The Other Side of The Story

Gojira stared off to the brick wall that was in front of him, his expression lacking any emotion. His muscles were all loose and his body was as still as a statue. His eyes were cold, having lost a bit of life in them. The kirin was present just inside of a dungeon and his body was bounded in heavy chains. The air was cold, and the dungeon itself was dark. Only a small bit of sunlight beamed through a small window and onto the floor. If he wanted to, Gojira could break these chains and leave this prison. However, he did not bother for there was nothing for him waiting beyond these walls. Nothing but loneliness.

He didn't even protest or resist when the guards arrived to chain him up and locked him in here. He instead allowed these ponies take him prisoner, for he had no heart to even bother fighting. All that was present with him was the sound of dripping water, a few rats, and spiders. No other prisoner was in the dungeon with him, nor was there a single skeleton left behind like you would expect in a stereotypical dungeon. It was preferable this way, because he did not want to be bothered. Gojira bowed his head as he breathed softly, staring at his hooves. He remained like this for hours. He never said a word, never sighed, never moaned or complained. He was silent. When evening came, Gojira merely lied himself down and slept.

The next morning, Gojira was back sitting upright with the same expression that he had carried the previous day. Rats felt safe to scurry passed him as he remained motionless, snatching the bread that was provided to him to eat. The bowl rattled as the rats scurried away with pieces of the bread, leaving but a crumb. Not even the sight of his food being stolen angered the kirin, or filled him with annoyance. He merely saw food not going to waste, thanks to the rodents. As Gojira remained sitting facing the wall, his ears picked up the sound of hooves clopping against the stone floor. He didn't turn to see who it was.

"Good morning," greeted a young feminine voice. Gojira didn't respond. He kept his back turned towards the one who was addressing him.

"When the princess speaks to you, answer her!" said a gruff stallion in a stern tone.

"Guard, please," said Celestia in a calming tone. Gojira heard the guard stood down as his armor clanked, obviously upset that the prisoner had disrespected the young princess by not gracing her with a response.

"I'm working on allowing you to go free. However, the process may be difficult considering your last encounter with the village and Starswirl the Bearded," said Celestia as she took a step closer to the cell. The guards tensed at this, worried for the young royal's carelessness.

"I... I don't believe we've been properly introduced. I am Princess Celestia," said Celestia. Gojira remained silent with his back turned towards her.

"May I have your name?" asked Celestia. Gojira still didn't grace her with an answer. All Celestia received was the cold shoulder that he was giving her. She sighed as she lowered her head and flattened her ears against her head in disappointment.

"Gojira," said the kirin. Celestia shot her head up in surprise at the sudden response. She found the kirin glancing at her.

"My name is Gojira." Celestia lightly smiled in response. She made her way a bit closer to the cell, much to the worry of the guards.

"You're highness-"

"It's fine," said Celestia, interrupting one of the guards.

"I understand that you are a kirin. Would you perhaps be a foreigner?" asked Celestia in curiosity, hoping to stir a conversation. Gojira looked away from her and stared back at the wall. It seemed that the young princess wasn't going to let up on prodding him for information. If he were to indulge her for a bit, she may get bored and leave a peasant like him alone to rot in his cell. He wouldn't expect less from a royal, let alone a young one that is likely spoiled rotten.

"I was born and raised in Neighpon," answered Gojira.

"I've never been there. Can you tell me a little about it?" asked Celestia with sincere curiosity.

"It's an island in the far east. There are different creatures that I haven't seen here. I lived by a village out in the country, surrounded by hills and lakes. The village was known for farming, but I lived in a temple that sat on one of the hills," said Gojira as he recalled his old home. This was the first time that he had since before he lost everything again. He always found himself thinking about his old home, mainly for his mother and Lori. He swore that he was going to stop thinking about that past, but he couldn't commit to ignoring it.

"That sounds wonderful. May I ask why you are in Equestria?" asked Celestia. Gojira bore a bitter expression. His claws dug into the ground beneath him.

"Because I wasn't welcome there. I'm sure that old stallion gave you the general idea on why," said Gojira in a neutral tone. Celestia's eyes softened. His tone was filled with disdain as he spoke of the place that he had come from.

"Surely there was someone who accepted you," said Celestia. Gojira went silent as his eyes softened. His heart growing heavy.

"There was only two. My mother, and a friend. But then they passed," said Gojira. Celestia glanced down at the ground, feeling pity for the kirin. As she was about to speak again, she was interrupted.

"I wish to be alone, princess," said Gojira. Celestia closed her mouth as she slightly nodded.

"Very well. I will be back to visit you again, Gojira," said Celestia as she was escorted by her guards out of the dungeon. The kirin heard the dungeon door slammed closed, startling some rats. The kirin lied himself back down again as he gazed at the ground. Finally, he was able to return to his solitude. It was better this way.

It had been a couple of days since Gojira was locked up in a dungeon. He found himself being escorted out of the prison by several guards. The kirin bore a neutral expression as his hoof steps heavily pressed against the ground. As he was brought to the throne room, he was met with a multitude of stares from what appeared to be a few high-class ponies. Several more guards were present, armed with their weapons. Just by being around them, Gojira could sense fear radiating from everyone in the room. Obviously, they had learned what he was capable of. He then saw two familiar unicorns who stood at the end of the throne room, beside the two Alicorn princesses who sat on their thrones.

