The streets of Ponyville were cleared of any MONARCH presence. There was not a single tent, not a vehicle, nor any infantry in sight. Not even Ghidorah was around.

Complying with Princess Celestia's demands, MONARCH had left town and were in the process of fully leaving Equestria. They still needed to transport their units and assets off of Equestrian soil, but their activity had ceased entirely. That included the shutdown of their established bases, which would be cleared out and left behind to rot.

The Main 6 were aboard a hot air balloon, which carried them away from their home. They moved across the land, leaving the greener pastures for the desert earth. After some time, they had arrived to Appleloosa. Applejack began to secure the balloon, while the rest stepped off. A squad of royal guards approached.

"Twilight Sparkle, glad you could make it. The princess is right this way." Blaire gestured to the town.

The Main 6 were escorted by the guards, making their way further into Appleloosa. Guards were seen posted all around, while the wary people of this settlement continued about their business.

The girls were led to Celestia, who was conversing with an Earth Bound. They recognized him as the town's Sheriff. Silver Star was his name. The group had just reached the pair in time to hear what had happened.

"Next thing we knew, the dang pipeline was destroyed and wasted gallons of precious water! A bright light flashed and those soldiers just took off after the train." Silver Star explained. He gestured near the tracks, where men were in the process of repairing the pipeline. The ground was muddy from water spilling into the ground.

"Was anyone hurt?" asked Celestia.

"No, your Majesty. Thank the stars."

"We'll be investigating this matter further. Rest assured." Celestia turned from Silver Star, who began to leave.

"Were they here after all?" asked Twilight hopefully. Celestia nodded.

"Yes, but I'm afraid that we won't find them. They have long since fled when MONARCH arrived. It doesn't seem like it was a clean escape, however." Celestia frowned. The Main 6 grimaced, as did Blaire. Pinkie suddenly beamed with a smile.

"Hey, don't be down, everybody! I'm sure they weren't caught! Besides, MONARCH is banned from Equestria, right? I'm sure Goji and the others will feel safe to come back home!" said Pinkie, her tone upbeat. Twilight was about to muster up a smile, but overheard the conversation of a couple of the locals that passed by.

"They call 'em 'Transmutants'. A bunch of monsters posing as people. Word is that they attacked Fillydelphia some time back." said one of the locals.

"Good grief. Now they're here terrorizing and wrecking a little town like ours. Hope the princess can deal with them."

Twilight grimaced as she heard the men speak ill of the Mutant 4.

"It's going to take a lot more than that for them to return."

Junior winced as he sat up. He began to remove the bandages that covered his torso. The wounds that were once there had fully healed. Save for the soreness that the boy felt from said wounds. It was fortunate that his particular mutation was the way it was. Otherwise, he may have died.

The Mutant 4 were lounging in the last car of the train. No one had decided to venture near this car. As far as everyone was concerned, some high tier criminals hijacked the train to escape those soldiers back in Appleloosa. To keep up the illusion, Rodan and Angirasu would head up to conductor to play their act. The whole ordeal sold the passengers on the idea, keeping them from acting rash and to stay away from the private, yet damaged, train car of the mutants.

"I hope we get to Saddle Arabia soon. I'm getting sick of canned food," said Rodan, tossing an empty can outside of the train.

"Rodan, don't litter!" Mosura scolded. Rodan rolled his eyes as he leaned back.

"But seriously though, I hope this place is half as decent as Ponyville, considering it's in a desert."

"I told you, it's an oasis. Don't make it sound like a wasteland." Mosura sighed. "And besides, we aren't going to make the same mistakes as we did in Ponyville. We're going to be completely isolated this time. The only company we need is each other."

"Ugh. Sounds boring already." Rodan sighed.

"Rodan, you might find that preferable. Do you even know 'Arabic'?" asked Junior. Rodan paused for a moment, as though reluctant to answer.

"No."

"See? Either way, you wouldn't be able to converse with anyone there. Unless you somehow met someone who knew and spoke Equish. It could take years to pick up on a new tongue."

"It wouldn't be the first time that I was forced to learn a new language." Rodan remarked.

"Oh right, good point." Junior sighed.

Suddenly, the train bucked and buckled. The Transmutants exclaimed as the train suddenly began to screech to a halt, sending the four slamming into the seats of the car. The train slowed and stopped along the tracks, as sparks flew from the rails and wheels.

"Ow..." Mosura whined as she rubbed her forehead.

"Everybody OK?" asked Junior, wincing as he sat up from a seat. Rodan grunted as he lied flat on the ground, shooting up with a twitching brow.

"What the hell was that?! Who taught this guy how to drive a train?!" Rodan exclaimed.

"Why did we stop?" Angirasu pondered. Rodan groaned as he sat up.

"They're probably trying to kick us off. Come on, Aang. Let's get ready." Rodan made his way over to another seat, grabbing a scarf. Angirasu frowned.

"Every day, we stray farther and farther from our moral boundaries." Angirasu lamented, standing up.

"Relax. We're just acting. It's not like we have actual guns. Speaking of which." Rodan held up a banana with a darkening peal.

"Mine's starting to rot."

"Ew." Mosura scrunched her nose in disgust.

Rodan and Angirasu found themselves stepping outside of the train car. They looked around, finding themselves in the middle of nowhere. There was the view of Rocky terrain that surrounded the land for miles.

The pair made their way along the tracks for the train engine. The area was beginning to be shrouded in fog, prompting the two to look around.

"Getting kinda cold today, huh?" asked Rodan. Despite it being broad daylight, the thickness of the rising fog gave the appearance of dusk. Angirasu felt unease.

"Stay sharp. Never know what could be out here."

The pair soon made it to the train engine. They climbed on board inside, but the conductor was nowhere in sight. The furnace was hot, but there was no one around to keep it going. Angirasu hummed to himself.

"Odd. Rodan, check the cars behind us. He has to still be on board."

"Got it."

Rodan made his way to the back of the engine, stepping through a door. He found himself moving along the first car, but no one was in sight. With a shrug, Rodan kept walking. He thought that there may have been passengers in the more middle cars. The train did take off abruptly from the station after all, so it may not have been very packed.

Rodan continued his search. After exploring a couple of more cars, there was not a soul in sight. Rodan was starting to grow uncomfortable. No one should be in the bunks at this hour after all. He wondered where everyone was.

The boy found himself peering through a window outside. The fog had grown thicker. It gave the atmosphere an eerie feeling. It didn't help that the Transmutant was alone

There was the sound of buzzing, reminiscent to that of a flying insect. Rodan looked around, appearing confused. He couldn't help but feel that he was being watched. He searched the car, hearing the faint buzzing in the air. From the shadows, a figure emerged. Having sensed its presence, Rodan quickly turned. His eyes widened at what he saw.

"Rainbow Dash?"

At the end of the car, the rainbow haired valkyrie stood. She had her 'trademarked' confident smirk on her face, approaching the dumbfounded Transmutant.

Angirasu was searching the train engine. There was still no sign of the conductor. He had realized that there was one spot he hadn't checked. The private bunk in the car behind the engine. He made his way over to the door, but the sound of a loud thump above caused the boy to freeze.

Angirasu raised his head, hearing something to be skitter along the roof of the train. Angirasu tensed as he neared the window. He peered through, but nothing was in sight. With a gulp, Angirasu stepped outside, of the train. But, he heard something land behind him.

Angirasu quickly turned, only to be met with a startling sight. It was Fluttershy, who met him with a warm smile.

Before the boy could speak, Fluttershy ran over and threw herself into him. Angirasu stumbled back, catching her. His eyes were wide, his face growing red. The valkyrie affectionately nuzzled his chest.

"H-How did you find me?" asked Angirasu incredulously.

"Does it really matter?" asked Fluttershy, smiling sweetly. Angirasu shared her smile.

