meanwhile, back inside the Inn, Junior was pacing around in a room, as the rest of the gang stood.
"I don't see what the big deal is," said Angirasu.
"You don't- I'm sorry, but did you forget why it's such a big dumb mistake to transform like that?" asked Junior incredulously. "Aang, you exposed yourself!"
"What was I supposed to do? Let that thing destroy everything?" asked Angirasu.
"No-"
"Why are you freaking out over this?" asked Dwan.
"Looked, just because the Iwi are cool with us, doesn't mean that the more advanced villages would be pleased!" said Junior with exasperation. "Look, it's done and over with! We can't stay here anymore. We're leaving at dawn," stated Junior.
"What? But where are we gonna go?" asked Sunset.
"I don't know. Probably back to the jungle since it's closer. We just can't stay here," said Junior. Dwan sighed.
"Fine. So back to bed?" asked Dwan.
"Yes. Make sure you have your things packed and that you have clothes ready to be worn. We're getting the hell out of here," said Junior. The girls began to leave the room, full of reluctance. But they even had to admit that it'll be a problem if they're discovered.
The loud crash of thunder filled the air. A sonic boom made from the brilliant rainbow streak shot through the land like a shooting star.
Rainbow Dash screeched to a halt. She quickly looked through the map she had, muttering to herself.
"OK, just passed Abalone and went west to there. The capital should be up here," said Rainbow, looking from her map. She gasped, finding that a large herd of massive sauropod dinosaurs were having a stampede. They wailed as they thrashed their necks, stomping over the land as they headed for the walls that protected the capital city.
The creatures were around 70 feet in height, and over 100 feet in length. Their powerful limbs carried their large bodies across the land. The numerous footsteps and weight of the beasts left a thunder-like sound, and tremors close to earthquakes in proximity.
The creatures almost towered over the walls that protected the city. With this herd and their size, they'd go through those walls like paper.
Rainbow made a mad dash for the herd. She thought if she couldn't warn the city, she could try to deter the herd. But when she got close, she stumbled from the tremors they caused. She was also blinded by the great clouds of dust they left behind. Rainbow coughed as she tripped and fell. She gritted her teeth as she found the herd getting closer to the city walls. She had no chance of stopping them at this rate.
Rainbow heard a loud gush of wind overhead. She gasped as a large figure soared through the night sky, heading for the heard. A dragon descended. It bore the long serpentine neck of a western dragon, with a typical wyvern body. Its body was sleek and slim, with piercing blue eyes that almost glowed under the moon light. It was decorated in pure white scales with grey speckles.
The dragon opened its beak and spewed a large stream of flames, scorching the earth in front of the herd. The sauropods wailed as they skidded to a halt and bumped into each other to avoid the flames.
From within the capital, Prince David was racing to the city walls, along with armored soldiers. Once they reached walkways on the walls, they bore witnessed to the dragon that scorched the earth. The sauropods began to flee from the flames, away from the capital city. Rainbow quickly dashed passed the creatures, avoiding being trampled on.
"Go and keep order in the city! No doubt many bore witness to this," ordered David.
"Yes, your highness!" said a soldier, before leading the others away.
Prince David turned his attention to the dragon that hovered in the air. Its form illuminated by the orange light of the flames. He gazed upon the white wyvern, longing in his eyes, as though he was seeing someone dear to him for the first time in a long while. The dragon had a similar look in its eyes.
The winged serpent shrieked before flying off to the night sky. David gave a heavy sigh as he watched. He felt a presence suddenly appear at his side.
"Haven't seen her in a long time," said King Gareth.
King Gareth sat upon his throne with a stoic look. He scratched at the beard on his chin with a hum.
"You say it was an attack, perpetrated by the Dogomites?" asked Gareth. He gazed upon Rainbow Dash, as she stood next to Prince David.
"Yeah. I saw them myself. Based on how they were talking, i thought I should come here to warn you. But I guess I took too long trying to find my way," said Rainbow, awkwardly.
"Hm. Do you remember where they were camped?" asked Gareth.
"Uh... yeah! It was somewhere around here," said Rainbow as she drew out her map and approached the throne. She pointed to a general area in the jungle, near the edge of Sacramentonian territory.
"Apparently they're waiting for reinforcements to be sent their way," said Rainbow.
"Lady Rainbow Dash, you just provided vital information," said Gareth.
"Oh, sweet. Wait, 'Lady'?" Rainbow muttered to herself.
"We must act quickly and eliminate this camp before they can strike from under our noses," said Gareth as he drew out a personal map. A man presented a tray with ink and a quill, allowing the king to mark the area. "This treacherous attack will not go unanswered."
"We thank you, for we are in your debt," said David.
"Ah it's no biggie. Just doin' what a hero's gotta do. Yep!" chuckled Rainbow, holding a cocky tone
"Why were you in that area by the way?" asked David.
"Ah. Well, I've been looking all over for my friends. The ones I got separated from. Not the ones in Elsinore," said Rainbow.
"Of course! That reminds me, the one called Gojira mentioned being acquainted with you," said David. Rainbow's eyes suddenly lit up.
"Yeah! That's one of them! You saw them?" asked Rainbow.
"Yes, during my search of allies to stand against the Dogomites. He and others were dwelling with the Iwi tribe," said David.
"In the 'Roaring Jungle', right?" asked Rainbow.
"Indeed," answered David.
"You wouldn't happen to have time to show me where, would you?" asked Rainbow. David had a look of regret on his expression.
"I'm sorry. Given the revelation of this news, I have to lead an assault on the camp and catch their reinforcements off guard," said David.
"Can't someone else go? I mean, you're the prince. Sounds pretty dangerous," said Rainbow.
"And the jungle isn't?" asked David with an amused look.
"Right," said Rainbow sheepishly.
"We have priorities, Lady Rainbow Dash. Unless you were willing to assist on this attack, perhaps my son can spare time to guide you," said Gareth. David sent his father a glance, while Rainbow grimaced. She remembered Twilight warning her constantly about getting involved with this world's affairs. Even if it was just for a quick assist, Rainbow thought it'd give these people the idea that she was willing to fight in the war.
"I think I can manage on my own. Thanks anyway. I-I should be going," said Rainbow as she began to walk out of the throne room.
"Of course," said Gareth. Once Rainbow was out of earshot, David turned to his father.
"You know that she was going to refuse," said David.
"Hmm. I had hope she would have a change of heart," said Gareth.
"Father, she's a foreigner. We have no right to involve her into our war," said David.
"I know. But my son, we may not have a choice if it goes on like this," said Gareth, his tone solemn. David grimaced in response.
It was early morning. The sky was partially lit up as the sun began to rise over the horizon. Citizens of the village were in the process of repairing damage that had been done to their businesses. Some even began to harvest what remained of the dead Giga-boa that lied dead in the street.
Junior sighed as he quickly picked up the basket and wore it over his shoulders. He sported the clothes that were provided to him by the Inn Keeper. He thought that he might as well keep it. It wouldn't hurt to have an extra pair of clothes. He stepped outside of the room, with Angirasu and Rodan following.
"Oh! One more thing!" said Junior, returning to the room. He picked up a familiar heavy book and placed it in his pack.
"Why're you bringing that?" asked Rodan.
"Because I want something to do on my down time," said Junior as the three power walked through the hall. They met up with Adagio, Sunset, Dwan and Mosura. Adagio and Sunset sported their normal clothes, which had been washed. Mosura was sporting the night skirt still, along with a pair of sandals. Dwan wore her leather bikini, with a robe covering her body.
"Let's go," said Junior as he took point.
"Right when I was starting to get comfortable," said Dwan, with a sigh.
As the teens made their way to the lobby, they found the Inn Keeper to be standing behind the front desk, writing into a large book. Junior held a finger to his lips as he sent his friends a look. He began to casually but sneakily walk by the desk, making his way to the front. The rest of the group followed him. The Inn Keeper still hadn't noticed them.
'So far so good,' thought Junior as he reached the door. There was a sudden loud knock at the door, prompting the teens to freeze in place.
"Oi. Aren't you gonna answer?" asked the Inn Keeper in annoyance, her eyes still on the book. Junior looked back incredulously.
"Uh..."
"Well go on! Answer it! Sounds urgent," said the Inn Keeper. Junior grimaced as he reached for the door and opened it. He went pale as he found that at the door were a couple of armored men.
"Uh oh," said Mosura. From behind the guards, an older man stepped in. He appeared to wore formal apparel. His tan robes made of a fine silk, with yellow patterns running along the form.
"Ah. My Lord. What brings you to the High Moon? A drink perhaps? Maybe breakfast?" asked the Inn Keeper, stepping away from her desk. The teens stepped back once the Lord and his guards entered the building.
"I have no doubt that you heard what happened the previous night," said the Lord.
"I'm a heavy sleeper. Please enlighten me," said the Inn Keeper.
"Very well. There was a Giga-boa that attacked our village. It scaled over the walls and caused much damage," said the Lord.
"My, how awful!" said the Inn Keeper in shock.
'No way she fell asleep through that. Even I woke up,' thought Junior with a grimace.
"A spiked dragon suddenly appeared and killed the beast. We thought we were doomed until we learned that it changed. Into a man," said the Lord.
"A demi-Titan?" asked the Inn Keeper in shock.
"Indeed. And eye witnesses testify that he retreated into this Inn," said the Lord.
"Nice knowing you Aang," whispered Rodan.
"Shut up!" hissed Angirasu.
"He was described to have dark hair, prickly like thorns," said the Lord, glancing at the teens.
"Who might it be, I wonder..." said the Lord. Angirasu sighed.
"It was me," confessed Angirasu, raising his hand.
"Dude!" barked Junior.
"Oh? I wasn't even sure if he was among you," said the Lord, surprised.
"Aang!" exclaimed Sunset.
"Too late. Already admitted to it," sighed Angirasu. He stepped forward, keeping a brave face.
"I was the one. I didn't mean to cause any disturbance. I just reacted when I saw that thing attack," said Angirasu, bowing his head apologetically.
"We are in your debt," said the Lord. Angirasu raised his head in surprise. He found that the Lord and the guards were bowing their heads before him. The teens were in shock and confusion.
"You have saved our village, Noble Guardian. If there is anything that you desire, I shall grant you your wish if it is in my power," said the Lord.
"Really?" asked Rodan with a grin.
"Heh. if I knew you were traveling with a Noble Guardian Demi-Titan, I wouldn't have given you kids a free room," said the Inn Keeper in a joking tone.
"Well, I think there's something you can do for us," said Angirasu.
"Name it," said the Lord.
"How about supplies for a long journey? Maybe enough for us to reach a city called, 'Elsinore'?" asked Angirasu.
Later that morning, villagers for miles had gathered to the edge of town. Here, there were certain citizens hauling over supplies to the teens. These ranged from food, clean water, new clothes, donated coins, and even a large wagon to carry them and their supplies pulled by the healthiest domesticated triceratops.
"Wow. You guys went all out," said Angirasu in surprise.
"Tis the least we can do for thee, noble Guardian," said an old man. A large man stepped over, holding out a heavy iron mace. It bore a long handle, with a spiked oval shaped tip.
"I offer you one of the finest weapons I've forged. This mace will assist you in battle," said the black smith. Angirasu took the mace, looking it over with a smile.
"Ah now you're just spoiling him," said Rodan, crossing his arms.
"Thank you, all. This is more than enough," said Angirasu graciously. The people bowed their heads in respect to the boy. Junior slightly narrowed his eyes at this. The teens soon piled into the wagon, along with their newly gifted supplies. Angirasu and Junior sat at the front of the wagon, with the former taking the reigns.
"Just follow the path on your map and you should reach your destination. Be sure to stop at other settlements to resupply along the way," said the Lord.
"Thanks! Bye!" waved Angirasu, before prompting the triceratops to start moving. It towed the wagon along, as the villagers bid the teens farewell on their journey.
"Well that was nice of them, huh?" asked Angirasu, glancing at Junior.
"I can't believe what I just saw," said Junior in a flat tone. Sunset poked her head through the cover sheets on the wagon.
"I know. It totally went well," said Sunset.
"I'm just shocked that they took the fact that Aang transformed and partially wrecked their town so well. I mean, they showered him with gifts and praised him as being heroic," said Junior.
"Well, maybe they were just appreciative of not getting eaten by the giant snake. You shouldn't judge people before you get to know them," said Sunset. Junior scoffed.
"Why not? People judged me all of my life," said Junior. Sunset frowned.
"We just got lucky this time. I bet you that if it were another village, we would've been locked up in a dungeon if not beheaded on the spot," said Junior. Sunset sighed, a disapproving look on her face.
"Goji, I just wish you'd say something positive for a change," said Sunset.
"OK. I'm positive that the next town will not be so welcoming," retorted Junior. Sunset rolled her eyes as Angirasu chuckled.
"OK, smart-ass," said Sunset.
Fluttershy found herself staring off at the Iwi village. She took in the morning air as the wind blew through her long rosey locks. She looked to the great wall that protected the village from the dangers of the wilderness.
The girl couldn't help but think about the rest of her friends that had went off. She hoped that they were well and safe. Fluttershy had begun to regret staying here instead joining the others just moments after they left. She felt helpless being here. Not to mention she felt that she hardly contributed to the group.
The Dazzlings had a range of abilities through their voices, Sunset and Twilight had magic, Applejack had super strength, Rainbow had speed, Pinkie could make things explode, and Rarity could project different objects like shields. All Fluttershy could do was talk to animals. She doubt that she'd be any use if she went on the journey.
Fluttershy sighed in dismay as she sat down in the grass.
"At least I could've had a chance to be with Goji," said Fluttershy to herself. She had started to regret not coming along when she realized that both Mosura and Adagio would be around him more. Knowing Mosura's feelings for him, Fluttershy thought she'd be a fool if she didn't assume that Mosu would try to make a move on the boy. Fluttershy moaned as she buried her face into her knees.
"How could I have been so cowardly? I was just a word away from confessing before!" whined Fluttershy. She sighed as she raised her head back up. There was nothing to do now and just hope for the safe return of her friends.
Fluttershy took notice of a low groan. She turned to find Jira, the mutant hybrid, to be curling into his self just down the hill. Fluttershy stood up and began to walk over.
"Hi Jira," said Fluttershy, sweetly. The creature didn't acknowledge her presence and just gave a small groan, as though distressed. Fluttershy frowned.
"What's wrong? Do you have a tummy ache?" asked Fluttershy, kneeling next to the reptile. Jira grunted.
"Oh, I see. I'm sorry that you're sad. Do you wanna talk about it?" asked Fluttershy. Jira snorted and brought his muzzle against the dirt.
"It's OK. I've been a little down today too," said Fluttershy, running a hand over the iguana's head. Jira softly groaned.
"I see. You're sad because the other one died while you two were out in the forest. I'm sorry," said Fluttershy, as Jira brought his head over her lap. The teen planted a kiss on him as she scratched his chin, causing a pur-like sound to come from him.
"I'll be your friend. You don't have to be alone anymore," said Fluttershy.
The carriage carried Junior and the gang during the high noon. Junior sighed as he wiped the sweat from his forehead, while Angirasu chugged down a gourd full of water.
"It's hot as hell today," said Junior.
"Just imagine being back there," said Angirasu, glancing to the back of wagon. While it was covered by a sheet that stuck to the frame, the heat was surely building up inside, especially with several teens in the back.
"Eew! Rodan, you're getting your sweat on me!" complained Dwan.
"You got your sweat on me first," retorted Rodan.
"God, I just wanna strip down to my underwear," moaned Adagio.
"Please don't," said Sunset.
Mosura suddenly poked her head from the back of the wagon. Her hair stuck to her skin, as her face appeared flushed.
"Guys, can we stop for a minute?" asked Mosura.
"I guess. I need to stretch my legs anyway," said Junior.
The wagon halted in the middle of an empty field. The triceratops crouched down and lied on its belly. The teens began to step out of the wagon. Adagio whined as she stood stiffly.
"Hey, did they happen to give us clothes for the heat?" asked Adagio.
"Yeah but let's save them for now. Ooh! This looks pretty," said Sunset, looking through a sack. A breeze suddenly blew by.
"Ah that's nice," sighed Mosura.
"Man, how much further to the next town?" asked Rodan, tugging at his shirt.
"We should get there by the next hour," said Junior as he looked over the map he had.
"I don't think I can handle another hour," groaned Adagio.
"Look, it'll pass by. Just drink a lot of water and you'll be fine," said Junior as he drank from a canting.
During the break, the teens sat around in the shade of the wagon. The cool breeze and refreshing water helped cool them down.
"Hey Angirasu, what's your sign?" asked Dwan.
"My what?" asked Angirasu in confusion.
"You know, your Zodiac sign. I'm a Libra," said Dwan.
"Oh. I couldn't tell you since I never paid attention to that stuff. But why do you ask?" asked Angirasu.
"Well, before I ended up in Equescidar, my horoscope told me that I'd meet a big man," said Dwan, bouncing her eye brows at the boy. Angirasu blushed as he looked away.
"Ugh. That was lame," said Adagio.
"Better than one of Rodan's old pick up lines," said Junior.
"Hey..." Rodan looked to his friend in offense.
"What? Your pick up lines are awful. They're not subtle. Plus you've stolen some from the lines of movies you've seen," said Junior.
"Seriously?" chuckled Sunset.
"Yeah. He tried to do that Leia one from The Return of the Jedi with a girl back in Junior High," said Junior.
"Heh. Laaame~!" said Dwan. Rodan crossed his arms with a sour expression.
"Rodan, if you want, I could teach you some flirting techniques. You'll make the ladies swoon," said Adagio.
"Really?" asked Rodan eagerly.
"Bad idea," deadpanned Mosura and Sunset.
"You could always buy a girl's love. Just get her some gifts and she'll put out," said Dwan with a shrug. Sunset cocked a brow at her.
"What?" asked Sunset.
"I never even thought of that," said Rodan.
"Rodan!" scolded Mosura.
"I swear to God, if you start buying shit to buy a girl's affection, I'll lose respect for you forever," said Junior.
"You respected me?" asked Rodan in surprise.
"Don't get carried away," said Junior with a roll of his eyes. "Fact of the matter is that a girl that's willing to let you in her skirt just for some presents is not a girl worth pursuing."
"Wise words," said Sunset in approval.
"Who says that relationships must have strings attached?" asked Dwan.
"Strings attached?" asked Angirasu in confusion.
"Yeah. What's wrong with not sticking with one person? Why not just screw around?" asked Dwan.
"You're serious," said Sunset.
"Yeah." Dwan nodded, nonchalant.
"I knew you were a skank," said Junior, leaning back. Dwan grunted in annoyance.
"Hey, shut up! At least I bloomed! I bet you're still a virgin!" said Dwan.
"So what?" asked Junior, an annoyed look on his face.
"There's nothing abnormal about virginity at our age," said Mosura with a scoff.
"And it's not exactly that big of an achievement," interjected Sunset.
"I expect that from little girls," said Dwan. Mosura, Sunset and Adagio bore annoyed looks. Angirasu looked to Dwan in disapproval, who shrugged in response.
"Dwan, no one cares how many dicks you took. If it makes you feel like a big girl, I won't take that away from you," said Junior, condescension in his tone. Dwan growled, growing flustered.
"You're a dick," said Dwan.
"And you're a hoe. Now that we established that, let's move on," said Junior as he stood up. Rodan chuckled.
"Hey!" barked Dwan. Adagio snickered as she stood up.
"Oof. He pulls no punches," said Sunset.
Twilight was sitting in the bedroom of the house of Salem. She was watching Rarity sew up an outfit meant for the theater.
"Production seems to be going well," said Twilight.
"Indeed. And in no short of time. I just hope that the audience enjoys it," said Rarity. Twilight sighed.
"It's been a couple days. I'm worried about Rainbow Dash," said Twilight.
"She must be searching thoroughly. It could take a lot out of a person. I wouldn't be too worried," said Rarity in reassurance.
"Yeah..." said Twilight.
Eventually, the two were walking out of the room. Rarity carried the outfit she was working on and followed Twilight outside. The two made their way through the city, on their way to the theater. But they found that there was a gathering of people. A man in robes stood among the people, holding up a poster.
"And in just moments, the dreaded Giga-Boa was killed by the noble Guardian that appeared in the town!" said the storyteller.
"Giga?" Rarity stopped and looked over.
"Huh?" asked Twilight.
"I remember hearing that word. It refers to creatures that are larger than average members of their species," said Rarity. She began to direct her attention to the storyteller. Twilight joined her.
"We know not the name of the Guardian or his place of origin. But we have here his might documented!" said the storyteller, passing a couple of posters to the citizens.
"Ah. That's a rare kind," said a man. Twilight glanced at the poster, her eyes widening. The poster depicted a rough sketch of a serpent, facing off with a spiked reptilian creature. The spiky beast looked awfully familiar.
"Angirasu?" Twilight said to herself.
It was the late afternoon. A town was just a short distance away. The triceratops towed wagon continued on, with Junior sighing in relief.
"I don't wanna jinx it, but taking advantage of that other town's appreciation might work out," said Junior.
"Hey Sunset, Goji's said something positive!" said Angirasu in a humorous tone.
"Harty har," said Sunset sarcastically.
The wagon made its way to the city gates. They were stopped by a guard, requesting a toll. Junior handed off a single silver coin from a purse, donated by the villagers of the previous town. The teens were allowed access. The wagon was towed through town.
"Is it me or is the fashion of this town..." Mosura looked around. She found a few women passing by, sporting loose fitting dresses that exposed much cleavage and leg. They were also dolled up with makeup. Some of the men were shirtless, wearing small jackets or nothing, exposing their naked torsos. Some even wore leather under wear-like bottoms.
"Risque?" Asked Mosura, grimacing.
"Hmm. This city isn't allied under the Sacramentonians nor the Dogomites. This must be under a different faction," said Junior as he analyzed the map.
"How do you know that?" asked Rodan.
"Because every location is decorated with a symbol symbolizing their nation. This one doesn't have the same symbol," said Junior.
"What's the city's name?" asked Adagio.
"Ecstasia. Or something like that," said Junior.
"Let's find a place to park. Maybe we can find an inn to rest at before hitting the road tomorrow," said Junior. Angirasu nodded as he guided the triceratops over to an empty space, around a couple of other wagons.
"Why leave so soon? Why not just relax for a bit?" asked Dwan.
"This isn't a vacation, Dwan," said Junior as he stepped off the wagon. "Now watch the wagon. Me and Aang are gonna look around," said Junior as he walked off. Dwan sighed in annoyance.
"He's so boring!" said Dwan. Rodan climbed out of the wagon and looked around. He whistled as he noticed a couple of scantily dressed women pass by.
"Pardon me, sir! Do you have a moment?" A man stepped over, dressed in a tunic and cotton loose pants.
"Huh?" Rodan looked his way.
"We're having a special over at the Siren's Cove! Here's a coupon for a discount!" said the man as he handed over a rectangular parchment.
"Cool. What is it? Some kind of-" Rodan fell silent as he blushed. On the coupon was some information, as well as a drawing of a half naked woman, with a fish tail and seaweed covering her breasts. On the coupon were the words, "Maidens of all Nations!"
"Oh..." said Rodan as the rest of the girls climbed out of the wagon.
"In addition to the discount of a meal, you also receive a one on one 'pleasure session' with one of our fine girls," said the man. Mosura gasped.
"Ooh," said Rodan. Mosura snatched the coupon from Rodan and tore it up.
"Ah! I wanted to try the wings!" cried Rodan.
"Here ya go, son," said the man as he was about to hand Rodan another coupon. But Sunset suddenly smacked away his hand.
"Hey! You take your filth somewhere else!" said Sunset with a glare. The man scoffed as he walked off.
"Damn foreigners," said the man before leaving.
"Geez. I'm starting to have a bad feeling about this place," said Mosura.
"Seems fine to me," said Dwan with a shrug.
"Damn, that offer for 'spicy dragon wings' sounded promising," said Rodan in dismay.
"I'm sure you really wanted to eat," said Mosura with a roll of her eyes.
"If by eat..." Dwan giggled.
"Look, I'm sick of jerky! We didn't get to eat anything at the High Moon!" said Rodan. He noticed Angirasu and Junior walking over.
"I can't believe this! What kind of fucking city is this?" asked Junior.
"Look, it'll be fine," said Angirasu.
"No it won't!" said Junior.
"What's going on?" asked Adagio.
"Well, we found out that most of the Inns in this town are fucking expensive. Some going for 10 gold a night," said Junior.
"OK, then let's find a cheaper Inn," said Mosura.
"Except they're all occupied!" said Junior. Dwan glared at him.
"Dude, I don't care how pricey it is. You are not making us sleep out in the streets!" said Dwan.
"Well we might not even have a choice, princess!" said Junior.
"Yeah I have to agree with Dwan. I don't feel safe in these streets. It feels sketchy," said Adagio, looking around warily. Junior sighed.
"The Inn Keeper might have been wrong Goji. We might find a place cheap enough if we look on our own," interjected Angirasu.
"Fine. Let's start looking," said Junior.
The gang went their way with the wagon. They traveled on the city streets, finding a mix of casually and erotically dressed folks in town. There were tall stone buildings that stood, ranging at around 4 stories in height. Some were decorated with elaborate signs and advertisements for establishments.
"This must be what Las Pegasus is like," said Junior.
"I mean, some guy did try to give Rodan a coupon to a strip club," said Sunset.
"I feel like I'm gonna get an STD just by breathing," said Mosura, flatly.
"You know, there are other things to do in Pegasus, besides going to strip clubs," deadpanned Rodan.
"Who cares?" asked Junior. Suddenly, a couple of women dressed in short silken skirts came waltzing by, wearing heeled sandals. They were attractive young women, with curvy hips and busty chests.
"Would you handsome boys be interested in coupons to Pleasure Island? You get a discount on a show. And if you ask for the name of the girl named on the back, you get to have a private session," said one of the women with a giggle. She showed Junior the coupon.
"For you big boy, I'll set you up with the best girl," said the woman. Mosura growled as glared at the woman.
"I'm good," said Junior as he walked past the woman. The group continued on their way. During this, people advertising their businesses, mostly whore houses, pestered the teens with offers of coupons and other deals.
"I swear, if someone offers another damn coupon to anywhere, I'm gonna lose it," said Junior. As if on cue, another man walked over to the teen.
"Excuse me sir, but would you like-"
"Goddamit, I don't want a fucking coupon to to see one of your whores!" exclaimed Junior in aggravation. The man stood stunned at the boy's outburst. He instead turned to Angirasu and handed off the coupon he had before running off.
"Huh. What do ya know," said Angirasu, presenting the coupon. It was to an Inn that offered discounts to couples at half price.
"Maybe we should check this place out," said Angirasu.
Later that afternoon, Junior and the gang stood outside of a large Inn. There was a heart that decorated a sign that read, "The Heartthrob". A smaller sign hung below, reading "Couples Pay Half Price".
"Alright, so this Inn's lot more affordable. The catch is that this one's more like a 'Love Hotel'. So the rooming arrangements are limited," said Junior.
"How so?" asked Rodan.
"There's either two or one bed. While it's affordable, we can save a lot more money if we..." Junior grimaced.
"If we took the discount offer. That means some us will have to share a room as a 'couple'," said Angirasu.
"Is it really necessary?" asked Mosura.
"Well, considering how we need to use money on food, toll payments, potential damage to the wagon, and other issues that may pop up, we should be as conservative with our money as much as possible," said Junior.
"In that case, I want to room with Nice Aang. And I will not take no for answer!" said Dwan.
"Aang?" asked Junior with a sigh.
"It's fine," said Angirasu.
"Wait, I just realized that there's one too many girls. One of us will have be on our own," said Rodan.
"Doesn't matter. We can room together or you can have a room to yourself," said Junior.
"Dude, we're not gonna pretend to be a couple," said Rodan with a glare.
"What? No one's gonna know the truth." said Junior.
"Yeah but I don't want share a bed with you!" said Rodan. Junior snorted.
"Who said anything about sharing a bed? Your ass is sleeping on the floor," said Junior.
"Fine. Then I'll just have my room," said Rodan with an annoyed sigh.
"T-Then I'll room with you, Goji. That leaves Adagio and Sunset," said Mosura with a small blush. Sunset's eyes widened.
"Wait, what?" asked Sunset in dismay.
"Come on, girl. Do it for me," whispered Mosura with a pleading look.
"Fine, but you owe me," said Sunset.
Later, the wagon was parked near the side of the Inn. It was empty, and the triceratops lied asleep next to it. The items inside were taken by the teens to their respective rooms. This was to keep a close eye on their belongings.
Junior and Mosura found themselves entering a room in the Inn. It was smaller compared to the Inn from the previous town. There was a single but large bed, wide enough to fit two people. Mosura stepped over to the bed and felt the sheets.
"Ooh. Feels nice," said Mosura with a smile. She grunted as she hopped onto the bed. She giggled as she lied down. Her body felt relaxed as it found the comfort of the bed, after sitting in a crowded wagon for hours.
"Don't get too comfortable. We're gonna go out," said Junior as he set down his things. Mosura sat up, a puzzled look on her face.
"Out?" asked Mosura.
"Rodan kept complaining to me how he was sick of eating the stuff we had for the trip. Frankly I agree," said Junior. "I was told that there was a nice affordable place nearby."
"Cool! Let me get ready!" said Mosura, hoping out of bed. She rushed to the sack she brought in and found a pair of folded clothes. She looked at Junior shyly.
"Do you mind?" asked Mosura.
"Right," said Junior as he instinctively made his way to the door, stepping outside. Once he did, he noticed Angirasu and Rodan strolling by.
"Let me guess, they're changing too?" asked Junior.
"Can you blame them? They were roasting in the back of the wagon for hours," said Angirasu.
"Shit I already took a quick bath and changed. Feelin' fresh," said Rodan, tugging at his dark shirt. He was also clad in a pair of hide boots and loose hide slacks.
"You should've waited. You're just gonna get sweaty again," said Junior.
"Yeah but how can I attract the ladies when I smell like ass?" asked Rodan. Junior chuckled in amusement.
"What?" asked Rodan in annoyance.
"Nothing. Just glad to see you back at your old spirits, buddy," said Junior as he patted the boy's shoulder. Rodan nodded to him with a smile.
Later, the door opened up. Mosura stepped out of the room. She was dressed in a short dress, reaching below the thighs. Her legs were bare, and leather ankle length boots. The dress fit her form, showing off the feminine physique of the girl. It was a baby blue, with white details swirling around her top. The sleeves hugged her arms to her wrists. Her hair also appeared to have been brushed, unlike the mess it was during the past week and a half of being stranded in this new world.
"What do you think?" asked Mosura.
"Looks good!" said Rodan.
"Yeah, it's a nice dress," said Angirasu in agreement. Mosura looked to Junior, expecting a response. Junior scratched his chin as he glanced away.
"It's alright..." said Junior.
While some girls would find offense in Junior's half-hearted response, Mosura knew him well. The shy glance and casual response was just like him to hide his true feelings. Mosura smiled in satisfaction.
"Thanks! I was kinda worried that the skirt was too short. I was gonna put leggings on or something, but it's kinda toasty out here," said Mosura. From the hall, the rest of the girls appeared.
Sunset was clad in a teal tunic with a pair of dark leggings. She also sported calf length dark leather boots. She also wore a pair of finger-less gloves.
Adagio wore a short skirt, with a pair of knee high boots. Her outfit hugged her body tightly, looking as if it just barely fit her form. Instead of sleeves, Adagio wore a pair of violet fishnet finger-less gloves, reaching near her elbows. A corset hugged her waist, giving her more of an hour glass shaped appearance. Her hair was tied up as it usually was back home. Her lips bore a glint of lip gloss, giving them the shine.
Dwan wore a leather outfit. The top comprised of a corset that exposed her slim tummy. She had some cleavage exposed from the top. The skirt was also short, but much shorter compared to Mosura and Adagio's. Over the skirt was a longer half skirt that hung behind her rear and just above the knee. She also wore a pair of thigh high healed boots. Her eyes were covered in dark eye shadow, and her hair was combed down. While still short, it looked a lot less wild compared to how she appeared back in the Iwi village.
"Damn," said Rodan. Mosura noticed Junior staring, causing her brow to twitch in annoyance. She nudged him roughly.
"Careful Goji, you stare any longer, you'll pop a vessel," said Mosura, a sarcastic tone in her voice. Junior cleared his throat as he stood tall, while Sunset nervously laughed.
'Mosu, we talked about this...' thought Sunset.
"Let's get going," said Junior.
Later, the teens found themselves walking through the streets of this city. They eventually found their way to the place that they were pointed to. But when they got there, they were shocked to find a large building. It stood tall and wide. It ranged to take up a whole block in the city, and stood at five stories. Every window was lit up brightly. Many people were entering, some dressed in fine formal clothes, while decorated with expensive looking jewels and rings.
"Is this really the right place?" asked Sunset.
"Yeah, it should be," said Junior, though his tone was that of uncertainty.
The teens entered the building. They found a great lobby, full of many tables and citizens that sat at them. On the tables were decks of cards, and dice. Certain tables held other casino-like games.
"Now this is really starting to feel like Las Pegasus," said Junior. Angirasu noticed a young woman in a short dress, walking by with a tray full of chalices.
"Excuse me, ma'am. We were told that we can get something to eat around here," said Angirasu.
"The dining hall is just down there," said the woman, pointing to the far side of the lobby.
After thanking the waitress, the teens made their way to their destination. They passed through a corridor and came across another large room. They were shocked to find that there were long rows of tables, holding tons of different kinds of food. Roasted or fried cut meats, fruits and vegetables, different grains, and even a section of different kinds of deserts.
"It's a freaking buffet!" exclaimed Rodan, pointing to a sign. Dwan grimaced as she looked to all of the mouth watering food, especially when some of it was replaced with a fresh batch. The smell of the hot food hung in the air.
"All you can eat for the price of 1 silver per customer? What do you think?" asked Junior. Sunset drew out a small note book and looked it over.
"Considering the value of a silver, it can pay for a meal at most pubs. We're paying the equivalent on two meals per person," said Sunset.
"So 7 silver for whatever we want and how much. That sounds reasonable," said Junior.
"Yeah, let's do it. Maybe we can sneak left overs out," whispered Sunset.
"You read my mind," chuckled Junior.
Later, the teens found themselves carrying plates full of different foods of their choice. They made their way over to a table, where they were free to sit together and converse without interference from neighboring strangers. Junior glanced at Rodan, who had a second plate full of what looked like buffalo wings. But the wings looked to be significantly larger than your average chicken.
"What kind of wings are those? It can't be chicken," said Junior.
"It's apparently, 'dragon wings'. There was a picture of some kind of pterosaur," said Rodan.
"Huh. Too bad Pinkie's not here. She would've loved to try dinosaur. Hell, she'd be raiding the desert table if she were here," said Junior, looking around.
"Ew! Goji, what's that?" exclaimed Adagio, pointing to the table. Junior looked to his plate, finding three egg sized pill bugs to be curled up, glistening with oil.
"Stuffed pill bugs," answered Junior, poking his fork against one of the bugs.
"Though it looks more like 'tucked' than 'stuffed'," said Junior in disappointment.
"Hey, are you having trouble with that?" asked a waitress, passing by.
"Yeah, what's with this? They're all curled up," said Junior.
"You just have to give it a tap," said the waitress, taking Junior's fork and tapping it against the tucked up bugs. They suddenly opened up, lying on their backs as they exposed their underside.
"Ew! What the hell is that?!" exclaimed Mosura, pointing to the substance that covered their undersides.
"Oh, that's just the stuffing! It's just creamy cheese with some pieces of bread and diced vegetables. It's one of our most popular items next to the wings," said the waitress. Junior hummed to himself as he inspected this new food.
"I was always curious about how anyone could eat bugs," said Junior as he plopped one into his mouth. Mosura and Adagio gagged in disgust, while Sunset watched intensely.
"Damn, those are pretty good!" said Junior, crunching on the fried exoskeleton of the pill bug. The waitress smiled before leaving. Junior passed his plate forward.
"Anyone want to try one?" asked Junior.
"I'm good," said Mosura, backing up from the plate. Sunset reached over and took one, placing it into her mouth.
"Mm!" Sunset quickly reached for the last pill bug.
"Hey! I said one!" said Junior in annoyance. Sunset gave a throaty giggle as she chewed. She swallowed the bite she had before passing her own plate forward.
"Here, I'll trade you a cheese cake slice for it," said Sunset.
"Shit, works for me," said Junior as he took the slice.
"What is wrong with both of you?" asked Adagio incredulously.
"Don't knock it till you try it," said Sunset with a shrug.
"Man, these wings are hella hot!" said Rodan, before chugging down a cup of water. Angirasu chuckled in amusement. He noticed that Dwan was staring at her plate, which was full of mostly greens and one small cut of meat.
"Aren't you gonna eat?" asked Angirasu. Dwan cleared her throat as she took her fork and began to dig in. In just short moments, her plate was empty.
"Are you still hungry? You didn't exactly eat much," said Angirasu. He passed his plate.
"If you want, I'll share some with you. I may have gotten carried away with how much food I got on my first round," said Angirasu with a sheepish smile. Dwan glanced at the plate, a look of longing in her eyes. She smelled the hot food and the shine the light had on the grease caused her stomach to rumble. She cleared her throat as she looked away.
"I'm good, thanks," said Dwan. Angirasu frowned as he took his plate back.
"Hey, I picked up this brochure on the way in. Aside from the food and gambling, this place is kinda like a recreational center. There's other stuff to do besides what we see here," said Sunset. "We should check this place out before heading to the rooms. It's been awhile since we just relaxed."
The teens looked to be in agreement, though they looked to Junior. The boy grimaced as their attention was on him. He didn't realize that his opinion had much weight. It was like they were looking to him for permission. He did have to agree that he could use a bit of time to take his mind off of the predicament they've been in as of late.
"I guess it couldn't hurt to take a load off," said Junior.
"Yes!" whispered the teens. Junior went back to eating as the teens excitedly looked over the brochure.
"I gotta get another plate of wings!" said Rodan as he made his back to the food table. Once he was nearing the wings, he noticed that a pair of men dressed in white chef uniforms stepped over. They took the tray of wings that were present and dumped them into a bin.
"Ah man," said Rodan in dismay.
"You don't want to eat any of those wings, my boy. They were spiked by a hallucinogen," said one of the chefs. Rodan felt his stomach sank.
"Spiked?" asked Rodan.
"Yep. We just caught someone in the back tampering with the sauce. Sorry about that. But we'll have a fresh batch ready soon!" said the chef. Rodan gulped as he watched the men leave with the tainted meat. He began to feel himself grow hot, and the world around him seemed to be spinning. He looked to the food, finding them to be warping and melting in place. He then noticed a tray of pill bugs. One of the pill bugs suddenly opened up, revealing a cartoony face. It almost looked like a character that would appear in A Bug's Life.
"Hey, Rodan. Do you wanna eat me out?" asked the pill bug, speaking in a sensual feminine voice. The legs stroking the filling in its underside.
"Uh oh..." said Rodan.
The teens had split up to explore the building. All of the recreational stuff were located on the ground floor, while the upper floors were mainly rooms for guests to stay in. It was quite the hybrid of a building, full of different purposes.
Junior found himself with Sunset, Mosura and Adagio. They were in an area, where they found several people playing different board or card games. Some of these games were meant for gambling, while others were just good ol' fashion fun.
"I'll be honest, I'm not much of a card player," said Junior.
"That looks interesting," said Adagio, pointing to an area, where a sign read, 'Bug Wars'. The four made their way over and found people gathered around a table. It almost resembled a pool table, but inside bore rocks and sand.
"OK! OK! Place your bets! Ebony King is going strong and is facing off against Big Blue!" said the game runner at the table.
"I bet five silvers on Big Blue!" said a man.
"10 silver on the King!" said another man. People began to place their bets.
"Ooh! We should get in on that," said Adagio.
"No way!" said Mosura.
"Yeah that's a bad idea, Adagio," said Sunset. Adagio pouted.
"I was just trying to help us earn more money," said Adagio.
"Gambling's for suckers. Let's just see what this is about," said Junior.
"Alright! Bets are in! Bug war!!" The game runner shouted as he hit a small bell. Two men placed down jars, dropping two arthropods. One was a hand sized black scorpion. The other was a slightly larger blue crab-like creature, with multiple eyes on its body. It bore a jagged carapace and one large claw and smaller claw.
"Crabs aren't bugs," said Junior with a cocked brow.
"Who cares? If it has multiple limbs and crawls, it qualifies for the Bug War!" said a man next to Junior. The people surrounding the table cheered on the arthropod they rooted for. The two creatures approached, circling each other as they waited for the other to strike. The crab clicked its larger claw, while the scorpion kept its tail ready. The crab snapped its claw at the scorpion, but quickly retracted before the scorpion could jab it with its stinger. The crowd hooted once the two lunged for each other, claws unable to snap each other's armor. The stinger kept jabbing against the blue shell, but to no avail.
"This is entertaining?" asked Mosura with a grimace.
"It's kinda fascinating to watch two predators go at it," said Junior.
"I can't help but feel it's in bad taste. Not to sound bleeding heart, but this a step close to dog fights," said Sunset.
"That'd be worse to see," said Adagio.
"Well if you want to check out something else we can. These two are in kind of a stalemate," said Junior as he watched the arthropods locked onto each other.
"Uh oh! Looks like they're in a bit of a stalemate! You know what that means? Tie breaker!" said the man as he pulled on a lever, connected to the table. From the corner, a den built into the table clanked. A metal grate raised up, allowing a quadrupedal lizard to emerge. It was cat sized, decorated with bright blue and dark scales. The crowd cheered as the lizard swooped in and clamped its jaws on the scorpion, crunching it before swallowing. It then lunged for the crab and began to bite off its limbs.
"Damn it! That's bullshit!" cried a man as he tore his ticket. The betters all groaned and complained on the outcome of the game.
"Wow. Glad you guys said no," said Adagio.
"Told ya. The House wins," said Junior.
"Um... How about we see the turtle race? That looks cute," said Mosura, pointing to another table.
"Better than what we just saw," said Sunset.
Angirasu, Rodan and Dwan were walking about the area. They passed tables where the patrons gambled away their money, leaving it to chance to either come out with more or less money.
"We should totally gamble," said Dwan.
"Why?" asked Angirasu.
"Cause we could get more money out of it. Come on! What's the worse that could happen? We lose money?" asked Dwan.
"That... doesn't sell me," said Angirasu.
"Come on, I'll teach ya! Look, there's some good ol' fashion poker. You just need to keep yourself stoic and have a good deck. Look, Goji gave us some coins for drinks. Let's use them for this," said Dwan. Angirasu bore a look of reluctance.
"What do you think, Rodan?" asked Angirasu.
"Huh? Oh, whatever. Hey, do you guys hear bees?" asked Rodan, looking around.
"Bees?" asked Angirasu in confusion.
"Yeah. Whoa, has your hair always been that spikey?" asked Rodan, squinting. He began to hold his hand over Angirasu's head, who gave him a strange look.
"Are you OK?" asked Angirasu.
"Ow! That's really spiky!" exclaimed Rodan as he retracted his hand.
"Ah he's just looking for attention. Come on!" said Dwan as she towed Angirasu along.
"O-OK," said Angirasu, though he was reluctant after witnessing Rodan's strange behavior
Meanwhile, Rodan swayed as he looked around. People seemed to warp and melt before his very eyes. The strange patterns on the carpet floor seemed to move about, like animated shapes.
"Hehe. I'm trippin' hard, man," giggled Rodan. He looked around, finding a woman approach with a tray.
"Sir, are you alright?" The woman spoke in a distorted voice. Rodan grinned as he chuckled.
"You're so pretty. You and your twin sister," snickered Rodan.
"Oh dear. Another one. I'll get you some water," said the woman before leaving.
"Baby, don't leave! I'm lonely," whispered Rodan.
"Psst. Hey buddy," whispered a voice. Rodan turned, finding a plate with a roasted pig lying on its belly. It turned to face the boy.
"Oh, hey! A talking pig!" Slurred Rodan.
"Shh! Don't speak or they'll eat you!" whispered the pig.
"Wha..." Rodan looked around. His eyes widened as he suddenly found himself among hundreds of lizard men. Not a single human was in sight. Rodan's eyes darted around as he found the lizards, dressed in the clothes of man. They snarled, snorted, laughed, and slobbered their long tongues. Some shoved bloody bits of flesh into their mouth, while others chugged down cups of blood.
"Oh God, I'm in a fucking reptile zoo..." whispered Rodan with dread.
Junior was sitting at a table as he watched Sunset, Mosura and Adagio watch a turtle race. He found it funny how they found entertainment in watching one of the slowest animals in the world have a race, but he went along with it. For now, he was sitting to rest a bit. A woman passed by handing him a cup
"Your water, sir," said the woman before leaving. Junior sighed before taking a sip. He noticed Sunset walking over.
"Tired?" asked Sunset.
"Just a bit," said Junior. Sunset took a seat across from him, watching Mosura and Adagio.
"It's nice to relax for a bit. Thanks," said Sunset.
"I didn't really do anything. It's not like you need my permission to do anything," said Junior.
"Yeah but we listen to you. After all, you've managed to take charge," said Sunset.
"Right. Sorry if I come off bossy or something these days," said Junior. Sunset shook her head in amusement.
"Hey, if weren't for you, we couldn't have made it in Equescidar this far," said Sunset.
"Well, I think it's because we worked together. But I'll gladly take all the credit," said Junior with a joking tone. He and Sunset shared a laugh. The girl cleared her throat as she glanced to where Adagio and Mosura were standing, their attention still on the turtle races.
"Hey, can I ask you something? What kind of girls do you like?" asked Sunset. Junior bore a mildly surprised look. He shrugged.
"I guess... any girl that's willing to put up with me is good enough," Junior awkwardly chuckled. Sunset smiled.
"Good answer, but that can't be all. I seem to recall that you wrote a poem about me," said Sunset teasingly. Junior groaned as he looked away.
"Let's not talk about that," said Junior.
"Oh come on! I thought it was sweet. I mean, I was surprised, but still," said Sunset.
"You did?" asked Junior. Sunset nodded.
"So, what exactly did you like about me?" asked Sunset. Junior sipped his cup as his face flushed. He wasn't sure why this girl was asking him about this now all of a sudden.
"I mean... how can a guy not like you. You're attractive. Bright hair, big beaming eyes, a symmetrical face..." said Junior.
"Yeah, yeah. I've heard it all before. Though not exactly put that way. It couldn't have just been my good looks," said Sunset, propping her chin up. Junior cleared his throat.
"Well... you were nice to me. I have a bad habit for crushing on girls that show me an ounce of kindness," said Junior. Sunset frowned.
"It's alright. Just tell me," said Sunset, warmth in her tone. Normally, Junior would try to keep deflecting. But he felt compelled to share. Especially with the compassionate look Sunset was giving him.
"It was lonely growing up. I had no friends or family other than my parents. Being the biggest and roughest kid made things hard. I never really got along with girls. I was never mean to them. I guess they just saw me as a big bumbling fool or something," said Junior, staring at his cup. "All the pretty boys, the funny guys and jocks were popular with them. So you can imagine that a kid like me latching onto a pretty girl that glances at me."
"Oh." Sunset frowned. While Junior didn't show it, she could tell there was a bitterness to his memory.
"That's what I liked about you. Even though we were basically strangers, I liked you. Because you took the time to smile at me, greet me, wish me a good day, a safe trip home. Plus when you went off on those girls that were bullying a mutant, you were pretty hot," said Junior. Sunset lost her frown. She recoiled as she became flustered. "I liked the sound of your voice. Whether you were happy or angry."
"I- Huh?!" exclaimed Sunset.
"I liked how aggressive you were. It reminded me of myself in some ways. You stuck up for someone that needed help. That's what I like about you," said Junior. Sunset cleared her throat, a flattered look on her face. Junior suddenly sighed.
"I wasn't confident though. I kept asking myself, 'Why would a girl like that go for a guy like me? A mutant no less.' Even when I mustered the courage to ask you out, Flash already beaten me to you," said Junior.
"Sorry. If I knew you felt that way..." Sunset scratched her head.
"Ah come on, don't apologize. If you say what I think you're about to say, I might start to angst about the past again," chuckled Junior.
"Oh." said Sunset in a small tone
"Yep. Life's like that. It doesn't matter what you want or how much you want it. You won't always get it. But that was mostly my fault since I kept chickening out. But even if I did asked you out, there's no telling you'd say yes," said Junior with a shrug.
"Well..." Sunset stared at her hands with a grimace.
"I mean, why would you? You were way out of my league," said Junior with a chuckle. Sunset lightly frowned.
"That's not-"
"I mean, as much crap I give Flash, he probably had a lot of good qualities that you liked. For one, I can see he had a lot charm," said Junior.
"That may be, but-" Sunset felt a knot growing in her stomach. 'What are you saying?'
"I've been told I have mean face. I like to call it, my 'Fuck Everything' face. Cause sometimes you just feel sick of... well, everything," said Junior.
"Goji," called Sunset. The knot was getting worse. 'Please don't say that', Sunset thought.
"I mean, Hell. Who wants to date a buzz kill like that? If you had to choose between being single or having something with a ray of sunshine like me, you-"
"Please stop..." Sunset suddenly spoke. Junior raised a brow at her. Sunset slightly shrunk back once she realized the words left her mouth. While she meant for it to be her inner thoughts, it was what she wanted to tell him. Junior merely smiled.
"What? I've used self deprecating humor before," said Junior.
"I just don't like hearing you put yourself down like that..." said Sunset, looking away. Junior took note of her solemn tone. He sighed.
"Look Red, regard-"
"Red?" asked Sunset in confusion.
"Oh. Sorry, I was just trying to come up with a different nickname. Would you rather I don't?" asked Junior.
"If you want to..." said Sunset, her tone still small.
"OK. Listen, regardless of the past... I want you to know that... Well, I'm happy that we're friends," said Junior. Sunset felt warmth in her chest at the boy's sincerity. It gave her some relief from the negative feelings she felt earlier.
"Yeah. Me too," said Sunset, smiling warmly. She placed a hand over his own. The girl suddenly felt a chill in her soul.
"Worthless..." a voice whispered in Sunset's mind. The girl retracted her hand, a pained look on her face.
"What's wrong?" asked Junior in confusion.
"Goji..." Sunset was about to speak but noticed something passed him.
"Uh... Gojira," Sunset pointed. Junior turned, his eyes widening as he found Rodan staggering over, sweating as his eyes were bugged out.
"Ah! This muck on the floor! We'll never make it out of this place alive!" said Rodan as he staggered over. From his perspective, tar began to rise from the floor, covering his feet in the thick dark substance. He stumbled over to the table where Junior and Sunset sat.
"Whoa, what's with you?" asked Junior. Rodan turned and recoiled.
"Sunset, your fucking head's on fire!" exclaimed Rodan. Nearby people gasped as they looked to the teens.
"What?" asked Sunset in confusion. Rodan gasped.
"Jesus, God Almighty! Look at that bunch over there man! They spotted us!" said Rodan as he grabbed junior by the shirt and pulled him over.
"What are you talking about?" asked Junior, attempting to pry off Rodan's hands.
"Don't make a sound! Someone's giving these goddamn reptilians booze! Won't be long before they tear us to shreds," said Rodan in a grim tone.
"Dude, are you- Are you on something?" Asked Junior incredulously, pulling down on Rodan's cheek, exposing part of his eye socket.
"The day of the Godachi is coming! Repent! Repent!!" cried Rodan.
"Oh fuck! You're tripping!" said Junior as he gave Rodan his cup of water. "God I knew staying here was a bad idea! Round up the girls so we can go!" said Junior.
"OK!" said Sunset before running off.
"How did this happen?" asked Junior.
"Bad wings..." muttered Rodan as he held the cup. He gasped. "This is acid!"
"No, it's just water. Though I can't measure PH levels. Now where are Dwan and Aang?" asked Junior. Rodan bore an intense look as he attempted to dig through his memory during his high.
"Uh... uh.. Gambling," said Rodan before sipping the water.
"Ugh, seriously? Good thing I didn't trust them with the whole coin purse," said Junior with a sigh.
Angirasu knelt beside Dwan, as she held up her deck of cards. She glanced at the other players seated at the table. She smirked as she set the cards down.
"Read em' and weep, boys," said Dwan. The men all cursed and groaned as they threw their cards down.
"That's it! I'm out before she beats me out of all my money!" said a player before storming off.
"Wow. You're pretty good," said Angirasu in surprise. Dwan chuckled as she took the piles of chips left behind.
"All it takes is a keen eye, a good hand, and a good poker face," chuckled Dwan. "Wanna give it a shot?"
"No thanks. I think we should cash out while we're ahead," said Angirasu.
"Fine. Hey! Can I cash out?" called Dwan.
As Dwan and Angirasu awaited the winnings, three showgirls made their way over. They were clad in long tight skirts. Their bellies were exposed, due to the short tight top that exposed partially their breasts. Their outfits glittered in the light with gold.
"My, oh my! Aren't you a handsome one?" asked one of the show girls, looking Angirasu over.
"Oh. Thanks," said Angirasu with an awkward chuckle. Dwan took notice of the women as they approached the boy, standing too close for comfort.
"Ooh! Just feel those biceps! So firm," giggled a show girl.
"Would you care to join us? We can make this night one to remember," said another show girl with a sultry smile. Dwan scoffed.
"I actually-" Angirasu stepped away.
"Hey, why don't you bitches beat it? The man's with me!" said Dwan. The women glared at the girl and stepped away from Angirasu.
"Watch your tongue, girl" said a showgirl. Angirasu quickly made his way to Dwan's side.
"How about you watch your tongue before I snatch it! You look ridiculous with that glitter shit all over you!" said Dwan.
"Dwan, that's enough. Let's just go," said Angirasu.
"Ridiculous? Ha! This coming from the bitch with the boney frame! Get some meat on you, sweatheart!" laughed a showgirl.
"Yeah! And your hair! You’re better off with a wig!" said another show girl. Dwan gritted her teeth, her blood boiling.
"And those breasts aren't something worthy to show off. You're like a child!" laughed another showgirl. Suddenly, Dwan lunged for one of the girl's tackling her.
"DWAN!" cried Angirasu.
"Get off me, you maniac!" Cried the show girl as she and Dwan locked hands.
"Take it back, bitch!" Yelled Dwan, while the two other show girls began to pull her off. Dwan began to thrash and kick, forcing the two to release her. She proceeded to attack them in a fit of rage. The girls screamed in pain and fright, but fought back.
This prompted people in the area to stop what they were doing and to direct their attention on the fight. They began to flock, hooting as the four girls scrambled over each other, pulling on clothes, scratching, kicking, and pulling hair.
"Dwan!" Angirasu shouted over the crowd. He attempted to get through, but people just kept getting in his path. He noticed the rest of the gang to be rushing over.
"Hey, where's Dwan?! We need to go!" said Junior urgently. Angirasu pointed to the fight, prompting the girls to gasp in alarm.
"Oh my gosh!" exclaimed Mosura.
"Oh for- Hold on, I'll-!" Junior was about to force his way through but took notice of a small group of guards approaching.
"Alright! Alright! What's going on here?!" demanded a guard. Everyone gasped as they stopped cheering. Dwan and the show girls froze in place.
"Oh good. Hopefully we can draw her out without too much trouble," said Junior in relief.
"Hey! Gimme a drink! A man can't enjoy a good ol' fashion cat fight without a refreshing beverage!" laughed the leading guard, as his subordinates began to pull up turned over chairs and took a seat.
"Are you serious?" Junior went slack jawed as the other patrons looked to each other in confusion.
"Hey what's wrong? We wanna see a fight! No consequences! Just try not to kill each other!" chuckled the head guard. Dwan and the showgirls looked to each other briefly. Dwan suddenly smacked one of the women, then she was smacked back. The four returned to their scuffle, prompting the crowd cheer again.
"Let's make some bets! I bet 20 silver on the hot one!" said the leading guard.
"Which one's the hot one?" the other guards asked in unison. They all broke out into hearty laughter, while the women continued to fight.
"What kind of guards are these?!" Sunset cried. Junior growled, his brow twitching.
"That's it!" said Junior as he walked over to a table. He grunted as he crouched down, before lifting it up over his shoulders.
"Oh shit!" exclaimed a man from the crowd. The guards recoiled as they found Junior walking over, holding the table over his head. He began to walk through the crowd, which parted at his approach.
"Break this shit up now! Or I swear to fucking Christ that I'll drop this on all of you!" Junior shouted to the top of his lungs. Dwan and the show girls suddenly froze. They quickly backed away from each other. Junior roughly dropped the table on the ground, leaving onlookers to stare in shock. Junior turned his intense glare to Dwan, who whimpered fearfully.
"Get your ass over here. Our night on the town is over," said Junior in a low tone.
"B-But I-"
"NOW!" barked Junior. Dwan quickly fell silent, rushing to Angirasu's side. The teens quickly began to walk to the front door, while Junior turned to the on lookers.
"You saw nothing!" shouted Junior, before following after his friends.
"Ridiculous! Absolutely ridiculous!" Junior ranted. He and the rest of the teens were walking away from the building. He was fuming as he walked. Rodan stumbled as Mosura held him up.
"Hey, it wasn't my fault!" said Dwan defensively.
"Then why were you fighting with those girls?" demanded Junior.
"W-Well, they were talking shit!" said Dwan.
"People talk shit about me all the time! I don't make it a habit to start a fight!" said Junior.
"You're mad at me, but what about you?! You were the one who created a bigger scene!" argued Dwan.
"Because of you! I had to escalate the situation just to bail you out of that mess! The fucking guards were gonna let you keep going!" said Junior.
"That was escalated alright," said Dwan with a roll of her eyes. Junior suddenly grabbed her by the shoulder and forced her to face him.
"Dude, what gives?!"
"Shut up. Just shut your mouth," said Junior with a glare. Dwan fell silent under Junior's stern gaze. The rest of the teens stood tensely.
"I didn't let you join us just so I can be your fucking baby sitter. You're a big girl. Act like it," said Junior. Dwan slightly narrowed her eyes. "If you start a fight like that again, you're gonna lose your rooming privileges with 'Nice Aang'. Will that get you to listen?"
"Fine." said Dwan in a firm tone. Junior released her and continued on to the Inn. Dwan crossed her arms with a scowl. The group eventually reached the Inn lobby. Rodan groaned as he blinked, standing upright. The world had slowly returned to normal. Not a single lizard man was in sight. The surfaces were back to normal. And his train of thought was returning.
"Better?" asked Mosura.
"Yeah, but I'm feeling kinda depressed and empty. That sucks. This place gives you pleasure but quickly takes it," lamented Rodan. From the front desk, the Inn keeper arrived.
"Oh good! None of you came back drunk or drugged," said the Inn keeper in relief.
"I wouldn't say that..." Mosura muttered as she glanced at Rodan.
"Is that a common concern?" asked Adagio with a grimace.
"Oh yes. This city is a bit much for some to handle. You have no idea how bad the holidays can get," said the Inn Keeper with a sigh.
"Right. Alright, everyone to bed. We're leaving tomorrow morning," said Junior, as he walked off, followed by Mosura. The teens made their way to their respective rooms.
Junior gave a heavy sigh as he sat on the bed in his room. Mosura worriedly took a seat next to him.
"Sorry about earlier. I learned that you gotta act the craziest to get people to back off," said Junior, rubbing his brows in an irritable fashion. Mosura said nothing. She slipped off her boots and got behind Junior. She began to rub his shoulders, causing the boy to stiffen in surprise.
"Ooh. That's a lot of tension," said Mosura. Junior sighed as he felt himself beginning to melt. He heard the gentle giggle of the girl behind his ear, prompting him to blush. Mosura leaned close to his ear.
"Hey, I hear these rooms have personal baths. Wanna join me?" whispered Mosura seductively. Junior's eyes widened.
"Huh?!" exclaimed Junior. Mosura laughed in amusement.
"Kidding~! I call first dibs!" said Mosura, before rushing to the bathroom. Junior sighed in dismay. Meanwhile, Mosura was groaning as she stood against the door, scratching at her head. She leaned against the door, and peeked through the crack.
"Um... If you want to bathe now, you can. It kinda takes a while for the water to get hot," said Mosura. Junior blushed.
"I uh..."
Mosura made her way over to the boy and took his hand. She led him to the bathroom, her face red.
"Mosu... I don't think..." Junior gulped.
"It's fine. I won't peek if you don't," said Mosura, as she began to undo her dress. Junior quickly turned away. He directed his attention on the bathroom instead. While the bed room was small, the bathroom was larger.
There was a tile floor, made of stone. The walls were decorated with wooden planks. He heard the splash of water.
"OK, your turn," said Mosura. Junior turned to find the girl to be in the bath. The bath was a large tub, made up of stone. A furnace lied outside in the corner bath, holding red hot coal. There was also a nozzle that hung from the wall over the tub, presumably where the water came from.
"R-Right," said Junior as he began to undress. Mosura kept her eyes to the wall during this. Not long after, Junior stepped into the bath, at the other end. It was a snug fit. The water reached up to their chests with both sitting. Mosura kept herself lower to hide her chest beneath the surface. Both were blushing profusely.
"I... I hope you had fun while we could," said Junior, hoping to break the tension. Mosura nodded shyly.
"I did." Mosura leaned back in her corner with a content sigh. She was beginning to forget the embarrassment as she felt the warmth of the water.
"You know if it was possible, I'd love to be able to sleep under water," said Mosura.
"Oh?" asked Junior.
"Yeah. I mean, to feel weightless and to be enveloped all over with the warmth of heated water. It just sounds nice," said Mosura with a sigh. Junior smiled in amusement. Mosura sighed as she stretched out her arms.
"Goji, mind passing me the soap?" asked Mosura. Junior turned to the side, finding a couple bars of soap to be lying on a tray, tucked into an empty spot on a small rack on the wall. He grabbed one of the bar soaps and a sponge, handing them to the girl. Mosura began to wet her sponge and the soap, then proceeded to scrub her arms. Junior thought it was a good time to do the same for himself. He took his own soap and sponge and proceeded to scrub his body.
Junior gasped as he noticed Mosura raising her leg from out of the water. She hung it over the tub and began to scrub her leg. Junior flushed furiously as she gently scrubbed her fair skin. Mosura scrunched her toes as she went for her calf and down to her lower thigh. Mosura glanced at Junior, a coy smile growing on her face.
"Are you staring?" asked Mosura. Junior quickly flinched and tore his eyes away.
"N-No!" exclaimed Junior. Mosura smirked, her cheeks growing red.
'You're such a terrible liar,' thought Mosura. She tucked her leg back into the tub, turning to fully face the boy.
"Hey, let me scrub your back," said Mosura.
"N-No, I can get it," said Junior, clearing his throat.
"Well, I didn't wanna say anything, but the back of your neck has been driving me crazy," said Mosura.
"My neck?" asked Junior in confusion.
"Yeah, it's all dark. You haven't been scrubbing properly, have you?" asked Mosura.
"To be fair, it's been awhile since I've had access to a proper bath," said Junior. Mosura scooted close and patted Junior's shoulder. The boy gulped as he turned, his back facing Mosura. She ran a wet hand over his back, feeling the muscles underneath. She took the sponge and began to scrub. She leaned close, as she began to scrub the back of his neck. His entire back was covered in thick soap. Mosura panted as she worked her arms for a thorough scrub. Junior mentally groaned at the pants. It didn't help that he couldn't see her face, which allowed his imagination to run wild. Mosura suddenly bumped her chest against her back, which caused her to yelp with a blush. Junior sharply inhaled as he stiffened.
"S-Sorry!" whimpered Mosura.
"It's cool..." said Junior. His mind stuck on the softness of her chest against him. In moments later, Junior felt Mosura rinse off his back with a small pail. Mosura suddenly turned, exposing her own back.
"Hey, you mind getting my back too?" asked Mosura innocently.
"S-Sure..." said Junior. He took the sponge and soap and scooted close to Mosura. He gulped as he began to scrub her back. He made sure to not be too rough on her. Mosura bit her lip as she felt Junior's strong hands on her. The warmth of the water, and his hand pressing against her caused Mosura to melt and shudder in pleasure.
"I forgot how good you are with your hands," shuddered Mosura.
"You're gonna have to jog my memory," stuttered Junior.
"Remember when I twisted my ankle that one time? Yeah, this takes me back," sighed Mosura. "You'll have to give another massage like that sometime."
"Well, just let me know," said Junior. Mosura leaned back against Junior, her back pressed against his chest.
"How about now?" asked Mosura teasingly. Junior sighed with in dismay.
"If you insist," said Junior. He began to rinse off Mosura's back and proceeded to press his thumbs against the mutant girl's shoulder blades. Then rubbed her trapezius muscles in her neck.
"Mmph!" Mosura moaned in pleasure. Her body moved and rubbed against Junior.
"Mosu... You're-" Junior grunted as he felt the girls' bare skin rub against his own.
"That's the spot! Yes!" shuddered Mosura. She pressed closer against Junior, forcing him at the corner of the tub.
"H-Hey! Mosura!" Junior yelped. Mosura gave a content sigh as she lied her head back against the boy's chest. She then peeped her eyes open, her cheeks growing red.
"Goji... What's that poking me?" asked Mosura.
"I don't wanna say," said Junior in a small tone.
"Oh, Sweet Baby Jesus!" Mosura shot away, splashing through the water with an intense blush. She was cupping her hands over her mouth, her eyes bugged out.
"Sorry..." muttered Junior. Mosura cleared her throat as she began to rise up, her head in a daze.
"I-I think we've been in here long enough! Best to get to bed!" Mosura tittered.
"Wait, Mosu!" exclaimed Junior. It was only a second, but he caught a glimpse of Mosura's naked torso in all of its glory. Mosura squealed as she quickly dropped back down, covering her chest.
"D-Don't stare!" cried Mosura.
"Hey! This was your idea!" retorted Junior.
"I know but- A gentleman would've declined!" said Mosura, defensively.
"Oh yeah? Well, a lady is supposed to not let a guy that's not her boyfriend into the bath with her!" argued Junior. Mosura grimaced, her face growing red with shame.
"I'm sorry. You must think I'm some kind of tramp..." said Mosura in a small tone. Junior sighed as he scratched his head.
"Let's call it a night. I'll wait here for a bit while you change," said Junior.
"I can't believe him!" Dwan spat in frustration. She paced around the bedroom in a night gown, while Angirasu began to set up a pillow. Angirasu sighed. The girl had been griping the last several minutes.
"He's such a jerk! No, he's a freaking maniac! I don't know what Adagio sees in him!" said Dwan.
"Dwan, you shouldn't have hit that girl back in the gambling hall," said Angirasu. Dwan looked at him in disbelief.
"You're taking his side?!" asked Dwan.
"Of course! Dwan, your behavior back there was unacceptable. I'm disappointed in you," said Angirasu in disapproval. Dwan stuttered as she grew flustered.
"But those whores were trying to get in your pants!" said Dwan. Angirasu cocked a brow at her.
"Isn't that what you've been trying to do? Friends don't get grabby as you do," said Angirasu. Dwan grunted.
"That was different! And that's beside the point! They shouldn't have been talking shit too!" said Dwan, fuming.
"Even so, you still shouldn't have attacked her. It may not seem like it, but Goji's looking out for you," said Angirasu. Dwan pouted as she took a seat on the bed.
"Dwan, you wouldn't happen to be insecure, would you?" asked Angirasu. Dwan recoiled. She began to force a laugh.
"Whaaat? Me? Insecure? What gave you that wild idea? I'm a celebrity! I make people feel insecure! Not the other way around!" laughed Dwan. Angirasu sighed.
"If that were true, then those girls wouldn't have riled you up so much," said Angirasu. He took a seat on the bed as well.
"To be honest, I'm guilty of having a lot of insecurities," said Angirasu. Dwan looked his way, finding a solemn expression on his face.
"As much as I like the guy, I'm worried about ending up like Gojira," said Angirasu. Dwan raised a brow.
"What? Hot tempered and boring?" asked Dwan.
"You could say that. Mainly aggressive and disliked by a lot of people," said Angirasu. "He's not exactly mister popular back home. I couldn't handle a life like that. I don't even know how he does it."
"I can tell," said Dwan.
"I'd rather aspire to be more like Mosura, you know. Gentle, and liked by people. Until she was outed as a mutant, she was popular," said Angirasu. Dwan gave a teasing smile.
"Nice Aang, you wouldn't happen to have a crush on Mosura, would ya?" asked Dwan. Angirasu bore an embarrassed look.
"No, I'm not romantically interested in Mosura. Or vice versa. I mean it's obvious that she's head over heels for Goji," said Angirasu, looking away. Dwan giggled.
"It's cute when you get flustered and tongue tied," said Dwan. Angirasu cleared his throat, still avoiding eye contact.
"We should head to bed. I'm sure Gojira's gonna wanna us out of here as soon as possible," said Angirasu as he climbed in bed. Dwan nodded in agreement. She made her way over to a lantern that hung in the room and blew out the flame. She joined Angirasu in bed, pulling the covers over herself. As Angirasu lied on his side, Dwan lightly frowned.
'It's scary how he can see through me,' thought Dwan, before turning on her side as well, closing her eyes.
Sunset's eyes opened. She was in a drowsy state as her vision adjusted to the darkness. Her eyes fell on Adagio, who was sitting up in bed next to her, looking out the window. Sunset grunted as she sat up, rubbing her eyes.
"Adagio? What are you doing up?" asked Sunset with a yawn. Adagio merely sighed.
"I was just wondering if there was really a way out of this world. Every day it seems like it's not possible," said Adagio. Sunset sniffed as she rubbed her eyes some more, growing more awake.
"As hellish as this world seems, I almost feel like it's some kind of punishment," said Adagio.
"Why would you say all of that?" asked Sunset.
"I don't know. I was just thinking back to what Aang said back in the hot springs," said Adagio, sighing. "It's starting to rub off on me. I'm just realizing now how bad my actions were. What's worse, I dragged my sisters along with me."
"If Equescidar is a realm of punishment, than I guess I fit right in too," said Sunset. Adagio looked at her in confusion.
"Why? What did you do?" asked Adagio.
"I'm exaggerating. But I did do some bad things years ago. With that, it came with severe consequences," said Sunset. "But you know, I learned from it. If I were you, I'd take this quote on quote punishment as a chance to learn from your mistakes. Dig deep inside yourself and try to become a better person."
"Hmph. You never stuck me as the mean girl type. That's a surprise," said Adagio with a chuckle. Sunset smirked.
"Yeah? Well, you don't seem to be the alpha tramp that you make yourself out to be," said Sunset.
"I'll take that as a compliment," said Adagio, coyly.
"It was," said Sunset nonchalant. The two shared a laugh.
"Thanks, Sunset," said Adagio, a soft smile on her face.
"Sure," said Sunset.
It was morning. Mosura winced as sunlight shone over her face. She grumbled as she snuggled over close to Junior, shielding her face from the sun. Junior stirred awake, hearing the crow of a rooster. He got up from bed, leaving Mosura alone. He yawned as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.
"Come on, Mosu. Time to get up," said Junior.
"Mm. Goji..." muttered Mosura. Junior sent her an odd look, finding the girl still asleep. She muttered incoherently to herself as she slept.
"We can't kiss...I'll get pregnant..." muttered Mosura with a giggle, inaudible to Junior.
"Hey, get up," said Junior as he nudged Mosura. The girl groaned as she sat up, her hair a mess. She made a cute yawn as her eyes fluttered closed.
"Can't we sleep in just another hour?" mumbled Mosura.
"You can sleep in the wagon. I want us to get out of here so we can reach the next settlement before nightfall," said Junior, placing on a fresh pair of clothes. Mosura sighed as she sluggishly got up.
Later that morning, the teens were riding the wagon out of the city. Rodan groaned as he held his head, while drinking from a gourd full of fresh water. Mosura lied on Sunset's lap, with a pillow cushioning her head. The teens, while tired, felt relief from being out of that city.
"I still think it wasn't that bad," said Dwan.
"It was awful. I have a hangover from being intoxicated by that tainted sauce," said Rodan.
"I agree. Ecstasia is nothing more than the embodiment of lust and greed. I've never seen such degenerate behavior in human beings in all of my life. Even the pleasures this place has to offer is one big joke," lamented Junior. Mosura and Sunset shared a chuckle.
"What? Too pessimistic?" asked Junior.
"Nah. I think we're in agreement with that statement of yours," said Sunset.
Malicia stood at a balcony from her grand citadel. She over looked the city below. Her cold eyes reflected the coldness of this city. The skies in this area were grey and clouded. The atmosphere greatly contrasted that of the land beyond the capital. This was a sight that the empress came to be too familiar with. She turned away and returned to her throne, her footsteps echoed in this large room.
Malicia returned to her seat and began to look through her crystal ball. She placed a hand on it, causing it to glow.
"Sigyn," said Malicia.
"Y-Your majesty!" Sigyn stuttered. Malicia furrowed her brows. Rarely did this woman respond shakily. She knew something was wrong.
"Report," said Malicia.
"I-I regret to inform you... We were just attacked," said Sigyn. Malicia deeply inhaled through her nostrils.
"Explain," said Malicia, her tone calm.
"Our platoon was struck from Sacramentonian forces. A great flock of Argentavis descended on our campsite, carrying Sacramentonian forces. We were forced to flee," said Sigyn.
"How did they discover your location? I made it clear that you were supposed to stay out of sight until I gave the order," said Malicia, her tone growing stern.
"Unknown, your majesty. They caught us by surprise," said Sigyn. Malicia furrowed her brows.
"Have the reinforcements arrived near the location?" asked Malicia.
"No, we haven't encountered them yet," answered Sigyn.
"If you do, tell them to fall back to another location. I can't risk them falling into an ambush," said Malicia.
"Understood," said Sigyn. The crystal ball went dim. The empress sighed as she rubbed her brow.
"Incompetent fools. No matter," said Malicia to herself. She looked to where trap door remained sealed.
"I still have an ace up my sleeve."
The noon sun hung high above. The weather was much cooler compared to the previous day. This was much to the relief of Junior and the gang.
Angirasu and Junior remained seated at the front of their gifted wagon, staring off the vast land ahead of them. They passed over a hill and towards a flat landscape, where tall grass stood.
"Eyes peeled around this area. This is a perfect place for predators," said Junior.
"10-4," nodded Angirasu.
"No way in hell," said Dwan.
"I'm not kidding," said Rodan.
"Dude, get out! That's crazy!" said Dwan in disbelief. Junior sighed.
"What's the commotion back there?" asked Junior in annoyance. At this rate, he thought their voices would draw unwanted attention.
"Meh Rodan told me that you played on the soccer team," said Dwan.
"Please stop calling me that," deadpanned Rodan. Adagio looked to Junior in surprise.
"Hey, I didn't know you were on the soccer team," said Adagio.
"Only temporarily. Rainbow Dash asked me to fill in since a big game was coming up," said Junior .
"I never imagined you'd be capable of doing something like that. So how'd it go?" asked Dwan.
"We won," said Junior, nonchalant.
"Riveting storytelling," deadpanned Dwan.
"What do you want from me? Ask them for details since they were there," said Junior in annoyance.
"Still, you must've gotten popular after that!" said Dwan. Surely Angirasu was mistaken about this boy being unpopular. Someone who's on a school's sports team and helped win the 'big game' was sure to get notoriety.
"Oh I was popular alright," said Junior in a bitter tone. Dwan bore an odd look.
"He's still sore about the fact that after the game, he was mostly known as the goalie that kept getting hit in the face," said Sunset. Junior's brows furrowed.
"It was an intense game. But poor Goji's face was swollen because he kept getting hit in the face," said Mosura. Dwan snorted in amusement.
"I would've loved to see that," said Dwan.
"Ha ha," said Junior sarcastically. He sighed.
"They didn't even appreciate my effort neither. People forgot about it over the damn weekend," said Junior in annoyance.
"Rainbow appreciated it," interjected Rodan.
"Yeah, but she's obligated to. After all, it was her team that was-" Junior stopped himself.
"What?" asked Adagio in confusion. Junior cleared his throat. He never actually told anyone that he was close to quitting. This was due to the fact that he was lousy as a player, and that the team was talking about him behind his back. The only ones who knew were a few of the soccer team members, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy. He didn't want anyone to think less of him if they thought he was going to quit just because of trash talkers.
"Uh... Her team did all the work. I was just a goalie the whole game. I guess since I pushed myself, even when the coach tried to bench me, she was obligated to appreciate the minimal work I did," said Junior, scratching at his head.
"Oh. Well, I don't think that's true," said Adagio, a sweet smile on her face. Sunset's expression softened. There was that knot feeling again. Just looking at Junior and hearing his words and his tone caused this.
'Why am I feeling like this?' thought Sunset, feeling her chest, where her heart lied.
"Hey, how much further to the next town?" asked Mosura.
"Uh... We still have a long way to go," said Junior, looking at the map.
"Wait, there it is!" said Angirasu, pointing ahead. Junior bore an odd look as he noticed a village just beyond the fields of tall grass. It was completely wooden, and stood far out in the open. It was odd, since it didn't look fortified to protect it from any external threats.
"Wait, this isn't right. There shouldn't be a settlement in this area," said Junior, looking through the map.
"Maybe the map is a bit outdated," suggested Sunset.
"Hey, it just means we lucked out! We can take a quick break before heading off," said Dwan.
"Only if you promise to behave yourself," deadpanned Junior. Dwan pouted.
"Fine," said Dwan.
"Alright. Aang, take us in," said Junior.
"Got it," said Angirasu, keeping a hold on the reigns. He had the triceratops pull the wagon through the tall grass, heading for the village. The gang soon made it beyond the grass, now on a clear path to their destination. The wagon was towed into the village.
Junior and Angirasu noticed the denizens of this mysterious settlement. They were clad in less refined clothes that they had seen from the last two towns. The people stared and watched as they passed by.
"Whoa, where's..." Angirasu looked around, holding a confused expression.
"You noticed too, huh?" asked Junior.
"Noticed what?" asked Sunset, peeping from the back of the wagon.
"It's just women and children," said Junior. Sunset looked around, finding what the boy had said was true. From what she could see, the majority of the population composed of women, ranging from young and old, and children of all ages.
"You're right. Where are all the men?" asked Sunset.
The wagon stopped on the side of the road. The teens got off of the wagon, where they were met with more stares.
"Maybe we should move on," whispered Junior.
"But we're already here," whispered Adagio.
"What is your business here?" asked a nearby woman.
"Business? We're just passing through," said Dwan.
"We were hoping to rest here for a bit before moving on our journey. Sorry for any disturbance we might've caused," said Mosura, apologetically.
"If that is the case, then welcome to Eloi," said the woman with a brief bow of her head. "Please, come with me."
The teens followed this woman over to a larger structure. It was a tavern, but much smaller compared to the ones in the cities, it was almost empty. Only one or two women sat there, present with drinks. The gang was led to a counter, where a woman began to pour cups of water.
"It's rather quiet," said Sunset.
"Mm," said the tavern owner, as she passed on the drinks.
"If you need anything, just call for me," said the woman, before leaving to the back.
"If not for the few people we saw outside, I'd say this was a freakin' ghost town," said Dwan.
"I actually like it. It's nice to have some peace and quiet," said Junior.
"Heheh." Rodan chuckled.
"What's so funny?" asked Junior.
"Is it me or are those girls checking me out?" asked Rodan. Junior cocked a brow. He turned in his seat, finding a small group of girls around their age, standing at the window, outside of the tavern. They quickly ducked out of sight once the teens looked their way.
"What the...?" Junior scratched his chin.
"They're probably just curious about us," said Mosura dismissively.
"Whatever you have to say to rest easy at night," said Rodan. Mosura scoffed.
"Get over yourself. Girls aren't attracted to every single guy they see" said Mosura. The tavern door suddenly opened. A girl stumbled in, as though she was pushed. She anxiously looked back and forth between the teens and the door. She then steeled herself and approached.
"E-Excuse me... I am, Selena," said the girl. She was a cute girl, with long reddish brown hair, and steely blue eyes. She was clad in a light brown dress, with short sleeves.
"Hi there," greeted Sunset with a welcoming tone.
"Can we help you?" asked Angirasu. The girl twiddled her fingers, appearing hesitant and flustered.
"I-I just wanted to ask... If it wouldn't be too much trouble..." the girl stuttered. "Might my friends and I join you?"
"Friends?" Junior looked to the door, finding a group of girls around the same age to be peeking from a corner.
"Sure! Always nice to meet new people," said Sunset.
"Eh..." Adagio grimaced. Junior cocked a brow at her.
In just moments, the strange new girls rushed over, startling the other teens. The girls began to speak over each other, their excited words becoming incoherent. They were also attractive young ladies, with beaming smiles that would make any boy's heart flutter.
"Friendly bunch, aren't they?" Mosura laughed.
"A little too friendly," said Adagio to herself.
"Dude, these girls are freaking hot!" whispered Rodan leaning close to Angirasu.
"Behave yourself. First impressions are everything," whispered Angirasu with an amused smile.
"So, what do you girls-" Sunset spoke, but found that these new girls were totally ignoring her. In fact, they seemed to be ignoring everyone but the boys.
"Wow! Look at his hair! Its so prickly!" said a girl.
"That tanned one is kinda cute," said a girl with a shy giggle.
"I knew it! Who's 'Meh' now, Dwan?!" Rodan laughed, victoriously. Dwan scoffed with an annoyed look.
"Look at him! He's so tall," gasped a girl, her cheeks red. Junior gulped as he found himself surrounded by all of the girls. Mosura gasped as she saw this. Adagio scowled.
"Hey!" said Rodan in annoyance, now that the girls had suddenly turned their attention to the largest boy in the room.
"He's so manly looking!" said a girl.
"M-May I feel your muscles?" asked a girl shyly.
"Geez Goji, save some for the rest of us!" said Rodan.
"I don't think that's appropriate," said Junior, in a mix of embarrassment and discomfort. Adagio suddenly made her way passed the girls and stood at Junior's side. Her scowl suddenly became a confident smirk.
"Sorry, girls. He's with me," said Adagio. She locked her arm around Junior's and pulled him close. Mosura gritted her teeth as she grew flustered.
"With you?" asked a girl in disbelief.
"Yeah. As in, this hunk is mine to fondle," said Adagio.
"Fondle?!" Junior exclaimed. Adagio chuckled with a mischievous smile. She took her free hand began to grope Junior's bicep.
"Honk! Honk! Tee hee!" Adagio giggled. Junior sighed, his face flushed.
"Adagio!" growled Mosura.
"Darn..." said one of the girls in disappointment. They then returned their attention to the rest of the boys.
"What the heck kind of village is this?" asked Sunset incredulously.
Adagio continued to cling to Junior's arm. Even as Mosura approached with a death glare.
"You can let go, now," deadpanned Mosura.
"And break the illusion for these boy crazy chicks? No way!" said Adagio. Mosura growled.
"It's fine, Mosu," said Junior. Mosura scoffed.
"Fine?!" Mosura whined in shock.
"Look, let's find someone in charge. Maybe we can get a place to stay," said Junior.
"You want to stay?" asked Mosura in disbelief.
"To be frank, not really. It's like these chicks have never seen a boy before," said Junior.
"That's because we haven't," said a familiar voice. Junior, Mosura and Adagio jumped with a start, as Selena appeared by their side.
"Wait, what do you mean?" asked Mosura.
"As you've noticed, there are mainly females in our village. The only males are children under a certain age," said Selena.
"Why is that?" asked Adagio.
"Well, the men of our village are required to go off into the wilderness to serve the Zetas," said Selena.
"Zetas? Serve?" asked Junior.
"Oh yes. A male that is mature enough to plant his own seed must go and serve the Zetas. Divine beings that have graced us with their presence. In exchange of their sacrifice via lifetime of servitude, the Zetas give us food and bless our men to protect us from the dreaded lizard and crocodile men" said Selena. Junior cocked a brow while Rodan gulped.
"Ro?" Angirasu looked to the boy in concern.
"Sorry. I was just having terrible flashbacks," said Rodan.
"So, every man in your village is gone to serve these 'Zetas'?" asked Sunset. Selena nodded.
"How... How long has this been going on? That doesn't seem stable for a small village like this," said Junior.
"Stable?" asked Selena.
"Think about it. The men are gone. That's like what? Half the population cut out. And you're expected to send out sexually mature males to serve these Zetas? How can you keep your population up?" asked Junior.
"Well, when a boy is old enough, he is able to take one girl from the village as his own. After he plants his seed in her womb, he must leave," said Selena.
"Jesus. So the women are raising the children on their own?" asked Junior in disbelief.
"W-Well..." Selena stood timidly. She wondered if she did something to upset the boy, based on his tone.
"Oh what? Women can't raise a kid on their own?" scoffed Dwan.
"I know what you're gonna try to say, but save it. I was raised by a single mother with no other family members to help for half my life. It wasn't like what those out of touch wretches in Applewood would make you believe," said Junior, glaring at Dwan. There was a brief moment of tense silence. Junior turned to Selena, who flinched at his gaze.
"A people are only as strong as their family unit. I don't care how much mommy loves you. She can't teach you everything that you need to know," said Junior. His stern gaze caused the girl to the shrink away with a whimper.
"Dude, chill out! You're scaring the poor girl" said Dwan. Junior merely turned back to the table, his expression hard. Sunset's expression softened at the boy.
"Please don't mind him. It's just that we don't know how things work around here, so it's a bit jarring," said Mosura, apologetically.
"It's alright," said Selena, sneaking a glance at Junior.
It was later into the day. The triceratops was resting by the wagon, its nostrils flaring with each intake of breath.
There was a small building nearby. Junior and the gang were being escorted by Selena and an older woman, dressed in robes. Selena opened the door.
"This home was abandoned when its previous owners went off to the Zetas. You may rest here for as long as you please," said the older woman. The teens entered the house, finding it to be cold and dark. Dust covered the furniture, and some cob webs covered the corners. The house looked like it hadn't been inhabited in years.
"Thank you, Madam Tria," said Mosura. As the woman and Selena left, the teens began to set there things down. Junior kept his brows furrowed, while Sunset took notice of his mood.
"Whew. Looks like we need to get started on some spring cleaning!" said Mosura.
"Why? We're just gonna leave in the morning. Besides, it's not like anyone lives here," said Junior. The teens briefly looked to each other. Junior sighed, knowing something was up.
"What?" asked Junior.
"Well... We've been making good time, I think," said Mosura scratching her head.
"And we have been doing a lot of travelling," said Adagio.
"It wouldn't hurt if we... stayed a few days?" asked Dwan. Junior glared at them.
"What?" asked Junior.
"Dude, I'm sick of sitting in that wagon all day, every day! My butt is sore!" said Dwan.
"But we're getting close to Elsinore! I don't want to keep Fluttershy and the rest of the Dazzlings waiting!" said Junior.
"They're safe with the Iwi. It won't hurt to properly rest. This place is perfect. It's small, no noisy denizens, and has friendly people," said Mosura.
"This place? It's nothing but kids and women," said Junior.
"Dude, why are you hung up on that?" asked Dwan, oddly.
"Why aren't you? Didn't the story by that girl sound off? Why would these people consent to sending their men away? Their sons too!" said Junior.
"I'll admit that the story seems strange, but we can't exactly verify it," said Dwan.
"That's my problem! This entire village is giving me bad vibes. There's no protection either. We can't stay here," said Junior.
"Selena mentioned 'The Zetas', didn't she?" asked Angirasu.
"Yeah, what the hell is a Zeta? If these are divine beings, why do they need to take the males? What kind of-" Junior was interrupted as Sunset stepped over, tugging at his sleeve, a look of concern on her face.
"Well, why not stay here and observe? If you're really worried about these people," suggested Sunset. Junior was silent for a moment, pondering. He sighed.
"Fine," said Junior.
Just moments later, the teens had taken up to cleaning up the house. They worked together to sweep up any dirt and dust every furniture. They had designated their own roles to each other for a more efficient cleaning effort.
Sunset found herself taking a feather duster and started to dust off some furniture. During this, she found the cob webs that filled a corner in the house. She took a chair and began to dust them away. As Sunset moved to the next net of web, she froze in place as she found a spider to be resting on the webs.
Sunset shuddered as she had a sudden flood of memories of spiders and losing her dear friend. Sunset quickly smacked the small spider on the web. She panted, her heart raced, and her eyes wide and alert.
"Sheesh, and I thought I was afraid of spiders."
Sunset turned, finding Mosura holding a broom in her hands. An amused look was on her face. Sunset cleared her throat as she got off the chair.
"I thought it was venomous," said Sunset. She looked around briefly, and leaned close to Mosura.
"Hey... You think Goji's OK?" asked Sunset. The mutant girl hummed with a thoughtful look.
"I don't know. He did seem upset though. Even after we left that tavern," said Mosura.
"Why don't you talk to him?" suggested Sunset. Mosura winced as she held the broom close.
"I uh... I don't know if that's a good idea," said Mosura.
"Why not?" asked Sunset in confusion. Mosura's face grew red as she shifted in place.
"I uh...Things have gotten a bit awkward since Ecstasia," said Mosura.
"Awkward?" Sunset squinted. The mutant girl timidly nodded. Sunset felt her own face beginning to redden.
"W-What happened?" asked Sunset, now curious.
"I-I don't wanna say," Mosura squeaked. Sunset cupped a hand to her mouth.
"Mosu... You didn't..."
"I didn't say anything! Don't let your imagination run wild!" said Mosura.
"Oh geez. I don't even know if this world has condoms," said Sunset, biting her thumb.
"Shut up! That didn't happen!" said Mosura.
"Then what?" asked Sunset.
"Forget it! Why don't you talk to him about today?" asked Mosura.
"Wait, me?" asked Sunset.
"Yeah. I mean, I don't trust Adagio and Dwan hates him. The guys, I don't know can get him to open up. So that leaves you," said Mosura. Sunset scratched her chin thoughtfully.
"Well, I guess I can. I've been meaning to talk to him anyway," said Sunset, handing Mosura the feather duster. The mutant scowled.
"Hey, I didn't mean now."
Sunset walked around the house, searching high and low for the boy. A confused look was on her face.
"Hey, Rodan. Have you seen Goji?" asked Sunset. Rodan peered from a corner, carrying a wash cloth.
"Goji? Yeah, I think I saw him outside. Jerk's probably trying to push all of the work onto us," chuckled Rodan. Sunset softly chuckled.
"Thanks."
Sunset quickly made her way out of the house. She looked around, her eyes squinting under the afternoon sun. She then found Junior carrying stacks of long grass over his shoulder. He approached the triceratops that pulled the wagon and dropped the grass down.
"There you go, Stinky," said Junior. The large reptile groaned as it stood up and approached the grass. It dipped its head and began to eat. Sunset smiled as she made her way over.
"Stinky? That doesn't seem like a nice name," said Sunset. Junior looked her way and then returned his attention onto the dinosaur.
"You don't think so? Have you smelled this thing's crap? It's like being at a dairy farm," said Junior.
"Ah. Have you ever been to one?" asked Sunset.
"Once. For a field trip in elementary school," answered Junior. They were silent with only the sound of the triceratops eating being present.
"We shouldn't be here," said Junior. Sunset looked at him, surprised by him suddenly speaking up.
"Goji... About what Selena told us..."
"This isn't a safe place to be. I can feel it," said Junior.
"Gojira, are you sure you're not letting your personal feelings get into this?" asked Sunset. Junior sighed.
"Is it that obvious?" asked Junior.
"Goji..."
"Like Mosu and Shy, you seem to know what's on my mind," said Junior.
"Yeah, they do. But I think I'm better at knowing how you feel," said Sunset.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. I guess you can call me an 'Empath'. I always had a knack for knowing how most people feel. Kinda funny how that's one of my powers now too," said Sunset with a small laugh. She found that Junior wasn't amused. He just kept staring to the ground. Sunset cleared her throat.
"Listen, I lost a parent too. I know how it feels. Someone you know and loved to suddenly be gone, and only having one other person to look after you. But hey, at least your dad came back. Not all of us are as lucky," said Sunset. Junior frowned.
"True, but even still, I think we adapted very differently," said Junior.
"Everyone does. Doesn't mean we can't look out for each other," said Sunset, a warm smile on her face. Junior sighed.
"It just bothers me. Why would they leave? I mean, these men were fathers, sons, brothers, cousins... Just... How can any father leave like that?" asked Junior. Sunset didn't have to guess. She knew that the boy was thinking of his own father when he asked that question. While she didn't know Gojira Senior very well, she knew that he must've loved his family enough if he decided to come back. Sunset placed a comforting hand on Junior's shoulder.
"That's what we're here to find out," said Sunset.
There was a sudden horn that blew. Junior and Sunset whipped around, hearing the low bellow of the horn. Birds began to fly away from the tall grass fields beyond the village. Junior felt himself growing more alert, his nerves tensing.
"What is that?" Junior squinted. The two heard feminine screams. They found that the villagers were running away, tripping over themselves.
Junior and Sunset turned to find that from the tall grass, large inhuman creatures came sprinting out. The teens' eyes widened as a group of them burst out from hiding. They were anthropomorphic lizards. They were covered from head to toe in bright colorful scales. They had human-like torsos and stood upright or hunched over. Their head shapes varied, but they were certainly lizard like, with narrow snouts and jaws full of sharp teeth. They bore black eyes that stared at the village. They appeared ravenous, as they stood naked and slobbered at the mouth. One of them, bearing a crest of quills over its skull gave a loud shriek, causing more of the villagers to flee in fright.
"Oh God!" exclaimed Sunset.
"Well, looks like the story is partially verified," said Junior. He gasped as he found a villager trip over herself and fell to the ground. The crested lizard snarled as it dropped to all fours and began to sprint to her. The woman screamed as she shielded her face, bracing for her demise.
Junior had suddenly slammed into the lizard, knocking it back off of its feet. The lizard hissed as it glared at the boy, while Junior stood tall, towering just a foot over the beast, his expression hard. The villager took the opportunity to escape. The rest of the pack of lizards rushed over, slamming their hands to the ground, shrieking at Junior. The boy looked at his left arm, finding it still wrapped in cloth. He removed the cloth and threw it aside. He raised both fists, keeping a brave face. While he was confident in taking on one of these monsters, he didn't know about multiple. After all, he didn't know what they were capable of. One in particular was larger than the rest, appearing more crocodile-like compared to the others. It had a bulky body, covered in rough scales, and with a crocodile head to boot. The crested lizard seemed to bark, prompting the crocodile to bellow as it lunged for Junior, opening its jaws wide.
The crocodile man was then struck by a bolt of flame, causing it to drop down and roll along the dirt in pain. Junior turned, finding Sunset charging over, her hands covered in flames. She quickly stepped to Junior's side and stood back to back with him.
"You know, I hate it when you try to pick a fight! Especially on your own!" said Sunset.
"Hey, I don't start fights. I just finish them," said Junior. A lizard man lunged for Junior. The boy swiftly landed an uppercut at the creature's jaw, causing it to fall back, as teeth fell from its mouth. Another lizard man facing Sunset's direction lunged as well. The fire haired teen reached to her palm, drawing out a magic tendril. She swung the tendril like a whip, wrapping the creature by the muzzle. She ran towards it and raised a boot, as her sole began to glow a teal aura. She kicked the creature with a magic enhanced strike, sending it flying a couple feet away. Sunset retreated to Junior's back, as the lizards began to circle the two.
"Don't worry, I got your six," said Junior, his eyes hardening.
"And I got yours," said Sunset. The lizards began to strike at once.
"Duck!" cried Junior. Sunset did as told. She gasped as she found herself spun with Junior, who met the crocodile man with a slash of his own reptilian claws. The creature bellowed as it stumbled back, clutching its face that now bore deep gashes. While Sunset was low, she found that another lizard man was nearing Junior's back, its jaws wide open. On instinct, her hand flashed with flame. She shot upright with her fist, sending a flaming punch against the lizard. The creature backed off, its face covered in burns.
"Goji, boost me!" cried Sunset. Junior sent her a brief look of confusion but nodded. He quickly turned to face her, which was a dangerous thing to do around bloodthirsty lizard men, but he trusted the girl. Sunset rushed over to the boy, who had his arms lowered, while slightly crouched. She jumped and stepped onto his hands, allowing Junior to send her flying several feet high up into the air. Sunset raised her glowing hands, as her hair began to flow in the wind. She was levitating in midair as her hands glowed brighter.
"Get back!!" cried Sunset. Junior quickly ran back, as the reptilians looked up at her, eyes wide. The girl sent forth a large beam down to the earth, just near their feet. The beam caused an explosive force that sent them flying back. The lizards slammed to the ground, covered in burns and bruises, while winded from the concussive force the spell had on them. They scampered to their feet and retreated back to the forest. Sunset suddenly dropped from the air with a yelp. Before she could slam to the ground, Junior swept in and caught her. She found Junior panting as he held her bridal style. Sunset smirked. She suddenly rested her head on the boy, while wrapping her arms around him and raised a leg.
"My hero~!" said Sunset teasingly.
"You're the one who saved my skin," said Junior with a chuckle, before setting Sunset down to her feet. The two turned to find the lizards retreating back to the tall grass. Not before the crested one turned back and shrieked at the two. It then joined its pack into the grass.
"I gotta say, you hold your own pretty well," said Junior in approval.
"Ah you know. I was kind of a delinquent myself back then," said Sunset.
"Really?" Junior cocked a brow. Sunset a cupped a hand to her mouth.
"Oop! I wasn't supposed to say that out loud," said Sunset, berating herself.
"I'd like to hear that story sometime," said Junior. Sunset awkwardly glanced at the boy. She then lightly smiled.
"Maybe someday," said Sunset. The two noticed the rest of their group to be rushing outside.
"Whoa! What the heck happened?!" exclaimed Rodan.
"What I was afraid of. Trouble," said Junior. There was a sudden eruption of cheers from the villagers, as they emerged from hiding. Junior and Sunset shared an awkward smile as they were praised for their feat. Junior suddenly found Selena running by, a bright smile on her face.
"Incredible! You two single handily sent those dreadful lizard men away!" said Selena, hugging Junior tightly. Mosura sighed in annoyance, while Adagio walked over to Junior.
"Hey, Selena. Remember, my man," said Adagio with a smirk.
"Oh! I apologize! I-I'm just so overjoyed!" said Selena with an embarrassed titter.
"He's not your man!" said Mosura in annoyance.
"He's not exactly yours, neither," said Rodan under his breath. He was met with a smack on the shoulder by the girl, who glared at him.
"Those were the things that you were talking about? I thought that your men were supposed to fight them off," said Junior.
"Usually they don't come here. Something must be wrong," said Selena, her expression turning to worry. Tria stepped forward.
"We may have to contact the Zetas. Only they may be able to help us," said Tria.
It was evening. The sky had darkened, with a full moon hanging high in the sky. The village of Eloi was silent for the most part. But in the center of this village, there stood a large obelisk. It was etched with foreign symbols along its sides.
Around the obelisk, torches stood, being lit up by women dressed in brown robes. There was a quire of Eloi vocalizing, their tone ranging from low to high. Tria walked to a large tub, where tons of dry grass and wood was placed. She lit the tub up, causing a greater flame to rise. She then took a powder from her robe and threw it into the flame, causing it to burst and grow brighter.
Meanwhile, Junior and gang stood by the sidelines with the rest of the villagers. They watched as this ritual took place. Junior shook his head, crossing his arms.
"Question, has anyone ever seen the Zetas?" asked Junior.
"Hold on, let's see what happens," said Angirasu. Junior sighed.
"Prayers aren't gonna stop a bunch of lizard men from attacking," said Junior.
"Oh, great Zetas! Head our call! The people of Eloi plead for your help!" cried Tria, raising her hands, standing before the flames. As the chants grew, the fires grew more intense. A sudden gust of wind filled the area.
"Whoa," said Rodan, growing anxious. Adagio gasped as a light above the obelisk appeared.
"Look!" Said Adagio, pointing. The teens were in shock as the light grew brighter.
From the smoke, above the obelisk, an apparition appeared. The apparition appeared as a metallic head, with a sleek curved dome. It bore large black eyes, almost like an insect's. A trunk-like protrusion hung from the face of this mysterious being.
"Oh shit!" exclaimed Dwan in shock and awe.
"Who summons me?" The being spoke in a distorted voice.
"Oh great Zeta, we summon you in need of your power," said Tria, as she and the other villagers bowed to the apparition.
"The lizard men had attacked our village. We're vulnerable to these savage monsters. We plea for your help," said Tria.
"To prevent future attacks, you must send forth any man or boy in your village," said the Zeta. The villagers began to murmur amongst themselves. Junior bore an incredulous look as he had this.
"But.. T-The only males we have left are but children," said Tria.
"They will do. Our divine power will infuse them with the strength needed to finally conquer your enemies," said the Zeta.
"But they are still young! They can not make the journey, let alone plant a seed for future generations!" said Tria.
"It is our will. If you will not offer up your sacrifice, then you shall not receive salvation," said the Zeta. In just moments, the apparition faded from sight. The flames were doused in an instant, leaving nothing but the darkness of night. The village was full of murmurs of distress.
"No way," said Junior in disbelief.
It was the early next morning. Junior was sitting outside of the house that he and his friends were staying in. He had his brows furrowed as he looked to the villagers. It was solemn, with no one saying a word to another. No children were out playing on this day.
"Unbelievable," said Junior, shaking his head. Selena was making her way over, a frown on her face.
"I... I wanted to see if you and your friends were alright," said Selena.
"Maybe you should worry about your own people," said Junior with a glare. Selena flinched.
"I-I just..."
"Just beat it. I don't want to look at any your faces," said Junior.
"Hey! Hey! That's no way to talk to girl that's trying to be nice," said Adagio, walking over with a disapproving look. She was followed by the rest of the gang.
"I don't care. I can't believe these women are considering sending off their young sons off to God knows where," said Junior.
"Gojira, not everyone agrees with it. But what choice do we have?" asked Selena.
"How about not complying with this nonsense just for cheap promises of safety? I'm not a religious guy, but if I was, I sure wouldn't put my faith in whatever the hell that thing was," said Junior.
"But it's the only way we can go on. These lizard men have brought years of pain and suffering that has lead us to this point," said Selena.
"If those things are so bad, then why not abandon this village? It seems like more trouble than it's worth," said Junior.
"We don't even know what dangers lie beyond. We just have to keep our faith that the Zetas will deliver us," said Selena. Junior hardened his expression.
"These Zetas are exploiting you. Why can't they do something themselves? What do they want with the men?" asked Junior incredulously. Selena didn't answer. The boy shook his head.
"Your village isn't long for this world. You know that, right?" asked Junior. "In the end, you brought this on yourselves,"
"Gojira!" exclaimed Mosura in shock. The rest looked to the boy in disapproval.
"That's pretty harsh, bro," said Rodan.
"Look, they consented to it. They allowed their fear to drive them and cast off half their village, leaving them more vulnerable than ever," said Junior.
"Then help us! Protect us from the lizards!" pleaded Selena.
"Selena, we can't stick around and protect you forever. We have friends that we have to find," said Junior.
"Goji..." Adagio frowned. Junior sighed in exasperation, turning his attention to the Dazzling.
"Look, I sympathize with their situation. I really do. But we can't help them," said Junior. Selena trembled, clenching his fist close to her chest.
"T-Then let us bear your children!" cried Selena. Junior gasped as he recoiled in shock.
"Huh?!" Adagio went slack jawed.
"What the fuck?!" Mosura exclaimed.
"Did I just hear-" Rodan was blushing furiously.
"Please! There are three young men among you! If you cant protect us, the least you can do is leave us sons to continue our legacy," said Selena. Dwan then clung herself onto Angirasu, holding him rather tightly.
"Nice Aang is Mine!" Dwan growled, holding Aang possessively.
"OK, first off! What are the odds of us giving you sons? Besides, you're just gonna send them off like the others! Secondly, I'm not impregnating girls that I barely know, let alone don't have feelings for!" said Junior.
"Oh thank God," said Mosura in relief.
"Yeah, I have to agree. I'm not fond of the thought of leaving behind a girl with my child we conceived to raise alone," said Angirasu.
"Ugh. Yeah, that'd make us pretty lousy," said Rodan scratching his head. Selena sniffled as her eyes welled up with tears.
"So you won't lift a finger to help us at all?" whimpered Selena. Junior grimaced.
"Please don't cry," said Junior.
"Go ahead and cry, Selena. Make this heartless jerk feel guilty," said Dwan.
"I'm not heartless! I-" Junior was interrupted as Selena broke into a sob. As she cried, the hearts of the teens ached. Adagio looked to Junior.
"Come on. There's gotta be something we can do," said Adagio. Junior sighed as he scratched his head. Sunset was looking down in thought.
"I think I know," said Sunset.
Later that day, Junior and the gang were in the process of doing hard manual labor. Junior and Angirasu hauled over a large heavy log, while Rodan pulled along a sled, with piles of stone stacked on. He grunted as he pulled with all of his might.
Meanwhile, the girls were fortifying the houses in the village. They took bundles of sticks and planks of wood. Sunset was hammering a metallic hinge onto a door frame. She held up a plank of wood to the door, checking to see if it was the correct length and width to use for barricading the door.
Mosura grunted as she sawed at gathered wood, while Adagio and Dwan dug holes outside of the village. Some of the villagers pitched in as well, following the instructions of their guests.
The remainder of the day was long and hard. With nightfall approaching, the working had ceased. The teens were seated and slouched around the house they were in.
"Whatever happened to resting for a few days?" asked Dwan.
"You guys wanted to stop traveling for a few days. You never said anything about not working," deadpanned Junior.
"Semantics," retorted Dwan.
"Well, at least we can help these people protect themselves," said Adagio.
"Yeah, but a few traps and fortifications can only do so much. They have to fight," said Angirasu.
"Bbut these people are living like livestock. They rely on their 'gods' to give them food and protection by sacrificing their own. I don't have confidence in them fighting off lizardmen. You saw them yesterday," said Junior.
"You may have a point," sighed Sunset. She sat up and faced her friends.
"OK, let’s review. What do we have set up?" asked Sunset.
"Aside from the barricades for some of the houses, we have a couple of pits dug in certain spots. All covered up in leaves," said Angirasu.
"So more of those?" asked Sunset, looking to Junior.
"Yeah. But if we're talking about dangerous lizard men, then we should make the traps more lethal. How does a spike pit sound?" asked Junior.
"Gruesome, but that will work," said Sunset with a nod.
"What if we took the fight to those monsters? That way these people won't have to worry when we leave," suggested Adagio.
"Too risky. We don't know the land. That could be to their advantage. Besides, we take them out, it's only a matter of time until something else threatens these people," said Junior. Mosura sighed in exasperation.
"This is frustrating! It's like nothing we do can truly help them," said Mosura solemnly.
"Seems that way," sighed Rodan.
"Let's call it a night, guys. All we can do is what we can," said Junior as he stood up.
As the teens entered the house, they went to the couple of rooms that were available. The girls shared a single room, with mattresses on the wooden floor. Adagio was staring up at the ceiling. She hadn't been able to sleep a wink.
Adagio quietly got up and left the room. Her bare feet stepped over the cold wooden floor of the house. She took a cup from the kitchen area of the house and poured water from a clay pitcher. After taking a drink, she noticed that the front door was open just a crack. The Dazzling tip toed over and peeked through. She found Junior sitting alone outside. Adagio took a step back. She began to brush her hair out of her face, while adjusting her top.
The girl stepped out of the house, tip toeing over to Junior. She had her hands raised, wiggling her fingers in a mischievous manner.
"It's late you know," said Junior. Adagio froze in place.
"Come have a seat," said Junior, patting the porch next to himself. Adagio gave a pout as she took a seat next to the boy.
"Since when did you get a sixth sense?" asked Adagio.
"I'm just alert. I had a hard time sleeping," said Junior, glancing at Adagio. The Dazzling's expression softened.
"You too, huh?" asked Adagio. The boy merely nodded.
"You?"
"Well, a bit. I don't know. I guess I'm just home sick. Plus I'm worried about my little sisters," said Adagio.
"Then why didn't you stay with them?" asked Junior.
"Ah. They're big girls. They can take care of themselves. It's just a big sister's nature to get worried," said Adagio, stretching her arms forward. She then looked at Junior with a flirtatious smile.
"Besides, I'd just be worried about you if I stayed," said Adagio. Junior softly chuckled.
"What's so funny?" asked Adagio in offense.
"Nothing. I just kinda miss you flirting with me," said Junior. Adagio softly gasped, her cheeks growing red.
"Y-You do?" asked Adagio.
"Yeah. It keeps me at ease that your still yourself after all that's happened," said Junior.
"Oh, is that all?" asked Adagio, a tad disappointed.
"Yeah, I've been worried about you. It's part of the reason why I'm up. Those things could be lurking," said Junior, turning his attention to the tall grasslands.
"Honestly, I don't know if we can be much help to these people. We have our priorities and it seems like they're at the point of no return," said Junior. Adagio frowned.
"You really think so?" asked Adagio.
"Yeah," said Junior. Adagio sighed.
"You know, seeing their faces after that day has gotten to me," said Adagio. Junior glanced at the Dazzling, seeing that she was holding her arms, appearing sympathetic.
"It must have been how I looked when faced with a predator of my own," said Adagio. Her lips were quivering as she sniffled. The boy frowned.
"I just... I don't understand why they have to be in their position. Or why I was," said Adagio. "I mean... they brought it on themselves, right? I guess I did too, with all of the terrible things I did."
"Ada..." Junior turned to face the girl. Adagio had broken into a sob, burying her face into her hands.
"Adagio, listen to me," said Junior, firmly. The girl kept crying, but her ears still picked up on his words.
"Look, what happened to you is not the same thing as what the Eloi did. While yes, you were careless and acted out, that was different compared to what happened to them," said Junior.
"How?" muttered Adagio.
"Adagio, what happened to the Eloi is pretty much as old as human existence. When a population gets traumatized to the point that almost everyone is reacting on base instincts, that leaves them vulnerable to being manipulated. It's what happened to us in our world," said Junior, prompting Adagio to look his way, her face red and stained with hot tears.
"MONARCH, the Purists, the Revolutionaries, any terrorist organization, or even our own government being basically a police state was brought on ourselves in a way," said Junior.
"But you're a mutant. How can you say the Purists were brought on by yourself?" asked Adagio incredulously.
"Believe me, it's not something I like saying. But I've thought about it for a while and even looked to some who asked questions," said Junior. "When I say this though, I mean collectively. We, as people, have a collective consciousness. Sometimes, when the majority has a similar thought, it can carry on and determine what happens within a population."
"You're gonna have to explain that to me. I-I don't..." Adagio sniffled, appearing puzzled.
"Well like... Think of it this way. Remember the 'Uprising of Solgell'? The trauma from that led to the 'Inhibitor Act', which allowed the government to enforce inhibitor chip implantation in mutants as far as in the womb. Transmutants were seen as rabid animals that needed to be tamed. But in all honesty, who could blame them? After what my dad did, I probably would've felt the same way," said Junior, his expression solemn. He made sure that Adagio was listening, which she was given that her puffy eyes were on him.
"That entire thing led to a domino effect. The slavery of mutants by corporations in Solgell led to the first Revolutionaries. That led to the war, then the government seeking ways to keep mutants in line. This led to more mutants to start attacks, which led to MONARCH, and the Purists. And what next? Well, it keeps going back and forth. But on every side, people consented to it. People allowed these forces to run free or said nothing because they thought they'd feel safe. The Purists and MONARCH made humans feel safe from mutants, and the Revolutionaries made the Transmutants feel safe from the humans that hated them," said Junior.
"That's... depressing. So, basically these things wouldn't have so much power over us if we didn't just go along with it?" asked Adagio.
"Well, it's very broad to say that all of us went along with it. I sure as hell didn't. It's just the unfortunate reality. I think a healthy mindset would be is to not put your emotions into it so much if you hadn't personally contributed. I mean, I never praised the Revolutionaries for the things they do. Just like you don't praise the Purists for what they do. Does that make sense?" asked Junior.
"I think so," answered Adagio.
"Sorry, I was rambling. Look, the point is, don't view what I said to apply to you. You didn't deserve being attacked. As callous as I am with the Eloi right now, I don't think they deserve what's happened to them. They just made bad calls and now they're reaping what's been sown. I wish we can do more, but we'd have to live here if we wanted to help. But I don't plan on sticking around," said Junior. Adagio chuckled.
"Yeah, I don't like the idea of any of those girls making you have their children," said Adagio. The two shared a laugh. Adagio scooted closer to Junior and leaned against his shoulder. She sighed as she relaxed against the boy, feeling a sense of security being this close to him. How she wished she had this feeling back in Equestria when she felt in danger.
"You should head inside. It's late," said Junior. Adagio merely wrapped her arm around the boy's. She leaned her head closer against him.
"I rather hang with you, if it's all the same," said Adagio.
"O-OK. But do you mind? I can feel them," muttered Junior, glancing at his arm. He found Adagio's chest pressed against him, cushioning his arm. Adagio giggled with a cheeky smile.
"They're just boobs. They won't hurt you," said Adagio.
"No, but..." Junior gulped.
"Alright, then let me sit on your lap," said Adagio.
"Bad idea," said Junior quickly. Adagio giggled in response. She sighed and brought the boy's arm around her shoulders.
"Just kidding," said Adagio.
It was the next day. Junior and the gang continued to help fortify the village of the Eloi.
Though at the moment, Junior was staring at the obelisk that stood in the center of the village. He bore an analytical look.
"Hey Goji. What are you doing?" asked Sunset, walking by.
"This thing," said Junior. Sunset looked at him and then looked to the object.
"There's something about what we saw that doesn't sit right with me," said Junior.
"You mean how creepy the Zetas look?" asked Sunset.
"Well, yes. But no. No, it's just something about this whole thing. What kind of deities are called 'Zetas'? What does it mean?" asked Junior.
"Well, it does seem odd for a name. I'd imagine something more mystical sounding," said Sunset.
"I wonder... who made this?" asked Junior.
"Huh?" Sunset.
"The obelisk. Who made it? Why? How do they know it contacts the Zetas?" asked Junior as he began to look over the structure.
"It could function in ways we can't understand," said Sunset.
"I thought you were a brainiac," said Junior.
"Only in stuff related to engineering and math. I'm a dunce when it comes to magic and the supernatural," said Sunset.
"Ugh. Whatever. I just hope-"
"Goji!" Rodan called out. Junior and Sunset turned to find Rodan rushing over.
"What's up?" asked Junior in worry, finding the urgent look that Rodan had.
"We caught one of those things in one of the traps! Come on!" said Rodan before running off. Both Sunset and Junior took off running after him. They were just outside of the town near the tall grasslands. They found Angirasu kneeling by the pit, looking down.
"Look! It's right down there!" said Rodan, pointing. Junior and Sunset looked down into the pit, finding a lizard man down below.
The creature was a forest green shade, with grey speckles on its body. It was much leaner than the others they've seen, with big yellow eyes. It bore a stubby snout and four clawed paws. The lizard scrapped at the walls frantically as it attempted to climb out. But the pit was much too deep and wide. It was impossible to get a grip onto the walls.
"You weren't kidding," said Sunset, wide eyed.
"So what do we do with it?" asked Angirasu.
"We could always roast it and have a nice meal," said Junior jokingly.
"You'll eat anything," said Sunset in amusement.
"I plead you! Have mercy!" cried a young, slightly rasped voice. The teens froze. They looked down to the pit, finding the reptilian to be looking up at them.
"You heard that too, right?" asked Rodan. "I mean, I'm still not trippin' on hallucinogens, am I?"
"Spare me, humans!" cried the lizard.
"They talk?!" cried Junior.
"Yeah and you were talking about cooking and eating it, you sicko," deadpanned Angirasu.
"I was kidding!" said Junior.
"Why are you attacking this village?" demanded Sunset.
"I was not attacking it," said the lizard.
"Oh yeah? What about your buddies? They caused plenty of trouble the other day!" said Junior.
"I am alone! I'm fleeing for my life!" said the lizard.
"Your life?" asked Rodan in confusion
"Well, you fled to the wrong place!" said Junior.
"Guys, wait! Maybe we should hear him out," suggested Angirasu.
"Hear him out?!" exclaimed Junior and Rodan in unison.
"Yeah. I mean, this one doesn't seem like the ones that you and Sunset fought. He might know something," said Angirasu. Sunset nodded in agreement.
"I'm with Aang. This could be a lead," said Sunset. Junior grumbled as he looked back down to the pit, where the lizard man stood.
Later, the lizard man found himself sitting in the middle of a house, his wrists and tail bounded in magic cuffs, courtesy of Sunset. The gang stood around, along with Tria and Selena.
"Alright, start talking," said Junior.
"I am called, Lightfoot. I come from the Lizard folk tribe known as the 'Tree Hoppers'."
"OK, 'Lightfoot'. Explain to me why your kind is terrorizing this small village? Is it for food? Trinkets? Or is it a pastime for you?" questioned Junior, narrowing his eyes. Lightfoot kept a brave look. His eyes locked with Junior's.
"While my kind vary on behavior, I assure you that my tribe and the crocodile folk tribe in this region are but a peaceful community. We harbor no ill will towards you humans or this village," said Lightfoot.
"Then why did four of you attack our village?" demanded Tria.
"Because they are but slaves," said Lightfoot.
"Explain," said Junior.
"It was 10 years ago. Our tribe was attacked and captured by mysterious men in armor. We've never seen anything like them. They took us and our crocodile neighbors from our home. Since then, we've been forced to toil away as slaves. Mining resources for them," said Lightfoot.
"Armored men?" Sunset asked.
"Some of us have even been corrupted in the mind as well. Turning us into violent savages for whatever deeds they planned for us. If what you said was true, then I believe the ones who attacked were my kin," said Lightfoot. Junior bore a pondering look. He wasn't sure if he could trust what this creature was saying. But, some things seemed to square with his story. After all, those lizards that attacked seemed much more animalistic than this one before him.
"Gojira, what if that's the reason why the Eloi were being attacked?" asked Sunset.
"Tria, I never asked. When did you the lizard men start attacking you?" asked Junior.
"About 8 years ago," answered Tria.
"So you guys have only been living like this for 8 years? Could you break down how exactly you worked out which males left to serve your gods? And where did that Obelisk come from?" asked Junior.
"The Obelisk just appeared one day, soon after the first attacks. We made contact with the Zetas, who requested we sacrifice one third of the adult men in our village, even the elders. By the years, that number increased, to the point where the last males to leave were around your age. This was a year ago," said Tria. Junior sighed as he scratched his head.
"And that didn't register as off to you?" asked Junior. Tria said nothing.
'Just stay on topic,' thought Junior, scolding himself.
"OK, something is definitely wrong around here," said Junior. He turned to Lightfoot with a firm expression.
"If we let you go, will you lead us to where you and your tribe are being held?" asked Junior.
"Only if you'll help me liberate them," replied Lightfoot.
"I can't promise anything, but we'll see," said Junior. Lightfoot then nodded to him. Junior sent Sunset a nod, prompting her to release Lightfoot of her spell. The lizard stood, rubbing his wrist.
"OK, lizard boy. Let's get going. I have somewhere else I need to be," said Junior.
"Cool. When are we going?" asked Rodan.
"Not everyone's coming. We need some to stay and look after the village. Too many of us going to this place is too risky," said Junior.
"Then who goes and who stays?" asked Adagio.
"We should have at least one mutant stay behind. Adagio, you stay since your powers allow for crowd control," said Junior. Adagio nodded with a mock salute.
"Dwan, you stay too," said Junior.
"Oh come on!" complained Dwan.
"If it's alright with you, Gojira. I think I should stay. I'm not exactly the stealthiest," said Angirasu. Dwan gasped, her mood lighting up.
"If you want. Rodan, Mosu, Sunset, you wanna come? Your magic might come in handy," said Junior. Sunset nodded with a determined smile.
"I got you, bro," said Rodan.
"Yeah," Mosura nodded.
"I-I'll come too!" said Selena.
"Ah... I don't think so," said Junior.
"Please? If it's where the Lizardmen are, then we might run into the men from our village. Perhaps the Zetas gave them another task. They might be trying to liberate them as we speak," said Selena. Junior glanced at his friends, who shrugged at him.
"Fine. Just stay low," said Junior.
It was later into the day. Junior found himself accompanied by Sunset, Mosura, Rodan and Selena. They followed Lightfoot across the land, passed the tall grass fields and away from the Eloi village. Selena took one last look back at the village, worry on her face.
"Come on. The faster we do this, the faster we get back," said Junior. This prompted Selena to jog after the group. The journey was quite long. They found themselves making their way to an empty field.
"So, Lightfoot. What's life like for you?" asked Sunset, hoping to strike a conversation to help pass the time.
"Before the slavery thing, of course," interjected Rodan.
"Life was relatively peaceful. My tribe dwelled on the tree tops in our forest. We built huts on the powerful branches of the great trees. As our name suggests, we utilized them for our daily lives," said Lightfoot.
"Ah. So you guys spend a lot of time above ground?" asked Mosura.
"Yes. It kept us out of reach of the dangerous beasts below, and proved as excellent resources for hunting, and battle" said Lightfoot.
"Battle? I thought you were peaceful," said Selena in confusion.
"Yes, we are peaceful. That does not mean that we are meek. We too at times have to fight for survival. We just do not seek fights," said Lightfoot.
"Did your tribe have a history of conflict?" asked Sunset.
"Not in my lifetime. Before, our neighbors the Moss Backs were our enemies. It took a pact between our tribes that led to peace," said Lightfoot.
"What kind of pact?" asked Rodan.
"The Moss Backs craved the fruits that grew on our trees. Because they could not climb our great trees, they only grabbed what fell. So as a peace offering, we trade them the fruits and they offered us protection on the ground," said Lightfoot.
"So just like that, you guys were at peace?" asked Junior in confusion.
"Yes." Lightfoot nodded.
"Huh. I guess Lizardmen are easier to please than most humans," said Sunset.
"I am ashamed," said Selena, prompting everyone to look her way. She had a grimace on her face.
"I grew up believing that your kind were but savage animals that wanted to feast on us. But here you show me that you are much more than what I thought. Just like us, you only wish to live in peace," said Selena. She bowed her head in shame.
"Forgive me for my ignorance, Lightfoot," said Selena.
"I hold no animosity to you. Most fear what they do not know. It is only natural for all living creatures. What sets us apart from the animals is that we are capable of seeing beneath the surface," said Lizardmen. Sunset nodded with a smile.
"Don't judge a book by its cover," said Sunset, glancing at Junior. The boy looked away, his eyes forward.
The group spent the whole day, walking across the land. The sun was setting, leading to the coming darkness of nightfall. The group soon came across a forest of dead bald trees. They stopped for the night to rest. They had sleeping bags set up, and a fire prepped, burning brightly. By now, the teens were cooking small rodent-like creatures that they had managed to catch.
"So how did you escape?" asked Junior, looking to Lightfoot.
"It was when our captors sought to corrupt more of us. While we were being taken to where the deed would be done, a Moss Back had broken free of his restraints and killed our escorts. That gave us an opportunity to escape," said Lightfoot.
"How many of you got out?" asked Junior.
"Most of us were caught inside of the fortress. The rest of us fled outside, but we separated. I don't even know if any of them are still out there. For all I know, they could have been recaptured if not killed," said Lightfoot, his tone solemn. Junior's expression softened.
"Do you... Do you have a family?" asked Selena.
"I did. Though I know not of their fate. Adolescents were separated from their parents," answered Lightfoot.
"I understand. I too lost family," said Selena. Junior sighed.
"It's getting late. Everyone eat up and get to bed," said Junior. Sunset looked his way, a soft expression on her face. There was that knot feeling again.
It was a cloudy day. The sun was obscured by the gloomy grey clouds. The weather was much cooler on this day. There was a breeze that blew the dust, and the scraggly branches of the dead trees in the area.
Junior and the gang followed Lightfoot deeper into the dead forest. They stopped at the edge of a hill, finding a large plateau to be ahead of them.
"We are here," said Lightfoot.
"Here? I don't see any fortress," said Rodan.
"Because it is inside of the plateau. There is a cave that leads inside. That is where we get in," said Lightfoot. He knelt down and began to use his claw to draw into the ground. He drew a lineand began to draw different sized squares.
"There are many different chambers, including a greater chamber deeper in the fortress. The slaves are kept in this dungeon. Somewhere around here," said Lightfoot, pointing to one of the squares he drew out.
"You memorized the whole place?" asked Junior in shock.
"They also had a map there. It helped," said Lightfoot.
"Makes sense," said Rodan, scratching his head.
"OK, we go in quiet. Lightfoot will lead the way," said Junior.
"What if we get caught?" asked Mosura.
"Then we wreck shit. Come on, we're three mutants and a magical girl. I think we can handle a bunch of medieval slavers in a cave," said Junior.
"Magical girl?" snorted Sunset.
"So... We do that thing? You know that Aang's the only one who can actually handle that, right?" asked Rodan. Junior grimaced. He didn't think of that being a contingency. Now he wished he convinced Angirasu to come along.
"It's fine. It might not come to that if we're careful," said Mosura.
"Yeah, but how careful can we be with a highly fortified cave?" deadpanned Rodan.
"I know a couple of spells that can help," said Sunset. She grunted as she held her hands up. As they glowed, they cast a brilliant light over the group. The group was blinded briefly. Junior winced as he rubbed his eyes.
"What was that?" asked Junior.
"It should be an invisibility spell. Though I never actually cast it before," said Sunset.
"Yeah, I can tell. I can still see all of you!" said Rodan in dismay. Mosura gasped.
"Whoa, look at the ground!" said Mosura. Confused, Junior looked down.
"What are we looking for?" asked Junior.
"Don't you notice? We aren't casting shadows," said Mosura.
"I did it! From the knowledge Amber gave, the spell is working if you can't see your shadow! It has this sort of perk where that those sharing the same cast can still see each other as well as themselves," said Sunset.
"Convenient. But there's a catch, right?" asked Junior.
"Well, the spell doesn't last long. We have roughly an hour or so before it ends. Unless I cancel it sooner," said Sunset.
"But you can recast it, right?" asked Junior.
"Yeah, but magic takes energy out of me. I'm a bit winded from a spell like that," said Sunset. Junior sighed in dismay. He knew this was too good to be true.
"Alright, let's make it count," said Junior.
The group made their way down the hill. Once they reached the plateau, Lightfoot took the lead. They found a large dark cave at the base of the plateau. Sunset drew out a small flashlight and turned it on.
"Glad I brought this along," said Sunset.
"What a fascinating device!" said Selena in awe.
"Hm. I see that you have similar tools," said Lightfoot.
"Huh?" Sunset looked at him in confusion.
"Nevermind. Hurry. But stay quiet. We are near," said Lightfoot as he moved further ahead. The teens followed. As they reached the lizardman's position, they stopped and stood in shock. They found themselves in a large room. The room was littered with dirt and rocks from the cave. The walls and floor were made up of steel, with conduits running beneath the grates on the ground and the walls. The ceiling above was mostly rocky, but there were steel beam frames above, holding up lights and the ceiling itself.
"Medieval slavers, huh?" Rodan looked to Junior with a cocked brow.
"This is... What's..." Junior struggled to process what he was seeing. The industrial look of this place looked too modern.
"This way," whispered Lightfoot, continuing to lead the group. The teens quietly walked through the metal corridors. It was cold, with bright lights in some areas, while softer lights in others. Lightfoot quickly pressed against the wall and motioned to the group. They all stopped and pressed against the wall as well. They found a masculine figure clad in dark armor to be walking by. They failed to get a good look at him, being that they were behind Lightfoot. Soon, the footsteps faded away.
"Come." Lightfoot led on.
"Now I see why they call ya, 'Lightfoot'," whispered Junior. The teens spent the next minute or so navigating through the corridors of this place. Lightfoot kept alert, warning his companions of any passing guards. While he had a good look at them, the others did not. Soon, they passed near a corridor, where a couple of voices were heard.
"Those things fucking reek, man. I hate lizard duty," said a distorted, male voice. Junior furrowed his brows as he heard the voice. It was distorted, almost like a radio crackle.
"I feel ya. Not to mention they give me the creeps. Have you seen the teeth on some of them?" asked another distorted voice.
Lightfoot had gone up further ahead to scout. During that idle conversation, he returned to the group.
"They're guarding the entrance to the dungeon. We must take care of them if we wish to remain hidden," said Lightfoot.
"Understood," said Junior. He and Lightfoot stepped out of hiding to confront the guards. Junior's eyes widened at the sight of them. They were men clad from head to toe in thick armor, with dark camo pants and finger-less gloves. They wore helmets with blue visors and masks covering their mouths. They held thick rifles in their hands. They didn't look like anything any military would typically have. The weapons had glowing lights on the side.
"What the fuck?" Junior whispered to himself. Lightfoot sneaked over to one of the armed guards. He motioned his head, promoting Junior to snap out of his shock. He stepped over to the second guard. Lightfoot began to count down with his claws. Junior tensed himself.
After the count down, Lightfoot swiftly struck the guard at the side of the head. Meanwhile, Junior slammed the second guard's head against the wall, causing a loud bang. The boy winced, freezing as the guard collapsed to the ground. Lightfoot peeked over a corner, finding the next corridor to be empty.
"We're safe," said Lightfoot. Junior sighed in relief, while the rest of the teens joined them.
"Whoa. These are the guys?" asked Mosura in shock.
"Ah hell, they have guns too? We're way over our heads," said Rodan with a nervous look. Sunset knelt down and inspected the unconscious guards. She noticed that there some kind of emblem on the armor. But, it was too worn out and faded to decipher what exactly it was. She decided to ignore it.
"We must hurry. There will be more guards soon," said Lightfoot.
