Celestial Sea
T.I.T.A.N. Naval Ship Axalon
When the morning sun rose on the seemingly unending horizon of the ocean surface, the fleet spent a restless night pushing onward. Now, they had the rest of the day to press forward to the mainland, which they were scheduled to arrive to just after lunch.
Fluttershy woke up. In the belly of the Axalon, her room was cramped and cold, covered in silver steel with only her corner of the room resembling any semblance of Fluttershy’s nature. Soothing candles sat on her dresser, all of them low and dark. Documents collected from Outpost Beacon shrouded the table in the center of her quarters with pictures of Kong covering the walls around her bed. Her tangled bedsheets unveiled the exhausted Pegasus, and Fluttershy slowly sat up with a monstrous yawn.
A wild pink mane was bundled atop her head, strands dangling in front of her eyes as she rubbed the sleepiness out of each. Mumbling an incoherent thought aloud, Fluttershy was just about to rise out of her bedsheets when the glaze left her vision and she stared at the photographs. Hanging on the walls beside her, all images of Kong taken from previous expeditions… and even a few new ones she had taken herself. All of them showing Kong in his natural habitat. All of them showing Kong at peace, at rest, at home.
She swore she saw some tiny smiles in the pictures she had taken of him. Back when Kong could still trust her. It hurt even more to look away, but Fluttershy did with a sigh, rising out of her bed. It was about time to start feeding Kong breakfast anyway, and she didn’t want to leave him hungry. She just hoped he would be okay with more fish. They had become his only meal for the past day.
But once again, she was stopped before she could fully rise. By the almost unnoticeable flick of her right ear, Fluttershy stopped. She caught her breath, hearing nothing but the creaking and groaning of the ship all around. Yet she was on high alert, having heard a deep disturbance that her ears miraculously caught, but silence remained as her answer.
Slowly turning to the wall on her left, she didn’t really seem to know what she was doing. Instinctively, Fluttershy pressed her hoof to the hull of the ship, and shortly after… the soft rumbles sounded. The same sound she had heard. The heightening growls. The familiar presence and voice belonging only to…
“Oh, no…” she whispered. And true terror was on her tongue.
Then, emergency sirens filled all the ship.
Quickly kicking off her sheets and practically flying to her dresser, Fluttershy got dressed and tore down the hallway, which was already filled to the brim with rampant, seafaring ponies, griffons, Hippogriffs, changelings, dragons, and so forth. Every branch of T.I.T.A.N. came together to face possibly the most important mission of their careers, and all of them were moving with the speed of warriors destined to face wanton destruction.
The sirens grew louder the higher she moved to each level of the ship, with more agents and soldiers she saw prepping their defenses. Her adrenaline kept rising the more she did upon the ship, and by the time she was below the bridge, she found herself running into Shining Armor and Princess Cadance. Just the ponies she wanted to find, only they were joined by a Hippogriff.
“Fluttershy!” Cadance said, clearly taken aback by the Pegasus bumping into her chest. She had rarely seen Fluttershy look so worked up, and a deep dread within the princess suddenly flicked to life. Still, she minded her friend’s current state first and asked, “Are you okay?”
“Shining Armor! Cadance! You have to listen to me; there’s—!” Fluttershy tried to warn.
“We already know, Fluttershy,” Shining interrupted, holding his hoof to the dripping-wet Hippogriff on his left. “Commander Lilyclaw here was just giving us a rundown.”
“That’s right, Your Majesty. Titan Whisperer,” Lilyclaw greeted with a courteous bow of his head, bringing his full focus back on the royalty. They walked briskly as they talked. He spoke with a thick Hippogriffian accent, much like the general of all Hippogriffia’s naval forces, Seaspray. “Our Seapony scouts managed to spot the unknown entity five miles due north of the fleet, intending to ram us head on. They reached me as soon as they could. Whatever marine Titan this is, we’ll meet it with—”
“This isn’t some other marine Titan,” Fluttershy interfered, taking her stance at the head of the pack. “I heard him with my own ears… I felt him… and you all know who he is just as well…”
Together, all three stood in complete awe and silence as the world around them rushed in a blur. As the armies of T.I.T.A.N. readied themselves for the unknown threat currently barreling their way, there they stood and stared. That dread Cadance had felt was burning with a coldness she recognized, but didn’t want to give attention to. Shining felt all the same, the color draining from his face, the weight crushing his stomach.
