Chapters The Other Side of The Story
The land of the rising sun. That is what Neighpon has been known as. This eastern island is the home of different walks of life, from kirin to kappa and dragons. The land had its beauty: cherry blossom trees that dropped their petals through the wind; green hills; and tall mountains that seem to touch the sky. However, beauty is always escorted by danger in this land. From monsters, demonic beasts, and, of course, hostile kirin. This is what a young kirin came to know throughout his life.
From a cave hidden among stones and foliage and by a beach, a kirin with a charcoal grey coat stepped outside. His ear twitched as he bore a drowsed expression. He was a foal, bearing large amber eyes and baby fangs that stuck out from his upper jaw and his lips. He yawned as he opened his mouth wide and revealed his sharp teeth. Leaning down as he stretched his forelegs, the black claws at his hooves scratched at the dirt as he swayed his short tail, where the dark hair brushed away sand. He then stood back up and shook his head, causing his spiky dark mane, which ran all the way from his head to the mid-section of his tail, to stand erect. The young kirin was fully awake as he felt a cool breeze brush his fur and hit his tan, armored underside. This young Kirin was named, Gojira. An odd name in the opinion of an outsider, but a well-known name to the natives of Neighpon.
Gojira inhaled deeply the fresh air with his nostrils and exhaled. He began to leave his cave, trotting to the green fields, butterflies flapping in his line of sight. The land was peaceful and there was nothing more that the young kirin liked than to live in solitude, in his damp cave, and to take a stroll in the luscious green fields that surrounded it. He immediately stopped as he spotted a rabbit lying in the grass. The young kirin licked his lips as he crouched in the tall grass, stalking the unsuspecting bunny. As the rabbit fed on the grass, Gojira slightly raised his rump into the air while swaying his tail. He narrowed his eyes as he wiggled his rump and broke off into a sprint, racing through the grass and to his prey. The bunny shot up with a start and fled with all the speed that it could muster. Gojira was falling behind as the bunny scurried all around the field, making sharp turns and bounding over logs and stones. As the rabbit found a hole, it leaped inside. Gojira skidded to a halt and found the burrow in the ground. He stuck his claws inside and began to scratch at the walls. After a minute, he removed his foreleg and peaked inside of the burrow. It was a small tunnel, which the rabbit had escaped through.
Gojira scowled in response as he kicked the dirt in failure. ‘So much for breakfast. No matter,’ he thought. He knew his land well, and bunnies weren't the only source of food. Gojira walked away from the burrow and continued through the field until he was near a river. There, he found a couple of kirin mares sitting near the bank, scrubbing kimonos against boards in the water. Their antlers glowed with magic as they willed the clothes to be scrubbed against the boards. Gojira's ears folded against his skull as he bore a look of disappointment. He reluctantly began to walk closer to the river with his head slightly lowered. As he came up to the river, the mares that were washing clothes noticed him. They bore looks of disgust and disdain as the young kirin followed the river away from them. Gojira could hear them whisper unkind things about him, which ranged from him being a demon’s spawn to being a hideous beast. Gojira bore hard eyes as he picked up his pace, kicking up dirt.
One of the reasons for him living alone was to avoid the stigma of the local kirin near his land. The river divided his territory from their village. The villagers never stepped cloven hoof onto his side, and he never stepped clawed hoof on their side. It was a respectable neighbor pact, but that never stopped the other foals from mocking his appearance, nor did it stop the adults from ridiculing him. As Gojira roamed about, he eventually came across a pond, where reeds stuck out above the surface. Gojira smiled as he spotted koi fish swimming in this pond. Their bright orange and white scales reflected the sunlight beneath the shimmering water. He dove inside of the pond, allowing the cool water to wash over him. From the sides of his neck, gill flaps were revealed from beneath his fur. The kirin breathed in his new environment as he watched koi fish, large and small, swim about. Gojira scanned the fish as he searched for the most appetizing one. He then found a koi fish with golden scales mixed with its white. The fish fed with its large lips as its fins swayed like hair in the water. Gojira's stomach growled as he eyed the large fish. He then swam through the water like a crocodile, swaying his body and tail from side to side. The fish were startled by his approach, but the one he had his eyes locked on was doomed. Gojira emerged from the water with the koi fish in his mouth. His jaws and fangs kept a firm grip on the flapping fish. As Gojira made his way to dry land, a rock landed by him, causing him to jump.
"Get away from my precious koi, you wretched beast!" shouted an old kirin stallion as he shook his hoof. He then picked up another stone, which Gojira was forced to duck from. He then broke off into a sprint, fleeing his attacker. Gojira had ran further away from his home and the nearby village, desiring to eat in peace. He sat down on his rump as he dropped the fish to the ground.
As he prepared to eat, he spotted a metal cap rising out of the bushes. Curious, Gojira stalked over to the metal cap, crouching down to the ground. As he walked closer, the cap suddenly hid beneath the bushes. Gojira quickly pounced where the cap had disappeared to and found that nothing was there. He then heard snickering, prompting the kirin to turn around. His eyes widened as he found a creature that was about his size. It stood on two legs, bearing webbed claws. The creature was scaly and green, resembling a humanoid turtle. Its beak bore pointed teeth and it bore a large shell on its back and a metal cap upon its head. This was a kappa, a yokai that resided in lakes and rivers in Neighpon. The creature stuck his tongue out at Gojira as he it held a finger beneath his yellow eye, revealing part of his socket.
"Nyeeeeeh!" taunted the kappa as he held Gojira's fish over his shoulders. Gojira growled in response as he bared his sharp teeth. The kappa gave a high-pitch laugh as he ran away from the kirin. Gojira was about to chase after the kappa but suddenly felt himself trip. He grunted as he fell face down into the dirt and felt a figure hop onto his back and jumped off him. Gojira raised his head and found a second kappa, this one more of a yellow-green, running to meet his friend. The two laughed as they mocked the kirin while turning to each other and bumping their shells. The two ran away, leaving Gojira in the dust.
The young kirin flopped his ears against his head with a look of disappointment. He then sighed as he planted his head on the ground. The kappas were known to be mischievous little creatures. Sometimes they committed harmless pranks and other times they performed actual malicious acts. However, they mostly settled with stealing the clothes of the villagers and their food. Gojira wished that he had a cucumber on him to maybe offer up as a trade in return of his fish, considering how the vegetable was a favorite to kappas. Gojira sighed as he slammed his hoof on the ground and slowly stood back to his hooves.
Gojira was roaming down the road with a rumbling stomach. He hadn't eaten in hours, due to how his food sources were now out of reach. The fish in the pond were owned by the old stallion, the bunnies were much too quick for him to catch, and he had no money to purchase any food from any pony or kirin. That has left him to one option, and it was one he preferred not to do. Gojira sighed as he turned and headed over towards the nearby village. He sneaked through the dirt road in the village, while diving behind barrels, baskets, and houses for cover. He peeked his head out from behind a bush as he sniffed the air. The smell of delicious dumplings filled his nostrils. Gojira sneaked through the area until he came across a hut, where a green-scaled kirin mare with a white mane placed a tray of dumplings by a counter, allowing them to cool off. Gojira took another whiff, able to catch the scent of fish from within the dumplings. He sneaked about towards the hut as the mare looked at a pot and the contents inside. As Gojira was close enough, he immediately dove for the dumplings and scooped them all into his mouth. With his face stuffed, he felt that they were still hot. He painfully scurried away as his eyes watered. As the mare turned back to her tray, she gasped as she found that her dumplings were gone.
Gojira had then hid himself behind another house, where he spat the dumplings onto the grass. He panted as he hung out his burned tongue out. He then sniffled as he wiped his teary eyes. The little kirin then happily leaned down to the food that he had stolen and blew upon each dumpling before devouring them. He didn't necessarily felt bad about stealing that mare's food, considering how she had a big pot filled and was cooking something up. He mostly felt worried of being seen in this village. He hadn't been in this village in the past couple of years, where he himself was ostracized from. But, he was too desperate to eat something to let his fear of entering the village stop him.
After Gojira had eaten, his stomach still growled. The dumplings were simply not enough to satisfy his hunger. He sniffed the air again, and caught the scent of more food further down the road. It seemed like a bad idea to continue to remain in this village because of a barely filled tummy, but the smell was too delicious to pass up. So, Gojira stood back up and sneaked through the village. He passed a couple of kirin as they pulled carts down the road, while ducking behind a bush as foals giggled while kicking a ball as a game. Gojira's heart raced as he continued his mission. It was foolish to risk being seen by the other kirin just because of a starving stomach, but there was no turning back now.
Gojira finally found where the source of the smell was coming from. His eyes widened as his mouth drooled over at the sight. He found a plate of salted salmon, simmered in its juices, sitting on the wooden porch of a house. Gojira's stomach growled again, demanding that he consume the cooked meat. He was reluctant, considering how it was out in the open, but as he continued to stare at it, the less he began to worry. There seemed to be no one else around. So, Gojira quickly made his way over to the plate and bit down on the fish. He gave a happy sigh as he tasted the succulent fish, bearing a salty taste to it. As Gojira was about to move away, but he heard the sound of hooves clopping against the wooden floor. He froze as he spotted a kirin stallion with whiskers over his snout stepped out from a room. His eyes widened as he spotted Gojira in front of his home, with the fish in his mouth. He narrowed his eyes as he gave an enraged cry.
"You dare to invade my home and steal my food, you foul monster?!" demanded the stallion as he levitated a katana to his side and drew the blade from the sheath. Gojira's eyes widened as the kirin lunged at him with the sword in his magic grip. Gojira dodged the steel blade and quickly ran away from the house. He grunted as he slammed into a mare, knocking her to the ground. The female kirin wailed in horror.
"The Kaijirin is attacking me!" screamed the mare as she pushed Gojira off her. Gojira stumbled back, and found the horrified faces of the villagers. They all gave enraged shouts; the stallions grabbed their farming tools or cooking utensils and charged towards him. Gojira frantically stood up and ran away from the enraged villagers. He took cover by a well, where the villagers missed him and continued to run down a path that they believed that he had followed. Gojira sighed in relief but then gasped in shock as an arrow struck the well just near his head. He turned and found a villager with a bow and arrow in his magical grip. He drew another arrow and took aim at Gojira. The youngster immediately took the opportunity to run like the wind.
As he came away from the well, the villagers spotted him and continued their pursuit. Gojira frantically made his way out to the exit, maneuvering any blades or arrows that came his way. Soon, he had made it outside of the village. However, the angry stallions continued their pursuit with their weapons. Gojira leaped through the river, kicking his legs against the weak current, making it to the other side. As he made it to the surface, he continued to run. The villagers continued their pursuit, crossing the river as well. As Gojira grew closer to his home, he found that the villagers were keeping up their pursuit. Soon, he found himself cornered by the large stones that made up his cave. He stopped and turned with a frightened expression as the villagers pointed their farming tools, swords, and cooking tools at him, bearing menacing glares. Gojira trembled at their presence as they threatened him. He shook violently as he closed his eyes while gritting his teeth. Then, he felt himself grow enraged.
These villagers had spent their time stigmatizing him because of how different Gojira was compared to them. He had no parents, no cloven hooves, and he had gills. He was different compared to ordinary kirin, so he was considered a monster by them. Gojira opened his eyes with a fire that burned with anger in them. The back of his tail's mane lit up a soft neon blue, which traveled up the mane on his back. The sound of whirring and low humming filled the air. The villagers backed away with frightened expressions as Gojira's back glowed with the neon light. Soon, the bright glow had reached Gojira's spiky mane on his head, while he growled angrily and glared at the intruders.
He reared his head back while inhaling deeply and then shot his head forward while opening his jaws wide open to spit forth neon blue flames. The flames burned the grass in front of Gojira as he turned his head, causing his breath to scourge the earth like a hose. The kirin cried in terror as the flames burned the ground at their hooves. The kirin quickly backed away and fled from Gojira as he poured his anger upon them. As soon as they were gone, Gojira stopped spewing his breath and began to pant. This breath was just one of the few other things that had led to the villagers to call him a monster. Gojira dropped his ears down as he lowered his head. He turned back and headed for his cave, making his way deep inside to the dampest part, where water droplets echoed inside. He found himself by a pile of moss that sat on the ground. Gojira sniffled as he lied himself down on the patch of moss and curled himself up, allowing a couple of tears to stream down his face.
It was hours later. Gojira, lied curled in his cave, his eyes closed. The early night sky illuminated the entrance of his cave, along with the stars and moon. As the youngster rested in his lonely cave, he heard an echoed sound. His brows crinkled as his ears picked up a soothing tune. Gojira opened his eyes and then raised himself up. He raised his ear as he listened carefully for the mysterious sound. It came to him as an echo, soothing his hurting soul. Curious, Gojira walked towards the outside of his cave, searching for the source of the sound. It was like a vocalizing tune that was in the air, which seemed to be coming from further out to the beach.
Gojira walked away from his cave and made his way to the sandy beach that lied just ahead. He passed rocks that were buried in the sand as he listened to the sounds. The closer he came to the waters, the louder that the vocalizations were becoming. He stopped at the shore and listened. It was rather odd that vocalizations were coming from the water. It seemed impossible for a kirin to be capable of doing so since they couldn't breathe under water, but for Gojira it was possible. He stepped into the cold ocean water, slightly stiffening. He took quick breathes as he fought the cold and dove inside of the water.
Gojira swam to the deeper end of the water, able to see the moonlight cast its soft light just upon the underwater sand. He spotted several rocks below and a few crabs sitting on them. Fish swam in groups as they moved away from Gojira. Now, the vocalizations became much clearer. He continued his swim as he searched for the source. Soon, Gojira came across a great bush of kelp that swayed in the water like flowing hair in the wind. He swam through the kelp as the sounds grew louder. As he reached the end, he poked his head out of the kelp. Ahead, he spotted a strange creature.
She appeared like a pony, golden in color and about the same age as Gojira. However, she had a fish tail on the lower half of her body rather than hind legs. Instead of a mane, she had a fin that ran down to her back. She also had a golden gem embedded into her chest. The creature swam about as she closed her eyes and vocalized. As she did this, Gojira could connect the sounds that he heard to her. A lovely tune was coming from her lovely voice. Gojira lightly smiled as he felt himself relax as her singing had such a calming effect on him.
As Gojira listened, the creature turned her head and found Gojira. She gasped with a startled expression. Gojira immediately hid in the kelp, bearing a frightened expression. As he hid, the creature slowly swam towards the bush of kelp. Gojira slowly peeked out of the kelp and found the creature looking at him in curiosity. Gojira slightly hid himself with a gulp. However, the creature swam closer and peeked her head inside of the bush. She pulled her head away as she found the uncomfortable expression of Gojira. The kirin slowly emerged from the bush, allowing the creature to get a better look at him. She swam around him with a hoof to her chin, analyzing his mane, coat, legs and tail. The creature then found the gills on his neck, watching as they took in water. She smiled as she looked into Gojira's eyes.
The creature spoke to him, but Gojira looked at her in confusion as he failed to understand her tongue. The creature gave him a half-offended look. The creature spoke again, saying a strange word that he could not decipher. Gojira remained silent as he thought of a response, but the creature turned tail and left. Gojira reached a hoof out to her to try to make her stay, but then lowered it. Perhaps he was too different for the creature to be around. With that, Gojira turned and swam back to the surface. After making land to the beach, he shook off the water that clung to his coat. The foal sighed as he made his way back inside of the cave. At least he was able to hear a lovely voice up close.
The next day, Gojira sat on the beach in silence. His eyes looked out to the horizon, where the crystal blue water calmly sent its waves upon land. Gojira turned his head back to the village in the distance. He couldn’t return to there after what he had done. It wasn't something he was proud of, but he had no choice, being that his life was in danger. No doubt that the villagers may have been plotting to be rid of him once and for all. Gojira sighed as looked at his cave. It was no longer the safest place for him to be, since the villagers knew where he lived. He thought that perhaps now was the time to leave this land and find a faraway land, where he would be able to be free and safe.
With that thought, Gojira's mood began to brighten up. He stood up and looked towards the ocean, feeling the need to go someplace that was not Neighpon. Gojira ran towards the open water, in pursuit of his freedom. He splashed through the waves of the water, fighting through the force of nature that pushed him back, as if it were attempting to keep him from leaving. He wasn't going to back down from the waves. He grunted as he dove beneath the surface and used the strength of his muscles to move through the water with enough speed to pass through the coming wave without effort. The foal continued through this vast sea for just about a couple of miles. His determination went undeterred as he continued. In fact, he grew much more determined to leave the wretched place that he had hailed from.
After the next couple of hours, Gojira had parked himself upon a stone, gnawing at a crab's shell for a lunch break. After breaking the shell, Gojira proceeded to suck out the meat from the shell. He munched and crunch with a happy expression. Food seemed to be much more convenient to come by in the ocean, considering how there were some slow-moving prey. He wondered why he never thought of hunting in the ocean before. As Gojira continued his feast, he heard giggling in the area. He immediately stopped eating and turned to find four figures in the distance.
He recognized their appearance being the same as the pony-fish hybrid that he heard singing the previous night. He spotted the same light brilliant golden one, giggling as she chased a cerulean-colored hybrid, where she bore a bluish gem in her chest. The two swam about in a quick pace, in a game of what Gojira could assume was tag. The third creature was violet in color on her upper body, with darker purple on the scales of her tail. This one bore a grumpy expression as she rubbed her aching hoof, while looking down at a crab. The fourth creature was sea foam green in color, bearing an older appearance. Her body was longer than the other three and her fangs appeared out of her mouth. This one was a teenager in age, compared to the younger foals, and seemed to be their caretaker as she patted the violet creature's shoulder in comfort.
Gojira watched curiously as he lied on his rock, while he swallowed the rest of the crab meat that he had in his mouth. As the two sea fillies chased each other, the light cerulean one swam away from the light golden filly, unknowingly headed for Gojira's path. As she spotted Gojira, she immediately stopped herself before she could come any closer. Her eyes went wide as dinner plates and her pupils became pinpricks as she saw Gojira, who was vastly different compared to her. She gave a shrill scream in terror, startling everyone in the area. Gojira recoiled and crouched on his rock, while the light golden filly's eyes widened in surprise. The light cerulean filly swam away from Gojira in a frantic motion, hiding behind the older creature. The sea foam green mare's eyes widened in surprise while the light violet filly bore a nervous expression and swam to the elder's side. The light golden filly smiled at Gojira and swam over to the sea foam filly, speaking to her in the same strange language that Gojira had no knowledge of. The filly pointed to him as she spoke, referring to him. The older filly turned to look at Gojira, who flopped his ears against his head with a slight nervous expression. She swam towards Gojira, which caused the two younger ones to bear looks of panic.
"Hello," greeted the sea foam creature. Gojira's eyes widened in surprise. This creature spoke Neighponese. He gulped as he searched for the right words to reply.
"He-Hello," responded Gojira, carrying a small voice. The older creature smiled warmly.
"My friend here says that she saw you the other day but you never responded to her when you said hello. She thought that maybe you didn't understand," said the creature. Gojira slowly nodded in response.
"I didn't," responded Gojira. The sea creature swam around Gojira, analyzing his traits with a look of curiosity.
"You're a land dweller, a kirin. Yet you can breathe under water. You even have gills!" said the creature as she pointed at Gojira's neck.
"I-I always had them. What... What are you?" asked Gojira.
"We're Sirens. My name is Umiko. What is yours?" asked the Siren.
"Gojira..." answered Gojira. Umiko looked at him with a look of interest.
"As in..." Umiko was interrupted as Gojira nodded.
"Yes. As in... That," answered Gojira as he looked away.
"Well, that is an interesting name choice by your parents," said Umiko with a smile. Gojira lightly frowned as he looked at the ground.
"I... I don't have any," said Gojira. Umiko looked at Gojira with a sympathetic look.
"Oh. I'm sorry," said the Siren. She then cleared her throat as she gestured to the smaller fillies around her.
"Um, these are some friends of my family's from up west. This golden one is Adagio, the violet is Aria, and this little cutie is Sonata," said Umiko as she pointed to each filly. Although Adagio couldn't understand what her elder was saying, she knew how to recognize an introduction. She smiled as she waved at Gojira, while Sonata still hid behind Umiko and Aria lamely waved. Gojira slightly raised himself and bowed.
"Nice to meet you, I am Gojira," greeted the colt. Umiko turned to the fillies and began to translate.
"Gojira?" asked Adagio. The kirin nodded in response, which the filly smiled brightly to. Adagio began to speak in her native tongue.
"She asked if you want to play," said Umiko. Gojira looked away shyly. Never did other foals ever invite him to play. It warmed him up inside.
"Oh. Thank you. But... I'm actually traveling right now," said Gojira.
"Oh? Where are you going?" asked Umiko.
"I'm leaving far away from Neighpon, in search of a new land to call my own. I never was welcomed back where I come from because of how different I was from other kirin, so I decided to leave it all behind for something new. But...I'm not sure where to go," said Gojira with a sheepish smile.
"On your own? The ocean can be dangerous, you know," said Umiko.
"Maybe, but it’s better than staying on land, waiting for angry villagers to attack me," said Gojira with a sigh. Adagio looked on in annoyance, not understanding a word. She tugged at Umiko's shoulder, while speaking to her. Umiko translated to the girls, which Adagio looked on with a deep frown. Sonata slightly came out of hiding as she heard Gojira's story. Adagio gasped as a bright smile appeared on her face and spoke to Umiko again.
"Wha... What's she saying?" asked Gojira with a tilt of his head.
"She says that if you'd like, you can travel with her and her sisters and mother to get to wherever you'd like to go," said Umiko with a smile. Gojira looked down in thought as he pondered his move. It didn't seem to hurt to take her on that offer, considering how they haven't exactly reacted with hostility towards him. Gojira lightly smiled as he nodded.
"I... I think that would be OK," said Gojira. Umiko translated, which Adagio smiled at. She swam over to Gojira's side and tugged at his foreleg. She spoke to him as she continued to tug.
"She said, 'come meet our mom'," said Umiko. Gojira began to paddle his tail.
"O-OK," said Gojira as he led away from his rock. In reluctance, Sonata and Aria followed. The group soon came across a group of other Sirens, the rest of which were older, with a few foals as well. Umiko gestured for Gojira to remain at her side, while the fillies swam towards an adult Siren mare that was bluish in color, bearing fins with dark blue stripes. Adagio excitedly told the adult about Gojira, while pointing to him. The mare looked in Gojira's direction; he shied away next to Umiko, who merely held her hoof against his back. It seemed that Adagio had gotten into an argument with her mom, where she shook her head and seemed to be giving reasons.
"What is she saying?" whispered Gojira.
"She says that it's not right to take you along with them. Your parents would be worried sick. Now Adagio's countering with her argument, saying that you told us that you had no family and that you were a traveler to find a new home," said Umiko. Adagio's tone carried desperation as she tried to convince her mother to have her reconsider her stance. Meanwhile, Sonata and Aria were still silent, unsure on what to say. Gojira was amazed at why this stranger was so willing to help him. In all his life, no one offered to help him. This must have been what compassion was. The mother reluctantly looked Gojira's way and then to the other adult Sirens, who shrugged in response.
"If it doesn't work out, I won't be angry. I am a stranger, not to mention that I may look strange to you all. I wouldn't mind swimming alone," said Gojira as he looked towards Umiko.
"No, don't say that," said Umiko. She then smiled as she found Adagio hugging her mother tightly. "Besides, I think luck is on your side."
As she said this, Adagio came rushing back over to Gojira and Umiko. She grabbed Gojira's hooves and held them with a bright smile on her face. She spoke her foreign language to him again, this time filled with joy.
"She says that her mother is fine with you joining them on their journey. But they won't be leaving until tomorrow morning," said Umiko. Gojira lightly smiled in response.
"Thank you," said Gojira. Umiko translated to Adagio, who nodded to Gojira in response. The kirin gently pulled his hooves away from Adagio and swam towards Adagio's mother, who looked at the kirin curiously. The colt bowed his head deeply, the deepest bow that he has ever made in his entire life. That was how much he was grateful for the siren’s kindness.
"Thank you, I am in your debt," said Gojira. One of the adult sirens translated to Adagio's mother. The sea mare turned to looked down at Gojira with a warm smile. Adagio swam back to Gojira's side and tugged at his foreleg. She began to lead him to Aria and Sonata. Aria merely slightly recoiled in response, bearing a look of reluctance, while Sonata's lips quivered as she cowered at this strange looking creature. Gojira gave a forced smile as he lightly waved. He then spotted a pack of large fish-like creatures that swam nearby. They were grey in color, bearing short dorsal fins on their backs and tail fins that were horizontal. These creatures had bottle-like snouts, squeaking as they swam. Suddenly, the fillies all gasped as they turned to find these creatures squeaking as they swam nearby. Sonata gave a delighted squeal as she swam after the fish. Aria and Adagio followed after her.
"What's with them?" asked Gojira as he looked towards Umiko.
"Oh, they really like dolphins," said Umiko with an amused smile. Gojira looked at the grey creatures in curiosity.
"Never heard of a dolphin. Are they good to eat?" asked Gojira. Umiko lost her smile bore a look of discomfort.
"Umm... I-I don't really know. We never eat them," said Umiko.
"Why not? They're much larger than most of the fish that I've seen and plump. You could feed a family with one of them," said Gojira as he licked his lips.
"Well uh... It's just that we don't want to. Dolphins are our friends. They're smart, playful, and cute," said Umiko.
"Yeah, bunnies are cute too. I never made a fuss about it. I have to eat to live," said Gojira. Umiko tilted her head at him.
"Bunnies? " asked Umiko. Gojira shook his head.
"Never mind. Just animals that live on land. But if dolphins are that special to you all, then I won't eat them," said Gojira as he pawed at the sand, moving a clam shell out of the way. Umiko sighed in relief while Gojira swam after the siren fillies. He made his way by Adagio, who giggled as a dolphin nuzzled her chest while giving playful squeaks. Aria smiled as she gently pat a dolphin's head, while Sonata performed flips underwater with the other dolphin, giggling. Adagio gestured for Gojira to come by her side. The kirin did so, and was brought close to one of these dolphins. The creature squeaked as it brought its muzzle near Gojira. The kirin lightly chuckled in response as the dolphin nuzzled his chest. Gojira swam forward and performed a corkscrew spin while the dolphin chased him and swam all around him as he spun. Adagio laughed as she followed the two and joined Gojira's side, spinning as well.
Meanwhile, the rest of the dolphins joined in with the siren and the kirin from the surface. The playfully squeaked as they began to move like torpedoes in the water. Sonata placed on a pout expression and called out to Adagio, not wanting to be left out of the fun. Aria shrugged in response and joined her siblings and the kirin. The group swam about in the area, passing each other and performing twists and turns as they swam. Gojira laughed from the experience with joy. He never knew that fun could be so... well, fun. He never thought that he could share this experience with others. As Gojira swam by Adagio's side, the two glanced at each other. Gojira gave her a soft smile, meanwhile Adagio seemed to bear a bit of a shy smile, with a tinge of red on her cheeks that went unnoticed by Gojira. She then gave a toothy grin and speed up, which Gojira responded to by pursuing her.
It was the next day. Gojira was swimming after the sirens, with the mother of the young fillies in the lead. Meanwhile, Umiko was following along as well. She had volunteered to head back to the home with the others and Gojira, acting as a translator for him until he either learned their language or vice versa. Her family was reluctant to let her go along, but she was old enough to travel and was therefore trusted and wished a safe journey.
Gojira glanced back and found Adagio questioning Umiko. Occasionally, Umiko would speak in her language and would say some words in Gojira's. The kirin assumed that she must have been teaching her Neighponese. As the sirens continued their journey, Sonata had grown to be a little braver around Gojira and proceeded to tag after his tail. She giggled as she reached her hoof at the hair that made up the tip. Aria looked at her in annoyance and proceeded to scold her for likely pestering the kirin. However, Gojira never really mind it. He found it rather endearing that she found a fascination with the dark hair on his tail.