"Right," said Junior as he began to search the guards. He found a card-like key to be clipped to the armor. Junior took it and stood to the door. He inserted the key into a slot, prompting green lights to appear. The door clicked, allowing Junior to open it. The group stepped inside, finding a long room filled with different cells. The air reeked of a foul stench. It wasn't death. It was more akin to a dirty tank of a pet reptile. Junior found that there were at least a dozen anthropomorphic lizards. They were of different shades of green, but bore similarities in appearance as Lightfoot, only they appeared a bit larger and bulkier in build.
"Is someone there?" asked a lizardman, gripping the metallic grate of the cell.
"Ah shit. I forgot, they can't see us," said Junior.
"Who speaks?!" exclaimed another lizardman.
"Silence, my friends. It is I, Lightfoot," said Lightfoot.
"Lightfoot? Are you a spirit?" asked another lizardman.
"Nay. I am still among the living. I have brought friends to liberate you," said Lightfoot, stepping over to the bar. The native reptiles still looked around, some murmuring amongst themselves as they attempted to find the source of the voice. Little did they know that Lightfoot was standing right in front of one of the cells. Junior scratched his head as he looked around. He then noticed that there was a computer console in the corner of the detention block. He made his way over and began to look over the console.
"Ah hell. What do I..." Junior looked over the dozens of glowing buttons on the console. He was quickly overwhelmed. He noticed a screen on the console, along with direction arrow keys, a familiar space button and enter button.
"OK, let's see."
Junior pressed the enter button. The screen depicted text, showing off different options. One that stood out the most was the text, 'Cell Controls'. He found multiple options for the controls. They ranged from closing, gassing, and electric shocks, likely contingencies against the prisoners. Then, the open option appeared in the boy's line of sight. Junior selected the option. A menu popped up, asking for which cells. Junior selected the 'All' option. Then, the screen displayed a menu asking for confirmation. Junior sighed in annoyance.
"Yes, dammit!" said Junior, hitting the 'Y' key. The screen then displayed text, requiring the insertion of a valid I.D.
"Hmm..." Junior drew out the card key and inserted it into the slot. The screen buzzed as it gave the red text, 'error'.
"Figures," said Junior, smacking the console in frustration.
"Bad news. I can't get the cells to open without the proper I.D.," said Junior, as the rest of the teens entered.
"Why bother? Let's just tear this sucker open," said Rodan, punching his palm.
"That'd be unwise. These cages were enchanted to harness lightning should we try to break free ourselves," said Lightfoot.
"Smart," said Junior begrudgingly.
"Sunset, can you try teleporting them out?" asked Mosura.
"I can try," said Sunset. Her hands sparked and shot them forward. The cells suddenly gave off a spark, which caused Sunset to yelp in pain. The lizards retreated from the cell grates with a start.
"Shit! Are you alright?!" Junior cried, rushing to Sunset. The girl winced, while sucking air through her teeth.
"Yeah, I think," whimpered Sunset. Junior took the girl's hand, causing her to gasp in pain. She had burns along her fingers.
"It doesn't look too bad, but let's not do that again," said Junior as he drew out bandages and began to wrap Sunset's fingers.
"What do we do now?" asked Selena. Junior looked to the cage with a grimace. He wasn't willing to test fate by trying to crack open these cells on his own. But then he remembered something.
"Lightfoot, you said that there was a map that helped you memorize this place, right?" asked Junior.
Just moments later, the teens were out in the hall, staring at a map on the wall. Based on what was depicted, this was a pretty large facility. For what it was for, they didn't know. But they knew that something like this required a lot of power.
"Right here. This is where the power is generated. If we shut it down, then we could get the cells open," said Junior.
"Are you crazy? That place is deeper into this facility," said Sunset.
"If you have other ideas, I'm all ears. Otherwise, this might be the only way. Looking for someone with clearance to open the gate will take too long and is too risky," said Junior.
"So what's the plan?" asked Mosura.
"Only a couple of us move in to shut off the power. The rest should wait in the cell block until the power's off. Once it is, bust them open," said Junior. He then turned to Sunset.
"You stay. You’re in no shape to cast anymore spells," said Junior. Sunset shook her head.
"No, I can still use magic. You'll need me if we want to maintain invisibility," said Sunset. Junior sighed.
"Alright. Rodan, are you good to stay?" asked Junior. Rodan reluctantly glanced at the lizardmen in the cells. Traumatic memories from his time in Ecstasia came flooding back. It was though his hallucination was some kind of premonition.
"Yeah..." said Rodan, half halfheartedly.
"I'll stay too," said Mosura.
"Ok. Lightfoot, you're with me," said Junior.
"I-I wish to come too," said Selena. Junior was about to decline but found the firm and determined look on the girl. She didn't look like she was going to take no for an answer. He rolled his eyes.
"Alright," said Junior.
"This way," said Lightfoot as he began to lead the small group. They again navigated the seeming endless corridors. They at times passed one or more passing armed guards, all wearing this dark armor.
Junior thought it was odd. He wondered how and why these guys were here, in a whole alternate world. So far, people they've run into seemed to come from hundreds if not thousands of years back. The way some of them talked and lived was like they managed to get by without having to go industrial. Yet the presence of a military faction armed with gear he's never seen on a common soldier from back home in a technologically challenged world didn’t add up. He questioned what type of people they were facing against.
The Eloi village was solemn. Mothers were contemplating the future of their sons, as the threat of the reptile folk loomed over them. Their gods, the Zetas, were asking them of their sacrifice for a life time of servitude. They would never see their sons again. To make matters worse, they were not old enough to even pass on their line, to lead to future generations to come. It seemed that the end of the Eloi was near.
Angirasu sat on the porch of the house with Adagio and Dwan. All three appeared to be bored.
"Man, I wish we went on that adventure. I'm bored," said Dwan.
"Yeah. I feel useless too," said Adagio. Dwan snorted as she glanced at the girl.
"You are useless," said Dwan. Adagio glared at her.
"Shut up!" said Adagio.
"Hey! Hey! No arguing!" said Angirasu, quickly getting between the two.
"Anything for you, Nice Aang," said Dwan, crossing her arms. Angirasu sighed.
'Damn it Goji. Why'd you leave me with these two?' thought Angirasu in dismay. He then looked to the Obelisk at the center of the village.
"You know, Gojira mentioned something about that Obelisk. How it was awfully suspicious," said Angirasu.
"You mean the fact that it looks like a giant dick?" asked Dwan. Angirasu and Adagio sent her an odd look.
"What? Have you not heard of Osiris? Those things are everywhere on earth. Why did they call that thing the Washington Monument when it looks nothing like the guy? Other than that one part of him?" asked Dwan.
"Good God, Dwan," said Adagio in disbelief.
"What?" asked Dwan with a shrug.
"You should discuss that with Rodan and Gojira. They love to talk conspiracy theories," said Angirasu with a roll of his eyes. But he looked back to the obelisk.
"But I'd be lying if what he said didn't have me intrigued," said Angirasu as he stood up.
"Where are you going?" asked Adagio.
"I'm gonna get a closer look at that thing. Wanna help?" asked Angirasu.
"I'm sure Dwan would," said Adagio with a smirk. Dwan sent her an annoyed look.
"Osiris!" said Dwan.
"I don't know what that means!" said Adagio. Dwan got up and began to follow Angirasu. Adagio sighed.
"Screw it. I've got nothing better to do," said Adagio, hopping to her feet.
The three teens made their way over to the obelisk. It was a tall structure, almost as tall as a house. It shined from the sunlight that hung high above in the sky.
"So what are we looking for?" asked Adagio.
"Not sure. But maybe there's something inscribed here that could tell us some history. Or at least hint at its origins," said Angirasu.
"What's this thing made of?" Dwan knocked on the surface of the object. There was an almost hollow clang from the knock.
"Wait a minute." Angirasu began to knock on the obelisk as well. It made the same sound. He began to run his hand along the hot surface.
"I thought this thing was made of some kind of stone or something. But it feels like metal. Just ordinary metal," said Angirasu. Adagio squinted.
"There's some rust. Doesn't seem so divine to me," said Adagio. Dwan looked to the side of the obelisk. She noticed an indented square with gaps along the sides.
"Nice Aang, what does that look like to you?" asked Dwan. Angirasu stepped over to her and looked over her shoulder.
"What in the world?"
"Desecraters!" cried a shrill voice. The teens quickly turned in alarm. They found that a woman was pointing an accusatory finger at them. This had drawn the attention of the other villagers.
"You dare to defile this sacred structure?! Incur the wrath of the powerful Zetas?!" demanded the woman.
"Defile?!" exclaimed a woman in panic. The villagers began to murmur in panic and shout condemnation to the teens.
"Have you no respect for the divine?!" yelled a woman.
"For shame!" shouted another woman.
"No, wait a minute! We were just looking at it!" said Angirasu.
"You are just outsiders! You'll bring the wrath of the Zetas upon us!" said Tria angrily.
"What more can they do to you? They're already making you exile your sons!" said Adagio.
"Bite your tongue!" said Tria. Angirasu grimaced as the angry mob gathered. He knew that things were not gonna go well for him and the others.
Suddenly, the obelisk ignited. The torches roared to life, startling everyone in the village. From above the obelisk, a familiar apparition head appeared. It was the Zeta.
"Eloi, I call upon you," said the Zeta.
"Uh oh," said Adagio with a grimace.
"You must give up the remaining boys of your village. For it is the will of the Zetas." said the Zeta, it's eyes glowing.
"B-But, great Zeta! We will have no men left to help continue our people's legacy!" cried Tria. Suddenly, the flames from the torches burned hotter and brighter, growing large to the point that it almost obscured the obelisk. The villagers all screamed in fright, dropping to their knees and pleading for mercy. Angirasu, Dwan and Adagio stepped away from the obelisk, looking on fearfully at the sight.
"You will gives us your sons! Or else you will face the hunger of the reptile demons!" yelled the Zeta.
Junior and his group eventually came across a room in the hall. Sunset stopped as she took a glance into a room.
"Guys, look!" whispered Sunset. The group looked inside the room, finding it quite large. There were different consoles that filled the room, along with different screen monitors. In the center of the room, there was a podium-like structure that stood.
"Could be a security room or something," said Junior.
"Have they sent the rest to the drop point?" A male voice asked.
The group froze at the sound of the voice. They turned and found two men in uniform to be walking in. The teens made sure to keep away from the two, as to not make contact in their invisible state.
"No, there's no sight of them. That's why we're asking you to do your usual thing," said the second man, as they made their way to the podium. From the podium, a metallic helmet ejected.
"Yeah, yeah. It's a bit unusual to do this without a 'summons', right?" asked the man as he took the helmet.
The second man sighed as he sat at a computer console, beginning to type away. The large screen monitor in the room flickered to life, displaying a village. Selena's eyes widened as she recognized the village depicted. While she was shocked by this seemingly magical canvas, she was mostly shocked by the fact that it depicted a portion of her village.
"Well, the egg heads are asking for more test subjects. Our client is getting impatient," said the second man.
'Test subjects?' thought Junior.
The man at the podium placed on the helmet. It clicked, and a tube hung from the mouth piece, connecting to the console on the podium. He began to type away.
"Well they better make it count. All they've been doing is testing on males, so these are the last," said the man, whose voice changed from muffled, to distorted.
It was here that the teens came to a horrible realization. The helmet of the man was metallic curved around the dome. There were large black eye lens on the helmet, as the trunk-like tube hung. The voice was a familiar distortion.
"Heh. You think I can use the Zeta division as a reference for acting?" asked the man at the podium.
"Hey, all of this is classified, remember? Just do your job," said the second man in annoyance as he pressed a button on the console.
"OK, special effects are on. Torches are lit, obelisk is ignited... Waiting for the Eloi to gather..." The second man said as he quickly typed away at the console. "God this is harder doing this alone."
The teens watched the monitor as the Eloi were seen rushing around. They seemed to be focus on the line of sight of the camera. It only took a fraction of a second for Junior to realize what those people were looking at.
"OK, you're on in three, two, one. Broadcasting," said the second man as he pressed a button, as multiple ball-like objects began to hover around the man in the helmet. He had just cleared his throat.
"Eloi, I call upon you," said the man. Selena went pale.
"You must give up the remaining boys of your village. For it is the will of the Zetas."
"B-But, great Zeta! We will have no men left to help continue our people's legacy!" cried Tria, as depicted on the screen.
"Time to show divine wrath..." said the second man to himself, pressing a key on the console. The screen suddenly flashed with glimpses of fire, which slightly distorted the footage. The women in the village screamed in fright, cowering.
"You will gives us your sons! Or else you will face the hunger of the reptile demons!" yelled the man in the helmet. Junior growled. He began to make his way over to man at the console, much to Sunset's alarm.
"Goji! What are-" Sunset hissed.
Junior pressed on until he stood behind the man at the console. He suddenly grabbed him from behind, covering his mouth. The man gave muffled cries as he was placed in a head locked. Junior stood silent as he kept the man in a tight hold. He then felt the man beginning to go limp in his hold. He then began to gently lower him to the ground. Junior then proceeded to walk over to the guy in the helmet.
"If you continue to refuse, our divine-" The man in the helmet grunted as Junior yanked off his helmet, revealing his face.
"What in the-" The man exclaimed, looking around. The Eloi on the monitor gasped in shock and were in confusion. All they saw was the face of the deity quickly changing to that of a common man.
Junior yanked the man away from the podium and gave a swift punch, knocking him out cold. Junior looked to Sunset.
"Can you cancel the invisibility spell on me?" asked Junior.
"S-Sure," said Sunset, her eyes wide. She winced as she raised her hands. She hissed as she shot a bolt at Junior, who briefly flashed. The boy felt around himself. He noticed that he was casting a shadow on the ground.
"OK, let's do this," said Junior as he walked up to the podium. He noticed that the floating spheres bore camera lenses on them, circling about 180 degrees. Junior noticed a monitor on the podium, which depicted a three dimensional image of his face.
"Holographic technology, huh?"
Junior cleared his throat.
"Is this thing on? Can you guys hear me?" asked Junior, looking at the large monitor on the wall.
"Holy shit, Gojira?!" exclaimed Angirasu from the crowd.
"Yeah! Listen, we found the Lizardmen! It turns out that they were enslaved by the Zetas! These aren't gods, they're just men! This is all smoke and mirrors!" said Junior.
"What?!" exclaimed Angirasu.
"Listen, we need to get the Eloi out of the village! For some reason, these guys wanted the men! I can't say for what, but it can't be good. We'll try to free the Lizardmen and see if we can find the men! We'll meet you guys back at the village soon!" said Junior. He stepped away from the podium.
"OK, let's tie these guys up and move on," said Junior.
"Hey, this guy has an I.D.! You think it will open the cells?" asked Sunset, holding up an I.D. card.
"Maybe. Hold onto it for now. We still have to check and see if the men are held up somewhere," said Junior
"Unfortunately, I haven't heard of anything about humans being kept prisoner for the years I've been here. But perhaps we can search," said Lightfoot.
"Gojira, you're exposed, remember? You're at greater risk getting caught," said Sunset. She noticed Selena to be looking down at the ground. She had a stunned look on her face.
"Selena?" called Sunset.
"It... It was all a lie," said Selena, her tone distant and emotionless.
"Hey," Junior called.
"We... We sent them away for a lie. My father..." Selena trembled, clenching her fists.
"Selena, I need you to keep your cool, alright? There's a chance that we can make this right." said Junior.
Selena said nothing. She merely nodded. Junior couldn't blame her for being in the state she was in. After all, her entire world was just shattered before her very eyes. Junior took the I.D. card from Sunset and held it to Selena.
"I need you to go back and give this to Mosu and Rodan. They'll release the lizardmen. If this thing works, then take them and go," said Junior.
"But-" Selena was about to protest.
"Selena, I need you to do this. Right now, they need you. The Eloi need you. We'll stay and try to find the rest," said Junior firmly. Selena frowned. She took the I.D. and began to run out of the room.
"Gojira, they might not even be here," said Sunset, her tone small. Junior merely let out a long exhale through his nostrils.
"I know. But it doesn't hurt to look. Besides, we still have to shut this place down. We can't let them get away with this," said Junior, turning to Sunset. Or at least where he thought she was.
"Uh Goji, I'm right here," said Sunset. Junior blushed with a sheepish look.
"Oh. This might be a problem," said Junior
Some time had passed. Junior and his group continued to navigate through the corridors. They searched every room that they could, with the help of the different maps place along the way. There was no luck. All there were was supply rooms, tools for the slaves, medical rooms, living quarters, and armories. This was more like an actual military occupation rather than a bunch of soldiers being marooned on an alternate world.
With their stop at the armory, Junior had snagged a couple of hand grenades, much to Sunset's dismay, of course. Still, Junior thought they'd be useful for the power room.
With the magic spell having been cancelled for Junior, he was blind to Sunset and Lightfoot. So, Lightfoot would scout ahead, motioning for Sunset, who then guided the boy with her voice. This was a risky process.
"Whoa... what do you think did this?" asked Sunset. The group stood before a large glass cell, inside of a metallic room. The cell had some claw marks around the metallic walls and the thick glass.
"I don't wanna find out," said Junior. He noticed the words 'Containment' to be faded on the wall of the room. Junior saw that there was a console near the cells. He stepped over to it and found a monitor. The monitor bore a human figure, next to another.
On the monitor, there was a logged in date. Junior pressed the arrow key and selected the log. There was a crackle.
"Log accessed. Recorded 4 days ago..." a monotoned voice spoke. Another crackle.
"The Zeta division has had much progress in genetic research over the years. Our client was pleased with our breakthrough and specimens that we sent. In fact, she's commissioning more," a male voice spoke over the recording. He gave a small chuckle.
"Thanks to the Eloi, we've had plenty of test subjects to work with here," said the man. The recording crackled.
"End log," said the computer voice.
"Jesus," said Sunset in horror.
"Genetic research. That sounds more like GeneCo's schtick. Geez. An army and base with modern tools and gear. Dabbling in human experimentation? Just who are these guys?" asked Junior. He began to mess with the computer console again.
"Hey, select that one. 'Experiment Status'," said Sunset. Junior complied, finding different options. Each one was marked as Classified. Junior tried clicking on one. A screen popped up, requesting authorized I.D.
"Hmm. Looks like we can't- Hey, there's something," said Junior as he opened up an option, reading as 'Log'. Instead of an audio recording, there was text. It read as followed:
"The Eloi have proven to be a useful resource for our experimentation. While the research is meant for a client, the results will prove useful for our own bio-weapons program. Though I wonder how long until we drop the charade and just take all who's left. Unlike the other settlements we've had our sights on, this one could easily just disappear and very few would be quick to notice."
"I think I'm gonna be sick," said Sunset. Junior sighed.
"I guess we're not gonna find the men here. Let's just-"
"Halt!" barked a voice. The teens froze. Sunset and Lightfoot turned to find two soldiers to be standing in the door way. One of them approached, his weapon raised.
"The hell are you doing here?! Identify yourself! Who the fuck are you?!" demanded one of the soldiers. Junior slowly turned with his hands raised with a forced smile. He forgot that he was still visible.
"H-Hey guys. Listen, I know I'm not supposed to be here. Why don't I just walk on out of here and get out of your hair," said Junior, hoping that dumb luck will greet him.
"Oh shit!" One of the guards took a step back. Junior raised a brow in confusion at the man's reaction.
"We got a 10-99 in the Containment facility! I say again, we have a 10-99! Lucky Dragon is in the Containment facility!" said the second guard.
"Wait, ten ninety- hold up! Guys, we don't have to call this in! Come on, I just got lost on my way to the bathroom," said Junior with a nervous laugh. Sunset quickly fired a bolt of magic at the gun of one of the soldiers. Then, Lightfoot lunged for the second guard. He was slammed and beaten to the ground. Before the first guard could react, Junior took advantage of him being disarmed by knocking him out cold.
Suddenly, there was a blare of an alarm.
"So much for stealth!" said Junior.
"Let's get out of here!" cried Sunset. She gasped as she and Lightfoot briefly flashed.
"The spell wore off!" said Junior.
"We definitely need to go!" said Sunset, taking Junior's hand. The three ran out of the room, but found several guards rushing down the hall. The three ran down a separate corridor, as the guards shouted incoherently. They spent the time evading approaching guards, hiding in different rooms, and in the shadows of corners.
"Holy crap," said Sunset, turning. Junior and Lightfoot turned as well. They found a great room, where a massive device stood. It was made up of metal, with a sphere of violet energy in the center. The energy swirled and pulsed. There were multiple platforms, catwalks and conduits in the room, even levels that led to different floors.
"Looks like the power room," said Junior, in awe.
"It feels like... magic. It's so strong, too," said Sunset, still staring. She then looked to the boy next to her.
"Yeah, no way we can take this out," said Sunset. Junior noticed that on the upper levels, there were large structures connected to the massive reactor. They seemed to have vents.
"Those look like a ventilation system or something. Could that help?" asked Junior, pointing.
"Yeah! If they were destroyed, that thing could overheat and burn itself out. Or explode and take out this entire plateau," said Sunset, dryly.
"Well, you wanna take a chance?" asked Junior. Sunset grimaced as she looked at the reactor.
"Fuck it. We can't let these guys exploit anyone else," said Sunset.
"That's why I like you Sunset. You're a ride or die chick," said Junior with a chuckle. Sunset frowned.
"Just don't push it," said Sunset.
"Alright. We just have to get up to them. Lightfoot, you can reach that one, right?" asked Junior, pointing to a ventilation pillar near the wall. There were stones that stuck out, grates and conduits that hung.
"A worthy challenge to climb," said Lightfoot. Junior handed him a hand grenade.
"Take this. All you have to do is pull the pin and throw. Be careful though. You have a short amount of time before it explodes. Make it count," said Junior. Lightfoot nodded. He rushed to the rocky walls and began to climb. Junior turned to Sunset, who was searching a way up.
"Stay close," said Sunset, before teleporting herself and Junior to the upper levels. The two began to rush to the ventilation system, but quickly hid behind a crate, as a couple of guards ran by.
"What the hell is that freak doing here?!" cried a guard.
"Let's just find him and kill him! He's our priority right now!" said another. Sunset softly gasped to herself. Junior bore a grimace as he heard this. Judging how the guards reacted to Junior, they might have been talking about him. Sunset looked to him worriedly.
"Goji?"
"Let's not worry about it right now. Come on," said Junior as he rushed out of hiding. He noticed metal stairs to be leading up near the ventilation pillar. They began to climb the stairs until they reached a catwalk, leading to the reactor. Below was the ventilation, where the shaft was exposed and vulnerable.
"Ugh..." Junior grimaced as he found the height they were at. It was a long drop below. Not to mention the steel narrow cat walk they were on.
"I don't think we can make this shot without missing," said Junior, finding that the vent wasn't directly below them, and about twenty feet below. Meaning they'd have to throw the grenade to get it into the shaft.
"If I use my magic, we can guide the grenade," suggested Sunset. Junior nodded as he drew out the grenade. He took a breath, knowing that there was no room for error. There was a sudden distant explosion, startling the two. There was a brief rumble from the ventilation pillar that had exploded from the base. The reactor gave a loud buzz, as an alarm went off. Junior saw Lightfoot leaping down to a catwalk, then sprinting away.
"Looks like Lightfoot succeeded," said Junior in relief. There was a sudden tremor, causing the entire facility to rock.
"What-" Junior and Sunset felt the tremors grow more violent.
"Ah!!" Sunset screamed as she found herself falling over the rail of the catwalk.
"SUNSET!" Junior quickly lunged for her and caught her ankle. Sunset whimpered as she dangled below. She looked back at the boy, a fearful look on her face. Junior grunted as he was pressed against the rail, holding tightly to Sunset.
"Hold on! I'll pull you up!" said Junior.
"No! Toss me the grenade! We have one shot, but I know I can make it!" said Sunset, dangling below. Junior grunted as he held out the grenade. He dropped it, allowing Sunset to catch. The girl looked to the ventilation shaft, taking a breath. She gasped as the tremors came again. Junior grabbed onto the railing with his free hand as he kept his grip on Sunset.
"Hurry!" cried Junior. Sunset pulled pin and tossed the grenade. She then used her levitation magic to guide the explosive. It clanged as it bounced against the wall of the shaft, falling out of sight.
"I got it!" cried Sunset.
"Alright, give me your hand!" called Junior. Sunset grunted as she pulled herself, grabbing Junior's hand that held her ankle. With her secured, Junior released the rail and grabbed Sunset's other hand, before releasing her ankle. The two grunted as she hung, hands locked tightly. They were suddenly rocked by the explosion from below the ventilation pillar. The tremors grew more violent, and the alarm continued to blare.
"What's going on?!" cried a voice below.
"The ventilation system is down! The damn reactor is overheating!" cried another voice.
"Quick! Get everyone on the airships! We'll try to initiate emergency shut down!" said the first voice. As the men fled, the reactor began to burst with small explosions. The tremors continued.
"Gojira!" cried Sunset. Junior had the fearful look on her face etched into his mind. It was the same kind of look he's seen too many times. He wasn't going to lose her too. He didn't have a choice.
With a mighty pull and shout, Junior yanked Sunset high to the air. She yelped as she dropped against his chest, landing on her feet. Junior released her and turned to the facility, finding that it was starting to collapse in on itself. Rocks fell, along with steel beams.
"Let's go!" said Junior, taking Sunset's hand. The two ran along the cat walk and made their way down the flight of stairs, but the stairs began to creak and bend. The ceiling started to fall and damage the area around them. At this rate, they'll be crushed.
"Excuse me!" Junior suddenly scooped Sunset into his arms.
"Hey! What-" Sunset gasped as Junior rushed to the edge of the platform.
"No! No! Wait! Goji!" cried Sunset in panic.
"Up, up, and away!" cried Junior as he leapt off, just moments before a large steel beam caused the stairs to collapse.
"Eeeeek!!" Sunset screamed as she held Junior tightly, clenching her eyes shut.
Junior landed, bending his knees. The sudden stop rattled him a bit, but he stood back up and sprinted off. Sunset was panting, appearing traumatized as she held onto Junior.
"Don't ever do that again!" shouted Sunset.
"No promises," said Junior with a chuckle. Lightfoot came rushing over as Junior set Sunset down.
"Let's get out of here!" shouted Junior.
The facility continued to collapse. The generator began to fall apart, as small explosions burst along its surface.
Meanwhile outside of the plateau, Mosura, Rodan, Selena, and the liberated Lizard men stood just outside. They watched as the sight of zeppelin-like airships began to ascend, leaving the plateau. They bore symbols on their sides. However, they were indiscernible, due to the weathering damage that was on them.
The earth began to rumble. Everyone was almost knocked off their feet.
"They're still in there!" cried Mosura, running down the hill and back to the cave entrance.
"Mosu, wait!" cried Rodan as he chased after her. They both stopped as the landmass began to crumble before their very eyes. A great thundering sound deafened the air as the dust rose.
"No!!" screamed Mosura, her voice drowned out.
Moments later, the dust began to settle. Half of the plateau was nothing but crumbled rock. The air and earth had settle, leaving nothing but rubble behind. The remaining teens and lizardmen approached. Mosura just stared, her heart aching terribly.
"Oh my God. They're..." Mosura was interrupted as rubble was forced away. She gasped, as a small flame of hope ignited in her.
From the rubble, Junior forced his way out. He grunted as he stumbled. Sunset coughed as she followed, along with Lightfoot. Each were covered from head to toe in dust.
"Nice job with the dome, Red," said Junior with a sigh.
"Yeah, no problem," said Sunset with a chuckle. She found Mosura staring at them, with tears streaming down her face.
"Y-You guys!" whined Mosura. She rushed over to Junior and Sunset, pulling them into a tight hug.
"Don't scare me like that, you jerks!" sobbed Mosura.
"Aw Mosu," said Sunset, returning the hug. Rodan approached with a relieved smile.
"Good to see you back, bro," said Rodan, meeting Junior with a fist bump
"Glory! Our heroes have returned! We are free!" cried a lizardman. The tribes of reptiles gave loud cheers in unison. There were many lizardmen and crocodile men here, each with their own sizes and shades of colors. Lightfoot smiled.
"Thank you, my friends. Because of you, our people are free," said Lightfoot, bowing to Junior.
"Heh. It's no problem," said Junior, scratching the side of his head.
"Gojira... My people," called Selena. Junior glanced at Sunset, who bore a grimace. The boy sighed.
"I'm sorry, Selena. We couldn't find them. They were here before, but now they're gone," said Junior. The girl frowned deeply.
"They were here?" sniffled Mosura, having settled down a bit.
"Yeah. It looks like they were guinea pigs for some kind of genetic experimentation. Someone was paying for them," said Sunset.
"I bet it was that Malicia bitch we've heard about," said Junior, looking to Rodan.
"You mean the one that the witches were making those Skull Walkers for? Why?" asked Rodan.
"I can only guess," said Junior. There was a sudden sense of dread over the teens.
"Come on, let's get out of here," said Junior.
The reptiles, humans and mutants began to make their journey from the now destroyed base. Along the way, Junior heard a faint rumble. He stopped and looked back at the plateau, where more dust rose. He heard a faint bellow in the air. Junior felt himself drawn to the mysterious sight and sound. But he couldn't fathom what it could be.
"Goji, we're gonna leave you," chuckled Rodan.
"Sorry. I'm coming," said Junior.
Malicia stood in the middle of a room. She was admiring the images illustrated on the wall. But, she turned back to find one of her soldiers kneeling before her.
"What?" asked Malicia.
"We received word that the plateau was lost. We have them in contact for you right now," said the soldier, holding up a crystal ball. Malicia used her levitation magic to take the glowing object.
"Leave me," said Malicia. As told, the soldier stood up and rushed out of the room. Malicia turned her attention to the crystal ball.
"Report," said Malicia.
"I regret to inform you, your majesty. Zeta Divison's base of operations was lost. Our reactor was destroyed and the plateau collapsed on top of the facilities. We've lost control of the Eloi and our labor force as well," said a voice from the crystal ball. Malicia gave a tired sigh.
"It seems that you had rotten luck. No matter. How long until you can recuperate?" asked Malicia.
"We're currently evacuated in our airships. The necessary tools can be regained sooner, but a new facility may take months to construct. There's also the need of test subjects," said the voice.
"There's a fortress within our territory that you may use. Just east from the Eloi. It may not be as advanced, but it's a start. I'll even provide whatever I can for containment. As for your test subjects, there's another village not too far from my capital that's ripe for the picking," said Malicia.
"Thank you for your generosity and understanding, your majesty," said the voice. The crystal ball went dark. Malicia felt a presence around her.
"Will you not have them executed? You're well within your right to," said a different male voice. Malicia merely smiled.
"Don't be silly. I only execute defectors and the useless. While they failed in defending their fortress, they are still of use to me. I will just have to make a couple sacrifices of my own," Malicia.
The Eloi village was much more lively than it was previously. The lizards sang songs of thanks and celebration for their freedom. They danced, during this occasion. They even roasted the fresh kills they had, in the spot where the Obelisk once stood.
While some of the human villagers were still fearful and reluctant, others took to mingling with the reptiles, but Selena sat silently and alone. She noticed Junior standing beside her.
"Listen, Selena... I'm sorry that we didn't find anyone back there. Especially your dad," said Junior, apologetically.
"What do you think happened to them?" asked Selena. Junior hesitated to answer. He certainly couldn't tell her what he thought exactly. Not after he looked through those record logs back in that base.
"I don't know. I just hope..." Junior fell silent. He sighed.
"Hey, at least your home was saved. Not to mention, you helped saved another people. Well, maybe that isn’t the accurate term," said Junior, finding a lizard man scarfing down on the cooked leg of an animal.
"Yeah..." Selena sighed. Junior frowned.
"I'll give you some time to yourself," said Junior, before walking off. As he did, he found Rodan standing next to Angirasu and Lightfoot. They were eating as they conversed.
"Hey, sorry if I come off as inappropriate, but how do you tell the difference between males and females in your kind?" asked Angirasu.
"Ah. Well, it varies based on certain species. But most commonly, you can tell at a glance by the scent. Also, males have a thicker base at their tail, while females are more slender. In our tribe, males tend to be brighter in color than the females," explained Lightfoot.
"Is it considered... I don't know, perverted to look at your tails? Or even to smell you?" asked Junior, raising a brow.
"To look, no. To stare, yes," said Lightfoot.
"Yeah, I found that out the hard way," said Rodan.
"What do you mean?" asked Junior.
"When me and Mosura were in that cell block, I was staring at a couple of them to see if I could figure out which one is male and female. Because you know, it's hard to tell," said Rodan, awkwardly.
"Turns out a female started freaking out when she noticed. Then the whole prison was filled with a bunch of angry lizards," said Rodan.
"That's what you get for being a perv," deadpanned Junior.
"Hey, it wasn't even like that! Gross! But I did learn that some females sound kinda cute and are more curvy looking. Not those curves! I mean in general!" said Rodan quickly.
"Ah. I see you learned something," said Lightfoot with a nod.
"Don't worry. I'm sure they find you repulsive too," chuckled Junior. Rodan grumbled.
"H-How do females smell?" asked Angirasu.
"Why the hell do you wanna know that?" asked Junior in confusion.
"Call it a weird curiosity," said Angirasu.
"They smell like clean feathers," said Rodan. Junior, Angirasu and Lightfoot merely sent Rodan a look.
"How do you know that?" asked Junior. Rodan was silent.
Earlier that day...
Rodan was walking about in the Eloi village. He hummed to himself, a smile on his face.
"Man, that party's gonna be awesome. I can't wait to pig out!" said Rodan. As Rodan passed some large bushes, a pair of hands reached out grabbed him, pulling him inside. Rodan found himself on his back, finding a lizard man over him. Rodan whimpered, his face growing pale. He knew that he had a bad feeling about these things. The lizard growled as it leaned close.
Rodan clenched his eyes shut, awaiting his end. But felt a sharp nip at his neck, causing him to grunt in pain. The lizard suddenly gave a throaty chirp, holding a loving look in its eyes.
"I've always wanted to do this, but I've been cooped up in that dungeon. Please, have my hatchlings!" the lizard man spoke. Or rather, the lizard woman. She spoke in a lustful young feminine tone. She began to grind her pelvis against Rodan, who cringed and whimpered. Rodan's nose was filled with the scent of this aroused creature. Her long tail began to curl and wrap around the boy's leg.
"Huh. You're a lot softer than I imagined. And smaller. I'm surprised, Lightfoot. Hey, where's your tail?" asked the lizard woman.
"Huh?!" exclaimed Rodan. The lizard froze.
"Eh?" The lizard woman squinted, leaning closer to the boy. Her bad vision began to adjust, painting a clearer picture of the boy. Her eyes widened in horror.
"Ah! The letch!" cried the lizard woman, pushing herself off of the boy, holding one paw between her legs.
"Hey, you violated me!" said Rodan defensively. The lizard began to hiss at the boy, bearing her small sharp teeth at him. Rodan cried as scampered out of the bush, running away.
Present...
"Rodan?" called Junior. Rodan just stood with a blank expression. He turned and noticed a familiar lizard woman. She stood from a distance, her eyes narrowed. She gave an aggressive hiss, prompting Rodan to look away.
"I don't wanna talk about it!" said Rodan. He then cleared his throat as he leaned close to Lightfoot.
"Hey, dude. I think that female lizard's eyeing you. Maybe you should go talk to her," whispered Rodan.
"Y-You believe so?" asked Lightfoot, a stutter in his voice.
"Oh yeah. She's definitely interested," said Rodan with a forced smile. "But you might wanna introduce yourself. I think she has bad eyesight,"
"Bad eyesight? You just said she was-" Junior was interrupted as Lightfoot quickly handed him a half-eaten turkey leg.
"Excuse me, friends," said Lightfoot as he walked off. Angirasu looked at him in disapproval.
"Don't mess with people like that," said Angirasu.
"One, he's a lizard. Two, I know what the ladies like. She's definitely interested," said Rodan. Junior scratched his head.
"So... Are you gonna tell us how you know-"
"It'll be a snowball chance in Hell before I tell you!" yelled Rodan.
"OK," said Junior, taking a step back. Dwan suddenly popped out of nowhere and glomped Angirasu from behind, causing him to grunt and stumble.
"Nice Aang~! Dance with me, hero!" said Dwan, hauling Angirasu away.
"W-Wait!" cried Angirasu.
"Hero? We did all the work," scoffed Rodan, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Real heroism is a thankless job, Rodan," said Junior. Rodan chuckled.
"Since when did you start using cool lines?" asked Rodan.
"Ah come on. It wasn't that cool," said Junior.
"I'm gonna get some more food. You want anything?" asked Rodan.
"I'm good," said Junior. He was about to take a bit of the turkey leg he had, but noticed the bite mark. He cleared his throat before tossing it aside. He watched the village celebrate during this evening alone. He felt a sense of calmness here now, unlike the couple of days of being here prior. It was a feeling he missed.
"Looks like we did good, huh?" asked Sunset, walking over.
"Mm hm." Junior nodded. But an uncertain look was on his face. "Do you think they'll be able to get their old lives back?"
"I don't know. Probably not. But that doesn't mean that their new lives will be worse," said Sunset. Junior took some comfort out of that. So long as the Eloi become more discerning and independent, there may be a chance that they'll grow out of their trouble. By watching the interaction with the reptile folk, he thought that this may be the start of something good for both of them.
"You've been a pretty heroic guy lately," said Sunset. Junior looked her way.
"I mean, you always had a tendency to throw yourself into danger. Which is something I always hated about you," said Sunset, rubbing her arm.
"But... as much as I hate seeing you do that, I can't help but admire you. You've even saved me plenty of times," said Sunset. "I... I hope to repay you someday"
Junior said nothing. He instead turned to face the girl. Sunset bore a confused look at his lack of response. She gasped as Junior suddenly bent down and embraced her. Sunset felt his hold on her tighten. As she made contact with him, she felt a sadness.
'Just don't leave...' a voice echoed in Sunset's mind. The girl felt herself tear up. She returned Junior's embrace, smiling.
'I won't' thought Sunset.
The two heard a sudden sound. It was someone clearing their throat. They turned to find Mosura standing, an annoyed look on her face. Sunset and Junior released each other. Mosura had a small hint of a pout on her face. The red haired girl walked over to Mosura.
"He's all yours," whispered Sunset with a wink. Mosura lost her sour look, replaced by a blush. She turned to Junior, who awkwardly scratched his head. Mosura merely smiled as she walked over.
"Popular with the girls, aren't you?" asked Mosura, teasingly.
"Not really," said Junior with an embarrassed chuckle. Mosura stood next to the boy.
"So, where to next?" asked Mosura.
"Well, I was looking at the map. Judging by the speed of our ride and such, we can keep going without stopping at any towns. We'll have to camp, but we'll make up for a lot of time this way," said Junior.
"Sounds like a plan," said Mosura with a nod
The next day seemed to have arrived quickly. Junior and the gang were gathering their things and placed them into the back.
During this, the Eloi had began to resupply the teens for their next journey. They were provided with essentials, from food and water to freshly cleaned clothes.
"I think that's everything," said Adagio, handing Junior a basket.
"Sweet. Hop in and let's get going," said Junior.
"Hold, friends!" called Lightfoot. The teens turned to find the reptile folk to be gathering.
"Our tribes wish to bestow upon you gifts for our gratitude for our liberation," said Lightfoot.
"Aw you guys didn't have to," said Mosura sweetly.
"Speak for yourself. I'm curious to know what they have to give," said Dwan eagerly. Lightfoot held up a necklace, made up of different sized teeth.
"A necklace made up from one tooth from the strongest ones of both our tribes. Symbolizing the ferocity you've shown," said Lightfoot, approaching Junior. He placed the necklace on the boy, who looked at it oddly.
"You guys actually pulled a tooth out for this?" asked Junior.
"I pulled out two!" Interjected a Tree Hopper Lizard.
"Huh." Junior felt Sunset nudge him in the side.
"I mean, thanks. It's a kind gesture," said Junior with an awkward smile.
"For the women of your tribe, we give them these charm bracelets," said a female Tree Hopper, as the girls were approached and given the gifts. The bracelets were made up of plant fiber, decorated with a bright colorful feathers, and beads.
"How pretty!" said Mosura.
"What kind of charms are these?" asked Adagio.
"Ah. These were made from the feather of a bird known for its sweet musical mating call. It's said that these charms will help you succeed in courting a mate!" said a lizard woman.
Junior raised a brow. He then noticed Adagio and Mosura quickly slipping on the bracelets.
"Do you guys have an extra one?" asked Dwan. Sunset shook her head in amusement.
"Thank you, kindly," said Sunset.
"Bring the rest!" said a lizard man.
A couple of crocodile men, or Moss Backs, approached.
"We give to you the weapons used by our captors! This boomstick!" said the Moss Back, holding out a dark rifle.
"Oh sweet!" said Rodan, taking the rifle.
"Wait, Rodan. Let me see that," said Junior in a almost parental tone. Rodan pouted as he handed over the rifle. Junior looked the weapon over. He found a switch and flipped it. He then aimed far off to the side, prompting the teens to duck and cover their ears. No shots were fired.
"OK, here. Don't play with it," said Junior as he handed the rifle back.
"Bitchin'," grinned Rodan. The same Moss Back also handed Junior a handgun.
"No way," said Mosura, slack jawed.
"We also thought these were important. We took them from the guards in the dungeon," said the second Moss Back, drawing out a magazine and clip from a bag he held.
"Extra ammo. Nice work," said Junior as he took the bag.
"Guys, what the hell do you need guns for?!" asked Mosura incredulously. Rodan Junior both looked to each other and then back to Mosura.
"You're kidding, right?" asked Rodan.
"Yeah, you didn't say anything when Aang was given a freakin' mace," said Junior.
"But that was a mace!" said Mosura.
"Yeah and this is a gun," said Junior, holding up and waving the pistol.
"Gojira, they're dangerous!" said Mosura.
"Mosu, guns aren't dangerous. People are dangerous," said Junior, his tone flat.
"But-"
"Mosu, it'd be rude to decline a gift," said Rodan in disapproval. Mosura slumped her shoulders.
"Guys, just promise you'll be responsible with those. We aren't exactly near any 21st century hospitals," said Sunset.
"We promise to be careful," said Junior and Rodan in unison. Mosura sighed.
"Oh alright," said Mosura. Junior and Rodan began to remove the clip and magazine from their respective weapon. But as he tried to remove the bullet from the chamber, he realized that there was no access to it. He looked the pistol from every angle but couldn't find it. He then looked at the clip, which had a plug-like protrusion sticking out.
"Huh." Junior placed the ammunition in the bag, while setting the weapons in the back of the wagon.
"A bota!" said a Tree Hopper, handing the gift to Rodan.
"We could always use an extra container for water," said Rodan with a smile.
"It's a fine one too. Made from the scrotum of a Indricotherium," said the Tree Hopper. The teens just stared. Rodan felt sick to his stomach as he held away the bota.
"Gee, thanks," said Junior with a wince.
"And this perfume. Just for the beautiful females who wish to attract a male," said a lizard man, handing out a clay container.
"Ooh! Dibs!" said Adagio, taking the container. She opened it, finding the liquid inside. She brought it up to her nose and took a whiff. The Dazzling suddenly gagged in disgust and began to cough.
"What is that smell?!" cried Adagio.
"It's just the musk of urine from the majestic Thorn Tail," said a lizard man, pointing to the distance, where a herd of stegosauruses grazed. Adagio turned green as she quickly sealed the container.
"Hey, Dwan. Want this?" asked Adagio.
"Hell no!" said Dwan.
"I don't get you humans. I've used that myself in my day. It drove my mate crazy," said an older lizard woman, a nostalgic look on her face. A couple of females murmured in agreement.
"Don't be rude. Just say thank you," whispered Sunset. Adagio moaned.
"Thank you," said Adagio half-heartedly.
"Skin moisturizer! Taken from the bile of a Giga Boa! Perfect for hot and dry environments!" said another lizard man, holding another clay container.
"Don't forget the lip balm! Made from the snot of a wild boar!" said a lizard woman.
"Ah. You're too kind," said Angirasu with a cringe.
"I don't think I can take anymore," said Rodan.
"We also give to you this!" said a Moss Back, holding out the decapitated head of a saber tooth cat. The teens yelped, as the dead eyes stared at them.
"I'm pleased that you like it. I didn't have enough time to skin it and remove its innards. But you can still use it to store jewels and your trinkets!" said the Mossback, handing Junior the large head.
"Ah..." Junior grimaced, as a chunk of flesh fell from the head. He looked to the reptile folk, who appeared eager.
"Thank you very much," said Junior uneasily. Meanwhile, the Eloi just stared in shock and disgust.
"I have a bad feeling about this new friendship," said Tria, leaning close to Selena.
"Well, I guess this is good bye," said Junior as the 'gifts' were put in the wagon.
"Safe travels, friends. May the spirits guide you on your journey," said Lightfoot, bowing his head.
"Sure." Junior was about to leave but found Selena rushing over. She embraced Junior into a tight hug.
"Oof!" Junior grunted. The girl released him and gave a sad smile.
"I'll never forget you or your friends. Thank you, for all that you've done," said Selena. Junior nodded to her with a smile of his own.
"Yeah. You take care of yourselves," said Junior as he hopped into his seat on the wagon. Angirasu prompted the triceratops to move forward. The reptile folk and Eloi all waved farewell to the young heroes. All the way till they were out of sight.
Junior looked back at Rodan from the wagon.
"Ro, hand me the hand gun and a clip, would ya?" asked Junior. Rodan did as requested.
"Guys, please don't play with those. We're in a confined space, those things are loud..." Adagio grimaced.
"I'm not. I just wanna look it over," said Junior as had the clip on lap. He looked where the clip should go, finding a socket inside.
The gun itself appeared more bulky compared to your average pistol. It was no magnum revolver either. This thing didn't use lead bullets for ammo.
"Sunset, you can sense magic, right? Can you check out the ammo too?" asked Junior. Sunset hummed as she drew out a magazine. It as well bore a plug-like protrusion on it. There was a slit with a glowing violet light on the side of the magazine.
"I can feel it. It is magic," said Sunset in surprise.
"Magic guns huh? Just who were those guys?" asked Junior. Sunset noticed the worry in his tone. She herself was worried. Just who were those guys to have this kind of technology? What also worried her was that they seemed a little too interested in Junior.
King Gareth stood over a table, along with his generals. Men dressed in light pieces of armor and clothes. They were around his age, some a bit younger. They were looking over a large map, with different colored pieces depicting armies and structures on top.
"We managed to push the Dogomites back after dealing with their secret campsite in our territory. Right now, we're going to set an ambush from this pass here just around our coastal territory. This way, we can catch their ships off guard, while eliminating their ground forces," said one of the generals.
"Our allies in the Bay have agreed to lend us their help in this attack. This way, we can start going into the offensive by taking dominance from the sea," said another general.
"But we are still outmatched from the ground and air," sighed King Gareth.
"If we have more allies join us, then that may change," said Prince David, joining the party.
"Ah. Your highness." The generals did a brief bow.
"I've already visited a few neighboring nations. At least one of them should join us in this fight," said David, confidently.
"Indeed. Go through with the counter attack in Nautalous Cove. If we want to regain ground, then that's a start," said Gareth.
"Yes, your Majesty," said one of the generals. The men began to leave. Gareth gave a tired sigh.
"I don't know how long we can keep this up. The Dogomite army is too large compared to our own. Their dark arts make them a threat as well," said Gareth.
"No matter what, father. We will not submit to that wicked tyrant," said David. Gareth sighed.
"Yes. I must be getting to Elsinore. Lord Salem has invited me to meet the people and our special visitors," said Gareth. He then turned to his son with a smile.
"Won't you join me, my son?" asked Gareth.
"But what of the capital?" asked David.
"It's safe. Besides, I wish to have a chance to bond with you, my boy. It's been some time," said Gareth, solemnly. David softly smiled.
"I suppose the capital can make due with our absence for a few days," said David.
It was the late afternoon. The sun was beginning to set. Junior and the gang had stopped and set up camp. They sat at a fire, as they held out sticks holding meat and a couple of sliced raw vegetables.
"I'm kinda glad that Fluttershy didn't come along. We've been eating a lot of meat this whole trip. I'm worried that she's too committed to her vegetarian lifestyle," said Junior.
"Yeah, but I miss hearing her sweet voice. It's like an angel's whisper," said Rodan.
"Oh! That's a good pick up line!" said Adagio.
"Oh hey!" chuckled Rodan. Dwan looked back at the wagon.
"Hey, do we have to keep that crap? It's pretty grotty," said Dwan.
"Oh come on. They're interesting souvenirs," said Angirasu.
"Oh yeah. Who wouldn't want perfume made from dinosaur piss as a souvenir?" asked Adagio, sarcastically.
"Have you met the weirdos in paleontology? They gush over fossilized animal droppings. Just think what they'd pay for a fresh batch of urine," said Junior.
"Until they try to claim it belongs to them and get the feds involved," said Rodan.
"Huh?" asked Mosura.
"I think I read somewhere that average joes can't profit off of findings related to paleontology or something. I could be wrong though," said Rodan.
"So the piss is still useless?" deadpanned Adagio.
"Let's hold onto it for now. It might be useful for distracting predators or something. I don't know," said Junior with a shrug. Adagio sighed in dismay
"Can we at least get rid of that saber tooth cat head? It's gonna start rotting," said Sunset.
"No, I'm gonna remove everything until it’s just a skull," said Junior.
"Why?" asked Sunset.
"It's a saber tooth cat. Why the heck not?" asked Junior.
"Dude if we had a house, that'd be a sweet piece of decor," said Rodan.
"Which is why I'm keeping it. It's going right in my living room," said Junior.
"Man, you should let me keep it. You got the cool necklace," said Rodan in annoyance.
"This thing? It's just teeth from lizard mouths littered with halitosis," said Junior, tugging at the necklace he wore.
"It is kinda cool. Didn't you hear that it symbolized ferocity?" asked Sunset.
"Great. More reminders of my aggression," said Junior with a scowl.
"Yeah, but you took that aggression and did something good with it. Don't you forget that," said Sunset. Junior sighed to himself.
"You know what the best prizes are? The guns in the back," said Rodan, pointing to the wagon. Mosura sighed.
"I still think we should've left those. You guys don't know how to use guns," said Mosura.
"It'll be fine. We might not even have to use them. Maybe someone's seen these weapons before. It could give us an idea on who those guys were," said Junior.
"Yeah. I still can't believe a faction like that exists in this world. Everyone else seem like they walked out of the middle ages and such," said Sunset.
"And these guys are the most modern thing out here. Just who are they?" Junior scratched his chin in thought.
"Well they sounded Equestrian," said Rodan.
"Yeah, but do they even have national ties? Are they even from our world?" asked Junior.
"They had to be. No one in this world has access to that kind of technology," said Sunset.
"But our world doesn't utilize magic for energy and weaponry," interjected Mosura.
"Plus, I haven't seen holograms that advanced. That was something out of a science fiction movie," said Angirasu.
"It's a real mystery," said Rodan.
"Well, let's eat up. The faster we eat, the faster we can rest, get our friends, and get the hell out of this world," said Junior.
"Most of us," said Angirasu. Junior sighed.
"Right," said Junior. He didn't have the energy to argue with Angirasu tonight.
Twilight was walking alongside Salem, just in the halls of his home. The girl had a surprised look on her face.
"The king is coming?" asked Twilight.
"Indeed. I invited him to watch the performance coming in the next couple of nights. I think he'd be most pleased to see something new, and to meet you young ladies," said Salem.
"Wow. I never met royalty before. It's kinda intimidating," said Twilight. Salem chuckled.
"I assure you, King Gareth is a kind man underneath his stern exterior," said Salem. Suddenly, a hand maiden came by to the two during their walk.
"My Lord, Lady Rainbow Dash has returned," said the hand maiden.
"Ah. Let us go and meet her," said Salem. Twilight nodded in agreement. The two made their way down to the lobby, finding the tom boy to be standing patiently.
"Oh Dash. Glad you came back," said Twilight in relief, embracing her friend.
"Yeah, but without luck," sighed Rainbow.
"You couldn't find them?" asked Twilight.
"Nah. I looked all around, but I couldn't find them anywhere. I was gonna check the Roaring Jungle, but after the capital was attacked, I got paranoid," said Rainbow.
"Attacked?" asked Twilight in confusion.
"You didn't know? There was a stampede of massive dinosaurs heading for the city. I tried to stop them, but this freakin' dragon swooped in and spooked them!" said Rainbow. Twilight's brows raised.
"As in, a real dragon? Like in ancient and medieval folklore?" asked Twilight.
"Yeah! It had wings, breathed fire and everything!" said Rainbow.
"The universe continues to surprise me," sighed Twilight in dismay.
"I heard of what you're talking about. But you said it was an attack. That just sounds like an unfortunate event," said Salem.
"Because the Dogomites caused the stampede. No one mentioned that?" asked Rainbow incredulously. Salem was silent.
"It makes sense. If the Dogomites were that close to crippling if not destroying the capital, it could cause a panic," said Twilight.
"Yeah. I was paranoid after that. Instead of searching for our friends, I ended up running around watching the towns," said Rainbow.
"Rainbow," Twilight frowned.
"Look I know you said not to get involved. But I can't help myself, Twi. What would you have done if it you were in my shoes?" asked Rainbow. Twilight grimaced.
"Let us be thankful that the attack was foiled. We must make preparations," said Salem.
"Preparations?" asked Rainbow in confusion.
"The king's coming to Elsinore to watch the play!" said Twilight.
"Really? Huh, wasn't expecting to run into him again so soon," chuckled Rainbow.
"Come on. Rarity mentioned wanting us to try on some outfits," said Twilight.
"Ugh. I didn't come back just to play dress up," said Rainbow in dismay.
2 days later...
Twilight was standing in a large room, where mannequins and mirrors stood. She was holding a small poster, depicting illustrated images of a girl in a lavender dress carrying a book in her arms as she was surrounded by five other girls. On the poster was the title, "Friendship is Magic". She smiled to herself.
"Hard to believe how quick it's came together," said Twilight.
"Darling, don't doddle! We have to get ready!" said Rarity as she pulled on the laces of a corset, causing Applejack to grunt in pain.
"Rarity! Erghk!" grunted Applejack. Rainbow grimaced as she stared at herself in a mirror. She sported a cyan dress, her arms covered in gold braces. Her normally unkempt hair was straightened out, appearing silky smooth.
"Do we really have to doll ourselves up?" asked Rainbow.
"Rainbow, this is the premiere of a theater performance we helped put together! Plus, the King will be there! We have to look presentable!" said Rarity as Applejack wheezed.
"I can't breathe," panted Applejack. Rarity took the laces again with a sigh.
"Hey, you may want to impress the King, but I'm good," said Rainbow.
"You know, Rainbow, darling. You shouldn't be embarrassed to show off your more feminine side once in a while. You pull it off well," said Rarity, admiring the tom boy's appearance. Rainbow groaned, her cheeks reddening a bit.
"I do not! I'm too cool for that!" said Rainbow.
"Yeah, but who says that cool girls can't look gorgeous?" asked Pinkie, sporting a hot pink, frilled dress.
"It's only for tonight, Dash. Just endure it," said Twilight. Applejack gave a sigh of relief as Rarity loosened her corset.
"Lookin' gorgeous hurts," said Applejack, rubbing her side with a grimace.
The theater house. It was quite large, with many rows of seats before the grand stage. From the walls, just several feet high, there were sky boxes that were decorated in gold. From there, the highest members of society sat.
Twilight and the gang found themselves following Salem and his wife to their seat in one of the sky boxes.
"Best seats in the house!" Pinkie grinned, looking down below. "Hey, you guys wouldn't happen to be selling pretzels here, would ya?"
"What's a pretzel?" asked Salem in confusion.
"I'll take that as a no," said Pinkie in disappointment.
"Is that the king?" gasped Rarity, pointing ahead. From a separate sky box, across the theater, there was a familiar older man. He sported the familiar crown and cape over himself. Next to him was a younger man.
"Why yes it is! It seems he's brought along his son, Prince David," said Salem. Rarity made an 'ooh' as she drew out a pair of opera glasses.
"He's an absolute dream!" said Rarity, swooning at the sight of the man.
"Leave it to Rarity to crush on every pretty boy that she sees," said Rainbow with a roll of her eyes.
"Heh. Dashie, that's no pretty boy. That's a man. Hey, is it me, or does he look like that guy that played Anakin Skywalker?" asked Pinkie, leaning into Rarity's glasses.
"Pinkie, I met the guy. He looks nothing like Hayden Christensen," chuckled Rainbow in amusement.
"He kinda does, doesn't he?" asked Rarity.
"Yeah, when he was in Revenge of the Sith. He's just missing that cool scar," said Pinkie. Rainbow sighed in dismay. The lights began to dim.
"Shh! It's starting," whispered Twilight.
The stage was set. As the lights dimmed, different lights for the stage ignited. The band below played their tune. A man stepped up on the stage, grabbing the attention of the audience.
"Our story begins in a far away land, known as Equestria. We follow the life of a young girl, who spent her time in isolation, content with her lot in life. That is, until she came to know the meaning of Friendship," said the narrator. The band began to play again, an upbeat tune.
"I'm so excited!" whispered Pinkie.
"Me too!" whispered Rarity.
The curtains opened, revealing a set, where a young woman in a lavender dress sat. She slouched against a window stile, book in hand. A soft tune began to play over the scene.
"Bookworm. Egghead. That's what they've said~," the girl began to sing. She looked out the window, a solemn look on her face. She stood up and walked along the stage, the light following her. The book was clutched against her chest. "Is it just me? Or am I lonely?~ No that cannot be~. Who needs them~? I'm fine just the way I am~!"
Twilight watched with a sad smile. This song and opening resonated with her fully. After all, she had some input on the lyrics to describe her very thoughts from her past.
"Friendship~. Who needs that?~ No sir, not me~! All I need is the world of literature~! Stories from every mind to fill my needs~!" sang the actress, as the music began to swell.
Later into the play, the audience watched as another scene played. Right now, 'Twilight' was being berated by a pair of girls.
"You are absolutely useless, Twilight! Why did you even come if you're just going to drag the rest of us down?! We came here to win the games, not lose!" barked a girl with her hair curled into twin buns. The actress portraying Twilight sniffled as she shrunk back.
"I-I'm sorry. I just-"
"Hey! Back off!" a girl with rainbow hair rushed over. She sported a tunic and a pair of leggings, contrasting the dress that the actress portraying Twilight wore. Some members in the audience cheered, recognizing the rainbow hair. A more curvy girl dressed in a frilly pink dress came rushing in as well, standing next to 'Twilight'.
"You can't talk to your teammate like that! She's out there busting her butt trying to keep up! And here you are berating her like she pissed on your rug!" said 'Rainbow'. The audience laughed at the crude remark.
"Heh. Classic," said Rainbow Dash from the audience.
Later, after the 'friendship games' ended, 'Twilight' found herself before three other girls, each bearing some resemblance to the Main 6 in real life.
"You know, why don't you come hang with us? How about this weekend, at the ice cream parlor?" suggested 'Pinkie'.
"R-Really? I mean..." The actress as Twilight bore an uncertain look.
"W-We'd like it if you'd come," said 'Fluttershy'.
"I... I suppose. Yes, I'll come," said 'Twilight'. The curtains began to close, ending the first act of the play. The audience began to applaud as the curtains closed.
"Just like I remembered," said Twilight with a smile.
"Except we had to change some of the references for the audience to understand," said Rainbow.
"Looks like the royals are enjoying the show," said Rarity, looking through her glasses. She saw the prince and king applauding from their seats.
The second act had begun. The story focused on Twilight adjusting to her new life in a whole new 'academy', where her new friends were. During this, she faced different conflicts. Trying to understand what it meant to be a good friend and how to come out of her shell. This has led her to some trouble.
"Rainbow, I'm sorry. I didn't realize that me missing your soccer game had hurt you this much," said 'Twilight', apologetically. 'Rainbow' had her arms crossed, facing away from the girl.
"Well it did. I just wished you told me," said 'Rainbow'.
"I still don't know what exactly soccer is but this is heart wrenching," whispered a man in the audience.
"Can you ever forgive me?" asked 'Twilight' softly. 'Rainbow' just sent her a glance. Then she smirked.
"Ah. I can't stay mad at you, Egghead!" said 'Rainbow', as she pulled 'Twilight' close and affectionately gave her a noogie.
"Aw." The audience cooed in unison at the warm scene.
"You know, Dash was crying during the soccer incident," whispered Applejack.
"Really?" asked Twilight with an amused smile.
"Was not!" hissed Rainbow, her cheeks growing red.
The second act was nearing it's conclusion. A jingle played, as the 'Main 6' were gathered. The girls began to vocalize as the magic swelled. The music suddenly became upbeat, as the strum of a guitar-like instrument played, along with the bag of drums.
"I used to wonder what friendship could be~! Until you all shared it's magic with me~!" sang 'Twilight'.
"Big adventure!" cried 'Rainbow', pumping a fist.
"Tons of fun!" said 'Pinkie', tossing confetti into the air.
"A beautiful heart!" said 'Rarity', whipping her hair.
"Faithful and strong!" cried 'Applejack, flexing an arm.
"Sharing kindness!" said 'Fluttershy', making a heart shape with her hand.
"It's an easy feat! And magic makes it all complete!" cried 'Twilight'.
"My little Twily~!" The girls sang in unison, embracing the lavender dressed girl.
"Do you know you're all my very best friends~?" The girls sang in unison, ending in a final note that led to the closing of the curtain. The audience cheered and applauded the act.
"Catchy song. Feels meta though," said Pinkie with a thoughtful look.
"Wow. I forgot how much we went through that first year," said Twilight.
"Yeah. Good times," said Rainbow, a frown growing on her face. There seemed to be gloom beginning to be growing in the hearts of these friends.
The narrator stepped onto stage. All focus on him.
"Young Twilight managed to settle in her new life. While she struggled, she persevered with the support of her dear friends," said the narrator.
"But, conflict brews. For an unwanted people were brought in long before in the space of those in the academy," said the narrator, his tone turning grim.
"Here goes," said Twilight. She often wondered if it was right to include this part in the script, but the events fit the theme. Besides, it didn't feel right not to include those who impacted her life as well.
The stage was set. The Main 6 were conversing about the news of a student trying to protest the presence of a people called 'mutants'.
"Look, I got nothing against them, but I can understand why some people are afraid of them," said 'Rainbow'.
"Even so, we shouldn't fall into the trap of judging them all because of a few. We should be welcoming. They may be different, but they deserve the same rights," said 'Twilight.
"Speaking of a few... Have you heard about a certain one that put a couple of boys into the hospital the other day?" asked 'Rarity'.
"Oh, him?" asked 'Twilight' with a grimace.
"Indeed. Honestly, I think people would be more at ease if that barbarian wasn't running around," said 'Rarity'. The real Rarity grimaced. She forgot how little she used to think of the person in question.
"Speak of the devil," said 'Applejack'. The music began to pick up. A man dressed in dark clothes and with black hair arrived onto the scene.
"It's Gojira Takeshi! The biggest delinquent around!" exclaimed 'Pinkie'.
"He is as mean as sin~! In every fight, he wins~!" sang 'Applejack'. The actresses steeped back as 'Junior' found himself fighting against a couple of actors meant to portray male students. They practiced a choreographed fight that last for just a minute.
"The boy is rude and crude~!" sang 'Rarity'.
"What are you looking at, bitch?!" barked 'Junior' snapping at a passing actor, who scampered off.
"Just what is with that attitude~?" sang 'Rainbow'.
"Maybe he just needs some food~!" 'Pinkie' sang innocently, holding out a pastry. This prompted the audience to laugh in amusement.
"Oh, what is with that guy~?!" sang 'Twilight'. The music grew more upbeat, as 'Junior' shuffled across stage, a mean look on his face. He pushed passed those portraying students. Then, an older woman in a white dress, with long multi-colored hair appeared, silently lecturing the young man.
"Everyday, he always puts up a fight~," sang 'Rarity'.
"I won't lie. He gives me a fright~," sang 'Fluttershy', quickly cowering as 'Junior' came walking by.
"Deep down in my heart, I know it's not right~. To judge someone I yet to know~. But at the end of the day~. At the end of the day~. Actions speak louder than words~," sang 'Twilight', watching 'Junior' sit alone on a prop bench, a scowl on his face. The music became soft and melancholic. The slow tune of piano keys playing was heard.
"It feels like the world is digging into my back with swords~. 'Junior' began to sing, as the lights focused on him. Twilight felt a growing sadness as she watched the performance. The low lighting and the music didn't help.
"They don't know what I put up with~. The disdain that I endure~. Is it me? Or is it the world~?" sang 'Junior', his tone solemn. He stood as he saw a red haired male actor getting shoved by two others.
"Some call me a rift raft~. But most call us freaks~! But do I submit to that? No siree~!" sang 'Junior' rushing over to the group. This prompted the other young men to flee, leaving the red haired one behind. The music began to grow more upbeat, as the lights on stage brightened.
"I don't care what they say about me~! I'm gonna stand strong and make them flee~! Hate me or not, I'm here to stay~! I don't care what they have to say~! And at the end of the day~!" sang 'Junior' standing proudly.
"At the end of the day~!" the 'Main 6 sang in unison in the back.
"At the end of the day. A mutant still has no place~," sang 'Junior', his tone solemn. The girls watched with grimaces.
"I miss Goji." Pinkie suddenly spoke up.
"Yeah. I hope he and the others are doing alright," said Applejack.
From the royals' sky box, Gareth and David watched the play in silence. David was leaning forward at the edge of his seat, while Gareth sat slouched, propping his fist under his chin. His son noticed this.
"Are you bored, father?" asked David.
"N-No. I was just... Recalling something," said Gareth. David returned his attention to the play.
During this third act, King Gareth found himself more invested in the arc of the performance. How the focus seemed to shift more on the boy called 'Gojira'. Mainly how he and his kind were a hated people, forced to live beneath the common people of Equestria and threatened by their superior might. He grimaced, as one scene came up.
'Junior' had just saved 'Fluttershy' from a gang of mutants, who lied unconscious on the floor. But then a group of men in armor seized him, accusing him of suspicious activity. Gareth wondered just how little were these people thought of.
"I... I want to thank you, for saving me," said 'Fluttershy'. 'Junior' just sent her a glance.
"You're welcome," said 'Junior', before leaving the stage. Music began to play, as the light focused on 'Fluttershy'.
"Maybe he isn't as they say~. What ignorance have I~? Could it be that there is a side that I never known~?" sang 'Fluttershy'.
"Oh! I've been waiting for the part where they meet!" whispered Pinkie.
"It'd be more accurate if we had Fluttershy to go in depth about the encounter," said Twilight.
The act went on. After "Fluttershy's" song, the story began to focus more on her. Twilight thought it was funny, since the idea was to tell a portion of her life story, only for the script to lead to Fluttershy taking the lead. While the story was still about Twilight, Fluttershy's role was going to function as a catalyst for the conclusion. After all, she was the one who first got Junior to open up in real life.
During the time of this place, the girls recalled the days they spent. From Junior isolating himself, being thrust into the friendship club, to the conflict he's had with them. At this point in the play, Twilight had offered her hand in friendship to the boy. While uncertain, he worked to fulfill her request on being more open to her and her friends. They bore witness of the times Junior spent time with each member of the Main 6. From the clothing shop with Rarity, assisting Applejack on the farm, playing goalie for Rainbow Dash's soccer team, and participating in a party thrown by Pinkie.
The memories that brought weighed heavy on the young girls' hearts. They missed the life they lived, their home, their families, and their friends. Twilight teared up as the final scene began to wrap up. With the actress portraying her and the actor portraying Junior standing before each other, both having said their final lines. With that the music began to end off with its final note, leading to the closing of the curtains. The audience applauded. Moments later, the curtains opened, revealing the rest of the cast. They all stood and took a bow, as the audience continued to applaud. The curtains closed again, leading to the audience to cheer and whistle for the overall performance.
While it seemed like a happy ending to the crowd, Twilight knew better. Because sometime after that last act, things went horribly wrong. She betrayed her friend.
Later, everyone had begun to leave the theater. Twilight and the gang were backstage with Salem, where the cast was.
"Excellent performance!" said Salem in approval.
"Hey, you really nailed my charming personality!" said Rainbow, giving the actress portraying her a thumbs up.
"I was honored to play the role of you, Ms. Dash," said the actress with a courteous bow of her head.
"I wish the others could've been around to see the show," said Rarity.
"Shoot, I wish I had a camera to record the whole thing," said Pinkie in disappointment.
"Well, we shall leave you to your business. Thank you for your performance," said Salem.
The Lord of Elsinore and the teens made their way outside of the theater. Along the way, they found King Gareth and Prince David to be standing by a chariot, made up of wood and silver.
"Your majesty!" called Salem. Gareth turned with a smile.
"Ah. Lord Salem. It is good to see you," said Gareth, as he and his son approached. Salem bowed, prompting the girls to follow in suit.
"As you, my King. I hope you enjoyed the show," said Salem.
"Ah yes. It was something quite new. It's been awhile since I've done something recreational, so it was worth seeing," said Gareth.
"Lady Twilight here was responsible for the story," said Salem, gesturing to the petite girl next to him.
"Oh! Uh..." Twilight smiled shyly. "I mean, it was nothing. I just based it around my past a bit."
"Your past?" asked Gareth.
"Yeah. Everything you saw was a retelling of how I met my friends," said Twilight.
"And the 'mutants'... As you called them..." Gareth kept a neutral expression.
"They're real too. Including the boy that was the main focus of them," said Twilight with a smile.
"I see..." said Gareth, his tone a bit soft. Twilight caught onto this. She raised a brow.
"I-I just want to say, it is a pleasure to meet you in person your majesty. And might I say, you are quite dashing, Prince David," said Rarity, holding a blushing smile.
"And you are quite lovely, Lady..." David held out a hand.
"Rarity! Ahem. Rarity Belle," said Rarity, holding out her hand. David took it and planted a kiss, causing the girl to giggle, her blush growing brighter.
"Oh! Prince, could you do me a favor? Can you say, 'General Grievous, you're shorter than I expected'," said Pinkie with a grin.
"Pinkie." Rainbow sent the hyperactive girl a deadpanned look. Meanwhile, David bore a confused look.
"General Grevious... You're shorter than I expected," said David. Pinkie squealed.
"Thank you, Hay- I mean, Prince David!" said Pinkie with a titter.
"Will you be staying for a while?" asked Salem.
"Unfortunately, we will not. We have to get back to the capital. But, it was good to see you again. And to meet the ones who displayed heroism for this city and Salera," said Gareth.
"You're majesty... About the deal we had..." said Twilight, a bit timid. Gareth sent her a brief look. He found David sending him a look as well.
"Salem, be sure that they have everything that they need for their journey," said Gareth, before walking to the chariot.
"Of course, your majesty," said Salem.
The King and Prince bid the Lord and teens farewell. They climbed inside of the chariot, which then began to ride off, flanked by an escort of guards.
From inside of the chariot, Gareth stared out the window, his expression solemn.
"You had that same look in the theater. What troubles you, father?" asked David.
"That third act. It reminded me much about our history," said Gareth.
"Father?" asked David.
"Our people have made many mistakes. But one mistake that I myself took part in still haunts me," said Gareth. He looked to his son firmly.
"As the next King, you must learn from my mistakes and lead our people on the path," said Gareth.
"Father, you know that I will always do what's best for the kingdom. But I wish you wouldn't despair over something that was long before I was even born," said David. Gareth held a bitter smile.
"You wouldn't understand," said Gareth.
It was morning. Junior and the gang continued to ride their wagon, as the domesticated triceratops continued to pull it along.
"Looks like we're here," said Junior.
Ahead, the teens found the sight of the city of Elsinore. The protective stone walls stood tall, keeping the buildings in an enclosed space. They were stopped at the large protective gates by a guard in silver armor.
"What is your business here?" questioned the guard.
"We're here to meet some friends," said Angirasu.
"Is that so? Excuse me, but might I inspect your wagon?" questioned the guard.
"What for?" asked Junior.
"Do understand. There's a war going on right now. We had news that The Dogomites have been pushing closer to our territories. Since you all look and sound to be foreigners, I ask that you comply," said the guard. Junior sighed in annoyance.
"Fine. Everyone out," said Junior as he and the teens climbed out of the wagon. Two guards began to walk over to the wagon and began to look through the things.
"What's this?" questioned a guard, drawing out a familiar mace from back.
"A gift," answered Angirasu, truthfully.
"Oh? How did you come across it?" asked the guard. Junior bore an annoyed look.
"I killed a Giga boa and the town we were in gave it to me," said Angirasu. The guard laughed in amusement.
"What?" asked Angirasu in confusion.
"Are you surprised? You just said you killed a giant snake. And you implied it was single handed," said Junior. His friend tilted his head.
"But it's true," said Angirasu.
"Nonsense!" chuckled the second guard.
"No, some sense," said Rodan.
"How could one man possibly kill such a beast?" asked the first guard.
"How would you think?" asked Rodan.
"None at all. Because it never happens," deadpanned the guard.
"Well, unless you're this guy," said Rodan, pointing a thumb to Angirasu.
"Save the tall tales, boy. The land knows that the most recent Giga Boa attack was thwarted by a Guardian," said the second guard.
"That's funny, because that's exactly what they called me," said Angirasu.
"No, you're lying," said the first guard, losing his amused look.
"Well, I'm not sure how to prove it to you. I don't remember the name of the town, but that mace was a gift from a blacksmith," said Angirasu.
"Hmm. This is too finely crafted to just be given away to anybody," said the first guard, admiring the weapon. Junior sighed with an impatient look.
"Patience, Goji..." whispered Mosura.
"We're right outside," groaned Junior.
"OK, if you've truly been in the town, than name at least one establishment. I might consider you telling the truth," said the guard.
"Will you let us pass if we do?" asked Junior. Mosura nudged him in the rib, causing the boy to scowl.
"Oh shoot. Do you guys remember the name of that Inn we stayed at?" asked Angirasu, looking to his friends.
"Nah. I just remember that love hotel at Ecstasia," giggled Dwan.
"Did you try their buffet?" asked the second guard.
"Hell yeah! Big eats! Unfortunately someone spiked the sauce for the dragon wings," said Rodan in dismay.
"Guys, the Inn," deadpanned Angirasu.
"I think it was Moonshine or something?" Adagio scratched her chin.
"That's alcohol," deadpanned Junior.
"Moon Rise?" asked Rodan.
"No, that can't be it," said Angirasu.
"It was High Moon!" said Junior in annoyance.
"Correct! Did you get a look at those sexy servers and the maids?" asked the second guard.
"Who cares about the work? We answered the question," said Junior.
"What is the meaning of your attitude?" asked the first guard.
"Dude, it's been a long ass trip. We've been through too much crap for a week. I just want to go into your stupid city, get my friends, and go home!" said Junior.
"Alright, alright. Someone doesn't like a friendly conversation," said the guard as he placed the mace back.
With their wagon searched, Junior and the gang were allowed to enter the city. This was a relief for Junior. He only hoped that the girls were still here, safe and sound. As they rode into the streets, they found their surroundings crowded with citizens. These people were much more finely dressed compared to those in the other towns they had visited. Even for peasants, their clothes were nicer.
"Is the circus in town?" asked Dwan in confusion.
"Why do you ask?" asked Angirasu.
"Because I see folks wearing rainbow wigs," said Dwan. As stated, some citizens in Elsinore were sporting rainbow colored wigs, mainly women, children, and some men.
"What the hell?" Junior noticed a nearby stand, where dolls of a familiar girl were sculpted. He noticed the owner to be exchanging coins with a man for one of the dolls, which was then given to his child.
"Hey, what is that you're selling?" called Junior.
"Ah! These are new toys we've designed! Based on that rainbow haired girl that protected Salera!" answered the toy maker. "A great gift for your younger family members or children!"
"Let me get one!" said Rodan, holding out a silver coin.
"Rodan!" barked Junior in annoyance.
"What? They look so cool," said Rodan with a shrug. Rodan quickly hopped out and traded the toy maker a silver coin, while receiving the doll. He returned to the wagon and began to admire it.
"You are such a kid," said Dwan in amusement.
"There's nothing shameful about action figures. Besides, look at the detail on this thing! Rainbow Dash is lucky to have her own figurine," said Rodan as he began to bend the joins into different poses.
"Yeah, it looks just like her, huh?" Mosura nodded in agreement.
"I guess that means that they're here. They've must've drawn a lot of attention to themselves," said Junior, with a grimace.
"I wouldn't worry too much about it, Gojira," said Angirasu.
"Hold on!" called the toy maker, drawing the teens' attention.
"Huh?" Angirasu tilted his head in confusion.
"He called you Gojira, did he not?" asked the toy maker, pointing to Junior.
"Yeah?" Junior grimaced.
"As in THE Gojira?" asked the toy maker, eyes growing wide.
"I'm... Pretty much the only one with that name," said Junior, uneasily.
"You were in the play! You know the one called Rainbow Dash!" exclaimed the toymaker.
"You've seen her?!" asked Junior, happy for a lead. This was turning out to be a good morning.
"Ah! Then this boy right here! He must be Rodan!" said the toy maker. The boy in question tore his eyes away from his new figurine and grinned.
"Yeah! Yeah, I'm Rodan!"
"How do-" Mosura cocked a brow.
"Everyone! Look! It's Gojira and Rodan!" said the toymaker, drawing the attention of nearby people.
"As in Gojira Takeshi?!" cried an older man, approaching.
"Ah! That dark spiky hair is unmistakable!" said another man.
"And that must be Mosura and Angirasu!" said a woman.
"And Sunset Shimmer!" said a man. The wagon was suddenly surrounded by star struck civilians. Junior felt his anxiety shoot up as they were crowded.
"Wow! I can't believe I'm looking at you!" said a woman. The voices grew incoherent and questioning. Some of the other teens felt their anxiety beginning to shoot up as well. Junior's eye began to twitch.
"Hey! Hey!!" shouted Junior, causing everyone to recoil and fall silent.
"What the hell is with you people?!" cried Junior.
"Heh. Such a 'Gojira' response," said a man. Junior sent him a glare.
"What was that?!" barked Junior. Sunset patted his shoulder and sent him a look.
"H-How do you people know who we are?" asked Angirasu in confusion.
"Yeah, and not me?!" asked Dwan and Adagio in unison.
"Why, everyone who's seen 'Friendship is Magic' knows who you are!" said the toymaker.
"Friendship- Huh?!" Junior exclaimed. He noticed a couple people to be gesturing to a poster. The teens got out of their wagon and began to inspect it. On it were 6 girls that had some familiarity to them in their appearance. Then, Junior noticed a couple of names credited beneath the image of the poster.
"Written by Twilight Sparkle?!" Junior's eyes widened in shock.
"So they are still alive!" said Adagio.
"Man, we've been out there busting our asses trying to survive, and they go and put together a freaking play?!" yelled Rodan in exasperation.
"I kinda wanna see it," said Angirasu.
"No! No, we're looking for our friends! Have any of you seen Twilight or at least Rainbow Dash anywhere?" called Junior.
"I hear that they are staying in the house of Lord Salem. I can escort you!" said a man from the crowd.
"Yes! Please do that," said Junior tiredly. It looked like this was a rough morning after all.
As the teens were led to their desired destination, Junior felt butterflies in his tummy. He wondered how long had it been since he's seen the girls, what they went through, and how they managed. He just hoped that at the end of this day, he'll be more at ease.
The teens were halted on the grounds near the great house of Salem. With suspicious looks and stiffness, they questioned why the teens were here.
"Guys, we just came for our friends. We were told that they were here. Ask for a girl named Twilight Sparkle. She's petite, usually has her hair in a ponytail, a bit of a know it all," said Junior.
"Know it all?" Sunset cocked a brow. The guards briefly looked to each other.
"Only one of you may come in. Just to confirm your story," said the guard.
"Alright, you're up dude," said Rodan, patting Junior's back.
"Me?" asked Junior in confusion.
"Well, yeah! You've been pushing yourself so hard to find them. I think you earned this," said Sunset. Junior bore an uncertain look. He didn't know why he was hesitating.
"It's OK. We'll be out here waiting for you guys," said Mosura, warmly. Junior took a breath and nodded.
"OK."
Junior found himself led into the great house. He was left in a lobby, where he began to admire the décor to ignore his anxiety. Despite his restlessness and determination, Junior felt a twinge of dread.
The guard had told Junior that he'd be back shortly with the girls. But as of now, nothing felt short. The wait was driving Junior into an impatient craze. He scratched his arm and tapped his foot. He wondered just how long he's been waiting. He even wondered if he should be worried.
Suddenly, Junior heard a sound. It was the sound of feet padding along the ground. It seemed like someone was running. The boy turned to the source. His heart almost stopped once he saw a familiar girl.
Twilight had skidded around a corner. She was clad in a lavender tunic and leggings, with a pair of boots. Her hair in its usual ponytail, and her big thick glasses sat upon her face. The two locked eyes, both stunned and unable to say a word. She was here safe and sound.
"Gojira?" Twilight called, her voice trembling. Junior merely greeted her with a smile.
"Hey, short stack," said Junior, his tone playful. Twilight suddenly rushed over. She slammed herself against the boy, causing him to stumble back. Twilight gave a muffled sob as she clutched his shirt.
"You're here! You're actually here!" cried Twilight. Junior noticed Pinkie gasping as she appeared from down the hall. A big tearful smile appeared on her face.
"GOJI!" squealed Pinkie. She was followed by Rainbow, Rarity, and Applejack.
"Holy crap!" exclaimed Rainbow.
In just moments, Junior found himself locked in the tight and warm embrace of the girls. He felt his eyes sting. But, Junior kept himself composed, as he wrapped his arms around the group of girls.
"I missed you so much, Goji! You and your grumpy face!" said Pinkie, nuzzling Junior's shoulder.
"Hun, I've been worried sick!" said Applejack, her voice cracking a bit.
"Glad to see you ain't dead! But you've been through worse," chuckled Rainbow.
"Oh darling! It's been so long! Your hair's grown out too! It's ghastly!" said Rarity.
"Yeah, I haven't gotten around to trimming it," said Junior with a chuckle, rubbing a few strands of his hair. Twilight pulled away, sniffling as she removed her glasses.
"I didn't take you to be this emotional," said Junior, teasingly.
"Oh, stop! Just let me-" Twilight sniffled as she wiped her eyes.
"Hey, where are the others?" asked Rainbow, worriedly.
"Everyone's fine. But Fluttershy, Sonata and Aria are waiting for us somewhere, while the rest of us came here," said Junior.
"It's funny, because we were planning to leave to find you guys," said Twilight in amusement.
"Well, at least someone managed to pull off the search," said Junior with a chuckle.
"Ah. I see that you know him after all," said Salem, arriving onto the scene. Junior was caught off guard by his sudden appearance.
"Yeah! It turns out that our friends found us!" said Rainbow.
"Who's this?" whispered Junior.
"This is Lord Salem. He's been looking out for us for a while," said Twilight.
"Really?" Junior turned to Salem. He cleared his throat.
"Thank you... for looking after them," said Junior, graciously.
"I have them to thank. For their services that is," said Salem.
"Services? Hey, that reminds me. What's this about you writing a play?" asked Junior in confusion.
"Heh. It's a long story," said Twilight, seemingly embarrassed.
"Well, it'll be a long trip back. I think I have time," said Junior. Then a realization hit him.
"Oh wait a minute. Damn, I didn't take into account the size of our party!" said Junior, smacking his forehead. "We're not all gonna fit in the wagon. Especially with all the crap we have!"
"Don't worry. Salem was gonna lend us a wagon. We can just follow ya'll," said Applejack.
"Yeah. We just need some food and stuff for the trip, right?" asked Rainbow. Junior sighed in relief.
"I take it you've been stressed the last week or so?" asked Twilight.
"You don't know the half of it," said Junior.
"Aw! Goji was worried about us!" cooed Pinkie.
"W-Who was worried?" scoffed Junior, looking away. The girls giggled at him in amusement. The boy smiled to himself.
Later, Junior and the other four of the Main 7 left the House of Salem. They bid the lord farewell. As they left the grounds of the house, Twilight and the gang were greeted and exchanged joyful hugs and words of relief.
A new wagon was brought along, carried by a pair of horses. This wagon was coated with a silver outer frame, unlike the one that Junior had been sitting in the last week or so. Junior felt the weight on his shoulders finally beginning to lift. At long last, they were together again.
As the teens gathered a fresh batch of supplies, they hopped into their wagons. As they mobilized, the teens made their way to the city gates. Once they got through, they now free on the open road. But just outside of the city, watching them from afar, a figure stood. A devious smirk grew on his face.
"There you are," said the man.
Junior found himself sitting in the back of the wagon, specifically the one given by Salem of Elsinore. The journey had gone by for over an hour. As of now, Angirasu led the second wagon across the vast land.
Applejack had taken seat in the front with the reigns, as Rainbow sat beside her. Junior was sitting beside Pinkie, Rarity and Twilight.
"So that's what you've been up to?" asked Junior in confusion.
"Yep! For the most part, it's been kinda fun!" said Pinkke. Junior sighed.
"What I'd give to be relaxed as you. We've been dealing with a lot of crap," said Junior.
"Really?" asked Twilight.
"Yeah. Monsters, natives that think Angirasu's a deity, the long journey itself..." Junior began to name off a couple examples.
"What was that second one?" asked Rainbow curiously.
"Don't get me started on the company. It feels like I'm babysitting," said Junior.
"How so?" asked Applejack.
"Well for one, I have to make sure that Adagio and Sunset get along, which thankfully they have as of late. Mosura and Adagio, that's a different story," said Junior. He then groaned.
"And then there's Dwan," said Junior in displeasure.
"The new girl? Who's she by the way?" asked Twilight.
"Ah. Just Adagio's rival or something or other. I'm telling you, she's more trouble than she's useful," said Junior. "I mean it's always a fight with her and Adagio. I try to keep them separate, but Dwan is usually first to provoke her."
"Look at the bright side. It could be training you how to be a dad," giggled Pinkie. Junior grimaced.
"More like a single dad whose spouse bailed on him," said Junior. He sighed as he leaned back against the wagon.
"It's nice to be in the back for a change," said Junior.
"Well, I think you'd be an awesome dad! In fact, you'd probably be the number one dad in the world! No, the universe!" said Pinkie. She suddenly heard the sound of snoring. She turned to find Junior slouched over, snoozing.
"He has a bad habit at falling asleep. You think he has some kind of condition?" asked Rainbow. Pinkie began to nudge the boy.
"Goji, wake up!" said Pinkie.
"No, no! Let him rest," whispered Twilight. She softly smiled at the sight the boy's sleeping face.
"He needs it," said Twilight. Pinkie brought Junior's head onto her lap with a giggle.
"Silly. If you aren't comfortable, you'll end up hurting," said Pinkie, gently running a hand through the boy's hair. Rarity furrowed her brows.
It was the late afternoon. Miwa Takeshi hummed to herself, as she stirred a pot. Inside were spaghetti noodles, having been drenched in hot marinara sauce. Greasy ground beef and diced sausage links were introduced to the pot and were stirred as well. She took a whiff and sighed.
"Junior, Mosura, dinner's ready!" called Miwa. She giggled to herself. Her husband, Gojira Senior tore his eyes from a book that he was reading.
"I feel like I'm serving my son and his new wife," giggled Miwa. Senior shook his head, bemused. As Miwa began to serve up bowls, Junior and Mosura arrived to the kitchen table. The three began to feast on this evening's meal.
"Mm! This is delicious, Mrs. Takeshi!" said Mosura.
"Yeah, no one cooks spaghetti like you, ma," said Junior.
"Aw thanks, kids. Honey, please don't slurp," said Miwa, looking to Senior disapproval. The man shrugged in confusion.
"What? I'm just showing you how much I'm enjoying it," said Senior.
"That may fly in Neighpon, but it's bad manners in Equestria," said Miwa, pouring parmesan cheese powder into her bowl.
"But you've never had a problem with it when we had noodles before."
"Yes, but we have a guest," said Miwa, narrowing her eyes.
"It's OK. I don't mind, Mrs. Takeshi," said Mosura with a forced smile. She didn't want a nice family dinner to be spoiled over something minor as slurping noodles.
"See? She's fine with it," said Senior, before slurping up more spaghetti noodles. Miwa sighed in dismay. She sat up straight as she placed on a more cheerful demeanor.
"So, it's the weekend. I was thinking we'd do something fun tonight. Maybe play some board games or watch a movie."
"I'd like that," said Mosura.
"Sorry, can't. I made plans with some of our friends," said Junior.
"Oh. You're going out?" asked Senior.
"Not exactly. We're just gonna play 'Waste Craft'." said Junior.
"Huh?" asked Senior, puzzled.
"It's a video game," said Junior. Senior nodded in understanding.
"Ah. So they're coming over," said Senior.
"No, we're playing online," said Junior. Senior began to grow more confused.
"Online?"
"Yeah, you know. Like on the internet?" Junior slurpped his own spaghetti, gaining an annoyed look from his mother.
"Now I'm more confused. I remember your video games when you were just a little boy. I don't recall you ever going on the internet with those," said Senior, scratching his head.
"It's actually common now for video games to have the capability to connect to the internet. Be it consoles or on the PC. I'm playing on desktop," said Junior. Senior sighed.
"It's amazing how much the world has changed in my lifetime. Its like the past decade has gone by much faster," said Senior.
"You've been pretty addicted to that game," said Mosura, turning to Junior.
"Aw, honey. Can't you play that game another day? I want us to spend time together," said Miwa.
"Can't, sorry. We're actually supposed to have a meeting on the server today. They may just want us to start grinding again for resources," said Junior as he sipped his water.
"Grinding? What the hell kind of game are you playing?!" exclaimed Miwa. Junior coughed as water went down the wrong pipe.
"I-it's not that kind of grinding!"
"He means gathering items and stuff in the game. It's supposed to be an open world sandbox game," interjected Mosura.
"I don't exactly understand what that means, but I'm going to pretend that I do," said Miwa, shrugging.
"Meetings? Gathering resources? You make it sound like you're part of a community," said Senior.
"Well, technically I kinda am. It's-"
Junior was interrupted as he felt his phone vibrate. He drew it out and quickly read through the message.
"Uh oh. That was Sunset. Apparently there's a message on the game's community website by our group's leader. Crap, the meeting was pushed up sooner than before."
The boy quickly made his way to the pot on the stove. He began to serve himself a large heaping helping of hot spaghetti. He then began to rush to his bedroom.
"Hey! Junior, we're supposed to be having dinner together!" cried Miwa. Mosura sighed.
"Yeah, he's definitely addicted."
The air was cold over a desolate land of this virtual world of video gaming. There lied ruins of structures of an old abandoned city. Just on the outskirts, there was a great wall, made up of concrete, enclosing a town of sorts, made up of wood, stone and metal. The metal had signs of rust on their surface, but provided fair protection.
The small buildings were cramped close together, much like the slums of an impoverished country. Crow nest towers surrounded the small enclosed town, where heavy machine gun turrets lied. On certain towers sat large cannons, which bore red beams of lights, ready to lock onto any invader.
In the center of this town stood a large fortress. The fortress was heavily fortified, with steel surfaces, armed guards, and turrets. A large group of people, also known as 'players', stood before this grand structure, as a man stood before them. He was clad in Kevlar armor. Above his head was a flat icon that appeared. It was an audio icon, much like one would see while playing an online video game.
"Alright! Alright! I need your attention everybody!" said the man, speaking over the conversing players' whose Icons of their own appeared over their heads with every word spoken. Among them were none other than Junior, Rodan, Angirasu, Sunset Shimmer and Aria Blaze
"Hey, how do I take off the chat icon that appears when everybody talks? It's kinda distracting," said Angirasu.
"Hey, the mayor's got an announcement! Shut it!" barked one of the guards. Angirasu winced.
"It was just a question..."
"Ahem. As you all know, we've burned through a lot of resources as of late on our 'BFG' project. We'll need to restock in order to continue construction and to maintain our faction's fortifications and other essentials," said the mayor.
"Great, more grinding," said Sunset in dismay.
"So, each clan will be assigned to specific locations in the server. You need only to meet your supply quota, which we've previously discussed. Exceeding quotas means you get to keep the rest for yourselves," said the mayor. A man raised his hand from among the crowd.
"Wouldn't it be more logical to just give everything we have?" asked the player.
"Hey! We can’t always jump on this game to grind for resources for ourselves!" said Aria, annoyance in her voice.
"Yeah, I've got school tomorrow," said another player.
"On a Saturday?" asked Rodan, confused.
"I'm falling behind on my grades, alright?"
The crowd began to converse amongst themselves. One of the guards suddenly shot into the air, startling the players out of their wits.
"Shut your mouth!" shouted the guard. There was an awkward silence.
"We're not changing the system. But if you feel like giving everything you have, then feel free to do so. Now, the 'Kewl Stools' clan are assigned to the southern quadrant, sector 4. There are rumors of a faction out there mining for valuable ores. Take over the mine from the faction by force," said the mayor, pointing to a group of players. He then pointed to another group.
"The 'Trouser Snakes' will-"
"Trouser Snakes rule!" exclaimed a player. The mayor sighed, rubbing his brow in exasperation.
"As I was saying. The Trouser Snakes will raid the Milf Hunters in the city ruins of Eastern quadrant Sector 7. They're sitting on a hefty uranium stash, but don't worry too much. That faction is comprised mostly of noobs, so opposition won't be too much trouble," said the mayor.
"OK, the 'Renegades'." The mayor turned his sights on Junior, Rodan, Angirasu, Sunset and Aria.
"You're assigned to the Weeb Guild not far from here. Gather whatever valuables that you can. But watch out for the leader. He's a known pro at this game," said the mayor. As he began to call out the other clans, Junior turned his attention to his friends.
"That's not too bad. The weebs have been slacking as of late," said Junior, optimistically.
"Wow, something positive from your mouth," said Sunset in surprise.
"Very funny." Junior rolled his eyes.
"What about the faction leader? I hear that not only is he one of the highest ranked players in the server, he's also strapped with Overpowered weapons," said Aria.
"Yeah, but he's not always online. Probably too busy wacking it to hentai," said Junior with a chuckle.
"Gross," shuddered Sunset.
"I don't think he's that kind of weeb," said Rodan, cocking a brow.
"Whatever. Since their base is close, let's head on down now. It beats having to scavenge ruins or mining," said Junior.
"Alright, let’s meet outside the front gates in five. Everyone arm up," said Sunset.
Later, the Renegades found themselves standing outside the front city gates. They were armed with rifles, and explosive weapons. They also wore Kevlar armor, along with a layer of metallic armor pieces added on top. Junior sighed.
"Man, I really want to get that gun ship built. I just need more metal to finish the thrusters and the weapons," said Junior.
"You've been on that thing for like what? Two weeks?" asked Sunset.
"Yeah. I'd have got it done sooner if I had more free time. Not to mention I mostly grind to meet those stupid quotas," said Junior in dismay.
"Well, at least it will help us get around a lot faster. Plus we'll be raining death from above," said Aria, a sinister grin on her face.
"Come on, the BFG is a pretty cool project too. Plus it's gonna be the ultimate defense weapon for the faction," said Sunset.
"The Big Fucking Gun is cool, but who gets to shoot it? And it's a stationary weapon. You'd need like a large airship to be mobile with it, and that would take longer just to build right," said Junior as he began to count off his fingers.
"You need an idea for the design, the metal for its construction, a ton of uranium for ammo, thrusters built in a way where you can get off the ground... it's a real investment. A PVP server like this with only resource gathering accelerated would still take awhile. And don't get me started on having a life."
"Well, I'm glad you have a life. I'd hate to see you become a fat slob that can't get off a game," said Sunset. Junior chuckled.
"Hey guys, about this raid. Don't you think it's kinda scummy to attack other factions and steal their stuff?" asked Angirasu, a worried look on his face.
"Ah don't feel bad. Our government does it all the time," said Junior, shrugging.
"Yeah, it's just a game. It's not uncommon to raid another faction or clan for their resources. It's not like we're just going out of our way to attack them just to troll," said Aria, nonchalant.
"True, but I kinda feel bad about doing it. I mean, I sure wouldn't like it if I spent so much time gathering and building, only for it all to be taken down by some thieves in a matter of 3 hours or less," said Angirasu, frowning.
"Yeah, I get what you mean, Aang. But I'd much rather do this than to go out there and get capped while trying to search for resources and mine for them," said Sunset, patting the boy's shoulder. Junior began to look around in annoyance.
"Rodan's taking a while, isn't he? Where is he?" asked Junior.
"Sup dudes?" Rodan suddenly appeared from the city gates, approaching his friends. Junior looked at him oddly.
"Uh nothing much. Where's your weapon?" asked Junior. Rodan snorted.
"Weapon? Oh I didn't have enough weight on me. I'm full luck!" Said Rodan. His friends, excluding Angirasu, all groaned in dismay.
"Rodan, what the hell are you gonna do with a full Luck build?" asked Junior. Sunset chuckled.
"Ro, what are you doing?"
"Yeah, you could've at least brought a gun, dumbass! We're raiding another faction!" said Aria.
"Rodan, I'm a noob at this game and even I know that maxing out only your Luck stats is dumb decision.
"Guys I'm telling you, one day you'll realize how good these Luck builds are!" said Rodan, smugly. Junior rolled his eyes.
"Whatever you say, Ro. Come on, let's get this over with," chuckled Junior.
The Renegades found themselves out in the middle of an open field. There were rows of sand bags and concrete dividers, coated in bullet holes. There stood a metallic and concrete base that stood, with teams of guards standing idly by. Some members of the Weeb Guild were in the process of looking through their inventories for their resources gathered. Meanwhile, a pair of guards stood just near the entrance to the compound.
"Hey, did you see Rosario Vampire?" asked one of the guards.
"Meh. Too much panty shot fan service. You want to see a quality anime, then check out Toradora," said the second guard.
"Ugh. I heard the female protagonist is a total Tsundere. I hate that archetype," said the first guard in dismay.
"Ah but you gotta give it a chance! She doesn't even count as an actual tsundere," said the second guard.
Meanwhile, Sunset was peering through the scope of a sniper rifle. She hummed as she analyzed the compound, as the rest of her clan took cover behind her.
"Oh boy. I'm actually getting nervous about this," said Angirasu.
"Don't worry, just hang behind us and maybe offer suppressive fire. You can handle that at least, right noobie?" asked Aria. Angirasu nodded to her in response.
"Yeah, I got it."
"OK, so it's the usual turret defense. But I can't exactly get numbers from here," said Sunset, lowering her rifle.
"Hey, Goji. Just shoot up on those enhancer drugs that we stole from the Gun Runners a while back," said Aria, nudging the boy. Junior sent her an incredulous look.
"Whoa, what do you mean? I can't tank this! What are you trying to-"
"Yeah, you can do it! You got high strength and armor!" said Aria, encouragingly.
"Hell no, I'm not going in there by myself! That's fucking suicide! I picked up some good stuff on the way over here!" said Junior.
"You got it, Goji! You're the tank!" said Sunset, joining Aria's encouragement. Although her tone seemed to border on humor. As though she didn't actually have the confidence in her friend succeeding in taking on a whole clan on his own with power ups.
"Send Rodan in! He's the one with the luck build!" said Junior.
"Oh come on. Luck only increases your chances of doing critical damage and getting good loot. And maybe some damage resistance. But that's-" Sunset trailed off as she began to look around.
"Wait a minute, where is Rodan?" asked Sunset. The teens began to look around each other in confusion, but then noticed the boy to be walking up to the guards at the compound's entrance.
"Oh God, what is he doing?!" exclaimed Junior.
"Ey whassup, dudes! So first off, my name's Rodan and-"
"I don't give a damn! What the hell do ya want?" demanded a guard, speaking in a gruff and southern accent.
"Well, my city just got some new guys, and we're working around the clock to gather resources to sustain ourselves and to build up weapons of mass destruction. I was wondering if you guys would be willing to part with some extra metal or maybe even food and water for HP and stamina. Maybe some smart water for double bars," said Rodan. The guard glared at him as he drew out a heavy machine gun from seemingly out of thin air.
"Do we look like a goddamn walmart?" growled the guard.
"No... But you guys look like you have water," said Rodan, shrugging. The guard then aimed his weapon at the boy and revved up the barrel. A hail of bullets suddenly went flying towards Rodan. However, none of the bullets seemed to connect with his body. The bullets just flew passed him.
"What?! Aw you fucking hacker! I'm reporting you straight to CoreTex Studios!" said the guard, angrily.
"I'm not hacking bro. I'm just full luck," said Rodan, smugly. The guard growled as he continued to fire his weapon, but still failed to hit the boy. Meanwhile, the rest of the Renegades just looked on slack jawed.
"Ok, let's move in!" said Junior, as he and the clan began to make their way towards the compound.
"I was really hoping that we could do this the easy way," said Rodan, shaking his head in disappointment.
"THIS IS THE EASY WAY! NOW DIE ALREADY!" shouted the guard.
As the guard continued his attack, Sunset took cover by a barricade. She drew out her sniper rifle and took aim at the guard's head. With the pull of a trigger, she made a clean shot towards his head, causing him to drop to the ground. Suddenly, the rest of the Weeb Guild took notice of the assault that began, as the Renegades advanced into the compound, guns blazing.
"Battle stations! Do not let the Ryokas through!" shouted a guard, as the Weeb Guild began to take positions at turrets and behind barricades.
"I bet you idiots don't actually know what that word means and only heard it from an anime!" shouted Junior, firing his rifle from behind a barricade. The two clans exchanged bullets at each other. The area was lit up by the muzzle flashes from their weaponry, as the air was filled with projectile blasts, Rodan ran for cover, ducking behind a barricade with Aria.
"Rodan, go get a weapon!" said Aria.
"OK! OK!" said Rodan, as he began to run off.
Sunset hung from the back and fired off her rifle. She snipped any foe that she locked her sights on. Meanwhile, Junior began to run up the compound, while firing off his rifle at the enemy.
"There he goes! Get him!" shouted the ring leader of the group. Junior run behind barricades and large metal containers for cover, as he avoided bullets and laser bolts. He peeped out of cover and peppered off several shots from his rifle, before returning to cover again.
"I got him! I got him!" said another guard.
Junior began to run out of cover, as he tossed a couple of grenades. The grenades landed near some guards, killing a couple from the blasts, while wounding the rest.
"Why can't any of you aim?! Get that fucker!" shouted the ring leader in frustration.
"I don't wanna die, dude!" whined another guard.
Junior began to run around the structure, as he drew out a plasma based sword. He swept up from behind a guard who had failed to notice him and slashed him.
"Ah! Tell my waifu that I love her!" cried the guard as he drop to the ground.
"Goddamit! One of you assholes is lagging! I can't even get a good hit on you!" said Aria as she fired off her weapon at one of the guards. The guard in question merely distorted and began to seemingly warp from two different positions. He didn't seem to be taking damage, but Aria was.
"Don't blame lag on your lack of-" the guard suddenly disappeared from sight. The text, 'Cowboi Beep Bop has lost connection' suddenly appeared in Aria's line of sight.
The battle continued on. The area was filled with the overlapping voices of the Weeb Guild, as they struggled to coordinate to push the Renegades back. Explosions from grenades filled the battlefield. Bullets whizzed by, striking players and inflicting heavy damage.
"You damn trolls! Why don't you go mess with some other clan's base and steal their shit?!" said a guard, exchanging shots with Aria.
"Ah shut up, Weeb! Log off an go watch Naruto!" said Aria, as she fired off at the guard, shooting him dead.
Junior found himself rushing towards another player, with his sword drawn. The guard whipped around with a gasp.
"Oh no, you don't! You dick taking bitch boy!" said the guard, drawing out a sword of his own. He and Junior clashed blades. The sparks of plasma flew off, as they stared each other down.
"Yeah, I see you! Not so hot now that you're faced with a master swordsman!" said the guard with a confident chuckle, befitting a Shonen anime protagonist. Junior gave him a flat look.
"Dude, relax. It's just a game," said Junior. He then kicked away the guard, causing him to stagger. The two rushed towards each other and swung their blades. Their strikes missed or were met with blocks. They continued their one on one battle, while the rest continued their warfare. Slowly but surely, the Weeb Guild were getting killed off.
"Gah! What's with that sword?! It's just eating up my stamina!" said the guard. Junior smirked.
"Worked hard on this baby. I almost got her maxed up. She has a perk where she can quickly ware down the defense of another opponent!" said Junior. He swung his sword again and caused the guard to stagger back. He growled as he dropped to one knee.
"You bastard! When the clan leader gets on, he's gonna-!" The guard was silenced, as Junior swung his blade at his neck, slicing his head clean off. The head rolled and disintegrated into red sparks, as the body faded, leaving only a large bag behind. Junior smirked as he knelt down and began to dig through the bag.
"Sweet! I've been looking for some power cells!" said Junior, as he began to take the items out of the bag. The bag faded, as Junior took on everything that was left behind into his inventory.
The compound was littered with dead guards and their inventory bags. The Renegades began to loot them, after restoring their own health and reloaded their ammunition. Junior made his way back to the front entrance of the base.
"Everyone good?" asked Junior.
"I'm cool," said Rodan.
"All good," said Sunset, giving a thumbs up.
"No." said Aria. Junior turned to find Aria to be standing down below a ditch. He chuckled.
"Aria, what happened?" asked Junior. Aria sighed in dismay.
"I don't wanna talk about it. Just help me out," said Aria.
"Just jump on this end. It's low enough for you to climb," said Rodan, gesturing to his position. Aria sighed as she began to climb out of the ditch.
"Damn explosives caused a bunch of ditches," said Aria.
"Hey, Rodan. What was that earlier? That guy couldn't hit you, no matter how many times he shot at you," said Angirasu, confused.
"It's all luck!" said Rodan. Junior glared at him.
"Or there's apparently a glitch that can be exploited if you max out your luck stats," said Junior.
"I will not confirm nor deny the accusation!" said Rodan, crossing his arms. Junior rolled his eyes in response.
"Alright, let's just raid the inside. They might have some good stuff in the building," said Junior, as he led the group into the base. The entered and found a large open hall. After venturing through the hall, they found different rooms. They were mainly filled with crates and lockers. They began to search every nook and cranny for resources.
"Weird. Those guys had some nice items out there. But they don't seem to have anything inside," said Sunset, oddly.
"Lazy fucks probably didn't stock up on resources," said Aria in annoyance.
"Hey!" a voice called out. The Renegades jumped and bore confused looks.
"Who was that?" asked Angirasu.
"Hey guys, look," said Rodan, as he pointed into a corridor. The clan followed him and found a room, where a player was trapped inside of a cage. Unlike most players, this man was dressed in his boxers.
"Yeah, I'm talking to you!" said the player.
"You're not part of the Weeb Guild," said Junior, in surprise.
"Nah son, I'm with the Gun Runners! I came here with my boys to get some resources but I ended getting captured. These damn weebs subjected me to their weird Neighsian cartoons!" said the Gun Runner.
"Hey come on. I know there's a difference between Western and Eastern cultures, but Neighponese animation isn't that weird," said Angirasu, shrugging.
"That's easy for you to say, considering that you probably grew up on anime," deadpanned Junior.
"And I remember you bitches being the ones who stole our drug enhancements! You know how long it takes to gather resources to craft that stuff?!" demanded the Gun Runner.
"Yeah, which is why we stole them," said Rodan with a smirk.
"Enough about us. Where do these guys keep their stuff?" asked Sunset.
"They ain't got nothing. Your boys in the power armor picked them dry," said the Gun Runner. The Renegades looked to each other in confusion.
"Power armor? What's he talking about? There's no one in the faction with that," said Aria.
"Hey, what are you saying?" asked Junior, turning back to the Gun Runner.
"A bunch of sweats ran up on the weebs before you guys even got here. This three year old threatened them with a mini nuke! They got stood up by a fucking three year old!" said the Gun Runner.
"Three year old?" asked Angirasu.
"Look, just get out of there and give us whatever you got," said Junior. He knew that it wouldn't be good if he and his clan returned to the city empty handed, especially when there was a strict deadline by meeting the supply quota. What they had looted off the Weeb Guild wouldn't be enough.
"Fuck you, your mama, and the try hard toddlers!" The Gunner Runner flipped off Junior with a glare.
"I ain't got anything anyway. The Weebs already took my shit. But I can't wait till they respawn and fuck ya'll shit up!" said the Gunner Runner with a smirk.
"Jeez. This guy has a bigger potty mouth than Gojira," said Sunset with a grimace.
"Gojira, we're wasting our time with this guy. Let's get out of here before the weebs come back. They might have messaged their leader by now. It'd be trouble if we stuck around," said Aria. Junior nodded in agreement.
"You're right. Let's roll out," said Junior.
"Hey, you know no one's gonna come save ya, dude. I mean unless your food or drink meter hits low and kills you, you'll just be stuck here possibly for weeks," said Rodan.
"Yeah, and they can also force feed your character. So the odds of dying of thirst and starvation are low," said Sunset.
"Hey, you guys sure you don't wanna look to loot for something else around here?" asked Angirasu.
"You heard the guy, someone beat us to this place. Plus, I'm max encumbered right now," said Aria.
"Ugh. Well this was a bit of a bust," said Sunset, as the Renegades began to leave the building. They began to make their way out of the base, but stopped as they found themselves faced to face with a lone player. He stood waiting in silence, with a sword drawn. He wore armor that looked to be similar to that of a samurai's. There was the sound of nasally breathing in the air.
"Please tell me that's not who I think it is," said Rodan with a gulp. Junior noticed a gamer tag to be depicted over the figure's head.
"Well, we're fucked," Junior scowled.
"Do you have any idea of the force that you have trifled with?! You filthy normies!" said the samurai. He spoke in a nasally voice.
"First those griefers came and took everything we've worked hard for, and now you've attacked us while we were trying to recover!" said the samurai
"So there were people here before us," said Sunset.
"Due to your ignorance, I had to stop binging Spice and Wolf! Because of that, there will be no mercy from me, Rising Sun Kami!" said the samurai as he drew a second sword. From behind him, the rest of the Weeb Guild had respawned, bearing what little weaponry and equipment that they were able to scavenge.
"I WILL THROTTLE YOU ALL!" Screamed Rising Sun Kami. He began to sprint after the Renegades, running up the hill as he angrily ranted. Junior suddenly drew out a Molotov cocktail and hurled it in front of them. A wall of flames appeared.
"SCATTER!" Junior cried.
The Renegades suddenly split up and began to flee. The Weeb Guild proceeded to give chase and fire their weapons at them. Kami continued to chase after them, locking his sights on Aria Blaze.
"No! No! No!" Aria cried frantically as she mustered up what stamina she had left. But, the Weeb Guild's leader was much too fast.
"Die normie! DIE!" Kami shouted as he lunged for Aria, slashing his blades against her back. The girl cried out as she dropped to the ground. She found herself incapacitated from the devastating strike. She was then met with several slashes from the enraged weeb. Aria then lied dead in a pool of her own blood, as her body distorted and faded from sight, leaving behind a bag with items from her inventory. There was suddenly the sound of fists banging on a desk that filled the air.
"GODDAMIT!" Aria's voice echoed out, seemingly from nowhere. There was then the sound of a door opening.
"Aria, keep it down!" a voice yelled in annoyance.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Renegades continued to flee, with the Weeb Guild still in pursuit. Sunset yelped as a bullet struck her shoulder, causing her to stagger.
"Ugh! This sure didn't go as we would've liked!" said Sunset.
"Just keep running! They'll run out of bullets eventually! Our main concern is that psycho leader of theirs!" said Junior.
"That guy really loves anime," said Rodan, panting.
Some time had passed. The Renegades had returned to the city of their faction. They found themselves gathered around a table in the town square, where other players roamed about. Junior set a bag down on the table with a sigh.
"OK, so let's compare pick-ups," said Junior.
"Well, I got some ammo," said Angirasu, holding up a rifle magazine, filled with bullets.
"I got some armor," said Sunset, a weak smile on her face. Junior set down a round glowing object.
"20 power cells. Perfect for plasma weapons," said Junior.
"I think Aria had something. But she lost her stuff after she got pwned by that weeb," said Rodan in dismay. Junior sighed.
"Yep. This whole thing was a real bust after all," said Junior.
"Well, maybe we can pawn some of this stuff or craft useful items for another trip outside. We're hurting for resources," said Sunset.
"Maybe we can scrap a couple of older weapons we have to come up with materials for a plasma weapon. I guess I can give up the power cells for my gunship's plasma weapons for more ammo," said Junior. He then turned to find Aria Blaze to be walking over to the table. An annoyed look was on her face.
"Ugh." Aria sat down with the group in annoyance. Rodan eyed the girl with a perverted grin. The girl herself wore nothing but pair of beige boxer briefs and a small top that covered only her breasts.
"Would any of you guys happen to have grabbed my stuff?" asked Aria, hopeful.
"No. What's wrong? Out of resources to craft yourself some light armor?" asked Junior.
"Do you even have to ask?" Aria sighed in dismay.
"I think I can craft you something," said Sunset, drawing out a tablet from her side. She began to look through a screen, where an inventory displaying the items that she had. She began to look through a tab that was labeled 'blue prints', and began to search for the clothes that were available for her to craft.
"Sorry, I only have enough to craft you a shirt and pants," said Sunset, as she selected the apparel items. A bar appeared in her line of sight, which began to quickly fill up. Sunset suddenly dropped a sack onto the table, which Aria took. She was spontaneously dressed up in the clothes.
"Better than nothing I guess," said Aria.
"Aw..." Rodan frowned in disappointment. The Dazzling met him with a glare.
"Guys, I need some food. My hunger meter is going down pretty low," said Angirasu. Aria sighed.
"I hate water and food meters. I play games to escape reality, not live it," said Aria, slouching in her seat.
The Renegades suddenly heard the sound of distant shouting. They turned to find a group of players to be standing at an area, where another stood by a small building. A sign that read 'Crafts Shop' hung on the structure.
"Who do you think you're talking to, homes? We're the Trouser Snakes! We rule, bro!" said a player, speaking with a Mexicoltan accent.
"Yeah, I don't give a shit who you are. My son and I grinded for this stuff and you can too," said the Crafts Shop owner.
"Bullshit! The uranium stash we were sent to raid was dry by the time we got there! If we don't meet our supply quota, we're gonna be fucked!" said a Trouser Snake in dread.
"Why don't we uh... spread the wealth, hombre?" asked one of the Trouser snakes. Though his tone almost sounded sensual.
"It kinda sounds like you wanna spread my cheeks," said the Craft Shop owner.
"I do."
There was an awkward silence. One of the other clan members looked to the odd one out of all of them.
"That's too far, man."
"OK, now you guys need to get the hell out of here," said the shop owner, glaring at the pestering clan.
"Jeez. People online need to chill out," said Aria with a grimace.
"Looks like we're not the only ones having trouble with gathering resources," said Sunset. Junior propped his head up on the table with a sigh.
"I wonder. Who was it that could've raided the Weeb Guild. Power armor is high tier tech. You need to be a high level and have a lot of rare resources for that," said Junior.
"This Server isn't that old. Our faction is one of the strongest ones. But even we don't have something like that," said Sunset.
"Well, I wouldn't worry. The city is pretty fortified. Hell, even I spent time helping with building defenses," said Junior.
"I didn't know you helped build the city," said Angirasu with interest.
"I just set up a few crow nests and heavy auto turrets," said Junior, nonchalant.
"I can barely build a wall in this game," said Angirasu in dismay.
"Ah you'll catch on quick, Aang. Don't worry about it," said Rodan, patting the boy's shoulder.
"Well, it's still early. Let's say we fill our hunger and thirst meters and barter for some guns and ammo. We can try searching the NPCs and server for loot," said Sunset.
"Alright. I don't wanna end the day without having got anything done," said Junior.
It had been a couple of hours. The Renegades spent this time scavenging the digital wasteland and the ruins left behind by the NPCs. By now, Aria had managed to gain some mid-tier armor through the resources that they've gathered. During all of this, the players had gone back and forth to their city so that they may dump their gathered resources. Then, they would go back out to the unforgiving wilderness.
The players found themselves confronted with all sort of problems and dangers. Such as dangerous mutated creatures, runaway robots, non-playable characters who sought to steal their loot. They even ran into random players who roamed in the server as well. But most dreaded of all, they faced boredom.
"Ugh..." Rodan groaned in exasperation.
"Come on, Ro. We gotta keep it going," said Sunset as she carried a jackhammer-like device. She was using the tool on the ground at her feet, causing the earth to give in. As she sunk into the earth, stones and metallic ores appeared, which Junior gathered.
"But it's sooooo boring! I wanna go get into a gun fight with the other players in the server!" said Rodan.
"Can't do any gun fighting without ammo and armor," said Junior, as Aria brought a drill onto a boulder, drilling into it.
"The less yoe bitch about it, the faster we get it done and do whatever we w-W-WHAh" Aria's voice seemed to cut off, as her body convulsed and twitched.
"Aria?" Angirasu called worriedly.
"Ah fuck! I'm lagging! Sonata, you better not be on the internet!" Aria shouted, her gaze turning to the sky.
"It's just that this server has felt kinda stale lately. I mean, ever since we became part of a big faction, it's gotten less fun. Everyone else is smaller and has less tech. I'm pretty sure some guys dropped out of the server all together last week," said Rodan.
"Well, what do you want us to do about it?" asked Junior. Rodan shrugged.
"Maybe we can break off from the faction and start our own. I mean, we can exploit the resources and build our own stuff in secret. When we have enough where we're comfortable, we can turn on them! That'd mix things up here!" said Rodan, eager.
"Hmm. An old fashion betrayal could be interesting," said Sunset, rubbing her chin in thought.
"Yeah, I might be able to finally get some work done on the gunship without having to fetch stuff to build other people's stuff," said Junior, smirking.
"Yeah, but then we have to worry about getting raided. With a group as small as ours, we wouldn't stand a chance. No matter how much we build," said Aria, with a deadpanned look.
"Then we can recruit others into our group!" said Rodan. Angirasu bore a puzzled look.
"Wait, won't this lead to us becoming basically what you want to get out of?" asked Angirasu.
"Maybe. But it'll be different! All we do is put our focus onto building one or two things that only a few get to use. I wanna build flying battleships! Manned with more than one player! With smaller aircraft launching from hangars inside!" said Rodan, grinning from ear to ear.
"I'm getting excited just thinking about it!" laughed Sunset.
"Best part is that we can start a war with the other faction! Just think, two big factions going at it! I always wanted to be in a server like that!" said Rodan, giddily. Junior gasped, as a thought came to his mind.
"If we're doing this in secret, how about we build an underground base? I can see it! We dig into the earth and start constructing a heavy fortified base underground! With access to metal ores, uranium..." Junior began to imagine plans for this hypothetical base.
"How about an underground hangar where we can launch ships out of? Like rockets!" said Rodan.
"Yes!" said Junior, his tone growing more excited.
"If Goji's excited, then this must be a good idea," said Angirasu.
A couple of weeks had gone by. During this, the Renegades had met up and replayed their game. As they vowed, they had begun work on building their own secret facility, in hopes to defect from the biggest faction in the server. All in the name of fun!
The Renegades were in the middle of expanding their underground lair, by digging through the digital earth. They were in a grand pocket of the ground, with a base crudely and partially constructed. While Rodan, Angirasu dug for resources, Aria converted them into useable materials via smaller metallic oven-like structures. Junior and Sunset would gather the materials once converted and use them as building materials. They would use the materials to construct the crude base, while refining them along the way. The metallic structures were placed along the stone cavern they were in, as though holding up the cave together. Pillars stood, as platforms marked with rooms were painted on the metallic surfaces.
So far, rooms dedicated to medical resources were built. There were also rooms filled with large containers, stocked with recently constructed ammunition and weapons. There was a room where power was generated for the lights and the equipment that ran in the underground base. All charged by the solar panels sneakily built on the surface above.
"Hey, Sunset. Where's the glass?" asked Junior, as he stood next to a frame of a window, overlooking the facility.
"Glass is being constructed in the fabricator. We ran out a couple minutes ago," answered Sunset, as she used a hand held torch to weld metallic surfaces into existence in the room.
"Sweet. Now I can finish up this window for the control room," said Junior, admiring his work. "It's gonna be cool seeing ships launched out of here," said Junior.
"Yep. I just hope we can get something running soon. We've been putting off our quotas lately just to have enough materials for this place," said Sunset.
"Yeah, but it'll be worth it. Especially being able to swipe some of the stuff stacked," said Junior with a chuckle.
"It may be a matter of time before they wise up that their resources are being used," said Sunset, worriedly.
"Ah, I wouldn't worry. So long as we keep our heads down, they won't catch onto us," said Junior in reassurance.
"AAAH!!" Angirasu cried as he suddenly fell down passed the window-less control room. Junior and Sunset rushed over, finding their friend to be lying flat on the ground, a pool of blood around him. His body then vanished, as a sack was left behind. Junior and Sunset laughed.
"Watch your step, Aang!" said Junior.
"I forgot to use my thruster pack." Angirasu's disembodied voice filled the air, his tone carrying dismay. The boy suddenly found himself awakening inside of a metallic pod. The pod opened, allowing him to stumble out, dressed in nothing but boxers.
"Now I gotta get my stuff back," said Angirasu, running through a metallic tunnel, returning to the hangar area of the base.
"Those Respawn Pods are great, eh?" asked Rodan. He was hovering in midair next to a pillar, welding metal plates into existence on its surface. Angirasu merely grumbled to himself as he picked up the bag. His armor and clothes suddenly appearing on his form.
There was a sudden rumble in the air. The Renegades stumbled, as the stone ceiling above began to crumble. Angirasu yelped as a steel beam fell, nearly crushing him. Aria exclaimed as an explosion from the cave ceiling near her occurred. She stumbled back, as a deep hole was exposed. Rays of sunlight pierced through. The light was obscured as a great object obscured the light.
"The hell is going on?!" cried Aria.
Junior rushed over to one of the computer consoles in the control room. He began to look through the security feed that gave a view of the surface. Large blasts and a hail of bullets fell over the line of sight of the footage. The forest that once obscured the metallic entrance was now gone. The entrance was exposed. He focused the camera onto the source of this barrage. His eyes widened and his blood ran cold. He beheld a great vessel to be hovering high above the sky. It was like a flying battleship. It was bulky and long, easily dwarfing even the gunship that he was constructing himself. It was something out of a science fiction film. On the side of the ship was a name painted. The ship was dubbed 'USS THICC'.
"No fucking way," said Junior.
"What?! What is it?!" exclaimed Sunset.
"Someone's found us! There's a big ass ship bombarding us!" said Junior.
"Did the faction figure us out?!" exclaimed Sunset.
"No idea! We need to get out of here!" said Junior, frantic. He rushed to the windowless frames.
"Guys! Pack up everything that you can! Weapons, health, food, anything important! The base is compromised!" said Junior. Aria, Angirasu and Rodan scrambled about through the base. They rushed to the storage rooms, gathering whatever their weight limit would allow. Meanwhile, Junior and Sunset were sitting at the computer consoles.
"Have all the turrets set to automatic. Feel free to pilot one to land precision shots!" said Junior.
"Do we even have the fire power to take it down?!" asked Sunset, incredulous. The base rumbled, as the barrage above continued.
"This is just to buy us time! If we're lucky, we can take out the engines and knock them out of the sky!" said Junior.
The turrets above were spread around the entrance of the base above. A few were mini guns, firing smaller projectiles. But, larger cannons, missile batteries, and rail guns also made up the arsenals. Junior and Sunset took control of the rail guns, which were precise and effective projectiles that were faster than rockets, and twice as strong. Though, the splash damage wasn't as big. That didn't matter, if they were aiming to cut off the ship's ability to fly.
"I got my sights on one of the engines!" said Sunset.
"Me too! Fire!" said Junior.
The turrets fired a hail of bullets. The cannons launched heavy projectiles. The missile batteries shot a barrage of rockets. The rail guns fired fast flying blue bolts that streaked across the sky. However, a great shield suddenly appeared, stopping the rail gun rounds. The bullets bounced off. The cannon rounds and missiles merely exploded against the shield, slightly distorting the point of impact.
"Oh man! Whoever these guys are, they have a shield generator!" exclaimed Sunset in alarm.
The ship began to retaliate. Cannons on its side aimed and fired off. The projectiles pelted the entrance to the base. One by one, the automated defense weapons were destroyed from the attack.
"Goji, we just lost all of our firepower!" said Sunset. Junior cursed to himself.
"We spent days on this place!" said Junior in dismay. In the corner of his eye, he noticed a notification for a request in chat. Junior opened it and found a message left by someone named 'Grief Lord'.
'All your base are belong to us, lol.'
"Oh God, we're being raided by a dork!" said Junior in exasperation. He suddenly received a request to voice chat. He sighed as he opened it.
"Yo! Listen up, you casuals! This is the THICC BOOOOIS, coming at you live over the airways!" a male voice shouted. Junior and Sunset had recoiled, not expecting the loud and obnoxious voice.
"What do you assholes want?" demanded Junior.
"We want your guns and your thirteen wives! Don't try some hero bullshit, or we'll put yo ass in a ditch!" said the player. Suddenly, loud and obnoxious music began to play over. There was the screams of excited players in the background, as more players revealed themselves to have been in the chat. There were many players in this clan. Outnumbering the Renegades easily. Junior quickly muted the chat with a wince.
"That sounded like Hell," said Junior with a shudder.
"Come on! Let's get the gunship and bail!" said Sunset, shooting up out of the computer seat. Junior followed her down the hall. As time went on, more holes were punctured through the base as the projectiles from the ship above pelted the surface. The gunship lied on its belly in the base. It was a grey metallic color. The vehicle resembled much like the Pelican from the Halo series, which had been Junior's inspiration. He was proud of how it turned out. He only hoped that it would be able to last once they launched.
The Renegades rushed to the airship, with whatever essentials gathered. Junior rushed to a panel and pressed a button. An alarm went off, as a great metallic door above began to slide open. The Renegades began to board the ship, with them sitting in the back where seats were lined up, facing each other.
There was another explosion, prompting Junior to quickly turn. He found that a larger hole was made through the ceiling. From the ceiling, a group of players began to descend down from the hole, via jet packs. They wore thick heavy armor, which gave them the appearance of walking tanks. They dropped to the ground, armed with rifles and others weapons.
"Power armor?!" Junior exclaimed. He recalled what the Gun Runner Prisoner had told him some time back. It was the detail that a group had raided the Weeb Guild prior. They began to fire their weapons. Junior quickly entered the ship and hopped in the cockpit. The ship hummed to life. The flames from the thrusters ignited. Bullets began to chip at the armor.
The gunship proceeded to ascend up the base, through the metallic tunnel. Projectiles from the battleship began to fall through the opening door, nearly striking the gunship.
"Gojira, if we die in here I'm gonna be pissed!" said Aria in annoyance. Junior grunted as he began to adjust the ship, continuing up.
"Come on, baby. Don't blow up!" said Junior. He made the vehicle turn up, its nose staring up at the exit of the tunnel. The ship then began to fly through, narrowly avoiding the incoming projectiles. He quickly pointed the nose down, to level out the ship. He focused the ship to fly in a straight line, in order for it to gain maximum speed.
The USS THICC continued its attack. However, some turrets turned their attention onto the fleeing gunship. They fired at the smaller ship. The vehicle's armor was weathered down from damage as a result. One of the thrusters had exploded, causing the ship to fly wildly as it attempted to maintain altitude.
"Crap! Crap!" Junior growled, as the ship descended close the ground. The Renegades exclaimed, as the ship continued to descend closer to the ground. Junior muttered to himself, as he by some miracle managed to pull the nose of the ship back up. It then began to fly off in a leveled manner, fleeing from the ship, as it continued to barrage the base.
"Well that was intense," said Rodan, with a relieved chuckle.
"All that work. Gone." Junior sighed in dismay. He looked at the console in front of him, which depicted a rear view look of the gunship. The massive battleship continued its barrage, leveling the mountain in the process. Junior sighed heavily.
"You know, I think this is karma for raiding those clans smaller and weaker than us," said Angirasu, nonchalant. The rest of the renegades said nothing. They had nothing to offer up in response. It did seem like an ironic turn of events.
"They were wearing power armor. You guys think that they could've been the ones who raided the Weeb Guild?" asked Junior.
"With that kind of fire power, I bet they've been the reason why it's been hard to find resources off of others as of late," said Sunset.
"You guys think that we should head back to the city?" asked Angirasu, looking back out the exposed window to the ship's door.
"We have to. That's the only place we can go. We have a lot of explaining to do with our quotas not being met," said Junior.
"Well, I don't think that's going to be a problem," said Angirasu.
"Why's that?"
"Because it looks like the battleship is moving into the direction of the city," said Angirasu, nonchalant. Junior pulled back on the throttle of the ship, causing it to stop in place.
"Please tell me you're kidding," said Junior, as he turned the ship. From the cockpit, he was able to see the great battleship to be slowly moving on from the leveled mountain. Sure enough, its flight path was indeed heading for the city in which they had dwelled.
"Oh, that's bad. That's really bad!" said Junior, alarmed.
"The faction doesn't have nearly enough fire power to handle that thing! We need to go!" said Sunset.
"Someone message the mayor!" said Junior, as he began to pilot the ship in the opposite direction.
"Wait, where are you going?" asked Aria, confused.
"I have a feeling that we'll need all the help that we can get," said Junior, a determined look on his face.
"Someone else message the other clans," said Junior.
In the middle of flat desert land, the Renegades stood in front of their parked gunship. Before them stood three lone players. Among them was the leader of the Weeb Guild, Rising Sun Kami. There was a familiar player who stood by. It was none other than the Gun Runner who was once locked up in the Weeb Guild's base. The third player was another player, who was dressed with a kevlar vest and leather jacket. There was heavy tension in the air, as they stood faced off against each other.
"You have a lot of balls to have summoned me," said Kami, speaking in his usually nasally voice. The Renegades gulped nervously, knowing the power that this one player alone had.
