It was a sunny day. Princess Celestia found herself walking alongside a young elf girl. She was a rather small girl, especially for her age. But, she was a bright child. A promising student. Celestia only hoped that she could steer her on the right path. It had been 5 years since she mentored her, so there was hope.

"I look forward to your report, Twilight Sparkle," said Celestia. The girl nodded, placing on an aura of maturity. Celestia found it quite endearing that this 14 year old was trying to emulate adults.

"Well, I look forward to your thoughts, your Majesty. I think you'll find my research on the G.U.'s concept of using magic to act as energy sources for infrastructure, fascinating as well as informative," said Twilight.

"While I think we're a long ways off in implementing that here, it should be interesting," said Celestia. She stopped and turned to face the elf with a warm smile.

"Just don't push yourself too hard, my faithful student. It's the weekend after all," said Celestia.

"No better time for me to study," said Twilight. Celestia forced a smile. How she hoped that this girl was interacting with friends.

"Well, until next time," said Celestia. Twilight bowed, before turning to leave.

The Avatar sighed as she made her way back into the castle. She hummed to herself as she ventured through halls. She eventually found herself at a familiar door. Celestia knocked. A minute passed, but no answer. Celestia knocked again, still no answer.

Celestia sighed as she opened the door. She found a figure to be lying under the covers in a bed. She made her way over and began to lean close.

"Junior, rise and shine~."

There was a grumble. The boy tucked himself in bed. Celestia frowned. She began to shake Junior.

"Dear, get up. It's noon. You can't sleep all day like this," said Celestia.

"It's Saturday." Junior moaned. His voice having deepened these last few years.

"I know, but you should be productive with your time. Monday's your first day in school, remember?" asked Celestia.

Junior sighed as he removed the covers, stepping out of bed. He had grown tall, standing at 5 foot 9. His shoulders were starting to broaden, and his chin and jawline having grown a bit squared, The boy was developing strong features that people would think that he was older than 15. And like a teenager, he was growing a bit lazy.

"I guess I could check for some school supplies," said Junior.

"That's the spirit!" Said Celestia, as Junior sighed.

Later that day, Junior found himself walking the streets of Canterlot. He was fully dressed. The boy let out a yawn. Lately, he had been feeling exhausted. It was as though he hadn't been getting enough sleep. Junior only had that problem when he was younger, plagued with night terrors, though his nightmares had become less frequent as the years rolled by.

This sense of fatigue was different. He felt irritable at times too. His stomach grumbled.

"Damn it." Junior rubbed his gut. He looked around and found a cafe. The boy entered, where he proceeded to order food. He later received his meal at his table. It was comprised of French fries and a sandwich, filled with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and an egg.

"Down the hatch." Junior sighed in dismay. Eating in Equestria wasn't ideal. The people never really practiced eating meat. Their food was mainly crop based. While it left a lot of healthy people with a strong diet to boot, it left much to be desired for the boy.

Junior hadn't eaten a single piece of meat in years. Instead, he had been filling up on beans, a close substitute, eggs, and carbs. It was rather mundane if not maddening. How he yearned to sink his teeth into chicken, a juicy BBQ slab of beef, or even fresh fish. Any of those meats would greatly improve his current meal.

After eating his lunch, Junior had left the cafe and returned to the streets. But still, his stomach rumbled. He was starting to notice this too. He never felt satisfied after a meal. At first he thought it was just his mind not catching up to his gut, but now it's been frequent. It even almost feels like he hadn't eaten anything. Junior sighed as he held his gut. His meat cravings got worse during this.

As Junior walked on, he passed an alley. The boy stopped as he noticed suspicious activity. He found a girl that must have been around his age. She was backed against a wall, as a couple of other boy's surrounded her. The girl was glaring at the boys, as they met her with taunts and smirks.

Junior recalled something from his past. Before his mother died, she asked him to do one thing. That was to help those who needed it. Judging by the sight he saw, he reckoned that the girl qualified.

Without thinking, Junior bolted into action. He sprinted down into the alley. He reared his fist back and slugged one of the boys, knocking him to the ground. The other recoiled, as did the girl.

"What in the-" the boy was interrupted as Junior spun and kicked the boy in the face, sending him crashing to the ground. They groaned as they lied on the ground, their faces swelling up. Junior scoffed as he stood upright, shaking his head with a look of disdain.

"Picking on helpless girls? How shameful," said Junior. He was suddenly met with a punch to the face. But, it came not from the boys. Rather, the girl he had rescued. She met him with a harsh glare.

"Who're you calling 'helpless'?!" demanded the girl. Junior held his cheek as it began to bruise. He was taken aback.

"Uh..."

"Ugh! I can't stand guys like you! Big lunkheads who think they can talk down to people just because they got a little muscle mass! I'll have you know that I'm plenty capable of standing up for myself!" Said the girl.

As the girl continued to berate him, Junior ended up tuning her out. Instead his focus was on her appearance. The girl was an elf. She bore short hair, that was red and yellow, like fire. Her big teal eyes shimmered, as she glared at him. Her face cheeks, nose and ears grew red as she yelled at the boy. Her voice had a somewhat scratchy but feminine deepness to it.

Junior found himself captivated by the girl's appearance and voice. Even when angry, she was downright attractive. The punch she had delivered had made his heart throb. His face began to redden, as a shy smile grew on his face. This only managed to piss the girl off more.

"Hey! Are you even listening? What are you- Hey, are you making fun of me?!" The girl demanded, grabbing Junior by his hoodie, shaking him roughly. Junior was snapped out of his daze.

"N-no! I was just-" Junior was interrupted as the girl raised a glowing hand. Junior gasped as she charged a magic spell. She shot her hand forward and fired a bolt of magic. The bolt shot passed Junior, hitting one of the boy's, who had stood up with a plank of wood raised. The boy fell to the ground with a pained groan.

"Whoa." Junior stood with wide eyes. The elf then pulled him closer, headbutting Junior. The two were inches from each other's faces.

"You want a taste, too?!" demanded the girl.

"OK, you made your point! Excuse me trying to help!" said Junior, glaring back at the girl. Though if he had to be honest, he didn't mind being this close to her face.

"Halt!" A gruff voice shouted. A couple royal guards rushed to the alley. The girl released Junior and held her hands together. She suddenly disappeared in a flash of magic.

"Hey, wait!" Junior exclaimed.

Later that evening, Junior found himself sitting on his bed. A scowl was on his face. Blaire sat beside him, laughing hysterically.

"So you stepped in to help her, but she ends up hitting you and then freaked out on you?" asked Blaire in between laughs.

"It's not funny. She teleported as soon as the guards showed up. I ended up getting in trouble for beating those guys," said Junior in dismay. While technically he was responsible for that, it was all in the defense of someone else. The girl vanishing without testifying on his defense didn't help.

"Celestia was not happy," said Junior.

"Hey, you did the right thing. Even if no one else appreciates it, I'll sing your praise," said Blaire, nudging the boy.

"Thanks, Blaire," said Junior. The valkyrie sighed with a disappointed look.

"What's wrong?" asked Junior.

"I miss you calling me 'Onee-sama'," said Blaire.

"Huh?" asked Junior, incredulous.

"What? It was cute!" said Blaire. Junior sighed, looking away in embarrassment.

"I was a kid when I did that. You know I stopped using honorifics entirely awhile back," said Junior.

"You're still a kid," deadpanned Blaire. She sighed as she got up.

"Oh well. It's enough to know that I am such a respectable big sister," Blaire smirked. Junior merely rolled his eyes in response. The valkyrie began to make her way out of the room.

"I better get going. G'night!" said Blaire.

"Good night," said Junior, as he was left in his room again. He sighed heavily as he lied back onto his bed, staring up at the ceiling. All he could think about was the girl from the afternoon. While his mind was caught up on her beauty, he was still annoyed with how she responded to him. Even if she was capable of defending herself, which she had proven when she used an offensive type of spell, it didn’t mean she had to act so aggressive to him. Still, it was surprising, considering how most common of elves don't know that type of spell. They usually only know how to use magic to levitate objects. Only elves that were enlisted into the royal guard knew how to use attack spells such as that. It took studying to understand and to perform the more advanced spells. Especially for teenagers.

Whoever that girl was most likely studied teleportation and that 'Stun' attack to perform them as effortlessly as she did. He wondered who she was.

It was Monday, the beginning of a new week. Junior found himself sighing as he looked at himself in the mirror. His stomach was in knots.

"OK, you can do this. You're just going to school. Sure, you never went before since your family and Celestia educated you for all of your life. But, you got this. You're just going to be in different rooms with different strangers. So many... strangers," said Junior, a grimace on his face.