As the group traveled, they grew near wide open sandy plains of the ocean floor, where rocks and bottom feeders lied. As they continued, they had the pleasure of seeing all sorts of sea creatures, some of which that Gojira had never seen before in his life. He saw grand fish the size of boats swimming by, with a baby by its side. The creature let out a gentle and majestic call, which echoed in the watery environment. Gojira stared in awe at this massive beast along with the fillies. In this deep ocean, they even spotted a massive squid drifting through the sea, waving its long tentacles and looking around with its massive eyes. The group continued their travels for four days and nights, stopping for rests and feed during their breaks. Gojira was amazed at just how vast the ocean was, and wondered just how far the nearest shore was. He was lucky to have others with him that knew their way around on this journey.
After days of swimming, the group soon came towards an area where tons of stones were stacked together, and a few were cave-like structures. Here, a few other sirens were swimming out and about. As they spotted their neighbors, they greeted them with a wave, while casting odd glances at Gojira. They were puzzled at seeing this land creature swimming with the family, appearing as if it were breathing under water. As the group made their way near a reef, where kelp and sea anemone were planted, fish swam all around, ranging from many different colors, along with eels hiding in their nooks. Sonata sighed in exhaustion as she plopped herself on the sandy ground. Gojira yawned as he did the same, while lying down on a flat rock. Umiko came near Gojira.
"Their mother said that this area is where she and her daughters live. You're welcome to stay here for as long as you like," said Umiko, while the sea mare looked to Gojira with a warm smile.
"Thank you," said Gojira as he stretched his legs and yawned. Umiko translated, while made her way next to Adagio, where the two shared a conversation. Meanwhile, Sonata sneaked by Gojira as she attempted to feel the hair on the tip of his tail again, but Aria sent her a glare. Sonata smiled sheepishly as she backed away, but instead dove over next to Gojira, holding her chin up by her hooves. She pointed towards the ground in front of the kirin while saying something in her language. Curious, Gojira looked to where she was pointing and found a star shaped creature lying in the sand. Gojira looked at it in confusion at this strange thing. It appeared to have rough skin, lacked eyes and appeared to have tiny tube feet underneath, that allowed it to traverse the terrain in a slow pace, like a snail. Gojira smiled as he poked the starfish with his muzzle, feeling the rough body of it. He and Sonata spent the next hour looking at the star fish as it moved towards a nearby rock in a slow pace. Meanwhile, Aria was napping on a stone, exhausted from the journey. Gojira and Sonata however, couldn't rest now that this creature had captured their attention, wondering how long it will take before it reaches one rock after the other. Sonata said words in her language with excitement as she pointed at the star fish.
Later, it was the evening. Junior lied in a patch of kelp nearby the fillies. Sonata snored as she lied on top of Aria, with her tail fin in her face. Aria bore a crinkled muzzle as she pushed Sonata's fin away in her sleep. Meanwhile, Adagio lied curled up next to her siblings in a peaceful sleep. Gojira was still awake, looking around at the area and found the other sirens of the area sleeping the night away. He locked his eyes up to the surface, where the water glimmered with the beautiful light from the heavens above. He imagined that the heavenly beings had smiled upon him and had decided to rid him of his misfortune, providing him with a chance to be happy. All it took was a push to leave his old land, to start again.
As Gojira lied down, he felt a weight against him. The kirin turned his head and found Adagio snuggled next to him on her belly with her calm sleeping expression on her face. Gojira felt his heart jump in response to this. He looked away with a warm feeling in his cheeks, one that he never felt before. He shook off the thought and lied his head down as Adagio's scales brushed against his fur. Soon, he drifted off to sleep, looking forward to his future.
It was just a few months later. Throughout this time, Gojira has been close to the sirens. Although they were at odds with his appearance and how he could breathe under water despite appearing as a land creature, they treated him like the neighborhood child that they were used to. Gojira had recently taken up living on the surface, much to Adagio's disappointment. However, he remained close to the beach. Or rather he lived on the beach, underneath a large stone that offered shade for the kirin as he lied by it and on top of a smooth stone that was beneath him. Gojira sighed after taking in the fresh air of his new land. He was curious as to what lied beyond his beach but was not in a rush to find out. Right now, this was his home.
The kirin dashed towards the ocean and dove inside, proceeding to swim further away from shore. After swimming about a mile, he came across the region where the sirens were living. As he swam by, he was greeted with waves by these sirens, which he waved back to. Gojira then came across where Adagio and her sisters were. Umiko was present as well.
"Herro, everyone," greeted Gojira with a thick accent as he came by. Sonata stifled a giggle while Aria snickered. Adagio sent them both a glare in response. She then turned to face Gojira with a smile.
"Hi, Goji!" greeted Adagio. She responded in the strange language that she had, which Gojira struggled to learn.
"Sorry. I still... Can't speak r-right," said Gojira as he searched his brain for the words to formulate a sentence.
"Don't worry, Gojira. Adagio is getting better at understanding and speaking Neighponese. You'll be able to communicate better soon," responded Umiko with a reassuring smile, in Neighponese. Gojira sighed.
"But I wanna be better at speaking their language. I want to be able to speak to all of them more," said Gojira in disappointment.
"You'll get it down. I promise. Now, I gotta go help harvest some clams. You and the girls behave and don't stray too far from the reef," said Umiko. Gojira nodded in response. Then, Umiko said the same command to the fillies. With that, she left the children alone.
"Tag?" asked Adagio in Neighponese. Gojira nodded in response. Sonata swam towards Gojira and tagged his shoulder and swam away with a giggle. The rest of the fillies began to swim away too, laughing as Gojira chased them. They continued their game through the next few minutes, eventually straying a bit away from the reef. As they played, Gojira noticed that they were straying from the reef, out into the open. As the fillies giggled, Gojira had stopped and was tagged by Aria. As she swam, she noticed his discomfort she raised a brow and tapped him again. Gojira faced her.
"We too far," said Gojira. Aria rolled her eyes. She spoke to him, but Gojira failed to decipher.
"She ask, ‘are you afraid’?" asked Adagio translated in a teasing tone. Gojira scoffed in response.
"No. Umiko said not to. We'll get in trouble," said Gojira. As Adagio partially translated, Sonata's eyes widened as being in trouble was something that she rather not be in. She went to Gojira's side and tugged at his foreleg, urging him to lead the way back home. Adagio puffed her cheek out with a scowl on her face as Sonata held his foreleg. Meanwhile, Aria was mocking Sonata over being afraid to get into trouble. The two had a spat contest as they argued. Adagio sighed in annoyance while Gojira shook his head.
Suddenly, a screech reached their hearing. The foals turned with startled expressions and gasped as they found a serpentine beast swimming nearby. It was about as large as an orca, with a head large enough to eat a foal whole. The serpent was 40 feet long, bearing tan armored scales and sharp horns on its head. The head bore red eyes, a forked tongue, and razor sharp teeth in its beaked mouth. Its long body had four short limbs and gills on the sides of its neck and its mid-section of its body. The creature gave a horrific roar as it spotted the foals, who were frozen with fear. The foals gave cries of terror as they fled from the sea dragon that was in pursuit. The beast was quickly catching up, but Gojira felt his mind elsewhere. It seemed that this was the end. After all his life of being an outcast and later being welcomed by strange creatures for about a few months, he was going to be eaten with his friends. However, Gojira’s fear slowly transformed into anger when he realized the sirens who accepted him as one of their own would be killed by the serpent. Acting against his flight instinct, the kirin immediately turned around and headed straight for the dragon. Adagio turned her head back and gasped in horror.
"Gojira!!" screamed Adagio as she and her sisters looked back to watch as Gojira hurled himself towards this predator. The sea dragon roared as it grew closer to Gojira, its eyes filled with hunger. As Gojira swam, his body suddenly sparked all around himself. A neon glow came from his eyes as his gills illuminated beneath their flaps. His mane sparked with the same neon glow from the back to the head. Gojira growled as the dragon came closer, while his sparking grew more intense. Before the dragon could open its jaws to devour the young kirin, Gojira gave a shout as he stopped and stretched his body out, releasing tense energy that filled his very being.
Suddenly in a bright flash, a blast erupted from all around Gojira in a neon blue sphere. The energy from this sphere burned through the water that surrounded him, creating an intense, boiling heat all around him. The dragon was blinded by the intense light, as well as the sirens. As the serpent came closer to the blast, it felt an intense burning sensation on its scales. It screeched in pain as its upper half of its body was burned severely but this energy, which was greater than fire and lava, something that sea serpent dragons were immune to. The serpent convulsed from the tender feeling that it bore from its body and swam away. Gojira panted as he felt the water in his proximity keep his body locked in a boiling heat. He grew light headed from the heat and the exhaustion that he had experienced after letting loose such power from his body in a large blast. This was nothing like his breath of flames that he was capable of spewing on the surface. Gojira allowed himself to sink down to the ocean floor, while the sirens cried out his name, swimming towards him. Gojira's vision went dark as he sunk.
Gojira lied down in a cave near the reef. The sirens watched worriedly over the kirin as their mother and Umiko looked him over. Gojira could hear them speak to each other as he was partially awake. Umiko turned to face the older mare.
"No, I'm not familiar with kirin being able to do what the girls described. But we do know for a fact that it happened, and we would all have been lost if it didn't," said Umiko as she spoke to the mare. She nodded in agreement.
"We're fortunate. All of us," said the mare as she nuzzled her daughters.
"Mommy, it was so scary! The dragon came out of nowhere and was like, 'Raaargh!' And Aria was like, 'Eeek! Mommy!' And-" Sonata was interrupted as Aria nudged Sonata in the side with a look of annoyance and pink in her cheeks.
"I-I did not say that!" said Aria with a look of embarrassment as she scowled. "I wasn't scared. Sort of."
"You just admitted that you were," said Adagio with a deadpanned stare. Aria crossed her forelegs over her chest and huffed in annoyance.
"What matters is that you are all safe. Including our hero here," said the mother as she glanced to Gojira with a small smile. She and Umiko began to swim out of the cave, leaving the fillies alone with the resting kirin. Adagio bore a deep frown while Sonata bore a look of worry.
"Is... Is he gonna die?" asked Sonata in a whisper.
"Don't be stupid. He's gonna be fine! He has to be," said Aria as she gazed at Gojira. Though she did feel unsure after witnessing something as frightening as a sphere of light coming from Gojira. It wasn't magic, since neither of her sisters could sense it. Not to mention that it left Gojira unconscious after using it. Adagio swam over to Gojira's side and lied down on the ground next to him. She nuzzled his cheek.
"Thank you, Goji," whispered Adagio in Neighponese. She then rested her head against his back and curled her tail close. Sonata smiled as she swam over to the other side of Gojira and lied against his rib. Aria rolled her eyes in response and proceeded to swim away. However, she felt a pair of hooves grab her by the tail and pull her back. Aria grunted as she was forced against Sonata in a hug. Aria struggled to free herself from her grip, but Sonata's tight hug was too great to overcome. Aria sighed in exasperation as she gave up her struggle, lying her head down against Sonata's tail.
"Darn it," said Aria. As the foals lied together in a pile, Gojira was fully in his blissful slumber, with all voices from the outside world becoming silent. Adagio glanced at Gojira, her hero. If not for him, she and her entire family would be in the belly of the sea serpent right about now. Her heart fluttered in her chest at his heroic, yet foolish, action. She smiled as she planted a small kiss on his cheek and brightly flushed to herself as she snuggled next to him. It seemed that now, Gojira had found a new place to call his home. Along with that, he had now gained something that he never had in his life. Friends. Gojira cracked a small smile in his sleep, having pleasant dreams.
The Other Side of The Story
A few years had rolled by. It felt as though time had gone as soon as it came. Now, what was once a foal became a young stallion. Gojira was resting on his belly on a flat rock that was just a mile from the main land. The kirin allowed the sun to bathe on his back, as the sound of the ocean filled his ears. His tail was tucked close to himself, away from the edges of the rock. He breathed in softly as he rested on this rock like a seal. He then heard water being breached as if something was emerging. He suddenly felt a weight on his back and his fur being damped again. He looked back and found a teenage Sonata bearing a toothy grin as she lied on his back.
"Hi Goji!" greeted Sonata. Gojira lightly smiled in response as he moved to the side, allowing Sonata to plant herself on the rock next to him.
"Hi, Sonata," greeted Gojira, with a bit of an accent. The time he had spent with the Sirens had allowed him to be able to understand their language. Now they were fully able to communicate with each other. Sonata had placed her hooves under her chin and held them up as she glanced at the kirin.
"Whatcha doin'?" asked Sonata.
"Well, I was relaxing," said Gojira, glancing away. He could feel Sonata staring at him, oblivious to the hint that she had interrupted his relaxation.
"That's great! Hey, do you have any plans?" asked Sonata. Gojira raised a brow at her.
"Um... No, why?" asked Gojira.
"Dagi wanted to know if you wanted to hang out with us. You haven't really been around these past couple of days," said Sonata with a slight look of disappointment.
"Sorry. I've just been exploring land a bit more. I didn't have the guts to do it when I was a foal, but things change," said Gojira. Sonata giggled.
"I'll bet! Did you know you've gotten pretty big? You're bigger than most of the boys in the sea!" said Sonata with a laugh. This was true as Gojira had grown to be a larger young stallion compared to the male sirens that were nearby. Gojira rolled his eyes.
"How could I miss that?" asked Junior. Sonata shrugged.
"I don't know. Do you pay attention? Wait, what were we talking about, again?" asked Sonata, feeling like she had forgotten something.
"You were asking if I wanted to hang out," said Gojira.
"Oh right! Will you?" asked Sonata. Gojira nodded as he affectionately rubbed his hoof over Sonata's head. She responded with a giggle.
"Sure, silly filly," said Gojira.
"Hey, that rhymed!" said Sonata. Gojira raised himself up and stretched his limbs. He gave a relieved sigh.
"Lead the way," said Gojira. Sonata nodded as she pushed herself off the rock and back into the water. The kirin followed after her. The two swam through the water towards the ocean floor, where the reef was present. The two came across an area where Aria lied on her side near some kelp as she moved around an empty clam shell. She caught Gojira in her peripheral vision and gave a wave.
"Hey, Gojira. Where you been?" asked Aria.
"Surface. On a walk to check out the area," answered Gojira.
"Nice place?" asked Aria with a look of curiosity.
"It's alright," said Gojira with a shrug. He then heard a gasp.
"Goji?" called a slightly deep, feminine voice. Gojira turned and found a familiar light gold siren bearing a bright smile.
"Hey," greeted Gojira. Adagio swam over to Gojira's side and greeted him with an affectionate nuzzle. Gojira lightly flushed in embarrassment.
"You haven't visited us in a couple of weeks. I thought you were beginning to forget about me," said Adagio as she spoke to him in a soft tone with half open eyes. Gojira cleared his throat as he felt her rub a hoof on his shoulder and looked away.
"No, I was just exploring," said Gojira. Adagio smirked as the male kirin avoided eye contact with her while bearing red cheeks.
"Is the surface really all that better than being down here with us?" asked Adagio in a mocked hurt tone.
"Of course not. The air is too dry for my taste. My gills get irritated if I'm on the surface for too long," said Junior as he rubbed his neck with a foreleg. It was such an irritating sensation to have drying gills. It was like his throat going dry, but much more sensitive since his gills were external. Aria swam over to join her sisters and Gojira.
"So, what was it that you had in mind today, Adagio? You said something about doing something interesting," said Aria with a raised brow. Adagio smirked as she swam over to the side and pointed to surface.
"I say we go topside and explore the land nearby," said Adagio. Everyone's except Gojira's eyes widened.
"Wait, you want to go on la-?!" Sonata was interrupted as Adagio planted a hoof in her mouth, while sending her a silencing glare. Adagio quickly looked around, making sure that no one had heard.
"Not so loud!" hissed Adagio in annoyance as she removed her hoof.
"Adagio, is that really a good idea? I mean, what's so special about going on land when we have everything that we need down here?" asked Aria as she gestured to the ocean around them. She couldn't fathom why her sister would want to leave their environment.
"Yeah! There could be land monsters that we don't know about out there! We could be eaten! I heard that there are dragons that can fly out there!" said Sonata with a look of panic.
"Yeah, those are real," said Gojira as he glanced at Sonata.
"Come on girls! It'll be an adventure! Just think, we'll be journeying to where no Siren dares to journey! Hidden danger! Great Duress! And-" Adagio stopped as Aria planted a hoof on her chest.
"Let me stop you right there. I don't like the idea of risking our lives out there for thrills when the ocean has plenty of dangers beyond our clan's territory," said Aria. Adagio pouted as she crossed her forelegs over her chest.
"I was only joking around. We don't have to look for danger. But I do want to see what land is like. Gojira has been up there before!" said Adagio as she swam over to the kirin's side and leaned against him.
"But I've never went beyond the grass lands. All I saw was a forest," said Gojira with a shrug.
"And that's what's got me curious!" said Adagio.
"Curiosity killed the catfish, you know," deadpanned Gojira. Adagio waved a dismissive hoof.
"Bah. That's because it couldn't go on land. Unlike most life in the sea, Sirens can!" said Adagio. Aria bore a look of reluctance.
"Adagio, I really don't think this is a wise idea," said Aria.
"Yeah! Remember what mom said? We aren't allowed to go on land!" said Sonata.
"Until we're 18," said Adagio with a smirk. Gojira gave her a deadpanned stare.
"You're all fifteen though," said Gojira.
"Hush, so are you," retorted Adagio as she tapped Gojira's shoulder.
"Yes, but she isn't my mother," argued Gojira. Adagio sighed in frustration at how her friend and sisters were fighting her on her desire to visit the surface.
"Come on! What could it hurt just to take quick peak? We head to the surface for a quick look around passed those 'grasslands' you mentioned, and we head right back!" said Adagio. Aria and Sonata looked at each other in reluctance. Sonata was adamant to go against her mother's wishes, while Aria wasn't very fond of the idea of seeing what could be living on land. Gojira sighed.
"Well, I suppose that I can come along. It's not like I'll get into trouble. Besides, I think you may need someone who is land savvy," said Gojira. Adagio smiled brightly in response, while she looked to her sisters with an expectant look. Aria sighed.
"Fine, as long as we have an expert coming along. I'm game," said Aria. Sonata bit her lip.
"Um... A-As long as mom doesn't find out," said Sonata. Adagio nodded.
"Don't worry! I told her that we were going to the bay where the dolphins tend to be! She won't be expecting us until sunset!" said Adagio. Gojira looked up to the surface where the sun's light shimmered above.
"Hmm. Then we better be on our way while it's still morning. Who knows how long the journey will be," said Gojira as he began to swim away with the Sirens going after him. The group continued until they made their way over to the beach. Gojira planted his hooves on the sandy hill and began to climb up until his head came out of the surface. He folded his gills against his neck and took a breath through his lungs. The kirin stepped all the way out with the Sirens crawling out of the water, like beached fish. Sonata grunted as she flapped her tail against the muddy sand in annoyance.
"Sonata, you're supposed to use your magic when you're on land," deadpanned Aria as her gem in her chest briefly flashed. She suddenly began to levitate into the air above the sandy beach, with her scales dripping water. Sonata puffed a cheek out in response.
"Ugh. I knew that," muttered Sonata in embarrassment as her gem flashed. All of the Sirens were soon levitating in the air above ground, while Gojira shook his body off of water. His drenched fur appeared spiky, much to the amusement of the fillies. Gojira scowled in response.
"Alright, that’s enough gawking you three. You try having fur," said Gojira as he flicked his tail at them, sending drips of water at them. The four began their journey against the hot sand, much to the dismay of Gojira, where they continued onto a great field of grass. The Sirens stared in fascination at the green blades of grass that seemed to go on for miles. They all started to analyze it closely, while Gojira was still ahead. He sighed in annoyance as he found them gawking at the grass.
"Hey, let's get moving! We don't have all day!" said Gojira.
"What is all of this?!" asked Sonata as she poked at the grass with a hoof, feeling the texture.
"Um... Grass?" said Gojira.
"Grass. Ooooh!" said the Sirens in fascination. Gojira rolled his eyes. Despite the silliness of being fascinated in something so abundant, Gojira could understand why the Sirens would take an interest to it. After all, they've never been on land before.
"Girls, come along. There is plenty of grass on land ahead. We have to keep moving," said Gojira. He then heard Sonata give a high-pitched scream, causing him to recoil and to turn with a startled expression.
"What is that?!" cried Sonata as she pointed a shaking hoof at a blade of grass. He found a familiar red, tiny beetle with black spots on its back.
"Oh, that's just a ladybug," said Gojira as he knelt down in the grass next to Sonata as she shook.
"I-Is it dangerous?" asked Sonata. Gojira snorted as he brought a hoof over to it and picked it up.
"If it was, I would be shouting for all of you to get away from it," said Gojira as he held it. The beetle remained perched on his hoof, while the Sirens had gotten a closer look.
"It's beautiful," said Adagio with a smile. Sonata had relinquished some fear and had gotten the courage to look at it, finding its bright red carapace reflecting sunlight.
"There are much prettier bugs out here. Like butterflies," said Gojira. The Sirens looked at him in confusion.
"Butter... Flies? I've heard of butter and flies. But are they flies covered in butter?" asked Sonata with a cocked head.
"No, they're uh... Hmm." Gojira pondered how he could explain the insect to these Sirens in a way that they could get a clear idea of.
"Um... Think of them as bugs with long bodies. They have six legs, and large wings with different colors and patterns on them," said Gojira as he tried to visualize a butterfly himself. Sonata bore a look of confusion as she tried to visualize it.
"So... Skinnier than the lady bug?" asked Sonata.
"Uh... Sure," said Gojira with a forced smile. The lady bug suddenly took off into the air, startling the Sirens. The insect made its way over to Aria's muzzle and perched itself on her snout, causing her to go stiff.
"Wh-What do I do?" asked Aria in a slight nervous tone.
"Just... Blow it away or something. It'll leave," said Gojira. Aria quickly blew a puff of air at the insect, causing it to fly off her snout. The insect then took off into the air, leaving the group alone.
"OK, let's keep moving," said Adagio as she and Gojira took the lead. The group continued their journey, uncertain where the trees ahead may lead.
It has been over an hour since the journey. Gojira and the Sirens were currently in the middle of a green forest, where sun light beamed down through the leaves and made patches of light on the ground along the way. The girls were fascinated by the tall trees that made up the forests, never seeing anything like them. How their leaves were such a bright green as the sun's light beamed down on them, and how woodland critters from birds to squirrels and chipmunks made their homes in these trees. The ocean dwellers were reminded of how certain sea creatures lived in tight spots of reefs and rocks. As they continued, Gojira's stomach began to growl. This went noticed by the Sirens, who glanced at him.
"Sorry, I missed breakfast. Maybe we should've brought some food along," said Gojira as he rubbed his stomach.
"Is there anything that we can eat here?" asked Adagio.
"We can catch and eat squirrels and other woodland creatures," suggested Gojira. Sonata looked at him in shock.
"We can't eat these cute animals! You're horrible!" cried Sonata with a look of disapproval.
"Just throwing it out there," shrugged Gojira. Aria rubbed her chin with her hoof.
"Hmm. Tempting," said Aria.
"Hold on," said Gojira as he sniffed the air and caught a tantalizing smell. He began to trail after the scent as he sniffed the air. The Sirens looked at each other in confusion and followed him. Gojira came across a couple of bushes that had yellow berries on them. He smiled to himself as he gestured for the Sirens to come to him.
"See these here? These are called, 'berries'. Which kind, I'm not sure. But they can be eaten," said Gojira as he took one and ate it. The sweetness danced in his mouth, causing him to sigh with satisfaction. He then pointed to a bush that was further ahead.
"But I must warn you, don't pick berries out carelessly. Some of them can be poisonous," said Gojira. The Sirens' eyes widened at the idea of bright looking fruits being toxic.
"Wait, how do you know that one isn't poisonous?" asked Sonata in worry.
"I can pick out subtle scents of these berries. The ones over there have a bit of vile and bitter scent to them makes my throat kinda tight. Here, these smell fine. I can't detect any toxins," said Gojira as he handed Sonata a berry. "Besides, I would be either dead or throwing up, depending on the poisonous berry."
"Well..." Sonata eyed the berry in reluctance. She then glanced at Gojira, who appeared to be healthy as a horse. She shrugged and popped the cherry into her mouth, while Adagio and Aria bore looks of panic, knowing the potential of the fruit being poisonous. After a few seconds of Sonata ingesting the berry, she smacked her lips.
"Mm! It's so sweet! Gimme more!" cried Sonata as she dove for the bush and began to eating all of the berries that she could. Gojira joined her, wanting to satisfy the hunger that he was feeling. Aria and Adagio shrugged in response and began to pick some berries. After a minute, the group was back on their journey, with Sonata licking her lips of the juices that remained.
"That was good!" said Sonata.
"Just don't go eating any berry without me around. I wouldn't want you all to get poisoned," said Gojira. Sonata gave him a salute as the group continued their walk through the forest. Aria sighed in annoyance as she looked around.
"How much further does the forest go? I'm starting to get tired at just looking at trees," said Aria in a bored tone.
"This is the wilderness Aria. It could go on for miles," said Gojira as he glanced at the sour faced Siren.
"Oh look! We're at the end of the forest!" cried Adagio.
"OK, maybe it was a small forest..." Gojira trailed off as he turned ahead and found the end of the forest. Ahead, he saw a sight that made his stomach tighten. The Sirens stared in awe, while Gojira felt his knees beginning to lock at the sight. Before them was a village down a hill, where wooden and stoned houses remained by a river.
"Oh wow! Look at those structures!" cried Sonata.
"Hey, I heard of this. Uncle Finn was talking about this. He called them uh... Agh. It started with a 'V'," said Aria as she tapped her chin, attempting to remember what her uncle had told her.
"Village. It's a village," said Gojira in a dry tone.
"Yeah, that's it! Thanks Go- Goji?" called Aria with a raised brow. The Sirens looked towards the Kirin as he bore a hard expression on his face. Adagio made her way over to his side in worry as she tapped his shoulder.
"Gojira?" called Adagio. Gojira snapped out of his thoughts and looked to Adagio.
"Huh? Oh, sorry. Ahem. We've seen what's out here, now why don't we go home?" suggested Gojira as he turned and began to walk away. Adagio scoffed as she pulled him back by the tail.
"No way! We're already here, so why not explore? We should meet the local ponies!" said Adagio. Gojira bore a grimace.
"Ah. I don't know if that's such a good idea," said Gojira. He knew that ponies were similar yet different compared to kirins, considering how some were present in Neighpon while he was there. They pretty much treated him the same way as the kirins did back in Neighpon. Just the idea of going to the village, a place he always tried to steer clear from, made him agitated. But, he looked back and found Adagio's pleading eyes, yearning to learn about the surface. Gojira gave a defeated sigh.
"Very well. But stay close you three. We can't trust these ponies," said Gojira as he took the lead. The girls began to levitate after him as they headed down the hill. Gojira's muscles were tensed as they made their way down to the village, where they found several ponies strolling about on the road of their village. The sound of their hooves clopping against the earth filled the air as the four misfits entered this village. Soon, the local ponies noticed the strangers. Gojira tensed as he felt their eyes all on him. The stares were piercing through his soul, while the sirens were calm and collected. They were merely too fascinated at the wooden and stone structures that housed the land dwellers.
"This is all amazing!" said Adagio. Suddenly, the siren caught a pleasant smell in the air. She sniffed the warm smell, which caused her stomach to growl.
"Do you smell that?" asked Adagio. Her sisters nodded in response, while Gojira was cautiously looking around. He had failed to notice the sirens moving towards a small building, where smoke flowed out of a chimney. They peaked through a window, finding a unicorn stallion levitating a tray of baked rolls out of a stone oven. As the smell of the baked goods reached the noses of the sirens, their mouths watered as they eyed the enticing treats with longing. The stallion jumped back with a start as he just notice them staring through his window. He began to relax as he found them staring at what he had just taken out of the oven. He made his way out of the bakery and stood by his door.