"So what the fuck ya'll want?" barked the Gun Runner.
"Listen, we called you guys out here because there's a big threat looming around. There's a massive battleship that's carrying high level players with high tier tech going around raiding clans. They're on their way to our faction's city. We need your help," said Junior. One of the players scoffed.
"Why should we help you? Your faction's been raiding our clans for months! You drove off players from the server! What goes around, comes around!" said the player, his voice cracking much like a boy going through puberty.
"Oh God. What is that voice?" asked Aria, incredulous.
"Look, we know our faction's been a bunch of assholes. But look at the big picture. Sooner of later, these guys will just take our place. Only this time, you don't stand a chance on your own. But together, we can win," said Rodan. Kami hummed, rubbing his chin.
"You speak logically, heathens. But what do we get out of this?" asked Kami.
"You get to keep some of the spoils left by the enemy. And a truce. We'll stop attacking your clans for resources and grind the old fashion way," said Sunset.
"Yo, we also want the blue print to that bitchin ride!" said the Gun Runner, pointing at the gunship.
"Fine," said Junior. He didn't mind the demand. Sharing blue prints for builds was common for players to do in the game. Junior always preferred to build his own things.
"So, are we good?" asked Sunset. The clan leaders all looked to each other briefly. They nodded before turning back to the Renegades.
"I believe we have an accord," said Kami.
"Alright. Gather up as many guys and guns that you can," said Junior.
"Yo! I'm about to make an armada of these motherfuckin' birds!" said Gun Runner, as he held up a blue print.
The Renegades found themselves standing inside of an office. They were faced to face with the mayor, who appeared enraged.
"You've been leaking out resources?!" demanded the mayor. The Renegades stood awkwardly, appearing nervous. They found themselves beside armed guards, who eyed them with itchy trigger fingers.
"I wouldn't say, leaking them out. We just... redirected some of them for a side project that we thought would be cool for the faction," said Junior, with a nervous smile. He thought it'd be wiser to tweak some facts over the purpose of this new base that they were attempting to set up in secret. He could only imagined how furious the mayor would be if he knew the whole truth.
"And who authorized this?! Those resources are for the BFG! We would've had it finished a week ago!" the mayor shouted.
"It uh... It was more ambitious than we anticipated," tittered Sunset. The mayor growled as he pulled at his hair.
"And now we're going to be invaded by another powerful faction?!" said the mayor.
"Hey, it's no sweat! We started an alliance with some of the other clans! We just need to muster up enough fire power to wear down the shield and take that battleship down!" said Rodan, full of confidence.
"You idiot! You would need a constant barrage of missiles, heavy cannons and plasma weapons to tear down the shield before they level the city! The BFG is the only thing capable of taking it down in one blow!" said the mayor.
"Well, how much more resources does it need?" asked Angirasu.
"We still need Uranium for the ammo! And that requires you to go to the pocket just outside of the city! You'll never get it on time!" said the mayor. The door to the office suddenly opened. In came a guard, who appeared pale, as though he saw a ghost.
"Mayor! We sighted a massive battleship heading this way!" cried the guard.
"Oh God! Well, time to make the announcement," said the mayor, as he took a microphone. He cleared his throat, as his voice was amplified, catching the attention of the other players.
"OK, everyone needs to stop what they're doing, right now! There's a massive battleship coming to the city, fixing to raw dog us! Our loot, our base, and our Gamer Girls!" exclaimed the mayor.
"It's not looking pretty fellas. I want patrol squads taking position on heavy turrets and cannons! All PVP squads, take all land and air vehicles! Good luck!" said the mayor. He then cleared his throat as he began to press a button on the desk.
"And uh... Somebody text me if we win. If not, then I'm disbanding this city. Or whatever's left of it," said the mayor.
"Wait, what?!" exclaimed the Renegades. The Mayor rushed to the wall behind him, which slid open like a door. A small compartment was revealed, with a single seat present.
"Later, you fucking virgins!"
The mayor hopped into the seat. A metallic door slid down and sealed him inside. The building began to shake, as a metallic pod shot out of the mayor's office. The pod ascended above the tall structure in the middle of the city, flying off away. The Renegades just stood, staring at the empty space where the mayor once resided moments ago.
"He just bailed," said Sunset.
"Coward. Leave it to the leaders to not want to take the heat when shit hits the fan," said Aria in disdain.
"Alright, let's get moving! We should scrounge up some uranium while we still can!" said Junior.
Meanwhile, the rest of the faction began to scramble to their battle stations. They armed up and placed on as much armor as they could. Turrets were mounted, as were land vehicles. From large heavily armored tanks, to lighter armored multi wheeled vehicles. Bus sized ships with fighter jet-like appearances began to take flight.
The battleship was approaching from the distance. It then began to turn in direction, with its side exposed. Within this ship, there were seemingly endless halls held together by strong metal. There were large pockets within the ship, allowing room for fuel, power, and the engines.
On the bridge of the ship, a group of players stood. They gazed out the great window that exposed the land to them. A player sat on a chair, as others sat in seats at computer consoles. The commander of this great vessel smirked.
"Looks like the filthy casuals are scrambling for an attack. The Thicc Bois will reign supreme over this server. But there's no need to end this quick. Let's say we draw this out before crushing them completely. Scramble the fighters and infantry!" said the commander.
Meanwhile, in the hangar of this grand ship, there were smaller ships. Some made up of small single man fighters, designed to resemble X-Wings. Armored players began to board into slightly larger ships, shaped like vans with thrusters attached. The ships all flew out of the opened hangar of the ship. The sky was soon filled with the warring fighters. Bullets and plasma bolts flew. Missiles exploded. Ships began to fall from the sky.
From the ground, tanks and other land vehicles drove out to the field, firing from below. They focused fire on the invader's transport ships. But, the ships managed to slip passed them. The transport vehicles landed outside of the city gates. From the back, the power armored players marched out, armed to the teeth with heavy machine guns, rocket launchers, and other weapons.
The turrets focused their attention on the invaders and began to fire. The Thicc Bois focused fire on the turrets, causing them to explode. They advanced into the city, where they found a large group of denizens to be standing, armed as well. One of the Thicc Boi clan members chuckled.
"Heh. Seriously? We're going against these shit heels?" laughed the player.
"You shouldn't say that. It's kinda hurtful," said one of the city guards.
"I'm gonna report him," said another. One of the Thicc Bois stepped forward.
"Alright, listen up. Hand over all of your ammo and your guns! Do anything stupid, and we'll mow you down!" said one of the Thicc Bois. His voice was that of a young male child.
"Yo! How much ammo you want, bruh? I got some plasma cartridges, some 9 millimeters-"
"All of them," the child interrupted. One of the city guards raised a hand, a grimace on his face
"Can't you be more reasonable?"
"Look, can we just talk to the mayor instead of some city guard?" asked the child.
"Uh... Yeah, he knew you were gonna ask that," said a guard. The child bore an annoyed look.
"So where is he?" asked the child.
"He bailed from the city and logged off a minute ago."
"Mate, I bet you're all talk!" said one of the guards.
"Oh yeah?" Child suddenly drew out a rifle, coated with glowing lights. The weapon hummed as the barrel glowed. A blue bolt shot from the gun and struck the mocking guard, causing him to drop to the ground. He dissolved into a pile of ash.
"Well, we're fucked," said a guard.
The city entrance suddenly broke out into a full blown warzone. Two factions began to clash, exchanging fire at one another. The guards shouted and exclaimed incoherently, as their voices overlapped each other in the chat.
Bullets, plasma bolts and rockets flew throughout the area. The players who remained in the city were being decimated by the greater fire power of the Thicc Bois.
"Fall back! Fall back!" shouted a guard, as a rocket flew by, exploding against a building.
"Bro, this is bullshit! I'm leaving!" said a guard, as he disappeared into thin air.
"Don’t any of you rage quit!" shouted a guard. However, he noticed names of players suddenly appeared, with the words 'disconnected' next to them.
"It's no good! They're pushing us back!" cried a guard. There was the sound of a door opening in the air.
"Hey, what do you want for dinner?" A woman's voice was heard.
"Get the hell out of my room! I'm playing Waste Craft!" The guard suddenly shouted.
"Hey! Don't talk to me like-"
"SHUT UP, MOM!" the guard shouted.
Meanwhile, on the roof of a building, the Trouser Snakes stood. They watched as the war waged on.
"Hey man, if you're gonna start sniping then you need to-"
"No, hold on! I need the enhancers first. Here take the gun" said one of the Trouser Snakes, interrupting his clan member. His tone was frantic.
"No, gimme the drugs! No, gimme the gun! The drugs! No, get outta here! I don't need your help! I got this! I got this!" The player crouched and raised his sniper rifle. He took aim at one of the invading players. He fired, and the bullet managed to pierce through the helmet, killing the enemy. One by one, the ground forces were shot down by the lone sniper.
"Status update. What the hell is going on down there?" The commander spoke, catching the attention of one of his subordinates.
"These pricks are being carried by a fucking sniper! He's wiping us- gah!" The player was interrupted as he was sniped. Soon, all of the ground infantry was wiped out. But, the battle waged on in the air.
The Thicc Bois clan had complete air dominance. Their ships were swift and had skilled pilots. Their quick maneuvers and weapons managed to take down the aircraft of the city's pilots The aircraft began to advance onto the city, firing off their weapons at the structures. Bullets and plasma bolts chipped away at the surfaces. Missiles blasted away great chunks, exposing the interior of the buildings. All the while, the automatic defense turrets began to fire back at the ships.
"Take down those guns, Thicc Bois! This city will be ripe for the taking!" said one of the invaders, shooting a barrage of rockets at one of the turrets.
"Hey, we got bogeys coming in from outside the city! There's a lot of them!" exclaimed another Thicc Boi. The invaders caught sight of a grand fleet of gunships, matching the appearance of the one that had fled from the last base that they had taken over.
"Engage! Engage!" shouted the leading pilot. A new dogfight among ships began to take place.
Meanwhile, the Renegades found themselves scrambling for the gunship that rested on the the roof of a building.
"OK, we just need to find some Uranium! I think there was a deposit near the base we were setting up!" said Junior. Angirasu hummed as he began to look through his inventory, tablet in hand.
"Wait, you said we needed Uranium?" asked Angirasu.
"Yes! It's the only resource left for the BFG!" said Junior, as a fighter ship crashed into the street nearby. Aria and Sunset quickly drew out their guns and proceeded to fire at the player who began to climb out of the wreckage.
"Well, I have like ten ores right here apparently," said Angirasu. Everyone paused and slowly turned to look at him.
"How long?" asked Junior. Angirasu shrugged.
"I just noticed it. I must've picked it up before we lost the base," said Angirasu, nonchalant. Junior deeply inhaled through his nostrils. He felt that he should be mad. But, he was too glad to hear that they had the resources necessary already on hand.
"OK, new plan! We get to the BFG!" said Junior.
The Renegades quickly began to board the gunship. The vehicle roared as it took to the air vertically. The ship began to race across the city, making its way to the building sized cannon that lied just on the edge of the city. During the flight, three Thicc Boi fighters were in hot pursuit. They fired off their weapons at the Renegades' vehicle. The thrusters were destroyed, as rockets hit behind them.
"AH GODDAMIT!" Aria cried as the back cabin of the gunship was torn open. Her seat was closest to the breach. The damage prompted her to fly out of her seat, and to fall out from the back. She screamed as she fell to the ground, lying in a digital splat that faded from sight. The sound of furious banging could be heard.
"Oh crap, we lost Aria!" cried Rodan.
"We're going down!" said Junior, as the gunship began to descend. He grunted as he attempted to keep the ship's altitude up, but it was futile. The ship crashed, its parts being shredded along the way.
The Renegades rushed out of the gunship, which lied with its wings and thrusters missing. The nose was crushed, and the back was missing.
"OK, the BFG isn't too far from here! Let's hoof it!" said Junior. The remaining Renegades began to run down the street, as the war went on. The sky was littered with missiles flying, and the bolts of plasma. Along the way, missiles began to descend near them. Angirasu yelped as a rocket exploded in front of him, sending him flying back.
"Oh no, Aang!" cried Rodan. The group rushed to their friend, who lied as a mess of dismembered limbs and a head. The body parts faded, leaving behind a sack.
"The path's too hot! These guys are gonna pick us off before we can even reach the BFG!" said Sunset, as one of the Thicc Boi fighters to be flying by. Its guns and missiles continued to fire off at them. They took cover, as the fighter passed over.
"I got an idea! Let me take the uranium! I've got the Luck build!" said Rodan. Junior groaned in exasperation.
"Rodan, this isn't like that time with the Weeb Guild!" said Junior, as Rodan began to pack up the uranium.
"I got this, fam!" said Rodan, giving a thumbs up. He broke off into a sprint, back down the road. Meanwhile, the fighter returned and focused its attention on Rodan.
"Say goodnight, fuck boy!" laughed the pilot. He began to fire his ship's main guns. The bullets raced to the boy, but missed him. Only dust and damage to the ground was left from the hail of bullets.
"Hacking son of a-!" The pilot switched to his missiles and launched them. Rodan yelled as he continued to sprint, as the missiles began to explode behind him. Each blast was closer than the last. As the next rocket struck directly behind, Rodan jumped. The blast gave him a boost of air, sending him flying across the block. Sunset and Junior stared in awe.
"YOLO!!" Rodan spun and aimed his rifle at the pilot. With one shot, the bullet struck the cockpit, piercing through the pilot's skull. The pilot slumped over, as the ship crash landed into a building.
"Incredible! He performed a critical shot and killed the pilot!" cried Sunset, grinning.
"This has to be reported so they can fix this bug," said Junior.
Rodan landed on the ground with a grunt. He gave a confident chuckle. He turned to find the BFG to be standing just down the street. He raced down to the base of the gun, which was much like a tower. He reached the base and entered through a metallic door, which had slid up. Rodan stepped inside and stood on a platform. The platform ascended up the tower. Rodan was able to see through the glass, seeing the battle being waged for the city.
Meanwhile, the commander of the Thicc Boi clan sat in his chair. He appeared bored as he watched as the battle went on. He sighed.
"Alright, I think that's enough. Advance to the city and level it to the ground," said the commander.
The battleship began to turn, its nose facing the city. The great vessel slowly approached, as the cannons from the city, and the forces on the ground attempted to slow it down. But, its shield held up strong.
Meanwhile, Rodan found himself reaching the top of the tower. He found himself inside of the great cannon. He found a computer console to be sitting just ahead of him. The boy stepped over to it with a look of awe.
"Rodan, the battleship is approaching the city! Get on that cockpit and take it down!" said Sunset, her voice distorted as though it were on a COM.
"R-Right!" Rodan stepped over to the computer console and sat down in the seat. He opened up his inventory and placed the uranium into the BFG's inventory. The cockpit began to ascend upward, connecting to the massive cannon. Rodan found himself looking through the barrel of the cannon. He pulled on the stick and caused the gun to turn in place. He soon had the battleship in his line of sight, steadily approaching.
"You have one shot, Ro! For the love of God, do not miss!" said Junior, urgently.
"I already told you. I got the luck build," said Rodan with a smirk.
The BFG began to hum loudly, as green neon lights illuminated along the barrel. A reticle appeared in Rodan's line of sight, which turned red once he aimed directly onto the battleship.
"Say hello to my little friend!" said Rodan, pressing the button on the control stick. A bright green beam shot forth from the barrel, racing passed the city. Fighters that were in the beam's path were instantly vaporized. The beam struck the shield, which began to glow red. Then, the beam pierced through. The battle ship's side was obliterated. The middle was exposed, with only the frame and some equipment of the ship to be exposed.
"KICK ASS!" Rodan laughed.
Meanwhile, on the bridge of the battleship, the commander bore an incredulous look.
"Impossible!" cried the commander. He just stared in disbelief, as the pilots of the city that they were attacking had suddenly began their counter attack. The bridge was suffering from the blasts of missiles, as fighters passed.
"My beautiful ship! We're the Thicc Bois! This can't be happening!" said the commander.
"Sir! The enemy is concentrating fire on the middle section of the ship! We'll be cut in half!" said one of the Thicc Bois, manning one of the guns.
The battleship's midsection soon found itself bombarded by missiles. The armor and interior of the section was torn away. Soon, the ship's remaining connected pieces were torn, due to the thrustes causing the back half of the ship to disconnect. The engines died down, and both halves began to fall from the sky, burning.
"CURSE YOU, CASUAL SCUM!!" the commander shouted, as the bridge exploded.
The Renegades watched as the battleship fell to the ground. Portions of it exploded on impact, crumbling into the ground. The city erupted into cheers, as they celebrated this victory.
"This is the best session I've ever had!" said Rodan, grinning from ear to ear, as he rejoined his clan.
"Still want to abandon the city and start our own faction?" asked Sunset, amused.
"Hell yeah! I want this to be a regular thing!" said Rodan. Junior sighed.
"I think I'm going to take some time off this game. I'm exhausted," said Junior.
"Alright, see ya at school on monday!" said Sunset. Junior suddenly disappeared from sight. The text informing of his disconnection from the server appeared in the clan's line of sight.
Junior sighed as logged off of the desktop and turned it off. He began to sluggishly make his way to the living room of his home, wiping his eyes. Mosura shot her eyes from her book, as she lied on the sofa. She smiled brightly.
"Hey! Haven't seen you out of your room in a while," said Mosura.
"Yeah, I think I'm gonna take a break from the game. For like... a while," sighed Junior.
"Good, cause uh..." Mosura got up from the sofa and approached. A teasing grin was on her face
"You're getting a bit of a tummy there," said Mosura. Junior looked down at himself and noticed the soft, round surface of his gut, hidden by his shirt,
"Huh. I haven't been exercising as I normally would. No to mention the snacking I've done. But uh, it's not so bad. Right?" asked Junior, worriedly. Mosura gave him a warm smile.
"Aw Goji. You're chunky!" Mosura began to grab his gutt and proceeded to tickle him. The boy laughed hysterically as the girl tackled him to the ground, assaulting him with her slender fingers
A couple nights came and went. Now, it was late evening. Junior and the now reunited gang had stopped at a town. The journey back seemed to be going by a lot faster compared to the journey to Elsinore, but they still had some ways to go. Right now, they took the time and money to be housed at an Inn.
But from the shadows, a figure watched. He watched as the teenagers entered the local Inn. He began to sneak over to the wagons, taking cover behind them. He found that they had cleared them out of valuables. A smart move.
The mysterious figure knelt down, looking under the wagon. He drew out screw-like object and began to twist and turn the tip at the axle that connected the two back wheels.
The next day...
"Oh my God, just shut up!"
Junior sat on the wagon passenger seat with a sigh. Applejack grimaced next to him.
Ahead of them, they found Adagio and Dwan arguing from the back of their wagon. It was nearly noon, and the two had been arguing ever since they began their journey.
"So, what happened?" asked Junior.
"Beats me," shrugged Applejack.
Meanwhile, just a mile away, Kenra, Sigyn and Maximilian were standing near a pass, where tall inclines of land and hills created a narrow path for the road. Kenra looked around with an annoyed expression.
"What is that awful sound?" asked Kenra.
"What sound?" asked Sigyn, looking through a map.
"It sounds like the whining of teenagers. Hehe. I hate kids," giggled Maximilian. He then turned to Kenra with his sunken bloodshot eyes focusing on her.
"Did I ever tell-"
"Yes. And I rather not hear it again," deadpanned Kenra.
"Meanie," giggled Maximilian.
"Do you two mind? I'm trying to concentrate," said Sigyn.
"Just mark this one as a new rendezvous point too. No one but long distance travelers come here," said Kenra, impatient.
"And risk Malicia feeding me to her new pets? No thank you. We're already on thin ice with her after our position in the inner territory of the enemy was compromised," said Sigyn.
"Hey, it was Max's fault for going off to gas animals! They probably followed him!" said Kenra.
"Oh hush! It was a good idea," said Maximilian.
"Sure, if it actually worked!" said Kenra.
"Ah shit! We have company! Get down!" hissed Sigyn, quickly dropping to cover. Kenra and Max followed her lead. They found two wagons pass through the pass, along with the loud shouts from two girls.
"You're such an attention whore!" said Adagio.
"Ha! Says the pot calling the kettle black!" retorted Dwan.
"Who're you calling a whore?!" snarled Adagio.
"Would you two stop?! Don't make me pull this fucking fleet over!" Junior shouted, his voice echoing.
"Yowch. Sounds like a lousy road trip," said Kenra, cupping a hand over her ear.
"I wanna gas them. Let me gas them." Max giggled maniacally.
"No. We have work to do," said Sigyn.
"Whoa, wait a minute. Isn't that Lucky Dragon?" asked Kenra, drawing out a pair of binoculars.
"What?" Sigyn's eyes widened.
"Oh shit, it is him!" said Kenra. Sigyn smirked.
"Maybe..."
"Don't even think about it, love," said a familiar voice. Malicia's enforcers turned with a start. They found a familiar man to be standing over them, his eyes narrowed into a glare.
"Endurous," Sigyn quickly stood up, along with her comrades.
"Just because you're sexy, doesn't mean I'll let you have your way," said Endurous.
"I've no idea what you're talking about," said Sigyn, innocently.
"Listen, fun bags! I've been tracking that demi Titan for days! I saw him first!" said Endurous.
"Well he's right down there. Why not go get him?" asked Kenra.
"Rude and stupid," said Endurous with a shake of his head.
"Excuse me?!" growled Kenra.
"Hunting a single Mastodon is easy, hunting an entire herd is more difficult than you can possibly imagine," said Endurous as he pointed to the wagons.
"He's flanked by three other demi Titans. I have no chance on capturing him if all of them were to overpower me through their numbers," said Endurous.
"I already sabotaged one of their wagons with one of these," said Endurous, drawing out a small red bead.
"What is that?" asked Kenra in confusion.
"Something I bought off from a mage a while back. Once it finally collapses, I can catch him when he splits off from the group. He's shown himself to be solitary, so the odds are in my favor," said Endurous, though as he said that, he wasn't sure if he could back it up. Based on his very recent observation, he sees that the boy is protective of his friends. Separating them would prove to be a challenge.
"Perhaps we can make this easier," said Max as he took the map from Sigyn. He began to trace his finger along a path.
"They look to be heading to the Roaring Jungle. But the path they're on will take them through Specter Hollow," said Max with a manic giggle. "How about you and I ditch the Working Wendys here and go have some fun? I'll separate them, and you grab your target."
Sigyn and Kenra both scowled as they were left out of the conversation.
"It's not like we want to do this task," said Kenra to herself.
"The haunted forest, eh?" Endurous hummed. He then looked to the older man suspiciously.
"What do you want out of this?" asked Endurous. Maximilian merely gave a dark chuckle in response.
"A fun time," said Max with a wheeze and giggle.
It was cold. The air was stagnant and reeked of wet earth. The tall wild trees stood with their ragged branches obscuring the sunlight above. Crow-like cries filled the air.
The wagons carrying the youth continued on into a cold and dark forest. Along the way, there was the sight of stranger creatures that dwelled here, mainly large insects that scurried along the ground, which startled the horses.
"Whoa! Easy!" said Applejack, pulling on the reigns.
"Ugh. I think I'm going to be sick," said Rarity, eyeing the dark shoe sized beetles that raced by, climbing the trees. She then yelped with a start as a fleshy pink tendril shot out and impaled one of the insects. The beetle was then whisked away from the tree, finding itself into the jaws of a brown lizard. It was as big as a large breed dog. It bore a long tail that curled around the branch it sat on. Its eyes were like a chameleons, bulging with one small center revealed through its leathery eye lids. On its head protruded boney horns. Its jagged tooth filled jaws munched and crunched the insect, until it disappeared from sight. Rarity gagged as she cupped her mouth, turning a shade of green.
"I hope those fucking spiders aren't scurrying around," said Junior.
During the trip, more and more bizarre animals showed up. From frail and ragged mammals, to large and almost skeletal-looking reptiles. Even some strange birds were seen. A flock of reptile-like avians perched themselves on a nearby tree. They looked similar to vultures, with their elongated bald necks and heads, sharp curved beaks, and their hunched posture.
"I wonder how animals like this could come to be. The evolutionary path seems off," said Twilight, watching the strange birds that stared back. Their intense yellow eyes seemed to glow.
"Kong mentioned that some animals are one with nature. I wonder what he meant by that," said Junior.
"What does that even mean? Aren't animals technically nature too?" asked Rainbow.
"Maybe by nature, he meant the flora," said Rarity in thought. Twilight's eyes widened.
"Wait. Remember that large bird we saw when we got here? The green one? Do you think he meant something like that?" asked Twilight.
"I do remember running into a massive insect that looked like it was made out of entirely of wood. Ann called it a spore mantis. Maybe..." Junior scratched his chin.
"Who's Ann?" asked Pinkie.
There was a sudden pop. There was also a groan and a sudden collapse of the wooden chariot, where the rest of the teens sat. The girls yelped as it collapsed back, with a couple of them hanging over the back. Angirasu got the triceratops to stop moving. Applejack did the same with the second wagon. The girls groaned.
"Are you alright back there?" asked Rodan, from the passenger seat.
"What was that?" groaned Mosura, rubbing her side. The teens all hopped out of their respective rides. They began to inspect the broken wagon. Angirasu hummed as he knelt down and looked under.
"Looks like the axle for the back wheels was destroyed. That explains why the wheel is off," said Angirasu, glancing behind himself, finding one of the large wheels to be lying on the ground, with an iron sleeve and bolts to be lying nearby. The wagon lied back lopsided, making it impossible to go on for the journey.
"How did that happen?" asked Dwan incredulously. Junior looked around, his eyes narrowed.
"Damn animals. Maybe some giant termites or something ate it," said Junior.
"Now what do we do?" asked Rarity.
"Hey, check the back. I think that one of the town's we've been to also gave us some tools or something," said Junior.
The teens began to spend the next few minutes attempting to repair the damage done to the wagon. Applejack had squat down and lifted the wagon up from the back, effortlessly. She and the teens inspected the damage. Sunset leaned close as she drew out a tape measure and held it up to the axle.
"I think maybe we can patch that up with some wood. It won't be much, but it can hopefully get us back to the Iwi village," said Sunset. Applejack grunted as she lowered the wagon back down.
"Alright, let's get some wood," said Sunset.
"Hmph. I know where to get some," said Dwan, glancing at Angirasu.
"Dwan," said Angirasu, blushing as he bore a disapproving look.
"Wha-" Rarity recoiled in shock.
"J-Just ignore her," said Junior with a cringe.
The repairs went under way. Junior and Angirasu hauled over large log and set it down to the ground. Applejack walked over and began to saw away at the log. Her strength made her cuts effortless, as though she was cutting bread.
The rest of the teens sat in boredom, while Sunset, Applejack, Junior and Angirasu focused on fixing the wagon. During this process, Junior felt a presence.
"Gojira..." a voice called. Junior shot up, his eyes wide and alert.
"Did someone call me?" asked Junior.
"What are you talking about?" asked Rainbow.
"Uh... No, never mind," said Junior as he turned his attention back to the wagon. As Sunset began to use her magic to scorch a mark on the new cut halves of the wood, Dwan sighed in frustration.
"What is it, Dwan?" asked Junior in annoyance.
"It's nothing," muttered Dwan.
"Then why are you sighing over there?" asked Junior, turning to find Dwan sitting against a tree. Her legs shifted in place as she held her hands to her lap. She was scowling as she blushed. It didn't take long for Junior to read her antsy behavior.
"Oh. Well, go handle your business," said Junior.
"B-By myself?" asked Dwan. Junior sighed.
"Does anyone need to use the bathroom? If so, then go with Dwan," said Junior. The rest of the girls were silent.
"Can someone please go with her?" asked Junior. Still, silence.
"You guys are messed up!" said Dwan with a glare.
"You're kinda mean, Dwan," said Pinkie. Adagio sighed.
"Oh, alright. Come on, Dwan," said Adagio, standing up. The two began to walk off.
Later, Adagio was leaning against a tree in silence. She had a bored look as she waited. She did have to admit that the forest did give her the creeps. In moments later, Dwan came walking over, a gourd tucked under her arm, and her hands damp from the water it contained.
"Finally. Let's go, I hate being out here," said Adagio, getting off the tree.
"You know, I can't help but notice that those new girls didn't greet you as warmly as they did the others," said Dwan, waving her damp hands. Adagio said nothing. Her rival gave a smirk.
"I take it that they don't like you very much?" asked Dwan. Adagio shrugged.
"Probably not. But they don't like you either," said Adagio with a chuckle. She wasn't going to let this whore get the better of her. Soon they won't have to deal with each other when they get back to the Iwie village.
"Yeah, but I'm not the one who ruined her reputation," said Dwan, mockingly. Adagio furrowed her brows.
"I mean, if they know all about what happened between you and Naughty Goji, then they must think a lot less of you," said Dwan. Adagio scoffed.
"As if I care what they think," said Adagio. Her annoyance began to grow to frustration.
"No? What about the people they tell? I bet that will drastically ruin your rep in showbiz," said Dwan. Adagio sighed in exasperation. Her brows furrowed, her eye twitching with anger. She turned to Dwan, completely flustered.
"At least they won't say that I'm an STD ridden whore like you!" said Adagio. Dwan recoiled, not expecting her tone and response. Her expression hardened as well.
"I-I don't have STDs! And who're you calling a whore?!" demanded Dwan.
"You are a whore! You fuck any guy that you talk to! What? Do you have daddy issues or something?" scoffed Adagio. Dwan snarled.
"Shut up, bitch!" said Dwan.
"Ooh! Struck a nerve? What's wrong? Daddy didn't give you enough love? You ever call your bed buddies 'Daddy' during the deed?" asked Adagio. The way Dwan was reacting seemed to be much more aggressive compared how she normally is when they argue. Adagio was starting to relish in her getting flustered herself. After all of the crap she put her through when things were awkward with Junior. How she acted so cocky and tried to take advantage of her mood. Just to make herself feel better. It was time she got a taste of her own medicine.
"God, and you say I'm pathetic? Good luck in trying to get Angirasu in the sheets, sweet heart! He strikes me as the kind of guy that prefers more mature girls. Not skanky bitches in heat," said Adagio as she walked off. Dwan suddenly grabbed her by the shoulder and yanked her close. Adagio was met with a hard smack against her cheek. The Dazzling bore a stunned look as she felt her swelling cheek. Dwan bore a look of hate in her eyes. Adagio snarled as she smacked her back. The two began to smack each other back and forth.
Adagio and Dwan grunted as they smacked and scratched at each other. Yelps of pain and screams of rage came from their voices. Dwan yanked on Adagio's hair, who yanked on her cheek. The two stumbled across the area, still beating each other.
"You bitch!" shouted Adagio.
"Little brat!" screamed Dwan. As the two fought, they stumbled over a rough bit of land. The rough land became more steep. The two screamed as they suddenly fell over. They found themselves tumbling down a steep hill, brushing passed the bushes down hill. Along the way, they ended up with scratches and bruises. The two finally landed at the bottom of the hill with groans of pain. They noticed a pair of boots standing before them. The girls raised their heads to find an old man dressed in a dark cloak, with a large brimmed hat, looking down at them. They heard the labored breaths from behind his mask as his sunken eyes stared at them.
"Top of the morning to ya!" said Max, placing on a mock accent. He suddenly drew out a hand gun and aimed it at the two. He then tossed rope in front of the two. "Now tie each other up!"
Meanwhile, just above the hill, Junior and the gang continued to fix the broken wagon. During this, Angirasu looked around with a worried look.
"They've been gone for quite some time," said Angirasu.
"Ah you know. It's likely just because of..." Rodan cleared his throat.
"The 'tool' she has. You might be right," said Rainbow. She then looked to the side with a hum. "But it has been an unusual amount of time just to pee."
"Should one of us check on them?" asked Rarity.
"Let's give them a minute," said Sunset.
Meanwhile, back down at the hill, Adagio found her wrists bounded in tight rope. She was trembling violently as Maximilian tightened the rope that bounded Dwan. He gave a manic chuckle.
"All snug as a bug in a rug," said Max.
"Wh-What are you going to do to us?" whimpered Adagio.
"I mean isn't it obvious? A creepy old fart dressed in a shady cloak. The creepy look in his eyes. And the bondage..." Dwan grimaced. Adagio suddenly went pale.
"Oh God. Y-You're not gonna..." Adagio began to pant, her eyes tearing up. she felt like she was going to have a heart attack.
"Ew! No! I'm not that kind of guy!" Max recoiled in disgust. Dwan bore a confused and annoyed look.
"Dude, if you aren't gonna violate us, then just let us go! We're pop stars after all, and we deserve more respect than that!"" said Dwan.
"Please don't make it sound like that you're annoyed that he wasn't going to do that," said Adagio in dismay.
"Bleh. The only music I listen to is the sound of my own laughter!" giggled Max as he stepped away from the two. He took notice of a large dark tree to be standing nearby. A smirk grew on his face. "I still have plans for you."
"Just who are you?" asked Adagio.
"Oh, where are my manners? I am Maximilian Oni!" the old man removed his hat, revealing his thin silver hair. He then gave a bow. "I am jolly guy with a face that only a mother could love! Hehe! I like long walks on the beach, the sound of asphyxiation, and laughter!"
"Oh God," said Dwan with an unnerved look. Adagio furrowed her brows. Something about this man's name set off bells in her mind.
"You know, you kids couldn't have wandered into a worse jungle," said Max as he picked up a couple of long sticks. He took some string from his pocket and began to tie one end to the other, making it much longer. He stood up and turned his attention on the dark, large tree, which prompted the teens to do the same. He began to take a few steps closer.
"You see, there's a reason why this is called the 'Specter forest'. Some say that it's haunted," said Max as he began to jab the stick at the tree. The tree suddenly began to shake, rustling and dropping leaves to the ground. From the branches, tendrils began to slither out. They grabbed the stick and began to tug on it. Oni fought over the stick for a brief moment before releasing it.
"According to the people of this world, demons were sealed away in some of the trees of this forest. While they're trapped, they can still interact with the physical world. But there's debate if these trees are truly possessed or if they're some kind of freakish life form that fits in with all of the rest of the freak shows in Equescidar," said Max, as the tendrils snapped the stick to pieces. He then turned to the girls with a manic chuckle.
"Care to find out the truth?" asked Max. Adagio and Dwan both whimpered fearfully. Max set down a gas tank that he carried on his back. He took a couple of small vials filled with a crimson liquid. He poured the liquid into the tank and began to pump it via a handle once it was sealed. The girls watched as he giggled and pumped away, until he gave a satisfied sigh. He placed the tank back onto his harness and placed it back on. He drew out a gun and attached a tube from the tank to it. The gun beeped as red LED lights flashed on the side. He pulled the trigger, causing a cloud of crimson smoke to spray from the muzzle. Adagio's eyes widened as she watched this.
'It couldn't be. Is he...' Adagio's train of thought was interrupted as the cloud floated towards the tree. The tree suddenly began to tremble more. The tendrils began to whip and thrash, and an ominous growl filled the air. Max began to laugh maniacally.
"My! Looks like someone's hungry! Oh girls! Would you do the honors?" asked Max as he placed the gun onto the hanger on his pack. He approached the two and yanked Dwan to her feet.
"Hey! What are you doing?!" demanded Dwan.
"Well, I hate to see someone go hungry. Despite you being terribly skinny, I think you'll be a good snack before the main course!" said Max, looking to Adagio with a giggle. The Dazzling gasped with a look of dread. She then furrowed her brows, knowing a way that could bail them out of this mess.
"Hey you~! Let her go~!" Adagio suddenly began to sing. Oni looked to her in confusion, finding the girl to be glaring at him.
"She might be a Ho~! But that-" Adagio fell silent as Oni pointed the gas gun at her face.
"You know, patients should be silent when the doctor is performing," said Oni in a low tone. He then turned and began to shove Dwan away.
"No! No, let me go!" cried Dwan as she attempted to fight back. But, Max had made one final push to the tree. As Dwan stumbled towards it, the bark of the tree suddenly parted, revealing a gaping deep hole. The tendrils suddenly wrapped themselves around her, causing her to cry out in terror as she was pulled towards the maw.
"OK, let's get this over with," said Max as he grabbed Adagio and pushed her as well. Adagio yelped as she fell face first. She attempted to stand, but more tendrils wrapped themselves around her body. They began to drag her in as well. She let out a shrill scream as she and Dwan were both pulled into the maw of the great tree, where the bark then shifted and sealed the hole. Their screams suddenly became muffled. The tree began to settle. Its tendrils retracted and the trembling had ceased. But, it still seemed to be twitching, as leaves fell from the branches. Max was laughing in hysterics.
"Oh girls~! Don't worry about digestion! These things apparently don't have to worry about that! But your minds won't fare well!" Max began to laugh maniacally as he walked away, leaving the tree behind. The girls continued to scream as they were trapped inside.
Agirasu sighed as he stood, tapping his foot. Junior glanced at him, his expression stoic.
"They definitely should've been back by now," said Angirasu.
"Yeah..." said Junior. While Angirasu's anxiety was starting to stress him out, he'd be lying if he said that he wasn't starting to get worried.
"OK, maybe-"
Two shrill screams filled the air. The teens recoiled as the screams echoed out. Angirasu turned to the direction of the scream.
"That was the girls!" cried Angirasu, quickly running off.
"Uh oh!" Mosura and Rodan followed in pursuit. Junior cursed as he smacked his head. He couldn't believe that this was happening now.
"OK, put everything down! We gotta move!" said Junior as he was about to run off. But he stopped. There was a whoosh of the wind that he heard. Then, something stood in the corner of his eye. It stood out completely that he lost track of the current emergency.
"Gojira? What's wrong?" asked Twilight frantically. After all, she thought they were in the middle of an emergency. Yet here the boy was, still as stone. Sunset, Applejack, Rainbow, Pinkie and Rarity looked at him in confusion.
"Hey, who's that?" asked Pinkie as she pointed off. The teens saw that she was pointing to a man that stood among the forest. He was a man with messy hair, covered in scars and markings on his flesh. He was shirtless and sported only hide pants.
"Stay close," said Junior as he narrowed his eyes. Whoever was this guy, Junior didn't like the sight of him.
"There you are! I spent a great deal of time searching for you!" said the man as he approached. It was none other than, Endurous.
"U-Us?" asked Twilight nervously.
"Him," said Endurous, as he pointed to Junior.
"Me?" asked Junior. The man snorted as he stepped closer, looking at the teen.
"Funny. I thought you'd be bigger. But you're definitely the one," said Endurous as he glanced down at Junior's reptilian arm. The boy was tense, as were the girls.
"What do you want?" questioned Junior. The man chuckled.
"What any man wants. To make some coin, and have a little adventure. I run a respectable business in the land. I go after big game and sell them off, dead or alive," said Endurous. Junior could feel a sense of excitement being repressed within this person. His bad feeling was spot on.
"Hey partner, I don't know who you are, but you best take yourself out of here with that kind of talk," said Applejack as she gave a warning glare.
"The men are talking. Be quiet," said Endurous, dismissively. Applejack narrowed her eyes.
"Oh I'm sorry, did you not like that? Perhaps I should be more of a gentleman," said Endurous mockingly as he stepped over to the girl. Junior stepped in his path with a glare.
"Don't you come near any of them," said Junior in a low tone.
"Nah let him through! He'll regret it!" said Rainbow, rolling up her sleeve. Junior sent her a silencing glare. He then turned back to the stranger.
"What the hell do you even want from me?" said Junior.
"As I said I hunt for big game. Including your kind. There's a pretty penny on your head, and I intend to collect it," said Endurous. Junior narrowed his eyes.
"Too bad. You're not getting that penny. You should find someone else. Come on girls," said Junior as he turned to walk off. The girls began to follow, but glanced at the stranger.
"Haha! And here I thought your kind was all so powerful! So fierce! But here you are walking away like a coward," said Endurous, mockingly. Junior sighed as he turned to face the man.
"Hey, you don't wanna start a fight with me," said Junior as he stepped to the stranger. He knew he should just ignore this guy, but Junior had a bad habit at getting confrontational with trash talkers. Endurous scratched his chin with a hum and pondering look.
"Actually, I think I do," smirked Endurous. He suddenly backhanded Junior, causing the girls to flinch.
"Hey!" Sunset was about to intervene but Rarity and Twilight held her back. Junior merely stared down the man, his brows furrowed.
"Go. Away." Junior spoke in a low tone. The man smirked.
"You'll have to kill me, first," said Endurous in a low tone. He began to punch Junior's face. The boy slightly staggered from the blows. The girls watched and winced as the boy was struck in the gut and then met with an uppercut. Junior remained standing, looking unphased. It was a shock for the girls to see him simply take the hits like they were nothing. The stranger sent his fist aimed at his face, but Junior caught his fist with his reptilian hand. The man grunted in pain as his fist was squeezed and his wrist bent. Junior bore a hard expression as he held his arm back.
"Hoho! You fucked up!" said Rainbow with a grin.
"Finally," said Endurous with a relieved sigh. Junior reared his right fist back and sent a strong blow to his face. The girls winced as the man was sent to the ground, groaning.
"You should've listened," said Junior with a sigh, rolling his neck. Rarity stuck her nose up while Sunset smirked.
"Serves him right," said Rarity.
Junior began to make his way over to the man. Endurous chuckled as he stood on his hands and knees, his face bruised. Junior grabbed him by his arm and yanked him up to his feet.
"Who sent you?" demanded Junior. The stranger panted as he shook off his daze.
"That's for me to know and for you to find out. It's my turn," said Endurous as his eyes flashed red, a wicked grin appearing on his face. He reared his fist back and sent an uppercut towards Junior. The girls stared in shock as the boy was sent flying several feet into the air. Junior cried out as he slammed into branches and crashed into the earth. He groaned as he sluggishly got up on his knees. He turned and found Endurous having leapt several feet into the air, heading for him. Junior rolled away, narrowly dodging his knee that slammed into the ground. Dust was blown up on impact. The two stood up to their full heights.
"I expected better," scoffed Endurous. He began to step towards Junior but found a streak of Rainbows circling him. Endurous sent a fist into the streak, his fist connecting with Rainbow Dash. The girl cried out in pain as she was knocked to the ground.
Endurous then noticed Pinkie Pie throwing rocks at him. He kicked the rocks away, sending them back. Pinkie cried out as she took cover as the stones exploded. Twilight and Sunset appeared near him and fired off magic bolts. The assailant moved swiftly, dodging the bolts.
"My business is not with you! Stop interfering!" said Endurous. He lunged for the girls, but Applejack slammed into him, knocking him to the ground. He got up and found Junior charging him. The boy sent a kick, but the man rolled away. He chuckled as he stood.
"I take it back. This is going to be fun!" said Endurous as he charged towards Junior. However, a diamond projection appeared in his path, which he slammed into. He staggered back and found Rarity's hands glowing. The man grunted as he leapt towards the girl. Rarity cried out in alarm.
The man was then tackled from the air by Rainbow. The two rolled along the ground, with the girl pinning him down. She began to send rapid punches towards him. The stranger grabbed her by the head and forced it towards his own. Rainbow cried out as she was headbutted. She fell over in a daze and found herself grabbed by her ankle. She was swung and thrown through the air. Rarity sent a projection and caught her with its bowl-like formation. She failed to notice Endurous charging towards her with his fist reared. Rarity gasped in alarm. Junior suddenly rammed into him, carrying the man towards a tree. He slammed him against the tree and proceeded to punch him three times in the face. He then grabbed the man and threw him towards Applejack, who raised her leg and round house kicked him through several trees, knocking them down.
"Nice!" said Junior with a thumbs up. The stranger chuckled as he stood up, wiping his bloody nose. Endurous made a mad dash for Applejack. He slugged the girl in the gut, causing her to hunch over as the wind was knocked out of her. She was then grabbed by her ankles and was swung towards Twilight, who projected a large hand shaped apparition in front of herself. However, Applejack slammed through the projection and knocked Twilight to the ground.
"Bastard!" Junior ran towards his foe with rage in his eyes. However, Endurous had quickly lunged for him, ramming his elbow in his gut. He then sent an uppercut that sent Junior flying a couple of feet upward. The assailant quickly grabbed his ankles and slammed him to the ground. He then proceeded to swing and throw the boy into the air. Endurous then shot through the air like a rocket after him, tackling him deeper into the jungle near a dry river bed. Junior yelled as he and Endurous crashed into the earth. He grunted as he was strangled with his foe on top of him.
"Just come quietly and the pain will stop!" said Endurous. Junior grunted as he struggled to pry his hands off. Suddenly, Sunset appeared from behind with a magic tendril.
"Get off of him!" yelled Sunset. She brought the tendril over his neck and began to pull back. Endurous gagged as he was strangled. He then lurched his head back against Sunset causing her to stumble back in pain.
Endurous suddenly released Junior with his right hand and grabbed Sunset by the throat and held her up. Junior's sclera darkened to a shade of yellow as his pupils constricted. He quickly grabbed the man by his throat with his left hand. Sunset strained as she struggled to breathe. Her eyes ran with tears as her throat was getting crushed. Junior instinctively tightened his grip as well. A primal yet protective drive took over.
"Sunset!!" cried Twilight.
"Give in! I'll crush her windpipe faster than you'll crush mine, I promise!" said Endurous. Junior snarled as he forced the man closer to himself by pulling him. He then bit down on the arm that choked him. Endurous cried out in agony as he bled. As his grip loosened on Sunset, the girl raised her leg and kicked her boot foot against his head. Junior's jaws released him and he sent a fist against his head. Sunset dropped to the ground, violently coughing as she held her throat. Junior then tackled the man and began to tumble with him into the deep dry river bed. The two punched each other as they rolled along the dirt. Junior then kicked the man as they neared the bottom, knocking him back to the ground.
"Ugh. You're tougher than you look. But can you keep up?" Endurous asked as he stood. His body was covered in bruises and deep cuts that bled. He clasped his hands together and sighed. His wounds began to seal up and regenerate. Heat seemed to radiate off of his body as the wounds sealed closed. He sighed in relief while Junior stared in shock.
"Ready for round 2?" Asked Endurous.
"You talk too much," said Junior as he slammed into the attacker, wrapping his arms around his torso to tackle him. His opponent dug his heels into the earth, anchoring himself in place. He slammed his fists against Junior's back, causing the teen to drop to the ground. The stranger than quickly zipped behind Junior and picked him up. He performed a suplex, slamming the young man into the earth. He then quickly rolled onto his feet and faced Junior. He swung his leg and sent a kick in Junior's side, sending him flying several feet towards a great dam. From above the dam, large beaver-like beasts scurried away in panic. They swam through the filled river and retreated to land on the other side of the dam. Junior coughed as he held his aching side. His bones rattled and his world spun as he sluggishly stood up. He snarled as his skin began to harden and his sharp teeth began to protrude.
"Oh no, you don't!" said Endurous as he drew out a small bottle full of a pink powder. He threw the bottle at Junior's feet, which burst on impact and created a large cloud of pink smoke. Junior coughed as he inhaled the smoke, his eyes reverting to normal and his scales disappearing.
"What did- Ack!" Junior coughed violently.
"Little known secret. That powder can keep your kind from changing. I intend on keeping this an even fight!" said Endurous as he sprinted towards Junior. The boy was met with a punch, but then swung a fist back. But the stranger moved much faster, weaving away from his strikes and blocking his every other punch.
Meanwhile above the ravine, the rest of the girls stopped at the edge. They looked on as Junior found himself going toe to toe against this seeming super human. They watched as he was mercilessly beaten, while the man hooted with exhilaration. It was almost like Junior was going toe to toe with another mutant or someone in the same vain as the girls.
"Gojira!" cried Pinkie. Twilight grunted as she began to slid down the hill.
"Twi, wait!" called Applejack. Twilight ignored her and pressed on. Once she reached the bottom, she began to sprint after the two combatants. Junior caught the Endurous's leg as he sent a kick. The boy then punched him in the face and swung the man over himself and onto the ground. He grunted as he knelt over him and began to send savage blows against his face. Junior gave an enraged cry as he felt his fists connect with his foe's face.
Right now, Junior was in a blind rage. He couldn't let this bastard win. Not when he's come this far to get the girls. He even dared to hurt them. His friends. And for what? Just for him. Junior wondered why it was always him. What was so special about him that others had to suffer for? Junior panted as Endurous coughed as his face swelled up.
"I told you to leave me alone!!" said Junior as he brought his fists up and was about to slam them again onto his head. Endurous wheezed as he reached for his side and drew out a hand sized black orb. He grunted as he mustered what strength he had and threw it towards the dam. There was an explosion as the orb impacted the base of the dam. Junior turned as his eyes widened. Water began to spray from the breach that was made. The pressure from the walled up river began to give in, bursting through more logs that walled it off.
"Are you out of your mind?!" exclaimed Junior.
"If I can't beat you, then I'm taking you with me," said the Endurous with a bloody smile. Junior turned and found Twilight running to their position. He turned back to the dam and found water beginning to run their way, slowly building up in seconds. Junior shot up from his attacker and ran to Twilight.
"Go back! Go back!!" cried Junior as he sprinted. Twilight stopped and her eyes widened as she found that water was beginning to fill the river bed. She gasped as the cold water brushed against her feet. She began to run back, with Junior following close behind.
"Come on, run!" cried Sunset. The rest of the girls cried out to the two as they raced to the safety of the shore. The steep hill caused them to slow down as they attempted to climb it. Already the water was beginning to reach up to their knees, pushing against them. Twilight yelped as she felt herself nearly knocked over as the water began to push harder against her.
The rest of the girls looked to the dam as it began to break more, releasing more water. At this rate, their friends were going to be swept away. Applejack gasped a she found a vine. She grabbed it and began to tie it to a nearby tree and against her waist. She rushed over to the edge of the ravine and reached out to Twilight, but was unable to.
"They're too far!" said Applejack.
"Quick! Hold onto me!" said Sunset as she held her hand out. Rarity took her hand and held it firmly. Pinkie Pie grabbed Rarity's hand, while Rainbow took her hand. Rainbow then grabbed Applejack's hand. The girls began to inch themselves to the edge of the ravine. Sunset began to walk down the steep hill, with Rarity inching close behind her. The girls strained as they formed a human chain, with Applejack anchoring them to the safety of the shore. Twilight grunted as she caught Sunset's hand and began to plant her feet into the mud. She looked back and found Junior pushing through the water as it began to rise to his waist.
"Gojira, come on!" cried Twilight, as she desperately reached out to the boy. Junior gritted his teeth as he continued to push through the current and the pain that he endured from his fight. His cuts stung from the water as his muscles ached. The girls cheered him on he came closer, stepping onto the muddy steep hill. He panted as he stretched out his arm, attempting to reach Twilight's hand. The mud and water made this process a challenging one.
"You're almost there!" strained Twilight as Applejack stepped closer to the ledge, allowing the chain to move closer to Junior.
Junior grunted as he made one last thrust. He lunged up through the water and up the hill, catching Twilight's hand. Twilight laughed in relief.
"I got him! Pull us up!" shouted Twilight. Applejack strained as she began to pull Rainbow up. The Rainbow haired girl used her own strength to help pull the rest of the teens up from the river. Together, the teens began to ascend up the steep hill, climbing the slippery mud. Suddenly, Endurous burst from the water, yelling as he latched onto Junior's back, jabbing a knife into his back. Junior cried out in agony, reflexively clenching his hand. Twilight screamed in pain but still held on. The human chain jolted, and the girls stumbled a bit lower as the attacker weighed them down.
"I said that you were coming with me!" shouted Endurous as he began to twist his knife against Junior. The boy gritted his teeth as he reflexively clenched his hand again. Twilight whimpered in pain and glared at the stranger.
"Let go of him, damn it!" yelled Twilight, raising her leg. She proceeded to kick the man in the face, causing him to grunt from the blows.
"Stupid little-" Endurous snarled as he released the knife and grabbed Twilight's ankle as her foot came towards him. The petite girl cried out in alarm as she felt herself yanked. She dragged Sunset along, who screamed in alarm as her hand slipped from Rarity's. As Sunset stumbled forward, Rarity quickly caught her ankle, keeping her from falling face first and from tumbling into the river with the rest. Rarity stumbled along with them. The human chain descended closer to the river, with Applejack, straining as she kept her feet planted at the edge.
Sunset strained as she grabbed Twilight's hand with both hands, while Twilight held onto Junior as Endurous had a tight hold on her ankle. The girls whimpered in pain and fright as assailant attempted to drag them down with him. Junior grunted as he attempted to slash the man with his left hand's claws, but his arm was locked as Endurous kept his own arm wrapped tightly around him, forcing Junior's arm to be cramped against his own torso.
"All you had to do was come quietly! Now their deaths will be on your hands!" said Endurous. Junior grunted as he attempted to break free from his hold, but he was too weak in his pain and his opponent exceeded the strength of an average human. He found the girls struggling to hold on as they were dragged closer to the river, which grew stronger as the dam completely collapsed. He found Twilight crying out as she kept a firm grip on his hand as she attempted to kick her leg to force their enemy to let go. Sunset strained as one foot was planted on in the mud and Rarity held onto her other foot, keeping them from falling in. Junior knew things couldn't go on like this. At this rate, he would be responsible if any of them were to be swept away.
"You want me? Then here I come!" said Junior as he released Twilight.
"Gojira!" cried Twilight in alarm as she attempted to reach back for Junior. The boy grabbed onto Endurous, who still held onto Twilight's ankle. The girl cried out in pain as their weight pulled down on her. Junior began to beat his fist against the Endurous, who snarled as he planted his feet against the hill. He bounded off the side, causing Twilight's hand to slip from Sunset's.
"No!!" Sunset cried as Junior, Twilight and Endurous tumbled down the hill and into the river. They were quickly swept away by the current. Applejack began to haul up the human chain back onto the shore.
"Come on!" said Rainbow as she sprinted ahead, leaving the rest of the teens in the dust. The girls began to follow after their friends as they were swept through the river.
Junior panted as he floated above. He was unable fight this current, which carried him quickly through the forest. He found Twilight to be frantically splashing as she struggled to keep her head above water.
"I can't swim!" cried Twilight. Junior quickly began to swim closer to Twilight, who kept dipping under the surface and reemerging with gasps for air. Junior grunted as his neck began to ache. Junior dove under water and swam towards the girl, who splashed in her futile attempt to remain afloat. Junior emerged next to Twilight.
"Gojira, help me!" cried Twilight, as she frantically attempted to grab onto the boy.
"No, stay there! We'll both go under if you grab onto me like that!" said Junior as he took Twilight's hand and held her at arms length.
"Just keep your head up! Don't panic!" said Junior as they were carried through the river.
"Gojira, if we don't make it out of this-"
"Shut up! We're gonna be fine!" said Junior. Suddenly, Endurous burst out of the water with a laugh. Junior gasped as Twilight screamed.
"Lovely day for a swim, eh?!" Endurous tackled Junior under, causing Twilight to release him.
"Gojira!" cried Twilight as she splashed, attempting to keep herself above water. Her heart was racing as the rapids tossed her around. Water splashed in her face and mouth, causing her to cough and gasp for air as she attempted to avoid submergence. She saw Rainbow running alongside the river.
"Rainbow Dash! Help!" cried Twilight. Rainbow sprinted as she analyzed the situation. She couldn't simply jump in, otherwise she'd be in the same predicament. The rest of their friends weren't around to help either. The could have easily formed another human chain to pull them out, though the rapids seemed to have made that idea unwise. She quickly began to scan the jungle floor, looking for anything useful. Then she remembered something. Rainbow made a mad dash back to the rest of the girls, who were running after their friends.
"I need that vine!" said Rainbow, pointing to Applejack. The blonde quickly took the vine she had rolled along on her shoulder and tossed it to Rainbow. The tomboy quickly took off running back.
"At least take one of us with you!" said Sunset in exasperation.
Meanwhile at the river, Junior found himself struggling under water with his hunter. The two spiraled underneath as they punched and kneed each other, slamming into underwater boulders along the way. Junior grunted as he kicked away Endurous, but felt his lungs ache. He attempted to swim back up but felt his ankle grabbed. He was pulled back under, where the man began to strangle him underneath. Junior began to loose breath, bubbles escaping his mouth as his lungs burned. His neck began to ache more, but not from being strangled. Gills began to sprout from his neck, protected by armored flaps. Junior inhaled deeply as water traveled through his gills, delivering oxygen through his blood and to his brain. Junior grunted as he slashed his claws at the stranger's chest, who gave a gargled cry of pain as he released the boy. A cloud of blood began to flow around him as the two were carried through the rapids.
Junior quickly swam back to the surface. He gasped for air as his gills folded against his neck. He found Twilight gagging as she took in more water. Junior quickly swam over to her.
"Keep your head up! It's Ok!" said Junior. Twilight coughed as she struggled.
"I can't! I can't do it!" cried Twilight.
"Yes, you can! You can do it! You'll be fine!" said Junior as he swam by Twilight's side. He didn't know how much longer he can keep this up. Their enemy was just coming after him, and he couldn't stick around to help Twilight to keep her from drowning. He only knew that he had to make sure that she could keep her head above water until they could get to safety, or at least until she can.
"Just relax! Kick your legs and swing your arms outwards! Don't pan-!" Junior was silenced as he was suddenly pulled under. Twilight panted as she did what she was told. She began to kick her legs as she moved her arms. She took calming breaths, despite the rapids pushing her. She began to crack a smile as she panted.
"I'm doing it! I think I-!" Twilight turned but saw that Junior was further away from her. He was caught up with fighting off Endurous. Twilight cried out to him as the knife in Junior's back was yanked out of him.
"Twilight!!" cried Rainbow. Twilight turned and found Rainbow standing further down along the river. She found that Rainbow had tossed the vine down into the water. Twilight grunted as she reached for the vine, grabbing on. Rainbow stumbled as the river that pulled Twilight began to weigh on her too. However, she kept her feet planted at the edge. Twilight gasped as she found Junior and the attacker coming her way. Junior was punching the man, sending splashes everywhere.
"Gojira!" called Twilight. Junior found her anchored by the vine that she held. He also saw the water fall ahead. The boy pushed through the water as he neared Twilight.
Twilight strained as she reached out to him. This was their last shot to get out of this mess. The girl stretched herself as far as she could. Junior did the same, as the river carried him closer. Twilight stretched the most that her body could muster, her hand now inches from Junior's.
Fate was cruel. Twilight's eyes widened as Junior swiped to grab her hand, having missed by just their fingertips. Time seemed to have slowed down as the boy passed her. Twilight watched as he looked just as stunned as her.
"No..." Twilight shuddered. Junior grunted as he caught a rock that stuck out at the edge of the fall. The water was pushing against him, as his claws dug into the stone.
"Gojira!" cried Twilight as Rainbow pulled her back to shore. The rest of the girls had just arrived, with alarmed looks.
"Oh no!" cried Pinkie.
"Gimme that vine! I can catch him from here!" said Applejack.
"Hold on, Gojira!" called Sunset. Junior grunted as he held on for dear life. His stab wound burned as the water splashed into it, and his body ached from the beating that he had taken. As Applejack formed the vine into a lasso, she began to spin it in the air. Before she could toss it, Endurous suddenly burst out of the water. Junior's eyes widened as he was headed his way.
"Boo!" Endurous shouted as he slammed into Junior, knocking him over the fall.
"No!!" cried Rarity, while the girls watched in horror as Junior plummeted with the attacker.
Junior and the Endurous fell down each water fall, submerging beneath the surface every time. As they resurfaced, the attacker quickly swam until he caught a tree branch. He laughed as Junior continued to be swept away.
"Have a good one~! Tell the fish that 'Endurous' sends his regards!" said Endurous, waving to Junior.
"You son of a bitch!" shouted Junior. He knew this guy was all talk when he went on about taking both of them out. The boy found a much larger water fall. The water roared as it fell down below. A rainbow was glistening over the edge as the water refracted the sun light.
"Well at least I'm gonna die while looking at a rainbow!" said Junior with a scowl. He attempted to swim back, but he was no match for the current. It was the point of no return. The teen screamed as he fell over the fall, descending down below.
Meanwhile, above the waterfall, the rest of the teens stood. They stared, eyes wide, voices shuddering. They hit the point of despair as they heard the echoes of Junior's last scream. Sunset dropped to her knees as she cupped her mouth with tears in her eyes.
"Oh God..." said Sunset, unable to process what she had just witnessed.
"He's gone..." said Pinkie, her eyes welling up with tears. She began to sob as she dropped to her knees, while Rainbow cursed up a storm, slamming her fists to the ground. Rarity sobbed as she collapsed into Applejack's arms, who held her tightly as she gritted her teeth, shedding her own tears. Twilight held her head, denying what she saw. She couldn't believe just how bad she screwed up. How could she have let Junior slip through her fingers?
"Gojira!!" Twilight screamed as she began to sob. The girls cried for the friend that they had lost, even after they had just reunited.
Meanwhile, Endurous began to make his way far below down the rocky walls. He climbed down as the great falls roared. Once he reached the bottom, he found a great river flowing on, as sharp rocks made up the bottom. He scanned the area, finding a cloud of blood to be flowing. However, there was no sign of a body. He snarled in anger.
"No one escapes me! You can run, but you can't hide! I will search far and wide, to the ends of Equescidar, and I will find you!!" The stranger cried, his voice echoing through the air.
Adagio panted as she found herself cramped against Dwan inside of the tree. The air was a bit thin, and the temperature had grown hot. Likely due to the close contact the two had with being inside of an enclosed space.
"Help! Let us out!!" cried Dwan, smacking her hands against the wooden insides of their prison.
"Dwan, stop! No one's gonna find us in here! I doubt they can hear us!" said Adagio.
"Fuck you! If you want to die in here, than that's your business! I still have so much to live for!" said Dwan.
"I don't want to die! But I know it's already hopeless! Besides, I think you lived a full life already!" said Adagio.
"Oh don't take that tone with me! Don't be mad because you didn't sleep with any of the guys back in Applewood!" said Dwan with a glare. Adagio grew red with anger.
"God, I can't stand you! You think that happiness comes from sleeping around with some random horn dog?! Unlike you, I'm not easy! None of those guys were good enough for me!" yelled Adagio. The two growled at each other. They wanted to beat each other, but were limited in movement, though the thought of biting each other came to mind.
"Uh... I feel sticky," said Adagio, her eyes widening.
"Oh God, please keep that to yourself," said Dwan in disgust.
"Not that kind of sticky! Don't you feel that?" asked Adagio. Dwan grunted as she pressed her hand against the wooden wall. She felt a strange wet and sticky sensation on her palm. Adagio shifted, feeling her boots soak in something. The two gasped as they found a yellow substance seep out of the wood. every time they moved, they made contact with the substance.
"Ew! What is all of this?!" whined Dwan.
"I think it's sap or something," said Adagio with a grimace. Then, she felt her head grow light.
"I don't..." Adagio's eyes grew heavy. Her breathing became labored. Dwan was experiencing the same sensation. The two trembled violently, as the sap began to stick to their bodies.
"Feel..." Adagio sighed as she suddenly slumped against her side of the tree, her breaths labored. She felt all energy leave her body. Her skin felt hot yet cold from the sap. Her eyes stared blankly at the wooden texture.
Adagio found herself standing alone in a full classroom. She looked to her side, finding students converse among themselves. She then turned to find that the teacher was not yet here. Adagio then noticed that she was dressed in her normal clothes. Not the outfit she wore in Equescidar. It was as though everything was a horrible dream. This was strange. Adagio shook her head, before standing. She noticed a couple of boys to be conversing.
"Hey, you boys mind catching me up to speed? I must've fallen asleep," said Adagio with a titter. The boys didn't respond. They instead continued on their idle conversation. Adagio bore an offended look. She then smirked as she walked over. She placed a hand over the desk and leaned down, exposing cleavage from her romper.
"Oh boy's~. I really could use the assistance~," said Adagio, her tone alluring as she allowed her breasts to hang in plain sight. The boys still ignored her.
"Hey! What the hell is wrong with guys?!" demanded Adagio, slamming her hands on the desk. Still nothing. Adagio lost her anger. She backed away, appearing confused.
"What's..." Adagio looked around. No one said anything about her outburst, let alone her teasing. But weirdest of all, no one seemed to acknowledge her.
The bell rang. Students began to bid each other farewell as they packed their things. Adagio just stood silently and still, watching as everyone passed by, not giving her so much a glance. It was though she wasn't here.
Adagio followed the students outside of the classroom. She began to roam the vast halls of Ponyville High. She found students passing by, all conversing or completely silent. No one greeted her with flirts, no one told her 'hello', nor waved, nor smiled. No one was looking at her. Adagio roamed about, growing more confused. She found Aria and Sonata to be standing by the lockers. Sonata was talking off Aria's ear, who appeared to be bored and annoyed. Adagio rushed over.
"Hey! What's going on? People seem to be ignoring me. No one will even look my way!" said Adagio in annoyance. She noticed Aria not acknowledging her either. The girl seemed to be ignoring both her and their youngest sister.
"Aria?" called Adagio, her tone in a bit of whimper. She quickly turned to Sonata.
"Sonata! Little sis! You see me, right?" asked Adagio. Sonata giggled.
"So what do you want to have for dinner?" asked Sonata.
"Meh. Whatever's fine. Just not Mexicoltan food again," said Aria.
"Aw! But it's so good!" said Sonata in disappointment. Adagio took a step back, her breathing having hasten. She shook her head.
"Girls, this isn't funny! Why won't you look at me?!" cried Adagio. She stepped back until she felt herself bump into a locker. She heard one closed on her right. She found a familiar boy to be standing at the locker. His size rivaling the locker's size. Adagio rushed over.
"Goji! Gojira, please talk to me! You know me, right?" cried Adagio, grabbing the boy's arm. Junior just stood still.
"Please, I'm scared! I need you!" whimpered Adagio. Junior suddenly looked down at her. Adagio's heart fluttered in her chest. She felt herself tearing up with joy.
"Goji..." Adagio spoke softly as her cheeks grew red. Junior smiled.
"Ready to head home?" asked Junior as he pulled his arm out of Adagio's hold. The girl lost her smile. She turned, finding Fluttershy to be standing behind her, a beaming smile on her face.
"Yeah, let's go!" said Fluttershy, walking passed a now stunned Adagio. The Dazzling slowly turned to find the two walk away. Neither looking back at her. Adagio felt her heart torn in two. She began to break into a sob as everyone began to leave the hallway.
"Stop! Please! Somebody just look at me! Anybody!" screamed Adagio. Her cries fell on deaf ears. No matter how much she pleaded and cried, no one paid her any mind. Not her family. Not even the boy she came to trust so much. She was soon alone in a quiet and cold hallway. Adagio heard faint footsteps approaching from behind. She turned, and her eyes widened and her skin went pale. Adagio found Spinner to be standing before her. A lustful look was on his face.
"I'll do more than that," said Spinner. He suddenly sprouted multiple arachnid limbs from his body and laughed wickedly. Adagio cried out for help as she turned to run. But, the mutant had suddenly lunged for her across the hall. Adagio dropped to the ground, with Spinner on top of her. She whimpered as she felt his breathing on the back of her neck, as she lied face down on the cold hard floor.
"I'll give you all the love and attention that your heart desires..." Spinner spoke in a demonic distorted voice. He chuckled as his spider limbs began to caress every inch of Adagio's body. She screamed to the top of her lungs as this monster prepared to deflower her. She never wanted this. She never wanted any of this.
Dwan's eyes opened wide. She found herself sitting on a chair alone. She looked around, finding herself to be in a dressing room. There were hangers holding many different outfits. She turned to look at the mirror that was before her. Before she could see her reflection, the lights suddenly went off. Dwan was in darkness.
"Dwan, you're up!" said a voice.
"Wait, what's going on?" asked Dwan in confusion. She found herself yanked to her feet, moving through the darkness. She heard a faint sound in the air. It was familiar and welcoming. It was the sound of cheers.
Dwan stumbled as she was towed through the darkness. She found a faint slit of light in front of her, as though it were a cracked door, revealing a hallway light. Dwan felt herself shoved by unseen hands.
"Go! You're on now!" said the voice. Dwan stumbled through the door, blinded by the bright light. Her vision began to clear. Dwan found herself standing on a large stage, where bright hot lights shined on her. Her ears were assaulted by the cheers of hundreds of people. A sea of them below the stage moved, waving glow sticks and cheering her name. Dwan felt a grin growing on her face. She was about to take a step forward, but the cheers began to slowly die down. Dwan lost her grin, finding herself in the middle of silence. She looked to the crowd in confusion. Their expressions slowly turned to disgust and amusement.
"Ew! Look at the pig!" exclaimed a girl from the crowd. Dwan blushed as her expression contorted to offense.
"Pig?!" barked Dwan. She was suddenly met with laughs of ridicule from the crowd. Dwan stepped away from the stage, feeling the world spin. Something was terribly wrong. She wondered why they were laughing at her.
Dwan suddenly bumped into something. She quickly turned and was taken aback by the sight before her. It was a girl standing before her. But this girl was obese in comparison to her slim frame. She had messy hair, with her cheeks hiding most of her facial structure. The girl also bore a stunned look.
The girl stood behind a frame that stood between them. However, with a moment, Dwan came to a horrible realization. The girl that stood was in fact herself. Dwan quickly looked her hands, finding them to be plump, along with her wrists and forearms. Dwan exclaimed as she looked herself over, finding that her outfit had barely fit her now large body. The laughter of the audience echoed in her mind. She got on her thick knees and began to scream, covering her ears.
Angirasu panted as he ran through the forest, with Mosura and Rodan in pursuit. He mentally cursed himself. If only they had gone to check on them sooner. Maybe if they had sent more than one person to accompany Dwan, then nothing like this might be happening.
Regardless of his feelings, Angirasu knew that there was no time to lose. There was no time to despair. His friends needed help.
"I got a lock on Dwan's scent! They should be down here!" said Angirasu, stopping near a steep hill.
"A lock on her scent?" asked Mosura incredulously.
"Well, of course! They've shared the same bed after all!" said Rodan as Angirasu slid down the hill. Mosura and Rodan did the same. They stumbled and nearly fell over once they reached the ground.
"There!" said Angirasu, pointing to a large black tree.
"The tree?" asked Mosura in confusion.
"There's no doubt that they're in there!" said Angirasu as he stepped over to the tree. It suddenly began to violently tremble. A low groan filled the air.
"LOOK OUT!" cried Mosura. Angirasu quickly jumped back as several tendrils came lashing his way. The teens stepped away in shock at the monstrous tree, where a maw seemed to open and close.
"What in the hell?!" exclaimed Rodan. Angirasu gasped as he caught a glimpse of two human bodies in that tree. There was no doubt about it. Adagio and Dwan were inside.
The tendrils suddenly began to thrash and lunge for neighboring trees. They pulled in birds and scurrying rodents, crushing them before pulling them into the maw.
"Stay back! With how that thing is acting, it'd be pointless to fight!" said Mosura.
"I'm not gonna fight it, Mosura. I'M GONNA TEAR IT DOWN!!" Angirasu roared. He dropped to his hands and knees, groaning in agony. His body grew, his bones reformed and his organs shifted. He began to change into his beastly form and let out an ear piercing wail.
Angirasu rushed to the tree. The tendrils came striking towards him. As the wrapped around his large body, the mutant effortlessly tore through them. He then rammed into the tree, above the base. He began to jab the horn on his snout against the tree. The force of his jabbing tore chunks off of the tree. This also caused the tree to uproot from its place on the ground. With another thrust, the tree's maw was torn wide open, fully revealing Dwan and Adagio. The tree let out a horrific shriek as it tumbled over. Angirasu panted, his nostrils flaring dust away. He found the two girls to be lying inside of the now torn open tree. The two were completely covered in a yellow sap, curled up in fetal position. They shuddered as they shivered, their eyes dead. Rodan and Mosura rushed to the two.
"Aang, I think you over did it," said Rodan with a grimace.
"No, they don't look hurt from that. Something else is wrong," said Mosura, looking down at the two.
"Help me..." Adagio muttered in her comatose state.
"Come on. Maybe that Healer or whatever in the Iwi village can do something about this," said Mosura as she and Rodan picked up the girls. Angirasu grunted as he turned, finding the tree to be bubbling. A gurgle came from it. It suddenly began to liquefy into a white mucus, bubbling hot. The mucus then began to take a new shape. It grew and formed into a humanoid creature. Black liquid was oozing from its white and red eyes. It bore reptilian teeth, clawed hands and two bone structures on its back. They almost resembled the stubs of wings. The creature had no sense of skin texture. It almost looked slimy in appearance. The creature hissed at Angirasu, before diving head first into the earth, sinking underneath. Angirasu grunted in response.
"What the hell was that?" shuddered Mosura, wide eyed.
"Let's just get the hell out of this forest. I'm getting bad vibes from it," said Rodan as he and Mosura began to carry the girls away from the tree. The three began to ascend up the hill, making their way back to their original place. But, they caught sight of the rest of the girls in their group to be approaching.
"Guys! Adagio and Dwan are in trouble! We gotta-" Mosura fell silent as she found the red faces of the girls. They looked to be teary eyed as well. It was here that Mosura noticed something that made her heart sink.
"Where's Gojira?" asked Mosura, her tone trembling.
"W-We..." Pinkie sniffled.
"We lost him!" sobbed Twilight.
"Lost him? What the hell do you mean, you lost him?!" asked Mosura, beginning to panic.
"Some creep attacked us! He was after Gojira for some reason! They both ended up falling down a water fall and now..." Pinkie sniffled.
"You can't be serious," said Rodan, his expression turning to dread. Angirasu furrowed his brows. He snarled as he began to run off.
"Aang!" exclaimed Rainbow.
Angirasu continued on. His mind fully intact after this transformation, he was able to comprehend everything that was just said. Gojira, his friend, was now lost. While yes, the two had their disagreements in the past, Angirasu wasn't going to abandon him. He followed what little of the boy's scent lingered in the air. He came across a river that ran violently through the land. He grunted as he followed it, stopping near a cliff. He found the water falls down below. Angirasu gave a loud wail to the air, calling out to his friend. His cries echoed throughout the forest, startling any critter that could hear him.
Angirasu groaned solemnly, lowering his head. He suddenly raised his head back up again. A familiar scent filled his nostrils. He began to follow the smell. It was close. The mutant continued to prowl through the dark forest, his eyes wide and alert, allowing him to scan his surroundings. The closer he got, the more familiar the smell became. Eventually, he leapt over an inclined land. His eyes widened as he found a familiar woman, who recoiled with a start. Aiko Riku, his mother.
"A-Angirasu?" stuttered Aiko in shock. The mutant's eyes were still wide. He then noticed that she was flanked by a couple of other familiar faces. Battra Yasu, Kira Koizumi, Baragon, and Inoue.
'What the fu-' Angirasu thought in the back of his mind.
Hayato Yoshi sighed as he stood. He adjusted the collar of his uniform as he waited in the back of a dark vehicle, grimacing as he looked to the phone that he held.
"Well, let's get started," said Hayato as he began to call. He held the phone to his ear. In moments, the call was answered.
"Mr. Takeshi, I wish to discuss something with you regarding your son," said Hayato. He listened in on the other end. He took a breath.
"He's alive. And I believe I know where," said Hayato. "I ask that you and your wife head to the location that I'll text you. You'll receive the transportation necessary for you to meet me," said Hayato, before hanging up. He then began to go through his contacts again.
"We're here," said the man in the driver seat. Hayato nodded as he stepped out of the vehicle. He made his way to the local bar. Once he entered, he was quickly assaulted by the smell of booze and cigarettes. He found a familiar pitiful sight. A grieving mother with a glass of liquor in her hand.
"Lieutenant Riku," called Hayato. Aiko Riku turned her head to the man with a sluggish look.
"Huh?" slurred Aiko.
"Ah, Riku. Still hanging around here?" sighed Hayato with a frown.
"Ah shaddup! I'm a grown ass woman! I'll drink as much as I-" Aiko hiccupped as she slumped on the counter. Hayato sighed. He painful it was to see a respectable soldier as her in such a low state as this.
"What are you doin' in this backwater town? Don't you have someone to shoot? Oh wait, you just tell people to shoot now," snorted Aiko.
"I'm here because I came to bring you back," said Hayato.
"Why? The only reason I joined was because I thought I could make a fucking difference. For me and my son. Now...I don't have a son," said Aiko, sniffling as she stared at her glass. "I was an idiot. I took the most precious thing for granted because of self-gratification. I should've been there for him."
"You still can, you know," said Hayato. Aiko gritted her teeth.
"Just go away. My only reason for living is gone. Just let me..." Aiko rested her head on the counter.
"Riku, your son's alive," said Hayato. Aiko was silent.
"We learned that whatever happened then was caused by some kind of anomaly. As far as we know, the children were not killed. They in fact transported. To where, we don't know for sure. But we can find them and bring them home," said Hayato. Aiko looked at her glass.
"I must be really drunk. Or you're just fucking with me," sniffled Aiko. Hayato stepped over to her and held out a tablet. Her eyes fall upon a digital schematic, depicting an arch-like structure.
"This is Project DT. This is what we'll use to find your son," said Hayato. Aiko raised her head and then looked to Hayato. She suddenly threw her glass on the ground.
"Hey! You're paying for that!" barked the bar tender. Aiko merely dropped money on the counter and turned back to Hayato.
"If this is bullshit, I'm killing you and then myself!" said Aiko with a glare, her face flushed from being inebriated. Hayato just remained stoic.
"OK," said Hayato. Aiko smirked.
"Come on! Mama's gotta get her boy!" said Aiko as she stepped away from the counter. She suddenly stumbled, prompting Hayato to quickly catch her.
"Hey, you mind we stop for coffee or something?" slurred Aiko.
Later that evening...
Hayato stood in a room silently. Aiko stood against a wall, wincing as she held the side of her head. She chugged down a bottle of water with a sigh. Shortly after, the metal doors to the room opened. He found that Gojira Takeshi Senior and Miwa Takeshi stepped inside. They were escorted by a couple of guards.
"Glad you could make it," said Hayato, stepping over to Senior to shake his hand.
"Spare the formalities. My son," said Senior, with his brows furrowed.
"Of course," said Hayato. He then noticed a rose haired woman to be looking around, wide eyed. She was a lovely adult woman, with her hair in a braided pony tail.
"Wait a minute. Who the hell is this?" questioned Hayato. The woman jumped with a start.
"This is our neighbor, Posey. Her daughter was with our son when he..." Miwa fell silent.
"Oh." Hayato cleared his throat.
"Ma'am, I apologize. But you weren't supposed to know about what I brought them-"
"You said that you think their son is alive, right? Surely that means that my daughter is too," said Posey, a hopeful look on her face. Hayato grimaced. While yes, that was possible. But, he was hoping to keep this as quiet as possible. Aside from this being classified info to civilians, he wanted to avoid bringing false hope.
"It's possible. But at any rate, what you'll learn is highly classified. I expect you all to remain silent about what you learn. That means no informing other parents of this," said Hayato, narrowing his eyes.
"Understood," said Senior.
"Good. Walk with me," said Hayato as he walked down the hall. He was followed by the parents and the couple of guards.
"MONARCH was working on a special project that was under wraps. It involved faster travel to get the drop behind enemy lines. We were hoping this project would allow the transport of ordinance, vehicles, and soldiers in just a short amount of time," said Hayato, as he led the group further into the halls.
"So, like a superfast transport plane or something?" asked Miwa in confusion.
"Our leading engineer was much more ambitious than that," said Hayato as he led the group into a large room. He gestured for them to take a seat at the circular table. Hayato drew out his tablet and set it down. He pressed down on a button, which projected a holographic image, and a holographic keyboard on the table. Miwa and Posey stared in awe at the fascinating device.
"You see, we sought to make science fiction a reality. We had someone and a few others on a project that allowed the possibility of teleportation," said Hayato as the hologram depicted an archway structure in a 3D wire form.
"But our leading man thought the idea was too small. He sought to literally break from our current reality and to send those into another. The project was called, the 'Dimensional Tide'," said Hayato.
"Break from our current reality?" asked Senior.
"You should know. Didn't you say that Ark of yours came from a different dimension? Our leading engineer believed that our universe was just one of many. He sought to pioneer the travel to these other worlds. We allowed him, since he promised that the device would still do what we wanted," said Hayato. He then sighed.
"Unfortunately, after an accident with the device occurred, former Director Onyx shut down the project," said Hayato.
"Then why are we talking about this?" asked Aiko impatiently.
"Because this device is the key to finding the children. While the Director did shut down the project, our leading engineer managed to fix the problem with a different power source before his disappearance," said Hayato.
"Disappearance?" asked Posey.
"Some believe that when the project shut down, the brains behind the DT took what time he had left to perfect his invention and decided to leave our reality," said Hayato. "In other words, the device is still intact and is just collecting dust in one of our facilities. But there's another problem."
"What now?" asked Aiko in dismay.
"The power source for the DT was unfortunately stolen. While it was being relocated, it was taken during a raid from the Purists, who stole other prototype technology along with it," said Hayato, as a hologram depicted a violet diamond-like stone. He pointed to the hologram.
"This diamond has the energy necessary to power the DT. It's a very rare stone, with energy like none we've ever seen," said Hayato.
"So the Purists stole it?" growled Aiko.
"Yes, but we've managed to pinpoint its location," said Hayato as a holographic map appeared. It focused in on a mountain region in the state.
"Our satellites managed to pick up its energy signature. It appears that the Purists are holed up in an abandoned missile silo," said Hayato.
"Well, great! Let's just get a platoon and shoot down anyone that gets in the way!" said Aiko, shooting up to her feet.
"No," said Hayato, raising a hand. Aiko looked at the man incredulously.
"I believe that such a strike may risk damaging, if not destroying the diamond. I suggest we take a more diplomatic approach," said Hayato. Aiko scoffed.
"The Purists are fucking barbarians. They don't know the meaning of diplomacy," said Aiko, sitting back down in annoyance. While Senior agreed with the woman's sentiment, he was surprised to hear Hayato to make such a suggestion. Even a tactical attack would be more logical to do involving a group such as this. Just about anyone in a uniform would suggest gunning down those who stole valuable items from the government
But Senior began to recall the late Director Onyx. While he was a hardened force to be reckoned with, the man tried to appeal to the humanity of Scar, the one leading the Purists that attacked the lair. It was a shame that the enemy had none to spare. Senior could see Onyx's trait having rubbed off on this younger man.
"There isn't a need to have a full assault anyhow. Satellite images show that the invasion had hit them hard as well," said Hayato as images of a Millenian ship hovering over the mountain was seen.
"We picked up the readings just hours after the attack. No doubt that most, if not all, of the Purists were wiped out," said Hayato. Aiko scoffed.
"The one thing that those aliens did that I'm fine with," said Aiko.
"So instead, Koizumi and I will go and procure the diamond. We can only always bluff that we have a platoon waiting outside for them if we must," said Hayato.
"Sounds too risky," said Senior.
"Well, I do have one extra person to join us," said Hayato. The door suddenly opened. A young man in dark uniform stepped in.
"Yasu. Good of you to join us," said Hayato. Battra gave a salute.
"Yasu?" Miwa's eyes widened. Looking at the young man, she noticed a resemblance to a certain mutant girl.
"Miwa Takeshi?" asked Battra, looking to the woman. Miwa slightly nodded.
"I... I want to thank you. For looking after my little sister when I couldn't," said Battra, solemn.
"N-No! Not at all! She was- Is! She's a sweet girl," said Miwa awkwardly.
"Our new recruit has proven to excel quickly through his basic training. If things get hairy, his abilities will prove to be of help," said Hayato. Aiko grimaced.
"Mutant or not. I don't like the idea of just letting the three of you do this alone," said Aiko.
It was the next day
Koizumi sported a pair of binoculars. He took in the sight of the current destination. He found there to be an open garage-like section built into the side of the rocky mountain before him.
"Entrance looks clear," said Koizumi. He turned to find Hayato Yoshi and Battra Yasu behind. All were clad in standard issue combat armor for MONARCH.
"Alright. Stay quiet and alert," said Hayato. He took notice of the nervous that the new recruit had.
"Just stay cool and follow orders. Remember your training," said Hayato. Koizumi sighed.
"We should've just brought Takeshi," said Koizumi. The trio began to rush from cover. They ran along the dirt road that led to the garage of the compound. The three began to slow their approach as they came inside. They found the stench of oil to linger in the air. Rubble lied scattered around the concrete floor.
"Move out. Quietly," whispered Hayato, taking the rear. Koizumi took point, while Battra walked between them. The three traveled in a tight formation, searching for their targets, their rifles held firmly in their grips. As they made their way deeper into the silo, they heard idle conversation.
"Can you believe this shit? Aliens! Fucking aliens!" said a voice.
"Tsk. I always thought people were stupid to want to make contact with extraterrestrials. Looks like what happened a couple of days back proved me right," said another voice.
"What are you lazy fucks doing? We need to get everything onto the trucks so we can relocate!" said a familiar voice. It belonged to Adrian. Battra furrowed his brows.
The three soldiers took cover by the wall and peeked over the corner. They found Adrian scolding a couple of unfamiliar Purists. Koizumi cleared his throat as he disengaged his safety. He rushed out and led Hayato and Battra out into the open.
"Nobody move!" shouted Koizumi, startling the Purists.
"What the hell?!" exclaimed one of the Purists. The three raised their hands as the soldiers began to spread out, keeping their sights on their enemies.
"Shit. Wasn't expecting MONARCH to show up. You guys seem a little short on numbers though," smirked Adrian, her hands raised.
"I think you'll find that we're more than enough," said Battra with a glare. Adrian's eyes widened in shock.
"You?!" snarled Adrian, recognizing the young man's face. Battra said nothing.
"Wh- That doesn't make sense! You guys know who this freak is, right?!" asked Adrian incredulously.
"Hey! Hey! No need for any of that!" said Koizumi, like a scolding father.
"How the hell does the Night Angel, a mutie of all people, join MONARCH?!" shouted Adrian, her mind unable to process the shock. Nothing about this made logical sense.
"That's our concern. Now, where's the one in charge? Where's Scar?" demanded Hayato.
"Right here," said a voice. Hayato turned to aim his rifle. He found Scar to be entering the room, flanked by Stinger, Dreadnought, and Alexandra. Stinger and Dreadnought were armed, aiming their weapons at the soldiers.
"Looks like you've managed to find us. Congratulations, Director," said Scar. Hayato kept his expression firm.
"Hey! Hayato and Koizumi! Haven't seen you guys in a while!" chuckled Dreadnought. Koizumi and Hayato hardened their expressions.
"I didn't think you'd be working with these guys. What? Do these guys pay you a better salary?" asked Koizumi.
"Heh. You know it," said Dreadnought with a grin.
"We're not here for a fight," said Hayato.
"Yeah, I failed to realize that when you stormed in with your weapons drawn," deadpanned Adrian.
"Scar, correct? At least that's what they call you," said Hayato. Scar bore a stoic look.
"Why did you come here if not to fight?" asked Scar.
"We just want something. Something that you and your group stole," said Hayato. "A violet diamond concealed in a tightly locked capsule."
"That thing?" asked Dreadnought in confusion.
"What for?" questioned Scar.
"Classified. All you need to know that innocent lives are on the line. They may be lost if we don't get the diamond back," said Hayato. Scar sighed as he scratched at his head.
"I think not," said Scar as the Dreadnought, Stinger and Alexandra stepped forward, their weapons aimed straight for the soldiers. Hayato furrowed his brows.
"Fact of the matter is, I doubt you'll let us go free if I were to hand it over. While I don't even know what the diamond is for, I think I rather it not be in your hands," said Scar as he drew out a hand gun as well, aiming it.
"Scar, please. These are children we're talking about!" said Hayato.
"Since when did you people care about children? You allowed them to integrate mutants into public schools," scoffed Scar. Battra hardened his expression.
"Who are you to talk? If I recall correctly, you guys attacked a high school and killed anyone that got in your way! You actually killed children!" said Battra. Scar showed a small hint of a twitch of his lip. Battra took notice of this, but said nothing about it.
"Have any of you ever even actually thought about your actions? How they might make you look just as bad if not worse as the mutants that you're afraid of?" asked Battra.
"Shut up!" shouted Adrian.
"Don't like the truth? Is it something that you ignore? Are the Revolutionaries just a soothing mechanism to help you to cope with your actions?" asked Battra, narrowing his eyes. Adrian began to violently tremble. Her mind was clouded by a blinding rage and hatred for this young man before her.
"I said to-" Adrian suddenly reached for her side arm.
"Don't fucking do it!" shouted Koizumi as he was about to pull the trigger. As Adrian drew out the gun, a loud bang filled the air. She cried out as the gun was knocked out of her hand.
"Whoa!" exclaimed Battra in shock.
"Ugh. That idiot," said Koizumi with an annoyed look. The Purists looked around in confusion, growing tense. There was a sudden crackle on the COM.
"Moving in," said a familiar voice. Suddenly, the room was filled with a few more individuals. Aiko Riku appeared from the shadows, a rifle aimed at the closest Purist she saw. From different corners of the garage, more popped up. Gojira Senior arrived, a rifle in his grip as well. Inoue appeared as well, joining the side of Koizumi. A couple more soldiers showed up, moving in.
"H-How in the-" Dreadnought stood frozen in shock.
"Why didn't you just pop that bitch's head?" whispered Koizumi. Inoue blushed.
"L-Look, I missed, alright?" said Inoue. Koizumi cocked a brow at her.
"I've seen you shoot before," said Koizumi. Inoue said nothing.
"Good thing I convinced you to reconsider going alone, eh?" asked Aiko. Hayato smiled in response.
"It appears that the tables have turned again, Scar. Additional skilled soldiers, and one extra fierce transmutant have joined this standoff. Do you still want to make this difficult?" asked Hayato. Scar furrowed his brows. He was beginning to slightly tremble as he found Gojira Senior looking at him. Yes. One of the mutants responsible for the Hell he experienced in Solgell when he was a Marine. While he never personally ran into him before back then, he knew just what this monster was capable. This wasn't his first rodeo after all.
"I'd rather-"
"Scar," a male voice suddenly spoke. Everyone froze. Scar turned to find Stinger looking at him dead straight in the eye.
"Maybe it's in our interest to surrender," said Stinger, his tone rough, matching his stoic expression.
"Holy shit, he talks?" asked Alexandra, wide eyed. Scar merely kept his eyes locked with Stinger's. The two said nothing more. Scar merely smirked, turning away.
"It seems that you have us beat, Director," said Scar, his tone carrying a hint of bitterness. He dropped his handgun to the ground. The other Purists just stared, while Stinger did the same. Adrian cursed under her breath as she placed her hands over her head.
"Ain't this a bitch?" Dreadnought dropped his weapon and knelt down. The soldiers began to apprehend the now surrendered terrorists. Aiko scoffed as she lowered her weapon.
"And here I was hoping to kill one of these fuckers," said Aiko.
"Wrath is a toxin that will rot you to your core, Riku," said Senior as he stood beside the woman. Aiko glanced at him, a look of annoyance.
"How can you say that? After the things you've seen and been through?" asked Aiko.
"It's because of my experiences that I'm telling you this," said Senior, glancing at the woman. Aiko merely scowled. In a way, this woman reminded him of himself when he was consumed with rage. That's what concerned him.
"Hey! You're that soldier whose kid is a mutie, right?" questioned Alexandra. Aiko merely sent her a glance. The younger woman smirked.
"Yeah, that's you alright. I think he had spiky hair just like yours. So what reason did you have to join MONARCH if you were married to and gave birth to freaks? Doesn't seem to make sense," said Alexandra. Aiko merely turned to the woman with a glare.
"Let me answer that with a question. What gives you the right to terrorize mutants? Especially children? Maybe you should rethink yourself before criticizing my own decisions, cracker," said Aiko. There was an awkward silence.
"The hell did you just say?" asked Dreadnought with a snort.
"Since you people seem to enjoy throwing around slurs with the intention of hurting people, maybe you should know how it feels," said Aiko, walking off. "It's the kindest thing I can do."
"OK?" Alexandra grimaced. She wasn't necessarily offended nor hurt. If anything, she just felt confused.
"I mean, I doubt they care," said Inoue to herself. Senior watched as Aiko stormed off.
"Huh." Senior tilted his head. He felt Koizumi rest an arm against his shoulder.
"Women. Am I right?" asked Koizumi.
"Hm." Senior merely nodded.
"Still, I think I'm crushing hard on her." Koizumi chuckled.
"Are you even her type?" deadpanned Hayato, as a couple of soldiers came by, one of them hauling a canister.
"Package is secured," said a soldier. Though he realized that no one payed him any mind.
"No, sir," said Aiko, leaning against a jeep. She stared off to the morning sky outside the garage.
"There's only one man for me. And so help me God, it's gonna stay that way," said Aiko, a frown on her face.
"Damn it," whispered Koizumi to himself.
The soldiers began to round up the remaining Purists of this compound into a transport chopper. All bounded in cuffs. They were roughly forced in and were guarded by a couple of soldiers. Battra stood outside, watching with a pondering look.
"Not bad for your first OP, kid," said Koizumi in approval.
"I don't know. It feels too easy," said Battra, furrowing his brows.
"Ah you're just nervous because it's your first mission. Don't sweat it. In fact, appreciate it. Because this is as easy as it gets," chuckled Koizumi, nudging the young man in the shoulder.
Later, the transport chopper began to carry everyone off to the next destination. They landed at a new base, distant from any known town or city. As the chopper settled, the prisoners were escorted out by Aiko and another soldier.
"Move it," said Aiko, smacking the side of her gun against Scar's back, causing him to stumble. He merely continued on his walk, his expression hard. Battra continued to walk on. He swore that Scar was about to have him and his comrades go out in a blaze of glory. Yet Stinger, a guy that no one really knew about, managed to convince him to surrender. The more Battra thought of it, the more worried and suspicious he became. Meanwhile, the canister containing the objective was taken by Hayato and another soldier. The two entered the base, where they brought the object over to a vault. The vault was opened via pin code and finger print scan. He placed the canister inside, securing it to a stand. The vault was then closed and sealed up tight.
"The easy part's done," said Hayato.
"That was easy?" asked the soldier next to him.
1 Week and Six Days later...
Hayato Yoshi stood in the middle of a large aircraft hangar. But instead of aircraft, there were engineers, scientists, and large conduits running through the ground. The conduits all connected to a large archway structure, with an inclined platform leading up to it.
"Good news, Director. The tests have been going well. Looks like he's done much to improve this device," said a scientist, approaching Hayato.
"That's good. Very good," said Hayato in approval.
"Now, regarding a way back. We managed to work with everything that was left behind. It's possible, but you'll need one of these to get back," said the scientist, holding up a controller-like device to the Director. Hayato held it up, inspecting it.
"And it works?" asked Hayato.
"Indeed. Although we've yet to try, 'interdimensionally'. But with our tests of transporting objects and subjects to different regions on Earth, we believe it should work if you were to end up in the next dimension," said the scientist.
"Can we test it?" asked Hayato.
"Of course. Though where exactly do you think our lost lambs are?" asked the scientist in confusion.
"I have someone who knows," said Hayato, turning to find a familiar woman approach.
"Is it ready?" asked the woman.
"Almost. We just need to finalize the tests," said Hayato. The woman bore a pleased smile.
"Good."
Battra was roaming the halls of the base in silence. Pretty soon now, he'd be able to join the search and find his little sister. He prayed that wherever she may be, Mosura was safe.
Battra eventually entered the mess hall. Here, he found some soldiers in uniform to be eating from their trays. Battra grabbed a tray and began to wait in line to be served lunch. Once his tray was filled, Battra made his way out to find a table.
"Yo!" A familiar voice called. Battra smiled as he found Ford and Nakada to be waving to him. He made his way over and took a seat.
"I didn't know that you two were stationed here," said Battra.
"Aw. Tired of us already?" asked Nakada in a mock pout. Battra chuckled in amusement.
"Of course not. It's good to see familiar and friendly faces," said Battra as he began to eat.
"Hey, have you heard of some chick named Riku?" asked Kanada in a whisper.
"As in, Lieutenant Aiko Riku?" asked Battra.
"So you heard of her? What are your thoughts?" asked Kanada.
"I... I can't say. I don't know her well and I haven't been around her as of late," said Battra.
"Well, there's rumors going around that she's acting nuts. Apparently she's always been strict, but lately it’s been worse and she's allegedly acting pretty cruel too," said Kanada.
"Cruel?" asked Battra in confusion.
"You know that the cells in the brig at this base have climate controls, right? Apparently, they use them to assist in interrogation by subjecting prisoners to harsh temperatures," said Kanada. Battra shrugged.
"I mean, we all have feelings on torture and everything. But if it's something that the base has for that reason-"
"No, no. This goes beyond that. She was seen hanging out in the control room while the temperature was high. Without authorization," said Kanada. Battra's brows slightly raised.
"I guess when you're her rank and are in good with the Director, you can get away with some stuff, huh?" asked Ford.
"I don't know about that," said Battra, scratching his head. Though he did have to wonder why Hayato hadn't said anything if Aiko was messing around with the prisoners, let alone without permission. Obviously she wasn't looking for any answers out of them if this was true.
"You know, I personally think she joined MONARCH just so she can kill Purists. You hear how she has a mutant for a son?" whispered Kanada.
"I could understand that," said Ford. Battra shook his head.
"It's none of our business. Let's not spread anymore rumors," said Battra.
"Yeah, but is it right not to say anything about her behavior? I heard she was more level headed than that," said Kanada.
"Look, she just lost her son. I think this is her desire to get him back starting to eat away at her," said Battra.
Meanwhile, just outside of the mess hall, Senior was walking through the hall with a stoic look. He passed soldiers that dared to glance at this titan of a man, who was flanked by two other Guardians. Baragon and Manda. The three continued on, conversing.
"Yeah, but I don't like the idea of being in the same building with those guys. They should've stuck those kid killers in front of a fucking firing squad," spat Baragon. Manda sighed.
"Not to mention they killed someone who just wanted us to see past the surface, and tried to steal the Ark," said Manda.
"I understand. As soon as we find the children, I assure you that they will pay for their heinous crimes," said Senior. His expression was hard.
Alexandra was groaning as she and Adrian lied slouched in their cell. Both were drenched completely in sweaty clothes. Meanwhile, Scar just sat on a bed with his brows furrowed. Dreadnought sat against the wall in his cell, panting.
"That water wasn't enough," complained Alexandra.
"Shut up. You're whining isn't helping," groaned Adrian. Scar glanced at Stinger, who leaned against a wall, his arms crossed.
"So how's it going?" asked Scar. Stinger merely held out a palm, revealing metallic screws. Scar smiled as he turned forward.
"I'll leave it to you," said Scar.
Stinger suddenly turned to the wall, where a large metallic grated vent lied. He drew out a coin and began to remove the last two remaining screws. Once they were removed, Stinger removed the frame. The ventilation system gave a cooler breeze compared to the more heated temperature that they were tortured with sometime prior.
"You better hurry," said an unfamiliar voice. The prisoners turned, finding a guard to be standing by the cell. Scar smirked.
"Is she getting antsy to turn up the heat again?" asked Scar.
"Oh yeah. But Yoshi's keeping her on a tighter leash for now. But still, you wouldn't want someone not in the club to show up," said the guard. Scar turned to Stinger and gave a nod. Stinger merely climbed inside of the narrow vent. He began to shift and worm his way through the metallic ventilation system.
Through the vents, Stinger passed different paths of vents. Along the way, the vents began to get more narrow. His eyes scanned his surroundings and the different paths. Stinger began to crawl through a different path. He passed by a grate, which allowed a view down to the ground. He stopped and looked through, finding a couple of guards to be passing by. Stinger remained still as they passed by. Once he was sure they were gone, Stinger continued.
Eventually, the Purist came across another grate. He could see into the room, through the wall. With his limited line of sight, he could make out lockers. Stinger began to unscrew the screws from his side of the vent. It was tedious, but it was working. He heard the screws lightly drop to the concrete ground. Once they were off, he gently removed the grate, allowing him to climb out. He knelt down and took in his surroundings. He was in a concrete room, filled with several lockers and racks, bearing different fire arms. He smirked.
Stinger began to navigate through the aisles of weapons, finding a man in uniform to be roaming about. Stinger quickly hid, hearing the foot steps. He should've expected that this place wouldn't have at least one or two soldiers here. Stinger looked over the corner, finding that a man carried a clip board, writing as he inspected the weapons at a certain rack.
"Hey, I need you to bring that ammo box! We have target practice!" said a voice from outside.
"One second!" said the man with the clip board. As he set it aside, he began to walk over to an aisle. Stinger remained in the shadows, as the soldier knelt down over to a crate. As he was about to grab it, Stinger quickly lunged from behind. With a swift and rough twist, the man's neck was snapped. He collapsed to the ground, leaving Stinger alone. The Purist began to remove his clothes.
Eventually, Stinger emerged, lugging over the crate. He was dressed in the uniform of the now dead soldier. The Purist made his way over to an office connected to the armory, where a soldier stood patiently on the other side of a set of bars. He set the box down into a tray and pushed it through, which emerged for the soldier on the other side of the bars.
"Finally. Where's that guy that I asked to bring it earlier?" asked the soldier in annoyance.
"He stepped out. He asked me to take care of it instead," answered Stinger.
"Hmph. Well, thanks anyway," said the soldier, before leaving. Stinger turned to the armory connected to this office.
Stinger closed the office door and began to roam about the armory. He carried a couple of large bags and set them down. He drew out a few rifles and began to disassemble them into smaller parts. Once that was done, he hid them in the bags. He then began to gather up ammunition from the crates, inserting them into separate magazines and clips. He even managed to come across an aisle that contained explosives, mainly fragmentation grenades. Of course, he didn't pass up on these. Every little treat in this candy store was one to add, but he couldn’t take everything. He had to make do with as little as he can carry.
Eventually, he began to make his way back to the office. He stepped out to the front heavy metallic door. It closed behind him. Stinger walked, lugging the heavy bags as a cap obscured a part of his face. He passed by a guard, who looked at him oddly.
"Need help with that?" asked the guard.
"No, I got it. Besides, it's not too far," said Stinger as he pressed him. The guard shrugged and went about his business.
"Poor rook, must be getting punked to carry that shit himself," said the guard to himself.
Eventually, Stinger made his way back to the brig. The door opened, revealing a familiar guard. He smirked.
"At ease, soldier," said the guard with a nod. Stinger merely stepped inside and began to set the bags down. The guard then unlocked the cells, allowing the rest of the Purists to step out.
"Alright, hurry and get set up. The camera feed will pick up on you as soon as it clears up," said the guard as the bags were opened.
"I want to get some payback on that bitch!" said Alexandra as she assembled her rifle.
"Don't get cocky. They confiscated the Hard-light suit," said Scar.
"And my goddamn prosthetic," said Dreadnought, raising up what used to be his arm. Now it was a stub with a metallic outlet surgically attached to him. The metallic arm was now gone.
"Look in the bag," said Stinger, as he held out a longer duffel bag to the mercenary. Confused, Dreadnought set it down and unzipped it. His eyes widened in shock.
"Oh shit!" said Dreadnought.
"Apparently they keep those things lying around. Though they only get to keep it when on duty, given that they're armed," said Stinger. Dreadnought picked up the metallic limb, which was coated in a grey camo pattern, with the MONARCH insignia on the bicep. He brought the limb to his socket and plugged it in, causing him to grunt in pain as a painful jolt shot through his nerves. He chuckled as the gears shifted, and the prosthetic began to move. It then shifted into a cannon barrel.
"Did I mention it was my birthday?" asked Dreadnought.
"Happy fucking birthday. Now let's hurry up and get moving," said Adrian, as she loaded up her rifle.
"Here, change into these uniforms and get moving to the motor pool. There's a vehicle waiting for you there," said the guard.
Stinger moved forward down the halls of the cold base. He kept a relaxed stance as he looked around. He motioned for the rest of the Purists to follow, who were armed and dressed in the dark military uniform.
"Just act natural. Most of these people don't even know our faces," whispered Scar.
"Yeah, but I'm sure they'd recognize you," deadpanned Dreadnought.
"Then move your ass, so they don't recognize him!" hissed Adrian.
The group continued on through the halls, passing other guards that patrolled. The Purists were getting antsy. Sooner or later, they would be discovered to be missing from their cells. Stinger pressed on in the lead, finding an exit. The group found an area, where rows of jeeps, hummers, and other vehicles were parked by groups. A couple of guards roamed about on post.
"OK, so which one is it?" asked Adrian, prompting Scar to look at a key he had. He found a letter and a set of numbers to be engraved on the tag it was chained to.
"Look for Lot C. The vehicle is number, '1919'," said Scar. The Purists began to spread out into the motor pool. They made sure to act as inconspicuous as possible. Eventually, the lot was found. They regrouped, and began to search the vehicles, where the numbers were tagged on the hoods of the Humvees.
"Right here!" said Alexandra, waving to the group. The Purists regrouped to the vehicle. Scar stuck the key into the door and unlocked it. He smirked.
Suddenly, the blare of an alarm went off. The Purists recoiled as it blared across the base.
"Shit! Everyone pile in!" said Scar as he hopped into the driver seat. The engine roared to life, and the Purists all piled into the hummer. Scar drove off with a roar. As they drove, a couple of guards shouted for them to stop.
"You aren't authorized to-" the soldier was cut off as the vehicle passed.
"They must've found out we weren't in the brig!" said Scar.
Earlier...
Aiko Riku was pacing down the hall in silence. Senior, the Guardians, and Koizumi followed after her.
"You know that your wife and that lady are trying to come along too, right?" asked Baragon.
"I do. I'm trying to convince her not to," said Senior.
"They just want to see their kids," interjected Manda.
"I understand, but we will be venturing into unfamiliar territory. I would rather her be safe here than-" Senior was interrupted as the group noticed a small gathering of military personnel standing at a line. Aiko bore an annoyed look as she approached.
"What's going on here?" questioned Aiko.
"Lieutenant!" the soldiers stood at attention.
"At ease. What's with the crowd?" asked Aiko.
"Ma'am, we're waiting to get our arms for our shift in guard duty. But no one seems to be inside," said one of the soldier. Aiko narrowed her eyes in suspicion, as she looked to the office window, sealed up by bars.
"It's lunch time right? Usually someone stays behind to document and handle the weapons," said Aiko as she walked over to the door. She began to knock on the metallic door.
"Hey! Simmons, open up! You have people who need a gun!" shouted Aiko. No answer. Aiko grew tense.
"Takeshi, bust down the door," said Aiko, turning to Senior.
"I'm sorry?" asked Senior in confusion.
"Look, I'll take responsibility! Just knock it down!" said Aiko. Senior sighed as he walked over. He suddenly sent a powerful kick into the door, knocking it off of its hinges. The door slammed down onto the ground with a loud crash.
"Jesus!" The soldiers recoiled in shock at the effortless kick.
Aiko rushed into the armory office. She began to scan every corner. Once she entered the actual armory, she continued to search. As she passed an aisle, her eyes widened. A man lied limp on the ground. She knelt down and felt for a pulse.
"Fuck!" Aiko gritted her teeth. She noticed from the wall, a vent grate was lying on the ground, revealing the ventilation shaft. Aiko got up as Senior and a soldier walked in.
"We got trouble! Call this in!" said Aiko, rushing passed Senior. The mutants began to follow, while the soldier investigated the scene.
"Christ!" exclaimed the soldier.
Aiko rushed through the halls. She had a bad feeling inside. She had to make sure of something. As she and the Guardisns reached the brig, they found that it was empty. No prisoners were inside of the cells.
"Those bastards are gone!" cried Aiko.
"How the hell-?!" exclaimed Baragon. Aiko quickly pressed a finger to her COM.
"Yoshi, we got a situation! The Purists are missing from their cells! We found Simmons from the Armory dead! They could be armed and running around somewhere on base!" Said Aiko urgently, looking into a cell, finding the grate to the vent removed. She gritted her teeth.
"We should've killed them when we had the chance," growled Aiko.
Hayato Yoshi cursed under his breath as he held his COM. he turned and found the Dimensiomal Tide Archway to be online. A portal swirled and hummed, as a drone was sent flying inside. The white haired woman looked back at him with a questioning look.
"Alright, you have permission to take whatever action necessary to neutralize the threat," said Hayato. He then switched channels.
"Sound the alarm. We have escaped prisoners. They're considered armed and dangerous. No one is to leave without permission!" said Hayato. Moments later, an alarm began to blare. Hayato stepped over to the engineers.
"We have a situation! We'll have to postpone these tests for a bit!" said Hayato.
"But we haven't concluded the final test!" said the engineer.
"Just shut it down!" said Hayato. There was the screech of tires. A Humvee slid into the hangar, prompting everyone to retreat in shock and alarm. The vehicle was coated in bullet holes. The Humvee crashed into a set of crates. The Purists shot out, wielding their weapons.
"Everyone take cover!" shouted Hayato, as Adrian began to shoot at everyone in her line of sight.
"Fuck, they're coming!" shouted Dreadnought as his prosthetic transformed, as a couple of humvees raced over, screeching to a halt as Dreadnought opened fire. His cannon tore holes through the armor like pebbles through paper. The soldiers got out of their jeeps and began to fire back.
The entire hangar was filled with the echoing and loud bangs of gun fire. This exchange of bullets led to the hits of soldiers, from the Purists. The engineers and Hayato took cover further away from the fire fight, but the DT Archway was still online.
Soon, more and more MONARCH soldiers came rushing over into the Hangar. Among them were Aiko, Koizumi, and the Guardians.
"Scar, this is a losing fight!" said Adrian. Scar turned to find the portal to the DT Archway.
"Maybe not!" said Scar, pointing to the structure.
"You see that? Crimson mentioned once that there were rumors of MONARCH developing a teleportation device! It looks like we've stumbled onto it!" said Scar, flinching as a bullet struck near him.
"You want to go through that?!" exclaimed Alexandra.
"If you want to die here, than be my guest!" said Scar as he shot out of cover and ran. He began to wildly shoot off his rifle at the soldiers, while making his way over to the ramp. The soldiers ducked and fired back.
"He's going through the portal!" exclaimed an engineer. A stray bullet struck near him, prompting him to quickly duck back into cover.
"Fuck it!" said Adrian as she fired. The Purists began to follow, while firing back at the soldiers.
"No! Don't let them through!" shouted Aiko, firing her rifle.
As the Purists rushed to the portal, Stinger drew out a couple of grenades. With their pins pulled, he tossed them away. One of them landed near a device that contained the violet diamond, hooked up to the archways. Stinger quickly ran through the portal.
"Get down!" cried Hayato, rushing and tackling one of the engineers down. The grenades exploded. The shrapnel caught onto a couple of engineers, but the rest were far enough to not be harmed from the explosion. Aside from being deafened. The device containing the diamond exploded in a loud crack, sending bright sparks all around. The DT Archway trembled as it shook, the portal swirling violently. The portal then was swallowed within itself, becoming a single ball. With a burst, it exploded in a gust of wind that threatened to blow everyone off their feet.
There was silence. The soldiers began to spread out, securing the hangar. Some rushed to the injured engineers. Aiko snarled in rage as she stared at the now dead structure. She found Hayato rising to his feet, staring at the structure with a grimace.
"Oh no. The power source," said the leading engineer, pointing to a smoking spot of glass and metallic parts. Violet sparks came from the metal. "The generator can be easily fixed. But the power source was irreplaceable."
"That was the only way to power this thing," said Hayato solemnly.
"You-" Aiko growled, glaring at Hayato.
"Why did you suggest going the diplomatic approach with them?!" demanded Aiko. Her anger catching the attention of everyone in the room.
"Lieutenant-" Hayato was about to speak up.
"We should've killed them on sight! Look at how much damaged only a few of them were able to pull off!" said Aiko, gesturing to the hangar around them. Where shrapnel, wounded, and bullet holes littered everywhere. The destroyed diamond and the device it was plugged into was just the icing on the cake.
"You know, if I knew that this shit was going to happen- If I knew that they were going to cost me the one chance of getting back my son, I would've taken them out back and put a bullet into each of their heads myself!" said Aiko in a low tone. Her face red with anger, her voice cracking. Before Hayato could speak, the woman stormed off. He let out a heavy sigh. He found Senior to be standing still, gazing at the DT Archway with a pained look. He bowed his head solemnly, as Manda placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Don't despair, Gojira," said a feminine voice. From the corner of Hayato's eye, the familiar woman arrived.
"There is still another way to open the gate," said the woman.
"Wait, who the heck is this?" asked Manda in confusion. Senior raised his head.
"Do I know you?" asked Senior.
"Oh come on! You don't recognize an old friend?" asked the woman teasingly. Senior pondered the thought for a moment. But her voice was familiar. His eyes widened.
"Amber!" exclaimed Senior.
"Yes! Thank goodness! I was about to worry that you've forgotten that I can change form," chuckled Amber.
"It has been a while," said Senior with a small smile.
"Wait, that's the bug?" asked Baragon incredulously.
"Why don't you stay in this form often? You look good," said Manda with a smile, admiring the fairy's new appearance.
"Because I like being adorable and fuzzy," said Amber with a shrug. Hayato sighed in frustration.
"Wait! You mentioned that there was another way!" said Hayato.
"Oh! Sorry," said Amber sheepishly. She cleared her throat.
"As I was saying. That gem wasn't the only power source powerful enough to open the portal. There is another way. The Ark," said Amber. The Guardians' eyes widened. Senior glanced over his shoulder, finding that the rest of the soldiers were pre-occupied with other tasks.
"Amber... That's a horrible idea," said Senior quietly.
"Yeah! I thought the whole point was to keep it out of everyone else's hands!" said Manda.
"Gojira, it's the only way to reactivate the device. It has more than enough power," argued Amber.
"Out of the question. I don't want the gem to fall into MONARCH's hands," said Senior, his eyes narrowed.
"Gojira, it may be a risky decision, but it's the one choice that you have. It's the only way to bring back Junior," said Amber, softly. Senior's expression softened. Amber spoke true. This might have been the only shot to see his son again. Could he face Miwa and tell her that they weren't bringing their son home because of a duty he has since retired from?
"Very well," said Senior. He then turned to Yoshi.
"We have to return to Ponyville," said Senior.
Equescidar...
The area was vastly different compared to the loud hangar at the base. Instead, there was a vast jungle that seemed to span for miles.
The Purists found themselves standing in the middle of unfamiliar territory. There were the cry of birds in the air, and the heat from the blazing sun above. The Purists looked around, confused.
"Well... I guess you were right about that thing being a teleportation device," said Adrian.
"Yeah, but where the hell are we?" asked Alexandra incredulously. The Purists began to roam about, their eyes scanning the jungle.
"First thing's first. We move out and try to establish a camp. Maybe somewhere with water," said Scar, reloading his rifle.
"You think there's panthers or something out here?" asked an unnamed Purist, anxiously.
"I don't doubt it. Eyes peeled," said Dreadnought.
The Purists began to make their way deeper in the jungle. Along the way, they picked up the sound of more animal cries. These creatures seemed unfamiliar. With wails and bellows that echoed out into the jungle.
"What kind of fucking animals are those? They're creeping me out," said Alexandra.
"Elephants?" asked Dreadnought.
"Have you ever heard what an elephant sounds like?" deadpanned Adrian.
"Whoa. Hold on. You guys hear that?" asked an unnamed Purist, stopping in his tracks. Everyone fell silent and still. They scanned the area. Everything seemed to have gone quiet. Aside from the faint cries of birds in the air. The hearts of the Purists were all that they could hear, along with their breathing.
"WHOA!!" Alexandra suddenly started shooting into the jungle, prompting the Purists to jump and duck.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" shouted Dreadnought.
"Did you not see that thing?! It was like a big lizard or something!" cried Alexandra.
"What the hell are you talking about?" asked Scar.
"In there! I think I got it!" said Alexandra, pointing to where she shot.
"I don't see anything," said Adrian.
"Well, I saw it! It probably ran off," said Alexandra.
"I would too if some crazy chick was shooting into the jungle," said Dreadnought under his breath.
Suddenly, the sound of heavy footsteps filled the air. From the side, a large reptilian theropod burst from the bush, standing over 6 feet. A horn sat upon its snout, and its scales were a brownish-red pigment. The beast suddenly swooped in and carried off an unmanned Purists with its jaws.
"Jesus!" exclaimed Adrian as she and the Purists began to fire off at the creature. The Purist that was carried off was silent as his head, down to his chest, was inside of the beast's mouth. From the jungle, three more similar creatures rushed in. These creatures were a pack of Ceratosaurs. One of the theropods snatched up the last unnamed Purist, who gave agonized cries as he was carried off. Meanwhile, Dreadnought focused his fire on the closest theropod that came his way. With one shot aimed for the head, the dinosaur collapsed to the ground, with half of its snout blown off. It shrieked as it attempted to scramble back to its feet, only for Dreadnought to quickly finish it off with several more shots. The remaining theropod quickly retreated with the rest of the pack, as the remaining Purists fired their weapons at it.
"Aaah!!" Alexandra screamed, firing off her rifle. She panted as she watched as the creatures faded from her line of sight.
"What was that?!" cried Adrian. Scar knelt down next to the dead creature, poking it with the barrel of his rifle.
"I think it's obvious what those things were," said Scar with a grimace. He looked around, finding all that were left. Himself, Adrian, Alexandra, Dreadnought, and Stinger. In a land they had no knowledge, where more beasts like those could be lurking.
"I miss the military base already," said Scar with a sheepish smile.
Equestria...
It was evening. A chopper soared over to the base, where the Dimensional Tide was being kept. It held a dangerous and valuable cargo. Senior sat in the back, along with Manda and Baragon. They looked to the Ark, as the top gave a soft glow.
"No turning back now," said Senior with a sigh.
Eventually, the chopper touched down. As it landed, the back opened up, allowing the mutants to take the Ark by the handle bars underneath. They carefully carried the object over to the hangar, where the DT Archway was stored. Soon, they arrived to their destination. The Guardians set the Ark down, where Amber and Hayato joined them.
"Good news. The generator was remade and is now ready for this gem of yours," said Hayato. Senior sighed, a reluctant look on his face.
"Very well," said Senior. His wife approached his side, a small reassuring smile on her face.
"There is one concern we should address," interjected Senior, turning to Hayato.
"The content of the Ark is volatile. The first Purists that tried to removed the top were vaporized," said Senior.
"An obvious reaction to those with blackened hearts," said Amber.
"Yes, but that means that it's risky to even open the Ark. Its raw power could destroy anyone who touches it," said Senior.
"But Fluttershy wasn't destroyed, remember?" asked Amber. Posey turned to the woman, a surprised look on her face. She remembered pretty much the chaos that happened when the Purists tried to attack the Guardians from their territory. They even used her and the children as hostages. But what she didn't know was that her daughter had touched a dangerous object as this and survived.
"So, no one's willing to test their fate?" asked Hayato, looking to everyone around him. No one said anything. There was a tense silence. Hayato furrowed his brows.
"Fine. Then I'll try," said Hayato as he stepped up to the Ark. Everyone watched intensely, as the acting Director reached for the Ark. The air grew more tense. Hayato felt himself beginning to tremble. But, he pressed on. He then placed his hand on the Ark, clenching his eyes shot. He opened one eye, finding that his hand remained on the Ark.
"Whoa," said Manda in shock. Everyone was shocked and amazed at how this man was still before their very eyes. Hayato began to carefully move the top, allowing an opening. A bright white light shined from the Ark, causing him to squint. He looked away as he reached inside. His hand felt something solid and warm. It was radiating heat, like a light. Hayato carefully pulled his hand out, holding a bright glowing white gem. Its glow began to die down, giving off a smaller and softer light. Hayato stared at the gem in awe, feeling a sense of peace and calm from its warm light.
"The Gem doesn't harm those with the purest of hearts. Or even those on the path to purity," lamented Amber. Hayato turned to a capsule and carefully placed the gem inside. Once it was secured, he began to take the capsule and plugged it into the generator. The DT Archway suddenly roared to life. The portal formed and swirled, humming as the raw power of the gem flowed into it. Hayato smiled.
"I want a platoon ready! Get Lieutenant Riku and Private Yasu down here immediately! Make sure we have plenty of MREs packed along with ammo and other essentials!" ordered Hayato, pointing to the soldiers. They began to scramble, while Koizumi smirked.
"What's so funny?" asked Hayato.
"Nothing. Just that the old man taught you well in the art of taking charge," said Koizumi. Hayato smiled.
Later, a platoon of soldiers was formed. A couple of Humvees were parked near the DT Archway, along with a couple of infantry trucks. Among the soldiers were Inoue, Battra, and Aiko. The Guardians stood with Miwa, Koizumi, and Posey. Hayato and Amber stood on the side lines.
"MONARCH, you'll be taking your first steps into unknown territory. I can't guarantee that all of you will make it back. But, I can assure you that your sacrifice will not be in vain. You'll forever be known for your bravery and courage to set foot onto a new frontier. Your heroism will be spread for generations," said Hayato. The soldiers were silent and at attention.
"I know that this mission is unorthodox. To save children not your own from a potentially dangerous world. But as men and women of MONARCH, you have a duty to protect Equestria and her citizens. Go forth with honor, and everyone come back in one-" Hayato was interrupted as Koizumi gave an exasperated sigh.
"Time's up, chumps! Let's do this! KIRA KOIZUUUUMI!!" Koiuzmi suddenly ran up the ramp and through the portal. Everyone just stood silent, most in shock. Hayato stood slack jawed.
"D-Did he just run in?!" exclaimed Hayato. Amber sighed.
"That reference is getting old," said Amber to herself. Hayato cleared his throat.
"A-As I was saying-" Hayato was about to continue, but Miwa and Posey suddenly made a mad dash to the portal. Senior, Baragon, and Manda bolted after them.
"What-?! Hey!" shouted Hayato. Aiko and Battra suddenly followed in suite, leaving behind everyone else. Hayato gave an irritated sigh, scratching his head. He then pointed to Inoue.
"Private! Don't you go anywhere just yet!" barked Hayato. Inoue stiffened.
"I was just..." Inoue cleared her throat. Hayato approached and handed her a controller.
"Make sure you all hold onto this. This will be your only way back home. Use it to open up a portal on your end as soon as you retrieve the children," said Hayato.
"Sir!" Inoue took the controller and placed it into her pouch. Hayato nodded. He then pointed to the portal.
"Move it out, MONARCH!" shouted Hayato.
"LET'S GO!" the soldiers all shouted in unison. They began to pile into the transport trucks, which then began to drive up the ramp. The Humvees followed. The vehicles soon vanished into the portal. Hayato sighed as he watched as the portal closed. It was up to them now to get back home.
Equescidar...
The land was quiet. Wind blew, blowing up dust from a lonely dirt road on this sunny day.
In just mere moments, the air was swirling, as a bright light appeared. From the light, a swirling portal tore open through space itself. From the portal, Koizumi came running out. He panted as he looked around, gun drawn.
"Reach for the sky! I come in peace! Take me to your leader!" shouted Koizumi, as Aiko, the Guardians, the mothers, and Battra emerged.
"We're not looking for aliens, Sergeant," deadpanned Aiko.
"On the contrary, Lieutenant! Who knows what inter dimensional creeps could be lurking!" said Koizumi. From behind, the roar of engines startled the group. They quickly dispersed, as the transport trucks and Humvees drove out from the portal, just before it closed.
"Mount up! We can cover more ground this way!" said a gunner from one of the Humvees.
"Alright, civies in the back! Let's move it people!" said Aiko as she and the rest began to board the Humvees. Battra instead joined the soldiers on one of the transport trucks. The small fleet of vehicles began to drive along the dirt road, their engines roaring. They traveled a good mile or so until they came across a surprising sight.
"Lieutenant, we got eyes on what looks to be a settlement," said a voice on the COM.
"Take us there," said Aiko, from the passenger seat.
"Is it really wise to approach the town this way. We could cause quite the disturbance," said Senior. Aiko sighed.
"Change of plans. Take us as close as you can. I'll take a small team out to the town. We'll radio you if we need help," said Aiko, over the COM.
"Copy," said a voice over the COM. Aiko shook her head.
"I just want to get through with this as soon as possible, Takeshi," said Aiko.
"Patience. We'll find them," said Senior.
"But how will we? This is a whole new world. For all we know, they could be on another continent or something," said Manda, looking out the window.
"Don't worry. We have one way on locating them," said Senior.
Meanwhile, from the back of one of the transport trucks, Battra sat. His eyes were closed, and his mind clear of distractions. His telepathy began to scan a great radius around him. He's only pulled this off once before. Hopefully, he can do it again.
'Mosu... Can you hear me?' thought Battra.
Soon, Aiko was leading a squad of soldiers. Among them was Battra. The Guardians, Miwa and Posey followed. The group made their way into the village, where they were met with a surprising sight.
"They're humans," said Battra in surprise. As observed, the denizens of this town, or rather this dimension, were ordinary humans. However, they seemed to be living a more middle ages life style with handmade clothes, small wooden and stone buildings making up the settlement, and the amount of livestock walking around.
"Everyone stay cool," said Aiko. Senior rolled his eyes.
'Says the biggest hot head here,' thought Senior. He noticed that as soon as the villagers laid eyes on them, they either fled in a hurry or stood in a petrified state.
"They don't seem to like strangers," said Baragon. Senior turned to Aiko.
"Perhaps a few of us should ask around. But mainly my comrades, wife and neighbor," said Senior. Aiko sighed as she reached into her pouch.
"Here. Show them this," said Aiko, handing Senior a picture, depicting her son Angirasu.
"You thought of the same idea?" asked Posey, holding up a couple of pictures, depicting Fluttershy and her with the Main 6. Miwa did the same, depicting Junior either solo or with friends.
"Alright. I'll bring it back when we're through," said Senior.
"Yeah, you better," said Aiko in a small tone.
The mothers and Guardians began to go around town, attempting to find information on the children. But the denizens would flee or ignore them, once they took notice of the other strangers with them.
"Why is everyone acting do skittish? We haven't even done anything," said Manda in confusion. Baragon noticed a man sneaking away.
"Hey buddy! Is there someone in charge that we can talk to?" asked Baragon.
"T-Talk to the Lord of our village!" said the man, before running to his home and slamming his door shut. Baragon turned to find a man dressed in a cape and formal looking clothes stood, with a couple of knight-like guards.
"Yo boss. That guy in the fancy clothes might be useful," said Baragon. Senior nodded in agreement. He and his group approached.
"Why are you here in our village?" questioned the Lord.
"Your village? Way to claim this rude place. Everyone's running and hiding like there's a ghost," scoffed Baragon.
"Don't mind him. But what's going on? Everyone seems scared," said Manda in confusion.
"Because of the ones you came in with. We recognize the emblems on their armor," said the Lord, narrowing his eyes. The mutants looked back at the soldiers that stood casually away from their conversation.
"Them?" asked Manda in confusion.
"How would you even recognize-" Baragon scratched his head with a questioning look.
"That emblem has been seen by our nation before. It is a calling card of one of the wicked Empress's Agents of Destruction," said the Lord.
"What is he on about?" whispered Baragon.
"A murderous sorceress leaves that symbol behind, killing those in her path with a metallic staff, that casts spells that pierces through anything," said the Lord, intensely. "She is often accompanied by an armored devil woman, and the dreaded Laughing Man!"
"Hey, maybe we should go. These people might have a few screws loose," whispered Baragon. Miwa suddenly step forward.
"Sir, we have nothing to do with these 'Agents of Destruction'. We only came here because we're looking for our kids," said Miwa, as she drew out her printed photographs. Posey did the same. Remembering what Aiko had given him, Senior quickly drew out the photo of Angirasu. The Lord began to inspect the photos. While amazed at the life-like images on such small canvases, he didn't recognize the teens. But then, something caught his eye.
"You say that all of them are missing?" asked the Lord.
"Yeah, have you seen them?" asked Miwa, hopeful.
"I'm afraid that I haven't. But the girl with the hair of rainbows. Stories of one like her have spread across the land," said the Lord.
"That has to be Rainbow Dash!" exclaimed Posey.
"Yes! That was her name! You know her?" asked the Lord in surprise.
"She and my daughter have been best friends since they were little. Both of them are missing. Please, tell us you know where they could be!" pleaded Posey, desperately.
"The last we've heard, she was in the neighboring country of Sacramentonia. Lucky for you, it's not too far from here," said the Lord. He turned to the guard next to him.
"Go and bring a map for their journey," said the Lord. As the guard left, the Lord pointed to the road.
"Just take that road and it will lead you straight to Sacramentonia," said the Lord.
Later, the Guardians, Aiko and Koizumi were looking through a map. While the land was unfamiliar, it was not too much trouble to study their route.
"I'm thinking we take the longer way. Through this jungle here," said Aiko.
"But that guy said that this road would take us straight to where we need to go," said Manda, pointing to a different route.
"I don't like how he was looking at us," said Aiko.
"It was mainly you and your soldiers he was concerned about," deadpanned Senior.
"Look, it just might be safer for us to take the other route. That way we aren't out in the open. We can't risk drawing too much attention," said Aiko.
"She has a point. The last thing we want is to scare the locals into thinking we're invading. We're just a single platoon, without a way to request reinforcements," interjected Koizumi. Senior sighed,
"Perhaps. The less trouble we cause, the better," said Senior.
It was the high noon. A few soldiers, including the Guardians, took point and walked on ahead on a path. They were followed by the Humvees and transport trucks through the deep jungles. Animals scurried away from the noise of the engines. The leading group remained vigilant as they walked on. It was quiet.
"Whoa, hold on!" called Koizumi, raising a hand to the drivers. The vehicles stopped. Koizumi knelt down to the ground, finding a dismembered arm to be lying on the dirt ground.
"Agh. That's nasty," said Baragon, seeing that the arm was soaked in its own blood and bore large gashes. Aiko walked over, an annoyed look.
"What's the hold up?" asked Aiko.
"What do you think could've done this?" asked Koizumi, pointing to the arm.
