The evening air was cold and calm. The sky was coated in many dazzling stars and the moon hung brightly in the night sky, casting little light upon the land. However, these lights were not enough to illuminate the dark forest that sat at the edge of Ponyville.

Junior was jogging through the forest, passing through brushes and under scraggily trees. His sights focused forward, piercing through the darkness. He was able to navigate through with relative ease, allowing him to keep up the same pace that he's been on for quite a while now. He was also blinded by his own fury.

The villainess from before must have been the reason as to why Celestia was missing. There couldn't be any other explanation. If he could somehow find that dark Avatar, there may have been the chance of finding Celestia. He only hoped he wouldn't be too late.

When the boy's mind began to settle, he slowed down. He stopped, having barely broken a sweat. Junior looked around this dark, ominous forest. He heard of this place. It was known to those on this side of Equestria as the 'Everfree Forest'. People believed that it was an unnatural place, which didn't function the same way as the rest of the land did. For example, the animals were much more feral, capable of taking care of themselves. The plants grew independently, and the clouds here moved on their own. Unlike the rest of Equestria, where humans were a necessity to help these things thrive with the magic that coursed through them, the forest’s self-sufficient caused the locals to deem it as cursed..

Some may say that Junior was a complete fool as to venture off here alone, especially at night, but the boy was not deterred. His sights were on an important mission, and he intended to follow through. Unfortunately, he had no clue where he was going.

"Ah shoot," said Junior in dismay.

There was the sudden sound of rustling. The boy froze, his senses tuning in. The rustling grew louder. Junior's eyes glanced over to his side, noticing a figure to be rushing by. His eyes attempted to follow, but more figures just kept passing him. They were fast and low to the ground, using the foliage for cover. Junior noticed the sight of glowing orbs to be piercing the night, and the sound of dog-like grunts and growls.

Junior kept still and calm, keeping his eyes on these creatures that circled him from the shadows and the foliage. These beasts that reeked of wet wood and grass. Their large bodies were made up entirely of wood and moss. Their greenish yellow eyes glared at him, as their thorn-like fangs dripped with a sappy substance, which reeked of a foul stench. These creatures were quite large, reaching up to Junior's waist.

"Timberwolves."

Another thing that people feared about this place was of course the horrible monsters that dwelled here. It would seem that Junior had gotten himself into a predicament. The pack of creatures continued to circle him, waiting for the opportunity to strike. Their deep growls rumbled the air. But, Junior showed no fear. His eyes scanned the immediate area and he noticed a thick heavy branch to be lying at his feet. Junior furrowed his brows as he locked eyes with one of the wooden Canidae. The air was filled with a heavy tension as the creatures stopped, crouching low to the ground. Junior flexed his fingers as he loosened his joints, inhaling through his nostrils.

Junior suddenly shot low to the ground as he reached for the branch. The wolves barked as they lunged for him. The boy shot back up, swinging the club at one of the creatures. Its head and neck shattered into splinters from the impact. As Junior was about to make his next strike, a timberwolf bit down on his left arm. He was about to swing the club down on it, but then his right arm was bitten. Junior grunted in pain as the painful bites crushed and tugged at his limbs. Meanwhile, the last timberwolf lunged to his front, going for his neck. Junior swiftly swung his left arm, swinging the timber wolf that held on to him. He managed to shatter both into pieces on impact.

"GET OFF, YOU DAMN MUTT!"

Junior yanked his right arm back, as he placed the beast in a head lock. The timberwolf whimpered as it suddenly collapsed into pieces in the boy's arms. Junior sighed in relief. He winced as he felt the sting of his wounds and found that his sleeves had been torn through, with dark red stains beginning to appear.

The boy painfully rolled back his damaged sleeves. His arm was full of punctures from the wooden fangs of the beasts. He didn't have to look at his other arm to know that it was in similar shape. The wounds slowly but surely began to fuse back together. Junior pulled down his sleeve and picked back up the wooden branch.

Junior proceeded to walk away from the dead Timberwolves. But as he did, he heard the sound of rattling. He stopped, turning to find an ethereal glow. The wood that was once the timber wolves began to float in the air. Junior gasped as they merged together, assembling into one. Junior stepped back as the wood formed into one elephant sized timber wolf. Its glowing eyes opened and glared at him.

"Uh... Nice doggy?" Junior smiled sheepishly. The colossal beast snarled, prompting Junior to bolt in the opposite direction. He heard the creature let loose an ear piercing and haunting howl. Junior felt the rapid and heavy steps of the creature gaining on him. In spite of this peril that Junior found himself in, there was a glimmer of hope. A clearing was just ahead. He could potentially found some means of escape if he were to know just where he was. Junior picked up his pace.

Once he reached the clearing, Junior suddenly skidded to a halt. He found himself at the edge of a cliff, high above the ground. He turned to find the timber wolf to be rapidly approaching. He didn't have enough time to react. Junior braced himself as the beast stopped in front of him. As it was about to snatch him up in its jaws, the earth beneath them suddenly gave in.

Junior screamed as he and the timber wolf plummeted down to the ground below. The beast wailed as it flailed during free fall. The two crashed onto a mass of rock that stuck out of the side of the cliff, slowing down their fall. Junior found himself above the Timber wolf, as they both continued their descent. The two crashed, with Junior landing on the beast. The timberwolf's body partially shattered on impact, leaving Junior to roll off to the side. He groaned as he lied on his back, wood chips sticking to his clothes. He winced as he attempted to stand.

The timberwolf snarled as it stood up, bits of its body shedding off. There were portions of its interior exposed, where a glowing light lied inside. Junior noticed the light to be pulsing fast, like a racing heartbeat, and he also noticed of a sharp piece of wood to be lying nearby. He bolted off to the wood, but felt his hood yanked on. Junior cried out as he found himself leaving the ground below him, as the timberwolf held him with its jaws. It swung the boy around, throwing him several feet away. Junior grunted as he rolled along the earth, dirt and grass covering him from head to toe. He panted, struggling to raise himself. The timber wolf snarled as its jaws leaked with sap.

Junior gritted his teeth as he lowered his head in defeat. This thing was just too strong and fast for him to take on. He was going to meet his demise here, alone in this dark forest. No one will even know that he was here. Celestia may even be lost forever. Junior slammed his fist on the ground, his eyes narrowing into defiance, as a growl escaped his throat.

"Fight or die. Fight or die." Junior muttered to himself as he attempted to stand. While he couldn't fight, he refused to lie down like common prey. Junior didn't care if it was his pride that called for this. He just wanted to show this monster that he wasn't going to beg or cry.

The timberwolf barked as it rushed towards him. Junior stood on one knee, snarling. He suddenly felt a burning sensation in his gut. He cried out in pain as he clutched his stomach, feeling as though his organs were shifting about inside. A faint glow appeared from beneath his hoodie, and then to his throat. Something was rising out of him. Instinctively, Junior opened his mouth wide.

A blinding ray of light pierced through the night. The ray collided with the timber wolf, striking it in its heart. The creature wailed as it was pushed back by the sheer force of the blast, quickly vaporizing into ash as the intense heat tore through it. The ray of light suddenly crashed into the cliff behind it, causing stone to chip off and burst. The cliff shook and trembled as the ray scorched the base of the earth that held it up. All that was left was scorching hot stone and the flowing cloud of ash of the now destroyed timber wolf. Junior dropped to his hands, panting. The burning began to subside. He felt his throat, his eyes wide in shock.

"I had no idea that I could do that!" exclaimed Junior.

"Holy Moly! Did you girls see that?!" a familiar high pitched voice cried. Junior gasped in alarm, his eyes darting around.

