It was early morning. Ghidorah growled as he stared out the window to an apartment. He tapped his foot on the ground. His hands had a slight twitch them.

These were a common tick for the elf. He always had an itch that he needed to scratch. That itch was the desire to hunt. He was sent here to find and locate two spotted Transmutants. It had only been around a week, and they had found nothing.

Most wouldn't be too upset about this. These things take time after all. Finding a couple of freaks in a town of wretched country folk was like finding two needles in a hay stack. Full of rancid waste

That's what they were. They were waste. Scum that he would grind beneath his heel. Just being in their presence was enough to make him nauseous. Ghidorah didn't make it a point to go outside just to spare him the sight of them. But, he was starting to grow impatient. Hence why he stomached setting up a meeting.

The man turned to the sleeper cells that were stationed here in Ponyville with him. They all stood about in the apartment at attention.

"We need to start making progress. The more time we waste, the more danger is posed," said Ghidorah.

He spoke sternly, giving weight to the gravity of the situation. But in all honesty, Ghidorah couldn't care less about the people here. His focus was the Transmutants that were on the loose here. But, he needed to put up this facade to keep the troops motivated.

"Therefore, I want everyone to go around with their hand held EMF readers." Ghidorah held up a handheld device. On it was a screen, depicting a graph of a range of colors. Green, Yellow, and Red.

"I want you all to go out and scan the populace," said Ghidorah. He tossed the device to Sunset Shimmer, who instinctively caught it. The girl looked at him with an incredulous look.

"Wait, you want us to scan EVERYONE?" asked Sunset.

"Yes. Once you detect someone with a high reading, contact me. Then together, we'll proceed with containment protocols," said Ghidorah. He then looked to the group.

"Is that understood?"

"Yes sir," said the soldiers in unison.

"Good. Now go," said Ghidorah as he waved a hand away.

One by one, the splinter cell agents began to leave the apartment. Sunset found herself walking alongside Erika. She let out a heavy sigh.

"I guess it was a matter of time before we got more proactive," said Sunset.

"Yeah, but scan every civilian? How're we gonna pull that off and find who we're looking for?" asked Erika. She suddenly heard the sound of clicking in the air. She turned and found Sunset holding the EMF reader to her.

"Oh look, I found one," said Sunset.

"Hey!" Erika exclaimed, before pulling away.

"Oh calm down. Everyone knows. It's been the talk of the unit," said Sunset with a shrug. Erika grimaced.

"But I gotta say. You might come in handy if it were to get messy," said Sunset. The Transmutant sighed heavily.

"Anyway, how're we going to be inconspicuous about this? That thing isn't very subtle," said Erika. Sunset hummed to herself as she looked at the device in hand.

"I think I've got a couple ideas," said Sunset.

"OK. Well, good luck," said Erika as she walked off. Sunset suddenly grabbed her arm, stopping her.

"Wait, where are you going?"

"Huh? I promised to help Fluttershy set up more of her garden. You said you'd cover for me, remember?" asked Erika. Sunset met her with a flat look.

"That doesn't sound like me."

"Wh-What?" Erika recoiled. Sunset snickered.

"I'm kidding. I did promise. Fine, but you owe me a favor," said Sunset.

"OK," Erika slightly nodded. Though, she was afraid to wonder what sort of favor she would owe the elf. As Erika left, Sunset sighed in dismay.

"Guess I'm on my own. I could use a second pair of eyes. Or someone to at least entertain me when I'm bored," said Sunset. Then, an idea came to her mind.

There was a pleasant smell in the air. The smell caused Junior's stomach to rumble. The rumbling of his belly caused him to stir. The sound of sizzling finally roused him from his slumber.

Junior yawned as he sat up on the sofa. He stretched out his limbs, wincing as he felt stiff in his shoulders.

The Transmutant found Twilight Sparkle in the kitchen at the stove. She noticed Junior having woken up and greeted him with a sweet smile.

"Good morning, Gojira!" said Twilight.

"Morning." Junior muttered tiredly, as he stumbled to the bathroom.

After performing his morning 'evacuation', Junior made his way to the kitchen. He sighed tiredly as he sat at the table.

"How'd you sleep?" asked Twilight.

"Eh. It was fine."

That was a lie. Junior had a bit of a hard time returning to sleep. Right after something caused him to wake up. But, he didn't want to tell Twilight that. He was sure that she'd feel guilty since she had the bed to herself. While Junior had stiff shoulders, he wouldn't fault the elf for his lack of sleep.

In moments, Twilight had finished cooking. She placed a plate filled with an omelet in front of the boy.

"Here you go! Eat up, big guy," said Twilight sweetly. Junior's heart skipped a beat. The girl's tone, the action of her making him breakfast in the morning caused his heart to flutter.

Junior took his fork and knife and dug into the omelet. He took a bite and savored the taste. Twilight took a seat across from him, with an omelet for herself.

"How is it?"

"It's good. Thank you, Twilight," said Junior graciously.

"Aw, thanks." The elf smiled with a pleased look. The fact that the boy was enjoying her cooking made her happy. She wondered if anyone were to see them, they'd think the two were a young married couple.

"So uh... You have any plans?" asked Twilight, tracing a finger on the table. Junior pondered for a moment. He was thinking of sleeping in today since he had a lousy time last night. But, he couldn't think of anything else that he would need to do.

"Well, I..."

There was a sudden knock at the door. Junior's train of thought was cut off, as he turned to the living room.

"One second."

Junior got up from the table and approached the front door. He opened it and found Sunset Shimmer to be standing outside. The boy slightly jumped once his mind registered who he was looking at.

"Sunset?"

Twilight stiffened as she heard the name called. She looked over her shoulder, finding the boy standing at the door. A surprised look and a smile was on the boy's face. The elf's stomach was in knots.

"Yo! Thought I'd drop by and invite you for breakfast," said Sunset.

"Oh. Uh I actually kinda..." Junior awkwardly glanced at the kitchen.

"Already eating? That's fine. How about lunch then?" asked Sunset.

"Lunch? W-Well I guess that..."

"Cool. See ya at town square in an hour," said Sunset, casually before turning to leave.

"Right. See ya..." Junior awkwardly spoke, before closing the door.

That was odd. Junior thought. He wasn't expecting to see the girl again so soon. The way that invite was seemed a bit strange as well. Junior decided to brush it off. Sunset was an old friend after all. She must've been eager to hang out.

The boy had turned and noticed Twilight to be staring. Her expression was unreadable. There was an uncomfortable silence.

"I... I guess I have plans after all." Junior scratched his head, sheepish.

"I noticed." Twilight responded dryly. Junior slightly winced. Her tone was much colder compared to how it was moments ago. He made his way back to the table, reluctantly sitting down. The girl had an icy look.

"Was there... a reason why you wanted to know?" asked Junior.

"No. Nothing at all." Twilight jabbed her fork into her omelet, before begrudgingly returning to eating. Junior grimaced.

Later that day, Junior found himself walking the streets of Ponyville. His hands were planted in his new jacket's pockets. He thought that he'd try wearing the leather jacket that Rarity had made for him for his birthday much more often. Maybe it was time to try a new look. Twilight seemed to like it.

Junior sighed as he thought back to the girl. She seemed pretty upset with him this morning. He didn't understand. Everything seemed to have been going so well. This morning, she was sweet and had made him breakfast. But the next thing he knew, she was cold. As soon as she was finished eating, she just left.

"What did I do?"

Junior soon found himself at town square. Numerous people had gathered. He found Sunset to be waiting patiently. She took notice of him and waved. The boy picked up his pace. At least there was one friendly face around.

"Hey, nice jacket," said Sunset. Junior smiled, his cheeks growing warm. He noticed that Sunset was wearing a cap over her head. It had a logo on it. The boy wasn't too familiar with the symbol, but it depicted a shield divided into three sections. One section depicted a horseshoe. The other depicted a set of arrows. The last image was an owl.

"What's that? Some kind of University cap?" asked Junior.

"Yep! I'm actually working on a project involving this," said Sunset, as she drew out a strange, dark device. Junior didn't recognize it.

"What is it?" asked Junior.

"This baby is meant to measure magic. My project involves the study of just how much magic resides within non elf humans," said Sunset. She began to take on a lecturing tone.

"Despite what some believe, magic resides within every living thing in Equestria. Every creature, great or small, are influenced by the magical energy in our world. While Elves have an affinity with this energy, Earthbounds and Valkyries have a lesser form of magic that allows them to handle their roles in the world on a bit more limited level. Like cultivating bountiful crops and manipulating the weather," Sunset explained.

Junior had forgotten just how knowledgeable this girl was. This was feeling him with some nostalgic memories. In a way, he realized that there were similarities between her and Twilight. Both were intelligent girls, with an affinity for magic. It had been awhile, but Junior had no doubts that his old friend spent the last couple of years still honing her powers. She always wanted to improve her abilities, something that the boy admired and respected. Twilight and Sunset were sure to hit it off, Junior thought.

"But, like with some people, they have a higher affinity with their form of magic. Much like how some people are more likely to grow taller or develop a certain trait, based on their genealogy," said Sunset.

"So for example, a person's effectiveness at say gardening or moving clouds around for a weather change is based on genetics?" asked Junior.

"In short, yes. But, it's more of a hypothesis that I'm looking into. Think about it. Elves can study all they like or practice as much as possible in the art of magic. Our race is capable of wielding it in a way that's beyond the other two races. But even though that's the case, not all of them are capable of growing at certain levels of power. Most can levitate something, but few could ascend to the level as say, Starswirl the Bearded," said Sunset.