"What are you afraid of? We have a platoon armed to the teeth!" said Aiko. Koizumi leaned close to the arm with a squint. He took a flask and began to drench the limb in water. The blood and dirt was washed away, revealing a familiar skull tattoo.
"That's a Purist skull. They must've been here," said Koizumi, standing up. Aiko scoffed.
"Serves them right," said Aiko.
"Oh God," said Manda, pointing to the ground. In the dirt was a large three toed foot print.
"That's either what I think it is, or it's a big ass bird," said Baragon with wide eyes. Senior hummed as he looked around.
"I don't see signs of any other remains. It would be best if we moved on," said Senior.
"Right. Everyone pile into the vehicles! Traveling on foot is too risky!" said Koizumi, as he made his way to one of the hummers.
The travel was going at a steady pace. While the vehicles weren't traveling very fast, they were covering a greater distance than they would on foot. The vehicles drove through the jungle, leaving the trails of tire tracks behind. During this, Aiko kept her eyes out through the window. She stared to the passing trees with a sigh. While they were where the children were supposed to be, Aiko wondered if their pursuit would bear fruit. After all, it has been over two weeks since they've been gone. Aiko wondered if she was deluding herself into thinking that there was a chance that her son was out here. After all, she immediately felt her faith challenged when she bore witness to that lost limb, and the foot print left behind. Just what the hell was lurking in these jungles?
Suddenly, the Humvee screeched to a halt. Aiko felt herself forced forward, with her seat belt securing her in place. Miwa and Posey yelped as they felt the sudden stop in the back.
"What the hell?" Aiko sighed in frustration as she stepped out of the vehicle. "What is going on?!"
Suddenly, a slim bamboo chute suddenly crashed into the earth just inches from Aiko's face. She gasped as she stumbled back. Her head raised up, following the bamboo that stuck out of the earth. The bamboo seemed to be connected to a large bulbous form. Multiple chutes stuck out of the form, which seemed to be hovering 20 feet over her. It was here that she realized that this form was alive.
"Aah!!" a soldier screamed as he jumped out of the back of the transport truck. He was suddenly snagged up by the living giant, via slimy tendrils that shot out from underneath. The soldier was pulled up and was swallowed whole into the underbelly, which opened up like a hidden hatch.
"Fuck!" exclaimed Aiko, stumbling back. She heard chittering from behind. She turned, finding another similar creature to be walking by. From here, she could get a better look at the beast. It appeared like a massive daddy long leg, standing on long spindly limbs that appeared close to bamboo chutes. It bore multiple large red eyes, and long fangs, with an orifice full of teeth. The spider bore a back covered in long green grass-like hairs that covered it completely.
Suddenly, three more similar spiders began to move through the trees. They seemed to almost blend into the environment around them. Their crab-like claws snapped in the air.
"Jesus fucking Christ!" shouted Koizumi. The soldiers began to quickly exit the transport trucks. The spiders began to slowly move their legs about. Every time they took a step, their appendages shot down like spears and impaled the earth. Some soldiers were unfortunate to be impaled by the long limbs of the creatures.
"Kill them! Fucking kill them!" shouted a soldier. The soldiers fired off their guns at the spiders that surrounded them. The bullets whizzed and pierced through the colossal arachnids, which screeched and gurgled as they were peppered by the hail of bullets.
Miwa and Posey kept in cover inside of the Humvee they were in. They cupped their ears as the air was filled with the constant bangs of gun fire. They yelped in fright as a spider suddenly crashed to the earth, its limbs having been shredded from the bullets.
A spider gurgled as its underside shot forth its tendrils, which snatched up another soldier. Nakada screamed as she was hauled up by the spider.
"Nakada!" cried Battra, aiming his rifle. But he hesitated to shoot, as he found the woman in his line of fire.
"I can't get a shot!" shouted Battra, as the soldiers began to spread out, as the couple of remaining spiders walked.
Aiko yelped as she dodged an incoming limb. It missed her head by inches. Koizumi fell back as a limb struck between his legs. He went pale as he found how close it came to his groin. The leg then raised and shot towards him again. Koizumi quickly rolled away. He then noticed Senior rushing by, swinging his rifle with all of his might against the leg the of the spider. The impact caused part of the leg to snap in half, which caused the spider to stumble. The resulting blow also broke the rifle in two.
"Go for the legs!" shouted Senior, as he tossed aside the destroyed rifle. He turned to the spider that he had injured, his eyes flashing neon blue. He spewed forth his atomic breath, which scorched through the spider, blasting a smoking hole into its body. It gurgled as it collapsed to the ground.
Meanwhile, Nakada had drawn out her combat knife and began to cut away at the tendrils that wrapped around her. She screamed as the spider began to snap its claws at her, as she came closer.
Battra's eyes began to glow. He fired forth the violet rays from his eyes, which he dragged to cut the legs of the remaining spider, causing it to stumble and struggle to stand. As Nakada came closer to the open orifice of the spider, she let out another scream as she furiously cut away. She found herself suddenly drop, as she succeeded in cutting the tendrils. Before she could hit the ground, Battra caught her with his telekinesis, hovering her over the ground.
The remaining soldiers focused fire on the last spider. With their aim clear, they managed to shred through the exoskeleton and the remaining limbs of the spider. It shrieked as it suddenly collapsed and fell.
"Look out!" shouted a soldier. Everyone retreated as the beast collapsed, slamming into the earth with a loud clap. Everyone kept their distance, as the dust cleared. The spider gurgled as it twitched on the ground. Its fangs trembled as its wounds bled to the ground. Senior stepped over to the now crippled spider, raising his hand. He drove his fist into the creature's head, causing it to thrash one last time, as its dome was caved in. Senior pulled out his fist, which was soaked in a sticky orange fluid.
"We should've brought a tank or something," said a soldier, eyeing the now dead spiders.
"Nah. I think we're good," said Nakada, smiling at Battra.
"Look at these things. They look like they have grass growing out of them and their legs are like bamboo," said Inoue in shock.
"And our kids are out here with them," said Senior, his expression turning to a grimace. Aiko hardened her expression.
"Let's keep moving!" said Aiko. Everyone returned to the vehicles, which drove away from the dead spiders.
The platoon had reached a point in the jungle that was darker compared to their earlier place. They had stopped for a quick break. Everyone walked and stood around, stretching their limbs. Some even ate their MREs, and replenished themselves with water. Aiko sighed as she stared at the map.
At this rate, she feared that they wouldn't get anywhere. Who knows where her son or even the others were. It has been 2 weeks. Who knows if they were even alive.
Aiko shook her head. She mentally squashed that dark thought. She had to keep hope that her son was still out there. He was all that she had left to live for.
Meanwhile, Koizumi and Baragon were sitting near a tree together. They were eating MREs and washed it down with water.
"This tastes like ass," said Baragon.
"It is ass" said Koizumi bluntly.
"Oh good, so I'm not exaggerating" said Baragon. Koizumi then noticed a small critter to be burrowing out of the ground.
"Whoa... Check it out," whispered Koizumi, taping Baragon's shoulder. The two bore witness to a furry mammal-like creature. It had long whiskers and an earthy coat. It also bore buck teeth in its mouth. The creature was the size of a large puppy. It looked like a mix of a prairie dog, with the ears of a guinea pig.
"Heh. Hey, little guy. You want a bite?" asked Baragon, holding out a piece of food to the rodent. He dropped it, allowing the creature to sniff the piece. It quickly began to eat the food and squeaked.
"It's kinda cute, ain't it?" asked Koizumi with a chuckle.
"I kinda wanna take him home now," said Baragon. The creature suddenly burrowed under.
"Aw, he's gone," said Koizumi with a shrug. Suddenly, the creature popped back up, standing up right from its hole like a meerkat.
"Oh hey!" said Baragon, dropping another piece of food. The creature sniffed it, then scarfed it up. It then dropped back into its hole. Then just moments later, it came back up.
"Buddy, if you want more, then stay up," said Baragon as he was about to grab another piece. The rodent squeaked before lunging for Baragon's hand, sinking its teeth into his skin.
"Agh! Fuck!" shouted Baragon as dropped his meal. The rodent quickly pulled it under the hole, prompting Baragon to lunge for the hole.
"You little shit! Gimme back my shitty burrito!" shouted Baragon, digging at the ground.
"What do you care? You said it taste like ass, didn't you?" asked Koizumi.
"Yeah, but at least it filled my stomach!" said Baragon as he continued to dig. Koizumi shrugged.
"Well, sucks to be you," said Koizumi. He then noticed the rodent pop up from the dirt at his feet. It stared up at him with its arms hanging down over its belly. Koizumi narrowed his eyes.
"Nice try, but you already had a meal," said Koizumi. The rodent suddenly lunged for his boot foot and gnawed at the toe end.
"Ow! You little fucker!" shouted Koizumi, feeling the buck teeth from his toe. He kicked his foot and began to stomp at the rodent, which quickly dove for cover.
"Aw! Look at this little guy!" cooed Inoue. The men turned, finding Inoue kneeling on the ground, as a rodent looked up at her with its beady black eyes.
"Want a bite?" cooed Inoue, reaching for a peanut butter coated cracker.
"Not a good idea, kid!" called Koizumi.
"Huh?" Inoue looked his way. She herself was suddenly bitten, causing her to yelp and drop the cracker.
"You little-" Inoue kicked her foot, but the creature dove under.
"Wait, I think there's more than one," said Baragon in realization.
"Why do you say that?" asked Koizumi. Baragon pointed ahead. Before the two were a dozen other similar rodents. All stuck out of burrows like meerkats, staring at them in silence.
"Oh." Koizumi slumped his shoulders. He then eyed the rest of his MRE. A few snacks to go with the square pre-made pizza he had. He narrowed his eyes at the critters, who stared. The creatures suddenly snarled as they bared their buck teeth. From the backs, erected long spindly quills.
"What the what?!" exclaimed Inoue, recoiling. The creatures shrieked as they scurried and began to rush after the two.
"Ah!" yelped Baragon, as he stood up and stumbled back. He watched as they ate what sides remained with his MRE. They hissed as their quills shook.
"Fuck this!" shouted Koizumi, quickly dropping his food, drawing out his rifle. He began to wildly shoot at the creatures. Some of them shrieked as they were shot dead. The rest quickly began to burrow under the ground.
"What the hell?!" exclaimed Aiko, knocked out of her train of thought. All she saw was Koizumi shooting at the ground, screaming like a mad man.
"Hey! Hey! They're gone!" said Baragon.
"No, those fucking demons are still around! Come out you-" Koizumi quickly reloaded his rifle. But Aiko snatched the weapon away from him.
"What is your fucking problem, sergeant?!" demanded Aiko.
"Oh shit! There's one right next to you!" cried Inoue in alarm, pointing to the ground next to Aiko's feet. A critter looked up at her, appearing more calm and less threatening. The woman looked at Koizumi with a deadpanned look.
"Don't be fooled by its cuteness. That thing's a demon from the bowels of Hell," said Koizumi, pointing an accusing finger at the beast. It suddenly lunged for the mercenary's finger and bit it.
"Fuck!" exclaimed Koizumi in pain, as the creature quickly dove back under. He hissed as he held his hand, staring at the bite wound on his index finger. There was a small indent from where he was bitten. Aiko snickered, looking at the man in amusement. Koizumi scowled as he blushed in embarrassment.
"Don't play with the animals, Sergeant," said Aiko, pressing the rifle back against his chest. She walked off, leaving the soldier embarrassed as the other soldiers snickered at his expense.
"It's alright, Sarge," said Inoue, patting the man's shoulder with a look of understanding. Baragon nodded in agreement. The three stiffened as they heard a hiss. They turned to find the creatures pulling the remains of their meals under the earth. The three sighed in dismay.
Meanwhile, Senior stood with his wife and Posey, as they ate their own meals. He noticed Aiko walking by with an annoyed sigh.
"Riku, I wish to speak to you for a moment," said Senior. Aiko stopped, turning.
"Yes?"
"This incident has just made me realize that we are at a great disadvantage here in this jungle," said Senior.
"How so?" asked Aiko a hand on her hip.
"The amount of ammo used to kill those giant spiders was by no means a drop in the bucket. Considering what we've seen so far, it may mean that we could run into more dangerous creatures in this jungle. We could run out of ammo in a matter of a few short days." Senior theorized.
"Takeshi, I will use a club and my bare fists if I have to. I'm not gonna give up until I find my son. Dead, or alive," said Aiko, her eyes narrowed. There was a sudden loud wail in the air. Everyone froze as they looked around, hearing the cry echo out through the forest. Aiko furrowed her brows. She reached to her back and drew out her rifle.
"Stay here if you're afraid to spend a few bullets," said Aiko, before walking off.
"I have a wife to protect!" said Senior in annoyance.
"Maybe you should go with her," said Miwa, worriedly. Senior merely turned to look over his shoulder.
"Baragon, accompany the lieutenant," said Senior. Miwa sent him a deadpanned look.
"Huh? Oh fine," said Baragon in dismay, picking up his rifle.
"Yasu, on me," ordered Aiko, walking by.
"Yes, ma'am," said Battra, walking after his commanding officer.
"Riku, wait up. Come on, kid," said Koizumi, motioning to Inoue. The young woman followed after.
The small squad began to venture away from the rest of the platoon. It was possibly a bad idea to venture out to unknown territory in such a small group, while there were unknown creatures lurking around. But, this thing could've been big. They needed to know where and what it was and to assess the situation before moving on. They passed on over to a more darker portion of the forest, where the sky seemed to have grayed over.
There was the sudden sound of heavy foot steps. Everyone froze in place.
"We got something big coming," said Koizumi.
"Cool it," said Aiko, narrowing her eyes.
"Lieutenant..." Inoue anxiously called. The foot steps quickened in pace, heading for their direction. Battra hardened his eyes as he kept a firm grip on his rifle. Aiko did the same.
"Get ready..." said Aiko.
From the rustling bushes, a familiar large reptilian quadruped burst out. Everyone recoiled at the sight. Everyone, excluding Aiko, aimed their weapons. Aiko's eyes widened as she stared into the creature's eyes.
"A-Angirasu?" called Aiko, in shock. The creature responded with wide eyes and a confused grunt. That was all that she needed to confirm it. If this was just some random reptile, it would have likely just mauled her on the spot.
"Wait, we found your kid?" asked Koizumi incredulously, lowering his weapon. The rest did as well, shocked and confused. Aiko and Angirasu stared at each other in silence for mere moments. Aiko met him with a soft and warm smile. Angirasu furrowed his brows. He suddenly turned and began to walk off, much to Aiko's shock.
"Wha- Hey!" called Aiko. Angirasu continued on, his tail swaying. Aiko ran passed the bushes with an annoyed look.
"Angirasu Riku, you get back here this instant! I mean it, young man!" shouted Aiko. Angirasu merely gave a disgruntled grunt as he continued on his path.
"Jesus! It's been two weeks, and the first thing you do is nag your son?" asked Koizumi with a cocked brow.
"Shut up! Come on!" said Aiko as she ran after the mutant. The rest of the squad followed in suite. Eventually, they found the mutant arriving with the rest of the teens that they were searching for.
"Holy shit, we found them!" exclaimed Koizumi.
"Mosura!" cried Battra. Mosura gasped as she found her brother. She quickly ran over and wrapped him into a tight hug. She let out a quiet sob as she buried her face against his shoulder. Battra softly smiled as he patted his younger sister's back.
"I missed you, sis," said Battra, tearing up a bit.
"H-How did you guys get here?!" asked Pinkie with a sniffle.
"Long story. We can tell it to you as soon as we get you back with the rest of the platoon. Then we can go home," said Inoue with a reassuring smile.
"Wait a minute," said Baragon, eyeing the teens. "Where's Junior?"
The teens were all silent. They appeared saddened as they heard the name. Aiko noticed Angirasu lower his head, groaning solemnly.
"Oh no," said Inoue, her expression turning to dread.
Meanwhile, from the tree top, a scaly avian was perched on a bald tree. One of its eyes glowed green as it watched the group below.
The bird's glowing eye was the result of magic. This spell was by none other than Sigyn, who remained just a couple of short miles away from the area. She held up a Crystal ball as she had sight of the whole scene.
"I'm impressed that this Endurous was able to go toe to toe with Lucky Dragon," said Kenra.
"Have you been watching?" asked Sigyn. A frustrated grunt came from the crystal ball.
"Damn it! Not only did that fool lose him, we potentially have a new foe!" spat Malicia, her voice echoing from the Crystal Ball.
"They're strong too. They held their own against the Mother Longlegs," said Kenra.
"Yes, but they had demi-Titans among them as well. That along with their advanced weaponry makes them a threat. They could even attract the Sacramentonians. It'd be troublesome if they were to form an alliance," said Malicia with an annoyed sigh.
"What do you want us to do?" asked Sigyn.
"Watch them for now. And be on the lookout for Endurous. That fool better have found the boy by now," said Malicia.
Meanwhile, just in the Dogomite Citadel, Malicia sighed as her crystal ball died down. She stood up and began to rub her brows, taking a breath.
"Inconveniences becoming troublesome. Troublesome becoming disastrous," said Malicia, growling in frustration. As if she didn't have enough to worry about.
"Try not to worry too much, your majesty. It degrades your beauty," said a male voice from the shadows. Malicia turned, finding a figure to be approaching.
"Don't see them as a threat." The figure emerged. He was an older man, holding a strong resemblance to the late Director of MONARCH. Onyx. However, this Onyx had long pointed ears, and piercing red eyes that gave off a malevolent aura.
The air was dry and hot. The sun hung high above, beaming down its merciless rays down upon the remaining Purists: Scar, Alexandra, Stinger, Dreadnought and Adrian.
The group continued on through the dangerous jungle. They had spent their entire journey, moving through the intense heat with no water to drink and no time to rest. They dreaded stopping, should some other prehistoric beast that could be lurking in these jungles swoop in and eat them alive.
"Ah hell," said Adrian. The group soon reached a clearing of the jungle. It suddenly just ended but beyond the green grassy and tree filled region, laid a grey sandy desolate wasteland. A road covered in hoof prints and wheel tracks lied in the wasteland. The wind howled as it blew the sand. It was like a bizarre border that they stood at, marked off by only the hot dead sand stones that lied beyond this luscious jungle.
"We're fucked," said Alexandra.
"We could always go back to the jungle. There could be a river running that we can-" Dreadnought was interrupted by a scoff.
"You wanna go back? Yeah, I rather not get eaten by dinosaurs!" said Alexandra.
"At least there's stuff to kill for food! There might not be anything out here for miles!" said Dreadnought, pointing to the wasteland.
"You're voices are aggravating," said Stinger in annoyance, Dreadnought and Alexandra turned to glare at him.
"Hey!" shouted Alexandra.
"And I thought you were annoying when you were quiet!" growled Dreadnought. He shoved Stinger.
"You lookin' for a fight, tough guy?" asked Dreadnought.
"You'll lose," said Stinger with a smirk. Dreadnought chuckled as his brow twitched in annoyance.
The two suddenly grabbed each other by the collar and raised their fists.
"ENOUGH!" shouted Scar. Everyone turned their attention to the older man.
"Keep it to-fucking-gether, alright?! We can't afford to fight amongst ourselves here!" said Scar. Adrian sighed in relief. She was glad that someone was around still rational to keep things in order.
"Now, we know where we've been. But we don't know what's beyond. I suggest we go back, find water and food, and set up a shelter. We shouldn't expect help anytime soon," said Scar.
"Fuck, so we're gonna die out here?" asked Alexandra.
"Halt!" an authoritative voice shouted. The group turned with a start. They found themselves surrounded by a few armored men. Their armor was a dark color, with jagged shoulder pieces and narrow slits on their helmets that exposed their eyes. They were armed with steel swords that reflected the sunlight.
"Did we just walk in on LARPERS?" asked Alexandra.
"Shut up!" hissed Adrian.
"By order of her majesty, you are under arrest for trespassing on Dogomite territory!" said one of the soldiers.
"Trespassing?" asked Scar in confusion.
"Her majesty?" asked Dreadnought.
"Haha. Very funny guys. Look, we're just gonna on our way. We want nothing to do with your uh... weird kinky session," said Alexandra, eyeing the men. She was about to walk off, but noticed a soldier in her path, drawing out his own sword. Alexandra stumbled back with a nervous laugh.
"Guys, come on. We don't have to-" Alexandra fell silent as a guard drew out shackles. The woman went pale.
"I can't go back to jail!" exclaimed Alexandra.
"Fuck this!" Dreadnought suddenly raised his prosthetic arm, as it switched to its gun mode. He fired at the first soldier that came up to him. The soldier was blown off his feet and laid on the ground, bleeding as his breast plate bore a deep indent and a hole. The Purists suddenly all aimed their weapons at the soldiers and fired off at them. The soldiers were shot down by the Purists' superior weaponry. Lead bullets piercing through their full body armor.
"Let's get moving!" said Scar. As he was about to lead on, a dark spark crashed down into his back, knocking him down to the ground.
"What the-" Dreadnought turned, but was met with a similar spark from the air. The remaining Purists looked up to find similar soldiers high in the air, riding on the backs of pasty pterodactyls. The creatures shrieked, while the soldiers' hands began to glow an eerie dark glow. They were struck down by the dark magic that they cast from their palms. The Purists lied on the ground in pain, as the flying reptiles descended over them. They were suddenly snatched up by their talons and carried off to the desolate land.
It was the late afternoon. The sky was turning a shade of orange, as the sun was beginning to set to set. Aria, Fluttershy and Sonata were sitting around in the Iwi village in silence. They bore looks of worry as they sat around by a hut in silence.
"Maybe we should've gone with them after all," said Sonata. Aria nodded in agreement.
"Yeah. I didn't realize they'd be gone for this long," said Aria. She suddenly took notice of a couple of Iwi sprinting by. Fluttershy sighed, worried for the wellbeing of her friends. She too regretted not joining. But then, the girls looked around in confusion, finding that more and more Iwi were running by.
"Hey, what's going on?" asked Aria in confusion.
"The Guardians have returned!" said a teenage Iwi, pointing to the gates of the wall. The girls' expressions suddenly lit up. The three scrambled to their feet and followed the crowd. As they reached the gates, they found that the gate opened, revealing Angirasu in his beast form, moving into the village. They were followed by the rest of the Main 7.
"Girls!" cried Fluttershy rushing to her friends. The Main 7 suddenly embraced each other in a tight warm hug. Fluttershy sniffled as she held them tightly, not wanting to let go lest she lose them again.
"I was so worried!" cried Fluttershy.
"Glad to see you, Flutters," said Rainbow, her tone sad, contrasting her smile. Fluttershy gasped in alarm as she found Mosura and Rodan were carrying Dwan and Adagio into the village.
"Adagio!" cried Sonata and Aria in unison. They rushed to their sister in a panic.
"Help us get them to the healer! Something's wrong!" said Mosura.
"Oh God, not again!" whimpered Sonata, as the sisters helped the mutants carry the unconscious girls away. Fluttershy stared with a grimace. But then, she noticed the roar of engines. She recoiled as tan Humvees rolled in, followed by transport trucks. The Iwi scrambled back in shock at these seeming metallic beasts that were brought in. Ann stared wide eyed, while Kong hardened his expression. The vehicles parked, allowing the MONARCH soldiers to hop out. From the Humvees, familiar faces emerged.
"Mother!" cried Fluttershy, seeing Posey exit one of the Humvees. Her mother quickly bolted from the vehicle and embraced her daughter into a tight, warm hug. She was sobbing joyfully as she caressed Fluttershy's rose hair covered head. The girl lightly wept, nuzzling her mother's shoulder. The woman she feared that she'd never see again was actually here with her. As Fluttershy pulled away, she gasped as a grin appeared on her face.
"Goji!" cried Fluttershy, running up and embracing the large figure.
"Uh... Flutters. That's not..." Rainbow weakly smiled. Fluttershy looked up and found that she was actually hugging Gojira Senior. The man had an awkward look on his face. The girl's face became beat red.
"M-Mr. Takeshi! I'm so sorry!" exclaimed Fluttershy, stumbling back. She noticed that Miwa was next to him, a small amused look on her face. It was here that Fluttershy realized something.
"Wait... Where's..." Fluttershy felt a hand on her shoulder. She found her mother looking at her sadly. The girl felt her heart sink as she noticed the solemn looks of the Takeshi family, minus one.
"No..." Fluttershy whimpered.
Later, the platoon of soldiers had set up camp within the walls of the village. However, they were away from where the natives' huts stood. They were gathered around tents that they had set up some moments ago. The Iwi eyed these strangers from the distance, filled with a sense of wariness.
Fluttershy found herself at the healers tent, helping Sonata, Mosura and Aria carry Adagio and Dwan over to a large tub, filled with hot water. The Healer was pouring crushed powdered herbs into the steaming hot water. She took a long and large stick and began to stir the water around, turning it into a murky green shade. The girls began to carefully set Adagio and Dwan into the water. The two stared dead eyed, shuddering as the water began to soak into their skin. Their naked bodies remained submerged, while the Healer scooped up the water and washed it over their heads.
"So, this is gonna work?" asked Aria, hopeful. The Healer merely nodded.
"You said a tree did this to them?" asked Fluttershy.
"Yeah. It was moving. When we pulled them out of there, they were coated in this sticky sap," said Mosura. She was then handed a small bowl, filled with a similar liquid. She glanced at the Healer, who had a stoic look on her face.
"I'm good," said Mosura with a grimace. She was pretty sure that this woman had just scooped up the bath water.
"You probably should drink it," said Ann, walking into the camp. The girls looked her way.
"After all, you touched them when they were covered in the sap, right? That stuff will make you start seeing some stuff," said Ann. Mosura grimaced as she eyed the bowl. She quickly took the bowl and gulped it down. She gagged in disgust and began to cough. The Healer bore a satisfied look, before scooping up more water.
"Don't tell anyone I did that," pleaded Mosura.
"Good thing Adagio's not exactly responsive right now," said Aria, eyeing her sister. Though she immediately regretted that thought. After all, she couldn't stand what she's been through in this world. How she hoped they'll get home soon.
"You may want to give some to Rodan. He touched them too, right?" asked Ann. Mosura sighed.
"I'm sure he wouldn't be against the idea of drinking a girl's bathwater," deadpanned Mosura, taking the bowl before leaving the tent.
"Ugh..." Adagio suddenly groaned.
"Sis!" exclaimed Aria, turning to her sister. She noticed that Adagio seemed to be coming around. Her eyes lazily looked around, and her breathing was less labored.
"Tree... Alone..." Adagio muttered.
"You're OK, sis. You're back at the Iwi village," said Aria with a reassuring smile. Adagio lazily looked over, finding Dwan slumped over still unresponsive.
"Huh. This is surprisingly kinda hot," muttered Adagio.
"Same ol' Dagi," said Sonata, a small smile on her face.
Fluttershy had left the Healer's tent. She frowned as she walked off, finding the rest of the Main 7 to be sitting around a fire. Fluttershy sighed as she took a seat.
"I can't believe that we're one step at returning home. It feels unreal," said Rarity.
"Yeah, but we lost Goji," said Pinkie, sadly.
"What now?" asked Rarity. Rainbow scoffed.
"We go out and look for him!"
"But he..." Pinkie whimpered.
"No, I agree. I don't believe he's gone. Until I see a body, I won't give up," said Sunset.
"Amen, Sunny. We gotta find him. He did the same for us," said Applejack. The girls gave verbal agreements. Twilight solemn expression began to light up into a determined one.
"You're absolutely right!" said Twilight, standing up.
"Maybe... Maybe we can ask the Sacramentonians for help. After all, thanks to Dash and AJ, we're friends to them. They might help. And we were near their country when we separated. So he could've been seen!" said Twilight. Fluttershy smiled as she found her friends determined to find Junior. The fact that they were willing to put off returning home to find the boy told her that he was blessed to have loving friends.
Meanwhile, Angirasu stood in silence alone. He looked upon the village and the neighboring camp site of the soldiers. He let out a heavy sigh, as he saw Aiko giving out orders to the lower ranking members of the platoon.
"You seem more troubled than I am," said Kong, approaching the boy. He stood at his side, gazing at the two camps.
"I can't help it," said Angirasu.
"Should I be concerned?" asked Kong.
"Not over these guys. They just came here for my friends and... Me," said Angirasu.
"I was hoping to leave that world behind me. But it came here. To bring me back," said Angirasu, his brows furrowing.
"And I just heard from Mosura's brother that some Purists came here from our world. I hate to think what kind of damage they'd do, if they were to survive out here," said Angirasu clenching his fists.
"The one place where mutants... 'Demi-Titans', like us can belong could be ruined," said Angirasu.
"I don't believe that's possible," said Kong.
"You don't think so? Right now, they could be trying to spread their nonsense philosophy of our kind being dangerous monsters that need to be suppressed, if not destroyed. MONARCH's presence doesn't help since they enforce it," said Angirasu bitterly. Kong hummed.
"I still don't think it's possible. The world honors the demi-Titan, no matter where you go. They represent to some as the embodiment of man and the forces of nature unified. They're heroes, villains, gods, or demons. The views of our kind are not limited to one idea. Even if these Purists were to insert their views, they'd just be one of many interpretations," said Kong. He then looked to the village.
"But, the presence of strangers may already be causing disruption," said Kong, pointing ahead. Angirasu looked and found that there was a group of Iwi together, some armed with spears.
"The Iwi are a perceptive people. Your stories about this 'MONARCH' are known to them now. And them being able to catch onto your woes of them has them worried as well," said Kong.
"Why?" asked Angirasu.
"Because they too know what it's like to be oppressed," said Kong.
"They were..." Angirasu looked at the man in confusion.
Meanwhile, just in the village, Battra was sitting next to Mosura and Rodan. The three were in the process of eating during this.
"You would not believe the stuff we've seen. Dinosaurs and weird animals everywhere you look. And I think it's just the tip of the iceberg," said Mosura.
"You got that right. We actually ran into three massive spiders with long spindly legs," said Battra.
"Shut up," said Mosura, wide eyed.
"Dead serious. They towered over the trees. They had claws and had an orifice that could swallow someone whole," said. Battra, emphasizing the size of the horrible arachnids he witnessed. Mosura held her shoulders with a shudder.
"Oh God, I'm just getting goosebumps thinking about it," said Mosura.
"Hey, Yasu," called Nakada, followed by Ford, and Inoue.
"The Lieutenant wants us to turn in early for tonight," said Nakada.
"But-" Mosura spoke up, but Battra patted her shoulder.
"I'm just going to the camp next door. Don't worry. We'll talk later," said Battra, before standing up.
"Hey!" called a voice. Everyone turned to find a small group of Iwi teenagers to be standing nearby. They had disdainful looks as they stood.
"Get back to your camp, you foreigners! And leave the Guardians be!" said one of the teenagers.
"Hey, what's with the hostility?" asked Nakada in annoyance.
"Our king may have allowed your tribe to come here, but that doesn't mean we have to like you. Be gone from here!" snapped another Iwi.
"Be careful. They might try to lock you in the 'Vault'," said a another teen, mockingly.
"Wait, what?" asked Inoue in confusion.
"Wait what?" a girl mimicked Inoue mockingly. "I thought these people would be much smarter if they come from a world more advanced than ours. But they're dumber than rocks!"
"At least a rock can serve a purpose," said another teenager. The younger soldiers found themselves berated by the Iwi. They stepped back, feeling a sense of danger from the hostility that the natives showed them.
"Whoa, guys! Chill out! They're not doing anything!" interjected Rodan.
"So this is what's like to be in your shoes," said Ford, glancing at Battra. The young mutant slightly nodded.
"Yep," said Battra, as he and the soldiers backed away from the teens. They quickly began to retreat back to the camp, while Rodan and Mosura watched wide eyed. Mosura deeply frowned.
Angirasu found himself carrying over a basket to the Healer's tent. Unbeknownst to him, he was being tailed by his mother, Aiko. The woman took a breath as she hid behind a hut. She felt anxiety. The woman wondered how she should approach her son.
"Should I just come out and say Hi? Maybe I should give it a little longer before..." said Aiko, biting her thumb. She groaned as she pulled at her hair. She scolded herself from hesitating. After all, she went through hell just to find him. How can she cower now when he was just around the corner? With newfound resolve, Aiko took a breath and made her way to the tent. But as she reached it, she heard idle conversation. She stopped and began to listen in.
"Sonata, we've been over this," said Aria, from within the tent.
"I know, but-" Sonata spoke up. Aiko scowled in annoyance. She hated the sound of this brat's voice. Aiko peeped through the tent, finding Angirasu setting down the basket over with the Healer, while Aria and Sonata stood by him.
"Look, I just wanted to see if you're-" Sonata was interrupted as Angirasu suddenly stepped away.
"Clearly I'm fine," said Angirasu, coldly. Aiko was surprised by this. Something about her son seemed unusual. He's normally not this cold. Especially to Sonata.
"But-"
"Look, don't bother me. I want to be left alone," said Angirasu in annoyance. Sonata scoffed with a look of hurt. Aiko snickered. She honestly found it amusing that the girl was getting the short end of the stick. She realized that she must've been a sadist at heart.
"Nice Aang~. Can you bring me some water, please? It's getting a bit toasty in here," said Dwan from the tub with a whine.
"Sure," said Angirasu, nonchalant.
"Hey! You said that you didn't want to be bothered! Did that slut court you?!" demanded Sonata.
"Sonata!" hissed Aria with a glare. Aiko snorted.
'Ah. She's just jealous that he's being nicer to the other girl,' thought Aiko. Though it was a surprise to see how the boy has suddenly changed. But then again, it has been 2 weeks. She wondered what else was different about him. She gasped as she noticed Angirasu making his way over to exit the tent. Aiko stepped away and quickly retreated into the shadows, finding her son walking out. He merely continued on in silence. The woman couldn't help but feel some worry in the back of her mind. Moments later, she noticed Angirasu beginning to return, with a pot of water. She hid again, as Angirasu returned inside of the tent.
"Ugh. How am I gonna get him to be alone?" Aiko muttered to herself, scratching her head in frustration.
Meanwhile, in the tent.
"I hope you two are getting along," said Angirasu as he began to pour water into a small bowl, before handing it to Dwan. The girl reached out, as her bare chest was obscured by the green water.
"Come here, hero! I need to give you a reward for saving me from that tree monster~!" said Dwan. She giggled as water droplets trailed down her skin.
"Dwan, come on. You're in the bath," said Angirasu in dismay.
"You're adorable when you act modest," said Dwan with a smirk. She then leaned back in the tub with a seductive look.
"Hey, you wanna join us? The water feels great," said Dwan. Sonata grunted as her eyes widened.
"No, there's only room for two," said Angirasu.
'Wait, so he'd bathe with them if there were room for 3?!' thought Sonata, grinding her teeth. Aria nervously scooted away from her.
"Hey, whether it's in the bath or shower, the invitation stands," said Dwan teasingly. Adagio scoffed.
"Leave him alone. He's not that kind of guy," deadpanned Adagio.
"Nonsense. Most nice guys are actually quite naughty in the right conditions~," said Dwan.
"Then why do you call him 'Nice Aang'?" deadpanned Adagio.
"Because, don't worry about it! That's why!" said Dwan in annoyance.
"Hey! Hey! No fighting you two. Either way, you're stuck together," said Angirasu.
"You have a point," sighed Adagio.
"Good. I have something I need to take care of. I'll be back later to check on you," said Angirasu as he was about to step away.
"Wait, Aang!" called Adagio. The boy looked her way with a raised brow. She lightly grimaced, finding that Sonata sat in the corner with Aria, appearing sad.
"Can we talk about Sonata later?" whispered Adagio.
"No," said Angirasu in a blunt manner. Adagio winced. Just as the boy turned to leave, she reached out and grabbed his hand. The Dazzling blushed momentarily, realizing how soft his hand was. Unlike Junior, whose hand was rougher. But the girl went pale as she realized the boy was glaring at her, a stern look in his eyes. Adagio quickly released him with a titter. She took a breath, mustering her courage as Angirasu kept his glare on her.
"L-Listen... Don't hold it against Sonata. If it wasn't for me, she wouldn't have done what she did. If you want to blame and hate someone, then let it be me," said Adagio, softly. Angirasu was silent for a moment. The boy felt like saying something, but he didn't know what. He instead brushed it off. He then merely turned and walked out of the tent. But as he moved the cover, he found Aiko recoiling.
"What are..." Angirasu took a couple steps back, surprised. Aiko weakly smiled.
"H-Hey. I was looking for you," said Aiko. Angirasu glanced away. He then walked passed her, leaving the tent. The woman felt a light pain in her chest. She cleared her throat as she stepped into the tent, getting a better look at Adagio and the new girl.
"Oh. Here I thought you of all people wouldn't have survived. Too bad," said Aiko. Adagio scowled in response. Dwan looked to Aiko curiously and then thought back to Angirasu. A grin suddenly appeared on her face.
"Oh my God, are you Angirasu's mother?!" exclaimed Dwan. Aiko was taken aback by the sudden outburst.
"Y-Yeah?" answered Aiko.
"Wow! He looks just like you! His hair is kinda cute, but you look really cool!" said Dwan.
"O-Oh?" Aiko lightly blushed. Very few have ever complimented her hair. Something she's always been insecure about ever since she was a child.
"I gotta say, Angirasu's a really sweet guy! I mean, he's so gentle and has shown off a lot of courage in the face of danger. Looking at you, I can tell that it's thanks to your genes in particular," said Dwan.
"W-Well... Thanks..." said Aiko in surprise. She wasn't expecting this sudden interaction. The woman didn't know who this girl was, but she seemed rather sweet.
Adagio on the other hand was utterly confused. She just stared at Dwan, who was gushing rather modestly and innocently. This was suspicious.
"Hey, is your son good with pets, Mrs. Riku?" asked Dwan. Adagio's eyes widened. Aiko bore an odd look. A rather unusual question to ask.
"Don't ask," said Adagio, her voice carrying a warning tone. Aiko ignored her.
"Why do you ask?" asked Aiko. Dwan looked at her with the most sincere smile that Aiko has ever seen.
"Because I want him to play with my pussy!" said Dwan. Aiko went slack jawed, while Adagio face palmed. Sonata cupped her mouth in horror, while Aria cringed. Dwan still kept a straight face, staring straight into Aiko's eyes. Aiko felt like her mind just shorted out like a computer processor. Dwan was so straight faced, blunt, and seemingly sweet that she couldn't formulate a proper response.
"W-Why are you in the tub?" asked Aiko, hoping to change the subject.
"Oh. Some weird old lunatic tossed us into a man eating tree! Honestly, it was like that movie that I was in, only less lewd," said Dwan with a grimace.
"That... Is the strangest explanation I've heard for anything," said Aiko. She then did a double take.
"Wait, you were in a movie?" asked Aiko in surprise.
"It sucked," said Sonata flatly. Dwan sighed in dismay.
"I... I think I'm gonna go. It's getting late," said Aiko, walking off.
"Mrs. Riku, I think you should know something about that guy she's talking about," said Adagio. Aiko looked back with a disinterested look.
"I think he was the guy that you mentioned was responsible for 'Oni Night'," said Adagio. Aiko brows slightly raised. She then scoffed as she turned away.
"You're just trying to get attention. Don't waste my time," said Aiko.
"He was using some weird kind of gas! It made the tree go crazy! He had this crazy look in his blood shot eyes and laughed like a lunatic! I really think it was him!" said Adagio, almost frantic.
"I'm leaving," said Aiko, storming out of the tent. As she stood outside, the woman glanced over her shoulder. What the girl had said was stuck in her mind. She recalled the horrible maniacal laugh from all of those years ago. And those horrific eyes of his.
Aiko noticed that there was a faint rumble of thunder in the air. Aiko looked up, finding that the sky was beginning to darken as clouds began to cover the sky.
Junior's eyes shot wide open. His vision blurred. He heard the sound of crickets in the air and the cry of nocturnal birds. The teen sluggishly got up as cold water washed against him. Junior hissed as his body ached. He looked around as his vision began to clear. It was evening. Junior found himself in an unfamiliar part of the jungle. Though at this point, anything jungle related was unfamiliar to him. The teen looked around, finding himself drenched and his chest and belly covered in mud. He had awakened upon a shore near a calm river that flowed off somewhere.
Junior hissed in pain as he felt a great pain in his back. As he reached for it, he felt a deep gash. He looked to his fingers and found it stained with blood. His memory was starting to come back to him. He remembered how he ended up here. Junior sluggishly stood as he held his back, which barely regenerated. Junior wasn't sure why it was taking this long and hoped it'd seal up soon. This wound was likely bleeding him of too much blood.
"Damn it." Junior staggered away from the river in pain. He found his vision adjusting to the dense and dark forest ahead of him. He looked around one last time, taking in his surroundings. He couldn't find where the water fall that dropped him was. In fact, he couldn't hear any falls, just the calm flow of the river. He began to worry how far he was from the others.
Junior flinched as he heard the shrill cry of an unknown beast. He didn't recognize it, but knew that it may have been better not to cross paths with it. Junior began to walk through the forest, cupping his wound as he remained alert. It was getting cold. He was soaked and was walking in a dark cold forest in the middle of the night. If none of the animals do him in, then the elements might. Junior wasn't confident in his own body heat, considering the circumstances and how weak he felt.
There was the loud roar of thunder in the air. The boy looked up, finding that droplets of water were beginning to fall from the sky. The droplets grew more numerous. In just moments, there was a downpour of rain.
"Shit!" Junior began to search his surroundings. He proceeded to gather wood that was scattered in the area. Once gathered, he began to carry them.
"Gotta find somewhere dry." Junior began to walk. He grunted as he tripped, dropping to his knees. His body ached from the fight as well as the chill in the air. He continued to walk aimlessly in the dark jungle. He found that eyes were staring at him, seemingly glowing in the night. Shadowy creatures scurried along the area, as their eyes stared. Junior panted as he began to pick up his pace
The boy didn't know what kinds of creatures were lurking at this very night. But he didn't want to find out. He ran through the forest, brushing passed bushes and tall grass that reached to his knees. His boots splashed into the now muddy ground.
Junior grunted as he tripped over a root sticking out from a nearby tree, dropping all of the sticks to the ground. He groaned as he painfully raised himself, covered in scratches and dirt. He gathered back up the sticks, as lightning shot and lit up the area.
It seemed that this night was getting worse. Even if he survived the night, he doubted he'd last long given the cold. Before Junior could fall into despair, a glimmer of hope appeared. He found a dark cave to be sitting just in his path. The flash of lightning made it clear to his sight. Junior began to stand and limped his way over to the cave.
Junior entered the cave, finding it to be dry compared to the wet jungle. The teen looked back to the storm, as rain fell harder, completely obscuring his sight.
"Guess I'm on my own now," said Junior to himself. He took a seat, allowing the water to drip from his body. The boy sent the sticks down to the ground. He took two other sticks and began to rub them together. Junior spent the next several minutes doing this, while his skin began to sprout goose bumps.
"Come on. Come on...." Junior began to grow frustrated as he continued to rub the sticks together.
"Fuck!" Junior threw the sticks aside. The wood he had was too wet to work with. The rain over this tropical jungle has really screwed him over. Junior shivered as he got up, huddling himself for warmth. Rarely did he get cold like this. It must've been due to being drenched. He stared silently, his mind wandering back to the river.
Junior couldn't believe his situation. He spent days trying to search for the rest of the girls. And when they've finally reunited, some nutjob attacks them. No, he attacked him.
The teen couldn't fathom why this guy was after him. He never saw him nor has he ever done anything in this world to warrant his attack. Yet he was looking for him. He said so himself that there was a price on his head. But Junior wondered why.
Whatever the case, it put the girls in danger. Junior had put his friends in danger. Because of him, they were hurt and almost killed. There was like a cloud of bad luck surrounding the boy. He sometimes felt that way throughout his life. Only now, it seemed more apparent that wherever he went, nothing but trouble followed. Junior sat in silence, burying his head into his knees.
Junior winced as he lied on the ground of the cave. He was completely naked, with his clothes resting just right next to him. Junior looked out to the entrance of the cave, finding that it was a clear early morning. He actually survived the night.
The boy raised himself up, feeling soreness around his body. He felt his back, feeling a light patch of soft tissue to be over where the gash once was. He was healing slowly, but surely. He guessed that his body was just having a slow recovery period because of his fight.
The boy sighed as he stood up, picking his clothes up. He frowned, still finding them to be a bit damp. Of course they weren't dry. The boy began to slip on the pants. At the very least, he didn't want his junk exposed for whatever creature lurked out here.
Junior spent the morning, treading through the cold and wet ground of the jungle. He jumped as he heard the sound of crying animals in the air.
"Get it together, Junior. You've only been alone for a day, and you're jumping like a scared cat." Junior scolded himself. He then heard the sound of heavy footsteps approaching. Junior turned to find a pack of large creatures to be running by, stopping near the trees. Junior's eyes widened at their appearance.
The creatures looked almost like dinosaurs, but they bore a slim and almost bony appearance. They stood on two legs, with long arms that almost reached the ground, and stood around six feet in height. Their backs and necks were covered in dark quill-like hairs. Their sunken eyes darted, as they salivated on the ground, snarling. Some of them rest their long arms to the ground, showing off their ability of switching to quadrupedal stance and theropod-like stance. A couple of these dark scaled reptiles were missing a limb. Their body structure was certainly adapted to their wounded states.
One of the reptiles shrieked as it spotted Junior, which drew the attention of the rest of the beasts.
"Goddamit!" Junior suddenly bolted in the opposite direction. The creatures gave chase, racing through the jungle. If Junior were a normal human, he was sure that these things would catch up to him. He may not have been the fastest runner, but his endurance and above average speed allowed him to put some distance between himself and these monsters. Junior yelped as he heard the shriek of a beast behind him, snapping its jaws at him.
"Fuck! Fuck me! Fuck me! Fuck me!" cried Junior. He hopped over a log and continued running. The beasts scampered after him, moving passed obstacles with ease.
"Ah Jesus! Sweet Jesus, Yahweh, Odin, Allah, Zeus, Sheeva, Ra, and every other deity that I don't believe in! But I'll become a believer if one of you save my ass!!" cried Junior. He yelped as he stumbled and tripped. He gasped as he scrambled back, finding that the horrible creatures were about to lunge for him.
"Ugh! I never was one to wait on salvation! Fuck it! I'm going down swinging!" said Junior, standing up. He stood up, giving a loud, primal cry. The creatures suddenly skidded to a halt. They stared wide eyed, as the boy roared in defiance. Junior stopped, finding them beginning to step back.
"Heh. What's wrong, pussys? You scared?" taunted Junior. He suddenly felt the earth around him rumble. The earth between him and the beasts began to rise, as a huge mass began to emerge. Junior fell back onto his rear, wide eyed. The reptiles stepped back, crouching close to the ground as something much larger appeared.
Before them, a massive crab rose out of the earth, coated in stone and mud. Its black eyes stood on thick sticks, which poked out of its protective shell. It snapped its large claws, which sounded like loud pops. Its long powerful legs carried it out of the earth. The arthropod stood to be over 10 feet in height.
"So am I worshiping Poseidon?" Junior tittered. The reptiles scurried off in a panic, immediately forgetting their hunger. But, the crab chased after them, its large legs carrying it over the earth. It snapped its claws at one of the creatures, dragging it along the earth. The beast shrieked as it thrashed, getting crushed. The claws caused it to bleed from the serrated teeth over the claws. Milky white blood stained its carapace.
Junior yelped as the earth around him moved again. But instead of another massive crab monster, a few smaller similar crabs rose out. They were about the size of a human head, but carried large eyes on their bodies. They also bore softer looking shells. Junior gasped as they scurried passed him, making their way to the larger crab, which began to tear apart the reptile it had caught. It dropped the pieces of the now dead animal to the ground, staining the earth with its milky white blood. Junior stared as the crab stood and watched as the smaller ones gathered, picking at the flesh of the kill. They began to bring it to their 'mouths' and proceeded to feed.
The adult crab suddenly turned its attention towards Junior. The boy stiffened at the dead gaze of its beady black eyes. He suddenly scampered up to his feet and bolted from the area. The crab ignored him and returned its attention to its babies, as they fed.
Junior slowed down his pace some time later. He was walking more calmly through the jungle. He couldn't believe just how close he was to dying. Sure, he could've transformed, but that usually happened in certain circumstances. He didn't necessarily have control over it. Not to mention, Junior knew that those things would've eaten him before he could change. He dodged a bullet when that crab showed up. Who knows what else was out here. And here Junior was, alone and lost.
However, hope filled Junior as he saw that there was a clearing just beyond some trees. Junior jogged over to the light. Once he reached it, he stopped with a sigh of relief. Ahead, he saw that there was a village, fortified by protective wooden walls. It was rather large too, out in the middle of an open field.
Junior made his way away from the forest, making his way to the dirt road of the village. As he walked, he found that the gates were wide open. Junior found a couple of armored men to be standing by the gates. They looked Sacramentonian. The men approached, taking notice of the boy.
"Who goes there?" questioned one of the guards.
"Just a lost traveler. I just need somewhere to stay to collect myself. I'll be on my way as soon as I can," said Junior. The guards looked the boy over. He was covered from head to toe in dirt and sweat. His shirt was missing, and his pants were damp.
"If it's a place to stay that you need, then you came to the right place. There's an Inn that might be able to help you. Just head on down this road to the 'Sleepy Crab'," said one of the guards, pointing into town.
'Not the best name I've heard, but OK,' thought Junior.
"Thanks," said Junior, walking into town.
Later, he found himself walking in the hall of the Inn he was pointed to. A man led him along the way.
"You'll be sharing a room with two other guests. Since you don't have money, I'd like for you to help around for the day," said the man.
"Sure," said Junior with a nod. He soon found himself led to a room. The door was opened, where an old man with wild grayish blue hair lunged about. With him was a boy, who looked to be no older than 14, with brown curly short hair. The two took notice of Junior and the Inn keeper.
"Gentlemen. I hate to bother you, but we have a new guest who will be sharing this room with you for a while," said the Inn keeper.
"Ugh. Are you- Serious?" the old man belched in mid-sentence. Junior grimaced.
"On second thought, maybe I can figure something else out. I don't want to be a bother," said Junior.
"Hey, it's cool! Drick, come on!" said the boy, looking to the older man in disapproval. 'Drick', sighed in annoyance.
"Whatever. But if you're gonna wack off, do it when no one’s around. I-I don't wanna hear you in the middle of the night beating your- Meat!" Drick stuttered from his hiccups.
"I... Wouldn't dream of it," said Junior. He was starting to regret coming here.
"Well, you get comfortable. I'll be back to bring you a new pair of clothes," said the man, before leaving. Drick scoffed.
"Guy's a real knob, am I right?" asked Drick with a chuckle.
"I-I don't..." Junior looked away.
"Hey, relax roomie. This is an adjustment for all of us," said Drick, casually.
"What's your name?" asked the boy.
"Gojira. Gojira Takeshi," said Junior.
"Hey, Gojira. I'm Worty. This is my grandpa, Drick," said the boy, gesturing to the old man.
"Sup," said Drick, casually.
"Pleasure to meet you," said Junior, relaxing a bit.
The day went by fast. In a fresh change of clothes, Junior took to helping around at the Inn. He moved around supplies, made deliveries, and other tasks that the Inn Keeper could find to have him do. The village itself was rather peaceful. Although Junior received stares from the citizens, he didn't mind. They were more curious about him rather than threatened.
It was now evening. Junior sighed as he collapsed into the bed in the room he was sharing. He turned on his back, just as Drick and Worty suddenly walked into the room.
"Worty, I told you! Never look them in the eye!" said Drick in annoyance.
"Well how was I supposed to know?! The last time you told me to look them in the eye!" said Worty, defensive.
"That was a sub species, Worty! The stripped ones get scared and cower when a higher mammal makes direct eye contact! The spotted ones get aggressive and attack anything that makes eye contact!" said Drick.
"But you never-" Worty glared at his grandfather.
"Just stop whining! I had to put up with it all day!" said Drick in exasperation. Junior sighed as he lied in bed, scowling. He did not want this to end his day this way.
"Oh, hey. You look like you had a long day," said Worty, turning his attention to Junior.
"Not as long as yours, I'm sure," said Junior. Drick closed the door, before drawing out a flask.
"You want a drink to end the working day?" asked Drick.
"I'm not of age," said Junior, cocking a brow. Drick and Worty sent each other a look.
"I thought you weren't from around here," said Drick, a suspicious look on his face.
"Yeah," said Worty with a nod. Junior grimaced.
"So, what's your story kid? How'd you end in the mess we saw you in earlier?" asked Drick, drinking from his flask.
"Believe it or not... I'm from another world. I somehow ended up here with some friends and now we're trying to get back home," said Junior.
"Huh. Thought so," said Drick, nonchalant.
"Wait, what?!" exclaimed Junior.
"We're from the other world too. Drick was a scientist that invented a teleporter," said Worty.
"Worty, Worty. It was a Dimensional Tide Archway. It sends you anywhere in the world or even off world. I had plans to make a smaller scaled one that you can carry and jump between realities like the archway," said Drick. Junior's eyes widened.
"You invented a device that could send you to other realities?!" asked Junior in shock.
"Fuck yeah! It was the greatest invention ever made! Hell, I sacrificed years of my life to just get a terrestrial one going!" said Drick, waving his flask with a belch.
"The problem is that the fucking Equestrian government tried to keep me on a tight leash. They wanted to use my invention for war! I tell ya, human beings are so short sighted that they couldn't see the big picture with what I was building!" said Drick in an aggravated rant.
"I can't argue with that," said Junior.
"Heh. At least someone gets it," said Drick.
"I get it," said Worty.
"Shut it. I'm not referring to you," said Drick.
"So, how'd you end up here?" asked Junior. He had to keep himself expressing disapproval with the man's harsh treatment of his grandson, though it wasn't exactly his place to say something at this point.
"After the project was shut down after an accident, I decided to finish it up and fine tune it. No way in hell was I gonna let them shut down my life's work. So when I got it working, I left behind the device and blue prints, and brought Worty here on a life time of adventure and discovery," said Drick.
"And how's that going?" asked Junior.
"Well, it could use less whining," said Drick, glancing at Worty. The boy scowled as he crossed his arms.
"But, there's crazy shit that I'd never imagined back at that shitty reality, and there's plenty of booze to go around. So, I guess it's going well. I just wish I had the resources to jump to other realities," said Drick with a sigh.
"Ah." Junior nodded. "Well, at least you seem to be enjoying yourself. This whole time I've been struggling out there with all of those fucking monsters that this world has to offer. I just want to find my friends and head back to our world," said Junior with a scoff. Drick snorted.
"Why would you want to go back to that shit hole?" asked Drick.
"I'm sorry?" asked Junior, cocking a brow.
"You're a mutant aren't ya?" asked Drick, pointing to Junior's reptilian arm, wrapped in cloth. Junior quickly hid it behind himself.
"Relax, kid. No ones' here to judge," said Drick, sipping from his flask.
"Let me break it down for you. As much as I'm not the biggest fan of government, at least the people running Sacramentonia have a better sense of justice than what our world did. I mean, you have them locking up anyone that doesn't want to bend a knee to some bullshit laws that don't make any sense. At least the laws here make some sense. And they don't ride your ass when you try to make something great," scoffed Drick.
"W-Well, yeah. But-"
"And let's not get started on your kind. They use a few extremists that raised hell in Solgell as an excuse to tighten their hold on not just mutants, but everyone in the world. Every government took more control of the populaces they were in charge of after that. And why? Because the few 'extremists' were tired of being pushed around by the Corporations in charge of building up the cities on those islands." Drick took a swig of his booze. Junior grimaced. He didn't necessarily disagree with the old man. After all, he knew that the Revolutionaries had a legit reason to rebel. Though whether he agreed with them or not was up in the air these days. After all, his father was among the slaves during that time. But, that event caused a lot more problems for his kind.
"You know what MONARCH's problem is? They're just a bunch of mindless drones that shoot wherever their pointed. They enforce the same bullshit laws by the guys that run the show. In spite of a large population so scared and angry, with virtually unlimited tanks, guns and bombs, they can't even solve a simple extremist group. They're all a bunch of spineless dumbasses," said Drick.
'Jesus. This guy is more of a pessimist than me,' thought Junior with a grimace.
"You know that Transmutants like you are better off here, right?" asked Drick.
"I... I heard something like that," said Junior.
"It's because the races in Equescidar all have a common theme in all of their cultures. Respect the 'Demi-Titans'. They literally have no prejudice towards Transmutants. At least not the ones we've run into," said Drick.
"That right?" asked Junior.
"Oh yeah. You see, unlike the ones in our old world, they earned respect from these races because they didn't take any bullshit from self-entitled ass-bags. Sometimes you just gotta show up to the pen as the biggest dog. That way, no one fucks with you. I speak from experience. I didn't come this far because I let a bunch of rich fat cats from Harvard or whatever walk over me," said Drick with a chuckle.
While put off by Dricks greater pessimism, Junior couldn't help but reflect. He remembered always acting meek growing up, whether it was with other mutants, or with humans. Sure, he defended himself when someone picked a fight. But Junior never went out of his way to actively challenge those who bullied him because of who he was, or what he was. In the end, Junior just took it. All of those things and what Drick said, may have led to events like the shooting of his school that cost him his left arm.
The moon hung high over the wasteland of the capital city of the Dogomite Empire. The Purists found themselves locked up in a cold dark dungeon. They were crowded in this small cell that they shared.
"Let us out, assholes!!" shouted Alexandra, pulling on the bars, like an enraged ape in a cage. A couple of guards passed by their cell, laughing.
"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that," said one of the guards. Alexandra noticed a few other prisoners from their own cells beginning to laugh as well.
"Shut up," said an annoyed male voice. The Purists perked up from their cell. Across from them, they found an older man to be slumped against the wall of his cell. He tiredly looked their way.
"People are trying to sleep," said the man.
"Hey, you know where we are, buddy?" called Alexandra.
"Lur. Capital city of the Dogomite Empire. You couldn't be in a worse place in Equescidar," said the man.
"Equescidar?" asked Scar.
"Hey, who are you?" asked Adrian.
"I'm called, Callous." The man turned to face the Purists. He was middle aged man, with hard features. He looked cold and rigid as stone. His graying hair hung from his head. His eyes bore eyebags, that helped give this man an almost sad, pathetic appearance.
"Call me Scar," said Scar. The rest of the Purists began to introduce themselves to this stranger.
"So, for what grave offense did you commit that would land you here?" asked Callous.
"Trespassing I guess. All we did was walk into the desert," said Alexandra.
"We didn't even set foot out there. We did kill some soldiers though," said Dreadnought to himself.
"If that is it, then you might find yourselves spared if you make yourselves useful to her," said Callous, disinterested.
"Well, you guys have muties causing trouble? We can take care of them," said Alexandra. Callous raised a brow.
"Muties?" asked Callous.
"You know. Transmutants," said Adrian. Callous just stared in silence.
"Humans that turn into huge animals. You guys have those, right?" asked Dreadnought in confusion. He couldn't fathom how this world wouldn't have mutants. Not with all the stuff they've seen so far.
"You mean, the demi-titans? You kill them for a living?" asked Callous.
"If that's the same kind of freak we're talking about, then yeah," said Alexandra. Callous began to give a hearty laugh of amusement. The Purists looked to each other in an awkward silence.
"You fools." Callous smirked, settling down. The Purists, save for Stinger, bore offended and annoyed looks.
"What was that?" Adrian growled.
"You must be from far away from Equescidar. Most in this land honor their kind. For centuries, they defended every race in the land from monsters and demons that would devour them," said Callous. Adrian scoffed.
"Bullshit. Those things bring nothing but pain! If there's really some that are 'good', then where are the others that use their power to destroy? Tell us about them?" Adrian glared at the older man. Callous griped the bars of his cell, a dark look in his eyes. A grin grew on his face.
"Who do you think is keeping you locked up? Who rules this land?" asked Callous. Adrian felt a knot form in her stomach. The rest of the Purists were filled with disgust and a sense of dread. This had to be nightmare.
"We're at the mercy of one of them?!" exclaimed Alexandra.
"Just what we need. A political mutie," said Adrian. Scar was silent.
"I doubt she has a use for whelps such as yourself. The last thing she needs is a knife to the back," said Callous, returning to the wall of his cell.
"Um... you think I can get someone to vouch for me? I'm actually just a mercenary with allegiance to money. I don't actually share these guys' views. I just... like to blow stuff up," said Dreadnought with a nervous smile. He was met with glares from the rest of the Purists.
"Hey, I told you the moment that you guys stopped paying me, I was out! Unless you can fix that, then don't ask me for shit!" said Dreadnought.
"You son of a-" Adrian growled.
Meanwhile in Malicia's study, the Empress found herself staring at a wall, where a mounted head of a Tyranosaurus was. It was a rather enormous ornament, meaning that this room itself had to be wide enough to compensate it. The room was certainly wide, with very few windows that could allow natural lighting. A fireplace was beneath the mounted head. There was a large desk, and there were shelves filled with old tomes and scrolls. These things dating to many years back. Possibly centuries, as Malicia was told. In the center of the room was a familiar crystal ball that she had been using as of late, when not in the throne room.
"So, that's basically it. They're just a bunch of terrorists dedicated on eliminating mutants. Or, 'Demi-Titans', as your world calls them," said Max with a giggle and wheeze.
"I see. Quite droll, Maximilian," said Malicia, nonchalant.
"That's funny. Because where we're from, there was a movement developing in a nation that called themselves, 'Purists'. They basically wanted to get rid of non 'Earthbound' humans like Sigyn," said Kenra.
"Elves, Valkyries, ogres, Garudas, even anthropomorphic animals were a no-no," said Sigyn, crossing her arms. "This was during the days before Hearth's Warming. Some believe that it was the sole cause of the 'Decade Blood War', which drew in many kingdoms to fight in. But others believed that it was just a symptom of a more... sinister conspiracy," said Sigyn, a dark smile on her face.
"That's a dark name. Your ominous foreshadowing is giving me goosebumps," giggled Max with a twitching eye.
"As much as I am fascinated of tales from your own realms, I must focus on mine. I have more out-worlders on my hands, and a few of them are in the dungeon right now, rotting," said Malicia as she turned to face her enforcers.
"Why not just kill them? It'll be like what our ancestors did in the good ol' days," said Kenra, flashing Sigyn a smirk. The elf smirked back.
"No, I have a better idea," said Malicia, surprising the two women.
"These are the kind of people that are easy to control. Bigots," said Malicia with a sinister smile. She pointed away to the door.
"Bring them to me," said Malicia.
"Your Majesty, I have to advise against this. These people aren't exactly all talk. They killed a few of your men before they were apprehended," interjected Sigyn, warily.
"Fear not. If they were to double cross you, then you have my blessing to kill them," said Malicia.
"Works for me," said Kenra with a shrug. The three began to leave.
"One moment. Sigyn, do you have a report for the newcomers?" asked Malicia. Sigyn stopped before closing one eye. Her open eye began to illuminate. The crystal ball began to glow. Malicia made her way over to it and found an image of the Iwi village, having completely darkened. In the village was a second camp, where large metallic vehicles rested.
"Hmm. We may have to keep an eye on them," said Malicia to herself.
It was dawn. Junior stirred awake from his bed. He sat up, appearing drowsy. He turned and noticed that Drick and Worty were still sound asleep, snoring. Junior scowled, having a restless night. Aside from the snoring, the boy was kept up because he kept thinking back to his friends.
Were his friends hurt? Did they get back to the Iwi village, safely? Or were they still looking for him? These questions kept the boy awake. Plus, the anxiety he felt from the foe that attempted to capture him. Junior wondered whatever happened to him. In either case, the teen knew that he couldn't stay here. He had to get back to the Iwi village.
Later, Junior found himself standing with the Inn keeper, who was showing him a map. Junior realized that this town was just one of the outer territories of the Sacramentonian Kingdom. It was actually close to the line drawn that separated them from the Dogomite Empire.
"You're quite fortunate to survive Specter Hollow. They say that it's cursed," said the Inn Keeper.
"I don't know about that. But I did run into trouble there. Looks like the river didn't carry me that far. I can retrace my steps," said Junior.
"I would advise against that, my boy. Perhaps it'd be safer for you to take the long route. You're traveling alone, after all," said the Inn Keeper, pointing to a path that went around Specter Hollow, leading into the Roaring Jungle.
"But isn't that too close to the Dogomites?" asked Junior, pointing to a town near the path.
"So long as you don't stray from the path, they won't bother you. Unless of course, you have a bounty on your head," said the Inn Keeper with a chuckle. Junior felt his heart jumped.
"Heh. Yeah. Thanks for the heads up," said Junior, taking the map. The Inn Keeper shook his hand with a smile.
"Good luck out there. Hope you find your friends," said the Inn Keeper. Junior nodded to the man with a small smile. He stepped out of the Inn and made his way down the road. He carried a pack on his back, filled with food, water, and a sleeping bag. He hoped that he won't have to use it. Junior would hate to sleep out in the wilderness alone.
As the boy made his way down the road, he noticed a large gathering of people. They stood just away from the center of town, around a green field. Curious, Junior walked over to where the people were. He found them carrying torches, which illuminated the dark area. As Junior reached the area, he noticed the people stood silently and solemnly.
"Brothers and sisters, we are gathered here to honor and lay to rest someone dear to our town," said a man in dark robes. Junior noticed a few guards to be standing by, watching what he realized was a funeral service. The boy walked over.
"Excuse me, but who died?" asked Junior in a whisper. The guard looked his way briefly.
"A noble Guardian who lived among us. He had just gave his life to protect this village. It was said that he held off an attack of the Dogomites, all by himself," said the guard. Junior's eyes slightly widened.
"By himself?" asked Junior.
"No one knew. If not for him, we'd be dead and enslaved," said the guard.
"It's tragic. These days, they seem to be rarer. It's like most of them have disappeared," said a guard.
"And the ones that are still around are needlessly dying to fight a losing war," said another guard.
"Disappeared?" Junior said to himself.
"If things go on like this, there may not be any Guardians left," said the guard that Junior had originally spoke to. He then took notice of Junior's reptilian arm, wrapped in cloth.
"You're a Demi-Titan. Would you happen to know what became of the others?" asked the man. Junior held his arm with a frown.
"Sorry. I wish I could help you with that information. I'm just trying to find some friends," said Junior. The guard appeared saddened at his answer.
"Hmph. If the Iwi were to step up and assist their neighbors, perhaps we wouldn't be attending these funerals," scoffed a nearby villager.
"You can't blame the Iwi! If our people had not treated their people the way they were, we may not even be in this war!" argued another villager. The two villagers began to argue. This caused everyone to become distracted from the service. Those who were aware of the topic of the argument also joined in. One of the guards sighed in exasperation as he forced his way through the crowd.
"Hey! Hey! Break it up! Be respectful of the dead!" shouted the guard, forcing the two men away from each other. All eyes were on the guard.
"Listen, it doesn't matter whose fault it is. Whatever happened between our two people is the least of our worries. Protesting fault and self-blame will not change anything. What matters is that we remain strong to defend ourselves. Guardians or not, we have to stand our ground," said the guard. The people began to murmur in agreement, forgetting the conflict from before.
"Now, let's continue with the service," said the guard. Junior watched as these people turned their attention back forward. He recalled that there was mention of the Iwi. He wondered what exactly happened between the natives and Sacramentonians. But he also found himself worried for these people. They weren't even aware that they were being attacked. And they are so close to their enemy. Junior wondered if he should stick around and help in any way he could.
Junior shook his head. He knew that he shouldn't get involved. This world's problems weren't his concern. He had his own to worry about after all. He had to find his friends.
With that, Junior turned to walk away from the village. He left behind the town, not looking back.
It was morning. The sun was rising. The Iwi went about their daily chores. Although, they were wary of the newcomers.
The MONARCH soldiers were checking and moving around supplies. Some were also doing sit ups, as higher ranking officers barked orders.
"I want you to keep going until it hurts to the point that you have to shit!" shouted a C.O., pacing around the soldiers.
Meanwhile, Kong stood outside of his den. He bore a hard expression, as his arms were crossed over his chest.
"No," said Kong. Ann, Mosura, and Fluttershy stood before him in shock.
"Kong, please!" said Ann.
"We need your help to rescue him!" said Fluttershy
"I warned you of the danger out there. He knew and payed for his carelessness," said Kong. Mosura hardened her expression.
"Look, he can't be dead! He could've ended up in one of these towns!" said Mosura, pointing to settlements depicted on a map, near the river passed Specter Hollow.
"If he survived that is. Even if he did, I will not go. I already have to worry about these outsiders you brought along," said Kong in annoyance.
"But we need someone who knows the land and is strong enough to face the guy responsible for separating us. We might run into him again," argued Mosura.
"Even still, I won't. He'd be in Sacramentonian territory if he was taken by the river. If I were to go there, the fools would think the Iwi were invading," scoffed Kong.
"So this is about the Sacramentonians? Kong, why are you so adamant about them?" Asked Ann. Kong sighed.
"Long ago, before me, there were two tribes. The Iwi and Sacramentonians. Two different people, but both connected to the earth," said Kong, as he took ash and began to draw two human figures. He drew a circle around the figures.
"Because of this, the two tribes lived as one in harmony with each other and nature. But, the Sacramentonians were different than the Iwi. While the Iwi were content, the Sacramentonians were ambitious. That ambition allowed them to grow more advanced. This is where they were divided," said Kong, marking a line through the circle, between the figures.
"When the Sacramentonians learned to build cities with great protective stone walls, they lost their connection to the land. The Iwi they lived alongside with for many years were but strangers to them. Foreigners in their own land. It didn't help when the Iwi preferred to remain living as they have," said Kong, solemnly.
"The Sacramentonians' ambition turned to greed. That greed led to them conquering and enslaving the people that they lived with. Brothers no more," said Kong, wiping away the ashes on the stone wall. Ann and the girls listened intently to Kong's tale. Seeing a sadness in him that he rarely showed.
"They sought to control nature and their fellow man. In response, the Iwi rebelled. Many lives were claimed from both tribes. Even when the Iwi were allowed to leave, there was often conflict between them. Every now and then, the two tribes would clash and shed precious blood on the land they once cultivated together," said Kong, staring at the stone wall.
"When I was born, the Iwi brought me in and raised me as one of their own. I remember the wars they had with the Sacramentonians. In spite of them being more advanced, the Iwi still persevered because they used the land to their advantage. The Sacramentonians disconnection made them fearful of what nature had to offer. The Iwi embraced it," said Kong.
"I knew that this couldn't go on. So, I stepped in. I showed the Sacramentonians the force that was now backing the Iwi. I didn't have to take their lives. I only had to show them. But even when they tried to attack, I was there to protect the Iwi from their oppressors. Since then, they haven't had contact," said Kong, turning his attention to the Iwi, who were going about their daily routine.
"These people... They're not lowly humans that I rule over. They're my family. I don't want to see them suffer again," said Kong, his expression soft. He felt a hand on his shoulder. He found Ann looking at him with a warm expression. Kong softly exhaled through his nostrils. Mosura began to reflect on that story. It was strange how that there didn't seem to be mention of the Dogomites in Kong's story. She wondered how long exactly the war between the two factions went on.
'I wonder if the tribes feuding worked in the Dogomites' favor,' thought Mosura.
Lur, Capital City of Dogomite Empire...
The Purists found themselves bounded in shackles. They stood in the great throne room of Empress Malicia. The woman sat on her throne, as Kenra, Sigyn, and Maximilian stood close by. Malicia fed a crow-like avian reptile, as it was perched on her throne's arm rest.
"Because of your crimes, which include trespassing on Dogomite territory, and killing honorable men who fought on my behalf, I must punish you," said Malicia, as the bird flew off, perching itself onto a stand. She smiled to the Purists.
"As punishment, you must serve me," said Malicia. Alexandra scoffed.
"Like we're gonna serve some mutie whore!" spat Alexandra. A couple of guards snarled or cringed. Meanwhile, Kenra narrowed her eyes and was about to draw her side arm. Malicia merely giggled in amusement.
"Kenra, this one reminds me of you when we first met," said Malicia, nostalgic. Kenra grimaced as she moved her hand away from her weapon.
"Oh come on. I can't be that annoying," said Kenra. Scar took a step forward, a defiant look on his face.
"We don't serve, mutants. We destroy them," said Scar in a low tone. Malicia was unphased by his statement. She instead smiled.
"Hm. And right you are," said Malicia, drawing confused looks from her enforcers and the Purists.
"You see, these demi-Titans are quite problematic. And not just for me. They are a threat to order in this world. They topple kingdoms and spread chaos throughout the land in the name of 'freedom'. Utter drivel," scoffed Malicia. Kenra and Sigyn both glanced at each other.
"Listen, I am not your enemy. Yes, I rule an Empire with an iron fist. Some aren't too fond of it. But I'm a woman of order. I intend to keep it that way for the people that I'm serving. But the others... They just want to do whatever they want! I intend to correct them. By any means, necessary," said Malicia, a hard expression on her face. The way she spoke was seductive to say the least. Not in a sexual manner. Rather, she seemed sincere to the humans ignorant of this world. Sigyn noted that this was one of the things that made this woman so dangerous.
"At this point, I'm the only one you can rely on in this world. Just name your price, and I'll do my best to grant your hearts' desires," said Malicia.
"I want a mutie free world," said Alexandra, without a hint of hesitation.
"Same..." Scar answered, though hesitation was in his voice. Dreadnought eyed the gun that Kenra had in her holster.
"I want a gun like that. My prosthetic wears me out," said Dreadnought, pointing to Kenra's holster.
"I want bigger guns. To kill any mutie I see," said Stinger, his brows furrowed.
"Ooh! I change my mind! I want what he asked for!" said Dreadnought. Adrian bore a cold look.
"Revenge," said Adrian. Malicia smirked.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I believe we have an accord," said Malicia. "If your service is up to my standards, then you'll be handsomely rewarded."
"I can work with that," said Dreadnought with a smirk.
"Maximilian, escort them to the holding pen. They'll be assisting you with the Skull Walkers," said Malicia.
"What's a Skull Walker?" whispered Alexandra.
"How the hell should I know?" Adrian whispered back.
"Oh no," said Scar in dismay, as Maximilian approached.
"Scar! Long time no see, old friend!" giggled Max as he hugged Scar tightly. The Purist bore a grimace.
"Hello to you too," said Scar, warily. He recalled this guy's track record. Of all the familiar faces he could've run into, it had to be him.
"Hey! Hey! Hey! It's Dreeeaaadnought!" said Max with a manic laugh.
"How're you doing, you old lunatic? I didn't know you were still alive," chuckled Dreadnought.
"Stinger! Good to see you too, my boy!" said Dreadnought with a wheeze.
"Hm." Stinger merely nodded. Adrian and Alexandra both bore odd looks.
"You guys know him?" asked the women in unison. Max suddenly eyed the two. He had an almost hungry look in his eyes, which sent chills up the women’s' spines.
"H-Hey, Scar." Max whispered with a giggle.
"Don't even think about it," deadpanned Scar.
"Aw you're no fun. Come on. We have work to do!" said Max, before walking off with a spring in his step.
"What the hell was that?" asked Alexandra with a shudder.
"Don't mind him. He has... A lot of screws loose. Whatever you do, don't be alone with him. Or fall asleep when he's around," said Scar warily as he followed Max.
"W-Wait, what was that?" asked Adrian.
"Ugh. Sick..." said Alexandra, holding herself with a pale look.
Malicia sat and watched as the Purists were led out of her throne room. She noticed Kenra and Sigyn looking at her in shock.
"What?" asked Malicia with a shrug.
"Ma'am, permission to speak freely," said Kenra.
"Granted," replied Malicia.
"Why the hell did you recruit them?! These guys would literally kill you the first chance they get! Not to mention you just promised to let them kill off all the 'Demi-Titans'! You know that includes you, right?!" shouted Kenra. Sigyn cringed, while Malicia bore a stoic look. Kenra sighed as she took a calm breath.
"Sorry," said Kenra. Malicia smiled in amusement.
"Dearest Kenra, you stress too much. Honestly, what do you think I have man servants for?" asked Malicia. Kenra blushed with an annoyed look.
"Don't fret about the Purists. I have those short sighted fools wrapped dangerously tight around my finger. In their haste, they didn't check my terms and conditions," said Malicia.
"Terms and conditions?" asked Kenra with a cocked brow.
"Yes. Their rewards will seal their fate," said Malicia, a devilish smile on her face. This coaxed a wicked smile from Sigyn.
"Ok? But what'll happen when they decide to turn on you?" asked Kenra. Malicia looked at her smugly.
"You'll be there."
King Gareth sighed as he rubbed his brows. Prince David stood next to him with a grimace.
"It doesn't make sense. Our strategy has been sound. We've been pushing the Dogomites back, but now... Now they're starting to advance more to our Mid-territories," said Gareth with a sigh.
"Father, I'm certain that our allies will help us turn the tide. And I have hope that Kong and the Iwi tribe will reconsider and join us," said David.
"Oh my boy. So naive. Why would they come to our aide when I, the King, took part in their enslavement? All of those years of fighting, all of those years of hate and blood shed led to our vulnerability to an enemy that was waiting from the shadows. This last decade has aged me terribly," said Gareth with a tired sigh, sitting on his throne with a wince. His son knelt next to him with a soft look.
"These Dogomites... They're nothing more than buzzards. Just circling over the vulnerable and dead, going in to devour what remains," said Gareth with a bitter look.
"Father, stop dwelling on the sins of the past. Instead, focus on building a better future," said David. Gareth lightly smiled at his son.
"I'm afraid that it may be too late for me to redeem myself, my son. But, I hope that you and future generations can look back on us and try to right the wrongs our kingdom made. For the sake of our people," lamented Gareth. David frowned.
Junior found himself walking along the dirt road in silence. He looked over to the side, seeing the vast land. Just faintly, beyond, Junior could make out the sight of a town, made up of what Junior believed was stone. That was Dogomite territory. He was so close, yet so far. This path was basically a tight rope. If he strayed from it, then it may be trouble.
"Almost there," said Junior, relieved to find the entrance to the Roaring Jungle. While he wasn't keen of encountering anymore monsters, he was at least happy to be out of sight of an evil empire.
Junior continued on into the jungle. He spent the next several minutes treading through the forest, hearing the cry of birds in the air. It was much more relaxing compared to the creepy sounds of creatures in Specter Hollow or the jungle that Junior found himself awakening in. He hoped that his trip will remain this smooth.
"Damn, it's getting dense," said Junior in annoyance, brushing passed the foliage. It had grown a lot more crowded. With branches, vines, and leaves in the boy's face. Nonetheless, he pressed on. Before Junior could take another step, he turned as he heard footsteps rapidly approaching.
"No fucking way!" exclaimed Junior, finding Endurous burst passed some vines, his body covered in dirt and sweat. A deranged look was on his face.
"Found youuuu...~" Endurous gave a creepy chuckle.
Before Junior could react, Endurous lunged at him like a predatory beast. The boy grunted as he was pinned to the ground.
"Did you think you could hide?!" Endurous cackled, strangling the boy. Junior grunted as he kicked away his attacker. The two got up to their feet, staring each other down.
"Good, no annoying little girls to interfere. I was sick of their screams," said Endurous with a smirk. Junior growled.
"But I wanna hear yours!" Endurous charged towards the mutant. The two slammed into each other, exchanging blows to one another.
Junior was on the offensive, sending quick jabs at his foe. Endurous was faster. With ease, he dodged every blow and began to send three quick jabs into the boy's side.
In pain, Junior shouted as he slashed his claws at the man.
"Come on! You can do better than that," said Endurous, darting back. He hopped onto a tree and snatched large brown spider from the branch.
"Heads up!" Endurous laughed as he dropped back down, after throwing the large arachnid.
"AH!" Junior yelped in alarm as the spider latched onto his face.
"Not this shit again!" Junior gave muffled cries as he attempted to pry the spider off his face. Endurous chuckled as swung his leg at the boy, smashing the spider against his face. The blow also sent the boy spiraling to the ground.
Junior snarled as he pulled the mangled and dead arachnid off his face, covered in its juices. He found Endurous shooting towards him like a rocket, his fist out for a punch. Junior caught his fist in the palm of his hand.
The air around the collision left a pop, and a wave distorting the air around their hands. Endurous attempted to punch Junior with his free hand, but the boy caught his fist as well. This created a similar effect.
Junior stood up to his full height and circled with Endurous. Both power houses dug their heels into the earth, attempting to overpower the other. Their opposing strengths caused the earth at their feet to give, causing them to sink a bit. Trees began to rustle as the air grew dense. Animals began to flee.
"When she sent me out to find you, I knew you wouldn't be an easy catch! But you've exceeded my expectations! I can see that your full potential is still untapped!" said Endurous with a wild grin. Junior merely growled, not noticing the effect that he and his opponent were having on the environment around them.
There were questions on the boy's mind though. Just who was this 'she' that sent this guy. Why did she send him? But most of all...
"Just what are you?!" demanded Junior.
"I'm the bane of your kind," said Endurous.
The two heard a creak and groan. Around them, they saw that some of the vines began to move. They found two large leaves to be parting, revealing a great plant. It appeared similar to a Nepenthes ventricosa plant, a carnivorous form of flora. It stood on a large bowl-like base, with a long tube-like neck, where pink tendrils wiggled.
Vines shot from the large plant, ensnaring both Junior and Endurous.
"Agh! Interference!" said Endurous in exasperation. Junior grunted in pain as the vines dug into his flesh, with the sharp thorns they were covered in.
"C'mere!" Endurous grabbed onto Junior and began to beat him. Junior snarled as he returned the hits. Despite being in the grasp of a hungry man eating plant, these two continued to fight. The plant struggled to pull them close to its gaping tube-like maw. But, it only needed one.
The plant began to eject a toxin from its thorns, which soaked up into the bloodstream of both prey. Junior cried out in agony as the toxin burned into his cells.
"Bitch! I barely feel a thing!" laughed Endurous, seemingly unaffected.
Junior snarled as he began to throttle his foe. The plant began to move, lowering its tube-like neck down. A red lip-like ring began to open wide, revealing sharp teeth-like barbs inside. Junior forced Endurous towards the plant, which then began to pull him inside. Endurous gave an enraged cry as the pink tendrils pulled him into the tube.
The plant's hold on Junior loosened, allowing him to pull out from the vines. He watched as Endurous's body outline could be seen moving down the tube and into the bulbous base.
"Hmph. 'Bane of my kind', my ass," scoffed Junior. He felt himself suddenly overcome with exhaustion. The boy panted, cupping his bleeding arm. His body felt cold, and his legs wiggled as though they were made of jello.
"Gotta... Get out of here," panted Junior, lumbering away from the plant. He dropped to his knees, his strength beginning to leave him.
There was a loud gurgle. Junior stopped dead in his tracks. He slowly turned, finding the plant to be almost constricting itself with its vines. The plant's 'lips' sealed up tightly, while the plant itself seemed to be sinking itself into the ground.
"No way," said Junior, in horror.
The plant suddenly burst. Junior shielded his face, as its fluids splashed on him. He found that Endurous stood upon the remains of the now dead plant. His entire body soaked by the bile. He bore a cocky smile, while Junior struggled to stand. He grunted as he stumbled up, but dropped back to his knees. He then found his foe walking over to him with a smirk.
"Not so tough now, are ya? Guess I was wrong about you," said Endurous, raising his foot.
"Lights out!" Endurous suddenly kicked the boy in the face, knocking him out cold to the ground.
Somewhere in the Roaring Jungle...
A cliff was overlooking the vast jungle, which housed many strange flora and fauna. Upon this cliff, there were the Purists and Maximilian. Max was wheezing with a giggle, as he waved away a couple of guards, who stood near a large cage. In the cage were several Skull Walkers, cramped together. The creatures snarled as he approached.
"Stand back boys. Wouldn't want you to inhale this stuff," said Max as he took his gas gun. He began to spray a red mist at the creatures, whose eyes dilated after taking a breath. They began to thrash and shriek, which caused the cage to rock. The couple of soldiers stumbled back in alarm, while Max giggled.
"Getting a little antsy in there! Don't worry, you'll be let out soon enough!" said Max. Meanwhile, the Purists just stood or sat around in boredom. They didn't see why they had to come along. Max seemed like he had it covered.
"I thought we were gonna shoot muties. Why the hell are we here in this jungle? It's hot and I'm bored," said complained Alexandra.
"Oh, my dear girl! You should know that Malicia never stated that you'd be off doing what you wanted! You're here to help me to keep these things safe and to keep them from turning on us," said Max, before turning to the woman.
"Now, these little monsters serve a very important role against the uh... The tyrannical muties, who rule Sacramentonia. The Empire's sworn enemy. They'll disrupt the natural ecosystem of this area, which the muties rely on for food and crops. The Skull Walkers chase away or eat up the game, or ruin the crops with their bodily fluids. With that, the local villages and farmers will starve. And don't worry about killing off humans. Believe me, they're mostly chalk full of muties," chuckled Max. He then hummed as he glanced at the thrashing Skull Walkers. "Though these things might eat them first."
"So these things must be pretty strong then, huh? Just what the hell are they?" asked Adrian with an unnerved look.
"Dangerous creatures that serve a purpose. That's all you need to know," said Max. Scar looked at the man suspiciously. Then, he looked to the monsters in the cage. He wondered just what they were. They couldn't have been human. They were like feral animals, with humanoid appearances. Even mutants weren't this monstrous.
Scar than noticed something out of the corner of his eye. He found smoke to be rising from deeper in the jungle.
"What's that? Is there a village down there?" asked Scar, pointing ahead.
"Ah. That must be the Iwi tribe. They're not part of the Sacramentonian Kingdom, but they're ruled by a mutie called, 'Kong'." Max turned his attention back to the cage, as a soldier handed him a bucket full of raw meat. Alexandra's eyes lit up.
"Hey, why don't we just head on down there? Give those natives a good ol' fashion liberation from their tyrannical ruler," said Alexandra, tapping her rifle. Dreadnought smirked.
"Better than sitting around here," said Dreadnought, before standing up.
"Sounds like a good warm up," said Adrian with furrowed brows.
"Ah! Ah! Slow your role!" interjected Max, turning back to the Purist, as the Skull Walkers hungrily reached for the bucket he carried.
"Malicia's priority is the Sacramentonian Kingdom. Right now, they pose a bigger threat than Kong. You shouldn't have desert first, lest you spoil your dinner," said Max. Adrian sent him an annoyed look. She was tired of this guy treating them like children.
"OK! OK! Settle down! Don't eat too much before the main course!" said Max with a giggle, throwing in pieces of meat into the cage. The creatures began to fight over the pieces and scarfed up what little they got.
Stinger motioned for the other Purists. They all joined in for a huddle.
"Listen, why don't we ditch him and just go down there?" whispered Stinger.
"No way am I passing that up," whispered Alexandra with a grin.
"It's doing something at least," said Adrian.
"Hole on. We should just stick with the priority set," whispered Scar. Everyone looked at him oddly.
"Why're you hesitating?" whispered Adrian in confusion. Scar stiffened.
"Yeah, you're usually up for a good ol' fashion extermination. It's not like you," whispered Alexandra. Scar said nothing. He wondered why he was hesitating. Something in him felt different. He wasn't as focused on eliminating the creatures that he swore would pay all of those years ago. For what they did to him, and the one he loved. He thought he had every right too. But now, he was reluctant. There had to be a rational explanation.
"I... I just think that it's unwise at this point. After all, we're answering to someone else, in a world we know nothing about. We shouldn't act without foresight," said Scar. Adrian scoffed.
"Foresight? We're just killing a mutie ruling over a tribe of natives! Malicia herself said that she was fighting those tyrannical freaks!" hissed Adrian.
"I'm surprised at you. You trust what she says?" asked Scar incredulously.
"I trust that freak as far as I can shoot her! But we don't have much of a choice. Besides, if she's cool with us taking them out, then what's the trouble?" asked Adrian. Scar was silent for a moment. He felt an inner voice in him warning him about this. Imploring him to talk his colleagues out of it. But why?
"Alright," said Scar, in defeat. Adrian smirked.
"We're supposed to be camping out here. We'll go at dawn, while Gas Face is asleep," whispered Adrian.
It was almost evening. Adagio sighed as she stepped out of the Healer's tent. She was fully clothed in the clothes that she's gotten in her time in Elsinore. She grunted as she stretched out her arms and back. The girl let out a relieved sigh. Aria and Sonata stepped out of the tent with her.
"Glad to see you're doing better," said Angirasu, walking by. Adagio smiled.
"Yes, sirree! Thanks to you," said Adagio sweetly. She noticed Aiko standing at a distance away, standing casually by a hut, but she was clearly glancing their way. Adagio slightly shivered.
'I wonder if she was a stalker growing up,' thought Adagio. She noticed Dwan to be stepping out of the hut. But once she took notice of Angirasu, she began to suddenly sway.
"Man, I still feel a little dizzy. I might need a little more rest," said Dwan, holding her head with a sigh. Adagio scowled in annoyance. as the girl stumbled.
"I-I don't think I can make it to my hut. Nice Aang, would you mind?" asked Dwan, innocently. Aiko furrowed her brows, seeing through this girl's act.
"Sure. But maybe you’re dehydrated. Have you had water?" asked Angirasu, stepping over to the girl, allowing her to wrap her arm around his neck and shoulders.
"That'd be nice. You're the best," said Dwan, as she was helped to the hut. After taking the girl to her hut, and giving her a fresh batch of water, he made his way back to his own hut. As he stepped inside, he noticed Aiko waiting for him as she sat down on her knees. Angirasu scowled in annoyance and began to turn to walk out.
"Please don't go," called Aiko. Angirasu sighed, his head hanging low. He knew that eventually, he had to face her. This was much to his dismay. He turned back around, standing in silence. Aiko was also silent. Neither mother nor son spoke, leaving an awkward atmosphere.
"I'm glad that you're safe. Being in a world full of harsh conditions. You even managed to find refuge for yourself and your friends," said Aiko with a soft smile.
"Yeah, but not all of them..." said Angirasu, a frown on his face. Aiko glanced away.
"Sorry about your friend..." said Aiko.
"Well... I'm not gonna give up on him. Believe it or not, I've been learning to control my mutantism. I've even helped saved this village from a coven of actual witches," said Angirasu, his expression brightening up a bit.
"Oh, is that so?" asked Aiko in surprise. There definitely seemed something different about her son.
"Yep," said Angirasu. Aiko scratched her head awkwardly.
"So... That girl, Dwan. She seems to be quite all over you," said Aiko. Angirasu sighed.
"I know what you're gonna say. You don't want me to around her, just like Sonata," said Angirasu in annoyance.
"No, that's not what I was gonna say," said Aiko. Angirasu cocked a brow at her, finding that hard to believe.
"I was gonna say just to be smart with her. She kinda reminds of your friend, Rodan," said Aiko with a grimace. Angirasu snorted.
'Rodan's much tamer than Dwan,' thought Angirasu.
"Well, I wasn't expecting that. Unlike Sonata, who hasn't been subtle about her displeasure of Dwan's behavior towards me," said Angirasu. Aiko smirked.
"If you two aren't getting along, than maybe you should get it on with that Dwan girl. That should make her lose her shit," said Aiko. She and Angirasu shared a chuckle. It wasn't much, but she was at least happy that she was able to connect with her son on something.
"Even if you were going to try to keep me away from Dwan. It wouldn't really matter. After all, she's not the only one here who's taken a liking to me," said Angirasu with a sigh. A smile grew on his face.
"I've never felt so welcomed in my life. These natives... This world... They don't treat us the same way as people from our world do. They even respect us!" said Angirasu, grinning. Aiko smiled, but that smile turned to bitter sweet as her son went on.
"Things like the Purists and the Vault are nonexistent. This world is like a paradise for me. Why would any mutant would want to leave a place like this?" asked Angirasu. Aiko felt those words struck a chord in her. She finally realized what was different with her son. For once, in many years, she saw that he was actually happy. And it wasn't with her, back home.
"Well... I'm glad that you managed to find happiness. I'll leave you to rest. Good night," said Aiko, softly, before leaving the tent. Her son just watched as she left.
Aiko sighed, feeling a growing depression. Her quest would soon be coming to an end. And it would bear no fruit. Yes, she found her son. But, it was clear to her that he had no intention on coming back.
Frankly, Aiko didn't think she was within her right to be upset with him. She couldn't force him. After all, she might've been the reason why he was staying. She was lousy as a mother. Even looking back, Aiko realized that her own mother wasn't as bad as her. At least she never let her get taken to be locked away for the rest of her life. No, Angirasu was well within his right to stay here. He even seemed content to be here. Aiko was glad that he was happy. But, she still felt a terrible sadness.
Aiko took a seat before a fire pit. She grabbed a stick and poked at the flame, absent minded. She noticed that the villagers nearby either averted their gazes from her, or simply left. This made Aiko feel worse. It was like these people could tell how awful she was. She must've been so terrible that no one could stand to look at her, let alone be in her presence.
"Thought you'd be asleep by now," said an unfamiliar voice. Aiko raised her head, finding Ann Darrow to be sitting by the fire with a sigh.
"I mean, you're the one running that platoon, aren't you?" asked Ann.
"Yeah..." Aiko awkwardly replied.
"You seem to be down. Need an ear?" asked Ann. Aiko raised a brow at the young woman.
"Hey, don't worry. I don't gossip," said Ann with a chuckle.
"Nah. It's nothing. I'm just shocked that my son's popular with girls. Though he might be attracting the wrong kind," said Aiko, scratching her head, a small chuckle escaped her. "I mean, he had an obsessive brat like Sonata, and then gained someone like Dwan. But honestly, I could do without both."
Aiko took notice of the Iwi that were making distance from her. It was becoming more obvious that they were avoiding her.
"Hey, what's the deal with the natives? They seem to hate me and my troops," said Aiko, though she noticed a couple of the Guardians to be passing by. The nearby natives gave a silent bow to Baragon and Manda, who looked to each other in confusion.
"Well...Angirasu has been quite the guest. They've taken a liking to him. He's quite the hero," said Ann.
"But why are they acting hostile towards us? Just yesterday, I had a group of my troops telling me that they got aggressive with them," said Aiko.
"Angirasu has told some stories about our world. Especially about MONARCH. They're worried that you guys came here to take him and lock him away," said Ann. Aiko was taken aback. In fact, she was quite offended.
Aiko was about to retort, but the words were stuck in her throat. The woman had forgotten that her son was on his way to the Vault, from acting aggressive with no self-control, while transformed. Then, she went out with the intention to break him free and flee from Ponyville, if not the country. Even though Hayato said he would conceal that last fact, the woman didn't think she could trust him. Aiko realized that she was in the dark of what would become of Angirasu if she were to bring him home.
Meanwhile, Battra sat with Mosura by a fire pit. The younger sister felt some comfort with her brother being in her presence. She missed him and worried about him, terribly. Now, they were together again. Even if they couldn't be around each other regularly to talk during the day, due to Battra still being under a chain of command, Mosura was still happy.
"Twilight thought we could try to get back home by recreating what brought us here in the first place. But we still aren't sure if it's wise. Or if we can even recreate it," said Mosura.
"Don't worry about that. We already have a way back. We can return home at any time," said Battra with a smile. Mosura frowned.
"You think they'll make us leave without Gojira?" asked Mosura, worriedly. Battra said nothing.
"I can't leave without him. I won't. Otherwise, I'll never forgive myself," said Mosura.
"I doubt we'll leave without him. His family came along, after all," said Battra. Mosura lightly nodded.
"Hey, cheer up! We'll rescue your boyfriend," chuckled Battra.
"He's not my boyfriend," muttered Mosura, her cheeks flushed.
"Nah, but I know you have strong feelings for the guy. So, I'm just trying out my next arsenal of teasing," said Battra.
"I'm surprised that you're OK with that," said Mosura, tilting her head.
"Well, he's not ideal. Though honestly, I think my big brother instincts would have me worried about any guy. But at any rate, you're my little sister. So long as he treats you well, I'll respect your feelings. Even if I don't approve," said Battra, with a playful wink. Mosura giggled.
"Thanks, bro," said Mosura.
Meanwhile, at just another part of the Iwi village, Senior stood with a map of Equescidar. Manda was scanning the map with him, while Twilight, Angirasu and Sunset stood with them.
"Ugh. This map is difficult to grasp. There's much information here, and very unusual landscapes," said Senior, as he scanned the map.
"Well, we already have a feel for the land. We could help. But we should find someone who's much more experienced, " interjected Twilight.
"You kids don't need to come. You've been through a lot, already," said Manda.
"No way are we sitting this out," said Sunset.
"Yeah. First thing in the morning, we'll head back in the Sacramentonian kingdom," said Angirasu, a determined look on his face.
"Then get some rest, children. You'll need your strength," said Senior, handing Twilight back the map.
"Goodnight, Mr. Takeshi," said Sunset. As the teens bid the Guardians farewell, they left the area. Manda smiled.
"Your son's quite lucky to have such good friends," said Aiko.
"Junior always had a hard time growing up," said Senior, drawing the woman's attention. Senior bore a melancholic look.
"He was a strong boy. That bred resentment towards him. He was such a lonely child," said Senior. But, a small smile grew on his face.
"But, it's good to see that's changed," said Senior.
Adagio panted as she lied in her sleeping bag. She began to toss and turn, her brows sweating. The girl muttered to herself, distressed.
The Dazzling gasped, her eyes shooting wide awake. She lightly frowned as she stared up at the hut's top. She raised herself up, finding her sisters to be sound asleep in their own sleeping bags.
"Not again," muttered Adagio rubbing her tired eyes. She's been having a hard time sleeping this night. After all, she's been woken up by the same nightmare three times already. The same horrible nightmare kept replaying. Being all alone, with no one, not even her sisters, paying her any mind. Not to mention, the nightmares were topped off with Spinner. Adagio trembled as she kept recalling that moment. Every time, she would wake up just as he prepared to do horrible things to her.
Adagio sighed, getting out of the hut. She couldn't go back to sleep. Not tonight. The girl thought that a nice evening stroll would do her good. As she left, she found that there was a bit of light in the sky. She couldn't see the sun, but the crack of dawn was upon them.
During her walk, Adagio noticed the tents that were neighboring the Iwi village. She had forgotten that Aria mentioned that help came. The Dazzling also took notice of the Guardians nearby, sleeping under the stars in their own sleeping bags. Miwa and Senior slept close together.
Adagio softly smiling to herself. It seemed that their rescue was on the way. But looking at Senior, she was quickly reminded of Junior. She deeply frowned, remembering what her sisters told her. Apparently he had gone missing. Somewhere, her friend, the boy who gave her these almost alien feelings, was all alone. Adagio wandered over to the wall, sighing sadly.
"What I'd give just to know that you're safe," said Adagio softly.
Adagio slightly jumped as she heard what seemed to be a bump. It seemed to be coming from the other side of the wall. Curious, Adagio stepped over to the wall, hearing a faint jingle. She leaned close to the wall, her brain attempting to decipher where she could've heard a sound like this before. The jingles soon began to become more rapid. Adagio's eyes widened, once she registered that it was in fact beeping. A rapid beep.
Adagio cried out as she scampered away from the wall. There was a sudden loud deafening explosion. Adagio found herself flung through the air, crashing into the earth. Her ears rang, as the world became silent. Adagio lied on her belly, in pain. Dust, chips of wood, and dirt clung to her body. She weakly looked around, finding the village and the camp to suddenly stir from the sound. Adagio shakily held a hand to her ear, as the ringing continued. She felt the earth around her vibrate. A shadow was cast over her, and a large therapod foot stomped passed her. Adagio turned, finding a grey allosaurus to be passing by, standing at 9 feet in height. It was mounted by a human. Adagio turned, finding a few more similar creatures, all mounted as well. Even as the creatures shrieked, Adagio was still unable to hear. She remained on the ground in a daze, as the creatures passed by.
The Purists stormed into the village of the Iwi, all armed with new equipment. Scar, Adrian, Stinger and Alexandra hopped off their mounts, which began to run free.
"Rock and roll!!" Dreadnought cackled, wielding a large cannon, balancing it on his shoulder. A couple of soldiers scrambled from their tents, who were then met with the concussive blast from the cannon. In just moments, the Purists were firing off their weapons at the soldiers. Instead of bullets, their guns fired strange bolts of energy that zipped through the air, piercing through the soldiers.
Iwi that shot out of their huts were immediately greeted with the carnivorous dinosaurs that the attackers rode in on. These beasts snatched up any native they came across, crushing them with their powerful jaws.
From within Kong's cave, his eyes shot wide open. He bolted from his cave, finding the chaos that the village was suddenly in. He froze, watching as the carnivorous saurians stomped about, terrorizing the Iwi, who scrambled for whatever weapon they could find. He then heard the sound of gun fire. He found that the MONARCH soldiers shouting frantically, as they armed up, firing back at the attackers. Kong snarled as his eyes hardened, burning with rage. He grabbed a large stone axe from his cave and rushed out.
Meanwhile, the Main 7 had shot awake, as Iwi passed them. They found Mosura, Angirasu and Rodan to be racing over.
"Are you OK?!" asked Mosura.
"What the fuck is going on?!" asked Rainbow in alarm.
"We're being attacked!" said Angirasu, turning to find an Allosaurus to snatch up a MONARCH soldier into its jaws. Dreadnought cackled as he rode on its back, firing wildly. One of the blasts from his cannon raced towards the teens.
"Hit the deck!!" cried Rodan. The teens dropped to the ground, but Rarity remained standing. She grunted as she projected a shield in front of the group. The blast struck the shield, causing Rarity to fall back from the force of its power. The teens got up, finding the horror that was brought to this peaceful village. Aiko suddenly came racing by, holding tight to her rifle.
"What are you still doing here?! Get to safety!" shouted Aiko. She pointed to where Senior was with the Guardians, as Posey and Miwa were taking refuge with the Iwi women and children.
"But-" Twilight was about to protest but the woman had already bolted to the battlefield. Aria and Sonata rushed by, hair disheveled from the rude awakening.
"Where's Adagio?!" asked Aria.
"She's not with you?!" asked Sunset. Angirasu hardened his eyes. He ran off.
"Angirasu!" called Pinkie in alarm.
"Protect the Iwi! I'll find Adagio!" said Angirasu, running off. The teens gritted their teeth.
"OK, come on guys! Sunset, Rarity, let's defend the women and children! Wouldn't want stray bullets to hit anyone!" said Twilight, before running off.
"Damn it! What do we do? What do we do?!" asked Rodan, frantic.
"We can probably start with the runaway dinosaurs!" said Rainbow, pointing to the rampaging beasts.
"Aye yai yai! I shouldn't have slacked off on transformation training!" said Rodan, pulling his hair. Rainbow suddenly made a mad dash through the village. She snatched up a child that had fallen prey to one of the dinosaurs.
"Just start somewhere!" said Applejack, rushing into the chaos. She was followed by the rest of the teens. They risked their lives, escorting those who were still in the sights of the dinosaurs. Rainbow acted as decoy, running all around the dinosaurs. Pinkie threw whatever she could, causing the objects to explode on impact, startling the dinosaurs and caused them to back away. One Allosaurus snarled as it shook off its start and proceeded to charge for the pink haired girl. Pinkie screamed in fright as it opened its jaws to snatch her up. But, it found itself suddenly pushed off its feet, falling over. Mosura grunted as she held her hands forward, focusing her telekinetic powers. She dug her heels into the earth, pushing the dinosaur away, allowing Pinkie to retreat.
"Jira!!" Fluttershy cupped her hands together and cried out. The dinosaurs stopped as they heard rumbling from beneath the earth. Jira, the genetic hybrid burst from the earth with a shriek. It lunged for the one of the dinosaurs, biting down on its neck.
"Haha! You're the beast whisperer!" cried Pinkie, shaking Fluttershy with a grin.
"But he's doing all the work," said Fluttershy. She gasped as Jira was suddenly ganged up on by the four theropods. They began to bite and scratch at the mutant iguana, causing him to retreat. He hissed as he swayed his tail, crouching low to the ground.
"Jira, no!" cried Fluttershy. The dinosaurs began to spread out around the hybrid, snarling. As the dinosaurs prepared to strike, one of them was suddenly constricted by Manda, as she took on her Neighsian dragon form. She quickly tightened herself around him, shrieking as she squeezed. As the dinosaurs turned their attention to her and their pack member being constricted, another beast burst from the earth.
It was Baragon. He had transformed into a dark red quadrupedal beast. He looked reptilian in appearance, bearing thick armor scales and scutes that ran along his back, down to his tail. He also sported a long sharp horn upon his head. Two long bright red ears stuck out from his head. His front paws were large and wide, almost like a mole's paws. And like a mole, he bore long and thick claws. He was around the 10 feet in size, just a bit bigger than these theropods.
Baragon gave a wail as he lunged out of the burrow, biting into the neck of one of the other saurians. There were two occupied, but two free. Jira narrowed his eyes, recognizing an opening. He quickly lunged for the third allosaurus. The last theropod stumbled back with a startled cry. Its mind unable to fathom how the pack was suddenly overcome in just mere moments. Especially by a pack of creatures that were completely unrelated to each other. Before it could attack one of them to free its kin, a human form darted in its line of sight. It felt its neck latched onto, forcing it down to the ground. It kicked its legs in a vain tempt to get back up. But all it saw was a burly bearded man, raising a large stone axe over its head.
Kong brought the axe down with all of his might, penetrating the skull. The creature shrieked as it thrashed, as it was struck with the trauma. Kong quickly raised his axe and brought it back down, penetrating deeper. It went limp, but still moved from its 'ghost run'.
"Whoa!" Rainbow stared wide eyed, as did the rest of the teens. They watched as the remaining mutants killed off the remaining dinosaurs, either through tearing out their throats via bite, or constricting the life out of them. Ann quickly ran over to the teens.
"Hey! What are you kids doing out here still?!" asked Ann.
"W-We were helping! But Angirasu went off to find Adagio!" said Applejack.
"There they are!" cried Mosura, pointing.
From just a short distance away, Angirasu was running with Adagio in tow. The two waved to the teens.
"Come on! Hurry!" called Rarity. There was a suddenly a streak of light that caught everyone's eye. The light zipped towards Kong, piercing through his arm. He cried out in agony as he fell over, clutching his wound.
"KONG!!" Ann screamed in horror. Angirasu gasped as he and Adagio stopped. Angirasu quickly followed where that light had came from. He found Alexandra to be standing on top of hill, firing off her rifle.
"Look out!" Angirasu tackled Adagio to the ground. The rest of the teens took cover as the bolts shot from the Purist's spot. Adagio began to crawl over to a better point of cover, but noticed Angirasu standing to his feet.
"Aang, what are you doing?!" asked Adagio in alarm. Angirasu grunted as he rushed over to Kong and began to drag him away. Alexandra continued to shoot at them, but was unable to hit her targets as they hid behind a set of huts.
"Kong, are you OK?!" asked Angirasu. Kong winced as he clutched his arm.
"Dogomite, scum," groaned Kong.
"Those aren't Dogomites," said Angirasu, his expression hardening. He turned out to the open, finding the bloody axe stuck in the allosaurus's head. All the while the Guardians and Jira were still occupied with the remaining dinosaurs.
"Angirasu, don't even think about it!" Adagio called, her eyes wide. Angirasu ignored her. He darted from cover, hearing Alexandra shoot at him. He snatched up the axe and hid behind cover again. He panted as he looked from his cover, but retreated as a bolt burst through the corner.
"You messed with the wrong mutie," snarled Angirasu, clutching the axe. He jumped out of cover and ran.
"Easy target!" Alexandra leaned into her rifle as she aimed. As she was about to shoot, Angirasu hurled the axe he carried, sending it to the Purist. Alexandra yelped as she quickly dove for cover, the axe missing her. She got up to shoot again, but Angirasu had reached her. He kicked the rifle from her grasp, then picked her up by her vest. He slammed her to the ground with a hateful look.
"Fuck off, freak!" Alexandra, kneed Angirasu in the groin. He groaned as he released the woman and fell over.
'Kong never taught me how to defend myself from that!' thought Angirasu with a groan. He gasped as he found Alexandra drawing out a hand gun. It bore a similar appearance as the one that the Lizardmen had given Junior. As Alexandra aimed her gun at Angirasu, an arrow shot through the air, impaling her hand. Alexandra screamed in agony as she dropped the gun to the ground. Angirasu grabbed the pistol and rolled away from the wounded Purist. He found Dwan racing over onto the hill.
"Nobody points a gun at NICE AANG!" Dwan shouted in rage, swinging her bow at Alexandra's head, knocking her to the ground. Angirasu panted as he found Dwan glaring at the woman.
"Nice shot," panted Angirasu with a smile.
"Actually I missed," said Dwan with an annoyed look, as Alexandra attempted to sit up. She then punched the Purist in the jaw, knocking her out cold.
Meanwhile, Dreadnought was cackling as he fired off his cannon everywhere. Any soldier he missed, the Allosaurus chomped down on them and threw them aside. This was like a dream come true for the mercenary. He was wielding a powerful weapon and was blasting away many targets, while riding a damn dinosaur.
"Hey!" a voice called out. Dreadnought stopped and turned, finding Koizumi to be standing a distance away, holding his own weapon. Dreadnought smirked.
"Long time no see, Kira! We didn't get a chance to talk last time!" said Dreadnought.
"What the hell happened to you man? Why would you team up with xenophobic terrorists like the Purists?" asked Koizumi, incredulous. Dreadnought snorted, as he hopped off the Allosaurus. He smacked it on the thigh, prompting it to run off and cause more havoc.
"This coming from the guy on MONARCH's payroll?" asked Dreadnought. Koizumi looked away from a brief moment.
'Fair enough,' thought Koizumi.
"Let me rephrase that. Why're you taking part in their actions? I thought you had more honor than that," said Koizumi, glaring at his old comrade. Dreadnought glared back.
"Honor? There's no gain from honor! Sounds like Hayato's gotten into your head, old friend!" scoffed Dreadnought.
"You think I care about the Purists? Or MONARCH? Or even mutants? I'm looking out for number one!" said Dreadnought pointing to himself.
"If the money's right, I'll wipe out anyone you point me at! Why do you think I make my living off this lifestyle? One, I'm good at it. And two, brutality is like food and water for me. I do it because it's a hunger and thirst that needs to be quenched. And I refuse to starve!" said Dreadnought, firing off his cannon. Koizumi took off running, feeling the blasts of the cannon send clouds of dirt on him. Koizumi rolled into cover behind a Humvee and fired off his rifle at his former colleague.
"Come on, Kira! Show me what you're made of!" cackled Dreadnought, taking cover behind a truck. He gasped as a bullet struck near his head. He turned and found Nakada, Inoue, and Ford firing off their weapons at him. Dreadnought darted for more cover, firing off his cannon. The younger soldiers scrambled for cover and continued to fire back. Dreadnought chuckled as he continued to exchange blasts.
"Ahem."
Dreadnought turned and found Koizumi raising his rifle. With a quick and hard strike, Koizumi knocked Dreadnought unconscious.
"Always watch your back," sighed Koizumi, before giving the younger soldiers a thumbs up. Inoue grinned as she gave a thumbs up back.
Meanwhile, Adrian was racing down through the Iwi village. She turned and began to fire off her rifle. Battra was hiding in cover, as the violet bolts whizzed by.
"I can't believe MONARCH enlisted a Mutie like you!" spat Adrian. She fired off her weapon again before running off. Battra gave chase, carrying a hand gun. He was certainly outmatched in regard to fire power. He hadn't gotten the chance to grab his own rifle. But a pistol was better than nothing.
"Look, why are you doing this?! You're not even in our world to have back up! This is basically suicide!" said Battra, firing off his gun. Adrian hid behind a hut and fired back.
"It doesn't have to be this way! Just give up! I'm giving you one last chance!" said Battra.
"I don't want your damned mercy! You freaks don't deserve to live! All of you deserve to be put down for what you did to me and my family!" screamed Adrian, firing off her rifle. Battra cursed as his gun clicked. He dropped the clip and reached for his ammo belt. But, there were no more clips.
"It's terrible that you think that way. But I wonder what could've happened that would make you this way," said Battra, tossing the gun aside. He took a breath as his mind became focus. He jumped out of cover. Adrian was about to fire but found herself unable to pull the trigger. It was stuck. Or rather, she was stuck. Adrian realized that her entire body had froze in place. She strained as she attempted to move, as Battra approached, his hands slightly raised.
"At any rate, I'm fed up with you pinning your tragedy on mutants who had nothing to do with it," said Battra, moving his hands. Adrian felt her arms spread apart, her eyes wide in alarm. She found herself suddenly flung to the great wall, her head hitting the wood. She was given a concussion on impact.
Elsewhere in the village, Stinger was prowling about with a cold look. He was armed with twin heavy gauntlets. He found a few stragglers of Iwi to be passing by. Stinger raised a hand, which shifted and changed to a barrel. A bolt of energy shot from the gauntlet, shooting the Iwi down. His gauntlets then shifted into scorpion-like claws. He lunged for the few Iwi, slashing them with the sharp blades. The claws also snipped like scissors at the flesh of their prey. Stinger's eyes than fell upon the rest of the teenagers, who came rushing over.
"Get him!" shouted Rainbow, before racing towards the Purist. Stinger raised his gauntlets, as they began to change into barrels. He began to shoot, prompting the teens to take cover.
"Spread out! Spread out!" shouted Applejack. As the teens did this, Rodan was left behind, frozen. The chaos he was witnessing triggered old memories. Particularly, the day where Ponyville High was attacked. He remembered the gun fire, the blood, and the deaths. Students he knew or never knew were gone the next day. Seeing the dead Iwi on the ground in the area reminded him exactly of that.
Unbeknownst to Rodan, Stinger had his sights on him. He began to approach, his gauntlets cooling down. Rodan sluggishly stood up, starting to tremble.
As the mutant relived his trauma, they intertwined with another. Eliza. Just seeing the fire, hearing the gunfire and cries, his memory flashed back to when he killed Eliza. This made his trembling more violent. As Stinger raised his gauntlet at the mutant, Aria suddenly screamed, her voice amplified by her ability. Stinger retracted the weapons on his gauntlets and cupped his hands over his ears. He gave an agonized cry, as Aria continued to scream. She then rushed over to Rodan.
"Get moving, you idiot!" barked Aria, hauling the boy away. She gasped as Stinger suddenly raised his gauntlet again. Before he could fire, Angirasu lunged for him, tackling him to the ground. The two began to roll along the earth, both striking each other. For a human, Angirasu noticed that Stinger was surprisingly strong. Stinger shouted as he headbutted Angirasu, who was in a slight daze. He quickly shook it off and began to beat the Purist into the dirt.
The two continued to exchange blows, even switching on who had who pinned to the ground. Stinger managed to finally kick away the mutant. He got up and was about draw out his guns, but Angirasu rushed in, sprouting claws at his finger tips. He slashed at Stinger's chest, tearing through the vest he wore, while drawing blood and tearing the clothes..
Angirasu was about to go for another strike but noticed something that looked off. Stinger grunted as he scrambled to keep his torn shirt together, which was getting stained in his blood. As he attempted to tie the torn ends together, Angirasu swore that he saw that Stinger almost appeared shorter than what he remembered. A strange soft grunt came from him, different from the more rough grunts he was giving before.
"What's your deal?! I thought this was a fight!" scoffed Angirasu, clenching his fists. Stinger still seemed fixated on his shirt. It was strange. If Angirasu didn't know better, he'd say that this guy was attempting to conceal something.
Meanwhile, Scar grunted as he was thrown to the ground. He quickly drew out a pistol, firing at Gojira Senior, who raised his large muscled arm. Reptilian scales quickly sprout and deflected the bullets. The mutant continued to stalk towards the Purist. Scar got up to his feet and stumbled back, panting as he kept his gun drawn.
"Call it off, Scar. You're not going to win. Why try, when your heart's not in the game?" asked Senior, his eyes slightly narrowing. Scar slightly trembled, holding the gun tightly.
"I can tell by looking into your eyes. I know you don't want to do this anymore," said Senior. Scar gritted his teeth.
"Yeah? Well, you're right. In fact, I'm sick of it. I don't know why, but I've lost my taste for this," said Scar, before pulling the hammer on the gun back.
"But there's nothing left for me now. This life is all I have left," said Scar. Senior hardened his expression.
"So be it," said Senior. Before either could make a move, a bullet zipped through the air, piercing through Scar's kneecap. The Purist cried out in agony, collapsing to the ground. Senior found Aiko Riku standing, a handgun in her hand. She bore a hard expression.
"You easily could've killed him," said Senior.
"Don't look into it. They're not getting out of this that easily," said Aiko, making her way over to Scar, who groaned in pain on the ground.
Moments later, the remaining Purists were apprehended. They were either wounded or in pain, as they were forced to the ground. The Iwi stood with Kong and Ann, aiming their spears at them. Hard expressions were on the natives. Meanwhile, MONARCH stood, with their rifles drawn on them, with Aiko having a firm grip on her pistol. And the Guardians stood in their beastly forms, glaring at the Purists, as Senior stood in his human form, arms crossed over his chest.
"What do you wanna do with them, Lieutenant?" asked Koizumi.
"I say we waste them now. Ain't no one gonna miss them. They have it coming!" said a soldier.
"I can get behind that," said Angirasu, venom in his tone. Aiko looked to her son, her heart jumping. This boy has definitely changed. She wondered if this is what Senior saw in her.
"W-Wait! We didn't know MONARCH was going to be here! We came here to help these natives! They were being oppressed by a mutie named Kong!" said Alexandra. Angirasu clenched his fists, a growl escaping his throat.
"You just killed several innocent natives with those fucking dinosaurs! You shot their King, who they hold reverence too!" said Dwan with a glare.
'Huh. That's a big word for her,' thought Adagio in surprise.
"Bullshit! We know they're tyrants here! If we can't take you freaks out back in our world, then we'll do it here! At least they'll be grateful!" said Adrian. This managed to anger those who suffered from this attack. MONARCH, mutant and Iwi alike.
"You stupid bitch! You don't know anything about this world, do you?!" snarled Angirasu. Some recoiled at the boy's tone and rage.
"These people don't think like you do. They see the real value that mutants have! And I'll be damned before I let you bastards take that away!" said Angirasu.
"Just say the word, Lieutenant! We'll put these fucks in front of a firing squad this instant!" said a soldier.
"What kind of punishments does your tribe offer?" asked Angirasu, looking to one of the teen natives.
"We rarely had to. We could stone them. Maybe burn them at a pyre," said the native.
"Or feed them to the dinosaurs out there!" said Dwan.
"Or Skull Crawlers," said Angirasu, a smirk growing on his face.
"Bingo." said Dwan.
As their captors debated on how to punish them, the Purists felt a growing sense of fear and almost regret. How long has it been since they felt this way? Though the most regretful of all was Scar. Why did he go along with this? From the beginning, he had a bad feeling about it. He should've tried harder to talk his comrades out of attacking this village. Instead, he just went along with it like a drone without a mind of its own. It didn't matter if his conscience was now being heard. He deserved the harshest punishment like the rest.
There was a sudden shriek. Everyone looked up to find three great pterodactyls to be swooping down to the village. Their large wings beating against the wind. They carried Max, and two Dogomite soldiers. The pterodactyls wore masks that were designed to cover their eyes.
"Hold your breath!" called Max, riding one of the winged reptiles. He began to spray a pink mist from his gas gun, enveloping the village. He cackled as he spread the gas, which began to fill the nostrils of those below. The Iwi began to flee, coughing and their eyes burning.
"Tear gas!" cried Koizumi, coughing as he felt his senses becoming impaired from inflammation. As everyone began to disperse, the pterodactyls swooped in and grabbed the Purists. They began to fly. But Max lagged behind. He looked back, finding Aiko glaring at him with teary eyes from the gas. He narrowed his eyes in malice as his ride flew through the gas clouds, disappearing from sight. Aiko quickly began to fire her pistol at him, her senses still overwhelmed by the gas. As the gas began to dissipate, she saw that all three flying reptiles were still airborne, along with their passengers.
Junior groaned as he began to stir awake. He found himself slumped at the back of small wagon. Endurous sat at the front of the wagon, as a horse towed along.
It was here that Junior found himself in a unfamiliar setting. He saw crowded and dense streets, full of people dressed in fine clothes of silk and other high quality materials. Some were decorated in makeup and expensive looking accessories such as rings, necklaces, and jewelry.
There were dull and cold buildings that filled the city, made up of stone and bricks. Some buildings were stacked tall and high, reaching to at least 8 stories or so. The air reeked of something foul, and a few of these citizens appeared sickly.
The boy found his wrists and ankles bound in rope. Quietly, Junior tore through the rope for his wrists. Then he tore the ones around his ankles. As he was about to hop out from the back of the wagon, he felt a sting in the back of his neck. He reached back and pulled out a small dart. He turned, finding Endurous smugly holding a blow dart.
"Can't have you running off now," said Endurous. Junior felt his limbs turn to jello, as he struggled to stay up. He collapsed in the back, panting as he felt a growing weakness.
"Don't worry. It'll wear off soon," said Endurous, as the wagon made its way to the Citadel at the center of the city.
Meanwhile, inside the Citadel, Malicia laughed, as Onyx poured the contents of a bottle into a chalice.
"Oh, you have quite the sense of humor," sighed Malicia. Onyx smiled as he handed the Empress a chalice, before raising his own.
"To humor," said Onyx.
"And to a fruitful alliance," said Malicia, raising her own chalice. The two took a drink.
"Mm. I'm fond of your choice of beverage. What was this you said? Champagne?" asked Malicia, curious.
"Correct," answered Onyx.
"How divine! Oh, I must say that I'm pleased with your work. Especially how the Skull Walkers are susceptible to my will through the dark arts," said Malicia.
"That reminds me. There's an alternative for you, as to not overuse your dark magic," said Onyx, drawing out a small device.
"Behold, the Inhibitor Chip. A few of our last test subjects retained their humanity and rebelled. As to prevent that from happening again, we developed this device. It will suppress the human cognition, making them more like the feral animals we intended," said Onyx. Malicia bore an intrigued look.
"Could you implant them for all future Skull Walkers?" asked Malicia.
"Indeed. We've also developed a new variation of the chip that is still experimental at this point of development. We only have a few, but they're meant to control the internal functions of the subject," said Onyx.
"I look forward to testing them out eventually. Magic can be quite exhausting. Even for someone of my level," said Malicia with a sigh.
"Agreed," chuckled Onyx.
There was the sudden knock on the doors of Malicia's study. The empress turned.
"Enter!" called Malicia. The doors opened, allowing a guard to be rushing in. He quickly knelt to the ground and bowed his head.
"Pardon the interruption, your Majesty. But I've come to tell you that Endurous has returned, with the Son of Leviathan," said the guard. Malicia's eyes widened in surprise. Onyx smirked as he stood up.
"Perhaps we should finish our conversation another time," said Onyx. He began to turn to walk away. Malicia nodded to him.
Meanwhile, Endurous hauled Junior through the halls of the Citadel. Junior groaned as he was dragged along the cold ground, finding some guards to be flanking him. Along the way, he saw the almost gothic-like architecture of the hall, which was made up of archways that were sculpted with long elaborate angles and sharp corners. The halls had very little light, with only the torches that hung on the walls being the only light source.
Junior found himself thrown to the ground, inside of the throne room. He panted as he shakily stood on his hands and knees. He felt like collapsing, but his will to resist remained strong. If only his body matched that at this point.
There were a pair of boots that stepped in front of him. Junior raised his head, finding Kenra looking down at him, smirking. Sigyn stood by her, playing with her own locks of hair.
"Nice to see you again. Remember me?" asked Kenra, kneeling down, pointing to the scar that ran over her face. They looked to have been made by claws. Junior was silent for a brief moment.
"Uh... No?" Junior cocked a brow. Kenra suddenly grew red with anger.
"You son of a-" Kenra suddenly kicked Junior in the face.
"I'll show you to forget me! You little twerp!" Kenra furiously kicked Junior's face, over and over. The boy was unable to retaliate due to his weakened state.
"Kenra, I think you're taking it too personal," deadpanned Sigyn. Endurous merely chuckled in amusement. Junior couldn't fathom what was happening. He didn't know where he was, and why. He didn't even know why this woman was flipping out on him.
"Stop! That's enough, Kenra!" said Malicia, walking into the throne room with a couple of guards. Kenra begrudgingly stomped her foot on the ground, before stepping away from Junior, whose face began to swell. He panted, finding that over a dozen guards stood around the throne room. He then found Malicia to be standing beside Endurous. She was dressed in a long dark gown, and wore a silver crown upon her head. Some strands of her long raven hair hung between her eyes. The boy had to admit that this woman had quite an attractive appearance. But unlike most women he's seen, she was taller than the average. She stood around 5'11" in height. Her frame was a slim one, but with strong wide hips that would make any hot blooded man look her way.
"Congratulations, Endurous. You live up to your reputation," said Malicia with a pleased look.
"Yeah, yeah. Just give me what I'm owed," said Endurous.
"I have your gold ready. As for a bonus, my guards will escort you to my bed chambers," said Malicia, almost dismissive. Endurous narrowed his eyes.
"I was actually thinking I'd claim that reward now. After all, it was a real hassle to catch this one," said Endurous, grabbing the Empress's arm. The guards snarled, while Kenra bore a look of disgust. Sigyn crossed her arms, shaking her head. Malicia bore a slightly surprised look. She then smirked.
"Very well," said Kenra, pulling her arm away. She took a dagger from her side as she stride close to the man. She began to slowly and seductively tear through his shirt. Junior's eyes widened, as did some of those in the room.
"Wait, maybe we should-" Junior attempted to crawl away, but grunted as Sigyn stomped on his back, forcing him to the ground.
"No shame in watching, dear," said Sigyn with a wink.
"Yes there is!" protested Junior. He groaned as he saw that Endurous's clothes were torn off more, until he was down to his drawers. Meanwhile, Malicia was removing her dress and crown, exposing her black lacy undergarments. The Empress giggled as she began to cling to him, grinding against the man's pelvis. Junior shuddered as he looked away, his face growing red. He gritted his teeth as he heard the pants of Malicia and Endurous, along with the smacking of their lips locking together.
"That turn you on?" whispered Sigyn, leaning close to the boy's ear. Junior grunted as he buried his face to the ground, his spine tingling.
As Malicia continued to kiss Endurous, she felt him reaching for her undergarments, attempting to remove them. She began to caress her fingers along his bareback. The fingers suddenly sprouted sharp talons, which then dug into his flesh. Endurous cried out in pain, prompting Junior to quickly turn back with a start. He gasped as he found Endurous bleeding from his back, as Malicia held him tightly. She then looked at the man seductively. She let out a smile, exposing rows of sharp teeth. Her pupils suddenly constricted as they became horizontal. She suddenly pounced the man to the ground and sunk her teeth into Endurous's throat. The man cried out as he attempted to force her off. Junior watched in horror, unable to actually see what she was doing since her back and rear were in his line of sight. However, he saw the muscles beneath her body beginning to bulge and contract. Sigyn and Kenra smirked, taking pleasure at the scene, while a few of the guards stood anxiously.
"If Max was here, he would have thought that this was a great joke," said Kenra with a chuckle.
Endurous suddenly stopped struggling, falling silent. Malicia sighed as she stood back up to her feet, rolling her neck. Her muscles returned to normal. Junior gasped as he saw Endurous lying on the ground, his eyes dead as his throat was torn open. Malicia turned to face the boy, her mouth area drenched in blood. She smiled to the boy.
"I am so sorry that you had to see that," said Malicia, her tone sweet. Junior felt a chill in his soul as he gazed into her yellow green eyes. While her tone were sweet, the blood and the look in her eyes told his instincts that she was a threat, even without the corpse that was once Endurous. It didn't help that she had a wide, unnerving toothy smile. It was like looking at a reptile, rather than a human.
Malicia gestured to one of the guards, who walked over to her and handed over a cloth.
"It's a shame. He just got too greedy. You might see more of that. There's always someone like him that live to conquer another. Whether its through a physical battle or through intercourse. Makes you wonder about 'love'. It's merely a power-play, a way to control others to make them feel safe," said Malicia as she cleaned her face. A guard stepped over to her and placed on a black silky web textured robe. She began to wrap the ribbon around her waist, covering her naked body.
"People like us have to fight harder just to survive. Believe it or not, you and I have something in common when it comes to being dominated by other forces. Conscience. Emotion. The unfairness of life. Even 'Friendship'," said Malicia, turning to face Junior. The boy panted as he shakily stood up to his feet, while the guards tensed. Junior looked around, seeing that he was clearly at a disadvantage.
"You don't know me. How can you say we're alike? Who are you?" asked Junior.
"Malicia, Empress of Dogomoto. Welcome," said Malicia. Junior's eyes widened.
"Empress... Malicia. You're..." Junior felt a growing anger.
"I'm sure you've heard about me. The big evil tyrant that terrorizes the weak," scoffed Malicia. Junior suddenly darted towards the woman. The guards barely had enough time to react. Malicia grabbed his arm as he sent a punch, then flipped the boy over and slammed him to the ground. Junior groaned, lying on his back in pain. He didn't have the strength to get up, as Malicia planted her foot over his chest. The guards rushed over, drawing their weapons.
"Your Majesty!" cried Sigyn in alarm.
"I'm fine. Just fine," said Malicia, calmly. Junior panted with an enraged look. He heard the stories of the Empress, and remembered that someone named Malicia was responsible for the Skull Walkers. They were one in the same. Just knowing what kind of pain she brought filled him with a burning hate.
"How does it feel? To feel powerless? Alone?" asked Malicia, her tone soft and motherly. Junior was breathing hard as he glared at her. But, she had an almost compassionate look in her own.
"How did it feel when you learned you couldn't count on those you called your friends? When you needed them most?" asked Malicia. Junior's eyes widened as the woman began to use her magic to project familiar images. They were events from the boy's life. At least the most recent ones he could remember.