The door to his room suddenly opened. He turned to find Celestia to be entering. She beamed as she found the boy to be standing, dressed up in a school uniform. He wore a jacket over a short sleeved collar shirt and a neck tie, along with a pair of slacks.

"Oh my goodness, I can't believe it! That uniform looks great on you!" said Celestia, as she approached the boy. She bent down and began to adjust the boy's tie.

"Aren't you going to comb your hair?" asked Celestia.

"Do I have to? If I do anything more than this, then I'll just feel uncomfortable the whole day," said Junior. He tugged at his collar with a sigh, feeling himself grow a bit hot. He hoped he'd feel cooler once he was outside.

"Hm. I suppose not. But, I think it'll benefit you," said Celestia.

"It's fine."

Junior began to gather up his school bag. He made sure that he had everything that would be necessary for the first day. Who knows if the school would suddenly spring work on the first day. It would pay to be prepared ahead of time. After gathering his things, Junior stepped out of his room.

"Come here, dear," Celestia suddenly hugged the boy tightly, forcing his face against her chest. Junior grunted, feeling the strength of the woman work against him, while he asphyxiated from her overly affectionate embrace.

"Oh, I'm gonna miss you!" said Celestia.

"Celestia, I can't-" Junior gasped as he found himself held tighter.

"Be sure that you're respectful to your teachers and that you take plenty of notes, alright dear? And don't forget to come straight home after school," said Celestia.

"I-I gotta go!" said Junior as he attempted to pull himself away, but Celestia tightened her hold.

"No, wait! We need to have breakfast still!" cried Celestia, desperately.

"I'm gonna be late!" said Junior, as he strained to pull himself away from the Avatar. She was more reluctant to let him leave than he was himself.

"Just one muffin!" cried Celestia,.

"I can't! I have to go!" yelled Junior.

"Let me walk you!" begged Celestia, as the boy slipped through her fingers. He stumbled away with a pant.

"No! That's embarrassing!" said Junior. The Avatar gasped, noticing the boy's wrinkled clothes.

"Oh no! Your uniform! Come here, so I can-" Celestia was interrupted as Junior stumbled back.

"No, I'm leaving! I'll fix it on the way!" said Junior as he began to run down the hall.

"Oh OK. Make lots of friends!" Celestia waved to the boy, as he disappeared from sight. She sighed with a sad smile.

"They grow up so fast."

Meanwhile, Junior found himself walking the streets of Canterlot. He managed to fix his uniform. Although, there were some wrinkles left by Celestia's reluctance to let him leave. No matter. He could look worse after all.

Soon, the boy found his way over to the school. He froze in place as he beheld a large structure. The school was built into the side of the mountain, where the river ran through. A large pond rested at the side, along with a field of grass. The school was made up of stone, built with a round structure. There were cones that rested on towers of the school. The courtyard was made up of a brick road, making its way to the school. About half way to the school, there was a fountain, and several students that were lounging about on this morning. The school was large, but barely compared to Celestia's castle.

Junior found students to be flocking passed him. Boys and girls that were his age and older. There were mostly elves here, but he did see a number of Earthbounds and Pegasi here. The boys were well fit and handsome, with neatly combed hair and clear skin. Even their uniforms looked to be in better shape compared to Junior's. Some even had extra accessories such as scarfs, rings, and ascots.

The girls were lovely as could be. They were tall and short. Their faces bearing makeup, hiding whatever blemishes that their skin may have, that is if they had any. The valkyries had neat and well groomed feathers on their wings, the elves had long ears, bearing tints of red from blood flowing from the cold air of Canterlot, and the Earthbounds bore strong curves. Their bright colorful hair flowed, or were held up in buns, and ponytails. Short and long. The girls here were stylish.

Junior began to feel a sense of insecurity take over as he gazed out to the other students. He felt underdressed, his hair was its usual casual self, and he doubt he looked as presentable as the boys here.

The bell began to toll in the air. School was beginning. The students all began to move from their place of lunging, while the rest picked up their pace to the school building. Junior took a breath as he mustered the courage to move forward.

Soon, Junior found himself entering the main foyer of the school. He beheld a grand hall, filled with different corridors, and stairs that led up higher onto different floors of the structure. Grand pillars stood and held up the elevated floors above. Numerous students roamed the school, making their way towards their classes.

Junior reached into his pocket and drew out a sheet of paper, which depicted his schedule. He muttered to himself as he looked to the corridors. Above, he saw signs that labeled the classroom numbers that students would expect to find down there. From what Junior understood, the classrooms were labeled with a number in the front that represented one of the four years of students. Freshmen, Sophmore, Junior, and Senior. The next set of numbers represented the class room based on a certain subject.

Since Junior was a 1st year student, he would only be able to attend classes with the number 1 in front, then whatever numbers that his classes were. It was going to take a while before he could memorize this.

Later, Junior arrived at his first class. He was immediately greeted with the sight of a large room, full of students. The classroom was set up with a podium at the front of a small elevated stage. There was a tall chalk board that rested on the wall. The seats were comprised of long desks that sat in rows. Large windows stood on the walls at the back of the classroom, allowing the natural sunlight to come in. A view of the school grounds could be made out if one were to peer outside.

Students began to turn their attention to the newcomer who had just arrived. Junior felt his stomach go into knots again, as he received curious stares. Junior gulped as he held his bag tightly, before making his way to the desks. The students turned their attention away from him and returned to their previous conversations. It seemed that already they've gotten to know each other. Or at least, they were long familiar with each other before today.

Junior made his way over to a seat at the side, near the back. He wanted to be somewhere that he hoped he wouldn't stand out too much.

"Is this seat taken?" asked Junior. A girl that sat in the chair beside his desired seat looked his way.

"Nah. Have at it." The girl turned to meet his eyes. But, she froze like a deer caught in headlights. Junior stiffened, bearing wide eyes. It was the girl from the weekend.

"You?!" Sunset and Junior exclaimed in unison. This drew odd and startled looks from the other students. The bell tolled again. From the door, another entered. It was an older elf man, who wore a jacket and khakis.

"Alright, students. Please take your seats and we'll be able to start the day," said the older man, prompting the students to flock over to whatever available seat that they could.

"You may refer to me as Mr. Crum. I will be your Mathematics teacher for the year," said the elf, as he used his magic to write his name down on the board.

"As your home room teacher, I shall provide to you the student handbook, which includes the rules and regulations at this institution. I shall also provide to you the syllabus for this class, entailing what we will be looking over for the school year. Please look these over on your free time. Perhaps you can get a head start in your studies if you make use of the syllabus as a reference," said Crum. This gained a few annoyed looks and groans from the students. The elf began to levitate the syllabuses and hand books to the students. Junior took a breath as he did a quick look at the syllabus.

"Since it's the first day, I'd like to go over the first subject of the semester. Everyone has their text book, correct?" asked Crum. No one answered.

"I'll take that as a yes. Alright class. Open up to the first chapter and we'll begin. Have your utensils and paper ready for these exercises," said Crum. As told, the students began to get out their pencils, erasers, and some paper. Junior set aside his note book and utensils. As he did this, he felt eyes burning into him. Junior looked to the girl that sat in the seat next to him. Her head quickly turned to the side, avoiding eye contact. The boy grimaced. She must have hated him more than he thought.

The day went by. Junior's been to most of his classes. having gained the introduction to them and what they would entail. So far, he felt some confidence in the academic life. But his social life was a different thing entirely.

The boy found himself sitting at a table alone in the mess hall. It was wide, providing numerous tables. Some were larger than others. Students had gathered together to eat at these tables. But, the boy was all alone. This wouldn't have been a problem had Junior have something more appetizing. All he had was a salad sandwich with some cold black beans on the side. He made a note to bring his own lunch. At least he could get some better protein out of eggs.

Junior sighed as he began to eat. His stomach grumbled, demanding to be filled. But, the boy paced himself. He wasn't going to make a fool out of himself by scarfing his lunch. He paused once he noticed the familiar red haired girl to be standing nearby, tray in hand. She was looking at him with a frigid look. Junior swallowed his bite.

"Yes?" asked Junior. The girl suddenly had an awkward look about herself as she stood. She avoided eye contact, but made an effort to not just walk away.

"Hey uh... Sorry about the other day. With hitting you and leaving you to the guards," said the girl, awkwardly. Junior bore a blank look. He wasn't expecting this.

"Oh. I-I'm sorry too. For implying that you were helpless," said Junior, sheepish.

"Don't sweat that. I was just pissed off that day and ended up taking it out on you," said the girl. Junior looked around briefly.

"Do you... Wanna have a seat?" asked Junior.