"Citizens of the Equestria Union. Presenting Princess Platinum, Commander Hurricane, and Chancellor Puddinghead," said a stallion that had appeared in the center of the room while Gojira was stopped. The guards that flanked him stood by his sides at attention as they kept their spears held firmly. From the end of the throne room, three other ponies emerged, who appeared to be of high authority. One of them was a unicorn mare that bore a regal appearance. She bore a crown upon her head and a violet cape draped over her back. Beside her was a gruff pegasus stallion. He wore armor over his body and a scar over his right eye. The stallion carried a militaristic aura about him, along with a strict nature just by looking into his hard eyes. And the third pony was an earth pony mare, who bore what appeared to be a head wear in the shape of pudding. Gojira merely kept a neutral expression as guards that appeared to be from different factions seemed to have been present, prepared to act should he do anything threatening.

"Today's trial is Gojira vs the Equestrian Union. The defendant is being prosecuted for an attack on Tall Tale village," said the stallion. Gojira merely rolled his eyes in response.

'Oh yeah, I started the attack.' thought Gojira in a sarcastic manner. From the front of the throne, Commander Hurricane looked to the kirin.

Princess Platinum cleared her throat as she looked towards a stallion that bore a few parchments that contained necessary information.

"Read the offenses by the prisoner," ordered Platinum.

"The prisoner's offenses are being a cohort of three sirens who bewitched the villagers of Tall Tale village over 14 years ago; Assaulting Starswirl the Bearded, Clover the Clever, and several other villagers of Tall Tale. The prisoner is also being held responsible for the forest fire near the same village," said the stallion. Gojira scoffed in response, drawing the attention of the leaders.

"Refrain from speaking until you are permitted to speak," said Princess Platinum in a stern tone. Gojira merely narrowed his eyes in response.

"But I didn't even say anything," said Gojira in annoyance.

"Well, now you have," said Chancellor Puddinghead. Hurricane looked at Gojira sternly.

"Be silent!" said Hurricane. Gojira growled in annoyance as he sealed his lips. Celestia looked on in worry.

"How do you plea?" questioned Hurricane. Gojira merely bore a firm expression as he remained silent. Hurricane's brow twitched in annoyance at the kirin's lack of response.

"Your plea!" said Hurricane.

"Oh, now I'm permitted to speak?" asked Gojira in a sarcastic manner. Hurricane narrowed his eyes at him.

"Not guilty," answered Gojira in a flat tone. However, he was about to make a smart-alecky remark about how the pegasus was annoying him with his dirty looks, but that would be a bad idea, especially since he purposely refused to speak up. He just wanted to get this trial over with so that he could accept whatever fate lies for him so he can move on.

"Little brat," muttered Hurricane to himself as Puddinghead turned her attention to the kirin.

"Now I like to assume the best out of ponies-"

"I'm not a pony." Gojira interrupted. Puddinghead ignored the rudeness of the kirin and merely held an analytical expression.

"But... I find it rather odd you would plead not guilty. Or maybe you're not a bad po- individual as most of us have been led to believe," said Puddinghead with a smile. Gojira looked on in annoyance on how cheerful she seemed to have been. It was as though she was trying to disarm him with her personality.

"Because I didn't attack anyone until I was. It was a natural reaction to fight back when you have a mob after you," said Gojira.

"A mob that was formed in response to you and your siren cohorts bewitching villagers," said Platinum with a look of scorn, showing her disgust that an unruly beast like Gojira was in her presence. It made her sick to her stomach.

"Would you mind telling us about your first visit to Tall Tale?" asked Puddinghead.

"I don't know what happened that day. All they did was sing because they were asked to by the villagers. There was no nefarious motive in mind," argued Gojira. Hurricane scoffed as he heard this, not believing a word from the kirin's mouth. The audience began to murmur amongst themselves. Starswirl stepped forward.

"You are aware that sirens have the ability to bewitch their victims with their singing. They do this to feed on the magic that is produced from their victims, which also drive them into disharmony. Arguments, physical fighting, etc. Something that occurred that day," said Starswirl.

"I never knew anything about that. Neither did my friends. They were just singing for them," said Gojira as he narrowed his eyes at the unicorn. He wanted to stomp the old stallion into paste for what he had taken away from him, not caring that it would lead to his execution. It would have given him the satisfaction to send this wretched old fart to his grave sooner. Puddinghead gasped as a thought came to her mind.

"Hold on! You said that you were there when the sirens sang, correct? Why was it that you were not under their influence?" asked Puddinghead.

"That sounds like a recipe of guilt to me," said Hurricane to himself. Gojira was about to answer but then didn't when he realized that he didn't know it.

"I... I don't know. I was always around the sirens, whether they were singing or not. And I never acted the way those ponies did," said Gojira.

"Hmph." Hurricane bore a look of suspicion while Platinum appeared to have been thinking. The audience murmured as to how this kirin was unaffected by the sirens.