"But not everyone practices magic that way. At most, they learn what they think will be more useful in their day to day lives. Who's to say that they don't have potential?" asked Junior. Sunset smiled.

"Perhaps. But, considering that not every elf has aspirations like that, it's hard to know for sure," said Sunset.

"Hmm. Sounds like you have a test for your hypothesis," said Junior. The two shared a chuckle. Sunset cleared her throat.

"Anyway, I wanted to test this thing out. You mind lending me a hand? We'll get lunch after, promise," said Sunset.

"Sure, why not?" Junior shrugged.

The boy didn't groan nor belly ache as they went on this task. How could he be upset? This reminded him of the days of school, where they partnered up for school projects. Anything school related was a drag. But, Sunset always seemed to make it much more enjoyable. So, he followed the girl around the square. Sunset stopped random Earthbounds and Valkyries that would be willing to listen.

The girl would introduce herself, and mention that she was studying at the University her cap came from. She would give a brief description of her project and would ask to scan the subject with the device. While people found it odd and were a bit skeptical, they indulged Sunset.

The elf would run the device around them. There would be small clicks coming from the device. Sunset would study the screen intensely, as she waved the device over someone. Then, she would greet them with a smile, thanking them for their cooperation. Sunset was oddly professional. She was always a lot more casual, from what Junior could remember.

'Guess people change,' thought Junior.

Mosura found herself standing at a counter. She stared into a small pot, filled with boiling water. She began to dump in dry ramen noodles inside. There was a box of vegetables. These were old and pretty much discarded by the market. They tend to give these away for free. Most people would use these to feed their livestock or to be used as compost. For these Transmutants, it was food.

Mosura looked over her shoulder and found Rodan to be slumped at the table, his eyes downcast.

"Hey, shape up. Lunch will be ready soon," said Mosura.

"I'm not really hungry," said Rodan, his tone mellow. Mosura lightly frowned. All day, the boy seemed to have been moping about. It didn't take a fool to know that something was bothering him. The girl had a decent idea what was wrong.

"Hey, forget about that girl. You wouldn't want to be with a stuck up blow hard like her," said Mosura, a reassuring smile on her face.

"No, it's not that." Rodan shook his head. He scratched at the table's surface with a melancholic look.

"Just wondering what I should do about Rainbow Dash," said Rodan. Angirasu suddenly turned on the sofa, his eyes tearing away from a book that he was reading.

"You haven't talked to her?" asked Angirasu.

"Not since we ran into her the other day," answered Rodan. Mosura sighed.

"Look, Rodan. You just have to accept that you don't have the privilege of pursuing intimate relationships anymore. It sucks but it's life," said Mosura, softly.

"But what if we can?" asked Angirasu. Mosura looked his way, eyes narrowing.

"No, hear me out. Why can't we have relationships anymore? Because of MONARCH? Because we're Transmutants? The former's hardly an issue out here. As for the latter, what if we could find someone who could look past that? What if there was someone who would see us for who we are?" asked Angirasu. Mosura sighed in frustration as she began to cut some vegetables.

"Alright, let's consider this. The very unlikely event that you meet someone special. Let's say, you hit it off. Then, let's say that by whatever reason, you revealed that you were a Transmutant," said Mosura, furiously slicing the vegetables. Angirasu tensed a bit, as the girl's expression hardened.

"By some miracle, they accept you with all of their heart. What then? Marriage? In comes the baby? Another freak of nature, born just to suffer? Or maybe even turn out worse than us?" Mosura continued to cut, her face growing red.

"Mosura!" Angirasu narrowed his eyes.

"What? You asked!" Mosura roughly dumped the vegetables into the pot.

"Hey, you may be able to read minds, but that doesn't mean you know the future!" said Angirasu.

"I don't have to be psychic to know that getting close to people is a horrible mistake! You know what? I'm calling for a ban!" said Mosura. Angirasu recoiled, while Rodan raised his head.

"Yeah, that's it! Everyone's banned from seeing those girls! No one is allowed to see them again!" said Mosura.

"Wha- You can't do that!" said Rodan, shocked.

"I'm the eldest, therefore I make the rules!" retorted Mosura. Rodan slammed his hands on the table, abruptly standing up from his seat.

"We're not little kids! You have no right to do this!"

"Mosura, you're being irrational!" argued Angirasu. The girl recoiled, taken aback.

"Irrational?! I'm the only rational one here! Who's putting us in danger by getting close to humans?!" demanded Mosura. "I'm trying to protect to you!"

"They're our friends! They wouldn't do anything that would-"

"You don't know that!"

Angirasu steeled his expression. Despite what Mosura was saying, he wasn't deterred.

"You're right, I don't. But I trust them," said Angirasu.

"Then you're more naïve than her."

Everyone froze. A sense of dread washed over the Mutant 3. They turned and found Battra Yasu and Megaguirus to be standing in the doorway. The Mutant 3 all quickly bolted to the living room, having tensed up.

"Wh-What are you doing here? How'd you even find us?" demanded Mosura, putting on a stern look. But, this was to mask the fear that she was feeling. If Battra was here, then that might have meant that Destoroyah and the other Revolutionaries weren't too far behind.

"You can thank Takeshi for that. I was able to figure it out by peering into that block head of his," said Battra.

"Hey, Shou-chan~!" Megaguirus waved with a flirtatious giggle. Rodan tensed, his mouth running dry. He wasn't experiencing any form of attraction to this girl. No, he felt unease. Angirasu glared at the Revolutionaries.

"What do you want?" questioned Angirasu.

"I'm here to give you guys one last chance. I don't know if you've been paying attention, but MONARCH's starting to gain a strong footing here in Equestria. It's only a matter of time before Equestria ends up like the other nations in the GU." Battra answered.

"Last time, you and your 'Sensei' tried to kill us," said Mosura, glaring at her brother.

"Nonsense. We were trying to keep you from locking us in the Vault. It didn't help that you two ran."

"So, where is this Takeshi, fellow? I wanna see if he enjoys being penetrated," giggled Megaguirus. Battra groaned in disgust, glancing at the girl.

"You bitch. You know I'm still sensitive about that," Rodan spoke in a low tone, eyes narrowed. Megaguirus puckered her lips together and made a smooching sound. Rodan shuddered, feeling his torso instinctively.

"You leave him alone. He has nothing to do with this," Mosura glared.

"He's the first one. He has everything to do with this. That's why I want you to try and convince him to join us. I want you all too as well," said Battra. Megaguirus suddenly made her way towards Angirasu, biting her lip.

"You know, you've gotten cuter since I last saw you. Much tastier. I bet you've got plenty of 'yourself' to give, hot stuff," said Megaguirus. Angirasu narrowed his eyes.

"Alright, you know what? I've had enough of you," said Angirasu as he suddenly grabbed Megaguirus by her shoulders, turning her around.

"Wha- Hey! Let me go!" Megaguiurs barked as Angirasu walked her away. She attempted to fight back, but the boy overpowered her.

"Hey! Are you just gonna let him-" The female Transmutant looked back at Battra, who bore a stoic look.

"Just wait outside," said Battra.

"Wha- Are you kidding me?!"

Angirasu finally managed to force Megaguirus outside of the house. He slammed the door shut, causing her to flinch back. She groaned in exasperation, crossing her arms with a pout.

Battra sighed heavily as he shook his head. He turned to meet the glares of the other Transmutants.

"Sorry about her. She gets like this when she's... You know." Battra weakly smiled with a shrug.

"Oh, I know." Rodan responded dryly. Battra cleared his throat.

"At any rate, I want you guys to join us. It's not safe here anymore. If you let me, I'm sure that I can convince Destoroyah-"

"Wait, convince him? He doesn't know you're here?" asked Rodan incredulous.

"Not exactly. To be honest, he considers you an enemy. B-But that's only because you're opposing the Revolutionaries! That doesn't mean we'll come after you. We just have a conflict of interest," said Battra.

This didn't help the boy's case. The Mutant 3 kept hard expressions. Mosura made her way over to Battra, a harsh glare on her face. It was the harshest she's given anybody. It was certainly the worse look she's given her sibling.

"Let me get one thing straight with you. WE. Are. Not. Interested!" Mosura snapped. Battra slightly recoiled at the girl's tone. It was a rarity for him to see her this angry.

"We will never join you! We will never follow you! And we certainly won't hurt innocent people with you! So you can give up now, because there's not a chance in Hell that it'll happen!" Mosura jabbed her finger against Battra's chest, her face growing red.

"Now go away. Never come back here. I don't ever wanna see you again." Mosura's voice was low, her stare was icy cold.

Battra just stood in silence. He felt like a weight was lifted off of his shoulders. His duty as a brother was lifted up. No longer was he Mosura's keeper. She didn't need him anymore. But, that only brought pain to his heart. The Transmutant concealed his feelings with stoicism.

"Fine. I see that you're set in your ways. Who am I to stop you?" Battra turned to walk towards the door. Angirasu opened the door, holding it open. The raven haired Transmutant paused at the doorway, his back still turned.

"Blood's thicker than water. But clearly, that doesn't matter to you," said Battra. Mosura felt her heart sink into her stomach.

"Goodbye, Mosura."

With that, Battra left. Megaguirus followed him. She noticed the cold look that the boy had.

"Battra?"

"Quiet. I don't want to talk," said Battra, sternly. Megaguirus grimaced, looking away. Battra suppressed the growing sadness in his heart. He replaced it with the fire of his anger. As the furnace in his chest burned, he exhausted his anger by forcing himself into indifference. With the coldness of such a thing, his heart had cooled, leaving a hardened shell. Now, he could continue on without weakness.