"Um... I don't believe I've seen you three around here before. Are you new?" asked the stallion. The sirens turned their attention to him as they heard his voice.
"No, we're just visiting," answered Adagio. Sonata turned her attention back towards the window as she planted her muzzle against the glass, her breathing fogging up the window with each breath.
"That smells so good!" said Sonata. The baker hummed to himself as he looked inside of his bakery. He then smiled to himself as he went back inside and came back out with the tray of the freshly baked bread.
"Here, go on and take some," said the baker with a smile. Sonata gasped with wide eyes while Aria and Adagio looked at him in surprise.
"You mean it?!" asked Sonata.
"Yes, go on ahead. It's on the house for you travelers," said the stallion with a smile. The Sirens smiled as they each took a roll. They each took a bite, tasting an explosion of creamy sweetness and cinnamon.
"Delicious! Thank you, Mister!" said Sonata with a bright smile.
"Yeah, not bad," said Aria as she took another bite. Adagio gave a hum of approval. She then looked to her side and found Gojira standing by stiffly as he eyed the area around himself. She took a second roll and began to make her way over towards the large kirin.
"Gojira, that kind baker just offered us these!" said Adagio as she held up a roll. Gojira looked at it and then glanced at the baker, who looked at the sirens with a smile.
"Oh. That's kind of him," said Gojira. Adagio levitated up to Gojira's muzzle and propped his jaws open with a hoof. She stuffed the roll in his mouth, which he recoiled from in response. He shot her a look of annoyance, while Adagio giggled in amusement. After a moment, the kirin began chewing as he tasted the flavor of the cinnamon roll. He swallowed and looked away.
"It's good," said Gojira. Adagio smiled in response but then noticed a couple of the local ponies coming out into the street with looks of curiosity. Adagio greeted them with a wave, prompting Gojira to look where she was waving. He slightly stiffened as he found a small group of ponies approach.
"Hello!" greeted Adagio.
"What are you?" asked a mare as she analyzed the two with fascination. She began to closely step up to Gojira as she looked over his rugged fur and armored neck and chest. Gojira bore a look of discomfort as the pony was in his personal space. The many stares were reminding him of a past that he wished he could forget.
We're sirens. Well, my friend here is actually a kirin," answered Adagio. The ponies muttered amongst themselves in fascination.
"What's a siren?" asked a stallion.
"And a kirin?" asked a mare.
"Well... I guess you can say sirens are kinda like sea ponies. But we can use our magic to survive on land!" explained Adagio as she swayed her tail, with her bright scales reflecting the sun light. Gojira suddenly found more ponies beginning to crowd them, wanting to meet the strangers. Gojira backed away, trying to regain his composure. Already, Sonata was dragging Aria over to meet with Adagio as she saw the crowd forming. While Gojira worriedly stood by, Adagio was enjoying the attention that the locals were giving her. They were asking her and her sisters all sorts of questions. Gojira merely stood by, hoping that they would get bored soon so that they could be on their way. As Gojira waited, he suddenly felt a tug on his tail. The kirin turned around and found a little filly looking up at him with big curious eyes.
"What do I have to do to be big like you?" asked the filly. Gojira couldn't help but smile at the little pony's question. He was quite larger than the average male stallion, but he must have looked like a giant to young children.
"Oh. Well, I eat a lot. Perhaps if you eat all your meals, you just might get almost as large as me," said Gojira. The filly bore an eager expression.
"Do you think so?" asked the filly.
"It could happen," replied Gojira. As the citizens assaulted the strangers with questions, Gojira glanced at the sirens. Aria appeared as though she was growing a bit annoyed from answering questions, though Adagio and Sonata seemed to be enjoying the attention. Gojira couldn't help but crack a small smile at the scene. Perhaps things were going to be fine with them among the locals.
It has been a couple of hours since Gojira and the sirens made their way into the village. It was mid noon, and the youngsters found themselves among the dozens of villagers. Gojira sat beside Adagio as she spoke with a couple of mares. Aria was busy looking at the flute that a stallion had. Meanwhile, Sonata was pigging out on the food that was brought by local cooks, eager to know what these strangers thought of it. Things had escalated to a social event to meet these new characters.
"Really? So, you ponies haven't been here for very long?" asked Adagio in surprise.
"No. Over 9 years ago, ponies were divided into three different tribes. The Unicorns, the Pegasi, and the Earth Ponies. We were divided by our differences, which led to bitterness to spread through generations. It even brought about the Great Freeze in our old land, caused by the Windigos," said one of the mares. Gojira turned his attention to the conversation.
"Windigos? What are those?" asked Gojira in curiosity.
"They're evil creatures that spread chilling winds wherever there is a lack of love and harmony. But thanks to our leaders from each tribe during their search for a new home, we learned to see past each other's differences, uniting us together in the land we call, Equestria," said the second mare. Adagio bore a look of fascination while Gojira looked off to the village, finding diverse ponies all around. Their ancestors had years of prejudice that had ultimately destroyed their old land, but they had come together and were now thriving as one tribe in the land. Gojira lightly smiled in envy at how these ponies were accepting of one another. Something he never experienced back in Neighpon. Despite them being all kirin, he was the odd one out. His thoughts were interrupted as he heard an instrument being strummed. He turned his head to the source of the sound and found a stallion strumming an instrument as Aria watched in fascination.
"That sounds great," said Aria with a smile.
"It goes better with a mare's beautiful voice," said the stallion. Aria looked away with flushing cheeks as she rubbed a fore leg.
"That so? My sisters and I sing a bit," said Aria with a small smile. The stallion smiled brightly.
"Then why not sing along?" asked the stallion. A few ponies that were nearby began to chant in agreement to hear their visitors sing.
"Sing! Sing a song!" said a mare, drawing more ponies' attention. Aria looked around in embarrassment, not comfortable with suddenly being thrust into the spotlight. Sonata looked to Adagio with eagerness, who smiled in approval. Gojira nodded as he looked at Adagio.
"Go ahead. They'll love you three," said Gojira. Adagio nodded as she quickly made her way by Aria's side, followed by Sonata. The two eyed Aria, silently pleading for her to join. Aria sighed.
"Oh, alright! J-Just give me a second!" said Aria quickly as she patted her hooves against her cheeks to mentally psych herself up. The ponies stomped their hooves in unison as they waited for the upcoming performance.
"Sir, would you mind giving us a note?" asked Adagio. The stallion with the instrument nodded as he strummed the strings, giving a soft tune. The sirens all analyzed the tune as they prepared their vocals to match the tone of the music. Gojira listened intently as he waited for the young mares to sing.
"Ooooh~. Oooooh~." Adagio took the lead while her sisters backed her up with their own voices.
"I can see the light in your eye~. A little glare that tells me that you're ready for flight~. Don't let the darkness or doubt snuff out your light. Just move on, to the dawn. Don't let anyone keep you on the ground. Just move on, to the dawn. Don't stop, until the promise land is found.~" sang Adagio, her chest beginning to illuminate a golden color as the gem in her chest sparked. Her sisters' chest gems glowed and sparked as well, while the citizens enjoyed their song. Gojira softly smiled as he closed his eyes, listening to the soothing voices of his friends. Whenever he found himself agitated, he always felt their singing calm his nerves, like the very ocean itself. As the sirens continued to sing, the ponies in the area were beginning to ignore their song as their eyes flashed green. From their bodies came a green mist that sparkled and flowed towards the sirens. As this happened, Adagio and her siblings began to feel themselves grow more energetic.
"Just move on, to the da-" Adagio stopped as she heard the instrument that was being played had suddenly ceased with an abrupt scratch. She turned and saw the stallion that was playing bore a look of anger as he threw his instrument on the ground, much to her shock.
"Curse this thing!" shouted the stallion as he stomped on the pieces. Gojira shot his eyes wide open as he suddenly heard the mares next to him arguing.
"You told me that my mane was beautiful!" said the first mare as she gritted her teeth.
"I lied! It's an atrocious shade of green and it makes you look like a weeping willow!" spat the second mare. Gojira's eyes widened in surprise at the harsh comment. He then noticed other ponies in the area were arguing with each other as well. They shouted, threw insults, and provoked one another. The sirens looked around in shock at this harmonious village suddenly being plunged into disharmony. They then noticed the gems in their chests glowing brightly as the green mist that filled the air.
"What's happening?!" cried Sonata. Gojira stumbled back as the mares next to him suddenly became physically hostile. They slapped their hooves at each other as they shouted. Gojira looked around and found the other ponies in this state. Suddenly, a wave of magic shot through the crowd, causing them to cease their discord. Gojira and the sirens quickly turned their attention to the source. In the street, they found a unicorn stallion with a long white beard. He wore a blue cloak with stars that decorated the ends, and a hat with bells on them. His horn smoked as he stared at the sirens with hard eyes. By his side was a young mare with a hood that bore her Cutie Mark as clover leaves. Gojira tensed as he saw the look in the elderly stallion's eyes. This grew once he saw a mob of other villagers armed with farming tools flanking behind these new unicorns. The villagers began to groan as they shook off their disorientation.
"It's Starswirl the Bearded!" exclaimed a stallion.
"Villagers! These creatures have bewitched you with their magic! They are no friends of ours!" said Starswirl as his horn began to glow. The sirens huddled together in fear.
"Wait! No, we didn't do anything!" cried Adagio. Suddenly, their audience turned on them. They began to shout condemnation to the sirens and their 'dark magic'. The farmers began to move up with their sharp tools pointed at them, while Starswirl and the hooded unicorn mare beside him advanced with their horns glowing. Gojira's breathing grew quick as he saw this. Old, hated memories from his childhood of being backed into a corner by sharp weapons and an angry mob came back to him. Now it was happening all over again, just as he feared. Gojira hardened his eyes as the villagers approached the cornered sirens. He immediately took off with swiftness and stood in their path with his sharp teeth bared. The villagers recoiled in response but began to press on again. Gojira swung his tail against a few farmers, knocking them back. He then turned to the sirens.
"Go! I'll hold them off!" shouted Gojira as he looked forward in time to see a farmer jabbing his pitchfork at him. However, Gojira moved to the side and bit down on the wooden handle, snapping it in half. He then slammed his hoof against the farmer, knocking him back. He turned and found the sirens fleeing from the area through the village. Gojira turned and found Starswirl moving towards him with a glowing horn. He fired a bolt of magic at the kirin, causing him to stumble back as his chest gave off smoke. Gojira winced as he gritted his teeth. He then snarled as he glared at a shocked Starswirl. Obviously, he was not expecting the kirin to still be standing from that attack. Gojira stretched out his neck as his fur became erect and his jaws opened wide. He let out bellow that rumbled the air, striking fear into the ponies. Gojira took the opportunity to turn tail and run as though the devil were on his heels. He heard shouts behind him as he ran, catching up to the sirens. They rounded a corner in the village, finding their path blocked by cooks armed with sharp knives. Gojira grunted as passed the sirens. He rammed his head against the closest cook, knocking him onto the ground, and then he quickly slammed his body against the second cook, forcing him against the wall.
"Come on!" shouted Gojira as he took the lead. They navigated through tight corners of the village, hoping to avoid as many ponies as possible. As they came out to the open, Starswirl suddenly appeared out of thin air in front of them. The sirens cried out as they halted, along with Gojira.
"Move!" roared Gojira as he rushed towards the unicorn. Before he could reach him, a beam of magic struck him in the ribs, causing him to cry out as he stumbled. He turned with a snarl and found the hooded mare standing on the roof of a house with narrowed eyes as her horn gave off smoke. Gojira gave an enraged cry as he charged towards the house, but he was struck by another beam of magic from his other side. Starswirl was the culprit this time. Before the kirin could lunge for him, the mare fired a beam at him again. Then Starswirl followed up with his own beam. Gojira cried out in rage and pain as he was struck by two beams at once, much to the horror of the sirens.
"Gojira!" screamed Adagio as the kirin dropped to his knees. Aria growled as she glared at the hooded mare. She quickly flew towards the mare's rear and pushed her off the roof. The mare yelped as her magic was cut off as she fell onto the ground. Sonata quickly looked around and found an abandoned pot on the ground. With a smirk, she swooped in and grabbed it, quickly making her way towards Starswirl's rear as he focused his magic on Gojira. She then swung the pot against Starswirl's side as she swooped towards him, causing him to break his concentration from his magic. Gojira stumbled back onto his hooves and then bit down on the stallion's cloak. He swung him around and threw him against a wagon of hay. Gojira gave a shout as he shook off the pain. He then felt a sting in his side. He found the hooded mare standing back up as she fired bolts of magic at him. Gojira snarled as he stomped towards her, with his claws digging into the dirt and grass. The mare stepped back as she fired more bolts at the kirin, but he pressed through the stings. The mare panicked as Gojira stepped closer with eyes that burned with anger. The mare gasped as she suddenly tripped and fell onto her back. Gojira was suddenly standing over her, with his teeth bared and his muzzle crinkled, making him appear as a mad dog.
"Clover!" cried Starswirl as he struggled to get up. Clover whimpered as the kirin stared into her own eyes. Gojira raised a hoof in preparation to slash at his prey.
"Gojira, stop!" cried Adagio. The kirin stopped himself as he breathed heavily, while Clover stared up at him with wide eyes.
"Gojira, it's not worth it! Let's just go!" pleaded Adagio as she appeared in front of the kirin along with her sisters. Gojira panted as he gritted his teeth. His bottled-up anger from years of trying to forget what he had been through was gushing out uncontrollably. He then slammed his hoof on the ground by Clover's head and roared in her face, prompting her to clench her eyes shut. The kirin began to breathe through his nostrils as Clover trembled beneath him, on the verge of tears. Gojira gave a snort as he flared his nostrils.
"Don't follow us," said Gojira in a low tone. He then stepped away from the mare and walked away. The sirens panted from the intense moment that had transpired. They quickly went after Gojira, rushing away from the village and towards the forest. Clover broke into a light sob from the fear of nearly losing her life. Starswirl quickly rushed to her side and then glared at the creatures that fled.
The sun was setting over the land. The winds softly blew across the field of grass, where Gojira treaded with the sirens. The young mares bore frowns and heavy hearts as they trailed behind Gojira. Things were going so well, but then it all went wrong. Sonata made her way next to Gojira with a look of shame.
"Goji... Did we do something bad?" asked Sonata. The kirin glanced at her. He sighed.
"It wasn't your fault," said Gojira.
"Tell that to the village of ponies that we somehow made fight each other," said Aria in a bitter tone. Gojira lightly frowned. The sirens may have been taking this harder then he originally thought. Their first time on land had gone from wonderful and civil to terrible and dangerous. It all happened when they started singing. He was no expert on magic or siren magic, but he believed it was one of the reasons why Adagio and her sisters weren't allowed on land until they were older. None of that mattered now. As far as he knew, they were never setting hoof on occupied land again. Soon, the youngsters found themselves at the beach, just in time before the mother of the girls could notice that they were gone for too long. Gojira cleared his throat as he stood at the edge of the beach.
"I'll... I'll see you girls tomorrow," said Gojira.
"Goodnight Goji," said Sonata in a small tone as she dived in the water.
"See ya," said Aria as she dived in the water as well. Adagio placed herself in the water and was about to say farewell until she saw Gojira slowly walking away with his head lowered.
"Gojira?" called Adagio. The kirin stopped in place.
"Yes?" answered Gojira. Adagio moved closer to land as she rested her fore legs on the muddy sand.
“Can we hang out together a while longer?" asked Adagio in a soft tone. Gojira slowly nodded as he walked over to Adagio. He knelt and lied on the sand next to Adagio, as the waves gently splashed onto his hooves. The two lied together in silence, with only the sounds of the sea filling the air.
"It was so wonderful…being able to explore the surface for the first time, learning about the things that walked on this whole new world. It was even more wonderful to meet those ponies and learn a little bit more. But then they began to treat us like.... Like monsters," said Adagio with a light frown. Gojira's expression was soft as he glanced at the siren.
"Adagio, don't let that get you down. You and your sisters are not monsters. I'm the real monster here," said Gojira. Adagio looked at him in confusion.
"What? What are you talking about?" asked Adagio. Gojira sighed. He never really wanted to get into the details of his life, especially the darker parts of his origins, but it was time to come clean. Adagio needed to know, because she was far from a monster. He wasn't going to let those ponies get to her.
"Remember how I told you all that I was ostracized because I was different from other kirin?" asked Gojira. Adagio nodded in confirmation.
"Well, it's more than me having gills and having these abilities. Most creatures are born. Be it from an egg or the womb. I wasn't born. I was made," said Gojira as he lowered his eyes. Adagio shook her head as she still bore a look of confusion.
"I don't understand," said Adagio. Gojira nodded.
"Then I'll explain. It all began fifteen years ago," said Gojira, ready to pour out everything that he knew.
The Other Side of The Story
Adagio Dazzle lied on her belly on the ocean floor as she dragged her hoof against the sand. Her eyes were halfway open as her mind wandered. Her hoof moved as if it took on a life of its own. Unbeknownst to her, Sonata and Aria were hiding behind a rock, peaking over it as they watched their elder sister.
"What is she doing?" asked Sonata in a whisper.
"I don't know. She's been this way all morning," said Aria in a whisper as well. Adagio let out a sigh as she lied her head down on the ground.
"Uuuugggh." Adagio tossed and turned in place, spreading her forelegs around. Aria and Sonata raised a brow at each other, curious as to what was the cause of Adagio's state. They swam over to the golden siren as she bore a look of anxiousness and indecisiveness.
"Dagi, are you alright?" asked Sonata as she hovered over Adagio, who saw an inverted image of the youngest sister.
"I'm... Not really, no," said Adagio as she bore a sour expression.
"What is it? You don't really mope and laze about. I usually do the latter," said Aria as she propped her chin up with a hoof.
"Do you have a tummy ache?" asked Sonata with a tilt of her head.
"No," said Adagio.
"Did you get stung by a jellyfish?" asked Sonata. Adagio sighed in annoyance.
"No," said Adagio, raising her tone.
"Hmm. Is it boy trouble?" asked Sonata with a tilt of her head. Adagio gave a forced laugh as she rolled over, swimming upright.
"Don't be silly! As if I would have trouble with the boys! If anything, they would be having trouble with me! I am not easy to catch, you know. Hahaha!" Adagio looked away as a tinge of pink became present on her very cheeks. Aria snorted as she bore a smirk. Adagio looked at her in annoyance.
"What?" asked Adagio.
"Really? Your response kinda makes your mood obvious," said Aria in a teasing manner. Adagio scoffed as she turned away.
"Shut up! I don't have any boy troubles!" said Adagio as she crossed her forelegs, unaware of the charcoal grey kirin that descended down from the surface just beside her.
"Morning," greeted Gojira. Adagio yelped with a start as she flinched away from Gojira.
"Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you," said Gojira with a chuckle. Adagio regained her composure as she placed on a forced smile. She then heard Sonata and Aria snickering in the background, prompting her to shoot a quick glare at them.
"Ahem. Good morning," greeted Adagio.
"So... Are you three doing OK?" asked Gojira.
"Yep! Thanks to you for getting us home safely!" said Sonata with a gracious smile.
"As a bonus, mom wasn't able to suspect a thing," said Aria with a smug expression. Gojira nodded.
"Good. I rather what happened yesterday would not become a habit. That was too close with those unicorns," said Gojira. Adagio looked at him in slight worry.
"How are you feeling? They shot you with their magic," said Adagio. Gojira rubbed his shoulder with a small wince.
"A bit sore, but I'm fine," said Gojira. Sonata's jaws dropped in amazement.
"Really?! They hit you with beams! Nothing is broken or anything?!" sonata circled around Gojira, looking for any wounds. But she did see some patches of singed fur.
"It's going to be awhile for some of my fur to grow back, but I'm a fast healer," said Gojira. Adagio smiled as she came closer to the kirin.
"I guess it pays to be you," said Adagio with a wink. Gojira gave a soft chuckle in response, aware of the double meaning of her words. Aria bore a smirk.
"Hey, Sonata. I need you to come help me with something," said Aria as she nudged Sonata with her elbow. Her sister bore a look of confusion.
"Oh? Maybe we can help too," said Adagio as she turned to face Aria.
"No. I just need Sonata. It's uh... I wanna uh... I just need Sonata's assistance," said Aria as she swam away, while shooting an expectant look at Sonata. The blue siren still bore a quizzical expression. Aria sent her a glare that said, "Get your tail over here now!" Sonata swam after Aria, still confused, leaving Adagio and Gojira alone together.
"What was that about?" asked Gojira.
"Ugh. I have no idea," said Adagio with a hoof rubbing her head with an annoyed look.
"Anyway, I just wanted to check on you three after what happened yesterday. Glad to see that things are alright," said Gojira as he swam away.
"Um... You're leaving already?" asked Adagio.
"I was going to keep an eye on the forest for a while in case we were to have unwanted visitors," said Gojira. Adagio swooped in front of the kirin, causing him to stop.
"I'm sure it's fine. They wouldn't be dumb enough to tangle with you. So, uh... Why don't we swim together?" suggested Adagio with a cough. Gojira tilted his head.
"Swim?" asked Gojira. Adagio nodded as her cheeks began to flush.
"Y-Yes, just the two of us." Adagio looked away, unable to meet the kirin's amber eyes, which were firm and strong and matched his physique of the kirin.
"Well... I suppose. Yes, let's swim together," said Gojira with a smile. Adagio smiled brightly.
"Great! Er... I mean, great. Let's go," said Adagio with an embarrassed smile. She mentally chided herself for getting so excited over Gojira accepting her offer. As the two swam off, Aria and Sonata were peeking over a large rock, watching as the two left.
"So, what was it that I was supposed to be helping you with again?" asked Sonata in confusion. Aria sighed.
"Sonata, I made that up. I said all of that so that we would have an excuse to leave those two alone," said Aria. Sonata raised a brow.
"But why?" asked Sonata. Aria sighed in exasperation.
"Because Adagio has a thing for Gojira!" said Aria.
"A... Thing? You mean like, a gift? That's nice of her," said Sonata with a small. Aria smacked a hoof against her forehead.
"No. I mean that she likes Gojira."
"I like him too! He's like the big brother that I always wanted!" said Sonata with a child-like smile. Aria gave her a deadpanned stare.
"I mean that she like-likes him. The whole romance deal," said Aria. Sonata's lips formed in 'o' as her mind registered exactly what her sister meant. Her face then broke into a grin.
"Does that mean they'll become mates and Goji will really be my big brother?!" asked Sonata with a look of excitement as she invaded Aria's personal space.
"Slow down, Sonata. Let's just keep an eye out and see what happens," said Aria.
"We're not gonna help her?" asked Sonata in confusion.
"No, I think she's got it. Besides, we just might get in her way," said Aria as she retreated from the rock. Sonata followed her lead.
Later, Adagio swam by Gojira's side. They had ventured a bit far from the reef just near land in the bay. Adagio sneaked glances at the kirin beside her, as he kept his eyes forward. He was a bit uptight when it came to casual moments like this, always vigil for something to pop out and attack. She found it somewhat charming that he was looking out for her, despite the fact that they were just swimming to the bay, where predators weren't common to be prowling. Still, she couldn't blame Gojira's unease considering what happened the previous day.
"Mr. Serious, you're not being casual," said Adagio in a teasing tone. Gojira stiffened as he gave a forced chuckle.
"Sorry," said Gojira. Adagio made her way closer to his side.
"So, were you serious about what you said about my singing voice?" asked Adagio as she batted her eyes. Gojira bore red cheeks as he looked away, having forgotten the bold compliments that he had given her the previous night.
"I uh... Yes," said Gojira in a small tone. Adagio smiled at his embarrassment. She thought it was rather cute to see this rugged stallion grow shy.
"No need to be embarrassed. I'm flattered, really. It's not every day that a boy compliments me with such confidence as you did. Not to mention you cheered me up," said Adagio as she patted Gojira's shoulder.
"Oh? So... You don't get much compliments by other guys?" asked Gojira in curiosity.
"They're normally too spineless to come to me and have a conversation. It's annoying," scoffed Adagio with a scowl.
"That's a shame. They're missing out on getting to know a great friend," said Gojira. Adagio smiled to herself.
"Y-Yeah. Well, it doesn't matter. That just means that I get to have you for myself," muttered Adagio. Gojira raised a brow.
"I beg your pardon?" Gojira tilted his head.
"Er... Never mind! Hey, since you enjoy my singing, I was thinking that I could teach you a song," said Adagio, quickly changing the subject.
"A song? But I don't... I don't really sing," said Gojira with a look of reluctance.
"No, it'll be fun! I promise!" said Adagio with a reassuring smile.
"Hm. Alright then," said Gojira with a smile. Adagio clapped her hooves together in delight.
"OK! I'm going to sing the song, and you listen. Once you've learned it, you sing," said Adagio. Gojira nodded.
"Understood," said Gojira. Adagio cleared her throat.
"Hold on, we gotta head for the surface so that you can get a better idea of the tune," said Adagio as she swum towards a stone that stuck above the surface. The two lied together on a rock, with their bodies dripping of salt water.
The next couple of minutes went by like a breeze. Gojira was quick to memorize the song that Adagio had proposed. Though the next few minutes were something that made the kirin want to die out of embarrassment.
"I can see the light in your eye. A little glare that tells me you're ready to move oooon." Gojira sang awkwardly. His tone was fluctuating from high to low. He wasn't able to properly pin down a correct tone for the song that he was taught. Meanwhile, Adagio bit her lip as her cheeks were red and puffed out. Suppressed laughs only came out as little snorts from her nostrils. The look on Adagio's face was only adding to Gojira's desire to swim away and bury himself in the beach and never come out.
"Just move ooon. To the daaaawn. Just er... No, I can't don't it!" said Gojira as he quickly turned away with flushing cheeks. Adagio burst out laughing hysterically as she slapped her hoof against the stone that they lied on.
"Oh my gosh! You suck at singing! Hahaha!" Adagio clutched her belly as she continued to laugh. Gojira bore a light scowl as his cheeks grew hotter from the humiliation.
"I'm leaving," said Gojira as he stood up. Adagio calmed down as Gojira was about to dive into the water. Adagio grabbed the end of his tail, still giggling at his sour attitude.
"I'm sorry. I'm done laughing. It's OK, sirens are natural singers, don't feel bad," said Adagio. Gojira sighed as he sat back down, while Adagio scooted close to him.
"Hmm." Gojira grumbled as he avoided eye contact with Adagio. The siren leaned her head against him.
"Aw. Come on, I said I was sorry. Look, you don't have to sing anymore. Let's just relax here," said Adagio. Gojira sighed.
"That would be better," said Gojira as he lied beside her. The two remained close together as the waves splashed against the stone that was standing in the middle of the bay. Adagio's heart fluttered as she felt the warmth that the kirin was radiating. Being cold-blooded, it was rather nice to have a bit of warmth compared to the cold ocean that she dwelled in. She casually scooted over to him a bit closer, until their sides made contact. Gojira slightly stiffened as Adagio brushed the end of her tail against his rump.
"You know, you're pretty warm," said Adagio in a small tone. Her throat tightened as she spoke. Normally she would speak in a flirtatious tone with him, but being this much close to him, alone for that matter, made her heart race, leading to her lack of foxiness. However, Gojira was fairing no better than she was.
"I know," responded Gojira, his voice cracking. He then cupped his mouth with a hoof in embarrassment while Adagio looked at him in surprise and amusement.
"Did your voice just crack?" asked Adagio. Gojira cleared his throat.
"No," responded the kirin in a normal tone. Adagio giggled.
"It did! Oh my gosh, that's one of the signs of you becoming a grown male!" said Adagio with a laugh.
"Oh, and my size wasn't indication enough?" asked Gojira in a sarcastic manner. Adagio rolled her eyes in response as she leaned her head back against him. Gojira kept a calm expression, but his heart was doing back flips at Adagio's close contact. Sure, he remembered being this close to her and the other sirens when they were just foals. However, now it was different. Now he would get flustered whenever Adagio got close to him. Of course, that would be the case with any female, but he felt it more with her in particular. The rub on his rump by her tail didn't help. Adagio was always a good friend to him, along with Aria and Sonata of course. They were there when he had no one else. They accepted his differences, and he even shared his most intimate secret with her. He wondered what compelled him to trust her with said secret. She could have easily turned away from him, yet she didn't.