Junior bore witness to when he was taken away from school grounds by the police, where he was then locked away in a holding cell as he dreaded the future. It then skipped to where he was released, found innocent. But then the image of him returning to school was shown. Junior found himself more shunned among his peers, and was turned away by the Friendship Club. He watched as his past self was stunned, as some of the Main 7 acted coldly to him, while informing him that he was banned from the club. While there was no sound, Junior remembered every word exchanged just by watching it.
"How the hell do you know about this?" demanded Junior.
"My dear, magic gives me greater insight into others. I know your woes," said Malicia, stepping off of the boy. She stepped away, as Junior stood up, his expression still hard.
"Back away. You'll just make him more tense," said Malicia. The guards reluctantly stepped back, but kept their weapons up.
"It's alright. You don't have to hide your feelings. I know what's it's like to feel that your life is in danger," said Malicia, as she projected a montage of images. Junior turned to the projection, finding himself and Rodan fleeing down an alley, as Purists fired their guns on them. Then, images of Junior fighting for his life against Stinger, just as the mechanical tail he bore scorched off his left arm. Junior reflexively felt his left arm twitch, as though the ghost of his old arm was prodding him.
"To have your heart broken..." said Malicia, projecting another image. Junior grimaced as he bore witness to himself, standing at the sidelines as Flash Sentry asked Sunset Shimmer out, all the way back in Freshmen Year..
"To be alone." Malicia then projected a montage of memories. Junior bore witness to all the times that he was alone. From his couple of days of being stranded in the jungles of Equescidar, to the times he sat alone during lunch at school, during P.E. class, and walking home from school alone. But the boy felt a pain in his chest as he bore witness to a memory of a little boy, who sat under a tree as he watched the other children play. Alone.
Junior felt a slight tremble as the projections ended. He hated the empathetic look that this woman was giving him. It was almost close to what Sunset has given him in the past. That made him hate this woman more, who was reminding him of the past that he wished to forget. It didn't help that she was a tyrant.
"I've been through it all. You're not alone anymore," said Malicia. Junior scoffed,
"I don't care about any of that. Nor about your life story. What I want to know is why in the hell would you hire that guy to bring me here? To attack me and my... friends," said Junior. He didn't know why he hesitated to say that word. Just being reminded of the past was starting to rile him. He thought he had put that away, for the sake of them all getting home. He wondered why now it was bothering him again.
"Truly, I'm sorry. I thought that he'd be more civil when fetching you. The reason I had you brought here was because I thought that you and I could help each other," said Malicia. She levitated a sword from the belt of a guard, who recoiled in shock. Junior tensed, as he found the sword drawn via magic.
"How can you help me? Hell, I don't even know what I can do for you," said Junior.
"I can give you your greatest desire. Control," said Malicia, firmly. She grabbed the sword and held it out to him, the blade pointing up the ceiling.
"With me, I can help you find your destiny. Or... You can leave and continue to be a slave to those so called friends, and anyone who would seek to exploit you," said Malicia. Junior looked at the woman suspiciously. This all seemed off. But, some of the things she said resonated with him. He remembered the awful things that happened to him throughout his life. Even to the days leading up to him being marooned on Equescidar. He was hated, feared, and exploited for his genetics. He really wasn't in control. But what could this woman offer him that could possibly change his destiny? There was only one way to find out.
Junior reached out and took the sword. He looked at the cold iron blade, which bore a dark grip and decorative guard, which appeared like spider legs.
"I'll bite," said Junior. Malicia smiled.
"Wise decision, my son" said Malicia. Junior sent her an odd look.
"Wait, what was that?" asked Junior.
Later that Morning...
The Iwi villagers were in the process of recovering after the recent attack. The wounded were tended to, and the dead were gathered. As were the MONARCH soldiers. Fortunately, there were more wounded than casualties for both parties, though that didn't take away from the tragedy of those that were lost.
Kong winced as a medical officer from MONARCH began to place a damp cloth on the wound, soaked up with alcohol. Then he moved away as an Iwi took Kong's arm and began to sew up the wound. Ann was knelt next to the mutant in worry.
"Luckily, it went through. Missed the bone too. Just try to take it easy for a while," said the medic.
"Those were Dogomites. They just made a grave mistake," said Kong, growling.
"What happened to not getting involved with the war?" asked Ann.
"It's not about the war. This is personal," said Kong, wincing as his wound was sewed. He then noticed a flock of birds to be soaring over. He hardened his expression.
"There's nothing that I hate more than uninvited guests," said Kong, prompting Ann to look to where he was staring. The flock of birds were large, carrying armored men on their backs. The birds landed, allowing the soldiers to hop off. Among them was Prince David.
"The Sacramentonians!" said Ann, shooting up to her feet. Kong was about to stand but the native treating his wound placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Hurry and finish," said Kong in frustration.
Meanwhile, the Main 7, Dazzlings, Mutants and Dwan took notice of the newcomers.
"Hey, that's the Prince! What's he doing here?" asked Rainbow.
"Let's find out," said Twilight. The teens began to make their way over, as David began to approach
"What are you doing here?" asked Ann.
"We were nearby and were given word that the Dogomites were riding dragons over the jungle. We heard strange loud sounds coming from here. We came to help," said David.
"We're fine without you," said Kong, narrowing his eyes. David looked around, finding the destruction, and the wounded.
"We have supplies. Please, accept them so you can better recover," said David. Kong merely hardened his eyes. But, Ann looked to him with a soft expression. Then Kong looked to the village, where the natives stood among the aftermath of the attack.
"Very well," said Kong.
"Get those supplies distributed!" ordered David. Two familiar guards quickly began to carry over crates filled with food, water, and medial items from herbs to ointments and bandages.
"How this tale has taken a strange turn," said first guard.
"Don't you start again with your so called, '4th Wall' nonsense. You'll be thrown in the asylum," said the second guard.
"Yo, your highness!" Rainbow waved, as she and the other teens approached.
"Lady Rainbow. I wasn't expecting to see you and your friends so soon," said David with a smile. He then turned to Kong, bowing his head apologetically.
"I am sorry that we weren't able to get here sooner," said David.
"I didn't expect your help. No reason for you to apologize. Besides, this was a sneak attack," said Kong.
"Oi. Do you see those weirdos over there?" whispered second knights pointing a thumb to the MONARCH soldiers that were a distance away, preoccupied with their own trouble.
"The sinister looking armored foreigners? No, I was looking at the ground," said the first knight sarcastically.
"OK, smart ass. I think one of us should inform the rest back at the town we were at. We'll need more men," said the second knight.
"I shall be off! It is my role!" said the first knight. He cleared his throat.
"Prince David! Perhaps I should go off to gather more supplies," said the first knight.
"Very well. But be on your guard," said Prince David. The first knight bowed before hopping on his bird. The large feathery creature shrieked as it took to the air, flying off.
Maximilian sighed as he burst through the doors of Malicia's throne room. The Purists were bounded in cuffs as they were forced inside. In the room were unfamiliar men. Not guards, nor mere citizens. They wore robes, as though they held some form of authority.
"Milady, your newest helpers have been quite naughty!" giggled Max, as the guards threw the Purists before the throne, where Malicia sat in a new gown.
"Oh dear. What happened, Maximillian?" sighed Malicia, propping her head up on her throne's arm rest.
"You won't believe it! These hooligans shirked their duty and attacked the Iwi tribe without permission! We had to delay the release just to bail them out when they were captured!" said Max.
"Is this true?" asked Malicia.
"Yes, it is. Although, it was Stinger's idea," said Scar, glaring at the man beside him. Stinger bore a neutral look. Scar felt compelled to throw him under the bus in particular. After all, it was his idea and it did cost the lives of innocent bystanders. Scar himself has been guilty of this very thing in the past, but wanted to make sure this one suffered as much as he did. After all, both were deserving of severe punishment.
"I did in fact give the idea of attacking the tribe," said Stinger. The rest of the Purists bore confused and surprised looks. The way he responded was so calm and casual. They at least expected some protest out of him from being put on the spot like this.
"But I would like to mention that while it was my idea, my colleagues should have talked me out of it. Therefore, they're as much in the wrong as I," said Stinger.
"Wha- It was your idea!" said Adrian with a glare.
"It was merely a suggestion. You and the others were just too stupid to follow through with it. I never forced any of you. You easily could've let me go on my own if not talk me out of it. You joined in instead," said Stinger with a smirk.
"Are you serious?" asked Alexandra in shock. Meanwhile a few men that stood in the throne room began to speak up. They were dressed in long robes.
"They should be executed at once! They not only defied her Majesty, they've also provoked an attack on a neutral faction that may ally themselves with the enemy in light of this!" shouted a court member.
"Agreed!" shouted another man. The court was full of angry cries as they called for the heads of the Purists. Scar bowed his head, as the other Purists glared at Stinger.
"Hang them! Flog them! Stone them! Bludgeon them!" the court members began to shout out punishments for the Purists.
"Settle down. Settle down," said Malicia, raising a hand, silencing the court.
"The Purists' error deserves a more permanent discipline. Something that they can't be easily relieved of. More harsh than torture, and less merciful than death," said Malicia. She then turned to Sigyn.
"Prepare the Purists," said Malicia with a dark smile. Sigyn giggled maliciously as she began to make her way to the Purists.
"Get moving, boy toys! And ladies," said Sigyn, though her tone was more disinterested once referring to the women. She began to escort the Purists out of the room.
"Not you uh... Stinger, was it? You stay right here," said Malicia.
"You heard her," said Sigyn, shoving the man out of the line.
"Hey! Why doesn't he-" Alexandra was interrupted as Sigyn ushered her out of the room.
"That'll be all. You're dismissed," said Malicia, waving to the members of the court. They all began to leave, though some a bit dissatisfied since they may not be able to witness any punishment. As they left, Malicia looked to Stinger, who had his arms pressed close over his chest.
"You seem to be holding yourself tightly. Are you cold?" asked Malicia, walking by the man.
"It's just a nasty flesh wound from the attack," said Stinger. Malicia nodded in understanding.
"I see. Perhaps I should take a look. You wouldn't want it to get infected," said Malicia as she stepped close to Stinger. Before the man could protest, Malicia grabbed what cloth she could and yanked it off. Stinger suddenly screamed in agony as the shirt was torn off, exposing a bit of the slashes over his mostly covered chest. But, his form began to shift and change. It seemed to grow slimmer.
"Hmph. I thought that your scent was off," said Malicia.
Stinger stood as his hair had turned to a dark violet with golden highlights. His body became more of an hourglass shape, and appeared a bit shorter than he originally appeared. Red eyes narrowed at the Empress. This man was in fact a woman. This woman's hair was short, but she appeared feminine, unlike the more masculine look she had moments before. She held arms over her now exposed breasts, as her skin bled.
"What a twist!" exclaimed Maximilian in shock.
"Impressive. An enchanted cloth that can change your identity. It looks like you bind your breast. I assume this enchantment has its limits," said Malicia, looking over the torn cloth she held. She found the woman glaring at her.
"Is Stinger really your name?" asked Malicia.
"No. It's Megaguirus," said the woman, her tone harsh.
"Hmm. With the enchantment gone... It was hiding more of your true nature. You're a Demi-Titan. Why would you work for the Purists, who seek your destruction?" asked Malicia in confusion.
"Heh. That's where you're mistaken. The Transmutant Revolutionaries run the Purists." Megaguirus smirked. Maximilian suddenly began to giggle. Megaguirus looked at him in confusion.
"What's so funny?" asked Megaguirus.
"Oh, you're about to find out," giggled Max.
The Iwi village was still recovering from the chaos from earlier. Some progress was made, but work was still needed to be done. As most of the teens helped around with whatever they could, the adults were mainly together, recapping on what was next.
"So you don't know the identities of the ones who attacked?" asked David.
"All I know is that the Dogomites swooped in and carried them off," said Kong with a sigh.
"I know who they are," interjected Aiko. This drew the attention of the two men.
"They were from our world. They call themselves, Purists," said Aiko.
"Hmm. I believe Angirasu mentioned them once. Then they must be in league with the Dogomites," said Kong.
"If that's the case, then we may need to discuss-" David was interrupted as the shrieks of birds came from above. Everyone shot their heads up and ground a great flock of great birds. On their backs were more Sacramentonian soldiers, making up a platoon. They landed, allowing the soldiers to hop off.
"What is the meaning of this?!" demanded Kong. However, he noticed the confused look on David's face.
"I-I don't know. Hold on," said David, as he began to make his way to one of the soldiers. He was older than most of the men in the platoon, and wore a blue plume over his helmet.
"Captain, what is the meaning of this?" demanded David, as the Sacramentonians began to spread out.
"We received word that an enemy force has been sighted in the area. The Zeta," said the Captain.
"The Zeta? You mean the rumored faction allied with the Dogomites?" asked David.
"The very same. And there they are," said the Captain, as the Sacramentonian soldiers approached the MONARCH soldiers, weapons drawn.
"Hey!" barked Aiko. Meanwhile, the teenagers bore looks of alarm at what they were witnessing.
"No one move! In the name of the Crown, you are under arrest!" said a Sacramentonian.
"Under what charges?!" asked Koizumi incredulously.
"You are accused as being in league with a faction that has preyed on small villages within Sacramentonian territory. The Zetas," said the soldier, as some soldiers stood, with their hands glowing. The rest held spears or swords.
"The Zetas? Why would-" Sunset was interrupted as Mosura gasped in alarm.
"Battra!" cried Mosura. She watched as a few Sacramentonians forced Battra, Inoue and a few other low ranking soldiers to the rest of the platoon.
"Wait! Your highness, they can't be the Zetas!" said Sunset, calling to Prince David.
"They match the description. Your highness, the King has requested your return for the trial," said the Captain.
"Trial?!" exclaimed the teens. David sighed.
"Very well," said David as he followed the captain.
"Wait, Prince David!" called Mosura, frantic. Angirasu watched as his mother was herded along with the rest of the platoon of MONARCH soldiers. She looked back at him, a pained look on her face. Angirasu felt a knot in his stomach as their eyes met. In just moments, the soldiers were restrained in cuffs, made entirely of magic. The Sacrementonians began to board the birds, which shrieked as they took off, carrying what remained of the platoon.
"Ah fuck!" cried Baragon, as the Guardians, Iwi, teens and mothers watched as the soldiers were carried off. Some cried out as they were carried by the large birds, away from the village.
"Damn. This rescue mission just got a lot more complicated." Miwa lamented.
Lur, Malicia's Citadel...
Sigyn's heals echoed through the halls of the the citadel. Along the way, she felt a growing annoyance at the whining of the prisoners that she was escorting.
"Where are you taking us, you pointy eared whore?" demanded Alexandra. Sigyn sighed.
"Just shut the hell up. We're almost there," said Sigyn as a guard opened up a pair of heavy doors. She led them inside, their chains clanked and echoed through the large dark room. There were no windows present, nor any cells.
"This isn't the dungeon," said Scar in confusion. Sigyn smirked at him.
"Who said anything about you going to the dungeon?" asked Sigyn.
"Wha..." Scar still appeared confused. Sigyn giggled wickedly.
"Malicia has other plans for you," said Sigyn as she walked out of the room. She closed the heavy doors behind herself, leaving the Purists alone in the dark room.
"Wh-What did she mean by that?" asked Alexandra. There was a sudden hum in the air. The Purists turned to find a trail of lights to appear in the darkness in an arch motion. A bright light suddenly lit up a bit of the room. The Purists squinted through the sudden brightness, having been disoriented. But as their sights adjusted, they saw a large familiar archway that stood at the end of the room. It was like the one they escaped through from MONARCH. Only this one was a bit smaller in scale, only able to fit into this room. It was a lot cleaner and sleeker in appearance compared to the other, which bore many conduits and steel frames that were visible to the eye. However, this archway looked to have been made completely of a clean metal, without a single internal piece in sight.
"What the hell?" Dreadnought cocked his head. Adrian suddenly rushed to the doors and began to bang her fists against it.
"Let us out of here! What's something like this doing here?!" demanded Adrian. The rest of the Purists followed in suit, banging on the doors. They demanded for release. No doubt anyone would hear them at this rate. Unbeknownst to the Purists, male figures dressed in dark suits emerged from the portal of the archway. They stalked towards the panicking Purists, who were none the wiser to their presence. The men swung and struck metallic prods against the Purists, sending violet volts into their bodies. The Purists suddenly collapsed to the ground, their cries silenced.
Junior found himself sitting silently in a room alone. The room was quite large compared to the rooms from the Inns he visited. The bed chambers bore tile floor, with dark colored rugs to be on the ground, made up of a rough fabric. The bed was also quite large, like it was meant for more than one. This was nothing like his bed back home. It was held up by an obsidian frame, sculpted with curves. There was also curtains that hung around the bed, currently pulled back to reveal the whole bed. There were dressers and chests that were in the corners of this lavish bed room.
Junior took the time to walk over to a set of windows, which were wide open and allowed some light into the room. As he stepped out to the balcony, he beheld a depressing sight. At a great height, the boy saw the courtyard down below, which was walled from the rest of the city. In the courtyard was a green garden, which bore some healthy flowers and other plants.
Beyond the courtyard was another story. The city was vast and extended quite the distance. The buildings were dull and grey in appearance. There was evidence of color, but they all looked to have withered away. The grey sky and the high noon shining down gave the land a depressing atmosphere. Junior could detect a faint foul odor that seemed to be radiating from a certain direction of the city. This place almost reminded the boy of a modern day city.
The more medieval and bricked buildings were present, but they were dwarfed by larger and taller buildings that were more rectangular and squared in appearance. It was like looking at boxes with windows.
"Ugh..." Junior grimaced. He then took notice of a startling sight. He felt his heart jumped as he took notice. While it was faint, Junior's sight and vantage point allowed him to see a bit of the land outside of the city's walls. The land was nothing but a grey dead plain. Not a single patch of greenery could be seen. This city was in the middle of a literal wasteland. It was horrifying to say the least.
"What the hell happened here?" asked Junior, breathless.
"It's a long story," said a familiar voice. Junior tensed. He turned to find Malicia to be standing in the room, behind him.
"I didn't hear you come in," said Junior. Malicia smiled in amusement as she walked over, standing at the stone railing of the balcony.
"Miserable, isn't it?" asked Malicia, gazing out to the land.
"The scenery? Not at all! In fact, it's uh..." Junior awkwardly tried to think of a compliment.
"You know, I don't like dishonesty," said Malicia casually.
"And I like to keep my head where it belongs," muttered Junior. No way was he going to badmouth this woman's kingdom when he's pretty much at her mercy.
"It's alright. Even I hate looking at it," said Malicia, her eyes still on the city. Junior glanced at her.
"The air is stagnant and foul. There's too many people gathered together in one place. There's no color. No beauty. Just gray," said Malicia, a light frown on her face. Junior turned to look at the depressing city. This place's atmosphere was starting to affect his mood.
"It wasn't always like this, you know. I remember when the air was clean. When there was room for people to walk the streets. When there was color…when there was life," said Malicia.
"So what happened?" asked Junior.
"No one knows for sure. Some believe that it’s the gods' way of punishing us. Some think the land died because of our mining for resources," said Malicia.
"Well, what do you believe?" asked Junior. Though right now, he started to realize that he was having a more calm, yet depressing, conversation with the 'Evil Empress'.
"I? I think this land was always dead. It only lived because of the Goddess, Arachna," said Malicia.
"Who's that?" asked Junior. Malicia smiled in amusement.
"You haven't noticed? Our culture honors her. From the beautiful architecture that fills this citadel, to some of the remains of the city before the dark times," said Malicia as she drew out a necklace, which bore a small medallion of a silver spider carved into it.
"She is the Goddess of Prosperity. It was said that her fine silk brought wealth to our people. Along with the ability to find rare and valuable minerals and resources," said Malicia. Junior squinted as he looked at the necklace.
"So she's a spider? That explains the arachnid themes I've seen around here," said Junior, looking to the bed frame, which bore a sculpted image of a spider with long legs.
"Indeed. Though whatever reason, she abandoned us. With her gone, the land died again," said Malicia, her tone solemn. Junior awkwardly scratched his head, a weird thought coming to his mind.
"Can I ask you something?" asked Junior.
"Hmm?" Malicia tilted her head.
"Why'd you call me, your son?" asked Junior. Malicia giggled in amusement. It was an unusually cute sound to come from a woman that he witnessed tear out a man's throat.
"I don't know. You just seem like the kind of son I'd want. Strong and handsome," said Malicia. Junior scratched his head awkwardly with a light blush.
"That's... flattering. But also kinda weird. I'm pretty sure you're not much older than me," said Junior. Malicia giggled again.
"Actually, I am. I'm 50," said Malicia. Junior looked at the woman oddly. But then, he recalled that she was like him. A mutant.
"Oh. Well, you're looking great," said Junior awkwardly.
"I must say, your unsophisticated mannerisms are quite charming," said Malicia.
"Thanks..." said Junior, mildly annoyed.
"Oh no. Don't take it the wrong way. The people I've had to associate myself with through my life are full of themselves. Pompous and out of touch," said Malicia.
"That's strange, coming from an Empress," said Junior.
"Believe it or not, I can be quite the people person. The strength of the Empire relies on the strength of its people," said Malicia.
"Or the fear it can inflict," said Junior, his eyes slightly narrowed. Malicia merely smiled.
"That too. It's not a tool I proudly use. But, it keeps order. Without it, there'd be chaos," said Malicia.
"Order, huh?" Junior crossed his arms. This woman was something else. He almost forgot who he was talking to.
"I should go. I still have business to attend to. But I'd like to speak with you again soon. Perhaps at dinner?" asked Malicia, sending an alluring glance at Junior. The boy sighed.
"Sure," said Junior. For now, he'll go along with this woman. Hopefully he can get whatever he can that she promised. If not, he can always just leave. But, he kept thinking back to the others he left behind. Was it right to delay his return for this?
Capital of Sacramentonia...
The MONARCH soldiers found themselves escorted by a team of Sacramentonian guards. They were led into a dungeon, where they were forced into cells.
"Hey! We didn't do anything!" protested Inoue. She was followed with other protests from the soldiers.
"Silence, you wretches! Your judgement will be at hand! I pray that we can find the rest of you so called Zetas before more have to suffer," spat a soldier before leaving. The dungeon door was slammed close.
"How the hell did we get in this mess?" asked Aiko.
"Oi. They said you were the Zetas?" called a man from a cell.
"I think they did! Those same heathens that's been posing as gods to fool the weak!" said another prisoner. A few more prisoners began to stir and had their attention drawn on the imprisoned soldiers.
"I had family in Eloi, you scum! What did you do to them?!" demanded another prisoner, reaching through the cell bars.
"Fuck off, Frodo!" spat a soldier with a glare.
"Come here so I can reach ya! I'll strangle ya nice and good!" said another prisoner. As the prisoners shouted threats, a number of the soldiers felt a growing fear, mostly the younger ones. The older and more hardened ones were stoic and kept a hold on their emotions. But deep down, they knew that they were vulnerable and helpless. All they could do was wait for a trial for a crime they did not commit.
The air was cold. It brought goosebumps. Scar's vision was blurred as it struggled to adjust. The low lighting did not help. He looked to the side and found Adrian strapped down to a table next to him. He looked down at himself and found his own arms and legs restrained on a similar table. He grunted as he struggled.
"Whoa, what the fuck?!" Alexandra exclaimed, shooting awake. The Purists had all soon awoken, finding themselves strapped to these tables. The room was cold and sterilized. They began to struggle.
"Hey! Where are we?!" called Adrian.
There was a sudden chuckle from the shadows. The sound echoed around them, making it unclear of the source. But, they saw a pair of glowing red eyes, piercing through the darkness.
"At last. We finally get to meet face to face," said the dark figure said, moving into the light. It was here that the Purists recognized him as Onyx.
"You. That's impossible," said Scar, eyes wide.
"Ugh. The guy who sided with the muties isn't dead," said Adrian, mildly disappointed. Onyx chuckled.
"Ah. You just reminded me of Ghidorah. He always gets upset when he finds that I manage to survive," said Onyx as he walked over to the Purists.
"What do you want?" demanded Scar. It was here that the Purist noticed something off about Onyx. His ears were unnatural. They were pointed. His mannerisms also seemed different. Almost malicious.
"You're going to become the first of many," said Onyx.
"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Dreadnought.
"You will become Transmutants," answered Onyx. Alexandra suddenly began to laugh hysterically.
"Ha! Ah, that's funny. You're killing me," chuckled Alexandra, relaxing. But, she noticed that no one else was laughing. She saw that Onyx was completely stoic. This made the woman feel a growing discomfort.
"Y-You're serious?" asked Alexandra.
"Of course I am," said Onyx.
"Hey, is this some kind of sick joke?!" demanded Dreadnought.
"You're insane! You can't just-" Scar began to shout.
"I rather die than to become one of those freaks!" yelled Adrian.
"Is that even possible to do?" asked Alexandra.
"I assure you. When this is over, you'll be gods among men. More powerful than any pitiful 'Earthbound'," said Scar, leaning close to Adrian. The Purist spat in his face in response. Onyx recoiled in disgust.
"Ugh! Well, that was rude. My previous subjects had more manners than you," said Onyx, taking a cloth from his coat pocket and began to wipe his face.
"Go to hell!" said Adrian.
"I think we're finished here. Implants are in, correct? Prepare for the mutation process," said Onyx, turning to a figure beside him.
The room suddenly lit up. The room looked more modern compared to the dreary Citadel that they were in before. The Purists noticed bags containing an orange liquid hanging over them from a pole. Men in scrubs began to approach. They began to stick needles into their arms, which allowed the fluid from the bags to flow into their veins.
"W-Wait! Why are you doing this?!" cried Alexandra in panic.
"Hey, I'll pay you to let me go!" said Dreadnought desperately. The Purists began to panic and plead for their freedom and their lives. What were once a ruthless band of terrorists were now reduced to being fearful prey. Onyx bore an amused look at their pleading.
"Why deny it? You all gave up your humanity a long time ago," said Onyx. As the bags of fluid began to empty, the Purists felt a sudden wave of dizziness. The world spun, and their bodies grew hot and soar. The Purists began to scream and cry in agony, as their veins were exposed from beneath their flesh. Their bodies began to shift and change. Onyx began to cackle as he watched as the Purists' bodies began to shift in shape. Their faces almost becoming skull-like.
Iwi Village, Roaring Jungle...
The village was quiet. No more were the MONARCH soldiers, who once filled the morning with routine training exercises to stay in shape in the new merciless environment. The only evidence of their previous presence were the vehicles, weapons, equipment and tents that they left behind.
As of now, the Main 7, Dazzlings, Guardians, Mothers, and 3 of the Mutant 4 were present together with Kong, Ann and Dwan. The Iwi were still in the process of rebuilding the damage done to the wall. Most of the wounded have been treated. Meanwhile, the dead were buried beneath the earth, away from the village itself.
"Riku was the one in possession of the controller to return us home. Abandoning them is not an option," said Senior.
"I understand. But I will not be able to help you. The Sacramentonians and Iwi are enemies. And I do not wish to involve them anymore than we already have. I also must remain to defend the village while the wall is damaged," said Kong.
"But we have family among them!" cried Mosura.
"Kong, please reconsider," pleaded Ann. Kong sighed, shaking his head.
"I've made up my mind. I can't help you," said Kong, as he stood and made his way to the wall, where the Iwi were. Angirasu watched as his mentor left. He saw that the rest were visibly upset at his decision.
"Nice Aang, are you OK?" asked Dwan, concern in her tone. Angirasu merely looked her way, stoic.
"Yeah, why?" asked Angirasu. Dwan was surprised by his response.
"I-It's just that... I know you hate MONARCH. But your mother was with them. And Kong..." Dwan frowned.
"Kong's just doing what he has to for the tribe. I don't blame him for that," said Angirasu.
"Look, who cares what he thinks? It's about your mom," said Rodan. Angirasu said nothing.
"Dude, come on. I know you don't have the best relationship with her, but she's still your mother. She came from our world to Equescidar to get you," said Rodan.
"I know. It wouldn't be right to abandon her now. It's the least I can do," said Angirasu, his tone almost detached.
'That's not exactly the response I was hoping to hear,' thought Sunset, frowning. The indifference that Angirasu showed was disappointing.
"So what do we do? They think they're the Zetas. No way they'd just let them go if we get there and tell them they're wrong," said Mosura.
"They mentioned that they were going to be on trial, right? I think I have an idea," said Adagio. The teens looked at her in surprise.
"You do?" asked Fluttershy. Adagio appeared mildly annoyed.
"Hey, why's everyone looking at me like that? Whatever. I'll be back!" said Adagio as she began to rush over to the edge of the village, where two wagons lied, along with a horse and a domesticated triceratops. She had forgotten that these animals were still around. No chance at returning them now.
Adagio began to dig through the back of one of the wagons, as the group followed her. The Dazzling drew out a handgun, which startled some of the teens and adults.
"Whoa! Be careful with that!" exclaimed Miwa.
"It's fine. The thing's not even loaded," said Adagio, as she held up a clip.
"What are you even doing with that?!" asked Twilight. She hoped that Adagio wasn't thinking of doing something reckless with that weapon.
"It was a gift from a village we saved. From the real Zetas," said Adagio, smirking.
"The real- Wait. Adagio, you're a genius!" grinned Sunset. Adagio chuckled as she held up the gun, with a hand on her hip as though she was mimicking the pose of a gun totting female protagonist.
"Thanks for noticing," said Adagio.
"Alright, I'm lost. Is your idea to go down there and shoot anyone in your way for a rescue? Because that's a terrible idea," deadpanned Baragon.
"No, don't you see? We have evidence of the Zetas. If we can use it to prove that the soldiers aren't affiliated, they'll be set free! Then we can get back to looking for Gojira!" said Sunset.
"That was your idea?" asked Dwan in disbelief. Adagio gave an offended look.
"Hey, I'm smarter than I look!" said Adagio.
"Are a couple of weapons really enough to convince the Sacramentonians?" asked Angirasu.
"Maybe not on their own. But a few eye witness testimonies might increase the odds in our favor. You guys said you saved a village, right?" asked Twilight.
"Yeah. We know some of the villagers and where everything went down," answered Rodan.
"OK. Then we have a case to work with. Any chance that you can get a villager to testify?" asked Twilight.
"We could, but no way we can get the village and to the capital on time. In fact, Rainbow Dash is the only capable of reaching the city before the end of the day on foot," said Sunset. She began to feel a growing doubt, realizing how fetched that this plan was turning out to be.
"We don't need to go on foot. We have wings!" said Pinkie, pulling Mosura and Rodan close.
"What?!" exclaimed Mosura and Rodan in unison.
"Rodan, you've done it before, remember? You're the reason how we were able to rescue Goji from the aliens," said Fluttershy, an encouraging smile on her face.
"B-But... I still don't have that much control over it," said Rodan, worriedly. Mosura appeared pale.
"I can't even manage a transformation at will," said Mosura.
"You both can do it," Senior suddenly spoke up, drawing the teens' attention. He looked at them firmly.
"If you both can survive out here on your own, then you can manage a transformation. The strength of all Transmutants comes from their endurance. That is one aspect of your humanity that helps retain your awareness. It all derives from the heart and soul," said Senior. Angirasu smiled.
"Kong said that a transformation can only work if you aren't blinded with fear. Don't be afraid of what you are. Just embrace it," said Angirasu.
"How do you embrace something like-" Rodan quickly fell silent. He hated himself for hesitating. There were lives on the line. Rodan never really hated nor liked MONARCH. He acknowledged that they were just a reality in the world. Something that could be avoided if you didn't step out of line. While most would say that was akin to slavery or oppression, Rodan thought that true freedom came from a state of mind. To be disciplined enough to not lash out and to bring about an expected retaliation.
Even if MONARCH was not his ally as an institution, he knew that there were people that were just doing a job. Whether they hated him or not wasn't important to him. Their lives were on the line, along with Junior's. He couldn't limit his strength just because of the trauma he experienced.
"No... You're right," said Rodan. Angirasu smiled. The boys looked to Mosura, who was biting her lip.
"Mosu, you know what helps gets a transformation down? Having a motivation in your mind," said Angirasu.
"Like what?" muttered Mosura.
"Your brother needs you. Gojira needs you. Don't you want to help them in any way you can?" asked Angirasu.
"Of course," gulped Mosura.
"Then take a chance," said Angirasu. Mosura felt a slight tremble in her body. She recalled all of the times she was fearful of changing, especially when she actually changed in her old apartment. She recalled the pain of her body changing shape, her bones becoming external and hardening into a brown carapace. But, she recalled the security and calm she felt with Junior and her brother. The love she had for them nagged her. How could she be true to her heart if she was too much of a coward to go through pain, physical and emotional, for them?
"OK. OK, I'll do it," said Mosura, her tone shaky.
Later, the two mutants stood just outside of the village. The rest of the group watched from behind the partially repaired wall. Meanwhile, Angirasu, Kong, Senior, and Fluttershy stood outside with them.
"Remember, throw the powder as soon as they get aggressive," said Kong. Angirasu nodded to him in response. Senior looked down at Fluttershy, who stood silently.
"Stand close, and do not make any sudden movements," said Senior. Fluttershy nodded in response. The mutant was surprised at this girl. While she came off as timid and at times fearful, she was actually much braver than he thought. After all, she herself was there to test her 'Eden Tongue' while Junior was training at transformation. Even when she was threatened, the girl remained courageous and managed to tame the boy while he was in a beastly state. He only hoped that carried on for this situation.
Rodan and Mosura both focused. With their minds and hearts set on their goal, their bodies began to morph and change. Rodan was already half way through transformation, with his arms elongating into wings as his flesh was covered by jagged scales. Mosura whimpered as she remained on her hands and knees, her body in great pain. Her sides felt like they were being torn, and her skull felt like it was being squeezed. But even the pain was nothing compared to the memories that flooded her.
"You can do it! Just keep pushing!" said Angirasu. Mosura let out a scream as extra insect appendages tore through her clothes and sides, as her arms elongated into mantis-like limbs. She began to breathe hard, as she reminisced the times she was with Junior. Good and bad. She yearned to see him again, to be in the protective and caring embrace of his strong arms. Then, there was her brother, who was the only family that she had left. They couldn't part now. These things gave her the strength to push on.
In just moments, the two mutants had finished transforming. They stood, growling in relief. Everyone kept their distance, as the mutants turned. Their eyes falling upon them. Fluttershy calmly raised a hand.
"Mosura? Rodan?" called Fluttershy. Mosura's insect mouth clicked as she tilted her head, a soft and whimsical chitter escaping her. Rodan groaned as he rested his wings on the ground, shaking his body. Fluttershy grinned.
"They did it! I think they're self-aware!" said Fluttershy.
"That will have to do," said Kong.
"OK. Not everyone can come. Either Rodan or Mosura should bring an Eloi witness, while the other heads to the capital," said Sunset.
"I can always jog over. So I'm good," said Rainbow.
"Adagio and I will take Mosu to get our witness, then," said Sunset.
"Uh..." Adagio looked to Mosura, who's blue insectoid eyes seemed to be glaring at her. Even though they were structured in the shape of a wasp's, Adagio couldn't help but think otherwise.
"How about you take Fluttershy? You need someone to communicate," said Adagio uneasily.
"OK!" said Fluttershy, a bit too eagerly. Just the idea of riding a giant moth-like insect sounded like an exciting time. She just hoped it'd be a better experience than with Rodan.
"Then I'll take Rodan to the capital. Dash, you lead the way," said Twilight. The tomboy nodded.
"I'll come too. Maybe a 'Guardian' close to one of you will help," said Angirasu.
"M-Me too!" stuttered Dwan. Angirasu raised a brow at this.
"Let me tag along," said Aria.
"Why?" Asked Twilight in confusion.
"Because I'm tried of standing around in one place," said Aria flatly. Twilight shrugged.
Later, Rodan and Mosura found themselves wearing saddles, which had been made by the Iwi. Rodan attempted to gnaw at his own, but felt Twilight smacking at his head, prompting an annoyed grunt. The teens began to mount the transformed mutants, securing themselves on their backs.
"You kids be careful!" called Posey.
"Yes, ma'am," said Fluttershy.
"Why am I still coming along?" asked Adagio as she sat behind Fluttershy.
Rodan shrieked as he stood on his two legs. He began to walk forward, as he flapped his wings. Dwan gasped as she instinctively held Angirasu by his waist more tightly. Aria did the same with Twilight, though she looked to be a bit more excited.
"Alright, here we go!" cried Twilight. Rodan suddenly took to the air, followed by Mosura. They ascended above the jungle, with the teens crying out in fear or exhilaration. Rainbow chuckled as she ran after them.
"Oh my God! Oh my God! We're gonna die!!" cried Dwan. Aria laughed with a hoot.
Meanwhile, Sunset held the saddle of Mosura tightly, as Fluttershy held her waist and buried her face into her back. Adagio held on as well, clenching her eyes shut.
"Oh boy! OK, I think we're doing great so far!" said Sunset as she nervously looked over to drop into the jungle below. She then turned to the rest of the group.
"We're gonna split off from here! Good luck!" said Sunset. Mosura chirped as she turned and began to soar away.
Meanwhile, Angirasu looked back at Dwan, who still clung to him tightly.
"Dwan, are you OK?" asked Angirasu in concern.
"Me? I'm great! Just getting a little clingy with you!" said Dwan, forcing a flirtatious look. But, Angirasu could see through the girl's facade.
"I'm not buying it," said Angirasu.
"So I'm afraid of heights! Big whoop! I never even liked flying in planes!" cried Dwan, tightening her hold around Angirasu.
"It's fine! You gotta get a load of this view! It's amazing!" called Angirasu, grinning at the land below. This was a whole other experience to see the vast green land. Flight certainly had its perks compared to ground travel.
"Never!" yelled Dwan. She cried out as Rodan began to descend down, closer to the ground. The teens screamed at the sudden dip. The flying mutant caught sight of Rainbow Dash running along the land, waving to them. He descended a bit closer, flying just high enough to not crash into the earth, but close enough to be near the tomboy.
"Hey! You seem to be going a bit too slow! From what I saw, he can fly much faster than this!" called Rainbow. Twilight looked to the back of Rodan's head, which seemed to be dipped down a bit. His wings kept a slow flap, with the wind carrying him like a lazy river. He gave small groans as he flew in what seemed to be a slow pace. It was almost like he was depressed or something.
"I think you're right!" called Twilight.
"Hey Ro! Pick up the pace!" called Rainbow.
"Cut him some slack! He's recovering from shock or something!" said Aria. The teens looked to her in surprise and confusion.
"Hey, since when did you get a soft spot for him?" asked Rainbow.
"I'm not! I just thought I'd be nice for a change!" answered Aria. Twilight smiled at her.
"Alright, take your time, Rodan!" said Twilight, rubbing the back of the mutant's neck.
Malicia's Citadel...
The sound of snarls filled the air. A group of Skull Crawlers lied on the ground, held down by heavy chains enchanted by magic. Every time the beasts moved, the chains would spark and grow heavy, weighing them back down to the ground. There were four Skull Crawlers. They were able to stand around 10 to 14 feet in height. They snarled as they were concealed in a large room, made up of heavy stone and iron.
"This is... Unexpected," said Malicia, staring wide eyed, clearly surprised. Onyx sighed as he rubbed his brows, standing next to her.
"It would seem that the new inhibitor chips were implanted in them caused some genetic deformity. Or we just hadn't synthesized the mutagen correctly. They were supposed to come out as Walkers. I apologize," said Onyx.
"No, not at all. There's nothing to apologize about," said Malicia as she stepped up to one of the Skull Crawlers. She bore a sinister smile as she looked into the eyes of one of the creatures. This one bearing hideous scars over the side of its bony face.
"They actually turned out better than I can imagine," said Malicia. Onyx stood upright, filled with some relief.
"Well, I think you should know that we designed something special. But before we discuss that, let me demonstrate the functions of the chips implanted," said Onyx. He gestured for Malicia to follow him. The two began to leave the room, as the massive heavy doors were shut closed, locking the beasts inside. Onyx drew out a tablet-like device and handed it to Malicia, which depicted live footage of the Skull Walkers. The restraints of the beasts dispersed, allowing them to raise up and move freely. They shrieked as they rammed against the walls, which caused the very floor to shake. Some could even feel it from other parts of the Citadel.
"Watch as I give them a command," said Onyx as he drew out a controller. He began to press a few keys. Malicia payed attention to the tablet she had. The creatures suddenly thrashed in pain, before lunging to attack each other. They scratched and bit one another, causing more tremors through out the lower under belly of the Citadel.
"Now watch this. My favorite function. Pausing the entire blood stream," said Scar as he pressed a few more keys, along with one that depicted a heart over a flat line. In moments later, the Skull Crawlers all collapsed to the ground, convulsing before falling limp. The sound of a flatline could be heard from the tablet that Malicia held, as heart rate graphs in the corner of the screen went flat. Onyx then pressed another key. The Skull Crawlers briefly convulsed. The heart monitors suddenly started back up, slowly returning to normal.
"I'd recommend being careful with that one. Wouldn't want to cause permanent damage," chuckled Onyx as he pressed another key. The Skull Crawlers suddenly began to transform. Their bodies morphed and changed, as they shrieked in agony, which became human cries. On the ground lied Dreadnought, Scar, Adrian and Alexandra, naked and in agony. Onyx and Malicia returned back into the room, followed by several guards.
"As a contingency, they aren't allowed to change form without the command given to them.
"Impressive," said Malicia in approval. Onyx handed her the control.
"Be sure to hold onto this and keep it safe. It's your best safe guard against them. I'll even send you additional instructions," said Onyx.
"Your services are much appreciated," said Malicia. Meanwhile, the Purists were hauled away from the room, bounded in heavy chains. They were than escorted to the dark and dreary dungeon they found themselves in before. They were tossed inside, where only old ragged dirty clothes were there for them. They were still in a daze, not yet able to regain their bearings. The Purists then heard the sound of a loud maniacal laugh. They turned to find Maximilian Oni to be standing outside of their cell.
"What are you laughing at, you old creep?!" demanded Adrian, her head throbbing.
"I just find it funny that The Purists have spent most of their lives trying to kill muties, only to become one themselves!" cackled Max. "It's one of the best jokes I've heard in years! Ha ha ha ha!!"
"Stop! Stop treating our lives like a joke!" snarled Scar, standing up and grabbing the bars in a fit of rage. He was sick of this man. He just seemed the most inhuman of all. He was worse than the mutants.
Max suddenly grabbed Scar by the throat and slammed close against the bars.
"Life itself is a joke. Because no matter what accomplishments in life people have, or how they're at the top of the hierarchy, they will always fall flat on their faces. Every. Single. Time," said Max, his voice low, his eyes staring deeply into Scar's. The Purist was unable to read his tone. He didn't know if this lunatic was speaking out of anger, joy, or some kind of uncomfortable mixture in between.
"I think I'll play with little Adrian for a bit. She's been quite mouthy since she's gotten here," said Max as he forced Scar back, causing him to fall to the ground. He was unable to stand in his weakened state.
"Not on your life!" said Adrian with a pant. She suddenly felt a jolt in her body. With a brief yelp, the girl collapsed to the ground, stiff.
"Adrian!" cried Alexandra in alarm, attempting to sit up. Max giggled as he waved a controller as he opened the dungeon cell. Everyone felt a growing sense of horror.
"Onyxy Wonyxy was so kind as to give us each a copy of the remote to control you at any time," said Max as he knelt down. He grabbed Adrian by her ankles and began to drag her along the cold hard ground. He cackled as the rest of the Purists demanded the woman's release. Max merely closed the door shut and locked it, before dragging the paralyzed Adrian away, his manic laughs echoing out through the hall.
Scar slammed his fist to the ground, breaking down into tears. He felt helpless, and violated. This was the worse punishment that he could imagine. This was their Hell.
Capital City of Sacramentonia...
It was the late afternoon. A few Sacramentonian guards were pacing about along the city's protective walls. They would constantly gaze out to the vast land that lied beyond.
Some of the men were still on edge, considering that the city was almost trampled by enormous sauropods. Right now, they couldn't be too careful. They had to remain alert. Suddenly, a rainbow light shot through the land, making its way to the city wall.
"What's that?!" exclaimed a guard. The light suddenly began to race in a circle in front of the wall, creating a brief whirlwind of color and dust. The light suddenly stopped, and Rainbow Dash emerged from the clouds. She coughed as she waved away the cloud of dust
"Gotta work on my stops!" wheezed Rainbow.
"Who goes there?!" demanded a guard from on top of the wall. Rainbow waved to him.
"Hey! You heard of me, right?! Rainbow Dash!" called Rainbow. A few of the guards looked at her in confusion.
"Rainbow Dash?" asked a guard.
"I believe that's the hero that's been rumored to have been around," said one of the guards.
"I need to get in along with some friends! We need to talk to the King!" said Rainbow.
"What friends?" asked the guard. He then noticed a soaring winged figure to be nearing by. His eyes widened.
"Is that a dragon?!" exclaimed the guard.
"No, I think it's-" another guard spoke up. The winged figure descended down next to Rainbow Dash, allowing a few more teens to become visible to their line of sight.
"I think I'm gonna yak!" Dwan fell to her hands and knees, heaving over the grass. Angirasu knelt beside her and began to rub her back. Twilight came rushing next to Rainbow.
"What's going on? I thought you'd have the gate down already?" asked Twilight.
"I'm waiting on these guys! Hey! Tell the King that Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash are here!" called Rainbow. The guards looked to each other briefly.
"Let them through, men," a familiar voice called. The guards turned to find Prince David to be arriving.
"But your highness-" A guard was about to protest.
"It's fine. They're friends," said David in reassurance.
Moments later, the gates were lowered. The teens were allowed to cross. Rodan followed behind, his palms planting onto the ground with every step, like a wyvern. David rushed to meet them.
"Prince David! We need to talk to you about the soldiers that you took prisoner!" said Twilight.
"I'm afraid that they're about to be put on trial shortly. My father and the court is already convinced that they're the rumored Zetas," said David, regret in his tone.
"What if we provided evidence that proved their innocence?" asked Angirasu.
"Well, you would have to provide good evidence to sway the court," said David. Aria smirked.
"I think we've got that covered," said Aria.
"Your highness! Another approaches!" cried a guard from the wall. Rodan turned his head and squawked. The rest of the teens stepped out to find Mosura to be approaching, with Adagio, Sunset, Fluttershy and Selena on her back. Twilight grinned.
"I'd say the odds are in our favor," said Twilight.
Later, the teens found themselves entering a large room. In here, there were many men that were seated around, as a throne sat at the end of the room, where King Gareth sat. There were several guards posted around. The teens were escorted over to a set of seats, where a few MONARCH soldiers from the platoon were seated, bounded in cuffs. Among them were Koizumi and Aiko Riku.
"Holy shit, look who came," said Koizumi, looking back. Aiko's eyes widened as she found the teens.
"Wh-What are you kids doing here?" asked Aiko incredulously.
"We're here to get you out of here," answered Angirasu.
"The trial will begin!" announced a voice. The court fell silent. A tension filled the air.
"As representatives for you and your soldiers, you stand accused as being of the faction known as the 'Zetas'. How do ye plead?" asked a member of the court.
"Not guilty," said Aiko.
"Not guilty." Koizumi repeated. The rest of the higher ranking soldiers repeated in suite.
"If I may, I'd like to put forth the evidence of the accused," said a court member.
"Proceed," said Gareth.
"We have clear descriptions of the Zetas. They were claimed to be men clad in armor as dark as night, wielding peculiar weapons that fired projectiles that could pierce through flesh. They have been seen as of late to be dwelling in the outer territories, deceiving those far from Sacramentonia's center," said the court member. A large map was displayed, with three red circles that were over towns that were at the edges of Sacramentonia.
When we investigated these settlements, they claimed that the Zetas were some divine beings that demanded a sacrifice of members of their populace," said the court member.
"We've never been around those places!" said Koizumi.
"Order in the court!" shouted Gareth, his tone harsh. This startled the teens. Twilight thought this was a more fitting tone for this often stern looking man.
"Recently, we've learned of a plateau near the village of the Eloi having collapsed in on itself. When it was investigated, there were some items belonging to the Zetas that we discovered," said the court member, as a couple of soldiers set down some items upon a table in the court room. The items comprised of damaged and dirty black helmets, with cracked glass visors. There was a damaged walkie talkie, and a torn patch.
"This is what we managed to recover. And as for what we found from the accused, they bear a striking resemblance," said the court member, as a more intact dark helmet was placed down, along with an intact walkie talkie. There was also a intact patch as well.
"While the helmets differ, they are in fact of similar design and material," said the court member, showing off the two helmets. The court was filled with murmurs as the items were compared. The MONARCH soldiers and the teens felt a growing sense of dread. It seems that this was stacking the odds against them. Everyone seemed ready to jump on punishing them.
"But these patches should prove beyond a doubt that they are one in the same. The patch we found is the one thing that was must intact for the insignia of their faction. And when you compare it to the one who took from one of the prisoners..." The court member held up both patches. The teens gasped in shock, while some of the court members gave cries of indignation. The patches shared a symbol. That symbol was MONARCH's infinity insignia.
"What in the hell?" Angirasu's eyes widened. He looked to his mother, who looked just as shock as he was. In fact, the other soldiers that were seated all looked to be in shock as well.
"As you can see, undeniable proof that these are in fact the Zeta menace! For their crimes of deception and the kidnapping of Sacramentonian citizens, this court demands their execution!" said the court member. The court suddenly erupted in cries of agreement. The shouted curses and demands for the heads of the alleged Zetas. The MONARCH soldiers felt themselves pushed more against the wall. The situation seemed inescapable. They didn't know the meaning of those patches matching, let alone some of that equipment. But they knew because of this 'evidence', they were doomed.
"Angirasu," called Aiko. Angirasu looked to his mother, who was glancing at him. She looked to be pale. It was a rare sight for him to behold for his usually angry or stoic mother.
"I hid the controller to open up a portal home in one of the Humvees. Use it to get everyone else home," said Aiko. Angirasu felt his blood run cold when he heard this.
"Mrs. Riku, we can get you out of this! We just need to..." Twilight was interrupted as the King rose from his seat.
"I believe we've heard enough," said Gareth. The teens gasped.
"Wait! We haven't even offered countered evidence!" cried Twilight. Gareth ignored her.
"Oh my God. This can't be happening," said Sunset in dread, as the court continued to demand the deaths of the 'Zetas'. Their situation seemed even more hopeless.
Adagio felt a sudden tap on her shoulder. She flinched, turning to find a mysterious woman to be looking down at her, with steely grey eyes. Her hair was long, and silver.
"You're the defense, are you not? Surely you have counter evidence that could bring doubt to the court," said the woman. Adagio gasped as she quickly reached for a bag at her side. She grunted as she stood up abruptly.
"I'd like a moment to have the floor to offer counter evidence!" said Adagio. She didn't know if these people would allow her to, but she had to do something. For Angirasu's sake.
"What evidence can you offer, child?" laughed a court member.
"Don't listen to her! We have the fiends red handed!" said another court member. Gareth furrowed his brows.
"Your majesty, please! Shouldn't a king be just?" asked Twilight. Gareth noticed David standing beside him, nodding.
"Very well. Present your counter evidence," said Gareth. Adagio took a breath as she lugged over the heavy bag and took to the front of the court. She set down the bag.
"H-Hello. Um..." Adagio felt a growing sense of panic over her, as all eyes of scorn were on her. She wasn't used this kind of attention. But she steeled herself. After all, a friend may suffer if things continue as they are.
"I can't explain as to why the patches match. In fact, I don't even know much about the Zetas themselves. But I can prove that the people here were not involved with them," said Adagio.
"Oh boy, not off to a good start," said Aiko to herself.
Adagio began to open up the bag and drew out a few guns. The MONARCH soldiers' eyes widened while the court looked on curiously.
"I've been in one of the villages that were tricked by the Zetas. We have a couple of their weapons. If I'm not mistaken it’s this one, and this one," said Adagio as she presented a pistol and rifle. She allowed the court and the King to have a good long look. She then set the guns down.
"These weapons are from the soldiers that you see before you. This. And this," said Adagio as she presented the weapons. There was a clear surface difference, but not enough to persuade the people.
"While looking at the weapons alone wouldn't prove disconnect, I can at least show you how the odds of them being the same are unlikely," said Adagio as she pointed to the guns.
"You see, the Zetas wield guns that uses magic for ammunition. While these soldiers use guns that fire lead shells that we call, 'bullets'." said Adagio, her tone almost becoming a lecturing one.
"Oh wow. She's actually breaking it down pretty well," said Twilight in surprise.
"But is it enough to convince them?" asked Aria.
"Can you demonstrate?" asked Gareth. Adagio froze.
"D-Demonstrate?" asked Adagio. She found all eyes looking at her expectantly. She then looked to the guns warily.
"Uh... S-Sure. I can try," said Adagio, muttering the last sentence to herself. She cleared her throat as she took a pistol, looking it over.
"Be careful with that!" said Koizumi. Adagio quickly held the gun away, stiffening. She found the same expectant looks still on everyone's faces. She began to make her way to the table where the soldiers were.
"Uh... Hey, you mind helping me? How do you..." Adagio pointed to the gun. Aiko sent her a deadpanned look.
"Is the safety off?" asked Aiko.
"Uh...." Adagio searched the gun for the 'safety'.
"It's probably mine if it's not. I've left mine off the whole time we've been out here. It's that switch on the side," said Aiko, pointing.
"Ah. Yeah, I see it. So I just-" Adagio aimed the gun at the ground.
"Hey, wait!" Aiko cried. Adagio pulled the trigger, which resulted in a loud ear piercing bang. Everyone cried out in alarm and pain as they cupped their ears.
"Shit! OK! So that's how that works!" cried Adagio placing the smoking gun down on the table. Her ears were ringing.
"A-As you can see, it shoots a lead projectile that... I think it actually ricocheted into the..." Adagio found a hole in the wall. She sheepishly smiled.
"Sorry about that," said Adagio, as she took the other gun. She looked it over and found the safety on. She flipped it.
"OK. So this is the Zeta's gun. If I pull the trigger, it should-" Adagio aimed at the ground again and pulled the trigger. A high pitched sound filled the air as a violet projectile shot into the ground. Unlike the bullet, it didn't ricochet. It instead scorched a small patch of the ground.
"Huh. Wasn't as loud as I thought it would be," said Adagio to herself. She then cleared her throat as she pointed to the ground.
"As you can see, these guns function differently. These soldiers don't use magic for their weapons, unlike the Zetas. The reason? Because they're not from this world! Because of that, MONARCH has never made weapons that function the way the Zeta weapons do!" said Adagio. Aiko face palmed, as a few conflicted murmurs filled the court room.
"That's not exactly the appropriate thing to bring up," said Dwan in annoyance.
"Maybe it is," said Twilight, as she quickly made her way to the front, standing next to Adagio.
"King Gareth, you're familiar with the idea of people being from other worlds, right? These soldiers came from our world. They couldn't possibly be the Zetas. MONARCH is a military branch from our world. They use their weapons for defensive purposes, not offensive," said Twilight. Gareth was stoic, as more court members murmured.
"Eh." Angirasu rolled his eyes.
"So you say. But that does not explain the matching emblems," said Gareth. Twilight bit her lip.
"We'd like to call a witness!" interjected Sunset. Selena flinched. She gulped as she stood up. She began to make her way to the front of the court. She timidly stood.
"I-I am Selena. I come from Eloi," said Selena, her tone a bit shaky. Some surprised and shocked murmurs came from the court.
"My village was deceived by the Zetas, believing them to be gods. They enslaved two tribes of lizard folk and used them to have us believe that we were in constant threat of them. We were promised safety and food if we were to send off the men of our village into the wilderness to serve them. As time went on, they demanded more. Even going far to demand that when boys come of age, they have to go as well. If not for my friends here, we'd all be taken by them," said Selena, gesturing to the teens sitting at the bench.
"If anyone knows the pain the Zetas bring, we in Eloi know. But I don't believe these people are them. Even if they share an emblem, that does not automatically mean they share goals," said Selena. "After all, there's been bad apples in every group, hasn't there? Whether it's creeds, nations... It doesn't mean we're all bad."
Gareth was silent. Adagio cleared her throat.
"As you can see, Selena's village was under the Zeta's control for about a decade. But what you don't know is that these soldiers have only been here in Equescidar since yesterday. Therefore, they can't be involved with the Zetas and their crimes," said Adagio. There were still murmurs from the court. The teens felt a growing tension. Gareth scratched his beard, an intense and thoughtful look was on his face.
"Hmm. I believe now's the time to allow the court to deliberate on this matter," said Gareth.
A few minutes went by. The teens sat in their seats, silent and anxious. It felt like an eternity that they've waited. But moments later, the members of the court returned, along with Gareth. The King sat on his throne, as the court members took a seat.
"What is the court's verdict?" asked Gareth.
"Your majesty. After considering the evidence from both parties... We declare that the defendants are innocent," said a court member.
"FUCK YEAH!!" Koizumi suddenly shot up, startling those around him.
"But, we have one condition," said the court member.
"Agh." Koizumi sat down in dismay.
"We request that Lady Twilight Sparkle, Lady Rainbow Dash, and the other heroines of Salera keep a close eye on them," said the court member. Twilight slightly stiffened in surprise.
"Very well. Court adjured," said Gareth, slamming a gavel. The teens cheered, as did a few of the soldiers. Aiko sighed in relief. Soon, everyone in the court room began to leave. The soldiers were released from their bonds. As Adagio stood proudly, Aiko sighed as she stood up, rubbing her wrists. She began to approach the Dazzling, greeting the girl with a smile. Adagio softly chuckled.
"Thaaaank yo- Give me back my gun, Harlot!" said Aiko, causing Adagio to recoil.
"You're welcome," scoffed Adagio, handing the woman back the gun.
Meanwhile, David stood beside Twilight with an approving nod.
"Well done, Lady Twilight. You've proven to beat the odds stacked against you," said David. Twilight smiled bashfully.
"Aw thanks," said Twilight.
"I will make sure that the rest of the soldiers are released. I'll even arrange transport back to the Roaring Jungle," said David.
"Actually, could you do us a favor too?" asked Twilight.
"Yes?" asked David.
"We lost our friend. Gojira Takeshi. I'm sure you've met him," said Twilight.
"Ah yes. The tall boy with the stern expression," said David. Twilight suppressed a giggle.
"Yeah, that’s him. Well, he's missing. We were separated when some guy attacked us. He was so strong that he could take on all of us. Even Gojira," said Twilight.
"What did he look like?" asked David.
"He was tall and had a lot of tattoos on his body. He kept saying something about going after 'big game'. He even referred to Gojira as-" Twilight fell silent as David was wide eyed.
"What? What's wrong?" asked Twilight in worry.
"I'm afraid that your friend may be in bigger danger than you think," said David. Twilight felt a knot in her stomach.
"The man you may be describing is Endurous. He's a legend in Equescidar, famous for hunting down the most dangerous beasts to ever live. Demi-Titans like your friend are among them," said David.
"W-Why would anyone hire him to go after Gojira? He didn't even bother with Mosura, Rodan or even Angirasu," said Twilight, growing more worried. David furrowed his brows.
"Well, he's been known to sell the creatures he catches to many different buyers. A popular buyer would be the Gladiatorial Games in Lur. The capital of Dogomoto," said David. Twilight's expression turned to dread.
"I'm afraid that I will not be able to help you with anything more, Lady Twilight," said David, apologetically. Twilight's eyes were downcast.
"I understand..." Twilight softly spoke. David began to leave the girl. He heavily sighed to himself.
The prince was making his way through the halls of the court. He sighed to himself. As he recalled the news that Twilight shared, he felt sad. No doubt that the girl was hell-bent on reuniting with her friends. It was like a cruel joke that again, there would be separation.
Whatever the boy's fate was, David doubt it would be in Junior's favor. After all, Endurous didn't get his name from nothing. He was not only nearly invincible, he had a will that no ordinary man would have. His relentless nature made him a force to be reckoned with. Even the powerful Demi-Titans weren't safe. If he was specifically going after Junior, then no doubt he would have captured him by now. The real question was where he was taken and for what. All he did was offer Twilight a suggestion of where he could be. But, he didn't know for sure. However, he promised himself to get word out to be on the lookout for the boy. That shouldn't be too hard. After all, he had a reptilian arm, which was a trait that would stand out the most.
As David walked, he stopped as a mysterious woman stood before him. She greeted him with a warm smile.
"It's been a long time, dear David," said the woman, sweetly. David felt his heart skip a beat, as he was stunned.
"Delphyne," said David, his tone soft. The two approached each other. David matched the woman's height, as her long silver hair flowed.
"Wha... What are you doing here? I wasn't expecting to see you again so soon when you staved off that stampede," said David. Delphyne smiled as she caressed his cheek.
"I came to make sure that the Sacramentonians didn't make another mistake that could cost them," said Delphyne. David held her hand and pulled the woman close. The two shared a tender kiss, which escalated into the locking of lips.
"Your highness," called a voice. David and Delphyne broke the kiss. The Prince turned to find a knight to be arriving.
"Your presence is needed," said the knight. David sighed. He turned to Delphyne, a sad smile on his face.
"I must go. But, I hope to cross paths again, soon," said David.
"As do I," said Delphyne, before turning to walk away.
It was evening. Junior found himself walking through the vast halls of Malicia's citadel. With every step that he took, there was a small echo. The boy found guards to be posted along the way. Their faces were obscured by the plates on their helmets. This gave Junior a sense of anxiousness. While he couldn't see their eyes, he could feel them on him.
The boy's escort, an older woman dressed in black, led him through the hall. She led him to a room, where a door was opened. The woman stepped inside and gestured to the tub in the room.
"The wash room, sir. Everything for your hygienic needs," said the woman, as Junior stepped inside. It was a rather large room, where stone bricks covered the walls, and the floors made up of a decorative tile. The tiles were dark, with shades of swirling patterns on the surface.
Junior looked inside of the round wooden tub. Hot water was steaming from inside. Without hesitating, the boy reached in and felt the slight sting of the heat, but felt the soothing warmth as his hand adjusted to the temperature.
"Nice. It's been a hot minute since I've had the luxury of a hot bath," said Junior.
"We're happy that it pleases you," said the woman, before clapping her hands.
Junior noticed a trio of young woman to have appeared. They were clothed in maid-like dresses. They were laced and dark in color. They were lovely girls, one with short hair, the other two wearing them in buns.
"What uh... What's this?" asked Junior with an awkward laugh, as the women walked in. He grunted as one gently pushed him down onto a bench, while the other two began to gather up buckets and soap.
"Fret not. They're professionals. You'll be looking presentable at dinner," said the older woman.
"But I-" Junior was about to protest as the short haired girl removed his boots.
"Please hold still, sir. It's difficult to undress you if you're fidgeting," said the girl in a calm tone. Junior's face flushed beat red.
"Undress me?!" cried Junior. He found the older woman to be leaving the wash room, closing it.
"This has to be a- JOKE!" Junior yelped as he felt the soft dainty hands of another hand maiden reaching for his sides, pulling off his shirt.
"My goodness. We have a lot of work ahead of us," said the hand maiden, holding the musk ridden shirt.
"Let's get those pants off so we can get started," said the short haired girl. Junior gasped as he shot up and stumbled to the wall. He turned, blushing hard as the hand maidens looked at him in shock and confusion.
"What's wrong?" asked one of the girls.
"I don't need you to undress me, let alone wash me! I can do it myself!" said Junior.
"But it is our job," said one of the girls with a tilt of her head. The short haired girl smiled in amusement.
"I think her majesty's guest is shy. How endearing."
"Do you suppose he's..." one of the girls whispered to her colleagues. They all giggled in amusement. Junior bore an annoyed look, still flustered.
"What's so funny?" asked Junior.
"Dear, size isn't always important," said a girl sweetly. Junior cupped a hand over his groin with a grunt.
"Don't lie to him," said another hand maiden with a snort.
"Hey! Not that it's any of your business, my size isn't the issue here!" said Junior. The short haired hand maiden sighed as she grabbed Junior and forced him to the tub.
"It's rude to keep her Majesty waiting. Now get out of those pants!" said the girl, yanking down on the pants.
"No wait!" Junior cried, failing to grab the pants. There was an awkward silence. The short haired girl was crouched low to the ground, her eyes wide. The rest of the hand maidens were shocked into silence as well.
"Oh my. You're actually quite well endowed," said the short haired girl with an amused look. Junior quickly hopped into the tub, splashing everywhere. The hand maidens cried out as some water splashed on them. They found the boy tucked in under the water, as a muffled sound and bubbles trailed up to the surface.
"Well, at least we got him into the tub," said a hand maiden.
Moments later, Junior found himself sitting upright in the tub. The bath experience wasn't as relaxing as he hoped it would be. After all, he was surrounded by attractive young women, being scrubbed from all around. They held his arms and scrubbed him with sponges. They also scrubbed his back with thistle brushes, and scrubbed his neck and face with hand towels.
The boy couldn't possibly relax, especially after the embarrassment that he had just suffered.
"Let me see your foot, dear," said one of the hand maidens. Junior leaned back with a scowl as he raised his foot out of the sudsy water. How annoying this was. He'd much rather be in the bath at the love hotel he was in when journeying to Elsinore. At least there weren't strangers messing with him.
Junior was reminiscing the experience of being able to relax in a nice hot bath after being stranded for days without access to one. Feeling the hot water open up his pores, and relieving his tight muscles and nerves. As Junior thought back to this, his mind wandered to himself sharing the tub with Mosura. Feeling her soft wet skin against his own. Especially feeling her firm, tight...
'Wait, why am I thinking of that?!' thought Junior. His face went pale as he felt a sensation in his nether region.
"Alright, don't be alarmed. I have to scrub around your-" the short haired hand maiden reached into the water.
"Guh!" Junior cried, his voice turning high. The hand maiden gasped as she pulled her hand out. Junior looked away, his face red with shame and dread.
"I-I'M SORRY!" cried Junior, sitting up in the tub. The girl suddenly smirked.
"Well, this won't do," said the hand maiden. She began to kneel close to the boy, just near his ear.
"A young man can't relax if he's this pent up," said the woman, her voice husky and seductive. Junior felt goose bumps grow as her voice filled his ear.
"Do you jest?" asked one of the other hand maidens, as the short haired one rubbed the boy's shoulders.
"What? I feel terrible to leave him in this state," said the short haired woman.
"Just be quick. We still have to dry and dress him," said another hand maiden.
"Wait, what?" asked Junior in a nervous tone. He gasped as the hand maiden leaned over his shoulder, her hands caressing his chest. One slowly trailed down to his belly.
"Just relax. I'll do the work," whispered the hand maiden, her hand trailing further down. Junior's heart was racing at dangerous speeds, as the woman's soft pale hand touched his skin, down to his belly. His inner lust and the heat from the tub made him compliant as this girl trailed lower and lower. But, his conscience screamed at him, telling him this was wrong. This wasn't normal for people to act this way, at least not in his world. As the hand trailed into the water, Junior quickly pulled away.
"I-I think I'm done! Why don't I towel off and we call it a night?" Asked Junior with a titter. The women just stared at him oddly. Internally, this annoyed Junior. He thought that he was the normal one here. And this was coming from a kid that turned into a fire breathing dinosaur-like creature.
Moments later, Junior found himself out of the tub. His body was dried, but it took some arguments with the hand maidens to allow him to do it himself, though they were insistent on dressing him, much to Junior's dismay. The boy found himself dressed in a fresh pair of clothes. He wore a cotton grey shirt, with a dark leather vest over it. He also sported a pair of loose pants and dark boots. He winced as one of the hand maidens combed his spiky hair back.
"Hurry! We've already wasted enough time as it is!" said one of the other women.
"There you go, dear! My, aren't you looking handsome?" The hand maid asked. Junior sighed as he stood up.
"Thanks," said Junior, his tone tired.
"Alright, hurry up and send him off. We're done here," said the short haired woman, coldly as she stormed out of the room.
"What's her problem?" asked Junior, wincing as the door was slammed closed.
"Don't mind her. Let's get you to the dining hall," said one of the remaining hand maids.
Later, Junior found himself being escorted by the two women in the hall. He eventually found himself led to the dining hall. It was a large room, where two long tables were in the center of the room. There was a shorter table placed at a horizontal angle, bridging the two front ends of the two long tables. Several empty seats were at the table. However, Malicia was sitting alone at the short horizontal table.
"Ah. There you are! I was worried that you wouldn't come!" called Malicia from the table. Junior noticed the two hand maids to be leaving, closing the doors to the dining hall. Junior took a breath as he began to approach.
The dining hall was lit by chandlers above, which gave off a soft flame. The night sky shone through the windows that lined the right side of the room, giving a clear look at the white large moon. Junior awkwardly stood at the short table, looking at the empty seats.
"Have a seat," said Malicia, pointing across from herself. Junior sighed as he sat down, finding a silver plate in front of himself, along with an assortment of spoons, forks, and a knife.
"I trust that the bath was adequate," said Malicia as she poured wine into a chalice. Junior blushed.
"Y-Yeah. It was... nice," said Junior.
"Good. I'm sure that they relieved you of all tension," giggled Malicia. Junior's blush grew more intense.
"What's that supposed mean?" asked Junior.
"Oh come now. There's no reason to be ashamed. I myself have uh... enjoyed the company of my male servants," giggled Malicia.
"W-Wait..." Junior stuttered, growing more flustered. No way was this woman actually implying that she had sexual relations with the help around here.
"I made sure to choose the youngest and loveliest hand maids I had at the moment. They're no strangers to it," said Malicia, mischievously.
"Nothing happened," said Junior. Malicia cocked a brow at him.
"Pardon?"
"Nothing sexual happened. I mean... I just took a bath," said Junior. Malicia was puzzled.
"None of them even..."
"No!" said Junior. Malicia smiled in amusement.
"Why not?" said Malicia.
"B-Because! It's not right. I mean... I don't know them. And it was just weird," said Junior, looking away. Malicia giggled.
"I never imagined that a hot blooded young man like you would turn down the pleasuring touch of a woman," said Malicia. Junior groaned.
"It's part of their job. To make their masters or their honored guests comfortable by any means. Turning them down can sometimes be considered an insult," said Malicia.
"A-An insult? For declining a handjob from a chick I don't know?" asked Junior incredulously.
"Sex is not held as 'sacred' here, as those fools in Sacramentonia hold it. It's more like a recreation here," said Malicia.
"Wow," said Junior, feeling his tone have a mild disapproving tone in it. He then stiffened as Malicia sent him a brief look. She then chuckled.
"I wouldn't expect a foreigner to understand our ways. But I'm sure you'd appreciate it if you were to give it a try. I can arrange for someone to meet you after dinner," said Malicia.
"I think I'll pass," said Junior, warily.
"Hehe. Strange boy," said Malicia. Junior frowned. He then turned as a door opened. From the door, men dressed in white began to make their way over to the table. They carried plates with basting covers over them. Some even carried food that was visible to the eye, steaming hot.
"Dinner is served, your majesty." The head chef placed down a plate and removed the basting cover. Junior went wide eyed at all of the dishes presented on the table. They comprised of different meats, from sliced up and roasted ham, a whole turkey, deep fried giga spider broken up in pieces, grilled snakes, fish, gravy, marinara sauce, cheese, loaves of bread, butter, and some roasted vegetables.
'Oh god. Even the weird stuff looks kinda good,' thought Junior, eyeing the fried spider and snakes.
"You've done well again," said Malicia in approval.
"Enjoy," said the head chef, as he and the others left.
"Are you expecting others to be joining us?" asked Junior, oddly.
"No. Truth be told... I have quite the appetite," said Malicia with an embarrassed smile.
"Ah. I know that feeling," said Junior.
"Well, dig in before it gets cold!" said Malicia.
Junior decided to start slow. He started off with a small side of vegetables, a thin slice of ham, a leg from the spider, and a snake. He was oddly curious as to how they'd taste. Plus, he considered this payback to all of the spiders in the world by eating one of them. Junior also took a turkey leg. But, his eyes slightly widened as Malicia had taken two slices of ham, a large helping of vegetables. She also took a turkey leg, two snakes, the body of the spider, leaving behind the legs, and half a fish. She even began to grate cheese over the ham and began to pour some tomato sauce over it, and gravy over the turkey.
Junior awkwardly ate as the woman began to eat as well. While it was a lot more food compared to him, she was at least eating in a dignified manner. He was sure that she was going to gorge herself like a beast like she did on Endurous's neck.
'Good. I don't have to worry about losing my appetite,' thought Junior as he continued to eat.
Later, he was through with his plate. He sighed as he wiped his lips, feeling himself having grown full. It was the heartiest meal he's ever had. Plus, he didn't have to pay for it, so that was a plus. It was quite delicious. Especially the more exotic food presented. But, he bore a shocked look as Malicia was filling up her plate with some more food that was left.
'Damn. This chick can eat,' thought Junior. He himself was already feeling full, and he can eat more than the average man.
"Have some wine. It goes nicely with the food," said Malicia as she passed a chalice to the boy. Junior eyed it.
"I'm not old enough to drink," said Junior. Malicia snorted.
"By whose standards? You're a Demi-Titan, son. You won't be intoxicated over one drink," said Malicia teasingly. Junior eyed the chalice. It didn't seem that there was water available. Besides, he thought it'd be insulting to turn down the drink. At least he wasn't accepting sexual favors. Junior took the chalice and took a drink. He felt the slight tang of the wine on his tongue. It was rather sweet. The drink left a warm feeling as it traveled down his esophagus.
"Mm." Junior sighed. He set the chalice down. "Not bad."
"See?" Malicia smiled.
"By the way, can I ask that you not call me, 'son'? It's a bit awkward. Plus, I already have a mother," said Junior.
"Oh. Apologies. I don't think I've actually gotten your name, Son of Leviathan," said Malicia.
"It's Gojira Takeshi," said Junior. But, he sent her an odd look.
"Wait, 'Son of Leviathan'?" asked Junior in confusion.
"Your arm. That is the hand of Leviathan, the great Titan from the sea," said Malicia.
"Titan. I've heard that word thrown around a lot. What is that?" asked Junior.
"Is everything satisfactory, your majesty?" asked the head chef, bowing next to the Empress.
"It's divine. Wouldn't you say, 'Gojira'?" asked Malicia.
"Y-Yeah. Best food I've had in all of my life," said Junior. While his mom was a good cook, he never had anything this delicious and nutritious since they weren't the richest family in town. Though considering his current size, he must have gotten enough nutrition to develop, so he owed that to his mother.
"Do you have room for dessert?" asked the head chef.
"Ooh! I certainly do. Oh, would you mind sending the leftovers to the pets downstairs? I'm sure they're quite hungry," said Malicia. The chef had a brief pale look.
"O-Of course, your Majesty. I'll have someone bring out the desert while I'm away," said the head chef, before leaving.
"Pets?" asked Junior.
"Oh yes. I keep them below. In fact, I own a number of different beasts. Canines, Felines, a couple of dragons..." Malicia chuckled. "Perhaps I'll introduce you to a couple of them sometime."
"No, that's fine. So... About the Titans." Junior repeated. Malicia was about to answer, but found that a man had walked into the dining hall. He set down the plate and revealed a large pie, with some traces of cherry beneath the crumby surface.
"Let's discuss it after dessert," said Malicia.
Later that evening, Junior found himself walking alongside Malicia in the halls of her citadel. A couple of guards paced behind them. It was a bit difficult to ignore them, given how much they stood out and how their armor clanked with every step they took. But, he nonetheless kept his focus on Malicia.
"It's said that long before man and other races that walk Equescidar today, there were primordial races that ruled the earth," said Malicia. The two made their way to an unfamiliar hall. It seemed rather old compared to the rest of the citadel, as though the structure was built around this area. The walls and floor looked to be ancient, with the stones that had chipped away and bore cracks. The guards began to light up torches on the walls via magic. Junior gasped as he found a great wall before himself, running along the room. On the wall were cracks and some withering, but bore painted images that were still clear and preserved. He saw an image of a blue circle, where images of creatures were depicted surrounding it in different categories.
"These were the Titans. They were the first ones to be placed upon the earth. Before man, before every fowl, every fish, and every four legged being. They prepared the foundations of the Earth. Some were divided into different aspects of nature. Earth, Water, Fire, and Air," said Malicia, pointing to the creatures that were depicted, with a symbol of their element hanging above them. The beasts looked to be comprised of mammals, reptiles, birds, fish, and insects. A couple of them, Junior recognized. A spiky quadrupedal beast with a clubbed tail, a moth, and a Pteranodon-like beast.
"Together, they helped bring about the earth from above the waters, divided the oceans, rose mountains, fertilized the forests, and brought the breeze. They were much like gardeners, toiling the earth and preparing it to be sown," said Malicia, as she shone a light on images of these creatures doing their deeds. The winged beasts blowing the winds, the land creatures trampling the earth and raising green plant life, the water dwellers burrowing beneath the ocean floor, creating trenches, reefs, etc. Even the fire based creatures had a role. The black and red pteranodon emerged from a volcano, sending lava to the ocean, creating more land.
"What was once a dead world of ocean became a paradise," said Malicia, as another circle was depicted. This time, holding green landmasses painted on over the blue.
"So, the Titans were gods?" asked Junior.
"We certainly believe so. But the Sacramentonians just think they were tools used by their own god to create the earth. They don't honor the Titans properly as we do," said Malicia with a scoff.
"So this is how your world was created?" asked Junior.
"No. It's your world," said Malicia. Junior's eyes slightly widened.
"But... What?" asked Junior. Malicia pointed a light to another wall, which depicted the Titans standing over small human figures.
"The Titans and humanity originated from one world. The one that all humans in Equescidar came from. They lived in harmony in the beginning. Man was an equal to the Titans in a way. While the Titans toiled the earth's foundations, allowing more land for life to prosper, humanity tended to the lower beasts and the plants," said Malicia. Junior followed the woman along the room, gazing upon the depictions of the humans and Titans living side by side, creating. It was beautiful to behold.
"This was the truest form of Order," said Malicia. She then gestured to another painting.
"And it was thanks to them," said Malicia. Junior gasped as he beheld a great painting. It depicted a familiar, bipedal reptile, with maple-leaf shaped dorsal plates. It stood among the other Titans, which all seemed to be depicted bowing before it.
"This race of Titan was the chief of them all. They were the fiercest and strongest. They kept the tribes united and on track," said Malicia. But her expression darkened.
"But then, humanity became corrupt," said Malicia, as she pointed to another image, depicting a human, with a blackened heart.
"Man sought to ascend above the Titan and to rule the earth for himself. So, he began to align with Titans that were swooned by him, and they began a rebellion to bring about their new order," said Malicia. Junior watched, disheartened as he saw as the images changed. It depicted the Titans all clashing together. Some of the humans standing from the sidelines, as though they were provoking the fight.
"The chaos brought about cataclysms. Earthquakes, floods, eruptions, and even a time of freezing for the earth," said Malicia, as Junior behold the cataclysmic horrors that were depicted from this Titan civil war.
"This brought about the end of an empire, where many humans lived. It was sunk to the depths of the sea, along with many of its inhabitants. And thus scattered humanity throughout the earth, to escape the tremors and the wrath of the Titans," said Malicia, as Junior saw a city depicted, then the same city depicted being under water. Above the city, many boats were depicted, fleeing the 'lost empire'.
"Some humans found themselves losing their way on the journey, ending up here in Equescidar by unknown means. They say they found passages that were on the Earth," said Malicia.
'Like Skull Island? Or the Tartarus Rectangle?' thought Junior.
"So... What does this have to do with people like you and me?" asked Junior. Malicia smiled.
"The Titans thought they'd be merciful to those that sought to conquer them. They made different pacts with humanity. But one that's most significant to us is what gave rise to us," said Malicia. She showed a painting of a Titan standing with a human figure, as a ring circled them. Beneath that image, a single human figure stood.
"Sometimes, a human would give his or herself to a Titan. This would result in the birth of a child, blessed with the power of a Titan within the body of man. These Demi-Titans were a bridge between both, to mend what was broken eons ago," said Malicia. Junior just stared, an odd look on his face.
"You're telling me that giant creatures fornicated with humans?" asked Junior.
"The Titans are no mere beasts, Gojira. They are forces of nature incarnate," said Malicia.
"Right. I'm having a hard time believing this. I mean, it's a fascinating story, but I don't think I buy it," said Junior, crossing his arms. He noticed the annoyed looks that the guards were giving him. But, Malicia merely smiled, as though she was looking at a skeptical child.
"Well, it's what we believe. How can you explain that you change into a beast?" asked Malicia.
"I'm a mutation. A genetic fr-" Junior stopped himself. He realized what he was just about to say. That couldn't really be the answer, could it? Junior rarely pondered what it meant to be a Transmutant. Mainly because he didn't like the conclusions that he would come to.
Junior wondered what he was. Was he just the product of evolution being wackier than usual? Was he the descendant of human experimentation performed by higher civilizations or even aliens eons back? Was he the result of a greater power that made him and others this way for some purpose that only that power would understand? Whatever the case was, it kept Junior thinking. That thinking made him lament his nature and others like him. It was just another aspect of his pessimism. Because what Junior feared was that whatever he was, meant nothing at all.
"I don't know. All my life... I wondered. I wondered if... If I was really just some kind of freak. Something that didn't belong. I don't know if I was made for a purpose, or if I was just an accident," said Junior, his tone melancholic.
"I think in a way, I was an accident. I mean..." Junior stopped himself. Malicia placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, the same empathetic expression from before was on her face.
"It's alright. Dwelling on that is meaningless. In the end, we have the power to fulfill our own purpose," said Malicia.
"If only I knew what mine was," said Junior with a sigh. Malicia wrapped her arms around him. Junior stiffened and blush as he was wrapped in the woman's warm and comforting embrace.
"I'll help you find it," said Malicia.
Sunset was gazing up at the night sky. As of now, she was back in the Iwi village, along with the rest of her friends and the MONARCH soldiers. She was relieved that the problem earlier today was resolved. All that was left was finding Junior. Wherever he may be.
Sunset felt a sudden pain her chest. She grunted as she hunched over, breathing hard. The girl began to panic.
'Am I having a heart attack?' thought Sunset. She felt like her heart was being squeezed. Her head also began to spin. Her vision grew dark. But, as it did, her sight painted an image. She saw a familiar boy, standing alone. It was Junior.
"Gojira..." Sunset weakly called out. She shakily stood and began to make her way to the gloomy apparition. A shadow began to loom over him. Sunset instinctively knew it was a threat. But as she reached it, Junior suddenly faded from sight.
Sunset reached out, her sight becoming clear. Her chest had stopped hurting, much to her relief. Sunset panted.
"What was that?" asked Sunset. She couldn't have imagined it. In fact, it almost felt like the vision from her dreams. Yet, something was different. It was like she felt turmoil. Sunset suddenly felt her cheek and drew out a tear drop. She frowned.
"I think I'm becoming a cry baby," said Sunset.
It was morning. Junior stirred awake from bed and yawned. As he sat up, he saw the sight of sunlight breaching through the room. The boy made his way to the window.
"Even the mornings look lousy," said Junior with a yawn. Only the evenings seemed to make this place look a bit tolerable. The morning just seemed to wake the boy up immediately.
It was hard to believe that Junior was in the heart of an evil empire. Even its ruler was not what he expected. Malicia seemed to be too motherly and empathetic to be this horrible tyrant that the Sacramentonians feared. But then again, what he witnessed with Endurous may have cued him in on what she might've really been like. Plus, some of her views he didn't necessarily agree with.
"Maybe I'm just putting my own standards on her," said Junior, scratching his head. He realized it wasn't really his place to judge. After all, he didn't know her life story and the whole story about this empire.
There was a knock. Junior turned and made his way over to the door. As he opened it, he found an unfamiliar hand maiden standing at the door.
"I've brought you breakfast, Sir Gojira," said the hand maiden.
"Oh. Thank you." Junior opened the door more, allowing the woman to enter with a cart. She set it near the bed and lifted the basting cover.
"Egg from a Tyrant Dragon. High in protein and nutrition. Hog sausage links. Toasted bread and butter. And, fresh goat milk," said the hand maiden. Junior's stomach began to growl as he eyed the food. The delicious smell filled his nostrils.
"Looks great," said Junior as he took a piece of sausage, his mouth watering. He began to take a bite. It was better than he could imagine. He sat on the bed and brought the plate closer to himself, beginning to eat.
"I trust that you slept well?" asked the woman.
"Like a baby," chuckled Junior.
"That's good. We hope to make your stay as comfortable as possible," said the hand maiden, as Junior took the cup of goat milk.
"Never had goat milk before," said Junior to himself. He shrugged and went for the drink. The milk was room temperature, but it was sweet and almost creamy.
"I never thought being stranded in another world would open up doors to new flavors of food," said Junior with a sigh.
"Empress Malicia will be quite busy today. She has granted you free reign around the citadel. I am at your service. If there is anything you require, all you need is to ask," said the hand maiden.
"Oh. OK. But uh... Is there something I can do to kill time?" Asked Junior. This place didn't look like it carried any recreational activities that he could partake. Unless he counted sleeping with the help, but that was out of the question.
"Perhaps the library? The citadel has a wide collection of books that you may find stimulating," suggested the hand maid. Junior smiled.
"The library it is," said Junior. Reading may be a perfect way to kill time.
After breakfast, Junior found himself led by the hand maid. The two entered a large room. All around were rows of tall shelves, filled with many books. The shelves against the walls also reached up to the high ceiling. A ladder on wheels rested at the wall. Junior found himself almost overwhelmed at the sight.
"That's a lot of books. Twilight would probably collapse in shock at this place," chuckled Junior. But, he felt a knot as he thought back to the petite nerd.
'Hope she's OK,' thought Junior.
"These books have been gathered here for generations. They comprise of fiction, historical records, legends, and other works of research," said the hand maid.
"Where do I start?" Junior scratched his head. But, an idea popped into his head.
"Where are the books on some of the flora and fauna in Equescidar?" asked Junior.
"Right this way," said the hand maiden.
Iwi Village, Roaring Jungle...
Two wagons were resting just at the gates of the Iwi village. Those who boarded the wagons were comprised of Twilight, Sunset, Fluttershy, Adagio, Posey, and Miwa. That was the first wagon. The second wagon comprised of Angirasu, Battra, Koizumi, Inoue, and Aiko.
"Are you sure you don't wanna take the Humvees?" asked a soldier.
"I am. We can't expend the fuel in case of an emergency," said Aiko.
"Well, make sure you stay on radio contact," said the soldier with a nod.
"Yeah. You guys just behave yourselves until we get back," said Aiko. Meanwhile, Senior held Miwa's hand tightly.
"When everything is secured, I'll meet with you. Just stay safe," said Senior.
"I will. And I'll find our son," said Miwa.
"I hate being left out of the adventure," pouted Sonata. Aria merely patted her shoulder. Suddenly, Jira came crawling by, snorting. Fluttershy smiled brightly.
"Aw! The natives made Jira a saddle!" said Fluttershy. Sonata and Aria briefly looked to each other.
"Shot gun!" cried Sonata, rushing to the hybrid.
"Uh uh! You're riding 'bitch' in the back!" said Aria.
"Damn. As if dealing with one isn't bad enough," said Aiko to herself, in dismay.
"Alright Dash. You know what do. Scout around neighboring towns on your map before meeting us in Salera. If he's in Dogomite territory, we should at least start there," said Twilight. Rainbow gave a salute before running off, disappearing in a flash.
Soon, the wagons began to leave the village. Jira, carrying Aria and Sonata on his back, followed the wagons. Aiko looked back warily.
"So uh... how did you tame that thing?" asked Aiko.
"Gojira just clobbered him and got him to submit. Though I think Fluttershy's kept him tamed when he wasn't around," said Aria.
"So... Who are these Dogomites?" asked Miwa.
"From what we've gathered, they're an imperialistic empire that's been at war with the Sacramentonians for a while now. From our experience, they're bad news," said Twilight.
"And you think Junior's been captured by them?" asked Miwa with a worried look. Twilight bit her lip and looked away.
"It's possible. But it's possible that he wasn't. I'm sure he's fine. He's been pretty capable since we've been here," said Sunset with a reassuring smile. But she kept being reminded of her past dreams and that vision from last night. The red head herself wasn't entirely convinced herself.
The hours went by fast, as the wagons traveled out of the jungle. They came across an open and unfamiliar area.
"Hmm. Haven't been this way before," said Twilight, thoughtfully.
"Hey, check out the town. Do you think it’s friendly or not?" asked Sunset. Twilight began to scan through the map.
"It could be this village right here. Let's take a closer look," said Twilight.
The crew began to make their way down to the village. As Twilight continued to scan it, her brows raised. It was around this area that Specter Hollow was. Or rather, the river that ran through it. No doubt that the boy might have ended up here. That is if Twilight's analysis is correct.
Soon, the wagons made their way to the village gates. A couple of guards came out to meet with them.
"State your business," said one of the guards.
"We're looking for a friend. We were hoping to get a quick look around," said Twilight. The guards hummed as they briefly looked to each other.
"If you can pay the toll, we'll allow you in. Just 4 silvers for each wagon," said the guard. Twilight reached into her satchel, where she found a smaller coin purse inside. She took 8 silver coins and handed them to the guard. The guards began to step away as they signaled for the gates to be opened. Once heavy wooden doors parted, the wagons traveled inside. The group parked off to the side, as villagers passed.
"OK, wait here. We'll ask around," said Twilight as she, Sunset and Fluttershy hopped out of their wagon.
"Hey, you don't get to order us around, kid," said Koizumi in annoyance.
"It's probably a good idea. I mean who knows if these people know that you're cleared of those charges of being Zetas," said Angirasu. Aiko nodded in agreement.
"Just don't take too long. We need to spare as much daylight as we can," said Aiko. Twilight nodded.
The three girls began to look around the village. Even though they've been to different places, the outer settlements seem to have at times look like any other. That is if it were not for the materials used for the buildings. After all, this town was made up of mostly lumber and with straw covered roof tops.
"So, who do we ask?" asked Fluttershy. Sunset looked around and shrugged. She walked over to the first person that she saw.
"Excuse me sir, have you seen our friend around here?" asked Sunset.
"Friend? What does he look like, young lady?" asked the older man.
"He's a 17 year old boy that stands over 6 feet. He has amber eyes and black spiky hair. He also..." Sunset hesitated for a brief moment. "His left arm might be covered up. If not, than it looks really unusual."
"Oh! I've seen him! He stayed at the Inn here just a couple nights ago," said the man. The girls perked up at this news.
"Do you happen to know where he is now?" asked Twilight.
"Hmm. Can't say I've seen him around since then," said the man in thought. He then noticed another man passing by.
"Hey, Mortimer, have you see the visitor that stopped at our town a couple days ago?" asked the man.
"The one that came in dirty like a stray dog? I saw him around town, but not recently," said the second man.
"Are you talking about that Demi-Titan? I believe he left when we were holding that funeral service," said a third man.
"He left?" asked Fluttershy, disheartened. The girls looked to each other, finding themselves discouraged.
"Well, if he left, he might be on his way back," said Sunset.
"But he should've been back by now if it were a few days ago, right?" Twilight grimaced.
"If it's a lost friend you seek, than the Oracle is the one you should see," said one of the men. The girls looked to him, questioning looks on their expressions.
"The Oracle? Mortimer, that is a dangerous journey," said one of the men.
"Wait, who is the Oracle?" asked Twilight.
"She is said to be blessed with wisdom for counsel and prophetic sight by Providence himself. She resides in the center of the Roaring Jungle," said Mortimer.
"Prophetic sight." Sunset's brows raised.
"Then we should go!" said Fluttershy, tugging at the red head's sleeve.
"Be warned, child. Aside from the dangers of the forest, the Oracle is guarded by fierce Giga-Boas. Great dangerous serpents that can snuff the breath of even the largest beasts," said Mortimer. The girls merely looked to each other.
"Can't be worse then what we've run into before." said Sunset, flatly.
Malicia's Citadel, Lur...
Junior sat in silence as he read through a book in the library. On the table were also a pile of different books. The hand maiden sat nearby with a book of her own.
"So, there are some species that are an actual mix of flora and fauna. That's crazy," said Junior, reading a page. He found an illustrated image of a familiar large insect that was covered in wood. As Ann had said, it was called a 'Spore Mantis'.
"Oh yes. There are a number of creatures in Equescidar that are a part of the earth. Those are usually the most dangerous ones," said the hand maiden.
"I'd expect nothing less," said Junior.
There was a sudden loud bang. Junior turned and found that Kenra had kicked the doors of the library open. They hit the walls, causing an echo.
"The empress has sure taken a liking to you. Despite you being a lazy good for nothing! So now you're lounging here like a bump on a log!" said Kenra in disdain. She slammed her hands on the table. Junior said nothing and kept reading.
"L-Lady Kenra..." The hand maid timidly spoke up.
"Shut it!" snapped Kenra. Junior had to refrain himself from snapping back at this woman's harsh response. But considering that he was a guest, and this was Malicia's minion, he thought it best not to get aggressive. However, his silence only aggravated her.
Kenra suddenly tackled the boy to the ground. The hand maiden screamed in alarm, as the enforcer repeatedly punched Junior.
"It's all your fault, you little shit! My military career went down the fucking drain because of you!" shouted Kenra. Junior quickly raised his arms to protect his face. Now would be a good time to fight back. But again, he kept thinking of the consequences it would bring.
Suddenly, Kenra was enveloped in a yellowish green aura. She cried out as she was pulled away. Malicia's hand glowed as she levitated the woman away.
"Guards! Take her to the throne room! I'll deal with her later," growled Malicia. Two guards quickly rushed over to Kenra and began to haul her away.
"Let me go! I'm not through with him!" screamed Kenra, as she was taken out of the library. She was kicking and screaming on her way out.
Malicia turned to find Junior on the ground. He was rubbing his slightly bruised face, as the hand maiden was kneeling next to him.
"Are you alright, Gojira?" asked Malicia, concern in her tone.
"Yeah, I'm fine," said Junior as he stood up. Malicia took notice of the bruises on his face. They looked to be slowly fading before her very eyes. She smirked.
"I guess that's what it means to be a Demi-Titan. Like water off a duck's back," said Malicia. But then, a regretful look appeared on her face.
"I apologize for Kenra's behavior. I believe that she's mistaken you for someone else," said Malicia.
"Wouldn't be the first time. Besides, it's not the worst experience I've had with a crazy bitch," said Junior. Malicia looked to the hand maiden, sending her a look. The woman quickly took off and left. Junior bore a confused expression.
"Yes. It's terrible what you've been through. Being attacked by people that see you as an inferior being. It's put you in danger many times and left you with a permanent scar," said Malicia, her eyes on Junior's left arm. The boy sighed as he followed her line of sight. He felt a growing frustration well up inside.
"I hate this thing. I get sick just by looking at it," said Junior, his expression hard.
"It hurts when I have to scratch an itch. I tear up my sleeves, people just stare at it. But worst of all, it's a permanent reminder of my lot in life. It would've been better if it stayed as a stump," said Junior, his expression growing gloomy. He shook his head.
"It's not fair. What the hell did I do to deserve these terrible things that happened to me? I mean, I'm no saint. But I don't deserve to be treated like dirt by everyone. Hell, I don't deserve being shot at or even accused and arrested for crimes that I didn't even commit," said Junior, clenching his fist. He then felt a gentle hand rest on his shoulder.
"I know dear," said Malicia. Junior blushed as he looked away.
"Sorry. I sometimes just go into a rant when something bugs me," said Junior in embarrassment.
"It's alright. Please, share. It helps," said Malicia, giving a warm smile. Junior scratched his head.
"Well it's just... I feel like I can never win. Whether it's here or back there... Someone is always walking over me," sighed Junior.
"Well, you know the secret to reducing the numbers of those mistreating you? It's to conquer them," said Malicia.
"You mean like beat them up? I've done that all my life. Someone picks a fight, I kick their ass. It's never actually stopped them. In fact, I think it's made things worse," said Junior in dismay.
"No, no. I don't mean a mere fair honorable fight between men. That's only short term when it comes to disputes," said Malicia. Junior raised a brow as Malicia's expression turned serious.
"If you want your enemies to stay away, you have to make them feel small and helpless. Make them feel the pain that you feel every day," said Malicia. Junior felt a chill run up his spine.
"Sounds intense," said Junior. Malicia sighed.
"Don't you want people to stop walking over you? I know that in your heart, you know what I'm saying is true. What's holding you back?" asked Malicia. Junior was silent for a brief moment, in thought. He sighed.
"What did you have in mind?" asked Junior. Malicia smiled. She brought a hand behind his back and ushered the boy to walk with her.
"If you'd like, I can set you up with public training to help you. They'll help you improve in intimidation as well as combat. I've seen your skills. And they're... subpar at best," said Malicia.
"Oh?" Junior frowned.
"It's nothing to be ashamed of. If you're a fierce and skilled fighter, then people are less likely to challenge you. If you remain as you are, they'd think that by some luck, they can overwhelm you in spite of your strength," said Malicia.
"I guess that makes sense," said Junior as he was escorted out of the library.
"For now, head to your room. I'll meet with you soon to show you the facility that will help you," said Malicia as Junior walked off. The Empress went on her separate way, a sinister smile growing on her face. She eventually made her way to her throne room. Kenra stood alone, an annoyed look on her face.
"Solid performance, Kenra," said Malicia.
"You owe me one," said Kenra, flatly.
Roaring Jungle...
It was the late afternoon. The sun was early in its setting stages. There was little sunlight getting into the forest. The wagons continued on.
"I don't like this. Who knows what we could run into here," said Battra.
"Nothing we can’t handle. We have a couple of mutants, trained soldiers, and magical girls on our side," said Koizumi, confidence in his tone.
"Hey, are we even going the right way?" asked Adagio.
"Should be around..." Twilight scanned through the map. Sunset took her chin and raised her head.
"Here?"
The wagons came across a great deep hole. The group stepped out of the wagons and investigated. Twilight let out a terrified scream, but quickly cupped her mouth.
"Dangerous indeed," said Sunset, warily.
Inside the hole was an aquifer. The underground water ran just 15 feet below. A stone bridge ran over the water, off to somewhere unseen. But the most glaring sight was the great serpents that swam beneath the bridge. Twilight began to hyperventilate as she stared at the large slithering creatures.
"Twilight, calm down," said Fluttershy, taking the book worm's hand.
"What's with her?" asked Inoue in worry.
"She has a phobia of snakes," said Sunset.
"Shit, I don't blame her. I mean, look at the size of those things!" said Koizumi. Twilight quickly cupped her ears with a whimper.
"Hey look. There's an elevator type thing," said Sonata, pointing to a wooden structure at the edge of the hole. There was a platform that seemed to be connected to rope that led all the way down below.
"OK. So we found a way down. But it looks like only a few of us can go at a time," said Aiko.
"Ok. I guess I'll go," said Sunset with a breath.
"So will I. It's my son we're looking for after all," said Miwa. Adagio groaned.
"Count me in. You'll need back up," said Adagio, crossing her arms as she eyed the hole below.
"Me too. You may need me to tame them if they get aggressive," said Fluttershy.
"Or we can just shoot them from up here," said Koizumi with a shrug.
"Sergeant, do you not see the size of those things? We don't have the numbers nor the firepower to take them out," said Aiko with a glare.
"If this Oracle is here, then it'd be a bad idea to attack. Those snakes could serve a purpose, as those villagers claimed," said Sunset. She then turned to Twilight, who was still trembling.
"Twi, wanna join us? We might need your help," said Sunset. Twilight held her arms close to herself, frowning.
"O-OK..." Twilight timidly spoke.
"I don't like it. At least one of us should go with you," said Aiko.
"No. I have faith in them. They can do it," said Angirasu, smiling at Sunset. The girl smiled back with a nod.
Soon, the five were on the lift. Sunset and Twilight began to pull on the rope, causing it to descend down below the hole. Eventually, they reached the deep, dark, underbelly. It grew colder as they descended upon a stone structure, connected to the bridge. They saw it running further down ahead through the dark subterranean place. But, there didn't seem to be any visible structure at the end.
"Alright, let's go," said Sunset. The group made their way to the bridge, which was covered in old vines and moss. They heard the boas below to be slithering around, giving loud hisses. Twilight clenched her eyes shut as she suddenly stood frozen. Fluttershy took her hand.
"Remember. It's for Goji," said Fluttershy, softly. Twilight gulped as she opened her eyes. She nodded to her friend in response. She couldn't freeze up now. Not when they may be so close.
As the group continued, Adagio made a daring move to look over the side of the stone bridge. Her heart jumped as she saw the massive serpents pass by. Some stopped and looked up at her. Their cold reptilian eyes just stared into her own. Adagio grimaced as she looked away and stepped back from the edge.
"I thought we'd be eaten by now," said Sunset.
"Please don't jinx us," said Twilight in dismay.
"No, don't you think it's weird? These aren't behaving like typical animals. It's like they're just watching us the same way a guard watches a suspicious character," said Sunset, looking over the bridge, seeing a few more serpents staring at then.
Eventually, the group made their way to the end of the bridge. As thought earlier, there was no structure. There was no platform let alone a mystical castle. There was just water down below, and a few serpents circling the area, some stopping to see the humans above.
"Now what?" asked Adagio. Miwa looked down, finding that there was an empty space of water that the Giga Boas weren't swimming in. In fact, they seemed to be keeping their distance from it.
"See that down there? I think I can make something out," said Miwa, pointing into the water below.
"Yeah, me too. Maybe it's some kind of structure submerged," said Sunset with a squint.
"Cool. Now all that's left is a password or something," said Adagio. Everyone looked at her oddly.
"Password?"
"Yeah. All of the mystical places have them. You know, like Open Sessame?" asked Adagio.
"That's ridiculous" Sunset scoffed.
"Look, I'm just trying to help! No need for that tone!" said Adagio.
"Then actually help instead of making stupid suggestions!" said Sunset with a glare.
"I don't see you coming up with anything!" Adagio pointed an accusatory finger at the girl.
"Girls, stop!" said Fluttershy. However, she was ignored.
"Want me to come up with something? I think this is a fool's errand. For all we know, this Oracle died and was eaten if it ever existed!" said Sunset, bitterness in her tone.
"Sunset!" said Fluttershy, with an appalled look. Sunset looked at her, still heated, but took notice of Miwa standing in silence. She could see sadness creeping onto the woman's face. Sunset looked at the ground in shame.
"I'm sorry..." said Sunset.
"Hey, you're not the only that's worried about him. It's OK," said Adagio, placing a hand on Sunset's shoulder. The red haired girl sighed.
"You might be on to something, Adagio," said Twilight, drawing everyone's attention. They found her looking down at the empty space of water below.
"A summons might be all we need. It might not even be something impossible to figure out," said Twilight as she stepped a bit to the ledge. She cleared her throat, as the serpents kept their gaze on her. Twilight felt herself violently tremble at their piercing gaze. But, she felt herself motivated by recalling the times that Junior himself went through many different dangers and trials himself. He may have been a mutant, but his courage was a greater strength. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to do the things he could. With a deep intake of breath, Twilight held her head high, cupping her hands together around her mouth.
"WE SEEK THE ORACLE!" Twilight shouted, her cries echoing through the aquifer. The echoes died down. The water suddenly began to bubble. The group took a step back, as the serpents began to slither away, hiding under the bridge. From the water, a larger serpent began to raise itself from the water. Its large body almost dwarfed the bridge, and its mass caused the water to rock.
It appeared as a serpentine Neighsian dragon. But unlike Manda, this one bore long and elegant antlers upon its head. Its forward facing eyes were pure white. Its scales were also grey, running along its serpentine body. Long twin whisker-like protrusions hung from its snout. The creature growled as it focused on the humans, who trembled at the beast's sight. It suddenly lurched its head forward, causing them to stumble back.
"Why do you seek me?" A voice filled the air. But, there was no one else around. It was here that they realized the dragon was speaking to them. Its jaws opened as it spoke. It spoke in a deep yet feminine tone. Everyone was too much in shock to respond to the mystical creature. But, Fluttershy stepped forward, with a less intimidated look.
"W-We're looking for someone dear to us. G-Gojira Takeshi Junior," said Fluttershy, making sure her voice was loud enough and clear. The dragon gave a growling hum as it backed away a bit. Her eyes closed.
"Yes... The boy lives," said the Oracle. The group felt a sense of relief at this news.
"But... He was taken prisoner by the Relentless One, Endurous. He is now in the hands of Malicia, Empress of Dogomoto," said the Oracle. Everyone bore a look of dread at this news.
"T-There has to be a way to save him! Please, tell us there is!" pleaded Miwa, desperately.
"The road to the capital city of the Dogomite Empire is heavily guarded. You would not make it there without an army. But, there is one other way," said the Oracle as she blew a small flame. The fire began to swirl in the air and began to take on a shape. The fire had formed itself into a map.
"The Catacombs will be your way into the city. But be warned, for the entrance to the catacombs is in the territory of the Amazon Tribe. For they do not take kindly to outsiders," said the Oracle.
"Shouldn't be too much trouble if we're careful," said Twilight, looking at her own map and comparing it to the one the dragon depicted.
"But the catacombs themselves are just as dangerous, if not more. There dwells deadly obstacles. A few Demi-Titans who have lost their way roam there, having long lost their sanity. The indigenous race of the Mole Men also live there, and feast on anything they find. Even humans," said the Oracle. The group felt discouragement.
"And worse of all, a horror that should never be named," said the Oracle.
"You're... Not even gonna tell us what it is?" asked Adagio. The dragon was silent.
"OK," said Adagio, awkwardly.
"Come on, let's go," said Twilight.
"One more thing," the dragon suddenly spoke, drawing the group's attention.
"I have seen the boy's future. The shadow of death and desolation looms over him," said the Oracle. Sunset felt her blood run cold. She quickly recalled the horrible nightmares that she had. As did Twilight.
"What do you mean?" asked Miwa, her eyes widening.
"As we speak, Malicia is seducing him to her ways. If you do not find him soon, he will be consumed by her evil," said the Oracle, blowing another flame. A flaming apparition of a human figure appeared. A flaming spider apparition appeared as well, spewing a trail of flames around the human figure, consuming it entirely. Sunset felt her anxiety shooting up. Never has she hated spiders as much as she did now.
"Go now! Or else his soul will be lost to you!" the Oracle commanded in a loud bellow, which caused the aquifer to tremble from her voice. The group quickly took off running, both out of fright and urgency.
Lur, Dogomoto...
Junior found himself riding in a dark chariot with Malicia. The chariot was pulled along by a pair of black horses. The creatures were decorated in armor plates over their heads and backs. They pulled the chariot along through the city, escorted by a team of guards, riding raptors.
"You spare no expense on travel, huh?" Junior glanced at the Empress.
"It's dangerous for royalty to be out on their own, you know." Malicia smiled.
"Hey, what the hell is that smell? It smells like something died," said Junior, cupping his nose.
"It's either that, or the wind blowing the smell of feces from a neighboring part of the city," said Malicia.
"Huh?" Junior bore an incredulous look.
"As I mentioned before, this city is crowded. We've had to compensate for the growing population by building structures that tower high to the heavens. It's now at a point where some citizens are living in the streets," said Malicia, her eyes falling upon a ragged person that passed by in the street.
"They get sick and drop dead. We still haven't quite recovered from the recent plague. We're having a hard time of disposing of the corpses these days," said Malicia.
"A plague?" Junior said to himself, seeing some of the sickly people that sat in the streets.
"Don't worry. So long as you don't live as they do, you're less likely to catch it," said Malicia in reassurance.
"No... I wasn't worried about getting sick," said Junior. He had never seen a sight so pitiful, especially since Sacramentonians made a big deal of this empire being a great threat. It didn't look much better off compared to the other Kingdom.
"We're almost there," said Malicia as the chariot was towed over to another street. There was a clear area in the city. Junior beheld a massive structure that stood tall. It was made up of stone. The structure was round, appearing similar to a Colosseum. The structure stood to be tall, with stone pillars around it. At the front of the structure were two rows of sculptures, depicting masculine figures clad in armor and wielding different weapons. These sculptures led to the entrance of the structure. The chariot stopped, allowing the Empress and boy to step out.
"Here we are," said Malicia.
"A Colosseum, right?" asked Junior.
"Indeed," said Malicia as she walked on ahead. Junior began to walk after her.
"I'm not exactly looking to be a gladiator. I thought you were gonna set me up with being taught with 'Public Training'," said Junior with a confused look.
"Yes. The arena offers the teachings I mentioned. But the only way that you can receive those lessons is if you enlist into the arena," said Malicia.
"I don't think I'm comfortable with that," said Junior. Malicia suddenly stopped. Junior felt a twinge of nervousness. The woman than looked his way, nonchalant.
"Very well. If you're too cowardly, it can't be helped. The arena is not for the faint of heart, after all," said Malicia. Junior's brow twitched in annoyance.
"Cowardly?" asked Junior.
"I guess you will have to solve your problem yourself," said Malicia, walking back to the wagon. Junior grimaced as he looked back at the gladiator statues. Then back to Malicia.
"So uh... What's the life expectancy of these games? For participants," said Junior.
"Depends on the gladiator. If you're a prisoner, you’re purposely set up with more dangerous opponents. It's more a grand form of execution that entertains the citizens and draws in foreigners for visits," said Malicia.
"Makes sense," said Junior. He almost wanted to comment on that, but again, it wasn't his business. For all he knew at least some of those prisoners deserved their sentence.
"There are also volunteers and professional gladiators who make a living off the games. Although no gladiator goes in unprepared. They go through strict training sessions so that they are prepared. It's on them to handle the rest," said Malicia.
"And for beginners?" asked Junior.
"Oh, still quite dangerous if you're careless and weak. But I have faith in you, dear. Otherwise I wouldn't have suggested this," said Malicia, caressing the boy's cheek. Junior felt his heart jump and blushed. This woman sure did have charm.
'Damn my attraction to older women,' thought Junior.
"Well, where do I sign up?" asked Junior. Malicia giggled in delight as she took the boy's hand.
"Right this way," said Malicia, a devious smile appearing on her face.
Junior later found himself taken to an area, where a man stood, holding a large book. In his hand was a feather and quill.
"Alright, sir. I just need your signature here after you've read through our terms and conditions for gladiatorial enlistment," said the man as he handed Junior parchment. The boy began to read through it.
"Gladiators enter at their own risk. Risks include injuries, dismemberment, and death, and are not limited to active sessions in the arena. Training accidents are possible, thus require focus and attention to the trainer(s) and the directions given," said Junior as he read out loud. He was beginning to regret this.
"Wait a minute. It says here that I'm not allowed to back out until I finish a total of 5 games?" asked Junior incredulously.
"Volunteer gladiators aren't easy to come by," said Malicia with a shrug. Junior sighed.
"OK. So are there benefits to being a gladiator aside from what you promised?" asked Junior. Malicia smirk.
"There is glory and fame. That is if you're a great fighter in the arena. Even a couple of prisoners skilled enough become rather famous," said Malicia.
"I never cared for being popular," said Junior as he signed his name onto the parchment.
"Excellent. Now, if you'll just head on down this hall and to the third room on the left, you'll be prepared for your first day of training with the other volunteers," said the man, taking the parchment before pointing. Junior began to walk off as Malicia waved to him.
"I look forward to seeing your progress," said Malicia with a bright smile.
'Feels like my mom sending me off to school on the first day,' thought Junior. Once he reached his destination, a man stood, sweeping the floor.
"Ah. Another one? Looks like I have some work to do," said the man as he padded the chair in the room. Junior awkwardly took a seat, while the man began to draw out razors and scissors from a drawer. After gathering his tools, he placed a sheet over the boy. Junior winced as he felt his hair tugged at.
"It's dangerous for men of this profession to let his hair grow this long."
Junior winced as he felt the hair on his head pulled on, as they were clipped away and sent to the ground. It took a few minutes before the man finished cutting the hair.
"All done. Go and wash your head before heading to the training yard," said the man as he cleaned off his tools. Junior stepped outside, finding a trough full of water. He saw his reflection, finding his new look. He almost didn't recognize himself, since his hair was quite short now. No longer did it appear spiky. Junior sighed as he took a bucket and began to dump water over his head, gasping from the cold.
Junior found himself standing among a group of other men. They were of different heights, but above short in Equestrian standards. The boy had a good few inches over most of them. But, a couple looked a lot larger in build compared to his own body.
'These guys must've worked out just for this,' thought Junior.
"Be warned. The training that you shall endure will be intense. You will know pain. You will know despair. And you will know true strength!" said a man, dressed in sandals, a tight shirt, and a pair of leather shorts. He was a large man himself, but was older than the rest, holding some scars on the side of his head.
"It is our job as instructors to teach you the noble art of combat, which all creatures practice and only few have perfected. It's your job to shut the fuck up and learn! Are we clear?!" barked the man.
"Yes, sir!" The volunteers shouted in unison.
'Did I enlist to become a gladiator or a soldier?' Junior thought.
"Alright! Grab a sword and get ready for your training!" said the man, gesturing to a rack, holding several wooden replica swords. The volunteers began to make their way over and took a sword.
It was evening. The Iwi village was partially lit by the torches for the night. As of now, Aiko, including a couple high ranking soldiers, the Main 7, the Guardians, and Kong were gathered together. They were analyzing a map that was marked.
"Our lead tells us that he should be located in the capital city of the Dogomites. They're not a friendly bunch," said Twilight.
"That's miles away. Not to mention in the middle of bad guy territory!" said Pinkie.
"How're we supposed to get through? No doubt they'll attack us if we're spotted," said Rarity.
"We do we have the firepower. The worse that these guys have are dinosaurs and swords," said Aiko.
"And magic, apparently. But we have a more subtle way of getting in," said Sunset, pointing to the map.
"There's an entrance to the catacombs that can lead us into the capital, undetected. Problem is that there's an aggressive tribe called the Amazons that live around there, and there are some dangerous creatures in the catacombs themselves," said Sunset.
"So we'll have to get the whole platoon in on this. We can get to this region in mere hours with the vehicles. We have enough fuel that should last us there and back," said Aiko.
"Then we'll leave at dawn," said Senior, his brows furrowed.
Later that evening, Angirasu was walking through the Iwi village. He saw that the breach in the wall was finally patched up. That left one less concern. As the boy crossed a corner, he stopped as he heard retching. The boy grimaced.
Angirasu proceeded to sneak around the hut, where he found Dwan to be hunched over near a corner of the wall. She lurched and there was the sound of something splashing to the ground. Angirasu's high sense of smell picked up a stench.
"Ugh..." Dwan sighed as she took a gourd and began to pour water into her mouth. She swished it around and gurgled, before spitting the water back out.
Angirasu retreated back to the shadows, as Dwan turned and walked back to the village. The boy just stared as she passed by. Angirasu sighed to himself, frowning.
Somewhere in Sacramentonia's Inner Territories...
The evening sky had long since came. The shimmering stars hung above, decorating the darkened sky in a sea of white dots. They were countless.
However, this night wasn't as peaceful as this sky made it seem. A city found itself in turmoil. Fires burned, lighting up the city in its orange light. Citizens screamed in panic as they flooded the streets, fleeing from their homes. Some took to barricading themselves inside their homes instead.
Sacramentonian soldiers brushed passed the fleeing citizens. They were prepared to meet the challenge, but stopped as a few soldiers came fleeing their way. They bore ghastly wounds, which bled to the streets.
"We're doomed!!" cried a soldier, fleeing.
"Come men! We must meet the enemy head on!" shouted a soldier. The men gave shouts as they charged through the streets. But as they charged, there was no sign of Dogomite soldiers. However, there was something else. The soldiers stopped as a group of naked humanoids stood in the street. They were feasting on the corpses of men, women and children. The soldiers looked on in horror as these demons fought over their food, scarfing down pounds of flesh with their gnarly yellow teeth. Their sunken soulless eyes were full of nothing but hunger, as they fed. The monsters turned their sights on the soldiers, some dropping the corpses they had. They shrieked and began to sprint towards the men.
In mere moments, the Skull Walkers rammed into the soldiers, their bony yet powerful bodies knocked them off their feet. The soldiers cried out in panic and pain as they attempted to fight back. There were too many swarming them. A couple of soldiers managed to escape, while the rest were clawed, mauled, and torn limb from limb. Their agonized cries etched into the minds of the fleeing soldiers.
This city had been peaceful and quiet not too long ago. But now, it was reduced to a Hellscape.
While citizens attempted to flee the city, they were met with a blockade. A couple platoons of Dogomite soldiers stood at the three different gates of the city. Whenever citizens escaped the ravenous Skull Walkers, they faced the swords of the Dogomites outside. Already, corpses were piling up at the gates. There was no hiding or escape for these Sacramentonians. The monsters hunted and smoked them out, like cats and dogs going after rats. All the while, the Dogmoites took down the stragglers that came across them.
"Shall we advance into the city, Commander?" asked a Dogomite soldier.
"Nay. Let the Skull Walkers feed. By morning, we'll search what remains," said the commander.
It was thanks to these abominations that the tide of the war was in their favor. While the Sacramentonians were beginning to outsmart them, the Dogomites were ultimately able to push into these inner territories. This was thanks to using the Skull Walkers as pest control. They would lure the monsters, entrusted to them by Malicia, into the cities and allow them to feed. With the panic and chaos the creatures created allowed the Dogomites to greatly reduce their casualties.
"A brilliant strategy," said the commander to himself.
Three days had passed. Junior was panting as he held up a shield, just as a sword came slashing at him. He stumbled back a bit as the wooden blade collided with the wooden shield with a loud clank. The boy stepped back, as an instructor came at him again.
"Keep your shield up!" said the instructor, after elbowing Junior in the chin, causing him to stumble back. He quickly rubbed his bruised chin before rising back up his shield.
Throughout these past three days, Junior had spent his time attending these classes with the other gladiator volunteers. They were a lot tougher than he imagined them to be. Even as a mutant, Junior found himself getting pushed to his limits. He never knew how uncoordinated he was until these guys told him to wield a sword. Now, he was paying for that lack of grace and skill by being put into more intense training. Whether it was something seemingly small like balancing himself a few feet off the ground, enduring long runs, and learning how to actually wield a sword and shield.
Junior grunted as he blocked the next strike.
"When you find yourself in a bind as this, counter by bashing your opponent with the shield!" said the instructor as he swung his weapon again. But, Junior suddenly bashed his shield against him, sending him back a couple feet. The instructor grunted as he fell onto his back, as his sword fell out of his group.
"Ah shit!" exclaimed Junior in alarm, rushing over to help up the instructor.
"Not bad, son," coughed the instructor with a wince. He patted Junior on the shoulder.
"At this rate, you'll be just fine," said the instructor. Junior took some comfort out of those words, especially when he didn't know what exactly he'd be facing off against in the arena.
"You need to stay loose. You're not gonna be fast enough to react when your opponent lunges for you," said the instructor.
"Got it," said Junior, shaking himself off.
"Alright! Let's break for lunch! We'll work on sword techniques afterwards!" said the instructor, gaining everyone's attention.
Later, the volunteer gladiators found themselves gathered at a table inside of the building that held the training yard. They each bore plates full of mostly vegetables and cooked beans. Junior sighed in dismay as he took a spoon full of beans.
"I'd kill for a piece of chicken or something," said Junior in dismay.
"Also some bread and wine," sighed a volunteer.
"You need to get as much nutrition and fiber to turn body fat into fuel. You'll need the strong body to go against what gladiators face to entertain the masses," said another volunteer.
"Well this one might have that covered. This Demi-Titan here," said another volunteer, pointing a spoon to Junior. The boy slightly stiffened as the attention was on him.
"What's a Demi-Titan such as yourself doing all the way out here, participating as a gladiator?" asked one of the volunteers.
"Uh... I was told this would help with my self-esteem?" Junior shrugged with an awkward smile. The men were silent for a moment. They then laughed in hysterics.
"I like this kid!" a volunteer sad, smacking Junior in the back, causing him to choke on his food.
"Quite the joker, aren't ya?" laughed another volunteer. Junior hacked up a piece of vegetable and began to drink water to sooth his throat.
"Yeah..." Junior weakly smiled. Though technically, it wasn't exactly a joke.
It was later into the day. Junior sighed as he soaked into the tub in Malicia's citadel. His sore muscles were soothed by the hot water he was submerged in. The boy opened an eye an annoyance, as a hand maid took his arm and began to scrub him. His brow twitched as he found himself getting scrubbed from all over by three hand maidens.
"Can I have one bath to myself?!" asked Junior in annoyance.
Later, Junior found himself dressed, having recently finished his bath. He was making his way down to the dining hall. Once there, he found Malicia sitting at the table, waving to him. Junior made his way inside with a tired sigh. He took a seat across from the woman, as always. After training, he would return to the citadel rest. Meanwhile, the other volunteers stood at a facility provided to house them.
"Another grueling day of training?" asked Malicia.
"Oh yeah," said Junior.
"Ah. You should know that I've been having a talk with the Lord that owns the training facility that you're going to," said Malicia as a hand maiden poured wine into two chalices.
"What about?" asked Junior as he was handed a chalice.
"Well, he's heard of your performance. You seem to display some combat experience. A bit sloppy on your swordsmanship, but you've shown yourself to be a quick learner," said Malicia, sipping her wine.
"Hmph. I can't memorize the formulas for my math classes back home, but I'll be damned if I don't retain knowledge on how to fight," said Junior in dismay.
"The Lord is thinking of setting you ahead of the rest of the class because of this, and you being a Demi-Titan. I also made sure to mention that you've been surviving through the Roaring Jungle for days," said Malicia, almost in a whisper. She smiled mischievously.
"Ahead of the class?" asked Junior.
"You'll have your first match as a gladiator by the end of the week. We'll start you off small," said Malicia.
"I-Is that OK?" asked Junior, worriedly.
"I've seen your heart. With that comes your experience. I think you're ready," said Malicia with a smile. Junior sighed.
"Well... If you have that much confidence in me," Junior scratched his head. He sighed in dismay as he found a salad was brought over to him. Malicia was meanwhile brought a few large dishes, most containing meat. Junior's stomach growled.
'Damn this diet,' thought Junior.
"Is that all you've been eating? This won't do," said Malicia as she carved the turkey. She began to send slices into Junior's salad bowl.
"A gladiator should at least be able to enjoy his meal. White meat should be fine," said Malicia with a smile. Junior smiled back.
"Thanks, Empress Malicia," said Junior.
"Just Malicia, dear," said the Empress sweetly.
"OK..." Junior looked away with a blush.
"By the way, were you trained prior? You don't strike me as a military man," asked Malicia curiously.
"No, but my dad was. He used to teach me to defend myself when I was growing up. I often got into fights," said Junior as he sipped his wine. His mom would kill him if she caught him drinking, but Malicia just seemed to be good at convincing him to have at least one. "Even as of recent months, he trained me in some more fighting techniques."
"Ah. So your father was a soldier? Has he ever told you any of his war stories?" asked Malicia. Junior was silent briefly.
"Not really... I had to find out some stories on my own," said Junior, his tone small. Malicia tilted her head.
"My dad fought for the Imperial army of Neighpon long before I was born. I don't know what exactly all of his battles entailed, but I do know that most of his career was focused on suppressing nationalist and communist rebels in Chi'Nai before the Equestrians joined the war," said Junior, drinking more wine.
"Ah, so you are familiar with the Imperial way?" asked Malicia.
"Me? No, I was born in Equestria, almost half a century later. Well, unless you count faceless mega corporations using labor from foreign nations and their resources as Imperialism," said Junior, dryly. Malicia laughed in amusement.
"Oh, my dear. How I enjoy our talks," said Malicia.
"I do. Half the time at least. No offense," said Junior.
"Half the time?" asked Malicia.
"Sorry. Just recalling certain stuff bums me out. Not the World War 2 thing. I understand that whole thing was a mess," said Junior.
'World War 2?' thought Malicia in confusion.
"It's just... I remembered how shortly after the war, my dad and a lot of mu- I mean, Demi-Titans. They found themselves sold out by the Equestrian and Neighponese government and were sent off to these islands to help build these cities for these corporate entities. They were pretty much slaves," said Junior with a sigh.
"How did they enslave them?" asked Malicia in shock.
"I don't know. I think they got them with war crimes or something. Apparently my dad and his squad had their fair share of atrocities. So they probably rounded up slaves by using that as an excuse to force them into labor," said Junior.
"Hmph. Fools. To think they'd treat beings as us with such disrespect," scoffed Malicia.
"Well, that's how it is in my world. We're hated," said Junior. The boy felt a growing emptiness. How could he ever criticize Angirasu not wanting to return home because of almost being locked up in the Vault? After all, Junior felt a growing sadness just by reflecting on the past of his kind. Even if he never experienced those hardships himself, he knew that he was suffering the consequences of actions taken during then.
"It got to a point where my father led a revolution with the other slaves. The cities turned into war zones. The military couldn't suppress them, no matter how many bombs or guns they used," said Junior, staring at the red wine in his chalice. It was dark like the blood that flowed in his veins.
"They got their freedom, but the world decided that we were too dangerous to leave unchecked. They did everything they could to suppress us and our abilities. They tried sterilizing us, aborting us, chipping us... It worked in some ways. In others, it didn't," said Junior, glancing at his reptilian arm.
"Honestly, I'm surprised that I've made it this far in life. I easily could've been one of those infants that were aborted in the womb because my mother didn't want to be a parent, let alone to a... freak," said Junior. He felt a pair of arms wrap around him from behind. Junior's heart jumped as he found Malicia burying her face into his shoulder. He felt her soft, warm breaths against himself.
"I know the sorrow you've felt. To feel alone," said Malicia, softly. Junior swallowed the lump in his throat, gritting his teeth. He kept his eyes on the wall, trying to remain stoic. Malicia began to gently caress his new cut hair. Her touch was soft, gentle and comforting, much like a mother's touch. Junior almost wondered if this woman had ever been a parent in her life, because she seemed like she'd be a decent one.
"My dear boy, you'll learn to overcome. You'll be the master of your own fate, through me," said Malicia as she leaned her head against Junior's neck. The boy closed his eyes, feeling relaxed as her pale hands brought him against her bosom in her warm embrace. Against her chest, Junior picked up a scent. It was a pleasant scent. Junior felt his face flush as he took a whiff. Malicia continued to caress his head as she stood with him.
"Oh, Gojira..." Malicia said in a sultry tone. She stared into Junior's eyes, lovingly. The boy just gave soft breaths as his eyes glazed over, his face growing red. Malicia ran her hand over his chest.
"You're such big, strong young man. And handsome," said Malicia as she began to bring the boy's face to her own. As their faces inched closer, Junior's eyes suddenly shot wide open.
"Whoa! What's happening?!" Junior exclaimed as he pulled away. Malicia stared, stunned by the sudden shift of tone.
"Oh dear! Pleaae, forgive me! I think I've had a bit too much wine!" said Malicia sheepishly. Junior glanced back at the table.
"Oh. Ok," said Junior in an awkward tone. He took a seat and began to silently eat.
Later that night, Malicia watched as the boy left the dining hall. The Empress bore an annoyed look as she left as well, having finished dinner. Malicia later made her way to her study. She made her way over to a desk, where a small bottle sat.
"Hmm..." Malicia opened the bottle and took a whiff. She scrunched her nose and coughed.
"I thought this would work," said Malicia, turning to find Onyx sitting on a chair, drinking tea.
"Did you apply thoroughly?" asked Onyx.
"My clothes reek with it. But he didn't act. I thought it was working on him for a moment," said Malicia.
"Well, it isn't easy developing a pheromone for his class of Titan. Either it doesn't work, he uses the head on his shoulders more, or he's not into women," shrugged Onyx.
"Oh, he's attracted to women, alright. I've seen lust in his eyes," said Malicia. She sighed.
"I may have to be old fashion about it. No tricks," said Malicia.
"Why bother trying to sleep with him? Do you take pleasure in robbing the virginity of younger men?" asked Onyx with a sigh.
"You don't understand. He's the only one worthy," said Malicia. Onyx snorted.
"For what? Love? I didn't think you could fall in love," said Onyx.
"No. For my goal. But I'm not worried. Mark my words, his body, mind, soul, and seed, will belong to me, said Malicia, a cold look on her face.
It was morning. Aiko was looking through a pair of binoculars. She had her sights on a distant jungle that lied beyond the empty grasslands. The area was quiet, with only the sound of the woman's breathing.
"Anyone picking up something?" asked Aiko.
"Negative," responded a voice on the COM. Aiko sighed.
"Alright, stand by," said Aiko. She turned to find a few soldiers behind her, along with the Main 7 and the Guardians.
"Here's what I'm thinking. We send out a couple of scouts out to the jungle. Maybe to locate that entrance we've talked about," said Aiko. She then looked to Koizumi.
"Are you up for the challenge, Sergeant?" asked Aiko.
"Sure, why not? Maybe the Amazons will be hot," said Koizumi with a shrug and a smirk.
"Huh?" Inoue cocked a brow.
"I mean just think about it. A bunch of exotic babes living in the woods with their own society! I mean, imagine them. Looking something like Wonder Woman," said Koizumi with a chuckle.
"If we're talking about those kinds of Amazons, they might not be into you, Sarge." Inoue rolled her eyes.
"We're not here to pick up the indigenous people, Sergeant. Keep it in your pants," said Aiko, sternly. Koizumi sighed.
"Roger that," said Koizumi in dismay.
"Who'll join him?" asked Aiko.
"I'll go," said Inoue, raising a hand. She was worried that her superior officer would try to score with one of the members of a potentially dangerous tribe. Someone had to make sure he stayed out of trouble.
"Me too," said Angirasu. Aiko grimaced as her son stepped up.
"Angirasu, maybe-"
"Hey, I'll gladly go on my own. I have a friend that needs me," said Angirasu, walking off as he ignored his mother.
"Kid, that's your mother. Show some respect," said Koizumi with a glare. Angirasu ignored him as well. He instead walked on to the distant jungle, as the rest of convoy remained parked, where some soldiers lunged about.