Lilyclaw had some theories on the Titan, but he didn’t want any of them to be right.
“It’s Godzilla.”
But Fluttershy had to confirm every fear all the same.
In a way, Shining was thankful for her brutal honestly. No beating around the bush, no lying to keep their hearts at ease. The threat was real and was right on their doorsteps, and now they could properly be in the right mindset to face it.
So, Shining Armor declared loudly, “Ready all battle stations, NOW!”
Atop the deck of the Axalon, Kong tugged at his chains again and again. The blaring sirens, the roaring engines of the airships and Solar Bolts above, all of it ignited in a tension that made Kong’s agitation flare, and he instinctively reacted. Roaring at every tug of his chains, and the steel refusing to give in to him. The last of the magical sedatives were worn away, so his senses were all nearly fully intact and on alert.
And his senses told him that he was in clear danger.
The deck of the ship was in chaos, the equines and other creatures of Equus moving frantically to prep the ship’s defenses and tie down their supplies. Watching them with rapid breath and a widened gaze, Kong gripped the sides of his head in clear agitation, trying to block out the infuriating cries of the sirens sounding from each naval craft. He roared back at them, ducking his head as a battalion of Solar Bolts soared past him. They weren’t alone.
The lead airships hovered overhead, the Tigerhawk and the Silverbolt joined by less than a dozen airships, with seven battalions of Solar Bolts circling the clouds and scouring the waves for any emerging disturbance. Five carriers and seven naval craft searched the waters, with equine and Seapony scouts within each bridge checking their radars as the scans traversed through the sea again and again.
Every ordnance was armed and prepared, aimed at nothing in particular as the threat hadn’t shown itself just yet. Among the carriers, the two largest remained as the most heavily protected, the other ships sweeping around and defending them. The second largest, the Axalon, carried Kong and most of the T.I.T.A.N. leaders. The largest supercarrier, the Noble Steed, carried their remaining armament and the fleet’s commander.
Within the bridge of the Axalon, Fluttershy and Shining Armor were the first to storm inside, followed quickly by Cadance and Lilyclaw. Lyra, Bon Bon, and Daring Do were already present and running operations with Captain Thorn behind the steering wheel. Now that Shining was back—as the highest authority on the Axalon—the reins were given back to him.
After Bon Bon said to the microphone attached to the ship’s radio, “Commander Blight, this is Special Agent Bon Bon of the Axalon! Our radars are showing zero activity on the ocean floor; what’s say you?”
“Read you loud and clear, special agent. This is Commander Blight of the Noble Steed responding; we’ve had zero contact of any Titan presence at the moment, but we’ll keep you in the loop the second something pings our radar.”
“See to it that you do. Prep those battle stations and ready yourselves for the worst,” she declared and ended the conversation, taking a step back. All around her, all she saw was chaos. It was meant to be a calm morning with no disruptions. They were supposed to get back to the mainland in a few hours. Of course, that didn’t happen. Rarely anything went according to plan. Now, all she could see beyond the windshield of the overcrowded cabin was Kong fighting against his chains as the fleet prepared for battle.
She sighed, resting a hoof to her forehead with her eyes shuddering to a close.
“You okay?” Lyra asked, shuffling close to her side.
“How can I be?” Bon Bon replied, lowering her hoof and bringing her gaze back to the giant ape. Staring past him, she stared onto the ocean surface glowing gold from the intensity of the rising sun. “The ocean isn’t really my favorite place in the world, and the fact we got a Titan headed straight for us…”
“Hey…” Lyra said, resting a hoof on her wife’s shoulder. She could already feel the soft trembles on Bon Bon’s body. “It’s gonna be all right. You’re not on one ship like before in the Frozen North. We got a whole fleet protecting us.”