"S-sure." The girl sat down across from Junior, clearing her throat. The two sat in an awkward silence. Junior wasn't alone anymore, but he might as well have been since neither seemed willing to keep talking. Unless the other said something that would warrant an ongoing conversation. Junior pondered if he should say anything else. He needed something to focus on, lest he stare at the girl's lovely appearance in an awkward silence.

"You uh... you have a strong punch," said Junior, forcing a chuckle.

"Thanks."

"It's not my business, but what did those guys want with you?" asked Junior.

"Ah. Just some guys I used to do favors for," said the girl. Junior blushed.

"F-Favors?" asked Junior. His mind raced a thousand miles a minute. He pondered what sort of favors that she could be referring to. Especially with two sketchy guys in a just as sketchy alley.

"Get your mind out of the gutter," deadpanned the girl.

"I-I wasn't..." Junior looked away.

"You totally were thinking something dirty. It was nothing like that. I used to do homework for those guys back in Junior High for money. I refused to keep doing it now that I was going into the academy, and they didn't take too kindly to that," said the girl.

"Oh. Sorry, for assuming," said Junior, shame on his face. The girl raised a brow at the boy. For someone who slugged those two guys like it was nothing, he seemed rather timid.

"You got a name?" asked the girl.

"Ju- I mean, Gojira Takeshi," said Junior. He may never get used to invoking his name as he did. There was no Gojira Senior anymore. So, he might as well let people call him by that name.

"Takeshi. That's Neighponese, right?" asked the girl, curious.

"That's right," Junior nodded.

"Sunset Shimmer. Nice to meet someone more interesting than this lot," said the girl.

"I-Interesting?" asked Junior, his face growing red.

"Yeah. I never met a foreigner before," said Sunset, smiling. Junior smiled bashfully, staring at his plate.

"I-I-I..." Junior cleared his throat.

"You OK?" asked Sunset, oddly.

"Yes!" Junior quickly spoke, causing Sunset to flinch. Junior forced a smile.

"Just a little hungry," said Junior as he returned to eating. Sunset shrugged, as she dug her fork into her salad bowl.

So far so good, Junior thought. He didn't completely make a complete idiot out of himself. He was amazed that he managed to hold a conversation with a girl that wasn't Blaire or Celestia.

Suddenly, a group of students came strolling by. These students seemed to stand out compared to the rest. For one, they were more stylish. They wore what looked to be different neckwear compared to the other students. The girls wore much more frilly bows compared to the other girls. The boys wore ascots, rather than neck ties.

"Hello, Miss. You wouldn't happen to be Sunset Shimmer, would you?" asked the boy, who seemed to be the ring leader of the group. He was a tall and fit individual, with radiant blonde hair. A face that was almost sculpted delicately. Junior believed that this was what people would call a 'pretty boy.' He carried himself in a pompous manner and spoke as so.

"Who wants to know?" asked Sunset, suspiciously.

"My name is Nepotist. My compadres and I have heard of a girl who scored high for her exams. I hear rumors that you are even exceptional in your talents at magic for someone of our age," said the boy. Sunset smirked.

"Hmph. You heard right. I'll have you know that I actually scored high in the national average," said Sunset. Junior's brows raised.

"How quaint! Ms. Shimmer, would you honor us by joining us for lunch?" asked Nepotist.

"Sure!" said Sunset, as she got up with her tray. Junior, lightly frowned in disappointment, as the girl stood up. But, she met him with a smile and motioned her head to follow.

"Hey, you don't mind if this guy tags along, right? He's a pretty cool fellow," said Sunset.

"C-Cool?" Junior blushed.

Nepotist looked Junior over. He had an apathetic look about himself, as he studied the boy's appearance. He looked to have been struggling to suppress a disgusted look.

"Hm. I suppose that's fine. Consider yourself lucky, freshmen. We don't normally allow the common folk join us," said Nepotist, as he and his clique turned to walk away. Sunset motioned for Junior to follow. Junior reluctantly followed. He didn't care for the boy's attitude, but he wanted the opportunity to spend more time with Sunset Shimmer.

Junior followed the group over to another table. It was set further from the other tables. Junior found himself sitting at the table. He was hoping to have a seat next to Sunset, but Nepotist was sitting in between them. Sunset found herself prodded with questions by this popular clique of kids. Junior just sat in awkward silence as he ate. At least he himself wasn't on the spot.

"Hey, Gojira. You said you that you were from Neighpon, right?" asked Sunset, leaning off to the side to get a look at the boy. Junior froze in place as attention was directed on him. Nepotist seemed to have a bit of his interest peaked. Funny, since he looked indifferent about the boy. Junior saw that Sunset was looking at him almost desperately. Like she wanted help to get some of the attention off of herself. It was funny, since the girl looked like she was enjoying the attention. She might have been tired from all of the questions.

"That's correct," Junior answered.

"Neighpon? Where's that?" asked a girl, confused.

"It's an island nation residing in the Far East," said Junior.

"How exotic! I thought your eyes seemed different," said the girl, biting her lip. Junior sat in an awkward silence. He had a sudden sense of discomfort.

"Hmph. That would explain the funny accent," said a boy.

"He has an accent? I just thought he was challenged and couldn't pronounce words," laughed a girl. Junior grimaced, as some of the other students laughed.

"Equish isn't my first language," said Junior, his tone a bit small.

"So what did your family do for a living? Did you come to our country for their business? They must be quite wealthy," said Nepotist. Junior cleared his throat, as the other students appeared eager.

"Not... Exactly. We were pretty ordinary," said Junior.

"Ah. So you're a commoner after all?" asked a girl, appearing displeased. Junior noticed the disappointed and disinterested looks that the students were giving him.

"W-Well... My father was a samurai," said Junior, shrugging.

"What is a samurai?" asked a boy.

"Highly trained warriors that were the elite compared to common citizens and foot soldiers of feudal Neighpon," said Junior. He was given awed and confused looks.

"Gojira, that doesn't sound 'ordinary'." said Sunset in amusement.

"Oh? Well, looking back on it now... I guess mostly nobility were samurai. It was extremely rare for peasants to become samurai. My family line was famous in their region. Basically the favored family that served under our Daiymo, or Lord as you would understand it," said Junior. Then a thought came to mind. Something that he recalled hearing from his parents at one point.

"I'm pretty sure my father was supposed to marry a woman from another similar ranking family if not higher. He ended up marrying a peasant from the village instead. Normally that would be allowed to marry the peasantry being below Daiymo, but my clan's goal was maintaining strength, so I guess they neglected to do that," said Junior. The crowd of students suddenly had their interest peaked again, especially when they heard the word, 'nobility'.

"Ah! So you are something special. You must be quite wealthy," said a girl, flirtatiously batting her eye lashes. She was an elf girl, bearing long eyelashes, and stylish long blonde hair and baby blue eyes. Sunset bore an annoyed look that was directed at the girl. She was able to see though that action a mile away.

"I'm sure they were. Until a war with a rival Daiymo's loyal clans broke out for dominance over our Daiymo's land," said Junior as he sipped his water. He spoke rather casually, having implied that this war brought an end to his family's wealth.

"Oh. You still have status, right?" asked the girl. This prompted a glare from Sunset.

"Uh... I suppose. Back in Neighpon," said Junior.

"Hm. Good enough. By the way, is there someone... special in your life? I'm Serenity, by the way." The girl giggled as she playfully trailed her finger near the boy. Nepotist chuckled.

"It seems that I've misjudged you, Mister...."

"Takeshi." Junior answered.

"Takeshi! Clearly, someone of your status fits right in with us. Even if your family has lost its wealth through war," said Nepotist.

"My daddy's a Colonel in the royal guard!" interjected Serenity.

"See? You'll fit right in!" said Nepotist.

"My family lost more than wealth," deadpanned Junior. But then, his brows raised.

"Wait, what was that last part?"

Before Junior knew it, the day had ended. The boy found himself having returned to Canterlot castle. He sighed tiredly as he made his way back to his quarters. The boy entered and began to set his bag down, while undoing his tie.

"That went well," said Junior to himself. He exclaimed with a start, once he noticed Celestia to be sitting at the foot of bed, propping her head up with her hands, elbows resting on her lap.

"Good afternoon! How was your first day?" asked Celestia, sweetly.

"I-It was fine. Um... How long have you been waiting here?" asked Junior, oddly.

"Just an hour." Celestia replied, innocently. Not wanting to press the oddity further, Junior cleared his throat.

"Today went fine, I suppose," said Junior. Celestia lost her smile. A look of worry grew on her face.

"You suppose? Well, did you have a good day or not?" asked Celestia.