"Little shit," scoffed Koizumi.
"Just go after him, Sergeant. Brody, Yasu, you're with them," said Aiko, looking back at the privates.
"Roger that," said Ford as he and Battra began to jog after Angirasu. Inoue and Koizumi followed as well. The group began to make their way down to their destination.
As they reached the forest, they kept alert. Their eyes scanned every inch possible of this foreign territory. Along the way, they heard the sound of rustling. Every now and then, the group would tense up and freeze, doing a brief scan. But, they would find nothing and would continue on their journey.
"Ugh. This is driving me nuts. I feel like at any minute, something's gonna pounce on us from the shadows," said Inoue.
"Just stay on the path and we should be fine," said Koizumi. He began to grin to himself.
"I wonder how they look. Maybe they've got a sexy bronze complexion," said Koizumi. Inoue sighed in dismay. Angirasu glanced at Battra, who kept his eyes forward. However, he began to take notice of the younger mutant looking his way.
"Something wrong?" asked Battra.
"Sorry. I was just... Thinking," said Angirasu.
"What about?" asked Battra, curiously.
"Well, how can you join MONARCH? I mean... You know what you are, right?" asked Angirasu.
"It's circumstantial, but I think it's a stride in the right direction." Battra shrugged. Angirasu scoffed.
"MONARCH needs to be taking a lot longer strides," said Angirasu. Koizumi looked to the boy in annoyance and offense.
"Hey, what the hell is your problem, kid? You've been judging us a lot lately. It's starting to get on my nerves," said Koizumi.
"Ever since my father died, I learned how you guys treat Transmutants. Most of the guys you recruit are xenophobic towards us to the point that you're apathetic to innocent mutants. You toss us in the Vault and let us fall prey to the Purists. That's my problem," said Angirasu.
"Listen, I get it. I know MONARCH's done some questionable stuff in the past, speaking as someone's who's been on their payroll for years now. But every action that MONARCH has taken was for the sake of the people," said Koizumi.
"Well, a protector should know the difference between what people want and what people need," replied Angirasu, his tone dismissive. Koizumi was about to retort, but couldn't think of a response. He merely scowled, deciding to forfeit the argument. He'd much rather do anything else. Inoue hummed to herself as she pondered the argument. She saw both sides of the argument. In the end, Inoue felt more affected by Angirasu's. After all, MONARCH was just like any other institution. It filled the needs of some, but it ultimately didn't have a soul to function in a way that could actually look out for those who needed it the most. It was all procedure and reactionary.
The group suddenly heard the sound of drum beats. They froze briefly and began to look around. Koizumi motioned for them to silently follow him. He struggled to suppress a lustful grin, which made Inoue cringe at the sight.
'It's like he's a pervy teenager,' thought Inoue. The group continued on through the forest, passing through bushes. They eventually came across a small village, where a group of women stood in ragged clothes and almost native garb.
"This must be the Amazon Tribe," whispered Battra. Koizumi grinned from ear to ear.
"They're even better than I imagined!" whispered Koizumi.
The Amazons exceeded the imagination of Kira Koizumi. As the name seemed to imply, they were a tribe of what mostly appeared to be women. And were they ever so beautiful. The women stood tall with long strong legs. Their skin bronze from the tropical heat. Their hair jet black, in different styles. From long, short, ponytails, buns, and hanging freely. The women appeared young and middle aged. Despite their age, the older Amazons still retained their beauty. Their bodies were visibly toned, as expected of those living in such a harsh environment as the jungle.
On the skin of the women were tribal marks painted onto their faces and bodies. They wore hide as clothing. From coverings for their breasts and bottoms. Some wore small headdresses, covered in feathers.
"Dear Lord, thank you for allowing me to live long enough to see this. Amen," said Koizumi to himself.
"I mean, they're OK," mumbled Inoue.
"What's that kid? Do I detect envy?" teased Koizumi. Inoue met him with a glare.
"I'm going to pretend that you didn't say that," said Inoue.
"Ah don't sweat it. You're cute yourself. But I see you more like a niece than a woman. Now Aiko Riku, that's a woman. Sexy and strong," chuckled Koizumi. Inoue scoffed in offense.
"You're saying that I'm not attractive like a woman?" demanded Inoue. Angirasu then glared at Koizumi.
"What the fuck did you just say about my mom?" demanded Angirasu.
"Huh. I thought you hated your mom," said Battra, cocking a brow.
"Guys, shut up!" hissed Ford.
Suddenly, the group found themselves surrounded by a group of Amazons. They held their spears up and pointed at the soldiers, meeting them with glares.
"Agh, Riku's gonna kill me for this," said Koizumi, a grimace on his face. Angirasu glared him.
"I'M going to kill you!"
"Who are you? And why do you trespass onto our land?!" demanded one of the Amazons.
"We come in peace!" exclaimed Inoue.
"Doubtful. Only those with nefarious intentions hide!" said another Amazon.
"She has a point," said Angirasu, flatly. Koizumi nudged him with a glare.
"Shut it!" hissed Koizumi. He cleared his throat as he stood up with a suave smile.
"Ladies, ladies. We're just travelers trying to get somewhere. But, I wouldn't mind to getting to know any of you. How about you, beautiful?" said Koizumi, winking at one of the women. The Amazon stepped back with a glare.
"I-I have a girlfriend!" said the Amazon. Koizumi lost his smile.
"Oh, whoops. Sorry about that. What about you, sexy?" asked Koizumi, stepping to one of the other women. She glared at him.
"I have a husband," said the woman.
"Really? I don't see him around. But, what he don't know won't hurt him, right?" asked Koizumi. The Amazon gasped with an appalled look.
"Sarge!" Inoue exclaimed in alarm.
"You Heathen!" The Amazon suddenly met Koizumi with a strike with the back of her spear, causing him to stumble back, clutching his face.
"Yeah, you deserved that," deadpanned Inoue, crossing her arms over her chest. Koizumi winced.
"Well, at least I know you ladies don't discriminate on who you love," said Koizumi, painfully chuckling.
"You will be our prisoner, interlopers!" said an Amazon. Swiftly, the women began to grab the group and hauled them away from their cover. Inoue sighed in dismay.
"Why did I say that I'd join you?"
There was a sudden crackle in the air.
"Sergeant, what's your status? Over," said Aiko, over the COM. The Amazons jumped with a start, searching for the voice.
"Who goes there?!" demanded one of the Amazons.
"The voice came from him! He must be a witch that can change his voice!" cried another Amazon.
"No, that was just my COM. Sorry, I gotta take this," said Koizumi, as he held his COM.
"Uh, we kinda got ourselves into a pickle. We're being taken prisoner by the natives," said Koizumi with a titter.
"Oh for-" Aiko groaned in annoyance.
"Sergeant? Hey, are you calling for help?!" demanded one of the Amazons.
"Uh... I was going to," shrugged Koizumi. Suddenly, he was forced to the ground and was beaten by two of the Amazons with the back of their spears.
"OW! STOP IT!" shouted Koizumi. All the while, his peers winced and cringed at the sight.
"So you are invaders! You must be in league with the Dogomites and the Zeta!" said one of the natives.
"No, we're not!" said Battra.
"You can't be trusted! You shall be dealt with once we bring you to our Chief for your judgement!" said the the Amazon.
"We're telling the truth! We heard that your tribe is guarding a cave that leads into the catacombs to Lur. We're trying to cut through there so we can find my friend!" said Angirasu.
"Sergeant, let me talk to the Amazons!" said Aiko, over the COM. But, he was still being beaten by the two women over him.
"They're a little busy! Ow!" yelled Koizumi, painfully.
"Let the voice from the box speak!" said the leading Amazon. The two women stopped their abuse and stood. Koizumi sat up, covered into red marks and bruises from the spears striking him. Koizumi pressed against the COM with a wince.
"They're all ears, Lieutenant. Make it count," said Koizumi, before releasing the COM. It crackled.
"I am Aiko Riku. Lieutenant of MONARCH. My soldiers were sent to investigate the cave that leads into the Catacombs. We do not intend to harm your tribe," said Aiko. The Amazons looked to each other with uncertainty. The leading one had a stern look.
"If that is truly your intention, then come alone to meet us. If you are to be trusted, then you shall honor our request," said the Amazon.
"She says you have to come alone to gain their trust," said Koizumi, pressing on the COM. He honestly thought that things were doomed to go south. But, he wasn't dumb enough to tell the Lieutenant to just roll in with guns blazing. He was certain that she'd come to that conclusion herself. In mere moments, the COM crackled again.
"Alright, I accept. I'll come down right now. Alone," said Aiko.
Later, Aiko Riku found herself walking through the jungle alone. Her nerves were tense, as she heard the animal calls, along with the rustling of grass and cracks of sticks beneath her boots. But, she maintained her composure. At her side, her side arm was tucked securely inside its holster. She soon stopped as she took notice of a lone woman to be standing among the trees.
"Hello?" called Aiko. She instinctively reached for her holster, but stopped herself. She couldn't display hostility, lest she wanted to ruin everything. She found more of these women to be appearing around her from the bushes, covered in grass, dirt and paint. Again, Aiko had to restrain herself from drawing her weapon.
The Amazons began to make their way to the woman. They escorted her through the forest, until they reached a clearing. Here, there were huts that were built on the ground and on the trees. She found many other natives. Aiko was surprised to see that there were mostly women here. But, she did see young children to be around as well, but they were kept out of sight. Aiko was led to an area, where she found the soldiers she sent and her son to be standing against posts. Rope bonded them to the posts. She bit her lip as she found her son in such a state, while the Amazons kept their spears drawn on him.
"Any time now, Lieutenant," whispered Koizumi.
"I didn't bring the others, Sergeant," Aiko whispered back. Koizumi's eyes widened.
"You're kidding, right?" asked Koizumi. Aiko said nothing. Her focus turned to an older woman, who was covered in long robes, with a large headdress on her head. While older, she carried hints of beauty that shined through her withering body.
"You are the leader of these interlopers?" asked the Chief.
"I am. Lieutenant Aiko Riku of MONARCH. We come in peace," said Aiko.
"They are in league with the Zeta, Chief! Just look at their armor and weapons!" said an Amazon. The women in the village began to murmur, some in panic.
"Ma'am, I assure you that my soldiers and myself are in no way affiliated with either the Zeta or the Dogomites. We're here to find a short cut to Lur," said Aiko. The chief rubbed her chin with a suspicious look. Her grip tight on her staff.
"If you are not with either of them, then what purpose would you have to be there?" asked the chief.
"It's a long story. But we came to Equescidar to rescue some children who became stranded. One of them was kidnapped and was taken to Lur. A boy," said Aiko. The Amazons began to murmur amongst themselves. Some didn't believe the tale that she told. But a few did, and felt dread for this missing child.
"I fear that we can not help you," said the chief. Aiko's eyes widened.
"B-But why?" asked Aiko.
"The Dogomites forced our tribe to safeguard the Cave of Discontent from any who would dare to pass through. Malicia took many measures to ensure that no one would pass through to reach her capital. If we were to defy her again, then she may take much more from us," said the Chief, gesturing to other Amazons.
"Our last defiance ended in the slaughter of our men and sons. We only managed to save a few of the boys of our tribe. I could only dread what she may do next if we were to provoke her wrath again," said the chief, solemnly. Aiko lowered her head, deeply frowning.
"I... I understand. You lost so much. You just want to protect what you have left," said Aiko, her tone soft.
"I can't blame you for being scared. I know what it's like to lose those that you love." said Aiko. She clenched her fists, before raising her head with a firm look.
"But even still, we can't live in fear. Otherwise, we truly lose everything that we have. I came here to find my own son and to help find someone else's. I can't go back home without them," said Aiko. Angirasu's expression softened as he heard his mother. The Amazons murmured amongst themselves. Mothers that had children kept them close, tearing up.
"Malicia would have our heads," said the Chief.
"She's already taken away most of your children and your men. You won't be able to sustain yourselves for much longer here. She's counting on your fear to keep you in line," interjected Angirasu. The chief turned to the boy who spoke. She appeared thoughtful. She then looked to the other Amazons, who stood in silence. She remembered that there were much more faces among these people. Men, women and children living together happily. That all changed when the Dogomites decided to dominate them. She sighed.
"Against my better judgement, I shall grant you passage through the Cave of Discontent. But, we will flee from this land. It is no longer safe for us," said the chief.
"Sorry for the trouble we've caused," said Aiko, apologetically.
"Nay. You have opened our eyes. We must move on from this place if we are to survive. I pray that somewhere beyond, we'll find a safe haven," said the chief. She then pointed her staff.
"Release them," ordered the chief. The Amazons began to untie the prisoners, allowing them to join Aiko's side.
"What happened to you?" asked Aiko, incredulous. She had just noticed that Koizumi's face was covered in red marks and bruises. He looked away in annoyance.
"Don't ask," said Koizumi. Inoue snorted to herself.
"Are you OK, son?" asked Aiko, worriedly. She reached for the boy's face, but he pulled away.
"I'm fine," said Angirasu looking away. Aiko frowned, as she lowered her hands.
"Good." Aiko cleared her throat, before turning on her COM.
"This is Lieutenant Riku. Negotiation was a success. Move in and set up a perimeter. We have a cave to secure," ordered Aiko.
Lur, Dogomoto...
Junior yawned as he walked through the citadel, having dressed up in his clothes for the day. He sighed as he continued on through the halls in silence.
"The week's almost out," said Junior to himself. He still couldn't believe that he was going to be accelerated through the classes and actually put forth on an actual gladiatorial game. It seemed excessive if not completely insane. But, Malicia seemed to have faith in him.
'It might not be so bad. I'm a mutant who's been through a lot of tough situations before. I should be fine,' thought Junior reluctantly. The boy eventually stopped as he came across Malicia, who had just walked by. She greeted him with a smile. Junior's face suddenly flushed as he recalled the previous night.
"Good morning, Gojira," said Malicia.
"G-Good morning..." said Junior, looking away. Malicia smiled in amusement.
"Sorry about last night, dear," said Malicia.
"Huh? Oh! No, don't worry about it!" said Junior with a sheepish chuckle. The Empress shook her head.
"You best be going. Wouldn't want to be late for your lessons," said Malicia as she strolled away. Junior cleared his throat as he scratched his head, his face red hot.
It was cold and dark. The sound of water dropping to the cave floor echoed out through the vast tunnels of a dark cave.
From inside of the Cave, the Main 7, the Dazzlings, mothers, 3 of the Mutant 4, the Guardians, Koizumi, Inoue, Battra, and Ford were navigating through the cave. They were also followed by a few soldiers. Lights shone through the darkness, giving a small view of their surroundings. The rough rocky walls were all that were present in their sight. While a team ventured into the cave to reach Lur, the rest of the platoon remained outside in the Amazon village, standing guard.
Senior felt discomfort from being in here. It was like traveling through the belly of a great beast.
Along the way, the group soon came across a spot in the cave that led down different tunnels. Everyone stopped, looking at the three different paths warily. There didn't seem to be any discernible way to know the correct way to go.
"Alright, this is a problem," said Aiko. Twilight hummed as she looked to the three paths. She began to make her way to the walls, where she placed a glowing palm. She then rushed to another wall, placing a palm there as well. Then the other wall.
"What are you doing?" asked Aiko. Twilight rejoined the group as the glowing palm prints began to change into numbers. The numbers one, two and three.
"Just so we don't have too much trouble backtracking," said Twilight, as the glow to the marks died down, leaving behind the numbers as prints on the stone walls.
"But which one leads to the catacombs?" asked Adagio.
"Hold on," said Baragon as he approached one of the cave entrances. He placed a hand on one of the walls and closed his eyes. He breathed softly as remained quiet. Everyone looked to each other oddly.
"What are you doing?" asked Rodan.
"Shut up. I need to focus," said Baragon. Everyone went silent again.
"There's a lot of activity going on down here. It's faint, but definitely there," said Baragon.
"How do you know that?" asked Rainbow in confusion.
"Call it sixth sense. I can get a feel for the formation of this place by reading the magnetic field, feeling vibrations, and hearing," said Baragon. He then pointed down the cave.
"I think we should try going down here. If we go deep enough, I might be able to pick up the path to the catacombs," said Baragon.
"Then let's go," said Senior as he walked on ahead.
"That simple, huh?" asked Koizumi. Aiko shrugged.
"Alright. Twilight, make sure you leave landmarks every now and then in case we get turned around," said Aiko. Twilight nodded.
The group spent the next hour traveling through the dark caves. Baragon took the lead, placing his hand along the stone walls every now and then, getting a feel for the current position. So far, they hadn't come across any more separate paths that were like forks in the road.
The journey continued on for several more minutes. But at this point, the group was starting to get tired out. It felt much longer than they've been traveling. What with the sun being nowhere in sight, the scenery almost appearing the same no matter how many steps they took.
"Let's stop for a minute. I believe the children could use a break," said Senior, stopping. The teens looked his way, few like Aria, Rainbow appearing annoyed.
"No, we can keep going," said Sunset, with a slight pant.
"The kids seem up for it," said Aiko.
"Even still, we should wait. I need to sit down a bit to paint a better picture of where we are," interjected Baragon. Aiko sighed.
"Fine. Everyone, take five. Have some water and maybe a bite to set yourselves straight," said Aiko. Everyone began to sit down and rest around the cave. The soldiers passed around MREs, while Baragon moved away from the group. He got on his hands and knees and relaxed. He closed his eyes as he dug his hands into the earth beneath him. The dirt slid between his fingers, and was grinding beneath his palms. His senses mapped out the surroundings in the back of his mind. He could sense that they weren't alone. THEY were everywhere.
"Shit. Chief, we got a problem," said Baragon as he turned back to look at the group as they began to make themselves comfortable. The earth in front of Baragon suddenly burst. He was partially blinded by the dirt, but found himself grabbed. Baragon cried out as he was dragged underground.
"Baragon!" cried Manda. Everyone quickly shot up, as the dust flowed.
"The hell was that?!" exclaimed Koizumi. Inoue suddenly shrieked as a dark burly figure burst from the ground and grabbed her. It quickly dove back into a freshly made burrow, dragging her along.
"Inoue!" cried Koizumi as he rushed to the burrow.
"Everyone stand close!" shouted Aiko. The soldiers began to ready their weapons, while the earth beneath everyone began to rumble.
"EEK!!" Rarity screamed as she found herself being pulled. But before she could be yanked under the earth, Applejack quickly caught her hand. She held the girl up, as a pair of leathery and grubbed hands had a lock around the girl's legs. They bore long thick claws at the end of the fingers.
"Hold on, Rarity!" cried Applejack.
"Jesus fucking Christ!" Aiko drew out a hand and rushed over. She aimed into the burrow and began to fire off her gun. There was the deafening sound of the gun that echoed through the cave. The grubby hands suddenly released Rarity, allowing her to be pulled out from the burrow. Sunset rushed to the burrow and began to send forth a stream of hellish flames that lit up the dark cave. There was the faint sound of a shriek from below, as the flames scorched whatever was inside.
The earth broke open once more. Large dark figures burst from below, shrieking as they scrambled to the intruders. The teens screamed in fright, while the soldiers fired off their weapons at them. The muzzle flashes gave the group brief glimpses at what they were faced with. Whatever their foes were, they weren't human. All they could make out were large furry masses, and beady black eyes. The inhuman figures dropped as they were pumped with lead from the firearms of the soldiers. The mothers and teens were cover, holding their hands over their ears as the guns fired off.
In just moments, the creatures stopped coming. The muzzles of the guns gave off smoke, as the cave was left in darkness, with only the rays of flashlights being the only light sources. Aiko cautiously walked over to one of the dead figures, lighting up with the flashlight on her gun. She was able to get a better look at this thing.
It was burly and furry, with small beady black eyes. It had a face that looked to be a rodent-like snout, with a star-like fleshy protrusion at the end. Its large hands lied in the dirt. This creature almost looked like an anthropomorphic mole.
"Found your mole men," said Aiko, poking the dead beast with her rifle.
"Fuck. Why'd it have to be you kid," said Koizumi, a frown on his face as he stared at an empty burrow. Senior sighed as he bowed his head, while Manda was sniffling. The ground began to rumble again. Everyone tensed up.
"Oh shit! They're coming back!" cried Ford. The earth burst, as a snarl filled the air.
"Hold your fire!" cried Senior.
From the earth, Baragon emerged, in his beast form. Inoue was clinging to his armored back, coughing as she was covered in dirt.
"Inoue!" Koizumi rushed over and pulled the young soldier off. He gently set her down on the ground, next to the wall. Meanwhile, Baragon shook off the dirt on him. Manda lunged for the mutant and held him tightly.
"I thought we'd lost you!" cried Manda. Baragon softly groaned. Senior sighed in relief as he smiled.
"What happened?" asked Koizumi incredulously.
"Those things pulled me under. I ended up in this separate tunnel below. There were a lot of these... things," Inoue panted. She smiled to Baragon.
"I would've been a goner if he hadn't been dragged under with me," said Inoue.
"That must've been one of the dangers the oracle warned about. We should keep moving," said Twilight, urgently.
"Yeah, this place is too tight for firearms anyway. Let's move on while we still can," said Aiko.
Junior panted as he stood with a wooden sword and shield. He circled his opponent, who carried a similar pair of items. The two looked to each other with hard expressions.
The trainees cried out as they lunged for each other and clashed blades. Junior and his sparring partner stepped back and swung their swords at each other. They deflected each other with their own strikes, their own shields, or merely dodged any swing that they could. The opponent gave a war cry as he swung his sword at the boy multiple times.
Junior raised his shield to block every coming blow. He grunted from the strikes, but stood his ground. As his opponent went for another strike, Junior bashed his shield against him, causing the man to stumble. Junior then kicked the man back, sending him falling to the ground.
"Nicely done. Again," said the instructor, as another trainee stood in the boy's path. His new foe drew out his wooden sword and got into a defense stance. Junior returned to his previous attack routine.
The journey through darkness continued. The rescue team continued to travel the seemingly endless tunnels. It had been a quiet yet tense journey. Due to the eternal darkness, and the danger that lied beneath the feet of the group, there was dread.
Along the way, Twilight continued to mark the walls of the tunnel. The group did not have to worry about ending up at too many split paths. Baragon continued to guide everyone down the path they needed.
Eventually, the group came across a large chamber of the subterranean place. There were some faint lights scattered. The sources of light were that of mushrooms, giving off a neon blue glow.
"Oh great," Koizumi pointed a light around the chamber. There were multiple different tunnels that ran into this den. The group looked to each tunnel.
"Which way this time?" asked Senior.
"Nowhere..." a voice spoke in the darkness. Everyone tensed. The voice carried a rasp and growl. Footsteps echoed through the cave. The sound was omnidirectional, making it impossible to pin point where the source came from.
The flashlights began to shine all around, searching for the source. From one of the tunnels, a figure came shuffling over. Everyone stared in shock and horror at the sight.
The figure was a sickly pale complexion and appeared frail. His skin hung from his bones, and his gut appeared bloated compared to the skeletal appearance of this man. He stumbled, standing in torn clothes that hung from his skeletal body.
"There is nowhere to go in this place. It is an endless labyrinth," said the figure, pointing a bony finger at the group.
"Who are you?" asked Aiko, incredulous.
"I... I have no name. I've lost myself here, like the others," wheezed the figure.
"We were lost. We had no food. Those moles were well hidden... We had to eat. They were good men..." said the figure, salivating.
"Kids, stand back," said Miwa. The teens began to take a step back from the figure, who seemed to be struggling to stand in one place.
"You will be like me. Alone, scared, thirsty... Hungry," growled the man, as his eyes dilated. He began to give manic chuckles. Koizumi quickly drew out his hand gun and shot the figure, causing him to fall over. The girls and mothers screamed in alarm, averting their eyes.
"What the fuck?!" demanded Aiko.
"Jesus Christ, Sarge!" exclaimed Inoue.
"What? I just put him out of his misery! Besides, I don't like the look that he was giving us," said Koizumi.
"He was just a frail starving guy! What could he have possibly done?!" asked Manda. Senior walked passed him and began to carry the dead figure over to the wall with a heavy sigh.
"Perhaps you made the right call. He was a Transmutant," said Senior.
"H-How can you tell?" asked Inoue. Senior merely held up a bony hand, revealing it to have sharp claws on them.
"He was preparing for an attack. He may have appeared frail, but he was a much bigger threat as a desperate and feral beast," said Senior.
"Well shit, someone else noticed," said Koizumi, crossing his arms. Everyone else glared at him.
"Bullshit," said Aiko.
"It's so sad," said Fluttershy, staring at the frail corpse that lied in the darkness. She began to tear up, thinking about what this man could've gone through.
"Let us move," said Senior as he walked off, while Baragon led the way in his human form, sporting an extra pair of clothes that he conveniently had packed along with the other Guardians. He began to lead the group down one of the tunnels.
"Ugh. What's that funk?" asked Sunset, cupping her nose. Eventually, the group made their way to a much greater chamber. They stopped near a stone ledge, where they found the chamber below to be flooded with a black sludge. It gave off a foul stench. The sludge bubbled and gave off plumes of gas from popped bubbles.
"Stand back. That stuff could be toxic," said Aiko, cupping a hand over her nose and mouth.
"There's a bridge leading to the other side!" said Pinkie, cupping her nose as she pointed ahead.
"Alright, then let's move," said Aiko. The group walked along the stone bridge, over the bubbling sludge that was down below. The group suddenly stopped, finding that there was a rock wall in their path, at the other side. There seemed to be no other tunnel available for them to go through, aside from the one they came in from.
"Damn. You sure this is the right way?" asked Manda, looking to Baragon. The mutant merely sighed in response.
"Might as well try going-" Koizumi was interrupted as the bubbling sound grew louder. There was suddenly a sound that was reminiscent to a fart.
"OK, who cut the cheese?" Pinkie groaned. The chamber suddenly began to rumble. Ford looked over the edge of the stone bridge, his eyes widening.
"What in God's green earth is that thing?!" cried Ford.
From the sludge, something began to emerge. The sludge bulged and rose out from the rest, appearing to harden around into a almost humanoid shape. Two large red and green eyes were revealed as the lids opened up sideways. The creature's body almost looked like it was covered in black kelp, hanging off and dripping with the same black sludge it emerged from. Rarity gave a horrified shriek at the beast. The creature gurgled as it raised a slimed tendril, revealing a man covered in the black sludge, part of his flesh seeming to have decayed.
"Oh by Providence! Have mercy!!" wailed the man. The creature rose up until it was towering over the bridge, its eyes blinking. The creature then brought its victims up to where flaps began to move, presumably where a mouth would be. The victim screamed before he was swallowed whole. The creature gurgled as it looked to the horrified group.
"Hmm. More intruders? I am called, Hedorah. Welcome, to my cesspit." The beast spoke in a deep, gurgling voice. The sound of popping filled the air, as the creature spoke.
"Oh God, it talks too," said Rarity, trembling, her complexion turning greener by the second. 'Hedorah' suddenly scooped up sludge from its pit, holding it in its foul kelp-like hand.
"Now, have some sludge!" Hedorah hurled the sludge ball with a deep chuckle.
"Hit the deck!" Aiko shouted. Everyone quickly dove for cover, as the gunk splattered onto the chamber wall, sizzling hot. It slightly eroded the stone surface it lied on.
"No one touch that stuff!" cried Twilight.
"Fire at that fucking thing!" shouted Koizumi. The soldiers began to fire off their rifles at the creature. However, the bullets merely sunk into the sludge hide of the beast. Hedorah chuckled again, the cavern rumbling from his hearty laughs.
"Do you really think you'll survive in here? When I am through, your skulls will be the only thing left once they pass my rear and become one with my sludge!" Hedorah laughed. He hurled more gunk at the group. Everyone scrambled as they attempted to flee from the incoming sludge.
"Can't you guys do anything right?! Gimme that!" spat Baragon as he snatched a rifle from Ford. He began to shoot off at the noxious abomination, shooting the creature's left eye. Hedorah shrieked as the eye popped and deflated. the lids sealed closed, as the head morphed and moved the single eye to the center of the head, growing in size. The eye glared at the group.
“RARGH!!" Hedorah roared angrily, causing the cavern to tremble more.
"I think you pissed him off," said Ford.
"What was your first clue?" Baragon glared at the soldier. Baragon gurgled as his eye began to light up, and sparks running along the veins. A bolt of energy shot from the air, scorching the stone ground that the Rescue Team stood on. Everyone ducked and dove for cover, as the bolt scorched along the ground.
Posey exclaimed as she found herself at the edge of the stone bridge. A portion of it crumbled, causing her to fall. Before she could plummet to the sludge below, Miwa had lunged and caught her wrist. But, she was unable to muster the strength to pull her back up. Instead, she began to slide along down with her. Miwa and Posey screamed in alarm, but Senior had grabbed Miwa by the waist. With little effort, he hoisted the two back up over to safety.
"Thanks, neighbor!" said Posey in relief.
"What's it gonna take to kill this thing?!" shouted Koizumi as the soldiers returned fire. Twilight began to fire beams of magic at the beast, while Sunset used her flames. Hedorah shrieked in rage, as his eye beam continued to shoot towards them. The blast caught the girls, sending them back. Rarity quickly got in front and projected a shield, preventing anymore beams from hitting them. Instead, they began to ricochet around the cave.
Sunset yelped as she fell to her hands and knees. While on the ground, she noticed that there were strange yellow crystals to be sticking out from the surface of the chamber. A patch of sludge clung around one of the crystals, appearing to dry out as electric sparks shot from the crystal on contact. An idea came to mind.
Sunset rushed over to the crystal and swung a glowing hand, slashing a piece off with her magic. She caught the crystal, which briefly stung her hand. Sunset winced, before turning to face the beast. She hurled the piece of crystal into the gullet of the roaring muck monster. It suddenly began to choke as a loud buzz filled the air. The creature snarled and let loose an enraged cry. Hedorah began to violently thrash around the chamber, which caused it to rumble more. Stones began to fall to the ground and into the muck below. Senior held Posey and Miwa close, shielding them from the stones that fell from above.
"Quick! Throw more of these crystals at it!" said Sunset, as she sliced off more pieces. She began to toss the pieces to the rest of the group, who threw the pieces at the monster. Hedorah gurgled in pain and rage as the crystals burst on his surface, causing some sections of his body to dry up and break apart.
"It's not enough!" grunted Sunset in frustration. Adagio gasped as she noticed a large patch of crystal to be on the ceiling of the cave.
"Hey, guys! Shoot at the crystals up there!" cried Adagio, pointing to the ceiling. The soldiers turned their sights on the ceiling. They fired their guns at the patch of the crystal. Ford quickly stuck a grenade into the grenade launcher of his rifle and fired off. The projectile exploded on impact, causing the patch of crystal to fall upon Hedorah's head. His body began to violently spark, causing him to dry up and harden.
“Bah! You accursed humans, look what you’ve done! I’m drying! I’m drying! Oh what a world! What a world! Who would’ve thought good little humans like you can destroy my beautiful sliminess!”
Hedorah wailed as he began to crumble and turned into a black sand, replacing the pool of sludge below. The sand fell into a great metallic grate beneath the bridge. Here, a new pathway was revealed.
"Hey look! I knew this was the right way!" said Baragon. The group began to walk down a newly revealed slope, reaching the bottom of the chamber. They then proceeded to make their way into the path. Aiko scowled as she noticed the smug look on Adagio's face.
"Well, that was quite an adventure!" said Adagio.
“Don’t tell everyone that Adagio saved our asses," whispered Aiko, leaning close to Koizumi.
Later, the group continued on down down their new path. Baragon took point, now positive that they have been heading for the right direction.
"You think that was the 'Horror that Should Never be Named'?" asked Sonata.
"Well, I'm not gonna hold false hope," said Aria.
"I think we've yet to see the worse this place has to offer," said Twilight.
"Great, more bullshit," said Koizumi with a sigh.
"It can't be any worse than that thing we saw back there," said Rainbow, pointing back behind herself.
"I don't know. I think I've lost my appetite to last a life time." Pinkie Pie held her gut with a grimace.
"But what do you think this unnamed horror could be?" asked Posey.
"What if it's another horrible monster?" asked Miwa.
"It could be a horde of horrible monsters," said Inoue.
"Maybe it's a freaky dimension that is beyond our comprehension," said Baragon.
"Or giant spiders..." muttered Mosura.
"It might even be something worse. Like the inner look at the horrors that mankind is capable of," said Senior. Everyone shuddered.
"Well, we won't have to guess much longer. Look," said Rainbow, pointing ahead. Ahead of the dark tunnel was a hellish red light. Everyone's heart leapt with excitement and fear. They proceeded to follow the light against their better judgement, dreading and anticipating whatever horror lied beyond. They continued on, growing more excited and fearful. They soon found themselves at the end of the tunnel.
They found themselves inside of yet another chamber. But this one was decorated with dark silk sheets that hung from the walls. There was an altar, where many candles lied. Ominous symbols filled the area, painted on the walls. Several people and creatures were seen to be sitting on benches. Some of the creatures were animal like. Ranging from lizards, birds, and even moles. Among them were also a few skeletons, sitting on the benches as well. At the end of the chamber, there was a ghoulish looking creature that almost resembled a moldy potato to be standing at a podium, wearing dark robes. It was chanting rather ominously.
"Yikes. I think I prefer the smog monster." Pinkie gulped. The creature stopped chanting and noticed the Rescue Team.
"Ah. Welcome. We were just about to pray to our lord," said the ghoul, his voice deep and gravelly. Everyone sent each other a look.
"Your Lord?" asked Rodan.
"The Horror that Should Never be Named. We are followers of the Horror. I am here to judge who is ready to pass on through to the Horror," said the ghoul, gesturing to a corridor, leading into darkness. Everyone felt knots form in their guts as they stared into the infinite black.
"Uh huh. Well, we're just here to get to the Dogomite capital city. We were told that we could get there through here," said Sunset, nonchalant.
"If it is Lur you seek, then you must be judged worthy by her," said the ghoul.
"The horror's a girl?" Sonata whispered. Aria shushed her.
"Look, we don't have time for this!" said Aiko with a glare. Senior raised a hand.
"What must we do, starched one?" asked Senior, prompting a snicker from the kids. The ghoul's brow twitched at the name.
"You must undergo a number of trials. If you pass them, you are worthy to move on to the horror. If you survive, you'll be able to move onto Lur," said the creature. Miwa glared at the creature.
"Alright, bring on your trials," said Miwa. Suddenly, all of the attendees stood up from their seats. They all looked to the Rescue Team with cold stares. A sense of dread filled them.
"Let us begin." The ghoul smiled darkly.
It was the late afternoon. Junior found himself being led down a hall. He had recently finished his 'basic training'. Though honestly, it was more like a crash course. Considering the short amount of time he spent training. Though to compensate, Junior was told that he'd still be given lessons. That is if he survived his first game. Junior found Malicia looking back at him.
"Getting cold feet?" asked Malicia.
"Eh... a little bit," said Junior, sheepish.
"You'll do fine. You're going to be grouped up with a few others. The creatures you'll be facing won't be a match. Just remember your training," said Malicia.
'Yeah, a whole week's worth,' thought Junior. The empress led him to a heavy door.
"You'll wait in here with the rest until everything is ready," said Malicia. As the boy was about to open the door, but gasped as the woman brought his face to meet her own. She leaned in and planted a kiss on his cheek, dangerously close to the corner of his lips.
"I'll be watching you. Good luck," said Malicia with a sultry smile. Junior weakly smiled as he quickly entered the room, closing the door. He sighed as he rubbed his cheek, his face beat red.
"If I were a different man..." Junior gulped as he recalled the previous night. He groaned as he slumped his head back against the door.
The boy heard heavy footsteps. He gasped as he found a large reptilian figure to be approaching. It stood over him at 8 feet in height, covered in thick tan scales. Its crocodilian eyes stared at the boy, as its sharp teeth stuck out from its jaws. It looked like a moss back, much like the ones from around Eloi. Junior tensed.
"Hey man. How's it going?" The crocodile man spoke in a surprisingly non intimidating tone, with an English accent.
"Uh... hey..." Junior awkwardly responded.
"So you're the new guy? Well, let me introduce you," said the croc man, before pointing to himself.
"My name is Krush, with a K. This is Birdman," said the croc as he gestured to a four foot tall bird-like creature, with forward facing eyes. It looked like a falcon mixed with an owl. The creature bore wings that bore three clawed appendages near the end of the wings. Its feathers were grey with black patterns.
"Bird man?" Junior looked at Krush oddly.
"It's what he goes by. Be kind, yeah? He's not the smartest bird of his flock," whispered Krush. Birdman suddenly squawked.
"And here's a bunch of other humans. I'm sure you'll fit right in," said Krush, gesturing to the people that sat or stood in the room with them.
"What? No introduction?" asked a man in annoyance.
"As you know, I'm the leader of this band of gladiators," said Krush, puffing his chest out.
"No, you're not," said another man in a flat tone.
"OK, so I'm not. But despite being a big terrifying crocodile man, I can be quite the people person. If you need anything, whether it’s an ear to listen, or someone to bludgeon your foes, you can talk to me," said Krush. Junior just stood silently.
"Right..." Junior took the time to look around. The room he was in almost looked like a dungeon. There was hard stone walls making up the room, with very little source of light. A barred window was in his line of sight.
Most of the other people in here also looked to be dirty. Some of them were of different ethnicities. They didn't look to be related to any Dogomites, who were fairer skinned than some of the people he saw here.
"So what's your story? Did the wicked bitch ransack your swamp too?" asked Krush.
"No... Because I don't live on a swamp," said Junior.
"You know what I mean," said Krush with an annoyed look.
"Lay off him, Krush. Pardon my scaly friend's prying," said a man as he approached, leading Junior to the rest of the group.
"Some of us have been here a while longer. Just stand with us and you should get through this just fine," said the man.
"Cool. I'm Gojira," said Junior.
"I am called, Maximus. I was a prisoner of war when the Dogomites conquered the Leicans. Surviving soldiers were either subjected to fight for Malicia, or they attempted to rebel and were forced to participate in the gladiatorial games," said Maximus.
"Oh." Junior was immediately reminded of the reality of this place. The Dogomite Empire was ruthless from what he heard. He almost forgot about it.
'Maybe it's in my best interest not to mention that I'm cozying up to Malicia.'
"So... All of you are prisoners of war?" asked Junior, looking around.
"A few of us are rebels," said another man.
"Where are the volunteers?" asked Junior.
"Ah. They're the finale of the games. We're more like the warm ups and public executions to get the crowd going," said Krush. The boy did a double take as he heard this.
"Public executions?!" exclaimed Junior.
"Are you hard of hearing, friend?" asked Krush, genuinely puzzled.
"That bitch!" growled Junior. The door suddenly opened. An armored guard stood at the door, wielding a spear.
"Get a move on, gladiators."
"Ah. Looks like we're on. Come on, Birdman," said Krush as he walked out. Birdman chirped as he followed the bipedal reptile. The rest of the gladiators began to follow, with Junior lagging behind.
"Hey, I think there's some kind of mistake. I don't think I'm supposed to be executed," whispered Junior, in worry.
"Get moving, you fool!" said the guard, shoving Junior away.
"Dick." Junior growled as he followed along with the other gladiators. He found himself entering a large room, where a bunch of racks stood lined up, carrying different weapons and shields. Some of the gladiators began to pick out whatever weapon they found suitable.
"Ew! Hey! One of you slobs need to clean the weapon before you put it back!" said Krush as he held up an axe, its blade holding blood stains and bits of flesh and hair stuck to it. Junior heard the faint cheers coming from beyond these walls. He felt a knot in his gut as the reality of his situation began to settle.
"What was I thinking?" Junior murmured to himself.
"Hey, Gojira! What kind of weapon do ya want? How about a three pronged fork?" asked Krush, holding up a wooden staff that bore three sharpened points.
"I think I'll stick with a sword, thanks," said Junior as he reached for a weapon on the rack.
"Alright. I guess this would only be good against vampires. If they were to stand bunched up together," said Krush, before putting the weapon way. Meanwhile, Birdman raised up one foot and inspected the metallic talons on his foot. Then he did the same with the other.
"Remember Birdman, don't fly too high. The audience hate it," said Krush. Birdman squawked in response.
"Wait. If he can fly, what's stopping him from escaping?" asked Junior.
"Oh he can try, but he won't get very far," answered Krush.
"The hell does that mean?" asked Junior.
"Be sure to take a shield, Gojira. You never know when you might need it," said Maximus, passing by. Junior did as suggested, beginning to join the rest of the gladiators as they stood armed at the heavy wooden door before them.
"People of Lur! The games will now begin!" an announcer shouted from outside. The gladiators heard the cheers from outside. The doors creaked as they opened, allowing the orange sunlight to enter. The cheers grew louder, as the volume managed to reach inside of the armory. The gladiators stepped out into an arena, covered in bleach white sand.
The Colosseum was massive from inside. The arena itself had much space, with a few different doors to be present at different sides of the walls, having been barred. There were at least a couple hundred or so people in the audience. Their seats were elevated ten feet above the arena itself. There were also a couple of sky boxes around the arena, hanging over. One sky box in particular had elaborate decorative sculpts on it. There was an obsidian spider that stuck on the front of the sky box, with a large red gem on the abdomen. Junior saw that Malicia was making her way over to the throne that was in this particular sky box, taking a seat. She was flanked by Sigyn and Kenra.
"I got a bad feeling about this," said Junior to himself.
"And now, these gladiators will face off against three waves of some of the most dangerous beasts in all of Equescidar! The first wave, the Death Jackals!" shouted the announcer from his stand near the audience. Everyone cheered as he gestured to the arena, while the barricades began to rise on their own, allowing the doors to open.
"Death Jackals?" Junior knew he heard that name before.
The Multiple doors around the arena were opened, allowing six creatures to rush out of the tunnels. They gave shrill shrieks as they stood on their two legs. Junior felt his blood run cold as he recognized the monsters. They were the same beasts that chased him during his first day of being on his own. They began to stalk towards the gladiators.
"Oh, not these fucking things again," said Junior with wide eyes.
"Form up! We need to form a barrier!" shouted Maximus, as the gladiators circled up with their shields raised. Junior quickly rushed and joined the formation, raising his own shield. The death jackals snarled as they circled their prey
"Stand together! Once they come in close, strike fast and get back into defense!" shouted Maximus. Junior took a breath, thinking it'd be wise to listen. After all, he had the qualities of a leader. The creatures continued to circle them, drooling profusely.
"You know Death Jackals tend to be reckless predators," said a young woman next to Junior. He glanced at her as she kept her spear back.
"They have a ravenous appetite. They sometimes resort to cannibalism or eat themselves. That one is an example," said the woman as she pointed to the closest Death Jackal. It was standing on one leg and its hands. The second leg was but a stump.
"Fuck," said Junior with an unnerved look.
"Since they're always hungry, they take more risks," said the woman. The Death Jackal missing a leg rushed towards them and opened its jaws wide. The woman thrust her spear, catching it in the throat. The beast gurgled and spat out a creamy white bodily fluid.
"Just keep that in mind!" said the woman.
"Got it!" said Junior. He swung his shield at the dead beast and knocked it back from the spear. One by one, the creatures began to strike, only to be struck back by the gladiators. However, they managed to retreat with mere flesh wounds. Two of the Death Jackals squawked at each other briefly. One of them rushed towards one side of the gladiators' barrier. Just as one of the humans jabbed a spear, the creature quickly backed off, as the second Death Jackal lunged for the man's outstretched arm. He cried out in agony as his arm was caught by the jaws of the beast, who was then dragged away. The gladiators were startled from their concentration, as their formation bore a gap from the incident.
The rest of the Death Jackals took the opportunity to rush towards the group, where they began to shove themselves into the shields of the humans that were attempting to close the gap themselves. They were knocked back and were bitten by the feral monsters.
"No! Stand together!" cried Maximus. The group began to disperse, some in panic as the creatures slaughtered three of the wounded humans. Junior quickly backed away with a pant, finding a Death Jackal charging towards him with a shriek. The Transmutant grunted as he blocked the creature as it slammed into his shield. He nearly lost his footing but stood his ground. With a shove, he pushed the creature back. The woman that had dropped some facts about the creatures had quickly thrust her spear into the creatures neck, causing it to drop to the ground thrashing in agony. Junior panted as he watched as the rest of the Death Jackals were pouncing on the scattered prisoners, but were fought off by those brave enough to step in to help. The remaining wounded gladiators were not so lucky, as they were torn to shreds by the teeth and strength of the Death Jackals. How accurate their name was. Junior felt sick to his stomach as he witnessed the carnage.
"Oh shit!" said Junior as a Death Jackals came rushing towards him and the young woman.
"Stand your ground! We can take one together!" said the young woman. The creature began to focus its sights on Junior and rushed towards him.
"Of course it comes after me first!" said Junior as he raised his shield as the creature came his way. With a grunt, he swung his shield and smacked the death jackal in the head, causing it to fall and roll along the sand as some of its teeth fell from its mouth. The creature was in a daze from the strike.
"We have to regroup!" cried the woman. Junior turned to reply but found that another beast was charging for her from behind.
"Behind you!" cried Junior. The woman quickly turned, finding the beast lunging for her. She gave a scream as its talons were spread out, ready to sink into her flesh. But, the creature was slammed into by Krush, who was wielding a heavy iron mace. He slammed the creature to the ground and then raised his mace.
"Back to the Earth with you!" said Krush, before slamming his mace on the beast's skull, soaking the white sand with its blood. Junior rushed over to the woman and helped her up to her feet, just as the disoriented death jackal began to regain its senses. It snarled, bearing its broken teeth. Birdman suddenly shrieked as he soared overhead, tackling the beast. He began to kick and slash his metallic talons at the beast, causing deep gashes. The beast rolled over onto its side, bleeding out.
Soon, the remaining Death Jackals were slain by the larger group of gladiators. They lied scattered in the arena, some twitching as the cold hands of their demise claimed them. Junior found himself rejoining the rest of the gladiators. He panted as his eyes fell upon the red stains from the humans that were killed, along with their remains. He felt nauseous as he gazed into their cold eyes, frozen in horror as the beasts killed them.
"Fuck, I'm way over my head. How do I get my dumb ass into these situations?" Junior gulped. The cheers from the crowd was also disorienting. He couldn't comprehend how anyone could enjoy humans getting slaughtered by horrific creatures.
Meanwhile, from the royal sky box, Malicia watched. She hummed to herself as she reflected on the first wave. This particular group of gladiators was unlucky. After all, at least half of them were killed at the first wave. But, she didn't expect a bunch of prisoners to be as capable as professionally trained gladiators.
"Hmph. You're little pet's not very impressive," said Kenra, a look of boredom on her face.
"It's just the first wave. Let's see how he holds out," said Malicia.
"And now, for the second wave! The gladiators will face off against the fearsome, the deadly... ICARUS TIGERS!!" the announcer shouted.
The crowd cheered as the gates opened again, allowing for two large tigers to step out into the light. They were around 7 to 8 feet in height. They bore a white coat, with dark stripes running along their muscle bound bodies. They also bore more reddish stripes on their faces, and one bore a bright splotch of red as though it was coated in blood. The beasts bore sharp teeth, with some fangs hanging out from their jaws like saber cats, but much shorter. They also bore pale blueish eyes. One of these large felines bore stag-like antlers upon its head.
"Holy shit..." Junior's slumped his shoulders.
The tigers snarled as they began to rush to the gladiators, their steps almost seeming light despite their size. They caused the gladiators to scatter.
"So how do we take care of these ones?!" exclaimed Junior.
"Gimme a minute!" said the woman next to him, nervously.
The tigers roared as they swiped their large paws at the gladiators, who kept their shields raised. The blows caused some of them to stumble back.
"Surround them! Strike when their attention isn't on you!" said Maximus. Some of the remaining gladiators began to circle the large felines. They kept their distance, as the tigers swiped at them. Krush gave a shout as he swung his mace behind a tiger, causing it to snarl as it whipped around. Before it could attack, it was stabbed by a gladiator from behind. The beast roared as it went for a retaliation, but was struck by another.
The antler tiger noticed his female companion being outwitted. Just as she was about to be stabbed from behind again, the antler tiger instead lunged for the would-be attacker. The gladiator screamed as he was quickly mauled.
"Fucking Christ!" exclaimed Junior. The female tiger took the opportunity to break from its trapped state by ramming into the first gladiator in front of it. Everyone began to scatter again.
"No! Don't disperse!" Maximus cried. He was suddenly tackled to the ground, with the tigress sinking her fangs into him.
"Maximus!" Junior cried, rushing over. As he reached the unsuspecting tigress, he jammed his sword into its back. The tigress briefly shrieked before collapsing onto her side, the blade stuck deep in her body. Junior quickly knelt next to Maximus, who was covered in horrible gashes from the creature's fangs and claws. He panted as he lied, bleeding in the sand.
"Oh my God. I-it's... You're gonna be fine! We're gonna get ya some help!" said Junior, beginning to panic. Even as he said this, it didn't put the gladiator at ease. He panted and moaned in agony. Blood poured from his mouth.
"I'm... I'm not... I'm..." Maximus coughed.
"Dude, just stay with me! Stay with me!" cried Junior, holding Maximus's hand tightly.
"It's cold. So... cold," Maximus sighed as let out a gasp for air. He stared blankly at the boy, completely silent. Junior's heart sank at the gladiator's lack of response.
"Oh my God," said Junior, breathlessly. Junior heard a snarl from behind. He quickly turned to find the male tiger to be lunging for him. The crowd cheered as the boy was tackled, as the remaining gladiators looked on in horror.
"So much for him," said Kenra with shrug. Malicia watched from the sky box, her eyes narrowing as the tiger had the boy pinned.
Junior cried out as the tiger's claws scratched his arms, causing deep and bloody gashes. As the jaws came crashing towards his neck, Junior used his bare hands to catch them.
"Hang on, Gojira! Your buddy Krush is coming to save ya!" The crocodile man came rushing over, with Birdman following.
During this, Junior felt a familiar sensation. He's felt it many times before when his life was threatened. His sense of self-preservation caused his eyes to grow a tinge of yellow. His muscles tightened as he held the tiger's jaws back. The boy swiftly forced the jaws to pry open, causing a clear snap in the air. The tiger suddenly stumbled off, its broken jaw hanging and drooling on the floor. The boy scrambled to his feet, his other wounds still bled and stung. Without thinking, he suddenly lunged for the tiger itself, both rolling along the ground and kicking up sand. Junior snarled as he sunk his teeth into the tiger's neck. The more the feline struggled, the more force applied to Junior's bite.
The crowd cheered, some of the cheers began to die down as people began to register what they were seeing. The other gladiators looked on, slack jawed, as Junior mauled on the tiger like a savage beast. Malicia smiled as she suppressed a giggle.
The neck of the tiger gave a loud pop. Junior kept a tight hold on the limp beast, a feral look in his eyes. In mere moments his eyes returned to normal. The boy noticed the stares and silence, but also the taste of iron. He released the tiger and stumbled up to his feet, panting. His mouth and neck was coated with the tiger's blood.
The audience suddenly broke out into loud cheers, which startled the boy out of his wits.
"Incredible! This one gladiator managed to take on two Icarus Tigers at once! We got ourselves quite a show tonight!" The announcer cried.
"Not the reaction I was expecting," said Junior, dumbfounded. He yelped as he was suddenly wrapped into a tight embrace and was lifted up off of his feet
"You crazy bastard! You and I are friends now!" said Krush with a chortle.
"Lucky me," groaned Junior.
"The show's not over yet! We still have one more wave for these gladiators!" said the announcer. Another gate began to open. This one was much larger and heavy. The air was filled with the loud creak of the gate rising.
"Get ready for the final wave. The ferocious, the deadly, The Devilphant!" The announcer shouted, as a 15 foot tall beast stomped into the arena. The creature had a similar build to an elephant, but bore a smaller head. Its hide was more similar to scales. Bony spines ran along its back. The beast had a long leathery trunk, and a pair of small ears. It bore beady white eyes and bore sharp tusks that curved down like fangs. Its legs were also bulky, but its front half of its body carried more bulk than its back end. On its hooves were sharp claws.
The devilphant gave a hellish shriek as it charged for the gladiators, who quickly evaded out of the way. The beast stomped and blew its trunk, shrieking. The crowd cheered on.
"Quick Gojira, slay the demonic pachyderm!" cried Krush.
"By myself?!" exclaimed Junior.
"Worry not! You just have to go for its weak spot!" said Krush.
Birdman shrieked as he dove for the devilphant, flying around the beast. It shrieked as it trampled in place, swinging its trunk wildly. Birdman slashed his metallic talons along its hide. Meanwhile, a few of the remaining gladiators began to hurl their spears at the creature, piercing its hide. The devilphant suddenly raised its trunk and began to spew forth a yellow fluid. The fluid sprayed on a couple of the gladiators. They screamed in agony as the acidic properties of the fluid began to eat away at their flesh.
Junior panted as he kept his distance from the devilphant, as Birdman kept it occupied. While the spears were able to stick into the hide, the scales were too tough. But as the boy analyzed the creature, he noticed that the inner legs, and its underside appeared much softer.
"Weak spot. Right," said Junior, as he watched the rampaging creature. He noticed a spear to be lying in the sand nearby, then to the devilphant, as the base of its trunk slowly started to engorge, as small drops of acid began to drop to the ground. Junior suddenly broke off into a sprint, grabbing the spear. He then rushed to the distracted devilphant.
"Go man! Go!!" cried Krush.
Junior slid under the devilphant as it raised its front legs, shrieking. He then lunged up and gave a mighty thrust of the spear. The bladed tip plunged into the underside of the devilphant effortlessly, thanks to the boy's strength and angle. The devilphant wailed as it began to fall back down. Junior immediately felt the weight of the creature beginning to tip on his end. If he were a mere man, he'd surely snap under its weight. Yet miraculously, the boy only bent his knees, his feet sinking a bit into the sand. His muscles strained and his veins began to pop as the elephant threatened to collapse on him. The spear began to plunge deeper into the devilphant, causing it to groan in agony as its gut and some entrails were pierced. Junior gave a cry as the devilphant began to lie on top of him. The creature wheezed as it attempted to stand.
Junior groaned as he lift the creature off of himself, while squeezing his way from underneath it. He was coated in its blood as he managed to escape from its side. He gave a loud exhale of exhaustion, before collapsing to his knees on the ground. The devilphant made one last attempt to stand again, but was quickly swarmed by the remaining gladiators. They began to stab and bludgeon the beast while it was down. Junior averted his eyes, as this now helpless animal was attacked. The crowd cheered again, as the devilphant fell silent.
"He's done better than I thought he would," said Malicia with interest.
The sound of loud smacks filled the air. The pained cries of a girl echoed.
Adagio yelped with a tear in her eye, as she felt a sharp pain. She whimpered as she looked over her shoulder, finding the ghoul to be smiling creepily at her, drool escaping from his mouth. He carried a paddle in his hand.
"I-I think that's enough!" said Adagio as she attempted to step away from a wall she stood by. Suddenly, two cult members held her in place.
"Oh come on! This is weird! Why am I the only going through this?!" demanded Adagio.
"Oh don't worry. They'll get their turn too," chuckled the ghoul, as he eyed the girl's rear. He swung the paddle, resulting in a loud smack, and the cry of Adagio. She began to whine and whimper.
"This is not cool," said Aria. Aiko grimaced. She almost felt bad for Adagio. Almost. She was also secretly enjoying this.
'I only wish I was the one beating her ass,' thought Aiko, suppressing the need to smirk.
"What uh... What other kind of trials do you plan for us?" asked Sunset, worriedly.
"Hmm, let's see. We paddle your asses to test your tolerance to pain. Next, we'll tie you all up and suspend you in the air," said the ghoul, as a man drew out rope. The Rescue Team began to stiffen at this.
"Tie us up?" asked Ford, eyes wide. Inoue narrowed her eyes.
"If I didn't know better, I'd say that sounded like-"
"After that, Sister Domina will take over and proceed to penetrate your bodies with this non-offensive shaped object strapped to her waist," said the ghoul, gesturing to a woman. She suddenly disrobed, revealing herself to be dressed in erotic lacy lingerie. A rather suggestive shaped object was strapped to her waist. Instinctively, all of the males of the Rescue Team stiffened, their hands brought to their rears.
"OK, now I see what's going on here," deadpanned Aiko.
"Yo, fuck that! I rather get eaten by one of those fucking monsters that we encountered!" cried Koizumi.
"Yeah, that's a 'no' for me as well!" said Rodan.
"So is this whole cult's point is just to lure people into being sexually humiliated for your pleasure?" demanded Aiko.
"Yeah, pretty much," said the ghoul, nonchalant.
"Then is there really a Horror that Should Never be Spoken or is this it?" deadpanned Twilight.
"Oh no, there's a horror. But you have to participate in our sexual rituals if you want to go through," said the ghoul.
"Why?" asked Fluttershy, incredulous.
"Because its the only way you can mask your scents to her. Sweat combined with sex will keep you safe," said the ghoul. Everyone bore a flat look .
"Yeah, that sounds like a load of crap. We'll take our chances," said Rainbow. The ghoul suddenly rushed to the path of the corridor, wielding the paddle with a glare.
"You shall not pass until you go through the remaining trials!"
"Honey, please do something." pleaded Miwa, looking to her husband in desperation. Senior nodded. He was about to step forward, but Fluttershy suddenly stormed towards the ghoul.
"Fluttershy, don't go near that creeper!" cried Posey.
The timid girl ignored her mother as she pressed on. All Fluttershy could think of was Junior. The more time they wasted, the more likely they were going to lose him. They came too far now. No way was she going to waste anymore time. She'd rather take her chances with whatever lied beyond the corridor.
"Now, you listen here. We're on a journey for urgent business. Someone dear to us is in danger, and we need to get to the Dogomite's capital," said Fluttershy, speaking sternly. A hand was on her hip, and her eyes narrowed. This was a contrast to her usual timid and soft spoken self. Everyone was able to hear the words that came from her mouth clearly.
"Now like I said, you must go through the trials if you wish to-"
"I'M NOT GOING TO PARTICIPATE IN YOUR DISGUSTING TRIALS!" Fluttershy suddenly shouted. Her voice was loud, startling everyone. The teens bore wide eyes, while Posey had her hands cupped to her mouth, having rarely heard her child speak with such a tone.
"Di-Disgusting?! How dare you! You are just a bunch of prudes! You know nothing until you experience true pain and learn the resilience of your own bodies!" cried the ghoul, waving his paddle.
"Oh, please! You're just a pervert who enjoys humiliating people! I bet there isn't even a horror in that corridor!" spat Fluttershy.
"Pervert?!" The ghoul shrieked. Fluttershy suddenly furrowed her brows and began to poke the ghoul's chest, getting in his face. Her face grew red.
"Yes! Also known as a degenerate! A debauchee! A DEVIANT!" Fluttershy poked the ghoul's chest after every noun, forcing him to step back. Everyone just continued to watch as the girl unleashed her fury upon the creature. No one dared to step in, lest they wished to feel her wrath.
"You're the kind of person that I hate the most! No! I despise you! You make a mockery of the sanctity of shared intimacy between two people! And now you're trying to stop me from saving someone very dear to me!" shouted Fluttershy. She suddenly snatched the paddle from the ghoul's hand and smacked him across the face with it. He stood stunned. He whimpered as he quickly retreated, holding his swelling cheek.
"Holy shit." said Pinkie, wide eyed.
"And you! Let go of Adagio, this instant!" shouted Fluttershy, pointing the paddle. The two cult members suddenly released Adagio, quickly retreating from her.
"Now go away!" shouted Fluttershy.
"B-But I was just trying to get off." The ghoul whimpered, as he and the cult members began to retreat further into the shadows. Soon, the Rescue Team was left alone. Fluttershy sighed in relief.
"Fluttershy!" Adagio whined as she suddenly latched onto the girl. The shy girl grunted as the Dazzling buried her face into her shoulder, sniffling.
"I've never felt so humiliated in my life! When people ask me who my favorite person is, I'm gonna say 'Fluttershy, because she literally saved my ass'." Adagio whimpered.
"Oh. N-No problem, Adagio," said Fluttershy, forcing a smile. She then noticed the wide eyed looks that everyone was giving her.
"What?" asked Fluttershy, her face growing a bit red.
"Remind me to never get on your bad side," said Mosura.
"Huh. I didn't even have to do anything," said Senior, surprised.
"Love is truly a powerful weapon," said Miwa, dazzled. Posey rushed over to Fluttershy, appearing relieved.
"Honey, never scare me like that again. But I'm proud of you," said Posey, smiling sweetly. Aiko sighed heavily as she looked to the infinite darkness of the corridor.
"Let's not celebrate yet. The worse is yet to come," said Aiko.
The Rescue Team gathered and began to make their way through the corridor. The torch lights on their rifles lit their path, as they ventured through the darkness. Their hearts were pounding in their chests, and their bodies began to excrete sweat from nervousness. Who knows what sort of horrible thing lied beyond here. That is if there was one. Some weren't entirely convinced. But, that didn't help with the ominous corridor they ventured through.
The group eventually found themselves entering another chamber. This was an aquifer. Here in the pool of subterranean water, they found the skeletal remains of a great beast. All sense of fear and dread was replaced with confusion, and some mild disappointment.
"So the Horror's a rip. What a surprise," said Baragon, sarcastically.
"Hey, is it weird that I'm both relieved and disappointed at the same time?" asked Aria, cocking a brow. Twilight sighed heavily.
"I'm starting to think the horror that the Oracle was referring to was actually those guys back there," said Twilight.
Sunset hummed as she took in the surroundings. She noticed a sign with an arrow pointing down where the water seemed to flow. The sign read 'Yonder to Catacombs'. She then took notice of the large skull of the beast.
"The catacombs are down here. Maybe we can use that thing's skull as a boat," suggested Sunset.
Junior found himself sitting on a bench, in a cold dark room. He didn't so much as wince as a hand maiden rubbed his wounds with a towel soaked with hot water. His expression was gloomy as he sat silently.
"You did well," said Malicia as she stepped into the room. An approving smile was on her face.
"In fact, you exceeded my expectations," said Malicia. Junior merely looked at her, a hard expression on his face.
"Oh. I see that you're upset. Apologies," said Malicia, clearing her throat.
"I thought you said that you were going to set me up with something small and that the creatures weren't going to be a match for me! Why in the hell did you set me up with prisoners that were intended to be executed?!" demanded Junior.
"Apologies, Gojira. I do not plan the games. I believe the men running the gladiatorial games wanted to impress the crowd. So, they neglected to inform me that they were going to throw you into a more risky game. Demi-Titans are a rarity in Dogomoto, you see," said Malicia. Junior growled.
"Malicia, I could've been killed!" said Junior. The empress shrugged.
"My dear, you did read and signed the consent forum. Death is a possibility during these games," said Malicia, as though it was obvious. Junior was about to retort, but failed to think of a response. He sighed heavily.
"Goddamit," said Junior.
"In the end Gojira, those creatures weren't a match for you. So I wasn't lying. You held your own quite well! The audience loved you!" said Malicia. Junior shook his head.
"I don't care about that. People died. They were slaughtered by those things," said Junior, his eyes downcast. His tone was solemn. Malicia turned to the hand maiden, who was about to wrap Junior's wounds.
"Leave us," said the Empress. The hand maiden didn't hesitate to set the bandage aside and began to briskly walk out of the room.
"My dear, I wouldn't let my heart bleed too much for them if I were you," said Malicia, her tone shifting to a colder one. Junior raised his head, finding Malicia looking at him with a frigid look. Junior felt his spine chill as any warmth she's shown him in the past was gone.
"We don't just force every prisoner to fight in the games. The ones you saw were likely rebels that wrought havoc in the empire in the past. Assassinating important figures, instigating riots in some of our more worse off cities. We've even experienced a civil war for a time. They're our own people that seek to take power for themselves," said Malicia.
"What about the prisoners of war? Those people looked like they belonged to other nations," said Junior.
"Prisoners of war are merely soldiers of our enemies. We make use of their skills to entertain the population, and my generals take note of their combat capabilities to help us defeat our enemies," said Malicia.
"That's the thing I don't understand. Why're you at war with the Sacramentonians? How many enemies do you have?" asked Junior. Malicia sighed as she took a seat next to the boy.
"The truth is that when greatness rises, it becomes the thing of envy for many. That envy leads to those wishing to tear it down or to have it for themselves. Dogomoto used to be one of the most powerful nations in Equescidar. When the land died in Lur, our enemies sought to exploit our outer territories. Barbaric tribes, rivaling kingdoms, dangerous monsters... We were put in a desperate situation," said Malicia, her eyes downcast. Junior silently sat, listening.
"When we started retaliating against the nearby barbarian tribes, the rival kingdoms called us cruel and attacked us. Again, we retaliated. We never killed off the rival nations. We instead enforced our rule over them," said Malicia.
"You enslaved people and took their land," said Junior.
"We had no choice! My people were starving!" said Malicia, turning to Junior with an angry look.
"We did what we had to! We defeated our enemies, and as penance, we demanded a portion of their resources!" said Malicia, her voice cracking. Junior sighed as he looked away.
"Sorry. I guess it's easy for an outsider like me to judge..." said Junior. "So... the rebels are pretty bad huh?"
"Mm." Malicia nodded.
"Well... I guess I don't feel as bad about it now," said Junior. When it came between the empire and these rebels he's heard about, Junior took some comfort that they were just as bad if not worse than the Dogomite Empire.
"You were supposed to participate in a one on one battle with another gladiator. But, I'll see if I can have you pulled out since you already fought in a game. Though I can't pull you out of your contract," said Malicia, standing to her feet. Junior glanced at his wounds, as they slowly began to heal. During this, he raised his head.
"Actually... I think I'll fight," said Junior. Malicia turned and looked at him in shock.
"I mean... I signed the damn thing. I have to show that I was at least worth being pushed ahead of the other trainees. Besides, you seem to have confidence in my abilities," said Junior, smiling at the empress.
Later, Junior found himself walking through a hall. He soon made his way out to the end of the hall, leading him to the open arena, wearing his equipment. The boy stepped out to the arena, as did another gladiator. The crowd cheered as the two combatants met. The gladiator was around Junior's size, but wore a helmet with a large visor with a net of metallic bars that obscured his face.
Junior drew his sword and held his shield firmly. His opponent gave a muffled exhale as he drew his own sword, as his bronze shield shined. The two stared each other down, just as Malicia returned to her seat in the royal sky box.
A bell suddenly rang. The opposing gladiator grunted as he stepped over to Junior, who stepped back to keep his distance. When the opponent swung his sword, Junior stepped back swiftly to avoid the blade. The gladiator snarled as his movements became more aggressive. He dashed to Junior and swung his blade again. Junior raised his shield and blocked the attack. After the block, Junior quickly raised his leg and sent a strong kick against the man's gut, sending him onto his back. The crowd cheered.
The opposing gladiator shot to his feet and ran to the mutant. With a leap, he thrust his sword in a downward strike. Junior blocked the strike but stumbled back. As Junior swung his sword in retaliation, his opponent blocked the strike with his own sword. With a quick twist, the gladiator knocked the weapon from the boy's grip.
Junior cursed to himself as he raised his shield, forced to go on the defensive. The gladiator began a barrage of attacks.
'Obviously my swordsmanship needs work,' thought Junior, as he felt himself rattle from blocking the strikes. But then, a memory was triggered, which led to action. As the gladiator swung his sword again, Junior thrust his shield, bashing him.
With his opponent disoriented, Junior tossed his shield aside and began to send quick jabs at his gut. The sword was dropped, and Junior continued his jabs at his chest, then he sent stronger punches at his helmet, knocking it off. The unrelenting strikes prevented this man from retaliating. Junior finished him off by picking him up and then slammed him to the ground. The gladiator groaned as he weakly raised his head up a bit. Junior knelt onto his chest and sent one final punch, knocking him out cold.
Again, the audience cheered. Junior sighed as he popped his stiff neck, as the Dogomites showered him with praise.
"And the winner is our newest gladiator, the Demi-Titan from beyond, GOOOOJIRA!!" The announcer shouted. The cheers seemed to have grown louder, which startled the boy. He looked around as the people sung his praise for his combative feat, surprised at their praise for slugging someone silly.
"This must be how Angirasu feels," said Junior as he waved to the crowd.
Later, Junior was walking through the halls of the Colosseum. A small smile was on his face, due to the cheers being stuck in his head. He never knew how good it felt to have people cheer for him like that.
"Psst! Hey, Gojira!" whispered a familiar voice. Junior stopped and turned to find Krush to be peeking through a small window of a heavy metal door.
"Krush?" Junior approached the door.
"Hey, man. Listen, do ya think you can bust us out? I mean, you already escaped!" said Krush in a whisper, just as a familiar young woman peered through as well. Junior grimaced.
"Right. Um... about that. I uh..." Junior rubbed the back of his neck, awkwardly.
"Mr. Takeshi," a voice called. Junior shot his head up and found a hand maiden to be standing a bit further down the hall.
"Her majesty is waiting for you," said the hand maiden. Junior glanced back at the door, but looked away as he was unable to look the two in the eyes. Junior felt shame. But he didn't know why. After all, these gladiators may have just been bad news.
"I'm on my way," said Junior as he walked on.
"My God, he's been seduced by Malicia's snatch!" said Krush in alarm. The young woman hardened her eyes as she watched the boy leave.
Later that evening, Junior found himself back in Malicia's Citadel, in the dining room for dinner. As usual, he sat across from the empress. She held up her chalice to him, as the boy did the same.
"To your first victory," said Malicia. Junior smiled with a nod, before the two took a drink. The boy sighed as he leaned back in his seat.
"Bask in the glory, dear. For it is only the beginning," said Malicia.
"Ah. I'm not much of a glory hog, but I appreciate the praise," said Junior, as he sipped his wine. The empress snorted in response.
"You could've fooled me. You looked to be enjoying the praise from the audience," said Malicia.
"No, I wasn't..." Junior looked away, a small look of embarrassment and shame on his face.
"Fret not, Gojira. There is no shame in enjoying it. Besides, I believe you've earned it, after all you've been through," said Malicia, sending the boy a knowing glance. Junior gulped as he stared at his plate.
"I... I guess I'd be lying if I said it didn't feel nice to have people cheer me on for using my fists. My world punishes anyone using violence in self-defense," said junior. He then scoffed as his expression hardened.
"You beat the living shit out of someone that fucks with you, and suddenly you're the bad guy. It's not my fault that the people who pick a fight aren't tough enough to square up against me," said Junior as he jabbed a fork against his food.
"Bunch of punk ass bitches. If people insist on wasting my precious time, I'd appreciate it if they can at least stand a chance against me," said Junior in annoyance.
"So, you rarely meet your match?" asked Malicia.
"Yep. The only ones I can think of are my father and half-brother. Oh, also that asshole, Endurance," said Junior. He then gave a heavy sigh.
"It just occurred to me that I have a lot of repressed anger," said Junior, his tone flat.
"Well, the strongest gladiator is usually the most beloved. Since you're committed, how about we set you up in matches that allow you to demonstrate more of your strength?" Malicia suggested. Junior cocked an eye brow.
"What'd you have in mind?" asked Junior.
"Fighting dangerous beasts, of course. But also facing off against three gladiator opponents in one day. If you pull it off, you'll quickly gain more notoriety," said Malicia.
"Sounds dangerous," said Junior. The Empress smirked at the reluctant boy.
"Think of the people that will be in awe of you. Raising their spirits after a long grueling day in this forsaken land," said Malicia. Junior briefly thought of the offer.
"Imagine it. You'll even be a step closer at finding yourself, where you couldn't in your world," said Malicia. Junior sighed.
"You could even have all the women that your heart desires," said Malicia, a sultry look on her face. Junior's heart skipped a beat.
"W-Well... I don't care much for fangirls," said Junior with an awkward chuckle. Malicia's smile was replaced by an inquisitive look.
"Gojira, do you perhaps prefer the company of men?" asked Malicia. Junior sat in an awkward silence.
"Not in a sexual way," said Junior. He then forced a chuckle.
"I mean, if the girls are being a bit too naggy, I'll hit up the guys and hang out," said Junior in a joking manner. Malicia bore a stoic expression.
'That may have not been the appropriate joke to make, considering my current company,' thought Junior. He cleared his throat.
"I'm not gay," said Junior.
"Oh, I see," said Malicia, glancing at a door that was opened a crack. She saw sweaty and muscle built man to be peering through. Malicia made a cutting motion at her neck. Junior caught this and looked to her line of sight, finding the door to suddenly close. Malicia cleared her throat with a sheepish smile.
"Well, what sort of man would you consider yourself when it comes to relationship? Are you, what we call here, a traditionalist?" asked Malicia.
"You mean monogamous?" asked Junior.
"Yes," answered Malicia.
"Yeah, you can say that I am. But I never went out of my way to pursue a relationship. Not since I was 15," said Junior.
"Elaborate," said Malicia, resting her chin on her hand, curious to learn more of her guest. Junior was a bit reluctant. He didn't like recalling that part of his past. But, the empress's curious gaze was disarming for his usually fortified self.
"I'm not the most charming guy back home. You know, I was considered a bumbling giant for all of my life. That shot my self-confidence with girls, who went for guys who were a bit shorter and more friendly looking," said Junior with a sigh.
"In elementary school, I was known as 'Gojira, The Recess Wrecker'. Because of how rough I was when playing with the other kids. No girl wants to get close to a guy that can't even be gentle for a second," said Junior, a melancholic look.
"Well, I find you quite charming," said Malicia.
"Ah you're just saying that," said Junior as he took another bite of his dinner.
"No, honest. I do enjoy our conversations, your foreign colloquial terms, your informal mannerisms... You're refreshing company," said Malicia. Junior sighed in dismay.
"So you like me for my salty and dry personality? Wait, that's actually a first," Junior perked up. Malicia gave a small laugh.
"What sort of woman fancy your taste?" asked Malicia.
"Shit, where to begin?" Junior thought for a moment. He realized at how comfortable he was to discuss something so personal with Malicia, who was a stranger. All the while, he'd get flustered whenever the topic is brought up by his friends. It was here where Junior almost suspected Malicia acting like a diary. Someone he could confide in with his thoughts.
"Honestly, I'm not that picky when it comes to taste. I'm fine with any girl as long as she's willing to put up with me," said Junior.
"Yes, but that's boring. I mean the more juicy details. Like her traits," said Malicia, a sultry grin on her face.
"Well, I guess I got a weakness for red heads. And sometimes blondes," said Junior as he leaned back in his seat.
"I wouldn't mind if she dresses nice. Has a soft voice, or a bit deeper and even mature," said Junior.
"Which do you prefer? Tall or petite?" asked Malicia.
"Hm. I guess tall. Only because she'd have a lot more leg. Yowza," Junior chuckled, sipping his wine. He began to feel a lot more loose, as he continued to sip his wine.
"What are your thoughts on curves and breasts?" asked Malicia.
"Breasts, I'm not too obsessed with. But the curvier, the better," snickered Junior. He then felt himself starting to giggle like a fool. A smile was stuck on his face.
"If I may be blunt, you have some great looking chicks serving you. Those outfits they wear are fuckin' sexy," said Junior as he held out his chalice, where Malicia poured more wine.
"I try. Which is why I'm surprised that you refuse to lay with them," said Malicia.
"Oh don't tempt me. But I don't wanna be a teenage parent like my mom was," said Junior with a snort. "Mom always said, 'wrap it up'. But I went a step further and said, 'don't tap till she's got a ring'. Heh. Only now it's 'you're gonna die alone and a virgin'," said Junior with a laugh. He took a swig of his wine.
"This is pretty good," said Junior.
"Yes, I can see the lack of appeal of having a family," said Malicia.
"No, don't get me wrong. I have nothing against family," said Junior as he took another drink. Malicia looked at him with a puzzled look.
"If it wasn't for family, I wouldn't have bothered at trying to improve myself," said Junior.
"Hmm. Then you and I must have had very different experiences when it comes to family," said Malicia. She trailed a finger on the rim of her chalice.
"Hey, at least you'd make a better parent than me," said Junior. Malicia scoffed with an amused look.
"Nonsense," said Malicia.
"No, really. You have motherly tendencies. For someone who runs an 'evil empire', you're actually not so bad," said Junior with a chuckle. Malicia just sat silently, her expression cold.
"You know, the last girl I pursued right? I mean, you showed her to me with your magic," said Junior with a sigh.
"I always shrug off the fact that I never asked her out before. Even when she knew my feelings, I said it was no big deal," said Junior as he poured more wine, absent mindedly.
"In reality, it broke my fuckin' heart. It was because of that, I've figured that someone like me wasn't meant to find someone special. I never told her this, but sometimes when I look at Sunset, it hurts. Because I'm reminded of my own cowardice. Sometimes I worry that would affect my friendship with her," said Junior as he slightly swayed in his seat. He then hiccupped.
"But you... your majesty. You listening and helping me out has helped me with it. I think I can get over that day," said Junior. He sniffled.
"I think I had too much drink," said Junior with a snort, smiling.
"Oh. Well, perhaps you should rest. I'll have my hand maidens escort you," said Malicia, as she stood up. Junior giggled as he stood up, swaying.
"At least I know I'm not a... a violent... drunk," said Junior, snickering. He then stumbled over to the door, as a young hand maiden greeted him.
"Hehe. You're gorgeous," said Junior with a goofy grin.
"Oh dear. Come along, Sir Gojira," said the hand maiden as she took the boy's arm.
Later that evening, Malicia sighed as she returned to her study. She placed a half full wine bottle into a cabinet.
"It turned out to be stronger than I thought," said Malicia. She drew out a crystal ball, which began to depict Junior sleeping in his bed.
"Pleasant dreams," said Malicia as she waved a glowing hand.
Junior gasped as he shot his eyes wide open. He found himself staring at a white ceiling, decorated in bumps. The boy's eyes darted around, finding a familiar bed room. Junior slowly raised up, finding a window to be sitting in his room, where sunlight was beaming through. Junior slowly climbed out of the bed, making his way to the window. He parted the curtains, his eyes squinting as the bright sun assaulted his sight. He stared as he found a familiar neighborhood to be just in the corner of this house, along with a fence that divided the property with the one next it.
"Junior! You're going to be late!" called a familiar voice. Junior turned, cautiously making his way out of the bedroom and towards the living room. He saw a familiar woman to be sitting at the kitchen table, wearing her formal work attire. Her kind greyish blue eyes met his own.
"Mom?" Junior called, a bit hoarsely.
"Aw honey, what are you still doing in your pajamas?" asked Miwa.
"I-I... What's... I think I..." Junior fumbled over his words as he tried to put his thoughts into words.
"Tell you what, I can give you a ride on my way to work. You just hurry and get ready. Bathe and get those teeth brushed," said Miwa as she stood up and began to usher the boy to the bathroom.
"M-Mom, I..." Junior stumbled into the bathroom, as the door was closed behind him. Junior gasped as he saw himself in the mirror. While he was dressed in a wrinkly shirt and pajamas, his hair was back to its original length. He then looked to his left arm, finding it to be covered in human flesh, with all five fingers accounted for. Junior began to ran a hand over his arm, shuddering.
"It... It was all a dream?" asked Junior.
Later that morning, Junior found himself sitting in the passenger seat of his mother's car. The vehicle cruised through the neighborhood. Junior just stared at the window, finding the ordinary world that he had taken for granted. There were no giant beasts, no blood thirsty dinosaurs, and no magical beings in sight. There were just ordinary people, and the occasional stray cat.
Later, Junior found himself walking through school. He watched as everyone was passing by. The boy looked around, feeling a sense of discomfort. He felt so out of place, yet it almost felt right.
Junior felt a tap on his shoulder. He briefly flinched and turned to find a familiar sight. He found Twilight looking up at him with a smile.
"Hey! Are you still coming to the club after school?" asked Twilight. Junior was silent. He didn't understand.
'Why are you asking me that? You know that you kicked me out,' thought Junior.
"Yeah..." said Junior, the words having just suddenly spilled from his mouth.
"Terrific! You remember where, right?" asked Twilight. Junior nodded, absent minded. His eyes searching the halls.
"Yes."
"Great! Damn, I was hoping you'd say no," Twilight suddenly spoke in a displeased tone. Junior did a double take.
"Wait, what was that?" asked Junior.
"I said, 'Great'! I was hoping you'd say so!" said Twilight, waving to the boy as she parted. Junior just stared as she left his sight.
Junior suddenly found himself sitting at a table. He found with him the Friendship Club. There was Twilight, Sunset, Mosura, Fluttershy, Rodan, Angirasu, and even Erika Shiragami.
"So let's go over the agenda for today! We have to help set up this year's fall formal," said Twilight. Junior sighed in exasperation.
"Lame," said Junior.
"God, would it kill you to not be such a bore?" Mosura whispered in annoyance. Junior looked her way, taken aback by her comment. Mosura looked his way and smiled sweetly.
"No, it'll be fun!" Said Twilight in reassurance.
"Oh. Ok," said Junior, as he looked away from Mosura.
Junior gasped as he found himself suddenly standing in the gymnasium. The lights were dimmed, and music played in the air. Junior looked around, finding himself surrounded by a crowd of students in formal attire. He saw his friends on the dance floor, mingling. The music slowed down.
"Hey, Goji! Wanna dance?" asked Sunset. Junior's stomach formed a pit. He found the girl in a familiar dress, reaching out for him. She led him to the dance floor. Junior wanted to resist, but he felt like he was on autopilot. He was forced to live out this scenario again. The two began to dance, with Sunset leading. She looked at him warmly. Junior took some comfort at her expression. However, the boy felt a few stares were focused on the pair.
"Is she actually dancing with him?" whispered a girl in surprise.
"You think she's two timing Flash?" asked another girl.
"Nah. She's probably just being nice to that jerk," said a boy.
"I'd be embarrassed to dance with one of those freaks," whispered a girl. Junior frowned as he heard these whispers while Sunset was oblivious. No matter how much he yearned for her affection in the past, this was a reminder that the two would never have been right for each other.
"Uh... Hey, Sunset," called Junior.
"Yeah?" answered Sunset.
"Maybe we should..." Junior was interrupted as he found Flash Sentry, with a furious expression, making his way towards them.
'Not again,' thought Junior, his expression turning to dread.
"Get away from her!" shouted Flash as he stepped in between Junior and Sunset. He shoved Junior away, while Sunset's eyes widened.
"Wha- Flash!" said Sunset in disbelief. Junior stumbled back slightly but regained his footing. He hardened his expression, but, it was a forced expression that he made as to mask his real emotions.
"You... You stay away from her!" shouted Flash as he pointed towards the Transmutant. His voice drew multiple eyes towards the confrontation.
"Flash, what's gotten into you?!" demanded Sunset.
"Me?! What are you doing dancing with him?! A no good freak like him!" demanded Flash. Junior's eyes were downcast as he heard the whispers of everyone around him. Their eyes judging him for causing strife with this couple.
"What? I'm not allowed to dance with a friend?" asked Sunset with a shrug.
"Friend? With him?!" asked Flash incredulously. A few other human students murmured in agreement, wondering what possible reason Sunset could have been with the Transmutant. That's what Junior couldn't understand either.
"Flash... I didn't..." Junior was interrupted as Flash pushed Junior away.
"Back off or else I'll kick your ass, freak!" said Flash. Junior stumbled back, his eyes still on the ground. His expression soft.
"Please... Don't do this. You'll just lose her," muttered Junior.
"You keep her hands off of her! I don't ever want to catch you touching her!" shouted Flash. The crowd gave shouts of agreement.
"Get out of here!" shouted a student.
"Yeah, you're spoiling all the fun!" shouted another student. Junior found himself assaulted by a barrage of shouts from the students. All of them said the same thing. 'Go away'. Junior clenched his fists. Before the situation could escalate even further, Celestia and Luna stepped in between the two.
"Alright, that is enough! Both of you!" said Celestia. Junior raised his head to find the Principal looking his way.
"Such a troublesome boy," said Celestia. But, Junior was taken aback. He knew that he hadn't misheard. However, what he saw made him question his sight. The woman's lips had not moved when she uttered that sentence.
"But I..." Junior spoke up.
"I don't know what's going on, but you both need to cool down and talk this out!" said Celestia, glaring at the boy.
"It's like he's always the cause of conflict!" Celestia's voice echoed in Junior's mind. The boy bore a pained expression.
"Fine. I'll just go," said Junior as he turned to walk away. As he walked, Junior found himself walking to the end of the gymnasium, where the door suddenly opened, revealing a dark void ahead. Junior pressed, as everyone watched. No one called out to him as he walked through the door. No one told him to stop, nor did they follow. They just watched, as oblivion welcomed him. In the darkness, Junior's steps were echoed. He could see nothing in front of him. The air became stale and thick, making it hard to breathe. Junior gasped for oxygen, but no amount of air he inhaled was able to satisfy his burning lungs.
Junior gasped as he shot up, his eyes wide and alert. His breathing was ragged as he found himself in a large bed, covered with fine silk sheets. He found the mediaeval design of this room, prompting Junior to sigh as he lied back down and stared up at the ceiling. He didn't know whether to be relieved or sad.
Sunset panted as she stirred awake. Her vision was in a haze from the drowsiness that she felt. The girl found herself struggling to breathe, as her heart ached. She felt a growing panic, prompting the girl to become more awake. Her sounds and movements caused those around her to stir awake. Meanwhile, Senior tore his eyes away from the river than ran through this dark cave.
"What's wrong?" asked Senior.
"I-I don't know. I feel like I can't breathe," said Sunset, as her friends awakened.
"Sunset?" Twilight raised her head, growing awake. Miwa scooted close to the girl.
"Alright, just settle down. Sit up, relax, and-" Miwa helped the girl to sit upright.
"Wait... Wait, I think I'm good," said Sunset, beginning to settle down. She let out a sigh as she took a deep breath.
"You OK?" asked Rainbow.
"Yeah... I-"
"Aw. Sunset, don't cry," said Pinkie.
"Wha-" Sunset quickly felt her face, finding that yet again, there were tear stains on her cheeks.
"Why does this keep happening?" Sunset asked herself.
"Sunset?" Twilight raised a brow.
"Nothing. I'm fine," said Sunset, wiping her cheeks. She looked around, finding the cold stone walls of the tunnel that the large skull that they rode in was still traveling in.
"How much further?" asked Sunset.
"It looks like we're there," said Senior as he and a couple of the soldiers began to use long sticks and pieces of bone to stop the skull raft. The skull stopped by a wooden dock, which led straight to another tunnel. Except this one appeared more man made. There were stone pillars that made up the entrance, decorated with old cracks. They made their way into this new tunnel.
"Looks like this is the right place," said Aiko, as she took notice of the design of the hall. There were some engravings in the stone, along with some golden plaques that lined certain sections of the walls, engraved with a foreign text.
It was here that the group took notice of a stench that seemed to linger in the air. The stench grew on their journey, as they came across an area, which bore shelves that lined the walls. There were skulls piled on the shelves, as well as around the pillar in the center of this room. The sight of the dead roused up some anxiousness in the group, especially in the teens that made it up.
"Look at all of these bones," said Manda, wide eyed.
"Great. How the hell do we get out of here?" asked Aria.
"We just keep moving forward. There has to be an exit somewhere," said Twilight as she walked on ahead.
It was morning. Junior sighed as he sat at the dining room table, alone. He was sluggishly eating the breakfast he had in front of him. Eggs, hot ham, and a roll of bread. A chalice of fresh goat milk sat by as his beverage.
Junior was once again lost in his own thoughts. He rarely had to dwell on it the past couple of days, thanks to having tasks to occupy him. But since the empress seemed to be running late this morning, he couldn't help but let his mind wander. The nightmare that he had stuck with him. It wasn't so much that it scared him. Rather, it just reminded him of a night he regretted. But, he seemed to have recalled that night differently. But as he thought, Junior couldn't recall that night. Only the dream.
"Maybe... that did happen?" asked Junior. He shook his head. He decided not to dwell on it.
Junior heard the doors suddenly open. He turned to find a man in formal attire to be approaching. He carried a bit of snootiness in the way he carried himself.
"Her majesty will be unable to join you for this morning's breakfast. But she would like you to know that she will see you for your next gladiatorial match today, this afternoon," said the man. Junior sighed.
"OK, thanks," said Junior. As he was left alone, Junior continued to eat. Soon, his dish and chalice were empty.
"Well, I guess I should be going," said Junior as he stood up and set his napkin down.
Later, Junior found himself making his way to the colosseum, just after being given a ride from a chariot, courteous of Malicia. The boy made his way to the entrance, but stopped as he noticed a man to be pasting a poster overhead.
"A list of participants?" asked Junior as he read off the several names. Two of which was familiar. Krush and Birdman. Among the names, Junior saw his own.
"Hm." Junior continued inside the colosseum.
The boy later found himself walking alongside an older man.
"So, you will be starting off every day of your scheduled matches in the warm up phases. You'll fight along the remaining prisoners against three waves of beasts as last time. After that, you'll be granted a resting period before being pit against your first opponent," said the older man.
"If I survive the warm up," the Junior.
"Indeed. Be sure to head to the armory. The games will begin in an hour," said the older man, leaving the boy.
"Right," said Junior. He sighed as he walked off.
As Junior made his way to the armory, he began to scan through the options of what was provided. He had a mildly annoyed look.
"They could at least give me a hint at what kind of monsters they're setting me up with," said Junior as he scanned the racks. Then, a thought came to his mind.
"Oh, right!" said Junior as he drew out a small notebook.
"One of the hand maidens documented the kind of creatures that tended to be pit against gladiators. Maybe if I review a bit, this can help me be prepared," said Junior as he opened the notebook. His eyes began to scan through it, as he hummed.
"I don't recognize some of these from the encyclopedia..." said Junior. Then, a thought came to his mind.
"Why am I talking to myself?" asked Junior aloud.
The crowd was cheering as they sat from their seats. The Colosseum was much more packed than usual. Being that it was high noon, more people were willing to watch. Especially with the news that had spread as of late.
"I was here yesterday, and it was AMAZING! This new gladiator took on two Icarus Tigers and one Devilphant on his own!" said a man in the audience, speaking to someone beside him.
"Oh, I heard of him! Was he not a Demi-Titan from beyond?"
"Yes! I believe he was called, Gojira."
Junior found himself tightening on the armor sleeve onto his right arm. He adjusted the shoulder piece to reduce the discomfort that he felt. The boy found himself in the armory with the remaining prisoners that were forced to participate in this barbaric form of entertainment.
"Hello," greeted a feminine voice. Junior turned to find a familiar woman to be standing behind him, sporting some light pieces of armor over her clothes. Here, Junior was able to take in more of her physical traits.
The woman reached to just below his shoulders in regards to her height. She had muscle toned arms and strong feminine curves, hinting to the boy that she wasn't a sheltered girl. She had a subtle definition in her cheeks that gave off the form of bone. Underneath the grime and sweat that covered her face, one could see hints of the natural beauty that she had underneath. A small mole marked beneath the corner of her eye.. Strands of her strawberry shoulder length hair was brightened from the small amount of light that trailed into the armory. Her earthy green eyes met with the boy's.
"Hi..." said Junior, awkwardly.
"I'm surprised to see you here," said the woman, a hand on her hip.
"Why's that?" asked Junior.
"I figured that since you were meeting with the Empress the previous day-" Junior quickly cupped a hand over her lips before she could utter another word. He quickly looked back at the other gladiators, who were in the process of preparing for the warm up game. Junior suddenly felt teeth against his palm.
"Ow!" Junior pulled his hand away, while the woman glared at him.
"Are you normally this rude?!" demanded the woman.
"Sorry! But could you keep a lid on that little detail?" whispered Junior.
"What's there to hide? Everyone already knows that you're sponsored by Malicia herself," said the woman.
"Sponsored?" asked Junior. He suddenly noticed Krush to be walking by.
"Sponsors tend to help fund the gladiatorial games. They pay for the animals, the weapons, the maintenance, the food, and the gladiators themselves," said Krush.
"You guys get payed?" asked Junior.
"Don't be silly, friend. We're prisoners. The most we get is a bed and a meal," said Krush with a chuckle. The woman bore a flat look.
"Not even a bed. Didn't you see that you were to be sponsored in your contract?" asked the woman.
"I didn't see anything like that," said Junior with a shrug. The woman looked at him in confusion.
"Then why would she request your presence? There's no other reason for that unless she knew you personally," said the woman.
"Listen... Wait, what was your name?" asked Junior.
"It's Kiri," said the woman.
"Kiri. Look, she's just doing me a favor. After that, I'm out of here," said Junior.
"Ooh. I wouldn't think it's that easy," said Krush. Junior raised a brow.
"Why?"
"Well, think about it. There's literally no other Demi-Titan in the Empire aside from the Empress herself. Have you noticed that?" asked Kiri.
"That's news to me," said Junior.
"Why is it that Malicia is helping you? Has she told you that?" asked Kiri.
"Well, she says that we have stuff in common," said Junior with a shrug.
"What? Are you both genocidal tyrants?" asked Krush with a chuckle.
"No, no. It's just... Maybe she just wants..." Junior began to wonder what exactly that Malicia was looking to get out of all of this. Why would she accommodate him in her citadel and why would she suggest he become a gladiator? It couldn't have just been to help him with his problem. At least, that's what Junior's conscience said. There didn't seem to be any logical reason for her to drag him all the way to her citadel just to help him get over the lousy life he lives. That always sat in the back of Junior's mind, whenever the woman spoke warmly to him, and brought him in a motherly embrace.
"Maybe she just wants someone to talk to. I don't know," said Junior with a shrug. Both Krush and Kiri both looked to each other. Junior immediately regretted his answer, feeling like an idiot.
"L-Look, I'm only here because she said it could help me learn to take control of my own destiny. There's nothing weird going on," said Junior.
"Gojira, was it? I can tell that you're not from around here and lack any idea of who you've gotten involved with," said Kiri as she placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. She looked at him with sincere concern.
"All I can say is that you should never make a deal with her. Do not get close to her. And most importantly, NEVER trust her," said Kiri.
"I'll keep that in mind," Junior grabbed a sword from the rack. The doors suddenly opened. Junior took a breath as he followed the gladiators out into the arena. The boy quickly pushed aside the thoughts that Kiri had stirred. He couldn't afford to be distracted.
The crowd cheered as the gladiators took to the center of the arena. Junior noticed that Malicia had indeed come to watch him. The audience cheered as the Empress waved to her subjects.
"Look at these sheep. Cheering for that slut," spat a gladiator.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to today's gladiatorial games!" said the announcer from a podium that stood at the side of the arena. The crowd cheered
"We have a special day for you! You might have seen him last time, and he's back for more! Sponsored by our beloved Empress Malicia, Goooojira! Son of Leviathan!" said the announcer. The crowd erupted into loud cheers. At least most of these people were familiar with the one introduced. Junior sheepishly smiled as he awkwardly waved. But, he noticed some glares from the other gladiators.
"I'd stop it if I were you," whispered Kiri.
"Yeah, somehow I doubt it'd change anything," said Junior.
"Gladiators! Get ready for your first battle! Coming from the freezing tundra of the north, the Yetis!!" The announcer shouted, as the gates at the other side of the arena opened.
From the tunnel, heavy footsteps filled the air. A trio of large ape-like creatures came storming through. They were coated in wooly white fur, with faces and paws a pale pink. The beasts bore strong jaws, with sharp canines that hung in their mouth. The creatures gave loud bellows and shrieks as they stood in a bipedal stance, standing at over 8 feet in height.
One of the yetis snarled as it looked around itself, enraged by the loud cheers. The beast shrieked as it leapt over to the wall of the arena, then bounded several feet into the air.
"Oh fuck!" Junior exclaimed in alarm, as the snow ape jumped to where the audience sat. People screamed in fright as the ape came their way. But as it reached the front row audience, the beast was met with a glowing grid wall, which sent volts of magic into its body. The yeti fell back into the arena, sparking. It gave distressed shrieks as the other two yetis rushed over to it.
"Oh don't worry folks! We prepare for the unexpected!" laughed the announcer.
The yetis turned their attention to the gladiators. The beasts immediately recognized them as threats. The largest of the apes began to beat its chest and roared, while the other two slammed their paws on the ground, hooting and shrieking like common apes.
"Watch out for those monkeys, friend! They can tear a man in two with their bare hands!" said Krush.
The yetis began to leap and lunge for the gladiators, causing them to retreat and scatter. The snow simians began to swing their powerful arms at the gladiators, knocking them back.
"I freaking hate apes!" shouted Junior, as Birdman flew around the arena. He gave a falcon-like shriek as he dove down towards one of the yetis. He raised one leg and tucked the other back. As he dove for the ape, Birdman struck it in the back of the head, causing it to fell over in a daze. Before the yeti could retaliate, the avian flapped his wings and leapt high out of its reach.
Meanwhile, gladiators that attempted to get close to the yetis for an attack were immediately swiped away by the simians' long reach. Their armor and shields did little to protect the gladiators from the powerful blows. In fact, certain gladiators were met with the large fists of the apes, caving in the bones in their bodies. The gladiators took advantage of those unfortunate at being beaten to death by retreating further away.
"So, you got any ideas?!" asked Junior, looking to Kiri.
"I was hoping you would have one!" said Kiri.
"Me?!"
"Yes! You're a Demi-Titan aren't you?! Can't you transform and kill them?!" Kiri shouted as a yeti hurled a shield their way, prompting the two to drop for cover.
"But I can't control it! If I do that, I might just end up killing everyone here!" said Junior, as he and Kiri began to run off, as a yeti gave chase.
"Agh you are useless!" said Kiri.
"You're the one who comes off like a zoologist! Don't these things have weaknesses?!" Junior shouted as he stumbled over himself.
"What weakness?! These things almost get stronger the more pissed off they get!" said Kiri. Junior groaned in exasperation.
"I didn't sign up for Marvel Comics!" said Junior
"What?!" asked Kiri.
"Nothing!" Junior grabbed an axe that had fallen to the ground. He turned and hurled the weapon at the yeti that pursued the two. The ape caught the weapon in its shoulder, causing it to shriek in pain. It stumbled to the ground, as its white coat was stained in red. Junior skidded to a halt, finding that the yeti was on the ground, wailing.
"Looks like the force from that throw was more than it could handle! Finish it!" said Kiri. Junior sighed as he burst into a sprint, raising his sword. As he jumped, he sought to bring his blade down and stab the beast. However, the yeti caught the blade with its bare hand. With a snarl, the yeti swung Junior to the ground beside itself.
"Ow..." Junior groaned. He found the yeti standing over him, its fists raised. As the simian slammed its fists, Junior rolled away. He then swung his reptilian hand back against its face. The claws slashed the yeti's face, creating deep gashes. One of the beast's eyes was also shredded, leaving a trail of blood to fall from its socket. As the yeti writhed in agony, Junior took back his sword and rammed the blade into the beast's chest.
The yeti snarled as it grabbed Junior by the head, glaring at the boy with one eye. Junior grunted as he felt his skull being squeezed. He swiped away the creature's hand and then jammed the sword deeper into the ape's body. The yeti fell back, wheezing as it attempted to pull out the sword, which was already deep inside its chest. Junior stumbled away with a pant.
"Impressive!" said Kiri in approval.
"Oh yeah, sure. A moment ago you were saying that I was useless," panted Junior, annoyance on his face.
Soon, the remaining yetis were killed. The beasts lied died in the sand, their blood staining the ground and their white coats. As the gladiators recuperated, they were faced off with another threat.
A triceratops had entered the arena. It was a gnarly looking creature, with long horns, a hide covered in battle scars, and a heavy dark body. It snarled and bellowed as it charged at any gladiator like a mad bull. More gladiators fell to this beast and its fury.
However, this beast was thwarted once Krush suggested sending the dino into a blind rage. The remaining gladiators ran around and forced the creature to charge after them.
Junior had taken the time to act as decoy himself. But, as the dino charged him, Junior ran to the wall. The boy leaped off the side of the wall, while the triceratops rammed into it. Its horns snapped and hung from tissue, and its mind fell in a daze. The remaining gladiators took the opportunity to swarm and attack it.
"Just when I thought these games couldn't get any better!" said Kenra, watching from on high with Malicia and Sigyn.
"You've yet to see the best," said Malicia.
Meanwhile, back in the arena, the gladiators regrouped.
"One more and we live to see tomorrow!" Said Krush
"And now, today's final opponent before the main event..." the announcer spoke. The gladiators tensed as the heavy gates raised. Heavy footsteps filled the air. Junior's eyes widened in horror.
"The great and mighty, Tyrant Dragon!!" The announcer cried as an adult tyrannosaurus rex stormed into the arena. It gave a loud and mighty roar that deafened everyone in the Colosseum. Audiences cheered through their ringing ears.
"We're fucked," said Kiri, eyes wide.
"Oh good. So I wasn't just being pessimistic," said Junior, his tone flat.
The gladiators gave panicked cries as they scattered through the arena. This prompted the rex to give chase, its predatory instincts triggered. The rex hunted down and snatched up anyone that was in its sights. Their cries were silenced as the rex crushed them with its powerful jaws.
Limbs went flying as the gladiators were snatched up by the rex. Large patches of sand were stained with the dark blood that once flowed through them. By this time, the majority of the gladiators that were forced to fight for their lives were now dead, with only their blood or dismembered limbs being what remained. The gluttonous rex's snout was coated in the crimson blood and the bits of flesh from its kills. The dinosaur snarled as its sights focused on the group of remaining gladiators. Among them were Kiri, Junior, Krush, Birdman, and a few others.
"Well my friends, it was an honor doing battle with you," said Krush in defeat. Junior gritted his teeth. Not only was his life on the line, but others. He had immediately forgotten about the fact that they may have likely been some rebellious scoundrels that caused problems for the people of this land. He didn't know what to make of it. It was likely just basic human instinct, not wanting to see others to suffer to something terrible as this.
'I gotta do it. It's the only shot I have!' thought Junior. He closed his eyes as he began to focus his thoughts. He grunted as his veins began to bulge beneath the skin of his neck. His skin slightly darkened around his neck, but began to slowly recede to its normal complexion. The soft tissue would roughen, but quickly soften.
"What are you doing?" asked Kiri.
"Don't talk to me while I'm doing this! I need to-" Junior growled as his muscles slightly increased in mass, but only stayed as a minor bulk up. His eyes switched from normal to reptilian, but then back to normal.
"Fuck! I can't get it to-" Junior felt Kiri grab his arm and pulled him.
"We can't stay here!" cried Kiri as she led Junior to run with the other gladiators. The Rex roared as it gave chase, its massive feet stomped into the sand, creating imprints. Junior was cursing himself, being unable to change. In reality, he was hesitating to change form. Whenever he felt the change getting started, the boy dreaded what would come out of it. He was in a Colosseum filled with hundreds of people. He could easily bring more harm than good, just to kill one t-rex. He didn't have confidence in the 'contingencies' that this place apparently had set up when it came to beasts turning on the audience.
Junior heard a scream from one of the gladiators as the rex snapped its jaws down on him, having caught up to the one who lagged behind. This snapped Junior back to the reality of the situation. Malicia wasn't going to bail him out, even if she was treating him like a guest. After all, he consented to this death game. He had to take risks.
Junior stopped and turned to face the rex, as his eyes became reptilian.
"Don't do it, friend!" cried Krush.
"GOJIRA!" Kiri shrieked in horror.
The rex was approaching closer by the second. Junior locked his eyes with the beast as its maw opened, revealing its razor sharp teeth and the saliva that came with it. Junior's throat suddenly tightened and ached. Junior gulped as he steeled himself, his bones rattling from inside his body. Junior stepped forward and let lout an inhuman shriek that pierced the air. Everyone cupped their ears in pain. The rex suddenly skidded to a halt, wincing at the sound, but quickly shook it off. The rex snarled as it stepped forward, but Junior made an aggressive step forward, giving a screech. The rex roared back, defying the boy's attempt of intimidation. However, Junior kept shrieking, which switched to bellows. He would switch back and forth between the aggressive tones of these animalistic sounds. The rex winced and stepped away as Junior kept up the shrieks.
"Well, I'll be..." a gladiator said, wide eyed.
"This may be our chance!" said Kiri, pointing to the rex's legs.
"We have to go for its legs!" said Kiri.
"Leave it to me!" said Krush as he hoisted up his weapon, a large and heavy iron hammer head on a long handle. He began to run to flank the dinosaur, while Birdman took to the air. All the while, Junior kept the rex distracted with his deafening shrieks.
"Oh this is giving me a headache!" groaned Krush, as he came closer to the rex. He raised the hammer and swung with all of his might, allowing the momentum of the hammer to carry him along. The iron hammer head slammed against the beast's leg, just below the knee. There was a loud pop and then the agonized shriek of the rex as it suddenly fell onto its belly.
"Ah!" Junior yelped as he fell back, as the rex's head crashed down in front of him. He quickly scooted back as the dinosaur snapped its jaws at him. It wailed as it attempted to stand, but was unable to. The leg that was struck began to swell and bruise. It also appeared to deform.
"Look out!" Krush threw his weapon, sending it hurling to the rex's head. The hammer struck it in the side of its head, while smashing its brow and eye. The rex thrashed in pain as the side of its face bled, while Junior scrambled to his feet. The rex struggled to stand, but the agony it felt from its leg caused it to drop back down immediately. Junior quickly drew his sword and rushed to the rex. He hopped over onto its head. The dinosaur wailed as it thrashed, shaking its head in attempt to get the boy off.
With a shout, Junior raised his sword and brought it down on the rex's skull. The rex gave one last shriek that turned into a gurgle. Its eyes rolled back and its muscles began to spasm. Junior held his sword tightly as he kept the blade in. The dinosaur's head then collapsed back to the sand with a heavy thump, leaving dust to fly on impact. Junior panted as he sat on the back of the beast's neck, while his grip remained on the handle of the sword. He kept a hard expression as he remained still, just waiting for the beast to suddenly wake up and thrash again. After a minute, the dinosaur was silent, having had ceased drawing breath.
The Colosseum suddenly erupted into loud cheers. Junior shakily got off of the rex, stumbling away from it. Krush suddenly embraced him into a tight hug and gave a hearty laugh as he lifted the boy off of the ground.
"Haha! You did it, my friend! You killed one of the most dangerous creatures in Equescidar!" said Krush, setting Junior down.
"I couldn't have done it without you. In fact, I was sure it was gonna eat me as soon as I got tired of shrieking," said Junior, in relief. Kiri and the remaining gladiators ran over.
"You stupid and insane fool!" said Kiri with a glare.
"Yeah that may describe my-" Junior was silenced as the woman pulled him close and planted a loud and wet smooch on his cheek, dangerously close to his lips. The boy was stunned. Kiri pulled away.
"Consider that as a thank you for saving our hides," said Kiri with a playful smirk. Junior blushed with a bashful chuckle.
"It was nothing," said Junior.
Meanwhile, from the royal sky box, Malicia watched with a devilish smirk. Kenra and Sigyn stood with unnerved looks.
"My God, he's so strong," said Sigyn.
"The freak didn't even transform," said Kenra, hardening her expression.
"I've seen much stronger ones before him. If not for the group, I'm certain he'd have perished. But, he has proven himself to be capable. That makes him all the more valuable," said Malicia, a sinister grin grew on her face, as the audience cheered.
Junior sighed as he found himself sitting in a small room. He was sipping from a gourd full of cool and refreshing water. As the liquid traveled down his esophagus, he began to pour some water onto his face. He gasped from the sudden drench. He wiped his dirty face, washing away some dirt. Meanwhile, the water had begun to drench his bare chest.
"Bravo, Gojira," said a familiar voice. Junior turned to find Malicia to be making her way over, a smile on her face.
"Once again, you've proven yourself a capable warrior. Killing a Tyrant Dragon is no feat to scoff at," said Malicia. Junior nodded to her.
"Thanks. Though I had help," said Junior.
"Even so, it's a testament to your endurance. After all, only a few of you have survived," said Malicia. Junior sighed, frowning.
"Yeah..." said Junior. He looked to the Empress with a questioning look.
"So... What's gonna happen to the remaining gladiators? I mean... They never replaced the ones that were killed before. And there's like 6 of them left," said Junior.
"They may be prisoners, but they'll be moved up to one on one or cooperative battles against other gladiators. Thanks to you, their odds of survival increased," said Malicia. Junior sighed in relief.
"Good," said Junior. He then stiffened.
"I-I mean..."
"It's fine. I know how one can form attachments under high stress situations," said Malicia, taking a seat next to the boy.
"I wouldn't say I'm 'attached'. I mean, I hardly know them," said Junior.
"Good. It'll be easier for you to not get attached to them," said Malicia. Junior looked at her in confusion.
"Easier?"
"Never mind that. I just came here to wish you good luck on your next fights," said Malicia. She then leaned close to the boy, a sultry smile on her face. Junior instinctively leaned away, but the woman seemed to have lean in closer. His heart raced.
"Perhaps I'll reward you myself for your wins," said Malicia, winking. Junior's heart skipped a beat. He watched as the Empress stood up and walked away, her dress hugging her body. Junior found his eyes drawn to her swaying hips. Soon, she was out of sight.
"I wonder how her legs look under that dress," said Junior to himself. He then quickly smacked his cheeks.
"Whoa! Whoa! Junior, come on! Don't get the hots for the evil queen! You barely know her! Plus, you saw her eat up another guy, literally!" said Junior. He sighed as he scratched his head.
"Damn it! It's getting harder to keep sex off the brain! It's like biology is telling me to pass my genes on because my body knows that it can die any day now," said Junior. He groaned as he held his head.
"Kiri also has some great looking le- NO! Stop it!" Junior smacked his head. He quickly got up and began to place back on his shirt, along with his armor.
"I have no right to rip on Rodan for being a pervert," said Junior with a sigh.
Later, Junior found himself returning to the arena. Again, he was met with cheers as he was introduced. He waved to the audience, who seemed to have been going nuts for his presence. He wasn't surprised to see the rex's carcass to still be lying in the arena. After all, it'd take a while to get that thing out and to clear this place out.
Junior found himself facing off with his first opponent. The fight went on, and ended quickly. While the man had good sword work, Junior's display earlier led to hesitation from him, which allowed the boy to go on the constant offensive. The opposing gladiator was knocked out cold by a kick from the boy, leaving him in the sand. The crowd cheered.
Shortly after the first foe was dragged out of the arena, a second gladiator came in. He was a hulking figure. Junior found more trouble with this one. He was quite the aggressive fighter. He swung a wooden club and screamed like a mad man. Junior relied on his shield to get close and to block the coming blows. He thought to stay on the defensive and to keep his distance. The opposing gladiator soon became worn out by his berserk strategy. This allowed Junior strike back. He ditched his sword and rushed to the gladiator, shield raised. He bashed his opponent with the shield, knocking him onto his back. Junior then kneeled on his chest and proceeded to beat his shield against his face, multiple times. The gladiator went limp, having been knocked unconscious. The crowd cheered again, while Junior stood and raised his fists and shield, basking in the praise.
"Yeah! Lemme hear ya say my name!" said Junior, holding a hand to his ear.
"Go-Ji-Ra! Go-Ji-Ra!" the audience chanted.
"Damn right! That's what I like to hear!" chuckled Junior, as the audience cheered.
"Well he seems to be having fun," said Sigyn from the sky box.
"Yeah, but it'd be better if he'd make some heads fly. Display some of that lethality on the gladiators," said Kenra, crossing her arms over her chest. Malicia lightly frowned as she watched Junior, bask in the glory, while his sword lied about on the far side of the arena.
The third opponent came in. As expected, Junior proved to be more than a match for him. It seemed that the win with that Rex has made him much more confident in the arena. He was easily thwarting the gladiators with his bare hands. They even lived to see another day, when they regain consciousness at least. Malicia sighed as she watched, as Junior basked in the final win. The audience chanted his name.
"It's nothing to be concerned about. Come. Let us return to the citadel. We have a celebration to prepare for," said Malicia, smiling at two of her enforcers.
The air was becoming less stale. The Rescue Team found themselves having navigated through countless corridors, where many decaying corpses and skeletons lied in rest. There was very little light. Candles and torches hung on the walls, having not been lit. The team relied on their equipment for light.
"Hey, look!" said Pinkie, pointing ahead. The group saw that there were some rays of light being cast into a larger room. No corpses or skeletons were seen. Not even coffins or shelves. Instead, there was a large heavy iron door, with symbols decorating it. A couple of small windows were above on the walls, where day light shined through.
"Oh God, please tell me-!" Manda exclaimed. The soldiers rushed to the door. They got into a tactical formation. A couple with their backs to the wall, while one pulled open the door. The soldier aimed his rifle through the crack, scanning the sight. All he saw were stone pillars and some stairs. He opened the door wider.
"We're clear," said the soldier as he took point. The rest of the group stepped out, finding the stairs to be leading outside of a man-made pit. Senior took point with a rifle, while Aiko flanked him. The rest of the soldiers climbed up the stairs and found themselves standing outside of the pit. Their eyes widened at what they saw.
Beyond the pit was a field of dead trees and white sand. Beyond the field was a city, with buildings that stood around the height of a small modern city. Aiko felt a pit in her stomach as she saw the cold stone boxes that stood in crowds, as a stench lingered in the air. Some structures towered high into the sky. Aiko felt unpleasant memories of the city she lived in, Trotkyo. This entire scenery made her depressed, much like the city did to her when growing up. Only this place appeared deader.
Soon, the rest of the group made their way out of the pit. They stared, wide eyed at the sight of this great city.
"Looks like this is it," said Angirasu.
"We have to find Gojira, in that?" asked Rarity, her tone lacking confidence.
"OK, we obviously can't go waltzing around. I propose we set up a base of operations here in the catacombs. We'll need resources and information. I have a feeling that we're gonna be here a while," said Aiko. Senior stared off at the city. Somewhere, his son was out there.
"Hold on, son," said Senior to himself.
It was evening. The moon hung high in the sky. Music played in the air. The dining hall of Malicia's citadel was filled with many different people, all dressed in formal attire.
Junior stood at the sidelines, as he watched the people mingle. All the while, Malicia was sitting on a throne that was placed at the table. She waved to the boy. Junior weakly smiled as he made his way over.
"Have a seat, dear," said Malicia, gesturing to the chair on her right.
"Sure." Junior took a seat with a sigh. He found men and women to be taking their seats, as a band played the instruments in the corner of the hall. Guards were posted around, including Malicia's enforcers.
"Friends of yours?" asked Junior.
"Ah. These are nobles, entrepreneurs, sponsors, Lords, high ranking military officials... People that I often find myself meeting with," said Malicia.
"Ah. So just business," said Junior.
"Yes, but today is a celebration for today's games," said Malicia.
"I appreciate it, but I don't..." Junior scratched his head awkwardly.
"Oh, it's fine. Besides, I'll take any excuse to enjoy a drink," said Malicia with a grin. Junior chuckled.
"Dinner is served!" the head chef announced as he opened up the double doors to the kitchen. Men holding large trays and dishes came waltzing in. They began to place the food along the tables.
"Damn, that's a lot of meat," said Junior, seeing some trays holding large chunks of cooked meat.
"Made from the Tyrant Dragon that you killed," said Malicia with a smirk. The boy gave her a look of shock.
"You had that entire thing cooked?!" asked Junior.
"Not at all. I only had enough harvested for tonight," said Malicia in amusement. She began to carve a piece and set it on Junior's plate.
"You have the honor of having the first taste of your kill," said Malicia.
"Sweet. I always wondered how dinosaur tasted," said Junior as he took his knife and fork. As he cut a smaller piece, he placed it in his mouth. He chewed and took in the flavor. He went still as he bore a blank expression.
"Is something wrong?" asked Malicia.
"It kinda tastes like chicken..." said Junior. He scowled.
"That's disappointing to be honest. I had a conversation about this with someone too," said Junior.
"I'm sorry to hear that. I can take that off your hands," said Malicia.
"No, it's fine. It's still pretty good," said Junior as he continued to eat. The taste of the beast began to make sense. After all, reptiles, birds, amphibians and fish were classified as white meat. Only mammals were red meat. Malicia smiled. She raised her chalice and stood.
"Everyone, I would like to make a toast to the one who's displayed such ferocity and courage in the gladiatorial arena," said Malicia. Junior stiffened as all sights fell on him, while everyone raised their chalices.
"To you, Gojira. May you live long, and enjoy many victories. Both in and outside of the arena," said Malicia, smiling warmly at the boy. Junior blushed as he stared at the table, feeling an awkwardness as everyone downed their drinks in his honor. He wasn't used to this kind of attention. Hell, it was a whole lot more than what he would expect from a normal person.
"She's spoiling him," said Kenra from the corner of the room.
"I would too. He's quite adorable," said Sigyn with a smirk.
"I hate kids... Especially teenagers," said Max with a wheeze and giggle.
"We know..." Kenra and Sigyn responded flatly.
During this night, the guests for tonight's dinner helped themselves to all of the delicious food provided, as well as the sweet wine. They often got onto topics related to business and the current politics of the Empire, though Junior tuned that stuff out. He instead focused more on Malicia and a couple of 'sponsors' for the gladiatorial games.
"I would say that today's games were our most popular in years. The audience especially loved this one," said one of the men, pointing a fork to Junior, who ate in silence.
"Yes, but it seems that one on one fights are much too easy," said another sponsor.
"So?" Junior shrugged. The men chuckled.
"Well, nomrally it'd be fine. But you don't seem to... go all out," said one of the men. Junior cocked a brow.
"He means that you don't kill your gladiator opponents," said Malicia.
"Why does that matter? I've killed plenty of those creatures. What's it matter that I don't kill the gladiators?" asked Junior.
"Well, the games are typically to the death. The people crave the violence. Especially when it’s between two men," said a sponsor. Junior grimaced. But, he knew that he shouldn't be surprised.
"I just... I don't see the point of killing them. I mean, people can give up and cease to be a threat. Unlike the animals, which attack you until they're killed," said Junior. The men appeared dissatisfied with his response.
"You wouldn't want him to go for killing blows, anyhow," said Malicia, drawing their attention. She was sipping her wine.
"If he did, he'd clear out every gladiator that you have. Then what'll Dogomites do for a pass time?" Malicia smirked.
"Hm. Fair enough. But I believe we should find more ways to spice up your gladiatorial matches. Perhaps multiple gladiators at once," said one of the men.
"I think that would provide you more of a challenge, wouldn't you agree?" Malicia's eyes fell on the boy next to her.
"Sure," said Junior with a nod. He looked around, lightly frowning as he found the type of company that filled the dining hall. Junior cleared his throat as he scooted away from the table.
"Excuse me. I need to uh... use the 'chamber'," said Junior.
"Of course," said Malicia.
Junior began to make his way out of the dining hall, while Malicia motioned for Sigyn to come over.
"Keep an eye on him." Malicia whispered.
Meanwhile, Junior roamed the hall in silence. He gave a relieved sigh. He felt like he was never going to get over large crowds as that. Not to mention it was too formal. He was never a conversational guy, but these high class people made it tedious to engage. It was all business and other things the boy couldn't see himself being concerned with.
Junior noticed a hand maiden to be walking by. This was a perfect opportunity.
"Excuse me," called Junior. The young lady stopped with a smile.
"Yes, sir?"
"Do you think you can pack some food that's enough for a group? Maybe some wine as well?" asked Junior. The hand maiden bore a brief look of confusion. But she smiled none the less.
"Certainly. Where shall I bring it?" asked the woman.
"Just meet me outside," said Junior as he walked off.
Junior found himself peering outside of the citadel front doors. He saw that there was a pair of guards standing by the front gates to the citadel. He took a breath as he pondered his next move.
"Let's see... How can I walk out of here without a hassle?" asked Junior. He turned and noticed the familiar hand maiden to be approaching, carrying two large baskets in her arms along with a wine bottle.
"I think I just got an idea..." Junior said to himself with a smirk. He then approached the woman and took one of the baskets.
"Appreciate it, Miss. But would you mind following me for a while?" asked Junior. The Hand Maiden appeared hesitant for a brief moment.
"Well... Her majesty has asked us to attend to your needs as well. I shall," said the hand maiden.
"Sweet. Let's go," said Junior as he walked on ahead. The woman bore an odd look as she was led to the citadel gates.
"Evening, gentlemen," greeted Junior, casually. The guards turned their attention to the boy. Junior took notice of stiffness about the men. A stiffness that wasn't there until he had arrived.
"I was just about to head on out of here for a bit. Thought I'd let you guys know," said Junior.
"Empress Malicia sees it fit to not allow you to leave these grounds during the evening," said one of the guards. Junior cocked a brow, genuinely curious. With the way the woman behaved, she made it seem like that he had a right to leave whenever he pleased.
"I wasn't aware of any curfew," said Junior.
"It's for your own safety. The city is a dangerous place at night," said the guard. Junior couldn't help but take note of some tension in the tone, as if he was making up an excuse.
"Come on, I'll come right back. I just wanna spend some quality time with this lovely young lady," said Junior, wrapping an arm around the hand maiden and brought her close.
"Wh-Wha-?!" the Hand maiden stiffened and blushed profusely. The guards sent each other glances.
"You can't expect me to have her eat in a bedroom in the citadel. I'm more of a romancer," said Junior, caressing the woman's shoulder. The hand maiden's face grew redder, as her breaths became quick.
"Hey, there's some wine in it for ya~." Junior raised the basket he held and gently waved it in a alluring manner.
"Just go," sighed one of the guards.
"Awesome. Come on, babe," said Junior as he took the hand maiden's arm and began to lead her way from the citadel.
"You could've at least said yes to the wine," said one of the guards in annoyance.
"Fool. We're on duty," said the other guard.
Meanwhile, Junior and the hand maiden continued on their way to the streets of Lur. He chuckled as he released the hand maiden.
"Sorry about dragging you into that," said Junior, sheepishly.
"I-It's no trouble," said the hand maiden with a titter, her face still flushed. She then looked to the boy in confusion.
"But where are we going?" asked the woman.
"Just to celebrate with a more casual crowd," said Junior. He then grimaced as he looked around the area, which was cold and dark. Little light shone here, as some buildings towered over and obscured the moon light.
"Stay close. It's sketchy out here," said Junior, prompting the woman to cling to his arm.
Later, the pair continued their way through the city. They passed some blocks away from the citadel. Junior was able to catch sight of the Colosseum that was ahead. He smiled as he rushed on his journey, with the hand maiden following close behind.
"I've rarely been outside of the Citadel," said the hand maiden.
"Really?" asked Junior.
"Most of us have lived in the citadel from a young age. I've always seen the city from a distance but to see it now... It's worse than I could imagine," said the hand maiden, her tone full of melancholy. Junior frowned.
The two soon made their way around the Colosseum, where another structure was present. Around here should be the dungeon that they kept the prisoners. Junior made his way near a building, which bore a barred window. He ordered the hand maiden to keep watch while he investigated. Junior stood on his toes and peered inside. His eye sight having adjusted to the darkness, he made out the forms of sleeping individuals on the ground. One of them he recognized as Krush.
"Psst! Krush!" Junior whispered. The crocodile man snorted as he shot up awake.
"Eh? Oh. Is that you, friend?" asked Krush as he sat up, a blanket falling off of his body.
"Yeah, it's me. How you doin', buddy?" Junior smiled.
"Pretty good. Pretty good. I could be better. Bastards gave us little food for dinner," said Krush in dismay. Kiri winced as she stirred awake.
"Krush, keep it down," said Kiri, rising up as her hair hung as a mess over her shoulders.
"Oh good. Then this won't go to waste," said Junior as he began to slip a basket in between the gaps of the bars. Krush stood up and made his way over. He took the basket and gasped.
"Is that a scrumptious meal I smell?" asked Krush, a smile growing on his snout.
"And some wine to wash it down," said Junior as he passed on the second basket. Krush chuckled gleefully, while Kiri stood up, her eyes widening.
"Gojira? What are you doing here?" asked Kiri.
"I thought I'd bring some food to you guys from the banquet that Malicia's throwing. Just something to show my appreciation," said Junior.
"No, thank you! Everyone, wake up! Gojira's brought dinner!" said Krush, causing the rest of the gladiators to stir.
"Keep it down! They don't know that I'm out here," said Junior in a whisper.
"So, why aren't you at the banquet with your adoring public?" asked Kiri, smirking. Junior snorted.
"It's not really my scene. Who the hell wants to fraternize with a bunch of rich snobs and politicians?" asked Junior with a chuckle. "I'd much rather hang out with you guys."
"Well, I enjoy your company," said Kiri, smiling warmly at the boy.
The gladiators began to partake in the meal and wine that Junior and the hand maiden had generously provided. They savored every bite for the taste of the delicious meal. Kiri sat against the wall, looking up at Junior as she sipped her wine.
"So, what's your story? How did you end up here?" asked Junior.
"Ah. Well, I was a member of a clan of warriors. The men and women both practiced the art of combat in the name of survival. We lived in a dangerous region, dealing with more aggressive tribes and beasts," said Kiri.
"I guess that explains the knowledge you have on some of the animals we faced off against," said Junior. Kiri nodded to him.
"But a few years back, my people were conquered when the Dogomites expanded into our land. My clan joined a rebellion. I, unfortunately, was very recently captured and have been forced to participate in these savage games," said Kiri with a scoff.
"Excuse my ignorance, but it's surprising that you'd be opposed to the games. Didn't you say that you were from a clan of warriors?" asked Junior.
"The gladiatorial games are just entertainment for the degenerates that live in this city. It's not right to force men and beasts to fight. Even pitting them in a hopeless situation. It's a disrespect to nature. The fools enjoy the violence, but they themselves would never pick up a sword and slay a foe, let alone slaughter livestock for food," scoffed Kiri.
"Yeah, I can understand why you in particular would hate the games. I mean, aside from being forced to participate," said Junior with a sheepish smile.
"Mm. But, at least now I'll be in a more leveled playing field. And I have you to thank for that," said Kiri, smiling at Junior.
"Ah. I wouldn't have made it either if you hadn't had my back," said Junior.
"Modesty is an attractive trait. Especially for one strong as yourself," said Kiri with a coy smile. Junior shyly smiled.
"Perhaps you can see me like this every night," said Kiri, an alluring tone in her voice. Junior cleared his throat.
"I-I should get going. Enjoy the food!" said Junior, dipping out of Kiri's sight. The young woman smiled in amusement. She went over to the rest of the gladiators to join them for their feast
Junior found himself standing on Ponyville High's campus grounds. He was quickly met with two campus officers. Junior felt dread as he saw a pair of handcuffs to be hanging from the side of one of the officers. They were the hand cuffs designed to restrain Transmutants.
Junior quickly found his wrists bounded and was hauled away. He found the eyes of all the students in the area to be staring. Their eyes full of contempt and judgement.
"He's a muderer. Killer. Monster." Multiple voices echoed out in the boy's mind. All coming from the students that watched him.
"No! It wasn't me!" cried Junior. He suddenly felt himself punched in the rib by one of the officers. They then threw him to the ground.
Junior grunted as he remained on his hands and knees, on the cold concrete floor. He raised his head, finding himself surrounded by metallic bars. He was in a familiar holding cell of a police station. Junior heard the buzz of a television, prompting him to turn and see it playing a news report.
"A video of the Transmutant vigilante, dubbed X, surfaced online and went viral the previous night. An anonymous person had turned in the video to the local police of Ponyville, allowing officers to arrest Gojira Takeshi Jr.," said a woman on the screen as the footage slowed down as X's face was revealed. The video paused to show a clear picture of Xenjira's face. Alongside the screen was a comparison of Junior's mug shot. The boy gritted his teeth.
"Hey kid!" A voice called out. Junior turned to find a man glaring at him from a neighboring cell. "You better hope they lock us far from each other. Because I'm coming for your ass," said the man, making a cutting motion at his throat.
"It's not! It's Xenjira! It's not me, I swear!" cried Junior in desperation. He knew that no good would come from this. Being mistaken for a man that killed people that were a part of the Purist movement.
"We know who you are," said the man, coldly. Junior felt a chill as he spoke. He failed to notice his cell door opening up behind.
"We know your name, your face, your school, your friends, and where you live," said the man as his eyes began to sink into his sockets, and his flesh shriveled, exposing the structure of his skull. A wicked grin appeared on his face, as the flesh slowly eroded away. Junior shuddered as he backed away from the man, as the words sunk in. He was known. Everyone was in danger because of being associated with him.
Junior suddenly felt something wrapped around his neck. A leather belt was strangling him. Junior gagged and gasped for air, as his assailant choked him. Junior looked back, finding Xenjira looking at him with a sinister smile, having a tight hold on the belt.
"Hey, little brother," greeted Xenjira. Junior was unable to fight back, as his body grew weak from the deprivation of oxygen.
Before Junior could pass out, he found himself suddenly standing back in school. His eyes were darting around, finding students pass by, glaring at him with a glance. The same eyes from before were looking at him. Junior attempted to run, but found himself stumbling into the cafeteria. He froze as he found himself standing before a table, where he found the Main 7 and Mutant 4 to be sitting. They paid him no mind as he stood just beside them.
"Guys..." Junior called, weakly. Twilight merely glanced at him with a frigid glare. Junior stepped back as the rest began to give him the same look.
"Guys, please! I didn't do it! I swear to God, it wasn't me!" Junior cried desperately. He looked to each of them, who looked at him with contempt. He then turned to Fluttershy, who's eyes seemed the coldest of all.
"You monster," said Fluttershy. Junior turned and bolted out of the cafeteria. The hall began to disintegrate into a dark void. Echoing whispers filled Junior's ears, as a cluster of eyes appeared, staring at him.
"It was you. We know you did it. Stop lying." Multiple voices whispered. Junior panted as he ran, while the floor behind him began to give away. No matter how far he ran, or how fast, he wasn't able to escape.
"It wasn't me!!" Junior cried. He suddenly felt the floor beneath his feet give way. Junior found himself plummeting down into the dark abyss.