Daring Do peered through her binoculars and scanned the ocean surface, the glare of the sun on the surface of the waters making her eyes burn. “Yeah, and what are the odds it’s Godzilla coming for us?” Daring asked aloud.
Noticing the silence in response, Daring turned away from the sea and back onto Lyra and Bon Bon. Instead, she saw them all turning to Shining, Cadance, and Fluttershy standing before them, that glazed dread shared among all three. Without a word, their expressions spelled everything out, and it confirmed all of their fears. Bon Bon shakily exhaled, raising a hoof back to her forehead as Lyra tried to comfort her.
Daring sighed, lowering her binoculars. “I spoke too soon, didn’t I?”
“We know nothing for sure yet,” Shining said, pushing toward the lead console. “Thanks for contacting Blight, Bon Bon. We’ll need every ship ready for whatever’s coming our way.”
“What’s our next course of action then, Captain?” Lilyclaw asked, stepping up beside Shining and his team.
“We hope that whatever Titan it is… it breaks off—”
The radars gave off an audible ping. One that was loud enough in the lull between the sirens. One that was loud enough to silence every voice in the bridge and bring their breaths to a halt.
“Captain Thorn… Captain Shining Armor…” the radar technician muttered, slowly turning his chair around to the lead console. He tapped his hoof to the radar, the second sweep picking up the monstrous anomaly getting closer. “I don’t think that’s happening.”
Nopony and nocreature uttered a word. They couldn’t, as they simply couldn’t help themselves being drawn to the front windshield. Lyra and Bon Bon were the first to move, followed by Fluttershy and Lilyclaw. Thorn, Shining, and Cadance stayed behind and watched, as they felt all within the grand fleet was watching what they saw all the same.
Beep.
The radar continued with its haunting sound. Somehow, everycreature didn’t seem to hear the sirens anymore. Just the ping.
Beep.
Every few seconds, and then it was closer.
Beep.
Closer.
Beep.
Until they saw it. They saw the sea split open and unveil its king, the marine monarch appearing by his dorsal plates alone. The spines rose higher, clearly evident and rushing through the waves at breakneck speeds. So fast in fact that he didn’t intend on slowing down. Not for anything between him and the Axalon. Not for the naval craft unfortunately passing his path.
They witnessed Godzilla’s spines crash into and through the naval ship.
Shocked, mortified, and with a terror-stricken tone, Bon Bon pressed her hooves to the windshield and screamed, “NO!”
Just as she dreaded. Just as she feared. Just as her fears had warned her and she still didn’t listen. Flashes of memories like lightning struck her mind and she was reminded of that night eight years ago in the Frozen North. When those very same spines capsized her ship, and were now hurtling at her at ramming speed. With what power could they have responded with back then? With what power did they have to respond now?
Absolutely everything they had.
Battle stations were prepared and finally engaged the target now that he showed malicious intent. The flaming husk of the smaller naval craft burned upon the surface of the waters and began to sink, but the rest of the fleet took aim and fired. Heavy-ordnance cannons unleashed their firepower, blanketing the air above the sea with black smoke and roaring cannon fire. Kong covered his head, his ears, and roared back.
Just as the rockets and cannons struck his back, Godzilla sank under the surface. The explosions rocked the ocean and sent shock waves between the ships. Resurfacing, not having slowed down in any capacity, Godzilla kept up his wrathful pursuit of the rival alpha. He had heard his calls the night before, and the agitated cries he made now only affirmed Godzilla that the enemy was here.
Only, when he resurfaced, T.I.T.A.N. was waiting for him. Several Solar Bolts engaged in strafing runs with Godzilla’s back as the target. They flew by and pelted his spines and hide with bullets that ultimately did nothing, not even earn his attention. It was only until the nearest airship hovered over the King of the Monsters and unloaded its payload. A cluster of bombs bombarded Godzilla’s back with multiple, deafening eruptions.
That earned the king’s focus, Godzilla flipping his head back underwater and roaring.