"What was that light?!" cried another voice. The voices seemed to be coming from above. Junior raised his head, finding the top of the cliff. He couldn't see anyone from this angle, but he could tell that someone was up there. He noticed a Valkyrie to be hovering over the edge, searching below.

"I think it came from here! It could be Nightmare Moon!" said Rainbow.

"Shit!" Junior quickly retreated to the shadows. He frantically searched for a way out of this chasm, but he was surrounded by rocky landmasses. He was trapped down here. So, he crouched among the bushes, hoping that those up there would go about their way. As long as they didn't come down here, he should be safe from sight.

His ears suddenly picked up the faint sound of cracks. His eyes widened as he saw that the earth beneath the tall cliff began to crumble. The earth suddenly collapsed, sending four girls to be plummeting down, screaming as they slid down with the landslide.

"NO!" Junior cried as he shot out of the bushes. It was his fault. It had to have been whatever that was moments ago. It had enough power to cause that cliff to become unstable. Now, innocent people were caught in a land slide, where they would fall down the second cliff and surely fall to their deaths below here.

As he made his way out to the open, two familiar valkyries swooped down and stopped an Indigo haired elf girl and Pinkie Pie from sliding down. But, two girls were still in danger. Junior was about to continue on, but found heavy stones and chunks of earth to be falling his way. He dove for cover, narrowly avoiding being crushed. He raised his head, finding Twilight to have stopped, but she was now dangling over the ledge of the last cliff. A familiar blonde held her up, but appeared to be struggling.

"Damn!" cursed Junior as he got up. But he collapsed back to the ground. He was beginning to register the hurt that the monster had placed on him. It was miraculous enough that he survived the fall, but he was now starting to feel the consequence of it. He suddenly heard Twilight scream. He shot his head up, his eyes widening in horror. The girl fell from the ledge, screaming to the top of her lungs. Junior clenched his eyes shut, gritting his teeth as he braced himself. The screaming stopped. Junior hesitantly peeped one eye out.

He found that Twilight was being carried by the two valkyries. The boy let out a long sigh of relief. He fell to his knees and bowed his head, his racing heart began to settle.

"Sorry girls. I'm not used to carrying anything more than a bunny or two," said Fluttershy, apologetically. Twilight sighed in relief as she was gently lowered to the ground.

"See? Told ya that you'd be safe," said the blonde, after climbing down the cliff. Twilight smiled.

"Hey! It's Goji!" Pinkie suddenly called, pointing to the boy that knelt among the debris. The girls turned with surprised and odd looks. Junior shot his head up, having realized that he was exposed out in the open.

"Hey, weren't you the guy that was at the party?" asked Twilight in confusion.

"I-I uh..." Junior cleared his throat as he stood to his feet, feeling his strength having returned to him. At least a bit.

"Wait, you were the guy that got hit by Nightmare Moon! Dude, how are you alive?!" exclaimed the rainbow haired valkyrie, wide eyed. Junior gulped.

"Dumb luck?" Junior shrugged. The valkyrie looked at him suspiciously.

"Hmm. So what's your deal? Why are you here?" questioned the girl. Junior stiffened. He wasn't prepared for an interrogation.

"Wh-What do you mean?" asked Junior. He mentally scolded himself for asking such a dumb question. Now he made himself seem even more suspicious.

"Playing dumb huh? Pretty suspicious that you're here," said Rainbow, narrowing her eyes as she approached the boy. Junior instinctively took a step back.

"What are you implying?" Junior asked incredulously.

"I think you might be some kind of spy for Nightmare Moon!" said the valkyrie, pointing an accusatory finger at the boy. Junior cocked a brow.

"You mean the bitch who attacked me?" asked Junior, his tone flat.

"Obviously to throw off suspicion!" said the valkyrie, smirking.

"Yeaaah... Brilliant deduction." Junior rolled his eyes.

"Rainbow, leave him alone! This poor fellow is obviously hurt!" scolded the indigo-haired elf.

"Whoa nelly! You look to be in bad shape, sugarcube," said Applejack, analyzing Junior's appearance. The dark stains in his torn sleeves were visible, and his clothes were scuffed. Junior instinctively hid his arms behind his back.

"It's nothing," said Junior. He hadn't checked on his wounds, so he didn't know how far they've healed.

"That doesn't look like 'nothing'. You were down here when that cliff collapsed?" asked Twilight, her eyes wide.

"No! I mean-" Junior's tone startled the girls. Never had he panicked this much before. After all, that light was something that totally wasn't normal. He dreaded if the girls would suspect him having anything to do with it. Their expressions didn't help.

"Oh dear. You must've hit your head during the landslide," said Fluttershy, worriedly. Junior stood upright, finding a good excuse to latch onto.

"Y-Yeah. I must have," said Junior, rubbing the back of his head. The girls seemed to have bought into that, thus taking their focus away from his high strung antics moments ago.

"Oh darling, look at your clothes! I mean, they're a bit drab to begin with, but now they're quite filthy!" said indigo haired elf, pointing to the boy's clothes. Junior began to look down at his clothes, a slight grimace on his face. No one had ever really dissed on his clothing choices before. At least not to his face.

"Darling?" Junior raised a brow, having just registered what the elf had called him.

"I think I saw some wounds on ya. Lemme have a look," said the blonde, approaching the boy. As she reached for his arm, Junior suddenly stumbled back. The girls looked at him strangely.

"I-It's just a scratch," said Junior. The blonde shook her head as she approached.

"Nah, those are some mighty big stains, sugarcube. We need to get that cleaned up before it gets-" The blonde took his left arm, but Junior roughly pulled away.

"I SAID, I'M FINE!" Junior shouted. His face hard with anger. His voice echoed out through the land. He was met with startled looks from these girls. The blonde raised her hands as she cautiously took a step away. Meanwhile, some of the girls met him with disapproving looks.

"Jeez! What's your problem, dude? You're acting like a freak!" said Rainbow with a glare. Junior stiffened as he heard that last word. He averted his eyes. Twilight cleared her throat.

"Look, we're all a little on edge. I mean, we're in a creepy forest. We almost died..." Twilight stepped between everyone. She turned to Junior, her expression soft.

"We got off on the wrong foot. Let's start over. My name is Twilight Sparkle."

"Gojira. Gojira Takeshi," said Junior, his tone more mellow. He reluctantly met her gaze. The girl smiled.

"I'm uh... Applejack," said the blonde awkwardly.

"The name's Rainbow Dash," said Rainbow, her brows furrowed and her arms crossed over her chest.

"Rarity," said the indigo haired elf, flicking a few loose strands of her hair.

"Hi! I'm Pinkie Pie!" said the hyperactive Earthbound girl.

"We already met," deadpanned Junior.

"I know! I just wanted to be included in the introductions!" Pinkie grinned.

"I'm uh..." Fluttershy muttered.

"You gotta speak up," said Rainbow with a shake of her head.

"I know her name. It's Fluttershy," said Junior. The rose-haired valkyrie looked at him in surprise. Rainbow grimaced as she took a step back.

"Yeesh. What are you? A stalker?" asked Rainbow. Junior grunted as he glared at her.

"No! Someone told me that-" Junior growled in annoyance.

"OK! Settle down!" said Rainbow. Junior sharply exhaled through his nostrils. He began to feel around his arms, feeling the wounds having shrunk to smaller, clotted wounds. He gulped as he removed his arms from behind his back.

"Uh... Here. See? Told you that they were just scratches," said Junior, exposing the partially healed wounds. Applejack stared at the cuts. She nodded to him.

"Good," said Applejack. Junior cleared his throat as he placed his hands in his hoodie pockets. It seemed that he managed to get out of being suspected of anything. Plus, no one was killed. Things seemed to have worked out relatively well.

