Chapter 41
“And you, my father, there on the sad height, curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray. Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light.”
— Dylan Thomas
Crystal Empire
It was a war for the ages. One that everypony got a front row seat to.
They watched from the failing safety of their airships, from the skies, from their machinations of war that had come only for war. Through the gusts of snow and the blinding waves of fog, to the shrieking, golden lightning breaking across the storm and illuminating the world below, the Crystal Empire became ground zero for the literal fate of the world.
Every corner of the empire was filled with monsters. Titanic creatures that warred and mutilated and ripped each other apart. From those that followed King Ghidorah, to those that followed King Sombra, they were everywhere. Fighting everything in their path. Battling for dominance as the true rulers of the earth, and for the one they served.
Rodan and Baphomet clashed in the far corners of the empire, Baphomet leaping from one building, one tower of crystal to the next in an attempt to reach the flying Titan. Behemoth and Amhuluk battled on the outskirts, with Amhuluk latching himself onto Behemoth’s tusks and clawing at the Titan’s face. Scylla and Typhon continued their fight closer to the center, the red dragon swooping down and pelting the spider with multiple fire blasts. The Queen MUTO and Sargon were locked in a deadly test of strength near the castle, both Titans pushing onto one another until Sargon struck with his stinger, to which the Queen narrowly dodged. Methuselah and Yamata no Orochi fought to the death from one end of the empire to the next, Yamata wrapping his body around the bulky beast and biting every portion of his body with a different mouth. All while Methuselah rammed himself into several building to get the centipede off.
In the heart of it all, the alphas went to war. Godzilla and Ghidorah fought furiously with rage in their spirits and unmitigated power flowing through their strikes.
And they watched it all.
The Radiance led the armies of Equus onward, with the occupants in the main bridge momentarily trapped in time to witness the battle unfold. It was but a fragment, a singular moment where all else had silenced save for the chaos unleashed beyond their windshield. That silence was filled with ponies gazing in awestruck wonder and sheer disbelief to the madness. The lightning shimmered across their faces, their massive eyes, while the snow flowed relentlessly across the windshield and bathed the bridge in a ghostly white glow.
It was but a moment where they were trapped in silenced time. A moment that ended just as quickly as it began, and the warriors finally took over their mindsets.
Celestia began it all by declaring, “We must act while the other Titans are distracted! Luna, Cadance, and I will keep the alphas focused on each other. Shining Armor will lead the fleet in bringing down the outlying creatures, ensuring they don’t interfere with Godzilla or Ghidorah.”
Luna continued for her, keeping up the fire from her sister’s tone and amplifying it. “We will do our best to help where it’s needed, but it must be Godzilla who defeats Ghidorah. Cadance will be close to us. She will be safe with us, so we swear it! You will have T.I.T.A.N. and the nations of the world rallying behind you, Shining Armor! Do you two understand?”
“Got it!” Shining responded, fiercely nodding to the two sisters.
“I’ll be with you!” Princess Cadance responded in kind.
The moment of rising enthusiasm was interrupted by that same nightmarish roar once more breaking through the atmosphere. It earned everypony’s attention, every eye shifted to the front windshield and witnessing the dark Titan stumbling back up to his feet. The MUTO Prime slammed his forelimbs into the crystal beneath him, lifting his head and his electrifying horn into the raging snowstorm.
Shaking his head, growling softly, Sombra turned his emerald visor pulsating with purples mists onto the clash of the Titans. He ignored his subjects crying and battling and dying around him, focusing only on what mattered above all else. Godzilla had lived. He had returned. To claim Sombra’s throne no less, but to also bring down the great serpent. To bring him down as well.
Snarling, his heart a fiery furnace of unquenchable rage, Sombra would never allow it. He bellowed a tremoring battle cry and stampeded into the heart of the storm, gaining more and more speed until he finally collided with the two opposite powers. The impact knocked both Godzilla and Ghidorah backward, making them stumble, making them cry out, but not making them fall.
