//------------------------------// // A Friendly Chat with a Titan... What fun. (Prologue) // Story: On Black Wings Unfurled, A Half-Dragon's Roar to be Heard // by Coal //------------------------------// Prologue A Friendly Chat with a Titan... What fun. Well, this definitely hasn't been a normal day, then again when is it ever normal? I decided to take the day and go around town, I shut myself in too much sometimes. It's a nice enough place and while definitely considered a city the sky isn't blocked by countless towering skyscrapers, which in my opinion was a pretty nice thing. So I began to wander a bit through the streets I had spent my life growing up around, and while I'm definitely not lost, I find myself in an unfamiliar street. I know I'm what a few people would define as a shut in but it'd be really embarrassing for someone who has lived around here all his life to get lost no less than five blocks from his own home. I'm not lost, I just wanted to walk past that same McDonalds... five times. "Hello there, are you lost young man?" I heard someone call out from behind me in an upbeat tune. Turning around I found myself looking back to find a man sitting on the bus bench. He was an older looking man, with grey hair and dark eyes, wearing an old fashioned Fedora and a snazzy suit to match it. The getup looks pretty sweet truth be told. "...No," I say, and in response he raises an eyebrow. "I said I wasn't lost," His eyebrow stays up, but he doesn't say a word. … "Okay, I'm lost." I finally admit to him, and myself. Chuckling to himself a bit before motioning for me to sit on the bench with him as he said, "Well then, we're birds of a feather, even if my kind of lost would be a bit different from yours." This time it was my turn to raise an eyebrow. "A different kind of lost? I'm not about to get some old wizened and philosophical speech am I? Because a bus bench in front of a McDonalds would be a pretty weird place for one." I state, causing him to chuckle again. "Yes, I suppose this would be an odd place for something like that wouldn't it?" He says more to himself than to me. "So then, any ambitions?" What the hell kind of question is that to ask someone you met at a bus stop. "What the hell kind of question is that?" I ask, properly voicing my thoughts for once. "Well, just humor me for a moment, after all I'm a crazy old man at a bus stop." "Well... Fine I guess, I suppose it couldn't hurt." Did he grin when I said that? Okay, that's just a little bit creepy. "Well... Ambitions. I can't say that I don't have them, after all everyone has ambitions." Pausing for a moment I go through my thoughts, trying to find a flare of some kind, and come back with nothing. "... I honestly can't say what it is though." "Ah, I see. A young man with ambition but nowhere to direct it." The small grin I noticed from before begins to widen further. "That's my favorite kind, the embers of ambition subject to be molded like clay." "I thought that you agreed that a bus stop wasn't the best place to debate philosophy?" "Yes, I suppose I did, let’s fix that shall we?" He said as he raises his hand, and before I can say a word, the world turns to white. Well, almost completely white. There's a table with two chairs. Brain. Yes? The fuck just happened? Hell if I know, you're on your own for this one. You’re an asshole, brain. I don’t even have to explain what that implies. While I'm distracted by my internal dialogue, the man makes his way to the chair on the opposite side of the table. With folded hands as he says, "Well, take a seat, I'm sure you have questions." Of course, the one day I decide to go outside and this happens... Is that really the first thing that should come to mind in this situation? No. Shut up brain. I put my own mental ramblings aside as I try and come to an understanding about what exactly just happened here. What was that he said earlier, something about ambition and clay? Not exactly something most would say, but then again most can't make the world disappear either. So unless McDonalds food is even worse for you than I thought there has to be more to this. A lot more. Oddly enough despite the madness of the situation I find myself in, I can feel a grin I couldn't explain tugging at the sides of my mouth. What’s up with that? Eventually, I make my way over to the metal folding chair and sat down. Now I feel obligated to point out that if you can make the world just *poof* away you’d at least spring for some better chairs. Just sayin’... Well being an introverted person you tend to spend most of your time in your own head. He does, I can vouch for that. … So when you spend most of your time in your own head you tend to think that no matter what the world were to throw at you you’d be able to cope with it and keep right on chugging. It was at this particular point in time that I realize that's a complete load of bull, my legs are shaking enough to make the metal chair rattle under me. I was a fish used to his nice and comfy bowl, dumped out into an ocean I knew nothing about. It's strange, my legs seem to express the fear of the situation at hand, but my face seems to revel in it... I'm not sure what exactly is causing the grin on my face, and the rational part of me is reluctant to find out. So there I find myself sitting, metal folding chair rattling under me as I stare across the simple wooden table at the magic man in a Fedora. Maybe I shouldn't have told my brain to shut up, because I really need something to say right about now. Luckily however, he does that for me. “So then, Coal was it?” Fuck that nickname. “Yeah, that’s what a lot of people who know me call me.” “It’s an interesting nickname, how did you get it?” “Well... when I was six I got a little angry at something that one of the other kids I can’t remember exactly what it was that got me so angry but it was enough for me to grab his hair and start pulling. So when my Mom came to take me home after I got my ear chewed off by the teacher she steps out of the car with a stocking full of