'Well, aside from the fact that I made a complete ass of myself,' thought Junior in dismay.

"You never told us what you were doing here," said Twilight. Junior glanced at the elf, pondering his response.

"I saw that Avatar heading into the Everfree. I thought I'd give chase and... Well, I thought she might have Princess Celestia captive," said Junior.

"Still, how did you walk away from that spell she used on you?" asked Rarity.

"Like I said. Dumb luck. She must've not put a whole lot of power into that attack," said Junior. It wasn't the best lie that he's come up with, but he hoped they'd buy it.

"You must be pretty tough if you can walk away from that and come into the Everfree forest," said Pinkie, an impressed look on her face.

"That or dumb," said Rainbow. Junior sent her a flat look.

"What does that make you?" asked Junior. Rainbow growled as she glared at the boy.

"Easy!" said Twilight, standing in between the two. Rainbow huffed as she turned away.

"So why are you here?" asked Junior. Twilight turned to meet his gaze, clearing her throat.

"We came here in search of the Elements of Harmony," answered Twilight.

"What are those?" asked Junior.

"According to legend, they were ancient artifacts that Princess Celestia used to banish Nightmare to the moon. It's said that they lie out here, in some ancient ruins. They might be our only hope to defeat Nightmare Moon," explained Twilight. Junior nodded in response.

"OK. Then let's go get 'em," said Junior as he began to walk off. But he stopped as he noticed a familiar broken branch that lied on the ground. He made his way over and picked it up.

"Wait a minute! Maybe you should head back. You're hurt. Let us handle this," called Twilight. However, Junior kept his back turned to her as he gathered stones and vines.

"Cowards back down. I intend to see this through," said Junior as he broke the stone into a flatter piece. He took the vines and tied the stone to the blunt thicker end of the branch.

"Are you crazy?! Don't play the hero! You'll just get yourself killed!" cried Twilight. Junior sighed as he held up his primitive axe.

"I'm not playing. And I'm not trying to be a hero. I'm just trying to pay the princess back for all of her kindness," retorted Junior as he stood. Twilight's brows raised.

"Kindness? What did she do for you?" asked Twilight. Junior was silent as he looked her way. The elf kept a curious look as she waited for an answer. Junior turned his sights to a tree.

"Maybe I'll tell you. If we stop Nightmare Moon and get the princess back," said Junior. Twilight bore a slightly dissatisfied look, her interest having been peaked. She sighed, a reluctant look on her face.

"Alright. Just be careful," said Twilight. Junior suddenly hurled the axe at the tree, startling the girls. The axe stuck against it, prompting the boy to smirk. Junior made his way over and yanked it out with a grunt.

"I think I'll manage," said Junior. He then made his way over to Twilight, holding the axe over his shoulder.

"Lead the way, captain," said Junior. Twilight bore a slightly bemused look, turning to walk off. Junior and the rest of the girls began to follow.

"What a hardass," said Rainbow in a whisper. Applejack shushed her with a glare.

"He is quite rude," said Rarity, holding a displeased look.

Unbeknownst to the youth, an ethereal cloud of mist began to flow through the air. It moved with sentience, sparkling in the night air. The mist suddenly shot through the air with great speed.

The group of seven continued on through the forest. Rainbow Dash was just retelling the moment where she and Fluttershy saved Twilight, though the elf held a scowl on her face. Junior found himself slightly amused by her expression. This must have been what people saw on his face.

'Nah. She just makes it look adorable,' thought Junior.

Suddenly, a large lion with the wings of a bat and the tail of a scorpion appeared. It stepped in the group's path. The beast gave a thundering roar as it spread its bat-like wings. Twilight gasped.

"A Manticore! We gotta get passed him!" Twilight shouted. Junior growled as he tensed.

"Just what I need. More monsters," said Junior, under his breath.

The beast lunged at Rarity, swiping at her. But, the chimeric beast missed. Rarity retaliated with a kick to the creature's snout, causing it to stagger back.

"Take that you ruffian!" Rarity shouted, a confident smirk on her face. The Manticore roared in rage in Rarity's face, causing her hair to frizz up from the force of the roar. She gasped as she looked at her hair in despair.

"My hair!" cried Rarity.

The Manticore growled at the elf, causing her to yelp and to retreat. As the manticore pursued, Junior rushed toward the beast, swinging his axe. The beast snarled as it flinched back, narrowly avoiding the swings. The creature roared and swiped at Junior. The boy side-stepped to his left to avoid the paw. Junior then elbowed the creature's head, causing it to stagger.

Junior made his way back towards the manticore, when suddenly the creature used its scorpion tail to impale him. Junior caught the tail before it could reach him, struggling to keep the beast's tail from breaking out of his grasp. His axe fell at his feet. Suddenly, Applejack jumped on the back of the Manticore, riding it as though she were in a rodeo. She hooted and flailed her Stetson, as the creature attempted to knock her off. Junior took the opportunity to fall back and to recover. Applejack was then knocked off of the Manticore, crying out as she was sent flying.

"All yours partner." Applejack said casually as she flew past Rainbow Dash.

"I'm on it!" saluted Rainbow.

"Wait!" Fluttershy called out to Rainbow.

Rainbow Dash flew around the manticore at high speeds, creating a trail of rainbows behind her. The manticore smacked Rainbow away with its scorpion tail.

"Rainbow!" Twilight cried.

Rainbow crashed into the dirt, groaning in pain. Applejack helped Rainbow onto her feet. The youth stared down at the carnivorous beast, who snarled. Junior grunted as he rolled his neck, grasping his axe.

"I never liked cats," said Junior. Rarity gasped in shock.

"Heathen!"

The manticore roared as it charged, prompting the group to charge as well. They raced towards each other, ready to clash. But suddenly, Fluttershy jumped in their path.

"WAIT!!" Fluttershy shouted. Everyone including the Manticore stopped. Fluttershy made her way towards the creature, prompting it to growl at her as it raised its paw.

"It's ok." Fluttershy soothed, as she rubbed the Manticore's paw. The beast seemed to have calmed down. It then showed Fluttershy its paw, revealing that a thorn was stuck in it.

"Oh, you poor little baby." Fluttershy cooed.

"Little?" Rainbow asked quizzically.

"Now this might hurt for just a second." Fluttershy pulled the thorn from the Manticore's paw. The creature roared in pain, taking her in his grasp.

"FLUTTERSHY!" The others exclaimed.

The Manticore suddenly began to lick Fluttershy, causing her to giggle and to baby the creature with her words. It purred as it continuously showed her affection. The rest of the group was filled with relief. They took the opportunity to walk passed the Manticore safely.

Junior passed by, watching with a dumbstruck look. He never imagined that such a timid girl as this would be able to not only stand up to this fierce beast, but tame it as well. Fluttershy began to wave farewell to the creature as she joined the rest of the group. Her hair stood up on end, having been licked many times.

"How did you know about the thorn?" asked Twilight in shock. Fluttershy shrugged.

"I didn't. Sometimes we all need to be shown a little kindness," said Fluttershy, passing by. Twilight bore a brief thoughtful look, but smiled.

"Hmph." Junior scowled. Twilight caught this and sent him an odd look.

"What?" asked Junior. Twilight was about to open her mouth to speak but kept silent.

"Nothing."

Later, group continued their journey in the Everfree forest. So far, there hadn't been any signs to their destination. By now, Rarity had begun to complain about how gross the forest was. They eventually found themselves venturing to a darker part of the forest. The trees above obscured what little light that the evening sky offered.

"That ancient ruin could be right in front of our faces and we wouldn't even notice!" Twilight groaned.