"Adagio, can I ask you a question?" asked Gojira. Adagio looked his way.
"What is it?" asked Adagio.
"About my secret. When I told you, surely you must have felt scared... Right? Yet you stayed with me as my friend. Why?" asked Gojira. Adagio slightly stiffened, wasn't expecting to be hit with such a question. She worried that Gojira may have felt that she was just sticking around so he wouldn't feel bad.
"Gojira, to be honest, I was shocked to hear what you told me. I couldn't believe it. You have power inside of you that I've never seen before, especially when you consider my lack of experience. However, I've known you since childhood. You're not some monster. You're... You're my friend," said Adagio in a soft tone. Gojira looked at her with a soft expression. After a few seconds, Adagio turned away with a groan.
"Ugh! That was cheesy! That's probably not even a satisfying answer!" said Adagio as she rubbed a hoof against her head.
"No. No, I liked it. That really means a lot to me," said Gojira with a soft smile. Adagio bore a sheepish smile in response.
"Oh. Well, yeah. But you know, you may be something special. In more ways than one," said Adagio. Gojira tilted his head.
"How?" asked Gojira in curiosity.
"Well... You're strong, you have powers, and you..." Adagio's cheeks began to burn red hot as her heart raced in her chest. She felt like it would just stop from being overworked with all of its beating.
"You're someone special to me," said Adagio in a small tone. Gojira's brows rose, while Adagio looked up at him with a timid expression. This wasn't a look that he has ever seen before on the siren. Seeing her this way only made him nervous.
"Really?" asked Gojira. Adagio brought a hoof over to his foreleg and held it firmly. Her eyes stared into his. She wanted to back down and swim far away from him as she screamed to the top of her lungs for what she was doing, but she couldn't turn back. She couldn't ignore what she had been feeling for a long time.
"Gojira... I love you. I'm in love with you," said Adagio, almost whispering. Gojira's cheeks brightened as he stared at her in surprise.
"Adagio... I-I..." Gojira stuttered, with a million thoughts racing through his very mind. Adagio began to look troubled as her ears flattened against her skull.
"Look, I know it's weird coming from a long-time friend, but I honestly feel that way. You pay attention to me. Not in a spoiled brat kind of way. I mean that you pay attention to my personally, rather than just my singing. You have the kind of confidence and casual ability to just be around me without backing off because I seemed too good to be around. I like that about you, even if you do get flustered whenever I flirt with you," said Adagio with a small chuckle. Gojira returned the chuckle as he looked away with a small smile.
"Really? Even if you know what I am?" asked Gojira.
"I don't even care. I'm more interested in the stallion beside me," said Adagio as she batted her eyes. Gojira gulped as his heart pounded in his chest. He never imagined that someone would hold that kind of feelings for him. Yet here it was, as if some divine entity had smiled upon him. He would be a fool to reject the feelings of someone this dear to him.
"Well... I actually... I have feelings for you too. You've been there to cheer me up when I was down. You've made me feel relaxed, as if I don't have to fear for my life. Plus, you have shown compassion to me all of those years ago in the sea just near Neighpon," said Gojira as he looked to Adagio. He then noticed that she was leaning closer to him.
"Can you... Can you say it to me?" asked Adagio in a hopeful tone. Gojira looked away as his cheeks burned.
"I..." Gojira inhaled deeply. He had faced angry villagers, an oni, and a sea dragon, yet he struggled to say two words. Words that seemed so simple in his head, but they were difficult to say. He then gritted his teeth as he started to tremble, with small grunts escaping his throat. Adagio looked at him worry.
"Goji-" Adagio was interrupted as Gojira shot his head back up with a determined expression, while a bright flush was present on his face.
"I love you!" said Gojira in a loud tone, startling Adagio. The kirin panted as his heart continued to beat, pumping his blood through his body, where most of it reached his face. Adagio softly smiled as she brought her hooves around his neck, surprising the kirin.
"Come here, big boy," said Adagio with a mischievous smile. Gojira's eyes widened as he felt himself pulled towards the siren, where their lips met. Adagio held her eyes half opened as her lips locked with the kirin's. Her heart performed a tremendous leap in her chest as she had the kirin trapped in a passionate kiss. Gojira's eyes were wide with shock as he felt Adagio exploring his mouth.
"Told ya. She's a smooth operator," said Aria in a whisper.
From the shore of the bay, a middle-aged kirin stallion walking beside a young unicorn stallion. The two bore fishing rods.
"This is my favorite spot to fish, Neji. It has a great view of the ocean and you can catch a great breeze from the sea," said the unicorn as he took a seat in the sand, casting the line out to the water. Neji nodded as he looked around.
"Yes, it is quite lovely, Hook," said Neji as he took a seat after throwing the line of a fishing rod that was held by his telekinetic magic. As he sat in anticipation for the fish to bite the bait, his eyes began to wander. As they wandered, he noticed the stone just some short distance away from the shore. His eyes widened at what he saw on the rock. He saw a kirin kissing a light golden siren.
"What is that creature out there? It looks like a pony but with a fish tail," said Neji with wide eyes. Hook looked to where he was pointing, his face contorted into discomfort.
"Oh. Yes, that must be a siren. I heard three of them came to the village recently. I was told that they can bewitch their prey with their singing. I would recommend staying away from them. It looks like a member of your kind is unfortunate to be her prey," said Hook. He then began to look around in worry.
"We probably should not be here if one of them is nearby. It may be dangerous," said Hook. Neji was about to shout to the kirin to get away from the creature, hoping to snap him out of the beast's spell. However, he began to get a good look at the kirin. He was a bit larger than the average stallion, and he bore charcoal grey fur. The color triggered an old repressed memory in the kirin. He had seen that color on a kirin before. Then, the kirin and siren rose up and dived into the water to swim away. As the kirin dove down beneath the water, this confirmed his fear.
"Oh, it looks like she's leading him away. I suppose they eat their prey. Poor soul," said Hook with a sigh as he began to rise to his hooves with his rod.
"It's him," said the kirin, his eyes wide with dread. He briskly took his fishing rod and proceeded to sprint away from the beach.
"We should find somewhere else to- Hey! Neji, where are you going?!" exclaimed Hook in surprise.
"That kirin is not part of my kind! He's a monster!" responded Neji as he continued to run. Hook looked on in confusion but then proceeded to run after the kirin.
It had been a long run for Neji and Hook. The two had been forced to speed walk when they got tired, but proceeded to run again once they had managed to catch their breath. This was torture for Hook, who wasn't even aware of what was the cause of Neji's persistence to continue this journey.
"Neji! Wha- What's wrong?!" asked Hook in between pants.
"That kirin is a monster! You're all in danger!" cried Neji as he went back to running. Hook groaned as he ran again. The two soon made it to the village that was just beyond the forest, where they continued to run through the streets. Villagers looked on in confusion as to what was the cause of their rush. Soon, the two ended up at the local tavern, filled with mostly unicorns. The unicorns turned their attention to the pair that had rushed in.
"Everyone! Your village is in danger!" cried Neji. The ponies in the tavern began to murmur in confusion.
"What do you mean?" asked a stallion.
"Yes, please explain," said Hook with a deadpanned stare.
"While Hook and I went fishing, we had spotted another kirin with a siren!" said Neji.
"Rest his poor soul," said Hook as he bowed his head in pity.
"But this is no ordinary kirin! He is a monster!" cried Neji. The villagers looked at him in confusion.
"Wait, is this the same kirin that was with the sirens that attacked our village recently?" asked a unicorn, covered in dirt, hinting at the fact of him being a farmer.
"He may be!" said Neji.
"But what is it that makes him a monster, compared to a kirin like you?" asked the tender of the tavern from behind his table. Neji was a traveler that was visiting Hook, a friend that he had met when he had first came to this country.
"Years ago, a terrible storm came, bringing fire that burned the bones of a great dragon that we called, Gojira! That kirin was created from the very ashes of the monster that terrorized Neighpon thousands of years ago! A... A dear friend of my village took in the creature and raised him like her own. But she perished to the flames that he spewed!" said the kirin. The attendants of the tavern gasped in shock.
"Impossible!" cried a unicorn.
"Possible! He burned her home and another kirin on the temple grounds that I once served! We recovered their bodies and only found that monster alive when the building collapsed on them!" said Neji as he recalled the terrible night and morning that he had experienced during his time at the temple. He remembered that horrible blue light that illuminated in that burning house. Neji levitated knives over to himself and held them by his muzzle.
"He has fangs like a dragon! He has claws like a tiger! He has gills and can breathe under water like a fish! His flames bring death and destruction!" said Neji, frightening some of the few mares that were present in the tavern.
"At the beach, we had witness a siren kissing him! He followed her into the sea!" said Neji. The ponies all took on looks of disgust at such an abominable union. Hook was pale as he heard everything that was explained.
"If that is any indication, then the two may breed! If these sirens are as horrific that you all say they are, imagine what unholy spawns will come from them!" said Neji with a look of dread. Everyone in the tavern gasped in shock, and horror. A couple of mares fainted dramatically.
"We can't let that happen!" shouted a unicorn farmer as he shot up from his seat. A few cries of agreement filled the air.
"The sirens are too dangerous to get close too. They may bewitch us again! So I say we kill the beast before he plants his seed!" cried another unicorn as he drew a knife. More cries of agreement filled the air.
"But what of Starswirl the Bearded?! We may need his assistance!" cried another stallion.
"Not a problem," said a male voice. Everyone turned their attention to the source and found Starswirl the Bearded stepping into the tavern, with his hat covering his face. The ponies went silent as he stepped in.
"Starswirl!" cried a stallion. The aging unicorn turned to Neji with a firm gaze.
"If this kirin you speak of is as dangerous as you say he is, then you will need my assistance in conquering him," said Starswirl. Neji nodded in response.
"But what of your student, Clover the Clever?" asked another stallion.
"I will not force her to face that monster again. Not after what had happened," said Starswirl with a solemn tone. The fear that he saw in his student when she was met with the possibility of death had kept him up late. Never did he want to put his student in such danger again.
Later that day...
Stallions assembled in the town square, armed with farming tools, cooking tools, and some even with weapons from their service in the military of their old respected kingdoms, before their tribes united. The wives of the stallions remained at their homes with their children as they bid their husbands farewell and good luck. Their hearts filled with fear for the lives of the stallions. The volunteers of this assembling mob masked their fear with hard expressions. Some stallions were visibly fearful, but urged themselves to protect their village at the revelation of what beasts lurked outside of their homes. Starswirl stood just inside of the inn that he was staying in while he was visiting the village. His expression was hard as he looked out the window. He then heard hoof steps behind him.
"Mentor, are you going out there with them?" asked Clover the Clever in worry. Starswirl turned to look at her.
"I am. They will need my help to stop that beast," said Starswirl. "The fate of our land may depend on it."
"Then I'll come with you," said Clover with her brows furrowed. Starswirl's eyes widened.
"Wha- No! No, you can't!" said Starswirl.
"Why not? I know everything that you taught me! I can help you fight against him!" said Clover.
"Clover, please, you nearly lost your life when we last encountered him. I don't want that to happen," said Starswirl as he held Clover by the chin. The mare pulled away with a glare.
"I can't sit by and do nothing! Please, if the fate of Equestria depends on us stopping that monster from terrorizing our ponies, then I should come! Please Starswirl, I'm not a child anymore," said Clover with pleading eyes. Starswirl sighed heavily. He had been teaching this young mare the ways of magic ever since she was just a little filly. The first time he had let her go off onto a dangerous mission was when she was fifteen years old, back when the pony tribes will still divided and suffering to the bitter cold. Now she had grown into a young mare. Time had flown by so fast.
"Very well. But stay close," said Starswirl. Clover smiled brightly. She then nodded with a determined expression.
"Mmhm!" Clover followed Starswirl the Bearded outside of the inn, where they met with the rest of the mob. The mob stood by as they focused their attention on the aging unicorn and his student.
"Everypony, stay on guard. This creature has great strength. He may not hesitate in ending the lives of his opponents. So I advise you all to work together and to keep your distance from him," said Starswirl. The stallions all gave shouts of confirmation, which made the old wizard sigh. He never expected that he would ever be taking part in a mob. He wasn't one to participate in violence unless it was absolutely necessary. Considering what he had learned from Neji, it was imperative to act.
"Then let us move onward!" called Starswirl. As commanded, the mob began to mobilize, ready to defend their village.
It was early evening. Gojira was swimming beside Adagio towards the surface, where the kirin rested on land. As he was about to breach the surface, Adagio got out of the water and blocked his way.
"Hey... Why don't you spend the night with me?" asked Adagio as she rubbed her foreleg. Gojira cleared his throat as he looked away.
"I don't think your mother would approve of that, Adagio. After all, I haven't quite made you my mate, as what you sirens say when it comes to marriage," said Gojira.
"She doesn't have to know. It's not we'd be doing anything. I just miss you when you go on land," said Adagio with a light frown. Gojira smiled as he nuzzled her.
"I won't be far. As soon as I wake up in the morning, I'll come rushing to you," said Gojira.
"Promise?" asked Adagio.
"I promise," said Gojira. Adagio smiled as she leaned in. The two shared a quick kiss. Gojira swam away, leaving Adagio, who sighed to herself.
"Adagio, you've got yourself one heck of a catch," said Adagio with a smile as she watched Gojira leave. As the kirin made his way to the surface, he swam to the shore. He stepped onto the muddy sand and made his way over a large stone that stuck over a flat stone that was buried in the sand. The large stone cast a nice shade that would prevent sunlight from getting into the kirin's eyes in the morning. As he made his way over to his sleeping spot, he lied himself down on the stone. His expression bore a visible smile.
"You were right Lori. I did make friends. And most of all, I have someone who shares my feelings," said Gojira. He then looked up to the night sky with a smile.
"Do you see that, mother? You don't have to worry anymore. Everything is OK," said Gojira. He then lied his head down on the stone as he shifted in place. As he prepared to drift off to sleep, his hearing picked the sound of multiple hoof steps approaching. His eyes shot wide open. He raised himself up and saw a mob of ponies carrying torches and sharp weapons and tools with them.
"What?" Gojira raised himself up. He then gasped as a bolt of magic struck by his hoof. He turned and found the same elderly unicorn stallion appearing just nearby, glaring at him. Gojira backed away with wide eyes.
"He's here!" shouted Starswirl. Gojira was about to fight back but then noticed the mob giving cries as they raced towards him. Gojira was about to run away but felt himself struck in the side by a bolt of magic by Starswirl. He gave a cry as he stumbled.
Meanwhile back in the ocean, Adagio sighed as she swum in place. She was biting at her hoof as she pondered what to do.
"Ugh. Come on, Adagio. You should just go home. You'll just seem clingy. That's not attractive," said Adagio as she stopped in place. She then looked back up to the surface. She then groaned.
"Forget it! Maybe he won't mind if I stay with him! I'll deal with mom's disapproval when it comes!" said Adagio as she began to swim to the surface, her heart racing. As she breached the surface, she began to head for the shore. However, the siren felt her eyes widened in horror as she saw Gojira being targeted by the mob of ponies.
"Kill the monster!" shouted a stallion. Adagio gasped as she heard this. Gojira stumbled from the bolt from Starswirl but took off running.
"No! Gojira" cried Adagio as she swam to the shore as the mob pursued Gojira. Her heart was filled with fear for the life of the one very dear to her.
Gojira continued to run with all of the energy that he could muster. He was outrunning the ponies that pursued him, but a few of the former military unicorns teleported in his path with their spears and swords drawn. Gojira stepped back as a unicorn jabbed a spear at him. He swung his tail at the unicorn, knocking him back, but Gojira was then struck by the blade of another stallion that had flanked him. Gojira groaned in pain as his wound on his thigh began to bleed. He then kicked the stallion away before he could retreat.
Another stallion threw a spear at the kirin, forcing Gojira to duck under the weapon and slam his body against the guard, knocking him to the ground. Gojira panted as he looked at his wound, which slowly began to seal up, leaving a patch of blood and shaved fur. Gojira began to run off again as the villagers chased him down the beach. He soon found himself being confronted by pegasi that began to dive down towards him. He ducked under their sweeps and continued on, as magic bolts continued to cause him to change his direction.
Memories of a mob chasing him, with the intention of tearing him asunder, came to his mind. Things had gone so well today. Just moments ago, his future seemed even brighter. Now, it was back to looking bleak.
Gojira soon found himself being forced over to where a cave was present. He wanted to turn away from the cave, but the ponies continued to force him to continue in the same direction, from unicorns teleporting in his path with weapons, pegasi forcing him to change direction, and Starswirl's magic exploding in front of him. He had no choice but to continue on towards the cave. As he ran, he found himself running inside of the cave, with the ponies still hot on his tail. Gojira gasped as he found himself at a dead end. He quickly turned and saw the ponies halting with their weapons drawn.
"It's over, monster!" shouted a stallion. Gojira growled as he was backed into a corner. His fur became erect as he bared his teeth. He was sick and tired of running away. If they dared to threaten him, he wasn't going to go down without a fight. He only hoped that his late mother could forgive him.
Gojira roared as he charged towards the crowd, who became startled at his sudden approach. In just seconds, Gojira crashed and thrashed into his foes, knocking them all around the cave as his roars echoed out. With their numbers, the ponies were able to strike Gojira with their sharp weapons, cutting his flesh and sparking against his armored underside, but Gojira continued to fight back, his adrenaline sending him into a blind rage. He wasn't the scared little foal anymore. He was a raging beast.
Gojira bit down on a stallion's foreleg and threw him against several other ponies. Cries echoed out through the cave as they were effortlessly defeated. Some of the villagers retreated with their tails between their legs. Gojira stomped on a former soldier and then bit down on his neck. He swung him towards a few more ponies, and then he threw the soldier, who bled from his bite wounds. A pegasus swooped down over Gojira, where a blade on his wing met with his face. Gojira cried in pain as he recoiled as the blade sliced over his left eye. He slammed his hoof on the ground as he slowly opened his eye. His eye was unharmed, but his upper cheek, eye lid and brow began to bleed. He closed his eye to prevent his blood from blinding his sight in his left eye. He turned and bit down on the pegasus wing as he came back around, crunching his bones. The pegasus cried out in agony as Gojira viciously shook his head, dislocating his wing. He then threw the pegasus away. He roared as he opened his jaws as his mane began to glow.
"GO AWAY!!" Gojira roared as he spewed fire, lighting up the cave with a neon blue light. Ponies cried as they retreated from the harsh flames that glassed the dirt in front of him. As Gojira continued to spew his fire, he felt a bolt of magic strike his side. He cut off his flames and found Starswirl. Gojira snarled as he rushed towards him. Starswirl teleported away, causing the kirin to slam into the rocky wall. Gojira shook his body as bits of stone fell to the ground.
"You should have just left me alone!" shouted Gojira as he charged towards Starswirl again. The unicorn fired a bolt of magic at his face, causing Gojira to cry out in pain as he stumbled. His sight was blinded from the attack, causing him to slam into a wall. Gojira shook his head as he squinted his eyes, hoping to force his sight to return. He could see Starswirl as a blur as he continued to fire bolts of magic at him. Gojira focused on the blur and proceeded to charge. He slammed into Starswirl, sending him several feet away. Gojira snarled as he stomped towards him with his teeth bared. He then felt another bolt of magic striking him in the back. Gojira whipped around, with his sight clearing up just in time to see his attacker. Clover the Clever stood at the other side of the cave with a glare as her horn smoked.
"You should've stayed curled up in a ball, sobbing!" growled Gojira as he charged towards the mare. Clover stepped to the side as the kirin came her way. Gojira skidded and followed her change of direction. Clover ran to the corners of the cave, firing bolts of magic at the kirin. Gojira roared as he charged through the attacks, his hooves stomping through the earth. Gojira then quickly began to sprint, cutting Clover's path. He swung his tail against her, knocking the mare across the cave. She whimpered as she clutched her side and stumbled onto her hooves.
"I'm not through with you!" said Gojira as he bit down on Clover's tail. She cried out in pain as her tail was yanked on, dragging her across the ground. Gojira threw her onto the ground behind himself. Clover moaned as she lied in the dirt. Gojira stomped over the mare, causing to gasp. She quickly fired a beam of magic at his face. Gojira stiffened as the beam engulfed his entire face. Clover panted as she cut off her magic. Gojira's face was shrouded in smoke, and his fur was singed. As the smoke cleared, his furious expression was revealed.
"This time, I will not hesitate to finish any of you," said Gojira as he raised a hoof. Clover gasped in fear, but before Gojira could strike her, he was met with spear to his side. Gojira cried in agony as he was pierced, but Clover took the opportunity to get away and saw the spear was engulfed in a magic aura
Starswirl panted as he willed the spear to dig deeper. Gojira stumbled back in agony.
"He's too strong! We only have one other option!" said Starswirl. As he released the spear, Gojira reached for it with his jaws. Starswirl fired a beam of magic above, causing stones to drop on Gojira.
Meanwhile, outside of the cave, Adagio was levitating through the air as she quickly raced to where the mob was headed. She saw the mob fleeing from the cave, all banged up. Obviously they couldn't handle the kirin. With a glimmer of hope in her heart, Adagio raced towards the cave. As she was halfway there, roars filled her hearing.
From inside the cave, Clover continued to fire beams of magic with Starswirl at the ceiling, causing rocks to fall. As Gojira was stalled by the stones in his way and the spear in his side, Starswirl's horn glowed brightly.
"If we can't destroy him, we'll have to imprison him!" said Starswirl. Gojira yanked the spear out of his chest and rushed towards the ponies passed the rocks. Suddenly, Starswirl launched a spell at Gojira. A bright light engulfed him and ignited throughout the cave.
From outside, Adagio gasped as she saw the flash. Her heart was filled with dread. She continued to speed up towards the cave. She then stopped and hid as she saw the two unicorns. She peeked through the side and found them staring at Gojira, but what she saw nearly made her heart stop. Gojira was in an attacking stance, with his neck stretched out and his teeth bared, but his entire body was frozen solid. The entire cave had turned cold as the walls iced over.
"I placed a freezing spell on him. He was too difficult to destroy by traditional means, so we had to freeze him," said Starswirl.
"Is he... Alive?" asked Clover with wide eyes.
"Sometimes those who are frozen by this spell do not survive. The chances are very slim," said Starswirl. Adagio cupped her mouth as her eyes ran with tears. Starswirl sighed.
"Well, we did it. We stopped this monster before he could do more damage," said Starswirl. The two exited the cave, while Adagio quickly hid. Starswirl faced the cave.
"Now to make sure he is never recovered," said Starswirl. He fired a blast of magic that struck the outside of the cave. The cave began to rumble and rocks fell until the cave caved in, trapping the frozen kirin inside. The mob gave cheers of celebration, while Adagio looked on in despair. The mob began to leave the area to return home, their triumphant cries fading away. Adagio made her way over to the sealed cave, her eyes running with tears. She dropped to the ground as she sobbed.
"Gojiraaaa!!" Adagio cried out in despair, which echoed out into the night. She sobbed for what felt like hours. Her dear friend, the one that she loved, was gone. They had took him away from her. And for what? Because he was different and for having power. Never again would she see the one that she had given her heart to. She will never be able to hear him say, 'I love you', ever again. Adagio gritted her teeth as she growled. Her aching heart was being filled with rage and hatred. Those ponies were to blame! They killed Gojira! It was their fault, and they had to pay!
"Gojira, they won't get away with this. The ponies of Equestria will pay," growled Adagio as her eyes began to glow red.
From within the cave where he met his demise, Gojira's frozen body was still in one piece. While a lack of light was present in this sealed cave, the air had turn bitterly cold. From the magic that kept his body encased in ice, came also an icebox effect as the cave itself remained frozen.
The frozen body of Gojira still remained in place all alone in the darkness. But from the darkness, a glimmer of light appeared. The small glimmering light began to take form and grew in size. The white light appeared as a pony, with a face as bright as the sun. The figure was transparent and bore what appeared to be stars within its very chest. The figure looked at the frozen kirin and felt empathy for the poor soul.
What tragedy had befallen on this kirin, who had been filled with hope and joy, only for it to have been swept away by those who feared him. One would not be able to tell what had transpired outside of this icy tomb from all of the time that had passed. But such curiosities did not matter to the dead, right?
The entity approached the kirin, every step that was taken made the ice melt the closer it got to the icy kirin. The figure gazed upon the kirin's frozen face and raised a hoof upon Gojira's head, where a soft glow began to incase his frozen body. "Awaken," said the figure in a soft, masculine voice. The figure then vanished in a blink of an eye, leaving the kirin in darkness once again.
However, his body illuminated softly. The still frozen eyes that glared at the wall suddenly moved. A growing heat inside of the frozen kirin caused the ice to melt. Gojira's body suddenly twitched inside of the melting ice. The ice then began to break apart, with Gojira thrashing about. He gave a yell as he took a breath of air. The kirin dropped to the ground, panting, and shivering violently. He couldn't feel anything due to his frozen nerves. His vision was completely blurred and his mind was unable to properly focus. It was as though he had been a sleep and had just woken up. He did remember what happened. He was fighting unicorns, and one of them had cast a spell on him while the cave collapsed. He thought that he should've been dead, but all he did was dream.
"Mother?" called Gojira in a ragged tone. "Lori?"
No one answered except for the echo. He sighed heavily. It all really was a dream. They were never with him. He sighed heavily in disappointment. His vision cleared up, and Gojira found himself in a cold dark cave. His body still shivered, but the feeling in his nerves returned. He slowly stood up and found the rocks that sealed the cave.
"Adagio," said Gojira, his voice hoarse. He slammed into the rocks, only causing an echo. Gojira gave a groan like a tired old whale as he slammed his hooves against the rocks. He had to escape. He was not going to lie here to die. He had to see Adagio, Sonata, and Aria. He had to see his friends. They must know that he was alright.
Gojira continued to slam his hooves on the rocks, feeling his strength returning. The rocks began to crack and buckle from the force of his strikes. He needed more strength. Gojira gave a cry as he kept at his efforts, feeling energy coursing through his muscles. His hooves radiated a neon blue flame-like aura as he struck the stones. The stones then burst, shattered, and collapsed from the impact. As the stones were cleared, daylight shot through the cave, causing the kirin to wince from the light.
He felt warmth coming over him. Gojira stepped out of the cave and stepped onto grass. His sight adjusted to the sunlight, and he found the land that he had grown familiar with. It looked just as he left it. Not even the mob was anywhere in sight, which worked to his benefit as they would believe he was dead, so he wouldn't have to worry about them anymore unless he made them aware of his survival.
Gojira clumsily walked through the grass and towards the beach, still unable to gain full control of his motor skills. Gojira found himself at the edge of the beach and diving into the water. He had regained his motor skills and his normal body temperature had miraculously returned. Gojira began to quickly swim to where the neighboring sirens had lived.
"Adagio! Sonata! Aria!" called Gojira as he quickly swam around the reef that was home to the sirens. He was expecting to see some other sirens just around the bend before he met with his friends, but he saw no one. He stopped as he looked around, only finding some fish to be swimming about. Aside from that, the area was deserted. He dove down to the bottom of the reef and searched any burrows or patches of kelp where the sirens tended to sleep in to avoid being seen by predators.
"Hello? Someone? Anyone!" called Gojira as he looked around in confusion. His expression turned to worry. He quickly searched all around the reef, high and low. He found crabs, fish, eels, even some bottles that had sunken to the bottom of the ocean floor. But no matter where he looked, he couldn't find a single siren around. As he went to the where Adagio and her sisters stayed, his heart was struck with grief. There was the patch of kelp that their family slept, but they weren't there.
"No. It can't be," said Gojira in disbelief as he looked all around.
