//------------------------------// // Chapter 7 – For Better or Worse // Story: A King to a God // by JDPrime22 //------------------------------// Black Skull Island T.I.T.A.N. Outpost Beacon Cadance had to stop. Perhaps the memories—being too painful—forced her into a long recess of silence, spurring Shining Armor to move closer to her side to console her. But not even the prince could pick up for his wife in what was undoubtedly a traumatizing experience for the both of them. Because their very own Titan Whisperer interrupted him. Fluttershy spoke her thoughts aloud when the silence became too pestering. “That can’t be all… There has to be more! These creatures are just like us; they can be rash and violent at times, but they are not evil!” “Titanus Kong killed over thirty T.I.T.A.N. agents, scientists, and reserves that day… just because we entered his territory,” Bon Bon retorted, barely even looking up from the table she prodded with the tip of her hoof. Lifting her eyes, bags so heavy beneath, she met the Pegasus’ wounded stare. “You still think he’d be willing to have a nice, friendly chat?” “Maybe… maybe he felt threatened,” Fluttershy defended, knowing in her heart what should be the natural instincts of every animal. Even the Titans. “An unknown entity coming into his home, airships crashing and causing explosions, fires, smoke… he could have seen it as an attack.” Shining mulled it over. It wasn’t the first time he considered that possibility, and hearing it out of the expert’s lips only cemented that possibility. “Yeah, that’s not too far off…” he mumbled. “Well, what are we doing now?” Daring said, earning the attention of the room. Lyra lazily slumped her head in Daring Do’s direction. “We got an entire battalion of T.I.T.A.N. forces surrounding this outpost. Airships, tanks, armed troops scouring the nearby grounds. If he thought we were a threat back then, what’s gonna stop him from thinking we’re a threat now?” What Fluttershy said took everypony’s voice away. “Then why hasn’t he attacked us?” It was a stifling quiet that entered the room. Exchanges and glances were shared between them, nopony really having enough logic or insight to back up whatever claim they could have made. Only Fluttershy, who had the most experience with animals of every variety, had both the logic and the insight on her side that time. “Why didn’t he attack this outpost this morning when I saw him… and he saw me? Because we are not a threat, and he doesn’t see us as one… yet. If, and when, he eventually does… would it have been better if we established a peaceful contact before? Instead of sitting here doing nothing… staying afraid?” “Uh, sorry, have you seen what the island is like out there?” Lyra finally chimed in, taking in an elongated yawn before stating, “I don’t know about everypony else, but I’m not too keen on stepping back outside where literally everything can kill us! Unless you all forgot about that?” “No, Lyra, we didn’t forget,” Bon Bon groaned, her hooves pinching the bridge of her snout. But what the unicorn said wasn’t wrong. With Fluttershy wanting to make contact with the alpha predator on the island, the threat of an attack from said alpha looming closer, and the constant reminder that they were basically in the heart of a living, breathing meat grinder, their options weren’t looking too bright. The stress was beginning to rebuild, something none of them needed at the moment. Lyra’s response to that was another yawn. One that Bon Bon fell victim to as well. Cadance finally returned to the conversation, saying, “It’s not necessarily fear we feel for Kong, Fluttershy. It’s the fact that we don’t know exactly what to feel. Should it be fear for what he did to us when we first came to this island? Should we trust him for how we were able to escape this island in our first expedition? Back then… it didn’t seem as if peace was even possible with him. Just a... momentary truce.” But then Fluttershy shocked the room once more when she said it. When she boldly declared, “Back then, you didn’t have me.” Everypony found some reverence in Fluttershy’s startling bravery. Like they never even expected it. As for Cadance, she breathed a short laugh, like a scoff of surprise. Before she eventually nodded her head in submittance. Because she knew Fluttershy was right. “If that is how you feel, if this is what you believe to be in your best judgement… then we will not stop you. If you wish to know if Kong can be reasoned with, then our best will join you in your mission to establish a peaceful contact.” “Annnd we’re not the best, right?” Lyra suggested, hoped for. The silence was enough of an answer. The unamused looks from Shining and Cadance was just salt in the wound. “Oh… we are. Gotcha.” Fluttershy gratefully bowed to the princess, thanking her as such. “Oh, thank you, Your Majesty! Thanks to our efforts, we’re going to learn more about this alpha Titan in the most peaceful way possible!” “Do we have to go right now?” Lyra complained with a heavy yawn and a gurgle in her tummy. “Can I at least get some breakfast and a nap before we go kill ourselves?” Fluttershy looked at her, and with a determined, warming smile, she said, “I promise, nopony is going to get hurt from this. I’ll get planning now and we can move out later today.” “Well, that sounds promising. And what you said wasn’t half-bad, either, Heartstrings,” Daring Do mentioned as she hopped out of her seat, slowly making her way to the exit. “Could definitely go for some grub and a few-hour nap.” It was an idea that quickly spread like a virus, until more than half the room was infected. Soon, Lyra and Bon Bon joined quickly behind Daring Do’s tail, with Fluttershy giving one last thankful bow to Cadance and Shining Armor before making her exit as well. “Save your energy, all of you!” Shining called to them. As the four mares exited the swinging doors—with Fluttershy taking her own path to own quarters to begin staging the expedition—Daring chuckled with a shake of her head. “‘And so, our brave explorers, in the calm before the storm, ready themselves for direct confrontation with the beast of Black Skull Island.’ Heh… my readers are gonna love this.” Once the doors were closed and neither Shining nor Cadance could hear the clip-clopping of hooves anymore, the unicorn unleashed a great sigh. He leaned far back in his chair, staring heavily at the ceiling. “Are you sure we should go through with this? I mean, no offense to Fluttershy, but she’s never faced anything like this. Hay, we barely have.” “I’ve known Fluttershy long enough to never doubt the meager,” Cadance said, turning her husband’s way with a smile. Shrugging, Shining sat forward. “I guess it won’t be so bad… hopefully. If Kong is capable of peace, we’ll know for sure now,” he mused. Before long, he found himself shaking his head with a scoff, almost one of disbelief. Somehow, Fluttershy’s words managed to reach his better conscience, and he realized quickly their base of operations was still standing even when Kong could have very well leveled it hours ago, with all of them in it. But he didn’t. And that alone was worth exploring, learning the truth to. “Cadance, it’s been so long. Maybe he did change,” Shining muttered. “Or maybe we did… for the better,” Cadance suggested, giving one last longing glance to the window, to the hopeful sunrise. Unable to unsee the growing unrest of the dark storm over the sea. One last longing glance before Shining draped his foreleg over her withers, pulled her close with a kiss to the forehead, and led them both to their quarters to get some much-needed sleep.