The Mutant 3 remained in the house in silence. Mosura was trembling, her lip quivering. She suddenly bolted down the hall, heading deeper for the lair. Angirasu had called out to her, but she ignored him. All that was on her mind was the absolute loathing that she had for herself right now. How could she have said that to her own brother?

Angirasu and Rodan remained in the main house. The two felt the gloomy atmosphere beginning to affect them. Rodan noticed that the pot was bubbling, prompting him to make his way over to turn down the heat on the stove.

"You think it's getting as bad as he says it is?" asked Rodan.

"I don't trust anything he has to say. He just wants more bodies to recruit in their insane war," said Angirasu. Rodan frowned, not feeling reassured.

"I'm going out. I'll see you later," said Angirasu

The Transmutant began to leave the house. Rodan took a ladle and stirred the pot a bit. He let out a heavy sigh as he monitored to pot.

Twilight Sparkle lied slumped at her desk in Golden Oaks Library. She was groaning in misery, lying face down. Spike waddled over, a worried look on his face.

"Twilight? Are you feeling sick?" asked Spike.

"No. I'm just moping." Twilight muttered.

"What's the matter?" Spike hopped onto a chair next to her.

"I don't wanna talk about it." Twilight grumbled.

"C'mon! Maybe you'll feel better," said Spike. Twilight sighed heavily, sitting up in her seat.

"Spike, what do you like about Rarity?" asked Twilight.

"Wh-where's this coming from?" The little drake blushed.

"Just tell me."

"Well... Everything, really. She's just so radiant. She's stylish. Not to mention beautiful!" Said Spike, sighing to himself.

Twilight frowned. She was hoping for more specific examples. But, Spike was young. He didn't quite have the maturity to discern the traits that made him attracted to the fashionista.

"OK. But let's say there's another girl. She's nice enough. You two get along relatively well. Maybe, you're good friends. She might not be as attractive as Rarity," said Twilight.

OK?" Spike cocked a brow. He wondered where this was going.

"But let's say that this girl might harbor feelings for you. Would you continue to pursue Rarity, or would you give this girl a chance and see how it goes?" asked Twilight.

"That's obvious. I go with Rarity. I already have feelings for her," said Spike, nonchalant.

"I was afraid you'd say that," said Twilight, disappointed.

Twilight wasn't too familiar with the way guys think. The closest she had to work with were Spike and Junior. But based on Spikes answer, she had a feeling that Junior would choose who she could only assume was his first flame.

"Twilight, what's this about?" asked Spike.

"Let's just say that I'm in a similar situation. Only that I'm the second girl who's feelings might go unrequited," said Twilight, propping her chin up.

"Oh." Spike frowned.

"Hmph. I wonder what this Sunset girl has that I don't. Besides our differing physique," Twilight muttered to herself. She sighed in dismay.

"And our date went so well."

"Look on the bright side, Twilight. Gojira took you out, right? Has he done the same for this girl you're worried about?" asked Spike.

Twilight thought for a moment. Based on what she heard from the pair's conversation, the elf realized that there were no signs of them ever being an item, let alone having ever dated. Junior going to lunch with Sunset didn't really count as a date, since the two were intending to catch up as old friends.

"No, you're right. YOU'RE RIGHT!" Twilight shot up, a bright smile on her face. Her eyes were lit with joy as she came to a revelation.

"It was me he went on a date with! We had a good time! I was the one who stayed the night at his place!" cried Twilight.

"Wait, you did what?" asked Spike, shocked.

"Er... Never mind that! What matters is that I might have the edge over her! That means I need to step up my game!" Twilight smiled in determination.

Rodan found himself roaming the streets of Ponyville. His eyes had deadness to them, as he strolled alone. As of late, a cloud had been hanging over the boy's head. The longer he dwelled on his dread, the heavier and darker that cloud was growing.

The Transmutant always prided himself as being the most upbeat of the group. The one, while annoying at times, could amuse his peers. But, that charm of his was being lost. Now that he was faced with the reality of his mutantism being revealed, he's lost the will. He could no longer clown around. Things were getting serious. While he had no reason to trust Battra, Rodan would be an idiot to not consider his warning.

Then there was Rainbow Dash. The one girl that he was starting to fear the most. Reason being that she was the sort that he was too afraid to try his usual flirting tactics on, out of fear that he'd scare her off or something. It wasn't as though Rodan intended to scare girls off whenever he flirted. It always stung a bit whenever he was turned down. But, he doubt he could live down reliving that experience with Rainbow Dash. She was someone whom he'd consider close to him.

It didn't help that she's revealed herself to be any less of a fan of Transmutants. If she were to find out the truth, Rodan doubt that his heart could take it.

"Well, a nice milkshake always cheers me up. Let's see how that goes." Rodan grimaced as he held up a few bits in his hand. He grunted as he felt himself collide with someone. He dropped his bits to the ground.

"Ah shoot! I'm sorry, I-" Rodan stiffened once he registered who it was that he had collided with. Rainbow Dash stood with a surprised smile.

"Hey, Ro! Wasn't expecting to bump into you. Eh... No pun intended," Rainbow chuckled, sheepish. She knelt down and gathered up the dropped bits.

"H-Hi." Rodan took the coins back, avoiding eye contact.

"Hey, since we've run into each other, I was about to meet Pinkie over at Sugarcube Corner for some pranks. Wanna come?" asked Rainbow.

"I... I might have to take a rain check on that." Rodan quickly pocketed the bits with a weak smile.

"Sorry Dash. Maybe another time."

"Hey, are you avoiding me?" asked Rainbow. Rodan felt like his heart was about to burst from his anxiety. He wasn't expecting for the girl to be so blunt.

"I... No. Why would you think that?" Rodan forced a laugh. Rainbow narrowed her eyes at him.

"Dude, what gives? You have to be avoiding me! We barely hung out since the Discord debacle! What's your deal?" asked Rainbow.

"It's nothing. I've just been busy, that's all," said Rodan, backing up a bit. Rainbow wasn't convinced. She advanced closer to the boy.

"No, something's up. Come on, you can tell me," said Rainbow.

"I said that I'm fine!" Rodan snapped. Rainbow recoiled at the boy's tone. His voice had drawn the attention of nearby citizens. The Transmutant gulped. Rainbow lightly frowned.

There was no way for Rodan to explain himself without telling her the truth. The boy came to the conclusion that there was only one way to get out of this. Something that he might regret for the rest of his life.

"I... I don't think we should hang out anymore." Rodan spoke, coldly. Rainbows wings made a slight twitch, her feathers partially erected. An obvious sign that she was taken aback.

"You're joking. Right? This has to be a joke." Rainbow forced a smile. However, she grew disheartened once Rodan kept avoiding eye contact.

"I-I don't get it. I thought we were friends!" cried Rainbow.

"I'm sorry, Dash. You won't be seeing me again," said Rodan as he turned to walk away.

"Rodan, what did I do? Hey, come back!" Rainbow cried. Rodan had suddenly bolted off down the street. The Valkyrie took to the air to give chase. However, she lost him once he disappeared into the crowds.

The tomboy called out to the Transmutant, but to no avail. She had lost sight of him to the crowd. She landed and began to search, but was cut off at every point. No face belonged to the one that she sought after.

Rodan peered from behind the corner of a building. He watched from afar as Rainbow continued to look for him. The boy sighed as he saw the pained and desperate look on the girl's face. How he hated himself for causing that.

In the end, Rodan did what he thought was necessary. Maybe Mosura was right after all. Perhaps it was better this way.

The boy suppressed the need to shed tears. Rodan fled from the area. His hands were in his pockets. Going to Sugarcube Corner was out of the question now. Forever. It was a shame too. He really would've liked one last milkshake.

"Excuse me sir." A man suddenly stepped in the boy's path. He was sporting a vest with a police badge pinned on.

"I'll need to check your person. There was a mugging in this area," said the man. Rodan sighed in dismay.

"Fine, whatever. Hurry so I can head home," said Rodan.

The officer drew out a hand held device. He began to wave it over Rodan. There was the sound of rapid clicking sounds. It was nothing like a metal detector that Rodan's ever heard.

"W-would you happen to have any metals on you?" The officer asked with a slight stutter.

"Just a couple of bits. I assure you though, I didn't steal this money," said Rodan, as he dug into his pockets, showing the few coins in his possession. He then pocketed them again.

"Can I go now?"

"Yes sir. Thank you for your cooperation," said the officer.

Rodan walked past the officer with a sigh. The officer suddenly reached to his ear, where a COM device lied.

"I've a confirmed visual on target. He's on the move," said the 'officer'.

"Excellent." Ghidorah's voice spoke over the COM.

Junior found himself sitting across from Sunset at a table outside. The pair was outdoors at a restaurant, having their lunch.

The boy was relieved to have a moment to rest and eat. Another bonus was reminiscing of the old times that the pair shared together.

"I think she sounded like this. 'I said to shut up and study! You delinquents will never amount to anything!'" Sunset chuckled as she made an impression of a grouchy older woman's voice.

"No, it was more like a parrot sound. Very shrill and drawn out. Like this. Raah!" Junior suddenly made a squawking sound. The two burst into laughter.

"Oh gosh, she did sound like a parrot! That's hilarious!" laughed Sunset.

"We even had a nickname for her, didn't we?" asked Junior.

"Ms. Fowl! That's what it was!" chuckled Sunset.