Junior gasped as his eyes shot open. He once again found himself in a familiar bed. He sighed as he got up, finding the morning sun shining through the large window. His racing heart in his chest began to settle.
Later that morning, Junior found himself sitting at the dining hall table. Malicia was eating from her plate, while Junior sat in silence. His eyes appeared baggy as he half halfheartedly ate. The empress noticed his state.
"Is something wrong, dear?" asked Malicia.
"Yeah. I just... have had trouble sleeping these past few days," said Junior in a tired tone. The nightmares he's been experiencing have lasted a few nights already. He couldn't fathom why they kept coming. But they always haunted him. He was constantly reminded of the past that he hated.
"What kind of life is waiting for me back home?" Junior muttered to himself.
"Pardon?" asked Malicia.
"Nothing. I should get ready for my next set of matches," said Junior as he he stood.
"Here, you will need energy," said Malicia, holding up a pastry to the boy. Junior took it with a weak smile.
"Thanks."
As Junior began to leave, Malicia failed to suppress a dark smirk. She giggled as the doors closed, leaving her alone.
"Proceeding as planned?" asked Sigyn, walking over to the table.
"Swimmingly," said Malicia as she ate a pastry.
"I've been influencing his dreams by creating nightmares that exaggerates his old hated memories. Already he's starting to second guess ever returning," said Malicia.
"That won't be enough," said Sigyn.
"Right, you are. But, I see that he's developing a taste for the glory and fame as a gladiator. That will contribute to what I have planned. Though those gladiators he's gotten close to may cause an issue," said Malicia.
"How do you want us to handle them?" asked Sigyn.
"Mm. I say we let the games handle that. It's but a matter of time," said Malicia. Then, a thought crossed her mind.
"I've been meaning to ask about one prisoner," said Malicia.
"The Purists?" asked Sigyn.
"No, not them. You know the one," said Malicia, waving a dismissive hand.
"Oh. Him? He was requested for the games, so Kenra's escorting him to the Colosseum," said Sigyn.
"Oh? I wasn't expecting his 'break' to be done so soon. Perhaps this time, his head will roll." Malicia cackled.
Junior sighed as he wandered aimlessly through the city of Lur. His eyes were cold. During his walk, the boy's mind wandered to the previous nights he's experienced. Memories of his mistakes being thrown back in his face. The harsh reality of his life being brought to greet him. But worse of all, he just kept thinking back to that dreadful day, when the ones he thought were his friends had betrayed him.
Junior found himself walking into the Colosseum. He made his way to the holding cell, where today's gladiators were to wait. He entered and was immediately greeted by a rough pat on the back.
"Gojira! Glad ya made it! I'm sure you'll get the crowd going today!" laughed Krush. Junior weakly smiled.
"Hey, is something wrong, friend?" asked Krush.
"I'm just a little worn out today," said Junior, as Kiri and Birdman made their way over to greet him. Kiri sighed.
"I told you to stop coming by at night. You're wearing yourself out," said Kiri in disapproval.
"Yeah, but it's no fun being cooped up in that citadel. The guards are stiffs, the help is either busy or stuck up, and I can't bug the Empress for a conversation whenever I'm bored," said Junior.
"Hmm. I never knew you and the evil bitch were close," said Krush. Kiri sighed in exasperation.
"Gojira, I thought I told you not to get close to her! She can't be trusted!" said Kiri.
"Kiri, I'm telling you. There's more to her than you think," argued Junior.
"Gojira... I have to tell you. There's talk among the other gladiators, especially the newest ones. It seems like they have it out for you," said Kiri, biting her lip. She glanced behind herself, seeing some gladiators looking over from the other side of the room.
"What do you mean?" asked Junior.
"You know how some are prisoners of war or have committed crimes considered heinous to the crown, right? Well, they think that you're like Malicia's prized possession for the games since she sponsors you. You've seen how popular you've been getting, right?" asked Kiri, almost in a whisper.
"Yeah. So what? They're hellbent on killing me because they think it's the closest to them hurting Malicia?" asked Junior, matching her tone.
"Exactly!" said Kiri.
"It's no different from the previous games. I'll just kick their asses like always," said Junior with a shrug. Kiri grunted in frustration.
"Go- Ugh. I love your confidence, but I think you're being careless," said Kiri in dismay.
"You're worrying too much. Today will just be like any other day," said Junior. Kiri sighed.
"Just be careful," said Kiri.
Meanwhile, just in a cell not too far, A group of gladiators were armored up. They were a more rugged bunch compared to the likes nearby. They were larger, more experienced, as was hinted at from the battle scars that they carried on their flesh. One of them took notice of a man passing by, looking through the grate to the cell door.
As the stranger passed by, a red gem came flying between the bars, landing in the sand at the gladiator's feet. He merely brought his foot over it and brought it close. He glanced at the other gladiators, who bore stoic looks as they lounged about, awaiting for the games to begin. One of them carried a pair of walnuts, grinding them together in the palm of his large hand.
The men heard the announcer speaking from outside of their cell at the arena. They listened as the audience cheered, welcoming their beloved Empress as she attended these barbaric games once again. She has been coming to these a lot lately. And these gladiators knew why.
"Taking down a Demi-Titan is not possible," said one of the gladiators.
"It's no simple task, but it isn't impossible either," said another gladiator, spitting to the ground.
"We have no chance at doing this as we are. The playing field must be leveled."
The men were soon led out of their cell, with a team of guards escorting them. The gladiators made no effort to resist, for they knew it was futile. They being prisoners for their treachery against the crown meant that these guards would not hesitate to put them down should they do something that they weren't permitted to do.
The gladiators were led to the armory, where they began to select their desired equipment. During this, one gladiator held the red gem close to the hilt of the sword. The gem briefly flashed before flying out of the man's fingers, attaching itself to the weapon. The sword briefly flashed, while its handle began to transform. The guard now held the gem inside of a pendant that had formed into the weapon. The sword seemed to vibrate in the gladiator's hand, as a heat began to build up.
The gladiator turned to find other gladiators to be drawing out gems, all a different color. The gems fused to their weapons, slightly altering their appearance, unbeknownst to the guards that had locked them inside.
Meanwhile, Junior found himself walking through a dark tunnel. At the end of the tunnel, he saw the gate to be raising, leading out to the arena. The sun's light beckoned him to come forth. The audience's cheers cried for him. Junior stepped out to the arena, where he was once again met with thunderous applause and cheers by the adoring crowd. He smile and waved. He then proceeded to flex, which prompted the screams of some women from the audience.
"I LOVE YOU!" A woman screamed as she rubbed her own breasts, whining in pleasure. Junior cringed as he quickly stopped.
'Yeah, maybe I should cut out the showboating. I'm starting to feel like a jackass anyway,' thought Junior. He noticed how several women at the front rows were looking on lustfully at him. Whining in orgasmic glee. Junior heard about how sexual acts were more like a common recreation in the empire. He just never realized just what kind of degenerates that it spawned. Not even others in the audience payed mind as these 'fan girls' touched themselves.
Junior tore his attention from the audience. He instead focused on the opposing gladiators that made their way into the arena. The ones running this show wanted more thrills and stakes. So, a group of gladiators will be fought all at once. Junior was on his own. But, he was no stranger to these kinds of fights. Junior rolled his neck and popped his joints. His eyes narrowed as the gladiators drew their weapons.
"So, you're Malicia's prized gladiator? I'll take pleasure in cutting you down," said a gladiator, venom in his tone.
"Bring it on," said Junior.
The bell rang. Junior quickly stepped back as the gladiators approached. The boy's eyes darted to each of his five opponents, looking for the one who would be bold enough to strike first. Junior quickly raised his shield as gladiator 1 went in first, swinging his sword at the boy. The shield caught the blade, but, left behind a spark of flames. Junior yelped as he stepped back, feeling the heat of the flames from behind his shield. His eyes were wide.
"The fuck was that?!" exclaimed Junior.
"Whoa! Did you see that?" Kenra asked, looking on at the match from the royal sky box. Malicia slightly narrowed her eyes.
"An enchanted sword..." said Malicia.
Meanwhile, back at the arena, the audience watched as Junior continued to retreat, as the gladiators chased him down. One of them swung his hammer, which sent a bolt of lightning through the arena, sticking Junior's shield. The mutant was knocked off of his feet, as the metal on his weapon and armor conducted the electricity. Junior cried out in agony as he lied on the ground, sparking. The audience cheered and watched in anticipation. Some cheered for Junior to fight on.
"Looks like all of them have enchanted weapons. You wanna call it off?" asked Kenra, turning to Malicia. The empress kept a stoic look.
"No. Let's see if he can adapt. Besides, it'd ruin the entertainment if I were to put an end to this game because of favoritism," said Malicia.
Junior grunted as he dodged the swing of an axe, leading to him to counter with a kick to his opponent, sending him staggering. The teen barely had time to regain his footing, as the third gladiator of the group came rushing over with a sword, coated in frost. Junior narrowly avoided the strike. He saw that the blade left a trail of cold mist.
"Hey, this isn't even fair! Why do you guys get the weird elemental bullshit?!" Junior demanded.
"Fair? You whine like a child. This is the only way we have a chance against you," said a gladiator, raising a blade coated in flames. Junior hardened his expression. He continued to evade the attacks from his opponents, his mind thinking of a way to counter in unison. The boy took note of the weapons and their dangers. The electrified hammer of course would deal blunt force trauma, and the electricity it gave off would conduct against his armor and shield, causing more agony.
The flame sword would prove to send nasty burns, but the shield can at least take some of the heat. All that left was Junior having to avoid catching on fire. Then there were three other weapons. A sword of frost, an axe wrapped in green glowing vines, and a spear with that bore a gust of wind swirling around the tip.
"Come on. Think! Think!" Junior muttered to himself. He yelped as he found himself blown off of his feet by a strong gust of wind. He rolled along the earth, just as the axe wielder came charging in. With a swing of his axe, multiple vines shot forth and wrapped around the boy's arms and legs. The vines snapped from the axe, while the lightning wielding gladiator swung his weapon at the boy. Junior was met with the blow from the iron head, simultaneously suffering from the electricity that coursed through him. Junior cried out in agony as he lied on the ground, the vines having withered and burned away as the electricity spread.
Meanwhile, from just a holding cell at one corner of the arena, the gladiators watched. Kiri cupped her mouth in horror, while Krush watched with a grimace.
Junior grunted as he clutched his arm, an excruciating sharp pain shot through him. There was no doubt about it. His arm was broken from that blow. He let it hung as he stood, his left arm still holding his shield. He found his opponents stalking closer. At this rate, he'll be dead. Junior began to quickly ponder his next move. He knew that the biggest hazard was the electricity, since it conducted with his equipment. But, how could he expect to defend himself without it? A broken arm made Junior's situation more precarious.
'I just gotta take a chance!'
Junior dropped his shield to the ground, prompting a gasp from the audience. The boy then began to remove the armor that covered his right arm. He winced at the strain the process had on his injury.
"Ah! He discarded his equipment! Smart, considering that the lightning is less likely to get him," said Krush.
"What good is it if he's defenseless?!" Kiri cried.
Junior snarled as he backed away, while the gladiators continued to stalk towards him. His eyes became reptilian, his senses began to kick into over drive. His mind read each and every movement that they made, processed every breath, and every heartbeat.
"Your death is sure to get her goat. Especially when people see how you Demi-Titans are not invincible," said a gladiator.
It was here that Junior noticed something. Before, the gladiators were spread out and kept their distance from each other. Considering their weapons, it was likely that this was to avoid hitting each other with the elements. The lightning hammer was a definite hazard in a group as this. But now, in their over confidence, the gladiators were now close together in their eagerness to finish him off. The boy couldn't ask for a better opportunity to exploit them.
Junior suddenly burst into a charge. With the short distance and speed of the teen, he was able to reach the flame gladiator in a mere few milliseconds. The gladiator was slow to react, swinging his fiery blade. Junior swiftly passed the strike, feeling the heat against him. The hairs on his body were singed by the close contact. Junior countered with a left hook to the jaw. The blow knocked the gladiator cold to the ground.
"Bastard!" The ice gladiator swung his frosted blade, sending a barrage of nail sized ice spikes. Junior quickly raised his arm to shield his face. Instinctively, he had raised his broken right arm as well. But, just moments before, he had felt the pain slip away, and the pop of bones. He had regenerated. He had successfully raised both arms to shield his face. While his reptilian arm blocked the ice, his right took on a few spikes. But, Junior's adrenaline allowed him to press on.
With a shout, Junior lunged for the ice gladiator. After pinning him to the ground, he quickly leapt off, as the earth gladiator came swinging his axe. After he missed, Junior grabbed him by the ankle and pulled him off of his feet. The mutant began to swing his foe around, as the remaining gladiators scrambled to retaliate. Junior threw the earth gladiator to the ice gladiator. The two lied sprawled on the ground in pain.
Junior made a dash for the wind gladiator, who swung his spear across the sand, sending a large cloud of dust into the air. Junior clenched his eyes shut as he stopped. He was blind, but his animalistic senses tuned themselves to adapt.
"You fool! You've blinded us as well!" A voice shouted. Junior had locked to the direction of the voice, allowing him to charge blindly through the dust cloud. There were two voices arguing. They were starting to panic, which meant that they were bound to act more carelessly. One of them, Junior was focused on the most.
The boy grunted as he felt himself ram into someone. He charged out from the dust cloud and stopped. He found the wind gladiator on the ground at his feet. The gladiator cursed as he swung his weapon at the boy, who caught it before it could make contact with him. He then swung his opponent over his shoulders and to the ground. The gladiator kept a grip on the spear, snarling at the mutant.
Before Junior could deal another blow, he saw flashes of lightning shoot out from the dust cloud, followed by the crash of thunder. The lightning shot out in several different directions, sometimes striking the barrier, which startled the audience. This only confirmed Junior's hypothesis. Panic had set in these once confident warriors.
A lightning bolt suddenly came crashing towards Junior and the wind gladiator. The boy quickly released the spear and jumped out of the way. The lightning connected to the spear and jolted through the wind gladiator, who went down in sparks and a plume of smoke. Junior turned his attention to the plume of smoke, where lightning continued to flash. There was only one left to deal with.
Junior sprinted towards the cloud of dust. Meanwhile, lightning strikes narrowly shot passed him. He pressed on, seeing that his window of opportunity failing due to the dust clearing. The lightning gladiator had his back turned towards him. Junior picked up his pace.
The lightning gladiator suddenly turned to find Junior closing in on him. Without thinking, the gladiator raised his hammer and sent forth a stream of electricity. Junior was stopped dead in his tracks. He grunted as the electricity coursed through his body, forcing him to his knees.
"DIE!" The gladiator shouted. Junior wailed as the sparks tormented him. The audience watched in anticipation. They were at the edges of their seats, witnessing what may be this rising champion's very last fight. Junior's cries carried throughout the colosseum, even able to be heard by those outside.
Junior gritted his teeth as the electricity burned the surface of his flesh. He began to rise to his feet, pressing through the agony. Everyone watched in shock and awe.
"Holy shit!" Kenra exclaimed.
"No! Stay back! Just die!" cried the gladiator, as he took a step back, while keeping the lightning flowing. Junior snarled as he approached, ignoring the pain. He grabbed the gem that lied embedded on the head of the hammer. With all of his might, he crushed the gem in the palm of his hand. The raw power of the gem burst and sent the two flying off their feet. Junior groaned as he stood, feeling the sparks linger. He began to tremble, but remained standing. He approached the lightning gladiator, who struggled to even stand. Junior looked down at him with a hard expression, while the gladiator looked at him with hate filled eyes.
"Kill him!" shouted a man from the audience.
"They deserve your wrath for fighting dishonorably!" shouted another man.
"KILL! KILL! KILL! KILL!" the audience suddenly began to chant. Junior turned to find that everyone had stood to their feet, crying for blood to be spilled. They demanded it, for these gladiators fought dishonorably. Whatever that meant. Junior assumed it was because they brought in some sort of enchanted weaponry to this match, while he only had common equipment to work with. They may have had a point. Junior had every right to kill them. It was his survival on the line. But then again, they all lied beaten. They were no longer a threat.
Junior turned his attention to Malicia's skybox, finding her look down at the arena with cold eyes. He felt a chill. It was a very familiar and dangerous look. Junior turned his attention back to the lightning gladiator, who had passed out.
"I'm done," said Junior as he walked away.
The audience suddenly erupted into 'boos'. They shouted for the boy to draw blood. This only made Junior even more reluctant. There was a lot wrong with these people. Junior began to see that. It was no wonder why the other nations despised the Dogomites. Soon, Junior returned to the holding cell, where he was out of sight from the audience. Kiri rushed to him, a look of worry on her face.
"Are you alright?" asked Kiri.
"Yeah... I'm good," said Junior with a wince. His entire body hurt. His skin was covered in burns from the lightning, and his right arm had bruised up from being broken.
"You've done it again, friend! You are a legend!" laughed Krush. Junior weakly smiled.
"Yeah. Thanks. I'm just gonna..." Junior suddenly fell forward, collapsing to the ground. The last thing he heard was Kiri crying out his name.
Junior's eyes opened. He found himself staring up to a clear blue sky. The boy rose himself up, his eyes widening. He found himself sitting in the middle of a lush green field. A gentle breeze brushed against his skin, as the warm sun bathed him in its light. As far as the boy could see, there was green. He softly smiled to himself as he took in a deep breath and inhaled the fresh air. He heard the beating of a bumblebee's wings, buzzing over to a patch of flowers. Its body picked up the pollen, before flying off to the distance. Junior couldn't help but enjoy the serenity of the natural land, even when alone.
"Alone." A voice suddenly spoke. Junior lost his smile as the air seemed to grow cold. He looked up to find the sky to have darkened with clouds. The roar of thunder filled the air. From the clouds, rain began to pour. Junior winced as he was drenched in the freezing cold water. He began to stand, as the water quickly soaked into his clothes. The boy suddenly found himself standing in a familiar neighborhood. His home stood just behind him. He became disheartened as he saw that the lights to his home were off.
"All alone." The voice spoke again.
Junior turned to the neighboring house, his eyes slightly widening. He found Fluttershy to be standing at the porch of her home. He would be relieved if not for the expression that she had. The girl had a cold and indifferent look. She just stared as Junior was pelted by rain water. Fluttershy then turned and entered her home, closing the door shut. The lights to the house dimmed to darkness, leaving Junior to be standing in the cold without so much of a star to guide him. His shoes began to soak up water, as it began to flood the earth. Lighting crashed and thunder roared, demanding that the boy submit.
The clouds above began to form into a shape. The shape was that of reptilian snout, and a pair of soulless eyes. The thunder roared and rumbled as the face stared down at its prey. Junior merely held his own shoulders, beginning to shiver as the air grew much colder. His eyes were downcast.
"You will always be alone."
Junior's eyes opened again. He found himself looking up to the familiar ceiling of Malicia's Citadel. The boy sluggishly rose out of bed, but hissed in pain. In his drowsiness, he stood up from the bed, feeling his legs tremble. The boy felt like he was going to collapse under his own weight. He found that it was evening, from the moonlight shining onto balcony connected to the room.
Junior winced as he sluggishly made his way to the door, but stopped as he found the mirror in the room. He turned his sight to his reflection, finding electric-like patterns along his flesh. He felt at his chest and arms, wincing at the tenderness that they felt. However, he realized that the scars he had experienced may have healed. But, the skin around his wounds was dead and pealing, like the end result of a sunburn. Junior began to peel a bit at the skin with a sigh.
"What am I doing to myself?" asked Junior.
The boy stopped peeling at his skin and made his way out the door. He found the halls to be dark, without a hint of activity. Junior felt a growl in his gut, causing him to grimace.
"I wonder if I can trouble someone to make me a late dinner or something," said Junior as he began to walk out of his room, his steps still sluggish.
Never had he felt this exhausted before. The boy soon made his way to the empty dining hall, his sight having adjusted to the darkness. Junior hummed, making his way to the kitchen. He whistled to himself, finding the pristine facility. He found the different tables that filled the room, where a large brick oven stood. There was also a black empty cauldron and what appeared to be a primitive stove built with the rest of the counters and made up entirely of stone and iron. There were multiple pits on the surface of the top, stained with black.
Junior began to note the pots, pans, knives and other essentials to be resting in their proper places. Including a hand crank meat grinder
"Guess I'll whip something up," said Junior as he began to roam the kitchen. He came across a closet, finding it to be containing sacks and crates full of different vegetables.
"For a place suffering from famine, they sure keep the closet stocked," said Junior as he began to look through the room. He began to bring out some vegetables that caught his eye, bringing them out to the kitchen. He scratched his head.
"Please tell me they keep the protein stashed here," said Junior as he began to look around. He noticed another door. This one seemed to be heavier than the other, with iron making it up. He opened the door, feeling the cold air brush against his skin. Junior found another room, much larger than the one that contained the vegetables. He found the room to be bearing shelves filled with headless bald chickens, turkeys, and large bugs. There were also meat hooks that held the carcasses of cows, lambs and pigs.
"Jackpot! Wonder how they keep the place so cold like a meat locker," said Junior in awe. He bit his lip as he scanned all of the meats that were available to him. They all looked so appetizing that he couldn't decide.
"Better just take what I need," said Junior. He began to take some cuts of beef and began to bring them over to the table. He then rushed back into the meat locker and began to haul out a pig, which was pre cut in half. Junior set it down on the table with a sigh.
"Let's see if I can pull it off," said Junior.
"A little late for a meal, isn't it?"
Junior gasped, jumping with a start. He turned to find Malicia to be standing in the door way, dressed in silken pajamas. She greeted the boy with a smile.
"Oh. Hey, yeah I just wanted a bite to eat." said Junior, sheepishly. Malicia made her way over, looking over the selected items.
"Mm. May I?" Malicia took a piece of cut meat and plopped it into her mouth. Junior gave her an odd look.
"What? I always appreciate my meat to be raw," said Malicia, shrugging. Junior thought this made sense. He himself had would have a random urge to eat meat raw as of late. But, that was the primal beast inside talking.
"I uh... Wasn't intending to eat it raw. I was hoping to cook it," said Junior.
"Oh? What do you plan on cooking with this much meat?" asked Malicia.
"Well, I was hoping to make some burgers or something. A little taste of home," answered Junior.
"Sounds interesting. Perhaps I can help," said Malicia. Junior merely smiled.
The two spent the hour preparing the food. Junior set the cuts of beef into a grinder. All the while, Malicia began to cut up the hog that was brought out. Junior instructed her to make specific thin slices from the meat. All the while, Junior began to form the grinded up beef into patties, which he had mixed with diced peppers.
Eventually, the two stood at the cooking stations, cooking the meats. Junior looked to his side, finding loaves of bread, along with some diced vegetables and logs of cheese.
"Alright, just one more thing," said Junior as he drew out a knife, taking one of the loaves of bread. He began to cut them into crude slices. Malicia looked at him oddly, once he began to pair the slices together.
"What are are you doing?" Asked Malicia.
"Can't have a burger without buns. But we'll have to work with sliced bread," said Junior.
"How interesting." Malicia watched as Junior began to decorate the pairs of slices with cheese coated patties and vegetables.
The two soon found themselves standing over a tray full of bacon cheese burgers. The two began to feast on the hot meals. The juices from the meats reached their taste buds, mixing with the earthy taste of the vegetables, the grain of the bread, and the melted cheese. The peppers that were embedded into the beef also created a kick of spice that enhanced the flavors.
"You're quite the culinary expert," said Malicia, chewing her food.
"Eh. Your cooks are another level. But I'm impressed with myself for being able to pull this off from scratch for the first time," said Junior. He then pointed to one of the remaining sandwiches.
"When dad wasn't around, I did my best to become 'the man of the house' to help my mom. That included doing my chores, getting to bed early for school, and even cooking. Mom was a great teacher when it came to that," said Junior, a frown on his face. He then cleared his throat.
"By the way, the bacon is perfect for breakfast too. Goes great with eggs," said Junior.
"I'll have to tell my cooks about this," said Malicia, smiling. Junior sighed.
"Man, I feel like I haven't eaten in days," said Junior.
"Well, you were unconscious for a day and a half," said Malicia. Junior began to cough as he choked on a piece of lettuce from his food. After dislodging it, he looked to the empress in shock.
"Really?"
"The battle took quite a toll on you. For an inexperienced demi-titan, it was miraculous how you pulled through. But your body needed to recover," said Malicia. Junior sighed.
"I don't know whether I'm the luckiest or unluckiest guy alive," said Junior. He noticed Malicia to be opening up a kettle full of water. She began to pour an unfamiliar black powder into it and began to stir.
"Here, drink this," said Malicia as she poured the clouded water into two chalices.
"What is that?" asked Junior.
"It's just a powdered special mineral that our kind can consume. It nourishes us and helps us recover," said Malicia as she passed a chalice to the boy. Junior waited until he saw the woman take the first drink. Seeing that she did, without so much a reaction, Junior took a drink. He stiffened as he felt a metallic taste. But, he was able to gulp down the drink. He sighed, feeling a tingling sensation in his gut, then a warmth.
"Uh... I don't think that stuff agreed with me," said Junior in worry.
"Does your stomach have a warm tingle? That's normal," said Malicia in reassurance. She began to pour more water, urging the boy to drink more. Junior reluctantly complied, feeling like a child not wanting to take his medicine.
"You've impressed me again, Gojira. You've shown yourself to be cunning and capable of adapting," said Malicia.
"Thanks, but why was it that they had weapons like that? It seemed unfair," said Junior.
"I couldn't tell you. I believe they snuck in those enchantment geodes," said Malicia.
"Well, they seemed to have a bone to pick with me. Or rather you. One of them said something about making people see that Demi-Titans weren't invincible," said Junior. Malicia scoffed.
"Even if we're not, we still have great strength. Must've been one of those damned rebels," said Malicia. She then looked to Junior with a cocked brow.
"Why didn't you kill them?" asked Malicia. Junior sighed as he looked away.
"Not this again."
"You are well within your right, especially when they've brought in unsanctioned equipment into a gladiatorial game. You should've made an example of them," said Malicia, her tone carrying annoyance.
"Why? Wasn't it enough that I beat them? They have to live with the shame of failing to kill me," said Junior.
"Gojira, a fool shows mercy. If you keep this up, you will die," said Malicia, her tone cold. Junior was silent for a brief moment, feeling his senses scream of danger.
"Is that a threat?" asked Junior.
"It's a word of advice. You can't show weakness. You of all people should know that," said Malicia. Junior sighed.
"Look... I'm just not comfortable with... killing humans. I know that a lot of them are traitors and scum. But still, I feel like it's not my place," said Junior. Malicia huffed.
"Would you say the same thing about these 'Purists' that plagued you?" asked Malicia. Junior hardened his expression.
"I HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT!" Junior shouted. His voice echoed out into the kitchen. Malicia looked at him with a stoic look. Junior grimaced as his eyes were downcast.
"I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't-" Junior felt the empress caress his cheek.
"I know. I see that part of your past still haunts you," said Malicia. Junior gritted his teeth.
"Look, I know what it's like to hate a group that you see as a threat to you. You believe that they all ruin everything. You think about wiping them all out and believe that it'll solve all the problems in the world," said Junior, his tone bitter. He sharply exhaled through his nose.
"But... You realize that it's not your role to do that. You just... do what you can to protect yourself and those you love. I hate them. But I can't bring myself to do it. But I'm a hypocrite, because I'll nod in approval when someone else does. I realize that karma may have gotten me because of that," said Junior.
"Gojira, the reason why I bring this up is because the audience demands it. When they go to the games, they expect to see blood and carnage. Especially when gladiators are pit against each other," said Malicia
"Well too bad. I'm not here to satisfy their fucking bloodlust. I'm here for myself," said Junior. Malicia furrowed her brows.
"What do you think this will prove?" asked Malicia.
"That I'm not a monster," said Junior. Malicia stared at Junior, whose eyes were firm. Malicia grinded her teeth behind her sealed lips and stoic expression.
"Alright, let's have a wager," said Malicia.
"Wager?" asked Junior.
"If you can make it through the next five- No, three games, without taking a single human life, then you will be free to part from your contract early. Not only that, I will help you return to your friends," said Malicia.
"But... why? What about you teaching me how to... Survive?" asked Junior.
"If you succeed, then my teachings are meaningless. You would have the power and will in you," said Malicia.
"OK, so what do you get if I fail?" asked Junior, suspiciously. Malicia turned to face Junior with a serious and cold look.
"If you fail, then you belong to me," said Malicia. She approached the boy and began to caress his cheek.
"You'll live here and serve me for the rest of your life. You will be at my beck and call," said Malicia. Her tone became low and seductive as she caressed the boy's body.
"You will be mine. From the hair on your head, to the soles of your feet. And if I desire..."
Malicia forced herself against Junior. The boy was pinned to the wall, as the woman forced her leg beneath his groin. Junior gritted his teeth as she began to seductively rub her thigh up and down his nether region. Malicia smiled, taking note of Junior's aroused grunts. She leaned close to his ear, her breaths tickling him
"Your seed," Malicia whispered. Junior gasped as his face grew redder. The woman giggled as she began to lick Junior's neck, causing him to shudder. She continued to grind herself against him.
"Shall I give you a test run to help you decide?" asked Malicia with a pant. Junior held her back, his face beet red. Malicia furrowed her brows.
"If I win, you'll help me find my friends, right?" asked Junior. Malicia sighed.
"Yes," said Malicia.
With his mind off his arousal and that disturbing yet sexually stimulating display, Junior pondered the deal. It seemed fair. But if he failed, he'd be forced to stay here forever. He didn't know if he'd be allowed to contact his friends, let alone what exactly Malicia would have him do. At least aside from the obvious hints she sent.
But even if Junior lost, what reason did he have to fear? Malicia has been good to him all this time. There was no reason to worry.
"Let's say I don't. Then what?" asked Junior.
"Then we continue as normal. You'll be allowed to stay here for as long as you please. At least when your contract ends, which will be in a month," said Malicia.
Junior grimaced. He didn't have the confidence in lasting that long. What with his opponents seeming to grow stronger. Plus, some were willing to pull dirty tricks just to end him. Junior also couldn't be here for a month. Not with his friends out there.
"Alright. Then I'm in," said Junior as he held a hand out. Malicia instead leaned in and planted a kiss on Junior's cheek. The boy bore an odd look but felt a burning sensation on his skin. He cried out in pain as he clutched his face. A glowing mark began to spread over the right side of Junior's face, down below his cheek. He panted as he held the mark, which died down to a normal green tattoo-like imprint on his flesh.
"We have a deal," said Malicia.
"What... What did you do to me?" shuddered Junior.
"I placed a curse on you. The mark on your face represents our pact. It will know whether you kill or when you complete the games. There is no backing out," said Malicia, coldly. Junior began to shake. The look in her eyes, the tone of her voice brought him back to the first day he was here. He then thought back to their previous interactions. Her motherly ways, her compassion, her sympathy, understanding, her knowledge and wisdom. Junior began to wonder if any of it was real, or a façade.
'Never make a deal with her'
Kiri's words echoed into Junior's memory. He realized that he might have made a big mistake.
It was morning. The city of Lur was bustling. There was an area full of people gathered, where a Herald stood in his dark robes
"The war continues to be in the favor of the Dogomites! Our best warriors continue to push back the Sacramentonian scum to the ends of Equescidar! Continue your support for her majesty and her loyal troops! For victory will soon be Dogomoto's!" said the Herald.
Dogomites began to cheer from the crowd. From the crowd, Sunset stood alongside Angirasu and Manda. Sunset shook her head.
"How can these people be thrilled about a war?" asked Sunset.
"When you live in a dump like this, I guess you feel better knowing that your enemies might have it worse," said Manda.
"Come on. We should get back," said Angirasu as he carried a basket along with Sunset and Manda. The three began to leave.
"It’s been days and we're still nowhere near finding him," said Sunset, solemnly.
"We'll find him. Now that we're set up with a 'base', we can get serious on looking for him," said Manda.
"In other news, the gladiatorial games have kicked off in popularity due to a up and coming champion, sponsored by her royal majesty herself. A Demi-Titan," said the Herald. Sunset and Angirasu stopped dead in their tracks. The two looked to each other with wide eyes. People began to murmur in interest, while some cheered, knowing of this soon to be champion.
"After a rest from his last match, he is ready to get back into the arena! This time, with the blood and carnage of his earliest days! Come to the Colosseum this afternoon to see the Son of Leviathan!" said the Herald, as he pointed to a large poster on the wall. It depicted the image of a young man dressed in armor, wielding a sword, his eyes in a permanent scowl. Sunset's eyes widened as she recognized the face that was depicted.
"Aang!" Sunset cried.
"It just might be him. He could be in more trouble than I thought," said Angirasu with a grimace.
Later, the three had made their way to the other side of the city. They passed the crowded areas, and the narrow streets. The streets were suffocating due to amount of people that roamed the city at any given time.
Soon, they arrived to an empty area outside of the city's streets. The place that the catacombs. The three passed the gates and made their way to the pit that lied in the center. They descended the steps. Manda began to make deliberate few knocks. The door opened, where a MONARCH soldier peered through. He opened the door wider, allowing the mutants and girl in.
The room was filled with equipment that had been set up. From radios, to weapons and ammunition. The soldiers were busy maintaining their tools of war. Meanwhile, Aiko sat by the radio, which crackled.
"Alright, we'll try to make this quick. Stand by," said Aiko. She turned to Senior, who stood with his arms crossed.
"Takeshi, the rest of the platoon will be running out of rations soon. We have to regroup or really start making strives to find him," said Aiko.
"I'll remain here and find him myself if I must," said Senior firmly.
"Mr. Takeshi!" Sunset called, as she, Angirasu and Manda rushed over.
"You're back," said Senior, relieved.
"Boss, we may have found out where he might be. You're not gonna like it though," said Manda. Everyone in the area perked up as they heard this. They turned their attention to the conversation.
"Tell me," said Senior. Sunset handed Senior a poster, which depicted a smaller scaled version of the drawing they've seen before.
"There's buzz about a new gladiator. It might be him," said Sunset. Senior's eyes widened as he analyzed the poster.
"They called him a demi titan. And we all know that's what the people of this world calls Transmutants," said Angirasu. Senior furrowed his brows.
"Alright! We got a lead, people! Form up and let's discuss a plan!" said Aiko, calling over the entire rescue team. Everyone all gathered and stood in silence.
"Let's review with the intel we've gathered! Private Inoue!" said Aiko. Inoue cleared her throat as she stepped forward.
"Ma'am, the city is filled with countless soldiers that roam the streets. They mainly maintain order in the city. Especially in some of the more disordered areas," said Inoue.
"And the citadel?" asked Aiko.
"Heavily guarded and fortified. Impossible to infiltrate with the limited equipment and lack of satellite support. We haven't been able to confirm if our guy is even being held there," said Inoue.
"Alright. You kids. What have you been able to learn? Anything relevant to these gladiatorial games?" asked Aiko, holding up the poster.
"Nothing much really. All we know that it's a famous pass time and that... They get intense," said Twilight with a grimace. Miwa held her hands close, a slight whimper escaping her.
"Well, we might not have much time to gather more intel. He's apparently participating at noon," said Aiko, reading the poster.
"What?!" The teens and Miwa exclaimed.
"Here's what I'm thinking. We send out a small team for extraction. We make a quick getaway and come back here. We'll need to move fast. That means, we'll need those to infiltrate the Colosseum," said Aiko.
"Why don't we go? We can move in quick and be inconspicuous," said Twilight. Aiko grimaced. She didn't like the idea of sending out children to retrieve another. Even if they had strange powers.
"It may help that we send someone he'd recognize and trusts," said Senior. Aiko sighed.
"Alright, but you will need to stay in contact with each other and us. We'll provide the COMs. But, you'll have to be tactical. You can't just charge in blind and snatch him up. We need to extract him at least before the games," said Aiko. She then turned to the teens.
"Do whatever you have to. Use any trick you have. Just don't get caught or draw attention. We'll cover you from a distance," said Aiko. Twilight nodded, before gulping. This was the time to shine. They've come far. No turning back now.
Junior sighed as he stood before a mirror. He ran his fingers over the green mark that been made over the right side of his face. The longer he stared at it, the worse it made him feel. He hoped it wasn't permanent.
"You'll be expected to participate in the warm ups again with another group of gladiators. Maybe this time, try not to get attached to any of them. Your survival depends on it," said Malicia, standing beside the boy. Junior furrowed his brows. The callousness of this woman was starting to get under his skin. She made him look like a ray of sunshine in comparison.
"Yeah, I get it," said Junior.
"Remember, you are bound by our pact. Let's see if that 'mercy' can triumph over ruthlessness," said Malicia, a bemused look on her face.
"Gee, don't sound so enthusiastic. It seems like you want me to be your eternal servant," said Junior.
"Well, I'd be lying if I said that I didn't enjoy your company," said Malicia with a giggle. Junior slightly narrowed his eyes. There was something about this woman that he was beginning not to like. This wasn't like the normal banter they've had. It gave Junior a sense of unease.
'Obviously. She made a bet that if you lose, you are forced to stay here for life. And like a moron, you agreed to it? Agh but I can't stay here another month,' thought Junior, as he made his way out of the room. Junior was lost in his own thoughts.
Later, he found himself in a familiar holding cell. He was surrounded by familiar gladiators, including Kiri, Krush and Birdman.
"YOU DID WHAT?!" Kiri exclaimed. A look of horror was on her face. Junior winced at the loud volume, as well as the look she had.
"I uh... I made a bet with her that I can get through the next few games without killing a single human," said Junior.
"Oh no," said Krush with dread.
"He even bears a curse on him," said a gladiator, speaking as though he was staring at a man that would soon pass away due to some ailment.
"You- You bloody fool!" Kiri suddenly grabbed Junior by the shirt, staring angrily at him.
"I told you not to trust her!" Kiri shouted.
"Kiri, what was I supposed to do?! I can't stay in this land another month! I have friends out there, looking for me!" said Junior.
"Gojira, you've made a horrible mistake! You can't bargain with demons like her!" said Kiri.
"Look, I already faced what could be the worse that this place has to offer. What more can they do that's related to humans?" asked Junior.
"You are indeed a fool, boy," said a voice. Junior turned to find an unfamiliar, older man to be leaning against the wall. His face in a permanent scowl as his skin was covered in rough scarred patches.
"You thought with the head between your legs instead of the one on your shoulders. Now you've stuck that head somewhere it shouldn't go," said the man, his voice full of disdain.
"Hey, it wasn't like that! I said that I had friends who-"
"Yes, yes. Your precious friends are looking for you. And here you are, playing gladiator. What did Malicia bet for?" asked the man. Junior appeared hesitant for a bit.
"She... She wants to make me her servant or something for life," said Junior, scratching his head. Kiri gasped. The older man sighed and shook his head.
"You are indeed a fool. You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into," said the man. Junior hardened his expression.
"What the hell do you know?" asked Junior.
"More than you," said the man, before turning his eyes to the small window. Junior growled.
"Who's that prick, anyway?" asked Junior.
"That's Callous. He was apparently one of Malicia's most loyal soldiers. I'd keep my distance," said Kiri in a whisper.
"Why?" asked Junior.
"The man is scum. He's best known for purging entire towns that had faith in the Sacramentonians' God. A real Dogomite that worships that materialistic insect called, Arachna," scoffed Kiri.
"Well I dont give a shit who he prays to. As long as he doesn't try to screw with me like others have, then I'm fine," said Junior, dismissive.
"Gojira, I fear for you. You don't understand what kind of-" Kiri was interrupted as Junior placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Look, it'll be fine. I'm gonna prove her wrong," said Junior.
It was noon. There were crowds of people flocking into the Colloseum for today's games. Today was quite anticipated because the rising champion was said to be returning.
The Main 7, Dazzlings and Mutant 3 of 4 were doing their best to blend with the crowd. All wore clothes that fit in with the more "modern" civilizations of Equescidar. They made their way to an area, where a small office lied. Citizens were lined up, exchanging coin for tickets to enter.
"We're waiting in line for tickets. We're up next, over," said Twilight, holding a finger to the COM in her ear.
"Copy. Proceed as normal. Make sure you scope everything out once inside," said Aiko over the COM.
The teens soon began to pay the admission price for a ticket. 15 silvers per person. A rather steep price, but affordable for them none the less. The teens began to make their way into the great Colosseum. They looked on in awe at the size of the place. The deep pit in the center that was covered in white sand, representing the arena.
"Alright, let's grab some seats close to the arena," said Twilight. She gasped as a swift breeze moved passed her. Rainbow appeared down to the first couple of front rows, waving at the group.
"Alright, watch your step now," said Applejack, as the teens hurriedly joined the tomboy. They found the Colosseum to being quickly filled up by citizens. The teens began to take notice of guards to be standing around, posted near entrances, and stair ways.
"Ugh. Looks like they have guards posted around," said Twilight.
"Do you have eyes on our guy?" asked Aiko over the COM.
"Nothing. I think he's being held somewhere for now," answered Twilight.
"OK. Can you get some eyes on that?" asked Aiko.
"I think I've got a spell for that," said Sunset.
Later, Sunset, Mosura and Fluttershy found themselves roaming through the halls of the Colloseum. Their eyes scanned every direction, as more Dogomites passed. Sunset took notice of a pair of guards to be walking by.
"That Demi-Titan's back for today's games, right?" asked the second guard.
"Indeed. Word around here is that apparently this time he'll put on quite a show," said the first guard.
"Well, we better get to the dungeon. Those scum are due for the warm ups," said the second guard.
"Follow me." Sunset turned back to whisper at her friends. The three tailed after the two guards, moving away from the Colosseum. Although, not too far. There was a small structure built into the side of the Colosseum, which the guards entered. The girls followed, passing by men that stood guard at the entrance.
"They didn't even notice us!" whispered Fluttershy in awe.
"Shh! They can still hear," whispered Sunset. The three continued on, moving through the halls. Along the way, they found different doors to be in the halls, each fortified to hold in prisoners. The girls began to peer through the dungeons, finding them occupied by unfamiliar people.
"Gojira?" Sunset called in a whisper. The girls began to call as well, investigating the cells. The gladiators perked at the voices, but none were who the teens were looking for.
"He's gotta be around here somewhere," said Mosura.
"Alright, out you go," said a guard. A group of them stood by as a dungeon door opened, allowing for a group of gladiators to emerge. Among them, they found Junior. The girls' eyes lit up.
"Oh my-!" Mosura exclaimed, but Sunset quickly cupped her mouth.
"Did you say something?" asked a guard.
"No," answered another guard. He noticed Junior to have stopped, looking around with an odd look.
"Hey, boy! Looking forward to today's games!" said the guard.
"Huh? Oh, yeah for sure," said Junior, turning his attention to the guard.
"Hey, we have a 'Death Pool' going around among the guards for the games. My money's on you getting through the month," said the guard.
"Aren't Death Pools supposed to be about when someone's supposed to die?" asked Junior in confusion. "Heh. I love the confidence. Get goin'," said the guard, nudging Junior.
'They seem awfully chummy,' thought Sunset, an odd look on her face. She began to analyze the surroundings. Too many guards around and very few places to turn and run.
"Shit. Let's head back. Nothing we can do now," whispered Sunset.
Meanwhile, Junior followed the rest of the gladiators in silence. Kiri noticed the thoughtful look that he had.
"Something on your mind?" asked Kiri.
"Nah. It must've just been my imagination," said Junior.
Junior was staring at the blade of the sword he held. He began to sheath the weapon, while adjusting the straps to the armor that covered his right arm.
"Gojira, could you help me with this strap?" asked Kiri, turning her back to the boy, pointing to a strap that ran along her back for the breast plate.
"Sure."
Junior began to adjust the strap on the girl's back. He grimaced as he looked at his claws.
"Sorry if I cut you. My left is a bit clumsy compared to my right," said Junior with a chuckle.
"I don't mind a little roughness," said Kiri, coyly. The boy gulped with a sheepish smile.
"Get a room," said Krush, walking by with a mace. Junior cleared his throat.
"Uh... how's that? Not too tight?" asked Junior.
"Perfect," said Kiri, turning her torso to test her range of motion.
"Oh, be sure to keep a second weapon on you. Never know when it may come in handy," said Kiri as she held out a knife. Junior took it with a nod.
"Hopefully I won't have to," said Junior as he pocketed the knife. He noticed the frown on Kiri's face. She reached out and placed a hand over Junior's right side of his face.
"That mark doesn't suit your handsome face," said Kiri. Junior gently took her hand removed it. An embarrassed smile was on his face. He then took notice of Callous to be standing at the far end of the armory. He wore light pieces of armor for his arms. He had a sword hanging from his waist, while he gathered up small knives. Callous suddenly made his way over to the corner of the room, where he was alone. He knelt to the corner and bowed.
'Yeah, you ought to pray. No way an older guy like you can get through this,' thought Junior.
The games were about to begin. The crowd cheered as the announcer began to hype them up for today's games.
Twilight grimaced as she sat silently. She hadn't heard back from Sunset since she, Mosu, and Fluttershy went off to search for Junior. However, some of that worry dissipated once she saw the three making their way back up to their row.
"No good. Place was crawling with guards. They just started moving him," said Sunset, regret in her tone.
"Shoot. Did you get that, Lieutenant?" asked Twilight.
"Affirmative. Stand by," said Aiko over the COM. Twilight sighed.
"Might as well enjoy the show," said Rainbow.
"Ah! How can you say that? You do realize that gladiatorial games are to the death?!" asked Rarity, incredulous.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, presenting to you, Empress Malicia!" cried the announcer, gesturing up to the royal skybox. The teens all stiffened as they heard this. They all turned their gazes to find the lovely empress of this hated nation. She waved to her subjects as they cheered for her.
"So... That's the evil tyrant that we've heard so much about," said Angirasu, furrowing his brows.
"She's... So pretty," said Pinkie in shock.
"So?" asked Rainbow.
"I'm just surprised, is all," replied Pinkie.
"Well, looks are deceiving," said Mosura warily.
Fluttershy kept her gaze up at the empress. The longer the girl stared, the more she began to tremble. Fluttershy felt a growing urge to scream or run. While she normally felt this way with strangers due to her introvert nature, this was different. On the outside, Fluttershy saw a beautiful woman. But looking into her eyes, Fluttershy saw something that made her tremble. It was like Fluttershy's base instincts were screaming at her to flee from a vicious predator. Whatever Malicia was, she wasn't human. Not even a mutant could make Fluttershy feel what she was feeling now. No, the girl felt like she was making contact with a genuine monster.
"Whoa! Hey, are you OK?" asked Sunset, worriedly. Fluttershy held a hand over her chest, giving hard pants. She trembled as sweat beads began to form on her face. The girl was now staring at her feet, as her heart throbbed in her chest.
Meanwhile, at the royal skybox, Malicia sat in silence. Her expression had hardened.
"Your majesty?" called Sigyn.
"I smell others," said Malicia to herself. Sigyn and Kenra glanced at each other.
The crowd cheered as the gladiators began to step out from a tunnel, all armed to the teeth. But the cheers were mainly directed at Junior. Not the traitors, nor prisoners of war. These days, people flocked to the games to a rare sight. The strength of a Demi-Titan.
Junior stepped out, a hard expression on his face. The rest of the gladiators all stood, ready for whatever challenge awaited them. The gates to the other tunnels opened. From the tunnels, four spore mantises scurried out. The crowd cheered as the wooden insects chittered, twitching their mandibles and antennae.
"Wait, I thought they'd fight lions or something!" exclaimed Sonata, as the gladiators broke off into groups, as the creatures approached.
"OK, we need to start acting! I'm going in and grabbing him!" said Rainbow as she stood. Angirasu grabbed her arm and forced her to sit back down.
"Don't! You'll give us away!" Said Angirasu, as the crowd cheered over them.
"But we gotta get him-!"
Rainbow was interrupted as a scream filled the air. A gladiator that was close to the wall was held in the mandibles of the spore mantis. The insect thrashed its head, swinging the man. The bite and motion caused his torso to tear and fly off through the air. The teens screamed in horror, as he came flying their way. Blood trailed behind him. The torso suddenly collided against an invisible wall, which partially revealed itself as a grid that sparked from the impact. The gladiator's torso bounced off the barrier and landed back into the arena in sparks, just as the mantis rushed in to devour the rest of him.
"Oh fuck!" cried Rodan. Twilight suddenly heaved and hunched over. The girl retched, feeling the need to vomit. The rest of the teens felt sick to their guts as well after witnessing such carnage.
"Hey! It's alright if you vomit! Most of the first timers usually do!" chuckled an older man as he patted Twilight's shoulder from a row behind. Meanwhile, Pinkie was sobbing to herself as she covered her eyes.
"You still wanna just sit here?!" demanded Rainbow.
"Rainbow, didn't you see that? There's some kind of barrier around the arena!" said Sunset.
"No, I was too busy witnessing a man GET TORN APART BY A FUCKING INSECT!" Rainbow shouted.
"Oh God, I can't watch this!" said Aria, looking away as she heard the cries of the gladiators, as the insects tore them apart.
"We can't do anything! There's no way to get through without drawing attention! Besides, we could put innocent lives at risk!" said Sunset.
"No, but that sure doesn't keep them from enjoying others putting their own at risk," said Angirasu, flatly.
"Goji..." Fluttershy whimpered, as she snuck a peek through her fingers.
The Main 6, Dazzlings, and 3 of of 4 Mutants could only watch helplessly, as the gladiators fended against the giga-sized insects. They often were unable to keep their sights on the game because of the carnage that would take place. The cries of agony, the shrieks of the monsters, and the flying of limbs and stains of blood. Horror movies, violent video games and stories weren't even enough to prepare them for this carnage.
In the arena, the gladiators began to form into groups. They kept their distance from the spore mantises the best they could. But, the monsters were too quick on their multiple legs. Their log shaped bodies were met with mere scratches from their weapons, but they weren't enough.
"Fuck! Their armor is too tough to get a good cut!" said Junior.
"Go for its legs! There's a gap in the joints!" said Kiri. Junior was about to move in, but noticed someone rushing by.
"Hey!" Junior cried.
Callous was rushing towards the spore mantis, his blade drawn. The insect shrieked as it raised its legs and brought them down. Its tree trunk-like feet missed the gladiator, who slid on the ground passed the front legs. Callous swung his sword on one of the back legs, just as he slid under. He slashed the soft tissue that was exposed beneath. The blade cut cleanly through. The mantis shrieked as one of its leg fell from its body, causing it to stumble. It turned to Callous and swung its remaining legs.
Callous quickly rolled away, avoiding the stomps from the creature. He shot up to his feet and held up his blade. As the mantis brought its front leg down again, Callous merely stepped to the side, missing the foot by a hair. Callous quickly spun towards the exposed joint and swung his blade, slicing the front leg clean off. The mantis staggered back, shrieking in agony. Callous casually stepped back, twirling his blade, stained in yellow bug fluid. The crowd cheered.
'Wow. I seriously underestimated this guy,' thought Junior. He shook off his dumbfounded look and rushed to the spore mantis that had its back to him. Junior grabbed one of the back legs of the creature and began to pull with all of his might. This resulted in him tearing the leg from its socket.
The mantis shrieked as it began to collapse onto the ground, its remaining legs unable to support itself let alone remain coordinated. Kiri rushed passed Junior and hopped onto the back of the beast. She raised her sword and forced it into the head of the spore mantis, just before it could retract itself into its log body. The creature went limp as its head was penetrated by the sword.
"Hot damn, that was cool! Wooo!!" Rodan cried. He then stood up and waved his arms.
"Hey, girl! Let me call ya!" shouted Rodan with a whistle.
"Whoa, that's weird. I swear I heard..." Junior began took around with a confused look.
"Don't get distracted! We have more to kill!" said Kiri.
The rest of this game resulted in the remaining gladiators to become more coordinated. With Kiri's knowledge, Birdman's speed and aerial prowess, Krush's and Junior's strength and even Callous's swordsmanship, they were able to kill the remaining insects. The teens found themselves cheering from the sidelines, mainly due to the gladiators and their friend surviving.
The games went on. They watched in awe and dread, as Junior faced off against numerous dangerous creatures. From saber cats, to large aggressive dinosaurs. Along the way, there were the deaths of more gladiators to the beasts. But, Junior showed himself capable of handling it. He even took some creatures on his own, which made the crowd go wild. Even the teens couldn't help but join in, as Junior bashed a Death Jackal with his heavy shield.
Well, not everyone cheered. Fluttershy was silent, flinching and cupping her mouth at the sight of the arena. She couldn't find enjoyment out of this. People were being forced to kill innocent creatures, for their own survival. Even the creatures were killing to survive. To her, the whole thing was a sick perversion of what goes on in the natural world. As if that wasn't bad enough, people were excited over the carnage, whether it was of humans or animals.
Fluttershy pitied the creatures, but also the humans. Both had no say in this bloodsport. Neither was in the wrong. But, Fluttershy herself felt unclean by watching this whole thing.
The girl was no fool. She knew the natural world was often harsh and unforgiving. Bloodshed was common among beasts. Even humans were often at the mercy of the natural world before they built cities. But these games were not natural. It was all wrong.
Soon, the last beast was slain. It lied dead at Junior's feet, who raised his bloody blade with a primal cry. The crowd erupted into cheers, chanting the boy's name.
"You're show boating again," said Kiri. Junior sheepishly lowed his arm, prompting an amused laugh to escape Kiri's throat.
"If only his shirt was off," said Adagio, shifting her legs in her seat. Her face flushed.
"Aw man. This made me realize that he was holding back when we sparred once," said Angirasu in dismay.
"He seems to be quite popular among the locals," said Rarity, as the crowd chanted Junior's name.
"I think that was the last one. Let's try to get his attention," said Sunset. But, that hope was dashed away when the remaining gladiators left the arena, while Junior remained.
"And now, for the fight you've waited for! Gojira!!" cried the announcer, as the audience cheered. Junior rolled his neck with a grunt, his brows furrowed.
"Wait, why are they still making him fight?!" asked Mosura in alarm. There was the sudden sound of thundering footsteps. Those in the colosseum felt the tremors and heard the the heavy steps. A great gate at one end of the arena began to raise, as a great figure approached from the shadows.
"From beyond our beloved empire and undefeated in 8 states! I give you, MAHLGO!!" The announcer shouted, just as the new challenger stepped into the arena. Junior's shoulders slumped, as he stared slack jawed. The crowd cheered wildly, while the Main 7, Dazzlings and mutants looked on in utter shock.
"Oh God, it's a giga!" exclaimed Rarity.
"What the hell is a giga?!" cried Adagio.
Junior stepped back as a 20 foot tall man stomped over. He was covered in faded scars that decorated his bare chest. He had thick brows and a protruding bridge that led down to a wide nostril nose. His dark beard hung down to the base of his neck, glistening with sweat from the heat of the land. His body was made up of bulky muscles, which added to his hulking mass. In his large hand, the giant carried a heavy club, coated in iron knob shaped protrusions. Mahlgo slammed his club to the ground, causing the arena to rumble.
"I have never felt so small in my entire life," said Junior, staring wide eyed.
"YEAH, IT DOESN'T FEEL GOOD, HUH?!" Twilight shouted from the audience. Junior quickly turned, his eyes widening in shock. His heart leapt in his chest as he found several familiar faces among the crowd. He had to rub his eyes to make sure that he wasn't seeing things.
"Guys?!" exclaimed Junior.
"Hi Goji!!" Pinkie shouted, startling the Dogomites nearby. She wildly waved her hand, a large grin on her face.
"How the fu-!" Junior was interrupted as a familiar bell rang. He turned to find Mahlgo rearing his hand and swiped at the boy.
"OH!!" The teens all exclaimed in shock and horror as Junior was backhanded by the colossal man. He spiraled through the air and rolled along the sand.
"OH! That's gonna leave a mark!" said the announcer.
"Gojira!" Fluttershy cried.
Junior grunted as he staggered up to his feet. The white sand fell from his body and hair. He found the giga man to be charging towards him, raising his club. Junior bolted off, just as the club came crashing down. He stumbled from the force of the attack that hit the ground, but kept running. Mahlgo snarled as he began to give chase. His longer legs allowed him to quickly catch up to the boy. Junior spun as the giant reached out for him. With a swing of his sword, Junior made a gash against the giant's palm.
"Gah!!" The giant roared in pain, his deep voice bellowed. He stumbled back, allowing Junior to run up to him. Just as the giant was about to take another step back, the boy slid under the sole of his massive sandal and mustered all of his strength. Mahlgo fell back and slammed to the ground, resulting in the crowd to cheer.
"Get 'em, Goji! Get 'em!" cried Pinkie.
Junior leapt onto the giant's chest. He began to run to the head of his colossal opponent, but the giant had come to his senses. He quickly raised his hand and smacked it down on his chest. Junior was slammed under his palm, forced into a daze. The giant grabbed Junior in the palm of his hand and stood. The crowd cheered as the giant stood to his full height. Junior grunted as he struggled to pry himself out of the giant's grip. Mahlgo gave deep and amused chuckles, as he applied more force to his grip. Junior cried out in agony as he felt his body crushed.
"Malicia, is this really alright?" asked Sigyn, looking to the empress. Malicia just watched with a stoic look.
"Either he dies, or he doesn't hold back. I can live with either," said Malicia dismissively. Sigyn turned her attention back to the arena. The boy may have been a 'demi-titan', but he was quite weak. At least from what she could see here. She noticed a bit of hesitation as he ran along his chest to the head of his opponent. Some might have missed it, but Sigyn noticed that Junior had started to slow down. He could have kept up his assault. But, the giga human could have easily crushed him as well. To some, he looked like a big dumb clumsy oaf, but Sigyn has seen this gladiator in a battle before. He was toying with the boy.
'Either Lucky Dragon stops hesitating, or Mahlgo just finishes him because of boredom.'
Junior cried out as he was thrown to the ground by Mahlgo. He wheezed as he lied in the sand, as dust rose over him. Mahlgo gave deep chuckles as he grabbed Junior and began to drag him along the ground, back and forth.
"Fuck, this is just brutal," said Aria, wincing.
"He's gonna be paste if we don't do something!" cried Pinkie, panicking.
"I got an idea!" said Rodan.
"Well, spit it out!" said Mosura. Rodan suddenly shot up.
"HEY! YOU'RE BEING A BITCH, GOJI!" Rodan shouted over the cheering crowd.
"Rodan!" Sunset glared at the Transmutant.
"Come on! My grandma can hit harder than you!" Rodan shouted. Junior growled as he lied in the dirt, as Mahlgo rested a knee over his back, crushing him. Even through his pain, he was able to hear the boy's remarks.
"QUIT BEING A BITCH!" Rodan shouted. His words replayed over and over in Junior's mind.
"I'm not a bitch." Junior clenched his fists. His expression hardened.
"I'm not a bitch." Junior spat as his muscles grew, and his veins popped. His eyes became reptilian for a brief moment before reverting back. Junior used his hands to push himself up. Mahlgo appeared to struggle with keeping him down. Everyone cheered as they watched Junior raise himself on one knee, as he held up the giant's colossal knee.
"I'M NOT A BITCH!" Junior roared as he forced the knee off of himself. He quickly reached for his side, drawing the knife that Kiri had given him. He swiftly jammed the blade into the thigh of the giant, who cried out in agony. Junior repeatedly began to stab his opponent, staining his entire hand and blade in blood. The giant swiped at the boy, sending him flying across the arena. Junior quickly rolled back to his feet, stumbling into a short slide. The crowd cheered.
"There, see? All he needed was a little negative reinforcement," said Rodan.
"Well, I won't argue with results," said Aria.
"Go-Ji-Ra! Go-Ji-Ra!" The audience chanted, as Mahlgo painfully stood up to his feet. His face had hardened as he picked up his club. Junior snarled as he held his blood soaked knife. The light glistened on the blade, catching the boy's eye. He watched as crimson droplets fell to the bleached sand. Then, he looked to his opponent, who bled from his wound.
'I can't do it. Not unless I want to lose this bet,' thought Junior. He couldn't deal lethal blows like he did with the creatures. This may have been a giant, but there was no doubt that he was still human. No question that Malicia would win should Junior kill him.
But still, he wasn't going to last. He was on his own this time, against an opponent that was not only larger, but also just as intelligent. A giant hominid might have been a greater threat than a giant lizard.
'Wait, that's it!'
It was a long shot. It may even cost Junior if he were to succeed. But, it was the only way that he stood a chance. He dropped his knife to the ground, and held out his arms in a taunt.
"You want some, big man?! I'm right here!" Junior shouted. Mahlgo gave a war cry and came charging across the arena.
"Wait, he's not gonna stand a chance without a weapon!" exclaimed Sunset.
The giant came charging in, raising his club high into the air. Junior narrowed his eyes, loosening his hold on his shield. He eyed the giant as his rapidly approaching form came close. Junior ran up to the giant, while throwing his shield like a frisbee. The shield slammed against the giant's face, knocking his head back. He slowed his approached, allowing Junior to slip behind him. The boy then leapt and slammed against the back of Mahlgo's legs, sending him tumbling. Junior rushed to his back and latched himself onto the back of his neck. Junior began to send powerful blows against his foe's head. Mahlgo began to reach back for Junior, yanking him off. He threw the teen away, who slammed into the earth in a plume of dust.
"I'll crush you!!" Mahlgo roared as he stood up. He approached Junior, releasing his club. He began to send a barrage of punches at the boy.
"GOJIRA!" The rescue team cried out in horror. They were unable to see the carnage, as the powerful blows from Mahlgo had created clouds of dust. The dust rose, obscuring most of the arena. Mahlgo panted as he stood to his full height, chuckling. The colosseum was in a dead silence. They watched and waited for the clouds of dust to clear, anticipating the fate of the young man, whose name echoed through the city. The rescue team felt despair beginning to set in, as they watched.
Suddenly, something was growing from the clouds of dust. It grew and grew. Mahlgo cried out as he fell back to the ground. Everyone jumped at this, watching with wide eyes. A low rumble filled the air. From the clouds, jagged dorsal plates pierced through. A reptilian's hide was exposed, as a great form was out of the dust. Everyone stared wide eyed at the beast that had grown larger by the second. Amber eyes narrowed at the giant humanoid at its feet.
The crowd suddenly cheered, knowing where this creature could have come from. As did the rescue team, knowing that their friend's fate had yet to be sealed. Junior rose up to his feet in his beast state, having grown to match the size of Mahlgo.
Junior snarled at Mahlgo, his throat rumbling with his growl. Even through his primitive state, he recognized this hominid as a foe. Without hesitating, Junior lunged for the giant. Mahlgo grabbed his club and held it out to catch Junior's jaws. The razor sharp teeth in his maw sunk into the club.
Junior groaned as he attempted to press all of his weight onto Mahlgo, who remained on his back, holding his club up to keep the mutant back. Junior slobbered and growled like a mad dog as he strived to snap through the club. Mahlgo raised his feet and kicked Junior against his gut, sending the Transmutant back.
Junior wailed as he fell backwards, his spines digging into the earth. The crowd cheered, finding themselves even more enthusiastic compared to earlier. Here they were witnessing the true power of such a wondrous being.
The mutant got back up to his feet, just as Mahlgo came rushing towards him. He swung his club against Junior's head, causing some teeth and blood to fly out. Junior yipped as he stumbled back, then was met with another blow to his shoulder. Before Mahlgo could take another swing, Junior rammed his body into the giant, knocking him back. But, Mahlgo had a tight hold on him and slammed his fists on Junior's head. The mutant dropped to his hands and knees, as he was left in a daze. The giant stepped behind Junior and grabbed his tail. Junior wailed as he was dragged along the sand, then found himself swung by the tail. The giant spun with Junior a full 720 degrees and released him, hurling him towards the barrier. The rescue team yelped with a start as they found the mutant crashing near them. The barrier sparked and caused Junior to wail.
"And here I thought we'd get a show," scoffed Kenra.
Junior groaned as he stood up, shaking off his disorientation. The giant came charging in and slammed into him, causing the barrier to spark more. Mahlgo kept Junior pinned and began to send several punches against his head. The teens flinched and winced at every strike as Junior just took every blow. The mutant managed to force Malhgo back for a moment, but merely raised his short arms, as he tucked his head behind them. Mahlgo continued his barrage of punches. The blows popped the air around them.
"Gojira what are you doing?! Fight back!" cried Mosura.
Junior grunted as he continued to hide his head, as Mahlgo continued punching him. While he was unable to reach his head, he managed to hit his sides and shoulders. Rodan's eyes widened as he watched this. The way the beast stood was almost like a boxer on guard. He then noticed that Mahlgo appeared to start breaking into a sweat. His movements were starting to slow down. Mahlgo took a step back, his arms still raised should the mutant try anything.
Mahlgo noticed that Junior had slightly raised his head from behind his raised arms. He swore that a toothy smirk appeared on the beast's muzzle. While he appeared like a mindless beast, the eyes told the giant otherwise. Junior suddenly began to deliberately wave one paw towards himself. He was taunting him.
"That son of a bitch," Rodan knowingly smirked. Mahlgo grew red in the face. With a mighty cry he stepped towards Junior and returned to delivering his punches. The reptile had tucked his head back in and raised his arms close, catching most of the blows.
"Come on, Goji! You can't let him beat you!!" Pinkie screamed from the audience, startling a couple people close by.
"Come on big guy. You got this!" Rodan said to himself, as Mahlgo continued to send his blows at the mutant. Junior's spine grazed against the barrier, causing brief jolts into him. But, he stood his ground and kept up his guard.
"Go-Ji-Ra! Go-Ji-Ra!" Sunset suddenly started to chant. One by one, her friends joined in. The chanting caused the neighboring Dogomites to join in. Soon, the entire Colosseum had resumed chanting for the Transmutant's name. Over and over, they cheered for the one who held his own against one of the most worthy opponents he's faced. Fluttershy cupped her mouth, watching on helplessly as her dear friend took on every hit. She always hated seeing him hurt. This horrid place was almost torture for her to be in. She found herself suddenly chanting with the crowd. While she couldn't do anything here, she was going to cry out with all of her heart to root for the one she cared for.
Mahlgo suddenly stopped punching. His arms burned and ached, and his breaths were labored. Junior still stood. His hearing picked up the giant's pants.
"It's about to go down," said Rodan, smirking.
Junior suddenly raised his head from cover. He balled up his right fist and took a step forward, adding momentum to the swing of his short arm. He slugged Mahlgo in the cheek, causing him to stagger back. The crowd erupted into cheers at this. Junior stepped forward and reared his fist back again and sent another punch. Mahlgo staggered back, too tired and disoriented to counter.
"Oh, how I can't stand to look!" wailed Rarity, dramatically holding a hand over her eyes. However, one eye was peeping between the fingers. Meanwhile, Junior swung his left against Mahlgo, causing him to stagger again. He began to switch between his left and right paws. He then began to unclench his fists, slashing at Mahlgo.
"RIP HIM TO SHREDS, DARLING!" Rarity shouted, sitting at the edge of her seat. Mahlgo found himself kicked against his gut, causing him to fall back. Junior stomped after him, snarling. He began to raise his foot and prepared to stomp. Mahlgo rolled away, narrowly avoiding the stomp. He shot to his feet and lunged for the mutant. Junior quickly spun, swinging his tail at the giant. Mahlgo was flung against the barrier, sending powerful jolts against him. He wailed in agony. Junior approached and stomped on his chest, forcing him more against the barrier.
Mahlgo caught his foot as the next stomp came. He thrust his arms forward, causing Junior to stumble back. Mahlgo shot back up and charged forward. Junior kept his feet planted, as the giant slammed into him. Mahlgo began to force himself forward, while sending another barrage of punches at Junior's chest and gut. The mutant groaned as he kept his paws planted on his shoulders, finding himself being forced back. The crowd continued to cheer, as these two giants fought with all of their might.
Junior sunk his fangs into Mahlgo's shoulder, causing him to cease his strikes. The sharp claws also dug into his flesh. Blood began to spill to the sand, while Junior began to push back. He shoved Mahlgo back, then spun and swung his tail under his legs. The giant fell over to the ground, while Junior raised his tail. He began to slam his tail down on his chest, over and over. Junior turned back around to find the giant lying on his back, covered in gashes and bruises along his body. Mahlgo panted as he glared at the mutant, who furrowed his brows in response. Mahlgo's head slumped to the side, his breathing labored.
The crowd went wild. Junior's name was chanted again. The mutant's eyes scanned the crowds as they shouted that familiar name, as their eyes were on him. It was a hard battle, but it solidified his position. He was Alpha. Junior stepped on Mahlgo's chest and raised his head. He let out a long, loud roar.
"HE DID IT!!" Pinkie cried, hugging Twilight tightly. The rescue team cheered as their friend let out a final bellow.
Meanwhile, from the royal skybox, Malicia watched with a smirk. She glanced at Kenra.
"Quite the show, wasn't it?" asked Malicia.
"Hell yeah. But was it good for you? " asked Kenra, cocking a brow.
"I mean, he didn't lose the wager."
Malicia said nothing in response. She only watched with a smirk. She admired Junior from afar. The jagged dorsal plates that ran along his back. The lava rock-like scales and charcoal grey color that made up his body. His long, powerful and whip-like tail that swayed. The carnivorous teeth that hung from his muzzle, the blood soaked claws, the eagle-like brows and the firm and intelligent eyes that rested in his sockets. He was a majestic and fearsome creature.
Junior began to stomp away from the arena center. He made his way to the gate, which began to open. His body began to shrink down along the way. By the time he shrunk down to a normal sized human, he had already made it inside of the tunnel, out of the sight of the cheering audience. Junior winced as he rubbed his shoulder. He stopped and sat against the stone wall, his eyes staring off. He gave a small, bitter chuckle.
Back in the Colosseum, everyone began to rise from their seats and leave. Idle conversation over today's games filled the air. Mahlgo sluggishly rose to his feet. He staggered to the larger gate that he had emerged from, disappearing from sight. The rescue team rose up as well.
"Yeah, we need to get him the fuck out of here," Sunset suddenly spoke.
"Damn right," said Mosura, nodding in agreement.
"Yeah, he might die." Sonata chimed in.
"I mean, he seemed to have held it together..." Aria said under her breath.
"OK. We know where they're keeping him, so let's head back for now," said Twilight.
Later, the teens had returned to the catacombs. Pinkie was talking the ears off of everyone present.
"And then he was like, 'SKREEEEE!!' It was like something out of a movie or something!" Pinkie wildly waved her arms, as she retold the events of the gladiatorial games. Or at least her version of it. Some of the gruesome details were softened up. Whether it was out of courtesy to others or for herself was unknown.
The adults of the rescue team listened. Miwa was of course mortified by the tales that were told to her. Senior's brows were furrowed. Manda was anxiously rubbing the back of her hands, while Aiko kept a stoic look.
"Aside from being pretty popular with the Dogomites, we found him being held in some kind of dungeon built into the side of the Colosseum. It may be where they keep the gladiators," said Twilight.
"Well, that narrows it down. The question is, how are we gonna extract him?" asked Koizumi.
"We send in a small team. We go in, neutralize threats, then we rendezvous here and back track from where we came," said Aiko.
"That could be difficult. I'm sensing a lot of strong magic here. Who knows what they have waiting," said Twilight.
"Nothing that you can't handle, right?" asked Aiko.
"W-Well..." Twilight cleared her throat.
"No. We're not involving the children," said Senior.
"We're already involved. Why not take advantage?" asked Rainbow. Senior sighed.
"It's too early to do anything without a solid plan. For now, why don't we just observe and study the area. We wouldn't want to waste time going in gun blazing while struggling to find where they keep him," said Koizumi.
"Very well. I need volunteers for a little reconnaissance mission," said Aiko, looking to everyone in the room. Inoue suddenly stepped forward.
"Reporting for duty, ma'am," said Inoue. Koizumi chuckled.
"Look at her, acting so professional," said Koizumi. Inoue's stance became less stiff, as her face reddened. Battra stepped forward as well, with a nod.
"Anyone else?" asked Aiko. She noticed Sunset suddenly raise her hand.
"Ma'am, I know I'm just a civilian. But I think that my abilities will prove valuable when it comes to stealth," said Sunset. Aiko looked to Senior, who appeared reluctant. He really did hate the idea of children getting involved in this. She couldn't blame him. It was parental nature after all. But, she would be valuable asset.
"Well, you managed to find him first. I'll trust you with this. Just keep your head down," said Aiko. Fluttershy suddenly raised her hand.
"Wh-" Aiko stuttered, looking at the rose haired girl, who had a firm look on her face.
"Fluttershy, put your hand down!" Posey exclaimed.
"I'd like to volunteer," said Fluttershy, ignoring her mother.
"Heh. Yeah, very funny Flutters." Rainbow nervously chuckled.
"I'm serious. I want to help," said Fluttershy. Posey made her way over and pulled her daughter aside.
"What are you thinking?!" Posey whispered.
"Mother, please! He needs our help!" Fluttershy whispered back.
"Do you realize how dangerous that could be? Let them handle this," said Posey.
"Mom, I've faced a lot of danger the last couple of weeks. Please, just let me do this," said Fluttershy, pleadingly. Posey grimaced, as her daughter begged. Sunset suddenly stepped over to the two.
"I-I'll keep an eye on her. I promise, we'll be extra stealthy," said Sunset, a weak smile on her face. Posey sighed.
"You better be careful," said Posey, forcing a warning glare at her daughter. Fluttershy replied with a nod.
Junior found himself standing on the outside of a door. He took a breath before standing up straight. He proceeded to knock on the door.
"Come in." Malicia's voice called out. Junior gulped before opening the door. He hadn't felt this kind of nervousness around the woman since the first day he met her. After she had mauled Endurous like a blood thirsty carnivore. He mustered up a lot of guts to visit her in her study.
Junior entered the room, finding the empress to be lunging on a red sofa. Her legs dangled off the side of the arm rest, her heals resting on the ground and exposed the soles of her feet. She greeted the boy with her usual warm smile, though Junior felt unease. He still couldn't tell if this was a genuine look she's given him.
"Good afternoon. I wasn't expecting to see you so soon after the games," said Malicia, setting the tome she was reading at the side of the table. Junior made his way over, clearing his throat.
"I actually wanted to talk to you," said Junior, his tone reserved and almost soft. He felt like a docile dog trying to not upset a much larger one. Never had he felt this way. He was usually the larger dog.
"Have a seat, dear. You must be exhausted," said Malicia, before sitting up, tucking her legs in to herself. Junior reluctantly took a seat, his eyes staring at the ground. His heart jumped as the woman's feet found themselves resting on his lap.
"Don't mind me," said Malicia, coyly. Junior gave an uneasy smile, sitting up straight.
"Listen... About the deal that we made... I wanted to know more about how this curse works," said Junior. Malicia frowned.
"Foo. I was hoping you came here to talk about something else," said Malicia, mildly disappointed.
"I just wanna have all of the information I need. Like, what were to happen if I were to uh... Let's say hypothetically that I uh... Wanted to back out. What would happen?" asked Junior, smiling nervously. His blood ran cold as the woman met him with familiar cold eyes. An unamused look plastered on her face.
"That depends."
"On what?" asked Junior. He felt like that he was digging his own grave by continuing this conversation. He couldn't put down the metaphorical shovel now.
"In this hypothetical situation, I would of course be quite upset if you were to hypothetically just waltz out of the citadel and out of the city, never to return. I would hypothetically have to force you to remain here and punish you. Hypothetically, of course," said Malicia, speaking nonchalant.
"Hehe. A-And what kind of punishment would you have in mind?" asked Junior.
"Normally, in such a hypothetical situation, I would have to kill those who thought they could break our pact. Make an example of them," said Malicia, her hand clenched into a fist, resulting in the sound of popping bones. Junior resisted the urge to flinch at this.
"But... Since I've grown quite fond of you, I wouldn't. But, I would have to show you the consequences. Perhaps I would just claim victory and force you to serve me by default. But I don't like to be forceful. I think a healthy relationship involves consent," said Malicia, sweetly. Her expression then darkened.
"Perhaps instead, I'd just have the friends you've made in the games executed. You'd have the honor of a front row seat, as their heads roll," said Malicia, her tone frigid and lacking any warmth she's had. Junior grew pale, staring into her eyes. He wanted to look away, but couldn't. The hypnotic stare kept him in place, forcing him to see that she wasn't all talk. Truthfully, Junior could see her doing such a thing. Malicia suddenly gave him a sweet smile, as her eyes softened.
"But, of course, that's only hypothetical!" said Malicia. Junior gulped.
"Tell me, dear. Why do you ask me?"
"I-It's just... Well, I thought that maybe we could... I don't know. Perhaps you could show me some leniency and let me back out?" asked Junior. Malicia held a stoic look.
"L-Look, it's not like that I'm ungrateful for all that you've done. I mean, I never expected you to treat me so decently. I don't want to disrespect you. B-But I guess now I already have, considering what you've said," said Junior, looking away. Malicia sighed.
"You're frustratingly sweet. But, a deal is a deal. I don't understand why you'd want to back out now. You'd still have to fulfill your contractual obligations. Isn't that why you took it with me to begin with?" Malicia raised a brow. Junior said nothing.
Looking at the boy, Malicia could tell that Junior was hiding something. What, she couldn't say for sure. But, for some reason, he was now adamant about continuing on with this wager they had. Something had changed.
"Come on. Can't we work something out?" asked Junior, pleadingly. Malicia felt her lip twitch, threatening to curl up. But, she kept her expression stoic. At least for a few seconds. She instead held a thoughtful look.
"Well, since it is you, I believe that we can work something out," said Malicia as she brought her foot more over Junior's lap. A seductive look was on her face as she pressed her foot down. Junior grunted, hunching a bit as his face turned beat red.
"Your performance today has... roused up something for me. For a while, I've been looking for someone like you," said Malicia.
"Wh-What do you mean?" Junior trembled, his blush growing.
"As Empress. I need successors. But, they have to be from my bloodline, to carry on the crown. I could easily have suitors, but the men in Lur are... Well, juvenile. They're not Men. They fuck like no one's business, draining their masculine energy for sterility," said Malicia, curling her toes.
"I could find suitors among the many warriors under my command. However, I wish to keep the blood of Titans from degrading in my descendants. For the good of my nation. That's why..." Malicia licked her lips. A three pronged tongue slithered from her mouth. Junior felt immediately turned off by this. In fact, it creeped him out.
"I want you to plant your seed in me. I want to bear your child."
"B-But we're not the same. If you're looking for purity, then I can't help you," said Junior, forcing Malicia's foot away.
"True. But when two different variants of Demi-Titan conceive a child, there's a fifty percent chance of the child becoming more like one parent or the other. It matters not which us the child would turn out like. You've already proven yourself as worthy suitor in the arena," said Malicia, beginning to remove her crown.
"If you do this, then not only will I cancel our wager, I'll also lift the curse, and I'll make sure that you get out of the contract. You'll be free to go about your way," said Malicia.
"Wait, you're telling me that if I get you pregnant, then I'm free to go? No strings attached?" asked Junior, his eyes wide in disbelief.
"No strings attached," said Malicia with a giggle. She began to undress herself, standing in only her lacy under garments. Junior found his eyes drawn to her voluptuous curves. Her feminine form, which contradicted the amount of food that he's seen her consume. Her long black hair hung over her bare faire skin. Junior gulped as he eyed every inch of her.
"Well? Would you say that's fair? I promise to make it worth your while," said Malicia. She suddenly pounced on the boy, pinning him to his back. Her eyes glazed over as she grinded her pelvis against his own. She began to lean close and caressed his face.
"I know you want to. I can see it in your eyes. To feel the touch of a woman," said Malicia as she began to kiss Junior's neck. The boy felt his spine tingle, and his hairs stand on end from the gentle, warm pecks. His mind began to blank, as he began to feel the beginning of sexual pleasure.
It was simple. All Junior had to do was give her what she wanted. That way, he can leave. Having sex with a highly attractive woman was just a bonus. Junior closed his eyes as felt Malicia beginning to undo his pants.
"Just let me worry about the child..." malicia whispered. Junior's eyes shot open.
"No. No! Get off of me!" Junior cried, pushing Malicia off. The woman sat back with a look of bewilderment.
"Wh-what in blazes is the matter with you?" demanded Malicia. Junior stood up and began to fix his pants.
"You said that you wanted a Man as your suitor. But what kind of man offloads his responsibility, his child, onto someone else?" asked Junior, narrowing his eyes. Malicia scoffed.
"Then stay and be in the child's life for all I care. It doesn't matter to me," said Malicia in annoyance.
"It do- Are you kidding?!" exclaimed Junior.
"Wha-" Malicia recoiled.
"Don't you care about the upbringing of the child? Why are you so comfortable with the idea of its father being absent?!" cried Junior. Malicia gave a sympathetic smile.
"You're projecting your own trauma on this," said Malicia. Junior sent her a glare.
"Is that all you have to say? I knew it," said Junior, clenching his fists. Malicia narrowed her eyes and stood to her feet.
"Knew what?"
"At first, I thought that maybe we actually might have been similar. But I started to realize what I saw was a façade. You don't care about anyone," said Junior.
"Well, you aren't wrong. I don't care much for many people. I've realized that affection for others is an illusion." Malicia's tone shifted back to a cold one. Her eyes matched.
"If that's the case, then be honest with me. What do you think of me? Do you see me as a son? A friend? Which is it? Or do you even actually care about me as a person?" demanded Junior. Malicia grunted, hardening her expression.
"You want the truth? Very well. You disgust me." Malicia spat, with disdain in her tone. Junior didn't react. He kept his glare.
"You have great power inside you, yet you accept your lot in life and mope like a beaten dog. It's pathetic!" said Malicia.
"So that makes you better than me? Because you use your power to conquer nations? Wage war? Enslave innocents?!" demanded Junior.
"That's another thing I despise about you, Gojira. You're so naïve. Those with power, make the rules. It's on those with the power to keep the beasts on the farm in line. The chicken that doesn't produce gets the axe," said Malicia. Junior's expression contorted into disgust. The Empress clicked her tongue in annoyance.
"Don't you look at me with that face, you ignorant boy! You've seen this city! You've seen the land! If I didn't do the things I did, these people would be dead! They're in a constant state of infantilism! Pacified so long as they have their orgy houses, their blood sport, their food, and their useless shiny trinkets!" said Malicia, her eyes burning with hate. But, Junior could see that hate wasn't directed at him.
"Truthfully, I sometimes think about letting this empire implode on itself. I think about disappearing and letting it crumble."
"Then why? Why do you run it? Why wage these wars if you hate them so much?" asked Junior.
"Because before this empire falls, and fall it will, I intend to bring down another empire that'd just take its place," said Malicia.
"You mean the Sacramentonians? I don't understand. They're nowhere near as bad as this place," said Junior.
"On the surface, yes. But with a keen eye, you can see the symptoms of a deeper infection. The Sacramentonians have cut themselves off from the natural world. They live in cold dead cities, offloading their responsibilities for ease and comfort. With no struggle against the forces of nature to grow, they become weak. Their sights are set on things. They may not be as degenerative as the Dogomites, but they will one day. It is inevitable," said Malicia, gazing at the mounted head of the rex in the room.
"If you really believe this crap, then why do you enable the Dogomites? You're the closest thing to God to these people," said Junior.
"It's too late. Their fate is sealed. The empire will collapse. My territories will fracture into smaller independent states that will fight for stability. Some will even seek to dominate the others. Such is the folly of man," said Malicia.
"So you'll just bring down other nations with yours before that?" questioned Junior.
"I intend to do more than that," said Malicia as she turned to a stone carving on the wall, depicting what looked like a Skull Crawler.
"You see, Gojira. Man has begun to consume more than he produces. Such a life cannot sustain him. One day, man will soon fight to consume what little will be left. When that runs out, man will perish. Tribes and empires will no longer matter. Man will fight man until he is no more," said Malicia. She turned to face Junior.
"I've come to learn that mankind must be managed. But, an old approach will be necessary," said Malicia. The boy raised a brow.
"An old approach? What the hell are you talking about?" asked Junior.
"I've come to the conclusion that civilization will be man's downfall. It brings weakness, suffering, disease, and war. It is all a viscous cycle with only one end in sight. The Demi-Titans are revered as guardians. We have an ancient role instilled in all of us. I will fulfill my purpose as one," said Malicia. Junior narrowed his eyes.
"What are you planning to do? What's your endgame?" asked Junior. Malicia looked at him coldly.
"I intend to end the cycle. Once and for all," said Malicia.
"End the cycle? The fuck is that supposed to mean?" asked Junior.
"Perhaps, you'll be around to see it happen," said Malicia. Junior glared at her.
"So what happens now?" asked Junior. Malicia began to pick up her gown and dressed herself.
"Since you won't grant me a successor, then we have no choice but to revert back to our old wager. You take a human life, you serve me," said Malicia. She turned to the boy with disdain.
"You're weak. You are nothing but a scared, helpless child. And I plan on reminding you of that everyday," said Malicia. She then turned away and waved her hand.
"Now get out of my sight," said Malicia. Junior turned and made his way to the door. He opened it and stood in the doorway.
"You know, I really hoped that you'd be the one who'd understand me. But, I guess it was my mistake for forgetting that you were a monster," said Junior, before slamming the door. Malicia stared at the burning fire place. Her eyes cold. Her fists clenched.
Later that evening, Fluttershy and Sunset found themselves walking through the streets of Lur. They stood close together, as to not get separated due to the crowding.
"Almost there, Fluttershy," said Sunset.
"Good." Fluttershy panted, squeezing through the crowd. The two made their way to a wider area, out to a clearing away from the narrow streets. They found the Colosseum ahead.
"OK, Battra and Inoue should be nearby observing the facility. We just need to go inside and investigate," said Sunset, as she and Fluttershy made their way to the dungeon. However, they found that a couple of guards were standing in front of the front door.
"Damn. We can cloak, but we can't go through walls," said Sunset, frowning.
"Last time, the door was wide open and we just slipped in," said Fluttershy. It seemed that this reconnaissance mission was a bust.
"Hmm. Maybe there's another way we can get in," said Sunset, rubbing her chin. Fluttershy tilted her head.
"Oh?"
"Follow my lead!" Sunset took Fluttershy's hand and led her over to the front entrance. Fluttershy had to steel herself as to not protest. These guards were not a friendly looking bunch. Not to mention, they were walking straight up to the front door of the place that they're supposed to be infiltrating. Just what was Sunset planning?
"Good evening, men!" Sunset greeted. The guards held the spears firmly as they focused on the girls.
"Do you have a moment? You see, we just saw today's games and we were in awe! We were hoping that you'd allow us in to meet the gladiators," said Sunset.
"No visitors are allowed. This facility is a dungeon for particular gladiators. Mainly prisoners," said one of the guards, sternly. Fluttershy gulped, nervously.
"Please vacate the premises."
"Ah well, that's a shame. We were really hoping to meet one particular gladiator. That Gojira fellow," said Sunset, her tone filled with disappointment. She noticed one of the guards raise his brow.
"You see, my sister here has a bit of a crush on him. So, she was hoping to meet him." Sunset brought Fluttershy over. The timid girl stiffened, as her face reddened.
"Isn't that right?"
"W-Well, I... Y-Yes... He's a dreamboat." Fluttershy shyly rubbed her arm. Sunset suppressed the need to snort, keeping a straight face. The two guards glanced at each other.
"Well, you won't find him here. He's not a prisoner. Word around here is that he's a guest of her Majesty," said a guard. Fluttershy and Sunset were taken by surprise.
"Really?" asked Sunset.
"Indeed. He never stays here. He's even sponsored by Empress Malicia herself. You may find him in the citadel," said the guard, pointing to a lone structure that stood in the center of the city. Sunset softly gasped. The sight of the structure stirred up memories. She remembered seeing such a structure, with a tail spire at the top, reaching the moon above. She felt her anxiety beginning to shoot.
"But, if it's him that you're looking for, perhaps I can help you young ladies," said the guard with a suave tone.
"We're on duty, fool," said the second guard.
"Ah they're not going anywhere. Besides, I won't be long," said the first guard.
"Follow me. I'm sure he'd appreciate your company," said the guard with a chuckle The three began to leave. Sunset glanced over at Fluttershy, an amused look on her face.
Meanwhile, just some distance away, Battra and Inoue stood by a building. Their sights were on the girls, as they were led away from the dungeon.
"Wait, where are they going?" asked Inoue in confusion. Battra narrowed his eyes.
"Damn. Come on, we need to keep our eyes on them."
Sunset and Fluttershy followed the guard deeper into the city. Around here, it was less crowded and appeared cleaner at the center. However, the faint stench lingered still in the air. The guard led the two to the citadel's gates. The girls took in the sight of the imposing structure. Their necks craned back. Sunset felt weak in her knees as she began to recall a reoccurring nightmare. That only worsened as she found the shapes of spiders being engraved onto the surface of the gate.
The guard that had escorted the girls was conversing with another, who was posted here at the gates. The other guard he spoke with had a mild annoyed look.
"You have a lot of gall to just waltz over and bring uninvited peasants here," said the second guard.
"Come on, you gotta let them in. This one here is smitten with her majesty's guest,"
"And why should I care?" deadpanned the second guard.
"Come now. Who are we to deprive a man of renowned strength the company of a delicate flower as her? It's about love! I'm just it's errand boy!" said the first guard, gesturing to a bashful Fluttershy. The second guard gagged as he rolled his eyes.
"Very well. Just keep an eye on them," said the second guard. He motioned for the gates to be opened. The girls were allowed to walk inside, finding several guards to be roaming about in the court yard. It was here that they noticed more fertile soil, filled with plant life. They passed the garden and entered the grand structure.
'So far, so good.' Sunset thought. She and Fluttershy found themselves gawking at the architecture from within. The endless halls that echoed with their footsteps. After ascending the stairs, the girls were led to a wing of the citadel, which bore floors coated in rugs.
The guard stopped at one particular door. After knocking, the door opened moments later. Junior was revealed, standing shirtless in the doorway. His eyes slightly widened as he took notice of Fluttershy and Sunset.
"C-Can I help you?" asked Junior.
"I ran into a couple of your fans. Thought I'd send them your way as thanks for making me a rich man. I've placed a lot of bets on you," said the guard as he left. Junior stepped aside, allowing the girls to enter. He briefly looked both ways in the hall before closing the door. As he turned, he suddenly found himself wrapped into a tight embrace by the two.
"Thank God, you're alright!" Sunset cried. Junior smiled as he returned their hug.
"Likewise."
The three released each other. Fluttershy was wiping her tear filled eyes, while Sunset had an incredulous look.
"What the hell are you doing here? We thought you were locked up in some dungeon somewhere."
"Long story short, turns out the guy that attacked us was sent by Malicia."
"The Empress?" asked Fluttershy.
"Yep. Turns out, she wanted to meet me or something," said Junior, awkwardly scratching his head. The girls sent him confused looks.
"Meet you? Huh?" Fluttershy cocked a brow.
"W-Well... How do I put this?" Junior looked away.
"At first I thought we were gonna mutually benefit each other, which involved me joining the gladiatorial games. But now..."
"I-I don't understand. Are you being held prisoner or not?" Sunset grew more confused.
"No. I mean... Not really. Does being under contract for the games for a couple months count as being held prisoner?" asked Junior with a weak smile.
"WHAT?!" The girls exclaimed. Junior winced.
"I'll take that as a yes."
"What the hell were you thinking?!" Sunset glared at the boy.
"OK, I didn't know about that detail until recently. But it was a mistake on my part." Junior weakly smiled.
"Why would you join something so horrible? Did they force you?" asked Fluttershy.
"No, I joined out of my own free will." Junior answered.
"Why?" asked Sunset.
"Well... I thought that maybe... I thought I'd learn something from the experience," said Junior, Shrugging.
"Oh, like how many ways that one man can be horribly killed?" Sunset remarked, sarcastically.
"No I-" Junior groaned in frustration.
"Forget it. How did you find me, anyway?" asked Junior
"Now that's a long story. But you can thank the Sacramentonians," said Sunset. She then smiled in amusement as she noticed the boy's new look. His hair was much shorter now, and a mark was on his face.
"We don't see you for several days and you get yourself a tattoo? Couldn't you have gotten something less tacky? You trying to do a Tyson impression?" Sunset laughed. Junior held a hand to the side of his face, forcing a laugh.
"Honestly. I wonder what your mom's gonna say. Oh! Good news!" Sunset grinned from ear to ear.
"W-What?"
"We ran into your family and the Guardians! Turns out that MONARCH sent a team to rescue us! We can go home now!" Said Fluttershy. Junior felt a smile grow on his face. This might have been the best news he's heard in a while. Hell, he was even happy to hear the name, MONARCH. But as the news began to sink in, his smile faded.
"If we go now, we can meet with everyone and return home!" said Fluttershy, taking Junior's hand. But, the boy gently pulled away, a frown on his face.
"Goji?" Sunset called.
"I... I can't." Junior sighed.
"Sure you can! You're not really a prisoner, so you're free to walk outside aren't you? If not, we can sneak-" Sunset fell silent as Junior turned to walk away. He stood by a wall, swallowing the lump in his throat. He couldn't just leave. Not now.
"I made a deal with her. I have to stay for a couple more games," said Junior.
"What? Why?" asked Sunset.
"It was the only way that I could push through my contract. She said that I could leave early if I won. I was desperate!" Said Junior, gritting his teeth.
"H-Hey..." Sunset placed a hand on his shoulder. Her empath ability kicked in. She felt fear and regret. She retracted her hand, panting.
"Gojira..."
"She put a curse on me. She said it was supposed to register if I lost the wager. But if I were to try and back out, she'd make me suffer for it" said Junior, holding a hand over the side of his face. Fluttershy gasped, her eyes wide.
"What were the terms?" asked Sunset, hesitation in her tone.
"I had to complete the next few games without taking a human life. God, what was I thinking? These people are just so obsessed with the carnage. They hated that I never took a human life," said Junior.
"What happens if you lose?" asked Fluttershy.
"I have to stay here for the rest of my life," said Junior.
"Wh-Why?! What would she want with you to begin with?!" demanded Fluttershy. Junior's eyes were downcast.
"She's a mutant." Junior spoke. Sunset and Fluttershy bore looks of shock.
"She sees me as a valuable asset to her," said Junior, not wanting to go further into detail. Just recalling it made his heart ache.
"There has to be one way for you to back out! Anything!" cried Fluttershy. Junior gulped.
"There is one way," said Junior.
"Well? Spit it out!" said Sunset, feeling hope grow.
"She wants me to give her a successor," said Junior, not facing the girls. It took a moment for them to register what he meant.
"Y-You mean... You have to..." Fluttershy cupped her mouth.
"If I do that, then she said that I can leave now. No strings attached," said Junior.
"W-Well, are you gonna do it?" asked Sunset. Junior and Fluttershy turned to the girl, surprised. They didn't expect her to speak as though it was an option on the table.
"Sunset, I can't do that." said Junior, narrowing his eyes. Sunset shrunk back. The look of anger in his eyes had caused her to back away.
"B-But..."
"How fucking dare you even think that was an option!" barked Junior. Sunset flinched at his fury.
"Do you think I could live with myself if I left my own kid to that- THAT DEMON?!" Junior yelled, his face growing red. Sunset hid, gritting her teeth.
"Gojira... I'm sorry I just-" Sunset's eyes welled up with tears. Junior's expression lost its anger, quickly softening.
"Gojira, calm down!" cried Fluttershy. The boy let out a breath, a deep frown on his face, as Sunset wept.
"I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean to..." Junior made his way to his bed and sat down, his eyes downcast.
"I can't do that. It's just the easy way out. I won't do what my father did to me," said Junior, speaking softly. He sighed. "I just have to get through the last couple of games and win the wager. Then, we're getting the fuck out of this world."
"Gojira, I'm afraid that if we leave you...." Sunset muttered. Fluttershy placed a hand on her shoulder with a look of reassurance. She then made her way to Junior's side. She knelt down beside him and took his hand, holding it firmly.
"We'll be waiting for you, Gojira. I believe in you," said Fluttershy, a firm look on her face. Junior softly smiled at her. Her confidence and words brought some reassurance in the boy. He couldn't despair now. Not when he had his friends depending on him to get them home.
"We have to get going. The others will be worried," said Fluttershy, though regret was in her tone. Junior began to lead her and Sunset out of his room. The red haired girl still sniffled, reluctant to leave. She stopped and turned to give Junior a tight hug. She bit her lip, as her tears ran down her face. The nightmares she had just kept replaying in her mind. Junior wrapped his arms around her, patting her back.
"I won't lose, Red," said Junior. Sunset released him and nodded, wiping her eyes.
"You better not," muttered Sunset. She began to walk out, while Fluttershy stood. She gulped, as she was about to continue on, she felt her cheeks flare up. She looked at Junior intensely. The boy bore a confused look.
"What's wro-" Junior was interrupted as Fluttershy stood on her toes and grabbed the boy by his head. She pulled him close and planted a short but loud smooch on his cheek. Fluttershy released him, appearing flustered. Junior was wide eyed, his face having grown beat red. The feeling of her soft lips pressing against his skin was etched into his mind.
"F-For good luck!" said Fluttershy, before running to join Sunset. Junior felt a hand to his cheek, his heart racing. He softly chuckled, before giving the girl a thumbs up.
"I'm feeling luckier already," said Junior, humor in his tone, though he mentally scolded himself for making such a dumb response. It was so cheesy. He hadn't done something that embarrassing since he had a crush on Sunset, but the rose haired girl smiled bashfully. She waved to him before leaving. Sunset sniffled, appearing amused as she walked along her side.
The sound of weeps filled the air. Tears fell upon the ground, soaking into the cotton innards of a torn doll. It was ravaged to the point that it almost appeared unrecognizable. A small girl was on her knees, mourning the loss of her favorite toy. Her weeps echoed through the room.
"I told you not to have that bloody thing around the dog," said a harsh, feminine voice. The child continued to weep.
"Stop your crying. Tears won't bring it back. You're bawling over mere fabric and cotton," scoffed the voice. The girl sniffled as she raised her head. Her yellow-green eyes stared through the black locks of hair that hung over her face. She found an older woman to be standing over her. She was dressed in a long, dark gown. She met the child with a cold stare.
"Pathetic."
Malicia's eyes suddenly opened. She stared up at the ceiling of her room. There was very little light shining through the room on this early morning. It was the crack of dawn.
The empress rose out of bed with a sigh. She spent the next hour or so of her morning handling what was a daily routine. First, she was in her personal bath. Hand maidens scrubbed every inch of her naked body, as she soaked in the water. When that was done, she was helped dressed in her gown. Every accessory she wears typically was accounted for. As was her silver crown. Malicia's makeup was finished, allowing her to begin her day.
As of now, the empress was sitting in the dining hall, alone. She was chewing her food, while holding the same stoic expression that she's had since she had woken up. The dining door opened. She turned her attention to the doorway. Kenra and Sigyn stepped inside and greeted her with a bow. Malicia was expecting it to be Junior. But considering last night, she wouldn't be surprised if he avoided seeing her whenever possible. It at least spared her from looking at his sickeningly sad face.
"Oh. Your favorite little boy toy isn't here for breakfast?" asked Kenra, surprised.
"Hmph. What is that you want?" questioned Malicia, ignoring Kenra's question.
"We came to inform you about the progress over the Zeta Divison's relocation. We managed to salvage what we could from the old facility to construct a controlled environment prepped for more commissions," said Sigyn.
"Very good. Then I should be expecting more Skull Walkers soon. Lately, some of the ones that were deployed have been reported to have starved to death. Their metabolic rate is a double edged sword," said Malicia. It was unfortunate that such a powerful weapon had such a draw back. These Skull Walkers were just like Skull Crawlers. Always hungry. But unlike the beasts, the Walkers only ate when they were set loose on a Sacramentonian town. Feeding them from their cages, especially in a group larger than 5, made it tedious to keep them alive. Only some were allowed to roam free, mainly in the countryside. The rest were herded and taken to whatever city Malicia's general thought would prove to be more of a tactful advantage.
"Where are you going to get subjects on such short notice?" asked Kenra.
"I gave your Zeta Divison my permission to seek subjects from the locals," said Malicia. Kenra and Sigyn both glanced at her.
"The... locals?" asked Kenra.
"That's what I said."
"Yeah, but... You know that-" Kenra fell silent as Malicia sent her an annoyed look.
"Right. What you do with your subjects is your business," said Kenra, forcing a smile. She forgot that this woman was a whole other monster compared to the ones that lived in Equescidar.
"Well, since you are here, I have a request for Maximilian. I'd like for him to fetch some things for me," said Malicia as she drew out a small note and handed it to Kenra. The soldier did a quick skim. A brow raised.
"What's this for?" asked Kenra.
"I have no patience for your constant questioning today, Kenra. Just do as I say," said Malicia, her tone stern.
"U-Understood. I'll slip it to him as soon as I see him. I uh... I think he's messing with those Purists again," said Kenra, as she briskly left the dining room. It seemed that this ol' tyrant was in a pissy mood today.
"Sigyn," called Malicia, causing the nymphomaniac elf to jump with a start.
"How may I serve?" asked Sigyn.
"Your institution is capable of creating Demi-Titans, correct?" asked Malicia.
"Y-Yes. Were you interested in commissioning one? Something different compared to the Skull Walkers?" asked Sigyn. Malicia nodded.
"Something that will back our guest into the corner. I intend to win our wager and frankly, I've lost my patience with him," said Malicia, sipping from her chalice.
"If that's the case, then why not allow me to punish him? I'll whip him into shape." Sigyn giggled, her face reddening as her lips curled, giving the elf a lewd expression.
"Can you grant my commission in a short amount of time or not?" asked Malicia, narrowing her eyes. Sigyn quickly regained her composure.
"We'd have to review the target and look through our templates, but I think we can find something that can fulfill your wish. I'll run it by Onyx. In the meantime, you just think about who you'd want to be the subject," said Sigyn, before leaving. Malicia sighed as she drank.
"Time to ween the child off the teat as well," said Malicia, standing up from the table.
Junior found himself led through the dark halls of the Gladiators' dungeon. A hard expression was on his face as two guards flanked him, while Malicia led him on ahead.
"How nice of you to personally see me off," said Junior sarcastically. Malicia kept a stoic look.
"You can't say that you haven't brought this on yourself. Your disrespect has become intolerable," said Malicia.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I just didn't want to stick my dick in crazy," said Junior. He felt himself shoved from the back by one of the guards, causing him to stumble.
"Hmph. And here I thought I was doing you a kindness by being the only woman willing to lie with you," said Malicia smugly. Junior narrowed his eyes.
"I'll take a lifetime of virginity over having to catch whatever you have," said Junior. Malicia chuckled.
"Oh. How I'm going to enjoy our relationship going forward," said Malicia.
"I think I threw up in my mouth a little," said Junior. He found himself led to a dungeon door, which was unlocked and opened. Malicia stepped aside and allowed the boy to enter, where he found some familiar faces. Among them being Kiri, Krush, Birdman and Callous. The door was slammed closed, as Malicia smirked at the boy. Junior had rarely felt the urge to hit a woman, but seeing that expression boiled his blood.
"Remember, there will be consequences if you try to leave~," Malicia sang before leaving. Junior peered through the grate on the door.
"Yeah, you just wait till I walk out of here with this curse lifted! I'm gonna love wiping that smug look off your face, ya harlot!" Junior shouted. He sighed in frustration as he turned away from the door.
"Having a fight with your girlfriend?" asked Kiri coyly.
"Very funny. But let's just say that, I was wrong. I was an idiot. And you guys were right," said Junior as he sat against a wall, letting out a heavy sigh. Kiri knelt right next to him.
"Whatever made you think that you could trust her to begin with?" asked Kiri.
"You wouldn't understand," said Junior, his eyes downcast. Kiri frowned at this. She could sometimes see sadness in the boy's eyes, but he seemed too prideful to confide in anybody.
"Well, look at the bright side. You'll be hanging around with us more often. At least until you win that wager, eh?" chuckled Krush. Junior lightly smiled.
"Thanks for the confidence."
The dungeon door suddenly opened. A team of guards stood outside, hardened expressions on their faces.
"Get moving, gladiators," barked the head of this team of guards.
Twilight was sitting against the wall, her eyes reading through a large tome. She muttered to herself as she turned the page, continuing her read. Her friends stood or sat around in silence.
"So, this will work?" asked Mosura.
"Can't say for sure. But if there's a way to lift a curse, then it's got to be documented," said Sunset.
"Well, I just hope the book that Twi bought from that geezer in Elsinore is worth every penny," said Rainbow in dismay.
"Wait, I think I might have found something!" said Twilight, perking up. The teens all crowded over her, their eyes gluing to the pages of the book.
"It looks like that certain curses have to a meet a criterion in order to be broken. You said that he had a mark like this, right?" asked Twilight, pointing to a page. It depicted a diagram of a figure sketched out, with a mark over the side of the face. It was too familiar to Sunset and Fluttershy.
"Yeah, that was it," answered Fluttershy.
"According to this, that particular curse revolves around 'The Heart'," said Twilight.
"Oh no! Don't tell me we have to do open heart surgery or something!" exclaimed Sonata in alarm. Aria sighed.
"No, idiot!" said Aria. She then looked to Twilight with uncertainty. "It doesn't, right? It's just some kind of metaphor or something?"
"It says here that the curse is fueled by turmoil within the host's heart. If that turmoil can be remedied, then the curse will be lifted," said Twilight. Rainbow scratched her head.
"So... We just have to make him feel better or something and we can leave?" asked Rainbow.
"That's a grossly simple way to put it, but I suppose," said Twilight.
"Alrighty! All love interests step forward! We're getting our friend back!" said Pinkie. Everyone looked at her oddly.
"Lo- Huh?" Twilight cocked a brow.
"Pinkie, I don't think giving him a girlfriend is what he needs," said Angirasu flatly.
"Eh sometimes it might be," said Rodan to himself.
"Angirasu's right. I don't think this is something we can solve easily," said Sunset, deeply frowning.
A curse that was tied to the heart. There were a lot of implications on what it could be tied to. But, Sunset had it narrowed down. From all of the times that she used her Empathic Touch, she was able to get a sense of Junior's heart. She felt everything that he felt. And for whatever reason, she was having these strange passes of the same kind of feelings she felt from him, even without making contacting. Her power was either evolving or she was just becoming an emotional wreck. She sincerely hoped that it was the later, rather than the former. Because if it wasn't, then Sunset feared that it may be a lot harder to lift the curse then she and her friends realized.
"Listen, we have a way to break the curse, right? If we do that, then we're free to just waltz out of here?" asked Rainbow. Twilight closed the book with the clearing of her throat.
"W-Well, you can say that-"
"Then let's tell the adults! We can make a plan to get in and get out! Piece of cake!" said Rainbow. Her tone of confidence, while usually seeming misplaced, stirred up resolve for the rest of the teens. They now knew what to do. Whatever it took, they were going to get their friend away from those games and escape from this place. Twilight met the rainbow haired girl with a determined smile.
The sound of boots stepping echoed throughout the cold dark halls of the bowels of Malicia's Citadel. Kenra's eyes were forward, as she navigated through the stone halls, making her way down to a heavy door. She heard muffled cries from behind the door, briefly prompting a chill in the woman's spine.
"Oh boy," said Kenra, before exhaling sharply. She began to knock on the door, which echoed off the walls in the hall. In a few moments, the door creaked opened. Maximilian's blood shot eyes peered through the crack of the door. His thin silver hair hung from his head. Kenra was more unnerved by this rather than the usual get up that he was in.
"Yes~?" Maximilian wheezed through his respirator with a manic giggle.
"Malicia needs you to run out and fetch some things," said Kenra, holding out a list to the old man. He reached out with a latex gloved hand and took it. He did a brief read through the list.
"Ah! No need for that! I have all that she needs in here!" said Max, opening up the door wider. He gestured for the soldier to step inside. Kenra reluctantly entered. She began to follow the older man inside. She found a large room to be filled up with tons of primitive medical equipment. On a counter, there were jars filled with human teeth, prompting Kenra to cringe.
"Don't touch my teeth," giggled Max as he made his way to a corner of the room, where a cabinet lied. He hummed to himself as he dug through the items that were stacked inside.
"I like to keep my cabinets stock for my gases. Whether it’s personal or for the job," said Max as he drew out different containers. Kenra made her way over to the other side of the room. She kept a neutral look as she stared at the subjects that were breathing raggedly.
"You've been busy," said Kenra.
"Oh they've been such fun! I even got to practice an old profession of mine!" Max giggled with glee.
Kenra found that the Purists that Malicia had essentially dumped on Maximilian were here. They were strapped down on chairs, with some distance put between them. Dreadnought's prosthetic was gone, leaving a metallic socket. His breathing was ragged, as he began to drool pink saliva onto a paper sheet that was wrapped around his neck. The rest wore similar coverings. Kenra had a knot in her stomach form as she found Adrian to be sitting with her seat reclined back. Her mouth was held open by a pair of prongs. But, every tooth in her mouth was missing. All save for one. The young woman was in tears as she violently shook.
"Looks like you did a number on this one," said Kenra, warily.
"It was her own fault. Stupid bitch bit me when I was just trying to extract one. So, I took all of them," said Maximilian as he made his way over. Adrian's eyes widened in alarm, her breathing grew quick and she began to squirm. She began to make partial guttural sounds, unable to form proper words due to her mouth having been pried upon.
"Just oooooone... more," said Max with a giggle, reaching into the Purist's mouth. Kenra instinctively looked away, as Adrian began to scream in agony. Max grunted as he held the last tooth in a pair of pliers. It glistened in the light, stained with blood. He then placed the last tooth into a small tray, where the rest of the teeth rested as well. Adrian sobbed, as the prongs were removed from her mouth.
"I've missed this," Maximilian giggled as he took the teeth and dumped them into another jar, filled with a clear liquid. He then turned to the Purists.
"I'll be back later to play some more~!" Max laughed manically. He then made his way to a counter, where all of the ingredients he had gathered lied. He hummed to himself as he drew out a bowl and began to grind up the ingredients.
"She must have some big plans for this, huh?" asked Max.
"Well, the kid's involved. I'd say so. Whatever the hell this is for," said Kenra, looking over one of the containers. She then looked behind herself.
"Say uh... Are they able to be in action right now?" asked Kenra.
"Not toothless over there. Maybe wait until her new set grows in," said Maximillian with a giggle.
"Alright, she can stay here," replied Kenra. Though as she said that, she almost felt bad for the young lady. Almost. Kenra wasn't here to make nice with the prisoners. She made her way to the rest of the Purists.
"Listen up, chumps. Today is your lucky day. I received word that a village in Dogomite territory is defecting under a mutant. Malicia has a zero tolerance for traitors and challengers. You have the privilege to step outside and make yourselves useful," said Kenra, speaking as though she were looking down on lowly recruits. Scar merely glared at the woman.
"I'm not doing anything that bitch says," said Scar. Kenra just stood with an indifferent look. She then looked to Dreadnought.
"If there's no cash, then forget it," said Dreadnought, spitting blood to the ground. Kenra sighed.
"Come on. I thought you guys liked killing mutants. If you do this, you might be on your way to getting back into Malicia's graces," said Kenra.
"You mean we can redeem ourselves? As long as we do whatever you want?" Alexandra spoke up. A glimmer of hope in her tired eyes. "We even get to kill a mutie?"
"Eh. Sure. By the way, why do you guys call them that? That shit sounds stupid." Kenra cocked a brow.
"Then I'm in. Just get me the hell out of here!" said Alexandra urgently.
Elsewhere...
Onyx was reading through a parchment. His eyes were narrowed as he skimmed through the sheet. Over and over again, he read. He sighed in exasperation, rubbing his wrinkled brows. Sigyn stood behind him at attention, her head held high.
"This is going to be a tedious commission. There's a scarcity of prisoners of war that would serve useful, and I doubt she'd be willing to lend us her 'champions'." Onyx set the parchment aside.
"I think she's starting to get desperate. Did you know about the wager she made with the boy? Do we even have a template that would meet her commission?" asked Sigyn. Onyx drew out a disc-like object. A holographic image appeared.
"There are a few. But, we should stick with something that's easy to keep tamed," said Onyx. The image displayed a multi-limb creature. Hooked appendages made up the ends of its long fore limbs. It had a sleek hide, that gave it an almost insectoid appearance, with jaws that curved like a beak.
"Fast, nimble, a powerful and painful bite. It even has the ability to project an electromagnetic field in a wide radius," said Onyx.
"What's that gonna help with?" asked Sigyn. Considering the level of technology this world had, she failed to see how something like that would serve as useful.
"It kills the range attacks of Lucky Dragon's class of Transmutants," said Onyx, before shutting off the hologram. Sigyn merely shrugged. Obviously this man knew more about templates than she did. So she decided not to question it.
"Did she absolutely ask that she wanted a commission done before the games today? That isn't a lot of time. Especially on such short notice," said Onyx.
"Well, she didn't say specifically when exactly. But I do think that she wants it done before the next three matches. Otherwise, he'd be free to walk on out of here," said Sigyn.
"I see. Then that gives us a bit more time. We still need a subject," said Onyx as he stood by a wall. He heard the faint cheers from beyond. It seemed that the games were about to begin. Even behind these thick walls in the bowels of the Colosseum, one could make out the cries of the audience. Sigyn sighed.
"I still don't understand why she's going in such a roundabout way over this. I mean she can easily just-"
"Even tyrants have to operate within the rules of the world. Operating in chaos will be one's downfall," said Onyx as he began to walk down the hall, with Sigyn following behind.
"Then I'll continue to leave her to you. Be sure she's relatively behaved, where it doesn't endanger our relationship with Malicia," said Onyx.
"Understood, sir."
Onyx abruptly stopped in his tracks. He raised his hand to Sigyn, signaling for her to hold her position. The older man crept towards the wall and began to step towards a corner. He peered over, finding a glimpse of unfamiliar figures.
"OK, so we just need to split off from here and handle our roles," said Aiko, appearing in Onyx's line of sight. His eyes widened, having recognized the woman's face.
"Yeah, so you just set off the bombs and we snatch him during the chaos. Sounds easy enough," said Rainbow. Onyx narrowed his eyes.
"Good. When he's done, we'll set the plan in motion," said Aiko. Onyx turned to Sigyn, sharing a villainous smile.
Junior panted as he was stared down by a great beast. A giganotosaurus, a theropod that's slightly larger than the tyrannosaurus, stared him down. It had much larger and longer jaws that were filled with long razor sharp teeth. The beast roared as it stood over the ravaged corpses of other gladiators. Very few remained alive.
At the other side of the arena, a second large carnivore stood, facing off against the remaining gladiators. Among them being Kiri, Krush, Birdman and Callous. The carnivore in question was none other than a Spinosaurus. It was coated in dark green scales, with speckles of lighter green on its large body. It stood close to the ground, with its arms reaching the ground to support its size. It shrieked, spraying saliva from its long snout, filled with many sharp teeth.
"Lucky for us, this thing spends most of its time in water! It's not designed to commonly reside on land!" said Kiri, as the Spinosaurus stumbled after Birdman. Krush ran after the beast, swinging his mace at the back of its leg. The dinosaur shrieked before stopping to turn. Birdman dove down from behind, slashing his talon blades at the back of the neck.
Kiri turned her attention from the beast and to Junior, who was facing off with the giganotosaurus. Just as she turned, Junior was swept up into the jaws of the creature, much to her shock. Junior cried out in pain as he forced the jaws open, but had the teeth dig into his flesh. Kiri ran to the beast, sheathing her sword. She latched onto the tail and quickly began to scale up along it. She climbed onto its back, drawing her sword back out, then plunged it into the creature.
The giganotosaurus wailed in pain, dropping Junior out of its jaws. Junior fell the ground, his wounds bleeding into the sand. He groaned as he struggled to stand, but heard the approaching feet of Callous. The older man held out a hand. Junior took it and was pulled up to his feet.
"You would not believe the smell of that thing's mouth," said Junior, before running off to rejoin the fight. Callous was about to step forward but stopped. He noticed that in the dark patch of sand, where the boy's blood had soaked, something was beginning to emerge. He hadn't had time to study it, since he heard the roars of the beasts that they were fighting.
Kiri yelped as she held onto the handle of her sword, as the blade was embedded into the back of the giganotosaurus. It began to thrash around in a vain attempt to knock her off. Junior was charging for the beast, but was met with the swing of its tail. He was knocked back several feet. The giganotosaurus was still thrashing about, in agony.
"Birdman! Lead that thing over to this one!" cried Junior, pointing to the giganotosaurus. Birdman squawked before turning his path of flight. He soared towards the giganotosaurus, with the Spinosaurus still chasing him.
The giganotosaurus continued its thrashing. Once again, its tail swung and unintentionally struck one that was unfortunate to be too close. In this case, the Spinosaurus. Birdman narrowly avoided the tail and soared over head. The Spinosaurus snarled in anger at the contact, lunging for the tail. As it clamped down its jaws, the giganotosaurus shrieked.
Kiri quickly drew her sword out of the gigantosaurus's back. She leapt off, just as birdman swooped in and carried her away from the two large reptiles. The two dinosaurs began to fight, their attention now on each other. The audience cheered wildly.
"Flawless!" Said Junior, as Kiri was dropped next to him.
The Spinosaurus found its neck trapped in the jaws of the giganotosaurus. The teeth pierced its flesh, resulting in a loud pop. The creature collapsed, having died. The giganotosaurus snarled, its maw coated in the dark blood of its kill.
"Just one to go!" said Kiri. She and Junior charged after the remaining carnivore, which had its attention to them. It snarled as it lunged forward. Both Kiri and Junior side stepped away from the beast, its head close to the ground. Kiri then retaliated by slashing her sword at its neck.
Meanwhile...
The rescue team's operation was under way. While Aiko, and half the group split off to plant explosives for a diversion, the other half are to be close to extract Junior during the panic and chaos it will stir. Angirasu led the group. All the while, Rainbow Dash, Miwa, Fluttershy, Twilight, Mosura, and Sunset followed close behind.
By now, the group had made their way behind the arena, near the animal pens. There were multiple tunnels that led outside. These must have been where the creatures were set loose through. Angirasu motioned for the group to stop, as he peered over a corner. A pair of guards stood near one of the cages, where a pack of raptors lied. A guard tossed a small piece of raw meat into the cage, prompting the dinosaurs to fight over the morsel. Their shrieks echoed into the halls.
"Heh. Dumb beasts. This is the only way to enjoy this assignment," said a guard.
"So why do we feed them so little?" asked the second guard
"Why waste food on animals that are supposed to be killed off? Besides, starving them makes them more aggressive. More carnage, and more show," said the first guard as he drew out a staff, which bore a green spark. He jabbed the staff into the cage, where wolves were held. The creatures yipped in pain and with a start. They scrambled to the far back of the cell, huddled together.
"Heh. You'll get a kick at seeing beasts like this cower. It's cathartic that in spite of us being smaller and lacking any claws and fangs, we can strike fear into these monsters," said the guard. The two men began to make their way to the exit.
Angirasu stepped out of hiding, followed by the rest of his group. Here, they found themselves in the massive room, where many cages and pens lied. There were dinosaurs, mammals, large insects that filled the cells. Upon closer inspection, some of these creatures bore burns and lashes of what looked to be from whipping.
"How can anyone treat living things so horribly?" asked Fluttershy, deeply frowning.
"Yeah, it's pretty sad," said Mosura. She of all people knew that a lot of the beasts here would not think twice about gobbling her up, but this was no way to treat them. It was bad enough that the animals were being forced to fight in the games. It was even worse now that they were being abused and starved. The longer they stayed in Dogomoto, the more depravity they saw. And they knew that this was the tip of the ice berg.
"Alright. Let's wait in one of the tunnels. Hopefully we'll get a good look at him," said Angirasu, making his way down one of the tunnels. The rest followed, save for Fluttershy. She took notice of a massive iron cage, where a full grown tyrannosaurus lied inside. It lied like a chicken resting, but its legs and neck were bounded by heavy iron. The creature groaned, resting its head on the cold stone ground. The girl deeply frowned. With a creature this large, it was bound to be starving.
Fluttershy noticed a small trail of red spots on the ground. She followed the spots, finding them to be leading to a door. She carefully made her way over to the door and opened it. The creak of the door on the hinges caused her to cringe. She hoped that the guards that were here moments before are out of ear shot.
Inside of the room, Fluttershy found a closet full of hooks that held onto large carcasses of livestock. The girl stepped inside, finding a table where a butcher knife lied, along with freshly cut meats. The girl grabbed a couple of the largest pieces that she could and carried them out of the room. She soon stopped at the cage, where the rex was held. Fluttershy dumped the meat into a large tray. She then pushed it forward, sliding the tray into the cage, drawing the theropod's attention.
"Here you go," said Fluttershy sweetly. The rex raised its head and brought its muzzle into the tray, eating the contents inside.
Meanwhile, just on the opposite end of the arena, the second group of the rescue team was in the process of venturing through the dungeon halls. Among them were Aiko, Senior, Inoue, Koizumi, Battra, the Dazzlings, Applejack, Rodan and Rarity. Meanwhile, the rest of the MONARCH soldiers, Posey and Guardians were back at the crypt, keeping their exit out of this city secured.
"This chamber right here will do," said Aiko, pointing to a section of their location. Koizumi, Inoue and Battra began to rush to the walls and pillars, drawing out packs that contained C4 explosives.
"Make it quick. Sounds like the game is about wrapped up," said Aiko. She noticed Senior to be standing about, anxiously.
"You holding up?"
"No. My wife is on her own. I should've gone with her," said Senior, berating himself.
"She'll be fine. Besides, she's got the 'Teen Titans' on her side," said Aiko in reassurance. Rodan chuckled in amusement, while Senior cocked a brow.
"I don't think I understand that reference."
Inoue was making her way down to a corner in the chamber. After securing an explosive to the surface, she took notice of something in the corner of her eye. She gasped in shock, finding a familiar man to be standing far down a hall, his cold eyes locking with hers. She trembled, believing that she was staring at a ghost. Inoue quickly rubbed her eyes, finding the man to be gone.
"H-Hey, Sarge. I think I just saw Onyx. He was watching us from the next corridor," said Inoue, her voice shaken. Koizumi didn't pay her mind, as he planted an explosive.
"The man's dead. It's just a stress induced hallucination, kid. I've had a couple of them myself when I was around your age," said Koizumi dismissively.
"But-" Inoue grimaced as she looked back down the corridor, biting her lip. What she saw seemed so real. But, that was impossible. She herself knew that Onyx had passed away. She decided to ignore it. She was nervous after all for this operation. No need for distractions.
Unbeknownst to the group, Onyx was indeed residing behind a corner, at the far end of the corridor. He held up a wristwatch-like device close to himself and began to whisper.
"Alright, let's had for the gladiator entrance. We can get a good look for him from there," said Aiko, as the remaining explosives were planted.
The crowd cheered, as Kiri rode on the back of the giganotosaurus, her blade pierced into its back. The creature thrashed and squirmed in a vain attempt to shake her off. Meanwhile, Junior came rushing to the back ankle of the beast, swinging his shield at the joint. The blunt force resulted in breaking the joint that held the tarsus. The dinosaur shrieked as it stumbled, attempting to reduce weight on its broken limb. Junior then swung his sword at the other leg, slashing through muscle and cartilage that held the undamaged tarsus joint. The beast shrieked as it collapsed, unable to support itself on its severely damaged joints. Kiri stood up, pulling out her sword. She then lunged for the back of the head, while Junior sent his sword into the creature's eye. The dinosaur went limp, as both blades penetrated through its skull.
The audience cheered. Junior held out his hand to Kiri. The girl took it, allowing herself to climb down from the head of the now dead beast. The two shared a smile to each other.
"We keep this up, I can get out of here in no time," said Junior, as the two began to walk away, along with the rest of the remaining gladiators.
"Yeah. It won't be the same facing death without you around," said Kiri, a sad smile on her face. Junior frowned. He hadn't thought about the ones that he'd be leaving behind. After all, Kiri, Krush and Birdman were prisoners that were to fight in these games until death. He'd have to abandon his newly made friends if he were to beat Malicia at the wager.
"Kiri... I-"
"Save it. You have an opportunity to regain your freedom. Don't squander that for us," said Kiri, a reassuring smile on her face. But, Junior saw through this. He knew that it hurt her to say that. This place was not where someone wanted to be damned too. He wanted to at least see them go free before himself. The bonds he was forging with them meant something. It wasn't the same that he felt with his friends from back home. This might have been what the military referred to as 'Brothers in Arms'. Or 'sister', in Kiri's case.
Junior took notice of Callous to be kneeling over on the sand, just away from the general battle. Junior hadn't realized that he was there. Had he been avoiding the battle this whole time?
As Junior was about to make his way to one of the tunnels, the crowd suddenly went quiet. It was odd, considering that they would normally continue cheering until he was out of sight.
"Congratulations on your battles!" Malicia's voice called out. Junior turned, his expression souring. He found the Empress to be standing in her skybox, smiling down upon the gladiators, though the smile seemed rather condescending.
"But, I think that the people deserve to see our new champion participate in one more battle. An encore if you will. What say you, Lur?" asked Malicia. The audience erupted into cheers. Junior furrowed his brows at this. He had a sudden bad feeling in his gut.
"The people want it," said Malicia, a smirk on her face. She then pointed to the gates.
"The rest of you may leave," said Malicia. Krush, Birdman and Kiri looked to Junior in reluctance. The boy merely nodded to them. They began to walk off. Callous lagged behind, his shield tucked closely to himself.
"Everyone but the girl," said Malicia. Kiri stopped in her tracks, turning to find Malicia holding an innocent smile on her face. Kiri made her way next to Junior, glancing at him. Junior gulped, feeling his anxiety shoot up. Malicia had that familiar cold and predatory look in her eyes. As Krush, Birdman and Callous left the arena, Malicia held a hand out.
"Now for the main event. Two promising fighters in the arena. Gojira, a demi-Titan, versus Kiri of the Battle-Borns," said Malicia. Junior felt his stomach drop while the crowd cheered. Kiri hardened her expression.
"Why do we need to do this?! Haven't we entertained you enough?!" demanded Kiri.
"The dragons were merely a warm up. The people want to see more. The real entertainment is a battle between you. To the death," said Malicia, a dark smile on her face. Junior merely threw down his shield and sword, glaring at the woman.
"Never," said Junior. The audience gasped. Malicia's brows furrowed.
"I don't care if it pisses you people off. You can put me against a hundred gladiators. Pit me against the biggest, meanest, and nastiest monsters that this world has to offer. But I will never raise a sword against a friend," said Junior. Kiri dropped her weapon as well.
"Nor will I," said Kiri. The bloodthirsty crowd began to boo the two defiant gladiators. From the skybox, Kenra narrowed his eyes. Malicia merely gave a throaty chuckle of amusement.
"I knew you'd defy me. It's a good thing that I've prepared for such a rebellion," said Malicia.
Unbeknownst to Junior and Kiri, Maximilian stepped up to the now gated tunnel, where the remaining gladiators had emerged from. He gave manic giggles as he drew out two metallic balls, with fuses lit on the tops. He tossed the bombs through the gate, towards the unsuspecting pair. The bombs burst into large clouds of yellowish green smoke, which was quickly inhaled by Junior and Kiri. The two coughed profusely, their lungs burning and their senses failing.
"What was that?!" exclaimed Rainbow, peering from one tunnel at the end of the arena. From the tunnel on the opposite end, Aiko's eyes widened in shock and alarm. Memories flashed back to her of familiar clouds of gas.
Back in the arena, Junior rasped as his eyes became blood shot. His sclera turned a tinge of yellow, giving his eyes a reptilian appearance. A snarl escaped him. All sense of rational thinking left him. All he felt was aggression. His senses were assaulted, and the world around him spun. He began to salivate profusely at the mouth, his breathing quickening.
"Gojira! Gojira!" Kiri's voice cried out to him. The voice was infuriating. It was too loud. Junior's head throbbed, unable to focus his thoughts.
Kiri coughed as she attempted to wave the smoke away. She found Junior hunched to the ground, clutching his head, sweating profusely. She called out his name, which seemed to only cause him more distress. As Kiri stepped closer to him, Junior suddenly snarled at her, an inhuman look in his eyes. Kiri recoiled, her eyes widening. Junior growled as he remained close to the ground.
"Go-Gojira?" Kiri meekly called. Junior yelled as he lunged for the girl. Kiri stepped away, as the boy came slashing his claws at her.
"Hey, what's going on?!" Pinkie cried from the tunnel, attempting to see the arena.
"It looks like he has one more fight," said Sunset.
"Heh. He'll easily take that chick down," said Rainbow with a smirk. Fluttershy grimaced as she watched. From what she can see, Junior seemed to be fighting in a manner that wasn't normal for him. He seemed to be acting berserk. Something was very wrong.
Kiri cried out as she was flung through the air, rolling in the sand. She gasped as Junior came charging towards her, bloodlust in his eyes. She rolled out of his path, while grabbing the shield that he had discarded. Kiri shot to her feet, as the boy stalked towards her.
"Gojira, stop this! You aren't-"
Junior suddenly sent his fist towards the shield. The impact caused a fist shaped indent that bulged out to the other side. Kiri yelped as she was sent several feet back, rolling along the ground. She cried out in pain as she attempted to move her arm. The strike was enough to damage her shoulder and arm. She was unable to raise it. Kiri panted as she attempted to stand, but found her leg grabbed by the mutant. Kiri whimpered as she dragged closer to him. She stared at his reptilian eyes fearfully.
"Gojira, please. You have to stop this. For your sake," said Kiri. In her heart, she knew that no good was to come with making a wager with Malicia. Because now that it seemed like that she was losing, she resulted to underhanded schemes. Not only was she taking the boy's sense away, she was making the two of them fight. Kiri would be lying if she said that she didn't fear death. But now, she had someone to fear FOR.
Junior planted his foot on Kiri's gut, keeping a tight hold on her leg. He snarled, with no humanity left in his eyes. With a yank, Kiri let out a shrill and agonized scream.
