The Island of Promised Point had a long and storied history, going back two-hundred and fifty some odd years, back when those first intrepid pony explorers took to the sea and headed out for parts unknown. The legend of its discovery is often taught to children all over the kingdom, for it is one of bravery, adventure, and intrigue. The story goes that Captain Sextant Scope, upon setting sail, promised his crew of one-hundred and eighty-three sailors, scientists, cartographers and missionaries that they were bound for a land that his grandfather, the legendary Astral Navis, had claimed to have seen on his historic journey around the entire globe.

So sure was he in his grandfather’s tale, that he staked everything on it, only gathering enough supplies to make a one way trip, and selling all of his holdings and bonds with no intention of ever returning to Equestria proper. While the journey started out amicably, it soon became apparent to many on board that they were skirting with disaster. Captain Scope had set off in the month of August, a time of year that any sailor worth his salt would tell you was suicide – the seas were at their worst during that time of year, but Sextant pressed forward.

In those final days of turmoil, when the supplies ran out, when the crew rose against him, and when nearly all had given up hope, Sextant Scope boldly proclaimed whilst pointing at a single point on the map, that he promised them they’d find paradise, and he had no intention of becoming a liar. Three days later, they spotted land – an island filled with such beauty and splendor, untouched by civilized creatures, and full of the promises Captain Scope had given. Thus it was christened ‘Promised Point’.

As the decades moved forward from there, Promised point became the staging ground for more and more expeditions into the world – a springboard from which the Chameleonic Islands had been tamed, the continent of Southernpoint was discovered, and peaceful ties established with the Zebracan nations. Soon Promised Point became an economic and commercial hub that could rival any mainland city, with its own thalamic power grid, a university and hospital, and perhaps the crown of the island, the Grand Observatorium, the greatest establishment of scientific study and development in the eastern hemisphere.

It was here, more than two centuries after its founding that the greatest minds of Equestria came together to change the world. Unfortunately, they succeeded. Though they never knew it in their lifetime, they were responsible for the greatest tragedy to ever beset civilization. While many would hardly fault them for their actions, the earth was less forgiving in her judgment, and so it would be on this day that everything changed.

Precision Lathe sat at the desk of his luxurious office, staring blankly out the massive window and into the grand city below. With a sigh, he turned away from the magnificent sight and started once more reviewing the progress reports of Project Æthor. A decade of research and all they had achieved was a bomb – a stupid bomb. With furrowed brow he noted that the report indicated that the device they had tested on that uninhabited island nearly sixteen weeks ago had indeed produced nearly unheard of levels of energy, but without a proper containment field, the energy dissipated too quickly.

This meant that they had been correct – to a point – in their approach to the problem. What they had not counted on was that the bonds that held matter together could be so potent. It was only a slight oversight, but even then it had been naïve to think they would succeed after only one attempt. ‘No,’ thought the old Unicorn, ‘one time is never enough to verify anything.’ But that first test had shown the potential of this new form of energy, one that many at the facility had given the moniker of ‘Matrixial’ energy, and to know that they were so close to the break through seemed to only intensify their research.

Already the team down in the R&D department had developed a prototype containment field, and while it was still too bulky for his liking, the design showed enormous promise. As of last week the work had begun on a second matrix breaker, smaller than the original, and designed around the concept of lay-line transfusion. With any luck, with enough of the planets natural magical energy being fed into the initial release of energy, they may be able to sustain it long enough to erect the containment field around it.

Spirits were high, as later that night the entire staff of the Observatorium threw a celebration in honor of their impending success. The party was such that a whole host of foreign dignitaries and the Royal Equestrian News Corp were invited, and most if not all had jumped at the chance to tour one of the greatest centers of science and magic in the entire world. Of special note were the king and queen of the Crystal Kingdom, who, at the chance of taking a vacation on such a beautiful island, wholeheartedly embraced the invite.

Yes, the party was in full swing, and Precision Lathe could finally take the time to rub elbows with royalty. Approaching Prince Shining Armor, the well learned Unicorn cleared his throat and proffered a hoof in greeting, saying, “My lord, it is simply delightful to be graced by the presence of both you and your lovely wife – how are you enjoying the soirée?” Shaking the elderly gentleman’s hoof, the former captain of the royal guard gave a polite smile and replied, “Well, its fine so far, thanks for asking – I’m just wondering…” Raising a brow in interest Dr. Lathe inquired, “Wondering… what – my lord?”