“Sweeping around for another bombard—!” the changeling pilot said through his radio, only to see the sun darken and a rising shadow appear on his right. He only had a split second to see it. A split second to react. A split second to scream, “AHHH—!”
Having risen out of the water like a swaying tower, Godzilla’s tail struck the airship and blew it out of the sky. The fragments of the craft and the burning balloon fell both slowly and quickly to the ocean below, all while Godzilla’s tail became the new target of interest between the fleet. Multiple Hippogriff ships unloaded their cannons on the tipping tail, the crew of each ship watching it tilt one way and then the other.
Until Godzilla finally brought it down on the ship to his left. The Hippogriff naval craft didn’t stand a chance, the tail severing the vessel in two. Each halve jutted skyward before falling to the sea in a blistering fire.
While such destruction was unfolding before them, the crew aboard the Axalon could only watch in a state of horrified bewilderment. Unsure of what to do or how to respond. Feeling the ship teeter and rock back and forth, many brought their attention back to their main occupant. Kong grasped one chain with both hands, rearing back and bellowing loud to the clouds. The chain still would not give.
He turned when the destruction caught his attention, Kong watching the tail slip back into the waters and the dorsal plates swim his way. Barring his teeth, the King of Black Skull Island gave a thunderous, intimidating roar to his oncoming attacker. The King of the Monsters responded with one of his own below the waves.
“We gotta unlock his chains!” Lyra suggested, and immediately brought life and adrenaline back into the Axalon’s bridge.
“So, what, he can turn and kill us all the second we let him go?! The chains stay on!” Daring retorted.
“Kong isn’t going to touch us with Fluttershy still onboard. He still cares for her if not for any of us,” Cadance suggested, her eyes flicking to Fluttershy's unreadable expression. She turned, instead, to face her husband. “Shining, Godzilla’s coming for him; nothing we can do to hold him back! If we unlock his chains, we’ll be giving him a fighting chance!”
Daring didn’t like it, but the issue was raised to a higher command, and one she was obligated to obey. “Your call, Cap!” Daring said, turning back to wait on Shining. Even Captain Thorn turned to the prince for orders, knowing Shining’s authority outweighed his own.
With all eyes on him, Shining Armor was forced to make a decision, and one with plenty of good points backing each side. Kong most likely despised them for taking him from his home, putting him under a spell, and forcing him to travel to a land that wasn’t his own. Then again, after last night’s display, he felt deep in his heart that Kong wouldn’t raise a fist against them. Not with Fluttershy still in their midst. His mind suddenly sparked.
“Fluttershy!” Shining called. “What do you suggest we do?!”
To his horror, though… they all found that Fluttershy was elsewhere. Her mind was gone, focused on things that were not the current issue at hoof. But perhaps, she thought of a deeper, heavier issue. A calamity that struck the world, and that calamity had now been brought to them. A shadow that corrupted the heart and mind of the Godzilla she thought she understood, and now she could see it all with her own eyes. There was no denying it any longer.
It sickened her. It questioned her heart, and then it broke it.
“Why…” was all she could say, “… why is Godzilla doing this?”
For that, nocreature had an answer. Nor could they even respond.
Before Godzilla could reach the ship, his dorsal plates quickly sunk under the water, and he disappeared. To Kong’s growing confusion, he searched the endless, deep blue but lost him. To wherever he had gone, wherever he was, Kong slammed his fists onto the ship and roared into the sea.
Godzilla responded once more, his roar leading the charge as he rammed the Axalon in an upward pounce.
The surprise attack knocked Kong backward, as well as successfully capsizing the supercarrier. Those unfortunate souls who remained atop deck were thrown back, their screams joining the resounding crashes of their supply crates breaking from their restraints and sliding, bounding, and impacting the ocean surface. Everycreature within the bridge lost their footing and fell in the direction the ship was tilting, their screams and cries drowning what little air remained… before the water quickly broke through. Ponies and creatures on the deck that could take flight did so, the others landing in the water, where the deck of the Axalon quickly met and crushed them.
