It had been two days since Celestia had returned from her trip to Neighpon. Two days since a new guest had been housed under the roof of her castle.

The Avatar found herself pacing about around the dining room table. She had a bit of an anxious look, as she paced about. It was morning, and her guest had not arrived for breakfast. She was sure that he should have been here by now. After all, it was 7 in the morning. It couldn't have been too early, could it?

"Oh, wait. Maybe he's still asleep after all. Growing boys need their rest," said Celestia, an embarrassed look on her face. The princess was so used to all of these years of getting up early to raise the sun that she neglected to think of the possibility that Junior may not be an early riser.

"Oh dear. And I've even had a pancake breakfast planned. He has to enjoy these while still fresh," said Celestia, eyeing the table in disappointment. On the table were plates filled with stacks of fresh pancakes, coated in whip cream and berries, while a pitcher of hot sticky syrup lied near the dishes. The Avatar sighed.

"Well, no point in letting it go to waste," said Celestia. Before she could sit, she heard the sound of a door opening. Junior entered the room, dressed in a pair of pajamas. The child rubbed his tired eyes.

"Good morning, Junior!" Celestia greeted sweetly. The boy quickly got on his hands and knees, bowing his head to the ground.

"G-good morning, your majesty!" said Junior.

"There's no need for you to be so formal, my dear," said Celestia, kneeling beside the boy. She ushered him up to his feet and led him to the table.

"You're just in time for breakfast. I hope you'll enjoy it," said Celestia, gesturing to a seat that was moved close to her own at the long table in this room.

Junior eyed the breakfast that lied on the table. The smell of the pancakes lingered in his nose. His enhanced sense of smell was able to pick up the fruits, the whip cream, and the hot syrup in the pitcher. All just by standing just a few feet away from the table. His stomach grumbled.

The two found themselves sitting at the table. Junior clasped his hands together, bowing his head.

"Thank you for this food," said Junior. The boy took the fork that lied by his plate and began to eat. Immediately, he was treated with the taste of the hot sweet cake, along with the juice of fruit he had bitten, and the fluff of the whip cream. The West certainly had interesting meals for breakfast.

"Try the syrup," said Celestia, levitating the pitcher over. She carefully poured the syrup onto the boy's breakfast, soaking into it. Junior took a bite.

"It's like mana from the gods!" said Junior wide eyed. Celestia giggled in amusement. She watched with a smile as the boy scarfed down the pancakes.

"You have quite the appetite," said Celestia. Junior stopped, his face growing red. He began to wipe his mouth.

"Forgive me, your Majesty," said Junior, his tone small.

"Don't fret, dear. Anyway, how is your room? Did you sleep well? If you need anything, don't be afraid to ask," said Celestia, warmly.

"You've already done more for me than I could ever repay. I couldn't possibly ask more of you," said Junior. Celestia met the boy with a reassuring smile.

"Junior, don't worry about that. I know things have changed drastically for you, but I hope that you'll think of this as your new home," said Celestia.

"New home..." Junior muttered to himself, a deep frown on his face. The Avatar's expression lost its smile once the boy seemed to grow gloomier. She should've expected that this wouldn't be easy on the boy. She would need to be more tactful. Though to be frank, there may not have been any real way.

"Yes. My home is now your home. And I'll do everything in my power to ensure that you live happily," said Celestia, warmly. Junior nodded to her, albeit solemn.

"To start, I'll be helping you learn the language of my land. That way you can better communicate with others. And maybe I can enroll you into a school. Wouldn't it be fun to meet other children your age?" asked Celestia.

"Yes, I think so." Junior nodded, a small smile on his face. He rarely interacted with other children back in Neighpon. His home was more secluded from the nearest rural town. Not to mention that most of his time was spent around his home's land and within the house itself. Being able to meet new kids could be nice.

"Good! Now, I won't be able to spend the whole day with you. I've uh, set up some things for you to use to communicate with the staff until you learn some basic Equish," said Celestia as she reached to the side, levitating stacks of cards. She set them down in front of Junior, who began to look them over. He bore an odd look.

"Flashcards?" asked Junior.

"Indeed! These were actually fun to make. Like my drawings?" asked Celestia, smiling. Junior looked down at the flashcards. The art was simple, drawn by ink and with some water color paint. The images depicted were something that one would expect to see in a children's book. The art was drawn on rough, wafer thin cards. All in all, it was endearing. Especially if it was drawn by the princess herself.

"Y-Yeah, it's cute," said Junior. Although if he had to be honest, these looked like something that one would use for babies.

"Thank you! Now, these cards are comprised on subjects, nouns, adjectives, and pronouns. I would've made more, but was pressed for time. But I covered some basic necessities," said Celestia as she held up one of the cards. It depicted a character, where a few squiggly lines were drawn over the belly. Above were the Neighponese characters for 'hungry', and below was the text in Equish.

"This is for if you're hungry. Just show this to the maid that will be keeping an eye on you. She'll make sure that the rest gets taken care of," said Celestia. She then began to show off more of the cards. Each depicted a different illustration, with the words centered around the subject written and translated on the card.

"This one is for if you're tired. If you're not feeling well. You're hurt. You need the bathroom." Celestia named off the different cards. Junior just eyed the Avatar as she continued on. This woman had certainly been prepared.

"So, do you have any questions?" asked Celestia.

"How long will you be busy?" asked Junior.

"As Princess, my duties keep me busy for the whole day. But, I'll be sure to see you in the evenings. So, don't worry about being too lonely," said Celestia, playfully. Junior looked away with a scowl and blush.

"N-No one said anything about that," said Junior. Celestia giggled in amusement.

While Junior didn't want to sound needy, it was nice to have someone around to be able to talk to. The princess was just a pleasure, considering how kind and thoughtful she's shown herself to be. He could only imagine how hard his time here would be if he had no one who'd understand him. That meant that he would have to work hard to turn that around, lest his life becomes much harder.

A few weeks had passed. During these days, Junior often found himself spending his time alone. While Celestia had made some time for him as she said, they were few and felt brief. Evening was the longest they interacted. Since then, Celestia has taught the boy the alphabet, warming him up for his Equish lessons. At this point, he was learning words.

Tonight was like any other night. The boy found himself sitting in the Avatar's bedroom. The two sat together, with Celestia holding a book in hand. She read the text, while encouraging the boy to read along in Equish. The Avatar yawned before speaking.

"OK! You're doing well. Now, we can move on to the next part of your lesson. With the words you've learned, I want you to try and put together short sentences," said Celestia as she held up small board and chalk. The boy grimaced, as he saw the woman's tired eyes.

"Um... Can we do this another time? I'm tired," said Junior.

"Oh. Well, sure. It'll give the information you learned some time to settle. We wouldn't want to cram everything and you wind up forgetting what you've learned," said Celestia, a playful smile on her face.

"That'd be bad," said Junior, forcing a smile.