"Man. Always so strict." Junior chuckled. Sunset sighed. She hummed to herself, as a realization came to mind.

"Hey, I noticed that you don't seem to have an accent anymore," said Sunset. Junior instinctively felt at his throat.

"Oh. That? Ah. I got rid of it about a year ago. I spent most of high school in speech therapy for that," said Junior, nonchalant.

"Why?" asked Sunset, confused. Junior raised a brow. He didn't think he'd have to explain himself.

"Well, because I was tired of how people made fun of me. Just because I couldn't pronounce words with 'L' correctly," said Junior. He looked away with a grimace.

"I always hated my accent because of it."

"I liked your accent," interjected Sunset. Junior looked at her in surprise.

"Really?"

"Yeah. I always thought it sounded cool." Sunset shrugged. Junior smiled bashfully.

"You shouldn't let people's opinions get to you like that. They don't define you," said Sunset.

"You have a point, but it was a bit more than that. Some people had a hard time understanding me because of it. I thought it was a small price for clear communication," said Junior.

"Well, just keep that in mind." Sunset smiled.

"Hey uh... Sunset. I've been meaning to ask. What happened with you? Why did you disappear so suddenly?" asked Junior, curious. Sunset paused for a moment. She seemed a bit hesitant. But, she sighed, knowing that there was no chance of deflecting.

"Truth is, I was noticed for my exceptional academic skills. My mom sent me off to study at the university that took an interest in me. Being so young at the time, I was naturally eager. Therefore, I transferred out of the academy and into the university," said Sunset.

"So the rumors were true," said Junior to himself. He then shook his head.

"But why accept? I mean... wasn't it too big of a leap?" asked Junior.

"For the mediocre, maybe. But I would still have my life ahead of me once I finished my studies. Why not get a head start? Besides, I felt like I needed to get away." Sunset took on a bit of melancholic look.

Junior couldn't help but feel bothered by that answer. Sure, it made sense. But, it seemed off that she wouldn't confide in anyone about it. Or even himself. What was it she was trying to get away from?

"You could have at least told me good bye. Considering that we were close."

Sunset suddenly snorted. The boy sent her an odd look.

"Why's that funny?"

"It's just that you seem a bit dramatic." Sunset answered.

"Dramatic?" asked Junior incredulously.

"Well yeah, man. People come and go all the time. It's nothing to be upset about," said Sunset, nonchalant. Junior felt annoyance beginning to fester inside. ‘How could this girl say all of this?’ Junior thought.

"I thought we were friends," said Junior. Sunset paused as she was about to take a sip of her drink. This time, she was the one caught off guard. The boy looked at her with furrowed brows. An awkward tension filled the air.

"I... I never really thought of us that way." Sunset shrugged.

"Then what did you think of us?" asked Junior.

"I dunno. I guess just a couple of rebels who lived by their own rules. You know?" Sunset forced a smile. It faltered as Junior continued to stare at her. His stoicism was a bit unsettling.

Junior felt like an idiot. All of this time, he was the only one who considered themselves as friends. He wondered how Sunset could say these things. After the good times that they had long before. None of that actually mattered. If that wasn't friendship, then what the hell were they doing all of that time?

The boy realized that this must have been how Twilight and Fluttershy felt during the dragon incident last year. Junior masked the pain that he felt in his heart with a blank look. How he wished that he knew about this sooner. Maybe he wouldn't feel so terrible as he did this moment.

"Right. What was I thinking?" Junior reached into his pocket and drew out some bits.

"Here's payment for my order. I just remembered that I had some errands to run. Bye." Junior set the bits down and walked off. Sunset suddenly felt herself compelled to stand up. She did, appearing alarmed.

"W-wait, Gojira. I-"

There was the sound of thunder roaring in the air. Everyone in the area froze in place, searching the skies for rain clouds. But, there was nothing. Not a cloud in sight.

"What the hell?" Junior's eyes widened, as he saw the flash of yellow lightning to be streaking through the air. But, it was dangerously close to the ground, shooting up from the earth into the sky, rather than the other way around.

Citizens began to panic, as they fled from the direction of the lightning. Sunset suddenly heard a crackle from her COM in her ear.

"All agents, target has been engaged! Converge on this street!" A voice spoke over the COM. As Sunset listened for directions, she noticed that Junior was bolting off towards the action.

"Wait, Gojira!" cried Sunset. She groaned in frustration, before running out of her seat.

"Need to get ready." Sunset muttered to herself as she left the area.

The roar of thunder filled the air. Citizens screamed as they fled the street. Great bolts of lightning streaked through the air, crashing into whatever was in their path.

Rodan found himself running for his life, as lightning bolts shot after him. His hair stood on end, as the bolts zipped over him. The smell of ozone assaulted his nostrils. The boy tripped and fell to the ground. He quickly turned and scrambled back, his eyes wide, his pulse racing.

From down the street, a large imposing figure clad in gold armor approached. His gloved hands sparked with yellow electricity. The boy quickly scampered back to his feet and took off running.

The boy's mind was flooded with many thoughts. Mainly those of fear. But of course, confusion. The last thing he remembered was that he was moping as he walked the streets of Ponyville. Next thing he knew, some lunatic with lightning magic came out of nowhere and started throwing bolts everywhere. It only took a moment for Rodan's horror to grow once he realized that this guy was in fact after him.

"You're only making this more fun for me!" the armored man shouted, as he leapt through the air at inhuman heights, casting more bolts. Rodan dove over an abandoned stand, before sprinting away as it burst into splintered cinders.

Rodan was chased for a few blocks. Every second, the armored man was getting closer and closer to landing his hints. While Rodan was fast, he didn't know how long he'd be able to keep this up or how lucky he was to avoid every single bolt. The cackling of the figure was stuck in his mind, as he chased him onto a roof.

Beyond the chase, the chaos and lightning was drawing just about everyone's attention in Ponyville. Even beyond. Mosura had rushed to the edge of the Everfree, near Ponyville. She caught sight of the lightning, as it crashed through the air. The girl felt a sense of dread. She hadn't seen Angirasu nor Rodan since earlier this noon. The light show she was seeing made her fear the worse.

Swallowing her fear, Mosura bolted towards the town. Eventually, the girl had made it to the source. She gasped in horror, once she found Rodan to be climbing onto a building, while a golden armored figure stood below, raising his hands. A bolt of lightning struck near the boy's feet, causing him to scamper up onto the roof, as a large patch of the roof was singed with sparks.

"RODAN!" Mosura cried. She turned to find a public mailbox to be planted into the ground. She summoned her telekinesis, hauling the object from the ground and into the air. She flung it towards the armored figure, who spun around, shooting a bolt of lightning from his hand. The bolt sliced through the metallic object, sending the two halves to fall to the ground, spilling the now scorched newspapers that were inside. The armored figure chuckled.

"There's number two."

Mosura gulped as she began to step back. She had just registered how large this person was. He dwarfed her through height. His golden armor gave him a barbaric appearance, blending the armor styles of West and East.

"I'm not expecting you to last long. So, I'll make it quick and squash you like the bug that you are." Ghidorah chuckled darkly as his fist began to spark. Mosura hardened her expression as she spread her legs apart. She crouched low to the ground, clenching her fists.

Ghidorah came charging for the girl, raising his fist. He swung at the girl, who performed a cartwheel, evading the strike. Once she landed back on her feet, Mosura leapt to the side, once the giant sent a blast of lightning her way. The elf sighed in annoyance as he sent another blast straight towards Mosura, who curved herself backwards. She felt the heat of the bolt soar over her. As Mosura stood back upright, Ghidorah was charging for her.

Before the girl could escape, the elf gripped her by the neck. Mosura gasped as she felt her throat being crushed by his strong grip. She was slammed to the ground on her back, kicking and squirming, gasping for air. Ghidorah chuckled as he tightened his hold. Mosua's eyes teared up as asphyxiation threatened to overcome her struggle.

Before Ghidorah could finish her, Rodan came crashing down towards him, a foot raised. The giant grunted as his helmet was struck by the powerful kick, causing him to lose his grip. Mosura forced his hand away and used her telekinesis to send the elf flying back. Ghidorah slammed into the side of a building, grunting as he fell to the ground.

"Mosu!" Rodan rushed to the girl as she held her bruising neck, wheezing. He helped the girl up to her feet, who slowly regained her breathing.

"Who is that guy?" asked Mosura.

Ghidorah rose up from the debris. He rolled his neck with a sigh. The sound of bones popping filled the air.

"You're definitely the ones I've been looking for," said Ghidorah.

"Looking for? Us?" asked Rodan, incredulous.

"Indeed. We've been searching for you for some time now," said Ghidorah.

"No. No, you can't be with THEM!" Mosura stepped back, trembling in fear.

"I am. And your creators want you back." Ghidorah raised a glowing hand as he approached. Mosura glared at the armored man. She clenched her eyes shut, as the air around her began to hum. Every particle of dust flowed above ground, surrounding her. Rodan stumbled back, feeling a unpleasant sensation in his head.

"WE'LL NEVER GO BACK!" Mosura screamed, as the humming grew more intense. Ghidorah stumbled and stopped in place. He slightly winced behind his helmet as the girl's psychic abilities prodded at his brain. But, he merely smirked, once he began to adjust to the sensation. Soon, he could no longer feel whatever it was that the girl was doing to him. He narrowed his eyes as he focused on the girl.

"AH!!" Mosura suddenly clutched her head. A sharp throbbing pain suddenly was felt through her own head. The pain was excruciating that she was screaming bloody murder. After a moment, Mosura had stopped screaming. She collapsed to the ground, with Rodan catching her before her head could hit the ground.

