//------------------------------// // Chapter 8 – Above the World // Story: The One True King // by JDPrime22 //------------------------------// Chapter 8 “When mankind falls into conflict with nature, monsters are born.” — Professor Hayashida, The Return of Godzilla The Radiance, Main Bridge In a fleet of airships big and small, the Radiance led the pack. The biggest, mightiest, and most intimidating airship of all tore through the skies until the sun fell and the snowstorm impacted them with the ferocity the Frozen North was famous for. Within the Radiance, the main bridge was a flurry of T.I.T.A.N. agents spouting off orders to one another while trying to keep a steady balance between altitude and speed of the behemoth of an airship. Communications were also shared among the fleet of airships, several mares on headset and establishing secure networks despite the onslaught of the storm they had entered. The Radiance—as well as all of T.I.T.A.N.’s air fleet—had been specially designed to face various different storms. The Frozen North was but one of many. And a storm they had all been trained for. In the heart of the bridge, Celestia was once more controlling the reins of the Radiance, acting as the airship’s lead authority despite no longer holding her royal position. Her younger sister Luna shared her status, but they remained alongside the current ruler of Equestria, the Princess of Friendship Twilight Sparkle. Her power technically outranked everypony else present, but she let the sisters take command. This was all still so new to her. Together, with the Council of Friendship and Special Agent Sweetie Drops, the agents of T.I.T.A.N. had no doubt in their minds that they were being led by the most trustworthy and reliable authority in all of Equestria. They should have had no reason to doubt. They should have… But they were heading directly into the Frozen North, for an emergency deemed as a high-level threat. In Celestia’s own words. The few agents that emerged out of hiding or retirement jumped at the first opportunity to join Celestia once again, but after hearing of the mission ahead… they were beginning to regret their decision. There was only one thing in the Frozen North that required T.I.T.A.N.’s insight and knowledge. Just one thing. One thing the entire organization swore to an oath to never speak of outside closed doors, not even to other agents in the field. Not even when T.I.T.A.N. was still fully running. And they were flying directly towards it. Though they could not speak of their grievances with the princess or the former rulers. They were too busy following orders, keeping the airship and the fleet under control, and listening in as Fluttershy of the Council of Friendship informed the ponies around her of her discoveries. “Fluttershy, you must think,” Luna inquired. “What else did Mothra tell you?” The lights within the bridge helped to illuminate the map resting within the table they all surrounded. Yet outside the bridge, nothing but darkness and flakes of snow infested every inch of atmosphere. As for Fluttershy, she gazed fearfully to the darkness and trembled slightly to see no conceivable end to their destination before them. Nothing but darkness lied ahead, and they were flying directly into its heart. Something she was warned of and something that struck her own heart with an icy rod. But she pressed on. Mothra would want her to. Mothra needed her to. With a gulp, and forcing her eyes away from the ever-consuming darkness, Fluttershy answered, “She told me of the dark cloud billowing over the Frozen North. She told me of its unnatural origin… of…” With a moment’s pause, Fluttershy took the time to stare at the large map displayed before her. The compass was directed north, directly where they were headed. Beyond the Crystal Empire and to the area circled in red. The exact location Mothra had given Fluttershy, and the exact location where Fluttershy told T.I.T.A.N. to embark towards. The exact location where the heart of darkness stormed. She continued, beginning again with a deep, calming breath. “Deep… seismic readings were also being sent from the Frozen North. Several miles away from the Crystal Empire. Whatever they are, they were strong enough to bring Mothra back. They were strong enough to upset the balance of nature.” Everypony was staring at her. Applejack raised a brow. “Of course, I’m just reiterating what Mothra told me,” she said quietly, clearing her throat and forcing another stroke of courage to speak up. “And, um… she mentioned that she wouldn’t be alone in bringing back the balance of nature. The seismic readings have been occurring for years, only growing stronger and reaching a farther radius. More Titans are going to awaken. Many have already done so.” Celestia leaned back, staring to the floor and muttering to herself, “So that is why they have been stirring more frequently…” Fluttershy nodded and continued. “She also… um… She also said that the actions of my ‘pony allies and the New Ones’… her words, not mine… would ensure the world fell into greater chaos than we could ever hope to recover from.” Everypony took that information as best as they could. Twilight, in her usual anxious state, cocked her head with a somewhat displeased and shaken expression gripping her features. It was grim news, far more unsettling than the princess had initially imagined. But if it came from Mothra, a benevolent Titan once worshipped by the ancient tribes of Equestria, what reason would they have to doubt it? Rainbow rubbed a hoof through her multicolored mane, blowing a raspberry while shaking her head. Pinkie even seemed distraught on the manner, her