"Goodnight Junior," Celestia spoke in her usual sweet, motherly tone.

"Goodnight." The boy nodded before leaving the room. He sighed heavily.

As of late, Junior was able to pick up the woman's exhaustion from a long day. Even for a being that was god-like, she too was not invincible to the mundane daily routines and exhaustion. So, lately, he would make excuses to cut their evening interactions short. For her sake. It was the least that he could do since she had done so much for him.

Junior made his way to his quarters. He entered, finding a large bed to be present in the room. Junior climbed into bed, pulling the covers over himself. He was enveloped in the soft sheets, blanket, and the warmth of the bed as he turned off his lamp and frowned deeply. The boy sighed as he lied his head on his pillow, closing his eyes.

As the sleep took over, Junior was breathing softly. He was sleeping heavily, making it quite difficult for something minor to wake him up.

"Gojira~"

Junior's brows crinkled. He remained sound asleep.

"Gojiraaa~" the voice called again. Junior began to turn on his side, his brows furrowed. As the boy remained asleep, his dreams painted an image. The image was that of him lying in bed, as a shadow moved through the room.

The Transmutant could hear ominous giggles in the air. The giggles seemed further away. While sometimes, the giggles would seem close, near the bed. Then, the sounds would be far, on one side of the room. Then the sounds would be on the other side of the dark room.

"I'm gonna get you..." The voice was suddenly in Junior's ear. The boy's eyes shot wide open. Before him was a ghostly pale face of a child. The face was sickly, with black, soulless eyes and cold silver irises. It had a wide, unnerving grin on its face. With a snap of its neck, the child giggled.

Celestia found herself sleeping soundly in the bed of her home. But, this peaceful slumber was interrupted as she suddenly heard the scream of a child. The Avatar shot up out of bed, her eyes wide and her heart racing.

"Junior!"

Celestia bolted out of bed. Her feet padded against the hard ground beneath her, as she raced out the door to her room. The Avatar sprinted down the hall, making her way to a door, where she had heard the scream come from. She then burst through the door, entering the dark room.

"Junior!" Celestia cried. She found the child to be in a fetal position. He whimpered, quivering beneath the covers. The princess approached the bed.

"Junior?" Celestia reached for the boy. As she touched him, Junior quickly pulled away, tucking himself further under the covers.

"No! Go away! Go away!" Junior cried.

"Junior, it's OK! It's just me!" said Celestia as she placed her hands on the boy. She began to caress his shoulder. The boy hesitantly untucked himself and turned around. He found the woman illuminated under the light of the moon that pierced through his window. His lip quivered, appearing a bit calmer. But, Celestia felt him shaking violently. He sniffled.

"You just had a bad dream, that's all," said Celestia, pulling the child close, his head resting against her chest. She gently caressed his head, whispering to him in comfort. Junior had wrapped his arms around her tightly, weeping. Celestia suppressed the need to make a pained gasp, feeling her frame being squeezed tightly. The boy had an unusual amount of strength. Celestia pushed through the pain she felt and maintained her composure to comfort him.

"It's alright, dearie. Hush now," said Celestia.

From the door, a few guards had rushed over. Their armor rattling in the air. Their hands were at their waists for their weapons. Before they could enter the room, they found the princess comforting the child.

"It's alright. He just had a nightmare. You're dismissed,"

The guards began to relax themselves. They proceeded to step away from the doorway, as Celestia used her magic to close the door. The guards began to go back to their posts in the halls.

"Ugh. This is why I hate kids," said a guard. Among them, a younger female blonde valkyrie with red wings looked back as they left the room.

"Who is he, by the way?" asked the guard.

"Some orphan that the princess returned from Neighpon with," said the guard.

"She adopted him?" asked the woman, surprised.

"Well, I haven't heard anything about there being a royal adoption," said the guard dismissively.

"Better get used to this, Private Blaire. This isn't the first time that something like this happened with him," said the guard.

"I have a kid, sir. I'm used to getting up in the middle of the night like this," said Blaire.

"Then you'll do just fine." said the guard.

Meanwhile in the boy's room, Celestia continued to hold Junior in her warm embrace. The boy had begun to settle a bit. He sniffled, as Celestia tucked him back into bed.

"Just go back to sleep, OK?"

"Ok..." Junior meekly nodded. The princess began to make her way to the door but stopped. She glanced back over her shoulder, finding the boy to still be shaking. The Avatar stepped from the door, smiling. She suddenly pulled the blanket up to the bed, sliding herself under the covers.

"Princess?" Junior sniffled.

"On second thought, maybe I'll spend the night with you. Is that alright?" asked Celestia. Junior lightly nodded. The Avatar smiled sweetly as she caressed his head, rustling his spiky hair.

"Goodnight, Junior," said Celestia.

"Goodnight." Junior spoke in a small tone. As the two lied down, he felt the princess snuggling close to him. A gentle soft hand continued to run through his hair. Her touch was comforting, allowing the boy to settle down. Her soft breaths filled his ears. His mutation had opened up his senses. This in turn allowed him to hear the woman's calm heart. The rhythmic beating was a comforting sound.

In moments, Junior felt his eyes grow heavy. Celestia's presence gave the boy a sense of security, allowing him to drift off to sleep. The Avatar followed after.

---

Some months had passed. During this time, Junior had a grasp in the Equish language. Fortunately, the language didn't seem too difficult to learn. The child would often make efforts to speak the land's tongue as to maintain and hone this newly acquired skill.

While the language barrier was slowly being overcome, Junior often had other troubles aside from night terrors and loneliness. One example being that as of late, he's felt some pain in his body. It was as though his muscles were tearing themselves apart. Junior groaned as he lied on his bed, unable to move. This pain almost felt like the soreness he'd feel after training intensely with his father. Only ten times worse.

There was a knock at the door. Junior sighed heavily.

"Come in..." Junior called. The door opened. A hand maid peered through the door.

"Mr. Takeshi? The princess was waiting for you for breakfast. But you never showed up to the dining room," said the woman. Junior frowned.

"I wanted to, but..." Junior winced. The boy spoke with a thick accent. Though at the very least, he was more capable of communicating with the people in this land. While his accent was thick, some were able to understand him well enough.

"Are you alright?" asked the handmaid, as she entered the room.

"No." Junior whimpered.

"Oh dear. Are you unwell? I can have some soup whipped up for you," said the woman.

"My body. It hurts," whimpered Junior.

"Your body hurts?" asked the handmaid. She heard the rattling of armor. The woman turned to find Blaire to be walking into the room.

"Hey, is everything alright in here?" asked Blaire.

"He says that his body hurts. I don't think he has the strength to get out of bed," said the woman with a grimace. Blaire hummed as she analyzed the boy, who appeared to be in constant pain. The Valkyrie just smiled.

"Oh! He might just be sore. I've seen this kid do some kicks and spins when he's alone. Like some kind of martial arts. It could be growing pains too," said Blaire.