"Adagio! Aria! Sonata!" cried Gojira. He continued to call out their names, while his heart began to lose any hope of finding him every time that he was not greeted with a response. He lowered his head as he gritted his teeth. 'Where had they gone?' Gojira wondered. It was mysterious that they had suddenly disappeared without a trace. He even wondered how long he was under the influence of Starswirl's spell. Gojira's eyes then widened with dread. The sirens were seen as a threat that day he and the girls ventured off to the surface. If the mob was here, who's to say that they didn't go after the sirens here. His friends could've been attacked, for all he knew. The thought made Gojira clench his teeth as a growl escaped his throat. He quickly swam off to the surface and into the shore, not bothering to shake the water off. He instead stomped through the hot sand of the beach and continued on until he was at a field. His nostrils flared and his amber eyes burned like the fires of the netherworld.
On his journey, Gojira was in a familiar forest. The very forest that had led to his attack, as well the possible attack of the innocent sirens that he lived by. He learned to loath this very forest, because of what was just on the other side. As he continued his journey, the forest animals scattered out of fear of the furious kirin. His claws dug into the soil around him as his tail swayed with every step that he took, but as the kirin continued his walk, he failed to notice that eyes were watching him.
The kirin took another step before he heard the sound of something rushing behind him. He stopped and looked behind himself and found a couple of leaves being blown through the wind. The sound of more steps rushing by came from his front. He looked forward and saw a quadrupedal figure rushing passed a bush. Gojira tensed as he began to feel as though he was being stalked. His ears picked up the sound of dog-like grunts. However, he heard no heartbeat. He smelled nothing that would resemble such an animal. All he smelled was a foul stench. He then heard the sound of growling coming from all around him. He looked to his left and from the shadows emerged what appeared to be wolves with piercing sickly yellow green eyes. As they came into the light, they were revealed to have been made out of moss, sticks, logs, and leaves.
Gojira felt his eyes widen in surprise, as he had never seen these creatures before. He then turned to his right and saw a few more of these 'Timberwolves' emerging from hiding as they snarled. The kirin found himself surrounded by these beasts, that stood around his height. The wolves began to grow closer, and Gojira's muscles tensed. He growled back, hoping to avoid a fight by an act of intimidation. This only aggravated the Timberwolves, who barked at him. Gojira grunted in frustration. It was stupid to think that these things would back down when they had numbers on their side. They didn't matter. If he survived a mob of angry ponies, he certainly was going to survive an encounter with a bunch of twigs.
Gojira roared as he charged first, prompting the wolves to act. Gojira slammed into the first timberwolf and stomped it into pieces with ease. He then felt a wolf bite him on the back leg, another wolf on the tail, and a third one on his foreleg. The remaining wolves hung back as they barked at the kirin, while the rest of their pack tried to take him down. Gojira groaned in pain as the sap that dripped from their mouths began to sting. He shook his leg furiously and caused the wolf to release. He then bit down on the neck of the timber wolf on his foreleg and snapped its neck, causing its head to fall to the ground while the rest of its body began to fall apart.
Gojira was then greeted with the rest of the timber wolves once they realized just how much of a fighter that he was. Gojira was tackled by the creatures and was knocked down. He cried out in pain as he thrashed about, kicking his legs furiously as the wolves bit him. As a wolf lunged for his neck, Gojira headbutted the creature, shattering its head into pieces, and felt his forehead get sticky as sap poured out of the destroyed skull. The kirin yelled out angrily as his body glowed a neon blue. From his body came a burst of energy. The blast blew the timber wolves away, while they dissolved into ash. Along with that, a few trees were uprooted and were scorched. After the defensive blast that the kirin was blessed with, the grass around him was left black and burned. The trees that were uprooted burned, along with a few other still standing trees. Gojira panted as he stood up, dripping from his wounds. He ignored the fires that he had caused. Especially as woodland critters fled from the flames. The kirin bore a hard expression as he was about to take another step. He then heard more growling. Gojira turned and found more timber wolves approaching.
"This forest must have a pest problem. I can fix that," said Gojira as he prepared for another fight. However, the Timberwolves gathered together, breaking apart. Their broken bodies glowed neon green, where they assembled together, forging large wooden limbs. Gojira's eyes widened once he saw the timber wolves combine into one great timber wolf. It stood to be over twenty feet tall in height, with a mouth full of jagged wooden teeth. Its eyes glowed, and its clawed paws dug into the earth. The stench had even grown worse. The timber wolf let out a monstrous bark and roar at the kirin, who stood with wide eyes.
"You have to be joking," said Gojira in disbelief.
The air was quiet in the village that was neighboring the forest. Ponies that were present in the village wandered about. It was just another common day in their fair country. The spring day bathed them in warmth as the smell of spring air, sprinkled with blooming flowers, and fresh grass. However, a foreign smell of smoke was emanating from the forest. Smoke, was something that was awfully alien for a Monday noon in the spring. A few ponies stopped what they were doing and picked up the smell of the smoke, which grew stronger. They gasped as they spotted smoke rising from the forest. A couple of stallions rushed from the gathering crowd that watched as the smoke grew much larger.
Meanwhile, a few ponies were gathered around, speaking to a group of visitors who had come to their village.
"And so, they've been gathering near our forest. We fear that these timber wolves could wander into our village at any moment, which is why we asked that you came to drive them away," said a mare. She was speaking to an elderly stallion, whose mane had grown much longer over the years, but he still wore a cloak and hat that was decorated with stars and bells. The stallion hummed with a nod of understanding.
"I understand. But it will prove to be a bit difficult to drive away timber wolves, especially a large number of them. So, I would like to take precaution by setting up a barrier around the village," said Starswirl. He then turned to a mare in her late 30s, who bore a familiar hooded cloak over herself.
"Clover, I will need your assistance on setting up the barrier," said Starswirl. Clover the Clever nodded in response.
"Understood," replied Clover as she followed Starswirl. However, he stopped in his tracks and turned behind himself.
"Your highnesses, I ask that you two remain here inside of the barrier," said Starswirl. Two royal pony guards, adorning grey, heavy armor that covered them from head to hoof stood by with spears. By them were two young alicorns. One of them was an early teenager filly, who bore a white coat that bore a pinkish tinge to it and her mane was pink in color. Beside her was a younger filly, who bore a dark blue coat, with a mane that was a lighter blue. The two bore looks of disappointment.
"But how would we be able to see how to properly drive away dangerous creatures, Starswirl?" asked the white alicorn.
"There will be other times for that, Princess Celestia. But what you and your sister can learn now is that you must take precaution to keep your subjects safe. Think of this as a lesson on projecting shields for defense," said Starswirl. The younger filly bore a sour expression.
"Boring," said the blue alicorn.
"It may not be anything flashy, Princess Luna. But defense is important," said Clover. Starswirl and Clover began to leave the area but were immediately confronted by two stallions.
"There's a fire going on in the forest!” cried a stallion. Everyone in the area looked on in shock and alarm.
"A fire?!" exclaimed Starswirl. The sudden sound of a monstrous roar filled the air. The ponies grew nervous, while the guards tensed as they stood by the young royals.
"What was that?" asked Clover in a calm tone.
"Something terrible. Come, we must set the barrier!" said Starswirl as he led Clover down the road that led outside of the village. However, they heard the roars grow more intense. Ponies screamed as they ran away from the outer region of the village and fled for the center. Starswirl and Clover gasped as they saw a massive timber wolf lumbering towards the village, barking. It began to slam its paws into the small buildings in its path, while growling.
"Looks like they've assembled!" said Starswirl with a look of worry. This was going to prove to be more difficult than he had originally thought, but he noticed something was off. Attacks from giant timber wolves usually happen when timber wolves are scattered or if they are facing a strong threat, which made him wonder what caused them to fuse together. Suddenly, the timber wolf roared as it chomped down on something in the road. It began to slam its jaws shut and proceeded to move through the village. Clover bore a look of panic.
"What do we do?!" asked Clover.
"Cast lethal magic! We can't let it keep coming!" said Starswirl as he and his student began to fire beams of magic off of the beast. They only managed to cause minor damage to it, as bits of wood flew off of its body. The beast only grew angry and picked up its pace. The two unicorns proceeded to fall back as they kept at their magical attacks. But it was futile, for the creature's body was much too dense. Its own magical properties minimized the damage as well.
Suddenly, the timber wolf wailed as it stumbled and fell to the ground. Starswirl and Clover stopped in confusion as the creature lied on its back. A figure burst out of its wooden belly, while sap sprayed all around. The figured stepped away as the timber wolf stood up, whining. Starswirl and Clover stared in shock as they recognized the figure.
"I will not fall!" shouted Gojira with a mighty cry. The timber wolf snarled as it attempted to snap its jaws at the kirin, but Gojira stepped away. His mane illuminated a neon blue along with his eyes. He opened his jaws and spewed a stream of flames that scorched the timber wolf. It cried out in a wail as the flames consumed it. The creature collapsed onto the ground as it was still bathed in neon blue flames. In just seconds, it was reduced to nothing but ash. Gojira panted as his glow died down, and his mouth began to smoke. He was covered in bites, scratches, and sap around his body. A couple of his wounds began to slowly heal. He then turned and found the two unicorns staring at him from down the street.
"Impossible," whispered Starswirl. Clover trembled in place as she stared at Gojira, who bled from his wounds. Fear was evident on her face, feeling as though she was staring at a ghost. This horrible monster was back.
"You," snarled Gojira as he stomped towards the unicorns. Clover stumbled back while Starswirl stood his ground.
"Where are they?" demanded Gojira.
"How are you alive?" questioned Starswirl. Gojira glared at him.
"I am asking the questions. Where are they?!" shouted Gojira as he came closer. Starswirl charged his horn.
"I don't know what you're talking about," said Starswirl.
"Liar! Tell me what you have done to them!" shouted Gojira. He was then met with a beam to his chest, causing him to stumble back. He growled as Starswirl's horn smoked.
"You want to pick up where we left off? Very well!" said Gojira as he charged towards the two unicorns. Starswirl sighed.
"I'm getting too old for this!" Starswirl began to charge, leaving a frightened Clover the Clever behind. Gojira was about to swipe his claws at Starswirl but missed. He was instead met with an explosive blast of magic to his face. He stumbled back as Starswirl retreated for another attack. Before the two could continue, Celestia appeared between them.
"Wait!!" cried Celestia. Gojira skidded to a halt with a look of confusion while Starswirl stared in alarm.
"Princess, get away from him!" cried Starswirl. Clover immediately appeared at his side.
"You stay away from her you beast!" shouted Clover. Gojira growled as he glared at the unicorn, who shrunk back in response.
"I am appalled! That is no way to treat the savior of this village!" said Celestia as she looked at the two in disapproval. Gojira looked at her in surprise.
"What?!" exclaimed Clover.
"He eliminated the timber wolves, did he not?" asked Celestia as she pointed to the ashes.
"He was actually in my way," muttered Gojira to himself.
"Princess, he's a monster!" said Clover. Celestia gasped in shock.
"Ms. Clever!" Celestia's lack of familiarity with the kirin led her to believe that the unicorn was making a xenophobic comment. Gojira growled.
"If I hear you call me that again, I will show you how monstrous I can be!" said Gojira. Celestia sent him a glare.
"You're not helping your case with hostility," said Celestia.
"They attacked me with a mob! Of course I'm hostile!" said Gojira. Celestia bore a look of confusion and then looked to the unicorns for confirmation. Starswirl nodded with a firm expression.
"14 years ago, before you, there was a kirin that warned us of him and his destructive past. I cast a freezing spell on him and sealed him in a cave. Though I'm shocked to see him free, let alone alive," said Starswirl. That was certainly a rarity for something to survive the freezing temperature or the collapse of the cave. Gojira's eyes were widened.
"14 years ago?" asked Gojira in disbelief, while Celestia looked at the two in surprise.
"I... It's only felt like yesterday," said Gojira to himself. That means that he was buried in that cave for years. Anything could have happened to the sirens in that time.
"What happened to them? Where are the sirens?" asked Gojira. Celestia looked at him in confusion as to why he was asking about such dangerous creatures.
"They've left this region. Right after three of them began to bewitch ponies into disharmony 11 years ago," said Starswirl. "You were with them the first time you came here."
"What happened to them?" asked Gojira again, his brows furrowed. Clover glanced at Starswirl nervously. The old unicorn bore a firm expression.
"Because they were draining magic from ponies across Equestria and bringing disharmony, I had banished them," said Starswirl.
"Where are they? Where can I find them?" demanded Gojira.
"It's impossible. I used a powerful spell to send them to another world. None of us can reach them," said Starswirl. Gojira's eyes were wide. He trembled with anger as the words sunk in. His friends, his lover, they were gone. There was no chance of them returning. All because of this unicorn.
"I'll kill you, you wretched old-!" Gojira stomped towards the unicorn with hate in his eyes. Celestia gasped in alarm along with Clover. Starswirl merely prepared to fight back. As Gojira approached, he grunted as he began to stumble. The pain he felt was taking its toll on him. That added with the emotional pain from the realization that those dear to him were gone only added to his pain. His eyes stung as he dropped to his knees, his teeth gritted. Starswirl stared in surprise as his opponent dropped.
"Why? Why has this happened again?" asked Gojira, his voice breaking. His mother and Lori, he lost them because of a monster. He was blamed and was chased off from his home. He made friends when he fled, and he fell in love. He had a new family. But now, the sirens had left, and Adagio and her sisters were gone, whisked away from him. Now, he had nothing. Gojira began to break down in front of the princess and two unicorns. He didn't care if it made him appear weak in their eyes. He had lost everything once again. Celestia lightly frowned as Gojira sobbed, while Clover and Starswirl glanced at each other.
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.
The Other Side of The Story
Chapter 6: The Whole Story
It was noon over the land. Gojira sighed as he poured a bucket of water over himself to rinse off the soap that covered his body. He gave a relieved sigh as the refreshing water washed over his body, while moisturizing his gills. He had recently been let off early from assisting in construction given that he had awoken early in the morning to work. Now he was able to relax in his room for the day and he planned on enjoying the silence. Gojira drained the tub and proceeded to shake off any remaining drops of water off of himself. As be plopped himself on the bed, he heard a knock, much to his annoyance. Gojira sighed heavily as he made his way over to the door, only to find it opening abruptly. He recoiled with a startled look as Celestia burst through the door with a bright smile.
"Good day, Gojira!" greeted Celestia as a couple of guards flanked her. The kirin began to relax but bore a look of confusion.
"Princess. What do I owe the pleasure?" asked Gojira as he awkwardly eyed the guards by her sides.
"I heard that you were off work early today. So I thought that I would invite you on a picnic!" said Celestia as she levitated a large basket in the air. Gojira bore a reluctant smile. While it was nice that she was inviting him for a picnic, he would prefer to remain confined to his room.
"Oh uh... I-"
"Great! Come on!" said Celestia as she grabbed Gojira by the hoof and began to tug him out of the room, while the guards all tensed up at the sudden close contact of the two.
"But- Wait!" cried Gojira as he found himself being towed through the hall. The guards quickly ran after the two through the hall.
"Princess! Please, wait!" cried one of the guards, fearing that the kirin would attack her now that the two were away from the guard.
Gojira found himself sitting on a blanket with a blank expression. He found himself being watched intently by two royal guards that bore spears. Before him were Princess Celestia and Princess Luna sitting in front of him. Celestia bore a cheerful mood while Luna merely leered at the kirin that sat in front of her.
"It's a nice day, isn't it?" asked Celestia as she began to levitate plates to the two.
"I suppose," said Gojira as a third guard appeared and placed down another picnic basket. Celestia opened the baskets, revealing the food. She set down large plates and bowls on the blanket that they sat on, which were filled with vegetables that were sliced and mixed together. There were also grapes, strawberries, and other fruits and vegetables that were mixed together, along with cheese and bread. Gojira analyzed all that was present. His stomach growled at the sight of all of the food that was before them. Luna smiled brightly.
"This all looks delicious sister!" said Luna.
"Just wait until you see desert," said Celestia with a chuckle. She began to pass plates to her sister and Gojira as she took her own.
"Feel free to serve yourselves! Enjoy!" said Celestia as she levitated some fruits and vegetables onto her plate while serving herself the fruit salad by levitating the spoon to scoop a portion out of the bowl. Luna followed in suit while Gojira carefully used his hooves to move some food onto his plate. He cursed his hooves and claws that prevented him from using a spoon or even properly picking them up. But he managed to serve himself. As the fillies ate with forks, Gojira merely dove his face into his plate on the ground. He scarfed up everything that was on his place, squirting the juices onto his face, the blanket, and the plate itself. Some of the juices even got on the bread on his plate, making it a bit soggy. Celestia looked on with a forced smile as the kirin scarfed his food, while Luna bore a look of disgust at the way he was eating.
"Ugh. Repulsive. Have you no manners?" asked Luna in disapproval. Gojira stopped eating and raised a brow. He stood up as the fur on his muzzle was stained from the fruit juices.
"What?" asked Gojira in confusion.
"You're not using a fork! And on top of that, you are eating like a dog being fed scraps! That is most uncouth," said Luna in disapproval. Gojira merely bore a look of annoyance.
"I can't use a... fork, as you call it. My hooves won't allow it," said Gojira as he raised his clawed hoof.
"And what's wrong with how I eat? I'm just eating. I always ate like this around my friends and they never had any problem with it," said Gojira.
"Perhaps they were trying to be polite to you," said Luna as she stuck her nose in the air. Gojira merely scoffed in response as Celestia levitated a napkin over to him and wiped his face.
"Here, you made a bit of a mess on yourself," said Celestia with a bit of a forced smile. Gojira pulled away.
"There's no point. I'm just going to get dirty again anyway," said Gojira as he served himself some more food. He went back to eating the same way, while the guards grimaced under their helmets as they watched the kirin feed like a wild animal. Celestia still bore her forced smile. While she did agree it was rather uncouth for how he was eating, she was happy that he was enjoying himself. Luna gagged.
"You're eating like you haven't eaten in days! Slow down! Gluten!" said Luna. Gojira sighed in annoyance.
"Enough with your big fancy words! You sound like you're compensating for your size," said Gojira. Luna scoffed as she sent him a glare.
"Ha! Perhaps you should study vocabulary instead of being intimidated by someone with a greater knowledge of vocabulary compared to your brawn," said Luna as she stood up. Gojira growled in annoyance at how snobbish this kid was acting towards him.
"You little-" Celestia quickly pulled out a cake from one of the baskets with a forced smile.
"Alright, break it up you two! Or none of you will get desert," said Celestia. Gojira scowled while Luna pouted her lip as she kept her glare on the kirin. The two backed away as they looked away from each other.
"Good!" said Celestia as she began to serve the two cake.
"So Gojira, are there any dishes from your country that you enjoy?" asked Celestia in curiosity, hoping to deter the kirin from his dispute with her little sister.
"Hmm. I don't remember too well. I was young," said Gojira as he looked down in thought.
"Oh! There was boiled rice. It went great with some vinegar and it was also delicious when fried with egg in it. Miso was also delicious. And noodles," said Gojira as he recalled the dishes that he enjoyed with his dear mother.
"Oooh. I'd like to try that some of those some time," said Celestia with a look of interest.
"If you can find someone who knows how to cook these things, you just may be able to. I don't think there are too many ponies here that know how to make a Neighponese dish," said Gojira as he leaned down to the cake and began to eat, getting frosting on his snout. Celestia smiled in amusement as the kirin raised himself up after eating it. She levitated a napkin again over to his face, which he tried to pull away from. Celestia bore a look of annoyance but then briefly smirked. She then looked to one of the guards and nodded. Gojira was about to move again as the napkin came his way but his head was suddenly held in place by one of the guards.
"Hey!" said Gojira in annoyance. Celestia then began to wipe his muzzle with a laugh.
"Got ya!" said Celestia. Gojira merely scowled as the guard released him. His cheeks lightly flushed. He then cleared his throat as he looked down at the ground, his cheeks still warm.
"I... Thank you, for this. This is nice," said Gojira as he looked down at his hooves. Celestia smiled warmly.
"Of course. We can spend more time like this together again," said Celestia. Luna sighed.
"Do we have to?" asked Luna. Celestia then shot her a glare of disapproval, which Luna sighed at in annoyance.
"Yes, we'll have to look at our schedule though," said Luna with a scowl.
"Um... Sure. I don't have much to do outside of labor," said Gojira as he sat in place.
It had been a few weeks since Gojira started living under the roof of the royal alicorns. He spent his time assisting in construction, and other forms of labor. He would always return to his room to relax in the tub after work. Sometimes, Celestia will greet him at his door and would come in for a chat. Of course, she couldn't sneak in by herself for long so she ended up having to let the guards come in too to watch over them. She hated that they had to be watched like foals, but she knew that they were just doing what they had sworn to do. Celestia was presently grunting as she leaned forward as her horn glowed brightly. As she was about to cast her spell, Starswirl stopped her.
"Your Highness, you must relax yourself. Otherwise your spell will fizzle out before it can even be cast," said Starswirl. Celestia sighed as she closed her eyes and took a breath. Her horn then glowed brightly as sparks erupted. She then sent a bolt of magic towards a pile of shards from a broken vase. The shards disappeared in a flash, only to reappear in an assembled state. The vase had been restored to looking as good as new.
"Well done, your Highness. Though, you seem distracted," said Starswirl as he made his to Celestia's side. The young Alicorn looked away.
"Well, maybe a little," said Celestia.
"Hmm? Then tell me, what seems to be the problem?" asked Starswirl.
"Well... I feel that perhaps we should lessen our strict rules over Gojira," said Celestia.
"Princess Celestia, your studies are of far more importance then to waste time on that criminal," said Starswirl in a dismissive manner. Celestia slightly narrowed her eyes.
"He is not a criminal. Besides, how can he be any less important than my studies? He lives under the roof of this castle, after all," said Celestia.
"Yes, regrettably," said Starswirl. Celestia narrowed her eyes.
"Why do you hold such animosity towards him?" demanded Celestia. Starswirl merely bore a hard expression. He turned and walked to the window.
"You're too young to know what had happened, Princess. I remember it all too well. He was strong; he had the ferocity of a beast. He even withstood magic. But what I'll never forget was that he was close to killing Clover," said Starswirl. Celestia's eyes slightly widened in response.
"I was helpless to save her. If one of the Sirens he knew had not urged him to flee, Clover wouldn't be here today," said Starswirl as he looked out the window.
"Even the second time that we encountered him, he was going to end my student's life. I can never forget her look of fear and the tears that she had. Clover has been afraid to even be in the castle with him," said Starswirl as he looked outside, finding Gojira hauling logs of wood down the road to a construction site.
"I can't forget what he did. And I can't help but fear that he will hurt you as well, princess," said Starswirl. Celestia lightly frowned as her ears folded against her head. She began to walk to Starswirl's side and brought her head against his shoulder.
"I had no idea. But we can't expect to move on from this if there is hostility remaining between you. I know this is a lot to ask, Starswirl. I know that this was all an unfortunate conflict that no one wished to take part of. But could you share the same trust that I have for him and perhaps forgive him?" asked Celestia. Starswirl watched as Gojira began to help unload the logs and saw them up.
"I don't know. But I guarantee you that he will do no such thing as well. Not after what I did," said Starswirl as he began to walk away from the window. Celestia softly sighed.
The late noon was present. During this time, Celestia and Luna were walking alongside Clover the Clever through the village. A few guards flanked them with spears.
"Now, it is important to understand the basic needs of ponies, your majesties. The way to do that is to see them first hoof," said Clover as she led the fillies into the village. Along the way, the villagers greeted the royals with bows, while Celestia and Luna waved to them.
"A bit crowded, is it not?" asked Luna as she found some areas of the village to be clustered of ponies and carts.
"Yes. Hence why there are efforts to expand the village's size to allow more room for your subjects," said Clover with a nod. Celestia looked around, finding some ponies that appeared to be sickly pale as they remained seated in street corners. Some ponies even wore ragged clothes as they ate little morsels of food.
"There is also an issue of illnesses being spread here to this village. Nothing too serious, but it may pose a problem for those living in poverty," said Clover.
"And what of food?" asked Celestia.
"No longer an issue this year. Thanks to farming wrapping up much quicker this season," said Clover. Celestia nodded in response. She then looked to one of the guards.
"Have a team to distribute bread to ponies in this western part of the village. Free of charge," said Celestia. The guard gave a salute and began to run off.
"Very generous of you, your highness," said Clover with a smile.
"Though, it will take more to support those living in poverty then giving away free food. What would really help them onto their hooves is making a living. Finding work to make their own bits, so that they may buy their own food," said Clover. Celestia nodded in understanding.
"Perhaps offering jobs for any project?" asked Celestia.
"You're the princesses. It is up to you how you'll grant others opportunity," said Clover. Celestia nodded with a smile as she wrote notes down on a parchment paper with a quill. Along their walk, the group made their way down to a construction site. Here, several ponies were assisting in constructing a larger building that stood among the village. This wooden skeleton of a building was going to be made into a home of a particularly wealthy individual they were going to meet. Soon, the group came across a stallion that was dressed in nice clothing as his mane curled at the ends. He turned to find the princesses and Clover the Clever.
"Ah. Your majesties," said the stallion as he bowed.
"How goes the construction of your home?" asked Luna.
"Smoothly. Thank you, for allowing myself to settle the site here. As promised, I shall help contribute wonderful things to the ponies of our community," said the stallion. Celestia smiled in response.
"Thank you. We look forward to working with you on other projects in our kingdom," said Celestia as she curtly bowed her head. The group began to walk alongside each other on the site as the ponies worked. They were discussing about potential future projects that were in store for the village's growth. Meanwhile, Gojira was currently pulling a large stack of logs over to a group of stallions that bore saws. As he unhooked himself, Gojira assisted in unloading a couple of logs.
"Head over to the forest again, son. We will need more lumber," said an older stallion as he looked his way. Gojira nodded as he was escorted by a couple of guards. As he did this, he heard the sounds of frantic shouting. Gojira looked up to find the stones that were being hoisted up into the air beginning to fall as one of the ropes holding them snapped. The stones fell and crashed onto the ground, causing a couple of wooden pillars to tip over and fall. Gojira's eyes widened as he found that the pillars were falling down towards the royal sisters. Gojira broke off into a sprint as the guards were distracted by the chaos as stallions retreated.
"Look out!" cried the rich stallion as he pointed towards the falling pillars. As Clover and the princesses saw this, they fled with the guards. However, in her panic, Luna tripped over her hooves and fell to the ground. Celestia turned and found her sister on the ground. Her face turned to horror as she saw that she was in the pillars' path.
"Luna!!" screamed Celestia as she attempted to run back for Luna. The younger filly looked back and screamed as the pillars fell towards her. She brought her hooves over her face in preparation of being crushed. Suddenly, Gojira swooped in by her side and brought his muzzle by her rump. With one quick scoop, Luna was sent flying a few feet away towards Celestia. Gojira turned to meet the pillars, only for them to fall on him. Debris was sent into the air from the pillars, as the rest shielded their eyes. As the clouds of dust cleared, Luna shakily stood up as Celestia wrapped her into a tight hug. The white alicorn then saw Luna's rescuer being crushed under the pillars with only his upper body exposed.
"Gojira!" cried Celestia. She rushed over towards the kirin that lied unconscious under piles of wood. Luna merely watched with wide eyes as her body shook.
"Your Highness, are you alright?" asked Clover as she inspected the younger filly.
"He... He saved me," whispered Luna. Clover looked to where she was looking and found Gojira under piles of wood and a large pillar. Celestia was attempting to dig him out.
Later that evening...
Gojira was lying in a bed as his body was badly bruised and his legs and ribs were wrapped in casts. In the room with him was Celestia, who sat at his bedside, distraught. Luna sat beside her as she attempted to hold back some tears of her own. Starswirl and Clover stood by each other as they watched the kirin lie in bed. Clover felt no sense of fear as she saw Gojira in this state. He appeared vulnerable and weak. It was a miracle that he was still breathing.
"I've numbed his pain with magic to make him more comfortable. However, I cannot guarantee a full recovery," said Starswirl. Celestia gritted her teeth.
"I'm sorry, Princess Celestia. I shall give you some time alone with him. Clover?" called Starswirl.