chin resting on the table while the tips of hooves tapped depressingly together. Rarity and Applejack were confused yet concerned. It was true Mothra had a deeper connection to nature than the rest of them, but to prophesize what was to become of their world just by the equines’ actions… it seemed unlikely. Spike was silent and awestruck, still quite stunned at the situation they had all suddenly found themselves in. How they were all flying towards an old T.I.T.A.N. facility in the Frozen North, discussing the possibility of a global catastrophe, all in the midst of a monster uprising were just a few of the many events he was still trying to process. Luna broke the silence and sat down, staring to the ceiling and to the light bulbs hanging over the table. “She even refers to us as the ‘New Ones’… just as the ancients did. Huh… perhaps there was a greater bond between the ancients and Mothra than we initially thought.” Celestia turned to her sister and pondered that, nodding slowly. “What else did she tell you?” Twilight asked, bringing focus back to the situation. Seeing the shiver rush through the Pegasus’ body was not a comforting sign. “You’re… not going to like this part… but then again, Mothra technically isn’t wrong,” Fluttershy began, lifting her eyes and ensuring her gaze met them each. Just as she needed the words she translated to meet them. To change them. To make them believe… as she did. “For millions of years, ponies have inflicted their will upon the world. Bringing their magic into nature itself; controlling the storms, determining night and day, and keeping the earth fed or devastated. The natural radiation the Titans lived in has left with them, and so our world has changed because of it. But… their return is not something to be feared. Their return would bring about a natural balance back to the world, the way it was always supposed to be.” Fluttershy was growing more fervent in her statements, more emotional in her explanations. As if she had been truly swayed by the Titan’s words. The others thought so, seeing a whole other side to their usually timid and affectionate friend with every syllable she proclaimed. They didn’t know whether to be disturbed, invested, confused, or all three. “A dark shadow is looming over the Frozen North, yes, but it’s unnatural. It was never meant to be there because it does not belong to the natural ecosystem. The seismic readings are coming from it and the Titans are awakening to stop it! Don’t you all see!” Fluttershy declared, standing up tall and placing her hooves upon the center map. Her friends leaned backwards. Celestia and Luna both raised their brows. Even Bon Bon seemed particularly more interested into what Fluttershy was saying. She announced it loud and proud, not even caring if several T.I.T.A.N. agents turned her way. “Nature was never truly in our control! Nature is going to balance itself out after millions of years of misuse since the Great Cataclysm! Yet Mothra needed us to find her!” In the midst of Fluttershy’s outreaching and influential discourse, there was something that gave pause to the minds of the Alicorn sisters. The statement that made their hearts simultaneously freeze. The Great Cataclysm. They turned to one another upon that revelation. Celestia and Luna pondered, kept it in the back of their minds for later dissecting, turned back to the table to listen. “She needed us ponies… maybe out of fear or something else. Maybe she wanted to trust us, to see if she could trust us again. I tried to convince her that ponies are not evil. We are not enemies of nature, but have bonded with nature. We have made the world balanced in harmony and friendship. Maybe… that was what Mothra had suspected, and what she desperately needed to hear.” Twilight was nearly at a loss for words, but her curiosity was unsatiated. Mustering up the strength despite the overwhelming flow of information already crowding her mind, Twilight asked, “How else did Mothra respond?” Fluttershy sighed, falling back down and resting on the edge of the table. “She said that she was going to return regardless, and would consider the actions of the ponies. Consider if… we would be worthy of unity with nature like our ancestors were. But above all… we have to trust Mothra.” She turned to the former rulers. They met her stare. And Fluttershy told them, “We cannot act rashly and let things fall into greater chaos than they already are. We need to let nature take its course… and let the great imbalance be healed by nature’s own hand.” “Mothra told you… all of this?” Celestia asked. The Pegasus nodded. With that confirmation, both sisters deflated like balloons, exhaling and lifting hooves to rub their eyes, their foreheads, and to rest them there as they wordlessly decided their next course of action to take. With magic that was beyond even Twilight’s knowledge, the sisters communed telepathically, informing one another of what they had heard and what was needed to be done. They never did come to a complete conclusion, only knowing what they didn’t know. And what they didn’t know was the unnatural darkness consuming the Frozen North. “That is what we feared,” Celestia finally said. “If we do nothing, we risk the world falling into chaos regardless. We must act with the safety of Equus and its inhabitants above all else, and if one of our most secure facilities has been breached by this… dark shadow… by these seismic readings… and by this great imbalance… then we must act if we are to understand this threat.” Luna nodded, dropping her hoof and adding, “The quicker we understand it… the quicker we can come to handle it. Seize it before it can