"Do you have suggestions?" asked the handmaid.

"Oh yeah. Just get some ice and essential oils," said Blaire as she began to remove her gauntlets. The handmaid nodded before rushing out of the room.

"Gojira, right?" asked Blaire.

"It's actually, Junior," said the boy with a wince.

"Well, I don't know your dad. So do you mind if I call you, Gojira?" asked Blaire.

"Ok." Junior weakly nodded. Blaire met him with a smile. Soon, the handmaid returned, carrying a bag of ice, and a bottle of essential oil.

"OK, hun. I need you to remove your shirt and lie on your belly. Can you do that?" asked Blaire. Junior took a breath as he began to pull the shirt up over his head. A sharp and throbbing pain filled his torso as he moved. He tossed the shirt aside, before Blaire set his pillow down at the foot of his bed. The boy painfully lied himself on his belly, resting his head on the pillow.

"OK, this will hurt a bit. But, I promise this will help make you feel better," said Blaire, as she poured oil onto her hands. She rubbed her palms together before placing them on the boy's bareback. Junior sharply gasped in pain as the Valkyrie rubbed her oily hands along his aching back.

"Don't tense. Just relax," said Blaire as she massaged the boy. Junior winced at every movement she made. But, his pain began to lessen as the woman worked just the right pressure on his aching muscles. He began to make inaudible groans as every knot and pain was worked out.

As Blaire continued her massage, she began to notice something. The boy had a rather toned body for his age. The muscles in his torso felt solid. It was strange, since Blaire had never heard about or seen this boy participate in any sports or physical activity that would result in this kind of muscle tone. She had a feeling that this kid may be large when he hits puberty.

Soon, Junior found himself on his back. He winced as Blaire massaged his neck, shoulders and head. Then down to his arms and chest.

"You seem to be quite good at this," said the hand maid in surprise.

"Not really. Just strong hands," said Blaire. Soon, she stopped. The Valkyrie removed her hands from the boy with a sigh.

"Does it still hurt?" asked Blaire.

"No, not as much," said Junior. Blaire smiled sweetly.

"Good! Just hold this ice pack on your body and have some rest. I'd normally recommend you to tough it out and try to get some movements in. But, just give it a minute before all of that. Maybe get some light stretches done," said Blsire.

"OK," said Junior.

"Well, I'll be back to check on ya later. Private Blaire, at your service," said the Valkyrie with a wink.

Junior found himself alone in his room again, once the guard and handmaid left. The boy sighed heavily as he stared up at the ceiling. A look of boredom was on his face. He tried to pass the time by counting the bumps on the ceiling. He even tried to take a nap. However, that only proved to be difficult considering that he didn't feel the least bit tired. A couple of hours had passed, and the boy still lied in boredom.

"I'd kill for a book to read," said Junior to himself.

As if on cue, the door opened. From the door, a familiar face peered through. It was the guard, Private Blaire. She met the boy with a smile.

"Hey, just dropping by to check on ya," said Blaire. Junior raised his head in surprise.

"Oh. You were serious," said Junior. Blaire chuckled as she entered.

"Well, yeah. Just between you and me, it gets pretty boring around here. I thought that checking up on Celestia's adopted son would be a nice change of pace in the day," said Blaire.

"I'm... not her adopted son. As far as I know," said Junior.

"Oh. Well, what would you consider yourself to her?" asked Blaire. Junior shrugged in response.

"I don't know. An inconvenience?" chuckled Junior. Blaire did a double take as she heard this. The boy spoke as though he was joking, but it seemed rather on the nose, especially for someone his age.

"Why would you think that?" asked Blaire incredulously, taking a seat on the boy's bed.

"I overheard a guard once. I guess I've been troublesome since I've come here," said Junior, scratching at his head.

He didn't fault anyone who would think so. After all, the language barrier had made things a bit difficult when it came to communication. The night terrors that he's been having these days also had caused some disturbances in the evenings. While the terrors were rare as of late, he could tell that the night guards dreaded him rising from his slumber. He could only imagine how the princess felt about him.

"Ah. I think I know who you might be talking about. Don't mind him. The guy's a jerk," said Blaire.

"But he's right. The princess worked hard to help me learn Equish. She's done more for me than I could ask for. I have to be able to repay my debts to her," said Junior. Blaire raised a brow.

"You know for a kid, you sure do sound like you adhere to a code of honor," said Blaire.

"It's how I was brought up. My father stressed the importance of settling your debts with someone who's done right by you. Also, not to get into monetary debt," said Junior.

"Oh. Smart man," said Blaire in surprise. She wasn't even sure if a kid his age should even know the meaning of the word 'monetary debt'.

"Yeah." The boy solemnly nodded. How he wished that his father was around to provide him with his wisdom. Surely he would know how he could pay the princess back for all of the good she's done for him.

"Well, I wouldn't stress too much. I doubt the princess would demand any compensation from you if she's taken you in. From what I've seen how she treats you, I'm willing to bet it was out of the kindness of her heart," said Blaire.

"But I still want to show her my appreciation," said Junior, solemn. Blaire hummed to herself in thought. She could just tell the boy to express his gratitude in words. But, she doubted that he would be satisfied with that. Then, an idea came to mind.

"Oh! Her birthday's coming up! Why don't you get her a gift? I'm sure she'd appreciate that," said Blaire. The boy's expression lit up.

"Yeah! Oh wait, I don't have any money..." said Junior, quickly becoming discouraged. He then began to scratch at his head in thought.

"I know. I'll just get a job. I can work and earn enough to buy her a gift," said Junior.

"Or you could just make something for her that doesn't require a budget," said Blaire, raising a brow. She never imagined a kid wanting to work. Either this boy held a different mindset compared to most, or children in Neighpon were a lot more different compared to those in Equestria.

"It'd have to be something that expresses my gratitude to her. Something special," said Junior.

"But then again, it's the thought that counts. Just my suggestion," shrugged Blaire. She was beginning to see that the boy had forgotten about what she told him about not stressing. But, it was endearing to see him focused on doing something nice for the princess.

"But who would hire me?" asked Junior. Blaire sighed. She couldn't put the boy down now that he was motivated. He seemed determined.

"Well, maybe I can help you out with that. So long as you're willing to work hard," said Blaire. Junior eagerly nodded.

"I'll do whatever it takes!" said Junior. Blaire smiled.

"Alright. You just sit tight and wait for me to get back to ya. I might be able to find something for you," said Blaire as she sat up. She then gasped.

"Oh! Before I forget." Blaire quickly reached to her side. She drew out a book and held it out to the child.

"I thought you might have been getting bored. So, I swung by the library and got a book that I thought you might like. I heard it was popular with kids and teenagers," said Blaire. The boy took the book with a smile.

"Thank you, Blaire Onee-sama," said Junior, bowing his head graciously. The blonde Valkyrie met him with a confused look. She didn't understand what the word meant, but it didn't seem to be bad, especially with the innocent smile the boy was giving her.