With its belly facing the sun, the Axalon teetered as Kong cried for air, taking his last breath before he went under. Now capsized, the inhabitants in the bridge began to panic. Water rushed in and was shortening their ability to breathe. Before long, all the bridge was underwater, not a bubble of air to be found.
As Lyra struggled to create an air bubble out of her magic to protect her and Bon Bon, Cadance doing the same for Fluttershy, Lilyclaw took action and transformed into a Seapony thanks to the shard of the magical Pearl dangling around his neck. Helping up Shining Armor, Lilyclaw motioned toward the main lever in which Kong’s chains were operated.
Turning to the lever, Shining could see through the shattered windshield the dark shadow of Godzilla swimming toward the ship once more. And this time, Kong was trapped under his environment, with no edge. With no hope of fighting back. As long as those chains remained, he was sentencing Kong to his death.
Cheeks puffed out, lungs shrinking fast, Shining decided it was his call and swam as fast as he could. Together, he and Lilyclaw reached the lever, and with their combined strength they pulled as hard as they could. Bringing the lever down with his last breath, the bubbles floating rapidly out of Shining’s agape jaws, he opened his eyes once more when he heard the reverberating clang of the massive chains unlocking.
And just in time. Now with his limbs free, Kong caught Godzilla at the last second, grappling with the King of the Monsters as his jaws snapped for his throat again and again. Gripping each of Godzilla’s claws, Kong reared back and slammed his head into Godzilla’s own, disorienting the lizard just enough for the ape to swim back up for a much-needed breath of air.
In doing so, Kong flipped the Axalon back over.
Water proceeded to drain almost immediately, leaving the occupants of the bridge lying strewn about and gasping for air. Several coughs filled the cabin, with each creature helping one another back up. Cadance came to her husband’s side, assuring his safety and then thanking him for releasing Kong, as evident by the lack of chains dangling from his wrists now.
Cadance then turned her attention to Fluttershy, the poor Pegasus lifting her head from the small puddle where she lied. Her mane was wet and covered her face, the Titan Whisperer spitting out a helping of ocean water before Cadance finally came to her aide.
“Fluttershy, are you all right?” the princess asked, lifting up the shaking Pegasus. Fluttershy coughed roughly and gasped for air, quickly swiping her mane aside.
Wild eyes on high alert, Fluttershy turned back to the windshield and asked, “Where’s Kong?!”
She and Cadance approached the windshield, or what was left of it. The shattered glass unveiled the layers of destruction cast across the Celestia Sea. Godzilla had sprouted from the ocean, but was immediately greeted by a wave of cannon fire from the nearby naval ships. He slashed at the waters and ships as the smoke and fire clouded his vision, and he yelped in agitation. Among the graveyard of burning ships and sinking aircraft, the crates of supplies surrounded the Axalon as the deck was covered in wilted chains and one pissed off monkey.
Kong let his anger fully blossom, his hands—now free—prying at the lock around his neck and ripping it open. Nothing more held him down. Nothing else could hold him back. He let that fury be known with a trembling roar, pounding his chest fiercely and profusely. He told his foe that he was here, he remained unbroken, and no manner of environment would ever change that.
Certainly not Godzilla’s natural habitat.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Fluttershy gasped, “He’s okay!”
Turning back to the bridge, Kong heard her voice and saw that she was okay all the same. A little less weight was relieved from his heart at the sight of her, and Kong huffed in response. Just then, he turned back to the sea to catch Godzilla swimming back for another strike. Another attempt to sink the ship—and perhaps Godzilla would not pass up the opportunity this time, if but to deprive Kong of a solid surface to stand on.
His eyes flicked rapidly from one ship to the next, until Kong finally saw it. He saw the supercarrier Noble Steed a jump or two away from him. It offered a much larger and wider surface to stand on, and most importantly, it was further away from Fluttershy.
Looking to her, then to the Noble Steed, Kong made the leap of faith.