cause even greater damage to our world. It is a risk we simply cannot allow to pass, Fluttershy.” It was about what she expected to hear as a response, what Mothra had warned her about. The hubris of the equines, of the beings believing they understood nature, it was something that could not be controlled so easily. Despite even Fluttershy’s connection to the natural world, she knew that her knowledge alone was still far less than the creatures connected to it on a level that was far beyond that of mere ponykind. In the end, the former rulers of Equestria had the final word. They knew what was best for Equestria’s inhabitants, and on a larger scale, all of Equus. In the end, Fluttershy shuddered where she sat and whimpered, “I hope you’re right.” Celestia and Luna both nodded, the eldest affirming, “For Mothra’s sake… I hope we are, too.” “Celestia!” one of the airship’s pilots alerted, earning the eyes of the entire table onto him. He held up a scroll with his magical aura, the unicorn declaring, “We just received a magical letter from Agent Daring Do!” Perking up at that news, both sisters turned appropriately to the T.I.T.A.N. pilot. Luna asked, “How is Mothra’s status?” He recalled what he had read, announcing the gist of the letter and saying, “Agent Do has confirmed the larva is in a settled state, ready for the deep sleep! She wants to know if we’ve made it to the Frozen North yet!” Celestia answered, “Send a letter in return. Inform Daring Do that we have just entered the storm and are nearing the checkpoint. More updates to follow.” “Yes, ma’am!” When the former rulers turned back to face the table, Twilight earned their eyes and ears when she asked them, “Did you already contact Shining Armor and Princess Cadance? Surely they should know of this facility outside of the Crystal Empire?” The sisters nodded, Luna saying, “They know. We have contacted them before we left the Forbidden Jungle. They will have a proper transport waiting for us when we arrive to the checkpoint.” “How will we know when we get to the checkpoint?” Rainbow Dash asked. “I suppose… that might be a good indicator?” Rarity interjected, pointing her hoof to the front windshield of the Radiance. In accordance to Rarity’s observation, the entirety of the Council of Friendship, of a vast majority of T.I.T.A.N., and even the Alicorn sisters themselves all turned to where she had pointed. Beyond the glass windshield of the main bridge, cloaked within the darkness of the night and the raging flurry of snow, there emerged two lights. They only grew closer, the Council breaking off from the table to get a closer look. Bon Bon joined them, gazing out the glass and seeing the light becoming brighter, stronger… closer. By the time the lights reached the front of the Radiance, the snow had cleared considerably to give the crew in the bridge all they needed to see and understand. Two Crystal Pegasi were flying in the storm, batting their wings harshly while gripping shimmering crystal staffs. They waved those staffs like flares to warn them and direct them to the ground below. Celestia gave the order and the pilots followed through. In a downward descent, the Radiance led the fleet of airships out of the skies and to the solid earth once more. The titanic airships’ propellers and engines began to die down as the mighty balloon settled itself upon the ground. The Pegasi landed in the snow, backing away quickly and waving their staffs above them, signaling to the bridge to pursue onward. They did so slowly, carefully, the winds batting against the balloon and nearly titling the mighty airship. But the storm was no match for the prowess and engineering of the Radiance. It settled and touched down onto the icy floor of the Frozen North. The great machine died down until only the sounds of the snowstorm filled the world. Once the Radiance and the entire T.I.T.A.N. fleet settled themselves upon the icy earth, the Crystal Pegasi lowered their staffs and turned instead to the approaching pair behind them. They bowed appropriately. The pony duo nodded to them before proceeding along, gazing to the astonishing sight of several towering airships resting upon the Frozen North’s treacherous terrain. Their spotlights waved back and forth from their hulls, washing across the snow and wastes and settling near the location of crystal staffs. Their bodies were bundled tight and warm, with several layers of coats, scarves, and a pair of goggles each wore over their eyes to shield the rushing wave of snow impacting their bodies. They only things that weren’t concealed were their horns, and the princess’ wings. Despite the snow and fog, they could see that the inhabitants of the Radiance came prepared all the same. Stepping off of the airship from the extending ramp, the Council of Friendship, Bon Bon, and Celestia and Luna emerged into the storm and set hoof onto the snow. They were bundled up in the appropriate attire, large coats and scarves with goggles and winter hats to shields every exposed part of their body from the harshness of the storm. Except for their horns. Except for their wings. Except for that familiar face of Princess Twilight Sparkle gazing ahead. And she saw them. They saw her. Shining Armor and Princess Cadance lowered their scarves and shared Twilight’s smile. “BBBFF! Cadance!” Twilight exclaimed, rushing forward and wrapping them both within her forelegs. Despite the spine-chilling cold that surrounded them, it felt warm to be able to embrace their family once again. Shining chuckled and hugged her back. “Nice to see you, too, Twily!” “I hope we didn’t interrupt the Princess of Equestria enjoying her new role in