"So, you were in league with them," said Platinum. Gojira shook his head.

"I never said that," said Gojira.

"No, but what other reason is there? You said that you spend a lot time with the sirens, and you were never affected by their singing. You had to have used some sort of counter magic to protect yourself," said Platinum. She then gestured to Starswirl. "Starswirl the Bearded himself is able to conjure such spells. Leading to how he was able to free the villagers from the sirens' influence."

"But I can't produce magic. I don't have antlers like ordinary kirins. I don't even know anything about magic," said Gojira in annoyance.

"Likely story," said Hurricane. Puddinghead raised a hoof.

"Perhaps he was affected. But not in the same way as everyone normally is. Gojira, do you ever feel something when they sing?" asked Puddinghead.

"I feel relaxed when they sing. Their voices are soothing. Whenever I was agitated, I would immediately be calm whenever they sang," answered Gojira as he looked down at the ground with a light frown. How he missed hearing Adagio's song, along with the other sirens.

"That could be it then!" said Puddinghead with a smile. Platinum scoffed.

"Do not be so naive, Chancellor. Most ponies would find themselves soothed by song," said Platinum. Hurricane nodded in agreement.

"Agreed. That is not enough to even release him," said Hurricane. Celestia bit her hoof in worry. It seemed that allowing the kirin to be acquitted may be even harder then she realized. She would personally act in his defense, but even at her age, she is unable to even have an official part on this trial. She and her sister are only here for appearances, and to learn about the process of these trials.

"I have no magical abilities. I wasn't aware about the sirens' power, neither were my friends, and I have never been affected in the same way as the ponies were in that village," said Gojira, his expression hardened.

"As for the assault for-" Platinum was about to finish but Gojira sighed heavily.

"I told you, they attacked me first!" said Gojira, raising his voice. Hurricane slammed his hoof on the table in front of himself.

"You are not permitted to speak yet! And lower your tone!" said Hurricane, raising his voice higher. Gojira rolled his eyes.

"As I was saying," Platinum looked at the kirin in annoyance. "You've also assaulted ponies, Starswirl the Bearded, and Clover the Clever. My adviser,"

Platinum's eyes were narrowed at the kirin. Gojira's brow raised. He then felt annoyance creeping back up, threatening to take form in a verbal retort. This mare was obviously taking this more personal compared to the others.

"And as I said before, they attacked me and my friends first. When we were unaware of the of their power," said Gojira in a calm tone.

"She was sobbing in her chambers when she returned to my castle!" said Platinum with a glare. Clover's cheeks flushed in embarrassment as she hid her face with a hoof.

"Princess..." moaned Clover. She was making the situation out like a bullying situation the way her tone was.

"I'm aware," deadpanned Gojira as he glanced at the cloaked mare. Clover quickly averted her eyes away from him as she nervously bit her lip.

"But I'll give her this, I commend her for standing up to me after her trauma," said Gojira. True he was annoyed with the mare, but he did admire her courage. Clover looked at him with a glare before she turned and looked away.

"I don't want to hear that from you," spat Clover. Gojira smirked in response.

"The villagers also threatened myself, so I defended myself. I don't regret it. You do what is necessary to defend yourself and those close to you," said Gojira as he glared at Starswirl. The aging unicorn narrowed his eyes back. He knew just as much as the kirin about what he had spoken about. It annoyed him that he spoke to him as if he was in the wrong for doing what he thought was necessary for his student and the ponies of his country.

"He has a point," said Puddinghead as she glanced at the other two leaders, who both looked at her in annoyance.

"Stop enabling him!" said Platinum.

"Did I mention that I was also chased by a larger mob, and the two unicorns to be killed a night later? And when they couldn't, your Starswirl the Bearded had me frozen in ice for 14 years?" asked Gojira as he glanced at Starswirl and Clover. Eyes began to focus on them as murmurs rang. Clover shrunk back with a look of shame of taking part in a mob with the intention of killing, while Starswirl remained silent. Celestia looked at him in shock while the other leaders looked his way.

"Yes, that did happen. All of it. But I would like to bring on a witness to justify my action," said Starswirl. Hurricane nodded.

"Present your witness," said Hurricane. The old unicorn looked towards the audience and nodded. From the audience emerged Neji, who had grown older from the time that had passed. Gojira's eyes widened as he recognized the kirin. He recalled how he was the one that placed the blame for the deaths of his mother and Lori on him that dark day. He narrowed his eyes as Neji came to the front.

"My name is Neji. I come from Neighpon. I had lived in this country for three years prior to the events in question. Before, I was a part of a temple that was neighboring my home village," said Neji. He then turned his attention to Gojira.

"I knew Gojira ever since he was but a foal," said Neji. Gojira narrowed his eyes.

'No, you didn't. You never took the time to know me,' thought Gojira angrily. He knew where this was going. This trial may not be in his favor.

"Could you explain why there was justification of the mob from that night?" asked Platinum. Neji nodded.

"Yes, your majesty. Years ago, the priestess of our temple had taken in Gojira and raised him as her own. Despite his origins," said Neji.

"Explain," said Hurricane.

