Twilight's book of Equestria's occult aberrations

by The Psychopath

Sea Foam

Twilight and Spike were currently riding a train to Canterlot in the wee hours of the morning, and while Twilight really wanted to teleport to the castle, she just didn't have the strength for it yet, especially with how little she slept.

Spike let out a loud yawn in the cabin. "I don't understand why we need to see the princess just because of what's written in the journal. I'm sure she knows about all of these things."

"Are you sure, Spike?" Twilight inquired. "Because I never once heard her talking about these things when I was with her."

Spike rubbed his eyes. "Maybe because he didn't want you to panic? Or anypony else to panic? These monsters are pretty neat, but if the ponies learn about the Gigantis Vesuvius Vulcan, I'm sure there'd be--"

"Not THOSE monsters, Spike!" Twilight corrected him. "These ones. The occult section."

"Oh. OH!" Spike's eyes widened in realization. "Well, I guess she could have trouble knowing about these things."

"Just...Look at this!"

Twilight flipped the pages to an illustration showing stones jutting from the ocean in various fashions, but always ending in a single point at a height rivaling the biggest ship's mast. In its middle were several strokes of a pencil and eyes of several shapes and sizes within it. Strangely enough, this writing was different from the original writer's, and a note in the bottom corner was the writer saying that 'Spiral Tooth' should be happy that they shared this information when they weren't supposed to.

"The CrackerJacks.

A stone formation has been spotted across numerous portions of the oceans and seas, and every time, the sailors who have seen it either vanished from their drifting ships or would be found as mumbling wrecks on the fragments. They would always mention millions of eyes and tiny fingers tapping on the wood and glass despite most of these ships having no such transparent accommodations.

The occult branch have tried to send magic sentries around the stone formations, but there would be no reaction. A research fleet was dispatched to investigate further, but when they approached, the eyes reappeared. Funnily enough, barely anypony reacted to whatever effects were being thrust upon them and started studying the phenomenon. We are too accustomed to these effects, but this didn't last. From the stones came the wrecks of ships lost here forever, and the surviving researchers mentioned the boats having living faces with stretched eyes on the wood. They were, quite literally, skeletons of what they once were and were crewed by those who had disappeared from sea.

Sailors and pirates have become witness to the birth of a new sea legend called the CrackerJacks, and as with all sea legends, rumors abound and treasure hunters come flocking. We haven't been able to secure the area ourselves, but the rumors will become warnings, and tales will surround this phenomenon, preventing anyone from entering simply due to their own fears."

"Sea shanties, yarr?" Spike joked.

"This isn't a joke, Spike!" Twilight scolded. "This is serious! We've seen for our own eyes that these things are real!" she shook the journal in front of the little dragon. "How come nopony has even heard of them?!"

Twilight was literally trying to tear out her mane, and Spike huffed. "You've been repeating the same questions over and over. Maybe you should give a rest and let me read if you're so interested in that book?"

"I...! I...You're right. I'm going crazy again, aren't I?"

Spike answered only with his facial expressions. Twilight conceded and passed him the book, flipping to the next page. It showed a giant fishing hook with a second, smaller hook piercing through the inner curve of its form. All over it were barnacles, sea weed, and coral residue. It was embedded into sea rock, and fish were drawn swimming around it while it glowed brightly. The text was also written in the same hoofwriting as the previous entry.

"Aegiran: The union of two forgotten deities. Many ocean goers and seekers of adventure on the salty seas have heard of this item. While gods can vanish, their powers and artifacts rarely ever follow. The sailor shanties have said that it rivals the powers of Poseidon's trident , the Finger of Oceanus, or the boat of Susanoo. However, where it is told that each of those can control the oceans and reap the curses from those afflicted by the waters or prevent the dead from dominating the seas, Aegiran is the embodiment of the dangers. If one can get these hooks, then they can bring themselves safety and prosperity while dooming their enemies. Those who have found it, if they truly have, were never seen again.

Thus, the occult branch went on a hunt for information for several months, finding only shreds of information in books and witnesses. Sadly, it is with the help of Spiral Tooth-" Spike blinked slowly when he saw 'That's me!' written in the space between sentences. "- gave us the idea to use the sea shanties as the first clue, and it worked. We sent a scouting ship to a follow a trail of clues which led us to an inverted column of water with a stormcloud brewing within it. If the shanties are true, then the vortex, which spans several kilometers in diameter, hides a deformed island of sharp stones and jewels found on the sea floor. Unfortunately, another obstacle came into play: Yollom. Similar to the Kraken, this creature is gifted four giant eyes of yellow and possesses many tentacles to pull ships down, but it never rises from the ocean floor it's on, preferring to creepily glide across it and charge towards those trying to escape its grasp.