"Y-Yeah, no problem. I'll see ya around," said Blaire as she left the room. She hummed to herself, cocking a brow.

"Oh-knee-sah-ma?"

"I know what that means," said a familiar voice. Blaire stiffened before turning. She found Princess Celestia to be standing behind her with a smile.

"P-Princess!" exclaimed Blaire, standing at attention.

"At ease, Private. Now, I believe you were confused about a word? I take it that Junior has exposed you to some of his cultural mannerisms."

Blaire gulped, struggling to maintain her composure. It was nerve wracking to be in direct contact with the princess, especially by herself. She wondered if others ever felt that way in the guard.

"I-If it's not too much trouble, your Majesty," said Blaire.

"It's an honorific. The Neighponese people often use them to refer to each other based on a certain status. The honorific depends on the status. For example, Onee-sama basically refers to a highly respected older sister," explained Celestia. Blaire tilted her head in confusion.

"Older sister?"

"Yes. Despite the fact that 'Onee' means older sister, this honorific isn't necessarily limited to familial ties. When he calls you that, it means he's acknowledging you as someone who is not only older, but also respectable. I guess you could think of it like how we say ma'am or sir. It's a polite way of speaking," said Celestia.

"Oh. Onee-sama, huh? Heh. I like it. It sounds cute," said Blaire. Celestia smiled.

"I heard from a handmaid that he's been in a lot of pain today. I also heard that you helped to relieve him of that pain," said Celestia. Blaire cleared her throat, before bowing her head, a fist to her chest.

"If I was out of line, please forgive me," said Blaire. Celestia giggled.

"No, not at all. I appreciate you doing that for him. I was happy that someone was looking out for him while I was busy," said Celestia. Blaire sighed in relief. The Avatar met her with a curious glance.

"Private Blaire, correct?" asked Celestia.

"Yes, your Majesty?"

"What is your impression of Junior?" asked the Avatar. Blaire raised a brow. That seemed like an odd question. After all, she was just a simple low ranked guard. Why would the princess care about her opinion on the boy.

"Well, I'd say that he's a good kid. Polite. And maybe a bit uptight," said Blaire. Celestia let out a small snort as she heard this.

"Excuse me," said Celestia, maintaining her composure. Blaire just had a blank look. She was certain that the princess made that sound.

"Anyway, I should be going. I still have some duties to attend to. I wanted to drop by, but I can see that he was in good hands. Again, I appreciate you going beyond the call of duty. I hope you'll continue to look out for him," said Celestia sweetly.

Blaire couldn't help but feel that was an exaggeration. After all, she usually just paces about or stand around wherever she's posted in the castle. She thought that any decent person would step in to help a kid in need.

"Of course. I live to serve," said Blaire, forcing a smile.

"I'll be taking my leave, then," said Celestia, before leaving. Blaire watched as the tall woman left. Her majestic hair flowing in the air. The encounter was not what she expected. But, this only confirmed what she thought.

"No way she'd see him as an inconvenience." Blaire smiled to herself.

---

It was another day. Junior winced as he rubbed his aching shoulders. While his body wasn't in as much pain as he was previously, he still felt sore. Fortunately, he was now able to move about. Now, he had to remain active if he wanted to recover sooner.

Junior began to look himself over the mirror. He grimaced as he saw his developed torso. He was 11 years of age, but his muscle tone seemed abnormal. He doubt that kids his age were supposed to have pectorals as defined as his. Whatever those people did to him have made even his human form change. His muscle growth seemed to have accelerated.

The boy sighed as he grabbed a long sleeved shirt and placed it on. At the very least, he wanted to conceal as much muscle tone as he could. It'd be bad if people saw how fast he was developing. Junior soon left his room, where he found Blaire to be standing with a warm smile.

"Hey, kiddo. Ready for your first day of work?" asked Blaire.

"Yes, Blaire Onee-sama," said Junior eagerly. The Valkyrie smiled in endearment.

"Come on."

The pair began to move through the castle halls. As they left the interior of the castle, Blaire began to fill the boy in on what she managed to set him up with.

"So I talked it over with some friends. We managed to convince the captain to set you up with some odd jobs. Nothing that you can't handle, I'm sure," said Blaire.

"If I can't, then I'll learn," said Junior.

"That's the spirit!"

The pair soon approached the barracks that were set up in the area. The two entered, finding several beds inside. Some guards that were off duty lounged about inside. They read, lied down, conversed, or played card games. Junior had noticed that a number of these guards were quite large and imposing. There were mostly men, but even the few women here looked as tough as nails. They made Blaire look much friendlier in comparison.

"Hey, I brought him!" called Blaire. The guards turned their attention to the pair.

"Wow. You weren't kidding," said one of the guards.

"Cute, ain't he?" asked one of the female guards, smiling at the boy. Junior looked away with a blush.

"This is Gojira Takeshi. He's going to be providing his services to us for a while," said Blaire, placing a hand on Junior's shoulder. The boy bowed, appearing timid.

"I-I look forward to working for you," said Junior. One of the guards snorted.

"Rook?" asked the guard.

One of the others punched him in the arm, sending him a look. Junior's face was red in embarrassment. His Equish may needed some work after all.

One of the guards approached the two. He was a large Earthbound. He had the most imposing figure out of all of the men here. Junior kept his head bowed, not daring to look him in the eye.

"Eyes front, son," said the guard. Junior quickly raised himself up. He found the guard holding out a large hand to him. Junior eyed it with an odd look. Blaire suddenly took one of the boy's hands and brought it up to the man's. The guard held Junior's hand in a firm grip, shaking it.

"That's how men greet in Equestria," said the guard, smiling at the boy. With his hand released, Junior stared at it in fascination. He then clenched it into a fist and nodded.

"We don't normally hire any help, especially children. But, we're making an exception for you since you're a bit of a special case. I expect you to work hard and to not whine or complain about your task. Is that understood?" asked the large guard.

"Yes, sir!" said Junior.

"Good. Your first assignment." The man snapped his fingers. A subordinate approached with a mop and bucket. He handed it off to the boy.

"Clean up the restrooms in these barracks. I want every toilet and sink scrubbed, and every inch of the floors mopped," said the large guard.

"Yes, sir!" said Junior. He made his way to the men's restroom. As he did, his shoulders slumped as he saw the dirt stained floor. Boot prints were left everywhere. The sinks had some mold and water marks, along with dried tooth paste stains. The toilets were also dirty. They bore stains in and out of the bowls. The stench of the restroom made the boy heave. Junior set the cleaning equipment down and stepped out.

"Um... may I step out for a minute? I need something that will help," said Junior. The large guard nodded, allowing the boy to rush out of the barracks.

"Heh. No way that brat's gonna do the work. We might as well do it ourselves," said a guard.