With a chuckle, the Crystal King shook his head and laconically responded, “It’s nothing really, just an old habit.” At the doctors insistence he continued, “It’s just, with so many important individuals attending this function, I’ve yet to see any sort of security detail to insure the safety of your guests.” Letting loose a bemused laugh, the good doctor exclaimed, “Well it’s really quite simple, good sir – Promised Point has rules against any form of weaponry or violence; we simply find no need for them here, we are quite safe, I assure you.”

With an incredulous look, his majesty tactfully asked, “What makes you so certain of that?” With an unintended scoff, Precision Lathe exclaimed, “My ancestor discovered this island two-and-a-half centuries ago, and not a single act of violence has occurred here since that day – this island is completely safe because nothing bad ever happens on Promised Point.” With a curt nod the Doctor dismissed himself, saying, “I’m sorry to end our discussion on such short noticed, but it appears that my colleague, Dr. Transient Flux is beckoning me to speak with him – it looks important; shall we continue where we left off?”

With a confounded look, the former captain answered, “I don’t see why not, but I still don’t understand how-”, his words were cut short by the doctor as he exclaimed, “Excellent, I won’t take long, I assure you.” And with those parting words he quickly trotted towards another, younger looking unicorn that was frantically waving him over. With a snort, Shining Armor muttered to himself, “This island is safe because nothing bad happens here; that doesn’t make a molecule of sense.” With a final sigh of exasperation, he set out in search of his wife; no doubt she’d be with the dignitaries’ wives, talking up a storm.

Sure enough, he found her amidst a circle of gossiping women, her bell-like laughter was easy to discern. Smoothly approaching the group of grand dames, he interjected. “Ladies, if I might be so rude, I’d like to speak with my wife for a moment – I hope that isn’t too inconvenient for any of you.” A string of ‘Not-at-all’s and ‘of course dear’s and not too much prattle welled up from the well-to-do women as they turned back towards one another to continue their sordid conversations; as Cadance was ushered away by her husband to a far corner of the ballroom.

“Shining, what’s wrong dear?” Swiftly turning towards his wife, he vented, “What’s wrong is that this place is totally unsecured; there are no guards, there are no security details, there aren’t even any night-watchmen – Cadance this place isn’t safe!” Rolling her eyes with a sigh, she liltingly laughed, “Honey, you’re being paranoid – relax.” Becoming increasingly irate, the stallion pleaded with her, “Cadance, please – let’s just go; I don’t like the idea of us being so vulnerable and this party isn’t really my style anyways.”

Patting her overprotective husband on the shoulder, the princess of love suggested a compromise, “Okay, how about this – why don’t you go on to the hotel ahead of me and I’ll stay here a little longer; I wanted to have a talk with a friend who works here.” Already losing the heart to argue with her further, he put up one last objection, “But, sweetheart, what if something happens to you when I’m not here?”, before being sent away by a patronizing look and sweet words of, “Don’t worry, okay?” And that was that.

Before departing from the love of his life, he sincerely opined, “I love you, Cadance.” At this the Crystal Queen gave him a kiss and a smile, saying, “I know – I love you too; see you in an hour.” How tragic the coming hour would be, then, for such a young loving couple – the hand of fate is often cruelest to those who are kind and innocent. But fate wasn’t something that concerned Shining Armor, and so with a reluctant sigh, he nuzzled her back and headed towards the door.

Meanwhile, in one of a myriad of empty hallways that intersected the facility, Doctor’s Precision Lathe and Transient Flux were in an animated discussion. “How severe will it be, Flux?” The younger Unicorn, who specialized in weathermancy pulled out a ragged piece of cloth and once more wiped his perspiring brow before saying, “In my thirty-two years of weather-manipulation studies, I’ve never seen anything like this; it could shut down the entire island for days!”

This worried Dr. Lathe, who was well aware that many of the delegates and party-goers were also perspective investors in the realty of the island. While storms were not uncommon, it would be extremely bad publicity for Promised Point’s tourism department if so many foreigners spread word of the potential dangers one might face on the island. “We can’t afford that!” he bemoaned, before harshly whispering, “Are you positive that it’s heading towards the island?” With a skittish nod, Transient Flux affirmed, “With only a two per-cent margin of error, sir – it’s going to hit the island, and like nothing we’ve ever before experienced.”

