So it's St. Patrick's Day so to honor the Irish Spirit I decided to write this chapter where it will get into spoilers for unwritten chapters in the Gryphons Arc but what are you gonna do? And previously I thought that because they have their own stories only Dana, Bacon Bit and Bimbette are 'Main Character' Mutant Animal original characters but with this chapter I think Goku also qualifies because he's a 'bonded character' to Aran Ryan like those other three characters are to their Punch Out Boxers like Mikey is still a main character even though he most often wasn't treated like one by the 2003 writers as pointed out by Story Science with DJ Finley but unlike Rover and Bear Hugger where there just isn't that much to say about their relationship and Great Tiger and Isis where they have a much more professional relationship and because of their magic powers they're basically more like living plot devices Aran Ryan as the closest thing to a villainous boxer in Punch Out because of all of his blatant cheating and his overall jerk attitude this really is a villain redemption arc which is always one of the most interesting things in a story

Let's briefly go back to during the winter, when the Turtles were hibernating...For Aran Ryan he felt that was mighty convenient for that blue banded Turtle as he still hadn't given up his vow to sucker punch that Terrapin first chance he got for what happened to Goku that he was going to be basically comatose in a tree apartment for an entire season. But in the meantime Goku was still pretty distraught about what happened on the White Ronin's Island despite Aran trying to assure the Mutant Pup that he shouldn't feel guilty for doing what he had to do to defend himself. But when Goku said something about 'I can still taste his blood' and Aran mentioned it to Von Kaiser the old German Soldier suddenly got a very knowing look and said "Oh! Now I understand…"
And then Von Kaiser explained to Aran that it was more than just the killing it was that the Young Shiba Inu killed the enemy ninja in such an animalistic way by tearing out the man's throat with his teeth and thus inadvertently consuming some of the blood thus Goku was probably feeling the guilt of shame of acting like a predator to another intelligent creature and he reminded him of the battle they had two years ago…
Realizing that Aran realized he was in a rare position to be worrying for someone else...Aran knew he had a reputation as the biggest jerk in the WVBA constantly playing pranks and blatantly cheating in matches...But Aran had really calmed down since Goku had become like a little brother/playmate to the Irishman willing to indulge him in a mostly good natured war of pranks and sometimes just your standard roughhousing and that kept Aran mostly out of the hair of everybody else which they were grateful for…

Never having had a brother before Aran realized how much he had come to care for the Mutant Pup never before had someone been so willing to indulge his pranks Aran realized he had to do something to help Goku out of his despair...But what? He realized he couldn't do what do previous times and share his beer with Goku he got in big trouble for that because the Pup was only fourteen years old despite seeming older...It can be really hard for humans to tell the exact age of mutant animals because they often look and sound older than they would be if they were human teenagers Von Kaiser had a theory the reason had something to do with the fact most animals reach adulthood much faster than humans to which Aran replied "Right, right it's like dog years."
Aran knew he often struggled at being 'mushy' so he was really having to dig deep inside himself to try to figure out what to do but he then realized what he could say to the Mutant Pup to try to help him.

So he invited Goku to come over to his apartment one night and he got ready by ordering two pizzas one of pepperoni and one of sausage and mushrooms (Because Goku found pepperoni too spicy for his tastes) he got out the Mystery Science Theater 3000 DVDs, when Goku came over they started with what seemed like a typical slovenly evening of eating pizza and watching TV.

Aran could see Goku's shoulder was still bandaged the wound still needed time to heal which is why Aran realized the best way the connect with Goku was to open up about his own near death experience.

Pausing the DVD when he saw Goku seemed relaxed enough he said "So...I invited ya over here to tell ya a little story…"
"Oh?" Goku cocked his head in the way dogs tend to do.

"So…" Aran said quietly "...You remember the battle two years ago with those Humanimal Gryphons and their beasts on steroids? And when that roided out lion slashed me from me waist to me armpit?"
And with that Aran lifted up his tank top to show the scar on his left side from his waist to his armpit to show he still wore the scar from that battle.

"Well when I was under...I had a vision…" Aran sighed "...That I was fading in and out...That the spirit of Cu Chulainn was hoverin' over me...And I opened my eyes and saw his shining face...And then I found myself surrounded by the Tuatha De Danann...I felt like I was being passed around by the fairy kings and queens, they said nothin' but...Deep down I felt I was facing judgment...And for the first time in a long while...I felt fear…"
And with another deep sigh "...And when I finally came to...I realized things I never understood before."
He looked over Goku he could see the Shiba Inu was hanging on every world
"What I'm trying to say Goku…" And that was a sign he was serious because Aran loathed to call Goku by his name mostly because he thought it was so stupid the scientists who mutated him named him after that screaming Anime character "...That it's normal to feel these feelings. But also that these feelings will pass...If you let them."
Goku said "I think I understand...But I got to ask...Who are Cu Chulainn and the Tuatha De Danann?"
And Aran remembered most Yanks have never heard of these figures from Irish mythology.

"I mean...I really want to know." Goku said "Because that White Ronin guy said he wanted to eat our life energy because as we were Humanimals in our past lives apparently we had fairy magic in us...And he mentioned he hated the ones the Europeans call fairies because they were the spirits humans liked...I was filled with so much Japanese mythology from my Weeaboo parents its kind of boring to me now...I want to hear about your myths! Maybe it help us figure out who we are..."
Aran smiled he wasn't expecting this buy seeing Goku happy and wagging his tail for the first time in a long time he turned off the TV and regaled Goku with all the old stories he was told as a boy…

So wow! Longest chapter I've made for a while but felt this was a really important chapter to show the relationship between Goku and Aran Ryan really mirrors Raph and Casey hence why Goku qualifies as a main Mutant OC because he has among the most character development