coal.” I really hate this part of the story “... And I started to bawl my eyes out... That's how I got my nickname.” “Hmm, interesting. It’s odd that it’s the littlest things that stick with us the longest wouldn't you say?” “Yeah, I guess s-” Wait a second, my legs stopped shaking. I guess thinking about something as normal as that snapped me out of it. Did he do that on purpose? "You did that on purpose didn't you?" He looks off to the side with an innocent look plastered on his face. "Maybe I did." Fucking knew it, he's picking apart my brains. Hey, I'm right here you know. And do I really need to point this one out, or can you actually do something without the help of a figment of your imagination? What're you talking abou-... wait... I still don't know his fucking name. Finally. I once again pull myself out of my inner dialogue and look at the nameless man with a Fedora who was still looking off to the side as he waited for me to speak. "What's your name?" I ask with the sickening feeling that I might not entirely like the answer. Slowly, he lets the innocent look fall from his face as he looked back towards me, and said with a knowing grin and said, "My name is Prometheus." 3. 2. 1. Talking about ambition and molding people like clay. It fucking makes sense. Prometheus, one of the immortal Titans from Greek mythology known for his interest in the ambition of man, supposedly responsible for shaping the first men from clay and, later, giving fire to them so that they could progress. Promptly following that he was punished for giving fire to man by Zeus who chained him to a rock while an eagle ate his liver every day as it regrew. Also supposedly freed by Hercules. That fucker. Why not. "... Prometheus. Now that you said that it seems kind of obvious based on what you said earlier. Then again hind-sight is 20-20." "Well, don't be too hard on yourself. Most people don't assume a man with a Fedora is a Titan." "So what's the reason?" He put that innocent face on again. "Reason for what?" He chimed. "You're an immortal who takes pleasure in watching the ambition of man, you wouldn't do this just to fuck with me. You want something." "Perhaps I do, but I'd like to see what conclusions you can come up with on your own." What is this a job interview? ... Wait, actually it might be. "Well... You want someone to be an instrument of change I would think." He looked at me expectantly as I continued, "Which would imply that you think the world to be stagnant... I don't see how it is though, one of your supposed interests is the advancement of technology and that happens daily." "True enough, Humans have always had the desire to grow and become more than they are, the only point of giving them fire was to give them a push." "... Then..." It couldn't be. If humans in and of themselves are more than enough on their own... "You're interested in the stagnation of somewhere that doesn't have any humans." As I complete my thought I am rewarded with a large grin and round of applause from my gracious host, "Exactly. I was rather hoping you'd be able to piece that together. Now then, I suppose I've let you hang on long enough. I will tell you the specifics on the purpose of my bringing you here." For some reason I find myself leaning forward in my seat as I feel a strange sense of anticipation. If what he was saying was true then there was a lot that it implied. It meant there was someplace out there, there was someplace that was alien, something out in the stars that was stagnant. Something beyond where any human has touched. It also meant that I would be leaving everything behind. What would happen with my home, what would my family think if I just up and disappeared. I knew a part of me loathes leaving it behind... but I can feel it, I knew it was there before, but I can feel it now like, a fire burning in my stomach. Ambition I'm starting to think there was a reason Zeus was so pissed about Prometheus giving man fire. "Now then," Prometheus begins, snapping me back from my small revelation, "The place I intend to send you has no name for the world as a whole, the sentient races of the planet have never really agreed what it should be called." Well, they probably want it to be something better than basically calling it "dirt." "The races of the world have lost their drive, too set in their ways and pacing themselves deeper into stagnation. I intend to change that. Well, you'll be the one doing it truth be told. I'll just be watching." Understandable, considering the last time he did something directly he was chained to a rock and had his liver eaten a bajillion times. Zeus is pretty creative. "I will give you power, you will be man in all his ambition and cunning, but I will also give you strength beyond yourself." Great, now he starts talking with everything being symbolic. "You will discover this power for what it is as you go. Once you are there you will be on your own, the only one of your kind in a world never before touched by the hands of man." The way he's talking... I can't tell if I have a choice in this or not... I'm afraid to ask. "Now then, I think it is time to send a letter to Somepony. For the sake of mischief of course." Wait a second, the fuck did he just say? As I sit there with an eyebrow raised I feel confused by his choice of words he begins to write on a piece of parchment with a quill. I know under normal circumstances that'd mean a lot more, but considering everything else that has happened in the past ten minutes it barely even picks up on the radar. It was at that moment I hear something that sounds a lot like a doorbell. Then I notice that there was a door now. Sure, why not. "Ah, excuse me for a moment, I have to go check on that." He says as he gets up from his chair and heads to the door. Once he had opened it and stepped through I quickly turned an eye back to the parchment and pen. Looking it over I can see that it really doesn't say all that much, but appears to be addressing a certain "Miss Celestia." I can only assume that's someone