They did not yield. Neither did Sombra. He reared up and slashed his forelimb across Godzilla’s head. Roaring at that, Godzilla turned back to the Shadow King, meeting only the claws of the MUTO pressed against his throat and chest, pressing him back. Keeping him at bay. Godzilla pried at Sombra’s claws. Sombra then turned to Ghidorah and breathed in deep, unleashing a dark roar that drove itself directly into the hydra’s chest. He slid back and impacted several buildings.
Ghidorah cackled agitatedly to the attack.
Godzilla roared and tried to break free.
Sombra kept up the assault and fought his damned heart out.
Letting that reality breathe throughout the Radiance, everypony took a moment to properly react to what they just witnessed. Not many could speak. Hardly any could breathe. Almost all heard the subtle gulp slither down Lyra Heartstring’s esophagus.
“So that’s Sombra now, huh?” Lyra said, her words as more of a statement than a question. The question came after, her body trembling lightly. “We gotta do something about him too, right?”
Watching the battle between the three alphas a few seconds longer, Twilight Sparkle shook her head and came back to the real world. Not letting her fear cloud her instincts. “He’s an outlier, unnatural to the balance our world needs. My friends and I will deal with Sombra,” she openly declared, bringing focus and clarity back to the bridge. “The Elements of Harmony defeated him once before, and we’ll do it again.”
She turned to all of her friends when she said that, offering them all a strengthening smile.
“And we’ll make sure he stays dead this time,” Rainbow Dash offered back with a slick smirk of her own. One that Twilight couldn’t help but return.
“Once an’ fer all,” Applejack added, tightening her hat.
Pinkie Pie latched onto both Fluttershy and Rarity, squealing with glee, “Ooooo! This is so exciting! And terrifying! What’s a good in-between for that, do you think? Terriciting? Excifying?! ‘Cause I’m feeling both!”
Bon Bon, Lyra, and Daring Do couldn’t help but chuckle at the mare’s antics.
The special agent faced the windshield and declared, “T.I.T.A.N. special forces will be moving out into the empire itself. We’ll be working with the fleet in the sky and our armies on the ground to bring down the other Titans. All agents will rally on me; is that understood?”
“Yes, ma’am!” a flurry of voices responded, from multiple mares and stallions standing at attention behind Bon Bon. Among them was Daring Do herself, the secret agent having reached their fortress in time before they shipped off for the final push. She brought her T.I.T.A.N. forces with her, intent on seeing the end of this war with only one goal in mind…
Victory.
If that reassuring smile on Daring’s lips was anything to go by, then Bon Bon was thankful to have that edge joining them.
“Spike, you’re with us,” Daring Do suddenly called out. She turned her eyes to the dragon himself, almost scoffing at his bewildered expression. Shocked, certainly, but astounded. Probably astonished to hear that he was specifically wanted for something heroic. Something risky. Something daring.
Though Daring Do knew his limits, as well as her own. She turned for approval, and asked, “If that’s okay, Your Highness?”
Spike somewhat feared to see how Twilight would have reacted. It was why he was so slow in turning to meet her expression, seeing only the obvious concern… but with something else. Something more. She herself was caught in an internal debate, wanting so much to see the little baby dragon she had raised since birth.
Instead, she saw his wings. She saw all the years they were together, every adventure and every problem they had faced and overcome. Through it all, she saw how mature he had become. How much he had grown. He wasn’t a baby anymore. He was the hero of the Crystal Empire once before, and the empire needed him again. It needed all of them.
All of them united. That alone earned a smile from the Alicorn, Twilight taking in a cautious breath before she asked, “You’ll be safe?”
It took a moment or two before Spike finally answered, somewhat surprised to hear Twilight’s subtle approval. Not exact, but the first steps to it. “Can’t really say we’ve handled worse than this,” Spike sighed, gazing out the windshield and seeing the apocalypse unfolding before his very eyes. He took in a sharp breath, exhaling softly. “But might as well start somewhere.”
Breaking from the chaos, Spike met the pony who may as well have been his sister. Certainly not by blood, that much he could accept. But by something deeper, not so simple. It didn’t have to be. He didn’t need to fully understand it. All he knew was that his sister Twilight, his brother Shining Armor, and all his friends needed his help. He sure as heck wouldn’t hide in the bridge and let them save the Crystal Empire without him.