"No, I guess not." Rodan awkwardly chuckled. He backed up as Rainbow approached. The boy looked away, a guilt ridden look on his face.

"Dash, listen. I'm sorry about-" Rodan yelped as Rainbow suddenly tackled him to the ground. He found himself pinned beneath the valkyrie, who had a sultry look about her. Rodan was beat red, his mind in a haze.

"Just shut up for a sec, alright?" Rainbow licked her lips. Her weight was added onto Rodan's torso as she leaned close. She began to caress his chest, making suggestive moans.

"D-Dash..." Rodan muttered, taken aback. But he couldn't motivate himself stop the girl's advances that seemed to come from nowhere. Lust and his libido were beginning to take over the rational part of his mind.

"I know you've been checking me out. Truth is, I've been doing the same to you." Rainbow smirked.

Meanwhile, Junior and Mosura found themselves moving through the train cars together. Their eyes scanned every inch as they cautiously walked on.

"This is strange. Where is everyone? Did they get off the train?" asked Mosura.

"And go where? We're in the middle of nowhere and there's fog out of a horror movie blinding us," said Junior.

The pair had grown concern with the noticeable change in weather and the absence of the others. They had opted to do some investigating of their own.

The Transmutants came into a particular car. It had signs of being previously inhabited. There was luggage that had been scattered. Some spilled drinks that littered the floor. But, there was still no sign of the passengers.

Junior stopped once he noticed something. He held a hand out in front of Mosura.

"Watch your step."

Mosura looked down and cringed in disgust. She quickly stepped back.

"What the hell is that?"

Junior knelt down and found a glob of a green substance on the floor. He ran his fingers into the substance. It had a sticky texture. He rubbed his fingers and thumb against each other, testing the durability of the substance. It had had gone from feeling like syrup to feeling tough like gum.

"Ah that's disgusting." Mosura gagged. She recoiled as Junior turned her way.

"Ew, don't touch me with that hand!" She exclaimed. Junior sighed.

"Whatever this stuff is, I have a feeling that something alive must have secreted it." Junior began to wipe his fingers on one of the seats.

"Let's keep our eyes peeled. Never know who is lurking."

Junior and Mosura continued their exploration. They began to search the cabins, only to turn up empty. As they searched, Junior noticed something in the corner of his eye. From out the window, he spotted a lone figure in the fog. His eyes narrowed.

"I think I see someone. Keep an eye for anyone that might still be on the train."

"OK. Be careful and hurry back. This whole thing is starting to give me the creeps," said Mosura.

Junior soon stepped off of the train, leaving Mosura alone. The girl sighed as she continued to look. Still, there was no sign of anyone around.

"Weird. It's like everyone's disappeared." Mosura sighed. She heard the sound of the door to the train car opening.

"Back already? Did you find-" Mosura turned and gasp, her expression was that of dread. In the train car was Battra, who stood alone. Mosura backed against a seat.

"Why are you here? Didn't I say that I didn't want to see you again?!" The girl glared at her sibling, who kept an unreadable expression. Mosura gulped, her eyes darting around.

"Are you responsible for this? Where's your Revolutionary pals?" demanded Mosura.

"I'm done with that. I don't know what's happening. I just came to see you." said Battra, meeting the girl with a smile.

"Me?" asked Mosura suspiciously.

"Listen, you were right. Now, I just want to be by the side of my sister," said Battra. Mosura's expression softened.

"You... You really mean it?"

Battra approached Mosura, who remained still. He embraced the girl, who went stiff. She felt herself beginning to grow slack in his arms, registering his warm embrace. Her lip quivered as she returned Battra's hug.

Junior found himself searching the fog. He had lost track of the figure, much to his annoyance. He looked around, hoping to find whoever he saw. But, there was no luck. With a sigh, Junior turned to head back for the train.

"Must've been just my imagination." Junior continued to move through the fog. But, he felt eyes on him. He stopped and turned, finding a figure hidden among the fog, not too far away. The boy narrowed his eyes and faced the figure.

"I see you! Come out, whoever you are!" barked Junior.

The figure approached. The fog around her dissipated, revealing her. Junior stepped back, shocked to find none other than Twilight Sparkle.

"What are you doing here?" asked Junior, almost fearful. Nothing about her being here made sense. Not after the way that she looked at him when he revealed his mutantism. MONARCH might have put her up to this to lower his guard. For all he knew, they were the cause of the current situation.

"I just wanted to see you." Twilight smiled. Junior shook his head, not believing a word.

"I don't believe you. How did you even find me?" asked Junior, narrowing his eyes. Twilight bore a brief look of annoyance before masking it with a sweet smile.

"I just... Followed my heart."

There was an awkward pause. Twilight looked like she wanted to die of embarrassment, while Junior appeared confused.

"Huh?"

"Um... Look, I missed you!" Twilight suddenly threw herself onto Junior. The boy paused as he held her. Something was definitely off. She completely avoided the question. There was also a fact that she was alone. He doubt Twilight would come out here without the other girls. That might have meant that the enemy was using her as bait and were using the fog as cover. Something about this whole thing felt unnatural.

Junior took notice of an odd smell. He had just noticed it. It was coming from Twilight. Her scent was all wrong. The boy suddenly grabbed Twilight and shoved her back. She fell to the ground and began to weep.

"You're not Twilight. Cut the shit." Junior growled. Twilight stopped, glancing at the boy. She sighed heavily as she stood.

"Alright, this isn't working."

Twilight's body was suddenly engulfed in an eerie green aura of fire. As the flames passed her body, a new form was revealed. Before Junior stood a slender bipedal creature, covered in a black carapace. It had a roughly humanoid shape with insectoid shapes. The creature had a horn on the forehead, with translucent blue hair-like protrusion on its head. A pair of insect wings spread.

The beast's jaw split open as it shrieked, revealing a long forked tongue, and its fangs. The creature's claws were bared, and a smaller pair of arms were exposed, tucked close to its torso. The body of the creature bore large gaping holes in its arms, legs and chest, where the human heart lies. This creature was a Changeling.

The creature lunged for Junior, who caught it with his bare hands. He tossed the insectoid aside, allowing it to remain airborne. It's wings beat quickly into the air.

"Come on, ugly! I can easily take you!" Junior taunted.

The Changeling smirked at the boy's statement. Around it, a dozen more of its kind suddenly rose out of the fog. Their beating wings created a loud buzzing sound in the air. Junior's shoulders slumped.

"Taking on ALL of you may be significantly harder." Junior tittered.

The Changelings all began to dive towards Junior. A field of magic enveloped them as the dove like rockets. Junior jumped back as the Changelings slammed into the earth. Their magic left a splash of a green substance, which corroded the earth they landed on. They hissed as their large blue insect eyes glared at him.

"Mosura!!" Junior cried, as the creatures lunged for him.

Meanwhile in the train car, Mosura gasped as she heard the boy. She pulled away from Battra and rushed to the window. Her eyes widened as she saw a horde of insect-like creatures beginning to swarm Junior.

"Battra, Gojira needs-" Mosura turned to her brother. But instead, she found one of the insects right before. The girl screamed as it hissed at her, its long tongue flailing. Before Mosura could run, it grabbed her by the shoulders and held her. Its horn glowed brightly.

Mosura gasped as she felt a chill. Her chest, where her heart lied, began to glow pink. An aura began to emerge from the glowing spot. The creature snarled as its jaws split open, inhaling the aura. Mosura felt her strength beginning to fade as the aura left her body. The changeling's split jaw rejoined, its tongue slurping the last of the aura.

The creature tossed Mosura to the ground, leaving her to groan. She attempted to crawl away, but felt her ankle grabbed. She was dragged along the train car by the changeling. She was soon left in the middle of a car. Her eyes fell on Rodan and Angirasu, who were left in green transparent cocoons. She found two more of these insects meeting with the one that attacked her.