"Mosura! Hey!" Rodan shook the girl, who stared blankly, shuddering. The boy gasped, as she began to bleed from her nose. Mosura was muttering something incoherently, as she shook in the boy's hold.

"In the future, avoid using telepathic abilities when I'm around. You'll suffer less." Ghidorah chuckled as he approached. Rodan snarled as he glared at the armored man. He could imagine the smug look that was behind that helmet of his.

"I'll show you." Rodan gently lowered Mosura to the ground.

"N-No..." Mosura managed to utter in her pain.

"Here I come, tin man!" Rodan lunged for Ghidorah. Before he could land a strike, the armored man caught him and hurled him towards a table, shattering it on impact. Rodan scrambled to his feet, grabbing a wooden chair. He swung the chair at the armored man, who merely swiped at it, causing it to shatter. Rodan was in shock at the inhuman strength that this man was displaying. Just who was this guy, Rodan wondered.

"Weak." Ghidorah back handed Rodan, sending him rolling along the ground.

"Puny. Waste of space." Ghidorah approached and raised his foot and brought it down over Rodan. The boy rolled away and got back to his feet. He sent a fist forward, but the armored figure caught it. With a swing, he sent Rodan flying towards a wall.

"Not worth the effort!" Ghidorah exclaimed in exasperation. Rodan snarled as he staggered back up.

"Shut up!" Rodan bolted towards the large elf. As Ghidorah reached to grab him, the boy quickly back stepped. With his reach extended, Rodan used the opportunity send a fist towards the helmet of Ghidorah, rocking his head back. He stumbled, as his visor bore a small crack. The boy began to move swiftly, barely giving the elf the opportunity to make a move. He sent a few strong quick jabs against the armor and helmet, sending him staggering.

"Not so tough now that you can't keep up!" Rodan round house kicked Ghidorah. However, his ankle was caught in the elf's grasp.

"I'm plenty tough, kid!" Ghidorah suddenly hurled Rodan across the street, sending him spiraling towards an abandoned stand. The Transmutant groaned as he lied, chunks of the splintered wood sticking into his skin. Ghidorah brought a hand to his helmet as he approached Rodan, who lied in pain on the ground.

"Onyx, this is Agent Ghidorah. I've incapacitated the targets. I need extraction," said Ghidorah as he approached Rodan.

"You fool! Why have you attacked out in the open like that?!" Onyx's voice crackled over the COM. Ghidorah winced, an annoyed look on his face.

"You're breaking up sir. Don't worry, you can see off of my live feed in my helmet," said Ghidorah, sarcastically.

"Ghidorah, don't you dare-" The voice was suddenly cut off.

Ghidorah continued on as he reached out for Rodan. Suddenly, he felt something collide into him. The elf fell to the ground, finding his face slammed into the street. On his back was Angirasu.

"Rodan! Are you alright?!" cried Angirasu.

"I-I'm good." Rodan staggered to his feet.

The Transmutant noticed the Main 6 to have arrived onto the scene. Rainbow rushed over and helped him up. A look of worry was on her face.

"Anything broken?" asked Rainbow.

"No, I'm fine. Get Mosu," said Rodan wincing.

"Already on it, darling!" Rarity and Applejack had rushed to the female Transmutant.

"Easy does it, Sugarcube." Applejack ushered as she helped Mosura onto her feet.

"We came as soon as we saw the lightning," said Twilight.

"So who's the creep? Another one of Princess Celestia's old enemies?" asked Rainbow.

"A creep am I?" Ghidorah chuckled darkly. His body suddenly sparked with electricity, causing Angirasu to cry out as the energy coursed through him. The armored elf suddenly elbowed him off, sending him staggering.

"Angirasu!" Fluttershy cried.

"Stay back!" Angirasu clenched his fists and got into a fighting stance. Ghidorah snarled as he stood up.

"Hmm. I wasn't expecting you to be here as well. I wonder who else is hiding out here," said Ghidorah. He took notice of the Main 6, an annoyed groan escaping him.

"Wretched things. Stand aside, lest you wish to suffer," said Ghidorah.

"Who you callin' things?! We'll show you, bucket head!" Rainbow raised her fists, a glare directed at the armored man.

"No! Get out of here! It's us he wants!" cried Rodan.

"You're crazy if you think I'm gonna abandon my friends! I ain't scared of a tool in armor!" said Rainbow. She suddenly bolted towards Ghidorah, her wings flapping rapidly. She was suddenly swatted aside by the armored man, sending her crashing to the ground.

"Dash!" Rodan cried. Fluttershy and Pinkie rushed over to Rainbow, helping her to her feet.

"Who else dares to challenge me?" taunted Ghidorah. Twilight, Rarity and Applejack got into defense positions. Fists were balled, and magic auras were ignited. Defiant glares were directed at the armored elf. Rainbow attempted to join in but staggered from the pain she was feeling from the earlier swat.

"There's nothing I hate more than your arrogance. It's time that I've shown you your place," said Ghidorah as he raised a sparking hand. He suddenly heard a crackle in his helmet, prompting him to pause.

"Agent Ghidorah, we're nearing your position! Stand by!" a voice spoke over the COM. Ghidorah sighed in exasperation.

"Ugh. Can't afford to make any bodies right now." Ghidorah muttered to himself. He suddenly found a beam of magic to be shooting his way. The giant grunted as he staggered back. His armor bore scorch marks. He snarled as he glared at the small elf that was bold enough to make the first move. While annoyed, he chuckled sadistically.

"Then again, just one casualty couldn't hurt." Ghidorah raised his hand to fire a bolt of lightning. However, he is once again hit by another figure. This one managed to knock him off of his feet, slamming into a wall. He grunted in pain, but gasped in shock, once he found a young Neighsian individual to be standing before him.

"Gojira!" The Main 6 cried in unison. Junior glared at the armored elf, who was knelt on the ground.

"Gojira..." Ghidorah uttered. His tone was that of disbelief. A sense of nostalgia began to wash over him as he heard that name. That only grew when he saw those amber eyes of the boy. He recalled eyes like that very well.

"Onyx, are you getting this?" Ghidorah whispered, as his COM channel switched. He made sure to get a good clear look at the boy, who stood just across from him. He could hear the crackle of the COM, along with the muffled shudder of the one on the other end of the line.

"Ghidorah, your orders have changed. I want you to focus your attention solely on Lucky Dragon! Destroy it!" Onyx cried. Ghidorah let loose a wicked grin that went unnoticed by the civilians around him.

"With pleasure." Ghidorah rose himself up to his full height. Junior's eyes slightly widened once he registered just how large his opponent was compared to him. Junior narrowed his eyes as he tensed his muscles and clenched his fists.

With inhuman speed, Ghidorah rushed towards Junior. The boy attempted to maneuver, but found himself punched in the gut, stunning him. The elf suddenly picked him up and hurled him over his shoulders, before slamming him back down onto the ground.

"GOJIRA!" Twilight cried as she attempted to rush over. Rodan and Angirasu instead bolted passed her, racing for the giant as he pummeled their friend into the street. Ghidorah quickly turned and sent a blast of electricity, sending the two flying back in agony. The girls rushed to the two boys. Ghidorah sighed as he grabbed Junior by the jacket, hauling him to his feet.

"Let's take this somewhere a bit more private." Ghidorah tossed the boy over his shoulder and began to walk away. With a single leap, he bounded to the next block of town.

"No!" Twilight cried as the two disappeared out of sight.

"Go after them Twi! We'll take care of the others!" said Applejack. Pinkie, and Rainbow began to help move the rest of the Mutant 4 off of the street. Twilight nodded as she took off running, followed by Rarity. Fluttershy knelt next to Angirasu with a worried, tearful look.

"Go help Gojira..." Angirasu winced. Fluttershy nodded with a gulp, not wanting to abandon the boy here. She also wasn't too thrilled with facing off with a monster like that, but her friends needed her. The Valkyrie took off, following Twilight and Rarity.

"OK, don't worry! We're gonna get you guys out of here," said Rainbow as she brought Rodan's arm over her shoulder, supporting him up. Rodan clenched his teeth, closing his eyes. He was breathing heavily.

It was all over now. If that guy was from MONARCH, then there was no escape. They would be captured and locked away forever, with no hope to see the light of day again. He'd never see his new friends ever again. Including Rainbow Dash.

"Rainbow..." Rodan spoke hoarsely.

"Don't worry. You're gonna be fine." Rainbow spoke reassuringly. But behind that tone, she appeared anxious. No doubt she knew just how precarious the situation was with this new foe. He was clearly out for blood. But, she didn't know the extent of the severity of the threat he posed.

"Dash, I have to tell you something," said Rodan as Rainbow led the boy to the rest of the group, who were moving the Transmutants to a street corner. The valkyrie lowered him to the ground, sitting him against the wall.

"It can wait. Just save your strength."

"No! It can't wait, it's important!" cried Rodan, desperately.

Rainbow bore a confused look. The rest of the girls looked over with a start at his tone. Mosura raised herself up, her eyes widening in alarm.

"This is something I should've told you a while ago," said Rodan.

"Rodan, don't you dare say another word!" Mosura snapped.

"What's the point of keeping it a secret?! I rather tell them myself!" spat Rodan.

"What are you talking about?" asked Rainbow. Rodan sighed.

"Dash, the truth is..." Rodan gulped, reluctant to utter another word. But, he knew that they'd find out anyway at this point. Before he could finish however, a group of armored and civilian dressed individuals could be seen rushing over. Applejack's eyes widened, seeing the dark armor of the individuals.