Spike nodded to her. He offered a small smile, the strongest he could make for now. “I’ll be all right. Promise.”
Twilight turned from that promise and looked to another. Bon Bon nodded to Princess Twilight, assuring her in the silence that she would keep him safe. That all of T.I.T.A.N. that rallied with her would also rally with the young dragon. And that was enough for her to meet him again.
“Promise,” Twilight said back, smiling with as much assurance as she could muster for now.
Spike mirrored her.
Stepping forward, ensuring she received the spotlight next, Fluttershy announced, “It’s very important… but we need to keep in mind that the Titans are only following who they believe to be the alpha. If we stop Sombra, and Godzilla stops Ghidorah, then we don’t have to hurt the other creatures.”
There was an interruption from the battle, forcing the Radiance to steer out of harm’s way. Multiple ponies inside the bridge nearly lost their footing, and they turned to the windshield to understand why.
King Sombra was thrown like a rag doll, his limbs rolling and colliding with multiple crystal-like structures, all of which turned to dust and rubble upon his impact. He slid and rolled for several hundred yards, eventually coming to a rest on his chest. Gently crying out, his jaws settled alongside his head, the massive MUTO taking a moment to rest. To catch his breath. To heal as the shadows slowly coiled around his body in a comforting embrace.
Godzilla snorted. Tasting the blood of the Prime on his tongue, his jagged teeth drenched in Sombra’s life, Godzilla quickly turned back to his primary target. Ghidorah lunged at him while his back was turned, his cackling cries conjoined with his screaming lightning bolts darting across the dark storm. To the Demon’s shock, however, Godzilla had countered it with lightning-like reflexes. The power that surged through his body made him quicker, stronger, unpredictable in the worst possible ways for Ghidorah.
He proved that by ducking from the snapping jaws of Ichi, Ni, and San, bending low and ramming his enhanced dorsal plates into Ghidorah’s chest. The sudden push knocked Ghidorah back, giving Godzilla enough space to latch onto the individual necks. He roared as he did so, ramming San and Ichi across a volley of dark crystal towers, narrowly missing the Radiance in the process.
Within the bridge, every last beating heart witnessed Ghidorah’s screeching jaws and towering necks vanish beneath the shattered rubble of the black crystals. They watched as Godzilla’s gargantuan form passed by the windshield, dorsal spines pulsating with a raw whiteness and shimmering rainbow bursts. The remainder of the T.I.T.A.N. fleet flew by overhead, gauging the situation below and awaiting orders from the lead airship. The royal fleets did the same, all in a stagnant ceasefire.
“We may not have to worry too much about that,” Shining Armor replied to Fluttershy in a near-whisper, his face reflecting the glows emanating from Godzilla’s back. “I think the big guy has things under control.”
“For now,” Celestia added, turning to their last wildcard. Someone who was once thought to be their last hope and now standing with them united for the final assault. An invaluable ally that they needed for a sharper edge now more than ever before.
So, she called to him by name. “Discord, you’ll go with Spike, Bon Bon, and the rest of T.I.T.A.N. You’ll do whatever they tell you to, but most importantly keeping the Titans from killing each other.”
“And that doesn’t mean you go out and kill them yourself!” Luna added for good measure.
Celestia had to readjust herself, thankful for her sister’s input albeit with it being a little more direct. “It’s simple, Discord. Detain, sedate, do not kill. Please tell me you understand?”
Fully healed, fully ready, with chaotic forces flowing through his veins, Discord turned to the two sisters he once called his enemies and now proudly saluted to them both. Most importantly, he was just glad to finally unleash his true strength, to show these pathetic excuses for monsters what a real beast of war and chaos was.
Unfortunately, the fun had to remain in his imagination. Fluttershy stepped forth and specifically told him, “And Discord… no chaos magic. Even though Mothra told me you could help, it has to be within reason. Within a realm of natural control. Can you do that?”
The Spirit of Chaos practically deflated like a balloon. Ghidorah’s horrific cackles could be heard thundering around the Radiance, but all Discord complained about was, “Oh, sure, make me blind and deaf while you’re at it!”