"Three more. We'll keep the Hive fed for weeks!" laughed one of the Changelings, carrying a feminine voice. The females were more slender compared to the male, who bore larger forearms, hands and torso.

"Yeah, but it looks like Hopper failed to ensnare one herself. Now the others are involved," said the Changeling that brought Mosura. He knelt down picked Mosura up, tossing her onto a seat. The girl weakly looked around, her eyes widening as she found more people held in cocoons all around the car.

"Well, all that's left to do is waiting for the Queen to send the rest to bring this hefty load," chuckled a female Changeling. The male suddenly grabbed Mosura, who began to mutter, unable to muster the strength to fight back. The Changeling began to split its jaw and spew a green bile. The fluid covered Mosura from her feet, up to her waist. The girl began to breathe quickly, her eyes widening in panic. She attempted to muster one final plea, but found herself engulfed in the fluid. It soon began to harden, trapping her in a cramp, transparent tomb.

Back outside of the train, Junior grunted as he rolled along the ground. Changelings gave chase, spewing globs of goo. The boy broke back into a sprint, narrowly avoiding the goop. A Changeling came up from the side and slammed into him. Junior hit the side of the train, as a Changeling had him pinned, sneering at him. The mutant suddenly raised his foot and stomped on the Changeling's. The insectoid cried in pain, before being slugged in the face. As it fell, Junior rushed to the next closest Changeling

With the speed and strength faster than any normal human, Junior struck the insectoid with powerful strikes. He leapt, spun and slid around, delivering kicks and jabs. The Changeling weren't very good fighters. They were relying on numbers and surprise attacks. With Junior fighting more aggressively, they were unable to counter. They were hardly capable of handling a single hit, having been dropped with a strike that Junior wasn't even putting half of his strength into.

The female Changeling that had attempted to trick him snarled in anger.

"Just make it easy on yourself and accept your fate!" The Changeling dove towards Junior. She brought her foot forward to deliver a kick, but Junior caught her by the ankle. The Changeling screamed as she was slammed to the ground. She was suddenly thrown aside. The Changeling hissed as she stood, along with the others.

Junior found the insectoids rising into the air. He noticed that three more had emerged from the train and joined the rest of the swarm. While they weren't strong, they were at least fast and numerous enough to pose a threat. His friends were nowhere in sight. He could only assume that they were in the train. The boy knew that he and his friends won't get out of this unless these things were stopped permanently. That meant he had to risk draining his power, as well as take more lives.

Junior closed his eyes and took a breath. His neck, chest, and eyes began to flow cyan. He opened his mouth, exposing the light of his building atomic energy. One of the Changeling exclaimed in alarm.

"RETREAT! RETREAT!!" the Changeling screamed. The insects suddenly turned and flew away, leaving the train. Junior's glow from atomic energy began to die down. A confused but relieved look appeared on his face. The fog began to clear up, giving him a good look at the fleeing cloud of pests.

Junior gasped once he recalled his friends. He rushed to the train and entered the car. The first one was empty, so he quickly moved on to search the other cars. It wasn't long before he found the cocoons that were left behind. He gasped as he found his friends. He rushed to one and began to tear its covering. Mosura burst out with a deep intake of air. She began to violently cough as she thrashed.

"GET IT OFF!" Mosura cried, as she frantically tore away the substance that remained on her.

"Easy! You're OK," said Junior. Mosura panted. The experience of being encased in that stuff reminded her of her childhood. Back when she first transformed. She was nothing but a mere caterpillar, having been drive to encase herself in a cocoon that left her immobilized. She was able to sense and feel everything while encased. It was like she was dead. The girl sighed in relief before taking Junior's hand.

"Thank you. Thank you so much..." Mosura muttered, trembling violently. Junior's expression softened.

"Don't thank me yet. We still have work to do." Junior stood up and made his way for the rest of the cocoons.

The train was on the move again. Every passenger, including the conductor, had been freed and accounted for. The Mutant 4 had moved to a different car, still isolated from the rest. The story sold to the people was that the criminals had driven off the insectoid and freed everyone. No mention of Transmutants was given.

Mosura, Rodan and Angirasu were seated. Blankets were on their shoulders. They held mugs of hot coco in their hands. They were still filled with fatigue from the whole ordeal.

"So what were those things?" asked Angirasu. Junior took a seat with a tired sigh.

"Changelings. They're a race that preys on the love of other creatures. They can shapeshift into whatever form suits them for feeding," said Junior.

"Love?" asked Rodan.

"Yep. Think of it like a succubus, only more sneaky and insect-like. The most effective ones are those that can masquerade as a loved one. Romantic or not," said Junior. Mosura deeply frowned.

"I thought it was too good to be true." Mosura said to herself. Rodan and Angirasu also bore saddened looks.

"So, how were you able to figure it out? They had us fooled." Angirasu raised a brow.

"One, I'm naturally suspicious of people. Especially these days. Two, the whole thing with the passengers and train seemed off. The fact that Twilight was apparently here was a red flag. Though I thought MONARCH was pulling a trick to get my guard down." Junior sipped his coco.

"Suspicious? More like paranoid." Rodan grimaced.

"Except I was right. Also, that Changeling was a terrible actor," scoffed Junior.

"They must have taken out the conductor and cocooned the passengers before they realized we were in the back," said Junior. Mosura's brows furrowed, a thought coming to mind.

"I have a question. How did they know to use those forms they used on us? They seemed to know our relationship with them," said Mosura. The Transmutants were silent as they pondered the question.

"They must have spies. You know how ants scout for a colony? The same could be for Changelings." Junior answered.

"You mean those things could be spying on Ponyville?" asked Angirasu incredulously.

"Not our problem anymore."

"Not our problem?" Mosura looked to Junior in shock. She wasn't expecting him out of everyone to say that.

"We're fugitives now. It's not like we can do anything about it. I'm sure MONARCH will handle it. When they're not trying to kill us," said Junior in a dry tone. Mosura frowned. Something about Junior's words bothered her. Him being dismissive as he was didn't seem to align with his character. She thought that he may have only just been saying that as to detach from his old life to ease his pain. But, Mosura hoped that wouldn't result in callousness.

Meanwhile, just miles from where the attack on the train had occurred, there was the Changeling Hive. It was a grand dark structure in the middle of a barren landscape. Rocky hills surrounded the Hive. Numerous holes filled the great tower, as numerous Changelings entered and exit the Hive.

Inside, the Hive was cold and dreary. There were four Changelings that stood before a green throne that stood high above them.

"It was thanks to Hopper's incompetence that we failed to collect the prey, your Majesty!" said a female Changeling. The accused glared at her.

"It wouldn't have mattered! He was already suspicious of everything! I can't help that he wasn't into his girlfriend anymore!"

"You were always a lousy actor! Always quick to jump into the role, but never study your prey enough beforehand!" said the male Changeling. Hopper hissed as she flared her wings.

"Enough!"

The Changeling turned their attention back to the throne. Upon it sat a much larger female. She was tall and slender. Her face had an almost human-like appearance, but a visible line in the middle of her chin was present. A tall horn, bearing numerous holes, stood upon her forehead. Long light blue hairs covered her head, along with a dark crown.

The Changeling Queen tapped her claws on the arm rest of her throne. She had a pondering look. Her distorted voice filled the air once she spoke.

"Given our intelligence gathered, this raid was long since compromised when HE was involved. We know what he did to that colossal Timber wolf around a year ago. You made the right decision to retreat." The Queen sighed heavily.

"But, that's food that could have sustained us for some time. The scouts have informed me that a princess in Equestria was just proposed to. We will need our strength for what's to come." The Changeling let out a wicked giggle.

The air was cold and thick. It felt difficult for Junior to breathe. The boy found himself in the middle of a empty flat plane. Darkness surrounded him. There were 6 radiant lights before him.