The Axalon buckled from the mighty shift in weight, the bridge watching Kong leap from their deck to the nearest ship, using it as a stepping stone just to reach the supercarrier. Despite his immense size and prowess, Kong did not destroy the Noble Steed upon impact, much to his relief as well as everycreature aboard the lead ship, as well as those on the Axalon.
The Noble Steed merely sunk backward momentarily, the bow rising high before eventually coming back to crash against the ocean surface. Those still upon the deck of the ship took refuge in the lower levels, or they hopped in the nearest airship or Solar Bolt and escaped the coming carnage they knew was about to transpire.
Standing tall, promoting his appearance for all to see—especially for Godzilla—Kong breathed in deep and unleashed a terrifying roar to the sea. Godzilla’s spines burst forth from the ocean, changing course from the Axalon and instead shifting attention to the Noble Steed. There was already a mass panic from those aboard the supercarrier, every radio blazing to life and Commander Blight ordering all ordnance to target Godzilla and get him away from the craft.
Yet their ordnance meant nothing. Every cannon fired on him hit only water once Godzilla sunk deep again, using that momentum to rise back up out of the waves.
Avoiding the cannon fire, Godzilla burst free and landed onto the deck of the Noble Steed supercarrier. The ship buckled once more to the immense weight added, but it held still, just barely. Godzilla clawed and ripped apart the hull, dragging himself closer until his feet were pressed to a floor stable enough to hold him. He crawled like a feral animal enraged to the point of insanity, but he found his composure and rose, deafening the seas of battle with his horrific war cry once more.
This time, he faced his enemy on equal footing. This time, Kong was unhindered, and he struck back.
His fist flew through the air as his own war cry retaliated, decking Godzilla across the face.
A resounding crack tore across the clouds, followed by ear-splitting explosions of cannon fire striking Godzilla’s hide. The nearby warships fired everything they had at the King of the Monsters, but it was little more than a nuisance to him. He was more rocked by Kong’s deafening punch than anything else T.I.T.A.N. had thrown at him, and he almost stumbled back before his mind cleared, and Godzilla retaliated.
Crying out, the king swung his right claw and slashed Kong across his face. The ape wasn’t as balanced as Godzilla had grown to be, and he lost his footing and fell back onto the stern of the supercarrier. Intending to end this pitiful renegade quickly, Godzilla stepped forward with his dorsal plates burning a haunting blue. As did his eyes.
As his jaws fell, he nearly dealt a killing atomic beam directly for Kong’s heart… had T.I.T.A.N. not fired another volley of rockets and cannons to his spines. That, of all the attacks T.I.T.A.N. dealt, nearly made Godzilla stumble, and it cut off his concentration and darkened his back plates. Yelping in surprise, Godzilla turning to the warships that surrounded him and charged up his atomic breath for a sweeping kill—or several—across the sea.
And he did so without hesitation, firing a continuous beam of raw, radioactive firepower that blew apart not one, not two, but three naval ships and nearly continued onward to the rest of the fleet.
The resounding blast from his jaws were cut off by Kong’s fist once more meeting Godzilla’s face. His eyes and spines went dark again, Godzilla shaking the blur from his vision before pouncing on the rival king. Kong was faster, driving his shoulder into Godzilla’s sternum and making the king lose his breath, as well as his footing.
Successfully knocking Godzilla back into the water.
His short-lived victory was just that: short-lived. For under the waves, that same low-frequency growl and brightening blue light began to charge, and Kong looked overboard to see it for himself. Already naturally sensing danger, Kong took another mighty leap of faith and jumped from the deck of the Noble Steed.
Just as Godzilla’s atomic beam blew it apart.
A blinding whiteness momentarily stunned everycreature across the fleet, many having to avert their eyes. That white was replaced by a tower of stunning blue atomic energy flying high into the sky. From the source of the eruption, the supercarrier had been reduced to blossoming fragments flying out in every direction, two great halves of a once great ship jumping high before falling so low.
The Noble Steed, the largest ship in the fleet, was gone.
Every attempt to contact the bridge or Commander Blight were hopeless, as nothing but static were the greeters of the Axalon and every other airship and naval craft attempting contact. Before long, the tower of light had faded, and nothing but flames remained on the surface of the deep. Everycreature’s moment of shock and awe was shortly replaced when they noticed that Kong hadn’t resurfaced.