The look on Fluttershy’s face…
Bending his neck back with a disgruntled groan, Discord eventually surrendered. Cracking his neck forward, he declared, “Ugh… fine! Guess it’s time to whip out some good ol’ fashion kaiju fisticuffs, instead!” He made that clear by punching at the air with a pair of boxing mitts he magically concocted, hocking a loogie into the nearest spittoon he also created.
Bon Bon took a preemptive step back from Discord’s spittle, not trusting it in the slightest. Though she was still thankful they had a sharper edge joining them. That slight movement caused her to bump into the body behind her, earning the agent’s attention and coming face to face with a familiar pair of lovely eyes.
Lyra’s smile was innocent. Genuine. Hopeful and strong as she met her wife in the eyes and asked her, “I’m coming too, right?”
It sounded more like a statement than a question, one Bon Bon did not want to truthfully respond to in any way. “Lyra—” she tried to argue last minute, but was shut down instantly.
“Sweetie Drops…” Lyra interrupted, shocking Bon Bon to her core at the use of her real name, knowing just how serious Lyra was. And through it all, she still found a reason to hold that same smile. That same genuine hope. With trust as its center. “We do this together. I won’t leave your side.”
She trusted her. Lyra trusted her enough to go into the heart of the apocalypse, only as long as they did it together. The strength needed for that, the level of depth required to understand it, it was too much for Bon Bon to absorb at once. She didn’t need to.
She just needed to trust her back. “Not even for a second…” Bon Bon heard herself whisper.
Lyra nodded, a fierce smirk lighting up her face. “Count it.”
Nothing else was said. They all knew their places, their roles, and what needed to be done.
Celestia, Luna, and Cadance would keep the alphas focused on each other. Shining Armor commanded the airships. The Council of Friendship embarked into the shadows to face the wielder of every shade. Bon Bon and her agents of T.I.T.A.N.—and all those close to her—followed her into the fray. Ember led her dragons with Thorax and Pharynx leading their changelings. Every ruler of almost every nation would lead their own people. Yet everyone rallied behind one common purpose, one they all came to understand as they charged.
As T.I.T.A.N. charged into the apocalypse.
As if Discord was able to do that XD
At this point, magic passed the threshold of being able to counter that brute strength
Something subjected to the square-cube law,etc
I will repost my meme again here
i.ibb.co/qktCtGw/discord-meme.png
Dude, you only beat him last time because you had backup.
Damn, that art really sells it. It is the apocalypse.
I love that premise of having the main fight while other Kaijus fight in the background in a 3 way fight between Sombra's army, Gojira and T.I.T.A.N./the nations of Equus and Ghidorah's army.
For budget and time reasons it's obvious it wouldn't have been possible in the movie but it's freaking great to have it done here. The description also really sells how brutally the Kaijus are fighting. This ain't a friendly brawl, they're basically maddened creatures out for blood currently.
Good call. Not like you could defeat Ghidorah even if you tried. But good call.
Slight grammar nitpick/question, but wouldn't it be better to have "his" there instead as this bit of dialogue is from Sombra's perspective ? I mean, I know the guy is full of himself but to the point of referring to himself at the 3rd person in his own thoughts tho ?
Sombra's either really freaking dumb or really freaking determined. Or maybe both. Either way while I can respect is perseverance, it's still a fool's move to rush at the two of them. He'd be better off waiting in the shadows and coming back when the fight's over to finish the winner. But I guess it wouldn't make for a great story ending.
Now I know that it's Sombra we're talking about and that they've got a confidence boost from just "resurrecting" Godzilla but Sombra's still Kaiju-sized right now, I don't know just how well the elements would work here. But hey, I guess that if they can res Gojira then they can very well end Sombra.
Oh please, it's Sombra we're talking about here. He always comes back somehow.
I say "Exifying" sounds better. It actually sounds pretty cool.
Yeah, that's like the first time he gets a major role since the Isekai SuperHero episode in the series ! Disclaimer: I know he gets major/main roles in other episodes, but the main episode that comes to mind for that is the episode cited above and it fits the joke better.