from where I'm headed. I'm alone with an unsent letter intended for something that wasn't human. Well, he did say it was for the sake of mischief right? I quickly lean across the table and snatch up the paper and pen as I begin to write my own little side note at the bottom. It was a small victory but a victory nonetheless. Oddly enough, I can't think of something witty to say, and of course I began to hear the rhythmic footsteps of Prometheus coming back. After I waste a bit more time writing down nonsense I finally managed to write down "Winter is coming." Okay, that's weak and you know it. I don't have any time to argue with myself as I quickly put the pen and paper where Prometheus had left it and try my hand at putting on an innocent face. "Sorry about that, now where were we?" "The letter?" "Ah yes, I was done with it actually so I can just send it now. He says as he has a small smirk on his face and shot a small jet of fire from his mouth at it. Shot fire from his mouth. And burned it. Why the fuck not. "Well then," He says, cracking his neck and looking back to me. "Best be on your way, right my ambitious little dragon?" Normally, I would make some kind of comment about how he called me a dragon, but I find myself preoccupied with the fact that the chair folded out from under me and I started falling down through the endless void of white, that was until a moment ago very solid as I begin to fly downwards with the gracefulness of a rock. You know, one would think at a moment like this I would be thinking about the fact that the ground is probably gonna hurt when I finally reunite with it, but oddly enough I made a connection with something that was pretty damn insignificant. He was using a quill, which I've never once used in my life. Once he left it was a ballpoint pen. That crafty son of a bitch. --- A world away, just ready to settle down for bed as Luna had just raised the moon, the starry night sky calming. The world was calm and all was in it's place. Princess Celestia turned and walked into her room from balcony. On her nightstand she noticed a letter, it wasn't one from her student Twilight, she was sure of that. She made sure to lock each one of them away right after reading them and twilight normally doesn't send letters this late at night. Looking towards it, and with a light from her horn she unfurled it and looked at the flowing script written on it. Definitely not her student's. Let us see here, how to begin? Well, I suppose the best way to do so is with introductions. I am Prometheus and while I was, as one might say, tied up for quite some time I noticed your world. I have to say it's quite interesting, but unfortunately stagnant as well. So Miss Celestia I, being the patron of progress that I am, have sent someone your way. He is not a creature native to your world, a species I personally have a great deal of interest in, they're ambitious little scamps. I am bestowing a gift upon him as I send him, one he will in time learn to master. It is my hopes he brings progress to your world, but as the past has proven on many an occasion the best intentions can at times have the worst effects. We'll just have to see how it goes won't we. Sincerely, Prometheus She had no idea who this Prometheus was, it was an odd name and she was sure she would have recognized it if she had known whoever this was. His claim of "finding" our world was... strange. She found his words unnerving, who ever this was they considered the peace of her lands to be stagnation? This creature the letter speaks of is unnerving as well. What she noticed however as her gazed shifted further down she found the hurried scribblings of another. Ha, not as smart as the bastard thinks he is. I managed to snag the paper from him. So "Miss Celestia" my name is Coal and apparently I'm supposed to stir up some dirt. I'll admit I know just as much as to what is going on as you do,, but if he's the Prometheus I'm thinking of things might be a little more complicated than he'd let us believe. Crap, he's coming back. Umm... Why did I just waste time writing Umm? Winter is coming... I'm disappointed with myself if that's the best I can come up with. She found herself even more perplexed by the words of this second writer. Stir up some dirt? An odd phrase but this must be the creature that Prometheus mentioned. It was mildly comforting to know that a large mindless beast bent on destruction wasn't being sent to her lands. Winter is coming...? It's the beginning of Summer, that doesn't make any sense. Shaking her head at the odd letter she set it back down on her nightstand and moved to her bed to rest, why should she worry over a strange letter, it wasn't like it was going to become a problem she couldn't solve. --- Living out near the Lizardback mountains, far from the lands directly overseen by the Princesses of the sun and Moon everypony usually was vigilant against any creatures that they might try and cause a stir in the town. A few of the colts had even claimed that they saw red little lizards spying on the town but when they checked it out there wasn't a sign of anything having been there. Fiery Furnace had just managed to lay her head down to bed, her red mane falling in front of her eyes but not caring enough to brush it out of the way. She could have sworn she heard something. She was just imagining it though, no animal would be able to make their way this far into town without someone noticing. Those old mares tales must be getting to her. No, there was definitely something making noise, she was sure of it, because it was getting louder. She was sure she could make out somepony saying something. "FFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-" The only thought that was going through her mind at that moment was what in Equestria could be making that noise, and was answered by the sound being cut off and replaced by the noise of her roof giving in as a strange form fell through and landed in the bed next to her. So, that's what in Equestria could be making that noise.