"Gojira wasn't born. He was forged from fire, by a demon," said Neji. The crowd gasped in shock with looks of fear, while Gojira kept a hard stare. Platinum looked unnerved, while Hurricane narrowed his eyes on the charcoal grey kirin. Celestia looked on in confusion, and then it clicked as to what the reason was for why Gojira claimed that he wasn't welcome back in his homeland.

"We pleaded to her not to raise him, but she refused. She asked us to trust her. When he was seven, I saw that the house of the priestess on the temple grounds was on fire. I was the first to investigate, but I saw that... that thing was spewing blue flames," spat Neji. Gojira hardened his eyes as he dug his claws into the ground. The audience gave sounds of being appalled. Some even began to step further away from the center of the throne room, where Gojira stood.

"The fire killed the priestess who had raised him, who fed him, bathed him, who loved him, along with one of our members," said Neji as he glared at Gojira, who ground his teeth as his muscles tensed. The audience looked at Gojira in disgust and disdain, along with Hurricane and Platinum. Puddinghead looked down, obviously disappointed that the kirin was possibly guilty after all. Celestia bore a look of conflict as he heard this story. She couldn't believe that the two individuals that cared for the kirin would have been the one responsible for their deaths. She refused to believe it. But she would be frowned upon if she allowed her personal feelings to get in the way.

"After I discovered that he was here, I had to warn everyone. He was forged from the ashes of a monster, by a demon. And because of Kawasaki's carelessness, she perished," said Neji. Gojira's eyes flared with anger. As the leaders began to move on, Gojira flared his nostrils.

"How dare you!" said Gojira, drawing everyone's attention. The kirin trembled with anger.

"How dare you speak of her that way!" shouted Gojira, startling everyone in the room. The guards prepared to act should the kirin do something rash. Hurricane narrowed his eyes.

"You are not permitted to-"

"You stay out of this! This is between those who were at the temple!" shouted Gojira as he glared at the pegasus, who recoiled with a look of anger at the kirin. Gojira turned his attention at Neji, who appeared frightened.

"You don't know me. None of you knew me! No one at that temple took the time to get to know me! Lori was the only one who trusted my mother!" said Gojira as his body shook.

"You were all afraid of me! A foal! You never trusted her! Yet you speak of her as if you had made a heavy sacrifice for trusting a great kirin like her! You dishonor her memory with your lies!" shouted Gojira as his eyes stung. Neji glared at him.

"Lies?! You were the one who killed her and Lori!" said Neji.

"I didn't kill them!" shouted Gojira as his tone was partially shadowed by an animalistic roar, causing the guards to point their spears at him. The leaders were startled, while the audience began to step further with looks of fear. Gojira panted as he glared at the kirin.

"I did spew flames as you said. But the house was already on fire. A black oni had attacked Lori. Mother came to destroy him, but he killed them in the end," said Gojira.

"Liar! We never found the body of an oni, or any evidence of its presence!" said Neji.

"Because I burned it to ash! That's why I was spewing flames! To kill it before it could destroy the temple!" said Gojira. The sound of banging filled the air. They turned and found Platinum slamming a wooden gavel on the table via her magic.

"Order! Or you will be held in contempt for court!" shouted Platinum.

"I hold nothing but contempt for this court!" retorted Gojira. Platinum glared at him.

"Evidently, you do. So for that, you're serving a week in the dungeon," said Platinum. Gojira growled as he went silent. The throne room went silent as the leaders privately discussed something with each other. They then stopped and turned their attention back to the kirin.

"We will move on to the last offense. The fire," said Platinum.

"That was an accident," interjected Gojira.

"Can you explain?" asked Puddinghead.

"I was attacked by those, 'timber wolves' as you call them. I was being overrun, so I used one of my abilities. That ended up causing a fire when I tried to defend myself," answered Gojira.

"So, you admit that it was your fault?" questioned Platinum.

"It was an a- Ugh. Yes, technically it was my fault," said Gojira with a scowl. Neji couldn't be any more wrong about the origin of the fire in his home all those years ago. But he couldn't deny responsibility for the fire.

"But, I did manage to take care of those timber wolves before they could attack the village. Ask your advisor and the old fart over there," said Gojira as he pointed to Clover and Starswirl. The aging unicorn looked at him in annoyance the comment. Celestia immediately raised a hoof.

"Um... I-I Princess Celestia can vouch for that. I was there. He did prove to be strong on his own against a mega timber wolf," interjected Celestia as she shot Gojira a smile and winked. The audience began to murmur their thoughts of the subject as to why this beast would go through the trouble of destroying the timber wolf when it would be much safer to run.

"Order! Order!" said Platinum as she banged the gavel, silencing everyone in the room.

"Hmm. Princess Celestia, what would you say about the prisoner?" asked Puddinghead as she looked to the young alicorn. Celestia stiffened as her face bore a look of surprise. She wasn't expecting to be put on the spot in court. Her stomach had tightened and she glanced at Luna, who shrugged at her. She bore a deadpanned stare that said, ‘You should have held your tongue'. Celestia looked towards Gojira, who merely bore a tired expression. He was covered in scars all around his body. Bite marks were present, and patches of fur seemed to have been missing. He appeared to have been bearing a heavy weight over himself. And it wasn't the chains that kept him bound. His eyes had looked like they stripped away of any hope and joy. Celestia's heart was heavy as she gazed down at the kirin.