"Well, I didn't hate it. It wasn't bad. It... It was fine." Junior shrugged, unsure how to describe his day. Celestia didn't appear satisfied.

"Well? Aren't you going to tell me?"

"I... I guess I got into a friend group on my first day," said Junior. Celestia perked up.

"Friends? That's great!"

"Yeah. I think they're pretty popular too," said Junior, shrugging.

"A good crowd I hope," said Celestia, cheerfully.

"I'll let you know when I get to know them more. So far, I'm not too sure," said Junior. Celestia tilted her head in confusion.

"Why?"

"They just seem unusual." Junior answered.

"Aw dear. You shouldn't judge a book by its cover. Even if they have a few quirks, you should accept them as who they are," said Celestia. Junior lightly frowned. He supposed that he wasn't in a position to cast stones about people he would deem 'strange'.

"I know," said Junior, looking off to the side. He cleared his throat.

"I'm gonna start bringing my own lunches if that's alright. The lunch there isn't very filling," said Junior.

"Of course! Oh, will I see you at dinner?" asked Celestia.

"Yeah. I just need to refer to the handbook and some notes for my classes," said Junior, as he dug through his bag. Celestia smiled brightly.

"Alright, study hard, my dear studious so-" Celestia quickly stopped herself before she could finish her word. Junior had an odd look, having not caught what she was about to say.

"So-Sunshine! I'll leave you to it." Celestia quickly added, before smiling sheepishly. She began leave the boy to his own devices. Junior shrugged as he went back to unpacking. During this, he began to think back to Sunset Shimmer. It seemed that she may not have hated him after all. That was a relief. Plus, apparently he got roped into a group where she's a participant in.

"Never thought I'd be with the 'In-crowd'. Maybe school won't be so bad," said Junior, optimistically. Sure, they may have indirectly trivialized his family's history and made fun of his accent, but other than that, it wasn't a bad day. His stomach suddenly grumbled, prompting him to wince.

"Oh right. Gotta take care of that," said Junior, rubbing his gut.

A few days had passed. Junior found himself half way through the week. So far, things seemed to be going well. Junior would walk to school every morning. When he got to class, he would quickly find his seat beside Sunset, who was always punctual. The girl would always greet him.

During lunch hour, the pair would meet with Nepotist and his clique, where they would indulge in conversation. Though if Junior had to be honest, it was rather mundane. The conversations were always about the kids being groomed to inherit their family businesses, how they were annoyed about the less cultured that were around them, and other trivial things that Junior couldn't care less about. Being near Sunset made this bearable. He only wished that Nepotist would stop snagging a seat beside her. Instead, he found himself at the receiving end of Serenity's flirtation.

Junior was no fool, however. He knew that the girl was mostly interested in his status of belonging to a family that held the nobility as samurai. Had he been someone that descended from those that ranked lower in Neighpon's recently abolished caste system, she most likely wouldn't pay him a single glance. But to not be rude, he didn't bring this up and just let her try to make her advances. But, he would always deflect. It wasn't like he was interested in her anyhow.

"I say, dear boy. Have you considered getting into sports?" asked one of the boys.

"Sports? I uh... Well, not really," said Junior.

"Would you be interested in joining our Lacrosse team, then?" asked the boy.

"What's Lacrosse?" asked Junior. There were a couple of snorts, prompting the boy to blush. There he goes again, using 'R' instead of 'L' in his speech.

"Well, LACROSSE, dear boy, is a contact sport. You just take a long stick with a net at the end, then you carry and toss the ball into the goal," said the boy. Though Junior felt his brow twitch, as the boy made it a point to annunciate the word, lacrosse. As though he were a dog that made a mess on the rug, therefore rubbing its nose into it.

"What did you mean by 'contact sport'?" asked Junior, curious.

"Just as it means. There's always a chance of players making contact with each other. Lots of bumping and slamming. Though there are limits of what's allowed," said the boy. Junior hummed to himself in thought.

"Sounds interesting," said Junior.

"You should consider. You have broad enough shoulders and the height," said Nepotist.

"Not to mention the muscles~." Serenity giggled as she playfully groped Junior's bicep, prompting him to recoil.

"Hmm. It'd be cool to see. A sport like that might be up to your speed," said Sunset, playfully winking at Junior. After witnessing how fast he moved and how he beat two other boys, she had no doubt that Junior would be able to hold his own. He also didn't strike her as someone who'd whine just because a bit of physical confrontation during a sport. Junior's face flushed a bit.

"W-Well, if you guys think so. I guess I'll give it a shot," said Junior, sheepish.

"Marvelous! We'll be holding try outs after school! Be sure to bring your gym clothes. We'll provide you the equipment," said Nepotist.

Later that day, school had ended. Junior found himself out in a field. With him were Nepotist, a number of boys from the clique, and a few other unfamiliar faces. He glanced over his shoulder, finding the girls of the clique to be seated on wooden bleachers, Sunset being among them.

"Eyes front, Takeshi!" barked the coach. He was a large, older man, with a strong build. He was an Earthbound, known as 'Coach Stern'. Junior quickly turned his attention forward.

"Now, I see some new faces here. I expect the best out of my players. There will be no whining, no crying, no belly aching. I want you boys to suck it up should you get floored. I want you to be ruthless, enduring, Lacrosse playing machines!" said Stern, as he paced about in front of the boys. He then turned to the boys with a glare.

"Is that clear?!"

"Yes, sir!" the boys shouted in unison.

"That's what I like to hear. Now, get to running!" shouted Stern. The boys grabbed lacrosse sticks that rested at their feet and carried them along the field, running.

"Is this Lacrosse try outs or is it recruitment for the Royal Guard?" asked Sunset, raising a brow.

"Coach Stern is a retired royal guard. So I guess it's both," said Serenity.

Throughout the afternoon, the boys continued to jog along the fields and school grounds. While Junior wasn't as fast as some of the more veteran players, he was able to keep up a strong, steady pace. His mutation was giving him quite the advantage when it came to endurance.

The boys spent the try outs learning the rules of the game. Junior was given a better idea of how the contact sport worked. There were penalties for striking the head or neck with the stick. There were penalties for excessive force and not holding your hands together on the stick for a shove against the opposing players. The boys tried out tossing, catching, and shooting the ball with the stick. This was Junior's particular weakness. He wasn't well coordinated with this part of the game. After learning the rules, the boys were allowed to do a scrimmage match, with the noobies pitted against the veterans. Each member of the team wore helmets, knee and elbow pads.

The match began. The noobs struggled to keep up with the veterans, who were swift and well-coordinated. They managed to snag the ball from players and catch them off guard with a shove that floored them. The girls cheered from the bleachers, as the veterans wiped the floor with the noobs.

"Hey, go for the ball! I'll try to keep them off your backs!" said Junior, gripping his stick, tightly. His team acknowledged him with nods. They began to spread out, rushing to the team. One of the noobs managed to scoop up a ball into his net and took off running. He was pursued by a few of the veterans. The noob swung his stick back, shooting the ball behind himself. Another noob that was flanking them managed to catch the ball into the net on his stick, but stumbled. His decrease in speed allowed one of the veteran's to catch up to him.

Junior suddenly came charging from the veteran's side. He shoved him below the chest, sending him falling onto his back. Junior kept his pace, as he followed the ball carrier on his team. As another attempted to cut him off, Junior swooped in and shoved him back to the ground.

"Whoo! Keep it up, Goji!" Sunset cheered. Junior felt his face growing red as he heard the girl cheer his name. His heart pounded in his chest. He was distracted that he hadn't noticed the veteran that had flanked him. Junior felt himself shoved from the side. On instinct, Junior firmly planted his feet into the ground and braced, preventing himself from falling over. The veteran that challenged him attempted to push him back again, but Junior turned his shoulder and butted him back. He then used his stick and hands to shove the boy to the ground.

"Wow, he's so strong!" said one of the girls.

Junior pressed on. His defense allowed his team to advance to the goalie, where they were able to score. It was a solid plan. Junior lacked the skill to make shots and catches. He was more suitable as the muscle. So that's what he did. He used his strength to knock down veterans. Stern watched with an impressed look. It didn't matter what was thrown at him. Junior didn't seem to be breaking a sweat.

"You boys better start countering! That bruiser's costing you!" called Stern.

Nepotist clicked his tongue with an annoyed look. He looked to the members on his team. In what could thought to be a psychic link, the boy's nodded to each other. The boys began to cut Junior off as he followed to defend his teammate. They began to shove him back. Junior kept his footing, but found himself crowded by the boys who blocked his path. Junior resisted the urge to start swinging his stick at them and elbowing their heads. Doing so would be against the rules.