"I... I think I'm going to remain with the princesses," said Clover. Starswirl nodded in response. He then left the room, closing the door behind him. Celestia wept as she lied her head against Gojira's bed.
"He's going to die, isn't he?" asked Luna with a sniffle. The mare looked away, afraid how to answer. She could give the young princess the hard truth, or she could lie to her in order to give her a small sense of hope. But really, Clover wasn't sure herself. He should have been dead as it is already, though she wasn't wishing that on the kirin. It amazed and shocked her that he had sacrificed himself for the princess, when he could have just left her to her doom.
Luna began to make her way over to Gojira's hoof and held it firmly. She sniffled as her lips trembled and her eyes ran with her tears that she failed to hold back.
"I'm sorry for being mean to you, Gojira. Please, forgive me," sobbed Luna as she held Gojira's hoof. Celestia draped a wing over her shoulder and brought her close. Clover lowered her head as the young royals cried for the kirin, whose life was surely slipping. Clover made her way to Luna's side and placed a comforting hoof on her shoulder. Soon, Clover was walking Luna out of the room, leaving Celestia alone with the kirin. Celestia had her head lowered.
"Thank you so much. You saved the life of my little sister, even though it was going to cost you dearly. You taught me new things that are out there in the world. Things I have grown curious to explore. I only wish..." Celestia wept as she held Gojira's hoof. Her heart ached terribly for seeing her friend this way. She then sniffled as she leaned close to Gojira's face and planted a kiss onto his forehead.
"Please, don't go Gojira," whispered Celestia as she leaned her head on his bed, still holding his hoof. Her tears fell down onto the bed.
Soon, Celestia had opened her eyes wide. A warm blanket was placed over her shoulders. She had fallen asleep, evident by the sleep in her eyes. Celestia slightly raised herself up as she rubbed her eyes. She looked to the bed, expecting to find Gojira. However, he wasn't there. Celestia gasped as she stood up and found the bed to be empty. She found the bandages to have been torn off and scattered on the bed.
"Gojira?" called Celestia as she looked around the empty room. She quickly got up to her hooves as she bore a look of worry. After witnessing what had happened to the kirin, she knew of the consequences of Gojira moving about. Celestia found the door to be wide open, prompting her to rush out to the castle hall. She found a trail of ripped bandages leading down to the East Hall. Celestia quickly followed the trail and rounded the corner. She continued on until she found that the trail had stopped. Celestia continued her search, hoping to find any other clue to locate Gojira. She then found a door at the far end of the hall to be cracked, with a dim light coming from within. Celestia made her way over to the door and stepped into the room. Here, she found rows of shelves standing tall in the room, filled with tomes and scrolls. She realized that she had stumbled into the room of records. Here, all historical documents were contained and archived. Celestia found the room to be dimly lit by candle light. The source of the light came from a table in the center of the room, where Gojira sat. His bandages were gone, with his fur matted a bit. He was looking through scrolls that were scattered on the table.
"Gojira?" called Celestia in a soft tone. Gojira's ear flicked as he heard her voice, prompting him to look her way. Celestia stood in the dark with her eyes welling up with tears. She ran over to the kirin's side as she wrapped her hooves around him. She wept with joy as she leaned her head beneath his neck.
"You're OK!" wept Celestia. Gojira brought a foreleg over her back as he nuzzled her head. Celestia pulled away as she sniffled.
"But... How? How are you able to stand?" asked Celestia. Gojira flexed a foreleg, which made a popping sound.
"I couldn't before. But after hours, my bones stopped hurting. Next thing I knew, I felt good as knew," said Gojira.
"Are... Are all kirins that way?" asked Celestia. Though she realized it was a silly question as it left her mouth. No normal creature could withstand such bodily trauma that Gojira endured.
"No, just me," said Junior. Celestia softly smiled as she nuzzled Gojira's neck affectionately. She was relieved that her dear friend was well. She then took the time to notice the scrolls on the table.
"Gojira, what are you doing in here?" asked Celestia.
"Well, since your guards left me alone since they assumed that I wasn't going to survive the night, I took the opportunity to go about without being followed. I wanted to find something here in the records. Something I was hoping you could help me with," said Gojira.
"What is it?" asked Celestia in curiosity.
"What happened while I was frozen. What happened to my friends, the Sirens," said Gojira. Celestia bore a hesitant look.
"I... Gojira, I don't know. You might not like what you find," said Celestia. Gojira bore a pleading look.
"Princess... Celestia, please. I have to know what happened that justified banishment," said Gojira. Celestia's eyes softened. She then nodded.
"Very well. What have you found?" asked Celestia.
"I don't know. I can't read," said Gojira. Celestia raised a brow at him in confusion.
"You were going to learn what happened to your friends, but you can't even read?" asked Celestia. Gojira looked away with a scowl.
"I know how it sounds! I thought I'd have luck if I stole a few scrolls that had a seal with Starswirl's Cutie Mark on them and give them to you to read," said Gojira. Celestia looked at him in disapproval.
"Gojira..."
"I was going to give them back! Besides, they're just scrolls," said Gojira in annoyance.
"They're property of my kingdom," said Celestia with a deadpanned stare. She then sighed.
"I'll let this go. Let's see what we can find," said Celestia as she unfurled the scrolls.
The two spent the next hour reading through some scrolls that were categorized through recent years. So far, there had been no luck in finding the desired records.
"I'm not sure if we'll be able to find anything, Gojira. There are a lot of records," said Celestia with a tired sigh.
"I'm sorry. We may be making progress if I could read a single word written down," said Gojira.
"Perhaps we can ask Starswirl- wait! I think I found something!" said Celestia as her face brightened. Gojira rushed to her side with a hopeful look.
"Here, Starswirl mentions you and your friends in Tall Tale. If we go by the date he documented this record, we may be able to find something that can tell us what happened," said Celestia as she skimmed through the scroll as she wandered over to a shelf labeled by date. The dates went to the next couple of years from after the first encounter with Gojira. She then brought out a couple of scrolls that led to the last documentation of Starswirl from the couple years that were from that decade. She then brought the scrolls to the table and unfurled one as she set the other two in order. Celestia cleared her throat.
"Here. It reads, 'After I succeeded in imprisoning the beast that threatened Tall Tale, I was unable to rest. For I knew that he was not the only threat. There was still the question of the three Sirens that were with him. I would find out that I was right to be concerned.'" Celestia read the scroll, while Gojira listened attentively.
14 Years Ago...
The ocean felt so empty. It was cold, harsh, and lonely. But none of that compared to the land, where a kirin had lost his life. Adagio Dazzle remained on a rock on the ocean floor. Her eyes were hard as she was unable to properly shed tears because of being in a liquid environment. But the pain in her heart was enough to signal her devastation. With her were her sisters, Aria Blaze and Sonata Dusk. Aria bit her lip as she stared down at the sand beneath her hooves as she trembled with anger and sadness. Sonata had her face buried into her forelegs on the ground, weeping.
"I can't believe it. He's actually gone," muttered Aria.
"It's not fair! Why did he have to die?!" sobbed Sonata as she planted her head back into her forelegs. Adagio gritted her teeth as she stared at her rock in anger.
"It's because of those ponies..." said Adagio as she swam off of her rock, passing Sonata and Aria. The two sisters looked her way as she swam away, only for Adagio to turn back around with a hard expression.
"They are stupid creatures! We came to them in peace, only for them to attack us! Even after we left their village, they decided to come back and kill Gojira!" cried Adagio as she trembled in despair. The other two Sirens felt their sister's pain, but they were also aware on how the loss of their friend was hitting Adagio much harder compared to them as she had developed romantic feelings for him, only for the colt she fell for to have been whisked away.
"I will never forgive them for what they did," said Adagio as she turned away with her head lowered. Aria and Sonata slowly made their way over to her side, just as Adagio looked back up to the surface of the water, where the daylight shone down upon them and the ocean floor. The water shimmered, and the sea continued to keep appearing as beautiful as could be on this day, but the despair that the three felt in their hearts scorned the beauty, for it was nothing without the friend they had lost.
"I want to take something dear to them away. Just as they did to us," said Adagio in a low tone. Aria's eyes widened as a thought came to her mind. She then glanced at Adagio.
"I think I may know what," said Aria. Sonata and Adagio looked her way in confusion.
"Remember that story they told us about how the three pony races were divided years ago?" asked Aria.
"What about it?" asked Adagio with a raised brow.
"Well I was asking uncle Fin about the effects of Sirens singing to non-Sirens. Keep in mind that I didn't tell him we were on the surface. But, apparently our singing can cause these ponies to fight, allowing Sirens to draw from their negative energy. It can make us stronger," said Aria as she crossed her forelegs over her chest. A devious smirk was planted on her face.
"You want to take something away from these scum? How about we take away their harmony?" suggested Aria. Adagio's eyes widened.
"You mean... We sing to them?" asked Adagio, while Sonata bore a look of uncertainty.
"I'm talking a full on musical tour, staring us. If we get them all under our magic's influence, they'll all begin fighting, becoming divided. I'd say that's fair retribution," said Aria. Adagio smiled as she nodded to her sister.
"Pretty smart, Aria. I'm impressed," said Adagio.
"So... You down for some payback?" asked Aria. Adagio nodded with a firm expression.
"All the way," said Adagio. Sonata shot in between them.
"Wait! Girls, do you hear what you're saying?! You're talking about making these ponies fight each other and tearing them apart!" said Sonata in disbelief.
"They deserve it, Sonata! They killed our friend!" cried Adagio.
"Dagi, this won't bring him back! We'd be no better than those ponies!" argued Sonata. Adagio gritted her teeth angrily. She couldn't believe that her own sister was standing up for the ponies who attacked all of them.
"Sonata," called Aria. Sonata turned her attention to her sister, finding Aria to be holding a firm expression.
"I know that this seems scary or even wrong, but there's more to this then revenge," said Aria. Sonata looked at her in confusion.
"Remember, they called us monsters. They saw us as a threat, and we were attacked by them. Gojira was unfortunate enough to be killed by them, but what makes you think that they'll stop there?" asked Aria as she came closer to Sonata, whose expression grew uncomfortable.
"They'll be coming after us next. We can't move out too far from the area unless we wanna risk our chances with predators. But if we stay here without doing anything, we'll be in deep trouble. Not just us, but mom, uncle Fin, and everyone else. They all will be in danger," said Aria, while Sonata bit her lip. Her stomach was in knots as she thought over Aria's point. It was frightening to think that her friends and family are still in danger because of these ponies. Gojira was just the beginning of their attack. She never even considered the possibility that the ponies would come after them next. The thought of her family being hurt by these ponies filled her with an emotion that she doesn't usually feel. She felt angry. Sonata slightly hardened her expression as she looked away.
"You're... You're right. As much as I hate admitting it, we could still be in trouble. I don't want to lose anyone that I care about again," said Sonata.
"Neither do I," said Aria as she placed a hoof on her little sister's shoulder. While she always saw Sonata being air headed, she acknowledged that her sister had rare moments in being smart enough to understand the bigger picture.
"So we're all agreed then. We're going to take harmony itself away from Equestria," said Adagio. Both Aria and Sonata nodded in agreement.
"What about mom? She'll know that we're gone," said Sonata.
"She'll understand when we break these ponies. We'll leave at the crack of dawn," said Adagio. Aria nodded.
"Alright, sounds good," said Aria. Sonata sighed in reluctance. While she was willing to help her sisters to prevent these ponies from hunting them, she was worried about leaving home again for the surface. Especially when they weren't allowed on the surface until they were eighteen. Sonata only hoped that they would be able to succeed in their mission and ultimately prevent any more loved ones from being taken away.
The early morning sun shined over the land. Ponies had awoken early for their daily routine, taking in the cold air. As ponies walked the road, passing by each other. As they greeted each other, the sound of distant vocalizing filled the air. The ponies stopped as they curiously looked around for the source of the beautiful singing voices. From the air, three colorful figures were above the air, hidden by the sunlight, making it difficult for ponies to identify them.
"Ooooh~ With you, I'm alive. Like all the missing pieces of my heart, they finally collide. So stop time right here in the moonlight 'Cause I don't ever wanna close my eyes~," sang Adagio as her sisters vocalized. Their gems glowed brighter as the ponies turned their attention to them. Adagio hardened her eyes as she glared at the ponies beneath her. Just by looking at them, she was reminded of the horror she felt when she watched Gojira being chased by their mob. This boiled her blood.
"Without you, I feel broke. Like I'm half of a whole. Without you, I've got no hoof to hold. Without you, I feel torn Like a sail in a storm. Without you, I'm just a sad song. I'm just a sad song~!" Adagio's voice picked up in tempo as her sister's raised their voices as they vocalized. Their eyes suddenly glowed red. The ponies below bore eyes that briefly flashed green. Suddenly, the air was filled with a mob of ponies arguing. The Sirens looked down on the ponies of the village that they had first came to being thrown into disharmony, as the citizens began to fight each other. The Sirens bore cold expressions as they watched the ponies fight, while taking in the negative energy that they emitted. They held no sympathy for these ponies.
"This is for you, Gojira," said Adagio to herself.
A few weeks had gone by. The Sirens levitated over a road as they continued on their mission to break Equestria. So far, they had visited five villages in the country, causing them to lose harmony and to break into conflict. However, they were far from finished. In possession of a map, the Sirens had learned that there were several more villages, along with territories ran by the leaders of the once divided races that needed to be broken. And they were all far, hence the long time that it took to conquer these first five villages. But, the young Sirens were committed to their mission.
"Ugh. Equestria is too big. Where's the next village?" asked Aria in annoyance as she followed Adagio.
"Just a few more miles from here," answered Adagio as she looked at her map. Aria groaned.
"I'm bored out of my mind. Can't wait to get those ponies fighting again. That always provides entertainment," said Aria.
"Hey, wanna play I spy?" asked Sonata. Aria sighed.
"Whatever," said Aria. Sonata smiled brightly.
"OK! I spy with my little eye something green," said Sonata as she looked to the side.
"Is it grass?" deadpanned Aria.
"Oh you're good! OK, now you!" said Sonata.
"I spy something... Green," said Aria with a scowl. Sonata hummed to herself as she looked around.
"Is it a bug?" asked Sonata as she looked at the grass.
"No, it's grass," said Aria as she shook her head. Sonata groaned in disappointment at her wrong guess.
"Oh! Me next! I spy something-"
"Grass," interrupted Aria.
"How did you know what I was going to say?" asked Sonata in surprise.
"Because there's nothing but grass out here! We're in the middle of nowhere!" shouted Aria, her voice echoed out across the empty area they traveled.
"I'm done! This game is gonna drive my insane!" said Aria as she crossed her forelegs over her chest.
"Hey, I didn't get a turn!" said Adagio. Aria scoffed.
"Play with Sonata! I'm done!" replied Aria.
"Alright. But you'll like this. I spy something refreshing to the eyes," said Adagio. Sonata hummed as she looked around. She then gasped.
"Is there a pond around here?!" asked Sonata in excitement.
"Nope. The village is just ahead," said Adagio as she pointed ahead. Aria and Sonata found a large village just by a few hills.
"Finally!" said Aria as she picked up her pace, followed by Adagio and Sonata. The three eventually found themselves in the village, where the locals were just going about their business. Some looked their way curiously at these strangers that had recently arrived. Sonata quickly made her way around the center of the village that they had arrived to, with a giddy expression.
"Oh! Can we grab some sweets when we're done here?" asked Sonata in excitement.
"Fine, but you can't eat them until you eat lunch," said Adagio as she came to the center. She then cleared her throat.
"Citizens! May we have your attention?!" called Adagio, drawing the attention of the ponies in the area.
"My sisters and I are putting on a musical performance later today! We're going around the country giving you ponies the opportunity to listen as we sing for your entertainment!" said Adagio as she put on a friendly expression. However, she was disgusted at having to make such a face at the creatures she loathed. A few ponies murmured curiously as they looked at each other.
"What do you call yourselves?!" called a mare.
"Pardon?" asked Adagio in confusion.
"Your group's name! What is it called? You know, there's the Silver Strings, the Cloud Bounders-" the mare began to name off some musical groups. The Sirens looked at each other with questioning looks. They quickly huddled together.
"A stage name? Is that necessary?" asked Aria in confusion.
"I'm afraid so. If we want them to take us seriously to come see us, we need a name," said Adagio with an annoyed sigh.
"This could be fun! Hey, what if we call ourselves Adagio and the Sirens? Or maybe the Triple Threats? How about The Angry Three?" suggested Sonata.
"Why does Adagio get top billing?" asked Aria with a scoff.
"She's the lead singer all the time. I thought it worked," said Sonata with a shrug. Adagio shook her head.
"Nah, folks like groups that seem on equal footing. And those other two names just describes us," said Adagio dismissively. She then looked down in thought. She then noticed her gold gem on her chest sparkled in the day light. She looked to the side and found a water fountain, where the water glimmered in the sun's light. She found herself distracted, reminded of the glimmering waters of home. She lightly frowned as she thought back to her home in the ocean and wondered how her family was doing. How she yearned to soon return to her dazzling home. Then, her eyes widened in thought.
"Dazzling," said Adagio as she stared at the fountain, while her sisters looked at her in confusion.
"Huh?" asked Aria. Adagio smirked as she looked to her sisters.
"I got an idea," said Adagio. Before her sisters could ask, Adagio turned to face the ponies.
"We are the 'Dazzlings'! Starring myself, Adagio Dazzle! Co-starring my sisters, Aria Blaze and Sonata Dusk!" said Adagio as she pointed to her sisters, while Aria and Sonata looked at her in confusion. The ponies murmured with their interests peaking. Not only did their names match the beauty in their gems on their chests, but also the bright colors of their scales. Not to mention that their names were rather musical, as if they were authentic performers.
"We've been around Equestria, catching ponies with our songs! Tell your friends so they don't miss out!" said Adagio.
Adagio was currently strolling through the village by herself with a neutral expression. Aria and Sonata were back in the center of the village having a lunch break, while Adagio had decided to go off alone for a stroll. Sometimes, she felt the need to get away from everyone just to clear her head before a performance. It gave her a sense of calmness. She was tired of being on the surface and being around these ponies, but she couldn't stop now. Not until she had turned every single pony against each other. Adagio sighed as she solemnly looked down at the ground as she stopped in the middle of the road.
"Gojira..." said Adagio as she sighed. Her heart still ached from the fact of his demise. She yearned to be embraced by his warm body and his fur. How she wished to see his reaction every time she teased him. But most of all, she missed spending time with him, just talking. He was the only colt with the guts to be around someone that most male sirens her age were too intimidated to be around.
"Why so blue, young one?" asked an elderly female's voice. Adagio's ears perked, prompting her to turn and find an old mare standing outside of a small building, wearing a violet cloak, with blue trims.
"I'm not," said Adagio as she looked away, wiping off her sad expression.
"Ah. But I sense that you are troubled," said the mare as she closed her eyes and held a hoof against her head. Adagio looked at her with a raised brow.
"Someone very dear to you has been lost. A lover," said the mare. Adagio's eyes widened in surprise. She wondered how this mare knew. But then, a look of suspicion was plastered on her face.
"Lucky guess," said Adagio.
"Ah. But this lover was not taken away by any natural causes. Rather, it was by the work of others. Now, you are on a journey," said the mare. Adagio's eyes slightly widened, an almost unnerved look was on her face.
"How do you know that?" asked Adagio. The mare gestured to the building behind her.
"Care to learn more? First fortune telling is free," said the mare. Adagio looked back with an uncertain expression. This was a stranger she knew nothing about, and she knew a few things about her. Not to mention that Adagio had no money to give. But then again, this did intrigue her, not to mention she never had her fortune told. As a plus, it was going to be free.
"Alright," said Adagio as she followed the mare into the building. Inside, there were all sorts of odd looking trinkets and old looking items within the building. She was led to the back of the room in a dark area, where a table was present, and two pillow cushions were across each other on each end on the ground. At the center of the table was a glass ball. Adagio took a seat across the old mare as she took her seat. Her horn glowed brightly as she rubbed her hooves over the glass ball.
"Ah. I see your heart is heavy with anger and despair. You hold a grudge," said the mare, while Adagio rolled her eyes.
"Tell me something that I don't already know," said Adagio.
"But this grudge will end in loss, my dear," said the mare, catching Adagio's attention. She then looked to the glass ball, finding an image of a siren as gold as she was, surrounded by sirens that matched her sister's colors. Along with them were other sirens. She gasped in shock at what she saw. Her family.
"You are on a dark path that you think will mend your aching heart. But this will not satisfy your despair, only manifest itself more. You will not be satisfied. Not only that, if you continue down the path that you are on, you will lose everything that you hold dear," said the mare. Adagio's eyes widened as she saw that one by one, the other sirens began to vanish. Soon, the image of her sisters were the last ones to disappear, leaving the image of Adagio alone in the darkness, who lied on the ground in utter despair.
"No!" cried Adagio in anger as she slapped her hoof against the glass ball, knocking it to the ground. The mare quickly caught the ball before it could shatter, while Adagio bore a furious look.
"Bah! You're foolish! Thinking you can scare me with your magic!" said Adagio. She then turned away as she proceeded to leave.
"I won't lose anything dear to me. Never again!" said Adagio as she stormed out of the mare's shop. Her anger was fuming. Eventually, she came back to the center of the village, where she found her sisters waiting.
"Hey, what's up?" asked Aria.
"Nothing. Just some old bat trying to scare me," said Adagio, while her sisters looked at her in confusion. She noticed that a large number of ponies had gathered in the area.
"Well, since you're here, we can get started," said Aria. Adagio nodded in understanding.
"Right," said Adagio as she and the Sirens assembled. Adagio placed on a false friendly smile as she greeted the ponies.
"Thank you all for coming! The Dazzlings will now be performing for you!" said Adagio, while the ponies applauded as they stomped their hooves. The sirens began to vocalize. Their gems began to glow, and Adagio's expression hardened.
"Your cruel device~. Your blood, like ice~. One look could kill~. My pain, your thrill I want to love you but I better not touch~. I want to hold you but my senses tell me to stop~! I want to kiss you but I want it too much~! I want to taste you but your lips are venomous poison~!" Adagio sang. But instead of the soft, melody that she usually gave in her tone while singing, she placed in a rough tone. It sounded like anger, but it matched the lyrics well.
"Oh whoa~! Whoa ah ahhhh~!" Aria and Sonata vocalized, giving an almost ominous tone. The ponies' eyes flashed as they found themselves under the influence of the sirens. Suddenly, they began to argue, and then they became physically violent with each other. As they did this Adagio vocalized with her sisters, smiling darkly as she watched these ponies lose their harmony so easily. She relished seeing them suffer as she had. Before it was just an act out of anger against their crime towards Gojira, but now, she learned to enjoy causing them conflict. But, this wasn't enough.
"Ugh. At this rate, our goal will take too long. We need a bigger target," said Adagio.
"I have an idea!" said Sonata with a grin. "I heard from one of the ponies that some big shots were having a meeting in a court or something here!"
"Big shots?" asked Aria.
"A princess, some commander, and a chancellor! I don't know what a chancellor is, but I do know what the other two are!" said Sonata. Adagio smiled darkly.
"Well done Sonata. Let's find these big shots," said Adagio.
Later...
In a court room, Starswirl the Bearded remained silent as he stood by Clover the Clever. The two watched as Princess Platinum, Commander Hurricane, and Chancellor Pudding Head held a meeting, along with some other politicians and a few high class ponies. They were currently discussing over plans for their agriculture and trade. Clover sighed as she scowled.
"I much rather be home reading a book," said Clover in boredom.
"We have to do our part, Clover. You must remain by Princess Platinum's side as her adviser. We have to do our part to ensure Equestria's future," said Starswirl. Clover sighed as she nodded.
"I know. These meetings are just so dull and boring," said Clover. Starswirl chuckled.
"Chancellor Pudding Head would agree," said Starswirl as he found the Chancellor sitting in her seat with half open eyes and prompting her chin up by a hoof. She didn't appear to be paying much attention to the discussion going on in the court. Meanwhile, a guard in armor made his way over to Princess Platinum.
"I'm sorry to disturb you, your highness. But there seems to be trouble in the village center," said the guard. Platinum raised a brow, bearing a small look of concern.
"Trouble?" asked Platinum. Suddenly, the sound of glass breaking filled the air. Everyone jumped with a start. From the broken window swooped in the Dazzlings, flying around the court room, startling everyone.
"What the blazes?!" exclaimed Platinum as she ducked for cover.
"Sirens!" growled Commander Hurricane as he raised his wings, revealing blades attached to the feathers. The Dazzlings glared at the ponies down below as they flew around them, like sharks swimming around their prey.
"Oh~" vocalized the sirens.
"Seize them!" ordered Hurricane, prompting his pegasi guards to draw their weapons as they began to fly in the air. The unicorn and earth pony guards raised their spears as they prepared to combat the sirens. Starswirl gasped as he saw that the sirens were vocalizing.
"Clover!" shouted Starswirl as his horn flashed, engulfing himself in a brief flash.
"Right!" said Clover. But before she could cast her spell, her eyes flashed green, along with everyone else in the room. She was too late to cast her counter spell. She was now under their influence.
"I hear you calling and it's needles and pins~! I want to hurt you just to hear you screaming my name~! Don't want to touch you but you're under my skin~! I want to kiss you but your lips are venomous poison~!" sang Adagio as her gem glowed brightly. Suddenly, all of the ponies, excluding Starswirl, began to fight. Starswirl watched in horror as the guards and politicians began to beat each other. Especially when he saw the leaders of the united tribes to be fighting as well.
"So much for your united tribes!" Adagio laughed manically, while her sisters smirked as they watched the leaders fight each other. Adagio then noticed Starswirl, who was not under their influence.
"You!" shouted Adagio, her anger boiling. It was the unicorn responsible for the demise of Gojira. He was here. Adagio yelled angrily as she dove towards Starswirl, but the unicorn vanished. Adagio stopped, hearing the doors open. She turned and found Starswirl running out of the court.
"Get him! He's the one who killed Gojira!" shouted Adagio as she began to fly out the broken. Aria and Sonata both briefly looked at each other in shock, but then hardened their eyes as they nodded to each other. The sirens flew out of the window and proceeded to search all over town. But there was no sign of him among the crowds of fighting ponies.
"We lost him," said Aria with a pant. Adagio gritted her teeth as she slammed her hoof against the wall. She was so close. She almost had the stallion who had killed Gojira. And yet he managed to escape.
"Raaargh!!" screamed Adagio in rage. Her voice echoed out across the village, heard by Starswirl, who sneaked through the village.
Starswirl was alone in a dark room, where many tomes and scrolls were scattered. He had been searching for hours in his studies to find a way to counter against the Sirens magic. He knew that their magic was strong and only continued to be so with all of the negative energy that they had been collecting. Now they had managed to get to the leaders of their tribes. Including his student. Starswirl sighed as he lowered his head.
"If I can't stop them, our tribes will be divided again. We could even end up looking at another great freeze in our new land," said Starswirl as he growled in frustration. He couldn't let that happen, not after the ponies of Equestria had come this far. But he couldn't counter their singing magic. He once read that a Siren could not easily be bested in music, for their species revolved around it. A unicorn wizard once tried that before, but he failed. Not to mention it would be fruitless for Starswirl to try even if it did work because he had no experience in music. No, he needed a more permanent solution to remove these Sirens so that he may be free to cast his spell to free the ponies under their influence, but his stomach turned as he considered his options.
"No. I can't. Not again," said Starswirl as he thought back to the day that he had ended the life of Gojira in the cave. He couldn't take any more lives after that. His hooves were already stained with blood. He then noticed something in the corner of his eye. He turned and found a tan rimmed mirror to be standing in the room by the wall. His eyes widened as he quickly looked through the mess that he had until he came across a journal. He quickly skimmed through it and found his writing, containing information about a spell that he had looked into. Even in the journal was a depiction of the mirror that he had drawn.
"That's it," said Starswirl as he made his way over to the mirror and removed the tarp that covered it, revealing it to be old in appearance.