Attempts at sending our ocean savvy monster hunters served no purpose as all attacks phased through the creatures tentacles and bodies. It has also demonstrated the ability to break off pieces of its tentacles and infest the bodies of the living on the ships, mutating them into vicious octopus-like creatures hellbent on killing everyone around. When struck down, the tentacle grows out of its body, reattaches to the host, and the corrupted is absorbed into the body. Many times was it noted that the victims would cry out for help. Occultists present stated, with many grievances, that the souls of these poor sods were absorbed by the Yollom. We have found no solution to harming the main creature, and it has found it sporting to chase us until a certain distance. This hasn't stopped treasure hunters and pirates who followed us from trying to reach the vortex, though."

"Woah. An artifact that can control the oceans?" Spike whisper-shouted.

"And it can bring terrific harm to anypony that the user doesn't like," Twilight added with a whisper. "We would need to get that artifact to prevent anypony else from using it!"

"But...what's to say that we wouldn't misuse it either? And that thing has been protecting it so far. Why not just leave it there?"

Twilight ground her teeth. "There's always the possibility...but if it's something that belonged to gods, then it's been there for a very, very long time." Twilight let out a slow breath of air. "You're right. I should relax, but I will still tell Princess Celestia about this. Anything else you want to read?"

"Well..."

The little dragon reached another page showing the ocean bubbling with foam and wooden ships sailing on them. The sailors were drawn with various forms, but a common theme of them being emaciated with glowing eyes was shared amongst all of them. The boats were covered in moss and algae and dripping with sea water.

"Day Sclams. Named after the giant clams that would only surface during the day at an island that has since been sunk, these undead creatures appear on seafoam during the day, laying siege to anyone they see. They'll take the ship and kill the sailors aboard, tossing their bodies overboard. The ship itself will be engulfed in the foam and reappear the next day fully crewed by these emaciated creatures. Their provenance isn't known, but they appear around random locations in the world and attack anyone they see: Lovingly stealing ship and loot alike.

It makes matters worse when navies confront them, only to view their efforts fail because the ship and its crew reappear the next day in sea foam, or that the Sclams shift with the rays of the sun. Our labs have determined it to be an effect similar to light refraction in the water, but to an exaggerated extent. It can also be contributed to a mirage effect. The ship isn't actually where one expects and will somehow appear out of nowhere. Entire fleets of these vessels can appear out of nowhere, but one ship has stood out amongst most: A massive ship of yellow and white adorned with fanciful golden railings and giant lanterns sporting four decks of heavy cannons and its captain.

It's become a rather amusing thing to talk amongst the Occult Branch's colleagues. Considering that these occult creatures are ones that disappear during the night and only appear during the day. It's proof that not every 'scary' legend stays in the shadows. After all, is it not scarier what is in plain sight than what hides in the dark. You never see the one you can actually see. The best course of action to repel these creatures is to have something blessed by the night attached to the prow of a ship. It doesn't necessarily need to be the prow, but sailors have their tiresome superstitions.

During a violent exchange, we had captured several of the 'sailors' of the ships, but, when taking away sea water, they shrivel up and become little more than inert mummies. Applying sea water to them doesn't change anything, so we had to toss them back into the sea for further testing. It seems that they need the sea to 'work'. The exact functions are still unknown to us. Rumors have also directed us to some people selling items that the Day Sclams have looted in a bid to get newer weapons for their ships. It is something that comes a massive, incomprehensible oddity. Are they aware of technological developments?"

The train slowly came to a stop and whistled.

"Canterlot station!" a pony shouted. "All passengers for Canterlot station please disembark!"

Comments

[EverfreePony]

Interesting... Equestrian sees are definitely dangerous. I wonder what will Celestia have to say about it.

We've seen for our own eyes that these things are real!

Hmm... when? I don't remember that happening in the show. Or is it a reference to other story of yours?

[The Psychopath]

8417948
It's just a reference to the show, where amazing creatures exist.