"What are you complaining about, Kane? You pitched in bits to not have to do anything," said Blaire, furrowing her brows. She wasn't too pleased with how this guy was behaving around Junior. From the mocking of his accent to already putting him down before could work. She had an idea that it was him that made the comment about Junior being 'an inconvenience'.

"I'm just saying. Twerps like him don't have the fortitude or discipline to take on hard work. He'll probably bail just to go play or something."

The barracks door suddenly opened. Junior returned, carrying some flowers in his hands. Kane snorted.

"What? Are you gonna give those to the ladies here? Stay in your lane, champ," said Kane

"Hmph. At least It'd be charming. Unlike some people," said one of the women, rolling her eyes.

Junior set the flowers down onto a bed. He began to look around in thought. Then, he turned to Blaire.

"Onee-sama, may I borrow a handkerchief?" asked Junior.

"Oh. Sure, hun," said Blaire as she reached for her side and handed over a white cloth.

"Wait, what'd he call you?" asked a guard in confusion.

"It means, a highly respected big sister," said Blaire, smugly.

"Aw!" The female guards cooed in unison. Kane scoffed.

"He got into your head with that, didn't he?"

Junior began to set the flowers inside of the handkerchief, before using another cloth to tie it to his face. He turned to the largest guard with his own mask.

"I have a sensitive nose. I thought this would help me be more productive. I hope that's alright, sir," said Junior. The guard chuckled.

"Resourceful. I like it."

Junior spent the next few days performing labor based tasks. These tasks centered around doing work that the royal guard and recruits would normally do themselves. The boy would mop the floors, scrub the sinks and toilets, do the laundry, and polish the armor.

While normally, this was something the guard and recruits had to do themselves, they were allowed to use their own money to skip out on these chores for the day. Every bit went to the boy, who did the work in their place. However, the recruits had no luxury in participating in. They still had to work themselves.

By the end of the week, Junior had accumulated enough bits to fill a bag that was half the size of his head. The bag was heavy in his grip, but was no trouble for the child's growing strength. Junior graciously bowed to the guards that stood before him.

"Thank you for allowing me to serve. I am eternally grateful," said Junior.

"Think nothing of it, son. You earned every bit," said the largest guard in approval.

"Good luck, Gojira!" said Blaire. The boy nodded as he began to rush out of the barracks. The child raced through the castle grounds, his mind occupied with many thoughts. He thought about the many kinds of wonderful gifts that the boy could give the princess. Perhaps he could get her something lovely like jewels. Maybe she'll enjoy a beautiful dress for a formal event. Or maybe she'd enjoy a new companion, like an exotic pet. The possibilities were endless.

Junior continued to run, overwhelmed with excitement. As he turned a corner away from the barracks, Junior felt himself collide with something. The boy grunted as he fell back onto his rear, dropping his bag of bits onto the ground. He winced as he shook his head. He gasped once he found a young girl on the ground, in a daze.

"I'm sorry!" said Junior, before helping the girl to her feet. She was a young elf girl, bearing navy blue hair. Pink and violet highlights ran through her hair. She was shorter than the boy, but looked to have been around his age.

"My book! Is it alright?!" exclaimed the girl. Junior was taken aback by this. He was sure that most would worry about themselves rather than a book. He looked around and noticed a large book on the ground near his feet. He knelt down and picked it up.

"Here you go. I apologize," said Junior as he handed over the book. The girl quickly looked through it, inspecting roughly every page, every inch of the covers and spine. She sighed in relief before opening up her book. She walked passed Junior, her nose buried in her book.

"Oh, OK." Junior grimaced. The girl didn't seem very friendly, though he supposed that it was fair, since it was he that bumped into her.

'I wonder where she came from' thought Junior, before shrugging.

Soon, Junior made his way into the castle. He began to sneak through the halls, holding his bag of money close. The reason for this shifty behavior and secrecy was due to the fact that he never told the princess of his escapades during the week. He wanted to surprise Celestia.

As Junior was peering around a corner, he failed to notice the clacking of heels behind him.

"Oh. Good afternoon, Mr. Takeshi," greeted a familiar voice. Junior jumped with a start, turning to find Raven Inkwell to be adjusting the glasses on her face.

"I-Inkwell-san!" Junior exclaimed, before bowing, hiding the bag of money behind himself. The woman looked at him with suspicion.

"What's that you have?" asked Raven. Junior grimaced. No sense in hiding it now that she's caught on.

"Money..." said Junior. The elf's eyes went wide.

"Where on Equestria have you gotten that much money?!" exclaimed Raven. Junior quickly shushed her, his eyes darting around. This only proved to worry the elf even more. Her imagination began to run wild as she thought up a dozen different scenarios that would lead to that amount of money. Most if not all of these scenarios involved foul play. No doubt the princess will be distraught if she were to learn of this.

"Can you keep a secret?" whispered Junior, motioning for the woman to come closer. Raven gulped as she reluctantly knelt close to the boy.

"I've been doing work for the royal guard. I cleaned, polished their armor and did their laundry for bits," whispered Junior. Raven's expression went blank, but a wave a relief washed over her. She sighed as she held a hand to her racing heart.

"Oh, thank goodness," said Raven. The boy met her with a glare.

"You must swear to not tell anyone! Not even the princess! Otherwise, you must atone by committing seppuku!" said Junior.

Raven had recoiled, but tilted her head in confusion. She reached into a pocket and quickly turned through a book. It was a language dictionary that she made a habit of carrying around since the boy came to live in the castle. It's proven to be useful before. After finding the word, she went pale like a ghost. She slowly turned to face the boy.

"Ritual suicide?" asked Raven, her voice small.

"Through self-disembowelment!" said Junior, nodding.

"D-Don't you think that's a bit harsh?" asked Raven, uneasily. She wanted to ask if the boy was just being dramatic to emphasize the importance of keeping a secret. But considering the child's background, she was afraid to.

"May I at least ask why it's so important that I keep this a secret?" asked Raven.

"Because I want to surprise Princess Celestia for her birthday. I needed money so I can get her something special," said Junior. Raven smiled sweetly.

"Aw. If that's the case, then I'll help you with some ideas. You can also count on me to keep quiet. I certainly wouldn't want to have to... disembowel myself," said Raven with a titter.

"I-I wasn't serious about that," said Junior, his tone small.

"Oh thank Celestia," said Raven with a sigh of relief.

"Did you call?"

Junior and Raven both stiffened. Junior quickly hid the bag of bits behind himself while Raven stood in front of him. The princess approached from down the hall, a curious look on her face.

"What might you two be up to?" asked Celestia.

"N-Nothing. I gotta go!" said Junior, as he bolted off away, his money bag stuffed into his shirt. Celestia had an odd look, while Raven was sweating bullets.

"What do you suppose that was about?" asked Celestia, eyebrow raised.

"I couldn't tell you," said Raven innocently.