"I think that's the least of our worries," said Junior with a grimace. While his sight had quickly adjusted to the darkness, he knew that they were vulnerable. He grunted as he felt someone bump into him.

"Oops! Sorry, darling!" said Rarity.

"Ow! Who stepped on my foot?!" Rainbow complained.

"My bad," said Applejack. The group continued to bump into each other and stumble as they tried to make their way through the darkness. Junior began to realize that this may have been more trouble for them than any monster that could be lurking.

"Oh wait, I think I stepped in something," said Applejack as she attempted to see the contents under her boot. Fluttershy suddenly screamed in terror.

"It’s just mud." Applejack turned but then noticed a large tree, with what looked like sharp wooden teeth.

Applejack yelped in fright, stumbling back. Monstrous snarls filled the air, as the group found themselves surrounded by large ominous trees, bearing monstrous faces. Junior raised his axe as he hardened his expression, but suddenly found himself caught in a huddle with the frightened girls. Their screams of terror caused pain to his sensitive ears.

"THIS ISN'T HELPING!" Junior shouted in exasperation. Everyone fell silent as they heard giggling. They saw Pinkie beginning to break into full blown laughter, while making silly faces at one of the trees.

"Pinkie, what are you doing?! Run!" shouted Twilight.

"Oh, don't you see? When I was a little kiddie and the sun was going dooooown~." Pinkie suddenly began to sing. Twilight grimaced.

"Tell me she's not," said Twilight, slumping her shoulders. Pinkie appeared by her side and held her shoulders with a beaming smile. She began to sway Twilight from side to side.

"The darkness and the shadows, they would always make me frown...~"

"She is," said Rarity, dumbstruck.

"Wha- What the hell is happening" asked Junior, though no one answered him.

"I'd hide under my pillow, from what I thought I saw~. But Granny Pie said that wasn't the way to deal with fears at all~."

"Then what is?" asked Rainbow.

"She said, 'Pinkie, you gotta stand up tall~. Learn to face your fears~. You'll see that they can't hurt you~. Just laugh to make them disappear~! Ha! Ha! Ha!" Pinkie suddenly laughed into the face of the tree. The face suddenly vanished in a plume of smoke. All that was left was an ordinary tree. Pinkie shot her friends a grin. The group gasped in shock.

"Someone please answer me! I'm hearing music and I think it's in my head!" cried Junior, in panic. Again, he was ignored.

"So, giggle at the ghostly~. Guffaw at the grossly~. Crack up at the creepy~. Whoop it up with the weepy~. Chortle at the kooky~. Snortle at the spooky~," Pinkie continued to sing. Her song began to encourage each of the girls to laugh and giggle at the frightening trees. Their laughter somehow transformed them back to ordinary trees. Meanwhile, Junior stood and stared, still focused on the musical number.

"And tell that big dumb scary face to take a hike and leave you alone and if he thinks he can scare you then he's got another thing coming and the very idea of such a thing just makes you wanna..." Pinkie suddenly broke into hysterics, prompting light tears to shed from her eyes. She took a deep breath and hopped out of the gaping jaws of a tree.

"Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaauuuugh!" Pinkie finished off with one final lyric. The girls all fell into the grass, still in a fit of laughter. Junior just stood, his eye twitching. He was unable to process what he had witnessed.

"I don't... I... Wha... How..." Junior slumped his shoulders.

"What's wrong? You act like you've never sung before," said Pinkie with a few giggles. Junior furrowed his brows.

"Do not act like what happened here was normal!" said Junior. The girls looked at him in confusion. Junior gulped, not liking their reactions.

"Let's just move on," said Junior.

Junior lagged behind the group, as they all laughed and giggled. He was lost in his own thoughts. He wondered what would be next for him when they found Celestia.

He couldn't go back to Canterlot. Not after the display of destruction that he made earlier on this night. It was too dangerous. Besides, keeping himself locked up in his room was no way to live. That left him with one option. And it wasn't a light one. He's actually considered it for a while now. The more he thought of this sent his stomach into knots. Junior stopped and looked around the forest with a grimace. He failed to notice the girls having a conversation with a violet and flamboyant water serpent. Junior was too busy gazing up at the night sky. In spite of the threat of the land being lost in eternal night, he had to admit that it was beautiful. Never had he seen so many stars in the sky, and the moon so big and bright.

"Gojira, come on! We can cross the river!" Twilight called, standing on the serpents back with the rest of the girls.

"Coming." Junior called. He absentmindedly began to walk across the shallow water instead. He didn't so much as flinch at the cold shallow water.

"You alright, man?" asked Rainbow Dash.

"Hm? Yeah, I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"Well for one, you could have walked on the serpent's back to get across." Rainbow stated.

"Oh. Yeah, whatever." Junior's voice was devoid of emotion. The girls glanced at each other from his response. All sharing a similar thought.

"Are you sure that you're alright darling?" asked Rarity, expressing concern.

"Yes, I'm fine. Wait, what happened to your hair?" Junior asked, noticing Rarity's long hair was shorter, and crudely cut.

"Oh, I cut it and gave it to the serpent. Poor dear lost part of his mustache," explained Rarity, pointing to the creature behind them. As stated, indigo wavy locks stuck out from one side of the great beast's snout.

"Huh. That's very generous of you," said Junior.

"Why, thank you." Rarity smiled sweetly.

The group continued on their way to find the Elements. It wasn't long until they came towards a welcoming sight, among of all of the misfortunes and dangers they've ran into. There stood the remains of an old ruin, not too far ahead among the mists.

"We made it!" Twilight joyfully announced. She broke off into a sprint, eager to reach their destination.

"Twilight, wait for us!" Applejack called, as the rest of the group followed in pursuit.

"We're almost there!" Twilight cried, but her joy was quickly dashed away.

The elf suddenly noticed that she was near the edge of a cliff, and the bridge was down. Twilight skidded to a halt, but stopped dangerously close to the edge. She wildly flailed her arms in a vain attempt to keep her footing. She exclaimed as she felt herself beginning to fall forward. Twilight then felt her arm grabbed. She yelped as she was yanked by a strong force, pulling her away from the edge.

Twilight grunted as her face pressed against a cotton surface, held in a tight embrace. Twilight panted, her eyes wide from her trauma. As her adrenaline settled, her breaths became calm. She looked up to her rescuer, finding Junior. He was slightly panting, holding her tightly away from the cliff.

"Cutting it a bit too close," said Junior. Twilight gasped as she felt the racing heart in the boy's chest. Her face began to flush, feeling the security of his strong arms. It was a surprise to realize the tone of his muscles beneath the thick hoodie that he wore.

"Ooh~." Pinkie grinned. Junior and Twilight noticed the stares from the rest of the girls. Junior quickly released Twilight, allowing her to step away, her face flushing red hot.

"Uh... You good?" asked Junior awkwardly. Twilight timidly nodded, avoiding his gaze.

"Mmhmm. Thanks..." stuttered Twilight.

"So... what's with you and falling off cliffs today?" asked Rainbow smirking. Twilight moaned in embarrassment at the comment.

Everyone turned their gaze to the old ruin that lied beyond. It was close yet so far. The bridge hung down below the cliff, dangling above a deep chasm that was obscured by the fog.

"Now what?" asked Pinkie in hopelessness.

"Duh." Rainbow responded, flexing her cyan wings. She grunted as she took to the air. Pinkie smiled.

"Oh yeah."

Rainbow flew down below the fog, only to ascend back up with one end of the bridge in her grip. The group watched as the valkyrie made her way to the other side of the chasm.

"Takeshi-kun" A voice spoke softly. Junior flinched. His eyes began to dart all around in search for the source. But it was nowhere to be seen. It certainly wasn't one of the girls' voices.

"Did any of you hear something?" asked Junior.