In fact, out of their sight, in the dark blue waters, Kong was attempting to swim back up to the Axalon, only for Godzilla to emerge out of the dark and pounce him from behind. His teeth dug deep into Kong’s shoulder as his claws gripped and tore at every bit of the monkey he could get. With only one arm propelling himself up to the surface, Kong found that to be impossible. Especially when Godzilla’s tail wrapped around his body and he proceeded to drag him down further into the darkness.
Seeing the bubbles emerging but no ape in sight, it came to T.I.T.A.N.’s attention that it was Godzilla’s intention to drown Kong. Noting the desperation in Fluttershy’s eyes quickly turn to him, Shining Armor took action and grabbed the microphone so that his voice traveled to every radio in every naval craft.
“Seaponies, get down there! Disorient Godzilla! Do anything you can to help Kong!”
There was no hesitation. From each naval craft, from even the airships, every Hippogriff took the great leap of faith and dove down into the awaiting ocean. Each of their Pearl fragments allowed them to transform instantaneously into their Seapony forms, thus allowing them to swim with great speed and ferocity toward Godzilla. Some even went the extra mile and transformed into greater sea beasts, giant squids, anything to rival Godzilla’s size and strength.
It was quiet for so long.
For nearly half a minute, there was silence upon the graveyard of burning ships.
Then, the sea erupted and relinquished one of two kings. Kong’s palm grasped the deck of the Axalon, making its inhabitants jump in surprise. They turned to see the rest of the great ape appear, drenched and breathless, coughing up waterfalls of sea water onto the ship before collapsing. Clearly exhausted. Clearly out of the fight.
But still alive. Fluttershy’s heart found ease in that reality.
“Godzilla’s coming back!” Cadance warned.
Just as her heart darkened when that reality made itself known.
Every head in the bridge turned accordingly, seeing Godzilla’s spines break through the waves and crash through the flaming husks of what were once naval ships. “I want every cannon on Godzilla! Wait for my mark!” Shining ordered through his radio.
Rising out of the water, Godzilla lifted his head high and took in a mighty breath out of the smoke-filled air. The fires shrouded him as the towers of smoke clouded the skies above his head, but still Godzilla remained undeterred. The feeble actions of the Seaponies and the sea beasts only disoriented him temporarily, and they fled like the cowards they were when Godzilla turned his focus onto them instead of the rival king.
But now, there was nothing more that could stand in his way. The rest of T.I.T.A.N.’s worthless fleet turned their weapons onto him, but Godzilla knew they would deal no true harm.
His eyes burned with a flaming intensity and hatred the likes of which he had never before expressed. They were fueled by a madness he had never known, the golden eyes narrowing at the fleet, red irises seeming to brighten as the Darkness in his pupils only became blacker. And just before he could press onward and finish the attempted usurper… he stopped.
Something deep within himself stopped him.
It came like rumbling of thunder, with a cry like lightning resounding across all the earth. For his deep connection to the planet and the creatures that inhabited it brought Godzilla’s mind out of its hazy cloud… and back to its natural purpose forged over millions of years. Just for a moment, there was a break in his mind, the dark connection severing to allow Godzilla a moment to hear the sound.
The cry.
The call of another.
A rival alpha deep within the earth sounded off, far below the world above and within the world untouched by the self-proclaimed rulers of these lands. Godzilla’s mind was not his own. His instincts, his actions were tainted by a curse. But perhaps the first cracks had begun to surface, and that dark influence over his mind was starting to deteriorate.
For though he was ordered by a shadowy power to kill the great King Kong, there was a deeper purpose that he chose to answer instead. And it was so.
Giving one last burning glare to Kong and the T.I.T.A.N. fleet, Godzilla turned aside and dove into the waters, beginning the hunt for the alpha call. The only hunt that mattered.
Nevertheless, claiming victory in his and Kong’s first of soon-to-be many battles.