"I... I would say that he's a young stallion that has suffered loss. More times than anypony could bear. I see a boy who's hurting inside, without anyone that he can turn to. I see a misunderstood individual," said Celestia. She almost felt herself tearing up just by imagining what the kirin had been through, but she held them back. The crowd looked to each other in uncertainty as they eyed the kirin, who kept his eyes down on the ground. Hurricane held a hard expression, not able to see what the young princess saw. Platinum bore a look of conflict, while Puddinghead bore a soft smile as she nodded to Celestia's answer. In all her years, it was rare for her to see such compassion in a young royal.

"Thank you for your answer, your highness," said Puddinghead. Celestia nodded as she took her seat, her heart racing in her chest.

"I believe that now is the time that we decide on his sentence," said Platinum. Puddinghead nodded in agreement.

"Yes! We will resume the court after we've come to a decision. Meet back here in thirty minutes," said Puddinghead.

The throne room had become much quieter now. All the ponies that were once present inside for the trial were currently outside of the throne room. Gojira was still present in this very room, however. The guards remained by his side, vigilant for any threatening moves. Every time the kirin yawned or stretched, the guards stiffened. Sometimes Gojira just did those things on purpose to amuse himself due to the skittish nature of these guards. After becoming aware of what he was capable of, they were right to be wary. But most of the wait was tiring, drawing Gojira into the brink of madness due to boredom. It was a pain that these ponies were deciding on his sentence. Whatever it was, he hoped that it would finally allow him to be alone. As Gojira remained silent, he noticed that Celestia was walking from a corner that led out of the throne room. She approached the kirin as a couple of guards flanked her.

"How are you feeling?" asked Celestia with a friendly smile.

"Your highness." Gojira greeted. "I'm alright."

"That's good to hear. I was worried. That witness really upset you," said Celestia with a sympathetic look. Gojira looked away.

"He's a fool. He's lucky that the dead cannot rise or else he would have had it worse," said Gojira with a scoff. Celestia cleared her throat as she imagined a deceased pony being reanimated. She erased the unnerving thought from her head, though she found it rather silly. The young alicorn couldn't imagine anypony taking something so ludicrous seriously. Not even in a thousand years.

"Um... I brought some sweets. Would you like some?" asked Celestia as she levitated a small plate filled with little biscuits, which bore a cherry center that appeared like jelly. Gojira felt his stomach growl. He sighed, chiding himself for not eating what was provided to him in the dungeon. He didn't feel like taking charity from a royal. He almost suspected that she was trying to ease him for an execution, by allowing to eat something instead of just plain bread.

"I suppose," said Gojira. Celestia was about to approach him but one of her guards stepped in her path.

"Your highness, I advise not getting close to the prisoner, for your safety," said the guard. Celestia sighed with a look of annoyance.

"But-"

"It's fine," interrupted Gojira, drawing the young alicorn's attention. "They're just doing their job by looking out for you."

Celestia looked down at the ground with a small look of shame. Whether she believed Gojira was safe to be around or not did not matter. It wasn't wise to approach prisoners so carelessly, especially if you knew nothing about said prisoner. Celestia looked back at the guard with her head lowered.

"Thank you, sir," said Celestia. The guard bowed.

"I live to serve," said the guard. Celestia softly smiled in response. She then looked back at Gojira, wondering how she was going to give the kirin some sweats. She then had an idea. Celestia levitated one of the biscuits with her magic. She brought the biscuit over to Gojira's muzzle, who took a bite. Celestia smiled with a look of amusement as the kirin ate it whole. Gojira looked away with a scowl as his cheeks flushed when he saw Celestia's expression.

"Thank you. It's good," muttered Gojira. Celestia responded with a warm smile.

Later, the throne room was once again filled up with ponies muttering among themselves as the founders of Equestria returned to the front of the throne room. As their presence became known, the ponies grew silent. Gojira took a sigh as he waited for this court to end already.

"After much deliberation, we have come to an agreement for the offender's sentence," said Platinum. Hurricane bore a scowl as he ignored the court.

"By hearing what Gojira had to say and considering his offenses, we sentence him..." Hurricane sighed as he continued to scowl.

"We sentence Gojira to be confined in one of the united kingdoms of Equestria. He will be under watch for five years. He will also be doing mandatory service to the union," said Puddinghead. Gojira's eyes widened.

"I'm being enslaved?" asked Gojira. The ponies in the court began to murmur. Their expressions were that of shock and reluctance.

"No, not slavery! Despite your reasons for your actions, it doesn't excuse them. So, we are giving you an opportunity to make up for it. It also allows us to keep an eye on someone of your... background," said Platinum. Gojira scowled in response.

"Be grateful. I personally thought we should have locked you up in the darkest dungeon or even execute you," said Hurricane. Puddinghead nudged him in the shoulder with a look of disapproval.

"Either one of those would have been preferable if it meant I wouldn't be bothered by you," muttered Gojira.