"No, why? Is there something out there?" asked Twilight concerned.

"No. It must of just been my imagination" Junior replied, dropping the subject. "Rainbow's been gone for a while hasn't she?"

"Yeah you're right." Twilight said, her tone uneasy. She turned to the cliff, where the valkyrie had disappeared to.

"Rainbow! What's taking so long?" Twilight called.

Rainbow was seen standing with three Valkyries with long blue hair, and dark purple and black jumpsuits.

"Who're they?" asked Junior. Twilight gasped.

"Oh no. Rainbow!" Twilight had realized what was causing their delay. One of the valkyries noticed Twilight. Suddenly, the fog began to cover the bridge's path, obscuring their view.

"Don't listen to them!" Twilight called out. The group was in panic. They were too close to fail now. Something had to be done.

"OK, I'm gonna do something crazy," said Junior as he took a step back. The girls looked at him in confusion. But, they gasped as the boy continued to back away.

"What? Are you gonna jump?!" Twilight exclaimed.

"No, I'm gonna fly!" said Junior sarcastically.

"You're mad!" cried Rarity.

"W-Wait, let's think about this!" said Fluttershy with an uneasy look. Junior took a breath as he began to mentally prepare himself. The gap may have been too wide for most people. But for him, there may have been a slim chance.

"Just need a running start..." Junior began to loosen his joints.

"NO!" The girls cried out in alarm. Junior was about to take off running, but noticed Rainbow to be soaring out from the fog, returning to their end of the chasm. The fog began to clear, revealing that the bridge had now been secured.

"See? I never leave me friends hanging!" said Rainbow, grinning at the group. Twilight smiled brightly, while Junior sighed in relief.

"Oh, thank God," said Junior to himself. He couldn't believe that he was actually going to make that jump. He just might have been losing his mind after all. He joined the rest of the group as they crossed the bridge to the other side. They arrived at the ruins that lied ahead. The crumbling stone structure held a heavy pair of wooden doors. Twilight carefully pushed one of the doors opened, resulting in a loud creek.

The group entered the structure, finding the crumbled stone covered in excessive plant growth. They bore witness to another structure that stood, carrying large stone orbs. They looked on in awe at the mysterious artifacts.

"Come on Twilight, isn't this what you've been waiting for?" asked Applejack. Twilight was grinning from ear to ear.

"The Elements of Harmony! We found them!"

Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash brought the Elements down. Everyone was anxious as they carefully carried the seemingly delicate stones down to the hard ground.

"There is only five!" exclaimed Pinkie.

"Where's the sixth Element?" Rainbow questioned.

"Wait, you mean this isn't all of them?!" asked Junior.

"The book said, 'when the five are present, a spark will cause the sixth element to be revealed'." Twilight explained.

"What in the hay is that supposed to mean?" asked Applejack, her brow cocked.

"I'm not sure but I have an idea. Stand back, I don't know what will happen." Twilight knelt to the ground in front the elements, closing her eyes, a light brilliant raspberry colored aura engulfing her hands.

"Come on now y'all, she needs to concentrate," whispered Applejack.

The group made their way outside of the room toward the door. Junior was the last to leave, but before he could reach the door, he felt a chill run up his spine. He felt that something was wrong. Junior heard Twilight yelp, prompting him to turn and witness Elements being pulled into a blue mist.

"Twilight!" Junior shouted as he raced towards the elf and the Elements. As Junior got closer to Twilight, she leapt towards the mist that had now formed into a vortex. Junior followed in suit. Both of them and the Elements vanished into thin air.

Twilight coughed as she found herself covered in smoke. Her ears picked up another voice coughing with her. She turned to find Junior rising to his feet, still coughing.

"Gojira?" Twilight rose to her feet.

"Where are we?" asked Junior, beginning to settle down. The two found themselves in the middle of another large room. It didn't seem that they had moved far, considering that this placed resembled the ruins that they just in. Only large shattered windows filled the room, in contrast to the mostly destroyed ruin where the Elements of Harmony were discovered.

The two gasped as they took notice of Nightmare Moon, standing at the far end of the room upon a raised platform. The dark Avatar chuckled sinisterly, as lightning flashed around her. Twilight gulped, but kept a brave face. She was about to step forward, but Junior stepped in her path. Twilight looked at him in confusion, but noticed a menacing glint in his eye.

"You get the Elements. She's mine," said Junior as popped his knuckles and rolled his neck.

"What?!" Twilight exclaimed. Nightmare Moon smirked.

"You're kidding. You're kidding, right?" the Avatar's amusement faded from her face once she saw the boy stepping forward, holding onto his primitive axe. Junior stood and locked eyes with the villain.

"I wouldn't joke about a fight. You're going down," declared Junior. Nightmare Moon narrowed her eyes.

"So be it. You'll pay for your arrogance!" said Nightmare Moon, her hands glowing with her magic aura. Her black wings spread in an act of intimidation. Junior's eyes briefly changed to reptilian, before returning to normal.

The two suddenly made a mad dash for each other. Both parties gave war cries as they approached each other.

"Gojira, no!" cried Twilight.

Junior grunted as he hurled his axe at the dark Avatar. Nightmare Moon grunted as she ducked under the incoming object, but she failed to prevent the boy's approach. Junior had slammed into the woman, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist. He carried her towards the end of the room. Nightmare snarled as she delivered powerful blows against the boy's head, but Junior grunted and shrugged off the pain. He slammed the Avatar against the stone wall, causing large cracks to appear.

Nightmare Moon cried out in pain from the force of the impact. She was incredulous at how this mere boy was capable of causing this much pain to her person. Nightmare raised her fists and slammed them down on Junior's back, causing him to hunch down. She then held his head in place and kneed him repeatedly in the jaw. Before she could hit him a fourth time, Junior broke from her hold and hurled her to the left side of the room, away from the Elements. Nightmare slammed into the wall, groaning in pain as she fell among the rubble.

Twilight just stood, slack jawed. She turned her sights on Junior, who was rubbing the back of his hand against his chin. His face had begun to swell and bruise up, yet he was still standing. The girl was just in awe at how he was able to go toe to toe with this powerful being in hand to hand combat.

"Just who are you?" asked Twilight, wide eyed.

"Stop gawking and go! I'll buy you time!" said Junior as he began to rush back to Nightmare Moon.

Twilight snapped out of her daze and ran toward the Elements. She couldn't help but glance at the battle, where Junior dodged the Avatars attacks, while countering with his own. Nightmare Moon snarled as she vanished from the boy's sight, only to reappear behind him. Junior quickly turned and retreated from her. But, Nightmare had already fired magic bolts from her palm. Junior was struck by one, but retreated towards a fallen pillar. He dove for cover, clutching the burn that was left against his chest. Nightmare Moon cackled as she continued to fire a barrage of bolts, preventing the boy from being able to move from cover, lest he be blasted. However, the bolts had started to chip away at the stone of the pillar.

Twilight turned her focus on the Elements. She couldn't afford to be distracted. She knelt down, as her hands began to glow.

Junior grunted as he hurled a stone at Nightmare, prompting her to aim her magic at the incoming object. The stone shattered into dust, leaving her to instinctively shield her eyes. When she opened them, she found Junior charging for her. She barely had enough time to react before he tackled her to the ground.

"GET OFF OF ME, WHELP!!" Nightmare screamed in rage as she punched Junior across his face, attempting to get him off.

"NEVER!" Junior shrugged off the punches, his cheeks were bruised as he returned some of his punches. Twilight flinched at every blow and grunt that she heard. She was unable to focus on the Elements. She turned and gasped in horror as she found Junior being struck by a magic enhanced punched. Junior was sent spiraling to the side, groaning.