"No one has to get hurt. I can finally put this spell to the test, and even solve Equestria's problem! I can send them away, to another dimension," said Starswirl as he stared at his reflection. He then hardened his eyes as he levitated the mirror into the air and proceeded to carefully walk it out of his study.
Later, he found himself pulling a cart with the mirror covered up. He was just outside of the village, emerging from Platinum's castle. He quickly made his way further out as he unloaded the mirror. He then sighed as he closed his eyes and his horn glowed brightly. He fired a bolt of magic into the sky, where it exploded and proceeded to spark brightly in the sky.
Just miles away in the village, the Sirens were still searching for the old stallion. But no luck. Adagio refused to leave and move on until they had caught the unicorn.
"Hey, look!" cried Sonata. Adagio and Aria turned and found a magic explosion high in the air as a trial of smoke was just near a castle. Adagio hardened her eyes.
"There he is. Come on!" said Adagio as she began to lead her sisters. They continued to move passed the village just until they were on the castle grounds, where they found Starswirl standing by a mirror hidden by the tarp.
"You! You're going to pay for what you did to Gojira!" shouted Adagio in anger.
"Yeah! You big stupid jerk!" said Sonata as she raised a hoof as if she looked like she was ready to fight.
"Nice insults," said Aria in a sarcastic manner.
"Mom doesn't like bad words," said Sonata in a whisper. Aria rolled her eyes.
"Whatever. How do you want to do this, Adagio? It was your boyfriend he killed," said Aria as she placed a hoof on Adagio's shoulder. The golden Siren merely narrowed her eyes on Starswirl, who stood calmly. This angered her.
"I say we trap him in a cave and leave him to starve," said Adagio as she and her sisters stalked closer to Starswirl. He then suddenly removed the tarp from the mirror, exposing it fully.
"Be gone!" shouted Starswirl as his horn glowed brightly, causing the glass to ripple. The Sirens looked on in confusion, only to suddenly find themselves engulfed by a beam of light.
"Wha-!" Aria exclaimed. The Sirens found themselves being pulled in by the beam, which pulled them towards the mirror.
"Hey! Let us go!" cried Sonata as she attempted to move her body, but she was restrained. Adagio grunted angrily as she glared at Starswirl, who bore hard eyes as he watched them get pulled into the mirror.
"No!!" screamed Adagio as she and the Sirens were pulled into the mirror. Her voice echoed out ominously as she and her sisters disappeared. Starswirl sighed as his horn stopped glowing and the mirror returned to normal.
"It's finished. They're gone," said Starswirl in relief. He then looked at the mirror solemnly.
"I pray that whatever inhabitants of wherever they have gone to, they will be able to stop them, where we have failed," said Starswirl as he bowed his head. While he did spare his home from the tyranny of the sirens, he ended up shoving the problem onto those from somewhere else. He then turned to village with a determined look.
"Now, time to undo what they had done," said Starswirl.
Present...
Gojira looked down solemnly at his hooves as he listened to Celestia read Starswirl's records.
"So, after they had bewitched the leaders of our tribes, I was forced to use a spell that I had been practicing to banish them to another world," said Celestia as she read through the records. She then sighed as she placed the parchment down.
"That's it. He just goes on to say that he had managed to reverse the effects of their magic and returned everything to normal," said Celestia. Gojira stood up his hooves as he walked away, with Celestia chasing after him. Gojira stopped as he kept his eyes on the ground.
"I... I suppose he was justified to act," said Gojira as sighed.
"Gojira..." called Celestia.
"If I was still with them, they wouldn't have been banished. Why didn't I stay with her when she asked?" asked Gojira as he gritted his teeth in anger. Celestia placed a comforting hoof on his shoulder.
"I just.... It hasn't been too long in my perspective, but it has in reality. I miss them dearly," said Gojira as he felt his eyes watered. Celestia wrapped him into a tight hug.
"I'm sure that they too, wherever they may be, miss you," said Celestia in a soft tone. Soon, the two were walking alongside each other to through the hall. The two bid each other goodnight as they split off. Gojira returned to his room and lied down in his bed. However, he could not sleep. He was plagued by the thoughts of his friends. He turned to his side as he solemnly looked at the window, finding the sun to be barely. He had been awake for the last couple of hours of the evening. Gojira sat up and made his way over to the window, where he looked out to watch the sunrise. He began to hum to himself musically.
"Hmm~. Hmm~. Hmm~." Gojira hummed as he recalled Adagio. His eyes watered.
"Just move on... To the dawn... Just move on... To the Dawn~," Gojira softly sang to himself as he watched the sun rise, while thinking of Adagio. He hoped that she was safe, wherever she may be.
It was the late evening. A human girl with a hood on lied down on an old bed. The walls were peeling, and the roof bore holes in it. The house was abandoned and long since forgotten, but it was currently being lived inside of. The girl stared out the window as she looked to the moon, her heart heavy. Around her, two other girls wearing old raggedy sweaters and sweat pants were asleep all around her on the floor. They tended to take turns when it came to sleeping on the bed, as was the case for her tonight. But tonight, she couldn't sleep. For her heart was heavy. She then opened her mouth slightly.
" Just move on, to the dawn~. Don't stop, until the promise land is found~," the girl began to softly sing to herself.
"Just move on, to the dawn~. Don't stop, until the promise land is found~," sang the girl as she held a golden pendent close to herself. She then pulled a blanket over herself as she allowed a few tears stream down her cheeks.
The Other Side of The Story
It had been two years since Gojira had been living under the roof of the royal Alicorns. He was still bounded by the enchanted shackle that was insurance against him, but he had learned to live with it until his sentence was up. Now, he was almost an adult stallion, while Celestia was maturing into a young mare. Little Luna was also growing up, as evident by her small growth in height. Gojira was currently sitting beside Luna and Celestia on a hill. The three were eating snacks as they looked out towards the growing village that surrounded the castle.
It was the late evening. Gojira was lying in his bed, sleeping soundly. The air had grown warm, prompting the kirin to half way take off his blanket in his sleep. As he continued to snooze, there was a voice.
It was the early morning. Celestia had awakened early from her room, strolling through the castle halls. She hummed to herself as Luna trotted by her side. The two were followed by two guards until they came across Gojira's room. Celestia opened the door with a smile as bright as the sun.
Elswhere...
It was the late morning. Adagio Dazzle walked down the streets of this new world that she had found herself in. She and her sisters had been banished to this new world by Starswirl, and have been here for a few weeks. Before, they were all frightened about their new surroundings as well as their new forms. These 'humans' as the inhabitants of this world called themselves were unlike anything that they have ever seen. They even seemed to be much more advanced compared to the world that she and her sisters had come from. This revelation filled Adagio with more sadness. Not only has she and her sisters been banished from their home, but they were completely separated from their family. It was just as the old fortune teller had said, she would lose everything that she held dear. All she had left was Sonata and Aria, which made her even more fearful to lose them as well. Her lust for vengeance had led her and her sisters into this predicament, causing guilt to swell up in Adagio's heart. They were here living in an abandoned house with no money, no family, or even experience in their surroundings, because of her actions. Adagio sniffled as she wiped her eye. She then bumped into a tall teenage boy in a dark coat, who was walking in her direction.
"I... I can't believe it," said Adagio softly.
The Other Side of The Story
Chapter 3: Tale of The Kaijirin
15 years ago...
It was a late afternoon over the land of Neighpon. The village was busy as usual with farming. The foals played in the road as adults towed carriages, filled with contents from food to trading goods. As the children played with a ball, one of them accidentally kicked it too hard, causing it to fly passed their circle. The ball bounced away until it landed at the hooves of a kirin mare, who wore a priestess kimono, bearing a white and red color. She bore light blue scales with a mane that was pure white and was curled in a pony tail. She bore blue eyes that looked at the ball. The mare's antlers began to illuminate as she levitated the ball into the air with her magic. With a warm smile, she tossed the ball back to the foals.
"Thank you, lady Kawasaki!" said one of the foals as they ran off to play. The priestess continued her walk through the village, making her way over to a house, where an elderly kirin mare sat down.
"Good afternoon, Isshiki-san," greeted Kawasaki. The elderly mare turned her head.
"Eh? Oh, lady Kawasaki. Good to see you," said the elderly kirin as she looked back out to the horizon. Kawasaki took a seat looking out in the same direction.
"I was told by your son that you were experiencing trouble in your home," said Kawasaki. The elderly kirin nodded.
"Yes. Right this way," said Isshiki as she led the priestess into her home. Their hooves clopped against the wooden floor. The creaks with every few steps that they took gave away the fact that this was an old home.
"My husband has been very ill. Doctors did everything that they could to try and treat him. But he has not made any improvement in his health," said Isshiki in worry as she led the younger kirin through her home. Kawasaki looked around as followed the elder. The house bore little lighting, and began to feel colder the deeper they traveled inside. Soon, they came to a nearly empty room, where an elderly kirin stallion rested on a futon.
"Husband, the priestess is here," called Isshiki in a soft tone. The stallion panted as his body sweat profusely. His scales were pale, his mane was ragged, and his odor gave a foul stench. Kawasaki walked in closer with Isshiki and analyzed the sick kirin, who appeared frail, slowly slipping away. Isshiki sniffled.
"He was so healthy before. He ate well and worked hard. I don't understand how he can be so sick," said Isshiki as she wiped her eyes with a fore leg. Kawasaki hummed as she knelt beside the sick kirin and held a hoof on his forehead, closing her eyes. She crinkled her nose and eye lids as her antlers began to softly glow.
"Just as I feared," said Kawasaki as she raised herself up with furrowed brows.
"Your husband is not suffering to any natural illnesses. No, his spirit is being attacked by dark spirits. Should we leave him like this, his body will die," said Kawasaki. Isshiki's eyes widened with dread.
"Wh-What do we do?!" asked Isshiki in a panic. The priestess placed a gentle hoof on her shoulder.
"Don't worry. Now that we've confirmed a supernatural element, we can counter it. Please, leave the house and wait outside, for your safety," said Kawasaki as she began to walk around the room with her antlers glowing.
"What will you do?" asked Isshiki.
"I need to draw out the spirit. But I can't risk it attacking you. Please leave," said Kawasaki. Isshiki nodded in reluctance as she proceeded to leave the room. The priestess scanned the room as she carefully walked around. She could sense a dark presence, but it wasn't close. The fact that the inside of the house was cold during the middle of summer was a dead giveaway for the presence of a dark spirit when she first arrived. Now, the spirit was causing Isshiki's husband to suffer.
"I should search the other rooms," said Kawasaki to herself as she left the bedroom. She stepped carefully through the house, with her body slightly tensed, ready to react to any sign of danger. Her heart gave steady beats in her chest as her ears were erect with alertness. The priestess stepped into a room where a vase sat alone, bearing black markings. The markings weren't anything recognizable, such as Neighponese characters, or artistic depictions. They were slightly jagged and ran all around the vase. Kawasaki's eyes narrowed as she made her way over to the vase, feeling a dark presence. As she stepped a few feet in front of the counter that held the vase, she firmly planted her hooves on the floor as she slightly lowered her head.
"Come out, demon!" commanded Kawasaki as a beam of bright sparkling magic shot from her antlers, slamming into the vase. The vase violently shook as a howl filled the air. The vase shattered, revealing a shadow, in the form of a rat, with hellish red eyes. The shadow screeched as it shot towards Kawasaki, who quickly stepped to the side, dodging it. The demon crashed into the ground and scurried across the wooden floor, squeaking. Kawasaki threw a paper talisman, bearing Neighponese characters painted on the front. The charm flew through the air and stuck itself on the back of the demonic rat. The creature screeched as it rolled onto the floor in pain as the charm's magical properties began to affect it. Kawasaki rushed towards the rat with her antlers glowing.
"Oh, spirits of light, dispel this demon, who brings pestilence with its foul presence!" chanted Kawasaki as her antlers grew brighter. A beam of magic was launched, striking the rat. The demon wailed with a screech as it was engulfed in light. Its form began to change, appearing as an anthropomorphic rat. It suddenly disappeared as its cries echoed out. Kawasaki sighed as her body relaxed. She then rushed towards the bedroom and found Isshiki's husband rising from his slumber. His breathing became calm and his body stopped sweating. He looked around with a drowsy expression.
Later, Kawasaki was sitting in the bedroom of the stallion while Isshiki sat by her husband in relief as she watched him eat from a warm bowl of broth. Kawasaki levitated the remains of the vase in front of herself on the ground.
"This vase was possessed by a demon. It was the cause of your terrible illness. It would have killed you, if it wasn't expelled from your home," said Kawasaki as she bowed her head. The male kirin of the house groaned as he looked at the vase in disappointment.
"I knew that vase's cheap price was too good to be true," said the kirin.
"For future reference, it would be wise to avoid getting items at such prices. Sometimes they could be damaged, or even cursed," said Kawasaki. Isshiki and her husband both bowed their heads to the ground before the priestess.
"We thank you, priestess. We are in your debt," said Isshiki. Kawsaki smiled warmly as she stood up to her hooves.
"I'm here to serve. Please, rest yourself," said Kawasaki as she began to leave the house. As she did, Isshiki cupped her muzzle as she glanced at her husband.
"You really need a bath," said Isshiki. Her husband sniffed himself and then gagged in disgust.
It was the early evening. Kawasaki sat on the steps of a temple that sat on a hill, overlooking a village. Her eyes stared off to the twilight in the horizon. Her mane blew in the cool breeze, along with the green leaf trees that surrounded the temple. She was raised in this temple for many years. She was taught in the way of being a priestess by her guardian, who had long since passed. Now, she was known throughout the villages, rooting out dark spirits and expelling them. It was always her pleasure to lend a helping hoof, especially from forces that were beyond the control of others. Though she couldn't say that she could take on these entities by herself, for it was impossible. Kawasaki turned her head as she heard hooves clopping against the ground. She found another kirin mare arriving.
"Lady Kawasaki, it is getting dark. Will you be coming inside soon?" asked the mare. Kawasaki nodded in response to her.
"Yes, Lori. I'll be inside soon," said Kawasaki. Lori bowed her head before turning to leave. Kawasaki sighed as she looked out to the village that the temple overlooked. It was small compared to the ones that she had been to. But it was just near an ocean, allowing a grand view of the green fields that led to the beach. The sight of her home made her warm in her heart, along with the inhabitants that dwell within the village and who visit this temple. As Kawasaki stood up, she turned to return to the temple that she was raised in. As she took a step, the sound of thunder filled her ears. She turned and found dark clouds quickly beginning to form over the evening sky, blotting out the moon and stars. The priestess tensed as thunder roared and lightning flashed. The sudden arrival of this storm felt unnatural. The ground rumbled beneath Kawasaki, causing her to drop to her rump. The land violently shook, prompting her to brace herself as she felt herself sway from the rocking motion of the earth.
Down in the village below, the villagers gave panicked cries as the earth quaked as the storm shrouded the sky in darkness. Back on the temple grounds, Kawasaki heard rumbling. She turned her head and found another nearby hill experience a land slide. The mounds of earth and trees slid down the hill. From the hill, jagged rocks appeared to have been revealed. Her eyes widened as she gazed at to where the rocks emerged. The tremors stopped, allowing everything to settle. Kawasaki panted as she stared off to where the neighboring hill once stood, her heart pounding heavily. From the temple, several kirins came rushing out.
"Lady Kawasaki! Are you alright?!" cried Lori in worry as she came to the priestess's side.
"I... I'm fine," said Kawasaki. Lori noticed that she was distracted. She looked to where the priestess was looking and gasped as she saw jagged rocks sticking out of what remained of the neighboring hill, shrouded in shadow. An elderly kirin stallion gasped.
"The grave of Gojira! It's been unearthed!" said the kirin in shock. Lori looked at the elder in confusion.
"What? But Gojira is just a legend!" said Lori. The wind began to pick up, violently blowing the trees. The kirins shielded their eyes as debris flew all around. The clouds swirled above the land, drawing in debris. The kirins cried out in horror as a twister began to form. The winds grew stronger as the twister was forged, moving through the land. Kawasaki watched in dread as the twister came near the village, fearing for the lives of the villagers. However, the tornado merely went around the village, leaving it unscathed. Such a bizarre action, for a force of nature to avoid the village, meant that its movements appeared to be guided, as if something was moving it, or inside of it. Kawasaki quickly began to run down the steps of the temple's hill.
"Lady Kawasaki!" cried Lori in alarm.
The twister scourged the field that was in its path, sweeping up dirt, grass, stones, and other debris. It continued its path down towards the neighboring hill, where the land continued to slide, revealing more of the jagged stones. However, as the land continued to slide down, the stones were revealed to be bony plates. As the tornado came closer, it began to suck in the debris at the base of the hill.
Meanwhile, Kawasaki was rushing through the woods that led to the neighboring hill. The leaves stuck to her mane as she pressed through the breeze. This was a stupid idea to head in the direction of a tornado. However, she had a bad feeling about it, if it was moving in such an unnatural way, so to speak. As Kawasaki continued her run, she soon came at what was once the base of the hill. Mounds of dirt and trees were in her path. She gasped as she spotted what was sticking out of the hill. She saw a massive, skeletal figure lying in the dirt. It bore small, sharp teeth, with a box head and snout. Its brows were like an eagle's and its head was flat. It bore three rows of jagged dorsal plates along its back, down to its long tail.
"It truly was a grave," said Kawasaki, breathlessly. She then spotted the tornado approaching, stopping just near the hill, sucking in the dirt that was around the skeleton. Kawasaki remained close to the ground as she struggled to see through the wind and debris. The tornado had become stationary in one place, only swaying around with debris to keep itself formed. This was definitely an unnatural phenomenon. Her heart sank in dread.
'A demon must be inhabiting that tornado! What does it want with the remains of Gojira?!' thought Kawasaki as she gritted her teeth. She stood up to her hooves and began to charge her magic. Her antlers glowed brightly. As she prepared to strike the tornado with a spell, the center of the tornado suddenly glowed red. The winds began to scorch as the light spread throughout the vortex. The swirling winds had grown into a swirling vortex of fire, scorching the earth just beneath it. Kawasaki watched in shock as the flames crackled and the wind howled.
From the fire storm, a stream of flames shot towards the giant skeleton, engulfing it whole. Kawasaki shielded her eyes and face from the intense heat and brightness. The earth around the skeleton turned to glass as the skeleton began churn and strangely enough, liquefy. Soon, the flames ceased, and the twister dispersed. Kawasaki looked up and found an aura of light where the smoke and debris fell. She found herself mesmerized by the light, which bore a rainbow in a ring-like shape. The light suddenly vanished, leaving the area in darkness. The clouds began to clear up, revealing the moon and stars. The earth had settled, and all was calm. Kawasaki panted as she stood up to her hooves, gazing up to where the figure of light was present. She gulped as she began to head over to where the fire storm had struck.
"Lady Kawasaki!" cried Lori. The priestess found the members of the temple rushing out from the woods.
"What has happened?! There was fire in the air!" said a kirin mare in alarm. Kawasaki turned her attention to the grave of Gojira, her stomach in knots.
"I don't know," said Kawasaki as she began to travel up the mounds of dirt.
"Lady Kawasaki, wait!" called Lori as she went after the priestess. An elder stared at the destroyed hill in solemn. Soon, the kirins found themselves going over the mounds of dirt, where they found the earth hot, and patches of glassed earth. In the center of the grave was a mound of tar-like substance, where the remains of the giant creature once lied.
"Behold, the grave of the great dragon of the sea, Gojira," said an elderly stallion as he gestured out to the area.
"Not much of a grave. It’s more of a tar pit," deadpanned Lori. Kawasaki turned to the elder.
"Hasashi-sensei, is this truly the resting place of the fabled Kaiju?" asked Kawasaki.
"They are more than fable, Lady Kawasaki. They are rare, but they live on through legend. In our land, Gojira had burrowed himself and died here long ago before this village was built," said Hasashi with a nod as he looked over the glassed land. "To think we would see it unearthed. I only wish we could have seen the rest of the remains."
"What happened to it then?" asked another kirin mare.
"I saw what happened. The storm came and turned into a swirling wind of fire. The fire burned the bones until it was nothing but this tar," said Kawasaki as the tar-like liquid began to take in the soil, becoming a black, muddy muck.
"Was it a demon?" asked Lori in alarm. Kawasaki shook her head.
"I don't know. But what happened here was not natural," said Kawasaki as she began to walk down into the grave. The earth had cooled down, but the glass patches were still red hot. The other kirins called for her, but she didn't respond. She was too focused on what had come about this whole fiasco. If it was truly the work of a demon, then she had to put a stop to it. As she neared the muddy-tar, she stopped as she carefully inspected it. The tar gave steam and a strong smell of burnt trees and earth. She levitated a stick that was on the ground and began to prod the mound of solidifying mud with it. Steam escaped from the puncture, causing Kawasaki to recoil with a start.
"Be careful, Lady Kawasaki!" called a kirin mare from the edge of the grave with the other temple members. Kawasaki took a calm breath as she circled around the mound, which had become more solid like a mound of black dirt. She then noticed a small bit of movement in the corner of her eye. She stopped in her tracks, finding that something was pushing a small space of dirt. The priestess slightly stepped closer to the mound as the solid dirt was carefully breached, like a hatchling inside of an egg. Kawasaki's eyes widened as she saw a quadruped figure seemed to have been emerging from the black dirt. Clawed hooves stuck out, along with a small head. The creature began to give cries like an infant, causing Kawasaki to gasp in shock. She carefully stepped closer and found a kirin foal to be what was emerging from the earth, with claws instead of a cloven hoof, and an entire coat of charcoal grey fur, which was only further darkened by the black dirt. The infant cried as it slid out of the mound and onto the ground.
Kawasaki gulped as she stared at this infant, which had suddenly emerged from where the remains of Gojira once lied. This could have been the work of the demon, creating an evil spawn out of the remains of the kaiju. She then realized that she was letting herself make up a judgment too soon. First, she had to be sure. She lowered her head as her antlers softly glowed and closed her eyes, while the foal continued to cry. Her antlers' glow died down as she fluttered her eyes open. She gazed at the infant that cried its eyes out as it lied on its back, covered in this black dirt. She felt no sign of darkness inside of this foal. It was a pure, innocent soul, much like all foals at birth. She lightly smiled as she levitated the foal as it continued to cry. She brought it close to herself as she sat on her rump, patting the back of the baby.
"Shhh. It's OK. It's OK," said Kawasaki in a motherly tone. The foal began to calm down, but continued to whimper.
Later that night...
Kawasaki gently lied the charcoal grey furred kirin onto a futon. He was washed, clean from head to hoof. He bore an armored under belly that was a tan sort of color, and a short tail that bore dark hairs at the end. His dark hair was spiky, and his amber eyes had closed as he breathed softly. Kawasaki quietly left the room and slid the door shut. She then noticed the temple members all staring at her in disbelief.
"Lady Kawasaki, how could you bring that thing into this sacred temple?!" asked Lori.
"Lower your voice! And he is not a thing!" said Kawasaki with a hiss. Hasashi stepped forward.
"Child, I ask you to reconsider keeping that creature here. It was spawned from the remains of Gojira! It has gills, fangs, and claws! We mustn't keep it here," said Hasashi.
"Sensei be that as it may, he's just a foal. I sense no darkness inside of him," argued Kawasaki. The temple members all looked at each other in reluctance and worry. They weren't comfortable with the idea of such a creature living in their temple. Kawasaki deeply frowned.
"Friends, do you not trust my judgement?" asked Kawasaki. The temple members winced in response.
"Have I steered you wrong before? Have I deceived you and your kin?" asked Kawasaki as she looked at everyone in the room. Lori rubbed a hoof against her foreleg with a light frown.
"He may have been forged from the bones of a Kaiju, but his destiny is not dictated by that fact. With guidance, he can grow to be just like you and I," said Kawasaki as she turned to the room where the infant rested.
"I do not ask for your approval, but your trust. I shall be the one to raise him," said Kawasaki as she made her way into the room. She then bowed her head before sliding the door closed.
"I bid you all goodnight," said Kawasaki as she slid the door closed. With that, she fixed her gaze at the foal that rested peacefully in the futon. The priestess lightly smiled at the sight as the foal stirred in his sleep. She made her way over to a lantern and blew out the flame, allowing only the moonlight to shine through the window. She made her way to the futon and lied herself beside the foal. She pulled the blanket over herself as she held the foal close, who breathed softly.
"Don't worry, little one. I'll take care of you as if you were my own. Hm. I've always wanted a child," said Kawasaki with a suppressed giggle. She gently ran a hoof over the foal's ear, which twitched in response.
"My little Gojira," said Kawasaki as she rested her head against her pillow.
It had been a few weeks since Kawasaki had taken in the foal as her own. In that time, she fed, bathed, and held him. She made sure that her voice was what he always heard when he was awake, not able to clearly see just yet. As she held him, his amber eyes met with hers as he cooed, causing Kawasaki to smile, aware that he saw her a clear as day. As the days rolled by, the temple members had been reluctant to come near the foal. Kawasaki kept him to herself most of the time. As time rolled by, Kawasaki was teaching him how to walk. She sat across the room with her hooves held out.
"Come on, Gojira! Come to mamma!" said Kawasaki. Gojira stood up to his hooves as his short legs slightly trembled. He began to take a few steps forward but stopped. Although he struggled, he started to crack a smile as he breathed quickly with a laugh. He took more baby steps, making his way to the mare he recognized as his mother. He stumbled into the forelegs of Kawasaki and began to laugh.
"Great job, Gojira!" said Kawasaki as she clapped her hooves together, prompting Gojira to do the same with a big smile on his muzzle.
Later that day, Kawasaki lied a sleeping Gojira onto her futon. She sighed as she looked at him in worry. She made her way out of her room and into the temple hall, where she found Lori wandering about.
"Lori, I must ask you a favor," said Kawasaki.
"Yes, lady Kawasaki?" asked Lori. Kawasaki sighed.
"I've been called away from the temple to a western village. Would you mind looking after Gojira for me until I get back?" asked Kawasaki. Lori's face turned to reluctance.
"Oh. I... I don't..." Lori looked away. Kawasaki bowed on the ground.
"Please? He's taking a nap right now and he's usually a heavy sleeper. I just need you to watch over him for me for the day until I can return," said Kawasaki. Lori sighed.
"Very well. Anything for you, lady Kawasaki," said Lori. The priestess smiled brightly as she hugged Lori.
"Thank you! I promise that I'll let the others take care of the next problem until Gojira is bigger!" said Kawasaki as she rushed down the hall. Lori sighed as she began to make her way over to Kawasaki's room. Kawasaki hasn't really been carrying out her duty as priestess of the temple since she started raising Gojira. It was concerning, but she just didn't want to part with the foal since she was reluctant to ask others to look after him. But today there seemed to have been a problem in the west that couldn't be ignored.
As Lori made her way to Kawasaki's room, she slid open the door and found Gojira to be sleeping soundly. Lori sighed in relief as she slid the door close. She then heard Gojira whining, causing Lori to stiffen. She sneaked a peek inside of the room and saw the baby sitting up on the futon, beginning to cry. Lori moaned in response.
"You lied to me, Lady Kawasaki," said Lori. She sighed as she stepped inside, reluctant to be near the spawn. Gojira continued to cry out for Kawasaki as he slapped his hooves on the futon. He then heard rattling. He stopped crying and only gave small whines as he turned to the source of the rattling. Lori stood a few feet away with a nervous expression as she levitated a wooden rattle in the air. Gojira sniffled as he turned on his rump towards the rattle.
"Bah!" Gojira reached out for the rattle with a strain. Lori levitated the rattle into the foal's hooves, who struggled to hold them. As Gojira held his hooves together, he began to pout as he was unable to properly hold the rattle. The toy fell to the ground, causing the foal to whine. He then leaned down on the ground and bit down on the handle and then raised himself up. He then giggled as he shook his head, causing the beads in the rattle to bounce around. Lori couldn't help but crack a small smile at this.