Pulling his hair in frustration, the director bit his lip as he debated something with himself, before turning back to his associate, and in a sotto voce manner remarked, “For now this will remain between you and I – do you understand?” Rearing back as if physically struck, doctor Flux exclaimed, “What – but sir!” Raising a hoof to silence him, the chairman rebuffed, “Not a word, Flux – this night is too important to let something as mundane as a storm ruin it – we need investors if we wish to succeed in our endeavor, and I won’t have you scaring them away!”

“Now, when we go back out there, I want you to promise me that you won’t go spouting off about super-storms and biblical disasters, do I have your word?” Of course, the younger Unicorn would never dare go against the mandates of the one being who insured his steady paycheck, so with a defeated nod, Transient Flux answered, “Yes, sir, of course.” Patting his associate’s shoulder, Lathe robustly exclaimed, “Good lad, now, let’s get back to schmoozing – the dignitary from Pangolia was interested to hear of the investment opportunities on the island and we don’t want to keep him waiting!”

And so for the next twenty minutes or so things resumed their course, the guests mingled as business deals were struck, and not a few back-room deals were ironed out along the way. The rain had started coming down in earnest not five minutes before, much to the delight of some of the more aridly inclined visitors. The extent of the storm only became apparent when a howling burst of wind seemed to tear through the streets, shaking both shutters and windows with its ferocity, and understandably startling some of the more skittish attendees.

Outside, those who were not yet indoors made mad dashes for the nearest shelter as massive fat raindrops began coming down with a vengeance; already the streets were overflowing with water as the drainage ports strained to take it all. The first crack of thunder to let loose was so intense that the street lamps flickered and the rooftops shuddered! Incandescent purple streaks of lighting tore through the sky as the winds increased in power. The skies turned black, not a star to be seen, as angry storm clouds blotted them out.

Back at the hotel, Shining Armor began to worry – while an hour had not yet passed, the intense storm that seemed to have come from nowhere gave him cause for alarm – his sister, Twilight, had once told him about the dangers of the south seas, about how typhoons could destroy whole cities and wipe clean entire islands. That settled it, he was going to go back to the Observatorium and demand that Cadance accompany him to a safe place, and if she disagreed, well… tough, he would climb that hill when he got there. So without hesitation he boldly set out into the frightful weather towards his love.

Unbeknownst to all, something far worse had arrived under the cover of the storm; a great and terrible beast with a burning hunger and a heart full of rage. The beast didn’t know what it was looking for exactly, but it was certain that it would find it soon enough. The storm was more than convenient, though not for reasons it would understand. Indeed, it was the earth herself that had driven forth the storm, not content to leave her child unattended, she had cast her cloak upon him and laid out her enemies before him.

Taking those first thunderous steps across the beach, the saurian colossus scanned the horizon, peering across the rolling, jungle-covered hills of the island. In the distance it could see the shimmering lights of a city, but those mattered little to the creature, instead its eyes locked on to its true prey, a great metal contraption that was aglow with a vivid violet light as the magical energy it produced fed the city surrounding it. This was what had drawn the creature – pure, raw energy, the sort of energy it needed to fuel its new body.

With a deep, ululating bellow that blended seamlessly with the booming thunder above, the avatar of destruction made titanic strides towards the city; vicious streaks of lightning crashing all around it as it pushed onwards. More than a few times one of the blazing bolts of electric fury would strike home upon its towering spines, briefly giving them an unearthly glow as the energy seemed to vanish into the creature’s form.

The first signs of something amiss were subtle to those inhabitants of the outlying suburbs. The rumbling tremors that ran beneath their feet could have easily been explained away as rolling thunderclaps or another one of the endemic earthquakes that often beset the island at random intervals. The spine-chilling, brassy echoes that spilled forth across the hills could be passed off as the buffeting winds that flew through the streets. The sudden explosion of a gas-line on the far eastern fringes of the conurbations could not be so easily dismissed.