"Now, to decide which kingdom he shall be confined to. I object to taking him," said Platinum with bluntness. Puddinghead looked at her in disappointment.

"What? I never agreed to keep him when I voted with you!" whispered Platinum with a glare.

"He should be under my watch. I'll whip this rebellious brat into shape in no time," said Hurricane as he popped the joints in his wings.

"We don't have any suitable facilities for him to be in let alone the pony power to intervene in my district," said Puddinghead in disappointment. Gojira sighed in relief, not wanting to be around someone with such a bizarre apparel and a creepy amount of cheerfulness. But then that did leave him with the pegasus. He could imagine himself losing his temper to this stallion.

"I-I would like to volunteer to have Gojira under my watch!" interjected Celestia. With crowd gasped in shock, along with the other leaders. Clover and Starswirl bore looks of alarm while Gojira tilted his head in confusion.

"What are you doing?!" hissed Luna.

"Don't be silly, your highness!" said Platinum with a nervous laugh.

"After all, Commander Hurricane has volunteered already and seems to be the most qualified," said Platinum as she gestured to Hurricane.

"Yes, but Commander Hurricane dwells in the clouds. Only pegasi and alicorns possess the magical capability of standing on clouds. Gojira is neither," said Celestia.

"You understand that he is dangerous, correct?" questioned Hurricane.

"My sister and I have highly trained guards from all three pony tribes, along with a powerful unicorn such as Starswirl the Bearded. I am not concerned," said Celestia. Luna merely shot her a glare, not sharing her sister's optimism.

"I concur with your reasoning. You may be more qualified to keep Gojira in check," said Puddinghead. Hurricane leaned over to her along with Platinum.

"Chancellor, they're just children!" said Hurricane.

"Yes! They are not ready for something like this! They are the future Diarch rulers of the union! Should something-" Platinum was silenced as Puddinghead gave her a reassuring smile.

"This will be a valuable learning experience for them. Putting our trust in them is what they will eventually often have to deal with. Besides, I would prefer we reform Gojira, rather than try to force him into an academy," said Puddinghead as she looked at Hurricane. He merely scoffed in response.

"She doesn't know how to discipline ponies," said Hurricane.

"I'm not counting on her doing that. I'm counting on her compassion," said Puddinghead. She then turned to the young alicorns.

"Gojira will hereby be under the watch of Princesses Celestia and Luna," said Puddinghead. Starswirl's jaw dropped while Platinum sighed as she banged the gavel.

"Court is adjourned," said Platinum as she looked to the alicorns. "Good luck."

Gojira looked to the Alicorn princesses in disbelief while Celestia gave a small smile. Luna held her hooves over her eyes in misery, while the court was filled with murmurs. These ranged from worry, disbelief, and disappointment. Some feared for the young princesses' lives. Some felt that the sentence was unfitting for Gojira for what he had done. Others feared of what he would do next. All Gojira could do was sigh as his expression hardened.

It was the late evening. In a room covered in stone walls and floors, with a simple bed and a small window, with a rug on the ground, the royal guards were present with Gojira, Celestia, Starswirl, and Clover. Gojira found himself being bounded by a glowing shackle around his neck. He looked at the shackle around his neck as his other shackles were removed. Clover and Starswirl's horn lost its glow as a few guards stepped away from the kirin.

"We've cast a powerful spell on this shackle. It will limit your strength and should prevent you from using any of your abilities. It also reacts should you do something suspicious. Say if you were to harm the princesses, one of us will make sure that it does worse to you," said Starswirl with his eyes narrowed. Gojira merely bore cold eyes, not feeling intimidated.

"Is this necessary?" asked Celestia as she looked at the shackle.

"One can never be too careful," said Clover as she warily looked at Gojira. When his eyes met hers, she quickly looked away.

"If that's all, then I'm going to sleep," said Gojira as he made his way over to the bed.

"Of course. Guards, everyone, let's leave him be," said Celestia as she began to motion for everyone else to follow her out of the room. As they left, Starswirl remained in the doorway and looked back at the kirin.

"You may have been lucky to avoid your just desserts, but I am watching you. If you lay a claw on the princesses, you will-"

"I've heard you the first time." Junior interrupted Starswirl's threat.

"You should worry more about yourself. The one who took my friends away from me," said Gojira as his hard eyes stared at the wall as he lied in bed. Starswirl narrowed his eyes in response. He then closed the door, where Gojira heard the sound of a lock clicking. The kirin merely pulled a blanket over himself as he stared at the wall, his heart heavy.

It was the early noon, Gojira bore a scowl as a harness was hooked over him. The sun was beaming down on him as he stood out in a dirt field just a couple of miles outside of the castle of the alicorn sisters. A few guards stood by as they watched the kirin get fitted by two other guards. Gojira looked back at his rear and found a plow hooked to his harness.