Instead, Junior began to retreat as the boys attempted to shove him again. One lunged for him, attempting to get closer, while the boy quickly stepped to the side, before shoving him back to the ground. Another veteran attempted to strike the boy who was now vulnerable. But, Junior merely rammed his shoulder against him, knocking him back. He then stormed towards the third, who barely had time to react. He steamrolled passed the veteran, leaving him sprawled on the ground.

"Well I'll be damned! That boy is built like an Ox!" exclaimed Stern with a grin.

Nepotist grunted as he shoved the ball carrier to the ground. As the ball bounced on the grass, Nepotist gave chase, extending his stick to shovel it up. But, Junior suddenly rammed into him from the side, knocking the boy to the ground. Junior grunted as he scooped the ball for himself. He tossed it to his teammate, who was the closest to the goal. It was caught and then shot into the goal.

"WHOO!" Sunset and Serenity shot up and cheered. A couple of the other girls reluctantly clapped, almost displeased by the display.

Stern blew his whistle, prompting the game to stop. He motioned for the boys to fall in. Nepotist panted as he lied in the grass, feeling sore around his body. He found Junior to be standing over him, slightly panting.

"Good game," said Junior, holding his hand out with a smile. Nepotist's expression appeared sour. He merely stood up himself with a wince.

"Indeed." Nepotist spoke, coldly. Junior hadn't caught onto the tone and attitude. He was still focused on Sunset's cheering for him.

"Alright, the noobies didn't win, but I saw some promising performances out there. Lookin' at you, Takeshi," chuckled Stern. Junior stood up straight and smiled.

"Thank you, sir," said Junior.

"Alright, let's call it a day. Meet back here tomorrow at the same time. By Friday, I'll have made my decision for who will make the team," said Stern. The boys began to depart. Stern looked over to Nepotist, who had a scowl on his face.

"Heh. Best step up your game, son. That Takeshi boy is giving you a run for your money," said Stern. Nepotist tightened his grip on his stick, while clenching his teeth.

Junior made his way over to the bleachers, where Sunset and the rest of the clique met him.

"Not bad, Gojira. You were in your element out there." Sunset playfully nudged Junior's arm, prompting an embarrassed smile from him.

"You were spectacular, Gojira! You truly moved like a skilled warrior!" said Serenity, tracing a finger on the boy's chest. Junior pulled away with an awkward smile.

"W-Well, my father did put me through rigorous training as a child," said Junior.

"Looks like it paid off," said Sunset.

Today had turned out to be a great one for Junior he got to have a new experience, and he managed to impress the girl that held his affection. Not to mention he found that he rather enjoyed the game. It gave him a chance to work his physical prowess.

Later that evening, Junior found himself lying in bed in his room. He slept soundly, having burnt up quite a lot of energy during lacrosse tryouts. But, something disturbed his slumber. The rumbling of Junior's stomach caused him to stir. The boy groaned as he tossed and turned, his gut demanding that he wake up. Soon, the pain became unbearable that he shot up awake.

"Oh Gods." Junior groaned as he stumbled out of bed. He rubbed his tired eyes as he stumbled out of his room and into the hall. He needed to bring relief to his stomach. It continued to nag at him, as he stumbled through the dark, empty hall ways.

Soon, Junior stumbled into the kitchen. His feet patted against the cold tile floor. Junior stumbled into a walk in fridge. His eyes darted around, his nose sniffing. The boy's sclera turned a tinge of yellow, as he searched for something that caught his eye. He snatched up a cabbage head and bit into it. He crunched a few times before spitting it out.

"Bleh." Junior grunted as he tossed the cabbage head aside. He continued to search every inch of the fridge, but only found vegetables and fruits. But then, he caught a more delectable sent. Something that would put his stomach at ease.

Junior rushed out of the walk in fridge and stumbled over to a smaller one. He forced it open and found cartons of eggs inside. Junior grabbed one and opened it up. Junior eyed the brown shells, able to pick up the smell of the eggs. All he had to do now was cook them. But, his stomach continued to nag him. Cooking them would take too long.

Junior suddenly grabbed an egg and shoved it into his mouth. His maulers crushed and grinded the shell. The raw yolk burst into his mouth. Some began to leak from his lips. Junior swallowed, but his stomach still demanded more.

One by one, Junior shoved the eggs into his mouth. He crunched and munched the shells, and swallowed them up along with the yolk. The carton was soon empty. But, Junior still craved more. He snatched up another carton and began to devour those eggs as well.

Soon, Junior found himself wandering through the halls of the castle again. He swooned, as yolk stained his lips. The boy managed to reach his room and collapsed into bed. In moments, he passed out, his stomach having settled.

It was the next morning. Junior winced as he stirred awake. He groaned as he sat up. He let out a belch. The boy gagged, having a foul taste in his mouth.

"Ugh. That's a bad case of dragon breath," said Junior as he stumbled out of bed, approaching the bathroom. He gasped as he found his reflection. He found something yellow crusted around his lips and chin. He began to scratch at the crust.

"What the hell?" As Junior looked himself in mirror, he began to remember the previous night. He had been eating raw eggs.

"Oh Gods." Junior gagged as his mind registered the taste of the raw eggs. By some miracle, he managed to keep his late night snack down. He grimaced as he turned on the sink, grabbing his tooth brush.

"You've got a problem, Junior."

Later, Junior was freshly bathed, teeth brushed, and finally dressed. He stepped out of his room and made his way down the hall.

"Morning, Goji," greeted Blaire.

"Morning," said Junior.

"Hey, did you hear? Someone raided the kitchen last night. Apparently a bunch of eggs went missing," said Blaire. Junior stiffened, beginning to break into a sweat.

"Wha- What jackass would go and do something like that?" Junior chuckled nervously.

"Yeah, pretty weird. We'll be keeping our guard up next time," said Blaire.

"Well, good luck with that. Bye." Junior waved as he awkwardly. He groaned in dismay, never again was he going to indulge in a midnight snack like that.

'Good thing I remembered to prepare my lunch ahead of time. And that I didn't bother to eat those,' thought Junior.

Later that day, Junior found himself going through the motions of his day. The highlight being homeroom with Sunset Shimmer, and lunch with her.

This time, Junior's stomach was aching terribly. He was eating the home packed lunch. He had four sandwiches, each filled with over easy eggs. Lettuce and tomatoes were included. The bread was coated with mayonnaise and mustard. On the side were some potato fries, having been seasoned, salted, and roasted in the oven.

"Uh... You think you have enough?" asked Sunset, eyeing Junior's food. The boy was about to take a bite but stopped, once he noticed the stares he was receiving. He immediately felt embarrassment creep in.

"I-I uh... I'm just trying to keep my strength up."

"Uh huh." Sunset continued to eye the food. Junior cleared his throat as he slowly began to eat.

"A-Anyway, what do you think of your chances of making the team?" asked Sunset, taking her eyes off of the boy's lunch.

"Not sure. But the coach seemed to be impressed," said Junior.

"Well, I'm rooting for you, dude." Sunset patted Junior's shoulder. Junior bashfully smiled.

"Thank you, Sunset."

For the next few days, Junior had participated in tryouts. His athleticism exceeded that of most of his peers. He was quick to learn on the movements and skills of the game. All through participation and observation.

The boy wasn't necessarily the fastest runner, but his endurance allowed him to push himself more than the rest. His senses being dialed up and his reflexes gave him the advantage over the veterans. It was enough that Stern was singing the boy's praises during practice matches. Even his own teammates were having a hard time with keeping up. But, they did their best to follow whatever commands he gave. He took charge like a fish to water. Sunset's cheers from the bleachers only motivated Junior to push himself further. He enjoyed hearing her voice cheer for him. It was almost enough to distract him from the game.

By the end of the try outs, Junior would be barely breaking a sweat, while the rest were visibly exhausted. Stern marveled at the boy's cool state. Something about the boy was super human.

"One more day of tryouts! Right now, I'm considering Takeshi and Lightweight. If any of you want to change my mind, than you better bring your 'A' Game on tomorrow after classes." Stern dismissed the students. But before Junior could move on, the man met the boy with an approving nod.

"Nice hustle, son. Keep this up, and you might find yourself a star on this team," said Stern. Junior smiled, feeling embarrassed.

"Th-Thank you, sir. I won't disappoint you," said Junior, as he left the field.

Later, Junior found himself in the locker room. He had a smile stuck on his face as he thought back to the coach's words. He wasn't expecting that his school days would turn out this well. Stern actually believed that he could make a good addition to the team. Even a star. The boy chuckled to himself.