One after another, more and more gouts of flame sprang up across the housing district, billowing plumes of inky black smoke reflecting the orange glow of negative energies as the conflagration spread to other buildings. The pall of destruction concealed the perpetrator as easily as the growing storm, as thousands of voices cried out in terror and confusion. What was happening? Is this a part of the storm, or is something else at work here? None could say, and many more perished to the blaze that raced through the neighborhood.

By the time the monster reached the city proper, a sea of flames ran free in its wake, and the air was thick with ash and smoke. It had hardly noticed the homes it had traversed across; they had been mere stumbling blocks to a being of such size. The first true obstruction in its path arrived in the form of a spiraling tower of metal and glass – a popular hotel for the rich and affluent who frequented the island. In the eyes of the beast, this monument to pony ingenuity was little more than a hideous affront to the once pristine form of the land.

With a forcible nudge of its leg, the building was toppled as a toothpick might be snapped, hundreds of lives snuffed out in a single moment; dust and glass shards scattered through the air. A casual sweeping of its powerful tail as it passed the wreckage demolished what little remained of it and the surrounding city block killing those few who may have survived the assault. From there onwards, more and more vaulted mansions and glimmering skyscrapers were brought low in such a way; the calamity only growing as the fires spread further and further abroad.

Kilometers away in the streets below, Shining Armor saw in abject horror the bristling wave of burning destruction that made its way towards the acropolis at the heart of the city. As the blighted skies flickered with warm highlights of orange and red, the acrid smell of burning wood and melting metal caused his heart to hammer as he increased his speed towards the Obeservatorium. Though he knew not of what was truly happening, he was certain of one thing - his wife was in danger, and he needed to protect her; every fiber of his being screamed out for him to gallop faster and faster.

It was at that same moment that alarm began to ring out across the city, its mournful wailing testifying to the danger the city now faced. The guests at the facility were at once set to panic as the lights suddenly gave out and the ceiling shook and groaned. The screams of terror were drowned out by an otherworldly howl that seemed to pierce the souls of all who heard it. Finally deciding that things had snowballed too far, the vow of silence Transient Flux had been sworn to by chairman Lathe was broken as he shouted, “The storm is too dangerous, you must all find shelter – I’m sorry but you must go now!”

Too late came his warning, though, as the earth seemed to heave in the throes of anguish, and the walls began to splinter and crumble. The screams of those who saw the end coming were cut short as the building gave way to the footfalls of a being they never imagined existed. Mere blocks away, an agonized Shining Armor screamed for his wife – the heartbreak he felt that moment brought him to his knees as he witnessed the undeniable death of all who had been in the building, including his beloved Cadance. Something broke inside of him as he fell to his face and wept bitterly.

Finally reaching its quarry, the mountain of pain and death personified gave a triumphant bellow of victory as it tore into the metal structure that contained its prize, revealing an enormous cube of Flourite clad in bars of Garnet, and at its center a massive Staurolite core; the soft, lavender radiance if gave off giving no hint to the awesome power it contained. Indeed this tripartite machine of semi-precious stones was the source of the island’s power. Built some fifty years prior, it fed off the natural lay line that ran through the island’s center, storing up raw life energy and converting it to a suitable medium for consumption.

This was the heart of the city, and while any other being who gazed upon would see beauty and unparalleled craftsmanship, to the avatar of earth’s fury it was little more than a parasite that fed off the life-blood of nature – built by the parasites that created this city. But the energy contained therein was so great, and the hunger it felt so vast that it contemplated none of these things as it reached forth with sinuous arms and sank its talons into the mystic mechanism. With an awesome heave, it wrenched the power-core from its cradle and clasped it to its chest.

The waves of unrestrained, raw magic that radiated outward from the dynamo produced such raw heat that the rain which poured from the sky evaporated mid transit; a bubble of dry air a hundred meters across manifested itself as streams of ethereal vapor wisped and swirled amongst plumes of smoke and pyres of flame. All those ponies who found themselves in this dome of hot, dry air were immediately wracked by a debilitating, scorching pain the likes of which they’d never before experienced – Shining Armor chief amongst them; his Unicorn heritage making him particularly vulnerable to such massive fluctuations of sorcerous power.