Nightmare Moon snarled as she wiped the blood from her lip. She approached the boy, who attempted to stand back up before, she kicked him in the side, knocking him over onto his back. Nightmare stomped on his chest with a steel covered boot, causing Junior to cry out in agony. He wheezed, as the Avatar ground her heal over his chest with a wicked laugh.

"Yield, and I just might have a special place for you in my kingdom," said Nightmare Moon.

"I would rather die," snarled Junior. Nightmare furrowed her brows.

"Come on, just one spark!" Twilight said urgently to herself. Her magic began to flow from her palms, causing the elements to light up.

Nightmare Moon had taken noticed of Twilight and snarled. She disappeared dispersed into a cloud of mist, swarming towards the girl and rematerializing before Twilight. But before she could strike the girl, a wave of magic backlashed to Twilight, sending her flying. Twilight screamed as she was sent across the room, but found herself slamming into Junior, who had got back to his feet. The two fell to the ground, with Twilight resting on his chest.

"Gojira!" Twilight cried in alarm. Junior winced as he lied on his back.

"The Elements..." Junior groaned. Twilight quickly turned to look back to find Nightmare Moon caught in a barrier that was projected by the magic infused stones.

"No! No!" Nightmare Moon cried furiously. But, the Elements suddenly stopped sparking. The barrier dispersed, leaving Nightmare Moon intact among the Elements. Twilight gasped in alarm.

"But, where's the sixth element?!" cried Twilight.

Nightmare Moon began to laugh maniacally. She raised her foot and stomped where she stood. The force of her raw strength shattered the stones into pieces. Twilight was stunned at what transpired.

"No..." Twilight muttered, removing herself from Junior. Nightmare's eyes fell on her, causing the girl tremble in fear Twilight felt her hopes crushed into dust. The Elements were their last chance at saving Equestria. Without them, they couldn't stop her. Nightmare Moon had won.

"Twilight..." Junior called. The elf whipped her head back, finding Junior to be shakily standing to his feet. Junior wiped his bleeding nose, glaring at the villainess before them.

"Go find the others and run," said Junior. Twilight gasped.

"What are you-" Twilight was interrupted as Junior removed his hoodie and dropped it to the ground.

"I won't be able to hold her back for long. But I can buy you some time," said Junior. Twilight furiously shook her head.

"NO! What did I say about playing the hero, you idiot?!" demanded Twilight, on the brink of tears.

"And what did I tell you? I don't play. And I'm no hero. I'm a Takeshi," said Junior, locking eyes with his foe.

"We fight or die," said Junior, getting into a fighting stance. His fists were raised, and his chin tucked down. One foot was in front of the other. His brows were furrowed, and his breaths were ragged. Nightmare met the boy with a cold look.

"Then die, you shall," said Nightmare. Twilight suddenly latched to Junior's arm, attempting to hold him back.

"Gojira, please! Don't do this!" Twilight pleaded desperately. She suddenly felt herself forced back. She fell to the ground, grunting in pain.

"GO!" Junior shouted. He made a mad dashed for Nightmare, who charged for him as well. The Avatar sent a magic enhanced fist his way, but Junior deflected her swing by countering her forearm. He then met her with a right hook, causing her to stagger back. Nightmare screamed in rage as she sent a hand forward in an attempt to blast him with her magic, but she was met with a roundhouse kicked. The woman fell back to the ground, allowing the boy to rush towards her. As he was about to drop a heavy strike on her, Nightmare vanished into mist. Junior stomped on the ground, which resulted in cracks beneath his feet from the impact.

Nightmare Moon appeared behind him and sent a wave of magic, sending the boy crashing to the ground. Junior quickly rolled back to his feet, snarling.

"IS THAT ALL YOU GOT?!" Junior scrambled up to his feet and charged for the avatar. Nightmare grunted in frustration at the boy's relentlessness.

"STOP!" Twilight screamed.

Junior ignored her and pressed on. He slammed into Nightmare Moon and began to push her forward. The Avatar dug her heels into the grind, resulting in sparks to fly as the steel from her boots grinded against the stone floor. She punched Junior in his sides, but he pressed on.

Twilight just watched, still remaining on the floor with the shattered elements. She watched both amazed and mortified. The will that this boy had was nothing like she's seen in any person. He was able to last thing long against a being as powerful as an Avatar. It was like he wasn't even human.

But, what scared Twilight was the punishment that he was taking. His relentlessness was frightening to say the least. Even when the odds were stacked against him, he kept fighting. She wondered what could motivate a man to go this far. She couldn't stand to watch, but she couldn't look away neither. The scene had petrified her to the point that she couldn't escape. All she could focus on was Junior, risking his life for her.

"What are you?!" demanded Nightmare.

Junior said nothing. He grunted as the avatar kept punching his sides, each blow becoming more painful than the last.

"You're supposed to be all so powerful. But I'm still standing," said Junior, gritting his teeth. He raised his head and glared at the villainess, who held an unnerved look.

"If you're gonna kill me, then do it! Do not insult me by holding back!" snarled Junior. Nightmare Moon hardened her expression. She suddenly stopped sliding back. Junior found himself unable to push her back any further. He gave a bitter chuckle as he looked up to the woman.

"You bi-"

Junior was silenced as Nightmare sent a strong punch against his jaw, causing him to stagger, about to collapse to the ground. The Avatar grabbed his arm and swung him over her head. She then slammed him onto his back, leaving the boy unconscious on the ground.

"GOJIRA!!" Twilight cried, as she ran to the boy. She knelt down next to him and leaned over him, glaring at the Avatar.

"Stay away from us!" shouted Twilight. Nightmare huffed as she stood upright. She winced, feeling pain coursing throughout her body. She then inhaled deeply as she resumed her regal aura.

"Hmph. He talked big for someone who felt only small a fraction of my power," said Nightmare.

"A f-fraction?" Twilight whimpered.

"You little fools, thinking you could defeat me! You will never see your princess or your sun. The night will last forever!" Nightmare proceeded to laugh maniacally, spreading her black wings wide. Twilight gritted her teeth, her eyes falling on the shattered elements nearby.

There was the sudden sound of voices calling out to her and Junior. Twilight turned to find the rushing shadows of familiar girls to be approaching. Twilight gasped, her eyes wide. A glimmering spark appeared in her eye, as she came to a grand revelation. Twilight glared at the dark avatar in defiance.

"You thought you could destroy the Elements of Harmony just like that? Well, you're wrong! Because the spirits of the Elements of Harmony are right here!" said Twilight, as the rest of the girls appeared behind her.

Nightmare Moon gasped as she noticed the shards from the destroyed stones to be rising, covered in a soft colorful glow.

"W-What?"

"Applejack, who reassured me when I was in doubt, represents the spirit of Honesty!" said Twilight, as shards began to float around the blonde Earthbound.

"Fluttershy, who tamed the manticore with her compassion, represents the spirit of Kindness!" said Twilight. More shards began to float, circling the rose haired valkyrie.

"Pinkie Pie, who banished fear by giggling in the face of danger, represents the spirit of Laughter!" said Twilight.

"Rarity, who calmed a sorrowful serpent with a meaningful gift, represents the spirit of Generosity! And Rainbow Dash, who could not abandon her friends for her own heart's desire, represents the spirit of Loyalty!" said Twilight. Rarity and Rainbow found themselves also surrounded by the remaining pieces of the artifacts.

"The spirits of these five got us through every challenge that you threw at us!" said Twilight, pointing to the dark avatar.

"You still don't have the sixth element! The spark didn't work!" said Nightmare, her voice teetering on the edge of panic. Twilight smirked at her.

"But it did. A different kind of spark," said Twilight, before turning to the other girls.