The darkness began to encroach upon the flat realm. Desperate to escape, Junior rushed to the 6 orbs of light. But the closer he got, the further they seemed to suddenly grow. No matter how far he ran, he couldn't catch the fleeing lights. One by one, the lights faded from sight, allowing darkness to spread faster. Soon, lights were gone. But, there was another source above. The sun and moon hung high above, keeping the darkness at bay.

However, as soon as Junior looked to the celestial bodies, they too began to flee. The boy reached out to them in desperation. But, the sun and moon continued to leave, their light growing weaker. The darkness crept closer to Junior. A shadowy horned creature manifested. The shape of The Beast appeared. It craned its head over Junior, letting out a deep chuckle.

"I'll be your light, my darling Gojira." The creature opened its jaws wide and wailed before snapping Junior into its jaws.

Junior flinched and shot his eyes wide open. He was in a cold sweat. The boy's heart was throbbing in his chest. He found himself lying in a cot inside of a small, cramped room. Around him, he found a bunk bed, where Mosura and Angirasu slept. Rodan slept in the bunk above Junior.

With a sigh, Junior got out of bed. He slightly swayed, feeling motion rock against him. He stepped out of the room, entering a hall. He navigated through until he emerged out onto the deck of a ship. He found an endless ocean view.

It had been some time since the Changeling attack. The Mutant 4 managed to pay for travel across the sea to their final destination. Soon, they'll be able to rest easier. Save for Junior at least. It seemed that he'd be forever haunted by his dreams. Only now, they were starting to grow worse as of late. The boy sighed as he looked out to the horizon, where the sun was beginning to rise. While it was rising here, he was certain that it may still be dark out in Equestria. Twilight and the rest may be sleeping. Hopefully, better than he was.

"Thinking about them?" asked Mosura, having made her way onto the deck, joining the boy's side.

"You're the psychic," said Junior. Mosura shrugged.

"I can be nosey, but I'm not one to violate your mental privacy. Not intentionally," said Mosura. She leaned against the railing, glancing at the boy.

"Wanna talk about it?"

"About what? That I'm short 6 friends because I'm a freak?" asked Junior dryly.

"I'm sorry. I just thought it would help." Mosura frowned. The boy sighed, rubbing his temples.

"It's fine. I'm just pissed. I don't mean to get snarky with you." Junior grimaced.

"Life sucks sometimes, you know? Ever since I was young, I drew the short straw. I thought that things were finally starting to go well. I had friends, I had a reunion with my school crush, maybe a girl liked me." Junior griped the rail tightly, his eyes downcast.

"Then my secret gets exposed. My friends are afraid of me. My old crush turned to never consider me a friend, she tried to kill me for MONARCH, and I doubt Twilight sees me the same way still."

"Oh. I... I hadn't realized that you were so familiar with Sunset Shimmer." Mosura tapped the rail, awkwardly. Junior scoffed.

"I thought I was.."

"And Twilight... You really don't think that she still likes you?" asked Mosura.

"Why would she?" asked Junior with a heavy sigh. Mosura grimaced. She could sense the pain that the boy was feeling over the whole thing, especially when it came to Twilight and Sunset. This must have been how heart break felt. Mosura brought a hand over Junior's. She met him with a small smile.

"Well, it's her loss. And Sunset's. I'm sure that... There's a girl out there for you," said Mosura. Her cheeks grew red. Junior's face grew a bit warm. He sighed.

"Thanks, Mosu."

The pair stood on the deck together, watching the sun rise. During this, they noticed a faint call. It was high pitched but loud. In the distance, a large figure breached the ocean surface. Mosura gasped, her eyes lighting up.

"A whale!" Mosura cried, quickly tapping the boy, while pointing to the water. A humpback whale spewed water from its blowhole. It gave loud cries as it moved along the surface of the water. Junior smiled at the sight of the aquatic mammal. His mood lightened as Mosura was mesmerized.

"Oh my gosh, it has a family!"

The whale was accompanied by two others. One of them was smaller than the other two' an adolescent. The cries of the whales carried for a mile. This had caused some passengers on the ship to stir.

Soon, people, including Rodan and Angirasu, were making their way to the deck. They were able to observe the passing creatures as they swam. Everyone was mesmerized. It was here that Junior began to wonder something. He wondered that if he was alone, he'd be better off living the rest of his days in the ocean. He had the mutation that would allow this after all. The ocean was vast and was the perfect hiding place from MONARCH. Maybe life under the sea wouldn't be so bad.

Saddle Arabia...

In the midst of the desert, there lied a city. In this city, there were trees and lush greenery that made up sections of the city. There lied structures that were blocky, standing at different heights to each other in clusters. At the center of the city was a grand structure, bearing more round curves and domes on the roof tops. It was here that royalty dwelled.

Spires were scattered around the city, even near the temples. There were also large structures built around the city, carrying gallons of water through, some diving into a sewage system below, while the rest ran through canals in the city, watering the foliage that was grown. Outside of the city center, there was a small district that resided at the bay of the land of Saddle Arabia.

The district had its own local market. Here, the Saddle Arabians shopped for local and imported goods. The most common thing found was the fish, picked straight from the neighboring ocean water.

However, the fish merchants have found themselves in trouble as of late. They found their stock to not be as plentiful as of they usually were. The demand at the moment exceeded that of the supply.

In the bay, there were a couple of men pushing a boat into the water. With them was a large net.

"Looks like no one's out today. We may have lucked out!" said one of the men.

"Or not. Have you forgotten? Men have been disappearing out in the bay for a while now. We could be sending ourselves into an early grave," said the other man.

"That's life as a fisherman. Either it’s drowning or it’s a predator that happened to set its eyes on our boat. I have a family to feed."

The two men climbed onto the boat. They sailed across the water, further out into the bay. They drew out the net and tossed it over into the water. They sat and waited for fish to be caught. They waited and waited, occasionally moving the boat from its position.

One of the men sighed as he slouched on his side of the boat. A look of boredom was on his face. He noticed something to be moving beneath the surface of the water. However, the reflection of the blue sky and sunlight above made it difficult.

There was the faint sound of vocalizing in the air. It was the sound of a woman's voice. The fishermen looked around to find the source. However, that shouldn't be possible, due to them being in the middle of the bay. It wasn't until they found the source.

Rising from the water, a woman appeared. She continued to vocalize, her voice mesmerizing the men. On the other side of the boat, another woman appeared. She too began to sing. The men went into a trance as they swooned over the lovely women, who sang to them. The men began to lean to the edges of the boat, as the women continued to sing.

Seductive looks were on the faces of the women, as they held the faces of the men. Slowly, they began to dip themselves deeper into the water, while the men made no protest.

In an instant, the faces of the women changed. Their expressions hardened, fangs were exposed, their eyes became red and beady. They gave a horrible hiss as they pulled the men off of the boat and into the water.

The men struggled as the women kept a tight hold on them, pulling them deeper. It was here that they found the bizarre traits they had. The women bore fish tails for the lower half of their bodies. Their fore arms bore fins. In their chests were a glowing red item that seemed fused to their flesh. Gills were present near the ribs. These were Sirens.

The chimeric women sank their fangs into the men, as they continued to drag them beneath the surface. They were beginning to lose consciousness due to lack of oxygen and the wounds inflicted on them. The sirens quickly released them and swam away. As the world darkened around them, the men beheld a great aquatic beast to be approaching. It groaned as it swallowed them whole, trapping them in eternal darkness.

The creature that devoured the unfortunate fishermen groaned. It was a sea dragon. It had a body that rivaled the size of whales. Its blue body was decorated in armor that was almost like stone. It's beak grinded the bones of its feast, as its beady eyes fell upon the two fish women. The creature craned its serpentine neck, waved its flippers and wailed. It turned and swam away in the deep ocean blue, leaving the trembling Sirens.