Later that day, Junior found himself sitting at a desk in his room. Just as she said, Raven was with him, offering her assistance for the boy. Junior was looking through a catalogue that was provided by the elf. The boy scratched at his head, as he read. Raven was writing into a notebook, calculating the prices of what had caught the boy's eye, and subtracted that from his earnings.

Raven thought that this would be easier if the child wasn't so fixated on some of the more expensive products. While he had a lot of money, it wouldn't be enough to cover what he thought would be a good gift.

"Mr. Takeshi, perhaps you should try accounting more for the Princess's interests and use that as a reference for your budget," said Raven.

"But I don't really know what her interests are," sighed Junior.

Raven frowned. She could sympathize with the boy. The Princess herself was hard to approach for most. After all, they weren't worthy of being so casual with her as if she was a common person. The boy may have been somewhat closer to her compared to the rest, but he was intent on keeping his objective a secret. He wouldn't try to fish for information. Especially at this such short notice. If only they knew something about the princess that they could use that would impress her.

"I'm sure everyone else will be giving all sorts of gifts to her. Much more nice and expensive than what I could afford. Maybe Blaire Onee-sama was right. I should probably make her something," said Junior in dismay. Raven's expression lit up.

"That's a good idea. If you're goal is to stand out, then something handmade will do the trick," said Raven.

Junior scratched at his head in thought. He wondered if he was over thinking the whole thing. He wondered if it really mattered all that much, so long as he put some thought into it. With newfound resolution, Junior smiled.

"I'll need to buy some supplies," said Junior.

Later that day, Junior found himself locked up in his room. The boy's room was a mess. There were numerous arts and crafts supplies scattered about.

The boy sat at his desk, having made an object that took up most of his desk. As of now, it was just paper Mache, having just been coated in homemade paste. The boy looked over to the clock on the wall, finding that it was the late afternoon. He still had a long way to go before this project was finished.

There was a sudden knock at the door. Junior got up from his desk and made his way to the door. He leaned close to it, his head against the door.

"Who is it?" asked Junior.

"It's Raven Inkwell. I have the rest," said Raven. Junior cautiously opened the door, allowing the elf to enter. She brought in a plastic bag, filled with some contents.

"Thank you. I was just waiting for it to dry before laying the paint foundation," said Junior as he took the bag. Ravens eyes widened as she saw the mess in the room. But what caught her eye was the object on the boy's desk. A small fan was blowing gently into the object, as though it was an attempt to dry the paste faster.

"You've already gotten this far? Where did you learn to do this?" asked Raven in surprise.

"My mother. We used to do stuff like this together all the time. She had a lot of talent with art," said Junior.

"That's impressive," said Raven. She cleared her throat.

"If that's everything, then I'll be going now," said Raven.

"Of course. Thank you, Inkwell-san. Remember, not a word to the princess," said Junior.

"My lips are sealed." Raven winked, before leaving the boy's room.

Junior began to set aside some of the newly bought supplies. He turned off the fan and began to squeeze out bottles of paint onto a paper plate. He then took a large brush and began to paint quick strokes over the object.

During the painting process, Junior began to recall his past.

When his mother was still around, his childhood wasn't always filled with intense training from his father. His mother encouraged creativity in the boy. That was explored by taking on art projects with her. Whether it was painting, origami, making puppets; his mother was quite an artistic individual. She even painted a few things that were displayed in the Takeshi home herself. While Junior doubt he could ever compare to her works, he managed to pick up a few things from the time they had. Now, he was going to summon that for a gift to honor someone who had very well saved his life.

The boy spent all day and evening working on this gift. He didn't stop to take a small break. He instead kept working. He only had until morning to get this thing finished and prepped. His only breaks entailed a quick sip of coffee that he had requested a hand maid to provide some time before. Junior yawned, before leaning close to the object he worked on, painting in finer details.

Before Junior knew it, he was finished. He sighed tiredly, slouching in his seat with a relieved smile. His gaze fell out to the window, where the morning sun was rising.

"Just in time."

There was a knock on the door. Junior got up from his desk and approached the door. He opened the door just a crack, finding a familiar woman to be standing.

"It's just me, Goji," said Blaire. Junior sniffed as he opened the door wider, his eyes darting from both ends of the hall. He quickly grabbed the Valkyrie and yanked her inside, prompting a startled yelp from her. Junior closed the door with a sigh.

"You know, you should treat ladies more delicately," said Blaire, rubbing her arm with a wince. She swore that the boy would've torn her arm off if he had pulled any harder. She gasped once she noticed the object that stood in the room at the boy's desk.

"Oh my goodness. D-Did you do this all by yourself?" asked Blaire, shocked.

"Yes." Junior answered as he began to make his way to the gift, doing a quick scan over everything. He had to make sure that everything was as it should be.

"That's incredible! I'm sure she'll love- Wait, how long were you on this? You look awful!" exclaimed Blaire, having just noticed the boy's haggard state.

"Um... Throughout the night? I had just finished it before you knocked," said Junior, rubbing his baggy eyes. Blaire grimaced.

"Aw hun, you shouldn't be pushing yourself so hard," said Blaire.

"No, it's fine. This wouldn't be the first time that I've stayed up this long," said Junior as he began to pick up a paper coffee cup. He took a sip, but found that it was empty. He tossed it into the garbage bin, where a couple of others lied inside.

"Please tell me the other two weren't yours," said Blaire, worriedly.

"OK, I won't," said Junior, nonchalant. He was starting to shake a bit, a sign of the jitters.

"OK, I'm gonna make a note to have the staff ban you from caffeine," deadpanned Blaire.

"That's OK, I didn't really care for it anyway. I just needed the energy to..." Junior trailed off as his head began to slump down, a snore escaping him. He quickly shot awake.

"Mm. I still need to get this ready. Where- Where's the uh.... The uh..." Junior trailed off. Blaire shook her head as she began to usher Junior away from the desk.

"YOU'RE going straight to bed," said Blaire.

"But Blaire Onee-sama..." Junior whined, as he was ushered to his bed.

"No buts. The Princess won't be celebrating her birthday until the afternoon. That's plenty of time for you to catch up on some sleep," said Blaire. Junior sighed as he climbed into bed.

"Promise you'll at least wake me up before then," said Junior. Blaire smiled in reassurance.

"I promise."

With a satisfied smile, Junior began to tuck himself into bed. He sighed as he lied his head back on his pillow, feeling relief in his tired body as it began to settle.

Blaire left the boy to sleep, a smile on her face. While she wasn't thrilled about the kid putting so much pressure on himself, she found it sweet that he was dedicated. If Celestia was his mother, she would have been quite a lucky one.

Some hours had passed. Blaire had stood at her post, as usual. Her post wasn't too far from Junior's room, so she could always just rush down over to wake him up for the princess's birthday celebration.

The Valkyrie sighed in boredom as she found herself leaning against the wall.

"Good afternoon, Private Blaire."