"I felt it the very moment I realized I was happy to hear. To see you. How much I cared about you. The spark ignited inside me, when you all... are my friends," said Twilight, a tearful smile on her face. Suddenly, a bright light appeared above. Everyone looked up to find a new artifact to be above, with the carving of a popping star on its surface. Its majestic glow blinded the dark avatar, as it descended to Twilight.

"You see Nightmare Moon, when those elements are ignited by the... the 'spark' that resides within us all, it creates the sixth element. The Element of Magic!" said Twilight. A blinding light filled the room. The shattered elements that circled every girl began combine, forming into necklaces, with a different shaped gem embedded into it. Each gem resembled one girls' Cutie Mark.

Upon Twilight's head, a tiara appeared. A gem resembling the pop star that was Twilight's Cutie Mark appeared. The girls ascended into the air, as rays of rainbow shot from the power of these artifacts. The two rays of rainbow twisted and combined into one, shooting down towards Nightmare Moon.

"NO!!" The dark avatar screamed as the rainbow swirled around her very being, engulfing her in light.

Soon, the light had died down. The Main 6 found themselves scattered on the ground, disoriented. Rainbow groaned.

"Ooh. My head," said Rainbow with a wince.

"Everybody OK?" asked Applejack.

"Gojira!" cried Twilight, shooting to her feet. She rushed over to the unconscious boy, who remained on his back. The rest of the girls gasped, having just noticed his state. Twilight knelt down next to him, cupping her mouth. Junior was battered and bruised. His face had swollen around his cheek and eye.

"No. Gojira, please get up! We won! We beat Nightmare Moon!" cried Twilight distraught. Junior winced and groaned. Twilight gasped, as he began to painfully sit up.

"Keep it down, will ya?" Junior rubbed his head. Twilight suddenly wrapped her arms tightly around him, causing him to freeze as she sobbed against his chest.

"Y-You idiot!" wept Twilight.

"Ah! Easy! I feel like I was hit by a train that shot magic at me," said Junior, wincing. Twilight couldn't help but laugh through her tears.

"You look like hell," said Rainbow with a grimace.

"Yeah, imagine how I feel," said Junior as he began to move. Twilight attempted to hold him down.

"Wait! You shouldn't be moving!" said Twilight. Junior ignored her and shakily stood up to his feet. He suddenly dropped to his knees, and the girls instinctively approached to help him up.

"Stay back!" Junior barked. The girls recoiled at his tone. Junior took a breath as stared down at the ground.

"Gojira, now's not the time for that!" said Twilight in disapproval.

"Hey, I didn't need your help with taking on Nightmare Moon. I sure as hell don't need it now," said Junior, his tone low. Twilight scoffed indignantly. She huffed as she crossed her arms, looking away.

"Jerk."

Junior ignored her and began to breathe heavily. He felt sore inside and outside of his body. He shakily rose himself off of his knees. As he was close to standing, he collapsed to one knee. The girls flinched, ready to catch him in spite of his protests. Junior hardened his expression as he inhaled sharply through his nostrils. He groaned as he stood back up onto both feet. He slightly swayed in place before regaining his balance. The girls just watched, shocked and in disbelief.

"Goji, you're so cool..." said Pinkie, slack jawed.

"Try terrifying! This maniac tried taking on Nightmare Moon on his own!" said Twilight.

"Says the girl who was about to do it first! I said that I was gonna hold her back. All you had to do was get the fuck out of here!" said Junior with a glare. He scoffed.

"Besides, the bitch was holding back her strength. God, I've never felt so humiliated," said Junior with a scowl. Twilight looked at him in disbelief.

"You realize that you could've died, right?" asked Twilight. Junior said nothing to her in response.

"Oh! Thank goodness!" Rarity cried joyfully. Everyone turned to find the elf to be standing, her hair having grown back to its original length. Waves and all.

"Why Rarity, it so lovely," said Fluttershy, dazzled.

"I know! I'll never part with it again!" cried Rarity, stroking the locks of her indigo hair.

"No, your necklace. It looks just like your Cutie Mark!" said Fluttershy, pointing. Rarity looked at the element she wore in surprise and pulled back on the sleeve of her shirt. She exposed her fair skin, where three diamonds stood prominently. She was in awe at the resemblance. She then turned to Fluttershy, a smile growing on her face.

"So does yours!" said Rarity. Fluttershy gasped in surprise, finding the element that she wore bore a gem in the shape of a pink butterfly. The girls began to admire their element of harmony along with their friends.

"Gee, Twilight. I thought you were spoutin' a lot of hooey. But I reckon that we really do represent the Elements of Friendship," said Applejack.

"Indeed you do," a familiar, motherly voice spoke. Everyone turned to find the sun to be rising from the horizon, chasing away the dark night and bringing a bright morning sun. A glowing orb of light descended into the room that they stood in. In a flash, Celestia stood, displaying her majestic wings. The girls bowed to their ruler, while Twilight gasped with a look of joy on her face.

"Princess Celestia!" cried Twilight, running to embrace the avatar.

"Twilight Sparkle, my faithful student!" Celestia returned the embrace. She met the elf with a warm smile.

"I knew you could do it," said Celestia. Her student looked at her in confusion.

"But... You told me that it was an old fairy tale," said Twilight, her brows furrowed.

"I told you that you needed to make some friends. Nothing more. I saw the signs of Nightmare Moon's return. And I knew that it was you who had the magic inside to defeat her. But you could not unleash it until you let true friendship into your heart," said Celestia. Twilight smiled at her mentor, while her new friends rose to their feet. Junior just stood in silence, his eyes downcast.

"Now if only another will as well," said Celestia, turning. There lied a young Avatar woman who lied on the floor. She wore a grayish blue dress, her wings matched the color of her dress and she wore a small light cornflower blue crown upon her head. Her hair was a very light azure. Around her were pieces of armor that were worn by Nightmare.

"Princess Luna." Celestia made her way toward the small Avatar. The girl gasped as she saw Celestia approaching.

"It has been many years since I have seen you like this." Celestia kneeled by Luna, who looked away from her.

"It's time for us to put our differences behind us. We were meant to rule together my sister."

"Sister?" Twilight and Rainbow asked in unison. Junior grimaced.

"Will you accept my friendship?" asked Celestia. Everyone in the room was extremely quiet, waiting for Luna's response. Luna stood and wrapped her sister into a tight hug as tears ran down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry! I missed you so much big sister!"

Celestia returned her sister's hug, tears beginning to run down her cheeks as well.

"I missed you too."

Pinkie suddenly sniffled. She broke into a dramatic sob. Junior sighed heavily.

"Guess it all worked out," said Junior. Though he felt an emptiness inside. Now that he's accomplished what he sought out to do, that left only one thing.

"Junior!" Celestia suddenly cried out in an alarmed tone. Junior stiffened. He was met with stares from the Main 6.

"Did she just call you, 'Junior'?" asked Rainbow oddly.

"Uh..." Junior was about to explain, but found Celestia in front of him. She held his head and began to look him.

"My goodness! Just what have you been doing?!" exclaimed Celestia. Luna held her arm, a guilt ridden expression on her face.

"H-Hey, stop." Junior whispered as he attempted to pull away. But, the Sun princess held him in place.

"No! Let me look!" said Celestia, as Junior continued to move away.

"That's enough! People are watching! Stop smothering me!" hissed Junior.

"Don't take that tone with me!" Celestia warned. Rarity gasped.

"Do you think he could be her secret love child?" whispered Rarity. Fluttershy cupped a hand to her mouth in shock at the thought. Twilight just stared, wide eyed.

"Uh... I think you promised me an explanation," said Twilight. Junior grunted as he managed to free himself from Celestia's grasp.