"Let's go, before he changes his mind and eats us too!"

The sirens swam away from the bay, further out into the water. They later came across a great reef, where more of their kind lied. Human-fish hybrids swam about. There were a larger number of females compared to the males. The women wore kelp, or clam shells as coverings for their breasts. The sirens were diverse in regards to the colors of their scales.

The two fleeing sirens came across a large cave in the reef. They entered, finding an adult female. Her features were sharp, with a mature beauty. Her eyes were a pink color. Her long scarlet hair flowed. A headband decorated with brightly colored stones. Her chest was covered by porcelain white clam shells, a symbol of her position in the siren hierarchy. The siren bore a tail with opaque red scales. Along her tail were also patterns of violet and cyan.

"Lady Sarila!" The sirens bowed. The older siren rose up, noticing the frantic state of the pair.

"Yes?"

"W-We managed to handle it. But Typhoon was barely satisfied!"

"I was afraid of this." Sarila sighed heavily.

"Typhoon has become much more demanding as of late. He's stopped hunting on his own and now forces us to bring his meals. Food's becoming scarce and the humans were our last alternative. Now they're catching on," Sarila's eyes were downcast. She looked to the two Sirens with a look of urgency.

"Round up the clan."

Meanwhile, just some distance from the reef, there lied a pod of dolphins. The aquatic animals squeaked and cried as they swam about. The creatures scanned the area, making clicking sounds. One of them stuck its snout into a bush of kelp. A giggle escaped.

From the kelp, a siren emerged. She was a young girl, at the age of 18. Her light arctic blue hair was held in a ponytail, where Persian blue highlights ran through her locks. She had a light blue tail. Her face was round, giving her an almost younger appearance. She had a Caribbean blue colored tail that swayed in the water. Her large moderate raspberry colored eyes lit up. She was known as Sonata Dusk.

"Aw! You found me! Alright, let's find the others!" Sonata grinned. She and the dolphins began to swim around, searching the area. She gasped once she noticed a siren to be sitting on a rock, drawing in the sand with a finger.

The second siren looked older compared to Sonata, with more narrow features. But, she wasn't much older than the bubbly girl. She had moderate mulberry eyes, purple hair held into two long twin tails, with brilliant aquamarine highlights. Her tail bore purple scales. This was Aria Blaze, older non identical twin sister of Sonata.

While Aria was distracted, Sonata burst into a quick shot towards her. The girl tackled Aria to the ground.

"Ugh. SONATA!" Aria yelled in annoyance.

"We found ya!" Giggled Sonata, as the dolphins came over.

"I never agreed to play, so it doesn't count." Aria spoke, her tone dry and deadpanned. An amused giggle filled the air.

"Talk about a stick in the mud." A third siren approached.

This siren had long flowing hair that was a luminous, vivid orange with brilliant yellow highlights. Her hair flowed in the water as she turned her head and locked eyes with a pair of dolphins. Her eyes were brilliant raspberry and her skin was faire. Beneath her human body was a golden fish tail. Her scales sparkled in the sunlight, dazzling the dolphins. This was the eldest sister by a year, Adagio Dazzle. She began to vocalize to the dolphins, who gave whimsical squeaks in response.

"Aw who's a pretty girl? Mwah!" Adagio planted a kiss on a dolphin's snout. The animals happily squeaked as they took off. Sonata waved with a grin. Aria sighed.

"I'm bored."

"Well you should've been playing with me and the dolphins," remarked Sonata.

"Oh yeah, play hide and seek like a little kid. Sounds great," Aria rolled her eyes. Sonata glared at her in offense.

"Who're you calling a 'little kid'?"

"I only see one here." Aria smirked. Sonata pouted.

"Am not!"

"Are too."

"Ugh! Dagi, tell Aria to stop!" whined Sonata. Aria snorted.

"See? You even tattle like a kid. Thank you for proving my point." Sonata growled in frustration.

"That's enough, Aria." Adagio spoke in an almost parental tone. Aria huffed as she crossed her arms over her chest. Sonata stuck her tongue out at her, while Aria did the same. Adagio sighed in dismay.

"Anyway, Aria. What is it that you want to do?" asked Adagio. The middle child shrugged.

"I dunno. Anything that isn't nothing," said Aria, nonchalant.

"Gee, that narrows it down." Adagio rolled her eyes. Aria held her slim belly with a grimace.

"Something to eat may be nice," said Aria. Sonata nodded with a frown. Adagio sighed, feeling her own stomach.

"Well, maybe we can find something crawling further out from the reef. Like starfish or something," said Adagio, optimistically.

"At this rate, we might have to start eating the dolphins," said Aria. Adagio and Sonata looked at her, appalled.

"Don't even joke about that!" said Sonata.

"I'm not joking." Aria shrugged.

There was the sound of a horn-like bellow in the air. The Dazzlings perked up and turned to the direction of the sound, where the reef lied. The girls shared a knowing look. The trio swam back to their reef home, where more Sirens had gathered. They stopped and formed a mob, where a wreckage of a wooden ship lied. Sarila was at the center.

"Thank you all for gathering here. As you know, food's become scarce as of late. Despite the limit of human fishing in these waters, the fish have been scared off by Typhoon. We're in a rather dire situation," said Sarila, grimly. The sirens murmured amongst themselves.

"We'll continue to send pods out to search for food for ourselves, as well as for Typhoon. But given how more impatient he's grown, we may be forced to take more drastic measures," said Sarila. The sirens all grew uneasy, which only increased as Sarila kept a cold look.

"I won't sacrifice members of our pod to appease the monster. Therefore... We will offer up the humans in our place," said Sarila. There were relieved looks from a number of sirens. However, some looked uncomfortable, if not upset.

"There will be a few sent to the surface to mesmerize at least one hundred humans residing above. Typhoon should be appeased for at least a month, maybe two if we're lucky," said Sarila. She then gestured to the Dazzlings.

"Nieces, I ask that you help our tribe," said Sarila. The Dazzlings stiffened as all eyes fell on them.

"U-Us?" asked Aria, taken aback.

"You three are the most gifted in song and hypnotic magic. You're the most reliable ones to take on this task." Sarila nodded.

"But we've never been to the surface! And besides, it's taboo to mesmerize another sentient being for one's own gain!" said Sonata, appearing pale. Her voice was full of panic and dread. Sarila swam to her and placed a comforting hand on the youngest sister's shoulder.

"I hate it as much as you, dear. But, we have no other choice. If we are to survive, we must do whatever it takes. Typhoon is not to be trifled with," said Sarila. Sonata grimaced. Aria and Adagio shared a look.

"We understand, aunty. We'll do it for the clan," said Adagio, firmly.

"Start from the bay. Use your allure and voices to the best of your ability," said Sarlia. The Dazzlings both nodded, before swimming off. No siren cheered or thanked the girls for taking on this responsibility. There was no cause for celebration, as they were steering into a dark path just to buy themselves time for survival.

The Dazzlings swam away from the reef. The trio said nothing during their swim. Adagio broke the silence.

"Let's get some supplies before we head off. Maybe something in our stomachs," said Adagio, increasing her pace. Aria and Sonata did the same. Along the way, the girls had gathered some lost debris that came from the surface world. From sharp pieces of wood, broken off from sunken boats, kelp as wrapping, some discarded parts of sea animals such as bone and shells.

The girls used these pieces as materials to make weapons. Kelp and paste kept the things secured, while reinforced with shells.

"Do you really think we'll need weapons? I mean, won't that come off as suspicious?" asked Aria, eyeing the snout of a saw fish's snout, tied to a wooden handle. Adagio scoffed.

"And leave ourselves vulnerable to those dirty humans? No thanks." Adagio secured kelp to a long handle, carrying a tip made up of bone. Sonata gulped as she eyed a rusted meat hook, attached to to a makeshift gauntlet, with a handle secured.