Blaire gasped as she quickly stood up straight, her head held high. Princess Celestia had just arrived from the down the hall.

"Good afternoon, your highness! I hear that it's your birthday today. H-Happy birthday!" said Blaire. Celestia smiled sweetly.

"Thank you, Private. You wouldn't happen to have seen Junior today, have you? I haven't seen him all day."

"N-no ma'am." Blaire answered. While it may have been silly to lie about the boy's whereabouts, Blaire had to make sure that she kept the boy's little all-nighter a secret. Celestia hummed in thought before walking off.

"I'll check his room," said Celestia. Blaire gasped. She quickly got in the Avatar's path.

"You can't! I mean..." Blaire mentally screamed. What she just did was not appropriate for a royal guard to do before the princess.

"Y-you're celebrating your birthday in the ball room, correct? You should hurry over," said Blaire.

"But what about Junior?" asked Celestia, finding herself ushered away by the guard. She could easily just push passed her, but felt oddly compelled to retreat.

"Oh, you know what? I just remembered that I saw him hanging out in the statue gardens! With that funny looking statue. I'll head on over and bring him along to the party!" said Blaire. Celestia grimaced.

"I wish that he'd stop hanging around that one. Well, I suppose I'll go if you know where he is," said Celestia. Although, she couldn't help but feel suspicious. She was starting to notice that people were acting strange as of late.

"Oh yeah! He'll be there before ya know it! Have fun!" said Blaire, waving to the princess as she left. Blaire quickly bolted off in the opposite direction, leaving her post. She made her way towards the boy's room and began to frantically knock. After a minute of waiting, the door still didn't open.

"Screw it!" Blaire forced her way into the room, finding Junior to be snoozing in bed. She rushed over and proceeded to shake him awake.

"Huh? Wha?" Junior rose up, his eyes struggling to remain open.

"Goji, the princess is looking for you. If you want to get her gift ready, then you better do it now!" said Blaire as she removed the boy's covers. Junior yawned as he stumbled out of bed, rubbing his eyes. Blaire rushed to the boy's closet, searching for clothes.

"OK, it's a formal event, so you need to look your best! Hop in the tub and wash up and get dressed! I'll keep watch outside!" said Blaire as she began to draw out some clothes from the closet.

"Formal?" asked Junior in dismay.

"Yes! Now hop to it! Go! Go! Go!" said Blaire, clapping her hands together, prompting the boy to stumble off to the bathroom.

Blaire spent the next few minutes waiting outside of the boy's room. She tapped her foot, her eyes darting from both ends of the hall. She was anxious. Hopefully Celestia wouldn't catch on. After another minute of waiting, the woman heard the door open up. She turned, finding the boy to be dressed up.

Junior wore a vest over a long sleeved shirt. He wore a pair of dark pants, and shoes. But, the boy held his tie in his hand, and his hair was still spiky and unkempt.

"I don't know how to tie a tie," said Junior.

"Alright, come on," said Blaire, ushering the boy inside. She took the boy's tie and bent down. She brought it over his neck and began to tie it. She almost felt like she was dressing her own son for a formal event. After finishing up the tie, the Valkyrie led Junior to the bathroom. She took his head gently, holding a comb. She began to run the comb through the boy's hair, causing him to wince.

"Yeah, that's the price of hair as long as yours. Gotta maintain it if you wanna look good," said Blaire as she continued combing the boy's hair back.

"Nervous?" asked Blaire.

"A bit." Junior answered.

"You'll be fine. I'm sure she'll love it," said Blaire. After combing the boy's hair, she began to look him over at every angle. A satisfied smile on her face.

"Well, don't you look handsome?" Blaire teased. Junior blushed in response.

Later, Blaire found herself pushing a cart along with Junior. The boy yawned tiredly as he stumbled through the hall. The pair made their way through the castle, headed for the ball room.

"You sure you're good? You seem pretty tired," said Blaire.

"I'm fine. Just need coffee." Junior yawned.

"No! I'm weaning you off of that stuff right now!" said Blaire. Junior groaned.

The pair soon found themselves arriving at the ballroom. Inside, the place was set up with formal decoration. From tables covered in long fine sheets. A band of musicians stood on stage, playing their instruments. The sound of their calm, dulcet music flowed through the air. All around, there were high class citizens that had gathered for the princess's birthday celebration. The boy gasped, his stomach sinking to the floor, as he gazed upon the seemingly endless stacks of gifts that were stacked over in the ballroom.

"Oh no." Junior grimaced.

"Hey, don't pay any mind to those gifts. You made yours from scratch. Knowing these guys, they probably just bought stuff that they would like for themselves," said Blaire.

Junior felt some reassurance about this, but he couldn't help but gaze upon those gifts. He wondered what the odds were that the princess would notice his gift. He sighed as he and Blaire rolled the cart over to the side near the presents. With the sheet secured to the gift, Blaire began to leave.

"I gotta get back to my post. Good luck!" said Blaire, before leaving the ballroom.

Junior weakly waved. He yawned, feeling the sleep threatening to bring him back to a slumber. The boy sighed as he made his way to the refreshment tables. He found there to be many sweets lied out, along with a punch bowl. There were even some small snacks offered.

Immediately, Junior began to gather up as many sweets that he could. Some brownies, chocolates, and a cup of punch. He began to consume. The boy didn't bother savoring their flavor, for he was after their sugar for energy. The boy received some stares from some of the nearby guests.

"Who is that foreign boy?" whispered a man.

"How ghastly! Was he raised in a barn?" asked a woman, cringing at the sight.

"Look at how he carries himself. Must be a commoner," said another man.

"Should someone tell the guards that a child snuck in?" whispered another woman.

Junior stopped eating as he heard these words. While they whispered, his sensitive ears were able to pick them up. The boy grabbed a napkin and wiped his face with a sigh. He made his way over to a lone table, where he took a seat, away from the other guests.

The boy watched in silence as the people mingled. All alone. There weren't any other children around, and Blaire was gone. He hadn't seen Princess Celestia either. But, he doubt that he would be able to spend time with her. After all, he was just a mere commoner. Surely she would be busy entertaining her more sophisticated guests. He could only imagine what sort of gifts they gave her.

"Maybe I should've stayed asleep."

Junior groaned as he slumped his head on the table in lament. He began to have second thoughts about the whole thing. The boy thought himself foolish thinking that he could do anything special for the princess. He was no one special either. Just an orphaned boy, with a monster buried deep inside him.

"There you are!" A familiar voice called out. Junior raised his head, finding Celestia to be approaching his table. The boy found himself mesmerized by her appearance. She was wore a new dress, which had warm color tones, matching the sun itself. The skirt reached down to the ground, and a golden necklace hung from her neck. Her arms and shoulders were exposed, with only a thinner piece of fabric layered on her top.

"I was looking for you, Junior. Oh! I see that you've made yourself presentable," said Celestia, as she knelt next to the boy. Junior quickly stood up, clearing his throat.