'Slow your roll, Junior. Don't get a big head. You still have to complete tomorrow's try outs.' Junior began to place his dirty gym clothes into a knapsack. He heard the approach of footsteps echo into the room.

"You've been putting on quite the show, dear boy."

Junior turned to find Nepotist to be leaning against the stone wall of the locker room. Junior smiled with a nod.

"I'm having a lot of fun. I wasn't sure about this at first, but I think I'm getting comfortable here," said Junior.

"Don't get too comfortable." Nepotist's expression suddenly grew cold. It was now that Junior noticed a shift in atmosphere. It was tense. He sensed some hostility radiating from the boy.

"Pardon?"

Nepotist stepped off of the wall and approached, holding a lacrosse stick.

"I'm glad to know that you're enjoying yourself, Takeshi. You've proven to be much more than competent when it comes to this sport. But, there's something you should be made aware of." Neptoist twirled the stick in his hand. Junior couldn't help but feel some discomfort. It was like his senses were trying to warn him of something.

"You see, there is an order when it comes to our academy. People are kept to their own class for the sake of stability and growth of those in their own individual castes. It's why we don't typically fraternize with the lower class unless necessary," said Nepotist. Junior grimaced.

"The status quo is not to be broken, as it may lead to undesirable outcomes that affects us all. It becomes harder to distinguish the mediocre from the elite. We can't have that. The same applies to our little Lacrosse team," said Nepotist.

"H-How so?"

"The coach has taken quite a liking to you. That goes without saying considering your talents. However, there's rumors going on that he's thinking of making a first year student the Team Captain. Something that's irregular," said Nepotist. Junior raised a brow.

"How's that irregular?"

"Because that title is reserved for 2nd years and above. But, he's thinking about making an exception just for you." Nepotist looked at the boy coldly.

"Now, I'm humble enough to admit that your skills surpass that of mine. But ask yourself, do you really think that's fair? Is it fair that myself, and our predecessors that proved themselves had to wait well into our second year to have the honor of taking charge of the team, while you get to breeze on by? You haven't even played a real match and yet he's thinking of making you captain," said Nepotist. Junior grimaced.

"Hold on, I'll admit that I've never actually experienced an honest game. But shouldn't we be focused on merit, rather than status? I don't know what the coach would see in me, but if he thinks I'd make a good team captain, shouldn't I at least prove him right or wrong?" asked Junior.

"You raise a fair point. However, do you really want that responsibility on your shoulders? Are you willing to accept the blame of loss? Or when a teammate is injured?"

"W-Well..." Junior looked away.

"Or is the title more of a badge for you to flaunt?"

"N-No, it's not like that!" said Junior. Nepotist smirked.

"A leader should inspire his subordinates, wouldn't you agree? Someone that we can aspire to be. But, why would anyone aspire to be like you?" asked Nepotist.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Junior.

"Well, I don't mean this to be rude, but you aren't the ideal image of a leader. Look at yourself. You're rather unkempt. Your posture is awful," said Nepotist, poking Junior with the lacrosse stick. The boy glared at him.

"Your accent is grating." Junior instinctively felt at his neck, aggression lost in his eyes. Instead, insecurity began to grow.

"Your looks are also... average at best. A leader should be confident, refined from every angle, a clear and loud speaker. Does that sound like you?" asked Nepotist, a mock smile on his face. Junior's eyes were downcast.

"No..." Junior answered, meekly.

"Thought so. Now, maybe after you've put in your time and contributed as a team player, you might get the honor of leading the team. But for now, when Stern offers the position to you, what do you say?" asked Nepotist.

"No." Junior answered, still looking down at his feet. Nepotist gave him a satisfied smile.

"Glad that we understand each other. See you tomorrow," chuckled Nepotist, before patting Junior's shoulder. He left the Transmutant alone in the locker room, who stood still as stone.

It took Junior some time before he decided to leave the locker room. A solemn look was on his face. He could understand that the other veteran players might feel miffed about being skipped over in favor of a 1st year as team captain. Someone who had no experience, let alone interest, in the game until very recently. However, Nepotist went as far to confront him personally and tear him down.

He was right as well. Junior was no leader. He might have acted like one with his fellow newcomers, but he was mostly bulldozing through everyone with a call out here and there. Junior found himself in the foyer of the school, where it lied empty. The students had all left for the day.

Junior found himself approaching a trophy rack, covered behind glass. He found several trophies and picture frames on the rack behind the glass. These were from the academy's past games. Junior admired the pieces that were set, and the photos of those who attended this school before him. The boy then noticed his reflection in the glass. He wasn't as tall or large as the boys in the photos. Nor was he handsome. He frowned as he felt a hand at his unkempt hair. How many people might be mocking him behind his back. he wondered.

"You're average. You're not a leader. Nobody likes you. You're ugly. You should quit tryouts. No one will care." A voice inside Junior spoke. A number of its words were a repeat of what Nepotist had said. They only reinforced his words.

There was no way that a girl like Sunset would go for someone like him. Someone who was average, with unkempt hair and a funny accent. He noticed the girl's face to be reflected off of the glass.

"Hey!"

Junior gasped, before turning with a start. Sunset smiled teasingly.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you. I haven't been able to find you," said Sunset.

"N-No, it's OK. I was just..." Junior pointed to the rack. Sunset looked passed him and nodded.

"Ah. You know, some of those date back at least over a decade. It must be surreal to see the legacy of what you're participating in. Just think, you could leave your own mark here too," said Sunset, admiring the trophies and photos.

"Yeah, I don't know. I'm beginning to have second thoughts on joining," said Junior. Sunset looked at him incredulously.

"Huh? But you seem to really enjoy it. Not to mention that you're really good. Why would you want to quit now?" asked Sunset. Junior half heartedly shrugged.

"I don't know. It's just... What if I'm actually not that good. What if I fail to be a proper member of the team? Or what if I can't meet people's expectations?" Junior grimaced. Sunset snorted.

"Don't be an idiot." Junior winced at her words.

"Who are you trying to fool? We've all seen you play. Ask anyone. Even if you aren't that good, you can always improve. You'll eventually reach a point that people's expectations will be met. You'll never know unless you try," said Sunset, smiling at the boy. Junior's cheeks grew warm at the girl's words. He gave her a light smile and nodded.

"You're right. I have to try."

Soon, it was the last day of tryouts. Junior found himself going through the motions. He passed every test with flying colors as usual. Meanwhile, Sunset and the other girls of the clique watched the try outs.

Before they knew it, the last practice game begun. As usual, it was Veterans vs Noobs. And as usual, Junior took leadership among his peers, who gladly followed him. While they knew that only two were being allowed to join the team, they were willing to give it their all.

Everyone was giving everything that they had. This included Junior, who utilized everything he's learned and his own athletic prowess to his advantage. Before everyone knew it, the practice match was over. As expected, Junior had made the team. The cheers of Serenity and Sunset filled him with pride.

"Hey, let's go out and celebrate the new members of the team!" said Sunset.

"Here here!" Said a boy.

The teenagers began to depart from the field. All the while, the boys had begun to change in the locker room. Junior winced as he felt his gut. Wherever this celebration was, he hoped that there'd be food.

"Hurry, Takeshi. Can't keep the ladies waiting," said a boy, before leaving. Junior stood with his knapsack and made his way out the door. He noticed Nepotist to be standing nearby.

"I hope there aren't any hard feelings, dear boy," smiled Nepotist. Junior slightly furrowed his brows.

"Actually, I thought about what you said. I've changed my mind," said Junior. Nepotist narrowed his eyes.

"I'll never know how far I can go unless I try. So if the coach asks me to be captain, I'll accept it." Junior smirked. Nepotist let out a long breath through his nostrils.

"Just so you know, Gojira. Your actions have consequences," said Nepotist. Junior narrowed his eyes.

"Is that a threat?"

Nepotist said nothing in response. Instead, he walked on ahead of Junior. The Transmutant merely scoffed as he continued on.

It had been a couple of days since Junior had made the Lacrosse team. The boy regularly met with the team for practice. All the while, Sunset and the rest of the clique would watch. Nothing really seemed to change now that Junior was officially a member. It was all the same. But, there was something new.

Junior and Sunset sat outside on school grounds, near the edge of the pond. The two were studying together, deciding to take advantage of there being no Lacrosse practice today.

The sound of Junior's stomach filled the air. He held it with a pained grimace. Sunset flinched from the sound, tearing her eyes from her textbook with a mild look of concern.

"Gojira, are you OK? That doesn't sound good."

"I don't know. I feel like I'm starving to death. I had a big lunch today," said Junior. Sunset closed her textbook.

"Maybe you're not getting the nutrition that you need. You've been eating a lot of carbs lately," said Sunset.