"Look at this place. It's a mess! They dump their crap and sink their stupid boats into our home!" Adagio spat as she tossed a silver plate aside, allowing it to gently drift back down into the white sand.

"I don't know. They kinda make some neat stuff," Aria shrugged as she picked up a glass bottle, peering through the small hole in the neck. Adagio gasped as she snatched the bottle of her hand.

"For Poseidon's sake! Be careful!" snapped Adagio, causing the middle child to flinch.

"The hell's the matter with you?"

"This junk is dangerous! Once I saw a poor sea turtle get its head caught in some flexible man made thing! It was like a net, but smaller! It could've been strangled had I not cut it off!" said Adagio, distraught. Aria met her with a deadpanned look.

"Do you really think I'm stupid enough to get myself caught in something like that? Sonata, maybe," said Aria, pointing a thumb at the younger sister.

"Hey! That's mean!" Sonata exclaimed. Adagio tossed the bottle aside with a sigh.

"Look, the point is, we can't be too careful. This stuff's a choking hazard waiting to happen," said Adagio, gesturing to the litter around them. She motioned for the two to follow.

"Come on, let's find some food. I'm starving."

The three began to search the ocean floor for whatever they could find. Fish were nowhere in sight. Although, fortune greeted the girls as they found some small crabs and shrimp in the area. The girls gathered them and began to feed. Sonata winced as she bit down on a shrimp, feeling it crunch against her gnashing teeth. She grunted as she reared her head back in disgust, tearing meat. Normally, Sirens wouldn't eat shellfish. They were considered "unclean", as they were creatures that scavenged for waste and other debris that fell to the ocean floor. They were the sea's clean up crew, making them risky for consumption. These creatures would be the equivalent of a human eating insects or snails. Unfortunately for the sirens, they had little choice.

"I hate shell fish. They're so icky!" said Sonata.

"It's all that we got, Sonata. Just bear with it. It's better than clam oysters, right?" said Adagio as she began to use a sharp piece of stone to break through the carapace of a crab, although she had trouble. Aria eyed her elder sister as she struggled with the crab.

"You know, I bet humans make tools for that," said Aria. Adagio glared at her as she snapped through the shell.

"Not another word about them." Adagio growled. Aria rolled her eyes, as she continued to munch on a shrimp.

It was the late afternoon. The Mutant 4 found themselves standing at the docks of Saddle Arabia, where the ship had dropped them off. Former Passengers passed by, while the four gazed upon the lush greenery that surrounded the land, while the desert lied just miles beyond the green. They were in awe at this new land as they made their way to the streets.

The four found the denizens of this land, their foreign tongue being the constant that they heard. The air was hot and dry, but for whatever reason, it felt more bearable. It could have been the fact that the four were looking at the greenery around, rather than the hot desert that this country resided in.

As the four moved on, they were greeted by the sight of a market, where many citizens were. While most peasants wore dull robes, there were some who wore more colorful attire, standing out the most. Most wore clothes that covered the majority of their body, while few wore clothing that exposed more of their bronze skin to the hot sun. The merchants sold many things. From luscious fruits, fresh vegetables, to clothes, materials, and jewels.

"Hey, is it me or does there seem to be a lot more women here than men?" asked Rodan, oddly. Sure enough, the Transmutants observed. There certainly was a much larger number of women in the streets compared to men.

"Huh." Junior shrugged.

"OK, let's start looking for a place to stay," said Mosura.

"But with what money? Shouldn't we find jobs first?" asked Angirasu.

"Yes, but we also need a safe place to put our things," argued Mosura.

"Let's compromise. We do both. While we look for a place to stay, we keep an eye out for employment. Wherever that might be," said Junior, a grimace on his face. He hoped that the language barrier wouldn't be too much trouble.

"Hello!" a man greeted as he made his way over. He worse a vest, along with a pair of loose pants. He caught the Transmutants by surprise.

"Uh... Hi?" Junior greeted.

"You're looking for a place to stay, yes?" asked the man, carrying a thick accent.

"Yeah, how'd you know?" asked Mosura, smiling brightly.

"Anyone can tell just by looking at you! If there's a place you need for the cheap, I can show you this Inn in the fishing district! If you need work, you're sure to find plenty there! They're in need of fishermen!" said the man.

"How convenient," said Angirasu, smiling. Mosura nudged Junior.

"Ain't that something? A place to stay, and a potential career! Things are looking up, right?" asked Mosura, eagerly. Junior bore a grimace.

"I'll contain my excitement. Life's taught me that if you expect the worse, you won't be disappointed," said Junior. The boy supposed that he couldn't bellyache too much. After all, they just saved plenty of time with this guy's information. Being a fisherman doesn't sound to be that bad of a living. What could be better than being out in the water, Junior thought. The four followed the man through town, making their way through the city, down to the Fishing District. They were ready to begin their new life.

Later that afternoon, Junior, Rodan and Angirasu found themselves arriving at a shack, near the bay. There was a large sign that hung from the structure, depicting a fish and hook.

"Looks like this is it." Junior pushed the door open. The boys entered, finding a middle aged woman dressed in a short sleeved shirt and loose pants. She tore her eyes from a book and stood from a counter.

"Can I help you?" asked the woman, speaking with an accent.

"Oh good, you speak equish," said Junior in relief.

"Yes, it helps in this line of work in this international age. Now what is it that you want?" asked the woman, impatience and annoyance in her tone. Junior cleared his throat.

"We just wanted to speak with the person who runs this place," said Angirasu.

"I am the owner," said the woman. Angirasu brows raised in surprise.

"Oh."

"What? Didn't expect a woman to run a smelly fishing business?" asked the woman.

"Well I..." Angirasu scratched at his head awkwardly. He wasn't sure how to answer that. He didn't imagine this line of work being a woman's first choice. Junior cleared his throat, attempting to stay on topic.

"We were told that you were looking for fishermen. We're interested," said Junior. The woman's eyes seemed to light up.

"Well, you've certainly come to the right place! I am Jumanah, and I run a humble business here. I'd be happy to hire you boys if you don't mind hard work," said the woman.

"Yeah, we'll do whatever it takes," Rodan smiled.

"That's what I like to hear. You boys can start today!"

"Thank you, ma'am. Just point us to our equipment and we'll be on our way," said Junior.

"Right this way. Oh, one more thing." Jumanah stood and approached the boys. She cleared her throat, as though reluctant to speak.

"If there's to be any incident that occurs, I can't be held liable for any injuries or death. You do this job at your own risk."

"Uh..." The boys shared a look. They all felt a sense of discomfort.

"Good! Now let's go!" said Jumanah, stepping outside. The boys followed.

"Wait, what kind of dangers are you talking about for this job?" asked Angirasu worriedly.

"Huh? Oh, don't fret about that! As long as you can swim, you should be fine. But I would avoid falling into the water anyway." The group made their way to the back of the shack. Jumanah gestured to a new boat that lied, along with nets. She picked up a metallic spear.

"You may need this by the way."

"For what?!" exclaimed Rodan. Junior grimaced.

'I have a bad feeling about this.'

Later, three of the Mutant 4 found themselves sailing the boat out into the middle of the bay. The three tossed a net overboard. The three sat down.

"And now we wait," said Junior.

The three sat and waited in silence. The hot sun beamed over them, as they wore caps on their heads. A gentle breeze blew against them. The calm water gently rocked the boat, like a mother rocking her baby in the cradle. They continued to wait in silence.

"How long has it been?" asked Rodan. Angirasu looked at his wrist, where he wore a watch.

"About 2 minutes," said Angirasu. Rodan groaned in dismay.

"This is boring!!"

"Keep it down! You'll scare away the fish!" barked Junior.