Always nice to have some relation development between the two of them. Much less nice to know that those words of his are generally for characters that will most definitely not survive in fiction. But given he's a main character, maybe it'll save him (Not that it did for half the Avengers in Infinity Era...) ?
And as expected, he gets his ass handed to him. Again. You might wanna reconsider your spot as the "king" Sombra. That's the third beatdown you're getting in a row here. You're basically just a pest for them both right now. But hey, perseverance is a quality, even when you're dumb.
Dunno if that's a reference to the triple bite scene in the movie but if it is I really like how it puts the power difference into perspective from both Gojira versions. Nice detail here.
Good of her to assume the worst, even without a spectator's view like we have it'd be intelligent to assume that somehow Ghidorah will turn the tables so that they're not caught completely off guard if it happens.
Same energy as a family member calling you by your full name. Will put anyone in "serious mode" right away.
Oh how I love that last line. Some might say it's edgy but I'd be lying if I said I'm not a sucker for this kind of epic-sounding lines in fiction so it gets full points for me, especially since it does perfectly fit the situation here.
Which connects to the art comment where the feeling is shown perfectly. It is the apocalypse where the storm rages in the middle of a fight of titanic sizes where, depending on the side who wins, the very world as they know it will end. And that feeling is conveyed perfectly here. Magnificent job at managing to have the perfect atmosphere while having so much going on in it too. I also like the "detail" of Sombra just standing around besides Ghidorah and Gojira like "This is fine". Adds an involuntary comedic side to it that made me smile a bit.
Overall a great chapter that perfectly sets the mood for what the rest of the fight will look like and that's completely epic.
I totally understand why it took longer than usual to upload this chapter as the quality definitely reflects there (if the length between uploads is even due to that, either way it does not matter as the chapter was way more than worth the wait) and I really am looking forward to how the fight progress !
I'd be lying if I said I'm not absolutely hyped for how you'll render Thermonuclear Godzilla (AKA Burning Gojira 2019) with the new design you gave him, and arguably even more so with how you'll handle Mothra in that fight.
PS: Congrats on yet another featuring !
Dang. That picture at the end looks way worse than what I was thinking about.
Shrekzilla's art never ceases to amaze, and neither does this story.
We're nearing the endgame now, folks!
...Wait, we already did that one. Hmmm...we're nearing checkmate, folks!
Grab some popcorn boys, we're at the best part!
Wow. Three alphas fighting for leader of the titans, the creatures of equestria armies are fighting all the other titans while the former leaders are keeping the two titan alphas focus on each other while the mane 6 face titan Sombra for one final showdown. The battle of all life just started, and once’s Godzilla get his title of alpha back and Sombra defeated, this war is over. It’s time to end this once and for all. Great job, this is intense all ready but amazing job, keep up the great work
11058677
Damn Right Homie
The Apocalypse has just Begun and Godzilla has started taking the lead!
Hopefully we will get longer chapters soon like the good old days.
One king.
To rule.
Them all.
An excellent chapter, but, why do I feel that Ghidorah still has that psychic power that, if he uses it on Sombra, the evil unicorn is gonna be deader than dead…
11058677 Oh, you'll see what Discord's capable of.
11058699 Not gonna stop him now.
11058708 Worse... in a good way?
11058700 Thanks for the kind words! I think either way could work for that grammar issue you pointed out. And yeah, the art piece took a bit longer this time, but the next one shouldn't take as long.
11058731 Thank you so much! I'm sure Shrek will appreciate that!
11058871 The best is yet to come!
11058914 Thanks! Appreciate it!
11059001 Upcoming chapters should be longer.
11059259 He may have a craving for some chaos in the coming battle.
11059572
Basically this song is what goes on in my head for all the fight scenes of the Titans through out the whole chapter.
11059589 What's up?
11059593
Well I’ve been thinking, I you said you two are to make a sequel which is clearly going to be Godzilla vs Kong. But I was thinking what if you two did Kong Skull Island first, but in a different way?
11059601 I'll think about it.
11059604
Ok but do want to know what I mean by “in a different way?”