"Huh. Persistent little guy, aren't you?" asked Lori as she watched Gojira shake the rattle. The foal threw the rattle on the ground as he blew a raspberry. He then stood up to his hooves, shaking a bit. He then steadily walked towards Lori, whose eyes widened in alarm. She took a step back as the kirin walked towards her with a laugh. Lori found herself backed up against the wall as the foal continued his pursuit, giggling. She flinched as she clenched her eyes shut as the foal was just at her hooves. Gojira lied on his belly as he ran his hooves against her, babbling. Lori nervously opened an eye and found Gojira feeling the long hair just around her ankles. Gojira continued to babble as he wagged his short tail. Lori relaxed with a nervous smile as she knelt and began to run a hoof on his head.
"Aw. You're actually... kinda cute when you look passed how you came to be," said Lori with a small smile. Gojira sat on his rump and raised his forelegs up.
"Umph!" Gojira gave a small toothy grin as he held his hooves up. Lori's antlers began to glow as she levitated the foal into the air, who squealed in delight as he kicked his legs. Lori gave a small giggle.
"You like that? You like to fly?" asked Lori as she began to levitate Gojira all around the room, who continued to laugh from enjoyment. Lori lowered him back down to the ground after a minute of letting the baby enjoy the levitation. Gojira gave off a whine as his lips quivered.
"Uh oh. What's wrong?" asked Lori in worry as she knelt down. She then heard the foal's stomach grumbling. Gojira whined again as he brought the tip of his tail to his mouth and began to nibble on the hairs at the end.
"Oh. H-Hold on," said Kawasaki as she rushed out of the room. After a minute, she returned and brought a ceramic pig-shaped object, filled with milk.
"OK, here's the milk that Lady Kawasaki gives you. The donor is quite generous," said Lori as she sat with Gojira and levitated the ceramic pot near him. Gojira made his way over to the snout of the ceramic pig and began to drink. He licked his lips as he chugged down the milk, causing Lori's eyes to widen.
"Whoa! Slow down, little one," said Lori as Gojira held his hooves on the pot. In a few short seconds, later, Gojira sat back down on his rump with a burp, licking his lips. Lori looked inside of the ceramic pig with a grimace.
"Yikes," said Lori. She had never seen an infant chug down milk like this one before her. He had a monstrous appetite, which was ironic. She then looked at Gojira, who opened his mouth wide with a yawn.
"Now you want to sleep?" asked Lori in amusement. She levitated Gojira into the air and placed him on the futon. Gojira lied down on the pillow and stretched his limbs and then snuggled. Lori placed the blanket over him with a sigh. She lightly smiled as she watched Gojira sleep. It was just like taking care of any other foal. It wasn't so bad, and he was quite cute. This was the first time that she had ever been this close to Gojira.
It has been seven years since the day of the fire storm. The late morning sun was over the land. From the bushes, a seven-year-old Gojira peaked his head out, finding Kawasaki sitting in a garden. Her eyes were closed as she took in the fresh air. The foal smiled as he stalked out of the bush, with his belly close to the ground. He wiggled his rump as he firmly planted his hooves on the ground, like a cat ready to pounce. He lunged for the mare, but suddenly felt himself levitated into the air. With a yelp, he found himself hovering in front of Kawasaki, who bore a smirk on her face.
"Got you, little mister," said Kawasaki. Gojira groaned as he crossed his forelegs over his chest.
"No fair, mother," said Gojira. Kawasaki brought him close to herself and began to rub her hoof against his side. Gojira laughed hysterically as he was tickled.
"Oh no! What's this?" asked Kawasaki with her eyes widened. Gojira tilted his head in confusion. Kawasaki reached a hoof behind his ear and pulled it back, revealing a bun.
"Oh! It's a bun!" said Kawasaki.
"Ooh!" Gojira eyed he treat in amazement. "That's a great trick, mother!"
Kawasaki smiled as she tore the bun in half and gave one half to him. The two ate their own half of the bun as they sat together in the garden.
Later that day, Gojira was kicking a ball just at the base of the hill. He chuckled to himself as he bounced the ball into the air in place. He then slapped his tail against it, sending it away. Gojira began to trot after the ball, still kicking it. He eventually found himself in the path of a few children from the village, who walked together down the road. Gojira smiled as he made his way over to the other foals with his ball.
"Hello! Do you wanna play with me?" asked Gojira as he bounced the ball in place. The kids gave him odd looks, some even began to snort.
"It's that weird kirin from the temple!" said a colt. A filly pointed at Gojira's neck.
"Eeew! What's that on your neck? They look gross!" said the filly as she pointed at the charcoal grey kirin's gills. Gojira raised a brow as he felt his neck with his hoof.
"They're gills. I..." Gojira was interrupted as the kids laughed at him.
"You're so weird! What are you, a fish?" asked a colt. Gojira's ears flattened against his head as he lightly frowned. His cheeks were hot with shame and embarrassment.
"N-No. I'm a kirin," said Gojira in a small tone.
"No you're not! My mommy says that you're a demon spawn!" said a filly. Gojira flinched in response.
"Yeah! We don't play with monsters! Go away!" said a colt as he kicked Gojira's ball away. The charcoal grey kirin walked away with a frown as he had his head low.
"What is wrong with them?" muttered Gojira as he went after his ball. He never met these children before, but they treated him so harshly. He wondered why they he would call him those things, and why they would make fun of his gills. He always had them, and they helped him breathe under water. What was there to mock?
Gojira continued after his ball and proceeded to kick it. He thought that perhaps those kids were just rude. So, he continued to kick the ball around in the field, enjoying himself. He later found himself kicking the ball near the village area. He accidentally kicked the ball too hard, causing it to fly off further towards the village, where a small crowd of adult kirins were present, socializing. The foal rushed over to the village, as a male kirin levitated the ball into the air as he found it land in his direction. Gojira stopped a few feet away as he panted.
"Sorry. Can I have my ball back?" asked Gojira. As he asked this and drew the kirin's attention, he was met with a look of disgust and contempt. The other villagers whispered among themselves at the sight of him. One word ranged in Gojira's ear. It was the same word that they kept calling him behind his back. The male kirin that bore Gojira's ball tossed it to the side, away from the village. The foal ran after the ball, like a puppy playing fetch. He ran across the area until he managed to stop his ball just away from the villagers. He turned to look back and saw that they were leaving the area. In just seconds, the area was empty like a ghost town.
"Kaijirin?" Gojira said to himself in confusion.
"Gojira!" called a familiar voice. Gojira turned his head and found Kawasaki standing just at the base of the hill that held the temple. Gojira rushed towards the kirin who raised him and hugged her. After a quick nuzzle, the foal tilted his head.
"Mother, what's a Kaijirin?" asked Gojira. As he asked this, his mother didn't answer. She was dead silent. Gojira then noticed that her eyes were glistening with the beginnings of tears.
"Mother? What's wrong?" asked Gojira. Kawasaki merely brought him in a warm embrace, as her eyes continued to run with tears. Gojira couldn't fathom why she would be crying. Did he do something wrong to upset her? He hated to see the sight of his mother in tears. Today was not what he would call a good day.
Later that night...
Gojira was roaming through the temple by himself. Soon would be his bedtime. The temple was quiet and almost empty. Some of the members who he normally saw had either went to their own homes or returned to their own rooms, living in this large place. As he passed the house of worship, he heard voices. He stopped in his tracks as the voices sounded distraught. He stepped over to the building and leaned against it, with his ear against the door. He heard his mother speaking, sounding upset. There was someone else in there with her. Curious, Gojira peaked through the building and saw Kawasaki standing in the house in tears, with Lori.
"I don't know what to do! Ever since the villagers found out, they felt distant from the temple!" cried Kawasaki. Lori sighed.
"Lady Kawasaki, I'm sorry. Things just haven't been the same since a few of our members left. They had to have been the ones who told them about Gojira," said Lori. Gojira's face turned to confusion. He wondered why he would have been a relevant topic for the former members of the temple. He didn't even know who they were.
"Do you know what they call him?" asked Kawasaki in despair. Lori nodded solemnly.
"Kaijirin, I know. It's awful," said Lori. Kawasaki continued to lightly sob.
"What kind of future does this hold for him? I just..." Kawasaki sniffled. Lori placed a comforting hoof on her shoulder.
"Maybe... Maybe it's time that you told him the truth," said Lori. Kawasaki looked at her, appalled.
"I.. The truth. I can't-" Kawasaki was interrupted as Lori shook her head.
"He has to know sooner or later. He deserves to know," said Lori in a soft tone. Kawasaki sniffled as she looked down at the ground. Gojira looked on in confusion. He didn't know what they could be talking about. ‘Why did they keep talking about telling the truth?’ he wondered. Gojira slid the door open further, not being able to take the confusion or the sight of his mother in despair anymore.
"Mother? Miss Lori?" called Gojira. Kawasaki and Lori gasped in surprise at the sudden call. They turned to find Gojira walking into the room.
"Mother, why are you crying again?" asked Gojira with a light frown. Kawasaki glanced at Lori, who nodded to her. Kawasaki sighed.
"Gojira, come sit down, sweetie. I need to tell you something," said Kawasaki. Gojira nodded as he made his way towards the two mares and took a seat in front of them.
"Gojira, remember that word you heard?" asked Kawasaki, daring not to utter that very word. Gojira nodded in response.
"Have you been treated harshly lately by others in this temple or outside?" asked Kawasaki.
"Well... Some kids were mean to me today when I asked if they wanted to play. They made fun of my gills and said I was weird and a monster," said Gojira. Kawasaki choked up a sob while Lori deeply frowned.
"Honey, there's something I have to tell you," said Kawasaki before taking a breath. She levitated a scroll over to herself and held it at her side.
"Gojira, I'm not really your mother," said Kawasaki. Gojira's eyes widened in shock, denying what he was hearing.
"Wha... What?" asked Gojira in a small tone.
"I adopted you and took you into this temple when you were just a baby," said Kawasaki in a soft tone. Gojira shook his head, struggling to process this information that slammed into him like a boulder.
"Th-Then... If you're not my real mother, then who is?" asked Gojira. Kawasaki bit her lip.
"I..." She was about to lie and say that she didn't know to spare this foal's feelings, but she didn't have the heart to deceive him.
"You don't have a mother. Or a father. You weren't even born," said Kawasaki. Gojira looked at her in confusion and disbelief.
"I-I don't understand," said Gojira.
"There was a night where a terrible storm and earthquake came. The hill next to ours was never like the way it was before. Before us, there were the bones of a Kaiju, a giant creature that was thought to have been a legend. He was called Gojira," said Kawasaki as she unrolled the scroll and showed it to the foal. On it was an artist depiction of a wingless dragon that stood upright, with sharp claws and teeth. On its back were jagged spikes. The creature stood over a bay, spewing fire from its mouth, with a face that reminded Gojira of a tiger's.
"Gojira? That's my name," said Gojira in confusion.
"Yes. The bones of the kaiju were burned by a tornado made of fire until it mixed with the ash and dirt. When I came to the grave, all I found was a mound of black dirt. In that mound of dirt, I found you," said Kawasaki. Gojira shook his head.
"I... No! That can't be true!" cried Gojira in disbelief. Kawasaki sighed solemnly.
"Then I'll show you," said Kawasaki. Gojira looked at her in confusion.
Later, the young kirin found himself just at this so called, 'grave', with Kawasaki and Lori. They walked through the unearthed grave, passing patches of cool, hard glassed dirt. Gojira's eyes looked around the area with a slight nervous expression. He then suddenly found himself in front of a black mound of dirt. His eyes were wide as he found himself staring at it. Kawasaki then pointed towards a small hole in the side.
"I found you there, covered in black dirt. You were crying, just like a newborn foal," said Kawasaki in a soft tone. Gojira slowly stepped over to the mound of dirt as he fixed his gaze at the hole. He slowly reached up to it and ran a hoof along the dirt. His eyes ran with tears. This was no joke or no cruel lie. This was in fact, the hard truth. He wasn't born, he was made from the very ashes of a monster. Gojira slowly turned to face Kawasaki.
"I'm... I'm a monster," said Gojira. Kawasaki pulled Gojira close to herself as her eyes continued to run with tears.
"No, don't say that," said Kawasaki as she pulled herself away to look into the foal's amber eyes.
"But I'm not like the others. I don't have a mother or father. I don't even look normal," said Gojira with a quiver.
"I may not have given birth to you, but you are still my son. And I love you with all my heart. I always will," said Kawasaki. Gojira buried his face into his mother's chest, sobbing. Kawasaki smiled as tears ran down her face as she held her child, not ever wanting to let him go. Lori watched with a soft smile as her eyes glistened with a few tears at the scene. She was once fearful of the foal like the other temple members all those years ago. She would never think of being anywhere near him. But that fateful day of watching him had caused her to change her view. This was no monster before her, this was a child.
One night, Gojira found himself walking beside Lori. They headed towards Kawasaki's room, where the young foal was tucked into the futon. Lori sat beside him and ran a hoof over his foreleg.
"Are you comfortable?" asked Lori. Gojira nodded.
"Yes. Thank you, Miss Lori," said Gojira with a yawn. Lori smiled warmly in response.
"Your mother should be home soon. But right now, I'll read you a story. It's one of my favorites," said Lori. She then levitated a scroll over to herself and cleared her throat.
"Once upon a time, Red Oni and Blue Oni lived in the mountains of Neighpon. Red Oni wanted to be friends with children. So, he put a board in front of his house. He wrote these words on the board: 'Open house. Please come in.' But everyone was afraid of him, so no one came in. He felt sad and finally took away the board. One day, Blue Oni came to Red Oni's house. He said, 'Do you really want to be friends with children?' Red Oni said, 'Yes, I do.'" As Lori read, Gojira listened intently. Lori continued to read.
"'Okay. I have an idea,' Blue Oni said. Red Oni listened to his idea and said, 'That's a good idea, but you may have a hard time.' 'Don't worry,' Blue Oni said. Then, they went down to the village. Some children were playing in the village. Suddenly, Blue Oni came. He shouted, 'Get out of here, or I'll hurt you.' The children were afraid and cried, "Help us!" Then, Red Oni came and shouted, 'Go away!' Blue Oni whispered, 'Hit me. It's okay.' Red Oni hit Blue Oni, and Blue Oni ran away. 'Thank you for saving us. You're very strong and kind. Let's play together!' the children said. They went to Red Oni's house and played together. A few days later, Red Oni went to Blue Oni's house to thank him. Red Oni found a letter on the door. The letter said, 'Dear Red Oni, I'm glad you have many new friends now. I want to see you again, but I'm afraid I'll scare your new friends. So, I'll go far away. I'll always be your friend. Good-bye, Blue Oni.’ Red Oni read it many times. He cried. He never saw Blue Oni again," read Lori. Gojira lightly frowned in response.
"Miss Lori, why did the children not want to play with the red oni?" asked Gojira.
"Well... Because he looked scary to them. Demons, Oni, and some yokai aren't exactly the nicest of creatures out there. But he and the blue Oni were nice. Unfortunately, their origins and their appearance made the children scared," answered Lori.
"But... Now that the red Oni has friends, then what about his other friend, the blue Oni? He's all alone now," said Gojira with a deep frown. Lori smiled.
"Even though he had to leave, he and the red Oni were still friends. But just because he left didn't mean that he would always be alone. One day, he could find new friends as well," said Lori.
"You really think so?" asked Gojira. Lori smiled as she nodded.
"I do," said Lori. Gojira looked at her in reluctance.
"Even me?"
"Of course, even you," said Lori as she ruffled Gojira's hair, getting a chuckle out of him. Lori stood up and began to walk out of the room.
"Goodnight, Gojira. Have pleasant dreams," said Lori.
"Goodnight, Miss Lori," said Gojira with a yawn. As Lori slid the door shut, Gojira snuggled in his futon.
Gojira lied in his futon, sleeping soundly. The soft breeze of the night blew through the window, washing over him. Such a peaceful hour this was. In his sleep, Gojira picked up the smell of smoke. His eyes shot wide open and got up to his hooves and looked around as he saw an orange flare of light outside of his room. The smell of smoke grew strong. The foal got up from his futon and approached the door. As he came closer, he could faintly feel heat radiating from the door. The air was tainted with a smoke that burned his lungs.
Gojira slid the door opened, only to find the hall to be engulfed in flames. Gojira yelped in fright as he saw fire eat away at the wood in the hall. Gojira frantically looked around, feeling his brain trigger one action. Gojira took off running through the burning hall with a look of panic. He rounded down the corner of the hall and passed a room. He heard a groan filling his hearing. Gojira stopped and looked inside of the room, shocked to see Lori lying on the ground, surrounded by flames of churning wood. Gojira quickly rushed inside.
"Miss Lori!" cried Gojira as he made his way over to the mare's side. As he was about to help her, Gojira found himself swiped away by a large hand. Gojira rolled along the floor and slammed into a wall, moaning in pain. He gasped as he saw his assailant. Before him was an anthropomorphic creature that bore dark skin like charcoal, at the height of six feet. Its fiery red eyes glared at him, as it bore fangs from its large lips. The creature bore a muscled body, with a loincloth covering his crotch. He bore dark red scraggly hair and a beard. On its head were dark short horns that stuck out of its skull. The creature's body gave off smoke as it breathed heavily.
"An Oni," said Gojira to himself. This was the exact kind of creature that was in the story that Lori had read to him for his bedtime. But this one appeared to be far from benevolent. The black oni roared as he raised a flaming kanabo. Gojira gasped as he rolled away from the beast's attack, narrowly dodging a splash of flames that continued to spread.
"I will devour you and spit out your bones, little Kirin!" roared the oni as he stomped towards the foal.
"Gojira, run! Save yourself!" cried Lori as she lied on the ground in pain. Gojira gritted his teeth but then quickly evaded the monster's next attack. He ran away from him through the room, tripping over furniture. The black oni continued his pursuit as he maniacally laughed. He opened his mouth and spewed forth a stream of flames towards the foal. Gojira quickly ducked, narrowly avoiding the flames. The flames only singed the tips of his mane.
"Miss Lori!" cried Gojira, as the flames grew closer to her.
"Please, just run away!" cried Lori as she watched in despair as the child remained present with the monster. The oni roared as he grabbed Gojira and picked him up in the air. He laughed as the foal continued to struggle in his grip. Lori cried out to him.
"No! Please, he's just a child! Leave him alone!" pleaded Lori as creature licked his lips. Gojira groaned as he felt himself being crushed by the creature that reeked of ash.
"Stay still. I am hungry," said the oni as he opened his jaws. Gojira continued to struggle in his grip, not wanting to become this monster's dinner. In his panic, he felt his belly beginning to boil. He groaned in pain as the heat began to build up inside of him. His mane lit up along with his eyes. The oni looked on in confusion but then suddenly was met with a blast of neon blue fire in his face. He cried in agony as he released Gojira and stumbled back through the wall of the room. Gojira dropped to the floor and began to pant, feeling his stomach.
"Wha... What was that?" asked Gojira. He noticed Lori looking at him in shock as she lied on the ground. The foal rushed towards her and began to pull on her hoof.
"Miss Lori, we have to go!" said Gojira as he tugged on Lori. The mare snapped out of her dazed state and slowly began to stand up. The two navigated through the hall of fire with the air growing much more toxic. The two coughed at the lack of oxygen around them, which only fueled the flames. Suddenly, the hallway's wall burst open, revealing the black oni with his face covered in burn scars. He roared angrily as he pounded his chest.
"I will crush you for that!" shouted the black oni. He roared as he charged down the hall towards the kirins. Gojira held Lori tightly as he clenched his eyes shut. The two awaited their demise, but the oni was struck by a bright beam of light. Gojira and Lori gasped as they found the oni crashing into a wall from the beam. They found Kawasaki standing in the hall with her antlers glowing.
"Leave this temple, you fiend!" commanded Kawasaki as she rushed in through the hall. The black oni got up to his feet and began to swipe his claws at the priestess, missing her.
"Lady Kawasaki!" cried Lori.
"Take Gojira and go! I'll take care of the oni!" said Kawasaki as she began to dodge the monster's attacks. The oni groaned as he was met with a buck to the face, causing him to stumble. He then shot his hand forward, launching a fire ball at Kawasaki, who was knocked off her hooves and onto the ground.
"Mother!" cried Gojira as he broke away from Lori and rushed towards the priestess, ignoring Lori's cries to return to her. As the oni was about to slam his kanabo on an incapacitated Kawasaki, Gojira rushed towards the oni's ankle and bit down on it, causing the monster to cry out in pain. The black oni grabbed Gojira and threw him to the side. The kirin cried out as he slammed into the wall and slumped down. Kawasaki's eyes widened in horror. She then glared at the oni as he approached her son. She gave a cry as she charged towards the monster, but was then met with his kanabo. Lori gasped in horror as she watched the priestess slumped down on the ground.
"No!!" screamed Lori in despair. She gritted her teeth as the oni laughed in triumph.
"This was the great priestess? Bah! I hope she tastes better than she fights!" laughed the oni as he reached for Kawasaki. Lori rushed in with her horn glowing, firing bolts of magic. The black oni grunted as he struck by the bolts. He looked at her in annoyance as the mare came closer.
"I'll avenge you, Lady Kawasaki. I'll save your son!" cried Lori. As she continued her attacks, the black oni stomped towards her. Her face turned to dread as he came closer.
"Such heroic nonsense," said the oni in a mocking tone. The last thing that Lori saw was the flaming kanabo coming her way. The oni laughed, satisfied with his swing. He then felt an agonizing pain on his back. He wailed as the neon blue flames burned his back. As they ceased, he turned and found Gojira stomping towards him with his eyes glowing, along with his mane. The oni stumbled back through the hall as the foal continued his pursuit. Gojira then opened his jaws and spewed a stream of his flames, which engulfed the oni, who cried in agony. The hall was lit up by the neon blue light as the cries continued, which soon ceased. Gojira panted as he stood where a pile of ash was present, among churning wood. Gojira rushed over to Lori as she lied on the ground. He gasped as he turned her over, his eyes welling up with tears. A sob escaped from his mouth as he stared at the one friend that he had in this temple.
"Miss Lori..." muttered Gojira with a sniffle. He then gasped as he saw his mother on the ground, slumped over with her mane singed. Gojira quickly rushed towards her as she gave ragged breaths.
"Mother! Mother, the oni is gone! We have to go!" cried Gojira with his eyes filled with tears. His mother's face bore burns as she lied on the ground. She attempted to stand but merely fell back down on the ground, while Gojira whimpered.
"I can't..." said Kawasaki with a wheeze. She began to cough from the lack of oxygen.
"Mother, please! We gotta go!" cried Gojira. Kawasaki shakily brought a hoof over to his cheek and wiped away a tear. She gave him a weak smile.
"I love you, Gojira," whispered Kawasaki. Gojira sniffled.
"I love you too, mother," said Gojira with a sob. Kawasaki sighed as she lied her head against the wooden floor, as the hall was ravaged by the flames. Gojira began to sob as his mother slipped away. She and Lori had sacrificed their lives to save him. The sound of wood creaking ranged in Gojira's ears. He looked up and saw the ceiling on fire, with parts of it falling to the ground. Gojira quickly ducked down as the ceiling collapsed, burying him, his mother, and Lori. The building on the temple grounds began to collapse as the flames consumed it. The other temple members and a few villagers came rushing towards the area with buckets of water, dousing the remaining flames.
It was early morning. The sun was just barely rising, clearing away the sight of the stars with its light. The small building that housed Gojira and Kawasaki lied in shambles, with churned wood and ash. The kirins that had spent the remainder of the night trying to stop the flames from ravaging the rest of the temple grounds all stood around the debris. A few kirins began to move around wood.
"Lori was here," said a stallion kirin in a solemn tone as he moved debris around, finding the kirin.
"This is terrible. How could this have happened?" asked another stallion as he moved the debris away. The stallions went silent as the sound of planks of wood being moved filled their hearing. They turned and found wood and debris being pushed aside as a figure rose from the ashes. Gojira was covered in ash and cuts as he sluggishly climbed out of the debris that was once his home. He coughed as he shakily stepped out. He turned and found the kirins looking at him in shock.
"You. Where's Lady Kawasaki?!" cried a mare. Gojira solemnly looked to where he had climbed out of. He didn't answer.
"What happened?! Why was there a fire?!" cried another mare. Gojira still didn't answer. He knew the answer, but he was still trying to process everything that had happened the previous night.
"It's obvious!" said a kirin stallion, drawing the attention of the others. The stallion glared at the foal that stood on the mound of debris of the house.
"I saw what happened last night! I was meditating and saw the fire! When I went to investigate, I saw him spewing fire from his mouth! This was all his fault!" said the stallion. Gojira's eyes widened in response.
"I..."
"He's the spawn of a kaiju! He caused the fire that ravaged the temple grounds and killed Lori and the priestess who raised him!" said the stallion as he pointed a hoof at the foal. Gojira shook his head.
"No! No, I would never..." Gojira was met with looks of fear, contempt, and anger. Their fears of what they knew about the foal were resurfacing with much more force.
"I knew that he would be trouble!" said a mare. Other kirins began to shout in agreement as they condemned Gojira for this destruction and the deaths of those closest to him. Gojira shook his head.
"No! Please, it wasn't my fault! It's not my fault!" cried Gojira. He gasped as a stallion kirin threw a rock at him, which he narrowly dodged.
"Leave this sacred place, kaijirin!" shouted the stallion. The rest of the kirins began to shout in agreement as they began to pick up rocks and began to throw them at the foal. They called him demon, monster, and kaijirin, repeatedly. Gojira quickly scurried away from the mound of debris and began to run away as the kirins chased him off the temple grounds. Gojira ran down the hill, passing trees, his ears still ringing from their condemnation. His eyes ran with tears as he ran away.
Present Day...
Gojira remained on the sandy beach with Adagio Dazzle under the moonlit night. His expression was solemn as he sighed.
"After that, I was run out of the temple and village. I was not welcomed by the kirins, because they believed that I was the one responsible for the death of my mother and Lori. I spent the next year living off the land, away from the village," said Gojira, as Adagio listened with a deep frown.
"Before, I never knew what kaijirin meant, and why it upset my mother so. But now, I understand. It's 'Kaiju' and 'Kirin' combined. Meaning part Kaiju, and part Kirin. A monster," said Gojira as he lowered his eyes to the ground.
"Don't let what those villagers think of you get you down, Adagio. You're a wonderful creature, bearing the most beautiful singing voice that I have ever heard. I'm merely something that was made from the ashes of a monster," said Gojira. Adagio couldn't help but flush at the compliment, but she still frowned at what Gojira had said about himself. She scooted herself closer to Gojira and placed a comforting hoof on his foreleg.
"Gojira, you're not a monster," said Adagio. Gojira looked at her in surprise as she looked at him with a firm expression.
"You're different, sure. But that's what makes you special. You're strong, you're brave, and you're..." Adagio's cheeks flushed lightly. She shook her head as she nudged Gojira's shoulder.
"You're a great friend! Someone like you with your unusual origins can't be all bad," said Adagio as she gave Gojira a warm smile. The kirin looked away, still with a light frown. Adagio gave a small sigh as she looked at the ground. She then smiled as an idea came to mind.
"I can see the light in your eye~. A little glare that tells me that you're ready for flight~. Don't let the darkness or the doubt snuff out your light. Just move on, to the dawn. Don't let anyone keep you on the ground. Just move on, to the dawn. Don't stop, until the promise land is found~." Adagio began to sing, drawing Gojira's attention. His mood beginning to lighten.
"Just move on, to the dawn~. Keep your head held high. Stop that sigh. And just spread your wings and fly~," sang Adagio as she leaned her head against Gojira. She began to hum the song as she gently rubbed her head against Gojira. The kirin lightly flushed in response, but his muzzle formed a smile. The kirin lowered her head and leaned against Adagio as well, with their cheeks touching. Adagio's humming continued, as the two gazed up towards the night sky, where the stars gently twinkled and the moon cast its light down upon the earth. The sea glistened as the stars reflected onto the surface, illuminating the area around the two youngsters. Gojira had truly found a land to call his home, where he may be in peace.