"Maybe. But even a half a dozen eggs are barely enough to get by through the noon." Junior muttered to himself. His protein intake was becoming lacking as of late with all of this exercise and mutantism burning more calories than he consumes, Junior tried filling the void with more bread. But, it wasn't helping. He was certain that either starvation or poor eating choices may cost him in the long run. He needed more sources of protein. He was sick of eggs and vegetables.

Junior noticed something move beneath the cloudy water that made up the pond. He felt an instinctual urge drive him, as his sclera turned a tinge of yellow. His stomach growled more and he began to salivate. Meanwhile, Sunset began to put away her book.

"Tell you what. How about we study at this cafe I know? Get you some food." Sunset suggested. Junior suddenly stood to his feet. The boy was starting to breathe heavily, breaking into a sweat.

"I'm hot. Are you hot?" Junior winced.

"Gojira?" Sunset raised a brow.

The boy began to undo his tie, before tossing it aside. Sunset's confused expression slowly turned to shock, then to horror once Junior started removing his coat and shirt.

"Hey! You can't take your clothes off in public!" Sunset scrambled for the discarded pieces of clothing. Fortunately, he wasn't going for his pants. However, Junior was now stepping into the water.

"Ooh! That feels nice," said Junior.

"Oh my- What are you doing?! Get out of there!" Cried Sunset, frantically searching for anyone who might be watching. She cringed as she found some onlookers nearby, put off or amused by the boy's antics.

"Just one quick dip..." Junior began to submerge himself deeper into the water until it reached his waist.

"Oh Gosh, Goji please." Sunset hid her face, which had grown red in embarrassment for the boy as onlookers continued to stare. Sunset groaned in frustration, placing her hands on her hips. Her eyes narrowed.

"Hey! You better get your looney ass out of that pond this instant!" Snapped Sunset.

"Shh! Shh! You'll scare him..." Junior whispered.

"Who?" Asked Sunset, oddly. Junior's throat let out a small, inhuman rumble that went unnoticed by the girl. He suddenly dove his hands into the water. Sunset exclaimed as water nearly splashed on her.

Junior suddenly yanked out a large catfish that squirmed in his grip. Like a vicious carnivore, the boy bit down on the catfish, tearing a large chunk from its neck. Sunset exclaimed alarm, having cupped her mouth. Junior made growling sounds as he took more bites into the fish. The elf turned away, retching at the sight.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Junior said nothing in response. He stepped out of the pond, dripping with water. He gave a pleased hum as he continued to bite into the meat of the fish. He suddenly stopped once he noticed the looks of disgust that he was receiving. The boy looked down at the catfish after swallowing. Whatever primal instincts held him had now been pushed aside by his rational mind.

"What the fuck did I just do?!" Cried Junior, dropping the fish to the ground.

"That's what I wanna know!" Said Sunset. Junior held his stomach as he looked at the fish.

"Stomach. Need..." Junior attempted to reach for the fish, but Sunset suddenly got in his path.

"Snap out of it!" Sunset smacked Junior's face, leaving him stunned. The boy shook his head, feeling his cheek sting.

"I... I don't feel so good," muttered Junior.

"I'm not surprised. You just ate a live cat fish," deadpanned Sunset.

"No, I'm serious. I..." Junior's eyes rolled back as he felt fatigue. He suddenly fell forward, with Sunset quickly catching him. He went slack in her arms.

"H-Hey! This isn't funny! Gojira!" Sunset cried, panic in her tone. She felt dread once she realized that the boy seemed to be burning up all around.

Junior opened his eyes. He found himself lying in his bed. At his side, he found an elf in a white coat. Princess Celestia was kneeling at the other side of the bed with a worried look.

"Thank goodness, you're awake."

"How'd I get here?" asked Junior, confused.

"Blaire found you and one of your friends wandering the area, so she and the staff brought you in. Don't you remember?" Asked Celestia. Junior winced as he searched his memory. It was a bit of a blur, but he faintly recalled Sunset trying to get him to a hospital. All the while, he deliriously insisted on going home. He couldn't remember much after that.

"Is she here?" Junior weakly looked around.

"No, I believe Blaire stated that she went home after," said Celestia. Junior lightly frowned in disappointment. There goes a nice peaceful day alone with Sunset.

"How do you feel, young man?" asked the doctor.

"Like I'm about to die from hunger," said Junior.

"What seems to be the problem, doctor?" asked Celestia.

"Well, after looking him over, and with what you've told me of him joining a sports team, I say that he just burned himself out from the heat generated during his metabolic process," said the doctor.

"I-Is that really possible?" asked Celestia.

"It's what I found in him. My magic never fails me when looking over a patient during a physical," said the doctor. Junior went pale.

"Was there anything you found other than that?" asked Junior, reluctant. He was hoping that the man may not have stumbled onto any biological abnormalities that went beyond a high metabolism.

"Well, you're in great health. But to be safe, I recommend you take things slow for a while. Make sure you eat plenty of nutritious meals and stay hydrated." The doctor began to pack his bag.

"Uh... Actually, there's one other thing. Aside from craving food at night, I think I'm starting to crave fish. Like... I wanna snatch them up and just eat them raw. Is that normal?" asked Junior. Celestia gave him an odd look. The doctor just met him with a blank expression.

"Ah. That must be a result of Omega 3 deficiency. Maybe that can help explain your hunger problems. Might I recommend taking omega 3 supplements?" The doctor suggested.

"I can get that out of fish too, right?" asked Junior.

"Whatever works best for you," said the doctor, before leaving. Junior sighed in dismay.

"Junior, you should've told me sooner if you weren't feeling well," said Celestia, a pout on her face.

"I didn't think it was that a big of a deal." The boy shrugged. The avatar sighed, but met the boy with a small smile.

"Well, we now know what to do. You're a growing active boy. So, we need to make sure you're getting enough protein."

"Great. I was tired of just eggs and beans," said Junior, a look of relief on his face.

The next day had come. Junior arrived into his home room class. He sighed as he took a seat. The boy noticed Sunset to be awkwardly sitting beside him. She looked like she wanted to say something, but was hesitant.

"I'm... I'm surprised to see you here."

"The doctor said that I might have some deficiencies in my diet. I should be fine as long as I meet those needs," said Junior, patting a bag of his lunch.

"That's good. But, that's not entirely what I meant," said Sunset, sheepish. Junior tilted his head in confusion. He noticed that there were whispers coming from the other students. He saw them looking over their shoulders at him, snickering to themselves. The boy felt a sense of dread wash over him.

"Rumors about yesterday started spreading," whispered Sunset. Junior's face grew red hot. He groaned as he lied his head down on the desk.

"I'm ruined..." Junior muttered.

"Hey, don't sweat it. If anyone asks, just deny it or play dumb," said Sunset. Junior frowned.

"I don't think-"

"Hey, is it true that you jumped in the school's pond and ate a fish?" asked a girl, looking back at the pair. Junior fell silent, proceeding to sweat bullets. He glanced over to Sunset, who motioned her head with a look.

"No?" Junior looked to the inquisitive girl with an awkward smile. The girl stared at him for a moment before shrugging.

"OK." The girl turned back around.

"See? Told ya," said Sunset, nonchalant. Junior felt himself put at ease a bit. However, he couldn't help but feel uneasy. Something inside told him that his days may be rough onward.

"So... You live in the castle?" Sunset whispered. Junior stiffened at this. He supposed that it made sense, considering that it was she that helped him get home.

"Yeah, you could say that..."

"Nice place." Sunset spoke as though it was a statement of fact, rather than a question.

"Y-Yeah."

"You're full of surprises, you know," said Sunset.

'You haven't seen anything yet.' Junior thought to himself in dismay.

The day went by slowly. The reason being for the lengthy feeling was due to the overall experience on this particular day.

The boy had taken notice of students from his other classes to be whispering and snickering behind his back. Word about his humiliating display spread like wild fire amongst his peers. With his enhanced hearing, he could hear their quiet mockery. Some even didn't care to keep their voices down. It was as though they wanted him to hear.

Junior heard a number of words that they used to describe him. Weirdo, freak, fishy, and so on. Just when things seemed to be going decent, it starts to fall apart.

'Don't despair, Junior. You still have lacrosse. All you have to do is be a valuable member of the team and everyone will forget about the pond incident. I hope.'

Junior sighed heavily as he took a seat at a table in the cafeteria. He found himself with the popular clique as usual. Considering that boys here were also on the lacrosse team, he found himself more than welcomed. However, things were just as awkward for the boy here as anywhere else.