"Alright, you're going to pull this plow in a straight line across the field. When you get to the other side, you're going to head back, creating another row next to the first plow. After that, you repeat the process until this entire dirt field is plowed," said the guard as he pointed to the field. Gojira lamely nodded in response as he began to pull, while the guards chuckled at making this young teen plow the entire field. Hard labor may teach him a thing or two about discipline. Gojira pulled the plow across the dirt, without so much effort, much to the guards’ shock. As Gojira reached the end, he pulled the plow to the side until he had it lined up correctly so that he may pull it in a second straight line. Again, the kirin casually repeated the process.

"Wow," said one of the guards. "At this rate, we may be ahead of schedule with planting our crops."

Gojira had spent the next couple of hours plowing the fields, all on his own. The rest of the farmers that would normally do the work themselves merely watched as they bore beverages, courtesy of the royal staff. Starswirl and Clover watched as the kirin pull the plow across the fifth farmer's field that was within the alicorn sister's kingdom. Gojira was hardly breaking a sweat from this work. The cause of his sweat was due to the hot sun that hung over the sky.

"He's done that many so far?!" exclaimed Clover.

"Yes. He hasn't even asked for water yet or even complained," said one of the guards. Starswirl's expression was hard as he watched the kirin effortlessly finished plowing the field. Gojira sighed in relief.

"Is that all?" asked Gojira. Starswirl then smirked as he turned away.

"If he's this good, then why not have him do more hard labor. Might I suggest him assist in constructing any new structures that need more pony power?" suggested Starswirl. Gojira sighed in exasperation. He was hoping that he would be able to return to his room after going through the chore of plowing the fields. The real exhaustion that came was the boredom of doing the same thing for a couple of hours in the sun. Now, he was going to have to work with these other ponies that had enslaved him.

The kirin eventually found himself working for hours, lugging around stones, bricks, and dirt. The process of moving these things quickened because of him, leading to the other workers to be able to get to working on other processes besides making up the foundation. After hours, it was evening. Gojira's strength and stamina had allowed the workers to be near the process of laying down the bottom of the first structure in the village to build up the rest. The kirin had finally managed to grow tired from the more challenging labor. It was at least more stimulating for him compared to the plowing of fields, while the farmers planted the seeds down after he was through. Now, he was being escorted through the castle towards his room.

As he came to his room, he sighed in exhaustion as the guards closed and locked his door behind him. The kirin sniffed himself and grunted with a look of disgust, reeking of sweat and soil. The kirin looked around and found another door in his room. He made his way to the door and pushed it open, finding a stone tub inside, filled with water. Beside it was a wooden bucket and a brush. The room was mostly empty aside from the tub and bucket. He found a grate in the center of the room on the floor, while the floor seemed to slightly descend in the center. He looked to the tub and saw how it was filled to the brim. He was able to piece together that the grate's purpose was to drain the water from the tub should it fall to the floor, which would explain the lack of rugs.

The kirin sighed as he made his way over to the tub and placed himself inside. He grunted in annoyance as he found his size making it rather cramp to sit in. He leaned over the side and picked up the brush with his mouth and began to scrub himself. After a while of scrubbing himself, the kirin began to use the bucket to rinse off his body. He gave a relaxed sigh as he felt the warm water wash over his head and back. When he was through, he removed the plug from the bottom of the tub and stepped out. The dirty, sudsy water drained from the tub and fell to the ground, where it flowed towards the grate, where it once again drained, this time out of sight. Gojira shook his body furiously as drops of water flew off his body. His fur was erect and spikey after he had shook off the water. Still, his fur was wet. It didn't matter to him since he always dried off completely thanks to the air. The kirin made his way out of the small bathing room and sat on his rear in the center of the room. He looked down at himself and saw his scratches from the timber wolf attack had scabbed over. He gently brushed a claw against the scabs but then winced as he accidently scratched one of them off. It didn't bleed, since a new layer of skin was underneath. He sighed as he heard a knock at the door. In confusion, he made his way over to the door and opened it. Just at his door was none other than Princess Celestia.

"Good evening!" greeted Celestia. Gojira cautiously glanced from side to side, not able to see any guards.

"Um... Hello. Where are the guards that are normally posted here?" asked Gojira.

"I gave them the night off. There should be a rotation of guards to take the shift soon. But while they're not here, may I come in? I brought some tea," said Celestia as she levitated a tea pot up as a couple of cups flowed out of a saddle bag at her side. Gojira bore a look of reluctance. He didn't want to get in trouble by being alone with the princess.

"I uh..."

"Great!" said Celestia as she walked past the kirin. Gojira gulped worriedly as he quickly closed the door. He turned and found Celestia taking a seat on the floor as she set the tea pot on the ground.

"I apologize for the conditions for your room. It was such short notice and the guards felt that-" Celestia was interrupted as Gojira took a seat across from her with a shake of his head.

"I'm a slave and prisoner, your highness. The only privilege that I have is to live," said Gojira. Celestia lightly frowned in response.

"I'm sorry about this. I don't think this is right to have you forced to work for my kingdom and unable to return home. But I want you to know that I don't consider you a prisoner. As far as I'm concerned, you're my guest," said Celestia with a soft smile. Gojira looked away as he puffed air from his nostrils in frustration.

"I don't understand. Why are you being so kind to me? You are aware of my past, right?" asked Gojira. Celestia began to pour the tea into the cups.