Canterlot!” Cadance giggled, having to speak considerably louder over the storm. Breaking off the hug, Twilight blew a raspberry of her own and stated aloud, “Please, I’ll take an adventure with my family and friends any day!” It was just then did she sense a larger presence behind her, the Alicorn turning around and seeing a caravan of ponies lined up and awaiting the next step. Her friends joined her side, with Bon Bon standing alongside various other T.I.T.A.N. operatives decked out in the appropriate armor and layers. Celestia and Luna led the pack, amused and sly smiles tugging at their lips, especially at Twilight’s statement. Twilight rubbed her foreleg with a clothed hoof, giggling nervously, “Not like Canterlot is boring or anything! Hehe…” “Then you best get settled in for one,” Shining interrupted, bringing the focus back on the adventure that lied ahead, “‘cause we’re riding to the facility in style!” After that, Shining Armor turned into the deepest, emptiest, and loneliest area of the storm and faced it fully. Everypony waited in the darkness, under the dying light of the shimmering crystal staffs. The spotlights from the airships continued to wave back and forth, the light from the bridge alive with various T.I.T.A.N. agents and pilots remaining in position. All stood and sat in silence. All stared in the direction Shining Armor had. Then, he lit up his horn twice, signaling to whoever or whatever was within the white wall of snow. A horn was given as a response, a deep, thundering sound that only a machine would make. Bon Bon let herself ease after initially flinching at the sound. In less than a minute, a pair of headlights broke through the storm. The earth trembled lightly, the sounds of gears and tracks roaring and tearing across the ground and making its headway to their location. Everypony backed away when Shining Armor did, he and his wife standing in unison and gazing to the massive, snow terrain vehicle making its approach. Celestia, Luna, and Bon Bon seemed less surprised, but Twilight and the Council of Friendship took it all in with agape jaws and breaths of vapor leaving their lungs. The vehicle was several meters tall, built like a small train with a steam engine and several cars to boot. The lead engine paused, stopping the rest of the vehicle and signaling to everypony present with another thundering horn. As the mares approached it slowly, they noticed its wheels were practically frozen from the low temperatures, sickles of ice attached to their caps. Its tracks were like that of a tank, its large headlights illuminating the dark path ahead of them, flakes of snow flying rapidly through the light. Then, they watched as Shining Armor leaped onto the first car, turning around and facing the rest of the crowd. “Hop aboard!” Shining declared. Bon Bon directed a team of T.I.T.A.N. agents to accompany them. The rest stayed behind to watch over the fleet, the crowd breaking up and leaving less than a dozen mares and stallions in the snow while the rest embarked onto the vehicle. They all climbed into the designated cars, with Celestia, Luna, Bon Bon, and the Council taking the lead car alongside Shining Armor and Cadance. The Princess of the Crystal Empire paused though, turning back when she felt the tug on her coat. She met Rainbow Dash’s narrowed eyes, the Pegasus pulling down her scarf and flinching to the onslaught of wind and snow striking the side of her face. Cadance flinched to it too, but listened carefully over the storm and even over the roaring engines of the vehicle beside them. “You sure you can see through this storm?!” Rainbow shouted, turning to the path ahead, her foreleg rising above her narrowed stare. “Even with my eyes, I can barely see ten feet in front of me!” Cadance merely smiled to her, shouting back, “We got that covered!” That time, it was Cadance that lit up her horn. But unlike her husband, she fired off a spell directly in front of them. Rainbow watched its trail of light descend further and further until the spell erupted into a flurry of fireballs, shooting off like sparks from a lit flame. Each spark was directed and attached to the crystal staffs embedded in the snow, the staffs that Rainbow never even knew were there. The staffs lit with magic shimmered through the snowstorm, more and more illuminating the darkness and creating a large enough path for them to follow. “Hold on tight, everypony! Gonna be a bumpy ride!” Shining Armor announced, reaching down and helping his wife onto the car. Rainbow Dash was the last one, flying inside and settling herself next to Fluttershy in one of the many seats. Shining leaned out the open door and signaled once again to the driver, the vehicle lurching forward and proceeding into the depths of the Frozen North. And just as Shining closed the door, he turned to the many faces inside the car and lowered his scarf from his mouth. “And keep your eyes open,” he told them. “Never know what’s alive out here.” While many took that warning with a grain of salt—namely the Council of Friendship—the leaders and agents of T.I.T.A.N. knew better than to ignore something so grim and so true. But unlike anypony else in the vehicle, only Bon Bon knew the truth and severity of that warning. She stared out her window, passed the ice starting to freeze around the glass, and gazed to the unforeseeable darkness that raged within the never-ending blizzard of the Frozen North. Within those swirling clouds, she could have sworn the snow stirred like an awakening serpent. The winds howled like a great beast returning from its slumber. Bon Bon knew better than anypony else. She knew exactly what was alive out there.