"OH MY GOD!" Mosura cried out in horror. Twilight suddenly dropped to her hands and knees, vomit spewing from her mouth and to the ground.
"JESUS H. FUCKING CHRIST!" cried Rainbow Dash.
The crowd cheered as Junior dropped a dismembered leg to the ground. Kiri continued to scream in agony, her senses began to fade from the shock. She teared up, as she found her friend growling at her. She weakly shook her head. Junior knelt down and reached for her neck with his clawed hands. She began to scream, which were quickly silenced. All that came from her was a guttural sound. She felt warmth on her chest. Her inability to scream and the warm feeling that began to spread over her now cold body told her to give in now. There was no reason to struggle. In spite of her desire, her body told her to let go. One final tear shed from the corner of her eye, as she stared at Junior's face. Before the light faded of her sight, Kiri caught a glimpse of the boy's expression softening.
The crowd continued to cheer as the renowned gladiator Gojira Takeshi Jr. stood over his slain opponent. Her blood staining his clothes and the sand around them. Junior blinked, his pain beginning to cease and as his senses returned, so did his rationality. The boy was greeted by the sight of a familiar, beautiful girl. But, the sight of her made him sick. It mortified him. At his feet, she lied on the ground staring at him. Her eyes having lost their light. A look of pain, fear, and despair was frozen on her face. Junior shakily stared at his hands, finding them drenched in a fresh coat of blood. The crowd continued to cheer, but Junior felt himself having gone numb to the world around him. The face Kiri was etched into his mind, haunting him. A face that experienced betrayal in her last moments.
Miwa stared from the tunnel, her expression in horror. The things she saw played over and over in her head. She was unable to keep her balance, as the world around her spun. The shock and frantic cries of the teens with her fell on deaf ears. It was all just noise to her in this moment. She barely was able to register the swarm of guards that broke into the room, surrounding them.
Meanwhile, just in the tunnel on the opposite end, everyone else stared in shock as well. Senior felt his stomach sink, as he watched as his child was coated in the blood of the girl he had slaughtered without mercy.
Aiko turned as she noticed a figure to be rounding a bout from a corner from another corridor. Her eyes widened, just as he casually walked by. He stopped, turning to find her. His face may have been obscured by the mask, but his eyes seemed to light up. The light only grew when he took notice of Adagio Dazzle as well.
"It's him!" cried Adagio in dread. Aiko's shock suddenly turned to rage.
"I've been wondering where you were hiding," said Aiko, venom in her tone. Everyone turned their attention to Aiko, who stared down the heavily clothed man. He merely gave manic laughs, his eye twitching. Aiko stood still like a statue, Adagio notice that her hands were clenched into a fist and shaking.
"Aiko?" Adagio said with concern.
Aiko gave an enraged cry as she charged for the old man. But, she was suddenly tripped, as a magic tendril whip wrapped around her leg. She slammed to the ground with a grunt, turning to find Sigyn smirking as she held a glowing tendril in her grasp.
Senior and the soldiers drew their weapons, while the teens got into a fighting stance. Sigyn wagged her finger in mock disapproval.
"Ah! Ah! Ah!" said Sigyn, as a squad of soldiers dressed in dark uniform appeared from behind. All were armed with rifles that matched the weapons that the Zetas used. Senior turned to find more soldiers appearing behind Max, their weapons drawn as well. The Rescue Team were outnumbered.
"Weapons down'!" ordered Sigyn, holding out a pistol. Senior growled as he and the soldiers dropped their weapons to the ground. Sigyn giggled.
"How delicious."
Later that Day...
Malicia giggled in delight as she began to walk down from her throne. She found Junior to be standing before her, his eyes staring at the ground. The utter look of shock was a wonderful sight for the Empress. Just hours ago, he boasted confidence in winning the bet. Now, his mouth was sealed shut. He showed no signs of rage or despair. He just stood in silence. Even without expression, Malicia took pleasure in this sight.
"Oh, if only you could see your own face. What was it you said? You were going to wipe the smug look off of myself when you walked out of here? My smugness is still here, and as are you," said Malicia, taunting the boy. Junior said nothing, standing with his wrists bounded in magic shackles. Malicia giggled.
"You remember the wager. I won, and now you have to remain here and serve me," said Malicia, caressing the boy's cheek. Junior didn't respond. Malicia frowned. Her victory was beginning to lose its sweetness, the longer the boy didn't respond. She stepped away with a sigh.
"I thought it was strange that you were suddenly looking for ways to get out of our wager just a day after. Now I know why," said Malicia, glancing to the side. She found that the apprehended Rescue Team members were on their knees, bounded in enchanted shackles. She made her way over to them, met with glares.
"You were fools to believe that you can rescue him. Even if you got him out of the Colosseum, you would have no way to break the curse he was bounded by. But, it amuses me nonetheless," said Malicia. She turned to Miwa and Senior, her expression growing cold. Just looking at the two, she could see the resemblance the boy had with them. It was something to see it in person, rather than with just her power of insight. Just looking at them made her sick to her stomach.
"Hmph. Parents. They always seem to fail the child. You, the father, who abandoned his family. And you, the mother, who coddled him and sent him to a school with those that would never accept his kind," said Malicia. Miwa gritted her teeth and glared at the empress.
"You don't know-"
"I know everything he knows!" said Malicia, glaring at the woman. She began to move along the captives. She focused on the soldiers.
"Ah yes. I've heard much about you. You who enforce the oppression of the 'Transmutants' as you call them. No matter how much blood I spill, I will never be as bad as you," said Malicia with a dark smile. Koizumi furrowed his brows, Inoue's eyes were downcast, and Battra kept a stoic look. Malicia then made her way to the teenagers. A smirk was plastered on her face.
"Ah yes. You must be the so called 'friends' of his. My, my. I've especially learned things about you," said Malicia. She turned her eyes to the Main 6.
"When he needed you most, you denied him. You believed that he committed crimes, and never thought to stand by him until the truth revealed itself," said Malicia. The Main 6, excluding Fluttershy, bore looks of shame and regret. Malicia turned to Sunset and Adagio.
"You broke his tender heart. And you betrayed his trust," said Malicia. Sunset and Adagio looked away. She then looked to Angirasu with a scoff.
"You can't even be bothered to show the same kind of loyalty that he's shown you," said Malicia. Angirasu furrowed his brows. Malicia took a step back, looking to the captives with disdain.
"All of you are guilty of sin against him. Those of you looking to redeem yourselves, abandon that hope. Now, he belongs to me," said Malicia. She then waved to one of the guards.
"Take them away to the dungeon. They'll have to be well rested for tomorrow's torture," said Malicia with a cackle. As the guards began to usher up the captives, Fluttershy began to tremble.
"You..." Fluttershy muttered. Malicia turned to her.
"I'm sorry? Speak up," said Malicia. Fluttershy turned to glare at the empress.
"You cheated the bargain. Gojira wouldn't have killed that girl if you hadn't played an underhanded trick as that," said Fluttershy. Malicia merely smirked.
"So what? I don't like to lose," said Malicia, shrugging.
The Rescue Team was escorted through the endless halls of the dungeon in the bowels of the Citadel. They were soon led to their cell. The teens and adults were separated from each other. Rarity yelped with a start, finding a crocodile-like man to be sitting against the wall.
"What's up?" greeted Krush, casually.
"Hey, you're a crocodile man!" said Sunset, stepping to the cell bars.
"Yep. Name's Krush. This is Birdman," said Krush, pointing to the avian next him. Birdman squawked, though it was rather small and solemn. Callous sat in the corner alone, while a few other gladiators sat around.
"They locked us up with the gladiators," said Twilight in dread.
"Relax. This dungeon is for people on Malicia's personal shit list. And for special gladiators that are 'on a holiday'. You don't have to worry too much. Now if ya don't mind, we're in the middle of mourning," said Krush as he set down a belt buckle, which bore a shield-like engraving on it. He sighed heavily.
"It doesn't seem right. He never would've done that," said Krush to himself. The teens all sat around, looks of disbelief and sadness on their faces.
"He wouldn't..." said Fluttershy, staring at the ground.
"I can't believe we came all of this way to just lose him," said Adagio, her lip quivering.
"And we got captured ourselves," said Rainbow, a heavy sigh escaping her.
"I can't even use my magic. These shackles must be nullifying my powers," said Twilight.
"Mine too," said Applejack, straining to break free. Pinkie scooped up some dirt and tossed it. She deeply frowned.
"Me three..."
"We aren't done yet, guys," said Koizumi, from the cell across from the girls. They turned their attention to the door, where he was peering from.
"We still have the remote for the Dimension Tide. We can just return to our world, grab more men and weapons, and blow the Dogomites to Hell!" said Koizumi. Miwa perked up.
"Hey, that's right! I forgot how we got here! What were we worried about?" said Miwa in relief.
"Good thinking, Sergeant. Private, open up a way home. We'll come back and bust the rest out of here and level that bitch's army," said Aiko, a determined smile on her face.
"Click that shit," said Koizumi. Inoue reached to her person. As she searched herself, her excitement began to slowly shift into horror.
"It's gone," said Inoue.
"Heh. That's not funny," said Koizumi with a nervous chuckle. But, his shoulders slumped as he found the grimace on the young woman's face.
"Well, fuck," said Koizumi.
Meanwhile, in the higher levels of the Citadel, Sigyn was strolling down the hall. She sauntered passed guards, catching their eye. She smiled to herself, making her way into a room. She found Onyx to be standing inside, with Megaguirus leaning against the wall.
"Found this on them. I recognized it as something you were working on," said Sigyn, reaching into her cleavage. She drew out the remote to the Dimensional Tide and handed it off to Onyx.
"Very impressive. This can open a way back to their world," said Onyx, as he handed it off to Megaguirus. The woman grimaced.
"What?"
"You mind wiping that? It's kind of awkward touching that after it's been..." Megaguirus was interrupted as Onyx sent her a deadpanned look. Megaguirus sighed as she took the remote.
"Contact Destoroyah when you return. The time has come. Execute order: Bellus," said Onyx.
Meanwhile, in Equestria...
Xenjira found himself walking down a hall in silence. He stood, with only a pair of jeans. He had neglected to wear a shirt these days, considering the crystalline structures that protruded from his flesh. He found the stares of other men, who were fully clothed, some carrying weapons in their grasp. As of late, Xenjira has become the subject of gawking for those here.
Despite being among other Transmutants, Xenjira still managed to be the odd one out. But, that didn't matter. He was only here because someone offered him something. And now, he wanted to see him as of this moment. Xenjira made his way to a room, where he found Destoroyah to be standing with two other men. They were discussing something he couldn't discern. Because he was focused on the fact that one of these two men was sporting a Purist emblem on his jacket.
"What the hell is this?!" demanded Xenjira. This drew the men's attention.
"Ah. You're just in time. Please, come over here," said Destoroyah.
"No way! Tell me what these Purist bastards are doing here among the Revolutionaries?!" yelled Xenjira.
"I'm Natas. And this is Lucien. We're actually not working with the Purists anymore," said the man in the jacket, casually. Xenjira cocked a brow, a puzzled look on his face. Destoroyah chuckled.
"Come. We're setting up a plan to take over a MONARCH base. They even have a nifty name for it. Operation: Bellus," said Destoroyah.
"Contact Destoroyah when you return. The time has come. Execute order: Bellus," said Onyx. He handed over the control to the Dimension Tide from the Rescue Team, though they themselves were now captives under the Dogomites.
Megaguirus held the control in her hand with a smirk and nod. As she was about click the control, Onyx suddenly gasped.
"Wait! I almost forgot!" said Onyx as he turned to a table. Megaguirus heard the clicks of latches unlocking.
"A little parting gift," said Onyx, presenting an opened trunk. The content inside made Megaguirus smile devilishly.
Meanwhile in Equestria...
The air was quiet and ever stagnant. The Dimension Tide remained offline, but its new power source remained intact. There was a group of scientists that were working on any menial tasks, and maintained the Archway.
It had been a few days since the platoon was deployed through the archway. In all of this time, there had been no activity, nor any soul that had returned from the unknown world. It seemed hopeless to just wait for a return. But, orders were orders.
"For all we know, they could've been torn from every atom that made up their very existence," scoffed a scientist.
"You better hope not. The last thing we want is to having to explain away the disappearances of civilians and a whole platoon of soldiers," said another scientist.
The DT Archway suddenly hummed to life. Every scientist turned as the lights ignited, and the portal appeared.
"Did one of you-" one of the scientists looked to the rest.
"They're coming back!" exclaimed the other scientist.
The portal began to ripple and spark. The scientists made their way to the ramp, awaiting for the soldiers to return to their world.
From the portal, an unfamiliar woman stepped inside. She was clad dirty clothing, with ruby red eyes. Her short violet hair blew from the gusts of wind created by the archway's power. A harness was strapped to her person.
"Where are the rest?" asked one of the scientists.
Megaguirus smirked as the harness began to shift. A robotic tail rose from behind her back, with a glowing light at the end. It suddenly shot forth a bolt of energy, causing the scientist to cry out as he dropped to the ground. The rest of the scientists screamed and attempted to flee. Megaguirus lunged forward, crouching to the ground as the stinger continued to fire off at the fleeing scientists, causing them to drop to the ground unconscious. The mutant sighed as she rolled her neck, making her way towards the computer console that dictated the controls of the device. She inserted a drive into a slot on the console and began to press away at the keys. She then reached to her side, drawing out a cellular device.
"This is Megaguirus. I've infiltrated the base and I have control of the device. Yes, I'll send you the location," said Megaguirus, turning to the archway. She found a trail of lights of the cables to be running from a pedestal, where a pure white glowing gem was resting inside. The woman grinned.
Equescidar. Lur, Dogomoto...
Junior found himself on his knees. The enchanted shackles that he wore weighed heavily on him. But not as heavily as the events that happened hours ago. In spite of his hands being washed, he still felt the warm, oily feeling of blood. It didn't matter how much the hand maidens washed him. He would never be clean.
Junior heard the sound of doors creaking. The footsteps echoed out in this lonely cold stoned room.
"Come now, dear. I can't even get rude remark from you. Now that you'll be staying here, we have to communicate," said Malicia in mock disappointment, circling around the boy. The sound of her heels echoed into Junior's ears.
"Why?" Junior finally spoke. Malicia stopped, her back facing him.
"Why did make me do that? What have I done to deserve this?" asked Junior, his voice hollow. Malicia sighed.
"I told you that it was best to not form attachments," said Malicia.
"She didn't deserve to die," said Junior.
"She was a rebel and a threat to my empire," said Malicia.
"She was my friend," said Junior, his tone began to rise.
"She was in my way," said Malicia, turning to face the boy.
"YOU MADE ME KILL HER!" Junior shouted. Malicia was unphased by his tone. The boy just glared hatefully at her. That face was a familiar one.
"You think that we're nothing alike. But I see that in your eyes, we are," said Malicia. She knelt down and brought a hand to his face. Junior pulled away with snarl.
"DON'T. TOUCH ME."
Malicia merely smiled. She stood up and looked down at the boy.
"Gojira, it didn't have to turn out this way," said Malicia.
"I'd never give you a kid to ruin," growled Junior. Malicia shook her head.
"It's not only that, my dear. From the beginning, you had a choice," said Malicia. Junior growled.
"You never gave me a choice!"
"Of course I did. From the very first day, I gave you a choice. Remain here and learn, or take your chances with the world that hated you. You chose the former," said Malicia. Junior lost his glare and just knelt in silence.
"You might not believe me, Gojira. But if you had said no, I would have let you go on your way. But you took my offer. You've taken every offer that I made. You didn't have to. You didn't have to become a gladiator," said Malicia. Junior glared at her.
"You told me that-!"
"I didn't lie. You've proven capable of defending yourself. I taught you to kill your enemies. It was you who accepted the wager, Gojira. In the end, that girl's blood is on your hands," said Malicia. Junior felt his blood run cold. He began to tremble as he recalled every decision that he made. Every offer that he accepted. The lies that he believed. They were all him.
"Kiri..." Junior muttered.
"Just let go, my son. Abandon your old life and embrace your new one. Stand with your mother," said Malicia warmly. Junior furrowed his brows. He raised his head to meet her eyes.
"I already have a mother," said Junior, venom in his tone. Malicia's expression became cold.
"It seems that I have to work on you," said Malicia, before leaving the room. Junior gritted his teeth, as the door began to close.
It was morning. Lush green fields ran as far as the eye could see. Unlike that of Lur, the cities, villages beyond were crawling with life. Dinosaurs roamed in the distance, migrating across the land for their nesting grounds, while mammals either grazed in the fields, or hid in their burrows.
It was a rather fairly normal day for the people of this village. They went about their daily chores such as tending to their livestock, harvesting for food, tending to crops, building and repairing anything that may have been necessary. While the adults worked, the children played. Some of course, were handling their own fair share of chores. But when they finished, they quickly joined the fun with the other children in their community. Life was more peaceful here compared to the more hectic life of the city. People rarely got sick, there was no crowding, and neighbors knew each other quite well. These people lived without so much of a care in the world, ignorant of their day being observed from a distance.
Scar stood by in silence, as Kenra was peering through a pair of binoculars. She watched the village with a click of her tongue.
"They have no idea what's coming," said Kenra under her breath, placing the binoculars down. She then turned to Scar, Alexandra and Dreadnought. Adrian was absent, due to the little torture session with Maximilian being a lot more than she was able to handle.
"Now, you poor saps have a job to do. None of you have a choice. You're to find the Demi-Titan insurrectionist that's turned their village against the Empire, and neutralize him," said Kenra, as she held up a controller.
"Now, in case any of you try to sit out or abandon the objective, there will be Hell to pay," said Kenra, as she pressed a button. The Purists cried out in pain as they felt a brief jolt of electricity sent through them.
"With that out of the way, let me introduce you to the new outfits that Malicia commissioned," said Kenra, pointing to the clothes that the Purists wore. They were more like tunics.
"Those clothes are specially made. They're made from the living energy of a subject, and are designed to accommodate for your transformation. So don't worry about losing your clothes. Be grateful to the Empress!" said Kenra.
"How convenient," said Dreadnought, tugging at his clothes.
"OK, I'll have you set into your other forms, while increasing your cognitive processing power to average. Just so you're at least smart enough to know to not to fight amongst yourselves and to stay on task," said Kenra. Scar bore a hard expression, while Dreadnought crossed his arms.
"Alright, let's go!" said Alexandra, eagerly.
"Nothing escapes. Go!" said Kenra, stepping back as she began to activate commands on her remote controller. The Purists cried out in agony as they dropped to their hands and knees. Their legs shrinking, as their arms grew. Their bodies morphed and grew, as tails sprouted from them. The clothes that covered their bodies quickly began to disperse into glowing particles, reforming into harnesses and sleeves on their bodies.
Once they had transformed, the Purists shrieked in their monstrous forms. They leapt down the hill and charged towards the unsuspecting village. By the time that the villagers took notice of the beasts that were approaching, it was already too late.
The Purist Skull Crawlers slammed into the houses and other small structures in the village. Their bodies sent planks of wood flying, along with dust. The villagers screamed as they fled, while some took arms with their farming equipment and attempted to fight back. But, the ferocity of the Skull Crawlers was too much for them. They moved swiftly, stomping, chomping, and slashing at the humans. Whole houses began to collapse, as farm animals began to panic and attempt to flee from their pens.
During this chaos, Scar was just able to process every action that he took. While he didn't feel whole, mentally, he at least had awareness. But, being in this form was excruciating. His stomach ached terribly, and his mouth salivated extensively. Walking on his arms gave him a clumsy feeling, as he stumbled and tripped during this attack. He had to act wildly just to avoid getting stabbed by any sharp tools that the villagers had. For an insurrection, they were ill prepared to fight back, even if it wasn't against mutants.
From a house, a man bolted out. His eyes were wide in horror as he witnessed the village being destroyed by three Skull Crawlers. No, not just any Skull Crawlers. He was able to recognize them as Demi-Titans, as they seemed to only be attacking, not eating the villagers. The man hardened his expression and clenched his fists. He dropped to one knee, as his body began to morph and change.
The man's body grew to be 15 feet in height, as his flesh was replaced with bright warm colors. His body became reptilian, with long clawed limbs and a tail, with a mouth full of sharp teeth. But, he also stood with an avian posture, his arms having lengthened as wings, where feathers grew. His head morphed and changed to slanted and flat brows, giving his head an eagle-like appearance. The Demi-titan spread his wings out, as a lizard-like frill erected from his neck, bearing colors of red, yellow and orange. He shrieked as he took flight, catching the attention of Scar.
The avian lunged for Scar, his wings carrying him through the air. He dug his talons into the Purist. Scar snarled as he and the Demi-Titan rolled along the ground with their bodies slamming into a nearby house. Scar scrambled up and lunged, but missed as his enemy took to the air. But, the avian dropped back down, slamming his weight upon the Purist.
The demi-titan slashed at Scar's hide, wounds began to bleed into the grass. He then used his talons to carry the Purist several feet into the air. He carried him to a structure and dropped him on top. Scar screeched in pain, as wood splinters had been caught into his hide. Scar turned to find the Demi-Titan land before him, snarling. As he approached, Scar suddenly swung his tail at the avian's legs. The creature fell over with a yip. As he fell to the ground, Scar lunged for his neck, clamping his jaws down. The avian shrieked as he attempted to fight the Purist off. Scar kept his bite, while pinning his wings with his paws. However, the avian's kicks began to strike his wounds.
Scar released the demi-titan, allowing him to escape. The bite wounds bled, and the feathers were matted down, some having been lost. The avian stood, displaying his frill with a shriek. However, the demi-titan looked to be weak from the last attack. Scar hissed, as he prepared to lunge again.
"Why do you attack this village?" The Demi-Titan suddenly spoke, as clear as day. Scar's eyes were wide. He thought he was hallucinating this. But, he recalled a similar experience many years ago. Back in Solgell.
"You do not feed, just destroy. The people of this village have done nothing to you or to the empire. What right have you to kill them?" demanded the demi-titan. Scar's eyes slightly widened. Even in this state, in hunger and as a beast, he was able to hear and comprehend every word that was spoken to him.
He began to think about all of his past actions. From the beginning. Was he really in the right? Scar's mind quickly retracted back to the present. Now was not the time to dwell. He needed answers now. But, when he tried to respond, all that came was a guttural sound.
'Why can't I speak?' thought Scar. The avian demi-titan was suddenly tackled by Alexandra from behind. She sunk her teeth deeper into his neck. The demi-Titan shrieked as he attempted to fight back. But, Alexandra clenched down harder, crushing the vertebrae of the avian. The Demi-Titan fell limp, bleeding profusely. His eyes began to cloud as a sigh escaped him. Scar stared wide eyed, as Alexandra stopped away, licking her bloody snout.
Soon, the Purists were forced back into their human forms. The leather cloth that made up the sleeves and harnesses on their bodies had now reformed into the clothes they wore as humans. Scar winced, feeling his wounds still remaining on his body. He turned to Alexandra, who was standing on the dead Demi-Titan.
"Heh. Too easy," said Alexandra. She noticed the glare that Scar was sending her. She shrugged.
"What?"
"Killing him wasn't necessary. Bringing him in alive could have bought us favor into Malicia's grace." said Scar. Though honestly, he didn't care to actually please the witch. He thought that having her trust would be useful in the long run. Alexandra scoffed in response.
"What? I only killed him because he started talking! That shit isn't natural! Once these damn freaks start talking in their animal forms, it's all downhill from there. They're just one step closer at replacing the whole human race," said Alexandra, stepping off the Demi-Titan.
"You don't know that. Besides, this is another world. They probably function a lot differently here compared to the ones in our world," said Scar. Alexandra narrowed her eyes at him.
"What happened to you?" asked Alexandra.
"What do you mean?" asked Scar, just as Dreadnought arrived to the scene.
"You're not the same man that I knew. The one who killed any mutie that threatened our society! Now these days you've been so adamant! What changed?" demanded Alexandra, narrowing her eyes.
"Nothing," said Scar.
"I can name the exact time I noticed it. It was after the night that Impact died. What happened?" Alexandra asked again. Scar sighed heavily. He hadn't thought of that night in quite a while.
"Ever since that night, I've done a lot of thinking. Getting off of the red stuff recently has made things clearer for me. I originally joined the Purists to avenge someone that I lost. Someone that I loved," said Scar, recalling the face of a woman that he held dear to his heart. His late fiancé, Roxanne.
"I spent years of my life trying to make them feel the pain that I felt. But as time went on, I'd find myself wondering if I became the very thing that I swore to destroy. A monster," said Scar, his eyes downcast. He suddenly heard a cackle. He turned, finding Alexandra laughing like a witch. He hardened his expression.
"Dude, are you an idiot? Grow up!" laughed Alexandra.
"Hey, watch it!" barked Dreadnought.
"I'm sorry, but this is too much! Most of us didn't join because we wanted justice or money. We just wanted to kill some muties! Pure and simple. We aren't a fucking league of vigilantes looking for justice!" Alexandra's face then darkened.
"I had a feeling that you were becoming soft. You're not fit to be a leader," said Alexandra. She then smirked. "Maybe it's time that someone else takes that role."
"What does it matter? We're marooned in a world that honors Transmutants," said Scar.
"Yeah, and no way in Hell would I follow you. I'm sticking with Scar," said Dreadnought.
"I thought you had loyalty to money?" asked Alexandra.
"I do. But, I'm also loyal to the man who's had my back for years and kept me on a payroll. Besides, it beats following your crazy ass," said Dreadnought. Alexandra's brow twitched.
"So I'm crazy? OK," said Alexandra with a chuckle. She then glared at the man, her face red.
"How about you say that again, you fuckin' gimp!" shouted Alexandra. Kenra and a group of Dogomite knights suddenly arrived to the scene. She glared at the Purists.
"Hey! What's with all of the fighting?! You still have work to do!" said Kenra. Scar and Alexandra stared at each other for a brief moment. The woman smirked at him briefly, before turning away from him and towards Kenra.
"Scar and Dreadnought are weak. In fact, they were plotting to stab Malicia in the back and make the Empire crumble," said Alexandra. Dreadnought and Scar were in shock. They became enraged.
"You two faced bitch!" Dreadnought lunged for the woman, as did Scar. Before they could reach her, they were suddenly met with a high voltage shock. They dropped to the ground, screaming in agony, as Kenra held a familiar control.
"Alright. Boys, take the trash back down to the citadel. We'll wrap up everything here," said Kenra, as she activated the 'stun' command on the remote. The knights yanked Dreadnought and Scar off of the ground and hauled them away.
"You'll regret this, Alexandra!" Scar shouted.
"Oh, I'm shaking in my boots!" said Alexandra in mock fear.
"Not bad on ditching those losers. They were just dead weight," said Kenra in approval. She began to walk off.
"I'll be sure that Malicia puts you into a higher position. You scratch my back, I scratch yours. Got it?" Kenra looked back to the Purist with a smirk.
It was the next day. The sun light covered the entire city. But, in the deep bowels of the citadel, it was cold and dark. There was no telling for the prisoners below to tell what time of day it was.
In the cells, the Rescue Team rested or sat in silence. Those awake were left to ponder how badly they had failed. And that they were doomed to remain here. They had no way of warning the remaining soldiers and Guardians.
The sound of footsteps filled the air. Everyone stirred, finding that some guards approached, with Kenra, Sigyn and Maximilian to be standing.
"Alright, let's get started. You. Step on out," said Kenra, pointing to Battra. The mutant merely furrowed his brows before stepping out of the cell.
"You," said Sigyn, pointing to Inoue, who stiffened. She looked back to Koizumi, who stepped forward with a glare.
"Hey, how about you- Gah!" Koizumi was struck by a pointed spear, which sparked with magic.
"Now," said Sigyn, sternly. Inoue gulped as she stepped outside. Meanwhile, Max giggled with a wheeze, before pointing to Aiko.
"You..." said Max. Aiko met him with a hateful look. She stepped forward, her fist clenched, as the old man's eyes smiled at her.
"Let's get going, shall we?" Max wheezed as he walked ahead, as a pair of guards escorted the woman away.
"Mom!" Angirasu cried. Aiko avoided meeting his gaze. But her stomach turned as he cried out to her. Malicia's enforcers left with three of the prisoners in tow. Everyone waited in their cells helplessly, and with dread.
The soldiers found themselves separated during their escorts. Each were taken to a different room, with one Enforcer each with them. The guards stood outside of the doors of the rooms
Equestria...
Xenjira found himself standing at a table, where a large tablet sat before him. On it were several different weapons. Fully automatic rifles, hand guns, submachine guns, along with plenty of ammunition to spare. This didn't seem to be enough to take over an entire MONARCH base. But, it may be a start. The real muscle may come from the fact that the mutants were the ones who were invading. There was also this 'infiltrator' on the inside that may prove to be useful.
Xenjira found Natas, Lucien and several other Revolutionaries to be arming up as well. Xenjira warily looked over his shoulder, finding more men to be standing around, armed to the teeth. They too bore emblems or tattoos that represented the Purist faction. It seemed that Lucien and Natas weren't the only ones who decided to defect as well. This didn't make sense. Why would Destoroyah work with them of all people?
"This is the moment of truth, gentlemen. Today will be the first step into a brighter future. A future that ensures that all hostility between both our races will end, permanently," said Lucien as he loaded up his rifle. Xenjira tilted his head at this. He wondered what in the world that could mean. He noticed Destoroyah to be stepping out of the back of a truck, causing it to creak and bounce. His heavy footsteps filled the air. The Revolutionary grabbed a weapon as well, loading it up.
"The communications of the base will be severed momentarily by the team that went in ahead of us. Before we move in, did anyone forget their role?" asked Destoroyah. No response came from this platoon of terrorists.
"Good." Destoroyah nodded with a toothy grin.
Meanwhile...
Hayato Yoshi was sitting in his office. His eyes were looking through his tablet, reading through reports. Anything to occupy himself until he receives word on an update with the Dimension Tide Archway.
Hayato sighed as he set the tablet down. There was a sudden beep. He reached into his pocket, drawing out his phone. He answered the call.
"Yes? What? Alright, I'm on my way," said Hayato as he stood up and made his way out of the office. He powerwalked down the hallways, his brows furrowed. The call had him a bit riled up. This warranted his full attention. Now wasn't the time for dallying and waiting for a response from the DT Archway.
Hayato soon made his way to the communications center of the base. He found the personnel here to be scrambling at their desktops. They spoke frantically to each other, as the screens on their monitors became distorted. This was more serious than Hayato originally thought it was. He made his way to the supervisor of this department.
"Talk to me," said Hayato.
"Something's wrong with the communications systems. We can't get a signal and we can't contact the other bases. We're mute," said the supervisor.
"Director! We just got word that surveillance and security systems are down!" said a man, rushing to into the room. Hayato hardened his expression.
"We're under attack. I want everything back online, now! Get word out to all units on base to be on guard. We may be expecting company," said Hayato as he drew out his side arm.
"Sir, if I may. Why is it that you've continued to stay here instead of returning to home base?" asked the supervisor.
"There's business that I plan to see through to the end. Besides, I believe it's good for a leader to make a connection with his soldiers, and the people he swore to protect. Especially the Transmutants," said Hayato, pulling back on the metallic slide on the gun.
There was the sudden sound of gunfire. Everyone stopped what they were doing, frozen like deer caught in headlights. The rapid sounds of gun fire muffled from behind the walls. Hayato quickly aimed his weapon, just as the door was swung open. He fired off his pistol, catching a man in a ski mask in the head. He fell back, but was quickly replaced by another, who peered through the door way with his sub machine gun. Everyone in the room took cover, while Hayato kicked over a table and hid behind it.
The two exchanged bullets at each other. The air was filled with the deafening sounds of the gun fire. Hayato attempted to fire back, but the inferior place of cover allowed him to catch a couple of bullets into his shoulder and arm. Just as his ammo had ran down, he fell over with a cry. The assailant quickly rushed in, followed by a couple other men.
"Nobody fucking move!" shouted one of the men.
Throughout the base, MONARCH soldiers found themselves caught off guard. The alarm had barely blared, just as a platoon of armed bogies appeared from every corner within the compound. The bullets whizzed and zipped through the air, penetrating through concrete, flesh and bone. Cries of agony from both sides filled the air. However, the soldiers found themselves suffering the most casualties.
The Revolutionaries proved to be more lethal foes than the Purist defectors were. They moved faster through the compound, able to aim with such precision, and react faster than any ordinary man.
"Shit! COM's are out!" shouted a soldier, as he and a group of soldiers were behind a HUMVEE. They exchanged bullets with a group of invaders, who stood out in the open, and were in the process of advancing.
"We need to fall back! Get- OH MY GOD!" A soldier cried, as a red cloud of dust suddenly rose into the air, forming into a serpentine-like crustacean. The beast shrieked as it began to maul the human soldiers. The ones who attempted to flee from the abomination were quickly gunned down by those who were shooting at them before. This is how it went throughout the base. Soldiers that were pinned in cover, putting up a fight, were soon spooked off from cover due to a sneaky Revolutionary that had changed into its beast form. Either they were mauled, or they were gunned down. There was no escape.
Soon, the base was conquered. The COMs remained dead, leaving the rest of the world ignorant of the ill fate that befell this base. Many soldiers that were stationed here lied dead outside, or within the halls of the base. Bullet cases littered the ground, blood stained every surface. There was no hope for survivors that dared to raise a gun at these hostiles.
Xenjira stood with a rifle, as Lucien barked orders to the others. He found Hayato, surviving soldiers and other personnel herded through the base, towards the brig. During this, Xenjira followed Natas towards the Hangar area. Here, they beheld the DT archway. It had long since halted its hums and glowing, its last voyager having long since settled.
"Magnificent," said Natas, gazing upon the archway. He noticed Xenjira drawing out a couple of grenades. Before he pulled the pins, Natas quickly placed a hand on them.
"Ah. Let's not do that. This thing is important," said Natas, prompting an odd look from the mutant.
Equesciadar...
Battra cried out in agony as he was beaten by a sparking baton. Kenra bore a hard expression as she circled the young man held up by magic chains. She beat him with the baton against his exposed back as he cried out in agony.
"I've waited years for this," said Kenra as she held her baton. Battra panted as he looked to the woman.
"All of those years serving MONARCH. What a waste," said Kenra.
"You're... not from this world either?" panted Battra. Considering the equipment that she had, it shouldn't have been a surprise. But even still, no one seemed to understand why there were MONARCH soldiers here before they themselves had come to this world.
"No. I was marooned here with Sigyn. For the last couple of years I despaired being stuck serving the Empress, never having the chance to avenge my brother," said Kenra as she glared at Battra.
"But now I've found you," said Kenra in a low tone.
"What?" asked Battra in confusion.
"Don't play dumb! Neighpon! 8 years ago! You killed my brother with your telekinesis! His name was Keno Kenpachi!" shouted Kenra. Battra's eyes widened. That name was familiar. Kenpachi. But that couldn't have been the same person that she was talking about, was it?
"I... don't know what you're talking about. I've never killed Kenpachi. He's alive! He's back in MONARCH right now, he's- " Battra grunted as Kenra punched him. Her eyes burned with rage.
"Stop fucking with me! You turned his brain to moosh! All I have left to remember him by is his baton!" said Kenra as she held up the tool. Battra panted, not responding.
"When I found him, he had the setting on high. And I don't plan on dialing it back," said Kenra with hate in her tone. "It'll be like he's here with us!"
Kenra jabbed the baton against Battra, causing him to cry out in agony from the shock. Kenra chuckled as her eyes ran with tears.
"This is for you, big brother," said Kenra.
Aiko found herself bounded to a wooden chair. Her eyes burned with hate as she glared at Maximilian. The man sighed as he mixed chemicals together.
"I haven't made this stuff since... well, since I lost my job as a dentist," said Max as he brought his tank up.
"Did you know that? In Neighpon, I worked as a dentist. I was damn good at my job," said Max as he poured the yellow liquid into the tank. He giggled and wheezed.
"But I didn't become a dentist to help people. No. You see, I was young, I was refereed as a bad little kid~" Max took on a singing tone, much to Aiko's confusion. "My mother noticed unsettling things I did.~ like shooting puppies with a BB gun, poisoning guppies, and bashing the heads of cats!~" sang Max. He turned to Aiko, who bore an unnerved look.
"Get it? You get the joke, right?" asked Max. Aiko hardened her eyes. The old man groaned in frustration.
"How could you not get it?! It's a classic!" said Max in dismay. He rubbed his wrinkly brows with a sigh.
"Long story short, I get a kick out of causing pain. Naturally I became a dentist. I used no anesthetic nor any other method of numbing pain," said Max giggled and wheezed.
"Those were the days. But one patient turned my world upside down," said Max.
"A Transmutant kid was scheduled with me. I sat the tyke down in his seat for a root canal. The kid was screaming in pain that I couldn't contain my laughter. But, the lad kicked me, causing me to stumble back with the drill. I was given a deep cut in my cheek that I had to be rushed to the hospital," said Max as he tapped a tank. Aiko grew disgusted at the story. Served the man right to be injured.
"Unfortunately, my ride crashed into a truck. It was carrying some chemicals from GeneCo in the back. I don't know what, but I fell into the spill when trying to escape. It got into my wound and burned like a bitch," said Max with a shudder.
"Soon, I was rushed to the hospital by an ambulance. This driver was much more competent. Unfortunately, surgery was only able to do so much for me," said Maximilian pulled down his mask. He revealed a hideously scarred face, stuck in what looked to be a permanent grin. Aiko felt a chill down her spine at witnessing his disfigured face.
"The chemicals damaged the nerves in my face. So I'm stuck with this smile," said Max with a chuckle and cough. He raised up his mask back up and wheezed.
"The accident damaged my lungs as well. And I still feel pain in my old age. So I inhale nitrus oxide with oxygen for relief. I even switch to pure oxygen for a while just to keep breathing properly without impairment to my senses," said Max as he brought over his newly mixed tank over to a chair in front of Aiko.
"That day made me realize that Transmutants can't take a joke. So, to teach them a lesson, I joined with the local Purists in Trotkyo. I was responsible for helping them get around Neighpon's strict gun laws by mixing toxic gases for them. It was a lot of fun to work with them," chuckled Max. Aiko bore a look of disgust.
"I don't know who's worse. The Purists that were willing to work with a maniac like you, or you with your sick twisted mind," said Aiko. Max sighed heavily.
"You're such a bore. I'm pouring my life story out to you and you're just giving me the evil eye," said Max with a disappointed tone.
"Do you know how much grief you caused?! To my family?!" demanded Aiko as she thrashed in her seat.
"Ah you're taking this way too personally! You're just like the Transmutants! I tell you, Oni Night was my greatest moment. Provided the greatest kick I've had," said Max. He noticed Aiko looked at him with hate as she breathed heavily. Like she was about to miraculously break free and lunge for his neck.
"So emotional! I wanna tell you the story of how I pulled it off, but I'm gonna have to help you with that mood," said Max as he drew a mask out from the newly set tank and placed it against Aiko's mouth and nose, who began to fight it.
"Hold still! Just let the giggles out!" said Max as he held Aiko's head in place. The woman was forced to inhale the gas, tasting a metallic flavor. Her face began to tighten as she trembled. Aiko began to laugh as Max released her.
"Good, huh? That's my special Laughing Gas. Something I used to ease my sorrows for being fired. I don't use it much now since I'm lucky to serve an Empress who understands my joys," said Max as Aiko laughed hysterically.
"Now that you're in better spirits, Oni Night as you people called it, I'm flattered, was not necessarily about killing Transmutants. The leader of our group in Neighpon wanted to generate more fear towards them to gain more supporters. So, with a little research, I developed a gas that stimulated the neurons in their brains. Normal humans weren't affected, but Transmutants were," said Max. Aiko was still laughing, trembling as she clenched her fists. She was trying to fight the effects of the gas on her but couldn't. She was powerless as this old man fondly talked about his atrocity.
"The gas causes Transmutants to transform while heightening their aggression. Think of it as a bad high from bath salts. Instead of eating faces, you go on a rampage," chuckled Max.
'Stop laughing! Stop laughing, Goddamit!' thought Aiko as she began to relax and catch her breath. Her expression hardened. Max grabbed her face and forced the mask on her again, causing her to give muffled cries.
"But those with inhibitor chips, they only became more aggressive. That aggression would bring about those primal instincts in human form," said Max. Aiko returned to laughing. Her mind flashed to an old hated memory. Her husband attacked her in the midst of the gas with no sense of humanity in him. Aiko was furious, but could only express laughter. This drove her mad.
"Hilarious, right?! It was great seeing them running the streets and attacking everyone they saw!" said Max, removing his mask as he laughed along with the woman.
"Y-You made me kill my husband! He w-was a Tra- Hahaha!!" Aiko laughed as she thrashed in her seat. Max's grin seemed to widen, if that were possible.
"Then you get it! You experienced my practical joke! Tell me, did he throw you around? Did he die in pain? Ooh that gets me going!" laughed Max.
"Haha! You son of a bi-bitch! Hahaha!!" Aiko continued to laugh. Her face turning red and hot. Her lungs ached for oxygen and she was starting to grow dizzy. Her eyes ran with hot tears. But her tears were not from laughter. They were from the rage and despair she felt in her heart. Here, this man was laughing at his actions like it was a game or a practical joke. And she was here laughing with him. She was laughing at how she took her husband's life that night, in front of her child. This made Aiko feel sick.
Inoue cried out in pain as she found herself stretched from her arms to her legs. She lied on a table, as rope pulled her up and down, stretching her torso. Her cries became agonized screams.
"You said that you'd rather I torture you this way. I could've just paddled your ass," said Sigyn, pointing to a table that lied on a separate table in the room. She sighed a she tugged at the rope that bounded Inoue's wrists.
"This isn't very kinky," said Sigyn.
"Well... Ah! At least I'll get taller. Hehe. Ow!" Inoue yelped, attempting to keep a brave appearance about her situation.
"Hmm. Your cries of pain are adorable. I guess it's not too much of a waste," said Sigyn as she began to make her way to the table.
"It'd be a shame to damage that nice skin and pretty face of yours. But, I have my ways of torture," said Sigyn with a villainous giggle. Inoue grimaced as she stared up at the ceiling.
"How did I end up getting stuck with the dominatrix?" asked Inoue in dismay.
"Oh honey, you haven't seen anything yet. I'll get you playing on the other team as a visitor, you'll see," said Sigyn with a blushing grin. Inoue whimpered fearfully. Sigyn sighed as she continued to look through the room.
"I never thought we'd run into you guys," said Sigyn.
"You people kidnapped someone. You should expect people to come knocking to take him back," said Inoue, with a glare.
"I'm not talking about the boy's friends. I meant MONARCH," said Sigyn. Inoue raised a brow.
"Well, since we're talking, how about you explain that to me? How in the world did MONARCH get here. In fact, what's with the ears?" asked Inoue. Maybe now was a good chance to get some answers, though she wondered if any of that would matter now.
"Oh, if only you knew. Lucky for you, I'll let you in on the story," said Sigyn as she turned to face Inoue. She leaned on the girl's arm, causing her to wince.
"By now, you know that other realities exist. The one you're from, and the one we're in now. I'm from neither," said Sigyn. Inoue's brows raised.
"I come from a world full of magic and creatures that your world sees as mythical. Fantasy. In my world, there are three tribes of humans. The Earthbounds, who are like you. They have dominion over the earth. The Valkyries, who are humans with the wings of birds, who have dominion over the sky and weather. And the Elves, which is what I am. We have dominion over magic. Personally, I think we lucked out better compared to the other tribes, but eh," said Sigyn with a shrug.
"And MONAR- AH!!" Inoue screamed as Sigyn turned the wheel, stretching her out more.
"I'm getting there. You see, like your universe, we have our own MONARCH. Only ours is much larger and more powerful. On the surface, it's an organization of gun totting mercenaries that fight for international interests. But, there's always strings. And there's a puppet master who controls the strings," said Sigyn, smiling devilishly at Inoue. The young soldier gulped.
"If there's an alternate version of MONARCH, does that mean that there are alternate versions of... people?" asked Inoue, hesitant. Sigyn smirked.
"You saw him, didn't you? Onyx," said Sigyn. Inoue gasped.
"He's not your Onyx. He's mine. Ew, that sounded wrong," gagged Sigyn.
"W-Wait! There's an alternate version of Director Onyx from your universe?!" asked Inoue.
"Oh yes. And he's much more ambitious than the pathetic old man from yours," said Sigyn with a cackle, before turning the wheel again. Inoue screamed in pain again.
"I'm sure there's an alternate version of you out there. It can get confusing at times. But the point is, you're caught in the middle of a much bigger game," said Sigyn. Inoue panted, a glare on her face.
"I don't believe a word of the crap that you're spewing. Parallel universes? With evil versions of ourselves? Gimme a break!" said Inoue. She couldn't believe it. She didn't want to. There couldn't have been a world that is so terrible. Sigyn merely gave a sadistic grim.
"Oh yeah? How about I show ya some proof. Show ya something that will turn your little world upside down?" asked Sigyn.
Moments later, Inoue found herself strapped to a wheelchair. She grunted, attempting to break free of her restraints, but Sigyn merely tightened them. The young woman yelped in pain, as she was rolled out of the room, and further down into the citadel. Inoue's heart throbbed in her chest, as Sigyn suppressed her cackles. She was eventually brought into another room. Inoue gasped in shock. Inside of this new large room, another DT archway stood. Albeit this one seemed a bit smaller in scale to the other. However, it appeared to be functioning, as a portal suddenly opened from within. From the portal emerged a familiar man. Onyx.
Inoue recognized him, clear as day. But, she held no nostalgia from seeing him again. It wasn't so much for the pointed ears that this man bore. Rather, it was the ruby red eyes that he bore. And the demeanor that he carried, oozing with malice. This was not the same man that she remembered.
"What is she doing here?" questioned Onyx.
"It's take your victim to work day!" said Sigyn, playfully. Onyx hummed as he stepped over to the young soldier, inspecting her. Inoue stiffened, feeling discomfort. It was like a butcher was inspecting live stock for the slaughter.
"She does resemble the one from our world," said Onyx. His face twisted into disdain.
"A little too much. It makes me sick," scoffed Onyx, before standing upright.
"See? Told ya," said Sigyn.
"W-What the hell do you want? What does Gojira Junior have to do with all of this?" asked Inoue, stuttering. Onyx and Sigyn glanced at each other. Both shared a short laugh.
"The boy? Nothing. Malicia's the one interested in him. Our organization doesn't give a damn about him. Not this version at least," said Onyx, though he said the last sentence to himself. He shook his head.
"No. What we want is what's in your universe. The Genesis Gem," said Onyx, leaning close. Inoue's eyes slightly widened. Onyx bore a knowing smirk at her reaction.
"That artifact can tip the balance of power in our world. And we intend to get it," said Onyx. Inoue hardened her expression, placing on a defiant look.
"Yeah? Well, you guys just wasted your time and money! That thing is dangerous! The last ones who tried to take it were either vaporized or turned into a monster! Only people that hold the 'purest of hearts' can hold the gem!" said Inoue. Onyx gasped with a mock look of fright.
"Oh no! But my heart is tainted with the blood of innocents!" said Onyx. He then chuckled as drew out two gems. Inoue's eyes widened in shock. They looked strikingly similar to the one that the Guardians tried to hide away. But instead of white, these gems glowed green and red.
"What are..." Inoue muttered.
"You didn't think the one in your world was the only one did you? There are a few others out there. And these two will prove valuable to the Shadow's Hand," said Onyx with a dark smile.
"B-But... How can you-"
"Such sweet naivety. You really thought you could outsmart me? I'm several steps ahead of you. We aren't even playing the same game, my dear. Unlike Earthbounds, the Elves are the only race capable of wielding the Genesis Gem's power without it destroying us," said Onyx. Inoue slumped down in her chair, a look of disbelief on her face. She wondered where this was going to lead her now.
"Is Archway 2B completed?" asked Onyx.
"Yes. We just need to run it and see if it'll connect with her universe," said Sigyn. Inoue shot her head up, finding Onyx and Sigyn making their way to a second archway in the room. This one, she had failed to notice. It was similar, but was marked as 2B.
"What would you need with two of those for?" asked Inoue.
Equestria...
"OK, let's get this show on the road! Open those doors!" Lucien shouted.
The hangar area was filled with several Revolutionaries and Purist defectors. While the rest stood guard outside around the compound, or patrolled the halls of the base for more survivors.
The hangar doors began to slide open, metal creaking as they parted. Sunlight began to pierce inside. Xenjira squinted through the daylight that had broken through. As his sight adjusted, he beheld a city just in the distance. The base was built on an elevated landscape, giving a view that overlooked the neighboring city. Confused, Xenjira turned to Lucien.
"What is it exactly that we're doing here?" asked Xenjira.
"You'll find out," answered Lucien, his gaze at the city. The two suddenly heard a hum in the air, prompting them to turn and find the DT archway to have been activated.
Equescidar, Malicia's Citadel...
Inoue watched as Sigyn began to flip a switch from the console connected to the DT archway. The device hummed and opened up a portal. From the portal, there was a clear view into the space on the other side.
"DT Archway 2B is now functioning and has connected to 2A," said Sigyn.
"Excellent. I'm bridging 1B with 1A," said Onyx, as he typed away at the console, connected to the second archway that he had came out from.
"Have a good look," said Sigyn, using her magic to turn her hostage's chair to face the currently active portal of archway 2B. Inoue's eyes widened as she bore witness to a military base. No, not just any military base. It was the MONARCH base, where the Dimensional Tide Archway from her world was held. The one these villains called 2A. She found that there were several dead MONARCH soldiers that lied scattered. On the grounds of the base, Revolutionaries stood with weapons or in beast form.
"It looks like everything's gone according to plan," said Sigyn with a wicked cackle. Inoue couldn't believe her eyes. She deluded herself into thinking that it was just some horrible nightmare. But, reality kept creeping back into her consciousness. The base had been compromised by the enemy. Onyx and Sigyn's words held much more credibility. They were a part of something much bigger than what she could understand. She then heard another hum. She turned her head and found that Onyx had activated archway 1B. The young soldier anxiously looked to both active portals.
"Let me show you a glimpse of what is to become of your world," said Onyx.
Inoue heard a low growl escape from Onyx's portal. From the portal emerged two large beasts. The archways were barely large enough to compensate for their large size. Inoue trembled at the sight of the beasts.
One creature was a giant armored cephalopod. It bore black coloration, and had six very long, bony, and lightly haired legs. Each leg had two joints and ended with a claw. On these claws, small spikes coated the surface, having grown there. Much like a crustacean's carapace. The beast also had a plated mantle with ten tendrils hanging from its face and a pair of black eyes. The creature gave a quick chattering sound as it stood at 15 feet in height.
The second creature was a quadruped, with a grey reptilian back. It bore a head that resembled that of an earless elephant. Its tusks pointed downward, rather than up. Each wide foot possessed five claws. Its front legs were slightly longer compared to its hind legs. This strange beast also bore a tail that was two thirds the length of its large body, standing at around 16 feet in height. The creature's mouth opened wide like a crocodile's, revealing thousands of sharp carnivorous teeth. A curved horn sat upon the top of its head, pulsating a faint green glow. The trunk of this creature was leathery and long, coated in spikes. As it held its trunk up, Inoue could swear that this monster looked like a sauropod dinosaur. That is if one were to ignore the obvious elephant head attached to the trunk and the crocodilian-like jaws.
Both creatures stepped out from the portal in an orderly fashion. Upon their backs were large cages. The Zeta emblem was engraved on these cages.
"Impressive, aren't they? Meet Scylla and Mokele-Mbembe. These are the most successful Transmutants we've designed. The older ones were... imperfect. They were meant to be genetically enhanced super soldiers. But, metamorphism was an unforeseen consequence. This made them a liability. They retained too much of their human traits. But these ones... They're completely obedient," said Onyx, patting the quadruped, named Mokele-Mbemebe, on the trunk. He then stepped away from the two beasts with a nod.
"You know what to do," said Onyx, raising his hand. It began to glow red. Both Transmutants groaned as they were engulfed by red orbs of light. Inoue winced at the brightness, but was able to witness them being thrown into the portal leading to Inoue's world.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the portal, Xenjira and the rest were startled by the red orbs that burst from the portal to their archway, soaring towards the city.
The two orbs flew into the inner city, where they materialized into the mutants that had been cast out of Equescidar. Scylla shrieked as she began to scurry after cars that had screeched to turn in the opposite direction. Mokele bellowed as he charged to the vehicles, ramming into them. Cars were flipped over, trampled, and torn apart by the great strength of these new beasts. Citizens screamed as they fled in panic. They flooded the streets as they abandoned their cars to escape the monsters. Mokele-Mbembe gave chase, using his trunk to snatch up hapless victims. His trunk tossed them into the cage that he carried on his back. His cedar-like tail swung, cutting off the paths of those who attempted to flee around him. They too were snatched up by his trunk.
Scylla chattered as she crawled along the street, approaching a school bus that had rear ended another car. She used her long legs to pin the vehicle in place and used her claws to pry open the top. Her beady black eyes found the helpless children scream in terror. Scylla began to use her multiple tendrils to snatch the kids up from their seats, tossing them into the cage on her back.
Meanwhile, back at the MONARCH base, Lucien gazed upon the sight with a smile. He watched the chaos and carnage unfold, as the monsters gave their horrible cries, and the civilians screamed for salvation.
"What a beautiful sight," said Lucien. Most of the Revolutionaries began to cheer at the destruction. They mocked the 'puny humans' as they were terrorized by superior forms of life, though a few watched in dread at the sight. Among them was Xenjira, who watched as children were snatched up by the great cephalopod.
Back in Equescidar, Inoue watched from the other side of the portal in horror. As the two Transmutants rampaged through the city. Destroying whatever was in their path. They kidnapped innocent civilians. Those who were not snatched up may have found themselves unlucky enough to be crushed by the large beasts. Onyx chuckled darkly as he raised his hand again.
Inoue bore witness to the two mutants being once again engulfed by red orbs of light. The orbs were pulled out of the city, back through the portal onto their side. The mutants re-materialized, just as the portal to Inoue's world was closed. The room was filled with panicked cries and screams, as the mutants held the civilians captive. Onyx began to walk by, inspecting the catches.
"Well done. Well done, indeed, my children." Onyx smirked. He turned to Sigyn.
"Inform her majesty that she'll get her new Skull Walkers within four days. Her special commission will be ready with them," said Onyx.
"What about the children?" asked Sigyn, motioning her head to the whimpering children on Scylla's back. Onyx merely sent Sigyn an indifferent look.
"She's not the only one who needs Demi-Titans," said Onyx. He then pointed to the second portal.
"Take them back to base!" said Onyx. Mokele-Mbembe and Scylla both began to make their way into the portal, as the civilians cried for help. Inoue could only watch in horror at the sight. But, she noticed that the Quadruped, Mokele-Mbembe moved in a more sluggish manner. From the corner of his eye, Inoue saw what looked to be a small tear to be shedding, trailing down his scales. She could only watch as the mutants took the captives away to a world that wasn't their own, suffering a fate that only she could imagine.
"What do you think?" asked Onyx. Inoue slowly turned to the man. She couldn't stand to look him in the eye. The horror she felt drove her to anxiety. She feared losing herself to a fit hysteria if she was to make eye contact with a man as wicked as this.
"Why didn't you just take the gem from my world? Why can't you just leave it alone?" asked Inoue. Onyx let loose a sinister giggle, unnerving the young woman.
"My MONARCH is a tool that will usher forth a new age. It will become a power that the world will recognize as any other empire. And like any other empire, we seek to expand," said Onyx as he leaned close to the soldier, his expression carrying a malicious smile.
"We will invade and expand anywhere that we find weakness. Your world is already divided. All we need to do is conquer it," said Onyx, as Sigyn began to drag Inoue's chair away.
"I wouldn't bother telling your friends. They'd just think you're some kind of wacky conspiracy theorist. But even by some chance that they were to believe you, it's already too late," said Sigyn with a cackle. Inoue just sat in her chair, her expression having darkened to hopelessness. There was no point in telling anyone anything to begin with. They were trapped here in this world, with no chance of escaping.
Junior found himself lying on his side in the cold dark room that he had been locked away in. He wasn't sure where in the Citadel he was, but it wasn't in the dungeon with the others.
The boy's eyes stared at the cold wall in front of him. He was left to ponder what was next for him. Now, Malicia owned him. It was a matter of time before she began to start naming demands of him. He hardened his expression.
Junior sat at up and began to scoot close to the wall. He raised his clawed hand and began to scratch at it. Stone was carved and grinded. Junior kept at this, grinding his claws into the stone, trying to file them down. But even the stone didn't falter. The door suddenly opened.
"I could hear you from outside," said Malicia. Junior ignored her and pressed on. The woman sighed as she stepped inside.
"What are you doing?"
"Trying to grind my way through the walls. I don't care how stupid and pointless it is. It beats staying here doing nothing," said Junior.
"Why struggle, Gojira? It's easier for you to let go," said Malicia.
"Because my family and friends are stuck with me! I promised that I'd get everyone home! I intend to do that!" said Junior.
"What's waiting for you, back in your realm? A broken home? A school that you're not welcomed in? A world that hates you?" asked Malicia.
"Shut up! I don't care what you have to say! You know nothing!" yelled Junior, continuing to scratch at the wall. Malicia sighed.
"Do you know the most pitiful thing about you? That in spite of reality, you choose not to see the whole picture of your life. It's right there in front of you, but you refuse to look," said Malicia, her tone bordering on genuine sympathy. Junior merely growled in response.
"My power allows me to see it in you. And now, I'll make you see it too," said Malicia as she stepped over. Junior turned to find the Empress to be drawing out a vial that contained a yellow fluid.
"The Specter Forest is strong with the force of dark magic. Imbued in this vial is a concoction that contains sap from the trees. This will show you what you choose to hide from," said Malicia as she removed the cap. She grabbed Junior and leaned close. The boy furrowed his brows and tucked his lips in. Malicia glared at him.
"I'm out of patience with you, boy! Drink it!" growled Malicia, pinching the bridge of his nose. Junior kept his mouth sealed, his lungs beginning to burn as air was cut off from him. He began to turn a shade of blue. Malicia kept her hold, not backing down. Junior suddenly opened his mouth to gasp for air. Malicia quickly forced the liquid down his throat. Junior began to cough violently.
"Such childishness," said Malicia with a sigh, tossing the empty vial aside. It shattered into pieces, with only a dew drop staining the ground.
Junior panted as he felt himself beginning to grow hot. Sweat sprouted from his skin, and his sight began to blur. The world around Junior began to darken.
Junior's eyes shot opened. He found himself standing alone in a dark void.
"W-Where am I?" asked Junior. His voice echoed out into the endless void. He began to walk, with only the sound of echoed footsteps filling his hearing. The boy's eyes scanned the empty darkness.
"Hello?!" Junior called. No response. Only the echoes from his cries. Junior stopped as he found himself standing in the middle of a street. He looked around, finding the world a dull grey. The air was cold, and no sign of life was present.
Junior recognized this street. He was back in Ponyville. The boy roamed about the empty streets, finding vehicles parked, with no signs of having been driven.
"Is anyone here?!" Junior called. There was the sudden roar of thunder. The boy raised his head, as a storm began to approach. Junior grimaced.
From the corner of his eye, the boy noticed a figure passing by. He turned to find the shadowy figure to be running further down the street.
"Hey, wait!"
Junior began to pursue the figure. On his chase, the clouds continued to shroud the sky. The darkness trailed on the mutant's heels.
The boy found himself running into a familiar neighborhood. It was his. He looked around, in search of the mysterious figure. But, it was nowhere to be found.
The sky had now completely darkened. Rain water began to pelt Junior. He heard the sound of a door slamming closed. It was close. The boy turned to a familiar humble house. He made his way to the porch and stood before the door. He grabbed the knob and twisted it. The knob twisted its full range, signaling that it was open. The boy opened the door, with a low creek. Lightning flashed and thunder roared, briefly illuminating the dark living room.
Junior stepped into the house and began to search. During this, he took notice of familiar photos that rested on the furniture. This house seemed colder than the world outside. A sense of loneliness filled the atmosphere. The boy stopped as he came across a photo. He picked up the frame, finding an older family photo of himself, his mother and father.
There was a sudden crackle. Junior whipped his head around, finding that the television screen had came to life. But, the picture was completely distorted and garbled. On screen, Junior caught ghostly images of a woman.
"Mom?" Junior reached for the screen. It suddenly shut off, leaving the boy in darkness.
"Alone." A voice whispered. Junior whipped around, his eyes darting around the room.
"Always, alone." The voice whispered again. It was reminiscent of a child's voice. Quiet yet haunting, flowing like a breeze.
"Who's there?! Show yourself!" shouted Junior. The air grew colder, and began to howl like banshees.
"I see you," a cold voice spoke. Junior turned, finding a dark, hooded figure to be sitting in one of the chairs. The head hung low, obscuring the face. The smell of smoke filled Junior's nostrils.
"Do you see me?" asked the figure, the voice distorted.
"Who are you?" Junior asked, cautiously.
"The real question is, 'Who are YOU'," said the figure with a small chuckle. Junior hardened his eyes.
"Don't play games with me!" said Junior.
"There's no games being played. Only us," said the figure. The hooded head began to look around, but the figure's face still remained unseen.
"Please, tell me. Who are you?" asked Junior, feeling his nerve rattle.
"It hurts that you pretend not to see me. But, that's just how you get through in life. You pretend not to see or care," said the figure.
"I-I don't..."
"She's beautiful, isn't she?" asked the figure. Junior looked the photo frame that he was holding.
"A kind, loving and supporting woman. An angel," said the figure with a sigh.
"Yeah..." said Junior, feeling melancholic.
"But, also selfish," said the figure.
"What?" asked Junior.
"She knew the consequences of having a mutant for a child. How it would be a living Hell. Yet, she pressed on," said the figure. Junior furrowed his brows.
"You have no right to talk about her that way!" said Junior.
"Why not? Isn't that what you think?" asked the figure.
"No! Just shut your mouth!" said Junior.
"What's wrong? Don't like it when someone talks about mommy? Oh, I'm sure you've heard it plenty of times," said the figure. Junior was about to retort but stopped as voices filled the air.
"You've brought shame on us!" An unfamiliar older male voice spoke.
"Papa, please!" cried a second voice. It was unmistakably his mother, Miwa.
"Did you hear that skank slept with a mutie?" The voice of a teen girl echoed. More voices followed after, whispering unpleasant things about the woman. Junior clenched his fists.
"That mutie lover now has a demon spawn running around," said a voice.
"Now, remember what they used to say about you?" asked the figure.
"Freak!"
"Mutie!"
"Monster!"
"Demon!"
"No more..." Junior growled.
"As if that wasn't bad, there was the other mutants. They hated you just as much as the non-mutants," said the figure.
"Fucking half-breed!"
"You're a traitor to your kind!"
Voices began to shout condemnation. Soon, voices of those condemning the boy, whether he was a mutant and a half-mutant, began to overlap.
"SHUT UP!" Junior shouted.
"Hmph. I thought you said that you didn't care what people thought of you?" asked the figure.
"Being liked is grossly overrated." Junior's voice echoed through the house. But, the words spoken were from a distant memory.
"You just can't please anyone. Not humans, not even Transmutants. They always find something to hate you for. The world is cruel and unfair. It crushes you along with your hopes and dreams," said the figure, holding up a sheet of paper. Junior gasped as recognized the phoenix doodle that was on it.
"Wouldn't it be better if you could just... disappear," said the figure, as the letter disintegrated into ashy dust.
"Spare me the melodrama! I don't care about how cruel and unfair life is. It is what it is! And I especially don't care about the disappointments that are ancient history at this point!" said Junior. The figure gave distorted chuckles. Like a demon taunting its prey.
"What's so funny?" demanded Junior. The figure stood up and turned his back to the boy, staring at the photos on the walls.
"You can lie to yourself, and others. But, I know the truth. I know who you are," said the figure.
"You know nothing about me, creep!" barked Junior.
"I know everything about you, Gojira Takeshi Jr." The figure spoke in a more gravelly tone. Junior took a step back, as the air seemed to grow warmer around this person.
"I know that you act like the toughest and meanest guy around. But you're actually the most frightened of all," said the figure, turning towards the boy. His hood still hiding his face.
"Shut up!" said Junior with a glare. The figure slowly stalked over to the boy.
"I know that you fight because you hope that people will notice you protecting the weak, but you push people away that are willing to put up with you. Because even with a little bit of love, you're reminded of the big empty hole that's in your heart." The figure pointed a charred, accusatory finger to the teen.
"I said, shut up!" said Junior, stepping back. However, the base in his tone began to falter.
"And I know that every day of your life, you think the world would be better off if you weren't around. Because no one gives a rat's ass about you!"
"I'm serious!" Junior shouted.
"Just like my own father! Who abandoned ME! Who left me to fend for MYSELF!" The figure shouted in rage, eyes glowing red. He leaned close with a growl. The figure removed his hood, which caused Junior to gasp in horror.
"I know who you are. Because you're me," said the figure. His face mirrored Junior's likeness. But, his face was dark like ash, covered in magma-like cracks. His eyes burned a fiery red, like rage. Junior stumbled back, his world turning.
"N-No! No, you're not me!" said Junior.
"I am your feelings incarnate. I am a shadow of your true inner self. I am YOUR shadow," said the charred figure. Junior found himself backed up against the wall, his breathing hastened.
"LIAR!" Junior shouted. The entity scoffed, a look of disdain on his face.
"You're pathetic," said the shadow. Junior narrowed his eyes in response.
"Stop pretending that you're this misunderstood guy. That underneath it all, you're a decent person. But really, you're a coward. A hypocrite. You're not a protector. You're a destroyer. You're nothing, and you will always be nothing. You will always be alone," said the figure.
"Shut up! It's not true! None of it!" Junior shouted in defiance. The shadow broke off into a wicked grin. Junior suddenly felt water brush against his feet. He turned to find the door bulging inward, as water seeped through the cracks. From the window, everything seemed to be floating. Junior's eyes widened in alarm.
The door burst open. Water quickly flooded the house, carrying the boy out. The world had been submerged in water. Junior attempted to swim to the surface, but the water seemed to rise higher, reaching the dark sky above. He pushed on, his limbs growing tired, and his lungs burning without oxygen. He was on the verge of drowning, unable to escape. Unable to breathe. Junior noticed a massive shadow looming over him. He turned, only to be met with the face of a great dark worm-like beast. It bellowed, opening its great jaws. Junior gave garbled screams as the beast swallowed him whole, trapping him in darkness.
Junior found himself suddenly dropped to the ground. He winced as he sat up, but gasped as he found himself sitting in the middle of a green field during a bright sunny day. His body was completely dry, as though he was never submerged in water. He slowly stood up and looked around. He remembered seeing this place. A long time ago.
The sound of shouts filled the air. Junior turned to find children running about on the black top and the green fields. They climbed the jungle gym, raced across the school grounds. Each of these children bore marks on their wrists, with a letter and a number. Junior made his way closer, finding an elementary school building not too far from here.
"King of the Hill!!" A boy suddenly shouted. Junior turned to find a hill just in the field, where a large group of boys rough housed. They growled, snarled, laughed, and grinned as they threw each other down the hill. They slammed their bodies together, like gongs against bells. Junior stepped closer to the hill, his eyes wide as he watched this.
"My old elementary school..." said Junior, breathless.
Junior recalled King of the Hill. This game was much like a tradition for the boys at this school. They would gather and test their strengths and endurance against each other, while trying to remain at the top of the hill for as long as possible. He who could was seen as the strongest. This game was not for the 'wimps', as the boys would call anyone who'd cry after a couple of bruises.
"Hey, no double teaming!" said one of the boys.
"Be stronger, punk!" laughed another boy.
"Why would boys find that fun?" asked a girl, puzzled. Junior flinched as he heard the young voice. He turned to find three girls to be standing next to him. But, they didn't seem to pay him any mind.
"I know right? They're just beating each other up and getting dirty. I can think of a lot of fun stuff that doesn't involve getting hurt," scoffed another girl.
"Boys are so weird," said a third girl. She was met with verbal agreements from others. Junior glanced at his side, lightly snorting. He remembered that the girls thought the boys were foolish to play this way. The sight of this place was almost nostalgic.
"Uh oh. Look," said a girl, pointing ahead. A boy with dark spiky hair approached. He sported a dark shirt and pants. He rushed up the hill. Junior gasped, catching a glimpse at the child.
"Oh no, it's Gojira!" groaned one of the boys.
The new challenger chuckled as he rushed in. The past Junior grabbed a boy by his shirt and yanked him away from another boy. He swung and threw him down the hill. He then shoved another kid, knocking him down. The dark haired child charged, his body hopped up on adrenaline. He kicked a boy back, sending him rolling down the hill. He then grabbed another kid and threw him towards another, knocking them both back.
"Damn it!" said a boy with a bruise.
"This always happens!" complained another boy.
"Come on guys! He can't take on all of us! Let's get him!" said a boy.
"There they go," deadpanned one of the girls spectating.
Junior watched as all of the boys involved in the game began to give war cries. His past self smirked as they came running up the hill. Junior felt excitement welling up in himself, knowing what happened next.
As a kid came his way, the past version kicked him in the chest, sending him sprawling down the hill. He ducked under a punch from another boy and rammed his elbow and hand against his stomach, pushing him into a kid behind him. Junior fondly watched. Something about taking on everyone else was exciting. He always felt like a rogue taking on the world.
"Ow! You dick!" exclaimed a boy as Junior's past self kicked him in the face, as another boy was held in a head lock. One by one, the boys were struck and sent down the hill. Those that managed to get close enough were met with punches, kicks, and were thrown back. Soon, the boys all lied at the bottom of the hill. They were all covered in dirt, bruises, and nose bleeds. They all writhed in pain as the child stood on the hill alone, panting. He pumped his fists into the hill.
"King of the Hill!!" Junior's past self cried victoriously.
"Ah shut up, Gojira!" said one of the boys in annoyance. The dark haired boy bore a confused look as the other boys all glared at him as they stood up. He shrugged.
"Wha... I thought we were having fun."
"Yeah we were, until you showed up!" spat a boy.
"You're too freakin rough!" said a boy, rubbing his nose.
"I lost a tooth, you jerk!" Said a kid, holding a baby tooth up. Junior's past self scoffed with an amused look.
"Man, I didn't realize that a bunch of wimps were playing King of the Hill today."
"Whatever dude. You're such a pain!" said a boy. Junior watched as the children all turned to walk away from his past self. Their bodies aching along with their pride.
"Man, he ruins everything," said a boy.
"Jeez. There he goes again," said one of the spectating girls. Junior turned as the boy that was once him stood alone on the hill as the children left the area. He shared a frown as the kids ran off, either to get clean up or to participate in the other games that were played.
The vision suddenly changed. It was the end of the day, Junior's past self was walking through the hall in silence. He found many kids, tall and small, to be roaming the halls as well. Once he made it outside, he found a few of the boys from his class to be standing around. He found them looking his way, exposing their bruised faces and crusted nostrils stuffed with tissue. They glared at him once they saw him and proceeded to walk away from the area.
"Oh look, it's Gojira the Recess Wrecker," said a girl as she and a small group of friends passed.
"Hey, nice work out there today! Not!" Said a boy with a laugh. The children laughed mockingly. The boy's brows furrowed as his cheeks grew red hot. Junior watched as the child barely managed to utter protest. He could recall how the boy felt, from all of those years ago.
"Why don't you switch schools and ruin someone else's recess for a change? Big idiot," scoffed another kid. Junior's past self found himself alone as the children left, walking home or boarding the bus.
"Great. You really screwed up again, Junior..."
Junior turned to the boy, deeply frowning. He raised a hand to his shoulder, but it phased through. The teen pulled his hand away with a sigh.
"It was always this way," said a familiar voice. Junior turned to find his alleged shadow to be standing nearby. Despite the sun shining above, the apparition seemed to be standing in shade of his own making.
"We were just too rough for the other kids. They never liked playing with us. The girls didn't like hanging around us, nor did the boys. We were always alone," said the shadow, as the vision changed. Junior turned to find his younger self to be sitting under a tree, away from the other children that played during recess. Junior felt an ache in his heart. How long has it been since he's felt this kind of loneliness?
"Don't kid yourself, Gojira. You've always felt this way," said the apparition. Junior turned back to the shadow. The longer he spent with this thing, the more he was beginning to convince him.
"I have more to show you," said the shadow.
"No," said Junior, weakly.
"Would you consider yourself a violent person, Gojira?" asked the shadow. The vision changed again, to the same child wailing on a pair of boys during recess. The kid's face was red with rage and hatred as he beat the boys. Junior stared at the boy, who shouted in rage as he continued to fight the kids. His stomach was in knots.
"Even at this age, you had anger. You were once a meek child. Sure, you were sometimes rough. But you never went out of your way to hurt people on purpose. You never said hurtful things to them. You always just kept to yourself," said the shadow.
"I know. They spoke ill of your mother. You were just defending her honor. Such a devoted son," chuckled the shadow. Junior grimaced as he found some school staff pulled his past self off of one of the boys. They hauled him away, as he thrashed and shouted angrily. Students just looked on in shock.
"It all went downhill from there," said the shadow. Junior bore witness to a sort of time-lapse. The visions he saw were of Junior fighting with the other boys in his elementary school days. Then his middle school days, and then high school. Junior clenched his fists. Had he really been fighting his whole life?
"People came to fear you, Gojira. It didn't matter whether you were a mutant or not. No one wants to be around someone with a reputation as yours," said the shadow, stepping beside Junior. The two witnessed visions of Junior walking through the halls of his schools throughout the years. People avoided his gaze, his path, and began to whisper among themselves. The whispers became apparent to the boy's hearing. Junior cupped his ears, gritting his teeth as he attempted to block the voices out.
"He's so violent!"
"He's a barbaric bastard!"
"Just another punk!"
"He's a bad influence on the other students!" The voices spoke. Junior dropped to his knees. Even with his eyes closed, he could see the faces of those who spoke. Most were strangers, but they remained a stain on his psyche.
"STOP IT!!" Junior shouted. The voices suddenly ceased. Junior panted as he remained on his hands and knees.
"You see it now, don't you?" asked the shadow. Junior remained on the ground, his breaths shuddering.
"You tricked yourself into believing that the only reason that people disliked you was because of your mutantism. But the reality is that it was you. YOU were the problem. Maybe some humans would've warmed up to you if you were a different person. If you were charming, handsome, funny, kind..." the shadow spoke.
"What more do people want for me? I never bullied anyone. I never set out to hurt people out of malice. It was always to defend myself," said Junior.
"What about Flash Sentry?" asked the shadow. Junior grimaced. He lowered his head.
"I was wrong to do that. He never did it because he wanted to ruin my life. He was just trying to protect..." Junior kept his head lowered.
"But you can't say that it didn't feel good to lash out at him. Whether he didn't know or not doesn't change the fact that he made things harder for you. He even stole the girl you fell for," said the shadow. Junior shook his head.
"She was never mine to begin with. Besides, it was just a stupid crush," said Junior.
"There you go again. Lying to yourself," said the shadow with a scoff. He grabbed Junior by the shoulder and yanked him up to his feet.
"Is that all it was to you? A silly school boy crush?" asked the shadow, as visions of Junior interacting with Sunset passed. Junior grimaced as he watched as his past self blushed and acted like an awkward fool whenever the girl was around him. She always greeted him with warmth. Even though the interactions were few, brief and casual, Junior always treasured those moments.
"You've had crushes before, but this one was special. She inspired you to try and turn a new leaf. To start over. You wanted to be worthy for her affection. You even managed to get the guts to ask her out. But, she was never interested," said the shadow.
"Please, anything but that," said Junior. A vision of himself during freshmen year carried a familiar poem in his hand. But, he stopped dead in his tracks, as he watched as Flash Sentry asked out Sunset Shimmer, that very instant. In synchronized fashion, Junior felt the pain that his past self had felt.
"It wasn't a silly crush. You really did hold affection for her. Now, it's one of the things that created that hole in your heart. You hardened yourself. You gave up on trying to change yourself. Because what was the point? You could never win. You weren't going to make friends. You weren't going to meet a special girl who would love you. Who you would be able to grow with. You took a vow of isolation," said the shadow, as the vision faded from sight.
"But I do have friends..." said Junior. The shadow chuckled, shaking his head.
"No, you don't. You call people who don't have your back when the going gets tough your friends? They betrayed you. They pretended to like you, but you were just a pain in the ass. What? You think Pinkie Pie actually likes you?" laughed the shadow.
"But-"
"Stop deluding yourself. No one cares about you. You're a burden to everyone, even your mother," said the shadow, showing multiple visions. Junior looked around, finding visions of himself and his interactions with the other teenagers that he called 'friends'. He saw rolls of eyes, annoyed and disapproving looks, glares, scoffs, and indifference on their faces from the few interactions presented. All the while, his mother lied slouched on the sofa, appearing exhausted and ragged. There was the muffled sounds of her sobbing, which caused Junior to cover his ears, gritting his teeth.
"And forget about Angirasu. That prick is sticking around in Equescidar, while you return to your lousy life in Equestria. What kind of friend is that?" asked the shadow. Junior turned, a distraught look on his face.
"Please. Don't show me anymore. Do you take joy in torturing me?" asked Junior.
"Don't blame me, Gojira. I'm only showing you what you know deep down inside yourself. We are one. Whether you want to accept me or not," said the shadow, his eyes becoming reptilian for a brief moment. Junior hardened his eyes.
"Just go away! Leave me alone!" said Junior, before turning away.
"You already are," said the shadow in a raspy whisper. A small breeze passed. Junior slowly turned, finding the apparition to be gone. The world around himself grew dimmer and dimmer. The light became just a circle around him. Junior sat down, burying his face into his knees, as the light closed in, leaving him in pitch black.
Malicia just stood and stared down at the boy that lied at her feet. She watched as Junior lied in a fetal position, muttering to himself. He was sweating profusely, and his eyes were rolling back. The empress sighed as she caressed a hand over his head.
"Shh. Sleep, child. It's OK," said Malicia in a whisper.
The rattling of chains filled the air. Metallic clangs echoed out through the dungeon, as Rainbow kicked at the door.
"HEY! Can we get some food down here!" Rainbow shouted, still kicking at the door. Meanwhile, her cell mates sat around with flat and deadpanned looks.
"Really, darling? Food at a time like this?" asked Rarity.
"Hey, I'm gonna need the energy for when we bust out of here!" said Rainbow, ramming her shoulder into the door with a grunt. Aria sighed.
"Just give it up, Dash. We fuckin' lost. There's no way out of here," said Aria.
"No, I'm not giving up! Gojira needs our help!" cried Rainbow, ramming herself into the door over and over again. She began to wince, feeling the pain register. Before she could slam into the door again, Applejack held her back.
"That's enough, sugarcube!" cried Applejack. Rainbow glared at her, but it softened as the blonde met her with a look of understanding.
"That's enough..." said Applejack. Rainbow deeply frowned. She took a seat, holding her knees close to herself.
"We were so close. We were close to going back home. And now, we're trapped..." said Rainbow, solemn.
"I can only imagine what that horrible witch is doing to him," said Rarity. Twilight glanced at the remaining gladiators, who were solemn and silent. All except Callous, who seemed to be jabbing what looked to be a thick piece of bone to the ground. Her brows raised as she stood, making her way to the older man.
"I'd stay clear of him, kid," said Krush. But, Twilight ignored him. She stepped behind Callous.
"Excuse me, sir. What are..." Twilight peered over her shoulder. Callous stopped and raised himself up a bit, looking at his handiwork. What Twilight saw was a plant that was planted in the corner of the cell, where some dirt was revealed beneath broken stone.
"Oh. Sorry, I thought that you might have been tunneling out of here," said Twilight with a titter.
"I've tried that before. There's no chance to dig out of here," said Callous. He then glanced at the girl.
"Do you know what this is?" asked Callous.
"Um... A plant?" asked Twilight, as the teens began to make their way over, curious. Callous nodded.
"Indeed it is," said Callous.
"What's so special about a plant?" asked Rainbow, scratching her head in confusion.
"Nothing has grown here in Lur for many years. It's a barren wasteland. Yet I found this plant growing in the arena," said Callous.
"Actually, I did notice the lack of plant life around," said Adagio, thoughtful.
"So that plant's actually pretty special, huh?" asked Pinkie.
"It's a sign," said Callous.
"Huh?" asked Mosura.
"Lur was once a thriving land. There was green as far as the eye could see. Animals, great and small, roamed outside of these walls. Life was bountiful," said Callous.
"What happened?" asked Fluttershy.
"The Dogomites had become a wicked lot. Our people lusted after the flesh and the material. Our greed led to our downfall. The land was cursed and was made barren. The Titan who lived beneath us had poisoned the land, just before she had died," said Callous. Rarity's brows raised. Again, these fantastic beings were mentioned again. Could they really be real?
"OOOOK," said Rainbow, unsure how to respond to the explanation.
"A Dogomite taking responsibility. Now I've seen everything," scoffed Krush, prompting the teens to look at him.
"I've always taken responsibility," said Callous.
"Even for the conquering of my tribe? We were ripped from our land because of you," said Krush. The teens looked to the Dogomite in shock and disgust.
"That wasn't me. Because Malicia didn't order me to enslave tribes," said Callous.
"What did you do?" asked Angirasu, hesitant.
"I hunted the Children of Providence," said Callous. The teens bore odd looks, while Birdman squawked.
"Oh yeah, that might be worse," said Krush.
"Not literal children. Not always at least," said Callous.
"OK, I think I'm done hanging around this guy," said Aria in disgust, before walking to the opposite side of the cell. The rest of teens began to follow. Fluttershy however lagged behind. She noticed the solemn look in the man's eyes. She stepped back over to him.
"You said the plant is a sign. For what?" asked Fluttershy.
"Redemption," said Callous. Fluttershy pondered this for a brief moment before returning to join the rest of the teens. Callous remained, staring at the plant. He gently caressed a green leaf.
"It's time," said Callous to himself.
The sound of doors opening filled the air. The teens quickly began to crowd to see through the grate, finding guards to be hauling in Aiko, Inoue, and Battra. Mosura gasped in horror as she found the bruises and burns on her brother's body. The guards tossed the three into a cell.
"Anyone next?" asked Sigyn. The teens quickly stepped away from the door nervously.
"Not me. I'm ready to turn in," said Kenra, yawning.
"I've had my fill for today. But maybe tomorrow," said Maximilian with a manic giggle. Sigyn shrugged.
"I guess I'll run some errands too. Sleep tight, prisoners," said Sigyn.
"Where is my son?!" demanded Miwa. Sigyn stopped and found the woman peering through the grate to her cell door. Sigyn smirked.
"I don't think so," said Sigyn. She then stiffened as she noticed Malicia to be wandering inside.
"Did I hear that she wants to see her son?" asked Malicia.
"W-Well, yeah. But I-" Sigyn cleared her throat.
"Tell you what. I'll be the one to escort her. You've done a tremendous job as of late, so I'll take it from here," said Malicia, sweetly. Sigyn was a bit unnerved by this. She wasn't expecting Malicia to be handling trivial matters as this. But, she thought it was best to not waste the Empress's time with protest and paranoia.
"Very well," said Sigyn as she made her way to the door. She opened it and allowed Miwa to step out. Senior was following close behind.
"Ah! Ah! Not you, big boy," said Sigyn with narrowed eyes. Senior growled. Sigyn jabbed her magic infused rod against his chest.
"I said, get back!" shouted Sigyn. Senior cried out in pain as he stumbled back.
"Stop!" cried Miwa. She looked to her husband in reassurance.
"It'll be OK," said Miwa, as the door was closed. Senior peered through the grate, watching as the elf, Empress and his wife left the dungeon.
Miwa and Malicia made their way down the halls of the bowels of the citadel. While Miwa wasn't familiar with this place, she made sure to mentally document every detail. She looked out for specific landmarks. Anything from signs, to cracks on the walls, anything that stood out the most to herself. She made sure that every detail and turn was etched into her mind.
Miwa found herself led to a door. Malicia stood with her hand on the ring. A small smile on her face.
"You have three minutes," said Malicia. Miwa narrowed her eyes. The Empress stepped aside as she pulled the door open. Miwa step through, finding herself in a dimly lit room. She found the door closing behind herself. Miwa began to search the small room. She gasped as he found her son lying in a fetal position, his hands clasped over his head. She rushed and knelt down beside him.
"Junior! Oh, my baby boy!" cried Miwa, her voice distraught. Junior shook, his body covered in sweat. His mother wrapped him into a tight embrace as he shuddered.
"Shh. Shhhh. It's OK," said Miwa, softly. Her voice sweet and motherly. She sniffled as she began to caress his head.
"I'm so sorry..." said Miwa.
"Mom..." Junior called weakly. Miwa shot her head, finding Junior to be glancing back at her.
"I-I'm right here, honey! Mommy's here!" said Miwa, forcing a smile on her face.
"Ma... I'm too old for you to baby me like that," said Junior with a weak chuckle. Miwa shared a laugh. She couldn't help it. Her maternal instincts have just been kicked to over drive as of late. To her, Junior would always be her little boy.
"You really came..." said Junior, holding his hand out. Miwa tightly grasped his cold, weak hand. She held back her tears and nodded.
"Of course I did. I traveled far and wide to find you," said Miwa. Junior frowned.
"You shouldn't have," said Junior. Miwa lost her smile, finding the distant and cold look in his eye. It was a look that she had never saw before. It scared her.
"W-What do you mean?" asked Miwa. Junior strained as he sat up, scooting up to a wall. He leaned back with a pant. His senses had began to restore, but he felt fatigue.
"Look at where it's gotten you. All of you. Trapped with me," said Junior.
"That doesn't matter, sweetie. We're together again! We'll find a way-"
"You don't understand. She doesn't intend on letting me go. I have to stay," said Junior.
"Junior, we'll find a way! We'll get you away from here, and we'll go home! Back to the way things were!" said Miwa. Junior gave a bitter chuckle.
"The way things were, huh?" Junior shook his head. Miwa bore a confused look.
"Honestly, I think I'd rather stay here in this dungeon for the rest of my life," said Junior. Miwa was taken aback by this.
"What are you saying?" asked Miwa.
"What's waiting for me back in Equestria? A broken home? A school where I'm feared and hated?" asked Junior.
"Junior, you're talking crazy!" said Miwa.
"I've never been more coherent in my life," said Junior, looking up to the ceiling with a sigh.
"Son, please. We're going to bring you home. I won't leave you here," said Miwa.
"Yeah, well you should," said Junior.
"Wha..." Miwa gasped.
"I used to think, 'What would your life be like if I wasn't in it'. Maybe you'd would have finished school, gotten a better job-" said Junior.
"Junior," Miwa called, unnerved by the soliloquy.
"Maybe you would still have a relationship with your own family. Maybe you'd still have all of your friends. Only if you had aborted me," said Junior, smiling to himself. Miwa felt her blood run cold, her eyes wide. She couldn't believe the words that were coming out of her own son's mouth.
"I'm a fucking burden. I know I am. Not to mention I'm the son of the man who founded the Revolutionaries and that's killed your social life," said Junior. His voice distant and cold
"Stop it," said Miwa.
"Let's face it. You'd probably be able to do fine back home if you'd just forgotten about me. Angirasu was right. We don't have any place back home," said Junior.
"Shut up!!" Miwa smacked Junior across his face. He bore a stunned look as he looked at his mother. Miwa was fuming with tears trailing down her face.
"You should be ashamed of yourself!" said Miwa. Junior didn't respond.
"You don't get to decide what's best for me. I am your mother! It's my job to put you before myself, and I am glad to do it!" said Miwa.
"Maybe you shouldn't anymore. It doesn't matter where I am. Here, or back home, I'm not gonna end up in a better place. And I rather you to be better off than me," said Junior. Miwa shook her head with hot tears.
"W-Why?! Why are you talking like this?! What happened to my son?! The one who never gave up! The one who always put up a fight! What did that witch do to you?!" cried Miwa.
"I'm tired. I'm tired of fighting," said Junior. Miwa gritted her teeth, sniffling.
"Mom, if you guys somehow manage to escape, do yourselves a favor. Leave me behind. I belong here," said Junior.
"Junior..." Miwa muttered. She gasped as the door opened. She turned, finding Malicia to be standing at the door.
"Time's up," said Malicia. Miwa hardened her expression as she stood up.
"Easy. Don't make me regret bringing you," said Malicia in a warning tone. Miwa trembled angrily. She turned to face Junior.
"Goodbye, mom," said Junior. Miwa shook her head.
"No. We're gonna get out of here! We're gonna get you home! I swear on my life!" said Miwa, as Malicia began to usher the woman out of the room. She then closed the door, leaving the boy alone in darkness. Junior had his head held low.
Malicia stood before a door. It was late evening, thus most of the staff in the citadel had turned in for the night. She herself should have been in bed, but her slumber was ruined because of a nightmare.
The girl had decided to seek the warmth of her parents for comfort. Navigating the dark vast halls to their room was already a challenge in itself for courage. But, she had made it. As young Malicia was about to knock on the door, she heard what seemed to be moans of pain. Her mother was crying out.
Malicia's heart raced in her chest, as the haunting sound filled the air. She dreaded what was happening on the other side. She couldn't hear her father, which made her fear worse.
Unable to take the mystery anymore, Malicia began to quietly open the door. Just a crack. Whatever was happening, the young royal had to ensure that she didn't draw attention to herself.
Malicia began to peer through the crack. While it was dark, her eyesight quickly adjusted. What she saw nearly caused the child to scream. She found her mother pinned to the bed by a man that wasn't her father. The woman's cries grew louder, as she was thrashed forward and back on the bed. Malicia trembled as she saw the look on the man's face. She couldn't describe it. But she imagined it was how predators looked at their prey. Malicia couldn't see what exactly this man was doing, but he was clearly putting her mother into a lot of pain, to the point that blood rushed to her face. This fiend had even removed the lovely silk pajamas that she often saw her mother wore to bed.
During this, Malicia wondered where her father was. Did this horrible man harm him?
Malicia took notice of a man, his back facing her line of sight. From his height, and his hair, she recognized him as her father. He didn't appeared harmed, but like her mother, he too was naked. All Malicia heard were pants and grunts from the man, as he watched as her mother was attacked. Malicia couldn't comprehend what she saw. But, something inside told her that this was wrong.
Of course it was wrong. Her father was allowing this man to hurt her mother. Why wasn't he protecting her? Why?
Malicia's eyes opened. She was staring up at the ceiling. She heard a yawn, prompting her to find a naked man to be stirring. It was one of her 'love' servants. Love. Malicia made a mental note to come up with a different name for the role.
The empress rose out of bed and began to wrap a robe around her own naked body.
"Did I please you, your majesty?" asked the man, with a seductive grin. Malicia began to adjust her hair, not paying him any mind.
"You were adequate," said Malicia. Though honestly, that was a lie. This man may have been the worse she's ever lied with. But, she didn't care enough to give an honest critique.
"Be gone. I have much to do," said Malicia, waving her hand dismissively.
Malicia spent the morning going about her usual routine. First, a hefty breakfast to get her through the first half of the day. Next was meeting with her generals for the war. Then there was the meeting with the Lords of this city to decide which laws to pass or repeal. Many otherwise boring tasks filled her day. There wasn't much to look forward to as of late. What with ceasing her attendance to the gladiatorial games, but she at least had one thing that she looked forward to after a long day of work these days. But even in between hours of tasks, Malicia took the opportunity to indulge in her special guest. Or prisoner was a more accurate term.
Malicia made her way down to the bowels of her citadel. She ventured towards the single dungeon that she locked this special prisoner in. It was perfect. Being hidden away from any sight of the sky and sunlight. A small confined room, that is often cold and lonely to the inhabitant. Just the perfect conditions to break someone, and this guest may have been close.
Malicia stopped at the door, where she slid a panel back. Through the slot, she found Junior to be lying on his side on the ground. His body was covered in the darkness.
"What do you want?" asked Junior, his back facing the Empress.
"I came to talk," said Malicia.
"I have nothing to say to you. You have me now, so just leave me alone," said Junior, his tone mellow.
"You might want to hear what I have to say," said Malicia. Junior kept his back turned to her. He had no intention on paying this woman any mind. He'd rather just rot down here with no contact with anyone for the rest of his life. If it meant that he never had to see her face or hear her voice ever again.
"Eventually, I intend to have your full cooperation. I leave you here to settle and accept the reality of your situation. But that doesn't mean that you don't have the ability to... let's say, 'graduate' in status," said Malicia.
"I don't want status," said Junior. Malicia sighed in exasperation.
"You don't want status, you don't want women, and I doubt you care for money at this point. What is it that you want? I'll grant your wish, so long as it doesn't involve breaking our deal, or the end of your life," said Malicia, a hand on her hip, while she remained close to the view slot. Though as she thought of it, that didn't leave a whole lot of options for the boy. At this point, she was throwing whatever at the wall to ensure that her plans weren't endangered.
"How don't I know that you won't just have me impregnate you and kill me when I'm no longer useful?" asked Junior.
"You don't. But I promise you that you'll have more purpose here with me, compared to your world," said Malicia. Junior scoffed.
"Purpose." Junior said to himself. The empress suddenly entered the room. She looked down at the boy, who remained on the ground, sulking.
"Isn't that what you yearn for? Meaning to your miserable existence? Your empty life."
"I don't care." Junior muttered.
"Oh yes it is. It's so pitiful that it makes me sick," scoffed Malicia. Junior didn't respond.
"All of that power is squandered by a scared child who hates his own self. I thought that I could make use of you here. But you're not even worth my time," said Malicia, kneeling close to the boy. She made certain that her voice trailed directly to his ear, so that no words were lost.
"You're just an insolent child. You have no freedom nor worth. Don't delude yourself," said Malicia. As she spoke, Junior began to lightly tremble in place.
"Those people never loved you. They only loved the entertaining violence that you brought. You have no talents. You are a killer," said Malicia. Junior began to hold his head, as Malicia leaned closer. She suddenly felt a growing anger beginning to rise from deep inside. It didn't come from out of nowhere. It was the kind of anger that had been around for as long as she could remember. Malicia began to tremble herself.
"You are nothing!" Malicia yelled. The empress was breathing heavily, and the boy remained silent. Malicia held a hand to her throat, a pale look on her face. For a moment, she swore that another person's voice was speaking through her. She hardened her expression. Malicia grabbed Junior by his neck and forced him to look her way. Junior met her with a cold look, but appeared to show signs of struggling as the air was cut from his throat.
"You. Will. Be. Mine." Malicia growled.
Meanwhile...
The dungeon was cold and dark as usual. In spite of the atmosphere that threatened to crush their spirits, the Rescue Team endured. Though Inoue was another story.
As of now, the prisoners were now spread out into different cells. The adults were still separated from the children, though the teens were now divided and locked up in cells once occupied by other prisoners. Their fates are unknown. This was to allow more room for the cells. While prisoners, the Dogomites intended these ones to be alive as long as possible. This includes granting them more space as to reduce potential of infections. At least that's what they gathered, when Maximilian joked up prisoners dying of 'excessive waste' from a bug some time back.
"Come on, think. We have to think of a way to get the remote back," said Aiko.
"First we need to figure out how the hell we're gonna get out of these cells," said Baragon. Inoue shook her head.
"What does it matter? There's no way we'll survive," said Inoue, her tone filled with defeat.
"What was that?" questioned Aiko.
"We've been hoodwinked. The base was taken over by Purists and Revolutionaries. The DT Archway is compromised," said Inoue, sitting against the wall. Everyone bore incredulous looks. Though some, mainly Koizumi and Aiko, appeared skeptical.
"Kid, I think that whatever those guys did to you may be messing with your head," said Koizumi. Inoue glared at him.
"It's the truth!" said Inoue.
The dungeon door suddenly opened. The prisoners found a group of guards to be marching in with three familiar individuals. Scar, Dreadnought and Adrian. The three Purists were forced into a cell, near the adults. They were met with looks of shock.
"Wow. Small world," said Rodan to himself.
"Hmph. At least they're where they belong. In cages," said Rarity with disdain.
"Too bad we have to be in the same dungeon," said Sunset.
"Hey, it looks like your little alliance with the Dogomites back fired," said Koizumi with a smirk.
"God, shut up." Adrian sighed. She noticed Battra in the cell next to her. With only bars separating them.
"What happened to your teeth?" asked Battra incredulously. He had just noticed the gummy surface within the woman's mouth as she spoke. Adrian growled, her expression having darkened.
"If I had my full strength, I'd strangle you right now," said Adrian. Battra met her with a casual shrug.
"Well, you'd save me from another torture session with Kenra," said Battra. Adrian's expression soured at the casual response. Just this bastard acting friendly with her made her sick.
"Hey, do us a favor and strangle yourself so you can spare us from your bigotry," said Aiko. Scar hardened his eyes as he turned to meet the woman's eyes.
"You're just as torturous as those Dogomites," remarked Scar.
"Hey Riku, how about you pipe down? You're the reason we're in this mess," said Koizumi. Aiko recoiled.
"Wha-"
"Maybe if you'd stick with the plan that we had, and not attacked an old geezer with a breathing problem, we'd be home by now!" said Koizumi. Aiko glared at the sergeant.
"Hey! You are out of line, sergeant! You best watch it!" said Aiko.
"Oh what? You gonna court martial me? Or maybe you'll pull a gun on me like you did with your fucking kid!" said Koizumi. Aiko gasped, her face growing red with rage.
"Koizumi, I swear to Christ!" Aiko growled.
"I get that we have duties and shit, but my God," said Koizumi, shaking his head. Angirasu scoffed.
"Yeah, 'duties'. You guys can't even keep down a few terrorists, let alone treat a mutant like it isn't a ticking time bomb," said Angirasu.
"Speaking of terrorists, you guys are lousy at keeping to your 'non mutant' philosophy when you go after a bunch of high school students!" said Rainbow.
"Yeah, how many non-mutants that you guys try to 'protect' get killed because of your actions?" demanded Twilight.
"And why is MONARCH only focused on Revolutionaries? People are more likely to get killed during a Purist's rampage," said Rarity.
"God, you guys just remind me how I've pretty much been afraid of both MONARCH and the Purists for most of life. And I'm sick of it!" said Manda.
The entire dungeon suddenly escalated into a loud argument. Everyone on every side yelled at each other. The arguments became mostly incoherent. The only ones silent were the denizens of Equescidar, who were forced to listen to the discord.
"I miss being alone in the dungeon," said Callous in dismay.
The argument ceased as an insanely loud laugh filled the air. Maximilian stood in the doorway of the dungeon, with Megaguirus at his side. Both villains had vile looks of amusement.
"Oh look! The children are fighting again!" said Max. The two villains approached the cells.
"What the hell do you want?" growled Aiko.
"Just to make sure that you guys are still alive after our torture session. I'm sure glad that you are!" Max giggled manically. Megaguirus then turned to the Purists.
"Hey, is your mouth feeling better?" chuckled Megaguirus. Adrian's eyes widened.
"Who the hell are you?" Asked Dreadnought, cocking a brow. Megaguirus giggled.
"Maybe if I had a deeper, husky voice, you'd recognize me," said Megaguirus with a smirk.
"What?" asked Dreadnought, puzzled. Megaguirus sighed, holding a hand to her hip. A metallic harness was worn. From the harness, a mechanical scorpion-like tail swayed.
"That's just like Stinger's weapon. Where is he?! What did Malicia do with him?!" demanded Scar. Megaguirus broke into hysterical laughter. Scar and Dreadnought met each other with odd looks.
"What's so funny?" asked Scar, narrowing his eyes.
"This is Stinger! You've been duped, Scarface!" cackled Max.
"Bullshit," scoffed Dreadnought.
"How about I grab your neck again? See if that convinces ya," said Megaguirus, popping her fingers. She had a cold look in her eyes. Dreadnought felt a familiar chill in his spine as he gazed into the woman's red irises. These eyes were indeed familiar.
"Oh shit. It is Stinger!" said Dreadnought, slack jawed.
"It's Megaguirus, hun." Megaguirus corrected.
"You were a chick the whole time?! But... How?!" exclaimed Dreadnought.
"No. No, no! You're lying! Stinger was a loyal man! He had been one of the few who had been by my side for years! We killed mutant crime syndicates and even Revolutionaries together!" said Scar. He was enraged. The audacity of this woman to slander a valuable comrade in his moments of failure as a leader. Megaguirus sighed.
"You'd be surprised with what you can pull off by binding breasts and wearing magical garbs designed to create a convincing illusion," said Megaguirus.
"Then you did something with the real Stinger! I swear, I'll-" Scar grabbed the bars with a snarl.
"Scar, don't you get it? There was never a Stinger! It was a mask I wore to keep an eye on you. Every moment we interacted, it was me," said Megaguirus. Scar narrowed his eyes.
"Just who the hell are you? Who are you working for?" demanded Scar.
"The same man you're working for," said Megaguirus with a smirk.
"I know you." Adrian suddenly spoke. Megaguirus turned to meet Adrian's gaze. The Purist looked to have been in shock.
"Oh? Well you have to refresh my memory. I've ran into a lot of people," said Megaguirus.
"You're the mutant who killed my family," said Adrian. Scar and Dreadnought bore looks of shock. The Rescue Team who had been listening were no less surprised themselves.
"Ah now it's coming back. My, you've grown to be a pretty thing," said Megaguirus, a malicious smile growing on her face. Adrian felt herself beginning to tremble. She thought that she would be able to express some kind of rage at this person. But, she only felt a growing sense of dread.
"All this time... You were right there..." said Adrian.
"No. No, now I'm certain that you're lying! Why would a mutant- How could Crimson-" Scar was interrupted as Max cackled. His laughter was chilling, like a clichéd manic villain from a comic book.
"Crimson knows, Scar. In fact, he's the reason why we're here," said Megaguirus. Scar's eyes widened.
"The Purists and Revolutionaries have the same master. Always have," said Megaguirus. Senior gasped.
"Stop lying! You would know that the Purists belonged to a group comprised of human and mutant couples whose children suffered from ailments and died! It wasn't until after that Revolutionaries started terrorizing the streets that..." Scar trailed off. Megaguirus smirked.
"You just realized something, didn't you?" asked Megaguirus.
"What?" asked Dreadnought.
"Do you know what's profitable? War. You can gain money, land, influence and political power with it. Crimson knew this. And he knew that you need soldiers for a war. And you reap more benefits if you can control multiple parties in a war," said Megaguirus as she began to lean against a wall.
"To start, Crimson needed people who were broken and 'evacuated'. If you have that, then you can have them march into a town and indiscriminately kill anyone in sight," said Megaguirus. Scar began to shudder. The mutant's words were beginning to trigger old memories. His days in Solgell, where he was met with horrors that others like him faced. Then, he recalled his days returning to civilian life. How he struggled to adapt. He was on the verge of ending his own life. Then, he remembered a call he received, promising him vengeance. But, he never took that offer. Not until his beloved Roxanne had died.
"The Revolutionaries were the perfect catalyst to create two factions in a new war. MONARCH and the Purists. These human centered factions both share a personal vendetta, but they still oppose each other. Both came to be in response to the war in Solgell and her neighboring islands. But the Purists were much easier to control when they comprised of a bunch of pissed off and broken Vets that hijacked the name from a group of parents who were sad that their children died," said Megaguirus in a mock pout.
"The hell? That's not where the Purists came from!" scoffed Rainbow.
"I remember that there was a group of people who thought it was better to keep mutants and non mutants separated because of health risks to the mother and child," said Miwa, appearing gloomy. "I started looking into them when Junior started having health issues."
"Mrs. Takeshi." Fluttershy's eyes widened.
"Anyway. Crimson kept to the shadows. He had the early Purists take on mutant crime syndicates that plagued your town, Scar. But, they were merely competition to his plans. With them out of the way, and the fear of vigilantes killing mutants, things were falling to place. To guarantee more soldiers for this war, there had to be more trauma," said Megaguirus, locking her eyes dead with Scar. The man felt his heart sink.
"Roxanne..." Megaguirus met him with a smirk. Adrian suddenly dropped to her knees, her eyes running with tears. Max began to cackle, as Megaguirus joined in.
"What a hilarious twist! All this time, MONARCH, Purists and the Revolutionaries inflicted a viscous cycle on each other for years! Not knowing that it was one mutant who was playing everyone for his own scheme!" said Max with a crazed look in his eyes.
"It's as you say. Life's a big joke." Megaguirus began to settle down. She leered at Adrian, who cowered before her.
"Everything that you worked and lived for was for nothing," said Megaguirus. She then turned to the Rescue Team.
"The same goes for all of you. Everything you believed and everything you fought for was all built on lies. Give up. Abandon all hope. Because it's not there," said Megaguirus, tauntingly.
"You're wrong."
Megaguirus turned to find Battra rising to his feet. A defiant look was on his face.
"We may have been deceived. There may be forces that we don't understand. But even in the darkest times, there's always hope. And when people are united under a common goal as we are, we can do anything," said Battra. Megaguirus bore a neutral expression. She then cracked a malicious smile.
“You know, your parents said those exact same words to me. And they were wrong. Dead wrong."
Battra gasped. The words just stuck to him, playing in his mind in an endless loop. He then began to recall the sight of his late parents, and the desecration of his childhood home, where a skull was marked. Then, he began to recall the words that Megaguirus kept repeating. Trauma. Control.
Battra's breathing hastened. His eyes began to flicker violet, as sparks barely managed to start. He is unable to control his power. Both out of his chaotic state and these chains attempting to keep his power down. This began to take a toll on the young mutant. He groaned before collapsing to the ground.
"BATTRA!" cried Mosura. Megaguirus merely shrugged before walking out of the dungeon.
"I'd love to stick around and laugh at your meaningless lives, but I have to make some appointments. But I have a special appointment planned for you, young Riku~" Maximilian giggled. Aiko snarled as she grabbed the bars to her cell. The mad dentist cackled as he left the prisoners alone to allow the revelation to sink in.
"You mean... We've all been falling for a trick?" asked Manda, appearing shaken.
"Like I said. We've been hoodwinked," said Inoue, her tone melancholic.
The silence was pierced by heavy breathing. Everyone took notice of Scar to be violently trembling as he stood at the door of his cell. He began to mutter to himself.
"All this time. All this time. All this time." Scar repeated over and over. He recalled every decision that he made. Every action that he took. All of it was because of a lie.
"Scar?" Dreadnought called hesitantly.
Scar suddenly dropped to his knees, clutching his head. He let out a primal scream of anguish that echoed through the dungeon, startling everyone. He then fell over on the ground, beginning to weep. His weeps escalated to giggles. Those giggles grew into laughs of hysteria. Everyone just watched, as this man broke down before their very eyes. His manic laughter carried through the halls of the citadel.
[
b]Equestria
By now, the military base that housed the DT Archway had been completely overtaken. Both Revolutionary and Purist have asserted their dominion over the entirety of the base.
Xenjira gazed upon the distant city that had been attacked the day before. Things had gotten more tense since then. The mutant began to head back inside of the base, where he passed men clad in the armor of MONARCH. In fact, he spotted many others as well. Since the capture of the base, the Revolutionaries and Purists took on the uniforms of the soldiers to pose as MONARCH personnel as to keep up appearances, though they wouldn't be able to keep this charade up for too long. They will need to reconnect communication and act as though the base is running as normal, especially when the current Director was in. How long until someone outside will begin to take notice?
Xenjira soon made his way to the brig. He found the cells to be crowded with several surviving soldiers and other personnel. In one smaller cell, Hayato Yoshi sat alone. He sat against the cell wall in silence, as the Xenjira stood before the window. Xenjira knocked on the glass, catching the man's attention.
"How's it feel to be locked up in a cage?" asked Xenjira. Hayato sighed.
"Well, it's a rotten way to go," said Hayato. His voice crackled as it traveled through the speaker to bypass the sound proof cell.
"Now you know how it feels to be thrown into the Vault, while the Purists run off scot free," said Xenjira, coldly. He leaned against the cell with a tired sigh.
"That's how it's always been when it comes to institutions like yours. You never protect the real victims. You persecute them. You never protect those like me when we needed you. Not when they came for me. Not when they came for my mother," said Xenjira, reminiscing what he had been through throughout his years.
"You can't even protect the ones you swore to. It's just empty words and promises, guided by false hopes. Even with the old guard gone, with you at its place, nothing has changed," said Xenjira. Yoshi stared down at the floor, briefly closing his eyes.
"Takeshi-"
"That's not my name. Never call me that," said Xenjira, his eyes burning with hate. Hayato briefly paused.
"Have you ever read The Jungle Book?" asked Hayato. Xenjira cocked a brow at the man's off topic question.
"What the hell does a Disney movie have to do with what I just said?"
Hayato briefly chuckled in amusement.
"I'm referencing the original book. Not the Disney movie. In the original story, the tiger sets up a coup to overthrow the leader of the wolf pack by making him look weak. The tiger promised to give the lesser members of the pack more food than their previous leader ever did. But in truth, the tiger had his own agenda," said Hayato.
"Where are you going with this?" questioned Xenjira, impatiently.
"There are people who side with the Purists who believe that they'll be protected from hostile Transmutants. Some Transmutants siding with the Revolutionaries believe that they'll be protected from hostile non-mutants. But in reality, neither care about those who support them. All they care for is their own gain," said Hayato. He then looked Xenjira dead in the eye, with confidence and unflinching resolve that Xenjira had seen in few.
"Destoroyah doesn't care about you. You're just a means to an end for him," said Hayato. Xenjira merely scoffed.
"Like I'd listen to the word of a foolish man who reads foolish fairy tales. You don't know what my life has been like. I've learned to adapt," said Xenjira as he turned to leave, but he found Destoroyah to be standing in the doorway of the brig, just barely able to stand. Xenjira would never get used to the grotesque appearance of this man. The way his human flesh parted and only left a scarlet carapace to cover what may have once been wounds or how his beady yellow eyes stared with little sign of humanity. Sharp fangs that protruded from the left and more grotesque side of his face.
"There's to be a big battle tomorrow, Young Yamada. I'll be leaving soon to gather my troops. I leave you, Natas and Lucien in charge," said Destoroyah. Xenjira wasn't fond of the idea of having to stay with two men who were apparently Purists. But, if Destoroyah trusted them, then that may put him at ease a bit.
"Understood," said Xenjira. Hayato's eyes widened. He quickly stood and rushed to the cell window.
"Wait! What are you planning?!" exclaimed Hayato. Destoroyah merely gave a devilish smirk before turning to leave, with Xenjira following in suite.
After seeing Destoroyah off, Xenjira wandered back to the hangar bay. Here, he noticed that members of the 'Defected' Purists and some of the stronger Revolutionaries were lined up in front of the portal.
"You know your orders. Follow them to the latter. Now move," said Lucien, pointing to the DT portal, which swirled as normal. The Purists and Revolutionaries began to make their way through the portal, disappearing from sight.
"What's going on?" asked Xenjira, making his way to Lucien and Natas, who watched the portal.
"This particular group is going on a small recon mission to warm up for the coming battle," said Natas.
'Just what kind of battle is Destoroyah gearing for?' thought Xenjira.
"You just sent out some of the strongest mutants we brought to God knows where," said Xenjira, pointing to the portal, incredulous. "How long until MONARCH wises up to this base and sends in a battalion?"
"Relax. Destoroyah will come back with more Transmutants. Stronger ones compared to the ones we had moments ago," said Natas in reassurance.
"Just what is this upcoming battle that I'm hearing about? Who is it that we're going to be fighting against?" asked Xenjira.
"We'll be fighting the whole world," said Natas. Xenjira felt a sudden churn in his stomach. That answer wasn't one who took well.
"What? You're not being literal are you?" asked Xenjira.
"Don't worry. It'll be just like the time you murdered those two men on camera," said Natas.
"Those were Purist supporters. Hell, they were pretty much fledgling Purists given their history," retorted Xenjira.
"It doesn't make a difference. Whether it's human, mutant, MONARCH, Purist... Everyone deserves death," said Natas coldly. Xenjira took a step back, discomfort rising from this man's words. There was no way that he was serious. He had to be kidding. Maybe he was just exaggerating, thought Xenjira.
"Right. A-Anyway, even if Destoroyah comes back with more men, we still won't stand against the full military might of MONARCH," said Xenjira.
"Have you forgotten about the portal?" asked Natas. Xenjira's stomach was in knots, turning his attention to the portal.
"You'd be wise to just follow Destoroyah's orders, instead of questioning them."
Xenjira immediately thought back to Hayato's words. He might have been right after all. The mutant now began to dread just what he had gotten himself into.
Equescidar...
Kenra stood against a wall in silence. She twirled her pistol in her grip. Sigyn stood, filing her nails with a sigh. She then perked up as the sound of the portal before them began to distort.
From the portal, the group of Purist Defectors and Revolutionaries emerged from the portal. They began to eye their surroundings in fascination.
"Bout time," said Kenra, before placing her pistol back into her holster.
"Welcome to Equescidar, gentlemen," greeted Sigyn.
"Damn. Check out this nice piece of ass," whispered a Purist.
"What's with the ears?" whispered another Purist.
"Now, would you 'Purists' be kind as to follow my colleague, Kenra? She will escort you to theTtraining Hall to set you up. As for the 'Revolutionaries', follow me to see her majesty for an alliance of sorts," said Sigyn.
"Alright enough gawking boys. Let's move," said Kenra, sternly. She began to lead the Purists away.
"Lucky muties..." muttered a Purist in annoyance. The men were led by Kenra to their destination. They found themselves in a great room, filled with training equipment. From weights, to punching bags, to hay filled dummies, and weapons on racks. In the room, the saw a feminine figure clad in armor that resembled Dogomite armor.
"Alexandra, they're here," called Kenra. The woman and turned to face the men with a smirk. On her breastplate was an emblem that was reminiscent of the Purist insignia.
"So you're the one we're supposed to meet?" asked one of the men.
"What's with the getup?" asked another.
"Oh this? I just got a new gig. Still killin' muties," chuckled Alexandra.
"Gods, that word sucks," said Kenra to herself.
"What the hell are you guys doin' here anyway? Kenra mentioned I'd be getting visitors," said Alexandra.
"Crimson found out about your predicament. He sent us as a rescue party," said one of the men.
"Finally! I can now get out of this hell hole!" said Alexandra in relief.
"We were told that Scar and a few others were with you. Where are they?" asked one of the men.
"Ah. Them? Well, it seemed that Scar wasn't able to cut it with his so called 'leadership'. Dumb bastard was starting to turn. So, I had to make an executive decision and bring him down," said Alexandra.
"I see. That's unfortunate. Crimson won't be happy to hear that. But, he might be pleased to hear of you. Your loyalty may gain you favor with him. Hell, maybe even Scar's position as second in command," said one of the men. Alexandra grinned.
"You think so?! Well, I mean... it's about time my devotion to the cause is recognized," said Alexandra, smugly.
Kenra was fascinated how this woman didn't think to question how these men were able to locate her, let alone how this 'Crimson' character was able to know that she was marooned to this world. But, she seemed to be blinded by her ego, especially now that one of these Purists seemed to be feeding it.
"Hey, save the celebration for later. You still owe me a mission to be done. Kill the one they call The Oracle," said Kenra.
"Right, right. Kill another Mutie. But I got a request before I go," said Alexandra.
Meanwhile
...
The dungeon was cold and dark as usual. But, it was far from quiet.
Aside from Rainbow's futile attempt to bust free from the cell that confined her and her friends, Inoue was in the middle of conversing. Surprisingly, to the now imprisoned Purists.
"So you're saying that this... alternate version of MONARCH is somehow involved with the Dogomites. And that some organization called The Shadow's Hand is what's pulling the strings, and their goal is to take over the world?" asked Adrian.
"Yeah, that sums it up," answered Inoue.
"Jesus. That's a lot to take in. It's so unbelievable, yet..." Adrian growled. The sound of the dungeon door being opened snapped the woman out of her train of thought.
Alexandra entered the dungeon, with a troupe of Purists flanking her. Adrian hardened her expression.
"Oh great. This bitch again," scoffed Dreadnought. Scar leaned against the wall of his cell, not acknowledging the presence of the new Purists.
"The hell? There's more of you guys here?!" asked Koizumi.
"Heh. This is fitting. Muties in cages. Like the animals you are," said Alexandra, looking to the cells with disdain. Everyone met her with glares.
"What do you want?" asked Adrian, harshly.
"I just wanted to see how you guys are settling in. You know, Crimson sent us a rescue party? But, it looks like I'll be the only one returning home. But I'm not sore about it. In fact, I may be a shoe in for your position, Scar," said Alexandra, tauntingly. Scar said nothing.
"If all goes well, I can keep climbing the pyramid. Hell, I can even be the top dog who calls the shots for all of the Purists!" laughed Alexandra. Adrian snarled, while Dreadnought gritted his teeth.
"It doesn't matter. Nothing matters," said Scar, his tone mellow. All eyes fell on him. He coldly stared at the stone ground, appearing to have lost all energy. It was like staring at a corpse.
"Everything is a lie," said Scar. Alexandra snorted.
"The hell are you talking about, old man?" asked Alexandra.
"The Revolutionaries were running the Purists. From the beginning, they've used us for their own gain," said Scar. The Purists behind Alexandra remained stoic, but shared glances. Alexandra hardened her eyes. She slammed her hand against the cell.
"You better watch it! Don't put that bullshit in anyone's head! If I still hadn't have an ounce of respect for you, I'd kill you now for putting doubt in our cause!" said Alexandra.
"Cause? You're just a pawn in a bigger game. Just like I was. I'm telling you this because I want you all to turn away from this life before its too late," said Scar.
"God, these mutie loving pussies polluted your mind! Did their bleeding hearts of treating these monsters as equals finally break you?!" shouted Alexandra, angrily. Scar bitterly chuckled as he made his way to the bars.
"Honestly, I wish they did a long time ago," said Scar, without an ounce of hesitation. Alexandra looked at the man, appalled. The sight of him was sickening. This was certainly not the same man she worked for.
"We're leaving," said Alexandra, before storming off. The rest of the Purists followed in suite. However, one stopped, before turning to face the man.
"You shouldn't spread rumors like that, Scar. You wouldn't want to end up like Roxanne... Would you?" The Purist smiled as he raised his hand, which morphed into a reptilian claw, structured almost like a scorpion's. Scar felt a jolt of emotions inside him. Adrian gasped in shock, while Dreadnought recoiled.
The 'Purist' chuckled wickedly, before leaving Scar to sink further into despair.
Later that Day...
Alexandra was standing tall in the middle of a jungle. She turned to find her team of Purists to be joining her side. All the while, a platoon of Dogomites assembled. A soldier approached her.
"This is the place?" asked Alexandra. She found herself staring into a dip, large hole in the middle of the jungle. A primitive lift remained present.
"We've confirmed it based on rumors and the observation of Lady Sigyn's familiar. This is where the Oracle dwells," said the soldier. Alexandra rolled her neck.
"Alright. Move in," said Alexandra. The soldier nodded before turning to face the other Dogomites.
"Let's move out!" said the soldier. The Dogomites scrambled to the edges of the hole. They began to secure rope, which they used to climb down into the unknown territory. Alexandra sighed.
"Problem?" asked a Purist.
"Just pissed. But, this will lighten up my mood," said Alexandra, before loading up her rifle.
The Purists and Dogomites soon descended down to the aquifer. The subterranean lair of the Oracle was filled with loud hissing. Water splashing echoed out into this deep cavern.
"The hell is that sound?" asked Alexandra.
"Giga Boas," said a Dogomite soldier in dread.
"Stand fast. For we are prepared for this battle," said a soldier.
"Servants of Malicia..." a deep, feminine voice growled. Everyone froze, searching for the source of the voice.
"I knew that you'd come. Have you come to kill me?" asked the voice.
"You the Oracle?" called Alexandra.
"I am." The voice responded in a growl.
"Then you're the mutie we're looking for. Come out now and we'll make it quick!" said Alexandra. The Oracle chuckled.
"If Malicia feels the need to slay other Demi-Titans, then she is a bigger coward than I thought," said the Oracle, as the sound of rocks falling filled the air. Landing in the water below the ancient bridge that the soldiers stood on.
"I will only warn you once. Leave my domain now, or die," said the Oracle. Alexandra raised her rifle.
"Come out, freak!" shouted Alexandra. There was a moment of silence. Everyone scanned their surroundings, in search of their target.
"So be it," said the Oracle.
From the edges of the bridge, multiple Giga Boas rose up. The soldiers gave panicked cries as they attempted to flee. They were crushed or eaten whole by the great serpents.
"ATTACK!!" A soldier shouted, as he swung his sword at a nearby serpent, which was beginning to slither onto the great stone bridge. Other soldiers did the same. They stabbed and slashed at the creatures that attempted to climb over. However, there were too many giga boas to handle at once. They ate and killed any soldier that may have been distracted handling another.
Some soldiers, clad in robes and lighter armor, began to summon their magic. They launched beams that forced the serpents back. They created flames from their magic, freezing streams of frost, and lightning bolts.
Meanwhile, the Purists were firing off their more modern weaponry at the creatures. Bullets tore through scales and muscle with ease.
"Sending in the pets to fight! Where is the bitch?!" shouted Adrian.
From the ceiling, a great grey serpentine dragon dropped down on great stones near the bridge. The dragon snarled and furrowed her brows.
"Right here," hissed the Oracle. She screeched as she lunged from her rock. Her forelimbs reached out and allowed her to land on the bridge, cutting off the exit. The Purists began to fire off their weapons at the Oracle. The bullets managed to penetrate the hide of the Oracle, but did little damage.
The Oracle began to swipe her paws at the Purists, who evaded the attack.
"We need more fire power! Hey, magic users! Offer some support!" called Alexandra as she reloaded her rifle.
"They're the only thing keeping those snakes back!" shouted a Purist. Alexsndra looked back, finding his words to be true. The elemental magic was the one thing that kept more of the giga boas from slithering up onto the bridge. Taking that away would quickly overwhelm them.
"This will be your tomb!" The Oracle opened her jaws and spewed forth her flames. Alexandra narrowly avoided the flames, but felt her armor beginning to heat up. Another close call like that will cook her alive inside of the armor. Dropping down into the water below the aquifer was out of the question at this point.
"Time to use the trump card. This better work," said Alexandra, before drawing out a couple metallic pieces. She forced them together, which resulted in a loud click and a hum. The object she now held appeared as a grenade launcher-like weapon. She aimed for the dragon, as she came lunging for her.
Alexandra cried out as she was knocked off of the bridge. She fell, with the Oracle climbing down after her. During free fall, Alexandra fired off the weapon, launching a grenade sized rocket. The head of the rocket comprised of a drill, which spun as the projectile soared towards the dragon. Alexandra fired a few more rounds, before falling into the water below.
The rockets struck the Oracle in different segments on her body. Mainly around the upper region of her neck and fore limbs. The rockets began to drill into the hide of the dragon, who shrieked in pain. As the rockets drilled into the softer tissue beneath the scales, they stopped and detonated. Chunks of flesh burst from the explosions, leaving deep gaping wounds in the Oracle. She wailed as her tail and hind legs loosened, allowing her to fall into the water below.
Alexandra gasped as she burst out of the water. A cloud of red gradually began to form around her. She found the mortally wounded dragon to be attempting to slither onto the stone that stood above the water, but her wounds made that task impossible. Alexandra swam to a dry piece of land, with her weapon in hand. She turned to find the Boas still preoccupied with the Dogomites. Though a few began to turn their attention to her.
"I'll make this quick," said Alexandra, before loading in a couple more rockets. The Oracle turned her head to the Purist with a wheeze.
"Your hatred for the Demi-Titans blinds you. It and your arrogance will be your demise," said the Oracle. Alexandra scoffed before aiming at the head of the dragon. The rocket launched and drilled into her skull, before exploding. The Oracle fell limp, as her glowing white eyes went dim and then dark. Adrian turned to find the Giga Boas to all be dropping from the bridge and into the water. They hissed and shrieked, snapping their jaws in rage. But, the serpents began to slither and dive under the water, disappearing from sight. Alexandra sighed in relief.
"Quick! Get down there!" shouted a Dogomite soldier. A few magic users dropped down to the body of the Oracle. They began to make their way below her neck. One drew a dagger and drove it inside. As the flesh was cut open, another one of the soldiers reached in and carefully drew out a bloody heart. The organ was the size of man's torso. Alexandra looked on at this oddly.
Malicia's Citadel...
Onyx was walking down the halls of the great citadel that resided in Lur's center. He was escorted by a few Dogomite guards. Onyx himself was flanked by his MONARCH soldiers. Their faces were obscured by the blue visors of their helmets. As of now, things were beginning to unfold for his plan. While it was a chore to jump between realms to ensure that this relationship with the Dogomites lasts, it would soon all pay off.
Equescidar proved to be valuable by setting up a facility for further research and experimentation for his own realm. Not to mention that this will allow MONARCH to conquer not one, but two worlds. So long as he kept the Empress satisfied, then progress will continue smoothly.
Onyx was led to the throne room, where the guards opened up the doors. Upon opening, everyone was met with a shocking sight. They found bodies to be littering the ground, with ghastly wounds and blood staining the floor. They found Malicia to be behind a Revolutionary, with her arms wrapped against the back of his neck, as her teeth were sunk into his flesh. She whipped her head away, tearing off a large chunk of flesh, leaving him to collapse to the ground with a wound that bled profusely. Malicia sighed, as her reptilian eyes reverted to normal. Her mouth and clothes were coated in blood.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" Onyx exclaimed in alarm.
"Ah. I wasn't expecting you so soon," said Malicia, as she wiped her mouth and hands over the clothes of one of the dead men.
"Those Demi-Titans could've been useful!" said Onyx in exasperation.
"Onyx, I am very territorial woman. I approve of which Demi-Titans may be in the same room as I. I already have the boy. I will not need their strength, nor their assistance," said Malicia, dismissively. Onyx groaned in frustration. Meanwhile, Malicia prompted the trap door to open, revealing the Skull Walker den. She motioned for her guards, who began to drag the bodies and dump them into the pit.
'I could've used their DNA for more templates,' thought Onyx in dismay. He sighed.
"I came to inform you that your new Demi-Titan will be ready in the morning. Since you've been such a... generous client, I thought I'd throw in a battle airship as a bonus. As appreciation for your business," said Onyx as he held up a disc, which projected a holographic image of a zeppelin-like vessel, which bore the MONARCH infinity symbol displayed proudly on the side. The balloon carried a metallic structure, resembling more of a sea faring ship being carried by a balloon.
"An enormous mobile flying fortress, armed with magic infused cannons, capable of bombarding the earth below or shooting down aerial targets. With this, you'll be able to destroy vast armies from a distance and deliver additional ground forces. I've already have a team assembled and ready to maintain the airship. They're under your orders," said Onyx. He turned to find the Empress to be sitting on her throne, not paying attention. In fact, she seemed troubled.
"Is something the matter?" asked Onyx.
"It's the boy. I can't seem to get a firm grasp on him. I've tried every manipulative tactic in the book and nothing works. I'm at the point of locking him up. I hoped that the death of that girl and infecting him with the sap of the Specter Trees would be enough," said Malicia in frustration.
"Perhaps you aren't hitting the right buttons. But I think I can help. Has he any traumatic memories that involved the death of a loved one? Aside from the gladiator girl" asked Onyx.
"No," said Malicia.
"That explains it. You see, I had my men terminate the loved ones of my original subjects to instill trauma, rage and grief. This makes it easier to control them, whether they know it or not," said Onyx.
"Should I kill his parents and friends?" asked Maslicia, cocking a brow.
"I'd advise against that. You've already dirtied your hands plenty when forcing him to kill that gladiator. Going that far may actually backfire worse than that last incident already has," said Onyx.
"Then what should I do?" Malice sighed in exasperation. Onyx began to reach into his pocket.
"When magic fails, science triumphs. I thought that this may prove useful to you," said Onyx as he drew out a penny sized bullet from his uniform pocket.
"What is it?" asked Malicia, eyeing the bullet.
"This is an experimental Inhibitor Bullet. Just one of several ways we thought of controlling our experiments. Originally this was a sort of capture asset, where we'd use it on subjects that escaped," said Onyx as he showed Malicia the round.
"If this bullet were to be shot into the subject's spine or the back of their neck, then they'd be under the control of the shooter. Of course, it would require data on the master's DNA in order for it to work properly," said Onyx.
"Wouldn't something like this kill him?" asked Malicia.
"Not at all. It was designed with a special type of gun to offer enough fire power to penetrate flesh, but not deep enough to cause severe damage. Think of it more as a bee sting. The bullet deposits an inorganic chip that will manipulate the subject's mind," said Onyx. Malicia grinned, her spirits rising.
"With this technology, I can finally make him mine!" said Malicia.
"I have to warn you. That bullet is the only one of its kind. It was deemed inefficient to use since it was impossible to make a clean shot on a moving target. It got worse when they transformed. Whatever you do, don't miss," said Onyx, as he placed the bullet into the chamber of a small pistol. Malicia smiled sinisterly as she held the cold metallic weapon.
Onyx was soon making his way back down the hall to the DT Archway. He turned to one of his soldiers that escorted him. He stopped as he found Megaguirus to be approaching his way from down the hall.
"Do you have it?" asked Onyx. Megaguirus nodded as she held out a drive to the man. Onyx took it and inserted it into the slot of his disc. A holographic image of equations appeared, along with a rendering of an atomic bomb.
"As Destoroyah promised. An edge for you in your world. Follow everything on that drive and you'll be splitting atoms like no one's business," said Megaguirus.
"Why is the file labeled, 'Big Boy'?" asked Onyx, oddly. Megaguirus shrugged.
"Some folks just like their codenames."
"Well, thank you for the parting gift. I will be returning to my world. Have all Zeta Operatives and those Purists return to the Archway to prepare for the invasion," said Onyx, his brows furrowed