"So Takeshi, there's a rumor of you swimming in the school pond. Care to elaborate?" Nepotist smirk. Junior gulped as all eyes on him. He noticed Sunset giving him a look to deny the claim. But, Junior let out a sigh of defeat.

"Yeah, it's true," said Junior. Sunset face palmed, while the rest of clique sent him odd looks.

"Why would you do that?" asked a boy.

"Well..." Junior scratched his head, staring down at the table. There wasn't an easy way to explain himself.

"Because he's a rebel!" Sunset interjected. Junior raised his head, finding the elf to be pointing a fork to him. A grape tomato was skewered on the prongs of the fork. The girl had placed on an aura of cool confidence, which was commonly shown with her casual nature.

"Rebels play by their own rules. In fact, he's a true ronin. Isn't that right?" asked Sunset.

"Well actually, I- Guh!" Junior felt a swift kick against his shin. It didn't take him long to deduce the offender, considering that Sunset was sitting across from him, sending him a quick glare.

"I... I'm totally a rebel." Junior forced a smile. Serenity sighed, dreaming.

"Bad boys are very attractive, Goji."

"I heard that you ate a fish. Like you just plucked it from the pond and bit into it like some kind of bear," said a girl. Junior fell dead silent. He looked to Sunset, who meekly shrugged. The boy heavily exhaled through his nostrils.

"Omega 3 deficiency," said Junior. He thought it was best to just own up to it.

"Makes sense, I guess," said a boy, raising an eyebrow.

"Gross." A girl cringed.

"What's Omega 3?" Serenity cocked a brow

Later that day, school had ended. Junior was dressed for practice. After emerging from the locker room, he found Sunset to be waiting outside. The boy sighed as he made his way over, while the elf greeted him with a wave.

"Ready for another day?" asked Sunset.

"Yes. You know, you didn't have to intervene," said Junior.

"Intervene?" Sunset raised a brow.

"Back in the cafeteria. You didn't have to interject when they asked me about the pond incident," said Junior.

"Don't sweat that. You gotta be more protective of your image, dude," said Sunset.

"Oh. Sorry." Junior shrugged. Sunset sighed.

"You're such an odd bird," said Sunset. Junior scratched his head with a light frown.

"Can I ask you another question? Why do you watch us practice?" asked Junior.

"Does it bother you?"

"N-No!" Junior exclaimed. His cheeks flared red hot at Sunset's confused look.

"It's just... I'm sure you have plenty of other stuff that you'd be focused on. Why waste It here?" asked Junior.

"Eh. I'm not worried about my studies. Besides, this seems like a more fun way to kill time for the day. I enjoy watching you play," said Sunset. Junior smiled bashfully. He quickly composed himself, standing up straight.

"I'll be sure not to disappoint you," said Junior, stiffly walking off. Sunset smiled in amusement.

"At ease, big guy."

Junior made his way out to the field. While his day had been less than stellar, lacrosse was always the highlight. Sunset being a spectator was the icing on the cake.

The boy made his way to join the rest of the team. Coach Stern was in the process of taking roll call. Everyone was present and accounted for. As the coach dismissed everyone to run their laps, he stopped Junior.

"Son, there's a rumor floating around involving someone at the academy's pond. Know anything about that?" Stern raised a brow, an expectant look on his face. Junior's stomach was in knots.

"I uh..." Junior grimaced.

"Listen, I was a lad like yourself. Always getting into trouble for the fun of it. But, the academy wishes to maintain its reputation. Now, you're showing a lot of promise for this team. I'd hate to have to boot you off. So, just try to keep the teenage hijinks tame. Are we clear?" Asked Stern. Junior timidly nodded.

"Crystal."

Practice went by like a breeze. Junior was dismayed, having the truth of what happened catch on. He hadn't realized how serious the incident was when his coach warned him about certain behaviors being just cause to kick him off of the team. Junior sighed, hoping that a good night's rest would do him good.

"Please let tomorrow be a better day," said Junior to himself.

Junior found himself crossing an alley, making his way home to the castle. But he found himself suddenly moving into the dark alley. It took him a moment to realize that he was being hauled away, into the shadows. Junior was thrown to the ground, finding a few pairs of feet surrounding him. The boy looked up to find a gang of unfamiliar young men to be standing over him. Their faces were obscured by bandanas and thick clothing.

Junior was met with a barrage of stomps and kicks by the strangers. The blunt strikes from their heels rocked and rattled him.

"Hold him down!" One of the men shouted.

Junior felt a weight pressed onto his body. His assailants had him pinned to the ground, along with his arms and legs. He heard the sound of metal scrapping on a stone surface. His eyes fell upon one of the assailants, who held a lead pipe in his grasp.

With a swift motion, the man swung the pipe onto Junior's hand. The boy screamed in agony, feeling the shattering of bones in his hand. His hand was struck multiple times. The pain was overwhelming. It eventually got to the point that the boy could no longer feel his hand. The hand was completely mangled, with fingers bent and twisted in unnatural ways. His flesh bruised and bled from the trauma that was endured. Junior trembled in tears, his breaths ragged.

"Let's go!"

In moments, the men removed themselves from Junior. As though coordinated, they fled deeper into the alley, disappearing from sight. Junior shakily got up from the ground, propping himself against the wall. He whimpered as he held his wrist, starring at his damaged hand through his hot tears. Junior was caught up in a torrent of thoughts and emotions. Terror, confusion and despair struck him.

Junior wondered what he was going to do. He may have very well lost his hand. It was his right, which he used for most of his tasks. Even if he trained his left to write, he may never have use for his right ever again. He wouldn't be whole anymore. Even worse, he'll never be able to play lacrosse. Junior gritted his teeth, violently shaking. He cursed his life, which had been filled with misfortune.

"Hospital. Need... Hospital." Junior whimpered as he shakily got up to his feet. He pushed through his despair and trauma, hoping that there may have been some way to salvage his hand. He couldn't waste time.

The boy found himself leaving the alley, holding his mangled hand close to himself, like a newborn child in a protective embrace. Junior soon managed to approach a street, finding the hospital to be just a short distance away. Before he could continue on, a sharp pain was felt in his hand. The pain was unbearable to the point that he collapsed to his knees, clenching his teeth to the point of his gums bleeding. He gasped as he found his hand beginning to shift and bend on its own. Each broken digit visibly moved and connected to the rest, reconstructing each appendage. In moments, every broken bone in his hand had reconstructed themselves. However, his hand was still swollen.

Junior made small attempts to move his fingers, bracing for the agony. His fingers moved without trouble. Aside from the soreness he felt from his hand, he was able to move. It was as though it wasn't broken anymore. Junior looked back to the hospital, a grimace on his face.

"Can't be too careful." The boy continued his journey to the hospital.

The next day came quick. Junior found himself walking through the school halls during lunch. He was wearing a compress over his right hand. When he was looked over at the hospital, the doctor deduced that it was nothing more than a sprain. So, he was given this compress to bring down the swelling. Junior kept this visit a secret, as well as the incident in the alley.

It didn't take a genius to know that what happened was abnormal. His hand had just healed on its own. Junior thought that he should be thankful for this, but he could only think to how much of a freak he was now. He had to be much more careful now in the future. If he could regenerate like this, then it would risk exposure. He was participating in a contact sport too. His position became much more precarious with this fact.

Junior came across his usual spot at the table in the cafeteria. The familiar clique was present as always. He was greeted by Sunset with a usual casual smile and nod.

"Hey! Nepotist was asking about you," said Sunset. Junior raised a brow, looking over to the boy in question. The student quickly looked away.

"About what?" asked Junior.

"He heard about your injury. But, I told him that you could tough it out," said Sunset.

"Oh?" Junior glanced at his right hand. He hadn't told anyone about his so called 'sprain'. Sunset only knew since she had class with him, allowing her to catch a glimpse at the compress. That's where he painted the narrative. However, Sunset was claiming that Nepotist knew. It was especially weird considering that Nepotist had it out for him now. He even made an indirect threat.

'Wait a second.' Junior's mind was assaulted with paranoid thoughts.

Last night's events did not sit right with him. The attack was random and seemingly unprovoked. The gang that assaulted him didn't even take anything from him. For no reason, he was targeted, with only his hand broken. The threat kept popping into Junior's mind over and over again. It seemed obvious why he was attacked. There was a motive, and the actions seemed to match up. However, Junior couldn't jump to accusing him. He didn't have sufficient proof that it was him. It would be his word against his. In spite of that, Junior was certain. The fact that the boy was avoiding eye contact with him was enough to clue him in. He clenched his fist, suppressing the rising anger he felt.

"Well, I appreciate the concern." Junior forced a smile. It made him sick to his stomach.

Illustration drawn by DTRalf on Twitter!