"I am. I was in the same room as you for your trial, if you recall," said Celestia.

"But I was able to get a better understanding of your situation and how it all came to be. It may be naive to say this, but after what I learned and from speaking with you, I realized that you cannot be so bad," said Celestia with a smile. Gojira's eyes slightly widened as the alicorn said that. She then noticed that he had grown a sad expression as he looked down at the ground. Celestia's ears flattened against her head as she bore a look of worry.

"Gojira?" called Celestia. The kirin shook his head.

"It's nothing. It's just that a dear friend of mine said that to me once," said Gojira with a sigh.

"You mean the sirens?" asked Celestia.

"One of them. Her name was Adagio Dazzle," answered Gojira. His eyes were downcast. "She was a good friend. We played together as foals, and we learned from each other. She was there to cheer me up when I was down. And I was happy to return the favor. She was even one of the most beautiful creatures that I have ever met."

"You loved her," said Celestia. Gojira slowly nodded. It was at this point that he realized that he was pouring out his feelings to this stranger. Normally he wouldn't do that. However, his heavy heart demanded to be heard, and the young princess seemed to genuinely care.

"I did. I do. She shared the same feelings that I had for her. But on the same night, I was frozen by that old pony," said Gojira with disdain. Celestia deeply frowned in response. This Adagio Dazzle that Gojira spoke of must have really been special. Hearing how they were separated and may never reunite weighed heavily on her heart.

"Now, I'm all alone once again," said Gojira as he reached for the tea cup. His expression hardened in annoyance as he realized that his hoof was incapable of picking up the cup. It was larger and covered in sharp claws. He swore that he saw earth ponies picking up certain objects with their hooves, but he had no idea how. They must have had a lot of practice. Gojira attempted to press his hoof against the cup but only pushed it to the side. He grunted in annoyance as he tried to pick up the cup. Suddenly, it was engulfed in a golden aura. The tea cup hovered into the air and onto Gojira's hooves. The kirin found Celestia's horn glowing as she bore a sympathetic smile.

"Well, I wouldn't say that. Gojira, if you need someone to speak to, I'm here for you. Not as a princess, but as a friend," said Celestia. Gojira looked at her in surprise.

"Friend?" asked Gojira. Celestia nodded with her warm smile, which was like the warmth of the sun on a spring day. Gojira looked to the side with his cheeks lightly flushing. This filly was being too kind to him. But, kindness was what he needed after all that has happened. He then carefully brought his hooves closer to his muzzle as he held the tea. He carefully took sips of the liquid, as Celestia held a hoof to her lips with suppressed giggles. As Gojira tasted the tea, his expression contorted into a grimace as he stuck his tongue out.

"I didn't like it at first either. But it grows on you," said Celestia with a small laugh. Gojira reluctantly continued to drink his tea, fighting through the bitterness of the liquid.

Later that evening, Celestia had suddenly appeared in a burst of golden light in the castle hall. She peered over a corner and found a couple of royal guards standing by the door to Gojira's room. Fortunately, she knew how to perform teleportation spells so that she could leave without anyone knowing that she was inside. Celestia sighed in relief as her guards remained unaware of her presence. The alicorn casually walked through the hall as she kept the cups and tea pot sealed away in her saddle bag. Soon, she came to her bedroom, where a large round bed sat in the center of room, where small shelves filled with books lined the wall by her window, where the moon shone clearly in the night sky. Celestia sighed as she lazily dropped her saddle bag on the ground and plopped herself on her bed. As she snuggled in her bed, Celestia suddenly saw a pair of teal eyes glaring at her just inches from her face. Celestia gave a startled yelp as she shot up from her bed, finding Luna to be rising.

"You went to go see him alone, didn't you?" questioned Luna with a look of disapproval. Celestia looked away with a shrug.

"Maybe. We did have a nice chat and enjoyed some tea," said Celestia, though the last part was only partially true. Only she enjoyed the tea.

"Sister, are you mad?! We don't know enough about him! You know what he did!" said Luna.

"Wait, why am I being scolded by you? Aren't the eldest siblings meant to scold the younger siblings?" muttered Celestia in confusion as her sister glared at her. Luna stuck her nose up in the air as she looked away.

"I don't like him," said Luna. Celestia looked at her in confusion.

"Why not? He's actually quite nice," said Celestia.

"I... He's scary! You saw what he did that day! He has sharp claws and teeth!" said Luna as she shuddered as she recalled the bizarre traits of the kirin. It was frightful to see a pony, or even a creature in anyway bearing traits that would normally be present on a predator. Celestia shook her head with a sigh.

"Sister, don't judge him before you get to know him," said Celestia as she took a seat beside the smaller filly.

"He doesn't have much work to do tomorrow since he exceeded expectations. So maybe we can spend time with him and get to know him," said Celestia. Luna bore a look of dread.

"Absolutely not! I wouldn't dare come near him!" said Luna. Celestia smirked as she placed a wing over the filly's shoulder.

"Too bad! As princess, you cannot abandon your duties! Watching over him and 'reforming' him is our duty!" said Celestia with a smug smile. Luna sighed in aggravation as she scowled, her ears drooping.