"Wait, is that MONARCH? What the hay are they doin' here?"

"We have visual on targets. Moving in," said one of the soldiers, holding a hand to his helmet. The group had their weapons drawn out. Instinctively, the girls raised their hands.

"Don't shoot! Don't shoot!" Pinkie exclaimed. The Transmutants attempted to move but immediately froze as they found the soldiers to have already covered their distance. The barrels of their weapons were now on them, leaving a clear shot.

"DO NOT MOVE!" The soldier barked. A couple of soldiers began to make their way to AJ, Pinkie and Rainbow, leading them away from the Transmutants. The girls began to protest as they were handled by the soldiers.

"What gives?! Get your hands off!" Rainbow attempted to pull out of the soldier's grip but, the soldier did not relent.

"What are ya doin' pointing those things at them?! They need help!" cried Applejack.

Mosura winced as she attempted to focus her psychic abilities. However, her head was still in too much pain to allow her to concentrate on any attack. Her eyes widened once she noticed Erika Shiragami to be standing among the soldiers.

"You?" Mosura muttered.

Erika was caught by surprise once she recognized the three Transmutants. Instinctively, she avoided eye contact. She had a feeling of shame be welling up inside. The young soldier found it strange, considering how she hardly knew any of them. But, she still couldn't shake this uneasy feeling inside. This was the enemy after all.

"Shiragami!"

Erika jumped at the sound of her name being called. The highest ranking soldier of the group tossed her an inhibitor collar.

"Handle it." The soldier ordered.

"Y-Yes sir. Hands over your head." Erika ordered. She and a couple of other soldiers approached cautiously. While they carried inhibitor collars, the rest remained on guard, their weapons aimed for them. They were primed and ready to put them down should they make themselves evident as too much of a threat. In moments, the Transmutants had the collars locked around their necks. The needles stuck into the base of their necks, causing the Transmutants to wince in pain.

"Wh-What are you doing?" Pinkie whimpered.

"For your safety, please vacate this area. You don't wanna be close to these freaks," said one of the soldiers.

"Freaks? What are you...?" Applejack trailed off. She had a confused look as she looked to the three Transmutants. It began to dawn on her that there was more to the situation then she had realized. That same conclusion was made by Pinkie and Rainbow as well.

"Wait a minute, that's- That's crazy!" Applejack exclaimed.

"There's no way! There's no way they're-" Rainbow turned her sights to the Transmutants, who avoided eye contact with the girls. Rainbow felt her stomach in knots. She attempted to push pass the soldiers, but they stood in her path.

"Rodan, tell me it's not true! Tell me that you guys aren't Transmutants! Please!"

Rodan continued to avoid eye contact with the girl. Not even the desperation of her voice could draw his sight onto her. Rainbow felt a wave of shock and horror wash over her as the boy continued to remain silent. She backed away, having been rendered speechless.

There was a crackle that filled the COMs of the soldiers. The highest ranking soldier brought his hand to his helmet and listened in.

"I need all available units to converge at Agent Ghidorah's position! Lucky Dragon has been sighted! Repeat, Lucky Dragon has been sighted!" Onyx's voice spoke frantically over the garbled noise of the COM. The soldiers all met each other with knowing looks.

"Lucky Dragon?" Erika asked.

"Shiragami, head over there without us while we detain these three! The agent's location should be marked on your HUD!"

Erika nodded to her higher ranked comrade and sprinted down the street. Though in the back of her mind, the young soldier kept thinking about the three Transmutants that she had unknowingly found first.

Meanwhile, just a couple of blocks away, a battle was waged between Junior and the golden foe that had appeared. However, it was not going in the boy's favor.

Junior cried out as he found himself hurled through the air. He crashed onto a bench, causing it to collapse on impact. He grunted as he struggled to stand, but felt Ghidorah's hand grab him by the back of his neck. The boy was forced to his knees.

"I have orders to kill you, but I want to enjoy this. MONARCH's been looking for you for a long time. Now, you've been found." Ghidorah chuckled.

"M-MONARCH?" Junior grunted, eyes wide in horror.

"Yes. Did you think that you could hide forever?"

Junior grunted as he managed to kick at Ghidorah's leg, causing him to stumble and lose his grip. The boy pulled out of his grasp, yanking his arm to the side. He then delivered a powerful kick into his gut, sending the armored man back. Ghidorah chuckled as he got up.

"Always fierce." Ghidorah lunged for the boy, who rolled away for cover. With Ghidorah stumbling, Junior latched onto his back. His arms wrapped over his neck, making a tight squeeze. The armor creaked and slightly warped at the pressure.

"This feels me with so many memories. Oh the old times," said Ghidorah as he threw Junior over his shoulder. The boy quickly rolled back onto his feet with a snarl.

"Ah. You're even uglier now," said Ghidorah.

Junior grunted as he sent several jabs at the armored man. However, Ghidorah blocked every strike. He countered with a jab to the chest, stunning Junior. He picked him up over his shoulders and tossed him over to a fountain. Junior exclaimed as he shot up out of the water. Before he could get out, Ghidorah suddenly dunked his head back under the surface.

Junior gasped for air as he managed to raise his head back up. But, Ghidorah put more of his weight on the boy, forcing him back under. The elf chuckled darkly as he felt the boy struggle beneath him. Bubbles escaped him, as muffled cries came from below the surface.

"Don't struggle. Just give in and accept the inevitable." Ghidorah spoke softly. Junior made a few final attempts to escape. Soon, the boy began to grow still. The bubbles ceased. The elf sighed, a bitter sweet feeling welled up inside.

"That wasn't as exciting as I hoped. Oh well."

Ghidorah allowed the boy to rise back up to the surface. He lied face down in the water, remaining still. The elf turned the boy over, finding his eyes to be staring blankly. As Ghidorah reached for his face, he noticed a growth on the boy's neck. They appeared like flaps. It only took a moment for Ghidorah to realize what those growths were. He barely had enough time to react, as Junior opened his mouth wide.

A blast of atomic energy crashed into the elf. The blast engulfed his upper half of his body. The force of the energy sent him flying towards a wall.

Junior quickly rose up from the fountain. He let out a relieved sigh as the gills on his neck sealed close, disappearing into his flesh. He smirked at Ghidorah, who lied slumped against the wall.

"That's what you get for underestimating me," said Junior, stepping out of the fountain.

"Hehe." Ghidorah chuckled. Junior recoiled in shock. The armored man rose up, as his armor was red hot. The helmet had warped from the heat of the atomic blast. His chuckles soon escalated into full blown cackles.

"It burns! It feels so wonderful!" Ghidorah cried, joyfully. Junior stepped back, growing unnerved.

"What the fuck?"

"Only you can bring me this kind of pain. Oh, how nostalgic!" Ghidorah began to remove the helmet he wore, dropping it to the ground. Junior was shocked to find that his face looked to be unscathed. When he gazed into his fiery eyes, Junior couldn't help but feel some familiarity with him. But that wasn't right. He was certain that he had never met this guy before.

"I believe it was fate that brought us together, young Gojira! Our destiny to finally settle things once and for all!" Ghidorah cried.

"Settle things? I don't even know who you are!" said Junior. The blonde elf suddenly sneered.

"You may call me, Ghidorah."

"Ghidorah? Ugh. Is this some kind of sick joke or something?" asked Junior. It was just his luck. He was fighting a foe with the name of an enemy of his name's sake.

"It's fate, young Gojira. You may not remember me. But I remember you." Ghidorah let loose a sinister smile.

By looking into the elf's eyes, Junior saw what he could only describe as true malice. But as he stared into those hellish red eyes, Junior suddenly felt his head beginning to throb. He winced as he held his head. He was assaulted by images. They were a blur, but he saw lush landscapes reduced to glass. Forests turned to cinders. Beasts turning to ash, as their bones churned. The last thing he saw was a winged dragon, with three heads.

"Wh-What was..." Junior gasped as Ghidorah delivered a strong punch, sending him staggering. The giant began to wail on him, delivering swift and devastating blows. Junior made fruitless efforts to counter with his own strikes. The elf raised his foot and kicked the boy in the gut, sending him flying to the ground. The boy clutched his gut, wheezing.

"While you do not prove a challenge, I shall savor this," said Ghidorah as he approached. Junior staggered to his feet, backing away as his breathing grew rough.

"You should savor this moment as well. It'll be so much more vibrant compared to the darkness that awaits you," said Ghidorah. He raised his hand again, generating electric energy. Junior gritted his teeth, as he attempted to muster whatever strength was in him.

There was the sudden burst of light. Ghidorah cried out in pain as the light assaulted his eyes. Junior did the same, covering his face. His ears picked up the sound of beating wings to be approaching. He felt something grab him, carrying him off of the ground. The boy's sight adjusted, allowing him to see none other than Fluttershy carrying him.

"Shy!" Junior cried.

"Can't talk! Too heavy!" Fluttershy strained, her face red. She mustered all of her strength as she carried the boy away from the area, as a bright magic flare continued to blind Ghidorah. Twilight and Rarity began to flee from the area, following the Valkyrie and Transmutant.

The magic soon dissipated. Ghidorah grunted as he rubbed his stinging eyes. He blinked away the blindness that he had gone under. He looked around, finding the Transmutant nowhere in sight.

"GOJIRA!!" Ghidorah shouted, his enraged cries echoed, as lightning shot straight from his jaws and palms. Thunder roared as his golden lightning streaked across the sky.