"Hey, you're yelling too!" Rodan spat. Angirasu sighed in dismay.

"Mosura must be nice and comfy right now at the inn. It was nice of the owner to let us stay a couple of nights before paying," said Angirasu.

"Yeah, she's sitting pretty and we're getting sun poisoning. Women." Junior scoffed.

"Maybe we can work out a deal with her. We work and she cooks dinner for when we come home," chuckled Rodan.

"Actually, that's not a bad idea," said Junior thoughtfully.

"If she's doing that, she might as well get married," said Angirasu. Rodan patted Junior's shoulder.

"That's all you, buddy,"

"Huh?" Junior cocked a brow.

"Come on. Tell me that you don't dig Mosura. She's a pretty girl, she seems to like you..." Rodan shrugged.

"No, we're not like that. We're just friends." Junior gave an awkward smile, his cheeks a tinge of red.

"Yeah, right. Come on, she's perfect for you! I mean, you both get along. You're both Transmutants. Plus she kinda likes you too," said Rodan teasingly.

"Why don't you ask her out?" asked Junior.

"Ew! She's my sister, dude!" exclaimed Rodan.

"Wait, you're not related to her," said Junior, raising a brow.

"Well... No. But we've known each other for so long that I see her as a sister. I can't picture her as any more than that," said Rodan. Angirasu nodded in agreement.

"Same," said Angirasu. Junior sighed, scratching his head.

"Well, I mean... Mosura is an attractive girl. She's sweet. But I..." Junior groaned. Angirasu frowned.

"It's because of Twilight, right?" asked Angirasu.

"You guessed it. I'm just having a hard time getting over her," said Junior. Rodan bore an odd look.

"I wasn't aware that you had a thing for Twilight," said Rodan, confused. Junior shrugged.

"I guess it was something that took me a while to notice. I suppose I noticed myself being attracted to her when she asked me on a date," said Junior. Rodan snorted.

"Wait, she asked YOU out? Not the other way around? Dude, you just lost 'cool' points for that."

"Screw you!" Junior splashed water at Rodan's face.

"Ooh. That's nice." Rodan sighed in relief as the cold salt water ran down his hot face. He leaned over the boat and splashed water onto himself. Junior sighed as he leaned back. He couldn't help but think back to Twilight. He had hoped that he'd forget about her, but it seemed like a long journey ahead for him to accomplish. If she wasn't on his mind, maybe he'd consider Mosura. After all, Rodan was spot on about their current relationship. But, trying to force his feelings onto the girl to get over another wouldn't be fair to her.

"I don't know. I just don't want to hurt Mosura. She's been through enough," said Junior, drinking from a canteen.

"Haven't we all?" Angirasu remarked.

"Hey, you think we caught anything?" asked Rodan. The boys stood and grabbed the net. They hauled it back up over the boat.

"Nothing." Junior frowned.

"Well, it's still daylight. Let's try searching a bit farther." Angirasu suggested. The boys began to sail their boat further out into the water. It was here where Rodan recalled the warnings they were given.

"Hey, what do you guys think is out here that would have the boss concerned?" asked Rodan.

"Sounds like something dangerous. Like a shark or something. Otherwise, why would she give us a pike?" asked Junior.

"But sharks don't normally go for people. Do you know how rare shark attacks are?" asked Rodan.

"It has to be something. Why are we the only fishermen out here? With a city that big, you'd think there'd be more boats fishing to provide more food." Junior sighed after taking a gulp of his cool, refreshing water.

"Now, I'm getting nervous thinking about it." Angirasu grimaced.

From the corner of his eye, Angirasu noticed something. He looked over to the side of the boat, finding something to be floating in the water in the distance. Angirasu squinted, trying to get a better view, but to no avail.

"Hey, do you guys see that?" Angirasu pointed. The other two boys looked in the direction pointed. Junior squinted, while Rodan's brows raised.

"Hey, that's a girl!" exclaimed Rodan.

"Really? Good eyes. But, I guess they're trained to spot a girl, huh?" Junior teased.

"Dude, she's in the middle of the water! We gotta save her!" cried Rodan, as he scrambled up and began to pull on the sail.

"Right!"

The boys directed the boat further out into the water, heading for the girl that was just a head above water. As they gained closer, the rest of the Transmutants were able to get a good look at the girl. She looked young, somewhere around the age of an early teenager. Her long wet pink hair stood out the most, as her lips quivered.

"Hang on, kid! We got ya!" called Rodan. During the excitement, Junior couldn't help but notice the pale complexion of the girl. She couldn't have been native to Saddle Arabia. Her features weren't fitting. She could have most likely been a tourist or something. But, he wondered how she got herself in the middle of the ocean like this. As the boat neared the girl, she suddenly dipped beneath the surface of the water.

"Oh Gods!" Rodan exclaimed in alarm. Junior quickly removed his shoes and tossed them aside, before diving into the water.

"Gojira!" Angirasu cried.

"W-Wait, didn't that lady say something about not going into the water?" asked Rodan, growing pale.

Junior dove deep into the water. But as he did, he had lost track of the girl that had gone under. His eye sight adjusted beneath, giving him a clear look. His eyes widened at what he saw. He found himself circled by a group of women, with the lower half of fish. Their long hair flowed through the water, as they circled the boy like sharks. The boy's senses screamed at him of danger.

One of the sirens suddenly broke formation. She torpedoed herself in his direction, giving a loud muffled shriek, reminiscent to that of a porpoise. Her sclera was a blood red, as fangs were exposed from her jaws. The siren slammed into Junior, who had attempted to swim back up. Two other sirens lunged for him as well, dragging the boy down deeper into the water.

While Junior struggled, the rest of the sirens raced for the surface. They breached the water with shrieks, lunging for the boat. Angirasu and Rodan exclaimed, stumbling to the other end of the boat. The two nearly lost their balance, but regained their footing as sirens began to pop up from the water all around the boat.

"The hell are these things?!" exclaimed Angirasu, as a siren swiped a sharp nailed hand at him.

"I think we found our predators!" cried Rodan, as a siren grabbed onto his arm, attempting to pull him over board. But, the boy mustered enough strength to yank her out of the water. Unfortunately, she landed on top of him. Her mucus covered skin soaked into his shirt. She hissed as she snapped her jaws at the boy, who held her back by her shoulders.

"WHY IS IT THAT THE HOT ONES ARE ALWAYS TRYING TO ATTACK ME?!"

Angirasu grabbed the siren by the tail, yanking her off of Rodan. He swung her overboard, striking another siren that attempted to climb onto the boat. The boy scrambled for the pike, just as a siren swiped a hand at him with a hiss. Angirasu butted her with the back of the pike, sending her back into the water.

"Gojira's still down there!" Angirasu grunted as he swung the pike at the attacking sea wenches. From beneath the boat, wood began to burst. Pale, feminine hands reached through the breaches in the hull, attempting to the grab the boys. Water began to spill into the bottom of the boat.

"We're gonna sink! Why did we agree to take this stupid job?!" cried Rodan in panic. Angirasu quickly reached into the boat, drawing out life vests. He tossed one to Rodan.

"Here! This will at least buy us time!" said Angirasu. He began to stomp onto the reaching hands, prompting them to retract. The air was filled with the haunting shrieks and porpoise-like sounds that the creatures emitted.

Meanwhile, Junior found himself dragged deeper into the water. The sirens kept a tight hold, struggling to keep him restrained.

"He should be drowning by now!" said one of the sirens.

"He'll croak sooner or later! Just keep him-"

Junior suddenly spun, swinging the sirens around. He took a deep intake of water, as gill flaps grew on his neck. The boy propelled himself upward towards the surface, making his way to the attacking sirens. He grabbed the tail of one and swung her at another. The creatures shrieked as they broke away from the boat, swarming the boy.