"Right. How do I put this?" Junior scratched his head.

"I'm his guardian," said Celestia bluntly.

"I guess that works," said Junior, shrugging. Twilight looked back and forth at the two, her brain working to process the information.

"B-But I... How come I've never seen or heard of him until now?" asked Twilight.

"It's not exactly common knowledge to everyone," said Junior.

"Plus, he's a lot like you, my student. He's quite shy," said Celestia.

"I am not," said Junior, a scowl forming on his face. Celestia giggled.

"Wow. I've uh... learned a lot today," said Twilight.

Ponyville's streets were filled with the many denizens who came out to welcome the return of their beloved princess. They cheered, celebrating both Celestia and Luna, as they stood among their subjects. Luna hesitantly waved to the citizens.

Meanwhile, Junior stood at the sidelines, gazing upon Celestia. He's never seen her so happy before. Her smile now seemed a lot different to the smiles she's given in the past. Luna seemed to have been the cause. That was good. It may have proven easier for him to make his decision. Junior sat upon the bench, wincing as he felt his bruised side. He looked around the town, finding the joyful expressions of the citizens and the Main 6 as they engaged in the festivities of this celebration. As always, he was on the outside, looking in. He thought that perhaps it was better this way. There was no way that he could ever enjoy living this way. Not him.

"Gojira..." a soft voice called. Junior turned his head, finding Princess Luna to be standing by. She was looking a way, a look of regret on her face.

"I'm sorry... For everything that I..." Luna grimaced. Junior sighed heavily.

"Don't worry about it. Water under the bridge. Besides, I guess I should thank you," said Junior.

"Thank me?" Luna bore a confused look.

"Yeah. Now I know what it's like to get my ass kicked," said Junior with a playful smile. Luna gave an uneasy smile. Junior noticed that Celestia was conversing with Twilight Sparkle. He couldn't make out their conversation, Junior raised himself off of the bench.

"Excuse me," said Junior, before leaving. Twilight had stepped away, likely having finished the conversation. He soon made his way towards Celestia.

"Oh, did you need something, dear?" asked Celestia. Junior held his hands in his pockets, looking away.

"Yeah. I... I just wanted to say... I appreciate everything you've done for me. I'm glad that you knew my father," said Junior. Celestia warmly smiled.

"Of course. I'd do anything for you," said Celestia.

"Then you'll understand when I say this. I think I'm going to leave Canterlot," said Junior. Celestia's eyes slightly widened.

"Wh-What are you saying?" asked Celestia.

"W-Well it's just... I'm 18 now. And the bird has to leave the nest eventually, right?" asked Junior. Celestia frowned. It was sight that the boy couldn't stand. But, he had to press through. It was for everyone's own good.

"Junior, are you sure?" asked Celestia softly.

"I am. Canterlot's not the place for me. Maybe somewhere out there is," said Junior.

"Well... What about here?" asked Celestia, gesturing to the town.

"Here?" Junior looked around in confusion. The avatar nodded.

"I'm allowing Twilight to stay and continue her studies here. I think maybe you should too. Maybe you two could become friends," said Celestia, a warm smile on his face. Junior turned to find the Main 6 laughing together. It was funny. Just last night, that girl was rather annoyed and seemed upset. But now, she had a bright smile stuck on her face.

"Friends, huh?" asked Junior. He turned to Celestia with a sigh.

"Well, I guess that'd be alright," said Junior in a nonchalant tone. The princess smiled.

"Very well. I'll make arrangements for you to move here into town," said Celestia.

"Uh... Maybe don't put me in a huge house. Just somewhere that won't take up an entire day to clean," said Junior with a chuckle. Celestia smiled in amusement.

"Of course," said Celestia. She then pulled the boy into warm hug.

"Just remember. You're always welcome to come see me," said Celestia. Junior's eyes were soft as he pressed against her. He swallowed the lump that was in his throat.

Junior began packing his things from his now former room. His clothes, toothbrush, books, and his personal journal. Junior walked out of the room, holding his bags. As Junior walked out of the door, he noticed Blaire walking down the hall.

"Hey Goji." greeted Blaire.

"Hi, what's up?"

"I'm here to escort you to Ponyville." informed Blaire, a sad smile on her face.

"Oh." Junior noticed this, feeling upset to see her face like this.

"So your leaving me kid? Your big sis?" asked Blaire.

"I'm sorry. I just think I might find my calling there, whatever it is. I really hate to leave you and Celestia behind." Junior looked down. Blaire sighed.

"Well, we better get going," said Blaire.

"Yeah, let’s go," replied Junior. Junior followed Blaire down the hall, looking around the rooms. His mind went back to his earliest days in Canterlot. They weren't very fond memories. He was alone in a foreign land with no mother and no father.

But, it wasn't until he met Blaire that his world seemed to have gotten brighter. He would be forever grateful for her.

Later that evening, the two had arrived to Ponyville. Junior and Blaire had made their way into an empty house that had four rooms. These comprised of a living room, a bedroom, a bathroom and a kitchen. The house seemed rather small, only big enough to support at least two people. The house was near the fields, where a large bell tower stood and a few houses along with a cottage. Near these homes was the edge of the Everfree forest. Junior set his bags down, looking at his new home.

"Yep, this will do it," said Junior.

"Nice and roomy Goji." smiled Blaire.

"Well, I guess this is it." Junior smiled weakly.

Blaire walked up to Junior and wrapped him in a hug. She was shaking as she hid her face from Junior. Junior felt like breaking down, but he kept himself composed.

"Don't talk like that, you big dummy. It's not like you're going away forever," Said Blaire, struggling to keep her voice from breaking.

"No, it’s not." Junior chuckled, as he returned Blaire's hug.

"Come back and visit us sometime, OK?" Blaire pulled away, her eyes watery.

"I will." said Junior. Though, his stomach was in knots when he said that.

Blaire had left Junior alone in his new home. He began to unpack his things, placing his clothes in their proper places in his drawer. After he was done unpacking most of his things, Junior sat at the kitchen table, writing in his journal.

Today's Summer Sun Celebration was held in Ponyville this year. It was rather uneventful. It had turned that the legend of Nightmare Moon was true. Celestia had gone missing, and the land was faced with eternal night.
I found myself venturing into the Everfree forest in search of her, hoping to find Celestia. I ended up running into six girls, who were on a quest to find artifacts that were guaranteed to defeat her. I reluctantly joined them, thinking I'd have a better chance at getting through the forest and finding the princess.
After facing many trials, we managed to succeed in our quest. Well, those girls did at least. I just had my ass handed to me. But, we learned that the villain was in fact Celestia's long lost little sister. She was banished a thousand years before, and now had returned. She was redeemed somehow through the power of those artifacts.
In the end, I decided to leave Canterlot and am now living in Ponyville, far from the rest of the town and its center. The reason being is because I've discovered that I may be getting worse. I've developed a new and destructive ability that nearly cost the lives of those girls. Thankfully, no one suspects anything of me. At least, I hope not.
Celestia suggested that I'd come to live here in Ponyville to make friends, specifically with her student, Twilight Sparkle. But, I can't. Friendship was never something that someone like me could make work. I come here to hide. Even if its plain sight, it's better than being back in Canterlot. It's the only way I can protect myself, and others.
Recently, I've been hearing a voice. No one else seems to hear it and I can't find its source. I thought I could be losing my mind, but now I'm not so sure. If there really are others out there like me, then I hope...

Junior stopped writing in his journal. He sighed as he leaned back in his seat with a deep frown. Maybe it was better if he didn't run into others that were like him

Next Chapter: Chapter 3: Job Hunt Estimated time remaining: 18 Hours, 10 Minutes