Fluttershy panted as she continued to hold Junior from under his arms. The beating of her wings grew weaker, as her strength failed her. The girl whimpered as she mustered up the remains of her stamina, giving her a slight boost of air. Junior could tell that she was passed her limit.

"Shy, put me down!" said Junior.

"I can't! I have to-" Fluttershy grunted, gritting her teeth.

"It's OK. I think we got far enough," said Junior. He felt the girl beginning to descend. However, it was a bit too fast. Instinctively, Junior raised his feet, as he neared the ground. He planted them down, grounding himself safely to the street. The Valkyrie dropped to the ground next to him, resting on her hands and knees.

Fluttershy panted as she held her chest. Her heart was throbbing, pumping her blood to the burning muscles of her wings, arms and face. That may have been the most of her strength that she's mustered in her life. The girl looked to Junior, who was staring off warily from where they had fled.

"Are... Are you OK?" Fluttershy panted.

"Y-Yeah. I'm fine." Junior answered. Through his pain, he met the girl with an appreciative smile.

"Thanks for the save."

Fluttershy smiled warmly and in relief. Although, her heart felt heavy as she saw the boy's battered state. Even the nice jacket that Rarity had made him was damaged.

There was a sudden burst of light. Junior and Fluttershy both exclaimed with a start as the light appeared near them. From the light emerged Twilight and Rarity, having traveled to this spot via teleporation magic.

"Relax, it's just us." Twilight raised a reassuring hand. Both Junior and Fluttershy both sighed in relief.

"I don't think my heart can handle another scare like that right now," said Fluttershy in dismay.

Twilight gasped as she took notice of Junior's ragged state. She rushed over to him, taking his hand. She held it tightly, as her eyes showed great concern.

"Oh my gosh! How bad are you hurt? Need me to use a healing spell?" asked Twilight.

"N-No, I'm fine. I'll be fine." Junior answered, forcing a smile.

Twilight didn't buy his words. The shape was in almost matched the shape he had when he took on Nightmare Moon. She could tell that he was in a lot of pain, just by seeing his fake smile. But what also tipped her off was the fact that she could feel him trembling through holding his hand. Twilight wasn't sure if the boy had ever showed fear, but this was the real thing. The fact that he of all people was afraid made Twilight anxious.

"That brute! He even ruined the jacket that I've worked hard to make you!" said Rarity, indignant. She suppressed an unlady-like growl, clenching her fist.

"Oh, he will pay! I will make him rue the day he ever thought to-" Rarity paused. She then looked to the boy, an eyebrow cocked in a questioning manner.

"Wait, just who was that villain?" asked Rarity.

"Whoever he was, he seemed to be familiar with you. I... I overheard while we got ready to rescue you," said Fluttershy, her tone growing small. This gained curious looks from the other two girls. Junior grimaced.

"You got me."

Junior was certain that he didn't know the guy, He thought that maybe the elf was 'familiar' with him, due to him working for MONARCH. However, he couldn't tell the girls that. That was suspect enough. But even then, the guy talked to him as though they had a shared history. Nothing made sense. But, Junior doubt that his secret was going to be kept hidden at this rate. This made him reluctant to speak. But, he knew better than to remain silent.

"He must have been a lunatic. He called himself Ghidorah. In Neighponese legend, Gojira and Ghidorah were sworn enemies. I guess he took that as some weird kind of omen or sign considering that we share names of legends," said Junior.

"That certainly sounds deranged." Twilight dryly replied.

"What's the plan, Twilight?" Rarity asked.

"Well, that guy can't be too terribly powerful. But, we're certainly not a match for him. For now, we should keep our distance. We can have Spike inform the Princess about the situation," said Twilight.

"No." Junior answered. The girls looked at him in confusion.

"We can't afford to let him run free like this. We need to stop him here and now. I need to stop him," said Junior. Twilight glared at him.

"Hey, now isn't the time for heroics! Nor your senseless wounded warrior crap!" said Twilight, jabbing a finger to the boy's chest.

"No, you don't understand. He's after me." Junior answered.

"Why would he be after you? I thought you said that you didn't know who he was." Fluttershy titled her head, puzzled.

"I don't. But..." Junior gulped. His hands began to tremble more. He wanted to just come clean. He was sick of lying. He was tired of keeping those who cared about in the dark as he had all of this time. But, he couldn't. Whether it was fear or a bad habit developed, Junior wasn't sure.

Suddenly, the sound of rushing footsteps was heard. The group turned to find a group of people to be rushing over, clad in dark armor. Junior's eyes widened, once he recognized them. They were MONARCH soldiers. But, what completely petrified him was the fact that Sunset Shimmer was among them.

"Gojira!" Sunset cried as she picked up her pace. She stopped next to the boy, appearing relieved.

"Thank goodness." The soldiers had stopped nearby, their attention on the civilians. Twilight's eyes widened in shock and surprise.

"Wait, MONARCH? What are they- Wait a minute, YOU'RE with MONARCH?" asked Twilight. Sunset cleared her throat.

"I'd uh... appreciate it if you kept this to yourselves. Hey, Medic. Get him some treatment!" Sunset snapped, glaring at one of the soldiers. The medic of the group made her way over, carrying a kit. She began to set it up, but Sunset abruptly took the items herself.

"Ugh! You're too slow! I'll handle it myself!" Sunset used her magic to levitate the items, preparing to treat Junior.

"Shimmer, we don't have time! Lucky Dragon's in the area!" said one of the soldiers.

"Lucky Dragon?" Rarity raised a brow.

"Well then you guys go on ahead! I'm tending to these civies!" Sunset snapped, annoyed. She then began to soak up a pad with alcohol before dabbing it on Junior's face. The boy was still as stone, his breaths shallow. The girl met him with an awkward smile.

"This might not be a good time. But, I sort of had to keep you in the dark," said Sunset. Suddenly, the sound of loud, rapid clicking went off. Everyone had taken notice of it. Junior was knocked out of his petrified state, recognizing that sound.

"Your magic reader..." Junior uttered. Sunset looked down at her waist, finding a familiar device to gone off.

"Oh, that's actually an EMF reader. I thought I turned it off. It's supposed to detect..." Sunset trailed off once something dawned on her. She began to slowly back away from the boy, her expression becoming unreadable. Junior felt uneasy, as he sensed a sudden shift in atmosphere. That only grew once the EMF's clicking steadily decreased, the further she stepped away from him.

"FREEZE, FREAK!" a soldier shouted. In unison, the soldiers all began to draw their weapons on the boy. Junior flinched and stepped back. His eyes darted to every barrel that was pointed at him.

Junior felt himself overwhelmed with fear. He found himself relieving his final days in Neighpon. When he was pursued and hunted down like a wild animal. He was breathing heavily, as sweat trickled down his face.

"What are you doing?!" Twilight cried.

"Agent Ghidorah, we've found Lucky Dragon! Repeat, we found Lucky Dragon!" a soldier spoke over the COM.

"No, no, no." Junior muttered to himself.

"Shimmer! Attention!" the soldier shouted. The red headed elf snapped out of her shocked state. She drew out a shotgun from the strap that hung from over her shoulder. She kept a neutral look as she aimed her weapon at the boy. Junior was taken aback.

"S-Sunset?" Junior whimpered. The girl remained stoic.

"Don't move." Sunset spoke, calmly.

"He's your friend! Why are you doing this?!" demanded Twilight. Rarity and Fluttershy stood by, watching in horror as the scene unfolded. All three were left in utter confusion as to why this was happening. No one was answering. But, there was one explanation that crept in, but they refused to acknowledge it.

"Get the inhibitor out." ordered one of the soldiers.

Junior gritted his teeth. They had finally found him. He knew that if he remained, he wouldn't be long for this world. If they were here for him, than they were certainly here for Mosura and the others. They were doomed.

'Fight. Fight. Fight. Fight.'

Junior's mind was nagged at by this single thought. It repeated in his head over and over again. It urged him, so that he may survive. The boy's sight fell on a nearby large sign, set up outside of a restaurant. As the soldiers stepped closer, Junior lunged for the sign and hurled it at the soldiers. They had flinched and braced as the sign flew towards them. A couple was knocked back, while the rest recovered.

The boy had already taken off from them. His head start had allowed him to bolt to the next building in a mere few seconds. He heard the sound of gun fire, as magic projectiles came zipping all around him. He cried out as one of the bolts struck him in the shoulder. The boy continued, panting.

More memories returned. Every second of him being pursued in a forest, shot at by many guns and soldiers flooded his head. His sight had changed to that past setting, making his current experience indistinguishable from that of the past.

The boy found himself fleeing through the streets of Ponyville. Most of the area had grown empty due to the chaos that Ghidorah had brought. Either people were in hiding or had completely left the entire area. This gave soldiers the incentive to continue shooting at him.

Junior continued to run. He moved passed every building, slipping into the shadows of alleys, and crouching low to the ground. The soldiers had soon lost sight of him and were now scanning the block for him. The boy felt some relief, but he knew that he wasn't out of the woods yet. He had to find the rest of the Mutant 4. They had to leave now, and never come back.

Before Junior could move deeper into the alley, he froze once he found Sunset to be standing further down the alley, her weapon drawn. The boy slowly turned to face her, hands raised. While he shook, the girl looked so calm and collective. It only made him more anxious.

"Sunset, I..."

"Gojira, I need you to listen carefully," said Sunset, her voice a bit cold but calm. Junior felt his heart sink as this girl had suddenly began to speak to him as though he were a stranger.