Angirasu and Rodan frantically attempted to scoop water out of the boat. However, they realized how fruitless their efforts were once the water reached their shins.

"It was nice knowing you, Aang," Rodan gulped.

"I'm not going out without a fight!" said Angirasu as he picked up the pike and aimed into the water. He squinted as he viewed moving shadows beneath.

"Gods, don't let me accidentally hit Goji," Angirasu muttered to himself. With a grunt, he hurled the pike into the water at the cluster.

Meanwhile beneath the surface, Junior found himself swarmed by the sirens. He tossed and spun, as they slashed their nails against him. His clothes were torn, his wounds began to bleed clouds into the water. The pike suddenly shot down passed him and the sirens, missing everyone.

While he was distracted, a siren lunged for Junior, sinking her fangs into his shoulder. Her eyes widened, her face contorted. The siren pulled back, crying out in pain as she held her mouth. Her fangs had been chipped from the bite. Junior's shoulder was covered in a patch of scales, which began to spread. He grew in size, as his body morphed and changed shape. The sirens retreated in shock as the boy took on his reptilian form.

Junior let loose a muffled shriek, which could be heard from the surface. In response, the sirens began to shriek and cry in panic as they began to swim away. Junior snarled as he began to swipe his claws at the fleeing fish folk. Their distant cries echoed through the water.

The Transmutant watched in silence. He then noticed a metallic sensation in the water. He had thought it was from his wounds before, but this was coming from below.

Junior descended to the ocean floor, where he found a familiar young pink haired girl. She was a Siren herself, having a tail decorated in yellow speckles. Her chest was covered by clam shells.

The Siren whimpered in pain as she held her tail. A familiar pike was embedded into it, pinning her to the ground. She gasped once the Transmutant approached, eyes narrowed like a hungry predator.

The young siren gave distressed whines and shrieks as this great beast approached. Junior reached a large clawed hand to her. He gripped the pike and yanked it out. The siren let out a loud scream, reminiscent to a dolphin's cry.

Junior eyed the bleeding wound left in the tail. The siren whimpered as she managed to swim a few back, only stopping due to the pain. The Transmutant kept a neutral look as the girl cowered under his gaze.

"Don't come back." The boy turned and swam away, leaving the young siren alone. But not for long, as a couple of sirens that had fled returned, carrying her off.

Junior breached the surface, startling Angirasu and Rodan.

"Climb on. We're heading back to shore," said Junior, exposing his back and dorsal plates. The boys held on, as Junior began to swim away from the sinking boat, back to shore.

"You think the boss will dock our pay for this?" asked Rodan. Angirasu sighed in dismay.

Later, the boys found themselves arriving onto shore. Junior was back in his human form. He sighed as he crouched over the mud, the waves crashing against him. The boy sighed.

"I ought to start carrying an extra set of clothes," said Junior.

"So what were those things?" asked Angirasu, tossing Junior a pair of shorts.

"Sirens. They're descendants of Tritan, son of Poseidon of Greece. They've been known for drowning sailors and feeding on magic of others with their singing. Lucky for us, we encountered the 'hunters', the least talented in Hypnosis magic, but pros at seduction," said Junior, placing on the shorts.

"They were gonna drown and eat us! You call that lucky?!" exclaimed Rodan.

"So like Changelings, they seduce their prey? They must be related to Megaguirus," said Angirasu, smirking.

"Dude, did you just roast Meg?" asked Rodan, appearing amused.

"Who?" asked Junior, confused.

"Just a Transmutant we knew as kids. Bad news. Ask Rodan," said Angirasu. Junior looked over to Rodan.

"Don't look at me. I wanna forget," said Rodan.

"Uh... Anyway, we've got a big problem. I'm sure the boss is gonna be pissed once we tell her that we didn't catch anything and lost the boat. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say those sirens are responsible for her shifty behavior and the huge vacancy for fishermen," said Junior as he stepped away from the wet mud.

"Let me ask you something. How is it that you know so much about these things? And the Changelings?" asked Rodan.

"As a kid, I always had a fascination about Equestria. Naturally, as soon as I could read Equish, I took advantage of the Canterlot archives and learned about the creatures documented," explained Junior.

"So you must know a way that can help us counter them, right?" asked Angirasu.

"Well the hypnosis part is easy. Just don't expose your ears to their singing. But when it comes to physical attacks, the wise thing to do is not be within 10 feet of the water," said Junior.

"So it's hopeless?" Angirasu frowned in disappointment.

"Not necessarily. They were pretty spooked when I changed form. We can take advantage of that with me patrolling the water while fishing. Maybe I can locate the best fishing spots," said Junior. Rodan grimaced.

"Is that a good idea? I mean, the reason why we're in this county in the first place is because we exposed ourselves," said Rodan.

"I know, but we're in a tough spot right now. We'll play this smart. For now, let's explain what happened to Jumanah. Maybe she'll provide a new boat," said Junior.

"We'll have to come out with a believable lie on how we survived," said Angirasu.

"It's what I do best," sighed Junior.

Later that evening, the Dazzlings swam close to the ocean floor. The water was beginning to grow shallower as the girls continued on their journey. The three had a sense of claustrophobia as they grew closer to the shallows. Eventually, they reached a point that led up to the shore.

The girls watched as the waves splashed above to the shore. They felt themselves pushed by the motion of the waves. It was as though the sea itself was ushering them on.

"OK, it's just right here. Let's get ready girls," said Adagio, apprehensively.

"Right." Sonata and Aria nodded in unison. The Dazzlings remained in an awkward silence, staring at the surface as the waves continued to splash onto shore.

"Uh... We're not moving," said Sonata, awkwardly.

"Right." Adagio gulped.

The Dazzlings remained still as they continued to stare up to the surface. The moon light shined down through the water, creating a glimmering surface. The girls were overwhelmed with dread and uncertainty. They would soon be traversing what was essentially a whole other world. There was no telling what sort of dangers could be lurking on the surface world.

"Look, we're not gonna get anywhere if we're too tuna-shit to stick our heads above water!" said Aria. Her sisters looked at her in surprise at the brave face that she had on, but she was visibly shaking.

"So let's just do it!" said Aria. Adagio and Sonata shared a look. The eldest sister nodded. The sisters held hands as they stared at the surface. They took a brief intake of water and began to swim to the surface. They found themselves splashing out of the water and onto the mud covered ground. They took a deep breath, as valve within their bodies released, allowing air to fill their unused lungs. They found themselves on their bellies in the mud, panting. Breathing air felt alien to them. While it wasn't uncommon for Sirens to at times rise to the surface, these sheltered girls had never done so. The waves crashed over them, as their hair clung to their soaked bodies.

"So what's the plan again?" asked Sonata.

"Ugh. We've been over this! We find the nearest human settlement, we mesmerize them and bring them back here to be eaten by Typhoon," said Adagio.

"OK, but one more thing. How do we get there?" asked Sonata as she rolled onto her side, exposing her lower half. Adagio met her with a blank stare.

"Huh. I didn't think of that," said Adagio.

"Wait, why the hell did Aunt Sarila ask us to do this if we can't even leave the beach?!" exclaimed Aria. Sonata winced.

"Hey girls, I feel a little tingly," said Sonata.

"I told you to go before we came up," deadpanned Adagio.

"No, I mean my tail feels funny!" Sonata whined.

A light began to glimmer. The girls noticed that Sonata's tail was starting to radiate with light. From the tip of the fins, up to her waist, an aura covered her. The rest of the Dazzlings noticed this occurring with their tails as well. They gasped as they bore witness to their tails changing form, their disappearance of their gills, and the fins on their forearms. Soon, all that was left for the girls were a pair of human legs.

"EEEEEEEK!!" The Dazzlings screamed in unison, their voices carried across the beach.

Author's Note

Illustration by TheBarto84 on Deviant Art.
& AmazingPuffHair on Twitter/X