While the surrounding fixtures and infrastructure began to warp and bend with an angry red glow, the beast that stood at the epicenter of it all showed no signs of discomfort. Indeed, it seemed revel in the otherworldly energies, its skin taking on a shimmering quality as the luminous aura of the crystal crucible slowly dimmed. Had those who had inadvertently given birth to this titan still been alive to witness it, they would have seen that, in an ironically twisted sense, their efforts to create a limitless source of energy were a phenomenal success; the wave of heat rapidly contracted; those tangents of fairy-power that were visible to the naked eye were seemingly pulled towards its heart.

The aberrant spines that jutted from its back began to crackle and hiss - their chalky white hue transmuting to a radiant, lightning-sky blue; arcing bolts of pure plasmatic white leaping from one tip to another as the air was filled with the sounds of a hundred million twittering birds. Nearby rubble and stones began to rise from the ground, and the corona of dust and pulverized particulate began to whirl in a spinning vortex as transient arcs of static bloom blossomed into existence all around the ancient horror.

Finally, the empyrean began to settle, as the glow of eldritch energies finally faded from the enchanted engine – it’s once magnificent visage now little more than a cold, lucent block of stone. The rain once more poured down with renewed vigor, its cacophony filling the void of deathly silence. Slowly the ancient beast surveyed its work. Where it had trod was naught but rubble, and the firestorm of its wake would very soon consume the rest. Already the entire municipality was alight, the blaze growing greater with each passing minute. The sky was pitch-black, so thick with ashy smoke and detritus that even it struggled to breathe freely.

But what mattered most to the disaster made incarnate was that it finally felt whole – the hole that had filled its being was no more, and the glorious warmth of the surrounding fires were nothing in comparison to the feeling in its soul. Finally, it could rise to its calling – the creatures that battered its world would be brought low, natures revenge was at hand. With a deep and sonorous breath, the behemoth roared into the stormy night; the apostle of the earth had come into its own, and the message it brought would not be ignored!

Looking up from his place of misery, Shining Armor fought to retain his consciousness as he beheld such an awesome sight: a dark god of destruction, shouting in defiance to the very heavens, challenging all who would oppose it – what he witnessed was the beginning of a new era, an era where the rule of the Pony was no longer unquestionable. With a growl, the great engine of chaos slowly turned towards him, and with an eerie slowness its terrifying visage fell upon him. The smoldering crimson orbs that regarded him held an intelligence that sent shivers down his entire body.

Those eyes spoke of a terrible judgment upon the world, and they possessed such a blazing hatred that he quelled in fear. The terrible monster regarded him as he might have regarded an insect – utterly repulsive and deserving of destruction. In his heart he found hope – a hope that he might very soon join his beloved Cadance once more in eternal unity, but his hopes were shattered when the creature turned away from him and headed once more into the darkness – the pillars of smothering black clouds seemingly enveloping it as if it were some terrible apparition.

There, amidst all the destruction, in the middle of that terrible storm, as the haze of the heat and light of the fire spilled across the night-time air, the now broken ruler of the Crystal Kingdom could only wonder at the insanity of it all. In a trembling voice he cried out into the night, “God – God have mercy on our souls!” before sinking into sweet unconsciousness. But God had turned away from them long ago, and now all that remained was their sins made manifest.

Author's Note

As promised, here is the third chapter. By far the longest, though not by intention. Here we see a foretaste of things to come.
A few side notes: the back stories I've created these past three chapters may be used by any and all of the authors on this site - I don't particularly care if you directly take them or modify them. Every single word in this chapter can be found in the English language, and in the spirit of learning, I would kindly suggest that you look the words that you don't understand up in some dictionary source, be it online or a book. Finally, for those of you who may be wondering why Godzilla didn't just vaporize Shining Armor right then and there, I'd like to introduce you to the metaphor...
Did you know that a majority of the people who died from the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were not killed by the explosion, or even outright? Roughly 93% of those who perished were killed slowly by gamma radiation. Here comes the metaphor part - Godzilla's passing over of Shining Armor is in reference to how the those who were spared instant death by the bomb did not escape death at all, merely prolonged it. Shining Armor is going to slowly waste away in the coming chapters, his organs will fail from the massive amounts of radiation he was subject too, and this will in turn involve a wider circle of individuals into the plot of the coming chapters.
Be advised that I will most likely not be churning out these chapters as quickly as I've been - I have a life to attend to, and things to accomplish. Rest assured that the story will continue, but don't hold your breath.