"If you keep resisting, things will only get worse. If you come quietly, then I promise that you'll be OK," said Sunset. Junior gritted his teeth. His eyes stung. He couldn't believe that this girl was actually urging him to surrender. She had to know that this wasn't an option.

"Sunset, please don't this! They're going to kill me! They're the reason why I came to Equestria in the first place!" said Junior.

The boy's desperation began to wear down on the elf's fortitude. She felt a grimace creep onto her face, as this boy resorted to pleading with her. She couldn't blame him for being afraid. But, she still couldn't believe that all of this time, he was a Transmutant. Someone she knew since she was a young teenager.

In this moment, Sunset began to recall their past together. From those days that they sat next to each other in homeroom, to sitting in the library for study sessions, cheering him on as he played lacrose, and more memories that she had long since forgotten. She wondered why she had to recall them now. This caused the girl to freeze in hesitation, unable to decide what she was going to do next. Protocol dictated that she use force. But, she doubt that she could do it.

Suddenly, a bolt of lightning came crashing down. Junior cried out in agony as the bolt coursed through his body. Sunset stumbled back, shielding her eyes from the flash, her ears ringing from the boom of the thunder. The Transmutant collapsed to the ground, his jacket having been caught with scorch marks, damaging it further. His skin was covered in burns. Junior lied on the ground, writhing as Ghidorah dropped into the alley, a malicious smile on his face.

"There you are." Ghidorah approached. Sunset panted as she turned her sights back to Junior. It seemed that she had been spared from making that decision. However, her eyes widened once Ghidorah's hand began to spark with electricity again.

"Wait, he's down! There's no need to kill him!" said Sunset. Ghidorah looked back at her, an annoyed look on his face.

"Protocol dictates that the subject known as Lucky Dragon is to be terminated. But I guess a shiny armored brat like yourself would have missed that," said Ghidorah.

"But-" Sunset was about to interject, but stopped once a bolt of magic soared passed her. Ghidorah cried out in pain once the bolt struck him in the face, causing him to stumble back. He snarled angrily once he found Twilight to be down the alley, a glowing hand raised. Rarity and Fluttershy were at her side.

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!" Twilight shouted.

"I've had enough!" Ghidorah's hand began to spark again. However, Junior suddenly shot up from the ground, lunging for his wrist. He bit down on the gauntlet of Ghidorah, prompting him to fizzle out his own electricity.

"Still have some fight in you, huh?" Ghidorah began to beat his free fist against the boy's head, knocking back to the ground.

"Leave him alone, you big bully!" Fluttershy cried. The girls began to rush over, but were stopped as Junior let out a loud shout.

"STAY BACK!"

The boy's mouth bled. He found that chipped pieces of his teeth lied scattered on the ground. Ghidorah's gauntlet bore slight indents from the bite.

'Survive. Survive. Survive.'

Junior growled as the remains of his teeth fell from his mouth. From beneath, sharp carnivorous teeth sprung out from his gums. His sclera turned a tinge of yellow, as his irises expanded, and his pupils constricted.

Junior's growls became inhuman, much more like a beast's. His body began to grow in mass. It grew until he himself was beginning to dwarf Ghidorah. His growing body tore through his clothes. As his body grew, it also began to change in appearance.

Dark lava-like scales began to cover his mammalian flesh. Sharp claws sprung from his fingers. His skull flattened like a reptile's, and his face grew into a box-like muzzle. His brows grew slant and furrowed, like an eagle's. His body carried a rough humanoid shape, only having becoming much larger and bulkier than a regular human. His feet became heavy and wide like tree trunks, where dark claws dug into the stone ground. A long tail sprouted from the end of his spine, slamming to the ground. Three rows of jagged dorsal plates emerged from his back as well.

Twilight, Fluttershy and Rarity backed away, looking on in shock and horror at the sight of the boy. Junior stood at thirteen feet in height in a new beast-like form. He glared at Ghidorah and Sunset, letting out a loud, ear piercing shriek, followed by a haunting low bellow. Ghidorah let loose a wicked grin, while Sunset backed away in shock.

"Now we're talking!" Ghidorah suddenly sent his hands forward, assaulting Junior with a stream of lightning. The Transmutant wailed in agony, as the electricity managed to burn and chip away at his heavily armored scales. Junior suddenly threw himself through the wall of a building. He stumbled through it, before emerging from the other side, standing in the middle of the street.

"COME ON!!" Ghidorah cried as he walked through the gaping hole made in the structure. He began to pelt Junior more with lightning, but the Transmutant was able to endure. At least compared to how he lacked the armor hide before.

Junior slammed his tail onto the ground, breaking the brick street apart. He swung the appendage across the ground, prompting Ghidorah to leap over it. The elf cackled as he dropped back down, assaulting Junior with more electric blasts.

The lightning had much more power directed into it. It began to crash wildly in the area. It struck the street, the surrounding buildings. It even began to crash near Twilight and the others. The girls exclaimed in fright as they dove for cover, as lightning continued to flash.

Junior's snarled as he saw this. He suddenly lunged for Ghidorah, as he was pre-occupied with pelting him with his magic. Before the elf could react, he was swatted by the boy's hand. He crashed through the window of a building, disappearing from sight.

The Transmutant panted as stumbled away. His eye sight fell upon the girls as they stood just at the edge of the alley, having watched the confrontation. As soon as his sight fell on them, they visibly flinched. Junior felt as though his heart had been torn in two, as he saw the fearful looks on the faces of his friends.

For a long time, Junior had been preparing himself for this moment. He imagined their expressions and their reactions to the ugly truth that he kept from them. Every hour, he played this scenario in his head. But, the reality of it had hit him much harder than he could imagine. He should've expected their reactions to be what they were. He should've known. Yet, he felt as though the world had just came crashing down on him.

The feeling of magic bolts pelting Junior's hide broke him from his stunned state of sadness. He turned to find that a group of soldiers had arrived onto the scene. They fired their weapons upon him, turning the boy's sadness to rage. He stomped towards them as they continued to shoot.

Junior charged towards the squad, pushing through the projectiles. He grabbed a wagon along the way and hurled it to the soldiers. Once they dove for cover, Junior kept his pace, escaping from the area.

The Transmutant began to trample through the streets of Ponyville, as projectiles from the weapons continued to pelt his back. As he fled, citizens that had not cleared the streets screamed. They scattered, causing the young Transmutant to stumble. He tripped and crashed into the side of a building, knocking a large gaping hole inside. Citizens inside scream in horror as they scrambled to the far end inside of the structure.

Junior cursed to himself as he shambled out of the structure. His clumsiness was making him look worse than he already was. That didn't matter now. Ponyville was no longer his home. That much was certain.

As Junior stumbled back onto the street, he found himself tripped. He growled as he turned to find that great vines had wrapped themselves along his legs. The vines had grown out of the ground, breaking through the street. The Transmutant found that Erika had dug her hands into the ground. But these plants had not grown not with magic, but seemed to have been coming from the girl's flesh.

Junior thrashed and squirmed, causing the vines to be pulled further out of the earth. With the vines fully exposed, Erika exclaimed as she found herself pulled off of the ground. She was slammed along every surface in her path due to the Transmutant's thrashing. Soon, the vines were snapped off, allowing Junior to flee from the area. Erika groaned as she lied on the ground, battered.

"I think I'm gonna die again." Erika's head suddenly slumped to the ground.

Meanwhile, just a city block away, the Mutant 3 found themselves on their knees by a wall. The MONARCH soldiers kept their sights on them, as they waited for extraction. However, they had begun to receive word of the new development in regards to Lucky Dragon. They were visibly anxious.

"Alright, let's just move these three out of the area. We don't want to have a run in with one that we can't neutralize," said a soldier.

As the soldiers approached the three Transmutants, there was rumbling that filled the air. They all stiffened as the tremors grew, and the sound of thundering footsteps filled their hearing. The Transmutants perked up once the tremors grew much closer.

In an instant, Junior had stormed down into the street. Mosura's expression immediately lit up, able to figure out just who this creature was.

"Spread out! Spread out!" a soldier cried. As the soldiers began to disperse, Mosura winced as her head throbbed. She still wasn't able to perform on any psychic abilities. But, fighting was the only option to get out of this mess.

"Let's go!" Mosura said, urgently. The three immediately got up, filled with a boost of adrenaline as their savior engaged with the soldiers. One of the soldiers took notice of the Mutant 3 getting up.

"Halt!" The soldier turned to aim his rifle.

The Mutant 3 immediately bolted off, as the soldier shot at them. They exclaimed in fright and alarm as the magic projectiles raced over their heads, striking whatever surface was in their trajectory. They continued to flee, while Junior began to swat away the soldiers, who made futile attempts at gunning him down. While the bolts stung, they were not able to slow the Transmutant down.

Junior roared, as he continued to swat the soldiers away. His blood boiling with rage. All he could think of was the Hell that he was put through. This was his chance at vengeance against those who hunted him. He was going to make them feel the fear and helplessness that he felt.

The Transmutant soon had knocked down every soldier that was in the area. He panted, his eyes still burning with his wrath. He scanned the area, searching for more foes that may have been up. But once he looked further down the street, he found the Main 6 to be watching from the sidelines. All stared with horrified looks, as a strange beast stood amongst a ruined block.

'Forget about them. Run away, and never look back.'

The thought taunted Junior's mind. He found himself agreeing with it. So, he turned and ran. His feet trampled into the ground, leaving large foot prints behind. The Transmutant followed the Mutant 3 into the Everfree Forest, disappearing out of sight. For now, they were hidden among the other monsters.

Illustration by DA Artist DaniBowein