11059605 Kinda like this story? Similar plotline but executed differently?
11059601
Excuse the intrusion on the conversation but while I think it has some potential, the problem is that Skull Island doesn't have a lot of potential for a "ponyfication" like King of the Monsters did.
And from his past and current fanfics, I think you can see that he's not the kind of person to just take a movie and put MLP characters instead of humans in them, which would kinda have to be what's done in Skull Island's case aside from something like a massive plot change (which could be possible, given).
Tho of course this is only me who barely has any experience writting and a very limited imagination that says that. I have no doubt that he could somehow find a good way to "ponyfy" the movie while keeping it different enough to feel unique but not alienating, but it'd definitely be harder than with this story (not saying there ain't effort put into this one, that'd be completely false.)
11059607
I was thinking rather than having it start off by taking place in the past, have it take place in the present first a few months after the events of this story. With all of Equestria and beyond now knowing the existence of the Titans. Twilight brings up the mention of the drawing of the giant Gorilla she saw a while back. Celestia, Luna, Cadance, and Shinning believe that it’s time to tell them all the truth about another secret that Cadance, and Shinning discovered years before……… Godzilla isn’t the only king. Then they use magic to project the events of skull island that happened many years before in the form of a movie theater to show all of Equestria and beyond.
11059612 It would honestly be much more difficult. I may not even do it.
11059572
Oh yeah, I was expecting some damage. But, not that much. The crystal empire is done
11059620
Which is perfectly understandable if you don't. Better to not make a story than to make a bad one I say. Or well, unless you're doing it as training or something but this isn't the case here so you get what I mean.
11059620
11059624
I get your points, but that’s kinda the whole point in life there will always be difficult challenges along the way and nothing is always easy but you still give a shot and before you realize it you end up making it past that challenge.
11059627
JDPrime and I were actually thinking of making a Skull Island prequel but told in a different form.
I'm not gonna give full details about it since it's just an idea.
11059656
Well this is how I was thinking it could start out.
https://www.fimfiction.net/story/482897/the-one-true-king#comment/11059619
11059619
Kind of makes me think of Kingdom Kong. If you haven't read it yet, check it out. Takes place after KotM and is their first attempt into getting to hollow earth.
11059665
How does it remind you of that exactly?
How much of the movie is the final battle gonna follow?
11059627 True, but it’s also important to note the passion behind the work. I write these stories on the side for fun, but if I’m doing it because I feel obligated to, then there’s no passion behind it. It would come out terrible, and none of us want that.
11059837 Final battle is mostly original, but it’ll echo the movie.
11059853
I hear ya sorry if I was making you feel obligated and to be fair doing skull island would fun in my opinion, cause I mean come it’s freaking King Kong.
11059864 Well, we’ll have a lot of Kong in the sequel.
11059873
I know it’s just that it feels like a missed opportunity not doing Skull Island, I mean it is Kong’s origin story, just saying.
11059873
But in the end it’s up to you to decide so if you ever change your mind I’ll be waiting.
11059856
I just really wanna see Fire Godzilla show up.
11059837
I got the chance to read the next chapters. You won’t be disappointed.
11060058
It’s Burning Godzilla.
11060145
I prefer to call it by what the fans originally called it, helps tell them apart.
11059873
Imagine pony reporters placing bets, or discussing the sizes of Godzilla and Kong's brains. Still love the '62 movie
Man Sombra just can not keep up with the 2 real alphas can he?
11059656
Would there be a character that would be like Preston Packard if the story is green lit?
11065259
If there was then I think it would be an OC.
Shading in process
Also, JDPrime got a new profile pic from the movie that we both are excited to see!
11074108
I can see that, but I think the older one was better, it was more funny.
Also, if JD is going to make a sequel to this that follows Godzilla Vs Kong, who do you think is gonna be the idiot that builds Mechagodzilla?
11074159
I can't tell who, but it is from somepony you didn't expect.
It is not the villains from the show to lower your expectations.
11074162
So you just confirmed a GvK sequel, with a surprise villain?
11074164
There will definitely be a sequel after this. But me and JDPrime will take a break after we finished this story.
We each have other things to work on
11074167
Nice, enjoy yourselves. I can’t wait for what’s ahead.