"H-Happy birthday, princess," said Junior. Celestia smiled warmly.

"Aw. Thank you, dear. I'm glad that you could make it," said Celestia. The boy cleared his throat.

"A-Anyway, that's an awful lot of presents. W-When do you think you'll be able to start opening them?" asked Junior.

"Oh, there's no rush. Let's enjoy the festivities! Have you tried anything from the refreshment table? Be sure not to stuff yourself before the cake is brought in." Celestia playfully winked.

"I'm OK. I..." Junior was interrupted as a guard came rushing over.

"Your majesty, your presence is needed," whispered the guard.

"Now? Can it wait?" asked Celestia in a whisper.

"It's urgent. It concerns your student," whispered the guard. Celestia's brow raised. She sighed.

"I'm sorry dear, I have somewhere that I must be. But we should certainly spend time together as soon as I return!" said Celestia.

"Y-Yeah." Junior nodded. He grimaced as the Avatar followed the guard out of the ballroom. Junior had an uneasy feeling in his gut. He could sense something from the guard. Junior couldn't explain it, but he felt like he's become more perceptive to how people feel. There was always a stench that lingered the air.

"Maybe it's just my stomach. I did eat a bunch of sweets," said Junior, holding his gut.

There was only one thing that the boy could do now. That was waiting. So, Junior did that. He waited, and waited. People came to the ballroom, but there was no sign of Celestia. The boy continued to wait, occupying his time through snacking. But even that couldn't hold him over. His stomach would be aching if he ate anymore.

Junior had waited for what felt like hours. He looked around, finding that some of the other high class citizens were beginning to question where the princess had gone. Junior noticed Raven Inkwell to be making her way over to the stage, where she grabbed the microphone. The elf cleared her throat, her voice amplified by the microphone.

"May I have your attention, please? I regret to inform you that Princess Celestia will not be able to make it back for the festivities tonight," said Raven. This gained disappointed and annoyed exclamations from the guests. Junior was surprised at the news, but also disappointed.

"Apologies for any disappointment and inconvenience. But, the Princess appreciates you bringing gifts and coming to celebrate her birthday. Please, try to enjoy the rest of the night. We still have food and snacks being provided at the refreshment tables. Thank you," said Raven, before stepping off of the stage. Junior merely sat in silence as Raven left the stage.

Junior eventually left the ballroom. There was no sense in staying since the princess wasn't going to show up. Plus, he didn't exactly fit. He made his way back to his room, feeling disappointment weigh heavily on his shoulders. Before the boy went into his room, curiosity began to nag at him.

Junior stepped away from his door and continued on down the hall. He eventually made his way to Celestia's royal quarters. He was about to knock but heard a faint sound. He froze in place, his sensitive ears picking it up. He leaned close to the door, slowing his breathing. They were the unmistakable sounds of a woman weeping. It was Princess Celestia.

The boy was about to knock on the door, but stopped himself. A frown grew on his face as he began to think his action through. There had to be a reason why the princess would suddenly not show up to her birthday celebration. If her tears were anything to go by, then it meant that she wanted to be alone. Junior lowered his hand and sighed. He began to make his way to his room, a sense of helplessness washing over him.

---

The next day had come. Princess Celestia found herself sitting on her throne. Her eyes were looking through a scroll, which she began to sign. She handed off the scroll to Raven, who then traded her for another. It was just another day of fulfilling royal duties.

"How did it go, last night?" asked Celestia. Raven slightly stiffened at the breach of silence. It had been a while since the Avatar had said something to her.

"Well... They were disappointed, to say the least," said Raven. Celestia lightly frowned.

"I see. Seems that I'm letting everyone down as of late," said Celestia, though the last sentence was under her breath.

"Your Majesty?" asked Raven.

"It's nothing. I should write letters to the guests to apologize. And thank them for the gifts," said Celestia as she signed the scroll she had.

"A-Actually, your Majesty. There's someone who left a very special gift to you. He was particularly disappointed that you hadn't shown up," said Raven. Celestia raised a brow.

"A secret admirer?" asked Celestia.

"You could say that," said Raven. The Avatar sighed.

"Well, you've peaked my interest. I suppose a short break wouldn't hurt," said Celestia.

The pair had soon made their way to the ballroom. Aside from the stacks of gifts, everything else in this place had been cleaned up from the previous night's party. Raven led Celestia over towards the cart, covered in sheets. The elf picked up a card that was left on the sheet and handed it off to the princess. Celestia opened the card and began to read through it.

"Dearest Princess Celestia, thank you for all of that you have done. It is thanks to you that my life was saved. You sheltered me and kept me fed, even when I may have been a nuisance. You even offered me the opportunity to see a beautiful new land. It inspired me to make this gift to you. Sincerely, Gojira Takeshi II."

After reading, Celestia closed the card and grabbed the sheet. She yanked it off, revealing something that made her gasp. She beheld a landscape model of Canterlot. From the grand tall mountain, to the rolling green hills, fields and the running rivers below. There were even small pre-fabricated models of the city itself, including the castle. Rivers ran from the mountain and down to the city's water ways, falling down to the rivers below the mountain. The rivers seemed to have been modeled through wax and hot glue. The fields were made up of powdered grass that had been pasted to the model, and some small synthetic model trees to top them off. The mountains were painted, giving them the illusion of stone. There were even real rocks placed about the model.

Celestia held a hand to her mouth, having grown breathless. Her eyes watered as she studied every inch of the model. There was great amount of detail put into it. She was touched by the gift, able to see the love and care that the boy had put into it. He made it just for her.

"E-Excuse me." Celestia quickly took off from the ballroom. Raven merely smiled to herself.

The Avatar continued on through the castle. She searched every corner of the palace, searching. But to no avail, she couldn't find anyone. The Princess then recalled something from Blaire. Celestia changed her course, leaving the castle. She soon made her way to the statue garden, where depictions of heroes, legends and villains lied. Celestia soon came across a familiar but hated statue. The statue of Discord, Spirit of Chaos of Disharmony, but below the statue was a pleasing sight. Junior sat alone before the statue in silence, picking at the grass on the ground.

Celestia began to approach the boy. He had sensed her presence, prompting him to turn. The boy stood to his feet, brushing grass from his lap.

"Hello, Princess," greeted Junior, casually. Celestia merely met him a smile. She knelt down and took the boy's hand, giving him a warm smile.

"I found your gift, Junior," said Celestia. Junior softly smiled in returned. He was then wrapped in her arms. The woman rested her chin on his shoulder, while holding him tightly.

"Thank you for the present, Junior. I love it." Celestia spoke softly. Junior let loose a triumphant smile. He returned the Avatar's embrace. He was able to tell that today had turned out to be a better one for the Princess.

Next Chapter: Chapter 14: Rule 63 Estimated time remaining: 9 Hours, 20 Minutes